Hatha Yoga :
Introduction to Hatha yoga
In this blog I am going to share my experience with Hatha yoga.Being a student of Hatha yoga I understood that the system of yoga must have been designed by people who have a very high level of intelligence about the nature about the functionality of human body and the mind.It is believed that the great saints of India have got this system through their intuition. As the practice deepens one will start understanding the subtle energy of the body and mind.
In todays world Hatha yoga is just considered as a means for fitness , it has become a fitness source.
But Hatha yoga is beyond just fitness , it works on mind and the energy level of the yoga practitioner.
A dedicated practice of few days will show a great improvement in the lifestyle of the person practicing it.
Meaning of yoga is union.Union with the highest consciousness or god.In other words if we simplify the definition for common man , Yoga is the path of balancing all aspects of life.i.e. Integration of Body mind and soul. Yoga is a very vast subject to write and however a brief explanation is given below.Yoga is the process of purifying body and mind.
According to sage Patanjali Yoga has eight limbs ,they are Yama(common rules), Niyama(specific rules to a person), Aasana(Postures) , pranayama(Breath control/ energy control), pratyahara(withdrawal), dharana(Focus on a object) , dhyana (Meditation), Samadhi (oneness with divine).It is said by the ancient books that there are 7 Chakras or energy centers and 72 thousand nadis or energy channels.Non functioning of any of nadi or chakras lead to imbalance and diseases. By balancing the flow of energy one slowly attains higher levels of consciousness and peacefulness of mind.Flow of vibrant enery can be easily felt when practiced under the right guidance.There are seven chakras or energy centres , they are
These chakras act like transformers for the energy flow and blockage in energy channel could have specific problems in those areas.This is the same principle used in energy healing.In today's life man is moving away from nature,high speed and mechanical lifestyle with competition has created a lot of stress on young generation.This leads to a very disturbed or agitated mind.Studies have shown that agitated mind has a negative impact on the hormonal balance and on blood pressure.More sedentary lifestyle with less physical work is leading to back pain and digestive problems sugar level increase in body.By practicing Hatha yoga one can balance the mind , remove the stress gain more energy and achieve the harmonal balance.Leading to a happy and peaceful life.
But for the benefit of common man we will discuss about asanas and pranayama in detail also about meditation.
Often people misundestand Hatha Yoga as sitting in some postures or standing upside down and touching head to knees etc. But in reality Hatha yoga is much more than that.Any one can start practicing Hatha yoga.From the age of 7 till one is alive hatha yoga can be performed.When sick avoid practicing asanas. In modern days the researches have proved that Hatha yoga can benefit many people suffering from ailments like back pain, slip disc,heart problems, stress, depression , diabetes, weight control, blood pressure control.
It is good to practice Hatha yoga early in the morning or in the evening.It is recommended to practice yoga with full dedication and in silence under natural conditions.
According to sage Patanjali Yoga has eight limbs ,they are Yama(common rules), Niyama(specific rules to a person), Aasana(Postures) , pranayama(Breath control/ energy control), pratyahara(withdrawal), dharana(Focus on a object) , dhyana (Meditation), Samadhi (oneness with divine).It is said by the ancient books that there are 7 Chakras or energy centers and 72 thousand nadis or energy channels.Non functioning of any of nadi or chakras lead to imbalance and diseases. By balancing the flow of energy one slowly attains higher levels of consciousness and peacefulness of mind.Flow of vibrant enery can be easily felt when practiced under the right guidance.There are seven chakras or energy centres , they are
- Mooladhara chakra - root of the tree
- Swadhistana chakra - Genetal organs
- Manipura chakra - Abdominal organs
- Anhata chakra - Heart and Lungs
- Vishudhi chakra - Thyroid & parathyroid - throat
- Agna chakra - Pitutary gland
- Sahasrara or turiya chakra - Brain
These chakras act like transformers for the energy flow and blockage in energy channel could have specific problems in those areas.This is the same principle used in energy healing.In today's life man is moving away from nature,high speed and mechanical lifestyle with competition has created a lot of stress on young generation.This leads to a very disturbed or agitated mind.Studies have shown that agitated mind has a negative impact on the hormonal balance and on blood pressure.More sedentary lifestyle with less physical work is leading to back pain and digestive problems sugar level increase in body.By practicing Hatha yoga one can balance the mind , remove the stress gain more energy and achieve the harmonal balance.Leading to a happy and peaceful life.
But for the benefit of common man we will discuss about asanas and pranayama in detail also about meditation.
Often people misundestand Hatha Yoga as sitting in some postures or standing upside down and touching head to knees etc. But in reality Hatha yoga is much more than that.Any one can start practicing Hatha yoga.From the age of 7 till one is alive hatha yoga can be performed.When sick avoid practicing asanas. In modern days the researches have proved that Hatha yoga can benefit many people suffering from ailments like back pain, slip disc,heart problems, stress, depression , diabetes, weight control, blood pressure control.
It is good to practice Hatha yoga early in the morning or in the evening.It is recommended to practice yoga with full dedication and in silence under natural conditions.
Hatha Yoga practice :
Some important things to keep in mind before starting the practice.Learning hatha yoga from an experienced teacher is beneficial than by reading a book or watching a video. Yoga is done well in a group.After few months of practice practicing alone is fine.
- Select a well ventilated place with good air flow and light
- Choose a calm or silent place
- Have little water before practice of hatha yoga
- Make sure that the stomach is empty (4-5 hours after food)
- Have a non slippery mat
- Inhale and exhale deeply 5 times
- Start with a prayer and with a gratitude towards everything
- Awareness of body and breath is very important throughout the practice.
- Do not overstretch yourself to reach a posture.Keep trying but overstretching could cause pain in muscles. That's the reason one has to be very attentive during hatha yoga practice.
Practice could be divided into following parts
- Warm up or loosening of muscles
- Mooving into Suryanamaskara or sun salutation
- Asana practices
- Deep relaxation
- Light pranayama practice
Take a look at some of the youtube videos from Shivanada ashram.Shivananda ashram is one of very good yoga teaching institutes in India
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