Friday, August 23, 2013

What is Hatha Yoga?

Hatha Yoga was introduced by Yogi Swatmarama in the fifteenth century in India and is derived from the Sanskrit words Ha for sun and Tha for moon. It is known to act as a liaison between the opposite negative and positive parts of a yogi's system. It reached its present day fame because of the various types of Hatha being practiced in the West today, including Ashtanga, Iyengar and Bikram. It is a physical practice that trains the body to eventually attain high levels of spirituality. Hatha is mostly famous for the various postures that are incorporated into the session along with the traditional breathing techniques. These postures allow the body to be toner, more flexible and possess more strength.

The main focus of Hatha is to accomplish equilibrium between the mind and the body. Due to this reason, yoga sessions are designed to integrate a number of asanas and pranayamas to accomplish a tough workout for both as well as tap into your hidden physical and mental capability. A Hatha session leads the practitioner through a series of postures, holding them for different periods of time and ensuring that all muscles of the body are warmed up and then exercised during each class. This provides a total body workout better than any aerobics or Pilates class can deliver, as most of the postures are very strenuous and demanding in nature, pushing the body to reach its utmost potential.

The other important part of a Hatha session are the breathing techniques incorporated into it. Yogis have to be very conscious of maintaining proper breathing along with achieving the postures. Certain classes break up periodically to let the yogis focus on their pranayamas. It is considered to be a fundamental part of Hatha as it enables the practitioner to accomplish control of the body and center the focus on the inner self. Proper breathing ensures a smooth transition to the meditation part of Hatha Yoga, which although is not mandatory, but many people opt to benefit from it as well.

Meditation during yoga induces a sense of peace and tranquility and assists in reaching the sub and super conscious levels, where all negative emotions are embedded. Upon reaching them, it is easy to program all the negativity and channel it into positive thoughts. In the Western world though the primary focus is not on the meditative part of Hatha, instead lies within the breathing and exercise aspects. That is the reason that the various forms of Hatha that have emerged direct the yogi through a tough routine.

The most intensive form of Hatha is probably Bikram Yoga, as in addition to leading the yogi trough demanding exercises, the yoga session is held in a very hot room with temperatures greater than 104 degree Fahrenheit. The high heat induces removal of toxins and calories get burned in excess. Ashtanga, which is another popular form of Hatha, leads its yogi through a flowing pattern of postures that utilize all body parts and promotes improved organ functionality along with creating a well toned and flexible body. Hatha provides agility, suppleness and energy to the entire body and replenishes all vital organs.








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