All You Want to Know About Hatha Yoga: Poses, Benefits, More
Many people ask ‘what is Hatha yoga?’ Before answering this question, we must understand how many people realize the higher form of energy that exists beyond the physical realm. The ability to sustain such energy necessitates the strengthening of the system that is possible only through yogic postures stemming from a deep understanding of human anatomy.
Table of Content:
- Understanding Hatha Yoga
- Practicing Hatha Yoga
- Benefits of Hatha Yoga
- Hatha Yoga Teacher Training Courses
Understanding Hatha Yoga
One of the most popular branches of yoga, the origin of this yogic practice can be traced to the Sanskrit word ‘Hatha’ that translates to being forceful or obstinate. As opposed to its name, this yoga practice does not include asanas that must be done forcefully. Rather, the positive connotation of the word ‘Hatha’ is implied that it requires one to stay dedicated and focused while doing them. Designed to ring in a sense of calm over the body and mind, the Hatha yoga asanas focus on breathing and channeling the energy too. These poses combine physical postures and breathing techniques that are practiced slowly than other yoga exercises.
Hatha yoga is not about twisting the body into various shapes or balancing it on one’s head or just holding your breath. This kind of yoga involves preparing the body to allow for higher energy possibilities. It takes a lot of practice for a body to enter into a deeper form of meditation. Practicing Hatha yoga regularly prepares the body gently to achieve this level of spiritual growth.
Practicing Hatha Yoga: Getting Started
Many people learning yoga discuss how often their instructors talk about Hatha yoga poses and how these asanas must be practiced daily for mind-body wellness and health benefits. Started in India around 2000 years ago as a series of breathing exercises, practicing Hatha yoga asanas is about balancing the body and mind. In common parlance, ‘Ha’ represents the sun, while ‘tha’ means the moon. Meditation experts advise practicing Hatha yoga poses to conjoin the two energies and balance them.
Many wellness institutions, while teaching the asanas to their students, include certain archaic and powerful practices that can have a transforming effect on the body and mind if done regularly. Here are some of them:
- Upayoga: A set of asanas that activate and strengthen the joints, muscles, and nervous system, thus, reinvigorating the entire nervous system.
- Angamardana: A combination of 30 different exercises that rejuvenate the entire system to help achieve physical and mental fitness.
- Surya Kriya: An ancient yogic practice, consisting of 21 steps designed to promote the overall well-being of the body and the mind.
- Yogasanas: A series of powerful postures that help raise one’s consciousness, adds stability to one’s mind, controls emotions, and delays the body’s aging process.
- Bhuta Shuddhi: A process to purify the five elements within the human system, resulting in balancing the human system and harmonizing it with its surroundings.
6 (Undeniable) Benefits of Hatha Yoga
Practicing yoga regularly is known to increase flexibility, achieve a toned body, and improve the working of both the heart and the mind. However, Hatha yoga has some added benefits too. These include:
1. Builds core strength and stability
Muscle strength is essential to perform routine activities, especially, for athletes and those involved in physical hard labor. Loss of strength can lead to muscle injuries and pain. Some effective Hatha yoga poses, including the Boat, Plank, and Downward Facing Dog, increase the core strength by working on the abdominal muscles while increasing the spinal strength and augmenting your ability to bend and twist as per need.
2. Augments bone density
Low bone density can result in frequent fractures. While the inclusion of the right nutrients in the diet can work on strengthening the bones, regular Hatha yoga postures can help treat bone loss by increasing the bone density.
3. Strengthens the immune system
Continued stress, recurring infections, poor diet, and the effect of certain medicines can have a deteriorating effect on our immunity. Hatha yoga shields the body from disease and infection by extending support to the lymphatic system. As stress adversely affects the immune system, practicing Hatha yoga asanas regularly controls the inflammatory level, thus, preventing disorders of the immune system.
4. Maintains a healthy heart
Physiologists often recommend their patients to practice Hatha yoga for a better heart and improved lung capacity. Other than relieving the body of hypertension that can lead to heart problems, these yoga poses have a calming effect on the blood pressure. Some of the best Hatha yoga poses recommended for a healthy heart include the Mountain Pose, Big Toe Pose, Downward Dog, and Lion’s Breath.
5. Improves skin quality
Stress leads to premature aging of the skin, loss of elasticity, and a resulting tired appearance. Hatha yoga practices improve skin tone by boosting blood circulation. Toxins are flushed out, thus, preventing acne, pimple breakouts, and sagging skin.
6. Improves sleep quality
Sleep disorders are common, be it due to emotional strain or physiological health problems. One of the common benefits of Hatha yoga is the resulting relaxation and peace of mind that helps people to sleep peacefully. Besides, Hatha yoga poses have an increasing effect on melatonin production, an important hormone to regulate the sleep cycle.
Try Our Hatha Yoga Teacher Training Courses
‘Yoga’ means union. Practicing yoga increases awareness of oneness with the divine existence. To encourage people to adopt basic practices that improve their living by ensuring harmony between the body and the surrounding energy, at Govardhan Ecovillage, we offer scientifically-designed and certified yoga courses and yoga retreats. Being one of the best yoga training centers, you get access to health exercises that encourage spiritual growth.
So, if you are looking for the best hatha yoga teacher training course, you can choose from the list of yoga education courses offered by us. Designed keeping in mind the needs of the masses, our yoga training courses will open the doors to healthy living, delivering you a happier and content life.