In hatha yoga, breathwork and movement are combined. It also refers to the physical positions taught in all forms of yoga.
THE HATHA YOGA’S HISTORY
Hatha yoga is a catch-all word for the physical activity and breathing practices needed to develop mindfulness. A female instructor corrects a newbie during a group class. This idea has its roots in India and dates back to the eleventh century A.D., but posture-based yoga did not emerge until the early 20th century. The techniques described in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika are the foundation of modern-day hatha yoga.
The first formal school for hatha yoga opened in Mysore in 1924, and the practice began to spread throughout India in the 1920s and 1930s. In this period, western society’s physical culture and the Indian hatha yoga traditions converged. Hatha yoga teachings gained popularity in the West when material culture gained prominence in the 20th century.
TODAY HATHA YOGA
People all across the world now frequently practice Hatha. But it’s not done the same way anymore as it used to be with traditional hatha yoga. Instead of regular sessions with the same set of students, the focus of contemporary hatha yoga has evolved to include huge class sizes that are frequently drop-in. This has made it simpler to arrange yoga courses at your convenience.
Hatha, a Sanskrit term, means “force” in English. You will learn to use prana, or life force, to perform yoga poses in hatha sessions. The physical, mental, and spiritual vitality in Hinduism is referred to as prana in Hindu writings. Classes usually last 45 to 90 minutes, and you can anticipate that they will end with some yoga or meditation asanas.
Hatha yoga programs today are slow and gentle, making them ideal for newcomers to yoga. Many yogis advise starting with Hatha yoga before attempting other physical practices. Hatha was initially regarded as the origin of all yoga styles because it gave rise to all other forms practised in Western cultures. It is currently seen more as a sister, though.
HYP (HATHA YOGA PRADIPIKA)
Indian yogi Nath Yogi Swatmarama penned the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (HYP) in the fifteenth century C.E. The tenets of hatha yoga are described in the literature. Swatmarama depends on his knowledge and earlier yoga writings that have since been lost. The most well-known book in this genre is HYP, regarded as one of the most significant ancient books on yoga philosophy.
Hatha yoga, which was designed for aspiring yogis, is described by Swatmarama as “the yoga that is attained through forceful means with difficult physical kriyas and cleansing, purifying actions as beginning practice.” Students still follow Swatmarama’s instructions as outlined in his manual in the contemporary period.
LIMBS OF YOGA IN 8
The eight limbs of hatha yoga are still present in its original form. The eight limbs are arranged in a series from the outer to the inner. Through self-evaluation training in morality and ethics, they produce a manual for making your life worthwhile. The following eight steps make up the eight limbs:
Yama: This emphasizes morality and ethics, teaching the ideal ways to behave and express ourselves. Ahimsa (nonviolence), Satya (honesty), Ateya (not stealing), Brahmacharya (not indulging in immoral behaviour), and Aparigraha (not covetousness) are the five Yamas.
Niyama: Spiritual observation and self-discipline are part of the second limb. Saying grace before a meal or going on solitary nature walks are two examples of Niyama. Saucha (cleanliness), Samosa (contentment), Tapas (heat; spiritual austerities), Svadhyaya (studying oneself and the holy books), and Ishvarapranidhana (surrendering to the deity) are the five Niyamas.
The physical poses practised during a yoga session are known as asanas. Asana practice helps us accomplish meditation because it improves our focus and discipline to a deeper level.
Breath control is usually understood to be the definition of pranayama. To govern the respiratory system, it is built to recognize the relationship between breath, the mind, and emotion. Breath retention may be used to achieve this. Pranayama’s full name is “life force extension,” according to yogis; it has the power to prolong life.
Pratyahara: Withdrawing from outside distractions and turning your focus within is the fifth limb. You can watch your inner thoughts and start to see them in a new way by removing yourself from the senses. This phase requires mental effort.
Dharana: At this stage, you won’t be bothered by outer distractions, allowing you to focus inside. By focusing on just one thing, you will learn how to slow down your thought process here. Meditation will naturally follow from learning to concentrate on a single thing for long periods.
Dhyana: Also referred to as meditation, dhyana is the unbroken flow of concentration (Dharana). You will be awake and conscious in this condition without any focus. It will take strength and endurance to achieve this condition of quiet. However, it is a necessary step in the process, and you will gain from the experience as you move closer to your objective.
Samadhi: According to the Sanskrit text Patanjali, this is an ecstatic condition. The meditator will emerge from Samadhi with their focus and transcend entirely the self. Through the core channel, it is accomplished. They will achieve a connection with all living things and feel the joy of unification with the cosmos.
HATHA YOGA BENEFITS
The mind, body, and soul can all benefit significantly from hatha yoga practice. The following are some advantages that frequent practice may bring you:
Enhances sleep quality: Hatha yoga is excellent in improving sleep, according to John Hopkins University, because of its meditative elements and breathing techniques. The corpse poses, lying butterfly, and legs-up-the-wall positions are a few examples of poses that foster sound sleep patterns.
Builds flexibility and strength: Hatha yoga gradually builds flexibility and strength through physically taxing postures and sequences. Thanks to this, you’ll further tone your muscles and get the yoga body of your dreams.
Reduces stress, anxiety, and depression: One study with 52 women who had anxiety, depression, and stress discovered that their mental health greatly improved after 12 hatha yoga sessions. Their anxiety, despair, and stress levels decreased, and their awareness increased, thanks to the yoga courses.
According to numerous research, Hatha yoga is an effective treatment for chronic pain, including knee pain, endometriosis pain, and lower back pain. This exemplifies how yoga can be used in conjunction with conventional medicine.
Additional advantages include, but are not restricted to:
- Maintains wholesome joints
- improves immunological function
- can lower inflammatory illness and inflammation
- helps foster self-control and discipline
- Balance and proprioception are developed.
YOGA HATHA POSES
Hatha yoga positions During a typical Hatha session, you might come across the following fundamental asanas:
Tadasana, or Mountain Pose, is performed by standing with your feet hip-width apart. Take a deep breath, raise your arms over your head, and interlace your fingers. Lift your heels and shift your weight to the balls of your feet. From your toes to your fingers, feel your body expand. Lower your arms and heels as you exhale. Repetition is required.
Benefits: Tadasana stabilizes the shoulder joints and strengthens your shoulders, back, glutes, and legs. Additionally, it enhances balance and posture while easing sciatic discomfort.
Risks and contraindications: If you have vertigo, a headache, or low blood pressure, stay away from this position. To protect your knees, attempt to tighten your hamstrings if your legs are extended too far.
Stand tall, bend your right knee, and rest your foot inside your left thigh to perform the tree pose (Vrikshasana). Determine your balance by keeping the supporting leg straight. Take a breath, lift your arms above your head, and join your palms in the Namaste salutation. Keeping your gaze on the thing directly before you can help you maintain your equilibrium. Breathe deeply and slowly as you settle into the posture. When you’re done, take a deep breath, let go of your right leg, and bring your hands to your sides. The left stance should be repeated.
Vrikshasana benefits include body renewal and arm, leg, and back stretching. It stabilizes the mind and enhances focus. Additionally, it strengthens the legs, improves balance, and opens the hips while providing relief from some sciatica situations.
Risks and contraindications: If you have a headache, sleeplessness, low blood pressure, or high blood pressure, you should stay away from this posture.
Start in uplifted hands posture (Urdhva Hastasana), sweep your arms down your sides, and move into a forward fold (Uttanasana) that is started from the hips. Maintain a straight line from your fingertips to your toes, and press your palms into the mat if you can. To avoid having your knees locked in place and to use your leg muscles, slightly bend your knees. Maintaining a hip-to-ankle distance, place your weight on the balls of your feet. Leave your head hanging. You can get out of the posture by taking a deep breath and placing your hands on your hip bones. Put pressure on your tailbone, tighten your abs, and slowly stand up.
Benefits: This position strengthens the thighs and knees while stretching the hamstrings, calves, and hips. It also relieves stress and depression. It also stimulates the kidneys and liver to enhance digestion. Menopause symptoms, headaches, and insomnia are all reduced by it. Last but not least, Uttanasana is beneficial for treating ailments like osteoporosis, infertility, sinusitis, asthma, and high blood pressure.
Risks and contraindications: It is advised to avoid this pose or perform it with bent knees if you have a back issue. Additionally, you should avoid this position if you have a medical condition that requires you to prevent high pressure in your head. Glaucoma and dental bone transplants are two possible conditions.
Shavasana is the starting position for Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana). Place your arms by your sides. Your feet should be flat, so bend your knees and grab your ankle with both hands. Take a breath, then raise your back in a relaxed manner. You can elevate the heels if you’d want a deeper stretch. Hold this position for at least 30 seconds while breathing slowly in and out. With a long breath, lower your back and relax. Three to five times should be repeated.
Benefits: Setu Banhasana helps reduce stress and depression while stretching the chest, neck, and spine. It can stimulate the thyroid, lungs, and abdominal organs, which aids in better digestion. The position may ease menopause and menstrual discomfort as well as anxiety, exhaustion, headaches, backaches, and sleeplessness. The bridge posture is also beneficial for treating asthma, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, and sinusitis.
Risks and contraindications: You should avoid performing this posture if you have neck, shoulder, knee, or back pain. Additionally, if you are expecting, talk to your doctor first.
AVOIDING THESE HATHA YOGA POSES AS A BEGINNER
There are particular poses in hatha yoga that beginners should avoid until they gain more experience since they may put a lot of stress on the knees or the neck.
With regard to the neck, three important hatha poses to stay away from as a beginner are the plough pose (halasana), shoulder stand (Sarvangasana), and headstand (sirsasana), especially if you spend a lot of time at your desk in front of a computer or otherwise looking down at a smart device.
Our necks may already be damaged by using smart gadgets on a regular basis, and if these poses are performed without the proper knowledge or preparation, they could further damage our necks.
Lotus or variations of the lotus pose are another category of hatha yoga practice that you should approach with caution. Even though it involves normal knee movements, if you aren’t accustomed to doing the specific knee movement needed, this position can be hazardous for your knees.
Consider learning how to align your neck’s bones and contract your neck muscles before attempting a headstand if you intend to practice it. Learn how to balance in poses like shoulder stand and plough posture on your shoulders to lessen stress on the back of your neck.
The trick here is learning to employ muscles that act on your hip and knee to keep your knees safe while advancing into lotus if you choose to approach lotus or variations of it when you are ready.
If you feel sharp joint discomfort while performing these or any other hatha yoga postures, stop what you’re doing or alter how you’re doing it.
A LOT OF QUESTIONS ARE ASKED ABOUT HATHA YOGA.
CAN HATHA YOGA HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT?
Hatha yoga is generally not recommended for weight loss. Hatha exercises are a fantastic sort of physical activity that can enhance several facets of your health. The style of yoga you are searching for might not be this, though, if your ultimate objective is to reduce weight.
A 30-minute Hatha yoga session, per Harvard Health, will burn 120 calories for a 125-pound person, 144 for a 155-pound person, and 168 for a 185-pound person.
Vinyasa yoga is a more active kind of yoga that can be a better choice for you if your objective is weight loss. By giving you a cardiac exercise, the flowing style might assist you in achieving your objectives.
IS HATHA YOGA SAFE FOR A PREGNANT WOMAN?
Yes, women who are expecting can practice hatha yoga. Along with prenatal yoga and restorative yoga, physical yoga is one of the finest types for expectant women because it is typically safe. Don’t sign up for a hatha yoga class until you’ve gotten your doctor’s okay. Additionally, tell your professional yoga instructor about your pregnancy so they can adjust particular poses for you.
HATHA YOGA IS HOT?
Contrary to Bikram and Hot yoga, Hatha is not practised in a hot room. In general, hatha yoga begins with a gentle introduction to the fundamental poses.
ARE THERE ANY HATHA YOGA POSES?
As was already noted, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika is regarded as a compilation of many Hatha books. It has fifteen main postures, eight of which are standing and seven of which are seated. There are a total of 84 asanas, plus an extra 69 postures. But it’s unlikely that you’ll complete them all in a single yoga session.
WHAT SETS HATHA YOGA DIFFERENTLY FROM VINYASA?
Hatha yoga is practised slowly, emphasizing good alignment, holding physical poses, stretching, and breathing methods. Vinyasa yoga is a quick-paced style that emphasizes synchronizing the breath with movements, though this is not the only distinction. Instead of holding poses throughout the practice, vinyasa calls for continuous flow.
Hatha yoga can be right for you if you’re new to yoga and desire a slow-paced style with a laid-back learning atmosphere. Vinyasa yoga is a better choice if you’re searching for something that will physically challenge you more.