Hatha Yoga: Characteristics And Benefits
Today, the practice of many types of yoga has spread. Depending on our goals, we should decide on a particular type of yoga. If you want to practice controlled yoga, focused on the elasticity of the muscles, Hatha Yoga is for you.
This form of yoga departs from other types such as raja yoga (mental yoga) or karma yoga (more active yoga) because it focuses on preparing the body for meditation. Stretching the body is his priority. It is the best known and most practiced yoga in the West. This is why it is sometimes considered distorted.
What is Hatha Yoga ?
This form of yoga can be practiced in any western center or gymnasium. In fact, it ended up turning into a set of stretches that either follow or precede another type of workout. As we all know, yoga is an oriental religious practice. And it was brought to the West for use as an additional sport discipline.
Hatha Yoga consists of several stages or parts. The first is the postural part, the āsana . The following steps, more related to relaxation and meditation, have often been omitted by Western masters to give a yoga class centered on dynamic postures that do not follow a fixed series.
Hatha Yoga postures
The different āsana of Hatha Yoga often present a certain postural difficulty. Dominating them depends on our balance and flexibility. However, this kind of yoga does not require any physical preparation and its practice is not restricted by age, gender or physical condition. It is for this reason that it is a very popular discipline.
Among the most common postures, we find those related to meditation, such as the lotus posture or the child posture. Some are more related to physical aspects, such as the cobra posture or the bow posture.
Lotus pose
This is one of the most representative postures of yoga in the West. It is done by crossing the legs and placing each foot on the opposite thigh (right foot on the left thigh and vice versa). This pose is difficult to practice at first because it requires a lot of flexibility in the legs and a lot of strength in the back (which must remain straight).
Child posture
This posture is much more accessible and is also used for meditation. It consists of leaning the body forward while sitting on the knees. Our spine is thus curved and relaxed. We then have to stretch our arms forward and rest our foreheads against the ground.
Cobra pose
The cobra pose is one of the most famous in yoga. To achieve it, you have to lie down on your stomach and then, with the help of the palms of your hands, raise the trunk to the level of the hips (if possible). It is not a simple posture and it requires a lot of strength in the trunk (the core, lateral and lumbar abdominal muscles).
Bow pose
This posture is successful when, once on the stomach, we can grab our ankles. The arms and legs are therefore elevated. This pose is not simple either, but it helps strengthen the back muscles.
If we want to practice it correctly, Hatha Yoga first involves a warm-up phase, with postures like the sun salutation. Then you have to practice the āsana and, finally, meditation.
The benefits of Hatha Yoga
This form of yoga has many benefits, which is why it is so prevalent in our society.
- First of all, it does not require special physical preparation. It is therefore accessible at any age, regardless of our gender and our constitution.
- It is a good way to increase or maintain our elasticity because the practice of āsana is slow and controlled.
- It also gives us strength and muscle toning. To perform postures, we use muscles that we are not used to strengthening
- When we have more control, practice can help us increase lung capacity as breathing exercises are an important part of this discipline.
Hatha Yoga is, therefore, a very comprehensive exercise that helps us train our whole body in different ways. Thanks to it, we don’t just exercise: we can also relieve or control injuries, reduce stress and, importantly, share moments with other people.
Our thoughts Yoga is a very widespread practice that significantly improves the spiritual balance of those who practice it. Discover all its benefits on the …
