 Unlike any other form of exercise, Hatha yoga refines and beautifies the body from the inside out. Following a series of low-impact and gentle stretching postures, every muscle is toned and strengthened, while simple breathing techniques calms the mind, increases the will, and improves concentration.
Hatha Yoga will provide you with a complete sense of well-being, and impart with the power and confidence for expansion and positive change. Weight loss, muscle toning and stress relief are only some of the immediate benefits of this unique and ancient practice.
Hatha Yoga increases flexibility, balance, concentration, will power, strength and stamina.
Hatha yoga also Strengthens Nervous system, Digestive system, respiratory system, Circulatory system and Immune system.
Unlike high-impact workouts which stress the body and target only limited muscle groups, Hatha Yoga encompasses a complete body/mind conditioning where fitness is attained through the disciplines of gentle stretching, deep breathing and relaxation. It is no surprise that the far reaching effects of Hatha Yoga are attracting millions of people worldwide, making it the most comprehensive form of exercise for today`s lifestyle.
This yoga system teaches us how to help nature to generate and store up more life current than is used up and also teaches us how to send this life current down to all tissues of the body, promoting their health through contact with inner cosmic energy
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Along with the type of schools, various types of Hatha yoga is being followed for the health regime. These types can range from very gentle to very rigorous. Each is tailored for specific requirements and goals.
Few of the examples are:
Gentle yoga is an ideal place for many beginners to start yoga. The focus is on warming up the body, and beginning to work the joints and glands.
Devotees of gentle yoga will tell you that yoga does not necessarily have to physically demanding to yield great benefits. Gentle yoga is really a subcategory of classical hatha yoga that has been adapted to the needs of beginners and those with limitations. It is often used as a warm-up for a more rigorous yoga practice.
Traditional Hatha Yoga: This form of yaga has not been adapted in any sense. Hatha yoga is the part of yoga typically associated with the physical postures, and is one limb out of the eight limbs of Raja, or classical yoga. Raja yoga`s (meaning the royal path) eight limbs, including postures, breathing and meditation techniques, as well as philosophical guidelines. that yoga can be a useful tool for weight loss as it helps balance the body and the emotions, and provides a vehicle for a smooth transition in changes through life.
Restorative yoga is a subcategory of poses found within other styles, focusing on poses which are restful and rejuvenating even for those who cannot perform many physical movements. Typically these are poses that require set up and props in order to get into a pose that can be comfortably and restfully sustained for ten minutes or more. restorative yoga can add balance to a hectic schedule and also bring the body inot balance.
Often our excessive stress and busy-ness does not allow the parasympathetic (calming) part of our nervous system to kick in, and causes our sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous system to go into overtime. Restorative yoga allows the sympathetic nervous system to receive a much needed rest, allows overtaxed adrenal glands to recharge and improves the tone of the parasympathetic nervous system which will allow deep healing and rejuvenation on all levels.
The most basic (yet often called the most challenging to do well since we are such an activity-based society)restorative yoga is called savasana, also known as the corpse pose or the relaxation pose. An unsupported version of the pose is to simply lay on your back on a firm but comfortable surface, hands at your sides with palms facing upward, feet relaxed. The forehead should be higher than the chin, so a bit of elevation under the head to obtain this posture may be required. A small towel or blanket will do the job. In this pose, focus on relaxed abdominal breathing, relaxing the throat and tongue in particular. Let go of tension in the body and let your mind focus on the breath. Spend five to ten minutes in this pose and then increase from there.
Hatha yoga may help relieve chronic low-back pain (CLBP), say researchers.
Considering these factors, hatha yoga exercises, when done properly as `prescribed`, are easily the best system of physical activity beneficial to every cell, organ and system in the human body. Hatha yoga benefits both the cardiovascular and lympathic systems. As the lympathic system does not have a heart to help pump its loads of poisonous substances, hatha yoga exercises work to support the lymphs, preventing them from becoming stagnant or obstructed, keeping the lymphatic system in best shape for our immune-response.
Also, asanas should be combined with nutritional support and/or herbal remedies for optimum health improvement, as it is done in Ayurveda as the traditional healing system of India.
The degree of flexibility one can gain for one`s tendons, muscles and spine is quite obvious when we watch someone perform hatha yoga asanas. Never strain, over-stretch, sqeeze air in your lungs, ignore warning signs like pain or go against the advice of your hatha yoga teacher. Set up a regular practice schedule. Regularity makes practice easier and requires less effort in the long run.
Advanced hatha yoga practitioners may be interested in more specific health benefits of a particular asana.
All asanas improve blood flow and oxygen supply to specific areas and organs of the body but also to the whole body to a certain degree.
All asanas should be mastered gradually without undue strain to tendons, ligaments and the spine. Forcing an asana against the advice of your hatha yoga teacher may lead to injury and prolongs mastery of the particular asana technique.
All asanas and their benefits are originally from the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. About 84 of the asansas were taught by Shiva who had special regards to Siddhasana, Padmasana, Simhasana and Bhadrasana. Siddhasana and Padmasana are essential for mastery of more advanced techniques as they help to keep body and mind steady, stir the lower chakras and keep the spine straight assisting ascending currents of potential energies.
Siddhasana : beneficial for relaxation, restless mind, concentration, strengthens lower areas of the spine.
Padmasana : relaxation, restless mind, concentration, strenghtens lower areas of the spine
beneficial for many illnesses
Paschimottanasana: Obesity, Fat metabolism, strengthens spine, heart, kidneys, abdomnial organs, improves digestion, increases vitality, helps control sex drive, beneficial for many illnesses.
Mayurasana : Counters food poisoning, other toxins, entropy of speen, fever, problems with the lower abdomen, beneficial for many illnesses.
In case of toxins, dhauti-techniques are added to cleanse areas like the intestinal tract. Special enimas may be extremely useful for many illnesses.
Nauli improves digestion and metabolism, prevents constipation, strengthens abdominal organs, glands and muscles.
Bhujangasana keeps spine flexible, reduces fat around waistline, strengthens urinary system and various glands.
Matsyasana is beneficial for neck area, thyroid, asthma, brain, digestion and hemorrhoids.
Apart from these basic asanas, there is listing of problems that can be cured with the corresponding hatha asanas.
Abdominal problems: Sirsasana, Sarvangasana, Uddiyana Bandha, Nauli, Mayurasana, Bhujangasana, Shalabhasana.
Accumulation of fat: Sirsasana, Sarvangasana, Uddiyana Bandha, Nauli, Mayurasana,
Bhujangasana, Shalabhasana.
Anemia: Sirsasana, Sarvangasana, Uttanasana, Paschimottasana, Savasana, Nadi-Sodhana-Pranayama, Ujjayi-Pranayama.
Appendicitis: Sirsasana, Sarvangasana, Paschimottasana, Janu-Sirsasana, Maha-Mudra, Uttanasana, Nadi-Sodhana-Pranayama (without retention).
Arthritis: Sirsasana, Sarvangasana, Bharadwajasana, Marichyasana, Ustrasana, Urdhva-Dhanurasana.
Asthma: Sirsasana, Sarvangasana, Paschimottasana, Uttanasana, Janu-Sirsasana, Salabhasana, Maha-Mudra, Dhanurasana, Padmasana, Virasana, Nadi-Sodhana-Pranayama (without retention), Uddiyana, Ujjayi-Pranayama.
Backpain: Sirsasana, Sarvangasana, Paschimottasana, Janu-Sirsasana, Marichyasana, Malasana, Salabhasana, Dhanurasana, Maha-Mudra, Mandalasana, Pasasana.
Brain functions: Sirsasana, Sarvangasana, Paschimottasana, Uttanasana, Bhastrika, Nadi-Sodhana-Pranayama, Sitali-Pranayama.
Constipation: Sirsasana, Sarvangasana, Uttanasana, Paschimottasana, Nadi-Sodhana-Pranayama.
Diabetes: Sirsasana, Janu-Sirsasana, Paschimottasana, Sarvangasana, Maha-Mudra, Virasana, Marichyasana, Salabhasana, Dhanurasana, Hamsasana, Nadi-Sodhana-Pranayama, Uddiyana, Nauli.
Eye weakness: Sirsasana, Sarvangasana, Uttanasana, Paschimottasana, Trataka, Sitali, Savasana, Nadi-Sodhana-Pranayama.
Flatulence: Sirsasana, Janu-Sirsasana, Sarvangasana, Navasana, Paschimottanasana, Yoganidrasana, Salabasna, Mayurasana, Dhanurasana, Uddiyana.
Gastritis: Sirsasana, Janu-Sirsasana, Sarvangasana, Navasana, Paschimottanasana, Yoganidrasana, Salabasna, Mayurasana, Dhanurasana, Uddiyana.
Headache: Salamba Sirsasana, Salamba Sarvangasana, Nadi-Sodhana-Pranayama (without retention), Halasana, Uttanasana, Paschimottanasana, Savasana.
Hypertension: Paschimottasana, Janu-Sirsasana, Halasana, Virasana, Siddhasana, Padmasana, Savasana, Nadi-Sodhana-Pranayama, Ujjayi-Pranayama, Meditation.
Immune-system support: Maha-Mudra, Sirsasana, Janu-Sirsasana, Sarvangasana, Yoganidrasana, Uddiyana, Nadi-Sodhana-Pranayama.
Kidney support: Sirsasana, Janu-Sirsasana, Sarvangasana, Salabhasana, Dhanurasana, Paschimottasana, Marichyasana, Mulabandhasana, Yoganidrasana, Kapotasana, Uddiyana, Nadi-Sodhana-Pranayama.
Memory loss: Sirsasana, Sarvangasana, Paschimottasana, Uttanasana, Bhastrika, Nadi-Sodhana-Pranayama, Sitali-Pranayama.
Nervousness: Siddhasana, Padmasanana, Nadi-Sodhana-Pranayama, Sirsasana, Sarvangasana, Paschimottasana, Uttanasana, Meditation.
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