HATHA YOGA
Hatha Yoga is actually what most people simply call “yoga”. This is a system of Yoga pioneered in India by a 15th century yogic sage, Yogi Swatmarama. Hatha Yoga is a system of yoga most popular in the world – particularly in the West – and from which many other Yoga styles originated including Power Yoga, Bikram Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, and Kundalini Yoga.
Literally speaking, the word “Hatha” is derived from the Sanskrit terms “ha” meaning “sun” and “tha” meaning “moon”. For this reason, Hatha Yoga is referred to as that branch of Yoga which unites the pairs of opposites. This refers to the positive (sun) and negative (moon) currents in our system. Hatha Yoga is concerned with the third and fourth steps – Asana and Pranayama – in the 8 limbs of Yoga.
The goal of Hatha Yoga is to attain that balance between body and mind, while making attempts to free the more subtle spiritual elements of the practitioner’s mind through physical poses (Asanas), Breathing Techniques(Pranayama), and Meditation (Dhyana).
Hatha Yoga practice helps recognize one’s own hidden potentials – physical and mental. By the continued performance of asanas, the practitioner gains flexibility and strength, and becomes more and more relaxed under stressful conditions. Hatha Yoga’s relaxation exercises help unlock the energy channels that, in turn facilitates the free flow of spiritual energy. Certain asanas even massage and tone up the internal organs, thereby helping to prevent diseases like diabetes, arthritis, and BP. They also help harmonize and synchronize all internal and glandular functions. On the other hand, the practice of Pranayama helps manage conditions such as asthma and bronchitis.
Above all Hatha Yoga also helps the practitioner cope with stress, relieve tension, and deal with depression and anxiety. It also helps focus the mind in preparation for meditation and, ultimately, in the quest for Liberation.
What Is The Anatomy Of Hatha Yoga?
Hatha Yoga Pradipika is a manual on Hatha Yoga, which has been written by Swami Svatmarama, in classic Sanskrit. The hatha yoga pradipika was originally written in the 15th century. In the present times, modern English translations of this text are available.
The ancient science of yoga has been steadily gaining a lot of popularity all over the world, especially in the United States, because of all the health benefits that have been associated with it. Besides learning the poses many people a;so read up a lot on the benefits of yoga as also the various styles. There are several benefits on the anatomy of yoga, illustrating the poses that help different ailments and precise ways in which they should be performed. In order to avoid any problems or injuries, it is important to consult a well-qualified and experienced yoga teacher.
What Is Sequences Of (Asanas) Poses In Hatha Yoga?
The practice of various hatha yoga poses and postures is gaining a lot of popularity in the last few years, all across the United States. People of all ages have started practicing hatha yoga postures to improve their health and overall wellbeing. The practice of Hatha yoga follows certain sequences. A hatha yoga sequence can also ends with The Sun Salutation. The 12 poses that are included in this sequence are also hatha yoga poses and are as follows:
1. Tadasana (The Mountain Pose)
2. Urdhava Hastasana (The Upward Hand Pose)
3. Uttanasana (The Forward Bend)
4. Low Lunge
5. Adho Mukha Savasana (The Downward Facing Dog Pose)
6. Kumbakhasana (The Plank Pose)
7. Chaturanga Dandasana (The Four Limbed Staff Pose)
8. Urdha Mukha Savasana (The Upward Facing Dog Pose)
9. Adho Mukha Savasana (The Downward Facing Dog Pose)
10. Low Lunge
11. Uttanasana (The Forward Bend)
12. Tadasana (The Mountain Pose
Where Hatha Yoga Roots? Who Invented It?
Though the practice of practice of Hatha Yoga has gained a lot of popularity in the last few decades, there are many people interested in knowing more about hatha yoga facts before they take up this practice.
It is believed that the roots of Hatha Yoga date back to more than 5,000 years ago. Like almost all other forms of yoga, hatha yoga origin also likes in India. The word Hatha has been derived from “Ha”, which also means the Sun and “Tha”, which stands for the Moon.
There are several ancient scriptures on hatha yoga culture, some of which have been written by Goraksha Natha. The hatha Yoga Pradipika, which is the oldest known manual on this discipline of yoga, is also available in its modern English translation.
What Mean By Hatha Yoga?
The word Hatha needs to be split into two halves, “Ha” and “Tha”, in order to understand its literal meaning or translation. “Ha” stands for The Sun and “Tha” means The Moon. Therefore, the most common hatha yoga translation is “the ancient practice that brings union of the pairs of opposites”. It is also referred to as “forceful yoga”, as a lot of physical effort is required to practice this form.
Hatha yoga history can be traced back to more than 5,000 years ago. Like most of the other forms of yoga, hatha yoga origin lies in India. It is believed that Goraksha Natha, a disciple of Matsyendra, was the founder of this form of yoga. There are also many ancient texts on Hatha Yoga, some of which have been written by Goraksha.
How To Learn Complete Hatha Yoga?
Hatha yoga is a form of yoga that helps to achieve a balance between the mind and the body. “How to do hatha yoga poses?” is a common question posed by many beginners to yoga. In order to learn different hatha yoga postures, people could choose to follow the instructions given in books or on websites. There are also several CDs/ DVDs that have step-by-step visual instructions, which are a lot easier to follow. Free hatha yoga video clips are also easily accessible through various online resources.
However, the best way of learning and practicing hatha yoga exercises is by joining a yoga studio or center, where the poses can be performed under the guidance and supervision of a yoga guru. This minimizes the risks of side effects or any injuries.
ASHTANGA YOGA
The term Ashtanga, means eight limbs. It refers to the 8 limbs of yoga. So, Ashtanga Yoga, literally, aims to purify the practitioner’s mind through 8 (Asht) steps. They are basically prescribed by all schools and branches of Yoga. In Ashtanga Yoga, each and every step has to be mastered before proceeding to the next, or even attempting it. The 8 steps are as follows:
1. Yama (Control)
2. Niyama (Rules of Conduct
3. Asanas (Poses)
4. Pranayama (Breath Control)
5. Pratyahara (Withdrawal of Sensory Perceptions)
6. Dharana (Concentration)
7. Dhyana (Uninterrupted Mediation
8. Samadhi (Complete Equilibrium)
Hence Ashtanga Yoga does not refer to the asanas you do, nor to the order of asanas. Is also has nothing to do with any specific series (Primary Series, Secondary Series, so on and so forth). Nor does the term Ashtanga describe whether you practice more sustained, focused action in poses as described in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali; where asana is described as being still and firm.
The aim of Ashtanga Yoga is to embody the traditional eight limbs of yoga (also referred to as Raja Yoga. They have been expounded by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras.
The modern day Pattabhi Jois Vinyasa series (or Ashtanga Vinyasa is known to have derived its origins from an ancient text Yoga Korunta. Having instructed many of the major yoga teachers of the 20th century, including B.K.S. Iyengar and Indra Devi, Krishnamacharya – Pattabhi Jois’s Guru – has a huge influence on most of the modern forms of Yoga being taught today. He is also said to have played a crucial part in their development.
Ashtanga Yoga is a rather physically demanding practice. It is aimed at channeling hyperactive young minds and restive bodies with the infinite energy of teenage boys.
Modern day Ashtanga Yoga does not aim to change much from that practice. Known for tailoring his teachings to address specific concerns of a person or group Krishnamacharya taught, the Ashtanga Yoga series for adolescents is a outcome of this. Krishnamacharya himself did not practice those series at the time. Also he did not teach experienced practitioners and adults the same way.
Which poses come under ashtanga yoga primary series?
Ashtanga yoga is a set of relaxation techniques that involve regulation and synchronization of the body movements and the way in which one breathes. The ashtanga yoga primary series of Pattabhi Jois follows six sets of positions that include the Suryanamaskar or the Sun Salutations. These ashtanga yoga positions are followed by the nerve cleansing positions or the Nad Shodhana, at the intermediate level, while the advanced level consists of ashtanga yoga poses known as the Sthira Bhagah or Steady Strength. Perfecting techniques of Ashtanga Yoga requires a great deal of discipline, humility and tolerance so that they can be beneficial to the body and mind.
What Is Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series?
Ashtanga yoga is a very popular form of yoga practiced all around by the world, by people of all ages. This is because Ashtanga poses are vigorous, yet are quite easy to perform without much difficulty. There are six different series in this discipline, which include the primary series, the secondary series and the advanced series (which is further split into A, B, C and D). In case you are a beginner to yoga, it is best for you to start off with the ashtanga primary series poses and then move to the ashtanga secondary poses. Ashtanga primary series poses are also excellent at realigning, cleansing and healing the body. Each pose is built on to the previous pose, which improves your balance too. Your yoga instructor will guide you through the various poses in succession.
How To Do Ashtanga Yoga Asanas?
Asthanga Yoga is a fairly vigorous, yet easy form of yoga, recommended for beginners, to keep them motivated in the initial stages. The ashtanga yoga asanas are divided into 6 series, which include the primary, intermediate and advanced (A, B, C & D) series. These poses work in succession to one another and are therefore related. If you are a beginner in Yoga or also in this style of the art, it is recommended that you have a yoga instructor to guide you through the various poses. You could also join a yoga class that will help you in the ashtanga yoga asanas and movement to the higher forms of yoga.
What Is Ashtanga Yoga ?
Ashtanga Yoga, literally translated as the “8 limbs yoga” can be described as one of the popular form of traditional yoga, which is still prevalent in several parts of the world. Ashtanga yoga poses have been divided into 6 different series, which include the ashtanga yoga primary series, the intermediate series and the advanced series. The ashtanga yoga postures in the advanced series have further been divided into 4 categories, A, B, C and D. There are 36 ashtanga yoga postures in the primary series, while there are another 28 ashtanga yoga postures that are part of the intermediate series. The best way to learn all these poses is to have a good certified yoga instructor to help you with the poses.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Ashtanga Yoga?
Ashtanga yoga, one of the most popular forms of traditional yoga is a fairly vigorous discipline, but is quite easy for people of most ages. This form of yoga comprises of techniques, like meditation exercises, concentration, breathing practice and asasna or postures. There are several physical, mental, emotional and intellectual ashtanga yoga health benefits, which include benefits. Some of the ashtanga yoga benefits through asanas include building strength and endurance developing mental focus by reducing stress as also improving breathing ability. Ashtanga yoga benefits include blood circulation all over the body too.
Even though there are many ashtanga yoga health benefits, it is important to consult a doctor before practicing it.
Breathing the Whole Body
Breathing the body is a visualization practice adapted from the traditional practice of yoga nidra (yogic sleep) and the body-scan practice taught in Jon Kabat-Zinn’s mindfulness-based stress reduction program for people with chronic pain. Start in any comfortable relaxation pose such as shavasana (corpse pose). Place your hands on your belly and feel the movement of the breath. Notice the belly rising and falling, and notice the breath moving in and out of your body.
In this practice, you will imagine that you can inhale and exhale through different parts of your body—as if your nostrils were moved to that part of the body. Start with your feet. Imagine the breath entering your body through the soles of your feet, and exiting your body through the soles of your feet. Notice any sensations there. Feel, or imagine, that flow of energy in the feet as you breathe. Now repeat this visualization for other parts of your body: Your lower legs, knees, and upper legs. Your hips, lower back, middle back, and upper back. Your belly and chest. Your shoulders, upper arms, elbows, lower arms, hands. Your neck. Your forehead and the crown of your head.
When you get to an area that feels tense, uncomfortable, or painful, don’t skip it. There are several things you can try that may make you feel more comfortable. First, stay with the visualization and direct the breath right at the sensations of discomfort or pain. Imagine that the breath is dissolving or massaging the tension and pain. Imagine the solidity of the tension or pain softening. Find the space inside the pain. Second, try moving your attention back and forth between the uncomfortable area and a more comfortable area. For a few breaths, breathe into the painful area; for the next few breaths, breathe into another area. Switching back and forth like this can teach the mind how to give the uncomfortable sensations less priority. You are practicing a healthy kind of distraction: intentionally shifting your focus while still being present in your body.
When you have worked your way through the whole body, let yourself feel the breath enter the body through your nose, mouth, and throat. Imagine the sensation of breathing through your whole body, as if the body were gently expanding as you inhale and contracting as you exhale. Feel, or imagine, the flow of energy through your whole body.
Gorakshasana
Because gorakshasana is an advanced sitting posture, you need a strong lower back and flexible hips, thighs, knees, and ankles in order to practice it safely. This asana also requires an extraordinary level of mobility in the sacrum and the hip joints. Warm up with simple stretches to strengthen your lower back, knees, and ankles, and enhance the flexibility of your hip joints. The butterfly pose (baddha konasana) is one of those preparatory stretches, and the beginning position for gorakshasana (Fig. 1).
Sit with the soles of the feet together near the pelvis. To open the hip joints and stretch the inner thighs, press the knees down. Take time to refine and master the butterfly pose, gaining enough flexibility so that the length of the thighs and lower legs can rest comfortably on the floor. Eventually you will be able to bring your feet closer to the pelvis. Make sure your heels and toes are pressed flat together. Then place your hands on the floor near the back of the pelvis, and lift the pelvis, keeping the feet on the floor (Fig. 2). Swing your body back and forth, finally shifting your pelvis forward over your feet while your feet and knees stay in place on the floor. At the culmination of this pose, your perineum is resting on your ankles.
At this stage, your whole body is resting on your feet and outer calf muscles, while the perineum is fully placed on the heels. Once you are comfortably seated, bring your hands onto your thighs, fingers facing outward, and stretch your spinal column upward by pressing your hands into your thighs. Straighten your arms, lock your elbows, and push your shoulders up to your ears, stretching the shoulder blades and the whole shoulder girdle up and forward (Fig. 3). If it’s not too uncomfortable to maintain this pose, unlock your elbows, pull your shoulders backward, and rotate the entire shoulder girdle, alternately lifting the shoulder blades up and forward, and drawing them back and down (Fig. 4). This posture allows you to work deep inside your shoulders, neck, and collarbones. Once the pressure in your hip joints, knees, and ankles is no longer enjoyable, gently release gorakshasana and come into a comfortable sitting pose. Stretch your legs and massage any area where you may be experiencing slight discomfort.
Making Gorakshasana a Spiritual Practice
Tantric adepts use the bandhas (the locks), breath retention, and mantra repetition to take gorakshasana to the final stage. This level of practice is possible only when you can sit comfortably on your heels with your feet placed so deeply under the pelvis that you are able to sit with your back straight. In addition, you must have mastered the bandhas, pranayama, and breath retention. To work with this version, place your palms on your thighs closer to your knees, stretch your whole torso upward, and lock your elbows. Then exhale fully and apply all three bandhas simultaneously: mula bandha (the root lock), uddiyana bandha (the navel lock), andjalandhara bandha (the throat lock). Retain your breath, close your eyes, bring your mind to your navel center, and visualize the fire at your solar plexus. If you have practiced breath retention regularly and can retain your breath for more than 30 seconds, then while you are visualizing fire at the navel center, mentally listen to the sound of ram, ram, ram—the bija mantra of the sacred fire.
Gorakshasana is one of the most outstanding among all yoga postures that allow your mind and breath to enter the space inside the sacred bones of the sacrum. For this reason, yogis call it bhadrasana—the sacred or auspicious pose. In advanced tantric practices, adepts require that aspirants practice this pose before they undertake the more esoteric practices of tantra. Gorakshasana is the gateway to the space hidden deep in the pelvis, where the muladhara chakra lies, according to tantra and kundalini yoga. This chakra, if healthy and balanced, brings stability to both the body and mind. If disturbed, the muladhara chakra is also the source of a variety of mental upheavals such as fear, anxiety, doubt, and insecurity. That is why the tantric adept and the founder of the Natha tradition, Goraksha Natha, practiced this asana so religiously, thus giving later adepts justification to name this asana in his honor.
Uddiyanbandh
The poses on these pages help cultivate the strength, suppleness, and conscious control necessary for uddiyana bandha. Literally the “upward flying lock,” uddiyana bandha pulls the abdominal organs up and in, bringing apana vayu toward the navel center and lifting it into the realm of prana vayu. As we have seen, the convergence of these opposite forces awakens samana and gives rise to the upward movement of energy through sushumna nadi. Structurally, uddiyana bandha facilitates the free unobstructed flow of prana from the pelvis up through the spine by stabilizing the neutral alignment of the lumbar spine, which can easily overarch or collapse.
“Uddiyana bandha is the lion which conquers the elephant, death,” says the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. “Of all the bandhas, uddiyana bandha is the best. Once mastered, liberation occurs spontaneously.”
To learn the basic practice of uddiyana bandha, stand with the feet slightly apart and knees bent, place the hands on the thighs, and lean forward into your hands. Bring the chin toward the sternum. Exhale and contract the entire abdomen, pressing the belly toward the spine. At the end of the exhalation, hold the breath out and draw the belly up from the pubic bone by flattening the whole abdomen against the spine and sucking the diaphragm up under the rib cage. Keep the jaw, face, heart, and lungs relaxed and make sure the chest doesn’t lift. Release the diaphragm and then inhale, slowly releasing first the upper and then the lower abdomen. Repeat to your comfortable capacity.
Uddiyana bandha is contraindicated for heart disease, high blood pressure, and hernias, as well as pregnancy and menstruation. Practice on an empty stomach.
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