Haṭha Yoga in India is linked in common practice with the Yogis of the Natha Sampradaya through its conventional founder Matsyendranath. In this article, we will talk all you need to know about Hath Yoga history, Hatha Yoga Poses and their Benefits Nearly all Hatha yogic texts relate to these Nath Siddhas, and these significant people are credited to matsyendranath’s follower, Gorakhnath or Gorakshanath. Matsyendranath, also known as Minanath or Minapa at Tibet, is observed as the God at both Hindu and Buddhist tantric and Haṭha Yoga schools.
Nevertheless, James Mallinson associates haṭha yoga with the Dashanami Sampradaya and this mysterious shape of Dattatreya. According to this Dattatreya yoga Śastra, there are two kinds of haṭha yoga: One practiced by Yajñavalkya comprising of those eight arms of Ashtanga yoga and another practiced by Kapila consisting of eight mudras.
This Sanskrit term “ Hatha ” constitutes The umbrella term for all physical postures of yoga. In the west, Hatha Yoga only refers to all the different styles of yoga (Ashtanga, Iyengar, etc.) That is based on the personal yoga. Nevertheless, there are different branches of yoga such as kriya, Raja, and karma yoga that are distinct from this physical-based yoga practice.
Physical-based yoga is the most common and has many fashions. Hatha yoga courses are best for beginners since they are normally paced slower than different yoga styles. Hatha courses today are the classical way of breathing and exercises. If you are brand-new to yoga, Hatha Yoga is a good entry point to this exercise. You can do Hatha Yoga on yoga mats easily.
The definition of Hatha Yoga:
“Hatha” can be understood in two ways; “Wilful” or “Forceful” or the Yoga of activity and as “sun” (ha) and “moon” (tha), which means Yoga to bring the balance between sun and the moon in you. Hatha yoga is a great way of achieving the good health of your body and mind. This further leads to help and joyness. You can explore Hatha Yoga in many ways that take you beyond certain limitations but, basically, it is a physical preparation- preparing the body for a higher possibility.
The earliest mentions to Hatha Yoga exist at Buddhist works dating from the 8th century. The earliest explanation of Hatha Yoga is seen in the eleventh-century Buddhist book Vimalaprabha, which defines it in person to the central communication, Bindu, etc.
Hatha yoga synthesizes components of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras with strength and breathing practices. It marks the process of asanas (form ) into the whole body ‘postures ‘ today in common use and, along with its more contemporary variants, is the fashion that many people associate with the word yoga today. Mentioned below are Hatha Yoga Poses and their Benefits.
Benefits of Hatha Yoga:
These are some benefits of Hatha Yoga-
- Some of the effective poses like Tree pose, Shoulder Stand, and Mountain pose come under Hatha Yoga, it is a great way to improve your core strength.
- Hatha Yoga helps to reduce the occurrence of hypertension, which is one of the major causes of Heart Problems.
- It boosts blood circulation and improves your glow as well as provides essential nutrients to the skin.
- It supports the lymphatic system that protects the body from disease and infection. Besides, it lowers stress that negatively affects the immune system. Hatha Yoga also keeps the inflammatory level in check to prevent immune system disorders.
- Hatha Yoga helps you burn calories and get toned muscles with improved flexibility.
- Making you more aware of your eating habits and feelings of fullness.
Hatha Yoga Poses:
- Tadasana Yoga (Mountain Pose)
- Vrikshasana Yoga (Tree Pose)
- Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)
- Adho Mukha Svanasana Asana (Downward Facing Dog ) Yoga Pose
Tadasana Yoga (Mountain Pose)
Tadasana is one of the most fundamental poses among all yoga poses, also called this Mountain Pose or Samasthiti. Beginners will do that pose with more ease.
How to do Tadasana Yoga:
- Stand upright and keep some distance between feet
- Hands should be hanging beside your body
- Now while long inhaling raises your both the arms upwards and interlock your fingers
- Raise your feet and stand on your toes. Feel the stretch in your body from feet to fingers of arms
- Hold this position and your breathing for 10 seconds
- Now while breathing release your pose to come to the starting position
- Repeat this cycle for 10 times
Vrikshasana Yoga (Tree Pose)
This name ‘Vrikshasana’ falls from Sanskrit, at which ‘ Vriksha ’ means Tree and significance of Asana is to seat, pose, or posture. When the pose is executed effectively, it could be that the tree. As it were, you stop like the tree in the final point of the pose.
How to do Vrikshasana Yoga:
- Stand with 2 inches feet separated
- Focus on a point in front. While exhaling, bend the right leg and place the foot on the inside of the left leg. The heel should be feeling the perineum
- Inhale and stretch the arms up and join the palms in Namaste
- In this position continue deep breathing stretching in the tummy muscles and increasing the point upwards with every exhalation
- Stay here as long as you can concentrating on one point
- Slowly exhaling takes the arms down and then the right foot down to rest
- Maintain this with the other foot
Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)
Uttanasana or extreme forward bending attitude this the mainstay in pretty much every kind of exercise. It is used as a change position, a resting position, and may still be gotten fairly dynamic if you learn how to employ the good muscles. The attitude also has a plethora of variants, all with their specific health benefits. Here are my top five favorite Uttanasana variants, and why you should make them the effort.
How to do Uttanasana Yoga:
- Bend the body in Mountain Pose practicing a few deep breaths
- Breathe and move your trunk forward from the hips, not the waistline
- Stretch to bend till your hands and touch your feet. Take a few breaths
- Stretch your hips and bend more without twisting the body
- Put the palm of your hands by the side of your toes
- Bring your forehead to your knees. Close your eyes and rest the body
- Take deep and slow breaths. Hold the posture for a few seconds
- As you retain the pose, gently try to stretch the spine further
Adho Mukha Svanasana Asana (Downward Facing Dog ) Yoga Pose
Downward Facing Dog, or in Sanskrit, “ Adho Mukha Svanasana, ” is one of the most familiar asanas at yoga. For starting yoga students, specific structure for Downward Dog pose may be challenging initially, but over time, as one’s training progress, it frequently turns into the popular ‘relaxation ‘ pose between other, more strenuous postures.
How to do Adho Mukha Svanasana Asana (Downward Facing Dog Yoga):
- Stand on four arms, such that your body forms a table-like formation
- Exhale and smoothly lift your hips and arrange your elbows and knees. You need to ensure your body makes an inverted ‘V’
- Inhale, strengthen your limbs, expand your back
- Exhale, take the ribcage in, and move forward into the position curve.
- Inhale to grow the back once more, exhale to grow the limbs
- Inhale up, limbs reaching overhead, and exhale to get those palms before the eye
- Hold for a few seconds, and then, bend your knees and return to the table position