Hatha Yoga: what it is and what it is for

Hatha Yoga is the most widespread yoga modality in our society , therefore, if you practice this activity in any sports center, it is most likely that you are facing a clear example of Hatha Yoga. The main objective of this modality is to strengthen the muscles of the body and give them elasticity through exercises based on body postures or ‘asanas’. This practice seeks to control the body to also dominate the mind.

Unlike the traditional practice that focused on achieving a physical-mental balance, modern practice focuses only on the physical , thus abandoning a fundamental part of Hatha Yoga. As established by the experts, apart from physical exercises, Hatha Yoga also trains breathing, relaxation and meditation , among many other spiritual purification practices.

If this modality is characterized by something, it is by the smooth transition between some postures and others . In fact, it would be considered a gentle yoga style, since there are others much heavier such as Power Yoga, whose main objective is to revitalize the body.

A little history of Hatha Yoga

According to the tradition of this sport , Hatha Yoga arose in the ancient school of Nath , located in a region belonging to southern India. Different personalities passed through here and some of them were even compared to God Shiva.

As described in the documents, it was a certain Goraksha Nath who invented this modality of yoga since, as can be seen in his extensive work, a large part of its pages were dedicated to explaining and describing how it should be carried out. new activity.

Hatha Yoga practice

As mentioned above, the ideal for the practice of Hatha Yoga would be to combine exercises that cover the realm of the human psyche and the physical . With this particular modality of yoga , what is sought is the physical and mental transformation of the person, since it requires that they be continuously aware of the breath.

For it to be considered Hatha Yoga, the activity must have the following elements:

1. 1. Physical postures or asanas that would help strengthen the body.

1. 1. Breathing techniques or pranayama, whose purpose would be to control breathing and manipulate vital energy.

1. Meditation or dhyana, which would seek to focus and calm the mind.

In spite of everything, this practice over the years has tended to forget about the part related to the mind , and has come to focus more on the body and its positions than on the spiritual part. Therefore, Hatha Yoga could be translated as ‘physical yoga’. It starts from this point to improve the mental health of the person who practices it.

Who can practice Hatha Yoga?

As it is one of the simplest forms of yoga and that provides the most benefits, it can be practiced by all people regardless of their sex or age . In fact, their body postures have great therapeutic efficacy.

One of the great benefits of this activity is that it helps a lot to relax , so it is advisable to practice it when you go through continuous stressful situations. It does not matter if at first you do not have the elasticity that the activity requires since, over time, it will end up being achieved. The important thing is to be able to follow the classes set by the teacher.

There is a popular belief that claims to practice yoga you need to have some flexibility . However, this is a mistake, a body without physical preparation is normal that it lacks certain characteristics that are achieved with training and, one of them, is elasticity.

With the continuous training of this modality of yoga, apart from experiencing obvious physical changes, you will also learn to breathe correctly and to clear the mind of disorder . In this way, it will be easier for us to focus our attention while we practice the different postures of Hatha Yoga.

What postures are practiced?

Hatha Yoga is the introductory modality to yoga , so the figures that are carried out will be very simple. The ones that are used the most are: the Goat Pose, the Triangle Posture, the Bow Posture, the Camel Posture and the Grasshopper Posture, among many others.

On the other hand, when you want to focus the exercise more towards meditation and breath control , you will go to the Child’s Posture, the Tree Posture, the Corpse Posture or the Lotus Posture.

After controlling the basics, our body will ask us to go further and it will be when we experiment with other more complex modalities of yoga. Although it will never hurt to return to the softer and quieter version of this activity when our body and mind are subjected to continuous episodes of stress. In this way we will be able to ease our mind.

How to build a Hatha Yoga routine?

The essential thing for a good practice of this activity is to have adequate breathing , as well as to warm up and carry out flexion, extension, twisting and lateral bending exercises. In addition, it is essential to practice relaxation and meditation. With this combination of exercises we will build a basic but very balanced and complete Hatha Yoga training plan.

With the continued practice of this activity, each individual will realize what their limits are and how far they can go in each training session. Still, there will be days when the body and mind do not respond as we want and we have to adapt to their limits. Keep in mind that the more you practice, the further you will go in our daily workouts.

What are the main benefits of Hatha Yoga?

People who practice this activity on a daily basis, will notice a significant reduction in stress and, in the long term, will learn to control it in extreme situations. They will also improve their body posture , gain greater flexibility, become physically and mentally stronger, and tone their muscles. This is just the beginning of an extensive list of benefits that Hatha Yoga has been shown to have on our body and mind.