Hatha yoga's purpose is to strengthen your muscles and create a mindful connection to your body, and the word "hatha" means "force discipline" in Sanskrit.
Hatha yoga is an umbrella phrase that refers to any yoga practise that incorporates typical yoga postures such as downward-facing dog or child's pose that you may have met in a yoga class. It has grown in popularity as a way to increase strength, enhance flexibility, and align posture while being gentle enough for most people's bodies.
Hatha yoga literally means "force discipline" in Sanskrit. It was not officially introduced to America until the late 1800s, when Indian yogi Swami Vivekananda brought it to Chicago. It is based on ancient Hindu spiritual beliefs. Hatha yoga is now widely acknowledged for its mental and physical health advantages and is practised in tens of thousands of studios across the world.
It consists on three main techniques:
Postures of the body (asanas)
Breathing exercises (pranayama)
Meditation and relaxation (dyana)
In addition to yoga positions, you may learn different strategies to control your breath or how to sit in meditation in a Hatha yoga class.
Hatha Yoga Poses
Sukhasana, The Easy Pose
Adho Mukha Svanasana, Downward Facing Dog
Bhujangasana, Cobra Pose
Anjaneyasana, Low Lunge
Trikonasana, Triangle Pose
Vrksasana, Tree Pose
Paschimottanasana, Seated Forward Bend
Savasana, Corpse Pose
Benefits
Hatha yoga has been proved to provide a wide range of advantages for both mental and physical health in numerous studies. Among the most well-known are:
Strengthens Core Muscles
Plank posture and warrior I stance are two Hatha yoga poses that can assist develop your core muscles, which comprise the muscles in your belly, sides, pelvis, and back.
Core muscles are essential for total body function since they can help you avoid lower back pain, enhance your balance, and reduce your risk of muscular injury.
Yoga is also a wonderful alternative for people who want to develop their core but can't do high-intensity workouts like running or weight lifting, such as seniors or persons with impairments, according to Gothe.
Hatha yoga improves your core muscles by requiring you to hold positions for extended periods of time, which works muscles such as your abs and glutes.
2. Good Night Sleep
Hatha yoga can help you sleep better by lowering cortisol levels, a hormone linked to sleep. Yoga before bed can help you fall asleep faster since low cortisol levels signal to your body that it's time to sleep. Yoga, according to some experts, helps you sleep better because it stresses attentive breathing and meditation, which can help you calm your mind and body before going to bed.
Good Night Sleep
Hatha yoga can help you sleep better by lowering cortisol levels, a hormone linked to sleep. Yoga before bed can help you fall asleep faster since low cortisol levels signal to your body that it's time to sleep. Yoga, according to some experts, helps you sleep better because it stresses attentive breathing and meditation, which can help you calm your mind and body before going to bed.
3. Improves Symptoms of Depression
Hatha yoga, according to experts, helps to alleviate depression by acting on neurotransmitters in the brain in a similar way to antidepressants.
Yoga, for example, raises neurotransmitter levels in the brain, such as serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA relaxes your nervous system and can help relieve anxiety caused by depression, whereas serotonin regulates your emotions.
4. Helps in Managing Stress
Hatha yoga is a physically challenging kind of yoga that may also help you relax and de-stress. This is due to the fact that yoga has an effect on your neurological and endocrine systems, which regulate biological activities such as hormone release and blood pressure variations.
People who practiced a Hatha yoga session before completing a demanding assignment had lower cortisol levels and blood pressure levels than those who did not. Participants who practised Hatha yoga said they felt more confidence about their ability to complete the difficult job.
5. Relieves Joint injuries
Many joint injuries, particularly those to the hips and knees, are caused by a recurrent strain that is connected to tightness and restricted mobility in the leg and back muscles. These are the muscles that yoga most usually targets.
6. Develops Balance
Our sense of freedom and security as we age is inextricably related to our sense of balance and equilibrium.Hatha Yoga is an effective approach to create sustainable balance and natural mobility by systematically fine-tuning the body's support muscles and challenging our proprioception with balancing poses.
7. Maintains Healthy Joints
Many joint injuries, particularly those to the hips and knees, are caused by a recurrent strain that is connected to tightness and restricted mobility in the leg and back muscles. These are the muscles that yoga most usually targets.
8. Reduces Inflammation
Hatha Yoga has recently sparked a lot of scientific interest due to findings that it can help reduce chronic inflammation, which can contribute to a variety of diseases such as arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
9. Stimulates the Immune System
Hatha Yoga helps the body's cells work more effectively, dispose of waste more efficiently, and transport antibodies and white blood cells to combat infection and foreign invaders by increasing blood and lymph movement throughout the body.
Bottom-line
Hatha yoga is suitable for all levels of practitioners. It can aid in the reduction of stress, the management of depression, the improvement of strength and flexibility, and the relief of pain. While beginning a yoga practise, it's vital to remember that yoga isn't about nailing the ideal position — it's about relaxing and calming your body and mind, and improvement takes time.
Contact Dragonfly yoga studio if you want to experience the magical effects of Hatha Yoga on your mind and body.
Nida Zakaria