The Many Faces Of Yoga: Hatha Yoga | New Health and Fitness

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While there are many more types of yoga practiced in the east, such as jnana (the Yoga of knowledge) and bhakti (the yoga of devotion), hatha yoga is the main type of yoga most widely practiced in the west. Hatha yoga is widely known, and classes are offered at exercise studios, gyms, schools and colleges, sometimes even at some places of employment.

Hatha yoga itself covers a whole range of yoga schools and forms, so the meaning of the word is now interpreted in a slightly different fashion. If you see an advertisement for hatha yoga at a place near you, you can generally expect a course of poses or asanas which are fairly demanding when it comes to stretching but are not too strenuous on your body. At the end of the class there will probably be some breathing exercises and relaxation time.

The meaning of the word ?yoga? is attached to the concept of joining something through specific exercise and meditation. In more spiritual terms, yoga is seen as the joining of body and mind, left side and right side, male and female parts of the self, yin and yang, and, finally the joining of the self with the rest of the universe.

In the west, very few people practice yoga for spiritual reasons, and most mainly do it to improve their bodies? flexibility. But, you will be pleasantly surprised when you realize how much your moods will benefit from it as well. Yoga can be used to achieve overall balance, both physical and mental, so if that?s your goal, your yoga experience will be a full one.

It is absolutely not necessary to be excessively flexible or even double-jointed. Hatha yoga can be practiced with great benefit by the young and old alike. You can practice even if you pregnant, very overweight or disabled, although in these cases you should be sure to have a well-qualified hatha yoga teacher who can advise on particular poses that you should or should not attempt.

There are many different yoga poses or asanas and a good instructor will use a series of asanas that stretch the body in all directions in a controlled way. You will learn many poses from sitting, standing, on your hands and knees, and even some that you will perform through shoulder stands. The regular stretching exercises will ? without causing stress to your body ? increase your stamina and strength, your level of flexibility, and you will also experience benefits when it comes to breathing and circulation.

The majority of adult yoga classes usually last anywhere between an hour and 90 minutes. The sessions normally start with breathing exercises or by sitting quietly on the floor to realign from the stress of daily life. After that, most of the class will be dedicated to asanas, and the last ten minutes to more breathing and relaxing exercises. Relaxation is achieved by laying on ones back on the floor with eyes closed. At this point, some fall asleep, but many others are able to remain conscious while they relax.

Among the many different types of yoga, hatha yoga is probably the one most suited to our western ways.

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Source: http://newhealthandfitness.org/2012/03/04/the-many-faces-of-yoga-hatha-yoga/

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