Hatha

From an elementary perspective, Hatha Yoga is also sometimes referred to as Hatha Vidya. Basically this branch of yoga is a certain system, which was introduced to the world by Yogi Swatmarama. He was one of the wisest men of his times and lived during the early stretch of the fifteenth century. He is also responsible for the compilation of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. This very piece of literature emphasizes on the importance of Hatha Yoga, declaring it as the preliminary step in the course of learning the basics of Raja Yoga. As for the meaning of Hatha Yoga, the word Hatha is actually a mixture of two words, Ha and Tha, where the former means ‘sun’ and the latter refers to the ‘moon’. In the regard of its origin, Hatha Yoga stresses on the principles of nadis, which pertains to the energy channels of the body, which should be functioning in a proper manner so as to attain the state of dhyana or samadhi. This basically summarizes the hatha yoga definition. As for the Hatha Yoga poses, which are known as Asanas, these postures were actually employed by ancient sages (who were also called yogis) during their respective states of meditation. These postures included a number of physical stretches, which were the Hatha Yoga stretches or movements. The purpose of these stretches was to remove any kind of restrictions in the body in the causal, subtle as well as physical regard. Having gained so much popularity in the West, there are now various websites, which give description about the hatha yoga positions online. Not just the positions but also there are various websites, which provide complete hatha yoga courses online. In relation to this increased popularity, the number of hatha yoga teachers is also increasing day by day. There are various hatha yoga teacher training courses both on the web as well as in various books. In addition to that, there are various institutions, which arrange both hatha yoga teacher training courses as well as hatha yoga classes for those who want to practice it. Also there are hatha yoga dvds, which provide a convenient way of getting acquainted with hatha yoga at home without getting involved in any formal training or learning sessions. It helps in establishing a sound, regular and healthy hatha yoga routine, which if followed gives both physical advantages as well as it contributes towards mental development.

The worldwide acknowledgement that Hatha Yoga has gained over the years relates directly to the benefits that this particular branch of yoga provides, both in the physical perspective as well as in the psychological regard. In the context of physical benefits of hatha yoga, this is inclusive of improving flexibility along with enhancing muscle joint mobility. In addition to that, it also builds and consolidates muscles and provides the body with a reasonably sound posture by strengthening the spine. In other words, hatha yoga plays a great role in the proper maintenance of the human muscular system for all of those who practice it. Also it increases the degree of blood circulation and consequently improves the heart conditions.

As for the hatha yoga benefits in the psychological and mental regard, hatha yoga plays an important role in increasing body awareness and relieves the body of chronic stress patterns that take place on a frequent basis. Other than these benefits, hatha yoga also contributes towards relaxation both in terms of mental processes as well as bodily functions. Furthermore hatha yoga sharpens the concentration of the mind, which in turn gives rise to a clearer focus and enhances the thought process of the individual.

In relation to all these benefits, it is not a miracle to believe the universal approval and acceptance that hatha yoga has gained over the years.