Hatha

Hatha yoga poses are a mainstay in today’s yoga schools and classes, and it is not surprising that the hatha yoga stretches which date back to the 15th century AD are truly considered to be the granddaddy of them all. Yet while many of the early hatha yoga definitions have been lost over the centuries, the fact that hatha yoga has entered the mainstream of society so easily has also preserved many of the early exercises, cause and effect teachings, as well as positions that have made it so famous for a prolonged period of time.

During hatha yoga teacher training, the future hatha yoga teacher learns about three disciplines that make up the meaning of hatha yoga as a whole: There is the control of the breath, the meditation and quieting of the mind, and of course the various postures and positions which are taught in hatha yoga classes and which may be found on hatha yoga DVDs, videos and even online movie demonstrations.

It is interesting to note that hatha yoga is considered to be one of the two branches of ashtanga yoga, which in turn is one of the deeply spiritual exercises. Yet because the benefits of hatha yoga have given rise to a large number of Westerners flocking to studios merely for the physical benefits while being fairly uninterested in the ancient spirituality that guides them, hatha more so than ashtanga in its purest form is known throughout the United States today as being the quintessential form of yoga.

Yet whether you study hatha yoga positions online at your leisure, take a hatha yoga course online, or follow a teacher along as she or he models hatha yoga routines, you will undoubtedly learn a bit of the spiritual aspects and will garner some of the benefits that come with the practice of the three disciplines. Quite obviously the benefit of the physical aspects of hatha yoga is obvious, but to some the notion of breath control is a bit foreign.

Hatha yoga’s breathing exercises are originally meant to help you rid your body of worldly toxins when performed in conjunction with certain exercises, but for a more realistic Westerner approach to everyday life, the ability to control one’s breathing is directly related to the ability to do away with anxieties that raise the heart rate and subsequently the breathing rate. Thus, you will learn how to calm yourself in all circumstances – and ability that would prevent many type “A” personalities and others from experiencing heart attacks and other stress induced illnesses. The ability to meditate and clear one’s mind is another powerful way of letting go of that which threatens to overwhelm the person with worry, fear, and dread, thus once again reducing the stress levels experienced in every day life.