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| Hatha Yoga | Iyengar Yoga |
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| Although almost all yoga incorporates some type of meditation and pranayama, or breathing exercises, Hatha Yoga is particularly known for the concentration on the spiritual cleansing. In this style of yoga, it is actually meant to prepare the body to get rid of any aches or pains in preparation for lengthy meditation. The term “Hatha” actually means sun and moon, and is meant to refer to the opposing energy channels that need to be in tune before beginning lengthy meditation. With this in mind, most Hatha yoga classes are not particularly rigorous, although each Hatha yoga pose has a specific purpose to remove toxins from the body and to aid in depending the pranayama breathing to get in the right frame of mind. |
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Hatha Yoga as a Spiritual ExerciseThe asanas, or Hatha yoga poses, are extremely important because they are meant to have a specific psychological or physical effect. So while the outside world may view this style of yoga as simply stretching or flexibility, it is not. They actually balance the systems of the body, as well as purify them. With all bodily injuries or ailments out of the way, a yogi practicers can then prepare for deeper mindful meditation. Iyengar Yoga is somewhat different from Hatha Yoga but a form of its style. Iyengar Yoga concentrates on body position and alignment through the development of asanas.
It is said that Hatha yoga was actually brought about in 15th century India by Yogi Swartmarama. His traditional style of yoga follows a specific practice, those being specific physical exercises to help align the body, mixed with proper breath control and meditation. Because of the focus on the spiritual or meditation, Hatha is often compared to Kundalini, and is often used in combination with Kundalini, but Hatha does not necessarily use the chakras as the main energy source, but proper body movement.
Recent studies have shown the excellent benefits Hatha yoga has on the physical body, even though the main purpose is to prepare the body for deep meditation. H. David Coulter wrote a book in 2002 called “Anatomy of Hatha Yoga” that identifies the reasons why this style of yoga is so powerful in promoting excellent health and medical benefits.
The author is trying to create a bridge between ancient yoga rituals and current anatomy and physiology and the reasons why yoga can be so powerful to the human body. This helps give Westerners a hard and fast reason to use yoga as part of a daily exercise routine. Not only does it provide stress relieving mechanisms, but it is also beneficial to overall well-being.
Hatha yoga is definitely one of the most popular traditional forms of yoga. Classes can be found at most yoga studios, as well as a number of Hatha yoga videos available for those that would like to bring their practice home. Most fitness stores have yoga videos, as well as yoga mats available for home or in-class instruction.
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