Hatha

Hatha Yoga or the physical Yoga is the system of Yoga that is the most popular and well known in the West. The meaning of Hatha yoga is: the Sanskrit word "Hatha" comes from "ha" meaning sun in sanskrit and "tha" meaning "moon," making it the aspect of Yoga that symbolizes the uniting of opposites. Its focus is on Asanas (poses) and Pranayama (control of the breath).

Asanas are the various poses and postures that are carefully designed to improve health and remove disease from the body. Practicing asanas regularly will give the participant the physical rewards of a stronger, more toned and more flexible body, but they wil also gain the non-physical rewards of relaxation, lowered stress, powerful concentration and enhanced sense of well-being.

In the Yoga tradition, air, or prana is the source of life force that permeates the universe. Pranayama translated loosely from the Sanskrit means breath control. The ancient Yogis who develpoed Yoga developed several breathing techniques to help clear and cleanse the mind and body. It is also a preparation for meditation.

When you first begin to study Yoga, some of the Sanskrit words will not be clear to you at first. Your teacher will give you the Hatha yoga definitions of the Sanskrit words in English as class goes along.

Hatha Yoga's goal is to balance the body, mind and spirit through the physical postures, breathing and meditation.

Some of the many benefits of Hatha yoga include that it improves flexibility in the body, strengthens, tones and builds muscles, strengthens the spine, eases pain, improves circulation, boosts the immune system, lowers cholesterol and blood sugar levels, increases metabolism to encourage weight loss. Hatha Yoga also relaxes the body and mind sharpens concentration, and reduces stress levels.

A quick seach will help you fine Hatha yoga positions online. Many web sites have photos of Hatha yoga poses, and some are animated so that you can see the pose in action. You can find lots of Hatha yoga routines and Hatha yoga stretches as well.

Hatha yoga teacher training can be taken in person in the studio or you can take a Hatha yoga course online through distance learning. If you want to become a Hatha yoga teacher and teach Hatha yoga classes, most study course require at least 200 hours of preparation.

Hatha Yoga DVDs videos are available for those who wish to study Hatha Yoga in the comfort of their own home.