Hatha yoga, what is it?
Hatha stands for effort and strength in Sanskrit (language of yoga). Hatha Yoga is the oldest yoga style - the original form. The original form was established by Pantanjali between the 2nd and 4th centuries. Hatha Yoga is one of the most well-known yoga styles in the West, which has been adapted and constantly developed over time. With the aim of strengthening the mind, muscles and body. The yoga style primarily trains the sense of balance, which reduces stress and improves mobility and concentration. With the associated pranayama exercises you can deepen your breathing, the body cells are supplied with oxygen much more intensively and your blood circulation is improved.
Hatha yoga for beginners
Due to the slow and relaxed exercises, Hatha Yoga is very suitable for beginners and/or practice at home. Important, beginner-friendly exercises are the sun salutation, cobra, child pose, plank, forward bend, cat and cow, and dead pose.
The exercises are fluent. With Hatha Yoga you can approach the asanas.
Flowing yoga (flow) - exercises to do at home
To practice yoga at home, you need a non-slip mat, comfortable clothing, and a large towel. When you start, a meditation cushion is also very suitable because you can sit a little more relaxed here. Hatha Yoga Flow is a dynamic yoga that combines movement and asanas. After a stressful day at work, it's the right thing for you.
- You start with the Cat (Marjarysasana)-Cow (Bitilasana) exercise to warm up
- Downward Dog
- cobra
- plank
- child
- forward bend
- Finished: Dead Position
Then I will introduce you to all the exercises in brief.
1. Warm-up exercise: cat and cow
You get on all fours on your mat. The exercise warms up the spine, hips and shoulders. Inhale as you round your back. The back muscles are stretched while the chest and abdominal muscles relax. The chest is compressed and supports deep breathing. The asanas are practiced alternately with the cow. Here you do a guided hollow back when inhaling and the cat's hump when exhaling. For the cow, you stretch the chest and abdominal muscles while contracting the back muscles. The chest can expand and supports a very deep inhalation. Arch your spine gently and evenly as you lift your head.
2. Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) or Mountain (Parvatasana)
This asana is part of almost every yoga class. In flow sequences and dynamic yoga it is part of the sun salutation. This position is both a forward bend and an inversion. This asana stretches the back of the leg as well as the shoulder. This asana comfortably stretches the entire back of your body, buttocks, and hamstrings, while strengthening your arm and shoulder muscles. Too much or too little flexibility can make it difficult to align your asanas correctly. With the right variations, you can benefit from suitable variants of the versatile postures.
3. Cobra (Bhujangasana)
The cobra is a very traditional asana that ignites your digestive fire and awakens dormant energy reserves. The cobra can help you with back pain and stimulate your digestion. The front of your body, such as the chest, abdominal, and hip muscles are stretched. Your musculature on the back of your shoulders, back and arms is strengthened as it actively stabilizes and ensures an even backbend.
4. Plank (Kumbhakasana)
The plank corresponds to the starting position for push-ups. This effective and strength-building pose engages your deep muscles as well as your superficial muscles. The work is spread over the whole body if you do the exercise correctly. The plank strengthens your shoulder and core (deep) muscles in particular, as well as your abdominal and back muscles, as well as your pelvic floor muscles. If you hold it longer, this asana creates a pleasant heat and energy in your body.
5. Child Pose (Balasana)
This restorative forward bend is somewhat reminiscent of a fetus in the womb, hence the asana's name. This has a very calming effect on your nervous system. You lay your forehead on the mat, so that your neck is pleasantly relaxed. Your entire back muscles are gently stretched. Your muscles only work minimally in this asana. The focus is on relaxation. Your muscles in your back, buttocks and ankles will be stretched. When you take a deep breath, your chest muscles activate and release when you exhale.
6. Forward Bend (Uttanasana)
Bending forward improves your mobility. Consciously going in and out in the sun salutation allows you to perform everyday movements in which you bend forward better and more easily. You can adapt this asana to your degree of flexibility.
The back of your body gets stretched, like calves, hamstrings, buttocks, and back. The muscles in your front, especially your legs, work to stabilize your body in the posture.
Diploma
There are many exercises to complete the yoga session. The most common final exercise is "Savasana", the so-called corpse pose or corpse pose. Admittedly, the name sounds rather morbid when hearing it for the first time, but the corpse position is relaxing and beginner-friendly.
Corpse Pose (Savasana)
The relaxation pose at the end of the yoga practice. You take those 5-15 minutes at the end. It is also used in relaxing, meditative practices such as Yoga Nidra.
Savasana activates the parasympathetic nervous system (part of the autonomic nervous system) and its relaxing effect on body and mind. In Savasana, lie flat on your back and let your feet tip outwards. Your palms face up. You can also meditate in this posture if you find it difficult to sit.
Positive effects of this attitude:
- Activation of the parasympathetic nervous system and its relaxing effect, lowering your blood pressure and slowing down your heart rate
- Your muscles can let go completely
- Increase in heart rate variability
Guided relaxation during Savasana
The mindfulness practice is called Yoga Nidra. "Nidra" means something like "sleep". However, you do not sleep, but observe all stages of your relaxation. You practice the exercise in Savasana. You can use it to noticeably improve your sleep and prevent depression and chronic pain.
Conclusion
Hatha yoga focuses predominantly on breathing and movement. This can seem disconcerting at first, but in the long run it offers a sense of release and improved inner balance. Beginners can choose beginner-friendly flows and even advanced yogis appreciate the yoga style for its positive effects on body and mind. Grab your yoga mat and get started!
