The History
The history of hatha yoga exercises dates back in the 15th century India when Yogi Swatmarama, a sage during those times, introduced it as a form of “a stairway to the heights” of Raja Yoga which is the preparatory stage of physical purification that makes the body fit for the practice of higher form of meditation.
Hatha yoga is also known to be called as “hatha vidya” and the word “hatha” is a combination of the words, “ha” which means sun and “tha” that means moon. They are said to refer to the prinicipal “nadis” or the energy channels of the body and must be fully operational to attain the state of “dhyana” or a certain state of meditation.
The Concept
The whole concept of the hatha yoga is a holistic yogic path that includes moral discipilines, physical exercises, breath control, and meditation. The hatha yoga exercises that are mostly practiced and popular in the western countries mainly composed of the “asanas” or postures.
Hatha yoga is only one of the two concepts of yoga exercises that focus on the physical culture and the other yoga is the Raja yoga but both of these are referred to as Ashtanga yoga. The main difference is that the Raja yoga focuses more on the “asanas” or postures to get the body ready for a prolonged meditation. The hatha yoga on the other hand focuses on balancing the mind and body through physical exercises, controlled breathing, and calming the mind through meditation and sheer relaxation.
Different positions or postures are recommended by practitioners to help alleviate or avoid health problems ranging from constipation through cancer. Doing Hatha Yoga exercises on a regular basis can help to reduce stress, pressure, and other mental worries that many of us are exposed to these days.
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