“Connecting the body with nature is Hatha Yoga. The harmonization of mind and body is pranayama. The harmonization of mind and soul is jnana. The harmonization of soul and God is bhakti. This is the whole yoga system: the creation of harmony.”
Radhanatha Swami
Do you sit a lot? Do you make a lot of repetitive movements during your days? Do you often stick to your mobile screen?
Is there any stress in your life?
Do you sometimes feel like you can’t stop?
Is something wrong with your health?
If you answer yes to any of these questions, you need yoga.
Yoga has become one of the most popular forms of exercise today. Why? Because, while it moves our bodies thoroughly and energizes us, it handles stress beautifully, too. Because you can start it at any stage of your life without any prerequisite knowledge. Whether it’s an enthusiastic beginner or a flexible professional, everyone finds happiness in yoga.
What does Hatha mean?
The word “hatha” can be translated into strength and perseverance. To do something strongly, that is, to do something consistently for a higher purpose. Another meaning of Hatha: HA symbolizes the sun; THA symbolizes the moon.
Hatha Yoga comes from India and has been practiced there for centuries. In the West, Hatha Yoga became popular in the 20th century.
Parts of Hatha Yoga:
- Body exercises (asanas)
- Breathing exercises (pranayama)
- Cleansing exercises (sat-karma)
- Energizing practices
- Concentration (dharana)
- Absorption (pratyahara)
- Deep meditation (dhyana)
- Mantras
- Mudras
- Kriyas and bandhas
- Philosophy
Outsiders believe that by practicing the same poses and processes, yoga can become boring after a while. This is wrong, however, because the philosophy of this form of movement is based on the relationship with our body, which is constantly changing with us. As the muscles become stronger and more flexible, they promote a higher level of spiritual experience. And this is when the yoga itself is getting to be exciting!
People report three wonderful effects after doing yoga for a short time:
- They can sit comfortably on the ground either cross-legged or in a yoga asana. And interestingly, sitting upright on the ground comfortably, relaxation and meditation give you a much deeper experience.
- Physical sensations are more prominent. We notice smaller, finer sensations in our bodies, and experience the movement and work of subtle energies.
- We will instinctively know a lot about what is good for us. We don’t have to agonize over whether this or that is allowed-, or good for us, but we can choose in a totally spontaneous way what serves us the most. (e.g. plant-based diet, cessation from drinking coffee, fasting once a week)
The physical benefits of Hatha Yoga:
- Increases flexibility
- Improves muscle strength and tone
- Improves breathing
- Increases energy and stamina
- Improves cardiovascular health
- It can help improve mental clarity and concentration
- Reduces stress and anxiety levels
- Promotes relaxation
- Helps the 7 chakras to function properly
Beyond the physical benefits:
If we turn our attention to the symbolism of the asanas, we can reveal several layers of meaning, and we can find connections that transform our whole lives.
By bringing contemplation into the practice of Hatha Yoga, we learn to extend our attention not only to our body, but also to our thoughts, intuition and memories. Yoga suddenly becomes more than just exercising at a certain time of the day.
Hatha Yoga helps avoiding the suffering caused by the body and mind. In the book of “Yoga from Pure Source”(unfortunately, there is only Hungarian version available), there is the following summary on the effects of doing asanas: “…yoga asanas give flexibility and vitality to the material body. Properly mastered exercises result in the stability of the body and mind, and by expelling the tensions within us, they eliminate the instability of consciousness. In fact, they help us to get rid of the negative effects of passion (rajas) and ignorance (tamas) and prepare us for a higher level of meditation, and spiritual deepening.”
The deeper meaning of Hatha Yoga:
The Bhagavad Gita is an ancient Vedic writing that Krishna told Arjuna. Krishna states on its pages that yoga is more than the practice of asanas or pranayama. In truth, it is an effective means of getting to know ourselves and our supreme well-wisher, Krishna. Not only can we get to know him, but we can maintain a working relationship with him. And if we are in contact with Krishna, then all areas of our life will be radically improved, since Krishna is the owner of all beauty, power, wealth and all other good things.
In Krishna-Valley, you can learn this deeper aspect of Hatha Yoga. Our mentors will show you the way to this higher level of yoga. This type of yoga you can learn here in Krishna-Valley is different from the average Hatha Yoga. You don’t want to miss on this deeper meaning and settle for an average yoga course where the knowledge is limited to learning the asanas. Because, with the help of higher yoga, you can truly realize yourself and find the meaning of your life.
Why settle for less when you can master the entire yoga system? Where? Here in Krishna-Valley! 🙂
Little ones, grown-ups, women and men, get on yoga! You have nothing to lose, except for your problems. 🙂