YogaHealthtips
Hatha Yoga
Hatha yoga is an
ancient Hindu system of working with the human nervous system.
Because it releases tension and endows one with renewed energy,
far too many 20th century people, yoga teachers included, have
come to look upon the venerable Indian physical science as
solely an exercise for health and vitality of mind and body.
It is that, but it is
also much more. Hatha yoga practices are more spiritual than
physical, more subtle than gross, more a means of understanding
than an exotic way to relieve stress or limber up the body.
The sages who developed Hatha
yoga designed it as a way to gain conscious control of our life
energies, a way to go within, to harmonize the external so the
innermost Self could be encountered. To them, it was about
states of consciousness, about living a divine life, and it was
a preparation for meditation.
As you perform the asanas,
concentrate on feeling the energies within the nerve currents.
Sensitize yourself to knowing when the body has been in each
position long enough to tune the nerve currents involved.
Then shift smoothly into the
next asana. It's like a dance, a deliberate, fluid dance. During
all postures, inhale using the diaphragm, not the chest muscles.
Do not stretch unduly or force the body. Relax into the poses.
Don't worry if you can't
perform them all perfectly. In time, you will find the body
becoming more flexible and supple. Free the mind of thoughts and
tensions. You will be more aware, more alive, more serene.
While there are many more
complex hatha yoga routines, these twenty-four asanas provide a
balanced system for daily use. For the simple purpose of
quieting the mind in preparation for meditation, this is all you
will ever need.
For best results, hatha yoga
should be taught personally by a qualified teacher. These
instructions and drawings are meant only as a rudimentary aid.
For more elaborate regimens, inquire at a recognized school
specializing in hatha yoga.
The scene of hatha yoga
has a spiritual purpose - to balance physical and physic
energies in preparation for meditation.
It is not only meant to
make us young, beautiful or creative, but to aid us in quieting
the mind, body and emotions that we may awaken enlightened
consciousness & know the Self within.
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