Hatha Yoga: Movement for More Strength and Stability

Hatha Yoga is more than moving and performing asanas. What exactly is it and what does it mean? You will discover that in this blog!

There are a lot of different forms of Yoga. So many that it’s sometimes hard to know what’s what. Hatha yoga, what is that exactly? And what is the difference with other forms of yoga? These are all questions that come to mind for many yogis. Read on to find out more.

What is Hatha Yoga?

Hatha yoga is more than what most people think. It is not just moving and performing asanas. In this yoga practice, the connection between body and mind is extremely important. Hatha yoga is strongly linked to sutra three and four. You can see these sutras as the golden rules within yoga, which you live by both physically and mentally. Sutra three (asana) is about physical movement, and sutra four (pranayama) is about breathing. Hatha yoga is all about the control of body and breath. Many other yoga forms have arisen from this form of yoga.

Pilates and Hatha Yoga

Pilates was invented in the early twentieth century. In this sport, fitness was combined with elements from Hatha Yoga. Mental effort was used to control the muscles. It also had the aim of recovering from illnesses, but above all it was founded for the rehabilitation of war veterans. Wounded soldiers were supposed to feel better and be able to recover more quickly with the help of Pilates. Read More About Pilates, Hatha Yoga and the similarities and differences between them.

Meaning of Hatha Yoga

The word “Hatha” comes from Sanskrit and has several meanings. For the familiar, general meaning, the word is often divided into “Ha” and “Tha”. ‘Ha’ stands for the sun, Yang, action, and the masculine. ‘Tha’ stands for the moon, Yin, tranquility, and the feminine. This refers to the energy channels called nadis. The energy channels that the sun and moon refer to are ‘ida’ and ‘pingala’. Sun and moon are seen as contradictions within yoga. Hatha Yoga is therefore also about a balance and bringing together these two contradictions.

The Purpose of Hatha Yoga

The goal of Hatha Yoga is to train yourself to find a balance between body and mind. By getting in touch with yourself and experiencing inner peace, you will also find harmony with the people and the world around you. By practicing Hatha yoga you would experience more strength and stability. The advantage of this is that you learn to stay in physical and mental balance, and would thus be better able to keep your intentions and values in mind. Yet this is not the goal that many people who practice Hatha yoga strive for, simply because they do not know that this is the true purpose. Hatha yoga is best known as a style that:

• Makes you supple
• Would help deal with stress
• May have a positive effect on your organs and nervous system

Even if you are not aware of the goals of Hatha yoga yet still practice it regularly, you may end up feeling more balanced.

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Basic Hatha Yoga for Beginners

If you are just starting out with yoga, even the basic Hatha yoga poses can be very tricky. Do not be distracted by the people around you, but focus on yourself. One of the things you learn in Hatha yoga is to come back to yourself. This can be confronting at times, but by getting in touch with yourself, you will learn to listen to your body and you will feel stronger mentally. Below are a few tips for Hatha yoga beginners:

• Do your first exercises with an experienced yogi. This way you can build it up slowly to achieve the best results in the end.
• Practice your breathing. If you also do breathing exercises in addition to Hatha yoga, it will feel more natural during directing your movements with your breath during a Hatha class.
• Provide a soothing environment with calm, soft colors. Also use a comfortable yoga mat.
• Listen to your body’s signals. Take your rest if you need to.
• Make the most of it, but don’t force anything. Forcing increases the risk of complaints and injuries.

Remember that everyone has to start somewhere and you don’t have to do everything perfectly all at once!

Exercises Hatha Yoga for Beginners

As a beginner it is nice to start with accessible hatha yoga exercises. The following hatha yoga poses would be suitable for beginners:

• Mountain Pose
• Cobra Pose
• Downward Dog
• Warrior Pose

Mountain Pose

Stand up straight, take a deep breath and drop your shoulders down and back. Keep your arms at your sides, palms forward and fingers spread. Put your feet together, activate the thighs, raise your kneecaps and make a straight line from your crown to your feet.

Cobra Pose

Lie on your stomach, place your hands under your shoulders and keep your elbows pressed against your ribs. Place your forehead on the floor and your feet flat. Press your insteps into the floor so that your knees are just off the floor. You can then gently bring your head and chest forward and up from your feet and hands. Keep your elbows against your ribs. With each exhalation you rise further. If you succeed, you can raise the navel off the ground. Your pelvis may remain on the floor.

Downward Dog

Start on your hands and feet, place your hands under your shoulders and spread your fingers. Place your knees under your hips. Curl your toes, inhale deeply and on the exhale, bring your knees up and push your upper body through your ribs towards your thighs. Inhale and on the exhale, slowly straighten your legs until your heels almost touch the floor. Keeping your hips high and your legs active will take the weight off your wrists and shoulders. Stretch the backs of your legs more and more, but keep your fingers on the floor.

Warrior Pose

Stand with both feet firmly on the floor and take a big step back with your left foot. Turn this foot out 45 degrees, put your hands on your sides and rotate your hips and chest forward. Bend your front leg 90 degrees and bring your arms up past your ears, keeping your shoulders low. Then bring your left arm back, parallel to the floor. Bring your right arm forward parallel to the floor and bring your outer foot out 90 degrees. Look over your right hand into the distance.

More Hatha Yoga Poses

If you’ve been practicing yoga for a while, you can try one of the following poses:

• Headstand (Sirsasana)
• Shoulderstand or Candle (Sarvangasana)
• Half Bridge (Setubandasana)

Headstand

In the Headstand you balance on your head with the support of your arms. It’s an inverted position, with your head on the floor and your feet up. This is a tricky position, but you can also reap many benefits from it.

Shoulderstand / Candle

Shoulderstand along with headstand is an important asana. This pose is said to stimulate the thyroid gland and have an effect on the whole body. Sarvangasana literally means “all limb posture”. You lie on your back with your head and neck on the floor, pushing your hips up and raising your legs to 90 degrees. Your chin is brought to your chest. Take a slow breath and focus your attention on the throat area.

Half Bridge

With the half bridge you open the heart and chest, giving the organs more space. This yoga exercise is also said to stimulate the thyroid gland, but also the spleen and liver. Breathing would also be more complete and pleasant. Ultimately, this could lead to more energy. In this Hatha yoga pose you lie on your back with your knees bent. You push your arms and heels into the floor and raise your hips as high as possible, keeping your feet straight. Also bring your shoulders together, and then fold your hands together under your back.

Hatha Yoga Weight Loss

A frequently asked question is: can you lose weight with Hatha Yoga? In Hatha yoga, active and passive elements go well together. This could give you the benefits of losing weight in several ways. The asanas in Hatha yoga are not as active as in some other forms of yoga and sometimes yogis include Meditation. Because your body would become more flexible and you would experience more balance and energy, this could also help you lose weight. You would experience less stress and Hatha yoga would also have a beneficial effect on the nervous system and organs.

More Forms of Yoga

So, now you know all about Hatha Yoga! Are you curious about the other forms of yoga? Then read our blogs about Ashtanga Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Kundalini Yoga and Yin Yoga. Whatever you want to know, you will discover it at Spiru!

Which form of yoga do you prefer to practice?