Hatha Yoga
- Hatha Yoga: This type is closer to the ancient form. It mainly deals with the idea of ethics, diet, cleansing, and meditation besides proper physical exercise. It demands complete awareness of each breath in order to connect the body, mind, and spirit. It is a body-mind exercise, helpful in reducing stress, increasing concentration, strength, and balance.
Origin of yoga The Indian guru Patanjali described eight different stages of yoga over two thousand years ago. Those are the precepts on how to live a meaningful life.
The first precept, Yama, is about ethical standards and the second, Niyama, is about maintaining self-discipline. The third and fourth stages, called asana and pranayama, are the most practical and together form the main ingredients of Hatha yoga. Asana stands for physical exercise, pranayama for breathing control.
Idea behind hatha yoga The word hatha is a combination of the Sanskrit words ha (sun) and tha (moon). The sun mainly stands for taking action and the moon for your inner consciousness and peace. In Hatha yoga these two ideas are intertwined. By achieving rest in both poses and breathing, there is balance.