Tag yoga poses

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the past few years, we’re pretty much sure that you’re aware of that activity known as the Lying Down Game or Planking, that involves stiffly lying face down in the most incongruous or unexpected locations, just for the heck of it.

While Planking was, and still is, considered mostly as a simple viral online meme, there’s a another form of “plank mimicry” that can be used for seriously attaining health and wellness.

In Hatha Yoga, we have the Yoga Plank Pose, or Uttihita Chaturanga Dandasana in Sanskrit (uttihita = extended, chaturanga = four limbed, and dandasana = staff pose). It does not require a full stiff, face down posture. Rather, it emphasizes the need to maintain balance while facing the ground, even as you keep as much distance between it and your chest.

Qualities of the Yoga Plank Pose

Unlike in the Lying Down Game which is mostly just a comic social game, the plank pose in Hatha Yoga is meant to underscore fitness by providing the yoga practitioner with a sense of the importance of stability, alignment, and strength.

The Yoga Plank Pose is also known by another Sanskit name, Kumbhakasana, which means “empty teapot.” This is with reference to the efforts of some advanced yoga practitioners to exhale completely while striving to maintain the plank pose, with the end goal of developing tolerance for the lack of air (conditioning the mind and body to stay disciplined and focused even under trying situations).

Demonstration of the Yoga Plank Pose

Benefits of the Yoga Plank Pose

• Mental – the Yoga Plank Pose is great for challenging the limits set by the mind as to how far it can withstand pressure from a demanding situation.
• Physical – the focus of the Yoga Plank Pose is on firming and strengthening the abdomen, and making the spine, arms, and wrists stronger.
• Spiritual – the Yoga Plank Pose is advantageous for those who want to test their resistance and endurance to discomfort. In doing so, a certain level of patience and calmness is achieved.

Safety Alert

The Yoga Plank Pose is contraindicated for those with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

If this is your first time reading this, you’ll want to read through out this entire guide at least one time and of course, have your doctors clearance for doing these yoga poses, before you attempt doing them on your own.

The Hatha Yoga demonstration videos that you get when you subscribe to the MyFitnessNut.com Newsletter will be useful for you to witness how the poses are done; which is much easier than just reading about how they are done. Next we’ll move on to the “Tree Pose” where you can experience solidity in being rooted.

If you’re ready to let your imagination run free and obtain some physical stability in your life, you’ll want to read on and check out what doing “Chair Yoga Poses” can do for you.

Think back to the time when you were young, and your imagination was a dominant force in your life. What you could imagine was real and had power. You can still do that now with the Chair Yoga Poses.

Qualities of the Chair Yoga Pose

To those unfamiliar with the gentle ways of Hatha Yoga, the pose might seem to be an extremely painful position to assume. After all, the first impression that one gets upon seeing a yogi using the Chair Yoga Poses is that he or she is starting to sit, does get seated, and will then start to rise from a chair – an imaginary chair.

It looks as if a gigantic or intense effort is being made to do the postures involved, and that’s why in Hatha Yoga, we have the Chair Yoga Poses, or Utkatasana in Sanskrit (utkata = intense, gigantic, and asana = pose) as being representative or symbolic of the actions of the mind to control one’s surroundings through physical exertion.

Demonstration of One of the Chair Yoga Poses

Benefits of the Chair Yoga Poses

• Mental – this yoga pose shifts the interest of the mind to maintaining balance, thereby giving life to the concept of willpower, or striving for success amidst great odds.
• Physical – the center of attention of this pose is on the thighs, but it can also benefit other parts of the body such as the chest and shoulders, the spine, the thighs and the legs, while stimulating the diaphragm, the heart, and the organs in the abdomen.
• Spiritual – holding this yoga posture requires intense concentration. The more frequent that high levels of concentration are achieved, the more that portals leading to enlightenment become opened.

Safety Alert

This pose is not recommended for people with low blood pressure, recurrent headaches or insomnia.

See the two other “Chair Yoga Poses” that you get when you subscribe to the MyFitnessNut.com Newsletter. Do that now and then move on to the “Triangle Pose” if you’d like to start seeing your legs in a new light.

There’s a natural high that comes from dedicated running, and this is due to the production and release of endorphins that can alter your mood and make you feel extremely happy. That’s why many runners push themselves to the limit, and even beyond, to fully enjoy the highly pleasurable effects that come during and after exertion.

But the thing is, too much pushing can lead to physical problems – pulled muscles, cramped nerves, exhaustion, to name but a few. That’s where yoga for runners can step in to prevent such problems from occurring.

Yoga for Runners: The Need for Speed

While not all runs are competitive, runners for the most part, often feel a need for speed. That’s why there are runners who ask how something that’s relatively slow and gentle like Hatha Yoga can benefit people like them who thrive on the adrenaline rush that comes from a strenuous and fast-paced activity like running.

The fact is, there isn’t really much of a contradiction to begin with. That’s because even the most well-conditioned and professional runners still have to contend with the limitations of their physical bodies.

Everything involved in running, every part of your body that receives an impact when you run can get damaged over time by such a demanding activity. Your neck, shoulders, arms, elbows, spine, thighs, knees, legs, ankles, and even the soles of your feet have to put up with the pounding rhythms of a run.

Yoga for Runners: A Therapeutic Exercise

In that regard, think of yoga for runners as a therapeutic break from all the jarring that your body takes each time you go on a run. Yoga deep breathing exercises are good for the lungs and the cardiovascular system. Yoga stretches can promote flexibility and endurance. Yoga meditation can improve focus which leads to steady thought processes. All of these contribute hugely to fine-tuning your runner’s body.

The videos that are an integral part of this guide will guide you on which poses are best to practice on. Familiarize yourself with poses such as the Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana in Sanskrit) and keep on practicing to gain the full benefits of using yoga for runners.

Below is a demonstration video with the yoga pose “Low Runners Lunge”. When doing this runners pose, be sure to work on both your right and left side. You wouldn’t want to be running in circles would you?

Video Demonstration of the Low Runners Lunge – Right:

If you’ve been reading our other Hatha Yoga articles then you already know that you can get access to our full set of yoga poses on video when you subscribe to the MyFitnessNut.com Newsletter. Next we’ll work on helping you learn the “Warrior Pose” which like the Runners Pose, cultivates strength and endurance.

Sometimes, there exists a small, yet niggling, level of confusion regarding the difference between a yoga pose and a yoga style. This has been specifically evident when it comes to discussing Flow Yoga.

Is flow yoga a pose under Hatha Yoga, or are they two radically different styles? To understand better, let’s first familiarize ourselves with the nature of each.

Hatha Yoga vis-à-vis Flow Yoga

As you have previously read, Hatha Yoga is all about the union of two disparate or dissimilar elements, specifically the mind and the body. When both are working in harmony, a greater level of spiritual equilibrium is achieved. Overall fitness then results.

Meanwhile, Flow Yoga, or Ashtanga Vinyasa in Sanskrit (ashtanga = eight limbs of yoga, vinyasa = breathing), refers to the action of connecting breathing with each yoga pose’s movement, as it transitions from one to the other. Flow or vinyasa yoga has six poses, each one flowing or transitioning gently to the other.

Hatha Yoga’s poses are mostly static and timed. Transitional breathing is not a major feature, unlike in vinyasa or flow yoga.

Flow yoga is derived from Hatha Yoga but they have certain noticeable differences:

• Hatha Yoga is more deliberate or slower in execution, compared to flow yoga that is slightly faster, because of the transitory poses that appear to the uninitiated as one flowing posture
• vinyasa or flow yoga does not involve solitary postures, but a series of poses that flow smoothly
• the gentler and slower pace of Hatha Yoga makes it perfect for those who are simply starting to learn yoga. In contrast, the fast pace of flow yoga makes it seem similar to an invigorating cardiovascular workout, particularly when you factor in the fact that rhythmic breathing is greatly involved. Rhythmic breathing refers to inhalation and exhalation that is timed and/or synchronized with the start or release of a pose (the “flow) into another pose.

Video Demonstration of Flow Yoga:

Eight Limbs of Yoga

Yoga is not simply about posing this way and that, as a form of exercise. There is a whole philosophy behind yoga, and that is why it is important to know at this point the eight limbs of yoga – characteristics that point towards the fulfillment of life, in terms of physical, mental and spiritual fitness.

Yama – ethical guidelines or moral directions that you need to observe, as far as relating to your fellow humans is concerned.

These yamas include:

• ahimsa or non-violence in actions, words, and thoughts
• satya or truthfulness
• asteya or not stealing/taking what is not yours
• brahmacharya or purity (some interpret this as sexual abstinence, while others believe it to be about abstaining from acting out on impure sexual impulses)
• aparigraha or not coveting

Niyama – while the yamas are outward-directed, niyamas are directed towards the self: they are ethical guidelines or moral directions that you need to observe, in relation to how you regard yourself:

• saucha or cleanliness of body and thoughts
• santosa or self-contentment
• tapas or continued practice
• svadhyaya or self-study
• isvara pranidhana or yielding to a higher power

Asana – the yoga postures that need to be practiced:

• Pranayama – breathing exercises
• Pratyahara – ingress into your internal self, not allowing external distractions to take hold of you
• Dharana – total focus or concentration
• Dhayana – meditation or all-inclusive concentration
• Samadhi – transcendence or mastery of the self; total fitness of mind, body, spirit leading to enlightenment.

The sample demonstration video above gives you a look at Flow Yoga and the movement or transition into various poses. Be sure to subscribe to the MyFitnessNut.com Newsletter to get access to the Flow Yoga video above plus 69 additional demonstration poses. Next, we’ll investigate how “Yoga for Runners” can add value to your life.

Have you ever observed how limber most children are? How are they able to assume positions that seem difficult?

At first glance, most of the postures assumed by children, especially during play, do seem slightly out of the league of most grown-ups. But when adults actually try to do them, it would turn out that not all of the positions assumed by children are that challenging after all.

In Hatha Yoga, we have the Child’s Pose or Balasana in Sanskrit (bala = child, asana = pose).

Warmly welcome the Child’s Pose as your first Hatha Yoga pose, because it is a major stress reliever and will greatly encourage you to go on and on with your Hatha Yoga lessons.

Qualities of the Child’s Pose

The Child’s Pose is simplicity personified. Children generally have an unaffected manner in facing life. They are mostly free of pretensions, and as such are able to direct their energies towards the pursuit of what they are really after. They don’t spend energy wasting it on cover-ups, an overblown sense of self-importance and other attitudes that can be obstacles to their quest for happiness and serenity.

The Child’s Pose has been named in honor of the down-to-earth and unaffected nature of children, as a whole.

Benefits of the Child’s Pose

• Mental – the Child’s Pose makes the mind settle down and detach from the worries of life.
• Physical – while the focal point of the Child’s Pose is on the thighs, it is also beneficial for the ankles and hips. When you assume the Child’s Pose, make sure that you have support for your trunk and head, in order to drive away the aches that affect your neck and back.
• Spiritual – the Child’s Pose requires the kind of breathing that makes the back of torso feel as if it is rising, with spinal widening and lengthening being achieved. These, in turn, lessen stress and fatigue, and give you a calmer inner balance.

Video Demonstration of the Child’s Pose:

Right now is a good time to subscribe to the MyFitnessNut.com Newsletter so that you can gain access to all 70 Hatha Yoga demonstration videos. You will also find 7 sets of 10 Hatha Yoga poses set up to show you some samples of yoga workout routines that you can use as is; or as an example to put together your own yoga workout routine using the individual yoga exercises on the separate videos.

Safety Alert

The Child’s Pose is not recommended for people who are pregnant or have digestive problems, specifically, loose bowel movement (diarrhea).

In the previous article you learned about how you can gain a pro-active advantage learning yoga at home. Now that you have a grasp on the Child’s Pose, let’s ease into the “Cat-Cow Pose” to enhance flexibility and your inner calm.

Have you ever experienced repeatedly going all the way to a yoga class, only to find it impossible to reach total Nirvana? While it isn’t really that easy to become enlightened, it can be a pain having to deal with packed studios, traffic and parking nightmares.

And of course, if you’ve taken up yoga only recently, it will take some time before you can stop comparing yourself to other practitioners who can practically balance off their noses, while you struggle to stand straight and hold a pose.

It’s great that the option to learn yoga at home is always a possibility for everyone.

To fully maximize and harness the power of the Yoga experience, you must be careful with preparations, including getting an easy-to-understand guidebook like this one, along with its accompanying videos.

Once you have your guide materials in hand, you can turn to preparing other requirements such as the ones listed below:

• Space

A dedicated space for your yoga exercises should be prioritized. It is your Zen, a place where you can relax. Just remember to move furniture away as they could be potential hazards.

• Props

Choose a mat with a sticky underside home yoga experience. Consider a blanket to keep you warm and fuzzy, with a secondary purpose of being rolled up to help you balance in different positions. A bolster would also be really handy.

• Instructions

Whether or not you prefer to watch the accompanying videos first, then try out the exercises or poses later, or do you skip the pre-watch and go straight into following the audiovisual dimonstations – that’s a matter of personal choice. What’s important is for you to feel at ease while going through the poses. Keep in mind that you are not competing with anyone. As such, you can be as focused or as relaxed as you want.

Learn Yoga at Home: Maximize Opportunities to Practice

When you have chosen to learn yoga at home, it doesn’t mean that you only have to be in your residence while doing the poses. Yoga is versatile, and for the most part, you can do some of the preliminaries on the go. For example, you can practice your deep breathing techniques while driving or taking walks.

Once you have familiarized yourself with meditation, embrace the tranquility of the discipline and be at one with yourself. During your break at work, you can sit with a straight spine and close your eyes, then focus on your breathing to meditate. Good meditation can lower your blood pressure and relieve stress, as well as improve your mood.

Learn Yoga at Home: Your Body, Your Temple

In sum, remember that yoga is a practice that lets you honor yourself and your temple – your body. Take the time to rediscover yourself and take away those stresses that’s been hounding you all day long. Feel the slight muscle burn as you flex and assume various poses, then feel the gentleness, and watch your spirit soar to new heights.

Overall, yoga doesn’t require any specific location, or any kind of environmental conditions. All yoga requires is a temperate location where you can be really focused. Whatever makes you relax or focused is what you would need, but don’t forget the importance of a smooth and level place to exercise on. These are all that matter when you are determined to learn yoga at home.

Integral Hatha Yoga Poses Overview

Now that we’ve gone through the basics of Hatha Yoga, it’s time to go much deeper and get acquainted with some of the most integral Hatha Yoga poses that you will need to practice on your way to becoming fit and maintaining your health and wellness.

Remember that Hatha Yoga poses will not only develop your physical fitness, they will also increase your capacity to be more understanding of what’s actually going on around you, instead of just seeing it and reacting to it from a surface level which could be stressful to you.

Relax and have fun while you are trying out the poses described in the articles that follow. Keep in mind that the accompanying videos of the Hatha Yoga poses can be referred to, as you go along. You can get the full set of Hatha Yoga poses on video when you subscribe to the MyFitnessNut.com Newsletter.

Remember to take your time and avoid rushing. Dedicated practice will lead you to perfecting your yoga exercises and attaining your fitness goals. If you’re ready to learn yoga at home, grab the videos and follow along with the “Child’s Pose” to begin your workout routine.

Now, let’s talk about different kinds of fat burning yoga workouts. The great thing about these workouts is they are more fun than work. If ever “fun-out” gets to be accepted as a word that’s descriptive of truly engaging physical activities done in pursuit of fitness, yoga is going to be its synonym!

Aside from the four basic yoga poses mentioned earlier, here are some other beginner’s poses that you can study and perform. Again, remember that these poses can be found in the sample yoga workouts that are found in the more than 70 videos which serve as complementary audiovisual tools to this yoga guide.

When Yoga Workouts Equal Fun

Urdhva Hastansana or the “Raised Arms Pose”

This is your basic morning stretch! Focus on good alignment. Inhale, and bring your arms up and right over your head. You can look directly at your hands, a shoulders’ width apart, or with palms touching. Great for getting you in the proper frame of mind!

Uttanasana or the “Standing Forward Bend”

Fold over your legs into a forward bend, and don’t forget to exhale. Your hamstrings will feel a little tightness at first, but you can bend your knees to help your spine. Let loose and let your head hang heavy. Straighten your legs very slowly but don’t forget to keep your head hanging. Feet position can be hip width apart. This pose is ideal for letting negative energy flow out of you.

Malasana or the “Garland Pose”

Time to move your feet off the edges of the mat and start bending your knees coming straight up to a squat. Toes may balance you but if your heels do not reach the floor, you can always use a rolled up blanket for balance. This pose can be quite natural for kids to assume, but may be challenging for adults. This is great exercise for your hips and counteracts the effects of sitting on your butt all day long.

Seated Forward Bend

During exhalation, carry your torso over your legs in a forward bend. You should feel some tingling sensation in your hamstrings, but it should also feel warmer right after doing the standing forward bend earlier. Be at rhythm with your breath and feel the length of your spine on each inhalation. Then deepen your forward thrust fold on each exhalation. Stay for five breaths again and keep your feet flexed. This has the effect of relaxing your torso as well as your legs, and freeing your mind from clutter.

Head to Knee Pose

Sit and bend your left leg, having the sole of your left foot inside your right thighs. Use the same techniques from the Seated Forward Bend. After five breaths, sit and switch legs. This underscores the effects you derive from the Seated Forward Bend pose.

Happy Baby Pose

Lie on your back and hug your knees right into your chest, imitating a very happy baby. This position should be familiar to anyone who has kids. Separate your knees and have each ankle straight over its respective knee, your shins should be perpendicular to the floor. Flex feet and hold on to them outside as you draw your knees downward. Roll from side to side from your sacrum and see if it feels good, but please, resist the urge to put your toes in your mouth (not that a few have attempted to do so, but the “happy baby” feeling that arose was just too good to pass up). After five breaths, stretch your legs and you’re good with your sample yoga workouts.

In the last article of this Hatha Yoga Guide titled “Why You Need to Do Yoga Exercises” we showed you where to get the demonstration videos that goes with this guide. As you start to learn these yoga exercises you can begin to put together your own set of your favorite yoga workout routines. Next, we’ll take a look at signing up for a “Beginners Yoga Class” and some of the positives and negatives in doing so.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be quite tiresome, especially when it involves having to cope with your daily routines, and dealing with aching bodies brought about by hard exertion. Even then, it is not wise to abandon exercise completely. Is there a middle ground, an effective way to get physically active without stressing yourself?

Yes! Yoga exercises are what you need!

Yoga Exercises for an Alternative Healing Method

Used as an alternative healing method, yoga poses can help decrease, or even dissipate body pains, as it also contributes to stress relief. Here are seven examples of yoga poses or exercises:

1. The raised arms posed
2. The standing forward bend
3. The mountain pose
4. The staff pose
5. The seated forward bend
6. The head to knee pose
7. The plank pose

Just going by their names, these exercises may seem hard to do, but some can actually be quite simple. There are many other yoga poses that you can try, although it would be best to start with simple exercises like the ones already stated above.

Remember that the more than 70 accompanying videos provide clear verbal and visual demonstrations to help you do the postures more competently.

For those wanting to progress to doing a more advanced level of yoga, practice is the key. It should be noted, however, that the advanced yoga exercises are not recommended for everyone, as the poses have different requirements. If you are concerned as to whether or not you can actually do the poses, it’s best to consult with your doctor first.

Getting Body and Mind Synchronized with Yoga Exercises

Yoga has been used for a variety of reasons, such as for improving concentration, developing spirituality, providing stress relief, adding to flexibility, practicing self-regulation, and achieving overall well-being.

Hatha Yoga, a more physical approach to yoga, is the combination of Asanas (postures) and Pranayama (breathing techniques) that aim to better the individual through synchronization of the body and mind. This leads to having a better grasp of one’s inner self and emotions, lessening physical, as well as mental stress.

Getting your mind and body in sync through yoga is beneficial as this helps create positive psychology which helps to reduce anxiety, depression and the like, by helping you to control your feelings and emotions.

Potential and Promise of Yoga Exercises

Many people have turned to yoga for a more natural way of reducing body pains, incorporating such exercises into their daily routines. Even athletes routinely practice yoga exercises as a way to maximize overall performance, lessen injuries, and to further improve conditioning.

Scientific studies see promising results in yoga as applied to various medical scenarios, some of which are:

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, more well-known as ADHD
• Dementia
• Anxiety and Depression
• Stress
• Back pains
• Cancer

Although as of yet, there is insufficient evidence as to whether such exercises can already be considered a form of treatment, the use of yoga to alleviate symptoms for such conditions continues to be studied for its potential and promise.

So, if you feel like you need to do a workout or simply want to relax, yoga exercises can be a good choice. There are many poses to choose from, to help you achieve your fitness, health, and wellness goals. Simply subscribe to the MyFitnessNut.com Newsletter to get access to the entire set of 70 Hatha Yoga videos demonstrating the yoga exercises and poses then read on about “Yoga Workouts” and putting the exercises to work.

Your actual initiation into the world of Hatha Yoga begins not at the moment that you started to read this ebook. Rather, your initiation starts when you begin to assume the postures that are integral to practicing yoga. In this chapter, we present four basic yoga poses to get you into the appropriate flow of fitness energy.

These four basic yoga poses have been specifically selected for brand new initiates. However, they can also serve as refreshers for those who are already active yoga practitioners. Keep an open mind about these poses. Some who are new to Hatha Yoga have expressed their misgivings, saying that they are embarrassed about assuming certain postures that are based on those that are seen in both inanimate and inanimate objects.

But remember that the goal of yoga is not to turn you into the object from which a certain pose has been based on and developed. We are totally one with you on that. After all, no one in his or her right mind would want to turn into a tree or mountain, when one can more fully enjoy life as a human being.

That being said, keep in mind that when you are asked to assume a specific Hatha Yoga pose, it is the attributes or essence of the posture that is being sought to be developed within you.

It may feel awkward at first, but don’t worry. That’s the purpose of the more than 70 videos that clearly show you how to go about executing or practicing each of the basic yoga poses presented in this article, along with other, more fitness-targeted postures.

Four Basic Yoga Poses:

Basic Yoga Pose #1 – Mountain Pose

The Mountain Pose, also know as the Triangle Pose, is a gentle basic and much liked pose that is useful for introducing your body to stretching and to breathing rhythmically. Think of a mountain as being sturdy and solid, not suddenly collapsing even when buffeted by strong winds or roaring flash floods. Imagine yourself as a mountain rising up and reaching for the glorious sky.

Basic Yoga Pose #2 – Tree Pose

This is awesome for acquiring a sense of balance. Have you noticed how the clumsiness of some can diminish their sense of worth because of intolerance and name-calling? The tree pose can help you develop physical stability, such that the sense of control generated also stabilizes your mental processes, and sense of self. Great for developing fitness on three levels: mental, physical, and spiritual.

Basic Yoga Pose #3 – Foot-to-Hand Pose

The foot-to-hand pose, also known as Standing Forward Bend, is meant to integrate suppleness in your body. All the cramped muscles, tendons, and nerves are given a new bracing energy boost as they are gradually released from the confines of your accumulated tension and stress. Great for internal cleansing as toxins in the bunched-up muscles of your body are loosened and it becomes easier for your circulatory system to dump them later.

Basic Yoga Pose #4 – Warrior Pose

Does this sound more like what you were expecting, or does the sound of this basic Hatha Yoga pose raise your hackles? Whatever your initial reaction may be, you will find out once you practice this pose that there is nothing even remotely threatening about it. As far as basic yoga poses go, the Warrior pose is meant for making your arms, shoulders, thighs, muscles of the back, as well as your ankles, stronger, thereby putting you in the right groove for further fitness development.

How do you feel after trying out the four basic Hatha Yoga poses described in this chapter?

There’s more to come in succeeding sections of this guide, along with demonstration video for all of these poses and many more when you subscribe to the MyFitnessNut.com Newsletter. Next we’ll get into “Doing Yoga for Men” and talk a bit about the benefits of yoga for men, so keep on reading!

Hatha Yoga as a means of achieving fitness is very special because as explained in the introduction section, Hatha Yoga benefits do not just concentrate on one aspect of your being. It has a threefold approach to nurturing and protecting your whole being, encompassing the physical, mental, and spiritual; providing both preventive and therapeutic benefits.

How Hatha Yoga Benefits Impulse Control

Addiction to smoking and drinking are hard to get rid of, the same with over-eating or over-sleeping. But just by simply practicing Hatha Yoga you can see for yourself how your body will effectively eliminate cravings and flush out the toxins from your body.

Other Hatha Yoga benefits include its ability to relieve some painful symptoms that occur in illnesses and diseases such as: arthritis, chronic fatigue, diabetes, asthma, obesity, and even AIDS. Hatha Yoga has also been proven to counter or slow down the effects of body ravaging as people grow older.

How Hatha Yoga Benefits Cleansing and Purification

Hatha Yoga postures and breathing methods purify your physical body to the extent that you become stronger, more flexible, and more toned. At the same time, you become more focused, giving your mind the serenity it is entitled to have.

Hatha Yoga also helps to relax your muscles, freeing your mind from distracting pain and sharpening your concentration.

No Age Barriers to Enjoy Hatha Yoga Benefits

Hatha Yoga can work for various ages. It has no age limitations, and is great for both the young and those who are more mature. With its near-perfect fitness routines, it keeps you in shape, invigorates your body, perfects your coordination, and makes you one with yourself; a concept and reality that will become clearer as we progress in our study of Hatha Yoga.

All of these make it distinctly different from all other forms of exercise. For one thing, the motion generated by Hatha Yoga causes no strain and imbalances in your body. Although it is not entirely aerobic, it can involve all parts of the muscles in your body, challenging your body by way of making your limbs function as free weights.

Weight resistance comes from the center of your body’s gravity, strengthening you and making you more capable of continuing more poses that can be held for long periods of time.

How Hatha Yoga Benefits – It’s Quality Over Quantity

Unlike most work out regimes, Hatha Yoga focuses more on quality over quantity. Learning and developing self-discipline is a major part of Hatha Yoga as is developing coordination and helping improve both concentration and memory.

More regular practice improves flexibility as years go by.

The discipline that’s integral to yoga helps practicing teenagers to have inner strength to say “no” to negative influences. On the other hand, older people can retain mobility and will be able to cope better with conditions such as arthritis and poor blood circulation.

For pregnant women, not all Hatha Yoga poses are recommended. However, those poses that are can promote good health for both the mother and her unborn child. In addition, pregnancy is a very good time for meditation.

Overall, Hatha Yoga benefits everyone who makes it their regular exercise routine without their active lifestyle being affected or degraded in any way. Now you can get the full set of Hatha Yoga poses when you subscribe to the MyFitnessNut.com Newsletter. In the next article we’ll take a closer look at “Doing Basic Hatha Yoga Poses” for some yoga postures to get you started.