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Yoga. What is it about? For most people, the main purpose of life would probably be finding happiness. Of course, this concept is really broad and it entails different things for everyone, ranging from material well-being and self-realization in career and family to keeping healthy, finding good friends and traveling around the world. But you would probably agree that the close synonym to the word ‘happiness’ that conveys its deep meaning is harmony. Money comes and goes; relationship may fail and job is not forever, so one should learn to derive strength and inspiration from more reliable sources.

Here, Yoga is a time-proven fount that over the centuries has helped maintain good physical and mental health, get to know the meaning of life and establish communication with the Universe that could not be depressed by any external factors.

Yoga is not a religion but a philosophy, a system of beliefs, that is why Christians and Muslims, Jews and Atheists can practice Yoga freely without apprehension or remorse and benefit from it.

Yoga styles are numerous and diversified; some of them are more orientated towards exploration and development of mind, and calm meditation (such as Sahaja Yoga, Kundalini Yoga or Kriya Yoga), others have incorporated practical benefits of Yoga and use it as a comprehensive system for improving one’s health (Bikram Yoga, Yoga Pilates, Hatha Yoga, etc.). Unfortunately, there is a general tendency today of viewing Yoga simply as a form of gymnastics to strengthen the body and become more fit.

In fact, Yoga can offer its practitioner much more than just strong muscles and a graceful posture. Traditionally, the practice of Yoga presupposes adherence to some moral principles called Yama and Niyama and including such concepts as non-violence, truthfulness, celibacy, patience and compassion, altogether promoting spiritual purification and growth. However, in Western societies people are rather concerned with more worldly aspects of Yoga, namely rejuvenation, immunity boosting and beauty enhancing.

Thus Yoga is successfully applied in medicine as a part or the core of rehabilitation programs aimed at curing various acute and chronic conditions of digestive, circulatory, respiratory, nervous, etc. systems, and also stresses, depressions and other health disorders.(Even if we do not notice it, the tensions connected with everyday activities aggravate and form the so called blocks in our organism that result in fatigue, anxiety, bad mood and diseases. That is why, Yoga therapy is primarily focused on relaxation.)

Unhurried performance of sequential exercises accompanied by steady, slow and deep breathing and concentration on the inner sensations helps abstract from the problems, has a soothing effect and at the same time speeds up the blood flow, saturates it with oxygen and accelerates metabolism. Thus, classes of Yoga are a great source of energy and provide a positive charge for the whole day.

The usefulness of Yoga has also been acknowledged by women’s doctors. There is factual evidence that prenatal Yoga
practice greatly contributes to the health of both mommies-to-be and the babies during pregnancy. Moreover, it is supported by research that engaging kids in Yoga from an early age strongly promotes their intellectual and physical development.

So browse our site for comprehensive information on Yoga systems and methods, find the one that fits your needs and desires best and set out on your fascinating journey of self-cognition!

Hatha Yoga Basics

In the Western world, what the majority of people associate with the concept “Yoga” is actually Hatha Yoga, or the Yoga of Vitality, as it is also called.

Along with Raja (Royal) Yoga, Hatha Yoga forms a part of Yoga of 8 Limbs (Asht-anga Yoga). This means that it comprises Ashtanga Yoga’s third and forth stages of self-perfection and focuses on mastering one’s body until it is ready
to continue ascending the stairs that lead to enlightenment, a blissful super-conscious state, Samadhi, which you might better know as Niravana. At that, Hatha Yoga practitioners learn to control their minds, open and clean the spiritual channels for filling themselves with vital energy, develop physical and mental strength and coordination.

The word Hatha is a compound consisting of two parts. The two syllables, Ha and Tha stand for the sun and the moon, and in general, Hatha Yoga symbolizes unity of antipodes, heat and cold, fire and water, body and soul, – similar to Yin-Yang.

The two main practices that make up Hatha Yoga are Asanas (postures) and Pranayama (breathing).

Asanas are poses that were intuitively found by yogis as the perfect body positions for hour-long meditation, and in the West today they are generally used as effective exercises for attaining overall fitness, rejuvenating the body and strengthening the immune system. By performing asanas in a certain succession, Hatha Yoga practitioners flex some muscles and tense others at the same time, relaxing and building up the body. Gradually, with some progress in physical training, breath control, Pranayama, is introduced. Combined with Asanas, these breathing techniques help calm down, concentrate on one’s own sensations and become stronger spiritually and mentally. Thus, every limb of Ashtanga Yoga not only prepares a person for further development basing on the acquired knowledge and abilities, but is also beneficial for the whole organism in isolation.

Hatha Yoga can be practiced both in classes, under supervision of experienced Hatha-Yoga teachers, at home, or even in the open air. It is a good choice for beginners to start with, while no special yoga apparel or equipment is needed except for a blanket or a yoga mat for sitting and lying Yoga poses and some Yoga pants that won’t hinder movements (unless you do nude yoga).

Hatha yoga is especially popular while it is proven to help prevent and cure a number of diseases, starting with nervous system disorders and including constipation and even cancer. There are virtually no contra-indications against Hatha Yoga; it is only at issue whether women should take it during pregnancy and periods. So we recommend that you get advice of an experienced yoga guru or your physician and listen to what your body tells you carefully.

Good luck with Hatha Yoga and keep fit!