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hatha yoga poses

Hatha Yoga Poses for Absolute Beginners

 

What is Hatha Yoga?

Hatha Yoga poses are all about balance. It’s like bringing together the sun and moon inside you. The name itself tells us this – “ha” means sun, and “ta” means moon. It’s a starting point for yoga, helping you get ready for bigger things.

Think of Hatha Yoga poses as a way to prep your body. It’s mostly about physical stuff, but it can take you further if you want. It’s funny how much your posture can say about you. Have you ever noticed how you sit when you’re angry? Or happy? Or sad? Your body naturally changes with your mood.

Here’s the cool part: yoga flips this idea around. By purposely putting your body in certain positions, you can change how you feel inside. It’s like your body and mind are having a chat, and you’re in control of the conversation. 

So, Hatha Yoga poses aren’t just about stretching or looking good. It’s a way to tune your body and mind together. It’s simple, but it can be pretty powerful if you give it a try. Who knew sitting differently could make such a big difference?

 

The starting point of hatha yoga 

Hindu tradition states that Shiva is the inventor of hatha yoga and he is called Adiyogi. The references to hatha yoga poses have been seen in the old Indian literature Upanishads and Puranas, which were composed in the 6th century B.C. In the 11th century, Yogi Gorakshanath compiled the book Goraksha Samhita which made hatha yoga well-known.

hatha yoga poses

Around the 15th century, Swami Swatmarama composed the Hatha Yoga Pradipika which is a compilation of all the earlier texts and is considered the most influential work. The Shiva Samhita is another compilation of asanas, mudras, and tantric practices believed to have been compiled by an unknown author around the 18th century and the Gheranda Samhita is another text of the late 17th century.

 

Top hatha yoga poses for beginners 

Child’s Pose

This position is a great place to start your practice and also a great place to rest when you need just that moment to breathe and center yourself. This hatha yoga pose opens up your body and allows you the space to slow down and connect to your breath.

Cat/Cow

Cat/Cow are two movements linked to your inhale and your exhale. The movement is commonly practiced at the beginning of class, which allows the warming of the spine.

Standing Forward Fold 

A great pose for opening up your hamstrings and lengthening your spine, Standing Forward Fold can be practiced by grabbing the big toes for a deeper stretch. For a more restorative version, you can bend your knees and reach for opposite elbows.

Mountain Pose

A tall and energetic posture, Mountain Pose is a great foundation for all standing yoga poses. You learn to root down, as well as find space and openness in your body.

Plank Pose 

This pose ignites your core and upper body, and it is through this that you will be able to build the strength needed for Chaturanga, arm balances, and other advanced yoga poses. If it’s too intense for you as a beginner, lower your knees down on the mat and focus on proper alignment.

Cobra Pose

Baby Cobra is a backbend that works your back body and builds the strength to get you into a full Cobra pose or Upward Facing Dog. This is a great pose to practice before coming into a full Cobra pose or Upward Facing Dog.

Warrior 1

Warrior 1 will help root you down, find your center, and create grounding energy in your lower body, helping you build strength and stability throughout your entire body.

Warrior 2

Warrior 2 opens up your hips and is a great pose to build stability in your lower body. Keep your gaze soft and practice slowing down your breathing while in the pose.

Triangle 

A beautiful side body stretch, the Triangle pose requires you to engage your core and your legs. As a beginner, think of your energy reaching up toward the sky, instead of sinking toward the floor.

Tree pose

Tree pose is among the most prominent yoga postures. This exercise requires attention, strength, and flexibility. Gradually get yourself to hold up your foot near your inner thigh.

Boat pose

Boat pose engages the abdominal muscles as well as improves the development of core strength. If you are a beginner then keep your knees bent while getting into this asana, keeping your upper body straight by elevating your chest and straightening your spine.

Bridge pose

You can also practice this backbend with a block underneath your sacrum instead of interlacing your fingers behind your back. Bridge pose is a great pose to wind down your practice with, and is often practiced right before your final moments in practice.

Savasana

Every yoga practice ends with Savasana, or Corpse pose. After practicing, give yourself the time and space to completely relax, surrender, and release.

 

Elements of Hatha Yoga Poses

In Hatha Yoga, the body encompasses the gross physical body plus the tattvas (subtle elements) which include nadis and prana. Six basic shatkarmas to be undertaken first are neti (nasal cleansing), dhauti (internal cleansing), basti (bowel cleansing), kapalbhati (cleansing of frontal brain), trataka (concentrated gazing), and nauli (massaging of abdominal walls). They keep the physical body pure and also remove diseases by creating a balance among the doshas.

Pranayama follows along with mudras and bandhas. Pranayama is the practice adopted to gain control over the mind by controlling the prana, and breath is applied to control the prana. Here, ayama denotes ‘dimension, so the very practice is for the expansion of the dimension of prana. The mudras and bandhas make it possible by manipulating prana, which gives increased dimension to health and existence.

 

Health benefits of performing Hatha Yoga Poses 

The National Institutes of Health looked into how hatha yoga poses affects our health. Here’s what they found:

Anxiety and depression: For everyday worry and low mood, yoga can help. However, it might not work as well for diagnosed mental health issues. They looked at 68 studies and couldn’t say for sure if it helps with anxiety disorders, depression, or PTSD. Practicing hatha yoga poses works well in clearing up mental distortions. 

Arthritis and fibromyalgia: When it comes to joint pain and fibromyalgia, there’s not much proof that yoga helps. But for back pain, doctors do suggest it. Some research shows it can improve lower back pain and how well you can move, both now and later on. 

Emotional Health: Yoga seems to help healthy people keep their balance better. It’s also good for your mental health, making you more resilient and feeling better overall. Regular practicing of hatha yoga poses turns your capability to be calm and aware of any tough situation ahead. 

Menopause relief: For women going through menopause, yoga can ease both physical and mental symptoms, including hot flashes.

Neck Pain: If you have neck pain, yoga might help reduce the pain and how much it limits you. It can also help you move your neck more easily. 

Managing Stress: Lastly, yoga seems to be good for managing stress. Most studies showed it helped with physical or mental stress-related issues. 

 

Final Thought 

Including hatha yoga poses in daily routine can help one achieve mental, emotional, and physical perfection. It is very crucial for any beginner to practice the hatha yoga poses that build a strong for the future ahead. Just practice these hatha yoga poses mentioned in the article above and let your life change in merely a few days. 

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