What Is Hatha Yoga? - Beginner's Guide

Hello and welcome to this introduction to Hatha Yoga.

For most of us,

When we think about yoga,

Often we think about the asana or the physical postures,

The shapes that we put our body into during practice.

We might think of the practice as.

Around flexibility.

Building strength,

Even a workout routine.

And from the outside,

It very much looks like this.

We are moving the body.

We are indeed building strength and building flexibility.

But the system of Hatha Yoga.

And the system of yoga in general.

Is much more profound than just a physical exercise or stretching routine.

Now it's worth saying up front that you can come onto the path of yoga exactly as you are right now.

That beginning a hatha yoga practice or a yoga practice in general requires no more flexibility than what you currently have.

That you are absolutely flexible enough.

In your current state that you can begin your practice.

So this system,

Hatha Yoga,

It's the word itself is a two-part word so ha and da And also,

There's a slightly different pronunciation.

The eastern version,

The more traditional,

Is Hatta.

And the more western version is Hatha.

Either one is fine.

Whichever one feels more natural as you say it.

That's the one that you choose.

So the word hatta.

Is two parts.

HAH EN DAH.

Referring to the Sun.

Referring to the moon.

So the sun and the moon.

Solar,

Lunar.

Heat,

Cold,

Hot and cold.

Effort and ease.

So there's all of these opposites that we all have within us.

At various different times of the day,

At various different times of our life.

We're always in these pairs of opposites.

And this system of Hatha Yoga.

Is here to bring all of those pairs of opposites into balance.

So most simply,

It's a movement practice.

We move the body.

In alignment with our breath.

And as we do that.

The entire mind and body system begins to relax,

Begins to calm.

And over time,

As we work with our body,

As we deepen our connection to our breath,

These various more subtle aspects of ourselves begin to reveal themselves.

So we start to tap into something beyond just this physical body.

And the result is that we feel a greater sense of joy.

A greater sense of ease.

So hatha yoga is a practice that leads us to balance.

That leads us to a greater sense of ease.

Now the system of yoga.

Dates back anywhere from 2,

000 to 5,

000 years,

Depending on which lineage we're looking at.

And beyond.

Hatha Yoga specifically.

Originated a bit more formally about 1,

000 years ago.

And so this.

.

.

System that we're tapping into.

Is an ancient system passed on for thousands of years.

In the earliest of times,

The practice was transmitted orally.

So from teacher to student.

Teacher to student.

Prior to there being any formal written word.

This is how the practices and teachings were passed on.

And so it's just worth recognizing that when we step on the mat,

When we connect to Hatha Yoga.

That we are connecting to something that has been passed on for thousands of years.

And this thousands-of-year practice is just as relevant today as it was in the past.

Now,

Hatha Yoga is great for beginners.

Because it's a very moderate practice.

It's a little bit more on the slower side.

When compared to some of the other systems such as Vinyasa.

Vinyasa is a bit more of a faster moving practice,

Flowing from one posture to the next.

With little amount of rest in between.

Hatha yoga is flowing from posture to posture.

But we hold ourselves in that posture for some amount of time.

So we come into a posture.

We hold the body in that position in a relaxed way,

So we're using effort but we're not creating tension.

We're breathing into the body.

And then we release out of the pose,

Moving into the next posture.

On the other side of the spectrum is yin yoga,

Which is a much slower practice.

This is where only a few postures are practiced through the whole sequence,

And where one is holding each posture for an extended period of time.

So I hope this information was helpful for you.

I want to share again that you are completely ready to step on to your hatha yoga journey.

Your body is flexible enough,

And that your practice is personal to you.

So the only requirement to continue on this Hatha journey is to have an open mind.

There is no additional flexibility required in your body.

You can show up exactly as you are right now.

And your practice and your poses will be very specific to you.

Just as my practice and my poses are very specific to me.

So know that you are Absolutely ready.

Just as you are.

And that this practice will meet you where you are.

And it'll be an incredible journey of unfoldment,

Unfoldment of your body,

Your mind,

The more subtle aspects of yourself.

So I wish you an incredible journey ahead,

And I hope we connect someday in the future.