It has just only been a few decades since yoga was popularized all over the world. However, today, with millions of people devoted to yoga, it is one of the most followed and practiced ways of life in the world. There are many branches of yoga and one of them is Hatha Yoga.
Yoga means uniting the body with the mind. Hatha yoga is a variety of yoga that unites the ‘ha’ (sun) and ‘tha’ (Moon) in you. In other words, it balances the masculine and feminine energies in you and brings harmony and balance to your body. Hatha yoga postures are all about helping you achieve a healthy body and mind. It also helps in calming your mind, instilling happiness in you, and prepares you for meditation.
In the earliest texts that refer to Hatha yoga, one can find a list of yoga postures that are divided into five main categories, namely:
- Standing poses
- Sitting poses
- Backbends
- Resting poses
- Balancing poses
Yoga Postures
There are 15 yoga postures that are considered to be primary Hatha yoga postures. Today, let us learn about a few of them:
1. Tadasana
Tadasana, also known as Mountain Pose, is one of the most basic Hatha yoga poses. Hailed as the ‘mother of asanas’ you can start performing this yoga asana by standing barefoot on the ground with your feet and legs joined together. Make your thigh muscles firm. Lift your ankles while strengthening the inner arches. Lengthen your tailbone, lift your chest and push your shoulders back. Breathing evenly and deeply, raise your head, and feel the breath coursing through your body. Inhale and stretch your upper body, while raising your toes gently. Try to support your body weight on your toes and hold the position for a few seconds.
2. Adho Mukha Svanasana
Adho Mukha Svanasana or Downward Facing Dog pose is a Hatha yoga posture that provides a lot of health benefits. To perform the asana, stand on your hands and feet. Your hands must be in front of your shoulders and knees below the hips. Exhale and lift your hips up. Straighten your arms and legs so that you get into an inverted ‘V’ shape. Make sure that your toes are pointed straight and hands shoulder-width apart. Inhale and exhale evenly and hold the position for a few seconds.
3. Vrikshasana
Also known as Tree pose, Vrikshasana is a beginner level yoga pose with numerous health benefits. To perform this yoga asana, you start by standing straight and barefoot with your feet apart. Gently lift your left leg high and place the left foot on your right inner thigh. Exhale and inhale deeply and evenly. Try balancing your whole body on your left leg. Once you are balanced, fold your hands in a namaste position in front of you and look straight. Hold the pose for over half a minute.
These are some of the popular Hatha yoga postures that you can practice for a sound body and mind. Dubai Yoga Trainers provides the best yoga training in Dubai. With a team of expert and dedicated yoga instructors, we provide personal and online yoga sessions. We also provide yoga training for seniors and ladies.
