Hatha Yoga Poses

What is Hatha yoga? Hatha yoga is a system of Yoga which was introduced by a sage called Swatmarama to India in the 15th century. The word 'Hatha' is a compound of the words Ha and Tha, which means Sun and Moon respectively. The practice of Hatha yoga is a lifelong avocation. You get plenty of time and opportunities to learn about numerous poses. To begin with, you should start with some easy to perform poses.

Basic Hatha Yoga Poses

Garland Pose
The Sanskrit name of garland pose is Malasana. Stand on the floor with the feet kept at some distance. Bend your knees to come to a squat posture. Try to keep both the feet parallel to each other. Bring the upper arms through the underside of the knees and then upwards. Bend the elbows. Bring your palms together into a prayer position. Try to keep the spine straight and shoulders relaxed throughout the movements to form the garland pose. Hold the posture for about 5-6 seconds. Now, straighten the legs and come back to the starting position. Garland pose benefits you as it opens the hips and groin.

Raised Hands Pose
Raised hands pose or Urdhva hastasana improves posture, opens the shoulders and strengthens the thighs. Stand straight on your feet. Bring both the arms to the side and up. Touch the palms together. Make sure that the arms are straight. You look up toward your thumbs. Slide the shoulder blades down to the back. Maintain alignment of your body.

Mountain Pose
In Sanskrit, mountain pose is known as Tadasana. Stand straight with the big toes touching each other. Lift all your toes up. Allow them to fan out. Now, drop all your toes down on the floor such that a wide solid base gets created. If you find your ankles knocking together and causing discomfort, you can separate your heels to some extent. Try to bear your body weight evenly onto all four corners of both your feet. Allow the feet and the calves root down on the floor. Raise your knee caps by drawing the quadriceps upwards. Rotate both your thighs towards inside. This will create a gap between the sit bones. Pull your belly slightly in. Widen the collar bones and bring the shoulders parallel to the pelvis. Make sure that your neck is long with the crown of the head raised toward the ceiling and the shoulder blades sliding down the back. Mountain pose is done to improve posture and strengthen the thighs. Its regular practitioners claim that it relieves back pain.

Standing Forward Bend
Also called Uttanasana in Sanskrit, standing forward bend is done to stretch the hamstrings. Stand straight, and then bend at the hips to touch the floor on the sides of the feet with the palms. This will open the hip creases. Place the fingertips in line with the toes and press the palms flat. Involve the quadriceps muscles of the thighs as they will help in opening of the hamstrings. Bring your body weight a little bit to the front into the center of your feet such that the hips stay over the ankles. Allow your head to hang. Stay in this pose for about 4-5 seconds, and then slowly come back to the original position.

The benefits of Hatha yoga are many. It improves flexibility and mobility of muscle joint, builds muscles and strengthens and tones the already existing ones. It cures problems of the knees, neck and shoulders. It improves breathing disorders and boosts the immune system. It decreases the level of cholesterol and sugar in the blood and promotes natural weight loss. Thus, Hatha yoga is worth all the effort you put in its pursuit.