Doing strange, sometimes acrobatic postures, shaping your body into a tree or a dog, practicing focus on every movement and breathing properly, these are the usual images that come to our mind when we think “Yoga”. This Eastern process of exercise is vastly associated with good health and general well-being. You may have even come across the statement that Yoga has a therapeutic effect on our bodies. But where does it come from and how can it work for us?

From times immemorial

The most comprehensive book on Hatha Yoga is the 15^th century ‘Hatha Yoga Pradipika’ by Yogi Swatmarama, but his work is nonetheless derived from older Sanskrit texts. They contain the knowledge that had been passed down orally through disciplic lines of teachers and students, from time immemorial…

….when one of the demigods, Lord Shiva, who has the power to destroy this universe, sat down on a beach of a remote, lonely island with his wife Parvati, intending to pass to her the precious knowledge of Hatha Yoga. However, there was somebody else listening- a little fish. He heard and realised the entire discourse, remaining still throughout, and by which he pleased Lord Shiva. Therefore, by mercy of the demigod, the fish achieved the perfection of Hatha Yoga and became a master known as Matsyendranaatha. Then he taught Hatha Yoga to Chaurangi, a limbless man, who was given hands and feet by Matsyendranaatha just by looking at him. And this is how the line started. Nowadays, B.K.S. Iyengar is one of the most famous Hatha Yoga teachers to the West.

Union of Sun and Moon

Hatha Yoga is what most people in the West associate with the word ‘Yoga”. In the ancient language, called Sanskrit, Ha’ means sun and ‘tha’ means moon, which combined with the word ‘yoga’ – union, gives a beautiful, graceful explanation: the union of the sun and moon or the balance of active (sun) and receptive (moon) energy in the body, like jing and jang taken from the Chinese philosophy.

Hatha Yoga is actually the first stage of a wider process, leading through physical exercise (asanas), breath control (pranayama), sense control and ending with meditation on an object, which can be the Supreme (transcendental meditation).  From ancient times yogis have physically trained their bodies and minds using Hatha yoga asanas and pranayama breathing to improve their health and clear minds in preparation for long periods of meditation. However, the yoga we know in the West is nothing more than a set of exercises for reducing stress, improving muscle strength and flexibility, and enhancing general well-being. Hardly anybody starts practicing this ancient process with the intention to achieve self-realization. Nevertheless, staying only on the level of the exercise allows a practitioner to get great benefits.

Benefits of Hatha Yoga

Yoga therapy can potentially have positive effects on people with conditions such as: ME, heart problems, cancer, asthma and many more. Yoga therapists confirm that it works wonders for chronic stress, back pain and post-natal joint problems. I used to practice yoga in the same group with a lady GP, who suffered from body stiffness and different pains and aches due to her age. I remember how enthusiastic she was about each exercise because her well-being improved so much. My point of view was obviously different at that time as I was young and fit but the older my body grows the more I can appreciate Hatha yoga, just as she did.

Overall, hatha yoga has a ‘holistic’ effect on our bodies, minds and emotions. Practitioners often describe that they feel very relaxed, emotionally released and definitely fitter after only a few regular sessions in a group or at home. Because Hatha yoga exercises demand a little of determination to achieve some progress, consequently, practitioners develop more self-confidence, self-control and self-awareness of their bodies. Yoga also helps to change people’s nature for better, develop more tolerance and inner peace, which is of great help in everyday life.

Practise Hatha Yoga with Searchforhealth. Start from the Sun Salutation sequence: http://www.searchforhealth.co.uk/sun-salitation