According to mythical tradition, yoga began at the beginning of human civilization when man first realized his spiritual potential and then began to refine these techniques and develop the discipline.  As yoga began to evolve ancient Sages all over the world slowly developed the science of yoga.  In ancient times yoga techniques were passed on from Teacher or Guru to disciple by word of mouth.  Through personal experience realized Yogis and Sages were able to guide sincere students along the correct path helping the disciples avoid any confusion or misunderstanding.

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The word Yoga has it roots in the Sanskrit language.  Yoga means 'union', it is a state of union between two opposing forces or polarities.  In yoga these two opposing forces are termed Shiva and Shakti.  Shiva is the male principle and represents (pure consciousness).  Shakti is the female principle and represents (vital energy).  It may be easily understood if we equate these forces with the Yin and Yang.

 

                                        Shiva   - Male    - Yang

                                        Shakti  - Female - Yin

 

These two forces Shiva and Shakti may also be explained as the union of body and mind, the union of individual awareness and universal awareness.   Yoga is the process of uniting opposing forces in the body and the mind in order to realize the spiritual essence of our own being.

 

Hatha Yoga is a form of exercise based on the understanding that the body and the breath are intimately connected with the mind, therefore by controlling the breath and holding the body in a steady posture for a period of time, yoga creates a deep sense of of peace and harmony within oneself.  Yoga is a means of balancing and harmonizing the body, mind and emotions allowing one to withdraw from the activities and the chaos of the world and find comfort and a quiet space within.  To achieve this state of harmony yoga uses movement, breath, posture, relaxation and meditation to establish a healthy and harmonious vibrant and well balanced approach to living.

 

The underlying purpose of all the different aspects of a yoga practice is to reunite the individual self with the Absolute or pure consciousness.  To unite with this unchanging reality liberates the Spirit from all sense of separation, freeing it from the illusion of time, space and causation.  It is solely due to our own limited understanding that we are not able to discriminate between the real and the unreal, which prevents us from realizing our true nature.

 

It is said that the human Spirit often perceives that something is missing or lacking in our lives, a void, something that cannot be filled, and we keep searching for that something, but can never seem to find it.  We search for happiness, material wealth, love, name, fame, and we constantly seek out change in our lives but we are all too often looking in the wrong places.  True joy and happiness is our real nature, some say it is our birth right, we cannot find this everlasting happiness because it is only to be found within, not in the external world.

Yoga provides each one of us with the opportunity to discover that pure self, that pure blissful living being.

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Hatha Yoga is a physical, mental and Spiritual culture dating back to Vedic time.  To experience yoga is to experience oneness and unity with the inner being.  Yoga is a state of integration, if practiced regularly it brings about radiance and freedom.  Yoga is union or a reintegration of ourselves with our 'True Self' the higher being that resides within each of us and is unquestionably the greatest of all human goals.

 

Hatha Yoga aims to integrate body, breath, mind, food, the senses, personal habits, social interactions, the environment, it aims to bring about peace and harmony to all levels of one's being.  Hatha Yoga can provide us with the opportunity to achieve this balance through the practice of asana, pranayama, mudra, bandha, relaxation and meditation practices.

 

ASANA

Asanas or yogasanas are the postures or exercises that are commonly known to yoga. There are 84 Classical Hatha Yoga Postures and generally ony 33 or so of these postures are used today.

Asana practice develops a strong mind enabling the practitioner to endure difficulties with greater ease.  Regular practice of yogasana increases willpower and concentration, it improves vital energy and brings about equilibrium.  One radiates with heatlh and a new found confidence through the practice of asana and the practitioner develops the ability to inspire others through speech and through our actions.

In Hatha Yoga the asanas are not merely exercises for the physical body, although theyhave many benefits for the health of the body.  Hatha Yoga asanas are a means of purification for the mental and physical bodies and are used as a means of preparing the body and mind for the spiritual path.

 

Pranayama is the practice of conscious breath control.  The word 'Prana' relates to the life force or the vital energy.  'Ayama' relates to the conscious control of that life force and to the extension and expansion of the vital force.  Prana must not be misunderstood as being the same as oxygen as it is different to oxygen. Prana is in food, water, air, fire, stone, etc.  Prana is present in all forms of life be it animate or inanimate forms of life.  Prana is the subtle life essence (the thread of life) that pervades all of the universe.  Prana supports and maintains life.  At the time of birth prana enters the body giving life and lustre to the body, at the time of death, prana departs leaving the body lifeless and pale.  From this understanding we can see that there is something more subtle and more precious that keeps all of our vital organs and limbs functioning and co-ordinating.

  

Pranayama techniques are designed to activate and regulate the life force.  The power of pranayama practice is in the breath retention, however, in order to be able to perform breath retention the practitioner needs to practice exercises to strenghten the lungs and condition the body in preparation for the more advanced practices of pranayama.

 

According to yoga, lifestyle has a profound effect on the prana and the subtle body.  Physical activities such as exercise, work, sleep, diet and sexual relations, irregularities in lifestyle and stress affect the way prana flows and the way it is distributed throughout the body.  Other major factors that influence the flow of prana on a mental level are thought, emotions and imagination.  This often manifests itself as  'feeling of lethargy' 'low energy levels' or a general feeling of 'energy depletion'.  Long term depletion of energy can result in devitalization of organs and limbs and bodily systems.

The breath is the most vital process of the body as it influences all of the cells in the body and is directly linked to the performance of the brain.  Rhythmic deep slow breathing promotes a calm, contented state of mind, whereas short irregular breathing leads to physical, emotional and mental blockages which result in inner conflict, imbalanced personality and disordered lifestyle.

Many people spend a lot of time and energy looking for ways to improve their health, but very few people understand the power of the breath.  The breath, the life force is within you, it is all around you, you simply just need to know how to use it properly to bring yourself to a state of radiant health.

 

Bandhas are a series of physical locks that are applied to hold, tighten or lock the prana (life force) in the body so it may be redirected to specific pranic channels in the subtle body.  Traditionally there are four bandhas used in hatha yoga and these are known as:

 

Mudras are a combination of subtle physical movements that alter mood, attitude and perception which leads the practitioner to a deeper level of awareness and concentration.  Some mudras are performed with a simple hand gesture, while others are more complex involving asana, pranayama, bandha and visualization.  Mudras are generally introduced to students when they have gained some experience in the practice of asana, pranayama and bandha as these techniques will ensure that all blockages have been removed prior to learning the powerful techniques of mudra.

 

Mudras fall into five different categories and they include:

Hand Mudras, Head Mudras, Postural Mudras, Lock or Bandha Mudras, Perineal Mudras.

We can now begin to see that proper breathing practices and regulation of the flow of the breath is central to all yogic practices and great emphasis is placed on the importance of pranayama to bring about balance and harmony of body, breath, mind and spirit resulting in a state of optimum health and wellbeing.

RELAXATION

Modern life is full of challenges and many people suffer from stress related disorders due to the demands of our hectic lifestyles, competitiveness, working long hours, meeting demands and expectations placed on us by ourselves and others.  Living in such a fast paced world it is often difficult to find time to really relax.  Many people initially seek out yoga as a way to try to overcome the stresses and demands they face in their daily lives.  Between work and domestic commitments it is often difficult for people to find the time to nurture themselves.

Taking time out to sit down and read a newspaper, watch television, have a cigarette,  a glass of wine or a cup of coffee is not real relaxation in fact they are simply sensory diversions and in some cases are stimulating to the body and the mind.  Real relaxation can only be expereinced when the senses are withdrawn from the stimulus of the outside word and the awareness is directed to the inner world.

 

A technique that has proven successful in yoga to induce deep states of relaxation is known as Yoga Nidra. The term Yoga Nidra means 'psychic sleep' or 'deep relaxation'. The practitioner is suspended in a state between sleep and wakefulness.  In this state the consciousness becomes very powerful and can be applied in a number of positive ways for example: to change habitual patterns, to increase the power of memory, to increase knowledge or creativity or to transform one's nature.

Yoga Nidra induces deep states of relaxation at the physical, mental and emotional levels of one's being. 

MEDITATION

Some of the benefits of meditation include the purification and release of all physical and mental tensions. Meditation inhibits limiting negative thought patterns, reduces stress levels, improves concentration and memory, disolves physical blockages, awakens latent energies and helps with the healthy functioning of organs glands and all of the systems of the body. Through the practice of slow controlled breathing, thoughts and emotions are calmed and clear states of mind are naturally experienced. Practicing meditation opens the heart and creates spaciousness in the mind to allow one to develop a deeper sense of awareness. By connecentrating on the heart, one will learn to trust in the inner source of guidance. Meditation is a way to bring us back to our true nature, to bring us back to a state of perfect balance and harmony, a state of radiant health and happiness.

Meditation is initiated by assuming a steady comfortable posture with the body and focussing the attention on the breath to bring about stillness of body and mind. Mantra is a very powerful yogic technique used in meditation, this technique allows the practitioner to reach the deeper levels of meditation and experience the transcendental reality.

Meditation is best if practiced early in the morning or late at night as these times are most conducive to the quitening and stilling of the mind and to the practice of yoga. The place of practice should be in a well ventilated room with a calming atmosphere. The area chosen for meditation should be a special area that is set aside specifically for this purpose, the space need not be large, but it should be a pleasant area that is devoid of distractions and negative energies. The seated position is important and should be comfortable and relaxed ensuring that the spine is straight at all times so that energy can flow freely through the chakras. The awareness should be at all times focussed on the breath and the mantra. This will ensure rapid progress in your practice.

 

For information on Hatha Yoga Practices or if you would like to enquire about classes please contact us

 

maya@hamptonyoga.com

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