Vinyasa Flow Yoga was added to the repertoire of lessons of Nagabandhu Yoga.
Now you might wonder, what is Vinyasa Flow Yoga? And what is the difference between Hatha and Vinyasa Yoga?
Today I start with a short introduction to Hatha Yoga. In the next blog Vinyasa Flow Yoga will be introduced as well.
Hatha Yoga
Hatha Yoga is the oldest form of Yoga, also known as the Classic Yoga. It was invented by monks thousands of years ago that got physical problems due to sitting and meditating all day. As you can imagine, sitting still for hours on end, is not so effective for digestion, your muscles don’t get movement and so on. So they invented the first Yoga, Hatha Yoga.
‘Hatha’ means ‘stubborn’. It is a type of yoga that requires some perseverance to come into a comfortable steady position (asana). Another feature of Hatha Yoga are the relaxation poses between every asana. They are there to catch your breath, to help the body calm down and to prevent the buildup of lactic acid. This kind of Yoga is therefore very accessible to all people, so also newbies to Yoga.
Hatha Yoga and its Benefits
Hatha Yoga focusses on the flexibility of the spine and as well the internal body system, the organs. It detoxes the body from waste products, makes the blood flow through organs and massages them. It stimulates the endocrine system (hormones) and the parasympathetic nervous system.
A Healthy Spine
It is important to know that muscles get stiff when they are not used enough and that they get less flexible if they are overused. Our spinal column is from top till bottom surrounded with muscles. If we do not move the muscles of our spine, we might get a stiff back, back aches and other spinal problems. A healthy spine is a must for a healthy body as all our nervous system is built on it and it is the frame on which a lot of our body is build. They say the healthier your spine, the younger you feel. So for back problems Hatha Yoga is a good solution.
Hormones & Stress
Hatha Yoga is built on the energy centers in our body. There are physical energy centers and centers in the astral body. For now I will only stick to the physical body. Our Endocrine System consists of seven mayor glands in our body. Glands secrete hormones in our bloodstream to maintain homeostasis in our body. Sometimes glands are out of balance. For example you have hormonal problems due to an intense menstrual cycle or you have a lot of stress. This means that there might be a imbalance in your endocrine system. With Hatha Yoga we stimulate all mayor glands, from top to bottom (the downward movement is the way we excrete waste). This we will do with the help of the asanas. They will stimulate new blood flow through the glands and massage organs. Hatha Yoga is therefore very good for people who have hormonal related problems.
Nagabandhu Yoga offers Yoga classes in English in Rotterdam City Center.
Join the Spring Mini Retreat on the 16th of March 2019 to experience the benefits of yoga!
It will be held at Djoj Center Antony Duyklaan 5-7, 3051 HA Rotterdam.
For more details about the Day retreat and tickets, visit the Facebook event.
I hope this inspired you to start your Yoga journey today!
If you want to continue reading, this might be interesting for you as well:
Vinyasa Flow Yoga Yoga for Muscle Strength
Fundamentals I: The Yogic Lifestyle
Fundamentals II: The 5 Pointers of the Modern Day Yogic Lifestyle
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