hatha yoga - part 2

Hatha practitioners believed that only through strenuous and physically demanding postures and practice could the body become prepared for the long hours of meditation to come later. It was, and presumably still is, said by Hatha yogis that the body must be purified before the soul can be enlightened. It is certainly easier to sit still and comfortable in the meditative poses required by yoga if you are in pretty good shape and very limber. Many people find yoga quite beneficial when it comes to these aspects of physical exercise.

Even though yoga has been purported to fix everything from obesity (fairly likely) to cancer (not so likely), it is certain that it is beneficial for almost anyone from a physical standpoint. Spiritualism aside, there is nothing but good to be gained from increasing flexibility and balance. It is certainly the case that relieving muscular tension reduces stress in the body, which definitely has the nice side effect of reducing emotional tension as well. Many aches and pains are nothing more than one area or side of the body being tighter and the other side not tight enough. Yoga addresses this wonderfully, strengthening the loose parts and loosening the rigid ones.

Hatha is well known and widely practiced, so there is a vast variety of literature, online resources and classes to be found in almost every part of the country. You might have a little difficulty finding a good Hatha class (or any other kind of yoga for that matter) in rural Oklahoma, but any large city will have one (even in Oklahoma). You may have to search around a little bit to find someone who teaches the asanas only, if you prefer not to indulge in the spiritualism of yoga, but there are also good videos and books that deal with only the asanas and poses themselves that have already done the separation for you.

In the end, Hatha is a popular style both in Hindu and Western cultures because it is rigorous, both physically and spiritually if you like. And at an age of six centuries plus, it also has the weight of time behind the practice, and there are a wide range of sub styles stemming from Hatha. If you are just beginning yoga, Hatha is a great place to start - even if you just want to find out whether you will enjoy yoga or not. Keep in mind that Hatha is fairly difficult and demanding, so you might need a little time to work into it, but you will certainly find that while it may take years to completely master Hatha, you can begin to enjoy it, and it's benefits, from day one.