Many years ago, a friend who was recovering from an illness told me that she attended a Hatha yoga class, and invited me to accompany her. I learned that Hatha Yoga is a style of Yoga that focuses on using physical exercise to help you master your body and mind. Hatha is an old system of Yoga and is the general categorization of almost all the Yoga styles in practice. It includes both Asanas (yoga postures) and Pranayama (breathing exercises) which when combined allow you to gain peace in both your body and mind.
What I loved about my introduction to Hatha Yoga was the gentle stretching, combined with breathing techniques. This was very a relaxing and meditative element of the class and involved the instructor talking to the class through breathing and focusing exercises, which led to increased relaxation.
Today I practice Hatha Yoga daily as it helps me to relax and sleep better. Hatha Yoga also has a positive impact on my working and personal realms by helping me to become more focused while improving my intuition about people and situations.
How to start your Hatha Yoga Practice
Developing your practice is highly admirable and highly recommended.
However, if you think you can do this without first having a competent and qualified teacher, you are mistaken — and on a path to disappointment.
Most injuries occur when people do not understand alignment, do not understand how to enter and explore a posture — and when they are trying to imitate a photograph or follow instructions they have seen in a magazine or book. (Even worse, when they are trying to follow along to a DVD or Youtube.)
In the beginning, you need a good teacher to show you the basics of the practice, restrain your ambition and keep you from injuring yourself, so that you can realize the physical, mental and emotional benefits.
Once they are realized, once you have established yourself in yoga, then — and only then — give up your teacher.
You’ll still lose out. Because there is always something to be learned.
That’s why even skilled teachers go to other teachers’ workshops. It’s a lifelong learning process.
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