Hatha Joga

”Yoga is a life of self-discipline built upon the tenets of simple living and high thinking.”
Swami Vishnu-Devananda

“Yoga brings perfection, peace and lasting happiness. You can have increased energy, vigour, vitality, longevity and a high standard of health. You can turn out efficient work within a short span of time. Yoga will infuse in you new strength, confidence and self-reliance. The body and mind will be at your beck and call”.
Swami Sivananda

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Apart from general benefits of Yoga, like:

  • Developing physical strength
  • Balancing hormones and metabolism
  • Realigning bone structure
  • And enhancing bodily coordination
  • As well as on a deeper level balancing Prana – the life force within us

Yoga for me is meeting yourself. When we are standing on the mat alone, we have the chance to forget about the outside world for a moment and truly slow down, reconnect with our breath and the body, and simply observe ourselves a little.

We can than be totally honest with ourselves and begin to see clearly: When during the practice we are stack in a comfort zone and not doing our best or when we are simply pushing ourselves too much. So our yoga practice reflects the relationship we have with our body and generally with ourselves and the world outside of us. Thanks to regular yoga practice – as we are going through challenges – we can notice the changes which are happening within us and in this relationship we have, which we then naturally integrate to our daily life. We become more open, flexible, peaceful, clear and balanced. And perhaps a little bit more kind, honest and loving towards ourselves and others. So our yoga practice basically turns into an authentic flow which then become our daily existence. Yoga means union between mind, body and spirit.

So for me this union is meeting yourself, knowing yourself and simply being.

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Five Points of Yoga

  1. Proper Exercise (Asanas) – Yoga poses help develop a strong, healthy body by enhancing flexibility and improving circulation.
  2. Proper Breathing (Pranayama) – Deep, conscious breathing reduces stress and many diseases.
  3. Proper Relaxation – Helps keep the body from going into overload mode, easing worry and fatigue.
  4. Proper Diet – Eating simple, healthy and vegetarian foods that are easy to digest notably have a positive effect on the mind and body, as well as the environment and other living beings.
  5. Positive Thinking (Vedanta) and Meditation (Dhyana) – These are the true keys to achieving peace of mind and eliminating negativity in our lives.

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Hatha Yoga class include

Pranayama (Breathing Exercises)
Warm-ups including Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar)
12 basic Asanas (Postures)
Final relaxation.

The focus is on mastering the basic Asanas from which variations are then added to further deepen the practice.

 

12 Basic Asanas

  1. Headstand (Sirshasana)
  2. Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana)
  3. Plough (Halasana)
  4. Fish (Matsyasana)
  5. Sitting Forward Bend (Paschimothanasana)
  6. Cobra (Bhujangasana)
  7. Locust (Shalabhasana)
  8. Bow (Dhanurasana)
  9. Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana)
  10. Crow (Kakasana) or Peacock (Mayurasana)
  11. Standing Forward bend (Pada Hasthasana)
  12. Triangle (Trikonasana)