Many people in the turbulent current of modern life experience constant stress. It is not surprising that the human body cannot withstand the intense rhythm and periodically fails: illness, nervous breakdowns, increased fatigue - all this is the result of constant life in a state of stress. How to achieve harmony without interrupting your usual activities? Today, ancient Indian teachings about health and strength of mind and body come to our aid. One of them is yoga. The spiritual practices of yoga help maintain the body and soul in harmonious balance.

Yoga is perhaps the most versatile form of fitness today. What changes happen to us when we practice yoga? This article is for those who have decided to engage in spiritual practices and want to learn a little more about yoga.

There are five philosophical directions of yoga. The most suitable for beginners and the most popular of them is hatha yoga. Thanks to this direction, you can keep your body in good physical condition, as well as achieve mental well-being.

Yoga steps

1st stage - pit. She teaches to maintain purity of thoughts and body, as well as to follow moral principles.

2nd stage - niyama. Disciplines a person, teaches him to control passions and emotions, cleansing the soul.

4th stage - pranayama. This is, in fact, breathing exercises.

5th stage - pratyahara. Teaches you to clear your mind of the influence of emotions and feelings when communicating with others.

6th stage - dharana. Thanks to it, yoga practitioners learn to concentrate their attention.

7th stage - dhyana. This is immersion in your inner world, meditation.

8th stage - samadhi. Leads to harmony of a person with the world and himself.

Features of yoga for beginners

If you decide to do yoga, find a good teacher. It is important to start exercising gradually to prepare your body. Usually, asanas are taught first, gradually introducing breathing exercises.

It is difficult for an unprepared person to hold his body in one position and at the same time be able to relax. As soon as the beginner begins to feel comfortable in the poses, without experiencing pain, and to relax well, breathing exercises are added.

Only after three months can the student’s body be sufficiently prepared to complicate the exercises. It is from this time that yoga begins to strengthen and heal. A person feels that he is no longer so susceptible to stress, as balance and inner peace appear. Beginners are taught meditation techniques, concentration, and head and hand massage. Classes take place in a calm atmosphere. And not all beginners are ready to be patient and submit to a kind of discipline.

To learn to control themselves, beginners need to follow all the advice of their teacher. And soon your memory, attention, performance and general condition will noticeably improve.

What do yoga practices give?

If we talk about yoga in the full meaning of the word, then it is a special way of life that helps to achieve enlightenment. Yoga is an ancient philosophical teaching about the essence and purpose of human life.

Anyone who decides to take up yoga seriously must be aware that living according to the new canons will require a lot of time spent on this serious hobby and will require giving up some of the benefits of civilization.

Yoga will require a rethinking of your life principles and habits. It will require immediate renunciation of everything harmful and bad. A person must instill in himself control over his feelings, acquire mental and physical balance. Independence from one’s feelings, the ability to meditate and fully concentrate one’s attention lead to the achievement of perfection of the soul and the physical body of a person.

If you perceive yoga as a set of asanas (special poses), then it will become just gymnastics, nothing more. But a complete renewal will not bring the desired effect. In this case, yoga is a set of various exercises to improve health, to normalize the functioning of individual organs, and to form a perfect figure.

Yoga for Beginners - video

We invite you to watch a video lesson - yoga classes for beginners

Hatha yoga is one of the paths of yoga, spiritual practice. The literal translation of the term is “power yoga.” Yoga means union, the syllable Ha refers to the feminine energy of the Moon, and the syllable Tha refers to the masculine energy of the Sun. This means combining these two aspects.

On the one hand, there is intuition, associated with the ability to accept, imagine, and the right hemisphere of the brain. Reason, logic, evaluation and the left hemisphere of the brain on the other hand. To balance these two aspects, Hatha Yoga offers techniques such as asanas (physical postures) and pranayama (breathing system), which cleanse our body by restoring balance to all systems (nervous, digestive, endocrine) of the physical body.

Consciously synchronizing body movement and breathing significantly reduces stress levels. Helps increase mental clarity, better manage emotions, allowing us to relate better to other people. And for those who want it, yoga opens the door to reconnection with the soul.

This type of yoga is known for its practice of asanas or body postures that impart firmness and elasticity to the muscles. It was created in the fifteenth or sixteenth century by Suatmarama yoga, which was based on the Tantric Agamas, as opposed to Raya Yoga (which is based on the Upanishads).

The best integral body training

The “Yoga of Power” in question is defined by many people as the union of “ha” (sun) and “ta” (moon), giving the meaning of the integration of opposites into the complete union that is yoga. Hatha Yoga has as its main goal the perfect union and coordination of mind, body and spirit. It is a slow, dynamic and gentle practice, focusing on poses and simple movements in which the rhythm of one pose leads to the next. This type of yoga is ideal for beginners.

The set of classes includes postures (asanas), breath control (pranayama), locks (badha) and hand gestures (mudras). Hatha Yoga is considered the basis of many other branches of yoga: Ashtanga, Bikram and Kundalini, making up the most popular human development system on the planet, given its countless benefits for health, vitality and coordination of mind, body and spirit.

What is Hatha Yoga?

Five important options:

• Bhakti, which is a style of devotion and love;
• Jnana, specifically for knowledge;
• Karma, designed to develop tools and experiences for liberation;
• Raja, mental order;
• Hatha Swatmarama, which contains a series of asanas, breathing techniques and a lot of meditation.

The style of hatha varies in yoga schools around the world. Currently it has the classical basis of other styles: Iyengar, Ashhanga, Kundalini and Bikram. Each style has different approaches, but they all share the same philosophy, focusing the intention of the practice on health, vitality of body and spirit in connection with mental control.

The practice was created in the fifteenth century by the virtuous Swatmarama and is based on the yoga of Patanjali. Found in tantric texts or amphoras, Hatha is known for the practice of body postures that promote firmness and elasticity in the muscles and generate balance in the body.

Creates flexibility and energy control through breathing techniques and meditation, which significantly improves mental and emotional well-being, developing our Hata spirit. It is a method which can be practiced by any person, regardless of age, religion, sex or physical condition, always under the supervision of a teacher duly qualified and certified for the purpose. The mentor is responsible for the correct execution of exercises and safety.

What does Hatha mean?

According to the classic text Hatha Pradipika, the word Hatha is an expression of our ability to cope with two internal forces that are opposing but inextricably linked: “Ha” is the Sun, which expresses the masculine energy and “Tha”, it is the Moon that represents the feminine energy; the practice of this modality reflects the search for balance between the feminine and masculine energies that coexist within us in order to dominate and balance them.

The purpose of this practice is that we achieve control over the body and its bodily organs in accordance with the control of the mind in order to use this instrument for human evolution.

This centuries-old tradition is one of the best practices for holistically caring for our body, mind and spirit. Consequently, its physical, mental and spiritual benefits are countless and can be combined perfectly with any sporting discipline.

Five Basic Practices

What is dynamic hatha yoga?

It is a way of meditation that brings silence, balance and calmness to each asana with movements in the same position. Since most of the asana practice is postures and sequential movements coordinated with deep breathing.

This style is a great way to complete your exercise practice. It helps develop body flexibility, muscular strength, toughness, vitality and energy without losing sight of the coordination and connection of body, mind and spirit for our evolution, elevation of consciousness and unification with Universal Energy.

What are asanas

Asanas combined with pranayamas or breathing exercises help:

In the context of Tantra, Asana is more than a bodily practice, it is an internal attitude or way of being “here and now” while performing each pose. Nowadays, there is a wide variety of asanas, each of which has its own corresponding variations.

What is Hatha Yoga Pradipika?

This book written by Yoga master Swatnamara (Swatmarama collection) is the most complete book on this practice as it summarizes all the theoretical and performance knowledge and gives a description of this wonderful discipline.

Swatnarama Yogi lived in the mid-fourteenth century AD and with the composition of these teachings he integrated both the physical disciplines and the highest spiritual practices of Patanjali's Raja Yoga. The work is divided into four chapters and contains a total of 389 verses describing the path of yoga. Although it does not provide many definitions or concepts about the basic techniques, it describes up to sixteen asanas, many of which are variations of the sitting cross-legged pose:

• The “six acts” are poses specifically designed for people suffering from disorders of the body fluids. The method provides a cleansing that must be practiced before performing breath control exercises.
• There are eight types of breath control, called retention or kumbhakas, which awaken the power of kundalini.
• He complements the practice with ten hatha mudras, which include three energy blocks and are performed in the throat, stomach and anus.

How does Hatha work?

Hatha is an excellent method of physical exercise and mind control. Since it acts at the level of muscles, internal organs, endocrine, cardiovascular and nervous systems and is based on coordinating breathing with each asana in the process of execution, while we work with the physical body, we gradually control the mind and elevate the spirit to higher level of consciousness.

Being a thousands of years old technique and wisely tested for its bodily, mental and spiritual benefits, today it is a valuable tool and perhaps the best physical activity, ideal for all people, especially beginners, regardless of age, gender and physical condition.

The urge caused by daily life prevents us from leading a healthy lifestyle as we live in a rush and many problems of every kind which gradually reduce our physical, mental and emotional health causing a series of ailments such as: tension, nerve changes, physical and mental fatigue, depression, fears, guilt, irritability and physical ailments.

What will you achieve

• Reduce stress and anxiety, relaxing the nervous system, allowing yourself to rest.
• Develop a complete knowledge of your body, its functions, problems and needs.
• Learn to relax in every sense, facing life's problems with optimism, serenity, wisdom and harmony, giving each situation the right attitude.
• Optimize blood circulation, providing better quality oxygenation through correct and natural breathing practices.
• Develop flexibility and mobility of the body, gradually eliminating muscle contractions and chronic pain.
• Gives gradual weight loss.
• Increased protection against injury.
• Reducing pain for people with cancer, multiple sclerosis.
• Indicated for autoimmune diseases and hypertension, as well as arthritis and other chronic conditions.

What do you need to practice?

You only need have excellent mental, emotional readiness to participate in the process of harmonizing the body with the mind. In general terms, to participate in the practice, a necessary condition is comfortable clothing that allows mobility of the whole body.

In addition, you will need a mat for practicing on the floor. It is recommended to perform the exercises with bare feet. There are many people who are unable to perform asanas due to physical reasons, but they can practice yoga through breathing and meditation.

4 facts about yoga for beginners

You don't have to be flexible to practice, and if you start studying with a good teacher tomorrow, these four qualities will be activated simultaneously in the first lesson:

1. Physical strength: improved through positions - asanas;
2. Emotional Strength: develops with meditation exercises that occur in motion or stopping;
3. Increased flexibility: This occurs simultaneously with the increase in physical strength.
4. Own weight: Of course, the body begins to balance when the other three qualities are present.

Even if it is a beginner's practice, from the first movement and breathing exercise, the goal will be to make you stronger than your own weaknesses.

Good afternoon, dear readers. I have previously written about the benefits that it can bring. In this article I would like to talk about the fact that yoga is a spiritual practice, first of all.

When we talk about the practice of yoga, various associations may arise in the mind, these include asanas, meditation, samadhi, pranayama and concentration. But let's talk about everything in order.

Yoga is not only the ability to wrap yourself in some beautiful pose, have good stretching, and a toned, slender body. Although now most people come to yoga classes precisely for this. Some people want to become more flexible, others want to lose weight and become more attractive, others want to improve their health and feel better with the help of yoga.

However, because yoga is a spiritual practice, and not just work on the physical level, it is worth remembering this. In addition to performing various asanas, yoga also involves the practice of pranayamas, or breathing techniques, and meditation, as well as concentration of attention, and most importantly, awareness during the entire yoga practice.

Yoga is a whole teaching that includes a variety of topics about how to live in harmony with yourself and everything that is outside of you, with the world around you, to be more aware and to be in harmony with nature.

The practice of yoga includes both working with the body and mind through performing asanas and pranayamas (classical hatha yoga), as well as more philosophical directions - these are Jnana yoga, Bhakti yoga, Karma yoga and royal Raja yoga.

Yoga practice and meditation

Meditation is inseparable from the practice of yoga. Meditation is one of the eight steps of Ashtanga yoga:

Pranayama

Pratyahara

The seventh stage of yoga is called Dhyana, which means meditation. This is already a deeper state of consciousness; it is no coincidence that meditation is in penultimate place. All stages are mastered sequentially one after another, and meditation will be mastered only after mastering the ability to distract the senses from external objects (pratyahara) and concentration of attention (dharana).

And yet one should not think that only advanced yoga practitioners can master meditation. Preparation for it begins from the very first lessons, when you learn to direct attention inward and concentrate on sensations during practice.

Many people practice meditation as an independent practice. However, meditation is a part of yoga, it originated from it. And as we practice, mastering concentration and becoming more aware, we smoothly move to real deep meditation, a state of inner silence. You will learn even more about meditation from my article

The practice of pranayamas is also an integral part of yoga. Pranayama, or breath control, also helps to master meditation, as it teaches concentration and greater awareness. Also, during practice, breathing control helps to switch attention from external objects to internal sensations, that is, to draw attention inward.

Yoga is the ability to direct the mind exclusively to an object and maintain this direction without distraction.

Spiritual yoga

Description

Mastering the 1st stage of Spiritual Yoga: 1) non-harm (on each plane); 2) truthfulness before all living beings (i.e. you do not have the right to open your mouth if you cause harm with your words); 3) prevention of theft (on all planes); 4) avoidance of irritation (astral plane); 5) avoidance of greed (mental plane). 3. Mastering the 2nd stage of Spiritual Yoga: 1) keeping all your bodies clean; 2) humility - fulfillment of karmic and worldly duties; 3) fiery aspiration - overcoming all difficulties and trials that impede progress along the evolutionary path; 4) Spiritual reading - assimilation and understanding of the truths set forth in the Vedas, the Bible, the Secret Doctrine and Timeless Wisdom, transmitted to humanity by the Hierarchy of Light through Alice A. Bailey; 5) Devotion to the soul - the main God in a person is his soul (the soul speaks through conscience), if you want to know God, know yourself; the kingdom of God is within us, if you want to change the world, change yourself by performing the 1st and 2nd stages of Spiritual Yoga. 4. Become independent from 9 evils: 1) comfort; 2) money; 3) primitive sex; 4) fear; 5) hatred; 6) thirst for power; 7) pride; 8) separation; 9) cruelty. To put everything in its place, the personality must obey the soul on all planes. The horse (soul) is in front, and the cart (material world) is behind, i.e. the material world should serve man, and not vice versa. 5. Teach how to maintain your 4 bodies clean through the practices of Spiritual Yoga and establishing a practical, conscious connection with your soul, the Kingdom of souls led by Christ and the Hierarchy of Light (our older brothers). (see section “Basics of Spiritual Yoga”). 6. Change education in accordance with 1-5 objectives. Education should be 3- or 4-stage, depending on the evolutionary development of the soul, with an individual approach to each person. A participant in the Revival of Spiritual Yoga on planet Earth, to complete the 4th task of Spiritual Yoga, master and constantly master the practices of Spiritual Yoga. The practice of Spiritual Yoga is the mastery of 7 channels: 1) “Personal Channel” - allows you to remove karmic bindings and get rid of various kinds of astral-mental entities (diseases); 2) “Good morning Hierarchy of Light” - morning exercises under the control of your own Soul; 3) “Kundalini energy for man in the Age of Aquarius” is a synthesis of aerobics, hatha yoga and other yogas in automatic mode under the control of the Soul. Classes are held at your own choice - at home, in the forest, in the meadow, etc.; 4) “Block” - cleansing one’s subtle bodies (astral, mental and etheric) under the control of the Soul from various types of damage, the evil eye and witchcraft. 5) “Firebird” - a channel for cleaning and protecting (screen) premises on the astral and mental planes from negative clots of energy and all sorts of astral entities (poltergeists); 6) “Boomerang” - a channel for repelling attacks of “dark forces”, both direct and through various kinds of sorcerers and shamans; 7) “Consent” is a channel for resolving issues in worldly life, using the main energy of our Solar system - Love and Good. Spiritual Yoga is offered to all people of Goodwill regardless of their political and religious beliefs. The duration of stage 1 training is 40 days. He who has mastered the wisdom of Spiritual Yoga will forget the way to medical institutions and pharmacies, and will open the road to the Higher Evolution - the Evolution of his Soul.