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Hatha Yoga for a Healthier Life Yoga has had a way of staying out of major medical news even though it is known to provide great health benefits. It really is just more then most homeopathy- if you’ve been bogged down at work and feeling stressed lately, you might want to give yoga a try. Yoga is a centuries-old Indian meditation practice that focuses on purifying the mind, body, and spirit. The name is derived from the Hindi words “ha” and “tha”, which mean “sun” and “moon” respectively, but when placed together mean “forceful.” “Hatha” represents the journey to balance the body in every possible way. Yoga is beneficial health-wise because it encourages relaxation, flexibility, and meditation.

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Hatha yoga is an umbrella term under which many different types of yoga sit, but you’ll recognize it as basic yoga. In this form of yoga, you will learn deep breathing, stretching, and seated meditation. It is the most gentle and slow-paced of the yoga methods and it is ideal for beginners. Another popular form of yoga is Asana, which is actually the only type in India that uses poses. You might recognize the terms “downward dog” or “sun salutation.” These are the two most commonly known positions. Asana promotes flexibility, strength, balance and poise, as well as relaxation. Depending on the instructor, Asana can be more strenuous than basic yoga, so you should consider easing into it. If you’re looking to combine relaxation with vigorous exercise, you have two choices: regular Vinyasa or Bikram yoga. “Vinyasa” translates to “breath-synchronized movement” and focuses on switching poses in one inhalation or exhalation. Vinyasa is very movement-oriented and dance-like because of how quickly and seamlessly you must change poses. Vinyasa can be taught fast or slow and with or without chanting, it just depends on the instructor. Bikram yoga was brought to the West by yoga master Bikram Choudhury. It involves Vinyasa yoga, but in a room that is 95-100 degrees Fahrenheit. Because your muscles get so warm, it allows for added flexibility and a body cleanse through sweat. Bikram instructors and classes must be certified, so your local class may instead be called “Hot Yoga.” Make sure to bring your own mat if you decide on Bikram because you will sweat profusely and probably do not want to sit on a mat that someone else has also sweated on. Pregnant women should stay away from Bikram yoga because it raises core body temperature.

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Yoga, Hatha and otherwise, has a number of health benefits, even more than exercise. Regular exercise can be boring and taxing, but yoga offers limitless possibilities and has a low risk of injury to muscles and ligaments. If done on a regular basis, some of the benefits it can have are: normalized weight; increased respiratory efficiency; improved depth perception and reaction time; decreased anxiety and depression; improved concentration and memory; increased Vitamin C; and decreased Triglycerides (constituent associated with vegetable oil and animal fats), sodium and cholesterol. These are just several among many, so you owe it to yourself and your well-being to give yoga a try. You never know, it may change your whole

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