Hatha Yoga

The complete system of Hatha Yoga increases vital energy by aligning our physical and subtle bodies, through

Asana Physical Poses 3rd Limb
Pranayama Guiding and enhancing the life force through breathing practices 4th Limb
Pratyahara Encouraging the senses inward through deep relaxation. 5th Limb


All 3 are supposed to be practiced together. Each one being as important as the next. This being one of two points worth making before we move on.

Second point being Hatha Yoga does not just mean a series of physical poses (Asanas) but also practicing the breathing techniques (Pranayama) and encouraging the senses inward (pratyahara) in unison.

Ha-tha

Ha

represents:

the sun
heating
qualities of reason
intellectual thinking
masculine

Tha

represents:

the moon
cooling
emotion
intuitive feeling
feminine

Ha-tha is the integrative energy of the two within every one of us

light and dark
sun and moon
masculine and feminine

And the more balanced these are, the more at harmony one feels.

Next time we will start with the first mentioned of the 3 elements of Ha-tha Yoga.

Asana

Have a fantastic day:)

Om

Yamas and Niyamas - The 1st and 2nd Limbs

So the first Limb of the 8 faceted Path (Ashtanga Yoga) is the Yamas. This is most commonly translated as 'restraints' with its literal translation being 'Death'.

We can say the Yamas are a Code of Conduct for living which will help bring a compassionate death to the ego or the 'lower self'.

The nicest translation of the Yamas I have come across is reflecting our true nature as 'restraints' conjures up negative responses.

There are 5 guiding Yamas being:

Ahimsa: Non-harming to others and ourselves
Satya: Being truthful to others but also within ourselves and having integrity
Astheya: Non-stealing - Generosity and Honesty
Brahmacharya: Balance and Moderation of the vital life force
Aparigraha: Letting go of desires/Fulfillment

Niyamas are the self-observances which can be described as evolution towards harmony which also has 5 parts

Saucha: Simplicity, Purity, Cleanliness
Santosha: Contentment, being at peace with oneself and others, accepting what life brings you.
Tapas: Disciplined Practice
Swadhaya: Self-study, the study of spiritual texts to help understanding
Ishwara Pranidhana: Surrender to a higher being.

The Yamas and Niyamas are the first two limbs of Ashtanga Yoga and most commonly translated as the restraints and self-observances, five facets in each and have been described as the 10 Commandments of Yoga and also the Dos (Niyamas) and Don'ts (Yamas).

The exact meanings can be lost or often misinterpreted at least when translated from Sanskrit as Yoga really is much more gentle than that as I translate it anyway.

If the Yamas are described as reflecting our true nature then all that is good is our true nature and by trying to adhere to/follow the five facets we are simply returning to who we really are.

So these are the first 2 Limbs of Ashtanga Yoga prescribed by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras (we'll get into that later). So not a mention of the Asanas (Postures) or Pranayama (Breathing techniques) just yet as would be guessed by most when asked what is the first two limbs of Ashtanga yoga.

I'll leave it there hoping what is written is clear, concise and bitesize enough for a quick read while taking a break at work or wherever this finds you.

So if Yoga is split up into 8 parts, what are they?

OK so here goes. I'm not sure how far this blog will go but if there is one thing I did want to go through using this medium it is Ashtanga Yoga.

Ashtanga Yoga is all of the elements of Yoga practice listed in eight principles. It is seen as a guide to practically applying Yoga to our daily life.

Ashtaanga being two words simply meaning 8 (Ashta) and tanga can be translated as limbs, principles or intertwining facets.

The most important thing to remember regarding the relationship between these 8 principles is that they are an integrated system.

What do we mean by that?

It means that Ashtanga is not a series of points to accomplish/complete then moving on to the next. Instead they interact and function interdependently as a whole.

'Within Yoga Philosophy it is said that by embracing Ashtanga Yoga, intuitive wisdom dawns and reveals our inner radiance.'

I think it's very easy to make things sound an awful lot more complicated than they need to be and a lot of the time if anything sounds too religious or flower-power hippyish it can immediately register as negative to the listener/reader.

I'll end this blog by rephrasing the quote above

Within the Yoga tradition we say that by understanding the 8 limbs and following them as much as we can. Our natural tendency towards enlightenment or knowing ourselves is encouraged therefore revealing our inner light or simply who we really are.

So the next time I will start with the first limb of Ashtanga Yoga.

Have a great day whatever you're up to:)

So what's all this Yoga really about??

Hi there,

Thanks very much for stopping by. I've left this blog untouched pretty much since I set it up last year. It was suggested to me that it would be a good idea to set one up but didn't see the need or any reasoning for one until now.

Unfortunately there is only so much you can cram into a 1 hour class and due to the fact that we practice outdoors for 5-6 months a year our focus is almost entirely on the 3rd Limb of Yoga which is the Asanas (postures......the physicality of yoga) but there are 8 and 2 preceding what we tend to practice primarily if not solely.

I'm going to use this Outdoor Yoga Blog to fill in the blanks so to speak in a fast-life-friendly bitesize version covering what we don't get to go through in class as we only have such a short time together.

The vast majority of people take up Yoga for Flexibility, Fitness, Strengthening, Stress Relief and a myriad of reasons associated with physical issues which is absolutely fine and if one wants to leave it there that's perfectly fine too.

However if you'd like to learn a little bit more about what Yoga is about you can follow this blog and hopefully it'll add to your yoga practice or be the beginnings to:)

Hoping you're having a fantastic day wherever this finds you.

Outdoor Yoga's Fan Page


http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Dublin-Ireland/Outdoor-Yoga/119758451203?ref=ts

Long List of Benefits of Yoga

Benefits of Yoga - Why Yoga Exercise is Good for You

Yoga books tell us that Yoga, as we all know, is aimed to unite the mind, the body, and the spirit. Yogis view that the mind and the body are one, and that if it is given the right yoga kit and tools and taken to the right environment, it can find harmony and heal itself. Yoga therefore is considered therapeutic. It helps you become more aware of your body's posture, alignment and patterns of movement. It makes the body more flexible and helps you relax even in the midst of a stress stricken environment. This is one of the foremost reasons why people want to start Practicing Yoga - to feel fitter, be more energetic, be happier and peaceful.

Yoga is a science that has been practiced for thousands of years. It is consists of Ancient Theories, observations and principles about the mind and body connection which is now being proven by modern medicine. Substantial research has been conducted to look at the Health Benefits of Yoga - from the Yoga Postures (Asanas), Yoga Breathing (Pranayama), and Meditation. The information on Yoga Poses & Benefits are grouped into three categories-physiological, psychological, biochemical effects. Furthermore, scientists have laid these results against the benefits of regular exercise

Physiological Benefits of Yoga

• Stable autonomic nervous system equilibrium
• Pulse rate decreases
• Respiratory rate decreases
• Blood Pressure decreases (of special significance for hyporeactors)
• Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) increases
• EEG - alpha waves increase (theta, delta, and beta waves also increase during various stages of meditation)
• EMG activity decreases
• Cardiovascular efficiency increases
• Respiratory efficiency increases
• Gastrointestinal function normalizes
• Endocrine function normalizes
• Excretory functions improve
• Musculoskeletal flexibility and joint range of motion increase
• Breath-holding time increases
• Joint range of motion increase
• Grip strength increases
• Eye-hand coordination improves
• Dexterity skills improve
• Reaction time improves
• Posture improves
• Strength and resiliency increase
• Endurance increases
• Energy level increases
• Weight normalizes
• Sleep improves
• Immunity increases
• Pain decreases
• Steadiness improves
• Depth perception improves
• Balance improves
• Integrated functioning of body parts improves

Psychological Benefits of Yoga

• Somatic and kinesthetic awareness increase
• Mood improves and subjective well-being increases
• Self-acceptance and self-actualization increase
• Social adjustment increases
• Anxiety and Depression decrease
• Hostility decreases
• Concentration improves
• Memory improves
• Attention improves
• Learning efficiency improves
• Mood improves
• Self-actualization increase
• Social skills increases
• Well-being increases
• Somatic and kinesthetic awareness increase
• Self-acceptance increase
• Attention improves
• Concentration improves
• Memory improves
• Learning efficiency improves
• Symbol coding improves
• Depth perception improves
• Flicker fusion frequency improves

Biochemical Benefits of Yoga

• Glucose decreases
• Sodium decreases
• Total cholesterol decreases
• Triglycerides decrease
• HDL cholesterol increases
• LDL cholesterol decreases
• VLDL cholesterol decreases
• Cholinesterase increases
• Catecholamines decrease
• ATPase increases
• Hematocrit increases
• Hemoglobin increases
• Lymphocyte count increases
• Total white blood cell count decreases
• Thyroxin increases
• Vitamin C increases
• Total serum protein increases

Yoga Health Benefits versus Exercise Benefits

• Yoga Benefits
  • Parasympathetic Nervous System dominates
  • Subcortical regions of brain dominate
  • Slow dynamic and static movements
  • Normalization of muscle tone
  • Low risk of injuring muscles and ligaments
  • Low caloric consumption
  • Effort is minimized, relaxed
  • Energizing (breathing is natural or controlled)
  • Balanced activity of opposing muscle groups
  • Noncompetitive, process-oriented
  • Awareness is internal (focus is on breath and the infinite)
  • Limitless possibilities for growth in self-awareness


• Exercise Benefits
  • Sympathetic Nervous System dominates
  • Cortical regions of brain dominate
  • Rapid forceful movements
  • Increased muscle tension
  • Higher risk of injury
  • Moderate to high caloric consumption
  • Effort is maximized
  • Fatiguing (breathing is taxed)
  • Imbalance activity of opposing groups
  • Competitive, goal-oriented
  • Awareness is external (focus is on reaching the toes, reaching the finish line, etc.)
  • Boredom factor