(Hatha) Yoga (for Health)

Context

Yoga is one of the six systems (darshans) of Indian philosophy. Its influence has been widespread among many other schools of Indian thought. Its basic text is the Yoga-sutras by Patanjali (c. 2nd century bce or 5th century ce).

The practical aspects of Yoga play a more important part than does its intellectual content, which is largely based on the philosophy of Samkhya, with the exception that Yoga assumes the existence of God, who is the model for the aspirant who seeks spiritual release. Yoga holds with Samkhya that the achievement of spiritual liberation (moksha) occurs when the spirit (purusha) is freed from the bondage of matter (prakriti) that has resulted from ignorance and illusion. The Samkhya view of the evolution of the world through identifiable stages leads Yoga to attempt to reverse this order, as it were, so that a person can increasingly dephenomenalize the self until it reenters its original state of purity and consciousness. An aspirant who has learned to control and suppress the obscuring activities of the mind and has succeeded in ending attachment to material objects will be able to enter samadhi—i.e., a state of deep concentration that results in a blissful ecstatic union with the ultimate reality.

Yogic Stages

Generally, the Yoga process is described in eight stages (ashtanga-yoga, eight-membered Yoga). The first two stages are ethical preparations. They are yama (restraint), which denotes abstinence from injury, falsehood, stealing, lust, and avarice; and niyama (discipline), which denotes cleanliness of body, contentment, austerity, study, and devotion to God.

The next two stages are physical preparations. Asana (seat), a series of exercises in physical posture, is intended to condition the aspirant's body and make it supple, flexible, and healthy. Mastery of the asanas is reckoned by one's ability to hold one of the prescribed postures for an extended period of time without involuntary movement or physical distractions. Pranayama (breath control) is a series of exercises intended to stabilize the rhythm of breathing in order to encourage complete respiratory relaxation.

The fifth stage, pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), involves control of the senses, or the ability to withdraw the attention of the senses from outward objects.

Whereas the first five stages are external aids to Yoga, the remaining three are purely mental or internal aids. Dharana (holding on) is the ability to hold and confine awareness of externals to one object for a long period of time (a common exercise is fixing the mind on an object of meditation, such as the tip of the nose or an image of the deity). Dhyana (concentrated meditation) is the uninterrupted contemplation of the object of meditation, beyond any memory of ego. Samadhi (total self-collectedness) is the final stage and is a precondition of attaining release from samsara, or the cycle of rebirth. In this stage the meditator perceives or experiences the object of his meditation and himself as one.

The Practice of Yoga

(From https://www.britannica.com/topic/Types-of-Yoga)

Yoga is the ancient Indian philosophy of uniting the mind and body for the goal of spiritual release. What exactly does that have to do with the endless classes, not to mention the clothes, that have dominated the West's obsession with yoga for the past half century?

There are some people who think of yoga as chanting while sitting like a kindergartner; others see yoga as the practice of twisting your body into impossible positions. For many who practice yoga, the mindful concentration on breathing paired with the physical focus on stretching, bending, and holding poses creates a unity of thought and movement that is akin to a runner's high. (Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word yuj, meaning to unite.)

The benefits of yoga are becoming increasingly well documented. Studies done by the National Institute of Health have found that yoga can help with balance and flexibility as well as easing psychological distress. The research also found that because yoga requires minimal equipment, it is accessible to many people. Those are perhaps some of the reasons for yoga's growing popularity. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention data, the percentage of Americans who practice yoga grew from 5 percent in 2002 to 16 percent in 2022.

Yet the varying types, the vocabulary (down dog, pigeon, sun salutations), and, yes, the clothes, can be barriers to entry. So here is an introductory look at several types of yoga, ordered roughly from the most basic to the most challenging, although such judgments are subjective. As for the clothes, be comfortable. A good yoga session is one in which you—even in a full studio—focus on your breath and your movements and not on what you or anyone else is wearing.

Types of Yoga Poses

There are hundreds of yoga poses, but here are fundamental movements to bring you into your practice:

• Standing yoga poses: Standing poses are often done first in a yoga class to build heat as a warmup. In vinyasa flow, standing yoga poses are performed sequentially to form sequences. Hatha classes typically have yogis do standing poses with rest between.
• Balancing yoga poses: Beginners' balances are an important way to build core strength for advanced yoga poses. Though balances may seem challenging initially, they will improve with regular practice.
• Backbends: Beginners generally start with gentle spine flexion (bending forward) and extension (bending backward), eventually moving to deeper bends. Since daily life rarely requires you to move like this, backbends are essential for spinal health and longevity.
• Seated yoga poses: Seated stretches, focusing on hip and hamstring mobility, are usually done near the end of a yoga class after your body is warm. Placing a folded yoga blanket or block under your butt is an excellent way to make yourself more comfortable.
• Resting or supine yoga poses: It's essential to get to know your resting yoga poses, especially child's pose, which you are encouraged to do whenever you need a break. These resting yoga poses continue hip and hamstring work and provide gentle back-bending, twisting, and inversion.

Different Schools

Poses (Asanas)