About Yoga and Yoga Poses (Hatha Yoga)

Yoga, as a whole, consists of meditation practices that are not a part of this websites content. The part of Yoga that has become known around the world is the positions of Yoga that people practice to strengthen thier bodies. In Yoga the part that focuses on body stretching, toning and flexibility is called "Hatha Yoga".

This website covers a variety of the basic poses and positions(called "asanas") of Hatha Yoga.

Hatha Yoga is about learning how to hold specific poses with deep full(and slow) breathing.

This increases a persons concentration, physical discipline and overal health as the body is fully energized with the deep breathing and positions.

Disclaimer: As with all physical exercise you should consult with your doctor before doing any physical workout.

Tips:

Do not over exert yourself. Do a stretch till you feel a little discomfort. If you feel pain then you are doing it wrong. Just a light physical stretch with deep slow breathing is enough. Also, if a muscle or body part starts to hurt you have to rest it and let it heal.

Keep your attention on your breathing and body position. Move slowly and with concentration on what you are doing. Avoid mental distractions (such as daydreaming).

Unless said otherwise you should breathe in and out through your nose.

Yoga Poses for The Office

This interview covers a few useful stretches with deep breathing (hatha yoga) that you can do at work to relieve stress.

"The Indian tradition develops metaphors and ways of describing the body (life forces, energy centers) as it is experienced, from the inside out. The Western tradition looks at the body from the outside in, peeling it back one layer at a time, believing only what it can see, measure and prove in randomized, double-blind tests. The East treats the person; the West treats the disease. "Our system of medicine is very fragmented," says Dr. Carrie Demers, who runs the Center for Health and Healing at the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy of the USA in Honesdale, Pa. "We send you to different specialists to look at different parts of you. Yoga is more holistic; it's interested in the integration of body, breath and mind." from Time Magazine's article "The Power of Yoga"