Sujay Ghosh

Hatha is considered a gentle yoga that focuses on static poses and is great for beginners. However, even though it is gentle, it can still be physically and mentally challenging. Practitioners will want to wear close-fitting athletic wear and sports bras for maximum comfort and ease of movement.

10 basic poses for beginners -

1. Tadasana 

2. Vrikshasana

3. Uttanasana

4. Adho mukha savasana

5.setu bandasana

6.halasana

7. Sirshasana

8.shalavasana

9.sagvanghasana

10.dhanurasana

Ashtanga yoga is a dynamic, flowing practice that includes a specific set of poses and breathing exercises. It is a physically demanding practice meant to build heat and strength. Hatha yoga is a more gentle and calming practice that includes various poses, breath control, and meditation.

Both practices offer many benefits and can be tailored to any level of fitness. In general, ashtanga is more beneficial as it is a more vigorous practice which can help improve strength, flexibility, and endurance. Hatha is beneficial for its calming effects and can help to reduce stress and anxiety.

Yes. Without proper awareness or guidance you may submit yourself to a senseless slue of awkward body positions that could be considered self-torture. Now, you may be somewhat masochistic (as most yogis are) and enjoy inflicting pain upon yourself. Having insights like this lead to brief awakening moments that change your perception. Then comes a little awareness of likes and dislikes. Question those and you are on your way to overcoming the pitfalls of Hatha yoga such as physical injury from not having understanding of how your body works or maybe your personality grows more robust by a type of ego gratification from thinking you are going to get a reward from the practice or that it makes you more spiritual or better in some way….

Or, I wonder, do you mean 'backfire' as in the sense of some sort of punishment like some other religious views? As if you were to be in virabadhrasana but actually were thinking about the shape of the yoga pants of the person next to you and then BOM! The wrath of shiva crashes down upon you with fire and brimstone; thunder and lightning?

Look, all disciplines of yoga are mental. Designed by the mind, for the mind to go beyond the mind. The mind is a mystery and so is what observes it. Establish yourself as that observer in all poses whether on a yoga mat or on the street and wherever you go you will be yoking yourself into the fire.

Unfortunately in the western part of the world, if you utter the word “yoga,” people think you must twist yourself out like rubber bands or stand on your head. Yoga is not an exercise form. The word “yoga” means union. Today, modern science has proved that the whole existence is just one energy. So if all this is one energy, why is it that you are not experiencing it that way? If you can break the limitations of the illusion that you are separate, and begin to experience the oneness of the existence, that is yoga. The religions of the world have always been talking about God being everywhere. Whether you say God is everywhere or everything is one energy, is it any different? It is the same reality. When it is mathematically deduced, we call it science. If you believe it, we call it religion. When you find a method to get there, we call it yoga.

People also ask

What is the right time to do Hatha yoga?

The important thing is find a time you can devote to your practice and is convenient for you. Hatha yoga can be practiced at any time of the day. It is said that the body is at its strongest between 6 am and 8 am, so you could use this to your advantage