I'm not a YOGA addict but i love Hatha Yoga! I learned about yoga through a friend--the late julia campbell (the peace corp volunteer slain at Banaue, Ifugao few years ago)--julia introduced me to yoga after typhoon reming when she saw me so stressed out (ready to be burned out!) after series of debriefing sessions with the survivors. She knew i needed to learn a unique relaxation technique strategy. From then on--I was hooked! (I even organized 2 special trainings on hatha yoga in my center and integrated this relaxation exercise in my total stress management training program!). So what is hatha yoga? If you see a class described as Hatha, it will likely be a slow-paced stretching class with some simple breathing exercises and perhaps seated meditation. This is a good place to learn basic poses, relaxation techniques, and become comfortable with yoga. In hatha yoga, you will learn about the different Asanas (yoga positions) that strengthen, purify and balance the endocrine, nervous and circulatory systems. While asanas are rarely prescribed to treat illnesses, they surely have healing properties and definitely prevent diseases. From my in-depth research on the benefits of hatha yoga, I learned that if you practice these hatha yoga asanas regularly, your body will gradually achieve greater endurance, your spine will become more flexible, your body will come to its natural weight and rid itself of toxins, you will breathe more easily, you will gain energy, your circulation will improve, your blood pressure will normalize, you will have an easier time coping with stress, and you will have more pleasant thoughts and fewer negative emotions. And considering all this, your overall mood will improve—in other words, you will gain vibrant physical and emotional health. Hatha yoga is more than an exercise---its a good relaxation exercise. for simple yoga poses--watch the attached video and see how fun and easy hatha yoga can be!
