Quote:
“If you want to learn something, read about it.
If you want to understand something, write about it.
If you want to master something, teach it.”
- Yogi Bhajan
Hatha Yoga comes from HA - meaning the Sun, and - THA meaning the Moon. Yoga means union.
Hatha Yoga is the mother of all styles and practices of Yoga. According to the tradition, the purpose and meaning of Hatha Yoga is balancing two present polar energies, the Sun, representing solar and masculine, and the Moon, representing the lunar and feminine properties and energy, which I have listed in the BALANCING HATHA YOGA article, and I list below again:
HA - The SUN
Hakar Nadi
Right nostril
Yang
Shiva (deity)
Physical body
Masculine energy
Mind
Active
Fight
Sympathetic nervous system
The right side of the body
THA - The MOON
Thakar Nadi
Left nostril
Yin
Shakti (deity)
Mental body
Feminine energy
Heart
Cool
Passive
Rest
Parasympathetic nervous system
The left side of the body
Are you intrigued to start practicing yoga? The reasons why may vary. We may feel even like we don't know the reason. In any case, when we are drawn to yoga, there is always an inner hidden agenda. And the master of it is the one and the only, the Inner Self. We might acknowledge our inner Self or not. But we know, conscious or unconscious, that the inner Self knows what is best for us. How to achieve a feeling of wholeness, happiness, bliss, balance, and inner peace. How to balance and unite all our four "bodies", the physical, the intellectual, the emotional, and the spiritual. And when we have this inner feeling, this "gut" feeling to be drawn to yoga, we certainly should listen to it.
Well, how to start? There is no journey unless it is walked. The journey begins with a single step. And Hatha Yoga is a good start to yoga. In Hatha yoga class, we start with a traditional Sun salutation sequence, which is usually followed by asanas in this order: standing, kneeling, sitting, supine, prone, inverted, and ending with Savasana, the most important asana of the class. We move from one asana to another, by completing the asana on both sides, starting with the right side of the body when practicing in the morning, and starting with the left side of the body when practicing in the evening. After completing both sides of one asana, and before moving to another, we may stop and rest for a few breaths and feel the changing sensations in our bodies. This is very helpful for beginners, because getting into alignment of asanas may feel physically and mentally demanding, and this break between asanas is good for our muscles and focus recovery.
We come to yoga to be present. Yoga itself is a metaphor. We don't come to practice to rush anything, the opposite is the truth. The whole world around us feels like a fast-moving train without breaks. We come to yoga to stop the time indeed. To center ourselves, to disconnect from this fast-changing rushing world, and to connect to our inner Self, the always present and never-changing part of the whole. And why metaphor? As my teachers taught me, what we learn on the mat, we bring with us outside the mat.
Where to start? Come and join me.
When: Wednesdays 11:45-12:45
Where: Accordance Studio, Av. Georges Henri 448, Woluwe Saint Lambert, Brussels
What do you need: a towel, a bottle of water, the mats are available in the studio
Price: for newcomers: 10 €/class with DISCOVERY BUNDLE (2 classes, only 1 time),
after 20 € DROP IN, or pay less with a pricing plan
See you in the class!
xoxo
Anna
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