History and Concepts of Different Branches of Yoga

Hatha Yoga is rising in popularity amongst the young and old today with many branches sprouting to cater to the diverse preferences of practitioners. Many yoga practitioners are found in many Yoga Shanghai studios where the locals and foreigners gather to keep fit through the various movements.

Epic Yoga History

The history of Yoga especially the special branch of Hatha yoga stems from 15th century India with Yogi Swatmarama introducing a form of physical purification which he termed as "stairway to the heights".

Raja Yoga or King Yoga was designed to keep the body fit to reach a higher form of meditation. The term Hatha yoga came about from words "ha" or sun and "tha" or moon. These combined words form the basis of principal energy or "nadis" that the body channels to achieve "dhyana" meditation form.

Many yoga practitioners may indulge in this versatile exercise routine without understanding the history or the implications of the practice, although some Yoga studio Shanghai outlets do offer some teachings or classes in the history and theories.

Historical records state many types of hatha yoga as noted from ancient Sanskrit writings with shatkarma, asana, chakras, kriyas and mudras forms for achieving various meditation levels.

Benefits of Yoga Practices

The myriad of benefits in practicing yoga draws many practitioners who want to stay healthy without stressing their body faculties. Persistent yoga practices are known to reduce health problems that often besiege individuals; these could be constipation, fatigue, common illnesses or cancer as well as stress and pressure.

A good Yoga teacher helps practitioners relieve their stress and pressures on their bodies and minds through the right yoga movements and teachings at reputed Yoga Shanghai schools.

Hatha Yoga Concepts

The concept of Hatha yoga is simple with a holistic path of good moral disciplines and physical exercises that include meditation and breath control. Many Yoga Shanghai studios hold English yoga classes to educate new or novice yoga practitioners on the different forms of yoga for a better understanding before the practical especially for English speaking practitioners.

Hatha yoga exploits forms that concentrate on the physical movements while Raja yoga focuses on the body postures for prolonged meditations. The former focuses on attaining a balanced mind and body via specific physical exercises and controlled breathing with a calming of the mind via meditation and relaxation.

There are various positions or postures which an experienced Yoga teacher would instruct their learners to take on slowly as the body needs to be drawn into greater flexibility with every movement and position.

Karma yoga or Buddhi Yoga centers on the Bhagavad Gita which focuses on compliance to duty without rewards while Raja Yoga is Classical Yoga of Hindu philosophy in cultivation of the mind.