What is Hatha Yoga?

Hatha Yoga is the form of yoga most familiar in the west, it is the main stay of the majority of yoga classes in the UK. The word Hatha is made up of "ha" meaning Sun and "tha" meaning Moon representing the positive and negative energy flows in the body. Hatha yoga regulates and balances these energy flows. Hatha Yoga involves the physical posture work, the breath control (Pranayam) and prepares the body for meditation. Like all types of Yoga, Hatha Yoga aims to unite the mind, body and spirit.

Hatha represents opposing energies: hot and cold (fire and water, following the same concept as the yin-yang), male and female, positive and negative. Hatha yoga attempts to balance mind and body via physical exercises, or "asanas", controlled breathing, and the calming of the mind through relaxation and meditation. Asanas teach poise, balance & strength and are practiced to improve the body's physical health and clear the mind in preparation for meditation in the pursuit of enlightenment.

If you feel Hatha Yoga isn’t for you why not try another:

Antenatal Yoga, Anusara Yoga, Astanga Yoga, Bikram Yoga, Dru Yoga, Face Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga, Kripalu Yoga, Kriya Yoga, Laughter Yoga, Lynegar Yoga, Mantra Yoga, Power Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, Raja Yoga, Recuperative Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Sivananda Yoga, Sun Power Yoga, Tantric Yoga, Therapeutic Yoga, Viniyoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Yoga