What Is Hatha Yoga?

People from all over the world are practicing yoga online. Many visitors to DoYogaWithMe.com are not veterans of the North American yoga scene, so we thought we'd create a simple series of blog posts to help beginners navigate their way through the various styles of yoga referred to in the video titles.

The various yogic styles have ancient and complex roots, but academic definitions are not what we're looking for here. (For detailed information about hatha yoga you need look no further than Wikipedia.) Instead, we want to describe the general styles of yoga as they are actually practiced today in North American yoga studios. This will help you to get your bearings as you're navigating through the lists of yoga videos in our library.

So what is hatha yoga? What can you expect if you attend a hatha yoga class in a Vancouver studio, for example? If you see a class described as hatha, it will most likely be a slow-paced stretching class that begins with a seated meditation, focuses on simple, deep breathing and finishes with relaxation (savasana). It's a good place to begin your journey into yoga since it introduces basic poses and relaxation techniques while guiding you through a gentle stretching of the body.

We think Hatha is a great place for people starting out because of its gentle style. It's easy on the body and mind while still giving you a great overall workout. You are sure to be in a nice relaxed state after one of these classes.

Feel like giving hatha yoga a try? Hatha classes are a popular style on DoYogaWithMe. We have a dozens of classes to choose from that are suitable for anyone from Beginners to Advanced. Here are a few good examples of some of our most popular hatha classes that we have to offer:

• A Deep Release For Hips, Hamstrings and Lower Back - David Procyshyn
• Twist and Stretch - Melissa Krieger
• Seated Whole Body Hatha Yoga Flow - David Procyshyn
• Slow Hatha Yoga Flow - Anastasia Hangemanole (Subscriber-only class)

Enjoy!