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Hatha Yoga

The practice of hatha yoga originated in India thousands of years ago. As the sages meditated, a divine energy flowed through their bodies that sometimes moved them spontaneously into postures that enhanced their inner experience. They found that by adopting these postures again, they could go into profound states of meditation. Over time, they created an invigorating system of physical postures, or asanas. Hatha yoga practices strengthen the body, quiet the mind, and draw one deep inside.

What are the benefits of Siddha Yoga hatha yoga?

Jim: Siddha Yoga hatha yoga has taught me how to see the beauty in other people in every place that I look in life and to honor the greatness that is inside me and others. This is Siddha Yoga philosophy, and it's what I've learned from my hatha yoga practice.

Madhu: The important point about Siddha Yoga hatha yoga for me is that physical issues of flexibility, openness, and strength have become qualities of my life. As my body becomes stronger, my inner person becomes stronger. As my body becomes more flexible, I'm more flexible in approaching anything that comes at me in my life. As my body becomes more open, I become more open to other people and situations. So these qualities that we work on in a physical way in hatha yoga become a part of who we are.

Jim Bernaert and Madhu Mann are Siddha Yoga hatha yoga instructors.

Meditators have long practiced hatha yoga to still the mind and to increase strength and flexibility so that they can sit for meditation with both firmness and comfort. The practice of hatha yoga enhances health and fosters qualities such as joy, steadfastness, and mental clarity.

Taking a hatha yoga class in the sacred environment of the Siddha Yoga Ashram in Oakland helps the practitioner to receive the spiritual as well as physical benefits of the practice. The Siddha Yoga Ashram in Oakland offers a range of classes for all levels of ability. The teachers combine technical excellence with awareness of the spiritually uplifting virtues that can be cultivated through the practice.