yoga.about.comWhat to Expect From a Hatha Yoga Class

Fitness Activewear Beginners Walking Running Strength Nutrition Weight Management Nutrition Facts Nutrition Basics Diets Meal Plans Meal Delivery Services View All What to Buy Fitness Gear Apparel & Accessories Footwear Tools Recipe Nutrition Calculator Weight Loss Calorie Goal BMI Calculator Body Fat Percentage Calculator Calories Burned by Activity Daily Calories Burned Pace CalculatorEditorial Process Meet Our Review Board Search Search Clear GO Fitness Activewear Beginners Walking Running Strength View All Nutrition Weight Management Nutrition Facts Nutrition Basics Diets Meal Plans Meal Delivery Services View All What to Buy Fitness Gear Apparel & Accessories Footwear View All More in Yoga Equipment, Gear, and Clothing View More Tools Recipe Nutrition Calculator Weight Loss Calorie Goal BMI Calculator Body Fat Percentage Calculator Calories Burned by Activity Daily Calories Burned Pace Calculator Why BMI May Not Be the Best Metric Best Online Aerobics Classes Is Lemon Water Good for You? Fitness and Nutrition NewsEditorial Process Privacy Policy Contact Us Verywell Fit’s content is for informational and educational purposes only. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Ⓒ 2024 Dotdash Media, Inc. — All rights reserved Yoga Learn the history of hatha yoga and what present-day classes are like By Verywell Fit Editors Verywell Fit Editors We exhaustively research and recommend a broad range of products and ultimately make a curated list of recommendations from writers with subject-matter expertise in every product category we cover. Learn about our editorial process Updated on July 10, 2023 Reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by nutrition and exercise professionals. Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more . by Sara Clark Reviewed by Sara Clark Sara Clark is an EYT 500-hour certified Vinyasa yoga and mindfulness teacher, lululemon Global Yoga Ambassador, model, and writer. Learn about our Review Board Print Klaus Vedfelt / Getty Images Table of Contents View All Table of Contents History Benefits What to Expect in Class Yoga began in India around for 2,000 years ago as a series of spiritual breathing exercises. The term Hatha was first recorded in the 11th century, but it wasn’t until the late 19th century that it came to America, gaining mainstream popularity in the 1960s. Today, roughly one in seven Americans practices yoga due to its mind-body wellness and health benefits. Research shows hatha yoga helps to relieve stress, support healthy habits, improve emotional health, ease back and arthritis pain, and even help people quit smoking. A yoga class makes a terrific gift for active moms , athletes, or anyone interested in low-impact exercise. Here is what you need to know about the practice. What Is Hatha Yoga? Hatha yoga focuses on posture and breathing techniques, traditionally to channel vital energy source. In Sanskrit, Hatha translates to force. The practice involves breath, body, and mind, and classes are usually 45 minutes to 90 minutes of breathing, yoga poses , and meditation. Hatha yoga breathing techniques can be traced back to the 1st Century in both Buddhist and Hindu texts, but it was another 1,000 years before the use of yoga postures, or asanas, and breath control was recorded as a way to enhance vital energy. History of Hatha Yoga Classical Hatha yoga was developed in the 15th century and included guidance for the proper setting of yoga, asanas, pranayama or breathing exercises, mudras or hand gestures, and meditation for personal spiritual growth. Hatha yoga was brought to America by Swami Vivekananda in 1893 as a spiritual practice. In the 1920s, yogis combined asanas with other popular exercises of the day to create a flowing style of yoga that was more physical than spiritual. By the 1950s, hatha yoga was introduced to millions of households across America with Richard Hittleman’s popular TV program "Yoga For Health." A few years later, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the spiritual advisor to The Beatles, brought a new dimension of yoga to the mainstream with a combination of transcendental meditation and yoga and its popularity soared. Today, hatha yoga is well-known for both as a physical and spiritual practice for mind-body health. 20 Ways to Stretch Your Hamstrings With Yoga Health Benefits of Hatha Yoga Yogis have long touted the calming and wellness benefits of practicing yoga. Today, research supports many of these claims. The National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health analyzed dozens of peer-reviewed studies and while most of the research was performed on small numbers of subjects, they found evidence to suggest yoga may be beneficial for the following conditions. Anxiety and depression : Yoga can help relieve everyday anxiety and depressive symptoms, however, it may not be effective for clinically diagnosed mental health conditions. The NCCIH reviewed 68 published studies on yoga did not find conclusive evidence to support its effectiveness for managing anxiety disorder, depression, or PTSD. Arthritis and fibromyalgia : According to the NCCIH, there is weak evidence to support yoga has benefits for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia. Back pain : The American College of Physicians recommends yoga as a non-drug method to treat back pain. A 2018 review of eight studies by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality found yoga improves low-back pain and function with both short-term and intermediate-term benefits, and its effects are similar to other types of exercise. Balance : Yoga helps to improve balance in healthy people, according to 11 out of 15 studies reviewed by NIH. Emotional health : Yoga has a positive impact on mental health and was shown to have benefits of improving resilience or general mental well-being in 10 out of 14 studies reviewed by NCCIH. Menopause : Yoga can relieve physical and psychological symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes, according to the NCCIH review of more than 1,300 study participants. Mindfulness : In a 2018 survey of 1,820 young adults published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity , participants attributed greater mindfulness, motivation to participate in other forms of activity and eat healthier, and the influence of a health-minded yoga community to practicing yoga regularly. Multiple sclerosis : Yoga has been shown to have short-term benefits on mood and fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis, however, it was not found to affect muscle function, cognitive function, or quality of life, the NCCIH reports. Neck pain : A 2019 meta-analysis published in the journal Medicine including 10 studies and a total of 686 subjects found that yoga can reduce the neck pain intensity and disability from pain while also improving range of motion in the neck. Sleep : Several studies reviewed by NCCIH have found yoga can improve sleep quality and duration. Populations found to experience sleep benefits from yoga include cancer patients, older adults, people with arthritis, pregnant women, and women with menopause symptoms. Stress management : Yoga was shown to improve physical or psychological measures related to stress in 12 out of 17 studies reviewed, according to NCCIH. What to Expect in Yoga Class There are several different styles of yoga to choose from today. If a class is just labeled yoga, it is likely the Hatha variety. Hatha is considered a gentle yoga that focuses on static poses and is great for beginners. However, even though it is gentle, it can still be physically and mentally challenging. Practitioners will want to wear close-fitting athletic wear and sports bras for maximum comfort and ease of movement. While each class varies depending on the instructor,...