Hatha yoga

Hatha yoga

Hatha yoga is traditional practices which balance the forces within the body-mind to maintain balance and therefore a clear state of mind for self-enquiry to achieve self-realisation. Self- realisation being an awareness of what our true nature of self is. Given that our yogic texts are thousands of years old and some of the earliest writings known on the planet is has been a quest humans have had for a very long time. Hatha yoga was one of the great traditions which lead people to self-realisation and has a very scientific approach to it.

Hatha yoga has been developed through direct observation of cause and effect and develop and observed over thousands of years showing a repeatable method that will lead to the desired result. The realisation of nature of the self, being that of peace, consciousness bliss and love All of those qualities humans are searching for externally when we take the journey inwards we find them to be our own very nature all along. Some say the universes ultimate joke… we search and search for that which is our true nature..

As opposed to other forms of yoga such as Bhakti yoga which focuses on holding a devotional mindset to all you do to bring balance through the mind to discover the self, Hatha yoga includes physical postures which bring about balance through the body to discover the self. Balance in a similar sense of the concept of yin/yang. The innate principles of energy in the universe that in a state of wellness, or natural harmony these qualities exist within each other and flux between the two in a cyclical manner. Our body/minds are apart of nature and so the same laws apply as they do to the seasons on our planet. Our deepest nature, however, is steady, expansive, blissful, love-infused consciousness. The practices of yoga help us to see more clearly that which is eternal and which is an ever-changing flux of energy.

The definition of a yoga asana or yoga posture as stated by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras is sthira sukha which, is often translated as stability and ease. These words mean so much more than this of course. Sukha is the experience we have when we are aware of our true nature- qualities such as contentment, ease, grace, lightness, joy and ease. This is why I often have clients to first come to the yoga mat to learn to stretch out the tight body only to soon discover many benefits to their mind and enhancement to their whole outlook on life. They begin to feel more peaceful, happy and content.

At Balance Yoga Sydney we believe in balance. A balanced practice which includes so dynamic flow, static strength building and alignment focused poses and passive deep stretching to release deeper held tension in the body. We believe in the power of the body/mind to heal itself and teaching you how to activate your innate healing responses through deep relaxation, breathing techniques. mindfulness and meditation.

So whether you are looking to yoga to increase flexibility, strength, improve posture and alignment, reduce stress and anxiety or lift depression or even for self-realisation we have a class for you.

See our timetable or book a private today.

Bliss and Peace, Kylie 🙂

Kylie Hennessy has been a full-time teacher of yoga for almost 25yrs. She has always believed in the balanced practice of yoga and making yoga as accessible to as many people as she can. She developed programs for prenatal and postnatal yoga, yoga for anxiety and yoga for depression, yoga for recovery and teaches in schools, corporate, gyms, hospitals and where ever she can. She discovered yoga after a Bachelor Degree in Chemistry and Biochemistry at Sydney University where she learnt much about the workings of the body at a chemical and quantum level and the truth that we are all energy. Through this, she realised that stress was the biggest factor in physical and mental disease and therefore learnt to teach yoga to people to help prevent disease and activate the bodies innate healing abilities instead of going on to western medicine which she became underwhelmed with throughout her science degree. She is still as passionate today about helping people realise that which is within.