Hatha Yoga Sequence

What is Hatha Yoga: Hatha yoga is a widely used and traditional form of yoga in which Practitioner uses different types of body postures or asanas and breathing techniques to balance the energy flow in the body. It helps to keep the mind calm and makes the body flexible and strong. It is considered as the foundation of other types of yoga means for some types of yoga it can be practiced in the starting to make the body active and energetic. There’s a proper way to practice hatha yoga in which a practitioner follows a series of postures and techniques called hatha yoga sequence. We will know it in depth further.

In hatha yoga when we practice it we use different types of asanas and breathing techniques in a sequence and it can take 45 to 90 minutes to be finished. This is a type of yoga which is usually practiced under the guidance of a teacher so try to find a qualified hatha yoga class offline or online so that you can practice it without making any mistakes.

Here is a step by step guide to practice hatha yoga sequence:

STEP 1: Setting Intention (10-15 Minutes)

Sit in a comfortable position to set your intention to practice hatha yoga.
Start with a few minutes of meditation or breathing practice to set your intention.
Then to warm up your body practice child’s pose (Balasana) to relax your lower back.
Also practice Neck rolls and Shoulder shrugs to release any tension and pain from your neck and shoulders.

STEP 2: Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) (10-15 Minutes)

Surya Namaskar or sun salutation is a sequence of 2 yoga sets and each set is a sequence of 12 yoga poses. It is very helpful for our mental and physical health. It is practiced in the morning in front of the rising sun to show some gratitude with an empty stomach. Here are 12 yoga poses sequence:

Pranamasana (Prayer pose): Stand at a calm place with your feet together and join your palm then bring them to your chest as in a prayer position. Now focus on your breathing.
Hasta Uttanasana (Raised arm pose): Now inhale and raise your arms overhead and slightly bend back which will stretch to your spine.
Uttanasana (Standing forward bend): Inhale then raise your arms above your head. Slowly bend your hips forward and then touch your fingertips to the floor.
Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian pose): It increases the strength of the leg, opens the chest and makes the body more flexible and balanced.
Phalakasana (Plank pose): Come in a position of push up and keep your head aligned to your spine. It strengthens your arms, shoulders and other parts of the body. It gives you more flexibility and improves the good postures of the body. Also, it increases the mental focus of the mind.
Ashtanga Namaskara (Eight-Limbed pose): This is another sequence of yoga in Surya Namaskar. It is very helpful to reduce the back pain.
Bhujangasana (Cobra pose): It helps to keep the stress away and opens the chest, stretches the spine as well.
Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing dog): It helps to energise the body, stretches the shoulder and calves while making the V pose and improves the balance of arms.
Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian pose): It is connected to balance and stability. This asana helps to keep the body in right alignment and gives balance and stability to the body.
Uttanasana (Standing forward bend): Calms the mind, relieves the stress from the spine and gives flexibility to the legs.
Hasta Uttanasana (Raised arm pose): Gives energy to the body, helps to keep a good body posture.
Pranamasana (Prayer pose): It concludes the sun salutation practice and gives a feeling of grounded, mindfulness and relaxation.

Always remember that completing sun salutation can take 5 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the Pace (A slow pace is recommended for hatha yoga) and Number of Rounds. As we are focusing on hatha yoga in this post, we have discussed sun salutation briefly. We will discuss the sun salutation in detail in another post but for now let’s move ahead.

STEP 3: Asanas

First let me clear you that sun salutation( Surya Namaskar) and Asanas are not the same. In sun salutation we often practice 12 body postures(which can differ) in a sequence to show our gratitude to the Sun and it is considered as a warm up practice before doing other Asanas and each asana we practice in sun salutation takes less time than practicing it individually. Asana focuses on a specific body part or chakra. In sun salutation, practitioners have to do continuous movements but while practicing asanas practitioner emphasizes more on steadiness and comfort of the body.

Meanwhile, surya namaskar can be seen as the continuous sequence of 12 asanas (variations exists) indeed asanas can be performed individually and both are the integral part of Hatha Yoga. Below there are some asanas which we often practice in Hatha Yoga:

Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Fold)
Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half Lord of the Fishes Pose)
Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)
Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog)

There are many more asanas. You can explore on your own or if you want then we will bring a new post on asanas which will cover lots of different asanas with proper guidance.

STEP 4: Meditation

Hatha yoga is all about body postures and breathing techniques and meditation helps to connect the physical body with the mind. Before practicing hatha yoga, meditation practice helps to keep the mind calm and stress free so that hatha yoga can be practiced with full focus and energy. Meditation is also very helpful to practice at the end of the hatha yoga practice. It gives the full benefit to the body when we practice meditation after completing all the sequences of Hatha yoga. Further, we will discuss the benefits of practicing hatha yoga.

Hatha yoga benefits

According to us, Here are 5 most important and common benefits of hatha yoga:

Flexibility: It reduces the stiffness of the body and helps to make the body muscles flexible.
Reduces Anxiety: In hatha yoga there are breathing techniques which calms our mind and helps to reduce stress and anxiety.
Improves Posture: As hatha yoga includes different types of asanas, it helps to maintain a good body posture and makes the spine in good alignment.
Connect Mind & Body: As we know hatha yoga is all about body postures and breathing techniques which helps the body to connect with the mind.
Improves Focus: As hatha yoga includes meditation and mindful activities, it helps to improve the concentration of the mind.

Conclusion

As we conclude this article here we have learnt about hatha yoga: what is it, what’s the hatha yoga sequence, how to practice hatha yoga and at the end we have discussed 5 most important benefits of practicing hatha yoga in our daily lives. Always remember that for your health you must do everything which can make your body happier and calm. So get up and start your new year with some new pledge which will make you much better than your past. The new year 2025 is on the way so let’s make this new year our best year ever. And do not forget to include yoga in your daily life from this new year. Best wishes from our side (Holy Attraction) to you and to your family.