6 Days Hatha Yoga Retreat in Rishikesh

Hatha yoga, which means 'force' is traditionally referred to as “the yoga of force', or 'the means of acquiring a state of yoga through force'. So Hatha yoga can be considered anything that has to do with the body, including asanas (yoga postures).

There arefour levels of Hatha Yoga Practices –Foundation, Beginners, Intermediate, and Advanced. Hatha yoga is especially focused on controlling breathing, posture and stretching. To build core strength, which is the key to good posture, Hatha yoga has hundreds of poses, including Downward-Facing Dog and Standing Forward Bend.

There are six purification approaches that apply to Hatha Yoga, called Shat Karma Kriyas or Shat Karmas the purification approaches are :

• NETI – Purification of nose
• DHAUTI – Purification of esophagus and stomach
• NAULI – Turning of the abdominal muscles
• BASTI AND SHANKA PRAKSHALANA – Complete cleansing of the intestines
• KAPALA BHATI PRANAYAMA – Cleansing the frontal sinuses
• TRATKA – Concentration on a point or candle flame

BENEFITS of HATHA YOGA

• Strengthens  Core Muscles– Hatha yoga poses like plank pose and warrior I pose can helpstrengthen core muscles because they requires holding poses for long periods of time, which activates muscles like the abdominals and glutes. It prevents lower back pain,improves balance, and makes someone less likely to have amuscle injury.
• Reduces Stress – Hath yoga also focuses on stress relief. And lead to mindfulness. Mindfulness has impressive anxiety-fighting effects as it centres around a calm, observant focus on thoughts and sensations. While practising Hatha yoga, the aspirants feels more confidence about their ability to complete the difficult job. 
• Better  Sleep – Hatha yoga can help to sleep better by lowering cortisol levels, a hormone linked to sleep. Yoga before bed can help to fall asleep. Helps sleep better because it stresses attentive breathing and meditation, which can help calm the mind and body before going to bed. 
• Improves Concentration and  Memory – In Hatha yoga, meditation is a significant part. And it helps to improve memory and concentration power. Meditation has a positive impact as doing it on a regular basis boosts the growth of neurons. It helps to ease the level of depression, which leads to improved concentration and memory power. 
• Spirituality Raises Up – The basic and traditional purpose of Hatha Yoga is a spiritual purification of body and mind, which later extended to its benefits in healing physical and mental illness.Doing deep meditations develops a spiritual awakening andclose to the divine while sitting in a meditative poses with certain postures. 

DAILY SCHEDULE

• 6:00 Am – Morning Bell
• 6:30 to 7:30 Am – Hatha yoga class/ Alignment/ Adjustment/
• 7:30 to 8:30 Am – Pranayama (Theory & Practice)
• 9:00 to 10:00 Am – Sattvick breakfast
• 11:00 to 12:00 Pm – Meditation class
• 12:30 to 1:30 Pm – Explanation of each asana and benefits
• 1:30 to 2:15 Pm – Lunch
• 3:30 to 5:00 Pm – Yoga asana
• 5:30 to 6:30 Pm – Meditation/ Philosophy
• 6:30 to 7:30 Pm – Kirtan / Bhajan/ Mantra Chanting
• 8:30 to 9:00 Pm – Dinner
• 10:00 Pm – Lights off