Balance in Opposition

Find Balance in Opposition
When we think of yoga in the West, we are generally referring to hatha yoga, which is only one branch in the larger system of yoga. Hatha yoga is the branch of yoga that focuses primarily on work in the physical body through postures and breathing exercises.

The word hatha is comprised of two parts: Ha, which means sun, and Tha, which means moon. It's no accident that the sun and moon are basically opposites, because hatha yoga is all about balancing and uniting opposites. For example, the practice involves joining the opposing energies of warming and cooling, of activity and surrender.

In more specific terms, all balance is created by opposition. If you're balancing on one leg, you need to press your standing foot into the floor as you lift your head up toward the ceiling. If you lift up without pressing down, you'll lose your balance and topple over.



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