06 Aug Atha yoga rebalances body, mind and emotions
Without necessarily having practiced it, we’re all familiar with yoga, its postures such as the lotus flower pose, and its indisputable benefits for body and mind. The practice originated in India, where it was codified as early as the 2nd century BC in Patanjali’s yoga sutras. For my part, I practice and teachatha yogawhich is a later form of yoga, having been developed in India around the 12th century. It spread to the West in the 20th century. This method is a relevant complement to hypnotherapy, which I practice in my Parisian office, in that it takes into account the individual as a whole (body, energy, mind) and seeks to harmonize these three planes by acting primarily on the energy body. It enables people who come to me with physical or psychological difficulties to get to know themselves better and refocus. Not forgetting that breathwork plays a central role in the development, circulation and channelling of energy. More precisely, atha yoga (the sun -ha- and the moon -tha-) is a search for balance and union between the opposites present in the body and mind, such as strength and flexibility, or energy and relaxation. It’s a discipline of self-mastery and self-knowledge, acting as much on the body as on the mind. It reharmonizes and opens up all the vital forces of our Being, and reconnects us with what’s essential, using postural techniques (asanas) combined with breathing (pranayama) and visualization to achieve psyco-physical balance. In atha yoga, the asanas are either static or dynamic. They strengthen muscles and flexibility, improve joint function, internal organs, metabolism, blood circulation and the respiratory system, and relieve tension. These positions also have a positive effect on the mind, restoring concentration, balance and calm, as well as on the emotions (a state of retreat, stability…).