Practicing Hatha Yoga
My Hatha yoga practice aimed to enhance the strength and flexibility of my legs and hips. I began my practice with some Sun Salutations to warm up my body and focus my mind. Then, I moved into a series of standing poses, including Prasarita Padottanasana C, Warrior II, and Garudasana, to help me build strength and stability in my legs and hips. These poses allowed for me to ground myself and engage my core, in addition to opening my hips and challenging my balance. I focused upon my breath as a tool for control and stability, deepening within each posture.
Following many standing poses, I transitioned from those into certain deeper hip stretches, for example, Anjaneyasana and Supta Baddha Konasana, to target the hip flexors and inner thighs. These stretches helped release built-up tension in the hips, promoting flexibility. I ended up with seated folds, and soft twists evened out my lower body work, as muscles lengthened when my body cooled down.
During each session, I kept my focus on alignment and breath, making certain that I moved with purpose and care, never overdoing it. The dual combination of strengthening as well as stretching gave me a feeling of balance and rejuvenation, both physically and mentally.