The most common form of yoga practiced in the United States is hatha yoga. Hatha yoga differs from other disciplines of yoga as it is more exercise than mental preparation for meditation. All yoga stretches are designed to relax the body on the path of spiritual enlightenment including meditation; however most Americans practice the poses for the fitness benefits.

Hatha yoga is a gentle exercise which strengthens the existing muscles without adding unwanted muscle bulk. People who practice hatha yoga claim all kinds of homeopathic benefits from illness relief to increased concentration while meditating.

Hatha Yoga and Illness

There is no conclusive scientific evidence that hatha yoga has any positive or negative health benefits. However, the technique is thousands of years old and the people which practice the poses and meditation claim a variety of health benefits. Hatha yoga is said by some to be able to ease every discomfort from bowel problems to head aches. The stretches and poses are said to massage the inner organs balancing the body's chemicals naturally.

Even if there is no conclusive evidence supporting the claims that hatha yoga does in fact have health benefits beyond physical exercise, many people who practice yoga have better self esteem, are more in tune with their bodies needs, and take a more active role in their health by exercising regularly and eating healthy foods.

Menstrual Discomfort

Many medical facilities are dedicated to women's health alone because of a woman's unique anatomy and life changes. Hatha yoga is able to promote women's health by providing an outlet for daily exercise which is recommended by most doctors. Also the massaging of internal muscles, the poses and stretches are thought to ease menstrual pain or other discomforts associated with the menstrual cycle.

Pregnancy

Some poses of hatha yoga are known to be safe exercises for women while pregnant. However, not all poses should be preformed while pregnant; poses which would require a woman to press on her stomach for instance would not be recommended.

Also during the third trimester, only gentle stretches and poses of hatha yoga should be practiced. Any poses which would require a woman to lie on her back or stand on one foot should be avoided late in pregnancy.

There is a reason for each of these points; in the first case, there is a large system of veins that supply blood and oxygen to the baby that runs by the spine. The added weight of the baby on this system of veins can slow blood flow to the baby and deny it oxygen. The other is because during pregnancy, usually sometime in the second trimester, a woman's equilibrium changes and she may have trouble maintaining her balance while on one foot.