What is Hatha Yoga?
Hatha Yoga places a strong emphasis on purifying the body as a means of purifying the mind. By cleansing both body and mind, you will also be able to maintain good health. Being healthy—both physically and mentally—is essential because it provides you with the best possible condition for your spiritual progress.
Origins of Hatha Yoga
Hatha yoga has been practiced for thousands of years. The tradition emerged on the borders of India and Nepal, where ancient yogis lived as renunciates.
They engaged in the disciplines of Hatha yoga as a means of self-experimentation, incorporating Hindu concepts such as reincarnation and karma into their thinking.
The word Hatha comes from the Sanskrit words "Ha" meaning sun, and "Tha" meaning moon, which together symbolise the duality of opposites in nature as well as the union of masculine and feminine forces within both man and woman.
Hatha Yoga refers to the practice of physical yoga postures, meaning your Ashtanga, vinyasa, Iyengar and Power Yoga classes are all Hatha Yoga.
In contrast to the faster-paced styles of Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga, Hatha yoga is generally practiced more slowly and with more static posture holds. However, Hatha yoga encompasses much more than the physical practice that has become popular today.
Hatha practices are designed to align and calm your body, mind, and spirit in preparation for meditation.
Hatha Yoga (also called Hatha Yoga Pradipika) is credited to Swami Swatmarama, a 15th-century sage compiled the treatise on yoga.
Like Patanjali's Yogasutras, Hatha Yoga Pradipika briefly described six limbs of yoga to achieve Samadhi without the long process of the first two steps of the Yamas and Niyamas.
6 Principles of Hatha Yoga
The six main principles of Hatha Yoga are asana (physical practice), pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (sense withdrawal), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi.
Asanas are postures or exercises that help to strengthen your body and improve flexibility, while also calming the mind.
As you continue your practice, your body and mind will become more accessible to the subtler aspects of the practice. You will learn how to quiet your mind and focus on a deeper level through pranayama.
Pranayama is a series of breathing techniques used to increase energy levels and achieve a sense of calmness and balance within yourself.
Pratyahara is when you withdraw from the senses; in other words, it's about learning how to focus on yourself instead of focusing on what's going on around you. A good example is when you withdraw from the external world without completely losing contact with it during Savasana.
Dharana is the ability to bring the mind into single-pointed focus. During this state, all restless thoughts cease to exist.
Dharana is concentration; dhyana is meditation—and both are an important part of Hatha Yoga because they help prepare one for samadhi (enlightenment).
Samadhi means "a state of being where there are no thoughts or feelings except those that relate directly with what we're doing at that moment in time." This means no worrying about past events or future plans—only living in this moment right here right now.
Benefits of Hatha Yoga
Improved flexibility: As we get older, it's more important than ever to stay active so that we can remain energetic and vibrant. Yoga is a great way to maintain a healthy range of motion in the body as we age.
Builds strength: Hatha yoga is an excellent way to build strength in the deep core muscles of the body. These are the muscles that allow us to sit up straight, breathe deeply and move with fluidity and control.
Helps develop self-discipline: Although it might appear that Yoga is only a physical practice, it's also a mental one. Yoga can help us develop discipline and self-control, overcome minor cravings and addictions, and even improve our relationships with others.
Prepare for stillness: Hatha Yoga has many benefits associated with physical health. Yet, it’s important not to overlook the spiritual aspects of the practice. All that work prepares the body for meditation.
As we have seen, contrary to the common perception of yoga as a series of stretching exercises, yoga has its roots in ancient philosophy and spiritual practice. Yoga can help us attain balance in our mental, physical, and spiritual lives. It can also lead us to deeoer insights into the true Self.
