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Hatha Yoga
WHAT IS HATHA YOGA?
Hatha Yoga is about balancing the body and mind. ‘Ha’ represents the esoteric sun and ‘tha’ the moon. The practice of Hatha yoga aims to join, yoke, or balance these two energies.
Hatha means ‘force’ and is traditionally defined as ‘the yoga of force’, or ‘the means of attaining a state of yoga through force. It is the mastery of the body as a way of attaining a state of spiritual perfection in which the mind is withdrawn from external objects.
Traditionally, Hatha Yoga is a type of yoga that involves specific breathing techniques (Pranayama) a set of physical postures (Asanas) which are slow-paced focussing on proper alignment as well as greater static posture holds than Vinyasa flow or Ashtanga class.
HOW DID HATHA YOGA COME TO EXISTENCE
In the history of Yoga, Hatha Yoga is a fairly recent technique that has been developed from theories and techniques of Tantra Yoga. The Tantrics embraced the physical body as the means to achieve enlightenment and developed the physical-spiritual connections and body-centered practices that led to Hatha Yoga.
GOALS AND BENEFITS OF HATHA YOGA
The ultimate goal of Hatha Yoga is to direct the vital energy into the central channel and draw it up towards the crown chakra. It teaches the esoteric exercises of breath retention, Bandhas and Mudras that would channel and raise one’s energy levels high enough to attain enlightenment.
Hatha practices are designed to align, cleanse and calm your body, mind, and spirit in order to achieve deeper states of meditation and spiritual realization. A regular practice can improve strength, stamina, flexibility, range of motion, and balance; reduce stress; promote mental calm; and provide many other therapeutic benefits as well.
STRUCTURE OF HATHA YOGA
Hatha Yoga is the six-limbed yoga (Shatanga Yoga) mentioned below,
Asana: steady comfortable state of body and mind
Pranayama: expansion of capacity to retain Prana
Pratyahara: withdrawal from the sensory input
Dharana: bringing the mind to one single point
Dhyana: observing the self
Samadhi: becoming free from Maya
The first two limbs of Raja Yoga - Yamas & Niyamas are excluded in Hatha Yoga.