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An Overview of Hatha Yoga |
Hatha Yoga is a term that most people associate with the word Yoga. It is mainly practiced for mental, physical health, and vitality. The Hatha Yoga of Swatmarama and his contemporaries differs from the Raja Yoga of Patanjali. It focuses on Shatkarma, the purification of the physical, the mind (ha) and prana (tha).
The Raja Yoga posited by Patanjali aims at the purification of the mind (Yamas), the spirit (Niyamas), and the body by using asanas and Pranayama.
Traditional Hatha Yoga is a holistic path. It includes moral discipline, physical exercises (postures), Pranayama (breath control), and meditation. The Hatha yoga predominantly practiced in the West consists of mostly asanas (postures) and exercise.
Some traditional Hatha yoga postures:
- Downward-Facing Dog
- Handstand (Downward-Facing Tree)
- Salutation Seal
- Half Moon
Before starting the practice of yoga, an aspiring practitioner should select a yoga instructor and a form of yoga. Examples of a few forms of yoga that are practiced by millions are Bhakti yoga, Bikram yoga, Ashtanga Yoga and Hatha Yoga.
Hatha Yoga attempts to balance mind and body via physical exercises or asanas, controlled breathing, and meditation. Asanas teach poise, balance & strength and improve the body's physical health. They also clear the mind in preparation for meditation and assist the practitioner in the pursuit of enlightenment. Hatha yoga in the west primarily concerns itself with asanas or postures.
Many modern schools of Hatha Yoga derive from the school of Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, who taught from 1924 until his death in 1989. Among his students prominent in popularizing yoga in the West were, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, famous for popularizing the vigorous Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga style.
Yoga is the path to health and spiritual enlightenment. It is a way of life that has been practiced by the ancient Indian civilization. |
