Hatha yoga is the union of the opposite forces of the Sun (ha) and the Moon (tha). It seeks to establish harmony between the mind and the soul and bring in a sense of spirituality and enlightenment. It seeks to unite the Ida (mental) and pingala (bodily) into the Sushumna Nadi (self).
The Hatha Yoga history dates back to the ancient form of yoga itself. Interestingly, the widely practiced cult of Hatha Yoga is not a variant of yoga therapy, but is actually the same thing. However, its foundations can be traced back to a yogi by the name of Swami Swatamarama, who lived during the 15th century. He supposedly wrote the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, which is a masterpiece and comes third in rank after the famous books on yoga literature, the Bhagwad Gita and the Yoga Sutras.
In the Pradipika, the Swami has described in detail the latest physical exercises (asana), mudra, deep breathing exercises (pranayama) and bandha. These exercises are practiced even today. The yoga poses are dedicated to Lord Adi Nath, another name for Lord Shiva. Legend has it that the Lord himself handed over the yoga postures of the Hatha Yoga to his wife Parvati.
The practice of Tantra Yoga is dedicated to the lordship in view of aligning his soul with that of the Brahman. The yogi is a believer in the principle of the existence of the spiritual self and the god but in a lesser ritual in obtaining divinity. This very principle underlies the Upanishads, a sacred book of the Hindus. |
