Knowing Hatha Yoga

Yoga has its beginnings in ancient India but this discipline has invaded the entire world due to the benefits it offers to people who start yoga. A survey shows that there are more than sixteen million people practicing yoga in the United States alone.

There are various types of yoga and each type has its own methods and purposes. One type of yoga is Hatha Yoga which literally means sun and moon, coming from two Sanskrit words Ha which means sun and Tha which means moon.

Hatha Yoga, which was first introduced in the 15th century by Yogi Swatmarama, was intended to help yoga practitioners begin with the purification of their bodies before moving on to a higher level of meditation. Hatha Yoga is said to be similar to Raja Yoga which follows the principle of yama which refers to self-discipline or moral control. However, there are sectors that believe that Hatha Yoga has its origins as early as the 10th century.

American yoga followers often practice Hatha Yoga to improve their physical and mental health. Most western Hatha Yoga practitioners focus on asanas or yoga postures and exercises, but it is actually a unified yoga discipline that revolves not only around the physical but also around Pranayama, which consists of breathing and meditation techniques. .

Both Hatha Yoga and Raja Yogi are known as Ashtanga Yoga because they follow the eight limbs which includes the asana or postures including the lotus pose, easy pose, pelvic pose and easy pose. However, some sectors do not consider Hatha Yoga as Ashtanga Yoga, since they believe that it follows the six branches.

The literal meaning of Hatha Yoga refers to the use of opposing forces or energies such as the sun and moon or the more familiar concept of yin and yang. This yoga discipline aims to achieve a balance between the physical and mental powers of a person to reach a higher level of existence. The body and mind are prepared for a higher level through the execution of the asanas.

Hatha Yoga makes use of Yama or moral control, Asanas or poses, Pranayama, Niyama, specific exercises known as Mudra that aim to improve breathing technique, and Nadanusandhana. All six limbs work together to help the practitioner achieve a higher level of Kundalini or concentration and meditation.

Most Yoga practitioners strive to follow moral discipline or yama in order to live a virtuous life. According to the discipline of yoga, a person can live a virtuous life by following the ten moral restraints, primarily ahimsa, or avoiding causing harm to all living creations.

The other yamas include Satya or the ability to stick to the truth, Asteya which prohibits a person from stealing or incurring debt, Brachmacharya which requires celibacy for the single and fidelity for the married, Kshma which refers to the virtue of patience, Dhriti or the principle of compromise, Daya which prohibits cruelty to all beings, Arjava or the promotion of honesty, Mitahara or maintaining a moderate intake of food, and Shaucha or purity in thoughts and words.

Yoga has been referred to as physical yoga due to the use of postures or exercises to achieve unity in the body and mind. Some people equate yoga with Hinduism maybe because it started in ancient India, but in reality it should not be identified or linked to any religion because it is a universal science that aims to achieve spiritual balance.

Hatha yoga is a very important discipline that helps a yoga practitioner achieve unity of body and mind so that he rises to spiritual perfection. While the different yoga poses can also build muscles and body shape, however, they are primarily aimed at achieving balance in the body’s systems and internal organs.

Some people practice Hatha yoga to heal their physical and emotional illnesses. With the constant performance of asanas, the human body eventually becomes a stable and enduring vessel for the human spirit.

Yoga disciples continue to perform the asanas not only to gain physical but also mental balance. The discipline that one can gain from yoga will go a long way in helping the person lead a disciplined, happy and peaceful life.