Hatha Yoga

Hatha Yoga has been commonly described as the practice of asana (poses). The term “Hatha” has been evolved from two aspects of yoga, in which ‘’ha’ denotes the pranic (vital/sun) force governing the physical body and the ‘tha’ denotes the chitta (mental/moon) force so as Hatha Yoga to be a catalyst to awake the two energies of life. Precisely, the techniques described in the Hatha Yoga texts are to harmonise and purify our body-systems and focus the mind for higher levels of chakra and kundalini activations.

Hatha Yoga system consists of shatkarmas (shat=six) describing physical and mental detox techniques. It also explains the uses of mudras and bandhas which are advanced techniques used mainly for curating emotions. It helps us to control our mind. The three most important bandhas are: Moola Bandha (root lock), Jalandhara Bandha (chin lock – meaning water flow), and Uddiyana Bandha (stomach lock – meaning upward). And there are hundreds of mudras there, identified mainly in five categories, such as; Hastha mudras (hand), Mana mudras (head), Kaya mudras (postural), Bandha mudras (lock), Adhara mudras (perineal).

In this modern time, the terminology, Hatha Yoga, is widely used in a broader way such that it is very difficult to know what it is referred to as particularly. Anyway the general perception is that of ‘relatively gentle’, slow, like that especially suited to beginners of yoga practices.