HATHA YOGA

HATHA YOGA

The word Hatha is composed of two syllables, namely ‘Ha’ and ‘Tha’. Ha means the ‘moon’ and Tha means the ‘sun’. Yoga means communion. Thus hatha yoga means the harmony between the sun and moon aspects of being. The right nostril is connected with the sun aspect; the left is associated with the moon aspect. The two nostrils have a deeper association with the flow of prana within our being. It is this flow of prana that ultimately influences the mental and physical functions. This ensures a balanced personality- neither too much introversion nor too much extroversion. The balance of these two is essential and basic aim of hatha yoga. Not only this, but balance leads to perfect physical and mental health.

In the ancient classical texts, the Gherand Samhita, hatha yoga is referred to as ‘ghatastha yoga’. The text continues: “the physical body is like an unbaked pitcher which dissolves itself if filled with water. When the pitcher is fired, then it becomes strong enough to contain water. In the same way the body becomes strong when it is fired or hardened by the fire of yoga (hatha or ghatastha).”

This is a perfect description of the basic aim and philosophy of hatha yoga.

Health is the fundamental aim of hatha yoga. Some people think that good health is epitomized by rippling muscles, but this is not necessarily true, health can be defined as a combination of the following: resistance to infection, absence of disease, both mental and physical endurance, flexibility of mind and body, mental peace, perfect coordination and condition of all organs, muscles and nerves in the body and their control by the brain and spinal nerve centers, together with a perfectly functioning pranic body. Hatha Yoga aims to bring about this state of health.

Hatha yoga is particularly popular with many people, for they can see tangible benefits from its practice. It is very easy to see improvement in physical health and to feel emotionally and mentally more calm than usual, and hatha yoga leads to these benefits in a reasonably short period of regular practice. The basic aim of hatha yoga is to build a firm, strong, healthy body, because without this asset one’s activities and aspirations are severely curtailed.

Hatha Yoga aims at harmonizing Prana in the body so that in turn the physical body automatically become Healthy and receptive to higher vibrations. The Mind and Prana are intimately linked together and so if the pranic body is tuned up, then the mind is automatically relaxed and harmonized, at least to a degree, for it is the mind that controls prana, not prana the mind. However, Prana and Mind are prat and parcel of same thing, the division between them is only arbitrary. Certainly we can say that a balanced pranic body implies vitality of body and mind, for all these aspects are directly related to each other.

Hatha Yoga treats the body as an instrument to be kept in the best possible condition. If a musician wants to play a beautiful musical composition, it is essential that his instrument is in perfect condition. He would not dream of playing his masterpiece on a broken, battered violin. It is the same with the path to higher awareness. The essential prerequisite is a well-tuned body and mind.

Hatha yoga involves awareness in many of its practices and as such is a means to meditation in itself. 

"Those people who practice only physical exercises (in hatha yoga) without mental and spiritual aspiration will fail to achieve the best results". by Hatha Yoga Pradipika.

Parts of Hatha Yoga:

The basic practices of Hatha Yoga, which can be divided into six groups:

1-Shatkarmas:  The six scientific yogic cleansing techniques known as shatkarmas, the ancient yogis have developed shatkarmas. Shatkarmas are in the main concerned with cleansing the body. Many diseases are caused by the buildup of toxins within the body. These practices are the first step in eliminating these waste products, and thereby regaining perfect health.

There are six main groups of shatkarmas or yogic cleansers as follows:

1- Neti: Nasal cleansing, including jala neti and sutra neti.

2- Dhauti: Cleansing of the digestive tract, including danta dhauti, vatsara dhauti and so forth.

3- Basti: Colon cleaning.

4- Nauli: Abdominal massage.

5- Kapalphati: Purification and vitalization of the frontal lobes.

6- Trataka: steady gazing.

They are all excellent practices designed to purify the whole body and bring about first class health. They also bring clarity and harmony to the mind.

2-Asanas: Asanas are the physical postures of Yoga. Asanas are actually a part of Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, and Tanta Yoga or of all three.

History of Asanas:

According to tradition and the scriptures, Lord Shiva is the founder of Hatha yoga. It is said that there were originally 8,400,000 asanas, which represent the 8,400,000 incarnations every individual must pass through before attaining liberation from the cycle of birth and death. These asanas represent progressive evolution from the simplest form of life to fully realized man. It is believed that by doing them a person can bypass all these lives in one life and step out of the deterministic progress from one life to the next.

Throughout the centuries these asanas have been modified and reduced in number by the great rishis and yogis so that there are now no more than a few hundred known. Of these only eighty-four are discussed in detail, and only thirty or so are commonly thought of as being useful to modern man.

The first historically recorded exponent of yoga asanas was the great yogi Gorakhnath. In his time the science of yoga was not popular but Gorakhnath taught all the asanas to his close disciples. The yogis of that time tended to live far form society in the mountains and forests, where they led a life of seclusion and austerity, getting all their support from nature. Animal were the great teachers of these yogis, for they lived a natural life free from disease and worldly problems. Animals do not have a doctor or drugs to cure their ailment; nature is their only helper. Studying the creatures of the forest developed many yogic techniques.

Now, in this modern age, yoga is starting to spread all over the world; its knowledge is fast becoming the property of everyone. Many doctors and scientists are advocating the practice of yoga. Leading people are realizing that yoga is not only for sages and ascetics who have renounced the world and gone into seclusion; it is for everyone,

3-Pranayama: Pranayama is a method of refining the makeup of one’s pranic body, one’s physical body and also one’s mind. By making the mind calm and still, consciousness is allowed to shine through without distortion. Respiration is directly related to the heart. Slow respiration occurs with a slow- beating heart, and a slow-beating heart is conducive to long life.

 It is written in the ‘Hatha Yoga Pradipika’ the ancient text on yoga: “Life is the period between one breath and the next; a person who only half breathes, only half lives. He who breathes correctly acquires control of the whole being.”

The ancient yogis were fully aware of the importance of breath; no breath no life; breath is life.

4-Mudras: Mudras are special physical positions of the body or parts of the body, which induce deeper physiological, psychic and mental changes in one’s being.

There is total of twenty-five mudras explained in the Gherand Samita, which is a treatise on hatha yoga by Rishi Gherand. Many of mudras are composed of different bandhas,asanas and pranayamas which are put together to form one practice. These make very powerful combinations, for each of the constituent parts has definite benefits in its own right.

5-Bandhas: This is a small but very important group of hatha yoga practices. The word bandha means ‘to hold or tighten’, which exactly describes physical actions that are required to perform these practices.

6-Chakras and Kundalini: The chakras are an indication of the fullest potential of each and every person. They indicate that man can transcend his individual limitations. The progressive awakening of the chakras is called the raising of the Kundalini and is symbolized by a snake or serpent.