The different yoga
styles share the same goal but differ in the practices and techniques they
choose to work on.
In this article, you
will discover what Hatha Yoga is, how it was born, which texts have allowed its
diffusion, the characteristics of this type of practice, and finally, its
benefits.
What is Hatha Yoga?
The Sanskrit word
Hatha is composed of two syllables, "Ha" meaning sun and "Tha"
meaning moon. It refers to the two main energy channels, the so-called Nadis,
that Yoga seeks to balance (Pingala, the solar channel, and Ida, the lunar
channel).
When these two
opposing but complementary currents are in balance, Kundalini (subtle energy)
can flow through the central Sushumna channel to the crown chakra, enabling the
experience of bliss and union.
Balancing
complementary opposites is the key to releasing the energy of consciousness and
achieving spiritual freedom.
This balance occurs both
physically and psychologically. Hatha Yoga helps us remove the duality in our
perception of life, manifested by judgment about ourselves and the world
(right/wrong, good/bad).
These negative values
are experienced as internal and external conflicts. When we manage to integrate
them, we evolve into a state of non-dual consciousness, symbolized in the third
eye.
Another meaning of the
word Hatha is strong, determined. It refers to the solid physical and mental
discipline required for the practice (tapas).
The legend about the
origin of Yoga
It is said that Yoga
was initially reserved only for deities, particularly the gods. However, Shiva
agreed to pass on the teachings about Yoga to Parvati, and the place chosen to
pass on these teachings was a cave by the sea.
A nearby fish listened
to them and, applying the teachings, transformed into a human being. At this
point, given the undeniable benefits in evolutionary terms, he requested and
obtained permission to transmit the yoga teachings to human beings as well.
He was called
Matsyendra, which means fish become man, and one of the most famous twisting
postures of Hatha Yoga, Matsyendrasana, was named after him.
Classic yoga texts
that should be a reference for any practitioner are the Patanjali Yoga Sutras
and the Bhagavad Gita. Both are explanatory of the philosophy behind the
practice, the perspective on life, and reality in Yoga.
The Stages of Hatha
Yoga
✱ Shatkarma: categories of purifying practices for the body
✱ Asanas: physical
postures
✱ Pranayama: techniques for controlling extension and breathing. The first approach to pranayama is to practice complete yogic breathing, with its three components diaphragmatic, thoracic, and clavicular.
Once our breathing becomes more
extended and more profound, we can use the various techniques that control the
breath in its four phases: inhaling (puraka), pausing after inhaling (antara
kumbhaka), exhaling (rechaka), and staying after exhaling (bahya kumbhaka).
✱ Mudra: symbolic gestures
of the hands and body, which work on the body's energy channels.
✱ Bandha: expresses the postural contraction action performed to promote the flow and channeling of vital energy.
They are used mainly in pranayama and meditation, but also during
asana performance. There are three:
- Mula bhanda, the anal and urogenital sphincters
- Udddhyana bandha, the contraction of the diaphragm and
solar plexus
- Jalandhara bandha, contraction of the throat and
cervical spine
They can be performed
individually or all together; in the latter case, it is called Maha bandha.
✱ Pratyahara: exercises to transform the energy and consciousness of the mind.
✱ Dharana: practices
to improve concentration.
✱ Dhyana: practices
for meditation.
✱ Samadhi: practices
inducing a deep meditative trance.
The Practice of Hatha
Yoga
The West usually
interprets Yoga in general, and Hatha Yoga is primarily a physical practice
focused on the body, but, in reality, we know that it is not just a gymnastic
activity.
The word Yoga derives
from a Sanskrit word that means "union." This actual science
distinguishes between our everyday self, including the physical body and
personality, and the universal self, which provides for all creation of which
we are an integral part.
Its goal is to let go
of over-identification with the everyday self and suffering from the resulting
conflicts.
Yoga is the union of
the individual self (Atman) with the universal self (Brahman), through which we
rediscover our true self, whose nature is truth, consciousness, bliss (Sat Chit
Ananda).
The asanas we all
know, practiced during Hatha Yoga classes, are born from meditation postures
and, therefore, all should be practiced meditatively.
We remain in each pose
for a long time, listening to the body, allowing it to calm down and enjoy the
benefits of the practice.
Also, the breath is
used to enter and exit each posture, operating as a general rule the expansion
of the chest on the inhale and the closing with the exhale.
The goal in practicing
asanas is for them to be stable and comfortable (shtira and sukha), as
described in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras.
They should be
practiced gradually, without forcing the body before it is ready, also applying
the precept of non-violence (ahimsa) against ourselves.
It is important to
remember that the purpose of the practice is to expand consciousness to prepare
for meditation.
Even the most
experienced should not neglect the practice of simple postures, which allow
greater ease of inner concentration than postures that require more effort to
be performed.
You can use yoga
accessories to promote greater comfort and stability in the postures in the
more demanding poses.
When preparing an
asana session, you can consider several aspects: Starting from standing
postures to gradually reach the floor, or organizing the session around a more
demanding asana, preceding it with a preparation asana and following it with
compensatory asanas, or even choosing to work on a specific aspect.
However, a complete
practice consists of asana practice and pranayama, mudra, and meditation. It
usually ends with deep relaxation, traditionally done in Savasana, to return to
daily activities with renewed energy.
Hatha Yoga practice
should be done on an empty stomach and preferably in a clean, peaceful, and
welcoming environment.
The Benefits of Hatha
Yoga
Hatha Yoga works simultaneously on physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual components. The three main points of yoga, from a physical point of view, are:
- the breath
- the spine
- the gastrointestinal tract
The yoga postures
relax, stretch, and strengthen the body's muscles; they maintain the spine and
joints and, in general, have a rejuvenating action on the muscular and skeletal
system.
Through the pressures
exerted by the asanas on the internal organs and chakras, all of the body's
organs and glands are balanced, producing a beneficial therapeutic effect and
keeping the body in perfect health.
The movements and
postures of yoga tone and give elasticity and balance to the body.
Hatha yoga is very therapeutic and is also recommended for:
- anxiety states
- stress
- insomnia
- depression
- loss or decrease of physical strength
- weakness
- articular and mental rigidity
- panic attacks, and pathologies of psychosomatic origin
By working on the
breath, through complete yogic breathing and other types of pranayama, physical
and mental abilities are revitalized, mood balance and relaxation are
stimulated.
Meditation practices
allow refining the awareness of the present moment, self-awareness, and internal
mechanisms.
Self-perfection with
Hatha Yoga is achieved with the wisdom of the master Patanjali and his eight
sutras.
Hatha Yoga makes
available to every human being the tools, not only valuable for solving his
problems but above all to transform himself and tune in to his inner self and
the rhythms of nature.
It also helps to
rediscover the natural balance, bringing us back into a harmonious relationship
with the laws of the universe.
Yoga offers a new outlook on life, which is why the actual practice of yoga takes place off the yoga mat in the actions we take in life.
The actual results of yoga are seen in
everyday life, in how one deals with challenges, the ability to experience
calm, and applying the principles of yoga (yama and niyama).