What is Hatha Yoga?
This is the type of yoga that most Westerners think of when we see or hear the word “Yoga”. If you think about the word “Dance” or “Music” you have a general idea about what that is. But it does not describe the various forms of dance or music. This is true about Hatha Yoga. There are many styles or types of Hatha Yoga being taught in our country. Hatha means physical. At the end of this article, you will find brief descriptions about the various styles of Hatha Yoga that are taught by members of the Yoga Education Society.
Hatha Yoga is the physical branch of Raja Yoga. It was originally conceived as a tool for spiritual growth. Yoga literally means “union,” or joining together, as in yoking oxen together to pull a cart. Philosophically it means uniting the little self with the Higher Self, going from duality to oneness. “Ha” is often taken to mean “sun”; more accurately, it connotes the upward movement of energy in the subtle astral spine. “Tha” which is often taken to mean “moon,” connotes the downward movement of the energy of the astral spine. The purpose is to take the practitioner from duality to unity, from disharmony to harmony.
Hatha yoga encompasses all physical-oriented practices involving poses (asanas) and is the type of yoga most commonly practiced in the West today. In fact, most yoga styles popular today, such as Anusara, Astanga, Iyengar, Forrest Method, JivaMukti, ISHTA, Kripalu, Vinyasa Flow, Bikram and Integral, all fall under the umbrella of Hatha yoga.
Hatha Yoga is a type of yoga that emphasis on rejuvenation and health of body. There are various yoga postures that come under the definition of Hatha Yoga. It broadly consists of asanas (body postures), pranayama (body techniques) relaxation and cleansing techniques. Hatha yoga is the most commonly practiced form of yoga today. Hatha yoga refers to a set of physical exercises (known as asanas or postures) and sequences of asanas, designed to align the skin, muscles and bones.
