What is 'Hatha Yoga'?

02 September, 2012

Hatha yoga is one of the physical practices of yoga and a system of yoga introduced by Yogi Swatmarama, who was a yogic sage in India in fifteenth century. It is known as the beginning stage of yoga, which leads to physical purification of the body and prepares it for higher meditation and yoga.

HATHA YOGA is a very important science of ancient times. The yogis used to practice this yoga for longer periods. It helps to raise the levels of your consciousness; it raises the lower mind and the upper mind. Traditionally, lord Shiva is related with Hatha yoga.

In yoga Upanishad, the meaning of Hatha yoga is to bring the balance between the physical and the mental body, as well as a technique of purification. But, nowadays the whole idea and the meaning of Hatha yoga is forgotten. The people have a misconception about hatha yoga. We often hear that Hatha yoga is related to postures, but actually it is not about the physical and the physicality of yoga.

In yogic literature the term Hatha is derived from two Sanskrit mantras ‘HAM’ and ‘TAM’. Ham represents the active force or the solar force in our body, whereas Tam represents the moon force or the passive force in our body. As per yoga, these two forces are known as Pindla and Ida. And the whole subject of hatha yoga is bringing the balance between both the forces.

These two forces are constantly working in our body; because of the interaction of these two forces with each other, we breathe, we eat, we live and we think. So, yogis felt that these two forces have to be balanced to raise the level of our consciousness.

The whole subject of Hatha yoga comprises of six purification techniques namely Nethi, Bhasti, Bhavati, Navali, Kapalbhati and Trataka. Later, the thinkers and writers who wanted the Hatha yoga to become a complete science of yoga, added few more things in it. The practices of asana, the postures, and the practices of pranayama and techniques of breathing were added to it. This made it a complete science of yoga, as reported in indiainteracts.