Wut is hatha yoga?

Answer 1

Hatha yoga


Hatha Yoga posture performed at a Hindu temple.Hatha yoga, pronounced [ˈhʌθə], is also known as Hatha vidya. It is a particular system of Yoga introduced by Yogi Swatmarama, a yogic sage of the 15th century in India, and compiler of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Hatha Yoga is derived from the Hinayana (narrow path) and Mahayana (great path) traditions of Buddhism, as well as the Sahajayana (spontaneous path) and Vajrayana (concerning matters of sexuality) traditions of Tantra. The Hatha Yoga of Swatmarama and his contemporaries differs from the Raja Yoga of Patanjali in that it focuses on shatkarma, the purification of the physical as leading to the purification of the mind (ha) and prana, or vital energy (tha). The Raja Yoga posited by Patanjali begins with a purification of the mind (yamas) and spirit (niyamas), then comes to the body via asana (body postures) and pranayama (breath). Hatha Yoga is what most people associate with the word "Yoga" and is mainly practiced for mental, physical health, and vitality outside of India.



The most fundamental and oldest surviving text of Hatha Yoga is the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, a Sanskrit classic compiled by Yogi Swatamarama, a contemporary of Goraknath, in 15th century C.E. The work is derived from older Sanskrit texts and Yogi Swatamarama's own yogic experiences. It includes information about shatkarma, asana, pranayama, chakras, kundalini, bandhas, kriyas, shakti, nadis, and mudras among other topics.

Many modern schools of Hatha Yoga derive from the school of Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, who taught from 1924 until his death in 1989. Among his students prominent in popularizing Yoga in the West were Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, famous for popularizing the vigorous Ashtanga Vinyasa style, B.K.S. Iyengar who emphasizes alignment and the use of props, Indra Devi and Krishnamacharya's son T.K.V. Desikachar who developed the Viniyoga style. Desikachar founded the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai, with the aim of making available the heritage of yoga as taught by Krishnamacharya.

Another major stream of influence was Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh (1887-1963) and his many disciples, including Swami Vishnudevananda - founder of International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres, Swami Satyananda - of the Bihar School of Yoga, and Swami Satchidananda - of Integral Yoga, among others.


Concept
Traditional Hatha Yoga is a holistic yogic path, including moral disciplines, physical exercises (e.g., asanas (postures) and Pranayama (breath control), and meditation. The Hatha yoga predominantly practiced in the West consists of mostly asanas (postures) and exercise.

Hatha represents opposing energies: hot and cold (fire and water, following the same concept as the ying-yang), male and female, positive and negative, similar but not completely analogous to yin and yang. Hatha yoga attempts to balance mind and body via physical exercises, or "asanas", controlled breathing, and the calming of the mind through relaxation and meditation. Asanas teach poise, balance & strength and are practiced to improve the body's physical health and clear the mind in preparation for meditation in the pursuit of enlightenment.

The Yoga of Patanjali is Ashtanga or comprised of 8 limbs, Yama and Niyama, which are ethical obligations, Asana, Pranayama, which is breath control, Pratyahara, which is sense withdrawal, Dharana, which is concentration, Dhyana, which is meditation, and Samadhi, which is the experience of unity with God.

Answer 2

The word hatha means willful or forceful. Hatha yoga refers to a set of physical exercises (known as asanas or postures), and sequences of asanas, designed to align your skin, muscles, and bones. The postures are also designed to open the many channels of the body–especially the main channel, the spine–so that energy can flow freely.

Hatha is also translated as ha meaning "sun" and tha meaning "moon." This refers to the balance of masculine aspects–active, hot, sun–and feminine aspects–receptive, cool, moon–within all of us. Hatha yoga is a path toward creating balance and uniting opposites. In our physical bodies we develop a balance of strength and flexibility. We also learn to balance our effort and surrender in each pose.

Hatha yoga is a powerful tool for self-transformation. It asks us to bring our attention to our breath, which helps us to still the fluctuations of the mind and be more present in the unfolding of each moment.

Answer 3

Hatha simply refers to the practice of physical yoga postures, meaning your Ashtanga, vinyasa, Iyengar and Power Yoga classes are all Hatha Yoga. The word “hatha” can be translated two ways: as “willful” or “forceful,” or the yoga of activity, and as “sun” (ha) and “moon” (tha), the yoga of balance.

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