What is Hatha Yoga?

The "forceful Yoga," or Hatha-Yoga, is a medieval development.  Its fundamental objective is the same as that of any authentic form of Yoga: to transcend the egoic consciousness and to realize the Self, or divine Reality.  However, the psychospiritual technology of Hatha-Yoga is particularly focused on developing the body's potential so that the body can withstand the onslaught of transcendental realization. We are prone to think of ecstatic states like samadhi as purely mental events, which is not the case.  Mystical states of consciousness can have a profound effect on the nervous system and the rest of the body. After all, the experience of ecstatic union occurs in the embodied state.  The hatha-yogin, therefore, endeavors to steel the body--to "bake" it well, as the texts say.  The disciplines of Hatha-Yoga are designed to help manifest the ultimate Reality in the finite human body-mind In this, Hatha-Yoga expresses the ideal of Tantra, whis is to live in the world out of the fullness of Self-realization rather than to withdraw from life in order to gain enlightenment.

Hatha Yoga is a physical exercise regime that utilizes different "poses" called asanas, for the purpose of strengthening, opening, and cleansing the body. These asanas can be categorized by the movement they create in the body. For example, there are forward bends (like touching the toes), backbends (looking up), twists (turning around), as well as inversions, standing, and sitting poses. India has a rich and long history of great thinkers who were deeply involved in searching for the meaning of life and man's place in it. Over many generations, these thinkers discovered and developed different processes that could be followed to reveal "universal truths". Hatha Yoga is one of these methodologies. Hatha yoga is a system that has eight stages or steps within it. The first two (yama and niyama) deal with universal ethics and morals, and personal conduct. The third and fourth are the practice of yoga postures (asana), and breath control (pranayama). The fifth, sixth, and seventh deal with controlling the senses (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), and meditation (dhyana). And the eighth culminates with the experience of super-consciousness (samadhi). Most of us in our western culture have only been exposed to the third and fourth limbs, and frequently refer to the practice of asana and/or pranayama as hatha yoga. Traditionally speaking, these are only two of the eight stages. They do not, unto themselves, represent the wholeness of hatha yoga; although practicing them does give glimpses of the others stages.

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