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What is Yoga?
Yoga is the intentional spiritual discipline that emerged in India several thousand years ago. Yoga is simply the way to harmonious living, in order to experience true fulfillment in line with personal destiny. The scriptures upon which the philosophy is based are known as the Vedas. "Veda" means "revealed truth." The Vedas are one of the oldest known philosophies.
The various systems found in yoga teaching are for the purpose of meeting individual needs. The goal of yoga practice is spiritual awakening.
Hatha Yoga is the foundation for all other yogas. The word "Yoga" comes from the Sanskrit "yug," which means "to join" or "to bind." "Ha" refers to the sun current that flows in the right side of the body. "Tha" refers to the moon current that flows in the left side of the body. Thus, in Hatha, the goal is to balance the flow of the current in the central pathway so everything in the system flows evenly -- all the currents in the body are in harmony and there is complete tranquility between mind, body and soul.
Hatha Yoga strengthens and purifies the body, awakens vital forces, and gives:
Hatha Yoga is the practice of awareness: the process of being totally involved with the body while practicing various postures, breathing exercises and relaxation techniques. It is a way of learning to focus all the attention on present time awareness, then looking outwardly from the center of one's being and perceiving correctly.
- mental control and
great power of concentration,
relaxation at deeper than conscious levels, and
- a renewed sense of the joy of living.
Outline for the Practice of Hatha Yoga
There are a few simple guidelines for practicing Hatha Yoga.
- Practice time is best approached in a positive, relaxed, open frame of mind. This is not the time to think, it is the time to be.
Practice should be approached each day with regularity, but always relaxed and with total attention.
- A main point to remember when beginning Hatha Yoga practice is that there is never any competition, not with other people, and certainly not with one's own self, and not with yesterday's practice session, or tomorrow's.
Physical changes will naturally occur in the body as practice continues, learning to observe the body is most useful, being detached and witnessing all that occurs from within the body, the vessel through which one expresses in this world.
Hatha Yoga is composed of:
- Asanas
- Pranayamas
- Bandhas
- Mudras
Asanas or postures are natural movements to the body. Many derive their names from animals who exhibit these movements, such as the cobra, the locust, and the fish. The poses are not difficult. They are all easy to practice. When practice is first begun, the finished pose should be assumed within the mind's eye. The practitioner should simply "visualize" himself or herself doing so. All that is necessary is to keep the picture of the complete pose in the mind, and before one realizes it, he or she will successfully complete the pose.
The basic poses should be learned first. One need not think he or she must do more difficult poses to make progress. There is great value in even the simplest movements in Hatha Yoga. The postures have a direct effect on the efficient functioning of the glandular and nervous systems, as well as upon the muscular and circulatory systems. The poses work on the body from the inside out.
Pranayamas involve control of the breath, which balances the flow of energy in the body.
Bandha means lock or seal, used to lock energy into certain areas of the bodyA Mudra is a movement or gesture. All mudras consist of simple body movements or postures designed to direct the life force flow in the body.
Hatha Yoga offers the greatest benefits with the smallest possible expenditure of energy.