HATHA YOGA

Statue of Shiva on the banks of the Ganga, Rishikesh (India).

“Salutations to the glorious primal (original) guru, Sri Adinath, who instructed the knowledge of hatha yoga which shines forth as a stairway for those who wish to ascend to the highest stage of yoga, raja yoga.” Sri Adinath is one of the names given to Lord Shiva, who is supreme cosmic consciousness.”

(P.23 M., Swami. Hatha yoga pradipika. 2012).

In sanskrit the prefix “Ha” can means Sun and “Tha” can means Moon, while “Yoga” can be translate as Union.

So, Hatha yoga is the union of the energies of our internal sun and moon, or as explain in the scripture Hatha Yoga Pradipika:“ha represents prana, the vital force, and tha represents mind, the mental energy. So hatha yoga means the union of the pranic and mental forces. When union between the pranic and mental forces takes place, then a great event occurs: the awakening of higher consciousness.” (P.7 M., Swami. Hatha yoga pradipika. 2012).

Hatha Yoga is one of the oldest practices of Yoga, and has been teach to the humankind by Lord Shiva itself.

Illustration from the Joga Pradīpikā (c. 1830). Indian manuscript, Wellcome Collection, London.

The essence of Hatha Yoga is to cultivate perfect harmony between the physical body, the mind, and the flow of energy.