During 800 AD to 1700 AD, the followers of Patanjali Yoga gave greater importance to asanas, kriyas and pranayama for cleansing of the body and mind. This purification helped practitioners reach higher levels of practice like samadhi. This form of yoga is called Hatha Yoga.
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika compiled by Yogi Swatmarama serves as a guide for every yoga aspirant. The word Hatha is a combination of two big mantras, Ha and Tha where Ha represents the mind or mental energy and Tha represents prana or the vital force. So Hatha Yoga means the union between the mental and the pranic force leading to the awakening of higher consciousness. It is the six limb yoga with the following principles: asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi.
The main objective of Hatha Yoga is purification and harmonization of the body, prana and mind leading to the evolution of human consciousness. Therefore it is considered as the preliminary practice of Tantra, Raja Yoga, Kundalini Yoga and Kriya Yoga.
Savasana, Padmasana, Dhanurasana are some of the asanas that serve as examples of ancient traditional Hatha Yoga.
In traditional hatha yoga, kriya-asana combination is the first step supported by sattvic diet. Kriya can be Shat kriyas or any purification technique which removes the toxins from the body-mind.
Kriya doesn’t necessarily mean only Shat Kriyas (six purification techniques). But every purification technique which removes the toxins from the body-mind.
Therefore, you will have mantra chanting, Japa (repetition of a specific mantra), Jala neti, Trataka, Kirtans (inculcating humbleness), traditional meditation techniques for the initiation to Pratyahara, etc as part of the Hatha Yoga practice. This kind of yoga comprises a series of physical poses, called asanas, designed to cleanse the body and mind, as well as strengthen and build muscle, according to Yoga Journal. Performing Hatha yoga on a regular basis can enrich the mind, body, and soul by opening channels of energy in the body, including the spine.
- Sun salutations
- Sarvangasana
- Halasana
- Setu bandhasana
- Matsyasana
- Ardha matsyendrasana
- Anulom vilom pranayama
Savasana