Yoga is an ancient Hindu practice with a multitude of different practices and schools of thought. While all yoga is designed to help its practitioners achieve harmony of the body, mind and spirit, each yoga path does this in a different way. Many definitions of hatha yoga exist, but most yoga teachers and students in the West practice what they refer to as hatha yoga.
Types of Yoga
There are four yoga styles, each placing emphasis on certain aspects of yoga: karma yoga stresses good deeds; bhakti yoga involves devotion and prayer; raja yoga emphasizes mental control; and jnana yoga involves the intellect and meditation. Within all the styles are common practices: proper exercise, or "asanas"; proper breathing, or "pranayama"; proper relaxation; proper diet; and positive thinking and mediation. Hatha yoga refers to a yoga practice that places emphasis on yoga postures and yoga breathing. Someone practicing hatha yoga may also practice one of the four styles or may only do the posture and breathing exercises.
The Word "Hatha"
The word "hatha" combines the Sanskrit words "ha," for sun, and "tha," for moon. Together, the word hatha represents balance and the unity of opposites, such as the sun and the moon, or the masculine and feminine. While adherents of other yoga styles may achieve balance and unity through meditation, attention to diet, or good actions, hatha practitioners strive to achieve these goals through asanas and pranayama
Asanas
Asanas, meaning "steady poses," are 12 basic postures, with numerous variations for each. The asanas stretch and strengthen the muscles and are thought to facilitate the movement of essential life energy throughout your body, with special attention on the strength and flexibility of the spine. People who may not accept the spiritual benefits of asanas, nonetheless may appreciate the positive effect on their circulation and nervous systems. Different hatha yoga teachers recommend different posture variations and sequences of postures.
Pranayama
Like the asanas, pranayama is thought to help the body increase the flow of energy. There may be breathing exercises in all the yoga styles, but hatha yoga includes only breathing and posture exercises. Pranayama involves becoming aware of your breathing and controlling your breath. In deep breathing, you expand both the upper rib cage area of the lungs as well as the lower, abdominal section. Other breathing techniques involve shallow and rapid breathing to increase energy. Pranayama provides both vitality and mental clarity, according to the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres. Western doctors frequently recommend hatha deep breathing techniques to help patients relax.
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