Hatha Yoga is a fairly slow-paced, gentle and mellow form of Yoga which focuses on simples poses that comfortably flow from one to the other. It’s a good type of yoga for beginners to start with or for winding down at the end of a hard day.

There are several variations in the exact definition of Hatha Yoga. Some translate it as ‘forceful yoga’, while others define ‘Ha’ as sun/male and ‘tha’ as moon/female thus referring to the integration of opposites into a complete union. Like all forms of yoga, the goal of Hatha Yoga is to unite the mind, body and spirit.

Hatha Yoga is comprised of the following elements:

• Postures (asanas)
• Cleansing practices (dhauti or shodhana)
• Breath control (pranayama)
• Locks (badha)
• Hand gestures (mudra)

Hatha Yoga was originally introduced by Yogi Swatmarama, a 15th century sage from India. It is the basis from which many other styles of yoga developed, including Ashtanga, Bikram and Kundalini. Today, Hatha Yoga is one of the most popular and well-known styles of yoga in the West. It is primarily practiced for health and vitality, offering an excellent way to exercise and stretch the body and reduce stress.

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Part Two:

Hatha Yoga was introduced by Yogi Swatmarama, a 15 ^th century sage from India. This style of Yoga is the most popular in the West. It’s has develop in other styles like Ashtanga, Bikram and Kundalini.

Hatha Yoga is derived from the Buddhism, and as well as the Tantra:

Buddhism                                           Tantra

 The Hinayana (narrow path)  +          The Sahajayana (spontaneous path)

Mahayana (great path)             +          Vajrayana (sexual matters)

Although Hatha Yoga represents the physical part of Raja Yoga there is a difference in the approach between the old school, the Hatha Yoga by Swatmarama, and the newest school, the Raja Yoga of Patanjali. This difference can be appreciated in these sentences:

“T he purification of the physical as leading to the purification of the mind” – Hatha Yoga by Swatmarama-

“Purification of the mind and spirit, then comes to the body via body postures, asanas, and breath control, Pranayama” – Raja Yoga of Patanjali”

The Asanas, as Patanjali mentions, are just the beginning in the Yoga Path.

“Purity”; internal, the physical body (diet, hygiene), and external, the mind are also part of the Hatha Yoga.