Hatha Yoga is the name now universally known to apply to the physical exercise of Yoga. Hatha is a Sanskrit word made up of two parts – “Ha” meaning “sun”, and “tha” meaning moon. As such, we can understand the word to represent the union of opposites; the sun and the moon, the light and the dark, the active and the passive.
The understanding of Hatha Yoga as a union of opposites extends throughout the whole practice. Yoga is designed to work on the system of the energy body, which is made up of a system of ‘nadis’ – like an astral nerve system. The nadis are not present in conventional anatomy, but can be said to correspond to the nervous system. Hatha Yoga works to activate two of the main nadis; Ida and Pingala. Ida correspond to the left nostril, the right hemisphere of the brain and the moon, while pingala corresponds to the right nostril, left hemisphere and the sun. That’s why yogic breathing techniques work on alternating the breath through each nostril – they are working to bring into union the sun and moon elements in each individual body.
Hatha Yoga is a term that originated in the 15th century. It was a development of Patanjali’s Astanga (eight-limbed) system of Yoga, which incorporated ethics and other spiritual disciplines along with physical practice. In the 15th century, Saint Swatmarama took the physical and breathing practices of Yoga and systematised them in the first ever yoga textbook The Hatha Yoga Pradipaka. Since then, Hatha Yoga has been understood as the practice of yoga in its technical aspects, and the name has more fame than ever today.
Hatha Yoga is really the foundation of all practices of yoga in the modern world. It is fair to view it as the oldest and most complete complementary system of health, and it has developed into numerous forms that hold something for every individual. When you practice yoga you are assured a level of all-round wellbeing, both in terms of physical health and emotional wellness.
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