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Hatha yoga

Hatha yoga: Hindu - Hinduism Dictionary on Hatha yoga

hatha yoga: (Sanskrit) "Forceful yoga."

Hatha yoga is a system of physical and mental exercise developed in ancient times as a means of rejuvenation by rishis and tapasvins who meditated for long hours, and used today in preparing the body and mind for meditation.

Its elements are

1) postures (asana),

2) cleansing practices (dhauti or shodhana),

3) breath control (pranayama),

4) locks (bandha, which temporarily restrict local flows of prana) and

5) hand gestures (mudra), all of which regulate the flow of prana and purify the inner and outer bodies.

Hatha yoga is broadly practiced in many traditions. It is the third limb (anga) of Patanjali's raja yoga. It is integral to the Saiva and Shakta tantra traditions, and part of modern ayurveda treatment. In the West, hatha yoga has been superficially adopted as a health-promoting, limbering, stress-reducing form of exercise, often included in aerobic routines.

Esoterically, ha and tha, respectively, indicate the microcosmic sun (ha) and moon (tha), which symbolize the masculine current, pingala nadi, and feminine current, ida nadi, in the human body. The most popular hatha yoga manuals are Hatha Yoga Pradipika and the Gheranda Samhita.

See: hatha yoga, asana, kundalini, nadi, yoga, raja yoga.

(See also: Hatha yoga, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

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Hatha yoga: Hindu - Hinduism Dictionary on Hatha yoga

By Himalayan Academy

hatha yoga: (Sanskrit) "Forceful yoga."

Its elements are

1) postures (asana),

2) cleansing practices (dhauti or shodhana),

3) breath control (pranayama),

4) locks (bandha, which temporarily restrict local flows of prana) and

5) hand gestures (mudra), all of which regulate the flow of prana and purify the inner and outer bodies.

See: hatha yoga, asana, kundalini, nadi, yoga, raja yoga.

For more articles related to Hatha yoga , see: Hinduism, Hatha yoga , Body Mind and Soul.

Courtesy to Himalayan Academy: An educational and publishing institution of Saiva Siddhanta Church founded by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami in 1957. The Academy's objective is to share the teachings of Sanatana Dharma through travel-study programs, The Master Course, books and other publications- particularly the monthly newspaper Hinduism Today and Dancing with Siva, Hinduism's Contemporary Catechism- as a public service to Hindus worldwide. Please visit www.himalayanacademy.com for more information.

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