Hatha Yoga is the most widespread type of yoga. The word Hatha comes from the Sanskrit “Ha”, which means Sun and “Tha”, which means Moon. It is often defined as the practice of various postures or asanas to achieve balance between our masculine energy (Ha) and our feminine energy (Tha).
But what is authentic Hatha Yoga? We should not remain at the physical level of Hatha Yoga. It is not just a series of postures, more or less complicated, that provide us with flexibility and muscle firmness.
Hatha Yoga is much more. It is the preparation of our body to increase its energy level. By practicing this science, one can change and improve the way they think, feel, and experience life.
The aim is to create a body that is not an obstacle in your life but a springboard for spiritual growth. Literally, Hatha can be translated as tenacity.
What is the purpose of Hatha Yoga?
The main objective is simple, to modify and adjust our body to increase its energy capacity.
In this video from our Youtube channel, Laura Santisteban explains in depth what this modality consists of:
Origin of Hatha Yoga
The ascetic tradition emerged on the borders of India and Nepal, and the aspects that came to be part of Hindu tradition, such as reincarnation and karma, were fundamental to its thought.
These ascetics were the original Hatha yogis, and their practices were aimed at two fundamental purposes: burning past karma and refining the body and mind.
In order to perfect the body and the senses, these Hatha yogis practiced extraordinary feats, such as holding their arms in the air for hours, immersing themselves in cold water, never sitting down (not even to sleep), balancing on one leg, or performing what is known as the “bat penance,” hanging upside down.
It is difficult to establish the exact origin, although it is commonly considered that the Nath school was the initiator of this practice. It was created by Adinath in the 3rd century A.D.
According to tradition, it was Shiva himself who transmitted the fundamentals. The practices have evolved over time, and Goraksha, from the Nath school itself, is considered the precursor of what we now consider Hatha Yoga.
The practice of yoga is an ancient tradition in the East, but it was not until the late 19th century that it spread to the West.
It was undoubtedly thanks to Swami Vivekanda, who, fulfilling his vital purpose, took charge of spreading his practice throughout the rest of the world.
Currently, Hatha Yoga has given rise to some styles such as Iyengar Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Bikram Yoga, and some others, which although may have different approaches, all share the fundamentals, as it has always been.
Benefits of Hatha Yoga
The practice of Hatha Yoga offers countless benefits backed by scientific studies. Many of these are also shared with other branches of yoga.
- Stress Management: Improves mental control, allowing for a better reaction to stressful situations.
- Reduction of anxiety and depression: Provides calm, helping to alleviate states of anxiety and depression.
- Body health: Transforms the body, promoting the functioning of organs and the lymphatic system.
- Sleep quality: Improves rest thanks to the energy balance it generates.
- Muscle strengthening: Tones and strengthens the muscles, increasing physical endurance.
- Flexibility and balance: The postures increase elasticity and body control, improving balance.
- Healthy spine: Strengthens the spine, optimizing energy distribution and reducing back and neck pain.
Hatha Yoga Poses
The majority of the Hatha Yoga postures that we know today did not exist until the popularization that yoga experienced in the last 50 years. The ancient asanas were not simply body postures, but mudras, intended to channel the energy within our body.
The texts collected in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika can be considered as the anthology of the earliest postures of Hatha Yoga. In them, the three fundamental elements of Hatha Yoga are identified: asanas (postures), pranayama (breath control), and dhyana (meditation).
It includes fifteen main postures, seven of which are seated and eight are not seated, as well as a set of additional postures, up to a total of 84 asanas.
This is the first time we know that an asana is reinvented as something more than a seated position for meditation. After all, the word asana means “seat”, specifically a seat for meditation.
The asanas are specific body positions that open energy channels and psychic centers. Through the control of the body with the practice of asanas, the control of the mind is also achieved.
Therefore, the practice of asanas is fundamental in the practice of Hatha Yoga. Hatha yogis discovered that these body positions open the energy channels and the psychic centers.
Asana means a state of being in which it is possible to maintain stability, stillness, tranquility, and physical and mental comfort. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali contain a concise definition of yoga postures: “Sthiram sukham aasanam”, which means comfortable and stable position.
“Having practiced asanas, stability is achieved in the body and in the mind, absence of disease and lightness in the limbs”Hatha yoga Pradipika (1:17)
These sacred postures have evolved over the last few years, and today we have a multitude of postures, from the simplest to the most challenging for our flexibility.
It is complicated to determine the number of asanas that exist, and the truth is that to this day, many schools have agreed that there are 10 basic postures that help us keep the physical and subtle systems aligned and firm. Below we talk about the ten most important postures:
Shukasana or Easy Pose
It is known as easy pose, an asana that consists of a simple cross of the legs in a seated position. It is a meditation asana with which we usually start the practice of yoga, where we begin to seek that bodily stability, and that body-mind connection. In shukasana the body is relaxed, the sitting bones are grounded, and the back is straight.
It is considered a meditation pose for beginners and serves as a foundation for the rest of the meditation asanas such as ardha padmasana or padmasana, the lotus.
Tadasana or Mountain Pose
The mountain pose is the mother of all standing asanas. It is the upright standing pose, it seems simple but requires many actions and from it all the others arise.
It is performed with feet separated to the width of the hips; the glutes, abdomen, and shoulders remain relaxed, the hips neutral, and the arms extended at both sides with the fingers actively pointing to the ground and the neck in line with the spine.
In Tadasana, we become aware of our posture and how the weight of our body is distributed on the soles of the feet, forming a triangle between the big toe, little toe, and heel.
Child’s Pose
It is an asana that helps to regain calm, it is a resting posture in which we sit on our heels and bring our forehead to the ground with our arms stretched out over our head or at both sides of our feet.
It helps us to lengthen and relax all the muscles of the back, to open the chest and feel our breath.
Downward-Facing Dog Pose
It is a semi-inverted position, key in our yoga practice, that is also used as a transition in more dynamic styles of yoga. Starting from the plank position, we lift the hips up and back and seek to elongate the sides while the heels and hands press against the ground.
The inverted V pose, also known as the pyramid pose, can be a bit complicated for beginners but with practice it will feel like a resting pose.
If you feel that your hamstrings are still not very flexible, you can bend your knees to avoid ever hunching your back and keep your shoulders away from your ears at all times.
Bhujangasana or Cobra Pose
It is the quintessential extension or backward bending position.
From the ground, lying face down we try to support our hands at chest height and push with our active hands looking towards the sky and pulling the shoulders back, allowing for the opening of the heart. It is important to maintain the activation of the legs and glutes to avoid straining the lower back.
Uttanasana or Standing Forward Bend Pose
It is a standing asana and deep forward bend that involves stretching the posterior chain of the body, requires a lot of flexibility in the hamstrings, but at first you can slightly flex the knees or try to lower with a straight back a little less. The chin is kept close to the chest and the forehead seeks the knees.
We must try to “absorb” the English and ensure that the abdomen seeks contact with the thighs to avoid curvature of the back.
The bend is done from the hips, as if we fold forward like a hinge.
One-Legged Pranamasana or Tree Pose
It is a standing balance pose, one of the most well-known and basic. Remember that it should be performed on both sides of the body.
Start by rooting yourself with the right foot and place the sole of the left foot on the ankle, the calf, or the inner thigh of the right leg, always avoiding the kneecap to protect the joint. Form a triangle with the bent leg and gently pull the knee back, allowing the hip to open.
Then, bring the palms in prayer together in front of the chest and fix your gaze forward (drishti), which will help you maintain balance. Breathe calmly as you focus on stability and alignment.
When you feel stable, you can raise your palms above your head without collapsing your shoulders. It is just as important to build the posture as it is to maintain it and to undo it, so do not rush, and work on the posture with patience and awareness.
Here we leave you a video of Laura Santisteban explaining how to perform Eka Pada Pranamasana and its variants.
Utthita Trikonasana or Triangle Pose
It is one of the most complete standing postures, in which we work strength, flexibility, and balance. Starting from Tadasana, we take a step back with the left foot, placing the heel at 90º and aligning the body with the side of the mat, we open the arms in a cross and while elongating both sides, we aim to place the right hand on the ground or on the shin and raise the opposite arm toward the sky.
The shoulders must remain aligned, the back straight, the chest open, and the hips at the same height. We can direct our gaze towards the hand we have pointing upwards or, if the neck bothers, keep it fixed forward.
Again, we are providing you with another explanatory video on how to perform Utthita Trikonasana or the triangle pose.
Halasana or Plow Pose
It is an inverted position in which we bring our legs above our head seeking support from our toes on the ground. As in all inverted positions, the heart is above the head and this helps to calm the pulse and prepare us for rest.
It is a pose that stretches the legs, the spine, and stimulates the abdominal organs.
In this position, the arms can point in the opposite direction to the legs, with the palms resting on the ground seeking to bring the elbows together behind the back, or they can also go towards the feet. It serves as preparation for another asana considered the queen of inversions, sarvangasana or the shoulder stand.
If you want to delve deeper into this type of postures, we leave you a guided practice of inversions by Luna Solana.
Savasana or Corpse Pose
It is the final relaxation position, a supine resting asana and the most important of all postures as we integrate all the benefits of the practice in it. It is said to be the most difficult because we must remain attentive in it, with our mind in the present and without falling asleep.
In Savasana we lie on the mat on our backs, with the body completely relaxed, the back well supported, the arms and legs extended, and the palms facing towards the sky on both sides of the body.
Another fundamental element of Hatha Yoga that must accompany the practice of asanas is the control of breath, known as Pranayama. The word Prana refers to our vital energy and the word Yama means to load.
And that is exactly what we do when practicing Hatha Yoga, charging our vital energy. For this reason, it is essential to execute the asanas with the appropriate breathing cycles.
But let us not forget what the ultimate goal of Hatha Yoga was, to connect with the universe. All practices focus on preparing our body and mind to reach a state of energy that facilitates this connection with the rest of the Universe.
And this is exactly what we do during meditation, connect and merge with everything around us.
If you want to do a complete Hatha Yoga practice that includes these asanas, suitable for beginners, we encourage you to try this class guided by Luna Solana.
Hatha Yoga involves transformation
Although the origins of Hatha Yoga are not known precisely and even despite the multitude of ways in which yoga has evolved throughout history, one thing is certain: Hatha Yoga practices produce changes. This has always been its foundation.
Hatha Yoga changes how we feel not only physically but also mentally and emotionally. It can improve feelings of happiness and well-being, help release sadness and grief, and promote relaxation and dynamism.
Although not all of us can become ascetics and renounce worldly responsibilities in favor of yoga practice, we can use our yoga practice to be more connected, vital, and engaged with the world we live in.
Is Hatha Yoga for Everyone?
Hatha Yoga can be practiced by anyone, but it is very important to put yourself in the hands of an experienced teacher who will guide you during the exercises to avoid the occurrence of injuries.
Furthermore, as has been mentioned previously, Hatha Yoga is more than just postures, so you do not have to worry about your level of flexibility, as the meditation and breathing aspects are equally important.
In the yoga courses, you will learn, guided by teachers from India and around the world, the fundamentals of Hatha Yoga.
These programs are intended for those who want to develop their career as yoga teachers or also for those who simply want to deepen their practice and knowledge.
