Hatha Yoga

Whether a person is young or old, or very old,
Whether he is sick or very weak, he can attain
success (in the form of recovery of health
and spiritual progress) by taking recourse to
the repeated practice of Hatha Yoga.

— Hatha Yoga Pradipika I-64

CHAPTER NINE

Hatha, Kriya and Nada Yogas

HATHA YOGA

Health is the basis of all the good things in life. “Health is wealth” as the age-old adage goes. Without it, even the most beautiful sights of nature, the most favorable circumstances and relationships, become essenceless, joyless and devoid of grace.

Health implies a harmonious psycho-physical state of being. It implies the harmonious functioning of both the body and the mind. A truly healthy person has a strong will, disciplined senses, obedient mind and a body free from disease. In Yoga, it is well recognized that the body and mind are the instruments of the soul. Therefore, everyone who desires success, happiness, peace and immortality must learn to discipline, purify and keep the body and mind in a healthy state.

Hatha Yoga is the oldest and most complete system of psycho-physical exercises developed by Sages of ancient India. It is the method of harmonizing the body with the mind, and when this is established, a person truly enjoys good health, because then his mind is “unaware” of his body. Further, since the body and mind constitute the basis for all human endeavors, whether material or spiritual, Hatha Yoga becomes essential in the pursuit of the higher Yogas—Raja, Jnana, Bhakti and Karma Yogas.

Hatha Yoga is actually a branch of Raja Yoga. It includes Asana or various Yogic poses; Pranayama or breathing exercises; Mudras or special poses involving deep mental concentration; Bandhas or “ties” involving the concentration of Prana at certain areas of the body; and Hatha Yoga Kriyas or purificatory exercises.

The most recognized aspect of Hatha Yoga is Asana—a system of physical poses which, when done with poise, grace and mental focus in conjunction with Pranayama or breathing exercises, promotes vibrant health in the entire nervous system by allowing the subtle life-force, or Prana, to flow freely through the body. This is what distinguishes Hatha Yoga from other exercises and makes it a superior system of physical culture.

All those desiring good health should follow the simple, yet profound, regimen laid out in Hatha Yoga. Learn to breathe deeply, make it a point to be outdoors for sometime each day, fast at least twice a month on fruits or vegetable juices; sleep soundly knowing that you have performed your duties well; learn the art of meditation, which removes innumerable maladies of the mind and body, and infuses fresh energy into your entire system. Learn and practice some Hatha Yoga exercises each day.

From the book Integral Yoga: The Secret to Enlightenment by Swami Jyotirmayananda, published by the Yoga Research Foundation. © Swami Jyotirmayananda. All rights reserved.

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