HATHA YOGA POSTURES: CONNOTATION OF THE TERMS

Hatha Yoga postures refer to the different physical movements that a hatha yoga practitioner performs.

The hatha Yoga postures – commonly called ‘Asanas’ – are a combination of the physical as well as the mental states of the person who regularly performs the hatha yoga postures.

For instance, the hatha yoga postures include a set of specialized breathing exercise called ‘Pranayama’.

Hatha Yoga: The roots

The Sanskrit term ‘Pranayama’ has its roots in the two words: “prana” which means the source of energy or the life source; while “ayama” means to control.

Therefore, the entire set of Hatha yoga pranayama postures enables a person to deliberately manipulate the breathing process.

In short, Hatha yoga postures constitute the gamut of the science of controlling breathing.

Hatha Yoga Pranayama Postures

The Hatha yoga pranayama postures are the typical breathing controlling exercises involving the body and the mind.

When you regularly practice the Hatha yoga postures you will be able to have total control over your mind. Hatha yoga postures provide you the key to do this by giving you full control over your breathing process. As you do the hatha yoga postures – particularly the breathing control or ‘pranayama’ exercises – you unleash the potential energies latent within your physique. This is done in two phases, viz., involuntarily as well as voluntarily. Hence both unconsciously as well as consciously you gain control over your dormant power centers. Constant practice of the hatha yoga postures will help you even manipulate these treasure troves of latent energies.

Hatha Yoga controls breathing

Breathing includes the two processes of inhalation or breathing in (including the ingressive air) and exhalation or breathing out (egressive air). In normal circumstance, a person carries out breathing as a natural process.

BENEFITS OF Hatha Yoga Pranayama Postures

The hatha yoga pranayama postures yield immense benefits to the dedicated practitioner.

Research has proved that if we can control the breathing process we can very well have control over our mind and body. In fact, controlled breathing is the key to healthy living.

Hatha yoga postures focus on the optimum utilization of the pranayama or the breathing process to give the body immunity against various ailments.

Hatha yoga is also the forefather of the various mind control techniques. There are copious instances of people curing their own diseases (that were earlier declared incurable by modern medical science) through pranayama. Hatha yoga explores these intricate breathing postures.

Parents can even determine the sex of their yet-to be-conceived progeny through controlled breathing.

Hatha yoga is the base of all yoga postures.

The Sanskrit word ‘yoga’ means union. Proper practice of ‘Hatha yoga’ ensures the unification of the body and mind of the person regularly practicing Hatha yoga.

‘HATHA’: THE MEANING

The roots of the word ‘Hatha’ are the two Sanskrit terms ‘ha’ meaning the ’sun’ and ‘tha’ connoting the ‘moon’.

Each represents the opposite forces — positive and negative — that govern the universe respectively.

‘YOGA’: THE CONNOTATION

The root of the term ‘yoga’ is the Sanskrit word ‘joga’ which means ‘union’. This has been anglicized into ‘yoga’.  Therefore, ‘yoga’ refers to the best fusion of the mind, spirit and body of the hatha yoga practitioner.

BENEFITS OF REGULAR PRACTICE OF HATHA YOGA

The Hatha yoga practitioner consciously controls the functioning of the various vital functioning of the body through the mind. As a consequence thereof, the hatha yoga practitioner uses the breathing (inhalation and exhalation) as well as the functioning of the heart and mind to obtain the maximum benefits from the regular practice of hatha yoga postures.

HATHA YOGA: MEANS TO CHECK BASE EMOTIONS

As a natural corollary of this unification, the Hatha yoga practitioner becomes a controlled person. All forms of base emotions like anger, hatred, jealousy, etc., are brought under control.

THE PRIMARY TOOL OF HATHA YOGA

The primary tool of Hatha yoga is the control of the mind over the body. As a result, the psychology of the person concerned undergoes a sea change.

It is owing to all these positive aspects of Hatha yoga that this age-old proven tactic of physical and mind exercise have commanded a mass-following across the globe.

HATHA YOGA ASANAS: WHAT ARE THEY?

Though the terms ‘Asana’ and ‘Yoga’ are used as synonymous words, both are complementary to each other.

The Hatha yoga expression ‘Asana’ primarily refers to particular specialized physical movements that help to make supple the body of the practitioner of hatha yoga.

The hatha yoga asanas are a set of the seven other pillars of yoga in general. This is because hatha yoga aims at a wholesome growth of the person who practices these seven integrated regular ‘limbs’ of hatha yoga.

In fact, dedicated use of the hatha yoga asanas ensures physical, spiritual as well as mental (psychological) well-being of a person.