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What Does Hatha Mean?
Have you ever ordered chocolate only to be asked what kind you’d like? After all, there are so many varieties: dark, milk, white, etc. The word yoga is much like the word chocolate—they’re both broad words that include a number of varieties.
There are actually several different branches of yoga. For example, bhakti yoga is a religious practice that involves devotion to a particular divine being. In modern western terms, however, the word yoga is often used to describe Hatha yoga, a traditional form of the discipline. Hatha yoga is a practice that takes a whole-body approach to wellness.
Hatha is a combination of two Sanskrit words. The first part, 'ha' is a term meaning the sun, and second part, 'tha' refers to the moon. These represent the opposite natures in the world—the light and the dark, the male and the female—much like the yin and yang symbol of Chinese philosophy. When the words are put together, the new term hatha means forceful or willful.
Literally, then, Hatha yoga is the deliberate uniting of the mind, the body, and the spirit. It doesn’t do this through some mystical Indian magic. Rather, Hatha yoga produces changes you can see and feel through these three activities:
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Asanas, or postures
From sitting calmly in a cross-legged pose to twisting the body into pretzel-like ball, asanas are static—meaning you stay in one position for a period of time. Because you stay still and support your own body weight, yogic postures are an excellent way to build muscles from your neck all the way down to your feet.
If you practice a flowing, or vinyasa, style of yoga, you’ll also learn to move fluidly between each of the postures. This also increases flexibility and strength, but it also produces better balance and coordination.
Typically, an instructor will lead a class through a variety of poses. There are postures designed to do everything from relieve menstrual cramps to increase back flexibility. If there’s a specific area of the body you’d like to improve, be sure to ask your instructor or consult a quality yoga reference guide.
Pranayama, or breathing exercises
This Sanskrit word means 'control of breath'. You don’t need to be versed in traditional Indian teachings to realize that breath is a powerful life force—after all, if you don’t breathe, you die.
Surprisingly, many of us don’t breathe as well as we should. As we zip through our busy schedules, things like stress, bad posture, and inactivity cause us to take short, shallow breaths. Less oxygen flows through our blood causing a host of problems from neck and back tightness to fatigue.
To get the most power out of Hatha yoga breathing exercises, it’s best to learn from a qualified instructor. There are many different ways to breathe and you might need to experiment until you find a method you’re comfortable with.
Meditation
This is the spiritual part of yoga practice. Despite its new-age reputation, meditation is increasingly becoming an accepted relaxation technique that is widely used by psychologists and other medical experts.
It’s true that for some people, yogic meditation is part of a religious practice. For example, a Hindu may meditate on a traditional deity or Christians might meditate on Christ by chanting a phrase like, 'Come, Lord'.
However, for many practitioners, the meditation is not focused on the realm of the religious. Instead these meditations are centered on creating a healthy body and mind.
During this quiet time, the goal is to focus the mind on one single point. You might focus, for instance, on the sound of your breath or an object like a candle. When your mind starts to worry about how you’re going to prepare dinner, you stop the thought and bring it right back to whatever it is you’re focusing on.
With just a little practice, you’ll find the mediation you learn in Hatha yoga will put you into a deep state of relaxation which will decrease your heart rate, lower your blood pressure and make you feel better.
There are also styles tailored to specific needs. Expecting moms, for example, might join a prenatal yoga class, which includes modified poses to accommodate growing bellies. Patients recovering from an illness or injury can choose restorative yoga, a style which aims to heal the entire body.
Practice hatha yoga regularly and you’ll soon find your body feels stronger, your mind feels more clear and your soul feels more peace.