Hatha Yoga is a science with practical application in all our lives and includes a range of practices based on scientific understanding. There are many types of yoga, Hatha Yoga is one, for more information on different types of yoga please visit Yoga Paths, Types and Styles at yoga point.com, do bear in mind this may not be a complete list.
Ha meaning the Sun and Tha the Moon, Hatha Yoga means Light on Yoga. It is explained in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the copy I have is by Swami Muktibodhananda and is published by the Bihar School of Yoga. This particular book also details some of the key practices, history and science of Hatha Yoga.
The scientific understanding, like modern science, is based on empirical research. Yoga has been around for many thousands of years, and so it does not include academic research in it’s literature, although modern scientific studies have been conducted on this ancient and time tested form of yoga. Yoga in my view can still be classed as an empirical science because, some of the same scientific techniques are used to prove the various practices of yoga are effective, for example repeated experiments proving consistent results. We are lucky that books like Yoga Nidra (Bihar School of Yoga) include the results of contemporary scientific research. Historically it has been taught (like all yoga) from teacher to student, and in this way the student is guided to explore and prove the effectiveness of the practices (and science) for themselves.
Hatha yoga deals with the following areas of practice;
- Asana (physical postures and exercise methods)
- Shatkarmas (cleansing practices)
- Pranayama (breathing, as practise in its own right or to augment other practises)
- Mudra (positions – hands and other positions)
- Bandha (locks/energy management – musculature – as a practise or augmentation)
- Meditation (working with the mind and relaxation, including higher states of experience)
As with most forms of yoga, philosophy underpins and ties together whole of the tradition, and mythology helps one understand the practice and philosophy. With yoga we see even the philosophy and mythology are practical elements. I like to think of of the word hologram – as defined “the intermediate photograph (or photographic record) that contains information for reproducing a three-dimensional image by holography” (see definition, [accessed on 7th March at 1032] ) – because looking at the yoga tradition as the intermediate photograph and the student as the vehicle for reproducing the three dimensional image,we can apply a process to transform ourselves and reproduce within our lives the three dimensional image of yoga as a living entity manifest in our lives.
Further areas of reading on this subject can be found at;
- The Yoga Tradition section 2.III by Georg Feuerstein (Pub. Hohm Press)
- Hatha Yoga section starting on page 65 of Dynamics of Yoga by Swami Satyananda Saraswati (Pub. Bihar School of Yoga)
- Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Swami Muktibodhananda (Pub. Bihar School of Yoga)
- Yoga and Kriya by Swami Satyananda Saraswati (Pub. Bihar School of Yoga)
- Yoga Darshan starting on page 87 by Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati (Pub. Bihar School of Yoga)
