| In the larger sense, Hatha Yoga is the means
of gaining transcendent awareness by training, purifying and
refining the body. The word “hatha” is composed
of two syllables: Ha indicating the heating, active, solar principle,
and tha representing the cooling, receptive, lunar principle.
Thus, Hatha Yoga is that method of physical discipline which
aims to bring these two energies into a state of dynamic equilibrium.
I emphasize “dynamic equilibrium”, because these
energies are in a continuous state of flux, and “equilibriating”
is an ongoing process.
Almost all ‘yogas’ which have proliferated in
the West are a form of Hatha Yoga. If it involves various
physical postures and breathing exercises, it is Hatha Yoga!
The difference in styles of Hatha Yoga is mainly in the different
emphasis of aspects of the practices, the level of intensity,
and the often very different approaches taken in teaching
the asanas and pranayama.
What all schools of Hatha Yoga share in common is the higher
spiritual goal of moksha, or liberation from the limited self-identity
of the ego. And most schools accept the Patanjali’s
Yoga Sutras, as well as the revered Bhagavad
Gita, and Hatha Yoga Pradipika as foundational
classical texts.
hatha yoga
– is to be distinguished from Hatha Yoga in that the
latter is a broader “umbrella” term that encompasses
all forms of physical yoga. With the recent proliferation
of so many styles of yoga, “hatha yoga” became
the name given to that style of physical yoga which is generally
gentler in intensity, using mostly still postures, and with
a consistent spiritual orientation.
In Mariko’s class, the meditative approach to the still
postures is taken from the hatha style. Although her classes
can be of high intensity, the deep internal focus is maintained.
Vinyasa –
is popularly understood as the style of yoga in which the
practitioner moves from posture to posture through a in a
flowing sequence. The original Sanskrit term is vinyasa
krama. ‘Krama’ means a sequence, or order
of the arrangement of the various asanas, pranayama and meditation
practices. The prefix vi denotes that which is special,
or has a specific quality or purpose. Nyasa means
to place, to apply, to fix, and to insert.
Therefore, we can derive the meaning “to place into
a sequence in a special way, for a specified purpose”.
The concept of vinyasa krama emphasizes the importance of
correct sequencing of actions appropriate to the internal
and external conditions of the practitioner. |
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