What is Hatha Yoga?

Vinyasa, Bikram, Yin, oh my! Sometimes it can be difficult getting caught up in all of the mainstream yoga lingo that it’s hard to decipher what you REALLY want to practice, or what classes you want to sign up for. Here, I will demystify Hatha Yoga and what makes it a slightly different practice than the typical Americanized yoga class.

Hatha is composed of the two Sanskrit derivatives “ha” sun, and “tha” moon, or the union of sun and moon and/or polarities. Yoga means “yog” or union of one or more things, thus Hatha Yoga is the union of the sun and moon energies; male and female; yin and yang. In Hatha, there are three distinct categories of which practices fall under: Asana (postures), Pranayama (breathing practices), and meditation. Let’s break these down a bit further.

Asana is the physical form of yoga most people are familiar with: downward dog, Warrior 1, etc. It is practiced to keep the physical body in top mobility and strength, as if we cannot comfortably be in our bodies, it is then difficult to sit for long periods of time in meditation. These asanas were created to keep the joints limber and mobile, move your life force energy throughout the body, and maintain a homeostasis or balance of the physical body.

Pranayama is the next category, and consists of multiple breathing practices/techniques that help to clear stuck energy, promote kundalini energy flow and control, and use as a cleansing tool for our body’s optimum health. There are several practices most focused on, all of which help balance the brain, nervous system, and lymphatic system. They are also used to access and bond chakra energy when used correctly.

Meditation is the final point of our Hatha Yoga triangle, and is the entire reason for the practice itself. Without Meditation there is no yoga. All of the asana and pranayama practices have now lead you to this point, to master your mat in seated mediation. This is the real work, the real light, and the real flow. It is here where you find nirvana, Atman, or whatever you want to call it. Your inner knowing. Source Energy. Prana. Brahma.

With all three practices, anything is possible. This is the union of the mind, body, and soul. This is Hatha Yoga.