Hatha Yoga, which has another name Hatha Vidya, was introduced in the 15th century by Yogi Swatmarama. He is the one who created the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, a complete guidebook on Hatha Yoga, which is considered one of the oldest texts on the subject.
Hatha is derived from two words, ‘ha’ meaning the sun and ‘tha’ meaning the moon, and the combination of these two opposites is what that describes this form best. Because of the enormous physical effort required in this method, it is also known as ‘forceful yoga’.
The principals followed in this practice are the same as the raja yoga in Patanjali, which is the collation of all the Yoga sutras. This yoga consists of breathing and cleansing techniques and various postures, which help in the overall upkeep of the physical health.
There are some key precautions which need to be taken before the practice, just like any other forms of exercise, and have to be followed without fail.
The session has to start with a prayer to God. This has to be done on an empty stomach, preferably in the morning. Ensure that your bladder and bowels are empty as this will help in all the postures being perfect. You will also need to wear loose clothes.
The Hatha Yoga should not be practiced when you are sick. According to this renowned form of yoga, this is a form of mediation and hence, you need to have resolute concentration on what you are doing to get the best results.
‘Prana’ meaning ‘vital life’ and ‘apana’ which is a part of the five main pranas and is responsible for elimination of waste from the body, form the major components in this practice.
The Hatha Yoga is a preparation stage for the higher levels of mediation, as it purifies your body.
