Part 1.7 - Description of Hatha Yoga

[Full title: Various Types of Yoga in the Yogopanishads (7) Hathayoga]

The Hatha Yoga or the 'forceful yoga, particularly, focuses on development of the body's potentiality, through which a profound effect, on the nervous system and the rest of the body is found. Therefore, the Hatha-Yogin endeavors to steel the body-to 'bake' it well. The practitioner wants to construct a 'divine body' or

104 'adamantine body (vajra-deha)'. The three of the Yoga-Upanisads viz. the Yogashikha-upanishad, the Yogatattva-upanishad and the Varaha-upanishad, explain the Hathayoga. The Yogashikha-upanishad defines the Hatha-Yoga as the conjunction of faith and formula (mantra) of the 'Hamsa', Out of which there takes place, in the advanced stage (pascima), the union of the moon and the sun. The letter 'Ha' means the sun and the 'Sa' means the moon. Thus, the union (yoga) of the sun-vein (ha) and the moon-vein (tha) is known as Hatha-Yoga.35 The Yogatattva-upanishad mentions the Hatha Yoga, as one of the four kinds of Yoga. Hatha Yoga is of eight welknown subservients. It also adds 12 more sub-divisions of Hatha-Yoga. They are: (1) Mahamudra (2) Mahabandha (3) Mahavedha (4) Khecari (5) Jalandhara bandha (6) Uddiyana (7) Mulabandha (8) Dirgha Pranava-Samdhana (9) Siddhanta-Sravana (10) Vajroli (11) Amaroli, and (12) Sahajoli Sometimes, these 12 divisions are called the Dvadasantya Yoga.36 The Varaha-upanishad, mentioning the three kinds of Yoga viz. Laya Yoga, Mantra Yoga and Hatha Yoga, discusses the four subservients viz. Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama out of eight welknown subservients.