Medieval Haṭhayoga: An Indigenous Bio-Therapeutic Model for Longevity
Journal name: Acta Orientalia
Original article title: Medieval Haṭhayoga Sādhana: An Indigenous South Asian Bio-Therapeutic Model for Health, Healing and Longevity Healing and Longevity
ACTA ORIENTALIA is a journal focused on the study of Oriental languages, history, archaeology, and religions from ancient times to the present. The journal includes articles reviewed by a senior scholar in the relevant field.
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Ellen Goldberg
Acta Orientalia:
(Founded in 1922 and published annually)
Full text available for: Medieval Haṭhayoga Sādhana: An Indigenous South Asian Bio-Therapeutic Model for Health, Healing and Longevity Healing and Longevity
Year: 2009 | Doi: 10.5617/ao.5340
Copyright (license): CC BY 4.0
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Summary of article contents:
1) Introduction
This paper reviews the practice of hathayoga, particularly its role in indigenous South Asian bio-therapeutic paradigms focused on health, healing, and longevity. The foundational texts of hathayoga highlight various pragmatic strategies for improving health and alleviating suffering (dukha). Two advanced practices, khecari mudra and kevala kumbhaka, exemplify the culmination of hathayoga in achieving what is termed the "divine body" (divya deha). The text emphasizes the interplay between physical practices and metaphysical understanding, linking notions of health and longevity to broader yogic philosophies.
2) Substantive Non-Duality
One key theme explored is the concept of substantive non-duality (advaita), which posits that ultimate reality encompasses a unified existence of consciousness (iva) and energy (akti). This belief is prevalent within hathayoga and tantric traditions, effectively framing health and wellness as intertwined with spiritual enlightenment. The research illustrates how practitioners can attain a harmonious understanding of the self through embodied practices, thereby transforming their experience of health as not just physical but deeply spiritual. This understanding is critical in establishing the holistic nature of healing within the hathayoga tradition.
3) The Yogic Body
The notion of the yogic body is a further vital concept in hahayoga, rooted in a comprehensive understanding of the physical and subtle (skma) anatomy that shapes human experience. The subtle body is characterized by an intricate system of energy channels (ns) through which vital energies circulate. Practices such as khecari mudra and kevala kumbhaka are pivotal in harmonizing these energies to enhance overall health and well-being. These techniques exemplify how the physical body not only serves as a vessel but as an active participant in achieving the interconnected states of health, consciousness, and ultimately, immortality.
4) The Importance of Sdhana
Sdhana, or the systematic practice of yogic techniques, is highlighted as a crucial method for attaining health and healing. Hahayoga distinguishes itself through a structured approach, which includes components like kriya (purification), asana (postures), and pranayama (breath control). The effectiveness of these practices is found not only in their physical benefits—such as improved flexibility and vitality—but in their capacity to deepen meditative experiences and promote profound internal transformations. Thus, sdhana represents both a pathway and a practical expression of the aspirant's journey toward spiritual realization and bodily immortality.
5) Advanced Practices of Khecari Mudra and Kevala Kumbhaka
Khecari mudra and kevala kumbhaka are underscored as transformative practices within hahayoga. Khecari mudra involves specific techniques that facilitate the retention of vital energies and the attainment of an immortal body through the elongation of the tongue and the sealing of specific energy channels. Kevala kumbhaka, or breath suspension, is considered the pinnacle of breath control, verifying the practitioner's advancement toward deeper meditative states. Both practices reinforce the idea that health is fundamentally linked to spiritual cultivation, framing the body as a sacred space for realizing divine potential.
6) Conclusion
Ultimately, the paper provides a cohesive understanding of how hahayoga integrates concepts of health, healing, and spirituality through its comprehensive practices. Through substantive non-duality, the yogic body's intricate energy systems, and the significance of disciplined sdhana, practitioners can navigate the path toward holistic health and longevity. By emphasizing the interdependence of physical practices and spiritual goals, hahayoga offers an indigenous paradigm of healing that upholds the unity of body and mind, suggesting that the journey toward enlightenment is intrinsically tied to achieving optimal health.
FAQ section (important questions/answers):
What is the focus of Ellen Goldberg's paper on hathayoga?
The paper examines hathayoga's contribution to traditional bio-therapeutic paradigms for health, healing, and longevity, emphasizing its embodied strategies for health and the transformative practices involved.
What are the advanced practices analyzed in the study?
The study analyzes khecari mudra and kevala kumbhaka, showcasing their roles in achieving optimum health and the attainment of a divine body within the hathayoga tradition.
How does medieval hathayoga treatment approach health and healing?
Medieval hathayoga is based on the principle of non-duality and claims that the psychophysical complex is essential for self-healing and achieving longevity through purification, rejuvenation, and practical health strategies.
What role do the hathayoga scriptures play in healing?
The hathayoga scriptures articulate disciplined practices that detail methods for achieving health, hygiene, and the cessation of suffering, creating a framework for practitioners to enhance physical and mental well-being.
What interrelationship does hathayoga suggest between body and mind?
Hathayoga asserts a deep interrelationship between the body and mind, where practices enable practitioners to achieve a state of non-duality, leading to holistic health, longevity, and spiritual realization.
What vital energies are involved in hathayoga practices?
Hathayoga involves the circulation of vital energies through nadis (channels), utilizing techniques like kumbhaka and mudras to refine these energies for spiritual and physical transformation.
How is longevity achieved according to hathayoga traditions?
Longevity in hathayoga is achieved through practices that involve extensive purification and the awakening of the kundalini energy, which leads to the elimination of disease and the transformation into a divine body.
Glossary definitions and references:
Oriental and Historical glossary list for “Medieval Haṭhayoga: An Indigenous Bio-Therapeutic Model for Longevity”. This list explains important keywords that occur in this article and links it to the glossary for a better understanding of that concept in the context of History, Linguistics, Religion, Philosophy, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism etc.
1) Practice:
In the context of medieval hathayoga, 'practice' refers to the disciplined and sustained execution of physical and mental exercises aimed at achieving health, enlightenment, and immortality. This involves techniques like Khecari Mudra and Kevala Kumbhaka. Such practices are essential for bodily purification and self-cultivation in hathayoga tradition.
2) Yoga:
Yoga in this text is used as a system of exercises and techniques aimed at physical health, mental clarity, and spiritual liberation. Medieval hathayoga texts like the Hathayogapradpik provide a framework for this practice, focusing on uniting the energies within the body to achieve a divine state.
3) Health:
Health is central to the hathayoga tradition, defined as the physical and mental well-being that practitioners seek through disciplines like Sana, Pryma, and advanced practices like Khecari Mudra. Health in this context goes beyond the absence of disease to include longevity and the achievement of a divine body.
4) Kumbhaka:
Kumbhaka refers to the practice of breath retention in the hathayoga tradition. It is a critical aspect of pryma, involving techniques like kevala kumbhaka, which facilitates deeper states of meditation and ultimately leads to the purification of the body's energy channels.
5) Kevalakumbhaka (Kevala-kumbhaka):
Kevala Kumbhaka is an advanced form of Kumbhaka, where the breath is retained spontaneously and naturally. It is considered supreme in hathayoga as it leads to deep states of samdhi and laya, and is associated with the attainment of a divine body (divya deha).
6) Kevala:
[see source text or glossary: Kevala]
7) Mind:
In hathayoga, the mind is intricately connected to the body and its practices. Techniques like meditation and Khecari Mudra aim to still the mind, facilitating deeper states of consciousness and ultimately leading to non-duality and liberation.
8) Cakra:
Cakras are energy centers in the hathayoga tradition, critical to practices aimed at health and enlightenment. There are six primary cakras along the spine, and techniques like sana and mudra aim to purify and energize these centers, culminating in the sahasrara cakra at the crown of the head.
9) Shana (Sana):
Sana, or postures, are foundational practices in hathayoga. They are designed to purify the body and prepare it for more advanced techniques like Khecari Mudra. Through disciplined practice, sana aligns the body with its energy channels, facilitating health, longevity, and spiritual awakening.
10) Purification:
Purification in hathayoga involves cleansing the body and mind through various techniques like kriy, sana, and pryma. This is essential for achieving higher states of consciousness and health, as it prepares the body to harness vital energies and unlock deeper spiritual potential.
11) Immortality:
Immortality in hathayoga refers to achieving a state of divine body (divya deha) through rigorous practices like Khecari Mudra and Kevala Kumbhaka. This state is characterized by the cessation of aging and death, as well as the attainment of ultimate health and enlightenment.
12) Experience:
[see source text or glossary: Experience]
13) Literature:
Medieval hathayoga literature, including texts like the Hathayogapradpik and Gheraa Sahit, provides a detailed framework for practices aimed at health, longevity, and spiritual attainment. These texts are prescriptive, offering guidelines for techniques like sana, mudra, and pryma.
14) Disease:
Disease in hathayoga is seen as a manifestation of bodily and mental impurities. The tradition offers various curative techniques, including sana, pryma, and advanced mudras like Khecari Mudra, to eradicate diseases and restore health.
15) Tantra (Tamtra, Tantrism):
Tantric practices in hathayoga involve advanced techniques aimed at awakening dormant energies and achieving non-duality. These practices, such as Khecari Mudra and Kevala Kumbhaka, are essential for attaining a divine body and spiritual liberation.
16) Samdhi:
Samdhi is the ultimate goal of yoga practices, including hathayoga. It is a state of profound meditative absorption and unity with the divine. Techniques like Kevala Kumbhaka are designed to facilitate this state, leading to liberation and immortality.
17) Duality:
[see source text or glossary: Duality]
18) Meditation:
Meditation in hathayoga is a technique used to still the mind and achieve deeper states of consciousness. Practices like Khecari Mudra and Kevala Kumbhaka are advanced forms of meditation that lead to samdhi and the realization of non-dual consciousness.
19) Religion:
[see source text or glossary: Religion]
20) Sanskrit:
Sanskrit is the language in which medieval hathayoga texts are written. These texts, such as the Hathayogapradpik, detail the practices and philosophies of hathayoga, providing a scriptural basis for its techniques and goals.
21) White:
David Gordon White is a scholar referenced in the text for his work on the siddha traditions in medieval India. His studies highlight the integration of hathayoga practices with broader alchemical and therapeutic traditions in Indian spirituality.
22) Consciousness:
Consciousness in hathayoga is seen as both a state and an energy (akti) that can be harnessed through practices like Khecari Mudra and Kevala Kumbhaka. The ultimate goal is to achieve a state of non-dual consciousness where iva and akti are united.
23) Instruction:
Instructions in hathayoga literature are often terse and encoded, requiring guidance from a guru for proper understanding. These instructions detail the practices of sana, mudra, and pryma, aimed at achieving health, longevity, and spiritual enlightenment.
24) Exercise:
Exercise in hathayoga refers to the disciplined practice of techniques like sana, pryma, and mudra. These exercises are designed to purify the body, regulate vital energies, and lead to spiritual and physical health.
25) Indian:
The practices and philosophies of hathayoga are deeply rooted in Indian traditions. Texts like the Hathayogapradpik and Gheraa Sahit originate from India and integrate Indian concepts of health, spirituality, and non-duality.
26) Liberation:
Liberation, or moka, is the ultimate goal of hathayoga. Through practices like Khecari Mudra and Kevala Kumbhaka, practitioners aim to transcend physical limitations and achieve a state of divine consciousness and immortality.
27) Longevity:
Longevity in hathayoga is achieved through the disciplined practice of techniques like sana, pryma, and advanced mudras. These practices aim to purify the body and mind, leading to extended health and ultimately achieving a divine body.
28) Breath:
[see source text or glossary: Breath]
29) Yogi (Yogin):
A yogin in hathayoga is an adept practitioner who has mastered the techniques of the tradition, such as Khecari Mudra and Kevala Kumbhaka. They aim to achieve ultimate health, longevity, and spiritual enlightenment.
30) India:
India is the origin of hathayoga, where its practices and philosophies were developed and documented in texts like Hathayogapradpik and Gheraa Sahit. The tradition integrates Indian concepts of health, spirituality, and enlightenment.
31) Human:
[see source text or glossary: Human]
32) Hatha:
Hatha yoga, or hathayoga, is a physical and spiritual discipline aimed at achieving health, longevity, and spiritual enlightenment. It involves rigorous practices like sana and advanced techniques like Khecari Mudra.
33) Buddhism (Buddhist tradition):
Buddhist traditions also incorporate techniques similar to those in hathayoga for achieving non-duality and enlightenment. Texts like the Hevajra Tantra explore these themes, integrating Buddhist and hathayoga practices.
34) Advaita:
Advaita, or non-duality, is a fundamental concept in hathayoga, where the goal is to unite iva and akti within the body. This state of non-duality is achieved through practices like Khecari Mudra and Kevala Kumbhaka.
35) Bandha (Bamdha):
Bandhas are locks or seals used in hathayoga to control the flow of vital energies in the body. Techniques like Jalandhara Bandha and Mla Bandha are essential for advanced practices like Kevala Kumbhaka.
36) Death:
In hathayoga, the goal is to transcend death through rigorous practices aimed at achieving a divine body. Techniques like Khecari Mudra prevent the consumption of the nectar of immortality, leading to the cessation of aging and death.
37) Anta (Amta):
Amta, or the nectar of immortality, is a vital substance in hathayoga. Practices like Khecari Mudra aim to preserve and consume this nectar, leading to longevity and the attainment of a divine body.
38) Divyadeha:
Divya Deha, or divine body, is the ultimate goal in hathayoga. It signifies the culmination of practices like Khecari Mudra and Kevala Kumbhaka, where the practitioner achieves immortality and ultimate health.
39) Medicine:
[see source text or glossary: Medicine]
40) Lineage:
Lineage in hathayoga is crucial for the transmission of its advanced and often secret techniques. Knowledge is passed down from guru to disciple, ensuring the proper practice and understanding of techniques like Khecari Mudra.
41) Hygiene (Hygienic):
Hygiene in hathayoga involves practices aimed at purifying the body and mind. Techniques like kriy, sana, and pryma are designed to cleanse the body of impurities, facilitating health and spiritual growth.
42) Siddhi:
Siddhis are perfections or supernatural abilities attained through rigorous hathayoga practices. Techniques like Khecari Mudra and Kevala Kumbhaka are believed to bestow these abilities, leading to longevity and spiritual enlightenment.
43) Siddha:
A Siddha is an accomplished practitioner in the hathayoga tradition who has attained perfections (siddhis) through rigorous practices. They exemplify the ultimate goals of health, longevity, and spiritual enlightenment.
44) Nature:
[see source text or glossary: Nature]
45) Tongue:
[see source text or glossary: Tongue]
46) Secret (Secrecy, Secretly):
Secrecy in hathayoga is essential for the preservation and proper transmission of its advanced techniques. Practices like Khecari Mudra are often kept secret and taught only to initiated disciples by a qualified guru.
47) Divya:
[see source text or glossary: Divya]
48) Guru:
A guru in hathayoga is a spiritual teacher who guides disciples through advanced and often secret practices. Techniques like Khecari Mudra must be learned from an accomplished guru to ensure proper practice and understanding.
49) Deha:
[see source text or glossary: Deha]
50) Human body:
In hathayoga, the human body is seen as both the means and the site of spiritual liberation. Practices like Khecari Mudra and Kevala Kumbhaka aim to purify and transform the body into a divine form, achieving health, longevity, and enlightenment.
51) Realization (Realisation):
[see source text or glossary: Realization]
52) Patanjali:
Patañjali is the author of the Yogastras, a foundational text in classical yoga. Hathayoga builds on these teachings, incorporating additional practices like mudras and advanced pryma to achieve health and spiritual liberation.
53) Knowledge:
[see source text or glossary: Knowledge]
54) Corporeal:
[see source text or glossary: Corporeal]
55) Ultimate:
[see source text or glossary: Ultimate]
56) Granthi (Gramthi):
Granthis are knots or blockages in the body's energy channels that practitioners of hathayoga aim to pierce and purify through practices like sana and pryma, facilitating the flow of vital energies and leading to spiritual enlightenment.
57) Thirst:
Thirst is among the physiological needs that advanced hathayoga practices like Khecari Mudra aim to overcome. By mastering these techniques, practitioners can transcend basic physical requirements, achieving states of longevity and spiritual rebirth.
58) Hunger:
Hunger is one of the basic bodily needs addressed in hathayoga. Advanced practices like Kevala Kumbhaka and Khecari Mudra aim to overcome hunger, allowing the practitioner to focus on spiritual pursuits and attain physical longevity.
59) Elixir:
The elixir in hathayoga refers to the mystical substance known as amta or somarasa, which is believed to bestow immortality and ultimate health. Techniques like Khecari Mudra aim to capture and consume this divine elixir.
60) Throat:
[see source text or glossary: Throat]
61) Dhana:
[see source text or glossary: Dhana]
62) Sabja:
[see source text or glossary: Sabja]
63) Crown:
The crown refers to the sahasrāra cakra located at the crown of the head. It is the ultimate destination for vital energies in hathayoga and signifies the union of iva and akti, achieved through advanced practices like Khecari Mudra.
64) Yogic practice (Yoga practice):
[see source text or glossary: Yoga practice]
65) Hevajratantra (Hevajra-tantra):
The Hevajra Tantra is a key Buddhist text that explores themes of non-duality and enlightenment, similar to those in hathayoga. It integrates practices aimed at achieving spiritual and physical transformations.
66) Transformation (Transform, Transforming):
Transformation in hathayoga involves the purification and elevation of the human body through practices like Khecari Mudra, leading to the attainment of a divine body (divya deha) that embodies ultimate health and spiritual enlightenment.
67) Enlightenment:
Enlightenment in hathayoga is the ultimate realization of non-duality and divine consciousness. This is achieved through rigorous practices like Kevala Kumbhaka, which purify the body and mind, leading to states of samdhi and immortality.
68) Transmission:
Transmission in hathayoga refers to the passing down of advanced and secret techniques from guru to disciple. This ensures the proper practice of methods like Khecari Mudra, facilitating the attainment of health, longevity, and enlightenment.
69) Ramakrishna (Ramakrsna):
Ramakrishna is referenced in the text for publishing significant works on hathayoga. His contributions help in disseminating the rich heritage and intricate practices of the tradition, including advanced techniques for health and enlightenment.
70) Metaphysics:
Metaphysics in hathayoga explores the nature of reality, focusing on the unity of iva and akti. Practices like Khecari Mudra are designed to transcend the material world, leading to the realization of non-dual consciousness and spiritual liberation.
71) Subtle body:
The subtle body (skma arra) in hathayoga is an intricate energy system within the human form. Practices like sana and Khecari Mudra aim to purify and energize this subtle body, facilitating health, longevity, and spiritual awakening.
72) Perception:
[see source text or glossary: Perception]
73) Philosophy:
Philosophy in hathayoga is centered around the concept of non-duality (advaita) and the union of iva and akti. The tradition integrates physical practices like Khecari Mudra with spiritual doctrines to achieve ultimate health and enlightenment.
74) Discipline:
Discipline is essential in hathayoga for the successful practice of techniques like sana and Kevala Kumbhaka. Sustained discipline allows practitioners to purify their bodies and minds, leading to health, longevity, and spiritual liberation.
75) Yogavidya (Yoga-vidya):
Yogavidya refers to the body of knowledge and practices in hathayoga. It includes authoritative texts and teachings that guide practitioners in techniques like Khecari Mudra, facilitating health, longevity, and spiritual enlightenment.
[Note: The above list is limited to 75. Total glossary definitions available: 91]