Liberation through Hatha Yoga involves bringing the body to its highest state of development and under complete control of the mind. It could be a place to start for all other yogas, in the sense that a healthy body is an asset when undergoing any form of training, just as a musical instrument gives a better performance when it is properly tuned.
The word Hatha comes from two Sanskrit roots ... ha, which means the sun, and Ma, meaning the moon. It is said that the sun controls the breath flowing through the right nostril, while the flow through the left nostril is controlled by the moon. Yoga, used in this context, means the union of the two breaths ... the basis of the whole system of Yoga.
Traditionally, there are eight steps to follow: abstinences; observances; asanas or bodily poses; breath control ; withdrawal of mind from external influences; concentration; contemplation and identification.
The abstinences and observances (yentas and niyamas) by tradition must be strictly kept by students of ascetic yoga schools, however they need not be so rigidly enforced in the case of ordinary people who practise Hatha yoga for physical and mental well-being.
The abstinences (yamas) are: Refraining from violence or causing pain in any way by word or deed to others or to oneself. Refraining from lying, directly or indirectly, by word or action. Refraining from stealing, which includes the taking of bribes. Chastity.
Non-possession (refraining from possessiveness in any sense). The observances or niyamas are :
Purity, in body, thought and action.
Contentment; a philosophical acceptance of whatever life brings.
Austerity; physical austerity are the ability to bear hardship and pain, the development of inner strength and mental control, and self-development, which includes study and meditation.
The fifth observance is devotion to God.
The practice of these yamas and niyamas is also known as kriya yoga.
The asanas or bodily poses of Hatha yoga include breath control or pranayama. Advanced pranayama techniques normally are only be taught by a teacher, for they are considered dangerous to ones mental balance and to life itself if practised without proper guidance and preliminary purification.
Withdrawal means the detachment of the mind from external stimuli, the switching off of the perceptionary powers. It leads to control of the senses and mental and spiritual advancement.
Concentration is when the attention is kept focused upon one point. It brings power to still the mind, and leads to contemplation, in which the thoughts are turned upon every aspect of the contemplated object. Identification is a state of such extreme concentration that the personality becomes merged with the object of contemplation. Identification with all and everything is liberation of the spirit.
The word Hatha comes from two Sanskrit roots ... ha, which means the sun, and Ma, meaning the moon. It is said that the sun controls the breath flowing through the right nostril, while the flow through the left nostril is controlled by the moon. Yoga, used in this context, means the union of the two breaths ... the basis of the whole system of Yoga.
Traditionally, there are eight steps to follow: abstinences; observances; asanas or bodily poses; breath control ; withdrawal of mind from external influences; concentration; contemplation and identification.
The abstinences and observances (yentas and niyamas) by tradition must be strictly kept by students of ascetic yoga schools, however they need not be so rigidly enforced in the case of ordinary people who practise Hatha yoga for physical and mental well-being.
The abstinences (yamas) are: Refraining from violence or causing pain in any way by word or deed to others or to oneself. Refraining from lying, directly or indirectly, by word or action. Refraining from stealing, which includes the taking of bribes. Chastity.
Non-possession (refraining from possessiveness in any sense). The observances or niyamas are :
Purity, in body, thought and action.
Contentment; a philosophical acceptance of whatever life brings.
Austerity; physical austerity are the ability to bear hardship and pain, the development of inner strength and mental control, and self-development, which includes study and meditation.
The fifth observance is devotion to God.
The practice of these yamas and niyamas is also known as kriya yoga.
The asanas or bodily poses of Hatha yoga include breath control or pranayama. Advanced pranayama techniques normally are only be taught by a teacher, for they are considered dangerous to ones mental balance and to life itself if practised without proper guidance and preliminary purification.
Withdrawal means the detachment of the mind from external stimuli, the switching off of the perceptionary powers. It leads to control of the senses and mental and spiritual advancement.
Concentration is when the attention is kept focused upon one point. It brings power to still the mind, and leads to contemplation, in which the thoughts are turned upon every aspect of the contemplated object. Identification is a state of such extreme concentration that the personality becomes merged with the object of contemplation. Identification with all and everything is liberation of the spirit.
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