Classical Hatha Yoga The sublime philosophy ~ theory underpinning the sophisticated Sadhana ~ methodology of Classical Hatha Yoga

Contents Kundalini Chakras Nadis Mudra Bandha Pranayama Asana Shatkarmas

Overview In today’s society the word Hatha Yoga has come to mean to the uninitiated many things. Often Yoga teachers try to promote Asanas as Hatha Yoga, thus not only deluding their students but also they are perpetuating a false understanding in themselves. Everyone suffers as spiritual realization becomes only a pipe dream. Yoga has always been about awakening, enlightment of the spirit, this has never been an outcome of just Asana practice. By systematically following the system of “Classical Hatha Yoga” you will eventually “experience” Yoga.

Shatkarmas Originally Classical Hatha Yoga, which is a complete system of Yoga in itself, only consisted of six techniques known as the Shatkarmas. Shatkarmas: The main shatkarmas are Neti, Dhauti, Basti, Nauli, Kapalbhati and Trataka. Classical Hatha Yoga later evolved over many centuries to encompass Asana, Pranayama, Mudra, Bandha. Classical Hatha Yoga is a tried and proven path to self-realization that has been finely honed and developed by Indian, Nepalese and Tibetan Yoga Masters for millennia. It not only confers a healthy mind and body but also leads the sincere and dedicated aspirant to psychic and spiritual awakening and to the discovery of their inherent creative potential. This is the path of Yoga most suited to the Yoga aspirant of today’s world as it works systematically from the grosser physical body that we are already familiar with through to the most subtle aspects of our total personality. Thus making Classical Hatha Yoga the ideal foundation for the most advanced Yoga’s.

Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Gherand Samhita, Hathratnavali, Shiva Satarka Asana   Asana: Asana is the next limb of Classical Hatha Yoga. In Raja Yoga, asana refers to the sitting meditative posture used for the higher stages of Raja Yoga i.e.) Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi, but in Hatha Yoga1 it means something more. Asana is a specific body position, which helps to open the energy channels (nadis) and the psychic energy centers (Chakras) .Hatha Yoga is a process through which purification and control of the body takes place by restructuring the pranic flow. Foremost important Asanas are: Siddhasana or Siddha Yoni Asana (Adepts pose) and Padmasana (Lotus pose) which all classical Hatha yoga texts recommend as the most important to master. Additional asanas up to 82 are also recommended until one is ready for higher Yoga’s such as Raja Yoga or Kriya Yoga, which is an advanced form of Kundalini Yoga. The Classical Ancient Hatha Yoga Texts are: Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Gherand Samhita, Hathratnavali, Shiva Satarka

Pranayama Pranayama: Is the next limb of classical Hatha Yoga following Shatkarmas and Asana. Classically Pranayama is commenced after ones body has been prepared through Asana and one has commenced to moderate and purify the diet and is practicing some shatkarmas according to the instructions of the teacher. The word “Prana” is a combination of two syllables, pra and na. Prana denotes constancy, a force in constant motion. Prana is the vital life force and pranayama is the process by which the internal pranic store is increased or expanded. Pranayama is comprised by the words prana and ayama, which means” pranic capacity or length”. Pranayama is a technique through which the quantity of prana in the body is activated to a higher frequency.

Bandha Bandha: Is the next limb of classical Hatha Yoga following the Shatkarmas, Asana and Pranayama. A Bandha is a Psychomuscular energy lock, which redirects the flow of psychic energy “Prana”in the body. Individually there is three Bandhas, but the combination of all three Bandhas is sometimes used to make a fourth very important lock or Bandha. The Bandhas are:1) Moola Bandha6 triggered by the contraction of the Perineum in the male and the Cervix in the female body. 2) Uddiyana Bandha : Abdominal retraction lock 3) Jalandhara Bandha : Throat lock. Maha Bandha: the Great lock is the coordinated combination of the previous three Bandhas. Universal Prana or life force in the physical body is subdivided into five prana vayus. These Prana Vayus are operating in different locations, they flow in different directions and perform different functions. The Prana Yayus are Apana, Samama,Prana,Vyana,Udana. The three most important are Prana, Apana and Samana. The natural movement of Prana is upwards, Apana downwards and Samana is sideways. Through the practice of Maha Bandha the direction of Apana and Prana is reversed and made to flow towards Samana. The force of Samana is strengthened and redirected backwards to help awaken the transcendental Nadi of Sushumna.

Mudra Mudra: In classical Hatha Yoga after practicing Shatkarma, Asana, Pranayama, Bandha the student of Hatha Yoga begins the practice of Mudra. Mudra literally means “gesture” a physical, mental and psychic attitude which expresses and channels the cosmic energy of Prana. The most famous Mudras are: 2Khechari Mudra, Maha Mudra, Maha Bheda Mudra, Vipareeta Karani Mudra,Vajroli and Sahajoli Mudra, Naumukhi Mudra and Yoni Mudra, Shambhavi Mudra, Manduki Mudra, Shakti Chalini Mudra. Mudra’s channel the refined and subtle pranic energy that is produced through the preceding Asana, Pranayama, Bandha, and arouses or induces a particular state of mind. When this state arises Deep Meditation can become spontaneous. Cultivation of this state of high energy opens the doors of perception through which a Yogi explores their consciousness

Nadis Nadis: Nadis are Psychic channels through which flows the distribution of prana in the Astral body or Pranamaya Kosha. “When we heat ice, we speed up the energy within it, and the ice becomes water. The characteristic expression of water is flow. So to in the pranamaya kosha, the prana flows in rivers of energy”. Quote: Swami Satyananda Sasaswati. According to Ancient Yogic Texts there are 72,000 or more nadis through which prana and consciousness are distributed throughout the body. There are Ten main nadis out of which, three are the most important. These Nadis are Ida, Pingala and Sushumna. Ida is the channel of mental energy, Pingala the channel for vital energy and Sushumna Nadi is the channel for spiritual energy. When the left nostril is flowing Ida is active, and when the right nostril is flowing Pingala is active. But when both are made to flow perfectly equal for an extended period of time through Sadhana (“Spiritual Practice ie: Yoga”) or other means, this is said to herald the auspicious moment when the transcendental Nadi of Sushumna begins to open and flow. The Physiological correlate for Sushumna is the Canal Centralis of the spinal cord. Perfection of Nadi Shodhan Pranayama and many other techniques begins the awakening of Pranas in the Pranamaya Kosha3 “Pranothana” and eventually through much effort Sushumna. Through Sushumna you can experience deep transcendental experiences related to the mystical Chakras and Kundalini.

Chakras Chakras: A Chakra is a Psychophysical reality or entity4, a vortex of light or psychic energy existing multidimensional at the interface between body and mind. At the grosser level the Chakras have associated links in the physical body through various Endocrine Glands, Nerve Plexuses, Organs and the (CNS) Brain and Spinal Cord. On a more subtle level Chakras operate like transducers stepping down the cosmic energy like a top down hierarchy of energy and consciousness filtering down through the depths of the Unconscious Mind to permeate the physical Body. Chakras can be understood as part of the here and now mortal body and part of the complex and immortal collective super conscious state of the divine, which is inherent in all beings.

Kundalini Kundalini: The Goal of Yoga is to awaken your dormant potential, which is the evolutionary spiritual force known in Tantra as Kundalini. Stabilizing the awakened state of Kundalini in Samadhi is the Goal of all Yogas.eg Hatha, Raja, Kriya, Kundalini. Few ever achieve the highest goal which is said to be a transcendental state of supreme bliss at one with all of creation. It is only reached through diligent Sadhana for many years under the tuition of a capable Master of this Science. This is our evolutionary destiny to have a firm grip of the experience of Kundalini and have permanent access to the wisdom that it reveals. Quotes Kundalini does not belong to the physical body, though it has to be searched for there, nor in the mental body or even in the astral body. It is in the unconscious causal body, in that particular state of awareness where the concept of time, space and object is completely lost. The seat of the unconscious in man is in the perineum, known in yogic terminology as Mooladhara. It is a gland, a muscle, it is a body in which all the unconscious powers and initiatives of man are hidden. “Quote by Swami Satyananda Saraswati” 5By Pranayama and other yogic processes the static Shakti is affected and becomes dynamic. When completely dynamic, when Kundalini unites with Siva “Divine Consciousness” in the Sahasrara, the polarization of the body gives way. The two poles are united in one and there is the state of consciousness called Samadhi. “Quote by Swami Sivananda Saraswati”

Some Verses of Wisdom From the Hatha Yoga Pradipika Circa 6th Century AD   C1Ver43: There is no asana like Siddhasana, no Kumbhaka like Kevala, no Mudra like Kechari and no Laya or dissolution of the mind like Nada, the inner sound C2Ver75: There is no doubt; the state of Raja Yoga is also attained through Kevala Kumbhaka. By retention Kundalini is aroused, Sushumna becomes unobstructed and perfection of Hatha Yoga takes place C2Ver76: There can be no perfection if Hatha Yoga is without Raja Yoga or Raja Yoga without Hatha Yoga. Therefore, through practice of both, perfection is obtained C4Ver114: While the prana does not flow in the middle passage (Sushumna), while the Bindu is not steadied by restraining the Prana, while the mind does not reflect spontaneous Meditation, then those who speak of Spiritual knowledge are only indulging in boastful and false tales

Copyright © Swami Mounamurti Saraswati References Saraswati, Swami Muktibodhananda & Swami Satyananda: Commentary by Hatha Yoga Pradipika1 by Yogi Swatmarama, Bihar School of Yoga Munger, Bihar, India, 1985 Saraswati, Swami Satyananda, Kundalini Tantra2 Bihar School of Yoga, Munger, Bihar, India, 1984  Saraswati, Swami Niranjanananda Prana Pranayama Pranavidya3 Bihar School of Yoga Munger, Bihar, India, 1994  Saraswati, Swami Anandakapila (Dr.Jonn Mumford) A Chakra & Kundalini Workbook4 Llewellyn Publications St. Paul, MN, USA, 1993 Saraswati, Swami Sivananda Kundalini Yoga -Yoga Kundalini Upanishad, Tenth Ed5, Divine Life Society, Rishikesh, UP, India  Saraswati, Swami Buddhananda, Moola Bandha the Master Key6 Bihar School of Yoga, Munger, Bihar, India, 1978  Copyright © Swami Mounamurti Saraswati Satyam Yoga Centre satyamyoga.com

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