Hatha yoga
Every man and woman is a bridge between two worlds, the material and the mental. The body id the material, tangible side, subject to its own laws; the mind, frequently violating the physical laws, has its own realm of time and space where it roams about, often undirected or misdirected. The body is material the bones, muscles, blood and everything that makes up the cells. The brain, too, is material. The mind, however, is immaterial and intangible; we can only become aware of it through its manifestation in thought and other functions.
All of four senses, located in the body, act as input and output instruments of perception. Through our senses we experience the world around us: mind is the interpreter of all those experiences and in turn, stimulates the senses to action. There is often more input through the senses than mind and emotions can handle. When the output of action does not balance with the input, the result can range from mild disaster to catastrophe. Hatha yoga in its various aspects is a means to bring the input and output into balance and to obtain a new understanding of the body as a tool that can function much beyond the limitations usually determined by out beliefs and attitudes.
The human being functions in polarity and this is expressed in the meaning of the word Hatha. Ha means the sun, heat, light, energy, creativity, activity, passion, positive and tha means the moon, cool, reflective, receptive, negative. The terms positive and negative also refer to the electrical chemical charge of the body, the right side being positively charged and the left negatively. We are dealing here with two extremes: heat and cold, activity and inactivity, positive and negative. The mind also has its own polarities. Life is mainly of such a nature; we move from one extreme to the other. This takes place because of preconceived ideas and a wide range of opinions and assumptions. The ultimate goal of yogic practices is to be in the centre.
Yoga and the whole person
The meaning of yoga is "union", the bringing together of the various polarities within, in order to reach a state of balance and transcend our limited vision. But truth is approached by degrees. We have first to know the truth about ourselves. We have learned to cover up our many fears very well. In Hatha Yoga we confront our fears as well as our potentials by balancing attention between the body and the mind. For example, a person who has a neck and shoulders as unyielding as a piece of steel is probably unyielding in daily life. Asanas might loosen up the neck and shoulders temporarily, but becoming aware of the psychological implications will help to make the change more permanent.
By observing and dealing with the mental emotional processes, awareness and understanding are increased. Reverence for one?s body, as for all life, is an antidote to abuse and violence. When the relatedness of physical and the mental is better understood, the mind can function as its own therapist by shifting focus, with reprogramming as the intended choice.
Through the practice of asanas, students will become aware of stress in the body and by the use of their own minds, discover many of their problems. Changes can then be made in life by a conscious decision on the basis of will and self analysis. The inability to cope with stress and the sense of helplessness and hopelessness that many people experience can be counteracted by recognizing the options and applying the power of choice.
Yoga is not a religion, although its practice is used by many religious to help their followers. The physical, psychological and spiritual aspects are of utmost importance and have always been the basis on which the various yogas. Kundalini and Hatha specifically, have been built to achieve the harmonious development of human beings. It is, however, essential to have some understanding of the culture from which yoga has sprung if one intends to work with it; otherwise the spirit will be missed and as a result more harm than good may be done.
Hatha Yoga is a human science that takes into consideration bodily pains, poor posture, faulty breathing and incorrect walking, teaching greater awareness of the body as a whole, without separating it from the mind and the influences of all the senses. Hatha is not a separate system from Kundalini, although each has its own complexities. Kundalini Yoga refers to an ancient and precise discipline that can lead to Higher Consciousness. It uses a symbolic language to describe levels of consciousness or chakras. However, since yoga has become known in the West, the Kundalini system has been compartmentalized, often beyond recognition. This reductionist view has prevented the achievement of the promised results. Kundalini has many branches, like a tree and Hatha Yoga is one of them. In this presentation Hatha Yoga is singled out to obtain a clearer understanding at a very basic level so that the entire system can be better appreciated.
Because human beings are so complex, various branches of yoga must be practiced in proper combination to help people become harmonious beings beyond the fulfillment of their immediate needs and it takes time for the whole picture to emerge. It would be a mistake to practice Hatha Yoga, limiting it to the physical aspects only and leave out branches of the tree of life such as Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga or Raja Yoga. Mantra Yoga, which is part of Bhakti, the yoga of devotion, uses repetition of the sacred sound or the divine name. Aspirants will often receive from their guru a mantra to be practiced together with the asanas. If the mind has a higher focus such as mantra while one is in an asana, the benefit to the body will be greater and adverse psychological characteristics will become evident through the symbolism of the postures themselves.
The asanas named after beasts, birds, reptiles and other life forms to not refer to a less than human kingdom whose postural patterns they try to imitate. They are meant to remind one that the world is a place in which many living creatures have their existence. All life is sacred.
The hidden language
In the hidden language approach, the body is respected as a spiritual tool. The body relates its messages and the mind listens. The language of the body connects with the language of symbolism and insights arise. We create an intuitive space for deepening our understanding about ourselves, uncovering our obstacles and potential. This awareness leads to a freedom that can be physical as the body experiences the benefits of the asanas; it can be psychological as the mind reflects on its new discoveries and it can be mystical as we unite with the sacredness inherent in ourselves through the asanas.
Structures
Standing on the head brings clarity of mind, not only in regard to emotions, but also speech. Powerful suggestions by work or thought will surface and show their often devastating influence, sometimes bordering on a kind of self hypnosis. Like the blood as it rushes to the brain bringing large amounts of oxygen, this realization can wipe clean the grooves of habitual thinking.
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