classicalhathayoga

8/13/2019 classicalhathayoga

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Classical Hatha YogaThe sublime philosophy ~ theory underpinning the sophisticated

Sadhana ~ methodology of Classical Hatha Yoga


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Kundalini

Chakras

Nadis

Bandha

Mudra

Pranayama

Asana

Shatkarmas


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Overview

In todays society the word Hatha Yoga has come to mean to theuninitiated many things.

Often Yoga teachers try to promote Asanas as Hatha Yoga, thusnot only deluding their students but also they are perpetuating afalse understanding in themselves.

Everyone suffers as spiritual realization becomes only a pipedream. Yoga has always been about awakening, enlightment ofthe spirit, this has never been an outcome of just Asana practice.

By systematically following the system of Classical Hatha Yogayou will eventually experience Yoga.


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Shatkarmas Originally Classical Hatha Yoga, which is a complete system of

Yoga in itself, only consisted of six techniques known as theShatkarmas.

Shatkarmas: The main shatkarmas are Neti, Dhauti, Basti,Nauli, Kapalbhati and Trataka. Classical Hatha Yoga laterevolved over many centuries to encompass Asana, Pranayama,Mudra, Bandha.

Classical Hatha Yoga is a tried and proven path to self-realizationthat has been finely honed and developed by Indian, Nepaleseand Tibetan Yoga Masters for millennia.

It not only confers a healthy mind and body but also leads thesincere and dedicated aspirant to psychic and spiritual awakeningand to the discovery of their inherent creative potential.

This is the path of Yoga most suited to the Yoga aspirant oftodays world as it works systematically from the grosser physicalbody that we are already familiar with through to the most subtleaspects of our total personality. Thus making Classical Hatha

Yoga the ideal foundation for the most advanced Yogas.


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Asana Asana: Asana is the next limb of Classical Hatha Yoga. In Raja

Yoga, asana refers to the sitting meditative posture used for thehigher stages of Raja Yoga i.e.) Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana,Dhyana, Samadhi, but in Hatha Yoga1it means something more.

Asana is a specific body position, which helps to open the energychannels (nadis) and the psychic energy centers (Chakras) .Hatha

Yoga is a process through which purification and control of thebody takes place by restructuring the pranic flow.

Foremost important Asanas are: Siddhasana or Siddha YoniAsana(Adepts pose) and Padmasana(Lotus pose) which allclassical Hatha yoga texts recommend as the most important to

master. Additional asanas up to 82 are also recommended untilone is ready for higher Yogas such as Raja Yoga or Kriya Yoga,which is an advanced form of Kundalini Yoga. The ClassicalAncient Hatha Yoga Texts are:

Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Gherand Samhita,

Hathratnavali, Shiva Satarka


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Pranayama

Pranayama: Is the next limb of classical Hatha Yoga followingShatkarmas and Asana. Classically Pranayama is commencedafter ones body has been prepared through Asana and one has

commenced to moderate and purify the diet and is practicingsome 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 isthe vital life force and pranayama is the process by which the

internal pranic store is increased or expanded. Pranayama iscomprised by the words prana and ayama, which means praniccapacity or length.

Pranayama is a technique through which the quantity of prana inthe body is activated to a higher frequency.


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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 ofpsychic energy Pranain the body. There is mainly three Bandhas, but thecombination of all three Bandhas is sometimes used to make a fourth veryimportant lock or Bandha. The Bandhas are:1) Moola Bandha6triggered bythe contraction of the Perineum in the male and the Cervix in the femalebody. 2) Uddiyana Bandha : Abdominal retraction lock 3) Jalandhara Bandha :Throat lock.

Maha Bandha: the Great lock is the coordinated combination of the previousthree Bandhas.

Universal Prana or life force in the physical body is subdivided into five pranavayus. These Prana Vayus are operating in different locations, they flow indifferent directions and perform different functions. The Prana Yayus areApana, Samama,Prana,Vyana,Udana. The three most important are Prana,Apana and Samana. The natural movement of Prana is upwards, Apanadownwards and Samana is sideways.

Through the practice of Maha Bandha the direction of Apana and Prana isreversed and made to flow towards Samana. The force of Samana isstrengthened and redirected backwards to help awaken the transcendentalNadi of Sushumna.


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Mudra

Mudra: In classical Hatha Yoga after practicing Shatkarma,

Asana, Pranayama, Bandha the student of Hatha Yoga begins thepractice of Mudra.

Mudra literally means gesture a physical, mental and psychicattitude which expresses and channels the cosmic energy ofPrana.

The most famous Mudras are: 2Khechari Mudra, Maha Mudra,Maha Bheda Mudra, Vipareeta Karani Mudra,Vajroli and SahajoliMudra, Naumukhi Mudra and Yoni Mudra, Shambhavi Mudra,Manduki Mudra, Shakti Chalini Mudra.

Mudras channel the refined and subtle pranic energy that is

produced through the preceding Asana, Pranayama, Bandha, andarouses or induces a particular state of mind.

When this state arises Deep Meditation can becomespontaneous. Cultivation of this state of high energy opens thedoors of perception through which a Yogi explores their

consciousness


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Nadis Nadis: Nadisare 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 becomeswater. The characteristic expression of water is flow. So to in the pranamayakosha, the prana flows in rivers of energy. Quote: Swami SatyanandaSasaswati.

According to Ancient Yogic Texts there are 72,000 or more nadis through whichprana and consciousness are distributed throughout the body. There are Ten main

nadis out of which, three are the most important. These Nadis are Ida, PingalaandSushumna. Ida is the channel of mental energy, Pingala the channel for vital energyand Sushumna Nadi is the channel for spiritual energy. When the left nostril is flowingIda 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 timethrough Sadhana (Spiritual Practice ie: Yoga) or other means, this is said to heraldthe auspicious moment when the transcendental Nadi of Sushumnabegins to openand flow.

The Physiological correlate for Sushumna is the Canal Centralis of the spinal cord.Perfection of Nadi Shodhan Pranayama and many other techniques begins theawakening of Pranas in the Pranamaya Kosha3Pranothana and eventually through

much effort Sushumna. Through Sushumna you can experience deep transcendentalexperiences related to the mystical Chakrasand Kundalini.


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Chakras

Chakras:A Chakra is a Psychophysical reality or entity4, avortex of light or psychic energy existing multidimensional at theinterface between body and mind.

At the grosser level the Chakras have associated links in thephysical 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 andconsciousness filtering down through the depths of theUnconscious Mind to permeate the physical Body.

Chakras can be understood as part of the here and now mortalbody and part of the complex and immortal collective superconscious state of the divine, which is inherent in all beings.


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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 ofsupreme bliss at one with all of creation. It is only reached through diligentSadhana 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 searchedfor there, nor in the mental body or even in the astral body. It is in theunconscious causal body, in that particular state of awareness where theconcept of time, space and object is completely lost. The seat of the

unconscious in man is in the perineum, known in yogic terminology asMooladhara. It is a gland, a muscle, it is a body in which all the unconsciouspowers and initiatives of man are hidden. Quote by Swami SatyanandaSaraswati

5By Pranayama and other yogic processes the static Shakti is affected andbecomes dynamic. When completely dynamic, when Kundalini unites withSiva Divine Consciousness in the Sahasrara, the polarization of the bodygives way. The two poles are united in one and there is the state ofconsciousness called Samadhi. Quote b Swami Sivananda Saraswati


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Expansion of important points on the theory of

Pranayama

Through Pranayama mind and breath can becomecalm and in this calmness when the nadis are

purified the mystical Chakras and deep meditation

can be awakened. Many different branches of Yoga utilize the

effectiveness of Pranayama. As one becomes moreadvanced in the pranayamas of Hatha Yoga,

Kundalini Yoga and Kriya Yoga can become moreachievable Sadhanas.

Pranayama is a supremely valuable Jewel in theYogic repertoire.


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Conclusion


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Some Verses of Wisdom

From the

Hatha Yoga PradipikaCirca 6thCentury AD

C1Ver43: There is no asana like Siddhasana, no Kumbhakalike Kevala, no Mudra like Kechariand no Laya or dissolutionof 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 isaroused, Sushumna becomes unobstructed and perfection ofHatha Yoga takes place

C2Ver76: There can be no perfection if Hatha Yoga is withoutRaja Yoga or Raja Yoga without Hatha Yoga. Therefore, throughpractice 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 thePrana, while the mind does not reflect spontaneous Meditation,then those who speak of Spiritual knowledge are only indulgingin boastful and false tales
http://www.geocities.com/kriyadc/hatha_yoga_pradipika.htmlhttp://www.geocities.com/kriyadc/hatha_yoga_pradipika.html


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References Saraswati, Swami Muktibodhananda & Swami Satyananda: Commentary by

Hatha Yoga Pradipika1by Yogi Swatmarama, Bihar School of YogaMunger, Bihar, India, 1985

Saraswati, Swami Satyananda,Kundalini Tantra2 Bihar School of Yoga,Munger, Bihar, India, 1984

Saraswati, Swami NiranjananandaPrana Pranayama Pranavidya3Bihar School of Yoga

Munger, Bihar, India, 1994

Saraswati, Swami Anandakapila (Dr.Jonn Mumford)A Chakra & Kundalini Workbook4Llewellyn PublicationsSt. 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 Key6Bihar School of Yoga, Munger, Bihar, India, 1978

Copyright Swami Mounamurti Saraswati(David Little)

Satyam Yoga Centresatyamyoga.com
http://www.http//satyamyoga.comhttp://www.http//satyamyoga.com

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