Hatha Yoga

 

Hatha yoga is a generic term that refers to any type of yoga that teaches physical postures. Nearly every type of yoga class taught in the West is Hatha yoga. When a class is marketed as Hatha, it generally means that you will get a gentle introduction to the most basic yoga postures. You probably won't work up a sweat in a hatha yoga class, but you should end up leaving class feeling longer, looser, and more relaxed.

 

Historical Context
Hatha Yoga describes any of the physical practices of yoga. (Remember that yoga has eight limbs , only one of which, asana , involves doing yoga poses.) When you do Iyengar , this is Hatha yoga; when you do Ashtanga , as different as this may seem, it is Hatha yoga too. Hatha means “forceful” in Sanskrit , according to Ellen Stansell, PhD, RYT , a scholar of yogic literature and Sanskrit. The use of the word “forceful” is not to mean to use extreme force in order to attain a posture, but “forceful” in terms of the effort needed to perform the asana. The physical yoga postures must have seemed “forceful” compared to the other more subtle practices that were in use at the time that Hatha emerged, explains Stansell.

How Hatha Is Used Today
These days, hatha is most often used to describe gentle, basic classes with no flow between poses. A Hatha class will likely be a slow-paced stretching class with some simple breathing exercises and perhaps seated meditation. This is a good place to learn beginners' poses, relaxation techniques, and become comfortable with yoga.