Sivananda Yoga Farm Blog

“Through the physical poses of Hatha Yoga, the nervous system is toned, enabling it to withstand the experience of rising energy.  Hatha Yoga awakens the kundalini by disciplining the body and purifying the nadis.  (The astral channels through which flows the prana).”
– Swami Vishnudevananda

Hatha Yoga is the science of Sun and moon energy.  It is the physical practice of asana, the subtle practice of pranayama, and relaxation in order to control the flow of the prana.

True purpose of Asanas

Asanas are really a preparation for pranayama.  The asanas help the body to be comfortable and at ease so we can sit with the back straight, chest open, shoulders relaxed during the pranayama practice.  

Stability or lack of movement

This is called Sthira or fixity, a state in which the body does not move at all, doesn’t change its position for a period of time. That quietness of the body is gradually prolonged from one or two minutes in the beginning, to longer periods as the practice progresses and according to the difficulty of each asana. The modern concept of constantly adjusting oneself in the asana or changing constantly from one posture to another, has really nothing to do with the practice of Asanas and it is a whole different thing (caled vinyasa whose effects are very different than asana).

Comfort, easiness or relaxation

Another condition for an asana is that is has to be comfortable, free of any tension, pleasant and not a position in which one is struggling and fighting with himself or competing with others.

Balancing effect of Hatha Yoga

Pranayama is an essential part of Hatha Yoga. In most situations where people become imbalanced and experience psychic, mental, or emotional problems, tension in the body and stress, they are only breathing through one nostril.

At that time, just by doing the Alternate Nostril breathing (Anuloma Viloma), by bringing the breath into both nostrils in a balance manner, already their situation will improve 100%.  It doesn’t have to be anything complicated.

The ideal way in Hatha Yoga is to equalize the breath in both nostrils, so that the breath flows through both sides of the nostrils at the same time.  The Ha (solar) energy and the Tha (lunar) energy, the hot and the cold, the yin and the yang, the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems are in balance. Active and passive energy are in balance. The mind and the emotions are in balance.