Hatha is a sanskrit name consisting of two parts “Ha” and “Tha”. Ha (or Ham is the sound of Pingala Nadi, prana, chi, vital life force) where as Tha (or Tham, Ksham is the sound of Ida Nadi, mind, mental force). Yoga means Union, therefore the meaning of Hatha-Yoga may be interpreted as Yoga through […]
The practice of physical postures is called Asana. It is the most commonly known aspect of yoga for those unfamiliar with the other seven limbs. The verbal meaning of ‘Asana’ is staying or abiding. Asana is one way in which a person can experience the unity of body and mind. Asana is defined as that […]
Pranayama is all about the breathing and concentrating the mind. It is the measuring, control, and directing of the breath. Pranayama controls the energy within the organism, in order to restore and maintain health and to promote evolution. Pranayama gives control of breathing processes and control of vital force. When the inflowing breath is neutralized […]
This limb of Ashtanga Yoga deals with the preparation to meditation. Pratyahara means drawing back or retreat. The word ahara means “nourishment”; pratyahara translates as “to withdraw oneself from that which nourishes the senses.” In yoga, the term pratyahara implies withdrawal of the senses from attachment to external objects. What does this mean? It means […]
The objective in dharana is to steady the mind by focusing its attention upon some stable entity. Dhr means “to hold.” Literally, the word dharana means ‘immovable concentration of the mind’. The essential idea is to hold the concentration or focus of attention in one direction. This is not the forced concentration of, for example, […]