11/21/2025
I recently added this class to my schedule and the first question out of students mouths was what is Hatha Yoga?
My answer? Youāve already been doing it.š¤©
Hatha Yoga is the ancient system of yoga that prepares the body and mind for higher states of meditation. šŖ·
Through the practice of asanas (postures), pranayama (breath control), mudras (hand gestures), and bandhas (energy locks), the practitioner purifies the body, steadies the mind, and awakens prana (life force).āØ
It is a path of discipline and balance, uniting strength, flexibility, and awareness to cultivate harmony between body, mind, and spirit. š
All of the forms of yoga we practice in the West today comes from Hatha:
šæ Major lineages/styles that come from Hatha Yoga
1) Kundalini Yoga š„š„
Kundalini ā the concept of a dormant spiritual energy at the base of the spine ā appears in very early yogic and Ta***ic texts, long before Hatha Yoga was formalized.š„It is ancient and rooted in early Ta**ra and Upanishadic teachings. It is referred to as the Mother of All Yoga and
Hatha Yoga was created as a method to awaken and channel Kundalini.
2) Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
Founded by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. Faster-paced, athletic, structured series ā but rooted in traditional Hatha principles of breath, bandhas, and drishti.
3) Iyengar Yoga
Founded by B.K.S. Iyengar. Deeply aligned, precise, uses props ā all built on classical Hatha postures and philosophy.
4) Vinyasa Flow
Evolved from Ashtanga. Creative sequencing linked with breath, but still grounded in Hatha asanas.
5) Sivananda Yoga
A classical lineage founded by Swami Sivananda & Swami Vishnudevananda. Directly rooted in traditional Hatha: postures, pranayama, relaxation, and meditation.
6) Bikram / Hot Yoga
Uses 26 Hatha postures and pranayama in a heated room.
7) Yin Yoga & Restorative Yoga
Although modern adaptations, they still arise from the Hatha foundation of asana, breath, and energetic balance.
8) Ta**ra Hatha / Traditional Himalayan lineages
Iād love to share this sacred practice with you and help you connect deeper with the importance of why we practice yoga in the first placeš
Monday 4-5 pm Yoga Center of Black Mountain