Strength, inner and outer peace, meditation: these are just a few of the words that we associate with Yoga. Yoga is, of course, practiced in many cultures and countries around the world. There are different types of systems of Yoga, each with their own basic principals and foundations. When most of us think of Yoga and the typical style of Yoga practiced in the West is actually founded in Hatha Yoga.

Another name for Hatha Yoga is Hatha Vidya. Its roots can be traced back to the 1400s in Indiacred. The Yogi given the for the foundation of Hatha Yoga is Yogi Swatmarama. Hatha Yoga is often considered a starting point leading to the practice of Raja Yoga. It needs to be practiced, understood and mastered in order to move on to the next level or higher level of Raja Yoga.

While there is mental meditation involved in Hatha Yoga, it is considered one of the more physical forms of Yoga. Its purpose is to strengthen the body physically while simultaneously introducing techniques of meditation. The basic premise is that, in order to be able to fully channel the techniques of higher meditation one must first be able to endure the physical aspects of Hatha Yoga with the belief that one cannot be achieved without the other.

Hatha is derived from the word Ha (meaning sun) and Tha (meaning moon) and the word Hatha itself is associated with the word forceful. While it is still a peaceful form of Yoga, it is very physical as well. Purification is often said to be an ultimate goal of Hatha Yoga. You are to be purifying the body, mind and spirit and purifying yourself both inside and out.

There are also spiritual aspects of Hatha Yoga as well. It is believed that you can’t simply attain a higher level if you are able to endure the physical aspects of this type of Yoga. You must also be able to achieve a higher spiritual understanding and spiritual peace.

Hatha Yoga is practiced by many without necessarily having the goal of reaching the higher meditation associated with Raja Yoga. Studies have shown that Hatha Yoga, or Yoga as most of know it, can greatly improve your health. Proper practice lowers stress levels and can give such health benefits as lowered blood pressure and weight loss among other things. In fact, there have been articles and books written ascribing health improvement in many areas to the practice of Hatha Yoga.

(Note: Our >online video yoga course focuses on this type of yoga)