Soothe by apana pressure point headrest

Human Kinetics

HatHa Yoga

illustrated

Martin Kirk • Brooke Boon • Daniel Di Turo photographs by Daniel DiTuro

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Kirk, Martin. Hatha yoga illustrated / Martin Kirk, Brooke Boon ; photography by Daniel DiTuro. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-7360-6203-3 (soft cover) 1. Yoga, Hatha. I. Boon, Brooke. II. Title. RA781.7.K548 2006 613.7'046--dc22 2005011231

ISBN-10: 0-7360-6203-3

ISBN-13: 978-0-7360-6203-9

Copyright © 2006, 2004 by Martin Kirk, Brooke Boon, and Daniel DiTuro

All rights reserved. Except for use in a review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerog- raphy, photocopying, and recording, and in any information storage and retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

Photographs copyright © 2002-2003 Daniel DiTuro, all rights reserved. The reproduction of any pho- tograph, in whole or in part, by any means now known or hereafter invented is forbidden without the written consent of the copyright holder.

The Web addresses cited in this text were current as of July 14, 2005, unless otherwise noted.

Our thanks to Ted Czukor for providing the text and information on mudras in chapter 1 and many of the resources on pages 218-219.

Acquisitions Editor: Martin Barnard; Developmental Editor: Julie Rhoda; Assistant Editors: Carla Zych, Alisha Jeddeloh, Wendy McLaughlin; Copyeditor: Lisa Morgan; Proofreader: Pam Johnson; Graphic Designer: Robert Reuther; Graphic Artist: Tara Welsch; Photo Manager: Dan Wendt; Cover Designer: Keith Blomberg; Photographer (cover and interior): Daniel DiTuro; Art Manager: Kareema McLendon; Illustrator: concept by Nora and Ted Czukor, redrawn by Kareema McLendon-Foster; Printer: Versa Press

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Printed in the United States of America 15 14

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HatHa Yoga

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To my wife, Jordan Kirk and my son Jonathan, and to my teachers Karen Wilson and Douglas Brooks

Martin Kirk

For my husband, Jarrett, and my beautiful children, Jory, Jace, and Brynn

Brooke Boon

To Brenda and Brandy

Daniel DiTuro

vi

Contents

Preface ix • Acknowledgments xi • Introduction xiii

chapter 1 art and Practice of Hatha Yoga . . . . . . . 1 Roots of Yoga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Getting the Most From Your Yoga Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Learning to Meditate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Using the Asanas in This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

chapter 2 Standing Postures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Mountain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Downward-Facing Dog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Extended Side-Angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Triangle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Warrior II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Crescent Lunge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Warrior I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Revolved Extended Side-Angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Revolved Triangle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Standing Intense Spread-Leg Pose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Beam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Humble Warrior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Intense Side-Stretch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

chapter 3 Balancing Postures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Eagle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Tiptoe Pose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Boat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Revolved Half-Moon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Standing Extended-Leg Stretch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Warrior III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Dancer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Half-Moon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

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chapter 4 arm-Balancing Postures . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Inclined Plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Lateral Inclined Plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Crane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Peacock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Four-Limbed Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

chapter 5 Inverted Postures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Shoulder Stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Plow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Legs-Up-the-Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Head Stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

chapter 6 Backward-Bending Postures . . . . . . . 99 Cobra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 Upward-Facing Dog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 Camel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 Bow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 Locust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Upward-Facing Bow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Cat–Cow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Pigeon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

chapter 7 twisting Postures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Gentle Spinal Twist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122

Reclining Spinal Twist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Simple Sitting Twist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126 Bound Half-Lotus Twist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128 Seated Spinal Twist I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130 Seated Spinal Twist II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132

chapter 8 Forward-Bending Postures . . . . . . . . 135 Seated Forward Bend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136 Standing Forward Bend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138 Head-to-Knee Forward Bend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140 Revolved Head-to-Knee Forward Bend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142 Open-Angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144 Side Open-Angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146 Three-Limb Intense Stretch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148 Garland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150 Splits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152

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chapter 9 Sitting Postures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 Lotus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156

Looking Within . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158 Baby Cradle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160 Hero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162 Kneeling Pose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164 Lion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166 Cow Face . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168 Staff Pose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170 Yoga Sealing Pose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172 Heron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

Sage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176

chapter 10 Reclining and Relaxation Postures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Knees-to-Chest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180 Reclining Hero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182 Reclining Big-Toe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184 Reclining Bound-Angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186 Reclining Open-Leg Spinal Twist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188 Supported Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190 Supported Hero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .192 Child’s Pose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .194 Corpse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .196

chapter 11 Hatha Yoga Routines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 Gentle Yoga I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 Gentle Yoga II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .201 Yoga for Flexibility I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 Yoga for Flexibility II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 Vinyasa Yoga I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 Vinyasa Yoga II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 Vinyasa Yoga III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 Sun Salutation I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210 Sun Salutation II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 Moon Salutation I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 Moon Salutation II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214

Suggested Readings 217 • Resources 218

Index of Asanas 220 • About the Authors 233

Contents

ix

Preface

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step .

Chinese proverb

Similarly, the journey to write and illustrate this book began with a single photo- graph shot in February 1999. Like many events in life, it was unplanned. I had been practicing hatha yoga for about six months and was already sold on its therapeutic benefits. When the model I was photographing sat cross-legged on the floor and arranged her flowing dress around her, I asked her to place her hands in Namaste (prayer position) and close her eyes. I titled the photograph Namaste. It is still one of my favorite photographs from what would eventually evolve into The Yoga Project, a photographic work with a mission to inspire and enlighten people about the mental, physical, and spiritual benefits of yoga.

As my journey of yoga continued, I was surprised and disturbed by the many misconceptions people had about this ancient East Indian philosophy. Many of my friends mistakenly believed it was a religion and insisted they would never practice yoga because it would interfere with their religious beliefs. Many male friends insisted that guys don’t do yoga. I shared my yoga photographs with them, illustrating the true nature of the yoga practice, emphasizing that yoga is not aligned with a specific religious practice but that it is inclusive of all people. Some were amazed, others were intrigued, and yet others remained skeptical. It became clear to me then that much more needed to be done to educate people about the real mental and physical benefits of yoga—especially hatha yoga, the practice of physical yoga postures. Although hatha yoga is a small branch of all the yoga practices, it has become the Yoga Project’s main emphasis due to its popularity in the West. Additionally, the Yoga Project works to inform and educate people about meditation and pranayama.

Hatha yoga can calm the mind, provide a gentle workout, or make you sweat. It can reduce your heart rate when you are stressed or elevate it by providing a vigorous workout. Many refer to it as a New Age practice, yet its origin dates back thousands of years.

Whether you are new to the practice of hatha yoga, or simply curious about it, this book provides practical, detailed information you can use throughout your daily life and in your yoga practice. Chapter 1 provides background information about yoga and how to get the most out of your yoga practice. Chapters 2 through 10 then

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provide detailed information for 77 asanas classified by the type of posture. Included are standing postures, balancing postures, arm-balance postures, inverted postures, backward-bending postures, twisting postures, forward-bending postures, sitting pos- tures, and reclining and relaxation postures. Each asana has photographs depicting the starting, intermediate, and final positions accompanied by detailed step-by-step instructions. In addition, you will learn about the asanas’ mental and physical benefits, contraindications, counterposes, and gazing points (drishtis). Most asanas include a gentle variation for beginning, less flexible, or physically challenged students as well as variation postures to enhance your yoga practice. Chapter 11 illustrates 11 hatha yoga routines ranging from a very gentle routine, consisting primarily of supported postures, to more vigorous vinyasa (flow) yoga, including the Sun and Moon Saluta- tions, in which you proceed from one posture to the next with little or no rest.

There are many schools of hatha yoga. Each school offers something unique. Unlike many other forms of physical activity and spiritual practice there is a level and style of hatha yoga for almost everyone. Authors Martin Kirk and Brooke Boon are both certified instructors in alignment based yoga and the Baptiste Power Yoga school, respectively.

Sanskrit, the ancient Indian language in which the original yoga texts were written, is used throughout this book. If you are new to yoga, do not be intimidated by the Sanskrit words. As your journey to yoga progresses, learning some of the Sanskrit terms and posture names will enhance the journey and not impede it. If the only San- skrit words you ever learn are asana (posture) and Namaste (the light in me honors the light in you) you will have taken one of the steps on your yoga journey.

Namaste, Daniel DiTuro

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Acknowledgments

I would like to thank God for the gift of yoga. I have been blessed with a passion for teaching and am so grateful for the ability to share that passion through works such as these. I am always amazed at how we are used in our lives if we surrender what we think we should be to the Creator and Perfector of all things. Only then are we free to become exactly what we were created to be; big, bright, purposeful, relevant beings. I am appreciative of the abundance that I have received through trust and faith.

A special thank you to my coauthors Martin and Jordan for their expertise, willingness to combine efforts, and unwavering dedication, and to Daniel for his photographic talent.

To my husband, Jarrett, and my children, Jory, Jace, and Brynn, the greatest joys in my life. Thank you for seeing me through deadlines and sleepless nights when I was less than agreeable. I appreciate your unconditional love and respect for my personal growth and for seeing in me all that I am now only beginning to see in myself. Mostly, thank you God for giving my life meaning and using me for Your glory.

Brooke Boon

To my beloved wife and partner in teaching, Jordan, who came into my life and gave me the courage to take the bold step from engineering designer of space satellite electronics to full time yogi. She is the one who deserves the credit for this work with her tireless writing, critiquing, and editing the asana descriptions and spotting and directing the photo sessions. This book would not have been possible without her. She is ever my beloved teacher and friend.

To my philosophy teacher and mentor, Professor Douglas Brooks, who helped with scholarly details for the book and who has provided guidance and amazing wisdom from the day we first met.

To my coauthor, Brooke, for graciously accommodating the differences in our styles and wholeheartedly embracing our work together as a team.

Thanks to Daniel DiTuro for the excellent photographic and coordination work that allowed Brooke and me to write this book.

Mostly, I want to thank my mother and father for always being willing to answer my questions and expose me to new ideas. They have always encouraged me to follow my heart.

Martin Kirk

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This book would not have been possible without the support of dozens of people who dedicated hundreds of hours to bring an idea to reality. First, I must thank Brenda Godfrey, friend, model, makeup artist, hair stylist, and photographer, who inspired the creation of the Yoga Project which eventually lead to writing and photographing this book. A book of this magnitude is not possible without models. Brandy Maktima was one of the original Yoga Project models and a principal model for this book. A special thank you to Brandy’s husband, Tony, who cared for their children while Mom was modeling. Pamela Scott modeled the alternate nostril breathing sequence.

An instructional book about hatha yoga required the knowledge of highly trained and certified yoga instructors. My coauthors, Martin and Brooke, contributed their expertise and insight for the benefit of current and future yogis. This book would not have been possible without them.

Wayne Johnson and Debbie Forrestt have both greatly contributed to my knowl- edge of yoga. Wayne, I am glad you decided to teach yoga and for your advice, critique, and assistance photographing the supported postures in this book. Om Shantih, Wayne. Thank you, Debbie, for convincing me that 98 percent accuracy was not good enough. Many people worked behind the scenes to create the photographs for this book. I am grateful to Marylove Jacobs and Ann James for assisting during the photo shoots and to Jim Adair for convincing me that digital photography rules. Jordan Kirk spotted many of the active postures and modeled vinyasa yoga routines II and III. Her knowledge, time, and efforts modeling, selecting many of the photos appearing in the book, and editing the manuscript are greatly appreciated. My thanks to the staff at Hugger Mugger Yoga Products for their assistance in selecting many of the props used to photograph the asanas in this book.

A very special thank you to Martin Barnard, Julie Rhoda, and Dan Wendt of Human Kinetics for their support, guidance, and assistance in bringing a concept to reality.

Daniel DiTuro

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Introduction

Welcome to the practice of yoga. With this book you begin a wonderful journey of discovery into your body and yourself that will help you find your fullest potential physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Whether you come to yoga in search of greater strength and flexibility, physical healing, or a deeper understanding of life, this great path has something to offer you. For thousands of years, travelers have trod this inward path before you, so the trail is well marked. Your own yoga journey will be as individual as you are, but you will never travel alone. You will become part of a great caravan of grace among others who seek to enrich their lives and make the world a better place.

Anyone can benefit from the practice of yoga. People of all ages, backgrounds, cultures, and religions come to yoga. Some are in great health; others come with injuries or physical limitations. Some travel for a brief distance along the path; others embrace the journey as a lifelong pursuit. This great practice is big enough for every- one with the desire to improve their health and learn to live life from a place of joy and adventure. Regardless of your starting point, there is no doubt that you will meet many like-minded travelers on your journey. Yoga is enjoying an unprecedented surge in popularity in the West, with an estimated sixteen million Americans practicing some form of yoga. There are classes for all levels and a variety of different styles from which to choose. You can begin your journey from right where you are today in the manner that speaks most to your heart.

This book serves as an introduction to yoga for many and as a guidebook to continue the journey for others. The majority of the information provided concerns the physical postures of yoga, the asanas. Each asana contains detailed information about getting into the pose, finding proper alignment, and obtaining the greatest benefit from your practice. Introductions are also provided into the practices of pranayama (yogic breathing), mudras (yoga of the hands), and meditation. Any of these practices can be helpful to you in your life. Taken together, these great practices can be quite transformational.

Most Westerners think of yoga as the set of postures and breathing exercises known as hatha or “sun and moon” yoga. This is the physical yoga practice that uses body postures to open the body and heart. But yoga is much more than a physical practice. The science of yoga is thousands of years old. It is an entire system with its own set of moral codes, breathing disciplines, and meditation techniques designed to take you along your spiritual journey.

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The word yoga is classically translated as “union.” It is a drawing together of heart, mind, and body that integrates all the parts of ourselves into a unified whole. Just as a team performs at its best when all the members line up behind a common goal, we will be at our best when every part of ourselves is in alignment with every other part. We are happiest when we are following our hearts and doing what we really love. In essence, when we bring our hearts, minds, and bodies into alignment, we step into the flow of grace that is yoga. The journey of yoga is an inward search to find the very best within us and then to learn to express that every day in our bodies, minds, and hearts.

Many of the practices we see in modern yoga are quite old, while others are surpris- ingly young. The physical yoga we know today as hatha is not even mentioned in the earliest yoga texts. Yoga has always evolved to meet the needs of the people and the time. In fact, many of today’s hatha yoga postures are less than one hundred years old. They can be traced to Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, a five-foot, two-inch South Indian man born in 1888 in a small Indian village. Krishnamacharya learned yoga from his father as a young man and decided to teach it to others. Hatha yoga was not well known in India in those days, however, and his early teaching years were a struggle for financial survival. Then in the 1930s he was given the position of teaching yoga at the gymnastics hall of the royal palace. His students were primarily active young boys bustling with energy, and Krishnamacharya knew he had to keep them busy. So he borrowed from the disciplines of gymnastics and Indian wrestling to produce a dynamic series of postures that would fit their active demeanor. His series of asanas still persists today and is known as Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, a system popularized by one of his primary students, Pattabai Jois. Yoga continues to evolve. The skillful use of alignment in the yoga asanas was mastered and shared with the world by B.K.S. Iyengar, another well-known and highly respected student of Krishnamacharya, who, in his eighties, still teaches yoga today. And many former students of B.K.S. Iyengar, now well-known instructors in their own right, continue to innovate to this day (Rodney Yee, Angela Farmer, Victor Van Hooten, and others).

The asana descriptions in this book are primarily based on a set of principles from alignment-based yoga. These principles have helped thousands—beginners and seasoned students alike—to take their practices to new levels while supporting sound alignment of body, mind, and heart. Additionally, they have been used with great success for the treatment and prevention of injuries.

The documented medical benefits of yoga include increased strength and stamina, relief of stress and anxiety, and lowered blood pressure. Most students find that they feel better with a regular practice of yoga in their lives. Whether you are seeking to improve your athletic performance, heal an old injury, or increase your flexibility, you will find the practice of yoga to be filled with rich traditions and meaning that can enhance your quality of life. And do not measure your success in yoga by how well you are able to do a particular pose. Just enjoy the ride. For with yoga, as with any worthwhile undertaking, the joy is in the journey, not the destination.

Enjoy your yoga journey.

Introduction

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chapter 1

art and Practice of Hatha Yoga

Yoga is the human quest for remembering our true nature, our deepest selves . Since the dawn of recorded time human beings have sought to transcend the human condition, to go beyond ordinary consciousness . Basic questions such as Who am I? and Why am I here? have driven mankind’s spiritual pursuits for millenia . In every human heart lies a deep longing to connect to something bigger than oneself, to find a sense of belonging and mean- ing to life . At the core of this longing is a basic human desire for happiness that transcends culture and time . Every human being wants to find happiness .

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This quest for happiness is not so much a striving to acquire something that exists outside of us as it is an innate desire to remember something that is part of our very nature. First and foremost, yoga is about remembering ourselves, our own deepest purpose for being. The journey of yoga is an inner journey to the very essence of our existence. The message of yoga is that the nature of that inner essence is happiness or bliss (ananda in Sanskrit). The search for happiness within every human heart is the search for the true nature of who we are.

Nowhere on earth has the impulse to transcend the human condition been more consistent and creative than in India—home to an overwhelming variety of spiritual beliefs, practices, and approaches designed to help the spiritual seeker achieve higher levels of consciousness. The practice of yoga is deeply woven into the rich Indian culture and evolved from the same roots as many other spiritual practices. As an ancient sci- ence, it was designed to facilitate the seeker’s inner journey to a higher level of being.

Though the art of yoga is often associated with Hinduism, yoga is not a religion. While a religion emphasizes belief structures about life and the human relationship to the divine, yoga seeks to reveal our own deepest nature through direct experience of our divinity. One need not be religious to practice yoga, nor does yoga exclude any religious practice. All that is required to practice yoga is a desire to learn more about yourself and your relationship to the universe.

The Sanskrit word yoga means “union” or “yoking” and has been defined as the union of mind and body, heart and actions. The type of yoga that most Westerners recognize is the series of physical postures, or asanas, that strengthens and makes the body more flexible. This form of yoga is referred to as hatha yoga. But hatha yoga is much more than just a physical practice. The word hatha is a Sanskrit combination of the word ha (sun) and tha (moon), which is itself a union of opposites. Qualities associated with the sun are heat, masculinity, and effort, while moon qualities are coolness, femininity, and surrender. Hatha yoga is designed to help us bring pairs of opposites together in our hearts, minds, and bodies for the purpose of discover- ing something deeper about the nature of our existence. These opposites have been referred to as stepping stones on a path of grace. They are qualities of heart such as effort and surrender, courage and contentment, stillness and playfulness. They may also be physical qualities such as hard and soft, hot and cold, solid and flowing. In essence, the practice of yoga brings together apparent opposites into a harmonious union—a place in the middle.

This middle place is a gateway into a whole new world for most of us. It is a place where we discover wonderful new things about our abilities and possibilities for our lives. It is a gateway into our own hearts. When we step through this gateway we do not step alone. We find before us the footprints of many who have gone before and illuminated the path. We find ourselves in the current of a great river that has car- ried the hopes and dreams of many seekers over the centuries. There is power in the river that will help us along our own spiritual journey, the power of grace. And by

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Art and Practice of Hatha Yoga

stepping through that gateway into the currents of grace, the yogi steps forward into ever-greater possibilities of his or her own happiness and self-expression.

Roots of Yoga

The earliest recorded form of yoga was a deeply introspective and meditative practice that focused on sacrificial rituals. Yoga is first mentioned in the Vedas, a body of four sacred texts that are the oldest and most treasured scriptures of the sacred canon of Hinduism. It is in the oldest of these scriptures, the Rg (pronounced rig) Veda, where the word yoga and its root, yuj, which means “yoke,” first appear. However, at that time no systematic path of yoga yet existed.

Most scholars believe the Vedas were composed by Sanskrit-speaking people who arrived in the Indus Valley of what is now India somewhere between 1800 and 1500 b.c.e. It is not clear whether these people, calling themselves Arya, invaded or peace- fully assimilated the prevailing culture into their own, but they brought with them the earliest roots of what we now enjoy as the practice of yoga.

Veda means “knowledge” or “wisdom,” and the original four texts are regarded as sacred revelations to the ancient seers (called rishis). They consist of literally thousands of verses of hymns and sacrificial chants designed to bring order and good fortune to those who invoke them. Two more texts, the Brahmanas (1000 to 800 b.c.e.) and the Aranyakas (800 b.c.e.), followed.

The Vedas and their commentaries were essentially how-to guides for ritual and sacrifice. They gave people instructions on how to make their lives better and attain success in marriage, business, war, and so forth. If you wanted to ensure success during Vedic time you would hire a priest to perform a ceremony from one of the Vedic texts.

At the end of the Vedic period (about 600 to 550 b.c.e.) there was an evolutionary leap in yogic thought with the appearance of the Upanishads. The Upanishads went beyond the instruction manual approach of the Vedas to ask the deeper questions about the meaning of a spiritual life.

The word upanishad comes from the prefixes upa, (approach), and ni, (near), and the verbal root shad, “to sit.” It literally means “to sit nearby.” The Upanishads serve as an invitation to come and sit near a teacher who can impart the wisdom of deeper understanding to the student. It was customary in Vedic times for students to gather around at the feet of their teacher and learn his wisdom by heart. But the Upanishads raised the bar for the inquiry into the mysteries of life beyond that of the Vedas. In the words of Douglas Brooks, Tantric scholar and professor of religion at the University of Rochester, the Upanishads were for those who wanted to “stay after school,” to go deeper and ask not only how the universe works but why does it work the way it does, what is its essential nature, and what is my place in it?

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For fear of whom fire burns, for fear of whom the sun shines, for fear of whom the winds, clouds and death perform their offices?

Tattrirya Upanishad

It is the deeper inquiry of the Upanishads that defines the evolutionary path to the yoga that we know today. Over the centuries the Upanishads became the sustaining original wisdom of all great yoga traditions.

The early centuries before the Christian era were rich in the development of Indian thought. Near the time when the Upanishads were being composed (or slightly later) the legendary sage and scholar Patanjali was compiling his list of Yoga Sutras. The word sutra is composed of two parts, su, meaning thread and tra, meaning to tran- scend. The Sutras are like pearls on a thread that helps the student to transcend. They are the threads that weave together the teacher, the teaching, and the student. The Sutras were composed as a list of aphorisms boiling down the yogic wisdom of the age into concise sentences that could easily be committed to memory. Their terse nature left them open to interpretation, leading to a long period of commentary and analysis that continues to this day. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras became the cornerstone in the system known today as Classical yoga, which is explored in greater detail in the next section.

Three Yogic World Views In the West, yoga is often confused with Hinduism. It is understandable that people group the two together because they share a common culture, language, and termi- nology. Both traditions trace their roots back to the Rg Veda. The common basis for both traditions is the Sanskrit language. In India many Hindus practice yoga, but not all yogis are Hindu.

Yoga is a philosophical system that prescribes a way of life and is actually just one of the philosophical schools recognized by Hindu orthodoxy as a valid repre- sentation of Vedic truth. There are many such schools that have played a role in the evolution of Indian thought. Each school is a form of philosophical thought that has evolved in India throughout the centuries. Several of these systems have been exported to the West, and particularly the United States, over the years. With the recent, unprecedented rise in the popularity of hatha yoga it is important to identify the foundations on which modern yoga systems are based.

Among the exports of Indian thought, three philosophical traditions now form an essential core within contemporary yoga: Classical yoga, Advaita Vedanta, and Tantra. Every popular system of hatha yoga in the West today is grounded in the philosophy of at least one of these three schools. The work of Tantric scholar Douglas Brooks discussed next provides a foundation for understanding these three systems.

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Art and Practice of Hatha Yoga

Classical Yoga

Classical yoga is the name given to those schools of yoga that consider themselves the most authentic representatives of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. It is a dualistic philosophy that draws a clear distinction between the two major “substances” of the universe, prakriti (matter) and purusha (spirit). In Classical yoga matter and spirit are qualita- tively different realities that never mix or join together. Spirit is absolute, unchanging, and superior to matter. Matter is relative, changeable, and inferior to spirit.

The essential nature of human beings is pure spirit, while everything in the physical world, including emotions and thoughts, is considered material. Human suffering is the result of confusing one’s true nature with this lesser, material reality. The goal of Classical yoga is to separate these two realities, to extract one’s true nature from the body/mind. It is designed to help students experience their immortal spirits. The goal of the yoga practice is to get into the body so you can get out of it. Sometimes these practices include harsh discipline that requires students to push beyond the pain in order to realize that they are something other than their bodies or their feel- ings. Because the body is inferior, it must be disciplined into submission so that spirit may be realized. If you are in a yoga class with a Classical yoga influence there will likely be a strong emphasis on controlling the body and mind through discipline. You may hear phrases like “push through the pain” when the postures become especially challenging.

For the Classical yogi the body and this physical life are problems to be solved. Birth is the result of a failure to realize our true nature in a previous life, and we are sentenced to come back again and again until we realize the truth. Freedom from the prison of embodiment comes when the seeker isolates the experience of pure spirit from the lesser realities of body, mind, and thoughts.

Advaita Vedanta

Vedanta means “conclusion or end of the Vedas,” because this method is based on the last set of Vedic texts and teachings, the Upanishads. In contrast to the dualistic philosophy of Classical yoga, Advaita (nondual) Vedanta negates the concept of separate realities for matter and spirit. In Advaita Vedanta only spirit is real; matter is an illusion. Our experience of matter, our bodies, our thoughts and feelings, and embodied life itself are an error in perception that can be corrected. There is only one true reality, but it appears as many to the unenlightened mind. This reality is unchanging and constant. Anything that changes, therefore, must be unreal. Since there is only one reality, all difference, as we perceive it in our worldly experience, simply does not exist. If we have a favorite flavor of ice cream or color of the rainbow it is simply an error of judgment. No perceived differences are real. All human suf- fering comes from this error of perception.

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For Vedantins, like Classical yogis, this embodied life is a problem to be solved. And the Vedantins, too, have a solution. One of the primary strategies for overcom- ing erroneous thinking is referred to as neti, neti (not this, not this). The practice is to repeat phrases like “I am not my body, for my body changes,” “I am not my mind, for my mind changes,” “I am not my emotions, for my emotions change.” Disciplined application of this approach is designed to bring true knowledge that will dispel the error in thought. Once the seeker acquires true knowledge, he or she becomes enlightened. An enlightened one may continue to inhabit the body but will have the awareness that the body, thoughts, and everything seen are just illusions. If you are in a hatha yoga class with an Advaita Vedanta influence you may hear phrases like “you are not your body” or “you are not your thoughts.”

Tantra

Sometime around the fifth or sixth century b.c.e. there was another revolution in Indian philosophical thought regarding the nature of the universe and our relation- ship to it. It was a radical shift that gave rise to a body of texts, oral traditions, and practices known by the name Tantra, meaning “loom” or “weave” (also called agama, meaning “testimony”).

Rather than join the argument between Classical and Advaita Vedanta yoga con- cerning the nature of matter and spirit, the Tantras transmuted it by agreeing with both sides and adding a new twist. Like Classical yogis, the Tantras affirmed the existence of spirit and matter; however, neither was granted supremacy. Like Advaita Vedantans, they affirmed the supreme unity of all reality. How could this be? How could both of the previously dominant philosophies be true at the same time?

Tantric philosophers resolved the issue with a masterful weaving together of these two great teachings. In essence they chose radical acceptance of all reality, both spiritual and material. The physical universe is explained as a diverse manifesta- tion of the one supreme reality of divinity. The grounding matrix of physical reality (prakriti to Classical yogis) is the Vedantic supreme self. The world we live in is the manifestation of infinite forms of this supreme consciousness.

This was an incredible shift in the prevailing views, which considered the physi- cal body as a problem to be solved and required self-denial and intense discipline of the physical body in order to either rise above it (Classical) or realize it as illusion (Advaita Vedanta). In bold contrast, the followers of Tantric philosophy considered the body as a manifestation of divinity itself, worthy of celebration and honor, rather than the result of a mistake or failure from a previous lifetime. This viewpoint was nothing less than a radical acceptance of the body and all of life as divinity incarnate. Suddenly there was nothing to renounce and no failed past life causing one’s current birth, only the choice of living fully in the reality one has received as a divine gift.

In contrast to the Classical and Advaita Vedanta adherents who renounced the world as inferior or illusion, the followers of this new path were primarily lay people. They were heads of households and businessmen living in the everyday world,

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Eight Limbs of Classical Yoga

As outlined earlier, the Classical yoga viewpoint follows a strict interpretation of the

Yoga Sutras—the culmination of a long development of the science of yoga that set

forth a very specific path to enlightenment. There are eight component stages, col-

lectively referred to as Ashtanga yoga (ashta, “eight” and anga “limb”), the eight-limbed

path to mystical union. The stages begin with a set of ethical codes and progress

through physical postures, breathing exercises, and mental practices, culminating

in the highest stage of absorption in the absolute.

Here is a description of the eight limbs:

1 . Yama. Five virtues, or restraints, that govern our relationships with others

and the world: ahimsa (noninjury), satya (truthfulness), asteya (nonstealing),

brahmacharya (Godlike conduct), and aparigraha (nonclinging).

2 . Niyama. Five observances of one’s own physical appearance, actions,

words, and thoughts that govern our relationship with ourselves: shauca (purity

or cleanliness), santosha (contentment), tapas (heat, burning desire for reunion

with God), svadyaya (self-study or self-inquiry) and isvara pranidhana (devotion

or surrender to the Lord, “thy will be done”).

3 . Asana. Postures for creating firmness of body, steadiness of intelligence,

and benevolence of spirit. The physical practice most familiar to Westerners

as yoga.

4 . Pranayama. A set of breathing exercises designed to help the yogi master

the life force.

5 . Pratyahara. Withdrawal of the senses, mind, and consciousness from the

outside world; focus inward on the self.

6 . Dharana. Focused concentration. With the body tempered by asanas, the

mind refined by the fire of pranayama, and the senses under control using

pratyahara, the student reaches this sixth stage.

7 . Dhyana. Meditation. Withdrawing the consciousness into the soul.

8 . Samadhi. Ecstasy. Merging with the divine. Self-realization. One experiences

consciousness, truth, and unutterable joy. One must experience samadhi in

order to understand it, because it is beyond the mind.

The system of Classical yoga based on the Yoga Sutras has undoubtedly been the

most common style of yoga taught in the West. It holds a strong appeal for students

who want a well-defined, stepwise approach to their spiritual advancement.

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earning their living and paying their bills. Tantric scholar Douglas Brooks has coined the term rajanakas to refer to this group. The term rajanaka means “sovereign over one's own life”; it indicates that these yogis used their practice to gain mastery over all aspects of their lives while still living in the secular world. The modern day yoga school is based on the Rajanaka Tantra tradition and draws upon the rich Tantric philosophy without the use of ancient Tantric ritual.

Needless to say, this fundamental shift toward Tantric thought affected the yogic practices of the day and continues to highlight the differences in the prevailing hatha yoga systems in the West. If you enter a yoga class based on Rajanaka Tantra philosophy you will likely hear phrases like “open to grace,” “your body is a divine temple” and “shine out from your heart and express the divinity within you.”

Paths of Yoga Just as there are distinct philosophies and interpretations of the scriptures in world religions, different philosophies have formed in the world of yoga. Accordingly, the living science of yoga has been organized into many different paths or approaches over the centuries. It is no surprise that human beings, with so much diversity of thought and feeling, would find so many paths to their spiritual development in the realm of yoga. Yet, like many different paths to the top of the same mountain, all paths lead to the same goal. Many people find that, as they progress through their lives, more than one path speaks to their spiritual needs. The best yoga paths for you are simply the ones that appeal most to your heart.

There are a number of recognized paths of yoga, of which six have gained prominence in the Hindu culture of India: bhakti, jnana, karma, raja, mantra, and hatha.

Bhakti yoga is the yoga of devotion. It emphasizes the opening of the heart to divine love, the union of lover (the yogi) and beloved (the divine). This devo- tional love is often translated into song or chanting, with ecstatic repetition of the names of the beloved, in gatherings called kirtans. One of the most popular kirtan artists in the United States today is Krishna Das, who is a bhakti yoga practitioner.

Jnana yoga is the yoga of wisdom. Jnana means “knowledge.” This is a path of self-realization through the exercise of discerning the real from the unreal or illusory. It is a practice of discriminating between the products of nature and the transcenden- tal Self, until the true Self is realized in the moment of liberation. This is a strictly nondualistic (Advaita Vedanta) path that requires the seeker to separate the real from the unreal, the Self from the non-Self. Since the mind is considered part of the unreal, one must use the mind to outwit the mind. The principle techniques of this path are meditation and contemplation.

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Karma yoga is the yoga of selfless action. Karma means “action.” The karma yogi makes all actions an offering to God, with no thought of personal gain. Through serving others one is selflessly serving God. Mother Theresa and Mahatma Gandhi are examples of karma yoga practitioners.

Raja yoga is the “royal” yoga. Raj means “king,” and raja yoga seeks to reveal the king within each of us that is normally hidden by our everyday actions and concealed by the workings of the mind. Raja yoga is a Classical yoga path most often associated with Ashtanga, the eight-limbed path of Patanjali. For the raja yogi the Sutras serve as an instruction manual to one's own experience of reality.

Mantra yoga is the yoga of sound. The word mantra comes from the root man, “to think” and the suffix tra, “suggesting instrumentality.” So a mantra is a thought or intention expressed as sound. A mantra is a sacred utterance or sound charged with psychospiritual power. Yogis use mantras to achieve deep states of meditation and to invoke specific states of consciousness, and they believe that a mantra expressing a particular aspect of the divine will help to awaken that aspect of their own conscious- ness. For instance, a mantra to Ganesha, the remover of obstacles, is used to help awaken that part of our personalities that can overcome the obstacles in our lives. The most recognized and important mantra is the sound OM (see page 23).

Hatha yoga is called the forceful yoga and is defined in previous sections. There are many schools of hatha yoga, each rooted in one of the major philosophical traditions mentioned earlier (Classical, Advaita Vedanta, or Tantra). Many styles of hatha yoga have become popular in the West ranging from healing therapy to vigorous athletic flow. Some schools work with detailed physical alignment while others focus only on the inner experience. You may practice yoga in air-conditioned comfort or in temperatures of 100-plus degrees Farenheit (38+ ºC). There is no shortage of variety and you are sure to find a style that agrees with you. Several styles of hatha yoga are listed in the resources section at the end of the book with contact information including websites where you can go to learn more about most of these styles.

Energetic Anatomy: The Chakras The practices of yoga are designed to deal with our bodies on more than just a physi- cal level. To the yogi the physical body is a manifestation, a reflection, of the astral or energy body. This body of energy has its own anatomy, based on seven major energy vortices called chakras. The word chakra means wheel or disk. The chakras line up along a central energy channel, or nadi, which runs from the base of the spine through the top of the head. It is called the sushumna. The sushumna is the energy body’s primary pathway for the life force (kundalini). The chakras are nodes of connection along this pathway where other energy channels intersect. The goal of classical yoga is to awaken the kundalini energy that lies dormant at the base of the spine and make it rise to the highest energy vortex at the crown of the head. The Tantric approach

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is to stir one’s awareness of that divine energy which is already awake. The yogi who can achieve and maintain this state is considered enlightened.

There are approximately 72,000 nadis in the energy body that channel energy. Three are primary, including the central sushumna and two others on either side. The left-side channel is called the ida. Its qualities are cool, soft, reflective, and sensitive, like the moon. The right-side channel is called the pingala and is associated with heat, activity, and strength, like the sun. The balance of energy flow on these two sides affects the sensations of heat and cold in the physical body. These two channels originate in the sushumna, near the base of the spine (in an energy vortex, or bulb, called a kanda), and they correspond to the first chakra, muladhara. They spiral up the sushumna, crisscrossing at each of the six higher chakras.

The chakras can be visualized from the front of the body as lotus flowers with the roots in the back. As the life force, or prana, moves through the system, it makes the chakras spin. The health of this system of energy flow depends on the chakras spinning at a proper speed. If the chakras spin too slowly, too weakly, or too fast, this creates a damming effect for the energy flow, and the system becomes imbalanced, which can manifest as emotional and physical illness.

Each chakra has a physical location in the body and is associated with physical, emotional, and energetic characteristics. Additionally, each chakra is associated with basic human rights and how we feel physically and energetically. For instance, if a child knows that he is loved, honored, and respected by his parents, he can develop a healthy sense of security. As a result the functioning of his muladhara chakra, which is associated with security, is enhanced.

The chakras can serve as a type of energetic health monitor for the student of yoga. As we perform the physical practice of hatha yoga we increase the health, awareness, and energy flow to each section of our bodies. If a particular section of our body is functioning at optimal levels energetically, the chakra associated with that section will also function optimally. Therefore, a hatha yoga practice can be designed to increase a student’s self-esteem by strengthening the “band of self esteem,” the region of the manipura chakra (the waistline).

Energy Gates: The Bandhas Bandhas are a series of energy gates in the subtle energy body that regulate the flow of psychosomatic energy. The word bandha means lock, or constriction. You can think of the bandhas like the one-way valves in your circulatory system. These valves allow blood to flow in one direction as the heart pumps but not to reverse its flow on the upstroke, ensuring proper direction of blood flow. The bandhas direct the life force in a similar way.