Applied anatomy and physiology of yoga: an illustrated manual
May 22, 2008 – 8:36 pmEver wonder what the term ‘hatha’ means, as in ‘hatha yoga’, and how it can help you with your meditation practice? ‘Ha’ is a Sanskrit term meaning sun, while ‘tha’ means moon. The practice of hatha yoga is the way toward realization or union with the Supreme. It involves disciplined exercise and spiritual practice or meditation.
Two reasons to perfect the asanas, or postures, in hatha yoga can be to:
- Renew your body’s energies and achieve optimal health and well being
- Discover comfortable meditation poses to hold for longer periods of time
I’ll be announcing, here and at my TeleMeditation Retreats site, the release a meditation e-course, in which I discuss the possible inclusion of hatha yoga as an adjunct to your meditation practice if you are not already doing so. One of the ways you can begin is by looking at the study and practice of hatha yoga as a means of comfortably lengthening your meditation time. The more physical asanas or poses you master, the easier it becomes to focus on cultivating a deeper meditation practice. This is why so many seek to enhance their understanding of the physical aspect of yoga.
If you choose to pursue more serious study and practice of both hatha yoga and meditation, you might find it helpful to include a standard reference manual in your quest. For anyone seeking an authoritative and comprehensive correlation of hatha yoga with both anatomy and physiology, the manual, Applied Anatomy & Physiology of Yoga
Krisnamacharya Yoga Film 1938 (silent) courtesy of YouTube:
