A brilliant mind in a sick and weak body will not be able to continue its brilliance for long, while a superbly developed body will not be able to achieve much if the mind is undeveloped.
One of the practices that has been used to develop and control our mind and body since times immemorial is yoga. The word yoga means ‘union.’ The physical, mental and spiritual practices in yoga aim to bring our heart, mind and body together to achieve salvation.
Yoga includes Yama (five virtues), Niyama (five observances), Asanas (postures), Pranayama (breath control), Pratyahara (withdrawal of senses), Dharana (focused concentration), Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (merging with the divine).
There are many paths of yoga, of which six are most prominent—Bhakti Yoga, Gyana Yoga, Karma Yoga, Raja Yoga, Mantra Yoga and Hatha Yoga.
The branch of yoga that is most famous today and most frequently comes to mind when yoga is mentioned is Hatha Yoga. It is the physical aspect of yoga that emphasises certain practices of yoga, especially postures and breath control. It aims at purification, rebuilding, vitalisation and control of the body. Hatha Yoga is not just a way to develop a strong and fit body but a means to develop inner strength, harmony and happiness.
There are two interpretations of the word ‘hatha’–‘ha’ stands for the Sun and ‘tha’ for the Moon. The Sun has masculine qualities like heat and expression of energy, while the moon has feminine qualities like coolness and conservation of energy.