In the early texts, the posture called Padmasana (Lotus Posture) is taught in two different ways.
In the Dattatreyayogashastra, the earliest text to describe hathayoga, Padmasana is instructed as the single most important posture. "Turn the soles of the feet upward and carefully place them on the thighs. Put the hands in the lap and turn them upwards in the same way. Then focus the eyes on the tip of the nose, lift up the base of the uvula with the tongue, put the chin on the chest and, slowly inhaling as much as possible, slowly fill the abdomen. Then slowly exhale as much as possible. This is said to be the lotus posture. It destroys all diseases and is hard for anyone to attain; it is attained by the wise man in the world." (Dattatreyayogashastra, verses 35-38) This version is similar to what we call Padmasana (Lotus Posture) today: Bound legs and relaxed arms. It is worth noting that this is not considered an easy posture. It "is hard for anyone to attain." This posture can take years to perfect. The second version of Padmasana is what we call Bound Lotus today, performed by wrapping the arms behind the back and holding onto the toes. Some of the earliest texts teach the posture this way, simply calling it Padmasana. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, an encyclopedic compilation of practices, instructs the posture as follows: "Place the right foot on the left thigh and the left foot on the right thigh, and grasp the toes with the hands crossed over the back. Press the chin against the chest and gaze on the tip of the nose. This is called the Padmasana, the destroyer of the diseases." (HP 1:46) This "bound" version of the posture is quite common in old texts, at least as common as the un-bound version.
1 Comment
The main purpose of traditional hathayoga is to preserve the essence of life, called bindu. It was thought that bindu dripped down from a place in the head and was burned up by the digestive fire in the abdomen. As we get older, our supply of bindu runs out and we age. By preserving bindu we can therefore lengthen our lives. The concept of bindu has faded in the modern era as the focus on physical fitness and western anatomy has grown.
There are two methods to conserve this essence: 1) tipping the body upside down, a technique called viparitakarani (inversion), and 2) drawing bindu upward by placing the breath into the "central channel." These two methods inform many of the practices that we do in yoga. VIPARITAKARANI MUDRA Viparitakarani is often translated as "inverted action," "the reverser" or simply "inversion." The only real instruction we get from old texts is to place the head below the abdomen. This means that Headstand, Shoulderstand and the mudra called viparitakarani qualify. Its goal is to halt the effect of gravity which pulls bindu downward. THE CENTRAL CHANNEL Techniques for drawing bindu upward in the central channel of the body are called mudras. There are 10 or 11 mudras in traditional hathayoga, some of which have been converted into asanas and some of which have been forgotten. They are usually done seated, with pressure from one or both heels on the perineum, and some sort of breath control. This is thought to prevent bindu from falling down and even draw it upward. As the centuries progressed, the concept of bindu was largely replaced by the concept of kundalini, a powerful energy that lies dormant at the base of the spine. The same techniques are used to "awaken" this energy and draw it upward, much like they did for bindu. Shavasana (Corpse Pose) is fundamental to modern yoga and has been essential for several hundred years. But it did not start as an asana, and its earliest iteration wasn't even technically part of hathayoga.
The earliest instruction describes this practice as part of layayoga or the "Yoga of Dissolution," in which we strive toward "dissolution of the mind." At this point in history (12th century) the techniques of layayoga are separate from hathayoga and include meditating on emptiness, staring at the tip of the nose and staring between the eyebrows. You may recognize some of these techniques from modern yoga, especially the focused gaze which is now commonly referred to as drishti. Another technique of layayoga is as follows: "Lying supine on the ground like a corpse is said to be an excellent dissolution. If one practices in a place free from people while relaxed, one will achieve success." (1) You will recognize this as the practice that is later appropriated into hathayoga and called Shavasana. A few hundred years later hathayoga has become a larger system, full of outside techniques including some from layayoga. By the time the Hatha Pradipika is published, the practice of lying on the ground and stilling the mind is labeled as an asana: "Laying down on the ground, like a corpse, is called Śava-āsana. It removes fatigue and gives rest to the mind." (2) The practice technique is similar to the earlier method from layayoga, with new emphasis on physical elements like fatigue and slightly less emphasis on dissolving the mind. As modern culture has become more hectic and stressful, the elements of relaxation have become central to the practice of Shavasana. A NOTE ON PRONUNCIATION The Sanskrit spelling of this word is śavāsana. The letter ś with the accent mark above is pronounced like "sh." So the truest way to pronounce this word is shavasana (shuh-VAH-suh-nuh). Often the word is written in english as savasana or even śavāsana, and it is easy to mispronounce the first letter as the letter "s." 1. Dattatreya's Discourse on Yoga, trans. James Mallinson, 2013, verse 24-25. 2. Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Chapter 1, verse 34. FORCE
The word hatha means "force." It refers to the powerful effects of its techniques that move energy upward through the body. These techniques include mudra, pranayama and asana. "Yoga of force" seems to be the original meaning for the term. HA & THA A few hundred years after the dawn of Hatha Yoga, a new and different explanation of the word came about. This involves the words Ha, which means "sun" and Tha, which means "moon." Hatha, the explanation goes, is the uniting of the sun and moon, the masculine and feminine or any other dualities. MODERN MEANING OF HATHA Hatha Yoga has come to mean "the physical practices of yoga" - especially asana - which are different from the meditative or spiritual elements, often called Raja Yoga. This distinction is a blurry one, since Raja Yoga is part of Hatha Yoga in several old texts, specifically the influential Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Modern "Hatha Yoga" is not the same as traditional Haṭha Yoga, a system of practices to "raise and conserve the physical essence of life." (1) Nowadays the term "Hatha" more commonly refers to a stillness-based approach to asana practice, differentiated from the flowing styles that have become popular in the West.
Asana practice is only a small part of traditional Hatha Yoga, which was more centrally focused on practices of mudra and kumbhaka (pranayama). We are interested in the traditional practices that have trickled down to the modern day and also those that have been lost. Some seem completely outdated, and some simply don't fit the modern impressions of what yoga practice is. We will explore as many of them as we can. We will do a series of posts on traditional and modern Hatha Yoga, including:
Don't hesitate to write with questions or comments. 1. Mallinson, James. "Hatha Yoga" entry in Vol. 3 of the Brill Encyclopedia of Hinduism. |
AUTHORSScott & Ida are Yoga Acharyas (Masters of Yoga). They are scholars as well as practitioners of yogic postures, breath control and meditation. They are the head teachers of Ghosh Yoga.
POPULAR- The 113 Postures of Ghosh Yoga
- Make the Hamstrings Strong, Not Long - Understanding Chair Posture - Lock the Knee History - It Doesn't Matter If Your Head Is On Your Knee - Bow Pose (Dhanurasana) - 5 Reasons To Backbend - Origins of Standing Bow - The Traditional Yoga In Bikram's Class - What About the Women?! - Through Bishnu's Eyes - Why Teaching Is Not a Personal Practice Categories
All
Archives
March 2024
|