HATHA YOGA: THE SADHANA OF KALI YUGA

The Encyclopedia of Philosophy of Religion, edited by Stewart Goetz and Charles Taliaferro, Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell, 2021

Summary of history of haṭha yoga.

bindu in the head; or by making the breath enter the central channel of the body, which runs from the base of the spine to the top of the head, thereby forcing bindu upward. In later formulations of Haṭha Yoga, the Kaula system (see → Tantra) of the visualization of the serpent goddess Kuṇ ḍ alinī rising as kuṇ ḍ alinī energy through a system of cakras, usually six or seven, is overlaid onto the bindu-oriented system. The same techniques, together with some specifically kuṇ ḍ alinī-oriented ones, are said to effect kuṇ ḍ alinī's rise up the central channel (which is called the suṣ umnā in these traditions) to a store of amṛ ta (the nectar of immortality) situated in the head, with which kuṇ ḍ alinī then floods the body, rejuvenating it

Therapeutic yoga that has evolved out of this branch of Yoga has benefitted a huge section of humanity cutting across continents irrespective of age, gender and socio-economic considerations. Unfortunately, this also has led to situation where yoga is being seen through the pin-hole of health and fitness. But as seen earlier, Yoga is a vast estate of knowledge that has the potential to unlock enormous possibilities in human beings. Even Haṭhayogapradīpikā, an important text on Haṭhayoga states “Haṭha is a ladder towards Rājayoga” (rājayogam āroḍhum icchoḥ adhirohiṇīva). Hatha should be practiced as a stepping stone towards the royal and grand objective of self –realization, beyond health benefits.

Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 2010

Qualitative Sociology Review, 2016

This paper undertakes the problem of perceiving and feeling the body in the process of acquiring the identity of a hatha-yoga practitioner. The process of becoming a “yogi” is connected with the practice of the work on the body and defining these practices, specific perception of the body, and feeling the body. Becoming a hatha-yoga practitioner is a process. I describe phases of this process in the paper: 1) The initial phase—constructing motives and first steps; 2) The phase of a fuller recognition of psychophysical effects and ascribing to them appropriate meanings; 3) The phase of a fuller recog­nition of spiritual aspects of hatha-yoga (quasi-religion). The relations between the mind and the body get complicated at the moment of meaningful engagement in yoga practice and defining body practice as mental practice, as well as spiritual. The work on the body can change the “Western” perspective of defining the body as a material element of human existence (the Cartesian vision) t...

Few of us have lost our minds, but many of us have long ago lost our bodies. Ken Wilber O friend, understand: the body is like an ocean, rich with hidden treasures. Open your inmost chamber and light its lamp. Within the body are gardens, rare flowers, peacocks, the inner Music; within the body a lake of bliss, on it the white soul-swans take their joy.

SUMMARY Background: A growing body of evidence supports the belief that yoga benefits physical and mental health. The aim of the study is to investigate whether the sense of coherence and sense of agency are more developed in people practicing hatha-yoga than in the group of people who have never practiced yoga. Methods: TAHE, SOC-29 questionnaire and short microphenomenological interview conducted on a group of 15 people (8 yoga instructors, 7 in the control group). Results: It has been shown that the study group has significantly higher scores in both the sense of agency and sense of coherence than the control group. In addition, a statistically significant correlation was observed between the part of the values mentioned above. Conclusions: There are indications that the hatha-yoga exercise increases the sense of agency, which in the long run can contribute to better mental health. In order to find a clear and certain link between the sense of coherence and the sense of agency additional research is necessary.

This is a revision of the project proposal submitted for a European Research Council Consolidator Grant in 2014. The proposal was successful and the project started on October 1st 2015.