What is Hatha Yoga ? 甚麼是哈達瑜珈 ?

上個月有學生問我甚麼是哈達瑜珈，我在這裡希望能簡單的統整一下我對哈達瑜珈的瞭解。我會在英文裡盡量放上註解，希望有幫助！

Last month, there are some students who have asked me about the differences between Hatha Yoga and other forms of yoga. I have put together a simple explanation, you can also find references on the internet.

Yoga 瑜珈 in sunskrit word means “Yuj” which literally means union or yoke 連接. The Indian yogic tradition 印度傳統瑜珈 traced back to a few thousand years ago where it’s a philosophical system practiced by many for the purpose of mental and physical well being. The concept of yoga was systematized by Patanjali which produces the ancient text of Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 瑜珈經. The focus of Yoga then was on the mind in which the famous second verses read “Yoga Chitta Vritti Nirodha” ( The cessation of the fluctuation of the mind is yoga” 約束心靈的變化就是瑜珈. The earlier Patanjali’s yoga also refered to as Raja Yoga 勝王瑜珈 which outlined the famous 8-limbed concept 八支功法瑜珈系統 system which became the major study for the yoga system today. The 8-limbed also known as Ashtanga Yoga 阿斯湯珈瑜珈或八支功法瑜珈 , it is related to Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga 阿斯湯珈串聯瑜珈 system which I will explain some other day !! In the Yoga sutras, it only mention briefly about seated asana 坐姿 which is for meditation 冥想 purpose. The development of asanas 體位法 arrived later in Hatha Yoga Pradipika 哈達瑜珈經 which is system described by Yogi Swatmarama in the 15th century. The main difference from Raja Yoga is that Hatha Yoga focus more on the purification of the physical body 身體的淨化. The book of Hatha yoga Pradipika 哈達瑜珈經 consists of 4 chapters which focus on Asanas 體位法, Pranayama 呼吸控制法, Mudras手印 and Samadhi 三摩地. It also outlines some of the fundamental principles 基本理論 in practicing kriya 淨化法, bandha 根鎖, chakras 能量輪 and nadis 氣脈. Hatha Yoga therefore is the cornerstone for the development of modern-day yoga 現代瑜珈 in terms of asana practices in in different yoga styles namely Ashtanga, Anusara, Iyengar, Kundalini, Viniyoga and so forth. Tirumalai Krishamacharya (1888-1989) also known as “the father of modern yoga” which believed to have learned 3000 asanas from a famous hatha yoga teacher Sri Ramamohan Brahmachari, was the teacher of Pattabhi Jois and B.K.S Iyengar.

Well..about Pattabhi Jois and B.K.S Iyengar, that’s another story of another time !!! So in today’s popular western yoga style, practicing asana is therefore only one aspect of the 8-limbed yoga system. A class that labeled Hatha Yoga which consist of practicing only part of what yoga really is about, it is a mere physical exercises that make the body strong and flexible. However, if you are new to yoga, it is important to practice Hatha Yoga as a way of gaining awareness, building stronger body through purification and concentration. It is the foundation to approach all yoga system. 所以現代的所謂西方瑜珈體位法練習和派別， 也都是以哈達瑜珈為根源。但練習體位法只是練習瑜珈八支裡的其中一個概念， 並不是全部。雖然如此，練習體位法還是很重要的，除了能夠提升你對身體的覺知和敏感度，也能強化和淨化身體，提高你的專注力，是許多瑜珈人最基本的練習方式之一 。如果你在現代的瑜珈課程上看到的流暢瑜珈 Flow Yoga, 舒緩瑜珈 Gentle Yoga, 能量瑜珈 Power Yoga或其他派別等等都是從Hatha Yoga裡的動作延伸出來的，看老師的選擇，只是上課形式和節奏會有些不一樣囉！

So here it is folks, feel free to let me know if you have any more question. 如果有其他問題的話，歡迎讓我知道！

Please come and join me for Hatha Yoga class @ Be Yoga every Monday 2030. Come and try a new class for $200NT and first 5 classes for $1500NT ( normally at $350 per class and $3000 for 10 classes )

如果你沒上過哈達瑜珈，可以來嘗試一下囉！現在體驗課$200NT或之後頭5堂$1500NT (平常$350NT/堂,$3000/10堂）