Hatha yoga has been around for thousands and thousands of years. Some believe the tradition to be 5000 years old while others think it dates back as many as 10,000 years. This disparity in time is due to the fact that when Yoga was first practiced there was no written word, no paper, no way of transmission other than the spoken word. So there’s no way to know for sure how ancient this practice is. What we do know is hatha yoga is a total life philosophy incorporating how we relate to the world, to ourselves and how to attain inner peace.
In the yoga sutras, (196 sutras or aphorisms written in Sanskrit around 400 A.D.) Patanjali describes hatha yoga as consisting of eight limbs or disciplines. This is known as the eight fold path. (More on this later!)
Two well known schools of yoga were derived directly from these sutras and today’s modern styles including ashtanga, Iyengar, anusara, yin, power, vinyasa, restorative, Jivamukti, kundalini moksha, Bikram, etc. all originated from these schools.
So in essence hatha yoga is the mother of modern day Yoga as we have come to know it. With this deep history and broad definition there is a massive variation of what can be offered in a hatha class. But generally it embodies this eight fold path and incorporates relatively slow paced, deliberate asanas (postures),pranayama(breathwork)and meditation.
In my classes I like to stay true to the roots of yoga to allow the holistic embodiment of it’s philosophy. I also like to incorporate some anusara and alignment based modifications using belts,blocks,and bolsters. This makes yoga accessible to everyone and helps beginners and people with injuries or chronic conditions get into correct alignment, bringing awareness to their bodies and breath, and calm their minds.