1 Hatha Yoga:
(Sanskrit: Union of Force), a school of Indian philosophy that stresses
mastery of the body as a way of attaining spiritual perfection. It is an
outgrowth of the Yoga school of Indian philosophy. HaĦha Yoga traces its origins
to Gorakhnath, the legendary 12th-century founder of the KanphaĦa YogYs.
HaĦha Yoga places great importance on purificatory processes, regulation of
breathing aprapayama), and the adoption of bodily postures called asanas. A
common asana is the padmasana (lotus posture), in which the crossed feet rest
on the opposite thighs. This is the position in which many Hindu and Buddhist
gods are often depicted.
HaĦha Yoga has grown in popularity in the West as a form of exercise and
relaxation. Western physiologists and psychologists have also become interested
in it and in related forms of Yoga that focus on the control of bodily
processes. Adept Yoga practitioners have shown remarkable abilities to lower
their own blood pressure and to regulate body temperature and respiration rate.
