History of hathayoga 

Actually origin of hathayoga we find from tantra yoga and tantrik tradition,It was Gorakhnath who has seperated hathayoga from tantra yoga,Though knowledge of yoga has been given by lord shiva and at that time one fish was hearing that knowledge.The fish after getting that knowledge immediately evolutes into human form he was the matseyndranath, he was teacher of gorakhnath but later gorakhnath become so powerful he has helped matsyendranath. 

Important text in hathayoga 

• Gorakhsatam- gorakhnath 
• Hathyogapradipika- svatmarama 
• Gherand samhita- muni ghrand 
• Vasistha samhita- vasistha 
• Shiv samhita- unknown 

What is hathayoga 

This is directly related with the ‘Pranasamyama Yoga’ i.e. ‘Yoga through control over Prana or Respiration’‘HA’ stands for ‘Sun’, ‘Pingala’ and ‘Heating principle’  ‘THA’ stands for ‘Moon’, ‘Ida’, ‘Cooling principle’Our total personality is guided by the way we Breathe. Breathing has direct relationship with that of functioning of Mind. Hathapradipika declares it very clearly  (cale vate cala cittam…) Mental Conditions are immediately reflected on our Breathing Pattern or vice versa.         With slight awareness we can experience it.Hatha Yoga also believes in the Relationship between  Life span and Total Number of Breathing.Every person has definite number of breathing as his/her Life Span and not number of Years and  i.e. why on death of somebody we say   “ he breathed his last ” We are consuming this breathing @ 15 respiration per minute  amounting to 21600 respiration per day.Fast consumption will shorten the life span and contrary to this slow and reduced consumption will increase it.Slow consumption must be a voluntary action and not the forced involuntary action as in the case of Asthma.It is necessary to attain balance between Ida and Pingala,Prana and Apana in order to facilitate the vayu to enter intoSushumna.

• components of hathayoga 

• Mitahara 
• Asana
• Suddhikriya 
• nadishodhan 
• Pranayama
• Mudra 
• Bandha 
• Nadanusandhana 
• Chakra 
• kundalini 

• Asana 

Asana

1.Asanani tu tavantyo yavantyo jivajatayah –

Asanas are as many as number of species which mythologically is supposed to be 8400000.It was reduced by Shiva to 84 , from 84 to 4 and even from 4 to 1 and that one asana is said to be Siddhasana.

We can divide Asana as having four purposes on the basis of its definitions-

a. Therapeutic purpose

b. Flexibility and endurance purpose

c. Concentration purpose

d. Realization of highest goal

• mitahara 

1. Balanced  Diet is another important consideration of Hathayoga.
2. There are Three Important points  with regard to diet which must be taken into consideration by a yoga practitioner 

1. Quantity –  ½ of the stomach should be filled with solid food, ¼ of  the stomach should be filled with Water and rest part should be kept empty for the free movement of air.

2. Quality – Yoga provides a long list of food items to be consumed or not to be consumed but basically  they recommend 

a.  Sweet and unctuous food

b.  Healthy and nourishing food

c.  Strictly vegetarian food even without Garlic and Onion 

d.  Avoid bitter , sour  and  pungent food

3. Attitude of mind – Food should be consumed for the satisfaction of God inside. While eating one should be very cool, calm and happy.

• Cleansing process 

These cleansing Cleansing Processes or Shodhana Kriya ,Actually speaking in some way all yogic practices are cleansing.Hathayoga provides Shatkarma – a combination of six types of practices practiced with the help of water, air, very simple equipment (e.g. strip of cloth or rubber catheter ) and manipulation of internal muscle specially recti muscles.

• processes are known as :-

1. Dhauti – Vamana  and Vastra ( Gastric Hygiene )

2. Basti – Jala and Sthala ( Colon Hygiene )

3. Neti – Jala and Sutra ( Naso-pharyngeal Hygiene)

4. Trataka ( Opthalmic Hygiene)

5. Nauli ( Intestinal Hygiene )

6. Kapalabhati ( Naso-pharyngeal Hygiene)

However, we must not underestimate their yogic purposes as well.  

• Gheranda Samhita enumerates 21 varieties of Cleansing Processes classifying them under six cleansing processes mentioned above. 
• Nadishodhan 

1. Nadis (Pranic channels)  are required to be purified in order to promote free flow of Vayu through out the Pranic channels in the whole body which facilitates Prana to enter into Sushumna
2. There are 72000 pranic channels in the human body, out of them 3 are very important and even among them one is most important.
3. The popular `Anuloma-Viloma’ or `Alternate Breathing Exercise’ is known as  NS Pranayama according to authentic Hatha Yoga Texts. 

• Eight kumbhak  ( Pranayama)

Suryabhedana 

Ujjayi 

Sitkari 

Shitali 

Bhastrika 

Bhramari 

Murccha 

Plavini 

From spiritual point of view, `Bhastrika’ is supposed to be the best specially  for Kundalini arousal whereas for the maintenance of general health, the Ujjayi pranayama  is supposed to be the best.

• Mudras 

Mudras are the advanced practice of Hathayoga and enumerated as third limb in the Hathayogic Curriculum. This is a combination of special posture , kumbhaka and also attending to a particular point in the body, has usually four purposes:-

To  facilitate the prana vayu to enter into Sushumna

1. To arouse Kundalini and direct it to Sushumna
2. To protect the nectar oozing continuously from the  moon at the top of the head.
3. To protect the lower energy located at the pelvis region.

• Nadanusandhana

1. It is fourth limb of Hathayoga.
2. Attending mentally upon internally aroused un struck sound is called Nadanusandhana.
3. Svatmarama declares it to be the best form of Laya
4. Thus , according to Svatmarama, Hathayoga must culminate in Laya