The oldest surviving of the texts on Hatha Yoga, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika is said to have been written down by Swatmarama Yogi in the 15th century, although it is derived from earlier sources. Despite being more than five centuries old, the advice given in this manual on postures, breathing exercises, and the philosophy of yoga is still relevant today, whether you are a beginner or a more experienced practitioner.
These six extracts from the Hatha Yoga Pradipika – which translates as “Light on Hatha Yoga” – have been selected to inspire your practice. Commentaries suggest how to apply them to deepen your experience of yoga.
Swatmarama Yogi, having saluted his own teacher, gives out the Hatha Vidya [knowledge] solely for the attainment of Raja Yoga. I 2
This passage stresses the importance of thinking of your practice as a way of controlling the mind – this is the path of Hatha and Raja Yoga. Many in the West regard asanas as a form of physical exercise only, but practising them in this way is not to be recommended. It is impossible to master the mind without first controlling its physical counter-part, the body. This is what we seek to do when practising postures. The connection between body and mind is one of the most fascinating aspects of yoga.
Asanas make one firm, free from disease, and light of limb. I 17
This explains how beneficial asana practice is. The “firmness” is seen in many ways, including improved alignment; increased resistance to heat, cold, hunger, and thirst; and greater capacity for self-healing. Lightness of limb does not mean only physical weight (although asana practice does help maintain an ideal weight), but the ability of asanas to raise the vibratory level of the body’s energy. This is seen in movement: if someone with a large frame practises asanas, a new lightness appears in their movements.
Moderate diet is defined to mean taking pleasant and sweet food, leaving one-fourth of the stomach free, and offering the act up to Siva. I 58
Here, we are told that a moderate, nutritious, and light diet is key to success in yoga. Easily digested, fresh vegetarian foods, simply cooked, are thought to be a good source of prana, or life force. Swami Sivananda advised that the way to be always happy is always to feel a little hungry.
When the breath wanders, i.e., is irregular, the mind is also unsteady, but when the breath is still, so is the mind, and the yogi lives long. So one should restrain the breath. II 2
Breath control is central to yoga: the term Hatha means “union of the sun (Ha) and the moon (Tha)”, where sun and moon refer to inhalation and exhalation respectively. Both asanas and pranayama provide excellent training for the breath, which increases vital energy, fine-tunes the nervous system, and eventually leads to control of the mind.
He should gradually inhale the breath and as gradually exhale it. He should also restrain it gradually. II 18
This highlights the real hallmark of an accomplished practitioner of yoga. Strength and flexibility in postures are not by themselves a sign of progress. A smooth, rhythmical, balanced breath is. But never make any violent effort to control the breath in your yoga practice; this strains the nervous system.
The Yogi succeeds by cheerfulness, perseverance, courage, true knowledge, firm belief in the words of the guru, and by abandoning bad company. I 16
Making yoga practice your own by having the right “knowledge” and “firm belief” (of the five principles) opens the door to new friendships with like-minded people. The purpose of yoga is to shift your life force from a dormant or static state to a dynamic state. This requires perseverance, self-discipline, and courage.