It is the foundation to approach all yoga system. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 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 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 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 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 concept of yoga was systematized by Patanjali which produces the ancient text of Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 瑜珈經. 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. Yoga 瑜珈 in sunskrit word means “Yuj” which literally means union or yoke 連接. I have put together a simple explanation, you can also find references on the internet. Last month, there are some students who have asked me about the differences between Hatha Yoga and other forms of yoga.