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. Hatha Yoga traces its origins to Gorakhnath, the legendary 12th-century founder of the Kanphata Yogis. Hatha Yoga places great importance on purificatory processes, regulation of breathing (pranayama), and the adoption of bodily postures called asanas. A common asana is the padma sana (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. Hatha 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.