Yoga is a traditional Indian discipline of the mind and body. Depictions of yoga-like meditation have been found on seals dating from more than 3,000 years ago, however it was Indian sage Patanjali who compiled the first yoga doctrine, the Yoga Sutras, about 2,200 years ago.
Yoga, or Rāja (Royal) Yoga, is considered one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy. Rāja Yoga, however, mostly focuses on cultivating the mind through meditation, and is practiced quite differently than the yoga many of us know today.
Hatha Yoga
Nearly all modern forms of yoga branch from Hatha Yoga, a system of yoga developed in the 15th century by Yogi Swatmarama, whom assembled his teachings in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika
Hatha Yoga works to balance the body and mind using physical postures, breath control and meditation. As with Rāja Yoga, Hatha yoga is composed of the traditional “eight limbs (Ashtanga)” that are outlined in the Yoga Sutras: Yama and Niyama, or ethical obligations; Asana, physical postures; Pranayama, breath control; Pratyahara, or sense withdrawal; Dharana, or concentration; Dhyana, meaning meditation; and Samadhi, meaning the experience of achieving enlightenment.
Though all eight limbs play a part in modern yoga, today most yoga practitioners focus on Asana, Pranayama and meditation, less as an all-encompassing lifestyle and more for yoga’s proven benefits to health and wellness.
Hatha Vinyasa Flow
The Hatha Vinyasa Flow method utilizes vinyasa, or breath-synchronized movement, to “flow” from one posture to the next. This is similar in concept to the more intense Ashtanga Vinyasa method, however it utilizes standard Hatha postures and is therefore slightly simplified and performed in a shorter period of time.
Students who wish to practice Hatha Vinyasa Flow should have a basic foundation of the standard Hatha method of yoga before seeking instruction in Hatha Vinyasa Flow.