What is Hatha Yoga?

Students in Sukhasana (Easy Pose) at an outdoor Yoga class in Barbados

The Sanskrit word “hatha” can be translated in English two different ways: as “willful” or “forceful,” as the active path of yoga—or as “sun” (ha) and “moon” (tha), as the yoga of balance. Taken together, hatha yoga can be described as a set of willful and active practices that aim to achieve harmony and balance in the mind, body, and spirit.

Hatha practices are designed to align and calm your body, mind, and spirit in preparation for meditation. While most forms of yoga in the West can be classified as Hatha Yoga (including Vinyasa), classes labelled as “Hatha yoga” tend to be relatively gentle, slow paced and good for beginners.

What are the three basic principles of Hatha yoga?

According to the 15th-century yogic text, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, to be defined as a hatha yoga class, the practice only has to include the following three elements: physical poses (asana), breathing techniques (pranayama), and meditation (dyana).

What is the difference between Hatha and Vinyasa yoga?

A typical Hatha yoga class are generally practiced at a slower pace, with focus on the breath, controlled movements, and holding postures. In a Vinyasa practice, you can expect to stay in a constant flow of movements. Vinyasa yoga focuses on connecting the breath to your movements, which tend to be set at a faster pace.

Hatha Vinyasa yoga

There is also the option of exploring Hatha Vinyasa classes which consists of the basic principles of Hatha yoga and combining flowing sequences and controlled movements (often holding poses for various lengths of time). As with many other styles, some Hatha Vinyasa classes are more gentle while others are more fast paced, so it's always great to try different classes.

Go to our schedule to see the Hatha/Hatha Vinyasa classes available in Barbados. Enjoy!