Backbending & Upsidedown
«" Ha "means sun, which is the sun of our body, that is, the soul, and" tha "means moon, which is our consciousness.
The energy of the sun never fades, while the moon vanishes every month and then again from the new moon becomes full again. "
(BKS Iyenger [1]
Hatha Yoga teaches to dominate the cosmic energy present in man , which manifests itself as breath, and therefore to achieve greater control of the mind , always restless, always ready to get distracted and wander.
In this way yoga, influencing both the psychic and physical life of the individual, which, moreover, it thinks are closely linked, proposes to carry out an immediate withdrawal from the plane of daily experience, human and earthly, and to implement with great promptness the possession of the highest bliss .
This is why Hatha Yoga is also called "the fast way".
Hatha-yoga as an ancient discipline that allows to obtain a balance between body, mind and soul combines the execution of physical postures called âsana with breathing control techniques (more properly of prâna, "vital breath") or prânâyâma .
How do we achieve this balance and this awareness? With constant and regular practice.
In fact, if we analyze the meaning of the term hatha, we will discover that it indicates "effort", "obstinacy", "pertinacity".
The practice is therefore of fundamental importance, changing the mental and physical state of the disciple.
Here are some of the more obvious benefits:
general improvement in health;
greater calm and ability to concentrate;
muscle toning and improvement of joint mobility;
regularization of body weight;
greater vitality even in old age.
However, remember that one of the fundamental principles of Yoga is not to seek the fruits of one's actions ( karma-yoga ): the practice must therefore be performed for itself, without worrying about the result.