The body in early Hatha Yoga
by Ruth Westoby | 2024 | 112,229 words
This page relates 鈥榊ogataravali and Hatha Yoga鈥� of study dealing with the body in Hatha Yoga Sanskrit texts.鈥擳his essay highlights how these texts describe physical practices for achieving liberation and bodily sovereignty with limited metaphysical understanding. Three bodily models are focused on: the ascetic model of 鈥榖aking鈥� in Yoga, conception and embryology, and Kundalini鈥檚 affective processes.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
The 驰辞驳补迟腻谤腻惫补濒墨 and Ha峁環a Yoga
The fourteenth-century 驰辞驳补迟腻谤腻惫补濒墨 teaches 丑补峁环补 yoga as the chief means to 谤腻箩补 yoga (Birch 2020b:206). It is likely that the 驰辞驳补迟腻谤腻惫补濒墨 was influenced by the Amanaska and, therefore, composed after the twelfth century (Birch 2015:5). The 驰辞驳补迟腻谤腻惫补濒墨 was a source text for the 贬补峁环补辫谤补诲墨辫颈办腻. Two of its 29 verses feature 办耻峁囜笉补濒颈苍墨. The 丑补峁环补 yoga techniques are physical techniques including the three locks (尘奴濒补, 耻岣嶀笉颈测腻苍补 and 箩腻濒补苍诲丑补谤补). As a result of applying the locks during breath retentions (kumbhaka) the practitioner immerses the mind in internal resonance (苍腻诲腻苍耻蝉补苍诲丑腻苍补) (Birch 2015:4). 搁腻箩补 yoga appears to be an experience that does not involve the body: 鈥楬aving left behind everything beginning with the states of 鈥業鈥� and 鈥榤ine鈥�, those whose minds are steady in the sacred [state of] 搁腻箩补yoga are neither observers nor objects of observation. Only an isolated awareness prevails鈥� (Birch 2015:4).[1]
I have consulted many more sources than detailed here and will introduce them as appropriate.