May 2026 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami--Why Hatayoga?

[Srivatsa Ramaswami]

May 2026 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami-- Why Hatayoga ?

My 100 hr Vinyasakrama Yoga Teacher Training Program is scheduled to start on May 11, 2026. This most probably will be the last time I would be offering this 100  hr program in USA. The in-person facility is provided by Miami Life Center and online by Omstars in Miami

Here are the links to register

Online registration
https://omstars.com/courses/vinyasa-krama

Miami Life Center

https://miamilifecenter.union.site/events/miami-life-center-100-hr-advanced-teacher-training-program-in-vinyasakrama-yoga-with-srivatsa-ramaswami?fbclid=IwY2xjawRfgAlleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeTRl8HVV-JDbBsCba0F1QnNO08EEUDmenS_WNSU2ovKpI7ciVfbW41ex7Zfs_aem_BD9WCSVAlOkRhZHOn7XeEg

Why Hatayoga?

A couple of quotes, one in English and one Sanskrit appear interesting. The English quote is

"If a man does not know to which port one is sailing no wind is favorable to him."

So as I am involved in practice of Hatayoga, I may try to know why I am practicing it. One reason is that many are attracted to physical forms and formations of the body. What are the limits to which the body could be manipulated? Another reason is the good feeling exercises give but yoga is unique in that it helps to reach most parts of the body more intensely. By a variety of asanas with vinyasas one can reach almost evert part of the body, improve circulation, supply refreshing oxygen and nutrients and remove metabolic waste. This gives a unique feeling of wellness not available in other forms of exercise or enjoyments.  The other quote in Sanskrit is "prayojanam anuddhisya mandopi na pravartate" Without a beneficial motive in mind, not even a dumb person would undertake any activity voluntarily. 

So, what is the goal of Hatayoga which millions practice across the globe? Is it just a physical wellbeing or something more that the yogis of yester years envisaged? 

The olden day books are clearly structured. They tell the goal in the beginning itself so that anyone can decide if that system is what one wants. The Taittiriya upanishad defines Brahman and the benefit that would accrue for one who gains the direct knowledge of Brahmanat the outset itself. Here what is the goal of practicing Hatayoga? Millions of people who practice yoga, practice mat based Hatayoga. This system is made of asanas (with vinyasas) pranayama and the mudras though most modern yoga is confined to asanas and a few vinyasas. Whatever be the name of yoga one practices like Tom yoga Dick Yoga or Harry yoga it is basically Hatayoga. 

What is the goal of Hatayoga? The incidental benefit is physical and physiological when all the three aspects-- asana pranayama and the mudras-- are practiced. But what do the old texts say is the aim of Hatayoga? The most followed text for Hatayoga is Hatayogapradipika of Svatmarama.  Sri Krishnamacarya taught me the whole text word by word over a period of time.  Svatmarama tells the goal of Hatayoga in the very first sloka itself. The second half of it is as follows

"vibhrajate pronnata rajayogam

Arodum icchoH abhirohini iva"

Hatayoga acts as a ladder to reach the very superior Rajayoga and throws light on it

So even as there are unique health benefits, the goal of a Hatayogi is much more than that. And that according to Svarmarama is to reach or become fit to practice Rajayoga. It could be seen that even though Hatayoga is a comprehensive system as sarvanga sadhana for the physical wellbeing, Rajayoga  is a system for the mental wellbeing as it analyses the mind or citta in a unique way comprehensively. And the second half of the second sloka is even more emphatic about the goal of hatayoga

"kevalm rajyogaya hatavidya upadisyate" Hatayoga is instructed only for the sake of Rajayoga

The next question is what is Rajayoga and the goal of  Rajayoga. It is generally translated as Royal yoga. While Raja means king, in this context we have to get to the root meaning of raja. Raja comes from the sanskrit root "rAjR" meaning to throw light on.  "rAjR dIptau" as dhatu pata would say.  Raja yoga is a system of yoga which throws light an important entity which is oneself, the real "self" of which most are in the dark called avidya by Patanjali and other sages. So Rajayoga is a system of yoga which enables one's thinking faculty, the intellect or buddhi, in a yogic state called samadhi to clearly see the nature one "self".  Rajayoga may therefore be defined as " yoga of enlightenment "

Where can one find material for Rajayoga?

Brahmananda, the commentator of Hatayogapradipika, says that Rajayoga is the yoga propounded by Patanjali. So Krishnamacharya taught to some of his longstanding students not only the ladder like Hatayoga but also the superior rajayoga written by Patanjali in the form of sutras. And then yogasutras or the yoga darshana borrows a lot from its vedic sibling philosophy, Samkhya.  Sri Krishnamacharya also taught in great detail Samkhyakarika, an authentic text on Samkhya philosophy

More than 50 years ago, at the instance of my Guru, I started teaching yoga. Later on, when I started travelling to teach, I found --- even though Sri Krishnamacharya was well known all over the globe--- that what was practiced as yoga was much different from what and how I learned from the master. The asanaa practice I thought, was piece meal and the vinyasass were a random collection of bodily movements and sequencing without breath orientation. Then many would say that they practice hatayoga but no pranayama at all.  And then there were no textual studies. Every discipline has an underlying system, be it science, medicine, economics or any major one. And Yoga has a very rich tradition, a strong foundation and a complete system for optimum living.  I thought that I should teach some important texts to yoga practitioners. In these 50 years I have taught these texts in addition to the vinyasakrama system of hundreds of breath oriented vinyasa asana subroutines leading to scores of asanas and major sequences.

The 100 hr vinyasakrama yoga program I have been teaching, consists of 60 hrs of hatayoga practice comprising of hundreds of breath oriented vinyasas pranayama and introduction to dharana. This would form the foundation to proceed to study Rajayoga as enunciated by Patanjali. The yoga darsana draws heavily on the vedic sibling philosophy which is Samkhya. So, in the remaining 40 hours, 20 hrs would be devoted to the study of Samkhya Karika of Iswarakrishna. We would go through each of the 72 slokas, word by word with explanations. Then the balance 20 hours would be utilized to study the 194-sutra yoga darsana of Patanjali again word by word and sutra by sutra. 

Thus this 100 hour Vinyasakrama program will have

60 hours of Hatayoga vinyasakrama the foundation yoga

20 hrs of the study of samkhyakarika as preparation for the sutras

20 hrs of study of yogasutras and thus complete the yoga system