Yoga students practising traditional Hatha Yoga asanas in a bamboo shala at SKY Yoga and Meditation Bali

Today, when people say “Hatha Yoga,” they often mean a gentle asana class — slower than vinyasa, with postures held for a few breaths. But this is a very modern interpretation. The traditional understanding of Hatha Yoga is much deeper. It is a complete system of practices designed to purify the body, awaken prana, balance energies, and ultimately prepare the practitioner for Raja Yoga — the path of meditation and samadhi.

What is Hatha Yoga?

In its earliest form, Hatha Yoga was not about exercise. Its purpose was to bring purification, suppleness, strength, and stability to the body, so the mind could also stabilise. From there, the practices focused on stimulating prana (vital energy), balancing the chakras, and awakening kundalini. In fact, every technique in Hatha Yoga — from asana to pranayama to mudra — is solely designed to awaken kundalini so that individual energy can merge with universal energy.

This makes Hatha Yoga a practical and preparatory path. The ultimate goal is the same as all Yoga — samadhi and liberation — but Hatha reaches this goal through pranic control (and ultimately Kundalini awakening) as opposed to Pantajali’s Yoga which reaches the same goal with mind control.

Roots of Hatha Yoga

Unlike Raja Yoga, which is rooted in the Vedic tradition, Hatha Yoga comes from a Tantric approach . Indeed, the earliest known text of Hatha Yoga, the Amritasiddhi from the 11th century, directly comes from a Tantric Buddhist setting. Later Hindu texts from the Nath tradition took these teachings forward, blending them into a system of asana, pranayama, shuddhi kriyas, and mudras.

This is why Hatha Yoga feels more physical and energetic than Raja Yoga. Where Patanjali emphasised concentration and stopping the modifications of the mind, Hatha emphasised purifying the nadis (energy channels) and awakening the dormant energy of kundalini.

Person practising Hatha Yoga poses at sunset, symbolising balance and energy flow in traditional Yoga

The Union of Ha and Tha

The word Hatha is often explained as the union of Ha (sun, pingala, right channel, hot) and Tha (moon, ida, left channel, cool). But in truth, Hatha Yoga does not merge these two — it balances them, then redirects prana into the central channel, sushumna.

As long as ida and pingala dominate, the mind remains restless as sushumna is not activated. Through pranayama (including kumbhaka) and mudras, these energy channels (nadis) are purified and balanced which in turn activates sushumna, giving a straigh pathway for kundalini can rise all the way through to sahasrara (crown chakra).

In other words:

Ha and Tha must be balanced to activate sushumna.
Prana then enters sushumna.
Kundalini rises, leading toward samadhi and ultimately moksha.

Practices in Hatha Yoga

Student performing neti shuddhi kriya cleansing practice as part of traditional Hatha Yoga training at SKY Yoga and Meditation Bali

Classical Hatha Yoga includes a wide range of techniques, each serving purification and awakening:

Asana — postures to cleanse and strengthen the body.
Pranayama — breath and energy regulation to cleanse nadis and channel prana.
Shuddhi Kriyas (Satkriyas) — cleansing practices for the respiratory and digestive systems.
Mudra and Bandha — psychic gestures and energy locks to activate kundalini.
Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi — meditation practices, though less emphasised than in Raja Yoga.
Mantra — occasionally included in some traditions for vibration and focus.

The goal is not physical fitness but preparation: cleanse the body, cleanse the nadis, cleanse the mind, and then awaken kundalini.

Hatha Yoga as Preparation for Raja Yoga

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika (I.1) states clearly: Hatha Yoga exists to serve Raja Yoga. The physical and energetic practices of Hatha are not ends in themselves — they are stepping stones, preparing the practitioner for deep meditation.

Cleanse the body through asana.
Cleanse the nadis through pranayama and bandha.
Cleanse the body’s systems through kriya and Yogic diet.
Cleanse the mind through meditation.
Activate kundalini through mudra.

When kundalini rises effortlessly through sushumna, the practitioner can move naturally into samadhi.

The Modern Shift

In the 20th century, Hatha Yoga changed dramatically. Asana was highlighted as a way to introduce Yoga to the world, especially outside India. Over time, this narrowed even further until “Hatha Yoga” became almost synonymous with posture practice alone. While asana is part of Hatha, it is not the whole — and by itself, it cannot lead to the true goals of Yoga.

Authentic Hatha Yoga is not simply a balance between body and mind but a holistic system focused on body and prana — a preparation for the stillness of Raja Yoga.

Note that until the mid 20th century, only Hatha Yoga was practiced, any other ‘style’ of Yoga/Asana are very contemporary and often don’t have the holistic approach that Hatha Yoga offers.

The SKY Perspective

At SKY Yoga and Meditation, we honour Hatha Yoga in its traditional sense. We teach asana, pranayama, kriyas, and mudras not just as techniques, but as parts of a holistic system designed to purify and balance the body, mind and spirit. For us, Hatha Yoga is not exercise, not stretching, not a fitness trend. It is a sacred preparation — a way to cleanse and strengthen so that meditation and self-realisation become possible.

Group of students practising traditional Hatha Yoga together in the bamboo shala at SKY Yoga and Meditation Bali

Key Takeaways

Hatha Yoga is a system of purification and awakening, not just a posture practice.
Its roots lie in Tantra and the Nath tradition, focusing on prana and kundalini.
The goal is to balance ida and pingala, channel prana into sushumna, and awaken kundalini.
Classical practices include asana, pranayama, kriyas, mudras, and meditation.
Hatha Yoga prepares the practitioner for Raja Yoga, where the ultimate goal of samadhi and later kaivalya (liberation/self-realisation) is attained.

Learn and Practice with SKY Yoga and Meditation

Yoga students in white outfits during closing ceremony with a Balinese priest and sacred fire at SKY Yoga and Meditation Bali

We are SKY Yoga and Meditation, the most traditional and authentic Yoga Teacher Training in Bali. Our Yoga center is located in a beautiful jungle eco-village in Pejeng, near Ubud. Our mission is simple but profound: to share Yoga as authentically as possible, rooted in tradition and lineage, while offering a space for deep practice and transformation.

If you feel inspired to explore these teachings further, we welcome you to join us:

200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Bali — a foundational, immersive program designed to give you not only teaching skills but also a living experience of authentic Hatha Yoga.
300-Hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training — for those ready to deepen their path, refine their practice, and step into the next level of teaching and self-mastery.
Weekly Yoga and Meditation Classes — open to all, held in our bamboo shala overlooking the lush Ubud jungle, offering a taste of SKY’s unique blend of traditional teaching and supportive community.

Whether you are preparing to teach, seeking to deepen your personal practice, or simply curious to begin, SKY provides the guidance, environment, and authenticity that allow Yoga to unfold in its truest sense.

For more details or a fast answer to your questions, send us an email or WhatsApp us directly.

We would love to welcome you into our community here and introduce you to the most authentic Yoga courses in Bali to see for yourself how life-changing traditional Yoga can truly be.

What is Hatha Yoga? Returning to Its True Purpose