by Veronica Cote

Created on: December 01, 2009   Last Updated: December 03, 2009

Hatha yoga postures or asanas are commonly identified by archetypes, animals and forms found in nature. It is evident that the ancient architects of yoga looked to natures engineering, plant and animal life and were inspired to replicate that which they experienced into the science. The rabbit, cow-face, tortoise, pigeon, cobra, locust, bridge, plow, down facing dog, up facing dog, serpent, half moon, tree, mountain, and sun salutations, are just a short list of some very familiar yogasanas. The science of yoga provides an incredible system of health and energy management but also a source of a very powerful bridge for us to our natural world. The connection between nature and the identification of hatha yoga names can increase the postural benefits by taking us deeper into the psychology, physiological and significance. This bio-mimicry awareness can also heighten the interest, enjoyment and add value to your practice, once you are comfortable with the application of breathe alignment and sensation.

Consider how man has discovered through nature, many ideas and solutions towards advancement in our building and developmental methods. We copy similar principals of quality air circulation and sun exposure by looking to the way ants engineer their ant farms to ventilate the air flow at various times of the day. Man investigated the nasal venting system of the fastest bird, the Peregrine Falcon to solve an aeronautical problem of disruptive airs flows to the engine of airplanes at high speeds. Similar forms are replicated in industry such as the windmill mimicking the great white whales fins. These clues of how to manage ourselves in a more efficient way are taken from the natural world. Similarity the Yogis took clues from their hours of observation of nature to understand how to manage ourselves with regard to balance of mind, body and spirit.

When the Yogis developed their language for hath yoga instruction they began to connect the physical expression with the vast "heavenly bodies", the planets. The first lesson of instruction expressed in one of the earliest Hatha texts, the 1.Hathapradipika of Svatmarama dates 1360 and 1650 AD, states in lesson# 1. "The term Hatha composed of two syllables Ha and Tha which the former means the sun and the latter the moon".

In this simple lesson of the meaning of "Hatha" the yogis used the comparison of two great regulatory and contrasting forces of nature. Bringing it to a physical level, one has to just feel the heat

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