Hatha Yoga and Raja Yoga with Dr. TRS Sharma

Reflections on Hatha and Raja Yoga – By Dr. T. R. S. Sharma

Actually, let me begin by saying a few words on Hatha Yoga. I know many of you are already familiar with it, but I feel it’s important to start here because Hatha Yoga is often misunderstood. One of the most common assumptions is that Hatha Yoga has nothing to do with metaphysics or with concepts like God or the creator of the world. But this isn't entirely accurate.

The foundation of yoga is actually rooted in one of the finest philosophical systems the world has seen—Sāṅkhya. This system, like the Yoga of Patañjali, doesn’t primarily concern itself with metaphysics in the theological sense. Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras, for instance, contain only one brief reference to God—“Īśvarapraṇidhānādvā.” That’s it. Beyond that, the focus is on the human being and the mind-body system.

Hatha Yoga begins with a profound assumption: “This body is all I have. Let me understand it fully—internally and externally.” It’s a journey inward, into the physiological and energetic systems—respiratory, digestive, circulatory, endocrine. Hatha Yoga is a systematized effort to become proprioceptively intimate with one’s body. It is about purifying, rejuvenating, and regulating the inner workings of our system so we can experience clarity and transformation.

I was first introduced to Hatha Yoga as a teenager by none other than Śrī Kṛṣṇamācārya. I studied alongside other notable disciples such as Pattabhi Jois and B.K.S. Iyengar. I still remember my teacher’s insistence that postures like Śīrṣāsana and Sarvāṅgāsana be held for several minutes to unlock their full benefit. This was not about spectacle or showmanship. It was about deep internal activation.

Sadly, some have reduced Hatha Yoga to gymnastics or circus acts. Scholars like Mark Singleton have suggested such origins, but this is a grave misunderstanding. The truth is, Hatha Yoga is grounded in an intimate relationship with nature and the human body, often inspired by animal movement. Our sages lived in the forests, observing the fluid and instinctive intelligence of animals. That’s why many āsanas are named after animals—Bhujanga (cobra), Śalabha (locust), etc.

My teacher, Kṛṣṇamācārya, also introduced the concept of Vinyāsa, a sequential flow. Each posture begins with Surya Namaskāra and transitions into the next with mindful movement and breath coordination. This system engages not just muscles, but the entire nervous system. And it follows a rhythm: stress, strain, and relax.

As important as Hatha Yoga is, it is not complete on its own. It is the gateway to Raja Yoga. My own journey led me to study Raja Yoga under Swami Kuvalayananda at his ashram in Lonavla. There, I encountered a more inwardly directed path, where the focus is no longer only on physiological purification but on awakening and directing prāṇa.

Raja Yoga, especially as presented by Swami Vivekananda, is a methodical inquiry into the nature of the mind and consciousness. Vivekananda begins his teaching not with blind belief but with reason. He says, “If inspiration contradicts reason, reject it.” True religion, he insists, is superconsciousness—not faith in hearsay, but direct experience. The central concept of Raja Yoga is prāṇa, not just as breath but as the vital cosmic force animating all existence. Prāṇa is the bridge between the individual and the universe.

Vivekananda describes the universe as composed of two foundational elements—ākāśa and prāṇa. Ākāśa is the subtle etheric substance that gives form to all objects; prāṇa is the energy that activates them. These are not metaphysical abstractions—they are felt experiences. Through prāṇāyāma and deep meditative inquiry, one aligns the microcosm of the body with the macrocosm of the universe.

This alignment is the essence of Raja Yoga. The journey continues through dhāraṇā (concentration), dhyāna (meditation), and culminates in samādhi—superconscious awareness. In this state, the yogi perceives themselves not as a solitary being but as an integrated expression of the entire cosmos.

In my years of study, I’ve come to see that Hatha Yoga and Raja Yoga are not two paths—they are two faces of the same ascent. One prepares the body and prāṇa; the other refines the mind and consciousness. And as we move inward—from āsana to prāṇāyāma, from dhāraṇā to samādhi—we discover not only health and mental clarity but our place in the great rhythm of the universe.

This, to me, is yoga: the alignment of inner and outer, individual and cosmic, body and spirit. Thank you for listening.

Dr. Sharma will be joining us to share some of his great knowledge and perspectives in our
200hr Ashtanga Yoga Immersion in Mysore Jan. 12 - Feb. 8 2026