Haṭha – pertinacity

«Salutation to adinatha (Siva) who expounded the knowledge of Hatha Yoga, which like a staircase leads the aspirant to the high pinnacled Raja Yoga»(Hathayoga-pradīpikā, 1.1).

Most haṭha-yoga practitioners refer to the term haṭha to the mystical physiology of tantra, according to which there are two parts to be joined, sun and moon, symbolized by the letters ha and tha respectively. In my first book I provide an exhaustive version of this idea, strongly linked to the breath. There I report the usual translation of the term haṭha from Sanskri toot: “violence”, “obstinacy”, “strength”. In the  Monier-Williams  dictionary, instead, haṭha is translated as “obstinacy”, “pertinacity”.

For the yoga practitioner, pertinacity is essential to move forward in the discipline even if  it is difficult and the results do not appear immediately.

In case you have forgotten the meaning of the word “pertinacity”, Aries, I give you the description of the Treccani dictionary: “obstinate constancy in thinking or acting in a given way … In Catholic religious terminology, the highest form of perseverance …”. Thus  I am talking about the most noble meaning of the word and not of a blind, angry, proud or egoic obstinacy.

IN PRACTICE

Ardha Matsyendra-āsana, Matsyendra pose.

Talking about haṭha-yoga, what better pose than that which represents its forefather. There is everything in this pose: determination, wisdom, foresight. Practice a couple of minutes on each side every day. When you’re done, stretch your back up for a moment.

Awareness exercise:

Ask five different people (one for each week of October) for advice on something you care about. Meditate on the advice given to you by observing your reactions to it: if it bothers you, if you think it’s useless, if you can’t apply it for pride or other reasons, if you can welcome it, even in a variation, to continue in your intentions. Devote to this operation at least 10 minutes three times a week.

Mantra of the month:

«I persevere and accept».