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 Sanskrit: “violence”, “obstinacy”, “strength”. In the dictionary Monier-Williams 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. It cannot be hidden however that sometimes this obstinacy is taken to the extreme, just think of the cutting of the lingual frenulum or the exhausting ascetic practices of some sadhus.
All this to remind to you Scorpio that if you oppose what is happening and that requires a new point of view or at least a compromise, then there is no possibility for you to remain calm. It is one thing to pursue one’s path, quite another to persist on a road that leads nowhere. Relax and from the second half of the month you will see that things will improve.
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
Sit down for a few minutes and look back. You may have stubbornly stumbled upon a position and understood in hindsight that so much opposition hasn’t helped much. Go back to memory and look for similar cases. Repeat this exercise at least three times in the month.
Mantra of the month
«I am open to change my mind».