The Hatha Yoga Pradipika
The Hatha yoga pradipika of Svatmarama is one of the most important yoga texts, and Hans−Ulrich Rieker’s translation and commentary have long been valuable to yoga students as a complement to their practice and study.
Hatha yoga, or hatha vidya (the science of hatha yoga) is commonly misunderstood and
misrepresented as being simply a physical culture, divorced from spiritual goals. Hans−Ulrich Rieker shows the error of this idea by explaining the changes which take place, through the practice of hatha yoga, in the practitioner’s body, mind and self. He makes the reader aware of the subjective transformation that occurs as the consciousness penetrates inwards towards the Self, and as the Self diffuses outwards. He shows that hatha yoga is not just physical exercise, but an integrated science leading towards spiritual evolution.
The Pradipika is divided into four parts. The first explains yamas (restraints on behaviour), niyamas (observances), asanas (posture) and food. The second describes pranayama (control or restraint of energy), and the shatkarmas (internal cleansing practices). The third deals with mudras (seals), bandhas (locks), the nadis (channels of energy through which prana flows) and the kundalini power. The fourth expounds pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (absorption).
