Hatha Yoga is the most widely practiced form of yoga in Occident. It is also known as hatha vidya or the "science of hatha" yoga. Yoga was developed in ancient India as far as 5,000 years ago. The word Hatha comes from combining the two Sanskrit terms ha meaning "sun" and tha meaning "moon". The word ha refers to the solar nadi (pingala) in the subtle body and tha the lunar channel (ida). Yoga means to yoke, or to join two things togheter, hence hatha yoga strives to balance opposing parts of the physical body, the front and the back, left and right, top and bottom. It is meant to join togheter sun (masculine, active) energy with the moon (feminine, receptive) energy, thus producing balance and greater power in an individual. 

It is the branch of yoga wich concentrates on physical health and mental well-being. Hatha yoga uses bodily postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama), and meditation (dhyana) with the goal of bringing about a healthy body and a clear, peaceful mind. Yoga is a complete science of auto-discipline.  It brings balance, harmony, purity and strenght to the body, mind and soul of the one who practices it. Yoga shows the way to perfect health, perfect mental control and perfect peace with our own true Self, the world, nature and god.

The goal of classical yoga is to bring self-transcendence, or enlightenment, through physical, mental and spiritual health. Many people in the West mistakenly believe yoga to be a religion, but it's teachers point out that it is a system of living designed to promote health, peace of mind, and deeper awareness of ourselves. Hatha yoga is the path wich has physical health and balance as a primary goal, for it's practitioners believe that greater mental and spiritual awareness can be brought about with a healthy and pure body.

Our teachings are guided by Swami Vishnu-devananda's energy, a world authority on Hatha and Raja Yoga, founder of the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers. Upon the instruction of his guru, Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh, India, Swami Vishnu-devananda headed to the West and began travelling and teaching throughout the United States in 1957. He established the first Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center in Montreal, Canada, in 1959.

                                                                                                                                      Swami Sivananda                           Swami Vishnu-devananda                                                                                         (1887-1963)                                      (1927-1993) 

In an effort to simplify and clarify the complex philosophies and teachings of Yoga, Swami Vishnu-devananda summarized the wisdom of Yoga in five principles. These 5 points show the way to developing physical and mental health as well as spiritual growth:

1. Proper Exercice (Asanas)

2. Proper Breathing (Pranayama)

3. Proper Relaxation (Savasana)

4. Proper Diet (Vegetarian)

5. Meditation (Dhyana)

                                                                             Enjoy your yoga class!