The History of Hatha Yoga and 24 asanas: a System of Body Tuning and Preparation for Meditation

The History of Hatha Yoga and 24 asanas: a System of Body Tuning and Preparation for Meditation
In the beginning, Yoga was a sacred knowledge of Lord Shiva, the most important and powerful [...] God. Shiva’s wife, Parvati, mystified by her husband’s ability to avoid death and even injury, questioned the source of his supernatural power. In order to impart his secret, Shiva took Parvati away from prying eyes on Mt. Kailash to the Kathmandu Valley, which in those early days was home to a large lake surrounded by virgin forest that was unknown to the world at large. Sequestered within this holy spot, Shiva revealed the secrets of Hatha Yoga to his wife.

During her indoctrination, Shiva became aware of the presence of a third entity and demanded, “Who is there? Come in front of me!” Unable to refuse an order of Lord Shiva, a fish that had been secretly listening nearby swam up to the edge of the lake and revealed itself. Impressed by the devotion of the fish, Shiva changed it into a human, known from that day forward as Matsyendranath Yogi (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matsyendranath), and charged him with the task of spreading Hatha Yoga around the world.

Matsyendranath studied and perfected the art of Hatha Yoga and began teaching, but only to a few devotees. Unhappy with the slow progress, Shiva incarnated in human form as Gorakchyanath in what is present-day Gorkha, Nepal. Gorakchyanath became a student of Matsyendranath, perfected the art of Hatha Yoga and spread this teaching across the world, eventually becoming recognized as the father of Hatha Yoga.

For many years Gorakchyanath traveled throughout India, imparting his knowledge and developing a powerful following. Gradually, the original Yogis in Nepal died off. With few remaining Nepali Yogis, limited financial resources, and no powerful media like that in India, the myth that Hatha Yoga originated in India took root. Although Indian gurus still persist in spreading this misinformation, true scholars of Hatha Yoga know that it originated in Nepal. If anyone doubts this story, confirmation can be found in the Skanda Purana, the Hindu holy book that documents the life and achievements of Lord Shiva.

Source: http://nepalyogaguru.com/

RESENTED HERE ARE EIGHT SETS OF THREE POSTURES TO BE PERFORMED IN SERIES. THESE RELATIVELY EASYASANAS CONSTITUTE A BALANCED SYSTEM FOR DAILY USE. EACH POSE IS TO BE HELD IN RELAXED STILLNESS FOR 30 TO 120 SECONDS, WITH out straining. As maximum stretch and flexibility are achieved, subtle stimulation of the physical and psychic nerve system occurs click here

"L'Hatha Yoga presenta un insieme organico di posizioni fisiche o asana, il cui scopo più elevato è la purificazione fisica, che permette di raggiungere la consapevolezza e il controllo degli stati interni del corpo, e lo prepara alla meditazione" Paramahansa Yogananda, Lo Yoga di Gesù, Prefazione, p.10

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https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Yoga/Yoga_Masters