Hatha Yoga : The Hidden Language : Symbols, Secrets, and Metaphor

by Sivananda Radha

In Hatha The Hidden Language, Swami Radha explains the broader nature and purpose of the yoga asanas. Using 22 classical postures, she delves into symbolism and metaphor to show how each posture is like a symbolic gesture that creates a specific effect on the mind. She invites yoga students and teachers to use reflection and visualization in their own practice to discover the psychological and mystical benefits of Hatha Yoga and gain a deep appreciation of the power of yoga as a tool for self-transformation. For instruction in this type of yoga, also available are Introduction to Hidden Language and in the Hidden Language Eagle & Cock, Mountain & Headstand, Shavasana, Tortoise & Fish, Triangle & Shoulderstand.

Genres: Spirituality, Health

312 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Swami Sivananda Radha, born Sylvia Hellman was a German yogini who emigrated to Canada and founded Yasodhara Ashram in British Columbia. She established a Western-based lineage in the Sivananda tradition and published books on several branches of Yoga.

Reviews

[Lucia · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first 90% of the book is dedicated to the postures and is quite interesting, although longish and repetitive.
The last bit is about celibacy and this is when it got extremely binary, repeating over and over how sexual attraction is something one can only have towards the opposite sex, which is something that was not even on topic at times, just mentioned with no cohesion to what was being mentioned before or after. The points of view on celibacy itself were varied, as with all other topics, so my review gets two points mainly because of it.

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

George Harrison once quoted that life is like a drop of water on a lotus leaf. So these words were even more special, arriving in the wake of George's words:

"There is another peculiarity about the lotus which sets it apart; a drop of water on a lotus leaf has a silvery shine, reflecting the green of the leaf from below and the blue of the sky above."

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wound up mostly skimming this book. As a both a yoga teacher and a psychologist, I love reading about use of language, and I particularly enjoy myths surrounding the origins of yoga pose names. But this book is less about language per se and more about general symbolism and archetypes. It's written in a fairly rambling, repetitive manner, which is why I mostly skimmed the content. Also of note is that this book was originally published in 1987, and so its references to "Western psychology" are completely out-of-date.

[Darsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
More technically written than I thought.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revealing book on Hatha yoga with insightful explanations of the different asanas. Each pose has a name for a reason. Thus the name of a pose has a story to tell whether it is an animal or a symbolic representation of life. Each asana was explained using psychology, physiology, or metaphors unveiling many secrets behind this Eastern tradition and why it works. "Hatha is the science of the will...Yoga is an art and the asanas are a poetic expression of that art-symbols which can unlock the truth and lead us toward the Light."