Hatha Yoga: The Hidden Language, Symbols, Secrets & Metaphors [Deluxe Edition] [Paperback]

Swami Sivananda Radha (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2006

Long considered essential reading for Hatha Yoga students and teachers, the revised 20th anniversary edition of Hatha Yoga: The Hidden Language presents 22 classical Hatha asanas with in-depth investigations into their symbolic natures. Swami Sivananda Radha explores the mythological meaning of each posture as she encourages the hatha yogi to stretch beyond the physical. Building on the classical foundations of an ancient tradition, Swami Radha brilliantly synthesizes the ancient wisdom of yoga with an understanding of psychological and spiritual facets of contemporary life. With this approach, one can penetrate the mystical messages of the asanas so that the body is truly understood as a spiritual tool. It was twenty years ago when Swami Radha first introduced the transformational Hidden Language method to students interested in going deeper with their practice. Now, with expanded instructions on how to incorporate the Hidden Language method into a personal practice, beautiful photographs by Derek Shapton and an introduction by ascent columnist, Swami Lalitananda, the 20th anniversary edition of HLHY is essential reading for the serious student of yoga. “This book contains the insights of an extraordinary woman who dared to look deeper into the practice of asana to experience wholeness, which is the essence of yoga." – Sharon Gannon, co-founder of the Jivamukti Yoga method “Swami Radha's book has been on my bookshelf since it was first published. The language of yoga, as spoken by Swami Radha, speaks to my heart.” – Amy Weintraub author and yoga teacher

Editorial Reviews

Review

...valuable resource for all serious students of Hatha yoga who want to go beyond the physical and explore spiritual depths -- Yoga Journal

…approaches yoga as an art. Each of the asanas is presented as a symbolic gesture, unifying body, mind and breath. -- North American Board for East-West Dialog

…thoughtful and richly intuitive explanations are an inspiration. -- Georg Feuerstein --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Swami Sivananda Radha (1911 – 1995) is regarded as one of the most profound and practical spiritual leaders of the twentieth century. Born in Germany, Swami Radha moved to Canada after World War II, and traveled to India in the mid-50s to meet her spiritual teacher, Swami Sivananda. Initiated into sanyas in 1956, she then returned to Canada and spent the next forty years committed to teaching yoga and translating eastern wisdom for the West. Her knowledge of Hatha Yoga is based on direct teachings from her guru and the personal practice to which she dedicated herself. She was especially interested in exploring the deeper psychological and spiritual significance of Hatha Yoga asanas. Since Hatha Yoga: The Hidden Language was first published in the mid-eighties it has become a classic text for yoga teachers and students alike. Swami Radha is the author of over 10 books on yoga and the founder of the Yasodhara Ashram, timeless books, ascent magazine and a number of international Radha Yoga Centres. Her work continues in the devotional spirit in which it was created, maintaining the quality and integrity that were the essence of her life.

Product Details

• Paperback: 277 pages
• Publisher: Timeless Books; 20 Anv edition (May 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932018131
• ISBN-13: 978-1932018134
• Product Dimensions: 0.4 x 0.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #89,256 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hatha Yoga: The Hidden Language, July 27, 2006

By 

ascent magazine (Montreal Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hatha Yoga: The Hidden Language, Symbols, Secrets & Metaphors (Paperback)

Sometimes my body feels like it's speaking in tongues. That tight shoulder, the pain in my lower back - what does it mean? What is my body trying to tell me? Originally published in 1988, Hatha Yoga: The Hidden Language details Swami Radha's systematic approach to understanding the symbolism of the asanas and messages from the body.

I first encountered Hidden Language a couple of years ago during a morning Hatha Yoga class at an ashram. I was surprised when the instructor asked us to pull out our journals and write words we associate with trees before we lifted into the Tree pose. We came out of the pose and reflected further on the tree as a symbol, and then the instructor posed questions: Where are your roots? What nourishes you? We went into the pose again, reflecting on the questions and being receptive to insights. It seemed so mysterious and yet obvious: Hatha Yoga asanas are based on real, tangible things - trees, flowers, birds, structures. Of course these physical forms have the potential to function as metaphors as well.

"Hidden Language Hatha Yoga is both deeply personal and brilliantly universal," writes ascent columnist Swami Lalitananda in her introduction to the new edition. "Through attention to the symbolism of the asanas, we can discover layers of meaning and make connections that change our lives. Because we are listening to the body, our reflections take on an honesty and reality that the mind can't deny."

After that initial class, I bought the Hidden Language book and have worked with it on a regular basis. The questions and reflections on the poses have helped me translate the discordant dialogue between my body and mind. My copy of the book is dog-eared and covered in notes - this new edition is to be released just in time.

It's difficult to make a good thing better, but this new edition is a vast improvement on the original. Much remains the same: each chapter is a different asana, with twenty-two altogether - basics such as Tadasana (the mountain), Matsyasana (the fish) and Garudasana (the eagle) - and they are presented in the same order.

There are some new additions as well. The line drawings have been replaced by the artful photography of Derek Shapton. This is not to say that the changes are merely cosmetic - the new edition is much more user-friendly. The bibliography is updated and appendices on mantra, Kundalini Yoga and other spiritual practices have been added.

I am still trying to decipher the secret code of my body, and Hatha Yoga: The Hidden Language is an excellent guide. This book will satisfy long-time practitioners of Hidden Language Hatha Yoga and introduce a new generation of yogis to a brilliant approach to the deeper meaning and full potential of Hatha Yoga.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yoga to Reflect On, August 11, 2006

By 

K Lenman - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hatha Yoga: The Hidden Language, Symbols, Secrets & Metaphors (Paperback)

I thought hatha yoga, the asanas, was about the body. Then I picked up this book and found out that the poses have a much richer purpose than making my body feel good. I tried just standing in the Mountain pose, just standing still going nowhere as Swami Radha suggests. Oh, I thought, that's easy, probably too easy. What does it feel like to stand still? Just standing there. I can do that! Ten seconds later my foot's tapping the floor. And my mind's thinking, thinking, thinking--I got things to do--I can't just stand here.

That was when I began to understand how the asanas reveal what my mind is doing. I've tried several of them now using Swami Radha's suggestions for reflection. Balancing on one leg in the Tree, asking, Can I bend like the willow or do I stand rigid like the oak? I waver and suddenly realize I'm hanging on, gritting my teeth. Bending forward in the Tortoise, looking for that quiet place within, I feel sheltered, protected, safe, and my body eases itself deeper into the pose. It likes this place. So does my mind. Triangle, reflecting on the cave of the heart. What are the three steps to the sanctuary? Patience, maybe? Compassion? The words start to flow, words to reflect on, words to think deeply about.

The way my body does the pose tells me what my mind is like.

This book takes hatha yoga to deep places inside. It's been a revelation to me.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An authentic gift of wisdom and of knowledge., February 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Hatha Yoga: The Hidden Language : Symbols, Secrets, and Metaphor (Paperback)

This work by Swami Sivananda Radha brings the meaning of yoga to life. She points the way, through questioning and through thought provoking concepts. As she explains the ancient asanas she provides us with a key as to how best to know and understand the messages and the secrets that are locked in our bodies. It is a powerful work, as through her sharing of her knowledge and her experiences she encourages the readers to practice and to experience for themselves. It is through our own inner knowing that the Teachings are alive.Through our listening and living the language of the symbols and the metaphores in our daily experiences that we connect with our own power and our own connection with the Divine. It is a living gift, an opportunity that is to be valued and cherished as you value and cherish your own daily living.