The 7 Stages of Traditional Hatha Yoga divided into 4 progressive, systematic, approachable categories.
Preparation, Moon, Sun, and Fire.
Our yoga practice must be systematic, progressive and well thought out to ensure we remain stable as we become more luminous and more powerful versions of our self. This is what you will receive from your efforts in the Hatha Yoga system.
Stage 1 & 2.
Preparation of the Body and Mind.
Stage 1 - Purification
To purify the the body and mind we use diet, exercise and/or asana to sweat, and other detoxing techniques. Ayurverda can be extremely helpful at this stage.
Stage 2 - Strengthening
Strengthening of both mind and body. With focus on strengthening the muscles that support the spine to help us sit up straight in meditation. When strengthening the mind in stage two we focus on discipline and will power.
Stage 5 & 6.
Sun Practice.
Stage 5 - Sensitize ourselves to energy.
At this stage we begin to experience ourselves as energy. This energy is referred to by the ancient yogis as Prana.
Stage 6 - Build Energy.
Using intermediate yogic techniques we can build energy to help us arrive at a desired state. This is an important skill to prepare for meditation.
Stage 3 & 4.
Moon Practice.
Stage 3 - Calming
Moon is the symbol for the mind in yogic philosophy. Stage three is all about making the mind calm. At this stage we slow down the pace of practice and look inward.
Stage 4 - Stability
The stability stage is all about learning to remain calm instead of reactive during life and during our yoga practice. The goal here is to become more stable during yoga practice to become more stable in our lives off the mat.
Stage 7.
Fire Practice.
Kundalini is the focus of Fire Practice. To say that we awaken Kundalini could be a bit egoic. One of our teachers helped us understand that Kundalini is always awake and it is us that must wake up to remember our dormant power that is Kundalini. Fire Practice systematically uses advanced yogic techniques to help us realize our dormant spiritual power.