The word Hatha is a compound of the word "Ha" and "Tha" which means sun and moon respectively, referring to Praana and Apaana, and also the principal nadi--energy channel, of the subtle body that must be fully operational to attain a state of meditation or samadhi.
In Western Countries, Hatha is associated with the word Yoga and is practiced for mental and physical health.
As per the Hindu tradition, Lord Shiva is credited with Hatha Yoga. It is said that on a lonely place, assuming nobody else is around, he gave the knowledge to Goddess Paravathi, but a fish heard the entire discourse. Lord Shiva took mercy on the fish and made him a Siddha, who came to be known as Matsyendranatha.
Hatha Yoga mainly focuses on the physical health and represents opposite energies such as hot and cold, male and female, fire and water, etc. It attempts to balance mind and body via physical exercises called asanas, controlled breathing, and the calming of the mind through relaxation and meditation. More correctly the techniques described in Hatha Yoga harmonise and purify the body systems and focus the mind in preparation for more advanced chakra and kundalini practices.
The Hatha Yoga system includes asana along with the six shatkarmas (physical and mental detox techniques), mudras and bandhas (psycho-physiological energy release techniques) and pranic awakening practices. Fine tuning of the human personality at increasingly subtle levels leads to higher states of awareness and meditation.
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