hatha yoga, the area of raja yoga best known in the West, based on physical purification and strengthening as a means of self-transformation. It encompasses a system of over 1000 asanas (postures), designed to promote mental and physical well-being and to allow the mind to focus and become free from distraction for long periods of meditation, along with pranayama (breath control). A number of styles of yoga founded on hatha yoga have been developed.
