The Hazards of Hatha Yoga: A Compilation

“Disciples of the Mysteries have been warned for centuries not to attempt the development of the chakras of the sympathetic cord according to Hatha Yoga. These chakras are too closely connected with the illusional world.
The real plexuses which the disciple of the higher knowledge should strive to unfold are the true soul ganglia within the brain { the master chakras ). The body is a negative pole and its own positive parts are contained within the cranial cavity.
As the body is controlled by the brain, so the enlightened neophyte should work with the brain, avoiding the negative poles of the brain centers located along the spine. Proper development of the seven brain discs. or, spiritual interpenetrating globes, results in the awakening of the spinal flowers by an indirect process. Beware of the direct process of concentrating upon or directionalizing the internal breath towards the spinal centers. The breath of true Raja Yoga is not an air moving in the body, but is the will Itself.”
– Manly P Hall
MAN-The GRAND SYMBOL OF The MYSTERIES
Students of the Ageless Wisdom should be warned about the Hazards of Hatha Yoga.

AAB: A Treatise on Cosmic Fire
“Hatha Yoga… work[s] with matter on some plane in the three worlds, and do evil that good may come; control[s] the devas, and attempt to produce specific ends by manipulation of the matter of the form. The Hierarchy works with the soul within the form and produces results that are intelligent, self-induced and permanent. Wherever attention is centred on the form and not on the Spirit, the tendency is to deva worship, deva contact and black magic, for the form is made of deva substance on all planes.”
Alice Bailey: A Treatise on Cosmic Fire
“All the various Yogas have had their place in the unfoldment of the human being. In the first purely physical race, which is called the Lemurian, the Yoga at that time imposed upon infant humanity was Hatha Yoga, the Yoga of the physical body, that Yoga which brings into conscious use and manipulation the various organs, muscles and parts of the physical frame. The problem before the adepts of that time was to teach human beings, who were then little more than animals, the purpose, significance and use of their various organs, so that they could consciously control them, and the meaning of the symbol of the human figure.
In the first purely physical race, which is called the Lemurian, the Yoga at that time imposed upon infant humanity was Hatha Yoga, the Yoga of the physical body, that Yoga which brings into conscious use and manipulation the various organs, muscles and parts of the physical frame. The problem before the adepts of that time was to teach human beings, who were then little more than animals, the purpose, significance and use of their various organs, so that they could consciously control them, and the meaning of the symbol of the human figure. Therefore, in those early days, through the practice of Hatha Yoga, the human being reached the portal of initiation. At that time the attainment of the third initiation, resulting in the transfiguration of the personality, was the highest initiation that man was capable of achieving.
In Atlantean days, the progress of the sons of men was procured through the imposition of two Yogas. First, the Yoga which is called by the name of Laya Yoga, the Yoga of the centres which produced a stabilizing of the etheric body and of the centres in man and the development of the astral and psychic nature. Later on, Bhakti Yoga, growing out of the development of the emotional or astral body, was incorporated with Laya Yoga and the foundation of that mysticism and devotion, which has been the underlying incentive during our particular Aryan root race, was laid. The fourth initiation was at that time the objective. The subject of these great initiations has been discussed more at length in my previous volume, “Initiation, Human and Solar.”
Now, in the Aryan race, the subjugation of the mental body and the control of the mind is brought about through the practice of Raja Yoga, and the fifth initiation, that of adept, is the goal for evolving humanity. Thus, all the Yogas have had their place and served a useful purpose and it will become apparent that any return to Hatha Yoga practices or those practices which deal specifically with the development of the centres, brought about through various types of meditation practices and breathing exercises, is, from a certain aspect, a retrogression. It will be found that through the practice of Raja Yoga, and through assuming that point of directional control which is to be found by the man who centers his consciousness in the soul, the other forms of Yoga are unnecessary, for the greater Yoga automatically includes all the lesser in its results, though not in its practices.
The Light of the Soul: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Introductory Remarks
 
Hazards of Hatha Yoga From the Work of Helena Roerich
Agni Yoga Teachings

A skilled archer, even in this age of firearms, is still a skilled marksman. Likewise with Yogas. Except for Hatha Yoga, all Yogas are beautiful in accomplishment. It would be unwise to belittle any of them. One should only speak of which better applies to the present stage of evolution. Signs of Agni Yoga 193.

Exercises in Hatha-Yoga should not go beyond a slight and very careful pranayama, which strengthens health, as otherwise they might be dangerous and could lead to mediumship, obsession and insanity. (LHR I, p 204)

Several impatient Chelas, whom we knew personally in India, went in for the practice of Hatha Yoga, notwithstanding our warnings. Of these, two developed consumption, one of whom died; others became almost idiotic; another committed suicide; and one developed into a regular Tantrika, a Black Magician, but his career, fortunately for himself, was cut short by death.
– Letters Of Helena Roerich I, 8 September 1934.
“One should also take into consideration that Hatha Yoga is dangerous because, in a peculiar way, it strengthens the astral body and holds it for a very long time in the lower astral spheres, which prevents the evolution of spirit. In the temples of India there was, and still is, a custom of keeping Hatha Yogis for certain lower phenomena of the astral type. They are supposed to lead a very pure life, but even then are never initiated into the higher spiritual powers. And if such a Hatha Yogi leaves the temple, he is not accepted back again, for, by becoming free from the higher control while having an easy access to the lower strata of the Subtle World, such a yogi becomes a victim and sometimes even an instrument of the darkest forces. Here is also the reason why the Hierophants of Egypt never accepted mediumistically inclined disciples, and even avoided lymphatic servants. Not a single medium, not one lymphatic, can become a true Agni Yogi.
– Letters Of Helena Roerich I, 6 May 1934.
Since Hatha Yoga demands certain bodily exercises, the question may be raised as to whether such exercises are also needed for other Yogas? Neither Arhats nor Great Spiritual Toilers practiced these. Verily, theirs are the trials of the spirit, which not only subdue the body but take the place of all exercises of the flesh. Only the avowal of spirit can replace all else.
– Fiery World I, 380.
One should not overestimate the achievements of Hatha Yoga and think that “the adepts of Hatha Yoga are equal to those of Raja Yoga in ability to awaken the kundalini and to acquire various siddhis,” and that “they reach bliss and liberation from matter.” It is not so! The degree of bliss reached by such adepts is very relative, and they never reach liberation from matter (in the sense which is meant by the Great Teachers) by means of Hatha Yoga. As it is said in the Teaching, “We know of no one who reached the goal by way of Hatha Yoga.”
Letters Of Helena Roerich I, 6 May 1934.
Even the development of the lower siddhis, to which the Hatha Yogis come by stubborn and terribly difficult mechanical exercises (Western literature has no idea about even half of these horrors) is not lasting, and in their next incarnations they may lose all these siddhis. Only those achievements are valuable and permanent that come naturally, for then they are the result of inner spiritual development and can never be lost. Only in such way can the all-powerful manifestations be reached. Exercises in Hatha Yoga should not go beyond a slight and very careful pranayama, which strengthens health, as otherwise they might be dangerous and could lead to mediumism, obsession and insanity. Quite correctly, the Hindu people of high spiritual development consider Hatha Yoga most undesirable, and they say that at best it is useful “for fat and ill people.” Even Vivekananda, who is so often mentioned now, though he cited examples of fearful demoniac persons whom he knew who were able to perform the most amazing miracles and cure the hopelessly sick by a glance, was very much against the so-called siddhis and these miracles.
Letters Of Helena Roerich I, 6 May 1934.
Moreover, the difference between Hatha Yoga and Raja Yoga is precisely qualitative, and not quantitative, as you think. Hatha Yoga can never rise above the lower psychic phenomena. And there has never been a case when a Hatha Yoga became a Raja Yogi – their paths are entirely different. The true “efficacious pearls” include Raja, Jnana, Bhakti and Agni Yoga, but not Hatha Yoga, as some ignorant people think; just as artificial pearls cannot be compared to real ones. Furthermore, I cannot quite understand the following thought: “But nevertheless, Hatha Yoga gives to its adepts efficacious pearls of high achievement, and in the same manner every occultist must look upon the achievements of Agni Yoga as a similar tremendous victory of spirit over the flesh.” Here again, Agni Yoga is put on the same level with Hatha Yoga, whereas these two Yogas are diametrically opposite. As it is said, “Verily, Agni Yoga has nothing in common with Hatha Yoga: this must be thoroughly realized.” Agni Yoga deals with the highest fiery transmutation of all the centers, which cannot be achieved by any mechanical methods but requires the direct controlling influence of the Great Teacher. The high attainment of Agni Yoga can be reached only by a spirit which possesses agelong spiritual accumulations, collected in the center of the Chalice, while the latter is not absolutely essential for the Hatha Yogi. Another thing that is characteristic of Agni Yoga is that its achievements must be attained during everyday life, while all the other Yogas (except Karma Yoga) demand isolation from ordinary life, and thus are not sufficient for the present and future evolution.
Letters Of Helena Roerich I, 6 May 1934.
 
 
Teachings of Samael Aun Weor

“The Yoga that we require today is actually ancient Gnostic Christian Yoga, which absolutely rejects the idea of Hatha Yoga. We do not recommend Hatha Yoga simply because, spiritually speaking, the acrobatics of this discipline are fruitless; they should be left to the acrobats of the circus.” —Samael Aun Weor, The Yellow Book
 
 
“Many pseudo-esotericists and pseudo-occultists read the literature of Sivananda. There is no doubt that this man was truly a Guru-Deva who worked intensely for this suffering humanity. I truly confess that I never liked his Hatha Yoga. This type of acrobatics always appeared to me to be quite circus-like.I never found that someone could Self-realize by converting himself into an acrobat. Nonetheless, it is well known that this said yogi profoundly worked in strict secrecy with Sex Yoga. It seems that Hatha Yoga was only a bait in order to fish within the rivers of life.”
—Samael Aun Weor, The Magic of the Runes
 
 
 
“During that year, the Master K.H. wrote: “When “The Secret Doctrine ”is ready, it will be a joint production by M., Upasika and I.” It is evident that these notes draw us to meditation. However, it is clear that the Venerable Master interpreted the Teachings, adapting them for our times. Once finished with the theoretical studies of a theosophical type, I intensively practised Raya-Yoga, Bhakti, Jnana-Yoga, Karma-Yoga, etc., etc., etc. I obtained multiple psychical benefits from the practical yoga commended by this venerable institution. Since the most worthy Master H.P.B. always considered the HathaYoga as something inferior, I wish to assert that I was never interested in this branch of the Hindustani yoga. Much later, I was invited to a great assembly of the venerable Great White Lodge, where Hatha-Yoga was proclaimed as Black Magic.”
– V.M Samael Aun Weor, The Three Mountins
 
From the Works of Torkom Saraydarian

“Hatha Yoga was used many millions of years ago to create greater synchronization and attunement between the physical and etheric bodies. But because of the progress of the race in this direction, Great Ones discontinued Hatha Yoga and even indicated that it would be harmful to the health of the individual to practice it. Hatha Yoga makes the physical body excessively cling and stick to the etheric body and hardens or crystallizes the astral body. People in such a condition will eventually have trouble with their health, emotions, and communication. At the time of death they will have difficulty in withdrawing from the physical and astral bodies.

-Torkom Saraydarian
New Dimensions in Healing

Some Don’ts:

1. It is absolutely forbidden to meditate on the chakras except under the supervision of your Teacher, who clairvoyantly sees the effect of your meditation in your bodies and life.

2. It is forbidden to exercise Hatha Yoga, since it stimulates the ganglias built by the centers and affects the centers. Hatha Yoga can be used only to cure certain etheric sickness, done under the supervision of a clairvoyant medical doctor.

3. Chakras can be stimulated by breathing exercises, and ignorant teachers allow their students to use various breathing exercises to stimulate various centers. Real Masters of the centers forbid such an action, warning us that it can have a drastic influence on our health.

4. Centers can be stimulated by certain drugs. Such an action is equal to suicide.

– Torkom Saraydarian, Esoteric Healing

Hatha yoga tightens the link between the physical and etheric, intensifying the substance of the astral body to the point of crystallization. Thus obstacles are created which block the path of Soul contact, and which hinder the process of externalization of the unit of consciousness from etheric-astral into higher mental and buddhic planes.

-Torkom Saraydarian
Cosmos in Man

Meditation expands your consciousness. Expansion of consciousness creates a vacuum. The vacuum sucks the fire up because already through purification and meditation you have refined and purified your body to such a degree that the rising of the fire does not injure you. That is why it is very dangerous to do Kundalini yoga, Hatha Yoga, different kinds of breathing exercises, or different methods to raise the fire.

No forcing must be done to open and unfold the centers and move these fires onward. Then what is the process we are going to do? The process is purification. You are going to make yourself more pure physically, emotionally, and mentally.

-Torkom Saraydarian
Esoteric Science of Healing

The artificial methods are hatha yoga, breathing exercises, certain exercises of will, and concentration upon the chakras. In far eastern countries, these are exercised with only failing results; but in western countries, because of our chaotic and polluted environment, such methods have very destructive effects.

Those who want to develop their chakras safely must lay a good foundation. When one carefully lives according to such a foundation, the rest will be easy. This foundation is build by

1. purity of life – physical, moral, and mental
2. sacrificial service – service to spread Beauty, Goodness, Righteousness, Joy, and Freedom
3. fearlessness – which is a state of consciousness not identified with material values
4. striving toward perfection – with one’s deeds, words, expressions, creativity, thought, and communication.

-Torkom Saraydarian
Education as Transformation vol.1, p.98

“We never do Hatha Yoga, asanas. They are wrong. They destroy your future chakras.”
– Torkom Saraydarian
The Art of Teaching
 
 

In THE SECRET DOCTRINE (1:95), Blavatsky writes, “The Hatha so called was and still is discountenanced by the Arhats. It is injurious to the health and alone can never develop into Raja Yoga.”

 
From the Works of Indian Yogis

Sri Ramakrishna: “A man practicing hathayoga dwells a great deal on his body. He washes his intestines by means of a bamboo tube through his anus. He draws ghee and milk through his sexual organ. He learns how to manipulate his tongue by performing exercises. He sits in a fixed posture and bow and then levitates. All these are actions of prana. …….”The Vedantists do not accept hathayoga. There is also rajayoga. Rajayoga describes how to achieve union with God through the mind by means of discrimination and bhakti. This yoga is good. Hathayoga is not good. The life of a man in the Kaliyuga is dependent on food.”
– The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna – P. 330-331
 
“This portion of the Yoga is a little similar to the Hatha-Yoga which deals entirely with the physical body, its aim being to make the physical body very strong. We have nothing to do with it here, because its practices are very difficult, and cannot be learned in a day, and, after all, do not lead to much spiritual growth. Many of these practices you will find in Delsarte and other teachers, such as placing the body in different postures, but the object in these is physical, not psychological. There is not one muscle in the body over which a man cannot establish a perfect control. The heart can be made to stop or go on at his bidding, and each part of the organism can be similarly controlled.
The result of this branch of Yoga is to make men live long; health is the chief idea, the one goal of the Hatha-Yogi. He is determined not to fall sick, and he never does. He lives long; a hundred years is nothing to him; he is quite young and fresh when he is 150, without one hair turned grey. But that is all. A banyan tree lives sometimes 5000 years, but it is a banyan tree and nothing more. So, if a man lives long, he is only a healthy animal. One or two ordinary lessons of the Hatha-Yogis are very useful. For instance, some of you will find it a good thing for headaches to drink cold water through the nose as soon as you get up in the morning; the whole day your brain will be nice and cool, and you will never catch cold. It is very easy to do; put your nose into the water, draw it up through the nostrils and make a pump action in the throat.”
By Swami Vivekananda, The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda
“Hatha is useful, and produces spectacular physical results, but this branch of yoga is little used by yogis bent on spiritual liberation.”
– Paramahansa Yogananda
 
Eastern exercises can destroy the balance of Westerners
“Many Eastern spiritual masters have come to teach in the West – there is no point in naming them – but the exercises they teach their disciples have often destroyed their health or their psychic balance. These exercises are excellent in themselves and have long been practised in the monasteries of Mongolia, Tibet or India, so these teachers see no reason why they should not teach them also in Europe and America. Very few Westerners have achieved truly sublime results. But Westerners need other methods. Many of them have gone out of their minds or become the victims of grave sexual disorders because of the inner tornadoes triggered by these exercises; they were incapable of controlling them and had not learned how to use them. There are thousands of different exercises and practises in use in the East, but I have rarely met a Westerner who has achieved a truly sublime result by using them.”
– Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov
Sèvres, 17 January, 1971
 
“The real yoga, which is called Raja Yoga, King of Yogas, is to lead a highly moral life. Not morality according to circumstances or according to culture, but true ethical activity in life: not to hurt, not to drink, not to drug yourself, the right amount of sleep, the right amount of food, clear thinking, and acting morally, doing the right thing. They never mentioned exercise, as far as I understand after talking with a great many scholars. They say exercise normally, walk, swim, all that, but their emphasis was a very moral life, a mind which is active.
Modern yoga – I don’t know why they call yoga, it should be called just exercise, but that wouldn’t appeal to you! You can practise yoga, the exercises of different kinds. The speaker has done some of it for years. But you can do this kind of yoga exercise for the rest of your life, you won’t awaken spiritual insight, nor will the awakening of a higher energy come into being. In the East they have a word for this, kundalini. I have discussed with them very seriously and what they are talking about is a certain form of increased energy to do more mischief. By eating the right food, by control, by breathing properly, etc., you have more energy, naturally. And that gives you a sense of superiority, that you are enlightened and so on. But when the self is not, there is a totally different kind of energy to keep the mind fresh, young, alive. That can only come when there is absolutely no sense of the self, because the self, the ‘me’, the centre, is in constant conflict, wanting, not wanting, creating dualities, opposing desires, this constant struggle that is going on. As long as that struggle is going on, there is a wastage of energy. When that struggle is not, there is a totally different kind of energy taking place.”
– Krishnamurti at Brockwood Park 1979, Q&A 1