Yoga is a form of meditation matured over millennia through physical, mental, and spiritual practices and disciplines originating in ancient India. Various styles with clear focuses have emerged: “Hatha” Yoga, for instance, stands for effort and exertion. It is a meditation of physical exercises where yogis are always focused and diligent, completing the exercises mindfully and with significant physical and mental effort. Hatha Yoga is, of course, also relaxation, but that also means: you do this actively.

The term “Hatha” stands for sun (Ha) and moon (Tha). Tension and relaxation.

Applying this to climbing, we find that “Hatha” meets the mental and physical demands of the climbing world. Whether by learning an appropriate breathing technique that focuses your attention on your actions in the vertical, or through tension, relaxation, dynamics, and flexibility in our bodies, which allow us to move more refinedly and intuitively.