Hatha yoga is a form of yoga in which the balance between body and mind is sought mainly through physical exercises (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayama) and meditation. Hatha means force or power, to emphasize the effort required to achieve the goal.
The term is also interpreted as expressing the unity of opposing energies (hot and cold, male and female, positive and negative, sun and moon). The syllable "Ha" stands for sun (power, heat), the syllable "tha" for moon (silence, cooling).