Siva: the original hatha yogi

In yoga mythology, Siva and Parvati, who embody Universal Consciousness and Infinite Energy, are said to live on Mount Kailas in western Tibet.The story goes that one lovely spring day, when they had a respite from the Tibetan winter, they decided to go on a picnic. 

They ate lunch in a peaceful grove, with a small stream running through it. Afterwards, Siva started telling Parvati about the discoveries he had been making in understanding the great mystery that lies behind the apparent reality of world. He had found that the energies within each person, the microcosm, correspond to those of the Universe, the macrocosm – and he had devised techniques for unleashing the dormant potential, the Kundalini.

Siva was very excited; he talked on and on. Parvati couldn’t get a word in; soon she became bored and fell asleep.

After some time, Siva noticed that Parvati wasn’t paying attention. Then he realised that he had actually been telling the “secrets” of the universe to the Cosmic Mother Herself. He had been describing the Infinite Powers within the created universe to the Power (Shakti) who had created it. He had been explaining how to raise the dormant potential to the Kundalini Shakti herself.

But, Siva did have an interested student; a fish in the nearby stream was listening intently. When turned into a human being, this “lord” of fishes (Matsyendra) became he first practitioner of hatha yoga. Known as Masyendra-nath, he is credited with being the first in the lineage who have handed down their teachings to present-day yoga practitioners.