Hatha yoga the number of adult practitioners in the US is 20.4 million, or 8.7 percent. The survey reported that 44 percent of those not practicing yoga said they are interested in trying it. Hatha yoga Hatha yoga is a branch of Yoga, one of the six schools of Hinduism. The Sanskrit word "haṭha" literally means "force" and thus alludes to a system of physical techniques. In India hatha yoga is associated in popular tradition with the 'Yogis' of the Natha Sampradaya through its mythical founder Matsyendranath. Matsyendranath, also known as Minanath or Minapa in Tibet, is celebrated as a saint in
Vedas and "Know your Ātman" their thematic focus. The Upanishads are the foundation of Hindu philosophical thought and its diverse traditions. Of the Vedic corpus, they alone are widely known, and the central ideas of the Upanishads have influenced the diverse traditions of Hinduism. "Aranyakas" are sometimes identified as "karma-kanda" (ritualistic section), while the Upanishads are identified as "jnana-kanda" (spirituality section). In an alternate classification, the early part of Vedas are called Samhitas and the commentary are called the Brahmanas which together are identified as the ceremonial "karma-kanda", while "Aranyakas" and "Upanishads" are referred to as the "jnana-kanda". The Vedangas developed