Like all forms of yoga, the end objective of Hatha Yoga is to transcend the consciousness to connect with a larger reality.

Hatha Yoga can be translated as "forceful yoga", particularly focused on developing the body's potential so that the body can withstand the profound effects that mystical states of consciousness can have on the nervous system and the rest of the body. Hatha Yoga focuses on purification of the body as a path that leads to purification of the mind.

Swatmarama introduces Hatha Yoga as 'a stairway to the heights of Raja Yoga'. Traditional Hatha Yoga is a holistic yogic path, including moral disciplines, physical exercises, e.g. asanas (postures) and Pranayama (breath control), and meditation.

The Hatha yoga predominantly practiced in the West consists of mostly asanas (physical postures) and exercise. The word 'Hatha' represents opposing energies: hot and cold, male and female, positive and negative. Hatha yoga attempts to balance mind and body via asanas, controlled breathing, and the calming of the mind through relaxation and meditation. The asanas teach poise, balance and strength and are practiced to improve the body's physical health and clear the mind in preparation for meditation in the pursuit of enlightenment.

The Hatha Yoga practitioner wants to construct a 'divine' body, but an ever-present danger is that the practitioner can sacrifice the spiritual aspirations for body-centred egocentrism, rather like a body-builder. This is particularly a dnager in Western culture, with many students ending up with inflated rather than transcended egos.