The science of Yoga is divided into several branches. Among the best known and leading divisions are (1) Hatha Yoga; (2) Raja Yoga; (3) Karma Yoga; (4) Gnani Yoga. This book is devoted only to the first named, and we will not attempt to describe the others at this time, although we will have something to say upon all of these great branches of Yoga, in future writings. Read more »

To the casual observer, the Yogi Philosophy presents the apparent anomaly of a teaching which, while holding that the physical body is material and as nothing when compared to the higher principles of Man, at the same time devotes much care and importance to the instruction of its students in the direction of the careful attention, nourishment, training, exercise and improvement of that physical body. In fact one whole branch of the Yogi teachings, Hatha Yoga, is devoted to this care of the physical body, and goes into considerable detail regarding the instruction of its students in the principles of this physical training and development. Read more »

The Yogi Philosophy teaches that God gives to each individual a physical machine adapted to his needs, and also supplies him with the means of keeping it in order, and of repairing it if his negligence allows it to become inefficient. The Yogis recognize the human body as the handiwork of a great Intelligence. Read more »

Many people make the mistake of considering Disease as an entity—a real thing—an opponent of Health. This is incorrect. Health is the natural state of Man, and Disease is simply the absence of Health. If one can comply with the laws of Nature he cannot be sick. When some law is violated, abnormal conditions result, and certain symptoms manifest them-selves, and to which symptoms we give the name of some disease. That which we call Disease is simply the result of Nature’s attempt to throw off, or dislodge, the abnormal condition, in order to resume normal action. Read more »

This little book is not intended for a text-book upon physiology, but inasmuch as the majority of people seem to have little or no idea of the nature, functions and uses of the various bodily organs, we think it as well to say a few words regarding the very important organs of the body which have to do with the digestion and assimilation of the food which nourishes the body—which perform the laboratory work of the system. Read more »

In our last chapter we gave you an idea of how the food we cat is gradually transformed and resolved into substances capable of being absorbed and taken up by the blood, which carries the nourishment to all parts of the system, where it is used in building tip, repairing and renewing the several parts of the physical man. In this chapter we will give you a brief description of how this work of the blood is carried on. Read more »

The Organs of Respiration consist of the lungs and the air passages leading to them. The lungs are two in number, and occupy the pleural chamber of the thorax, one on each side of the median line, being separated from each other by the heart, the greater blood vessels and the larger air tubes. Each lung is free in all directions, except at the root, which consists chiefly of the bronchi, arteries and veins connecting the lungs with the trachea and heart. The lungs are spongy and porous, and their tissues are very elastic. They are covered with a delicately constructed but strong sac, known as the pleural sac, one wall of which closely adheres to the lung, an(l the other to the inner wall of the chest, and which secretes a fluid which allows the inner surfaces of the walls to glide easily upon each other in the act of breathing. Read more »

The human body is constantly undergoing change. Atoms of bone, tissue, flesh, muscle, fat and fluids are constantly being wornout and removed from the system, and new atoms are constantly being manufactured in the wonderful laboratory of the body, and then sent to take the place of the wornout and discarded material. Read more »

As we said at the conclusion of the preceding chapter, Hunger and Appetite are two entirely different attributes of the human body. Hunger is the normal demand for food—Appetite the abnormal craving. Hunger is like the rosy hue upon the cheek of the healthy child—Appetite is like the rouged face of the woman of fashion. And yet most people use the terms as if their meaning were identical. Let us see wherein lies the difference. Read more »

Nature’s shrewdness in combining several duties into one, and also in rendering necessary duties pleasant (and thereby likely to be performed) is illustrated in numberless ways. One of the most striking examples of this kind will be brought out in this chapter. We will see how she manages to accomplish several things at the same time, and how she also renders pleasant several most necessary offices of the physical system. Read more »

We intend to leave the matter of the choice of food an open question with our students. While, personally, we prefer certain kinds of food, believing that the best results are obtained from the use thereof, we recognize the fact that it is impossible to change the habits of a lifetime (yes, of many generations) in a day, and man must be guided by his own experience and his growing knowledge, rather than by dogmatic utterances of others. Read more »

One of the cardinal principles of the Hatha Yoga Philosophy of Health is the intelligent use of Nature’s great gift to living things—Water. It should not be necessary to even call the attention of men to the fact that Water is one of the great means of maintaining normal health, but man has become so much a slave to artificial environments, habits, customs, etc., that he has forgotten Nature’s laws. His only hope is to return to Nature. Read more »

This will not be a pleasant chapter to those of you who are still bound with the old notions of the impurity of the body, or any part of it—if there chance to be such among our students. Those of you who prefer to ignore the existence of certain important functions of the physical body, and feel a sense of shame at the thought that certain physical functions are a part of their everyday lives, will not relish this chapter, and may even regard it as a blot upon the book—a thing which we should have omitted—something which we should have ignored. Read more »

Life is absolutely dependent upon the act of breathing. “Breath is Life.”

Differ as they may upon details of theory and terminology, the Oriental and the Occidental agree upon these fundamental principles.

To breathe is to live, and without breath there is no life. Not only are the higher animals dependent upon breath for life and health, but even the lower forms of animal life must breathe to live, and plant life is likewise dependent upon the air for continued existence. Read more »

High Breathing.

This form of breathing is known to the Western world as Cavicular Breathing, or Collarbone Breathing. One breathing in this way elevates the ribs and raises the collarbone and shoulders, at the same time drawing in the abdomen and pushing its contents up against the diaphragm, which in turn is raised. Read more »

Yogi Complete Breathing includes all the good points of High Breathing, Mid Breathing and Low Breathing, with the objectionable features of each eliminated. It brings into play the entire respiratory apparatus, every part of the lungs, every air-cell, every respiratory muscle. The entire respiratory organism responds to this method of breathing, and the maximum amount of benefit is derived from the minimum expenditure of energy. The chest cavity is increased to its normal limits in all directions and every part of the machinery performs its natural work and functions. Read more »

Scarcely too much can be said of the advantages attending the practice of the Complete Breath. And yet the student who has carefully read the foregoing pages should scarcely need to have pointed out to him such advantages. Read more »

We give below three forms of breath, quite popular among the Yogis. The first is the well-known Yogi Cleansing Breath, to which is attributed much of the great lung endurance found among the Yogis. Read more »

One of the first lessons in the Yogi Science of Breath, is to learn how to breathe through the nostrils, and to overcome the common practice of mouth-breathing. Read more »

Hatha Yoga teaches that the physical body is built up of cells, each cell containing within it a miniature “life” which controls its action. These “lives” are really bits of intelligent mind of a certain degree of development, which enable the cells to do their work properly. Read more »

In the preceding chapter of this book we have explained to you that the human body is made of millions of tiny cells, each endowed with sufficient matter to enable it to do its work—with sufficient Prana to give it the energy it requires—with sufficient “mind-stuff” to give it the degree of intelligence with which to direct its work. Read more »

The student will notice, as he reads the chapters of this book, that there is an esoteric and an exoteric side of Hatha Yoga. By “esoteric” we mean “designed for only the specially initiated; private” (Webster’s Dictionary), and by “exoteric” we mean “external; public—opp. to esoteric” (Webster’s Dictionary). Read more »

We have told you in other chapters of this book, how Prana may be obtained from the air, food and water. We have given you detailed instruction in breathing, in eating, in the use of fluids. There remains but little more for us to say upon the subject. But before leaving it, we have thought it well to give you a bit of the higher theory and practice of Hatha Yoga, touching upon the acquirement and distribution of Prana. We allude to what has been called “Rythmic Breathing,” which is the keynote to much of the Hatha Yoga practices. Read more »

The Science of Relaxation forms a very important part of the Hatha Yoga philosophy and many of the Yogis have devoted much care and study to this branch of the subject. At first glance it may appear to the average reader that the idea of teaching people how to relax-how to rest-is ridiculous, as every one should know how to perform this simple feat. And the average man is right—in part. Nature teaches us how to relax and rest to perfection—the infant is a past-master in the science. But as we have grown older we have acquired many artificial habits and have allowed Nature’s original habits to lapse. And so at the present time the people of the Western world may well accept from the Yogis a little teaching along the lines of this subject. Read more »

Thoughts take form in action, and actions react upon the mind. These two truths stand together. One is as true as the other. We have heard much of the influence of the mind over the body, but we must not forget that the body, or its attitudes and positions, react upon the mind and influence mental states. We must remember these two truths in considering the question of relaxation. Read more »

Man in his original state did not need to be instructed in physical exercise—neither does a child or youth with normal tastes. Man’s original state of living gave him an abundance of varied activity, out-of-doors, and with all the best conditions for exercise. He was compelled to seek his food, to prepare it, to raise his crops, to build his houses, to gather up fuel, and to do the thousand and one things which were necessary to live in simple comfort. Read more »

Before telling you about these exercises, we wish again to impress upon you that exercise without interest fails in its effect. You must manage to take an interest in your exercise, and to throw some mind into it. You must learn to like the work, and to think of what it all means. By following this advice you will obtain multiplied benefit from this work. Read more »

It should not be necessary to devote a chapter of this hook to the importance of bathing. But even in this, the twentieth, century a great mass of the people understand practically nothing about this subject. In the large cities the easy access to the bathtub has, in a measure, educated the people up to at least a partial use of water on the outer surface of the body, but in the country, and even in many homes in the cities, bathing is not given the place it should occupy in the daily life of the people. And so we think it well to call the attention of our readers to the subject and explain to them why the Yogis set so much store upon a clean body. Read more »

Now, do not pass-by this chapter, because it treats of a very common subject. If you feel inclined to so pass it by—then you are the very person for whom it is intended, and by whom it is most needed. Those who have looked into the matter and have learned something of the benefit and necessity of fresh air, will not pass this chapter by, even though they may know all that it contains—they are glad to read the good news again. And, if von don’t like the subject, and feel inclined to skip it, then you surely need it. Read more »

Of all of nature’s functions that should be understood by people, sleep seems the one which should be so simple that no instruction or advice should be needed. The child needs no elaborate treatise upon the value and necessity of sleep—it just sleeps, that’s all. And the adult would do the same if he lived closer to nature’s ways. But he has surrounded himself with such artificial environments that it is almost impossible for him to live naturally. But he may go a considerable distance on the return journey to nature, notwithstanding his unfavorable environments. Read more »

In this chapter we can but briefly direct your attention to a subject of vital importance to the race, but which the race generally is not ready to seriously consider. Owing to the present state of public opinion upon this subject, it is impossible to write as plainly as one would like, or as is really necessary, and all writings upon the subject in question are apt to be considered as “impure,” although the only object of the writer may be to counteract the impurity and improper practices indulged by the public. However, some brave writers have managed to give the public a very fair acquaintance with the subject of regeneration, so that the majority of our readers will readily understand what we mean. Read more »

Those who have familiarized themselves with the Yogi teachings regarding the Instinctive Mind and its control of the physical body—and also of the effect of the Will upon the Instinctive Mind-will readily see that the mental attitude of the person will have much to do with his or her health. Bright, cheerful and happy mental attitudes reflect themselves in the shape of normal functioning of the physical body, while depressed mental states, gloom, worry, fear, hate, jealousy, and anger all react upon the body and produce physical inharmony and, eventually disease. Read more »

While this book is intended to treat solely upon the care of the physical body, leaving the higher branches of the Yogi Philosophy to be dealt with in other writings, still the leading principle of the Yogi teachings is so bound up with the minor branches of the subject, and is so largely taken into account by the Yogis in the simplest acts of their lives, that in justice to the teachings as well as to our students, we cannot leave the subject without at least saying a few words about this underlying principle. Read more »