Physical pleasure and spiritual profit

 Yoga provides you physical pleasure and spiritual profit far above any formula or gadget of science or industry. A true yogi will hesitate to give away an iota of sparse yogi living for all the luxuries that scientific civilization promises today.

 Yoga deals with tracheotomy of truth-asana, pranayama and mantras. These embody the ancient secret lore of India. Yoga integrates the wisdom of the east and the west in individual life as well as universal civilization. It helps man to achieve basic harmony with the environmental world that surrounds us.

 The tried intellect of man, wandering through galaxies of starry spaces, returns exhausted to the earth and yoga revives it with a new elixir and panacea. The horizons of yoga extend to the worlds beyond worlds and boundless boundaries of limits beyond all conceivable limitations.

 From mineral to man

Yoga opens the way to understandable sub consciousness which extends from minerals to man. It radiates everywhere in the universe. It leads a man up the scale of evolution not yet within the key of modern education or psychology.

 According to yoga there is no such thing as lifeless matter. Everything is quintessence of consciousness it self. Inside the tiniest atom there is incredible movement. If there is movement, there is energy. If there is energy, there is life.

 Hatha yoga

What the westerns know as yoga is hatha yoga based on a system of exercises, which if regularly practiced, arouse the sub consciousness. Hatha yoga is accompanied with pranayama which is a system of systematic harmonious breathing, and mantras which mean repetition of certain sacred words and hymns, the most popular of which is repetition of the word `Om’ round the clock, day and night,, not excluding the sleeping hours.

 Some exercises are given below for those who want to practice them and can practice them. These require steady practice to gain proficiency and perfection:-

 Soorya namaskar

Soorya namaskar is practiced early in the morning facing the sun. Apollo is the source of all energy and the God of Health and Longevity.

 The exercise reduces abdominal fat and brings flexibility to the spine. It increases the breathing capacity.

 Inhale, hold your breath, exhale, hold your breath again, and then inhale.

Contract and expand your abdomen simultaneously.

Siddhasana

Sit down, body straight, legs apart.

Bring back one of your legs and wedge the foot against the inside of the other calf.

Inhale, pause, exhale, and pause.

 Kakasana

Lean forward. Place both hands on the ground. Let your hands be eighteen inches apart. Put the insides of legs, near the knees, on the muscles of the back of the arm.

The feet should touch together at the toes.

Try to keep your balance as you raise your feet and learn to ward.

Then return to starting point.