Chapter Two: The Yogis’ Regard for the Physical Body

Main Idea & Concepts

Yogi’s believe the body is the “temple for the spirit” – they physical body is not in fact the “real man” – but rather a house that the spirit occupies and uses. In addition the development and care of this body is of utter importance. The development is ultimately regarded as coupled with the development of the mind. A strong mind needs a physically strong body and vise versa.

• A yogi would insist the body be brought under perfect control of the mind – the instrument is finely tuned to be responsive by the mater; the spirit.
• When the body is cared for and properly nourished only then can it undergo its highest form of transformation and development – its responsiveness flourishes.
• A yogi tries to attain control over the voluntary and involuntary parts of the body to breed mastery – every muscle, cell, organ is important
• To attain this control and mastery over the body is the ultimate goal – comparable to a master violinist’s conquering of famous compositions.

Interesting Concept:

A mastery over anything is an ultimate goal when practicing at something. It is the ability to achieve the highest possible connection to that feat with ease; because at the point of mastery it has become second nature. This concept when applied to the maintenance and development of the mind and body is an umbrella or starting point to achieving all the other imaginable goals. Master the mind and body – master the self and nothing is impossible anymore.

Questions:

Can we quantify the results – should such studies be conducted? Measuring for example the monetary success of those who practice yoga on a regular basis (living the hatha yoga philosophies) against those who do not?

Is it important to measure the benefits of yoga in such a way? Who is to determine this?

If research results with a higher number of person’s practicing on a regular basis achieve larger monetary success – is it ethical to use these facts and directly link them in marketing campaigns to sell “yoga for increased income”

Chapter One: What is Hatha Yoga?

Main Idea - Concepts

The yoga of physical well being, hatha is a branch of yoga that deals with the physical body – its care, its well being, its health, strength and all it takes to maintain a healthy body in as natural as state as possible.

• The body is like the temple for the spirit – the healthy body is the ultimate instrument for the spirit to “be”
• This book is not designed as a “doctor’s manual” but does touch upon important functions of the body – to provide reference to the “western” terms and diseases. The goal of hatha yoga is to venture back to the natural state – and to conquer illness/disease in such a way. No specific cures are mentioned only the concept that the body is eager to return to its natural state.
• It’s believed that what will keep a healthy man healthy will also turn an unhealthy man healthy.
• The following chapters in this book proceeds to detail what hatha yoga is – on the philosophy that any man or woman can follow the hatha yoga path to bring their body to a naturally healthy state. Entrusted is also the idea that if we observe a healthy man or woman’s habits – how they are as healthy as they appear, how they have combat illness – then we too can try to do the same.

New Concept:

There are such radical perceptions of the yogic lifestyle and how people define a “yogi”. Understandably yoga may appear as “foreign” to many westerners, but in India, the birthplace of yoga, there exist “yoga freaks” so they could be named. Those who pose as hatha yogi’s but do not have the slightest conception of the underlying principles of the yogic lifestyle. Gaining muscle control over the digestive organs – inserting objects in the anus to reverse the peristaltic action of the bowls – completely reversing the action of digestion. This is just one example of the fanaticism of these “false yogi’s pitied by real yogi’s who value the principles of hatha and include them in their life’s philosophies.