Our original intention, when we arranged
for the publication of this book, and, in fact
almost up until it went to press, was that it
should be, in a measure, supplementary to our
little book, "The Science of Breath", by the same
author—that is to say, it should take up the
subject of “Hatha Yoga” with the exception of that
phase of the subject (breathing, etc.) which has
been covered in that book. But at the last moment
we decided that it would be a mistake to publish a
book on “Hatha Yoga” with such an important part
of the subject as Yogi Breathing omitted, even
though the subject had been covered in another
book. to omit that important phase of the subject
would be working an injustice to those who
purchased the new book, as many of such purchasers
would never have read the first book, and would be
justified in expecting that the present book would
treat of all phases of the general subject. So, we
decided to incorporate those parts of "Science of
Breath" which belonged strictly to the subject of
“Hatha Yoga,” omitting such portions a belonged
rather to the other branch of the Yogi Philosophy,
i.e., Raja Yoga. We mention these facts that the
purchasers of this book, who have also read our
former book, might not accuse us of filling a new
book with parts of an old one. We advertised this
book, intending to give only the supplemental
parts, as above stated, and the portions of
Science of Breath, which have been added thereto,
have been inserted at our own expense, and in the
nature of “good measure,” or the “baker’s dozen.”
It is possible that, at some future time, we
will make arrangements with the same author to take
up the “Raja Yoga” portions of "The Science of
Breath," and to amplify and enlarge upon same,
adding to the foundation already built, just as he
has done in the present book upon the “Hatha Yoga”
foundation contained in the little book first
published by us. If this course is followed the
present book, "Hatha Yoga," will be the first of a
series of “Yogi Books,” taking up, in succession,
the different phases of the great Yogi Philosophy,
the little book, "The Science of Breath," serving as
the introduction to the series, and as a handy
little book for beginners, or those just becoming
interested in the subject."Hatha
Yoga," the present book, deals altogether with the
physical. The psychical, mental and spiritual phases
of the subject belong to the other branches of the
work. "Hatha Yoga," however, will be a splendid
foundation upon which the student may build, as a
sound, strong, healthy body is necessary for one to
do his best work and study, as the author of this
book has so well explained in the text.We
have asked the author to write a preface to this
book, but he declined to do so, as he feels that the
book should speak for itself, and he does not like
the idea of (as he expresses it) “intruding his
personality” upon his readers, holding that truth
should be self-evident and needing no personal touch
to make it truth. This notice, therefore, will take
the place of a preface in this case.YOGI
PUBLICATION SOCIETY.
Chicago, Ill, August, 1904.
TO THE HEALTHY MAN AND WOMAN THIS BOOK IS
RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED.
THEY HAVE DONE CERTAIN THINGS (CONSCIOUSLY OR
SUBCONSCIOUSLY) IN ORDER TO BRING THEMSELVES FROM
INFANCY TO HEALTHY, NORMAL MATURITY. AND IF YOU (WHO
MAY NOT BE SO HEALTHY AND NORMAL) WILL DO JUST THESE
SAME THINGS, THERE IS NO REASON WHY YOU, TOO, SHOULD
NOT BE JUST AS THEY. AND THIS LITTLE BOOK IS OUR
ATTEMPT TO TELL YOU JUST WHAT THIS HEALTHY MAN AND
WOMAN DID IN ORDER TO BE JUST WHAT THEY ARE.
READ IT, AND THEN GO AND DO LIKEWISE,
SO FAR AS YOU ARE ABLE.
IF YOU DOUBT THE TRUTH OF YOUR STATEMENTS, FIND
SOME HEALTHY MAN OR WOMAN, AND WATCH HIM, OR HER,
CLOSELY, AND SEE WHETHER HE, OR SHE, DOES NOT DO THESE
THINGS WE HAVE POINTED OUT TO YOU TO DO IN THIS
BOOK--AND WHETHER HE, OR SHE, DOES NOT LEAVE UNDONE
THE THINGS WE HAVE ASKED YOU TO AVOID. WE ARE WILLING
TO SUBMIT OUR TEACHINGS TO THIS SEVERE TEST--APPLY IT.
Chapter
1 What is Yoga?
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.
Hatha Yoga is that branch of the Yoga
Philosophy which deals with the physical body— its
care— its well-being— its health— its strength- and
all that tends to keep it in its natural and normal
state of health. It teaches a natural mode of living
and voices the cry which has been taken up by many
of the Western world: "Let us get back to Nature,"
excepting that the Yogi does not have to get back
for he is already there, for he has always clung
close to nature and her ways, and has not been
dazzled and befooled by the mad rush toward
externals which has caused the modern civilized
races to forget that such a thing as nature existed.
Fashions and social ambitions have not reached the
Yogi's consciousness-he smiles at these things, and
regards them as he does the pretenses of childish
games-he has not been lured from nature's arms, but
continues to cuddle close up to the bosom of his
good mother who has always given him nourishment,
warmth and protection. Hatha Yoga is first, nature;
second, nature, and last, NATURE. When confronted
with a choice of methods, plans, theories, etc.,
apply to them the touchstone: "Which is the natural
way," and always choose that which seems to conform
the nearest to nature.
This plan will be a good one for our students to
follow when their attention is directed to the many
theories; "fads"; methods; plans and ideas, along
health lines, with which the Western world is being
flooded. For instance if they are asked to believe
that they are in danger of losing their "magnetism",
by coming in contact with the earth, and are advised
to wear rubber soles and heels upon their shoes, and
to sleep in beds "insulated" with glass feet, to
prevent nature (mother Earth) from sucking and
drawing out of them the magnetism which she has just
given them, let the students ask themselves "What
does Nature say about this?" Then, in order to find
out what nature says, let them see whether nature's
plans could have contemplated the manufacture and
wearing of rubber soles, and glass feet for beds.
Let them see whether the strong magnetic men, full
of vitality, do these things—let them see whether
the most vigorous races in the world have done these
things—let them see whether they feel debilitated
from lying down on the grassy sward, or whether the
natural impulse of man is not to fling reclining on
the bosom of their good mother earth, and whether
the natural, impulse of man is not to fling himself
upon the grassy bank—let them see whether the
natural impulse of childhood is not to run barefoot;
whether it does not refresh the feet to take off the
shoes (rubber soles and all) and walk around
barefooted; whether rubber boots are particularly
conducive to "magnetism" and vitality, and so on.
We give this merely as an illustration, not that we
wish to waste time in discussing the merits or
demerits of rubber soles, and glass bed feet as a
preservative of magnetism. A little observation will
teach the man that all of nature's answers show him
that he gets much of his magnetism from the earth,
and that the earth is a battery charged with it, and
is always willing and anxious to give forth its
strength to man, instead of being devoid of it and
to be dreaded as being anxious and likely to "draw"
the magnetism from man, its child. Some of these
latter day prophets will next be teaching that the
air draws Prana from people, instead of giving it to
them. So, by all means, apply
the nature test to all theories of this kind-our own
included-and if they do not square with nature,
discard them-the rule is a safe one.
Nature knows what it is about-she is your friend and
not your enemy.There have been
many and most valuable works written on the other
branches of the Yogi Philosophy, but the subject of
Hatha Yoga has been dismissed with a brief reference
by most of the writers upon Yoga. This is largely
due to the fact that in India there exists a horde
of ignorant mendicants of the lower fakir class, who
pose as Hatha Yogis, but who have not the slightest
conception of the underlying principles of that
branch of Yoga. These people content themselves with
obtaining control over some of the involuntary
muscles of the body (a thing possible to anyone who
will devote to it the time and trouble necessary for
its accomplishment), thereby acquiring the ability
to perform certain abnormal "tricks" which they
exhibit to amuse and entertain (or disgust) Western
travelers. Some of their feats are quite wonderful,
when regarded from the standpoint of curiosity, and
the performers would be worthy applicants for paying
positions in the "dime museums" of America, indeed
their feats being very similar to some performed by
some of the Western "freaks."
We hear of these people exhibiting with pride such
tricks and acquired habits as, for instance the
ability to reverse the peristaltic action of the
bowels and intestines, and the swallowing movements
of the gullet, so as to give a disgusting exhibition
of a complete reversal of the normal processes of
those parts of the body, so that articles introduced
into the colon may be carried upward and ejected
from the gullet, by this reversed movement of the
involuntary muscles, etc. This, from a physician's
point of view, is most interesting, but to the
layman is a most disgusting thing, and one utterly
unworthy of a man. Other feats of these so-called
Hatha Yogis are about on a par with the instance
which we have reluctantly given, and we know of
nothing that they perform which is of the slightest
interest or benefit to the man or woman seeking to
maintain a healthy, normal, natural body.
These mendicants are akin to the class of fanatics
in India who assume the title "Yogi", and who refuse
to wash the body, for religious reasons; or who sit
with uplifted arm until it is withered; or who allow
their finger nails to grow until they pierce their
hands; or who sit so still that their birds build
nests in their hair; or who perform other ridiculous
feats, in order to pose as "holy men" before the
ignorant multitude, and, incidentally', to be fed by
the ignorant classes who consider that they are
earning a future reward by the act. These people are
either rank frauds, or self-deluded fanatics, and as
a class are on a par with a certain class of beggars
in American and European large cities who exhibit
their self-inflicted wounds, and bogus deformities,
in order to wring pennies from the passer-by, who
turns his head and drops the coppers in order to get
the thing out of his sight.
The people whom we have just mentioned are regarded
with pity by the real Yogis who regard Hatha Yoga as
an important branch of their philosophy, because it
gives man a healthy body-a good instrument with
which to work-a fitting temple for the Spirit.In
this little book, we have endeavored to give in a
plain, simple form, the underlying principles of
Hatha Yoga—giving the Yogi plan of physical life.
And we have tried to give you the reason for each
plan. We have found it necessary to first explain to
you in the terms of Western physiology the various
functions of the body, and then to indicate Nature's
plans and methods, which one should adhere. to as
far as possible. It is not a "doctor book", and
contains nothing about medicine, and practically
nothing about the cure of diseases, except where we
indicate what one should do in order to get back to
a natural state. Its keynote is the Healthy Man-its
main purpose to help people to conform to the
standard of the normal man. But we believe that that
which keeps a healthy man healthy will make an
unhealthy man healthy, if he follows it.
Hatha Yoga preaches a sane, natural, normal manner
of living and life, which, if followed will benefit
any one. It keeps close to nature and advocates a
return to natural methods in preference to those
which have grown up around us in our artificial
habits of living. This book
is simple—very simple—so simple, in fact, that many
will most likely throw it aside because it contains
nothing new or startling. They have probably hoped
for some wonderful recital of the far famed freak
tricks of the mendicant Yogis (?) and plans whereby
these feats could be duplicated by those who would
read it. We must tell such people that this book is
not that kind of book. We do not tell you how to
assume seventy-four kinds of postures, nor how to
draw linen through the intestines for the purpose of
cleaning them out (contrast this with nature's
plans) or how to stop the heart's beating, or to
perform tricks with your internal apparatus. Not a
hint of such teaching will you find here.
We do tell you how to command a rebellious organ to
again function properly, and several other things
about the control over an involuntary part which has
gone on a strike, but we have mentioned these things
only in the line of making man a healthy being—not
to make a "freak" of him.We
have not said much about disease. We have preferred
to hold up to your gaze the Healthy Man and Woman,
asking you to look well at them and see what makes
them healthy and keeps them healthy. Then we call
your attention to what they do and how they do it.
Then we tell you to go and do likewise, if you would
be like them. That is all we try to do. But that
"all" is about everything that may be done for
you—you must do the rest yourself.
In other chapters, we tell you why the
Yogis take care of the body, and also the
underlying principle of the Hatha Yoga—that belief
in the Intelligence behind all Life—that trust in
the great Life Principle to carry on its work
properly—that belief that if we will but rely on
that great principle, and will allow it to work in
and through us all will be well with our bodies.
Read on, and you will see what we are trying to
say to you-you will get the message with which we
have been charged to deliver to you. In answer to
the question, with which this chapter is headed:
"What is Hatha Yoga?", we say to you: Read this
book to the end, and you will understand some
little about what it really is—to find out all it
is put into practice the precepts of this book,
and you will get a good fair start on the road to
that knowledge you seek.
