Surya

THE T E N - P O I N T WAY T O H E A L T H SURYA NAMASKARS S ln im a n t Balasahib Pandit Pratinidhi, I3 .A . R A J A H O F A U N D II

E D IT E D

W IT H

AN

I N T R O D U C T I O N BY L O U IS E

M ORGAN

20 I L L U S T R A T IO N S

J. M . D E N T A N D S O N S L T D LONDON

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CONTENTS CHAP.

PACE INTRODUCTION

7

I. THE HABIT OF HEALTH

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II. THE MEANING OF SURYA NAMASKARS

*9 *4

III. THE PRELIMINARIES

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34

IV. BREATH IS LIFE

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38

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43

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55

V. THE TEN POINTS VI. VALUE TO WOMEN

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VII. WARDING OFF OLD AGE

61

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VIII. USE IN SCHOOLS IX. OUR OWN EXPERIENCE

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66

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73

X. EVOLUTION OF SURYA NAMASKARS

78

XX. HEALTH THROUGH SPEECH

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XII. THE SOUNDS THAT HELP .

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88

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93

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97

X V . POINTS ABOUT DIET

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IOJ

XVI. N2W LIFE FOR OLD

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108

XIII. CURE OP CONSTIPATION

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X IV . TUBERCULOSIS

between pages 12 a n i l 13

PHOTOGRAPHS . d ia g r a m s

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,>

5

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52 a n d 53

IN T R O D U C T IO N i A

l it t l e

o v e r a y e a r a g o , in in y c a p a c i t y as

jo u r n a li s t , I h a d t h e p r i v i le g e o f t a lk in g w it h o n e o f t h e m o s t v i t a l h u m a n b e in g s I h a v e e v e r m e t — a n d I h a v e in t e r v ie w e d h u n d r e d s o f t h e w o r l d ’ s o u t s t a n d in g m e n a n d w o m e n .

H e is the R ajah o f A undh, ruling prince o f one o f the states in the Bom bay Presidency, a wise legislator and hum anitarian, who is rebuild­ ing his domain into a m odern progressive state from w hich old age, pain, disease, worry, and econom ic ills arc being grad u ally elim inated. I h ad discovered beforehand that the rajah was over seventy, and know ing that Indians age early, I was prepared for even more o f the sagging muscles and profound wrinkles which m ark the vast m ajority o f ‘ old people* everywhere. Im agine my astonishment, therefore, when the rajah ’s secretary presented m e to him in the draw ing-room o f a suite at the S avoy H otel, to see a m an with the agile, supple m ovem ents o f youth, eyes shining like a boy’s, strong, brilliantly white teeth, firm muscles, radian t sm ile, and a m ind that worked like summ er lightning. 7

8

I NT R O D U C T I O N

He looked a youn g m iddle-age. L a ter he was to tell m e that h e had known no illness, not even a cold, for tw enly-eigh t years. ‘ Y ou seem surprised not to find me the usual d o cd crin g old c re a tu re !’ he said, and his secre­ tary jo in ed in o u r laugh. It was im possible to resist the good hum our o f this youn g m an o f seventy-one. T h e rajah then told m e a story o f healing and the renew ing o f the life force w hich sounded like the discovery o f the long-sought F ountain o f Y o u th .

But the secret w as nothing so m iracu lou s; it la y in a series o f exerciscs called ‘ S u ry a Xam askari,’ literally translated ‘ Sun Prayers/ T h e y were sim plicity itself, he explained, taking only five or six m inutes to com plete a round o f tw enty-five cycles and requiring no sort o f equipm ent w hatever. B reathing was a fundam ental part o f Su rya Namaskars, three controlled breaths bein g taken for each cycle o f ten positions. A n y one could try them , o f a n y age, men or wom en alike. T h e y cost nothing, all that was ncccssary lifting a flat floor space ab o u t two feet b y seven feet. T h e rajah had brought with him a film taken

INTRODUCTION’

9

in his paJacc and in his slate schools showing himself, his ranee, children, and subjects going through the exercises, and I w as shown ‘ stills' from it. T h e ranee, a charm ing w om an o f thirty-six who has had eight children,, looked like a girl o f sixteen. H er body was slender, supple, and d elicatcly rounded. I was told she is extrem ely strong and suffers p ractically no pain a t ch ild ­ birth. ‘ T h e effcct o f Su rya N am askars on w om en is even m ore astonishing than on m en,’ said the rajah. ‘ O u r wornftn agr* very rap idly, but now th ey can keep the vita lity an d beau ty o f their youth to an advanced a g e.’ A n o ih er wom an actor in the film was the sixty-ycar-old m other o f ten children, w ho had suffered all her life from rheum atism and super­ fluous fat. She began the N am askars in 1925, and had com pletely got rid o f her rheum atism and was now ‘ as young-looking as h er d au gh ters.’

3 I was deeply impressed w ith the rajah 's story, b u t, being a sceptical new spaperw om an, not en­ tirely convinced. So w hen I returned to the office o f m y paper, the N ews Chronicle> to write the interview for the next d a y’s issue, I did not

IO

I N T R O DU C T I O N

sign it, for to sign it w ould have im plied more crcdcncc than I felt. A year earlier, and 1 should soon have forgotten both rajah and story in the whirl o f Fleet Street, where one event tops another in the coursc o f an hour or even less. But, as it happened, I had had a twelvem onth o f unusual stresses and strains, and was for the first time aw are o f a possible drain on the abundant capital o f energy with which N ature had sup­ plied me. Also, I was on the ev e o f m y holiday. T h e im age o f the ageless m an went with m e to the Dorset coast, and there I found m yself one m orning trying Surya Nam askars in the spirit in which the rajah h a d described them to me. From the v e ry first I noted a reflow o f energy back into m y being. Pursuing them with too m uch vigour, I strained several musclcs, so that I lim ped for days. B ut, in spite o f this, I per­ sisted, and in six weeks’ tim e I understood the significance o f m any sayings o f the rajah which had been obscure to m e. M eanw hile, letters h a d been pouring into the jVews Chronicle office, requiring further inform a­ tion in regard to the ‘ fountain o f y o u th ’ and the ‘ ten -p o in t w ay Co h ealth '— the exercises described in m y interview with the rajah, and

I NT RODUC TI ON

as a result I was asked by the editor to write a scries giving full particulars o f Su rya Namaskars. T h is brought me in touch w ith a twcnty-threcycar-old son o f the rajah studying la w in London for the purpose o f helping his father in his state work. Shrim ant A ppasahib was a m agnificent physi­ cal specim en, but there was about him a more impressive qu ality than perfect bodily fitness, l i e had, in the midst o f nerve-ridden London, an O lym pian ealmncss and poise. H e had practised Su rya N am askars since he was a small boy, and to them he attributed the fact that he had never bad an illness and never known such a thing as fear. I w atched him pose for the photographs at the end o f this book, and when he had finished the dozen o r so N am askars necessary he was dripping and radiant as i f he had risen out o f some eternal spring. T h e great advantage o f these exercises, he told m e, is that they do not strain any part o f the body, o r ovcr-dcvelop some muscles at the ex ­ pense o f others, but they search out every cell and sinew, rousing them, and tuning them into harm ony. T h e y ‘ make the body sing.’ In this w a y Shrim ant A ppasahib used them as a tonic im m ediately after a hard d a y ’s sport, such as ski-ing, to prevent soreness and fatigue.

12

INT RODUC TI ON

T h ey had also kept his nerves in good condition for his law exam inations, he told me, removing all trace o f uneasiness and clearing his brain.

4T h e News Chronicle scries illustrated with photo­ graphs o f Shrim ant A ppasahib appeared in August 1936, and now, o ver a year later, I still receive letters regularly from people all over the country and abroad who have been carrying out the exercises and deriving benefit from them. T h ey have told me o f rem arkable cures, o f the restoration o f faith and hope, and o f the intensi­ fication o f emotional experience which m ade each waking to a new d a y a delight. These letters com e from a representative scction o f the readers o f a great national newspaper— doctors, school teachers, bankers and bank clerks, poets, saxophonists, new spaper vendors, char­ women, typists, retired civil servants, writers, engineers, actors, and dozens o f other types. O ne letter touched me m ore than most, and I reproduce it here, om itting only the nam e and address: D e a r S ir , H a v in g been a reader o f y o u r p ap er for a num ber o f years I should lik e to th a n k L ouise M o rgan through y o u r p ap er for the S u rya N am askars. F irst o f a ll, I h ave been a m iner and h av e worked

PH OTOGRAPH S SU R Y A N AM A SK A R S D EM O N STRATED B Y A N E X P E R T , A P P A S A H IB , S O N O P T H E R A J A H O F A U N D II

I NT R O D U C T I O N

*3

at ------ C ollieries since th e a g e o f 18 a n d a m now 52, n e a rly a ll th a t tim e h a v in g been, sp en t cru ttin g , that is d rivin g tunnels from o n e seam o f co al to an oth er u sin g com pressed a ir e n g in e w h ich y o u h old against th e b o d y for b o rin g h oles w h ic h a r c a fte rw a rd s changed w ith P o w d e r and th en fired. Y o u c le a n u p a n d ca rry on til! C o a l is reach ed . Som etim es the ro ck is $0 h a rd it w ill tak e o v e r an h o u r to bore it o n e y a rd . J u st th in k o f th e d u st w h ich is not a llo w e d to settle o w in g to th e C a fllin g a b o u t o f th e e x h a u st a n d w ith a ll the latest devices. A m a n m ust b re a th e a b ig p ercen tage o f dust. F or e v e ry sh ot thats Jired th e concussion p icks u p dust fifty y a rd s a w a y . N o w o n d e r three o f m y m ates h a v e d ie d before th e a g e o f forty-three. A b o u t m y o w n h ea lth , on F ob 22nd [936 I h a d to g iv e u p w o rk o w in g to Silicosis h av in g b e e n X -r a y e d and foun d w ell-established in bath lu ngs. I am re ce iv in g C o m p en satio n w eek ly for sam e. W hen visitin g m y P anel D o cto r w h ich is on e and a h a lf m iles a w a y there is a steep b a n k for a b o u t sixty yard s. E v e r y tim e I h a v e g o n e th a t w a y I h ave had to stop h a lfw a y for a few seconds to g e t m y breath , n o w I c a n w a lk p retty sh arp all th e w a y to the D octors w ith o u t a n y effect. I h a p p e n e d to read Louise M o rg a n ’s first a rticle o f exorcises b u t d id n 't th in k a n y thin g o f it till the next m o n iin g as I la y in b e d too tired to g e t u p thinking and w ish in g 1 co u ld d o ro o y ard s in tw e n ty seconds* then I th o u g h t a b o u t lungs th a t w ere id le, could I get them to w ork. S o I slip ped o u t o f b e d a n d stood in position, n o w d r a w in c o u n t seven, I d id , w h en up to three I w a s d o n e b u t I kept on p u ffin g o u t till I counted four a n d after fo llo w in g it up e v e ry m o rn in g as soon D

M

I NT RO DU C T I ON

as I get OXil o f bed I feel th a t m uch better I can COunc nine now and instead o f tw o hours in th e green fields w h ich used to kn ock me up I can do six w ith ou t being e x tra tired. T h e d o cto r tells m e I shall be able to w ork ag ain in A few years tim e. W ill fellow sufferers ju s t think o f it, nerves better, m ental w orry gone, ju st t r y the breathing exercises. I f you w ould like to la k e co p y o f C ertificate, w ill

forward it on to you. Shake hands w ith Louise M o rg a n for m e as I feci a n e w matt.

..

f ■u r n to u r s faithfully,

T h e testimony o f these unsolicited letters, cover­ in g a period o f over a year, added to m y own personal experiment, has convinced me that Surya Namaskars have a healing, strengthening, and revitalizing effect on the entire being— on mind and spirit as well a s body. T h e y help w om en e q u a lly w ith m en because th eir aim is to free to th e fullest exten t the in d ivid u al personality. Som e explanation o f their pow er m ay be found in the facc that they arc the concentration o f hundreds o f generations o f human experience. T h e rajah emphasizes their ancient and tradi­ tional origin; he himself has but improved and adapted them. T h e y include the full cycle o f hum an activity since the casting-out from the G arden o f E den;

INTRODUCTION

15

the thrusting down o f th e treader o f grapes and the wom an in childbirth, the proud stretch o f the warrior and the eoqucttc, the swing o f reaper and weaver, the tautness o f runner and mother protecting her young, the bend o f the weeder, the washer, and the hum an being at prayer. In our m echanized times, these natural physi­ cal movements h ave been lost o r distorted, and it restores something o f the prim itive vigour and oneness o f being to revive them. W e westerners arc a youn g people. T h e East goes back a very long w a y I o Sound is always associated with m ovem ent in eastern exercises. T h e recitation o f the mantras, which arc certain syllables so ancient that they have lost their m eaning, invariably accompanies the ritual o f health or religion. But the rajah desires most sincerely to have it known that the furthest thing from his mind is any kind o f proselytizing purpose. T h e mantras are essentially non-religious, and owe none o f their virtues to a religious sourcc. Instead o f the mantras themselves [kram, krim , hrurn, hrnim , kraum, hralt}, the separate vowels o r con­ sonants o f w hich they a rc com pounded m ay be spoken w ith exactly as go o d effect.

I N T R O DU C T I O N

6 T h e present edition «>f Surya Namaskars is the fifth. T h e first three w ere published in India in 1928, 1929, and 19 3 1, and each edition was o u t o f print a few m onths after publication. So sure was the faith o f the rajah in Su rya Namaskans to im prove th e physical, m ental, and spiritual condition o f m ankind, that he published the book out o f his p rivate purse. W hatever m oneys accrued from th e sale o f the book were devoted to welfare w ork am ong the youth o f liis state. T h e rajah ’s share in th e present edidon w ill be devoted to the sam e object in this country. I wish to thank M r G erald Barry, editor o f the N ews Citronicie, for allow in g m e to reprint the photographs o f S lu im a u t A pp asah ib taken from the series o f articles published in A ugu st 1936. I should like also to express m y appreciation o f the kind help given m e b y M r $- N . D utt o f India House in ad a p tin g the Indian term inology. L. M .

THE TEN-POINT WAY TO HEALTH

CHAPTER 1 THE HABIT OF HRALT1I

M ost people think th a t i f th ey d id m ore busi­ ness, th ey w ou ld e n jo y life b elter, b u t they do not a p p reciate the fa ct th at i f th ey en joyed life b etter th ey w ou ld d o m ore business. Unless they are healthy they can never enjoy life. M an ’s first d u ly , therefore, is to acquire superb health. Your succcss financially, socially, and personally depends fundam entally on your health. T h e annual loss to industry and com m erce, not to mention die privation entailed on individual families, brought about b y illness and physical inefficiency on the part o f workers is beyond computation. T h e philosopher Emerson says: ‘ T h e first wealth is health. Sickness is poor-spirited and cannot serve any o n e; it must husband its re­ sources to live. But health or fullness answers its ow n ends, and has to spare, runs over and inundates the neighbourhoods and creeks a f other men's necessities.' T h e tim e has now com e for som e strenuous

«9

20

THE

TEN-POINT

WAY

TO

HEALTH

effort to be m ade in a ll seriousness to overcom e the national d egeneracy, and econom ic ineffi­ ciency all o ver the w orld, du e to bad health. U ntil now , a num ber o f different w ays and methods h ave been trh:d with b u t small succcss. In spite o f the ad van ce o f m edical science, !• jvrfi'Clion, chonM flienjfbrc once he en­ forced upon the youn ger generation in general, and upon yo u n g people in p articu lar in schools, colleges, and universities. T h ere arc no short cuts or specifics for health. It must be acquired and m aintained throughout life by the observance o f a rigid regim en. From

THE

HABIT

OF

H E A LT H

21

our lon g observation an d persona! experience w e art; convinced th a t some sort o f persistent effort is required on the p ait o f the individual for him or her to gro w strong a n d h ea lth y, and to rem ain so. T h e great thing is to create the h a b it o f health in youth. Physical exercise has alw ays been, and sii)l is, necessary to the hum an being for health. It is as necessary to life as water, food, air, and sunshine. In the present te rrib le sLrugglc for existence it is indispensable to every m odern individual, so th at he m a y be a b le to support h im self and his fam ily and be a help rath er th a n a h ind rance to his eomm univy and to the w orld. A lm ost all children, until they are about eight years old., am use themselves b y running about and rom ping and b y playing a variety o f out­ door and indoor gam es. T h ey arc u sually so active th at they keep their m uscular system in fairly good tone and their various functions fairly norm al. W hen, however, children are confined in schoolroom s for hours on end and the chubbiness o f infancy begins to disappear to m ake w a y for further bodily developm ent, they must be m ade to take som e m ethodical exercise every d a y w ith ou t fail. U n til a b oy or girl knows how absolutely

22

THE

TEN-POINT

WAY

TO

H E A LT H

necessary regular cxercisc is for his or her bodily and m ental developm ent — h ealth , strength, vigour, and fitness— system atic cxcrcises should be enforced upon young people by their parents, guardians, and school authorities. T o leave this vitally im portant m atter to the discretion or fancy o f the children themselves w ill not do now adays, especially w hen the suc­ ceeding generation is gettin g ap p reciably w eaker than the preceding one in spirit, vitality, and longevity. It is high tim e for us to take im m e­ diate steps to check this grow in g degeneration. W e cannot afford to proceed in the old, selfsatisfied m anner an y longer. In the words o f a Board o f E ducation hand­ book prepared for tcachcrs in British schools: P rim arily , o f co u rse, h ealth is a life to be live d and n ot a snbjeet to b e tau gh t. C h ild re n a r e fa r m ore lik e ly to a cq u ire h ab its o f h ea lth y liv in g th ro u gh being trained to perform th e acts up on w h ic h h ealth depends th a n th ro u gh m erely receivin g in stru ction w h ich is m a in ly theoretical in ch aracter. L e ft to them selves, y o u n g ch ild ren w ill not perform these acts b y the ligh t o f n atu re. T h e y re q u ire to be in itia ted in to th e life o f h ealth . T h e y should a cco rd in g ly b e required to p erform certain acli as a m a tte r o f regular routine. . . . T h e study a n d p ra ctice o f h e a lth m ust form , from the first, p art o f th e e v e ry d a y life o f th e sch ool. I t sh ould he co n n ected in the m ind o f th e ch ild not o n ly w ith

THE

I I A B I T OF

HEALTH

23

duties to his com rades, his sch oo l a n d his hom e, b u t also w ith (he w elfare attd happiness o f (he nation ac large.

But though it is b y far the best thing to rcccivc this initiation into chc life o f health w hile still a ch ild , it is never too late to begin it— even u p to the age o f seventy. W e cannot em phasize this fact too strongly. W e h ave known men in the sixties and wom en in their fifties in bad health, suffering from such com plaints as rheum atism , poor com plexion, falling h a ir, indigestion, cou gh , backache, and a dozen other afflictions, becom e strong and w ell through follow ing the right typ e o f exerciscs.

CHAPTER II T H E M EANIN G O F S U R Y A N A M A S K A R S

Is there a universal kind o f exercise, righ t for all ages, for child ren and wom en as w ell as for m en, costing nothing, and capable o f b e in g performed in a short time, w ithout accessories, at an y m om ent, anyw here? T h e re is, and it is tailed S u rya Nam askars. O u r In dian readers w ould know at oncc what we m ean. But to western readers w e must explain. ‘ S u rya Namaskars* arc literally translated ‘ sun obeisances’ or ‘ sun prayers.’ T h e y go back thousands o f years. T h en , as now , m an looked to the sun for light, w arm th, health, hygiene, and food. T h e sun purified things th at had festered or m oulded or accum ulated diseasegerm s in the dark. T h e sun caused the grow th and ripening o f grain, fruit, an d other foods by w hich m an sustained life. T o ea rly m an, the sun was the lifc-giver, and the thinkers and sages o f India thousands o f years ago show ed their gratitu de by m aking obeisances (or doin g exer­ cises) at the rising and the setting o f the sun. 24

MEANING

OK SU RY A

NAW ASKARS

25

T h e y bowed to the sun as you w ould to-day to one w h o had bestowed so m a n y priceless #ifis on hum anity. ‘ .Sun w orship ’ is anathem a to m a n y westerners because they do not rightly understand it.. B ul d ie great G erm an philosopher and scientist, lim s t H aeckel, knew the reality w h ich lies behind the sun-sym bol. H e w rote: T h e sun is the deity o f light and warmth, on whose influcncc all organic life insensibly and directly de­ pends. Sun-worship (solarism or heliothcisin) seems to the modern sciential to be the best o f all forms of theism, and the one which may be most easily recon­ ciled with modem monism. For modern astrophysics and gcogcuy have taughc us that the earth is a frag­ ment detached from the sun, and that it will eventually return to the bosom of its parent. . . . Indeed the whole o f our bodily and mental life depends, in the last resort, like all other organic life, 011 the light and heat o f the sun. . . . As a matter of fact the sunworsbippers attained thousands of years ago a higher intellectual and moral standard than most o f the other theisU. When I was in Bombay in i88t I watched with the greatest sympathy the elevating rites of the pious Parsees, who standing on the seashore, or kneeling on their prayer-rugs, offered their devotion to the sun at its rise and setting. L e t u s e m p h a s iz e h e r e , fo r th o s e w h o w o u ld b e i n c lin e d to o b je c t to S u r y a N a m a s k a r s o n th e

26

THE TEN-POINT

WAY

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HEALTH

ground th at they a rc a religious rite, that they

have the appearance only o f a religiou s rite. B ath in g and deep b reath in g a rc regarded by the H in du s as religious duties, b u t this docs not result in th eir bein g shunned b y others. W e m ust m ake a d e a r distinction b etw een things tech n ically religious and things w h ich , bein g good in them selves, a rc for chat reason in­ cluded b y som e people in their d a ily religious duties, and w h ich a rc therefore o n ly a p p aren tly religious. R ules o f health h a v e nothing to d o w ith dogm a or w ith b lin d religious faith. W e should like also to address a special word to those w h o hesitate to laun ch out on a n y course o f cxcrcises at a ll. It is a cause for constant w o n d er to discover th e enorm ous n u m b er o f people o f all nations w h o creep th ro u gh life, w ith a gro w in g m ountain o f ach cs an d pains on th eir shoulders, n ever m akin g th e slightest physi­ ca l exertion in ease they m ig h t ‘ hurt them selves,’ o r even ‘ die o f h eart-fa ilu re*! G o d m ad e us a ll alike in fundam entals, w ith the sam e sim ple hum an needs underneath all ou r infinite diversities o f personality. A n d one o f these sim ple hu m an needs is exercise— the d a ily airing and use o f all the cells in our bodies, w hich, for w an t o f this, atro p h y and die. D ead

M E AN I N G

OF SURYA

N A MA S K A RS

2/

cells in a liv in g organism are, as w e d o not need to em phasize, no help to th at organism . Let us assure these alarm ists w h o h ave for­ gotten w h a t ic is like to feel the jo y an d rad ian ce o f youthful m ovem ent that, i f th ey began slow ly and proceeded g ra d u a lly but persistently, they w o u ld w ithin a m onth o r six weeks be astonished to rea lize th a t th ey ca n , a t th e age o f forty-five or sixty o r seventy o r even eighty, feel once m ore the surge o f th e clear, rap id blood o f youth in their veins. B ut, these fear-ridden people w ill s a y : ‘ Look at the professional athletes and strong m en an d w om en w h o die o f all sorts o f diseases, and, m oreover, d ie yo u n g .’ W e rep ly th a t none o f these evils is du e to a n y system o f exercise. T a k e , for exam p le, the sim ple case o f the Indian paidlw an or wrestler. M ost pa/dlwans a rc obsessed w ith the notion th at he w h o can d o five hundred dands or J o t s is necessarily stronger and healthier than lie w ho can do o n ly four hundred, though the latter m ay be m uch the stronger and healthier o f the tw o. D om inated b y this w ro n g id ea, the pahilw an alw ays seeks to d evelo p his m uscular system at the expense o f his v ita l ca p a city, and as a neces­ sary and natural consequence, he suffers either from heart-affections o r from m uscle-binding.

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THJfci T E N - P O I N T

WAY

TO

HEALTH

A n o th er exam ple o f the pahilw an’s lo gic is that the m ore food he can ca t the stronger and healthier he w ill be. W hile youth a n d vigour continue, his faulty logic m ay a p p ear qu ite con ­ vincing, b u t w hen age comes on a n d forces upon him the w isdom o f reducing his exercise, he still goes on scuffing himself, with the necessary and natural consequence o f indigestion. Instances o f harm ful cfFcccs from excrcisc are m ostly d u e to over-exertion, ovcr-caCing, wrong eating, o r 10 other devitalizing excesses. It is this passion for excess that is responsible for the ills from which the pakihvun — and m any an ord in ary person as w ell— suffers in later life. Exercise h as nothing to do with it. Excess,, not athletics, kills the athlete. Su rya iNamaskars have m an y advan tages over the usual types o f exercise. A ll gam es, w hether eastern or western, require one or m ore com panions. E ven the g re at Indian gam e o f w restling needs an opponent, while most other gam es need either m an y players or various accessories. E xcrcisc w ith Indian clubs o r dum b-bells can­ not be done w ithout clubs or dum b-bells. F or riding, y o u need a horse or a b icycle. Y o u can­ not sw im without water. W alking, though re­ quiring n o apparatus nor a com panion, takes a

MEANING

OF S U R Y A

NA MAS KA RS

2Q

lot o f lim e. A w alk o f eight or ten miles cannot ordinarily be done in less than two hours or tw o and a half, at the rate o f fifteen or twenty m inutes a mile. A nd alm ost all out-door exercises depend on favourable weather. A team -gam e requires a spacious ground, w h ich m ay not alw ays be available. In large towns there are not alw ays sufficient playgrounds to accom m odate all school, colleger, and univer­ sity student*. T a k e Poona as a n exam ple o f an In dian city. It has o ver ten thousand pupils atten din g m unicipal schools alon e, with but four playgrounds for them all, each ground affording space for only tw o o r three hundred children at the most. T h e ideal exercise should develop not only the lim bs, muscles, and internal organs o f the body, but should also prom ote m en ial and spiritual developm ent. T o m ake such a physical cxcrcisc universally popular an d A cceptable there should be no necessity for apparatu s or ap plian ces; it should be easy to d o ; it should take a short tim e to perform ; it should be o f such a nature as to en a b le it to be carried out an yw here and by a n y b o d y ; and should not necessitate a partner or com panion. Su rya N am askars fulfil all these requirem ents. M oreover, they m ake for all-round developm ent,

30

THE

TEN-POINT

WAY

TO

HEALTH

w ith special tonic efl'ect on th e three p rin ­ cip al working parts o f the b o d y, on the propur functio.ung o f w h ich a ll h ealth depends. W c h ave found b y actu al exp erien ce that S u rya N am askars, if regu larly an d m eth o d ically per­ form ed, render these three organs cap ab le o f resisting disease o r diseasc-gcrm s: (1 ) The digestive organs, including stom achs liver, intestines, tic. A n a p p a llin g n u m b e r o f p eo p le su ffe r from sto m a c h ic a n d in te stin a l d isorders, su ch as d y sp ep sia a n d co n stip a tio n . T h e s e resu lt in liv e r tro u b le , d ro p sy , piles, d ia b etes, a n d a host o f o th e r diseases. (2) Heart and lungs. Colds, coughs, asihm a, tubcrcclosis, p alp itation s and other com plaints are sym ptom s o f h ea rt and lun g derangem ent. (3) The nervous system , including the brain and spinal cord. B rain affection is indicated b y h ead ­ ach e, brain-fag, loss o f m em ory, in san ity. A il­ m ents of th e spinal cord are paralysis, m yelitis, sclerosis, fatigue after slight exertion , depression, cold hands and feet, disturbed sleep. Su rya N am askars h a v e a p a rticu la rly notable efleet on the nervous system , w h ere resides ch iefly the spring o f hum an p ow er. It is from here that en ergy is transm itted to the tissues and organ s o f the body. A personality is m ade strong, com pelling, and active not so m uch b y

MEANING

OF

SURYA

N AM ASKARS

31

m uscle as b y the vital energy behind the m uscle. S u ry a Namnsknrs cUrcctly stim ulate the nerve centres, actin g on them in a d ram atic an d alm ost visible w a y , as w e shall try to p ro v: in a later ch apter. C h ild ren from eight to tw elve, w ith norm al h ealth , should do from tw enty-five to fifty S u rya N am askars d a ily ; boys and girls from tw elve to sixteen should d o g en e ra lly from fifty to a h undred. W e h a v e observed tha; in some schools and colleges p h ysical training, such as gym nastics, d rill, etc., is given to students tw ice o r three tim es p er w eek. S u ch spasm odic efforts w ill n ever p rod u ce the desired benefits w hich we all w an t every b o y and girl to possess. Persons a b o v e sixteen should grad u ally in ­ crease the num ber o f S u ry a N am askars up to three hundred d a ily , acco rd in g to their ca p a city. A fte r sixty-five o r seventy, how ever, one should du till death as m an y as one's bodily condition w ill allow . T o d o abo u t a thousand N am askars a d a y for a few m onths and then to com e down to about tw enty-five, o r to g iv e them u p altogether, is positively harm ful, in the sam e w a y as it w ould b e both foolish a n d dangerous to cat tw o or th ree times the usual q u a n tity o f food and then

32

THE

TEN-POINT

WAY

TO

HEALTH

to give up- eating altogether. T h e rules that govern diet an d pastim e ap p ly to exercise as w ell. A n cxercisc to b e beneficial, should be taken d a ily , regularly, continuously, and pro­ p ortion ately to one’s strength.

T o gain the desired end* therefore, Surya Nam askars must be done system atically. T h ey arc not a rope-dancer’s antics. T h e y must be so perform ed as to develop and strengthen every part o f the bod y alike. T h e rew ard w hich aw aits those w h o perforin S u rya N am askars according to our instructions w ill be th e constant jo y in life w hich G od in­ tended for all His creatures. T o be free from w orry or tiredness and to keep health y a n d fit for years together w ithout an ailm ent, w ith o u t even a slight cold, is a supreme happiness. O n ce it is know n, it is never re­ linquished at an y price. W e m ust in this prelim inary chapter draw attention also to the vita l im portance o f speech in connection with S u rya N am askars. T h e body is not com p letely functioning i f the vo cal cords arc left silent. M oreover, the vocal cords when vibratin g extend their influence beyond them ­ selves to ev ery corner o f the body. In In d ia the V c d ic hym ns and nam es o f the sun are rccitcd by H indus w hen perform ing the

ME ANI NG

OF S U R Y A

N AMAS KARS

33

S u r y a N am askars. T o non-Ilindus who on reli­ gious grounds m ight objcct to reciting the hym ns, or w ho m ight consider that to repeat the nam es o f th e son such as M itray a N am ah , R a v a y c N am ah, w o u ld sm ack o f idolatry, w c recom m end the use o f the meaningless m onosyllables, om, foam , h im , h u m , h a im , kraum , hrah , know n as mantras. T h ese sounds possess an inherent health-giving virtu e , and arc too valu able in their physical effccts on the body to om it, w hatever the religious faith o f the performer.

CHAPTER III THE PRELIMINARIES I n the form in w h ich w e present them w c b elieve

S u ry a N am askars to be the perfect instrum ent, n ot o n ly fcr k eep in g the body fit, b U for w ard in g o f f old ag;; a n d disease, in vigo ratin g the in in d, strengthening th e c h a ra cte r an d w ill, an d in ­ creasin g to ius fu llest lim it o n e’s c a p a c ity for jo y o u s living. Hut before yo u begin w e m ust g v e y o u a few w arnings and hints. F irst, and m ost im p o rtan t, consult y o u r doctor a b o u t y o u g e n e ra l cond ition . Title it to m ake sure th a t you arc fit to tak e a n y exercise a t all, a n d l o enable you to m easure y o u r im p rovem en t six months hence. Secondly, th o u gh these exercises m a y look alm ost absurdly sim ple, th ey arc extrem ely diffi­ c u lt to perfect. U nless yo u have been taking y o u r ‘ d aily d o z e n ’ regu larly, it w ill be a t least a m on th jcfo re you arc rea d y to put all the ten positions together into single r.yr.lc o r N ainaskar. T h ird ly , d o n ot forget th a t one o f the finest an d m ost effective little com bin ation s o f w histle 31

THE

PRELIMINARIES

35

an d red ligh t w ith w h ich N a tu re a lw ays dangersignals u n th in kin g hum an bein gs )s fa tig u e . Y e t w c often disregard u is w a rn in g an d p lu n ge hullh ea d cd ly alo n g the -oad o f d a n g e r— w h ic h is the c h ie f reason w h y thousands o f persons a rc living on the b o rd e r-lin e o f p h ysical and nervous collapse. E very p h ysical exercise should therefore be 30 taken that, w ith five to ten m inutes’ rest deer finishing it, one should feel fresh, in vigorated, a n d ch eerfu l afterw ards. In other w ords, cxercisc o n ly w ith in the limit o f o n e’s stren gth . Be careful a t the beginning, an d add g ra d u a lly to the len gth o f th e cxcrcise p erio d as o n e ’s strength increases. T h is go.den ru le applies m ost p articu la rly to S u ry a X am askars. F ive o r ten m inutes a fla y , p referab ly before breakfast, w ill be am ple for th e fu st few weeks, u n til you g e t y o u n d f lim b ered u p . A certain a m o u n t o f discouragem ent is in e vita b le at the b egin n in g o f all reconstructive systems o f physical cu ltu re. T h a t p ciio d m ust b e lived through p ersevcrm gly i f sncccss is to b e won. But i f you w ill o n ly stick to it, you w ill feel so full o f new h o p e in a m onth’s tim e that yo u w ill never w an r m g iv e u p the exercises that h a ve bestowed this n ew life u p o n you. I f you w ish to p rove to yo u rself b y actual

36

THE T E N -P O IN T

WAY

TO

H E A LT H

facts how m uch good Su rya N am askars can do you. have yourself weighed and measured and keep the record in a small book. Put down your w eight and the follow ing measurements: height, chest deflated and expanded, waist, hips, thigh, c a lf upper arm , forearm , waist, ankle. T a k e your w eight and measurements again at regular intervals o f six months. You w ill note an astonishing difference. Y o u r w eight w ill b e­ com e normal,t yo waist i u r chest will fill out,r your * and hips will be m ore slender. W hatever part o f you is too thin or too fat w ill be autom atically regulated to its proper size and weight. A nother prelim inary, at your ow n discretion, is to h a ve a piece o f cloth, tw enty-tw o inches square, o f woollen, silk, cotton, or linen m aterial, o f whatever colour and texture pleases you, to place your hands on while you go through the exercises. I f your floor is polished lino, a square o f rubber w ould be best, to avoid slipping. T h e hands w ill be placed Hat on this cloth anti remain there fixed in the sam e spot for all posi­ tions exccpt the standing ones. T o aid concentration, w hich is a very im ­ portant part o f Surya Namaskars, have a picture o f something or someone o f significance to you hung up on the w all before you. O r on a piece o f cardboard paint a sun o r a star o r a circle in

THE

PRELI MINARIES

37

a vivid co lou r o r colours and p u l th at u p in front o f yo u , so th a t b y fix in g y o u r eyes on it you w ill g ra d u a lly a c q u ire Lhc p o w er o f co n ­ ce n tra tin g y o u r m ind. Tin: mind wields such a pow er in every hum an action that nothing can be done satisfactorily w ithout it. Therefore, each perform ance o f the S u rya Nam askars should be perm eated with the active consciousness th at one is being helped by them . Concentrate on the id ea that every m ove­

m ent is bettering a particular m uscle or part o f the body, and let all yo u r m ind-force and w ill­ pow er radiate towards that spot. C on ceive that the special part is getting stronger, firmer, bettershaped, m ore active, o r thinner, or fatter, and the object w ill be attained in a surprisingly short time. T h e full developm ent o f every part, the am elioration o f disease, o r the rem oval o f pain, cannot be brought about unless the w hole w eight o f m ind and w ill arc brought to bear upon the part throughout the exercise. In this w a y one begins to establish mental control over one’s body, a vital principle in the life o f the happy creative man or wom an.

•*

CHAPTER IV BREATH IS LIFE I t is also advisable, before begin n in g to learn (he exercises, to lc a m b o w to breath e. Breathing is difficult to learn for those w h o h a v e never really breathed since th ey w ere sm all children. Som e never take a d e ep breach except once a year, w hile on h o lid ay, ancl then only a few. T b e r i a re ton positions in each N am askar, ea ch follow ing the other in an unbroken rhythm to m ake a single N am askar. But rem em ber that th e tenth position is a return to the first position, so th a t it is also th e begin n in g o f the second N am askar. W e explain this here because m an y are corfused over the n u m b er o f breaths taken for each N am askar. T h e re are three fu ll breaths— three full in ­ halations, three holdings o f the breath, and three com plete exhalations— to cach > am askar. W hen doing a ‘ ro u n d ’ o f tw enty-five, the fourth breath , taken In a t the tenth positicn, is die first breath in the first position o f the next N am askar. R h y th m ic breath in g is o n e o f the secrcts o f

■id S

B R E A T H IS LIVE

39

the w onderful p o w er o f the cxcrcises 10 revitalize the body. Y o u m ay, lo r p ractice, breathe rh yth ­ m ically anyw here yo u happen to be— standing, w alkin g, o r sitting. T h e significance o f the ‘ breath o f life’ has been known since th e earliest ages in die East. T h is know ledge has never been lost, but it has been handed do w n through untold generations. R ecen tly, the W est seem s to h ave discovered the profound truth lhat air is th e elixir o f life, and th at one o f th e m ost precious sources o f health, efficiency, and happiness costs nothing. lr is tr.edically ascertained th at w e take tw enty thousand respirations in tw enty-fou r hours. T h a t is, w e each h ave tw enty thousand chance; to drink d eep o f die elixir o f life. H o w m a n y o f us d o so? W a tch yourself breath e. Y o u take niggling little sips w hich fill o n ly a very few o f th e lv.ng cells. T r y taking great d eep draughts o f a ir. It is the greatest tonic ever prescribed b y an y doctor. W ithcot the breathing, S u ry a N am askars w ould lost: h a lf or m ore o f their virtue. T h e y w ould act lik e a sm ouldering ra ih e r than a clea rly burning iirc, like th e sun under a h eav y clou d raiher than in a bright b lu e oky.

B ut first y o u m ist become aw are o f yo.tr breath. Tou cannot drink deep o f a healing draught that y o u do not k\ow is there.

40

THE T EN -PO IN T W A Y

TO H EAI.TH

S tu d y y o u r breath ing. P ro b a b ly yo u r chestw all scarccly m oves w ith the in take o f air, be­ cause it is so small in qu an tity. M ost likely yo u r abdom en does not m ove at all. I f you try to breath e d eep , y o u r chest an d shoulders w ill lift, and yo u r abd o m en w ill be d raw n in. T h is is th e w ro n g w a y. T r y insiead to take the a ir first in to the bottom Df the lungs, lettin g yo u r abdom en ex­ p an d to its fullest e x te n t; open y o u r ribs like a fan, and lift yo u r chest last o f all, w ith ou t raising the shoulders. Y o u w ill be am azed to find how m uch your lungs can really take in. N o w try holding y o u r breath for a few seconds. T h is m ay m ake yo u d iz z y at first. B u t do not be a fra id ; it o n ly m eans that you a re so unused to the ‘ h e a d y ’ effect o f the elixir o f life th a t a good drink o f it is too m uch for you. A s the air is held in the lun g cells, it keeps their walls stretched, exercising them an d m aking them strong. A s th ey strength en, they will ex­ p an d 10 air a u to m a tica lly, thus h elp in g you in yo u r effort to breathe co rrectly. W hen after an yth in g from three to sixty or m ore seconds yo u exh ale, d o so com pletely, m aking a n aspirate sound such as hurt a t the end to ensure that the last particle o f used air has beer: breathed out to m ake room for fresh

B RE ATH

IS LIPR

4 1

air. E xh a la tio n is ev ery bic as im portant as inhalation. N o w for ;i w arn in g. A ll n ew things should at the begin n in g be done gen tly and gradually. Y o u w ill adjust yo u rself w ithou t discom fort to the new w a y o f breath in g if you do so bit by bit. Y o u r lungs, ribs, and chest m a y ach e at first. T h is w ill be N a tu re’s w a y o f telling you that you are d riving yo u r poor feeble ‘ bellows to the flam e o f life’ too hard. T h e y have not been used for years and they m ust strengthen before they can b lo w the flam e into a bright, steady, jo y o u s glow . T h e besl ‘ tu n e’ for your rh yth m ic breathing is seven-tim e. C ou n t seven for each breath, m aking the tem po q u ick at first, and later len gthening it. Fill your lungs in two counts, hold the breath for four, and em pty them in one. W e d o not suggest that you alw ays breathe in seven-tim e. I f you d o so for a total o f thirty m inutes a d a y , it w ill b e enough to tune u p the rest o f yo u r breath ing. T h e m ore you breathe rh yth m ically the nasicr you w ill find it to breathe correctly a t all times, w hether you are aw are o f breathing or not. It will g iv e yo u a w onderful sensation o f selfcontrol and self-awareness w hen you can m atch the rhythm o f yo u r breathing w ith the rhythm

42

THE

TEN-POINT

WAY

TO

HEALTH

o f th e exercises. Y o u w ill feel rhythm ic all over, and in accord w ith the great rhythm o f life and the universe. Y o u w ill b e a w a re o f th e wonder o f liv in g , and o f yo u r p ow er to .share in ic, as no am ou n t o f a ctu al adventurous life in the external w orld ca n teach yo u . Y o u w ill k n ow m ore abo u t yourself than years o f ju n gle-h u n tin g o r d e a lin g w ith international affairs, big business or w orldly success w ould ev er g iv e you. Y o u w ill feel: ‘ I can d o great things. 1 can and w ill live to th e utm ost c a p a city th at G o d ntended m e to .’ Y o u w ill, in fact, b e m eeting yo u rself for the first tim e. O n e further point before w e com e to the cxcrciscs them selves. T h e East and W est differ in the m an n er o f exh alation , though this is not a very im p ortan t distinction. W ; personally ad­ vocate stron gly exhalation as well as inhalation through the nose o n ly. It is generally the custom in the W est to inhale tin v u g li ilxc nose an d exh ale through the tnourh. D o w hich ev er suits you best.

CHAPTER V TI1E TEN POINTS

W e give w h a t is in fundam entals the age-old m ethod o f perform ing S u ry a N am askars, and the one follow ed b y o u r revered father, the late R a ja h o f A u n d h . F or fifty-five years he d id these S u rya N am askar,. W e follow the sam e m ethod, b u t have developed and ch an ged it in accord an ce w ith m odern scicncc over a course o f n early thirty years’ practice and experim ent b y o u r­ self in person. Nov\r, h avin g learned to breathe, yo u are read y to try the T en -P oin t W a y to H ealth . B u t you need n o t w orry about regulating and controlling yo u r breathing until yo u can , w ith p ractice, d o the m ovem ents correctly, alm ost au tom atically. T h e n y o u w ill find i t e a s y to m a n a g e y o u r b r e a th .

Positions a rc illustrated a t the end o f the hook. P o s it io n O

ne

S p read cloth on floor. W ear as litL le c l o t h i n g as p o s s ib le , the less t h e b e t t e r . L et th at l i t t l e he lo o s e and a i r y . Stand in the su n ligh t i f t h e r e is a n y , w ith feet andknees t o g e t h e r and t o e s t o u c h i n g 43

44

THIS T E N - P O I N T

WAY

TO

HEALTH

the ed ge o f the cloth. J o in hands resting on chcst a n d press the palm s firm ly together. R aise ch cst and pull abdom en in and up as far as possible. T h is stom ach m ovem ent, p allin g in and u p and relaxing, is one o f the m ost im ­ p ortan t 5 n the w hole cycle, and is repeated m any tim es. It not o n ly reduces an unsightly bulge, b u t m akes stom ach an d bow els function properly. S ta n d so th a t a p lu m m e t lin e d ro p p ed from the to p o f y o u r h ead sh o u ld g o th ro u g h shou ld er, h ip , k n e e , a n d ankle. T h is is the stance tau gh t by the ancient Y o gis o f In d ia , and is th e stance w hich is being taught to thousands o f school child ren in G re a t Britain to-day in accord ance w ith the B oard o f E d u ca ­ tion’s m ost recent syllabus. T h u s is the w isdom o f the ages rediscovered in tim e o f need. N o w , stiffen yo u r w hole b o d y, begin n in g w ith the feet. Push them into th e floor as i f yo u were taking ro o t there. Stiffen especially your waist a t the b ack . Y o u w ill have trouble in stiffening the sto m ach flat if it is h eavy and en larged , but in tim e y o u w ill be surprised to find h o w easily yo u can control it. T h e first signs w ill be that you feel the m iddle o f yo u r spine m ove back, and th e base m ove forw ard.

M a k e yo u r spine

THE

TEN

PO I N TS

45

as straight as possible, especially a t the w aist, w ith ou t raising the shoulders. It is w ell to begin the stiffening proccss w ith the toes and m ove g rad u ally u p to th e top o f chc head, concentrating on each separate p a rt that is being stiffened, doing it slow ly and d elib erately. Y o u w ill thus becom e aw are o f e v e ry m uscle in y o u r body. Proceed from the shoulder to the tips o f the fingers, thinking yo u r w a y to each separate tip, stiffening jo in t by jo in t o f cach separate finger. Inhale as yo u d o so, and hold the breath . T h is is B reath O ne. W hen you com c to your face, senile g e n tly , lifting its muscles in to happy lines. W ith eyes fixed on the pictu re o r d ra w in g on th e w a ll, con ccn tratc on the thought o f th e good th at is bein g done you. T h in k o f the life-giving fresh a ir reachin g lu n g cells th at h ave n ea rly dried up for w a n t o f it, o f y o u r stretched spine energizing the spinal cord and the n crvc-ccntrcs in yo u r brain, o f yo u r tau t abdom in al muscles rousing the colon to action , y o u r h ea rt sending blood like a m ou n tain torrent instead o f a sluggish b ack w atcr to all parts o f y o u r system . People w ith round shoulders o r a stoop will feel an ap preciable strain in the back. B u t by proceeding carefully, they should be a b le in a T>

46

TIIE T E N - P O I N T

WAY

TO

HEALTH

few weeks’ tim e to straighten out w ith ou t too m uch effort., and the poor ‘ poker sp in e’ w ill becom e the flexible instrum ent w h ich N ature intended it to be. T h e sensation you should h ave is o f ‘ feeling ta ll,’ ar.d it should rem ain w ith you throughout the day. W h erev er yo u feel a strain in doin g a n y of the m ovem ents, it w ould be wise to return for the time being to Position O n e a n d d o this only for a few days, breath in g in seven-tim e as you hold the position? and concentrate.

P o s it io n

Two

K eep in g the knees straigh t, drop yo u r bands to th e floor, p lacing them flat upon the cloth ju s i within the edge. A s y o u do so, ex h a le com ­ p letely, exp ellin g ev ery last atom o f used air. T h is is the end o f B reaih O n e . I f y o u r hands net l r e a c h m u c h b e lo w y o u r a n Lice »c first,

d o not be depressed. In a few- weeks’ tim e, with regu lar p ractice ev ery m orning, y o u should be a b le to £et th e palm s dow n . U n til then, bend yo u r knees; to g e t y o u r palm s dow n. B u t aim at straightening the knees as soon as possible. T h e palm s should b e p laced alm ost parallel to the sides o f th e cloth o r a t a n in w ard an gle

THP. TEN PO IN TS

47

o f ab o u t tw enty-tw o degrees. Som e prefer a forty-five degrees angle, w hile others p lace the palm s w ith fingers turned in a t u right an gle to the b o d y. W h atever be the angle, die balls o f the thum bs should be on a lin e with the toc-s. In bending, touch o r try to touch the knees w ith the forehead or nose. Squeez ng in the abdom en w ill help to attain this position as w ell as 10 exp el all th e used air. D o not confuse this position w ith the fam iliar cxercisc o f 4touching the toes.’ It. is n u c h m ore purposeful and stirring. T h ousan d s w ho 4touch their toes’ religiously ev ery d a y have no idea w h at real exercise is like! H o w m any people, after to u ch in g their toes, feel the healthy sweat com ing from every pore? T h ro w yo u r head dow n as a fisherm an flings his b a it into a stream . A im yo u r head at your knees, and turn y o u r eyes u pw ards towards your waist. T h is w ill in tim e m ake y o u r spine beauti­ fu lly supple and as clastic as a ch ild ’s. A g a in , do not o verd o this a t first, or yo u will strain yo u r back and lim p for a w hile, and this m ay p u t you o ff the exercises for gocd. U nless you a rc in prim e condition, yo u w ill also feel d izzy a t first. I t w ill d o yo u no harm , h ow ever, an d o n ly goes to prove how badly balan ced yo u arc.

48

THE

T F. N - P O I NT W A Y

TO

H E A LT H

A good plan is 10 try knitting Positions O n e and T w o together w ith a kind o f pum ping rhythm u n til m ovem ent and breath ing follows in a single -even flow — dow n-u p , dow n-up, downup, cu t-in , out-in, out-in. Y o u w ill now feel the first sense o f rhythm ical w ell-being, as i f your nerves h ad suddenly *tuned-in 5 to the peaceful rhythm o f the world o f natural things like the stars, the tides, the changin g o f the seasons. Y o u w ill find that in Position T w o the muscles o f the calves, the rear p art o f the thighs, hips, waist, and alm ost all muscles o f the back and spine receive a strain, w hich m eans the gradu al developm ent o f these parts and the elim ination o f uric a cid and other toxins— the seeds o f prem ature decay and decline. T h e spine in this position is stretched— a funda­ m entally im p o rtan t action. T h e anim als know the w isdom o f this. W atch your cat or d o g ; it strctchcs its spine a dozen times a day.

P o s i t io n T

hree

Y o u r hands are still on the cloth, w here they should rem ain as fixed as roots until you take Position T e n , w hich is the sam e as Position O n e. T r y to feel your hands rooted, as w ere your feet in Position O n e. T h e y are now yo u r pivot.

THE

TEN

PO I NTS

49

In h ale d eep ly and hold yo u r breath. T h is is B reath T w o . W ithout bending the arms, drop to your right knee, and lift the head as high as yo u can, looking upwards. T o u c h the floor with kn ee an d toes, the o th er knee ju ttin g ahead o f th e vertical arm . Tress thigh as hard a