MEN AND WOMEN ARE LOOKING FOR LONG LIFE

Articles In This Section:

· MEN AND WOMEN ARE LOOKING FOR LONG LIFE

· NEEDS OF YOUR BODY

· ABSOLUTE MASTERY OVER THE MIND AND EMOTIONS

· THREE MAXIMS TO KEEP IN MIND

· NOTHING BEYOND THE HUMAN REACH

In our modern world, a long life is what most men and women are going to have. Therefore, more than at any previous time in history, how to remain healthy, active and content over the long decades is the burning problem facing countless millions. No one welcomes ripe old age if it is to be a burden. We do not want it if it is going to mean retirement and that enforced idleness, which cripples the soul long before it eventually murders the body.

By devoting a mere, twenty minutes or a half hour a day to the pursuit of Yoga you can, as you know by now, avoid such misery. You can enrich your life by developing your inner resources in depth, as you never before dreamed possible. You can discover within yourself inner strengths you did not suspect were there, potentials you never stopped to cultivate. In short, through Yoga you can find a new understanding of your true self and be something more than you ever were before.

Let us review first the modest minimum physical routines which will make possible your program of retraining.

First, remember to follow certain simple rules of hygiene:

Sleep enough but not too much, in a well-ventilated room but avoiding drafts, making sure that your bed doesn't sag and that you aren't smothered with too many covers. Always sleep with your head to the North and your feet to the South. In this way your body gets the benefit of the earth's magnetic currents flowing harmoniously through it in the proper direction. Your sleep will be infinitely more beneficial if you remember to do this.

In the morning try if possible to set aside a regular period for your Yoga breathing, relaxation and concentration routines, preferably combined with a few as anis. If you must leave these routines for later in the day, at least make sure of a few minutes given over to deep breathing before you dress. Do the breathing after you have washed, brushed your teeth and cleaned your tongue and also emptied your bladder. Try to establish the habit of evacuating your bowels at this time, too, especially if you plan on the full Yoga routine; but do not force yourself or allow the bowel movement to become a matter of concern.

After your breathing and relaxation exercises, make sure you eat breakfast without gulping. Never skip this first meal, but keep it light. It is a good general rule not to overeat: always get up from the table slightly unsatisfied, as if you could stand another mouthful.

If morning is not a good time for your Yoga exercises, be sure to allocate a regular period for them either at the end of your working day or before going to bed. But do not delay until you stagger with fatigue. If you do, it will be too late for the exercises to do you the maximum good. Do not wait until you are overtired.

Make it a practice sometime during your waking hours to take out five to fifteen minutes for complete relaxation, with your mind a blank and your body completely limp.

Remember to practice Dynamic Breathing at odd moments, whether while taking a walk or sitting relaxed in a chair.