XXIV. Use of Physical Exercise
Man in his original
state did not need to be instructed in
physical exercise-neither does a child or youth with normal tastes. Man's original state of living gave him an abundance of varied activity,
out-of-doors, and with all the best conditions for exercise, He was
compelled to seek his food, to prepare it, to raise
his crops, to build his houses, to gather up fuel, and to do the thousand and
one things which were necessary to
live in simple comfort. But as man began to be civilized he also began to delegate certain of his duties to others, and to confine himself
to one set of activities, until at the present day many of us do practically no physical work, while others do
nothing but hard physical work of a
limited scope-both living unnatural lives.
Physical labor
without mental activity dwarfs a man's
life-and mental labor without some sort of physical activity also dwarfs the man's life. Nature demands the maintaining of the balance-the
adoption of the happy medium. The natural, normal life calls for the use of all of man's powers, mental and
physical, and the man who is able
to so regulate his life that he
gets both mental and physical exercise is apt to be the healthiest and
happiest.
Children
obtain the necessary exercise in their plays, and the
natural instinct of the child causes it to indulge in games and sports. Men, if they are wise, vary their
mental labor and sedentary lives with sports and games.
The success which has attended the introduction of
golf and kindred games of recent years, shows that the old natural instinct
of man is not dead.
The
Yogis hold that the instinct toward games-the feeling that exercise is
needed, is but the same instinct that causes man to labor at congenial occupations-it is the call of nature toward
activity-varied activity. The
normal, healthy body is a body that is equally well nourished in all of
its parts, and no part is properly nourished unless it is used. A part that is unused receives less than the normal amount of nourishment, and in time becomes weakened. Nature
has provided man with exercise for
every muscle and part of his body, in natural work and play. By natural
work, we do not mean the work attendant upon some
particular form of bodily labor, for a man following one trade only exercises one set of muscles, and is apt to
become "muscle-bound," and is in as much need of exercise as the man
who sits at his desk all day, with the exception that the man working at his
trade usually has the advantage of more out-of-door life.
We consider the
modern plans of "Physical Culture"
very poor substitutes for out-of-door work and play. They have no
interest attached to them, and the
mind is not called into play as it is in the case of work or games. But still anything in the way of
exercise is better than nothing. But we protest against that form of
Physical Culture which has for its object
the enlargement of certain muscles, and the performance of the feat9 of the "strong men." All this is unnatural.
The perfect system of physical culture is that
one which tends to produce a uniform development of
the entire body-the employment of all the muscles-the nourishment of
every part, and which adds as much interest
as possible to the exercise, and which keeps its pupils out in the open
air.
The Yogis, in their
everyday life, do their own work, and get much exercise in this way. They also take long walks through the woods (if they are
near woods, and they usually are, for they prefer mountainous country
and keep away from the plains and large cities so far as is possible), and over
the hills. But they also have a number of forms of mild exercise with which they vary their hours of study and
meditation. There is nothing especially novel or new about their exercise, and they bear a very close
resemblance to the calisthentic exercises and Delsarte movements, in
favor in the West. The principal and important point of difference, however,
lies in the fact that they use the mind in
connection with the bodily movements. Just as the interest in the work,
and the game, brings the mind into play, so does the Yogi allow his exercise to call into operation his
mind. He takes an interest in the exercises, and by an effort of the will sends an increased flow of prana to the
part brought into motion. Hie thus obtains a multiplied benefit, and a
few minutes exercise do him as much good as
would ten times that amount of exercise, if performed in the usual
indifferent, uninterested way.
This
"knack" of sending the mind to the desired part is easily acquired.
All that is necessary is to accept as a fact the statement that it can be
done, thus doing away with all subconscious resistance, occasioned by the doubting
mental attitude; then simply command the mind to send a
supply of prana to the part, and to increase the circulation there. The mind
does this to a certain extent, involuntarily, the moment that the attention is
centered on a part of the body, but the effect is greatly increased by the
effort of the will. Now, it is not necessary to contract the brows, clench the fist, or to make a violent
physical effort in order to operate the Will in this way. In fact, the simplest way to accomplish the desired
result is to confidently expect that
what you wish will happen. This
"confident expectation" acts practically as a strong and positive command of the Will-put it into
operation and the thing is accomplished.
For instance, if
you wish to send an increased amount of
Prana to the forearm, and to increase the circulation to that part, thereby
increasing the nourishment, simply
double the arm, and then gradually extend it, fastening the gaze or
attention upon the lower arm, and holding the thought of the desired result. Do
this several times, and you will feel that the
forearm has been greatly exercised, although you have used no violent motion, and have used no apparatus. Try
this plan on several parts of the body, making some muscular motion in order to
get the attention there, and you will soon acquire the knack, so that when you
go through any ordinary simple exercise you
will do this almost automatically. In short, when you exercise, realize what you are doing and what you are
doing it for, and you will get the result. Put life and interest into your exercise, and avoid the listless,
mechanical manner of going through the motions, so common in physical culture
exercises. Put some "fun" into it, and enjoy it. In this way both mind and body obtain a
benefit, and you will leave your exercise with a splendid glow and thrill such
as you have not experienced for many a day.
In our
next chapter we give a few simple exercises, which if
followed will give you all the movements necessary
to exercise your entire body, bringing every part
into play, strengthening every organ, and making you not only well developed,
but straight and erect as an Indian, and as
supple and quick of movement as an athlete. These exercises are taken in
part from some of the Oriental movements,
adapted for Western use, combined
with a number of motions which have found favor with the physical
trainers of the armies of Europe and
America. These army physical directors have studied the Oriental movements, and
have adopted such of them as suited
their purpose, and have succeeded in forming a series of movements, which while
very simple and easily performed in
a few minutes, are capable of accomplishing as much for a man or woman
as many elaborate courses and systems of
physical culture which are sold at high prices. Do not let the simplicity
and brevity of this system cause you to undervalue it. It is just the thing you
have been looking for, with all the unnecessary features "trimmed off."
Try the exercises for a while, before you
make up your mind about them. They
will practically "make you over" physically, if you will take the
time and trouble to put them into faithful practice.
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