I have had the pleasure of going over the entire volume with the author and I can truthfully say that it has been a source of keen interest for me. We of the West pride ourselves upon the advances we have made but the men of the East may pride themselves upon the heritage of knowledge which they possess. Only a few hundred years ago we discovered the circulation of blood, while Yoga recorded it thousands of years ago.
It is, as I understand, the purpose of the author to give a comprehensive presentation of this ancient system of hygiene and physical prophylaxis, to give it in a scholarly, scientific, and also popular way, and to incorporate beside it the modern conceptions of personal hygiene. He has left no source untouched as far as it was humanly possible to explore. He is versed in Sanskrit and other ancient languages and is well able to do the task to which he has assigned himself.
In as much as the work is a research into the past about 3000 years -and also a resume of the modern thought on the subject-it commends itself to those who are interested in this branch of knowledge. Although I am a Western man and trained in the sciences of the West, I have found this volume quite instructive and I look forward with anticipation to the coming of the succeeding volumes.
Among the points which especially held my interest are the following: (1) the emphasis on cleanliness within and without, (2) the urge towards poise and control of the body and mind, (3) the non-violent, non-fatiguing type of physical exercises and technique advocated, (4) the theories concerning the benefits of alternate breathing, (5) the use of the diaphragm, and (6) the exceptional care taken by the author to give complete reference both to the ancient and modern literature for all points upon which authority might be desired, and also (7) a consistent effort to avoid being dogmatic.
Some 40 years ago, during the lecture tour in America, for the first time, the author referred to the science of Yoga. It is gratifying therefore, to note that during the interval- thanks to the pioneer activities of The Yoga Institute claims of Yoga as a positive science are being gradually recognized.
For example, during the short period of its publication, this work - as anticipated by its author - has aroused the interest of both the serious students of Yoga as also of the modern scientists in all parts of the world. Consequently, corroborative scientific evaluation as outlined by The Yoga Institute is being continually received by the author from many interested research students.
Furthermore, it is increasingly evident that the modern medical sciences are just beginning to acknowledge - howsoever grudgingly the merits of certain aspects of Yoga hygiene, preventive medicine and therapeutics. In effect, the value of Yoga breathing evolved by this Institute in 1918 is now being widely recommended as the best cure for asthma by the Asthma Research Council of Great Britain as late as 1935. The emphasis, after careful clinical experiments, on the merits of Yoga treatment for chronic constipation has been successfully demonstrated at the Berlin University Charity Clinic in 1934. The admission that the scientific claims of Yoga methods are well founded was made in 1938 after personal and critical investigations at the Institute by the Medecin General deputed by the French Government. And while the scientists of UNESCO deputed by Harvard University in 1953 were more than satisfied with their psychosomatic experiments at this Institute on some of the Yoga practices conducive to creative altruism, the various medical delegations from the USSR visiting the Institute in 1955-56 were left in no doubt about the great scientific potentialities of applied Yoga (kriyayoga). Besides these, there are innumerable acknowledgements from individual members of the professions all the world over.
**Contents and Sample Pages**
Asana (94)
Bhakti Yoga (20)
Biography (49)
Hatha Yoga (81)
Kaivalyadhama (58)
Karma Yoga (31)
Kriya Yoga (69)
Kundalini Yoga (57)
Massage (2)
Meditation (318)
Patanjali (135)
Pranayama (67)
Women (32)
Yoga For Children (12)
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