Page:Hatha yoga - or the yogi philosophy of physical well-being, with numberous excercises.djvu/10

10 mother who has always given him nourishment, warmth and protection. Hatha Yoga is first, nature; second, nature, and last,. 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 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