Page:Hatha yoga - or the yogi philosophy of physical well-being, with numberous excercises.djvu/151

Rh it to perform, repeating the command sharply several times. A tapping or mild slapping of the part, or the part of the body over the affected part, will act to attract the attention of the cell-group just as does the tapping of a man on the shoulder cause him to stop, turn around and listen to what you have to say. Now, please do not suppose that we are trying to tell you that the cells have ears and understand the words of the particular language you may be using. What really happens is that the sharply spoken words help you to form the mental image expressed by the words, and this meaning goes right to the spot, over the channels of the sympathetic nervous system operated by the Instinctive Mind, and is readily understood by the cell-groups and even by the individual cells. As we have already said, an additional supply of Prana and the increased supply of blood also go to the affected region, being directed there by the concentrated attention of the person sending the command. The commands of a healer may be given in the same way, the Instinctive Mind of the patient taking up the command and forwarding it to the scene of the cell rebellion. This may seem almost childish to many of our students, but there are good scientific reasons behind it, and the Yogis consider it the simplest plan whereby mental commands may reach the cells. So do not discard it as worthless until you have tried it awhile. It has stood the test of centuries, and nothing better has been found to do the work.

If you wish to try this plan upon some portion of your body, or the body of some one else which is not functioning properly, gently slap the part with the