Page:Hatha yoga - or the yogi philosophy of physical well-being, with numberous excercises.djvu/189

Rh relaxation it may help you to carry the mental image of being as "limp" as a wet cloth—limp all over from head to foot—lying loose and limp, without a trace of stiffness. A little practice will soon work wonders with you, and you will arise from this "resting exercise" much refreshed and feeling able to do your work well.

There are also a number of other exercises in Relaxation taught and practiced by the Hatha Yogis, the following being among the best of what are known to the Yogis by the term (free translation) "Loosen-up" exercises:

(1) Withdraw all prana from the hand, letting the muscles relax so that the hand will swing loosely from the wrist, apparently lifeless. Shake it backward and forwards from the wrist. Then try the other hand the same way. Then both hands together. A little practice will give you the correct idea.

(2) This is more difficult than the first exercise. It consists in making the fingers limp and relaxed and swinging them loosely from the knuckles. Try first one hand and then the other, then both.

(3) Withdraw all prana from the arms and let them hang limp and loose by the sides. Then swing the body from side to side, letting the arms swing (like empty coat-sleeves) from the motion of the body, making no effort of the arms themselves. First one arm and then the other, and then both. This exercise may be varied by twisting the body around in various ways, letting the arms swing