Page:Hatha yoga - or the yogi philosophy of physical well-being, with numberous excercises.djvu/245



who have familiarized themselves with the Yogi teachings regarding the Instinctive Mind and its control of the physical body—and also of the effect of the Will upon the Instinctive Mind—will readily see that the mental attitude of the person will have much to do with his or her health. Bright, cheerful and happy mental attitudes reflect themselves in the shape of normal functioning of the physical body, while depressed mental states, gloom, worry, fear, hate, jealousy, and anger all react upon the body and produce physical inharmony, and eventually disease.

We are all familiar with the fact that good news and cheerful surroundings promote a normal appetite, while bad news, depressing surroundings, etc., will cause the loss of the appetite. The mention of some favourite dish will make the mouth water, and the recollection of some unpleasant experience or sight may produce nausea.

Our mental attitudes are mirrored in our Instinctive Mind, and as that principle of mind has direct control of the physical body, it may readily be understood just how the mental state takes form in the physical action of functioning.

Depressing thought affects the circulation, which in turn affects every part of the body, by depriving it of its proper nourishment. Inharmonious thought