Page:Hatha yoga - or the yogi philosophy of physical well-being, with numberous excercises.djvu/89

Rh Yogis believe that only in this way is water harmful when taken at meals—and for the reason given, alone—they take a little at each meal to soften up the food mass in the stomach, and that little does not weaken the strength of the gastric-juices, etc.

Many of our readers are familiar with the use of hot water as a means of cleansing a foul stomach. We approve of its use in that way, when needed, but we think that if our students will carefully follow the Yogi plan of living, as given in this book, they will have no foul stomachs needing cleansing—their stomachs will be good, healthy ones. As a preliminary toward rational eating, the sufferer may find it advantageous to use hot water in this way. The best way is to take about one pint, slowly sipping it, in the morning before breakfast, or about one hour before other meals. It will excite a muscular action in the digeslive organs, which will tend to pass from the system the foul matter stored up there, which the hot water has loosened up and diluted, as well. But this is only a temporary expedient. Nature did not contemplate hot water as steady beverage, and water at ordinary temperature is all that she requires in health—and that she requires to maintain health—but when health has been lost through disobedience to her laws, hot water is a good thing with which to clean house before resuming natural habits.

We will have more to say about the use of water in Bathing, outward application, etc., in other parts of this book—this chapter is devoted to its internal offices.

In addition to the properties, offices and uses of water, as above given, we will add that water