This book was at first a small paper read before the Bombay Medical Union in the month of July 1926. My initial aim was to attempt explaining some of the Yogic phenomena in terms of Western anatomy and physiology.
The effort was greatly appreciated by those assembled, and a desire was expressed that I should have the paper printed for the benefit of those interested in the science of Yoga. I felt impelled further to enlarge the scope of the paper by including explanations of many other Yogic phenomena and technical terms that were not dealt with in my original paper.
The reading of various manuals of the Kundali-Yoga, preparatory to writing that paper, convinced me that they are more or less treatises on the autonomic nervous system, and these explain methods for establishing a conscious control over it. By the establishment of that control, an individual is said to gain supernatural powers by which he performs certain miracles.
The chief books used as the basis of that paper, are the three well-known Sanskrit texts with commentaries, viz. "Hatha-Yogapradipika", "Shiva-samhita" and "Şhat-Chakra nirūpanam".
The explanations of the various Yogic practices and phenomena given by me in the following pages are possible suggestions only, and are to be taken as tentative till they are further substantiated by someone better versed in the Science of Yoga and Western science alike.
My sincere thanks are due to Mr. S. S. Mehta, B. A., for encouraging me to write this paper and for various valuable suggestions he made.
My thanks are also due to Swami Kuvalayananda (Mr. J. G. Gune, B. A.) for supplying me with photographs of Mudras and Asanas for inclusion in this book.
In the year 1926, under the auspices of The Bombay Medical Union, Deshbandhu...demonstrated certain phenomena, such as the stopping of the radial and the temporal pulse on both sides at will, and the stopping of the heartbeats for a few seconds. He also showed some rare feats of archery, such as the splitting of a hair and a thread by an arrow shot at them from a distance of 15 to 20 feet. He broke an iron chain three-eighths of an inch in thickness by a mere tug of his body at the chain fixed at the other end; one jerk, and crack went the chain in two pieces. How was that done was the expression that ran from mouth to mouth at the moment, and a good many present offered explanations; each in his own way. Some said it was due to muscle control; others said it was sheer hypnosis produced in a man who watched the pulse, while a few others suggested nerve control. The gentleman performing these feats did it by knowledge of Yogic Science and Pranayama. Everyone certainly wants to know the actual causation of these rare phenomena. I think, medical men, knowing as they do both anatomy and physiology of human body, ought to be able to explain these, and nevertheless even to them, it is a very difficult matter. Perhaps what is abnormal to men living on a lower plane of vibrations, is normal to those who live on a slightly higher plane of vibrations. The muscles of the heart, as well as arteries and intestines, which are normally not under our control, are made to act like voluntary muscles by certain methods and procedure which are followed so as to reach that higher plane of vibrations that is in tune with the Infinite.
Let me first describe the physical development and appearance of this gentleman. A middle-aged man, of average height, of slender body, with chest not broad enough to compare favourably with an athlete of average development, with long thin legs, and calf muscles showing insufficient physical exercise, could hardly be considered impressive enough physically; yet he had the strength to break a chain by a mere tug of his body. His voice, too, was not alluring or hypnotising. This power of breaking a chain is supposed to be possessed by men of an athletic type, with a better muscular development. But the physical development of Deshbandhu has given the lie direct to our supposition and proved to us that it is not the development of the muscles of the body that counts, but the power behind it. We call that power, the power of endurance. I need not go deep into this, but one thing I may say, that while western methods of physical culture pay greater attention to the graceful development of muscles of the body, the Indian methods of physical culture. on the other hand, aim at increasing the power of endurance. This, I believe, has been amply proved by the exploits of the Indian army in the recent war.
Asana (101)
Bhakti Yoga (21)
Biography (52)
Hatha Yoga (93)
Kaivalyadhama (58)
Karma Yoga (33)
Kriya Yoga (85)
Kundalini Yoga (60)
Massage (2)
Meditation (341)
Patanjali (139)
Pranayama (70)
Women (33)
Yoga for Children (13)
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