Page:Hatha yoga - or the yogi philosophy of physical well-being, with numberous excercises.djvu/201

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USE OF EXERCISE
201

In short, when you exercise, realize what you are doing and what you are doing it for, and you will get the result. Put life and interest into your exercise, and avoid the listless, mechanical manner of going through the motions, so common in physical culture exercises. Put some "fun" into it, and enjoy it. In this way both mind and body obtain a benefit, and you will leave your exercise with a splendid glow and thrill such as you have not experienced for many a day.

In our next chapter we give a few simple exercises, which if followed will give you all the movements necessary to exercise your entire body, bringing every part into play, strengthening every organ, and making you not only well developed, but straight and erect as an Indian, and as supple and quick of movement as an athlete. These exercises are taken in part from some of the Oriental movements, adapted for Western use, combined with a number of motions which have found favour with the physical trainers of the armies of Europe and America. These army physical directors have studied the Oriental movements, and have adopted such of them as suited their purpose, and have succeeded in forming a series of movements which, while very simple and easily performed in a few minutes, are capable of accomplishing as much for a man or woman as many elaborate courses and systems of physical culture which are sold at high prices. Do not let the simplicity and brevity of this system cause you to undervalue it. It is just the thing you have been looking for, with all the unnecessary features "trimmed off." Try the exercises for a while,