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Hatha Yoga: The Yogi Philosophy of Physical Well-Being1822
things. It is astonishing to find how people neglect this important feature of
life. Many drink scarcely any fluids, and even say that they do not think it is
“good for them.” This has gone so far that we know of one so called “health
teacher” who puts forth the astounding theory that “Thirst is a Disease,” and
counsels people against the use of fluids at all, stating that the use of them
is unnatural. We will not attempt to argue with such teachings—their folly
must be apparent to anyone who will look at the natural life habits of man
and the lower animals. Let man go back to Nature, and he will see waterdrinking
all around him, in all forms of life, from the plant up to the highest
mammal.
So much importance does the Yogi attach to the proper use of drinking
water, that he considers it one of the first principles of health. He knows that
a large percentage of sick people are sick because of their lack of the fluids
which the body requires. Just as the plant needs water, as well as the food
derived from the soil and air, to bring it to healthy maturity, so does man
require the proper amount of fluids to keep him in health, or to bring him
again to health in case he has lost it. Who would think of depriving a plant
of water? And who would be so cruel as to fail to provide the faithful horse
with the requisite amount of water? And yet, man, while giving the plant
and the animal that which his common sense teaches him they require, will
deprive himself of the life-giving fluid, and will suffer the consequences, just
as would the plant and horse under similar conditions. Keep this example
of plant and horse before you when you consider the question of drinking
water.
Let us see what water is used for in the body, and then make up our
minds whether or not we have been living normal lives in this respect.
In the first place, about 70 percent of our physical body is water! A certain
amount of this water is being used up by our system, and leaves the body,
constantly, and every ounce that is used up must be replaced by another
ounce if the body is to be kept in a normal condition.