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Chapter XXII: The Science of Relaxation.1899
Chapter XXII: The Science of Relaxation.
The Science of Relaxation forms a very important part of the Hatha Yoga
philosophy and many of the Yogis have devoted much care and study to
this branch of the subject. At first glance it may appear to the average reader
that the idea of teaching people how to relax—how to rest—is ridiculous, as
everyone should know how to perform this simple feat. And the average
man is right—in part. Nature teaches us how to relax and rest to perfection—
the infant is a past-master in the science. But as we have grown older we have
acquired many artificial habits and have allowed Nature’s original habits to
lapse. And so at the present time the people of the Western world may well
accept from the Yogis a little teaching along the lines of this subject.
The average physician could give some very interesting testimony on the
subject of the failure of the people to understand the first principles of
relaxation-he knows that a large percentage of the nervous troubles of the
people are due to ignorance of the subject of “rest.”
Rest and relaxation are very different things from “loafing,” “laziness,” etc.
On the contrary, those who have mastered the science of relaxation are
usually the most active and energetic kind of people, but they waste no
energy; with them every motion counts.