Hatha Yoga: The Yoga of the Physical Body.
Yogasanas For Modern People.
Modern man has numerous conveniences at his disposal to give physical comfort and sensual enjoyment. He works in an office, sleeps on a thick foam mattress, travels everywhere in a car, attends the cinema or nightclub for recreation. He uses sleeping pills and all kinds of medicine to get peace and rest and to counteract the negative influence of modern life, but instead of peace, rest and happiness he gets a lot of physical, mental and emotional tension. He can find no way to unburden himself of the frustration and anxieties of society.
Is there a way for him to find relief?
Yes, through yoga.
By doing yogasanas he will be able to free himself from ailments associated with modern civilized life, such as constipation, rheumatism, stiffness, frustration and tension. Practitioners of asanas will have more strength and energy to face the problems and responsibilities of life. All family and social relations will automatically become harmonious.
In this modern age of scientific inventions, where there are countless aids to comfort in life, it seems a contradiction, yet it is true, that very few people are able to enjoy these luxuries. A great many people have wealth but they really live in poverty. They no longer have the strength or interest to enjoy life and only remember happiness in their childhood. Asanas will rectify this 'non-living' way of life. You can start a new life with more vitality than you have felt for years. You will develop a broader outlook on life, and be able to understand the problems of others more easily.
As a result of your experiences you will slowly start to feel part of the universal brotherhood of all mankind.
Those people who do a lot of mental work will be able to increase their thinking power, have clearer minds and develop more insight.
Those people who do manual work can keep themselves in good condition and relieve their tensions and strains after a hard day of work.
Large numbers of people in recent years, especially young people, have turned to the use of drugs, LSD, hashish and so on, to find some order and meaning in their lives. Yoga in general, including asanas, is the perfect way for these people to find new meaning in life. Drugs are limited in their scope, whereas, the systematic practice of yoga will take them to the ultimate goal, beyond which there is no other.
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