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posture is to hold the spinal column free, sitting erect, holding the three parts-the chest, neck and the head-in a straight line."
YOGA.
Any one cultivating the habit of spiritual concentration will perceive subtle changes taking place in his nerves, particularly in those of the head and face. It is due to these changes that the face of the Yogi becomes calm and shining, his features refined and beautiful, and his voice melodious and musical; and it is also due to these changes that the development of the higher faculties takes place in him. It is no longer disputed that there are certain regions, or centres, within the human brain which perform specific functions. The faculties and powers of man are due to the development of these centres, or regions, and his shortcomings also are to be traced to an undeveloped, or atrophied, state of one, or more, of them;* The Yogi can develop any or all of these centres at will; hence, there is no limit to his powers. The only thing necessary to do is to re-arrange the nervous matter and to stimulate it into activity.
A word of warning seems necessary here about practising the methods of Yoga. Involving, as these practices do, many important changes in the arrangement of the brain cells and nerve currents, the tyro, unless he has thoroughly understood and mastered the subject, and is extremely cautious in his method, is likely to do himself great injury by practising Yoga exercises without being duly instructed by a qualified teacher. A slight error in
* Injury of the motor regions in the head, for instance, causes what is known as aphemia or motor aphasia, which is not the loss of voice nor paralysis of the tongue or lips, but the inability to utter any words at all, or the utterance of a few meaningless stock phrases, as speech, mispronouncing, misplacing, and misusing one's words in various degrees.-(Prof. James).
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