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Yogi; but,
tions. This is a matter of vital importance to the when carried to the highest pitch of which it is capable, the function of the human skin in respiration is still very limited, so that he must minimise his consumption of oxygen and excretion of carbonic acid. That the amount of carbonic acid excreted varies very greatly, there can be no doubt; we all know that when we run or perform any exertion we breathe deeper and more rapidly. According to the standard text-books of physiology, the amount of air respired in 24 hours by a person at rest is 686,000 cubic inches; the average amount for a hard working laborer in the same time is 1,568,390 cubic inches. From these figures we fin? that a person at rest consumes about three gallons of oxygen an hour; but we may persume that a Yogi who makes a regular science of rest would need very much less, and excrete a proportionately less quantity of carbonic acid. He adopts a seat, or pose, which takes all strain off the muscles. The Padma Asanam, in which the legs are crossed as seen in images of Buddha, is a good instance of this: the thighs extending outwards and forwards from the buttocks from a broad and firm base, Iso that the body will not easily topple over if all the muscles become relaxed, as I believe they do, for a friend of mine who tried some mild experiments in Yogam found that he had not the muscular strength to hold a watch to time his breathing. Secondly, he performs his exercises on empty stomach, so that no Y. 12
THE PHYSIOLOGY OF YOGAM
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