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Yoga for Americans
You too can share the secret of the stars with Indra Devi's widely acclaimed Yoga for Americans, a step by step six week home course including the 10 basic Yoga postures, exercises, deep breathing, special diets and recipes.
208 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 1968
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June 27, 2023
A FOLLOW-UP TO HER FIRST INTODUCTION TO YOGA
Author Indra Devi wrote in the “Author’s Preface” to this 1959 book, “I did not intent to write again on Yoga postures, since in my previous book, ‘Forever Young, Forever Healthy’ I have already described them and spoken at length on relaxation, breathing, diet, weight control and such common complaints as tension, nervousness, insomnia, colds, headaches, constipation, asthma, arthritis, etc. … However, as soon as letters from readers began pouring in, I found… a great number of people … were anxious to be given an outlined program that could follow day by day. They believed that, as beginners, they would in this way have more confidence in what they were doing and also have a feeling of being guided and taught instead of being left to themselves… Many were also afraid of falling into the hands of charlatans and self-appointed teachers… since there seems to be quite a number of unscrupulous and dishonest individuals who style themselves as real yogis, but who are only out to exploit the name of Yoga…
“The desire to give a clearer understanding of Yoga and the possibility of studying its health methods were what actually spurred me on in writing this book, especially after I had learned of the shocking state of the national health in the United States… I feel very confident that if the study of Yoga were to be added to the curricula of our schools, colleges and training camps, it would help considerably in decreasing the menacing incidence of mental and physical disorders.” (Pg. ix-xi)
She continues, “The science of Yoga has a separate division devoted to the most thorough care of the human body and all of its functions---from breathing to elimination… Yoga aims, first of all, at removing the very causes of ill health which are brought on by insufficient oxygenation, poor nutrition, inadequate exercise and poor elimination of the waste products that poison the system. Secondly, through rhythmic breathing and concentration as well as by influencing our glandular activity. Yoga can help to increase our mental capacities, sharpen our senses and widen our intellectual horizon. And finally, through meditation, it enables men to come closer to the realization of his own spiritual nature. In short, Yoga can not help solve the problems of any receptive individual, whether these problems be of a physical, mental, or spiritual nature and thereby, eventually, also help solve the problems of a group, society, and even a nation.”
She states in the Introduction, “The secret of Yoga lies in the fact that it deals with the ENTIRE MAN, not with just one of his aspects. It is concerned with growth---physical, mental, moral, and spiritual. It develops forces that are already within you. Beginning with improved health and added physical well-being, it works up slowly through the mental to the spiritual. The transition is so gradual that you may not even be aware of it until you realize that a change in you has already taken place.” (Pg. xxii)
She continues, “Many people think that Yoga is a religion. Others believe it to be a kind of magic. Some associate Yoga with the rope trick, with snake-charming, fire-eating or sitting on nail beds… etc. Sometimes it is even linked to fortune telling, spiritualism, hypnotism, and other ‘isms.’ In reality, Yoga is a method a system of physical, mantal and spiritual development.” (Pg.
xxii)
She explains, “The word ‘Yoga’ … means join, or union. The purpose of all Yogas is to unite man, the finite, with the Infinite, with Cosmic Consciousness Truth, God, Light or whatever other name one chooses to call the Ultimate Reality… Yoga has several branches… Hatha Yoga is the Yoga of physical well-being… A yogi can belong to any religion or to none at all. In this case, he usually forms his own relationship with the Ultimate Reality once he has come closer to it.. Yoga cannot cure anything. The healing work is done by nature. Yoga exercises can only help remove impurities and obstructions, so that nature may be given a chance to accomplish her task successfully.” (Pg. xxii-xxiv)
She adds, “”Yoga Asanas are an art applied to the anatomy of the living body… The aim of Yoga postures is not merely the superficial development of muscles. These postures tend to normalize the functions of the entire organism, to regulate the involuntary processes of respiration, circulation, digestion, elimination, metabolism, etc., and to affect the working of all the glands and organs, as well as the nervous system and the mind. This result is achieved by doing deep breathing while the body is placed in various postures…. Hence, Hatha Yoga is able to influence man physically, mentally, morally, and spiritually. Yoga emphasizes the philosophy of exercise. Under its training one experiences a sense of awakening. All of one’s capacities are heightened, and one achieves balance and stamina through these exercises, some of which are modelled after the movements of various animals. In Yoga, relaxation is taught as an art, breathing as a science, and mental control of the body as a means of harmonizing the body, mind, and spirit.” (Pg. xxiv-xxv)
She explains in the first lesson, “the course of exercises outlined here for home practice is designed to teach the rudiments of Yoga so that they can be incorporated into the daily routine of the average man or woman living in our Western world. I have taken into account not only the pace to which life in the United States is geared, but also the fact that most of you have not had a chance to keep your muscles limber and your joints supple.” (Pg. 29)
She concludes, “As concentration gives added power, we should be very careful in choosing what we want, so that we do not concentrate on the fulfillment of base of selfish desires. It is not always easy to determine whether our wish is a selfish one or not… Therefore, whenever making a wish we should add, “If it is right for me.’ By doing so, we do not superimpose our will upon the Higher Will…But if we are bent on getting what WE want, we may find eventually that it was the worse thing that could have happened to us; we simply did not know it at the time we were in pursuit of it. It is only through proper and unselfish meditation that the student can finally enter the temple of the undistracted mind, and in silence and aloneness come to the realization of the One Ultimate Reality and the peace beyond understanding.” (Pg. 169-170)
Although more than sixty years old, this book is still a useful introduction to Yoga for Westerners.
Author Indra Devi wrote in the “Author’s Preface” to this 1959 book, “I did not intent to write again on Yoga postures, since in my previous book, ‘Forever Young, Forever Healthy’ I have already described them and spoken at length on relaxation, breathing, diet, weight control and such common complaints as tension, nervousness, insomnia, colds, headaches, constipation, asthma, arthritis, etc. … However, as soon as letters from readers began pouring in, I found… a great number of people … were anxious to be given an outlined program that could follow day by day. They believed that, as beginners, they would in this way have more confidence in what they were doing and also have a feeling of being guided and taught instead of being left to themselves… Many were also afraid of falling into the hands of charlatans and self-appointed teachers… since there seems to be quite a number of unscrupulous and dishonest individuals who style themselves as real yogis, but who are only out to exploit the name of Yoga…
“The desire to give a clearer understanding of Yoga and the possibility of studying its health methods were what actually spurred me on in writing this book, especially after I had learned of the shocking state of the national health in the United States… I feel very confident that if the study of Yoga were to be added to the curricula of our schools, colleges and training camps, it would help considerably in decreasing the menacing incidence of mental and physical disorders.” (Pg. ix-xi)
She continues, “The science of Yoga has a separate division devoted to the most thorough care of the human body and all of its functions---from breathing to elimination… Yoga aims, first of all, at removing the very causes of ill health which are brought on by insufficient oxygenation, poor nutrition, inadequate exercise and poor elimination of the waste products that poison the system. Secondly, through rhythmic breathing and concentration as well as by influencing our glandular activity. Yoga can help to increase our mental capacities, sharpen our senses and widen our intellectual horizon. And finally, through meditation, it enables men to come closer to the realization of his own spiritual nature. In short, Yoga can not help solve the problems of any receptive individual, whether these problems be of a physical, mental, or spiritual nature and thereby, eventually, also help solve the problems of a group, society, and even a nation.”
She states in the Introduction, “The secret of Yoga lies in the fact that it deals with the ENTIRE MAN, not with just one of his aspects. It is concerned with growth---physical, mental, moral, and spiritual. It develops forces that are already within you. Beginning with improved health and added physical well-being, it works up slowly through the mental to the spiritual. The transition is so gradual that you may not even be aware of it until you realize that a change in you has already taken place.” (Pg. xxii)
She continues, “Many people think that Yoga is a religion. Others believe it to be a kind of magic. Some associate Yoga with the rope trick, with snake-charming, fire-eating or sitting on nail beds… etc. Sometimes it is even linked to fortune telling, spiritualism, hypnotism, and other ‘isms.’ In reality, Yoga is a method a system of physical, mantal and spiritual development.” (Pg.
xxii)
She explains, “The word ‘Yoga’ … means join, or union. The purpose of all Yogas is to unite man, the finite, with the Infinite, with Cosmic Consciousness Truth, God, Light or whatever other name one chooses to call the Ultimate Reality… Yoga has several branches… Hatha Yoga is the Yoga of physical well-being… A yogi can belong to any religion or to none at all. In this case, he usually forms his own relationship with the Ultimate Reality once he has come closer to it.. Yoga cannot cure anything. The healing work is done by nature. Yoga exercises can only help remove impurities and obstructions, so that nature may be given a chance to accomplish her task successfully.” (Pg. xxii-xxiv)
She adds, “”Yoga Asanas are an art applied to the anatomy of the living body… The aim of Yoga postures is not merely the superficial development of muscles. These postures tend to normalize the functions of the entire organism, to regulate the involuntary processes of respiration, circulation, digestion, elimination, metabolism, etc., and to affect the working of all the glands and organs, as well as the nervous system and the mind. This result is achieved by doing deep breathing while the body is placed in various postures…. Hence, Hatha Yoga is able to influence man physically, mentally, morally, and spiritually. Yoga emphasizes the philosophy of exercise. Under its training one experiences a sense of awakening. All of one’s capacities are heightened, and one achieves balance and stamina through these exercises, some of which are modelled after the movements of various animals. In Yoga, relaxation is taught as an art, breathing as a science, and mental control of the body as a means of harmonizing the body, mind, and spirit.” (Pg. xxiv-xxv)
She explains in the first lesson, “the course of exercises outlined here for home practice is designed to teach the rudiments of Yoga so that they can be incorporated into the daily routine of the average man or woman living in our Western world. I have taken into account not only the pace to which life in the United States is geared, but also the fact that most of you have not had a chance to keep your muscles limber and your joints supple.” (Pg. 29)
She concludes, “As concentration gives added power, we should be very careful in choosing what we want, so that we do not concentrate on the fulfillment of base of selfish desires. It is not always easy to determine whether our wish is a selfish one or not… Therefore, whenever making a wish we should add, “If it is right for me.’ By doing so, we do not superimpose our will upon the Higher Will…But if we are bent on getting what WE want, we may find eventually that it was the worse thing that could have happened to us; we simply did not know it at the time we were in pursuit of it. It is only through proper and unselfish meditation that the student can finally enter the temple of the undistracted mind, and in silence and aloneness come to the realization of the One Ultimate Reality and the peace beyond understanding.” (Pg. 169-170)
Although more than sixty years old, this book is still a useful introduction to Yoga for Westerners.
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