Mistaken Ideas About Yoga Explained

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30172, 2 July 1963, Page 8

Mistaken Ideas About Yoga Explained

Most Westerners had a mistaken conception of yoga and this could be dangerous, “s Layton, with his wife, is lb Christchurch in the course of a theoeophical lecture tour of New Zealand. To an Indian, yoga was union with the highest spiritual part of hl* nature, said Mr Layton. To reach this state of being a yogi involved several steps including exercise techniques whieh helped to control his body. Many Westerners thought these steps were yoga. Since certain of the exercises were dangerous, great care should be taken, he said. Mr Layton added that th* yogis who from time to time visited the West claiming to teach the techniques as well as the spiritual aspects of yoga should be examined carefully. While he did not think they were frauds, Mr Layton said that they had succumbed to the lure of Western glamour and forgotten their ideals.

Mr Layton said, however, that certain yoga techniques such as learning to control muscles and breath control bad much to recommend them. It was the more spectacular exercises which could be harmful.

For the last three years Mr Layton has been the principal of a school fqr Untouchables—lndia’s lowest class—at Adyar, outside Madras. The school was started In 1894 for Untouchables and ho children of any other caste would attend. Now with the abolition of the caste system, the school takes the poorest of any class. Since children cannot learn if they are sick or hungry, Mr Layton arranges for medical care and has started a free midday meal for his 900 pupils. Subsidised by the Indian Government with grants and food, it costs a penny a day for each pupil. New Zealand has sent contributions.

Although achooUng is compulsory—for boys up to 14 and tor girls up to I*—this is not enforced In Sil of India because of lack of facilities. India was beginnnlng to see the need for acquiring some of the Westorn ideas of practicability. “Indians select their political leaders from men and women who are noted for their philosophies and spiritual approach to life. Tn the West it is people of materialism and practicality who are elected,” said Mr Layton.

Consequently they had lost sight, in many ways, of the practical aspects of life. Now while the East was awakening to the need of obtaining the West’s scientific approaches. Mr Layton had noticed that many Westerners were showing a greater interest in the religions of the East