Physical Body Part of Yoga
It is important in hatha yoga which, is a part of ashtanga yoga, that the physical body be kept in tip-top shape. This may be interpreted as a cover for the desire to have a healthy human body for materialistic purposes. Like for example the yogi or yogini who has a desire to be the most handsome or most beautiful person in the world. It is a fact that many persons who do yoga, have an underlying reason which motivates practice, which is that asana postures and breath infusion methods will cause one to have an attractive body.
However, the reason for body fitness in hatha yoga is to cause the subtle body to give less and less energy for the maintenance of a physical one. The point is that in monitoring the use of subtle energy by the physical system, a yogi notices that the more energy required by the physical body, the less one will be successful in meditation.
Excessive demands for energy by the physical system, stresses the subtle situation of the self, with the result that meditation is deterred. The progress is decelerated in real terms. The real problem however is that the person is fooled because of noticing that the physical system is healthier than before. He/She assumes this as spiritual advancement.
Take for instance the hatha yoga practice of tracking the daily digestion and evacuation. As time goes by, the intestinal track and rectum become inefficient. There is slower movement of what is eaten such that the daily termination of the digestive process occurs later than it did in the early years of the body when the intestinal peristalsis movements were the best.
However, it is a fact that the alerts which were given at the optimum stage of the body are reduced. The self becomes more and more unaware of the digestive system, even more than it did before. Hence the time for transit for food from the mouth to the anus greatly increases.
The yogi must note this and do whatever is necessary to assist the involuntary actions which slowed because of the age of the body. For instance, one should know that food eaten at a certain time, should be in the rectum and cause a trigger for evacuation in a certain time. If the system does not give the expected alert or if there is silent alert which is noted, something should be done to complete the evacuation.
In the event that an attempt to evacuate results in no excretion, some action should be taken to cause the evacuation. What action? That must be decided by the ascetic. For as long as stool linkers in the rectum or at the top valve of the rectum, this will be a deficit of energy for the subtle body. That will result in decreased psychic perception, which negatively impacts yoga.
There was an experience, where once there was no evacuation at the expected time. After some four hours, still there was no evacuation, even though attempts were made to excrete. To check physically, I used the properly paired middle finger of the left hand. First it should be the left hand because the right one should be reserved for cleaner tasks. This middle left finger should be pared of protruding nail. There should be no sharp edges. It should be pared, filed, or covered.
It should be lubricated with anti-bacterial cream. It should be made damp with germ free water. Then it should be inserted into the anus which is the lower valve of the rectum. There one should check for waste.
When I checked, I notice that the rectum was filled with waste. After, removing this waste with the left middle finger, I noticed that there was some waste, a smaller quantity above the rectum, in the lower end of the colon, above the valve which is at the connection of the colon and rectum. Thus, a small quantity of stool was shifted through the top valve by a muscular action. Then it was removed by the left middle finger.
To understand this, one must accept that the system of the stomach, intestines, colon, and rectum become inefficient as the body ages. The sensors in this food passage become insensitive. The alerts for evacuation from the nerves are given with less frequency. In fact, some alerts are not given. Where there are alerts, some may be so slight that they are unnoticed.
A yogi should check this system and use methods to assist in the process. A youthful body can process certain foods efficiently, which the same body at an older age cannot efficiently handle.
Because of the increase in digestion time, which is due to the slower transit of waste, there is dryer and drier stool, which an older body is not equipped to expel without some type of assistance.
