Клуб любителей английского языка

Я начала читать книгу "Yoga Self-Taught" by Andre Van Lysebeth, привезённую не один десяток лет назад из Индии. История, приведённая на первых страницах, поразила меня до глубины души:

I have seldom seen a man in such distress: he sat before me pale and drawn - his shrunken neck afloat inside the collar of his shirt. He had come, without much conviction, to see me on the advice of a friend - he had problems to explain to me. However, when I say 'explain' do not imagine he confined himself to telling his trobles: his state of exhaustion and nervousness was such that he was almost incoherent. He read aloud from notes he had prepared... but I will spare you the details. He was married, and a few years previously had suffered some emotional upheaval whose nature he did not disclose. Since then, his health had gradually got worse.

He was suffering from digestive trouble, from palpitations, irritability and lack of concentration. He was growing visibly thinner, losing his zest for life, and was at the end of his tether. He had just changed his job: the pay was better but unfortunately he did not feel able to cope with its new responsibilities. Some important business had to be done next day, and he felt he could not face it. He had decided to hand in his notice.

What was I to do? Exercises were out, for the slightest effort exhausted him. I felt rather inadequate. I wanted to help, but it really did seem that he was not a subject for yoga even in its most elementary form.

In order to help explain this state of affairs, I asked him to take off his coat, lie down on the rug and breathe easily. Because I could see no movement in either stomach or chest, I said to him, 'Don't hold your breath!' 'But I'm not, I'm breathing normally,' came the astonishing reply. 'Then breathe as deeply as you can.' He made an effort, and his chest rose... about half an inch... I felt his stomach; it was hard and tense. This man was so tense that he was scarcely breathing, only enough to keep himself from suffocation. This explained everything! He looked at me astonished when I told him that he was barely breathing: he had never realized it and nor had anyone else. After half an hour's attempt he succeeded in relaxing a little and breathing through his stomach. The result was in no way remarkable, but, compared with his former state, he was breathing at least five times more air.

Three quarters of an hour later a touch of colour shyly crept into his cheeks, a pale smile lit up his face, and... he could speak without his notes. Do not imagine that from now on everything was plain sailing, but through the magic of breathing, a human body had come to life again like a thirsty plant that is being watered. With the help of his doctor, he is now on the way to taking up a normal life.

В книге ещё много прописных истин, о которых современный человек редко задумывается: например, о том, что мало кто из доживших до взрослого возраста сохранил способность расслабляться, радоваться жизни и быть гибким... Дочка спросила меня, о чём я читаю, и очень удивилась, когда узнала, что о дыхании.

Я решила тут же применить полученные знания на практике. Мы распахнули форточку, натянули одеяло до подбородка и стали дышать: полный выдох; медленный, бесшумный и глубокий вдох через нос - чтобы воздух прошёл до самого живота, поднимая его; небольшая задержка; глубокий и продолжительный выдох. Даше настолько понравился этот опыт, что теперь она каждый вечер перед сном, вне зависимости от погоды, открывает форточку на полную и начинает дышать - и так засыпает. По-моему, прекрасная привычка!

С моей стороны было бы непростительной ошибкой не воспользоваться ситуацией и не рассказать дочке о йоге. Мы стали практиковать расслабление и некоторые йоговские позы:

Если вы тоже интересуетесь йогой, загляните ещё сюда: Yoga Journal.