Find a quiet retreat for the practice of yoga,
Sheltered from the wind, level and clean,
Free from rubbish, smouldering fires, and ugliness,
And where the sound of water and the beauty of the place
Help thought and contemplation.
With upright body, head and neck
Lead the mind and its powers into thy heart;
And the Om of Brahman will then be thy boat
With which to cross the rivers of fear.
And when the body is in silent steadiness,
Breathe rhythmically through the nostrils
With a peaceful ebbing and flowing of breath.
The chariot of the mind is drawn by wild horses,
And those wild horses have to be tamed.
When the yogi has full power over his body
Composed of the elements earth, water, fire, air and ether,
Then he obtains a new body of spiritual fire
Which is beyond illness, old age and death.
Then the soul of man becomes a lamp by which he finds
The Truth of Brahman.
Then he sees God, pure, never-born, everlasting;
And when he sees God,
He is free from all bondage.