The Twain ConnectionIt may come as a big surprise to many that it was Samuel Clemens (a.k.a Mark Twain) who had really introduced Yoga to the modern West for the first time!
Twain published his findings in popular newspapers of his time, gaining popularity and widespread acceptance regarding his mastery of the subject. This was in 1862, a year before the venerable swami Vivekananda was even born. The only problem was that Twain did not use the term ‘yoga’. Nor did he (or could he!) utter any of the tongue twisting lingo used by various yoga practitioners. In fact, the techniques he discovered were quite unique and almost as American as apple pie. Indeed, his early work went on to show that techniques of yoga already existed in the West, and were just about equally antiquated.
It took some serious research on this author’s part to discover this forgotten historical fragment of Mark Twain’s life. Yet it is not surprising that the West failed to make the Twain connection when yoga really started its influx from the East. It was always thought that ‘the East was East, and the West was West, and never the Twain shall meet’. Nevertheless Twain had done exactly that!
It is worthwhile going into one of his published accounts of a particular yoga technique. Twain had actually chanced to find an old hermit, who had buried himself within a mound of limestone, and had preserved himself through yogic techniques for almost ten generations! Compared to yogis of today who may sometimes be preserved a month or so after death at best, this was an astonishing achievement. From studying materials available at the site and inspecting the venerable body, Twain discovered that the dead hermit had left many clues to a wonderful system of yogic wisdom. In fact, the hermit’s very posture (which came to be known later as part of a special technique that induces samadhi) was quite revealing. Combined with a few simple breathing exercises and moderated, the technique has been demonstrated to provide instant uplifting and expansion of mind.
For the benefit of seekers all over the world, and also to prove that Twain did indeed discover a really practical and wonderful yogic system, the following technique derived from Twain’s papers is presented. Note that this technique must be used with caution, and is best executed accompanied by a feeling of utmost awe, respect and holiness. If done correctly it can elevate the practitioner’s mind to a higher and more elated state of consciousness within seconds. Here then is the 12-step technique, derived from his article in the newspaper
Territorial Enterprise on October 4, 1862:
1. Sit with your legs crossed.
2. To achieve breathing control, press the left thumb on the side of the left nostril.
3. Note that your legs and feet must ideally be in the "lotus posture". However, for those who find it difficult, a simply crossing of the ankles should do (which was the hermit’s preferred method)
4. Press together the toes of each foot. This is easily done without using your hand.
5. The left hand fingers, in contrast, must be spread out.
6. The side of the ball of the feet must touch the thighs, preferably on top of them and centered. Again, for those who find it difficult to sit in this posture may skip this step as the impact is minor.
7. Most importantly, the thumb of the right hand (which denotes the lungs) must touch the top phalanax of the little finger on the left hand. The little finger is etherically connected with the bottom of the spine and helps awaken the life force.
8. Keep the spine erect, aligned with the neck so that the kundalini energy rises easily.
9. The right hand fingers should similarly be spread out as the left.
10. It definitely helps to gently wiggle the fingers during this exercise.
11. Take a deep breath counting to 5 slowly. Exhale over double that time (count to 10).
12. Switch from left nostril to right nostril.
Do so for just 1 - 2 minutes (but not more than 2 minutes as it could turn dangerous).
To cite statistics, seven out of ten individuals have reported this yogic technique to be literally mind-blowing, to say the least. Much of Twain’s genius can be attributed to this exercise which he performed regularly and religiously. His career took off from that point on to reach dizzying heights.
Now remember that the term ‘yogi’ did not exist in Twain’s vocabulary (or if it did, he didn't think much of it). But amazingly, he managed to pick an almost equivalent term, which he christened and called: ‘the petrified man’! Those who are interested in digging deeper into its esoteric details may wish to read Mark Twain’s writings under that
same title.
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