heory for one lesson, and must begin to
give you directions whereby you may aid yourself in developing these
latent powers and unfolding these dormant energies. You will notice that
in this series we first tell you something about the theory, and then
proceed to give you "something to do." This is the true Yogi method as
followed and practiced by their best teachers. Too much theory is
tiresome, and sings the mind to sleep, while too much exercise tires one,
and does not give the inquiring part of his mind the necessary food. To
combine both in suitable proportions is the better plan, and one that we
aim to follow.

MENTAL DRILL AND EXERCISES.

Before we can get the mind to do good work for us, we must first "tame"
it, and bring it to obedience to the Will of the "I." The mind, as a
rule, has been allowed to run wild, and follow its own sweet will and
desires, without regard to anything else. Like a spoiled child or badly
trained domestic animal, it gets into much trouble, and is of very little
pleasure, comfort or use. The minds of many of us are like menageries
of wild animals, each pursuing the bent of its own nature, and going its
own way. We have the whole menagerie within us--the tiger, the ape, the
peacock, the ass, the goose, the sheep the hyena, and all the rest. And
we have been letting these animals rule us. Even our Intellect is
erratic, unstable, and like the quicksilver to which the ancient
occultists compared it, shifting and uncertain. If you will look around
you you will see that those men and women in the world who have really
accomplished anything worth while have trained their minds to obedience.
They have asserted the Will over their own minds, and learned Mastery and
Power in that way. The average mind chafes at the restraint of the Will,
and is like a frisky monkey that will not be "taught tricks." But taught
it must be, if it wants to do good work. And teach it you must if you
expect to get any use from it--if you expect to use it, instead of having
it use you.

And this is the first thing to be learned in _Raja Yoga_--this control of
the mind. Those who had hoped for some royal road to mastery, may be
disappointed, but there is only one way and that is to master and control
the mind by the Will. Otherwise it will run away when you most need it.
And so we shall give you some exercise designed to aid you in this
direction.

The first exercise in _Raja Yoga_ Is what is called _Pratyahara_ or