Afterword
There is no way to achieve knowledge and ability
quickly. It is a lifelong process that requires a will-
ingness to become involved in study and practice, to
work with diligence and dedication. Reading a book
like this can initiate change, but only through prac-
ticing the concrete details will change really happen.
This may require a modification of lifestyle, altering
unhealthy habits, revising our diet, balancing activ-
ity and rest, including mindfulness in any form of
practice, and constantly striving for a positive men-
tal attitude.
There is good evidence for the effects of thera-
peutic yoga. Empirical and clinical observations have
been available for a long time, and since the mid
20th- century a great deal of research on the effects
of the practice of yoga has been undertaken. Much
more research should be carried out in the future.
Interdisciplinary work among physicians, manual ther-
apists, and yoga teachers can be further developed.
We have a tremendous capacity to correct the
posture, improve the functions of the body, and
refine the understanding, awareness and sensitivity
of both ourselves and the people around us. Likewise
we should practice with an attitude of admiration
and deep respect for the miracle of creation that is
expressed by our body and our life. However, we
should also respect the limits of what we are able to
do. In the last years of his life, Werner Heisenberg,
Physics Nobel laureate, gave lectures on science and
philosophy. While speaking in Munich sometime in
the late 1960s, he said that in spite of everything
science has proved, we must respect the fact that
we can only go so far. Beyond this limit only God is
able to go.