Beware Yogi-Bear

For as long as I can remember I have been interested in yoga, alternative medicine, naturopathy, etc.  I have no idea why but if all you had to do was read a book on it I would be an expert.  I didn't realize you had to actually put this stuff into practice.  Even as a kid I distinctly remember being fascinated by yoga in the 60s/70s and devouring books on it.  I think maybe there was a weekly/monthly magazine series they were plugging at the time as well as a few TV programmes.  I actually tried it out a little and even then I was impressed!

One particular programme I remember showed the advanced yogis in India doing all kinds of miraculous things, tying themselves in knots, etc.  It wasn't just the "bendy bits" of course, but it was a really interesting programme on their beliefs as well.  I remember being with my dad and watching as in order to "cleanse" himself one yogi poured what would effectively be saline solution up one nostril, tipped his head back and then had it come down the other nostril (sorry if you are eating while reading this).  Then he took a kind of cloth and (somehow) managed to push it up one nostril and down the other to "complete" the cleansing.  Yum.

At the time dad was suffering severe ill health.  I think he had his first heart-attack at 48 - not sure of the exact age but young in any case.  He had other problems linked to this and was, therefore, I believe willing to give anything a try once.  He also smoked at the time and had the hardest time before eventually quitting.

One day I heard a noise as I was walking past mom and dad's open bedroom door, looked in (naturally) and saw dad sitting up in bed with a teapot shoved up his nose!  He almost choked when he saw me and swore blind afterwards that I had seen no such thing!!!  I don't think we ever used that teapot again - and we never did find the tea-towel!!