Did you know there is no such thing as levitation?
The Oxford Dictionary definition of "levitate" is as follows:
"Make rise and float in the air, with reference to spiritualism."
The yogis so famous for the pictures of themselves, lying supine
with their backs a foot or so above the nearest horizontal surface,
well they have mastered a unique parlour trick! When a yogi
ascends into the air it is not levitation, and it is not overcoming
earth's gravity and it is not a fraud. It IS an extremely difficult
to execute, skillfully accomplished exercise.
It IS a distinctive
jump brought about by the contraction of the spinal muscles, often
aptly compared to the jump of a small jumping beetle. It IS a rare
form of jumping by jerks. The body, breaking contact with the earth,
is stretched out in the air rigidly horizontal. Although in the
pictures the arms of the yogis are thrust skyward, their arms
certainly did not float there!
