WHAT IS A YOGI? PART ONE

During my sophomore English class in high school we were assigned to present a topic following the format of such talks to be given on a subject we were to choose. I decided to talk about YOGA and as we had to state the topic beforehand in class, one of my classmates, a girl I remember,exclaimed,"Oh,yogis are people who stand on their heads!" I'd seen a recent movie, comedy, which involved 'wrestling' matches of the usual type seen in such, that had been showing not too long before and which some of my classmates,probably this same girl, had seen in the local movie house.... However, my interest in yoga did not arise form that movie as I had been aware of yoga since childhood in various ways, mostly through reading and listening to certain radio programs. In fact, I had read what few books concerning yoga and related topics that were in the Fiske Free Library in Claremont where I attended Stevens High School. But the main and specific reading source for me at the time, was a section on yoga in a large, heavy volume of a Home Medical Book of various remedies,etc. that belonged to my grandparents and which I still have. This large volume had some photos of the 'yogi' practitioner doing mostly breathing exercises....he was very popular at one time and did them in a business suit....he also wrote books on 'mental science' and the like.... I answered or defined the question,'WHAT IS A YOGI?' by answering this way, 'A YOGI IS A PERSON WHO DOES YOGA.' Then I defined yoga, if I recal as coming from the word, 'yoke' and from there demonstrated three or four breathing exercises and arm stretches as I knew them and understood them at the time. Everyone agreed that I really knew my subject and from that point on, I was expected to do or give unuusal talks whenever class speeches or presentations were to be held. I must say, however, that this topic of yoga was probably my best one compared to any of the others I ever gave that school year. So, the two answers to thsi question are still valid: A YOGI IS SOMEONE WHO DOES OR PRACTICES YOGA, AND A YOGI IS SOMEONE WHO STANDS ON HIS OR HER HEAD! These 'definitiions'are most sufficient for ordinary minds to grasp and accept, though, in all fairness, they will fail to satisfy 'die-hard' yoga enthusiasts or those with pretense to being 'yogis'.