Practicing from Strilky
The practice is guided relaxation and synchronized movement.
Lie down and make yourself very comfortable. Keep legs together, arms beside your body, palms facing upward. Remove pillows and glasses; lengthen the neck, draw the chin slightly toward the collarbone. Stabilize the lower back, pressing it gently toward the mat. Take a deep, long breath between throat and belly, then exhale completely. Only move when instructed; do not go on your own. With inhalation, slowly raise both arms overhead, keeping them at shoulder width. Hands remain relaxed, not interlocking thumbs or fingers. Head stays still, eyes not looking at neighbors. With exhalation, lower the arms back beside the body. Repeat this movement continuously with normal breath, no holding. Then, place arms beside the body, palms facing down. Inhale deeply, lift both legs up, knees straight, heels pointing upward. Place hands under the hips for support, lower legs slowly without noise. Relax completely, turning onto the stomach if comfortable. Finally, sit for meditation, placing palms up or down as preferred.
“Only mantra, bhajan, and sitting—only these three points.”
“Do not shorten your breath; make it comfortable, long, and relaxed.”
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
Up next
Good Health and Peace
Yoga is the science of the human being, the culmination of life's evolution. Animals evolve toward humanity, but humans can regress if they do not heed divine instruction. Do not kill other creatures; animals kill from ignorance, but humans know better. God is one, like an ocean of which we are all drops. Science progresses but leads away from God, while yoga leads toward God. The ego resides in the heart and brain; one part is for self, the other for all. A yogi must never give negative talk or do negative things to anyone. Life is a staircase; one goes down through harmful actions, and one goes up through respect and care for all creatures. The soul passes through one door determined by our actions. Protect all life; that is yoga.
"Don't kill them. Protect them, love them, protect them, don't kill them. That is yoga."
"Science is good... but we have to come, please, all animals."
Filming location: Brno, Czech Republic
The Yogic Anatomy and Practice
The subject is Kuṇḍalinī and Chakras. Humans possess a highly developed consciousness capable of realizing the divine energy within. The self is experienced in the heart, yet is present throughout the entire body. The human system is composed of five sheaths: the physical, energetic, mental, intellectual, and blissful bodies. The 72,000 nerve channels converge at points called chakras, which are centers of energy and consciousness. Desires and mental power are strong forces that can bind or liberate. Various yoga paths exist to purify these layers and direct energy upward from the base chakras, associated with primal instincts, toward the higher centers of perception and unity. The ultimate aim is to transcend all sheaths and realize the oneness of the individual soul with the universal consciousness, which is present everywhere.
"Though it is here, yes, but I am... I am here, but I am everywhere."
"Everyone is God. So everywhere is God."
Filming location: Vancouver, Canada
Iccha Shakti
The Power of Will and Divine Grace
Whatever you wish, by God’s grace, nothing is impossible. But before expressing a wish, know its nature. God fulfills all desires, good or bad. Therefore, cultivate discrimination first. Without discrimination, desire leads to suffering. A monkey wished for honey, but got a cobra and died. The wish was fulfilled, but without knowledge, it brought death. Humans often desire harmful things. Use intellect to analyze wishes before pursuing them. Spiritual wishes are certainly fulfilled by grace. Pārvatī asked Śiva for a simple teaching. Śiva replied: “I tell my own experience: devotion to God is the ultimate truth.” In Kali Yuga, repeating God’s name is the support to cross the ocean of ignorance. Willpower is a great power, but must be guided by wisdom. Energy is one, manifesting in many forms; use it wisely. With clear will and divine grace, all good is attainable.
"Jo icchā karahī manamai Hari kṛpā durlabh nahī̃."
"Umā kahu anubhava apnā, Hari bhajana eka satya."
Filming location: Vép, Hungary
Follow your Gurudev
The Guru is the singular, indispensable lamp.
Understanding the Guru's nature comes only in his absence. While present, his light is taken for granted. He traveled widely, visiting many saints and places, yet his devotion remained solely with his lineage. He transformed barren land into an ashram. His constant practice was singing bhajans and giving lectures about his masters. The teaching environment must be kept purely for spiritual matters, avoiding negativity. The Guru's strictness was part of his grace. His physical presence embodied a great spiritual personality. The ultimate truth is that everything is the Guru's grace.
"When the lamp is here, we don't look at the lamp."
"All is Mādhāvānandajī."
Filming location: Jadan, Rajasthan, India
