Prana and Soul
The prāṇa is life, and its management is the art of living. Ten prāṇas function within the body, with Prāṇa and Apāna being most crucial for inhalation and expulsion. Their meeting at the navel can awaken Kuṇḍalinī. Prāṇa is the guard of the soul; if prāṇa is lost but the soul remains, medical science may restore life, but it cannot if the soul departs. Pure prāṇa ensures health, our primary wealth. Health exists across five bodily layers, starting with nourishment from food. Fresh food retains prāṇa; overcooking destroys it. Cook vegetables with spices and water in a covered pot with minimal oil or ghee. Āyurveda favors ghee over oil for internal use. Chemical medicines can save lives but cause side effects, as they are foreign to the body's nature. Our long intestines are designed to process food, but poor diet harms them. Prāṇa leads to higher consciousness. Practice Prāṇāyāma and eat consciously. Avoid junk food, which becomes foul when chewed, and avoid alcohol, a destructive drug despite its medicinal origins. Choose a balanced, yogic life for longevity and happiness.
"Prāṇa is life, and life is prāṇa. We can compare our prāṇa to our soul."
"The first happiness or first wealth is good health."
Filming location: Fiji Islands
Up next
Paths of destiny
Yoga is the principle that balances, harmonizes, and unites space and consciousness. Its author is Lord Śiva, who first manifested through the cosmic sound Oṁ and bestowed the science of Yoga Vidyā. This living tradition is transmitted from master to disciple; theory without practice is insufficient. The human body is a microcosm connected to cosmic energy through channels called nāḍīs. The primary channels are Iḍā, Piṅgalā, and Suṣumnā, governing energy, light, and resonance. The body's form reflects universal principles, with divisions like brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, and śūdra corresponding to the head, arms, trunk, and legs, illustrating inherent unity without untouchability.
The heart center, the anāhata chakra, represents love without borders. It houses divine qualities like happiness and compassion, while lower centers contain limited, material desires. Awakening energy from the mūlādhāra chakra brings forth one's destiny and karma. This energy must be purified through centers like maṇipūra to reach the heart in a state of universal love. The ultimate aim is the merger of energy, resonance, and light into cosmic consciousness. This is achieved through practices like Kuṇḍalinī Yoga and specific kriyās, which involve bandhas to direct energy through the suṣumnā channel. Real yoga is a 24-hour practice of positive living, ahiṃsā, and love for all creatures, leading to self-realization.
"Yoga is not only physical and breath exercises; it is that principle which balances, harmonizes, and unites space and consciousness."
"Love is without boundaries—universal love, not individual love. The seat of the Ātmā is in the Anāhata cakra."
DVD 500
The Ocean of Grace
Evening satsang from Jadan Ashram, Rajasthan, India.
Around the world - Khatu pranam
A praṇāma is a greeting and a practice that transforms energy. It aligns the spinal column and expels impurities, cleansing the entire system. This work is prepared through breath control, mantras, and energetic concentration. The practice requires the transformation of both the individual and the place itself. The greatest opportunity for change is always in the present moment. The key is to return to the essential self without creating grand personal identities. Working with a mantra completes the whole, influencing all aspects of being.
"The most important question is that of the Anāhata."
"A praṇāma can be used as an āsana, or in combination with breathing, which then begins to take on a completely different dimension."
Filming locations: Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India.
A Divine Call and the Search for a True Guru
A divine call initiates the search for a true guru. A vision of Śrī Kṛṣṇa repeatedly requests kheer, compelling its preparation for a visiting saint's gathering. At that satsaṅg, the saint addresses a devotee by name, revealing profound awareness. When asked if one has a guru, the answer emerges from the heart: one is seeking a true guru. Following given addresses leads to an ashram in India. There, a phrase is heard in sleep: "There is nothing in the jīva, but go to the nitya." Travel continues to another ashram to meet the holy guru. An overwhelming energy is received upon meeting. A book is offered, and through grace, the ability to read Hindi is granted. Mantra-dīkṣā is received on a Thursday after offering fruit. Disregarding advice on travel days leads to immediate difficulties, demonstrating the importance of the guru's word. Returning home brings incessant tears and a longing for the ashram. The guru's loving permission allows return. Translations of sacred texts are undertaken as service, a gift enabled by the guru. Further travels and stays in ashrams follow, filled with divine experiences, protective grace, and deep seva. The guru's presence is ultimately felt permanently within the heart.
"Have you got a guru? I have not got a guru, but I am looking for a true guru."
"For a daughter to come to the father’s house, you don’t even have to get any permission. You can come whenever you want to come."
Filming location: Wellington, New Zealand
