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Haribha jen na koma nare, tu haribha jen na koma nare, haribha jen na koma nare. Kabir says, listen, O devotees, like the golden bee on the lotus, do not neglect the worship of Hari. Matkar mohat, you are in the heart of the devotees of Hari, devotees of Hari are in the heart. Om Shri Dit Narembha Gwane Ki Jai. Paramhans Shri Swami Maheshwarananda Ji Gurudeva Ki Jai. Hari Om, dear friends, good morning. I deeply appreciate the opportunity to lecture under this beautiful clear sky in Střílky and in such a pleasant, cool shade. My name is Milada Krejčí Karuna, and I work as an associate professor at the university. I often give lectures both at home and abroad, but lecture halls are different. I have probably never had such a beautiful lecture hall as this one. On the other hand, I have never given a lecture while sitting in a yoga set in Sukhāsana, so I hope it will all go well. Bhole Sri Dibnare Amba Gvanki Jaya. This lecture concerns the significance of yoga in the prevention and subsequently in the treatment of burnout syndrome. Burnout syndrome is among the relatively new illnesses, and it is categorized alongside conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome. It is included in the group of diseases commonly referred to as lifestyle-related problems. In Czech, we have a beautiful word, životospráva, meaning the ability to manage one’s life. Unfortunately, the modern lifestyle often severely damages this životospráva or is not optimal, as Chitānandajī spoke about yesterday, and so these new illnesses arise. Our modern life, as we heard today, is not perfect; there are problems, and new illnesses are also being created. This affects civilized societies, but it can be said that today it impacts the entire world globally. So, despite all the care for human health in modern medicine and the advances made, the economic costs of healthcare are constantly rising in all countries. This situation had become unbearable, so at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries in Europe, a program was adopted called Health 21—health for the 21st century. A very important postulate of this document is that in the 21st century, a person must be educated and nurtured towards a healthy lifestyle. It is no longer possible, as before, to rely solely on family tradition or the cultural tradition of a nation. Due to these changes, education and upbringing towards health are necessary. An important document is also from the Danish global conference, which dealt with mental health and announced European and worldwide cooperation in the field of global mental health. The program is called Global Mental Health. I believe that here, in this area and in the field of Health 21, many opportunities are opening up for yoga instructors, teachers, and yoga as a whole. But I will return to the burnout syndrome. It is an illness associated with a person’s profession. Previously, burnout syndrome was linked to so-called helping professions—nurses, teachers, doctors, and caregivers in various educational institutions. This is a certain paradox. What is the main cause of its arising? The main cause is the constant time pressure and pressure on a person’s performance. We know that performance pressure is present in practically every profession today, and time stress accompanies the modern lifestyle, along with excessive noise and an inability to concentrate. So, burnout syndrome today is understood more as an illness characterized by a kind of disintegration of personality, and it can occur practically in any profession, perhaps in anyone. If we consider that it is about the dissolution of personality, and yoga is essentially unification and connection, it becomes clear that yoga itself becomes the best foundation for the prevention of this disorder. I would rather speak about prevention because burnout syndrome is characterized as a stage of complete exhaustion and a kind of resignation. Of course, there were preceding stages when it was still possible to do something about it. At our workplace, we have a European project in collaboration with German colleagues that focuses on burnout syndrome in the teaching profession. I believe this is very important because it is precisely the teachers who, together with the parents, create the foundation of health for the next generations. If I were to list the main signs of burnout syndrome, they manifest in the realm of physical health as complete fatigue, exhaustion, and a feeling of apathy. This is also associated with a number of other clinical symptoms, such as heart rhythm disorders and high blood pressure, which are certainly connected to a person’s emotional state. Then, conflicts are characteristic because the apathy and indifference of the person provoke conflicts in their surroundings. The last characteristic point is the loss of ideals. In this way, we actually move from the realm of physical health through mental health to the spiritual and social domains of the person. I would now like to mention some results from our observations among Czech and German teachers. German colleagues have found that, for example, in Bavaria, eight teachers leaving the profession will be replaced. They leave for other professions, retire early, or become very seriously ill. Something should change already in the preparation of teachers themselves; even during their studies, they should be prepared for certain professional risks and have specific training in techniques such as yogic ones. Results from a recent survey over the last two years revealed an interesting fact: the most affected area among teachers is the physical one. Medical examinations showed they have severe problems with the cervical spine, most have problems with the hips, and overall, kinesiological examination revealed joint problems. From psychological tests, it also clearly emerged that they feel physically drained and that this profession is very physically demanding, although objectively the teaching profession is not calorically demanding. They also often feel unappreciated, especially men. Only lastly were some shortcomings found in terms of social burnout, so we could conclude that the teachers, even at the cost of physical difficulties—and I should also mention sleep disorders—still carry on with the profession and in the social realm strive to be kind to colleagues and students. We wanted to create a model of intervention for teachers, which would then serve as a model for the study and preparation for the teaching profession. When we consulted with German colleagues, I naturally strongly advocated the Yoga system. I have created a paradigm of procedural measures for teachers, consisting of five parts. The first part is relaxation. The second part is appropriate movement tailored to the individual. The third area is nourishment. The fourth area is preventive, an active influence from the teacher's side. Of course, one can visit doctors; sometimes they underestimate this due to lack of time. Prevention here refers not only to medical check-ups but also to an active approach to lifestyle. Regarding that neglect, there were many gynecological findings among women teachers, and especially many findings in the area of the viśuddha cakra, in the region of the thyroid gland. This is understandable because teachers strain their voice a lot and do not know how to take care of it. The fifth area is professional salutogenesis—essentially the harmonization and balancing of the demands of the profession. For example, the technique of Mauna is very important for the teacher. I know from my own experience, after a day of lectures and consultations, coming home to peace is essential. So setting aside time for mauna is just one example from professional salutogenesis. The first three parts are very important: relaxation, appropriate movement, and nourishment. Here yoga provides clear guidance. The area of relaxation and breathing exercises is so refined that essentially all psychology, including sports psychology where we used various psychotraining techniques, is derived from yoga. Last year in June, I attended the World Congress of Sport Psychology in Marrakech, where a textbook titled Psychology of Breathing was launched. Truly, as was said yesterday, yoga forms the foundation here, and we should not be ashamed to present Yoga in Daily Life and apply those techniques on ourselves and introduce them to our surroundings, especially professionally. Especially the system of Yoga in Daily Life is so elaborately detailed and beautifully applicable that it seems perfectly timed for this era. It is a certain gift. So the first area is relaxation. Precisely because those teachers felt physically drained and exhausted, and because objective problems with joints, posture, and tension appeared, here the techniques of relaxation, breathing, and exercise—sarvahita, āsana sequences—are combined. Then there is the area of nutrition, where dietary recommendations are so that one is full of energy, feels fit, and is not tired. It is not just vegetarian food; it should be freshly prepared and sattvic. We have prepared coherent three-month cycles that can follow one another. Most participating teachers go through two cycles, where the things I have spoken about, including yoga, are covered. Then they have the possibility of further supplementation because after those cycles, they improve in their condition, especially on the physical and mental levels, so they can continue with additional activities in nature, such as swimming, cycling, or walking. We are now at the stage where, before the new moon, you should have already carried out certain individual personal practices. We will evaluate in September how well you managed to maintain it. We know that sādhanā should be daily, but sometimes even yogīs have difficulties maintaining it. Between 2004 and 2008, a program was verified among adolescents, middle-aged individuals, and seniors. The results were excellent, and Swāmījī Maheshwaranandā’s book Yoga Against Back Pain proved very effective. People with overweight or obesity truly suffer from issues like back and joint pain, so we started with that program. Those who committed to the complete yoga program saw very good results. It may seem I am always speaking only about movement, but of course it is connected with relaxation, breath exercises, self-awareness, self-analysis, and self-control. We know Swāmījī has been composing concentration and meditation exercises, self-inquiry meditation, from the very beginnings in the initial sarvahitās. This is very important because when we talk about overweight or obesity, it is often connected with damaged self-esteem. A postulate for a person to actively approach their health is that they must value themselves. One who values and loves oneself will do something for their own health and for the health of those around them. It is also connected with the ecological context. It is all so beautifully interconnected. What we have called integrative yoga training, to make it accessible to everyone, is actually based on Yoga in Daily Life in those three-month cycles. After three or six months, even people who suffered from overweight improve or balance to the point that they can begin with commonly recommended activities like swimming or walking. Overweight and obesity are often addressed through diets or improper dietary modifications, but this is a blind path. Nutrition is important and should be rational, ideally sattvic food. But it is based on the art of letting go, the art of moving, working on oneself every day. Often for overweight people, it is not easy to engage in aerobic exercises; they feel ashamed, afraid of ridicule, and such exercises can even harm their body. Yoga is very well applicable here. Returning once again to burnout syndrome, yoga should have been implemented already in school education and throughout all levels up to universities, in the spirit of education for health. In the Czech Republic, we have been fortunate that since 2007, all schools have included a new subject called health education. In other countries, this is handled in various ways. In the Czech Republic, education for health begins in kindergartens in the area called "Human and Body," and continues at the elementary, secondary, and high school levels. As for colleges and universities, there is academic freedom. But for the preparation of future teachers and educators, according to Czech law, they must have a master’s degree, and precisely in that consecutive master’s program, there should be at least one semester dedicated to health education. From what I have read in curricula, yogic techniques are included. At the elementary and middle school levels, it is only a matter of time before experts arrive who know how to teach health education. So far, it is taught by various people—a biology teacher, a civics teacher, or a physical education teacher. It is simply a matter of having created enough specialized teachers. If you have the opportunity to collaborate as yoga instructors with a school, kindergarten, or preschool, do not hesitate to offer your services. It is quite possible school principals will gladly make use of your services within health education, as there are still not enough specialists. That is probably all from my side. I believe we can quite optimistically state that the time is ripening for yoga to be very effectively applied in education, and it is a very relevant topic in supporting human health. It is excellent that we have a system that is so well developed. Thank you for your attention.