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Part 1: A Morning Reflection and Gentle Yoga for Beginners How are you all this morning? Good? Time is passing. Already, today is Friday, and we will depart tomorrow. Say goodbye. So I hope you like it here. Yesterday evening we had a Bhakti Samādhiyā. What was it dedicated to? Yes, so it means you still don’t even know the name of your Siddha Pīṭha, where you belong. What kind of disciples are you? Many times I meet people, and they say, "Yes, I also have a guru, and I have my mantra from him." I say, "What is his name?" In a moment, they say, "You see, it doesn’t come to my mind." So it means very clearly: there is no connection. Mūlam guru-mūrti pūjā, mūlam guru-padam mantra, mūlam guru-vākyam mokṣa, mūlam guru-kṛpā. So if that, in that person, is not there, then I... I ask, okay, but what is the mantra? They say, yeah, it was a comma’s something, but I don’t remember now. "I always repeat it, but now it’s gone." So you see, similarly, you are the same. You don’t know Om Śrī Alak Porījī Siddhāpīṭha. This name you don’t know, so this is like this. What to do. So, this morning’s program, we have to make some overall calculation of the last fourteen days. Four nights we were here. First of all, you have priority if you would like to speak something. You are staying here, your experience is here, your practice, something, or your progress. Your yoga teacher who leads the programs, so anyone who would like to speak is most welcome. Please stand up and come. So, it means you did not attend the program? It was another group. Aha, sorry, I forgot you came tonight only. This is a problem. Of course, you were not here. The same condition with you, that they said, "I know my Gurujī’s name and my mantra I had, but I don’t know how it is now." So, in the same condition, you are also a paralyzed one. But I understand, you were not here, but you came yesterday night. New group, well, welcome you then. New group here to the web, and I wish that in these 24 hours you will learn something better than nothing. And because you are a new group, and kriyānusthāna is finished—they went yesterday home, all. Now you have a new group, have an introductory program. So I would ask you to stand up and have a program of āsanas, thank you. It will be very gentle exercises because of the new group; you are beginners. Stand up, yes. Stand up means in yoga. That you stand, I’m designed for everyone, from a small child when the child is in the mother’s body, in the mother’s womb, till going to the grave, okay? So from the mother’s body to the grave, so it means before the birth and also... After the birth, we have ceremonies. Similarly, from the child till the old, unlimited age, and very beginners like you all, and advanced, most disciples who practice Kriyā, Kriyānuṣṭhāna, Āsanas, Prāṇāyāmas, meditations, Svādhyāya, having everyday Satsaṅg. But you are beginners, so I will not tell you what a satsaṅg is. At present, these are easier exercises for you. Okay? So, stretch your hands like this and don’t touch anyone’s body. Therefore, take enough space. That is very good. Hands down. Relax. Tired. There are few yoga teachers, and you should know that with the beginners you have to be very careful. These are all beginners, and they are very fragile. To give them exercises, they must understand and be able to practice them. So this is what we did now for you, just with a stretching hands sidewards. So this exercise, this āsana means stretching hands sidewards. So please try to perform once more if you remember how it is. Stretch your hands. Inhale. Check that your hand is exactly at the level of your shoulder. Control yourself. Don’t look to others. Look that your hands are not up, or your elbows are not higher than your shoulders. Many people are like this. Thank you. Relax. Now, you cannot see both hands at the same time. You have not learned yet this exercise and abilities that at the same time you see both hands when they are like this. It will take time. One year practicing. Next year, you will be able to see. So, stretch one hand like this, and look to your level of the shoulder and make it correct. Your fingers are hanging down, girls. Your palm is too much turned like this, not like this, but like that. Many have the fingers like this. Many have them like that. So try to correct. This will develop concentration. Look to your hands. Don’t look to me. If you don’t understand the language, then we will translate it aloud. I said, look to your hand which is stretched up. Thank you. Hand down and other hand. Your left hand, my right hand. Now, many of you did not stretch your hand exactly sideward. You are either like this or like that. Make it very straight in one line, and then look to the hand. Be good, similar way, legs together, little bit, and raise your left hand up straight, parallel to the head, exactly that your upper arm is touching your ear, not hand like this, not like that, not like this, not like that, but try to correct your hand. Nicely, and it should go exactly when something drops from one hand, it falls here on the left side of the head. This posture is called democratic exercise, so everyone agrees, the voting. So now we see that everyone’s hands are up, voting. So it’s something like a socialistic system. But we are in that kind of democracy where everything is very gentle, clear, and free. On the other hand, up slowly, first this down. You see the difference between the advanced people and the beginner? Please, hand down. Look to there are two yoga teachers, look to them. They practice last three years. You are beginners, hand down, thank you. You know, yes, I meant the hand which was up, down, yes, thank you. We try slowly, please, with your right hand again. You did wrong hand down. You did not listen to what I said, and very quickly you forgot it in two minutes. So that is a capacity of your concentration and alertness, but if you will practice yoga and a life for one year, your concentration will develop. It will be better. There is no other medicine that can help you. All you are here for is better concentration. You have a lack of concentration, you have stress, and the best is that you practice yoga and then life, that you remember what was one minute before. I didn’t ask you what will be one second before advanced in future. So we said, raising hands up like this, sidewards, and going up and touching the head with the upper arm, if it’s possible. But don’t do like this. Don’t bend the head. Try to bring your arm up, and now see from your middle finger, till go straight down to your ankle joint and middle of the foot. And muscles are stretched nicely sideways. So try, please say that this is the upper arm, okay? This. This touching this ear. So I will say, okay, das tam thadi. So once more, and finger straight like this. Not like that, not like this, not like this,... not like that, like that. Head straight. If you can’t touch your upper arm to the ear, don’t try too hard. Head should be straight. Early, bring hand down. Some did like this, some did like this, some did like that. So we’ve forgotten again, anyhow, but you are much... better in three, four minutes. Once more, first hand goes up like this, palm is like that. Then you come up, and then you change that. When you go down again, turn and balancing. Go slowly, not like this. Reveal. Hydraulic, okay. So now, right hand, please. I will see how the right hand is going. Do it with the right hand and Kofnik Leiden. Kofgarade. Yeah. Slowly back. These were the preparation exercises for beginners. Now with both hands up, slowly try to coordinate that both hands go at the same time, not like this. Both hands go the same level, same side. Go up, go up. Don’t hold the palms, just leave it here. Palms apart, the side of your ears or the... Soldiers, don’t push your stomach like this, friend. You are Austrian? No wonder. Don’t push your stomach out in front. You are from Klagenfurt? Yes, stomach a little. Elbows straight. Hands a little more. Yes, thank you. Thank you. That’s it. You can forget in the CFS state. He speaks Doge, Hungarian, perfect, Bosnian, very good. Slovenian, a little bit disbalanced. The Serbian. Yoga teacher out of order. Hands straight, elbows straight. Now let’s try the Indian way. Palms together. Thanks to God. Hands are more or less supporting each other. But don’t count me as Indian, okay? I’m international. Viśwa Gurujī means the whole world. Again, hands apart and palms downward. Now, it’s very important how your hands will go exactly parallel, not like this or not like that, but exactly on the same level. This will develop your concentration. It will create a harmony in your body, in your... mind in your breath, that you can begin the first level of yoga in their life. One posture we will do from yoga and real life, that is not beginners, little advanced, but beginners can do also. Legs together, and slowly, from the front side, stretch your hands up above the head. Front of your body, above the head, and pull your stomach again in the front. The name of this exercise is called Hastapādāsana. Slowly bend forward, slowly, slowly, and touch your toes, or place your hands on the ground near your feet. You can look to your knees or your toes. If you feel tired, you can lean your head on your knees, but keep your knees straight. You feel dizzy, then remain stable. Don’t fall down. In that case, open the eyes, try to hold your toes if it’s possible, and slowly bend the knees and sit down. Yes, the way was not long. Okay, relax. Thank you. You now stretch your legs, stretch out. The front, don’t worry, Mahāprabhujī will forgive us. Place your hands beside the body and try to raise up your buttocks a few centimeters from the ground. If you can do your legs also, it would be good, otherwise at least... Buttocks up, and listen: don’t bend your knees, don’t bend yourself behind or go like this. Remain straight, sitting and try to balance with the fingers on the ground. Try to go up and down slowly, 10 times. Don’t lean behind if you can’t. Come up, don’t. Doesn’t matter. It is good for our shoulders, arm muscles. Slowly, slowly. Very good. Place your hands on the thighs or on the knees. Look down to your stomach or to your navel. Those who have little stomach muscles, it is a long way to see the navel, but beginners like you all have a bigger stomach, so you can see the closer side. Roll your... Bend your body more back so that you can see the stomach more and more. Keep your knees straight. Bend your back more, but in a round way. Make your back round. You feel stretching in your neck. Good. Slowly, slowly bring your head up. Straighten up your trunk. The body and slowly place your hands behind your body, a little bit on the ground, the fingers pointing back side. Sit straight and look to the ceiling above your head, exactly where your head is. Normal breath. This will help for better circulation towards the head. It will remove the tensions from the neck, muscles, and the shoulders. Very good. Slowly come to the middle. Very good. Again, your hands near. The body is on the floor, the tips of the fingers are pointing to the front side. So last time we tried to raise up our buttocks from the ground, that was a little bit difficult because from the buttocks till here we have a lot of weight, many kilos. But when you practice yoga and daily life for six months every day, then you will be able to do this. Now we know the trunk of the body is heavier than the legs, so remain straight like this and just try to raise your legs up without bending. Knees don’t bend backward, no. Just, just your heels slowly. Don’t, don’t have no air, no acrobatic, no, no. The higher, high-level sport, just only look, yes, yes. Listen to me, hello. Don’t suffer. You are trying very hard. Just, while sitting, raise both legs up. That’s all, yes. Only the heels, okay? Only heels and calf muscles, but don’t go behind like this. Sit like that, straight. Only heels, let’s say only heels, 10 centimeters, okay? Only heels, but don’t go back, otherwise I will put your hands on the knees. That will be heavy weight on it, so just lift your legs slowly and remain there. Carefully look to me, yeah. Lift up your heels and look to me, that’s all. You don’t concentrate too much; you should know only that your heels are up. Yes, well, in the beginning it’s difficult. It means not that you are frightened and you will not practice any more yoga. Come to yoga in their life, yoga classes every day or once a week, and practice at home. Your teacher, yoga and deadlift teacher, they are more gentle than me. They are more gentle because they also like to be gentle to themselves. Anyhow, once more, try to raise your buttocks up. Leave your, forget your heels. Very good. Well, you did a good job. There is one very nice, easier exercise after that. That we call half butterfly. Put your right foot on the left thigh, and your right hand on the right knee, and your left hand holding the right toes. Left hand holding right toes, that’s it. So slowly, that’s very easily, move your knee up and down. Sit straight, look to your left toes. Big toe, don’t look to others. In yoga and a life class, we advise: don’t look to others unless you want to imitate. You should look to your body. You should know what you are doing. You should concentrate on what you are doing. You listen to what the teachers told you and think it over. Keep your body straight upright and try to touch the knee to the ground. In the beginning, it is hard, but one day it will be very nice, and you will enjoy it. All your hamstrings, your ligaments, they will be... very relaxed. Now slowly stop the movements, raise your left hand up, slowly back again, please. Part 2: The Essence of Conscious Practice In yoga and in life, we perform every exercise very consciously and gently. For instance, raising the hand should be done beautifully, like this. If done carelessly, like this, it is nothing. So please, hands down. Always remember that in our yoga and daily life exercises, anything we do, we do fully—with awareness full of concentration and full of relaxation. When you observe beginners who have practiced yoga for six months, their daily life is much, much better and more relaxed. Of course, you are a beginner, so I cannot expect that from you yet. You arrived yesterday evening. So, slowly raise your left hand only... and where is your right hand? Pochke, right hand is on the right knee, very good. For me, the right hand is on this side, but when you look at me, your right hand is on this side, okay? So when I say raise the right hand, you raise your left hand up because you think from Swamijī’s body side is your right hand, okay? In Yogānanda life, we first listen carefully. Of course, beginners, when they try to learn to drive a car, they have to be very careful. So now, raise your left hand slowly, and slowly down again on the thigh. Very good. But someone was doing like this. I didn’t say to go left side or right side like this, okay? And some did like this. We are not going to have a swimming lesson, you know, because you are holding your toes. Your toes are on the thighs, and you are holding with your hand. So now, stretch the hand like this first, slowly up. You need not look up, just very nice. This time is much, much better than me. I am more of a beginner than you. Now slowly bend forward and hold your left toes if it’s possible, or your left calf if you cannot hold your toes. You can hold your leg down near the knee, but your left knee should be straight. Now slowly look up and try to bring your... belly forward. That is in Kriyā Yoga called Yoga Mudrā, Kriyā Yoga Mudrā. Kriyā, remain comfortable, just bend forward, look up, normal breath. Our platform or the ceiling is very nicely white painted. If you see black, then it means you have a lack of iron. And slowly, hand up. Beautiful. Change your posture. Left foot on the right thigh. Left hand on the left knee, and right hand holding the left toes, and body straight, doing the half butterfly. Now, don’t put your foot like this. Try to go out of the thigh a little, like this. Yes. If you put only half of your foot on the thigh, then you will have a problem with your ankle joint. You will destroy your ankle joint. If you go outside of it, then you destroy your knee, so decide which you want to destroy. And if you press too much your knee down, then you destroy the hip joints, so this is a preparation for the orthopedic doctors’ income—how the orthopedic doctor and a physiotherapist are working together. And therefore now, your left hand slowly up, and while exhaling, hold your toes of the right foot, and left hand is on the left knee. Now try to make sure that your foot is straight and not bent like this. It’s not easy to keep the same level. That is where it is easy for me to say to you, but always you go like this. Straight, very good. Oh, I managed it. It is not that we must completely, as far as you can, easily, normal breath. Look up. The platform is painted black. If you see white, then you are looking to this side, you know, and slowly come up and down. Very nice, you did. Now, stretch both your legs in front. And we call it Paścimottānāsana. Paścimottānāsana, both hands on the thighs, legs a little apart, not closing, a little. And your both feet are standing in the middle, exactly. Now, back straight. Look straight to the front. And now, slowly stretch your arms and raise them up above your head while inhaling. And while exhaling, slowly bend forward. Normal breath. Try to hold your toes. If you cannot, hold your knees or your calf muscles. But keep the knees straight and look at me. That’s it. And try to bend more forward like this. Bring your shoulders more to your belly, to your thighs. Then the shoulders will come nearer. Then you have hands longer than the legs. Normal breath. Keep your chin a little up. Now, look behind me. There’s a beautiful, beautiful picture behind me from the Himālaya. And if you don’t see Himālaya and see the Gurujī, then something is different. It means you are doing everyday Dhyāna Mūlaṁ Guru Mūrti. Head up. Look in the front. Straight looking. Front, front, front. And then slowly, hands up. Exhale, and hands slowly down. Not trouble ends. You, you very good. So it was a long time you were sitting. Now slowly bend your knees, yes, and press your hand one side, one side, a little bit, and sit up, stand up, yes. Oh, thank you. And now I will give a lecture, and you will sit all on the chair, okay? So you can have your arms crossed and sit on the chair, just listen. Sit on the chair. I know, boys, that we don’t have such high chairs. Go down more on the table like this, otherwise you can... Try like that, something burning, three minutes yoga class because you are a beginner, gratis. Three minutes will be gratis. Okay? So again, sit comfortably. It will be gratis. Three minutes, and it is said that you must have a seat lower than the master. Thank you. Sit down. We have, in yoga and daily life, we always try to have a healthy way of nourishment. And when things are ground earlier, a few days, then it develops tamas guṇa. Maybe coriander, spices, cardamom, black pepper, white pepper, haldi, chili, and so on, where all these different spices are. It is ground and packed, and they are one year old, two years old. There is a written limit, but often we don’t follow it because it is chili. How should chili expire? But it does expire when, in big quantities, tons, they have to grind it. Of course, you cannot do it by hand; you need a machine, a mill, to go electric. Electric, they are mostly, they have an iron plate, or some have good stone, but because of the electric, it’s a high-speed turning of the disc where they are grinding the spices. And when it’s high speed, it creates heat, you know. This we have in yoga and life. Many, many techniques. You are first-time beginners, so I cannot overload you with everything. But when the cold hands, you just rub like this, and you can try now. Look, how are your palms? Cool, yes? And now rub them, you will feel heat. Thank you, that’s all. So that was nothing. If it is electric, it goes very quickly. Oh my God, the fire falls here now. So, at that time, what happens? The very fine aroma, the nutrition value from those grains or spices, burns but smells good. Oh, when grinding spices, if you walk by that factory, you say, "Ah, have them on," or you... Walk by where the chili is ground, then you said, "Chili, chili, that’s it, that’s a power," or "haldī," you said, "Oh, hunger, appetite." So, the best is, nowadays, especially nowadays in this Kali Yuga time, people are many, they are very much manipulating. The quality is mixing, so there is no pure quality inside. So better that you grind at home spices. You bring the complete as corn seeds, and you can grind for two days, maximum three days. It doesn’t take time, you know, in every household in... In Europe, it was a tradition, and even now some have, that’s called a coffee grinder. Yes? You had your grandmother and grandfather, but your granddaughter doesn’t have it because she brings already the ground, fixed in the, in the, some packed packet. So that coffee, which is already ground and packed, has artificial aroma inside. But the coffee which you have as beans at home, and you grind it slowly and you feel it and the taste, everything, that’s a coffee. You know, many, many people are practicing yoga. But when you practice yoga in your life, then you will say, "Aha, this is yoga." Rozumish, you understand me? That’s it. So at home, you should have this traditional old coffee machine, hand coffee, where you can fix it fine grinding or less grinding, fine. And then slowly you grind. Ah, it takes you half a minute, one minute for your one spice for one meal. Your health will be very, very good. All gland systems will change. This is one thing. Second, also with bread, of course, the European tradition is bread, and they have been cooking bread and baking the bread and like this, but nothing can be compared with the fresh-made chapati or fresh-ground corn, wheat, and you make bread from that, but don’t keep bread longer than two days, then it becomes tamas. Also, chapati for every meal is done fresh, so also, the chapati flour, of course, in the market they have to grind tons and tons because the human population is very big. And if it is 25,000 inhabitants of one city, then out of 25,000, perhaps 1,000 people buy. So it is already 1,000 kilos. So they cannot grind with a small machine. But you can have it at home. Hand machine is better, but it depends on how many are in your family. Only husband and wife, or one child, two children and parents, then grandparents, then guests. So nowadays we are lazy, and we have no time, and the husband doesn’t want to grind, and the wife has too much to do. There are some husbands who don’t want to iron; they think, "Oh God, I am a man, how can I iron?" And the guilty are the women, you know. Many women, when the husband goes for ironing, she says, "Stop, give it to me. This is not your job, it’s a woman’s job." So the man, lazy like me, maybe will say, "Thank you." I go and read the newspaper or see the television. So guilty are women, mostly, that men are spoiled. But they are spoiled with love. And we like to be spoiled with love. This is another good quality of a man. So we also have chapati flour meal, and I introduced it in Australia and also in Vienna. We have it, and you all know many. But you can try, and maybe you would like to get it, or you can get it in your country. Definitely, every country has these things you can buy. Prices, I don’t know, anyhow. And there is a petition for the animals, right? Animals, police, ambulance, Slovenia. They are now collecting the signatures, and the government is going to give a new law, pass a new law for animal protection. So that’s very nice. And they need signatures of dear friends, those who are here from Slovenia or who are listening to my webcast. I think it would be a good thing to do. And you have the limit, which is the 31st of this month. So we have only a few days more, if you can collect. Petition is done by the University in Maribor. So food is good if you can help in protection. So this I also hear everyday: I say, "My chapati is not so good. What happens?" And what happens then? I saw the chapati flour was made six months before it was packed, and it was bought in some market; there it was stored. So now I have thanks to... Mahāprabhujī, fresh one. So, there is one machine. Can you bring a meal? Can you, somebody, can you bring here one meal? So, you have a model, or do you have at home, some of you? Who? Who has a hand up? I can’t see the hands. Can you stand up, people? Yeah, thank you. That’s okay. Czech, Croatian, Slovenian. Slovenian, Hungarian, Czech, Austrian, Austrian. Thank you. We can put it here. Okay. Thank you. Sit down. So this is a, you are a, you can explain. This is a machine, a mill, that is going with electricity. We have to connect the electricity so that it can go. Okay, and in one hour, how much, how many kilograms can it grind? Let’s say in one hour, you can have good chapati flour ground. The quality is about four kilos, very good. So you don’t eat four kilos. If you have ten, if you have ten family members, then it’s... or twenty family members, four kilos, okay? So it’s... Good that you have half a kilo. We don’t need to. They know. They are all like... they are beginners in yoga, but they are experts in eating. In eating, they are experts, advanced, not just expert, advanced. So this is a nice machine, or maybe there are some others. There is also one with a hand in your country; you can get it in a health food store or somewhere. And if you think that you would like to... Order from Hungary, that is a little cheaper, maybe. I don’t know, I would... can I? I don’t want to destroy the market of Austria, but what is in Austria price would be like this machine, Ligi, okay, Ekta, Robert, two to three hundred euros, and in Hungary something a little less than two hundred euros, they said. Master always gets gratis, so it’s a masterpiece. That’s why it is here. Maybe I hope I will get it, otherwise somebody will get me. So it is not like a chapati or bread, it can be done tomorrow. It takes time to manufacture. So let’s say in the month of December, when is the next program here, in VEP? Okay, who would like to order this, let’s say? It’s Reshmit Stein. Who would like to? Hand up or stand up, please. So now you count it, Mr. Chāgurī. Okay, thank you. So you can order 30. Thank you. Now, those who want to like and order, they have to pay money first, then it will be ordered. Otherwise, you change your mind, and this is... And those who have a shop and would like to do something good, so that people buy, they can also... Tiāgpuri? And someone is from depression, or... Second, sorry, second. Yeah, they are in contact with the most company who is producing, so you can get in touch with you. This is very nice. Do they have a masala, little small one for the masala? Yeah, for chili and coriander, not oil. Yes, no, no oil, no, not oil. Okay, with the hand, yeah. We have, they have with the hand, they have electricity. There are two, three different models. Okay, after this, you are hungry, so I wish you very good exercises, and then a nice lunch, and see you in the evening. All the best. Practice. Please, okay. Beginners are always disciplined people, are you?