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The color of the Maṇipūra cakra is yellow. It is the color of fire. The tattva of the Maṇipūra-cakra is Tejas. Tattva means element. It is the fire element. Mūlādhāra is earth. Svādhiṣṭhāna is water. Maṇipūra is fire. Anāhata is air. And Viśuddhi is Ākāśa. In many books, Ākāśa is translated as ether. But in Sanskrit, Ākāśa does not mean ether, but simply space. Space is very important. Without space, nothing can exist. In the Vedas, it is said that every movement requires a firm support. Without firm ground, one cannot walk. For example, it has long been said in the Vedas that the Earth is round like a sphere. Now we know the Earth is a sphere. The question is asked: upon what does the Earth float in space? The Earth is based on space. This space is like the entire universe. In the universe, many planets and stars all have a fixed posture within the Ākāśa. Ākāśa provides the possibility; space gives us the possibility to move, to hold, to contract, or to stretch. So, the Ākāśa element always means an empty space through which one can move. Thus, Maṇipūra is fire, Anāhata is air, and Viśuddhi-Cakra is the Ākāśa-Cakra. We will talk more about these cakras next time. Tejas means fire. Fire signifies the digestive fire. Fire means our activity, creative thoughts, and so on. This is the Maṇipūra-cakra. The associated gland is the pancreas. The plexus is the solar plexus. The mantra is Raṁ. The lotus has ten petals. Please correct this in your book if you have one; it is sometimes misspelled as a six-petal lotus. The animal is a ram (meṣa), a fiery, active animal. It is very active, passionate, strict, and strong in its methodology, representing the fire element. The deity is Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu is the sustainer or the source of Brahmā, and Brahmā is the creator. Now, Viṣṇu represents human consciousness and evolution. The female deity is Lakṣmī. A question I must answer is why the gods are always depicted as men. Do they have special protection in heaven? This is wrong. On one level, there is no difference. Difference exists only in form, in the physical body of man and woman, but in the soul, in reality, there is none. Where was I? With the goddesses. Just as there are no differences in the soul, in reality there are no differences, because reality is non-dual. Duality is not reality. We have declared that all living beings are a part of God. Likewise, living beings are also feminine. They also have a soul, and these souls are also a part of God. So why is it said to be only for men? Unless it is misunderstood, the quality of the soul is the same in a man and a woman. On the higher planes, there should be no difference, and there is no difference between male and female. The difference lies here in our consciousness and in our functions. As soon as the soul permeates this phenomenon, the difference begins. In the yoga tradition, or in the Vedic religion—the oldest religion—the Vedic religion speaks of the elements. The oldest religion is based on the elements, all kinds of elements, planets, and so on. That was a science. It is not a religion where only a personal God is depicted. In the Vedic religion, it is said Agni Dev (the fire god), Sūrya Dev (the sun god). Why the sun as God? Because the sun has a specific significance and a particular energy. This energy for us is like a god, a vital energy. In reality, the sun itself is dark. There is nothing as dark as the sun; it is completely dark. But the energy that comes from the sun, this energy is our life. And life for us is that we flourish like God. Agni Dev, Vāyu Dev, Pṛthvī Mātā—the Earth is the mother. Why? Because we nourish ourselves from this Earth. And so, Goddess Lakṣmī is the female deity of the Maṇipūra-cakra. Lakṣmī is beloved all over the world because Lakṣmī means prosperity: money, a big car, a Mercedes, a Trabant—it depends on prosperity, on Lakṣmī, on money. The money that comes and moves is flowing. Here, Lakṣmī represents the emotional part of our being. Consciousness is the creator, Śiva, and Lakṣmī is Prakṛti, the feminine principle. So, both female and male have the same rights, the same position, the same essence. This is shown in every symbol, be it Lakṣmī or Sarasvatī, and so on. There are Viṣṇu and Lakṣmī. Lakṣmī is prosperity. Prosperity exists where there is activity, purity, and clarity; where there is laziness, Lakṣmī does not remain. Lakṣmī flows always. It is said in India that she is cala (restless). She always flows like water. If someone gets a thousand-mark note today, that note will only stay in your pocket for a few hours. It goes away. How? You go to the bank and deposit it. The physical note is gone; it is only a number in an account. But this note will be gone in five minutes as it moves into another bag. One says, "Oh, I have thousands here," and goes to an airline office and pays there. So this note, perhaps in one day, moves through several hands. And so it is with Lakṣmī; she comes and goes. The feminine principle is like this, always coming and going. The Maṇipūra cakra is very important because the jewels are there. This is a wealth cakra and also important for people who have emotional problems. Fear, mostly fear, does not come from the heart. Fear comes from the Maṇipūra Cakra. Suddenly an indescribable fear arises. One feels fear but cannot say why. The whole body becomes wet, sweating, a little nervous, uncertain, unable to fall asleep. All of this comes from the Maṇipūra-cakra. Do you experience diarrhea or constipation, or suddenly have too much appetite, or sometimes appetite at midnight? That is called emptying the refrigerator: fill at noon and empty at midnight. Why? Because something is missing. These are the qualities of the Maṇipūra-cakra which make demands. The human psyche is deeply stored in the Maṇipūra-cakra. Eating, drinking, desire, movement, taste—all of this connects us with the Maṇipūra-cakra. It is a very important cakra for cleansing, focusing, and meditating. I will quickly guide you through some exercises for the Maṇipūra cakra, then conclude, as we do not have much time. For those who may not come tomorrow, a very good practice is called Agni-Śarkriyā. Please check in books or ask your yoga teachers. Agni-Śarkriyā: Agni is fire, śara is purification—cleansing for the digestive fire. Whoever practices Agni-Śarkriyā every day—very little is promised in Yoga, it is only a challenge—but here I can tell you, they will never contract certain diseases. First, no circulatory diseases: no high blood pressure, no low blood pressure. Second, no diabetes. Third, no cancer, if one practices Agni-Śarkriyā daily. How long should one practice? Three minutes. How wonderful. And when? Early in the morning. Get up, go to the toilet, come back, wash your hands and mouth. Then open the windows, breathe in and out deeply, bend forward a little carefully, bend the knees more, rest your hands on the knees, breathe in deeply, and exhale through the mouth quickly. Then hold the breath and swing the belly in and out a few times. Hold the breath, repeat three, four, or ten times. Then come back up straight and inhale. Four or five rounds. This is a two- or three-minute task. All day long, one has a good feeling, a warm feeling, a light feeling, no laziness. One has a good appetite and good digestion, yet does not gain weight. This is a miracle. So please, practice Agni-Śarkriyā. An advanced technique is called Nauli-Kriyā. Nauli-Kriyā is the act of contracting all the intestinal muscles together and rotating them. I have not fully succeeded yet, but some have. Perhaps tomorrow in the seminar, Advaitananda or someone else can demonstrate. These are very useful things for your entire life, for health and clarity. People who practice Agni-Śarkriyā and Nauli-Kriyā will never have problems with memory. The greatest problem is with people who always eat meat; after 50, 60, or 70 years, their thinking slows down. Thoughts and memory fade. People who practice Agni-Śarkriyā will receive clear and good thoughts again. Another beneficial practice is Paścimottānāsana. And Uḍḍīyāna Bandha—drawing the abdomen inward—is very good. This can be done standing or sitting; a yoga seat is better. Inhale very deeply, exhale very slowly, hold the breath, apply the chin lock (Jālandhara Bandha), and simply pull the abdomen up as far as possible. Whoever practices Uḍḍīyāna Bandha, four or five rounds daily (also taking about three minutes), will never have kidney or gallstones. How beautiful. If one already has such a stone, that is another question—perhaps go to the doctor for surgery. These are all protective exercises. So, those were the exercises, which I quickly repeated. Aspects of the Maṇipūra-Cakra: clarity, self-confidence, well-being, self-awareness, distribution of nourishment throughout the body, the meeting of prāṇa and apāna, and the burning of the nectar from the Bindu-Cakra—this is a negative aspect. The Bindu-Cakra, located here, produces a nectar. There are stories, and even today, there are people who eat and drink nothing at all, yet look quite well. They do not look like Gandhi, but like Svāmījī. They neither eat nor drink and are very well. Why? Because they receive the Bindu nectar. In the Haṭha-Yoga-Pradīpikā, it is said this cakra produces a kind of nectar. This nectar drips down and is naturally digested or burned by the Maṇipūra-cakra, the fire cakra. But one who can control this nectar does so through Khecarī Mudrā. Khecarī Mudrā is rolling the tongue back, inserting it deeply inside until the nectar comes onto the tongue and is distributed. It is roughly like a homeopathic medicine touching the tip of the tongue and then being distributed throughout the body. There is nothing easier than retracting the tongue. Should one try to lengthen the tongue a little every day? When will my tongue be ready? The time has come when I can take out my tongue, stretch it, and touch the tip of my nose. The answer: everyone already knows. Go home, stand in front of the mirror, stick out your tongue, and try to touch here. What works here also works in reverse. The Bindu cakra is exactly where, if one has short hair, one can see a swirl. Some people have two swirls. I have two vortices, so I have two drops. Because I cannot catch one, I will surely catch the second. Therefore, for example, the people in India, the Ṛṣis, began to have long hair or a tuft (choṭī) here. These tufts are gathered and twisted together. The skin moves along with it, and then they make a knot. These knots are called Brahmagranthi. Śikhā means these hairs here. Śikhā means the flame. The flame, the light of life, shines from here, from this nectar. The hair is twisted and a knot is made. Throughout the day, there is a pressure or pulling sensation there, and through this, the cakra becomes active. This is the main principle why Hindus, the children of the Ṛṣis, wear their hair like this. Today, when the hair is gathered, people say, "Oh, Hare Kṛṣṇa." The Hare Krishna people have this hair, but the main purpose is not that they are Hindus, but that they are yogis—to awaken the cakras. But they are not correct; they are just loosely hanging in a knot at the end. But it is true that they contract together and form such a knot. Then it looks good, and the cakra opens. When this cakra is awakened, the nectar comes and is caught through Khecarī Mudrā. This is the next topic, for the fourth seminar, I believe. So, this nectar, if it is neither controlled nor consumed, will be destroyed or burned by the navel cakra, by the fire. The principle of fire is purification. No matter what we pour in—gasoline or nectar—it all burns. Because fire maintains its principle; its principle is heat and burning. If one cannot radiate heat and cannot burn, then one loses their Dharma, their principle. The dharma of the Maṇipūra-cakra is to cleanse everything away and bestow beauty and clarity. People who practice all these Maṇipūra cakra exercises do not age so quickly. That is also an advantage. Because many probably do not live to old age? Those who have difficulties will get gray hair faster. If you no longer want to dye your hair but naturally want to regain your natural color, then quickly start with Maṇipūra-cakra exercises. One more thing: Shoulder stand or headstand. Then the hair regains its own color, just as it should be. But others are, of course, their own matters. So whoever practices daily—practice makes perfect—then comes Kāya Kalpa. Kāya Kalpa means rejuvenation treatment. The body becomes very healthy again, and an 80-year-old feels like an 18-year-old. Perhaps beautiful or perhaps not, that again depends individually. So, the Maṇipūra Cakra and this entire cakra system are not only for spirituality or God-realization, but are also very beneficial for our life and health. That is why "Yoga in Daily Life" means everything is within: a health program, a concentration program, a relaxation program, a meditation program, and God-realization—that is the spiritual program. The end of it is, without love nothing progresses. Love, Bhakti-Yoga, devotion is the highest form of Yoga. And devotion not only to personalities but to all living beings. So open your heart and love all; then your path will be safer and all the cakras will come back into balance. Now we will take a short break. It's already late, but late is never too late—a 10-minute break. Afterwards, we will have ten minutes for questions, if anyone has any. Excuse me, Martin’s mother was here; she has already left. So now we have some time for questions. Question: Is it not the case that activating chakras can also have negative consequences? Answer: It can happen when one has no driver and activates the car; then one journeys inward somewhere. But when one has true guidance and has learned, then one can, of course, have it under control. So, as I said, with the cakras or with the Kuṇḍalinī, so much is being done now. I wonder whether all those who write and teach about Kuṇḍalinī have truly awakened this energy themselves. Because in reality, the meaning is completely different from what one understands and what one does. There are also those who declare that doing emotional exercises and movement is enough. For me, that is only momentary. It is like a sauna: intense heat at 120 degrees, very hot, and then on cast iron, even hotter.