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YIDL Presentation

A documentary on the origins and global impact of the Yoga in Daily Life system.

"Visible and invisible, all elements are balanced in a perfect way, and that balancing principle—that’s what I call yoga."

"This system... taught me how to become a vegetarian, how to think positively, and how to practice yoga in daily life."

The film presents the spiritual lineage of the system's founder, His Holiness Vishvaguru Mahāmaṇḍaleśwar Paramahaṁsa Śrī Svāmī Mahāśvarānandajī (Swāmījī), tracing it from his masters in Rajasthan. It details the system's holistic, eight-level approach for physical, mental, social, and spiritual health, and showcases its global reach through thousands of centers, university courses, and international peace summits. The documentary also highlights humanitarian projects in Rajasthan, including a school, hospital, and rainwater harvesting initiatives.

Filming locations: Kailash village, Barikattu Bholaguda, Jadan, Rajasthan, India.

Life is a permanent quest for strength, happiness, and peace. Far beyond the reach of human memory, there was and there is a science of accomplishment: the science of yoga. The cradle of yoga, the cradle of the science of living, is India—mother of wisdom and home of truth. It was from here that the world was blessed by the Yoga in Daily Life system. The author of the system is His Holiness Vishvaguru Mahāmaṇḍaleśwar Paramahaṁsa Śrī Svāmī Mahāśvarānandajī, or simply, as he is known all over the world, Swāmījī. Paramahaṁsa Mahāśvarānandajī is one of the most outstanding spiritual masters of our time, who has dedicated his entire life to the service of all creatures. His realization of the holy science of yoga was gained through disciplined sādhanā and the devotion of his heart to the guru-paramparā, the spiritual lineage of his masters. Here in this ashram, in the village of Kailāsh in Rajasthan, lived and taught Svayambhū Paramyogeśwar Śrī Devpurījī. Bhagavān Śrīdīp Nārāyaṇ Mahāprabhujī, the successor of Śrī Devpurījī, lived in the ashrams of Barikattu Bholaguda, located on the edge of the Thar desert. The stories about his divine life are collected in a biography entitled Līlā Amṛt. His successor was Hindu Dharma Samrat Paramahaṁsa Śrī Madhavānandajī, an exemplar of true devotion. In India and throughout the whole world, his disciples affectionately know him as Holy Gurujī. Śrī Madhavānandajī entered into Mahāsamādhi in 2003, rendering his spiritual heritage to Śrī Mahāśvarānandajī. Swāmījī’s profound insight and deep understanding of the problems of humankind led him to create this unique, comprehensive, and highly practical system for yoga sādhanā. "Visible and invisible, all elements are balanced in a perfect way, and that balancing principle—that’s what I call yoga." The Yoga in Daily Life system is a gradual and safe system, elaborated on the basis of authentic yoga heritage. It is a holistic system of health for the strength and harmony of body and mind, consciousness and soul. The system aims to establish physical, mental, social, and spiritual health. In other words, to offer all that one requires in the search for strength, peace of mind, harmony, and fulfillment in life. Accessible to everyone, Yoga in Daily Life is structured as a graded system of learning. It contains eight progressive levels. Physical health is fundamental for one’s sense of strength, happiness, and ability to lead a successful life. To promote physical health, the system begins with a series of exercises designed to warm up, to stretch, and to improve physical strength and flexibility. Regular practice of āsanas will awaken and balance many functions of the human body, but more than that, yoga practitioners will become more aware of the subtle link between the physical and mental aspects of their being. The system also contains Yoga Nidrā, a profound deep relaxation technique, and Haṭha Yoga Kriyās, highly effective techniques for the detoxification and revitalization of the body and mind. The breath exercises and meditation help to relax and control the mind and make us more aware of our mental condition. We can then better overcome restlessness and improve our memory and learning capacity. Social health is the ability to communicate with others without conflicts, to act responsibly for the community and society in which we are living, and at the same time to be able to relax and experience the beauty of life. A practitioner shares: "My whole life practicing yoga, as I said, from eight years, I—thanks to my mother—practice yoga and met Paramahaṁsa Maheśvarānanda, as we call him Swāmījī. He taught me how to become a vegetarian, how to think positively, and how to practice yoga in daily life. This system is called, thanks to vegetarianism. For example, I can say that I passed all the heart medical checks, and I’m ready to become a cosmonaut. And also, thanks to yoga, I gained the strength of harmony and peace in my mind." Today, Yoga in Daily Life is taught by certified yoga teachers at over 4,000 locations on all continents. In Slovenia and Hungary, Yoga in Daily Life is an acknowledged diploma course at the university level, apart from the regular ashrams and yoga centers. It is also taught in sport and fitness clubs, athletic training programs, hospitals and rehabilitation centers, and at all levels of education. An integral component of the Yoga in Daily Life system is the self-inquiry meditation technique. It is a unique step-by-step guide for deepening self-awareness and self-confidence through self-inquiry meditation. We deepen our understanding of ourselves and others. We learn about how we are in order to realize who we are, to realize our divine origin. Spiritual realization makes a yogī a citizen of the world, a real human who understands and promotes respect and protection of life, mutual understanding among all religions, cultures, and nationalities, the protection of global peace, and human rights and values, as well as the protection of the environment and preservation of nature. To support those goals, Śrī Mahāśvarānandajī tirelessly participates in most global summits dedicated to humanitarian and noble ideas. In 2000, he participated in the United Nations Millennium Peace Summit in New York. In 2004, in Barcelona, the Fourth Parliament of the World’s Religions was organized in association with UNESCO. Yoga in Daily Life had its workshop in this festive celebration of cultural and spiritual diversity, this demonstration of understanding. Swāmījī also participated in the United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa. Here, Yoga in Daily Life presented its Desert Rainwater Harvesting Initiative. Swāmījī was not only a most welcome participant at global summits all over the world; he has also organized numerous conferences dedicated to world peace, health, education, ecology, multiculturalism, and multi-faith understanding. In 2002, His Holiness started the first World Peace Conference with the message of Mahātmā Gandhi: "Be the change you want to see." It took place in Vienna, Austria, under the patronage of the Indian ambassador in Vienna and the foreign minister of the Republic of Austria, under the sponsorship of the World Conference of Religion and Peace. In 2003, a World Peace Forum took place in Sydney, Australia. Honored guest speakers at the forum included spiritual leaders from several world religions, as well as Australian politicians, environmental experts, and humanitarians. In 2004, the World Peace Summit organized by Yoga in Daily Life took place in Brno, Czech Republic, under the patronage of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. The summit promoted the values of the Earth Charter initiative for sustainable and peaceful development. The message of Holy Gurujī, "One in all and all in one," was indicated as a way to achieve unity and peace. A highlight of the 2005 World Peace Summit in Zagreb, Croatia, was the planting of a peace tree in the city park. By planting this tree, summit participants joined the global forestation action initiated in India by Śrī Mahāśvarānandajī. The next annual World Peace Summit given by Yoga in Daily Life took place in Ljubljana, Slovenia. As had already become a tradition, the conference was dedicated to the memory of Paramahaṁsa Śrī Svāmī Madhavānandajī and to the reaffirmation of Mahātmā Gāndhījī’s message. Due to the increasing need for the promotion of non-violence and tolerance, Swāmījī initiated inter-religious prayers for world peace as a manifestation of unity in diversity. Due to his love for India, Swāmījī is very active in many humanitarian fields in his motherland. Here, in all the vast beauty of Rajasthan, near the village of Jadan, he is building the Śrī Viśvadīp Gurukul Mahāśvarānanda Āśram, an educational and research institute. The main purpose of this center is to promote the science of yoga and the invaluable treasures of Vedic culture. The heart of this Gurukul will be this building in the form of the ancient Sanskrit symbol Oṃ. 108 compartments and residential units will form this monument, which will be the largest man-made symbol of Oṃ in the world. In 2002, a school was opened in the ashram, which now accommodates more than 2,000 pupils. Here in this oasis of spirit, these children were given a first-rate facility and high-quality attention and education. They have been offered a future. The ashram provides a free mobile ambulance and first aid service to the surrounding rural area. The Śrī Svāmī Madhavānanda Hospital, providing residential health care to the neighboring districts, is soon to be completed. In the deserts of Rajasthan, many cows are abandoned and lost. Hundreds of those helpless animals found their refuge here in the gosala of the ashram. The fire truck and volunteer crew is another form of free help provided by the ashram when it is a question of saving lives, property, and harvests; the crew knows no tiredness. As in any desert, here in the heart of Rajasthan, the key word is water. This is why construction of this man-made lake has begun in the ashram as a key part of a wider rainwater harvesting project. This is now a reservoir of life not only for the ashram but also for many villages in this thirsty region. During drought, the ashram’s firefighting vehicle participates regularly in a water supply scheme for many villages in the larger surrounding area. In recognition of his humanitarian and spiritual merits, Swāmījī has received many thanks, awards, and titles of honor from all over the world. At the Mahā Kumbha Melā in Haridwar in 1998, he was consecrated as Mahāmaṇḍaleśwar of Panchati Mahāniranī Akara. The honorary titles of Doctor of Yoga and Professor of the Science of Yoga were bestowed upon Swāmījī by the World Religious Parliament in New Delhi. In 2001, Śrī Mahāśvarānandajī was consecrated with the title of honor, Viśvaguru, by the assembly of professors and scholars of the Sanskrit University of Benares, in the presence of His Holiness Śrī Śaṅkarācārya. Presidents of many European countries have officially expressed their respect and gratitude for Swāmījī’s service for the advancement of the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of their people. The President of Croatia, His Excellency Stjepan Mesić, awarded him the Danica Order of Croatia decoration. His Excellency Mr. Mike Rann, Premier of South Australia, heartily invited Swāmījī to Parliament House. During his official visit to India, the President of Austria, Heinz Fischer, met with His Holiness Mahāśvarānandajī in New Delhi. India’s kings, and now her politicians, always had high respect for its Mahātmās. Such respect gives continuity of integrity to this great nation. The President of India, His Excellency Dr. Abdul Kalam, has met Paramahaṁsa Mahāśvarānandajī several times. Their meetings passed in valuable conversation about social and spiritual topics. After almost forty years of Swāmījī’s tireless teaching, the Yoga in Daily Life system has proven to be a source of strength, balance, and health in all fields of life. It has become a bridge that unites different people and cultures from around the world. If we are wise humans, we will use Yoga in Daily Life to understand and to fulfill the beauty of human Dharma.

This text is transcribed and grammar corrected by AI. If in doubt what was actually said in the recording, use the transcript to double click the desired cue. This will position the recording in most cases just before the sentence is uttered.

The text contains hyperlinks in bold to three authoritative books on yoga, written by humans, to clarify the context of the lecture:

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