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Our Body Needs Gentle Care

A satsang on holistic health, yoga practice, and spiritual relationships.

"Yoga is not difficult; it is very easy. With simple exercises or postures, we can solve our body's problems. So why go for complicated postures?"

"Our relation should be like a silk thread where pearls pass without hindrance. You are the pearl, and we are all coming to God, one after the other."

Swamiji opens the session by emphasizing practice over theory and introduces a talk on health by Dr. Martin, an orthopedic surgeon. Dr. Martin explains common joint issues, the importance of the Yoga in Daily Life system for psychosomatic health, and demonstrates gentle exercises with a practitioner. Swamiji then expands the theme, using parables and poetry to illustrate that the physical body is a temporary instrument and one's primary relationship must be with the Divine.

Filming location: Czech Republic

Good morning, everyone. It is very nice to see you. We have many things to speak about and to do. But as I have said, tons of theory are nothing compared to practice. Therefore, it is good to focus on practice again. We are very happy and thankful to our dear Hemlata from Vienna, Harriet Bucharova, who showed us valuable exercises and gave very good tips. First, we have ten minutes for Dr. Martin Rebko. We congratulate him on becoming the head of the Department of Orthopedics at the University General Hospital in Bratislava. Secondly, a doctor and surgeon must naturally be different from a therapist. So, I ask Dr. Martin to explain four different problems in fifteen minutes. The first is problems with the ankle joints or pain in the heels when you get up in the morning or walk. Some people think a bone is growing in the heel, but it is a different issue. So, about the heel and ankle joint. The second is about the knee. Many people perform āsanas incorrectly, including Padmāsana or certain postures, which is why they have problems. What should we do to avoid these issues, both as prevention and as care? Or, in his hospital, he has a million knees to replace—so you can get a new one. The third is the hip. The fourth is the spinal column, especially concerning slipped discs and hernias. These are specific questions, and he is the proper person to answer or suggest something. Sometimes people twist so much in Bhujaṅgāsana, Dhanurāsana, and Cakrāsana without thinking of their spine. Our subject is health. In India, we say: "Dekhā dekhī sājye yog ghaṭekāyā bāḍe rog." If you imitate yoga through books, television, or someone demonstrating it, it can happen that your body develops problems and illness increases. For many people, yoga has become a commercial thing or just a fashion. Commercial people do not care about anything. I see in Ostrava and Bratislava many posters using yoga for company advertising. Of course, ladies are always the target of commercial things. Men are very clever; they stay behind the curtains and push the ladies forward. So, Dr. Martin, please stand up. If you need a model to demonstrate an exercise, Harriet or someone can come. We welcome Dr. Martin. I would like to start by saying that everything that has happened in my life—professionally or personally—has happened thanks to the mercy of Swāmījī and Mahāprabhujī. Everything in my professional life was linked to Swāmījī, and I am very thankful for all I have received. As Swāmījī said, I work as an orthopedist, which is closely connected to physiotherapy, as Hemlatajī does. The difference is that we operate, while physiotherapy handles non-operative procedures. I had the beautiful opportunity to bring the system Yoga in Daily Life into my life, and I have ensured that many people, thanks to this system, could avoid operations. Hemlatajī explained nicely yesterday that movement is not only about muscles and joints. We must always be aware that there are two components to movement. There is an active part, and a second part that directs and controls the movement. From this point of view, the motor system is truly complicated. That is why it is not possible to practice just some gymnastics for the motor system; it is necessary to see it as a complex, complete system. Something in us is working, and something different is directing and controlling it. The connection is very deep and intense, and information travels in both directions. Take the ankle joint, as Swāmījī mentioned. We should know it is an area controlled by the central nervous system, but it also sends information about itself back to the central nervous system. As Swāmījī mentioned, if we feel pain in some area of the body in the morning, it means that part is not really healthy; something is wrong. We should think about why there is a problem. Typical morning pains when we wake up are called "starting pain." It means that part of the body is not properly set up in the morning. It might get better during the day because we use that part. It is necessary that every part of our motor system is somehow centered, properly set up. The joint should be properly placed, and the directing part of the movement should also be in good condition. From this point of view, Harriet mentioned yesterday the concept of proprioception. This is information going from that part of the body to the central nervous system. Yoga is a beautiful way to work with the body because, through practice, we can not only properly set up the body part and work with it, but we can also properly set up the directing of that part—the nerves. The Yoga in Daily Life system is based on psychosomatics, meaning we work not only with the physical part but also with the mental part. Toto je jediná cesta k tomu, abychom dosáhli dlouhodobě dobrého výsledku. Protože pouhé rozcvičení nějaké oblasti bez našeho vědomí toho, jak z této oblasti pracujeme, nevede vždycky k tomu dlouhodobě správnému výsledku. It does not always give us a long-term good result. Now, I would like to move to our next topic. The knee is a typical joint that, if not properly set up, can cause big problems. It is a complicated joint, and it is necessary that all its muscles and ligaments are properly set up. It is a great opportunity to cooperate with Harriet. If we look at the knee joint... Harriet is supposed to levitate so she can see well... we find that the knee joint moves primarily in one axis. It is beautiful how orthopedics and physiotherapy work together. The movement in the knee is in this one axis. We have the quadriceps muscles. The main work is done by the large thigh muscle, the quadriceps. I want to show this: this muscle has four heads (called "heads" in Latin). We are born with some parts of the muscle naturally weaker. If we do not work properly with the knee and this muscle, the tendency for one part to weaken and another to shorten increases. If you imagine the knee, the inner part and its connection to the four-headed muscle is the weakest point. We call this muscle imbalance, and it exists everywhere in the body, not only in the knee. If we do not work properly, the problem increases. In the knee area, usually the outer part becomes stronger compared to the inner part, and it pulls the patella. That is the first problem in the knee. A simple isometric exercise can strengthen the muscle properly. You pull the toes toward you, the knee goes down, you activate the muscle, and then you lift the leg up. This simple exercise strengthens the muscle. We can start with this and then move to cycling. When cycling, we begin by pulling the toes toward us, pulling the knee down, lifting the leg up, and then continuing. When going back, in this position, we pull the toe toward us, stretch the knee, and continue. It is a gentle way of exercising. The problem of every joint, whether knee or hip, is cartilage. Cartilage is the first tissue in every joint that gets damaged with arthrosis. If the muscles are not in good condition, the cartilage is overloaded and damaged. This tissue has no blood vessels, so nourishment does not go there directly. Once damaged, cartilage cannot renew itself. That is why yoga exercises, especially the gentle Yoga in Daily Life system, make it possible to give nourishment to the cartilage. It is the only way to nourish the cartilage: by slightly pressing the joint and then releasing it. We can damage cartilage in two ways: either by working with it too strongly through intensive sports or gymnastics, or by doing nothing at all. Cartilage needs soft, slight pressing and releasing so it can soak up nourishment like a sponge. For example, the simple movement of cycling—you can start, and the other leg hangs down. Thank you. With this simple exercise, we practice three joints at once: the ankle, knee, and hip. All three joints are perfectly practiced. Harriet is practicing perfectly. This simple movement not only properly sets up the muscles but also perfectly nourishes the cartilage through slight pressing and releasing, soaking in nourishment. Through pressing, it also releases all unnecessary substances from the tissue. A similar real problem exists with the intervertebral disc. When there is a problem with the nourishment of the disc, a slipped disc can happen, especially toward the nerves. In the same way, we do similar exercises, for example, Skandharāsana. It is a perfect exercise to gently work with the whole spine. When practiced properly, it is compared to a snake; we gently work with the intervertebral discs, which are slightly pressed and released. My experience is that very often people come with certain problems expecting particular advice on how to practice and in which order. For me, it has shown perfectly well that we use the Yoga in Daily Life system as a complete system. As a doctor, I might have particular advice, but I usually do not give it. I ask them to practice the system. Thanks to the mercy of Swāmījī and thanks to this perfect system, thousands, tens of thousands, maybe a hundred thousand people have been freed from their problems or never had them. I would really like to thank, in the name of us all, that we can use this system. And I would like to tell you all: please try to practice the system as it is. Do not search for your own ways. Thank you. So, a strong man should move this pyramid. Martin, thank you. Thank you, director Dr. Martin, the head of the orthopedic department of the University Hospital in Brno. He has been practicing yoga and deadlift for many, many years. Now, all our yogīs who practice wrongly and have problems go to Martin. As I said yesterday, the body needs gentle care. One should not twist the body out of ego or pride. Our body needs care and has its limitations. You should know your body's particular limitation for twisting. We say, "Ati sarvatra varjayet"—too much of anything is everywhere prohibited. Yoga is not difficult; it is very easy. With simple exercises or postures, we can solve our body's problems. So why go for complicated postures? In India, we say: for killing a mosquito, don't use a cannon. So, Yoga in Daily Life is, as Martin said, psychosomatic. One saint, Sadhuswāmī, said: This body is a bungalow—like your house. Ajab means wondrous. This body is a wondrous bungalow, beautifully constructed. Jisme Nārāyaṇa bole—in which God Himself is speaking. Jisme Nārāyaṇ bole, par gurubin bhed kon khole—but without Gurudev, who can tell the secret of this bungalow? And when that Nārāyaṇa, who is with our Jīvātmā, will go away, then all the beauty, all the talents, and all the qualities will disappear. One crow was sitting on top of a temple or church. Hundreds of people were praying inside, and the crow felt proud. It was looking at its feathers, cleaning its beak, looking proud. Another crow said, "What happened to you today?" It said, "You don't see? Look how many hundreds of people are praying to me." The other crow said, "They are not praying to you. They pray to God in the church or temple." So, don't think people love your body, your presence, your profession, or your position. That is your Ātmā, your Jīvātmā within you. When that is gone, they will carry you away from your position. They will carry you out of your house because you do not want to go now. And to make sure you will not come back home, they will burn you or put you under the earth with heavy stones. We call it kabar; you call it the grave. When one man was in the grave, at night he got up and said, "Allah, what happened to me? Who put the first stone on me?" Allah said, "My son, the one for whom you were doing everything your whole life—that was the first one who put the stone on you." Ten byl ten první, kdo na tebe dal první kámen. That was the first one who threw the earth on you. To byl první, kdo na tebe hodil první hrst hlíny. This sansāra kā nāṭa, koi kisī kā nahī̃. These relationships in this world... Vztahy v tomto světě. Nātā ék hé, vo dátā, jo hamé dátā hé, usī kā nātā, kā tātā, kabhī nahī̃ ṭūṭegā. But we have a relationship to the One who is the giver of everything. Keep your relation to Him. That thread should never break—the thread of your love and relation. Some poet said—Rahim Dās was a very great poet—he said: "The thread of love, do not break it with some little misunderstanding. You cannot join it again." If you try to join it, there will be a knot. That knot of disappointment, that knot of your ignorance, that knot of your weakness, will remain in the heart forever. So, our relation should be like a silk thread where pearls pass without hindrance. You are the pearl, and we are all coming to God, one after the other. We are all in the trade of God's love. Therefore, it is said: "Lord, you may take everything away, but not my faith, not my love. I do not ask you for anything, only one thing: Janam janam haridās rakhi jo—in my every life, let me be Thy bhakti, Thy servant." All worldly relations will finish here. Afterward, you cannot send SMS, no telegram, no mobile phone. Completely disconnected from this world—no tower functions, no connection. But still, you might try to come at night to say to your dear wife, "I want to tell you goodbye." You knock on the door. She will say, "Yes?" and then, "Jesus Christ! Close the curtain! The crazy one is here again." The next day, she must go to the psychiatric doctor. No one wants us. Mahāprabhujī always said this: hold on to that truth. Sāī is God. Repeat, remember, and pray to that God—that is the truth. In this saṁsāra, in this world, no one is ours... Je nata, this relation, juta nata—it is not a real relation. We have to work and carry that relation to God. When you maintain a relation to God, you will take all your relatives and family members to God. You will not be separated. God does not separate; God puts together. But if you do not care, why should God care? If you say, "I do not believe in God, God, I do not believe in you," God says, "And? I do not lose anything." You lose. And God says, "You know, if I want you? Even if you do not want it, I will have it. Because you are in my hands," God says, "so there is no way to run away." It is only God, everywhere, in everyone. So, these gentle exercises keep our material body healthy. This material body is only an instrument to work toward cosmic consciousness. Only those who practice every day know what yoga in their life is. It is not challenges and competitions; it is something beautiful. With this, I wish you a very good journey home. Much love to your whole family. My humble prayers for your family's well-being. Of course, there are still two months until Christmas, but if we do not see you, we wish you all the best and divine blessings. Every religion is connected to the Vedic religion, Sanātana Dharma. We have what is called Śrāddha Pakṣa, the days of the ancestors. Then comes Divine Mother, these nine nights. Today is the sixth night, and then comes the end of the devil, Rāvaṇa. And for that comes Rāma. Similarly, you have from the 1st of November a day for ancestors, all souls, all holy souls, etc. Some think there is no next life and do not believe in it. Yet, everyone goes to the graveyard and cries in front of it. One man went and cried in front of his wife's grave, who died 38 years before; he never married again. Every day, he would go and give her a nice flower. He was standing in front of the grave, crying. Someone came and touched his shoulder. "Yes, please?" She said, "I am your wife, not that one." He said, "Disappear from here." She said, "But I am. I am born again." He said, "I do not believe in rebirth." Then she said, "Then cry in front of the bones." He looked at her—she dematerialized. She was not there. So, that soul is gone. That water has flowed away in which you bathed in the river. That Gaṅgā water is already long gone in which you were diving deep. But that does not mean there is no more water. All water, whether from canals or from the high Himalayas, enters the Gaṅgā and becomes Gaṅgā water. Holy Mother Gaṅgā does not refuse anyone because Mother is merciful, and she helps the children, purifying everyone's karma. So it is said: try once, deep in the Gaṅgā. No matter how clean the water is—it is very clean—and then you will feel every cell of the body. Enlightenment. This Kumbh Melā. So, on the 3rd of January, we will begin at the Kumbh Melā, until the 16th of February. You are welcome; register and book your flights. Then you will see the divine confluence of the Gaṅgā, Yamunā, and Sarasvatī. In their lap, you will be sitting. Do not miss that. You will say, "Har Har Gaṅgā," oh my God, beautiful. Har Har Gaṅgā, Har Har Mahādev, Har Har Śiva—millions of people. But it is said: every branch of the tree finds space to grow. Every visitor finds a place to park, even if a kilometer or two away. Sixteen million people bathe at the same time, plus yourself. So, I wish you all the best. To the organizers, many, many thanks. Children, much love. It is the last chance to get chocolate.

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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