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Om Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇ Bhagavān Kī Jai! Śrī Śrī Devīśvara Mahādeva Kī Jaya! Śrī Svāmī Madhavānandajī Bhagavān Kī Jaya! Viśva Kuru Māṃ Nādeśvara Śrī Svāmī Īśvara Nandjī Gurudeva Kī Jai! Ādi Guru Śaṅkarācārya Bhagavān Kī Jai! Oṁ tryambhakaṁ yajāmahe sugandhiṁ puṣṭivardhanam, urvārukam iva bandhanān mṛtyormukṣīya māmṛtāt. Oṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ... Hari Om, dear sisters and brothers, dear friends, beloved Swamijī, Gurudev. Our subject today is Haṭha Yoga. Many of us think of Haṭha Yoga as āsanas, body exercises, and prāṇāyāmas. We have many experts here in these techniques, so I must take care in speaking about it. Haṭha Yoga is one of the five paths of yoga: Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Rāja Yoga, Jñāna Yoga, and Haṭha Yoga. As Swamiji said during satsaṅg in our sādhanā camp, self-realization can also be attained through Haṭha Yoga. Of course, everyone is different, with unique qualities, natures, and lifestyles. Not everyone is a Haṭha yogī. That is why we have five different paths to practice, live our daily lives, and reach the goal. Haṭha Yoga is a great help in our practice to maintain our nature and good health. "Haṭha" signifies the moon and sun, Iḍā and Piṅgalā. It represents energy and matter, akin to yin and yang, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Haṭha Yoga means bringing these two great forces—sympathetic and parasympathetic, Iḍā and Piṅgalā, Gaṅgā and Yamunā—into balance so they work together, not against each other. For those not practicing yoga, āsanas, prāṇāyāmas, or Haṭha Yoga techniques, these forces are often antagonistic. When one works, the other stops. They only work together four times a day: before sunrise, at high noon, at sunset, and at midnight. These are the best times to practice and meditate. Only when these two work together does the third force awaken in the Suṣumnā Nāḍī within our spinal column. These three main nāḍīs or forces in our body—Iḍā, Piṅgalā, and Suṣumṇā—must be balanced and work together. Haṭha Yoga provides great help in this. Haṭha Yoga comprises six techniques: netī, dhautī, naulī, bastī, kapālbhātī, and tratāk. Last time we spoke up to śaṅkhaprakṣālana (basti). We know it means purifying the entire intestine. We know some techniques, like Śaṅkha Praṇālana, and some of us practice them. But knowing is not enough; we must do it. Through practice and experience, we truly understand it. Of course, not everyone can or wants to do these, and there are contraindications our yoga teachers will explain. Netī: We use special netī pots, available in clay or metal, with warm water and a little sea salt. We purify the nose, sinuses, and throat. This is not just about removing dust and excess mucus; the flow of warm water gently massages and relaxes our brain vessels, stimulating and relaxing our brain centers. Our nose contains many nerve endings from the vagus and sympathetic/parasympathetic nerves. This practice relaxes the whole brain and harmonizes its function. The water should be warmer than body temperature, especially in winter. Do not go out immediately into cold weather afterward. Practice netī in the morning, not before sleep. Afterwards, we should practice Kapālabhāti. Those with high blood pressure or high eye pressure should do it gently, not too strongly. We can tilt our head slightly down and move it slowly side to side during the practice. I once saw someone doing Kapālabhāti with their head back; please do not do this. Practice Kapālabhāti standing, perhaps before your pūjā. Inhale through the mouth and exhale shortly and a bit more strongly through both nostrils. Do this 20-30 times. "Kapāla" means forehead; "bhāti" means purifying or enlightening. It truly does that. The effects of these Haṭha Yoga techniques operate on all five levels of our being: physical, prāṇic, mental, intellectual, and emotional. We work with the physical body, but it affects our entire phenomenon. Practicing Kapālabhāti before meditation—twice, thrice, ten times—calms our vṛttis (mental fluctuations), removes unnecessary thoughts, and aids concentration. The strong exhalation gently massages the brain. Beginners may feel dizzy, which is normal; start gently and not for too long. You can also practice one nostril at a time, but always keep the mouth slightly open to prevent pressure in the ears (the Eustachian tube). Trāṭak: This is concentration on one point, often a candle flame, though any object can be used. Our education discourages staring at a person constantly; that would be a lack of education. Trāṭak teaches us to purify our eyesight—not just the physical eyes, but our vision and perspective: to see and not to see. Controlling the eyes is not easy, as they often follow the mind. Trāṭak teaches this control and cultivates the inner gaze on one point. Initially, it is a physical purification; tears may come, which is cleansing. Many, especially as we age, have dry eyes; Trāṭak helps stimulate tear production. Those who wear glasses should practice with them initially. If there is no anatomical damage, it can improve eyesight, whether short- or long-sighted. We learn the technique in yoga classes or special seminars. Trāṭak helps us become Ekadarśī (one-pointed in vision) and improves concentration. Children, with parental guidance, can practice for a maximum of 10-15 minutes. It can also help with bedwetting and insomnia or the inability to "switch off" at night due to excessive thoughts. However, do not practice in bed or fall asleep during it, as this could be dangerous. The candle flame should be steady, without draft, and ideally fueled by ghee. The flame should be at heart level, as Trāṭak helps awaken our inner light and see the inner flame. Initially, we see the flame's movement and different colors, but it aids in seeing the flame within our heart. Ensure telephones are off and there are no disturbances from animals or others. Concentration (dhāraṇā) leads to meditation (dhyāna). If practicing in nature, use the morning or evening sun when it is red, not when it is too bright, as that can harm the eyes. Haṭha Yoga practice is something special. When we practice, we can integrate it into our daily life. That is why we have "yoga in daily life." It does not require hours of meditation; we practice periodically, more intensively during sādhanā camps. Those who practice will observe that their senses (indriyas) become very refined. But inwardly, we must also be strong to digest all this. When we become more perceptive of others' feelings, sights, sounds, and smells, it is not always pleasant. We need inner strength to manage this, to use our viveka (discrimination), and to find answers within ourselves. Here, Śaṅkha Prakṣālana (intestinal cleansing) is very helpful. Between the throat and the anus, along the spine, our human cakras store our entire existence—all impressions, qualities, feelings, and learnings. This cleansing is not merely physical; it operates on subtler levels. During seminars or in life, it is not easy to "swallow down" experiences. What we take in, we must digest—not immediately vomit out by speaking, criticizing, or spreading it. We must digest it and then let it go. This requires vairāgya (dispassion) and practice, without moha (delusion). The technique of Śaṅkha Prakṣālana helps us truly take in, digest, and let go. Through self-inquiry and meditation, we can identify where our life problems lie and then practice accordingly. Pregnant women, those under 15, and those with a diaphragmatic hernia should not practice it. Women during menstruation must decide based on their individual condition. Naulī (Agnisāra Kriyā): This technique maintains our digestive fire (Agni). It works not only on digestion but also on the samāna prāṇa and the maṇipūra cakra. We use our stomach muscles, diaphragm, and breath. Start with Agniśāra Kriyā for at least three months to understand how this part of the body works and to regain feeling there, including the liver area. Learn to relax the stomach muscles. "Agni" means fire; "śāra" means purifying; "kriyā" means action. We must work on it. We learn Agniśāra Kriyā in yoga class and then practice at home alone, as the teacher cannot do it for us. Once we feel its effects, we will miss it if we skip a day. It greatly improves health, aids digestion, prevents excessive weight gain, and benefits the pancreas, gallbladder, and appetite. Through Haṭha Yoga techniques, our physical body finds its own nature. Everyone has a different nature—one may be healthy at 50 kilos, another at 70 kilos with stronger bones and muscles. We cannot all look like models who constantly diet and starve; that is not the natural state of the human body. We need not force too much; it happens by itself. That is yoga. We must use our willpower (haṭha), but the effect is a thousandfold. As with any investment, what we put in returns multiplied. This is true on the spiritual level and every level, as it is the law of karma. We need only to work, and the results will come. The body shows the truth. We can lie with words, but the body does not lie. Our elders often said that by looking at an older person's face, you know their character. I think this is true in every country. If you look into someone's eyes, you see the truth, for eyes cannot lie, though mouths might. The body always speaks the truth, and the results manifest in time. Practice Agniśāra Kriyā, and then the Naulī technique follows. To practice Naulī, we must learn to isolate the large abdominal muscles (the rectus abdominis), then perform churning movements left, right, and circular. We learn this in yoga class. It has an even stronger effect than Agniśāra Kriyā. These five Haṭha Yoga Kriyās—netī, dhautī (stomach purification, covered last time), kapālabhāti, basti, and tratāk—can be practiced by nearly everyone, barring specific contraindications. If you have stopped, start again. If you have not started, begin now. One thing is sure: if we don't use it, we lose it. If we do not constantly use our knowledge, we lose it. So practice, practice, practice. Thank you. Śrī Deep Nārāyaṇ Bhagvān Kīche, Śrī Śrī Devīśwar Mahādeva Kīche, Śrī Swāmī Madhavānanjī Bhagvān Kīche, Viśwa Guru Maṃlaleśwar, Śrī Swāmī Maheśvar Nānjī Gurudeva Kīche, Ādi Guru Śaṅkarācārya Bhagavān.