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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 and bodily exercises, 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 we heard from Swamiji in the sādhanā camp during his satsaṅg, self-realization is also possible through Haṭha Yoga. Of course, everyone is different, with different qualities, natures, and lifestyles. Not everyone is a Haṭha yogī, which is why we have five different paths to practice in daily life and reach the goal. Haṭha Yoga is a great help in our practice to maintain our nature and good health. "Haṭha" means the moon and sun, Iḍā and Piṅgalā. It signifies 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 work together only 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—Iḍā, Piṅgalā, and Suṣumṇā—must be balanced and work together, and Haṭha Yoga is a great aid in this. There are six techniques in Haṭha Yoga: Ṣaṭkarma Kriyā. We begin with 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. Knowing is not enough; we must do it. Only through the experience of practice can we truly speak about and understand it. Of course, not everyone can or wants to do these. There are contraindications, which our yoga teacher 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 or excess mucus; the flow of warm water gently massages and relaxes the brain's blood vessels. It stimulates and relaxes our brain centers through reflex. Our nose has many nerve endings connected to the vagus and sympathetic/parasympathetic systems. 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. Practice netī in the morning, not before sleep. Afterwards, we should practice Kapālabhāti. 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 while practicing. I once saw someone doing it with their head back during a seminar; please do not do this. Kapālabhāti is done standing, perhaps before your pūjā. Inhale through the mouth and exhale through the nose with a short, stronger burst. Use both nostrils. You can bend forward a little. Do this 20-30 times. "Kapāla" means forehead; "bhāti" means purifying or enlightening. This practice affects all five levels of our being: physical, prāṇic, mental, intellectual, and emotional. Practicing Kapālabhāti a few times before meditation calms the vṛttis, removes unnecessary thoughts, and aids concentration. The strong exhalation gives a gentle brain massage. 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 via the Eustachian tube. Trāṭak: This is concentration on one point, often a candle flame, though any object can be used. Our etiquette, of course, discourages staring at a person. Trāṭak purifies not just the physical eyes but our eyesight and vision—learning to see and not see. Controlling where the eyes go 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, and Trāṭak helps produce tears again. Those who wear glasses should practice with them initially. If there is no anatomical damage, it can improve eyesight. The technique is learned in yoga class or special seminars. Trāṭak helps one become Ekadarśī, to have a one-pointed view. It aids concentration, even for children (with parental guidance), starting for short periods up to 10-15 minutes. It can also help with bedwetting and insomnia or the inability to relax and "switch off" the day's thoughts. However, do not practice in bed or fall asleep, as it could be dangerous. The candle flame should be steady, with no draft; a ghee lamp is best. The flame should be at heart level, as Trāṭak helps awaken the inner light and see the inner flame. At first, we see the flame's movement and colors, but it helps awaken the heart's flame. Ensure telephones are off and there are no disturbances from animals or people. This concentration leads to meditation, beginning with dhāraṇā and moving into dhyāna. If practicing in nature, use the morning or evening sun when it is red, not when it is too bright, to avoid negative effects on the eyes. Haṭha Yoga practice is something special. When we practice, we can integrate it into daily life. That is why we have "yoga in daily life." It does not require hours of meditation; only during sādhanā camps do we practice longer and more intensively. Those who practice will observe that their senses become very refined. Our indriyas, the receptors, become fine. But inwardly, we must also be strong to digest all this. When we perceive things from others—see, feel, hear, smell—it is not always pleasant. We need inner strength to manage this, to work with our viveka (discrimination), and to find the answer within ourselves. Here, Śaṅkhaprakṣālana is very helpful. This cleansing of the entire intestine is not just physical; it works on subtler levels. Between the throat and the anus, along the spine, our cakras hold our entire human existence—all impressions, qualities, feelings, and learnings. The practice involves drinking warm, slightly salty water (neutral like our bodily fluids) and performing specific movements. This training is about taking in, digesting, and letting go—without rāga and dveṣa (likes and dislikes). What we swallow (metaphorically, our experiences) we must digest, not immediately vomit out (i.e., not speak about it, criticize, or spread it). We must digest it and then let it go. This is vairāgya and yoga, practice without moha (attachment). This technique helps us truly take in, digest, and release. When we observe where we have problems in life and engage in self-inquiry, we can identify the point and then practice. Śaṅkhaprakṣālana is very helpful, but it is not for pregnant women, those under 15, or those with a diaphragmatic hernia. Women during their menstrual cycle must decide individually. Another Haṭha Yoga technique is Nauli (Agni Sāra Kriyā). This maintains our digestive fire (Agni) and works on the samāna prāṇa and the maṇipūra cakra. We use the stomach muscles, diaphragm, and breath. Start with Agniśāra Kriyā for at least three months to understand and feel this part of the body again—the liver area, learning to relax and control the stomach muscles. "Agni" means fire; "śāra" means essence or purifying; "kriyā" means action. We must work on it. We learn this in yoga class and then practice alone at home. 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, digestion, and appetite, and is beneficial for the pancreas, gallbladder, and maintaining a healthy weight. It helps the body find its own natural state. Everyone has a different nature—one may be healthy at 50 kilos, another at 70 with stronger bones and muscles. We cannot all be like fashion models who are constantly dieting and starving; 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 the law of karma, what we invest returns manifold on all levels, including the spiritual. We need only to work, and the result 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 the eyes of any living being, 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 comes the Nauli technique. To practice Nauli, we must learn to isolate the large abdominal muscles (the rectus abdominis), then perform churning movements left, right, and circular. This is learned in yoga class and has an even more potent effect than Agniśāra Kriyā. These five Haṭha Yoga Kriyās—netī, dhautī (stomach purification, covered last time), kapālabhāti, basti, and tratāk—can be done by nearly everyone, barring specific exceptions or contraindications. We should start again if we have stopped, and if we have not yet started, let us begin. One thing is sure: if we don't use it, we lose it. If we do not constantly use the knowledge we have, 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.