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Oṁ Karta Prabhudeep Karta Mahāprabhudeep Karta. Hi Kevalam. Oṁ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ Śāntir Bhavatu. Śrīdeva Puruṣa Mahādevakī, Dīp Nārāyaṇa Bhagavānakī. Satguru Swāmī Madhavānandjī Bhagavānakī, Satya Sanātan Dharma Kī. Blessings to all Bhaktas, spiritual seekers, and all dear ones. Many times, questions come from people. Recently, I received emails from India asking, "Swāmījī, we listen to many explanations and philosophical aspects of yoga: you practice this, you practice that. But how to begin, and what are the preliminary principles?" Therefore, today I would like to offer a glimpse into yoga practice for everyone's benefit. The science of yoga is designed for human well-being, to protect all creatures and nature. God comes to protect, support, and help. When God is not active in a divine form, He acts through all creatures, especially through humans. Humans share the same system as other creatures, but possess a mighty tool: the intellect. Intellect needs proper education. Through it, we understand the value of our physical well-being. The first mantra of Āyurveda states: "Pahala Sukh Nirogi Kaya." The first happiness, the first wealth, is good health. Yoga has no competition. The challenge is that, consciously or unconsciously, everyone tries to advertise in the best way, with inspiring pictures to attract people to their classes. If you go to Haridwar or Rishikesh, there are hundreds of ashrams and many sādhus, yet no one explicitly says, "Come to me." They only invite to satsaṅg. In Western cities with five centers, they try to draw people in. The public is not foolish; they sense who is greedy and may go to another program or school. When you invite people by saying, "Come to my center, come to my program," and they ask, "How is it good?" you may feel compelled to persuade them. Often, they become disappointed, unsure what constitutes good yoga. This should not be the primary concern. The first thing is to go to what is locally available, easily accessible, and comfortable. Reach your center and practice one system. That is called yoga. Yoga and life—99.8 percent of advertising, whether in invitation letters, websites, or magazines, targets only young people aged 18 to 27. They are young and flexible. Many advertisements rarely show elderly practitioners, though you may occasionally see pictures of 85, 90, or 98-year-olds practicing postures comfortably. Do you think only people aged 15 to 30 exist in the world? Are we all dead? When a person looks at such advertising, they might think, "Oh, it's good," but 92% reject these programs. Elderly people need support, while the young are generally healthy. I suggest paying equal or more attention to seniors than juniors; then you will attract many people. Another point: you may think appealing to the eye is the best invitation, but that is not according to yoga. The dress code—how some wear minimal clothing—is not acceptable or advised by yogīs and ṛṣis. The ṛṣis said that when you meditate, practice prāṇāyāma, or perform āsanas, the best āsana is "sukhanām āsana," the comfortable posture. Secondly, choose a corner or place according to the climate. In summer, you can practice under a tree. Do not practice yoga directly in the sun. When practicing prāṇāyāma and āsanas, avoid direct sun exposure on your body, and do not let direct air blow on you. You must have your own yoga āsana. The word "āsana" has many meanings. A sādhu may ask another, "Āp kā? Where is your āśram?" You might say, "My āśram is in Jordan," or refer to Khatu Ashram, Kailash Ashram, Fiji Ashram, Brisbane Ashram, Nandi Ashram, Sydney Ashram, Melbourne Ashram, etc. Your ashram is called your ashram. Then, if someone asks, "Where is your āśram?" it can also mean your sleeping bed or mattress. That, too, is an ashram. Thirdly, when someone visits, you should offer āsana—a mat, a small rug, or a blanket for them to sit on, similar to offering a chair in Western culture. This is because your own energy and the energy of another place are different. As soon as you sit elsewhere, that vibration enters your body. Even if someone else was sitting there, your energy will soon govern and displace the other energy. The place where you sit is your āsana. Then come the postures, called yoga āsana. Yoga āsana means practicing comfortably, not torturing yourself. But look at the pictures in advertisements—oh my God, the cobra pose is so exaggerated, bending the knee to touch the toes to the head. Can you imagine the condition of your spinal column? You may be young now, but in old age, you will face many irreparable problems. People show postures on rocks—my God, if everyone tried that, accidents would occur daily. Some practice on the beach, but who has a home beach? We take pictures of everyone sitting straight in meditation for the photo, but no one actually meditates like that for one or two hours. You cannot meditate like that for long. Therefore, it is said our body should be comfortable. "Kāyā" means the body. "Sthira" means steady and comfortable, not movable. Otherwise, after a while, you fidget—moving this way and that. If someone asks, "Are you practicing?" it is not true meditation because the foundation was wrong from the beginning. So, be as comfortable as possible and remain there. Find a clean place with fresh air and practice your āsana there. This is the first principle: āsana, prāṇāyāma, dhāraṇā (concentration), meditation, and then whatever follows. It is very important that during the practice of āsana, prāṇāyāma, and meditation, your body should be properly covered. The energy developing vibrations in your body does not immediately dissipate with the air. Pure cotton is ideal. I see in yoga magazine advertisements people performing postures in tiny underwear, with legs exposed or covered only to the knee in synthetic materials that shine and look good but lack veils. Are you practicing for appearance or for health and comfort? Do not chase the wrong things. God said, "Do not trust gold as a god. I will guide you to God." We designed a beautiful yoga dress uniform of 100% pure cotton and sent 50 or 100 to Australia. They all said, "Oh, this is cotton, it doesn't lie nicely on the body, and nobody likes it." Moths were eating the yoga dresses there because they prefer synthetic materials. I said, "You Australians are so health-conscious, yet you are unaware of what you are using." Many times, people say, "We don't like to practice or take pictures in a yoga uniform." What uniform do you want? A nightclub uniform? Your yoga club is not a nightclub. Take care. When you were born, you had nothing on your body, but the mother or helper immediately wrapped the baby in beautiful cotton cloth. We have one skin, and the second skin is this cloth. Even at the beach today, wearing cotton cloth provides some protection from sunlight and ozone damage. In yoga, when you practice āsanas, you activate muscles, gland systems, circulation, and cakras. At that time, energy arises but can dissipate. If you wear thin, natural material, the energy remains. A simple example: if you burn incense in open air, the smell spreads only about a meter and disappears. But if you burn a little incense in a closed room, the whole room fills with aroma. Similarly, protect your bioenergy by wearing a proper yoga dress that covers you to the wrists and ankles, and of course the trunk. Do not wear only shorts like socks. Then you will feel beautiful. When you practice prāṇāyāma, the prāṇa (life force) activates. Prāṇa is a mighty power within us. When prāṇa is damaged or imbalanced, you feel tired, feverish, and unable to get up. Even a mighty elephant lies ill when attacked by a virus damaging its prāṇa. Prāṇa is God, protecting our life. During prāṇāyāma, wear gentle cloth. If it is very hot, wear this cloth to feel cool. The more you expose your body, the hotter you will feel. In Arabian countries, where temperatures reach 50 degrees, people ride elephants fully clothed. Why? Because sweat creates a natural air conditioner through the fine cloth, with air blowing inside. So in extreme heat, a thin cloth over your body keeps you cool and pleasant. Prāṇāyāma practices involve Iḍā, Piṅgalā, and Suṣumṇā—the moon, sun, and central consciousness channels. This energy awakens, filling every cell with prāṇic vibrations. At that time, wear proper dress as described. You may one day feel as if light emanates from under your dress—that is mighty prāṇa, life itself. When you meditate, you enter your own phenomenon, protected from ādhibhautika, ādhidaivika, and ādhyātmika—the threefold afflictions. You feel protected and complete. Therefore, yogīs, even in the Himalayas, wear thin clothes. In modern times, body ego leads people to remove clothing for practices like nauli. I, too, once wondered how to hold my waist like that. Then Gurujī explained, "Practice correctly, no demonstration in such a manner, no challenge, no competition." It is for your well-being to gather energy. All developed yogīs are calm. There is a story of a master from Bengal, where people mostly eat meat and fish. He traveled slowly to Rajasthan villages. As a swami and master who ate meat, the villagers confronted him with sticks, saying, "Pack your bag and leave. You eat animals, you kill animals. What kind of master are you?" He was alone, giving satsaṅgs daily, eating sweets and parathas, though he craved meat. Like an alcoholic or a hashish smoker who abstains for months but still craves, this sādhu desired meat. He thought, "I need the best disciple." He worked hard to find a humble, kind young man as a disciple, teaching him Guru Vakya (the guru's word) and seva (service). After a few months, he told the disciple, "Today, bring some meat and cook it for our evening dinner." The disciple agreed but had never seen meat. He went to another village, got some from a butcher, but did not know how to cook it and felt nauseated touching it. He put it all in a pot with water. The meat floated up and down in the boiling water. Gurujī was giving satsaṅg in the evening with people listening. At eight o'clock, the clear-minded, humble, and honest disciple thought, "I must ask Gurujī when it will be cooked," but dared not ask publicly. He went behind Gurujī and whispered, "Gurujī, meat when we'll be through?" The large pieces were still bobbing in the water. While giving satsaṅg, Gurujī—who was not a real guru—said to all bhaktas, "Dear bhaktas, achievement means completeness. There is one sign for that: when you cook something in a pot and it jumps up and down, it is not yet through. When it is through, everything becomes calm." The disciple understood. Those who claim to be Siddha, with this and that attainment, are still not ready inside. When you are ready, life is simple. For instance, Rāmaṇa Maharṣi generally wore only a laṅgoṭī (loincloth). Nityānanda of Maharashtra, also very divine, sat with a little laṅghoṭī. In the West, people say, "Our culture is different, we cannot go like this." Yet when practicing yoga, they wear bikinis at the beach without objection. People do not accept their own mistakes but see them in others, trying to "vomit" on others. Therefore, adhere to the real tradition and practice; then you will succeed in yoga. Do not try to manipulate and change yoga into something different. Many centers and systems begin, close, and disappear because their business fails, but authentic systems from spiritual lineages exist for ages. You have the Alagpurījī Siddhāpīt Paramparā, but you must keep it very clean and pure. Design your dress. If you dislike loose clothing, make it tight, but if too tight, you will sweat excessively and feel discomfort. It should not be skin-tight; leave 2-3 cm of free space between skin and dress. Your yoga exercises and meditation will be very good. After practicing āsanas, prāṇāyāms, and meditation for at least one hour, do not bathe or shower immediately. The divine vibrations are returning to your body, providing biofeedback; energy remains in your body. A simple way: have your own yoga mat; do not let anyone else use it if possible. The wife, husband, and children should each have their own. Practice peacefully. If there is too much noise, listen to bhajans or instrumental music. We have beautiful flute music from Swāmī Madhuram, with copyright, available through our ashrams in New Zealand, Australia, and Europe. Follow the system. I am proud of my bhaktas from Europe, especially Vienna. They are so disciplined, wearing their yoga dress and feeling happy. If one day they come in a bikini, you cannot imagine—they become unhappy and avoid appearing before me. So, do not change your clothing according to fashion; let your energy remain within you. Practice peacefully, without hurry. Prāṇa ascends and descends—Āra, Urad. Between Āra and Urad is that light, the Swayambhū light, called original Śiva Jyoti, the light of Śiva. Iḍā and Piṅgalā are Brahmā and Viṣṇu, and Suṣumnā is Śiva, rising to the Sahasrāra Cakra. That Jyoti makes you Jyotirmaya. There are many names like Jyotirmayānanda, Jyotirmayapurī, Jyotirmaya. South Indians have beautiful spiritual names, like our dear Sadāśivam—Mr. Reddy, always ready. Sadāśivam means "Ever as Śiva." The name reflects the ātmā, the soul. When you say Sadāśivam, it is a mantra. When you name your child Krishna, saying "Krishna" reminds you of God. Do not give children meaningless names; meaninglessness arises when ātmā jñāna (soul knowledge) is absent. Simple practice, simple dress. We have a neutral cloth color, which is very nice. Some narrow-minded thinkers ask, "Why must we have this uniform? It's like a sect." The whole world is a sect. Your country's army has a uniform—a military sect. Every five-star hotel has workers in uniform—a hotel sect. Every nun in the church has her uniform—a religious sect. These are people with negative experiences trying to avoid it, but the uniform does not make you stupid; stupidity lies in our inner feelings. Simple practice: āsana. Choose a beautiful āsana and practice postures balanced between yoga and daily life. Practice prāṇāyāma. Prāṇa moves up and down (Ura Urad), touching vital centers close to the Ājñā Cakra, the border of our destiny (Kismat). Prāṇa rises to the Manipūra and expels toxins with the help of Apāna power. Balancing Iḍā and Piṅgalā brings Preetī (joy). Immediately, the mind calms, everything balances and tranquilizes. What joy! That is real happiness. One day, Holy Gurujī explained prāṇāyāma to me at Jaipur Ashram, initiating me into a sādhanā called Sanjīvanī Vidyā. Gurujī wrote in Līlā Amṛt, and I explained a little to Śivjyotī. Gurujī said, "When I inhale, I take the Caraṇāmṛta of the whole body of Mahāprabhujī, Devapurījī." Caraṇāmṛta means not only from the toes but the whole divine light. "I inhale all and exhale as my surrendering, my devotion." This is the trinity. Prāṇāyāma involves three aspects: pūrak (inhalation), rechak (exhalation), and kumbhak (retention). Techniques vary. Inhalation, exhalation—exhalation is the creator, Brahmā; retention is Viṣṇu, sustenance; and inhalation is Śiva. It is Śiva who exhaled and created everything. His energy sustains all existence. One day, when He inhales all objects, the visible world will disappear instantly. Like snow melting at sunrise or fog dispersing with wind and sun, mountains and stones become powder and vanish into the universe. The universe is vast; all this is not even a handful of dust. We must come to that Brahman practice. So, so hum: I am the creator, I am the sustenance, and I will inhale again. It is Brahman offering into the fire of Brahman. The fire itself is Brahman, the offerer is Brahman, the mantra is Brahman, what is digested is Brahman, and who merges into oneness is also Brahman. It is Brahman giving insight, offering, and performing karma. Through simplicity, you will achieve your yoga goal. Merely seeking a better waist or thinness—young kids already have that, and now they want to be thinner and thinner, becoming only bones. Relax, eat, and enjoy. You will not attain liberation through postures, nor become immortal through them, no matter how hard you try. Even with organic food, Āyurveda, and daily Chyawanprāś, you cannot stop the process of God, Brahmājī. So, aim to be happy, healthy, and flexible. Mokṣa (liberation) comes through Guru Kṛpā (the Guru's grace). How do you receive it? Through obedience to Gurudev's Vākya (word), not mere outward compliance. All the best. Tomorrow we will cover another part, some techniques. So, get your mat, āsana, place it in a clean, nice spot. Open windows if not too cold. Practice simple postures, yoga, and integrate them into life step by step. Then practice prāṇāyāma and a little relaxation. Do not relax for five or ten minutes after every posture. Some develop a bad habit: people come after work and are put into relaxation for 15 minutes. What is that? If they come early, they can lie down, but you yourself should relax only one or two minutes. You did not come just to relax or lie on your mat. Mentally and physically prepare for āsana postures, then prāṇāyāma, then meditation. I wish you all the best and good success. Techniques: cover your body properly with natural material, not too tight or too loose. Thank you, and all the best. Today will be a warm, hot day, so I give you one technique: think cool. It will not feel hot if you say, "Oh, hot, oh, hot"—you are inviting heat. Instead, say, "Nice, warm." In a week, you will face minus degrees, my dear. How? In the middle of Vienna? Oh my God, all flu awaits you. Therefore, in this beautiful warm air, take a nice warm swim, relax, recharge your energy, and return home healthy. All the best, and bring some good warmth to the bhaktas. Warmth means kindness, love, and good wishes from here. Oṁ Śānti Śānti...