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Khatu Pranam - Practice

Kaṭhūpraṇām is a yogic practice honoring a holy hill where saints of different faiths lived in harmony. The practice originates from Kathu, a village where Bhagavān Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇ Mahāprabhujī performed miracles for all people. His equal love for Hindus and Muslims led both to revere him as the Kathu Pīr. This spirit of unity inspired incorporating this chapter into daily yoga. A second variation of the practice has been developed, featuring more movement and inclusive positions. It was recently presented in the context of global yoga observance. The practice is to be learned thoroughly, with anatomical commentary provided by experts. Yoga must be adapted individually, not forced collectively. The postures are designed to be learned gradually over years, not months.

"Through the Līlā Amṛt, the miracles of Bhagavān Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇ Mahāprabhujī, you can know of His love, blessings, and mercy, which were equal to all."

"Yoga is individual, not collective. Collectively is only when we are in a group."

Many of you are teachers of yoga in your life. Many are assistant teachers. Some are here to prepare for the next step to become yoga teachers. Many of you are already three or four decades into yoga, and your work has been perfect. Now we have a second variation of Kaṭhūpraṇām. "Kathu" is the name of a village, a holy hill. It is there where Mahāprabhujī lived. The villages have all kinds of different religions; the majority are Hindu and Muslim, and they have a very great harmony. It is not as one might think, that Muslims are fighting others or others are fighting each other. Through the Līlā Amṛt, the miracles of Bhagavān Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇ Mahāprabhujī, you can know of His love, blessings, and mercy, which were equal to all. There are many things you can read in Līlā Amṛt. For instance, a blind young boy was brought by his grandfather, and Mahāprabhujī gave him eyes. Since that time, all the Islamic believers in that area call Mahāprabhujī the "Pīr"—a holy saint. So they call him the Kathu Pīr, and so also do the Hindus. Mahāprabhujī was balancing them all very nicely. Because Mahāprabhujī lived there, Devpurījī was also there. Devpurījī is the master of Bhagavān Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇ Mahāprabhujī. Many of you know that Mahāprabhujī met Devpurījī in those holy hills. People come there as pilgrims. There are many mosques and many temples, and they all live in harmony. We decided to take this chapter into our yoga daily life and include it in our yogī’s daily practice. That is called the Holy Hill. Our adoration goes to all holy saints there, and so the name came: Kāṭhūpraṇām. Many people go on pilgrimages to holy mountains. The Islamists who go to Mecca go for pilgrimage to the holy stone, and it is very holy to them. Every religion has holy places. So, Kathu is like that. We have had this Kathā Praṇām for nearly four decades; we were practicing it. About half a year ago, we wanted to make a new version of it. Many of you know already, and many are going to know now. You know that yoga was announced as International Day of Yoga? Some religious people said, "We don’t want Sūrya Namaskār." What narrow thinking. So they had to remove it from their program. But without my knowing, journalists in India put it out that instead of Sūrya Namaskār, supplementary to Sūrya Namaskār, is the Kaṭhūpraṇām. Before I knew it, the journalists in India wrote that to replace Sūrya Namaskār we can do Kaṭhūpraṇām, for which they gave an introduction, and it appeared in the news with the postures. Some of you were there. This second variation is very, very good. It has a little more movement, and there are some positions and beliefs which are also adopted by other religions. Why not? If it is good, why not? Now, first, we have our demonstrator here. You all lie down on your stomach, in Mṛgāsana, and he will demonstrate Haṭha Panna. So you watch him. No, this was not there, so you don’t know the second version. There was another, so you have to wait. When was the last time? You don’t know. Who was here? Yes, thank you. Because we were trying many variations. So the man, via the camera, saw the beautiful nature. People said, "Where are you?" I, Strilky, saw a little bit, like Strilky, how good the air is. Who can’t come here misses a lot. (Instructions and counting for the practice follow, with corrections for synchronization: "One, two, not good. Again, go up. It should go all at once...") Listen to me. Twenty-seven. Perfect. We are so perfect. Very soon we will come to Bollywood, including Master. Yes, we still have not officially announced it. So this was a rehearsal. In this seminar for yoga teachers, we have to learn by heart. This afternoon at 5 o’clock, Dr. Martin from Brno, who is a professor and cardiologist, shall give the commentary according to anatomy, joints, bones, and spine. Yes, Martin, so it means you have to practice a few times more. Now, I need your commentary. Do you have any questions? Yes, we have two times. Which one? Yeah, this is a kind of... One time. Yeah, because the first time, the sequence is going up. This time it’s coming down, so you just rest with the hands, and then you go further. We tried everything; it went till 29 and 28, so we came to 27. We can edit, no problem, but it makes little difference. Pranām, Viśvagurujī. Somebody asked me what will be the mantras of the new positions in Kaṭhupraṇām. Yes. They are coming; they are on the way. Any more commentary? Yes, we can teach both. I would take it that in the beginning of the class, the first Kaṭhupraṇām, and at the end of the class, three rounds, the second Kaṭhupraṇām, between other postures, which you are recording for the steps of Yoga and the Life. So the beginning is the Kathopaniṣad, number one, and the end of the class is Kathopaniṣad, two. Okay, again, the breath. Let’s speak of the principle of the breath, not only for Kaṭhupraṇām, but for any postures. Whenever we bend forward, it’s exhalation. And whenever we go up, it’s inhalation. When you stay longer than a normal breath, and when you change posture, exhalation or inhalation. Thank you, Swamiji. It was very nice. I just feel now a little bit tense in my neck because we repeat a lot of... Oh, it was not a lot. You should not go like that. Okay. One lady from my yoga class got a pacemaker in January, and from that time, she cannot do Kaṭhupraṇām more than five from the old version. And what you teach in VEB, it was very comfortable for her, because after Śaśāṅkarāsana and before Caterpillar, it was a step. And now, this is again quick, so can she do that version that you teach in Vip, or how? Yes, if she feels comfortable, do it. And if she doesn’t feel good, don’t do it. Yoga is individual, not collective. Collectively is only when we are in a group. So, the postures which we design in Kathopadhyayana, Yoga and the Life, are very simple. It should take five years to complete the Yoga and the Life steps. Then everything will be so smooth and very good. But you want to do it in five months. It’s not possible. It is said the baby has to be nine months in the mother’s womb. And if it is a little earlier, it is in danger. So, everything has its rules, and where you feel a problem, leave it out. Again, good. So, this afternoon, what was I saying? Program? No, no, five to six. Okay, yeah, that will be with Dr. Martin. Five to six, or whatever, half an hour. And at that time, you can sit more closely, like in satsaṅg. It will be recorded, and you can have it. So, about bones, someone who knows about the muscles and ligaments. Then tomorrow we’ll speak about muscles, ligaments, nerves, and someone who knows about cardiology, perhaps Dr. Martin from Martin, so he can explain. When we put it all together, then we make a little booklet with the Kaṭhupraṇām I and with the Kaṭhupraṇām II. And actually, this second variation, if we do it every day, nearly everything is inside. So, every day, a minimum of three to five rounds, slowly.

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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