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Weekend seminar form Debrecen, Hungary (3/4)

The path of yoga is discipline and practice. The individual soul originates from the Supreme Soul and will merge back, experiencing many lives between. Our existence is not only the physical body; great yogis have systematized its layers. Yoga begins with discipline, which must be followed lifelong. Reducing wishes reduces stress on the brain. A yogi masters the fluctuations of thought. Diet and exercise are crucial for health, but liberation comes through grace and mantra. Practice is essential; you need only a piece of ground. Specific postures and breath control purify the body, balance the nervous system, and develop concentration. Dedicate time daily to this practice without force or competition.

"Yogaḥ citta vṛtti nirodhaḥ. Through the practice of yoga, try to neutralize the fluctuations of thoughts in your consciousness."

"Practice makes a master. When the master doesn't practice, it makes the beginner a student."

Filming location: Debrecen, Hungary

This evening, we spoke of many things. Every small part of the body is important for us, even our nails. Yet, certain organs are more vital. We can survive without one finger, but not without a liver. Similarly, our brain is crucial. It needs us to lead a balanced and peaceful life. Many wishes create stress for the brain. The father of psychology, Patañjali Ṛṣi, who lived 1,500 years before Christ, researched the entire existence of a creature from beginning to end. Consider water: it originates from the ocean as vapor, forms clouds, falls as rain, flows in streams and rivers, and finally merges back into the ocean. Similarly, the Jīvātmā (individual soul) originates from the Paramātmā (Supreme Soul). Our beginning was many yugas ago, millions or billions of years in the past. The end is when this individual consciousness merges back into the cosmic consciousness. Between all these yugas, the soul experiences different situations in the astral world, on different planets, and on this Earth. Our entire existence is not only the physical body. There are many layers over the soul, researched by great yogīs and saints and beautifully systematized by Patañjali. Therefore, Patañjali laid down the first two instructions. Yoga begins with discipline; yoga itself is discipline. Our yoga life will be successful through discipline, which we must follow lifelong. Where our weakness lies, there is the suffering of discipline. So, are we able to say no to ourselves? It is not easy. Consider someone who marries, divorces, marries again, divorces again, and remains unhappy. What is gained? This is a psychic illness, a lack of mental balance. On the day you can truly say "no" to such patterns, you will be finished with stress and trouble. Every wish is a pressure, a tension, a stress for our brain. Reducing our wishes helps the brain. Therefore, it is said: happy is the one who has no wish, yet unhappy is the one who has none. Discipline refuses and avoids those desires. It is not easy. Now is a beautiful time for cherries. Someone with a health problem should not eat them, yet they think, "Maybe just two pieces." That is weakness. Desire is not only physical or, as often thought in the West, solely about sexual life. Desires can also compel us to go swimming, which is good. But if you go into the ocean in Australia, there are sharks that may kill you. Why? Because sharks also have the desire to eat. Therefore, Patañjali's next instruction is: Yogaḥ citta vṛtti nirodhaḥ. Through the practice of yoga, try to neutralize the fluctuations of thoughts in your consciousness. A yogī is one who is master of the thoughts. Then our brain can be balanced and function well. If the brain suffers from stress, it is reflected in the organs. We who are healthy should take care. If our organs are attacked by disease, how can we repair them? It can be done, though not always 100%. We still have a chance: become a yogī. Practice real yoga. Exercise every day, not only sitting. Look at Tyāgpurī; he has nearly no stomach because he practices daily. And look, there are other purīs here—many purīs. Purī also means good chapatis. We can lie, but the body will not lie. In Debrecen, yoga began with Kṛiyānand (I don't know his Hungarian name, Miklós). He practices and is very serious. But he has close friends sitting beside him whose names I don't know and won't mention. They do not practice so much. How wondrous: two birds sit on one branch; one is healthy and happy, the other is not. Such is the situation. Now in Debrecen and the country, you have many good yoga teachers, yoga and life teachers. Practice. The second thing to know is that diet can help us with many things. But the most difficult thing is to say no to eating. You can say no to your husband or wife, but you cannot say no to your dog—such strong love for a dog. A hot dog. That's it. You know Āyurveda; it is nothing but proper diet. Nourishment is very important, and so is exercise. When you become 100% healthy, you can eat almost whatever you like as a vegetarian. We do not eat killed animals, nor live ones. Exercise is very important. You will look completely different next year, I tell you. All of us who have physical problems do so because of our laziness and weakness. Though exercise will not give liberation. Liberation comes through the Guru's grace and mantras. Follow your master faithfully. Obey, obey, obey your master. Yogīs have conducted research for many yugas and found a way humans can help themselves. You need nothing—just a piece of ground to sit and practice. Practicing is the important thing. There is one posture very good for our kidneys. I know our kidneys are good, and we wish they remain so. It is also very good for our agniśāra, the pancreas, and it makes us alert and conscious. If you know acupressure, it is developed from yoga. This posture is a kind of acupressure. I try very much in Yoga in Daily Life for practitioners to be comfortable and relaxed. Yesterday, we lay for one hour doing nothing, only moving one leg up and down. You went home, and your husband asked, "What did you do today?" One hour lying on the bed—so comfortable. Similarly, this posture is developed to overcome depression. It removes stress and makes you completely aware of your body and self. I will talk, and you will perform, giving a double benefit: listening and practicing. This posture, good for releasing stress, balancing the nervous system, and beneficial for the kidneys, urethra, and pancreas, is called Vīrāsana. It means "the hero," and you are the heroes of Yogandān life. Tyāgpurī will demonstrate first so they can see. Good. Toes standing and knees supporting. It is called the posture of soldiers, the guard. When soldiers or bodyguards are tired, they sit in this posture to be more alert. Try to change your alarm ringing. No matter what, get up at 4:30, even if you went to sleep at 3:30. Dedicate your time from 4:30 till 7 for yoga. I tell you, you will be so healthy, your skin color so nice, you won't need creams—only ice cream. Don't change posture. Don't move. Now you are bodyguards; your eyes are on me. It looks a little better. You yourself can find out the effect of this posture. Don't move. You have to be like a rock. What can happen? Your toes will break, that's all. A soldier never sits like this, alert. When you see them in a president's office, the guards are standing. Tourists come and take photos and smile, but the soldier doesn't smile. But you can smile, no problem. Don't move. We change the guard. Change the leg. Do you remember what we sang yesterday for the meditation? Yes? We will sing. Don't move. Put yourself in beautiful thoughts. Only psychologically do you think it is hard; it is not hard. When a plumber works down in this posture for even ten minutes, she is in it. But you are thinking too much—that is the problem. Back straight. Sit in Vajrāsana. Vajrāsana is a blessing. In this posture, our spine is automatically, naturally straight. The trunk of the body is relaxed. The stomach muscles are relaxed. Shoulders are relaxed. Elbows are relaxed. The neck is also relaxed. It's beautiful. This posture develops concentration and calms your nerves. Persons with psychic problems should do this posture for a minimum of five minutes. After that, we go to Śaśāṅkāsana for five minutes. Slowly inhale and raise the hands up. I was not satisfied with how you raised your hands. Again, down. Your hands are going like this. They should go parallel, or you can touch your thumbs. This balance in the hands is an indication from the brain. So, slowly raise your hands up, and now slowly bend forward, placing your hands on the ground with your forehead touching. If it's difficult, you can put your knees a little apart. Relax. I'm sure this is not as intensive as Vīrāsana. Just relax. The back muscles are stretched. The stomach muscles are pressed in a little, making your digestive process more active and helping with constipation. It gently stretches the neck muscles, and more blood circulation goes towards the head and face. All five jñāna indriyas (organs of perception) are located on our head, above the neck. Four are located above the neck, and the fifth is connected to the whole. The jñānendriyas need more nourishment and must be healthy. Without their function, our life is not complete. The eyes are one jñānendriya; if one is blind, half the joy of the world is gone. The ears are another; if we cannot hear, our social life is gone. Then the nose for breathing, the mouth, the tongue for taste—these are the jñānendriyas connected directly to the head. This posture, Śaśāṅkāsana or Yog Mudrā, helps keep them healthy. Yoga Mudrā means bringing your hands to your back and interlocking the fingers or holding one wrist. If it is difficult, separate your knees a little more. Now, slowly, with closed eyes, raise your head up and sit up. Keep your hands on your back. Keep your eyes closed, or you may become dizzy. Place your hands on your thighs. Everyone has a beautiful face color without any makeup. Now open your eyes. Again, sit in Vīrāsana. Place one knee up with the foot standing on the knee. This is Pādāṅguṣṭhāsana. Without talking, concentrate on one point so you can do it. Concentrate on the corner of your yoga mat. Try, please. Keep your hands to the side for balance. Fix your eyes on one spot in front of you. Try, go ahead. Practice makes a master. When the master doesn't practice, it makes the beginner a student. Abhyāsyā, abhyāsyā, O Kāṇṭe, abhyāsyā. O son of Kuntī, practice, practice, practice. Arjuna, practice. Dayālpurī, what is this? Okay. Change the leg. Yes. We must begin again with yoga, no? It will be easier when you can look at one point. I understand the beginners. So, we all received a certificate today: you are all beginners. Next time, a yoga seminar for? Beginners. Now, the second thing: Prāṇāyāma. First, Prāṇāyāma is done to strengthen and purify the respiratory system. The diaphragm develops the capacity to take in more oxygen, more breath, helping to supply more oxygen to the body. Our body constantly needs oxygen, which is why we inhale. Through Prāṇāyāma, we purify toxins from the body and develop the ability to hold the breath longer, the so-called kumbhaka. Second, it is said that through Prāṇāyāma, one can overcome problems like asthma. Prāṇāyāma also harmonizes circulation and blood pressure. Due to the increased oxygen and purification of the lungs, it cleanses our blood. Prāṇāyāma is a very powerful technique with immense energy and potential. You should practice one hour of Prāṇāyāma every day, 45 minutes to one hour of āsanas, and half an hour to one hour of meditation. Look, you will see how your life changes. Your insurance company will be happy because they won't need to pay for hospitals and medicine. But the main thing is that you will be healthy and happy. Prāṇāyāma reduces stress, develops memory, and balances brain activity in both hemispheres. The best time to practice is in the morning when there is less pollution and more fresh air, as vegetation exhales oxygen. Go to sleep earlier. If we have no program, say good night at 9 o'clock and good morning at 4 o'clock. At lunchtime, take 15 minutes for Prāṇāyāma and the silent meditation we did yesterday. Our life will be very happy and balanced. So, everyone, look at your watch. Take a deep inhale and hold your breath. Find out how many seconds you can hold. I will ask: who couldn't hold their breath for 20 or 15 seconds? Who can hold for 15 seconds? 40 seconds? And one minute and fifteen seconds? These are three questions, but it is not a competition—only do what is comfortable. If you can't, you can't. Next year, when I ask, if you practice every day, you will be able to hold your breath for one and a half minutes. Do it yourself, please. Sit straight. Deep inhale, and hold the breath. One minute, one minute and fifteen seconds, and one and a half minutes. Thank you. So, who could not hold for fifteen seconds? Hands up, please. Very good. It seems you are alive. Now, who could not hold for half a minute? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. Very good. Still developing. Who could hold for 50 seconds? Hands up. Very good. Thank you. And who could hold for one minute? Not like this hand, please. Like this. Okay. Embrace. Very good. And one minute and fifteen seconds? Very good. Result. And one and a half minutes? Thank you. About ten percent held for one and a half minutes. If you practice Kriya Yoga every day, it should not be a problem to hold your breath for one and a half minutes. But don't force yourself. When you do kumbhaka, always hold the breath in the stomach. Do not hold it in the chest, as that gives pressure to your heart, which is not good. Inhale and hold the breath in the stomach; relax here. Then slowly exhale. Don't overdo. So, practice a minimum of two and a half hours of āsanas and Prāṇāyāma every day. It doesn't matter if you are young or old, healthy or ill. If you are ill, you will become healthy; if you are healthy, you will become a yogī. That's it. But never force yourself. Don't try to do very hard postures. Many yoga teachers are sitting here; you should know. Many who advertise yoga courses use posters with very difficult postures that normal people cannot do, and they lose motivation to go to class. We should advertise simple postures that motivate and inspire people to come. That is why Yoga in Daily Life is liked by people very much. No competition. Maybe there are one or two extremists who want to stand on their hands, but we tell them we stand on our legs. So, no competition, no challenges. We begin to do this consequently, every day, summer or winter. We will see in one year how it will be. I am waiting for that one year, wishing all the best and a very safe journey.

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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