Swamiji TV

Other links



Video details

Hatha Yoga techniques - 1

The body's tension and purification are central to well-being. A smile engages few muscles, keeping tension localized, while a frown engages many, sending tension through nerves to the brain, causing distress. This physical tension manifests in organs, affecting the heart, liver, or kidneys due to hidden stress and insincere expression. Haṭha Yoga addresses this through internal cleansing. The Ṣaṭ Karma techniques, like Neti, purify the nasal passages. Inhaled dust and pollution accumulate, but the body's design, with nasal hairs and mucus, traps it. Neti uses a pot with warm, tear-salinity salt water to flush the nostrils, clearing sinuses and aiding conditions like allergies. This practice emphasizes using simple, durable tools and connects bodily purification to overall health, requiring proper instruction.

"Smiling removes tension. But some people smile insincerely; that person is suffering."

"In Haṭha Yoga, it is mostly inner cleaning of the body, which is very important."

Filming location: Vép, Hungary

We will first chant a mantra. Always, when we chant mentally or aloud, we should have nice thoughts. First, when you come to your sādhana, your practice, your meditation, or a lecture, it is for the sādhaka (the student), the master, and the perfected ones. There is one mudrā called Harṣa Mudrā. Harṣa means happiness. A master said that when you smile, only three muscles are active. When you are frowning or tense, about 65 muscles create tension in the body. Each tension in our muscles goes to the nerves, and this nerve system is connected to our brain. This tension travels to the brain, creating headache, restlessness, anger, depression, and aggression. These are not good thoughts. When only three muscles are active, as in a smile, the tension stays near the jaw. From the jaw, tension does not go towards the brain. When we smile, we open our teeth. Then our jaw joint, the temple, relaxes. Our jaw is like a lock. When we bite our teeth strongly, the jaw is locked. Now, hold your index and middle fingers at the temple, as in Yoga Nidrā. Relax your jaw. Slightly open your mouth as a dentist would ask. You will feel the tension here relaxing. If you bite, the muscles tense again. According to yogic science—I am not a doctor, dentist, or scientist, but I am a yogī—whenever we have a headache or lack concentration, we release this tension in Yoga Nidrā. So, place two or three fingers at the temple. First, rotate clockwise like a massage, keeping your fingers in place. Keep your teeth relaxed; do not bite. This will remove your headache. If you bite and clench your teeth, the muscles tense. Massage ten times clockwise and ten times counterclockwise. Very good. Now, when a child cannot sleep, or a child of about three months to four years old wets the bed, this habit can be overcome. According to the Haṭha Yoga technique called Trātaka, before the child sleeps, make a maṇḍala like this and let the child see it. Or use a candle flame, but not for too long. It is a psychic effect. The child will soon give up this habit. We will come to Trātaka techniques later. So, what should you do? When you see your friend for the first time in the morning, at the office, or on the bus, you smile. "Good morning, how are you? Did you sleep well?" This smiling removes tension. But some people smile insincerely; that person is suffering. This kind of tension first attacks our heart. These heart nerves will sooner or later cause trouble. A yogī was told that if you have conflict in thinking, it attacks your kidneys. According to yoga, there are two reasons for kidney issues: either diabetes or tension. Every person has a weakness somewhere in the body, mostly in the inner organs, or it goes to the liver. But it is not only that. There are many other causes: alcohol, coffee, wrong eating, immense tension in talking. The liver, as doctors say, is a factory for hormones, and these affect reactions from different parts of the body. When Haṭha Yogīs practice the techniques I will tell you, it will cure liver problems. When you hide your thoughts from your boss and have negative thoughts without a real smile, you know someone is smiling, but it is not genuine. Sometimes when we go to a shop, a supermarket in Australia, and say "Thank you," they only say "Uh-huh." It feels cold. I say thank you, and they just say "Uh-huh." They are sitting; it is not like that. Maybe it is a tradition. Anyway, such tension affects the liver and heart. It is connected to not thinking or giving truthful information. This can lead to sudden crashes, like in a lift, train, or metro, or micro-sleep in the car due to tiredness or unhappiness. These heart and liver attacks are strongly influenced. Therefore, in Haṭha Yoga, there is Pañca Karma and Ṣaṭ Karma. In Ṣaṭ Karma, we keep our inner organs in order. Haṭha Yogīs work with muscles and nerve systems, mostly in the trunk of the body where the organs are. These techniques include Neti, which means cleaning the nostrils, the nasal passages. We spoke yesterday about Iḍā and Piṅgalā. Iḍā is the left nāḍī (left nostril), and Piṅgalā is the right nāḍī. We are inhaling constantly. Do you know how much dust we inhale? If you do not know about inhaling pollution, I invite you to New Delhi, or big cities everywhere—in China, Tokyo, in countries with a dry climate. But here in beautiful Europe, where I have lived for nearly 47 years in Vienna, the World Health Organization often says Vienna is among the best for pollution, along with Vancouver and somewhere in Switzerland. But the World Health Organization did not come to VEAP or Stilky. They only look at big industrial areas. In beautiful Vienna, you clean your glass table in the morning, with only a vase and flower. Windows and door are closed, and you go to work. In the evening, you can write "Beaved for home" on it because dust is everywhere. That dust comes from pictures, toys, and such. Therefore, in a children's room, there must not be too many stuffed toys because old toys are dust collectors. When we inhale and exhale, there is a lot of dust. Day before yesterday, Swami Phoolpurī came into my room in the morning. Sunlight through the window was reflecting, and he said, "Swamiji, there is so much dust here." I said there is none. He said, "Yes, it is like a fog." I said it is because of the light. He asked, "Does the sun make the dust?" I said, "No." We opened the window. I did not measure, and again, I am not a doctor, but they say our lungs are very thin, like a fog, and if expanded, they cover a large area. Whatever we inhale affects our lungs. God is so clever and perfect. Oxygen must enter the body through inhalation, but He made a very small passage to the lungs: our nostrils. These are two nāḍīs. What we inhale, nature has provided hair in our nostrils. There is humidity, and dust collects there. Mucus comes from exhalation, and inhalation is connected to the sinuses. Therefore, Haṭha Yoga is one of the best ways to clean your lungs. The Haṭha Yogī does not have many instruments. He brings water for drinking, milk from his cow, oil, and cooks his tea. He covers his things, and in the morning, he has his dahlia. This is called multi-utilization. When the economy goes down and there are many factories, what to do? You will not buy this every day or week; it lasts for years. The metal is nice. But they made people lazy. In offices, people use something and throw it away: a plastic cup, drink and throw; a paper cup, drink and throw. At a United Nations conference, a man gave a lecture about pollution. At the end, he said, "Yes, my friends, we have these beautiful, clean cups, paper, and plastics. We can use and throw. But my friends, we use it. Where to throw?" That is it. You are always throwing, and there is pollution. You will not throw something you like; it is durable. Otherwise, yogīs take big luggage to the Himalayas. You cannot carry anything; you must reduce. We also clean our nostrils with a lotā, called the Neti Lota. Lota is a pot, and Neti is for the nostrils. After that, it is used for Jala Dhauti. You drink water with it. You also use it for Śaṅkaprakṣālana. You drink water and go. A problem arose when Germans first came to India. They were eating at a table while Indians ate with their hands. Germans used fork, knife, and spoon. Germans used toilet paper, and Indians used fingers for cleaning after the toilet. One thing more I forgot: he said Indians have good tools—only five fingers—and do everything. We have this spoon and that spoon. Germans are more... Anyway, they researched eating. Try eating with fork, knife, and spoon one day, and with your hand the next. Please be honest and tell which is tastier. Just try it. That is why our dear ladies in the kitchen, when cooking, often taste with their fingers. When making yogurt or something on your hand, quickly we taste or test with the hand. This hand, God has made it. The God-made world is perfect; the man-made world is not good. If you are working in the kitchen and your fingers are away from some food, or making a Christmas cake and putting cream on it, definitely they taste it. They take a tissue, clean it, and throw it away. That nice cream on the finger is thrown out. Better to taste it nicely and wash with water. Mostly, ladies clean with water in the kitchen, or if they are intelligent, they first eat and then clean their fingers. Many things are used and thrown away, but where do you throw them? On this earth. Try to see the test of this. That is why children, from childhood, are always fingering, licking, chewing. Many good things. This Neti cleans our nostrils very nicely. Many people with sinus problems, nostril problems, or breathing problems were given this Neti pot. About nine years and eight months ago in Wellington, New Zealand, I had coughing and such, so I went to a doctor. The doctor said, "How to get your receipts? You should get them from your insurance." I said to the doctor, "If you give to me, give, or otherwise say, 'Hurry home.' I am a patient; I have a problem. If you are a doctor, do it." The doctor looked at me and said, "Actually, you are right. I am a doctor, and if a person is dying and somebody says, 'Go and bring your insurance card,' he said, 'Sit down and drink some coffee.'" Then he said, "Our district council said that any patient who comes should be given this Neti pot for free, in Vancouver, Wellington." He said, "Master, this will help you." I said, "Yes, thank you very much." He asked, "You know how to use it?" I said, "Well, I am teaching yoga and I..." You know everything, but you do not use it. Now, use it. The pot was made of plastic and not properly done. This is a more beautiful design. You get some small lota with a long pipe, but this is very good. Now I am talking about Haṭha Yoga. Between yogīs and doctors, there are... Yoga, Jñāna Yoga, etc., and philosophers. You are going. You are going. Hari Om. Good journey. Hari Om. So they are always there. There is a little matching, then after, but before. It was in Vienna. Vienna has the best university, good scientists, good doctors. They are still not so clever and nice, like the Croatians, Slovenians, and Hungarians. We are still normal. One person had a nose problem. A doctor gave him spray and oil. Everything, but that doctor was not in Vienna; it was near Salzburg. My disciple had a problem, and I gave him this pot. He did Neti, and in three days, his problem was gone. He came happily and said, "Dear doctor, my yoga teacher gave me a Neti Lota and cleaned the nose with water." The doctor listened and asked, "How did you clean the nostril?" Water goes up and then out. What? My disciple explained, "Water did not go up into the brain; it goes into the sinus." You should know: water went in through the right nostril and came out through the left nostril. There is no hole between them, according to anatomy. Yes, nobody will tell there is a hole from here to here. But this yogic technique goes up, and water comes out without going into the throat. It flows to the other nostril and comes out. The doctor said, "Do not take a risk. Next time you come, I will check the anatomy." He is a doctor. I will not come next time because I am healthy. What I am telling is that Haṭha Yoga āsanas, prāṇāyāmas, and purification of our body are essential. In Haṭha Yoga, it is mostly inner cleaning of the body, which is very important. This lotā is made for Neti. Now, demonstration. Here is water in my hand, this part. I am holding water inside, let us say, on the left side. Stand slightly bent forward with a little turn to your right side. Keep your head up and your mouth open. Inhale only through the mouth. Inhale and exhale. The water should be a little warmer than your body, about 39 degrees. It should contain salt, so the water is as salty as your tears. If you have never tasted your tears, then cry and taste them. If not, you are beloved; cry one day and do not taste it there. It is salty, like your blood. Your blood is not sweet. If you do not want to take blood out, your urine has that taste. God gave so many opportunities. In the water, then you just turn, and this part of the spout you insert into your nostril. If you exhale through the nose, there is a sound; therefore, do not. Water is in, and we go like this. The mouth is open, and water will come out. Let it be. Only inhale and exhale through the mouth until half the lota is empty, then switch to the other side. Then do Kapālbhāti; it means do not inhale through the nose. Inhale through the mouth. That is it. Now, further, our real demonstration with water, very expertly in our Haṭha Yoga, Swāmī Umāpurī will demonstrate. Please, somebody come near, or we give her this so she can put it in her bag? I will do it. So, Neti: individually, you will experience how much salt to use. It should be sea salt, fine sea salt, so no grains remain. Natural fine sea salt. You can take water from the tap if you have warm water; otherwise, warm it in a kettle or boil it. In Europe, we have mostly cold climates, so we use really warm water. I like it more warm than lukewarm, about 40 to 42 degrees. In India, when it is 40-50 degrees outside, it can be a little above body temperature. In Europe, if the air is cold, it is painful. You will experience how much salt you need. I put a good teaspoon here because it is a big Neti Lota. Salt, neither too much nor too little, is like your tears. If salt is less, you will have burning in the nostrils. If too much salt, it will also burn. If water is too warm, it is not pleasant. If the temperature is low, it will feel burning, but you will come to know immediately, on the first or second day. Madhuri, give me a little cold water, please. Thank you. Best is done in the morning when you brush your teeth, during your bathroom routine, immediately in front of the tap. I know some people are a bit ashamed of their body's excretions, like mucous or slime. You need not be... how do you say in English? This is ugly? It is not ugly; it is purifying. Normally, we do not have mucous, and it is very good when you feel a cold coming. Then you do Neti, but a different kind: you do Kapālbhāti, not so strong, otherwise you get a headache. When you do Kapālbhāti, also leave your mouth open; otherwise, pressure goes into the ears. Usually, you do not get cold, but if the weather is cold, then you have to do another kind of Kapālbhāti. If you do not want it to come out, you swallow it. We put the Neti spout inside, closing one nostril, opening your mouth, and just let the water run. You can normally inhale and exhale through the mouth. It is not burning or painful. The head position is like this; do not put it too far up, otherwise water flows into the throat. You will find your position, and do not speak while doing it, otherwise it will go to the throat. Then change to the other side with normal breath. Let us say it is finished. When I do it at home, I go over the bathtub because I like to bend my head a little more forward to do Kapālabhāti. I use a hand towel, and I leave my head a little down so sometimes water drips down. After 20 to 30 times of Kapālbhāti, you can clean your nose, and it is done. Water should come out. It is like a hair dryer; you dry the nose, and everything inside comes out. Some people bend their head back while doing Kapālbhāti; please do not do this. Bend forward, a little left, right side, so it comes out from the sinuses. Breathe out through both nostrils, not just one. You can do it with one, but breathe out with both. First with both nostrils, then maybe with one. Afterwards, after Kapālbhāti Neti, you really have a good feeling. It is like an opening; your view and everything opens. It refreshes and awakens you. Many people with pollen allergy experience a very good effect; they need not use cortisone sprays. This was the practical demonstration by our Umāpurījī, the first technique of our Kriyās, Haṭha Yoga Kriyā. Best is to do it only in the morning when you go to your bathroom. If you want to do it at different times, wait at least three hours before sleeping because some water remains in the sinuses; otherwise, you may get a headache or sinus problems. Precaution is very important; otherwise, there is no harm. For those with nostril problems, sometimes you cannot breathe at night. This is the first Kriyā of Haṭha Yoga. This evening, we will also take Haṭha Yoga, or more lecture about its physical, mental, and spiritual effects according to Haṭha Yoga. Wherever you go, you should take this Neti pot. You may have plastic or ceramic, but ceramic can break and is heavy. This is brass. I think it is available in many countries now. Some of our shops, like Muktānand from Vape, Omshiva Esoteric in Vienna, or Ganesha Shop in Budapest, others I do not know. You should buy at least two: one for travel and one for home. Thank you. All the best. Tomorrow, our next training will come: Agnisāra. But also, Sūtradhotā will come. This was Jala Dhauti (water cleansing). Now comes Sūtra Dhauti. That is especially for people who have muscles growing inside the bones and have breathing problems; we are learning polyvent. Then there is a pure cotton thread, mostly coated with beeswax. Otherwise, you can get a catheter from a pharmacy, number two. Everyone has different ones, and you pull it through the nose and catch it with two fingers, not with a fork. Inside, and then you will practice like this. But that is for next time. Wish you all the best, my dear. Haṭha Yoga is the highest technique of yoga. It is purification of our body, good health, and there is nothing dangerous. But you must first learn from a very good teacher who has practiced and has practical experience. Otherwise, do not do it with anyone. Thank you and bless you. You know, I was talking and forgot the mantra. Therefore, now we will chant the mantra. First, everyone smile. Oṁ Nā Prabhūdīp Karatā Mā Prabhūdīp Karatā Hī Kevalam. Oṁ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ... Śrī Deep Nārāyaṇ Bhagavān Kī Devadhī Dev Deveśvar Mahādev Satguru Svāmī Madhavān Jī Bhagavān Kī Alak Purī Jī Mahādev Satya Sanātan Dharmak Aum, Aum, Aum.

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:

Email Notifications

You are welcome to subscribe to the Swamiji.tv Live Webcast announcements.

Contact Us

If you have any comments or technical problems with swamiji.tv website, please send us an email.

Download App

YouTube Channel