TV Channel

Part 1: The Path of Yoga: Union, Practice, and Realization Sanskrit and Hindi terms include: yoga, cittasya, pādena, vācam, malam, śarīrasya, ca, vaidyakena, yo, āpa, karo, tam, tam, pravaram, muni, nāma, patañjalim, praṇajali, raṇatu, asmi, om, gurur brahma, gurur viṣṇu, gurur deva maheśvara, gurur sākṣāt parabrahma, tasmai, Śrī Gurur Viṣṇu, Gurur Deva, Maheśvara. Namaste. Namaḥ Param Pūjya Pāṭh Svāmījī Mahārāj, Upasthit Savi Dharma Premī Bandhu, and my dear sisters and brothers, foreign sisters and brothers. Yoga is an important science given by our sages and ṛṣis, through which we can attain physical health, physical fitness, mental peace, and spiritual progress. The meaning of yoga, in the common language, is that yoga controls all the powers of the universe. But in simple terms, yoga means to connect. When a person begins to connect his soul with the Lord, slowly his sorrows, worries, and diseases disappear. As it is said in our Vedas and Upaniṣads, "Tam eva viditvā mṛtyum eti nānyaḥ panthā vidyate ’yanāya." Only by knowing the Lord can we be free from death, sickness, and sorrows. There is no other way, only the refuge of God, for which our Bhagavad Gītā says, "tam eva śaraṇaṁ gaccha sarva-bhāvena bhārata tat prasādāt paraṁ śāntiṁ prāpsyasi." Only by going into His refuge can we attain supreme peace. When we go in the refuge of Mahāprabhujī, only then can we attain supreme peace and mental peace. The eight limbs of Yoga are Yama, Niyama, Āsana, Prāṇāyāma, Pratyāhāra, Dhāraṇā, Dhyāna, and Samādhi. Yama and Niyama are for our beautiful character. Yama is our self-discipline. There are five elements in Yama: Satya, Ahiṃsā, Āsthā, Brahmacarya, and Aparigraha. Similarly, there are five Niyamas: Śauca, Santoṣa, Tapa, Svādhyāya, Īśvara Praṇidhāna. These Niyamas are our self-discipline. The third limb is Āsana. Āsana means a stable and happy posture. Sitting in a stable and happy āsana. The fourth topic is Prāṇāyāma. We have to discuss Prāṇāyāma. Prāṇāyāma means, which is a term in our Yoga Darśana, "Tasmin sati śvāsa praśvāsyor gati vicchedaḥ prāṇāyāmaḥ." To control the speed of breath. Prāṇāyāma is very important. It gives us physical strength, mental strength, and spiritual strength. The most beneficial thing about Prāṇāyāma is that our mind comes under control. There is a śloka in Sanskrit, "Chale vāte chale chittam." As long as our breath is unsteady, our mind remains unsteady. As soon as we control our breath, our mind becomes stable. When our mind becomes stable, we will think as we wish. We will do positive thinking. The more positive thinking we do, the less stress we will have. We become as we wish. I am a human being. A human being is made up of his own thoughts and feelings. If you think good, if you think healthy, you will become healthy. If you think you are strong, you will become strong. The way you think, you will become like that. So once, when there was a war in Mahābhārata, when Arjuna’s chariot was put in the middle of both the armies, then Arjuna saw that this Guru Droṇācārya, from whom I have learned, these are my great-grandfathers, these are my brothers—how will I fight them? When such thoughts came to his mind, then the Gaṇḍīva Dhanuṣ fell from his hand, and he got disappointed and sat down. At the same time, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Mahārāj Jī came and said, "Arjun, what has happened to you? Why are you not becoming a puṇsaṅg? The body is destructible; the soul is eternal. The soul cannot be cut by weapons, nor can it be dried by air." When he was given the instruction of the immortality of the soul, then Arjuna stood up again with the Gāṇḍīva Dhanuṣ. So see, one thought made him sit down, and the other thought made him stand up. So there is a lot of power in thoughts. You will become as you think. So one thought made him stand up again. When he stood up again with the Gāṇḍīva Dhanuṣ, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Mahārāj Jī said that the body is destructible, and the soul is beyond life and death. When we give the message of the soul’s immortality, and when we say that you are a warrior, you should protect the country, you should fight for it, then he stood up again. So there is such a great power in thinking. So by doing prāṇāyāma, our thoughts become controlled. The more we do prāṇāyāma, the more our mind will be in control. So if the mind is in control, then we will not have stress. Prāṇāyāma is a great way to get rid of stress. Prāṇāyāma increases our age. The less we breathe, the more we age. Prāṇāyāma increases our age. Prāṇāyāma increases blood circulation in the whole body. Blood circulates well throughout the whole body. And immunity power increases by doing prāṇāyāma. And by doing prāṇāyāma, our lungs and heart become strong. So prāṇāyāma has a lot of importance. There are many prāṇāyāmas, but the main point is that we should keep practicing some prāṇāyāms. By doing prāṇāyāma, we get a lot of power. Like the bhastrika prāṇāyāma that we do. In Bhastrikā Prāṇāyāma, it is said to inhale and exhale from both nostrils as if you are breathing in and out of a bellows. It is very good for the lungs and heart. You will inhale and exhale from both nostrils. This will make the lungs and heart very strong and powerful. It is very good for the lungs and heart. Those who have heart blockage get rid of it. But if you have a heart patient or have high blood pressure, then do it slowly. Take a breath from both nostrils slowly, and release the breath slowly. So this is a very good prāṇāyāma for the lungs and heart. You can practice this in the beginning with one nostril, and then release it. You will take a breath from one nostril and then release it. And then you will do it from the other nostril, and then release it from both nostrils. This is a very useful prāṇāyāma. It removes the blockages of the heart. We get the full oxygen. Generally, the breath we take reaches our throat. We do not get the full oxygen. But prāṇāyāma gives us the full oxygen. All the pores of our lungs are filled with oxygen. This is the prāṇāyāma of Bhastrikā. It is done with both the nostrils. Similarly, the kapālbhāti prāṇāyāma is the union of the earth. This means that for the earth, the earth is very important. What do we do with this? We have to take out the breath from the nose and take the stomach inside. Who is Kapāla? Brain. Kapāla means brain. Bhāti means shining. The one who makes the brain shine. The one who removes the vices of the brain, like anger and greed. Its name is Kapālbhāti Prāṇāyāma. Kapālbhāti prāṇāyāma is very good for constipation and gas trouble. Kapālbhāti prāṇāyāma is very beneficial because it takes out the breath from the nose and takes the stomach inside. Kapālbhāti prāṇāyāma is a very useful prāṇāyāma. Kapālbhāti prāṇāyāma is a double benefit. It is good for both brain and stomach. So the way to do this is to take out the breath from the nose and take the stomach inside. First of all, someone who has a hernia in the stomach, someone who has a pain in the stomach, has had an operation, etc., should do it slowly or tie a bandage on the stomach. This is a very good practice for the stomach. Similarly, we do this with three procedures. First, we do it in a slow procedure, then we do it at a medium speed, and then we can also do it at speed. But those who have high blood pressure, heart trouble, or have an ulcer in their stomach should take it slowly. Similarly, there are many prāṇāyāmas like Anulom Vilom Prāṇāyāma and Nāḍī Śodhana Prāṇāyāma. This purifies our 72,000 nerves and veins. In this, the method is that you have to take a breath from one nose and release it from the other. Then take a breath from one nose and release it from the other. This is also called Anulom Vilom Prāṇāyāma. So, we have two nostrils. The right nostril is called Piṅgalā Nāḍī, and the left nostril is called Iḍā Nāḍī. So, balance of these two nostrils should be there. By doing Anulom Vilom Prāṇāyāma, the balance of these two nostrils is achieved. If we have a feeling of more heat, or our blood pressure is high, then we should do Chandra Bhedī Prāṇāyāma or Śītalī-Śītkārī Prāṇāyāma. If we feel hot, then we should do Śītalī-Śītkārī Prāṇāyāma or Chandra Bhedī Prāṇāyāma. If we feel cold, then we should do Sūrya Bhedī Prāṇāyāma or Sūrya Anuloma Viloma Prāṇāyāma. Prāṇāyāma is a prāṇāyāma that creates heat. The method of Sūrya Bhedī Prāṇāyāma is to inhale from the right nostril and exhale from the left nostril. Sūrya Anuloma Viloma Prāṇāyāma is to inhale from the right nostril and exhale from the left nostril. Sūrya Anuloma Viloma Prāṇāyāma creates heat in our body. For those who have cold, sinus, or similar issues, Sūrya Bhedī Prāṇāyāma is very good. Sūrya Bhedī Prāṇāyāma is very good for fat reduction and diabetes. So this way, Sūrya Bhedī Prāṇāyāma and Chandra Bhedī Prāṇāyāma are very good for us. Apart from this prāṇāyāma, we have ujjāyī prāṇāyāma. Ujjāyī Prāṇāyāma also has many types of methods. We tell a simple method. There are many types of methods of Prāṇāyāma. So the method of Ujjāyī Prāṇāyāma, Ujjāyī Prāṇāyāma is a very simple Ujjāyī Prāṇāyāma, which is very good for the heart and lungs. I have told you about the Ujjāyī Prāṇāyāma of Bhastrikā Prāṇāyāma. Those people who are not able to do it can do the simple Ujjāyī Prāṇāyāma. Those who have a very critical heart condition and cannot do it at all can do the Ujjāyī Prāṇāyāma of Bhastrikā Prāṇāyāma. The Ujjāyī Prāṇāyāma is very simple. And those who are very critical heart patients, who can’t do anything at all, they just sit and inhale and exhale slowly. Those who are very severe heart patients or severe asthma patients, they breathe in slowly and breathe out slowly. Or, morning walking is also very good. 100 medicines, 1 air. 100 medicines, 1 air. Meaning, morning walk is very important. We say that the sooner we go around in the morning, the more Amṛtvelā we get. If you go there in the morning, you will get Amṛtvelā. In our Vedas, there is a mantra in which Uṣā Devī comes early in the morning. Those who wake up early in the morning get āyu, bal, tej, everything. Going around early in the morning is like amṛta. It is very beneficial. It is very good for health. Similarly, there is another Prāṇāyāma called Brahmrī Prāṇāyāma. There are two to three different methods of Brahmari Prāṇāyāma. Each one has different methods. One method is that we put the index finger in the ear and inhale through the nose. And at the actual time, we make the sound of the mother, like the sound of the bee. It is very good for the brain. For example, the massage of the brain can be done by doing Brahmari Pranayama. For those who are very angry, the mind becomes calm. For mental peace, Brahmari Pranayama is very good. It is very good. In that, you have to do Gunjan like a bee. You have to make the mother’s voice. In this way, the importance of prāṇāyāma is very important in our life. And after Prāṇāyāma, we have Pratyāhāra, which is our fifth limb. Pratyāhāra means to focus our senses internally. We always see the outside world, we hear the outside sound, we feel the internal sound, we hear the internal sound, we see the internal scene. We have the light of thousands of suns inside us, the light of one hundred suns within. So we have to see the sun inside us. We have to see the light inside us. So for this practice, first focus on your breath. Focus on your concentration in the breathing, so Pratyāhāra. After Pratyāhāra comes Dhāraṇā. Dhāraṇā is deśabandhaḥ cittasya. Meditation is to focus your mind on one thing or the other. For example, we have the Ṣaṭ Cakra here. To focus your mind on the Ṣaṭ Cakra, to focus your heart on the Anāhata Cakra, to focus your mind on the Ājñā Cakra, to focus your mind on one thing or the other. And when the mind is completely focused on that thing, when the mind is completely focused on that thing, when it doesn’t run around here and there, that is called meditation. When the mind is completely focused on one point, then it is called meditation. Meditation gives us mental peace. "Dhyāna sindhu mukta gane jo khoje so pāye, cañcalatā man kī miṭe sahaja śānti mile." Meditation is the means to attain peace. For meditation, you can meditate on any one point of your life, either on your breath or on your mother. After meditation comes samādhi. Samādhi means to become completely one with God. To become completely one with God. The meaning of samādhi is to become completely one with God, to unite. When we try to unite our soul completely with God, then all our problems will be solved. Samādhi is the solution to all problems. In this way, Aṣṭāṅga Yoga is going to solve all our problems: Yama, Niyama, Āsana, Prāṇāyāma, Pratyāhāra, Dhāraṇā, Dhyāna, and Samādhi. In our Yoga Sādhanā Ashram, we always practice these things. We have done a lot of research on diabetes and asthma. We can completely control diabetes. For those who are suffering from asthma, sinus, or stomach ulcers, these purifying remedies are very beneficial. The cleaning procedures like Kunchal, Neti are very good. Kunchal cures hyperacidity, gas trouble, and constipation. You have to drink water and then take it out. And drinking water in the morning is a very good medicine. When you drink water in the morning, it is very beneficial. If you drink tamarind water, then it will be more beneficial. At night, clean the tamarind well. After cleaning, fill it with water and drink that water in the morning, and then go to bed. Then it will be very good for the stomach. Water is a very good medicine. Earlier we used to have Uṣā pāna, but we forgot it. Now, when the foreigners started saying that drinking water is good, it is a miracle. Drinking water in the morning is a miracle, meaning it is very beneficial. If you have high blood pressure or heart trouble, then don’t do it, don’t do kunjal. Those who are suffering from hypertension and blood pressure do not do the Kunjal or Śaṅkh Prakṣālana. So, this is how Kuñjal is increased. Similarly, there is a method of meditation. It is very good for flu, cold, sinus, and migraine. There is a lotā. It is taken out from one nose and taken out from the other nose. These are all things. If you have any more questions, then ask. Otherwise, I will come again and ask. If you have any more questions, then answer. Pratyāhāra means to make the senses internalized. To make the senses internalized, it is said that we should focus our attention on the breath. With the breath, as it is said, so, focus your attention completely on the breath. Look at the breath. The breath that is coming and going, do it with a witness. That is Pratyāhāra. And after that is Dhāraṇā. It is meditation. It is meditation. It is meditation. We can make Śiva beautiful and bring peace to our family, society, and nation. We can establish peace in the world through this Aṣṭāṅga Yoga, through Prāṇāyāma, peace in the world, and make the house beautiful. After the pūjā, Swamījī Mahārāj Jī has gone to the Pradhār. I have said everything about his blessings. Very good, very good. Brother, I will speak in English because the news is going. They will not be able to speak English, they will not be able to speak English, they will not be able to speak English, they will not be able to speak English, they will not be able to speak English. They will not be able to speak English, they will not be able to speak English, they will not be able to speak English. And for those who don’t know, for their knowledge, our Pushpājī has explained it very well. And I will also say the same in Hindi. I will practice it. Okay? Okay? I have stopped now. Now I will talk seriously. Śānti, Śānti,... Śrīdīp Nārāyaṇ Bhagavān Kī Jai, Deveśvar Mahādeva Kī Jai, Satguru Svāmī Madhvarānjī Bhagavān Kī Jai. Salutation to the cosmic light, dear brothers and sisters, the spiritual seekers, practitioners of yoga and daily life, and different spiritual paths or yoga. Wish you also a very good evening. This blessing is coming to you from the Holy Land, Bhārata, India. Viśva Gurudev Āśram, Jaipur, Rājasthān. Welcome, my dear brothers, sisters, and bhaktas of Gurudev. For the benefit of our international devotees, I am speaking in English. Do you understand English? Those who do not understand, ask us later. I will explain its meaning. Yoga is only one, but it has different techniques, different theories. All the techniques and theories lead us to yoga. Our destination, our aim is to realize the yoga. What does that mean? It means the cosmic consciousness which is dwelling in each and every entity, that individual consciousness merges into the cosmic consciousness. That is the final aim, purpose, or destination of human life. Yoga is that power in the entire universe to balance the space and consciousness, visible and invisible elements, to create the harmony and the oneness, as Dr. Pushpa told you, the union. The oneness, union of the individual consciousness with the cosmic consciousness. The great sage Patañjali, and before Patañjali, they gave the definitions and divided, or they modified, the yoga into different kinds of yoga paths: Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Rāja Yoga, Jñāna Yoga, Kriyā Yoga, Haṭha Yoga, Nāda Yoga, Ādi, etc., etc. But the aim is the same, as God Kṛṣṇa said. It doesn’t matter what you believe, or through which spiritual path or religion you go; finally, you will find me there. I will be there. It means God. Now, in order to achieve the higher consciousness, one should have an experienced teacher. We call Brahmaniṣṭha Śrotriya Guru. Brahmaniṣṭha, knower of the Brahman. What is the Brahman? Śrotriya who can speak, explain, or motivate us or inspire us. Such a teacher, such a master can lead you successfully, comfortably. Do not change your master. Do not change your guru. If you change, you lose one life, and in the next life, you don’t know where you will come. Many people make mistakes. You have one Gurudev, you talk of blessings, mantras, everything. Then someone comes who makes such beautiful lectures, makes you laugh, and so on. Then you go to that master, then you go to that master, you are nowhere, you are lost. Guru is Guru. Therefore, it doesn’t matter which master, which spiritual master, who gave you a Nāma Dāna, a mantra, or mantra dīkṣā. Practice that and follow the perfect, good techniques. Then you will be successful. Otherwise, better than nothing? That’s better than nothing. Every subject, every technique of yoga has an immense effect on our body, on our entire body system. The tissues, organs, nerves, ligaments, muscles, bones, and so on and so on. Each practice affects our mental activities, meaning it influences both our hemispheres, and our mental activity depends on our mental state or our hemispheres, the brain. Each practice technique of yoga influences your mind. Your antahkaraṇa, manas, buddhi, citta, ahaṁkāra, four kinds of antahkaraṇa, means the inner functions: manas, the mind; buddhi, the intellect; citta, your consciousness, your alertness; ahaṁkāra, the self, awareness, ego, or you are aware. About thyself. Within these four antaḥkaraṇa, there are three major obstacles. If you cannot remove these three obstacles, you are nowhere. Though you have a mantra, though you practice, you do not lead the life according to the principles of yoga and gurubhakti. These three obstacles are called mala, vikṣepa, and āvaraṇa. Mala, impurity, physical, mental impurities. Physical, mental, social, emotional, and so many impurities. Part 2: The Nature of the Mind, the Mystery of Prāṇa, and the Practice of Prāṇāyāma Vikṣepa refers to disturbances: family problems, job problems, health problems, political problems, social problems, and so on. Decisions, problems, drought, crops drying—many, many problems. These are vikṣepa. You may be sitting peacefully, and suddenly someone brings you bad news, making you sad. You cannot simply say, "I will block my thoughts, and my mind will be steady." You cannot control the mind. If you try to control your mind, you may become a case for a psychiatric hospital. Never try to control the mind. For example, the mind is like a river, and a river's nature is to flow constantly. If you block a river by building a dam, one day the dam will break, causing a flood that washes away and destroys much land and forest. Similarly, if you try to control your mind, one day it will explode within, and you may become mad or overly emotional. You will not know what happens. Man marā, na mamatā marī. Why can't you guide or direct your mind? Because of mamata—attachment. Mamatva hi duḥkhon kā kāraṇa hai. Attachment: my, my, mine. Man mara na mamta mari. Why can't you bring your mind under control or direction? Because of attachment—"my mind" is too strong. Mar mar gayā śarīr. Asā tṛṣṇā na marī. Asā means hope. Asa wo lakdi hai tak saath chalne wali lakdi hai. Hope is the stick that accompanies you from the cradle to the grave. Trishna—because you have desires: "I want this, I want that." Therefore, the mind cannot be controlled. A river cannot be blocked, but we can give it direction. We can construct the riverbanks to guide its flow. Similarly, we can direct our mind in a specific direction. Which direction? Dhyāna Mūlam Guru Mūrti. There is a very nice example. A disciple who drank a lot of alcohol came to me. In Europe, drinking alcohol is like drinking tea—a social drink, not necessarily bad. But when consumed excessively, it leads to drunkenness and alcoholism. This man could not give it up and said, "Swāmījī, I am drinking too much. How do I get rid of it?" I replied, "You know your master does not like alcohol. Your master does not like meat. Your master does not like eggs. Are you my disciple or not?" He said, "Yes." So I told him, "Whenever you take a bottle and glass, imagine I am sitting in front of you. Look at my picture, sit before me, and then pour the alcohol." Swāmījī would be watching. Within ten days, he rid himself of all these habits. Dhyāna mūnam guru-mūrti. Jab jab mana ghabrāye, tum prathānā karo. Jab raha nazar nahi aaye, tum prathana karo. It must not be that you meditate only with closed eyes. Whenever restless, unpleasant, or impure thoughts arise in the mind, look to Gurudev, and Gurudev will say, "Hey, what are you thinking?" Therefore, Mahāprabhujī has a mudrā like this, indicating everything. Dhyāna mūlaṁ guru-mūrti, pūjā mūlaṁ guru-padam, Mantra mūlaṁ guru-vākyaṁ, mokṣa mūlaṁ guru-kṛpā. To follow the instruction of your Gurudev, your teacher, is the greatest mantra for you. Today's subject is prāṇāyāma. Dr. Pushpa explained according to the Upaniṣads, the Vedas, and authentic yogic literature what yogīs have written and said about prāṇāyāma. Now, prāṇa is not oxygen. In Sanskrit, it is prāṇa, but there is no equivalent word in English. What is prāṇa? We all know about prāṇa, but we cannot explain it. Prāṇī—those who have prāṇa, life in the body, are called prāṇī. Those who have jīva in their body, jīvātmā, are called prāṇī. Bhagavān Nāth, Bhagavān, Gurudev hamāre prāṇ nāth—Lord of my life. Prāṇ chhod diyā—you can say died, the soul has gone out, or prāṇa has left the body. So the question arises: what is prāṇa? Is prāṇa the soul? Is prāṇa ātmā? Is prāṇa life? What is prāṇa? Many conferences are held to explain this one word, but still, no one can give a concrete answer. If you speak Hindi, understand Hindi, or speak Sanskrit, you may know some words, but you cannot explain what prāṇa is. Have you ever eaten ghee in your life? Who has eaten ghee? Raise your hand. You have eaten ghee, I have eaten ghee, sometimes or every day. Can you explain to me the taste of ghee? We can say ghee pe chingat hai, ghee me sugandh hai, ghee gaay ka hai, ghee dalda hai, ghee me tamatra ho, aloo bada hua hai. But what kind of taste does ghee have? Though your svādha indriya (tongue) knows and your buddhi knows, you cannot explain. Similarly, the word prāṇa cannot be explained. This prāṇa is divided into five different qualities: five prāṇas and five upa-prāṇas—prāṇa, samāna, udāna, vyāna, which we all know. But this is only that one Prāṇa which comes from the Cosmic Consciousness. The Cosmic Mother nourishes her child with that subtle energy, which is like the soul itself. It is then divided into different chambers for different functions, but still, we cannot say what prāṇa is. Nadi—there is no English word for nadi. A nerve is not a nadi. Śīrā, Dhvanī, yeh nadī nahīṁ hai. There are Sanskrit words that cannot be translated into any language; even if you know the language, you cannot express them in your own tongue. There are three different kinds of prāṇāyāma: pūrak, rechak, and kumbhak. Pūrak means inhalation, rechak means exhalation, and kumbhak means retention of the breath. Between inhalation and exhalation, there are a few seconds—that is automatic svataḥ kumbhaka. When you exhale completely, there is a gap, an interval before you inhale—that is svāta kumbhaka. We try to imitate this function, given by God, to improve it a little more. Holding the breath outside is bāhir kumbhak, and holding it inside is antar kumbhak. You can do āsanas as you like—not exactly as you like, but you can do difficult or easy ones. Prāṇāyāma, however, you should not do as you like. To begin prāṇāyāma is like putting your hand into a hole where a snake is sitting. Sarabh kī bambī ke andar hāth ḍālnā, yā prāṇāyām śuru karnā—that is the first thing. After that, there will be more, much more. Then, there are techniques. Why? Which technique? How? They affect or influence different parts of the body or organs, mostly through prāṇāyāma. In prāṇāyāma, we must find balance in both hemispheres. Then you can do others. To practice prāṇāyāma perfectly and correctly is a one-and-a-half-year course until you can come to kumbhaka—the kind of kumbhaka with Mahābandha. Who knows what Mahābandha is? Does anyone here know? Very good. Who knows Mahābandha? Raise your hand. Very good. So now you have to come to India to teach yoga, and they have to go to Europe to learn yoga. Good. Mahābandha, which Pushpājī has taught—because you all didn't learn from her—is Mūlabandha, Uḍḍīyānabandha, and Jālandharabandha together. These three together constitute Mahābandha. People who practice are doing Mahābandha in five days. What will happen? They will go crazy. If you have a small child, you wouldn't ask him to run. How can a five-year-old child run? That's it. Dekhā, dekhī, sāje, yog, ghaṭhe, kāyā, or bāḍe, rog. Television yoga is only for inspiration. Television yoga is meant to increase our curiosity. But if we really want to do it, we need a teacher. All prāṇāyāmas have excellent benefits: Sūrya Bhedan, Chandra Bhedan, Yanārī Śodhan, Anulom, Vilom, Brahmrī Prāṇāyām, Śītalī Prāṇāyām, Śītkārī Prāṇāyām, Ujjāyī Prāṇāyām, Bhastrikā Prāṇāyām, Kapālbhāti Prāṇāyām, and so on. You should never do these alone. Go step by step with your master, or have a perfect guiding book like Yoga in Daily Life. Who has it? Very good. Those who do not have it, see, it will guide you so much... That book is a teacher itself. When we do both Sūrya Bhedan and Chandra Bhedan prāṇāyāma, our mind and intellect should be content with both. This is the moon, and this is the sun. The moon never remains the same. Kushi prakar kabhi bhi—never are our thoughts equal every day. We say, "I change my mind." Jaise chanda ghatta bhatta rehta hai, vaise hi hamare vichaar bhi ghatte bhatte rehte hain. What is the dharma of the mind? Saṅkalpa, vikalpa—to resolve and then abandon. To think and then give up. That's why the mind awakens emotions in our body. To control physical, mental, intellectual, social, and emotional aspects, you must control your left hemisphere, which is connected to our Iḍā Nāḍī. Then come peaceful thoughts. People say, "Swāmījī, I get very angry. Swāmījī, sometimes I do this and that." This is because in your intellect, at the solar plexus—a part of your brain—you lack control. Both hemispheres must be perfectly balanced, and for that, Sūrya Bhedan or Chandra Bhedan Prāṇāyām is practiced. For how long? Six months. In India, six months. In India, they don't even tell you the number of fingers. Yes, six months. Now you will say, Maharaj Ji, six months—in six months, your age will increase by six years. How great is that? If you do it for one year, your age will increase by twelve months. Chandra tale, Suraj tale, Gurudev kī bachan kabhī nahīṁ tale. Vidyāvān āp karoge to batāye. Ek saal ke bādh aapko log pahchān nahīṁ pāyeṅge ki kyā ho rahā hai, aap to javān ho gaye. That is prāṇāyāma; otherwise, I told you, listen, that's all. So this prāṇāyāma must be done for six months, disciplined continuously; then life will increase and be prolonged by six years. If you practice only this prāṇāyāma for one year, your life is prolonged by twelve years. After that, I don't know what will happen. Yes, after that comes the second technique. Let's come to practice. Tons of theory are nothing compared to one gram of practice. If you keep talking about food—samosa, kachori, pakoda, etc.—hunger will keep increasing, not the sweet one. Even if you give them one chana, they will get something. Therefore, tons of theory are nothing compared to a gram of practice. What is its name? Sudarśiṅgh. Guruji used to say, what is its name? Sudarśiṅgh. Its name is Vairaginā. Its name is Yogadaṇḍa. There are many in one. Keep it like this and place a candle on it—this is not the right place. Keep it like this and place a candle on it, and it becomes Trāṭaka. The place is not right. Sit on the mat and do Trāṭaka. Sit on the mat and do Trāṭaka. Sit on the mat and do Trāṭaka. Then we do it like this. Otherwise, after one or two minutes, people who do prāṇāyāma sit like this, then like this, then like this... Am I right? Śukhasana. What? Śukhasana. During sādhanā, the body should not be in pain. During mantra practice, meditation, prāṇāyāma, and dhāraṇā, you should feel comfort. This mudrā—these two fingers—gives balance to the iḍā and piṅgalā, gives rest to the head and brain, and is placed here. The third eye has the power of dhāraṇā, so concentration will improve, and you will support your head to keep it straight. The ring finger is for closing the left nostril, and the thumb is for closing the right nostril. Make sure to gently press the nostril with the ring finger, not forcefully. Also, ensure you don't do like this. Gently. That's it. Many people don't know how to do it, so I must explain. After this, this yogadānḍa, keep your hand like this. First, inhale through the left nostril via the Iḍā Nāḍī, as it calms the mind, balances emotions, and more. Therefore, Iḍā Nāḍī. One minute is nothing, two minutes is nothing, ten minutes. Now I have watched. Here, at nine ten past nine, we will do only five minutes, and five minutes without the nostril. Ten minutes time, jarrah. Therefore, half sabisi. They better say, "Close your eyes." Okay, one gara swastri Jay or Jerry, Jerry. Swast, they call it a bar, or pūraka. Inhale deeply and chant oṃ with me. Gaira swās līje. Gaira swās līje. Inhale deeply and slowly. Exhale oṃ. Omochha. Open your eyes. There are three ways of breathing. One is inhaling quickly here (upper chest)—those who do this have a short life. Rabbit, dog—all these beings inhale like this. Yeh kuttā bharat laithā hai. O pet bhenge jyādā pūrā. Yeh. Life is short. Second, we breathe from here (lungs). No, inhaling here is not so good either. Like most people with a tight belt, yes? This water, very good. They are inhaling only here—that is half-breath, not full. The best, the yogic breath, is from the stomach, the abdomen. Nabi, nabi ke nīśe kā hissā jo hai, pīṭhu jo kahte hai, vahāṁ se śvāsa leṅe kā hai. The problem is our diaphragm—air comes only till here. But still, we must help the abdominal muscles expand the stomach, open the diaphragm, and take the breath from deep inside, coming up. Look at my hand. First, I will inhale from here. Now you have the maximum quantity of oxygen in the air. Your lungs now have oxygen. Let's go. One step down from prāṇa to oxygen. Oxygen is life. All our organs and tissues need enough oxygen. That's why prāṇāyāma is a very important part of yoga—to train the body to have better oxygen. Better oxygen leads to better memory, and so on. People who eat meat, eggs, drugs, and alcohol will slowly lose their memory. A person eating fresh, organic vegetables without English chemicals, drinking desi cow's milk, and eating ghee will have brilliant memory because these contain a lot of oxygen. So, again, put your hand on your stomach. First, take a breath from your stomach. First, expand your stomach—not the chest; that's wrong. First, the stomach. Once more. Now, the chest. Take it out slowly. Perfect, good. Now, we come to the technique. Keep these two fingers here. Sit straight. Chin Mudrā. Aapne apne guru ke diye hue mantra kā man hi man abhyās. Close your eyes, and from the stomach, the abdomen, take an abdominal breath. Slowly inhale through the left nostril, and exhale slowly through the same. The body is still, motionless. Be aware that you are inhaling and that you are exhaling. Don't do what I am doing; do what I am telling you. I am a teacher, and I am observing you. Neck straight, gardhan siddhi, kamar siddhi. Kewal bhai, nasika se swasthi jiye. Only the left nostril—inhale and exhale. Close your left and right nostrils with your thumbs. He is doing it wrong. These fingers. That's right. You should not make a sound while breathing. Forget your chest. Just concentrate on your stomach. My stomach is swelling as I breathe. Concentrate on your abdomen. During inhalation, the stomach expands; during exhalation, it contracts. Don't concentrate on your chest. Take in enough air, inhale deeply, and exhale slowly. Head straight, body straight. Now, with the ring finger, close your left nostril and inhale only through the right nostril. Dainī nāsikā se āp kevala śvāsa lījiye aur chod dijiye. Body straight, sīrṣida, motionless body. Do not move your body. Ko hilāye mat, āp swās nikalne ke bāḍ, after. For exhalation, place your head on the knee, āpne hāth ko vāpas ghuṭne par rakhe, āke bandh, aur śvāsa par śvāsa kriyā kā dhyān. Sahaj śvāsa, main śvāsa le rahūn aur main dhīre dhīre śvāsa nikal rahūn. Āṅkhi bandh, bilkul sādhāraṇ śvāsa para śvāsa kariyā, sahaja śvāsa. Normal breath. Be aware of your inhalation and exhalation. I know that I am inhaling, and I know that I am exhaling. Gehra shvāsa līje—take a deep breath and chant oṃ. Take a deep breath, slowly, deep inhale, deep inhale. Open your eyes and massage both palms. Place your hands on your face and massage your eyes and face. During meditation and prāṇāyāma, your body should be straight. Like a mason building a wall uses a thread to ensure it is straight, imagine our Sahasrāra Chakra going through the spine to the Mūlādhāra. Mūlādhāra and Sahasrāra Chakra should be at the same level. During meditation and prāṇāyāma, do not move like this. Don't do like this and then like that—motionless. Now, a very important and secret thing: how to sit straight. Always take a small pillow. Don't sit on it completely—just half the buttocks on it. Now I am straight, but I will try to sit a little like that, and then I will make it this. Okay? Straight, isn't it? Now automatically my body is straight, stomach muscles are relaxed, lungs are free, shoulders are relaxed, neck is straight—everything. Now I can take more air into my lungs and sit as long as I like. If you don't have a small pillow under your buttocks, you sit like this, then like that. Such support, heart below, will keep your body straight. Then, even in prāṇāyāma, sometimes you don't need the prāṇāyāma stick because you can support your hand here like this, chest way. If you have a prāṇāyāma stick, that's a blessing. Dhyān karte same, chotā sā takyā, even you can make a brick. Jo patar hota hai, heat hota hai, heat pe ek rumal ragdo. You will enjoy meditation and prāṇāyāma when the body is strong. So that is all for today. Tomorrow we will have another session or continue further instructions on prāṇāyāma and how to meditate after prāṇāyāma. Aaj hum apni bānī ko virām dete haiṁ. Thank you very much. Today was a little Hindi, a little English, and a little yoga prāṇāyāma course according to Indian conditions. Tomorrow will be more perfect. Kalb sabi saath leke aana, sabi yog dand banaake leke aajana. Suppose you don't have this. Koi bhi braksh ki tahini hoti hai, lakdi, jiske aisa ho to ek branch hota, wo leke aaja, usko ragdo. It must not be such a beautiful support. It is dayā, no? Bas ragde hain. If someone can make it, then make it; we will buy from you. But you must have this for your yoga sādhanā, for practicing mantra. You have seen in photos of Lord Śiva, right? Shiva is like this, engaged in mantra meditation. All this will help you in the future. Even sitting like this, sometimes you feel sleepy. This will support you. When you are like this, it will directly touch your chest. So this is your best friend, your best supporter during yoga practice. Today, I wish you a very good evening.