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Part 1: The Day of Brothers and Sisters Om. Obeisance to Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān, the God of gods, to Devādhi Deva, Deveśvara Mahādeva, and to Satguru Svāmī Madhvanājī Bhagavān. Obeisance to the Satyasanātana Dharma. Om, Om, Om. It is a beautiful day, a full moon day. It is rare for such a time to come on a Sunday and Monday. The sun (Surya) and the moon are complete. Both sides are balanced, and it is the day of sisters and brothers. So, remember your sisters, no matter where they are. We know of Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and now they speak of Husband’s Day and Wife’s Day. But there is no separate husband and wife, for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day already encompass that. Of course, there is a day for husband and wife together: the day of their wedding. Similarly, there are many days we cherish and observe with worship. There are weekly and monthly days of worship. In different countries, there are different kinds of festivals or ceremonies. Sometimes they are for everyone together, like Christmas Day. Likewise, we have days like Pavli Day—the light of Bhagavān Rām. On that day, everyone lights a dīpak (lamp). That light was not of wax, oil, or ghee; it was Bhagavān Rāma himself, from a very ancient time. After that came this Kali Yuga, or the time of Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa. On the day Bhagavān Rāma returned, there was light everywhere in his palace and his entire country. People came from everywhere to see God Rāma, even in the evening. Thousands upon thousands came, so there was light everywhere from lamps. Now, for about 2,000 years, Christians also place lights on a tree. Before that, there is a tradition of bringing a large tree from the forest and placing it in the centre of the village where all people can gather. That tree stands there for nearly fourteen days or a month. There is a long story about this. On the holy day, the devil is vanquished. People come, dance, sing, and then burn the whole tree. Beside it, there is another wood branch from a great saint. This too is a very big festival in India. Likewise, everywhere in the world, there are festivals. Some worship good things as God, while others focus on negative things, like devils. In this way, humans create festivals to bring everyone together for happiness, joy, meeting, and eating. Long, long ago, there was a king. There was a lady whom someone described as very beautiful. They told the king, "This is the best woman for you." In those times, if people wanted something, they would simply take it. Everyone was very sad. The king said, "Call that girl tomorrow morning." They asked, "Oh God, what will you do?" He was always very sad. But she was very intelligent and said, "Don’t worry." She came, dressed nicely. The king came forward to greet her and said, "Come in, please." She said, "Wait. I want to make a trade on your hand." The king was lost in different thoughts. She said, "I will step into your house only after I give you this first." She tied a rakṣī (protective thread) on his wrist. The king asked, "Very good, what is that?" She replied, "This is a symbol of a sister putting a thread on her brother." It means you honour your real brothers and sisters. When a sister puts this thread, the brother must give her something—it depends on what he can offer. The king said, "Really, you have become my sister?" She said, "Yes, my brother." The king then brought lots of jewellery, gold, and with great respect, brought her into his palace. His wife came running and asked, "Who is this?" The king said, "This is my sister-in-law." They hugged each other. The queen also gave many fine dresses. The king sent her back to her house with a chariot and two horses, giving her the chariot, the horses, and declaring, "You are my sister. Whenever you come, this is your house." He then gave an order in his kingdom that every sister should be worshipped by her brother. The sister should come; if the brother is younger, she gives blessings and a gift. If the brother is older, he gives many things to her. It means they become as brothers and sisters. When they are brother and sister, of course, one does not say, "I want to marry you." On that day, it is said all should be like brothers and sisters. Who marries? Only those who are wife and husband. The rest—your elder brothers, younger brothers, everyone in your village—are like your brothers and sisters. That day began on this full moon, at this time of Śiva. Today is the full moon day. Monday is Śiva’s day, and this is the day when it should be raining—and so it happened today. Yesterday, all the little children made this. You should know that if someone is beautiful, it does not matter. If you accept someone as a brother or sister, then after some days, months, or years, to say, "Oh, you are so beautiful, I want to marry you," is a sin. You should not do that. At that time, women and girls were worshipped more. Now it is not so here, but this festival, this day, remains. In many countries everywhere, there is something very good. This means we keep our traditions, our countries, our people, our villages, our men and women—all peaceful, harmonious, and respectful. In one village, you are all like sisters and mothers. That is all. Now it is different. In that time, in a village, they would not marry a boy to a girl from the same village. It was also known from which tradition they should marry. Kings married from families of kings. Many people were like this. Now we call it caste; otherwise, it was people from this lineage or generation. It was very peaceful and good. So today is the day of brothers and sisters, and it is also Śiva’s day. This is the end of this month. Now we are all worshipping. Many people worship the banyan tree. Also, there is a tradition called "people." So, people, we are all worshipping. Mostly, all women worship because she is the mother and she is very holy. She will choose the husband for you when you go round and round and make this trade. Like this, there are many other festivals everywhere, in every country. But we have much more of that kind of spirituality. Everything is God’s, everything is from God. We worship trees, snakes, cows, tigers—many, many, all. This means to keep everything in nice traditions, in nice moments everywhere, and to take care. There is also worshipping on a wet day. On that day, they put all grains in the forest or field. There are three or four times, which we call ṛtu (seasons), in which we know what kind of vegetables, fruits, or grains to cultivate. The same principle applies to eating: we should eat that kind of nourishment according to the season. Otherwise, we think we like everything, but it should be according to the season. Then we will be healthy and have the best life to live well. God has given, in each season, a certain kind of vegetables, trees, and fruits. When it is very cold, snowy, and frozen, what kind of food should we eat? Which fruits do we have? There are none. If you eat a cherry then, it is not good for your body. Many things are like this. So we should eat according to our time, what God gives according to the season—that kind of vegetables, greens, and many things. Now, we eat whatever we like, and we can get anything, which is not good. We are here in the cold, now in hot time, and in Australia it is very cold. They should not bring food from here; these seasons are not from Australia. We should bring it here and eat. If you want to eat like that, then go there. Stay there about ten days. Don’t eat that food immediately. Then, slowly, your body will adapt. Then you can eat. Consider white sugar: this did not exist 200 or 300 years ago. We have lost many things. At that time, it was not possible to bring vegetables from Australia here; they would spoil. But now we say, "It’s good, we eat fresh food," yet our body inside does not accept it. That is why many diseases are coming now. In Prague, a big city now, how many hospitals are there? How many hospitals were there 150 years ago? How were the people then? How many are ill now? Even with many hospitals here, we are very ill. Cancer is in everybody. They are not affected in a different way; it is okay, but now this is because of the food. So we can try one thing: we should wake up and understand what to eat and what not. In that time, there were certain kinds of vegetables that could be preserved in a cellar. There was no refrigerator; now we have freezers. This is not healthy. Definitely not healthy. Whether you believe it or not, one thing we can believe is how ill we are. What about our joints? In different parts of the body, the joints are affected, and that is also due to nourishment. Something is affecting our blood, kidneys, and all organs in the body, from the kind of vegetables and things we eat—slowly, not from today to tomorrow. There are things that can kill us within a few seconds. In any case, in yoga, first we have to work, move our bodies. Look at farmers who work in the field—men and women—see how healthy they are. So for us, yoga first means we need movement. Āsanas, whatever we call them, are the movements we do. Through movement, our body becomes healthy again. Then comes what we call prāṇāyāma. Actually, more time should be taken for prāṇāyāma, but we do only a quarter percent, or maybe less. Yoga practice is what we have, and everyone in India has adopted this. It is what we call yoga in this context, or Sarvahitāsana. It doesn’t matter; everybody should do it. If we give it to them, they should do it. Mostly, all big yoga school centres call it Sarvahitāsana. You are here as practitioners. Someone may like to teach yoga, become a yoga teacher, etc. What we do, we should not go towards very difficult exercises. What we do is for young boys and girls, in their time. It is very important and very good if we can do headstand (śīrṣāsana). But if we have not practiced, we could but then gave up. Otherwise, many elderly people practice śīrṣāsana. Long ago, I saw everyone; Holi Guruji practiced early morning for about ten minutes of śīrṣāsana—about two, three, four minutes like this. Sarvāṅgāsana is also beautiful. Sarvāṅgāsana means "for all parts of the body." The yoga postures, or āsanas, are eighty-four. You know that: 84. From these 84, we refer to the 84 lakh (8.4 million) species. For example, it is said… How many thousands is this? It doesn’t matter which country humans are from; they are all one human. It doesn’t matter if you are European, Chinese, or African. Only human is human. Also, consider animals: from tigers to small cats, all these kinds of animals are in one line. And birds, of all kinds. So for all humans, that’s one. All humans are that one. Someone told someone, and a magazine said that the first human was developed or born near the Himalayas where Śiva was. So all this, our postures, our āsanas—what we are doing—we should select which to take. After we learn these movements well ourselves, then we sit like flying. That is what we are telling. What is that? Haṁsāsana. It means all creatures that can fly. That is one category. Then there are different kinds of animals, like snakes. So we have Vajrāsana. Do you know Bhujaṅgāsana? Have you any more? Bhujaṅgāsana? Yes. Thank you. What is Bhujaṅgāsana? Cobra, yes, and it is also called Scorpio. Yes, Scorpio. Do we have that āsana or not? Hands up. Okay, many don’t know. Can someone tell what it means, how it is? Is someone able to practice? We are not a Scorpio. Who? Okay, come then. Yes, come with me, here in the front, please. Thank you. Slowly, slowly. Yes, very good. So, in yoga, the yogīs said we take all kinds of creatures and, according to that, we should shape our body. Some said there are eighty-four different kinds of these creatures. If we practice these exercises, some yogīs said, then in this life I will cross my 84 generations, like these creatures. I go above them. There are other postures, which you know. Someone tell the name of your āsanas. Śīrṣāsana. Śīrṣāsana is like a tree: the head is here, the roots, and our legs are up. But also we can say, because śir is head, we are on the head. There is one—I recall—you can make a joke, or you can do something one should not do. Not long ago, around 1978, this country was Czechoslovakia. Since 1973, I have been coming here. Anyhow, there was one man, about 70 years old, and they were all practitioners of yoga. Yoga in Czechoslovakia, or in this part, has existed for perhaps 1,000 years. So don’t think we are only 50 years in this world of yoga and dead life. Anyhow, that man—his friends are still here with me, they also got a little old—he was doing śīrṣāsana. He said he would do about 10, 20 minutes like this. He practiced in the morning; his wife did not practice with him, but she respected him. When she saw me, she was happy and relaxed. One day, he told his wife, "I want to see how far I can go in competition," and I think it was about forty seconds or minutes in Śīrṣāsana. Then he fell down like a tree. The ambassador came, they took him to the hospital. Doctors came and made him healthy again. She said, "What have you done, Mr. So-and-so?" He said, "I did Sarvahitāsana." The doctor asked, "What is Sarvahitāsana?" "Śīrṣāsana." "What is śīrṣāsana? What does it do? Is it standing on the head?" The doctor said, "Oh, very good. But God gave you two legs to stand, not the head, no? God gave two legs to stand, not the head to stand." Part 2: The Gentle Path of Yoga One should not overdo. One should not give too much of anything. Therefore, the practice should be peaceful. In our "Yoga in Daily Life" book, everything is written from beginning to end: the name of the āsana, how to do it, how to breathe—inhale or exhale—how to move, how long it should be, and what to do after. Everything is completely written in the "Yoga in Daily Life" book. Many people call it our Bible. All my teachers, the Yoga in Daily Life teachers, still have that book. When they go to teach yoga, they take the "Yoga in Daily Life" book with them and teach from it. We begin with Sarvahitāsana, which is the first part. We have eight different kinds of āsanas, which we should do step by step, slowly. One should practice each chapter for at least three months. As we go step by step, the breath becomes very, very important. In the breath, we call it prāṇāyāma—the practice of prāṇa. "Yama" means practice, exercise. What kind of exercise? Breathing. The breathing is also very, very important; otherwise, you can develop mental issues, heart problems, lung issues, and so on. So prāṇāyāma is most important. But first, we have to practice the physical movements. In the beginning, we do Sarvahitāsana to warm up the body. This is called body warming. Some people warm up by jumping and running quickly. We say to move slowly, not quickly like that. That kind of warming is not good. Inhale slowly and then move a little bit. Not like this—oh God—jumping out of bed and running. My heart says, "Oh God, one should never do this." We warm the body very, very smoothly. Then we do the āsanas continuously. This means body warming and also movement for the joints, organs, and many systems. Then we can take in more oxygen through our breath. We learn how to take the breath in and out. We get good oxygen, but we take in water from outside that is not clean. So prāṇāyāma is the course. If you do this prāṇāyāma course, it may take five months or a year. Then you will see what happens to your body—what you call your cancer, and other tensions, will be no more. Prāṇāyāma means working with the prāṇa. First, how to hold our hand? This is the first step. In our prāṇāyāma, we use the five fingers. We shall use two fingers because these are the tools for Iḍā and Piṅgalā, these nerves. Many people do it like this, but then your breath does not go out properly. That’s not good. So two fingers are held to balance Iḍā and Piṅgalā, these two nāḍīs. Second, don’t do praṇām for just two minutes or one minute. You should do it for at least 15 to 30 minutes. If you do, your shoulder will become sore. Therefore, we should all have a support stick for āsana or prāṇāyāma. In the beginning, everybody does like this, and then so. Because our body needs some support, we have this instrument. Someone made it. We rest our elbow on it. If we hold these two fingers correctly, it is very good for Iḍā and Piṅgalā. If not, we go like this and like that. Here is the support. Then the ring finger is for the left nostril, and the thumb is for the right nostril. So when we do prāṇāyāma, we block one nostril. Many new people don’t know about yoga and this technique. They might think, putting a finger in the nose like this is okay, but it is not. Also, if we do it like this, we are blocking our breath with three fingers. We have two nostrils, left and right. The right thumb is for the right nostril; press it slightly. Not like this—no. Very gently. And the ring finger rests slightly on the left nostril, a little to the side. This is very important, and many, many people make mistakes. Even in schools and colleges teaching yoga, they have not learned this properly. They teach about Iḍā, Piṅgalā, Suṣumṇā, and Kuṇḍalinī Śakti, Kuṇḍalinī Prāṇāyāma. After you finish, you can put the support here and meditate. This instrument has many uses. Sometimes it’s for the back. Yes, it doesn’t go. Everybody asks, "What are you doing?" Do it slowly. If you feel your body is a little bit scared, be very gentle. We do it slightly like this. Very good. Sometimes when listening, and if Swāmījī is talking too long, we can relax with it. Otherwise, all the time Swāmījī is talking, so this is the very best one. Or sometimes on this side and that side, you feel a stretch—very good. We are supporting this side. After three or four times, it’s finished. This is very, very good for prāṇāyāma. We see it, and if someone is snoring, you can tell them this is very powerful. There are many, many activities in this program. Sometimes one of our knees is very sharp; then we put it like this under our knee. Now, no problem. Yes? So there are many, many uses for this in prāṇāyāma. When you go to practice yoga in your room, you should take this with you. Your teacher will give instructions, and you take prāṇāyāma like this. After this long practice, you put it down and relax. Sometimes they put it under the armpit, holding like this. So this instrument can be used in many, many ways. That’s called Jugaad. Do you know what Jugaad is? The American president went to India and sent his people to see what kind of technology is in India. Four Americans were searching everywhere for techniques—how they work for the forest, gardens, and all kinds of work. Then they were stuck in Rajasthan. They had a beautiful American car. But in India, there was no proper road, only sand. The car got stuck at about eight o’clock in the evening. The sun had set, there was no light, and the car could not move. A person was walking by. The Indian said, "Can I help you?" The American said, "Yes, thank you, but you cannot. We need a workshop—for this car, about a 300-meter workshop. Is there no technician?" He said, "Yes, there is one man. He repairs bicycles." The American said, "This man doesn’t know how to fix a car," but the Indian insisted, "He will repair it." They were laughing, but he went about 100 meters away to a little village where a man was working on a bicycle meter. He sent an engineer. The engineer had only two instruments: one hook. He asked in his language, "What is the problem?" The American explained. The engineer opened the boot, looked, and did something like this. He closed it. Very good. He took the car and drove away. The Americans stood there saying, "Where is our car?" But he came back at high speed through the sand, turned, and returned their car. They said, "Thank you. What money can we give you?" He said, "We don’t take money from anyone. You are my guest. I did it. Hurry home. Bye bye." They asked for his photo and name. "What is the technique you have?" "Jugaad." They went to their ambassador, who telephoned the Indian ambassador in America. "Can you tell us, please, about this technology, Jugaad?" The Indian ambassador said, "I cannot give you that. Only our prime minister can." So it went from president to prime minister. "Your technology is very good. This one is called Jugaad. Please, what is the technique? Can you tell us?" The Indian prime minister said, "Mr. American President, I can give everything, but Jugaad, I cannot give you." They said, "But we looked up and down, four Americans, and found nothing. And he fixed it in two minutes, one minute—looked in, tuck, and he was gone." So this is Jugaad. And this instrument is for yogīs. You will see many yogīs at Kumbh Melā walking like this. As the holy Gurujī said, "One in all and all in one." So, yoga training, practicing our Yoga in Daily Life as we teach you—many of you have been practicing for three or four years, and now you would like to become yoga teachers. If you want to become a yoga teacher, you have to learn this. First, we should know śvāsādhāraṇā. Śvāsādhāraṇā is one part of yoga: śvāsa-prāṇāyāma. If you can learn this śvāsādhāraṇā prāṇāyāma, you will know. When you leave here for the universe, or if you go out for very important work and want to be successful, you should first look at your Śvāraprāṇāyāma. There is also Durgā. You can say this is Durgā. Should I take my dargāh out? This is also my Jugaad. Do you know the Jugaad? Perfect. Now, you should know from which nostril your breath is flowing. We know our nostrils flow, but for certain seconds or minutes, one flows, then it goes to the other. Sometimes both are going. That’s called Iḍā, Piṅgalā, and Suṣumṇā. When is Suṣumṇā active? Mostly during Brahma Samaya, in the morning before sunrise, for one and a half hours. Isn’t that beautiful? Now, hold your hand like this. How long is your nose? Everyone has a different perspective. How long is it from here to there? But you have to sit straight. Otherwise, this prāṇa will go into your toilet. Yes. So now, from here to here—that is the length of your face. Everyone is exactly as they are. This is your measurement. It’s not mine. I did not measure it. Did my mother? I don’t know how she did it when I was in her stomach. So from here, this line, to your chin. From here till here. But those who have no hair here, please don’t go there. Then you have to go like this: one and two. Bindu chakra, yes. So this is it. Did you find it? Hey, don’t sit like this. Everybody has to sit straight. Yes, where is my Jugaad? It’s gone. Right side, left side, second side. Okay, here. Don’t run away. Now put your hand here. Hold your nose from here to your ear. This distance. Hold your hand like this. Now slowly exhale from both nostrils and see from which nostril more air is coming. You know? Don’t go like this. Your nose is not like this. Destroyed? Yes. Take a tissue. Have you got a tissue? Okay, so you put it here. Now see, close your... any... but I close it, my leg, right now, still. And I will flow my air, but it will not go away. No, it’s not going here. Now I will hold here. God decided my self is running here. Yes, and now it is like this, now coming together, running all my times here. Then you take your prāṇa. When you have a very urgent task and need to be focused, you should step in front of your room door and just feel it. Don’t take this. You see, you can just make it like this. Look at the water here, clean, see where it’s going. So you don’t need this, then you don’t need the Jugaad, okay? The view, "I don’t pay you, I will not give you to my dog," is okay. So, svara is up in glass. Assume now either the left nostril (Iḍā) or the right nostril (Piṅgalā) and Suṣumṇā. That is the one varying from there. These are the most powerful nerve systems. But more powerful is the prāṇāyāma nāḍī called Vajra Nāḍī. Vajra means iron, so this iron is strong. You know, sometimes they say the German Prime Minister—but she’s not a prime minister; what do you call them? Chancellor. The German chancellor is a very strong lady. They say, "She’s an iron woman." Similarly, Iḍā and Piṅgalā are good, but more powerful is our iron nāḍī. Now, how will I move you down? That is what I was asking. Vajranāḍī, and this is down. Ah, you will be like that, like that is down. Yes, Vajranāḍī. You see, I will just tell, hey, wake up, slowly. All nāḍīs will go there. Say, "Swāmījī, I don’t want this." So, I will tell you after. So, yoga, practicing āsanas, prāṇāyāma—this is a Jugaad. That Jugaad doesn’t last long. It’s only once in a while. But what you are doing in daily life, that is yoga. That is the kind of yogī you can see. Āsana and prāṇāyāma are important, but there are many other techniques we need. So, prāṇāyāma, śvāsa nāḍī—we have to learn. It’s such a big book. Do you want to learn that? I made it once, and people say, "Swāmījī, it’s so complicated." It’s not complicated. It’s like a computer. And I don’t make the computer, so I don’t know what it is. So let us continue this evening. But you have to remind me, you know. Don’t put me into the Jugaad. So, Iḍā, Piṅgalā and Suṣumṇā. Now, it is only—I made you one line: one, two, and three. That’s all. It will come further. So, do you want to become a yogī, or are you only coming for nice surroundings, nice vegetables, very good chapatis, and Swāmījī, and that’s all? No. If you want, my Gurujī has given me the knowledge even from there to here. There were not so many telephones, but Gurujī gave me. So I don’t want to say further. But our science, higher yoga, Yoga in Daily Life, paramparā—you have to go through the tradition, and that nāḍī you should call the Alaknanda River. So, Alaknanda River—how many nāḍīs do you have? You have to dip in. Only three? There are nāḍīs—how many? 89,000 nāḍīs. But we all have to dip in that river of the Alaknanda. Nanda Devī was the disciple of Alak Purī. Alakpurījī is very close and is like Śiva itself. So Nanda Devī, whom I will talk about in the evening—her temple is there. Our Swāmī Śāntī, Dr. Śāntī, she knows; she’s sitting here. There is a temple, Nanda Devī. It’s nearly like the Czech Republic, completely. That is the land of the Alaknanda. So from there, Alaknanda, and then Alakpurījī, then Saptaṛṣis. In such a sense, not only one or two, but many, many—even in Europe there could be. They are not visible. They are with us, but we can’t see them. Svaranada—if we can go through the Svaranada, maybe sometimes we are given darśana for a few seconds. So, all you are searching for—yogī and yoga—what I can learn is this: many people are searching. Therefore, Yoga in Daily Life is the path for us now. We know Dr. Shanti was searching in the Himalayas for 13 years. Shall we continue? It’s time for lunch. All the best, bless you. Some people are going away, some are still here. If there is no rain, the evening program is outside; otherwise, we are here. Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya, Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya, Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya... Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya... Oṁ hara hara gangā Oṁ namaḥ śivāya... Oṁ hara hara gangā Sevaai Ammā... Oṁ Sevaai Oṁ Namaḥ... Namaḥ Sudeep Narayan Bhagavān Kī Devaādi Deva Deveśvara Mahādeva... Ārādhi Bhagavān Sudeep Narayan Bhagavān Kī... Alagpurījī Mahādev, Lalanandjī Mahārāj kī, Brahmanandjī Mahārāj kī, Jai Mahārāj. Oṁ Śānti. Oṁ Śānti. Oṁ.