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Hari Om from Om Vishwadeep Gurukul, Swami Maheśvarānanda Āśram, Jhadan, district Pali, Rajasthan, India. We are currently holding a retreat with Paramahaṁsa Svāmī Māheśvarānanda, featuring a yoga seminar and classes. We now continue our morning lesson and will perform āsanas from the second part of the first level of Yoga in Daily Life. We begin with Ānanda Āsana. First, we will sing Aum together before performing this Ākañcu Āsana. Close your eyes, straighten your back, place your hands on your knees, take a deep inhalation, and sing Aum three times. Engage your whole body, inhale deeply, and exhale. Prepare yourself for practicing yoga in daily life according to the system of Paramahaṁsa Svāmī Māheśvarānanda. Lie down in the position of Ānanda Āsana. Keep your legs slightly apart and your hands apart from your body. Make your position very comfortable. First, adjust your body. Adjust your pelvis, moving it slightly so your lower back is nicely stretched on the floor. Move your shoulder blades and your head from right to left so you feel you are lying very comfortably. Take a deep inhalation and a long exhalation. With the exhalation, relax your whole body from the toes to the top of the head and from the top of the head to the toes. Feel your body becoming heavier with each exhalation. Withdraw your attention and pull it to your left leg. Relax all the toes with every exhalation. You can feel the relaxation in different ways: as heaviness, as if the muscles are becoming softer or warmer, or with other sensations. The main point is to feel the muscles stretching themselves more and more toward the floor. Continue moving your attention inward and upward. Relax the ankle, all the muscles of the calf and knee, the thigh muscles, the hip joint, and the buttock muscles of the right leg. With each exhalation, the muscles relax more. Now withdraw your awareness to the left leg and do the same. Relax the toes, ankle, calf muscles and knee, thigh muscles, and left hip joint. The entire left leg is completely relaxed. Relax the fingers of the right hand. Relax the wrist, muscles of the arm, shoulder, and shoulder blade. Relax the fingers of the left hand, the muscles of the left arm, the left shoulder, and the shoulder blade. Relax your abdominal muscles. Relax the chest muscles, throat, thyroid gland, and jaws. Relax all the face muscles and the circular muscles around your lips and eyes. Relax the nose and your forehead. Hold no tension at all. Just relax. Feel your breath and become aware of it. Try to feel the movements of your body as it breathes. Now slowly lift your right hand and place it on your stomach. Feel the movements of your belly with inhalation—how it rises with inhalation and falls with exhalation. Raise your left hand and place it on your chest. Now feel how the breath moves from the belly toward the chest and a little further up toward the collarbones. Breathe with the full yoga breath. This means the breath begins in the abdomen; the abdomen rises, then the wave of breath moves up to the chest and expands it, and finally, the collarbones rise a little. Feel the gentle movement of your chest and whole trunk with the breath. Now, start consciously influencing your breath. Raise your belly a little more when breathing abdominally. Expand your chest a little more when the breath is in the chest area. Lift your shoulders or collarbones a little more when the breath wave is there. With exhalation, reverse the movement: the collarbones go down, the chest presses inward, and the belly goes down. Breathe consciously. With the next exhalation, place your hands back beside your body. We will slowly begin stretching exercises. First, we will coordinate movement with the breath, straightening the arms. With inhalation, bring both arms up in front of your body and behind your head to touch the floor. With exhalation, bring them back down. Coordinate this simple movement with your breath. Inhale as the arms go up, touching the floor behind your head—creating a slight tension in the body. Exhale as the hands return to the floor, achieving complete relaxation. Continue the movement. Try to notice the natural breath retention, the kumbhaka, between inhalation and exhalation. Feel this kumbhaka, the natural pause. When the body requires it, continue breathing with the movement: deep inhalation, long exhalation, with complete relaxation during the moment the breath is naturally stopped. Feel how pleasant this moment of complete peace is. With another inhalation, continue stretching the body. When your hands are beside your body, inhale and raise only your right arm up behind your head, stretching the entire right side of your body from the heel to the fingertips. Simultaneously, press your right hip and lower back toward the floor. Exhale and relax. Repeat on the other side: left hand and left leg. Pull your body from your heel to your fingertips. Feel the tension in the entire left side, then exhale for complete relaxation. Continue, always pressing the hip joint of the stretched side toward the floor. With another inhalation, bring both arms up and rest them on the floor. We will perform diagonal stretching. Stretch your right hand together with your left leg. Exhale and relax. Inhale and stretch the opposite side: left arm and right leg. Always try to keep your lower back close to the floor while stretching; do not create an arch. Continue the diagonal stretching. With another exhalation, place your arms back beside your body. Take a deep inhalation and exhalation, and relax. Now we will stretch both sides of the body simultaneously. Inhale as both arms go up behind your head and you stretch both legs from the toes. You should feel as if someone is holding your fingertips and heels, pulling you. Inhale up, exhale down, again pressing your lower back toward the floor. Feel the tension in your body at the end of the inhalation and the complete relaxation at the end of the exhalation. Harmonize your movement with your breath. Very good. Inhale, and with the next exhalation, we will perform rolling. Inhale as you lift your arms behind your head, place your small fingers together so they touch, palms facing upward, and thumbs touching. Inhale as you roll your body to the right side; exhale as you return to the floor. Inhale and roll to the opposite direction. Keep your body straight, like a piece of wood rolling from side to side. Coordinate all your muscles to perform this movement properly. Finish in the middle and place your arms back beside your body. Now we will perform twisting with straight legs. Lift your right leg and place your right heel between the big toe and second toe of your left foot. Keep your arms straight out at shoulder level. Deeply inhale, and with exhalation, roll and twist your body so your right big toe touches the floor. Begin on the right side, with your head turning in the opposite direction. Inhale back to the middle; exhale to the opposite side. Feel the twist around your entire spinal column. Ensure your big toe touches the floor and your head rotates so your ear rests on the floor. This exercise deeply affects the small muscles around the spinal column, reduces blockages between the vertebrae, and improves circulation in these muscles. End in the middle, change legs, and continue on the other side. Perform three times on each side. Finish with an exhalation. The next practice is raising the head. Place your hands beside your body. Inhale and exhale deeply. Now place your hands behind your head and let them rest there. Straighten your feet so they touch. Inhale as you lift your feet up, toes facing the ceiling. Exhale as you lift your head up, bringing your elbows close together. Your hands assist in lifting your head. Inhale as you lower back down and relax. Exhale to continue. Use your abdominal muscles to perform this practice properly. Inhale as the toes go up; exhale as you bring your elbows together and lift your head. Inhale to lower back down. The next practice is Pavanamuktāsana. Place your arms parallel to your body. Inhale as you bend your right knee, clasp your hands over the knee, and pull the knee toward your body. Exhale as you release. Inhale and repeat with the other leg: bend your left knee, hold it, and with exhalation, press the knee toward your chest. Inhale to release and continue. Feel how this exercise works the hip joint, presses the belly, and improves digestion. With exhalation, try to press your lower back slightly toward the floor and consciously engage your abdominal muscles. Take a deep inhalation. Also press a little on your chest when the knee is there. Perform once more. We will slowly continue with another practice, an extension of the spine. This is performed in Vajrāsana in a sitting position. With an inhalation, use your hands or abdominal muscles—while keeping your lower back close to the floor—to raise your trunk up and sit in Vajrāsana. Keep your feet slightly apart, your buttocks between your heels, and your hands relaxed on your calves. Inhale and exhale deeply. Straighten your back. Become aware of your spinal column. Inhale and exhale deeply again. With another inhalation, place your hands behind you with your fingers pointing away from your body. Lean back and let your hands drop down. Feel the expansion of your chest and the stretching of your spine. Notice where the bend in your spine is most pronounced; you will likely feel it in the thoracic area. This practice should not be done by those prone to dizziness or with knee or ankle problems. Inhale to come back up to Vajrāsana and relax. Feel how this simple āsana—maintaining the position—influences the flow of energy and your breath. Notice what it does for your chest and chest breathing. This is also a very good practice for those with asthma, as it improves breathing. Once again, inhale, place your hands behind you with palms on the floor, lean back, and relax there. Breathe deeply, concentrate on breathing through your nose, and expand your chest with every inhalation. Remain as long as you feel comfortable. Whenever you wish, return from the position. Slowly come back to Vajrāsana and relax. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply and become aware of the practice's effects on your body. We will continue with flexion of the spine. Clasp your hands behind your head. Straighten your body. Pull your shoulder blades slightly toward each other. Straighten your spine. With exhalation, bring your elbows toward each other and slowly bend your head forward. When your chin touches your chest, feel the stretch in your middle and lower back muscles. This practice influences the entire spine and muscles down to the lower back. Inhale to come up slowly, vertebra by vertebra. Again, expand your chest and pull your shoulders together with exhalation. Perform another round: elbows together, bend the head, and feel the nice stretch all the way down to the base of the spine. Inhale to finish the exercise and sit again in Vajrāsana. Now we will continue with Marjari, the cat position, which improves movement of the entire spinal column. Sit in Vajrāsana and wait for an inhalation. When it comes, rise up using your thigh muscles, pulling your pelvis forward as you rise. Bring your hands up to shoulder level. With exhalation, place your hands on the floor and arch your spine. Look at your belly and feel your entire spine stretching. With inhalation, slowly begin moving from your lower back, vertebra by vertebra, through the thoracic spine to the cervical spine, and look up. With exhalation, reverse the movement: start bending from the lower back, then the thoracic spine, then the cervical spine, and bring your head down. Continue the movement. Look up with inhalation, arch your back, and feel the muscles. Feel all the small muscles around your spinal column. Coordinate your practice with your breath. Wait for the breath and add your practice to your natural breathing process. Harmonize your practice with your breathing and relax. Draw the movement to its end. You should feel a strong bend and a nice stretch from the arch. The bending strengthens the muscles, and the arching stretches them. When your movement feels perfect, slowly synchronize your breathing with the movement and relax into it, while keeping it perfect. Now it slowly becomes like a dance, with your body moving to the rhythm of your breath. From the arched-back position, come up onto your knees again, and with exhalation, sit back on your heels in Vajrāsana. Close your eyes and feel the effect of the practice. Feel your entire spinal column and how the energy in your body harmonizes with your breath. The next practice is called grinding. Begin with your legs stretched out in front of you. Sit with your legs straight, clench your hands, and straighten your back. Extend your arms forward toward your toes, keeping them parallel to your legs. Lean slightly forward and wait for an inhalation. With inhalation, begin rotating to the left side; with exhalation, come to the front; with inhalation, go to the back. Feel your abdominal muscles working. Do not bend your elbows, and keep both buttocks on the floor at all times. When leaning back, you may feel your buttock muscles working. Again, coordinate your movement with your breathing. You can change direction. This exercise works the abdominal muscles, digestive system, and Maṇipūra Chakra. It also helps coordinate the body and works with the nervous system. Finish slowly, sit up, and relax. Inhale and exhale deeply. Slowly stand up. The next practice is expansion of the chest. Bend your elbows and pull your upper arms parallel to the floor. Position your elbows out to the sides. From here, with exhalation, pull your elbows toward each other until they touch in front of your body. With inhalation, open them back. Feel your muscles as if you are pulling something heavy, and coordinate the movement with your breath. Keep your hands closed in a fist with the thumb inside. Ensure your upper arm remains parallel to the floor. Feel the movement in the area of your shoulder blades and the muscles between them, and notice how it influences your chest and breath. Slowly finish and lower your hands. Again, inhale and exhale deeply. We will continue with the swimming movement. Begin with your hands up, palms facing down, and thumbs touching your shoulders. Begin the movement as if swimming: with exhalation, move your hands forward; then turn your palms up and bring them back with inhalation. Continue as if swimming, feeling the movement's influence on your shoulders and chest. Try to harmonize your movement with your breath and slowly finish. Again, inhale and exhale in this standing position, and let the practice complete its work. The effect often comes a little after the movement ends. Now we continue with twisting of the upper body. Stand with legs slightly apart, toes facing slightly outward, and clasp your hands behind your head. During this movement, keep your pelvis facing forward at all times. With exhalation, twist the upper part of your body. Ensure your elbows remain in the same position; with exhalation, simply twist your body as if looking behind yourself. With inhalation, return and twist to the other side. Your pelvis must continue facing forward. Feel the effect of the movement on your spine, especially your lower back. Do not bend your elbows toward your chest. You can remain in the twisted position. Try to take the position to its comfortable limit, where you feel no pain. At this point, you can remain for a moment with the breath held, then continue the movement. Finish in the middle and relax your hands. Inhale and exhale deeply, and feel the effect of the exercise on your whole body and the flow of energy around your spine. Now we will continue with bending of the upper body. Again, clasp your hands behind your head, straighten your body and spinal column, open your chest, and pull your shoulder blades toward each other. With exhalation, bend the entire upper part of your body sideways. Ensure your elbows remain in the same position. Inhale to come up; exhale to bend to the other side. Again, try to take the practice to its limit where you can. In that position, remain for a few seconds before returning. In the middle position, pause for a second before going to the other side. Coordinate this movement with your breathing. Feel the side muscles and your spinal column. All the small blockages in your spine and vertebrae are now releasing. This exercise is very good for those with slight scoliosis or a rounded back. It also opens the chest. End in the middle. Take a few deep inhalations and exhalations, and feel the effect of the practice. We will end this part of the Yoga in Daily Life practice with Ānanda Āsana and prāṇāyāma. Lie down on your back for Ānanda Āsana. Keep your legs slightly apart and your hands nicely apart from your body, palms facing upward. Again, correct your position. Move your pelvis so your lower back touches the floor nicely. Move your shoulder blades. Move your head slightly. Ensure your spine touches the floor along its length, with minimal space between your spine and the floor. Inhale deeply and exhale long. Relax your whole body from the toes to the top of your head and from the top of your head to the toes. Relax your right leg from the toes to the hip. Relax your left leg from the toes to the hip. Relax your lower pelvis and all the muscles of your lower abdomen. Relax your abdominal muscles. Relax your chest. Relax your right arm from the fingers to the shoulder, and your left arm from the fingers to the shoulder. Become aware of your throat and relax the front part, the thyroid gland. Relax your face muscles, ears, eyes, nose, and lips. Relax your tongue and jaw. Hold no tension in your forehead. Try to create a little smile within your inner self. Feel the present feeling created by the simple movement of your lips toward a smile, and how it changes your inner environment. Feel inner calmness, happiness, and joy. Try to find your inner joy. Withdraw your awareness to your breath and become aware of it moving through your nostrils down toward your lungs. Follow the path of your breath and simply watch it. Do not influence it. Prepare yourself for practicing prāṇāyāma, the breath technique. Move your fingers and toes, move your arms and legs, move your head, and slowly sit up. Sit in a meditation posture—Sukhāsana or Siddhāsana, whichever is comfortable for you. Straighten your body, close your eyes, and relax your shoulders, elbows, thighs, and hips. Relax your abdomen. Withdraw your awareness toward your breath. Feel how the breath enters the nostrils and moves toward the lungs. Try to follow its entire path through the respiratory system to the small bronchial tubes and lungs, and back out again. Deepen your breath slightly. We will practice the first part of Nāḍī Śodhana. Make Prāṇāyāma Mudrā: bend the elbow of your right hand, touch your forehead with your index and middle fingers, and use your thumb to close your right nostril. Breathe twenty times only through your left nostril. After twenty breaths, change: use your ring finger to press your left nostril and breathe twenty times in and out through your right nostril. This is one round. You can continue for three or more rounds according to your capacity or wish. After prāṇāyāma, you can continue with self-inquiry meditation for as long as you wish or according to your time. With an exhalation, place your hand back on your knee. We will sing together three times. Take a deep inhalation and sing the mantra: "Nāhaṁkartā Prabhūdīp Kartā." (I am not the doer; God is the doer.) nāhaṁ kārataḥ, prabhūdīp kārataḥ, māhaḥ prabhūdīp kārataḥ, hi kevalam om śāntiṁ śāntiṁ... Move your hands, fingers, and toes. Warm your arms. Try to extrovert yourself with this movement. Become aware of your external world. Place your hands on your face and warm your face muscles. Give yourself a slight facial massage. Open your eyes. Hari Om. Our practice is ending. We wish you all the best and look forward to meeting you again with another part of the Yoga in Daily Life practice. Hari Om from Om Vishwadeep Gurukul, Swāmī Maheśvarānanda Āśram, Jhadan, Rajasthan, India.