Podcast details
Asanas as meditation
The morning practice harmonizes body, mind, and soul through a specific sequence. The program begins at 4:30 a.m. with prayer, followed by āsanas, prāṇāyāma, and meditation. Practicing āsanas is itself a form of meditation, a cosmic dance that purifies. Beginning early is proper to counteract tamo guṇa, the inert energy of sleep. Just as opening windows refreshes a room, āsanas refresh the body and mind. This practice balances the soul and develops consciousness. The sequence is therefore logical: first āsanas to awaken the body, then prāṇāyāma for energy, then meditation for the mind. This order creates harmony from the physical to the subtle.
"According to Yoga in Daily Life, our practice of āsanas is itself a form of meditation."
"Just as in a room where we have sat for a long time with the windows closed, we need to open them for fresh air, so the practice of āsanas refreshes the body and mind."
Filming location: Vép, Hungary
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:
- Yoga in Daily Life - The System
Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda. Ibera Verlag, Vienna, 2000. ISBN 978-3-85052-000-3 - The Hidden Power in Humans - Chakras and Kundalini
Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda. Ibera Verlag, Vienna, 2004. ISBN 978-3-85052-197-0 - Lila Amrit - The Divine Life of Sri Mahaprabhuji
Paramhans Swami Madhavananda. Int. Sri Deep Madhavananda Ashram Fellowship, Vienna, 1998. ISBN 3-85052-104-4