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Oṁ Asato mā sadgamaya, tamaso mā jyotirgamaya, mṛtyormā amṛtaṁ gamaya. Oṁ Śāntiḥ! Śāntiḥ! Śāntiḥ! Salutations to the Cosmic Light, the Lord of our hearts, Omniscient and Omnipresent. In His Divine Presence, a very good evening to you, dear brothers and sisters. To the esteemed Mayor of the city, Dr. John Volny, the Vice Mayor, dear members of the media, and to all of you, welcome. It is my great privilege to be here. It seems that in Slovakia, every city is like a jewel. Yesterday I was introduced to Humenné and its beautiful stories, the day before to Košice, and today here—a beautiful hall, an ancient culture, beautiful traditions, and people full of love. In each of you, a spiritual light is hidden. It is a blessing for me to be here with you this evening. Our subject is harmony for body, mind, and soul through yoga in daily life. Yoga is a science of body, mind, consciousness, and soul. It is a very ancient practice, older than this planet itself, because yoga means balance, harmony, and unity, which are inherent in the entire universe. The four main principles are: first, space, which is called the cosmic mother, the endless universe. Then comes consciousness. That consciousness is known as the golden egg, the golden embryo in the womb of the cosmic mother. Then comes the balancing principle that we call yoga, which unites space and consciousness. This union is then called energy. These four together constitute an entire universe. From time to time, that cosmic energy becomes active, and that same energy is within our body, too. Our planet is known as a living planet. On it, the Creator has created 8.4 million different creatures. Out of these 8.4 million, one is the human. Humans possess great talents within the human body. There is an immense amount of energy that is dormant. Human consciousness, memory, thoughts, mind, intellect, and actions can change anything. Though we have a good side to being human, we simultaneously have a negative side: hate, jealousy, greed, anger, revenge, selfishness, and ego. These are the negative or dark sides of the human. Mahatma Gandhi said, "Mother Nature has enough for everyone's needs, but not for their greed." Human greed is without borders. Out of that greed, we can see throughout past centuries that humans have been very cruel, fighting, creating wars and fears. Unfortunately, even now it continues. So the question is: can we live in peace together? Can we respect each other? Can we live together, or must we fight? Though humans think they are great, they are also mortal beings. Humans will also die; we are not immortal in physical form. We know that whatever has happened has happened due to the pollution of the human mind. We humans are the most unhappy creatures on this planet. We are the most troublesome. We humans have mostly diseases, physical and mental. If we consider the plus points of our life, what is the aim of human life? Is it just to eat, drink, sleep, and have children? Animals are also expert in this. We humans have a higher consciousness, and definitely the Creator had some expectation. I remember something about the life of Jesus; it was very hard for him. He was screaming and saying to the Father, "Holy Father, why me?" And the voice came, "Because, my son, I trust in you." Definitely, that Holy Father, or God, or whatever we call Him, had trust in us and had some plans for us, for what we are here. It is beautifully said in Sanskrit by the great Śaṅkarācārya, who lived thousands of years ago: "Who am I? I am not this body. I am not this blood." Also, I am not this emotion and this intellect. And I am not this soul, because it is my soul. Ko'ham? Who am I? Katham idaṁ jātam? From where did I come? Do you know your origin? When in this endless universe, you, as an individual soul, came into existence—that is our origin. The body will die. What will happen with your soul, with you? If you believe there is a heaven, and if you believe there is a hell, who is going into heaven or hell? Not this body, but that spirit, that soul. The problem is that we have lost our confidence and faith. Many people go to church only as a tradition. If we follow the words in the holy book and think them over, we will be happy. So who is going to heaven or hell? Who is going to be born again? And if not, then what will happen? The astral body travels while dreaming. You sleep here in Spišská Nová Ves, and in your dream you are in Bratislava visiting your friend. You wake up and you are again here. You telephone your friend and say, "It was very nice in the night." What are you talking about? You were not physically there; you were there with your astral body. Similarly, we will leave this physical body here, like changing a dress, and off we go. So, who am I? From where did I come, and where am I going? Do you know where you want to go? Did you reserve? Death is like a dark space. You have to jump into it. No one will go with you. No one will hold your hand. We came alone, we live alone, and we will go alone—an endless journey in the universe. Your individual soul is you, fluttering on the waves of time through the endless universe, through darkness and light, experiencing happiness, unhappiness, pain, pleasure, and again we are here. Why is human life given, and what is the purpose of my life? The purpose of life is to get liberation, salvation from this worldly sin—you call it sin, we call it karma—so that this individual consciousness merges again with the cosmic consciousness, which is the origin. For that, there are many different ways in the world: religion, spirituality, or many other paths. I often say, helping hands have more value than folded hands. God gave us the intellect to understand that someone needs help. It doesn't matter which creature it is. Love fills all. Pain fills all. Everyone would like to be happy. Each entity is active day and night, searching for happiness. Because God is happiness, God is love, God is the truth, God is ultimate, and that is our destination. If we forget this purpose for which we are born, then we are stuck here in the cycle of rebirth and death, rebirth and death. Whether you believe it or not does not change the truth that we are coming and going. In modern language, a word has been developed: recycling. This word is taken from spirituality, and you all know what it means. The word 'recycling' came about when humans began to create pollution, pesticides, and plastics which are not friendly to the environment. So we began to develop environment-friendly production. What does that mean? That it can be recycled; it becomes one with the soil again. If you believe in recycling—a concept taken from reincarnation—where is the problem in believing in rebirth? This is cosmic cycling. Ultimately, this consciousness should become one with that divine consciousness. Now, coming back to our body. Though the body is not everything, without the body, everything is nothing. We would like to live, to be healthy, to enjoy life. So how to do it? One thing: try to be healthy. We cannot buy health, but we can gain it. The principle of the body, its nature, is threefold: to be born, to grow, and to die. But this body is an instrument for us, given for higher achievements. Many of you know, many don't, how monks and nuns in monasteries prayed and stood for many hours. They achieved something; they received the mercy of the Lord. Compare yourself: how many hours, minutes, or seconds do you pray every day? Very little. What do you expect? How many lives do we have to be born? Those minutes or seconds we pray will accumulate over a lifetime. They are lucky to have time to think of God in the way they believe. God will come to you in that form in which you believe. God is one. God has no name. God has no form, but we give the name and form, and He will appear to us in that way for our sake. Good health—physical, mental, social, and spiritual—leads to harmony of body, mind, and soul. For physical health, first is nourishment: good, organic, healthy food. Good air—you people here in Spišská Nová Ves have such good air; your lungs will be really good. Go to the center of Bratislava, and then you will know the difference in the air. Go to Athens, then you will know what good air is. All the big cities of the world... so you are blessed to be here in this area. Good nourishment. We yogīs always advise being vegetarian. The first principle: thou shalt not kill. You have no right to destroy the life which God has given. Second, you never know which illness that killed animal had. You have to eat, so you don't know how hormones will affect your body. In the last few decades, humans began to consume too much meat, especially after the Second World War. Between the wars, there was hunger, and in people's minds came the idea that so-called rich people could provide meat; it was a kind of status symbol, something for the rich. Never in history has so much meat been consumed as humans are doing now, and therefore never in history have there been so many illnesses like cancers and many others. It is your choice. Another aspect is movement: exercising, yoga, and breathing. This creates harmony in the body. Then, relaxation and meditation create harmony of the mind. We will do a kind of relaxation this evening. Then, social health: keep away from criminal activities and drugs. Work for society, for your family, neighbors, and your town; you will have a good name in society. Do some social work, follow your traditions and cultures. That is social health. And spiritual health: have tolerance and respect for every belief and culture, and wish happiness for the whole world. Let them do what they are doing, how they are doing. We should just help them. Help doesn't need arguments. Help doesn't need any conditions. You just help, that's it. Then spirituality will grow. Spirituality means purity, crystal clear, transparent: your mind, your consciousness, and your intellect. It is all in your hands; you cannot buy it in the market. Yoga in Daily Life is designed from thousands of years of ancient, authentic literature. It is called the ancient wisdom for modern times. In your country, thousands of people are practicing yoga and dharma. I have been coming to your country since 1973. So many people have been learning, teaching, and practicing. Health comes from your food, and limit your food. We eat much too much; that is our problem. My biggest problem is that we can't say no to eating, and that affects our body so that we don't think. There is a thing called a steam engine, which runs on steam. If you put alcohol inside, it will not function. Our body is made for putting water inside, not for beer or alcohol. You know well in your country that alcohol is the biggest problem. How many families are unhappy? How many children are without parents or with half-parents? How many women are unhappy and abused? How many men are unhappy? Alcohol is not made for this machine. The holy man from Assisi said alcohol should be buried in the earth so deep that no one can smell it. It will destroy the human spirit. So, it is your choice, my dear. I have no mineral water factory, so I am not making a business from this. We must awaken consciousness in people toward a healthy way of life. Now, for yoga exercises. Some demonstrators will come. Please remember, where there is a human, there is yoga, and yoga is designed for the well-being of the human. Unfortunately, many people in the world have begun to commercialize yoga. Many practice yoga as an art, like in theater or a zoo. Sometimes when people hear about yoga, they say they would like to practice but cannot stand on their head. "Must I stand on my head?" I said, "No, please stand on your legs." Some years ago, around 1978 in Slovakia, in a place called Žiar, I had a disciple who was about 60 or 70 years old. He read about headstanding, how good it is: your hair will become black or blonde again, your memory will be good, you will become young. So he tried to practice and felt very good. His eyesight became better, his hearing became better, and even his gums became stronger, and his teeth grew again because of more circulation towards the head. But too much is too much. One weekend, he thought, "I will do it for a longer time now," so he stood for 35 minutes, then became unconscious and fell down. An ambulance came and took him to the hospital. After three days, the doctor asked him, "What have you been doing?" "I was standing on my head." The doctor said, "Now you should know, the head is not for standing, the legs are for standing." So many people misunderstand, or they think we have to sit in lotus pose, one leg up here, another leg here. When I first began traveling through Slovakia, people asked the question: "If we have to practice yoga, must we sit on nails?" I said, "No, thank you. You have to sit on a very soft mat." Some people are too extremist. That is not yoga. Yoga is something that makes you happy, balanced, and healthy, and everyone can do it. Now we will do some exercises. You are welcome to do those you can, anywhere. Please stand up if you would like to do them; don't miss the chance. Interlock the fingers, hands on the head. Inhale and stretch hands up and stand on the toes. Exhale and hands down. Go ahead. One, two. This stretching will give you immense energy; the muscles are stretched. One, two. Legs apart a little more. Stretch the hands up. One. Now exhale and bend to the left side. Inhale in the middle. Exhale to the right. Feel the stretching of all the muscles, the side muscles. Inhale in the middle. Exhale to the left. Inhale in the middle. Exhale, hands down. Now place the tips of the fingers on the shoulders and bring the shoulders to the front, elbows, and rotate the shoulders. Now you feel it yourself; the fine muscles are influenced—the shoulder muscles, the back muscles. Other direction. Very good. Elbows in the front, together. Okay, one, two. Is there anywhere we can open the windows, or is it not possible? One minute, open it. Two minutes, open it. Okay, sit down. This was a glimpse for you, that you can do these anywhere. Now I have a special exercise. It is said every third person in the world has a back problem. Those who don't have it will have it, and those who want to get rid of it should practice. The truth is this: our body needs something. After a while, we have yoga in daily life. Use it or lose it, that's it. Back problems have many causes: incorrect posture, working in an office, on the internet, on a typing machine, driving a car, and many others. But before you do these exercises, you have to consult with your doctor or orthopedist if you have a particular problem like a slipped disc; otherwise, you can do them. They are good for the pancreas, good for the liver, good for the kidneys, good for digestion, good for the back muscles, and very good for our backbone. They are good for the hip joints, good for the neck, for many, many things, and very simple. Everyone can do it. So, translation: bend left. Not you, boy. This, nobody. Place the foot on the other side of the thigh, right thigh. Hands beside. Now, slowly bring your left knee to the ground, helping with your right hand, and look to the left. Remain there. Now you see how the muscles are twisted and stretched. I wish you could also do it, but perhaps this weekend you can come to... Slowly come to the middle. Stretch the hand sidewards, stretch the left knee on the ground, and bend the right knee. Place the right foot outside of the thigh, and with the left hand, help your right knee to come down to the left side. In the middle, and stretch the leg out. Place your left heel on the right toes, hands sidewards now. The toes to the right side touching floor, and head to the left side. In the middle, change the heel. Yes, heels to the left side, head to the right side, and in the middle. This is the second exercise for your back. Now, the third one: bend. Bring your knees both and bring the knees towards the body, yes, and hold the knees. Now, knees to the right side, head to the left side, as far as you can, and back, other side. Very good. Marjorie? Cat pose. This is good for digestion, very good for the back muscles, and it's also very good for men who have prostate problems, or for women who have pain during menstruation or cramps; immediately this will release the cramps. One, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Now, do one round yourself. You see how the back is turning, twisting. It's a beautiful feeling, and it's not difficult at all. If you have knee problems, then you don't need to sit like that in the first posture. You can immediately go to this posture, and you can do it in the morning anytime, but not immediately after eating. Then, one which improves your muscles and awakens the energy centers; it is a very, very beautiful exercise. After that, we will go to plant the peace tree. Very soon, I will explain to you about the past life. Khaṭṭu Praṇām. Okay. Yes, please. You do it. These are very beautiful, dynamic movements. They stretch the muscles and strengthen the muscles. They are very good for the back bones, also for the hip joints. They are very good for the breath, and they improve the immunity in the body. In the morning, if you do two or three rounds, it will help you very much. In the evening, when you come home, you do this first exercise. This is called Khaṭṭu Praṇām. You have your Yoga in Daily Life books, and you can read and learn from that. Also in this city, you have Yoga in Daily Life courses. Yoga is individual; it is not the same exercises for all people, not general. So every aspirant needs the teacher's attention. It's a beautiful movement. The World Peace Tree began with these thoughts. It should remind us what peace means. Wherever I come around the world, I plant a peace tree in many cities and countries. Every year on the day when the tree was planted, people go there and have a peace prayer, a relaxation. So I am very happy, and will be very happy, if you will give your hands for this peace tree. It means we are for peace, and we are very happy also that the respected Mayor of the city and Vice Mayor, as well as the media, have a great interest to have this tree in the beautiful square here. Dear brothers and sisters, there are a lot of things we can talk about: yoga, about human life, creation, the world, but next time. This weekend we will have more exercises and explanations. You are welcome, and thank you for listening. Thank you to the demonstrators, organizers, and the translator. Thank you.