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If you recall from the recent seminars, we discussed Vajrāsana at length. It offers many beautiful benefits: it develops memory, special memory, tranquilizes your thoughts and nervous system, calms your thoughts and nervous system, and develops concentration. It removes stiffness in the neck, shoulders, and back. It normalizes your digestive function, helps remove difficulties like constipation, and helps overcome diarrhea to achieve normal stool. It aids your pancreas and allows your lungs to expand freely to their full capacity to receive as much oxygen as possible. When the back is straight, the spine can fully extend, which has a very positive effect on the heart. You will definitely overcome gastric trouble and acidity problems because the entire digestive system begins to function properly again. If you produce too much acid, it helps greatly in that case as well. It supports kidney function and is said to release or cure hemorrhoid problems, reducing issues with hemorrhoids. This is the effect of the Vajra Nāḍī, which is connected from the big toe and the second toe. It removes tiredness and gives you refreshment because the front muscles of your lower legs are stretched. People who engage in sports—jogging, running, long walks, playing football, and so on—if they sit in this posture, they will recover more quickly. They will overcome tension and feel more relaxed, regenerating the whole musculature. For those who regularly exercise or run a lot, especially jogging, this exercise has a very good effect as it relaxes their legs very quickly. It controls and harmonizes the heartbeat and awakens your Anāhata Cakra. Awakening the Anāhata Cakra means clarity and devotion. That is why, when you go to a mosque or see people praying there, they sit in Vajrāsana. They may or may not know, but this is my explanation for the posture: they feel more relaxed and calm, enabling them to express their devotion. It also improves your eyesight. This is a simple posture, but it has a very great effect on the physical, mental, and emotional levels. However, those with problems in the ankle joints or heels should not sit in this position. Those with problems in their thighs or hips should not sit in this position either. In such cases, you can use a small pillow or a small bench as a tool. Also, after an operation on the veins, you should not do it. All these benefits occur because the middle part of our body is completely relaxed and in the best position, and many important organs are located in this trunk region. That is why we have chosen Vajrāsana as the first posture for Kathupāraṇam. Now, if you wish, you can change your posture, but if it is not difficult for you, remain seated in Vajrāsana. So, Vajrāsana is advisable. This is one of the postures you can do immediately after eating; it is recommended to sit in this position for five to ten minutes after a meal. You can repeat it any time of day. Also, before meditation, if you remain in this posture for five or ten minutes and then sit in other meditation postures, you will feel very good and be able to sit for a long time in meditation. If you sit for 5–10 minutes in Vajrāsana before meditation, you will be comfortable, in a different position, and able to sit longer. First, do half butterfly, full butterfly, then sit a few minutes in Vajrāsana, and then meditate. You will be able to sit for a long time. There are three kinds of movements or exercises in yoga. One is dynamic movement, done a little quicker but not very quick. Dynamic movements are for warming up the body, so your muscles become warm. In the morning when you wake up and get out of bed, you walk slowly. You cannot immediately get up and run; you would fall. You cannot just get up from bed and run; you would burn yourself. Birds can, but for humans it takes time for the muscles to wake up. So, dynamic movements will wake up your entire body and warm up your muscles. Do them for a few minutes, 5 minutes maximum, or 10 minutes. The second is called stretching. But too much stretching is not good for your ligaments. For many people, after a long time or after a certain age, they lose the balance to coordinate both legs or both hands or the movements. Now you can sit again in Vajrāsana. The third is called posture. Posture has a better effect on your body, mind, and emotions. These different bodily situations have the best effect on the body, mind, and emotions. Therefore, I always say there is no competition and no challenge. It is a natural process. Let us see one example. Modern technology has made immense improvements or developments. In one night, or 24 hours, they can build a multi-floor building. But in one night, or in 24 hours, they cannot grow a tree this big. For a tree to grow this tall, it has its own weapons: the necessary time and the basic principles. Similarly, yoga has the same principles because yoga is a natural way and therefore offers gradual benefits. It is slow but sure, and therefore has no side effects. The same is true for Ayurveda. The effect of Ayurvedic medicine is slow, but it is sure and without side effects. However, in certain cases it doesn't help, and we have to take what we call allopathic treatment. But in some cases, these medicines don't help, so we have to take... When you have practiced your yoga in daily life, exercises according to the system for three years, and then you adopt the postures, you will enjoy your life. Once a week, you should repeat a particular chapter or part of Yoga and Daily Life. On the rest of the days, you can choose particular postures. So, on Monday or Thursday, or Sunday or Saturday, one day you should do the first part completely, and the next Sunday the complete second part, and so on. This way you don't fall out of the rhythm. You know that if you are doing some sport or physical activity and you don't do it for five days, you are like a beginner again. So if you want, you can release yourself now from Vajrāsana and stretch your legs towards the north or the south. Let's see now, to the south, okay? Stretch your legs to this side. You see, many people still didn't remove their bags and things, and they are in the way. Good. So stretch your legs and try to hold your toes. What we call a kind of Paścimottānāsana. Don't force yourself. If you cannot hold the toes, then hold your calf. If you cannot hold the calf, hold your knees. If you cannot hold your knees, then hold your stomach. And look at your toes, to see if you have colored them nicely or not. Of course, you can release any time, come up a little, and then repeat. This is not a teaching in that way, practicing. I am just explaining some postures, that's all. When you hold your toes and pull them towards your body, this is a contra pose of Vajrāsana. In this position, you pull your toes and feet upwards towards yourself; it is a counter position to Vajrāsana. Your thigh and calf muscles are now stretched; before, they were pressed together. But if you do Vajrāsana after eating, in that case, do not do this contrapose after eating. Sometimes you can come up and then repeat individually, according to your feeling. No competition. And if you cannot, you must not be. Very good. Now you can sit in Vīrāsana. That is another beauty. You can face towards me. Vīrāsana is done mostly in the forest. This is also a counter position of Vajrāsana. Don't bend forward. Keep your leg more forward and straight so that you can touch the elbow, that's all. Elbow to the knee, and your chin is resting in the hand. This posture signifies that you are ready to run, stand up, or act at any time, and to learn to endure certain pain in the body. You feel it only because you are thinking about it now. When a plumber has to work somewhere down low, he sits for 15 minutes in this posture, and he doesn't know he is making Vīrāsana. So you should concentrate on your aim, not on your body. The body becomes an instrument. Concentrate on your goal and not on your body. The body becomes a tool. Concentrate on your goal and not on your body. The body is an instrument. And change. Change your leg. So you should know that behind every posture there is a whole philosophy. Every posture has a physical meaning, an emotional and intellectual learning, concentration, and it is a principle. It needs discipline. And you can do it. That's a good thing. If you want, you can do it. And now, sit on both toes and knees on the ground, not in Vajrāsana, but on the heels. Sit on the heels, toes standing, and knees on the ground. Sit on the heels. Mental power. We can't train our mental power, but it needs a lot of work and discipline. We can talk about our mental strength, but that requires a lot of discipline and work. There was a yogī living in Prague, a world-famous photographer named Dṛtikol. He had very great mental power, a yogī. He died about 60 years ago, approximately 50 to 60 years. One day, he was cutting grass in his garden and injured his hand, a very deep cut. It began to bleed, of course. So he looked at his hand and said, "No, I don't want this." With his mental concentration, he made a kind of Trāṭaka, and the whole wound disappeared. Because of his mental strength, the wound closed at once, the bleeding stopped, the skin came together again. That is called mental power, mental training, through Trāṭaka. Now, this is also proof that Western people can become perfect in yoga, and that's why I am teaching you. Otherwise, I would not teach you. This is also proof that Western people can become perfect with yoga practice. That is why I am teaching you. But people in the West can be perfect in yoga, that is why I am teaching you. So discipline is very important, and practicing. Try one thing, don't change, and become perfect in one. Gurujī said in satsaṅg always: If you practice one thing, if you master one thing, you master everything. And if you try to master everything, you will lose everything. So to understand mental power, understand the mind, direct your mental power to one point, practice Trāṭaka, yoga kriyā. But you must have discipline; otherwise you will not master it. If it is said, "Don't eat garlic," then don't even touch the garlic. If it is said, "You can sell or you can eat garlic," then eat garlic as much as you like. If they tell you to eat as much as you can, then you should eat as much as you can. So there are many, many disciplines. I told you to move all the extra things that are lying beside you. Half of the people didn't follow. Now, knees up, sitting on the toes, on the heels, and stretch your hands sideways. This will teach you how to levitate. But you have to stand for hours and hours a day. Sit like this, and when you levitate, it will go up. Try to levitate now. Come up. Stand up. Yes. Oh my God. Everyone levitated except me. Hands up, straight sidewards. Try to fold the palms completely, and straight. Place your hands sidewards, and down in the front. Inhale, and point your palms, and again sit on the heels slowly. And hands on the shoulders, and make the shoulder rotation. Keep the balance, and the other direction. And place your hands on your waist. And stretch one leg in the front. In the air. Okay, tomorrow. We were speaking before noon about mantra and developing mental willpower, or mental power. Every posture has some connection to supernatural powers. Every position has something to do with supernatural forces and with different elements, Prāṇa. That's God, which is in everything, the formless. And the human mind is capable of influencing, or attracting, or mastering those supernatural powers. When that person cut his hand with some garden tool, within one minute he said, "No, I don't want this," and he looked with his concentrated eyes, and the bleeding stopped and his skin healed immediately. That's it. When this person cuts... He takes it off his hand and concentrates it with his great mental strength on a certain mark, and that mark disappears without a trace. There was one man who was living in Kela, one Paṇḍit. He told me the story; perhaps he also gave the interview on camera. He was a bandit who lived in Kielas, and I will give an example in the camera. He was not a bandit but a Paṇḍit, a brahmin, a learned person. Guru Nānak Sāhib said in his bhajan, in the last strophe: "Paṇḍit Ved be hīna." Just say, "If one calls himself a Paṇḍit but has no knowledge of the Vedas, then he is not a Paṇḍit." He says, a paṇḍit who has no knowledge of the Vedas is not a paṇḍit. So the Paṇḍitjī told me that Devapurījī had some kind of blast on his calf. He told me that Devapurījī had some kind of blast on his calf. There were a lot of infections, and it had spread near the whole calf muscle. There was a lot of mucus inside. Nowadays, doctors would tell you it's cancer. The pundit said he was about six or seven years old. He went with his father to Devapurījī, about 200–300 meters from the ashram, because he lived 200–300 meters away from the ashram. Pandit's father asked Devapurījī, "Gurudev, why don't you go to the doctor? Why don't you use Ayurvedic medicines? I'm sure they will disturb you." Devapurījī said, "Gurudev, why don't you take some Ayurvedic medicine or some other medicine? It must be very painful." Devapurījī smiled. Devapurījī didn't laugh. He said, "Okay, Pandit, if it disturbs you, then I will get rid of it." Devapurījī said, "If it bothers you, I will get rid of it." And what Devapurījī began to do: Devapurījī had his sword, and he began to peel away his whole calf—his skin and muscles and everything. From the knees to the ankle joint, you could see only the bones and veins, that's all, nothing else left. From the floor all the way to the stomach. At the end, there were only bones and veins. And they said when they were looking, they were completely sucked in. Their breath stopped. When the father and son saw this, they were completely in shock. They were completely shocked, breathless. When a doctor comes with a long injection to take something from your lungs or from your liver, something only from an injection, we have fear, you know. And they would take his turban, on his soul, here on his soul, and wrap it around the whole calf. So Devapurījī used his scarf and wrapped it around his leg. And these people went away. The next day, they came back again. So Devapurījī stretched his leg and opened this bandage. What he did, and what they saw, was a completely healthy calf with the skin, muscles, hair, and everything there. And Devapurījī said, "Pandit, are you happy now? Is Pandit happy now?" Of course, only Devapurījī can do it. We are not able to heal a pimple on our cheek in one night. But these are the mental powers which can influence and manipulate the elements, the cosmic powers, to function, to work, to affect your body, mind, consciousness, and so on. It is a mental force that can influence the cosmic elements to help the function of your body, mind, and soul. Therefore, every posture, every exercise in Yoga and Daily Life, which I try to put in, I thought very much over. It's the whole philosophy I put in, the cosmic science. But these postures are not created by me. This is the very rich heritage, the ancient, rich spiritual heritage of India, which yogīs left for all of mankind. This is the ancient spiritual tradition of India, which has been left to humanity for the whole of mankind. Yoga has been left to us by ancient yogīs and mudrās for the well-being of the whole of humanity, as a legacy. Every posture, every āsana, no one has copyright for it. But the question is this: if you understand, if you realize, and if you put them together, how to do it? That's it. That is different masters' work; like this, I also try to work to put some postures in some orders. Different masters hold them in a different form. But the point is, how will you understand these exercises? How will you apply them? This is the difference between the master's one, which is given as an orderly exercise in this system. I was 11 or 12 years old when I came to Gurujī and met him. At that time he told me some kriyās, some exercises, something. Not very in detail, but he told me, "Do this." How you can do it, or if you can manage it. The āsanas Gurujī was doing every day, 15 minutes head standing, as long as I can remember, till his age of 73 years, he used to do his head standing. When I came to Holī Gurujī as a child, he gave me some tips and told me to try and do as much as I could. As far as Gurujī is concerned, I remember that until he was 73 years old, he worked 15 minutes a day, standing on his head. And it doesn't matter where he arrived at night, where he traveled, when he went to bed, at 3 or 3:30 a.m., he would always wake up. And as a young boy, you know, the first time when I suddenly woke up and I saw, my God, what is Gurujī doing? Why is he hanging upside down? I don't know, I feel that he is lying down, Gurujī. Neti, Dhauti, all he used to do. There was one Swami, one yogī in Jaipur, Swami Ānandānandjī. Often Gurujī used to go there with me, and they were discussing all kriyās and this and that. And Gurujī used to bring from there sūtra neti and sūtra dhauti and neti part for his personal use. So he taught me how to do Chakrāsana and then get up from the Chakrāsana without lying again on the back, many things. So it began, my training began with Gurujī from a very early age. Once Gurujī made a bhajan for nearly 400 postures. It was in '84 or '83 or something like that, or '80, and there were so many bhajans. Once a crazy sādhu came. Gurujī was not there, and he burned everything. It was in a small kitchen, and a crazy sādhu came and burned everything. Because the sādhu was cooking, and he wanted to make fire, and the fire was not burning, so he used this bhajan book for newspaper, you know. He used this little book for the fireman. He had to cook something, and since he didn't have anything to light the fire, he used the leaves from the fire. To light the fire, it was a pity, a big problem, it was a big loss. And the song was Brahmamūrta. He was singing, "Wake up, brother, Brahmamuhūrta has come." It was very nice, a little bit I remember. There were many, many nice bhajans; I don't remember completely, but they were very, very nice. The whole day program was described. I remember only a few stanzas that Gurujī used to sing. Like Mahāprabhujī made a bhajan for the little children, for the school, a beautiful bhajan about what the children should do. You should concentrate on learning. So the science of yoga is very, very old. And Mahāprabhujī wrote the bhajan about Yoga Nidrā. This bhajan is nearly 170 years old. This bhajan is almost 170 years old. And Mahāprabhujī could only write the bhajan if he knew about Yoga Nidrā. And how scientifically he wrote. It is a very high Kriyā Yoga technique in the Yoga Nidra Bhajan of Mahāprabhujī. Mahāprabhujī could only do this because he himself knew Yoga Nidrā very well. He could only do this because he knew Yoga Nidrā very well. Therefore, one great sādhu, Saint Achala Rāmjī Mahārāj said, "Without trying, without working, you can't get anything in this world." Therefore, according to all these bhajans and books and Upaniṣads and many other yoga books which I read, I looked into them, and I thought, I consulted with many people and put this system together.