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The proper way of teaching Yoga
Yoga requires discipline and correct practice.Every tradition has its own authentic expression, just as each bird has its distinct call. The teacher's role is to guide students into a state of bliss, not idleness. Practice is essential; it is yoga itself. … read more »
Where is our house?
Our true home is in God, not in this world.We are born and move between places, yet never find a lasting home. Heaven is described as perfect joy, yet jealousy exists even there. A story illustrates divine purpose. God walks in a garden, greeting all … read more »
Message of the three monkeys
The Ātmā is present in all life, which is defined by the five elements.Respect for all beings is essential. The path of purity involves three aspects: Tā sī through the body, Mā sī through the mind, and Bācchan through speech. Purifying these leads to purity. Do not engage with … read more »
Yoga Nidra
Experience the blissful awareness of the skin through mindful relaxation and inner observation.Lie down comfortably, distinct from the posture for the dead. Feel your entire body and breath. Your skin is the pure, natural covering of your physical form, an energy body receiving and filtering prāṇa. Observe this … read more »
Respect the family traditions
Life is one, yet we perceive separation.Observe nature. Birds return to their nests with evident joy. Their happiness is a natural state. Humans often lack this simple contentment. All beings possess innate knowledge for survival, like ants sensing rain. Our constructed intelligence … read more »
Understand your body
Inspiration arises from within, not from external situations for solving problems.Simplicity fosters happiness, while abundance creates trouble. Modern life, with its hospitals and complexities, contrasts with a natural, joyful past. Traditional community life, where elders guided marriages and families celebrated for a month, ensured responsibility and … read more »
The Glory of Alak Purījī
The name Alak signifies the indescribable glory of a perfected being.A Purī denotes a city where sannyāsīs reside and preach. Ādiguru Śa karācārya established such centers. A Siddha or Avadhūta is one who has achieved everything and possesses all Siddhis, yet has no personal desire. These … read more »
Keep the original message of Yoga
The Guru is the unity of all worship and the source of true knowledge.Worship of all creation is worship of the one Guru, for the soul and the Guru are one. Singing devotional prayers requires the qualities of a Guru, as it is rooted in meditation upon the Gurudev. … read more »
The reflection of the Self
The light of the Self is realized through grace and alert practice.Time is a human construct; only the Supreme is unchanging. We are bound in saṃsāra, coming and going due to karma. The body is a temporary bag discarded at death, but the soul remains. Do not … read more »
Keep your spirituality
Time's passage is inevitable, and the continuity of life proceeds regardless of human effort.The sunset symbolizes this natural progression into age and reflection. Youth is preoccupied with action, while age brings contemplation of legacy and what slips away. Society often dismisses the elderly, yet true value lies not in … read more »
Sri Alakhpuriji and the Himalayas
The Earth is a living, divine creation designed in perfect balance.Human activity disrupts this balance through mining, deforestation, and construction. The Himalayas are a young and holy mountain range, the abode of great saints and the manifestation of divinity. The saint Ālakpurījī embodies Śiva in the … read more »
The power of Mantras
Sound, speech, and harmony possess inherent healing power.Mantras from ancient siddhas create positive vibrations affecting earth, air, fire, water, animals, and humans. Sweet words bring happiness back to the speaker, while harsh words generate lasting inner suffering. This principle extends to all life; … read more »
Satsang will bring us to the Aim
The path requires following an authentic spiritual lineage under a perfected master.Different traditions have their successions, like the papal lineage. One must remain within this paramparā; leaving it is like jumping from a moving train. The masters are Siddhas, perfect beings connected to the divine source. Their … read more »
Meditation on Mahaprabhuji
A guided meditation using a devotional mantra.Close the eyes and take the mālā to repeat the sacred formula. Meditate on the divine form within the inner space, feeling the mantra's pure vibrational energy. Be aware of the shared presence in the hall … read more »
You have to have a Master key
The universe within mirrors the cosmos, and sound is the resonant power connecting all.Life passes swiftly, and we run with it. The body contains the entire universe; what is not in the cosmos is not within us. The self and the universe are one. The great Siddha spoke of … read more »
Sound and resonance
Sound's resonance affects us regardless of understanding.Nāda, or divine sound, creates influence through its quality, like music from a flute or Mozart. This resonance interacts with our ten indriyas, the five organs of perception and five of action. Sound travels through air, … read more »
Follow the Guruvakyas and practice
The essence of spiritual life is consistent practice within a supportive community.Our tradition's bhajans contain the complete path. True progress requires personal effort, not merely listening. Association shapes habit: spiritual company fosters spirituality, while negative influences divert you. Many attend lectures but avoid practice, which is like … read more »
Hatha Yoga is in every kind of Yoga
Haṭha Yoga is the essential, foundational path encompassing all others.You cannot proceed without Haṭha Yoga. Bhakti Yoga is also Haṭha Yoga inside, for you must maintain unwavering devotion despite emotional waves. Most devotion is selfish and unstable, rising and falling with desires. True devotion must … read more »
The hatha yogi wants to live a long and healthy life
The wisdom of natural remedies and the true path of a Hatha Yogi are shared.Neem leaf powder can heal stubborn wounds quickly. Babool fruit soaked in water helps with glandular issues after a certain age. Neem seeds ground into a paste strengthen hair roots. A true Hatha Yogi renounces laziness … read more »
Kriya Yoga and Meditation for hatha yogis
The practice is a Haṭha Yoga kriyā using ascending and descending resonance.Sit straight and generate inner happiness. Chant Oṃ eleven times. Concentrate between the navel and the crown. The resonance travels from the navel center upward to the heart, throat, and crown, then descends through the brow … read more »
A hatha yogi is one with Nature
Hatha Yoga is a discipline of alignment and harmony that begins with life itself.Its principles apply from infancy, where correct physical support prevents pain like a displaced collarbone, to the natural care shown by elders and animals. True discipline is universal, required in all work and life. Hatha Yoga … read more »
Hatha Yoga techniques - 2
Haṭha Yoga is widely misunderstood as merely physical postures.In truth, it is one branch of the singular tree of yoga. Its essence lies in practical purification techniques, the ṣaṭ karma, which are distinct from āsanas. These methods cleanse the body and mind to prepare … read more »
How a hatha yogi can reach the aim of yoga
Yoga is the singular union of the individual soul with the Supreme.It is Ādi Anādi, beginningless and endless. The eternal space contains consciousness, called cetan. Yoga is the harmonizing, balancing, and uniting of these principles into oneness. This union is between Jīvātmā, the individual soul, and Paramātmā, … read more »
Hatha Yoga techniques - 1
The body's tension and purification are central to well-being.A smile engages few muscles, keeping tension localized, while a frown engages many, sending tension through nerves to the brain, causing distress. This physical tension manifests in organs, affecting the heart, liver, or kidneys due to … read more »
The qualities of a Hatha Yogi
The Haṭha Yogī possesses ultimate power through supreme discipline and purification.A true Haṭha Yogī masters the ten senses and is indifferent to nourishment, heat, or cold. Such a yogī renounces worldly attachments and views ordinary human concerns as insignificant. Attaining this state grants powers surpassing even … read more »
The Paths and Practices of Haṭha Yoga
Haṭha Yoga is a distinct branch of yoga concerning disciplined willpower and energy.The Bhagavad Gītā references eighteen yogas, while Patañjali's system outlines four primary paths: Karma, Bhakti, Jñāna, and Rāja Yoga. Haṭha Yoga integrates into this framework. One local explanation describes four types of willpower: the innocent persistence … read more »
Prayer gives perfection
Prayer is essential for physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, purifying daily actions and dreams.Yoga's foundation is for everyone, beginning with four principles: behavior, thinking, diet, and recreation. Good behavior involves self-respect and positive ego, avoiding places without welcome or respect. Diet and company shape one's speech and character. Discipline … read more »
Do not waste your time
Welcome to this spiritual immersion.We gather under divine shelter for sādhanā, a mental and spiritual practice. This retreat is a shared pool of blessings, equally available to all who choose to immerse themselves. The goal is to absorb spiritual energy … read more »
Be careful with diet
Modern health suffers from a lost connection to natural food and cooking.Most physical and mental unwellness stems from poor diet and heart. Commercial foods like bread contain unknown, harmful ingredients such as feather powder and hair. Humanity's great mistake is forgetting how to cook and use nature's … read more »
Color me into Your color
This final evening reflects on the journey within the coach of the body.We celebrated Guru Pūrṇimā and held Kriyā Yoga initiations. The destination is one, though paths differ. All scriptural knowledge exists within you. The human body contains all worlds and suns; self-realization is an inner search. Theory … read more »
Follow the words of the Guru
The Mahāmṛtyuñjaya Mantra is a tool for liberation from attachment and fear of death.Chant it daily, focusing awareness through the body's energy centers. It seeks a painless separation from the body, like a ripe fruit detaching from its vine. We are deeply attached to this body, acting from fear, … read more »
Atma is king of the body
Perseverance in spiritual practice is essential, and the inner self is the sovereign of the human vehicle.Maintain a single target on the path to achieve it; without focus, one feels emptiness and anger. A practitioner, after twenty-four years without perceived experiences, considered abandoning his practice. Observing an ant repeatedly fail yet succeed … read more »
The human body is like a beautiful coach
The human body is a wondrous coach given by God.This physical form is a mobile house pulled by ten horses: the five senses of knowledge and the five senses of action. These indriyas must be trained and controlled by the intellect and mind. A pure … read more »
Yoga is the science of being Human
The straight path of Kriyā requires strict discipline and rejects spiritual fantasy.Kriyā Yoga is the sure and safe path, beginning and continuing with discipline. Practitioners often start with devotion but slowly neglect the practice, confusing temporary discomfort during intense practice with a flaw in the technique. The … read more »
Good eating
Our food choices, from potatoes to meat, are entangled with health, karma, and the difficulty of living purely in this age.Potatoes are often unhealthy due to pesticides and chemicals absorbed into the earth, which can take over a decade to purify. Many oils, like refined or cottonseed oil, are harmful and contribute to disease. Modern wheat … read more »
Return back to happiness
Sādhana, or spiritual practice, rests on two pillars: the changeable physical practice and the permanent spiritual practice.Our physical practice must adapt to our changing age and condition. While yoga āsanas like śīrṣāsana benefit everyone by improving circulation and health, the ultimate goal is not mere longevity but a contented life. Modern life … read more »
AUM - RAM mantra chanting
A guided practice integrates posture, breath, and sound.Begin seated in Vajrāsana with Jālandhara Bandha. Inhale into Ākāśī Mudrā, then exhale back to Jālandhara. Perform this cycle for eleven rounds, incorporating breath retention after both inhalation and exhalation as is comfortable. Relax completely in … read more »
Practice makes perfect and healthy
Perfection in any discipline, including yoga, requires lifelong practice and unwavering commitment.Yoga begins with discipline. A dancer who stops practicing loses their skill. A trained horse forgets its dance without constant rehearsal. Many neglect their spiritual exercise. Practice makes perfect; neglect destroys perfection. Many seek health through … read more »
Inner functions
Yoga is the integrated practice of the inner faculty, antaḥkaraṇa.Modern understanding is often limited to physical postures, but yoga encompasses deeper principles. Patañjali’s Aṣṭā ga Yoga presents eight limbs—yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāra, dhāraṇā, dhyāna, samādhi—which must be practiced together daily, not separately. Like a … read more »
What have you done for others?
The path to spiritual completeness is taken step by step.The aim is self-realization, to reach the divine light within. One must focus on this ultimate aim, yet not miss the path by focusing only on the end. Progress requires knowing your present situation clearly. Identify … read more »
All is the creation of God
The culture of reverence sees divinity in all creation, making every day a sacred festival.Ancient India was a vast land with one original tradition. Its culture is rooted in nature, venerating the moon, sun, stars, animals, and elements like water and earth. The five elements—space, air, fire, water, earth—are the … read more »
Keep the body healthy
The human life is a rare and precious opportunity to purify karma and realize the soul's nature.The soul, or jīva, is the same essence within all beings, from an ant to an elephant. It takes birth according to its past actions, cycling through countless forms. Negative speech and harmful thoughts create karma … read more »
The Five Sheaths and the Path of the Disciple
The human being is composed of five sheaths, progressing from the gross to the subtle.The first is the physical Annamaya Kośa, nourished by food. Next is the Prāṇamaya Kośa, the sheath of vital energy. Then comes the Manomaya Kośa, the mental sheath. The fourth is the Vijñānamaya Kośa, the sheath … read more »
Be healthy, be happy, be good
Life is a flowing river; each moment passes and cannot be reclaimed.Human life is precious and should not be wasted on mere eating, sleeping, and procreation. Time is passing; either use it for spiritual development or lose it. The mind, driven by attachment and desire, is difficult … read more »
Go on your spiritual path
Stress arises from attempting to overcome problems with one-sided power.The world's troubles are inherent and perpetual, like a horse frightened by the noise of the generator it needs for water. One must find sustenance amidst the noise. Human nature is the core, unsolvable problem; even … read more »
Christmas Carols from Vep
Christmas is a time for shared joy and song.December arrives, bringing the memory of Christmas and the sight of beautiful trees. This season invites a collective celebration. Let us mark it with music. A song from Hungary begins this offering. The spirit of the … read more »
Stress management and fear
Fear is overcome by inner certainty, not by circumstance.A story tells of a boy trapped by a ghost in a cave. The ghost consults God, revealing the boy has a long life. This knowledge removes the boy's fear. He later escapes by confronting the … read more »
Holy places in the Himalayas
A pilgrimage reveals grace and the nature of karma.My role is often to avoid being an obstacle to what is already divinely orchestrated. The Himalayan land itself is 'Dev Bhūmi,' the divine land, whose air enters every cell regardless of belief. The holy lake … read more »
Life of the Saints
The path requires grace and self-effort, and we remember the masters.Incarnations and human-born beings exist; the latter find Self-realization difficult. We worship the entire being of that supreme Ātmā. They lived through nature's conditions, yet their consciousness remained untouchable. Liberation is not achieved quickly; karma constantly … read more »