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Purify your body and eat proper food
Kriyā Anuṣṭhāna is a regenerative practice akin to Kāya Kalpa, renewing the body and spirit.Practicing collectively provides mutual energy and support, preventing the isolation and difficulty of solitary practice. This process purifies the body's five elements. The natural environment, such as a meadow with an old tree, radiates vital energy … read more »
Questions to Gulabji
A clear life goal is essential to quiet the mind and make existence fruitful.Without purpose, one lives like the dead. The mind is constantly agitated by sensory desires, like waves. To clear it, one must have a definite aim, just as a traveler focuses only on the road to … read more »
The source of our knowledge is Gurudev
Wisdom flows like an ever-renewing river.One cannot step into the same water twice, yet the river itself returns. Past masters have taken the butter, but the cow—the source—remains. Feed it with love to receive fresh nourishment. The limited body is the … read more »
We are here to learn more
The gathering welcomes distinguished guests and emphasizes the shared pursuit of knowledge through yoga, which transcends physical practice to harmonize the mortal body and immortal soul.We honor our lineage and welcome all present, including a renowned scholar of the Vedas. Human intellect is superior but requires teaching. Despite societal influences, few understand all humanity. We must concentrate on the Jīvātmā. 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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
Guru Pūrṇimā: From Darkness to Light
Guru Pūrṇimā marks our new year, leading from darkness to light.In Kali Yuga, negative energy spreads like wildfire, consuming the world through cruel practices like meat-eating. Meat's origin is unknown and could include human flesh, showing this age's depth. All creatures have eyes and a soul; … read more »
How to educate the children?
Every day is a new beginning, and the true education for life comes from discipline, society, and inner wisdom.Parental strictness creates successful children, while laxness leads youth to seek guidance elsewhere, often from harmful habits. Society once collectively guided the young, with elders instilling immediate shame for wrongdoing, like a teacher punishing a student … read more »
Around the world - Third Int. Conf. on Yoga and Ayurveda
The conference opens with a welcome and the ceremonial lighting of the lamp, followed by official messages.The core theme is the integration of Yoga and Āyurveda with modern medicine to address contemporary health challenges. Yoga is a holistic system far beyond physical postures, encompassing body, mind, and soul. Yoga and Āyurveda are … read more »
Around the world - Opening of new YIDL center in Murska Sobota, Slovenia
A new ashram opens to teach the universal path of yoga, a science of body, mind, and soul for inner peace and health.This place was prepared over many years by volunteers spreading authentic yoga, not as a business. Yoga is an ancient universal science of balance and harmony originating with Śiva, beyond any single religion. It is a … read more »
Around the world - Opening of new YIDL center in Ptuj, Slovenia
We mark 25 years of teaching Yoga in Daily Life here, a voluntary mission from an authentic Indian school.We secured our own space, now becoming a blessed ashram. We have brought yoga to schools, libraries, and communities for all ages through dedicated effort. Yoga is ancient, a science of body, mind, and soul, intertwined … read more »
Be careful with the mind
The spiritual path is narrow and perilous, requiring vigilant discernment.Pride in the body or limited knowledge is a profound weakness. Spiritual development itself brings danger, akin to a newborn vulnerable to infection. Negative influences and mental afflictions can infiltrate and destroy progress from within, much … 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 »
Release your bad qualities
Traditions and inner truth are being lost, requiring sincere self-confrontation.Global traditions like garlanding and festival trees reveal a shared human culture now fading. This loss signifies a decline in humility and respect. Spiritual practices and scriptures are also manipulated or destroyed, making genuine discipline rare. … read more »
Temptation and contentment
The path of sannyāsa and the pervasive illusion of māyā are examined.Taking sannyāsa is a serious commitment requiring a long test of discipline; it is not an escape from life's karmas. Māyā is the universal temptation, a great cheater present in all things—pleasure, money, even holy places. … read more »
How could Tulsidas see Rama?
The soul is caught in the mortal body, a condition shared by all creatures, yet humans possess unique knowledge.The fundamental inquiry is into the nature of the Ātmā, which is presumed to be within but remains unseen. Many believe existence ends with the body, while others hold beliefs of heaven, hell, or merging with … read more »
The eternal journey of the Soul
The eternal journey of the soul is the core inquiry of self-knowledge.The fundamental questions are: who am I, from where have I come, and where will I go? Past lives are veiled; attempts to uncover them through hypnosis often lead to emotional fantasy, not truth. The soul … read more »
We need to educate our children properly
The subject is satsa g, the true company that guides us from darkness to light.The first education comes from the mother, then from both parents, as taught in the Upaniṣads. Modern education often fails the youth, who lack direction. Children lose the lap of their parents to kindergartens and toys, … read more »
Proudness
The ego of a devotee is cured by divine grace through humility.Even great beings can develop pride in their service. Hanumān once believed Rāma's victory depended entirely on him. Earlier, Garuḍa also lost faith after rescuing Rāma from a snake-arrow, thinking God needed his help. Garuḍa, in … read more »
The friendship brings us together
Maintain cultural and spiritual harmony through yoga and compassion.Cultural festivals should be preserved and celebrated to educate future generations. All religions contain harmony, but politics often creates conflict. Brotherhood must be created globally, respecting all faiths without negative influence. Yoga serves two aims: ensuring … read more »
The aim of human life: Liberation
The eternal journey of the soul is our core inquiry.Ādi Śa karācārya's essential question is "Who am I?" I am not this temporary body, which is composed of five elements. The soul enters mortal life through four paths: vegetation, microorganisms, egg-born creatures, and womb-born creatures … read more »
Hame he kama satsanga se
The purification of inner conflict is essential for peace and health.External solutions fail because unresolved issues are hidden within. Swallowing anger or bitterness harms the thyroid and liver. Unresolved emotional conflicts with partners or others create stones in the gallbladder. Unfulfilled love affects the prostate and … read more »
Follow the words of Gurudev
The path requires dissolving ego through genuine service to attain self-knowledge.Ego is the primary obstacle for any seeker. Without renouncing pride and anger, spiritual titles are meaningless. A story illustrates this: a learned scholar visited a sage, boasting of his knowledge of all yogas. The sage … read more »
Peace and bliss result from Satsang
World peace arises from spiritual knowledge and practice.Knowledge alone is insufficient; it must be applied. The Vedas provide this practical wisdom through three paths: action, devotion, and knowledge. True knowledge reveals the world as one family. Protecting this family requires rising above divisions. … read more »
Addressing the United Nations: The Work of the Śrī Svāmī Mādhavānanda World Peace Council
The Śrī Svāmī Mādhavānanda World Peace Council and Yoga in Daily Life work for global peace and sustainable development, guided by the principles of non-violence and service.These organizations support the United Nations' goals through concrete humanitarian projects. They operate schools and a college to provide education, with a focus on gender equality and aiding the underprivileged. A charitable hospital works to improve … read more »
Meditation is the key
Wellness is the harmonious balance of body, mind, and soul.Vāstu Śāstra aligns our environment with cosmic energy for harmony. Our being is composed of five layers, or kośas: the physical body of nourishment, the energy body, the mental body, the intellectual body, and the bliss … read more »
Chantiing A-U-M and Kundalini Shakti
This temple is a sacred cave of diamonds, a center of divine energy for meditation and Vedic culture.Its establishment required great effort over time, facing obstacles as all good works do. This Vedic culture transforms individual impressions into human character, guiding one to a good path. Most people pass by such places unaware, … read more »
The spiritual lineage
The spiritual lineage connects devotees to an ancient source of grace.A disciple met the master as a baby and received lifelong blessings, countering predictions of a short life and lack of education or wealth. The lineage extends back seven generations through the family. The source of … read more »
Meditation from Alexandria
Your soul is a journey into infinite, pure consciousness.Imagine a point of light in endless space. Your soul is that eternal light and sound, free from the mortal world. You are the entire universe, with no obstacles or directions; all is yourself. This light … read more »
The attributes of the Guru
The true Guru is the principle of knowledge that dispels ignorance.The name Sanjeevani signifies a prayer for success. We begin by invoking Śrī Gaṇeśa, the remover of obstacles and protector. The Guru is defined by the mantra: Guru is Brahmā the creator, Viṣṇu the protector, and … read more »
The Sun Shines in the Kingdom of God: On Habit, Mind, and the Kośas
Yoga in daily life is the ever-shining sun, present everywhere.The program begins with purifying the body's impurities. Habit becomes one's second nature. A story illustrates this: a man jumps into a river to retrieve a coat, which is actually a bear. The bear catches him. … read more »
Karma and koshas
The aim of human life is to realize the soul and return to God.The soul undergoes cycles of birth and death, experiencing the astral world and various forms of life, from vegetation to human birth. Human life is a difficult journey where one must navigate consequences, or karma, for … read more »
Do not eat animals
Human life is a rare opportunity within the cosmic law of life consuming life.The soul journeys through 8.4 million life forms. The universal architect established a system where beings sustain themselves, a necessary process for karma to unfold. This inherent consumption is hiṁsā, or violence, present even in unseen … read more »
The Viśuddhi Cakra and the Journey of Consciousness
The Viśuddhi Cakra is a center of energy affecting body, mind, and consciousness.Action and reaction form karma, binding beings in a cycle. Energy centers begin from the earth, a living planet. The highest reality is space, consciousness, and resonance—the one manifesting as all creation. Beings are cells of … read more »
Questions and answers from Fiji
The essence of the guru principle is the supreme knowledge that dispels ignorance.Every individual has a different nature, some inclined to service and others to meditation, but all must engage with karma. Disciples, like children, may leave the nest to experience the world, a thorny bush of society, … read more »
Adoring the God
The beauty of nature mirrors the inner light of meditation.Observe creation's splendor—the dawn, sunset, ocean, and wind. This external beauty reflects the Chidākāśa, the inner space of consciousness, which can be illuminated. Practice satsa g, being together in truth. Practice the disciplines of yoga: good … read more »
Bhagwan Shiva in Fiji
This sacred island is the ancient abode of Bhagavān Śiva, his consort Pārvatī, and Nandī.A mountain here holds the complete form of the Divine Mother, visible from the airport. At its peak is a pure lake, like Mānasarovara, from which flows water bottled and sold globally as Fiji Water. Upon … read more »
Thinking of Gurudev
Mahāsamādhi is not an absence but a change in the mode of presence.The physical form is a concentration of divine energy for easier communion. That energy is not bound by the body. The Guru's presence is activated by the devotee's call through love, prayer, and meditation. This principle … read more »
The Seeker and the Many Wells
The spiritual path requires steadfast dedication to a single practice, not seeking many masters or powers.A seeker repeatedly left masters, feeling he gained nothing from years of service, only to grow old and bitter. He returned to his first master to complain. The master then had him dig a new well … read more »
The Divine Lineage of Alakpurījī: Saints, Siddhas, and the Eternal Guru
The divine lineage flows from the Himalayan Siddha Pīṭha of Alakpurījī.This holy place in the high valleys near Badrināth is where Alaknandā and another river meet. Great beings incarnate in every yuga to protect dharma and liberate souls. These are the Nityāvatāra, the eternal gurus embodying … read more »