For a limited time, we are granting viewers of Swamiji.tv on-demand streaming access to the Swamiji.tv archive. All videos are copyrighted by the International Sri Deep Madhavananda Ashram Fellowship. We invite you to support our social projects with a donation. With your support, the Fellowship carries out numerous social projects in India. To continue these activities, every donation is deeply appreciated. Please support us here: https://swamiji.tv/support
Practice and eat healthy food
Yoga requires holistic knowledge of practices like āsana and of natural remedies.Specific postures like Sarvā gāsana benefit the entire body, especially the thyroid, spine, and circulation. Viparītakaraṇī Mudrā aids digestion and prevents constipation when performed correctly, such as on an empty stomach. However, these inverted poses must … read more »
Why we do Anusthan
Anuṣṭhāna is a dedicated spiritual practice undertaken for a specific purpose.One makes a sa kalpa, a promise to oneself, for spiritual development, health, success, or family harmony. It is often performed for the well-being of one's spouse, fostering oneness and understanding in the household. The practice … read more »
Practicing for the animals
The soul's journey is determined by karma, the law of action and reaction, as it moves through the five sheaths of being.The physical body dissolves at death, but the soul continues, viewing its accumulated actions. This karma, like a boomerang, returns to its source. The soul is identical in all beings, from an elephant to a bacterium. … read more »
Yoga in Daily Life is everywhere in the world
Yoga in Daily Life is a unifying light spreading globally.This system connects East and West, now reaching China. The initial journey faced obstacles, as prevalent yoga there focuses on gymnastic feats, not inner strength and stress relief. A student from China shares her challenging journey … read more »
Explanation of Shank Prakshalan kriya
Haṭha Yoga practices purify the body and awaken energy to support all spiritual paths.Aspirants seek happiness and health, finding a primary yoga path according to their nature—Karma, Bhakti, Rāja, or Jñāna—yet all paths are interconnected. A strong, healthy body is essential, cultivated through Haṭha Yoga's cleansing techniques. These include … read more »
Going to Brahmaloka
The foundation of practice is essential, regardless of one's level.The complete system of yoga begins with basic exercises, which are more beneficial than advanced postures. Even advanced practitioners must regularly return to foundational practices for proper preparation and health. The science of prāṇāyāma also requires … read more »
The Master key
The essence of learning is not in theory but in practice and direct transmission from a master.Tons of theory cannot compare to a gram of practice. You gain knowledge from lectures, but retention is low; one may only remember ten percent. True understanding requires concentration, which is fleeting for the modern mind. … read more »
Harmonious life and successful sadhana
Harmony and sādhanā begin by mastering the present moment.The past is gone and the future is not here; dwelling on either wastes the precious now. Modern distractions, especially mobile phones, isolate individuals and fracture family connection, teaching a life of solitary desire. This fosters … read more »
The soul and sound
The soul is a Ṣoḍaśīpuruṣa, a sixteen-fold formation at the center of the five sheaths.The universe began from Brahma and its Śakti, forming the first Bindu, the Avyaya Puruṣa. This possesses five characteristics: Ānanda, Vijñāna, Mana, Prāṇa, and Vāk. From it emerges the Akṣara Puruṣa, with five indestructible characteristics. These … read more »
Speech and communication
The universe is created from sound, and our speech is a powerful creative force.Life is constant communication. The fundamental element is Vāk, meaning both speech and the underlying substance of reality. Modern science and the Vedas agree the universe consists of matter and energy, which are interchangeable with sound. … read more »
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 »
Yoga Nidra with Vishwaguruji in the open air
Connect with the healing power of the five elements through direct earth contact and conscious breath.Lie down and relax. Feel the earth's subtle vibrational energy through your heels, palms, and arms. The sun's energy comes through the earth. Touching the earth daily can heal diseases and remove allergies. Feel your breath … read more »
The Thirsty Horse and the Path of Spirituality
The human soul seeks direction amidst universal stress, which persists from childhood through old age despite our efforts.We are like a thirsty horse frightened by the noise of a water pump; to drink, we must accept the noise. Our spiritual thirst must be quenched within the world's clamor. Time is an unstoppable reality, … 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 »
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 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 »
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 »
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 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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
Make a path through the forest
The path from theoretical knowledge to spiritual realization requires dedicated practice.The body is polluted by environment, food, and lifestyle, necessitating purification through techniques like Agnisāra and Nauli. Two paths exist: Lakṣyatī, the path of aim and practice, and Vācārtī, the path of speaking and theoretical study. … 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 »
The completness of our being
The eternal journey of the soul is understood through the body.The body is a house where God speaks. Every creature operates by this divine intelligence, evident in the coordinated flight of birds or movement of fish. The soul occupies this body, which is like a chariot … read more »
Around the World - Nadlac
Yoga is a practice for both body and mind.It is not merely physical exercise. The postures and breathing are tools to calm the mind and bring inner peace. A quiet mind is the true goal. This inner stillness allows you to connect with your … read more »
Instructions for practising
The foundation of practice is knowledge, discipline, and adaptation.Each posture has a specific effect, and the sequence is crucial. When you adopt a system, you must follow its fixed procedures. However, you must know your own bodily capacity and limitations. If a posture causes … 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 »
The sounds of AUM and RAM
The sound Aum and the movement of prāṇa are central to awakening inner energy.All language begins from the single center of the navel. The letter 'A' emanates from there, and 'R' returns to touch it, creating a cycle of expansion and contraction. In Kundalini science, one inhaled breath divides … read more »
Give further what you have
The teacher's duty is to transmit the pure knowledge of yoga.A tree is planted from a tasted fruit, requiring care to bear fruit for others. Enjoying yoga's fruit necessitates planting its seed for students. Discipline is required, as knowledge unshared is lost at death. The system … read more »