Be the example!
A yoga teacher must embody the discipline they teach, beginning with diet. Modern food is manipulated and unhealthy, causing illness. Dairy products like milk are contaminated with chemicals; minimize their use. Cheese is tamasic and unhealthy, though paneer is better. Commercial bread contains harmful additives like chicken feather and human hair powder. This artificial food attacks our glandular systems and weakens immunity. We are slaves to taste, a mighty sense. Control it, eat less, and practice more to draw nourishment from prāṇa. Discipline is not easy, as even teachers struggle, but practical application transforms health. One disciple lost 35 kilos and reversed chronic diseases by strict dietary control. Practice yoga daily, sleep early, and wake early. Health and longevity come from consistent practice and dietary restraint. Begin discipline now.
"Tons of theory is nothing without a grain of practice."
"Yoga begins with discipline. So when should we develop discipline? Aṭṭa means now."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
Up next
Help for Nepal
Compassion and selfless service are the supreme spiritual practice. A devastating calamity has struck Nepal, causing immense suffering. The global community, especially India, has provided immediate relief through funds, personnel, and rescue operations. True spirituality manifests as active compassion, seeing all beings as one family. Service to others cleanses the heart and brings profound inner peace, connecting the individual soul to the Supreme. The physical practice of yoga is valuable, but its essence is the union of body, mind, and spirit, symbolized by the sacred sound Om. This universal science of harmonization transcends all religious boundaries.
"Helping hands have more value than folded hands."
"Seva is the supreme Dharma. There is nothing greater than Seva."
Filming locations: Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
What makes our soul happy
The jīva, or soul, seeks everlasting happiness, paramānanda, beyond fleeting pleasures.
There are temporary happinesses that vanish and cause suffering. The jīva is eternal, indestructible, and cannot be perceived by physical means. It enters and leaves the body freely, untouched by fire, water, or any obstacle. Every being carries this divine light, driven to attain pleasure and remove all pain. Through the five elements, the jīva manifests the ten senses and is sustained by the life forces. Happiness and sorrow reside in the jīva, not in the body. Seeking joy in material objects yields disappointment because the world is impermanent. Disappointment itself is a process of change and growth. Attachment binds the jīva, like a caged bird prevented from flying. Renunciation requires constant movement to avoid forming attachments. The worldly life is inherently a place of disappointment, even for the Creator. Clinging to relationships brings suffering, for all are transient. Temporary pleasures inevitably turn into pain. Therefore, one must seek paramānanda, the supreme, undying bliss. The jīva is like a drop suspended over the ocean of ātmā; upon merging, individuality dissolves, and it becomes Śiva. All spiritual practices aim for this union, where the jīva finds true peace.
"Each and every entity carries the light of God, and that light of God is not for this body only but for that soul, and that soul is life."
"This jīva is like a drop of water on the whole of our palm, held over the ocean. This drop is jīva, and the ocean is ātmā."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
Practicing from Strilky
The practice is guided relaxation and synchronized movement.
Lie down and make yourself very comfortable. Keep legs together, arms beside your body, palms facing upward. Remove pillows and glasses; lengthen the neck, draw the chin slightly toward the collarbone. Stabilize the lower back, pressing it gently toward the mat. Take a deep, long breath between throat and belly, then exhale completely. Only move when instructed; do not go on your own. With inhalation, slowly raise both arms overhead, keeping them at shoulder width. Hands remain relaxed, not interlocking thumbs or fingers. Head stays still, eyes not looking at neighbors. With exhalation, lower the arms back beside the body. Repeat this movement continuously with normal breath, no holding. Then, place arms beside the body, palms facing down. Inhale deeply, lift both legs up, knees straight, heels pointing upward. Place hands under the hips for support, lower legs slowly without noise. Relax completely, turning onto the stomach if comfortable. Finally, sit for meditation, placing palms up or down as preferred.
“Only mantra, bhajan, and sitting—only these three points.”
“Do not shorten your breath; make it comfortable, long, and relaxed.”
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
Good Health and Peace
Yoga is the science of the human being, the culmination of life's evolution. Animals evolve toward humanity, but humans can regress if they do not heed divine instruction. Do not kill other creatures; animals kill from ignorance, but humans know better. God is one, like an ocean of which we are all drops. Science progresses but leads away from God, while yoga leads toward God. The ego resides in the heart and brain; one part is for self, the other for all. A yogi must never give negative talk or do negative things to anyone. Life is a staircase; one goes down through harmful actions, and one goes up through respect and care for all creatures. The soul passes through one door determined by our actions. Protect all life; that is yoga.
"Don't kill them. Protect them, love them, protect them, don't kill them. That is yoga."
"Science is good... but we have to come, please, all animals."
Filming location: Brno, Czech Republic
