The Path of Grace and Guidance
The path requires grace, guidance, and consistent practice. Begin by invoking divine protection and wisdom, bowing to the teacher who embodies it. The master provides knowledge of the highest state and the systematic practice to realize it within. Progress slowly and continuously, crossing inner obstacles like thoughts and feelings to clarify consciousness. The outer world with its changing desires easily pulls one down, so a guide who knows the safe way is essential. Repeating the divine name connects one to the highest energy, liberating from ignorance and false identification. Worldly pursuits are transient and disappointing, while the inner Self offers complete fulfillment. Divine grace manifests through the master, whose presence transforms the disciple, establishing an eternal, fearless connection within, even amidst outer life.
"Practice what you receive. Practice the system, do it systematically, and do it slowly so that you will cross inward."
"Repeat the name of God... This we can repeat, and with this energy we are connected to the highest."
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Purify your prana
The nature of prāṇa is difficult to explain. Prāṇa is life, distinct from oxygen. When the soul leaves the body, the prāṇa departs as well; the body is declared dead. These two are very close, perhaps one within the other. Once prāṇa leaves, it cannot return—like water in a flowing river. That specific presence is gone. The departed soul travels at high speed; connection remains only through memory and feeling. Prāṇa is omnipresent like space, while the soul moves within it. Through practices like prāṇāyāma, resonance moves from the navel to the crown. This resonance is prāṇa. Our prayers and energy, sent through prāṇa, cannot change a soul's destiny but can grant freedom and affect its astral path. Prāṇa is the miracle. Some beings demonstrate total control over it, like a sādhu unharmed in fire. Ultimately, prāṇa is Ātmā—omnipresent. The goal is to purify personal prāṇa and connect it to the Cosmic Prāṇa. This is Yoga. Surrender is essential.
"Prāṇa is life. But oxygen is also life. No oxygen, no life. Yet, oxygen is different and prāṇa is different."
"Prāṇa is ātmā. Ātmā is everywhere, omnipresent."
Filming location: Vép, Hungary
Practicing from Villach
A guided sequence for physical relaxation and awareness through movement and breath.
Begin by lying down, consciously relaxing the entire body from toes to head. Focus on the breath. Perform gentle spinal twists while lying down, moving the head and legs to opposite sides. Follow with rolling side to side while holding the knees. Stretch the body side to side and then fully. Move to a kneeling position for cat-cow stretches, coordinating movement with breath. Practice standing movements involving arm raises and knee bends to shift weight. Conclude by lying down again for deep relaxation, focusing on the natural breath. The session integrates mindful movement with sustained awareness of bodily sensations and breathing patterns.
"Feel and relax the whole body, from your toes to the top of your head."
"Be aware of your breathing, normal breathing."
There is no end of learning
The ashram is heaven on earth, a place of immense energy where the Guru is always present in essence. A journey unfolds through divine guidance, not personal will. A trip to India for Guru Pūrṇimā was redirected by unseen forces, leading one back to the ashram family. Later, guidance came through a spoken sentence about Romania, which led to the establishment of an ashram there through inner instruction, not conversation. A pilgrimage to holy sites in the Himalayas was similarly guided, with paths clearing miraculously to allow darśan. In all endeavors, the Guru's direction is for self-learning. Yoga is a path to discover who one is. Scientific research into modified prāṇāyāma, inspired by the Guru's words, later fostered a university collaboration and a successful public yoga event, where a protective cloud appeared as a sign.
"With our yoga in daily life, it is not just āsana. It is a way to learn about ourselves and to look at ourselves."
"One sentence from Gurudev can change and influence so many things."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
Rules and regulations are important
Sādhana rests upon four essential principles: conduct, thought, diet, and recreation.
Discipline in behavior is paramount, encompassing punctuality and consideration. Thought must be guarded, as exchanging distracting thoughts creates disturbances within the mind and intellect, leading to afflictions and obstacles. Therefore, many masters impose strict silence during practice. Such rigorous retreats, even for corporate leaders, serve as treatments for stress and psychic turmoil by forcing confrontation with internal heat and agitation, which are then calmed by the Master's guidance. Personal transformation through consistent practice affects one's entire environment, bringing peace to relationships. The essence is to speak only what is necessary, avoiding idle talk. Adherence to these principles of conduct, thought, moderate eating, and mindful activity forms the foundation of successful spiritual practice.
"Exchanging your thoughts will disturb you, definitely. Because such thoughts in sādhana create vikṣepa."
"Speak what is necessary. That’s very important for sādhana."
