Discovering harmony and peace
A journey within begins by relaxing the body and observing the breath. Contemplate the five elements within. Space exists inside and outside; feel at ease within it. Air, or prāṇa, purifies the body and can remove illness with concentrated will. Inner fire, or agni, balances temperature and burns away toxins. The water element flows through tissues, supplying minerals and expelling impurities. The earth element, the bones, provides a frame. These elements within can become polluted by the external world. Purify them through sāttvic food, yoga postures, prāṇāyāma, and meditation. Body awareness is life awareness; health depends on clean, balanced elements. Bring awareness to any area of pain or illness. Direct breath and the elements—air, fire, space, water—to that area to balance and heal. This self-inquiry meditation can be done seated. Many bodily problems stem from personal mistakes like wrong diet or substances, but they can be repaired through yoga, meditation, and a balanced diet. Make a resolve to heal the body and mind through these elements and practices. Love and protect nature. Decide for a healthy, strong body and a long life.
"Body awareness means life awareness. The body is here, you are here."
"Strive to purify with sāttvic food... Pure quality gives more quality to your life."
Filming location: Rijeka, Croatia
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Preparation for advanced postures
Preparing the body and mind is essential for Kriyānuṣṭhāna. Discipline is required, not all must perform advanced postures like a handstand. A foundational requirement is the ability to sit motionless for a minimum of one hour, cultivating kāya-sthairyam for a steady mind. Physical preparation over a year is needed, focusing on postures like the half and full butterfly to increase flexibility in the hamstrings and hips. Practice must be done correctly, prioritizing the quality of movement over quantity. The goal is to coordinate body and breath, leading to awareness and inner experience. Yoga integrates body, breath, and mind for peace and harmony.
"Now yoga begins with anuśāsanam, which means discipline. No discipline, no success."
"Our mind is like water in our body. When you move your body, your mind also moves."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
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
Tree planting in Auckland
A community gathers to plant a tree for peace following a national tragedy. This beach was a replacement for one lost to development decades prior. The planting is a symbol of peace and unity, directly responding to a recent shooting in Christchurch. Representatives from many nations express honor at participating. They emphasize that the tree represents a global wish for peace, harmony, and the fulfillment of prayers. The act is a practical step toward protecting humanity and the environment. The tree is blessed as a living being essential for life and a focal point for meditation. It is dedicated to the victims of the violence, with prayers that such events never recur. The ceremony concludes with collective prayers and blessings for peace.
"This tree is for the peace of the whole world."
"We are humans and we are all one."
Filming location: Auckland, New Zealand
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."
