The place where the past is hidden
The human body is a system of dormant energy and consciousness centered in the chakras. The Ātmā is one with the formless Supreme, whose light is within all. The physical body is one of five layered sheaths. Energy flows through 72,000 nerves, primarily through Iḍā, Piṅgalā, and Suṣumṇā. Where Iḍā and Piṅgalā intersect along the spine, energy circles form a chakra, a storehouse of dormant power. These nadis connect to eight major glands governing hormones and health. Blockages in these three principal nadis can cause severe physical and energetic disturbances. The Mūlādhāra Chakra at the base of the spine holds past karmas and desires, representing the unconscious mind and the border between animal and human consciousness. Its principle is ego, and its imbalance manifests as physical ailments. Mastery of sleep, breath, and purification practices is essential to awaken this latent energy and consciousness.
"Chakras are given their name because energy always moves in a circle."
"All past karmas, good or bad, all desires, are dormant, hidden in the Mūlādhāra Cakra."
Filming location: Vancouver, Canada
Up next
Morning practice from Strilky
A gentle yoga practice integrates relaxation, mindful movement, and breath awareness to cultivate strength and well-being.
Begin by relaxing the body completely, feeling its heaviness and observing the breath. Movements like Pavan Muktāsana increase circulation, particularly in the lower back and knees. Exercises such as the bicycle motion strengthen core muscles and aid coordination. Proceed through postures like Marjari and Śaśāṅkāsana to activate spinal movement and abdominal breathing. Practices including Bhujaṅgāsana and Catuṣpādāsana emphasize stretching and rotation without force, allowing the breath to guide the motion. Strengthening postures support core stability and body alignment, influencing energy and confidence. Conclude with observation of the body and breath, integrating the effects of the practice.
"Feel your whole body. Feel the heaviness of your body and be aware of your breathing."
"Try to let the movements create exhalation. Everything is gentle, but you are not lazy."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
Follow your Gurudev
The Guru is the singular, indispensable lamp.
Understanding the Guru's nature comes only in his absence. While present, his light is taken for granted. He traveled widely, visiting many saints and places, yet his devotion remained solely with his lineage. He transformed barren land into an ashram. His constant practice was singing bhajans and giving lectures about his masters. The teaching environment must be kept purely for spiritual matters, avoiding negativity. The Guru's strictness was part of his grace. His physical presence embodied a great spiritual personality. The ultimate truth is that everything is the Guru's grace.
"When the lamp is here, we don't look at the lamp."
"All is Mādhāvānandajī."
Filming location: Jadan, Rajasthan, India
The Purifying Path of Haṭha Yoga: An Introduction to Ṣaṭkarma
Haṭha Yoga's essence is the six purification techniques, or Ṣaṭkarma, for cleansing the body and balancing energy. Our polluted modern environment necessitates these natural cleansings using water, salt, and air. These practices purify the physical system and uniquely influence the vegetative nervous system, which is typically beyond our control. The goal is to balance the Iḍā and Piṅgalā energy channels, allowing the central Suṣumnā to flow. This mastery brings many benefits, fostering willpower and overcoming inertia. Regular purification, especially during seasonal changes, removes metabolic waste that causes illness and stagnation, keeping energy flowing. Specific techniques like Netī cleanse the nasal passages, while Agni Sāra and Naulī stoke the digestive fire. These are potent tools that require proper guidance from an experienced teacher regarding the correct method and timing.
"Haṭha Yoga is not only that we clean and purify our whole system, our whole body, but it also has a great, very great effect on our nervous system, especially the vegetative nervous system."
"When they are balanced, then the third one, the Suṣumnā Nāḍī, will start to flow."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
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
