Bhajan about Yoga Nidra - yogic sleep
Yoga Nidrā is a state of conscious rest distinct from ordinary sleep. A story illustrates this. Sādhus once criticized a master for apparent daytime sleep. The master explained he was practicing yoga nidrā, a conscious sleep where one remains inwardly awake. In this state, awareness is fully alert while the body rests deeply, rejuvenating more than ordinary sleep. It is a practice for rare yogis. The practitioner's awareness turns inward, ascending beyond the physical. Chakras open like blossoms in this state. One perceives past, present, and future, connected to pure consciousness without physical base. The experience is of limitless light and bliss within the astral space. The mantra guides and sustains this awareness. True understanding of this technique comes only through the guru's guidance.
"Listen, sādhus, I was not sleeping, I was in Yoga Nidrā."
"In that sleep of yoga nidrā, you are completely awakened."
Filming location: Cherkassy, Ukraine
Up next
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, and individual karma is an inescapable truth that guides our journey. Good and bad actions create impressions upon the soul. The mind and its desires bind us, as illustrated by the transformations of Vālmīki and Tulsīdās. Liberation requires dedicated practice without proclaiming spiritual attainments, for such claims dissipate power. We must walk the path with humility, performing our duties while maintaining spiritual focus.
"Time will not wait for us. It does not matter who is who."
"Karma goes with us like the shadow of our body."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
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
Don't expect miracles
The soul’s journey to Brahmaloka through the guru’s grace demands endless patience, for the guru shepherds the devotee across lifetimes until liberation.
Worldly life is everything, but the guru follows the soul to Brahmaloka over vast time. The greatest error is to postpone spiritual effort, saying “Tomorrow” or “Next year.” Expecting swift miracles leads to psychic illness—depression, hallucination, false imagination. The only miracle is death; otherwise, the soul waits long in the queue of other realms. The guru’s blessing, given as shelter, protects the disciple until the journey’s end. Purifying the soul’s accumulated karma, heavy as tons of debris, requires ages. Negative thoughts create parallel difficulties. The guru can grant instant liberation but refrains. A farmer delayed joining the guru due to attachment to his son. He waited for his son’s marriage, then a grandchild, then to repay debts. He died and was reborn as a cow, still attached to family duties. The guru visited, offering liberation, but the soul postponed. As a dog guarding the house, it again delayed. As a cobra shielding its grandchild, it was killed by family. The soul became a worm, the lowest form. The guru placed the worm in a lotus offered to Vishnu. At Vishnu’s lotus feet, the worm attained moksha. The guru’s grace carries the soul to Brahmaloka even when karma worsens.
“Do not expect any miracles. And if you want to expect miracles, then you will become psychically ill: depression, hallucination, wrong imagination.”
“Even if your karma is getting worse and worse, one day it will be that you will get into the Brahmaloka.”
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
Merging into light
Truly, there is no inherently bad day; only unfortunate events occur.
All creation holds beauty that requires care, from plants to furniture. When something cherished is lost, sadness arises. Objects touched by a holy one carry value because of that personality, not money. Negative thinking alone is bad; before judging, negativity already dwells within. The wise do not grieve because the soul is immortal. Without knowledge of the soul, attachment to form causes sorrow. A saint’s passing is a merging into Brahman, not cause for sadness. The sixteenth day is marked by Sorsi Bandhara, a feast with gifts and pusp anjali. This offering of flowers connects to the sixteen siddhis of attainment. The moon’s sixteen kalas influence plant growth and immunity. Planting during the waxing moon yields stronger, pest-resistant plants. Devpuriji possessed such light that he could appear in multiple places simultaneously. He once appeared to Holi Guruji, saying he was going to Europe to help. Immortal saints are present wherever remembered; they never leave. Yet the physical heart still feels longing, for love is boundless.
“Anything that has touched your Gurudev, keep it, for one day he or she will no longer be here. But you will treasure that it was her or his blessing.”
“I am going to Mahesh… to Europe… but on the way, I saw you sitting here, so I stopped just to bless you.”
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
