Leture by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda (Swamiji)
Perth, Australia 2004

Adoration to all divine incarnation on this globe. Salutation to the Cosmic Light, Lord of our hearts, omniscient and omnipresent. Merciful Lord, bless us with good health, a harmonious, happy and long life. Bless us with mutual understanding. Let your divine Mercy shower upon us as nectar of wisdom leading us towards immortality. OM Shantih, Shantih, Shantih.

Today I will tell you about some of my own experiences of teaching and practising of Yoga. I will give you some first-hand information.

The Yoga-system we practice is called Yoga in Daily Life. What brought me to call it a "system"? In this lies the success for our practice.

I've been travelling around the world since 1970, my permanent residence, at least on paper, is Austria. Why did I choose Austria? Because I had many invitations from the previous communist countries to teach Yoga. And these countries are near to the Austrian border; as well Austria is a beautiful country and people.

When I first began to teach, people told me they were only interested in Hatha Yoga. In India Hatha Yoga means Shat Karma or purification techniques. This entails every day practicing Neti, Kunjal Kriya, Nauli, Tratak, and Kapala Bhati. So, I told them: Ok. We will begin with Yoga class at 5.30 in the morning. Then nobody was interested. They said a Yoga class should be in the evening. For me this was like saying: let's take breakfast in the evening. Eventually it came out that people meant Asanas and Pranayam, not the original Hatha Yoga purification techniques.

Many Yoga schools dive into and practice only the higher techniques like head-stands. There is no systematic development, and in this way many people damaged their health instead of improving it. The common opinion is that Yoga means upside down and contortionist-like postures. This is not true.

So I consulted doctors and physiotherapists, and decided to develop a system that begins with very simple and effective practices and gradually advances to the higher levels. And it is this systematic way of practicing that leads to our success. From elementary school to university we have to learn and practice systematically. A staged development has to take place in the brain, in the psyche, in the mind.

The more gradually and slowly you practice, the greater will be the effect. The more you strain your body, the less you will gain. The simplest exercise, practiced properyly, has an immense effect on your psychic development for the more slowly you move, the more you need and will develop psychic strength.

Let's put this into practice right now with an experiment: Take off your wrist watch. Raise your left hand and look into your left palm. Now close and open the fist about ten times. What do you feel? Nothing special. Now do the same very slowly. Close your fist and hold it closed for a while. Now open the palm. Do you feel the difference? Now close the fist again, and with the right hand hold your left wrist tightly. Slowly open your left palm. It will appear pale, because the blood flood has been blocked. Now slowly release the right hand, and what happens? The blood is flowing into the hand very intensively. Now repeat with the right hand. Your hand will feel warm, fresh blood, more oxygen, more energy is coming in. All tissues get new energy, blockades have been removed.

In the same way, practicing slowly, you gain the same effect. By practicing this way you will gain enormous mental power.

The same holds true for Pranayama. You shall use a pranayam-stick. It is a very useful tool, a support for your arm, you will not fall into sleep, you will easily sit straight, your arm is relaxed, back and stomach are relaxed, lungs are open and you will take in maximum oxygen, and when you practice mantra with your mala, your mala will not touch the floor.

Do Pranayama softly and slowly. It purifies your blood, purifies your Kapha. Concentrate more on Pranayama than on Asanas. It does not matter how advanced you are, maybe you are an acrobat, but for Yoga exercises you still need to take a step-by-step approach starting from the beginning. The more slowly you do the exercises the more mental strength you will gain. This way of practicing requires much self-control, patience, awareness and discipline.

It is the same way for eating. Your eating should be like drinking, and drinking like eating. This means you should chew your meal thoroughly until it becomes like liquid. And you shall drink so slowly, as if it were solid food.

Yoga is a science. If you neglect your exercises for ten days, you are a beginner again. It is very important to start slowly and proceed systematically and continuously. And the first and most important exercise is relaxation. For most people it is not so easy to relax. And then to learn correct breathing, slow and deep breathing.

After three years of systematic and frequent practise you will gain strength and trust in your body, and be able to control your muscles. Your practice will become like a Cosmic dance. Never hurry in Yoga. In Yoga there should be no challenge and no competition. Asanas are postures in which you remain for a longer time. Yoga is not gymnastics. In Sukha (bliss, happiness) Asanas, you shall feel comfortable in every posture.

Because many people do not have the strength and will power to practice slowly they have no success in Yoga and give up. The more slowly you practice the more benefit your will gain from your Yoga practice.

Yoga in Daily Life is a system to master your five bodies. Annamayakosha (physical), Pranamayakosha (pranic energy), Manomayakosha (mental), Vijnanamaya (wisdom) and Anandamayakosha (bliss). These five bodies influence our whole life, our entire being.

According to Patanjali there are steps or stages in one's Yoga practice: Asanas (postures), Pranayama (breath control), Pratyahara (withdrawing of the senses from the external objects), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (complete realisation). To develop through these stages we have to develop our mind, our emotions, our hearts, and our knowledge. Therefore we go to Satsang, for we require continual inspiration and support. Satsang purifies our consciousness and inspires our mind.

Eating, drinking, working, speaking, whatever we do in 24 hours should be Yoga, the daily tasks in our lives should be practiced with yogic-awareness and love. Therefore I call it Yoga in Daily Life. Living life according to yogic principles throughout our daily lives. In this way you lead a life united with the Divine, a Divine life.

When your body is full of vikara (impurity) then your mind is also infected and it’s as though your intellect is covered with fog and dust – your view of reality is unclear and wrong. Our food is full of rajasic and tamasic guna. It depends how the food has been prepared, this can already change the quality of the food. We have developed a wrong sense of taste, a wrong way of cooking, we don’t know anymore what to eat, when to eat or how to cook.

The best and the only way to purify the body is to practise yoga. Asanas, pranayama, shanka prakshalana (purification of the intense tights). Lets make a sankalpa for the coming year to practise regularly, make shanka prakshalana four times a year, eat healthy food. If you doshanka prakshalana regularly you will avoid many illnesses and maintain your good health.

For your good health, positive and sattvic energy, do every morning: neti, kapala bhati orbhastrika pranayama and agnisara kriya. Also asanas and pranayama for one and half hours each day. Each week on Monday do kunjal kriya and four times a year (when the seasons change) you should make shanka prakshalana. (An alternative for those who cannot do shanka prakshalana: take sonamukhi (senna) or bitter salt, every second week.)

Eat sattvic (pure) food: vegetables, fruits, sprouts, salad. Less bread, cheese and sugar. Change your diet and set your alarm to 4:30am. Then do your sadhana peacefully, and you will have a beautiful day. If you practice two hours a day, you are winning two additional hours for your life.

Living in a lazy body is like living in a coffin. A lazy body, an undisciplined body, is a dead body. Wash out tamas guna and vikara!

Observe and realize in practice four points in your daily life:

acara (how you should behave), vicara (what you should think), ahara (what you should eat),vihara (with whom you should keep company).

Don’t treat your body like a garbage bin. Ask yourself what has been your motivation and goal in your life, and have you fulfilled this motivation or wish?

My recommendation for you is: You should start to practise Yoga in Daily Life.

Our "slogan": “Yoga in Daily Life – Harmony for Body, Mind and Soul”. This inspired many of you. This you were searching, this you wanted to realise. We are civilised and educated people. We know what body, mind and soul are, we know what harmony means. Harmony in the family, in the environment, in society, in relationships and within us. That was the cause that attracted you, that inspired you. And now you are here. Many years, months or days later.

Only a hungry person knows what food is. Only oneself knows the reality about oneself . Ask yourself now: How far have you realised the aim that you came here for? Has the iron been changed into gold? The question is: Is the paras a real paras, or didn’t the paras touch the iron properly? So, either Yoga is not that, which can give us harmony for body, mind and soul. Or it still did not touch your heart. Due to our ignorance, our laziness, our doubts…

I would not say that yoga is not real. Yoga is divine. It is a science of body, mind and consciousness. It is the balancing principle for the whole universe.

Obviously the problem lies within us.

Constantly we complain about our illnesses. When you really practise yoga you will be far away from roga (illness). Where there are bhoga (desires), there is roga, illness. Where there is raga, attachment, jealousy, anger, there is also roga.

But yoga is something else. If you practise yoga, those three things will automatically disappear. When the sun rises, automatically darkness disappears. When you begin withyoga, then raga, bhoga and roga will go away. But we don’t let them go! We’d rather miss ouryoga exercises, but we don’t want to miss our bhoga exercises. For bhogas and ragas we have plenty of time. And the result of ragas and bhogas is roga, illness. And if you take drugs  roga is rising even into your mind and intellect.

Ayurveda means knowledge about life, about the expansion of the life. Ayurveda provides a program for arogya. Rogi is the ill one, arogi is the healthy one. In Sanskrit we don’t say “good appetite” before eating, we say “Arogye”, “good health”. Culture is connected to the language. The language is a picture of the culture. Culture is a living principle. Culture leads us. That culture that gives us a right direction through language, food, arts, music, dance, singing, painting, writing … there are many branches of culture. Culture is a leading power for humans. When humans loose their culture, they have lost their direction.

Therefore I would ask you to begin more seriously with yoga. You will gain contentment and happiness. You will experience joy with your body, mind and soul. So, start to practise seriously asanas, pranayamas, mudras, bandhas, kriyas, meditation and seva, helping, serving.

We need two kinds of persons: the yogi and the rogi. The yogi who can cure and the rogi to be cured. But two we don’t need: the bhogi and the rogi.

You should realise what you came here for. You should show the world that yoga can really give harmony for body, mind and soul. Be the paras, the precious stone that turns iron into gold. Turn the negative qualities and vibrations into wisdom, understanding and forgiveness. Help others, turn their ignorance into knowledge and remain steady in your faith, discipline and inner harmony.

Life is very unsure. We cannot trust our life. That means we don’t know when our last day will come. A sudden accident can happen any time. Illnesses. Heart attack. This body is not given to us forever. Therefore Guru Nanak Sahib said: Teri biti umara Hari Nam bina – “Your life is empty without the name of God.” At least now, begin to remember God.

This human life is given to gain knowledge, atma gyana, knowledge of the Self. This life is given to us to become liberated. It is the only chance. If you miss this chance, you will not forgive yourself. Whatever you are angry or jealous about, or have doubts about, or like, or don’t like, will have no any meaning. You are bothering about others unnecessarily. You should only create friendship.

Love is life. If you don’t have love in your life, it is no life. Love of friends, love of nature, love of other creatures. Prem hi jivan – life is love, and love is life, and love is God.

In order to get friends you have to become a friend. The distance depends on you. If you think you don’t like others, or others don’t like you – it is only your phobia. Therefore create more and more friends. Then there will be no wars. There will be no fighting.

So many are sitting here from different nations, and none of us has a weapon. We are all friends and we are all happy together. World peace and happiness and friendship depend on you, individually. It is in your hands. Now, at the end of the year, according to Christianity, you should remember all your friends. Don’t forget to remember them and wish them a prosperous and happy new year. And at the end of next year you should have twice as many friends!

In India we say: dosthi. Do means two, and sathi is truth. One is going on the path of truth and takes along the other, also on the path of truth. We all are on the path of truth and spirituality. And we should walk with harmony, love and understanding. Mistakes happens with everyone. Don’t think that you don’t make mistakes. There will be one day when you will stop making mistakes, when you die. As long as your friends live they will make mistakes. Forgiveness should always be there. As long as you are alive.

Friends are the richness in life. Not cheats, not back-biters. But first you have to make the step towards friendship. We don’t know what will happen to us in this life. As long as we are in this body we do our best. Do good and positive things. Meditate and pray. Repeat the name of God.

There are three mental principles: manas, buddhi and viveka.

The principle of manas is sankalpa and vikalpa. The mind is influenced by senses and feelings, and actions follow them. There is shama and dama in gyana yoga. Shama means to withdraw your senses and Vrittis from the external world. That doesn’t mean that you detach and run away. When you drive a car and another car is coming, carefully you pass by. You avoid touching this car. But you don’t go off the road. Similarly you should handle samsara. There are many things, and you need not to take all of them into consideration. You should be able to say: “No, I don’t want that." This means to withdraw, to become introvert. Introvert doesn’t mean to become dull. Not to become depressed, not that you talk to everybody. That is an unhappy state of mind. That you are not able to coordinate your body and mind and outer world. This is not a yogi. Dama means to observe and control the senses. You tell your dog: Sit down, and he is sitting there. Still you will observe him that he is not running away and hunt behind something. Similarly you tell your senses to draw back that they don’t run wild. Who can manage this is the happiest person.

Sayama means to everyday observe carefully that your senses and vrittis keep within a certain border. Don’t allow them to go out of this border. This is not for one weekend only, but forever. This is called niyama, discipline. If you get up at 6am then do it every day. Keep your habits. Sandhya vandana, in the morning and in the evening at sunrise and sunset, you should make prayer and think of God. When the darkness appears, when the sun goes down, then you put on the light. The first light that you see in the evening, does not matter where, the first light in the darkness, you should greet. Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya – “Lead us from darkness to the light.” Light is something indescribable. We don’t know what the light means. He who lost his eyes knows what he has lost. Our eyes are the most precious senses God has given to us. When you see the first light, be thankful to God. The light is the same for all. It does not depend on one’s religion. It is the same for Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Moslems, Jews etc.

To protect sanatana dharma means to protect yourself. To protect yourself means, protect your eyes, your ears, your speech, and all limbs. All limbs should be healthy. To take care of them needs to do some sadhana, sayama and niyama. A healthy, sattvic diet, clean and fresh water. When you are thirsty the body requires water – not juice, not beer, not wine, not Coke. Keep your body clean and pray. The human aim is to gain atma gyana. That is only possible through sayama and niyama, sandhya vandana. That will help your spirituality to develop and grow. Look into your inner mirror always. What are you thinking? Achalramji said in his Bhajan: Purity creates positive thinking, and impurity creates negative thinking. When you get up think positive. Greet God. Make a positive Sankalpa for the day. Wake up and get out of the mud and dirt. Purify the spots from your mind. They are so oily that you have to wash them through many, many lives. One life is not enough to clean them away. On the stone of gyana, with the water of bhakti and the soap of vairagya. Gyana, bhakti and vairagyaare the essential qualities.

Don’t think that you will never achieve this. Don’t think it is senseless. Just start, and keep the discipline. Bring your train onto the rails and it will run. Sayama and niyama you can do anywhere in the world. Protect your body. Observe your thoughts. Keep your eye on your senses. Atma chintana. Think of your atma. "Who am I?" Higher thinking. Tapas, tyaga is very important. Have the ability to endure something. Use your buddhi, your intellect – train and educate it in the proper way, so that it can give you the right judgements. The cream of the cream, the best part of your intellect, is viveka. Whatever you are saying, whatever you are doing, use always your viveka – discrimination. Otherwise you will be sorry. Only viveka can divide the truth from untruth. Like lemon divides the milk, separating the water to one side and panir the other side. Whoever has viveka all the time is the happiest person. Viveka is not a victim of emotion. Senses, mind and intellect are influenced by your emotions, but withviveka your always see the truth, the reality. This ability only humans have. Without vivekayou will suffer, not only in this life, but in many, many lives.

Within you is a fountain of joy! This fountain you should seek. It is called paramananda. It is within us. As long as you have not discovered this fountain, you have desires. But this enjoyment will bring you more sorrows than joy. Because viveka is not there. When vivekaappears you will find the fountain of eternal joy, the ocean of bliss that is within you. Can you measure the water of the ocean? It is endless, limitless. Your blissfulness is immeasurable, too. All divine blessings are there.

But to experience this you have to follow what I have said. If you seek only joy of the senses you will not find endless pleasure, only endless misery. Unbearable suffering for many, many lives.

Within you is the immortal atma. Kill your little "I", your pride, and enjoy a divine life. It is there. It is such a miraculous thing. You are carrying it within you, and don’t know about it.

Kabirdas said: “When I see the fish in the water is thirsty, I laugh. Where can the fish quench his thirst other than in the water.”

Similarly, you are fighting with so many foolish and rubbish things, jealousy, sadness, depression, loneliness. Throw away the blanket of laziness; blow away the cloud of darkness. Wake up and become Thy Self!

Mahaprabhuji said: “I am my Self. I am that tapasvi, I have no moha. My vandana (reverence) to my Self. The entire universe is my Self. “

This consciousness we have to develop. The easiest way is sayama and niyama. And morning and evening prayer, sandhya vandana. And protect the sanatana dharma – the dharma of your body, of your mind, of nature, of the seasons. Follow the Eternal dharma with which we are connected. Get up every morning with good and healthy thoughts.

Endure, and finally you will be there. I wish you all the best. Many blessings to everybody.

Sri Deep Narayan Bhagwan ki Jay.
Sri Deveshvar Mahadeva ki Jay.
Dharmsamrat Paramhans Swami Madhavanandaji Gurudeva ki Jay.

Mahamandaleshwar Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

Yoga in Daily Life® a scientific system of yoga & meditation is based on ancient wisdom and adapted for modern times. Yoga in Daily life is designed for health & lifestyle management, based on four main principles - physical health, social health, mental health & spiritual health. The system was developed by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda, as a means to show people the way to live a contented and purposeful human life. It is practiced by people from all walks of life, regardless of age or level of physical ability. Yoga in Daily Life® classes are conducted worldwide for the general public; in the professional and corporate sector; in hospitals & rehabilitation centres; as well as for adults and children with special needs. Today, incorporated non-profit Yoga in Daily Life Associations are established in 26 countries around the world, each being actively involved in local, national and international community projects.

A Healthy Body

“Health is not everything, but everything is nothing without health”, Paracelsus

To promote physical health, the Yoga in Daily Life® System begins with a series of simple exercises designed to warm, stretch and improve flexibility.  These exercises, together with basic relaxation techniques, gradually prepare the practitioner for the classical Yoga practices which include:

• Yoga Asanas - postures
• Hatha Yoga Kriyas - practices to cleanse & detoxify the body
• Pranayam - breath control
• Yoga Nidra – deep relaxation

These techniques awaken the natural healing capacity of the human body, providing an independent means of achieving a balanced and vital state of health.  When practiced regularly the techniques can alleviate almost all conditions of ill-health including stress, muscle and joint pain and chronic disease.  On a more subtle level they harmonize the chakras and energy systems, whilst also preparing the practitioner for contemplation and meditation.

A Peaceful Mind

Clarity of thought, inner freedom, contentment and a healthy self-confidence are the basis for mental wellbeing. The Yoga in Daily Life® system offers numerous methods to attain mental wellbeing, including mantra practice, the observance of ethical principles, keeping of good company and the study of spiritual texts to purify and liberate the mind. A unique feature of the Yoga in Daily Life® system is the Self-Enquiry Meditation Technique to access the deepest recess of one’s psyche.

A Healthy Society

“Be the Change you want to see”, Mahatma Gandhi

The Yoga practitioner develops balance and happiness, which become a genuine source of joy, peace and stability for others, in turn contributing to a healthier, balanced and conflict free society.

Yoga in Daily Life® is built on the foundation of service – the wish to create a better world and the willingness to actively work for the welfare of all – humans, animals and the environment.

The Yoga in Daily Life® centres around the world conduct humanitarian service in their local community such as Yoga for the disabled, Yoga for palliative care, Yoga for the mentally ill and Yoga for the elderly.  The centres also host fundraising events to support various humanitarian causes in the third world – disaster relief funds, the construction of rural hospitals, an underprivileged child education scheme and support for a children’s drug rehabilitation centre.  Yoga in Daily Life® hosts annual interfaith dialogues between eminent religious leaders of the world, conducts international forums and conferences on world peace and is actively involved in the world sustainable development initiatives of the United Nations.

A Spiritual Consciousness

“The more wisdom you possess, the more humble becomes your mind.

The more understanding you develop; the more helpful become your actions.

The more goodness residing in your heart, the more love you feel for every being.” Swamiji

In the development of self-awareness, one becomes a more considerate individual, who is caring of the environment and compassionate towards all creatures that inhabit it.  To protect life and respect the individuality and independence of all forms of life is a primary practice of the Yoga teachings. By following this precept throughout life, greater tolerance, understanding, mutual love, help and compassion will be displayed between individuals and nations alike - inclusive of all humans, races and religious faiths. Those qualities that really make us human are the ability to give, understand and forgive.

As the most highly developed being upon earth, the human is capable of realising their real nature and inner Self. The spiritual goal of Yoga is Self-Realisation, the union of the individual soul with the cosmic consciousness. Towards this end, Yoga in Daily Life® offers guidance to each individual on the spiritual path, through the practices of Mantra Yoga and Kriya Yoga.

By Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda (Swamiji)

Hatha Yoga means more than mere physical exercise or postures. In its original sense, Hatha Yoga refers to the practice of bringing harmony to the two main energies in the human body – the energy of the moon and the energy of the sun.

Just as the moon is constantly changing, the human mind is not equal every day. Our mind is always changing - very often we say, “well, I have changed my mind.”

In Yoga philosophy, the principle of the mind is symbolised by the moon, and one of the main energy channels in the body, the “ida nadi” is also known as the moon system. On the full moon day, you will see the waves on surface of the ocean become more turbulent. In the same way, the moon energy causes our mind and emotions to constantly change.

The moon system is paired with the sun system, known as the “pingala nadi”. The sun is always steady, unchangeable. All other circumstances change around the sun. The sun is the symbol of fire, it governs our activities, decision-making and gives mental clarity.

The third main energy channel is called “shushumna” – which relates to the central nervous system. Our consciousness continuously flows through this central spinal channel. Consciousness is the radiance and light of the soul.

Now, how to bring balance and harmony to these three energy channels in our body? Through the practice of Hatha Yoga. In Sanskrit, the moon is known as “Ha” and the sun is “Tha” – thus Hatha. The “shushumna” channel is the third one that unites all three, thus Yoga which is derived from the root word “Yog” which means union.

So it is that “Hatha Yoga” restores balance between the mind and intellect. When there is perfect balance and control of mind and intellect, then one’s consciousness begins to awaken. The result is a discovery of inner peace, inner contentment and mental clarity. The purpose of life becomes more clear and one will start to understand creation. You will exist in this world with the feeling of spirituality, with the feeling of divinity and of clarity. This is literally the meaning of Hatha Yoga in its spiritual context.