February 14th, 2015
*with the Highest Respect for Sharathji
Ajñāna-Timirāndhasya
Jñānāñjana-Śalākayā
Caksur Unmīlitam Yena
Tasmai Śri-Gurave Namah
“Dhyanabindu Upanishad says, how many asanas are there? How many living beings are there, that many asanas are there! There’s four different types of living beings. There are lots of living beings in the water; there’s lots of plants, trees, and there are lots of reptiles; lots of birds. So like this, so many types o flicking beings are there. Also, there are that many asanas. Only who knows these asanas? Ishwara, the Supreme Soul, or Shiva. Only Ishawara knows all these asanas. In Yoga Sutra it doesn’t say,min Hatha Yoga Pradipika also it only describes a few asanas. How this comes? Through lineage. Through Guru-Shishya Parampara. So on this Parampara, there are 600 up to 800 asanas. This is enough for us, that is also too much. We need several rebirth to do all these asanas. But many times, not all the asana will be siddhi to everyone. If you just observe different people doing asanas, some people are very good at back bending, but when they come to Eka Pada they can’t do. We all look alike. We are all humans, we all have two legs, two hands. But our body is different. Some are good at some asanas, some have difficulty in different asanas. So different body can do different asanas well, it’s easy for them. Then the Practice comes. Naturally some students are good at back bendin. When they have difficulty in Eka Pada they have to work, keep on doing it. My Grandfather always used to say ‘You have to do one asana one thousand times to make it perfect.’ One thousand times means how many years? I know many of you don’t have patience to do all these things. But, IF YOU DON’T HAVE PATIENCE, YOU CAN’T LEARN YOGA. So how is Asana related to Yoga? Many people have this question. Can you call Asana as a Yoga? Yes, definitely! Without Asana, there is no Yoga. Asana is the Fundamental, is the Foundation to build up your Spiritual Building. Asana, the third limb…whoever establishes this third limb properly, then there will be no disorders of the mind. So the third limb is a very important limb. In Hatha Pradipika it says, first, stable mind. Without stable mind, how can you think about Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, when you’re mind itself is out of your control? When you’re not able to control your mind, how can you think about Dhyana, Dharana? It is impossible. When you sit in meditation, where is your mind? Your mind is in your control? No. Mind is distracted. It’s going here, there, here, there. So how to control your mind? Asana practice with the breathing technique. The body is controlled by the mind, the mind is controlled by the breath you take. So when you do inhalation, exhalation, inhalation, exhalation, it calms the mind. Just by doing Surya Namaskara you feel the calmness will come to you. When that calmness comes, when that is established strongly within you, then you can sit for Pranayama. Before going to Pranayama, your lungs have to be stronger, your nervous system have to be purified, otherwise you can’t sit. Then Pratyahara will be very difficult. Pratyahara is withdrawal of the senses. Once Pratyahara is strongly established, you submerse yourself in that, that becomes Dharana. Dharana is establishing within you when you withdraw the senses. Then Dhyana is possible. Sometimes when you’re doing asana, when you’re in higher level, you’re practicing for many years, sometimes you feel that everything becomes One. Just doing Primary Series, sometimes, everything,mall the nonsense around you won’t disturb you. You are so focused in your asana, that becomes Pratyahara there. Many times now when you do asana, you are always looking at others ‘Oh, what he’s doing? Oh, Kapotasana.’ Like that, your mind is moving here and there, very distracted. But once you are established, once you do for many many years of asana practice…for me, asana is like Meditation. For me, asana is like Dharana, like Pratyahara. How? Because my mind is only focused on Asana, only focused on my Practice. EVERYTHING HAPPENS INTERNALLY, NOTHING EXTERNAL. No distraction externally. That is why this Asana is very important. How you use that Asana, that is very important. Last Conference as I told you, many just come and pass by Mysore. ‘I’ll study with Sharath’ and they come and they go. Like that you can’t feel Yoga. You can’t see the Shala, see me do a couple of Led class and you’ll say ‘This is all. I’ve been to Mysore.’ And you go, put on Internet you’ve been to Mysore ‘I’m big Yoga Teacher’. You take photo with Sharath. It’s good for that, that’s all. But this Yoga is not taking photo, it’s the experience which should happen within you. It should awaken you internally. It should change you internally. It should change your perception towards this life. This life is not just going to the office and working, earn money, eat, sleep, hang around with friends. There is a different meaning for this life. You will enjoy the life only when you realize internally these changes that happen within you. Then you see this world in a different way. Then Real enjoyment comes. You can party everyday. How many days can you party? Four days? Five days continuously? After that? You get bored. You want to do something else. This is not enjoyment. This is just your time passing, that’s all. You get something, you do something, it’s very attractive. Then after few days you get bored, you do something else. Because you have lots of choice. You can do that. You can do this. You don’t do anything properly! If you do that, ‘I only want to do some Yoga.’, you don’t want to do Samyoga…The Real Enjoyment comes when it strongly grows within you. The Sadhana is also like that. I can’t push you, make you do Sadhana. Only when you have the Thirst within you. Why you drink water? Because you have the thirst. The Thirst will take you towards water, water will never come to you! What, water will come to you? You’re thirsty, water will say ‘oh ok, coming, wait!’? It never says like that. Only you have to go to water. When you’re hungry, you have to go to the chicken and cook the food. So, Yoga is like that. Yoga is like the water. WE need IT. Only when we have the Thirst to know Yoga is, then only we will make the effort to know. And getting water is little easier than getting Yoga. Because Yoga needs lots of Sadhana to understand what it is. So going back to this Lineage…my Grandfather, Krishnamacharya, they all knew so many Asanas. In this Parampara, we don’t put so much concentration on Kriyas, Shat Kriyas. Why? Your Asana itself is enough to purify your nervous system, to purify all the disorders in the body. Kriyas are easy way to do it. When you do Neti, Neti is good only when you have cold. You can’t do Neti everyday. It’s not necessary. When you have cold, then you take the two Jala Neti, Sutra Neti is better, and you clean with the thread. By doing Asana itself, many changes will happen. Internally your digestive organs will work properly. Sometimes when you start Yoga you get Diarrhea. You get feverish sometime. You don’t have temperature but internally you feel uneasy. This is all changes which is happening inside you. In the old Shala, one lady came, fifteen twenty years back. She didn’t come for two days, she didn’t come for practice. My Grandfather asked ‘Why you didn’t come?’ and she said she had so much Diarrhea. And he said ‘Don’t worry, it’s Yoga Diarrhea, Asana Diarrhea.’ (laughter) So once you do Asanas, the cleansing will happen. There’s lots of benefit. Especially when you do deep back bending for the first time and you’re trying to grab your ankle. All the poison inside you will flush out. Many many years, my Grandfather started teaching me handstands, all the series of handstands are there. Once he was teaching that, I needed so much, I was so hungry! Everyday hungry hungry! I used to eat six, seven chapatis! I used to come home, ask my Mother make more chapatis. My mother would cry making chapatis! (endearing laughter) After the back bending started, he said ‘Now you are ready to catch.’ One day he surprised me. He made me catch here, in the ankle. When that day started, no hungry! (laughter) The hunger just disappeared. So see the diet, how it changes. The asanas, if you do it properly, a lot of changes will happen in your body. You don’t feel like eating too much. So there’s lots of changes that should happen, month by month, year by year. So that changes should happen. Body becomes very light. Body becomes more flexible. So many of you are beginners now, you’re starting now, one or two years, I just wanted you to know this. There’s long way to go. (chuckles) Long way to go in the Sadhana. SADHANA IS FOR LIFE, FOR ONE LIFE. ‘I just want to do Sadhana for four years and leave.’ It’s not possible like that. You won’t learn anything. Sadhana is for your Life. It grows with you. When you grow older, your Sadhana also will become older. Grow older, wiser. Some pele are old but they’re not wise. Some people are young but they’re wise. Why is that? Because of that Sadhana. But for Yoga there is no age. Last time I told my Grandfather’s Mantra. Lazy people cannot do Yoga. Young man can practice. Old man can practice. Very old man can practice. Who’s sick, he can practice. Who doesn’t have strength, he can also practice. He will gain strength. Lazy man, he can’t!
UTHPLUTIH
Uthplutih is to build up strength in your lower abdomen. All the Bandhas will get stronger in that posture. Uthplutih means ‘lift up’, that’s all. There are several variations in Padmasana. Baddha Padmasana is there, keeping back your hand, there are many variations of Padmasana. This one is to just lift up. To build up strength in your arms, Bandhas.
DEAD MAN
Shavasana you do last. Last. You don’t have to do. It will happen. (gives a knowing look; laughter in the hall) Shava is dead body. You have to lay like a dead body, that is Shavasana. There is a posture which comes later but now I don’t want to tell you because you will try it. The asana will come in Sixth Series. After our practice, this is just relaxing. That is called as Sukhasana. Sukha means Happy Asana after practice. (smiles and laughter)
FOREVER YOUNG
Sarvangasana, Shirshasana, Padmasana, these three are very important asanas. Sarvangasana, Shirshasana allow the blood to circulate properly upside down. Blood will circulate nicely to the whole body. To store Amrita Bindhu. This place (places hand on his head) is where Bindu is stored. Bindu is Vital Energy which we need to keep ourself young. It’s called seminal fluid or something like that in English. So that is very important to keep ourself healthy and young. So this is stored here. So when it keeps dropping down everyday, you become older and older. If you see, when you get older, your metabolism, your cell, your everything slows down. But once you do this Yoga, when you’re generating internal Energy, especially when you do Sarvangasana, Shirshasana, the Amritu Bindu is stored here. It is not dropping down. When you’re standing up straight, it keeps on dropping. But when you’re upside down, you store Amrita Bindu in your head. So that is why when you see Yogis, they look younger. Why? Because everything works. I spoke to one Doctor. He says why Yogis become younger because everything becomes slower. Everything will age very slowly. When start doing all these breathing technique then you slow down the pace. So your life also will expand. Every cell will live longer than the usual person who are not doing Yoga. So that is what the Pranayama means, when you’re doing this breathing technique. 21,600 times everyday, inhalation, exhalation, inhalation, exhalation happens. Once we do asana practice, we are dragging the breath, deep inhalation, deep exhalation. So Ostend of taking two breaths normally, you take one breath. So you’re slowing that. So like that everything will slow. That’s why the Yoga Practice will expand, will extend your life. So these asanas are very important. Sarvangasana, Shirshasana, you can stay up to 20mins at a time. Don’t do do it here, we need to give chance to everyone to practice. (chuckles). Like weekly two times. Whenever you have time, you try to do it longer. Sarvangasana, Shirshasana, and Padmasana.
BALANCING EVERYTHING
Don’t do spinal adjustments or traction during back bends. Many students are doing like that. Doing back bends and then standing and doing like this after doing three back bendings. Don’t do like that. Because you’re body is going in one direction. One direction if your back is going, you complete that one. And then in the end you do the forward bend. In between, don’t disturb that, the direction where you are going. I know many of you, you don’t just come here, you go to other place. You go to Teacher Training, someone is explaining you handstand, someone is explaining you back bending. So like this, many people give many information. That is how you break your back. The unfortunate thing is, when you come here you get the pain. Because before that, what you have done? But before coming here ‘I go to Mysore, I need preparation.’ So you go to this guy’s workshop, you do back bending, you do handstand workshop. Some old Guruji’s students they do ekam, dve, trini they go to handstand. So beginner thinks he should do like that. And he tries to do and he’ll break his shoulder. This is all because they are good at handstand only. They’re not good in any other asana. That is why they want to show handstand. Do Kapotasana they can’t. Because they’re whole life they’ve been doing handstand in every asana, they didn’t concentrate on doing Kapotasana. Because if you do too much handstand, your shoulders get so tight, you can’t do Kapotasana. I’ve seen different bodies, not one or two. I don’t know, maybe more than a million bodies. I started adjusting students 25years back. Even Guruji’s senior students I told them, don’t do this. Because I did my own research. I used to practice three-four hours. I tried to research because I wanted to know, I wanted to learn how to teach. You should balance your everything. You should balance your back bending, you should balance your strength. Everything is very important. It so nicely designed these Series. First you do Primary Series, you stretch your hamstring, it strengthens, it brings more flexibility in your arms and shoulders, it’s so nicely designed. Then you come to back bending. So like that, it’s already been put into the correct. In the olden days, some senior he used to teach Utthita Hasta then he used to go to this one (mimics pulling his imaginary leg with both hands towards his head), Supta Trivikramasana. Trivikramasana, all doing. One after the other. Because they are very good at that only. But in series, only Utthita Hasta Padangushthasana you have to do. You’re not ready to do all those things, splitting. You can do whatever you want. That is how you break your body. Because you are not bringing strength to your body. The body will change. You should allow that to change. So that is why when you’re following this one system, don’t get influenced.
JUMP THROUGHS
Both jump throughs are correct. Jumping is very important. Without touching. Some have short legs, they’ll jump straight. Some have long legs, they’ll cross.
TO SPEAK OR NOT TO SPEAK
Sometimes not speaking is very good. Many Sannyasis, Sadhus they went in silence, they never used to talk to anyone. Still ow I know some real Yogis, some Sannyasis I know, they don’t talk for couple of months. Talking is just to communicate to others that’s all. But in silence also you can relish many good things. Sometimes taking is entertaining for yourself to others. How much talk you need? You have to rest everything. Nothing is humiliating, how you want…sometimes silence is very important. You have to go to the Nature, just sit. Experience the Nature. Be in Silence. The animals are more happy because they don’t have to talk. Sometimes you talk something, you hurt so many people.
DIABETES DOCTOR
Jangalika means man who removes the poison. We are all caught up in Samsara. You’re attention is connected to one to another to another to another. For you Samsara is ‘Oh, I shouldn’t socialize, I shouldn’t talk to anyone, I shouldn’t do that.’ Samsara means how we get caught up in so many things. Samsara means Delusion. Who can remove? The Jangalika. Your Guru is the Jangalika. The one who removes the poison form the snake is called the Jangalika. So like that, your Guru, he removes all the the obstacles, all the Delusion within you. So he’s like a Doctor. The Jungle Doctor is the man who goes into the Jungle, catches the snake and removes the poison from the snake. Just like your Guru, he’s the Jangalika who removes the poison out of you. At least he will try. Sometimes it’s very difficult. (chuckles) There was one Indian student, he used to go in the Old Shala. Everyday he used to ask same question ‘Sir, this Diabetes will go if I do Asana Practice?’ Guruji said ‘Yes it will go.’ After a few days again ‘Sir this Diabetes will go?’ ‘Yes it will go. I’m telling you. Do!’ It was a disease for him everyday asking. After, Guruji used to go inside to have coffee so he would ask ME ‘You think his Dia…’ I said ‘YES It will go!’ (laughter in the hall)
One day Guruji said ‘Guru will never forget the Knowledge, but some Shishya, some Student, will never understand. No matter how many times you tell them!’ (laughter)
IT’S A LONG PROCESS
For students who have injuries and are afraid to practice, ask them to drink Mysore Coffee. All the fear will go. 😛 Being the Teacher, you should give Confidence to your students. NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. When you overdo it then only you get injuries. That is one thing. And our previous Karma. It’s part of our Karma also. What we have done before starting Yoga. If you used to do hiking or cycling or doing other sport. Your body becomes so stiff. When you do Yoga then you will realize. So those stiffness sometimes you have to go through body pain when your body goes through changes. It’s not like I didn’t get any pain. I’ve gone through lots of pain in my practice. My challenge was lifting so many students and keeping my practice! That was even harder. I was only five six. But there were some students who were six five! (laughter) I had to lift them because I wanted to help my Grandfather. He was lifting so many students so I wanted to help him also. So my challenge was how to keep up my practice and help the students. It was a very challenge for me. It seems Sharath is Guruji’s Grandson that’s why everything came so easily. NO. I’ve done the hard work to know this system, to help my Grandfather, to do my own Practice. It’s not easy. Everyday waking up 12:30am. Before I used to get up at 2am, get up, take bath, go to Lakshmipuram, for 3-3 and a half hours, 4 hours, and then again teach. Many students used to come, help my Grandfather. It is not that easy. Helping my Grandfather, by the time in the afternoon, I was so tired. Yoga will loosen everything, it loosens your muscles, it makes your body very flexible. Remember, whatever sport you do, running, jogging, it will make your body very stiff. Suddenly if you try to do stretch, then you’ll tear your hamstring. When your knees are not very flexible, if you try to push too much, do it in the morning, in the evening, again in the morning, if you push yourself to get just one posture then you will hurt yourself. So process has to go, slowly, slowly, slowly, body has to change. You have to build up strength, it’s different kind of strength. There are many big people with big arms. But they can’t do what we can do. So YOU HAVE TO ALLOW. YOU SHOULDN’T HURRY YOURSELF. That’s why Yoga Sutras also says Sa Tu Dīrga Kāla, long time, long process. IT’S A LONG PROCESS. It is like making Masala Dosa. Dosa is like a process. You have to put all the lentils, you have to grind it, it takes like three days process. Then you’ll get the delicious Dosa. There is instant Dosa also but it doesn’t taste well 🙊 When you have injury, work on that injury by doing just simple asanas, cutting your practice down. Sometimes what happens is, just to impress you, the Teacher will give you many asanas. Then you go home and do and break your body. Because you’re not ready to do those postures.
NO PITTA IN ASHTANGA
There’s nothing Pitta, Vata, Kapha…Everything Asana will take care of it. Why you have to worry? (if you are Pitta). You go to Ayurvedic Doctor, too much Pitta, don’t do this, don’t do that. I’ve never been to Ayurvedic Doctor. Not even once I my life I had a Panća Karma. What do you say for that? (laughter) no one has done how many asanas I have done. There was one Doctor. One patient will go ‘I have hand pain’. He says ‘Remove your clothes, lay inside, I’ll come.’ Another patient comes ‘I have ankle pain.’ He says ‘Remove your clothes, lay inside, I’ll come.’ So there’ll be a few patients laying on the bed, waiting for the Doctor to come to check them. They’ll be talking to each other, they’ll say ‘What you have?’ He’ll say ‘Hand pain, the Doctor said remove your clothes, lay down. What you have?’ ‘I have ankle pain, the Doctor said remove your clothes, lay down.’ And there’ll be a poor guy, he’ll be under the bed, he’ll be hiding. They’d say ‘What happened to you?’ ‘I’m a Postman, I came to deliver post, Doctor said remove your clothes and lay down.’ (laughter in the hall) When you’r practicing Asanas, you don’t need anything. Asana will take care of everything. But you have to do it properly. You have to follow your Guru. Then the Asana will go properly according to that. I know when you do Asana you generate a lot of heat, then you have to take oil bath weekly, once. One day you have to rest your body. One day you shouldn’t do anything. That’s why we give you rest day because you do so much whole six days you are working. So that day take care of yourself. Put some oil, take hot shower, relax, don’t do anything one day. So next week will be very fresh. Only when you have really very bad problem, then you have to cleanse everything. Otherwise, usually, you don’t need anything. If you have proper diet, and if you are conscious what you are eating, and how much you are sleeping, how much you are working, all these things are very important. If you don’t do it properly, your Yoga won’t survive. How much you eat, how much you sleep, how much you work…when you eat food, that is also very important. Everyday if you’re having breakfast around 8:30-9am, keep that. Timings are very important. Having lunch at a time, dinner is not recommended. Just one chapati or one piece of bread or something like that because you get up early. That is also very important in your Yoga practice, then you won’t have any problem. How much you sleep, that is also very important. Six seven hours sleep. You can’t go late night 1am go to sleep and get up early and practice, it’s not possible. You have to go to bed early, get up early. You can’t three Thalis! You body can’t digest. What happens? Then you get sick. You get ālasya, you get sleepy if you eat too much. So all these things you have to follow.
OIL BATHS
Oil bath is very good for pregnant women. Very very good, everyday. Castor Oil or Sesame Oil. Usually we have oil bath in Castor Oil. But you have to have proper powder to remove it, otherwise, it will stay. You have to use soap nut powder and arapu powder. Two different, one brown color, one green color. You have to mix both, half half kg the powder, mix it properly then keep it in a vessel. Whenever you want, take it in a bowl, two or three spoons, and make it as a paste. Only that will remove castor oil. Otherwise, it’s very difficult to remove. But when you take castor il, be careful. You can’t stay for too long. If you’re not used to castor oil then you’ll catch cold. But everyday using coconut oil is very important. Every three days, put coconut oil on your head, to your hair so whatever excess heat is there, it will absorb all the heat. It cools down your body. But even for some students they are very stiff, I tell them warm the coconut oil then put it to your joints. That will help you, it will become more flexible. The more oil you use, it’s good. Just rub like this, don’t do massage. It’s very good.
I KNOW IS THE FULL STOP
I never thought about this. I don’t know where you get all these things. Whoever wants to learn Yoga, who feels like studying with me, they are welcome. I never say ‘You come, You don’t come.’ I never advertise. I never say only this section should come here. Have I said ever? If you feel like you want to study with me, you come and practice. But only when I feel I should authorize you then I’ll authorize you. (smiles and chuckles) I know only here. I don’t know what happens outside. I never gossip, I don’t go and see. I’m not in Facebook, I’m not in Twitter, I’m not in anything. I don’t go check what and talk. Even before, I never used to discuss any asanas before with any other students. If there were senior students, I never used to go and ask them. I never did like that. I never said only this section should come. I want serious students to come. Who wants to learn Yoga, they should come here. You can’t just come here just to time pass. I want serious student who really wants to learn Yoga. If they want to teach, that is Secondary. First they should have interest in Learning, that’s all. Some students they come they say ‘I Know. I Know Everything.’ These students I try to avoid, that’s all. (laughter) If you know everything, why should you come here? Just to get authorized? I KNOW IS THE FULL STOP! I Know is the full stop of the sentence. Finished. THEN THERE IS NO LEARNING, THERE IS NO SEEKING AFTER. I Don’t Know. I’m not put Full Stop still, after 25years. That means there is still Learning for me. IF I SAY I KOW EVERYTHING, THEN THAT IS THE END OF MY JOURNEY, FINISHED. So, until last Breath, that Full Stop won’t be there. Life is full of Learning, Learning, Learning.
THE BLACK FRIDAY SALE MADNESS AT THE GATE
You think for yourself. Everybody is eager to get enlightened. They think by pushing someone else they will get enlightened. When you go to some Temples in India, they all push you, push you, push you, they all want to see the God first. God says ‘What is this Nonsense? Why are they pushing each other like this? I’m here! Why pushing?’ Each one of you should think. How should I enter the Shala? How should I behave here in the Shala? That is also very important in your Sadhana. Making someone fall and you go ahead, that is not Sadhana. Again, you are not following Yama and Niyamas. Calm yourself. Wait. Let everyone push, let them fall after. Then you stand behind. You come last. If there is no spot, I’ll open my office for you.
RESPECT THIS CULTURE = PRACTICE = LINEAGE
Again, please don’t wear your beach clothes. You are not in Goa. So try to cover yourself. In the street also. I am telling you, you are in a different culture. Many people they don’t understand. They come from Los Angeles Beach or Miami Beach. They all want to think they are somewhere. Here, please respect the culture. Our culture is totally different. We all wear lots of clothes. If you go without clothes they’ll think you are crazy. You are coming to a different country, different culture, you have to respect the culture. So that is part of Yoga also. In your country is different, here it’s different. So try to put a shawl or cover yourself. It is giving respect to this Practice also. To this Practice, this Culture, this Lineage. Because everyone will ask you why you are here, what you are doing. You are doing Yoga and you are wearing clothes like this. It’s unacceptable. You’r not in Goa, in the Beach. Ok, you think. Thank you very much.”
OM
Satya Yoga 