Original subtitles

Welcome to day 2 of the breathing and

meditation journey with Gurudev.

You know our lungs are such an amazing

piece of equipment.

If you open them out with those small

air sacs and alveoli, it is as big

as a tennis court.

If you see, the right lung is divided

into 3 lobes and the left is divided

into 2 because it has to give place

for the heart to exist.

Now studies have shown that most people use

only 30% of their lung capacity.

With our sedentary lifestyle and our bad postures

and the deteriorating quality of air, you can

imagine the amount of oxygen we are taking

in.

It's like filling your car tyre with 30

% air.

It will not gain speed, the suspension will

go down, same thing happens with the human

body as well.

Only those who exercise or who are moderately

fit, they use let's say 50-60%

of their lungs and the top athletes or

sports people would be using the full capacity

of their lungs.

With yogic breathing, we can use almost the

full capacity of our lungs and increase the

intake of oxygen into our blood and into

our bodies.

Those who have done the online meditation and

breath workshop and have learnt the yogic breathing

have experienced its power.

How we can use the abdomen, the diaphragm,

the chest to practice deep breathing.

With pranams and the Sudarshan Kriya taught on

the online meditation and breath workshops, you can

greatly increase the intake of oxygen into our

systems.

So let's start with today's exercises and after

each round, you will be actually able to

feel the increased energy levels because of the

intake of oxygen and prana into our body.

So let's begin.

First let us start with Kapalbhati, what we

learnt yesterday for which we place our palms

on our knees facing down, we sit nice

and tall erect and we exhale sharply, empty

the lungs while pulling the navel back to

the spine.

Then we let go and relax, the body

will automatically breathe in, inhale by itself.

Once it is full, again we exhale sharply,

pulling the navel back to the spine and

we let go.

Let us do 3 rounds of 15 each,

let's close our eyes and we breathe in

first and we breathe out sharply, pulling the

navel to the spine and let go, relax

and

let's relax.

Place the palms on the laps facing upwards,

you may notice that the breath becomes serene

and smooth.

The second round, again palms facing down on

the knees and we begin by exhaling sharply,

pulling the navel to the spine and let

go, exhale, let go, exhale, let go, relax,

gentle deep breaths, you may notice

the breath becomes very subtle, the mind comes

to a standstill.

Last round, palms down on the knees, sitting

nice and tall, we exhale sharply and let

go and

relax, palms open upwards, body still and keep

noticing the difference in the body and the

mind, gentle smile, you may slowly open your

eyes, you may notice a sense of serenity

and calm, at the same time a sense

of heightened energy in the body.

Let's amplify that with the second exercise called

Bhastrika, the bellows breathing, the power breath, we

keep the palms close to our shoulders in

a light fist and elbows are comfortably close

to the body.

We're going to coordinate the movement of the

hands and the breath, so as we throw

the hands up and open the palms, our

lungs also open up and fill up and

then we pull the hands down and that

slight jerk empties this air from the lungs,

in, out, up, down.

Let's do three rounds of 15 each and

keep noticing the effect that it's creating on

the body and the mind, let's close our

eyes, let's get ready, the palms in a

loose fist beside the shoulders, elbows comfortably close

to the body, take a preparatory breath in,

fill up the lungs and empty the lungs,

with the movement of the arms, breathe in,

out, in, out, in, out, up, down, up,

down and

relax.

Place the palms on your laps, open upwards

and keeping the body still, feel the buzz

in the whole body, feel the flow of

energy in every cell.

Second round, hands in position, take a deep

transition breath in and breathe out completely and

together with the arms, breathe in, out, up,

down, in, out, up, down and

relax.

Palms on the laps, open upwards, gentle deep

breaths, along with energizing the body, the breath

also anchors the mind in the present moment,

mindfully, let's get ready for the last round,

hands in position, take a deep breath in

and breathe out and breathe in, in, out,

up, down, in, out, up, down and

relax.

You may feel slight warmth in the body,

the breath is coming in easily and deeply,

joyfully you may open your eyes and start

noticing tingling and the freshness in the whole

body and the mind.

Today let's learn another breathing technique which is

very powerful and which balances our entire system.

Our brain has two hemispheres, the left hemisphere

is more for logic, for reasoning, for linear

thinking, sequencing and the right side is more

of parallel processing, imagination, intuition, creative, artistic.

When both our hemispheres are balanced then we

get an integrated approach to life between the

intellectual and the emotional and our decision making

becomes optimal.

For this we will learn the Nadi Shodhan

Pranayama.

Now for the blood to flow there are

veins and arteries and capillaries, for the electricity

to flow the electrochemical reactions are happening in

the nervous system but for the prana to

flow, the subtle life force energy, that vitality,

that sense of high or sparkle that happens

in the meridian system or the nadis.

It is said we have 1,72,000

nadis in the body and all of these

tend to get cleansed when we do the

Nadi Shodhan Pranayama.

By using the left and the right nostrils

alternatively, for which we have to keep our

left hand in chin mudra, in this gesture

where the index finger is gently touching the

thumb, the tip of the index fingers and

the thumb are gently touching, it makes a

nice circle.

The last three fingers are together outstretched and

we keep the left palm on the left

knee or the thigh and the right hand,

the index and the middle finger is touching

in between the eyebrows.

So on one side you have the thumb

and the other side you have the little

finger and the ring finger.

Now we use them on the sides to

gently close or gently press at the base

of the nostril.

So we don't have to close the nostril

fully, we gently press so that we can

change the flow of the breath.

So we keep the index finger and the

middle finger touching in between the eyebrows.

Some people they just do it this way,

this way there gets too much pressure on

the nostrils which is not so nice.

So let's place the index finger and the

middle finger in between the eyebrows and gently

tap at the right side with the thumb,

breathe out from the left nostril, then breathe

in through the same, breathe out through the

right, breathe in through the same, breathe out

through the other.

Whichever nostril you breathe out from, breathe in

through the same and breathe out through the

other, breathe in and breathe out through the

other.

So whichever nostril we breathe in from, we

breathe out through the opposite, whichever nostril we

breathe out from, breathe in through the same

and then continue.

This is called the alternate nostril pranayam or

nadi shodhan pranayam.

Breathing through either of the nostrils has its

own effect on the brain and on the

body and by alternating we balance it both.

So let us do about nine rounds.

So one breath in and out on both

sides is one round.

Let's do nine of these.

So let's keep the left hand in chin

mudra, tips of the index finger and the

thumb gently touching, last three fingers are outstretched,

the body is nice and erect, head is

in line with the spine, with the right

index finger and the middle finger touching in

between the eyebrows, it's a chakra, the ajna

chakra, the command center of the body.

Now gently press with the thumb at the

base of the right nostril and breathe in

and breathe out from the left nostril, breathe

in through the left, gently hold for a

second or two and breathe out from the

right nostril by pressing on the left side

with the little finger and ring finger.

Breathe in through the same and breathe out

through the other, the left nostril, breathe in

through the same, gently hold, breathe out through

the other, gently hold, breathe in through the

same and breathe out through the other.

Let's continue by ourselves.

Make the breath slower and deeper, longer and

fuller, full

inhalation and full exhalation.

Every breath you're breathing mindfully, with the mind

fully on the breath and in between the

eyebrows.

If any of the nostrils is slightly blocked

for you, you can breathe with a slight

force from there.

Let's continue for one more round.

Let's complete the pranayama by breathing out from

the right nostril and then relaxing both our

palms, keeping them open on the laps, with

gentle deep breaths, notice the sense of calm

and balance in the whole body and mind.

Slowly, you may open your eyes.

You know, when the breath becomes restless, the

body and the mind also become restless.

It leads to anxiety and worry and despair

and reduced immunity.

Today, Gurudev will guide us into a meditation

that will reduce restlessness and remove all its

taxing side effects.

So let's sit comfortably with a backrest if

needed and with a smile, you may close

your eyes.

Let's sit back with a smile, relax and

enjoy the meditation with Gurudev Shri Shri Ravi

Shankar.

Before we meditate, let's wash our hands properly.

All the restlessness and anxiety that we have,

let's wash our hands.

Let us shake our hands before we sit

in for meditation.

Let's shake our hands and let us shake

our head also, turn our neck left and

right.

Stop shaking.

Stop and let go.

Become aware of your whole body.

Become aware of the weight of your body.

Remember your weight.

Whatever your weight is, 60 kg or 70

kg or 80 kg or 90 kg or

100 kg, whatever it is, when we came

into this world, remember that also.

Remember your age also.

Remember your age, whatever it is, 60, 40,

50.

These many years ago, we came into this

planet weighing just 4 kgs.

We were only 4 kgs when we came

into this world.

Now we are 60, 70, 80, 90 kgs.

Close your eyes and remember your weight.

Now place your weight on the chair, sofa,

floor, wherever you are.

The weight of your body, you place it

on the chair or on the sofa, on

the floor, wherever you are sitting.

Rather, just remember or become aware that the

chair is carrying the weight of your body.

So let us place our attention on our

own body for a few minutes.

Our body has billions and trillions of cells.

Our body is made up of billions and

trillions of cells.

Respect this body with all your heart.

Honour your own body.

It's a precious gift to you from nature,

from God.

Your body is a precious gift to you.

Honour your own body.

Relax your shoulders.

Take your attention to your feet and then

bring your mind to your knees, your thighs.

And slowly have your mind pass through, scan

through your own body.

Let your mind move through both the thighs,

hips, stomach, chest.

Shoulders and arms.

Relax your face and your head.

Now we are going to keep our body

still for just three minutes.

Keeping your body still for three minutes is

what we are going to do now.

The only movement being that of the breath.

Your body is still.

Now let's become aware of the second dimension,

the breath.

This body has zero value the moment breath

stops.

The breath is going in and out continuously

from the time we are born to the

last minute of our existence.

Let us become familiar with our own breath.

Take a deep breath in.

Take a deep breath out.

Leave it.

Relax and let go.

Incoming breath energises the body and outgoing breath

brings relaxation.

This is happening all the time.

Incoming breath energises the body and outgoing breath

brings relaxation.

Incoming and outgoing breath brings relaxation.

Keep your eyes closed.

Become aware of air all around you.

As you breathe in

and breathe out.

Notice the air all around you and within

you.

Like fish in the water, we are in

air.

Let us honour our own breath.

Another deep breath in and relax as you

breathe out.

Let's move on to the third dimension, the

mind.

Our body is like the wig of a

candle.

The mind is like the glow all around

it.

Our body is like the wig of a

candle.

The mind is like the glow all around

it.

Whatever thoughts are coming in the mind, just

let them come.

Good thoughts or bad thoughts.

Pleasant or unpleasant.

Let them all be.

As the body relaxes, the mind expands.

And as you become aware of the space

in your entire room, your body starts relaxing.

Let us become aware of the space in

the place where we are sitting.

The volume of the place you are in.

Another deep breath in.

Hold the breath.

And let go.

This moment, just let things be.

Any pleasant or unpleasant sensation anywhere in the

body, just let it be.

Any discomfort, just let it be.

Let's keep a smile on our face.

As you smile, all the muscles and tissues

in your face start relaxing, expanding, blossoming.

Keep a smile on your face.

And give deep relaxation to the muscles of

your face.

You may feel some tension somewhere in the

head or back of the head or some

part of the body.

Just let it be.

Another deep breath in.

And let go.

Allow the smile to percolate through the cells

of the brain and to the back of

the head.

Let the smile of the face slowly descend

inside.

The last part of the brain is also

relaxing.

Let go of all your efforts.

Let go of all your efforts and rest.

At this moment, the body is still.

The breath is slow.

The mind is calming down.

Let it be.

Become aware of five feet of space on

either side of your body.

Remember the space of five feet on either

side of your body.

Keep your mind in this area.

Let the mind expand both sides of your

body and occupy five feet of space in

your attention.

Relax and let go.

Let go of all your efforts and rest.

Now relax and let go.

Let the thoughts come.

They come and go like the clouds in

the sky.

But you are the blue sky.

Let the thoughts come and go.

Rest.

Let it be as it is right now.

Embrace all the thoughts, whatever is coming in.

And any tension anywhere in the body you

feel at this moment, embrace them, let it

be.

They dissolve, disappear in your own embrace.

There is nothing to do and nothing to

know either.

Just let go of wanting to know and

relax and repose in yourself.

Rest in yourself.

There is nothing to do and nothing to

know right now.

Just rest.

Rest in yourself.

Om Lokam

Samastam Sukhino Bhavantu

Om Shanti

Shyam Shyam

Take a deep breath and release it slowly.

Become aware of your body and surroundings.

Take another deep breath in.

Hold the breath and as you breathe out,

relax your shoulders and slowly and gradually you

may open your eyes.

Dheere se aap aankhen khur sakte ho.