Original subtitles

Jai Gurudev and welcome to day 1 of

the 10-day breathing and meditation journey with

Gurudev.

The most important parts of a story are

the beginning and the end.

And if you look at the story of

your life, the beginning is taking a deep

breath in and the last act, the end

is going to be breathing out.

And throughout whatever else you do or you

don't do, you are going to continue breathing.

Neither at home nor at school have we

been taught this connection of the breath with

our emotions, the breath with our good health,

the breath with learning, with our memories.

If we can understand and we can master,

practice and master this connection, we can master

good health.

We can master our emotional strength and the

next 10 days is going to be about

that.

Breath is that which keeps us full of

life and it's the most vital function of

our body.

Why people are so scared about the coronavirus

disease or COVID is because by attacking our

lungs and the entire respiratory mechanism, it hinders

normal function.

But with the special breathing practices you are

going to learn from today, you will increase

your lung capacity and the ability of the

diaphragm to breathe.

Now the diaphragm is a thin but a

very powerful muscle just below our lungs and

below our heart.

And since it's a muscle, it follows the

rule of the muscle.

Use it or lose it.

So when we train the diaphragm, when we

train the intercostal muscles between the ribs, when

we train the abdominal muscles, then our body

can breathe better.

These breathing practices are so effective that they

will also reduce the feelings of anxiety and

stress in the system.

There are so many benefits of breathing properly

at every level, the physical, the mental, emotional,

intellectual or spiritual.

But most people don't know whether they are

breathing correctly or not.

Let's find out.

Let's sit nice and tall and take a

deep breath.

Does your stomach go in or out as

you breathe in?

If it's going out, you're breathing correctly.

If it's going in, it doesn't matter.

We will see how we can correct our

breathing and breathe right.

The first breathing exercise we're going to learn

today will increase the elasticity of the stomach,

the abdominal muscles, so that you can breathe

in more.

You can take in more oxygen, more air

and more prana.

So let's start with this simple yet powerful

breathing exercise.

During our whole day and night, in fact

our whole life, our posture affects our breathing.

If we are sitting in front of the

computer or sitting on a chair the whole

day with our shoulders rounded and the back

hunched like that, then what happens, it creates

a lot of pressure on the lungs and

the heart.

So our blood circulation gets hampered and we

don't breathe properly.

First and foremost, we should have an open

body posture where the shoulders are back and

down and the chest is open.

So we are sitting straight and the head

or the neck is in line with the

spine.

So we are not bent forward like that,

the neck is pushed back.

And for any pranayama or meditation, we need

to sit in this posture.

You are comfortable for an extended period of

time and you are relaxed at the same

time.

You can sit either in Sukhasana or if

you are an advanced yoga practitioner in Padmasana

or in Chairasana or Sofasana.

Be comfortable.

So the first pranayama we will learn is

called Kapalbhati.

Kapal means skull and Bhati means shining.

That which creates a shining skull, shining intellect.

What we do is we place our palms

on our knees facing downwards, the spine is

erect and we exhale sharply pulling the navel

back to the spine and we relax, let

go.

The body will automatically inhale and breathe in.

The lungs will fill themselves up.

Then we exhale sharply again and let go.

The inhalation will happen by itself.

So we only focus on the outbreath and

we will notice the effect that it creates.

So let's do 3 rounds of 15 each.

Let's sit comfortably, spine erect, palms on the

knees, facing downwards, eyes closed.

We start by breathing out sharply, pulling the

navel back to the spine and let go.

The inbreath will happen by itself, exhale, let

go, exhale, let go and relax.

Gentle deep breaths.

You can turn the palms, open upwards.

The breath may become subtle and light.

For the second round, palms on the knees,

facing downwards, spine erect, we exhale sharply pulling

the navel back to the spine and let

go, exhale, let go, exhale, let go and

relax.

Turn the palms, open upwards.

The body and the mind, they energize and

they relax.

For the last round, place the palms on

the knees, facing downwards, spine erect, sharply exhale,

pulling the navel to the spine, let go,

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

Turn the palms, keep them open upwards and

gently you may open your eyes.

You may feel a sense of serenity and

calm in the mind and a sense of

energy in the body.

This is Kapalbhati.

The second exercise we will learn is called

candle blowing.

Imagine it's your birthday and you have 20,

30, 40 candles lit and you have to

blow them.

Of course, in the Indian tradition, we don't

blow candles, we light the lamps.

But for this pranayama, let's assume that.

So, what we do is, we take a

nasal full inhalation.

So, through the nose you breathe in and

you really fill up your lungs because you

have to blow those 30, 40 or 46

candles and pull the stomach in, exhale all

the air out, blow that last candle out.

We are going to do this three times.

So, breathe in, deeper, breathe in and

relax the breath.

You may close your eyes for half a

minute and notice the whole nervous system calms

down.

You may gently open your eyes.

So, breathing out longer, longer exhalations than inhalations,

it triggers the parasympathetic nervous system, the vagus

nerve.

We will talk about that in days to

come.

So, it calms down the whole nervous system.

For the last exercise we are going to

practice for today, we will learn the coordination

of the muscles with the breath.

So, let's keep our palms like this and

as we breathe in, open up your palms,

open up your lungs, your ribcage, push your

stomach out, open up your shoulders and as

you breathe out, push your hands forward and

your stomach in, breathe in and breathe out,

breathe in, open up the chest, breathe out,

squeeze the stomach and the lungs and relax.

You will notice the breath becomes deeper and

fuller.

Let's continue this further.

This time, as you breathe in, take your

hand up and stretch.

As you breathe out, pull it down, bending

at the elbow.

Breathe in, open your palm, open your ribcage,

breathe out, squeeze your lungs and close your

fist.

Let's do it on the other side.

Breathe in, open up your ribcage and open

up your palm, close your fist and squeeze

the ribcage.

And relax.

This will open up the entire thoracic region,

the ribcage, the intercostal muscles and the diaphragm.

The next breathing technique is called the Bhastrika

Pranayama.

Bhastrika means bellows.

What the blacksmith uses to pump air into

the coals and ignite the fire.

Let's do that with our lungs.

For this, we are going to keep the

starting position this way.

Palms are in a loose fist beside the

shoulders and elbows are comfortably close to the

body.

So they are not like that, close to

the body and it's a light fist.

Now, as we breathe in, we are going

to throw our hands up and open the

palms, open our ribcage, open our lungs.

There is more space created in the lungs

for the air to come in.

And we pull the hands down and with

a slight jerk, we expel all the air

from the lungs.

And we close the fist.

So, we breathe in, open the fist, breathe

out, close the fist, expel the lungs totally.

Let's do that.

For about 10 times, we will do 3

rounds.

In between, we will keep our palms on

the laps, open upwards for half a minute.

And notice the difference the breath creates on

the body and the mind.

So, this is how we are going to

do Bhastrika.

First, you can observe me for a few

breaths.

This will be the starting position.

Close our eyes.

And then we begin.

Breathe in, out.

In, out.

Hands open, closed.

Up, down.

In, out.

And we relax with our palms open upwards.

So, let's do 3 rounds of 10-10

each.

And in between, just notice the effect the

breath creates on the body and the mind.

Let's begin.

For the first round, palms in a loose

fist beside the shoulders.

Elbows are comfortably close to the body.

Eyes are closed so that the mind stays

with the breath and the body.

Take a preparatory breath in.

A little more.

And breathe out completely.

Some more.

Let the arms breathe.

In, out.

Up, down.

In, out.

Up, down.

And relax.

You may feel a slight sense of warmth

or tingling or buzz in the body.

That's good.

Let's get ready for the second round.

Hands in position.

Take a deep breath in.

And breathe out completely.

And with the arms, breathe.

In, out.

Up, down.

In, out.

Up, down.

And relax.

Gentle deep breaths in and out.

Last round.

Let's take positions.

Take a transition breath in.

And empty the lungs.

With the palms, breathe.

In, out.

In, out.

In, out.

In, out.

In, out.

Palms open.

Lungs open.

And relax.

Gentle deep breaths.

Notice the energy in the whole body.

Every cell is getting oxygenated.

Filled with prana.

Mind relaxes in the present moment joyfully.

Slowly you may open your eyes.

The pranams get the body and mind ready

to relax.

In these times, it is especially important to

keep our mindset more positive.

We can use our breath to increase our

awareness and make our mind more relaxed.

Gurudev will lead us into a meditation which

will expand our awareness and bring a relaxed

state of mind.

So let's get ready.

Let's sit back with a smile, relax and

enjoy the meditation with Gurudev Shri Shri Ravi

Shankar.

Let's meditate for a while.

Sit comfortably.

Let's keep our spine erect.

Keep the spine straight.

Relax the shoulders.

Keep your spine erect and relax your shoulders.

Now let's take your attention.

To our right side.

Become aware of the right side of the

head.

Right eye.

Right ear.

Right cheek.

Right side of the head.

Right shoulder and right hand.

All the way.

The whole right side.

Let us keep our attention on the right

side.

Let us keep our attention on the right

side.

Right nostril.

Right ear.

Right eye.

Right cheek.

Right shoulder.

Right hand.

Let us completely focus on the right side.

Let us focus on the right side.

This is called the solar plexus.

The solar plexus is on the right side.

Let us focus on the right side.

This is the male element.

The right side is in our body.

As soon as the mind goes to the

right side, all the qualities of awareness, such

as alertness, courage, intelligence, all these qualities are

present in the mind.

From the head to the feet, from the

feet to the tip of the head, move

your mind completely to the right side.

From the top to the bottom, from the

bottom to the top.

Along with the movement of breath, let us

keep taking our attention from top to bottom

and bottom to top as it moves on

the right side.

Let us keep our attention on the right

side.

The right side represents the male aspect in

me.

Valor and all other connected with it.

Now let us slowly bring our attention to

the left side.

Now let us slowly bring our attention to

the left side.

The left side of

your head.

That is where we are going to keep

our attention.

Gently move your attention.

Take your own time.

It happens with just an intention.

Left side of your head, left eye, back

of the left side, left ear, left nostril,

left cheek, left shoulder, and the whole of

the left side.

Let us keep polishing our left side.

The feminine side or the moon aspect is

on the left side.

The Chandranadi, moon aspect is on the left

side.

On the left side, the Chandranadi which is

calm, sweet, and soft, is the Chandranadi with

jaggery.

The sweetness, love, and softness within you, all

these are connected with the Chandranadi.

Music, art, all these are connected with the

Chandranadi.

Poetry is connected with the Chandranadi.

Your poetry your feelings, affections, all

is linked to the Chandranadi.

Your heart is on your left side.

Keep moving your attention from top of the

head to the toe and back along with

the breath.

Along with the breath, keep moving your attention

from top to bottom and from bottom to

top.

Now, in the middle of the body, there

is a thin body, a stream, Sushumna.

Concentrate on that.

Now, let's bring our attention to that central

string that passes through the whole body from

the base of the spine to the top

of the head.

A thin, central string.

Keep your attention on that.

Let's keep a big smile on our face

and relax and let go.

With a smile, relax and let go of

all your efforts.

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

Shanti Let go of all your efforts.

Right now, there is nothing to do and

nothing to know.

Let go of all your efforts.

This moment has nothing to do and nothing

to know either.

And slowly and gradually, you may open your

eyes slowly slowly slowly and slowly again.