(Part 1)

Over the past few years there has been increasing interest in ‘translating’ the knowledge of one system into the language of another. For example, 20th century Western scientists, especially physicists, have been comparing quantum mechanics with mystical knowledge as exemplified by Fritjof Capra in The Tao of Physics (1). This same process has been occurring in psychology with Charles Tart’s Transpersonal Psychologies (3) and Paranjpe’s Theoretical Psychology (3), both examining Eastern philosophies and religions from a Western psychological standpoint. Much of this translation has, of necessity, been in very general terms, since we have to clarify the overall picture first. By chance, I seem to be involved in this process from a rather different perspective. I have been researching a specific topic, the pineal gland, which seems to be generalising to a whole system, the chakras, I must stress that what follows is in an early speculative and exploratory stage as I have been gathering together the information for only ten years and neurochemistry is such a complex science.

The yogic chakra system

The yogic chakra system as explained by Swami Satyananda (4), consists of seven chakras which are normally depicted as a sort of ‘spinal column’ with three channels which interweave, the crossing points at the sites of the chakras. The root chakra (Mooladhara) is situated at the tip end of the tail bone in the perineum and is linked with certain aspects of the urino-genital system. The second chakra (Swadhisthana) is sited at the root of the spinal cord which is just below the small of the back, and is linked with other aspects of the genital system. The third chakra (Manipura) is sited behind the navel and is linked with the solar plexus. The fourth chakra (Anahata) is sited behind the heart and is linked with the cardiac plexus. The fifth chakra (Vishuddhi) is sited in the neck and is linked with the throat. The sixth chakra (Ajna) is sited in the pineal gland and is considered to be the ‘command’ chakra; and the seventh chakra (Sahasrara) is the crown chakra at the crown of the head. These chakras are considered to be important points for the channelling of consciousness, energy nodes linking the physical with the spiritual. They have been adopted quite widely into popular usage in the West, partly through the Theosophists, partly because of their obvious correspondence with the Tree of Life, and partly because of the intense interest in Eastern spirituality which has arisen since the sixties.

Pineal gland: Ajna chakra

As a para-psychologtst I am naturally very interested in the lore surrounding Ajna chakra which is held to be the centre of psychic activity. This corresponds very closely with out Western lore which considers the pineal gland to be the, ‘third eye’ or the ‘seat of second sight’. Satyananda (5) states that: “The name ajna comes from the root ‘to know and to obey and to follow’. ” Literally the word ajna means ‘command’-Yogis, who are scientists of the subtle mind, have spoken of telepathy as a ‘siddhi’, a psychic power for thought-communication and clairaudience.

The medium of such siddhis is Ajna chakra, and its physical terminus is the pineal gland.” I have found that his concept of the pineal gland as the psychic chakra and as the ‘command’ chakra has a sound neurochemical basis.

The pineal gland is a strange little gland in that it is situated in the centre of the brain and yet it is outside the blood-brain barrier, so it is not part of the brain! Its main function is to make hormones which affect the brain and the endocrine glands. Melatonin is the best studied of these and is implicated in a wide range of functions. Most people have heard of the pituitary gland, which is often known as the ‘master gland’ in that the hormones it makes exert a controlling effect on many other systems. We can think of the pituitary as being an ‘on switch’ and the pineal as being an ‘off switch’ in that it works with the pituitary in keeping the body running.(1)

The most important function of the pineal gland is maintaining the biological clock, on a daily basis according to the sun, on an annual basis according to length of day, and in women on a lunar bask as well, (a) This is achieved principally through the actions of two chemicals catted serotonin and melatonin (3). Serotonin is made during the day and melatonin at night. Serotonin is a very important neurotransmitter in the brain and its action has been linked with mental states Such as psychosis, and also with psychedelics. Melatonin is linked with sleep and possibly also with dreams. Its main site of action appears to be the hypothalamus, which is that part of the brain involved in mediating the effects of various hormones to keep the body and our emotions running harmoniously (8). I have discovered, however, that the pineal gland also makes another chemical known as a beta-carboline, and beta-carbolines are hallucinogenic if taken in sufficient quantities (8,9).

These beta-carbolines are found mainly in the pineal gland and it is speculated that they are the chemical trigger for our dreams. However, they are also found in the retina of the eyes, in the adrenal glands and in the gut. An important fact about these beta-carbolines is that they are structurally very similar to a chemical called harmaline extracted from a vine used by shamans and elders in Amazonian Indian tribes specifically for psychic purposes. The Amazon has a huge variety of psychotropic plants, yet all the tribes throughout the vast area use this same vine for heating, clairvoyance and divination. (10,11,12)

In the 1960′s a Chilean psychotherapist, Claudio Naranjo, used a variety of hallucinogens including harmaline in the psychotherapeutic setting and came to the conclusion that: “Harmaline may be said to be more hallucinogenic than mescaline… both in terms of images reported and their realistic quality. In fact, some subjects felt that certain scenes which they saw had really happened and that they had been as disembodied witnesses of them in a different time and place. This matches the experience of South American shamans.” There is extensive evidence from many anthropologists which suggests that this vine is a psi-conducive drug. Thus, the anthropological evidence suggests that harmaline stimulates psychic ability; the neurochemical evidence suggests that harmaline is an analogue of a beta-carboline which is produced in the pineal gland. The Yogic and occult teachings and common folk lore all say that the pineal gland is the psychic centre.

The thyroid gland: Vishuddhi chakra

According to Satyananda, the Vishuddhi chakra is located in the throat and is the centre of the nectar of immortality. It is connected with the sense of hearing and thus with the ears, and of course with the vocal cords and with self-expression.

Neurochemically, the thyroid is under the inhibitory control of the pineal gland, so that removal of the pineal results in thyroid enlargement and increased hormonal secretion rate (13). The thyroid takes up more iodine than any other part of the body and the pineal takes up the second largest quantity of iodine (14). Synthetic melatonin has the effect of inhibiting iodine uptake and the secretion of thyroid hormones, and given at the correct times, can produce the daily and annual light-dark cycles, or circadian rhythms, since iodine uptake naturally decreases during the night. Thus, evening injections of melatonin are more effective than morning ones, showing that the time of day when hormone supplementation is given is a significant factor. The effect of synthetic melatonin on the secretion of thyroid hormones decreases after puberty.

Experimental evidence indicates that the pineal is under feedback control by the glands which it influences. Pineal cells respond to thyroxine, which is one of the hormones made by the thyroid, the response being particularly strong at night, showing the influence of the circadian rhythm once again.

The thyroid regulates the metabolic rate via thyroxine, which means that it controls how fast the body runs. Thus an overactive thyroid means that the heart beats fast, one becomes thin, sexual desire increases, the mind works overtime; whilst an underactive thyroid has the opposite effect. Thyrotrophin, a thyroid regulator made by the pituitary, together with melatonin is involved in coping with long-term stress.

Stress is intimately connected with metabolic rate, heart rate, an overactive mind and also with age, as an older person cannot cope with stress as well as a younger person. Long-term stress is very different from short-term stress (which is dealt with by the adrenals), and it is interesting that Ajna, Vishuddhi and Manipura are all concerned with stress, which also affects the heart. Relaxation is the first step in meditation: slowing down, letting go, releasing the stress, stilling the endless internal chatter (the beta-rhythm mental chatter) which is one of the worst aspects of long-term stress. These are all the negative aspects of Vishuddhi and we learn through meditation to overcome these aspects and so to become peaceful, still, calm, and to live to a ripe old age. To me this is merely another way of saying that the thyroid is connected with immortality because, as exemplified so well by the Chinese symbol of immortality, the tortoise, the slower you go, the longer you live. The yogis say that it is perfectly possible to regulate the functioning of the endocrine system, thus learning how to control ones metabolic rate.

The heart centre: Anahata chakra

According to Satyananda, the Anahata chakra is concerned with will, feeling, touch and the skin, especially of the hands, all manifesting in arts such as painting, poetry and music, which, he says, are all aspects of heart energy. He also states: “In the present age, at this moment, we, the people of this world, are passing through a phase of Anahata chakra. This means that this chakra is beginning to awaken in us, whether we are working on it or not. Anahata chakra is the lowest of the three non-earthly or spiritual chakras – Anahata, Vishuddhi and Ajna. (For a discussion of the Heart chakra see Lilla Bek: The Heart of the Matter, by Robert Holden in Caduceus issue 4, page 22).

For me, the feeding of a new-born baby is the essence of the meaning of the heart chakra, the nurturing, giving, loving element. Such blessed joy to love, to give, to care, to share with others- that wonderful soaring emotion of the heart. Prana, the breath of life, is love. When the heart centre is open then you can do no harm to others anymore, because love is the basis of all your actions. It is very important at this time to learn to love yourself, because then you no longer feel depressed and negative, and, because you love yourself you love the earth and all upon her. So, the negativity of the three lowest chakras can be fully transmuted.

Some have suggested that the endocrine gland connected with this heart energy is the thymus, but what I have noticed in my research is that the pineal is linked with a hormone called prolactin which is connected with pregnancy, the mammary gland and the mother’s production of milk. Most of the research with prolactin has been with animals. All ruminants show a marked seasonal fluctuation in plasma prolactin concentration, high in summer and low in winter, this fluctuation being controlled by the pineal gland even though prolactin is made by the pituitary. Prolactin secretion is also controlled by the ovarian steroids, its level being modified by the fluctuating oestradiol levels, which in women is a lunar cycle. So if you have tender breasts once a month this is possibly the reason why.

The inhibition of prolactin secretion in ruminants inhibits implantation of the blastocyst during the winter, so that the foetus does not implant into the womb until spring time, even though mating and fertilisation occurred in autumn.

Thus, from my own observation, heart energy-love, fluctuates with the seasons and is intimately linked with our sexuality, not just in terms of actual lovemaking, but more particularly in relation to the lunar menstrual cycle and to pregnancy. I know that during my pregnancy, after the sixth month I became more soft, open and flowing with pure heart energy.

Most of the above-mentioned connections are more related to melatonin than to the beta-carbolines, since melatonin inhibits prolactin secretion. However, the finding that pineal beta-carboline increases plasma production levels may support the hypothesis that this chemical acts as a psychic agent in our system (8).

Prolactin appears to be made in men as well, but I have not yet discovered its function, although it is linked both with puberty and the circadian system. Hormones act not only at the physical level, but also at emotional and psychological levels, and if their physical actions appear irrelevant, perhaps we should explore the psycho and neurological aspects further.

(To be continued)

(Courtesy : Yoga Magazine, March, 1990)

Grihastha sannyana, which I prefer to call karma sannyasa, is not a new order which I am introducing. It is very old. There are four traditional ashramas, brahmacharyasharam, grihasthasharama, vanaprasthashram and sannyasashram. When your are not content with grihasthashram, you want to get out of it so you can be born spiritually. But if you cannot get out of it, the alternative is to live in it with a different awareness and a differen philosophy.

In the olden days, husband and wife used to retire to the forest. That was known as vanaprastha. These days it is not practical or even possible for most people to do this, but once spiritual awareness develops it is possible to continue in grihasthashram, but with a higher philosophy. That is called karma sannyasa.

Attachment and detachment

During grihasthashram you are involved in karma, and these karmas create more karma. They create samskaras to which you are bound because of anasakti or involvement. It is possible to associate with our family, our children, our responsibilities and obligations, either with total attachment or with detachment. However, we have only been taught to base our associations on attachment. Nobody has ever shown us how to live with our relatives, discharge our duties, solve our problems and interact with our family members, friends, wealth, money and property with detachment. The art of living a detached life is called karma sannyasa.

Detachment is not something that can be developed just by thinking or through any other intellectual process. Unless you have some experience which changes the quality of your mind, you cannot understand what detachment means. In order to understand anasakti, vairagya, sannyasa or detachment, you need more than just an intellectual process. You must have a different quality of mind. And for that purpose, the mind has to be trained and educated.

Intellectually you know that nothing belongs to you and that all is temporary. You may say it every day, but because there is so much mamata, ‘mineness’ and attachment, whatever happens to someone else affects you too, because you relate yourself to the happenings.

Once there was a sadhu and a mussulman living next door to each other. One day the sadhu heard his neighbour crying. He went to the mussulman and asked, ‘Why are you crying?’ He sobbed, ‘Maharaj, my goat is dead.’ The sadhu said, ‘So what? Sooner or later everything has to die.’ He explained that crying would not bring the goat back and he was able to pacify his friend.

After three months, the sadhu’s cow died. He became so miserable that he did not come out of his kutir for many days. His friend the mussulman wondered what had happened and he came to investigate. He entered the sadhu’s kutir and found him in deep depression. He asked, ‘What has happened to you?’ The sadhu replied, ‘My cow is dead.’ The mussulman remembered how he had been consoled by the sadhu’s wise words when his goat had died, so he said, ‘What if your cow is dead? Every being has to die.’ The sadhu interrupted, ‘Go away from here, I am thinking about my cow and I don’t want to hear your words of wisdom.’ The mussulman replied, ‘But when my goat died, you consoled, me with the same wisdom.’ The mahatma got angry and shouted, ‘That was all right for your goat but this is my cow.’

Developing a new philosophy

You see, this is a very simple thing that we experience every day in our lives. When the sadhu was talking to the mussulman he had a different quality of intellect which he did not have when his cow died. In order to practise detachment or anasakti, you don’t have to abandon karma, the elements or materials. You have only to develop a philosophy, and through that philosophy, you can have a different relationship with everybody. But, to have that philosophy you must have an experience.

You may read the whole of ‘Yoga Vashishta’ but if an accident takes place in your family, you are definitely going to feel it, because the ‘Yoga Vashishta’ has not brought about a fundamental transformation in the structure of your awareness. It has only enlarged the scope of your intellect. At the most you can say, ‘Oh, life is temporary’, but still you will be struck by the disaster. What is required is a transformation in the realm of awareness, anubhuti or experience, and that can be brought about by the practice of dhyana yoga, self-introspection, mantra and similar techniques.

Living as a part time sannyasin

Karma sannyasa is very important for every householder. It is the same as vanaprasthashram. Even if; you are not able to accept the idea of karma sannyasa, you can at least practise it for fifteen days every year. What harm is there if you behave like a sannyasin in your family, if not each day of the year, at least for fifteen , days?

How do you practise it? Sannyasins have a special way of living which was codified in the vedic tradition. Regarding eating, sleeping, walking, friendship, attachments, detachments, attending to deaths, births and marriages, there is a way they have been taught, If a grihastha lives the same life for at least fifteen days in a year, he will understand his grihasthashram and have a greater vision of the life he is leading.

The purpose of grihasthashram

Most people live the life of a householder, not out of respect or because they think this life has some sort of dignity, but because they are under psychological, emotional or social compulsions. If these compulsions were not there, I don’t think we would even like to live this life. That means we do not understand the proper place of grihasthashram in our evolution. Is the life of a householder meant only for wasting the mind on sensual objects? Is it not a stepping stone to realisation? Why was this order created in the Vedas? What was its purpose? Was it progeny? Was it pleasure? Or was it self-realization?

Grihasthashram is a stepping stone. It is not an end in itself. From grihasthashram you should step into vanaprasthashram or what I call karma sannyasa. When should you step into vanaprasthashram? At the age of 56, when you have your first heart attack? Or at the age of 76, when you have been completely squeezed of everything? No, the moment you realise that grihasthashram is the means and not the end, and that within the involvement of life you must develop a deeper and higher, more perpetual, enduring and abiding awareness, immediately get out! Ask your guru for a geru dhoti, a spiritual name, a philosophy to live by and a goal.

Make your life meaningful

A karma sannyasin has a goal. A grihastha has no goal, he’s just living. Provident fund, property, wealth, educated children- they cannot be the goal or the destiny. A karma sannyasin has one goal, not two, and the destination is one. There cannot be two destinations as far as the total cosmic existence is concerned. Every being, sentient or insentient, mobile or immobile, whether vegetable, mineral, mammal, reptile, human, rakshasa or deva, is just moving towards one destination and that is called perfection. That is called poorna or paramatma tattwa. You may call it God, nirvana, vaikuntha or kaivalya, but it means the same thing. Destination is only one, and when that goal is given to you by your guru, you are a karma sannyasin.

When you put on the geru dhoti, remember this colour represents dynamism- dynamism not towards external life, but towards your sadhana, your quest into spiritual life. Geru is the colour of vairagya, dhyana and anasakti, but this colour does not represent your passive psychology. It symbolises your dynamic approach to your goal. You must have two geru dhotis, and when you come back from the office or factory, put away your dress or coat and pants and take your geru.

Transform your mind

If you can’t do this, I have another suggestion. Go to any ashram, not with your family, but alone. Shave your head completely, put on geru, sleep on the floor, eat only once a day, practise complete brahmacharya (in thought, word and deed), and live like a poorna sannyasin- no smoking, no transistor radio, no newspaper, no politics, no business, no market, just one thing- your sadhana. Your guru will tell you what to do- japa, likhit japa, read ‘Yoga Vashishta’ or ‘Bhagavad Gita’, or practise asana. If he doesn’t tell you anything, just work in his kitchen or garden.

Even if you only live the life of a sannyasin for fifteen days, it will enrich you with very deep and abiding experiences, and it will create a new type of mind, personality and man. Then, when you return to grihasthashram, you will see things with different eyes. There may be births and deaths, marriages, conflicts and quarrels, but you will be able to attend to them as a different person.

Accepting a new way of life

When I spoke about karma sannyasa a few years ago, people did not understand it, but now more and more people are beginning to accept this philosophy. What I want is that seekers accept this role. You do not have to wear geru to the office; it is not necessary. When you are a karma sannyasin, you must play the role of a perfect householder and a part time sannyasin.

A philosophy is necessary, a goal is necessary and two geru dhotis are a must. You must also have a spiritual name, because the name your parents have given you relates to your body and to your religion, culture, family and race. But atman has no religion or race and your name should be related to your atman. My name is Swami Satyananda, and the day I took this name, my destiny changed. All that was written in my astrological charts has not come true, not because the astrologer was wrong, but because my whole destiny changed. The moment you enter into a new philosophical area, the moment you begin to assert your spiritual willpower or the moment you get into a new way of thinking, your destiny begins to change.

Karma sannyasa must become the order of the day, and it should revive vanaprastha. Don’t wait until you turn 55 years of age. Even while you are married, in grihasthashram you can be a karma sannyasin.

(Courtesy : Yoga Magazine Feb, 198

1983 heralds in new dimensions and horizons for Bihar School of Yoga. Building an institution is in itself a mammoth task, but to find suitable successors to uphold the high ideals and standards, is no less important. Right from its inception, Swami Satyananda has played the dual role of Guru and administrator. Two roles diametrically opposite or contradictory to each other, which led him into many difficulties from time to time, and which he survived with unsurpassable skill. Let me explain this further.

We are all familiar with the role of a Guru. He inspires, instructs and is the guiding light to many lives. For those of you who have a Guru, it is unthinkable to live this life without nurturing that relationship. It is tantamount to having no eyes to see or ears to hear. But have you ever stopped to wonder- how a Guru meets the demands of his disciples. How is it that not just one or two or three or five, but thousands and millions of people all over the world are able to draw energy from that one source. It is obvious that he is able to delve into deeper and higher states of consciousness, where no duality exists, where he is able to sift the true from the untrue, the mundane and the gross experience from the pure experience. It is this ability which allows him to deal with the problems of the people with accurate precision.

However, if at the same time, he also has to play the role of an administrator, it is necessary that from time to time he must return or come down to the practical, day to day affairs of life. So on the one hand he must go deep within, and on the other hand he must eternalise that same consciousness. Of course this constant fluctuation, from higher to lower states of mind is not a trifling matter and not easily attainable. For one state of mind is not complementary to the other. Only a Jivanmukta can do it with the utmost ease. Swami Satyananda has been the epitome of such a person. His decisions as administrator have been flawless and his guidance to the people illuminating.

But how much longer must these demands press on him? Swamiji often jokingly says, “My life has been divided into 20 year cycles. I was born in 1923, I joined my Guru’s ashram in 1943, I opened my ashram in 1963, and now in 1983 is the last turning point, I retire.” When he sees the disappointed and disconsolate look on our faces, he always hastens to add, “When I say retire, I mean as an administrator, I shall continue to guide and inspire the people as long as I live.”

Another very relevant point, which Swamiji has often mentioned is that it is always necessary for the founder of an institution, to step down and install his successors during his lifetime, so that the succeeding persons may be able to master the work thoroughly. This is especially relevant to a sannyas institution where nothing really belongs to ‘any particular person.

The inability of many spiritual leaders to do so has been instrumental in the downfall of many institutions. We have seen many jivanmuktas, liberated beings, who function dynamically during their lifetime, but have been unable to leave behind pillars of strength. Obviously, at some time, they must give their responsibility to others. And for the fulfilment of that responsibility, the decision must be taken not too early and not too late, but at the correct time. After all, a flower blossoms only when the soil is right and the seed is ripe. Swamiji, who has always maintained accurate timing to make decisions, has chosen 1983 to nominate his successors.

This decision will bring a host of questions to the minds of the people. Possibly you are among those who wonder about the future of Bihar School of Yoga, after Swamiji retires from the administration. If you are, read on.

As you will see, Swamiji with his meticulous eye for detail, has been thinking not only of the present, but also years into the future. After all, the disciples and devotees all over the world, must have the assurance that the institution which they have worked so hard for, will not dissolve, but will continue to maintain the policies of the organisation.

At present, Bihar School of Yoga has many ashrams, innumerable centres, a vast number of inspired schools, thousands of teachers and a host of sannyasins of different nationalities and religions, spread out all over the world, with the nucleus and headquarters at Munger. For this purpose it is necessary to have adequate teachers, an efficient administration, a proper internal management and inspiring guidance, as a support for the institutions.

The sannyasins who have been trained by Swamiji as teachers are of a very high calibre and have been producing excellent results and response wherever they go. These sannyasins, whose number is always on the increase, will continue to spread the teachings far and wide.

For the administration, Swami Niranjanananda,, heading the Board of Directors, will handle all affairs directly. For a disciple, it is of paramount importance that he should be able to follow every command of his Guru, verbal or otherwise. He should be able to anticipate and remain constantly alert to every need of the Guru, only then can the Guru transmit his knowledge and guidance to the disciple and continue his mission through the disciple. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Swami Niranjanananda has always maintained the high ideals and standards of such a disciple. Although only 23 years of age, his experience, decision making capacity, and judgement can be compared to a person twice his age. He has travelled widely from the age of ten, perhaps little knowing the immense responsibilities that would befall him later. However, judging from his past record one feels that the responsibility rests on very young but very able shoulders.

The management will continue to be headed by Swami Haripremananda, in co-operation with his competent team of workers. Although many of you who have not visited Munger may not know Swami Haripremananda personally, his name will strike you as familiar, because at some time or the other you must have had to deal with him through your letters. He has been one of the stalwarts of the institution, right through its many stages. His steadfast devotion, unswerving loyalty, calm disposition are invaluable assets to Bihar School of Yoga.

Swamiji himself will continue to guide the people spiritually, along with the assistance of Swami Amritananda. Swami Amritananda herself needs little introduction. Most of you have been fortunate to receive her guidance, and are well aware of her ability to make accurate and precise judgements of the problems of the people. She has long been a pillar of strength of the institution, working tirelessly for the mission in India and abroad.

In the Sannyas parampara or tradition, according to the guidelines set down by Adi Shankaracharya, it is the responsibility of a Guru to impart his knowledge to worthy disciples, so that they may continue the work even after the Guru relinquishes his duties. For after all, the work being done is with a definite purpose in mind, and is not the whim of an individual. It has a far greater and wider vision, the benefits and far reaching effects of which should be felt not only in this decade, but also in the decades to come. This culture, this way of life, this philosophy must not become extinct with ravages of time, and neither should it be restricted to only a few people. Rather we must diversify, we must spread the systems of yoga to all corners of the world. We must preserve this fund of knowledge, which can help us in every sphere of our lives, so that not only our children but our grandchildren and great grandchildren may know and be able to judge for themselves the best way of life.

For the continuation and harmonious flow of these resolves, it is not only necessary to set up a strong foundation for the institution, but to eternalise our support. In this respect, we look forward to the enthusiastic support of people from every corner of the world. The history of Bihar School of Yoga shows that the vast number of well-wishers, devotees, and disciples have always extended their help in whichever way possible. Obviously the future depends on the continuation of help provided thus far. The demands and the needs of the people, have caused the institute and work to increase immensely, and most of the requirements are well looked after. However, help in the form of donations of property or any other assets or gifts of money are always welcome.

Now that Swamiji is no longer at the helm of administration, the scope and range which he will be able to cover will increase considerably. In this respect we look forward to seminars and conventions in different countries, cities, towns and villages, which may be arranged, for him to preside over. So that in the words of his Guru, he may take yoga from ‘door to door and shore to shore.’

(Courtesy : Yoga Magazine, Feb, 1983)

“if you cannot relax-you cannot concentrate. If you cannot concentrate- you cannot meditate. And without meditation how will you ever find happiness?” swami satyananda saraswami.

These words of wisdom clearly indicate that at the basis of our human happiness lies the need to relax, and without it progress and fulfilment are not possible. Children unfortunately, are at a disadvantage as they are confronted with countless impressions which they certainly register subconsciously, however, without conscious rationalisation ability. They see, hear, feel and sense many things and whatever they are unable to understand they simply have to file away in the big subconscious storeroom. This is an automatic mental process which seems to clear our way from whatever we cannot come to terms with at the moment. The problem is, that all impressions stored in the subconscious surely have been removed from the surface or conscious plane but still affect and limit our behaviourism, personality and creative abilities.

Fruitful study, concentration, intellectual comprehension, self-expression and self-actualization, there fore, depend on our state of receptivity which in turn requires a relaxed state of mind. Accordingly, children grow up to be a product of their environment, and this is where the greatest responsibility in regard to education lies. Love, understanding, encouragement and inspiration flowing from parent to child is first ranking. School education executed by a teacher ideally should be nothing more than a specialised extension of the same.

Case history

In 1979 we were approached for help by Sister Rose, a nun in charge of St. Aidan’s Children Centre, a branch of St Aidan’s Convent in Bendigo, Australia. Having learned of the specialised work being done at Satya Centre Yoga Ashram, Sr. Rose came with a 12 year old girl named Theresa, who was a ‘state ward’ child in care of the convent. This means that due to a physically and/or emotionally unfavourable family situation, the courts of the state, upon recommendation of the social welfare department, had ruled that Theresa be put into the care of an approved institution to secure her unharmed upbringing.

According to the information received from Sr. Rose, we learned that Theresa was a twin, jealous of her sister, removed from a bad situation at home. She could not relate to her schoolmates, had no friends, seemed to like searching through garbage bins, was mocked by others, and suffered from insomnia and puberty symptoms, all of which reflected negatively on her school performance. Her teachers and ‘cottage parents’ found her almost impossible to handle and even psychotherapy had been unsuccessful in the attempt to bring about a change. Now, Theresa had been brought to yoga as a last resort.

Yogic treatment

In the first of many private sessions we were able to form our own opinion of the child. There was an unhappy little girl, who had been deprived of what others are given freely and take for granted: a loving family. The many negative impressions which she had been bombarded with throughout the 12 years of her young life had come to a peak. But, under the mask of restlessness, disinterest and aggression there was an innocent child, hoping, reaching out and desperately looking for love and security.

Our first yoga nidra practice was shocking. Theresa’s body lying in shavasana was the battlefield of her inner tensions. There was continuous rapid eye movement and involuntary physical jerks. At one time her whole body was lifted as if ejected by the floor. We have seen many demonstrations of the physical release of tensions, but this show, without any doubt, was the saddest one that we had ever witnessed. We saw our duty in coaching Theresa to help herself to cope with her lot in life, to develop self-confidence, or simply to feel more comfortable from within. We felt everything else would happen from there. The first task was to gain Theresa’s confidence and friendship. Once this was achieved we could gradually and playfully introduce the yogic disciplines that were required and suitable to this special case.

In weekly sessions lasting one hour, we taught and practised with Theresa various techniques as systematised by Swami Satyananda of Munger. The girl was initiated into pawanmuktasana, shakti bandhas, majariasana, bhujangasana, paschimottanasana, vipareeta karani mudra and shashankasana, which was followed by a few minutes of relaxation in shavasana. Then we went on to simple nadi shodhana pranayama, Om chanting, sometimes kirtan and finally a yoga nidra practice. Of course, the whole practice time was mixed with chats and jokes in order to avoid the creation of intensity which would have developed dislike towards yoga, defeating the purpose.

We also advised Theresa’s cottage parents to make sure she had a shower every morning (which was new to their idea of hygiene) and night, as well as encourage or even practise with Theresa a little yoga at least once, preferably twice a day. We also put forward our recommendation on dietary considerations, which meant to avoid processed, artificially coloured and flavoured foods and excessive consumption of red meats.

The whole therapeutic program was designed to release physical, mental and emotional tensions, to establish a balanced hormone production (a prerequisite for emotional balance), to tone the nervous system and to re-establish sound mind-body correlation and a dynamic state of relaxation. The total time devoted to asanas, pranayama and Om chanting did not exceed 15 minutes, as these were the techniques which the child could easily practise by herself at home.

However, as Theresa was not encouraged by her cottage parents, she hardly ever did her sadhana at home. The dietary considerations were not adhered to either as ‘the extra load would have made life too difficult’ for the cottage parents. In spite of all this, we could notice a gradual progress taking place. Yoga nidra is always a good test. After some 3 months, the child was able to follow that practice for approximately 15 minutes without movement. After 6 months her teachers and the convent social worker remarked about an obvious change in Theresa’s personality and behaviour. Her private tutor employed by the convent told us that the girl’s studies have made remarkable progress and that his own findings were in full agreement with the feedback he received from the school; After 9 months of yoga therapy, Theresa’s ability to relax in a guided yoga nidra session had increased from a near 5 minutes at the beginning to some 50 minutes, without bodily jerks or rapid eye movement.

Sometimes she went to sleep which is not the aim of yoga nidra, but in regard to her original insomnia problem, it was quite acceptable as it indicated improvement. So, after 9 months with the help of simple yogic sadhana, Theresa had found her own level and acted like any other ordinary child whether in regard to her school performance or whatever. At this time we decided to discontinue the private lessons as there was no longer any need for their continuity. But we recommended regular practices at home and group classes.

Conclusion

If we consider the number of disorders Theresa had been suffering from for so long, which conventional medicine and psychotherapy had failed to treat, that dietary considerations were ignored, and that throughout the whole time of yogic treatment she was still subject to the same unfavourable circumstances, then it is astounding to see that even occasional performance of yogic disciplines was successful in this relatively short length of time. We dare to imagine how much more could have been achieved and in a quicker way, if Theresa’s whole environment would have been more conducive to the process. We have not seen Theresa since then, but a year later we learned from Sr. Rose that she was still doing fine at school as well as socially. She had taken up playing netball, had made many friends and was getting on well with everybody. Sr. Rose said that she was certain that it was yoga that had brought about this beautiful change in Theresa and she was full of gratitude.

Education begins at home. We, the adults, prepare the ground for the flowering of our children. We can give nourishment through love, understanding and selfless involvement in the child. Or, we can ignore all but its physical needs, resulting in someone like Theresa. We are therefore, the doctors (latin ‘docere’ – to teach) and inspirers of our children’s happiness.

(Courtesy : Yoga Magazine Feb, 1983

Can we balance our children through relaxation? Some teachers have tried it. Knowing that the child’s capacity for listening is closely related to his physical and emotional state and that restlessness grows year by year among the students, these teachers did not hesitate to shorten their class for the benefit of practising a few easy relaxation exercises.

Result: their pupils learn and express much more easily. If your children do not have this opportunity at school, you can teach them to relax at home even without ever having practised these exercises yourself. Only take care to adjust the instructions to the level of the child and do not force his attention for more than ten minutes.

Here are four exercises inspired by yoga. Each exercise has a particular quality.

Concentration before the effort

First is a famous exercise which has been adopted by countless American business men. Elbows are on the table, hands cupped in front of the eyes. Breathe in deeply and slowly breathe out. Practise twelve times. Evoke in the child a landscape or place that he likes. Let him imagine that he is there, one with the trees, mountains, sea or sky.

Attention and imagination

Place an object in front of the child. Eyes are motionless but without tension. Let him look at the object for 30 seconds. Then, with closed eyes, encourage him to see the object clearly. Then for a second time, let him look at the object in detail with open eyes.

Inner peace of mind

This exercise is based on listening to sounds. Lying, or better, sitting with the back straight and eyes closed. Ask the child to breathe six times, repeating mentally at the same time the word ‘peace’ or ‘relaxation’ at the end of each breath. Then, make him listen to the noises first in the distance, in the street, then in the house, in the room, but without trying to interpret them. A different way to practise for smaller children is to produce three different sounds, for example, those of crumpled paper, a click of a ball pen and the sound of a step (when someone walks). Then ask them in which order the sounds were produced.

Relaxation before sleeping

With the child lying down, name the different parts of the body which he has to feel without moving. Start with the thumb of the right hand, move up the arm and then down the right side to the toes. Practise the same way for the left side of the body. Finish with the head. Then suggest visualisation of pleasant pictures to imagine.

(Courtesy : Yoga Magazine, Feb, 1983)

The secrets of intelligence, language, learning and knowledge are difficult to reveal. They remain shrouded by a veil of ignorance, superstition and growing scientific but contrary information. Rules for bringing up children, learning and teaching techniques, and the models of our educational system tend to be fads, determined by whim and fashion, trial and error, rather than concrete, workable systems.

Education includes the bringing up of children and the development of mental powers and character as well as systematic instruction. The word education itself comes from the root ‘ducere’, to lead, and implies the bringing out or development of the latent or potential faculties within every human being, not just the cramming in of intellectual facts and rote learning. There is a big difference between real education and training ourselves in mechanical skills or intellectual capacity for a job or profession.

Perhaps modern education has failed because it has lacked the capacity to develop our latent inner powers and has concentrated rather on the purely external, logical side of our nature. (*1) Most forms of education in schools, religious institutions and the family have failed to give young people the means to handle their inner conflicts and drives and to channel these energies into productive and creative activities. It seems only a lucky few chance upon the way by themselves. Or perhaps the various systems have failed to provide the teachers or educators, the leaders, who can inspire our children to want to learn.

Increasing turmoil, restlessness and rebelliousness in schools, colleges and universities and the tendency for students to regard education as a necessary but boring facet of life reflects an inability to satisfy inner needs and emphasises the critical need for a review of our educational process.

Yogic education

Yoga views education in the broadest possible sense. As a science of healthy and enlightened living, the yogi educates all the spheres of his existence, physical, mental and spiritual. There are three main aspects to this:

1. Preparing the soil: the body and mind are made healthy and receptive through asana, pranayama and meditation. The rajasic qualities of physical restlessness and the tamasic qualities of physical lethargy and laziness are removed by balancing the nadis. The body and mind work harmoniously so that receptivity, ida, and creativity, pingala, work together.
2. Planting the seed: the child is exposed to a wide range of stimulating intellectual and artistic pursuits, including singing and dancing, as well as being educated in a yogic lifestyle, including correct dietary and sleeping habits. There is also exposure to a wide range of spiritual and yogic literature which, when combined with meditative practice, broaden and expand the mind and instil a healthy aim and purpose into life. All this serious side is balanced by the child’s innate ability to play and enjoy life when not restricted by over heavy discipline. Discipline is not represented by a cane or poor grades, but by love, understanding and a sense of responsibility.
3. The planter of the seed: the process of yogic education is conducted by the guru who, in the ideal situation, is an enlightened teacher. He or she can both guide the child into the correct teaching at the correct time for his individual needs and inspire the child to want to learn.

In ancient India this whole process took place during the first 25 years of life in what was called the brahmacharya ashram.

Formal education

Yogic education stresses the point that the child is an individual entity, albeit a developing one. Latent faculties are present in all children, and these can be cultivated by yogic training, so that growth takes place along natural and healthy lines. If we try to suppress the child’s own natural, individual personality by superimposing what we, as adults think or believe is ‘correct’ and ‘right’, or try to build the child in our own pattern, we usually end up creating neuroses or even psychoses.

Pure intellectual training does not prepare us for or give us a clear understanding of life. It does not even explain what the purpose of such intellectual training is or how it should be incorporated into the whole lifestyle. Forced rote learning in excess dampens the innate, spontaneous, creative faculties and in turn creates a dependency on outside things. We forget that we possess many of the answers and a great source of joy, happiness and creativity within. Rather, the competitive atmosphere of most institutions breeds insecurity and ambition, the need to grasp for external and temporary things and happiness, and sows the seeds of future disappointment and a sense of futility and hopelessness, all of which has been linked to psychosomatic diseases such as heart disease, hypertension and even cancer.

Children are born, for the most part, with natural instinct; intuitive, unspoiled clarity; a well functioning, but undeveloped, ajna chakra or pineal gland. Up to a certain age they know what they want and what they can manage. However, parental and social training during the developmental years when the ego solidifies usually creates confusion and conflicts. It would be much better if they were left to grow spontaneously in freedom tempered by love and wise guidance when sought.

This point is beautifully demonstrated by Lyall Watson in his book ‘Gifts of Unknown Things’ (Coronet). Here he meets the unspoiled, ‘uncivilised’ children of one of the Indonesian islands who, because they were allowed to grow naturally, but with proper guidance, retained and developed their innate faculties. They were able to hear colours in sound, for example, the sharp new leaf, sound of a bird, the brown of the toad, the black of thunder, the white of the sea foam where it touches sand, the bronze sound of a bell. One man was able to see schools of fish miles put to sea, and one young girl was a super naturally superb dancer who heard the drums talk to her, laying a carpet of brown, like the sand on the ground, while the bells and gongs called in greens and yellows, building forests through which she would move and turn. If she lost her way there was the white thread of the flute or the song to guide her home.

In the final analysis, perhaps children do not need education as we know it today. It tends to clutter and confuse and blinds us to the mysteries and beauty of life. It stunts our psychic and spiritual growth, if we are not careful. Indeed children have much to teach adults, if they only listen and see. Watson himself states that when “faced with the wisdom of this twelve year old, I felt like a backward child.”

As part of three experimental projects to test the hypothesis that formal education impairs psychic ability, Michael Winkelman of the University of California, Irvine, studied 29 children in a rural village in Mexico, (*2) He found that the more schooling the children had, the worse was their ESP score, independent of the age of the child. He also found that mathematical computations using the logical, left side of the brain, reduced ESP ability. To explain these findings, the author cites research in which formal education has been shown to create a state of mind in which the individual sees himself as separate from the environment (*3) This is a state of alienation and reduced sensitivity which predisposes one to fear, loneliness, frustration, expectation, disappointment and so on. It is the direct opposite of the meditative state. The mode of thought generally developed by formal education has been shown to be characterised by muscular tension, beta waves, decreased GSR arousal (*4), all of which can be said to be the opposite of the state of relaxation, non-defensive openness and meditative receptivity required for successful ESP in experimental situations.

Educating the adult

Though children should not be suppressed, they should not be allowed to run wild either. Parents and teachers must have the wisdom and skill to create a way for their spiritual development. In this respect we can say that though the child must ultimately choose for himself, what he chooses from depends to a large extent on what is in his environment, how it is presented and on subtle clues given from the behaviour of parents and other adults in the child’s early life.

Research has shown that when pre-school children are not pressured into learning they will actually seek it out and tend to prize periods of individual instruction (*5). When education is given with love and compassion, students achieve better education and better attitudes towards social and familial responsibilities (*6). In her book Troubled Teachers’ (McKay, 1978), Esther Rothman states that children fail to learn when the teacher is troubled by unconscious conflicts, needs and motivations which disturb the teacher/ student relationship. She states that behind the facade of the poor student there are deep needs which the teacher has not recognised and that “only when aggression, love and power are used constructively in the classroom can real education begin.”

Children are enormously but subconsciously sensitive to their environment, and they react to situations with often alarming honesty, unless they are taught otherwise. If their teachers are not able to order their own lives, or if they project feelings of anger, frustration, unhappiness or boredom, then children will respond similarly. People who practise yoga and who are working towards a degree of personal inner integration usually find that children like to be around them, and seem to respond to their strength and joy. The ability to recognise a problem and then to discover a working solution requires clarity and creativity, the products of a disciplined or meditative mind.

Teachers who wish to increase their level of sensitivity to their pupils’ needs, and parents who want to give their children a better start in life should themselves practise asana, pranayama and meditation in order to create a yogic atmosphere. Yoga’s ability to transform the environment is little understood but remarkable aspect of the process of inner development and one which children respond very strongly to. It is extremely important that parents practise yoga especially before and during pregnancy as many researchers believe that a mother’s experience during pregnancy seems to affect the child’s development and later life. Mother is the first teacher of the child and the bond between the two should be very clear and clean, unimpeded by subconscious attitudes of fear or confusion on the maternal side.

A recent research study at the University of Wisconsin (USA) has shown that mothers who consider their babies to be ‘difficult’ were really insensitive to their infants’ needs (*7). Mothers who found their children ‘easy’ had a slower, more relaxed heart beat when the child was crying than the ‘difficult’ group, and therefore reacted with less anxiety and tensions and projected a relaxed, secure attitude. A combination of asana, pranayama and meditation induces relaxation and the clarity of mind which allows us to become sensitive to the needs of others. This can be called intuition. When applied to our children or to the classroom situation it allows us to give more exactly what is required and to develop relationships based on mutual honesty and trust. At the same time our level of vitality improves and this spills over into our behaviour and the environment.

Yoga is an ideal basis for an educational system and when practised by both students and teachers can bring about the correct balance between relaxation and creativity necessary for better education. Education is transformed from drudgery into a process of inner and outer discovery.

References
*1. Ornstein, R., The Psychology of Consciousness, San Francisco: W.H. Freeman & Co., 1972.
*2. Winkelman, M., ‘The Effect of Formal Education on Extrasensory Abilities: The Ozolco Study’, J. of Parapsychology, Vol. 45, Dec. 1981.
*3. Cole, M., & Scribner, S., Culture and Thought, New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1974,
*4.Delkman, A., ‘Deautonization and the Mystic Experience’. In R. Ornstein (ed.), The Nature of Human Consciousness, N.Y., Viking Press, 1979.
*5. ‘No first grade non-readers in Canadian school that starts instruction at the age of 3′, Brain Mind Bulletin, 2(21), Sept. 19, 1977.
*6. Miss A: love and high expectation’, Brain Mind Bulletin, 3(11), April 17, 1978.
*7. Donovan, W., Psychophysiology, 15:68-74.

(Courtesy : Yoga Magazine Feb, 1983)

What does yoga have to do with students, with developing the mind, the brain and the body? I am not going to tell you what the scriptures say, I will tell you what the scientists say. Do you know the definition of a scientist? A scientist is one who tries to know and discover the truth by objective analysis and not by faith. Religion is based on faith; you believe even if you do not really know. In religion there is belief; in science there is analysis. If I say that pranayama is good for intelligence, it is not necessary that everyone believes it. But if a scientist does research and finds out how the brain behaves during pranayama practice: the chemical changes, the type of brainwaves which are emitted and so forth, we can then come to conclusions based on solid scientific evidence that yoga is either good or bad for the brain.

In America, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Europe, Japan and Australia, scientists and doctors are using sophisticated instruments to test the effects of yoga on the mind and the body. Yogic practitioners are exposed to scientific scrutiny. During the practice of a particular asana or pranayama, instruments register the effects and changes that take place in the body and the mind From these tests, scientists have come to the conclusion that yogic practices make the brain very efficient; memory and concentration become very sharp and grasping power and the ability to recall facts and figures increase.

Even children who are mentally retarded, who have intelligence much below average, are being taught yoga practices in clinics and in institutions. For a period of one full year they are taught a few asanas, one or two types of pranayama, concentration on a yantra (psychic symbol of a geometrical nature) and by these practices their brain faculties and intelligence improve, Therefore, yoga has to become the prime subject in schools. Without intelligence, learning in school is of no use, because whatever the teacher teaches is completely forgotten, or it does not even enter the brain. So, more emphasis has to be given to scientific yoga tuition in schools. Not only considering what is to be taught but how it should be taught effectively.

Benefits of yoga postures

What then is asana, pranayama and concentration? These points need to be understood by all. Certain postures are known as asana: bhujangasana (cobra pose), shalabhasana (locust pose), sarvangasana (shoulder stand pose), and matsyasana (fish pose) are a few examples, but there are many more. These asanas are physical positions which are maintained for a minute or so, and during this period of practice the endocrine glands in the body, the thyroid, adrenal, pancreas etc., are stimulated and balanced. When these glands start working efficiently, there is a state of balance created in the body, due to which many types of diseases are removed.

Each and every asana has its own specific effect on the body. Bhujangasana, for example, is good for the liver and spine; sarvangasana is good for the thyroid and the abdomen; halasana together with paschimottanasana influences the pancreatic glands; garudasana is good for strengthening the ligaments of the whole body. There are certain asanas which improve eye sight, others improve digestive power, and there are those which improve memory. Some asanas increase height and weight and others bring control into the mind. This control of mind is most important for students because without it they cannot study properly. And when they cannot study properly, they have to do some dishonest business during examinations.

In regard to the practices of yoga, it is necessary to understand one fact: asana and physical exercises should not be equated and compared with each other. The exercises and physical training you do is necessary for the development of your body and muscles. But asanas are curative; they are therapeutic, and they act upon the internal organs, such as the heart, lungs, nervous system, excretory system, reproductive system and the other systems that we have in the body. Yogasanas improve the overall condition and health of the inner organs of the entire body.

Practice of pranayama

Pranayama are breathing practices in which you breathe in a particular way or retain the breath for a fixed period of time. You should get yourself properly trained and corrected by a good teacher because pranayama is a very scientific and exact system of techniques. Merely breathing through the nose is not enough. Your health depends on the way that you breathe. If you breathe incorrectly, you will have a tendency towards disease. Many people breathe only from the chest. Others contract their tummy during inhalation and expand it during exhalation. This is totally wrong. First the breathing has to be corrected.

The practices of pranayama directly influence the mind and brain. Those students who suffer bad cough and cold, migraine, poor intelligence; who sleep too much and whose minds are fickle and restless should definitely practise five minutes pranayama daily. There are over thirty types of pranayama, but one in particular is good for students and for children. This is known as nadi shodhana and it can be practised as follows:

Sit in padmasana (lotus pose) or siddhasana (perfect pose) with your spine upright and straight. Close your eyes. Inhale through the left nostril; exhale through the left. Do five or ten rounds and then change nostrils. This is the first stage. When this has been perfected, inhale through the left nostril, then slowly exhale through the right nostril. Again inhale through the right nostril and exhale through the left. Do this practice very slowly with a short rest in between each round. Practise five rounds daily.

Then you should learn how to stop your breath. After inhalation, hold your breath for five seconds; if this is not possible, then hold it for three seconds. Stopping the breath for this short period of time is very useful for the improvement of intelligence and memory. If the breath can be easily held for longer periods then so much the better, but there should be no strain.

These practices should be done in the morning when the stomach is empty. Remember this point very well: asana and pranayama should not be practised with a loaded stomach. Children and students come to school after eating their breakfast. If they do asana and pranayama with a loaded stomach, they will not derive full benefits and it may even be harmful. Therefore, school and college authorities should arrange things in such a way that yoga is taught at school, but the children should be asked to practise it at home.

Concentration practices for memory and recall

Yogic practices to concentrate the mind are also very essential for children and students. Concentration is of two types: on one point and on a series of objects. For the second type you should sit down quietly with eyes closed and remember a number of items, which you should know by heart, and try to visualise them. You can visualise anything, whether a banana leaf, an apple, the rising sun, the half moon, tidal waves and so forth according to your choice. However it is much better to select things from nature which are soothing to your mind like the sky, the stars, flowers, fruits, birds and animals, and not such things as a motor car, a factory or an engine. Choose as many things as you wish; ten, then twenty, then thirty and then forty. You can go up to one hundred items.

By doing these types of practices, you will improve your memory power. First start with ten objects. But you must remember that the sequence of objects should be the same every day and should not change. If you can remember and visualise one hundred objects in one sitting and go on seeing them like a dream, you will develop a fantastic memory. These objects should also include colours and mantra such as Om or Om Namah Shivaya, etc. Even yantras (geometrical figures) can be utilised and visualised. If you have not seen any, then ask your teacher. These yantras are very powerful in influencing the subconscious and unconscious mind. Psychologists and scientists say that these geometrical figures work directly on the deeper levels of mind. There are numerous yantras: sri yantra, tara yantra, surya yantra, gayatri yantra, baglamukhi yantra and so on. Many yantras are associated with chakras or psychic centres, each of which has a specific mantra, colour and ishta devata (presiding deity). All of these concentration practices greatly improve memory.

It is not, however, sufficient merely to have a good memory. You must also have the ability to recall at any time what is in the mind. This is very important, for example, at the time of examinations. When we talk about memory, we must know that side by side with the power of retention, we should also have the capacity to recall facts efficiently when required. Many children are very bright but they cannot write or pass examinations etc. because they do not have the power or capacity to recall. To be able to recall facts and figures it is necessary to practise this type of dharana (concentration) on the flow or sequence of objects, mantra, yantra, etc. You can try your own sequence, and you can start practising from tomorrow. The best time is at night before going to sleep. You will have good dreams and also a deep, restful sleep.

Willpower and one-pointedness

The other type of concentration practice is on one point. Decide on one point. Close your eyes and try to visualise, to develop that point. Try to manifest that point. Try to make that point as clear as you would see it outside, but with the eyes closed. Suppose you are trying to concentrate on a sunflower. Close your eyes and try to see it. If you cannot, then try again. Keep on trying for days, weeks and months, and ultimately you will be able to see that yellow petalled sunflower with perfect clarity. It will manifest suddenly, and when it comes to you, it is an indication that your mind has attained a state of one-pointedness.

A concentrated mind is a powerful mind and a dissipated mind is a weak mind. Those who want to develop willpower must first of all develop a concentrated mind. A dissipated mind cannot have willpower. Take a magnifying glass and put it in front of some paper in the sun. The rays of the sun will quickly burn the paper because the rays have been concentrated. Remove the magnifying glass and the rays of the sun can do nothing to the paper. Why? Because now the sun’s rays are dissipated. When the rays of the sun are concentrated, they develop such power that they can burn paper or almost anything.

In the same way, your thoughts are either dissipated or concentrated. If they are scattered, then they can be brought into concentrated focus by specific yogic practices. Then your mind will become so powerful you can influence other minds. You can influence your character, your whole life and your own health or sickness. If you have a stomach disorder, mental disorder, breathing disorder, or any disorder, you can remove it by willpower alone. How then can one develop willpower? The secret is to learn to concentrate the mind on one point.

What type of point should be utilised? Any point can be used: a black dot, a star, a little flower or the flame of a candle. You can select any one point for yourself upon which you can focus your mind. Gradually, with practice, you will find that the mental focus becomes smaller and smaller. You will start to develop enormous willpower and then many benefits will come into your life. If you want to get up at four o’clock in the morning it will not be necessary for you to put on the alarm clock. You will be able to tell your mind to get up at 3.50 or 3.55 a.m. and at exactly that time you will wake up, because the mind is more capable than an alarm clock. Of course, at present, if you have weak willpower, you will have to continue to depend on an alarm clock to wake you up. Otherwise you will miss your bus or train in the morning, or you will arrive late for your examination.

Quality of mind

What is meant by a strong mind? A strong mind is one which can fulfil its decisions. In contrast, a weak mind is a mind which thinks but does not do. From tomorrow I am going to work hard in my studies; from tomorrow I am going to do asana and pranayama; from tomorrow I am not going to do this or that… but next morning you forget everything. You are still the same wretched being. Why? Because your mind is dissipated. All those great men about whom you have read in history, whether they were painters, artists, sculptors, saints, politicians, statesmen, writers, novelists, engineers or scientists – all those great men were not made by a freak of nature. They became great just by the quality of their mind. Rabindranath Tagore became a great poet, not because he had faculties that you do not have, but because he had a strong mind. He had a concentrated and hence a gifted mind.

Remember that you cannot be anything or do anything worthwhile without quality of mind. If you are ambitious, if you want to do something in life and if you want to get to the top in your career and in your education, merely thinking about it is not sufficient. The quality of your mind has to be improved. If you have a low quality mind then your performance in all spheres will also be poor. If the quality of your mind is very high then your performance must be correspondingly great. To develop a high quality mind you will have to analyse yourself and your aims. And you will have to give some time to the practice of yoga every day, both in the morning and in the evening.

Swami Vivekananda used to go to a library in America and borrow big, thick books and read them in one night. He would borrow one book and the very next day he would return the same book to the librarian. The librarian thought that this fellow was playing games. How could he read such big books on philosophy or science in one day. It should take at least a few weeks or even months per book. He asked Swami Vivekananda, ‘What do you do with the books, do you really read them?’ Swami Vivekananda answered, ‘Yes, you can ask me anything about the contents and I will answer you directly’. The librarian asked him many questions and was surprised to find that Swami Vivekananda not only read the books from cover to cover, but that he also read the back titles, publishers’ names, editors’ names, etc.

How did Swami Vivekananda do it? There are two ways: one is through the mind and the other is through what we call intuition. The first method utilises the lower mind: you read all your lessons and try to understand and remember them. The second method requires that you look at the reading matter and mentally photograph it. This is only possible when you are able to concentrate and meditate.

Body, head and heart

Yoga is essential for everyone who has a body, a mind and emotions. You have a head, a heart and a body. In order to keep these together, you will have to do something. Don’t merely depend on medicine, on recreation or on the study that you are doing. You should look after the welfare of your body, head and heart. If these three things work in union with each other then you will be successful in life. You will be happy, and in the course of time the country and your community will be very proud of you. Today you are studying science. After a few years you will leave school and start work. You will become officers, factory workers, housewives, doctors, nurses, engineers and so on. If you improve the quality of your personality and mind… then and only then will you become a useful member of your community and the country.

(Courtesy : Yoga Magazine, Feb,198

It is interesting to note that almost all spiritual masters have their names beginning with Swami and ending with Ananda. But ananda or happiness is the birthright of all beings in both the upadhi upahitha and upadi rahitha, the embodied and the disembodied state. The Upanishads also declare that it is through happiness that all living beings come to birth, it is for happiness that they live, and it is in happiness that they merge at last. In Taithireya Upanishad it is mentioned that Brahmananda is the greatest happiness in the world, i.e. the happiness attained through Brahmahood. In yoga, happiness is accepted as the most healthy and positive state of the heart. But according to the religious point of view happiness involves all the positive qualities of the heart resulting in love and freedom.

Children are comparatively happier than the rest of the age groups. There are many cases of decreasing happiness with increase in age. Spiritual masters are also subjected to this to a slight extent as long as they are in their physical bodies. Christ and the mahatmas often taught that God can only be won through the heart which is similar to that of a child. This implies that children are the happiest beings in the world and evidently, the state of happiness is Godhood itself.

Happiness comes through the relief from pain also. In some cases pain and happiness act as two sides of a coin. Normal functioning of sex especially the psychological aspect of it, is also related to the gaining of happiness as far as the physiological criterion is concerned. In certain interpretations the birth of opposite genders is meant for gaining ananda. But naturally happiness is the very nature of the female class.

Dharma is the basis for happiness and vice versa only when living beings are happy that they follow dharma: worldly happiness is related to vasanas and ignorance like ego and the undesirable and negative qualities of the mind. Spiritual happiness is gained by the absorption of mind through sadhana like pranayama, meditation, laya samadhi, bhava samadhi, and the climax of all spiritual efforts, the raising of kundalini. Happiness can be gained, to a very great extent, through the singing of music and kirtans and also listening to them. Anyway the net result of happiness is supreme peace and freedom.

(Courtesy: Yoga Magazine, Jan, 1983)

Recently I decided to visit Bihar School of Yoga, Munger and spend a few days at the new hilltop ashram Ganga Darshan. Besides the warm welcome received upon arrival, I noticed that the whole place was fragrant with Swami Satyananda’s physical presence. I saw a lot of activity in progress. The weather was pleasant as the rains had just set in and, of course, Ganga was ever attractive.

To get into the ashram routine, I went to bed early that night and had a luxurious sleep after the day long road journey. Next morning, after the morning therapy class and breakfast, I had the pleasure of meeting with Swamiji who, with his inimitable approach, at once put me at ease. This helped me immensely in settling down to the routine of Ganga Darshan. As if everything was to happen during my short stay, the next day the operation ‘kitchen shift’ was executed. This naturally led to a lot of karma yoga besides simplification of the food, which raised a few eyebrows amongst the TTC students. However, all complaints soon died down once the kitchen got going again in full swing at Ganga-Darshan. This was an important landmark in the history of Ganga Darshan as they were preparing for the big celebration of Guru Poornima and all the cooking and serving was to be done at the new ashram.

Then there was karma yoga in the garden, as well as hectic building activity going on by contract. One day when the labourers’ tools were being used for gardening, the swami in-charge of construction lost his temper with the karma yogis because the paid labourers were bereft of their implements. This practical lesson was followed by a yoga nidra session and further anecdotes by the teacher until dinner commenced.

The office is another area providing facilities for karma yoga, particularly the writing and checking of addresses for the despatch of the Yoga and Yoga Vidya magazines. There always seemed to be many volunteers on hand there as well as full timers to check and allocate the work.

The following morning, some of my friends in the army came up to meet Swamiji. It was an interesting session wherein he advised the simple soldiers to be practical karma yogis.

The day’s lunch had an attraction of chillies besides the previous meal’s rotis (perfectly fit for human consumption) not going to waste. This was followed by coffee instead of the usual tea at two p.m., of course with the strict discipline of no second helping till the first was given to all. It was quite an interesting experience to watch people cooking in the temporary kitchen outside along with the silent preparation for Guru Poornima.

With no dairy products, breakfast at 6:30a.m., simple vegetarian lunch at 10a.m., afternoon tea at 1p.m. and evening meal at 5p.m., one really has to be mentally prepared to make the best of one’s stay at Ganga Darshan. Of course, the fare is not as drab as it appears from the timings and simplicity. There are always compensations like chillies, salt, achar, chutney, mangos, etc. to make each meal a feast for a casual visitor. So much so, I was fortunate to have halwa for breakfast on the day I was leaving, as if a special party had been arranged for me.

Meanwhile my lessons in asana, pranayama and meditation were going ahead and I was having very interesting discussions with the Doctor Swamis and others. There was also oneness with nature, plants and birds, in the ideal environment being created by Bihar School of Yoga, which has to be experienced to be believed.

This was my maiden experience of ashram life, and I cherish every moment of my stay there. It has also helped me immensely in combating physical, mental and emotional tensions. While I was looking forward to the relief of tensions, meditational experience (about which I had no idea) ended as a special plus point for me.

At Ganga Darshan the whole atmosphere is permeated by laughing, joking sannyasins, young and old, all living in the spirit of the Lord under the holy guidance of Swamiji. I was on a different feeling level from the moment I arrived and was hoping that my stay there would not come to an end. But for washing of clothes, there was never a dull moment. The Teacher Training Course lectures added more interest to my stay.

You can count your experiences for whatever they are worth. Learn to wash and clean and come to Mother-earth. Learn to share everything and look after yourself. Learn to develop physical awareness before proceeding to mental and spiritual awareness. For me it was like benefiting from an endless fountain of dedication, love and spirit.

If ever you decide to visit Bihar School of Yoga, do plan to spend 10 to 15 days there at least. Don’t forget to buy some BSY publications soon after getting there. The ashram life refreshes you besides limbering you up physically and holding you at ease mentally and emotionally, relaxing your mind for the present as well as for the future.

Bihar School of Yoga is in this world yet out of this world. In fact, I did not see Munger at all the whole time I was there. So don’t get discouraged because of Munger being high on the crime list. BSY inmates and visitors are treated with all respect and are the safest in this very district. Ganga is most beautiful and takes a complete turn there. Ganga Darshan is a must for all times. There are all kinds of activities going on to complete this monumental development. It is a challenging task but the spirit of Swamiji is always there, permeating every undertaking.

Finally, let me confess that before my visit to Ganga Darshan I thought I had managed a solution to 99% of my problems, but the remaining 1% was still causing me 99% worries. After my visit I found the weight of 99% worries (which were still lingering because of my not being able to tackle the remainder of my 1% problems) disappearing because of this experience which helped me to realise the way life is to be viewed. In my last meeting with Swamiji, before taking leave from Ganga Darshan, he uttered the following words, which still ring in my ears today: ‘Happiness is more important than life.’

(Courtesy : Yoga Magazine, Jan, 1983)

It is not difficult to trace the origin of the other branches of hatha yoga like asanas, pranayama, dhyana etc. to Smritis, Puranas, Tantras and Yoga Upanishads etc., but the same is not discernible with regard to its purificatory processes. No doubt, the word ‘shatkarmas’ occurs in the tantric texts like Yogini Tantra, but there it is purely indicative of tantric practices such as santi, vasikarna, stambhana etc. (*1) having no link at all with yogic kriyas. Great wonder, the sole authority on raja yoga, Patanjali, and even his prominent commentators, nowhere refer to shatkarmas. Though considering vyadhi (*2) as the first and foremost of psycho-physiological disturbances (chitta viksepa), instead of suggesting any purificatory practice for its removal, Patanjali Yoga Darshana (PYD) recommends a purely spiritual-cum-psychological aid – the isvara pranidhana (*3), for this purpose. So much so, the scrupulous cleanliness (sauca) (*4), the strict yogic observance, has the least connection with shatkarmas, albeit later commentators on PYD like Narayana Tirtha (*5) have willfully and intentionally endeavoured to prove so, which effort is farfetched and imposed indeed.

One wonders, why even the works attributed to the father of hatha yoga Goraksha Natha, miss these significant kriyas which, in fact, are part and parcel of hatha yoga. Similarly, an important treatise on Gita, which has greatly been influenced and coloured by hatha yogic thoughts, the Jnanesvari and for that matter even the main Yoga Upanishads, are silent about shatkriyas. Yet, it is true that these practices are quite old. For instance, the technique of ghrit neti, as exists these days, appears to be as old as the buddhistic era. A famous physician of that age, Jivika, employed some practice of the kind to cure the fatal nasal-cum-head disease of a renowned merchant’s wife (*6). At a place in Siva Samhita (SS), (*7) there is a slight passing reference to dhauti prakshalana, though in a derogatory sense. In Siddha-Siddhanta-Paddhati (SSP), (*8) we find mention of shankhaprakshalana but again in a reproaching style. In Yogiyajnavalkya (YY), (*9) as well, a practice somewhat similar to trataka has been enlisted. Hatharatnavali and Hathasamhita, as quoted in Vacaspatyam (*10), refer to a few shatkarmic processes but these works are quite recent. For the first time in hatha yoga history, it is only in the Gheranda Samhita (GS) (*11) and Hatha Yoga Samhita (HYS) (*12) that shatkarmas find their rightful place, i.e. as the first aid to yoga. Hatha Pradipika (HP) (*13) though, recognises the value of shatkarmas but refrains from assigning them any independent position. Shatkarma-Sangraha (*14), no doubt describes a good many purificatory exercises, but the work itself is not very old.

These practices appear in and not before HYP, GS and HYS. Maybe, these existed in the olden times too, but being directly transmittable only in the secret guru/ disciple tradition; or because they were not absolutely obligatory, remained unrecorded in the old texts. Nonetheless, in order to solve this historical riddle, we must not confine ourselves merely to the yogic studies, but should have a peep into the ayurvedic works as well. Impartially speaking, ayurveda (which is as old as Chakra and Susruta) has certainly influenced and consequently contributed a good deal to the hatha yoga school. For instance, in case of bodily imbalances and diseases, hatha yoga has fully accepted the ayurvedic theory of tridosha in principle and practice. To quote a single example, while enumerating the benefits of dhauti-karma (*15), HYP guarantees that this practice cures twenty kapha diseases. But it does not name or elaborate on those diseases, therefore one has to look back to the ayurvedic texts (*16). It is similar with other ailments described at random.

So far as the original source of shatkarmas is concerned, it would be genuine to admit that hatha yoga has picked them from the panchakarmas of ayurveda, since both the systems employ them for the cleansing and purification of internal organs, especially the alimentary canal. The ayurvedic panchakarmas namely vamana (vomiting), virecana (purgative), basti (enema) and nasyam (nasal therapy) (*17) have good parallels in hatha yoga like vamana (dhauti), varisara (*19), basti (*20) and neti kriya (*21). But this similarity cannot be carried further, for we should not forget that in the methods of their performance, both systems vary a great deal from each other. Further, while yogis use only pure water and air for such irrigations, the panchakarmas prescribe medicated solutions instead (*22). Then the other difference, the yogis generally practise them daily for hygienic and preventive purposes, whereas ayurvedic panchakarmas are resorted to only as therapeutic measures when necessary (*23).

To record more contrast, shatkarmas help in the thorough and perfect washing of the internal organs, and impart massage and exercise to the organs, thereby increasing their tenacity and activity. Furthermore, once learned from an expert, they can be independently used without fear.

Nevertheless, shatkarmas, in line with other hatha yogic branches have the spiritual end in view (*24). For example, neti destroys kapha-doshas, and is said to bestow clairvoyance (*25) (divya drishti) and to facilitate khechari, which on perfection would lead to unmani- a higher end equated with raja yoga, advaita or sahajavastha. Karna-dhauti (*26), a physical practice for cleansing the ears, enables the practitioner to hear the mystical internal sounds (nadas) which are produced in sushumna after nadi shuddhi and ultimately culminates in manolaya, leading to emancipation. Trataka (*27), the eliminator of all eye diseases, induces divya drishti and helps towards sambhavi mudra, which on perfection makes the sadhaka one with Brahma. Varisara (*28) is said to transform the body into the divine form, whereas basti (*29) not only cleanses the rectum but invigorates the sense organs thereby bringing serenity of mind. The same is true of other yogic practices. Ayurvedic panchakarmas, on the other hand, do not help in spiritual elevation. Even then, we have to conclude that hatha yogic shatkarmas have their origins in the ayurvedic panchakarmas and not vice-versa, as some scholars think. This conclusion becomes more authentic when we observe the yogic purificatory practices from a historical angle.

* 1. Yogini Tantra, Edt. Kanhaiya Lal Misra, Pub. Laxmi Venkatesvara Press, Bombay, Samuat 2016 – ‘Santivasyastambhnani vidvesoccatane tatha. Mararam paramesani satkarmedam prakirtitam. (1.4.3.)
* 2. Patanjala Yogadarshana (PYD) 1.30.
* 3. Ibid 1.23-29.
* 4. Cf. PYD 2.32; Yogiyajnavalkya (YY), Edt. & Pub. Ramachandra Sarma, Sanatana Dharma Press, Muradabada, 1st Ed. Samvat 1994, 1.68; Trisikhibrahmanopanisad 2.33; Darsanopanisad 1.6, 20-22; Varahopanishad 5.13; Sandilyopanisad 1.14; (in ‘Yoga Upanishads, Edt. Pandit A. Mahadev Sastri, Pub. The Adyar Library, Madras, 1920); The Hatha Yoga Pradipika (HYP), Edt. & Trans. Pancham Singh, Pub. Bhuvanesvari Asrama, Bahadurganj, Allahabad, 2nd Ed. 1932, 1.17.
* 5. Cf. Yoga Siddhanta Candrika (on PYD 2.28), Pub. Chowkhamba Sanskrit Book Depot, Benares, 1911 – ‘Athava yoganganam dhautivastityadi satkarma-nam … anusthanad drdhabhyasajjnana dipti.’
* 6. The Mahavavagga, Edt. Bhikkhu J. Kashyap, Pub. Pali Publication Board, Bihar Govt., Nalanda, 1956- ‘……atha kho jivako komarabhacco tarn pastam saghim janabhesajjehi nippcitva setthibhariyam mancake uttanam nipjjapetva natthuto adasi. Atha kho tam sappim natthuto dinnam mukhto ugganchi. (8.2 Lines 12-14)
* 7. Siva Samhita (SS), Edt. Rai Bahdur Srisa Chandra Vidyarnava, Pub. The Panini Office, Bahadurganj, Allahabad, 1923; 5.5.
* 8. Siddha Siddhanta Paddhati and other works (SSP), Edt. Kalyani Mallik, Pub. Poona Oriental Book House, Poona, 1954; 6.9.
* 9. YY. 6.65
* 10. Vacaspatyam (V.), Vol. VI, Edt. Taranatha Tarkavacaspati, Pub. The Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, Varanasi, 1962; PP. 5401-2.
* 11. Gheranda Samhita (GS), Edt. & Trans. Srisa Chandra Vasu, Pub. Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar, 1933; 1.9-10; also Gheranda Samhita (GS,K), Edt. Swami Digambarji and Dr. M.L. Gharote, Pub. Kaivalyadham, Lona-vala, 1978, 1.9-10.
* 12. Hatha Yoga Samhita, Edt. Vivekananda, Pub. Shri Bharti Dharma Maha Mandal Office, Banaras, (Kashi), 1921; P.3, V.l.
* 13. Hatha Pradipika (HP) of Svatmarama, Edt. & Trans. Swami Digambarji & Pub. Raghunatha Shastri Kokaje, Pub. Kaivalyadhama, Lonavala, 1970; 2.21, 38.
* 14. Satkarmasangrahah (SKS), Edt. R.G. Harshe Pub. Kaivalyadhama, 1970; V. 15-23.
* 15. HP 2.25 – ‘Kasasvasaplihakustam kapharogasca vimsatih, dhautikarmaprabhavena prayantyeva na samsayah.
* 16. The Charaka Samhita of Agnivesa, Edt. Dr. Ganga Sahaya Pandeya, (Part I), Pub. The Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, Varanasi, 1961; 1.20.17- ‘Slesmavikaramsca vimsatimata urdhvam vyakh-yasyamah, tadyathatrptisca, tandra ca, nidra-dhikyam ca, staimityam ca, gurugatrata ca, alasyamca, mukhamadhuryam ca, mukhasravasca……svetamutrane travarcastvam ca iti vimsatih slesma vikarah. Also Cp. Sarangadhara Samhita, Pub. Pandit Pustakalaya, Kashi, 1950; 1.7.119-122.
* 17. Cp. Sarangadhara Samhita 3.8.64 – ‘Vamanam recanam nasyam niruhamanuvasnam, etani pancakarmani kathitani munisvaraih.’ Also Cp. Bhava Prakasa, Edt. Saligrama Vaisya. Sri Venkatesvara Steam Press, Bombay, Samvat 1918 – ‘Prathamam vamanam pascadvirekascanuvasa-nam, etani pancakarmani niruhao navanam tatha. (P. 428) Also for virecana, see Chakra Samhita 1.15f, Susruta Samhita, Edt. Narayana Rama Acarya Kavyatirtha, Publ. Nirnaya Sagar Press, Bombay, 1945; 4.33f; Astangasamgrahah, Edt. Ganesh Shastri Tarte, Bombay, 1888; 1.27; for vamana: Charaka Samhita 1.15f; 7.1.5, 12, 14, 15; Susmta S. 2.34f; Yoga Ratnakar P. 150; Astanga Hrdayam 1.18; for basti- Charaka Samhita 8.1.27f, 8.3.8f; Susruta 2.35-37, 4.35-38; Astanga Hrdayam 1.19; Astanga Samgrahah 1.28, 5.4-6; for nasyam- Charaka Samhita 1.5.56-63; Susruta 2.40.20f, 4.40; Astanga Hrdayam 1.20; Yoga Ratnakar P. 154; Astanga Samgrahah 1.29.
* 18. GS. 1.39; HYS P. 10, V. 29; HP. 2.26; SKS. V. 92-94.
* 19. GS. 1.17-19; HYS. P. 5, V. 6-7; SKS. V. 87-91, 96.
* 20. GS. 1.45-49; HYS. P. 11-12, V. 35-39; SKS. V. 132-147.
* 21. HP. 2.30; GS. 1.50-51; also Cp. Vyutkrama and sitkrama GS. 1.58-59; HYS. P. 12-13, V. 40-41 & PP. 14-15, V. 48-49; SKS. V. 42-48, 55, 67-69.
* 22. Cp. (YH) Yoga Hygiene Simplified by Shri Yogendra, Pub. The Yoga Institute, Santa Cruz, Bombay, 1980.
* 23. Ibid,
* 24. Cp. GS(K), Intr. P. xi; Yoga Mimamsa (YM), Kaivalyadham, Vol. IX.2.PP.6-7.
* 25. GS. 1.51; HYS. P. 13, V. 41; for unmani, raja yoga etc. Cp. PIP. 4.3, 4, 47.
* 26. GS. 1.33; HYS. P. 9, V. 23; for nada also HP. 4.68.
* 27. GS. 1.54; HYS. P. 13, V. 44; for sambhavi also GS. 3.67.
* 28. GS. 1.18; HYS. P. 5, V. 7.
* 29. H.P. 2.29.

(Courtesy : Yoga Magazine, Jan, 1983)