Breathe and Relax: A Satsang on Health and Freedom

05/10/2020 - A satsang online with Swami Sitaramananda

Preparation

The topic of today is highly philosophical, yet practical. It is essential to understand it so we know what to do to be healthy and free. Please be ready during this presentation to be able to do 6 practical breathing and relaxation lessons. Make sure you have space to lie down, and that your room be ventilated.

1. Lie down in Savasana posture and learn to breathe abdominally, without pillow or with pillow. Get a pillow ready, the heavier it is, the better.
2. Sit up either on a chair or cross-legged on the ground and learn to breathe and relax sitting up.
3. While sitting up, learn Kapalabhati breathing (cleansing of the lungs).
4. Learn basic Anuloma Viloma, alternate nostril breath, without retention and with retention.
5. Lie down again, and learn to breathe and relax along with positive affirmations.
6. Last, learn tense and release and complete guided relaxation.

Why the topic of today?

The truth these days of the Coronavirus pandemic is we lose ourselves and our minds drifted in confusion. We are stressed and we have a tendency to not breathe correctly. We panicked and reacted this way or another. The news of the world took our well-being away, thought by thought, breath by breath.

We are caught up in the alarming and contradictory news. The world seems to be negative and conflictual. The focus nowadays is "disease", not "health". Our key words are "death count", "wear masks!", "wash hands!", "social distancing", "go back to normal", "the old normal", the "new normal".

Today I like to introduce you to two new key words: "breathe and relax"! A new motto: "breathe and relax!"

Why are they important?

• Breathing is life-affirming. It reminds us to stay healthy, body-mind-spirit while living.
• Relaxation is to be detached from the illusory world of our mind. So… breathe and relax!

Disclaimer: Right breathing and right attitude towards life will not prevent you from getting the virus, but it will boost your immune system and your quality of life. Even if you get sick, you will be stronger to heal and you will be more equipped to know what to do to help yourself.

Switch it around: Think of Health and not of disease!

• Health is our birthright! We are the master of our health, we are not victims.
• Our life is worth living, therefore struggle to attain true health and to remain positive. This inner affirmation about our worthy life is a good start to help us struggle for self-improvement. Breathe for your life! Relaxation gives us life!
• Life is sacred, we need to see the sacredness in our life and in life surrounding us. This right attitude will bring health in our life.
• You are equipped and supported by Mother Nature, remember her, go back to Nature.
• Go back to basics… and build up resilience and increase our immunity the natural way! We are equipped with the Power of conscious intention.
• Our Thought power is in our hands! Negative thoughts spread like a virus. But we are Master of our destiny.

"The lotus is a beautiful and very fragrant flower that grows out from the mud. The lotus represents spiritual life. It is the theme of this webinar: How to live in the world of pains and sufferings and be free! In other words: how to live out our karmas and be free!"

What is the true nature of the world?

There is no objective world. The world seems to be external to ourselves. But the world is in fact a projection of our mind, according to the yogis. The world is the stage where our karmas will be played out. We are not living in the same world. Depending on our karma we will perceive the world differently.

From another point of view, the world is a creation of God. Both ways of explanation say that it is not material or objective, not something we can control or see with our worldly mind but it is a matter of consciousness.

Who am I?

I am not the objects of my perception and attachments. The objects of our perception can be: our body, people (family and friends), things (home, work environment, possessions), or phenomena of nature (Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether).

But Who is the subject, the perceiver? I am. We are, our True Self is. Objects are multiple, but the Self is One. The key to find peace at all times is to remember the One consciousness in all people, things and phenomena of nature. Objects change while consciousness remains the same.

How to live in the world, find the subject and be free?

• The idea of the world creates duality and separation. Unless we develop equal vision and see that it is all One, all God, it is better to not be lost in the world.
• Our lesson is to detach from objects to realize our inner truth or Atman. The Atman is the Self present in all. It is not changing, stable and ancient, perfect and free, all-pervading and all-knowing.
• The Self is the subject: Realize your Self at all times as the consciousness underlying all things.
• The Self is found in the here and now: In the here and now we can access our consciousness, free from the imprints of the past or the projected future.

Lessons from the Masters & Nature

• From Master Sivananda: He says that the world is your best teacher. His last words were: "Remember, forget!" (remember the Self, God and forget everything else).
• From Siva, the first Yogi: He is depicted with eyes half-closed and half-open, representing an ideal state of mind: being "in the world and out of the world". His open third eye encourages us to see the world with our eye of intuition.
• From Mother Nature: We can easily commune with Nature and find our Oneness with Her. Tuning to Nature makes us humble, opens our hearts, helps us surrender the ego, and calms our minds.

Let’s practice! Positive Affirmations

Breathe and relax either lying down or sitting up, along with positive affirmations applying the 4 paths of Yoga:

Karma Yoga (Action)

• Breathe and relax! May all karmas become Selfless service.
• Breathe and relax! I detach from the results of my actions.
• Breathe and relax! I am doing my duty while I breathe and relax.

Bhakti Yoga (Devotion)

• Breathe and relax! I Love God in all!
• Breathe and relax! I accept and Self-surrender to everything as God’s will.
• Breathe and relax! I am Pure Love and I open my Heart to all of Creation.

Raja / Hatha Yoga (Mind & Body Control)

• Breathe and relax! I balance and purify my prana and calm down my mind.
• Breathe and relax! I slow down my impulsiveness and my thoughts become clear.
• Breathe and relax! I am free from stress, I am free from my personality.

Jnana Yoga (Wisdom)

• Breathe and relax! I practice Self Enquiry: who am I? while relaxing.
• Breathe and relax! I see unity behind all things. I go beyond preconceived ideas.
• Breathe and relax! I remain centered dwelling on my own Self. Nothing can touch me, affect me. I am fine, I am perfect.

Wake up, take away points:

What is the main thing in question here during COVID time? Our respiratory system, the very life we breathe in is being threatened.

To deal with it, what do we do?

Affirm our life! Our birthright! Breathe more! Relax more! Be in the world (breathing) and out of the world (relaxing). This is the solution to all questions.

We dedicate our breath to the health and the awakening of all… Om Trayambakam… Hare Om Tat sat.