by Gurani Anjali
Lie down on your backs. This is a nice way to be in pranayama class – (laughter from class). Supposing I said “lie down, go back to bed.” It would be easy to say that, it could easily be done. What does lying down and getting into bed mean? What is the sensation that comes about you? What do you feel when I say “lie down and go back to bed?” Would you like to go back to sleep? How does the body react to those words? What is the body sensation that you feel right now – “sleep” – “getting back into bed”. What is it doing to you?
A lot is being done with hearing. You are hearing all this. Words have a tremendous go power because they are carried by Vayu (air). And there is that element of energy known as prana (breath), and it is moving the air and goes into your body. Words are very, very powerful because we have been trained to hear words. Words play a very prominent role in life. They are a tremendous stimulus. How your whole body goes into certain shifts and moves and certain directions – just by the mere mention of a word your whole body goes into contractions.
It is so important to hear the words. Hear them and then realize that they are words – and then think about them – and then allow them to enter the body. Other than that, don’t allow it. You have to put that screen in the way. You can hear it, but don’t allow it to enter – the subtleties of the body. Like when I said, “Would you like to go back to sleep, would you like to go back to bed?” See, right now you are not feeling it as much as you felt it a couple of minutes ago. Words have a great impact on our entire lives. Words – when you hear, carry it with Vayu (air) into the body with a very soft voice – we must be very aware of the hearer.
Always remain in that place of perfection. That place is always the place that you are in. It is from that point that you move to other points. You are always in that perfect place. No one can ever take you away from that place. You are always there. To realize that – to know that – you must get rid of the ignorance that you have – realizing that you had a lot of ignorance.
Since you have all been in Yoga training for a while, you have gotten rid of those heavy, heavy impressions that you had. Right now you don’t feel that stifling heaviness that you did at one time. There is a certain sense of well being that you have seen so far in Yoga. You are not the same person that you used to be. You are very, very different. But because you still have the same name and you are still living in certain situations and culture, you still identify with certain past impressions. Those are very trivial and can be erased in time. It is important to remember that you have that space – that place.
So be careful when you hear anyone speak or say anything, or you hear certain sounds, certain noises. Just hear it like you would see a movie or the radio. Just hear, but don’t be moved by it. Only move with your will – don’t move unless you use will. Just hear for the mere sake of hearing, see for the mere sake of seeing. Unless you want to penetrate into words, into sound, then take a second hearing and go with it, with your will. Other than that, just see for the sake of seeing and hear for the sake of hearing. But all the while, remain in your place. You are always there and no one can take you away from that place.
Let us say Om now. Om is the creator of all manifested life. Om is the preserver of all manifested life. Om is also the destroyer of the manifested realm. Om is a maker; in Sanskrit it is Om-kara (creator). Om resides in prana (breath). Om is uttered by the force of prana. By the cause carried on the winds of vayu (air) – so pranava (Om, infuser of life force) is prana, which is Om-kara. There is no difference between the two. But in the manifested world all is sustained by the force of Om. So honor that very important sound because every word and every sound comes out with Om. A sigh or a cry or when you say yes or no, you have to say Om – it comes all tied up in that. It is a very beautiful word. It is the creator, the preserver and the destroyer of all the manifested realm.
When you are not speaking, and you are sitting in silence, then Om resides inside of you. And in the breath it is moving to sustain the inner you – the ‘whole’ part that is inside of you, which no one sees. Everyone sees the outside form. But there is that inner form, that inner being, that inner life, that inner city, that inner realm – it is residing inside and is moving by its force inside, by itself. And mind vibrates through that. The senses are alerted to that. All comes alive through that.
“Pranayama — there is the outer hold and the inner hold — what do you hold?”
— Gurani Anjali
Sometimes you like to sit in silence, because sitting in silence makes you feel so calm; so full and free that you just love to be quiet. There is that peace that comes. Why? Because there is this Om power. The internal manifestation of this realization is working inside of you, taking you to higher and higher states of awareness. But it is your will, it is your mind, it is your understanding that has to direct these powers that you have. You must have understanding, you must have knowledge, and through that you will arrive at wisdom. Honor Om by sounding and manifesting it in this manifested realm. Pick the time that is most favorable for you. And compose yourself and do pranayama (breath regulation). The place and time provided must come from you. Find the time that is most fitting for you to do pranayama. Do what was shown this morning. I hope you remember. Om, shanti, shanti, shanti.