Yogi Ashwini

BALANCE: Our ancient texts constantly remind us that time is circular, and the world moves from stillness to chaos, from peace to violence and from birth to death. When we are born, our bodies are in balance and as we go on interacting with the environment around us, imbalance sets in. Imbalances set in even more quickly in the present Kalyug, the heyday of negativity, when selfishness and the accumulated heavy karmas of people are approaching the final phase of this yug. Imbalances result in various types of diseases, thus accelerating the ageing process. Ayurveda is based on prakriti (nature), which is a state of balance, and vikriti (against nature), which implies imbalance. Based on the eight limbs of Asthanga Yoga, Sanatan Kriya has the effect of inducing a state of balance in all realms of existence — physical, emotional, financial and spiritual.

FITNESS: In order to stay fit, people often resort to specific diet plans and exercise routines. This, however, aggravates the imbalances in the body and generates hyperactivity leading to faster ageing. Our bodies exist in layers and in order to bring about a change in the annamaya kosha, one has to effect a change in the etheric layers. No matter how hard you try to achieve physical change by applying physical means, the effect will only be temporary and unsustainable. One must understand that it is something else which controls the physical; one has to reach there to be capable of bringing about a change.
The body is an inherent part of the brahmand, it is also governed by the laws of nature, one of which is non-collection. If we observe nature, wherever there is collection, be it of any kind, an imbalance is bound to develop — at the etheric level, obesity is collection of suppressed emotions, at the physical level it is the imbalance in kapha dosha or aggravation of kapha. Two of the very important purifications in Ashtang Yoga in general, and the Sanatan Kriya, in particular, are non-collection and purity of thought.

YOUTHFUL GLOW: We are what we think. A thought alone holds the power to effect a change in our physical self. Negative thoughts attract grosser energies that manifest as unpleasant traits in our physical body. Therefore, to attain the perfect health, beauty and glow, we need to see inwards and purify our thoughts.
It is, therefore, a myth that one can achieve beauty by artificial means like surgeries, botox, laser therapy and cosmetic implants. For a more enduring and wholesome result, one should opt for simple yogic practices that tune the body to the laws of nature. A union with oneself and nature helps one connect with the divine energies which governs this nature. In order to connect with the desired energy and acquire its physical and etheric attributes, an effective technique is the Samyam Kriya.
Samyam, for example, can be performed with any object whose attributes you desire. Every entity in this creation serves a purpose and exhibits specific qualities which give it its specific form and energy. A sadhak chooses a desired force to unite with and the interaction transmits the same force to the body of the sadhak. For increasing glow and attraction in the physical self, one may practice Samyam when the sun is rising.

EMOTIONAL STABILITY: Desires are never ending; they are the ties, the threads of attachments, which connect us to the world around us. We try to hold on to everything without realising that we entered this world alone and must exit the same way. It is not surprising that a greater part of an individual is troubled not by strangers but by the people close to him. These troubles or emotional congestions are the primary source of leakage of strength from the body.
Most of our emotional ties and grosser thoughts are harboured at the level of the surya chakra, or the solar plexus. This is an extremely volatile chakra which, under conditions of emotional turmoil, becomes unstable. The thymus gland, which regulates all the organs that preserve the body and is responsible for immunity and preservation, is in this region. A malfunctioning of the thymus makes the body an easy receptor of disease. Thus, it is imperative to cut all the heavier connections at the level of the solar plexus to keep emotional congestion at bay.

— Yogi Ashwini is an authority on yoga, tantra and the Vedic sciences. He is the guiding light of Dhyan Foundation. He has recently written a book, Sanatan Kriya: 51 Miracles... And a Haunting.
Contact him at dhyan@dhyanfoundation.com