# Yoga/Print version

The current, editable version of this book is available in Wikibooks, the open-content textbooks collection, at
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Yoga

# What is Yoga

Wikipedia: "Yoga refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India. The word is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Major branches of yoga in Hindu philosophy include Raja Yoga (Patanjali, meditation and positive thinking), Karma Yoga (do good), Jnana Yoga (think about yourself), Bhakti Yoga (pray to God, the Guru or to your inner self), and Hatha Yoga (body exercises and meditation)."
Yoga is a path of health, relaxation and inner happiness. We cleanse systematic our body and mind of the tensions (samskaras). This gives us inner happiness, healing and ongoing health. The body becomes healthy. The mind becomes positive. We get the properties of inner peace, inexhaustible energy, mental clarity, embracing love, joy and kindness. Yoga provides a variety of techniques. It has techniques for the body and the mind. We should practice each yoga exercise so that it works well for us. What hurts us, we omit. What is good, that we do. We can vary all yoga exercises creatively. We ask ourselves constantly: “What do I need now? What’s good for me? What triggers best my tensions?”

## Yoga Philosophy

Yoga refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India. Patanjali systematized the conceptions of Yoga and set them forth on the background of the metaphysics of Samkhya. Samkhya is one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy and classical Indian philosophy. The Samkhya school is dualistic (God and nature exist). Advaita Vedanta (non-duality, only God exists) is considered to be the most influential school of Hindu philosophy. Vishishtadvaita Vedanta is a sub-school of the Vedānta. Vishishtadvaita is a non-dualistic school. It is non-dualism of the qualified whole, in which Brahman (God) alone exists, but is characterised by multiplicity. In consequence the Advaita Vedanta says that only enlightenment is important. Vishishtadvaita and Samkhya say, that Enlightenment (God) and a good wordly life is desirable. We have to work for a happy world and our own happiness. These are the two fundamental spiritual positions.

## Hatha Yoga Pradipika

Hatha Yoga is a system of Yoga introduced by Yogi Swatmarama, a sage of 15th century India, and compiler of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. In this treatise Swatmarama introduces Hatha Yoga as a way of physical purification that the body practices for higher meditation. The word Hatha is a compound of the words Ha and Tha meaning sun and moon. A Yogi has to join together sun (masculine, active) energy with the moon (feminine, receptive) energy, thus producing balance and enlightenment in an individual. Hatha Yoga is a strong practice done for healing and purification. Hatha Yoga is what most people in the Western world associate with the word “Yoga” and is most commonly practiced for mental and physical health. The most comprehensive text of Hatha Yoga is the Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Yogi Swatmarama. It includes information about shatkarma (purification), asana (postures), pranayama (subtle breath energy), chakras (centers of energy), kundalini (enlightenment energy), bandhas (energy control), kriyas (purification techniques), nadis (energy channels), and mudras (energy gestures). Traditionally, Shiva is credited with propounding Hatha Yoga. It is said that on a lonely island he gave the knowledge of Hatha Yoga to Goddess Parvati, but a fish heard the entire discourse and gave it to the fisherman and yogi Matsyendra. The fish is a symbol for the contact to your own intuitive wisdom. Matsyendra has heard Shiva and Shakti in himself. For us this means that the Hatha Yoga is an intuitive and not a dogmatic spiritual system. Each person is allowed to develop his own best way of practicing yoga.
* Quotes from the Hatha Yoga Pradipika: Hail to Shiva, who expounded the knowledge of Hatha Yoga which guides us gradually to the highest peaks of Raja Yoga (enlightenment yoga, meditation and mind work). Yogi Swatmarama now explains the Hatha Yoga. Matsyendra, Goraksa and other great yogis knew about the wisdom of yoga and thanks to their benevolence Yogi Swatmarama learned it. All the great masters broke the power of death and roam as free souls in the universe. A Yogi should practice Hatha Yoga in a secluded place. He should live in a country where is peace, where are good people and where you can get food easily. The effects of yoga can be destroyed by the following six causes: too much food, too much effort, too much chatter, too extreme practicing, too much contact to other people and too much inconsistency. The following 6 causes bring quick success: courage, boldness, perseverance, good understanding, trust and seclusion. Important are: self-discipline, confidence, compassion, determination, reading, morality, wisdom, simple needs, renouncement. Whether you are young or old, skinny or sick, the one who overcomes inertia will be successful in yoga. By reading books on yoga alone, no one can attain success. Practice alone is the way that leads to success. That's for sure. Through asanas (yoga exercises) and kumbhakas (breathing exercises) the inner power awakens. Asana, kumbhakas and other techniques should be practiced until success in yoga comes. Due to the impurities of the energy channels the energy flows not through the central channel. How then can success be attained in enlightenment? Once the yogi has cleaned the energy channels through his yoga practice, he is able to direct the energy (to do Raja Yoga, Kundalini Yoga). If the dormant kundalini energy awakenes by the blessing of a Guru (inauguration, power transmission), then all the power blocks are removed. Sushumna (the center channel from the pelvic floor to the head) is the main pathway for the flow of energy. Then the mind is free from all bonds. The fear of death is defeated. The yogi whose kundalini is awakened by the grace of an enlightened master and who renounces of all activities (living in the rest) achieves effortlessly samadhi (enlightenment). Oh Parvati! Diseases are destroyed by yoga and even the death will overcome. When the mind is united with God, there is no dualism. Unceasing joy arises.

## The Path to Inner Happiness

Inner tension and inner conflict occur when people prevent themselves from being at peace and from experiencing true happiness at a deeper level. This inner tension and conflict takes energy, destroys any chance for contentment, and lower one’s overall spiritual positivity. A highly tense and conflicted person tends to have negative thoughts. Love for oneself and others is blocked mentally and spiritually.
Inner conflict can mainly be traced to one’s childhood. In a conflicted society, where pressure to perform and competition is a daily reality ingrained upon its members, a tendency toward conflict and tension is passed on from parents to their children during their upbringing. Parents live out their worries, doubts, fears, aggressions, addictions, and thus influence the spiritual development of their children. Other childhood sources of learned conflict stem from television. Tension in turn then comes from professional stress, strained relationships, divorce, and more, as these children grow up to face similar challenges as their parents face or once faced.
The good news is, whenever this inner conflict builds up inside, it can also be eliminated. The bad news is this can take quite a while. Whenever tension builds over the course of several years, it will also take years to relieve. It is always worth the effort, however, to take on the challenge of curing oneself of such inner negativity. For example, illness later on in life can be avoided as a life full of peace, energy, and positivity is a healthier one.
The amount of inner peace a person possesses correlates oppositely to the amount of tension in one’s body and spirit. The lower the tension, the more positive the life force present. Every person has the potential to find absolute peace and contentment. Everyone can achieve enlightenment. The only thing standing in the way of this goal is our own tension and negativity. Once these darker feelings subside, our inner positive energy grows.
A good way to go about curing oneself of this life force robbing negativity is to practice several spiritual exercises every day. We have to live in a way that facilitates a gravitation towards the light, instead of the dark. Most people in today’s day and age are on a march in the opposite direction. They live day to day feeling egotistical and stressed out. They live their lives focused on creating more tension and end up burnt out, sick, negative, and depressed.
Tension can reside in the body and the soul. The body and the soul are connected, and in order to relieve ourselves of inner tension, we should practice spiritual exercises for both elements. Inner happiness can manifest on a deeper level only when we cleanse ourselves of this inner tension. As people are very individual, no two have the same sorts of tension and negativity. Everyone should therefore experiment with said exercises to find what is best for him or her to direct one’s path in the appropriate way for him or herself to find inner happiness. True contentment can be found as one of the enlightened. The deeper purpose of life is to reach enlightenment.

## Karma Yoga

Karma Yoga is the path of all-embracing love. We reach enlightenment, if we take the happiness of our fellow man more important than our own happiness. We identify ourselves with all. We see us in all. We feel at last one with all. In this way we overcome our ego and get a unity consciousness. Ego sacrifice combined with a cosmic consciousness is the basis of enlightenment. If we train these qualities, we relax deep in our soul, because we take ourselves not so important. We visualize ourselves in all person and thus awake our Kundalini energie. Karma Yoga practised on the real way awakes our inner peace, love and happiness.
The path of all-encompassing love gives life a deeper meaning. It gives us the power to overcome barriers and burdens. When we facilitate the desire for a better world, then we grow further towards enlightenment. The secret to this wish is the connection from the inner to the outer world. We are not spiritually separated from other beings. Their happiness or lack thereof affects us. When we visualize other beings as happy, then we also feel happy. Those who foster and encourage this goal to a happy world creates positivity within. When we send light to all beings, then one day light will come through to our souls. When we do something good for the world, the world will reward us with a positive psyche. But there is a danger along the path of unconditional, all-encompassing love. We can overwhelm ourselves and work too hard and have no energy left for happiness.
A karma yogi must practice equally rooted in love and rest and balance rest with activity. A karma yogi must take care of him or herself, as it is impossible to take care of others unless the self is cared for. Furthermore, a path of exhaustion only leads to burn-out, not to enlightenment. Jesus stated, “love God and love your neighbor.” (Meaning, practice spiritually for the development of the self and help others.) Swami Shivananda declared, “love, serve, give, meditate, purify, and realize your true self.” Sai Baba said, “helping hands are holier than lips which pray.“ Those who work towards happiness for all beings are holier than the yogi who only searches for self-enlightenment. But Sai Baba also taught the balance and the connection between personal practice and all-encompassing love. He recommended six hours per day of helping the fellow man, six hours per day of meditation, six hours per day to enjoy life, and six hours of sleep. There are two great goals a human can have. He or she can seek enlightenment or work towards a happier world. At best, we combine the two. The vision of a happy world provides motivation in a life as a Yogi.

## Computer Yoga

Please see Computer Yoga at Wikiversity.

# How to practice Yoga?

Before you opt for a particular style of yoga, you should consider what you’re looking for. Do you want strenuous exercises (stretching, muscle building, bodystiling) or relaxation (stress reduction, health, peace)? Sporting challenge you will find with Power Yoga, Iyengar Yoga and Kundalini Yoga. Relaxation you can find in the normal Hatha Yoga (Sivananda Yoga, Integral Yoga) and in the Viniyoga. Try out what is good for you (List of yoga schools). Ultimately, every yoga teacher has his personal style. Every yoga teacher has weaknesses and strengths. Learn from any yoga teacher. Find your own way to practice yoga. Take the best for you and accept in any yoga class the things that are personally not effective for you. And above all, always stay on your path of truth and accuracy. Don´t give up your mind on the door to spirituality.

## The Main Practice Rules

Yoga is a path of health, relaxation and inner happiness. The ultimate goal of yoga is to live permanently in the light. We cleanse systematic our body and mind of the tensions (samskaras). This gives us inner happiness, healing and ongoing health. The body becomes healthy. The mind becomes positive. We get the properties of inner peace, inexhaustible energy, mental clarity, embracing love, joy and kindness. Yoga provides a variety of techniques (List of asanas). It has techniques for the body and the mind. We should practice each yoga exercise so, that it works well for us. What hurts us, we omit it. What is good, that we do. We can vary all yoga exercises creative. We ask ourselves constantly: “What do I need now? What’s good for me? What triggers best my tensions?” Ideal is a practice time of fifteen minutes. If you do four weeks yoga every day at a certain time, your mind gets accustomed to your daily practice. Then it is easy for you. Yoga becomes for you a simple way to preserve your health and your inner happiness.
Find your individual rhythm and your priorities. Do the breaks at the right moment and in the right track. If you do not want to spend much time for yoga, just do a little break at the end. Through the exercises you will gain experience with yoga. You learn the key techniques. You get a lot of exercise tips. After a while you'll know what is good for you. You'll find out what yoga exercises you need personally. You'll find your personal way to practice yoga. Yoga is an ongoing experiment. On the way to self-realization, you will need many different yoga practices. There are specific techniques for each stage of development. If you know the basic exercises presented here, you will find quickly in any situation the right technique.

## Yoga and Breathing

Breathing in yoga is basically a natural breathing. The breath is calm and relaxed. For most people it is the best not to focus on the breath, but on the body and the postures. The breath finds on its own its optimal form. If a yoga exercise is strenuous, we breathe more calm and relaxed. We do not hold your breath. Thus we could cramp inside and block the process that releases tensions. It is better to breathe deeply in the stomach. Deep breathing is the natural way at a strenuous exercise. The body can absorb more oxygen and perform strenuous exercises with internal relaxation. Many schools of yoga teach to focus on the breath while doing the yoga postures. Sometimes even the yoga exercises are done in breathing patterns. You breathe in, go into a yoga pose, exhale and go into the next yoga pose. This is especially at the sun salutation, a series of well-known yoga practice. Yoga thus is a breathing meditation. This can be good for you. Then stick to it. But the concentration on the breathing leads to a loss of body awareness and inner relaxation. Yoga becomes ineffective. Most yoga practitioners can not concentrate on breathing and at the same time stay relaxed in the body. They are overwhelmed and tense up. The best way is to practice yoga exercises and breathing exercises separately in principle. Breathing exercises are important. We can absorb energy through respiration and resolve our tensions. Make breathing exercises in the sitting position to calm the mind.

## The Best Time to Practice Yoga

Get used to a certain time for your yoga practice. At best you do every morning and evening for about 5 to 15 minutes yoga or meditation. If yoga twice a day is too much, you can practice yoga also once a day. Even once a day regularly yoga is a great asset to the health and relaxation. A daily practice is ideal for long-term tension reduction, for the maintenance of physical health and mental wellbeing. The yoga exercises in the morning will make you ready for the day. You bring your energy system in motion and go with positive mood through the day. Yoga exercises or meditation in the evening are important to resolve the tensions accumulated during the day. As a result, the recovery value of your sleep increases significantly. You recover better and have so much more from your life. Scientific studies have shown that the stress of the day is stored in the muscles. This stress is still largely present in the body in the next morning. It has not gone away. This shows the need for a regular tension reduction. Otherwise it may be that your inner stress is getting bigger over the years and causes great harm in the long term. Give yourself a shake and practice yoga or meditation every day. The time is really quite small and the effect is huge in the long term. It is important to develop self-discipline. You need it to win spiritually. When we practice yoga in the long term, it will always open up new dimensions of practice. The seemingly simple yoga exercises unfold deeper effects. We feel energy that is created with each yoga postures. Yoga is a game with energy. And at some point the energy will then flow more strongly, and we remain a long time in a yoga position with a sense of ease, peace and bliss.

## The Best Motivational Tips

An important point in the daily practice of yoga is the motivation. We all have to reckon with the fact that, although we recognize that a daily yoga program in the long term has a very positive effect on our health and general well-being, we all have very little self-discipline and perseverance. We can counter it by working regularly on our motivation. First, we should never let go of our daily routine. Once we have slipped from the right path, we take up again our daily practice immediately after our period of weakness. We oppose our self-destructive thoughts through the positive thought of spiritual victory. We think about the benefits of a daily health and relaxation program. Second, it is important to make our daily yoga practice in a way, that we enjoy doing it. An important tool for this is beautiful music. If we do the yoga exercises with beautiful music, it is a lot easier. Third, we feel what is effective and good for us. We can vary our yoga exercises. We do yoga corresponding to our personal needs. A big help is to make yoga in a group. A group strengthens us to take Yoga important. The energy of the group carries us through the yoga exercises. A solid yoga group gives us great support for a continuous yoga practice. About 20% of people can keep their yoga practice alone, but 80% with a group.

## The Great Treasure

Yoga is a great treasure. Yoga keeps the body flexible, strengthens our muscles, dissolves tensions in the internal organs, activates our life energy and makes our mind positive. Yoga helps us to cope our life, to preserve our health and to let the happiness grow in our world. Through yoga we can become a Buddha, a Shiva and a Goddess. Kings have given up their kingdom to gain the wealth of yoga. Yoga is so vast that it can hardly be imagined. Many people nowadays are on an intensive search for the great good fortune. They seek it in relationships, in career and consumerism. They seek happiness in the wrong place. Where they seek, they will not really find it. All external happiness is fleeting. Lasting happiness a person can find only in himself. 90% of the happiness comes from the consciousness of a person. It depends on his mental attitude, his inner qualities and his ability to think positive. This is the clear recognition of the current happiness research. The ancient yogis knew these facts for thousands of years. They have focused their lives on the realization of their inner potential. Many people exercise wrong. They practice yoga only formally (as an external form) without inner feeling. They do not resolve tensions. It is important that we practice goal-oriented, effective and with endurance. Live as a winner. God bless you.

## Yoga for Beginners

Get the benefits of yoga. Learn yoga from a video with beautiful music. Relax in a few minutes with an easy yoga series. Do it as it is good for you. If you cannot do something, don't do it. The first ten minutes we learn some basic yoga exercises and the last minutes we meditate with some mantras and the muscle relaxation. If you have little time, make only the yoga exercises or only the meditation. Do yoga at least once a week so that you stay healthy and happy.
1. We lie down on our back and relax.
2. We raise the outstreched right leg and hold it in the air. Then we raise the left leg in the air and hold it.
3. We raise both legs and the head in the air. We hold it as long as possible and breath relaxed in our belly.
4. We go into the candle, raise the butt and the legs to the sky. The hands strengthen our back. We move our feet and relax a minute in the candle.
5. We lie down again and rotate the spine. We turn the pelvis to the right and the head to the left. And the other way round. We twist the spine as far as possible.
6. We turn in the prone position and raise the right outstreched leg. We hold it and breath relaxed in our belly. Then we raise the left leg and hold it in the air.
7. We put our head backwards and bring our feet as far as possible to the head. The legs are in the air and the hands lie beside the body on the ground. They support the position. We hold the Cobra, breath relaxed into the belly and move the feet.
8. We lie the head on our hands, move our feet and relax.
9. We sit cross-legged or in the heel seat. The back is straight and the belly relaxed. We think one minute the mantra "Om Shanti". We think it so fast, that all thoughts come to rest. Then we move a hand in blessing and think: "I send light to (name). May all people be happy. May the world be happy."
10. We lie down and make the muscle relaxation. We tense the muscles of the legs and feet. We relax. We tense the muscles of the arms and hands. We relax. We tense the muscles of the head and the face. We relax. We tense the muscles of the whole body. We relax. We move the feet. We relax completely for some minutes. We go peaceful and happy our way.
---> Yoga for Beginners with pictures

## Videos

* Shiva Rea Yoga Sun Salutation
* Yoga for Absolute Beginners. Try this!
* Yoga for Complete Beginners - Yoga Class 20 Minutes
* YOGA FOR BEGINNERS Part 1
* YOGA FOR BEGINNERS
* Yoga for your Back - 20 Minutes Yoga Class
* Yoga to Get Your Morning Moving!
* Morning Yoga Flow
* Yoga to Make You Happy, Relaxing Beginners Routine for Stress & Depression, Lori Austin
* Yoga Full 30 minute routine - eFit30

# Dynamic Exercises

A Yoga class consists of Dynamic Exercises, Exercises in Lying and Meditation. Then you feel complete well. Find first your personal Dynamic Exercises. You cannot stretch before warming up. You need cardiovascular exercises for your health for at least 10 to 20 minutes.

## Shake Meditation

The Shake Meditation is a good way to quickly reduce stress and recharge with positive energy. We turn on a beautiful music, stand upright and move dynamically in the knees up and down. We can dance or go on the spot. The Shaking is a fast movement from the knees. The knees shake the body. The movement in the knees is small and fast.
* Be angry. We shake all the stress of life out of us. We think the mantra, "anger". We transform all stress unto motion and liberate us as this.
* Be sad. We solve our pent-up grief. We think the sentence: "I am sad because ...". We move all the sadness out of us. What makes you sad today? Think the reason several times as a mantra.
* Circle the shoulders. We circle our shoulders. We move the shoulders as it is helpful for us. We solve the tension in the shoulders and the neck.
* Turn the spine. We rotate into the spine left and right. We solve all the tension in the spine. The head also rotates to the sides.
* Massage your body. We massage our body with a healing color. We are wrapped in a cloud of a healing energy. What healing color is good for you today? Think of the name as a mantra, "Yellow, Orange, Purple ...". Massage the healing color from head to toe in your body.
* Earth you. We rub the healing color with the right and left foot on the floor. We paint a healing circle around us. When painting with our feet, we feel the earth. We think the name of the color as a mantra.
* Go on shaking, move one hand and send a person light. We send the whole world light and think, "May all people be happy. May the world be happy."
* Move around a few minutes as you like. Feel what you need now? Do it!
* Video Shake Meditation Yogi Nils (10 min.)
* 14 minutes only Shakemusic

## Sun Salutation

* 1. Visualize the sun and think, "Om"
* 2. Inhale and think, "Sun"
* 3. exhale, "Om"
* 4. inhale (hands at the earth ), "Sun"
* 5. exhale, "Om"
* 6. inhale, "Sun"
* 7. exhale, "Om"
* 8. inhale (hands at the earth ), "Sun"
* 9. exhale, "Om"
* 10. Circle with the arms, inhale, "Sun"
* 11. relax
The Sun Salutation is one of the most popular yoga series. It exists in many forms. Here is an abridged version. The secret of its potency is the combination of simple body movements with a strong visualization of light. We really see the sun in the sky. We feel how her love, light and heat radiates down on us and fills us with strength. Best we perform the Sun Salutation facing the sun, so that we can directly take the light. We make the Sun Salutation fast or slow. Normally the movements are associated with inhalation and exhalation. Do the (1 - 10) Sun Salutation 5 to 10 minutes. Then relax in lying down.
* Sun = We stand upright on our yoga mat. We put the palms together in front of the heart chakra. We face the sun and think (or speak) the mantra "Om". We welcome the sun, the light and the life.
* Sky = We stretch out our hands to the sky and think, "Sun." We breathe in.
* Earth = We bow the straight upper body down, hands lay next to the feet on the ground and think, "Om". The crown chakra shows to the feet. Thus, the root chakra is activated (earth energy). We breathe out.
* Step backwards = We put a foot wide backwards and stretch our face back up to the sun. We breathe in and think, "Sun." Our hands are beside our feet.
* Dog (mountain) = We also put the other foot back. We breathe out and push our butt up to the sky. The head points to the feet, "Om".
* Cobra = We move our pelvis to the ground and stretch our head back and up to the sun. The two legs are on the ground, we push the upper body with our arms up, and the back hanging down relaxed. We breathe in and think, "Sun."
* Dog (mountain) = We strech again the butt to the sky, the head shows to the feet. We breathe out and think, "Om".
* Step forward = We put a foot forward between the hands. The head rises again to the sun. We breathe in: "Sun".
* Earth = Feet between our hands, the butt to the sky, head to the ground, breathe out, and think, "Om".
* Circle with the arms = We get up and make a big circle around us with our arms. We visualize the unity of the cosmos, breathe in and think, "Sun."
* Relax = We lie down, move our feet, stop one minute all thoughts and then relax.

## Yoga-Walking

Yoga Walking is enlightenment while walking. This is the ultimate kick! This is health training, stress reduction and inner happiness in one. Yoga Walking is your daily pilgrimage into the light. If you really pilgrimage, the pilgrimage will you turn into a goddess of happiness. Go first rather quickly (power walking) and at the end rather slowly (slow walking). You can also go at home on the spot (10 minutes to music) or in a gym (treadmill).
* When walking stomp your anger into the ground. Let all the pent-up anger out. Think the mantra "Anger, Anger, Anger ..." What annoyed you today? Free yourself! Solve then when walking your sadness. Feel in your sadness inside. What makes you sad today? Think several times the mantra: "I'm sad because ..."
* Shoulders rotate. Solve the tension in your shoulders and your neck. In what way do you have to move the shoulders so that you achieve a good effect?
* Spine rotation. Turn yourself when walking several times in the spine to the right and to the left. Also turn the head with.
* Massage a healing color from head to foot in your body, and think the color name as a mantra. What color do you need now? "Orange, blue, gold, pink ..."
* Concentrate when walking on the ground. Feel the earth. Think the mantra "Earth" and breathe a minute into your feet.
* Move one hand and send a person a positive sentence. What do you want to say to him today? Think the phrase several times as a mantra. Send light to the world and think: "May all beings be happy. May the world be happy."
* Imagine the numbers 1 to 20 in the head, chest, abdomen, legs, feet, and in the ground (beneath the feet). Solve so every day quickly and effectively the tensions in all major areas of the body.
* Visualize a beautiful sun in the sky and clothe yourself with a golden ray of sunshine. Fill you with light and think many times the word "Light" as a mantra.
* Stop all thoughts. Move five minutes when walking all the stress out of you, until your mind becomes calm.
* Walk freely. Let all thoughts come and go as they want. Go the way you feel you want to do. Enjoy it. Observe how your mind becomes slowly positive. You are now back from your pilgrimage into the light. You did an important fact for your physical health and your mental well-being. Keep your happiness. The light will accompany you through your whole day.

## Five Tibetan Rites

The Five Tibetan Rites are well suited as morning activation. They clean our chakras and give us inner strength. They get our blood circulation moving and strengthen our muscles. It takes only about 5 to 10 minutes. The Five Tibetans presented in a modified form. Instead of the knee stand we make the windmill. The leg lifting is practiced in a back-friendly form. The sixth Tibetan (abdomen tightening, breath holding) is replaced by a sitting meditation.
* Circle = We are running a minute on tiptoe on the spot, turn us in a circle (around our own axis, the spine) and shake our arms. We can turn around the right or left. While circling around, we visualize a cloud of light around us and think the word "light" as a mantra. If we become dizzy, we turn more slowly. We then massage the light in the whole body and think the mantra "light, light, light ..."
* Windmill = In triangle stand (feet apart) we bow forwards with a straight spine. We extend our arms out to the sides and turn ten times in the spine backwards and forwards. The hand points to the opposite foot. We think the numbers 1 to 10 in our body.
* Mountain and valley = We go forward in the push-up on the floor and stretch our butt up. We alternate between mountain (dog) and valley (push-up) back and forwards. We visualize a cloud of light around us and think the numbers from 1 to 10 as a mantra. The head goes in the valley position to the back and in the mountain position to the earth.
* Pelvis up and down = We rotate into a sitting position, support us with our hands behind the back on the ground and push the pelvis forward up into the air. We stand backwards on the hands and the feet. We form a rectangular table with the body. We move our pelvis back to earth. We go ten times with the pelvis between the earth and the air back and forwards. The head goes forwards (table position) and back. We visualize light around us and count the numbers from 1 to 10.
* Leg lifting = We sit on the ground and support us from behind our back with the elbows on the ground. The legs lie outstretched on the earth. We move the stretched right leg ten times up and down. Then we lift the left leg ten times. We visualize light around us and think the numbers from 1 to 10 in each leg.
* Meditation = We sit in the meditation position (cross-legged or heel seat) and put the hands in the lap. The back is straight and the belly relaxed. We move a hand in blessing and think, "I send light to ... May all people be happy. May the world be happy." We span a minute the abdominal and pelvic muscles, and stop all thinking. We relax. We lie down for a minute.

## Locomotive

The steam locomotive activates our Kundalini energy. It gives us inner strength. We can do it in running or going. Some people love it rather quickly and some slowly. For the duration of yoga practices, there are two principles: We do each exercise as long as it is good for us. If in doubt we make any yoga exercise for a minute.
* Steam locomotive = We run on tiptoe on the spot. We feel the ground beneath our feet. The arms we move as two steam piston forward and back. The hands are clenched into fists. We breathe loud as a steam locomotive quickly and deeply from the belly. We breathe through the mouth and make noises like a steam locomotive. We first run a little on the spot and then turn us around our own axis (the spine). Depending on our intuition, we can turn around the right or left. We begin with a slow turning. Later we turn on the dizzy limit. Thus, the energy moves into our midst. She pulls into our center and strengthens our self. If we become too dizzy, we turn more slowly. We should not stop quickly. This increases the dizziness. It is better to slowly untwist and then walk a little on the place. While circling, we visualize a cloud of energy around us and think the word "Cloud" as a mantra.
* Bend forward = We stand in the triangle (feet wide apart). The hands are together behind our back. The arms are stretched and pulled upwards. In the triangle we bend with the torso forward. We breathe relaxed into this position. The knees should be slightly buckled.
* Candle = We lie on the back and go into the candle. We stretch our legs up, move the toes and think the mantra "Light." We visualize the sun in the sky above us and fill us with light. We can also meditate in rest one minute in the candle.
* Meditation = We roll off from the candle in the medition seat (cross-legged, heel seat or chair). The hands are placed in the lap or on the legs. We breathe in the belly and think one minute while breathing the mantra "Om".
* Relaxation = We lie down. We move a little our feet and then stop a minute every thought. We relax a minute.

## Videos

* Morning Yoga for Flexibility with Tara Stiles
* Sun Salutation, Yoga with Esther Ekhart
* Sun Salutations with Tara Stiles
* How to Practice Sun Salutation-step by step, pose by pose guide
* A Fun Sun Salutation, Yoga Warm up with Aki Omori
* Morning Yoga for Strength & Inspiration with Tara Stiles
* Jillian Michaels: Yoga Meltdown Level 1
* Yoga for Weight Loss morning and evening routine
* Yoga Flow Series Workout For Burning Calories!
* Yoga By Equinox (advanced)

# Basic Yoga Series

Yoga provides a variety of techniques (List of asanas). It has techniques for the body and the mind. We should practice each yoga exercise so, that it works well for us. What hurts us, we omit it. What is good, that we do. We can vary all yoga exercises creative. We ask ourselves constantly: “What do I need now? What’s good for me? What triggers best my tensions?” Find your individual rhythm and your priorities. Do the breaks at the right moment and in the right track. If you do not want to spend much time for yoga, just do a little break at the end. Through the exercises you will gain experience with yoga. You learn the key techniques. You get a lot of exercise tips. After a while you'll know what is good for you. You'll find out what yoga exercises you need personally. You'll find your personal way to practice yoga. Yoga is an ongoing experiment. On the way to self-realization, you will need many different yoga practices. There are specific techniques for each stage of development. If you know the basic exercises presented here, you will find quickly in any situation the right technique.

## Basic Yoga Series

The Basic Yoga Series takes about 10 to 20 minutes. Decide how much time you want to invest every day in your path of yoga. Practice the Basic Yoga Series so that it is good for you. Make small relaxation breaks between the exercises, if it is helpful for you. In a yoga group, there is basically after each exercise a short break. At home you can relax at the end of the series. The relaxation at the end is important because most of the tensions resolve there and we get into a good mood.
1. Cycling = We lie on our back on the yoga mat (blanket). We are raising the head, arms and legs. We move the arms and legs like riding a bicycle. We think the mantra "Cycling". We move to the left and right side.
2. Pelvic rotation = We lie down outstreched on the floor. The arms surround the head. We rotate the pelvis to the left and head to the right. And vice versa. We focus on the spine. We do this gently several times, so that we solve well the tensions in the spine.
3. Candle = From the supine position, we stretch the legs to the sky and prop up us on the back with our hands. We move the legs, such as cycling and think the mantra "Candle".
4. Swing = We roll gently from the candle in the supine position and pull our knees toward our chest. We embrace our legs and relax rocking from side to side. It is as if we swing lovingly a little kid.
5. Arm-leg raising = We turn around and lie on our stomach. We lift the right arm and the left leg stretched as far as possible. We then lift the left arm and right leg. We do this several times and count the numbers from 1 to 20 in the body.
6. Pelvic rotation = In the prone position we lie our head on the hands and turn with our breath several times the pelvis relaxed to the left and right. We focus on the spine and twist as much as possible.
7. Feet = We stay relaxed in the prone position and move softly our feet. The head rests on the hands. We focus on the feet and move it relaxed and gently on our way.
8. Meditation = We rise up in a sitting position (heel seat or cross-legged) and put the hands in our lap (or on the legs). The back is straight and the belly relaxed. We think the mantra "Om Shanti" until our mind comes to rest.
9. Blessing = We move our hand and think, "I send light to (name). May all people be happy. May the world be happy."
10. Relaxation = We lie down comfortably and relax. First we stop one minute every thought, focus on the feet and move it gently. Then we relax for a few minutes completely.
---> Basic Yoga Series with pictures

## Dynamic Mantra Yoga

The dynamic Mantra Yoga is a quick way to relaxation, health and happiness. We connect dynamic yoga exercises with mantras (positive words). We resolve systematically the tensions in all parts of the body. By this we get health and happiness. We become happy out of ourselves. Learn it in an easy way with the video. It is good for beginners and advanced. This yoga series lasts 20 minutes. The first ten minutes we make the dynamic exercises and the second 10 minutes we meditate. Do yoga as it is good for you.
1. Cycling = We lie on our back on the yoga mat (blanket). We raise the head, arms and legs. We move the arms and legs like riding a bicycle. We think the mantra "Cycling". We move to the left and right side.
2. Butt knocking = We turn onto the back, put our feet on the ground near the butt and knock a minute dynamic with the butt up and down on the ground. We work all our stress and aggressions out. We focus on our body. We lift the butt while knocking so much in the air, that we resolve the tensions in the upper body.
3. Feet and fist stomping = Move all your anger out and think the mantra "Anger".
4. Candle = We go into the candle, straighten both legs to the sky and support us with our hands at the back. We think the mantra "Candle".
5. Spine rotation = Lie down on your back. Move your pelvis to the left and your head to the right side. Both to the other side. Twist on this way several times your spine. Feel the spine. Move your feet and rotate the spine. Resolve all tension in your spine.
6. Arm-leg raising = We turn around and lie on our stomach. We lift the right arm and the left leg stretched as far as possible. We then lift the left arm and right leg. We do this several times and count the numbers from 1 to 20 in the body.
7. Up and down = Sit in the heel seat, raise your hands up to the sky, visualize a beautiful sun and think the mantra "Light". Bow forward in the heel seat, bring the light to the earth and think "Light". Do this several times. Finally put your hands behind your back and bring it together with your arms extended upward. This relaxes the chest.
8. Meditation seat = We rise up in a sitting position (heel seat or cross-legged). a) Move a hand in blessing: "I send light to (name). May all people be happy. May the world be happy." b) Think a minute the mantra "Om Shanti".
9. Meditation in lying = a) Count the nummers 1 to 20 in the head, chest, belly, legs and feet. b) Tense and relax twice all muscles. c) Move your feet. d) Relax some minutes completely.
10. Get up and think the mantra: "Om all enlightened Masters. Om inner wisdom. Please guide and help me on my way."

## Computer Yoga

Don´t work too much. Don´t rest too much. Find your personal balance. Stay healthy and happy. Do every day some spiritual exercises. Do Computer Yoga every day. It is very easy. Relax in a few minutes. Go positiv through your life.
1. Move your head and think the mantra 5 to 10 times "Om" in your head. Turn your head left and right. Forward and backward.
2. Move your shoulders, so that all tensions resolve. What is the best way for you? Move forward, and another way round. Move with your elbows and think "Om, Om, Om..." And another way round. Om..
3. Move your spine to the right and left side. The head also. Think "Om , Om, Om.. " in your spine.
4. Move your feet on the ground. Say "Om" in your belly, in your legs, in your feet and in the earth. Concentrate on the whole earth and think the mantra "Earth".
5. Massage your body from head to feet. Put your hands over your head together, rub the palms, visualize the sky above you and say the mantra "Heaven". The light comes down and you massage the light into your face, your eyes, your ears, your whole body and think "Light, Light..." Fill yourself with light. Move your feet, fill light into the earth and think, "Light ..."
6. Move your hand and send light so your people, "I send light to ... May all people be happy. May all the world be happy."
7. Rub your palm together, think on the enlightened masters and say, "Om all enlightened masters, please help me on my way." Now you can ask a question. Think about your life. What are your goals? What is your way? Hear the answer within you. Feel the answer inside. What is the answer?
8. Put your hands on your legs or your belly. Make your mind calm and think the mantra "Om" in your head, your thorax, your belly, your legs, feet, in the earth and in the whole cosmos. "Om Om Om Shanti Om Peace Om Peace Om Shanti Om Peace ..."
9. Stop one minute all your thinking. Sit only there. Don´t think.
10. What do you have to take in your life? Take it. What is your positive sentence now? What helps you to go positive through your day and your life? "My positive sentence is: I am optimistic. I go my way optimistic."
* Computer Yoga for Advanced (video, 9 min.)
* Computer Meditation (video, 5 min.)

## Creative Hatha Yoga

In the Western world we have relaxation yoga, power yoga, stretch yoga, meditation yoga and different kinds of spiritual yoga. Creative Hatha Yoga works with all of these techniques. Most western yogis first learn one special yoga way and then they practice creative yoga. Whatever you choose to do, the main point is to follow your own wisdom, to feel what you need and to find your personal yoga practice. The Creative Hatha Yoga is a way of spontaneously and creatively develop the currently useful yoga exercises. Listen to the voice of your inner wisdom and feel in your body. What exercises do you need right now? How you must practice it, so that your inner tensions dissolve, that your Kundalini energy awakes and you get in a state of happiness and well-being? Try different yoga exercises. Feel what is good for you. Developed your personal yoga series.
Watch the video (Creative Hatha Yoga). The video is in german language, but you can understand it, when you read the following text.
1. Circle = We start with the shaking. We run on tiptoe on the spot and shake the body. We turn around. We massage light in the whole body and think the mantra ”Light, Light, Light … “
2. Cobra = We slowly bow forward. We lay on the ground. We base our head on the hands. We highlight the knees slightly and swing the feet back and forth. We count in the kidneys the numbers 1 to 20.
3. Pelvic rotation = We lay with our head on the hands and relax. We rotate the basin far to the left and right, back and forth. We focus on the spine.
4. Feet = We move the feet and toes slightly. We circle the feet over the ground. We feel the feet. Relax.
5. Massage = We come up and kneel down on the heels. We turn in the spine to the right. The head is also turning. We turn to the left. The head is also turning. We massage the body from top to bottom. We rub all the stress and tension out.
6. Earth rubbing = We bend forward in the heel seat. We rub the ground with our hands and think the mantra “Earth”. We draw with our hands a circle of light on the earth around us. We sit in the circle of light. What color has the circle of light? Yellow, orange, blue, gold?
7. Cycling = We turn around and lay on our backs. We move with the feet a bike ride. We lay our hands on the belly, lift the head, the legs turn to the right and left. The head always shows in the opposite direction.
8. Shoulder stand (Sarvangasana) = We go into the candle. The feet points to the sky. We base with our hands up at the back. We go on riding a bike with our feet, see the light around us, thinking the mantra “Light” and turn our head slightly to the left and right.
9. Blessing = We gently roll down from the candle into our meditation seat (cross legged). We move a hand in blessing and think, “I send light to (name). May all people be happy. May the world be happy.”
10. Meditation (Shavasana) = We lie down on the back. We lay our hands on the belly. We move the feet and toes. We think “Om” in the body, legs and feet, “Om, Om, Om ..” We send all people over the world our “Om”. We feel the cosmos. We feel one with our world. Everything is fine the way it is. We do not have to be perfect. We rest until we feel well. Then we slowly come back. We stretch and loll us. We are back and in a positive mood.
* Video Creative Hatha Yoga (germ., 6 min.)

## Fitness Yoga

Fitness Yoga is a dynamic form of yoga. We can eliminate our stress after work and recharge us with positive energy. In 10 minutes we are fit again.
1. Shake Meditation = We make five minutes the Shake Meditation and move out all the accumulated stress: Dissolve your anger (think the mantra, "anger"). Dissolve your grief ("I'm sad because ..."). Circle your shoulders. Twist your spine. Massage your body. Rub the earth with your feet.
2. Windmill = In triangle stand (feet apart) we bow forwards with a straight spine. We extend our arms out to the sides and turn ten times in the spine backwards and forwards. The hand points to the opposite foot. We think the numbers 1 to 20 in our body.
3. Pushups = We do ten pushups. We count as a mantra in the body the numbers 1 to 20.
4. Arm-leg raising = We turn around and lie on our stomach. We lift the right arm and the left leg stretched as far as possible. We then lift the left arm and right leg. We do this several times and count the numbers from 1 to 20 in the body.
5. Pelvic rotation = We lie our head on the hands and turn with our breath several times the pelvis relaxed to the left and right. We focus on the spine and twist as much as possible.
6. Butt knocking = We turn onto the back, put our feet on the ground near the butt and knock a minute dynamic with the butt up and down on the ground. We work all our stress and aggressions out. We focus on our body. We lift the butt while knocking so much in the air, that we resolve the tensions in the upper body.
7. Abdominal muscle training = We put our hands together behind your head and pull thirty times the head to the knees. The knees are bent and move to the head. We move our upper body 10 times in the middle high, 10 times to the right and 10 times to the left side. We count in the body of the numbers 1 to 30.
8. Candle = We go into the candle, straighten both legs to the sky and support us with our hands at the back. We breathe one minute relaxed into the body.
9. Meditation = We rise up in a sitting position (heel seat or cross-legged) and put the hands in our lap (or on the legs). The back is straight and the belly relaxed. We think the mantra "Om Shanti" until our mind comes to rest. We move our hand and think, "I send light to (name). May all people be happy. May the world be happy."
10. Relaxation = We lie down comfortably and relax. First we stop one minute every thought, focus on the feet and move it gently. Then we relax for a few minutes completely.

## Kids Yoga

The greatest gift we can give our children is a spiritual education. If we teach our children positive values​​, they will be able to lead a happy and successful life. If we bring them close to inner happiness as the center of life, one day they will find their own way to get there.
1. Sun = We stand in a circle and put our hands together in front of the heart chakra. We bow to each other and think, "We welcome the sun."
2. Sky = We raise our arms to the sky and stand on the tip toe. "We welcome the sky."
3. Moon = We stand like a moon, bow to the left and then to the right side in the hips, and move the outer arm over our head. "We welcome the moon."
4. Stars = We make big circles with our arms, visualize the entire cosmos full of stars and think, "We welcome the stars."
5. All children = We're turn ourselves with outstretched arms in the spine left and right, see the children around us and say, "We welcome all children."
6. Grass = We bow the upper body forwards and rub with our hands in circles the earth, "We welcome the grass."
7. Fun = We stand again up straight, put one foot on the opposite knee, standing on one leg like a yogi and shout: "This is fun." For this we applaud vigorously with the hands, until we have all the good mood.

## Yoga Series against Anxiety

Fears are part of our time. Many people have fears. Anxiety is caused by work pressure, violence and movies on TV. Yoga can help to overcome fears by relieving inner tensions, calming the mind and generate positive thoughts. Yoga gives us the strength to overcome anxiety provoking situations. Yoga makes us inwardly and outwardly strong. If you get enlightened, all fears vanish. Face it.
1. Anger = We lie on our back and put our feet on the bottom near the butt. Our knees are upright. The head is on the earth. We pound our fists on the ground and stomp our anger alternately with our feet in the ground. We solve all the pent-up anger. To whom or what are you angry today?
2. Butt Knocking = We knock a minute dynamic with the butt up and down on the ground. We work all our stress and aggressions out. We focus on our body. We lift the butt while knocking so much in the air, that we resolve the tensions in the upper body.
3. Bridge = We put in the supine position our arms around the head and press the pelvis as much as possible upwards. The shoulders and the head rest on the floor. We make large circles with our pelvis in the air. First ten times left and then ten times right around. We visualize water and think the mantra "Water".
4. Candle = We go into the candle, straighten both legs to the sky and support us with our hands at the back. We breathe one minute relaxed into the body.
5. Meditation Posture = We're rolling out of the candle into the heel seat (or cross legged). We stretch our arms to the sky. We breathe in. Then we bow before us and put the hands on the floor. We breathe out. This exercise we do several times and count the numbers 1 to 20 in the body.
6. Blessing = In our meditation seat we move a hand in blessing and think, "I send light to (name). May all people be happy. May the world be happy." We then think the mantra "Light" and send light a) to our friends b) to our enemies c) to ourselves. We massage the light into our body.
7. Meditation = We sit in the meditation position (cross-legged or heel seat) and put the hands in the lap. The back is straight and the belly relaxed. We stop one minute every thought. Then we remain in meditation, thoughts can come and go as they please. All feelings of anger, fear and grief appear and dissolve by themselves.
8. Forward = Forward with optimism.
* See also: Video Yoga for Anxiety from Sue, Video Yoga for Anxiety Ekhart Yoga, Yoga for Anxiety (Video from Amy), Video Tara Stiles
* yoga-poses-anxiety-depression, Yoga for Anxiety and Panic Attacks, Yoga Therapy for Anxiety

## Yoga Stretching

Yoga stretching strengthens the agility of the body. By stretching, combined with a relaxed concentration on the body, the tensions in the muscles is released. See also the video BEGINNING YOGA FOR STRETCH AND STRENGTH (10 min.).
1. Plier = In standing or sitting. We stretch our legs forward. The hands grasp the feet. We pull the head as far as possible to the feet. We move the feet gently back and forth. We send light from the head to our feet and think: "Light, light, light."
2. Butterfly = In sitting. We pull the feet to the body, put the soles of our feet together, grasp the feet and stretch the knee sideways to the ground. The back is straight. We move the knee like a butterfly gently up and down. We think the numbers from 1 to 20 in the legs.
3. Spine = We sit cross-legged. The spine is straight. We rotate several times in the spine. The head spins also. The eyes look left and right to the horizon. What do we see there?
4. Blessing = We move a hand in blessing and think: "I send light to ... (name). May all people be happy. May the world be happy."
5. Meditation = The back is straight and the head upright. The hands lie in the lap. We stop one minute every thougt. We relax.

## Yoga with Meditation

101. Yoga with meditation is slowly and quietly. The various yoga postures activate our chakras (inner energy channels) and load us with good energy. Meditation while the yoga exercises brings our minds to rest. We meditate on each yoga posture 1 to 3 minutes. We feel how each yoga posture forms a specific energy field (aura field) around the body. Through the creation of certain energy fields, we clean our body and mind of tensions. It is helpful, if we can feel the spiritual energy. But it is not necessary. It is enough to concentrate relaxed on our body and the postures. We take breaks as needed between the yoga exercises.
1. Leg raising = We lie on our back and lift a minute the stretched right leg. We meditate on the right leg. The toes point to the head. The head rests on the ground. We set off and lift the stretched left leg as far as possible. The toes point to the head. We meditate for one minute on the left leg. The arms lie relaxed at the sides.
2. Two-leg raising = In the supine position we lift up both legs. The toes point to the head. We raise our head towards the feet. We send a light beam from the toes to the head and think the mantra "Light". We breathe in the stomach. We meditate one minute on the posture.
3. Candle = We go into the candle, straighten both legs to the sky and support us with our hands from the back. We breathe one minutes relaxed into the body.
4. Feet = We roll from the candle again in the supine position, stretch our legs, put our hands on the belly and move gently our feet. We stop our mind and focus a minute on our belly.
5. Cobra = We turn on our stomach and lift as far as possible a minute the upper body with our back muscles. The head is in the back, the hands are placed laterally from the body on the floor. We breathe relaxed into the cobra. We send a beam of light from the head down the back and think "Light".
6. Locust = We set off the head and lift the right leg stretched as far as possible in the air. We meditate one minute on the leg. We lift the left leg for a minute and concentrate relaxed on it.
7. Cobra with feet to head = We raise like in the cobra the upper body and head. The hands are placed laterally from the body on the floor. In addition, we now lift both legs and bring the feet as close as possible to the head. We breathe relaxed in the stomach and hold the position for a minute. We send a beam of light from the feet to the head and think the mantra "Light".
8. Pelvic rotation = In the prone position we lie our head on the hands and turn with our breath several times the pelvis relaxed to the left and right. We focus on the spine and twist as much as possible.
9. Meditation = The back is straight, the head upright, and we relax the belly. The hands lie in the lap. We circulate light in the head, in the whole body, in the legs, feet, arms and hands. At the same time we think the mantra "light, light, light". We visualize in the earth a small star (dot of light). The star circulate in the earth and we think, "Earth". Then we let the star circulate in the sky above us, around our body and in our body. Thereby we think the mantra "Star, Star, Star." We rub in circles with one hand our stomach and the star comes to rest.
10. Relaxation = We lie down or sit in a comfortable position and move gently our feet. We stop one minute all thoughts. Then we relax completely. Go your way positive. Take things as they are. Concentrate on your goals. Work for a world of love, peace and happiness. Move a hand, send all people light and think, "I send light to (name). May all people be happy. May the world be happy."

## Yoga with Positive Thinking

Yoga with positive thinking is very helpful for many people. It allows one to quickly overcome negative tendencies and reach a happy and healthy life. Positive thinking and daily meditation are the two basic techniques of enlightenment. All the negative characteristics are ultimately based on attachment (to external pleasures, other people, to his ego) or rejection (of suffering situations, pain). If we accept the suffering in our lifes and let go of our worldly desires and longings, the tensions in our minds resolve. Our inner happiness creates a positiv feeling of life. We get into a life in the light (in a paradise view of life). The main way to overcome the negative qualities is to focus on the positive qualities of wisdom, self-discipline, peace, love and happiness.
1. Go = Jog on the spot, with your arms moving by your side. Visualize light, turn around and think, "I go the positive way."
2. Windmill = Straddle your legs apart, bow forward, turn like a windmill into the spinal column and think: "My goal is ...".
3. Frog = Bring your feet together. Bow your upper body forward. Push yourself up with your hands on the floor and move your buttocks down in a crouch and back up in the air. The head goes up to the sky and down to the earth. Practice the frog several times and think: "I have strength and endurance."
4. Arm-leg raising = Lie down on your stomach. Raise your left arm and right leg. Bring both back to the earth and lift the right arm and the left leg. Do this several times. Think, "I take things the way they are."
5. Upper body raising = Lie in the prone position, with your hands on the floor and repeatedly press the upper body up and down. The head goes to the neck and forward. While breathing in and out, think, "I let go of my false desires."
6. Pelvic rotation = In the prone position, turn your pelvis to the right and then to the left. Your head must lie on your hands. Think, "I am sad because ...".
7. Feet = Get your feet moving in the prone position. The head lies relaxed on your hands. Think, "I forgive... (my partner / parents / the cosmos / God), that he/she...". Whom do you want to forgive today? Think these words until a feeling of sadness arises in you, of letting go and forgiveness.
8. Cycling = Turn on your back, lift your head and move your arms and legs. Think, "My positive thought today is....".
9. Candle = Stretch your legs to the sky. Your hands support you at the back. Visualize the sky, move your feet and think many times the mantra "Optimism".
10. Meditation = Roll from the candle into your meditation seat (cross-legged or heel seat). Put your hands in your lap. The back is straight and the stomach is relaxed. Move one hand and wrap them and think, "I send light to ... May all people be happy. May the world be happy." Stop all your thoughts for a minute. Relax.

## Office Yoga

Today's professional life is marked by a lot of stress and strain. The Office Yoga helps us to preserve our health and inner happiness.
1. Stretch = We put our hands together, turn up the palms outside and stretch our hands pleasurably over the head. We keep our hands above the head and breathe several times deeply in and out.
2. Right and left stretch = We stretch the right and left side of the body. We continue to hold the hands over the head and breathe several times in the stretched side of our body.
3. Spine rotation = We continue to hold the outstretched hands above our head. We turn the spine several times to the right and to the left side.
4. Elbow circles = We lay the hands on the shoulders and make dynamic circles with the elbows. We resolve the tension in the shoulders and neck. We feel that movement we need and what is good for us. We make small and large circles.
5. Head moving = We lay our hands on the legs. We stretch the head backwards, to the right side, to the left side and let him hang forward. Each time we breathe relaxed in and out.
6. Massage = We rub the eyes and face, so that we can see clearly again. We visualize a color of healing and massage it from head to foot on our body. What is your healing color today? We think the name of our color as a mantra: "orange, blue, gold, pink ...". We bow down and rub also the ground.
7. Meditation = We put the hands in our lap, thinking the mantra: "I am a Buddha (Shiva, Goddess) of the rest. I live in the rest. I go the way of rest." Then we move a hand in blessing and think: "I send light to (name). May all people be happy. May the world be happy."
8. Little Bird = We rub our feet on the ground, visualize ourselves as a tree with roots, trunk, leaves and crown. Thereby we think as mantra: "Tree." We let the roots grow deep into the earth and think our mantra until we are well rooted in the earth. A little bird comes flying, sits on the tree and gives us a positive sentence. What is your bird? What does he say to you?

## Three Abdominal Exercises

We lay our hands on the legs. The back is straight. The belly is relaxed.
1. Pelvic floor = We tense the pelvic muscles, stop our breath, think the numbers 1 to 20 in the pelvis and move the toes. Then we relax the pelvis.
2. Belly = We move the abdominal muscels to the spine, exhale, stop the breath, think in the belly 1 to 20 and move the toes. We relax.
3. Chest = We draw the belly in the chest, exhale, hold our breath, think in the chest the numbers 1 to 20 and move the toes. We relax.
4. Spine = We tense again the pelvic muscles, pull our stomach in the chest, hold our breath and turn us several times in the spine to the right and left. We also rotate the head. We think the numbers 1-20 in the body. We relax.
5. Healing = We rub our hands in front of the heart chakra and ask the enlightened Masters (God) for help. "Om all enlightened Masters. Om inner wisdom. Please guide and help me on my way." We now can make a question of healing. We hear the answer inside. What is your problem? What is your healing question? What is the answer of your inner wisdom? What solves the problem?
6. Healing salve = We visualize a healing salve in our hands, think her color as a mantra and rub it into our whole body. We massage the ointment especially on our sick body areas. What is your color of healing? Rub it for so long in the diseased area of ​​the body, until it has absorbed all the healing energy.
7. Blessing = We rub with our feet the earth, move a hand in blessing and think: "I send light to (name). May all people be happy. May the world be happy." We relax. Feel into your body. How do you feel now? Feel the relaxation and well-being in you.

## Bones Meditation

This meditation strengthens our life force. It heals our internal organs, we center us in our body and get the power to act positively.
1. Moving = We make faces, move our head, shoulders, arms, hands, legs and feet. We turn in the spine backwards and forwards. We relax.
2. Internal organs = We visualize our brain and think several times the mantra "brain." We think the mantra "brain" until we feel that our brain is well filled with healing energy. We also visualize successively all other internal organs and think their name as mantra: "Lungs, stomach, intestines, bladder, kidneys (right and left at the back), liver (front right), spleen (front left), solar plexus, heart." In conclusion, we visualize all the organs at once and think several times: "All internal organs".
3. Bones = We visualize one after another all bones and think at least twice: "Skull, spine, chest bones, arm bones, hand bones, pelvis, leg bones, feet bones, skeleton." So that we can feel the individual bones better, we move them easily. Finally, we visualize all the bones together and revolve light around us. We think the mantra "light."
4. Sun = We see a beautiful sun in our belly. We think the mantra "Sun" and thereby radiate light in our body. The sunlight becomes stronger and fills the entire universe around us with light. We move our arms and think the mantra "Stars". We see the whole universe full of stars and light.
5. Stop = We stop all thoughts. We bring our mind to rest. We relax. If we have meditated enough, we return slowly. How do you feel now? Feel the relaxation and well-being in you.

## Switch Breathing

Alternate nostril breathing is an important yoga technique. It brings us into the inner balance. In the body there are three main energy channels: the left (Ida, moon, peace), the right (pingala, sun, activity) and the central energy channel (sushumna, Kundalini channel). If we have filled the left and the right channels with prana, increases the Kundalini energy by its own in the central channel. Then appears peace, happiness and inner strength.
1. Bellows breathing = We place one hand on your stomach and practice a minute bellows breathing. We breathe at a higher speed with the abdominal muscles and fill our body with spiritual energy (prana, light).
2. Switch breathing = We press our thumb on the right nostril and breathe with the bellows breathing through the left nostril, move the left toes and count from 1 to 20 in the body. We press with your index finger (middle finger, ring finger) on the left nostril and breathe with the bellows breathing through the right nostril, move the right toes and count 1-20 in the body. Then we switch back and forth between the left and right nostril and forth, count the numbers, until a feeling of inner peace and harmony is created.
3. Pelvic Floor = We tense the pelvic floor, count there are the numbers 1 to 20 and move the toes of both feet. We relax.
4. Circles with the upper body = We put the hands on our knees and circle with a straight upper body several times to the left. We tense the pelvic floor and visualize a large sea around us. We think the mantra "Water". Then we revolve several times in the other direction and think again the mantra "Water". We relax the pelvic floor.
5. "Om" in the belly = We put our hands together in her lap, think a minute the mantra "Om" in our belly, breathe into the belly and move the toes. We stop a minute every thought. We relax.

## Goddess Yoga

Goddess Yoga means to pray to the Goddess, visualize the Goddess, identify with the Goddess and realize the Goddess within oneself. To visualize and to meditate on the Goddess awakes the energy of healing, happiness and enlightenment (kundalini energy). The four main Goddesses in Yoga are Durga (the Goddess of power on a tiger), Kali (the black Goddess with a sword), Sarasvati (the white Goddess with a book) and Lakshmi (the Goddess of luck with giver hands). They embody the four properties strength, peace, wisdom and love. If we want to be happy in our lives, we need all these four properties. The Goddess Yoga is the highest form of Yoga. With him we can awaken the kundalini energy (the inner happiness). We can quickly get into the light. Important in Goddess Yoga is, that we are always in touch with ourselves and our inner wisdom. We should never practice formally (without internal involvement). We should find creativity in our personal form of Goddess Yoga.
1. Durga Durga is the Goddess of power. She rides on a tiger (or lion). She has the force of a tiger within herself. What she decides to be her goal, she reaches it. She is a winner. She has many weapons around her, meaning, that she uses creative methods to reach her goals. We shake both fists near our head and think the word "power", until we feel the power of Durga in us. What are the goals in your life? In which way you can reach them? "My goal is ... My way to be victorious is ..."
2. The black Goddess Kali has a sword. She is able to sacrifice her ego and thus to get peace in her mind. We put our hands in the lap. We rub the earth with the feet, we feel the ground and think: "I let go of my false desires. I take the things as they are."
3. Sarasvati is the Goddess of wisdom and creativity. She holds a book and a rosary in her hands. She roots herself in the holy books and in her own wisdom. What is your wisdom today? Track the index finger beside the head to the sky, move it a little and think, "Wisdom is ... Unwisdom is ..."
4. Lakshmi is the Goddess of luck and happiness. Beside her head are two flowers. She sees the beauty in her live. She recognizes her world as a paradise. She is enlightened and has a paradise view of the cosmos. In her lap she holds a pitcher full of gold pieces. She has inner and outer wealth and spend it to her followers. What is your wealth? Recognize yourself as the Goddess of wealth. Rub your hands on your belly and think the mantra: "The wealth in my life is... I am grateful for ... "
5. Be a mother of the earth. Consider all beings as your children. Identify yourself with them. Wish them luck and happiness. You are now Lakshmi with the giver hands. Move your hands and think, "I send light to ... May all people be happy. May the world be happy ."

## Kundalini Yoga

We activate with the star circling the Kundalini energy and then meditate with the Shambhavi Mudra on the light within us. We thus get quickly inner peace and happiness. Sitting in the Shambhavi meditation the light flows more and more into us. The bliss grows more and more. The Shambhavi Mudra is Shivas main meditation. It is the easiest way to stay in the light (in Sat-Chid-Anananda).
1. Earth = We visualize a bright star. We imagine the earth beneath us and circle with a star in the globe. We think the word "Earth" as a mantra. We circle as long with our star in the earth, until the whole earth among us is full of light. We rub the ground with the feet.
2. Sun = We see a beautiful sun in the sky. She sends her rays down on us. We let the light flow into us. We fill our entire body with light and think often the mantra "Sun". We move the feet and toes.
3. Body = We circle with the star around our body and think the mantra "body". We clean all the tensions around our body. We wrap us with light. We massage our body.
4. Inside = We circle with the star in the body. We clean all areas of the body sequentially from their tensions and fill it with light. We think the mantra "Light." We circle with the star particularly in our head, chest, abdomen, legs and feet. We massage the special part of the body.
5. Blessing = We move a hand in blessing and think, "I send light to (name). May all people be happy. May the world be happy."
6. Om Shanti = The hands are in the belly. We tense the muscles in the pelvis, in the abdomen and chest. We keep the tension. We relax. We do that once again. Then we breathe deeply several times in the belly. We think by inhalation "Om" and by exhalation "Shanti". We come with the mantra "Om - Shanti" more and more toward inner peace. Our thoughts become quiet.
7. Shambhavi mudra = By the star circling, our energy has turned inwardly. The back is straight, the head upright, and the belly relaxed. We open half or whole our eyes and focus on the energy in us (the light, a chakra, or the Kundalini channel in the middle of our body). Thus the energy of the eyes flows inwardly and stabilizes our meditation. We stop all thoughts. We concentrate on the Kundalini channel, a chakra (heart or sacral chakra) or the light within us. We spend some time in quiet meditation. Then we come back slowly.
* Video of Fire Kundalini Yoga Breathing Exercise
* Video Kundalini Yoga Exercises
* Video Chakra Meditation Technique for Kundalini Awakening
* Video High Kundalini Yoga Meditation Technique (Sa Ta Na Ma)
* Video Kirtan Kriya Woman (Sa Ta Na Ma)

# Chair Yoga

Chair Yoga is a simple path of yoga practice. It is suitable for beginners. With Chair Yoga, you can quickly relax at home or at work and recharge with good energy.
Wikipedia: Chair yoga is the term generally used to describe a gentle form of yoga that is practiced sitting in a chair, or standing using a chair for support. It is not recognized formally as a type of yoga distinct from other types, such as Iyengar Yoga or Ashtanga yoga. However the poses, or Asanas, are often adaptations of Hatha yoga poses. Chair yoga has helped people with the symptoms of many health issues including: hypertension (high blood pressure), anxiety, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, vertigo (medical), multiple sclerosis, carpal tunnel syndrome, clinical depression, and chronic pain. Chair Yoga is one of the gentlest forms of yoga available.

## Chair Yoga for Beginners

1. Stretch the arms upward. You can fold your hands and turn them to the sky. Stretch as it does you good. Relax.
2. Massage your body from head to toe. Visualize a sun in the sky above you. Think while massaging the mantra "light".
3. Bow down with your upper body, stretch your hands to the ground and visualize the earth beneath you. Think the word "earth". The head shows to the earth. Then shift up with your upper body, stretch out your hands to the sky and visualize the sky above you. Think "heaven." Move now dynamically several times from top to bottom and think "sky" or "earth." Thus, the tensions dissolve in your stomach.
4. Move your head several times forward (nod) and back (neck). Concentrate on your body and send light to the front over the sternum and to the back over the spine to the feet. Think the mantra "light".
5. Move your shoulders in your own way. Release the tensions in the shoulders and neck. Circle with your shoulders forward and backward.
6. Turn yourself in your spine several times gently as far as possible to the left and to the right. Focus on the spine and think several times the mantra "spine".
7. Breathe deeply into your belly and fill you with breath energy (prana). You can also breathe in the pelvic floor or the soles of the feet. Find out what brings you best to rest.
8. Move your feet in your own way. Release the tensions in the feet. Think in the feet the numbers 1 to 20.
9. Move a hand in blessing and think: "I send light to (name). May all people be happy. May the world be happy."
10. Meditate and bring your thoughts to rest. The back is straight and the stomach is relaxed. What is the best hand position for your meditation? Relax. Come back.

## Tips

* Yoga can be easy. Beginners need simple yoga exercises. The presented exercises involve two levels. First, they are a simple gymnastics, well suited for quick relaxation and for stress relief. Second, they activate all the major chakras and help people to get good energy.
* Chair Yoga is a new development in yoga. Chair Yoga can be done in the office or in a simple way in front of the computer. Most people do not need difficult and complicated exercises, but yoga techniques that are easy to practice and can be made in a short time. The most important thing for most people is to do every day something for their health. This series of exercises is very helpful for this.
* Do yoga as it is good for you. If you cannot do something, don't do it. Many people exercise wrong. They practice yoga only formally (as an external form) without inner feeling. They do not resolve tensions. It is important that we practice effective and with endurance.

## Stress at Work

Too much stress is one of the main problems of today's professional life. Who is constantly under great stress harms the long run his health and his inner happiness. He becomes mentally negative, weak and often plagued the rest of his life from various diseases. Those who do not learn clever to deal with stress consume quickly their life energy.
The root cause of job stress lies in our current economic system. It creates profit for a small number of people and the majority of the world population suffers from increasing poverty and destitution. It produces on the one hand a lot of unemployment and on the other side many working people having an extreme pressure in their job. In the long term we need to make the inner happiness to the center of a new economic world order. The economy must be organized so that it provides everyone with sufficient food and labor, that the health of the working people is protected, that there is no destruction of the environment, and that the inner happiness grows. Not the profit (the money), but the love must be the engine of world economy. In the short term we will have to live with the unwisdom of the ruling politicians. The more important it is that all people care good for themselves and secondly, that we work as powerful as possible for a better world.
Every working person has to do enough exercises every day for his body and his soul. With a lot of stress at work for everyone a daily health and relaxation program is absolutely necessary. The law of life is relentless. Who does not care for his body has not very long something from it. A well maintained car lasts twice as long as a badly treated car. A human body can live 20 to 30 years longer if he is properly fed, sufficiently relaxed and moved well. Who wants to live healthy, must first take a clear decision. Only this gives him the self-discipline for a healthy life. He must clearly define his health goals and create a strong will to do the necessary things. Just then man has the strength to live a long healthy and positive life.
Second, one must look closely at his life situation. One has to recognize what his body and his mind exactly needs. One must consider how to organize his life so that long-term he maintains his health and increases his happiness. One must create a clear daily schedule of sport, relaxation and a healthy diet.
Third, you have to implement your health care plan at least two months every day consistently. Then your mind gets used to it. The daily health practices are then part of your life.
Incorporate the necessary health exercises creativity in your life. At least you should go for a walk on the weekend for an hour. You can meditate on the train or during breaks at work. You can use any contact with your fellow human beings to practice love and full of positive thinking. The big secret for more energy while working is to sensitively put many small breaks in the workday. Anyone who takes a break five minutes every hour, doubles his work force.
Chronic stress we must avoid. If we cannot work long term in our profession relaxed enough, we are not suited for the job. Then we have to change something in our life. We should always think long term. Our job should feed us, and he should contribute to the happiness of all beings. He should not destroy us in our health and inner well-being. If our work over calls us, we must reorganize something, work less, or if necessary, change our profession.
The most important thing in life is to live in the essence. The essence of life is health and happiness. We should take good care of us. Who cares good for himself, sometimes must say "no". He must say "no" to self-defeating thoughts and self-injurious behavior. We alone are responsible for our life. We should organize our lifes so that we at the end are happy with us. Not our job is the center of our life, but the spirituality. If you look at things this way, you can live much more relaxed. You can work relaxed. And you can let go your profession, if it needs to be. You set the priorities in your life right. Those who live by the right goals, know when and how they have to act.

## The Ten Points of Happiness

The most important results of today’s happiness research can be summed up in ten points.
1. A Proactive Life is a Happy One
Happy people have positive goals and positive tasks. Proactive people are 15% more satisfied with their lives than more passive people. Happiness researcher Ed Diener explains, “happy people set goals for themselves again and again.”
2. An Active Life is a Happy One
Regular physical activity keeps the body healthy and makes the spirit happy. Daily walks raise the level of happiness 12%. David Niven says, “people who stay fit via sports are healthier, more positive, and more successful.”
3. Doing Good for the World is a Source of Happiness
Those who regularly do good things for others are 24% happier than those who only live for themselves. John A. Schindler wrote, “live as a giving person. Those who give are happier than those who only take. Those who give to others discover the beauty in the world.”
4. Rest and Relaxation Bring Happiness
The central point of a healthy and happy life is to find the balance between rest and activity. Besides, work, physical activity, and time spent with others, we need time to rest and relax. We need to get enough sleep. Scientific research shows that relaxed people think more positively and are happier. Every hour of sleep missed lowers the positivity one can experience during the day.
Where that point of balance between rest and activity lies, must be decided for oneself. Everyone needs to experiment a little to find this correct balance. We have to figure out who much sleep we need and how much relaxation time we need and at what speed we function at our best. We in the western world of „go, go, go“ who wish to stay happy and healthy, must also live extra clever. We need to organize our lives in an intelligent way to facilitate inner happiness and find one’s personal way to inner balance.
5. Positive Thinking
Those who think positively double their chance to realize happiness. Those who wish to be happy should think positively. The positive characteristics of wisdom, love, peace, inner power and joy in life should be set as the central point of one’s life. One should exercise a conscious decision to be positive. Fo example, we can ask ourselves, “ how can I go through the day in a positive way?”
6. Too Much Television Makes You Unhappy
Scientific research states, „ every hour of television lowers the general quality of life by 5%“. TV orients people around superficial things, and the concept of superficial happiness. It raises desire, increases aggression, and creates sorros. Those who would like to grow in terms of happiness, should stop watching TV. (David Niven: Die 100 Geheimnisse glücklicher Menschen. München 2000, Seite 32 f.)
The way to positive TV viewing consists of : a) choose your programs carefully. Avoid negative films. B) Find the correct amount of TV. Children should watch a maximum of one hour per day of television. C) After watching TV, one should practice some form of spiritual exercise (such as yoga, meditation, walking, reading, contemplating the meaning of life).
7. Foster Friendship
Build on your positive circle of friends. Women who talk to others reduce their worries by 55%. Cancer stricken women who met with a group once a week raised their survival chances to twice as high as those who didn’t meet with a group. In the western world, there is a strong tendency towards isolation. There are many single and lonely people. People who have a good circle of friends are happier and not isolated. We should take care of our friendships and practice positive activities with them.
8. Facilitate Joy
Those who can find little elements of joy in their lives can raise their overall happiness by 20%. Nils once felt bad and in order to raise his spirits, he ate a lot of sweets. His spirit brightened more and more. Then he visualized the sweets in his stomach and awakened his kundalini energy. He awakened a strong energy which quickly brought him back into the light. Nils learned to thus connect outer enjoyment with spiritual exercises. One then needs less sweets. Just a bit of outer enjoyment is enough for inner happiness.
9. Humor
Those with a good sense of humor raise their positivity by 33%. We should foster our sense of humor and learn to not take things so seriously. We should learn to laugh at our selves. Those who are able to do so, can live lighter and brighter. It is good to see cheerful films, read funny books, and to visit joyful people.
10. Self-Confidence
Happy people believe in themselves. They believe in their goals, their wisdom, and their power. They see themselves as winners. They know they will prevail in the long term. In a world of doubt, all followers of the way of bliss need inner strength in order to go about their way successfully. The followers of inner happiness need a clear anchor in terms of wisdom, self-discipline, and self-confidence to avoid being brought back by materialism and doubt.

## The Path of Inner Happiness

Basically, the path of inner happiness consists of health practices and of mental work. Health exercises are sports (walking, jogging, biking - if necessary on the exercise bike), yoga and meditation. Add to this a healthy diet. Mental work means to avoid negative thoughts and to encourage positive thoughts. Negative thoughts lead to internal tensions, the destruction of the health and to bad social relationships. They are often associated with feelings such as fear, anger and addiction.
Positive thoughts create positive feelings and a constructive external behavior. Positive thoughts we get by self-reflection, positive intentions and reading in positive books. Importante is a constant attention to the inner thoughts, feelings and positive life principles (love, peace, truth, strength, happiness). Recommendable are the philosophy of happiness (Epicurus), Buddhism, Christianity and Yoga. The positive psychology found many good ways to live a happy life. It is important that we are always in touch with ourselves, our inner truth and love. A spiritual teaching gives us an orientation. For proper application in our concrete situation we are responsible for ourselves. What is good for us? What brings us forward on the path of happiness? What is usefull to build up a happy world?
The easiest way of spiritual centering is the daily reading in a spiritual book. We can also read something positive in the internet. We must not read much. A small text, a meditation a day is enough to keep us on the path to lasting happiness. For many people a daily oracle card is helpful to get a positive outlook on life. For this we need each day just a minute. That time has everyone. The gain is long term immeasurable.
Think about your daily happiness practice. How can you integrate The Five Principles of Health into your life? What is your main way of spiritual centering (Yoga, Buddhism, Christianity, Philosophy, Positive Psychology)? Which spiritual role-model inspires you and gives you energy for a positive life (Buddha, Jesus, Epicurus)? What exercises do you want to practice regularly?

## Videos

* Chair Yoga for Beginners
* Chair Yoga Refresher
* Yoga on a chair with Jessica Hatchett
* Yoga for Seniors. Ekhart Yoga Ekhart Yoga
* http://www.myyogaonline.com/videos/tag/chair-yoga

## External links

* Chair Yoga. By Ann Pizer
* The Power of Chair Yoga: 6 Seated Poses Anyone Can Do

# Meditation

There are many techniques for practicing meditation. What do you want from meditation? Happiness, healing, enlightenment? Be always in good contact with your body and your soul. Feel what they want and need.

## Meditation for Beginners

Sit down comfortably. The hands are in the lap or on the legs. The back is straight. The abdomen is relaxed.
1. Concentrate on your body. Think several times (5-10 times) the mantra "Om" in the head, chest, abdomen, hands, legs, feet, in the ground and then in the whole universe: "Om Shanti. Om Peace ... "
2. Stop one minute every thought. When thoughts come, push them off.
3. Linger one minute in the meditation. Thoughts may come and go as they want.
4. Relax. Feel the peace and relaxation in your body.
5. Move your body, your feet and your hands. You're back. Ahead with optimism.
-> Video: Meditation for Beginners (Youtube, 6 min)

## Computer Meditation

A guided meditation on the computer is a fast way of relaxation. Through simple yoga movements in connection with positive sentences you can resolve emotional blocks and get a positive spirit in five minutes. See also the video.
1. Visualize yourself as a Master of life (Buddha, Shiva, Goddess) and rub the earth with your feet, "I am a Master of life. I go my way positively. "
2. Move a hand and think: "I send light to ... (name). May all people be happy. May the world be happy."
3. Connect with the enlightenment energy (God, enlightened Masters), rub your palm in front of your heart and think, "Om all enlightened Masters. Om inner wisdom. Please guide and help me on my way."
4. Get inner peace, rub the palms above your head and think, "I take things as they are. I let my false desires go off."
5. Put your hands on your legs. The spine is straight and the belly is relaxed. Stop one minute all your thinking. Sit only there. Don´t think. Then relax.

## Yoga-Meditation

We sit upright in our meditation seat (cross-legged, heel seat, chair) and in our meditation posture (hands on the legs or lap). The back is straight and the belly is relaxed. The eyes are open, semi-open or closed.
1. Sun = We see a beautiful sun in the sky. She sends her rays down on us. We wrap our whole body with light and think the mantra "Light." We take a golden ray of sunshine and wrap ourselves with it completely. We circle with the light around our body and think the mantra "Light, light, light." We let the light flow into us. We fill our entire body with light and think often the mantra "Light."
2. Body = We bring our mind to rest by a mantra. We think the numbers 1 - 20 in the head, chest, abdomen, feet and into the earth.
3. Cosmos = We make big circles with our arms, visualize the whole universe full of stars around us and think the numbers 1 - 20 in the whole universe.
4. Blessing = We move a hand in blessing and think, "I send light to (name). May all people be happy. May the world be happy."
5. Master = We rub the palms in front of the heart chakra, connecting us with the enlightened Masters and think, "Om all enlightened Masters. Om inner wisdom. Please guide and help me on my way."
6. Mantra Om = We put your hands in our lap. We think a minute when breathing out (at breathing in, or at the inhalation and exhalation) the mantra "Om" in the belly.
7. Stop thinking = We stop a minute every thought. If thoughts come, we push them away. Then we relax for a minute.
Oracle = Forward with optimism. You are guided by the light (by the enlightened Masters, by God). Follow consistent your inner wisdom and your love. Make every day your spiritual exercises. Bring the light on your way into the world. Success.
* Video Yoga-Meditation

## Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation is a relaxation technique by alternately tensing and relaxing the muscles. The presented form was developed by Yogi Nils in his Yoga groups. We can do it in sitting or lying down.
1. Muscle tension = We tense the muscles of the legs and feet. We stop every thought. We can hold our breath or breathe normally. Then we relax the muscles of the legs and feet. We tense and relax in the same way the arms and hands, the head (face) and the whole body.
2. Numbers = We count several times the numbers from 1 to 20 in the head, focusing on the head and breathe into the head. Our mind calms. We focus on the chest, breathe into the chest and count the numbers 1 to 20 in the chest. We breathe in the belly, and count there the numbers 1 to 20. We focus on the legs and feet, and count there the numbers 1 to 20. We visualize under the soles a large ball and count the numbers from 1 to 20 in the ball.
3. Sun = We see in the sky a beautiful sun. She sends her rays down on us. We feel her light and warmth on our skin. It is as if we are on holiday in the sun. We enjoy the sunlight. We wrap our whole body with light. We take a golden ray of sun and let the sunlight everywhere circle around us. We think the mantra "Light." We let the sunlight flow into us and fill us with light. We think the mantra "Light."
4. Sending light = We move a hand and send another person light. We envelop him with light and let the light flow into him. Think many times the word "Light". After that we send light all over the world. We wrap the whole world with light, fill it with light and think often "Light."
5. Stop thinking = We stop a minute every thought. Then we linger in meditation. Thoughts may come now if they want to. We feel our the body and enjoy the peace and well-being. If we have meditated enough, we come back again. We move our feet and hands. We stretch and move ourselves. We sit up and are back.

## Sun Meditation

This is the main meditation in the yoga groups of Yogi Nils. It finishes each yoga class. We lay or sit down comfortably. Cover you for lying, so you do not get cold.
1. Relaxation = We tense the muscles of the legs and feet. We keep the tension, stop all thoughts and breathe into the legs. Then we relax. We stretch the muscles of the arms and hands. We breathe into the arms and hands. We relax. We tense the muscles of the head and face. We breathe into the face. We relax. We tense the muscles of the whole body. We breathe into the whole body. We relax.
2. Numbers = We count several times the numbers from 1 to 20 in the head, focusing on the head and breathe into the head. Our mind calms. We focus on the chest, breathe into the chest and count the numbers 1 to 20 in the chest. We breathe in the belly, and count there the numbers 1 to 20. We focus on the legs and feet, and count there the numbers 1 to 20. We visualize under the soles a large ball and count the numbers from 1 to 20 in the ball.
3. Sun = We see in the sky a beautiful sun. She sends her rays down on us. We feel her light and warmth on our skin. It is as if we are on holiday in the sun. We enjoy the sunlight. We wrap our whole body with light. We take a golden ray of sun and let the sunlight everywhere circle around us. We think the mantra "Light." We let the sunlight flow into us and fill us with light. We think the mantra "Light."
4. Sending light = We move a hand and send another person light. We envelop him with light and let the light flow into him. Think many times the word "Light". After that we send light all over the world. We wrap the whole world with light, fill it with light and think often "Light."
5. Om Shanti = We think inhaling "Om" and exhaling "Shanti". We stop all other thoughts. We feel calmness, serenity and peace in us. We stop a minute every thought and move gently our feet. We focus on our feet and move on, until our mind comes completely to rest. We relax. We lie a few minutes relaxed just there. We are in harmony with ourselves, our life and our world.
6. Coming back = We come back slowly. We move our feet and hands. We stretch and move ourselves. We sit up and are back. Life can come. We have the sun within us.

## Mantra Meditation (Easy Relaxation)

We lie down comfortably. We can do this meditation in bed for a long time while listening to beautiful music. It is good for all persons who cannot slep or want to relax in bed.
1. Lie on the back. Pull your knees to your chest and put the arms around. Rock yourself back and forth easily. Think or speak the mantra: "Om all enlightened Masters. Om inner wisdom. Please guide and help me on my way."
2. Prone position: "I send light to (name). May all people be happy. May the world be happy." Hands under your head. Move your pelvis (spine) and move your feet.
3. Turn right in the Child Pose: "Om Shanti". The hands lie on the legs or one hand on the legs (or the hip) and one hand under the head (stops your thoughts).
4. Turn left in the Child Pose: "Om Shanti". The hands lie on the legs or one hand on the legs (or the hip) and one hand under the head (stops your thoughts).
5. Supine position, left feet on the right leg: "Om Shanti". You can move the feet and the hands a little bit.
6. Right feet on the left leg. Move your feet and your hands: "Om Shanti".
7. Legs extended. Move the feet. Count the numbers 1 to 20 in the head, thorax, belly, legs and feet.
8. Move your hands in circling, visualize the universe and think: "Om Universe". Relax.
9. Relax completely for some minutes. Hands at the sides or on the belly.
10. Sit up and do the Buddy Breathing. Press with the thumb the right nostril and inhale through the left nostril. Press the left nostril and inhale at the right side. Make this several times until inner peace occurs. Then go back in your everyday life.

## Power Animal

The power animal meditation (see Wikipedia: Animal worship) makes us aware that we have helpers on our way. In Yoga, each deity is associated with a power animal. Shiva has as a totem a white bull (Nandi). The bull is a sacrificial animal. Shiva sacrifices his ego (he takes things as they are), concentrates on his goals and thus enters a life of light. Vishnu has as helper an eagle (Garuda). The eagle is a winged creature, which brings love and wisdom in the world. Brahma has a white swan (purity, cosmic consciousness). The elephant Ganesha is holding a bowl with sweets in his hand. He goes his way with joy. The Goddess Durga rides a tiger and swings many arms around her head. Who lives as mother of all beings (as a spiritual master / mistress), needs the power of a tiger and many methods (weapons) in order to help his fellow man successfully.
1. Moving = We gently move the arms, legs, the feet and the head. We think ten times the mantra Om in our body. Then we relax. Our thoughts come slowly to rest.
2. Our life = We look at our life. What are your main goals in life? What is your way of life? Through which scenery leads your way? Is the sun shining? Does it rain? Is the landscape flat, mountainous, a desert or full of flowers? Is your way rocky, hard to walk, easy, twisted or straight?
3. Power animal = We go our way of life. On the horizon lights up our goal. Create a pictorial vision of your goal state. Focussing on the pictorial vision of our goal, we can recognize the path we must take to reach our goal. Along our personal winner way we meet our power animal. It embodies the qualities we need in order to achieve our goal. What is your power animal? What does it say to you? Think his words several times as a mantra. Get the victory in your life by concentration on your power animal.
4. Stop thinking = We stop a minute every thought. We move our feet and hands. We rotate the spine left and right. We relax.
5. Optimism = Go your way optimistic. You will succeed.

## Shiva Meditation

Shiva is the supreme God in Yoga. We can see him as the symbol of a victorious yogi. Shiva has a cosmic consciousness. He lives above the world of duality. He lives in the light (sat-chit-ananda, peace-unity-bliss). Shiva as cosmic consciousness can occur in many forms. The most famous incarnations of Shiva are the meditator, the blessing (the karma yogi), the ego sacrificer (subordinated under the goddess Kali/under the will of God) and the dancer with the life (Nataraja). Shiva is the Master of life. He lives his life with the qualities of earth (associated with Brahma, happiness), fire (associated with Rudra, power), water (associated with Vishnu, love), air (associated with Muni, wisdom) and ether (associated with all that exist, space, unity, transcendence).
1. The Winner = We shake the fists near our head and think: "I am a winner. I reach my goal. ... My goal is...."
2. The Strong = We rub the feet on the ground and visualize the Mount Meru among us, "I'm sitting on the Mount Meru (Himalaya Mountains). I maintain equanimity in pain. I'm going with perseverance my way."
3. The Egoless = We make large circles with our hands around us, visualize the cosmos full of stars and think, "I live in the great system of the cosmos (nature). I take things the way they are."
4. The Hatha-Yogi = We visualize within ourselves the Kundalini Serpent, twist in the spine, move our toes and think: "I am a Hatha Yogi. I save myself with my spiritual exercises."
5. The Karma-Yogi = Shiva means "The Good". He works for the goal of a happy world. We move our hand, send all beings light and think, "I send light to (name). May all beings be happy. May the world be happy."
6. Master Yoga = We rub the palms before our heart chakra, visualize the sky above us and think, "Om all enlightened Masters. Om inner wisdom. Please guide and help on my way."
7. Shiva Picture = Concentrate on a picture or a statue of Shiva. Move one hand and take the energy from Shiva. Think several times the mantra "Om Namah Shivaya" (I connect myself with Shiva) or "Shivo Ham" (I am Shiva) and feel how the energy of Shiva flows with the mantra in you.
8. Meditation = We put our hands in the lap, move your toes and think one minute the mantra "Om Shanti. Om Peace" in the belly. Then we stop a minute every thought. The spine is straight and the belly is relaxed. Sit only there. Don´t think. Then relax.

## TV Meditation

If we watch TV every day it is difficult for us to stay on the path of inner happiness. The happiness research has clearly established that much TV consumtion leads to unhappiness. It causes attachment, aggression, fear and unwisdom. Not the outer pleasure but the inner happiness is the center of life. We need love, peace and spirituality to get a happy life. When we watch television, we should be aware of the negative influences. We should wisely select our television programs, watch only little or no television (one hour a day) and cleanse us spiritually after each television (self-reflection, spiritual reading, meditation, walking).
1. Globe = We visualize the earth beneath us, rub the earth with our feet and think, "May all beings be happy. May the world be happy."
2. Television = What man on television today touches you negative or positive? Clean the energetic connection, visualize him as a Buddha. Give him a positive sentence. Aggressive people you can send wisdom and inner peace. With happy people you can rejoice. Suffering beings you can give light and strength. Think the sentence as a mantra until you have overcome all attachment or rejection. Everything you see outside makes a knot in your soul. Create harmony in your mind. The first step to happiness is a positive world in your mind. We move a hand and send all the people in the television light: "I send light to .. I wish him / her wisdom, love and happiness. May all people on TV be Buddhas or Goddesses of love."
3. Mantra = We put our hands together in the lap, move our feet and think many times the mantra "Om Shanti" in our body, in our legs and in the whole world. We stop a minute every thought. We relax. Practice love, peace and wisdom. Send every day all people light. This is the way to become enlightenment und to live in the light (in happiness, in God).

## Breathing Meditation

Through the breathing meditation, we can absorb spiritual energy and fill our bodies with light. Our mind becomes peaceful and positive.
1. Breathing out = We concentrate on exhalation. We breathe out deeply. We breathe out all of our worries. We give all our worries to the earth (universe, life). Rename all your worries, "My grief, my worries, my problems are ...." Enumerate all of your worries. Breathe out all your worries. Give them to the earth, "I let go of my worries. I take all things the way they are."
2. Inhalation = We focus on inhalation. We visualize a sun in the sky and breathe in the light. We fill our body with light. We connect us with the positive, "Positive in my life is ..."
3. Reflection = We reflect on the deeper meaning of life? What is important in your life? What is your way of wisdom? Think the mantra: "My way of wisdom is ... Unwisdom is ..."
4. Blessing = The back is straight and the belly relaxed. We move a hand in blessing and think, "I send light to ... May all people be happy. May the world be happy."
5. So Ham = We put the hands in the lap. We think "So" by inhalation and "Ham" during exhalation. So is the sun (light) and Ham is the body. We focus on the breath and the mantra. Thus we fill us a minute by breathing with energy. Our mind becomes calm and positive. We observe one minute just our breath. We breathe in and out normally. We can observe the breath in the abdomen, chest or in the nose. We focus on our breath and stop all thinking. We relax.

## Flower Meditation

You can do the flower meditation in sitting or lying down. It is a good way to awaken the Kundalini energy.
1. Movement = We move the shoulders, arms, hands, legs and feet. We turn our head and make faces. Then we relax.
2. Feet = We visualize in the middle of the soles each a flower. We try to see the flowers as clearly as possible. What color are the flowers? We breathe to the bottom of the feet and think 10 times the mantra "flower."
3. Chakras = Similarly, we visualize flowers in the pelvic floor, sacral chakra, navel, solar plexus, heart chakra (in the center of the chest), throat, forehead and crown chakra. We breathe into the individual chakras, visualize flowers there and think "flower."
4. All flowers = We visualize all flowers in the chakras at once and think "All flowers." We combine all the chakras together. We think the mantra until we see all the flowers or feel them. Which flower type we see?
5. Light circle = We let a beam of light circle around our body. We wrap us totally with the light. We think the mantra "light." We let the light flow into our body and fill us with light. We circulate in our body with light and think "light". We think the mantra so many times, until we are full of light.
6. Medium energy channel = We visualize a twine from the pelvic floor up to the crown chakra and let light circling around the twine. We think the mantra "light." We move our toes. We meditate on the energy channel (the twine) in the center of the body between the pelvis and the crown chakra.
7. Resting point = We circle with light in the heart chakra, abdomen, forehead, crown, root chakra (pelvic floor), hands and soles of the feet. We place the light in that chakra, where it wants to be placed. For most people, it is the heart or sacral chakra. We focus on our chakra and thus bring our mind to rest. We stop a minute every thought. We relax.
8. Coming back = We return. We move the hands and feet. We stretch ourselves. We sit on. We take our peace with in everyday life.

## Healing Meditation

We sit or lie down. We relax.
1. Sun = We visualize above ourselves a beautiful sun, raising both hands to the side at head height and think several times the mantra "sun." We let the light of the sun flow down on us and massage it into the body.
2. Earth = We visualize the earth below us, rub the earth with our feet and think: "I send light to the earth. May all beings in the world be happy."
3. Healing Massage = We consider what part of our body needs healing in the moment. We let light flow into it, massage it in circles and think the word "light" as a mantra. By the light massage we resolve the tensions in the particular area of ​​the body and enable it in the self-healing. We can visualize the light in a color we feel that it heals us. We think the color name as a mantra. We can successively rub the light of healing in several parts of the body, thinking always the mantra "Light".
4. Cosmos = We visualize the cosmos around us full of stars, make big circles with our arms and think, "Om cosmos. I take the suffering in my life. I consistently walk my way of health and healing."
5. Buddha of Healing = We visualize before or above us the Buddha of Healing (an enlightened Master). We rub our hands in front of the heart chakra and think, "Om Buddha of Healing. Om inner wisdom. Please guide and help me on my way."
6. Question of Healing = We focus on a part of our body who needs healing or on a personal problem. What is the way of our healing? What do we have to do? What triggers our problem? We think so long until we are satisfied with the result. When we hear no answer, we are either blocked inside (we don't want to see the real causes of the problem), or we have a bad contact to our inner voice (we sense ourselves poorly). The best way then is slowly to get into thinking about our problem.
7. Sick people = We move a hand, bless all people with light and think, "May all the people who have the same problem as I be healed. My problem is ... The way of healing is ..."
8. Om Shanti = We think inhaling "Om" and exhaling "Shanti". We stop all other thoughts. We feel calmness, serenity and peace in us. We stop a minute every thought and move gently our feet. We focus on our feet and move on, until our mind comes completely to rest. Then we linger in a slight meditation. All thoughts and feelings may come and go as they please. We relax.

## Breakthrough to Enlightenment

There is in all people a thought which hinders the enlightenment and the inner happiness. This thought mostly has something to do with unwisdom, immodesty and lack of love to all. We need either wisdom, humility, resting, self-discipline, some fun or universal love. We need a special thought which awakens the lacking quality. Suddenly the happiness, the love, the light and the peace is in us. The right word in the right moment for the right person causes a breakthrough to inner happiness. What is now your magic word?
1. Shower = We visualize a shower above us. We turn on the shower and clean us with enlightenment energy. We think the mantra "Water" and massage water (or light energy) from head to toe in our body. We rub all tensions and stress from the body.
2. Earthing = We rub the earth with our feet. We draw a circle with a color of healing around us. We think the name of our healing color several times as a mantra. What is your healing color (purple, orange, yellow, red)?
3. Friend = We go in the shower on the spot. We move our feet. We visualize a boyfriend or a girlfriend and say a positive word. What is your positive word? Imagine that the word actually reaches your person. Think your word several times as a mantra: "My word for... is... (I love you.)"
4. Enemy = We remember an enemy (aggressive person). Whom do you feel in this moment as an enemy? Who is your opponent? Give him a positive word. What do you say to him? Forgive him and get inner peace. Move a hand and send him wisdom and love. Think your word so long as a mantra, until you are in peace with your enemy.
5. A word for you = Investigate your own mind. Is there a thought that blocks your inner peace, your happiness and your love? Which positive word can overcome it? "My negative thought is ... My positive thought is ... (Forward on the way of wisdom, love and happiness.)"

## Shanti Meditation

Shanti means peace in yoga. The term "Shanti" refers to both the outer and the inner peace. As yogis, we wish a world of love, peace and happiness. So that we can successfully work for a happy outer world, we should first make peace and happiness within ourselves. Those who have no peace within themselves, can cause very limited external peace in his world. It is important that we create every day the peace in ourselves.
1. Body = We gently move our head, shoulders, arms, hands, legs and feet. We turn in the spine right and left. We resolve all tensions in the body by feeling in our body and moving the tensed parts. Where you are tensed today? Move and relax this area.
2. Breathing = We breathe deep into the pelvis. We fill the whole body with prana (breath energy). We breathe in the legs, the feet, the arms, the hands, the head, the thorax and the abdomen. At the same time we think the mantra "Om".
3. Lighting circuits = We see a beautiful sun in the sky. The sun emits light and heat down on us. We feel the warmth on our skin. It is as if we lie on holiday in the sun. We enjoy the sunlight. We take a golden ray of sunshine and wrap ourselves with it completely. We circle with the light around our body and think the mantra "Light, light, light." We let the light flow into us. We fill our entire body with light and think often the mantra "Light."
4. Sending light = We send another person light. We envelop him with light and let the light flow into him. Who do you want to send light today? Think many times the word "Light". After that we send light all over the world. We wrap the whole world with light, fill it with light and think often "Light."
5. Om Shanti = We think inhaling "Om" and exhaling "Shanti". We stop all other thoughts. We feel calmness, serenity and peace in us. We stop a minute every thought. When thoughts arise, we push them away. We move the feet and toes. We relax. We lie a few minutes relaxed just there. We are in harmony with ourselves, our life and our world.

## Videos

* One-Moment Meditation: "How to Meditate in a Moment"
* Meditation video Yogi Nils (germ., 6 min.)

# See also

* Relaxation techniques
* Paradise Meditation
Mantras available as Wikimedia sound files

# The Ten Principles of Yoga

The basis of Yoga are the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. In it, Patanjali recommends a two-step way. The first stage is the development of positive ethic qualities (the ten yoga principles). Without positive qualities in meditation inner peace will break through the chaos of the outside world again and again. The second stage of the yogic path is to practice meditation. One can say, that Yoga in the essence is based on positive thinking and meditation.
* Non-violence (ahimsa)
    No killing other beings. Be meek. Be peaceful.
* Truthfulness (satya)
    Live in the truth. Basically, be honest with yourself and others. Also no little lies of convenience. A lie is permissible only in well justified situations, for example, if you save with a lie the life of another human being. A Yogi is silent in doubt. Those who consistently lives in the truth radiate truth. Their fellow men trust them.
* Righteousness (asteya)
    Not stealing, not cheating. A Yogi is in professional life generally honest. He does not seek unwarranted advantage, but he is looking for fair trade.
* Wisdom (brahmacharia)
    Live in the spiritual focus (in the light/in God = Brahman). Do not serve the money (outer luck) but the inner happiness (God, Brahman, enlightenment). Be centered in your inner happiness and peace.
* Simplicity (aparigraha)
    Be moderate in external enjoyment and consumption. A spiritual person lives modestly outwardly and inwardly rich. A Yogi uses his energy not in outer actions, but lives so peaceful that it turns inward and cleanse his body from the inside. One day, he lives permanently in the light.
* Worship of the spiritual goal (ishvara-pranidhana)
    Thus we do not lose our spiritual path, it is necessary that we remind ourselves again and again to our spiritual goal. We can worship an image (Goddess, Shiva, Patanjali), we can bow before a statue (Buddha, Jesus, Shiva) or speak a mantra (prayer).
* Sacrifice the ego (shaucha)
    Purification / cleaning. The way into the light passes through the crucifixion of the ego. Without a crucifixion there is no enlightenment. True sacrifice is an art. He who sacrifices too much braced themselves internally. Who sacrifices too little, does not solves his tentions.
* Self-discipline (tapas)
    A clear goal, a clear life plan and a clear way of practicing. Tapas means to lead a disciplined life.
* Reading (svadhyaya)
    The daily reading (mantra, meditation) keeps us on the spiritual path, cleanses our spirit, connects us with the enlightened masters and makes us to spiritual victors.
* Contentment (santosha)
    Satisfied with what one has.

# The Five Principles of Health

The five principles of health give us a long, healthy and happy life. If we live by these principles, we can avoid most diseases. If we are sick, we become significantly faster healthy.
1. Eat healthy. A healthy diet consists of fruits, vegetables, cereals, milk, potatoes, pulses, etc. It is advised to eat little or no meat and much raw food (raw fruits and vegetables). Raw food gives the body lots of vitamins and minerals that protect him from disease.
2. Avoid drugs, smoking and alcohol. That causes many diseases and usually shorten your life significantly. Too many sweets (sugar, fat), lots of salt and lots of meat are also unfavorable. Don´t eat too much calories. You live longer, if you eat less (but not too less). Hear to your body. He knows what is good for you. Live wisely and stay healthy.
3. Do sports. Go walking, jogging, cycling, swimming once or twice a day (one half to one hour), to keep the body strong and healthy. It is also sufficient to train on an exercise bike (bicycle, treadmill) or to do dynamic yoga (creativ hatha yoga) for half an hour a day. Or to go for a walk on the weekend for an hour. It is important, that the body is well warmed through (practice until a slight sweating). It kills disease germs.
4. Relax sufficiently. Stress should always be put away by adequate recovery periods, yoga or meditation. For the inner happiness, it is important to live in the right proportion of personal activity (work) and rest (relaxation).
5. Think positive. Avoid negative thoughts. Keep your mind through conscious control predominantly positive. Positive thoughts lead to positive feelings and positive emotions have a positive effect on your body. Motivate yourself with positive phrases and ideas. Read positive books and have a positive task (hobby).

# Positive Thinking

Positive thinking can be defined by the goal of health and happiness. It concentrates at positive qualities such as inner peace, strength, love, joy and happiness. In this direction research the positive psychology.
Positive thinking and meditation are a path to enlightenment. However, positive thinking is a term that can be filled with different contents. Some people misunderstand it as a way of manipulation, repression of feelings and problems. Dogmatically practiced positive thinking can be the enemy of free thought. Properly practiced positive thinking leads to inner happiness, peace, health and good interpersonal relations. Positive thinking must be based on the principles of wisdom, love, strength, peace and happiness. Helpful positive thoughts often arise from the careful and free thinking about a problem. Buddha was a master of positive thinking. He called it right thinking. His thinking had a clear goal: awakening, enlightenment, peace, love, happiness.
Positive thinking is a mental technique, that must practiced wisely. It should not be misused to repress feelings or problems. Positive thinking must used sensitively and healingly. According to the Buddhist master Tsongkhapa enlightenment is created by the wise combination of positive thinking and meditation. The combination of mind work and meditation is the basis of the eightfold buddhist path and the eightfold yoga path (Patanjali).
Wikipedia: Optimism is a mental attitude that interprets situations and events as being best (optimized). A common idiom used to illustrate optimism versus pessimism is a glass with water at the halfway point, where the optimist is said to see the glass as half full, but the pessimist sees the glass as half empty. Optimism may be linked to health. Optimists have been shown to live healthier lifestyles which may influence disease. For example, optimists smoke less, are more physically active, consume more fruit, vegetables and whole-grain bread, and consume more moderate amounts of alcohol.
The relationship between optimism and health has also been studied with regards to physical symptoms, coping strategies and negative affect for those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and fibromyalgia. A meta-analysis has confirmed the assumption that optimism is related to psychological well-being: “Put simply, optimists emerge from difficult circumstances with less distress than do pessimists. (...) Optimists seem intent on facing problems head-on, taking active and constructive steps to solve their problems; pessimists are more likely to abandon their effort to attain their goals.”

## How to practice positive thinking?

Those who think positively, get more out of life. They live happier. They live healthier. They have better relationships with other people. They don’t take life too seriously. They live like winners and win as they go through life. Sad and gray was yesterday. Today, optimism is in demand and on the rise.
Starwoman: My way of positive thinking is this mental mantra: “hold your head up high, don’t let anything get you down.”
Jenny: There’s good to be found in everything. You just have to learn to recognize it.
Man: Don’t take everything too seriously. The sunshine comes out after the rain. There is a positive aspect to everything.
Monika: Stop any worthless thoughts. Tell yourself: ”Stop! That’s not how it goes!” if worthless thoughts run through your mind. Replace negative thoughts with new and encouraging thoughts. Positive mantras such as “I can do it.” Repeat these self-encouragement mantras several times daily. Think out a nice, positive thought that feels good for you! Then sit down for five minutes and think this thought for the entire time. Feel the good feelings in you. If you stray from the good thought, then just let it happen and bring yourself back to the positive thought gently. With practice, positive thinking gets easier.
Helga: After the death of my husband, I did autogen training for 1 year on a regular basis. Since that time, I’ve managed to think positively. That wasn’t always the case with me. With positive thinking, life is easier and it’s easier to find reasons to be glad.
David: One should be able to rest and find calm within the self. Listen to yourself and don’t allow yourself to be influenced by the negativity of others.
Rick: Meditate and concentrate on Buddha or another positive role model.
Sabrina: You can write down 10 nice things every evening. At first it’s difficult but after awhile it will get easier to think of things that went well during the day or that were pleasant. That way, you’ll also get better at seeing the small things that are positive and as a result you’ll be able to think more positive, too.

## Mathilde: My methods:

Everything is in God’s hands.
God loves me and I don’t need to have fear.
Whatever I can’t change, I accept.
Don’t let people aggravate you.
Religion and the Bible have always helped me. They’ve accompanied me through my life and influenced my life.
A master is yet to fall from the sky.
Mistakes are there for us to learn from.
God doesn’t burden people with more than they can handle.
I’ve always tried to live my life in a way that makes me happy. I’ve tried to be harmony with myself and to live from my inner guidance. I have experience a lot of negative things. Somehow I’m a rugged person who always gets back up when knocked down with a strong will to survive.

## Get Positive in Five Minutes

In every life there is pain, loss, illness, loneliness and death. We have no claim to a long life still to be spared by fate. What is your pain today?
1. The Problem: Describe briefly your situation and your problem. How exactly is your situation? What is the problem? Where is the center of the problem?
2. The Emotions: What are the feelings it in you? Fear, anger, addiction / desire, grief. What feeling is strongest? Where is the feeling sitting in your body?
3. The Thoughts: What thoughts are connected with your feelings? Why are you sad, anxious, angry or longing? Count all your stressful thoughts down. (My thoughts are ...)
4. Thinking: What triggers your problem? What is the way out of your problem? What brings you to love, success, fulfillment, satisfaction? Think about your problem for so long, until you find a solution. Think about different solutions. Collect all the information you need.
5. Implementation: Follow your positive thoughts. Fulfil your positive life plan. Avoid meaningless brooding. Now is the time to realize powerful. Go your way to victory. "My positive motto is ...."

## Tips for happiness from Anselm Grün (Benedictine monk)

1. Accept your limitations!
2. Don’t take yourself too seriously!
3. Look over your thinking!
We should look at what we think and see if our thoughts are actually damaging. Do our thoughts really reflect reality, or is it a false reality? If I see my job as negative, I will also experience it as negative.
4. Learn to simply be!
Learn to live intensively. Try to go slower more consciously when you want to walk around at work. Take each step consciously when going for walks. Feel how you touch the earth and then step away from it.
5. Learn to wait!
Waiting causes consciousness of the moment we live in, and to the people with whom we are speaking with at a given moment. Waiting makes the heart big and open.
6. Dare to try something new! Show courage!
We live in a world and in a society that doesn’t take much consideration for weakness. Of course, one tries to work without errors. But at work, we also see that those who don’t want to make mistakes never try something new.
7. Open your heart!
To really speak means to break open the heart and to open it for others, to allow them to enter your own heart. Speak so that the relationship grows and trust is created.
8. Enjoy- it is later than you think!!
People don’t know how long life will last. They should enjoy every second.
9. Don’t repress or hide anything from yourself!
Those who do not pay attention to their wounds will be ruled by them. They live a lie. They think that they have their own lives, but they simply repeat the errors from their childhood.
10. Go your own way!
You have to find your own personal way. It is not enough to follow others. You have to listen to your inner voice to find your way. And then you need to bravely decide to take that path, even if you feel lonesome doing it.

## The 10 pillars of Yoga

Patanjali is the father of Indian Yoga. He lived in the second century before Christ. In the Yoga Sutra he summarized the essence of Yogic knowledge with just a few words. The two main tenets of Patanjali say “Yoga is the calming of the spirit. Then the Yogi rests in the light.” The more you live in a state of calm, the greater the inner happiness and the more all-encompassing the light. Patanjali said that inner happiness takes a long time to develop and only can be reached through consistent practice. The calming of the thoughts can be achieved using the two step path. The first step is the development of positive characteristics (the 10 pillars of Yoga). The second step is meditation. Simply spoken, Patanjali’s way of practice is also the way of positive thinking and meditation.
1. Non-violence (Ahimsa)= Never injure another being. Be peaceful and gentle.
2. Truthfulness. (Satya)= Live in the truth. Be honest with yourself and others. Be consistent in your personal truth and live from that as your center. A lie is only allowed in especially well-founded circumstances, for example, if you can save someone’s life with a lie. A Yogi is silent, when in doubt.
3. Integrity (Asteya)=Don’t steal and don’t deceive. A Yogi is honest in his or her professional life. A Yogi doesn’t strive for an unjustified advantage over others, but rather for a fair balance, a fair trade. A Yogi can be trusted in his or her professional life. He or she gives too much rather than too little. Those who are fair do not create bad karma.
4. Wisdom (Brahmacharia) = To live spiritually, to live in wisdom. To differentiate between the essential and the non-essential. A Yogi doesn’t use up his or her energy in worldly doings, rather lives calmly and peacefully so that the self is turned inward and so that the body cleanses itself from the inside. One day, then the Yogi is able to receive God energy and let it flow within the self and to give this energy to others through good deeds from a place of love. In that way, the Yogi grows eternally in his or her inner happiness, energy and love.
5. Simplicity(Aparigraha)= Moderation on external enjoyment. A spiritual person lives modestly on the outside and rich on the inside. He or she does not strive toward riches (carrier, maximum consumption). Yogis make sure they have what they need and concentrate otherwise on spiritual exercises (Yoga, meditation, thought work)and the well-being of fellow beings.
6. Honoring of the spiritual goal (Ishvara-Pranidhana) = So that we don’t lose our way along the spiritual path, it is necessary to constantly focus on our spiritual goal. We can honor an image, a statue or speak a mantra. The four most important role models in Yoga are Vishnu (love), Shiva (strength), Brahma (living in peace and calm)and Ganesha (joy).
7. Ego sacrifice (Shaucha)= Cleansing. The way to light leads to the crucifiction. The ten ego characteristics are pride, envy, the desire to possess, longing, addiction to enjoyment, fear, rage, sadness, laziness, foolishness. What is your negative characteristic today? Which positive thoughts help you to overcome them?
8. Goal striving (Tapas)= A clear decision, a clear plan for life and a consistent path. Tapas means living a disciplined life. Those who have a good plan and enough perseverance are victorious along the spiritual path. What is your decisive plan for spiritual action today? Ask an enlightened master for guidance and help, follow your inner wisdom and you will be victorious on the spiritual path.
9. Reading (Svadhyaya) =The daily reading meditation keeps us on the spiritual path, cleanses our spirit, connects us with the enlightened masters and makes us into spiritual victors. Those who do not involve themselves with spirituality daily lose their inner happiness to the age of consumption. What is your spiritual text for today?
10. Satisfaction (Santosha)= Reach great satisfaction with yourself and life. Which thoughts help you to come to a satisfied state? “My thoughts of satisfaction today are…”

## Yoga with Positive Thinking

Yoga with positive thinking is very helpful for many people. It allows one to quickly overcome negative tendencies and reach a happy and healthy life. Positive thinking and daily meditation are the two basic techniques of enlightenment. All the negative characteristics are ultimately based on attachment (to external pleasures, other people, to his ego) or rejection (of suffering situations, pain). If we accept the suffering in our lifes and let go of our worldly desires and longings, the tensions in our minds resolve. Our inner happiness creates a positiv feeling of life. We get into a life in the light (in a paradise view of life). The main way to overcome the negative qualities is to focus on the positive qualities of wisdom, self-discipline, peace, love and happiness.
1. Go = Jog on the spot, with your arms moving by your side. Visualize light, turn around and think, "I go the positive way."
2. Windmill = Straddle your legs apart, bow forward, turn like a windmill into the spinal column and think: "My goal is ...".
3. Frog = Bring your feet together. Bow your upper body forward. Push yourself up with your hands on the floor and move your buttocks down in a crouch and back up in the air. The head goes up to the sky and down to the earth. Practice the frog several times and think: "I have strength and endurance."
4. Arm-leg raising = Lie down on your stomach. Raise your left arm and right leg. Bring both back to the earth and lift the right arm and the left leg. Do this several times. Think, "I take things the way they are."
5. Upper body raising = Lie in the prone position, with your hands on the floor and repeatedly press the upper body up and down. The head goes to the neck and forward. While breathing in and out, think, "I let go of my false desires."
6. Pelvic rotation = In the prone position, turn your pelvis to the right and then to the left. Your head must lie on your hands. Think, "I am sad because ...".
7. Feet = Get your feet moving in the prone position. The head lies relaxed on your hands. Think, "I forgive... (my partner / parents / the cosmos / God), that he/she...". Whom do you want to forgive today? Think these words until a feeling of sadness arises in you, of letting go and forgiveness.
8. Cycling = Turn on your back, lift your head and move your arms and legs. Think, "My positive thought today is....".
9. Candle = Stretch your legs to the sky. Your hands support you at the back. Visualize the sky, move your feet and think many times the mantra "Optimism".
10. Meditation = Roll from the candle into your meditation seat (cross-legged or heel seat). Put your hands in your lap. The back is straight and the stomach is relaxed. Move one hand and wrap them and think, "I send light to ... May all people be happy. May the world be happy." Stop all your thoughts for a minute. Relax.

## Your magic word

There is in all people a thought which hinders the enlightenment and the inner happiness. This thought mostly has something to do with unwisdom, immodesty and lack of love to all. We need either wisdom, humility, resting, self-discipline, some fun or universal love. We need a special thought which awakens the lacking quality. Suddenly the happiness, the love, the light and the peace is in us. The right word in the right moment for the right person causes a breakthrough to inner happiness. What is now your magic word?
1. Shower = We visualize a shower above us. We turn on the shower and clean us with enlightenment energy. We think the mantra "Water" and massage water (or light energy) from head to toe in our body. We rub all tensions and stress from the body.
2. Earthing = We rub the earth with our feet. We draw a circle with a color of healing around us. We think the name of our healing color several times as a mantra. What is your healing color (purple, orange, yellow, red)?
3. Friend = We go in the shower on the spot. We move our feet. We visualize a boyfriend or a girlfriend and say a positive word. What is your positive word? Imagine that the word actually reaches your person. Think your word several times as a mantra: "My word for... is... (I love you.)"
4. Enemy = We remember an enemy (aggressive person). Whom do you feel in this moment as an enemy? Who is your opponent? Give him a positive word. What do you say to him? Forgive him and get inner peace. Move a hand and send him wisdom and love. Think your word so long as a mantra, until you are in peace with your enemy.
5. A word for you = Investigate your own mind. Is there a thought that blocks your inner peace, your happiness and your love? Which positive word can overcome it? What makes you feel good? What brings you to peace and happiness? Do it!

## Loving goodness meditation

1. Develop feelings of friendliness and good intentions for yourself. Remind yourself of a moment where you were happy and felt good. Think: “May I be friendly to myself. May I feel good. May I be happy.” What is your way to make yourself feel good and be happy?
2. Imagine a person you like. Wish him happiness and think: “may he feel good and be happy.”
3. Think of some people whom you are neutral to (people on the street, in the supermarket, in your city). Wish them happiness, love, wisdom and peace. Move a hand in a blessing, send light and think: “may everyone in the world be happy. May the world be a happy one.”
4. Think of someone you don’t like or that you find difficult. Wish them love, peace, happiness and wisdom, too. Send them light, move a hand in a blessing and think: “may even this person be happy. May the world be a happy place.”
5. Imagine all of these people (yourself, your friend, your enemy and the neutral people.) Move your hand in a blessing, send light to everyone and think: “I send light to everyone. May everyone be happy. May the world be a happy place.”
6. Relax. Let the meditation work on you. Think it over. See yourself as mother and father to every being on earth. Every being is your child, including the good and the bad. Wish them all love, happiness and peace. Do what you can toward that end.

## Passion Test (from Janet and Chris Attwood)

Make a list of the ten most important things that a life full of joy, passion and fulfillment would bring. Begin each sentence with the words: “In my ideal life…”, choose the ten things that are most important to you. How do you want to reach your goals? “My way to victory is…”
Go your way. Live in the essence. Proceed with wisdom, love and infinite perseverance. You WILL have success in your life. Your life will be a success. Those who connect wisdom with optimism are winners.

## Happiness Research

The most important results of today’s happiness research can be summarized in 10 points.
1. People are happy when they‘re busy
People are happy when they have positive goals and positive tasks. Active people are 15% more happy with their lives than those who are more passive. Happiness researcher Ed Diener explained: “happy people set goals again and again.”
2. Exercise makes you happy
Regular exercise keeps the body healthy and makes the spirit happy. Daily walks increase happiness by 12%. David Niven confirms: “People who stay fit with exercise are healthier, more positive and more successful.”
3. Doing good for others makes you happy
Those who do good things for others on a regular basis are 24% happier than those who only live for themselves. John A. Schindler wrote: “be a giving person. Those who give are happier than those who take. Those who give to the world and all beings discover the beauty of the world.”
4. Rest makes happy
In addition to spending time working, exercising and being around others, we should take time to rest and recover every day. We need to get enough sleep. Scientific research shows that relaxed people think more positively and are happier. Every hour of missed sleep affects how positive one’s attitude is the next day by 8%.
5. Positive thinking makes happy
Those who think positively double their chances of happiness. Those who want to be happy should work on thinking positively every day. They should facilitate wisdom, love, peace, inner strength and joy and put them at the center of their existence and work on those characteristics daily. For example, a positive attitude for the day can consist of: “how are things looking today? How can I get through the day positively? What will make me a winner today?”
6. Too much TV makes you unhappy
Scientific research has found: “Every hour of TV decreases happiness in life by 5%.” TV causes people to focus more on material happiness. It awakens wishes and aggression. It creates fear. Those who want to grow in inner happiness should get rid of the TV or learn to have a positive way of dealing with it.
The way of positive TV watching consists of three steps: a) choose your television programs consciously. Avoid negative films. B) Find the right amount of TV. Children should watch a maximum of one hour of TV every day. C) Do some spiritual exercises after each TV watching session (to center oneself on the spiritual path).
7. Put time and energy into friendships
Find a positive circle of friends. Women who meet and converse with other women feel their worries decrease by 55%. Cancer inflicted women who meet in a group weekly survive twice as often as women who don’t meet in such a group. In the western world, there is a strong tendency to isolation. There are a lot of singles and lonely, old people. People with a good circle of friends are happy. Overcome the isolation. Let’s dedicate time and energy to friendships.
8. Facilitate joy in life
Those who incorporate little elements of joy into their lives increase their general happiness in life by 20%. Once, Nils felt bad. In order to find balance, he ate a lot of sweets. His spirit felt lighter and lighter. Unfortunately, after a while his stomach felt a bit uneasy. Despite this, his mind was still totally happy. Nils imagined the sweets in his belly and awakened his kundalini energy. A strong happiness energy awoke, which brought him to the light quickly. Nils learnt how to connect enjoyment with spiritual exercises. You don’t need to eat too many sweets. Just enjoying something nice is enough for the path of inner happiness.
9. Humor
People with a sense of humor are 33% happier. We should facilitate and encourage humor in our lives. We shouldn’t take things too seriously. We should learn how to laugh about ourselves. Those who can laugh about themselves go more lightly through life. It’s good to watch cheerful and funny movies, humorous books and to visit with happy people.
10. Self-Confidence and trust
Happy people believe in themselves. They believe in their goals, their wisdom and their strength. They see themselves as winners. They believe that they will be successful in life. May we all be winners along the spiritual path. May we have faith in ourselves, our positive goals and our inner strength.

## Happiness through positive thinking

Sonja Lyubomirsky is among the best known American happiness researchers. She is a professor at the University of California and wrote the worldwide bestseller “Be Happy” (2008). Her specialty is the level of happiness. She brought the debate surrounding the level of happiness to modern happiness research.
Sonja was annoyed that newer research results seem to indicate that a person’s level of happiness remains the same. The danger with such research is that it strengthens people’s tendency to falling back on the comfortably familiar (even if this causes people to be stuck on a lower level) : “my level of happiness is genetic and is dependent on outer circumstances. I can’t do anything to be happier. Everything is pointless.”
Sonja wondered what she could do if she wants to have a happy life. She accepted that today’s research has the position that 50% of a person’s level of happiness is genetic (determined by the body and hormone production). Some 10% of a person’s level of happiness is determined by outer circumstances. 40% of a person’s level of happiness can be influenced by working on one’s thoughts.
If only 10% of a person’s general happiness is determined by outer circumstances then it isn’t usually important to change one’s circumstances in life. It is relatively unimportant for one’s personal happiness whether one has a better job, better partner, better children or a better apartment. We can only change our level of happiness by 10% by changing some circumstances of our lives.
We should concentrate on the 40% that can be changed. Sonja is very radical. “Let your outer circumstances stay the way they are. Work on yourself instead. Exercise positive thoughts and positive behaviors. That is the way to be happy over the long run.”
Sonja even has a word of warning regarding this too: “Don’t think that it’s easy to raise your level of happiness. It requires decisiveness and constant effort throughout one’s life. Without goal-orientedness, perseverance, effort and daily motivation it won’t work. You have to practice happiness exercises every day.”
A lot of time and effort is necessary. The most important component is to establish positive habits in life. We have to get used to stopping our negative thoughts and countering them with positive thoughts. We begin each day with a positive resolution. We forgive others for their errors and turn our perspective to the positive in life with gratitude.
We should organize a system of social support. Most people need a group or a friend, partner or spiritual teacher to support them in order to raise their level of happiness. Only a few people have the necessary self-discipline required to do happiness raising exercises an entire life long. The results of research in the area of self- help show that only 24% of all people stay more than a half a year on the path of a positive life alone. 95% stick to it with the help of others.
Those who would like to increase their overall level of happiness should avoid excessive stress in their lives. Outer circumstances only play a small role regarding inner happiness. An exception to that is stress. Too much stress has a negative influence on the overall happiness of a person.
In particular, this point shows how incorrect the west is in terms of priorities. High stress is the main characteristic in today’s schools and in today’s professions. This stress is transferred to people’s relationships, destroys physical health and reduces happiness. We should work to reduce stress in each of our lives as much as possible.
Sonja recommends regular exercise, a healthy diet, and to meditate every day for 20 minutes. It’s enough to start with five minutes and then to slowly increase to twenty minutes. What could be easier than doing Yoga for a few minutes or meditating every day for a few minutes to systematically reduce stress?

## Techniques of thought exercise

The main technique of thought work is contemplation. Think about yourself, your life or your situation. Solve your problem and then calm yourself. If you can’t find a solution then take things as they are. Life doesn’t need to be perfect. An enlightened person is happy in an imperfect world. Accepting things in an imperfect world can be a way to enlightenment.
Find your way of wisdom. Consider what is right at that given moment. Is it correct to take action or to take no action? What needs to be done? Do it. Don’t think too much about it. Be present and in a state of calm.
If you can’t solve a problem at the given moment, then let go of it. Take some time each day to think about that problem. With time, you’ll find a solution.
Most of the time we can find a thought that brings us to inner calm and peace during the course of contemplation. If no such thoughts come to us, then we have to probe our inner being thoroughly. Which feelings are present in you? Anger, grief, fear, addiction or longing? What is the strongest feeling? Which problem is connected with it? Which thoughts appear when you feel out your emotions? Feelings of fear, rage, sadness and addiction can be dissolved if you can find the negative thoughts that dissolve the feeling. Which positive thoughts help to dissolve the negative thoughts? We have to be very creative with this sometimes. Which thoughts are strong enough to overpower the negative thoughts? What do we believe in the depths of the soul? It’s good to develop strong pillars of faith. They help us in emergencies and help to overcome negative thoughts.
Most of the time, thorough contemplation or personal pillars of faith help us to find inner peace. The negative feelings and thoughts often come from the depths of the consciousness. Our subconscious is like a small child. We have to be careful when dealing with the small child. We have to convince it and take good care of it. Then a positive psyche can develop.
Which thoughts does the small child in us react to? When do the negative thoughts dissolve? Does the inner child need love, happiness, wisdom or strength? Find a way to give that to him. Do something good for yourself. Concentrate on your wisdom. Take the path of all-encompassing love. Send all beings light and do a good deed. If your inner child needs strength, go your way with discipline. Exercise, do your spiritual exercises, work on yourself and strength and peace will appear.
If these techniques don’t help, then exercise thought control. Stop all of your negative thoughts. Meditate, think a mantra, or distract yourself by reading or watching videos. Often it’s good to talk to other people. Half the problem disappears when you can talk about it with a good friend. If you don’t have any good friends, then connect with God or your spiritual master. Tell them about your problems. Take an oracle card (Buddha oracle, tarot) and you will get an answer that helps you.
Negative thoughts can be stopped with a mantra. Find your personal mantra. Think “stop” or another mantra (a motto of wisdom) until the negative thoughts totally disappear. Repeat the mantra during crisis situations. At some point you will have overcome your negative thoughts. Feelings like happiness, love and peace will appear in their place.
Visualization exercises are a big help. Do a fantasy journey. Imagine what the solution to your problem looks like. Visualize yourself in a happy life. Let burdening situations play out in your mind’s eye. Find a positive thought that helps you.
Orient your perspective around positive intentions and a positive future. Go with positive intentions throughout the day. What gives you strength to get through your day positively? What gives you hope and confidence in your life? Begin each day with a positive intention. In the evening, consider whether you put your positive intentions into practice. What could you do better the next day? Develop a plan for a positive life. Put into practice with consistency. That’s how winners live. What is your goal? What is your way to win?
Reward yourself whenever you have managed to put your positive resolutions into practice. Your inner child loves rewards. This way you can motivate yourself to stay positive along your way. It doesn’t need to be a big reward. Sometimes a cookie or a beautiful flower is enough. Sometimes one needs big visions in order to maintain the strength for a positive life. Such a positive vision could be enlightenment, the life in lasting joy and happiness and peace. Such a vision could also be the goal for a happy world. Find your way of happiness and love and spread those characteristics throughout the world. Then you will make yourself happy and overcome negative thoughts.

### The Three Steps

Psychic well-being appears through the dissolving of tension in the body and the mind. If a person is relaxed on the inside, then happiness develops on its own. There are three steps to inner happiness.
1. Positive Thinking
Think about your problem and find an inner and outer solution. What is your problem? What would solve your problem? What is your path of wisdom?
Find a positive thought that you can use to overcome negative thoughts. What is your negative feeling (rage, fear, grief, addiction or longing)? What negative thoughts are connected to that? What positive thoughts help you? Positive thoughts come from wisdom, love, letting go, acceptance, joy and strength (self-discipline). Develop a positive resolution and think out a mantra. Repeat it again and again. Stop your negative thoughts this way :”my way of wisdom is… my way of love is… My false wishes are… I accept… What can I do good today? What makes me happy? Proceed with happiness.”
Thought stop. If a negative thought surfaces which destroys your happiness, call out ”stop!”. Observe your thoughts. Be aware of your thinking and your behavior. The constant observation will reduce negative thoughts all on its own. Meditate, work out or og for a walk if negative thoughts start to bother you. Come to a state of calm. Read a book. Talk to positive people.
Live positively. Plan your life positively. Then you will come to a state of calm and be happy.
2. Process your feelings
Feel your emotions. Understand your emotions. Recognize the source of your thoughts.
Don’t suppress your feelings. Be sad when you feel sad. Be angry without hurting others. Go for a walk. Meditate on your rage.
Learn to peacefully deal with the aggression of other people. Don’t identify with it. Forgive. Find positive thoughts.
See your fears for what they are. Feel the center of your fear. Then you can find a way to overcome it.
3. Physical Exercises
- Dissolve your inner tension and conflict with exercise (Yoga, walking, jogging).
- Meditate regularly.
- Practice a calm and relaxed lifestyle.
- Avoid stress to the extent that it is possible.
- Think like a Buddha. Act like a Buddha. Live like a Buddha. Be a Buddha. Concentrate on making other people happy and forget your own worries.

## Thoughts and feelings

Most people believe that they can’t think any differently in a given situation. They think their way of thinking depends on the outer situation. They don’t understand that each person has a choice between various thoughts in each situation.
Each person can think thoughts that lead to positive feelings, to health and to well-being. Each person can think thoughts that make him or her unhappy, that lead to suffering and that harm other people. What he or she thinks depends less on the outer situation and more on the inner habits related to thinking. These habits form over a person’s life and form his or her character.
How a person’s thinking can differ within the context of a similar situation can be reflected in the following example. Imagine that a young couple is sitting in a train kissing. In the same section of the train, five old ladies are seated. The first one thinks :”That’s unbelievable.” The second thinks: “I’d also like to be loved.” The third fears: “Hopefully a conductor doesn’t come to chase them away.” The fourth thinks : “two people are kissing.” And the fifth is of the opinion: “Oh how nice, there are people who love each other.”
Now let’s take a look at the emotions that the old ladies have because of their thoughts. The first is angry, the second sad, the third afraid, the fourth neutral, and the fifth is happy. The first three women are full of tension, the fourth is relaxed, and the fifth feels good.
We can see that the same occurrence causes varied reactions and feelings. In extreme cases, one of the first three women could become so upset that bodily symptoms like stomachache or difficulty breathing or heart attack could appear.
This example is useful in explaining what positive thinking actually is. Positive thinking is thinking which doesn’t result in inner tension. It doesn’t hinder health, instead it facilitates inner well-being. Positive thinking can also be neutral thinking. It is important to make use of this in difficult situations. We first accept the situation and then consider what we can do in order to constructively find a solution to improve the situation.
An often heard preconception against positive thinking is that positive reality doesn’t fully take in reality. Unpleasant realities are suppressed. The above example makes it obvious that the five women observed reality. They simply interpreted it differently. If one of the ladies looked away, only then would she be blind to reality. Sometimes such things can be helpful, but sometimes not. It’s not very helpful when it hinders one’s ability to take action. We don’t always need to expose ourselves to negative thought patterns. We’ve gotten to know the way to influence feelings through the thoughts. Bodily tension (energy blockages) and feelings can influence the thoughts. If someone is very tense, they tend toward negative thoughts. If someone is very sad, they find it difficult to see the beauty in the world. Maybe you’ve seen that you see life more positively when you can relax and go through the day. If you are tense then you can get aggravated about the smallest things.
It’s important to understand the context if you want to take the path of health and happiness (who doesn’t?) Only then is it possible to develop inner well-being and positivity. What needs to be done in order to achieve lasting positive feelings? First of all, one should recognize negative thought patterns in the self and replace them with positive thoughts and habits. Another thing one should do is to work out already present sources of tension systematically with the help of Yoga and meditation.

### Anger and grief

Feelings of rage and sadness appear through negative thoughts that cause conflict within. This tension is resolved through feelings of rage and grieving. With these feelings, our inner tension works itself out. They are actually something positive, because they help to relax us deep inside. We should let ourselves live out these feelings (within reason in the context of socially acceptable means).
At the same time we should try to overcome the negative thoughts that cause these feelings using positive thoughts. Otherwise negative thoughts will create new tension again and again. Our rage and sadness then become reinforced, and we do not want that.
It’s also possible to meditate on the feeling. We put ourselves in a meditate state. The thoughts and feelings come and go as they will. We observe them. We don’t give them any energy. This way, they will quiet on their own after a time. They appear again, and then dissolve. At some point, peace and happiness will appear spontaneously.
Basically we need both techniques of working with the feelings. We need to dissolve negative thoughts using positive thinking and we need the meditative perspective on the feelings. Positive thinking and meditation are ways to relax deep within and enlightenment. Our wisdom tells us which methods are correct at which moment.

### Fear

Fear is based in thoughts. These thoughts can be dissolved using positive thoughts. We have to look at the situation closely in order to dissolve the fear.
If we try to run from the fear, it will just grow larger. If we go through the fear, it will dissolve on its own. Questions such as: “What is really so bad about it? Is my happiness really dependent upon it? What is the worst that could happen? Are these thoughts realistic? Or am I worrying for no reason? Is there a positive side to the situation?”
The more our positive thoughts affect the problem and the more we believe in it, then the more we can overcome our fears. We can try out various positive thoughts and figure out which thoughts help us out of our fear the most effectively. The strongest thoughts arise out of thorough contemplation and an exact observation of the situation.
A good method to overcome fears is to place one’s self in a relaxed state and then to confront one’s self with the fear. We relax in the state of fear until the tension from the fear dissipates or at least decreases. If we repeat the exercise often, then we can overcome our fears.
It helps to have faith. If we believe in ourselves and our own power, then we can overcome every fear. If we believe in God and the enlightened masters, then we take fear out of our future. It is good to read the holy texts from one’s given religion.
Fear can be overcome using inner strength. Exercise, Yoga and meditation help us to build up our inner strength. Our self trust grows and our fears lessen. We concentrate on our fear when going for walks and move them out of our bodies. We thus loosen the inner tension and then make room for peace, strength and positivity to take over within us.
It’s good to have goals in life. If we concentrate on something positive, the negative thoughts and feelings lessen. Some fear can sometimes be a helpful thing. Fear protects us from doing the wrong things. It gives us the strength to master our lives. It helps us to take the path to enlightenment because it is the only way to really be free of suffering. In enlightenment, we raise ourselves above all of the suffering in the world and all of the fears. Peace, love and happiness reign in us instead.

### Aggression from other people

Negative feelings arise when other people are aggressive to us. It is difficult to shield the self from other people’s aggressions.
It is possible if we send back the aggression energy, or redirect it and change it into something positive. The transformation occurs through positive thoughts. You can try to understand why the other person is aggressive and develop understanding for it. You can consider how you can help that person or what you can do in this situation. You can look at the aggressions from a positive point of view with thoughts such as: “Those who are angry with me, show that I am important to them with their anger.”
Another possibility is to step outside the situation and then direct the energy to yourself as a third person in the situation. That way, it doesn’t affect you personally. You simply accept that you made a mistake. You give up the need for perfection. Everyone makes mistakes. You can also direct the aggression to a third object, and together complain about the unpleasant situation (instead of about each other).
You can also tell the other person he or she is right and let them talk. When things have calmed down, you can both go back to being reasonable and calmly solve the problem.

## Psychological learning theory

The psychological learning theory suggests that positive thinking can be learned. An athlete trains for several weeks or months an external behavior. He carries a certain behavior, and after some time he masters it. Thoughts can be understood as the internal behavior of a person. When we consciously practice some time a positive mental behavior, then our mind accustoms to positive thinking. It automatically responds to certain external situations with positive thoughts.
Positive thoughts lead to positive feelings. And positive feelings lead to health and happiness. To train positive thoughts has a great gain. It gives us a happy and healthy life. Especially if we practice also regularly sports (yoga, walking), enough relaxation (enough breaks, enough sleep, daily meditating) and a healty diat (at least an apple a day).
How to learn positive thoughts? The learning method consists of four steps. First, we need a positive thought system that suits us like the philosophy of happiness. The philosophy of happiness teaches to make the happiness to the center of life. The essence of the philosophy of happiness are the five qualities of wisdom, peace, love, strength and joy. These five properties we practice every day.
The second step is systematically to train positive thoughts. The best way is to remember every morning on the five positive qualities. We create a positive plan of the day. We get up with a positive thought. We retain our positive vision during the day. And at night we think about the day and what we can do better the next day. We feel our negative emotions (fear, anger, grief, addiction). What negative thought is associated with it? What positive thought helps us to overcome it? Which thought brings us into a positive attitude towards life? Helpful positive phrases are, "I'm a winner. I reach my goals. Wisdom is to organize my life so that I can live healthy and happy. "
The third step is to observe consistently our thoughts throughout the day, and to stop all negative thoughts. If we recognize a negative thought, we push him away immediately. We consider what positive thought is helpfull right now. We develop a positive thought and set it in place of the negative thought. If we make this at the long term, our negative thoughts are becoming less and our positive thoughts grow more and more. Nils was able to overcome his depression by this technique.
The constant observation of thought is the essence of positive thinking. Often we overcome our negative thoughts already through the constant observation of our mind. We are aware of our negative thoughts and that already deprives them their power. Sometimes we have to intervene forcefully. And just at the beginning of our mental work we should be relatively strict with our thoughts. If our inner children are educated good, we can give them a little more freedom.
The fourth step is the stabilization of positive thinking. It is not easy all day to control our negative thoughts. We need strong helpers to keep us on our long-term path of inner happiness. Such helpers are the daily spiritual reading in a book, the daily oracle reading, the daily meditation, walking and a group of positive thinking people. Very good it is to distribute some caregivers throughout the day. We create our system of daily happiness exercises. We're putting so many exercises for us in right intervals in the day that we keep ourselves constantly on the path of the positive. We stay with perseverance on our way of wisdom and happiness. If we fall off the path once, we stand up again next day. In particularly difficult situations helps the constant change of lying (hearing meditation music), reading (praying, chanting), sports (yoga, walking) and work (doing good to others). We are practicing it for so long until our negative emotions have calmed down und we are positive again.

## Daily sayings

The stone of the wise looks astoundingly similar to the stone of the fools. Joachim Ringelnatz
A friendly word can warm up three winter months.
God has given you a face. It is up to you to smile.
It is better to light a tiny candle than to curse the darkness. Confucius
Today’s Happiness Tea Saying= Do what brings you fulfillment.
Your way begins there where you stop following others.
Greatness isn’t being this or that, rather it is to be one’s self. Søren Kierkegaard
Have the courage to serve your own understanding. Immanuel Kant
What a man thinks of himself decides his fate. Mark Twain
The wise live in inner fulfillment and not in outer appearances. Laotse
Those who do not know the word “enough” will never have enough. Epicurus
When the thoughts come to a state of calm, the Yogi rests in the light. Patanjali (Yoga-Sutra)
Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God. Jesus (sermon on the moun)
Everywhere Krishna, the lord of Yoga is, there you find victory, wisdom and happiness. Krishna (Bhagavad Gita)
A friend is someone who hums the melody when you have forgotten your own song!
I don’t have friends. I have a selection of crazy people.
If you have just the right amount of food and drink, you will live to an old age and seldom be sick.
Everyone has dumb thoughts, but the wise keep them to themselves. Wilhelm Busch
A clever man never contradicts a woman. He waits until she does it herself. (Humphrey Bogarth)
The world could be so much better if I could just be cloned! (Lucy/Peanuts)
Through diet and exercise the greater portion of all disturbances may be equalized and overcome, if the right mental attitude is kept.(Edgar Cayce)
Nice days, not crying when they are gone. Rather smiling that they once were. Rabindranath Tagore
Wait out bad luck. Often what seems bad at the moment will reveal itself as a great blessing in the end. Euripides
Those who do not contemplate the morning will have worry before the day is through. Confucius
Perseverance is the talisman of life.
Think of your goals. They decide where you will arrive one day.
Only those who dare can win.
Life is too short to be taken seriously!! Oscar Wilde
Intelligence is following me, but I am faster.
You are correct, but I still prefer my own opinion.
I am not perfect. I am not working to change that either.
When God created me, he wanted to brag.
A halo? I already had one. It didn’t look good on me.
There are sheep and there are wolves. And you are a fish. What now? Be a fish!!
Dear God, give me patience!! But right now!!
As an uninvolved party, what do you say to the topic of intelligence?
A life without chocolate? Possible. But pointless.
Make sure everyone you meet is happier after they have met you. Mother Teresa
"You only need a little to live a happy life.” Marc Aurel
Monika Minder Say thank you for the wonderful time, so much love, so much life, and for all that remains.Monika Minder
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" Thukydides
"I have decided to be happy because it is good for my health" Voltaire
"To love one’s self is the beginning of a lifelong romance." Oscar Wilde
" One day it will have to be admitted officially that what has been called reality, is a greater illusion than the world of dreams " Salvador Dali "A day without laughter is a lost day " Charlie Chaplin
"The more you give, the more treasures you will find.." Anais Nin
"Everything viewed with the eyes of love is beautiful." Christian Morgenstern
" Many people miss out on the little happiness because they are waiting for the big happiness in vain ." Pearl S. Buck
"Be yourself. All of the other options have been taken.." Oscar Wilde
„ Joy, my friends is the medicine of life! I am happy when I hear something good from another person, or when my dog wags his tail, or a cat is purring in the corner.” Ernest Hemingway
" If you don’t have the urge to do something, do nothing.” Samarpan
" The hands in the sand, the feet in the sea, the face turned toward the sun, freedom from the day’s stress. Be happy simply. " Arnica Montana
""The most beautiful harmony occurs through the uniting of opposites." Heraklit
" Life is a white leaf, the colors are in you. Color it bright, radiant and beautiful" Jochen Mariss
„The earth could become a paradise. Everything is possible.” Erich Kästner
"Those who sow thoughts today, harvest the deed tomorrow, the habit the day after, and destiny after that." Gottfried Keller
"Calm is the healthy soul. " Immanuel Kant
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you and then you win.” Mahatma Gandhi
"The universe doesn’t follow any firmly established plan. As soon as you make a decision, the universe works with it." Deepak Chopra
„ Serve others, love everyone, live to give, cleanse yourself on the inside, meditate a lot and realize the holiness in you.“ Swami Sivananda
" Do what you love and love what you do. " Beata Korioth
„ Regular Yoga exercises help you to deal with the hectic daily life and counteract its effects.“ B.K.S. Iyengar
"Yoga allows chaotic thoughts to be softened." B.K.S. Iyengar
" If the light of Yoga is lit once, do not burn it out. The more intensive the practice, the more bright the flame will burn. " B.K.S. Iyengar
" Make efforts to only allow positive thoughts. Then miracles will occur within you.” Rabbi Nachman von Bratslav

## See also

* Happiness research
* Philosophy of Happiness
* Everyone needs a spiritual centering
* A World of Peace, Love and Happiness

## External links

* Encyclopedia Britannica learning theory
* How to Be Positive
* How to Be a Bodhisattva (Buddha of Love)
* Positive Thinking Your Key to Success
* The Power of Positive Thinking

# Yoga Tales
## The Frog

Once there was a frog who lived with many other frogs in a small well. Once at midday the sun shone briefly in the well. Apart from that it was in the lives of the frogs rather dark and sad. Our frog wanted to live always in the light. He wanted always to feel love and happiness within. One day at lunch time, the frog jumped out of the well and followed the sun. He followed the light in his heart. After some time he came to a great sea. He jumped in and was transformed. The frog had realized his spiritual self. He had jumped in the great nothingness of egolessness. He had let go of all attachment to all external things. He had given up his search for his dream girl. He had gone through the feeling of loneliness and boredom. Through his spiritual practices, his mental tension structure had disintegrated, and the light within was awakened. From his chakras bubbled the life force energy. The frog had found the sun in himself. He lived now permanently in happiness. It did not matter if it was raining outside or not. The frog was so happy with his new state of bliss, that he told it to all the other frogs. Most frogs did not believe him. They believed more in the great luck in the little frog pond. They believed that they would be happier if they would catch more flies. But some frogs trusted him and followed him on the way of light.

## The Frog Family

There was once a frog family. The frog mother showed her children the world: "This is the water. The Lord has made it​, so that we can swim beautiful." The frog children jumped into the water, swam around and cheered: "Wonderful. This has the Lord done well." Then the frog mother pointed to the many insects that flew across the pond: "The Lord has made the insects, so we have something to eat every day. Otherwise, we would starve." The frog children jumped for joy into the air: "God did well. Praise the Lord. He is our great father and breadwinner." The frog mother took her children to the colorful flowers on the shore: "God has made the flowers so that there is beauty in our lives." The frog children admired every single flower, smelling its delicious scent and sang a song in honor of the great father. The frog mother sat down with her children in the green grass. They let the sun shine on their stomach. The frog mother said: "God has made the sun, so there is light in the world, otherwise we would live forever in the dark." The frog children thanked the good Lord for the great light. Suddenly a serpent came and ate one of the frog children. The frog children were horrified: "What is about the snake?" The frog mother said, "God has made also the serpent.Through the snake we have to recognize that the center of life is the inner happiness and not the outer enjoyment."

## Three Wishes

There was once a poor woman. She had a tough time in her life. She tried to be happy in a relationship. But all her relationships had failed. She tried to be happy at work. But in her profession she learned only stress, struggle and selfishness. Over the years, she more and more exhausted her internal energy. She now lived alone, without a man, without a job, without a deeper meaning to life and frustrated. Every day watching TV and eating candy was in the long run not the way to great happiness. Somehow the woman was looking for a fulfilling life. One night her appeared the Yoga God Shiva in a dream. He said to her: "It's your lucky day. You have three wishes." The wife wished for love, strength, and happiness. The next day she went out leaded by an unseen hand to a bookstore. She bought a yoga book and worked through it thoroughly. She made every day in the morning, afternoon and evening her spiritual practices. She read in a spiritual book, walked, practiced her favorite Yoga series and meditated before bedtime. She did not practice much, but regularly. And above all, effective and with an inner sense. She felt every day what she exactly needed. With her yoga exercises, she managed to awaken her Kundalini energy. Suddenly, she had a lot of strength and happiness within. She gave her knowledge in her own way to her fellow human beings and thereby opened her heart chakra. She got into the energy of the all-encompassing love. She lived from now on focus on the goal of a happy world, found her personal mission and became a bringer of light. Yoga had made her life to a path of grace.

## Happy Housewife

There was once a woman who had two children. Her husband went to work during the day, and she cleaned the house, cooked the food and cared of the children. She had a good life. But it does not filled her out. Her lacked a deeper meaning of life. Ultimately lacked the deep happiness in her life. To do something for herself, she took part in a yoga class. She read a yoga book and learned that by yoga one can awaken his inner happiness. One who practices a lot of yoga may thus come into a life of light and to lasting happiness. The woman decided to live as a yogini. From now on, she took all the freedom in her housewife life, to do spiritual exercises. While cleaning, she thought mantras. When shopping, she did a walking meditation. Playing with her children she practiced karma yoga. Before falling asleep, she meditated. Thus she sparked further tensions during sleep. It's called Sleep Yoga. Every morning, she prayed to her enlightened Master. She made an hour yoga every day. She blocked her talkativeness and kept her spiritual energy. This is Mauni Yoga. She practised every day consistently her spiritual path. After twelve years she was enlightened.

## The Anxious Yogi

There was once a man who was very frightened. He wanted to overcome his fear. So he went to an enlightened Master and asked his advice. The Master advised the man to become a yogi and to disband his neurotic anxiety with his spiritual exercises. The man pulled into a lonely hut in a large forest. In the forest, there were tigers, snakes and jackals. The yogi feared all. Therefore he read in his clever yogi book what a yogi has to do in such a case. First advice: Look closely at every fear. Who closely looks at frightening situations can optimally protect himself. Fear is caused by negative thoughts. Fear thoughts can be overcome with the eight major techniques: reflecting (alone or talking with another person), mantra (thinking a positive word), thought-stopping, acting wisely, doing something good, walking, yoga or meditating (resting in inner happiness and let all thoughts come and go). Who exactly looks at his fear, finds his negative thought and can dissolve it with a appropriate positive thought. Second advice: Sacrifice the ego. Unchangeable things we have to accept as they are. We have to let go of our false wishes. All fears are only mental constructs based on an exaggerated rejection. Who sacrifices himself into the center of his fear, triggers the fear by this. It is the best to hand over yourself to the will of life (God). Who can let go of his ego, can flow positive through all suffering. Third advice: Ask the great Masters (God) for help. Then think about the problem and go with endurance the path of your personal wisdom. The yogi looked closely at his problems. Jackals just howl and don't bite. Snakes only bite when they feel attacked. When a yogi is careful and moves slowly the snakes will do him nothing. Only tigers eat people, but it is rare. It is the best to go such a tiger out of the way. And if that is not possible, a yogi sacrifices his ego, takes the situation, and continues practicing Yoga in the next life. The Yogi went his way with courage and perseverance. And one day he was enlightened, and all the fear was gone.

## The Sick Farmer

There once was a farmer in India who had a large goiter on his neck. The goiter looked very ugly and was very painful. The farmer was desperate. He asked many doctors. But no one could help him. In his distress he went on pilgrimage to a holy place where an enlightened master lived. The farmer was called Kukcipa. The name of the enlightened master was Nagarjuna. Nagarjuna is one of the founders of Mahayana Buddhism, the connection of the path of enlightenment with the way of all-embracing love.
Nagarjuna instructed the farmer to meditate every day on his crop. He should dissolve the tensions in his throat chakra with yoga exercises. He should envelop it with light and send healing energy to all people over the world. He should think the mantra "light" until his mind is completely at rest. Then he should spend some time in the rest. Kucipa practiced for many years as a yogi. First, the pain in his throat grew bigger and bigger. Prior to healing often comes a phase of energizing. Then the pain became less, the goiter disappeared and Kucipa was healed. He was outwardly and inwardly healed. Outwardly he got a healthy body and inwardly peace and happiness.

## The Yogini with the Dog

There once was a woman who wanted to realize her inner happiness. She wanted enlightenment immediately and in this life. She longed to live permanently in the light and in the love. There was only one problem. The woman did not like to be alone. To come to enlightenment usually one has to live many years in seclusion. Those who want to quickly reach enlightenment need a lot of rest, a spiritual daily schedule and a way of all-embracing love. These three things cause a fast growth in the light. The woman solved her problem. She bought a dog and moved together with the dog in a remote cabin in the woods. Twice a day, she walked an hour with him. If she did yoga and meditation, the dog was lying peacefully beside her. So she was never lonely. The dog gave her every day love, inspiration and joy. The dog guarded her house and protected her from pushy men. She practiced for many years with the dog her path of yoga. The dog was a positive center in her life. After twelve years she realized enlightenment on an easy way.

## Yogi Bhagiratha

Bhagiratha was an Indian king. All his brothers and sisters lived in the hell. They lived in the world of suffering. They were inwardly unhappy. They were tormented by the seven demons anger, pride, envy, greed, fear, addiction and unwisdom. Bhagiratha knew that his brothers and sisters could not recover by themselves from their spiritual unwisdom. The path of inner happiness is hard to understand. The consistent spiritual practice is difficult to learn. And still more difficult it is the way of effective practicing to be found. Most people lose themselves in the formal practice and do not come forward. Without an enlightened master is not easy for a normal man to come into the light successfully.
Bhagiratha decided to save his brothers and sisters from the hell. He became a yogi and brought first himself into the light. After having practiced twelve years intense yoga and meditation, one night Shiva appeared in his dream and asked him what he wants. Bhagiratha replied: “I want to free my brothers and sisters from hell. I want to bring all people of the world into the light. I wish a happy world full of happy people. “
Shiva then opened the sky and let water (enlightenment energy) flowing down on the earth. The impact on the earth was so great that Shiva had to soften it. He let the water run through his matted hair, and it was spread on the ground in many small streams. The streams splashing from the Himalaya mountains into the Indian plains and irrigated the land. All India began to flourish, the people were happy and the animals too. The result was the river Ganges, which supplies northern India with water. Bhagiratha transformed into Shiva. The enlightenment energy flowed inside and outside over his head and his hairs down on his body. After some time Bhagiratha was quite full of happiness and surrounded by a cloud of light. Where he stepped his feet, the earth started to bloom. Red roses and white lilies lined his path. Near him the wild animals were tame, and the birds began to sing. When he looked like a God, beaming with happiness, he went back into the world of suffering and told his people from the way of inner happiness. As he himself had achieved this, they believed him and followed him. Thus, the paradise was brought to earth.

## The Secret of Tantra

On the way of Tantric Yoga we live in the conflict of outer pleasure and inner happiness. Both paths are exactly opposite. The path of the outer pleasure leads to the growth of attachment to the world and reinforces inner tensions. The more we live in the outer pleasures, the more our attachment grows. The internal tensions become more and more and shrink the inner happiness. We are losing our inner peace, our strength and our inner harmony. On the way of inner happiness we solve systematically all inner tensions. We free us from all attachments to external things. Enlightenment is the ultimately freedom from the outer world. And thus we can keep our inner happiness in all outer circumstances. The less inner tensions we have, the greater is the inner happiness. Until we live permanently in the light, in the enlightenment and in the unity (God, Nirvana).
One can say that there is ego-realization and self-realization. The long-term the ego-realization basically leads to inner unhappiness and the self-realization to inner happiness. The ego-realization is easy at the beginning and suffering at the end. The self-realization is difficult at the beginning and an incredible grace at the end. The ego-realization consists of good food, lots of sex, nice travel, extreme consumption, and external praise. It follows the sloth (tamas), or the exaggerated activity (rajas). The self-realization consists of daily work on yourself and constant mental effort. We don't set the ego (our external desires), but the self (the freed psyche) in the center of our life.
In Tantric Yoga, we solve the conflict between the outer and the inner path by flowing with wisdom with the things of life. We live the outer pleasures so that they bring us forward into the light. We live them sensitively, in due measure and with the right mental attitude. We put the spiritual goal in the focus of our lives. We use the positive potential of the external pleasures, without getting lost in them. We solve all attachments again and again with our spiritual techniques (meditation and mind work) and always get back into the light (to inner harmony). We live primarily in rest, in our spiritual practice and in the all-embracing love.
If we do not see the problem of attachment, we go into the big trap of Tantra. We are strengthening our attachment and block our enlightenment. We come into the dynamics of self-indulgence. Our needs are constantly increasing, we see more and more the negative sites of our partner, and the satisfaction with our relationship is decreasing more and more. We want love from others and not to give love. We do not live primarily out of the spirituality. Then the development of attachment and negativity can not be controlled. A happy relationship arises when we live our relationship with wisdom and love. We should practise our relationship so that both partners grow in their inner happiness. We should put the happiness of all beings in the center of our lives. Then we will succeed in our relationships and our lives. Live positive relationships with your fellow man. Success! Send a friend light. Send him a positive sentence. "I send light to (name). May all people be happy. May the world be happy."

## Kankaripa

There once was a man who had a beautiful woman. The two loved each other dearly. They thought positively and therefore could lead a happy relationship for many years. The man was Kankaripa. Kankaripa had a successful career in his job and a happy relationship. He was very happy with his life.
But nothing lasts forever in the outer life. One day his woman died. Kankaripa was inconsolable. He depended entirely on his deceased wife. He could not rid himself of the attachment. So he went to a spiritual Master and asked him for advice The Master said, that at a great love the emotional connection is very strong. It can be resolved only through spiritual exercises over a long period of time. The Master recommended Kankaripa to make three hours every day spiritual exercises. He should take a walk, do yoga, mental work, meditation and read in a spiritual book. He should practice his profession in focus as a Karma Yogi for the goal of a happy world. He should concentrate more on the happiness of his fellow man than his own happiness.
In addition, he should practice every day mentally Tantra Yoga. He should visualize himself in a sexual union with his wife, enjoy the happiness, think the mantra "light", envelop both in light and then resolve both persons in the unity of the cosmos. He should visualize the universe full of stars around him, thinking the mantra "stars". Then he should stop three minutes his thoughts and after that he should linger in a relaxed meditation and let his thoughts and feelings flow.
This Kankaripa did a few years and then he was cured of his relationship addiction. He could now live a new relationship and also good to be alone, just like life it brought with it. His firm roots in spirituality allowed him to flow positive with all the changes in his life and always to preserve his inner happiness.

## The Old Weaver

In India, there lived an old man, whose name was Tantipa. By profession he was a weaver. He made many beautiful woven rugs and blankets in his life. But now in the age his hands were stiff. He could no longer practice his profession. Now he was missing a task. Tantipa sat alone in his hut. His wife had died several years ago. His profession and his wife had been his purpose in life. He had children, but the children went their own ways, and wanted to have nothing to do with him. The only thing they did for their old father, was to give him something to eat every day. Externally Tantipa had enough to live on, but inside he was bored. Tantipa lived many years sadly to himself. Loudly he complained his cruel fate.
Then one day a yogi came and heard Tantipa lament. He said to him, "You're a fool. You don´t see the great treasure in your life. You could live as a yogi and develop your inner happiness. Through your daily yoga practice you could get a meaningful age. Instead of using the big opportunity, you spend your days complaining about your fate and increase your pain." Tantipa knew that the way of inner happiness exists. The ideal of life of Hinduism is to learn in the youth, to work as an adult, to have a family, and to attain enlightenment at the end of the life. Tantipa realized that the yogi was right. He asked the yogi for the right exercises for him, and immediately began an intense spiritual practice.
In his career as a weaver Tantipa had been very busy. He had worked hard and with endurance. These qualities brought him fast forward on his path of yoga. Tantipa practiced diligently every day reading, going, yoga, meditation and positive thinking. After twelve years he reached enlightenment. All internal tensions broke up, and his Kundalini energy began to flow. His body was full of energy and his mind full of happiness. He radiated love and light. All people came to see him, to hear his wisdom and to get some of his good energy. Tantipa became never bored again. He was very happy about his well-used life on earth.

## A Prostitute

Ambapali was a prostitute. All the men were lying to her feet. She was beautiful, rich and intelligent. Ambapali was very proud of herself and her body. When she heard a sermon of Buddha one day, she realized that all outer wealth and also her beautiful body were transient. Only her soul would always exist. To have a happy soul, one has to cultivate his inner happiness. Ambapali changed her life radically. She became a yogini. She practiced intensively. She resolved systematic the proud of her beautiful body. She meditated constantly on the transience of all things on earth. She visualized herself as an old woman, a suffering woman, the death of her body and her transformation into a buddha and a life in nirvana. After a few years she realized enlightenment. All of her negative qualities disappeared. A prostitute became a saint. In spirituality it is not important what job a person has, but what inner spirit he or she has.

## The King and the Five Sacrifices

There was once a king who wanted to realize his inner happiness. A priest told him that a five-fold renunciation is necessary. The king had a lot of wisdom and a strong will. He was willing to perform a sacrifice, if it was necessary to achieve his goal. First, the king renounced his kingdom. He moved to a secluded forest and lived as a yogi. Second, the king renounced on sexuality. He lived without a relationship to better focus his energy on his spiritual exercises. That was for him the greatest sacrifice. Third, the king renounced on his thoughts. He meditated a lot and lived in great peace. Fourth, he renounced his ego. He let go of his ego, went through the vast emptiness (becoming internal nothing, no feeling of an independent self) and came into the light. It feels uncomfortable when the ego dissolves. But behind this is waiting the inner happiness. Who knows this, can easily sacrifice his ego. The king enjoyed some time in the happiness of enlightenment. Then he thought of the suffering of his people. They needed an enlightened Master who guided them along their way. The king renounced so fifthly on the happiness of seclusion and went back to his kingdom. He lived as a Hatha Yogi (physical exercises, meditation), as a Karma Yogi (love to all) and as a Bhogi Yogi (much external pleasure) permanently in the light (in unity consciousness, Nirvana). The five sacrifice were found to be the greatest grace in his life.

## The Four Stages of Life

Jada Bharata was the first great king in India. He united the whole country under his rule and gave him a common religion. Jada Bharata called his religion the Sanatana Dharma (eternal truth). Sanatana Dharma can be called the science of happiness. In the west the Sanatana Dharma is called Hinduism. Neo-Hinduism is the predominant form of Hinduism of today. Neo-Hinduism emphasizes the all-embracing love, the unity of all religions and the spiritual practice. Important representatives of Neo-Hinduism are Ramakrishna, Vivekananda, Ramana Maharshi, Anandamayi Ma, Mahatma Gandhi, Yogananda, Swami Sivananda, Sai Baba, Mata Amritanandamayi and Mother Meera.
Jada Bharata taught the way of the four stages of life. In youth, one acquires spiritual and professional knowledge. Then do you set up a family. If the kids are grown up, you concentrate on the spiritual practice. The age is then spent in inner happiness and after death you move up into the world of light. Simplified one can say that a wise man should divide his life into two parts. The first half of life on earth we explore the world outside and enjoy it's pleasures. In the second half we realize our inner happiness. One lives first mainly as Bhogi (hedonist) and then as a Yogi (happy man). This is from the perspective of yoga a fulfilled life. Buddha also followed this dichotomy. Until about the age of 30 years he lived with his wife and son. And then he transformed from a secular to a spiritual person and lived the second part of his life as a Buddha (enlightened).
Jada Bharata himself became a yogi and realized the inner happiness. Shortly before his death, he thought about if he now should stay permanently in the world of light, or return to earth again. Each enlightened yogi has in the moment of his death the choice. With his last thought (mantra), he decides his fate. Jada Bharata saw the many suffering in the world and opted for a rebirth as a spiritual Master. In his next life as a human he became a yogi, and quickly reached the enlightenment. He lived as Jivanmukta (liberated soul, Buddha) in the big nothing (nirvana, happiness). One day, "by chance" the new Indian king visited him. Jade Bharata initiated him into the path of universal love. The Indian religion was temporarily paralyzed in a formal way of practicing and preserving the power of the ruling class. The king gave the Sanatana Dharma the real spirituality back and transformed India into a happy country.

## The 24 Places of Power

A young man in India was keen to achieve the goal of enlightenment. He longed to develop his inner happiness and lasting inner peace and to live in the all-encompassing love. Unfortunately, he had a lot of tension in his body and his mind. He was inwardly very nervous. He constantly changed his residence, his relationships and his jobs. He could not meditate long time in sitting. His master so gave him the exercise to make a pilgrimage to the 24 places of power.
For twelve years the young man wandered from one place to another. He always felt his right line between too much rest and too much action. While walking, he said a mantra or thought about the meaning of life. While sitting he meditated in silence. He honored all the holy statues of all religions along his way. He visualized himself as Shiva, Buddha, Jesus and father of all beings (bodhisattva). Thus he activated his Kundalini energy. Shiva filled him with power, Buddha gave him inner peace, Jesus helped him so sacrifice his ego, and the bodhisattva way made him living in the energy of love. The many suffering people in the world touched him. He did not look away, but helped them, as far as he could. He shared his money with them and his wisdom. He strengthened them materially and spiritually. He became one with the joy and the pain of others. So he grew more and more into a cosmic consciousness. He practiced constantly positive thinking and reflecting the life. After twelve years of persevering pilgrim awoke in him the light. The pilgrimage to the 24 holy places opened his 24 inner gates of energy (chakras).
Pilgrimage for many people is a useful exercise. In India there are 24 official places of power. Many are located on the holy river Ganges, such as Benares, Allahabad and Rishikesh. There is the holy Mount Kailash and the birthplace of Buddha. Also inside a man there are after the teaching of yoga 24 places of power. The further one is spiritually evolved, the better you can feel it. Trying to find them in your body, concentrate on the point and feel how the energy flows out of it. If you regularly visit them, they supply you every day with energy and happiness. The most famous places of power are the seven chakras (vertex, forehead, throat, heart, solar plexus / navel, lower abdomen, pelvis ground). But there are chakras at the back, along the spine, in the mid-channel, in the hands and the soles of the feet. There are even outside the body chakras above the head in the sky, below the feet, two feet under the seat and deep in the earth. The greatest chakra is God. Whoever meditates on the cosmos, all living things, and the enlightened, awakens his inner power the fastest. Find your way of daily inner or outer pilgrimage and grow by this into the light.

## The Princess Lakshmi

A thousand years ago in India lived a beautiful princess. She was known as Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, prosperity and fortune. Lakshmi was a gentle and loving young woman. According to the tradition in India at that time she was married by her parents to the son of a friend of the King. The princess then traveled with a large entourage to her future spouse. When she reached the gates of the town, the king's son came back from the hunt. He was a rough fellow. He was surrounded by fierce warriors. On the saddle of his horse hung many killed animals. When the princess saw her groom, she was horrified. So did not want to marry a rough and unspiritual man. She waited for the night, fled out of the palace and hid in a cave in the woods. Friendly people gave her something to eat. The Princess Lakshmi spent her time with yoga and meditation. After seven years awoke her kundalini energy. She broke through to enlightenment. She lived in the light and radiated light. She had now become a real goddess of bliss. Many people came and visited her. Lakshmi spent her life happily in God and in the giving of love and bliss. The prince married another woman. She was just like him and believe in the happiness of a worldly life. He therefore made no attempt to find Lakshmi. Bur one day the father of the prince, the old king, discovered Lakshmi in her cave. He immediately realized that she had reached enlightenment. He bent down in front of her and asked for a lesson. Lakshmi said, "Life in the world is mainly suffering. Constantly happy is only the enlightened one." The king took the words to heart, abdicated and became also a yogi.

## God of Happiness Ganesha

Ganesha is a thick Yogi (Buddha) with an elephant head (wisdom and power). He has a big belly. He concentrates his energy in his belly. This happens because he is living at rest (doing nothing, pure existence in nirvana), in the all-embracing love and with the pleasure principle. He works for the happiness of all beings, but he does it out of the pleasure principle. He feels every day exactly what is good for him and for his fellow people. He does not work too much und not too less. He gives himself every day the outer pleasure that he needs for his inner balance. Some years ago the little Yogi Nils felt bad. In order to gain his balance again, he ate lots of sweets. His spirit brightened more and more. Unfortunately, after some time his abdomen was completely full. And yet his mind was not totally happy. Our little Yogi visualized the sweets in his belly and through this his kundalini energy awakened. Within him arose a strong happiness energy, which quickly brought him into the light. Our Yogi learned from it, to connect external pleasure and spiritual exercises. Then you don´t need to eat so many sweets. Some external pleasure is enough for the path of inner happiness.

## The Evil Magician

Once upon a time there lived in northern India an evil magician. He possessed great spiritual power and dominated his fellow people. All were afraid of him. No one could break his power. The magician was a friend of the Maharaja (ruler) of his district. The secular and the spiritual leader of the district lived in an unholy alliance to oppress the local population. But one day the Maharaja visited the enlightened master Mahaprabhuji. He was so impressed of Mahaprabhujis sacred aura that he became his devotee. At home, he immediately gave up his excessive worldly life and practiced all-embracing love. Mahaprabhuji protected him with his spiritual power against the influence of the evil magician. But the magician was furious and wanted to destroy Mahaprabhuji. He walked to Mahaprabhuji. On the way he was injured severely on the leg. He had two dreams. In one dream, he saw himself in hell and suffered great anxiety and great pain. In the second dream, he saw himself in heaven. His soul was filled with peace, love and happiness. When he came to Mahaprabhuji, he beamed all his negative energy on him. But Mahaprabhuji remained calm and unperturbed. The negative energies could not harm him. He said to the magician: "The light is stronger than the darkness. It wins by inner peace and all-embracing love." The magician recognized the spiritual greatness of Mahaprabhuji. He understood what his two dreams meant. If he would continue on his path of black magic, he would come after his death in hell. If, however, he repented of his wrong doings and does only good things in the future, he would be saved. His eyes were opened to the true path. Mahaprabhuji healed the leg of the magician and took him as his disciple.

## Children of the Light

We are beings of the light. We are children of the light. The cosmos is our great mother and our great father. We play games of happiness in God and thus grows the eternal happiness of all beings. The problem with most of our fellow creatures is that they can not distinguish between good and bad games. Bad games often make happy the short term and unhappy the long term. Bad games are all games who focus of worldly desires.
If we anchor ourselves in external things, we always long for more. We become tensed inside, our inner happiness decreases and it takes everyone down. We are allowed to live the external things. We can have relationships. We can play relationship games. We are permitted to make us the outside world beautiful. But we must bring the spirituality at the center of our lives. We need to play our life games out of the focus of spirituality. We have to play on the basis of wisdom, love and peace. Only those games benefits us.
This is difficult to understand. There are many little devils in the world playing negative games. Little devils are always poor devils. They lack wisdom and they end up harming themselves primarily. We need many angels in the world who can teach the little devils to play in the right way. If the angels are centered in wisdom, in their spiritual practices and in all-embracing love, then they win and that will be good games for everyone.

## Master of Compassion

Atisha was a Tibetan Master of Love. He was born in 980 in India. He worked as a professor at a cloister university. Atisha wanted to find the fastest way to self-realization. He travelled from Master to Master, and tried out their techniques. The Master Rahula brought him to the big break, "Any form of self-relatedness prevents you from being fully enlightened. Even if you meditate for decades in a secluded cave, you might win great spiritual powers, but probably pride will arise in you ... and this pride blocks your enlightenment. Pride blocks your complete oneness with the cosmos. You have to recognize your ego-self as a mental mistake. You need to overcome your ego, your self-relatedness. Then you will freed. Then you live in the light. Then you come into a unity consciousness. And thereby you receive peace, happiness, love, power and enlightenment."
This convinced Atisha. But how could he do this? He lacked an effective technique to overcome his ego. This technique he learned from the Master Serlingpa. It is called Tonglen in Tibetan Buddhism. Tonglen means replacement. You practice it, to identify with your fellow man. You connect yourself with their suffering and wish all beings happiness. Atisha practiced this consistent for twelve years and then got enlightenment. After that he went to Tibet and showed the people there the way of all-embracing love.
Tonglen can be practiced in various ways. The Tibetan way is very radical. You assume mentally all suffering of your fellow men and send them all your happiness. And you practice it so seriously, that you expect that a transfer of real suffering energy (bad karma) takes place. Nils has mitigated Tonglen for himself. After his experience, it is sufficient to concentrate on the suffering in the world, and to live as a helper. The fastest way to enlightenment is to live in enough rest, to make enough spiritual exercises (yoga, reading, going, meditating) and to focus in working for the happiness of all beings. How are you able to identify with your fellow beings: 1st Humanity is one family. All men are brothers and sisters. In a family, all help each other. 2nd If I feel bad, I also want me to be helped. Whom it goes well, should help those who it goes bad. 3rd I am a mother / father of all beings. I see all beings as my children. I want everybody to be happy.

## Sai Baba and Nils

In a bookstore, Nils saw in 1995 the book of Samuel Sandy Weis "Sai Baba the Holy Man and the Psychiatrist." Nils bought the book, read it and loved it. In 1997 showed Sai Baba him in a dream, how he helps him on the spiritual purification path. He took away some of Nils bad karma (destiny). In another dream Sai Baba appeared to him and constantly changed his faces. He pointed to the fact that a Karma Yogi should be flexible. In 2000 appeared the yoga gods Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma in a dream. Nils saw the three gods as beautiful statues side by side made of dark green jade. They gave him the path of Trimurti Yoga, the combination of praying (Bhakti Yoga), love (Karma Yoga) and spiritual practice (Hatha Yoga). In 2001 Nils received the paradise dream. He saw himself walking with many people through the mountains (Himalayas) to a beautiful village in the paradise. Everyone got there his own house (way of living in paradise). Later, also the yoga god Ganesha appeared to him. Ganesha embodies the middle spiritual path with some enjoyment. In 2003 Nils knelt before a king in a red robe (love). The king sat on a golden throne and had a suit of armor (strength). The king pushed his sword into the crown chakra of Nils. Sai Baba activated his Kundalini energy and gave him all the power he needed to be successful on his spiritual path. Two weeks later, Nils saw himself on a congress for the unity of all religions. Nils got the task to work as a Yogi for the cooperation of all spiritual people.

## Mountain of Religions

There were five people who sought God. One was an atheist, an other a Christian, the third a Yogi, the fourth a Muslim, and the fifth a Buddhist. One day the five seekers came to a large mountain. Up on the mountain shone a bright light. The atheist said: "This is the sun." The Christian said: "This is God." The Muslims gave it the name of Allah. The Buddhist thought it was the Nirvana (emptiness / unity / bliss). The Yogi called it Brahman (the higher reality). The five-seekers debated long about the light, the happiness and God. The atheist insisted that there is no God. The Buddhists did not believe in a personal God. Which the Muslim and the Christian contradicted violently. The Yogi surprised his friends by stating: "This question cannot be clarified by an unenlightened man. God is a mystery. We all must get enlightenment, then we will understand what God is."
The five seekers had a long talk about God. They learned about their respective viewpoints. The talk was a great enrichment for all. But they could not come to a final result. They therefore decided to climb the mountain and to investigate the light exactly. There were many paths leading up the mountain. Everyone rose up on his own path. When everyone had arrived at the summit, they decided to enter into the great mystery. They took each other by the hand and went into the great light. They passed through a great darkness (the ego resolution) and found themselves in God (transcendence). They stayed some time in God and then went back into the world of matter (the duality of things). In God all had been speechless. But now her mind began to work. Excited, they told each other about their experiences.
The Yogi felt God as unity consciousness, the Christian as universal love, the Buddhist as inner peace (no attachments), the Muslim as a great power and the atheist experience God as a higher truth. The Muslims got the word "Allah", the Christian the word "God", the Buddhist the word "Enlightenment", the Yogi "Sat-Cit-Ananda" (unattached being-unity-bliss) and the atheist "Cosmos". If they thought their particular word, they could immediately go back into the light. The word was their personal key to entry into the great mystery. Anyone who has met God, can come with the power of the memory and his personal mantra again into the state of enlightenment. Each of the seekers kept his word as the greatest. They were arguing about their prayers and could not agree on a verbal level. So they decided to end their conflict and prefer to concentrate on the spiritual practice. They lived many years together on the mountaintop. They read in their scriptures, meditated a lot, pilgrimaged every day to the mountain summit and met once a week to a joint celebration. Some day all arrived the permanent light. And the great light transformed them. They saw the light in all beings and all things of the world. They realized that they are all brothers and sisters. May we stop all religious wars in the world. May we be build a golden age of love, peace and happiness on earth.

## Thankfulness

Daria (internet-girl): Hi everyone, I would like to discuss with you the mysterious concept of "happiness". What is happiness for you? What can make you happy? Do you believe that "all obstacles" may be a chance? But before I share my thoughts about happiness with you, I would like to introduce myself. I am a 23-year-old Ukrainian girl. I am a happy person (with some exceptions of course). I'm studying for five years diploma translator. Soon I will make my degree. I love to laugh, to dream, and when people smile. The people around me think I'm a bright, cheery girl, even though many have no idea how I can be happy in my situation. I was born severely disabled physically. I can not go and not stand alone. When I'm home, I can make 99% of everything. I feel like a queen. But when I'm outside my apartment, I'm as helpless as a baby. I can move a little, but it is not enough to go anywhere without being accompanied. My mother is my legs. She is my everything. Without her help I would not be able to study.
Thank God my mental capacity is not affected. I am a normal person, with my own dignity, with dreams and desires. I only wish that I could go anywhere, go where I want. Sometimes I am sad because I will never be a person of normal life and enjoy its pleasures. I can never go to parties or discos, visiting friends or simply stroll along the white beach under palm trees in the South Seas hand in hand with a loved one. I console myself with the thought that my world is not really the worst. :) Nothing happens for nothing. That's what I have learned in my life. I think I've come with the job on the world to make a difference.
To find happiness in life is a real complicated art. I try to be happy about all the little pleasures. My greatest treasure is to see all the small moments of happiness and enjoyment. You must not have the body of a model. Happiness is when you can see the beauty of life with a non-standard body. I will not hide it. Sometimes it frustrates me to be obstructed. But I stand to me and my different kind of body. I just wish people could see me, as I really am - behind my body. I am glad, that some of my friends that actually can. Life is beautiful. No matter how it is external. It is the greatest gift we could receive from God. Thankfulness is my main way to inner happiness.

## Citta, the Doubter

Citta was a disciple of Buddha, who doubted a lot. He often wavered between his worldly desires and his spiritual goals back and forth. First he was a very worldly-oriented person. Then he met the Buddha and was thrilled by the idea of ​​inner happiness. Citta became a monk and practiced his spiritual exercises intensively for several years. Then he got a great displeasure. He left the monastic community, learned a profession and married a beautiful woman. But the woman was not always pretty, his profession became boring and doubts about the worldly life appeared.
Citta gave up his job, separated from his wife and became a monk again. This time he stayed many years with Buddha. One day he broke through to enlightenment. But the enlightenment disappeared, his doubts came back and Citta returned to his secular life. His wife took him back. He worked in his old job and enjoyed a time the worldly pleasures. Then his wife irritated him again, the stress on the job was too much and he longed for the quiet life in the monastery. After initial resistance from the monks Citta was still taken a second time and then he reached permanent enlightenment.

## The Happy Buddha

Budai was a very lazy Zen Master. He lived during the Tang Dynasty in China. He is also called the Laughing Buddha, or the Happy Chinese. Budai lived consistently in rest (doing nothing). He just enjoyed the happiness of his enlightenment. He lived in existence-unity consciousness-happiness (Sat-Chid-Ananda). He liked to laugh, to eat sweet things and to play with the children. Budai had a big bag, in which many beautiful things were hidden. He gave away it to the children. He was a bit like a Chinese Santa Claus. He was very popular by all children. And the adults loved to linger in his good energy and to relax in his presence a bit from the stress of life.
Chinese are usually very busy. They have a collective neurosis of much working. They think that working and not enlightenment is the purpose of life. Sometimes they are then very exhausted. They need a counter-example to get mental balanced. Budai is a counterpart role-model for them and their secretly dream of life. Budai once was asked, what enlightenment means. He stretched his arms in the air, smiled happily and then immediately disappeared into the crowd. He lived in inner happiness and in outer nothingness. He refused even to be a Zen Master and to teach the people. He was just a happy Buddha. It is enough to be happy, but it is also good to work for a better world and to make all people happy. Budai´s way was it to live enlightened, to see life as a game and to give away enlightened energy (symbolically sweets).

## Love of Enemies

Samavati was as a child of poor parents. Because she was very beautiful, the king of Kosambi fall in love with her and married her. One day Buddha came with his monks in her country. She heard his teachings and was thrilled. Every day from now on she practiced meditation and universal love. She practiced the four brahmaviharas: 1) loving-kindness, 2) compassion, 3) empathetic joy, and 4) equanimity. She sent all beings each day light and lived for the goal of a happy world. Thus after some time she was enlightened.
Although she did nothing but good things to all people, there was a woman in the palace who was jealous of her. She wanted to become the queen instead of Samavati. One night, this woman set fire to the palace of Samavati. Samavati put herself into a deep meditation, forgave her enemy, and blessed all beings with light. She went through death with equanimity. Due to her meditation of all-embracing love her soul rose on to paradise after death (in a dimension of light in the afterworld).
The big test on the way of universal love is the love of enemies. We can only be permanent enlightened if we can integrate all of our problems into our enlightened psyche. Ultimately, all difficulties and all people with opposed interests are emotionally our enemies. We can integrate them into our psyche, if we found a positive word. What thought can help us, if a person harms us? We just think that our inner happiness and the paradise after death are more important as our current problem. We see all the external problems as ultimately meaningless, and only our happiness as really important. A second technique is to see us as a mother of all beings and all beings as our children. As a mother (or father), we wish a happy family and help even our evil children to go the path of wisdom and love.
For Nils the loneliness is his emotional enemy. He does not like it. His positive thought is, that it as an opportunity to practise intensive spiritually and to get enlightenment. For Samavati the situation was even more difficult. She was killed by her enemy. If she had hated the woman, internal tensions were created. These tensions would have blocked her rise into the paradise (preserve an enlightenment consciousness). In such a case, you can also try to clean your mind after your death. Anyone who goes through life constantly with spiritual exercises, will be able to do them even after his death. If we get touched by difficult situations, we always can build up our happiness again (in life and in the afterlife). Constant spiritual practise is a great grace for everyone.

## Anuruddha

Anuruddha was the disciple of the Buddha with the ability to single-minded practice. Anuruddha means translated to practice to (anu) a point (the target, Ruddha/Rudra = Shiva as role model, the enlightened Master of Yoga). Anuruddha grew up as a prince in external wealth. When he heard about the goal of spiritual self-realization, in him arose the desire to achieve it. But he was small, weak and loved the pleasures of the world. How should a small man like him can go the long and hard path to enlightenment? He remembered his cleverness. He thought that enlightenment is the greatest pleasure in the world. He practised with regard to his goal. He focused on his goal every day, visualized himself as a Buddha (Ruddha). He did every day the step forward who was possible for him. With special exercises (Deity Yoga) he activated every day his Kundalini energy (the energy of Shiva, the Kundalini snake). And he gave himself enough outer pleasure on his way. Thus he got the power to succeed.

## Seven Tips

Mahamoggallana (Moggallana the Great) was a chief disciple of Buddha. As a youth he was strong and wild. He made many bad jokes and annoyed his fellow man. One day he heard of the spiritual self-realization. This goal was far greater than all his youthful pranks. That attracted him very much. Moggallana left his hometown and went in search of self-realization. Twenty years, he moved back and forth across India. He studied with many spiritual masters. He practiced many spiritual techniques. But the way of his personal effective practicing, he did not find. Despite all the search and try he did not get enlightenment.
Disappointed, he returned. Near his home town he met Buddha. Buddha gave him the knowledge of his effective spiritual practice. Then Moggallana became a yogi and moved to a secluded hut. He practiced extensively the alternating sitting and walking meditation. Shortly before his spiritual breakthrough him captured a large inertia and apathy. Buddha gave him seven tips: 1st Always consistently follow your daily schedule, even if you're tired. After some time the fatigue goes away. 2nd If the tiredness does not go away, think about your goals and your spiritual path. What is your way to win today? 3rd Rub your face and body with cold water. That activates you. 4th Read a page in a spiritual book. 5th Do some exercise (yoga, walking, breathing, Kundalini awakening). 6th Maybe you're really tired. Then take a break. Give you enough rest. 7th Connect yourself with your spiritual master and ask him for guidance and help. Hear the voice of your inner wisdom. Find your way of rightness.
With these seven techniques Moggallana got his breakthrough into the light. He had won thanks to his wisdom and perseverance. Yogi Nils completed the seven tips with three more tips: 8th Live for the goal of a happy world. Send every day all beings light and think, "I send light to (name). May all people be happy. May the world be happy." In this way you get the energy of universal love and awaken your unity consciousness. 9th Hear beautiful or powerful music. 10th Bring as many elements of joy in your life so that you can walk your spiritual path positive. "My deed of joy today is ..." So you can go eternally your spiritual path until you reach your goal.

## Tenzin Palmo

Tenzin Palmo is a Western woman who has decided to become a female Buddha. She was born in 1943 in London as Diane Perry. After graduation, she worked in a library. She liked to read. One day she discovered a Buddhist book and was impressed by the teachings contained therein. She traveled to northern India and met her Master, the 8th Khamtrul Rinpoche. She became a Buddhist nun in the tradition of Kagyupa (Kundalini Yoga and Meditation).
She noticed that there are very few female Tibetan Buddhist Masters. She therefore put off the vow to attain Buddhahood as a woman - no matter how many lifetimes it would take. She saw this as her contribution to the emancipation of women. The 16th Karmapa blessed her and said. "You are the first Western woman I ordain. You have to be strong and vigilant. It is very important that the beginning of a new movement is purely. In the coming years there will be many western women who go the Buddha-way.
On the night she had a vision of the Goddess Tara, who smiled happily and gave her a flower. That was a good omen. Buddha gave his successor also a flower. Tenzin Palmo spent several years in a monastery. She learned that there is in Tibetan Buddhism a nearly extinct line of female yogis, the Togdenmas. Tenzin Palmo wanted to restore the tradition of the Togdenmas. She moved into a cave in the Himalayas and meditated intensively there for twelve years.
At the age of about fifty years she came back to the West. She radiated happiness, peace and light. She founded a convent and traveled throughout the West, to raise money for her monastery. Wherever she went, people were enthusiastic. Her teaching was authentic, non-dogmatic and suitable to the needs of western women.
---> Video: Tenzin Palmo

## Chang Khong Saves Herself

Thich Nhat Hanh and Chan Khong are two well-known Zen masters. Thich Nhat Hanh came from Vietnam and had been engaged there very much for peace. In 1982 he founded together with the nun Chan Khong in southern France the spiritual center "Plum Village". There, people from all over the world can learn the Buddhist mindfulness meditation.
Chan Khong was born in 1938 in Vietnam. She met Thich Nhat Hanh at the age of 21 years and became his close companion. She studied biology and was also involved in political action, becoming the student leader at the University, spending much of her time helping the poor and sick in the slums of the city. She directed a nursery school for orphans. 1968 during the American Vietnam war a bombing killed almost all her children. Chan Khong was desperate. She could eat a long time nothing but a little rice. How could she win back her inner peace?
She sought refuge in spirituality. By meditation and positive thinking she got back her happiness. She realized enlightenment. Today she shines a lot of power and love. She manages the ashram of Thich Nhat Hanh and organizes his many travels. With her inner strength she helps many Western women to get inner peace and happiness.

## Alice Christensen

Alice Cnristensen is the founder of the American Yoga Association. In her book "Yoga of the Heart" (1999), she describes the exciting path as she took to yoga. Swami Sivananda in India saw Alice in the U.S. from his higher cosmic perspective. He saw her good heart. A good heart is the main on the spiritual path. Through yoga exercises one gets a lot of inner power. This power can be steered in the wrong direction, if it is used without wisdom and love. Alice was a homemaker and mother. One night in the summer of 1952, she woke up and saw a large pillar of light standing at the foot of her bed. The whole room was filled with light. The pillar of light came toward her, enveloped her and melted into her. She lost consciousness and woke up the next morning as a new woman. Suddenly she was a clairvoyant and could feel the energy of others. In her mind popped the word 'yoga' on. She read all the books about yoga, she could get. Some time later Swami Sivananda appeared her in a vision and introduced himself by name. He pointed her to a particular book, in which his address was. She bought the book and then communicated mainly writing with him. Alice had several experiences of enlightenment. In 1960 she was spiritually so developed that she could teach yoga. In her book she recommends a daily yoga practice from twenty to thirty minutes. She also writes, that daily reading a spiritual book is very important: "If you do yoga every day and also practice the positive qualities love, peace and truth, you will bring your inner power source to bubbling. You will get health, inner strength, self-confidence and contentment."

## Anita

Anita Blanke is a student of Sai Baba, who realized enlightenment through the path of a spiritual relationship (My way to the source, 2003). She was born in Austria and had in school a special talent for music, dance and theater. After high school she went to Berlin and became an actress. From the age of fifteen on she danced from relationship to relationship. Her subject of life was searching for the right man. At a theater in Berlin she met Norbert. He was a technician. Anita was thrilled by his calm and strong male type. They moved together. But after a while Anita noted that Norbert was not perfect. There were sides in him that she did not like. She expected the great enduring happiness from her partner and thus necessarily had to fail. The great happiness can only be found within oneself. It was a long road for Anita to recognize this. She started nagging. She focused on the negative aspects of her partner. Her relationship cooled more and more. Anita began to search her luck in other men. She had several love affairs.
In 1986 she heard of Sai Baba and went to India. When she saw Sai Baba, she knew at once that he was her Master. She had arrived at the end of her search. Her Master was her great love. Unfortunately, she had to realize after some time that a purely spiritual relationship with an enlightened Master was not enough for her. She needed also a real man. She asked Sai Baba for guidance and help. In a dream, Sai Baba said to her that she would find a husband and have two children. But where was the right man? Anita had to think by herself. In a book she read that the mental and spiritual harmony in a relationship is more important than the physical level. The sexual desires in a relationship usually disappear after a few years. What remains is the mental and spiritual level. Anita wondered with what man she mentally best corresponded. With whom she could imagine a happy relationship in the long term. The only suitable partner she remembered was Norbert. But her heart refused. Norbert promised her, to give her more love. That opened her heart. They married and had two children, a son and a daughter. In the beginning they were very happy. But then the children began to niggle, Norbert sought his task of life, and Anita went from theater to theater. Since she was never really happy, she made a training as a psychotherapeutic healing practitioner. She moved with her husband and children to Kassel. There they rented a big house and pulled together with lots of friends. Anita became the head of the Sai Baba group of Kassel.
The main path to enlightenment for Anita was to accept life as it comes. She constantly tried to live inwardly unattached. Sometimes she broke through into deep states of happiness. But mostly it was a tough inner rings. She remained on her way about twelve years. She prayed every day to her Master and got helpful dreams. She also meditated and practiced regularly yoga. In a dream she received the message from Sai Baba: "The outer guru-worship has to be given up. Visualize yourself as Master. Live for the happiness of your fellow people. Serve all beings and everything serves you spiritually. If you take all things in the right way, everything becomes a helper to enlightenment." The Community in Kassel collapsed. Inwardly, she felt heavy, tired and dreary. Until suddenly disappeared her I consciousness. She transformed into a unity consciousness. The Kundalini energy in her began to flow and she lived from now on permanently in the light. The outer things always changed, but the inner happiness remained.

## Goddess Yamuna

The Yamuna is one of the sources of the Ganges. It brings the water from the glaciers of the Himalayas to the Indian plains and unites there with the second major source of the river Ganga. At the point of uniting meet regularly pilgrims from all over India and ask for light, happiness and abundance in their lives. They visualize the Ganga and the Yamuna river as Goddesses. Ganga is a girlfriend of Shiva. She gives us the power to succeed on our spiritual path. Yamuna is the sister of the God of death, Yama. She is the Goddess of piety. She reminds us that we all have to die one day (meet Yama). We should use the time of our lives to grow spiritually and to rise after death into the light.
In February 2008, the Goddess Yamuna appeared Yogi Nils in a vision while meditating. Nils found himself in a group of people who knelt in front of a small white statue of a standing Goddess. It was a Goddess of fertility, a Goddess of wealth. Nils spontaneously heard from inside the name Yamuna. As if under a force he put his forehead on the ground at the feet of the Goddess. His mind kept thinking the words, "pray, pray, pray ..." The blessing of the Goddess was transferred to him. Nils felt how her energy connected with him. Nils did not knew anything from a Goddess Yamuna. A few days later Nils read in a book that Yamuna is the Goddess of devotion and teaches the daily praying. Nils got by his vision informations that he had not had before. This is in Yoga seen as a typical sign of a genuine vision.
Who every day connects himself spiritually with God (the Goddess, the enlightened Masters), can be seen permanently from the higher dimension. Thereby him can be helped permanently. Who prays every day, gets blessing every day. The Goddess Yamuna gave Nils no specific prayer, but simply the words "pray, pray, pray". Every spiritual person may pray in his own way. He or she may speak mantras, read a spiritual book or perform other rituals (yoga, meditation, chanting, pujas, oracle).

## Mantra for dying

In the year of 2001, Nils saw himself as a jellyfish in a dream. This jellyfish was about to be eaten by a sea spider. The little jellyfish could not escape the spider. In the jellyfish’s state of desperation, it called to God. God gave the jellyfish the mantra “yes” (in German, “Ja”). The little fish thought of the mantra over and over, and went through death in a state of affirmation, constantly repeating the word “yes”. The black spider killed the jellyfish and the fish continued to think „yes, yes, yes, yes…“ while Nils noticed how his consciousness lapsed. His life disappeared. That was a very unpleasant experience, but through the mantra „yes“, he was able to keep his spirit stable and positive. He did not get tense in the course of the death experience, and did not lose positive energy. After his consciousness was extinguished, he moved ahead spiritually. Suddenly, Nils was there again, and everything was light, peaceful and beautiful. The spider was no where to be seen. Nils was in a light dimension of the other side, and he felt good.
After a time, Nils woke up from the dream. He lay in bed again and found himself at home, as a person. He still felt happy though, and that day he took a long walk through trees and fields where flowers grew, as the sun shone on this beautiful day. Nils still had this paradise feeling from his dream. He felt a large sense of peace, joy, and all-encompassing love for all beings and plants around him. He stayed in this state for three days after the dream. Nils saw this dream as a gift. In the dream, Nils learned that one can go through death more easily with a mantra. Those who die repeating a positive mantra can land in paradise after death. The knowledge of the death mantra was a saving grace for him. The concept of such is hardly known in the western world. That Nils is able to share this dream, imparted to him by his enlightened Masters, is a great gift. Everyone must die one day. It is good to have a mantra at hand for this experience. Everyone can choose whichever mantra serves him or her. Christians might have a prayer at hand. Nils can confirm that the mantra "Yes" has a very strong force and brings a soul good through death. He recommends this mantra to all people. In yoga is usually the mantra "Om" related. A very powerful mantra is also the name of the personal enlightened Master.

## Reincarnation

Reincarnation is the religious or philosophical concept that the soul or spirit, after biological death, begins a new life in a new body that may be human, animal or spiritual depending on the moral quality of the previous life's actions. This doctrine is a central tenet of the Indian religions and is a belief that was held by such historic figures as Pythagoras, Plato and Socrates. One of the most well-known cases of reincarnation in India is Shanti Devi. She was born in 1926 in New Delhi and could remember her previous life as a house wife in Mathura. Although she was never in that location, she was able to describe her previous husband, her previous house, and the city itself. She could even remember where she had always hidden her money in her former life.
Yogi Nils: My beliefs are based mainly on my own experiences. I have seen about thousand previous lives in the course of my spiritual cleansing processes. After seven years as a Yogi, I was suddenly overcome by the wish to know my earlier life. I went back in my meditation to a previous time and felt resonance with a particular time. I looked in that direction and could spiritually “see” four earlier lives. If you dissolve systematically all tensions in the body and in the spirit with spiritual exercises, one day you reach the stress situations of your earlier lives. This is what happened at St. Anthony, the founder of the Christian desert fathers. He saw how he was eaten in his past lives by bigger animals. Visions of demonic beasts appeared in his mind's eye. All the major stress is stored in the soul. If the tensions dissolve, dip in dreams or visions short scenes (short films) of the stress situations. The solution process is often associated with intense physical reactions such as restlessness, tremors, heat or cold. First I resolved the tensions of my present life. In short movie scenes I saw stressful exam situations, relationship conflicts and repressed accidents. Since I still had the stressful events in the memory, the connection between spiritual practice, the resolution of inner tensions and the appearance of solution dreams became clear. I learned to distinguish solution dreams from normal dreams. After eleven years as a Yogi, many former lives came in dreams to the surface of my consciousness. Differing from the conscious perceptions while meditating, very clear films like short videos appeared. I could see the details of the situations and the environment I was in at the time of the previous life. From the single pictures I could see geographical details.

## Bhadda and Kassapa

Bhadda and Kassapa were two disciples of Buddha. They were married. They had a harmonious and happy marriage. As they grew older, in both developed the desire for spiritual self-realization. They gave up their worldly lives and became pilgrims. Together they visited many holy places and gained a great spiritual knowledge. One day they realized that each of them needs his own path to enlightenment. Bhadda became a nun in a convent. For her the right spiritual path was a life in a community together with other women. In this way she reached her spiritual goal in a few years. After that she worked as an enlightened Master for her fellow sisters. She thought of her husband always full of love and of gratitude for the good years together.
Kassapa had chosen for himself the path of a secluded and hard-practicing yogi. In the solitude of the mountains he built a small hut. Every day he followed strictly his spiritual program. He had no desire for human contact. He wanted nothing more from his fellow man. And perhaps for this reasons he was chosen after Buddha's death to his successor. Kassapa is regarded as the first Zen Master. He practiced the way of mindfulness. He constantly watched his mind and hold his body calm. His path is similar to today's Zen Buddhism. Zen is a Japanese form of Buddhism which has its focus in the strict meditation (sitting and going) and in a meditative life.

## Forgiveness

Rita of Cascia lived from 1380 to 1457 in the town of Cascia, Italy. She had to endure much in her life. She had to forgive others, God and her life a lot. She mastered difficult situations with equanimity, perseverance and optimism. Rita was married at a young age by her parents with a violent man. She endured her marriage eighteen years. Then her husband became a victim of the Italian vendetta. Rita had to forgive her husband his brutality, and also his killers, that she from now on had to live alone. Rita had two children. Shortly after the death of her husband, her children died of the plague. That was a hard fate, in which a mother can break easily. Rita was 33 years old. What should she do now? Should she get married once again? Or should she stay alone?
Rita chose the spiritual path and became a nun. She did every day full of self-discipline her exercises. At the age of sixty years she got enlightenment (holiness). Her rigorous spiritual practice had brought her freedom from all the suffering of life. An important element for her breakthrough to enlightenment was to forgive. Her forgiveness led her to the complete acceptance of life. Saint Rita was able to accept everything the way it was. Even the suffering in her life and in the world. May we all have an enlightened life. May we all be able to forgive, to heal and to become a happy holy in the difficult western life.

## The Way of Action Without Action

Laozi lived in the sixth century BC in China. His biggest fear was to act too much. Who is doing too much, loses his inner happiness. He loses his inner energy in outward actions. Over the years, he shrinks into his life energy. This is the path from the inner happiness to the inner unhappiness. Almost all people in the western world live like this. They work too much, think too much and talk too much. They live too little in rest. In ancient China, people were just as unwise. Also Laozi. He was the head of the imperial library. He lived only for his career. He got exhausted in doing senseless external things. Unlike most other people he realized what was happening. As head of the imperial library, he had read the writings of the old Chinese sage. All sages advise to live a life of peace and happiness. They warn of a life of over-activity.
Laozi realized that he was doing exactly what he should not do as a person of wisdom. He was so shocked by his own unwisdom, that he radically changed his life. He got the motto: "The wise man lives in inner fullness and not in outward illusion." He gave up his career and became a hermit. He wrote a book called "Tao Te Ching" in which he taught the great philosophy of wu wei. What does "wu wei" mean? Simply put, it's the principle of the relaxed way of life. Man lives in the balance of activity and relaxation. He lives in his internal equilibrium. On a deeper level, wu wei is the most important way to enlightenment. One acts outwardly so little that the energy turns inwardly and dissolves the tensions. By a lot of rest people heal by themselves. Rest is the main road of healing for inner tensions.
Too much rest leads to inertia. Then the internal energy dries up and healing does not occur. The big mystery is the exactly right amount of rest and activity. The exact boundary between too much doing and doing too little is a fine line you can only find individually with a lot of wisdom and intuition. To live on this thin line is the optimal path of spiritual growth. Then you do only a few hours your spiritual exercises and most of the time your body resolves his tensions by his own. Enlightenment happens mainly by itself. This path is difficult to walk. People want to follow their favorite neurotic tendencies. Most people tend to be either too slow or too active. They are either lazybones or workaholics. The wise man must fight against both tendencies. The optimal way of spiritual growth is a constant hard work against ones own neurotic tendencies. To resolve tensions often means to resolve internal resistant. The best way to enlightenment is a personal daily schedule with an optimal balance of rest and activity. And one has to keep closely to it. And sometimes a little pleasure principle is allowed.

## The old Kang

At the end of 8th century lived in China the old mendicant monk Kang. Kang owned the great knowledge of the Pure Land Buddhism. He knew the easy way to paradise, which every human being can go. One has to visualize every day a golden Buddha in a meditation posture in the sky above the crown chakra (where one feels personally his paradise). It is helpful to speak or think the mantra: "Om golden Buddha in the Paradise. Om all the enlightened Masters. Om inner wisdom. Please guide and help me on my way. I send light to .... May all beings be happy. May the world be happy."
One day a bright beam of energy came from an inscription in a temple. A short time later the old monk Kang had a vision of Shan-tao, an enlightened Master of the Amitabha Buddhism, who spoke out of the empty space to him: "Kang, go to Yanzhou. The people there need your wisdom." Shan Tao lived about 200 years before the old Kang in China. Shan Tao got the complete enlightenment, and then came into the Paradise of Amitabha. He now possessed great spiritual power and could see the world under him. He could send light, energy and positive words to all the people who were connected with Amitābha Buddha. He could send in particular helpful thoughts and energy through his books and the pictures of Amitabha. He could therefore connect himself in reality with the old Kang. This is probably a true historical fact. Nils has experienced a similar incident in 2005 with the Tibetan Master Patrul Rinpoche.
The old Kang went to the city Yanzhou. The people there were not interested in spirituality. They sought only external wealth and sexual relationships. What they did not truly make happy in the long run. Kang thought about how to teach best the Paradise Yoga. He begged for some money and gave it to children under the condition, that they spoke the mantra "Amitābha Buddha". The kids had much fun. Soon all the children called "Amitābha Buddha" when they saw the old Kang. Some time later, the adults began also to speak the mantra. Kang built an Amitabha temple on a mountain. As he grew older, Kang himself shone more and more in light. Many people came to see him. At his death he went into the great light. He called, "Everyone who can visualize me enlightened, will come into the paradise after his death, too!"

## The Zen Master Hakuin

Hakuin is one of the most famous Japanese Zen Masters. Zen Buddhism is a line of Mahayana Buddhism, which developed in China and there was called Chan. Chan is the Chinese name from the Sanskrit word dhyana, which means meditation. Chan is much influenced by Taoism, the Chinese philosophical way of naturalness and spontaneity. Zen is the Japanese form of Chan. One can describe Zen as the path of strict form and hard practicing. Hakuin lived from 1685 to 1768 in Japan. His father was a samurai (a Japanese knight) and his mother was a follower of the Buddhist doctrine of Paradise (Amitabha). At the age of 15 he entered a Buddhist monastery. Hakuin remained four years in the monastery. He was disappointed because he made no progress. Therefore, he went on a spiritual tour. He visited various spiritual teachers. An enlightened Master advised him to think about the word "nothing". This led Hakuin to release all attachments to external things. Hakuin broke through to enlightenment. He lived in inner happiness. Now, however, pride appeared in him. Pride is a neurotic state of mind, an inner tension. It blocks the progression to greater enlightenment. Hakuin met an old hermit, who called him "poor devil in a dark cave." This convinced Hakuin and he stayed with the hermit. The old hermit trained Hakuin with great severity, and destroyed completely his ego-mania. Hakuin realized enlightenment on a high level. But he recognized, that there was still much to do. Over the years he became a kindly and modest spiritual master.

## Kundalini Experiences

Nils studied law and founded in autumn 1984 together with some friends a law firm. He was happy being a lawyer. His job was varied and interesting. In particular, he devoted himself to the disadvantaged people in his town. Once a poor woman came to him, she should lose all her money at an unfair contract. Nils caused the lawyers of the opposite side to renounce of the entire debt. The woman was very grateful. She brought him again and again flowers into his law office. Most of his processes he won. He worked thoroughly and was prepared well for his processes. And he advised his clients not to processes that were hopeless from the outset. In addition to his professional activities, Nils took about three hours daily spiritual exercises. He read in spiritual books, meditated and attended spiritual events. His energy was slowly increasing. Once his Sacral Chakra opened wide. Nils was enveloped by an aura of light. He felt a great strength in himself. It also noted the presiding judge, who suddenly had a great respect for Nils.
As a lawyer Nils watched as many of his colleagues got ill by the constant stress in their job. Nils therefore practiced systematically a spiritual stress management. He made lots of little breaks during the day. He trained positive thinking and serenity. In the afternoon he took a long walk. And he lived with a good time plan, so that he had no constantly time pressure. He preferred to work longer and easier than fast and stressful. It was particularly important that he saw his deeper purpose in life not in making money and in a professional career. He retained as a lawyer his spiritual orientation. This enabled him to avoid a lot of stress because his work was not too important.
In 1985 Nils suddenly felt a violent breathing while meditating. After about fifteen minutes the breathing became normal again. Then the body began to twitch intensive about an hour long. Nils had such experiences often from now on. This were inner processes in which tensions were dissolved. Through the intensive breathing the muscles were supplied with energy. Then they could dissolve the stored stress from the past. Nils experienced muscle twitching, restlessness, feelings of cold and heat. The solution processes often lasted a day or two. In November 1986, Nils had his first major enlightenment experience. At a meditation suddenly a warm energy pillar rose slowly upward from the lower abdomen in the middle of his body. Nils watched the energy with interest. The higher the energy rose, the quieter he was. It felt like a thick warm stream of water. On reaching the middle of his head, Nils suddenly was one with the cosmos. He felt supreme bliss.
Very important for Nils was the feeling of a comprehensive correctness. His mother had never been content with him. She had produced in him a strong sense of inferiority through excessive demands. Up to that enlightenment experience he always felt, that he was not okay the way he was. He felt always somehow inadequate, inferior. Now he experienced that everything was right as it is. Also he was just right as he is. In him dissolved a deep inferiority complex. The state of bliss lasted about half an hour. Some hours after this experience, Nils was very restless. But after a while things calmed down. In yoga, this experience is referred as the ascent of kundalini energy. It is the highest level of hatha yoga. Nils was blessed at the very beginning of his spiritual journey with a high experience of enlightenment.
In March 1987 Nils got the unity consciousness. He had been invited by his step-sister Gesa to a birthday party. It was a big party with many people who were talking cheerfully. Nils did not know the most people. He was a little off and bored. He had not found a person with whom he could converse well. To overcome his boredom, Nils began to meditate. Suddenly his consciousness expanded. It filled the entire room. Nils became one with all. He outgrew of his body consciousness and felt like the room. He saw also his body only as a part of the room. He identified himself with the totality of space and all the people in it. He was filled with peace and happiness. And he was one with all people in the room. He felt the thoughts and feelings of all people. He needed no longer to entertain himself. It was talking in him. Nils just sat there and looked at all the people friendly. Some people looked back friendly. They probably thought that Nils was happy enough in himself. And so it was. It was a great party with much conversation.
In August 1987, Nils had one more energy experience. Again, the Kundalini energy rose in the middle of his body upward. But this time it did not stop in the head. It gathered at the apex (crown chakra) and then shot up suddenly with great force into the sky. After a while it came back and flowed on the outside of his body down to earth. Thus, the circuit was closed. Nils had been connected with the energy of heaven and earth. All this happened while standing in a yoga position. He was then bathed for an hour with happiness showers. Mother Meera teaches: "Reaches the Kundalini energy the crown chakra, you get the darshan of God. When the Kundalini rises over the head, one attains a constant connection with the light." Nils grew from now on constantly further into the light.

## The Holy Spirit

The culmination of his experiences was the entrance of the Holy Spirit. In December 1987, Nils was at a satsang by Keith Sherwood. Keith Sherwood was a non-dogmatic spiritual Master from the United States. He had come for a short visit to Hamburg (Germany). Keith Sherwood was an hour late for the event. He had moved through Hamburg by his intuition to find the event location. Perhaps he should have bought a better road map, rather than trusting in the guidance of God. During the event happened to Nils nothing special. But on the way home he felt a strong energy within and around him. He went home as in a trance. The next morning he woke up early. Suddenly a thick beam of energy flowed down from the sky and entered through the crown chakra into his body. The spiritual energy flooded his body and filled it out completely. The energy beam on the diameter was as large as the head of Nils. It just could pass through the totally opened crown chakra. On his head appeared a flame of energy. Comparable to the experience at Pentecost, in which appeared energy flames on the heads of the early Christians. Nils spontaneously thought that he had now been blessed by the Holy Spirit. He felt the energy beam as a descent of the Holy Spirit. He had the feeling that he had now got a complete baptism directly from God.
A short time later Nils had another amazing experience. When he made his daily walk one evening, he suddenly had the feeling that he was seen from above. As if there was a large eye in the sky that saw him. The eye in the sky is in Christianity a symbol of God. Nils interpreted it as a common manifestation of his enlightened Masters. They wanted to say him that he is seen by God. He is guided and protected. The spiritual path is not always easy. It often leads through rocky terrain and difficult routes, where people need urgently help from a higher dimension. The message of the Eye of God was: "You can trustful go your spiritual way. You are seen and guided."

## The Öko Woman

The Öko woman was a typical New Age woman who likes trying out a lot. She sought the appropriate therapy method, the suitable spiritual path and the right man. She was dressed organic and ate vegetarian. The Öko woman had studied economics and then made a training in psycho therapy. As a therapist, she was very good. She was highly intelligent and able to empathize well with others. In fall 1989, Nils was already living as a yogi in his little house in the wood. He made a therapy training, worked as a lawyer and gave in the evening after work in his law firm meditation and positive thinking courses. The Öko woman was interested to learn something new in positive thinking and came to the group. After the group they talked together a little bit. They noted that they had the same way home.
Spiritually the Öko woman was a follower of Thich Nhat Hanh. Thich Nhat Hanh is next to the Dalai Lama the most famous Buddhist Master in the West. He is from Vietnam, lives today in southern France, and leads with the nun Chan Khong the spiritual center "Plum Village". Thich Nhat Hanh teaches the Buddhist mindfulness meditation. With him, everything is extremely peaceful. Going slowly. Eating slowly. Pay attention to your breath. Consider your thoughts and your feelings. Think positive. Live in peace and in existence. At his events can take part people of all spiritual religions. He explains that the truth lies ultimately over all spiritual systems. If you want to come to enlightenment, you must rise above all conceptual systems. Thich Nhat Hanh often occurs at Christian events. In Hamburg he was invited by an evangelical church. Nils took the opportunity and went to the weekend seminar. The extreme slowness was difficult to endure for him. He preferred a mix of dynamic exercises and meditation. Nils had learned to take good care of himself and to feel his spiritual needs. During the lunch break, he made ​​a dynamic walk and was therefore in his personal balance between rest and activity. Many other participants experienced the extremely calmness as very stressful. For them the weekend seminar was hard inner work. The Öko woman loved the peace and calmness at Thich Nhat Hanh. It gave her a hold in her restless life. It helped her to find peace within herself. The Öko woman took part in a retreat at his center in southern France. For three months she practiced it not to think, to observe her breath and to move slowly. Then she came back rested and in a good mood.
Nils and the Öko woman had for a time a good relationship. They had the same interests and the same basic spiritual views. They were interested in yoga, psychology and positive thinking. Both were a great addition for each other. The Öko woman visited Nils over the weekend in his hut and once a week Nils went to her apartment. Then she cooked a wonderful vegetarian meal. She wanted to live together with him. But Nils had become cautious because of his many difficult relationships. He wanted a harmonious partnership. If he would live together with a woman, then only in a harmonious relationship. And, unfortunately, the Öko woman loved to dispute. She had learned in her therapy training that arguing belongs to a good relationship. Every weekend they were arguing about two hours. Then she was satisfied. Then they loved themselves again. Nils gave the Öko woman Buddhas sentence, "Be harmonious, monks!" The Öko woman was not particularly impressed. She was a liberated woman, who went her own way. And she found a nice a man, married and got a nice child. And Nils became a nice hermit.

## Yoga Teacher

For Nils the Yoga path began with an amazing story. His late father appeared to him in early 1987 in a dream and asked him: "Do you need something?" Nils replied, that he still lacked a path of practice with which he could quickly get inner strength. As Nils woke up, he went intuitively into a bookstore, looked at the shelves and suddenly saw a book on Rune Yoga. He knew immediately that this book contained the promise of the dream. Rune Yoga is the Yoga practice of the Germanic tribes, the ancestors of many people in Europe. The runes were carved in stone. So they could take over the millennia. Nils practiced two years every day for half an hour Rune Yoga. He turned on a beautiful music and began with a shaking in the knees, to loosen the body. He took a rune position, visualized the rune and thought a word as a mantra. By the Rune Yoga Nils received a sense of energy. His internal energy perception awoke. After six months of Rune Yoga, he could feel energies within himself and in other people. That was very helpful on his path of yoga. It was helpful for him personally and also for the teaching of yoga. Nils was able to feel inside, what the people in his groups needed, which physical and mental exercises were good for them. After two years of Rune Yoga Nils had the idea to try out the Indian Yoga. He bought a Yoga book and tested the described postures. He noted, that the Indian postures gave a person also a strong energy. Over the years, he moved more and more to the Indian Hatha Yoga. Only his Shake Meditation reminds at his beginning as a Rune Yogi.
Mid-1988 Nils moved into his small house in the woods and became a Yogi. He made a training as a psychotherapist and gave positive thinking courses in a health center. Sometimes individual clients visited him in his Yogi-hut. In early 1991 he sat in prior to his first yoga group. Twelve strangers looked at him curiously. This was their yoga teacher. What would he do now? Nils also did not know. But he was full of optimism. Basically one should make a yoga teacher training before passing a yoga group. But here was a special situation that required an exception to the rule. Nils felt the inner calling to be a yoga teacher immediately. After all, Nils had a daily yoga practice since four years. He had read many yoga books. And he had a good feeling for spiritual energy. He could feel which yoga exercises are helpful in a situation. First, Nils made a round of introductions. Each participant told what he personally expected from the yoga class. Thus Nils could give them what they wanted. Most group members wanted some relaxation, some gymnastics, and some health training. They wanted to reduce their stress and maintain good energy. Some participants were without any expectations. They simply wanted to know what yoga is. After the introductions Nils turned on some music. All the people danced for ten minutes on their way freely out their stress. Later on Nils developed the Shake Meditation for the beginning of each yoga class.
After the free dance they all lay on their yoga mats and relaxed. Nils then showed them simple yoga exercises in the supine position, the prone and the sitting. Basically, in a yoga class always all body parts are trained so that one gets an all around good feeling. After the dynamic yoga exercises they meditated ten minutes in sitting and fifteen minutes in lying down. After the yoga class, he asked the participants what was good and bad. He changed some yoga exercises and adapted them to the needs of the people. Over time he developed his special style of yoga. He called it intuitive Hatha Yoga. The focus of practice was on the inner feeling. Each participant was allowed to try out what was helpful for him. Later, Nils found the word Happiness Yoga for his style of yoga. He taught a yoga that makes happy. After a yoga session all participants were peaceful and happy. A real rush began on his group. Gradually he got more and more yoga classes, until he had almost every day in the week two groups. And on weekends, he regularly hosted a yoga weekend.
In the fall of 1991, Nils visited for a few days his sister Inge in Berlin. A Sivananda Yoga course was offered in the neighborhood. Nils went there to learn perhaps something new. He asked the yoga teacher if he could join a trial lesson. Suddenly he was hit by a strong spiritual energy. That energy came neither from the group nor of the yoga teacher. Nils thinks, that Swami Shivananda has sent him this energy. He later on appeared Nils several times in dreams and gave him spiritual advices. Nils felt very connected with the Sivananda Yoga organization. He called at the headquarter in Munich and received a brochure about a yoga teacher-training. The training should take place in the summer of 1992 in Canada. The price and the time was good for Nils. He signed up immediately.
In July 1992 Nils flew by plane to Montreal. With a car he was picked up from the airport and taken to the ashram in Val Morin in the Canadian mountains. Nils looked for a campsite, pitched his tent and was able to start. At 5:30 in the morning a large bell rang. A strict daily routine began, that lasted up to 23 clock at night. They sung mantras, heard lectures, practiced yoga and meditated a lot. Approximately 150 participants from around the world struggled four weeks through a comprehensive yoga program. Most participants were from the United States and Canada. The German group consisted of 20 men and women of all ages. The main trainer of the German group was Swami Durgananda. She was a true superwoman. With iron discipline she trained the budding yoga teachers. Every day there were four hours Hatha Yoga with Durgananda. Each student was accurately controlled. Each yoga position had to be 100% right. Durgananda later became one of the successors of Swami Vishnu-devananda, who died in 1993. As a young woman she traveled in search of a spiritual teacher for one year through India. She learned yoga in different ashrams under different Masters. In 1973 she met Swami Vishnu-devananda. She was excited about his spiritual charisma and became a member of his yoga organization. Her was given the name Swami Durgananda. Durga is the Goddess of Power in yoga. Ananda means happiness. Nils would like to have some of the great power of Swami Durgananda. She survives her spiritual crises with her self-discipline. Her motto is: "Yoga is a great challenge. Self-discipline must be activated again and again. A child who learns to walk, falls often. Who gets up again and again, succeeds on the spiritual path."
Very good on the yoga teacher training was the food. It was prepared by the participants themselves. Every day there were two large buffet, where everyone could put together his own personal menu. At morning they got fruit, bread or cereal. At 18 o'clock in the evening was the great common main meal. The meal was purely vegetarian. This pleased Nils. He had given up eating meat since he became a yogi. Instead meat, there was delicious Indian rice dishes, lots of salad and sweets for dessert. Nils was a fan of sweets since childhood. Once the dessert tasted him very well. He stood so often in the queue at the dinner table, that he finally got the whole bowl for scraping.
Karma Yoga is the path of all-embracing love. We reach enlightenment, if we take the happiness of our fellow man more important than our own happiness. We identify ourselves with all. We see us in all. We feel at last one with all. In this way we overcome our ego and get a unity consciousness. Ego sacrifice combined with a cosmic consciousness is the basis of enlightenment. If we train these qualities, we relax deep in our soul, because we take ourselves not so important. We visualize ourselves in all person and thus awake our Kundalini energy. Karma Yoga practised on the real way awakes our inner peace, love and happiness.
In the Yoga teacher training Karma Yoga has been understood as service to the community. All tasks in the ashram were distributed by lot to the participants. Nils was assigned to manual work. He was pleased. Not so pleased was a woman who had to clean the toilets for four weeks. She protested loudly against this task. But it did not help her. Someone had to clean the toilets. And she was the someone. Karma Yoga must not always be easy and pleasant. Especially on difficult tasks we can resolve well our ego. A man just grows on his internal resistance. God loves sacrifice. He who sacrifices his ego every day, one day lives in the light. But sacrifice is a great art. Who sacrifices too much, is tensioned internally. And who sacrifices too little, does not resolve his ego. The sacrifice must be dosed sensitive. In particular, we need wisely to manage our thoughts. The great problem in the teacher training was, that no specific instructions were given for positive thinking. So the poor toilet woman tensed herself with her negativity. If she had practiced positive thinking, then the toilet cleansing could have been a real breakthrough into the light.
At the end of the training each had to give a yoga class. Everyone was very excited. They prepared themselves thoroughly for their teaching practice. Nils learned how much the personality of a yoga teacher influences the yoga class. One can say that about 50% of the effect of a yoga class makes the yoga teachers and 50% the yoga exercises. A powerful yoga teacher strengthens the group members in their power. A loving yoga teacher gives us the energy of love. A yoga teacher must consider exactly what he wants to bring in his group. Most important is that he teaches yoga authentically. He has to bring the energy of truth, love, peace, joy and strength on his personal way to the group.
After the yoga classes, the prospective yoga teachers were tested in a written examination on their knowledge of yoga. They had to answer questions about yoga philosophy and yoga exercises. Most of the students passed the exam. After the tests, there was a big celebration. All yoga teachers gathered and received from their trainers the yoga teacher certification. Every yoga teacher was called up individually. Nils also had passed the examination. He walked to the podium and received his certificate from Swami Durgananda signed by Swami Vishnu-devananda. In 1999 he appeared Nils in a dream and embraced Nils. He accepted that Nils teaches his own style of yoga. The great doctrine of Swami Vishnu-devananda was "Unity in Diversity." There are many yoga paths. But all yogis should work together for the goal of a happy world. They should see themselves as a great spiritual family. Great were the words of Swami Vishnu-devananda: "I'm not a super guru. I am a searching soul like you. I can fall on the spiritual path like you. The daily prayer to the enlightened Masters or to God is very important. I will never go my way without praying. I pray morning and evening. It is of no importance, at what stage of spiritual development we are. Hold the prayer in your heart. Ask God to give you the strength to stay always on your spiritual path."

## The Yoga Woman

Somewhere in the autumn of 1991 a small group of yoga students sat closely amassed to a small insignificant yoga teacher. Outside, the cold wind was blowing. The yoga room was sparsely furnished. But at least it was nice warm: The heater worked. The room was dark. In the middle burned a solitary candle. With quiet words the yoga teacher spoke to his people. He gave them a brief introduction to yoga. After that, all participants introduced themselves. Then the yoga class started. They practiced some basic exercises and finally made a long meditation while lying down. The yoga instructor looked at the participants of his yoga class. Most of the people he did not know. There were predominantly women who had signed up for his course. Only a few men had the courage to do yoga. For most students yoga was a new experience. They were excited about what would happen. Mostly they wanted to relieve stress and get some good energy. Most participants were employed and by their profession strongly stressed. She urgently needed a relaxation program. What did they think about the yoga teacher? For most participants, he was just a man whose labor they had booked for a certain time for little money. They hoped that he would do his job fairly well. They hoped that he was nice. That was as all they demanded. Enlightenment for most of them was a foreign word. From inner happiness they had never heard. Some women saw the yoga teachers with special eyes. For them he was an alpha male, a kind of leader, a chief of the primal horde. Secretly, they projected onto him their longings for love and tenderness. They developed unrealistic fantasies and beamed their sexual energies on the poor yoga teacher. They thought he did not notice that. He noticed it. He knew their thoughts and feelings. He could feel their energy. But on the other hand he was on top of things. He looked at sexual desires as a normal part of life. After some time, things would calm down. With the yoga exercises he would focus them on themselves. They would then mainly deal with their bodies, their minds and their yoga processes. Moreover, he saw all people generally positive. He practiced the universal love. He was basically a helper and friend to all his students. Their weaknesses, he barely noticed. He focused on the positive in them. He concentrated on how he could help them best. He wanted them to relax well, become positive and also a little bit to understand the deeper meaning of yoga.
But then there was this woman who radiated absolutely too much energy on him. Energy of love and sexuality. He felt that she wanted him. The poor little yoga teacher sent a silent prayer to heaven: "I can't resist this woman!" God did not answer. So it was probably his karma that he did not resist. After the yoga class, he asked whether they could meet once. A few days later a letter came to his yogi hut. It contained her phone number. Nils visited her, rang the doorbell and she opened the door. They looked at each other. They embraced. And a tremendous energy of love captured them. The Yoga Woman said that they actually do not need to have sex. The energy was already completely strong enough. Nils saw things differently. And so they made love. The energy grew more and more. They became one in love and happiness. Every weekend began a new dance of love. The woman said that she had never experienced such a thing. She had no experience with Tantra Yoga. Nils believes that he had been guided by his enlightened Masters. They took him to an intuitive form of Tantra Yoga. He did not practice rituals and difficult body positions. He felt his path from inside. The Yoga Woman and Nils had a harmonious relationship. Nils gave her at the beginning of the relationship his book of positive thinking. She read it and loved it. She explained that she would like to know this earlier in her life. The Yoga Woman and Nils practiced intensely positive thinking. Therefore, the time of their great love lasted a long time. She was his Lakshmi (Goddess of happiness), his Parvati (Goddess of love), his Saraswati (Goddess of spiritual instruction) and sometimes his Kali (Goddess of suffering). They danced the eternal dance of man and woman. With joy, love, happiness and a little with pain. There were also difficulties and disagreements between them. But with positive thinking, the will to a good relationship and the grace of God, they overcame all the problems and always found back to love. They stayed together for ten years. But all things change. A yogi lingers in the light and the enlightenment. He flows with times of relationship and times of seclusion. And is always happy. Anyway mostly. Some sadness is part of the life on earth.

## Yogi Nils

The first four years as a yogi, there was good progress. After Nils had about half a year adjusted to his new situation, defined his goals and found the right spiritual exercises for him, he resolved much old stress and often came in blissful states of consciousness. In his dreams he saw past exam situations, difficult relationships and negative experiences from his childhood. All the stress from his former life disintegrated. His mind became calm, peaceful and happy. One night in 1991 Nils dreamed even of his birth. In the dream, he flowed through a long dark tunnel. He made a birth cry and woke up by it. He breathed like a newborn. Nils had a difficult birth. Thus many tensions arose. These tensions went away now. Later on Nils felt a deep longing to be a baby again. He wanted to be in his mother's womb. That was impossible. But possible was it to be enlightened and to live in a cosmic consciousness, in the womb of God.
In 1990 Nils wrote a book about positive thinking. In writing this book, he came across the question of the best path to inner happiness. Is it more important to exercise consistent or to live in a relaxed way? Enlightenment appears, if we resolve our inner tensions. Tensions heal, if we live relaxed. But they also dissolve, if we do consistent spiritual exercises. There are two different schools of thought in yoga. One school emphasizes the life of unattached being (Ramana Maharshi, Lao Tzu, Buddha) and the other school focuses on the spiritual practice (Swami Sivananda, Sai Baba, Mata Amritanandamayi, Mother Meera, Dalai Lama). Who is right? Nils had to clarify this question for himself. He thought a day so intense about the problem of being or exercising, that after falling asleep in the night the thinking goes on. When he awoke in the morning, he was in a deep state of enlightenment. His mind had solved the problem in the night. The answer was conclusive. Enlightenment, inner happiness and the state of unattached being are closely linked. If you let go of all attachments to external things, you relax so deeply into your soul, that the inner happiness can unfold. Being can be described as a precursor to enlightenment. A yogi must come into a state of unattached existence. Then eventually enlightenment develops by itself. On the other hand normally nothing happens without consistent practice. According to Nils both doctrines are right. Practicing and being are both important on the spiritual path. Every person has to find his personal way. Who is prone to laziness, should emphasize the exercises. Whoever is uneasy inside, should come to calmness and live without attachment to worldly things. Nils path is it primary to live in rest, to work a little bit for a better world and to do steady some spiritual exercises. On his way Nils feels each day very sensitive, if he has to focus on exercising, doing good or relaxing.
One day Nils visualized himself before bedtime as a Buddha. When he awoke in the morning, his spirit had turned him into a Buddha. He was turned overnight into a small Buddha. He woke up as a Buddha. The identification with Buddha as a role model had awakened his enlightenment energy. Inner peace and the image of a Buddha are closely related. They aimed precisely at the point, that prevented mostly his enlightenment. Nils as a restless person needed primary techniques of rest to unfold his Kundalini energy.
In early 1991 Nils visualized on a walk the whole universe full of happy beings. He wished that all beings all over the world might be happy. He identified himself with all beings and their desire for happiness. He thought the mantra: "May all beings in the world be happy." He opened his heart for all beings. Suddenly he got into a dimension of universal love. The entire landscape around him changed completely. It was bathed in bright light. In Nils appeared the thought: "I am love." He never had had such a strong experience of love. The whole universe consisted of happiness and love.
In 1992, Nils had reached a stage where very often breakthroughs took place in enlightenment dimensions. It was an exciting but also very stressful time. Nils often got great inner happiness and a cosmic consciousness. This usually lasted for several hours. Then by the strong energy dissolved many internal tensions and Nils came in difficult cleaning processes. In his body it was raging and his mind became negative. Nils then immediately made spiritual exercises. He walked for an hour. He read in spiritual books. He meditated a few hours. So the inner rage calmed down. If this did not help, Nils rescued himself through sweets or watching television. The first half of 1992 was a very stressful time. Nils lived in constant alternation of joy and pain. This constant change was very stressful. Although the many experiences also inspired him. But he was happy when the high energy processes calmed down after a while. There were, in the opinion of Nils two reasons. First, Nils was something gentle with himself. He practiced his exercises sensitive and not so radical. Second, he was now living on a good daily plan. He combined wisely cleaning and recovery phases. Thereby he could largely avoid negative states of mind.
In December 1995, after seven years as a yogi, started again a difficult time. Intense energy processes passed through his body. At night he could not sleep and during the day he was limp and exhausted. It was particularly bad in the thirteenth year. He had one after another an illness, an accident and his girlfriend parted from him. The last major cleaning phase was then in March 2003. In a short time dissolved a lot of internal tension. Nils had for four weeks the feeling as if he had stuck his hands into a socket. He was glowing so much, that he needed sometimes no blanket at night. Although it was winter. After four weeks the cosmos turned the power off. Nils had to recover for one week. He ate one day very much cake. And then he felt good again.
For Nils, the spiritual daily schedule is the central technique on the path into the light. It is based on letting go of tensions in the body and soul. Nils meditates for six hours and goes for an hour walk twice a day. He practices Yoga for an hour and reads a spiritual book for one hour. He also works towards the happiness of others three to four hours per day. He exercises constantly. He divides his spiritual exercises in a way that enables him to constantly undergo the inner purification process. Eating, sleeping, working, and even watching TV are Yoga exercises for Nils. If we meditate before going to sleep, meditation continues while sleeping. When we work in a state of relaxation, work becomes a type of meditation. Nils spiritual techniques are simple. They consist of walking, reading, helping others, and lying in bed. Everyone can do that. The secret here is the right application of the right technique at the right moment. You can lie in bed, read, and take walks in a way that only causes you to feel dull and lazy. Yogis know when they need which technique. When the body is dull and lacking energy, the Yogi goes for a walk. When he or she feels restless, he or she practices Yoga or meditates. When the spirit seems to rebel against the spiritual way, a book on spiritual topics helps to bring back the conviction towards enlightenment. A Yogi senses his inner conflicts and uses the proper techniques to dissolve the tensions. That is usually what the body and soul wants the least at that moment. Wherever the neurotic defense is, is usually the way into the light. On the other hand, we need to sometimes give the body and soul what they would like, otherwise tension is built. The way to happiness requires a lot of wisdom and inner sensitivity.

## Yoga Helps Against Stress

A woman wrote to Nils, she was very happy that she had learned yoga. In recent years there had been professionally and personally a lot of stress in her life. She had therefore largely lost her positivity and her life satisfaction. Through yoga she had managed to reduce her internal stress. She was now happy again in her life. She felt not stressed anymore. For this she was very grateful. Yoga has given her the ability to clearly differentiate between important and unimportant things. Thus she could focus more on the essentials in life. She did not stress herself so much with unnecessary things, and therefore save much energy. She would practice every day the positive thinking and living permanently in a state of happiness. But a few days, if she does not practice yoga and positive thinking, then her good energy quickly disappears. So she had decided to go her path of yoga every day more and more consistently.
Over time, her positive feelings had become more intense. But she was also more sensitive to negative energy. But she could handle it. She had found a way to cope with difficulties of every kind. She simply asks herself, "How would the Dalai Lama act now?" And then she would quickly come up with the proper handling of each of those things. The woman described in her letters a typical problem on the spiritual path. The positive energy is increasing. But a person is also more sensitive to negative energies.
Negative energies can be handled in several ways. One can try to avoid negative situations as much as possible. You can give up contact to negative people or severely reduce it. You can hold your internal balance during the contact by positive thinking and mantras. And you can after the contact rebuild your positive energy through spiritual exercises (yoga, reading, meditation). Very good is it to go with a clever strategy through the day and often make short breaks. At work, it is important to avoid stress and work in his personal speed. Who works relaxed, saves a lot of energy and can easier be positive. Sometimes it will also be necessary to reduce the working hours. The woman did this after a few years and felt very well with it. Who lives wisely, can avoid a lot of suffering. Anyone who lives consistently healthy prevents 3 / 4 of diseases. Who eats little (few calories and lots of vitamins) and makes exercises regularly, lives on average 14 to 20 years longer than his fellow men. Who puts the spirituality to the center of his life, gets a happy life.

## The Blessing of the Karmapa

The Tibetan Buddhism is based on the teachings of Buddha, but were extended by the mahayana path of love and by a lot of techniques from Indian Yoga. In principle the Tibetan Buddhism is very simple. It consists of Kundalini Yoga, meditation and the path of all-embracing love. With Kundalini Yoga the Kundalini energy (enlightenment energy) is awakened through yoga postures, breathing exercises, mantras and visualizations. The center of Tibetan meditation is the Deity Yoga. Through the visualization of various deities the energy channels are cleaned, the chakras are activated and the enlightenment consciousness is created. The Karmapa is the representative of the Dalai Lama. In 2003 Nils son Florian traveled to Dharamsala in northern India, seat of the Tibetan government in exile. He was initiated by the Dalai Lama in the way of love (Avalokitesvara) and got the darshan of the Karmapa. Florian had bought for his father an embroidered meditation painting (Thanka) with Avalokiteshvara (the Karma Yogi) and Amitabha (the Buddha of Light, on the top over the head of Avalokiteshvara) against a background of mountains. He asked the Karmapa to bless the meditation painting. The Karmapa threw a few grains of rice on the painting. As Nils later meditated on the Thanka, much energy came out of it. Nils became one with the gods and thus activated his Kundalini energy. The blessings of Avalokitesvara and Amitabha had come to him. The mural now hangs in the yoga hall of Nils. Let the blessing also come to you. Visualize yourself first as a Bodhisattva (Avalokiteshvara, Karma Yogi, God/Goddess of Love), then the overall picture (in the unity of the cosmos) and then meditate on the figure in the painting, that you want to be.

## Satsang

Satsang is the company with an enlightened Master or with other truth-seekers. Sat means truth, true essence, being (enlightened existence) and to live in the light (God). Sangha is a word in Pali and Sanskrit meaning "association", "assembly," "company" or "community". Swami Sivananda taught: "Brothers and sisters. Meet, speak and meditate together. Built up centers of peace, brotherhood and unity. Invite good and holy man, and let inspire you. Satsang is the biggest helper and illuminator of people. Where Satsang is, is the presence of God (the enlightened Masters). Satsang is very helpful to obtain spiritual deliverance. One minute satsang with an enlightened man is better than the rule over a kingdom." In the West exists a Satsang movement. Enlightened people offer around the country everyone the possibility of contact with the enlightened energy. The Satsang donors are very different. An important starting point in the Western Satsang movement was the Indian saint Poonja. He is one of the main disciples of Ramana Maharshi. Poonja advised many of his enlightened Western students to give satsang. He explained: "The request to give Satsang does not mean, that all teachers of Satsang are already fully realized Masters."
Nils gave his first Satsang in 2002. In the summer, he invited every Friday evening his yoga people in his little yogi hut. The first Satsang was terrible. All participants told their problems. And people in the West have many problems. One problem was worse than the previous one. During the evening the group became more and more depressed. Nils was shocked. The next Satsang, he changed the program completely. He focused on the positive. There was meditation music. He served tea and biscuits. Each person got a positive oracle card and could read fifteen minutes in a spiritual book. They meditated together and asked the enlightened Masters for guidance and help. Then they made a small round table. Everybody could tell five minutes something positive about himself, his life or other people. Nils developed positive subjects, of which the group chose one at the beginning of a discussion. "What I'm grateful for? What is beautiful in my life? What makes me optimistic?" Then they talked a little personally with each other. Finally they meditated five minutes with a beautiful music. It was a successful evening.

## Temple Meditation

In front of your mind's eye appears a beautiful island. It is surrounded by a large ocean. The water laps gently on the beach. In the center of the island stands a great mountain. Its slopes are covered with spicy-smelling bushes. Up on the hill is a temple (or a church). It is the temple of your inner wisdom. You walk the path from the beach up to the temple. You enter through the door. The temple is half dark and very quiet. In the middle sits a wise woman or a wise man on a throne. It is the embodiment of your own inner wisdom. Who do you see in your temple? A master, a goddess, a wise woman, yourself? The highest wisdom is superior to all forms. It can express itself through all forms. You can now ask your wisdom being a question. Think about your life. What experiences have you had in your life? What are your goals? What is your current situation? How do you imagine your future? What is your life plan? What is your way to develop your inner happiness? What is your way of a wise life? What is your way to victory? Meditate on the question, until you can see your way clear. Listen inwardly to the answer. Find your way of victory. What says your inner wisdom to you? Think the answer is several times as a mantra. Stop a minute every thought. Linger after a few minutes in the meditation. Think about life. Does enlightenment exist? Is there a path of love, peace and happiness? Be a master of life. What is your way? Look closely at your situation, think thoroughly and meet a clear decision. "My way of a successful life is ..." Go your way consistently. See you strong, wise and successful. Forward. Optimism. Success.

## External links

* 56 Yogi Stories
* Yoga Tales On-line Book
* yogastories.wordpress
* yogastories.co.uk
* yogastories.org

# Trimurti-Yoga

Trimurti Yoga is the path of love (do good, work for a happy world), spiritual practice (yoga, meditation, mental work) and daily connection with the enlightened masters (reading, praying, oracle). Find your personal way of connecting, your daily exercises and your path of doing good. Then you will live in inner peace, love and happiness. Your life will be happy and healthy. Trimurti Yoga is the easiest way to enlightenment. You can go forward in your speed. You only have to practise consistently every day.

## Yogi Nils

Mid-1988 Nils moved into his small house in the woods and became a Yogi. In early 1991 he sat in prior to his first yoga group.
First, Nils made a round of introductions. Each participant told what he personally expected from the yoga class. Thus Nils could give them what they wanted. Most group members wanted some relaxation, some gymnastics, and some health training. They wanted to reduce their stress and maintain good energy. Some participants were without any expectations. They simply wanted to know what yoga is. After the introductions Nils turned on some music. All the people danced for ten minutes on their way freely out their stress. Later on Nils developed the Shake Meditation for the beginning of each yoga class.
After the free dance they all lay on their yoga mats and relaxed. Nils then showed them simple yoga exercises in the supine position, the prone and the sitting. Basically, in a yoga class always all body parts are trained so that one gets an all around good feeling. After the dynamic yoga exercises they meditated ten minutes in sitting and fifteen minutes in lying down. After the yoga class, he asked the participants what was good and bad. He changed some yoga exercises and adapted them to the needs of the people. Over time he developed his special style of yoga. He called it intuitive Hatha Yoga. The focus of practice was on the inner feeling. Each participant was allowed to try out what was helpful for him.
After a yoga session all participants were peaceful and happy. A real rush began on his group. Gradually he got more and more yoga classes, until he had almost every day in the week two groups. And on weekends, he regularly hosted a yoga weekend.
In the fall of 1991, Nils visited for a few days his sister Inge in Berlin. A Sivananda Yoga course was offered in the neighborhood. Nils went there to learn perhaps something new. He asked the yoga teacher if he could join a trial lesson. Suddenly he was hit by a strong spiritual energy. That energy came neither from the group nor of the yoga teacher. Nils thinks, that Swami Shivananda has sent him this energy. He later on appeared Nils several times in dreams and gave him spiritual advices.
The first four years as a yogi, there was good progress. After Nils had about half a year adjusted to his new situation, defined his goals and found the right spiritual exercises for him, he resolved much old stress and often came in blissful states of consciousness. In his dreams he saw past exam situations, difficult relationships and negative experiences from his childhood. All the stress from his former life disintegrated. His mind became calm, peaceful and happy. One night in 1991 Nils dreamed even of his birth. In the dream, he flowed through a long dark tunnel. He made a birth cry and woke up by it. He breathed like a newborn. Nils had a difficult birth. Thus many tensions arose. These tensions went away now. Later on Nils felt a deep longing to be a baby again. He wanted to be in his mother's womb. That was impossible. But possible was it to be enlightened and to live in a cosmic consciousness, in the womb of God.
In 1990 Nils wrote a book about positive thinking. In writing this book, he came across the question of the best path to inner happiness. Is it more important to exercise consistent or to live in a relaxed way? Enlightenment appears, if we resolve our inner tensions. Tensions heal, if we live relaxed. But they also dissolve, if we do consistent spiritual exercises. There are two different schools of thought in yoga. One school emphasizes the life of unattached being (Ramana Maharshi, Lao Tzu, Buddha) and the other school focuses on the spiritual practice (Swami Sivananda, Sai Baba, Mata Amritanandamayi, Mother Meera, Dalai Lama). Who is right?
Nils had to clarify this question for himself. He thought a day so intense about the problem of being or exercising, that after falling asleep in the night the thinking goes on. When he awoke in the morning, he was in a deep state of enlightenment. His mind had solved the problem in the night. The answer was conclusive. Enlightenment, inner happiness and the state of unattached being are closely linked. If you let go of all attachments to external things, you relax so deeply into your soul, that the inner happiness can unfold. Being can be described as a precursor to enlightenment. A yogi must come into a state of unattached existence. Then eventually enlightenment develops by itself. On the other hand normally nothing happens without consistent practice.
According to Nils both doctrines are right. Practicing and being are both important on the spiritual path. Every person has to find his personal way. Who is prone to laziness, should emphasize the exercises. Whoever is uneasy inside, should come to calmness and live without attachment to worldly things. Nils path is it primary to live in rest, to work a little bit for a better world and to do steady some spiritual exercises. On his way Nils feels each day very sensitive, if he has to focus on exercising, doing good or relaxing.
In early 1991 Nils visualized on a walk the whole universe full of happy beings. He wished that all beings all over the world might be happy. He identified himself with all beings and their desire for happiness. He thought the mantra: "May all beings in the world be happy." He opened his heart for all beings. Suddenly he got into a dimension of universal love. The entire landscape around him changed completely. It was bathed in bright light. In Nils appeared the thought: "I am love." He never had had such a strong experience of love. The whole universe consisted of happiness and love.
In 1992, Nils had reached a stage where very often breakthroughs took place in enlightenment dimensions. It was an exciting but also very stressful time. Nils often got great inner happiness and a cosmic consciousness. This usually lasted for several hours. Then by the strong energy dissolved many internal tensions and Nils came in difficult cleaning processes. In his body it was raging and his mind became negative. Nils then immediately made spiritual exercises. He walked for an hour. He read in spiritual books. He meditated a few hours. So the inner rage calmed down. If this did not help, Nils rescued himself through sweets or watching television.
The first half of 1992 was a very stressful time. Nils lived in constant alternation of joy and pain. This constant change was very stressful. Although the many experiences also inspired him. But he was happy when the high energy processes calmed down after a while. There were, in the opinion of Nils two reasons. First, Nils was something gentle with himself. He practiced his exercises sensitive and not so radical. Second, he was now living on a good daily plan. He combined wisely cleaning and recovery phases. Thereby he could largely avoid negative states of mind.
In December 1995, after seven years as a yogi, started again a difficult time. Intense energy processes passed through his body. At night he could not sleep and during the day he was limp and exhausted. It was particularly bad in the thirteenth year. He had one after another an illness, an accident and his girlfriend parted from him. The last major cleaning phase was then in March 2003. In a short time dissolved a lot of internal tension. Nils had for four weeks the feeling as if he had stuck his hands into a socket. He was glowing so much, that he needed sometimes no blanket at night. Although it was winter. After four weeks the cosmos turned the power off. Nils had to recover for one week. He ate one day very much cake. And then he felt good again.
Spiritually, humans can be compared to onions. Tensions and inner conflicts (inner stress) must be dissolved layer by layer. When one layer is peeled away, the next quickly appears at the surface until the inner core is revealed. At this point, a lasting inner joy is found, and the Yogi or Yogini lives in light. Inner joy appears in a person when the tentions (Samskaras) in body and soul have been dissolved. We need exercises for the body (Yoga, Meditation) and for the soul (reflection, Positiv Thinking). Buddha developed a very simple yet genius practice. This consisted of “sitting, going, and thought practice.” This is the center of a successful Hatha Yoga Practice. You need body work (Yoga, walking), mental work (reflection, reading, praying, mantra) and meditation (sitting or lying). And everything in balance, in the right moment and with the right technik.
When one varies one’s activities between body work, mental work and meditation, the inner conflict and tension can be done away with. When a person only meditates, the spirit becomes dull and listless. Routine movement makes the spirit clear, keeps the body healthy and gives the person inner energy. If you only go or do Yoga asanas, the mind is restless. Inner happiness comes from inner peace. If the body is kept very quiet, well you can get into deeper dimensions of meditation.
Meditation can be practiced either in a sitting position or lying down. Some people can meditate better when sitting, others when lying down. Those who fall asleep easily when lying down, should meditate by sitting. Those who cannot sit straight for a long time should practice meditation lying down. In addition to periods of sitting and relaxing in combination with movement, working with the thoughts is important in getting rid of inner conflict. A Yogi or Yogini should develop his or her thoughts with love, wisdom, and self-discipline.
The five most important spiritual activities are: lying down (or sitting and meditating), reading, walking (or Yoga asanas), doing good for others (work), and to enjoy life. Meditation is a way to get inner peace. Reading spiritual books helps to cleanse the spirit. Walking, jogging, biking, swimming or yoga gives you health and inner strength. Even the Dalai Lama rides a stationary bike every day, for a half an hour. Swama Shivananda liked to take walks. There are appropriate exercises for everyone. Yogis living in caves developed the very well-known sun salute, for example.
A yogi should find out how much contact with others is good for him or her. At a certain point, physical rest can cause the energy of a person to go inward. This turning point must be discovered by each yogi for him or herself. It is difficult to find and difficult to hold onto. Life energy tends toward an excess of activity or towards dullness. Both need to be avoided with daily self-discipline.
When we keep inner calm, inner happiness appears. An effective yogic life feels like a constant swimming against the tide of ones own neurotic impulses. It's like living in a pressure cooker. First rest is extremely boring and then the energy starts to work intensive in the body. It tingles and pulls and you want to move. But if you stay at rest, then suddenly inner peace and happiness arises. We become happy in ourselves. We enter into a life in the light.
For Nils, the spiritual daily schedule is the central technique on the path into the light. It is based on letting go of tensions in the body and soul. The secret here is the right application of the right technique at the right moment.
A Yogi senses his inner conflicts and uses the proper techniques to dissolve the tensions. That is usually what the body and soul wants the least at that moment. Wherever the neurotic defense is, is usually the way into the light. On the other hand, we need to sometimes give the body and soul what they would like, otherwise tension is built.
The way to happiness requires a lot of wisdom and inner sensitivity. Nils begins his day with a positive attitude and assessment of the day, to get himself situated. Which exercises does he need in which order? What should be emphasized? If he feels dull, he emphasizes exercises to activate himself. If he feels restless, he emphasizes rest. He asks himself, ”What do I need today? What do I like today?”
According to Swami Sivananda, enlightenment occurs via relaxation, practice, and love. When a Yogi or Yogini lives in an area of peace, he or she is already halfway there. The second half is tackled with spiritual practice (yoga, walking, meditation, mental work). We pass through the gate to a life in light, if we live in focus for a happy world and train the quality of love to all.

## The enlightened being

Our goal state of being is a state of freedom from tension. Then health and inner happiness can thrive. Then inner healing can take place. Then we feel good from deep within. We live in light and in God and in happiness.
Being free from inner tension can also be described as emptiness. We become an empty vessel. In Christianity, it is said that the Holy Ghost of God can flow into people when they become empty. In the sermon on the mount it is said:” blessed are the pure for they will see God.” We reach a state of consciousness of the unity of all things. We experience peace, love and happiness. We see the light of God in the world. We are filled with light and become a light of God.
Buddhism speaks of Nirvana. Nirvana means inner happiness. Only when we completely relax can we experience real emptiness. All phenomena are empty when it comes down to it. They are meaningless emotionally. We can only dissolve them when we dissolve our attachment and rejection of things. Only then can happiness develop within us. Then we become a Buddha. We are happy independent of what happens in the world around us.
It is difficult to comprehend on its own. It has to be experience. We do spiritual exercises, achieve a state of pure being and become spontaneously happy. That happened to me this morning. I went for a walk, did my chair Yoga exercise while walking, dissolved my energy blockages and arrived in a state of light. The energy flowed again. I was happy unto myself. I could see the beauty of the world. I recognized that it is enough to live in enlightened being. That is the deeper purpose of life.
The center of life is not to seek change in the outside world, it is inner change. Despite this, we should work toward contributing in making the world a happy place. We should live in a way that makes us feel good on the outside, too. Above all, we should help others find their way to the path of lasting happiness. We should live in a state of all-encompassing love. We should bring light into the world.
The best way to make that happen is through spiritual exercises that awaken the happiness within us. If we are in a state of light, then we pass that light on to other beings. In that way, we stabilize our state of happiness and open the heart. We live in the energy of peace, of happiness and in love. In the Yoga texts it is said that an enlightened Yogi is 100 times happier than a person without inner happiness. An enlightened Yogi of love (Karma Yogi, Bodhisattva) is 100 times happier than a regular enlightened Yogi because the love of life makes one infinitely happy.
It's a great idea to combine the way of inner happiness along with the path of all-encompassing love. We find our mission in the world, our way of love. We do a good deed every day. We send all beings light every day. We live in our enlightened being and all-encompassing love.
It's important to not stress along the spiritual way. Stress destroys inner happiness. Stress burns up our happiness energy. Too much stress is bad for happiness energy. With stress, we grow depressed instead of enlightened. We need to take action from a relaxed state of being so that it almost feels like doing nothing. We are simply there. We do nothing and everything happens on its own. We do what is right at any given moment in a relaxed state of being and go where our love leads us.
We enjoy our lives. We give ourselves what we need for a happy life. We need to bring enough joy into our lives so that we can take our path in a positive manner. Buddha called that the middle way. Those who practice spiritually too vigorously winds up tense. Those who practice too little, do not grow along the way of happiness. The middle way is between the two extremes.
It's important to be ourselves. Enlightenment is self-realization. We develop our higher self, God, the light and the happiness within us. That can only take place if we develop a good sense of ourselves. We have to take the spiritual path with wisdom and sensitivity. It is of no use to take a foreign path if we use an unfamiliar spiritual system that exists outside of us. At first such a system can be helpful. But at some point we need to go beyond that and take our own personal path that is beyond spiritual systems.
Relaxation then takes place at a deep level of being. We feel that we are on the right path. We feel peace and harmony. We are satisfied with ourselves and our lives. This way is not ego realization. Ego realization only affects temporary happiness. Enlightenment means the overcoming of the ego. That takes place along the path of calm and peace, spiritual practice and unconditional love. We live emphasizing the happiness of other people. We also give ourselves what we need and what makes us feel well. That is the greatest gift that a person can possess.

## Trimurti Meditation

The "Trimurti" (Sanskrit, "three forms") is a concept in Hinduism "in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified by the forms of Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer or transformer." These three gods have been called "the Hindu triad" or the "Great Trinity", often addressed as "Brahma-Vishnu-Maheswara." They are actually manifestation of One person in three forms who is called Svayam Bhagavan. Svayam Bhagavan ("The Lord" or "The Lord Himself") is a Sanskrit theological term for the concept of absolute representation of God as Bhagavan within Hinduism.
1. Brahma = We make large circles with our hands around us, visualize the cosmos full of stars and think, "I live in peace (enlightened being), unity consciousness and bliss."
2. Shiva = We visualize within ourselves the Kundalini Serpent, twist in the spine, move our toes and think: "I am a Yogi. I save myself with my spiritual exercises."
3. Vishnu = We move our hand, send all beings light and think, "I send light to (all my friends). May all people be happy. May the world be happy."
4. Master Yoga = We rub the palms before our heart chakra, visualize the sky above us and think, "Om Shiva. Om Vishnu. Om Brahma. Om Trimurti. Om Yoga, Love and Wisdom. Please guide me on my way."
5. Meditation = We put our hands in the lap, move your toes and think one minute the mantra "Om" in your belly. Then we stop a minute every thought. The spine is straight and the belly is relaxed. Sit only there. Don't think. Then relax.

## External Links

* Yogi Nils Homepage
* http://www.trimurtiyoga.com/
* Video Trimurti Yoga Teacher Training in India
* Basic Yoga Series
* Yoga for Absoulte Beginners
* Dynamic Mantra Yoga
* Yoga with positive thinking

# Yoga Masters

Guru is a Sanskrit term for "teacher" or "master", especially in Indian religions.
Wikipedia: The word guru means the imparter of knowledge (jñāna). The guru is seen as the one who brings his disciples from the darkness of unwisdom into the light of God (to enlightenment). In the Gita, Krishna speaks to Arjuna of the importance of finding a guru: "Acquire the transcendental knowledge from a Self-realized master by humble reverence, by sincere inquiry, and by service." Often a guru lives in an ashram or in a gurukula (the guru's household), together with his disciples. It is believed that the guru could awaken dormant spiritual knowledge within the pupil. The act of doing this is known as shaktipat. In Hinduism, the guru is considered a respected person with saintly qualities who enlightens the mind of his or her disciple, an educator from whom one receives the initiatory mantra, and one who instructs in rituals and religious ceremonies. In Indian culture, a person without a guru or a teacher (acharya) was once looked down on as an orphan or unfortunate one.

## Enlightenment and Prayer

God is a mystery that can be described personal and impersonal. According to Amritanandamayi (Amma) there are fully enlightened souls in the afterworld. They are through their cosmic consciousness one with the cosmos (with God) and also one with each other. We can therefore pray to God or to the enlightened souls in the afterlife. According to Amma, a prayer is always heard and reacted to or upon by one of these higher beings. It doesn't matter what name humans use in the process. The only point of importance is that the person praying would like help from a higher force in the cosmos. God is often described as a cloud in Christianity. This image goes well with the idea of the aforementioned great enlightened souls. We could consider these souls as an energy cloud of highly developed consciousness. They are capable of affecting every dimension of the cosmos with beams of light. This often transpires via symbols such as books, images, and statues which appear in certain locations. More spiritually developed humans are able to sense these beams of energy which emanate symbolically through the statues and images. People can focus and turn this energy into inner power, peace, or positive thoughts.
* Yogi Nils (the author): A big question on the spiritual path is wether praying is helpful. I believe that God is connected with our inner voice of wisdom. For me, the personal God is a collective term for all enlightened Masters. They live in God and are one with God. They are one with everything and also with us. They are especially one with us in our inside. They got through their purified consciousness special abilities. With these abilities they can help us. If we want it. In my experience, it is sufficient to connect with God or the enlightened Masters through a prayer, and then follow ones own inner wisdom. A prayer has two areas of impact. First, it is an appeal for help, and secondly it works as a mantra. A mantra is a spiritual technique that cleans ourselves internally and fills us with happiness energy. A mantra can be thought as often as you like. It brings us forward on the spiritual path. It builds up inside us positive energy.
* Rafa: It is said of God, he would answer prayers, but when you pray, it's pure chance whether something happens.
* Yogi Nils: Those who pray for selfish goals, only exceptionally gets a wish-fulfillment. But who prays for his enlightenment and for help on his way of all-embracing love, always gets help. But not always the way he wanted. Not in a way that he feels great, rather in a way that his ego dissolves. God lives in a dimension above our material cosmos. He is able to act that it seems to be happend by chance but it wasn´t.

## Enlightenment and God

Enlightenment is the core of all religions. Religions will lead to enlightenment. All founders of religions have made an enlightenment experience. In this experience, they saw a higher reality which they have referred as God. This higher reality is difficult to describe. Therefore, there are many expressions and many pictures. In Buddhism, Nirwana is described as a higher dimension of consciousness associated with the feelings of emptiness (egolessness) and abundance (unity, happiness, love). In Hinduism, it is called a state of being (Sat-Chid-Ananda). No word describes God perfectly. All terms will ultimately lead us to God, to enlightenment (holiness) and to a life in God. Moses was enlightened, as he saw a shining (burning) bush after many years of a secluded life in the desert. He saw the light of God in the bush. He got this through living in rest for a long time and through Kundalini Yoga, learned from the Egyptian priests. In the Bible it is described by the words, "So Moses threw down the staff, and it turned into a snake!" The snake is the Kundalini snake and the staff his spinal column. He made spine practices of visualization and thus the Kundalini snake (energy) awoke. Jesus became enlightened, after John the Baptist gave him the Enlightenment energy (Kundalini energy). After this Jesus meditated 40 days in the desert. Then the devil (his ego) left him and the angels ministered to him (he was able to help with the enlightenment energy his fellow people). Buddha got enlightenment after six years as a yogi under the Bodhi tree. Mara (the devil) disappeared and Buddha rested in happiness.
* Yogi Nils: "I have six arguments: 1. The statements of the enlightened. They see God as light in the world in the form of love, peace, and happiness. God is a term for the perception of the enlightened. Every real religion establishes itself around an enlightened master. Every real religion has a word for God, (Tao, Nirwana, Brahman, Allah, Yahwe). 2. The near death research refers to the independence of the soul from the body and the continued existence of the soul after death. The most important witness is Pam Reynolds. She has seen the light of God in the afterlife, and learned that there is a paradise area. She has also demonstrated that her otherworldly experience was real. She heard the doctors during her out-of-body experience and could reproduce exactly the conversation later on. The gauges showed during her out-of-body experience that her brain could not think. There were no brain waves. And yet she has heard the conversation. Pam Reynolds could have heard the conversation of the doctors only with her soul. Her ears were stoppered while the operation. 3. Physics refers to the existence of a higher cosmic information field (Amit Goswami, God as higher consciousness). The string theory supports this point of view. 4. Parapsychology researches spiritual abilities such as thought transfer and to perceive and sense over large distances. 5. Scientific happiness research has proven the context between enlightenment, peace, happiness, and love. They have recognized the principles which lead to a happy life. They have researched Matthieu Ricard as an enlightened person. 6. I live as a hermit. I have been in various states of enlightenment. I have seen God as light in the world, and felt as happiness, love, peace, and truth in myself. I maintain that enlightenment and God exist. I maintain that it is better and happier to be enlightened than unenlightened. I maintain that it is good to live in God."
* Wikipedia: Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, or levels of being, or aspects of reality, beyond normal human perception, including experience of and even communion with a supreme being. (...) Many if not all of the world's great religions have arisen around the teachings of mystics (including Buddha, Jesus, Lao Tze, and Krishna); and most religious traditions describe fundamental mystical experience.

## Swami Sivananda

Swami Sivananda (also written Shivananda) lived from 1897 to 1963 in India. He was one of the greatest Indian saints of modern times. By profession he was a doctor. He taught the yoga of the trinity (Trimurti Yoga), the combination of Hatha Yoga (spiritual exercises), Karma Yoga (work for a happy world) and Master Yoga (daily connection with an enlightened master). He pushed for the cooperation of the religions. All yogis should cooperate too. In 1958 he organized a conference in Venkatagiri with Sathya Sai Baba, another great indian saint. According to Swami Sivananda, enlightenment occurs via relaxation, practice, and love. When a Yogi or Yogini lives in an area of peace, he or she is already halfway there. The second half is tackled with spiritual practice. In order to pass through the gate to a life in light, all-encompassing love must be at the heart of the seeker of enlightenment. When a Yogi lives for the happiness of others, then the ego can be dissolved. When the ego disappears, the person is in light. Swami Sivananda loved the humor. He wrote the song of the eighteen properties that a Yogi should have. Humor is the top priority. Other properties are regularity, truthfulness, integrity, purity, endurance, flexibility, strength, calmness, equanimity, simplicity, humility, kindness and generosity.
Quote from Swami Sivananda: Enlightenment is not an accident or fortune. It is achievable through a thorny path with many steps. I climbed the arduous journey, step by step, but on each lap the enlightened Masters helped me. And I was easily lifted to the next level. As a teenager, I loved gymnastics and sports. With a teacher I learned fencing. He was a Harijan (outcaste). I was informed that it is not befitting for a Brahmin like me to be a disciple of an untouchable. I thought carefully about it. I felt that God dwells in the heart of this untouchable. I went with flowers, sweets and clothes to him, crowned him, laid a flower at his feet and prostrated myself before him. So God came into my life, to lift the veil of caste differences. I took the medical profession to serve all. Any type of healing and relieve human suffering gave me great pleasure. If there was a good recipe for malaria, I had the feeling that the whole world must know it immediately. I wanted to know everything about disease prevention, health promotion and treatment of diseases. Later, when I worked as a doctor in Malaysia, God came in the form of sick and suffering to me. For some, life was a lingering death. When God created this world not only as hell, there must be something beyond this. At this crucial point in my life I met a wandering monk. He gave me the first lesson in the philosophy of enlightenment. It pulled me out of Malaysia to the Himalayas, to a life of a yogi. Every day I did consistently my spiritual exercises and after some years I reached the goal of enlightenment.

## Anandamayi Ma

Ananda means happiness. Anandamayi Ma is the mother of happiness. She lived from 1896 to 1982 as a yogini in India. By her nature, she was friendly, calm and serene. She was a beautiful woman. She could tell wonderful stories. She loved to dance. She taught her followers to laugh, “Whenever you have the opportunity to laugh, laugh as much as you can.” We can see Anandamayi Ma as the incarnation of the Goddess Lakshmi. As Lakshmi she was happy in herself and gave consistently light to her fellow men. She gave us the way of the complete Hatha Yoga. The complete Hatha Yoga consists of physical exercises, mental exercises, meditation and the path of embracing love (Karma Yoga). As a young woman Anandamayi Ma practiced several years the physical exercises of Yoga, visualized herself as a Goddess and lived three years in a great rest. She practiced the body postures (asanas) from her inner feeling. She practiced creative and intuitive Hatha Yoga. She visualized the Goddesses she needed. One after another the various Goddesses flowed through her mind. She visualized their forms, identified herself with them, said their names as a mantra and thus activated the Kundalini energy in herself. After Anandamayi Ma had charged her body and her mind with spiritual energy, she spent three years in the great silence. She hardly spoke, acted a little and mostly just sat there. She needed no more exercises. The awakened Kundalini energy cleansed from its own her body, her spirit and her soul. She needed just a lot of rest. She had to prevent that the Kundalini energy went out in external activities. She had to live so calm, that her energy turned inwardly and dissolved by itself all the tensions. Then the inner happiness awoke in her. The people felt the light and wanted her blessing. Anandamayi Ma from now on lived as a Karma Yogi, and traveled through India. She gave everyone her darshan and inspired the people to lead a spiritual and happy life.

## Mother Meera

Mother Meera is an enlightened master who lives in Germany. She was born on 26/12/1960 in India. 1982 she married a German. She now lives in Thalheim near Frankfurt. On weekends, she gives satsang (meeting) in the castle Balduinstein. Everyone can visit her and receive her free blessings (darshan). She gives darshan also in the USA and Canada. A darshan is an important purification step on the spiritual path. Often enlightenment energy is transfered, which one day develops in a great grace.
Mother Meera receives thousands of visitors for darshan which she conducts in total silence. Her darshan consists of a ritual, where she will touch a person's head, and then look into his eyes. During this process, she reportedly 'unties knots' in the person's subtle system and permeates them with light. She teaches the unity of all religions. Everyone can go his own way. It is only important to be connected with the light (the personal spiritual role model) by praying, reading or meditating.
Mother Meera has lived some time in the ashram of Sri Aurobindo. Sri Aurobindo was one of the great Indian saint of modern times. He taught the Integral Yoga, the combination of meditation and Karma Yoga (doing good). Mother Meera has said that she works together on a spiritual level with the Dalai Lama for the good of the world.
Statements of Mother Meera: "Each religion has its basic books. It is helpful to read these major works of religions. You may enjoy material life, but centering yourself in spirituality. (Live the joy as part of the spiritual path.) (...) Whoever comes to me for darshan, receives always what he needs. I look at everything within you to see where I can help, heal and give strength. I take anyone who comes sincere to me. The grace works automatically when the quest is sincere. Prayer always helps."

## Mata Amritanandamayi

Amritanandamayi (Amma) was born in 1953 in India. Her full spiritual name is “Mata Amritanandamayi”, which means “mother of bliss-energy”. She began her spiritual journey at the age of five, praying to Krishna everyday. While working, she repeated Mantras silently and found enlightenment at the age of 17. At first her enlightenment was unstable, but with the age of 22, the light flowed into her being. Her inner voice told her to help everyone on earth to follow the spiritual path to self-realization, to become a sort of mother of all beings. She taught the way of all-encompassing love and meditation. Amma built up an extensive humanitarian organization in India. She financed schools, universities, and hospitals. She also set up an organization for single mothers which gave enough money for them to live, which is quite extraordinary in India. Amma also engaged herself in the efforts towards equality for men and women. She renewed the Brahma cult. Brahma is the Indian god of wisdom. Equal to his side is Brahmani, the priestess of the comprehensive love. Amma is a living proof of the ability women possess to achieve enlightenment, equal to that of men. In the year of 2002 Amma was awarded the Gandhi-King prize from the UNO. At the World Parliament of Religions in 2004 in Barcelona she explained, “love is our true self. Love and empathy are the essence of all religions”. She said that in today’s world people suffer from two kinds of inadequacy. The first is a lack of nourishment, and the second is a lack of love. We need to overcome both types of poverty. In order to fight wars, people spend billions. If only a small portion of that could be invested in peace and harmony, all the hunger and poverty in the world could be overcome. More than a billion people on earth suffer from hunger and poverty. That is actually the biggest enemy of mankind. When we develop love in ourselves, then we can really defeat the enemy that is suffering and misery. Amma travels every year around the world, and has been doing this since 1987. She gives everyone her Darshan, her blessing. Her particular spiritual method consists of hugging people. She shows everyone that they are loved. She makes love tangible. “Let’s concentrate on what we can give, and not what we can get from others, then we can experience happiness and fulfillment in life”.

## ShantiMayi

ShantiMayi (mother of inner peace) is an American from the hippie era. She demonstrated to the slogan "Make love not war" and wore flowers in her hair. After the end of the 80 she married. She had three children, and now has four grandchildren. Her marriage failed and she became a forest guardian in a national park. There she had much time to think about the meaning of life. She learned yoga and meditation. One day in her the desire arose to travel to India. She sat down on the plane and the next day she was in Rishikesh. Rishikesh is a small town in the Himalayan mountains. In this place live many sadhus (religious ascetic/holy man), yogis and swamis (monks). In summer, the yogis meditate in the mountains and in winter they move into an apartment in Rishikesh. Through Rishikesh is flowing the river Ganges. On both sides of the place rise the majestic peaks of the Himalayas. In Rishikesh, there are many famous ashram (spiritual centers). ShantiMayi was strolling through the small town, looking at the many strange people and also visited a nice little ashram. She spontaneously liked the Master of the Ashram. He looked so serene, peaceful and happy. She spoke to him the significant words: "I would be like you." The Master knew her future and said, "You will." She became his successor. ShantiMayi stayed many years in his ashram. The Master showed her the secrets of Kundalini meditation and transferred her shortly before his death his spiritual power. ShantiMayi had to promise him that she once a year travels to the West. In May 1999 she moved to Germany. In a protestant church in Hamburg, a large space was decorated solemnly. Many people came and sang songs with her. The little Yogi Nils went also to her satsang. ShantiMayi lived in a cloud of enlightenment energy that filled the room. Nils has been hit by this energy, she turned him, and at the end of the satsang he beamed even as Shanti Mayi. First in him resolved much grief and then he became happy inside. ShantiMayi winked at him. What this meant, we do not know. But he likes ShantiMayi because she is just as undogmatic as he.
* Interview ShantiMayi 2008 (how to open up knots in the heart)

## Ramana Maharshi

Ramana Maharshi (December 30, 1879 – April 14, 1950) was a Hindu spiritual master ("jnani"). He was born to a Tamil-speaking Brahmin family in Tiruchuzhi, Tamil Nadu. After experiencing at age 16 what he later described as liberation (moksha), he left home for Arunachala, a mountain considered sacred by Hindus. He lived at the mountain for the rest of his life. Although born a Brahmin, he declared himself an "Atiasrami", a Sastraic state of non-attachment to anything in life and beyond all caste restrictions. The ashram that grew around him is situated at the foothill of Arunchala, to the west to the pilgrimage town of Tiruvannamalai. Sri Ramana Maharshi maintained that the purest form of his teachings was the powerful silence which radiated from his presence and quieted the minds of those attuned to it. He gave verbal teachings only for the benefit of those who could not understand his silence. His verbal teachings were said to flow from his direct experience of Atman as the only existing reality. When asked for advice, he recommended self-enquiry as the fastest path to moksha. Though his primary teaching is associated with Non-dualism, Advaita Vedanta (only the light exists for him), and Jnana Yoga (wisdom), he recommended Bhakti Yoga (love) to those he saw were fit for it, and gave his approval to a variety of paths and practices.
At age 16, Ramana Maharshi had a life-changing experience. He spontaneously initiated a process of self-enquiry that culminated, within a few minutes, in his own permanent awakening. In one of his rare written comments on this process he wrote: 'Enquiring within Who is the seer? I saw the seer disappear leaving That alone which stands forever. No thought arose to say I saw. How then could the thought arise to say I did not see.'. As Sri Ramana reportedly described it later: "I was sitting alone in a room on the first floor of my uncle's house. I seldom had any sickness and on that day there was nothing wrong with my health, but a sudden violent fear of death overtook me. I just felt I was going to die and began thinking what to do about it. It did not occur to me to consult a doctor or any elders or friends. I felt I had to solve the problem myself then and there. The shock of the fear of death drove my mind inwards and I said to myself mentally, without actually framing the words: 'Now death has come; what does it mean? What is it that is dying? This body dies.' And at once I dramatised the occurrence of death. I lay with my limbs stretched out still as though rigor mortis has set in, and imitated a corpse so as to give greater reality to the enquiry. I held my breath and kept my lips tightly closed so that no sound could escape, and that neither the word 'I' nor any word could be uttered. 'Well then,' I said to myself, 'this body is dead. It will be carried stiff to the burning ground and there burn and reduced to ashes. But with the death of the body, am I dead? Is the body I? It is silent and inert, but I feel the full force of my personality and even the voice of I within me, apart from it. So I am the Spirit transcending the body. The body dies but the spirit transcending it cannot be touched by death. That means I am the deathless Spirit.' All the conscious activity connected with the body was centered on that I. From that moment onwards, the "I" or Self focused attention on itself by a powerful fascination. Fear of death vanished once and for all. The ego was lost in the flood of Self-awareness. Absorption in the Self continued unbroken from that time. Other thought might come and go like the various notes of music, but the I continued like the fundamental sruti note." After this event, he lost interest in school-studies, friends, and relations. Avoiding company, he preferred to sit alone, absorbed in concentration on the Self, and went daily to the Meenakshi Temple, ecstatically devoted to the images of the Gods, tears flowing profusely from his eyes. He decided to leave his home and go to Arunachala. Knowing his family would not permit this, he slipped away, telling his brother he needed to attend a special class at school. After walking about 11 miles (18 km), he reached the temple of Arayaninallur, outside of which he sat down to rest. When the priest opened the temple for puja, Ramana Maharshi entered and sat in the pillared hall where he had a vision of brilliant light enveloping the entire place.

## Ramakrishna

Ramakrishna (18 February 1836 – 16 August 1886), was a famous mystic of 19th-century India. His religious school of thought led to the formation of the Ramakrishna Mission by his chief disciple Swami Vivekananda – both were influential figures in the Hindu renaissance during the 19th and 20th centuries. Ramakrishna was born in a poor Brahmin Vaishnava family in rural Bengal. He became a priest of the Dakshineswar Kali Temple, dedicated to the goddess Kali. Ramakrishna attended a village school with some regularity for 12 years, he later rejected the traditional schooling saying that he was not interested in a "bread-winning education". Kamarpukur, being a transit-point in well-established pilgrimage routes to Puri, brought him into contact with renunciates and holy men. He became well-versed in the Puranas, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and the Bhagavata Purana, hearing them from wandering monks and the Kathaks—a class of men in ancient India who preached and sang the Purāṇas. He describes his first spiritual ecstasy at the age of six: while walking along the paddy fields, a flock of white cranes flying against a backdrop of dark thunder clouds caught his vision. He reportedly became so absorbed by this scene that he lost outward consciousness and experienced indescribable joy in that state. Ramakrishna reportedly had experiences of similar nature a few other times in his childhood — while portraying God Shiva in a drama during Shivaratri festival, and worshipping the Goddess Vishalakshi (the mother of the universe). As the divine eye can perceive the entire universe, the Goddess is called Vishalakshi, the vast-eyed.
From his tenth or eleventh year on, the trances became common, and by the final years of his life, Ramakrishna's samādhi periods occurred almost daily. Rumors spread that Ramakrishna had become unstable as a result of his spiritual exercises. His mother and his elder brother Rameswar decided to get Ramakrishna married, thinking that marriage would be a good steadying influence upon him—by forcing him to accept responsibility and to keep his attention on normal affairs rather than his spiritual practices and visions. The bride Saradamani Mukhopadhyaya (later known as Sarada Devi) was found and the marriage was duly solemnised in 1859. Sarada Devi became a strong follower of his teachings. After the marriage, Sarada stayed at Jayrambati and joined Ramakrishna in Dakshineswar at the age of 18. By the time his bride joined him, Ramakrishna had already embraced the monastic life of a sannyasi; as a result, the marriage was never consummated. He regarded Sarada as the Divine Mother in person, addressing her as the Holy Mother, and it was by this name that she was known to Ramakrishna's disciples. Sarada Devi outlived Ramakrishna by 34 years and played an important role in the nascent religious movement.
The most widely known amongst his first spiritual teachers was an ascetic woman, called Bhairavi Brahmani skilled in Tantra and Vaishnava bhakti. Tantrism focuses on the worship of shakti and the object of Tantric training is to transcend the barriers between the holy and unholy as a means of achieving liberation and to see all aspects of the natural world as manifestations of the divine shakti. Under the guidance of Bhairavi Brahmani, Ramakrishna began with mantra rituals such as japa to purify the mind and establish self-control. He later proceeded towards tantric sadhanas, which generally include a set of heterodox practices called vamachara (left-hand path), activities like eating of fish and meat along with drinking of wine and sexual intercourse. Ramakrishna did not directly participate in the last of those activities, all that he needed was a suggestion to produce the desired result. Under the tutelage of the Bhairavi, Ramakrishna also learnt Kundalini Yoga. Later an Advaita Vedantin ascetic taught him non-dual meditation, and according to Ramakrishna, he experienced nirvikalpa samadhi under his guidance.
Ramakrishna also experimented with other religions, notably Islam and Christianity, and said that they all lead to the same God. In 1866, Govinda Roy, a Hindu guru who practiced Sufism, initiated Ramakrishna into Islam. Ramakrishna said that he "devoutly repeated the name of Allah, wore a cloth like the Arab Moslems, and said their prayer five times daily." At the end of 1873 he started the practice of Christianity, when his devotee Shambu Charan Mallik read the Bible to him. Ramakrishna said that for several days he was filled with Christian thoughts. Ramakrishna describes of a vision in which the picture of Madonna and Child Jesus became alive and had a vision in which Jesus merged with his body. In his own room amongst other divine pictures was one of Christ, and he burnt incense before it morning and evening. There was also a picture showing Jesus Christ saving St Peter from drowning in the water.

## Neem Karoli Baba

Neem Karoli Baba was a Hindu guru and devotee of the Hindu deity Hanuman. He is known outside India for being the guru of a number of Americans who travelled to India in the 1960s and 1970s, the most well-known being the spiritual teachers Ram Dass and Bhagavan Das, and the musicians Krishna Das and Jai Uttal. His ashrams are in Kainchi, Vrindavan, Rishikesh, Shimla, Bhumiadhar, Hanuman Gadi, Lucknow, Delhi in India and in Taos, New Mexico, USA. He was born in an affluent Brahmin family and his father's name was Pundit Durga Prasad 'Vedacharya'. He was married to Rambeti (daughter of Pundit Rewati Ram) and had three children. But he left his married life to become an independent yogi. He wandered throughout northern India as a sadhu. Neem Karoli was a lifelong adept of bhakti yoga, and encouraged service to others (seva) as the highest form of unconditional devotion to God. He worshiped all the gods and all religions. From 1967 to 1973, many young people came from the West to Neem Karoli Baba. He showed them different spiritual practices. Some he gave the path of Hatha Yoga and others the path of Karma Yoga. For the majority of his followers, he taught the way of the Master Yoga (Bhakti Yoga). The Way of the Master Yoga is to connect oneself every day with an enlightened Master. Neem Karoli Baba taught the individual spiritual path. His exercises were tailored individual to each student. On his festivals, there were lots of candy. One of his favorite sayings was, "Eat sweets, drink tea." In the book Miracle of Love, compiled by Ram Dass, a devotee named Anjani shares the following account: There can be no biography of him. Facts are few, stories many. He seems to have been known by different names in many parts of India, appearing and disappearing through the years. He said, that he was ‘nobody.’ Simple stories were his teachings. Usually he sat or lay on a wooden bench wrapped in a plaid blanket while a few devotees sat around him. Visitors came and went; they were given food, a few words, a nod, a slap on the head or back, and they were sent away. There was gossip and laughter for he loved to joke. Orders for running the ashram were given, usually in a piercing yell across the compound. Sometimes he sat in silence, absorbed in another world to which we could not follow, but bliss and peace poured down on us.
* Love everyone, Serve everyone, Remember God and Speak the truth.
* Whenever you'll think about me, I will come to you.
* Musicvideo, Homepage

## Buddha

Gautama Buddha was prince from Nepal who lived 560-480 BC. He came from the family of the Shakya and is therefore called Shakyamuni Buddha in Tibetan Buddhism. Gautama Buddha was married. At age 29 he left his wife and son and became a yogi. He saw the worldly life as meaningless and superficial. He meditated for six years in the solitude and then got enlightenment. After his enlightenment, he felt compassion for the suffering people in the world. The remaining 45 years of his life, he lived as a spiritual teacher in India and gave people the wisdom of inner happiness. The teachings of Buddha are called Dharma. Basis of the Dharma are the Four Noble Truths: 1. Living in the cycle of existence involves suffering. 2nd The cause of suffering is attachment to worldly pleasures, denial of unpleasant situations and ignorance of the deeper meaning of life (inner happiness). 3th If the causes are dissolved, the suffering disappears. 4th The way to overcome suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path to enlightenment consists of the right wisdom (living in inner happiness), the right decision (for spiritual practice), the right speech (do not lie), the right action (do not steal, not kill), the right livelihood (do good), the right struts (after enlightenment), the right mindfulness (mental work) and the right concentration (meditation). There are three ways to develop enlightenment. There is the path of spiritual practice (yoga, meditation, reading, walking). There is the way of all-embracing love (do good, the bodhisattva path). And there is the path of rest (inner peace). The main path to inner happiness is to live in the rest. The essence of a Buddha is the inner seclusion from the world. A Buddha enshrined his soul in the transcendence (in a higher dimension of consciousness, in the Nirvana, in pure being, in the void / unit, in inner peace and happiness). The Buddhism is a philosophy that has its origins in India. We can summarize the essence of Buddhism in mental work (inner peace, wisdom and love) and meditation. The meditation consists of lying, sitting, standing and walking. The main meditation Buddhas are the four stages of contemplation: thinking about life, inner peace, happiness, dissolving the ego / enlightenment. The fourth stage of meditation is difficult to achieve for an untrained person. It comes by grace (by itself). The more a man is walking the spiritual path, the sooner he can reach a life in the light (Nirwana, God).

## Gangaji

Gangaji (born Texas, 1942) is an American born spiritual teacher and author. She lives in Ashland, Oregon with her husband, fellow spiritual teacher Eli Jaxon-Bear. Gangaji was born Merle Antoinette Roberson in Texas on June 11, 1942, and grew up in Mississippi. After graduating from the University of Mississippi in 1964, she married and had a daughter. In 1972, she and her family moved to San Francisco. There, she was soon divorced and pursued many paths to change her life including relationship, motherhood, political activism, career, and spiritual practice. She took Bodhisattva vows, practiced Zen and Vipassana meditation, helped run a Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Center, and had a career as an acupuncturist in the San Francisco Bay area. Feeling unfulfilled by her seemingly successful life, she and her new partner, Eli Jaxon-Bear, sold their house and moved to Hawaii in 1989, where they were married. At this time she met Andrew Cohen, a spiritual teacher and student of Sri H.W.L. Poonja, also known as Papaji. Impressed by Cohen’s "enormous confidence", she returned to California to sit with him for two months. In the meantime, her husband, Eli, traveled to India and located Papaji. Struck by the letters she received from Eli, in the spring of 1990, Gangaji herself traveled to Papaji. In the biography of her life, Just Like You, she said, “The extraordinary event in this life was that I met Papaji. Until then I looked everywhere for the transcendental or the extraordinary, but after meeting Papaji I began to find the extraordinary in every moment.”
Papaji, a student of Ramana Maharshi, gave her the name Gangaji, and asked her to share what she had directly realized with others. Today, Gangaji travels the world as a teacher and author. Her teachings find wide acceptance among spiritual seekers interested in self-realization. She teaches that the truth of who you are is already free and at peace, and that it can be discovered. In her satsangs Gangaji often asks a person to the stage. She then performs a meditative conversation, during which many people get short or long term to enlightenment. Gangaji focuses on the enlightenment potential of her counterpart and releases emotional blocks through targeted questions. “I invite people to just stop and be still. And in that you discover who you are. I use inquiry as a way of getting the mind to turn inward to the silence. It could be the question, “Who am I?” Or it could be “What am I avoiding in this moment?” Or, “Where is silence?” “What is needed in this moment, right in this very moment, what is needed for true peace?” In facing strong emotions such as fear and anger, or in dealing with traumas which keep people locked in personal misery and unable to experience freedom, Gangaji teaches “direct experience.” Although Gangaji states that her realization and meetings are not part of any particular religion or philosophy, her teaching has sometimes been described as consistent with Advaita Vedanta.
* Video: Gangaji What's my core message?

## Sri Durgamayi Ma

In August 2005 the first great Yoga Festival took place in Berlin. Six thousand people flocked to the many offered Yoga sessions, meditations, lectures and musical events. The highlight was the darshan of Sri Durgamayi Ma. Durgamayi Ma is one of the enlightened Yoga Masters in Germany. Her Master is Neem Karoli Baba, the laughing guru of the hippie era. Durgamayi Ma was born in Germany. She worked as a teacher. In 1972, she saw a picture of Neem Karoli Baba and immediately set off for India. When she met her Master, she could not help crying for three days. All her heartbreak in her life dissolved. Neem Karoli Baba gave her the love she had always longed for. Durgamayi was aware that her heart was broken for a long time and now could be healed. She later told her students: "The most important on the spiritual path is to be aware of ones broken heart. Most people in the West suffer from a broken heart. They are blocked in their love and in their happiness. Enlightenment heals the brokenhearted. Enlightenment is the only way of permanent cure. Enlightenment means opening all the chakras, especially the heart chakra. Who is aware of this fact, walks the path of enlightenment up to the end." (Morning darshan, 2001). After the death of Neem Karoli Baba in 1973 she went to Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati in America. After seven intensive years on the path of Bhakti Yoga her ego was burnt in the fire of love for her spiritual teacher; Sri Durgamayi Ma recognised the divine in her Ma, in herself and in all human beings. Back in Germany, Mataji’s first students soon found their way to her. She says: "Peace in our society can only be attained if we find it in ourselves. Achieving this peace is the aspiration of all religions. That is why it is important not to focus on what separates them but to concentrate on what unites them, not to emphasize their differences but to recognise and live that which they have in common."
* Sri Durgamayi Ma Ashram

## Mahaprabhuji

Mahaprabhuji was a great enlightened master, who lived from 1828 to 1963 in Northern India (Rajasthan). He taught the unity of all religions and the way of universal love. He was a great poet and could sing beautifully. From all over India, people came to visit him. The follower of Mahaprabhuji was Swami Madhavananda, who in 1972 sent his chief disciple Maheshwarananda to Austria to inaugurate the people there in the yoga path. He wrote the famous book "Yoga and everyday life" and founded a spiritual center. In 1990 Maheshwarananda came to Hamburg and met Yogi Nils (the author). Some times later Mahaprabhuji appeared in a dream of Yogi Nils and blessed him. Working as a yoga teacher (spiritual adviser, spiritual master) is a way to sacrifice the ego, to live in the all-embracing love and to attain enlightenment. Many spiritual people have lost themselves on the way of helping. If a not enlightened man wants to work as a spiritual teacher, he must be aware of the ego traps and able to control his negative qualities. After any contact with his unenlightened fellow men he must spiritually cleanse his mind. Who is not fully enlightened and works as a spiritual teacher has to be aware of his actions. He should focus on his own practicing, connect every day with the enlightened Masters and check himself on pride, greed, attachment, careerism, and sexual lack of clarity.
* Swami Maheshwarananda talk about the first steps you do in Yoga (video)
* Mahaprabuji is also a Name of Preceptor Shri Vallabhacharyaji [1535 - 1587] the Father of the Pushti Path of Devotion. His lineage continues till date one of whom H.H.Vrajrajkumarji's details are on http://vallabhyouth.org/

## Sai Baba of Shirdi

Sai Baba of Shirdi, also known as Shirdi Sai Baba, was an Indian guru, yogi, and fakir who is regarded by his Hindu and Muslim devotees as a saint. He had no love for perishable things and his sole concern was self-realization. He taught a moral code of love, forgiveness, helping others, charity, contentment, inner peace, and devotion to God and guru. Sai Baba of Shirdi lived from 1838 to 1918 in India. The Master (Guru) of Shirdi Sai was Venkusa. He went to him as a young man and learned from him Hatha Yoga (physical exercises and meditation). His main technique was to meditate on his Master. He visualized himself as one with his Master and said his name as a mantra. At the age of twenty, he came to Shirdi. Shirdi was then a small village. He moved into a dilapidated mosque and lived there for the rest of his life. Every day he went through the village and begged for some food. He often wandered into the surrounding forest and meditated many hours. He planted a small flower garden and watered the flowers every day. After three years, the flowers were grown and contributed many beautiful flowers. Shirdi-Sai cut the flowers and gave them to the temples in Shirdi. He had been raised by Muslim parents. His master Venkusa was a Hindu. Sai Baba of Shirdi felt therefore that he belongs to both religions. In his mosque, he practiced the customs of both religions. An important ritual in Hinduism is the kindling of light. In his mosque burned all night several oil lamps. The oil he got from the oil traders in the village. One day the oil traders had no more desire to give him free oil every day. They refused to share the daily donation. It is said that Shirdi Sai filled water in the oil lamps, blessed the water and light the wicks. The oil lamps were lit by itself all night. When the villagers realized that Shirdi Sai can do wonders, they began to worship him. An older woman supplied Shirdi Sai daily with food. One day he cried, "Oh Lakshmibai, I'm very hungry!" The woman ran immediately and made him a nice meal. She handed it to her Master and he gave it to a dog. Shirdi Sai said, "To satisfy the hunger of the dog is the same as to satisfy my hunger." Shirdi-Sai's love was especially for the poor, the small and the weak. He taught, "God loves the poor and the rich, but especially he loves the poor. I came to help the small and the weak." The main teaching of Shirdi Sai was the daily Master Yoga (Guru Yoga), "Who every day connects himself with an enlightened Master and sees God in all creation, will be saved." Sai Baba of Shirdi accomplished during his lifetime many miracles. He healed the sick, blessed women with the birth of a child and raised the dead to life. We can see the wonders of Shirdi Sai as spiritual tales. People in India love fairy tales. Maybe the miracle are really happened. We do not know. It's been a long time. The biggest miracle of life is the possibility of enlightenment.

## Sathya Sai Baba

Sathya Sai Baba (23 November 1926 – 24 April 2011) was an Indian guru, mystic and philanthropist. Sai Baba had ashrams in 126 countries and also ran a network of hospitals, clinics and schools that were often free. Sai Baba said that his followers do not need to give up their original religion, saying "My objective is the establishment of sanatana dharma, which believes in one God as propitiated by the founders of all religions. So none has to give up his religion or deity." The Sai organization promotes and advocates five human values: Sathya (truth), Dharma (right conduct), Ahimsa (non-violence), Prema (love for God and all his creatures) and Shanti (peace). The materializations of vibhuti (holy ash) and other small objects such as rings, necklaces and watches by Sathya Sai Baba were a source of both fame and controversy; devotees considered them signs of divinity, while skeptics viewed them as simple conjuring tricks.
Wikipedia: A 1995 TV documentary accused Sathya Sai Baba of faking his materializations. However, the scientist Haraldsson stated that, on investigating the DD video, researchers did not find evidence of fake materialisation. According to Haraldsson, the video was taken to a company which investigates corporate fraud. In spite of improving the graininess of the low quality video with enhanced filters and running it through advanced image processing systems, Haraldsson stated the DD video did not provide firm evidence of sleight of hand. The guru and his followers consistently denied the charges of misconduct, which were never proved.
Quotes about Sathya Sai Baba:
* I have a "Task": To foster all mankind and ensure for all of them lives full of ananda (bliss). I have a "Vow": To lead all who stray away from the straight path again into goodness and save them. This means that I will never give up those who attach themselves to me.
* I have come to restore Love among mankind. The Golden Age will come.
* Help ever, Hurt never. Love all, Serve all.

## Master Yoga (Guru Yoga)

A big help on the spiritual path is the daily Master Yoga (Bhakti Yoga). Yogi Nils begs his enlightened Masters every day for guidance and help. The Masters lead him through his inner voice (the feeling of rightness) through the day. Nils prays at least twice a day, and especially in any dangerous situation. Nils owes the daily Master Yoga from the founder of Tibetan Buddhism Padmasambhava. He taught: “Whenever you doubt or hesitate on your way, pray to the enlightened Masters. Then follow the voice of your inner wisdom. Feel within yourself, think for yourself and find your way of wisdom. The voice of your inner wisdom is the voice of the enlightened Masters. If you proceed in this way, you will be victorious along the spiritual path.”
Wikipedia: In the Tibetan tradition, the guru is seen as the Buddha, the very root of spiritual realization and the basis of the path. Without the teacher, it is asserted, there can be no experience or insight. The Dalai Lama, speaking of the importance of the guru, said: "Rely on the teachings to evaluate a guru: Do not have blind faith, but also no blind criticism."
Guru Yoga (or teacher practice) is a tantric devotional process whereby the practitioners unite their mindstream with the mindstream of the guru. The process of guru yoga might entail visualization of an entire lineage of masters (refuge tree). It usually involves visualization of the guru above or in front of the practitioner. Guru yoga may entail a liturgy or mantra. The Guru or spiritual teacher is essential as a guide during tantric practice, as without their example, blessings and grace, genuine progress is held to be impossible.
Iṣṭa-devatā: Within Hinduism, an Ishta-deva or Ishta devata is a term denoting a worshipper's favourite deity. Typically a practitioner worships his Ishta-deva through the form of a murti. This worship may involve offering items to their chosen divinity such as incense or flowers, reciting mantras, singing their names and offering prayers. Within a number of Hindu traditions living people have claimed (or are claimed by followers) to be Avatars of a divine or Supreme being. In these cases followers have then in some instances worshipped these individuals as Ishta-devas. Although these tend to be minority groups within Hindism, it has been a growing tendency in modern times (Sai Baba, Amritanandamayi, Mother Meera for example). This often attracts criticism from other Hindu traditions who do not share the same belief. Swami Sivananda has said that a guru can be likened to God if he himself has attained realization and is a link between the individual and the Absolute. Such a guru, according to his definition and interpretation, should have actually attained union with God, inspire devotion in others, and have a presence that purifies all.
* Yoga oracle

## External links

* Yogananda (Wikipedia)
* Krishnamacharya (Wikipedia)
* Tibetian Yoga Masters 1/3 (video)
* Guru Purnima Celebrations - Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (video)
* "How do I transform myself?" - Sadhguru (video)

# Yoga and Christianity

It is a highly debated issue of whether Christians could practice Yoga. From the perspective of Yoga it is no problem, because Yoga teaches the unity of all religions. But within Christianity there are many different opinions.

## Yoga and Christianity

Christianity is a religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus. There are many Christian groups with different opinions. Some accept Yoga and some do not. First of all Yoga is in the west mainly a body exercise. In this way everybody can do Yoga. Yoga is good for relaxation, fitness and mental health. In Yoga each may go his own spiritual way. Christians are allowed to keep their faith in Jesus. Most important is to which spiritual Master you pray or what role model you have. If you pray to Jesus, Jesus will lead you in your Yoga exercises. There are in Yoga many different spiritual paths and concepts of God. A Yogi can be an Atheist, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu or follower of other faiths.
* Wikipedia: Some Christians integrate yoga and other aspects of Eastern spirituality with prayer and meditation. This has been attributed to a desire to experience God in a more complete way. Christian meditation is a form of prayer in which a structured attempt is made to get in touch with and deliberately reflect upon the revelations of God. The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556), the founder of the Jesuits, contain numerous meditative exercises. Saint John of the Cross (1542–1591) viewed Christian meditation as a necessary step toward union with God, and wrote that even the most spiritually advanced persons always needed to regularly return to meditation. Saint Padre Pio (1887–1968) said: "Through the study of books one seeks God; by meditation one finds him". St. Teresa of Ávila (1515–1582) viewed Christian meditation as the first of four steps in achieving "union with God", and used the analogy of watering the garden. She compared basic meditation (thinking) to watering a garden with a bucket, Recollection (praying) to the water wheel, Quiet (contemplation) to a spring of water and Union (enlightenment) to drenching rain.
* Christian websites for yoga: (www.kath.ch) "More and more Christians discover yoga and other Far Eastern meditation techniques. The Catholic educational centers are long on this trend and offer a variety of courses. The practice of yoga is not contrary to Christian teaching. Yoga affects not only beneficial to the body and mind, but also enables new approaches to Christian spirituality." Catholic parish of St. Michael in Stuttgart-Sillenbuch: "Yoga is an ancient system of physical and mental exercises that addresses the whole person in his unity of mind and body. Yoga tolerates very well with Christian meditation. Yoga exercises are offered in St. Michael for more than 25 years very successful."
* Nils: All the holy books of the world form a whole and complement each other. Enlightenment is difficult to understand and can be described by many different ways. Who thinks across systems understands the contexts. In the Second Vatican Council (1963 to 1965) it is stated that God is found in all religions. In Christianity, there is much uncertainty about the path of enlightenment. A major criticism is that the mystics want to redeem themselves and the Christians are saved by the grace of God. In Yoga, we focus on the spiritual practice. On the other hand, one can not force enlightenment. It finally comes spontaneously, by itself, by grace.

## Discussion

(Quotes from Yoga and Christianity)
Jessup: I'm working towards taking it up for concentration purposes, as I have some kind of weird learning trouble and can't focus all the time. I'm hoping that Yoga will help me to be able to be focus and retetain. My friend who has introduced me to it, says that it has helped him a bunch in learning and concentrating.
Nils (Mystic): Yoga is helpful in learning and concentrating. You have to find the right exercises for you personally.
flameburns623: The exercises of YOGA are very good if begun gently, preferably with an experienced teacher. For Christians, a Yogic teacher should not ONLY be aware of physical safety in teaching the postures. But also an instructor who is a Christian.
Nils: It is good to have a Christian yoga teacher. But if not, you can pray to Jesus. Then Jesus will lead you in your yoga exercises. Yoga is a body exercise. Most important is what role model and spiritual background system you have. Here is the difference between Hinduistic and Christian Yoga. The essence of Christianity is the dual path of love to God and to all beings (the neighbor). A Christian Yoga is based on these two principles.
Hunter24: I've heard Christians say all the time that Yoga and Buddhist meditation can lead to demonic possession.
Nils: That is really nonsense. I do Yoga and Buddhist meditation for more than 24 years, and I never got problems with demons. You only come in contact with your own psychic tendencies. If you go deeper with Yoga, you have to learn to deal clever with your spirit and your mind. It is good to have psychological knowledge. And is also good to anchor your mind in positive Christian principles. I got a training in Yoga and in Psychotherapy. That was very helpful for me. I put the main principles in my oracles, so that everybody can train his mind positively.
InJesusItrust: Demons do exist and only someone without firsthand experience can claim they don't. Oftentimes a mental illness is an illness, but if a case is a genuine spiritual attack it may be mistaken for mental illness.
Nils: I believe that demons exist, but we are protected from the enlightened Masters. Our only problem are our negative inner tendencies. What we see as demons are normally negative thoughts, created by ourselves. Exorcism is the wrong practice to overcome these demons. I sometimes had problems with strong opposing forces on my spiritual path. They were often much stronger than me. But I prayed to Jesus, was protected and always ultimately triumphed. Trust in Jesus and love. Love is the strongest force in the universe. Do not become a victim of demons by busying yourself with them or work with fear on the spiritual path. The center of Christianity is love and not fear. This is very important to recognize. Send the demons love, pray for them, and they will disappear. They have no chance against love.
Michael Mayo: Do we not sometimes become too concerned about dangerous spirits when the reality is that we alone are responsible for our own behaviors and the most important dangers are Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Envy, Anger, Pride, and Sloth?
Nils: That is exactly the way it is. Normally our demons are anger, greed and aggression. They have to be overcome by psychotherapeutical methods and working on the mind. There is a good phrase in spirituality: "Don't care about demons and the demons don't care about you." Most demons in the religions are caused by the religions themselves. They teach their people the fear of demons and the demons are created in the mind.
chataranga: Do some research to see where these customs/traditions came from- I believe each of these came from non-Christian sources originally.
Nils: Many gestures and customs of Christianity come from other religions. That's no problem. The religions learn from each other and take the good from other religions. That is precisely why Christians can make yoga. It is only important that they preserve their role models and spiritual background system.
Hunter24: in school i was told that Christians think Demons are irredeemable because they sided with Satan, so why pray for them?
Nils: The devil does not really exist. It is a symbol for the ego. The Bible refers to a devil who came to Jesus as he sat for forty days in the desert and meditated. Shortly before Jesus came to enlightenment, the devil appeared to him. The devil wanted to stop him from destroying his ego and from attaining the point where he could stay in the light. Before the inner conflict within a person dissolve, they strengthen for a time. That is very important to understand. A strong feeling of aversion to a spiritual life appears and the worldly pleasures appear for a time to be more important than god. They appear as a large source of confusion and temptation. With a little imagination, the devil can be imagined. One can see the ego as a sort of inner devil who stops one in the path towards enlightenment. However, this devil is not a being, but a part of the individual’s own self. This is a visualized ego conflict. In the Bible it is described with an image, a presence, but this is not to be taken literally. In Buddhism, the devil is called Mara. Before he achieved enlightenment, Mara came to Buddha. Buddha reached his hand towards the earth, activated his root chakra, and rid himself of this ego conflict. Mara and his entire army of temptation disappeared. After Buddha triumphed, the light of enlightenment flowed within. With Jesus, it meant that angels came and served him, after he managed to overwhelm his ego. Satan does not exist, but in the world exist good and evil. There are good people and bad people. But the bad people are not completely bad. They have good and bad qualities as the good people. But in bad people the bad qualities predominate. Every soul can strengthen the good qualities and overcome the bad. And so it is with demons. Therefor we can pray for bad people and also for demons, that they find the way to God and to love. And if we pray for our enemies (bad people or demons), we overcome them in our spirit. We create love and peace inside and transform us to holiness.
Michael Mayo: I would go own to wonder about the specific nature of the demon problem and what it might have to say about one's spiritual life.
Nils: Understanding the demons means to understand ourselves. It means to find our path to holiness and to paradise.
flameburns623: So far as we know, something there is about Lucifer and the rest of the fallen angels that, having once rebelled against God, they are now irredeemable and beyond prayer.
Nils: In my opinion every fallen angel can stand up again. Every soul can be saved by the grace of God. God is good and omnipotent.
Michael Mayo: Are we to assume that demons can put thoughts into our minds (temptations)? Affect our moods?
Nils: That is an interesting question. On a spiritual level everything is connected. If I create positive thoughts in my mind, I can transform the people in my yoga class. I often experienced this. And thus can negative people or demons influence our mind. We have to protect our mind through concentrating on love, God and positive thoughts.

## Principles of the Desert Fathers

Desert Fathers is a term for the early Christian Yogis, who lived in the third century a reclusive life in the deserts of Egypt and Syria, either as a hermit or in groups. The main principle of the Desert Fathers was to sit down in the hut (cell) and then "feel the path of effective spiritual practice from within." They called it "your hut will teach you." The skill on the spiritual path is to find exactly the right degree of personal rest and activity. Decisively on the path of enlightenment (inner happiness) is to deal wise with the thoughts. We have to find a way to resolve the mental blockades. Then there is suddenly an inner transformation and man is in happiness. The victory over all suffering is the awakening of the inner light (God consciousness). An important problem of the Desert Fathers was dealing with sexuality. They have talked about it openly. Who represses his sexuality, gets tensions and blocks his enlightenment. On the other hand, too much sex causes attachments and in turn creates internal tensions. The Desert Fathers have been trying to find sensitive their personal way of resolution of sexual addictions and relationship desires. A desert father convinced himself of living alone with the thought, that he had to work much for a relationship. The life of a hermit is much more quiet and friendly. Another desert father saw women only as people (sisters, daughters, mothers, goddesses) and not as sexual beings. A third desert father had a girlfriend in a nearby village. When he was visited by his fellow monks, he hid her. A holy father discovered her, but he did not betray. He only told the monk to give good care of himself. This can be understood that one can have a relationship, but without losing his spiritual path.
The desert fathers dealt also with the question, whether it is more important to help a fellow human being, or to pray. Who is holier, the helper or the prayer (contemplation)? Basically both is important. But the helper is holier than the prayer. A helper could consume in helping and lose his peace of mind. Therefor a helping man needs the rest and prayer, if he wants to find God. The desert mother Synkletika knew that the hermit who want to live a life in God, stands before a lot of inner work and hard fighting. But in the end there would be an unspeakable joy. On the path to God one should not overwhelm oneself. Some hermits need a flower in their hut, and some do not. Suppose someone can not live without a flower, he should plant one. Who needs joy on his way should give himself sufficient enjoyment.

## Quotes

(Excerpts from Sayings of the Desert Fathers])
* Abba Moses, "Sit in thy cell and thy cell will teach thee all."
* A hermit said, 'Take care to be silent. Empty your mind. Concentrate on God, whether you are resting or at work. If you do this, you will overcome your problems.'
* A man who keeps death before his eyes will at all times overcome his problems.
* Abba Lot went to see Abba Joseph and said to him, 'I fast a little, I pray and meditate, I live in peace, and, as far as I can, I purify my thoughts. What else can I do?' Then the old man stood up and stretched his hands towards heaven. His fingers became like ten lamps of fire and he said to him, 'If you will, you can become all flame.'
* Abba Ammonas was asked, 'What is the "narrow and hard way?" (Mt. 7.14) He replied, 'The "narrow and hard way" is this, to control your thoughts, and to strip yourself of your own will, for the sake of God."
* It was said of Abba Helladius that he spent twenty years in the Cells, without ever raising his eyes to see the roof of the church.
* Amma Theodora said, 'Let us strive to enter by the narrow gate, Just as the trees, if they have not stood before the winter's storms cannot bear fruit, so it is with us; this present age is a storm and it is only through many trials and temptations that we can obtain an inheritance in the kingdom of heaven.'

## My experience of Jesus Christ

Nils: "My parents are atheists. After my studies, I became a lawyer. When I was thirty, I found my spiritual calling in addition to my profession. I did three hours of spiritual exercise daily. In November 1986 I had my first big enlightenment experience. During a meditation while lying down, a warm column of energy slowly rose from my lower belly. As the energy reached my head, my self-consciousness disappeared, I became one with the all-encompassing love of the cosmos. I experienced extreme happiness. I was suddenly able to understand the holy books written throughout mankind's history at a deeper level.
The high point of my spiritual experience was what I felt as the entrance of the Holy Spirit. A thick beam of energy flew from the sky and into my crown chakra. The energy flowed through my body and filled it out completely. On my head was a small flame of energy. This experience is comparable with the Pentecost event. On the heads of the early Christians appeared small energy tongues. Spontaneously arose in me the thought that now I have been blessed by the Holy Spirit. I felt the energy beam as a descent of the Holy Spirit. A short time later I had another amazing experience. When I made my daily walk one evening, I suddenly had the feeling that I was seen from the sky. It was as if at the sky there was a large eye that saw me. The message of this eye was: "You can go your way with trust. You are guided by God." I read the Bible thoroughly from front to back. Through my experiences of enlightenment I could now understand the deep wisdom in the Scriptures. I also understood what the term "God" did mean.
One day I laid on my bed and meditated. My thoughts always came to rest more and more. Suddenly Jesus Christ stood as a great shining light in the middle of the room. Back then I lived for six years as a hermit in seclusion. I knew immediately that this luminary was Jesus Christ. Jesus came to me and floated into me. I was filled with bliss. I rested for some time in this unimaginably large energy of love, peace and light.

## Ulla meets God

Nils: Good day, dear Ulla! Can you tell me something about your life?
Ulla: When I was sent to Sunday school, I liked to listen to the stories of Jesus. Then followed a long period of spiritual sleep, how I would describe it today. I had several friends, but always felt it was not the right man. Until I got a man, with whom I had over 30 years of a desperate relationship. On the one hand, I always wanted to get away from him because he was doing me no good. On the other hand, I was not able to do it. But this negative relationship was at least the advantage that I got interested in religion. As my husband always went to bed early, I was still on long and I busied myself with the various religions. I prayed to God since my childhood. God or Goddess? I wanted to know. I went on a fantastic meditation. I wanted to meet the goddess in a clearing! I imagined how I went to a little house through a garden with flowers. I walked a beautiful forest trail along until I came to the clearing. There I waited for the goddess! This meditation, I did with a wunderfull meditation music. The meditation became independent. The road rose gradually, without being burdensome, and the vegetation was lost. As I looked around me there was suddenly left and right of way only emptiness. When I went higher, I saw before me a bright light. As I approached this wonderful, warm light, I saw a Greek statue of a deity. I went to this wonderful bright, love-emitting light, and asked simply, "So there is not a goddess?" The light being turned to me, changed his form and I looked at my own face. I suddenly knew that God bears within himself the female, male, and everything else. I realized that each of us is a tiny part of God. God wants nothing more than to re-unite with us. But we must be like God, full of love and selflessness. And this is often a long way. I was overcome with such a wonderful warmth, such a deep love and peace, that I would always prefer to stay with God. But unfortunately, I was then quickly brought back to my body. I found no rest and always wanted to come back to God. I meditate every night and was very unhappy that it did not work. Then suddenly I had found the path again, but I saw a lot of branching paths. I realized that one should always be carefully on his way to not fall back again. And then I heard a voice in my heart, who said: "Why do you spend unnecessary time to see me again? Live your life and be happy and make others happy, then you have done a lot?" Since that day my life changed completely. I have no more fears, can see into the hearts of the people, do not have a husband anymore, no more house, no money and I am completely happy.

## Yoga of Love

The yoga of love is a way to connect yoga exercises with the energy of love. Thus yoga gets a great cleansing power and can lead you on a fast and easy way to enlightenment. Yoga of love awakens the love in you and brings you to a life in love and in the light. Yoga gives you health, beauty and happiness. It brings you into a life in the light and love, if you connect yourself with the enlightenment energy (God, the enlightened Masters). Do yoga as it is good for you. Practise with wisdom, love and joy. Then you only need lifelong endurance. The grace will come to you by its own. Everybody on the yoga path will be filled with bliss, if he or she goes with the power of love. It is only a question of time.
1. Find a spiritual role model you love and you trust. In Indian yoga people usually pray to Shiva before starting with our yoga exercises. You thus do yoga in connection with the energy of Shiva and this energy transforms you. Modern yoga teaches the unity of all religion. You can have the believe you want. You have to find a role model that suits to your believe. You can believe in the power of natur and pray to the sun. Many yogi perform the sun salutation and get by this into a life in the light. You can pray to God, to Jesus, to Buddha or to an enlightened Master you want. If you believe you role model is enlightened, your believe will activate the enlightenment energy within you. If your role model really is enlightened, he or she can help you with his spiritual abilities.
2. Find a picture or statue of your role model. Have a clear vision how he or she looks like. Read regularly in a book of your role model. Read yoga tales, pray or work with an oracle. A real darshan consists of the three points seeing, hearing and touching. Darshan is the energy transfer. The energy of love can flow into you, if you see a picture, a statue or a real enlightened person you like. Hear the teachings or to read something from the spiritual role model you like. An it must touch you inside. You have to feel love or trust. Then the energy of love can come to you.
3. Give the energy of love to all people. Wish that all people may be happy. Wish that the whole world may be happy. Then the light of your role model flows through you to world and fills you with love. You get a unity consciousness which is necessary for enlightenment, inner peace and happiness.
4. Make your yoga exercises always with a mantra for your role model and for the all-embracing love. For example: "Om all enlightened Masters. Om inner wisdom. Please guide and help me on my way." "I send light to (name). May all people be happy. May the word be happy." You may formulate the mantras in your own words. Christians can pray to God and for all people. You can also connect yourself with a special enlightened Master as Buddha, Jesus, Shiva and so on.
5. Feel connected with your role model while doing your yoga exercises. Think or speak mantras. Do yoga for yourself and as a way to connect you regularly with spirituality, wisdom and love. Get the power for a life in love and truth from your daily spiritual exercises.
* Video: Shiva Rea Sun Salutation
* Video Dynamic Mantra Yoga (example for yoga of love)
* Video Snatam Kaur - Love Vibration (example for yoga of love)
* Meditation Buddha of Love

## Finding God through the path of enlightenment

God is a mystery that can be seen and understand only by enlightenment. One can see God only in enlightenment. The Bible says: "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." Who cleans his heart (his mind) with spiritual exercises, enters the dimension of God and sees God. With funding of physics or logic, we can describe God very limited. Science cannot explore more than circumstantial evidences for God. If one really want to know whether God exists, one must realize enlightenment.
1. Purify yourself with yoga and mantra yoga. Do yoga for beginners, easy yoga poses with mantra meditation, dynamic mantra yoga, fitness yoga or yoga with positive thinking. Practice the five principles of health.
2. Do kundalini yoga. Kundalini is a great power, which leads us to enlightenment. Read How to Get the Benefits of Kundalini Yoga. Pracice the sun meditation.
3. Do the yoga of love. Send regularly all people light. All-encompassing love is the quickest way to a life in God. Read How to Be a Karma Yogi.
4. Connect daily with God or the enlightened Masters and follow the voice of your inner wisdom. Read in the holy books, pray or think a mantra as: "Om all enlightened Masters. Om inner wisdom. Please guide and help me on my way." You can change the mantra, so that it applies to your personal beliefs. Buddhists say: "Om Buddha". Christians can pray: "Dear God", or "Jesus Christ". Atheists can think: "Om inner wisdom". Find your personal word to connect with the enlightenment energy. Get help from the yoga oracle or the angel oracle.
5. Think positive. Practice the five qualities inner peace, love, wisdom, self-discipline and happiness. Become positive through forgiveness and thankfullness.
* Video ShantiMayi: How to open up knots in the heart
* Video What is Enlightenment? - Sri Bhagavan
* Video What's my core message? (gangaji)
* Video Kundalini - Kriya Yoga Babaji's Lightning Vehicle of Love
* Video "How do I transform myself?" - Sadhguru

## Thinking about God

Why is there the word God? Because it is helpful for many people to come to enlightenment. The center is enlightenment, not the word God. God is a mystery, and goes beyond the normal human understanding (the rational thinking, the four-dimensional system of thinking). In the enlightenment, we learn that we are not only on a higher level of relaxation, but in a higher cosmic dimension. And an enlightened can test this. He gets special abilities. These abilities have something to do with omniscience (infinite knowledge), omnipotence (unlimited power), omnipresence (present everywhere) and omnibenevolence (perfect goodness). Perfect goodness means to see the good in all and to act basically positiv.
* Enlightenment occurs when the tension in the body and mind are dissolved. In the Bible, this is described with the words: "God is found in silence." The tensions are caused by the stress of life and mental false reactions. Tensions can lead to mental abnormalities (neuroses) and psychosomatic illnesses. You can put it like this: "An enlightened is inwardly healthy (whole, a holy)."
* Meditation and mental work are the two main techniques to resolve inner tensions. In meditation, there are various techniques. You can work with visualisations. Positive images can resolve internal tensions and mental disorder. The center of meditation is inner peace. Then all of the stored stress ultimately emerge by itself and dissolve.
* The enlightened mind is characterized by inner peace. God is therefore no concept, but from the inner peace unfolds a higher consciousness. One can suddenly think better. The tensions are eliminated. The mental capacity is multiplied. One can think holistically (excluding an ego from the entire cosmic system).
* By the purified mind one can recognize what God is. God is not a concept but the basic perception of man. A person sees all things as they really are. He sees everything in context. Where previously a man by his ego was fixated on himself, he now thinks and feels egoless as one with the cosmos. If the tensions disappear in man, from the deep inner peace arises a deep inner happiness. The man is one with himself and the world. He feels peace, happiness, strength, love and clarity in himself. He has a higher perception. He can suddenly think above the higher dimensions in the cosmos. The space-time limitation is lifted. And an enlightened sees God as light in the world. He recognizes that there is a higher consciousness that permeates and directs everything. He is in his consciousness connected with God.
* Spirituality is a way of working on oneself and his mind (spirit). Through spiritual techniques such as mental work (positive thinking) and meditation one can come into contact with a higher level of consciousness (God consciousness, unity consciousness). One sees the light in the world, in himself and in his fellow man. The most effective exercise is to rest, to practice (Yoga, meditation, reading) and to love all beings (to do good for others). You must center your life in inner happiness and find out how you can stay within and grow spiritually. The most important thing in spirituality is the inner voice. The inner voice is the voice of your own truth and wisdom. It is your feeling of rightness.

## External links

* How to Find God
* How to Find the Energy of God
* How to Become Enlightened
* How to Find God Without Religion
* How to Become a Christian According to the Bible

# Spiritual Almanac

Spiritual Almanac (taken from discussions on Internet forums about Yoga, God, religion, mysticism and spirituality)
My personal basis in philosophy is that of happiness. This philosophy is based on the Greek Epicurus and modern research on happiness. I believe striving toward happiness is at the core of human existence. Everyone would like to be happy and to avoid suffering. The highest level of happiness is enlightenment. Enlightenment is at the core of happiness philosophy. You could also describe this as a life in light, or the kingdom of God (paradise).
I’ve searched for a way to lasting happiness my entire life. This path has lead me to the philosophy of Epicurus. Later, I became occupied with Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, and Christianity. I found helpful techniques everywhere among these teachings. Professionally, I was a lawyer first and then a Yoga teacher and a psychotherapist. I am for the unity of religions and the personal way of spirituality for each person. People of all religions should work together toward a happy world. They should speak to one another, and learn from one another.

## January

1. The greatest happiness is experienced in a life of light (in God, in enlightened existence) and in all-encompassing love. When one lives with this depth of meaning of life, one no longer needs to search for the meaning of life.
2. The basis of the spiritual way is enlightenment, sainthood, life in light (in the kingdom of God). God is to be found in each and every one of us, and in order to find God one has to change their consciousness, to be aware of God. The important thing is to find peace, love, happiness and joy and to develop them in oneself. The main techniques along the way to enlightenment are meditation and thought work.
3. With meditation, you can find a calm inner state. You can quiet the thoughts with a mantra or prayer, through concentration on an outer or inner point, or through conscious observation and stopping the thoughts. Then peace and calm can exist. What’s fascinating is that with a longer practice of meditation, inner joy and happiness arise as well.
4. Inner peace and happiness arise when you work consistently on your thoughts. When you overcome thoughts and feelings like rage, addiction and fear by stopping the thoughts or by replacing the negative thoughts with positive thoughts. When that is successfully achieved, peace of mind can be obtained. Then the mind can concern itself with positive things. If you concentrate on love, happiness and joy in life and then live these qualities as well, then happiness and joy in life will arise naturally.
5. At some point a change occurs in the spirit. You arrive at a higher level of happiness. You experience life as mainly a happy thing. The more you cleanse your inner being, the greater your happiness can become, until enlightenment is achieved. Enlightenment is a very particular level of the spirit. The spirit is so far removed from negativity, addiction, fear and rage that the light of God can flow within. Enlightenment can be described as existence without attachments, without addictions (the “I am” from Moses, one rests in the simple state of being and is no longer attached to worldly things), as being conscious of God (unity consciousness, one lives in light in the kingdom of God) and as happiness (inner happiness, joy and love). These three characteristics belong together and serve one another.
6. With emphasis on taking the path of inner calm, we can reach a God-consciousness, which means we can find God in inner peace and calm. We can also concentrate on developing a consciousness of unity. We can identify with other people and other beings. We can wish them happiness and help them as much as possible.
7. If you experience other people in a positive way, you know what all-encompassing love is. It develops as an encompassing inner happiness, a unity consciousness of love that at some point leads to enlightenment. Jesus taught the way of all-encompassing love for that reason. He also advised his followers to love their enemies. We can consider our enemies among our own problems and suffering. If we can accept this, see this in a positive light and love, then we have found a way to God-consciousness. In order to enter the kingdom of God, your love must be all-encompassing, unconditional, and practiced constantly. I send all beings light and pray for my fellow humans every day. I work for a world of love, peace and happiness.
8. It’s important to me also remember to enjoy life, to keep joy in life, besides taking the path of inner calm and all-encompassing love. I love myself enough. I do what is fun. I enjoy life every day. I know spiritual exercises with which I can create happiness in myself, in a way comparable to Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountain. Jesus prayed to God, and visualized God in himself, and meditated (brought his thoughts to a state of calm rest) and came to the light.
9. How do you have fun in life? There are a lot of opportunities to take to create joy in life. It varies from person to person. You can eat something you like, listen to good music, watch a nice film, talk to positive people or chat with them online. You can do something creative, such as making music, painting, and writing, exercising or playing sports or look for a fascinating mission. I like to make videos and to save the world. It’s important to center yourself in your inner happiness first, otherwise everything is superficial and pointless. I also consider which spiritual exercises I need each day in order to arrive at this state of happiness. If you have inner happiness, then joy in life will develop almost by itself. You only need little things to enjoy to experience the beauty of life.
10. Those who see themselves as being responsible for saving the world will never be bored. There is always something to do. It doesn’t have to be anything big. You can speak some kind words to build up other people, or say a prayer for people or save the life of an animal. I can constantly save the lives of frogs, toads and snails. I bless them then. In this way good karma results that will at some point come back to me. I can even send good karma to other people if I have too much. Doing good is a lot of fun, as long as you don’t overwhelm yourself and as long as you are creative about it.
11. The path of a spiritual practice varies from individual to individual. I live as a hermit. For me, the spiritual practice is different than for someone with a career and a family. It is even further removed when you live as a monk or a nun in a monastery. I live according to a spiritual plan for each day. I cleanse my inner being by reading, praying, going for walks, meditating and working. I do everything at the right moment and for the right amount of time so that I am constantly in the state of cleansing. It takes a lot of inner sense and discipline.
12. I had a lot of enlightenment experiences. I have gotten to know the mystery of God. I have risen to high levels of paradise consciousness with my spirit. But I still have a lot to cleanse. One could say that I am still just a poor sinner. I have lived as a hermit for 25 years. The inner cleansing takes a long time for most people. At the moment, I am going through a phase of intense transformation. I live in times of happiness, in times of darkness, and times of inner conflict. I experience my way as being lead by God. Everything seems to follow an exact plan, but I don’t know what lies ahead; the end of the plan.
13. I follow the path of the Christian desert masters. They described exactly how one should live as a spiritual hermit, how one should practice. The main point of the desert fathers is that you should sit in your hut and then feel out an effective way of spiritual practice. This was called “your hut will teach you.” Enlightenment appears basically through the way of rest, love, and thought work. God is to be found in the calm. Modern research in happiness states that calm makes you happy. The art of the spiritual way is to find the correct amount of calm. Too much rest makes one lazy and slow. The desert fathers recommended not only to sit in your hut and wait for the spirit of God, but to work toward this.
14. On the other hand, they warned about too much work. If you stretch a bow to far, it will break. If a hermit or monk is too active on the outside then God cannot come in because God needs calm. The calm must be great enough that the body and spirit can heal from the inner tension. The hermits in the desert had enough calm already due to their isolated life, separate from the outside world. A constantly calm state feels unbearable first, but that is how the process of inner healing can begin.
15. Problems with enough rest result in a monastery. Here there’s the danger one might work too much, or let oneself be distracted by one another, so that the inner process needed for oneself cannot be established, or to lose oneself in external rules. A basic rule of the desert fathers was to work only as much as the space the body needs when it lies down. God is the focus, and not the work. The work should only serve to bring forth a life in God (in light) and to hold onto that. A hermit has to sensitively feel out how much work will take him or her forward toward that goal.
16. On the path to God, a deciding factor is the nature of one’s thoughts. A spiritual person has to find a way to dissolve inner conflict, blockages and false images to the best of his or her ability. He or she has to overcome fear, addiction and rage. This way, at some point in time an inner change will occur and that person will arrive in a state of happiness. In that sense, he or she is healed. The victory over suffering is the awakening of inner light.
17. Having people accompany you in life makes the way easier. Two people can live in love, if they put their relationship together in the right way. Two people can support each other along the spiritual way. They can strengthen one another energetically and mentally. God made man and woman so that they can live together in paradise. The main story in the bible shows that. The mystery is that they can both awaken the kundalini snake that wraps itself around the tree of enlightenment with their love and sexual energy. They were then allowed to eat the apple of enlightenment which stands for unity, oneness and life in God (symbolized through its round shape). I lived without much contact for ten years. Then I realized some contact does me good. It’s wonderful that it’s very simple and easy to get contact with other people over the internet.
18. I’ve tried a lot of different things in my life. I’ve done karate, I’ve gone hiking, went dancing in clubs, went skiing, discussed political topics at events and visited psychology seminars. I had a political, philosophical, a psychological and a spiritual phase. At the moment, everything has rather come to rest. For awhile, I practiced strictly and now I practice more according to how I feel. The only difficult thing for me at present are the extremely powerful kundalini developments. I hope, though, that one day I will get over that phase and simply be in happiness, in peace, love and strength.
19. Western yogis are free to shape their spiritual paths according to their needs. Some live alone, some in a group, and others in a relationship. I live my life in a way that makes me feel well. It’s important for me to have a mission or goal that excites me. I’ve studied a lot of different things, taken various workshops in the spiritual scene and written a lot of books and lead a lot of yoga groups. My path is never boring.
20. I see myself as a mystic who is beyond religions but somehow also finds himself within all of the religions. In enlightenment, I experienced a dimension that can be described as God, nirvana, or unity. I recognized that religions use different names for this state of consciousness. My enlightenment experience allowed me to see the common thread between Christianity and Buddhism. This common thread is the enlightened state of being. Moses could see the light of God in the world (the burning bush) and received knowledge of “ I am “ in God. This “ I am” state is achieved when the ego disappears and when one arrives in unity consciousness. This unity consciousness canbe given the name “Nirvana”. Nirvana means deletion, nothing, emptiness, dissolution of the ego. It isn’t an absolute state of nothingness, rather one arrives in light via this state of nothingness. Nothingness and happiness go together. In Christianity Master Eckhart and Pseudo-Dionysius Areopagita (negative theology) worked with this concept particularly.
21. I would like to share with you my kundalini experiences. First there was a very strenuous phase which lasted some five weeks. The chakras opened and the energy started to flow intensely. Every few days I had a short break to recover, then it started up again. Then I had a few weeks of rest. I used that time to mentally prepare myself, which was useful since the whole process started up again. A few times I was really at my wits’ end, really at the limit of what I can take. What bothered me the most were the sleepless nights. I could only get myself through with the help of spiritual exercises.
22. The energy processes vary a lot. The night before yesterday I observed this. I sat in front of the television and felt how the tension in my solar plexus chakra eased. This transformation period took two hours. I had the feeling that my body was being turned inside out. I felt a tugging everywhere, and felt I might break down. I watched very interesting films on TV so that I would be distracted enough from my inner crisis so I could get through it. Ten after 24 hours the energy began to flow through the solar plexus chakra into the body. I felt like I was under an intense electrical charge and couldn’t sleep. But it was a form of happiness energy, so this made it easier to get through.
23. The nightly processes of tension dissolving are varied. They range from painful to enjoyable to a combination. It depends on whether the happiness energy dominates or the dissolving of old tension and problems. Mostly the nights are a mixture of both and are rather difficult. I have to constantly consider which spiritual techniques (visiualization, mantras, meditation, yoga poses) will help me through the process. The right technique dissolves blockages and gets the energy to flow again. Sometimes I have to try one thing for awhile before it starts to work effectively.
24. In bigger conflicts I listen to the help of my masters. Once I thought I wouldn’t make it through the night because I was so exhausted from the strain of the previous days. I fell asleep immediately and felt better, even though the energy flow in my body was so strong I never would have thought I could sleep. One day I needed to get things done that required a lot of inner strength, and that was after a sleepless night. Right before getting out of bed, strength shot through me. I felt like I had the strength of a giant and could use that to get everything done. This was a miracle to me.
25. The energy isn’t just felt by me, but from other people too. A woman visited me as I was at that time working on the energy in me. She was so happy near me that she hardly wanted to go home. As I visited my mother, happiness energy suddenly flowed through me and I was happy to rest in bliss for about an hour. That affected my mother, too. Our conversation was calm and positive.
26. I’m a lazy Yogi at the moment. My yoga consists of a walk while doing breath of fire and mantras. I lay in bed in yoga posititions and meditate. That’s enough for me right now. I am constantly in intense energy processes. My main meditation is watching TV. I am just there and live my life. I connect with God every day and my enlightened masters. I listen to my inner voice and do what it advises me at any given moment. That’s how I get through all of my spiritual crises.
27. There are many bad gurus. I recommend that everyone test the enlightened masters and to follow only the good ones. For me, they are Buddha, Jesus, Patanjali, Laotse and Socrates. Their teachings can help us find our way to light.
28. It began with the awakening of my ability to sense energy in 1986. Since that time, I can feel the energy of other people and help them. In 1987 I started small meditation groups where I also taught positive thinking. At that time, I still worked as a lawyer. After splitting up with my ex wife I gave up my lawyer profession and have lived as a hermit for 25 years. In the course of the last few years I’ve written a lot of texts online in German and English. Many people connect with me mentally and spiritually. I feel their energy, their trust and help them as much as I can.
29. I had a happy family, a nice wife and a lovable son. But life is constant change. Now I live as a hermit. How do you arrive in light? In that you leave material things behind and develop inner happiness. Enlightenment exceeds even the happiness of the happiest family. 30. I’ve recognized that the deepest point of life is to be happy and to live in all-encompassing love. One arrives in all-encompassing love when one works for a happy world. If you have this goal, there is always something to do. Life is never boring and always has a purpose. One just has to see in any given moment, what needs to be done and what one can do.
31. Everyone is allowed to find his own spiritual way. I refer to the enlightened masters and their teachings which inspire me. I can say that I have the feeling my way works for me. I am careful and approach the spiritual path with wisdom. I generally advise following a gentle spiritual way.

## February

1. A yogi is a person who practices yoga. Yoga consists of physical and mental, spiritual exercises. The goal of yoga is to develop the self, to find enlightenment. There are many different directions in yoga. Yoga goes beyond religion. Buddha was also a yogi. Even the Christian dessert teachers were yogis.
2. Yoga is there for people, and for that reason needs to be adapted to cultural and personal conditions. The modern western yoga is different from the traditional, Indian yoga. Often, yoga is only practiced as bodily exercise in the west, with the goal of flexibility, health, beauty or relaxation. The spiritual content is missing. That’s a problem for many Indian yoga masters such as Swami Sivananda. For me, it’s OK. Variation is the strength of western yoga.
3. Enlightenment takes place through the dissolving of tension (energy blockages) in the body and spirit. The way to this end varies from person to person and requires a good inner sense for what one needs at any given time. Sometimes extreme exercises and sometimes gentle ones are necessary, depending on the given moment. Rigid dogma is the wrong way. A real enlightened master gives every student exactly what that student needs.
4. I go about finding what does me good along the spiritual path in an undogmatic way. I’m vegetarian and don’t do any drugs (smoking, alcohol and other substances) or gamble. But sometimes I do eat meat when my body needs it. I get a buzz from chocolate or watching TV when my soul needs it. My game is called enlightenment. You never know when you will win and what comes next, and that’s what makes the spiritual way so exciting. What is material gain next to eternal bliss?
5. And what about sexuality? Does a yogi have to do without it? No! For a tantric yogi, sexuality is also a way to God when practiced correctly. It’s important, according to the Hatha yoga principles, that one sticks to moral principles. For me, among the most important are loyalty in a relationship. If a yogi has a relationship, he or she should live by loyalty, love, and honesty.
6. Self-disciplince is important on the path of yoga. Self-discipline is the main way to spiritual success, but one shouldn’t overdo it. Too feel discipline causes tension and energy blockages. One should sense exactly whether discipline is necessary at any given time, or whether being laidback is more appropriate. Staying in an asana for hours can be a good thing or a bad thing. Buddha found that extreme practice makes the body weak and for that reason suggested a middle way. Why should one practice in the extreme cold of a cave in the Himalayas when you can practice in a nice warm house in Germany, with an internet connection? Why rub ashes onto yourself when you can wash yourself with soap? Why hold your breath when you can succeed with simpler exercises?
7. Along the yogic path, one gets great power. The chakras open up, the kundalini energy is activated and spiritual energy develops in an unimaginable way. The spiritual energy is neutral and can be abused. For that reason a yogi should always ground him or herself in love, empathy and humility. Yoga should be combined with positive thinking.
8. A yogi should hold to the ten ground rules of Patanjali. 1. Non-violence (Ahimsa). Don’t hurt or kill others. Be ready for peace, live gently. 2. Truth (Satya) Live in truth. Be honest to yourself and others. 3. Righteousness (Asteya). Don’t steal, cheat or betray. A yogi is honest in his life’s work. 4. Wisdom (Brahmacharya) . Live spiritually, in wisdom(Brahmacharya. Don’t serve money, serve God. Differentiate between the essential and the non-eseential. 5. Simplicity (Aparigraha). Have moderation in what you enjoy. A spiritual person lives modestly on the outside and richly on the outside. A yogi doesn’t use energy on what he does in the outer world, but lives calmly, and turns to the inside and cleanses himself from the inside.
9. Further principles of yoga according to Patanjali: 6: Honoring the spiritual goal (Ishvara, the personal divinity). So that we don’t lose our spiritual way, it’s necessary to concentrate on our spiritual goals, and to refocus on them when necessary. 7. Sacrifice of the Ego. (Saucha, purification/cleansing). Without sacrificing the ego, it’s not possible to come to enlightenment. To sacrifice the ego the right way is an art. Those who sacrifice too much create tension. Those who sacrifice too little don’t dissolve any ego tension or attachments. How do you come to inner peace, inner strength, and all-encompassing love the right way today? What’s the right way for you at this given moment?
10. Further principles of yoga according to Patanjali. 8: Goal-oriented life (Tapas). Tapas means to lead a disciplined life. 9. Self-study. (Swadhyaya). Reading from a spiritual book daily helps us stay on the spiritual way, and makes us spiritual winners.10. Satisfaction (Santosha). Plan your day and your life so that you are satisfied. Which thoughts help you to come to satisfaction?
11. There are gentle and there are extreme spiritual techniques. Extreme exercises can lead to spiritual breakthroughs. It’s important to practice with wisdom. For me, God makes my personal life sufficiently extreme. There are difficult faces to go through, again and again which lead to spiritual breakthroughs. They develop on their own, during my daily life. That’s enough. I generally prefer a gentle spiritual way.
12. There are dogmatic and non-dogmatic people in spirituality. From my perspective, everything has it’s right to exist in the way of spirituality. It depends on whether you use wisdom to find the right path for you personally. Dogamtic people usually have great strength and are consistent along their way. If that’s connected to ego, then it leads to ego, and if connected with wisdom, leads to light. Unfortunately, dogmatic people are usually not able to apply self-awareness to their own situation. We need self-discipline and wisdom along the spiritual way to be successful. I feel out my way each day to find my personal combination of these elements, wisdom and self-discipline.
13. The spiritual path is a free decision. Enlightenment is voluntary. No one is forced into happiness. The free will is respected. However, the brain is like a computer when we look at it closely. The mind is programmed through experiences and our reactions towards them, as well as our thoughts. An inner program comes into being, according to what a person decides. I have had countless experiences in the course of thousands of lives. I thought about life and established happiness as a goal of life. In this life, I read about the philosopher Epicurus and decided to take the path of inner happiness. It was a free decision. But I couldn’t do anything else but decide this, on the basis of what I knew before. According to Laotse, “if the wise learn of the true way, they must take that course. If a fool hears of the way of enlightenment, he laughs out loud. If he isn’t laughing, it isn’t the true spiritual path.”
14. The will of a human is free, to look at it from a very basic perspective. However, people make decisions based on outer impulses and inner programs, depending on the person. In this way, decisions are determined, or pre-determined. Only in enlightenment does a person get true freedom because he or she is free of worldly impulses, attachments and wishes. He or she is happy and in a desireless state because he or she is happy from the inside. This person doesn’t need any material things anymore to be happy. A life in the light of God is enough. He or she can still enjoy material existence if he or she likes though.
15. Enlightenment is consciousness, pure and without an identity. In order to act in the world, a person has to take on an identity. In that case, you’re like a free actor who can decide which role you would like to take. The enlightened always know that it is just a roll. The enlightened are beyond all roles. They can decide to be the good guys or the bad guys. The path of evil strengthens the ego and distances one from light. The way of good encourages inner happiness and love. If you combine love with wisdom and self-discipline, you arrive along the way of good in a life of light. I also believe that you can arrive in light along the path of evil. The path of evil causes you to encounter suffering, to achieve wisdom and then destroys attachments to the world. Before you arrive in enlightenment though, you have to get rid of your bad karma. Many evil people will often become saints or healers in their last lives on earth.
16. I observe in myself that I mostly took the path of good in my earlier lives. For that reason, my mind is basically programmed along the path of good. Once I could decide freely within enlightenment, if I wanted to take on a good or evil identity, I automatically decided on the path of good. So that we have a lot of good enlightened people, the enlightenment path of love should be taught. The enlightenment path of love can take a bit longer than direct enlightenment, but the world benefits greatly from this. In Tibet some thousand years ago there was a conflict between Tibetan Buddhism (way of love) and Zen Buddhism (strict meditation and quick enlightenment). The Tibetan king decided on the way of love. For that reason, Tibetan Buddhism puts a lot of value in a thorough teaching of the mind. Only when a good basis in love and wisdom is achieved, can quick techniques and intensive meditation (three years as a yogi) lead to enlightenment.
17. For me, God is formless, the incomprehensible behind all forms. Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma are just forms of God, just like Jesus, Buddha and Krishna are forms of godly consciousness. I root myself in the formless and use the form of God to bring myself forward in my concrete moments and to lead to light. Sometimes Krishna (the master of love) an inspiring role model, sometimes Jesus (the master of ego sacrifice), sometimes Buddha (the master of peace and calm), sometimes Shiva (the strict yogi), sometimes Brahma (the wise), and sometimes Ganesha ( the God of happiness and joy in life). Another way to see it is that every spiritual role model has all of the important aspects and forms in God in itself.
18. I don’t consider other religions to be less than my own. We should recognize one another as being equal in value. Only in this way can love and peace be built upon. Religious and cultural pluralism is the way in light today.
19. After an intense practice of rune yoga I awoke with a distinct sense of energy. Since that time, I can sense the energy of others and mentally help them. In 1987, I also began to direct small groups in meditation and positive thinking. At the time I still worked as a lawyer. After separating from my ex-wife I gave up my lawyer practice and have lived as a hermit for 25 years.
20. I believe I am lead by God and get all of the necessary help from God. As a former atheist I have experienced some difficulty in believing in God. But I observe that my life is directed in a mysterious way. If a crisis gets too big, I always get some help. Suddenly I can sleep, happiness energy is awakened, a nice person appears, or I can be happy about something. When I have to take care of things in the outside world, the cleansing process is reduced. Every day, an optimal development process takes place that normally challenges me a lot, but doesn’t overwhelm me. And that has been taking place for 25 years!
21. I experience God as an identity-less ”I am”, as a higher consciousness. I can only say that life develops in a certain way that I think is steered. I can’t say who controls this. I think it comes from the enlightened masters I’m mentally connected with. You can see their pictures in this almanac.
22. I see it like this: the enlightened masters comprise a complete consciousness that can help in the cosmos, to take direct action. Normally, this consciousness rests happily within itself. It helps especially when it is asked for help. In order to achieve constant guidance, a daily prayer is very important. I connect with my enlightened masters daily. One can also pray directly to God. It doesn’t matter which name you speak to the higher consciousness with. Important is only that you are serious about receiving real guidance and help. Then you get help so that you go forward spiritually, and not so that all egoistical wishes are fulfilled. I especially recommend to everyone to connect with the higher consciousness daily. Everyone can do that in his or her own way.
23. Important in my view, is that one takes the spiritual way consistently daily. It doesn’t matter which exercises are done. One should feel what one needs and what does one good. It doesn’t have to be any particular or special exercises. The important hing is it should bring you further spiritually. Everything will happen at the right time. A good exercise is a to read daily from a spiritual book, or to pull an oracle card, or to pray, say a mantra, to visualize an image of an enlightened master. Those who have more time can meditate daily, do yoga and go for walks.
24. Being alone is a necessary exercise for me. I have to live alone so that I can develop myself spiritually. But I don’t need to be that strict about it. For me, the middle way is good where I have some contact. Even a relationship isn’t out of the question. I lived the first twelve years as a yogi in a relationship. Then there was a time where my spiritual energy disappeared and I hardly had any energy for a relationship. Now it seems my energy is developing slowling again.
25. Many Christians are afraid of yoga nad meditation. But Jesus was a yogi. He received kundalini energy (the holy Ghost, symbolized through the baptism) by Johnn the Baptist and meditated for 40 days in the desert. He overcame the devil (his ego) and could help other people with spiritual energy (the angels served him). Buddha also meditated and the devil appeared ( his ego) and tried to tempt him. He let go of his worldly attachments and turned to the light and the devil disappeared. The enlightenment stories of Buddha and Jesus are very similar.
26. Principally, the way of inner and outer happiness are opposites. If you take the path of outer happiness, you built up attachments on outer things and other people who will reduce your happiness in the long run. If you go the path of inner happiness, you will reduce and get rid of your attachments. Attachments are inner tension. The more you let go of your inner tension, the more happiness can develop within you.
27. The enlightened masters (God) lead us through our inner voice, to truth. It is important to have constant contact with one’s own voice of truth and wisdom. We should feel within ourselves and ask what is important at that moment along the way of wisdom.
28. Meditation of the inner voice: 1. Sit down in the meditation position (sit Indian style, or in a chair) Close your eyes. Breathe in and out. Relax. 2. Stop all thoughts for a minute and relax. 3. Visualize the earth, move one hand and thin :” I send light. May all beings be happy. May the world be happy.” Send light to suffering people. Use the TV as a window to the world and surround all beings with light. 4. Put your hand on your lap. Imagine yourself as Buddha, Shiva or a goddess. Move your toes and think this mantra : “I am a goddess (Buddha, Shiva) of peace. I take the path of peace. I live in peace.” 5. Visualize the cosmos around you full of stars. Make big circles with your arms and think: “I take things as they are. I let go of my false desires. I flow with positivity in my life.” 6. Connect with the enlightened masters or God. Rub the palms of your hands in front of your heart chakra and think: “om all enlightened masters (God). Om inner wisdom. I ask for guidance and help along my way.”
29. Holy wars take place in many lands of the world and cause suffering. The solution is clear: we have to accept that we live in a world of varied religions. We have to learn to be loving, peaceful, tolerant and non-violent with one another.

## March

1. After my enlightenment experience, I recognized that enlightenment is the deeper point of life. Enlightenment is the deliverance from the suffering of life. Enlightenment is the greatest happiness and highest fulfillment. In enlightenment, you realize your true self. Summarized: those who live enlightened, live better. An unenlightened person thinks that he or she will be happier with more money, sex, recognition, consumption and material riches. Only the wise recognize that inner prosperity will make you happier than material prosperity. You can enjoy life and develop spiritually at the same time. There are strict spiritual practitioners and there are moderate spiritual practitioners. I represent the way of the moderate practitioners who have enough fun in life.
2. When you are completely pure inside, God can enter and fill you with peace, love and happiness. In the Bible, it says the human being must choose between God (inner happiness) and money (the way of material happiness). Those who want to go forward spiritually should choose the path of inner happiness.
3. There are various stages of enlightenment. Enlightenment begins with the feeling of harmony with oneself and the world. Then peace, happiness and love appears. Then the stage of dissolving of the “I” consciousness and the presence of the consciousness of unity (God consciousness) comes into being. The highest stage (full enlightenment) is Nirvikalpa Samadhi, the resting in a dimension of highest happiness. This can be considered unity with God, the unity of Shiva and Shakti (the human being and God), or as the highest paradies (Sathyaloka, the place of highest truth). Only once have I reached this state, after my kundalini energy completely unfurled. It rose as a thick ray of energy from the bottom of the pelvis up to the head. Then there was a change of consciousness and I was in highest happiness. I was aware that this was the goal of all souls. The highest goal is not “simple” enlightenment, rather the “full” enlightenment (to be Buddha, or a Jivanmukta).
4. Swami Sivananda: ”Samadhi (enlightenment) is unity. The spirit goes into the eternal, the Atman, like salt in water or camphor in flames. It is a state of pure consciousness. Recognition made in Samadhi is the recognition of God. In Samadhi there isn’t consciousness of the body or of the mind. There is only existence (sat). The one meditating has dissolved his personality in the ocean of God, drowned and forgotten, until he is just a tool of God. When he opens his mouth, he speaks without effort and without consideration through the direct intuition of the word of God, and when he lifts his hand, God streams through it to work miracles.”
5. Samadhi is not a state of dullness, forgetfulness or deletion. It is a state of absolute consciousness that defies every attempt to describe it. It isn’t the end destination of all. It is moksha (freedom, the release from suffering). The human being now rests in his middle- the goal of his search in absolute freedom, independence and perfection.
6. People generally believe Samadhi means to sit with a loincloth in a state of nothingness consciousness in the lotus position. Such Samadhis are brought about through Hatha Yoga kriyas. In Jada Samadhi the prana is moved up high and held in one chakra. Through this one can anchor the self in serenity, strength, love, clarity or unity.
7. Full enlightenment is totally different. There, all doubt, confusion and the three knots avidya (uncertainty), kam (worldly longing) and karma (determination, destiny) are destroyed. It gives fearlessness and an unbreakable state of mind. The Samadhi state also holds firm when taking action. Those who are anchored in complete enlightenment hold the mind and spirit in balance and use them as a service to other people.
8. In Samadhi, the cleansed spirit goes to God and becomes God consciousness. To know Brahman means to become Brahman. When the spirit becomes Brahman, it also dissolves the world, which is a creation of the spirit, in the Brahman and the spirit becomes Brahman. In this experience darkness and emptiness do not exist. There is only light. It is an experience of unity, and oneness. Time and space cease to exist, there is only eternity. You become all-knowing and all-powerful. You know the mystery of creation. You have achieved immortality, higher knowledge and eternal bliss. Every duality disappears, there is no subject and no object.
9. When you are rooted in the highes Nirvikalpa Samdhi, you don’t have any body consciousness. You have the full awareness of Brahman. There is nothing other than the self. It is a wonderful experience. You are full of reverence. It is a state that one must achieve through one’s own efforts. It is without end, complete and an experience from existence and pure consciousness. When you have this experience , the mind, wishes, activities and feelings of joy and worry disappear.
10. Samadhi gives moksha. That is the high point of yoga. With the recognition of the self, uncertainty disappears. With the disappearance of the main reason for the uncertainty, the ”I” thinking disappears. The yogi now has knowledge of the past and future, as well as from the present. Everything is “now”. Everything is “here”. Time and space do not matter anymore.
11. A person who comes out of Samadhi can still live like they did before, but their consciousness is greatly changed. No one can reach Samadhi until they are a pure soul. You have to have a pure heart. The spirit has to be full cleansed. Only then is the person ready to receive the light of God. You have to be strong enough to take the pressure of a sudden consciousness expansion and to be able to tolerate a cosmic viewpoint.
12. Deep meditation leads to Samadhi, to being one with God. Contemplate God. Fill your spirit with God. Identify your spirit with God. The way you think, is the way you will be. Think yourself godly and you will become that. Be silent. Recognize yourself. Let your spirit go into God.
13. The leadership through the inner voice of wisdom is very important. Only this way can you tell what the wrong and right techniques are. The same techniques can be in one moment wrong, and the next minute the right ones. If you don’t progress spiritually, then that is an indication of a wrong method of practicing. In contrast, if you arrive in light, love, happiness, peace, and truth and strength, then you are doing the right things.
14. The real fulfillment of life can be enjoyed with a positive psyche only. Those who are enlightened recognized their world as a paradise. The small things are enough to make great joy. God is fulfillment but only a fulfillment that comes from the inside. It is important to also flow positively with life, go with the flow, and to not become attached to material things. ;-)
15. Even in the western world we can realize our inner happiness and come to enlightenment. We don’t have to live as strict hermits away from the world in order to do that. Through the grace of the enlightened masters it’s possible without the most extreme circumstances. They can give us energy, wisdom, strength and love that we can use along our way. When we connect to an enlightened master of our choice every day and do enough spiritual exercises then we can grow in this material world, also spiritually. Particularly we can arrive in paradise after death. That is a great gift. Those who understand can practice master yoga every day by calling to the enlightened, praying, using an oracle and reading.
16. Some people proceed best along the spiritual path when they are strict about it, as monks, nuns, hermits, yogis or desert dwellers. According to Amritanandamayi, you come to enlightenment five times faster when you live along. Asceticism isn’t the only spiritual way. Only a few people are able to live this way. I believe in reincarnation. Most people develop in the course of many lives. There is also a way to spiritually cleanse on the other side. In Amitabha Buddhism, there is a paradise in between lives where you can develop slowly to the highest state of nirvana (happiness, light, God). This paradise in between is basically what one usually thinks of paradise in Christianity.
17. You can always develop further spiritually. After enlightenment, there are also a lot of stages of enlightenment. According to my experience there is a stage of unity consciousness, and after that the stage of omni-presence, all-knowingness, and all-powerfulness. Swami Sivananda describes these states as the signs of full enlightenment. One can deal everywhere and help people everywhere, also from other dimensions. This happens according to my experience through thinking, visions, dreams, energy transfer (giving peace, strength, love, happiness, wisdom). Before you achieve these powers, there is a long path to take. I observed in myself that these abilities develop slowly. I am still at the beginning.
18. The greatest meaning in life is experienced through the way of enlightenment and the way of love. The way of enlightenment is developed through deep potential for happiness. You live in unity, harmony, and light. That gives you a deep feeling of meaningfulness. Those who live in love, experience life as full of meaning. If you are searching for meaning in your life, then you should concentrate on these points.
19. Material happiness is an illusion. True happiness is only obtained through enlightenment. Enlightenment is the deeper meaning of life. True happiness remains even when unfortunate things occur in life. That destroys the illusion of outer happiness. Buddha taught life is mainly suffering. In Christianity, the cross is the main point of focus. Along the way of inner happiness, you open your inner sources of happiness and rise above all outer suffering one day. There are many ways to enlightenment. Find the way that fits you and works best. Principally happiness arises through spiritual practice like yoga, walking, meditating and thinking positively. It is helpful to have an enlightened master.
20. Without sacrifice, you can’t break through into the light of enlightenment. The sacrifice of the ego and incorporating the self into the will of God (will of life, the universe). Letting go of the ego and sacrificing the right way is a great art. If you sacrifice incorrectly, you create more tension. We shouldn’t let go of too much at once and not too little either. If done correctly, you let go of inner tension. I am creative about my rituals of ego sacrifice. I can tell what I need at any given time and what will work best. To do this with wisdom, you need to think about a situation exactly and consider what the best way is at the time. In this way, you give up your ego. It’s similar to a sacrifice of love, where you give something or someone up because you love them. I prefer sacrificing for something I like. If I don’t like a situation, I eat so many sweets that I can tolerate the situation, or I watch TV until I’ve forgotten all of the suffering in my life.
21. There once was a king who wanted to realize his inner happiness. His priests explained to him that a five- fold renunciation was necessary. First, the king renounced his kingdom. He moved into a forest and lived as a yogi. The second thing he gave up was sexuality. He lived without a relationship in order to effectively put his energy into his spiritual exercises. That was the biggest sacrifice for him. The third thing he gave up were his thoughts. He meditated a lot and lived in peace. The fourth thing he gave up was his “me” consciousness.He let go of his ego and went through the great emptiness and landed in light. It feels unpleasant when the ego is destroyed. But behind that unpleasantness, awaits inner happiness. Those who know that, can easily let go of their ego. The king enjoyed the happiness of enlightenment for a time. Then he thought on the suffering of his fellow humans. They didn’t know the way to inner happiness. They needed an enlightened helper to show them the way to inner peace, love and happiness. The king sacrificed his lone enjoyment of happiness and went back to his kingdom. He helped a lot of people along the spiritual way. He lived as a hatha yogi with constant practice, as a karma yogi of great love and a bhogi yogi in immeasurable happiness in a constant consciousness of paradise (in God, light, unity consciousness). The fifth thing he sacrificed proved to be the biggest source of grace in his life.
22. The best spiritual exercise is the exercise that brings you forward in any given moment. That could be reading from a spiritual book, a nice walk in the woods, meditation, meeting a spiritual person. Siddhasana can be a good exercise for advanced yogis. I reached the Nirvikalpa-Samadhi when laying down. The kundalini energy shot out of the skull chakra and into the heaven and came back in a big circle with a standing yoga exercise. Then I was integrated into the unity of the cosmos at a deep level. When walking the holy Ghost of God came to me and went into me. I received a holy energy baptism like the first baptism of Christ at Pentecost. The fire built itself around my head of energy. I was aware that I was blessed and lead by God. These were all very simple exercises that brought a high level of success. The spiritual way doesn’t need to be complicated. It’s enough to go walking regularly, a bit of yoga, some meditation, and reading daily in a spiritual book in addition to consistent thought work, positive thinking.
23. You can activate kundalini energy with spiritual exercises. You can come to a state of strength, serenity, and happiness. You can put so much strength into your erxercises that you go above and beyond all of your problems. Physical yoga exercises are helpful, as well as God- Yoga (visualizing God), kundalini meditaion and working with negative thoughts such as fear, rage and addiction. You have to see inside yourself which technique will work for you best in which moment.
24. Working with kundalini energy is a process not well known in the west. But it is the strongest energy a person has within him or herself. When it develops, a cleansing process often accompanies it for a longer or shorter period of time, as I am going through currently. There are some reports over such processes in spiritual literature. The most well-known is the Gopi Krishna. Gopi Krishna (1903-1984) was an Indian yogi, mystic, academic and author. After he awoke to kundalini energy at the age of 34, he began to research the phenomen of Kundalini energy. According to his own accounts, he perceived streams of light, heard otherworldly sounds, and moved into a boundless state of consciousness.
25. The American David Ramon Hawkins (1927-2012) was a doctor and a psychiatrist. He had uncommon supernatural experiences of hell, happiness and godly peace. He was an alchoholic and reached a point where he didn’t know what to do. He called to God, “if there is a God, I ask him to help me now.” He fell unconscious and woke up as an enlightened person the next day. The enlightenment leap helped him to spontaneously heal from addiction and also from 15 chronic illness. He dissolved his personal ego. He needed 30 years to integrate this consciousness leap.
26. The development of kundalini proceeds in various ways. According to Indian teachings, it has its own intelligence and does what each person needs. You can say that the cleansing process is controlled by God. You are challenged, but will not be overwhelmed by the process.Jesus’ kundalini energy was activated through John the Baptist. Then it developed in the desert for 40 days so that Jesus could only meditate in the desert. Finally, his ego let go (the devil) in a last temptation and Jesus received healing powers (the angels served him). Such a fast kundalini development is possible for great enlightened souls who have incarnated on earth. That is also how it took place for Holy Antonius, the founder of the desert fathers and Christian hermits. He reported demons which harassed him for years.
27. In 1986 kundalini energy was awakened after an intense enlightenment experience. Since that time, I’ve found myself in a state of constant cleansing. I’m going through another time of transformation now. The first five weeks were really difficult. Then it calmed down a bit. Every day I went through an intense cleansing process from morning until night, and only sometimes did the kundalini energy unfurl. This is how it was just yesterday and the day before yesterday. The day before yesterday I felt very restless.At 3 in the morning I realized the kundalini energy was very active. I could feel a strong charge in myself that kept me from sleeping. After 24 hours this energy flowed through me until it suddenly disappeared. This energy was really powerful. I could only concentrate and try to go with the flow in a positive way. I meditated on the suffering in myself in the world. This way, I received a lot of inner strength and could get through the cleansing process.
28. (Quote Wikipedia): In Tantric writings, kundalini is described as etheric power in humans. According to these writings, this energy is resting under the lowest part of the spine and is symbolically portrayed as a coiled snake sleeping in the lowest chakra.Through yogic practice, it can be awakened and rise through the chakras and cause transformation. If it reaches the highest chakra, it unites with the cosmic spirit and brings highest happiness to the person experiencing the transformation. Certain phenomena are described as appearing with the rising kundalini. Among these include heat waves, a feeling of warmth, cold spells, ticks (unintended shaking, trembling), chronic and temporary pain in the whole body, numbness of hands and feet, laughing, crying and ecstatic happiness.
29.(Quote from Sahaja): According to the old sources, kundalini is the most subtle, holy and powerful energy in the universe. Kundalini isn’t a modern discovery, it was already described thousands of years before Christ. Shri Mataji Nirmali Devi explained Kundalini as the energy of the godly wish to become one with God again. This energy has been at work since the beginning of time and moves evolution forward. Knowledge of kundalini provides a bridge between creation and evolution theories. Kundalini is the godly power which controls evolution. In the western tradition this power has been called the Holy Ghost. If a person is pure in his or her inner being, they achieve freedom, Moksha when the Kundalini awakens. This full freedom occurred with Buddha as he had let go of all attachments and temptations before his self-realization. If the kundalini energy is awakened in “imperfect” people, the various chakras start to cleanse.Sat-Chit-Ananda-the truth, the consciousness, permeates everything and makes pure joy a reality.
30. Enlightenment goes beyond normal perceptions of happiness, joy and suffering. It is a higher level of happiness that brings great inner peace with it. One can also achieve highest happiness using certain techniques. That’s what I consider Samadhi. You can rest in highest happiness on the other side (highest paradise, satyaloka). You can use your body on earth to develop a strong happiness energy. Anandamayi Ma rested in enlightenment unity consciousness in her life. She practiced intensive Hatha and divinity yoga as well as meditation for six years. She reached immeasurable happiness this way. It’s particular to the experience on earth to also be able to go through great suffering. But you can use your body and spirit to develop inner happiness, peace, power and love.
31. I am a yogi. Buddha was a yogi. I can also practice buddhist techniques. As a yogi, I believe in Ramakrishna (neo-Hinduism) and the unity of all religions. I can use exercises from different religions and consider all religions to be good. The different religions have different names for God. In Buddhism, the term Nirvana is used. God is the highest dimension of consciousness that you experience in enlightenment. (Light, unity). God as a person is my enlightened master and an avatar like Krishna and Jesus. They can help me with their abilities to see all, know all, and to be all-powerful to help me along the spiritual way and help lead me to light.

## April

1. In Christianity you practice gratitude. If you practice gratitutde every day, your happiness increases. The American happiness researcher Sonja Lyubimirsky stated you can increase your general level of happiness in life by 40% if you think positively on a consistent basis. Sonja recommends exercising regularly, to eat healthy and to meditate 20 minutes every day.
2. A clear line to a goal is important. We should practice in a goal-oriented way. We have to be clear about the goal of inner happiness, enlightenment, a life in light and to concentrate on God. Then we can find exercises that bring us forward personally. We can do exercises from various religions without losing ourselves in them. We should listen to our inner voice of truth to lead us. If we are confused by the diversity of religions, we should concentrate on one religion. But one can also lose the way with a single religion because there are traps everywhere along the spiritual way. The biggest traps are dogma and personally being more dedicated to a worldly orientation, being more concerned with material reality in secret.
3. Honesty with oneself is the basis of the spiritual path. Everyone has negative characteristics, it’s important to work on them. Pride is the most dangerous characteristic on the spiritual path because it can exist even after enlightenment. Arrogance is overcome with humility and through love. We see the suffering in the world and in our own lives. Then we can live with modesty. We recognize our unity with all beings, wish every being happiness and thus overcome our ego-centric nature.
4. Tension is in the body and spirit. For the body we need physical exercise, and for the spirit we need spiritual and mental exercise. If both areas are cleansed enough, inner happiness arises. The mistake western psycho-therapy makes is to concentrate on just the mind or the body. The way to success to combine both, and the spirit. In my positive thinking groups I’ve always also meditated. In my yoga groups, I’ve always released blocked feelings like fear, rage, sadness and addiction and practiced positive thinking. Trauma is best released through mental exercises, physical exercise, lots of rest and lots of love. Along the yogic way, through the years, past trauma is released. With me, first traumatic experiences from this life and then from past lives appeared, and I relived them again and then they disappeared.
5. Yoga of love (bhakti yoga, karma yoga) is a way to do yoga exercises while combining them with the energy of love. Yoga also possesses a power to cleanse and can lead you to enlightenment in a simple way. Yoga of love awakens the love in you, and brings you to a life in light and love. 1. Find a spiritual role model you like and trust. 2. Connect to this role model daily. 3. Send light and love to all people regularly. 4. Feel connected to your role model while you do your yoga exercises. 5. Wish for happiness for all beings, as well as love and peace.
6. Samadhi means happiness, in my view, which is experienced in deep meditation and enlightenment. Moses practiced kundalini yoga and reached enlightenment. It is also implied that he threw his staff (kundalini channel) onto to the earth (he earthed himself), the staff then changed into a snake (the kundalini energy rose) which gave him special powers. Kundalini yoga is the basis of Judaism and Christianity, even if only a few Christians realize that. They don’t understand the symbolic language of the bible. In paradise, the kundalini snake wrapped itself around the tree of enlightenment (the kundalini channel). Jesus also practiced meditation on the mountain. He arrived quickly in light and could see Moses and Elia (two desert yogis).
7. You don’t have to know the term kundalini to practice kundalini yoga. If you look closer at Christian and Jewish teachings, you will find a lot of techniques of kundalini yoga. Jacob wrestled with God and put his hands on his hips. That is a yoga technique to awaken kundalini energy. To visualize God is a technique of kundalini yoga, just as it is kundalini yoga to connect with the saints and angels or to visualize paradise with a tree. To see two trees in paradise means to activate both of the side channels. To bless other people with light will get the light flowing in yourself as well.
8. There is only one energy, one light, one God, one Holy Ghost. The spiritual energy can be awakened in many different ways. Kundalini yoga is the way to activate the middle energy channel. That’s one of the quick ways to enlightenment, but isn’t the only one. The energy of God can also flow from the heavens through the crown chakra or fill the heart chakra or appear when a person is grounded well. One of the ways to ground yourself is to go for a walk.
9. In yoga, there’s a technique where you can consciously leave the body. Advanced yogis can die when they consider the point in time to be correct. When the soul leaves the body through the skull chakra, it ascends to heaven. The body then dies within three days. In Tibetan Buddhism there is training to learn how to do this. In Amitabha Buddhism you visualize a golden Buddha Amitabha above the crown chakra in heaven, in order to ascend there with a mantra. I believe that at some advanced point in time in yoga, you automatically get the ability to consciously leave the body and consciously die. Pyar Troll tried that once in meditation, arrived in highest paradise and then didn’t want to leave. Only the love of his followers brought him back to earth.
11. You advanced quickest along the way that is best for you. Many yogis like to live very disciplined and strict lives. I prefer the middle way. Swama Sivananda gave his students either the way of karma yoga (love), of hatha yoga (body exercises), of jnana yoga (wisdom, contemplation, “who am I?” ), of raja yoga (meditation) or of bhakti yoga (honoring God and masters), depending on the personalities of said students. Some students he recommended take a strict way, others a more gentle approach. Generally speaking, the students advanced more when being consistent.
11. I don’t believe it’s necessary to sacrifice chocolate in order to come to enlightenment. Enlightenment requires an inner departure from the world more so than a complete outer renunciation. If you become attached to worldly enjoyment and have worldly wishes, your energy goes to the outer world. You rest in the inner happiness of enlightenment when the energy is directed inwards and can collect there. Outer renunciation can be helpful so that the spirit isn’t always occupied by material things. For me, it was important to destroy all attachment. I had to give up sex as a part of that.
12. Generally, I prefer a medium spiritual way. You should center yourself in God and not in the outer world, but joy in life can be helpful for the spiritual way. The important thing is to enjoy everything in the right amount and right way. I eat chocolate every day to motivate myself for the spiritual way. I can take the spiritual approach when it’s connected to worldly joy. A tantra yogi is allowed to eat meat and have a relationship. In enlightenment, there is no more separation between the world and God. Everything is light and can be a help or a hindrance along the spiritual way.
13. We need a lot of yogis in the west. I teach a simple way that can be practiced by everyone. I’ve developed my yoga style in a simple way for normal people who attend the night school where I teach. No one needs to be super- strict. It’s enough to live according the five basics of health (some exercise, healthy diet, avoid harmful substances, enough relaxation, positive thinking).
14. According to the Indian philosophy, we’re living in the Kali Yuga era, the era of the ego and suffering. This era will be stopped someday by the golden era. In order for this to happen, all good people have to do something. With the support of God, the efforts of good people will make it succeed. God’s support is already reinforced by many enlightened masters, angels, saints. He sent them to earth to achieve the victory of the good. Important is that humankind overcomes its extreme ego. This is what the enlightened masters are working for.
15. You have to let go of the world to come to the level of light. You have to make the glass of worldly wishes empty so that God can fill it with light. In the Bible, it says that you have to basically choose between God (inner happiness) and money (worldly happiness). Buddha taught that attachment on worldly pleasures has to be let go of in order to come to nirvana. The spiritual energy of a person can flow into the outside world, or can collect on the inside. In yoga, living away from the world and getting a lot of rest is important. You can live within the world, and be departed from it on the inside. According to my experience, you can enjoy material pleasure to encourage your inner happiness. I prefer to take a medium, moderate spiritual approach.
16. After I had lived as a yogi for seven years, I was suddenly overcome by the desire to know about my previous lives. I sent my senses back in time and felt a resonance at a certain time. Then a certain resistance appeared, then I felt, saw even closer. One after another, I mentally sensed four earlier lives. I could recognize the place, time and also the nature of these previous lives. In yoga, you use spiritual exercises systematically to get rid of tension in the body and mind. Then one day you can access stress situations from earlier lives. Traumatizing and particularly stressful events remain in the spirit , and when you get rid of tension, the situations which caused you stress before appear in dreams or when you are awake as short scenes that are viewed in the mind’s eye. The processes of dissolving tension are often combined with bodily reactions like restlessness, muscle shivers, heat or cold waves.
17. For me, first the tension from my present life dissolved. In film-like scenes in my mind’s eye, I saw stressful exam situations, relationship conflicts and accidents I wanted to forget. As I could still remember what had caused me stress, the connection between the spiritual exercises and the letting go of inner tension and the appearance of dreams and images was apparent to me. I learnt to differentiate between dreams that came as a result of the exercises and dissolving of tension, and normal dreams. After 11 years as a yogi, suddenly earlier lives appeared in my mind. First, only single earlier lives appeared, then suddenly many came to the surface of my consciousness. After four years the process began to dissipate. In contrast to the intentional attempt to learn about my past lives, now I was seeing short films play before my eyes. I recognized the details of the stress situations and the surroundings I was in. In some pictures I could see some geographic and landmarks of what era I was in. In the course of my spiritual cleansing processes, I have seen some thousands of earlier lives.
18. After my last relationship came to an end, I lived alone for ten years. For three years I’ve met a lot of friends over the internet. I think that’s very nice. It’s easier to be happy when you have at least one good friend. It’s important to be positive and honest when communicating with one another so that both friends can grow spiritually and have harmony, love and truth with one another and within each of themselves.
19. I was just at the drug store. An Indian woman works there as a cashier. At first, I thought it was Mother Meera sitting there. She is about the same size and same age. The Indian woman had strong spiritual energy. I think she also sensed me, too. I didn’t say that I live here as a yogi and am a yoga teacher. (Maybe then she would have tried to make me her house priest) I wondered where she got such strong energy. She probably does her spiritual rituals daily, like most Indian woman. She connects with her enlightened masters and is guided by them daily. She probably does her job as karma yoga. She doesn’t do it to earn money, but as service to other people. She greets every customer warmly and talks to each one. She builds up her customers emotionally. I felt stronger emotionally after talking to her. I smiled after visiting. I should go to that shop more often.
20. This last night I had another cleansing crisis. Strong energies flowed through me and I couldn’t sleep. My psyche was ready to break down. I considered what techniques might help. I oriented myself around God-Yoga. I connected my energy with the death goddess Kali with the chain of skulls around her neck. I sacrificed myself in my suffering. I then connected with the goddess of strength Durga, who rides on a Tiger. I identified with her, and received a lot of energy. Then I saw myself as the goddess of happiness, Lakshmi in order to connect with inner happiness. As Sarasvati, I centered myself in wisdom to get through the difficulties. Finally, I was Sri Devi, the mother of all beings. I sent all beings light and so arrived in the dimension of all-encompassing love. The five goddesses activated my kundalini energy and gave me the power to get through the difficult times. I let go of the five goddesses in that I made it clear that God is pure consciousness and above all identities. You can dissolve the goddesses in God, or let their energies play out and disappear on their own.
21. God-yoga (role model yoga) is the highest form of yoga. The four main goddesses in yoga are Durga (the power goddess on the tiger), Kali ( the black goddess with the sword), Sarasvati (the wise goddess with the book), and Lakshmi (the happiness goddess with the giving hands.) Durga is the goddess of strength. She rides a tiger or lion. She has the strength of a tiger. Whatever she decides to do, she accomplishes. She is a winner. We stretch both fists high, shake them and think of the word “strength” until we feel the strength of Durga within. Kali is the black goddess with the sword. She cuts off Shiva’s head (her own head). She sacrifices her ego and thus comes to inner peace. She gets through the overcoming of all attachments, and over her own body and comes to a life in light. Sacrifice your ego. Put your hands in your lap. Rub your right foot and then your left foot in a circle against the earth, feel and visualize the ground beneath you and think :” I let go of my false wishes. I accept the suffering in my life. I flow positively with life.” What do you need to let go of today? What do you want to accept today? What is your way of ego-sacrifice and inner peace?
22. A lot of people experiment with contact to spirits on the other side. In shamanism, you call dead relatives or protective spirits. In Satanism, you connect with satan to get his power and strength. Channeling lets you connect with angels and ascended masters and for them to speak through you. You don’t know if you’re dealing with good or bad spirits. A woman told me once that she became possessed by a devil when channeling who steals her strength and is impossible to get rid of. What can you do in such situations? You can connect with higher spirits like Jesus, Krishna or Buddha who are obviously good and enlightened. Then you get help. You can concentrate on positive characteristics such as peace, love, wisdom and happiness. Then at some point fear and negative beings will get weaker. You can also orient yourself around the fact that there is only God, and that God is in everything that appears and everything can and will be dissolved in pure consciousness one day.
23. How do you solve the problem of fear of the devil at a deep level? By destroying him, which is done by having a non- dualistic image of God. God is above the devil. God is enlightenment consciousness of peace, love and happiness. God is pure light. God is knowledge of unity. Those who rest within God know there is no devil and no demons. Fear of the devil can be overcome by achieving an enlightenment consciousness. If you don’t have any more thoughts, then fears and devils disappear. There are two basic techniques for this. If you get afraid by thinking of the devil, then concentrate on God, and become one with God. This can also be achieved through a prayer to God, Jesus or an enlightened master you trust. Pray as long as you need to come to the pure light of God. Another way is to do a resting meditation and allow all of your fears to come and go as they wish. They will then play out and disappear on their own. Both techniques of prayer and meditation are good to combine.
24. I don’t believe in curses. Those who go with God are protected. If someone curses you, then connect with God or an enlightened master through a prayer. Pray for those who curse and send them light. In that way, no curse can reach you. Today, every person is confronted with negative energies. We have to learn to deal with that in a positive way. When there’s a problem in your life, it doesn’t necessarily come from a curse. There are problems in every life, and they help you to inner growth.
25. Saint Patrick, the missionary of Ireland was constantly attacked by evil sorcerers. They couldn’t do anything to him because he had protected himself with a prayer (lorica prayer): “I call to God to protect me from the sorcery of the women and smiths and druids. Christ protect me against poison, against fire, water, wounds. Christ be with me, Christ me in front of me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ under me, Christ above me, Christ to the right, Christ to the left, Christ be where I lie, Christ be where I sit, Christ where I stand, Christ be in the heart of everyone, Christ be in the mouth of all those who speak of me, Christ be in the eye of those who see me, Christ be in every ear that hears me.”
26. Overcoming negative energies is often hard work that takes a long time. Continue consistently on the way of light and everything will be good. Things will get easier, and problems will disappear. The important thing is you work with your thoughts and bring them to rest. Then positive thinking and meditation can take place. Through the way of light you can dissolve all negative energies that affect you from the outside. When you accept the suffering in your life calmly and concentrate on the good in life, you can also be happy in a life that is constantly changing on the outside.
27. The kundalini energy has been rather extreme for me for the last two months. I am exhausted, but I still manage to get through the crises. At the moment, things have calmed a bit and there is a certain happiness energy present. I switch between states of happiness and inner cleansing. The happiness energy is slowly growing. I consider my life blessed.
28. I cleanse myself regularly with my walks, through meditation, by reading spiritual texts and with my work for a happy world. I am constantly in a cleansing and growth process. Every day I connect with my enlightened masters and listen to my inner voice. In this way, I am lead through life in an optimal way. Negative energies are cleansed on their own. Happiness, peace and love develop. It’s important that I bring many elements of joy into my life every day.
29. Beware of the false gurus in every religion. They bring only messages of violence, material riches and separation. They work for their egos and take advantage of their followers. They are very clever. We can only see through them using a lot of wisdom. We should take note of the fruits of their efforts. Do they harvest the fruits of peace, love, happiness and enlightenment? Or is it hate, war and ego? Do they tolerate other opinions or do they accept only their own? A true mystic lives in wisdom and love. He or she radiates truth and love.
30. The TV asana is one of my favorite exercises. I can manage it for three hours, though normally two hours are enough. If you watch TV with enough inner sense, you can also come to enlightenment that way. For me, TV has become a type of meditation. Watching TV and going for walks regularly are my Buddha way to light. The important thing when watching TV is that you see through the negative thoughts and attachments and let go of them. Watching TV can be an intense spiritual training that helps you to overcome various material attachments. How do you get rid of material addiction? By recognizing that enlightenment is better than the rich and beautiful. God is bigger than TV. Those who recognize that work toward a life in light, for inner peace and all-encompassing love.

## May

1. Love is on its way. Yesterday evening, a blockage in my heart chakra let go. In this way, my front energy channel opened. I felt such a strong cleansing in the channel from the forehead over the heart chakra to the tips of the toes that I couldn’t fall asleep for a long time. Then suddenly the energy became weaker, and I fell into a restless sleep that I woke up from several times. After waking up for the day, I went for my walk in the woods, to get moving and use the energy for something. Then I meditated for an hour, and now I feel better.
2. I’ve been posting fairytales in an esoteric forum daily, as of late. Today I posted the Rossmann’s Magic Harp. In the original version, a man with a blocked heart chakra falls in love with an angel and chaos ensues. He has to choose between his wife and the angel. If we see the angel as the ambassador of God, the man has to choose between God (enlightenment) and the outside world. He decides on his wife, but is never really happy. That’s how it is once you’ve gotten to know great happiness just once. But according to my experience, you can make compromises. You should take the spiritual path as the main point of your life. If a relationship is lived out wisely, then it can be a way of light and support both partners on the spiritual way. Then at some point, both live in light, in paradise and in all-encompassing love and in God. That would be my end for the fairytale.
3. What is the spiritual meaning of the fairytale Sleeping Beauty? Those who want to come to enlightenment and a life in God and light first have to work with their thoughts. They have to put their thoughts in order, and make a golden carpet of happiness from their thoughts. They have to think positively and should think of the characteristics of inner peace, love, wisdom, self-discipline and joy of life and train these characteristics. That’s what the German version of the story tells us.
4. The daily work with ones thoughts are symbolized by the spinning wheel. Those who work on their thoughts enough will come to a point in time where the chakras open. The spiritual energy begins to flow. Then it’s time to emphasize meditation. When Sleeping Beauty sleeps, it means she is meditating. She meditates on the kundalini energy that woke her up through a prick on the finger. In yoga it is called the bite of the kundalini snake. A chakra in the finger or point of the toe opens through the grace of God (or a wise woman). The enlightenment energy flows gently and continuously into the person. It is a great blessing when such takes place. The person is blessed with enlightenment. Then that person needs to just wait and do their spiritual exercises regularly. Sleeping Beauty slept for 100 years.
5. When the time is right, the roses start to bloom and the prince appears. Sleeping Beauty is kissed awake through God (light, the Holy Ghost) and the mystic wedding can take place. The mystic wedding consists of three steps: cleansing, enlightenment, and unity. The person is filled with light, feels his world is full of light and his or her ego is dissolved and he or she lives in light and in a paradise of the consciousness. He or she recognizes the roses of love in the world. He or she concentrates on the good and beautiful, and remains in light.
6. I’ve lived as a yogi for 25 years and have worked toward enlightenment. Along the way on the mountain of happiness, I’ve encountered a lot of swamps, steep paths and dark forests. I hide at night mainly to grow spiritually. Somehow I always manage to get enough sleep, but it’s a difficult and strenuous time.
7. The divine source has opened. It bubbles with joy. It brings darkness into light. I dissolve it through meditation and positive thinking. When negative images from earlier lives appear, I let them play out and go through the rage and sadness, become one with all of the monsters, enemies from earlier lives, and they dissolve. If you block your fear, it becomes stronger. If you sacrifice yourself to yourself, the fears disappear. And suddenly the little yogi comes to light.
8. Yesterday, my musician friend from Berlin came to visit. His mother lives nearby. He visits her every three months and then comes to visit me too. He gets yoga cookies with chocolate and a cup of coffee. We get along well. He tells me about his life as a musician. I tell him the latest details from my wild yogi life.
9. There once was a woman who was searching for happiness. One day she came to a big forest and met an old yogi there. The old yogi was nice and she fell in love with him. She fell in love with his spiritual self. She learnt through love to get to know herself better. By loving the old yogi, she found her way to herself. The yogi showed her his big forest, the wild animals and the sun in the sky. In the spring they planted flowers of love. The whole summer long, flowers bloomed of all different types. Their life was full of color, sun and the singing of the birds. In the fall, they were overjoyed at the sight of the mushrooms in the forest. In the winter, they loved the snow and clear air. They talked about God, spirituality and love. They were happy with one another. One day, they both awoke in light. They lived in light, in God, and in love. Many people came and visited them. And if they haven’t died yet, then they still live today and give the gift of the flowers of light and of love.
10. There are enlightened masters in every religion, who teach the unity of all religions and don’t mind mixing belief systems. In Christianity, the Catholic priest Bede Griffiths that only all of the religions together can give way to the complete picture. In Hinduism, Ramakrishna practiced all of the major religions and recognized they all lead to enlightenment. The Tibetan Buddhism is a mixture of many different Hindu teachings connected with the way of Buddha.
11. I compared my enlightenment with the teachings of Jesus, Buddha and yoga. I recognized that all of the major religions are based around an enlightenment experience. You could also call this a God experience. The basis of all religions on a deeper level is mysticism, I am convinced of it. I have also recognized the fact that religions have varied points of emphasis and varied energies and I need the energy of every religion. According to the teachings of yoga, you can follow the masters of various religions. You can follow your own favorite mix.
12. Rumi (sufi mystic): If you do things from your soul, then you will be in harmony with yourself. Then you will feel joyful.
13. Nils: Hello Karl, how is your enlightenment developing? Karl: Personal progress is always interrupted by doubt. The need for calm is growing, and the silence is as well, and listening to the depth of my heart. I melt into the universe, into everything. I overcome dualism, also time and space.
14. Nils: I’ve met a woman over the internet whom I write emails with daily. Sometimes we talk on the telephone. I’ve decided to take things as they come. If a woman enters my life, then that’s how it should be. I see myself as being lead by God. And if God thinks I need a woman and a woman needs me, then there is no reason to go against this. I’m curious as to how my spiritual path will develop.
15. Feelings come and go. That belongs to life, and especially to love. If there isn’t any jealousy, then there also isn’t any kind of deep love either. It’s important not to overdo it. Along the way of enlightenment, you learn to keep feelings within a certain framework and not to let them rule you. You learn to center yourself in God, in your inner happiness. Then you don’t become overcome by feelings like fear, rage, jealousy or grief.
16. Two people fall in love. Then after awhile, love disappears and then boredom or hatred appears. This can only be avoided through the spiritual approach to life. If two people go the spiritual way together, then they can open the heart chakra further and futrhter, and things will never get boring because enlightenment and love is a constant adventure.
17. The yoga god Shiva meditates and switches between phases of outer activity and meditation. (Having a relationship and resting in meditation). That’s a good way to grow in light. Through tantric yoga, kundalini energy can be activated. You meditate afterward. Then the man and woman heal and become enlightened. Tantric yoga is a way of healing in the context of a relationship, when it’s based on love and loyalty.
18. You can base a relationship around striving for enlightenment. You should emphasize God (spirituality, calm, centering oneself). One should always listen to the voice of inner wisdom.
19. Living alone is difficult for most people. You can harden on the inside and block sexuality and the desire for a relationship. There are people who have hindered their enlightenment. It’s important for me to have enough joy in life in my spiritual approach. A relationship can be a part of that.
20. Experiencing God is possible. A person can develop their inner happiness, inner peace, and love. He or she can live in light. Meditation is a way to enlightenment. First you become enlightened through meditation and then you practice keeping this state of being after meditating. Meditation and acting in the world will become one state of being.
21. For the spiritual approach you don’t need yoga exercises. But it’s faster with asanas for most people. The asanas stabilize the health and help get rid of tension. If the body isn’t cleansed of tension, spiritual progress is difficult. In yoga and in Tibetan Buddhism, that’s the reason you do bodily exercises for a long time before you begin with higher forms of meditation. In my view, it doesn’t need to be yoga exercises. Taking walks regularly is also a good way to cleanse the inner self. Muktananda first took a pilgrimage to India for 20 years before he committed to 9 years of intense meditation. I take daily walks as my main bodily exercise, but combine it with mantras and breath exercises.
22. I just got back from a child’s birthday party where I was invited as the magician. It finally worked out! It’s difficult to be a convincing magician for kids these days. Six months ago, it didn’t work out at all. But you can always learn from your mistakes. This time I did everything right: I focused on my strengths. My strengths are yoga and psychology. First I did laugh yoga with the children. Then everyone got into a good mood. And then I showed them my magic tricks. I made a handkerchief appear from my sleeve and the audience could rip it up. Then I made the kerchief disappear in my fist and conjured a whole kerchief from my sleeve.
23. I conjured a pink plush elephant from my magic hat. I put a little plush mouse into the magic hat and took out a big one from underneath. Finally everyone took a tarot card and I interpreted them. They were happy about that because they felt acknowledged and got a positive perspective on life. What does the happiness oracle say to you today?
24. At the child’s birthday party, there were a lot of energetically sick children and mothers. On the outside I was a happy magician, but energetically I worked as a healer. I took on many energies. I needed two days to work them out. During the course of those two days, visions of people appeared originating from the people whose energy I needed to cleanse myself of. I was a magician on the inside and outside, at the child’s birthday party. I wasn’t a healer on purpose. I don’t see myself as a healer. I’m just a simple yogi. But if God wants it, then healing takes place in my presence.
25. Whether or not perfect enlightenment exists, I don’t know. Once your ego has left the picture, you take things as they are. Everything is perfect at that point, even things that aren’t perfect normally. If you find happiness and peace, then the perfect enlightenment isn’t important to you anymore. It’s just enough to find your way of happiness. According to my experience, there is a level of cosmic consciousness (egolessness). But there are many further levels, that are connected to abilities such as healing and seeing into the future.
26. Enlightenment goes hand in hand with self-realization. The way there varies from person to person. According to my experience, it is enough to orient yourself around truth and love and to take your personal approach. At some point, you experience God. This might occur after some lives. It goes faster when you lead your life spiritually and can see exactly what is most effective, and wisest.
27. Those who connect to God or an enlightened master are blessed. He or she is lucky or blessed and is guided into the light. All of the negative happenings in their lives develop into blessings. Difficult times lead to inner growth. If you have a good heart, the devil can’t reach you. The devil is a symbol for the ego. In order to come to enlightenment, you have to overcome the ego and develop a cosmic consciousness. You have to learn to deal with suffering in a laidback way. You can’t get trapped in worldly addictions like the ferryman, who longs for money and material riches. You have to let go of your wordly wishes. Then you are free. Get the three golden hairs daily with spiritual practice, all-encompassing love and prayer to God. Then you will be blessed.
28. The personal image of God often leads to problems with great suffering in the world. Many people have lost their faith for that reason, but God is above joy and above suffering. God is the enlightened consciousness of unity. Moses speaks of “I am”. If you take things as they come, you will come to inner peace. If you practice enough spiritual exercises, you can reach enlightenment. In enlightenment, you can rise above outer suffering. The spiritual way helps to deal with suffering. We should avoid suffering as much as it is possible.
29. The fairytale of the Six Servants gives away the techniques we need to come to enlightenment. The first thing we need to do is to see our goal clearly. Then we need to be light. The second thing we need is the perseverance to reach our goal. We need the long legs of the servant. The third thing we need is a good sense of ourselves and what exercises are effective. We have to be like the clairvoyant to hear within the self. We need techniques like meditation and thought work to charge ourselves with spiritual energy. We need to learn to save energy in the belly, like the fat man. There’s a simple technique for that. We visualize our foot in our bellies and think a mantra (for example: I’m thankful for the good food) or a prayer (God bless my food). That’s a good exercise for christimas. At some point, the kundalini energy rises in the body and inner happiness appears. If we give that happiness on to other people, there will be a happy Christmas.
30. Once we’ve awakened our inner happiness with kundalini yoga, we meditate on the spiritual energy. A good technique for that is the tratak, the meditation gaze. If we concentrate on an outer point, we can keep the spirit calm. If we don’t fall asleep during the medtation (the third test in the fairy tale, then our consciousness will change to enlightenment consciousness at some point. We arrive in the unity of the cosmos (the golden ring) and feel the energy of God in and around us (the energy sea) and the mystic wedding can take place. The energy of God begins to cleanse us on the inside. There are cold and heat waves, like the servent felt in the fire. Then the body can let go of inner tension through spasms. If we meditate enough, the inner impurities will be burnt and we land in light.
31. But there is a danger: the spiritual pride. Even an enlightened person can have certain negative characteristics. We need to develop humility and modesty. We should see ourselves as servants of our fellow humans. Then we can come to complete enlightenment. We are happy on the inside and outside. We can recognize the beauty in the world (the beauty and the daughter of the king) without following into the trap of the sorceress. We get the enlightenment view of the world. What thoughts help you to see your world as a paradise? What is your positive thought of the day?

## June

1. The fairy tale of the Valiant Little Tailor gives us courage. Trust yourself and live wisely. Even a weak person can win on the spiritual way. You only need perseverance. There are seven chakras (energy gates). When all of them are purified, the kundalini energy rises in the body to the head and you are united with God. You live in unity and light. In order to achieve the mystic wedding, the little tailor has to be clever and courageous. He wins over his inner giants, and cleverly flows with his inner impulses and directs them in the right direction.
2. The unicorn represents the enlightenment energy that the tailor awakens through clever spiritual exercises in the tree of enlightenment (the kundalini channel). The wild boar, or the wild nature of the tailor (the ego) is tamed. It is locked into a church. In this way the inner transformation can succeed. The tailor becomes king and marries the daughter of the king. He becomes a master of life who lives in light.
3. My enlightenment is progressing slowly. Six months ago, the big transformation began. The first five weeks were difficult. Then it got easier. I experienced days of intense purification and days of recovery, changing between the two. The cleansing mostly began with a difficult phase where energy blockages from earlier lives dissolved. Then came old feelings and old fears. Thankfully, this phase mostly began in the evening when I watched TV. I was therefore distracted and could get through it. Then around midnight the energy of happiness began to flow. That can last up to 24 hours. It annoyed me a little because I couldn’t sleep and then the next day was tired.
4. In enlightenment, you experience God and comprehend what God is. Moses described the central being and the way to God as “I am”. God is in silence and calm and can be found within the calm. Then you arrive in happy existence and see God as light in the world. It doesn’t mean you have fear in God, but that you let go of your own will in favor of God.
5. The point is to be merciful and to find the mercy and grace of God. God goes beyond material. People block their way to God when they focus on material instead of God. Those who are merciful, help the poor and work for the happiness of all beings will be rewarded with growth in the light.
6. If you see God as a person in heaven, then you have problems with the suffering on earth. If you try to be within God, you overcome the inner suffering. Then through the way of spiritual practice you can accept suffering at a deeper level and integrate it within your life and grow within and arrive in peace. You will find that despite and because of your suffering you will grow in light and develop inner happiness. You can be blessed however your outer life develops.
7. Kundalini processes are constantly taking place within me. The night before yesterday, I couldn’t sleeping because such strong energy was flowing. I lay the entire night in a state of happiness energy, and the day too. But exactly at 8 pm something let go in me. I went through difficult energies that I overcame by watching interesting television. Then I meditated an hour and went for a walk in the forest and again arrived in happiness.
8. I have a crazy daily schedule. I mostly watch TV from 8-10 pm. Then I meditate an hour and go into the forest for an hour. At 12 midnight I’m on the internet for an hour. Then I read a little and go to bed. I sleep and meditate until 10 or 11 am. At 1pm I am normally available. I sit at the computer and take care of my tasks. When I’m done with that, I go for a walk, eat and meditate. This daily schedule works for me, but I’m flexible. I can change my schedule according to outer or inner situations. I feel within myself, what the correct way is at any given time. So I remain in a constant spiritual process of growth.
9. Survey on happiness 2013: health and family and friends are among the most important factors for people to develop personal happiness. People also consider work important, but religion is less and less important in the eyes of most people. One third of those surveyed think it is important, two thirds think it is not important, and 34 percent think religion has nothing to do with it. 72 percent of Germans belong to a religious community, but even among them, they have less and less religious conviction.
10. China is going in the wrong direction and doesn’t notice. Maximum economic growth and maximum consumption are a stupid idea. The people in China will just keep getting unhappier and unhappier despite growing wealth. Just like in Germany. Depression is growing. People are more psychically ill. The point of life is maximum inner happiness and not maximum outer happiness. The right idea is a socialist one, that everyone has enough to eat and a good life. Then there can be inner self-realization. A happy and thriving society can only be based on inner happiness and the associated principles of spirituality, enlightenment and all-encompassing love. Reforms are correct and necessary. But the correct long-term perspective is missing in the reforms that take place today. As long as that isn’t recognized, China will just collapse. It shouldn’t orient itself as a country around the west, but on the wisdom of the Chinese ancients.
11. I’ve had some detail discussions about God in a Catholic and a Protestant internet forum. I’ve published this in the American Wikibooks and on the German Wordpress site. I felt the energies of the readers flow through me all week. Many people connected with my heart. I sent them light and love and prayed for them. I healed and cleansed them as much as possible. Otherwise, I prayed with my masters and left the healing to God. As far as help is needed, it will come from God. I believe that.
12. The readers had a varied array of problems. Many monks blocked their sexual energy because they consider sex sinful. They view sexuality in a dogmatic way. They were so tense, they couldn’t go forward in their spirituality. I could feel their problems. I considered how I could help them. All of the encouraging words that they should see things in a more laidback way were no help. I walked in the forest, did my spiritual exercises and healed them spontaneously. Spontaneously a lot of the blockages were healed, just by going for a walk.
13. Many of the readers were conflicted over whether God exists as a being who can act and intervene in the world. Does God help in times of emergency? I was also concerned with the question. The answer came the same night. I had a healing vision and I felt healing within minutes. It was clear that God intervened when my way became difficult. I now feel more calm when going through my kundalini processes. If God helps me, then everything will surely be alright in the end. I also believe though, that God puts me through a bit too many difficulties and could help me more. But God probably thinks I can handle it and will grow from the experience.
14. Afterwards, I thought about God. God is enlightenment consciousness that flows through the cosmos. God is happy existence, peace, and unity consciousness. God is in “I am”, in enlightened existence. Enlightened existence arises through serenity, meditation and working on the mind (to take things as they are, and to let go of material wishes).
15.. God is also love. The love of God acts especially though the enlightened masters. The enlightened masters are the incorporation of the love of God so that God can help people.All of them together form the energy field of love. Everyone helps with his or her special abilities.
16. Tibetan Buddhism came into existence around 900 AD. There is still a lot to be done for it to adjust to today’s world. Otherwise, Tibetan Buddhism is a good religion that deals with meditation, kundalini yoga and all encompassing love. The Dalai Lama believes in equality for men and women. He teaches modesty and love for other beings.
17. Words of the Dalai Lama: those who feel demoralized, sad and only complain won’t solve their problems that way. If we only pray, we won’t solve our problems. We have to trust ourselves, and never give up.
18. There is a tantric practice in Tibetan Buddhism. The Nyingmapa bransch of Tibetan Buddhism is nondogmatic and members can live as monks or as free yogis in relationships. Normally, sexual union is only visualized. Through Tantric God unity images the kundalini energy is activated.
19. I have just discovered an interesting video online. It deals with the cooperation of masculine and feminine energies. At the first level, it deals with addictive relationships. At the second level, you concentrate on yourself (self-enlightenment). At the third level, you flow positively with all energies. At this level, men and women work together toward enlightenment.
20. I’ve lived as a yogi and a hermit for 25 years. At the moment, something is changing. I don’t know how long this transformation phase will last. I don’t know what the next step is in this transformation and which missions I will have to fulfill. I can only wait and see what the right way will be. I navigate my way creatively every day. How much personal contact is important? How much peace and quiet and solitude do I need?
21. Some perfectionism is sometimes helpful, but one shouldn’t overdo it. I try to balance this. I combine goal-oriented thinking and self-discipline with a laid-back attitude and knowing that I am imperfect. I feel out what I need to grow optimally spiritually. That is my perfectionism; the exact observation and feeling out what I need.
22. I have a difficult time behind me. Now it seems to be getting better. I go to bed, observe my body and am curious what will happen. Does the energy start to flow? Is it so strong that I can’t sleep? How long will the energy flow? Three hours, 24 hours, or 2 days? If I get four hours of sleep I’m happy. That’s enough for me. The cleansing process circles my body and my spirit. Again and again fears, relationship longings and additions and nervousness appear. The most difficult phases are overcome by watching TV, going for walks, doing meditation and mantras. I enjoy something nice to awaken joy.
23. I have a girlfriend. OK, ”girlfriend” is maybe going too far. She wrote to me online and we email, skype or talk on the telephon every day. It’s like a real relationship because we can feel each other’s energies even at a distance. God sent her to me so that I would be strengthened and encouraged on my way. She is very self-confident. She just explained to me: “the mistress recognizes the master”.
24. We learn from one another and support each other along the spiritual way. She says “life is beautiful.” I would formulate it for myself like this: “life is. You can use joy or suffering in order to grow in enlightenment.”
25. My girlfriend is an important part of my spiritual path at the moment. I connect with her, meditate on her and am in happiness. I see her as a goddess, and activate my kundalini energy that way. I send her light and she dances in happiness. My life is beautiful through her. I can get over the difficult phases. There isn’t any more boredom as a hermit. There is something to talk about daily, something to love, and to learn and to laugh about. She has a good sense of humor. I like that.
26. The magic of happiness is the enlightenment. In enlightenment you get a view of paradise. You see your world as paradise. You can be successful in love because you have happiness, love and positivity in you.
27. In Mahayana Buddhism there is the goal to free all beings on earth of their suffering. Jesus sacrificed himself to help his suffering fellow humans. He gave his own life to help people on the way of enlightenment and all-encompassing love. In Yoga, we think the mantra “Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu” (May all beings be happy.) We practice the way of all-encompassing love and help others as much as possible.
28. Through capitalist globalism a lot of problems in the world are worsening. Although the middle class has grown in India and China and the number of poor perhaps a bit lower, the poverty problem has not been solved. Poverty and hunger in Africa is growing. Through the pressure of industrialization, depression, fear and psychic illness is increasing.
29. The slums are growing world wide. Two thirds of the farmers in the developing countries will lose their jobs due to farming becoming industrialized. A smaller number of people own more land. The number of landless and starving farmers is increasing. These problems can only be solved by dividing riches more fairly.
30. We have to change from predator capitalism to a social market economy. Social, economic and ecological problems have to be solved democratically. That can only work when people are centered in positive values like love, peace and justice. Egotistical people in the economy and politics shouldn’t be rewarded anymore. Only people with integrity should rise to the top. Positive values should be taught in school and not egotistical pressure to achieve. For a happy world to exist, we need people to find a positive way of dealing with each other. We should visualize ourselves as Buddha, a Goddess or an angel and think “I send all beings light. May all beings be happy. May there be a happy world.”

## July

1. The kundalini energy has been flowing strongly for a few months. I observe the various phases. 1. The tension dissolving phase. Tension dissolves from deep-seated places. That is often unpleasant. Old pain rises again. I have to go through feelings of fear and sadness. My spirit is nervous and negative. I get through these times by watching TV, listening to music, going for walks, reading or meditating. Mostly it lasts three hours, then it all calms down again. 2. The happiness energy flows. I feel how a chakra opens (at the moment its usually the solar plexus chakra) Then happiness energy flows through my body for some 24 hours. That is a bit annoying at night because I can’t sleep. On the other hand, I usually just can enjoy the feelings of happiness. 3. The recovery phase. This phase can last a bit longer.
2. Whenever God (life, my masters) think that I need some rest, the kundalini processes stop and I can rest for a few hours or a few days. At that point I’ve gotten enough rest and the whole thing starts again. It’s a rather strenuous time for me. I hope that it will stop at some point and that I will be in lasting happiness. I know that in the meantime also. It’s a pleasant state to be in. I’m so laidback, happy, full of love and joy. All fears disappear. Such phases come every five days lately.
3. Kundalini energy is what Christians call the holy Ghost. John the Baptist tranferred kundalini energy to Jesus. Jesus then meditated for 40 days in the desert and arrived in enlightenment. The kundalini energy arrived as a dove from energy. The energy of God can flow in many different ways into a person. It can flow from the heavens through the crown chakra, through love in the heart chakra, or through the second chakra as the power of God or through the root chakra as the peace of God (earthing). I’ve experienced all of these ways.
4. I think there are various possibilities for life after death. A person can develop spiritually on the other side or in life on earth. Or both, combined. It depends on what a person needs and their abilities and what they have decided. As I know thousands of my earlier lives, I believe in the ability to reincarnate. Jesus promised the seriously practicing Christians a life in paradise after death .The same promise exists in Amitabha Buddhism. In yoga there are also teachings of paradise. Yogis can also come to paradise (Siddhaloka, Shivaloka).
5. Only a few of those who have reached full enlightenment will come back to earth. Life on earth is full of suffering. One has to have a very strong sense of empathy as an enlightened being to incarnate on earth again. If you reincarnate as an enlightened on earth, you most certainly will din your personal proper spiritual path, at the right moment the right information will come. I came across the philosopher Epicure and knew spontaneously that he was right. I could only consistently follow my spiritual path from that point. A woman one read from a book on Buddhism, and immediately knew which path she had to take.
6. I had my first enlightenment experience through my first love. She opened my heart chakra and I arrived in light. Maybe that’s why I still love women, because through them I can see the beauty of God.
7. For me, the Indian Gods are symbolic role models for enlightenment. If we meditate on them, pray to them and identify with them, we awaken our kundalini energy. Then we will become Gods, everyone in his own way. The Gods incorporate various characteristics that you need for enlightenment. Such characteristics as wisdom (Brahma), strength (Shiva), rest (Buddha), love (Lakshmi), meekness (Shiva let Kali overpower him) and happiness (Ganesha).
8. In my view, there is no devil. The devil is a symbol for the ego, that you overcome with enlightenment. Jesus arrived in enlightenment after 40 days of meditation. The devil left him and the angels served him. He could help and heal other people. An enlightened (saint) doesn’t see the devil, rather God and light in his fellow beings.
9. God goes beyond good and evil. God is light. You recognize that in enlightenment. You arrive in enlightenment in that you go beyond the level of good and evil, joy and suffering. You achieve that through meditation, in that your mind comes to rest, and also through all-encompassing love, in that you accept suffering and problems in your life.
10. I studied law and considered the reasons for crime. I believe teaching guilt and social pre-destiny. According to the teachings of pre-destiny, everything is determined already. The reasons for crime are in the outer circumstances of life, and in the psyche. Crime can be stopped by improving the conditions people live in and by changing the mental pre-disposition of perpetrators. Earlier in Ladakh (an Indian Buddhist region) there was no violence. First with the introduction of western civilization was there violence there.
11. If we perceive God as a dimension of consciousness in which enlightenment is experience, then we can understand the mystery of suffering. Suffering can lead us to wisdom and empathy. Wisdom is a method to avoid suffering and to reach happiness. Empathy is a way to identify with others and to help them overcome their suffering. Both lead to an enlightened consciousness of unity. If we deal with suffering correctly, then we can grow into enlightenment. We can rise above the suffering in our lives if we do our spiritual exercises and concentrate on building a happy world.
12. A lot of people have trouble with self-discipline, but self-discipline can be learnt. According to my experience, it’s best to make a clear daily schedule and then follow it consistently for 1-2 months. That’s the time it takes for the mind to get used to it. Self-discipline is important for the way of enlightenment and the way of love. Without self-discipline, you quickly become a victim of your own foolishness, the foolishness of others or from negative energy. In the western world, we live torn between worldly and spiritual energy. Without proper grounding in wisdom and self-discipline it’s hard to stand the worldly energies.
13. God is a mystery that can also be described with the words, father, son and holy Ghost. From the perspective of enlightenment God is the father of the cosmos, the entirety, the unity consciousness. God as the son is every enlightened person. God as the holy Ghost is the spiritual energy. The kundalini energy mostly rises from the pelvis to the middle of the body up to the head. Then it reaches the crown chakra and consciousness of God is attained.
14. Suffering in the world can only be ended through the overcoming of the ego of humanity and with a philosophy of love and happiness for all. Many enlightened people are needed for that. Before the Mongolians became the enlightened Tibetan masters of Buddhism, they were warrior-like and put people through a lot of suffering. Then they were a peaceful people. Humankind can become happier. Human rights are an important step in that direction.
15. I like to plan my life well. I expect to live somewhere between 80 and 90 years. I mentally prepare myself for that. I organize my life so that I get to experience the most important things. I plan my spiritual development so that I am as enlightened as possible before my death. Those who are enlightened can go through death well, thanks to their strong inner energy, and then they reach paradise after death as they already dwell in a paradise consciousness before death.
16. People in my family usually live to be very old, around 94 years. If I get older than 80, I see that as a gift. If I die sooner, I accept it. God’s plan goes before human plans. But a person can do a lot to live long and to become enlightened. You can live healthy and think positively. Those who eat healthy and exercise regularly live longer. Those who practice spiritually have a good chance of coming to light after death.
17. Life can only be planned to a certain degree. There are always coincidences which can’t be planned. You have to be flexible to live well. And you should not only think of the future, but live in the present. You need to enjoy life enough. Those who experience enlightenment recognize the deeper point of life. Only a life in enlightened existence and all-encompassing love give deepest fulfillment.
18. I experience God as an identity-less existence, as the highest consciousness in the whole cosmos. About God’s actions I can only say that my life has developed in a certain way that I see as directed. I cannot say exactly from whom these actions come. If God is a cosmic enlightenment consciousness at the center of happy existence, then God as a being who can act is above all identities and images. You can’t feel any specific being, just the results of the actions in your life. These actions are so subtle that they can only be felt, but cannot be proven. This cannot be measured scientifically, only judged by your own feelings and observed.
19. I connect to my enlightened masters every day because they inspire me. They are Buddha, Jesus, Swami Sivananda, Sathya Sai Baba, Dalai Lama, Amritananadamayi, Anandamayi Ma, Mother Meera and Epicure. I have tested their teachings with my own experiences and have found them good. I visualize their images, think their names, and read their books. I follow their teachings as far as that works for me. There are many videos on the net which feature my masters.
20. You can also pray directly to God, It doesn’t matter which names you use. The only important thing is that you are looking for serious guidance and help. The way God helps is to bring you forward spiritually and not to fulfill your egotistical wishes. Everyone can connect with God through prayer, calling, thinking, feeling, oracle, mantra, visualization of a spiritual role model, reading from spiritual texts.
21. It is important to consistently take the path of wisdom and love each day. The exercises you choose to do are of secondary importance. You should feel within which exercises you need and what will do well for you. Then everything will come at the correct time. Buddha recommended observing the thoughts and to switch between activity (walking) and meditating. For yogis, daily yoga exercises are an important daily ritual. Christians prefer to pray, to read the bible and to visit the church service once a week. Esoterics like to check an oracle, consult angels or the stars for advice. God is in everything and works through everything for those who connect with him seriously.
22. If you constantly have fearful thoughts, then they can make you sick. If you have thoughts full of rage, then these can lead to rage manifesting on the outside world. Then that person can go so far as to kill themselves of others. Thoughts create our inner feelings and are the basis for our actions. It is important to differentiate between good and bad thoughts and to overcome the bad thoughts. Only in that way can we be happy and build a better world.
23. Everyone is responsible for his or her own life. Everyone is responsible for his or her own thoughts and actions. The inner happiness develops on its own if we can overcome our inner blockages and attachment to the outer world. The thoughts come to rest, the body relaxes. If the body is relaxed then healing and inner well-being arises. If the spirit is empty of worldly wishes, God can fill you with light and happiness.
24.. Only those with a goal can achieve a goal.
25. Many things heal on their own. But most illnesses need good medicine. The spiritual path is medicine for inner peace, happiness and all-encompassing love. We should turn earth into a paradise and create love, peace and happiness. Humanity is developing in the direction of enlightenment and a golden age.
26. It is easier to go through life with company. Two people can support one another on the spiritual path. They can strengthen each other energetically and mentally. God made man and woman so that they can live together in paradise. The central story in the bible shows that. The mystery is that they can both awaken the kundalini snake through their love and sexual energy. Then they can eat the apple of enlightenment, which is a symbol for entirety, unity and life in God.
27. In that sense, we’re all alike. We are all sparks of God. We can all live in highest happiness. Of course, souls are varied. They have varied abilities and needs. They have different tasks. The problems begin though when some people exploit others, when some live in luxury and others starve. When wars over power and riches take place and people die for no reason, when not everyone is living out their abilities and needs, when not everyone can develop their spiritual potential: these are when trouble starts.
28. There are different paths to take to get to enlightenment. It is enough to be enlightened, it is enough to have inner peace, happiness and light. But there is also the way of empathy. One sees the suffering in others and helps and wishes other beings happiness and takes others to be more important than oneself. One puts love for others as the first priority and one’s own enlightenment is secondary. The Zen Bodhisattva vow says: the number of beings is eternal, I vow to deliver them all. Greed, hate and ignorance arise constantly, I vow to overcome all of this. The gates of Dharmas is countless, I vow to enter all of them. The path of Buddha is like nothing else,I vow to realize it-
29. Buddha taught that one should bring the self to enlightenment and not harm others. That is also the main way of yoga according to Patanjali. In addition, there is the way of love in Buddhism (Mahayana, Dalai Lama) and in yoga the way of karma yoga often in connection with bhakti yoga. Along the way of love in Buddhism the Bodhisattva is the central model. A Bodisattva sacrifices the complete entrance into Nirvana until one has rescued all fellow beings.
30. In Yoga, the God of love, Vishnu incarnates on earth when he needs to help people. There are many enlightened masters like Amritanandamayi and Mother Meera who devote their lives to the spiritual rescue of their fellow beings. Amritanandamayi had the choice of becoming a Buddha or a mother of all beings. She decided on the latter. My observation is that there is suffering in the world. There are a lot of egotistical people who cause a lot of suffering. They have the choice of continuing that or to work toward a happy world. It is a blessing that many enlightened masters don’t think just on their own happiness, but on other people.
31. Yesterday, my television broke. Unfortunately, I was so upset about it that I set some strong energy processes in motion. I tried to stay calm, but that only worked a little. I bought a new television, installed it, and tortured myself with the directions. At some point I tried again, and it suddenly turned off. God is playing with me!

## August

1. The present is a time of healing. For the past thirty years, I’ve been burdened by burnout I had from exam stress while studying. I felt powerless and had sleep disturbances. Two weeks ago, a lot of tension dissolved from my head. That was the main cause of my sleep disturbances. For the five days since then, my body feels lighter and I have more energy. The burnout seems to have healed. At some point that had to happen. The chakras open again and energy can flow once more. The body and the spirit are healthy again. At some point, you have a lot of love, strength, happiness and energy within.
2. There is God. God is experienced in enlightenment. Then you know what God is. The term God should lead to enlightenment and the experience of God. There are many ways to God. There are many names for Gods. Everyone can choose the path or the name that helps him or her. God is a mystery. Jesus described the mystery of God in his way. He never said his way was the only way. John the Baptist put these words in his mouth in order to divide him from Judaism. Jesus saw himself as a Jew and a follower of Moses and Elija. Jesus didn’t want to start a new religion. His followers tried that. It began with Paul and came to a head some 100 years after Christ with the scripture of John. Today we should try to return to the original Christianity. A good basis for this is the second Vatican council 1962 to 1965 where it was recognized that the light of God shines through all religions.
3. I believe that everyone has a free will. Everyone can decide whether to go to enlightenment and to God or not. It is the essence of my teachings to recommend the spiritual way to people and for them to decide on enlightenment as a goal. If you decide to go for enlightenment seriously, then God and enlightened masters will help and lead you. Enlightenment means dissolving the ego. And that means that things will develop differently from the way you planned. For me, a woman came into my life totally unplanned and my enlightenment path is developing entirely differently from the way I expected.
4. There are different ways to enlightenment. The concept of Buddha is significant. A person should avoid attachments and outer enjoyment and to reject suffering and to concentrate on wisdom and should develop inner happiness and inner peace, modesty. Then he or she can reach enlightenment and become a Buddha. Jesus taught that it was good to live in the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is life in light and the overcoming of duality (good, evil, joy, suffering). Through spiritual energy, you feel connected to everything. You are more connected to your spiritual energy, rather than your body.
5. The Buddhist enlightenment concept can be described with the image of a resting Buddha. We practice being a Buddha and accepting things calmly. Jesus centered around sacrifice of the ego and to submit to the will of God (life) and to work for the happiness of all beings (and to live in all-encompassing love and to give endlessly). The core of the Christian teachings is love of God and to love others.
6. In Hinduism, there are many ways to come to light. Shiva is the master of the five elements. He mastered the five characteristics of wisdom, love, strength, calm and joy while living on earth. He awoke his inner happiness with kundalini yoga. His wife Parvati (Shakti) brought love in his life. His son Ganesha preferred the way of joy. At the same time he is also the God of wisdom and success.
7. Today I’m feeling fine. My cleansing processes are resting a bit. Yesterday night cleansing energy flowed through me for five hours. Then it stopped suddenly and I fell asleep. I slept five hours and felt recovered. After the difficult cleansing, I felt like myself again and back in my normal life. I just wrote in the esoteric forum that my inner happiness is awakened by imagining a beautiful landscape with a person I love. That’s paradise yoga, then you get a feeling of paradise daily. My dream woman exists for real in my life. I get a Darshan from my Goddess daily.
8. My girlfriend: ”I’ve never had an enlightenment experience, but I’ve seen miracles that prove for me that confirm God’s existence, and that he is with me and also the enlightened masters. I understand that Nils has a need to pass on his experiences, and I think it’s wonderful that he does just that. I also feel that need, but I don’t have his energy or his confidence. My self-doubt, but also the constant conflicts with my ego, and the danger that I could be lead to it make me a “mistress/master in hiding.””
9. And further: ” I was convinced I could find my way on my own, as I didn’t trust anyone or anything other than my understanding and my limited senses. Today I am more humble and mild. I can give up my fighter tendencies for a time and look into the depths of things. There are words I hate such as “you must, you should, you can do this, you can’t do that.” And what do I gladly read in texts from Nils? Just these words!! But now I can perceive them in a different way. I feel their energy, the deeper meaning, not the words or single sentences that bothered me before. I read, feel and can get a lot from the experience and wisdom!”
10. In a dream a little girl appeared to Nils. She had forgotten her name, and who she was. She had lost her enlightenment consciousness. Nils hugged her and caused her to laugh. He felt a great love from heart to heart. He took the little girl by the hand and they went through the dream, full of wonder and surprise, until they both came to a river through which energy began to flow through them both.
11. The core of enlightenment is the sacrifice of the ego. Without a sacrifice, you can’t come to enlightenment. There is the wisdom sacrifice. We orient ourselves around wisdom and take our personal way of wisdom. We live in rest and spiritual practice to come to light, but there is also the sacrifice of love. We make a sacrifice to others to help them along the spiritual way. We do things for others and go beyond our own fixation on the ego. We work for the happiness of all beings and achieve unity consciousness.
12. A spiritual person can abstain. He or she can live without a relationship. Many yogis, monks and nuns do just that. Those who want to live in the kingdom of God, should give up outer attachments. Then the life energy flows within and awakens the inner happiness. A lot of rest, living away from the world and effective spiritual exercises like yoga, walking, meditation, reading, praying and working with the thoughts are the basis for enlightenment and a life in light.
13. For many people, living alone is necessary to be free of the attachments to other people, sex and relationships. For me personally, it was the right thing to live without a relationship for ten years. But I see that a relationship with a woman is good for me. She brings love and joy into my life and opens my heart. I learn to communicate with another person and to see myself in another person.
14. Relationships can be a spiritual learning process and at the same time a way of opening the heart. A positive relationship can heal through love and sexuality. They can go together to happiness, light and enlightenment. There is the way of tantric yoga. Sexuality is practiced in a way that spiritual energy is awakened and tension is dissolved. Tantric yoga is an art. Healing energies must be developed with losing oneself in worldly energies. It is important to anchor the being in calm, God, and spirituality. We should overcome our attachments through spiritual exercises, through peace and quiet and being alone. We should allow ourselves to be lead through God, our enlightened masters and the voice of our inner wisdom.
15. Sathya Sai Baba is a well-known Indian master. He tells most of his followers to follow the way of the spiritual relationship. He dedicated his book “Sai Baba Talks about Relationships” to his student Stephan von Stepski-Doliwa. He teaches daily meditation, positive thinking and the guidance of the inner voice. He sees sexuality as Godly energy. It should be experienced with joy and responsibility. Both partners should connect themselves with their higher selves or God or light or inner truth. The goal should be to grow in light together. Those who do good for others will harvest goodness. Those who live their relationships through God are blessed.
16. Selfless serving is an important spiritual exercise for Sai Baba. Sai Baba says “obligate yourself to serve selflessly if you want to keep your heart pure.” Seva gives us the consciousness of unity. Sai Baba says that we should first serve our own families, only then when we’ve fulfilled our obligations in love, then we can go onto the next step of serving the community. The big goal of Sai Baba is to build a golden era on earth. Everyone can help each other.
17. I believe that Sai Baba was enlightened. His teachings about all-encompassing love are very good. His core teachings were of love, peace, truth, justice and non-violence. He saw ways to God in all religions.
18. Wikipedia: "Śri Sathya Sai Baba was an Indian guru and spiritual leader. The reputed materialisations of vibhuti (holy ash) and other small objects such as rings, necklaces, and watches by Sathya Sai Baba along with reports of miraculous healings, resurrections, clairvoyance, bilocation, and alleged omnipotence and omniscience were a source of both fame and controversy; devotees considered them signs of divinity, while sceptics viewed them as simple conjuring tricks." I can not say anything about materializations. But I know that one can help with spiritual energy and healing.
19. I think enlightened masters don’t need to be perfect and are allowed to have imperfections. Imperfections make people think. It can destroy the ego if you are aware of your own imperfections. In Tibetan Buddhism it is practiced that one is aware of his or her mistakes. On the other hand it’s important to overcome imperfections and mistakes as much as possible. We should concentrate on the positive aspects of ourselves and others.
20. Last night, the energy processes continued, but I could still sleep four hours. It was interesting how the night went. I had the feeling God wants to train me to be a spiritual master who can help other people optimally spiritually. I had a lot of crises last night. I could only overcome them by doing the absolute correct thing at the correct moment. I had to view each situation exactly, figure out which energy points to concentrate on and which words (visualization, mantras, prayers) would work best.
21. Then the blockages dissolved, the energy began to flow, the crisis was over and inner happiness arose and I came to a state of peace and quiet. I slept until the next energy process arose. Then high concentration was necessary. A new situation with new strategies for solving the problem. Ten hours of energy work are behind me. I’ve emerged victorious. If I can help myself, then I can also help others. That is probably the idea behind my hard spiritual training. I just drank a hot cocoa and went for a long walk.
22. Girlfriend: “I am very glad if I can help to dissolve blockages on your heart. I do energy work and sometimes know what is a topic of interest with a person I deal with.”
23. Nils: "Which goals do you have for your life? What do you wish for the future? What do you want to do and achieve.” Girlfriend: “ I simply want to hear and listen what the divine wants for me, which way the divine leads me and to courageously follow my heart and my love. Otherwise, like everyone, I want to be happy. Happy with myself and to have God happy with me, and to be happy with others. And also to experience real love within a partnership.”
24. Nils: To go together in light is the best perspective that a person can have. Under the protection and leadership of God, you have the foundation for optimism. Everything will go well with us both. And everything is already good the way things are. We’ve found each other at exactly the right moment. Just now I’m ready for you, and you are ready for me. If we met earlier, I wouldn’t have been ready for a woman.
25. I walk the path of all-encompassing love. I’ve taken the Bodhisattva vow with the Dalai Lama. I think it is good to work for the happiness of all beings. And it’s nice if I can do that with a partner.
26. My main method of healing is according to the five principles for health ( healthy diet, regular exercise, enough relaxation, avoiding poison, and thinking positively). Yoga helps to relieve conflict through exercise, meditation and positive thinking. In this way, you help activate the body’s self healing capacity. According to my experience you can heal yourself with spiritual energy and send this to other people as well. There are many ways to transfer energy such as reiki, shiatsu, massage hooponopono. I see myself not as a healer, rather a spiritual teacher. My girlfriend feels more attracted to healing work. I am glad that she also found Mother Meera’s teachings.
27. The deeper point of life isn’t material happiness, it’s inner happiness. Material happiness is reached through consumption, carrier and material riches. Inner happiness is developed through spiritual exercises. Then one day you can reach light, God, inner peace and immeasurable happiness in all-encompassing love, which is the true fulfillment of life. It is also nice if you can connect inner and outer fulfillment.
28. I’m going through a difficult time because the kundalini energy is flowing constantly, and many old hurts are coming up and keep me from sleeping. I hope that it will get better soon. Yesterday evening I was suddenly very tired. I lay down to meditate, then suddenly during the course of the evening a great layer of tension lifted. I considered what problem was hidden under that. When I went to bed, I felt the happiness energy flow as a result of the tension dissolving. After four hours the problem appeared which had caused such inner tension.
29. I went through a dying situation from an earlier life. I didn’t want to let go of my family and friends, so I became tense for many lives. An image of a mother with many children appeared. She was happy. And now she had lost everything. I transformed myself, looked for happiness in myself and went into death. I know that people die and have to let go of attachments to the world in order to go into the light. I first went through all of the feelings of addiction, anger and mourning. I went through all of my feelings of loss enough and so let go of them. Then I tried to reach light. I imagined myself as a Buddha of happiness and activated my kundalini energy. I sent all of my friends light and reached light myself.
30. I went for long walks, let go of my sadness, arrived in peace and was suddenly in unity. I experienced energy of calm, unity, happiness and love. I notice I achieved a leap up in consciousness.
31. God can be experienced. God is love, peace, happiness and joy. Those who experience God, are enthusiastic and want more God until they reach complete enlightenment.

## September

1. Amritanandamayi (Amma) Is one of the most well-known spiritual masters today. She was born 27.9.1953 in Kerala. Already at age 5 she began her spiritual practice. Her motto was “ don’t waste a moment of your life.” At the age of 17 she reached enlightenment and with 22 she reached complete enlightenment. She established an Ashram in Souther India (Kerala) where many people from the west also live. Her teachings are typical for neo-Hinduism. She is undogmatic, humorous and emphasizes the unity of all religions.
2. Amritanandamayi has built up a lot of humanitarian work. She set up villages for poor families. She finances schools, universities and hospitals. She started an organization for single mothers. She gives all mothers enough money to live from. That is a very big social deed in India. She works for the equal treatment of men and women. She established an Indian temple with female priests, and re-awakened the Brahma cult. Brahma is the Indian God of wisdom. Equal to him is Brahmani, the mistress. She holds a book, ap prayer chain and a musical instrument.
3. It is good to take a specific time daily for the spiritual way. It is also good to take a particular time daily for intensive spiritual practice. The amount of time needed for enlightenment varies from person to person. Jesus needed 40 days, Ramanamaharshi 5 minutes, Buddha 6 years, Swami Shivanda 9 years, Amma 12 years and Moses 40 years.
4. The teachings of the four stages of life are a basis in Hinduism. The four phases are: the student, the family, the spirituality and the enlightenment. In other words: “ In Hinduism there are four phases or Ashramas in life: the time of Brahmacharya or the student, Grihastha or the household, Vanaprastha or the time of the hermit and Sannyasa, the phase of ascetism. (Yogawiki) The 60th birthday is especially celebrated in India because this is the entrance step into the spiritual life. Many Indians move to a place alone or with a partner to practice intensively spiritually.
5. Enlightenment can be compared with varied levels of happiness. People live at quite varied levels of happiness. Some people are depressed, some afraid, some aggressive, some addicted, some are more or less happy. And some people are enlightened. Even an enlightened person can experience joy and suffering. But his general level of happiness is higher than others.
6. In yoga, it is said that an enlightened person is 100 times happier than one who is not enlightened. And an enlightened person along the way of all-encompassing love is 100 times happier than a regular enlightened person. There are many levels of enlightenment. You can develop far. You don’t act from the ego anymore. You can always deal from the perspective of love and help others. Then you stabilize and strengthen your experiences in enlightenment.
7. Laotse:”I’m good to the good, and to the evil I am also good, because I am good.” Jeses taught the way of all-encompassing love and to also love one’s enemies. According to my experience, you then arrive in light (the dimension of enlightenment beyond all duality), if you send all beings light.
8. There are many types of spiritual students. Some follow their master word for word and some anchor themselves in their own wisdom. I belong to the latter.
9. Those who would like to be successful along the spiritual way need self-discipline. Those who practice with a goal in mind and live in all-encompassing love while connecting with God or enlightened masters will one day arrive in light. Those who practice with perseverance will one day be filled with grace by God.
10. Special spiritual abilities (Siddhi) develop along the spritual way. In yoga, Siddhi should not be shown to the public in order to keep the ego from becoming stronger. On the other hand it is good to help others with special abilities. They should be practiced in a way that the ego is not reinforced, they can be used subtly, and with positive motivation.
11. It is better to be happy rather than unhappy. It is better to be wise rather than unwise. It is better to be enlightened rather than unenlightened. Those who comprehend that , make their way to the light. They find the appropriate spiritual exercises and one day arrive in a life in God. Our deepest longing is for love and for happiness and to live in eternity. We long for a life in light, a life in God, for enlightenment. May we all recognize this longing and realize it as well.
12. The yogi is laughing about this ”” Two women are talking. One says: ”lately I’ve had such a difficult time speaking. I wanted to say, “I want to drink wine.“Instead I said, “I want to drink line”. The other said. “I experienced something just like that. At breakfast I wanted to say to my husband: “please pass me the coffee.” Instead I said: “you damn asshole, you’ve ruined my whole life!””
13. Fifteen year old girl on the internet ”My life is just school, food, TV and computer. There’s nothing worse than that…” Answer from Yogi Nils: “There is. No school, no food, no TV and no computer. Seriously, the center of life is inner happiness. Those who do not know the way of inner happiness suffer in life. Build your inner happiness daily with spiritual exercises like yoga, meditation, reading, thought work, doing good for others. Then you can see the positive in your life. Live as a spiritual person in God and you live in happiness.”
14. A person can also grow in enlightenment without a spritual practice if he or she goes through life consciously, thinks positive and does good for others. Meditation and thought work are the main techniques on the spiritual way. At best, they are both practiced to reach enlightenment, but for some people, positive thinking is enough. For others meditation or prayer to God is enough.
15. I differentiate between the way of enlightenment and the way of love. Both lead to a life in light, but they have different points of emphasis. Along the way of love, you try to see yourself in others, to help them and to help them become enlightened and to build a world of love and peace. Then you reach all-encompassing love, unity consciousness and light. Along the way of enlightenment peace and calm is practiced, in addition to attachment-free existence and self- discipline. God is found in calm. The mind is empty of worldly things. The thoughts calm to rest. The person relaxes deep in the soul. And suddenly inner happiness appears.
16. The original Buddhism is the way of enlightment, just like yoga according to Patanjali. You work for your own enlightenment and try not to harm others. The Dalai Lama represented the Mahayana Buddhism, which is a mix of the way of love and the way of enlightenment. In Christianity we also find the double path of love to others and enlightenment (the love to God). Neo Hinduism follows the way of love and combines it with the path of entlightenment and the Guru yoga (Bhakti yoga).
17. Then you don’t get lost along the spiritual way and won’t risk being the victim of false gurus. Fake teachers exist all around the world, sadly. They put their ego, their riches or power as the center of their methods. They are often so clever that it is hardly noticeable, but those who look exactly and sense, will see it at some point.
18. There is only one truth, there is only one God. But there are many images of God. You should find the image that helps you personally along the spiritual path. Be aware that God (enlightenment) is beyond all images.
19. I see God as the higher consciousness behind the material cosmos. This consciousness works through all people, beings, and also through the material. God consciousness expresses itself through enlightenment and saints. They give us orientation to find our way to the kingdom of God and light. They help us along our spiritual way and bring spiritual energy to us.
20. Those who have a happy life on earth will hardly reach toward enlightenment. Those who first know enlightenment as a goal accept the effort it takes. Those who know paradise will try to get there. Those who so wish, can incarnate on earth many times. No one can force you to enlightenment. At some point the soul is ready because it wants to come to happiness and it wants to be free of suffering.
21. There are various directions in yoga. I support and teach the way of love, peace and happiness. I work for a cooperation of all religions, all spiritual people and all yogis. I try to connect the religions. For that reason, I gladly use the term God. I can also express myself in a way that Christians will understand.
22. In Christianity, it is told to reject magic. At the same time, Jesus and Moses were magicians. They had spiritual abilities and helped others with them. The difference is that Jesus and Moses didn’t see themselves as doing magic, rather that God was acting through them. Their egos were not strengthened through the acts of magic, for that reason. They didn’t use their own energy because they acted through God’s energy, were more tools for God.
23. I had an interesting experience yesterday. Some people connected with me mentally and wanted to have some of my spritual energy. I gave them as much energy as I could. I noticed it wasn’t enough. I asked my masters for guidance and to help these people. Suddenly I saw myself in God (surrounded by the cosmos, and in the unity of the cosmos). My kundalini energy awoke. I saw the light of God in the world. And I had so much power and happiness in me that I could give all of the people what they needed. I noticed why I wrote the sentence, that God works through me. He helped me to arrive in light and to let God act through me.
24. God is in Yoga symbolically described as an elephant. Every unenlightened person considers only a part of the elephant. How can we see the entire elephant? How can we come to the bigger picture of the world? How can we see the unity of the world? There are a few techniques. We can meditate, let the thoughts flow by and become empty inside.
25. We can think about the elephant and come to comprehension of the entirety. We can understand the elephant through individual parts of it. We can hold onto the tail and let God bring us into light. We let the elephant stomp on our ego. We let go of our own will in the face of life. We take things as they are. We sacrifice our worldly wishes on the altar of light.
26. We can begin with the head of the elephant. We can practice listening to our inner voice of wisdom. We practice seeing with the eyes of the elephant (the eyes of God). We can listen to the suffering of other beings with the big ears of the elephant and use our trunks (our hands) to do good for others. At some point we learn to ride the elephant and to mentally be permanent in enlightened existence. Then the inner sun shines and enlightens our world.
27. If we fall from the elephant, we can use spiritual exercises to bring the light back. We use self-discipline to be back in the light of God. Christians have the mass or church service, prayer, reading in the bible and works of mercy. In Islam, one prays five times a day, goes to Mecca, fasts, gives almose and orients the self around God.
28. In yoga there are many ways to enlightenment, such as hatha yoga (physical exercise), tantric yoga (the way of spiritual relationships), kama yoga (the clever use of joy and enjoyment), kundalini yoga (yoga of enlightenment energy), mantra yoga (meditative chanting), raja yoga (meditation), jnana yoga (the way of wisdom, thinking), bhakti yoga (master yoga) and karma yoga (doing good).
29. You should learn to watch the ego. Otherwise you can easily become a victim of it. Even enlightened persons can get lost in the trap of worldly energy. Even enlightened people can fall into the trap of power, sex and greed. There are many examples of that. Enlightenment must be developed on the basis of wisdom and all-encompassing love.
30. It is a trap to see one’s own spiritual path as the only correct path. There are many ways to come to enlightenment. Enlightenment goes beyond all concepts, but concepts are used to reach enlightenment.

## October

1. Anandamayi Ma (born 30. April 1896, died 27. August 1982) was a well-known spiritual mistress from India. Ananda means happiness. Anandamayi was a mother of happiness. She was friendly, calm and cheerful. She could tell stories well and sing nicely. She liked to dance. She taught people to laugh: “laugh as much as possible.” She was married with 12 years and moved in with her husband with 18 years old.
2. At the age of 21 she started her six year Sadhana. She first spoke the name of the God Visnu “hari” as a mantra because her parents were followers of Vishnu. Her husband, however was a follower of Shiva, so she switched to the mantra “Shiva”. She danced to the mantras and then rested in a peaceful meditation afterward. After some months she began with bodily exercises of yoga that came to her spontaneously without having learnt them. She practiced these asanas intuitively. She practiced creative and intuitive hatha yoga, and did her mental exercises creatively and intuitively. She practiced the positive characteristics and the images that she needed at the right moment. The various divinities flowed through her mind. She visualized their forms, identified with them and thought their names as mantras and activated thus her kundalini energy.
3. After Anandamayi Ma had loaded her body and mind with spiritual energy, she rested for three years in the great peace (raja yoga). She hardly spoke (mauna) and did little. Mostly she just sat there. She didn’t need any more exercises. She had awakened her kundalini energy and it cleansed her body, mind and soul by itself. She only needed peace and quiet. She had to stop her energy from being used in outer activities. She had to live as calmly as possible so that the energy went inside and dissolved conflicts and tensions.
4. Anandamayi Ma was a master of hatha yoga. She gåve the world the way of creative yoga. Creative yoga consists of exercises for the body (hatha yoga), mental yoga (bhakti yoga), meditation (raja yoga) and the way of all-encompassing love (karma yoga).
5. In 1922, her husband explained that without the initiation of a guru there could be no greater progress along the spiritual way. So she decorated her room, lit incense and initiated herself. She connected with her inner guru and a mantra appeared suddenly in her mind.
6. At the end of her Sadhana, she reached a state of inner happiness that fit her title of “happy-spirited mother”. At this point, she wished for all beings to experience the level of joy she had felt. She wanted to share her enlightenment with the entire world and worked as a spiritual master in India for the rest of her life. As yogi Nils heard her sentence in 2001 (“ may all beings experience this joy”) he spontaneously threw a hand into the sky and cried, “here I am! I’m ready. I want to live in great happiness.” Anandamayi Ma heard him from the other side and sent him a dream. A little snake bit Nils and awoke his kundalini energy. Nils was flooded by light for three days. The snake is a symbol of the god Shiva. A little snake meant that Nils should develop himself slowly, toward enlightenment. And that’s how it went, too.
7. Anandamayi Ma taught a life of austerity as a yogi as well as a spiritual life within the context of a family. She recommended everyone, whatever their life situation, to meditate at a certain time each day. The core of her teachings was: “the highest calling of a person is to strive toward self-realization. All other obligations are secondary.” Those who practice spiritually 15 minutes every day will be blessed by her. Anandamayi Ma taught the unity of all religions. We can use spiritual exercises from all of the religions. We should see what works well for each of us personally.
8. Inner happiness can take hold in a person when the tension in body and spirit are dissolved. Buddha developed an ingenious way to do this. This was called “sitting, walking, and mind work”, If you switch between sitting and walking, then inner tension can be released in an optimal fashion. If you just sit, the mind becomes dull. Regular movement makes the mind clear and the body healthy. It gives people inner power. It enables people to take the spiritiual way. It gives them the strength to live as a winner. If you only walk or run, then the mind becomes restless. Inner happiness arises out of inner calm. If the body is held still and quiet, then you can come to the deeper dimensions of meditation. Meditating can be done while sitting or lying down. Both are good meditative positions. It varies from person to person as to which are the best. In addition to meditation and exercise, the dissolving of tension with thought work is an important method to come to enlightenment. A yogi should develop thoughts of love, wisdom and self-discipline. He has to keep his or her thoughts stiller and stiller until he or she lives entirely in calm and peace.
9. This basic model for the dissolving of tension has been expanded by Yogi Nils to include five activities: lying down (or sitting and meditating), reading (thought work), walking (exercise, yoga), doing good for others (work), and to enjoy life. Switching between these activities is an effective way to dissolve tension. This is his way into the light.
10. From a certain point in the course of maintaining calm, the energy of a person turns inward. He no longer lives through his outer activities. He lives from the perspective of inner cleansing, the dissolving of tension and the development of inner happiness. The yogi is then cleansed by his own life energy and doesn’t need to do very many spiritual exercises any longer. He or she then just needs to maintain a state of calm. Every yogi needs to find this point where energy goes inward. It is difficult to find, and difficult to maintain. Life energy can move to a state of over-activity or dullness. Both need to be stopped with self-discipline on a daily basis. An effective yogi life feels like constantly living against the stream of neurotic impulses. First the state of calm is boring and then suddenly the energy begins to work within. If you keep the state of calm, then inner happiness appears.
11. According to Swami Shivananda, enlightenment can appear through silence, spiritual exercises, and all embracing love. If a yogi lives alone in silence then half the way to enlightenment ist already gone. The second half is done with spiritual practices (yoga, meditation, positive thinking). The gate to a life in the light you pass with all-encompassing love. If a yogi lives mainly for the happiness of all beings and for a happy world then the ego will dissolve.
12. My spiritual daily schedule is the main techinque along my way to the light. Mainly, it takes a very sensitive and consistently practiced schedule to dissolve the tension in my body and spirit. I divide my spiritual exercises throughout the day so that a constant inner cleansing will take place.
13. A yogi feels out which techniques are needed at any moment. If the body is getting limp and flabby, he or she goes for a walk. If the mind is restless, he or she does some yoga or meditates. If the spirit feels against the spiritual path, the yogi reads a spiritual book. A yogi feels out where the tension lies and uses the right methods. The tension is usually found in that which the body and spirit don’t seem to want at the moment. Where the neurotic defense mechanisms are, that is the way to the light. On the other hand, it’s good to give the body and spirit what they want sometimes, otherwise more tension is created.
14. The way of inner happiness requires a lot of wisdom and inner feeling, and this needs to be developed daily. I begin each day with a positive attitude. Which exercises do I need in which order? Then I create a positive vision of the day and put a statue on my altar that reflects this vision. What is a positive quote for you today? Which activity brings you into the light?
15. The main principle for dealing with a painful situation is to behave correctly on the outside and to manage the thoughts and feelings as well as you can. If a problem appears, keep your head clear. What is the right thing right now? What needs to be done? Deal with the problem without becoming enmeshed in your feelings. Get a clear picture of reality. Solve the problem to the extent that you can. Consider how you can deal with stressful thoughts. Stop your stressful throughts! Are there some positive thoughts that will help you?
16. If the painful situation is over in the outer world, we can relax on the inside, too. We can heal our spiritual wounds. A Buddha goes through painful situations without spiritual wounds. But, as we aren’t yet Buddhas, wounds are likely to appear. At some point in these problems, we’ve probably created tension. This tension needs to be dissolved.
17. If we don’t heal ourselves after stress situations, then the wounds incurred stay in the soul. They limit our spiritual well-being and lead to neurotic behaviors and can also cause physical illness. For this reason, it’s important to take enough time to recover after a stressful situation. We let ourselves relax, and we are gentle with ourselves. We let go of bottled up rage, our fears and our grief. The painful situation is worked with, worked on, and cleansed from the soul until peace and positivity appear. We do relaxation exercises, yoga and meditation. We can go for walks, read spiritual books and enjoy something nice. With rest, exercise and some joy in life, our souls can be healed.
18. It’s important to examine your fears. It’s important to find the fears we’ve buried in us in order to let go of them. We think about our fears, we find positive sentences which help us. One could be “I accept reality, the way it is. I concentrate on my positive goals. I live as a winner.” Many of our fears can be dissolved with positive thoughts. It often helps to think clearly about the fears. Once we’ve recognized these fears, we can develop them into positive thoughts. In an emergency situation, we can think a positive sentence as long as a mantra to get the fearful thoughts to disappear.
19. For many people, it’s helpful to talk to others about problems. Who can you talk to? You can also send someone else a letter or email, or connect to enlightened masters or God.
20. Otherwise, there is the zen meditation. This meditation can be done while sitting, lying down, or when walking. We stop all of our thoughts for a short time until we come to a state of meditation (1 to 5 minutes). We concentrate on our problem, then think some positive sentences and let our feelings and thoughts take their course. We observe our thoughts from a distance. They can develop or die down as long as it takes before they disappear. The entire time we stay in a light meditative state. The main principle with the zen meditation is that we don’t think consciously, but let the thoughts go, that they do their own thinking. The problems dissolve into nothingness this way. Calm, wellbeing, and all-encompassing positivity grow in us. We reach light and inner happiness.
21. If a problem affects me particularly strongly, then I practice a ritual to overcome suffering. The first thing I do is take an oracle card (Tarot, Buddha oracle, Angel oracle). When shuffling the cards, I connect with an enlightened master or God and ask for guidance and help. Then I take a card, read the text, and think how the oracle card fits to my situation. Which strategies does the oracle recommend for my situation? What does the oracle say about my problem? Which helpful thoughts does it give to me?
22. I usually start to see things from a positive perspective when reading the oracle and thinking about the text. It makes me feel better when I recognize there is a positive strategy for every situation. A positive quote from the oracle strengthens the positive in me. Thinking about it leads me to a constructive consideration process of my problem at the time. I notice that there is something I can do. I am not a helpless victim. I can live as a winner. I can solve the problem.
23. After I take an oracle card, I read some pages in a spiritual book. I consider which book I need at the time. Which book gives me strength? Which book strengthens positive energy? A spiritual book has a positive energy field. If we take some time within this energy field, we achieve a more positive state of mind.
24.. After reading, I go for a walk for an hour. I move my rage and nervous emotions out of my body. I practice mantras, and do meditation (five minute thought stop). Then I think about the problem. After a half an hour, I usually feel better. I begin to see things clearer and in the right perspective. I am one with the world and myself.
25. After going for a walk, I do some yoga exercises and a longer meditation while lying down. I put some music on and stay lying down until my mind has come to rest. Then I get up, eat something nice and think about what else I need. Then I give it to myself as well. It’s often helpful to do something creative, like painting, writing, playing music and other forms of expression. We can do something good for others and bring some energy of love to them and ourselves. What is your way toward all-encompassing love and how can you take action for the happiness of all beings?
26. In times of bigger problems, I have to do several rounds of reading, walking, doing good, enjoying myself and meditating. Then I come to the point where peace and calm arise. After that I am gentle with myself and heal myself more and more. If a problem doesn’t go away, I give myself some time each day to work with bigger problems. Then I stop my thoughts. I don’t allow myself to think about the problem, because thinking about it too much is not productive and just increases stress.
27. Overcoming suffering is a creative process. You have to sense what you need at each moment. What is the best way to solve problems at the moment? What will lead you to inner peace and positiviity? People vary, and so need varied strategies. It’s important though to avoid addictive things such as pills, smoking, drugs, alcohol and too many sweets. It’s better to overcome problems with techniques for inner happiness. Then we grow with the problems. We raise ourselves above the problems and land in happiness one day. May that come to be for all of us.
28. Work with the psyche is a personal thing. Positive thinking helps for some people. Solving problems is also important. Supressing feelings is usually a bad idea from a spiritual perspective. But we can learn how to deal with our feelings and even learn to control them to a certain degree. Feelings come from thoughts. If we avoid negative thoughts, we avoid negative feelings. Often, we have a tiny window of time before thoughts manifest into feelings. In that moment we can decide to stay in inner peace.
29. The main work along the spiritual way is mostly work from the shadow side. We work with our negative characteristics like attachment, fear, addiction, grief, pride, rage and foolishness. We solve our problems. We accept things as they are. We integrate suffering into our lives. We develop our inner happiness, inner peace and our ability to just flow, and roll with things. We rise above our suffering.
30. The journey and the goal are intertwined. We need a spiritual goal to help us find our spiritual path. We should hang onto the goal until we’ve reached it. We should sense what is right with every step we take. Being focused on the end goal and being present in the moment are not mutually exclusive, rather they compliment one another. That is the way to go.
31. Enlightenment means intense work on one’s own psyche over a long period of time. Mother Meera says you need thousands of lives to reach enlightenment. The main thing is to see through the way of worldly enjoyment and to comprehend the meaning of inner happiness. If you recognize enlightenment as the main goal in life, then you can practice with that goal in mind. According to Amritanandamayi, you grow five times as fast if you live in peace and calm away from others. Sathya Sai Baba said that one needs three lives as a yogi to come to complete enlightenment. The quickest spiritual way is the way that can be practiced effectively for you personally, without overwhelming yourself. It’s possible to come to enlightenment in one life as a yogi, but that can be difficult if you have a lot of tension. It is easier to find your way in the light through several lifes. With every life, you grow a little in happiness, peace and love.

## November

1. Mother Meera is an enlightened master who lives in Germany. She gives light and blessings as a free gift to all people. Her Darshan is free. In the beginning just a few people went to her. Now she is in the center of the spiritual scene in Germany. Nils recommends every yogi receive a blessing at least once in his or her life from an enlightened master. A Darshan is an important cleansing step along the spiritual way. Often, enlightenment energy is transferred that can develop into great grace one day. Mother Meera believes in the unity of religions and the right to choose individual paths in spirituality. Statements from Mother Meera:
“God is calm. Everything comes from the calm. In calm, more work can be done.” (live in calm and deal from your presence).
“I accept everyone who comes to me sincerely.”
“I look at every side of your being. I see everything in you, in order to see where I can help, heal and give strength.”
“ You can enjoy material life, but realize it’s a representation of the divine only.” (experience joy as a part of the spiritual path).
“Every religion has its holy books. It helps to read these books.”
“My work is for the whole world.”
“Those who come to me for Darshan, always get what they need.”
”Praying helps.”
”It’s not necessary to come to me, I can help everywhere.” (It’s important to mentally connect through a mantra, a prayer, a meditation).
”Grace and mercy come into effect immediately if the striving for it is authentic.”
2. An enlightened master connects enlightenment with all-encompassing love, empathy, and humility. He or she is modest. He or she doesn’t necessarily announce him or herself as an enlightened master. A master sees his or her fellow beings more than the elf. He or she lives for the spiritual way and to help with it, and not for the ego (money, riches, power, recognition).
3. It is an important question along the spiritual way to consider whether there is such a thing as heavenly mercy. Is there God, angels, Buddha, enlightened masters who can help us from the other side?
4. God (an avatar acting as a force of God) poseses the characteristics omni-presence, omnipotence, goodness, and is all-knowing. For this reason, he can see every person and give that person exactly what he or she needs spiritually. The more a spiritual person develops, the more they can participate in these characteristics.
5. It is good to visit the Satsang of an enlightened person. The important thing isn’t the teaching, but the enlightened energy that you come into contact with. Everyone gets what he or she needs, what is correct for their particular level of development. Those who have an enlightened master they connect with daily is blessed and receives leadership.
6. I’ve visited a lot of enlightened masters. Often, enlightenment energy is transfered directly, which results in a great step forward along my way. At the moment I visit the Satsangs of Mother Meera. Everytime, I experience something totally different and get a different type of energy. One time, my heart chakra was healed. Another time I felt her happiness energy in me. A third time I just enjoyed the good energy in the room.
7. Can we get help? According to my experience, yes. I feel the energy of the enlightened masters. They transfer energy from their images, statues, books and words. They come from what we perceive as nothingness, which is in fact more than just an empty space.
8. When do God, the angels and enlightened masters help us? When we connect with them through prayer, by invoking them, by visualizing them or by reading their books. We should do that every day. They will then lead us to enlightenment, if we’re ready for it. If we take the path of love, wisdom, humility every day, grace manifests in our lives. I feel lead by God and my enlightened masters. Everything develops at the right moment in the right way. I’m amazed by it myself, because I can hardly comprehend it.
9.Enlightenment is a good goal. There is nothing better. But there is the possibility of reincarnation. We don’t need to reach the goal in one life. You can take the right pace for you and develop through each life further into the light.
a. You live at a higher level of happiness. You feel more love, peace, strength and happiness. Christians can say that you live in paradise. If you have experienced enlightenment, you can say it is better to live enlightened than unenlightened. Enlightenment is the deeper meaning of life.
b. You are free of suffering. Christians spoke of deliverance. I would say that every fear disappears and you have so much strength and happiness in you that you can easily go through every situation in life. You can integrate suffering into your life. You can overcome everything through your inner peace, strength and all-encompassing love. You also get through death especially well.
c. After death, you come to the light. Then you live in paradise (in God) and can incarnate as an enlightened master (Siddha, Bodhisattva) on earth. If there is life after death, then the benefits are immeasurable. If there isn’t life after death, then as an enlightened being you have an optimal life on earth.
10. There are different ways to get to enlightenment. The main way is to live alone or in a little community away from society, to meditate and to work on one’s thoughts. Along this way, Buddha, the Christian desert fathers and yogi masters such as Swami Sivananda and Anandamayi Ma are guiding lights providing good examples. I have been living as a hermit yogi for 25 years because I have the feeling this is the best way for me to make spiritual progress. In Tibetan Buddhism, it is said that you’ve already gotten halfway to enlightenment by living alone as a yogi. Only a few people live that way. There are spiritual communities, Ashrams and convents. That can also be a good way to grow spiritually, especially with the help of an enlightened master.
11. Even if I prefer the yogic way, I do believe that with the help of an enlightened master, you can grow spiritually when living with a job and family. An enlightened master can send a lot of energy every day, and one can lead a spiritual life in a way that constant spiritual cleansing and growth take place. There are ways to combine a worldly life with spiritual growth. For most people, that is the main way to come to the light. The important thing is to emphasize spirituality and to connect with God and his enlightened masters. Living spiritually means to live according to the cornerstones of love, peace, truth, wisdom and self-discipline. It is helpful to have a plan. You can construct this plan according to your personal needs.
12. At the beginning of the spiritual way, peace, happiness, love, and trust develop. At some point an awakening can occur, which causes the concept of the self to dissolve and a perception of the unity of all things comes into being. But the way is still long after that. I experienced a great sense of inner peace and positivity after a phase of ego dissipation. However, I first recognized the great goal as my kundalini energy rose from the middle of my body to my head, to my crown chakra. Suddenly I was in a dimension of unimaginable happiness, peace, love and truth. In yoga, that’s called Sathyaloka, the location of great Truth. As a Christian, one would speak of the highest paradise where you sit beside God. It was first in this moment that I knew that the deeper meaning in life is to come to enlightenment. I didn’t have that feeling when I was first awakening. The first time that feeling appeared was when I had my great enlightenment experience. I recognized there what all religions strive for. There are various techniques in the different religions. In yoga there is hatha yoga, kundalini yoga and raja yoga (the highest meditation).
13. Along the spiritual path, you can get lost in the abyss. It is a trap along the spiritual way. People are given the ability to deal with this, by God. We can be a force for better behavior in the world, we put a stop to egomaniacs. We should give everyone in the world something to eat, stop war, and stop murder. We should work for a world of love, peace and wisdom. This way, a golden era in the world’s history can arise.
14. Love can cause the enlightened to incarnate onto earth once more to work for the good of all, just as Krishna and Jesus both did. I follow the teachings of the Buddhist Madhyamaka. According to these teachings, there are various levels in the cosmos and all of them are real. A spiritual master can deal on all of the levels, and be in all of the levels. He can build an identity when it is necessary, but also rest in God without an ego in order to enjoy highest happiness.
15. The more I go into unity, the less I am interested in doing things out in the world. I rest in my happiness and peace. But that is also a trap. An enlightened person has great capabilities to go out into the world and improve things. They can help their fellow beings to overcome their suffering and to be happy. The enlightenment is incomplete when you no longer can feel the suffering of your fellow beings. A full enlightened master is also completely connected with all of the beings in the cosmos. He or she can feel their suffering. Just as he or she came to happiness, the enlightened master also wants to bring others into happiness.
16. Jesus taught his followers to love their fellow beings. He didn’t disconnect himself from others. One only needs to look around in his or her own circle of aquaintances to find the way to love and helping. The important thing is the love to God and to other human beings. Another way it is to teach people to connect with enlightened masters. Those who ask God or the enlightened for help, will get an impulse to act. Through the connection of all beings, the enlightened are helped. Mother Meera explained that praying always helps. Those who pray daily or connect with an enlightened master are shown the way to the light.
17. A long time ago, a young man lived in India who wanted to be a Buddha and live in light. He called himself Amitabha and became a hermit. He went through a lot of spiritual crises. He put in a lot of effort to overcome his inner laziness and to figure out what was the most effective way to practice at any given moment and to do his spiritual exercises with self-discipline. Amitabha knew that only a few people can take the path of the lone yogi. The way to enlightenment is hard work. He therefore chose to create a space in heaven after his enlightenment which contained happy energy where even worldly people could land. Those who spoke the mantra “Om Amitabha” (in Japanese “Om Amida Butsu”, Tibetan “Om Amitabha Hri”) or even thought the mantra would land in paradise after death, as Amitabha promised. Amitabha meditated for thirty years and landed in complete enlightenment. Now he could bring all of his seriously practicing followers into paradise.
18. Amitabha probably lived around the same time as Jesus Christ. His teachings spread about 100 years after Christ in India, Tibet, China and Japan. He had a lot of enlightened followers who went in his footsteps. They are all connected with us through the Amitabha mantra. And through the Amitabha oracle. What does Amitabha say to you? Try the Amitabha oracle.
19. Visualize a large sun over your crown chakra. A golden Buddha sits in the sun (in the sky above you). The Buddha is you. The Buddha sees the suffering on earth and sends all beings light. Move your hand in blessing and think “I send light to.... May all people be happy. May the world be happy.”
20. An important cornerstone of Amitabha Buddhism is trusting Amitabha (the other power, Tariki). It is often taught that one cannot do anything for his or her own enlightenment. We can only pray and hope that Amitabha (God or an enlightened master) will save us. In this regard, there is a similarity with the Christian teachings of Martin Luther, that people can only be saved by the grace of God. I have argued against this on protestant online forums. This teaching is false and illogical. Jesus gave exact directions as to how one can become blessed, or enlightened. One has to purify the heart, live in all-encompassing love and to love God. Jacob wrote: ”Act on the words, don’t just listen. Didn’t Abraham become righteous by sacrificing his son (his ego) on the alter? One is saved through actions, not through faith alone.”
21. When striving toward enlightenment, we have to each take the respective, personally most effective way. From this perspective, Tariki (not practicing spiritual exercises, instead trusting solely in God) is a method that is sometimes helpful and sometimes not. To make a dogma of it is certainly the wrong way to go. Basically enlightenment happens through spiritual practice over a longer period. At the same time, we usually can’t find our way to enlightenment alone due to the ego fixation. We need leadership by an enlightened master. We need trust in the higher power, but also must work on ourselves intensively. For me, the optimal spiritual way is spiritual practice, practicing all-encompassing love, daily prayer or connecting with God, Amitabha or a personal enlightened master. I find the Amitabha teachings to be fascinating. They are a common thread between Buddhism and Christianity. They have Christian, Hindu and Buddhist elements. I personally don’t believe Buddha taught them. But someone had taught these at some point, and this person probably came from a Buddhist background. At any case, the teachings of the Buddhist Amitabha path have been spread far and wide and well-received from a lot of people. For me, the Buddhist Amitabha way is too restrictive in its typical portrayal. I would take a less non-dogmatic approach so that people from various religious backgrounds and individuals can learn from it and still take their personally correct approach.
22. An important point along the spiritual way is whether there is a God or a higher enlightened being that can help us from the other side. From my own experience and the knowledge I have at this point in time, I believe there is life after death. Near death research and reincarnation research as well as reports from the experiences of spiritual people also would lend weight to this conclusion. Many people can travel to the other side. They see the paradise level and meet higher beings. If there are higher beings that want to help us, then we should accept their help. If they want to lead us, bring us to enlightenment and lead us to paradise after death, then that is a huge gift. We should accept it.
23. There is life after death. There is a paradise on the other side. Everyone can reach this paradise. You can come to paradise through a mantra when dying. You can reach paradise with the help of an enlightened master. You can reach paradise through a positive life. All religions are methods to come to paradise. Every person can take the personally path to paradise. Prayer, mantra, meditation, invocation, visualization, oracle and reading a spiritual book are all good exercises.
24. Everyone wants to be happy and not suffer. We should put our lives together in a way that makes us happy. We should consider what we need, and then give that to ourselves. We should work for a happy existence for everyone on earth. Mostly, the happiness of a person comes from within. For that reason, we should develop our inner happiness. We should think positively, speak positively, and act positively. We should find positive role models to follow.
25. If there is life after death, we should live so that we come to a good place after we have passed. We can choose the masters who inspire us. We can choose to follow Jesus, Amitabha, Satyha Sai Baba, Mother Meera or other masters. We can work with God, the angels or the enlightened masters of yoga. The more we practice, the stronger is the connection to our enlightened helpers.
26. By visualizing paradise, enlightenment energy can become awakened in us. Everyone can imagine paradise so that they feel good in it. Paradise is a realm of enlightenment and light. It is good to lead a life of love, peace, self-discipline and inner happiness.
27. We can build up a paradise on earth. There is enough prosperity for everyone, we just need to share the riches of the earth fairly. No one needs to go hungry. But mostly, paradise is in everyone on the inside. We just need to change our consciousness so that we can recognize paradise in our world. We need to orient around the positive in our lives. We should be grateful for what life gives us.
28. My masters gave me the mantra “yes” in a dream. They showed me how one can get through death and reach paradise. Those who think of paradise will reach it. Christians go to the Christian heaven, Muslims to their version, Hindus to theirs. Enlightened beings can go where they want, because they transcend all forms.
29. There will always be some suffering on earth. However, most suffering has been created by humans themselves. We could organize life so that all people have enough to eat, so that there isn’t any more war and that the environment is clean. We could reduce suffering when dying by making pain medicine available to everyone, and by helping others to develop their enlightenment consciousness before dying.
30. A soul retains its individual consciousness unless it decides to dissolve itself within God. Buddha probably did just that. However, there are also souls which will continue to exist until all beings are enlightened. In Buddhism, there is the Bodhisattva path toward this end. In Hinduism, Vishnu is the great role model along the way of love. He incarnates again and again in order to help people when it is necessary to give them assistance on their spiritual way.

## December

1. In Hinduism, we find the term “Avatar”. An Avatar is an incarnation of God. Here there are dimensions of enlightenment to be found which exceed my experiences and my knowledge. I can only speculate. When I connect with an Avatar like Mother Meera or Sathya Sai Baba or Krishna or Jesus, can this Avatar lead me perfectly along my spiritual path into the light? I feel my life is guided. Everything happens at the right moment, but I also will admit that I don’t fully comprehend that. Many people strive toward enlightenment through intensive spiritual practice. But many others try to reach their goal through prayer to an avatar and through the guidance of that avatar, find their way.
2. Enlightenment is self-realization. Enlightenment is clarity, peace, calm, happiness, love, joy, knowledge of the connectedness of all things. In enlightenment there is no boredom. You live in happiness, and that is enough. The more enlightened you are, the more you lose interest in worldly things. However, it makes you happy to do good things for others.
3. Enlightenment is also just a word. Enlightenment exceeds all terms. Terms can be helpful. The term enlightenment is helpful when it helps people to reach their spiritual goals. The goal can also be described with the words God, paradise, light, nirvana, happiness, love and self-realization. The goal and the way are important. Both form the context. Some people find it helpful to concentrate on the goal, for others concentrating on the way to the goal is more helpful, and for most it helps to concentrate on both. It’s good to take one step at a time, but without being focused on a goal, you can wind up wandering aimlessly through life and get caught up in the various traps that life lays out. Those who have a clear goal can find their way easily.
4. If we visualize God on the outside, we can awaken God on the inside. And if we awaken God in the inside through our spiritual exercises (purification, prayer, meditation, doing good, all-embracing love), we will see God in the outside.
5. In my view, the path of enlightenment solves the problems of the world at a deeper level when it is combined with the path of all-encompassing love. How do you want to convince a capitalist or a dictator to not exploit other people or try to have power over them? That would only work if you can convince such people about the path of inner happiness and love, as it has happened before in Buddhism. The Mongolians became peaceful through Buddhism. The cruel Indian ruler Ashoka brought happiness to the land once he became a Buddhist. And that is also how it should happen worldwide. The leading elites should lose their overdriven egos and develop wisdom, peace and love for of all.
6. Every religion provides a way to enlightenment. The various methods can be combined when done so wisely. Followers of the various religions don’t need to fight one another. They can go to the light together and help one another. I see myself as a mystic who is above all religions and spiritual paths.
7. An enlightened being can incarnate on earth if he or she would like to help mankind. If there were no enlightened beings on earth, mankind would probably just have made itself extinct. Right now we are in the middle of a transitionary period, to another, higher level of consciousness.
8. Whether various spiritual masters who have risen are at the same level as Jesus, Buddha or Krishna, I don’t know. I don’t know them. I would, however, sense and feel whether they are authentic or not.There are those who pretend to be enlightened in order to use others. I would compare their teachings with those of Buddha, Jesus and Krishna.
9. Enlightenment is difficult to explain because it cannot be explained, it must be experienced. Enlightenment is life in the klingdom of God. It is the way to sainthood, or inner healing and perfection, The way of enlightenment is developed with qualities like joy, happiness, strength and all-encompassing love.
10. I experience enlightenment as spiritual energy. Spiritual energy is consciousness energy. If you only have a little consciousness energy, you concentrate mainly on yourself. That’s OK that way, because the energy needs to be protected and expanded. When the energy expands, then it extends out of the body. In this case, the person is not only aware of one’s own body, but also the surrounding people and environment, and less of oneself because most of the energy is outside of the self.
11. Spiritual energy has the characteristics happiness, love, peace, power and clarity. If the peace and clarity expand, then the mind comes to rest and be calm. The ego disappears because all the theories and concepts floating in the mind come to rest. The ego is helpful for life in the world, in a material sense. According to my experience, the ego disappears when happiness and peace have reached a certain level. The closer you get to this leve, the smaller the ego and the greater the harmony and the consciousness of the unity of all things. I feel more and more like a part of the cosmos. I am in harmony with the world. I live from my higher self.
12. I have also experienced that the ego can be dissolved on purpose. The ego consists of attachment to enjoyment, the rejection of suffering, and unwisdom. We can think:” I accept things as they are. I let go of my desires. I live in light, peace, and unity.” If we have strong tendencies to desire things, then the ego will be renewed again and again. Therefore, it is a good idea to shrink the wishes and desires down over the long term and to cultivate characteristics like acceptance, humility, inner peace and all-encompassing love.
13. My experience has shown me that enlightenment is the deeper point of life and that there are specific ways to get there. There is the Buddhist way. There is also Yoga, and there is Christianity. God is above all religions. Every good spiritual technique can be practiced by anyone.
14. Enlightenment is the way to rise above suffering. You become freed from suffering, fear, addiction, aggression, bodily pain, spiritual pain and unhappiness. You become anchored in God.
15. I practice the connection of Hatha yoga, Karma yoga and Bhakti yoga (master yoga, Guru yoga). I pray to my spiritual role models. I work for a happy world and for the happiness of all beings. I meditate, go for walks and practice various yogic exercises. Find the spiritual path that is best for you.
16. Everything in the cosmos follows the cause and effect principle. From that point of view, there isn’t any free will. Everything is pre-determined. It’s difficult to know what has been pre-determined, so we have to do as if we have free will. In enlightenment we can feel that everything is determined. We are instruments of the cosmos like cogs in a watch. You can go about life in a relaxed way if you recognize that everything has already been determined. Then you live completely in harmony with yourself and the world. One of my enlightenment experiences I reached by imagining everything as determined.
17. An enlightened master can recognize that everything has been pre-determined once he or she has reached the level of all-knowingness. Then the master knows the past, present and future of his or her students. And here there seems to be a mystery that Sai Baba reports from. If a person can see through pre-determination, he or she can rise above it and deal freely. He or she can put new impulses into motion. That became clear in a dream of my Tibetan master Lonchenpa. He showed me that he had re-written my book of life. He knew my future and could change it for the better thanks to his spiritual abilities.
18. I am a humble person. God works to make sure that I stay humble. He brings enough suffering and difficulty into my life so that I don’t feel too amazing to myself. At the beginning of my search 30 years ago, I was enthused by my spiritual experiences. But during the course of the years, that has become mainly meaningless. They are just experiences. What matters is lasting enlightenment, and I am far from that. Furthermore, I have established that you can have the greatest spiritual experiences and most people don’t care and some will even deny they happened. It is more of a burden to speak of them. I only do it to help others along their way.
19. Jesus had an enlightened master who transferred enlightenment energy to him. That was John the Baptist. Jesus demonstrated that Christians should have an enlightened master. The transfer of enlightenment energy is the fastest way into the light. Jesus meditated after the energy transfer for 40 days in the desert and his enlightenment was complete. The devil (the ego) disappeared and the angels (spiritual energy) served him. He could heal others and help them spiritually. He became one with God. God spoke through him.
20. The first Christians had Jesus as a physically present enlightened master. The Apostles were also enlightened and could pass the enlightenment energy (holy ghost). Then came the Christian desert fathers who had their enlightened fathers and mothers. There were many enlightened masters among the Christians. I am thinking mostly of Master Eckhart, Teresa from Avila, John of the Cross and the holy Frances.
21. I interpret the Bible in terms of enlightenment. The term Son of God means that a person is enlightened, he lives in God (in the kingdom of God) and is God’s son for that reason. The teaching of the trinity describes the relationship between an enlightened person and God. God is the higher consciousness dimension in the cosmos, the unity dimension, the light. The Holy Ghost is the spiritual energy that fills a person with the light of God. An enlightened person as the son of God can heal with the light of God and perform miracles.
22. Those who would like to have experiences of God and enlightenment should lead an intensively spiritual life. He or she needs to work on him or herself. This person should cultivate characteristics like love, peace, truth and self-discipline, and meditate and pray and live in love. He or she should follow Jesus radically and not lead a life of material enjoyment.
23. The desert mother Amma Synkleitika knew that hermits who would like to lead lives in God have to deal with a lot of hard inner work and inner fights, but in the end there is indescribable joy. In order to get through these inner fights, the desert fathers mainly concentrated on death. Those who think of their death can overcome every weakness. The thoughts of death and paradise give a spiritual person the power to follow his path to its goal. On the other hand, one should not overwhelm oneself as a monk or hermit. Many hermits needed a flower, others didn’t. Those who need joy along their way, should give themselves the joy they need.
24. I celebrate Christmas with my old mother who is 90 years old, my sister and one of her sons. The other son is in Australia. On the first and second Christmas days I visit two neighbors. In that regard, I’m not alone. I’ve lived as a hermit for 25 years. It was difficult to be alone on Christmas the first years, because I had lived in a family before that. But, after some years passed I got used to it. Now it isn’t a big deal. I have developed my own Christmas ritual. I light candles and incense. I watch the Protestant and Catholic Christmas services on TV. I also visit people when possible.
25.In my family, Christmas was always celebrated. We were atheists, but Christmas was an important ritual to meet people, celebrate and give gifts. I feel connected to Christianity. For that reason, I like to celebrate Christmas and think of the birth of Jesus. It is a happy event that a spiritual person was born into the world.
26. Jesus taught us to live in a way that would bring us to paradise after death. How do you imagine your paradise? What needs to be there for you to be happy? Do you want to meet your friends, partner, children, relatives?
27. The paradise of yogis is called Siddhaloka. It can also be called Shiva Loka. It is the home of the God Shiva. By Swami Muktananda, Siddhaloka is the most beautiful paradise with the highest happiness energy and the greatest potential for spiritual growth.
28. A little blue star was his soul vehicle. Muktananda described exactly how one gets to Siddhaloka. You meditate, concentrate on the skull chakra and a blue star appears over the crown chakra. Muktananda flowed into this star with his soul, and the star brought him to paradise.
29. Muktananda experienced Siddhaloka as a paradise full of rest, calm and peace. Everywhere there was blue, cheerful light. Muktananda met a lot of yogis and yoginis (female yogis). There were high mountains, green forests, bubbling springs and flowing streams. Deers played on meadows full of flowers. In the middle there was a sea.
30. Paradise is a state of enlightenment, inner happiness and awakened kundalini energy. Then you have a consciousness of paradise due to your great happiness. Through visualization of a happy world, you can awaken happiness. How you can get there depends on you. For some people, it is enough to imagine a beautiful landscape where they sit with people they love. The inner energy begins to flow when they imagine springs, rivers or a sea in paradise. The visualization of a tree lets the energy flow through the middle energy channel. Once it reaches the head, then one becomes happy. The same effect can arise when imagining oneself as a Buddha, Shiva or a goddess in a palace or beautiful house. Around the house you plant beautiful flowers.
31. Every concept of enlightenment has to be destroyed again and again when they cease to be helpful. The enlightenment is above all concepts and images of it. We find our way to the light when we are consistent with the basics of truth, wisdom and love. We should always be in good contact with our inner voice of truth and wisdom, our conscience. We should connect us with an enlightened master or God (the light) every day. May we all live in happiness, peace and love.

# Laughter Yoga with exercises, jokes and spiritual stories

Laughing is healthy. Laughing makes you happy. Be happy. Become a Buddha. Enlightenment is happiness without a reason. You do not need a specific reason to be happy. Laugh Yoga is a good way to get happiness energy flowing. There are various methods to do laugh Yoga. You can watch funny videos. You can also read jokes on the internet until you laugh. Or you can just laugh without a reason. That's the main form of laugh Yoga. You reach the energy of humor, and at some point the laughter is in you.

## Laugh Yoga for Absolute Beginners

1. We lie on the back and relax. What is the joke of your life today? Because God has a sense of humor, he gives every person at least one joke per day. You just have to recognize it. If you can't think of a joke, then laugh without reason. Laugh as you feel. You can say the mantra “ ha ha ha” or “ho, ho, ho” or “hee hee hee”. Every mantra is different and comes from a different part of the body. If you are feeling angry or sad, then you can also cry during laugh Yoga. In that case, the mantra “hoo hoo hoo” is appropriate. If you are angry, think “rage, rage, rage”. If you are angry with your ex-boyfriend, then you can yell “stupid man!” If you already feel like laughing, then you are ready for laugh Yoga.
2. We lift the right leg that is stretched out and hold it in the air and then laugh. Then we lift the left leg and laugh. Which mantra is helpful for you?
3. We lift both of the legs and the head. We hold the position and laugh as long as possible.
4. We do a shoulder stand, lift the btt and stretch the legs out to the sky. The hands support the back. We move our feet slightly and laugh. It is good to laugh at the sky.
5. We lay down again and turn the spine several times. We move the pelvis to the right and the head to the left, and then the reverse. We move the spine as far as possible. We laugh to the left and to the right side. We laugh at all beings on the left and the right side.
6. We lay on the stomach and lift the right leg. We hold it and then laugh. Then we lift up the left leg, hold it in the air and then laugh.
7. The head is tipped back and we bring the feet as far as possible toward the back of the head. The upper thighs are in the air and the hands support the position next to the body. More advanced Yogis do the Cobra pose as shown in the photo. We laugh at the same time because it is great. We hold the Cobra pose, laugh and move the feet.
8. We lay our head on our hands, move our feet and laugh at the earth.
9. We sit Indian style, on the ankles or on a chair. The back is straight. The hands lay on the belly. We laugh from the belly for a moment. Now is a good time to find something funny. In an emergency, you can laugh about me. That always works. Then we move our hand into a blessing, send the laughter to the entire world and think: “ may all beings be happy. May there be a happy world.”
10. We lay down in a comfortable position. Then we tense the muscles of the legs and the feet. Then we relax. Then we tense up the muscles of the arms and the hands. Then we relax. We tense up the muscles of the head and face. Then we relax. We tense up the muscles of the entire body. We relax. We move the feet. We think the mantra “om” three times.

## The Goddess

Woman: I am very focused on appearances and put a lot of effort into how I look. I always pay attention to my figure and work out a lot. I have a treadmill in my apartment so that I can also sweat in the winter. Before I go to work, I sit in front of the mirror and style my hair and put on makeup. I have to always look presentable.
Laughyogi: Calling myself ugly and old is of course just a joke. I like women who take care of their figure and their appearance. It’s wonderful that you have the self-discipline to use a treadmill. Applying makeup for two hours is extreme from the perspective of a man. But for women, it’s not unusual. An ex-girlfriend of mine was the same way. Do you still think a lot about your appearance or have you gone beyond it? My musician friend was here again because he is addicted to my good coffee. I will need to go shopping again soon. The musician ate the last marzipan roll. I had planned on him just eating the cookies from the cookie bowl. But he is unpredictable and just does what he feels like. Now he is on his way back to Berlin and will come back in three months. Until that time, I can eat up my sweets alone.
Woman: You always make me laugh. For that reason, I think you are godly and enlightened. Thank you for your calming and reassuring words. Now my ego is satisfied again and feels attended to. Yes, we can say that you are worse off than I am so that I feel OK. But it would also be enough for me if you thought I was amazing and printed out my picture and hung it up over your altar. Now... regarding my favorite topics: the figure and appearance. At the moment, I am not that hung up on it, my skin needs a break. I walk around in an old dress and never wear a bra when I am at home in my apartment. My neighbor thinks that one would waste away without going to work. I love being lazy! However, I do shower and brush the teeth daily because that contributes to overall well-being. For shopping and cycling, I don’t get dressed up, I just wear an anorak and jeans and boots. At night I sleep without clothes and leave the window open until it’s freezing.
Laugh yogi: In order for me to be able to print out your picture and hang it up above my altar, you have to first send me one. I live the lazy look, especially women who go around without a bra. My unenlightened erotic fantasies are threatening to overwhelm me. It would be better if you told me about cosmetics, solarium and so forth. That way I come back to earth with the reality that I am an ugly, old Yogi and don’t have a chance with such a beautiful woman. Tell me about your girlfriends. Do they look good? Are they single? Are they looking for a good-looking, intelligent, rich and humorous man with a villa in a well-manicured nature park? A man who honors them, worships them and goes everywhere with them? Someone who wants to make them happy forever? Someone who can listen to them? And otherwise very low-maintenance? He only needs a kiss in the morning and two cookies to eat. If they have had enough of him, they can just put him in the closet and he'll meditate there until he is fetched again.
Woman: In terms of appearance, I imagined you are in your mid 40s because you are so fresh and young and pure and happy and don’t have any wrinkles. The white hair in the beard do not mean much, because younger men also have them sometimes. Also, because you are slim, you also come across as youthful. Your overall radiance contributes to that. It is clear that something new is developing within you, and that is surely due to your spiritual development. The joy that you always have radiating from you, your eyes are so clear and laugh along with you. I’ve read a lot of your free books and have downloaded a lot of them from Amazon. I find it fascinating to read about your life. You write so well. Your words warm the heart and are so personal. It really speaks to me. Thank you also for conveying your inner processes and how you deal with them. That is really helpful for me.
Laugh yogi: Thank you for seeing me in such a positive light. I can really use that today. All of last night, fears from my childhood arose. I felt so small, weak and pathetic. As I read your messages, I knew that I am in fact a hero. Young, fresh, radiance… at the age of 62 to be like 40. Wonderful. A God. That goes well with a Goddess like you. Of course I write well and heart-warmingly. For that reason, slowly I am starting to become one of the famous German philosophers and writers. At least here in this forest.
Birthday greetings from the goddess
Goddess: A few years ago today, an egg lay in Hamburg which moved back and forth because something was going on inside it. On the shell, the godly letters were written: “Nils, best-selling author and enlightened Yogi master.” Precisely on the letter “i” in the word “Yogi” something broke through the egg and the little chick thought: “finally light and air!” After a little while, it was at the point where it cracked open and the Nils chick had reached the moment of truth: it tumbled out of the egg shell and hatched out into the world. All of the chickens and roosters came to look at the yellow thing and greet the new fluffy chick that had just come into the world. What a special moment! Horay! Nils was there! What a joy for the world! Everyone wiped tears of joy from their eyes, surrounded the little one and gave him their blessing. Today, Nils is a grown up rooster with grand feathers and his loud crowing can be heard he from afar. He is the boss of the chicken coop and is surrounded by many hens. He goes his way with certain steps according to the original writing on his egg shell. Today we remember the day he hatched and are happy that he is there and gives us the gift of his existence. Thank you for being you, Nils.
Poor hermit: Thank you for your friendly words. The holy egg greets the holy egg in you the egg. May the egg shell break open and a Buddha or Goddess step into the world. Of course, you are already a goddess. May you radiate even more love and happiness, if that is even possible. Today the weather is a little gray. The world needs a few rays of light, warmth and light. The little hermit would especially like to be an enlightened Yogi master who lives in inner happiness and wants to bring love into the world. He can only cheer up the world with his strange jokes and books, which are not well received by everyone. 63 years ago, a beak picked its way out of the shell and the chick thought he would become big and strong one day. A big, glorious rooster who thought he could make all of the hens crazy. How wrong was that notion. God wanted a poor, little Yogi and here he is. Thank God for your little joke. Yes, I am alive. Or maybe it is just a nightmare? Kiss me awake, if you want to kiss such a disgusting frog.
Goddess: Dear Hermit, I am envious of the hens following you.
Poor hermit: Dear Goddess, lovely that you are jealous. That means I am important for you. It is lovely to be important to someone.You are also important for me. I enjoy your daily good mood messages and your deep wisdom. I am happy to know someone who is so much further spiritually developed than I am. I am thankful that a goddess like you could like a silly bug like me. That shows your greatness.
I celebrated my birthday yesterday by filling up the forums with dumb sayings. I talked on the phone the whole day with my girlfriend who is suffering and had a visit from Lady C. She is a real captain and can navigate giant ocean liners. She is boss over a whole army of men who also want to be captains. Yesterday she had to strictly test the men. And then she came over to visit me. But she did not test me, rather she cooked for me. She can do everything. She is even captain in the kitchen. She is also a good mood bear and laughs a lot.
Today, two former Yoga students are coming to my birthday party. Now I am the captain. I will simply be intimidating in my enlightened presence and let them be a part of my blissful light. Of course, they are allowed to ask questions. I will gladly guide them from the darkness to the light. As reward, they have each baked me a cake. I will live on cake next week. That is fitting of a great guru. I will simply transform the cake in my stomach into light. Then I will radiate more light until the world is filled with light. Ok, enough nonsense. Now I am just the nice little Yogi again.

## Shake Meditation with Laughing

The Shake Meditation is a good way to quickly reduce stress and recharge with positive energy. We turn on a beautiful music, stand upright and move dynamically in the knees up and down. We can dance or go on the spot. The Shaking is a fast movement from the knees. The knees shake the body. The movement in the knees is small and fast.
1. Be angry. We shake all the stress of life out of us. We think the mantra, "anger". We transform all stress unto motion and liberate us as this.
2. Be sad. We solve our pent-up grief. We think the sentence: "I am sad because ...". We move all the sadness out of us. What makes you sad today? Think the reason several times as a mantra.
3. Circle the shoulders. We circle our shoulders. We move the shoulders as it is helpful for us. We solve the tension in the shoulders and the neck.
4. Turn the spine. We rotate into the spine left and right. We solve all the tension in the spine. The head also rotates to the sides.
5. Massage your body. We massage our body with a healing color. We are wrapped in a cloud of a healing energy. What healing color is good for you today? Think of the name as a mantra, "Yellow, Orange, Purple ...". Massage the healing color from head to toe in your body.
6. Earth you. We rub the healing color with the right and left foot on the floor. We paint a healing circle around us. When painting with our feet, we feel the earth. We think the name of the color as a mantra.
7. Go on shaking, move one hand and send a person light. We send the whole world light and think, "May all people be happy. May the world be happy."
8. Laugh while shaking.
* Video Shake Meditation Yogi Nils (10 min.)
* 14 minutes only Shakemusic

## Jokes

Women are laughing about:
In every man there's something good. Even if it is just the kitchen knife.
Why can't men get mad cow disease? Because men are pigs.
What does a man consider helping with the housekeeping? Lifting the legs up so that she can vacuum better.
Getting married is like a trip with friends to a restaurant. You order what you want and when you see what the others have gotten, you would rather have that.
Him: “Honey, I’m going to make you the happiest woman in the world!” She: “I’ll miss you!”
And now, jokes for men:
When men work with their heads, one calls that thinking. When women work with their heads, we call that hairstyling.
How many brain cells does a woman have? Four, one for each stovetop.
If God had wanted women to be pilots, the sky would be pink.
Two men are talking: “ my wife died last week!” “Yeah, and?” “ The bed looks the same as always, only the kitchen is a chaotic mess!”
Live your life
A younger man goes for a walk and sees a shriveled, wrinkled old woman who is sitting happily in her rocking chair on the porch. “Excuse me,” he speaks to the woman, “but you look so happy and satisfied. What is the secret to your life?” The woman answers: “60 cigarettes, at least one bottle of schnapps, no exercise, and lots of younger men… that is the secret of my life!” “Unbelievable!” The man is amazed, “ and can I ask how old you are now?” “39….”
Daily harassment
Another school day, yet another day full of annoying offensive comments and humiliations. Hesitantly, I get up. Should I really listen to this crap every day and do nothing about it? Yes, what else can I do? Who wants to speak out against the majority of the pubescent teens on their ego trip? No one. Not the teacher. They try to help you, but that usually makes things worse. I am not angry with them, actually I feel bad for them. I feel bad that they direct the attention to themselves. I know who I am and what I can do.
I have another tip: don’t let it get to you, because it is just not worth it. Just be yourself and be happy with yourself because that is all you can do.
Nils: Very good. The situation in the schools, on the job and over the net is difficult. Anchor yourself in the way of inner happiness (in happiness philosophy), give yourself enough time to relax, live healthily, and save yourself with spiritual exercises (thought work, oracle, reading, Yoga, walking, meditation) and enjoy something nice often. Follow your goals and do something for yourself. You can also live in the light in a world of suffering.
Thoughts from an aging man
You can start to worry about it, but when you look more closely, I don't think it's too bad! Because “I am just turning 60 now!”
If you don't know your own telephone number, no reason to panic! You only need to say- “ I am 60!” If you spill your soup on yourself, no problem, because- “ I am 60!” At that age, everyone expects that you will have developed into a grumpy old fart because “ I am 60!” If you make it to your sixtieth birthday, then everyone is amazed that you are still alive, that you can still stand and walk and still have a few bright moments. “ I am 60!” At the age of 59 people are still angry with you for whatever reason. At 60, they forgive you for almost everything.
“ I am finally 60!”
Hello, anyone out there? (from Agnes)
Is someone there? For days, there hasn't been any mail in the mail box, no emails, no telephone calls. Why hasn't anyone taken contact? I feel like I have been cut off from the world. I haven't been snowed in, the electricity hasn't gone out, and the battery on my cell phone is fully charged. It's like I don't exist anymore. The line of a song comes to mind: “ no one is calling me, no one cares for me…” My ego is irritated, you could say. On days like these, I feel like I have been sucked into a black hole and no one notices that I live. Is there no one out there who wants to talk to me, or even write me a short message so that I know that I am not totally shut off from the outside world. If someone hears me, then please let me know. I have to see if there's an obituary for me in the newspaper tomorrow, if not.
Opinion: Good that you make yourself seen! You don’t really need to worry until no one responds to you if you say hello to them out on the street. Only then have you really become invisible. ;)
My dream
I'm Maike and I am 13 years old. My hobbies are playing sports and listening to music as well as singing or dancing. When I am alone at home, I am mostly very bored. Then I can sing. I love to sing. I go to middle school. I met my best friend Victoria there, she is very nice. She and I are searching for a boyfriend. But that can still wait. Sometimes I think otherwise, but it doesn't matter really. I keep it under control. Like every child, I have a dream. I want to become a superstar.
Yogi Nils: My senses also sometimes play tricks on me. I also have a dream. I wish for a happy world without hunger or suffering. If you try to save the world, you will never be bored. That is very good. I don’t want to be a superstar. It is enough for me to be a little Yogi. I can see the superstars and popstars in the TV. I know that I must save the world.
The sad life of a 16 year old
My life is so bad, simply awful. I think and I stuff cookies into my mouth. I look at the cookies that only consist of a few crumbs after I have eaten them all up and I have to sigh. OK, my life isn't SOO bad. I at least have cookies to stuff my face with. Despite the cookies and an entire package in the cellar I am still not happy.
I look around and see a completely normal room for a young person. It's somewhat chaotic, but there's a system to it and it is painted in a bright, summery yellow color. My new laptop hums and I just got an email from a friend. In her message, she wrote that she loves me and that she greet us ladies. Now I feel lonely.
I don't have a boyfriend, am 16 years old and nothing works in my life the way I imagine. I am not a pessimistic teenager, at least I don't think I am. My girlfriends at least say that it is normal. I would not like to be normal. I'd like to be something special.
Despite the normalcy in my life, such as daily school, a few friends and a very nice family, I am still not satisfied. I don't know why I can't meet a guy. Are there no good guys my age, in my area who look good, are funny and also very nice? Somehow, it is all so messed up. My mother says I am too demanding. Yesterday, I actually planned to send roses to my friends, but most of them had already gotten some from their boyfriends. Hmpf. I hope next year will be better. At least a little. “I like you.” or something like that.
The Yogi laughs
Two women are talking. The first one says. “Somehow, I have had trouble speaking lately. I wanted to say, I want some wine. Instead, I said I want wome sine.” The other woman answered: “I have had the same problem lately. At breakfast, I wanted to say to my husband, please send me the coffee. Instead, I said to him: you damn asshole, you have ruined my whole life!”
Fifteen year old girl on the internet:
“My life only consists of school, food, TV and the computer. There is nothing worse than that...”
Nils: Yes there is. No school, no food, no TV, and no computer. Seriously, the center of existence is the inner happiness. Those who do not know the path of inner happiness suffer in life. Build up your inner happiness every day with spiritual exercises like Yoga, meditation, reading, thought work, doing good and you will then find it easier to see the positive in your life. Live as a spiritual person, and you will live in happiness.
Dream men
The phenomenon is terrible. All women want the same type of men. How often do I hear that women want a man who is at least 6 feet tall, great figure and athletic. He has to be charismatic, with nice hands, good clothes, nice eyes, nice lips, a great smile. Smart, honest, faithful, funny and good-looking. Not boring. Such an image swims in the brain of every single woman’s brain.
The man should be athletic, but then when the guy has hardly any time we complain to our girlfriends. He only hangs around at the soccer field. We hate that. And how often do we find it that our dream prince doesn't have a great character. He is in love with himself, but can't love anyone else. Even if it's difficult, everyone should banish the image of the dream man from their brains.
Nils: Why? There’s me. I’m smart, honest, good-looking, trustworthy, well-trained and funny. Unfortunately, I am a little under 6 feet tall. I never knew I was almost a dream man. I lack less than an inch of height. So, for that reason I am just a lonely Yogi. Despite my great smile, dark hair and lovely eyes.
I want a real man! (by a woman)
I don't want some soft and sensitive man. I want a man with stubble on the face and hair on his chest who smells and tastes like a man. A man who only brings flowers when he feels guilty and always pays for the food when eating at a restaurant. A man who treats me like a woman, without any nonsense. I don't want a man who hovers around me, reads the wishes from my eyes, clears the table and makes breakfast on Sundays.
A real man who comes home dirty from work, and always thinks about sex right away. He doesn't have to talk a lot, but washes the car on the weekend and mows the lawn and watches sports. That makes real men sexy. He should make money and be able to drink. Men are allowed to have hair where it grows.
Nils: Thank you.
Blonde jokes
How can you keep a blonde busy? Give her a blank piece of paper and write “please refer to the other side” on both sides.
(Yogi Nils: ) Actually, this takes place with a lot of people because they don’t look beyond their own mental system. They do spiritual exercises for years without thinking about how effective it is.)
A blonde goes to the bank and says to the teller: “ I need to open a new account immediately.” The teller replies: “You already have an account with us.” The blonde: “Yes, but there isn’t any more money in it.”
Why should you write letters to blondes very slowly? Because they can't read so fast.
What do blondes have in their brains? A piece of paper where it says “brain”.
Why do blondes always eat yoghurt in the supermarket? Because the lid says “open here”.
How can you get a blonde to laugh on Monday morning? Tell her a joke Friday evening.

## Yoga with Positive Thinking

Yoga with positive thinking is very helpful for many people. It allows one to quickly overcome negative tendencies and reach a happy and healthy life. Positive thinking and daily meditation are the two basic techniques of enlightenment. All the negative characteristics are ultimately based on attachment (to external pleasures, other people, to his ego) or rejection (of suffering situations, pain). If we accept the suffering in our lifes and let go of our worldly desires and longings, the tensions in our minds resolve. Our inner happiness creates a positiv feeling of life. We get into a life in the light (in a paradise view of life). The main way to overcome the negative qualities is to focus on the positive qualities of wisdom, self-discipline, peace, love and happiness.
1. Go = Jog on the spot, with your arms moving by your side. Visualize light, turn around and think, "I go the positive way."
2. Windmill = Straddle your legs apart, bow forward, turn like a windmill into the spinal column and think: "My goal is ...".
3. Frog = Bring your feet together. Bow your upper body forward. Push yourself up with your hands on the floor and move your buttocks down in a crouch and back up in the air. The head goes up to the sky and down to the earth. Practice the frog several times and think: "I have strength and endurance."
4. Arm-leg raising = Lie down on your stomach. Raise your left arm and right leg. Bring both back to the earth and lift the right arm and the left leg. Do this several times. Think, "I take things the way they are."
5. Upper body raising = Lie in the prone position, with your hands on the floor and repeatedly press the upper body up and down. The head goes to the neck and forward. While breathing in and out, think, "I let go of my false desires."
6. Pelvic rotation = In the prone position, turn your pelvis to the right and then to the left. Your head must lie on your hands. Think, "I am sad because ...".
7. Feet = Get your feet moving in the prone position. The head lies relaxed on your hands. Think, "I forgive... (my partner / parents / the cosmos / God), that he/she...". Whom do you want to forgive today? Think these words until a feeling of sadness arises in you, of letting go and forgiveness.
8. Cycling = Turn on your back, lift your head and move your arms and legs. Think, "My positive thought today is....".
9. Candle = Stretch your legs to the sky. Your hands support you at the back. Visualize the sky, move your feet and think many times the mantra "Optimism".
10. Meditation = Roll from the candle into your meditation seat (cross-legged or heel seat). Put your hands in your lap. The back is straight and the stomach is relaxed. Move one hand and wrap them and think, "I send light to ... May all people be happy. May the world be happy." Stop all your thoughts for a minute. Relax.

## Sayings from Yogi Nils

Laugh yoga in the nursing home
Yesterday I visited my mother at the nursing home. I did laugh yoga with her. We held our hands to the sky. Ha, ha, ha. Bend to the earth. Hoo, hoo, hoo. Turn from left to right and call to everyone: hee, hee, hee. The hands lay on the belly. Ho, ho, ho. “You don’t get old.” I answered. “ I am a Yogi. I stay young forever.”
I talked with an old lady who bakes cake for the old folks for free every Wednesday and serves it about religion. She was Catholic and practiced unconditional love in a Protestant nursing home. I explained that I am a mystic and live in the forest. She said: “ That’s why you look so strange.”
I am finding my role in the nursing home. I accept things as they are and find peace. I live out my grief and come to inner peace. Life is change. Things come and go. Life comes and goes. My mother can only converse to a limited degree because she forgets everything. Her dementia progresses. I practice the art of positive thinking. I am thankful that I still have her and that she is doing well at the nursing home. I am thankful that I know the path of inner happiness. I go through the forest and then find happiness once more.
Yoga Expo
Yesterday I was at the Yoga expo. The location where it took place was difficult to find because the expo center is in Hamburg Schnelsen. It is far away from Hamburg, in fact. I took the U Bahn to Niendorf north and then took the bus through the countryside, through fields and meadows. I almost missed the stop because I forgot to watch the bus stops. The person who gave information out about the event also gave the wrong name for the stop, Mode Centrum instead of Modering. The name sounded so familiar that I asked the bus driver and he told me I should get off at that stop.
So there I was standing in a foreign world and looked for a sign with some indication. Unfortunately, the signs I saw did not provide me with the right information. I wandered around the area and was suddenly standing in front of an entrance where a little poster for the Yoga expo was hanging. I went in and a friendly older woman gave me a golden armband for 7 euros entrance fee. I searched for Yoga people and found a little hall full of stands dealing with esoteric topics. The people working at the stands were happy to have visitors. I got a snack as a greeting along with a big cup containing mango lassi. The visit started well.
I wandered through the stands, but most of them didn't interest me much. It was more for women and wellness. At any rate, there were a lot of free drinks and free treatments. I bought a modern Yoga mat. A Yoga teacher should own such a thing. I enjoyed a vegetarian meal for 8 euros. Then I went into one of the two lecture halls. The lecture had already started, but I arrived at just the right moment. There was again some free drinks. And raw food, the newest American trend. A young woman talked about the raw diet. A lot of women listened excitedly. The room was almost full. This was where all of the visitors had been hiding. Basically, it dealt with how one took something that that tastes like crap and made decent food out of it. OK, now I am being mean. Raw food is important and healthy. I should eat more of it and not just chow down on cake and chocolate.
Now it was time to do something for the body. Fortunately, it was the course on fasciae Yoga. I sat down on one of the Yoga mats that was in the hall. There were a lot of young women and girls there. Not bad for an old Yogi. Then came the young Yoga teacher and it started. A warm up exercise. After ten minutes I was so tired that I needed a break. The Yoga teacher probably noticed the poor old man in the group. She said kindly, “Those who want to can rest in child’s pose.” I felt acknowledged and lay down on the Yoga mat. The women around me continued. In the end, I can say the Yoga hour did me good. It was not my style, but I accept all of the styles of Yoga. It was too strenuous for me, too much fitness and not enough enlightenment.
But I can do it better. I decided to offer a free Yoga course at next year’s Yoga expo. A title came to me: “Yoga for beginners and more advanced practitioners. Yogi Nils shows off his popular Yoga series. Over a half million clicks on the American WikiHow.” If no one comes! The hall will probably be full and I will finally be a star again. Yeah, I am already a bestselling author. Finally, I met the organizer, Denis, a nice young man. I asked him if he had a minute for me. He didn’t. I told him I am a bestselling author and am number 1 for Yoga Ebooks on Amazon. That impressed me and so I could talk to him. I told him about my plans for the Yoga expo next year. He was enthusiastic.
I just needed to find the right title for my presentation. What would interest young women? On the way home, I met two young women aged about 30. I started talking to them and found out that they were looking for the meaning of life. They had come to the right place. They had found their guru. I explained to them that the point of life was happiness. The highest happiness is found in enlightenment. They also wanted to be enlightened, of course. They first had to read my books. I had a topic for my lecture now: “ How to be happy? Crazy stories from the life of a little Yogi.”
Real vision
What is the right point of view? If we see the eternal wars, capitalistic exploitation, poverty, destruction of the environment, outer and inner unhappiness of most people, we would see the world as a hell. The Indian master Sai Baba taught: “There is no hell, the world is hell.” This perspective is useful. Seeing the world as hell helps us to have empathy for others and motivates you as a Bodhisattva to work hard for a happy world, to change the world into paradise. I woke up today and saw my world as hell. Last night there were some cleansing processes and I felt bad. I went for a walk and did my cleansing exercises (visualization, mantras, breathing exercises, hand movements). The Kundalini energy awoke and suddenly my world had changed into a paradise. I saw green trees, beautiful flowers, heard the birds sing and felt the warm light of the sun on the top of my head. How lovely it is to have a bald spot on the top of the head. lol
The Holy
As long as we put egoism at the center of our lives, then we collectively will destroy ourselves and the world. People are capable of wisdom and love. At some point, the majority of people will recognize that material riches do not truly make a person happy. They will recognize that is good to be healthy, loving and in harmony with the world around them. They will recognize that enlightenment and love are at the core of existence. They will recognize that it is good to orient oneself around the holy, and not the unholy.
Sayings
If the shit is getting too deep, just breathe deeply and get through it. Then be happy you are alive.
My girlfriend called me Master Nils in the beginning. Now I am just a piece of shit who teaches nonsense to her. But she loves me anyway. And I love her too. The world is full of miracles.
Satisfaction is an important exercise along the path of enlightenment. (Nils)
If the chakras are activated, the Kundalini energy awakens and peace and happiness arise within the Yogi.
Woman: I am so full of ego. I am never satisfied. Nils:You are a woman. That is how women are, according to my experience. They want the love of a man. They want attention and energy from their partner. They want a relationship. They are never satisfied. They look out in the world instead of in themselves. You are normal. Don’t worry.
Nils: The little Yogi in the woods, calls to wisdom until it echoes and resonates everywhere. All people large and small should be nice to one another so that there can be peace in the world. Irene: YES!!! My dear Nils!!
Nils: I am old, pathetic and ugly. I have to be thankful to everyone who smiles at me.
The sun is shining today. The rainy days are over. When I went for a walk, I met an older woman with a white dog and a black one. My daily saying for her is “enjoy the nice days, the bad ones are surely on their way.” She laughed hesitantly, but she didn't really like the saying. So I thought of something else. “ For a spiritual person, there really aren't any bad days. Just days of intensive practice and days of joy. A spiritual person is constantly growing in light, until he or she forgets the self and brings light into the world.”
Just a small gesture and the hermit is happy.

## Chair-Yoga with Laughing

1. Stretch out = Stretch and wiggle however you need in order to feel good. Stretch out the arms up to the sky. You can fold your hands together and then flip them to face the sky. Visualize the sun over you in the sky and think the word “sun” repeatedly as a mantra. Feel how the sun flows into you with each word. Fill yourself up with the energy of the sun. VIsualizing the sun means concentrating on what is positive in life. We see the beauty of the world. We live in God, in the light, in enlightened existence
2. Healing massage = Massage the light of the sun into your body from the head to the feet. Think the word “light” repeatedly as a mantra. Now you have light on the inside and on the outside. You live in light. You are happy.
3. Move the feet = Move your feet and toes. Visualize the earth beneath you. Think the word “earth” as a mantra. To ground yourself means to accept things for the way they are. We also see the suffering, the pain and the grief in the world and in our lives. Just repressing the suffering leads to a superficial life. Integrating the suffering means having depth in life. Those who have depth live as philosophers, as wise people, as a Buddha.
4. Circle the shoulders = Lift the shoulders and then let them go to loosen up tension in the shoulders and neck. Move your shoulders the way you want. Imagine yourself as an enlightened Yogi, a Goddess, a Buddha. Think:” I am a Buddha of light. I live in the light. I take the path of light.”
5. Move the head = Move your head forward and back. Laugh and say “ hoo, hoo, hoo.” Then move your head to the left and right. Laugh at the people to your left and right. “hee, hee, hee.”
6. Twist the spine = Twist from the spine gently but as far as possible to the left and to the right. Concentrate on the spine and laugh, “hee, hee, hee”.
7. Stretch forward = Stretch your arms up high, then bend over with the upper body and touch the earth with your hands. Laugh louder as you look up, and more quiet as you look down. Ha, ha, ha.
8. Clapping = Sit upright and clap alternatingly in front of the heart chakra and the belly. Laugh “ha, ha, ho, ho.” The “ha, ha” is in resonance with the chest and the “ho, ho” is from the belly. Switch your concentration up between the chest and the belly, until both the heart chakra area and the belly are fully charged with energy. That gives us inner stability.
9. Blessing = Move your hand into a blessing and think: “May all beings be happy. May there be a happy world.” Laugh at all beings around you. Imagine a happy world full of laughter. Take the path of love. Do good. That will bring you to love.
10. Meditation = Think the mantra “om” three times. Feel if in your body. Stop all thoughts for a minute. Then relax.

## Poems from Drugpa Künleg

(Retold from Drugpa Künleg)

### Free Yogi

I am happy that I live as a free Yogi. I grow in my inner happiness.
I can have sex with a lot of women. Thus I help them along their path of enlightenment.
On the outside I live as a fool to my pleasures and on the inside according to my clear spiritual system.
On the outside I enjoy wine, women and song. On the inside I work for the well-being of all beings.
On the outside I seem to know no limits, on the inside I do everything at the right moment.
On the outside I am a beggar, on the inside a joyful Buddha in the eternal light.

### Song about suffering

A young woman derives pleasure from love.
A young man gets pleasure from sex.
An old man finds enjoyment in his memories.
That is the teaching of the three pleasures.
Those who do not know the truth are confused.
Those who don't have ambition do not create victims.
Those who do not have courage, will not become a Yogi.
That is the teaching of the three missing things.
Even if a person knows the way of wisdom,
Without practice there can be no realization
Even if a master shows you the way,
you must walk the path alone.

### The five spiritual paths

I practice the way of self-discipline. I meditate every day.
I take the path of unconditional love. I see myself as a mother and father to all beings.
I develop the divinity Yoga. I visualize myself as a Buddha in the light.
I live in attachmentless being. I flow with the joy and suffering as it appears.
I read books from all of the religions and practice everything at the right moment.
My life is my teacher and my wisdom is my leader.

### The golden Buddha

The gods prefer life in heaven.
The devil loves to sin on earth.
The Yogis are happy in their spiritual practice.
The saints do good for their fellow man.
I love the women and they love me.
Happy are they who know the spiritual path.
May all beings be happy.
May there be a happy world.

## Breathing Meditation

Through the breathing meditation, we can absorb spiritual energy and fill our bodies with light. Our mind becomes peaceful and positive.
1. Breathing out = We concentrate on exhalation. We breathe out deeply. We breathe out all of our worries. We give all our worries to the earth (universe, life). Rename all your worries, "My grief, my worries, my problems are ...." Enumerate all of your worries. Breathe out all your worries. Give them to the earth, "I let go of my worries. I take all things the way they are."
2. Inhalation = We focus on inhalation. We visualize a sun in the sky and breathe in the light. We fill our body with light. We connect us with the positive, "Positive in my life is ..."
3. Reflection = We reflect on the deeper meaning of life? What is important in your life? What is your way of wisdom? Think the mantra: "My way of wisdom is ... Unwisdom is ..."
4. Blessing = The back is straight and the belly relaxed. We move a hand in blessing and think, "I send light to ... May all people be happy. May the world be happy."
5. So Ham = We put the hands in the lap. We think "So" by inhalation and "Ham" during exhalation. So is the sun (light) and Ham is the body. We focus on the breath and the mantra. Thus we fill us a minute by breathing with energy. Our mind becomes calm and positive. We observe one minute just our breath. We breathe in and out normally. We can observe the breath in the abdomen, chest or in the nose. We focus on our breath and stop all thinking. We relax.

## Mulla Nasrudin

There was once a Muslim saint named Mulla Nasrudin. He lived alone in a little hut at the edge of a big city. One day, Mulla Nasrudin did not feel like living alone anymore. He set off to find a woman. He wanted to get married and have a happy marriage. Where was the woman who was right for him?
She should be pretty, clever and have a sense of humor. They should have mutual interests so they could have good conversations and things should also be good in bed. Mulla Nasrudi was looking for a woman who was physically, mentally and spiritually harmonious with him. He was searching for his dream woman.
He looked around in his city. He searched in the countryside. He asked friends and put an ad in the paper. He met a lot of women. But the woman of his dreams was not to be found.
Finally, he travelled to Baghdad to the big marriage market. There he met the perfect woman. There was just one problem. His perfect woman was searching for the perfect man. And Mulla Nasrudin was not a perfect man. He had some flaws. He was not rich, he was not intelligent, and he was not very attractive. The woman recognized that quickly, since she was not only beautiful, but clever as well.
So the marriage didn't happen. Mulla Nasrudin stayed alone and made God his love. He didn't find happiness in the world, so he searched for happiness within himself. And one day he could even laugh about his search for the perfect woman.
Those who are not happy with themselves will not find the perfect partner. Something is always missing. Enlightenment means being happy in a world that is not perfect.

## Healing Meditation

We sit or lie down. We relax.
1. Sun = We visualize above ourselves a beautiful sun, raising both hands to the side at head height and think several times the mantra "sun." We let the light of the sun flow down on us and massage it into the body.
2. Earth = We visualize the earth below us, rub the earth with our feet and think: "I send light to the earth. May all beings in the world be happy."
3. Healing Massage = We consider what part of our body needs healing in the moment. We let light flow into it, massage it in circles and think the word "light" as a mantra. By the light massage we resolve the tensions in the particular area of ​​the body and enable it in the self-healing. We can visualize the light in a color we feel that it heals us. We think the color name as a mantra. We can successively rub the light of healing in several parts of the body, thinking always the mantra "Light".
4. Cosmos = We visualize the cosmos around us full of stars, make big circles with our arms and think, "Om cosmos. I take the suffering in my life. I consistently walk my way of health and healing."
5. Buddha of Healing = We visualize before or above us the Buddha of Healing (an enlightened Master). We rub our hands in front of the heart chakra and think, "Om Buddha of Healing. Om inner wisdom. Please guide and help me on my way."
6. Question of Healing = We focus on a part of our body who needs healing or on a personal problem. What is the way of our healing? What do we have to do? What triggers our problem? We think so long until we are satisfied with the result. When we hear no answer, we are either blocked inside (we don't want to see the real causes of the problem), or we have a bad contact to our inner voice (we sense ourselves poorly). The best way then is slowly to get into thinking about our problem.
7. Sick people = We move a hand, bless all people with light and think, "May all the people who have the same problem as I be healed. My problem is ... The way of healing is ..."
8. Om Shanti = We think inhaling "Om" and exhaling "Shanti". We stop all other thoughts. We feel calmness, serenity and peace in us. We stop a minute every thought and move gently our feet. We focus on our feet and move on, until our mind comes completely to rest. Then we linger in a slight meditation. All thoughts and feelings may come and go as they please. We relax.

## The Fool

(Retold from Khalil Gibran’s The Fool)
I awoke from my sleep and realized that my masks had been stolen from me. I walked around without my masks. Many people were afraid. Some laughed about me. A young boy called:”You are a fool!” Then I found my true self. The inner light went on and the sun kissed me. It surrounded me in light. I was happy that I was a fool. I danced happily through life.

### The blade of grass

The blade of grass said that he would gladly be a leaf in the wind. The leaf in the wind said he would gladly be a blade of grass on the earth. Then the sun laughed because both were so dumb.

### The blindman

A blindman and a man who could see discussed together who is the wisest among them. The seeing man said he can see everything and the whole world. The blindman answered that he can feel out things within and know himself.

### The Death

The gravedigger said to the fool:”You are my favorite among all people. Everyone else is always crying. You come laughing and leave laughing.”

### The two hermits

Two hermits lived on a mountain in the desert. They honored God and took the path of unconditional love. They were good to all beings in the world. On the outside they practiced the path of humility. They possessed just one bowl to eat from, which they shared. One day, the one Yogi said to the other: “I want the bowl just for me.” The other Yogi answered full of love:”Take it. I will gladly give you all I have.” The first Yogi got angry and shouted “ Can’t you fight with me just once! You repress your anger. You will never come to God that way.” The second Yogi hit him hard in the face and both were satisfied. From that moment on, they once again peacefully ate from the same bowl. And God was happy about their fight.

## Laughing Wave

Do not take things too seriously. Concentrate on the funny side of life. Go laughing through the day. Practice Laughter Yoga. Laughter is healthy.
1. Clap your hands = We clap our hands in front of the heart chakra. We focus on the stomach and laugh "Ho, ho." We focus on the chest and laugh "Haha." Third, we change constantly between the abdomen and the chest up and down and shout, "Hoho, Haha, Hoho ...
2. Body = We lay our hands on the head and laugh in the head "Hehehe." So we can clean the head of tension. Then we lay hands on the chest and shout "Hahaha". We lay hands on the stomach and yell "Hohoho". We concentrate on the feet and trample with our feet on the ground: "Huhuhu".
3. Laughing Wave = We bow the upper body to the earth. The hands are facing down. We focus on the ground. The hands go to heaven. We wail like a siren: "Hahahaha." We make the laughing wave several times. We connect through our laughter heaven and earth.
4. Welcome laughter = Within a group, we keep eye contact and laugh, until all people are happy. At home we look in the mirror and welcome ourselves. When we look into the mirror there is always something to laugh about.
5. Hands to heaven = We extend our hands to the heaven, concentrate on our chest and laugh a minute "Hahaha."
6. Happy Mantra = We think the mantra: "May all beings be happy. Let there be a world of laughing." We see all people in the world and ourselves as a laughing Buddhas, laughing gods or laughing holinesses.

## The wisdom of the fools

Retold from the book by Idries Shah

### The prisoner from Samarkand

There once was a Sufi who was brought to prison despite his innocence. He lived in a dark cell and meditated. One day, the enlightened Hakim came to the prison. The Sufi felt his enlightened energy through the wall. He longed for the enlightenment and began to cry. One of the people travelling with Hakim thought that some poor soul in the prison was being tortured. Hakim assured them and explained that it was just a Sufi on the way to enlightenment. His life had been blessed because he finally had enough time to meditate. And today his master had transferred enlightenment energy to him. It is just a question of time until the Sufi realizes his inner happiness.

### The Sufis

In truth, the wise are fools and the true fool is really a wise person. Why? What is sold as wisdom at the universities is usually just foolishness. Real wisdom can be simply recognized. Does it make you happy? Does it bring you to peace and unconditional love? Does it help to build a world of peace and love? Nils the fool: Change yourself! Realize the light within you and the world. Don’t forget to enjoy life!

### Al-Kidr

There once were two Sufis who had been doing their spiritual exercises for decades yet hadn’t had any success. One day they came to a watering hole while they were wandering through the desert. Then an old Sufi came to them. He wore a white turban and had green robes on. He was friendly, and invited them to share a meal with him. After the meal, they meditated a little. The Sufi barely had to assume the meditative position and the happiness began to flow within him and he radiated light and love. Both of the other Sufis were amazed and asked him how long he had practiced in order to reach that point. He told them that he had these results just a short time after he began his spiritual practice.
His friends wanted to know what the secret of his quick success was. The Sufi explained that he thought about Khidr mornings and evenings. Khidr is the transcendental master of all Sufis. Khidr appeared to him in dreams to lead him along his spiritual path. Everything developed so that he grew quickly spiritually. His inner peace, inner happiness and love for all beings grew and grew. The happiness energy within him got increasingly stronger. He only needed to think of Allah and he could feel the beauty of Allah in nature. Allah is everywhere. In him, around him, in people, in animals, plants and stones.

### Saints and Sinners

There once was a Sufi who met a sinner. The sinner was stuck in worldly addiction. He strived for material riches, after money, sex and good food. He was also aware that he was going the wrong way in life. He had read the Quran in his youth and knew the way of inner happiness. But he wasn’t able to follow the way of inner wisdom. He couldn’t withstand the temptation of worldly happiness. He secretly admired the Sufi.
The Sufi lived in material poverty, wore simple clothes and prayed to Allah five times a day. He felt he was a great saint. Every time he saw the sinner, he felt even better.
After death, the sinner came to paradise and the Sufi went to hel. The sinner wondered what had happened and asked Allah how that could be. Allah answered that he had indeed lived in material riches, but his mind and spirit were concentrated on the path of the holy. Allah had forgiven his little sins because the mercy of Allah is infinite.
The Sufi complained to the devil about his descent to hell. The devil explained that Allah looks to the inside of a man’s heart and soul and not the outside. He is indeed merciful, but one sin cannot be forgiven: the sin of pride. Those who think they are better and more important than other people is a candidate for hell. Those who don’t have any love or empathy have a lot to learn along the spiritual path. The Sufi learnt his lessons and after a time was brought to the light of Allah.

### The cook in the soup kitchen

In a city in the desert there was a lovely mosque. Many pilgrims came in order to pray to Allah. But no one reached enlightenment or a life in the light.
Next to the mosque, there was a soup kitchen. There, many pilgrims as well as the poor of the city were served delicious food. There, a miracle occurred. Many of the visitors to the soup kitchen became famous saints. What was the reason for this miracle? The food did not taste any different from that which was served in other soup kitchens. There was, however, a cook there who had a special radiance about him. He seldom visited the mosque, but he fully dedicated himself to his service to the poor and the works of mercy. One day he reached unconditional love. The light of Allah appeared in him and he radiated this light to pall of the other people he came into contact with.
If these people then prayed to Allah every day and gave all they could to the poor and suffering people in the world and did good deeds, then this light intensified with time. They reached peace, love and happiness. Praise Allah who can bring forth such miracles.

### The happy sheikh

There was once a sheikh who was very rich. He had infinite money, a great palace, fast cars and beautiful women. But he was never satisfied. He could buy whatever he wanted. But his wishes grew faster. His riches did nothing for him. He was unhappy on the inside. The sheikh looked for a person who could help him out of his sickness of dissatisfaction. He went to a lot of western psychotherapists. Unfortunately, deep in their souls they were suffering from the sickness of dissatisfaction, of always wanting more. They did not know the way to healing. Then the sheikh heard of a poor old Sufi who had a magic bowl. With this magic bowl he could heal all mental illnesses.
The sheikh ordered the Sufi to his palace. The old Sufi threw himself on the ground in front of the sheikh. “Oh, sheikh, what can I do for you?” The sheikh answered:” free me from my dissatisfaction!” The Sufi replied: “Then you must do everything I direct you to, in my bowl.” The sheikh agreed.
First the sheikh had to put all of his money into the bowl of the Sufi. It disappeared miraculously. Then he put his palace, his cars and his women into the bowl. They all disappeared. The sheikh now owned nothing more. Then the Sufi told him to get in the bowl himself. The sheikh was brave and jumped in himself.
His ego dissipated. He became one with the cosmos. He reached the light of Allah. He recognized that he did not need anything material in order to be happy on the inside. On the contrary his worldly wishes hindered his inner happiness. The inner happiness comes from the spirit. And if the mind has the right attitude, then one can keep the inner happiness in every external situation. The old Sufi turned his magic bowl upside down. Out came the sheikh, his women, his money, his cars and his palace. The sheikh was now rich on the inside and the outside. He worked on the characteristic of satisfaction and stayed happy all the time. He was happy with everything that Allah brought into his life. Allah is the wisest of the wise. He knows what everyone needs for their individual spiritual path. Praise be Allah. Praise be everything created by Allah. Praise be the lasting life in light and fulfillment of Allah.

## The Laughing Buddha

It is good to be happy, and it's not as hard as you think it is. There is a way to happiness for everybody. Try it. Taste it. Realize it. Hotei (Budai) was a zen master. He lived during the Tang dynasty in China. People also called him the laughing Buddha or the happy Chinaman. Hotei was a follower of the art of doing little. He enjoyed the happiness of enlightenment. He lived in happiness consciousness (Sat-Chid-Ananda). He liked to laugh, eat sweets and play with children. Hotei always had a sack with him, full of nice things which he liked to give children. He was popular with all of the children. And the adults loved to spend time around him because his energy made them feel good.
One day Hotei was asked what enlightenment is. He stretched out his arms into the air, laughed happily and disappeared among the people. He lived in happiness and as a nothing. He followed his spontaneous needs. He rejected being a Zen master or having formal teachings. He was just a happy, fat Buddha. That was enough.
Hotei came through a village. He was known among the people as the "laughing Buddha" because he always and everywhere laughed. Sometimes, however, he just sat under a tree. So also in this village. And he continued without laughing, eyes closed, under the tree. He did not even have a small smile on his face and was completely calm and collected. Someone asked him, "Hotei, why you are not laughing?" He opened his eyes and said: "I am preparing for it." First awaken your enlightenment energy. Then the big laughter is within you.
1. Meditate. Stop your thinking for one minute. Come to rest. Relax. It is easy to be happy. Avoid stress. Happiness arises from your inside, if you live in inner peace.
2. Do kundalini-yoga. Activate your kundalini-energie. Find your personal way of activating your energy of inner happiness.
3. Think positive. Watch your thoughts. Overcome your negativity. What is your negative thought today? What helps you? What solves your problem? What makes you happy? "My positive word is .. (optimism. I am a winner in my life.)"
3. Have self discipline. Do every day your spiritual exercises. Meditate every day at least for five minutes. Find every day your positive sentence, that keeps your mind positive. Do every day your kundalini-exercises. Read every day a little bit in the book of an enlightened master of your religion (Yoga, Buddhism, Christianity). Don't give up. Never.
4. Get enlightenment. Find your spiritual role model. Copy a picture of a happy buddha on your desktop. Get the darshan of an enlightened master. Visit personally an enlightened master. See his videos in the internet. Feel connected with him or her every day. So he or she will lead you to enlightenment. Follow your inner voice of wisdom. Then you will find your personal way to inner happiness.
5. Love all people. Do every day a good deed. Then you grow into the all embracing love. You get a unity consciousness. That is the basis of enlightenment. You will feel one with the cosmos, the life, all beings and yourself. You will realize your higher self. Then bliss arises.
6. Laugh as much as you can. Practice laughter yoga every day. See the jokes in your life. There is every day a joke in your life, if you see things like a buddha. Get a happy buddha view of life. Live like a happy buddha.
* HOTEI, THE LAUGHING BUDDHA
* Laugh with The Dalai Lama
* The Dalai Lama's Funny Bird Story
* Laughing Buddha (Mooji)
* Laughing Buddha(s) 2 (Mooji)

## Laughter Meditation

Laughter meditation consists of two steps. First laugh and second come to inner peace. It is helpful to use laughing as a mantra. Laugh in different parts of your body and thus awake the chakras and the kundalini energy. Then the happiness awakes in your inside und you become positive. You see the jokes in the world. Laughter arises in you naturally. You will become a laughing buddha. You will set alight your fellowmen with happiness and good humor.
1. Head = We think the mantra “Hee, Hee, Hee” mentally. We concentrate on the brain at the same time and so dissolve the tension in the head.
2. Chest = We mentally repeat the mantra “ Ha, ha, ha” in the chest. We lay the hands onto the heart chakra.
3. Belly = We think “Ho, ho, ho” in the belly and lay the hands on the belly.
4. Earth = We think “Hoo, Hoo, Hoo” into the earth. We lay our hands on the legs and move the feet at the same time.
5. Cosmos = We make big circles with our arms in the air and think the mantra “Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha”. We visualize the cosmos around us. We mentally repeat the mantra until we are one with the cosmos.
6. Send light = We move a hand in a blessing and send light to all beings. We think: “I send light to… (all beings). May all beings be happy. May there be a happy world.”
7. Thought stop = We hum the mantra “Om” in the body. We stop all of the thoughts. We come to a state of calm.
8. Positive saying = We start the day with positive resolution and start the day in a good mood. Proceed with optimism.

## See also

* Happiness/Laughter Yoga

## Videos

* 100 Laughter Yoga Exercises
* Benefits of Laughter Yoga with John Cleese
* Laughter Yoga Steps
* Enjoy Jayem's famous laughter meditation
* Spiritual awakening in four minutes
* OSHO SPIRIT AT LAUGHTER MEDITATION
* Incredible Laughter Yoga Meditation

## External links

* wikipedia/Laughter
* wikihow/Do-Laughter-Yoga (with pictures)
* wikihow/Do-Laughter-Meditation (with pictures)
* Become-a-Happy-Buddha
* laughteryoga.org
* youtube/madankataria
* 150-laughter-exercises

# Miscellanea
## Guru

Wikipedia: Guru (Sanskrit) Is a religious teacher in Hinduism, Sikhism and Tantric Buddhism. The teacher is essential in the search for knowledge on the way to salvation. In western language areas the term “guru” is often used in a mocking way used for people who attract followers using religious or philosophic statements. It is also used in a joking manner for people who possess higher than usual knowledge on a given area, exceptional experience in a subject or have a charismatic presence.
With the increasing popularity of the ascetic movement (to live as a solitary yogi) the Samnyasin guru has replaced the other types of gurus. Whereas the Acarya guru (yoga teacher) was still capable of making mistakes and could be criticized, the Samnyasin guru (saint, hermit) represented the already delivered Jivanmukta (Sadguru, enlightened master who lives in God) and the absolute and thus was considered perfect and infallible. By forsaking worldly life and through ascetic discipline he or she is said to achieve supernatural powers and to pass on healing powers to his or her students and to awaken slumbering wisdom.
In the Bhakti and tantric traditions the guru was considered an avatara of God, the incarnation of God, identical with absolute wisdom and highest existence (enlightenment, Sat-Chid-Ananda). The belief in a direct power and healing exchange from the guru to the student plays a central role here.
Online Discussions
Nils: Right now I’m reading the Book Roadtrip with Guru. The book is a report of a man who traveled through the western world with an Indian Guru.It is the story of a great love and a great disappointment. The guru was really enlightened and had a strong energy. The man got energy from the guru and felt happy. Then he found out that the guru had had sex with all of his female followers in his inner circle. He was so disappointed he left the guru and didn’t want to know anything more about enlightenment. Luckily he could return to his girlfriend.
The book awakened mixed feelings in me. First I thought it was terrible the guru didn’t uphold western morality. But that’s how enlightened people are. They are above all morals and therefore destroy the attachments their students have to them. That is an important step along the spiritual way. A student has to become his own guru. It s painful, like a child losing his mother. I experienced that myself with my guru Sai Baba. It took many years to work that out.
The second thing was a feeling of envy appeared in me. I’d also like to be a guru with a harem. He could live out completely as a guru and a man. I’m also a guru with a harem, but only virtual and without real sex. I don’t even have a girlfriend like the man in the book. This morning I woke up feeling sad about my life. At the same time, I know everything is right the way it is. I’m lead by God and need things the way they are for my spiritual development.
The book by Timm Kruse (Roadtrip with Guru) shows how easy it is to get lost along the way of tantric energy. That is particularly true of relationships with several women or men, especially in the west where also psychically sick or instabile people can appear on the spiritual scene. There are also addictive behaviors that might be hard for a guru to overcome. A good guru needs to be a good psychotherapist. Sexuality should always be experienced through the basis of clarity, wisdom and loyalty. The safest way is to stick to relationships with just two people or to live alone.
LaoHu (Yoga Vidya): If a guru has affectionate sex with his followers and then increases his energy, that’s ok for me as long as it is a free decision.
Bhajan Noam: Since the 60’s we thought we had left the stale air of the church behind us and now a lot of people are inviting the worse stink of Hinduism in through the back door via yoga. Yoga is the flowing with the stream of lif.e the real life is beyond morals, but everyone who lets it deep within of course has a conscience. A living person goes with cosmic laws. If you live your life completely, then you don’t have time to get upset or envious about things. It’s as easy as that.
D.Jahnke: It remains true that sadhana and brahmacarya (ascetism) is optimal for energetic transformation.
Nils: What does it mean to completely live out life? Those who live out their addictions end in total chaos. Sex and relationships are basically the way of external happiness which is the opposite of enlightenment. If you want to dance with that as a spiritual person, you should do so carefully and wisely. One can only totally live through enlightenment if inner happiness has been totally developed. At that point, you can rise above the way of material enjoyment. You know how to bring yourself and others forward along the spiritual way.
The Little Guru
Nils: Suddenly it was clear that I am a guru. And as a guru, what do you do? You write a book, at best with the title “Light and Love”. I hope the readers won’t take everything too seriously. Particularly the idea of my being a guru. In reality, I am an anti guru. Everyone should listen to the voice of their own wisdom and to take their own individual path. Everyone should contemplate, think about the text, laugh about it and then find their own truth.
The same word can have extremely different meaning for different people. Take for example, the term “guru”. In the western mass media, this term is usually used as an insult. A guru is a sect leader who takes advantage of people. He takes their money, has sex with female students and teaches crazy things that make people get psychically ill.
Of course such ”gurus” exist (for example, John Friend, Anusara yoga). Everyone should examine deeply the teachings they follow. You should not give up your reasoning at the door of spirituality. You should always look closely, take the good and criticize the bad. A good guru can be criticized. He can learn from it and overcome his mistakes. A bad guru forbids criticism. He lives out his ego, power and money only.
A good guru serves his or her students and the world. He or she sacrifices his or her ego in order to increase the happiness of his or her followers. A good guru brings other people with him or her into the light. That is how this term is to be understood in Hinduism. A guru is a spiritual teacher who leads his or her followers from the darkness and into the light. He or she takes them from foolishness to wisdom. He or she brings them from depression to a fulfilling life. He gives them a life of light, happiness, peace and love. A good guru should be as enlightened as possible. He or she should live in God in order to bring the light of God into the world. She should possess inner peace, light, happiness and love. Only then can he or she authentically bring these values to others. But in the end, a guru is still just a person. We should never forget it. Whenever my gurus are criticized, I look into the criticisms and find my own way of truth and love.
I don’t have that much light and inner peace. I still get angry about the suffering in the world and easily get attached to worldly things. After 26 years as a yogi living on his own more happiness is slowly developing within me.
A year ago, I had a big spiritual crisis. Something transformed in me. Deep-rooted tension and energy blockages released. Strong energy rushed through that me so that I lay in bed every night for three months and could hardly sleep, or not at all. It was a very difficult time. Then things calmed down a bit. I could sleep again, and I had energy to go through the day.
Three weeks ago I went for a walk and I saw two big snakes. I live near the forest where there are fields and swamps. There is a river here, too. Sometimes you can see snakes here. That’s rare because the snakes are rather shy. I had never seen two such big snakes here before.
The snakes were common grass snakes, which are not dangerous for people at all. (For frogs it’s a different story). Frogs are the preferred bounty for the snakes, and not little yogis. Despite this, I had a deep respect for the snakes because they were so big. Grass snakes can grow up to one meter long.
In yoga, snakes are a symbol for happiness. They represent the awakening of the kundalini energy. The yoga god Shiva wears a snake around the neck, thereby expressing that he practices kundalini yoga and has activated his kundalini energy. Happiness energy has been flowing within me for days- Perhaps I’ve been blessed by the yoga God Shiva.
It’s more probable that I automatically visualized the snakes and activated my kundalini energy that way. In the meditation after the walk, the energy flowed in me and suddenly I was in the light. There are still a lot of cleansing processes taking place. The light then disappears for a few days, but always comes back. Then I’m always happy because the happiness brings me beyond the suffering in the world. Suffering is always there in little gurus, too. Even a guru has to go to the dentist, is dumped by his girlfriend or gets shit on by a bird flying by. That has happened to me too.
I almost forgot. I am not a guru. It’s just a mind game. I am a totally normal man. At least, that’s what a former girlfriend said. She was completely disappointed with me. I always wanted to be just normal, which didn’t really work. Somehow I was always different from others. I practice being normal. The true guru is unassuming, normal and modest.
I’m not enlightened. I am totally unenlightened. I find others to be much more enlightened than I am. However, I have had some enlightenment experiences along my yogic way so I know the goal I am going for and I know what I am talking (writing) about. So that much needs to be said.
I mainly see myself as one who practices spiritually. I practice working on my thoughts and growing more and more in the light. I practice maintaining my inner calm and peace in difficult situations and accepting the suffering in life. I work on developing wisdom and positive thoughts and taking the path of truth with self-discipline.
Professionally, I was a lawyer. After the divorce with my ex-wife I gave up my bourgeois life and became a yogi. I earned money as a yoga teacher at the Hamburg adult higher learning school. I studied to become a psycho therapist and offered positive thinking courses at a health center. I wrote a lot of books and tried to spread spiritual knowledge over the internet. I worked with Wikipedia and WikiHow. I also started some groups on Facebook in the German language.
On the American WikiHow, I wrote a lot of texts about yoga. I put the best yoga series on the internet for free. Just a few people are interested in them. That frustrates me. I once wanted to be really successful. I considered how I could make a yoga series successful. The most often clicked on yoga texts were for beginners. So I developed a good series for beginners and called it “Yoga for Absolute Beginners” so I could trump all the other yoga series for beginners.
I just thought of it as a joke and it really became a big success on the internet. Up to now, over 473,000 people have clicked on my yoga series. For some people, it’s become something of a kult series, and through a joke I’m suddenly a guru. At least, on the internet and in the US. Here in Germany, hardly anyone gives a crap about me. But that’s how I like it. I have my peace and can live in my forest without getting pestered by overzealous tourists.

## Spiritual Therapy

Spiritual therapy is a way to heal the body, mind and soul. It recognizes the physical, mental and energetic connections of the illness.
The five rules of health are: healthy diet (a lot of raw vegetables and fruit, vitamins, at least one apple a day), no unhealthy substances (no smoking, alcohol, drugs, and only a little or no meat), regular exercise (going for walks, yoga, bike riding, jogging), enough relaxation (enough sleep, taking breaks, meditation) and positive thinking (to work on negatve thoughts and feelings, paying attention to your inner world).
Positive thinking is best learnt by getting a positive attitude and perspective for the day. An oracle, a positive sentence, a prayer, reading from positive books, enjoy life a little (doing something nice) and communicating with positive people (to talk on the phone or over skype, to chat or write an email).
It’s good to send all beings light every day, to do at least one good deed a day, and to live for a happy world (as a karma yogi/Bodhisattva/father or mother of all beings). If we anchor ourselves in God (in light, in the spiritual way) and live from un-conditional love, then we get a deeper sense of meaning in life and a more positive general feeling.
If I get sick, I try to help myself first. I read a health book or look online. I ask an pharmacist for advice and if all else fails I go to the doctor. At the same time, I connect with my masters (God) and follow the voice of my own wisdom. What does that wisdom advise me to do? What is my way of healing? What options appear when I get informed and contemplate? I then take this path with self-discipline and put my healing plan into action.
I am very familiar with fear, addiction, (relationship addiction) and depression. I’ve suffered all of the above and have tried several ways of healing. I have found my own way of healing. I’ve worked as a psycho-therapist with individual clients and have lead groups in teaching positive thinking. At the moment I just go my way as a yogi and help the people I meet along the way.
A healing practitioner read about me on the internet and wanted to meet me. We talked a little. Then the energy between us grew and we reached a happy silence. We just sat there in a cloud of happy energy. Then she left again. That was all she wanted. After the visit I sensed her aura. I recognized that she had needed healing for herself. She didn’t know that her sick patients were still in her aura and were blocking her energy. I healed her aura, sent light to her patients and let the light flow through and around her.
A woman from an earlier yoga group of mine visited me once a month. We ate something nice together and conversed. One day I felt connected with her hands and feet, after such a visit. Her energy had transferred to me and I healed her from within myself. When I met the woman a month later, she told me happily that her skin problems on the hands and feet had disappeared.
The way I see it is that my masters (God) work through me and do the right thing at the right time. Mu masters see what each person needs and what I can do. They show me how I can heal myself and build up my energy once more.
Healing meditation
1. Sun = We visualize a beautiful sun above us, raise both hands to the level of the head and think the mantra ”sun”. We let the light of the sun flow into us and massage it into the body.
2. Earth = We visualize the globe underneath us and rub the hands or feet into the earth below and think : “I send light to the whole world. May all beings on earth be happy.”
3. Healing Massage = We consider which body parts need healing at the moment. We let light flow into that body part, massage it in circles and think the word “light” as a mantra. We use the light massage to release tension from the part of the body, which then enables self-healing. We can visualize light in various colors that have a healing effect. We think the name of the color as a mantra. We can massage light into various body parts one after the other, using this process.
4. Cosmos = We visualize the cosmos around us full of stars, make big circles with the arms and think: “Om cosmos. I accept the suffering in my life. I take the path of health and healing.”
5. Buddha of Healing = We visualize a Buddha of healing in front of us or above us. We rub the hands together in front of the heart chakra and think: “Om Buddha of healing. Om inner wisdom. I ask for guidance and help along my way.”
6. Healing Question = We concentrate on the part of the body in need of healing or on a personal problem. We contemplate what our personal best way to healing is. What does your inner wisdom tell you to do? Which helpful thoughts come to you? Think about the problem long enough to the point you are satisfied with the solution. If we don’t hear an answer then we are either blocked or we are not connected to our inner voice well enough. The best way is to slowly come into a state of contemplation.
7. Other People = We move one hand in a blessing over the heart chakra and think: “I send light to (person’s name). May all people who have the same problem as I have be healed.” We surround them with light mentally and let light flow into them, and feel connected with them.
8. Relaxation = Stop thinking for one moment. Relax.

## Healing Depression

According to the teachings of yoga, depression occurs because of inner tension (samskaras) and energy blockages. A person has a problem and is not finished with it on the inside. Fears are stuck in the psyche. Lasting inner stress can arise, which makes the person sick. His or her energy is blocked and he or she suffer from negative thoughts. The person feels unwell and that affects thoughts and feelings.
Overcoming depression takes place through consistent work on negative thoughts and through releasing inner tension. A depressed person should pay attention to his or her thoughts, stop the negative thoughts and create positive thoughts. Problems should be solved as much as possible. Otherwise, one should learn to accept things and to go through situations in a relaxed way.
In yoga and Christianity, one helps the self by concentrating on what is positive in life. You concentrate on the spiritual way, on spiritual exercises, on God (life in light). Those who live in God as the main focus do not lose themselves to the problems of the world. They do not get too attached to worldly enjoyment and can deal with problems in a laid-back way.
We should know that when we feel troubled by love, that it is God we love above all. Enlightenment is the deeper meaning in life, not the love of a partner. As a yogi, one looks for happiness in oneself. You work on thoughts of happiness, peace, love and wisdom, as well as self-discipline. Using spiritual exercises we bring the self more and more into the light.
That takes place through daily meditation, walking and thought work. (overcoming thoughts of attachment and denial). Buddha said:”life is suffering. There is a way to overcome the suffering. That way is enlightenment. Through regular meditation and working with the thoughts, one can overcome suffering of the soul. Then peace, acceptance and happiness can come into existence.
Buddha was a great psycho-therapist who had developed a very successful way of healing. The therapy of observation is very helpful toward curing depression. I recommended the book “The Attentive Way through Depression” to a friend of mine and she read it enthusiastically.
My personal way of healing depression and the development of inner happiness consists of lying down and meditating, walking (twice a day going for hour-long walks), reading (the books of my masters), thought work (stopping negative thoughts and creating positive ones), doing good (coming to the energy of unconditional love through good deeds), enjoying life (doing something fun, eating cookies with chocolate). I creatively put these six points into action every day.
I tried to show these methods to my depressed girlfriend at the time. But she refused to let go of her problems, to send all beings light and to strive for the goal of enlightenment. Instead of enlightenment as the goal, we formulated it so that the goal was acceptance and inner wellness. Unfortunately, I couldn’t motivate her to send her enemies light and to do spiritual exercises every day. Through those methods she could have let go of the causes of her depression and would have come to a life in light.
Her biggest problem was self-discipline. Depressed people don’t have much self-discipline. Even I had to force myself to stick to my exercises for two months before I got used to doing them. My girlfriend managed to go for walks sometimes, to meditate sometimes, to stop her depressed thoughts sometimes and to sometimes read an anti-depression’s book. She always managed to talk on the phone with me. The daily phone conversation was the main way to healing. It gave her meaning and strength to live.
She probably would have recovered from her depression more quickly if she had done her exercises regularly. I planned to do the exercises on the telephone with her, but it didn’t happen. Fortunately, she developed a meditation which helped her. As a Christian she had a connection to God. She meditated on God in herself. She could bring her thoughts to rest. It opened the source of happiness within her.
After we broke up, we talked on the phone once more briefly. She said that the break up was final. In that regard, there was clarity and I could let her go with love. At the same time, she told me she had an experience of God after the break up. God showed her that he is there for her and guides her. My main worry during the break up was that my girlfriend wouldn’t find a way out of her depression. Now I don’t need to worry about her anymore. God is protecting her. She will find her way into the light.

## From Burn-out to Strength

32 years ago, I suffered from burn-out. I was totally burnt out on the inside. Five years of extreme job stress (studies, exams) combined with constant relationship stress had really upset my nerves. I was tenser and tenser on the inside. Fears, aggression and stress dominated my life. I was afraid of giving up and not being successful. I was afraid I wouldn’t be loved and would lose my relationship. I was afraid of life in general which I experienced as generally threatening.
All of that persisted until I had a breakthrough. This breakthrough had two stages .First I lost half my strength. Psycho-somatic illnesses appeared in my life. But I continued to struggle with my career and relationship. Two years later I totally broke down. At that time all of my inner strength was gone and I had extreme depression. I couldn’t experience my relationship as positive and lost my family. Some years later I gave up my career as a lawyer.
First I hoped that the burnout would disappear on its own after a longer period of rest. But the weakness and lack of energy continued. I could overcome the depression through sports and consistent positive thinking.
I asked myself how I could get my old strength back. I read about psychology and took part in psychology retreat weekends. I met a lot of people who were looking for the way out of burnout. I can remember a 40-year-old woman especially well. At a Bio-energy workshop she complained that she wanted to feel well and satisfied again. A 50-year-old man said that he was strong and successful earlier and that this state of burn out came after decades of being overwhelmed on the job and now he was plagued by weakness and fear. He was just a shadow of himself and nothing helped.
Psychology still has yet to find a way out of burnout. It recommends preventative measures such as good nutrition, exercise and avoiding stress. But who can avoid stress on the job today? The pressure to succeed is getting bigger and bigger. Individual prevention measures only help a little and sometimes. If burnout is just on the surface, it can sometimes be healed and minimized. A lot of clinics and retreat resorts make a lot of money off of that. But chronic burnout can only seldom be healed. There is no pill against burnout.
All of the psychology techniques failed to help me, so I looked to spirituality. Here I found a convincing healing concept. If the body is cleansed of tension through exercises like yoga, meditation and positive thinking, the chakras open and energy flows again. When enlightened, you have infinite strength, peace and happiness.
I thought out how I could dissolve my tension. Tension was in my body and mind. I needed exercises for the body and for the mind. For the body, doing yoga and going for walks was helpful. I cleansed my mind with thought exercises, positive thoughts, mantras and meditation. I chalked up the deeper causes to inner stress. I didn’t block my feelings anymore, rather I let the rage, sadness and fear run its course. I practiced accepting things as they are, and to free myself of addiction and to orient myself around a positive goal in life.
I lived according to a spiritual daily plan consisting of walking, meditation, reading and unconditional love (doing good). I practiced spiritual exercises so that I would constantly be in a state of inner cleansing. I lived in peace and from the state of calm. According to Swami Sivananda, enlightenment occurs through a combinationof a lot of rest, all-encompassing love and consistent spiritual practice (yoga, meditation). Kundalini yoga is especially important. With Kundalini yoga, the chakras are cleansed and inner power is awakened. I visualized myself as a Buddha, Shiva and mother to all beings. I thought mantras and sent light to all beings. I used oracle cards and encouraged myself with their positive phrases.
I also looked for a lot of enlightened masters and was blessed by them. They transferred enlightenment energy to me and dissolved energy blockages. I connected with my masters daily through prayer, reading and oracle. I sensed that I was lead along my way and that I got help. It’s necessary, because the path of enlightenment isn’t easy. It requires self-discipline and can cause you to go through difficult inner crisis.
Through the course of the years, my psycho-somatic illnesses disappeared, I got stronger and I was happy more often. But I still haven’t reached my goal. But just a year ago, I went through a great inner change. Some deep tension in my head released in a noticeable way and my sleeping problems healed themselves. I felt how my burnout disappeared. At the moment, half of my old strength is back. I hope that I will be just as strong as before in a few years. I am already looking forward to having immeasurable energy and being able to live in light and love permanently.
Kundalini Meditation
1. Earth = We visualize a bright star. We imagine the earth below us and circle the earth with the star. We think the word “earth” as a mantra. We circle the earth with our star until the whole earth below us is full of light. We can also rub the ground with the feet at the same time.
2. Sun = We imagine a beautiful sun above us in the sky. We let our star circle the sun un til the light of the sun flows into us and fills the body with light. We think the mantra “sun” repeatedly.
3. Body = We circle our own bodies with the star and think the mantra ”body”. We cleanse all of the tension from the body. We surround ourselves completely with light. We can move the feet or toes at the same time.
4. In the body = We let the star circle around everywhere in the body. We cleans all of the parts of the body of their tension and fill them with light. At the same time, we think the mantra “light”. We circle the head, the chest, the belly, the legs and the feet, especially, with the star.
5. Sending light = We move the hand in a blessing and send light to all beings: ”I send light to..(name). May all beings be happy. May there be a happy world.”
6. Om Shanti = We tighten the muscles in the pelvis, in the belly and chest. Then we hold the tension and the then relax. We do it once more. Then we breathe deeply into the belly while thinking “om” while breathing in and when exhaling “shanti”. We reach peace more and more as we repeat the mantra.
7. Meditation = By doing the star circles, our energy has turned more inward. We open the eyes halfway and concentrate on the energy within us (the light, the chakras or the kundalini channel). This way, the energy of the eyes flow inward and stabilize our meditation. We stop all of our thoughts. We stay in a calm meditation for a while. Then we slowly come back.

## What is Enlightenment?

Enlightenment cannot be described. In order to make it possible to comprehend it a little, I will describe it as a staircase path. The first step is experienced as peace, happiness and harmony. You are in harmony with yourself and the world. If you take in spiritual energy, then a consciousness shift takes place. You reach enlightened existence. You lose your ego and your “me” identity. You become pure consciousness and perceive yourself as everything. You think from the unity and not from the ego.
That cannot be comprehended if you only think from the ego. When the ego is gone, you reach great inner peace. You are not really bothered by what happens to you anymore. You don’t consider yourself important. You are now essentially positive, and you think positive.
But even then you can develop further. You can open the chakras and possess infinite inner balance, strength, happiness and love and grow. You can develop abilities like omni-presence. You can connect with other people energetically in order to heal them and send them strength. Then one day you can spiritually help everyone and bring them into the light.
Those who pray to an enlightened being every day will be brought to paradise. The great enlightened beings can also work through other people (their students) and arrange outer situations in helpful spiritual ways. I see this at work around me. I believe that the great enlightened beings use their abilities to help all beings.
Enlightenment is a special type of happiness. I consider it happiness energy. This energy goes beyond worldly experiences of happiness, joy and suffering. You can be full of this joy energy when you are grieving or grieving for someone in empathy. You can feel the worldly suffering and through the enlightenment energy rise above that suffering. An enlightened person experiences rain and sun, but through inner happiness and inner peace is relatively independent in terms of feeling. You live in a higher dimension of light. The word “enlightened” means to be full of light and to live in light.
Don’t suppress your doubt, rather get informed and think about the cause. This way you dissolve the doubts. I’ve experienced enlightenment, and so don’t doubt that it exists. My problem is whether there are higher enlightened beings and what exactly are their abilities. As a former atheist, it’s hard to believe in them. But I’ve had many experiences which suggest that we do get help. I have slowly come to find the truth.
The first truth is that people wish for happiness and want to avoid suffering. I recognized that at the age of 14. I established the luck-bad luck theory. At the age of 30 I recognized the path of inner happiness. Material life consists of a constant shuffle between joy and suffering. If you want to be happy over the long run, then you have to develop your inner happiness. That is my second truth. My third truth is that enlightenment is the highest form of happiness. That is my truth because I have experienced it myself. Then I searched for a way I could grow in inner happiness. I read up on philosophy, psychology and various religions. I recognized that all of the systems deal with enlightenment. Religions are systems of enlightenment. That is my fourth truth.
I found out that people are different. They need different methods to develop inner happiness and enlightenment. Each person has to look within and figure out exactly what will help, and what will harm. Yoga, walking, meditation, reading, doing good and connecting with my enlightened masters help me. If you are consistent, then you grow in light. That is my fifth truth and experience.
A central question along the spiritual way is what is spiritual energy? You feel it. You can check that and rule out having just imagined it. For Buddha, energy is an important element of enlightenment. According to my experiences you reach happiness, luck, love, strength and omni-presence through this energy. It frees the body and mind of blockages and purifies so that the energy can flow. I feel that energy develops within. It can also come from the outside. Christians call this the Holy Ghost. Esoterics talk of light. I feel it as consciousness energy that exists outside of one’s own mind. Near death experiences show that people leave their bodies and observe things from the outside, even when the organs are blocked.

## A Miracle

I hadn’t been to the dentist in five years. I then experienced a little miracle. A tooth hurt a lot, was swollen, and numb. It was a problem even into the root. I was sure that it had to be pulled. But then I pulled the oracle card for healing. And then that evening the tooth healed suddenly. Within an hour, the pain, inflammation and swelling disappeared. I have never experienced such before. I think God had mercy with me because I am such a little, weak yogi.
A year ago, I was often helped a lot by my masters. A lot of miracles took place. The first miracle was that the cleansing processes mostly took place in a way that I could get by. They were in just the right intensity. If they got to be too difficult, my masters obviously intervened. Once I thought I couldn’t go on any longer. And then suddenly the kundalini energy stopped. I could sleep well that night. When I felt like an inner struggle became too difficult after two months, I met a woman. Through her love, I had new strength for living.
Also when people visit me, some miracles occur. Some surprising energy and healing processes take place. It’s amazing how God works through me sometimes. The right people appear at the right moments. They appear when they need me or I need them. They get what is right for them and what helps them along the spiritual path. According to my experience, supernatural abilities do exist. There are great enlightened masters who can help us with our abilities. The open question is how far these abilities go. I can’t explain that. I can only hope that my enlightened masters will help me when I pray to them.

## Reincarnation

Wikipedia on Reincarnation: The term reincornation indicates all types of concepts that a soul or a mental process will manifest once more as another conscious being. The most important faith systems where reincarnation plays a central role are Hinduism with 900 million followers and Buddhism with 400-500 million. The protestant theologue Helmut Obst said: “there isn’t aren’t any clear reincarnation teachings in the bible. However, there a few places which seem to indicate reincarnation and can be interpreted as such. “ The evangelium of Matthew and Mark make it impossible to say that the New Testament has absolutely no mention of the reincarnation idea. It deals with John the Baptist who is thought to be the returned prophet Elija. Ian Stevenson, who attained international fame through his research with children who could remember earlier lives, was the most famous of those discussing this new topic. A step further along this way is the reincarnations therapy that tries to use regressions to find out about earlier lives.
Nils: For me, during the last few years some two thousand earlier live shave popped up. That seems to be over now. I sometimes doubt whether they were real earlier lives. But with another yogi, his lives seem similar. The way the lives appear are proof of the authenticity of the lives and the possibility for reincarnation.
After I had lived as a hermit for seven years, I was suddenly overcome by the wish to know my earlier lives. I sensed back in time and at some point found resonance. It appeared as a sort of inner resistance. Then I sensed exactly there. One after another, mentally four earlier lives appeared. I knew the place, the time and the type of life each one respectively was.
If you dissolve tension systematically in the body and the mind with spiritual exercises, then one day you can access the stress situations from earlier lives, when the time is right. Every highly stressful situation is saved in the soul. When tension is dissolved, then pictures or short scenes (little films) can appear in dreams or when awake. The tension releasing process is often connected with bodily reactions such as restlessness, muscle twitching, heat or cold.
First the tension from my life now dissolved. Then in short scenes I saw the stressful test situations, relationship conflict, and repressed accidents. Because I still had the stress experiences in my memory, there was a context between the spiritual exercises, the dissolving of inner tension and the appearance of dreams. I learnt to differentiate between these special dreams and normal dreams. After eleven years as a hermit, suddenly many earlier lives appeared in mind. First, earlier lives appeared one at a time. Then a lot of earlier lives appeared. After four years, the process slowed down slowly. This was in contrast to the conscious sensing out in my mind toward earlier lives, now there were clear short films.I could see geographic and time related details regarding my environment at the time.
Nils (Online discussion at Jesus.de): Is reincarnation real? What is Christianity’s position toward reincarnation? What would you decide if you had the choice to reincarnate on earth?
Hadie: Many people know that the Bible cannot be taken literally word for word. Reincarnation isn’t a faith question, because if it is real, it’s real independent of whether or not I believe in it. Even Jesus spoke of John the Baptist as the reincarnated Elia.
Nikodemus (Catholic): If reincarnation were proven, then we would have to accept that it exists.
Nils: There’s the case of an English woman who was burnt as a witch in France in the Middle Ages. She knew exactly where the documents were and what they said. That wasn’t known to anyone else anywhere. On TV a few years back there was a series where they depicted regression therapy. In the hypnosis, certain facts were obtained and then the TV team went to the corresponding place. And then it was considered whether the person in question could have known things beforehand or not.
Max: I don’t want to ever come back to earth. I really don’t want to be back to this world with all of its pain, suffering and death…. No thank you!
CoCreator: I’m convinced that the Buddhists and Hindus are closer to reality than the Christian church with their explanations. In a new incarnation there’s a new chance to make right what was done wrong in earlier lives. The promise of deliverance (Jesus died from you) causes people to not take responsibility for their actions since Jesus will simply free them from their sins.
alf: There’s reincarnation. It can be proven through meditation. But we Christians are generally not familiar with this.
Katrin: There are especially “knowledgeable mystics” who claim to know such. I’m not impressed. Reincarnation doesn’t exist. “People are bound to live once, to die once, and then to be judged.”
fff: “Hebr. 9,27: “And how mankind is determined to live once, and afterwards appear before God.” That appearsfrom the letters of Paul. But show me the statements from Jesus. I orient myself more from the perspective of the teachings of Jesus.
Nils: The Bible is a collection of various texts from various authors. Some points are considered thoroughly and some less so. Sometimes certain texts are held back if the church authorities are against it. I think particularly of the Book of Thomas which emphasizes the way of calm and meditation. Through these methods you come to real experiences of your faith. And then earlier lives appear in the frame of your mind, just like it happened with the Christian desert fathers.
Saint Anthony reported that he experienced situations where he was eaten alive from earlier lives. He saw demonic beasts who wanted to eat him. When cleansing the soul, earlier lives appear and they are mostly from stressful situations. Such situations are remembered especially well and block enlightenment energy the most. They must be cleansed, therefore if you want to advance along the spiritual path.
I believe the teachings of paradise and the teachings of reincarnation do not conflict one another. Both are possible. A soul can decide to be reborn on earth or to advance further on the other side. You can ascend to paradise and remain there if you are spiritually advanced enough and pure of heart. It is also possible for a soul to advance to paradise and to return to earth one day in order to help the people on eart spiritually. Jesus also mentioned this regarding Elija.
Even Jesus planned to return to earth. Therefore, he also taught reincarnation and that enlightened masters can incarnate on earth to help others. That is exactly the way of all-encompassing love that Jesus taught. Wikipedia: Christian theologist Parusie considered the return of Jesus as the completion and perfection of the healing history, of the coming of the kingdom of God.
What is scientific proof? For me, observations and contemplation also count. That’s the only way we can really approach the subject life after death. There are many indications. But it is not the only way. Quantum physics shows the possibility physically. Near death research gives us observations. If we want to ask the dead, we need clairvoyants and enlightened people. Many Tibetan masters could see into the other side and see earlier lives. I also know my earlier lives. That’s proof enough for me.
But I admit I am critical and sometimes doubt whether there is life after death. In the end it doesn’t matter- the deeper point of life is enlightenment. And we can reach that in this life. We will experience or not experience everything else after death.

## Woman searching for a Master

Woman: Hello Nils. Can you help me? I am searching for a master.
Nils: What are you searching for? Are you seriously looking for a master? A master in what? Unfortunately I am no master, just a normal person. Masters for me are the Dalai Lama, Jesus or Mother Meera. They are enlightened and have special spiritual abilities they can help us with. I just have a little knowledge to share with you.
Woman: Your root chakra exercise is totally great. I did it while walking and experienced something like when having an orgasm. It wasn’t the second time, but it still motivates me to exercise.
Nils: Wonderful. I sensed from a distance that you had a big spiritual breakthrough. Keep going. You just need the self-discipline every day to exercise. Then you will come to the light. Now everyone wants to know what this exercise was. I just sensed in your energy field where the energy blockage was and developed a simple exercise for you. The exercise consisted of going for a walk, concentrating on the earth and thinking a mantra. I will tell the mantra to every woman who comes to visit me. Just kidding!
Woman: Most people search for happiness in the context of a relationship.
Nils: Only when enlightened does the search come to an end. Only in enlightenment can lasting happiness be found. Enlightenmen is described through the words Sat-Chit-Ananda. Sat means enlightened being, inner rest and inner peace. Chid is the unity consciousness. Ananda is happiness, inner bliss. All three are related. They are together and all three can be developed by working on each aspect respectively. The enlightened being is exercised by accepting things as they are. You overcome tendencies toward addiction and develop inner peace. Inner peace can be developed through kundalini meditation and by thinking positively. The unity consciousness is developed by consciously experiencing nature and love for all beings. I release inner tension using spiritual exercises (walking, meditation, thought work.) Then the energy starts to flow and a feeling of inner wellness and happiness arises. But I still haven’t reached my goal. But I can say that this way works for me. I have a feeling of peace, happiness and wellness.s I am not really searching. I have found my way.
Woman: Isn’t it so that a relationship is more about sex and material needs?
Nils: I try to take the middle road where some worldly joy can be experienced. I have to be careful not to lose myself along the spiritual way. Even by skyping daily with A. I lost myself in relationship addiction. When she broke up with me, God appeared once more. I was in my own happiness energy once more. I try to find what works for me in just the right amount, when it comes to enjoying things of the world.
Woman: Do you have dreams?
Nils: My dream is to reach a sufficient level of enlightenment so that I can be happy and independent from the suffering of life, so that I can help others and contribute to building a happy world. Earlier I was addicted to sex, affection, intimacy. Now my inner happiness is developin slowly. I rest in myself and don’t need anything external anymore. I don’t need sex or affection. I can experience it though, when it is there. I couldn’t have believed that earlier. Inner happiness is enough if it is present in a sufficient amount. I am a yoga teacher who also takes the path of tantra yoga in addition to teaching it. Tantra yoga is multi-faceted. Sometimes it is connected to free love. For me, I realize that faith, love and truth are an important part of my path. My wisdom is putting God as the center of life. This way one can go with or without a relationship. Without a relationship the way to enlightenment is normally faster than with. But that is not always the case. Some people need to live one way, others another. I need to live as a single, or in the context of a relationship at different points. I grow through both. I believe God leads me in my life. The right woman always appears when I need a relationship. My relationships have all been very different. There have been relationships with and without sex. The deciding factor of a relationship is love.
Woman: I’m not doing so well today.
Nils: What’s wrong with you? The divine loves you. You are blessed. You are wonderful. You deserve everything good in the world. If someone is hopeless it’s me. I have so many errors and weaknesses.
Woman: I’m so full of ego. I am never satisfied.
Nils: You’re a woman. That’s how women are, according to my experience. They want love from a man. They want attention and energy from their partner. They are addicted to relationships. They’re never satisfied. They look to the outside world instead of within. Therefore, you are completely normal. Don’t worry.
Woman: What is enlightenment?
Nils: For me, enlightenment is a flowing process. Enlightenment means that the light of God flows into us and enlightens us. We feel the peace, love, happiness and connection to everyone. I’m satisfied with my life. The sun is shining, it is warm and I don’t have a toothache anymore.
Light meditation
1. Relaxing= we tense up the muscles of the feet and legs. We hold the tension, stop all thoughts and breathe into the legs. Then we relax. Then we tighten up the muscles of the arms and hands. We breathe into the arms and hands. We relax. We tighten the muscles of the head and face. Then we breathe into the face. Then we relax. Then we tighten the muscles of the entire body. We breathe into the entire body. Then we relax.
2. Count from 1 to 20= We count from 1 to 20 mentally, concentrate on the head and breathe into the head. Our mind comes to rest. We concentrate on the rib cage breathe into the rib cage and count from 1 to 20. We breathe into the belly and count from 1 to 20. We concentrate on the legs and feet and count from 1 to 20. Then we visualize a ball under the soles of the feet and count from 1 to 20 in the ball.
3. Sun in the sky= We visualize a beautiful sun in the sky. It sends its rays out to us. We feel the light and the warmth on the skin. It is as if we are on vacation in the sun. We enjoy the sunlight.
4. Surrounded by the light= We surround ourselves with light. We take a golden sunray and let the sunlight circulate around us. Then we repeat the mantra “light”. We let the sunlight into us and fill us with light. We think the mantra “light”. We send light to everyone.
5. Thought stop= We stop all of our thoughts for a minute and move the feet gently. We concentrate on the feet and move them until the mind is completely calm.
6. Relaxation= We lay down for a few minutes and just relax. We let the feelings come and go as they please.
7. Returning: we come back slowly. We move the feet and hands. We stretch. Then we sit up. We’re back.