One of the devotees asked the enlightened master – Anandmurti Gurumaa, “How does one run inward and look within during meditation?”

Gurumaa guides the seeker by explicating that one does not need to run inward. “Run” is a word, which one uses when he runs away from himself. It is used when one is running from in to out, from internality to externality. But when one talks about going in, then one does not need to “run” for going in.

As already established in the being, one just needs to be in the centre and being in the existence. In true existence, everyone is ’sat chit ananda’. We are the holiest of the holy and in fact, we are the ’supreme absolute existence’. In meditation (dhyana) and satsang (spiritual discourses) one needs to be centered in the real self.

Gurumaa says that centring within being means having the feeling that “I am not body alone, I am not mind, I am not the changing patterns of my mind, I am not just emotions, I am not just this limited self, I am the infinite absolute truthful existence.”

And as and as one gets established in this, one finds that even while working, doing all kinds of actions, still one remains centred and still glows in the illuminating light.

For the ones who want to understand and experience the inner world of profound tranquility, Anandmurti Gurumaa has given detailed discourses on meditation. Click here for more details.

Our breath is a powerful and a subtle force that binds the mind, body and senses together and integrates them. To be more precise, it is the prana (vital force present in air) that does this integration and keeps the body and mind healthy.

While Asanas (Yogic Poses) help to maintain our body’s health, vitality, vigor, energy and immunity, Pranayam implies exercises involving deep breaths and taking more oxygen within our lungs. It leads to a greater intake of vital pranic energy which deeply purifies and awakens the dormant lying chakras (subtle energy centers) within our body.

In this video, Gurumaa explains the process of practicing Nadi Shodhan Pranayama (Nadi Purifying Pranayama). The word “Nadi” means the nerve channels. It refers to those energy pathways through which the vital prana energy flows. “Shodhan” means an act of cleansing.

Benefits of Nadi Shodhan Pranayam

Nadi Shodhan Pranayam is quite simple and any individual can learn and practice it to reap its amazing benefits. Here are some of the health benefits of practicing Nadi Shodhan Pranayama -

1) It helps to strengthen the lungs and cures various types of lung’s diseases. A greater level of oxygen intake helps to overcome problems such as asthma and physical debility.

2) A higher intake of oxygen through breathing helps to cleanse the blood and purify it. It makes the skin healthy and naturally glowing. Pranayama is the secret to a long life and eternal youth.

3) Nadi Shodhan Pranayama is beneficial in various neurological disorders and also helps to sooth, calm, and de-stress the mind from anxiety and worries.

It helps in clearer thinking by balancing the left and the right hemispheres of the brain. It helps to improve concentration, memory and intelligence.