“How should the word “asana” be translated from Sanskrit?”

 “Asana” is translated as “position”, it is close to the Russian word ‘bearing’.”

“Teacher, I read, that asanas help us to enter specific spiritual states. How does this happen? Could it be that this happens precisely because they activate specific channels and chakras? Is it possible through this to connect to God?”

“Because of the relaxation of the muscles, the thin energy channels, called Nandi, are cleaned and the body is thus healed. When people are sick, they cannot develop”

“I have read that asanas are not done separately, but they are put together to form specific complexes. Why? Is it because only when they are done in a sequence we begin to use the necessary channels and benefit from the wholeness of this action? Or is it because in this case we influence something? In the complexes, how is the sequence of the asanas selected and according to which criteria? Why is the number of asanas always 8, 12or 16?”

“Complexes are made so that the spine necessarily bends in different directions: through moving forward, backwards and sideways as well as through twisting, inverted positions and relaxing. When a complex is connected with breathing and with the work of imagination, then a mystical ritual emerges from this”.

“Teacher, I read that the body itself does not have sensations, and that these appear only when it comes into contact with subtler energy   for instance, ether and when this interaction occurs through respiration. Is it correct to understand that in an asana the breathing helps to single out the specific spectrum of sensations from the whole experience of asanas? How can this be obtained? Are sensations possible only because of respiration?”

“Sensations occur because of the energy: if people have lots of energy they have some sensations, if they have little energy they have other sensations. If an arm or foot becomes numb, this happens because all sensations have ceased in them, and little energy flows through them. Energy is connected with breathing, blood circulation, general tone etc.”

“Teacher, what does the word “yoga” mean in Sanskrit and how can I correctly understand it? I understand that this indicates the unity of universe, soul and spirit, of infinite and finite. Yet I cannot understand it fully. Does this mean that yogi is the way through which people live in truth, in the highest truth, in a whole life devoted to the highest, to serving God and to self-developing themselves in each action? How should we understand words like “the Oneness of soul and spirit?”

“People are now in a state of separation from God. All their sufferings and misfortunes come from this. In order to become happy, humans try to recover the lost Oneness. Humans within themselves are divided into many parts. In order to arrive at Oneness with God, they must become One within themselves. In this way they can resist the split between the way of God and that of their mother’s patties :). The ‘Eight steps of the Yoga of Patandjali’ lead to Oneness.

“Up to now, it has been very difficult for me to understand what relaxing is all about. It is complicated to understand the difference between Tamas and relaxation. How to understand simultaneous concentration and relaxation? Is it possible, please Teacher, to give an example that I can use to explain this to people more clearly?”

“For example, when a cat looks at a bird or a mouse, it can sit for hours watching. In this case it does not fill up, it is vigilant and all muscles are relaxed. This is how humans should be: remain vigilant as well as active by relaxing the muscles they do not use for action and keep inner calm”.