HE VITAL SHEATH, CALLED PRANA, is connected with your life force, a regulator of your mind and body. It can be likened to a thermos that has an outer shell inside which is a glass bottle. In between there is a vacuum. That vacuum is what we call the vital sheath. If the vacuum was not in the thermos, the contents would not remain hot or cold. The vital sheath is related to basic energy; when it becomes imbalanced, the person becomes nervous, prone to breakdowns, upsets and craziness, ill-health, etc. Therefore, balance of the vital sheath is very necessary.  

Whenever excessive impulses, urges, passions or emotions arise in you, it means your vital is imbalanced. There are various methods for balancing the vital. You can take something to make yourself stronger, such as vitamins, protein and whatnot, but this is only a surface remedy. Energy from medicine is on a very gross level; the basic energy you have to balance is within you. Relaxation is another way. It allows you to recover your own energy, not that it gives you energy directly. Try it, even if you feel very weak, nervous, restless or wobbly. If you were to rest or lie down, you would see at one point, when you are successful, that energy will suddenly begin to awaken within you. The medicine, food and/or rest that you take helps you to touch a certain point, but this actually comes indirectly from relaxation. And then your vital sheath begins to replenish, to recover.  

Prana is your life force, the basic energy, but there is a subtlest part of it which is like crystal clear, frozen energy: ojas in yogic terms. This crystallized energy helps concentration. When it is too loose and fluid, you lose concentration and become dissipated and distracted. Other things may help but they are not the Source of your energy. That Source is within you. It exists even in the weakest, most helpless, downtrodden, wretched person—there is no exception. Avoid negativities, vengefulness and reactions. Avoid being demanding and expecting. Just lie or sit down and be silent. Amidst your greatest weaknesses and nervousness, you can come in touch all of a sudden with that Center. Therefore you find sometimes in your darkest hour the light shines from somewhere; hope comes, only because it is there.  

You may call it Master’s grace or God’s blessing, but also that Essence is within you. 

The Source from which you are created is always in you, but it is there more fully, more perfectly, when you touch that point. Not by thinking but by becoming—just relax and BE. How will you know when you are touching it? It will become very tangible to you. You will see the energy like a spring gushing in you. All of a sudden you will feel it traversing through your nerves, coursing through your veins. And it will begin to purify your heart, brain and blood. You will not have to imagine it, it will just happen.  

When you relax you will see the magic. Your mind may be barren and desert-like—desolate, negative, unfulfilled—but underneath is a spring of energy where you have to “dig.” This digging is going deep in meditation, or by grace. But that grace is the work of Masters; ordinary people cannot do it. When you relax your prana and your breathing goes on slowing down, coming as if to a straight line and then to zero, you get to that Source. This is stillness. 

F YOU HONESTLY GIVE UP TO GOD, you will have nothing to worry about. But if you are still worrying, you have not given up to God; you are holding onto whatever it is, even though mentally or verbally you have told Him, “It is Yours.” If you leave up to God, there and then you will relax. That is the beauty of God—He makes you released the very moment you give unto Him. The tragedy is, you do not remember this. You want to take your miseries and troubles to God, but you seldom give them unto Him. This is a trick of ego. 

If God is supreme, omnipotent, the Source of all energy, why then can’t we give unto Him? Because we are taking things unto ourselves. Ego is trying to be powerful and it has very little capacity; when more power comes than ego can hold onto, it has problems. Ego is limited—God is omnipotent. So, any degree of power that you have, dedicate or surrender unto Him. It is His. Give unto Him in a true, honest way and you will relax there and then, whatever your situation may be. 

ES, BUT IN A DIFFERENT WAY. Inside you will be in joy and peace. That should be the result, if surrender is genuine. You will feel joy, peace and wisdom minus the usual worry, stagnation, depression and nervous breakdowns. And it gives you instant release. 

There is a limit to ego’s power. Where to go now from that point? Back to your Source. Where did you get the power? We worship God but we are afraid of Him, that is a problem. It is easy to worship but difficult to give up. We are still holding onto me.  Truly relaxing is “letting go.” Then you do not fear God because you have lovingly surrendered unto Him. You have taken refuge unto Him. 

HAT IS RIGHT AND I WILL ADD ONE MORE ELEMENT TO THIS: When He makes you a channel, an instrument to work through, the limited control which you had of a situation becomes supreme control. Then you are no longer this limited being. When you give Him the reins, He works through you. The difference is that you are no longer limited ego consciousness. There is unlimited consciousness behind you and in you, the Source working through you. Things will happen still by you, through you, for you, from you, around you, but you will not be involved or “lost” in them.  

Do not think that when you give up to God nothing will happen. Things will still happen, but in a more perfect, fulfilling, joyful, peaceful, satisfying and wise way. Everything will happen but you will not be a slave to it—blind, ignorant and involved. You will be floating on your own joy.   

Edited from The Source

Audio Satsangs of Swami Amar Jyoti

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