The morning sun illuminated the room, its shining rays driving away the darkness. A man sat cross-legged on the matted surface.
'The best time to practice yoga is at dawn. The pure rays of the rising sun have a natural tendency to drive away impurities,' he thought. With that in mind, he stood up, brought the palms of his hands together, and took a deep breath. Moving the joined hands upward and backwards, he arched his spine, stretching the entire torso as he exhaled.
From this position, he separated his hands and brought them forward to the ground, forming an inverted 'U' shape with his body. He held the position for three seconds. Afterwards, he stretched his legs back, shifting his body's weight onto his palms as if holding a plank, and maintained the position for a few seconds. From there, he brought a single leg forward, placing the sole of the foot on the ground, much like a leopard moving forward. He repeated this with the other side, then returned to the plank position. From the plank, he moved back to the inverted 'U,' then from the inverted 'U' to the arched-back position, and finally returned to a relaxed stance.
This was the most basic exercise for starting on the path of Sharira Shuddhi. The most recommended time to perform it was in front of the rising sun. To date, the consensus was that after performing this exercise, one should allow the body to recover naturally, especially in the first few days of practice. But who was Shakti? In just a few years, the basics would change to also include a set of breathing exercises to complement this movement, achieving twice the results in a single session. This addition would also allow the body to recover more quickly by gradually calming it down instead of making the hard, abrupt stop that was the norm.
He quickly sat down in the lotus position. Taking in a few deep breaths, he calmed his body. Then, instead of inhaling forcefully, he allowed his breath to flow naturally through his nostrils, held it for four seconds, and finally released it in a single, forceful exhale. He repeated this cycle for an entire hour. His muscles, which had been in slight pain from practising for the first time, were now relaxed. His body was covered in slightly sticky, black sweat.
'In just one session, I released twice the normal amount of impurities! Even without using any special complementary material to boost efficiency, just the improvement from better technique will push me to be among the best of my peers.'
This had its benefits. He could cultivate in secret and not let his enemies know how quickly he was advancing. The drawback, however, was that he would lose the temple's nurturing, which could boost progress to an unprecedented level. After all, there was a limit to what could be achieved without investing in resources. What benefit in this world does not require first risking a huge investment? There is no free lunch, only slightly better odds.
'I will be like a shining star, illuminating the darkness inside the temple. Driving away evil, uncovering mysteries. I shall shine so brightly that whoever stands in my way will cower in fear, not daring to even show themselves. You hid your presence for so long, striking only at the most opportune moment! In this life, I shall not give you that chance. You had better continue to hide.'
The sun continued to climb, leaving the horizon behind. About a hundred students sat in a spacious, brightly lit room.
Large windows kept the air flowing, and the morning breeze carried a refreshing natural aroma. Shakti sat among the students, his seat in the back of the class.
Disciples sat on the ground, facing a middle-aged man. He wore a dark red cloth around his body, with a shaved head and a strong build. He was demonstrating a fighting technique.
His name was Ankit, a warrior priest at the temple. Among the various ways of fighting, he practised the Hanumanti style, a style focused on dominating through strength and an unrelenting spirit, akin to an elephant charging through an enemy.
The morning pose Shakti had performed earlier acted as a cleanser, and on top of it, various other poses could also be performed, such as the warrior pose demonstrated by Ankit.
He stood straight like a pole. His right foot moved about four feet away, making his feet about shoulder-width apart. He took a large forward step with his right leg, feet on the ground and thigh parallel to the ground, shin vertical, and the left leg stretched straight.
The torso and hips faced forward. He took in a deep breath and slowly raised both hands straight above his head, palms facing each other but not joined together. After a while, Ankit returned to a normal standing position.
"This is the warrior pose. A core practice of the Hanumanti style. Those who want to be like a bull or an elephant, charging into battle and dominating with strength, this is the way forward," he said, looking around the room.
'Hmm... though the pose is technically correct, he lacks the intent behind the movement. Only at this level, and still talking about being like an elephant. He is only an ordinary teacher after all.'
In his last life, he had not practised this style and had instead trained in a more elusive and deceptive style known as Jambuvati.
"In a week from now, we will have a simple push-pull drill amongst the disciples. There will also be a reward for being the strongest in the class. Alright, this is it for today. You may leave."
Everyone left the class excited. Even though Vishwa had bestowed upon them his knowledge and they knew about the four different styles of combat prevalent in the temple, experiencing a master perform it in front of them still stirred their young minds.
They could imagine themselves unrelenting and unyielding, dominating an entire area with their strong bodies. This kind of stimulation, provided to these disciples who had lived a sedentary lifestyle until now, only studying and learning moral codes and basic knowledge, acted as a catalyst, introducing emotions of accomplishment and competition.
How this would impact their young minds would be seen in a few years.