In this teaching, Yogananda explains how cosmic energy flows through all things and how most people unconsciously restrict that flow through their own habits of thought and action. Fatigue, scarcity, and limitation are not punishments or permanent conditions. They are symptoms of a disconnection from the source of all supply.

What Yogananda offers here is both practical and expansive. He does not ask you to sit passively and wait for the universe to deliver what you need. He teaches you how to actively open yourself to the energy that is already available, how to remove the blocks that have been limiting its flow, and how to direct it toward constructive purposes.

In This Video

• What cosmic energy is and how it sustains every aspect of your life
• Why fatigue and scarcity are signs of blocked energy rather than permanent conditions
• Specific practices for increasing your receptivity to cosmic energy
• How willpower, concentration, and devotion work together to attract abundance

Key Teachings

Yogananda taught that the human body is designed to receive energy not only from food and rest but directly from the cosmic source. Through specific techniques of meditation, breathing, and concentration, you can consciously draw upon this energy to revitalize your body, sharpen your mind, and attract the resources you need for your life’s work.

“The greater the will, the greater the flow of energy. Most people live on a fraction of the energy that is available to them because they have never learned to tap the source.”

Paramahansa Yogananda

He emphasized that true abundance begins in consciousness. A person can be surrounded by wealth and still feel impoverished, while someone with modest means can radiate a fullness that attracts everything they need. The inner state always comes first.

“Abundance is not something you acquire. It is something you tune in to. The universe is infinitely abundant, and you are an heir to all of it.”

Paramahansa Yogananda

Questions & Answers

What exactly is cosmic energy?

Yogananda used this term to describe the fundamental life force that pervades and sustains the entire universe. It is the energy that keeps planets in orbit, that causes seeds to sprout, that gives you the vitality to think and move and love. In the yogic tradition, it is called prana. It is not a metaphor. It is a real force that you can learn to feel and direct through practice. Most people draw it unconsciously and inefficiently. The spiritual aspirant learns to draw it consciously and abundantly.

How do I increase my access to this energy?

Yogananda recommended several approaches: regular meditation to calm the mind and open the channels through which energy flows, specific breathing exercises that increase prana in the body, the practice of willpower and positive affirmation, and the cultivation of devotion and gratitude. Physical health also plays a role. A body burdened by poor diet or lack of movement restricts the flow of energy. Caring for yourself on every level opens you to greater abundance.

Is this teaching about getting rich?

It can include material prosperity, but it goes far beyond it. Yogananda’s understanding of abundance encompasses vitality, mental clarity, loving relationships, creative inspiration, and spiritual depth. Financial well-being is a natural part of a balanced life, and he did not discourage it. But he warned against making material wealth the sole focus of your efforts. When you align with cosmic energy in its fullness, material needs are met as a natural consequence of living in harmony with the source.

Can I really feel cosmic energy, or is this just a concept?

You can absolutely feel it. Many practitioners report sensations of warmth, tingling, or a current of aliveness flowing through the body during deep meditation or energization exercises. Even in daily life, you have felt it in moments of great inspiration, deep love, or profound connection with nature. Those moments are not exceptional. They are glimpses of what becomes your normal state as your practice deepens. The energy is always there. Your awareness of it grows with practice.

Practice

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides. Take a deep breath and, as you inhale, slowly raise your arms out to the sides and above your head. As you do this, tense the muscles of your body progressively from your feet upward, imagining that you are drawing energy from the earth and from the atmosphere around you.

Hold the tension for a moment with your arms overhead. Then exhale slowly, relaxing your muscles from the top of your head downward as you lower your arms. Feel the energy you have gathered settling into every cell of your body. Repeat this three times. Then stand still for a moment and notice the heightened sense of aliveness in your body. This simple exercise, inspired by Yogananda’s energization principles, teaches your body to consciously receive energy. Practice it each morning and observe how it affects your vitality and outlook throughout the day.