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YOGALife I Summer 2010 - Sivananda Yoga

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$5 Canada $3.50 US £2.50 UK 3.70 € Europe<br />

‘Mother Ganga’<br />

The Divine River<br />

The River Ganga<br />

Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong><br />

Meditations from<br />

the Upanishads<br />

Swami Durgananda<br />

The Influence<br />

of Swami<br />

Vishnudevananda<br />

in the West<br />

Swami Mahadevananda<br />

The Power of Asanas<br />

Swami Sivadasananda<br />

Kumba Mela Yatra <strong>2010</strong><br />

Facts on Vegetarianism<br />

Dr Annika Waldmann<br />

Ayurveda and<br />

Womens’ Health<br />

Dr. Sanjay and Dr (Mrs) Anjani Kulkarni<br />

<strong>Yoga</strong> of the Heart<br />

An interview with Nischala Joy Devi<br />

<strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />

SERVE • LOVE • GIVE • PURIFY • MEDITATE • REALIZE


• <strong>Yoga</strong> Vacations all year round from 38 € per night<br />

• <strong>Yoga</strong> Teachers' Training Courses<br />

July 2 – 30, <strong>2010</strong> International<br />

August 1 – 29, <strong>2010</strong> French<br />

March 20 – April 17, 2011 French<br />

April 29 – May 28, 2011 Dutch/English<br />

July 1 – 29, 2011 International<br />

July 31 – August 28, 2011 French<br />

• Advanced <strong>Yoga</strong> Teachers' Training Courses<br />

July 2 – 30, <strong>2010</strong><br />

July 1 – July 29, 2011<br />

• Sadhana Intensive for TTC graduates<br />

August 7 – 22, <strong>2010</strong><br />

August 6 – 21, 2011<br />

• International Guest Speakers<br />

• Diploma Course:<br />

<strong>Yoga</strong> and Stress Management Diploma Course<br />

• Further Training Courses for <strong>Yoga</strong> Teachers<br />

Est 1957<br />

Ashram de <strong>Yoga</strong> <strong>Sivananda</strong><br />

26 Impasse du Bignon,<br />

45170 Neuville aux Bois<br />

Fax: +33 (0) 2 38 9118 09<br />

email: orleans@sivananda.net<br />

Tel: +33 (0)2 38 91 88 82<br />

www.sivananda.org/orleans<br />

Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong><br />

(1887-1963)<br />

Swami Vishnudevananda<br />

(1927-1993)<br />

Imagine… a haven of peace in the midst of vast<br />

open spaces, ancient forests with century old trees,<br />

breathtaking sunrises and sunsets… just one hour<br />

from Paris


International<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong><br />

Vedanta Centres<br />

Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong> (1887-1963)<br />

The spiritual strength behind the<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centres,<br />

Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong>’s teachings are a<br />

synthesis of all the formal doctrines<br />

of yoga. Author of more than 300<br />

books on yoga, Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong><br />

was a medical doctor before<br />

renouncing worldly life for the<br />

spiritual path. He founded the<br />

Divine Life Society and the <strong>Yoga</strong>-<br />

Vedanta Forest Academy, Rishikesh,<br />

Himalayas. His main message was:<br />

Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate, Realise. In 1957 he sent one of his foremost<br />

disciples, Swami Vishnudevananda to the West to spread the ideals of yoga.<br />

Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong> entered Mahasamadhi on July 14th 1963.<br />

Swami Vishnudevananda (1927-1993)<br />

Born in South India in 1927,<br />

Swami Vishnudevananda entered<br />

the ashram of Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong><br />

at the age of 18. A world famous<br />

authority on Hatha and Raja <strong>Yoga</strong>,<br />

Swami Vishnudevananda founded<br />

the International <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong><br />

Vedanta Centres in 1957 and was<br />

author of The Complete Illustrated<br />

Book of <strong>Yoga</strong>, Meditation and<br />

Mantras, Karma and Disease<br />

and a commentary on the<br />

Hatha <strong>Yoga</strong> Pradipika. Swami Vishnudevananda entered Mahasamadhi<br />

on November 9th, 1993.<br />

The Executive Board<br />

The Executive Board of the <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centres is comprised of<br />

senior disciples of Swami Vishnudevananda, personally chosen and trained by him<br />

to direct the organisation after his departure. Each of them has had many years’<br />

experience in teaching all aspects of yoga. They are renowned for their devotion<br />

to Swami Vishnu-devananda and Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong> and for their profound<br />

knowledge and inspirational teaching and guidance, wisdom imparted to many<br />

thousands of students throughout the world.<br />

Swami Mahadevananda<br />

Swami Swaroopananda<br />

Srinivasan<br />

Est 1957<br />

Swami Durgananda<br />

Swami Sivadasananda<br />

Swami Kailasananda<br />

HEADQUARTERS<br />

SIVANANDA ASHRAM YOGA CAMP<br />

Eighth Avenue, Val Morin, Quebec, Canada JOT 2RO<br />

Tel: +1 819 322 3226<br />

email: hq@sivananda.org<br />

With ashrams and centres located around the world<br />

see page 62 for addresses<br />

The International <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centres, founded<br />

by Swami Vishnudevananda is a non-profit organisation whose<br />

purpose is to propagate the teachings of yoga and vedanta as a<br />

means of achieving physical, mental and spiritual well-being and<br />

Self-realisation.<br />

Welcome<br />

Editor’s Letter<br />

<strong>2010</strong> marked the year of the Kumbha Mela in Haridwar,<br />

North India. A group of close to 100 students from the<br />

European <strong>Sivananda</strong> Centres attended this very<br />

auspicious event, which brings together yogis, sadhus,<br />

spiritual teachers and aspirants from all traditions in a<br />

spirit of unity and diversity. The highlight of the day is<br />

the Ganga Arati at dawn, when devotees gather by the<br />

thousands to pay homage to Ganga, the symbol of the<br />

ever flowing consciousness. The energy of bhakti is so<br />

tangible at this time that one feels lifted out of body<br />

consciousness and connected with the divine presence.<br />

Here the words of Master <strong>Sivananda</strong>: “Ganga has<br />

consoled me, Ganga has nourished me, Ganga has<br />

taught me the truth of the Upanishads” resound in the<br />

mind with new meaning.<br />

Many of the students who joined the pilgrimage<br />

expressed how life transforming it has been for them.<br />

Swamiji Vishnudevananda’s main tools to establish<br />

unity in diversity on a large scale in the world, the TTC<br />

(Teachers’ Training Course) was carried to new horizons<br />

this year: for the first time ever, Swamiji’s teachings were<br />

successfully brought to Vietnam.<br />

For the first time also, the TTC was taught this spring<br />

in a city centre – in the heart of London. Much work had<br />

been done this year to turn the London Centre into a city<br />

Ashram, and the beaming faces of the students at the<br />

end of the 4 weeks was proof enough that the<br />

experience was very positive.<br />

The practice of asanas is becoming more mainstream<br />

by the day, with doctors and people in the medical<br />

field realizing its therapeutic value. The article on<br />

“<strong>Yoga</strong> for the heart” deals with some aspects of this fast<br />

developing field.<br />

The article of Dr Waldmann brings a wealth of scientific<br />

facts about the value of vegetarianism, which are a<br />

precious reference for students and yoga teachers alike.<br />

We wish you a fruitful summer and hope you will have<br />

to chance to visit one of the <strong>Sivananda</strong> Ashrams for rest<br />

and renewal!<br />

We hope you enjoy this issue.<br />

Om Shanti,<br />

The <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centre, London<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 5


Contents<br />

6<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong>


8<br />

SIVANANDA<br />

The River Ganga<br />

“All glory be unto Mother Ganga, the giver of life, light and love!”<br />

Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong> explains about the purity and sanctity of this holy river.<br />

10 Meditations from the Upanishads<br />

Swami Durgananda gives an insight into different types of meditation according<br />

to these classic Indian scriptures.<br />

14 The Divine Grace of Mother Ganga<br />

We look at some inspirational letters that Swami Vishnudevananda wrote during<br />

his personal sadhana and seclusion on the banks of the river Ganga.<br />

17 Prison Project News<br />

Swami Padmapadananda updates us on the latest Prison Project news.<br />

18 The Influence of Swami Vishnudevananda<br />

in the West<br />

Swami Mahadevananda talks about Swami Vishnudevananda’s pioneering<br />

mission in the west.<br />

20 The <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Teachers’ Training Experience<br />

Personal experiences from students who have undergone the Teachers’<br />

Training Course<br />

22 <strong>Yoga</strong> of the Heart<br />

An interview with Nischala Joy Devi, looking at her therapeutic work with heart<br />

and cancer patients.<br />

25 Ayurveda and Womens’ Health<br />

How Ayurveda plays an important role in womens’ health through all stages of life.<br />

28 Shankara, his Life and Teachings<br />

Professor Pandey looks at the life and teachings of this great Vedantic master.<br />

32 A Journey of Transformation<br />

A report on the first Teachers’ Training Course held at the London <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong><br />

Centre and how the Centre has been transformed into an Ashram in the heart<br />

of the city.<br />

36 The Power of Asanas<br />

Swami Sivadasananda looks at some of the powerful processes that are activated<br />

during the practice of Asanas.<br />

39 Phytobiophysics<br />

Diana Mossop expalins how the vibration of plants can be used for healing.<br />

42 Facts on Vegetarianism<br />

Dr Annika Waldmann lays bare the facts and figures of a vegetarian diet and<br />

shows how important it is for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.<br />

50 Teachers’ Training Course in Vietnam<br />

A report on the very first <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Teachers’ Training Course to be held<br />

in Vietnam. A truly historic moment!<br />

52 Tips on Pranayama<br />

Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong> offers some practical advice on the benefits of pranayama<br />

and healing .<br />

54 Kumbha Mela Yatra <strong>2010</strong><br />

A report on the recent <strong>Sivananda</strong> North India Pilgrimage to the<br />

Himalayas and the Kumbha Mela in Haridwar.<br />

58 <strong>Sivananda</strong> Ashram and Centre News<br />

Updates on new developments in Ashrams and Centres around the world.<br />

62 <strong>Sivananda</strong> Ashram and Centre Addresses<br />

A listing of <strong>Sivananda</strong> Ashrams, Centres and teachers worldwide.<br />

10<br />

36<br />

Contents<br />

14<br />

54<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />

7


By Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong><br />

“All glory be unto Mother<br />

Ganga, the giver of life,<br />

light and love”<br />

– Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong><br />

Main Picture: The River Ganga<br />

flowing through a valley<br />

in Rishikesh.<br />

Right: Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong><br />

standing on the banks of the<br />

River Ganga in Rishikesh.<br />

8<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong>


The Ganga is the most sacred river<br />

of India. The origin of The Ganga<br />

is ascribed to celestial glory.<br />

Lord Krishna says in the Gita:<br />

“I am the Ganga among rivers.”<br />

The Ganga Bath<br />

Thousands of pilgrims visit Hardwar and Rishikesh every<br />

year and take a dip in the sacred river. They have<br />

immense faith in the glory of Mother Ganga. They<br />

believe that all their sins are washed away if they take<br />

a dip in the sacred waters of the Ganga. Really they<br />

are washed off. A dip in the Ganga instantly purifies.<br />

There is no doubt about this. Even confirmed atheists<br />

and rationalists come to Hardwar for a refreshing bath<br />

in the Ganga.<br />

Purity of the Ganga Water<br />

The water of the Ganga is extremely pure and sanctifying.<br />

No germs can flourish in this. This has been tested by<br />

various scientists in the laboratory. Rich in minerals this<br />

water cures almost all kinds of diseases. The Ganga<br />

is saturated with antiseptic minerals. Even in the West,<br />

doctors prescribe Ganga water for rubbing in the<br />

treatment of diseases of the skin. Ganga is not merely<br />

a river; it is a sacred Tirtha (sacred place). It is possessed<br />

of mysterious powers which are not found in any other<br />

river in the world. Even scientists have admitted the<br />

efficacy of Ganga water.<br />

Dr FC Harrison of McGill University, Canada writes:<br />

“A peculiar fact which has never been satisfactorily<br />

explained is the quick death, in three to five hours,<br />

of the cholera vibrio in the waters of the Ganga. When<br />

one remembers the sewage and corpses, often of cholera<br />

casualties, it seems remarkable that the belief of the<br />

Hindus, that the water of this river is pure and they can<br />

safely drink and bathe in it, should be confirmed by<br />

means of modern bacterial research.”<br />

A well known French physician, Dr D. Herelle, made<br />

similar investigations into the mystery of the Ganga.<br />

He observed some of the floating corpses of men dead<br />

of dysentery and cholera, and was surprised to find “that<br />

only a few feet below the bodies where one would<br />

expect to find millions of these dysentery and cholera<br />

germs, there were no germs at all.” He then grew germs<br />

from the patients having the disease, and to these<br />

cultures added water from the Ganga. When he<br />

incubated the mixture, much to his surprise, the germs<br />

were completely destroyed.<br />

A Silent Teacher<br />

The Ganga starts from Gangotri in the Himalayas. She<br />

encounters many obstacles on her way, but she finally<br />

reaches the goal – the ocean. Similarly, the Sadhaka<br />

(spritual aspirant) should never give up his struggle,<br />

however insurmountable the obstacles in his path may<br />

appear to be. All difficulties and obstacles will be<br />

removed through the grace of the Lord if he is sincere<br />

The River Ganga<br />

in his Yogic practices, and he will reach the goal.<br />

The Ganga always gives you cool, pure water.<br />

It does not expect anything from you in return. The sun<br />

sheds its light on all without anticipating any reward.<br />

Derive lessons from them. Always give, give. Ask nothing<br />

in return. Expect nothing in return. Do not expect even<br />

appreciation, approbation, or recognition.<br />

I love Ganga and the Himalayas. Ganga is my Mother<br />

Divine. Himalayas is my Father Divine. They inspire and<br />

guide me. I bathe in Ganga. I swim in Ganga. I adore<br />

Ganga. I feed the fishes of Ganga. I wave light to Mother<br />

Ganga. I pray to Ganga. I do salutations to Ganga. I sing<br />

the glory of Ganga. I write about the grandeur and<br />

glory of Ganga. Ganga has nourished me. Ganga has<br />

comforted me. Ganga has taught me the truths<br />

of the Upanishads.<br />

O friend! Follow the lines of Mother Ganga. Be pure.<br />

Be adaptable. Be tolerant. Be forgiving. Be sweet. Pour<br />

out your love on all – share what you have, physical,<br />

mental and spiritual – with the whole of humanity.<br />

The more you give the more you get. Give without any<br />

motive, without expecting any reward. Embrace all.<br />

Cultivate equal vision.<br />

All glory be unto Mother Ganga, the giver of life,<br />

light and love. Worship Her with faith, devotion and<br />

piety. Adore Her with flowers of purity, love, self-restraint<br />

and equal vision. Sing Her names. Attain Brahman<br />

through Her grace. May Mother Ganga bless you all!<br />

May She help you to live on Her banks and practise<br />

<strong>Yoga</strong> and Tapas!<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />

9


Meditations from the Upanishads<br />

Meditations from the<br />

Upanishads<br />

By Swami Durgananda<br />

From a lecture given at the <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Centre, Berlin, in January 2007<br />

“I am the body; I am the senses; I am the mind; I am the<br />

intellect; I am happy; I am unhappy; I am a Brahmin;<br />

I am lean; I am black; I am deaf; I am poor; she is my<br />

wife; this is my house. Learn to dissociate thyself from<br />

conditions like these and realize thy Self as being beyond<br />

all conditions whatsoever.”<br />

– Jyotirbindu Upanishad, Mantra 10<br />

The essential message of the Upanishads is: you are not<br />

the body, not the mind, not the thoughts, not the<br />

emotions and not the intellect. Everything you believe<br />

yourself to be, you are not. You are only the One,<br />

Unchangeable. In the context of meditation, this is<br />

called the subject. Everything else is the object, which<br />

changes, while the subject remains unchangeable. ‘Soul’,<br />

‘Brahman’, ‘God’, ‘the I’, ‘the Self’, ‘the Source’, ‘the<br />

Creator’ and ‘I am that I am’ are just some of the terms<br />

used for the subject.<br />

Meditation instructions in the Upanishads focus on<br />

reducing the thoughts until there is nothing but a single<br />

thought. This thought, which is still an object, becomes<br />

the subject. In theory, this may seem quite simple, but<br />

putting the theory into practice is not easy.<br />

“Thought is a thing.<br />

Thought is a dynamic force.”<br />

– <strong>Yoga</strong>-Sara Upanishad, Mantra 6<br />

Thoughts move faster than light. The unrest associated<br />

with our thoughts is in principle not negative, as without<br />

thoughts there would be no contact with the outside<br />

world. The reason why thoughts are considered a limiting<br />

object or upadhi, is that they prevent the experience of<br />

the underlying Reality. The meditation techniques in the<br />

Upanishads teach us how to perceive the thoughts as an<br />

object, in order to unite with the subject.<br />

10<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />

“Withdraw the mind again and again from<br />

all sense-objects. Make it one-pointed. Fix it<br />

again and again on the Self. Become fearless.<br />

Be firm in the vow of Divine Life.”<br />

– Advaitamrita Upanishad, Mantra 6<br />

Buddhists call this process ‘awareness’, yogis call<br />

it ‘one-pointedness’, and Pantanjali calls it ‘abhyasa’,<br />

or constant practice. Whatever the name, the goal is<br />

to practise concentration on a single object. It can not<br />

be achieved by force as this will create only more unrest.<br />

It is better to accept the mind the way nature has created<br />

it and to work with it. To practise meditation means to rein<br />

in all thoughts and bring the mind back to the object<br />

upon which one has chosen to concentrate. This paves<br />

the way for peace, quiet and finally ananda, or bliss.<br />

Many people prefer to go directly to the allembracing<br />

subject, concentrating on nothingness instead<br />

of working with a specific object of meditation. They<br />

soon realize that this is too difficult as the very nature of<br />

the mind is to think of an object. Then they decide to<br />

choose a sattvic or pure object to concentrate on – an<br />

object that makes the mind light and cheerful. When the<br />

concentration has become strong and is undisturbed, the<br />

object becomes the subject.<br />

The object can be religious or spiritual, or concrete<br />

such as in tratak meditation: One gazes at a candle flame<br />

placed at eye level and then closes the eyes for a while,<br />

focusing on the mental image of the flame.


“Brahman is Light of Lights. He is Selfluminous.<br />

He is Supreme Light (Param<br />

Jyoti). He is Infinite Light (Ananta Jyoti).<br />

He is an embodiment of Light (Jyoti-<br />

Swaroopa). By His Light all these shine.”<br />

– Brahmarahasya Upanishad, Mantra 2<br />

As the tratak practice progresses, the light which<br />

is initially perceived on the forehead while the eyes are<br />

closed, spreads and expands until it eventually envelopes<br />

the entire body. The candlelight – the object light –<br />

becomes the subject. There is no more difference<br />

between candle, candlelight and light; there is simply light.<br />

When the object of the meditation is, for example,<br />

peace, the process is the same, although it is more<br />

difficult because peace is not a concrete object.<br />

Therefore, meditation on peace or another abstract<br />

concept includes focussing on the breath and a mantra.<br />

In this meditation, slow, rhythmic breathing reduces the<br />

speed of the thoughts, which are then saturated by the<br />

sound of the mantra until no other sound exists. The<br />

inner dialogue ceases and one is at peace with the inner<br />

and the outer world. The sound itself is peace. The<br />

object mantra becomes the subject and spreads. For this<br />

to take place, regular practice is necessary.<br />

Light, positive, sattvic or pure thoughts are calm and<br />

can be more easily transcended. Rajasic (extrovert) or<br />

tamasic (dull) thoughts like anger, jealousy and greed are<br />

difficult to control. The question, then, is how to purify<br />

the thoughts and experience positive thinking. How can<br />

I reach a level in which I am pure and sattvic and have<br />

a lighter mind?<br />

The three sheaths of our subtle body – which are<br />

marked by the three components of mind, emotions and<br />

actions – must be exercised and purified. For this, the<br />

scriptures define three classic paths: Karma <strong>Yoga</strong> (selfless<br />

action), Bhakti <strong>Yoga</strong> (devotion) and Jnana <strong>Yoga</strong> (wisdom).<br />

Raja <strong>Yoga</strong>, which Pantanjali presents as the psycho -<br />

logical aspect, was added later and is referred to as the<br />

fourth path. Together these paths constitute the synthesis<br />

of yoga. The meditation instructions of the Upanishads<br />

insist upon the necessity of integrating all human aspects<br />

in the process of meditation: the head or thinking, the<br />

heart or emotions and the hands or action.<br />

Without integral development a person may have a<br />

strong intellect yet remain emotionally weak. Often the<br />

student approaches a system with preconceived notions,<br />

thinking he already knows everything, has experienced<br />

just about everything and always has an answer. The ego<br />

is very big, doesn’t listen at all and doesn’t ask, because<br />

it thinks it already knows everything. Then there is the<br />

aspirant who appears to be humble or even submissive;<br />

upon closer examination the person is actually quite<br />

tamasic. Few aspirants are balanced enough to start<br />

directly on the path of the Upanishads.<br />

The first step to limit or remove diverse impurities,<br />

fluctuations and deceptions of the mind, is the practice<br />

of karma yoga. In the Bhagavad Gita, this is described<br />

as inaction in action; acting without identifying with the<br />

action, acting not of one’s own will, but simply because<br />

the situation calls for a certain action. This attitude is the<br />

opposite of rajasic motivations such as to earn more<br />

money, become famous, pursue a career or to put oneself<br />

above others. Selfless action unites, develops a stable<br />

personality and supports meditation.<br />

Through karma yoga the practitioner begins to<br />

perceive the sensitivities of others. A characteristic of<br />

depressed or worried people is that their thoughts are all<br />

about themselves. With karma yoga, one soon recognizes<br />

the difficulties of other people and one´s own problems<br />

are put into perspective; one becomes more humble and<br />

concentration improves. Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong> was, and is,<br />

very famous for propounding selfless service as part of<br />

the synthesis of yoga. In his ashram, everyone had to do<br />

everything. The caste system didn’t apply; someone from<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 11


Meditations from the Upanishads<br />

the Brahmin caste was expected to clean the toilets just<br />

as well as anyone else. Even without the caste system,<br />

hierarchies are everywhere, even in the West. As soon<br />

as a person arrives at an ashram or similar community,<br />

he or she has to be prepared to do everything. The ego<br />

develops a whole new reference to the different tasks, as<br />

well as to the other people who are also expected to do<br />

everything. A strong sense of brotherhood is the result.<br />

“Where there is no ‘I’, there is release; where<br />

there is ‘I’, there is bondage. Man is bound<br />

by ‘mine’ but he is released by ‘not mine’.”<br />

– Anandabindu Upanishad, Mantra 6<br />

It shouldn’t be the case that a scholar develops his or<br />

her scholarly abilities yet is incapable of making a cup of<br />

tea, putting clothes away in a closet or telling a joke and<br />

being able to laugh about it. A yogi is only a yogi when<br />

he or she is balanced and isn’t hiding behind anything.<br />

One person might know more about the Upanishads, the<br />

other might be more adept at working on a certain task<br />

and yet another could be more musically inclined. Swami<br />

Vishnudevananda, for example, was a hard worker who<br />

could take care of all sorts of jobs. But he could also<br />

speak about the Upanishads and at just the right<br />

moment be drop-dead funny.<br />

“The sage, who is resting in his own<br />

Swaroopa (nature), sports in Atma (Self), ever<br />

delights in Atma, looks upon all with equal<br />

vision, plays like a child and roams about as<br />

nature made him.”<br />

– Svaroopabodha Upanishad, Mantra 4<br />

It is very pleasant and refreshing to be in the<br />

presence of such a wholesome and balanced person.<br />

What all yogis have in common, without exception, is a<br />

hands-on attitude and a sense of humour. These two<br />

characteristics are the expression of a mind which can<br />

approach meditation in a very relaxed manner.<br />

With the support of integral yoga practice, meditation<br />

comes naturally because the mind is humble, like an<br />

unspoiled child who is thankful and full of awe: “Is this<br />

chocolate really for me?”, “May I really start trying to<br />

meditate?” At this point, a dialogue with the mind can<br />

begin: “Are you mature enough? Will you listen to what<br />

I am saying or are you going to continue with business<br />

as usual?” The mind responds: “I can give it a try…” For<br />

five, ten minutes, everything is fine. No itches, the back<br />

and knees feel okay. The aspirant is unaware of what<br />

is going in the room and only hears the inner sound:<br />

“OM, OM”, or “SOHAM” (I am THAT). But then the voice<br />

of the mind returns and the dialogue continues:<br />

•“Okay, that’s enough now. What is the use of this anyway?”<br />

•“Please calm down just a bit longer. Yesterday you were<br />

quiet for an entire fifteen minutes.”<br />

•“Yesterday was yesterday and today is today. I am<br />

12<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />

hungry now”, or “I want to get up now”, or “I want to<br />

watch the news and call a friend – and I don’t feel like<br />

doing this anymore.”<br />

Slowly one has to begin denying the mind its wishes,<br />

outside the actual concentration practice, not as an<br />

obligation but of one’s own free will. Tapas or austerity is<br />

the name of this practice. “The cake is in front of me but<br />

I don’t eat it” – that is austerity. Not having enough<br />

money to buy the cake is a different situation. Here the<br />

mind knows that it must obey. Whichever way tapas<br />

is practised, the next day the mind may already have<br />

forgotten. This phenomenon, called maya or illusion,<br />

can be compared to a firework: a flash in the sky and<br />

moments later it has simply disappeared.<br />

“Maya is the illusory power of the Lord.<br />

It is neither Sat (existence) nor Asat<br />

(non-existence).”<br />

– Brahmarahasya Upanishad, Mantra 13<br />

In meditation, as soon as we say, “It works”, the<br />

concentration is gone. Even the observation, “Now the<br />

meditation is good”, means that it has already slipped<br />

away. Approaching meditation with childlike humility<br />

certainly helps.<br />

The technique is not complicated: breathe calmly,<br />

concentrate on a point, have an object to contemplate<br />

on and enter meditation. Let everything go. Imagine<br />

being surrounded by a transparent plastic box, and that<br />

any mosquito, fly or wasp which comes your way bounces<br />

off the box. Imagine that no thoughts are able to make it<br />

through the prana or energy sheath you have surrounded<br />

yourself with. Another method is to imagine being<br />

surrounded by a ball of light. Visualisations like these are<br />

actually easy to create. If it is possible to see an apple or<br />

a pear where there is none, why shouldn’t it be possible<br />

to picture a ball of light around yourself, even if it isn’t<br />

really there? It requires intense concentration and<br />

thinking about nothing else. Otherwise the ball of light<br />

disappears, just like the apple is gone when you start<br />

thinking about a pear.<br />

As you continue with this practice, you understand<br />

that it is you yourself who creates the thoughts, the<br />

sheaths, or the upadhis. When you refrain from creating<br />

the thoughts, you reach the subject. While the principle<br />

is simple, it requires daily practice to experience it.<br />

All types of excesses are counterproductive to meditation:<br />

too much food or sugar, coffee, black tea, alcohol and<br />

cigarettes all hinder concentration and thus meditation.<br />

One’s entire life has to be aligned with the intention<br />

to meditate.<br />

“If the mind is filled with Sattva (purity),<br />

the other two Gunas (Rajas, passion and<br />

Tamas, inertia) will perish by themselves.<br />

The mind will become very subtle and steady<br />

like a lamp in a windless spot.”<br />

– Jyotirbindu Upanishad, Mantra 5


If that is not the case, meditation is boring, since<br />

nothing happens. How wonderful it is when you have<br />

adjusted your life accordingly and you succeed.<br />

“If you identify with the Absolute<br />

Consciousness, having dissociated thyself from<br />

the body, you will enjoy this very moment<br />

supreme peace, eternal bliss and highest<br />

knowledge. You will be absolutely free<br />

from bondage.”<br />

– Vicharabindu Upanishad, Mantra 7<br />

You are calm, content and responsible amidst the<br />

chaotic conditions of daily life. Many things don’t have<br />

the same importance as they once did and you keep<br />

the upper hand. These are just some of the wonderful<br />

side benefits.<br />

In karma yoga, the challenge is to be open to new<br />

experiences, act to the best of one’s ability and especially<br />

not to be afraid of making mistakes. The same approach,<br />

along with a large dose of humility, is important in<br />

approaching meditation. Progress is only possible when<br />

meditation is not seen as something difficult and heavy.<br />

Meditation is light, natural, innocent, plain, wholesome<br />

and pure. With practice, the aspirant glides imperceptibly<br />

into meditation. For this to happen you have to be<br />

gentle, honest, pure and free from desires, greed<br />

and egoism.<br />

Real meditation regenerates more effectively than<br />

any tonic or antioxidant remedies. During meditation<br />

the cells are filled with ojas (power), tejas (brilliance)<br />

and prana (vital energy). People who meditate – even<br />

if they are far from reaching samadhi or the super -<br />

conscious state – have a certain shine on their skin and<br />

hair and a lovely twinkle in their eyes. People who<br />

meditate appear fresh, even if their youth is far behind<br />

them. All this and much more happens when you<br />

regularly practise meditation.<br />

“The impressions of discipline and Sadhana<br />

(spiritual practice) are never lost. They bear<br />

fruits in due time. Therefore thou dost not<br />

grieve. Do vigorous Sadhana daily.”<br />

– Vicharabindu Upanishad, Mantra 14<br />

Swami Durgananda is <strong>Yoga</strong> Acharya (spiritual director)<br />

of the <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centres in Europe.<br />

e-mail: SwamiDurgananda@sivananda.net<br />

Meditations from the Upanishads<br />

Poet’s Corner<br />

Lifes ifs and buts<br />

If you can look and see the truth of other faiths<br />

And not be swayed by promises or threats<br />

And let erring people say you hold erroneous views,<br />

Yet wish them success with their own beliefs,<br />

If you can hold on and tell your simple truth<br />

That God is one and has so many names,<br />

He loves us all of myriad creeds and faiths,<br />

He loves us all of different shades and shapes.<br />

He is mother, father, sister, brother, or what you wish.<br />

If your wishing is sincere in heart<br />

Yet all he wants; is love for him and all his works;<br />

For is he not the merciful Lord of the Universe?<br />

If you can suffer tragic sorrow yet lay no blame<br />

And know it gifted by the Soverign hand,<br />

These are but blessings and very disguised friends.<br />

How can we know before, about the very end?<br />

But when things go well and go all your way<br />

Don’t forget to say 'Lord thank you’ for the day.<br />

He moulded shapes in clay and blew them dry;<br />

And filled them with his 'atmic’ Holiness.<br />

So cherish and choose what came in from on high,<br />

Don’t seek it here and there in a fruitless quest<br />

Like the musk deer frantic for its own navel scent.<br />

Yet some seek to find a difference in the make.<br />

Does the mighty maker want to make mistakes?<br />

He has equal vision but we have erring sight.<br />

We thus deluded see others in a different light.<br />

If you knew we have a common self in all<br />

Then neighbour, stranger, friend and foe alike<br />

Reflect this self in all, a pact of universal might.<br />

So in hurting others we hurt our very self.<br />

Keeping this in mind be mindful of the final goal,<br />

Keep right on; give; serve; love; purify; and master mind control.<br />

Many tread the path but few maintain<br />

The ernest faith. So, so many fall<br />

No matter, rise, and then walk again.<br />

Faith sees the things the faithless do not see<br />

Firm of purpose, with incredible beliefs<br />

It awards rewards; impossible beyond belief,<br />

Kill your ego, lust, anger, greed, hatred and jealousy;<br />

Seek equal vision, wisdom, devotion, and mind mastery.<br />

Praise the Lord and he may grant these things.<br />

Praise and honour him with love and no attached strings.<br />

Be non attached yet in ‘samsaric reality’.<br />

If by grace and purpose you know Tat Twam Asi,<br />

If you cross these hurdles and yet maintain humility,<br />

Hope and pray my friends; all this will set you Free.<br />

M.S.K. Putney Oct ‘96 (Maan)<br />

Acknowledgement: with apologies to Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong> and Rudyard Kipling<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 13


The Divine Grace of Mother Ganga<br />

The Divine Grace<br />

of Mother Ganga<br />

Swami Vishnudevananda had a special reverence and devotion for Mother<br />

Ganga. As a young Swami, he spent 10 years with Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong> near the<br />

River Ganga in Rishikesh, and in his later years he made many pilgrimages<br />

to her banks for Sadhana and meditation.<br />

God Pervades Everything<br />

Swami Vishnudevananda often used to recount one<br />

of his earliest experiences with Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong>.<br />

In 1946, when he was still a young man fresh from<br />

being discharged from the army, he was visiting<br />

Master’s ashram in Rishikesh and attended the<br />

evening Arati (waving of lights). All the devotees and<br />

inmates of the Ashram assembled by the banks of the<br />

Ganga to watch Master perform the evening worship<br />

of the river. The young visitor was sceptical. After all,<br />

he had a scientific temperament and knew that a river<br />

is only water, H2 O – imagine worshipping H2 O !<br />

But as he stood and watched, the Master turned and<br />

smiled knowingly at Swamiji who saw the river transform<br />

into a mass of flowing light. In that instant, the river<br />

assumed a divine flow, a manifestation of the Grace<br />

of the Lord. It whispered this message to him “God<br />

pervades everything – this too is His Special Form.”<br />

This experience entirely changed his outlook on life.<br />

Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong> then told the young man to remain<br />

at the Ashram. Swami Vishnudevananda spontaneously<br />

replied “Yes”.<br />

Waves of Energy<br />

In 1986, Swami Vishnudevananda decided to stay at<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> Guha, a small cave in Gangotri, for the winter<br />

months. A small kutir was built into the cave and stocked<br />

with firewood and food for the winter. Swamiji remained<br />

in the cave to practice meditation and mouna (silence).<br />

During December, temperatures dropped and the cave<br />

was completely isolated by waist deep snow. All roads<br />

had been closed. Swamiji wrote of his experiences<br />

in a letter to the staff of the <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong><br />

Vedanta Centres:<br />

“I am very happy to be near the Mother Ganges, the<br />

vibration of Her is far beyond description. Waves of<br />

energy are moving towards humanity to soothe with her<br />

14<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />

cool nectar-like energy. I am praying for all your spiritual<br />

growth. Do not neglect your Sadhana. Time is short. You<br />

can all reach the very goal which all Rishis and sages<br />

attained in this very birth. Stick to discipline. Repeat<br />

God’s name and do lots of pranayama to keep the mind<br />

peaceful. If you neglect your Sadhana then the mind will<br />

be filled with weeds. Keep up your duties. Pray with all<br />

your hearts that Maya will not overpower you. Only by<br />

God’s grace you will be able to overcome these forces.”<br />

Time is Fleeting<br />

The following month Swami Vishnudevananda wrote<br />

another letter:<br />

“By the Grace of God, Ganga Ma and Gurudev my health<br />

is alright and I am enjoying the peace and solitude. I am<br />

regularly praying for all of your health and spiritual<br />

progress. Time is fleeting. Life is being burnt like an oil<br />

flame and many of my childhood friends are gone. So<br />

also this body is waiting to finish its karma. Do not waste<br />

time. Use every minute in Japa, pranayama and other<br />

spiritual activities.<br />

Maya is waiting to push you from the spiritual path.<br />

Before you know it you are in the old rut. Only the Grace<br />

of God and Guru will help you. Your own effort is<br />

successful only when God’s Grace comes.<br />

So pray, pray and pray. For me day and night are all<br />

same. Sixty years of my life are gone just like a dream.<br />

Born, grown up and now in old age. Many things only<br />

exist in past memory. There is difference between the<br />

time I spent as a young Swami in the Himalayas and<br />

now at 60 an old Swami. In those days the body was<br />

under control. Walking, hiking, etc. were easy, but the<br />

mind was turbulent. Now the body is weak but, by the<br />

Grace of God, the mind is calm and strong. In younger<br />

days the mind used to plan too many things. Now the<br />

mind wants solitude. In those days physical discipline<br />

was easy. Now the physical body can do very little.


“I am very happy to be near the<br />

Mother Ganges, the vibration<br />

of Her is far beyond description“<br />

– Swami Vishnudevananda<br />

Swami Vishnudevananda in<br />

seclusion at <strong>Sivananda</strong> Guha,<br />

Gangotri on the banks<br />

of the Ganga.<br />

The Divine Grace of Mother Ganga<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 15


The Divine Grace of Mother Ganga<br />

Above left and right: Swami Vishnudevananda as a young Swami on the banks of the Ganga near Rishikesh.<br />

Above left: Swami Vishnudevananda meditates outside the cave at Gangotri<br />

Above right: A Bhagavata Saptaha recital takes place inside the cave<br />

In those days I thought only physical action can bring<br />

success. Now it is the opposite. You can do every thing<br />

by thought alone.<br />

Thought is the only reality. Body – you feel like<br />

a worn out shoe but with the mind you see the world<br />

in a different way. That concrete world now only looks<br />

like a mirage. No permanent entity. People you see like<br />

phantoms, moving in a shadowy world show. They do not<br />

see that their existence is only the darkness. When the<br />

light comes their phantom body and world will disappear<br />

like a mist. When the light comes it is beyond any<br />

description. You can only see Peace, Shanti, Shalom. But<br />

no words. Time disappears. So also day and night have<br />

no meaning. Good and bad also have no real sense here.<br />

Your mind becomes like Himalayan snow. Nothing to<br />

compare because there is only white snow everywhere.<br />

The mind is struggling to go beyond duality but only<br />

a glimpse of that non-dual state. It falls back to duality.<br />

Just a few minutes ago time was unreal but now it strikes<br />

like a cobra. Again and again the mind is moving like<br />

a pendulum. At times it does not move. At times the<br />

16<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />

opposite takes place. Yes, all Maya’s play! With these few<br />

thoughts I close this letter. I pray for all of you.”<br />

– Swami Vishnudevananda<br />

Final Resting place<br />

As the summer of 1993 came to an end, Swami<br />

Vishnudevananda spoke more frequently about going<br />

back to India. Often Swamiji would say: “ I want to go<br />

to Uttarkashi and leave my body by the Ganga.”<br />

On November 9th, 1993, Swamiji attained his wish.<br />

He left the physical body near Mookambika, south<br />

India, and on November 11th, as per the Sannyas<br />

tradition, the body was immersed into the Holy Ganga<br />

at Uttarkashi. This ceremony is called jala-samadhi.<br />

After so many years of selfless dedication and hard<br />

work, Swamiji had finally returned to the embrace<br />

of the Mother.<br />

Compiled by Chandra <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centre London


Swami Padmapadananda Mahadev<br />

San Francisco:<br />

Letters are piling up faster than ever – two or three<br />

being received each day. We are grateful for the<br />

people who have dedicated their time to help out.<br />

By the Grace of Mother Lakshmi enough donations<br />

were received to keep the Project alive.<br />

<strong>Yoga</strong> Ranch, New York:<br />

Veteran inmate Bill, who has been practicing <strong>Yoga</strong><br />

for the last 13 years (since the program started), now<br />

helps with the teaching of the classes when Mahadev<br />

Chaitanya is unable to come. Mahadev Chaitanya<br />

also teaches regularly at Otissville Federal prison,<br />

where he also taught an all-day intensive program<br />

of asana classes and lectures on <strong>Yoga</strong> and meditation.<br />

The intention is to motivate more inmates to join<br />

the regular practices and to prepare the ground for<br />

a future TTC in prison.<br />

Thy Own Self,<br />

Swami Padmapadananda from San Francisco<br />

Prisoners<br />

Letters<br />

Dear Swami Padmapadananda,<br />

And everyone at the center,<br />

Thank you so very much for your<br />

kindness in sending me the The<br />

Complete Illustrated book of <strong>Yoga</strong> by<br />

Swami Visnu – Devananda.I can never<br />

thank you enough for your great<br />

kindness to me, at what seems like the<br />

low point of my life. Your gift to me of<br />

the path of yoga, and your willingness<br />

without<br />

hesitation to help me open my eyes and<br />

mind to the realization that there is only<br />

this moment.<br />

I will practice and stay in touch, with<br />

loving kindness. JB<br />

Dear Friend,<br />

I want to inform you that I received the<br />

book that you sent me named The Com -<br />

plete Illustrated book of <strong>Yoga</strong>. I want to<br />

thank you from the bottom of my heart.<br />

I am sure this book will prove to be very<br />

beneficial to me both spiritually and<br />

physically. As I am on a journey to<br />

finding my true self. I cannot thank you<br />

enough. May the creator continue to<br />

increase you on every level. God Bless.<br />

One mind, One body, One soul. JW<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Prison Project<br />

Donations should be sent to <strong>Sivananda</strong><br />

Prison Project, 1200 Arguello Blvd., San<br />

Francisco, CA 94122. We take PayPal, Visa,<br />

MasterCard, Discover, checks, and cash.<br />

Phone for credit card transactions 415-681-<br />

2731. For more information about the Project<br />

please visit our website www.sfyoga.org.<br />

Statistics for May 2009 - May <strong>2010</strong><br />

(Ranch & San Francisco):<br />

Total income: $4937<br />

Total expenditure: $5920<br />

255 CIBY, 51 M&M, 13 SYVC books,<br />

45 Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong> books<br />

Total books sent: 364<br />

Dear Swami Padma,<br />

Thank you so much for the book of<br />

yoga! My aches and pains have<br />

eased so much and I feel great after<br />

my daily practice, most everything is<br />

going well. JW<br />

Dear Swami Padma,<br />

Namaste. I received the books and<br />

letter you sent and am very grateful<br />

for your guidance and generosity.<br />

I have already found the book<br />

Meditation and Mantras to be very<br />

helpful in deepening my understanding<br />

of the yogic path. And the Bhagavad<br />

Gita will be a guiding light that I shall<br />

keep with me always. Thank you. DW<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 17


The Influence of Swami Vishnudevananda in the West<br />

The Influence<br />

of SwamiVishnudevananda<br />

in the West<br />

By Swami Mahadevananda<br />

Swami Vishnudevananda was sent to the West in 1957 by his guru<br />

and teacher, with the words “people are waiting for yoga”. He set<br />

off with 50 rupees in his pocket, a young man full of vision,<br />

discipline and supreme faith in the teachings that he had absorbed<br />

under the guidance and tutelage of his teacher, the saint Swami<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong>. He was unsure of where he was going, nor exactly what<br />

he was going to do, but he knew he would be guided and he had<br />

no hesitation in stepping into what for him was the vast unknown.<br />

Within a few years he had established his first yoga<br />

centre, in Montreal, then his first ashram and within a<br />

short thirty years a world-wide organisation, dedicated to<br />

the teaching of yoga. This organisation is now considered<br />

one of the largest and most successful in the world, a<br />

huge accomplishment considering the impact that yoga<br />

is continuing to exert on the population in the West. It is<br />

estimated that some thirty million people in the US<br />

Swami Vishnudevananda was a pioneer<br />

and a visionary. He was one of the first<br />

to teach yoga in the West.<br />

alone practise yoga on a daily basis and the numbers are<br />

incalculable in other countries throughout the world.<br />

Swami Vishnudevananda was a pioneer and a<br />

visionary. He was one of the first to teach yoga in the<br />

West, following the ancient tradition of passing the<br />

knowledge from guru to disciple.<br />

In 1969 he established the first <strong>Yoga</strong> Teachers’<br />

Training Course in the West, not only to train yoga<br />

teachers, but to create leaders. The course focuses<br />

on inner discipline, where control of the mind and<br />

development of inner peace, contentment, generosity,<br />

love and compassion are part of the curriculum. Swami<br />

Vishnudevananda taught that world peace can only be<br />

achieved if there is inner peace within each individual.<br />

His mission was to train as many teachers as possible<br />

who would practice this inner discipline, but who would<br />

also be able to pass this knowledge on to others.<br />

To date over 25,000 teachers have been trained and<br />

the numbers are continuing to increase annually.<br />

18<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />

In addition Swami Vishnudevananda carried out a<br />

mission of peace in the world. In the 1960s and 1970s<br />

he flew over countries in conflict, including Egypt and<br />

Israel, Pakistan and India, and Northern Ireland, in a<br />

brightly painted Piper Apache plane, distributing leaflets<br />

and flowers calling for peace. His missions were daring<br />

and courageous and through them he drew the attention<br />

of the world’s media to the folly of war. He made a<br />

record-breaking trip in a microlight aircraft over the<br />

Berlin Wall in 1983 when people were shot for such<br />

attempts. He is considered instrumental in the fall of the<br />

Berlin Wall as a result of this trip.<br />

He met with the Beatles in the mid-sixties and had a<br />

profound impact on George Harrison who in turn passed<br />

many of Swami Vishnudevananda’s teachings on to the<br />

hundreds of thousands of fans that followed the Beatles.<br />

Swami Vishnudevananda’s influence spreads far and<br />

wide and continues to grow. <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Centres<br />

opened recently in Lithuania, Japan and Italy; Teachers’<br />

Training Courses are being held for the first time in<br />

Thailand, Vietnam, and Poland. His legacy of peace for<br />

both the individual and for the world is incalculable and<br />

his message becomes ever-more powerful as the world<br />

faces escalating crises in society and the environment.<br />

Left: Swami Vishnudevananda’s Peace Plane in the 1970’s.<br />

Right: Swamiji piloting his Microlight plane over the Berlin<br />

Wall in 1983.


Swami Vishnudevananda giving a lecture (above)<br />

and helping students during a yoga class (right)<br />

The Influence of India in theWest<br />

The influence of India on the West through the ages<br />

has been well-documented. The spiritual power that<br />

emanates from India throughout the world is known<br />

to all scholars of history. The Hindu religion is<br />

considered the oldest of all living religions, with its<br />

revealed scriptures going back many thousands of<br />

years. Its tenets are considered universal truths that are<br />

as relevant today as they were in the past. It is for this<br />

reason that India has acquired a powerful spiritual<br />

presence on earth and is considered to be the heart<br />

of spirituality in the world. Sages, god-men and<br />

women, saints and seers have abounded in the history<br />

of India and continue to do so. This force is felt<br />

throughout the world and has a powerful effect on<br />

maintaining spiritual life in a world that is becoming<br />

increasingly materialistic.<br />

Western nations are descendants of the original<br />

Aryans originating from the Indus Valley. The ancient<br />

civilizations of Greece and Rome owe much of their<br />

language to Sanskrit and their philosophy to the<br />

Upanishads and the Vedas, the ancient texts of<br />

Hinduism. Christ is considered to have spent many<br />

years in northern India practising the spiritual<br />

teachings of the great sages of the time. In the words<br />

of Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong> “India is a spiritual country. India<br />

never conquered territories or annexed dominions.<br />

Military conquest is not her ambition. She wants her<br />

children to have Absolute Independence. She does not<br />

call upon them to rule over others. She wants them<br />

to have conquest over internal nature. She wants them<br />

to possess brilliant divine virtues, moral stamina and<br />

inner spiritual strength, born of wisdom of the soul.<br />

Non-violence is her weapon to gain the spiritual<br />

conquest and the conquest of the minds of others.<br />

India is the sacred land with holy rivers and powerful<br />

spiritual vibrations. India is the land of yogins and<br />

sages, rishis, philosophers, saints and high intellectuals.<br />

The doctrines of Indian philosophy are sublime. Its ethics<br />

are soul elevating. Its scriptures are wonderful. It has<br />

an eternal message to give to a world rent asunder<br />

by hatred, dissension and war — the message of cosmic<br />

love, truth and non-violence.”<br />

Swami Mahadevananda is the <strong>Yoga</strong> Acharya (spiritual<br />

director) for the <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centre Ashrams and Centres<br />

in India, Canada, Italy and Japan.<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 19


The <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Teachers’ Training Course Experience<br />

A Pleasant Surprise<br />

Dear Swamis,<br />

I have been wanting to write this email since after coming<br />

back from the excellent TTC in October but became busy with<br />

routine work. First of all, I would like to convey my sincere<br />

thanks to all of you for the excellent teaching during the<br />

course. As someone of Indian origin, when I first attended<br />

the TTC in August of 2008, I was pleasantly surprised that<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> TTC involves not only the physical aspects of <strong>Yoga</strong><br />

but has a great deal of emphasis placed on the Vedantic<br />

philosophy, meditation, and Bhakti <strong>Yoga</strong>. It was a great<br />

privilege to learn from the direct disciples of Swami<br />

Vishnudevananda. Your devotion to him was shown in the<br />

dedication and sincerity with which all aspects of the course<br />

are taught.<br />

It was a great opportunity to meet other students from all<br />

20<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />

The first <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong><br />

Teachers’ Training Course was<br />

was taught by Swami<br />

Vishnudevananda in 1969.<br />

Since that time over 25,000<br />

students from all over the<br />

world have undergone the<br />

training. Here are a few<br />

personal experience from past<br />

graduates of the course.<br />

Personal experiences of the Teachers’ Training Course<br />

over Europe and other parts of the world with different<br />

backgrounds and in different stages of life with varying<br />

aspirations but a common goal of becoming a <strong>Yoga</strong> teacher.<br />

It was obvious although the reason behind everyone wanting<br />

to become a <strong>Yoga</strong> teacher was different, the TTC had made<br />

a profound impact on their way of thinking and hopefully<br />

towards a more fulfilling life. It has personally made a lot<br />

of difference in my own personal and professional life. I will<br />

be starting a <strong>Yoga</strong> class at my hospital for the staff from this<br />

coming March for which I seek your blessings.<br />

With this I would like to again thank you and the<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> organisation for continuing to spread the true<br />

message of <strong>Yoga</strong> and contribute towards World Peace.<br />

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,<br />

Om Namah Sivaya<br />

Tarun


The <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Teachers’ Training Course Experience<br />

Personal experiences of the Teachers’ Training Course<br />

So Much Wonderful Prana!<br />

Dear Swamis,<br />

Happy New Year! I wish you all a lot of love, peace and<br />

happiness for <strong>2010</strong>!<br />

2009 was the year that I become a yoga teacher and my<br />

girlfriend a child yoga teacher. <strong>2010</strong> is the year that starts at<br />

“0” again and it also really feels like a new start for us.<br />

The TTC in September in Reith was superb! I learned a lot<br />

and it gave me new insights. On Facebook I saw a couple<br />

of photos of the TTC and it made me a little bit sad. Sad that<br />

I wasn’t there anymore, that the TTC was over. But now my<br />

life is just beginning I was thinking and that gave me a lot<br />

of happiness! But also a little worrying, because at home it’s<br />

not always easy to create a safe and pranaful surrounding like<br />

in the ashram. However the ‘<strong>Sivananda</strong> prana’ is in me, given<br />

by my Swamis, western society is eager to pull me back.<br />

Problems with some family members, because I’m changed.<br />

Troubles with my new job in a wellness resort, because a<br />

rajastic yoga teacher was not really happy with me as her new<br />

colleague (who also knows something about yoga). And<br />

sometimes those and other things worry me, but I know that<br />

what I’m doing is good! I learned it from you and I received<br />

so much wonderful prana in Reith! So I don’t want to see<br />

some family relatives for the next years. And my job at the<br />

wellness resort has already ended. I worked in this company<br />

because I wanted to make a difference in this very<br />

commercial place. That’s why they asked me to make the<br />

place more a ‘yoga place’. And of course it would be nice to<br />

offer my services to build up a better place for the hundreds<br />

of people that come weekly to this resort. To give a little extra<br />

relaxation and peace in this place. Exactly that gave me a lot<br />

of energy to work in a place like this. Sometimes I had one<br />

hundred yoga students a day. To one hundred people I gave<br />

a little yoga prana! Many times I heard people ask each other<br />

if there was also yoga in their village. Frequently people asked<br />

me what yoga I gave. And several yoga teachers asked me<br />

where I did my study. Almost every day I gave one or more<br />

guests the internet address of <strong>Sivananda</strong>. Wonderful!<br />

So I know that what I’m doing is good. For the last few<br />

years I already tried to live like the two first limbs of Raja<br />

<strong>Yoga</strong>. And now after the TTC I’m totally ready for it! (also<br />

ready for the ATTC of course) and I really feel the prana that<br />

I received from you at the TTC! At that time I only thought<br />

I received the energy, …great, super, but that’s it. But for<br />

example, two months later I helped my girlfriend with some<br />

worries. And I was astonished about my own beautiful words!<br />

My girlfriend told me that she heard nice words before from<br />

me, but these were really very wise words! The TTC has<br />

changed me for the better, that’s for sure! Thank you very<br />

much <strong>Sivananda</strong>, Vishnudevananda and the swamis who carry<br />

out this beautiful work!<br />

I hope to be with you again soon.<br />

Om Tat Sat!<br />

Chaitanya (Ron Luttmer)<br />

Important for Humanity<br />

My name is Leonard Radut and I was at TTC in august 2008.<br />

What I want to say is that yoga is now a very important part<br />

of my life. I like to do yoga and that 30 days in Tyrol at the<br />

TTC were very good for me.<br />

Now I am doing yoga 1 – 3 hours a day and, in some<br />

week-ends even 24 hours continous. Now I have a yoga<br />

course in Bucharest with some people and a website in<br />

Romanian with a good visibility in the ‘world’ of Romanian<br />

yoga. At this course we are doing hatha yoga, a ‘how to eat’<br />

course, even a Bhaghavad Gita course and a meditation<br />

course. We are doing a lot of ‘Who am I’ meditation (self<br />

introspection) and meditation that is coming from Christianity<br />

named ‘Isihasm’ (it is something devotional, when the<br />

practitioner is asking for Divine Bliss).<br />

I am not eating meat and I think I have a sattvic eating<br />

style. I am saying this for you to know that the seeds from<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> are in good hands. I think your work, karma yoga,<br />

is very good for me and it is having results.<br />

I hope that I will transform and become a good disciple.<br />

I thank you for your yoga course and I think that this action<br />

is very important for humanity.<br />

Thank you, thank you, thank you very much for all.<br />

Have a nice and spiritual life!<br />

Leonard Radut<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 21


<strong>Yoga</strong> of the Heart<br />

By Julie Deife*<br />

Nischala Joy Devi dedicated her life to yoga when she was in her twenties. Prior to that she had<br />

been a physician’s assistant, trained in modern medicine. At the Integral <strong>Yoga</strong> Institute where<br />

she served as a monastic disciple for 25 years, Swami Satchidananda** guided her in the direction<br />

of merging western medicine with yoga. She is the author of The Healing Power of <strong>Yoga</strong> and<br />

The Secret Power of <strong>Yoga</strong>, A Woman’s Guide to the Heart and Spirit of the <strong>Yoga</strong> Sutras.<br />

Julie: Without intending to do so, it seems you were one<br />

of the early yoga therapists in this country.<br />

Nischala: When I started at our ashram in Connecticut,<br />

we had one of the first holistic clinics. I didn’t have a<br />

title. We didn’t call things yoga therapist in those days.<br />

I just taught yoga to the patients with amazing results.<br />

Later I worked with Dean Ornish and Michael Lerner<br />

from the Commonweal Cancer Program. I had no idea<br />

it would make an impact on society as it has.<br />

Julie: How important is research on yoga?<br />

Nischala: We live in a western country that believes<br />

in research. I don’t think it makes a difference in how<br />

it affects people. That’s just what we like.<br />

There was a story recently by a physician who writes<br />

regularly for the San Francisco Chronicle. He was asked<br />

about acupuncture, and he went to China and had them<br />

show him the different ways they use acupuncture.<br />

He writes about observing an open-heart surgery on<br />

a woman with three needles in her ear. That was all,<br />

three needles. He was astounded by it; he took pictures<br />

and everything. Afterwards he said to the physicians,<br />

“I’d love to see your research on this.” And they burst out<br />

laughing. “Only Americans want to see this!”. But it’s<br />

growing. People in the United States like to see studies.<br />

Julie: Including people in the medical profession.<br />

Nischala: And patients. When you go for a drug even,<br />

you want to see a clinical trial to see if this works. To me,<br />

22<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />

yoga’s been around for five thousand years. Doesn’t that<br />

work? But that’s not everybody. I honor both sides. My<br />

only concern with this is that people will forget that it’s<br />

a wisdom tradition, that it’s not a medical treatment<br />

plan. We chose to do our clinical trial on heart disease<br />

and yoga so people could see the results of yoga. That’s<br />

why it made such an impression on people.<br />

Julie: How is what you did with the Commonweal<br />

Cancer Program different?<br />

Nischala: We treated the whole person, and their hearts<br />

got better. I didn’t do anything specifically for their<br />

hearts, except maybe a little imagery. But basically<br />

the asanas that were done could have been done for<br />

arthritis, they could have been done for cancer, whatever.<br />

But in trusting the intelligence of the body, it will correct<br />

itself. The intelligence is nothing other than the spirit<br />

that came in physical form, and I have a tremendous<br />

respect for that. We don’t need to correct the body. I just<br />

need to get stress and the tension out of the way and let<br />

it correct itself.<br />

Julie: So often we hear that we can heal ourselves.<br />

Doesn’t that make you feel guilty, when people adopt this<br />

belief, try it with all their heart and then don’t get well?<br />

Nischala: Absolutely. There are two aspects here: one<br />

is that we can heal ourselves, the flip side of that is that<br />

we cause our own disease. This is a misinterpretation<br />

of a very high philosophy. A high philosophy can be<br />

*This article is taken from an interview given to Julie Diefe for the LA <strong>Yoga</strong> Magazine<br />

** Swami Satchidananda was a disciple of Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong> and Gurubai of Swami Vishnudevananda


misunderstood when brought down to the mundane.<br />

On the causal plain, these things manifest. It’s not that<br />

we cause illness or disease. It’s already there on the<br />

causal plain, and it filters down to the physical body.<br />

So, it’s not that I’m doing something bad for my knee<br />

if it hurts. Instead, there’s some reason on the causal<br />

plain that it filtered down, that this particular knee<br />

would be affected in that way.<br />

Again, we try to simplify everything in the west.<br />

We say, “Oh, you caused your pain. If you just changed<br />

your attitude, the pain would go away.”<br />

Julie: It also becomes egocentric when we say, “I caused<br />

this and I can heal it.”<br />

Nischala: That’s right. There’s the mistaken identity that<br />

the ego is in charge instead of the divine self. The divine<br />

self has certain lessons that it needs to learn and part of<br />

it is through the body.<br />

Julie: Beautiful. Whatever we’re handed is a gift from<br />

the divine, to help us learn.<br />

“We treated the whole person, and their<br />

hearts got better"<br />

Nischala: A line from a Rumi poem that expresses this<br />

is: “I needed more grace than I thought.” To me, this<br />

means that the grace brings us to knowing whether we<br />

can change the physical, change our attitude toward the<br />

physical or accept it all.<br />

What yoga tells us is that there’s really only one cause<br />

for disease, which is that we have forgotten who we are.<br />

And all of this is just to remind us of that. Swami<br />

Satchidananda used to say, “the hospitals are the<br />

ashrams of today.” He said you can’t get people to go<br />

into an ashram, so they go into a hospital instead where<br />

they’re made to sit with themselves, to really look inside<br />

and see what their life is about.<br />

Julie: Although, a lot of people in hospitals are on<br />

so many drugs that it’s impossible to have any kind<br />

of introspection or real external communication.<br />

Nischala: A lot of people are still coherent enough.<br />

And they look at their life. “What happens if I don’t get<br />

out of here?” “What’s important to me?”<br />

Julie: Why did you call your new book The Secret Power<br />

of <strong>Yoga</strong>?<br />

Nischala: I really believe that within Patanjali’s <strong>Yoga</strong><br />

Sutras, it’s all there. I wanted people to understand the<br />

yoga sutras in a simple way that relates to us now, yet<br />

keeps the essence of it intact. That’s the secret power<br />

of yoga, how it can relate to us right now.<br />

<strong>Yoga</strong> of the Heart<br />

Julie: But you tackled this for another reason, too, and<br />

that is to have a feminine perspective of the yoga sutras.<br />

Nischala: Absolutely. The ways the text has been<br />

translated bothered me for a long time. You see, the yoga<br />

sutras have three books, and the third book talks about<br />

psychic powers and spiritual powers, and what’s ironic<br />

to me is that many women already have those powers.<br />

Julie: You use words like miraculous and intuition, and<br />

you also foray into left and right brain hemisphere roles<br />

and differences.<br />

Nischala: And the polarization between the heart and<br />

the head.<br />

I got to know Patanjali well during this and we had<br />

a very intimate relationship. There’s a story in the back<br />

of the book where I tell about a direct transmission from<br />

him in India.<br />

I learned Patanjali was a reformer. He realized that<br />

the times were changing – it was shifting into Kali Yuga,<br />

which is the Iron Age – and that people were not going<br />

to read the Vedas. People were not going to read the<br />

Upanishads. So what he did was say, “I’m going to make<br />

this simple for people so we can keep it, and I’m going<br />

to talk to them in a simple way, and I’m going to distill<br />

the Upanishads, the Vedas and the Bhagavad Gita into<br />

195 aphorisms.” He was a reformer who was talking<br />

to the people of his day.<br />

Now we’re coming to the other side of Kali Yuga and<br />

the repression of women that took place during that<br />

period is disappearing and women are taking the<br />

spotlight again. I felt that this is the next reformation<br />

and the next reforming of the yoga sutras for a particular<br />

group of people that are now emerging and practicing<br />

was needed.<br />

Julie: I suppose also that cultural events shaped many<br />

translations during this time.<br />

Nischala: Yet the truth is truth. The British ruled India<br />

for over 200 years and during that time the sacred<br />

teachings were never translated, they were always kept<br />

in the ancient languages. When the British came in, they<br />

then began translating some of these scriptures into<br />

English. It’s like taking a peach and trying to make apple<br />

pie out of it. They were translated into a pragmatic<br />

language like English, and affected by what was<br />

happening during the Protestant reformation and<br />

a puritanical movement in Europe and England during<br />

the 1800’s. A puritanical mindset was brought in when<br />

the Sutras, the Gita and the Vedas were translated.<br />

Julie: These were attempts at understanding, though,<br />

were they not?<br />

Nischala: Yes, but they didn’t understand it, because<br />

of their mindset. What happened is for instance, what<br />

I consider these incredible teachings of the yama and<br />

niyama reduced to the Ten Commandments. Yama and<br />

niyama doesn’t tell us what thou shalt not do. What it<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 23


<strong>Yoga</strong> of the Heart<br />

says, and again this is my way of thinking because<br />

I wrote from Sat Yuga consciousness, is “this is who<br />

you are.” Ahimsa does not say to you, don’t kill anyone.<br />

Julie: What does ahimsa say?<br />

Nischala: It says to have reverence for all beings, which<br />

is a very different way of looking at it. It’s not someone<br />

standing there and shaking their finger at you and<br />

saying don’t do this. Instead it’s saying (whispered)<br />

“remember who you are. Remember if you’re a divine<br />

being, how you would act.” I’d have reverence for all<br />

beings. I’d speak the truth with integrity.It’s not that<br />

I wouldn’t steal anything; it’s not even in my thoughts.<br />

And instead of saying non-greed or greedlessness, I’d say<br />

I have an awareness of abundance. If I have an<br />

awareness of abundance, why would I be greedy?<br />

I’d think it’s just going to keep flowing.<br />

Julie: Clearly, you took it from a different perspective.<br />

What yoga tells us is that there’s really<br />

only one cause for disease, which is that<br />

we have forgotten who we are."<br />

Nischala: I took it standing at a Sat Yuga<br />

consciousness…. already that… namaste… thou art that.<br />

Julie: Your thoughts on yoga therapy as profession.<br />

What should we be paying attention to?<br />

Nischala: <strong>Yoga</strong> has very little to do with anything other<br />

than a relationship with ourselves. And as westerners, we<br />

don’t really know very much about a relationship with<br />

ourselves. We’re told “don’t’ just stand there, do<br />

something.” We can’t sit with ourselves for ten or fifteen<br />

minutes even, let alone a long period of time.<br />

The most important thing to me about yoga therapy<br />

is that the therapist knows who they are. And how we<br />

know who we are is that we have some kind of practice.<br />

It doesn’t have to be sitting for five hours, but it has to<br />

be some kind of relationship with self.<br />

I’ve worked with many people over the years and<br />

people get burned out. Or they go and they say I’m<br />

gonna save this person, and what happens is that for<br />

people who are ill, their prana is generally lower. If you<br />

sit with them it’s almost like a siphon. If you’re not filling<br />

completely, if you’re not getting it from within you<br />

or above or wherever you get it from you’re going<br />

to be empty.<br />

Julie: As healers then, we need to maintain good prana.<br />

Nischala: That’s another question, who’s the healer?<br />

When I’ve sat with people, I don’t really see them as<br />

someone who is ill. They’re just another being on this<br />

plain, trying to realize who they are, and the body is<br />

24<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />

what’s convincing them to do it. If I ever thought for one<br />

second that I was healing them, my prana would be<br />

deleted. I know that I’m not healing them. And I tell my<br />

students and patients who come to me, “I can’t heal<br />

you.” You’re the only one who can heal you with this<br />

divine energy. I can’t do it. It has to come from within.<br />

Julie: People who call themselves healers are people<br />

who know who they are and allow others to heal<br />

themselves, is that right?<br />

Nischala: They’re holding up a mirror of strong prana<br />

to somebody, saying, “this is what it looks like, mimic<br />

that.” They’re teaching people how to heal themselves.<br />

That is the greatness of yoga.<br />

When we started with our heart study in our<br />

Commonweal Cancer Program, one of the main things<br />

that we realized in the beginning was that we couldn’t<br />

heal anybody. And we would tell people this, and they<br />

would get real upset with us and they would say, “well,<br />

that’s what I came to you for.” I’d say, “no, no, no, you<br />

didn’t come to us to be healed, you came to us because<br />

you didn’t know how, because you needed guidance<br />

to help yourself heal.”<br />

I think it’s a very presumptuous to call yourself a<br />

healer. And I don’t really know any great healers who<br />

would call themselves healers. You can be seen as a<br />

healer. You can be known as a healer, but you always<br />

know who the healer is, really.<br />

Julie: The discussion of yoga therapy as an emerging<br />

profession is pretty new. What do you think about that?<br />

Nischala: It scares me. I overheard someone in the<br />

elevator at the yoga therapy conference say that some<br />

people are saying that you should have a bachelor’s<br />

degree before you can be a yoga therapist. I’m thinking<br />

that’s not to me what a yoga therapist is.<br />

Julie: What is it?<br />

Nischala: It’s becoming more and more academic, and<br />

if that’s what people think is yoga therapy, then who<br />

am I to say it’s not? I just know that when I sit with<br />

someone, they don’t care what kind of degree I have;<br />

they don’t care what kind of study I did, they just care<br />

if I’m present with them, if I’m peaceful and if I love<br />

them. But it’s the American way, what’s happening here<br />

and with yoga in this country. To a certain extent I’m<br />

part of it, and to a certain extent I refuse to be part of it.<br />

Julie: Can you have yoga without the spiritual?<br />

Nischala: Can you have water without wetness? I don’t<br />

think it’s possible.<br />

Nischala Joy Devi teaches at retreats<br />

and conferences worldwide.<br />

www.abundantwellbeing.com


By Dr. (Mrs) Anjani S. Kulkarni<br />

and Dr. Sanjay Kulkarni<br />

Ayurveda has focused on various aspects of women’s<br />

lives in a special way, because women are the centre<br />

of family life. Mothers are responsible for radiating<br />

happiness, bliss and health to their families. Mothers<br />

are the source of love for the entire family, and<br />

have to handle all the different relationships with<br />

children, husband, parents, in-laws and so on.<br />

Family life remains protected if the woman is safe<br />

and protected.<br />

A crying baby quickly calms down in the mother’s<br />

lap. Here, more than anywhere else, the baby receives<br />

unconditional love, feelings of safety, assurance,<br />

contentment and happiness. This is the greatness<br />

of motherhood, which only a woman can provide, and<br />

is precisely why she is worshiped as God. While creating<br />

the universe, the Almighty God, the Supreme Creator,<br />

had to take the assistance of Mother Earth in his<br />

creation. A seed might be very good, but if the<br />

land is not fertile or if it doesn’t even exist, then<br />

the seed is of no use. In the same way, the woman<br />

who carries the foetus in her womb for nine months<br />

must be given great importance.<br />

It is true that if a mother does not have a healthy<br />

physiology, then the next generation will also not be<br />

healthy. It is very important to think sincerely about<br />

women’s health, otherwise the coming generation will<br />

be born with imbalances and disease.<br />

The gunas, sattva, rajas and tamas, play a vital role<br />

in women’s health. Sattva increasing activities, such as<br />

performing yoga asanas, pranayama, meditation and<br />

Ayurveda and Womens’ Health<br />

eating a sattvic diet of fresh, warm and pure vegetarian<br />

food, will always help a woman to stay healthy. It will<br />

increase sattva and diminish the rajasic and tamasic<br />

qualities, especially in adolescence, pregnancy<br />

and menopause.<br />

Before considering the specific issues in female<br />

health, it is useful to define health generally as an<br />

ayurvedic concept. A simple definition of health would<br />

be: “Establishing balance between the physiology and<br />

one’s own inner intelligence”. It means coming back<br />

to your own nature, your own being, yourself.<br />

The different stages in a woman’s life which affect<br />

this connection are:<br />

•Menarche and the onset of menstruation at puberty<br />

•Menstruation and the childbearing years<br />

•Pregnancy and motherhood<br />

•Menopause and the end of menstruation<br />

Menarche and the onset of menstruation<br />

at puberty<br />

Adolescence, between the ages of 12 and 16 years, is a<br />

time when many physical, hormonal and psychological<br />

changes take place in the life of a girl. Preparation for<br />

future motherhood starts right from this age. Neglecting<br />

health in adolescence may give rise to later problems in<br />

health and fertility, so proper care is absolutely essential.<br />

Care should be taken of the following points, in the<br />

following ways.<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 25


Ayurveda and Womens’ Health<br />

Psychological care<br />

Adolescence is a time of change, when the little girl starts to grow<br />

up. The physical and psychological changes can bring about feelings<br />

of confusion. At times, problems concerning these changes may make<br />

her feel depressed. At this time, a mother should create a bond of<br />

friendship with her daughter, which will help the daughter, and give<br />

answers to her questions regarding these changes. Mothers play an<br />

important role in giving information, security, faith and nourishment<br />

to girls of this age. A mother should create secure surroundings<br />

around her daughter, so that she can share all her secrets with her<br />

mother. At this age, a girl may follow a wrong path, due to her<br />

immaturity, and her mother should be aware of this possibility.<br />

Physical care<br />

Proper guidance and information about menstruation and physical<br />

changes such as breast development, growth of pubic hair and<br />

so on should be given to adolescent girls. Menstruation starts<br />

at around 14 years old, but varies according to health, lifestyle and<br />

heredity. Sometimes it doesn’t start until the age of 16 years. A girl<br />

may develop an inferiority complex in this situation, and ayurvedic<br />

counselling and some herbs can help.<br />

Proper hygiene is necessary during the menstrual period, as unhy -<br />

gienic conditions may give rise to infection. Some girls face problems<br />

such as cramps or pain in the lower abdomen before the menses<br />

or at the onset of menses. A gentle massage with warm sesame oil<br />

followed by the application of a hot water bottle relieves this pain.<br />

Wholesome diet<br />

A wholesome, sattvic, vegetarian diet should include:<br />

•Wheat, bulgur, oats, rice, soya bean and dinkle<br />

•Soups prepared with mung dhal, red lentils or garbanzo beans<br />

•All kinds of vegetables<br />

•Green leafy vegetables, salads, tomato, cucumber, beet and carrots<br />

•Cow’s milk, butter, ghee and buttermilk<br />

•All kinds of fruit; at least one fruit should be consumed every day.<br />

Menstruation and the childbearing years<br />

Monthly menstruation should be considered a health advantage,<br />

as the whole body is purified at this time. Ayurveda especially views<br />

menstruation as a unique female physiological function, which<br />

is beneficial to the health and happiness of women during their<br />

childbearing years. It keeps the body and mind prepared for repro -<br />

duction. Beyond reproduction, it also gives a regular opportunity for<br />

women to eliminate the accumulated ama, toxins or waste products,<br />

which have the power to create disease.<br />

For many women, menstruation is a common, normal and easy<br />

monthly elimination. But for some, it is a time of intense pain,<br />

emotional upset and instability.<br />

The main causes of difficulty in menstruation are:<br />

•Improper diet •Lack of exercise<br />

•Improper daily routines •Stressful environment<br />

•Irregular sleeping times<br />

For all these reasons, the bodily doshas become imbalanced, the<br />

digestive fire diminishes and ama accumulation starts. Ama is the<br />

excess metabolic waste product created during the month.<br />

Menstrual cramps, diarrhea, nausea and heavy blood loss are more<br />

likely to occur during the menstrual period if the body needs to<br />

eliminate ama. As these symptoms are ama-related, some women<br />

may feel light and enthusiastic after their menstrual period is over,<br />

although it is difficult for them during the menstruating days.<br />

For comfortable menstruation, ayurveda prescribes<br />

the following:<br />

•Stay inward; it is a time for rejuvenation. Pay more attention<br />

to physiology, to help to minimize discomfort and irritability.<br />

•Take a diet that is light and warm. Freshly prepared food is best.<br />

26<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />

Avoid cold drinks and carbonated beverages, fried food, cheese<br />

and yoghurt, non vegetarian food and mushrooms.<br />

•Rest; plan to take 2 or 3 days off each month for rest. Try to avoid<br />

staying up late at night. Resting doesn’t mean lying in bed, unless<br />

the pain or cramps are very bad. Rest can mean doing lighter<br />

scheduled activities at home or outside, as required. If possible,<br />

do light enjoyable activities around the house such as reading<br />

or writing. Avoid sleeping in the daytime.<br />

•Keep exercise easy. A 20 to 30 minute walk each day is enough<br />

exercise during menstruation.<br />

•Sexual activity should be avoided.<br />

•Abhyanga (oil massage) should be avoided for first 3 days<br />

of the period.<br />

•External sanitary napkins should be used, and tampons avoided.<br />

Pregnancy and motherhood<br />

Ayurveda believes in suprajaajanana, the birth of a baby with<br />

healthy body, mind and soul. For the birth of a healthy baby,<br />

ayurveda suggests some rules to follow, right from the menarche.<br />

Sushruta, a great ayurvedic scholar, suggested the marriageable age<br />

of a man as twenty five, and of a girl as sixteen years. For proper<br />

conception, the following are essential: ritu (time near ovulation<br />

or ritukaala), beeja (seed i.e. ovum and sperms), kshetra (field i.e.<br />

female reproductive system and uterus), ambu (nourishing<br />

substances), properly functioning vaayu (air element) and normal<br />

physiological and mental status.<br />

As conception takes place, the normal physiological, psycho -<br />

logical and physical status gradually changes in a woman. The<br />

foetus is affected mentally and physiologically by the deeds of the<br />

pregnant woman; hence emphasis has been given to the diet and<br />

lifestyle of the pregnant woman from the day of conception itself.<br />

Antenatal care starts from the moment a woman becomes<br />

pregnant. The woman should follow a sattvic diet and lifestyle.<br />

She should protect herself by the following good conduct:<br />

•Women should remain in high spirits, pious, wear clean and simple<br />

clothes, perform religious rites, do auspicious deeds and worship.<br />

•The diet taken should be considerate of place, season and<br />

digestive capacity. Ayurveda recommends a special diet for<br />

pregnant women, which is a sattvic diet.<br />

•Cooling agents such as sandal, wearing garlands, bathing by<br />

moonlight, massage and cool air are useful. A soft bed, favorable<br />

and desired food items, a loving partner and other pleasing modes<br />

of life should be followed.<br />

Apart from this, ayurveda can also offer solutions for infertility,<br />

polycystic ovaries, blocked fallopian tubes and endometriosis. These<br />

are burning issues nowadays, because of the violation of natural laws.<br />

Ayurveda can also help in:<br />

•Planning for a healthy pregnancy<br />

•Pregnancy care, month by month<br />

•Diet, yoga, breathing exercises and meditation during pregnancy<br />

•Post natal care of the mother with diet, yoga and exercise<br />

•Post natal panchakarma procedures for detoxification<br />

•Role of the husband in pregnancy care and raising a child<br />

Menopause and the end of menstruation<br />

Menopause is a natural change in the life of a woman, which takes<br />

place generally from 45 years onwards. Sometimes it may not occur<br />

until 50 or 52 years of age. This prolonged menstruation is probably<br />

due to an improvement in the general health and environmental<br />

conditions of women.<br />

Menopause is not a disease, but a normal part of a woman’s<br />

life. For over 5,000 years, ayurveda has acknowledged menopause<br />

as a natural transition, not a disease requiring hormone<br />

replacement therapy. Ayurveda believes that menopause can be<br />

psychologically balancing, spiritually transforming and physio -<br />

logically free of troublesome symptoms.


According to ayurveda, healthy living is the best way to ease the<br />

symptoms of menopause. For this, regular panchakarma procedures<br />

(physiological purification procedures) help to provide a smooth and<br />

easy transition.<br />

Health problems at menopause represent imbalances which<br />

were already growing in the body and are disclosed by the stress<br />

of shifting hormones. Menopause symptoms are nature’s warning<br />

to a woman, letting her know that she needs to start paying more<br />

attention to her health.<br />

Symptoms occurring at menopause<br />

Around menopause time, vata dosha influences start increasing<br />

naturally. If vata becomes more aggravated, the associated symptoms<br />

may be nervousness, anxiety, insomnia, restlessness or depression,<br />

tingling and numbness, joint pains, constipation, backache, muscular<br />

pains and stiffness of the neck. The vagina becomes dry and atrophy of<br />

the cervix may take place. In pitta types, more irritation and hot flushes<br />

are seen. In kapha types, joint swelling, oedema of the legs and lethargy<br />

is seen. Osteoporosis, diabetes or hypertension may arise at this time.<br />

Women should take care in their thirties and forties to avoid these<br />

chronic disorders in their fifties and sixties. Therefore, during the thirties<br />

and forties would be the time to lay the foundations for health in old<br />

age. The ayurvedic prescription and general guidelines for menopause<br />

are as follows:<br />

Management of menopause through diet<br />

•Increase the following dietary items: milk products, soya bean,<br />

tofu, paneer, amaranth, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels<br />

sprouts, spinach, swiss chard, dates, raisins, almonds, molasses,<br />

sesame seeds and soya and rice beverages.<br />

•Reduce the intake of fat (e.g. oil and ghee).<br />

•Reduce the intake of refined products (e.g. white sugar, white<br />

flour, polished grains).<br />

•Reduce the intake of sugar.<br />

•Avoid foods which are salty (e.g. pickles, soya sauce)<br />

Ayurveda and Womens’ Health<br />

•Consume linseeds, soya beans, all sprouted beans, dhal and lentils.<br />

•Increase fresh fruits and vegetables. These are important in slowly<br />

increasing blood sugar levels so there is less pressure on insulin<br />

secretion. It is also helpful for keeping the weight under control<br />

and for easy bowl movements.<br />

•Include ayurvedic buttermilk or lassi in the lunch.<br />

•Enjoy the meals; don’t be under pressure.<br />

•Change the diet according to seasonal changes, imbalances<br />

and constitution.<br />

Controlling the diet may feel difficult in the beginning and may<br />

become boring. Here the role of the mind is very important. Think<br />

positively and do not entertain negative thoughts. Stay cheerful and<br />

enthusiastic about life, because health is wealth.<br />

Management of menopause through lifestyle<br />

•Meditation and yoga along with pranayama (breathing<br />

techniques) are helpful, as well as avoiding stressful situations.<br />

•Listen to vedic sounds, relaxing music and practice relaxation tech -<br />

niques. Oil application every day helps to calm down the vata dosha.<br />

•Be knowledgeable about the menopause. Always think that it is<br />

going to be a healthy transition for you. Welcome all the changes<br />

taking place in mind and body.<br />

•Share emotional changes with your husband, another family<br />

member or friend.<br />

•Rasayana, herbal supplements, are useful for a smooth transition<br />

through menopause, especially Shatavari, Ashvagandha and Brahmi.<br />

In the vedic tradition women are very highly respected.<br />

“Matru Devo Bhav” means worship mother as a god.<br />

Dr. Sanjay and Dr (Mrs) Anjani Kulkarni<br />

are Ayurvedic Medical Directors of Shruti Ayurved Panchakarma<br />

Speciality clinic, Pune, India.<br />

email: info@ayurvedabliss.com<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 27


Shankara, his Life and Teachings<br />

Shankara<br />

his life and teachings<br />

By Prof. Pandey<br />

To find a person equal to Shankara<br />

anywhere in the world is no easy<br />

task. He had unsurpassed<br />

influence on all the major areas<br />

of India’s history, from the<br />

Gurukula system, its philosophical<br />

developments to its spiritual<br />

tradition which started with the<br />

Vedas. Though he lived for only<br />

thirty two years, his achievements<br />

were unparalleled.<br />

The time in which Shankara<br />

lived is uncertain. Those belonging<br />

to his lineage say that he lived<br />

more than two thousand years<br />

ago, but other scholars who hold<br />

a neutral and objective opinion,<br />

believe that Shankara lived around<br />

the 7th century AD.<br />

Shankara was a legendary<br />

figure during his lifetime. He was born in the south of<br />

India, in the state of Kerala. He is still widely revered and<br />

worshipped in this area and across India. Evidence of his<br />

influence can also be found all the way to Kathmandu<br />

in sacred sites and temples.<br />

At a very early age he had a strong desire to<br />

renounce the world. His mother, however, would not<br />

allow it. He was her only child; she loved him dearly and<br />

could not bear to give him up to a life of renunciation.<br />

One day he went to take a bath in the river and some<br />

miraculous beast got hold of his legs. It pulled him<br />

deeper into water so he cried for someone to help him.<br />

His mother was nearby and saw what was happening.<br />

She yelled for him to come out. Shankara replied<br />

cunningly that unless she would permit him to take<br />

Sannyas (vow of renunciation), the dangerous animal<br />

would take him into the water. Feeling helpless, she had<br />

to accept to save her son’s life. Even at that very early<br />

age, against the tradition of Sannyas dharma, upon<br />

his mother’s request, Shankara vowed that when she<br />

departed this world he would come personally to per -<br />

form the last rites of the Hindu religion. Against the<br />

strict rules of conduct of a Sannyasin, Shankara took this<br />

pledge and fulfilled his promise.<br />

Shankara lived a short life and within his lifetime he<br />

mastered all the classical scriptures and literature of his<br />

28<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />

time. He is recognized as the<br />

greatest philosopher to have lived<br />

as well as the philosopher of<br />

Vedanta. Vedanta is the philosophy<br />

propounded in the Upanishads.<br />

The Upanishads are ancient<br />

scriptures, several hundred in<br />

number. Shankaracharya realised<br />

that it would be a great feat for a<br />

single person to study and under -<br />

stand all the Vedic texts. He pro -<br />

duced a compressed form of the text<br />

in the form of sutras (aphorisms).<br />

These are known as the Brahma<br />

Sutras. Today they comprise of the<br />

Upanishads, Brahma Sutras and<br />

Srimad Bhagavad Gita as well as<br />

the Bhagavad Gita.<br />

The Upanishads are the explana -<br />

tion of the Vedas, the Brahma Sutras<br />

are the concluding aphoristic compression of the Upanishads,<br />

and the Bhagavad Gita is a commentary on the Upanishads.<br />

The Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad<br />

Gita together are known as the Prasthan trayi. Prasthan<br />

means to come and go. Like the human life cycle, we<br />

leave one place to reach another and later leave that<br />

destination as well. Life in essence is constant change.<br />

Shankara did not claim that he was providing new<br />

information. He simply provided a commentary, an<br />

explanation of the philosophy in a condensed form in<br />

this Prasthan trayi. He is best known for the commentaries<br />

he wrote on the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras and the<br />

Bhagavad Gita.<br />

The Bhagavad Gita is a dialogue between Lord Krishna<br />

and his disciple and friend, Arjuna, which took place before<br />

the great battle of Mahabharat. Lord Krishna taught<br />

Arjuna that while fighting the enemy, the man of duty<br />

does not consider whether they are relatives, friends, kith<br />

or kin, since whosoever stands in the path of righteousness<br />

is helping to promote the wrong, unethical and the illegal.<br />

There has been a long tradition of writing comm -<br />

entaries in India, but the earliest one known is that<br />

written by Shankara. He is considered to be a Jagad<br />

Guru, a teacher of the whole world. He is said to be the<br />

first Acharya and the first Jagad Guru to exist.<br />

In order to understand his achievements and


contributions, one needs to understand the pre Shankara<br />

period in India. It is no accident when a man of<br />

greatness is born into an age. There is always a need<br />

within that age for someone to revive, reassess the<br />

existing view of the world and create a change in<br />

thought and ideas. This change is necessary for the<br />

evolution of humanity.<br />

Buddhism was at the climax of its glory before<br />

Shankara. Buddhist teachings are not always in line with<br />

the Vedic tradition. Take the Four Noble Truths as an<br />

example. The first of them states that all is suffering –<br />

dukha: there is suffering in our life; there is suffering in<br />

the outside world. Evidently there are things which give<br />

us happiness but they are just occasional interludes in<br />

the general drama. The second truth states the cause of<br />

suffering; the third deals with the cessation of suffering<br />

and the fourth with <strong>Yoga</strong> as a method to relieve us from<br />

that cosmic pain. This was preached by Buddha with no<br />

reference to any scripture. This information came from his<br />

own realisation. So far as these precepts are concerned<br />

there is no objection to their value. Nobody will deny the<br />

validity of these precepts, though everything has its<br />

proper order.<br />

Vedanta philosophy propounded by<br />

Shankara encourages not to identify<br />

oneself with the body, mind and senses and<br />

the ever changing and mundane existence<br />

Shankara taught that guidance from the scriptures<br />

is needed to rise from the mundane to the spiritual level.<br />

This requires preparation, study and guidance from a<br />

teacher who has already gained this knowledge through<br />

his own practice.<br />

His journey took him to the four corners of India,<br />

where he established the four Mathas (monasteries). One<br />

in the south, Sringeri, one in the east, Puri, the third in<br />

the extreme north, Badarikashram, and the fourth in the<br />

extreme west, Dwarkha. He went on pilgrimage through<br />

jungles and undiscovered land to reach these sites where<br />

he established rites and teachings that remain until<br />

today. He often met with scholars of those times and<br />

participated in debate on the meaning of the scriptures.<br />

He was regularly being proved correct in his unders -<br />

tanding. More significantly, Shankara rejuvenated, revived<br />

and reinstated the principles of the Vedic texts.<br />

It is believed that the scriptures were not produced by<br />

a human intellect but rather channelled from a collective<br />

divine source. The Upanishads, Vedas, Brahma Sutras and<br />

the Bhagavad Gita are divine revelations. This is why man<br />

can only understand them to a certain extent. Shankara<br />

stated that unless one possesses faith in the scriptures,<br />

unless there exists some Vedic or scriptural authority in<br />

one’s life, there is likely to be a collapse in social conduct.<br />

Shankara taught that there must exist a level of<br />

spiritual teaching within all social and cultural education.<br />

He maintained that spiritual understanding is acquired in<br />

Shankara, his Life and Teachings<br />

three ways. The first is through the example of our<br />

ancestors. We know they existed through the stories<br />

heard from our current relations, though we have never<br />

seen them ourselves. Secondly, a guru shows a student<br />

some white granules and tells him it is sugar and that<br />

sugar is sweet. The student, having never tasted sugar<br />

before, believes this fact due to his trust in his teacher.<br />

The third is when the student is able to taste the sugar<br />

directly. Here the understanding is complete since it is<br />

acquired through direct experience. The first two stages<br />

require trust, whilst in the third stage understanding<br />

comes from experience.<br />

Vedanta teaches that when one hears that the soul<br />

is immortal, one believes it though one has not seen the<br />

soul. It is neither born nor does it die. It is beyond the<br />

senses, yet we believe in its existence.<br />

We believe in the existence of the physical body – the<br />

body feels hungry, thirsty, sleepy etc. One is aware of it;<br />

but what happens when the body is asleep? Is the soul<br />

sleeping too? Man can live without bread but not without<br />

the soul. We accept the existence of the soul as it is stated<br />

in the scriptures. Evidence of the soul can be felt in a self<br />

realised being, although this is not firsthand knowledge.<br />

The aim of Vedanta is to guide people to the third<br />

level of understanding or self realisation. The ultimate<br />

purpose of life is to experience the Soul or Atman. That<br />

Atman and Brahman are one. Vedanta philosophy goes<br />

as far as stating that the only duty is to know God. You<br />

are Brahman, you are God. These statements from the<br />

Upanishads are known as Mahavakyas, great sayings;<br />

•Aham Brahmasi – I am Brahman – no matter my<br />

stature or circumstances.<br />

•Tat tvam asi – That thou art - ‘That’ denoting that<br />

which is immortal, beyond the Gunas, the three<br />

attributes of nature. That part of divinity that is lying<br />

dormant under several material layers within us.<br />

Vedanta philosophy propounded by Shankara<br />

encourages not to identify oneself with the body, mind<br />

and senses and the ever changing and mundane<br />

existence. That which is sensuous, sexual, instinctive is<br />

part of the bodily existence. One must aim to transcend<br />

it. This philosophical doctrine is widely practised today<br />

and known as Advaitism or non-dualism. Dualism implies<br />

the separateness of body, mind and soul, of one<br />

individual from another, mind and animal mind. Nondualism<br />

accepts that all are one. There is no difference<br />

between colour, cast, creed, sex, opinion or religion. We<br />

are ultimately all one.<br />

Shankara said that liberation without knowledge<br />

is impossible. He held that the world is an illusion. For<br />

example if one mistakes a rope for a snake in the dark,<br />

this is due to ignorance. It is a classical example of Maya<br />

(cosmic illusion). When light is shed on the situation we<br />

see that it was a rope all along. It is the same illusion<br />

when one identifies with the body, which is born and will<br />

eventually die. The soul, however, is infinite.<br />

Professor Pandey is a retired professor of Indian philosophy from<br />

Vrindavan, North India.<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 29


A Journey of Transformation<br />

The First Teachers’ Training<br />

Course to be held at the<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centre<br />

in Putney, London<br />

AJourney of Transformation<br />

By Tia, staff at the London Centre<br />

32<br />

In the heart of London is the <strong>Sivananda</strong><br />

<strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centre, called by many<br />

of its students the ‘hidden sanctuary’.<br />

In the past twelve months there has<br />

been a great shift and wave of change<br />

that has slowly transformed the centre<br />

into its current manifestation. In full<br />

bloom the London centre is now<br />

an operating sanctuary of peace and<br />

tranquillity, successfully accommodating<br />

students for residential courses and<br />

the <strong>Sivananda</strong> Teachers’ Training<br />

Course held in a city centre for the<br />

first time ever!<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong>


A Journey of Transformation<br />

Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong> (1887 – 1963) Swami Vishnudevananda (1927–1993)<br />

Background photo: The London Centre<br />

‘Peace Garden’ in full bloom.<br />

Below: Images from The Teachers’<br />

Training Course.<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 33


A Journey of Transformation<br />

Bhagavata Saptaha with Sri Venugopal Goswami, TTC Graduates and Teachers, Correcting the postures during an Asana Class<br />

In the middle of 2009 the centre was experiencing<br />

what one would consider a lull with the usual centre<br />

schedule. Of course, if anyone has ever experienced the<br />

London centre, a lull is not ever really what one would<br />

picture a quiet period to be. Soon enough it was decided<br />

that the asana halls were in desperate need of a face lift.<br />

In came the first of the workmen who began work on<br />

plastering and painting the halls. At the same time<br />

radiators needed maintenance and were being refreshed<br />

for the upcoming winter months. Such works often<br />

uncover other maintenance issues. The early morning<br />

squeal from the staff bathroom was not a badly sung<br />

Kirtan but the unfortunate experience of the temper -<br />

amental boiler deciding that it was time to switch off in<br />

the middle of a shower. We all agreed that there was no<br />

better way of waking up in the morning, but perhaps it<br />

could be experienced in a more civil manner.<br />

A couple of months later we were informed that the<br />

basement (being used as storage for tools and the<br />

Centre’s make-shift laundry department) was turning<br />

into a brand new shower/wet room. ‘Om Swamiji. How<br />

wonderful!’ we all exclaimed. So the next wave of<br />

workmen came through to begin the project. The project<br />

in the basement moved along nicely with a few ‘major’<br />

adjustments along the way.<br />

The year end came around at lightening speed and<br />

one fateful night, at the end of our new year celebration,<br />

a loud thud was heard from above as staff finalised the<br />

evening clean up. Upon investigation we discovered the<br />

ceiling had collapsed in one of the staff rooms. We were<br />

all thankful for the good fortune that no one was hurt.<br />

Such an event triggered yet more action to be taken.<br />

Well, of course the ceiling had to be fixed! In came<br />

Vishvakarma with his team. The rooms were cleared,<br />

work began. It was then announced that whilst the<br />

opportunity was there the office needed desperate<br />

expansion. “Om Swamiji. How wonderful!” we all<br />

exclaimed. As one room became somewhat liveable,<br />

work began in the next. At one stage there were more<br />

workmen than students attending the centre! Full steam<br />

ahead, the sound of saws and hammering rang out<br />

across the centre. Whilst teaching, one would find oneself<br />

chanting the prayers in tune to the banging of the<br />

hammers and shrill of the saws. As Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong>’s<br />

famous saying goes, “Adapt, Adjust, Accommodate”.<br />

So at the beginning of <strong>2010</strong> we had intermittent hot<br />

water in the kitchen and staff shower, dust on every<br />

surface in the Main House, the Swamis swanning off to the<br />

exotic land of India for the Kumbha Mela and a basement<br />

that resembled a maze of pipe work and studding.<br />

34<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />

Countdown began. The Swamis returned. A new wave<br />

of movement began. Rooms were plastered and painted,<br />

windows replaced, floors were carpeted. The office<br />

transformed into a modern haven for the staff to attend<br />

to their daily administrative duties. The basement<br />

continued taking shape.<br />

Four weeks until TTC. The basement was still ‘taking<br />

shape’. Workmen were staying late into the night to meet<br />

the deadline. Were we going to have the shower room<br />

operational for the beginning of the course?<br />

More prana came in the form of Swami Keshavananda<br />

from the <strong>Sivananda</strong> Retreat House, Austria. All day IKEA<br />

shopping trips created mounds of boxed up furniture<br />

piled in every corner of the Centre. Karma yogis came<br />

in full force assembling and building the furniture for<br />

the rooms.<br />

We had residents staying at the centre for the first<br />

of the new residential courses in April. They were much<br />

appreciative of the wonderful space provided for their<br />

accommodation and study. Meanwhile the basement<br />

was still ‘taking shape’.<br />

The wait was over. The 24th day of April finally came<br />

around. The rooms for our new residents were beautifully<br />

prepared with a hint of modern IKEA colour and space<br />

consciousness. And with great relief the basement wet<br />

room was operational and available for use at the very<br />

last minute!<br />

On a bright sunny day in London, we welcomed the<br />

students to the city Ashram for the first TTC in a city<br />

centre! They enjoyed the intense programme with regular<br />

silent walks along the River Thames and serene natural<br />

surroundings in the early morning light as well as during<br />

the evening hours when the city begins to slow down.<br />

Special guest programmes and learning and living the<br />

different aspects of yoga kept them focused and eager.<br />

The students maintained an enthusiastic and positive<br />

attitude throughout the course. The intense schedule<br />

flowed smoothly with the reduced daily schedule of the<br />

centre. Every space of the centre was fully utilised<br />

to maximum effect.<br />

We were very blessed to be part of this landmark<br />

event. Plans are in place to continue the tradition of TTC<br />

at the centre in the future. Meanwhile residential courses<br />

have been planned throughout the year with the next<br />

being ‘<strong>Yoga</strong> Psychology and Positive Mental Health’ with<br />

Dr. Uma Krishnamurti in August, followed by ‘The Raja<br />

<strong>Yoga</strong> Sutras of Patanjali’ with Swami Durgananda in<br />

November <strong>2010</strong>. We look forward to the ever growing<br />

success of the residential activities in the London Centre,<br />

which has turned into a real city Ashram!


By Swami Sivadasananda<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong>


Unblocking Vital Energy<br />

The increase of energy or prana is a<br />

main motivation for the practice of<br />

asanas. While you hold a posture,<br />

pressure builds up in certain areas<br />

of the body, which are physical<br />

counterparts of major meridian<br />

crossing points. Whether it is pressure<br />

between the body and the mat,<br />

pressure on joints or gentle muscle<br />

stretch pain, watch carefully what<br />

happens when this pressure is<br />

released as you slowly come out<br />

of the asana. While you spend some<br />

time lying in the corpse pose,<br />

relaxing before starting the next<br />

posture, you can positively experience<br />

an increase in energy circulation.<br />

This is more than just having<br />

a more detailed body awareness.<br />

When you let go of the body, giving<br />

up the resistance to the pull of<br />

gravity, you can experience a feeling<br />

of lightness, a magnetic flow of<br />

energy from the feet up to the head.<br />

It is different and independent<br />

of the motor and sensory nerve<br />

impulses traveling to and from your<br />

muscles. The energy or prana<br />

currents are specific for each asana.<br />

Once you have learned to identify<br />

them during relaxation after the<br />

asana, you can start focusing on<br />

them even while holding the pose.<br />

With time you learn how long you<br />

need to hold an asana, simply<br />

by focusing on these energy<br />

movements. Once the energy is<br />

unblocked, you can leave the pose,<br />

relax for a while and then carry on<br />

with the next asana. In order to reap<br />

the energetic benefits of the asanas<br />

it is recommended to remain in one<br />

system of practice.<br />

Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong> says:<br />

“Everybody should select a course<br />

of a few asanas to suit his tempera -<br />

ment, capacity, convenience, leisure<br />

and requirement. Never change<br />

the asanas. Adhere to one set<br />

tenaciously. If you do one set<br />

of asanas today and some other<br />

tomorrow and so on, you cannot<br />

derive much benefit.”<br />

The Play of the Gunas<br />

<strong>Yoga</strong> describes the frequency of vital<br />

energy in three vibratory levels.<br />

These gunas or “qualities of nature”<br />

apply to the whole universe,<br />

including the body and the mind:<br />

Sattva<br />

Purity, clarity, peace, harmony,<br />

balance, awareness, happiness, joy,<br />

love, calm, silence, light, knowledge,<br />

intelligence<br />

Rajas<br />

Activity, passion, agitation, worry,<br />

desire, anger, restlessness,<br />

impulsiveness, turbulence<br />

Tamas<br />

Laziness, lethargy, delusion,<br />

ignorance, sleep, attachment,<br />

fear, depression, dullness,<br />

heaviness, decay<br />

Nobody will remain in any one<br />

of the three states for a long time.<br />

Just as night (tamas), day (rajas) and<br />

sunrise/sunset (sattva) repeat<br />

themselves in cycles, so also the<br />

The Power of Asanas<br />

“Nobody knows the power of asanas”<br />

– these are the words of Swami Vishnudevananda, spoken<br />

with humble reverence for the greatness of <strong>Yoga</strong>.<br />

<strong>Yoga</strong> points out the defects of human existence – pain and ignorance – and<br />

offers practical ways to attain happiness and wisdom by applying natural laws.<br />

These laws are inscribed in every cell of our body and in the background of<br />

every thought we think. Here are three powerful processes which are activated<br />

when you practice asanas:<br />

gunas constantly change.<br />

Today’s lifestyle in the big cities is<br />

characterized by an excess of rajas –<br />

the senses are constantly bombarded<br />

at great speed by exciting sights,<br />

sounds, smells and tastes. This<br />

hyperactive rush causes a great deal<br />

of agitation followed by prolonged<br />

periods of exhaustion or tamas – the<br />

vital energy is low and the mind<br />

cannot focus on anything. While one<br />

vaguely longs for the peaceful,<br />

creative, positive and uplifting<br />

energy of sattva, body and mind<br />

remain trapped in rajas or tamas.<br />

<strong>Yoga</strong> helps to balance the play<br />

of the gunas by increasing sattva.<br />

Each time the vital energy starts to<br />

circulate in the asana class, it feels<br />

like drops of nectar entering the<br />

system. As the practice continues<br />

you can observe how asanas not<br />

only provide greater amounts of<br />

energy, but also improve the balance<br />

of the gunas.<br />

Take for instance a three-minute<br />

practice of the shoulderstand: How<br />

you experience it depends on the<br />

guna which predominates at the<br />

time. If there is more tamas, the<br />

body will feel heavy and you would<br />

rather leave the posture and spend<br />

more time in relaxation. If you are in<br />

a mood of rajas, your body will want<br />

to move in and out of the pose,<br />

instead of remaining in it. In both<br />

situations focusing on your<br />

breathing will help you to hold the<br />

pose. Deep inhalations will give you<br />

enough energy to overcome the<br />

lethargy of tamas, and long and<br />

controlled exhalations will help you<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 37


The Power of Asanas<br />

to control the jerking impulses of<br />

rajas in your muscles. Similar exper -<br />

iences can be had in other asanas<br />

such as headstand, plough, fish,<br />

sitting forward bend and spinal twist.<br />

After final relaxation, the play of the<br />

gunas is more balanced. You are<br />

then better able to meditate (sattva),<br />

to do energetic work (rajas) and to<br />

have a deep sleep at night (tamas).<br />

An important factor should be<br />

mentioned here: Deepening the<br />

sattva during your asana practice<br />

and remaining in that state after -<br />

wards depend mostly on what you<br />

eat before and after the practice.<br />

Meat and alcohol create tamas;<br />

stimulants like tea, coffee, onions<br />

and garlic enhance rajas. The vege -<br />

tarian satvic yogic diet is a tremendous<br />

help to keep the gunas in balance.<br />

Concentration and<br />

Positive Thinking<br />

Wanting to be a good, positive<br />

person is a natural tendency of the<br />

higher mind. Yet while one may<br />

know quite well one’s negative<br />

thought trends and habits, it often<br />

remains difficult to shift to the<br />

positive side.<br />

The Raja <strong>Yoga</strong> Sutras of Patanjali<br />

observe this phenomenon in a very<br />

38<br />

Newly Published!<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />

neutral and objective way:<br />

When the thought waves are<br />

stilled, the perceiver rests in his<br />

own true nature (I, 3)<br />

When the waves of a lake are stilled,<br />

one can see the bottom clearly.<br />

Likewise, when the modifications<br />

or thought waves in the mind<br />

subside, one’s essential nature<br />

becomes evident. This true nature<br />

is the same for everybody and<br />

manifests as peace, love and bliss.<br />

When the mind is not concen -<br />

trated, the perceiver identifies<br />

with its modifications. (I,4)<br />

When thought waves arise, there is<br />

the immediate tendency to identify<br />

with them. Especially during socalled<br />

“free time” the mind is in a<br />

distracted state, as it does not have<br />

to focus on any specific task. In this<br />

situation it is very difficult to get rid<br />

of instinctive thoughts of lust, anger,<br />

hatred and jealousy, simply because<br />

the mind is not focused. Without<br />

Kirtan<br />

the <strong>Sivananda</strong> Book of Chants<br />

This beautiful wiro bound colour book offers a very clear and<br />

informative introduction to Kãrtan. It includes chants that are sung<br />

regularly at all <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centres and Ashrams.<br />

It clearly explains the meanings of each chant and<br />

also includes a Sanskrit transliteration chart to help<br />

with pronunciation.<br />

The symbolism and meaning behind the different<br />

aspects of the Hindu dieties is also explained.<br />

It contains nearly 180 pages and includes more than<br />

80 bhajans.<br />

The book also includes sections on The Power<br />

of Sanskrit Mantras, Bhakti <strong>Yoga</strong>, Dhyàna ølokas,<br />

Sunday Prayers, øànti Mantras, Guru Stotra,<br />

Univeral Prayer and âratã.<br />

For more information and to order a copy of this new book,<br />

contact your <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centre or Ashram. (See address<br />

listing on page 62).<br />

concentration, we take the “movie”<br />

of the mind for actual fact.<br />

When negative or harmful thoughts<br />

disturb the mind, they can be<br />

overcome by constant pondering<br />

over their opposites. (I, 33)<br />

Through constant alertness and<br />

focus, it is possible to replace useless<br />

thought waves with positive<br />

thoughts. Asanas develop concen -<br />

tration naturally. Fine-tuning the<br />

postures with conscious breathing<br />

and relaxation quickly brings the<br />

mind into a focused state.<br />

During an asana class the group<br />

atmosphere and the instructions of<br />

the teacher easily guide the mind to<br />

concentration. This is why you may<br />

prefer to take a class rather than<br />

practicing at home. Try to practice at<br />

home what you have learned during<br />

the class and come in touch with the<br />

magic focusing power of the asanas.<br />

As you relax deeply, the thoughts<br />

become as light as a feather and<br />

miraculously move to the positive side.<br />

Swami Sivadasananda<br />

Is a long time disciple of Swami Vishnudevananda and the director of the <strong>Sivananda</strong><br />

<strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centre in Madrid. He is <strong>Yoga</strong> Acharya for the <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong><br />

Centres in Europe and South America.<br />

e-mail: SwamiSivadasananda@sivananda.net


Tapping the Energy of Plants<br />

By Diana Mossop<br />

Phytobiophysics is a new and relevant scientific approach to the problems of mankind that<br />

incorporates modern knowledge, traditional therapies and ancient wisdom. Above all it is a<br />

means of accurately assessing causal factors of disease. The word Phytobiophysics simply<br />

means the science of plant energy and the definition of this philosophy is the use of the<br />

infinite energy of plants to restore balance and harmony to people of the world on all levels<br />

of consciousness; Spiritual, Mental, Emotional and Physical.<br />

The primary remedial aspect of<br />

Phytobiophysics is by the use of the<br />

vibrational energy of plants<br />

Using the vibration of plants for healing is not a new<br />

scientific approach. In fact it is timelessly old. For<br />

centuries it has been well understood that plants have<br />

an extremely important role in our lives, not only do we<br />

live and survive by eating plants but also we use them<br />

to restore our bodies to health. It should come as no<br />

surprise that the energetic aspect of plants plays a vital<br />

role in ensuring healing on a profound and subtle level.<br />

Phytobiophysics is an understanding of the interrelationship<br />

between our souls and our being and the<br />

physical manifestations which often appear as symptoms<br />

of illness. People, when hurt on a very deep level, fall<br />

degenerately ill.<br />

Many years of research have been conducted into<br />

matching the electro-magnetic frequencies of healthy<br />

cells to those of plants. Plant energy is captured as a<br />

memory by the traditional sun method. Thousands of<br />

plant and flower essences have been gathered from all<br />

over the world. By combining the frequencies of these<br />

thousands of essences, the twenty Phytobiophysics<br />

Flower Formulas have been produced. They have been<br />

formulated to resonate on very precise and specific<br />

frequencies following the colour spectrum of the<br />

Rainbow. However a healthy person also resonates on<br />

the colour spectrum. Each Flower Formula has been<br />

specifically created to match the resonance of a healthy<br />

cellular system in the body. The formulas act as<br />

neurotransmitters and when ingested they instantly<br />

regulate the electro-magnetic frequency of the system<br />

being targeted. This encourages the body’s own innate<br />

ability to heal itself on a very deep level.<br />

The Spiritual Journey<br />

The word spiritual is profound and encompasses the<br />

entire journey of our lives, which is infinite in both<br />

directions. The infinity of the past is the energy from<br />

the genetic coding of our ancestors and the infinite<br />

information of our inheritance. The infinity of the future<br />

is the consequence of all our actions and relationships<br />

and our children’s inheritance from us. The spiritual<br />

journey is the entire journey of our lives, it has no<br />

beginning and it has no end. It is everything that we are<br />

and everything that we do in our lives. The spiritual<br />

journey is the deepest of all and when we are hurt or<br />

traumatised on this level we will fall degenerately ill.<br />

The Mental Journey<br />

The mental journey is the intellectual journey, the journey<br />

of this life starting from the date of conception. The<br />

mental journey is linked very closely with the way we<br />

have been taught, the way we have been brought up, the<br />

languages we speak, the relationships that our parents<br />

have. If we are treated with love and respect as little<br />

children, we will grow up to love and respect and value<br />

humanity. If we are treated with betrayal and trauma and<br />

sadness we grow up as victims, lose our confidence and<br />

feel sad. We lose our self worth. When hurt on the mental<br />

journey, the journey of this life, we frequently manifest<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 39


Phytobiophysics<br />

these traumas as structural disorders in the skeleton and<br />

in the way we breathe. The mental journey has a direct<br />

relationship with oxygen and our body’s use of oxygen.<br />

The Emotional Journey<br />

The emotional journey is the journey of our senses and<br />

the journey that gives our lives purpose. This is the journey<br />

of loving, giving, creation and maturity, the journey of<br />

loving relationships that are of paramount importance in<br />

our lives. When we are hurt on the emotional journey this<br />

will manifest as functional disorders.<br />

The Physical Journey<br />

The physical journey is the journey of now, today and is<br />

to do with daily routine. Getting up in the morning, how<br />

we slept the night before, whether we are happy or<br />

angry, whether someone has hurt us right this very<br />

moment. The physical journey is about the digestive<br />

system, assimilation and the utilisation of nutrients. The<br />

physical journey is about growth, breathing, the heart<br />

beat, digestion, elimination and living. We travel on all<br />

the journeys at all times throughout our lives. Every<br />

emotion and experience that we feel during our lives has<br />

a subtle yet profound reflexive action on the four valves<br />

of the heart. Relationships are of paramount importance<br />

in our lives, the way we relate to our loved ones is an<br />

exceedingly important aspect as to whether we are well.<br />

The location of the block is decreed by the relationship of<br />

the social breakdown within the family. The depth of the<br />

block or the plane upon which it manifests is influenced<br />

by the degree of trauma.<br />

•Those of us who live in isolation from our loved ones<br />

frequently fall ill.<br />

•Those of us who are saddened and embittered by the<br />

circumstance of our lives frequently fall ill.<br />

•Those of us who get stopped and held back on our<br />

journey of life and are not able to overcome these<br />

circumstances frequently fall ill.<br />

It is not until we really start to understand these<br />

serious tragedies and traumas that occur in our lives and<br />

come to terms with them and are then able to forgive<br />

and forget and move on, that we recover from illnesses.<br />

Father<br />

My Father<br />

I Father<br />

Fatherhood<br />

Youth<br />

My Youth<br />

My Son<br />

I Youth<br />

Brother<br />

40<br />

1 3<br />

2<br />

4<br />

Mother<br />

My Mother<br />

I Mother<br />

Motherhood<br />

Baby<br />

My Baby<br />

My Daughter<br />

I Baby<br />

Sister<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />

Heart Blockages<br />

Wherever there is a<br />

block in one of the<br />

chambers of the heart,<br />

there will be corres -<br />

ponding physical reflex<br />

blocks throughout<br />

the body.<br />

The Physical Correspondence of Negativity<br />

Plane Negativity Effect<br />

Spiritual Death /desertion/betrayal/shock Structural degeneration<br />

Mental Sexual/verbal aggression/neglect Structural chronicity<br />

Emotional Grief/heartache/sadness/ heartbreak Functional degeneration<br />

Physical Bereavement/victimisation/suppression Functional chronicity<br />

The Heart is the fulcrum of the body<br />

All energy travels through the heart<br />

For each one of us to be in harmony with our soul, emotions,<br />

the environment and our relationships, we need to travel<br />

freely on our journey through life. Each stage of our<br />

journey creates different responsibilities and commitments.<br />

We relate to friends and loved ones in our lives in different<br />

ways at different times, hence a person will relate differently<br />

according to the relationship with the people in their environ -<br />

ment. A healthy man will behave in a protective way towards<br />

his child but passionately towards his wife, lovingly towards<br />

his mother and respectfully towards his father. He will treat<br />

strangers differently from his close family. Furthermore,<br />

when a trauma affects a close family member, the pain<br />

will be far greater than if it were a stranger.<br />

As the blood flows freely through our hearts and<br />

bodies so also should our relationships and emotions flow<br />

freely through our lives. The four chambers of the heart are<br />

physical structures of the human body and correspond to<br />

the four quarters of the body. Each chamber is separated<br />

by a valve that gives its name to the individual constitution.<br />

Constitution is dependent on inheritance, environment,<br />

evolution, occurrence, experience, accident and trauma.<br />

Negative experiences could be classified as keys which turn<br />

the lock in the gateways, the valves of the heart.. When the<br />

gateways are locked we are trapped in the chamber and<br />

behave accordingly and fall ill accordingly.<br />

The four basic constitutions of humanity<br />

are named after the heart valves.<br />

The Tri-Cuspid Constitution is the father figure.<br />

Leader, Strong and Noble.<br />

Negativity manifests emotionally as aggression,<br />

domination and physical cruelty.<br />

The Pulmonary Constitution is the youth. Tall, Vital<br />

and Slender.<br />

Negativity manifests emotionally as loss of self worth,<br />

aloof, cold withdrawal and sarcasm.<br />

The Mitral Constitution is the mother earth. Warm,<br />

Loving and Bountiful.<br />

Negativity manifests emotionally as destructive,<br />

oppressive smothering and nagging.<br />

The Aortic Constitution is the baby. Perfect, Rounded,<br />

Creation of Life.<br />

Negativity manifests emotionally as victimisation,<br />

bereavement grief, and theft.<br />

The Five Senses<br />

The five senses, touch, taste, sight, hearing and smell<br />

connect each one of us to life. Through the senses, we ex -<br />

perience emotions that have a profound effect on our souls<br />

and manifest as subtle changes in the function of the body.<br />

Since function governs structure, changes in mood and<br />

emotion will also have an effect on the physical structure<br />

of the body. The more profound the emotion, the deeper<br />

the change in function and structure. Hence, emotions<br />

may be positive and create harmony and healing or<br />

negative and create disharmony (disease) and destruction.<br />

Trauma and tragedy create wounds that leave scars


on the soul. These scars leave their mark, which appear as<br />

craters. The degree of trauma will determine the depth of<br />

the crater and the level of disharmony. Negative emotions<br />

create visible physical distortion that manifests as signs in<br />

the face and eyes. Facial expressions are controlled by the<br />

twelve pairs of cranial nerves. The cranial nerves are the<br />

guardians of the organs of the five senses. Since we<br />

experience emotions through the senses, these changes<br />

in emotion reflect as facial expressions, wrinkles and<br />

distortion. Emotions affect the nervous system and trauma<br />

reflects as lesion marks in the iris. Iridology is the analytical<br />

science of interpretation of these visible lesions. Iridology<br />

shows that every experience creates a visible lesion in the<br />

iris that may be interpreted as a physical disorder. It is<br />

possible to relate these subtle changes as imbalances that<br />

occur in the function of the heart and have a distinct effect<br />

on the valves of the heart. The four chambers of the heart<br />

relate to the four quarters of the body. So… as we are<br />

wounded by negative emotions during our journey through<br />

life, so, also, is the Lotus of the inner heart wounded.<br />

The heart is the fulcrum of the energy flow through the<br />

body. Every experience, every emotion and all of life’s daily<br />

expectations and occurrences have a subtle yet profound effect<br />

on the heart-beat and the flow of blood through the heart.<br />

The four chambers of the heart relate to the four<br />

quarters of the body and the four magnetic poles of the<br />

earth. The four valves of the heart are the gateways<br />

through the chambers. The function of the valves is<br />

impaired by negative emotions, which leads to creating<br />

patterns of disease and tendencies to inherent disorders.<br />

A childhood wound may damage on a spiritual level. This<br />

manifests as a deep lesion that has a long-term disturbing<br />

effect on a specific valve of the heart and therefore all the<br />

corresponding organs. Positive emotions create healing on<br />

all levels of our journey and as we travel through life we<br />

have a choice to recover from tragedy through love and<br />

understanding or we may take the negative attitude to<br />

further trauma and disease. The journey to recovery is an<br />

individual journey and yet there is a pattern to life on all<br />

levels of consciousness. The journey to recovery is a<br />

journey of choice.<br />

Life is Energy-Light is Energy<br />

Each level and meridian of the human body vibrates on a<br />

specific colour frequency. Light is the visible part of a very<br />

wide spectrum of energy. It is that part of the electromagnetic<br />

spectrum to which the human eye is sensitive<br />

and that part of the energy field that sustains life as we<br />

know it. Within its narrow part of the spectrum, light<br />

varies in colour, depending on frequency and wavelength.<br />

Colour radiates from the comparatively low frequency of<br />

infra-red to red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet<br />

and ultraviolet. Light is measured in Angstroms. This is a<br />

unit of length used to measure one hundred millionth<br />

(10 – 8) of a centimetre of a radiation wavelength. The<br />

Angstrom is one tenth of a nanometre (10A=1nm).<br />

White light splits into the rainbow:<br />

Ultra Violet 380 nm, Violet 423 nm, Indigo 449 nm,<br />

Blue 475 nm, Green 512 nm, Yellow 573 nm,<br />

Orange 607 nm, Red 680 nm, Infra Red 780 nm.<br />

The shorter the wavelengths of colour the higher the<br />

Phytobiophysics<br />

frequency and therefore the penetration potential is<br />

increased. It is for this reason that colours which fall<br />

in the high frequency range of sky colours such as<br />

ultraviolet, violet and indigo are effective in the<br />

treatment of spiritual, emotional and nervous system<br />

disorders. Whilst low frequency earth colours such as<br />

yellow, orange and red are more effective for the<br />

treatment of the physical body.<br />

In 1666, Isaac Newton showed that white light could<br />

be split into different colours by passing it through<br />

a glass prism. The rainbow occurs because each colour<br />

wavelength is refracted at a different angle. A rainbow<br />

is a spectrum of light produced by the natural prism of<br />

raindrops in the atmosphere. Colour results from the<br />

absence or the absorption of other wavelengths. A red<br />

object appears red because other colours are absorbed<br />

and only red is reflected.<br />

Every chemical element and every substance on the<br />

planet has its own characteristic pattern of energy frequency<br />

that can be related to the colour-band. It is possible to<br />

relate the vibration of each flower to a colour vibration.<br />

The part of the colour wavelength that can be<br />

perceived by the naked eye vibrates between 420 to 680<br />

nanometres however, despite the fact that we cannot see<br />

all the colour frequencies we still feel them and these<br />

frequencies play a vital role in the harmony of life.<br />

The electro-magnetic frequencies that are close to<br />

colour on either end of the colour spectrum are ultra -<br />

violet and infra-red. At the ends of the colour spectrum,<br />

colour fades into invisibility. Light energy comes from the<br />

sun and the sunlight that the moon reflects.<br />

Light is vital for the survival of the life force. Without<br />

light, life cannot be sustained. Colours play a valuable<br />

role in healing, energizing and harmonizing the different<br />

levels and meridians of the body. White light enters the<br />

body through the eyes and via the melanin in the skin to<br />

the pineal gland. The pineal gland acts as a prism,<br />

splitting the light into the different frequencies of colour.<br />

The resonances of the different colours balance the energy<br />

on each chakra or level. The rainbow travels through the<br />

body, from the hot, low frequencies of infra-red and red<br />

which relate to the earth, base chakra to the cool, high<br />

frequencies of ultraviolet and violet, which relate to the<br />

crown chakra of the mind and soul and the brain.<br />

Every cell in the body vibrates on a frequency that is<br />

ordered and in harmony with the whole. Each species of<br />

cell in the body vibrates on a different frequency but the<br />

homeostatic current produced by a healthy body is a<br />

constant flow of 5.4 micro amps. Health disturbances<br />

create an interference with this flow. It is therefore<br />

possible to accurately measure disturbances in the flow<br />

of energy through the acupuncture points by using<br />

a galvanometer calibrated in micro amps.<br />

Each level of the body vibrates on a specific energy<br />

frequency which can be measured as colour.<br />

Diana Mossop created Phytobiophysics, based<br />

on vibrational medicine and the healing qualities of<br />

plants and flowers. She created a whole array of<br />

floral essences.In her workshops, you will become<br />

acquainted with the properties of flowers and plants<br />

and learn to use them for healing.<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 41


42<br />

International <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centres Europe<br />

International <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong><br />

Teachers’ Training Course<br />

Ustka, Baltic Sea, Poland<br />

August 28 – September 26, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Fully certificated four-week intensive course<br />

International guest speakers<br />

Teaching Language:<br />

Taught in English, Polish, Lithuanian, Russian<br />

and Estonian<br />

A <strong>Yoga</strong> Vacation<br />

Programme<br />

will be held at the<br />

same time as the<br />

Teachers’ Training<br />

Course.<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centre Berlin<br />

Schmiljanstr. 24 (U9 Friedrich-Wilhelm-Platz) 12161 Berlin<br />

Fax: 030/ 85 99 97 98 E-Mail: Berlin@sivananda.net<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />

Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong><br />

(1887 – 1963)<br />

Swami<br />

Vishnudevananda<br />

(1927 – 1993)<br />

Tel. +49 (0)30/ 85 99 97 98<br />

www.sivananda.org/berlin<br />

www.sivananda.eu


By Dr. Annika Waldmann<br />

Growing in popularity, vegetarianism has gone mainstream. Adopting a vegetarian lifestyle is not<br />

only justifiable on religious, moral or ecological grounds. Growing scientific evidence is confirming<br />

that a vegetarian diet is a well balanced diet for human beings. The remarkable health benefits of a<br />

vegetarian diet are demonstrated by a multitude of scientific and medical studies and range from<br />

lower blood pressure, control of diabetes, prevention of cancer to an overall feeling of well-being.<br />

The following article is taken from a Powerpoint presentation given by Dr Waldmann.<br />

Definitions of Vegetarianism<br />

•Dietary regimen that excludes foods being<br />

produced from dead animals.<br />

•Vegare (lat.) = to grow, to live<br />

Reasons for Being a Vegetarian<br />

Religion<br />

•Slaughter is a sin<br />

•Eating meat is a religious taboo<br />

•Mercy to animals<br />

•Renunciation of meat = asceticism<br />

Ethics<br />

• Killing = Wrong<br />

• Animals rights<br />

• Sympathy with animals<br />

• Avoiding meat as a strategy to solve<br />

world hunger problems<br />

Facts on Vegetarianism<br />

Health<br />

• Maintaining health<br />

• Losing weight<br />

• Prevention of certain diseases<br />

• Healing of diseases<br />

• Increasing physical and brain performance<br />

Ecology<br />

• Saving global climate<br />

• Avoiding animal mass keeping<br />

There is often more than one reason.<br />

The Major Groups of Vegetarians<br />

Classic (true) Vegetarians<br />

•Lacto-ovo-vegetarians •Vegans<br />

•Lacto-vegetarians •Raw food eaters<br />

•Ovo-vegetarians<br />

Almost Vegetarians<br />

•Fruitarians<br />

•Low meat eaters •Pesco-vegetarians<br />

•Almost vegetarians •Pollo-vegetarians<br />

•Semi-vegetarians •“Pudding vegetarians”<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 43


Facts on Vegetarianism<br />

How Many People are Vegetarians?<br />

India: 40% 452 million people<br />

Italy: 10% 5.9 million people<br />

Germany: 9% 7.4 million (3% of all children)<br />

UK: 9% 5.4 million people<br />

Israel: 8% 600,000 people<br />

Austria: 4% 245,000 people<br />

USA: 4% 12.13 million people<br />

France: 2% 1.23 million people<br />

Poland: 1% 380,000 people<br />

Health Reasons for Adopting<br />

a Vegetarian Diet<br />

Life expectancy / Longevity<br />

“Current data from prospective cohort studies of adults<br />

raise the possibility that a very low meat intake is<br />

associated with greater longevity“.<br />

Am J Clin Nutr [1]<br />

“A long term (2 decades) adherence to a vegetarian<br />

diet contributed to a significant (3.6 years) increase<br />

in life expectancy.“<br />

Stat Med [2]<br />

Metabolic Syndrome<br />

The death bringing four:<br />

1. Obesity<br />

2. Hypertension<br />

3. Hyperlipidemia<br />

4. Insulin resistance<br />

1. Obesity<br />

Overweight means an upper normal body weight<br />

that is determined by an increase in body fat mass.<br />

44<br />

BMI =<br />

Underweight<br />

Normal weight<br />

Overweight<br />

Obesity<br />

body weight (kg)<br />

body height (m) * body height (m)<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />

BMI<br />


2. Hypertension<br />

•Hypertension = high blood pressure<br />

Normal Hypertension<br />

Systolic pressure (mmHg) 160<br />

Diastolic pressure (mmHg) 95<br />

•90% Primary hypertension<br />

•Genetic reasons<br />

•Physical stress (enduring)<br />

•High salt intake<br />

(actual: 10-15 g/d salt [NaCl]; recommended 5 g)<br />

•10% Secondary hypertension (following kidney<br />

diseases)<br />

•> 50% of all Germans (42% UK, 38% Italy,<br />

28% USA)<br />

Hypertension – Symptoms, complications<br />

Early Symptoms<br />

•Head ache, vertigo (dizziness), fatigue, decreased<br />

physical performance, impaired vision<br />

•On the long run: Angina pectoris, shortness of breath<br />

Late Complications<br />

•Atherosclerosis (heart, brain, kidney, extremities, eyes)<br />

•Increased risk for coronary heart disease<br />

Approximately 35% of all cardiovascular events<br />

are due to hypertension.<br />

Life Expectancy and Hypertension<br />

Life Insurance Agency:<br />

BaBP Study<br />

•One million Americans<br />

•Age: 45 yrs<br />

•Classified as either<br />

normal blood pressure,<br />

slightly elevated,<br />

elevated or seriously<br />

elevated BP<br />

•Follow up = 20 years<br />

)<br />

%<br />

(<br />

d<br />

e<br />

i<br />

D<br />

50<br />

40<br />

30<br />

20<br />

10<br />

Mortality rate<br />

Age 50 55 60 65<br />

Blood pressure at the age of 45 yrs<br />

normal elevated<br />

132/85<br />

132/90<br />

152/95<br />

mmHg<br />

162/100<br />

nach Society of Actuaries: Build and Blood Pressure Study, 1959<br />

Vegetarianism and Hypertension<br />

•A number of studies have shown vegetarians to have<br />

lower blood pressures than non-vegetarians.<br />

e.g. Sacks 1974 [4]; Armstrong 1977 [5]; Fraser 1999 [6]<br />

•A vegetarian diet has also been shown to reduce blood<br />

pressure in hypertensive patients. Margetts 1986 [7]<br />

•Non-meat eaters, especially vegans, have a lower<br />

prevalence of hypertension (6 – 7%), lower systolic and<br />

diastolic blood pressures than meat eaters<br />

(12 – 15%), largely because of differences in body<br />

mass index. Appley et al. 2002 [8]<br />

Reason for the low blood pressure in vegetarians remains<br />

unclear. Possible reasons:<br />

•The relative leanness of vegetarians<br />

•The effect of reduced sodium or increased potassium<br />

intake<br />

3. Hyperlipidaemia<br />

Total cholesterol: > 200 mg/dl LDL: > 135 mg/dl<br />

HDL: < 40 mg/dl Triglyzerides: > 150 mg/dl<br />

Lipid Screening Leipzig:<br />

•Vegetarians showed lower total and non-HDLcholesterol<br />

levels in comparison with the general<br />

population (approx. 10%).<br />

•Mean total cholesterol, non-HDL-cholesterol level, total:<br />

HDLcholesterol ratio showed the expected agedependence,<br />

with maximum values within the decade<br />

60 – 70 years.<br />

•Age-dependent increase of these parameters is less<br />

pronounced under the conditions of vegetarian<br />

nutrition and life-style.<br />

Leipzig [9]<br />

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)<br />

•“A plant-based diet with lots of fruits and vegetables<br />

can reduce the risk of heart disease."<br />

(Tim Byers; Univ. of Colorado, Health Sciences Center in Denver)<br />

•”Substantial evidence indicates that plant-based diets<br />

(whole grain, unsaturated fats, fruits, vegetables, n-3 fatty<br />

acids) can play an important role in preventing CVD.“<br />

(Frank Hu; Harvard School of Public Health in Boston)<br />

– Soluble fiber<br />

(beans, peas, oats,<br />

barley): seems to<br />

lower blood<br />

cholesterol<br />

– Folic acid: Bvitamin,<br />

lowers<br />

blood levels of<br />

homocysteine<br />

– Antioxidants:<br />

minimizing of<br />

oxidation of LDL<br />

– “Squeezing Out<br />

Saturates”:<br />

substitution effect<br />

continued on page 48<br />

Facts on Vegetarianism<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 45


<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 47


Facts on Vegetarianism<br />

continued from page 45<br />

4. Diabetes mellitus / Insulin resistance<br />

Diabetes<br />

•High blood glucose level<br />

•Due to absolute or relative lack of insulin<br />

Reasons<br />

•Insulin resistance<br />

•Overweight / Reduced physical activity<br />

International Diabetes Federation:<br />

“Epidemics of the 21st century“<br />

•6% world wide with diabetes (2006)<br />

•Germany: 8% (2004)<br />

Diabetes – Symptoms, complications<br />

Early Symptoms<br />

•Excessive thirst<br />

•Frequent urination/Urinary urge<br />

•High content of glucose in urine<br />

Late complications<br />

•Atherosclerosis (major / minor vessels)<br />

•CHD, arterial occlusive (obstructive) disease, stroke<br />

•Damages of the kidneys, nerves, retina<br />

Diabetes – Prevention<br />

•Avoiding overweight and obesity<br />

•Physical activity<br />

•Maximum fat intake 30% of energy intake<br />

•Maximum intake of saturated fatty acids 10%<br />

•Eating plenty of dietary fibre rich products (low GI)<br />

such as whole grain products, legumes, fruits and<br />

vegetables<br />

Diabetes risk of vegetarians is approximately 50%<br />

compared to non-vegetarians.<br />

Fraser 1999 [6]; Bradwaite et al. 2003 [10]; Tonstad et al. 2009 [11]<br />

Health with Vegetarianism<br />

Vegetarians suffer less from:<br />

•Metabolic syndrome<br />

•Overweight<br />

•Hypertension (8% vs. 15% in the general population)<br />

•Insulin resistance (lower prevalence of diabetes)<br />

•Hyperlipidemia (vegetarians: HDL higher, LDL and<br />

triglyzerides lower)<br />

48<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />

•Coronary Heart Disease<br />

(Relative Risk to die 0.3-0.5 compared to omnivores)<br />

•Cancer (Colon / Rectum, Mamma (Breast),<br />

Prostate, Lung)<br />

•Constipation and Diverticulosis (12% vs. 33%)<br />

•Osteoporosis<br />

•Bile- (12% vs. 25%; Cholesterol) and Kidney stones<br />

•Macula degeneration due to high intake of green<br />

vegetables<br />

•Spina bifida due to high intake of folic acid<br />

•High intake of dietary fiber / low intake of saturated<br />

fatty acids = less Gout, Hiatus Hernia, Varicose Veins,<br />

Haemorrhoids<br />

Due to diet and life style!<br />

Vegetarian life style<br />

Vegetarians …<br />

•Smoke less frequently<br />

•Drink less alcoholic beverages<br />

•Show a higher physical activity<br />

•Practice more often meditation, yoga<br />

Waldmann et al. 2003 [12]; Davey et al. 2003 [13]; Haddad et al. 1999 [14];<br />

Ball 1997 [15]; Janelle and Barr 1995<br />

Four simple rules to prolong your life<br />

1 Stop smoking<br />

2 Alcohol in moderation<br />

3 Plenty of fruits and vegetables (= at least 5 a day)<br />

4 Physical activity<br />

•Study with 20 000 persons (45-79 years),<br />

follow up = 11 years<br />

•One point for each rule<br />

•Risk of dying was 1 : 4 comparing zero to four points<br />

•Increased life expectancy by 14 years<br />

•Increased life expectancy by 14 years (by way<br />

of calculation)<br />

Khaw et al. 2008, Myint et al. 2009 [16]<br />

Dr Annika Waldmann<br />

Dr. Annika Waldmann studied Food Science at the<br />

University of Hannover, Germany.<br />

e-mail: Annika.Waldmann@gmx.de<br />

Below: <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Retreat House, Tyrol, Austria


Vegetarian Recipes<br />

Barley Risotto<br />

One of the best sources of soluble and insoluble fibre, barley makes this risotto<br />

especially healthy.<br />

Serves 4<br />

1 tbsp olive oil or ghee (clarified butter)<br />

3 cm (11/4 in) fresh ginger root<br />

200 g (7 oz) pot barley<br />

600 ml (1 pint) hot vegetable stock or filtered water<br />

140 g (5 oz) fresh or frozen peas<br />

85 g (3 oz) asparagus, bottoms trimmed and stalk finely chopped,<br />

leaving 2-3 cm (3/4 – 11 /4in) stem below the tips (set<br />

aside 2/3 of asparagus tips)<br />

small handful mint leaves, shredded<br />

pinch rock salt and freshly ground black pepper<br />

vegetarian Parmesan cheese, grated<br />

reserved asparagus tips, blanched in boiling water<br />

for 1 minute<br />

mint leaves to garnish<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> Upadesha<br />

Raising your vibratory level<br />

By Swami Vishnudevananda<br />

“<br />

Understand what I am trying to do. We are trying to raise your vibratory<br />

level. In the early morning the vibratory level is very high, it will help you. Also the<br />

vegetarian diet you are taking will increase your vibratory level because there is no<br />

animal magnetism. You try to increase your vibratory level through using the air,<br />

earth, water, fire, air and sun. The sun is energy. Mother earth has all the min erals<br />

and all the water necessary to convert these minerals with the help of the sun.<br />

Your body is completely controlled by these five elements. You are not your<br />

body. You have already learned that your body is the vehicle. You are different from<br />

the vehicle. But your body’s vibratory level can go down or up. So also your mind.<br />

According to the vibratory level of your body, your mental level will change. If the<br />

mental vibration is very low, it will affect your body.<br />

When you do asanas, you are controlling the vibratory level of the physical<br />

body. Pranayama controls the vibratory level of the psychic body, using the air. By<br />

eating a vegetarian diet you get the proper vibratory level created by the mineral<br />

kingdom. Your body also contains iron, copper, magnesium, and these minerals that<br />

your body is composed of will be very pure.<br />

The body is also made up of substances such as water. On a full moon day,<br />

you can see the tides in the ocean; ocean tides are caused by the moon. Your body<br />

is made up of seventy percent water, so the moon's gravity affects your body as<br />

Vegetarian Recipes<br />

1. Place the olive oil or ghee in a large saucepan over a moderate heat. When<br />

the oil is hot, add the ginger and pot barley to the pan and cook, stirring<br />

regularly, for 2 – 3 minutes.<br />

2. Gradually stir in half the hot stock. Bring the stock to a steady simmer and leave<br />

to cook for 15 minutes, stirring regularly, until almost all the stock has been<br />

absorbed. Add the rest of the stock to the barley and repeat the process for a<br />

further 15-20 minutes, at which time the barley should be tender with a little<br />

bite to it and the stock should be mainly absorbed. If the barley is still firm, add<br />

a little more stock or water and allow it to cook for a further 5-10 minutes.<br />

3. Stir in the peas and chopped asparagus and cook them with the barley for<br />

5 minutes until they are tender.<br />

4. Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the mint and seasoning until<br />

well distributed.<br />

5. To serve, divide the risotto between 4 serving bowls and place the blanched<br />

asparagus tips in the centre of each bowl. Scatter the grated Parmesan over<br />

the top and sprinkle with mint leaves to garnish.<br />

Mediterranean Spinach<br />

This traditional recipe from the Mediterranean region offers fresh, sharp<br />

flavours and requires only minimal preparation.<br />

Serves 4<br />

60 ml (2fl oz) olive oil<br />

75 g (21/2 oz) pine nuts<br />

1 kg (21/4lb) young spinach, washed and tough stalks removed<br />

to taste salt and freshly ground black pepper<br />

50 g (13/4 oz) currants<br />

1 tbsp lemon juice<br />

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg<br />

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon<br />

1. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add the pine nuts and sauté over low<br />

heat, stirring continuously, until they are lightly browned.<br />

2. Add the washed spinach and season with a little salt and pepper. Stir, cover,<br />

and cook for about 2-3 minutes, until the spinach has wilted. If necessary,<br />

drain any excess moisture from the pan.<br />

3. Stir in the currants, lemon juice, nutmeg, and cinnamon and serve the<br />

spinach immediately.<br />

well. The ocean can be affected, and you are not bigger than the ocean, so you are<br />

affected too. It is not merely someone's idea. If you go to a mental hospital on a<br />

full moon day you will see more guards. The patients are affected more on a full<br />

moon day than at any other time. According to the police forces<br />

they will put more police on that day, because there will be more<br />

crimes. You are not an inde pendent entity. We are all connected<br />

to the universal force of energy. And all that universal energy<br />

force comes from God. God is energy.<br />

“<br />

Vishnudevananda Upadesha<br />

By The <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Centre<br />

Vishnudevananda Upadesha contains extracts that are taken from talks<br />

by Swami Vishnudevananda on a variety of topics that encompass the<br />

teachings of the vast science of yoga. The words he speaks offer solace,<br />

hope, guidance and above all joy and love to all who listen to him. To<br />

order a copy of this inspirational new book, contact your local <strong>Sivananda</strong><br />

<strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centre or Ashram. (See page 62 for address listing).<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 49


50<br />

By Durga Devi, Nirmala and Theresa Tram<br />

Five years previously, Theresa Tram<br />

had stepped up to the microphone to<br />

introduce herself to her TTC group at the <strong>Yoga</strong> Farm<br />

in Grass Valley, California. Instead of saying, “I want<br />

to be a yoga teacher”, she was astonished to hear<br />

the words, “I came here to bring Swami Sita back to<br />

Vietnam”, come from deep within her. She was the<br />

first yoga student to come from Vietnam, originally<br />

not knowing that Swami Sitaramananda was<br />

Vietnamese born and had not been back to her<br />

country for 35 years. Theresa’s words contained<br />

a vision and inspiration which was prophetic.<br />

This vision materialized as students bearing<br />

diverse sounding names from 14 countries –<br />

Vietnam, Taiwan, Europe, United States, Japan,<br />

Australia, China, Canada, Great Britain, Singapore,<br />

Forty years prior to today, a war was<br />

carried out in all its ugliness at this<br />

same location<br />

Dubai and the Philippines – came forward to the<br />

microphone in the big yoga hall at the Wellness<br />

Center in Ba Thuong resort, to introduce<br />

themselves. It was an emotional experience because<br />

everyone knew that something good and special<br />

was happening, not only because it was the first<br />

time, but also because they were staying on the<br />

very grounds that once were killing fields. Cu Chi<br />

is famous for its hundreds of miles of underground<br />

tunnels and for being the target of many battles,<br />

located strategically between the Ho Chi Minh Trail<br />

entrance and Saigon.<br />

Forty years before, Cu Chi had been a place of<br />

tears for the people who died in this village – one<br />

quarter of the population of 200,000. This was<br />

once a so-called ‘white zone’, where no rice fields,<br />

trees, bushes or even a blade of grass was left. And<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />

here, on this very spot, the first <strong>Sivananda</strong> TTC was<br />

taking place, 15 minutes from the famous Cu Chi<br />

Tunnels. Surrounded by rice fields, the tropical<br />

manicured landscape is now breathtaking, with<br />

flowers, many banana, mango and palm trees and<br />

wonderful lotus ponds. It was as if the land, which<br />

had been dormant and waiting, was coming alive<br />

with the arrival of the yogis and their uplifting<br />

energy, pujas, blessings and healing mantra,<br />

Om Namo Narayanaya.<br />

The preparation for this venture took years of<br />

hard work and diplomacy. The two swamis, Swami<br />

Sitaramananda, Swami Pranavananda and some<br />

of the staff arrived only a week before the TTC<br />

began, and set to work transforming the brand new<br />

buildings into an ashram. Within a week the big<br />

tiled dining room had become a yoga and<br />

meditation hall with a beautiful altar with Om,<br />

Ganesha and pictures of the Gurus.<br />

For four weeks, each student was confronted<br />

daily with their own challenges. For some it was<br />

the physical hardship of conquering certain asana<br />

poses, for others it was focusing the mind or<br />

working with the ego during the karma yoga tasks<br />

of cleaning toilets or sweeping floors. Success would<br />

not have been possible without the special energy,<br />

the patient guidance of the swamis, asana teachers,<br />

karma yoga supervisors and the support among the<br />

students. After a while, even the heat and humidity,<br />

the new vegetarian Indian and Asian diet and the<br />

exhaustion that inevitably grows toward the end,<br />

were met with ease, as the students became<br />

stronger by the day.<br />

On the free day, excursions were organized<br />

outside of the ashram. Students, swamis and<br />

teachers together were able to get a real taste for<br />

the Vietnamese culture. The Cu Chi tunnels and<br />

booby traps, the war memorial and its thousands<br />

of names inscribed on golden plaques gave insight<br />

into the horrible war. A day was spent in Saigon<br />

visiting pagodas and museums displaying the rich


In March <strong>2010</strong>, seventy students from all over the<br />

world came together in Vietnam to participate in the<br />

first Teachers’ Training Course in Southeast Asia.<br />

Over the month, the group was united as one and<br />

all preconceptions and boundaries were broken<br />

down – a profound example of the True World Order<br />

of Swami Vishnudevananda.<br />

cultural past of Vietnam. The foreign students who experienced traffic in the<br />

bustling city of 8 million people and 4 million motorbikes saw how Vietnamese<br />

people are able to keep their calm, even amongst the worst chaos. A visit to the<br />

Cao Dai (a mixed religion of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism) temple<br />

indicated the mixed influences in the history of the country and how the<br />

Vietnamese are able to harmonize and respect each other even with so many<br />

different religious beliefs.<br />

There were two especially heartwarming events. The first was special yoga<br />

lessons for the elderly yogi-volunteers, among them one old Vietnamese lady,<br />

aged 84. She took yoga for the first time in her life, which was taught with love<br />

and patience by the Vietnamese yoga teachers every morning at 8 o'clock. She<br />

learned it so quickly that she must have been a yogi in a previous life. “I am so<br />

happy”, she said. “Although yoga came so late in my life, I am so grateful”.<br />

Second was hearing the young and earnest voices in Vietnamese, English,<br />

Chinese and Japanese, as the students recited in their own language,<br />

“O Adorable Lord of Mercy and Love, Salutations and Prostrations unto Thee.<br />

Thou art Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient. Thou art Satchidananda”.<br />

This brought tears to many eyes.<br />

On the evening of the graduation a bright navy blue sky hung over the<br />

ashram just before it turned dark, giving way to a spectacular thunderstorm<br />

which, during the ceremony, was literally shaking the grounds. The winds blew<br />

through the yoga hall, even opening up the wall behind the altar as the wind<br />

came rushing in. Rain was pouring down after months of no rain at all. Everyone<br />

saw this as an auspicious sign, a blessing and a goodbye from the elements.<br />

This first TTC in Southeast Asia was a historical moment in more than one<br />

way. It could not have been successful without the love and help of the Gurus<br />

and the ancestors, Swami Sitaramananda, Swami Pranavananda, the Thanh Son<br />

family in Vietnam and the love of all who came to Vietnam to participate with<br />

teaching, translating and volunteering. The outpouring of gratitude from the<br />

students at graduation showed that this initiative was more than a success<br />

– it was a blessing.<br />

It united the Vietnamese and Americans, the Japanese and Chinese, the<br />

Dutch and Germans through Guru’s grace and vision. This was a true example<br />

of Swami Vishnudevananda's teachings as we read in his Upadesa book: “Let us<br />

not fight. Let us bring this message of TWO: world brotherhood”. He further said,<br />

“If we can live peacefully, respecting other's wishes, other's religions and other’s<br />

philosophies, and yet sticking to our own philosophy, our own religion, our faith,<br />

our way of life, this is beauty. This is called Unity in Diversity”.<br />

Dates for the next TTC in Cu Chi, Vietnam are February 6 – March 6, 2011<br />

For enquiries: www.sivanandayogavietnam.org<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 51


Practical Advice on Pranayama<br />

Practical Advice on<br />

PRANAYAMA<br />

By Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong><br />

True to his concrete writing style, Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong> gives us some very<br />

practical advice with the practice of Pranayama, that can be easily be<br />

incorporated into daily life and will help a great deal to improve our general<br />

stamina, relax our nervous system and increase our power of concentration.<br />

The Master then reveals the possibility of healing through the control of Prana, even from a distance. Although he did<br />

not publicly acknowledge having these powers, many disciples have recounted several examples of him healing his<br />

devotees from all sorts of health problems and illnesses, oftentimes by mere closing his eyes and using his will power.<br />

This also highlights two trademarks of Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong>’s writings. The first is the fact that he only recommends<br />

practice of which he has a first-hand experience. The second is that he makes all spiritual advice and recommend -<br />

ations, even of the highest order, readily available to all.<br />

Pranayama While Walking<br />

Walk with head up, shoulders back and with chest<br />

expanded. Inhale slowly through both nostrils counting<br />

OM mentally 3 times, one count for each step. Then<br />

retain the breath till you count 12 OMs. Then exhale<br />

slowly though both nostrils till you count 6 OMs. Take the<br />

respiratory pass or rest after one Pranayama counting<br />

12 OMs. If you find it difficult to count OM with each step,<br />

count OM without having any concern with the steps.<br />

Kaphalabhati can also be done during walking. Those<br />

who are very busy, can practise the above Pranayama<br />

during their morning and evening walks. It is like killing<br />

two birds with one stone. You will find it very pleasant<br />

to practise Pranayama while walking in an open place,<br />

when a delightful gentle breeze is blowing. You will be<br />

invigorated and innervated quickly to a considerable<br />

degree. Practise, feel and realize the marked, beneficial<br />

influence of this kind of Pranayama. Those who walk<br />

briskly, repeating OM mentally or verbally, do practise<br />

natural Pranayama without any effort.<br />

Pranayama During Meditation<br />

If you do concentration and meditation, Pranayama<br />

comes by itself. The breath becomes slower and slower.<br />

You will practise this Pranayama daily unconsciously.<br />

When you are reading a sensational story-book or when<br />

you are solving a mathematical problem, your mind is<br />

really very much absorbed in the subject-matter. If you<br />

closely watch your breath on these occasions, you will<br />

find that the breath has become very, very slow. When<br />

you see a tragic story being enacted in the theatre or a<br />

film-show, when you hear very sad striking news or some<br />

glad tidings, when you shed tears either of joy or sorrow,<br />

52<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />

or burst into laughter, the breath is slackened –<br />

Pranayama comes by itself. In those Yogic students who<br />

practise Sirshasana, Pranayama comes by itself. It is<br />

obvious from these examples that when the mind is<br />

deeply concentrated on any subject, the respiration slows<br />

down or stops. Pranayama is being done automatically.<br />

Mind and Prana are intimately connected. If you turn<br />

your attention to watch the breath on those occasions,<br />

it will regain its normal state. Pranayama comes by itself<br />

to those who are deeply absorbed in doing Japa, Dhyana<br />

and Brahma-Vichara (enquiry of Atman).<br />

Prana, mind and Virya (seminal energy) are under one<br />

Sambandha (connection). If you can control the mind,<br />

Prana and Virya are controlled by themselves. If you can<br />

control Prana, mind and Virya are controlled by<br />

themselves. If you control the Virya by remaining as an<br />

Akhanda Brahmachari without emission of a single drop<br />

of semen for 12 years, mind and Prana are controlled by<br />

themselves. Just as there is connection between wind<br />

and fire (light), so also there is connection between Prana<br />

and mind. Wind fans the fire. Prana also fans the mind.<br />

If there is no wind, a fire or light burns steadily. Hatha<br />

Yogins approach Brahman by controlling Prana. Raja<br />

Yogins approach Brahman by controlling mind.<br />

In this Pranayama you need not close the nostrils.<br />

Simply close the eyes if you practise it in a sitting<br />

posture. Forget the body and concentrate. If you practise<br />

this during walking, just feel minutely the movement<br />

of the air that is inhaled and exhaled.<br />

Pranic Healing<br />

Those who practise Pranayam, can impart their Prana<br />

in healing morbid diseases. They can also recharge<br />

themselves with Prana in no time by practising


“You can have extraordinary power of concentration, strong<br />

will and a perfect healthy and strong body by practising<br />

Pranayama regularly”. – Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong><br />

Kumbhaka. Never think that you will be depleted of your<br />

energy by distributing it to others. The more you give, the<br />

more it will flow to you from the cosmic source<br />

(Hiranyagharba). That is the law of nature. Do not<br />

become a niggard. If there is a rheumatic patient, gently<br />

shampoo his legs with your hands. When you do<br />

shampooing (massage), do Kumbhaka and imagine that<br />

the Prana is flowing from your hands towards the legs<br />

of the patient. The patient will at once feel warmth, relief<br />

and strength. You can cure headache, intestinal colic<br />

or any other disease by massage and by your magnetic<br />

touch. When you massage the liver, spleen, stomach or<br />

any other portion or organ of the body, you can speak to<br />

the cells and give them orders: “O cells!<br />

Discharge your functions properly. I<br />

command you to do so.” They will obey<br />

your orders. They too have got<br />

subconscious intelligence. Repeat Om<br />

when you pass your Prana to others.<br />

Try a few cases. You will gain<br />

competence. You can cure scorpionsting<br />

also. Gently shampoo the leg and<br />

bring the poison down.<br />

You can have extraordinary power<br />

of concentration, strong will and<br />

a perfect healthy and strong body<br />

by practising Pranayama regularly. You<br />

will have to direct the power of Prana<br />

consciously to unhealthy parts of the<br />

body. Suppose you have a sluggish liver.<br />

Sit on Padmasana. Close your eyes. Inhale gently till you<br />

count OM 3 times. Then retain the breath till you count<br />

OM 6 times. Direct the prana to the region of the liver.<br />

Concentrate your mind there. Fix your attention to that<br />

area. Imagine that Prana is interpenetrating all the<br />

tissues and cells of the lobes of the liver and doing its<br />

curative, regenerating and constructive work there. Faith,<br />

imagination, attention and interest play a very important<br />

part in curing disease by taking Prana to the diseased<br />

areas. Then slowly exhale. During exhalation imagine<br />

that the morbid impurities of the liver are being thrown<br />

out. Repeat this process 12 times in the morning and<br />

Practical Advice on Pranayama<br />

12 times in the evening. Sluggishness of the liver will<br />

vanish in a few days. This is a drug-less treatment. This is<br />

a nature-cure. You can take the Prana to any part of the<br />

body during Pranayama and cure any kind of disease, be<br />

it acute or chronic. Try once or twice in healing yourself.<br />

Your convictions will grow stronger. Why do you cry like<br />

the lady who is crying for ghee when she has butter in<br />

her hand, when you have a cheap, potent, easily<br />

available remedy or agent Prana at your command at all<br />

times. Use it judiciously. When you advance in your<br />

concentration and practice, you can cure many diseases<br />

by mere touch. In the advanced stages, many diseases<br />

are cured by mere will.<br />

Distant Healing<br />

This is known as ‘absent treatment’<br />

also. You can transmit your Prana<br />

through space, to your friend, who<br />

is living at a distance. He should have<br />

a receptive mental attitude. You must<br />

feel yourself en rapport (in direct<br />

relation and in sympathy) with the<br />

man, whom you heal with this Distant<br />

Healing method.<br />

You can fix hours of appointment<br />

with them through correspondence.<br />

Swami Vishnudevananda practising You can write to them: “Get ready at<br />

Anuloma Viloma pranayama<br />

4am. Have a receptive mental attitude.<br />

Lie down in an easy chair. Close your<br />

eyes. I shall transmit my Prana.” Say mentally to the patient:<br />

“I am transmitting a supply of Prana (vital force)“. Do<br />

Kumbhaka when you send the Prana. Practise rhythmical<br />

breathing also. Have a mental image that the Prana is<br />

leaving your mind when you exhale; it is passing through<br />

space and it is entering the system of the patient. The<br />

Prana travels unseen like the wireless (radio) waves and<br />

flashes like lightning across space. The Prana that is<br />

coloured by the thoughts of the healer is projected<br />

outside. You can recharge yourself with Prana by<br />

practising Kumbhaka. This requires long, steady and<br />

regular practice.<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 53


Kumbha Mela Yatra <strong>2010</strong><br />

A report on the recent <strong>Sivananda</strong> North India Pilgrimage<br />

to the Himalayas and the Kumbha Mela in Haridwar<br />

On 14th of February at 10am a group<br />

of 72 participants coming from many<br />

countries (Austria, Germany, France,<br />

Spain, UK, USA, Lithuania, Russia,<br />

Croatia, Belgium, Finland, Uruguay)<br />

arrived at the meeting point near<br />

Delhi airport and were cordially<br />

greeted by Swami Atmaramananda<br />

and a group of Swamis and staff.<br />

After OM Tryambakam prayers<br />

for a safe journey, three buses Vishnu,<br />

Rama and Baby Krishna started the<br />

journey towards the Himalayas.<br />

In the late evening we reached<br />

Mussorie, where we spent the night.<br />

With the sunrise appeared the<br />

beautiful views from this scenic<br />

hill station in the foot hills of<br />

the Himalayas.<br />

The second travel day took us on<br />

winding mountain roads through<br />

valleys and mountain passes to our<br />

first sadhana destination – Uttarkashi,<br />

54<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />

where each yatri was welcomed in<br />

the guesthouse by a local priest with<br />

a flower garland and tilak.<br />

Uttarkashi is a scenic Himalayan<br />

township at 145 km from Rishikesh<br />

at an altitude of 1352 metres, by the<br />

river Ganga. For centuries it has been<br />

a place of sadhana with many<br />

ashrams. Our beloved teacher Sri<br />

Swami Vishnudevananda spent<br />

several months here in intense Hatha<br />

<strong>Yoga</strong> Sadhana in the early 1950’s<br />

and also completed his earthly<br />

journey here with his Jala Samadhi<br />

(immersion of his body into the<br />

Ganga) in 1993.<br />

The group soon became absorbed<br />

in the elevating vibrations of Ganga<br />

and the Himalayas. Everybody<br />

relaxed and settled into the daily<br />

Ashram schedule of satsang, asanas,<br />

pranayama, study and simple local<br />

diet served in bandhara style in<br />

long rows on the floor.<br />

Swami Atmaramananda’s<br />

readings and commentaries on Adi<br />

Shankaracharya’s Vivekachoodamani<br />

brought insight and reflection into<br />

the higher purpose of life.<br />

Our first local visit took us to the<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> Kutir, the beautiful<br />

Ashram directly by the Ganga<br />

on the outskirts of Uttarkashi,<br />

which was founded by Swami<br />

Vishnudevananda in 1992. Swami<br />

Parameshwariananda gave us a<br />

loving welcome and a tour through<br />

the Ashram which was still closed for<br />

the winter. After a Ganesha-Homa<br />

was performed by a local priest in the<br />

Ashram temple and lunch we had<br />

satsang at Swamiji’s Jalasamadhi<br />

rock where we sat and chanted OM<br />

Namo Narayanaya for World Peace.<br />

Swami Atmaramananda gave a<br />

moving description of Swami


Vishnudevananda’s Jalasamadhi<br />

cere mony, the immersion of his<br />

body into the Ganga on November<br />

11th, 1993.<br />

In the early hours we had<br />

Darshan at the old Vishwanath Siva<br />

temple in Uttarkashi. The Yatris<br />

sat close to the Sivalingam and<br />

repeated the Mantra for Siva with<br />

devotion and concentration.<br />

Another enjoyable outing took<br />

us to the Ashram of Swami<br />

Chaitanyananda who had been<br />

a close Gurubhai of Swami<br />

Vishnudevananda. The Ashram is<br />

situated above the Uttarkashi main<br />

road with a wonderful view on the<br />

valley. Satsang included recitation<br />

of vedic mantras and a reading<br />

from Adi Shankaracharya’s<br />

Sri Dakshinamurti Strotram which<br />

had been commented by Swami<br />

Chaitanyananda.<br />

On our last day in Uttarkashi,<br />

a Bandhara (meal) was organized<br />

for the local sadhu community.<br />

The event started with kirtan in the<br />

meditation hall where the Yatris<br />

(to the right) and some 80 Sadhus<br />

(to the left) gathered. The sun<br />

falling on the many orange robes<br />

created a magic glow which blended<br />

with their exquisite chanting<br />

devoted to Lord Rama. After Arati,<br />

food was served to the sadhus in<br />

complete mouna (silence) and a<br />

small donation and gifts were<br />

humbly accepted by these saintly<br />

men and women who dedicate their<br />

life to secluded sadhana and prayer<br />

for world peace.<br />

After an invigorating afternoon<br />

asana class on the roof top and<br />

a dinner with special local dishes<br />

our stay in Uttarkashi concluded<br />

with a cultural program: bonfire and<br />

Kumbha Mela Yatra <strong>2010</strong><br />

Main picture: Ganga Arati at Haridwar<br />

during the Kumbha Mela<br />

a dance performance narrating<br />

parts of the Mahabharata,<br />

accompanied by local musicians.<br />

Several dancers entered into a<br />

trance-like state and danced through<br />

the bonfire. After Ganga Arati we<br />

enjoyed special moments under the<br />

brightly twinkling stars, the soft<br />

murmur of the nearby Ganga and<br />

a light cool breeze coming down<br />

from the snowy mountain peaks.<br />

The next morning we started the<br />

downhill bus journey with a scenic<br />

picnic at the Classic Hill Top Hotel in<br />

Chamba with breathtaking all round<br />

panoramic view to the higher<br />

Himalayan peaks. We reached the<br />

Divine Life Society Ashram in<br />

Rishikesh just on time for evening<br />

Arati in the Siva temple. We joined<br />

the Maha mantra Akhanda Kirtan<br />

in the Bhajan Hall. Gurudev Swami<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> had started this World<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 55


Kumbha Mela Yatra <strong>2010</strong><br />

Ganga Arati at Haridwar <strong>Sivananda</strong> Ashram, Rishikesh Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong>’s Bedroom in Ananda<br />

Kutir, Rishikesh<br />

Main picture: <strong>Sivananda</strong> Kutir, Netala<br />

– the place of Swami Vishnudevananda’s<br />

Jala Samadhi in the river Ganga<br />

Peace Prayer which since then has<br />

been chanted 24hrs without interruption<br />

for over 60 years. We meditated in the<br />

Mahasamadhi Shrine and after going<br />

down the steep Ashram stairs we<br />

visited Ananda Kutir, Master’s small<br />

cottage by the Ganga. Many yatris<br />

were moved to tears when they saw<br />

Master’s meditation room and the<br />

desk where he wrote the unending<br />

stream of inspiring books.<br />

In the late evening we reached<br />

Haridvar and met more yatris and<br />

Swamis who had just arrived from the<br />

West. We settled into the spacious<br />

guest house which previously was the<br />

sadhana residence of a local Maharaja,<br />

at walking distance from the main<br />

Kumbha Mela sites. The rooms are<br />

situated on 4 floors around a courtyard<br />

with a small temple. It has a large<br />

terrace overlooking the Ganga as well<br />

as an exclusive ghat (bathing area).<br />

The week in Haridvar was marked<br />

by the continuous spiritual fellowship<br />

amongst the yatris and the group of<br />

19 Swamis; the morning and evening<br />

satsangs were vibrant with the love<br />

and wisdom of the Masters.<br />

The first outing took us to the<br />

Har-ki-Pauri, the main Ganga Arati<br />

56<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />

location. A group of local priests<br />

connected each yatri individually to<br />

the worship of Mother Ganga with<br />

special mantras and blessings. More<br />

and more people gathered in the area<br />

and a dozen priests swung huge ghee<br />

lamps standing on the river banks and<br />

the Ganga Arati was sung out loud by<br />

thousands of devotees standing on<br />

both sides of the narrow fast flowing<br />

river. On the way back to the guest -<br />

house we passed by some of the tent<br />

camps which had been erected for the<br />

expected multitudes of pilgrims on the<br />

Kumbha Mela’s main bathing days.<br />

Sri Potti Swami, a respected tantric<br />

priest from Trivandrum, had come<br />

specially from Kerala, South India, to<br />

conduct a Devi (Mother) puja and to<br />

invoke the blessings of Master and<br />

Swamiji for the yatris as well as for<br />

their ancestors, friends and families.<br />

Potty Swami is a devoted friend of<br />

Swamiji and a great spiritual support<br />

of the <strong>Sivananda</strong> organization.<br />

After the puja Swami Durgananda<br />

addressed the yatris, inspiring<br />

everybody to relax and fully focus on<br />

this unique sadhana stay, to take a<br />

daily bath in the Ganga and to absorb<br />

the powerful spiritual vibrations in<br />

Haridvar. Her words really helped<br />

everybody to become more settled<br />

and open to the experience ahead.<br />

Then started seven unforgettable<br />

days of Bhagavata Saptaha, the<br />

recitation of the Srimad Bhagavatam<br />

by Sri Venugopal Goswami. The daily<br />

sessions from 11am to 3pm immersed<br />

everybody deeply into the world of<br />

Bhakti – devotional philosophy,<br />

spiritual stories, mantra chanting and<br />

uplifting humour. It was a totally<br />

unique situation, authentic teachings<br />

from the scriptures from the great<br />

yoga tradition of India in the most<br />

auspicious time and place, in the<br />

company of sincere fellow practitioners.<br />

The daily pujas by two priests from<br />

Vrindavan and the classical musical<br />

accompaniment by a whole orchestra<br />

of excellent musicians who accom -<br />

panied Sri Venugopal Goswami’s<br />

exquisite chanting – these were true<br />

nectar drops in the Kumbha Mela<br />

experience.<br />

We visited some of the nearby<br />

Camps and were introduced to this<br />

special community. The hundreds of<br />

naked Sadhus are not just an<br />

exceptional sight, their presence is a<br />

powerful message of simplicity and


enunciation. They live year in year out<br />

in remote secluded forests following<br />

a strict personal as well as group<br />

discipline. One Sadhu who had not<br />

lowered his left arm for more than<br />

thirty years, explained that “he had<br />

offered the arm to God”, truly<br />

a thrilling statement.<br />

One morning the Swamis silently<br />

left the guesthouse at 3.30am to<br />

participate in the 5am satsang of the<br />

Divine Life Society in Rishikesh,<br />

offering prayers to Master and<br />

Swamiji. It is due to the grace of the<br />

Masters that the Swamis can follow<br />

some of the sannyas disciplines,<br />

literally nurtured by the love and<br />

support of the students in the<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centres and<br />

Ashrams all over the world. The Swami<br />

group returned with a special glow,<br />

just in time for the next session of the<br />

Saptaha: The Krishna Lila portion of<br />

the Bhagavatam which contains the<br />

uplifting stories of Lord Krishna’s<br />

childhood. As we listened to the<br />

soulful pranks of Baby Krishna and<br />

their deep philosophical meaning<br />

faces softened, hearts opened and<br />

eyes started to shine.<br />

One last outing took us on a<br />

longer walk by the Ganga to the<br />

Daksh Prajapati Temple in Kankal,<br />

where we witnessed the powerfull<br />

worship of the Siva Lingam. We also<br />

visited the nearby Ashram of Ma<br />

Ananda Mayi and meditated at the<br />

Mahasamadhi Shrine of this<br />

enlightened lady saint who had the<br />

most blissful and soothing spiritual<br />

smile, coming out of the depths of her<br />

union with the Divine.<br />

March 1st was the day of the<br />

famous Indian Holi Festival. It<br />

coincided with the 8th day of the<br />

Saptaha reading. For several hours we<br />

listened to the famous Holi songs<br />

presented by Sri Venugopal Goswami<br />

and musicians. The conclusion was the<br />

showering of Lord Krishna with<br />

thousands and thousands of rose and<br />

marigold flower petals which later<br />

gave way to a collective showering<br />

and throwing of the petals onto each<br />

other, a most playful and joyful<br />

experience for everyone.<br />

The next morning the return journey<br />

started, the buses reached the Sri<br />

Aurobindo Ashram in Delhi, a modern<br />

building complex in a green oasis<br />

located right in the middle of the busy<br />

Indian capital. The highlight of the<br />

Kumbha Mela Yatra <strong>2010</strong><br />

Bhagavata Saptaha, Haridwar<br />

Conclusion of the Bhagavata Saptaha<br />

Asana Class, Haridwar<br />

next day was the visit to the <strong>Sivananda</strong><br />

<strong>Yoga</strong> Center in Kailash Colony, where<br />

some Yatris enjoyed an ayurvedic<br />

massage. Swam Atmaramananda gave<br />

a very inspiring Satsang in reminiscence<br />

of Swamiji’s own yatras in India. The<br />

day ended with an interfaith pilgrimage<br />

to the Ba’hai Lotus Temple. Here we<br />

spent some time in silent meditation.<br />

Next stop was the Gurdwara Bangla<br />

Sahib Sikh temple, where we sat to<br />

listen to the reading of the Adi Granth,<br />

the ancient Holy Book of the Sikhs in<br />

a very calm and peaceful atmosphere.<br />

continued on page 61<br />

Join the next Himalayan<br />

Yatra in November <strong>2010</strong>!<br />

November 7 – 20, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Delhi – Haridvar – Rishikesh –<br />

Uttarkashi – Delhi<br />

Netala, Uttarkashi<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 57


<strong>Sivananda</strong> Ashram and Centre News<br />

58<br />

Ashram and Centre News<br />

VAL MORIN, CANADA<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Ashram HQ<br />

Reconnect with Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong> and Swami<br />

Vishnudevananda at the <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> HQ in<br />

Canada. Meet up with friends, senior disciples<br />

and staff from the four corners of the world.<br />

Re-energise, revitalise and create peace. Register<br />

at www.sivananda.org/camp<br />

See page 35 for information.<br />

GRASS VALLEY, USA<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> Ashram Vrindavan<br />

<strong>Yoga</strong> Farm<br />

The <strong>Sivananda</strong> Ashram Vrindavan <strong>Yoga</strong> Farm<br />

in Grass Valley will celebrate its 40 years<br />

anniversary in 2011. The celebrations will be<br />

in April 12 – 16, 2011. We would like to make<br />

an album book gathering stories, pictures, and<br />

testimonials about the ashram, specially during<br />

the years when Swami Vishnudevanandaji<br />

came regularly to teach and to seclude at the<br />

<strong>Yoga</strong> Farm. Please send your stories and photos<br />

to ‘yogafarmpublications@gmail.com’.<br />

Thank you. <strong>Yoga</strong> Farm Staff.<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />

WOODBOURNE,<br />

NEW YORK<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> Ashram <strong>Yoga</strong> Ranch<br />

The <strong>Yoga</strong> Ranch is upgrading the whole ashram<br />

while maintaining its rustic beauty and simplicity.<br />

Dedicated to Yogic lifestyle and simple, natural<br />

living, besides a predominance of organic vege -<br />

tarian diet, we are growing more and more of our<br />

own food according to organic, sustainable,<br />

permaculture principals. The old <strong>Yoga</strong> Ranch<br />

buildings have been given new life with a new<br />

Asana and dining Hall, and new kitchen.<br />

We have replaced the roofs and insulation of the<br />

old buildings and given them a needed facelift.<br />

This year we started two new courses: an<br />

Ayurvedic Cooking Certification course with<br />

Dr. Kamlesh; and a <strong>Yoga</strong> of the Heart Certification<br />

with Nischala Joy Devi and Bhaskara Deva, to<br />

train <strong>Yoga</strong> teachers to teach heart and cancer<br />

patients to adopt a healthy <strong>Yoga</strong> lifestyle. We are<br />

also teaching three Teachers, Training Courses<br />

(TTC’s) in 2011 with a new April/May Course in<br />

addition to our traditional June and September<br />

TTC’s. We are also continuing the July Advanced<br />

Teachers’ Training Course (ATTC) with a very<br />

strong group of Teachers.<br />

NEYYAR DAM, INDIA<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta<br />

Dhanwantari Ashram<br />

Work is currently going on to renovate the<br />

stage/altar area of the main satsang hall,<br />

Siva Hall. The beautiful ceiling with 33 hand<br />

carved lotus flowers is already complete.<br />

Additionally there will be wood panels on the<br />

walls around the Nataraja alcove and a carved<br />

front with canopies over Master and Swamiji’s<br />

statues all down in teak wood.<br />

MILAN, ITALY<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centre<br />

The new <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centre in<br />

Milan, Italy, celebrated it's opening with a<br />

Weekend Open House on April 24 and 25, <strong>2010</strong>.<br />

The daily program included open and intro -<br />

ductory classes throughout the day, vegetarian<br />

lunch, seminars, and evening satsang – all free<br />

and open to the public. We were honored to<br />

have Swami Mahadevananda in Milan for the<br />

weekend and he gave seminars on “What is<br />

<strong>Yoga</strong>” and “What is Vedanta” as well as very<br />

inspiring satsangs. The efforts of karma yogis<br />

to distribute flyers the preceding weeks paid off<br />

as nearly 60 people visited the center for the<br />

first time over the weekend. Just as important,<br />

it was an opportunity for new teachers and<br />

students to participate together in sharing the<br />

center with others. With full asana classes and<br />

large satsangs, they were inspired to see how<br />

energetic the center could be with some effort<br />

from us all. With Master's and Swamiji’s grace,<br />

the centre will continue to expand and serve<br />

ever more students in Milan.<br />

REITH, KITZBHÜEL,<br />

AUSTRIA<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> Retreat House<br />

When Swami Vishnudevananda gave the first<br />

<strong>Yoga</strong> retreats in the quiet and breathtaking<br />

beauty of the Tyrolian Alps, he spontaneously<br />

exclaimed: “This is just like the Himalayas!”<br />

And this is what actually many students feel<br />

after coming for a <strong>Yoga</strong> vacation or one of the<br />

many courses offered at the <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong><br />

Retreat House. An inspiring summer season is<br />

about to start with new one week intensive<br />

courses on yoga and health: Ayurveda for<br />

Women, Ayurveda Kitchen Pharmacy, <strong>Yoga</strong> and<br />

Wild Herbs, <strong>Yoga</strong> and Transpersonal Psychology.


SIVANANDA YOGA<br />

IN SOUTH AMERICA,<br />

BRAZIL TOUR,<br />

IN THE NAME OF PEACE<br />

During the month of May we had a tour in Brazil<br />

"In the name of Peace". Kanti Devi was invited<br />

to visit different cities to spread the teachings of<br />

Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong> and Swami Vishnudevananda.<br />

Subramanya, director of the affiliated center in<br />

Rio de Janeiro organized the tour. Teachers and<br />

students from Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Rio de<br />

Janeiro, Petrópolis, Sao Paulo, Santos and Recife<br />

prepared different programs: <strong>Yoga</strong> classes, satsangs,<br />

workshops and retreats. The activity was intense<br />

and beautiful at the same time.<br />

New <strong>Sivananda</strong> Center<br />

in Porto Alegre (Brazil)<br />

In the month of July, the affiliated center in Porto<br />

Alegre will be part of the oficial <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong><br />

Vedanta centers. Kanti Devi will be directing the<br />

center with the help of teachers and karma yogis<br />

from the cities. Gopala, who started the center<br />

nince years ago, moved to Rio for personal reasons.<br />

The center is located in a beautiful neighborhood.<br />

It has to big <strong>Yoga</strong> halls, a platform in the garden<br />

for practice and very inspiring Ganesha Temple.<br />

10 Aniversary in Buenos Aires<br />

Center, Argentina<br />

We are celebrating this year our tenth aniversary.<br />

Swami Premananda will be doing a tour in<br />

different cities in Argentina. During the month<br />

of June we will have a <strong>Yoga</strong> Festival celebrating<br />

this special occasion. Besides <strong>Yoga</strong> workshops,<br />

we invited Pandit Ravi Hari Kewlani to perform<br />

a Puja and a Homa. We will also have indian dance,<br />

music and different surprises for participants.<br />

Montevideo <strong>Sivananda</strong> Center<br />

This center has been working for more than<br />

24 years. From here we organize the TTCs in South<br />

America and print many Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong>’s books<br />

in Spanish. We are including Ecuador for TTC in<br />

2011 and there is a project to have the <strong>Yoga</strong> life<br />

magazine into Spanish and Portuguese too.<br />

MUNICH, GERMANY<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Zentrum<br />

The Munich meditation room saw the install -<br />

ation of three powerful black granite statues<br />

in traditional south Indian style. The spiritual<br />

vibrations of the meditation room had always<br />

been exceptionally high due to 35 years of<br />

uninterrupted Sadhana and the presence of<br />

a very special idol of Lord Krishna, which was<br />

blessed by Swami Vishnudevananda many years<br />

back. But now that Krishna has been joined by<br />

beautiful Murtis of Lord Ganesha, Mother Durga<br />

and a Siva Lingam (all of them in handmade<br />

wooden shrines), the small room has been<br />

transformed into a little heaven on earth,<br />

making it a perfect place for deep contemplation.<br />

To improve the crowded office situation some<br />

renovations and rearrangements were done and<br />

now the Centre has two separate offices, which<br />

is greatly appreciated by all staff.<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> Ashram and Centre News<br />

BERLIN, GERMANY<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Zentrum<br />

Students in Berlin enjoy the atmosphere of the<br />

centre and especially the outside classes on the<br />

garden platform in the summer surrounded by a<br />

little oasis of peace full of blooming flowers. The<br />

Berlin centre is functioning as a door to Eastern<br />

Europe, organizing weekend seminars as well as<br />

the TTC in Poland with translation into polish,<br />

Lithuanian and Russian language. Many former<br />

TTCs have started to teach in Russia, Poland,<br />

Lithuania, Estonia and other Eastern European<br />

countries and help to spread the knowledge of<br />

<strong>Yoga</strong> in this part of the world.<br />

ORLEANS, FRANCE <strong>Sivananda</strong> Ashram de <strong>Yoga</strong><br />

Fund Raising Campain<br />

We are starting a fund raising campain for our landscaping project at the Ashram designed to<br />

further beautify its picturesque natural setting. The project is planned to start in the fall of <strong>2010</strong>.<br />

We are working on the plans with a inspired garden architect and invite you to be part of this<br />

wonderful project. Our goal is to turn the already beautiful gardens of the Ashram into a real<br />

haven of natural beauty and energy, so that our guests can fully rejuvenate and reconnect with<br />

inner peace through the inspiration they will feel in nature. We would like to plant many bushes,<br />

flowers and bloomong trees. If you would like to make a donation, please contact us at<br />

orleans@sivananda.net, we will let you know how you can help!<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 59


<strong>Sivananda</strong> Ashram and Centre News<br />

60<br />

VILNIUS, LITHUANIA<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centre<br />

Since the opening of the Vilnius centre last<br />

October all activities are developing nicely<br />

including special pujas, Ayurveda workshops<br />

and weekend seminars. A highlight was the<br />

arrival of the marble Krishna for the altar,<br />

which came from India in February and spreads<br />

an uplifting energy in the meditation room.<br />

NEW DELHI, INDIA<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta<br />

Dwarka Centre<br />

After fours years since opening of the centre,<br />

the monsoons will no longer flood the base -<br />

ment satsang hall. The open back stairwell has<br />

now been closed with new windows. Another<br />

improvement is the completed fence at the<br />

back of the building, giving more security and<br />

refinement to the building area. Dwarka Centre<br />

is a 5 storey building; 1 story for reception and<br />

office, and 3 stories are used for the many diff -<br />

erent classes and workshops offered at the centre.<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />

VIENNA, AUSTRIA<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Zentrum<br />

The first <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Centre in Europe<br />

(established in 1974) is remem bering its origins<br />

with a gallery of historical black and white<br />

pictures featuring Swamijis pioneer work in the<br />

west, including new informative boards on<br />

Master and Swamiji’s mission.<br />

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND<br />

Centre <strong>Sivananda</strong> de <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta<br />

The large windows are shining brightly with<br />

new curtains, giving a warm welcome to the<br />

continuous flow of people from United Nations,<br />

World Health Organization, World Intellectual<br />

Property Organization, etc., who come to<br />

Geneva for their professional mission and<br />

to learn <strong>Yoga</strong>!<br />

MADRID, SPAIN<br />

Centro de <strong>Yoga</strong> <strong>Sivananda</strong> Vedanta<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> Tour <strong>2010</strong>: Madrid is located in<br />

the geographical centre of the country,<br />

regularly attracting workstudy students from<br />

the provinces to the Centre. This spring saw<br />

lightning visits to many places in Spain: <strong>Yoga</strong><br />

congress in Malaga and Gerona and Satsangs<br />

and <strong>Yoga</strong> days with active <strong>Sivananda</strong> teachers<br />

in Valladolid, Murcia and Elche. News from the<br />

South American/Spanish translators group:<br />

Science of Pranayama by Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong> is<br />

now available in Spanish.<br />

Karma <strong>Yoga</strong> Project<br />

Life and Teachings of Swami<br />

Vishnudevananda in audio files<br />

‘Listen and take notes’ – Karma <strong>Yoga</strong> Project<br />

Preparing the audio archive of Swami Vishnudevananda’s lectures.<br />

PARIS, FRANCE<br />

Centre <strong>Sivananda</strong> de <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta<br />

The completion of the renovations of the new,<br />

spacious and sunny first floor in the Paris centre<br />

has created three additional teaching rooms and<br />

three residential quarters. Close to two years<br />

after the move of the Paris centre, the opening<br />

of the new floor marked a further development<br />

of the activities of the centre. The extra teaching<br />

space is used for daily gentle classes, philosophy<br />

courses and special guest lectures. (Below: the<br />

main yoga hall).<br />

It is the wish of the International <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centres to make this treasure of knowledge<br />

and inspiration progressively available to students all over the world. For this we need your help:<br />

•Send an email to sita@sivananda.net<br />

•Receive an internet link to download<br />

one demon stration mp3 – lecture file<br />

and submit your details if you would<br />

like to participate.<br />

•You will receive by email a recording<br />

for evaluation.<br />

•Listen to the recording, and define<br />

the content by selecting, for each<br />

Your help is greatly appreciated. OM shanti, The <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centres<br />

10-minutes of the recording,<br />

5 – 10 keywords from an online<br />

evaluation form.


continued from page 57<br />

Kumbha Mela Yatra <strong>2010</strong> Testimonials<br />

Om Namah Sivaya!<br />

I would like to express my deepest gratitude and<br />

thank you to all of you.<br />

Words fail to express the deep beautiful<br />

moments that I experienced during the Yatra<br />

to Uttarkashi and Haridwar. From the ‘four dimen -<br />

sional visions’ to the heart opening chanting by the<br />

sadhus in Uttarkashi, from the sweetness of Sant<br />

Venugopal’s songs to the energy of Ma Ganga.<br />

I thank you for letting me be part of this Yatra.<br />

I thank you for having organized such a ‘once in a<br />

life-time’ experience for many of us. I myself had<br />

waited for 28 years for the opportunity to be right.<br />

And it was. Every day brought forth an illuminating<br />

and inspiring moment. Truly so. My heart is at peace.<br />

Serve, Love, Meditate, Realize. These words will<br />

never leave me. They have been with me for a very<br />

long time already, and now they echo in the core<br />

of my soul.<br />

Shanti Roopa<br />

(Lena Rhazaoui, Paris)<br />

The Kumbha Mela Pilgrimage was a great spiritual<br />

experience for me. It was wonderful to travel with<br />

like-minded people through the beautiful Northern<br />

region of India and to do Sadhana. I enjoyed<br />

meditating on the banks of the river Ganges and<br />

practising Asanas every day. A special highlight was<br />

the Bagavata Saptaha with Sri Venugopal Goswami<br />

and the visit to a Sadhu camp in Haridwar. You<br />

could feel the spiritual energy in Haridwar during<br />

the Kumbha Mela festival. I returned feeling<br />

uplifted and recharged.<br />

Ganga<br />

The <strong>Sivananda</strong> Kumbha Mela pilgrimage <strong>2010</strong><br />

was a opportunity I could not miss. The stay in<br />

Uttarkashi enabled me to release some of my deeper<br />

tensions through the spiritual practice. When we<br />

visited <strong>Sivananda</strong> Ashram Rishikesh I experienced<br />

a strong connection to Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong> and was<br />

filled with joy and determination for my Sadhana.<br />

The energy in Haridwar was focused, building up<br />

to a blissful peak on the final day which we will<br />

always remember. I am so grateful to all who made<br />

this unique experience possible.<br />

Padmini<br />

Kumbha Mela Yatra <strong>2010</strong><br />

Highlights for me were having Satsang with the<br />

Sadhus in Uttarkashi and looking into the faces of<br />

those men and women, some filled with pure<br />

radiance; meditating for five minutes in Swami<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong>'s small room in Rishikesh and feeling the<br />

energy of his presence, which was incredibly strong;<br />

and listening to the sacred stories of Lord Krishna in<br />

Haridvar during Kumbha Mela, looking out onto<br />

Mother Ganga as her sparkling, rapid waters flowed<br />

past. Those are moments I will never forget.<br />

Kaivalya<br />

During the Kumbha Mela Yatra, we were<br />

privileged to participate each day in a wealth of<br />

inspiring and uplifting experiences: whether we<br />

were meditating on the banks of the Ganga, visiting<br />

temples, listening to spiritual discourses or<br />

celebrating ancient festivals, we found ourselves<br />

immersed in the beauty and simplicity of our<br />

surroundings, sharing and celebrating abundant joy.<br />

Akhil<br />

Stepping on sacred ground…<br />

The Teachers’ Training Course (TTC) in the land of Bhakti <strong>2010</strong>/11<br />

After the Kumbha Mela, a group of Swamis and staff from the<br />

European <strong>Sivananda</strong> Centres travelled from Delhi to Vrindavan<br />

to prepare for the next event: the Teachers’ Training Course<br />

in Vrindavan.<br />

135 students arrived from all over the world eager to<br />

experience the depth of yoga and bathe in the special energy<br />

of one of the very popular pilgrimage places of India.<br />

Vrindavan is the land of bhakti yoga, the yoga of opening<br />

of the heart. It can be experienced already from the (very!) early<br />

morning hours, when mantra are being chanted throughout the<br />

town, generously amplified by powerful loudspeakers so that no<br />

one should miss this auspicious time… It first comes as a surprise<br />

to the newly arrived students, but the mind quickly gives up its<br />

resistance and surrenders to the powerful vedic chants…<br />

The Teachers’ Training Course in this gentle yet very tangible<br />

bhakti energy takes a new dimension. For the western students it<br />

is a constant lesson of surrender, which reinforces the message<br />

of yoga and Vedanta and the “melting process” which takes<br />

place in the course.<br />

Melting quite literally as one surrenders to the heat,<br />

surrenders to the sounds of mantra chanting echoing all day<br />

along from one temple to another, surrenders to the monkeys<br />

ever ready for mischief (the top game being to steal glasses in<br />

exchange for a banana or a sweet!), surrenders to the complete<br />

simplicity of the life style in this medieval city, surrenders to the<br />

dust, as omnipresent as the devotional energy floating in the air..<br />

and very holy anyway since it is the dust of Krishna’s feet…<br />

Finally surrendering to one’s heart and soul, leaving behind ego<br />

resistance, flowing again with the simplicity of life.<br />

After one month of intense practice in this most special<br />

place, students return home transformed, strengthened in their<br />

determination to lead the yogic life, their hearts opened and<br />

softened with the sweetness of bhakti.<br />

We look forward to seeing you there…<br />

The European <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centres<br />

www.sivananda.eu<br />

Upcoming Courses in Vrindavan North India:<br />

Teachers’ Training Course:<br />

October 9 – November 7, <strong>2010</strong><br />

5 February – 6 March, 2011<br />

Advanced Teachers’ Training Course:<br />

October 9 – November 7, <strong>2010</strong><br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 61


62<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> Ashram <strong>Yoga</strong> Camp, Val Morin, Quebec, Canada<br />

ASHRAMS<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> Ashram <strong>Yoga</strong> Camp<br />

673, 8th Avenue Val Morin<br />

Quebec J0T 2R0, CANADA<br />

Tel: +1.819.322.3226<br />

Fax: +1.819.322.5876<br />

e-mail: HQ@sivananda.org<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> Ashram <strong>Yoga</strong> Ranch<br />

P.O. Box 195, Budd Road<br />

Woodbourne, NY 12788, U.S.A.<br />

Tel: +1.845.436.6492<br />

Fax: +1.845.434.1032<br />

<strong>Yoga</strong>Ranch@sivananda.org<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> Ashram <strong>Yoga</strong> Retreat<br />

P.O. Box N7550 Paradise Island, Nassau,<br />

BAHAMAS<br />

Tel: +1.242.363.2902<br />

Fax: +1.242.363.3783<br />

e-mail: Nassau@sivananda.org<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta<br />

Dhanwantari Ashram<br />

P.O.Neyyar Dam<br />

Thiruvananthapuram Dt.<br />

Kerala, 695 572, INDIA<br />

Tel: +91.471.227.3093 / 2703<br />

+91.949.563. 0951 (mobile)<br />

Fax: +91.471.227.2093<br />

e-mail: Guestindia@sivananda.orgt<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> Ashram <strong>Yoga</strong> Farm<br />

14651 Ballantree Lane<br />

Grass Valley, CA 95949, U.S.A.<br />

Tel: +1.530.272.9322<br />

Fax: +1.530.477.6054<br />

e-mail: yogafarm@sivananda.org<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta<br />

Meenakshi Ashram<br />

Near Pavanna Vilakku Junction,<br />

New Natham Road, Saramthangi Village<br />

Madurai Dist. 625 503<br />

Tamil Nadu, South INDIA<br />

Tel: +91.94421.90661<br />

e-mail: madurai@sivananda.org<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> Kutir<br />

(Near Siror Bridge)<br />

P.O. Netala, Uttar Kashi Dt,<br />

Uttaranchal, Himalayas, 249 193,<br />

North INDIA<br />

Tel: +91.1374.224.159 or +91 9411.330.495<br />

Himalayas@sivananda.org<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Retreat House<br />

Bichlach 40<br />

A- 6370 Reith bei Kitzbühel, Tyrol, AUSTRIA<br />

Tel: +43.5356.67.404<br />

Fax: +43.5356.67.4044<br />

e-mail: tyrol@sivananda.net<br />

Ashram de <strong>Yoga</strong> <strong>Sivananda</strong><br />

26 Impasse du Bignon<br />

45170 Neuville aux bois, FRANCE<br />

Tel: +33.2.38.91.88.82<br />

Fax: +33.2.38.91.18.09<br />

e-mail: orleans@sivananda.net<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />

CENTRES<br />

ARGENTINA<br />

Centro Internaciónal de <strong>Yoga</strong> <strong>Sivananda</strong><br />

Sánchez de Bustamante 2372 - (C.P. 1425)<br />

Capital Federal - Buenos Aires - Argentina<br />

Tel: +54.11.4804 7813<br />

Fax: +54.11.4805 4270<br />

e-mail: BuenosAires@sivananda.org<br />

AUSTRIA<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Zentrum<br />

Prinz Eugen Strasse 18<br />

A -1040 Vienna, AUSTRIA<br />

Tel:: +43.1.586.3453<br />

Fax: +43.1.587.1551<br />

e-mail: vienna@sivananda.net<br />

CANADA<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centre<br />

5178 St Lawrence Blvd<br />

Montreal, Quebec H2T 1R8, CANADA<br />

Tel: +1.514.279.3545<br />

Fax: +1.514.279.3527<br />

e-mail: Montreal@sivananda.org<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centre<br />

77 Harbord Street<br />

Toronto, Ontario M5S 1G4, CANADA<br />

Tel: +1.416.966.9642<br />

e-mail: Toronto@sivananda.org<br />

FRANCE<br />

Centre <strong>Sivananda</strong> de <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta<br />

140 rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin<br />

F-75010 Paris, FRANCE<br />

Tel: +33.1.40.26.77.49<br />

Fax: +33.1.42.33.51.97<br />

e-mail: Paris@sivananda.net<br />

GERMANY<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Zentrum<br />

Steinheilstrasse 1<br />

D-80333 Munich, GERMANY<br />

Tel: +49.89.700.9669.0<br />

Fax: +49.89.700.9669.69<br />

e-mail: Munich@sivananda.net<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Zentrum<br />

Schmiljanstrasse 24<br />

D-12161 Berlin, GERMANY<br />

Tel: +49.30.8599.9798<br />

Fax: +49.30.8599.9797<br />

e-mail: Berlin@sivananda.net<br />

INDIA<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Nataraja Centre<br />

A-41 Kailash Colony<br />

New Delhi 110 048, INDIA<br />

Tel: +91.11. 32069070<br />

or +91.11. 292 30962<br />

e-mail: Delhi@sivananda.org<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Dwarka Centre<br />

PSP Pocket, Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong> Marg,<br />

Sector - 6 (Behind DAV school)<br />

Dwarka, New Delhi, 110075 INDIA<br />

Tel: +91.11. 6456 8526<br />

Or +91.1145566016<br />

e-mail: Dwarka@sivananda.org<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centre<br />

TC37/1927 (5), Airport Road, West Fort,<br />

Thiruvananthapuram Kerala, INDIA<br />

Tel +91.471.245 0942, +91.9497008432<br />

Email: trivandrum@sivananda.org<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> Ashram <strong>Yoga</strong> Retreat, Nassau Bahamas<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> Ashram and Centre Addresses<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centre<br />

3/655 Kaveri Nagar, Kuppam Road, Kottivakkam<br />

Chennai 600 041, Tamil Nadu, INDIA<br />

Tel: +91.44.2451.1626<br />

or +91.44 2451.2546<br />

e-mail: Chennai@sivananda.org<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centre<br />

Plot # 101 (Old No 23), Dr Sathar Road<br />

Anna Nagar, Madurai 625 020<br />

Tamil Nadu, INDIA<br />

Tel: +91.452.2521170<br />

Fax: +91.4552.4393445<br />

e-mail: maduraicentre@sivananda.org<br />

ISRAEL<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centre<br />

6 Lateris St<br />

Tel Aviv 64166, ISRAEL<br />

Tel: +972.3.691.6793<br />

Fax: +972.3.696.3939<br />

e-mail: TelAviv@sivananda.org<br />

ITALY<br />

Centro <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta <strong>Sivananda</strong> Roma<br />

via Oreste Tommasini, 7<br />

00162 Rome, ITALY<br />

Tel: +39.06.4549.6529<br />

Fax: +39.06.9725.9356<br />

roma@sivananda.org<br />

Centro <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta <strong>Sivananda</strong> Milano<br />

via Guercino 1<br />

20154 Milano, ITALY<br />

Tel: +39.02.3670.8647<br />

Mobile: +39.334.760.5276<br />

e-mail: milano@sivananda.org<br />

www.sivananda.org/milano<br />

LITHUANIA<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> jogos vedantos centras<br />

Vivulskio 41<br />

LT-03114, Vilnius LITHUANIA<br />

Tel: + +370.648.57.824<br />

Fax: + 370.5.21.041.94<br />

e-mail: vilnius@sivananda.net<br />

SPAIN<br />

Centro de <strong>Yoga</strong> <strong>Sivananda</strong> Vedanta<br />

Centro de <strong>Yoga</strong> <strong>Sivananda</strong> Vedanta<br />

Calle Eraso 4<br />

E-28028 Madrid, SPAIN<br />

Tel: +34.91.361.5150<br />

Fax: +34.91.361.5194<br />

e-mail: Madrid@sivananda.net<br />

SWITZERLAND<br />

Centre <strong>Sivananda</strong> de <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta<br />

Centre <strong>Sivananda</strong> de <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta<br />

1 Rue des Minoteries<br />

CH-1205 Geneva, SWITZERLAND<br />

Tel: +41.22.328.03.28<br />

Fax: +41.22.328.03.59<br />

e-mail: Geneva@sivananda.net<br />

UNITED KINGDOM<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centre<br />

45 – 51 Felsham Road<br />

London SW15 1AZ<br />

UNITED KINGDOM<br />

Tel: +44.20.8780.0160<br />

Fax: +44.20.8780.0128<br />

e-mail: London@sivananda.net<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Dhan<br />

UNITED STATES<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Center<br />

1246 West Bryn Mawr Avenue<br />

Chicago, IL 60660, USA<br />

Tel: +1.773.878.7771<br />

Fax: +1.773.878.7527<br />

e-mail: Chicago@sivananda.org<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Center<br />

243 West 24th Street<br />

New York, NY 10011, USA<br />

Tel: +1.212.255.4560<br />

Fax: +1.212.727.7392<br />

e-mail: NewYork@sivananda.org<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Center<br />

1200 Arguello Blvd<br />

San Francisco, CA 94122, USA<br />

Tel: +1.415.681.2731<br />

Fax: +1.415.681.5162<br />

SanFrancisco@sivananda.org<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Center<br />

13325 Beach Avenue<br />

Marina del Rey, CA 90292, USA<br />

Tel: +1.310.822.9642<br />

LosAngeles@sivananda.org<br />

URUGUAY<br />

Asociación de <strong>Yoga</strong> <strong>Sivananda</strong><br />

Acevedo Díaz 1523<br />

11200 Montevideo, URUGUAY<br />

Tel: +598.2.401.09.29/401.66.85<br />

Fax: +598.2.400.73.88<br />

Montevideo@sivananda.org<br />

AFFILIATED CENTRES<br />

ARGENTINA<br />

Centro de <strong>Yoga</strong> <strong>Sivananda</strong><br />

Centro de <strong>Yoga</strong> <strong>Sivananda</strong><br />

Carlos y Laura Chiarotto<br />

Alderete 97- Neuquén (8300),<br />

ARGENTINA<br />

Tel: +54.299.4331774/4484879<br />

e-mail: naradaneuquen@hotmail.com<br />

AUSTRALIA<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Centre<br />

Kamala Devi, The ‘Shellin’ 40 Ninth Avenue<br />

Katoomba 2700 N.S.W. AUSTRALIA<br />

Tel: +047.82.32.45<br />

e-mail: KamalaDevi@bigpond.com<br />

BOLIVIA<br />

Centro de <strong>Yoga</strong> <strong>Sivananda</strong> Santa Cruz<br />

Calle Junin #271<br />

Santa Cruz de la Sierra, BOLIVIA<br />

Tel/Fax: +591.333.1508<br />

e-mail: marcelaterceros@hotmail.com<br />

BRAZIL<br />

Centro <strong>Sivananda</strong> de <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta<br />

Rua Santo Antonio, 374<br />

Porto Alegre 90220-010 -RS, BRAZIL<br />

Tel: +55.51.3024.7717<br />

e-mail: centro@yogasivananda.com.br<br />

www.sivanandayoga.com.br<br />

Centro <strong>Sivananda</strong> de <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta<br />

Rua das Palmeiras n/13<br />

Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro CEP 20270-070<br />

BRAZIL<br />

Tel: +55.21.2266.4896<br />

www.sivanandayoga.com.br


antari Ashram, Kerala, India<br />

CANADA<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centre affiliated<br />

Sivaram & Sasi<br />

“Lakshmi”, 108 Des Berges<br />

Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec, J7V 9X2, CANADA<br />

Tel: +1.450.510.2656/+1.450.510.2657<br />

e-mail: Psivaraman@sympatico.ca<br />

<strong>Yoga</strong> <strong>Sivananda</strong> de l'Outaouais<br />

Catherine Gillies (Kumari)<br />

745 Chemin d'Aylmer<br />

Gatineau (secteur Aylmer)<br />

Québec, J9H 0B8, CANADA<br />

Tel: +1.819.684.2084<br />

e-mail: info@yoga-aylmer.com<br />

www.yoga-aylmer.com<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centre Vancouver<br />

1202-2055 Pendrell Street<br />

Vancouver, B.C. V6G 1T9,CANADA<br />

Tel: +1.604.880.2109<br />

e-mail: yoga@mail.com<br />

www.sivanandavancouver.com<br />

FRANCE<br />

Centre de <strong>Yoga</strong> Sruthi<br />

18 rue Savorgnan de Brazza,<br />

14000 Caen, FRANCE<br />

Tel: +33.6.86.88.69.78<br />

or +33.2.31.73.26.41<br />

GERMANY<br />

International <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Centre<br />

Kleiner Kielort 8<br />

20144 Hamburg, GERMANY<br />

Tel: +49.40.41.42.45.46<br />

e-mail: post@artyoga.de<br />

www.artyoga.de<br />

INDIA<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centre<br />

Swami Sundarananda<br />

'Laksmi Sadan'<br />

College Road,<br />

Palakkad, Kerala 678 001, INDIA<br />

Tel: +91.491.254.5117/254.4549<br />

e-mail: Palghat@sivananda.org<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Centre<br />

Ajitha Vijayaraghavan<br />

Nedunghattu Kalam,<br />

Mankurussi, Mankara, Palakkad<br />

Kerala 678 613 INDIA<br />

Tel: +91.491.2107550<br />

Mobile: +91.94465554490<br />

e.mail: ajiyoga@gmail.com<br />

T Raghavan<br />

Kripa, Kundanmur<br />

Maradu P.O.<br />

Kochi 682304, Kerala, INDIA<br />

e-mail: trmenon@vsnl.com<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Centre<br />

Sarath Kumar<br />

Balan K. Nair Road, Asokapuram,<br />

Kozhikode, Kerala 673 001, INDIA<br />

Tel: +91. 495 2771754/2770384<br />

Mobile +91 944 6953652<br />

e-mail: mail@sivanandayogacentre.com<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Centre<br />

#236,5th Cross, 3rd Block,<br />

H R B R Layout,<br />

Bangalore , Karnataka, 560043, INDIA<br />

Tel: +91.80.57637144,<br />

Mobile: +91.9448464448<br />

e-mail: yogaprabhus@yahoo.co.uk<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> Ashram <strong>Yoga</strong> Farm, Grass Valley, California<br />

Arsha <strong>Yoga</strong> Gurukulam<br />

Double Cutting<br />

Calvarimount Post<br />

Idukki (Dt), Kerala 680 681, INDIA<br />

Tel: +91.480284.6080<br />

e-mail: harilal_k@yahoo.com<br />

www.arshayoga.org<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Centre, Gurgaon<br />

M13/23 DLF Phase II<br />

Gurgaon 122002<br />

Haryana, INDIA<br />

Tel: +91.0124.2581353<br />

e-mail:yogashowstheway@yahoo.com<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centre<br />

L-12, 26th Street<br />

Annanagar East<br />

Chennai , Tamil Nadu, 600102, INDIA<br />

Tel: +91.44.26630978<br />

e-mail: durain@gmail.com<br />

INDONESIA<br />

Bali <strong>Yoga</strong> and Wellness<br />

Beate McLatchie<br />

Jl Tunjung Mekar 58<br />

Br Peliatan, Kerobakan<br />

Bali, INDONESIA<br />

Tel: +62.8123804046<br />

e-mail: info@baliyogawellness.com<br />

www.baliyogawellness.com<br />

ISRAEL<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Centre<br />

3 Reuven Street<br />

Jerusalem, ISRAEL<br />

Tel: +972.2.671.4854<br />

e-mail: syvc@013.barak.net.il<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Centre<br />

8 Amnon and Tamar Street, Apt 1<br />

Herzelia, ISRAEL<br />

Tel: +972.9.9561004<br />

e-mail: gerag@internet-zahav.net<br />

ITALY<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Firenze<br />

Via de' Marsili 1<br />

50125 Firenze, ITALY<br />

Tel: +39 328 9660501<br />

e-mail: info@yogaincentro.it<br />

www.yogaincentro.it<br />

In Sabina <strong>Yoga</strong> Centre<br />

Torri in Sabina<br />

Lazio, ITALY<br />

Tel: +39.340.387.6028<br />

e-mail: giulialandor@tiscali.com<br />

www.insabina.com<br />

JAMAICA<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Centre<br />

17 Tremaine Road<br />

Kingston 6 Jamaica<br />

WEST INDIES<br />

Tel: +1.876.381.1504<br />

e-mail: Alina133@yandex.ru<br />

JAPAN<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centre, Japan<br />

Suite 1002 Yoyogi Cityhomes<br />

Sendagaya 5-26-5<br />

Shibuya, Tokyo<br />

JAPAN<br />

Tel: +81.03.5969.8311<br />

e-mail beams_tokyo@yahoo.co.jp<br />

LEBANON<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Centre<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Centre<br />

522 Couraud Street #3A<br />

Gemayzeh, Beirut, LEBANON<br />

Tel: +961-1-566-770<br />

e-mail: sivanandabeirutcenter@yahoo.com<br />

NEW ZEALAND<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centre<br />

145a Tukapa Street<br />

Westown, New Plymouth, NEW ZEALAND<br />

Tel : +64.6.7538234<br />

richnz79@yahoo.co.nz<br />

www.sivanandayoga.co.nz<br />

POLAND<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centrum<br />

ul.Friedleina 20/6<br />

30-009 Krakow, POLAND<br />

Tel: +48.12.634.43.83, +48.604.460.166<br />

e-mail: yoga@yoga.krakow.pl<br />

www.yoga.krakow.pl<br />

PORTUGAL<br />

Centro de <strong>Yoga</strong> <strong>Sivananda</strong> Vedanta<br />

de Lisboa<br />

Rua Jose Carlos dos Santos<br />

No. 12 – 1 Andar<br />

1700-257 Lisbon, PORTUGAL<br />

Tel: +351.21.7971.431<br />

e-mail: sivananda.lisboa@gmail.com<br />

www.sivananda.pt<br />

SINGAPORE<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centre<br />

Affiliated Singapore<br />

21B Bukit Pasoh Road<br />

Singapore 089835, SINGAPORE<br />

Tel: +65.9067.9100, +65.9838.6704<br />

www.sivananda.com.sg<br />

SRI LANKA<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centre (Affiliated)<br />

52 Colombo Road,<br />

Piliyandala, Sri Lanka<br />

Tel: +94.75.5.018.227<br />

e-mail: titus.wijeratne@gmail.com<br />

UNITED KINGDOM<br />

Universal <strong>Yoga</strong><br />

(Chandrika) Redhill House,<br />

Red Hill, Camerton, Bath,<br />

BA2 0NY, UK<br />

Tel: +44.01761.470.658<br />

e-mail: info@universalyoga.co.uk<br />

UKRAINE<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Centre<br />

Valentina Nikitina<br />

Sadovaya Str 60,<br />

95050 Simferopol, Crimea, UKRAINE<br />

e-mail: valentina-nikiti@mail.ru<br />

UNITED STATES<br />

The <strong>Yoga</strong> Center<br />

Tara Durga Devi (Terry Crane)<br />

and Bhavani (Mary Keeney)<br />

235 Dorris Place,<br />

Stockton, CA 95204<br />

Tel: +1.209.463.3330<br />

e-mail: information@stocktonyoga.com<br />

www.stocktonyoga.com<br />

<strong>Sivananda</strong> Retreat House, Reith near Kitzbühel, Tyrol, Austria<br />

Vishnudevananda <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Center<br />

1034 Delaware Street<br />

Berkeley, CA 94710, USA<br />

Tel: +1.510.273.2447<br />

e-mail: mail@vishnuyoga.org<br />

www.vishnuyoga.org<br />

<strong>Yoga</strong> and Inner Peace<br />

3964 Lake Worth Road<br />

Lake Worth FL33461-4054, USA<br />

Tel: +1.561.641.8888<br />

e-mail: b@yogapeace.com<br />

<strong>Yoga</strong> Warehouse<br />

Shyam and Mohini<br />

508 SW Flagler Ave.<br />

Fort Lauderdale<br />

Florida 33301, USA<br />

Tel: +1.954.525.7726<br />

e-mail: yogis@yogawarehouse.org<br />

www.yogawarehouse.org<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 63


AND COME<br />

T TO Viet<br />

<strong>Yoga</strong><br />

Teacher<br />

T raining C Course<br />

February<br />

6–Mar<br />

ch 6, 2011<br />

<strong>Yoga</strong> Vacations<br />

• Y oga of R Recovery<br />

Ayurveda Rejuvena<br />

tion R Retreat<br />

March<br />

6–15, 2011<br />

Vietnam<br />

Yo oga Tours<br />

(befooreoraftt<br />

er c ourse)<br />

HIGHLI<br />

G GHTS<br />

of Upc oming C Courses<br />

Yo oga Teeacher<br />

T Training<br />

Course<br />

Oct<br />

ober 2–31, <strong>2010</strong><br />

May<br />

7– June 4, 2011<br />

Yo oga of Recover<br />

y f for<br />

Counselors<br />

July 29– A ugust 8, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Yo oga of Recover<br />

y R Reteat<br />

A ugust 8–13, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Annual Vedic<br />

A str strology<br />

Conference<br />

Sept<br />

ember 2–6, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Sadhana,<br />

S ilence & S Sutras<br />

with Swaami Sitara<br />

am amananda<br />

Sept<br />

ember 12–17, <strong>2010</strong><br />

West Coast<br />

T eacher eacher’ss<br />

Meeting<br />

Sept<br />

ember 17–19, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Ayurvedic<br />

C leansing &<br />

Rejuvenation<br />

R etr etreat<br />

Sept<br />

ember 19–24, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Veedanta & S ilence R Retreat<br />

Nov<br />

ember 1–10, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Permacultur<br />

e Design C Course<br />

Nov<br />

ember 6–13, <strong>2010</strong><br />

T hanksgiving R etr etreat<br />

Nov<br />

ember 25–28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Christmas<br />

& Ne<br />

w Ye ear’ssRetreat<br />

Dec<br />

ember 23, <strong>2010</strong>–<br />

January<br />

2, 2011


<strong>2010</strong>/2011<br />

International <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centres<br />

Teaching location: Vrindavan, North India<br />

International <strong>Sivananda</strong> <strong>Yoga</strong> Teachers’<br />

Training Course (TTC)<br />

October 9 – November 7, <strong>2010</strong> International<br />

February 5 – March 6, 2011 International<br />

Advanced <strong>Yoga</strong> Teachers’ Training Course<br />

Oct 9 – Nov 7, <strong>2010</strong> International<br />

The holy city of Vrindavan<br />

is located 150 km from Delhi<br />

and just 30 km from the<br />

Taj Mahal at Agra.<br />

On arrival day a chartered bus<br />

will bring the participants from<br />

Delhi airport to the Vrindavan<br />

Ashram (at extra cost).<br />

Founder: Swami Vishnudevananda, est 1957<br />

Tel. London: +44 20 8780 0161 Tel Austria: +43 5356 67 404<br />

email: London@sivananda.net or tyrol@sivananda.net<br />

Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong><br />

(1887 – 1963)<br />

Swami<br />

Vishnudevananda<br />

(1927 – 1993)<br />

www.sivananda.eu<br />

<strong>YOGALife</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 65


Dates and Locations<br />

Teachers’ Training Course<br />

QUEBEC, CANADA<br />

July 4 – 31, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Sep 5 – Oct 2, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Nov 14 – Dec 11, <strong>2010</strong><br />

ORLEANS, FRANCE<br />

Aug 1 – 2, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Jul 1 – 29, 2011<br />

Jul 31 – Aug 28, 2011<br />

TYROL, AUSTRIA<br />

Aug 1 – 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Aug 29 – Sept 26, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Dec 18, <strong>2010</strong> – Jan 16, 2011<br />

May 21 – Jun 19, 2011<br />

UMBRIA, ITALY<br />

Sep 5 – Oct 2, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Sep 4 – Oct 1, 2011<br />

WOODBOURNE, NY<br />

Sep 10 – Oct 8, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Apr 17 – May 15, 2011<br />

ALUENDA, SPAIN<br />

Aug 15 – Sept 12, <strong>2010</strong><br />

(Spanish only)<br />

USTKA, POLAND<br />

Aug 28 – Sep 26, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Sep 3 – Oct 2, 2011<br />

GRASS VALLEY,<br />

CALIFORNIA<br />

Oct 2 – 31, <strong>2010</strong><br />

May 7 – June 4, 2011<br />

HIMALAYAS, INDIA<br />

Oct 3 – 31, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Apr 17 – May 15, 2011<br />

June 5 – July 3, <strong>2010</strong><br />

VRINDAVAN, INDIA<br />

Oct 9 – Nov 7, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Feb 5 – Mar 6, 2011<br />

MERLO, ARGENTINA<br />

Oct 16 – Nov 14, <strong>2010</strong><br />

MADURAI,<br />

SOUTH INDIA<br />

Oct 24 – Nov 21, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Nov 28 – Dec 26, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Feb 27 – March 27, 2011<br />

1800 263-YOGA in Canada<br />

1800 783-YOGA or 1800 469-YOGA in USA<br />

1866 446-5934 in Bahamas<br />

NEYYAR DAM,<br />

SOUTH INDIA<br />

Nov 15 – Dec 12, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Jan 9 – Feb 6, 2011<br />

Feb 13 – March 13, 2011<br />

March 20 – April 17, 2011<br />

NASSAU, BAHAMAS<br />

Nov 21 – Dec 12, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Jan 23 – Feb 19, 2011<br />

Feb 27 – Mar 26, 2011<br />

Mar 31 – Apr 27, 2011<br />

May 1 – May 28, 2011<br />

GAROPABA, BRAZIL<br />

Jan 8 – Feb 6, 2011<br />

VILCABAMBA,<br />

EQUADOR<br />

May 1 – 29, 2011<br />

VIETNAM<br />

Feb 6 – March 6, 2011<br />

THAILAND<br />

Oct 10 – Nov 7, 2011<br />

LONDON, UK<br />

May 14 – Jun 12, 2011<br />

Aug 28 – Sept 26, 2011<br />

+ 43 (0) 5356/67 404 in Europe<br />

+ 44 (0) 208 780 0160 in UK<br />

Swami <strong>Sivananda</strong><br />

(1887 – 1963)<br />

Swami Vishnudevananda<br />

(1927 – 1993)<br />

Advanced Teachers’<br />

Training Course<br />

QUEBEC, CANADA<br />

Aug 1 – 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

NASSAU, BAHAMAS<br />

Jan 6 – Feb 2, 2011<br />

ORLEANS, FRANCE<br />

Jul 1 – Jul 29, 2011<br />

TYROL, AUSTRIA<br />

May 21 – Jun 19, 2011<br />

WOODBOURNE, NY<br />

Jul 6 – Aug 3, 2011<br />

MADURAI,<br />

SOUTH INDIA<br />

Jan 23 – Feb 20, 2011<br />

VRINDAVAN, INDIA<br />

Oct 9 – Nov 7, <strong>2010</strong><br />

GAROPABA, BRAZIL<br />

Jan 8 – Feb 6, 2011<br />

HQ@sivananda.org<br />

www.sivananda.org<br />

www.sivananda.eu

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