Sivananda World News: The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Zentrum, Berlin, Germany

Om Namah Sivaya! The highlight of the October was the Navaratri celebrations, especially the evening Poojas that were well attended. The altar was decorated with an abundance of flowers. The energy was high.

Mirabai returned to Munich, after supporting the Berlin Centre and finishing TTC Poland. Several higher courses started with good numbers of participants, among them a yoga course focusing on body consciousness in the Asanas, which was well attended. We offered a headstand workshop with all participants making good progress in the pose. The Centre had good support from dedicated Karma Yogis with the cleaning and maintenance projects. Staff went out for poster runs for the Open House. OM.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Buenos Aires, Argentina, South America

Om Namah Sivaya. By Gods Grace and Masters’ blessings, all went well and smoothly at the Buenos Aires Centre in October. In early October, we celebrated Navaratri. Every night was exciting with the presence and devotional songs of Swami Dayananda. Many people came every night to celebrate in an environment full of devotion to the Divine Mother.

Staff news: We received Durga from Atman Yoga Colombia, who stayed with us for a month as Staff. Durga, from Uruguay, arrived to give a Sanskrit Workshop. Also back from Uruguay was Ganesha who was the last Staff member we had at the Centre. He is not Staff now but he does Karma Yoga from the outside. We started a Beginners’ Yoga Course on Fridays.

Swami Premananda returned from the tour of the Sivananda Yoga Centres in Brazil, so we could continue the study of Bhagavad Gita with Swami Premananda. We also continued with the Vedanta Course, led by Swami Dayananda. We received a visit from Gopala and Vani Devi from Brazil. Gopala gave an amazing Workshop on Nada Yoga, to which many people came. Then Vani Devi gave an Advanced Class for teachers and students, many people also came to the Class. We are blessed with the many Karma Yogis helping at the Centre. We hope all of you are well. Pranams. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Chengdu, China

Om Namah Sivaya from Chengdu. The Centre was closed for the 70th national holidays on the 4th week of TTC. On the 7th October, right after the 5th TTC in China, we celebrated our 4th year anniversary, along with Navaratri and Swami Adi Parashaktiananda’s birthday all together. Swami Sitaramananda, Swami Narayanananda and many graduates and guests attended. Centre was uplifted right away after closing for over a week for the holiday. We continued the Vijayadasami celebration. All staff and students brought their instruments of Karma to be blessed and the Devi Mahatmyam story made us laugh and inspired at the same time. Swami Sitaramananda and Swami Adi Parashaktiananda left for Los Angeles to initiate the new beautiful Sivananda Centre right away. Swami Narayanananda also flew back to Vietnam to resume his duties there. All of us were very inspired by the presence of all the senior teachers during the past month. We were also grateful to have Dharma Deva from Xi’an to share with TTC graduates and staff how to teach alignment in daily classes for two days, as part of the celebration. Open classes went very well. The one open class with Dharma Deva was packed. During one Sunday night Satsang, Prof Chu, a long time guest of Yoga Farm, shared with us his few Vedantic poems. They were so beautiful and inspiring. Everyone was amused by the translation process as well. We welcomed Jaya (Taiwan) to join us as a temporary staff for two months.

We refocused on energy back on Centre students and internal training. We welcomed new TTC graduates at the Centre and organized daily teaching workshops for them so they can start to teach soon. Sivani is also leading daily workshops for all staff to improve their English. Open classes went on very well. We organized a new class of Beginners’ Yoga 1. Dr. Moy, a long time guest of Yoga Farm shared with us a talk about life style management for diabetes, which confirms again how well rounded the Five Points of Yoga are. Laksmi, SYHET student of 2018-2019, shared with us Ayurvedic tips for transitioning into the Fall. We were inspired by a Satsang on Patience while reading Swami Sivananda’s How to Cultivate Virtues and Eradicate Vices. At the same time, Ambika went to help Shanti Yoga Centre, a satellite studio in Chengdu, owned by Nandini, and also started to teach a Yoga 1 course at Lalita’s company. May Guru’s Grace bless us all. Om Shanti. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Om Namah Sivaya to all Blessed Selves from the Chennai Centre. At the beginning of October we celebrated Vijaya Dasami. After 9 days of Archana and prayers, the victory of Saraswati was honoured with a Puja and a musical concert. This week, we had the visit of Anoop, Nasim and her brother. Anoop came for personal purposes and Nasim stayed in the Centre on her way to Madurai Ashram. Also, a new guest from Korea joined to the Yoga Vacation program. Regarding the staff, Rahul came back to Madurai Ashram after a few months of service at the Centre. We were thankful for his friendly presence. We celebrated the Praveen birthday, wishing him a long and healthy life.

Another highlight of October was the Centre’s staff had the opportunity to share the Swamiji teachings outside the Centre by teaching yoga in a orphanage and a seniors’ home. The class was full of cheerfulness and joy. Meanwhile, we concluded the current headstand workshop. The other classes and courses went well. We did a lot energetic karma yoga, supporting the housekeeping of the Centre, while searching for new support staff. May all live under the grace of Guru. Prayers and Greetings from Chennai Centre. Pranams! Om.

We would also like to share a video, highlighting the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre in Chennai, India. There’s an endearing section on family yoga. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFfdbT2iChg

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Chicago, USA

Om Namah Sivaya. Greetings from Chicago where there was a big Navaratri celebration in early October. Navaratri Pujas saw steady attendance, particularly from a core group of 13 people who were in attendance every evening. Students were quite generous with donations of Prasad and flowers and participated in the festival with great sincerity. It truly felt like a warm family gathering. Chandrika settled in quite nicely. She and the students seem to be enjoying getting to know each other.

Meanwhile, the outside temperature dropped and leaves began to turn brilliant shades of orange and yellow. Classes and courses at the Centre continued well with a slight increase in attendance for open classes. Candrika continued with teaching a Beginners Yoga 1 course, while Radhika led the meditation course. Staff and a karma yogis are working on a brochure for the new year and also in the process of getting some new items for the boutique in preparation for the holiday season. Open classes continued as usual. We are grateful to the Gurus for continuing to protect and inspire our Sadhana. Pranams to all. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta DÀ LAT Centre, Dà Lat, Vietnam

COm Namah Sivaya from the beautiful DaLat Centre. In October we conducted daily Pujas to celebrate Navaratri. A Vijaya Dasami Puja wrapped the 10 days of Navaratri. All staff and many karma yogis attended and felt the blessings of the event. Also, in October we started a Restorative Yoga Course with 6 students attending. A Beginner Yoga 2 and Advanced Asana Class also continued. An Open House event had 10 people join, 8 of them registered for a Beginner’s Y1. One Sunday evening Satsang we were happy to welcome Doctor Ramdas and Nitya Hoa who spoke about Ayurveda. Around 20 people attended, reporting they very impressed. For Satsangs on Sunday evening, we organized the practice of Tratak. Around 10 people came, they were very engaged so we planned a Kriya workshop to follow. We had a staff party to say goodbye and thanks to Chandhika and Viveka as they leave the Centre.

We were happy to welcome a new staff member, Priya, who took TTC in Dalat in July 2019. She will be staff for 6 months. Sivashakti also came to support the Centre and to teach an Ayurveda course for beginners one weekend. 4 students attended and received a lot of benefit from the course. The Restorative Yoga Course was finished successfully. Beginners’ Yoga 1 continued. A Satsang evening with Swami Narayanananda gave a lot of inspiration for staff and students. Staff are maintaining their Sadhana and helping to keep the good energy of the Centre. We give thanks for Master and Guru’s grace. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta DWARKA Centre, Delhi, India

Om Namah Sivaya. In early October we started the 10am and 6:30 pm Beginners’ Yoga 1 classes with good numbers of students. One Sunday we conducted a headstand workshop. The weekly Saturday Satsangs were energetic and blissful for all us, plus, well attended by a good number of people. All the open classes and the special classes went well with sincere practitioners. The staff members were well, with the grace of Swamijis. We send the good wishes to all the members for all your wonderful efforts. Thank you and good wishes to all the Sivananda community from Dwarka Centre, Delhi. Pranams to all. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta NATARAJA Centre, Delhi, India

Om Namo Narayanaya. We started two Beginners’ Yoga 1 courses, at 10 am & 6.30 pm with a few eager students. The number of students was low at this time because of the Navaratri festival season. Swami Sivabhaktananda came back from Char Dham Yatra and led Satsang one Sunday which was attended by number of students and teachers which gave lot of energy to the Centre. Rest of the Centres activities went well, with the Grace of Gurus. Thanks and good wishes to all the Sivananda community. Sending Pranams for peace and happiness. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Geneva, Switzerland

Om Namah Sivaya. The main event of October was the celebration of Navaratri. We had beautiful Pujas and also blessed our instruments during the last night. The Pujas brought very good vibrations to the Centre. Also we started a 5 weeks Pranayama course for intermediate practitioners. We also had a lecture on the theory of Prana. We went to our monthly 1 day retreat on the nearby mountain Salève with a group of 9 people. Some of them planned to do the TTC soon. Another two attendees came from another school of Yoga, and still they liked the retreat very much. The peace and beauty of the place is forever charming and people can also have a mini Ashram experience & nature walk. OM Aim Saraswatiyai Namaha. OM.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Om Namah Sivaya. With Guru’s Grace, we had very good attendance and much activity at the Ho Chi Minh Centre in October. We celebrated and continued the daily Pujas for the Divine Mothers during the Navaratri festival. Because of the series of Pujas, the energy of the Centre lifted, so a lot of people came for the Courses, Open House, as well as register for others upcoming programs for this month. The SYHET practicum 5 day course, taught by Tarini, for spine and Joints continued with 14 students. The SYHET practicum 3 day course taught by Shantidevi for Stress Management had 10 students. The Centre’s Open House had 19 students attending. Swami Prananvananda went to Dalat for a 2 week Ayurveda retreat program. Last but not least, we also welcomed back Ganga Chaitanya after the China TTC.

As mid month approached, the Hochiminh Centre continued to have a very high attendance for all the programs, including 2 new internal training programs for karma yogis and teachers at the Centre, taught by Ganga Chaitanya. One was the training “How to Do The Proper Correction and Adjustment for the Basic Asana Sequence” and the other was “Advanced Group Asana Practice”. These programs, together with the training “How to Teach Asana Class in Bilingual” helped keeping the spirit of all the karma yogis up high, and brought all the people together to the Guru’s house. Besides that, we started an “Advance Asana” 4 day course and “Ayurveda for Beginners” course, both taught by Ganga Chaitanya, plus, a weekend “Beginner Yoga 1” course, taught by Phuong Thu. A highlight of the month was the arrival of Saraswati, from the Dalat Ashram, who came to teach the special 3 day training course “Restorative Yoga Training”. The course was full capacity, with 15 attendants. Everybody was so happy to learn techniques to relax with awareness while doing the asana. After the Ayurveda Detox program in Dalat, we also welcomed back our staff member, Mahashakti. Satsangs and open classes, together with other courses of previous weeks continued well with many attendants. It was an honor for us to be able to share the Sivananda Yoga mission of peace and the love of teaching yoga to more and more people in this busy Hochiminh city. By the Grace of Gurus and The Divine Mother, the Centre continued to share the blessings and to serve the Community in Love and Gratitude. Pranams to the Sivananda Family. Om Sri Maha Lakshmyai Namah! Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, London, England

Om Namah Sivaya. For Navaratri celebrations we started beautifully with a Durga Puja, led by Swami Nityananda, just before her departure. It was a true blessing for the Centre, its staff, students and TTC’s to have Swami Nityananda here for the past 3 months. Then we were very happy to welcome our priest, Yagneswara, and his wife Rajeshwari. They stayed several days for the Navaratri celebrations. Also, Saraswati from Paris arrived to support the London Centre for one month. Ananda took Kailas and Saraswati to Seaford, in south of England. They visited a potential place for a future yoga retreat. It was a beautiful, welcoming and very sattvic place located near the ocean and the famous seven sisters. They enjoyed the place and the incredible view. Meanwhile we had a very successful Open House at the Centre. Saraswati taught the yoga trial class for experienced practitioners, for the students visiting to the Open House. Kailas taught the introduction to yoga, asanas demonstration, then the yoga trial class for beginners followed by the introduction to meditation. We had lots of new students curious and motivated to discover yoga. All the staff have contributed warmly to this event by taking care at the reception and to welcome each new student. Chandra and Kailas organized the photo shoot for the future brochure with close students and staff. Chandra took many beautiful pictures with patience and precision to illustrate the future brochure. Jnaneshwari left the Centre after a month of service. She was very generous, involved and dynamic. Sitabhanu focused on MindBody, she entered the next events of the Centre. Francesco and Jnaneshwari put a lot of sattva in the house with a general and deep cleaning which is very appreciated. Kumari gave his first classes and Ganga was very committed to social networking promoting the activities of the centre. Kailas and Saraswati put a lot of prana into the administrative tasks, the accounts, the brochure, the newsletters and the upcoming events, with the good support of Swami Kailasananda who is very precious for the staff and the centre. The staff team was in a good mood. Everyone has good spirit of service, with a sense of responsibility, tasks are intelligently and efficiently shared, in the spirit of team work. We were happy and blessed to have the presence of the priest and his wife for the week of Navaratri. Yagneswara gave 6 beautiful and uplifting Pujas, dedicated to the divine mother. His wife, Rajeshwari cooked for the staff with generosity. She took good care of the altar which was radiant, fresh, full of colors and flowers. We felt the presence of the divine mother with us. We felt blessed and grateful to be part of the Sivananda Family and able to continue the Swami Vishnudevananda Peace Mission. OM.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Om Namo Narayanaya!

The Los Angeles SIVANANDA YOGA VEDANTA Centre
3741 W 27th St, Los Angeles, CA
310-822-9642

A new Los Angeles Sivananda Centre opened on the 11th October 2019 with a grand inauguration. Here is the report of the inaugural opening of the Centre:

The LA Yoga Centre has successfully moved to a new purchased location in the middle of LA City, 3741 W 27th street, Los Angeles, CA, USA 310-822-9642

It is a large historical mansion with beautiful wood work inside. Two stories, 4 large dorm rooms , 4 single rooms, 2 class rooms, 1 boutique reception, a new modern kitchen, large patio and lawn garden, garage and parkings. Peaceful and quiet neighborhood. Swami Jnaneshwarinanda came for the two last Navaratri Pujas and Vijaya Dasami. The 9 nights Pujas were well attended and brought good energy to the starting of the Centre. Pandit Sharma did one of the Puja to Divine Mother. Swami Dharmananda also flew in to have a one day visit and a Swamis business meeting. On 24th September 2019 we moved into the new building at an auspicious time. Staff members, Swami Sivasankariananda, Radha Chaitanya, Arjuna and Jim, plus many karma yogis all converged on the new Centre to move and clean. In a short time of 2 weeks, a new Centre emerged from all the boxes and furniture.

The date of the Inauguration Opening ceremony was Oct.11 and Oct.12, 2019. A joyful, hopeful and grateful community prevailed the whole time. After more than 45 years of existence, and after around 8 different locations, the Centre was grateful to settle down finally to this place called home. The SYVC name was uplifted by the grandeur of this house. All felt the blessings for the new Centre from the Gurus.

During the celebrations the total student count was 175. Special guests and staff helped setting up and getting the Centre ready for the two days. Other swamis present were Swami Sitaramananda, Swami Adiparashaktiananda and Swami Vasishtananda. Swami Sitaramananda arrived straight from TTC China. She gave the 1st lecture in the new Centre on “Holistic Health”; an inauguration Satsang talk; a history talk of the LA Centre; a talk on “The Necessity for Turning Inward”; an official welcoming to the Centre ceremony and a breaking of the coconut ceremony. Swami Adiparashaktiananda taught the first Hatha Yoga class and helped nailing and moving. Swami Vasishtananda, assisted by MahaLakshmi Chaitanya, performed a series of ceremonies over three days: (1) the purification Pujas for all rooms, (2) next day the Puja for Lord Ganesha, Durga and presiding deity Lord Vishnu, (3) the official opening ceremony procession from the gate to the entrance door (4) a marathon 3 hour Ganesha Homa, Sudarshan and Chandi Homa. Special guests for the Grand Opening were: Stephen Longfellow Fiske, who gave a joyful concert appreciated by all and Mandodari Olga, who gave a lecture on Vaastu, explaining how the house has good vaastu energy and how people can find their dharma by coming to this building. There were plenty of donated food items and trays for the all day garden party. People enjoyed the outdoor porches with plenty of space in the garden. May the blessings keep coming our way and shine the path. By Guru’s Grace and our sincere efforts have been instruments of Peace. Om Namo Narayanaya! Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Madrid, Spain

Om Namah Sivaya, Blessed Selves! The daily Navaratri Pujas continued. One could appreciate the uplifting energy created. The Center was represented in the Canet Yoga Congress (Valencia) with one class and a permanent booth. The Open House Day for October was lively, with over 70 participants and a good number of enrollments. The retreat in Vasque Country was held in October with everyone looking forward to it! The new course “Yoga and Music” started with an inspired group. Several maintenance projects took place including installing new LED lights for the kitchen and clearing the Centre’s storage room. We had a Teacher’s Day, presenting “How to Teach Beginners”. 19 teachers attended the correction workshop and lecture. That evening the Satsang was especially uplifting. Gopala was representing the Center in the III Madrid Yoga Congress with a well visited yoga class. OM.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Madurai, India

Om Namah Sivaya. Namaste from the Madurai Centre. The Madurai Centre’s courses and classes ran smoothly in October, including a new morning Beginners’ Yoga course. Regular class attendance dropped slightly because of the 10 day Navaratri Puja holiday. We offered Puja at the Centre for last three days of Navratri. The Friday regular Devi Lalita Sahasranana Puja also continued. Satsangs were led by Yashpal. Everything else was fine. We thank our Masters for all blessings and support bestowed. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Montevideo, Uruguay

Om Namah Sivaya! October was a gift full of light and devotion. We celebrated the Navaratri festival with floral offerings, songs and meditation. Despite the beginning of spring the cold weather continued. We started two new Beginners’ Yoga 1 courses. Other classes went normally. We received new students in both regular and children’s classes. We continued the preparation and registration for the next course of Respiratory and energy control that started mid month. We have not yet defined the place to which we will temporarily move to teach the biggest class of the Centre, however, we have everything ready for moving furniture and material in general that will be transferred to a warehouse. Kanti Devi traveled to Sao Paulo to give several programs during her annual tour in Brazil. Unfortunately, from the month of November, the Sivananda Centre in Sao Paulo will stop working at its current location. We hope in the near future to find a better place and staff to continue the Sivananda mission in that city. In the meantime, Satsang will be held once a month at the home of different teachers. We will continue supporting teachers and students from Porto Alegre and Montevideo.

Meanwhile back at the Montevideo Centre we continued with the repairs in our building. Fortunately the classes and courses could continue to be offered, thank you to the collaboration of all. Students and teachers adapted very well to the changes. The work of the repairs was a little delayed. Usually this happens in this kind of work, with new issues emerging throughout the repairs. This temporary journey for the Centre required extra effort and communication as we accommodated and adjusted the classroom schedules. We moved classes and courses according to the schedules of the workers. To coordinate classes and courses constant communication was necessary in order for everything to be integrated and changes quickly addressed. Meanwhile, we continued the course on respiratory and energy control, the enthusiasm and energy transmitted by Dr. Padma is such that some people wanted to join the course even though she had already started. Participants learned how to control their breath and make better use of energy to control stress and improve their physical, mental and emotional health. The rest of the activities continued normally. May the Grace of Gurudev and Swamiji be upon all of us. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Om Namah Sivaya and Greetings from the Montreal Centre! By the grace of the Masters and all the support of the community, everything ran well at the Montreal Centre in October. Festivities at the Centre continued with the Navaratri celebrations, creating an uplifting energy at the Centre. We had a Puja for Lakshmi with 30 participants, we were happy to have Atmaram with us to lead the celebration. We also had a beautiful Puja for Saraswati with 60 participants. Our dear KY Gopala performed the 2 Pujas with lots of devotion. Everyone enjoyed the positive energy created. All the classes and courses ran smoothly. We had a stress management workshop with Atmaram. The workshop was very appreciated by the students. Our dear KY, Veena, left the Centre after a month of service We were very grateful to have her with us. She put her heart into everything she did. Our dear KY, Gopala, spent a week at the Centre. We were very grateful for his presence, too, as he always put his heart in everything he did. Both Karma Yogis were a great support for the Centre.

We enjoyed the beautiful autumn weather in Montreal. We had a good group of karma yogis that helped out to decorate the Centre for Diwali. The Centre is looking joyful and bright. All the classes and courses ran smoothly. We were happy to have Swami Shivabhaktananda for a weekend program at the Centre. He led a Meditation retreat with 12 students. During the retreat the students had a yoga class, workshops on concentration and meditation, a silent walk and a practice on pranayama, concentration & meditation. The students left feeling uplifted and very grateful for the experience. Swamiji also started a Raja yoga course with 14 students. The same day Atmaram ran the Open House. Bhagirathi led a workshop on yoga for the shoulders. Swami Shivabhaktananda led an inspiring Sunday Satsang. We were very grateful for his uplifting visit. By the grace of the masters, everything was well at the Centre. We felt our Guru’s grace guiding us. Pranams to all! Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Munich, Germany

Om Namah Sivaya. We were happy to have Swami Durgananda and Swami Sivadasananda with us. Swamiji took a lot of time to talk with us giving guidance and support. We had a special program with asana workshops and Satsangs with Swami Sivadasananda. Before the asana workshops students could arrive for personal consultations. The asana workshops were very well received. Our yoga hall was completely full with students lying mat to mat. Each day was completed with an inspiring Satsang. We also continued the Navaratri celebration with daily morning Pujas in our meditation room for which we were joined by a steady group of close teachers. On the regular Satsang days we had beautiful Navaratri Satsangs with lots of kirtan chanting, japa of the mantra of the respective aspect of the Divine Mother and the offering of flowers. Mirabai came back from Berlin and from the TTC in Poland and joined again our staff-team in Munich.

We had our monthly Open House. Many interested people came. Almost all of them stayed for the whole afternoon – for the trial class, the meditation workshop and the asana demonstration. We held a workshop “How to Conquer Anger”, and other special courses, a Raja Yoga course and a meditation course. Swami Narayanananda was here, teaching the Sunday afternoon class and leading the weekend Satsangs before he went back to the Sivananda Yoga Retreat House in Reith/Tyrol/Austria. OM.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Neuquén, Argentina

Om Namah Sivaya from Neuquen. Om Shanti and Prem to everyone. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, New York, USA

Om Namah Sivaya. Greetings from Manhattan, New York City, where by grace, all continued well at the Centre in October. The celebration of Navaratri continued with special Pujas every night, each with outstanding attendance, the most exceptional of which was on the Sunday evening, when Swami Paramananda, Sankara Namboodiri, and several Ranch staff joined us from the Ashram. Swamiji taught the Advanced Asana Class, and Sankaraji conducted the Puja. People were very happy with the whole celebration, feeling a lot of energy and inspiration. The purification was also strong, especially for staff, all of whom came down with colds during the following week. Yet, by grace, all the Centre’s activities carried on normally. We also welcomed Bhavani to a full-time service position at the Centre.

Mid month in New York the air tasted decidedly of Autumn, with some days of chilly winds and rain. Swami Satyapremananda started a Part 2 course on the Yoga of Meditation, looking at Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6 and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. There were many young people visiting the Centre, including special classes for students of the nearby Fashion Institute of Technology and for the 8th grade class, of one of the Centre’s teachers, Chandrika. Neeti left for a 3-month trip to India. We had a teachers’ lunch and meeting. Staff are well and grateful for Gurus’ grace, sending best wishes for a happy Diwali to all. May Gurudev’s blessings continue to light our path. Om.

Centre de Yoga Sivananda Vedanta, Paris, France

Om Namah Sivaya. Life gave us a beautiful celebration of Navaratri. The priest Yagneswara and Swami Kailasananda were there for the second Puja. The flowers were blooming in the courtyard and on the altar. We had the continuation of Navaratri with harmonious and cheerful mood. Bhakti was in the air, bringing Prem, joy and surrender. The Divine Mother gave us early nights.

There was movement of the staff. Swamiji and Rukmini went to Orleans. The priest, Rajeshwari and Saraswati went to London. Swami Nityananda came back from London. Swami Jyotirmayananda passed by on her way to Holland. Vyasa arrived before the Puja to stay with us for one week. We had a Gita course and a kirtan course parallel to the regular Meditation and Positive thinking courses. There was also a Yoga for the Back workshop. The Masters keep sending many students and karma yogis. A team of karma yogis put a dose of sattva here and there. Narayan cleaned the roof gutters. In spite of that, there were some leaks in the reception and the Main Hall, because of the rain. We started to wash all the students’ blankets. The Centre had a new teacher, Ananda, who taught asana classes daily. He’s confident and precise. There was a silent walk to the park Buttes de Chaumont, nearby. That day, we also had a staff night with a fun yogic game. Everyone was happy to have the new brochure printed. It looks positive and colourful.

Mid month saw a group of yogis traveling to India for the Sivananda Rudraprayag TTC. Life gave us more summer’s days. The staff did a week of mono diet on kicheri. We had a little extra time for Sadhana, collective Japa, study and for extra projects as there was less work in the kitchen. Life gave us early aratis. The staff had some time watch a couple of very interesting talks about anatomy and releasing stored pain from the body. We gave a Sanskrit course – Level 4 and a Pranayama course, as well as the regular positive thinking and meditation courses. There was also a sun salutation workshop. God gave us cheerful and harmonious mood. Christmas was in the air as we started the rehearsals of the Christmas play, written by Swami Bhagavatananda. Gita finished the corrections of the booklet Pushpanjali that we will give as a present for the teachers. We did a poster run in order to promote some activities like the kids’ course and the cooking classes. There was a strike of the public transport mid October. Many regular teachers and karma yogis couldn’t arrive to the Centre. There was a second and successful photo shoot to do a picture for a trial class postcard promotion. We distributed the Navaratri little plants to the students who wanted to adopt them. They were very grateful with their present. We started earlier with the preparations for the Indian cooking class, presented by Sivakami. Everyone appreciated the teachings and the delicious food prepared by Ganapati and his team. There was a little tsunami in the kitchen and in the reception area after the class. But two new and dynamic karma yogis assisted the staff to put all back in order. Internet was down for a couple of hours because of a power cut in part off the building. There was a beautiful energy in the public Satsangs with many kirtans and some inspiring words and practical pieces of advice of Master on how to uplift our mind and how to overcome negative thoughts, from the book, “Thought Power” and some Sivananda letters. In spite of the transports’ strike, the Masters sent many students and precious help. OM.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Porto Alegre, Brasil, South America

Greetings from Porto Alegre. We had a very nice, energetic October. We were elated with the presence of Swami Premananda who arrived and gave a series of workshops, courses and conferences. Kanti Devi arrived to the Centre and was in charge of directing the meditations and conferences. She also gave a Mantra Initiation and led a counseling session. We had visiting teachers from distant areas who wanted to be with Swami and Kanti while in Porto Alegre. Everyone enjoyed the official events and courses, especially devotional singing and Raja Yoga. Karma yogis were attentive helping in various cleaning tasks, organizing the rooms and preparing meals. May all live under Master’s and Guru’s grace. Om Shanti. Om.A

Centro Yoga Vedanta Sivananda, Rome, Italy

Om Namah Sivaya, Blessed Selves. We had a wonderful Navaratri week with special Pujas in the morning during the weekdays because we had evening classes and in the weekends we had Satsang and Puja. Students participated even if it was early in the morning. It uplifted the energy at the Center. We also had an Open House one Saturday with people registering for courses and open classes. There was a nice group of people for the Introduction to Meditation course. More and more students arrived from the University near the Center and its nice to see a lot of young people in the classes and in the new courses. Staff are well and send best wishes for an inspiring month of October to all. OM.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, San Francisco, California, USA

Om Namo Narayanaya, Blessed Selves. In October San Francisco Centre continued a Beginners’ Yoga 1, with the inspired graduates have moved into Yoga 2. A Raga Yoga Sutras study group happily joined the Thought Power class. The Centre was dedicated to offering monthly concerts of traditional, classic Indian Music on Fridays. The concert were expertly given by Arjun & Indranl. Students and staff alike were enthralled. To perfect the Centre’s energy, the beloved acharyas Swami Sitaramananda and Swami Adiparashaktinanda arrived to led talks on Positive Thinking and Cultivating Well Being. Further teachings and guidance were given to 13 SF outside teachers during a teachers’ meeting. Everyone expressed their vision of the Centre and how to improve it. Satsang was led by Swami Sitaramananda who addressed the topic “The Necessity to Turn Inwards”. We took the opportunity of Swamiji‘s visit to change the orientation of the front desk and create a new sitting space in front of the boutique space. We were inspired with the long term view of the expansion of the Centre to serve the growing community of San Francisco. It was the historical city where Swami Vishnudevandnaji set foot in, in 1957. We felt the Gurus’ blessings this month. May the Truth be spread far and wide. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, San Paulo, Brasil

Om Namah Sivaya. May the Masters continue to pour prana and harmony onto the Sao Paulo Sivananda Centre. Om Shanti Shanti to all the Sivananda family. Om Shanti.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Tel Aviv, Israel

Om Namah Sivaya. October was busy and blessed at the Tel Aviv Centre – a most intense, inspiring, and uplifting time in the Tel-Aviv Centre, as it was a perfect example of Swami Sivananda’s teachings about unity in diversity. Swami Shambhudevananda led a beautiful Puja in honour of the first day of Navaratri. Swami Swaroopananda, Swami Prema, Swami Hridiyananda, senior staff, and many devotees, were present. Swami Swaroopananda gave beautiful teaching about the worship of God as a mother and the significance of the Holiday. After the Puja, the staff began with preparations for the evening’s celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Over 40 people were present for the evening feast, with many coming the following day as well, to continue enjoying the holiday with the Centre staff. Due to Rosh Hashana, the Centre was closed for three days. All those days we were hosting guests for special holiday feasts as well as welcoming devotees for Navaratri Pujas and the reading of the Devi Mahatmya. On top of this, the dedicated staff continued with the promotion of the upcoming Fall Yoga Retreat, upcoming courses and the High Holidays’ sales of monthly passes to yoga classes.

October was also about celebrating Navaratri with beautiful Pujas. The Vijayadasami Puja was held in the morning, in the presence of Swami Swaroopananda, Swami Premaswaroopananda, Swami Hridyananda, Swami Shambhudevananda and senior staff. Many devotees gathered, each bringing personal articles to be blessed by the energy of the Divine Mother. During the Puja, Swami Swaroopananda gave inspiring teachings on the significance and importance of the victory day. We felt the blessings of the Mother and came out uplifted, joyful and delighted. There was an abundance of Prasad which everyone enjoyed. Right after the Puja, the staff started the preparations for Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the year in Judaism. Traditionally it is observed with a day of fasting and intense prayer. The preparations mainly included cooking festive meals for the beginning and the end of the fast.

Another highlight for October was the annual Sukkot Yoga Retreat. Sunday through Monday we celebrated the holiday of Sukkot. The Centre was closed for these days. Upon reopening we restarted the Centre activities and the staff focused on all the many arrangements and preparations for the upcoming retreat. Staff and karma yogis went to Neve Shalom to prepare the Satsang Hall and the other practice rooms before the guests arrived later that day. The retreat was very successful! About a hundred participants, staff, karma yogis, and guests, joined together for four days to lead a yogic lifestyle, following the Ashram schedule. We started every morning with a silent walk in the beautiful nature of this village located in the Jerusalem mountains, followed by yoga classes and many inspiring workshops and Satsangs, led by senior staff and other presenters. The kid’s program was wonderful and both kids and adults had an amazing experience. We wish all a blessed and inspiring week! Other courses and classes went well. May the Master’s grace be with all! Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Tokyo, Japan

Om Namah Sivaya. In October we performed Lakshmi and Saraswati Puja in continuation of celebrating Navaratri. A statue of Saraswati was donated by Keiko Ito, a Jyotisha who is our long-time friend and guest teacher, and the Puja got even more grand. We gave a TTC briefing session and a Meditation workshop for beginner students. Good number of students attended the workshop and learned the significance of practicing meditation on a regular basis. Kumari taught a private Beginners’ Yoga 1 class, and she will be teaching a regular Yoga 1 course starting in November.

We held a Sivananda Cookie baking workshop (see this months’ recipe above) in which we shared knowledge on nutrition and sattvic food, all referring to the Sivananda Yoga Cookbook. The students enjoyed a teatime with just-baked cookies, having a peaceful time together with staff. Also, a new Beginners’ Yoga 1 started with 5 students attending. Asana Jaya workshop was held one Sunday, joined by 7 students. Mirabai returned back to the Tokyo Centre from Thailand. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Om Namah Sivaya. In October we continued with celebration of Navaratri and daily readings from Devi Mahatmayam that inspired all who came for our Satsangs. We had lot of students participating in celebration of the ninth night of the festival and lot of them left their ‘tools of trade’ to be blessed by the Mother. We had a busy schedule with lots of students and several ongoing projects as well as some regular outside classes for youth. We have been also working diligently on keeping up with our social media presence. Sign ups for our upcoming fall retreat were also coming in. We also started several new yoga courses. We started new Beginners’ Yoga 1 and also a Yoga 3 course. Mayavan taught Yoga asanas according to Ayurveda to a very inspired group of students. We started a set of classes for a local high school with six classes per week. We also met with several karma yogis who helped us polish our social media advertising. This month we celebrated several birthdays during the Satsangs. All are well. We send Om Namo Narayanaya to everyone. Pranams. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Trivandrum, Kerala, India

Om Namah Sivaya. Pranams to all from gods own country, Trivandrum Centre. All is well from Trivandrum. We pray for one and all’s health in our large Sivananda family. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Vienna, Austria

Om Namah Sivaya. A highlight was the celebration of Navaratri with daily Pujas. They were a source of inspiration and energy for the staff and students who joined us for the morning Sadhana and after the Pujas which created a familiar atmosphere. We had good participation and support throughout the whole celebration. The altar shone a little brighter every day. A Pranayama course started as well as a Meditation course 2 and two higher courses. New couch covers in bright colours arrived. They brought a lot of prana into the reception area and staff and students are happy about this visible change. The theatre rehearsals continued in preparation for the Christmas play, plus, the Gita chanting before Satsangs resumed. One Sunday Satsang was about Vairagya which brought everyone together. Students came with beautiful flowers and nice Prasad, making Krishna look happy and content. OM.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Vilnuis, Lithuania

Om Namah Sivaya. Early October was filled with the opportunity to practice deeper Bhakti Yoga at the Vilnius Centre. Every morning except Wednesday we had Pujas at 7 am. Students were arriving to the Centre on the workdays before their work with many devotees happy to practice concentration and to express devotion. A Courses Yoga 1 and Yoga 3 started. We had a Meditation intro workshop one Saturday. Mainly new students came, so we had to adapt the explanation of the teachings to the people who are new to yoga. During mid October the weather was exceptionally good – unusually warm and sunny. Good time to prepare the garden for the wintertime and to clean old leaves. Fewer students came for the open classes, staying outdoors and catching probably the last rays of the sun this year. The courses for beginners went on very well. A new Beginners’ Yoga 1 started. New senior students joined the senior yoga classes. They enjoyed everything: asanas, soup and the opportunity to talk to each other after the class. The new team: Tushti, Chandra and Durga Devi had a nice opportunity to prepare lunch for the students one Saturday. OM.