Sivananda World News: The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres

Om Namah Sivaya. In early July a Yoga 2 and Yoga 122 started. In spite of the start of the holiday season, courses, classes and Satsangs were well visited. Many of the classes were held on the platform outside until the temperatures dropped. It came along with some refreshing rain which was a blessing for the garden. We had very nice support from Teachers and Karma yogis with the reception, cleaning, cookies and altar. Staff were teaching and translating online as well as focusing on the planning and scheduling of upcoming weeks, as we are a smaller team but want to continue with as many courses as possible.

Mid month a Yoga 2, Yoga 3 and Yoga 11 started. Classes and Satsangs continued as usual, some of them a little smaller due to a couple of hot days. Everybody was happy when it freshened up again with some rain. Swami Mangalananda left for the Retreathouse in Austria to support the programme and to recharge. Swami Annapurnanada took care of the Centre with the help of dedicated teachers and Karma Yogis.

Staff are all well. OM.

http://www.sivananda.org/berlin

Om Namah Sivaya. We are grateful to be able to offer daily yoga classes through Zoom. Please join us! We will wait for you! Any sum you can contribute will be grateful from the heart. You can contact us for any questions about practicing yoga at home through e-mail: [email protected] Call: 11 4804 7813.

For any queries, contact us. If changes or news arise, we will inform you. We salute you with a fervent desire for peace and health for all. We hope you are all well. May Masters blessings always guide us. Pranams. Om.

http://www.sivananda.org/baires

Om Namah Sivaya to all Blessed Selves from the Chennai Centre. In early July we began a new Online Beginners’ Yoga batch with 7 participants. The Bhagavad Gita class by Uma Natarjan came to an end, concluding with Gita Arati. We planned and organised a class in a nearby residential community on behalf of Guru Purnima. With Master’s blessing the roof work was completed before the monsoon season started. Staff worked on the promotions for the upcoming workshops. The open class and kids’ class numbers were increasing. Usual activities at the Centre carried on.

During mid July the Chennai Centre continued our regular activities. Our Beginners’ Yoga aspirants enjoyed their last week of the course. A few of them were interested in joining the open classes. We organized a class at a nearby school Sri Chaitanya Techno. All the students participated well. The students were well supported by the teachers with energy and enthusiasm from all. The school principal showed interest and encouraged the teachers and the students. Sri Chaitanya Techno’s director started the session with a prayer. Suryanamaskar followed by asanas was taught to the students to help them benefit physically and mentally. The session ended with a few minutes of meditation. We welcomed our new staff Aman from Trivandrum Centre. Sandhya left to Uttarkashi (Netala Ashram) to assist Mahalakshmi (TTC). We ended each week with Satsang.

All our staff are happy & doing their Sadhanas. Praying to our Master and Swamiji to guide us always with their blessings. Om.

http://www.sivananda.org/madras

Om Namah Sivaya from the beautiful DaLat Centre. Thanks to Guru’s blessing, our Centre kept the strong energy to serve the community. In early July the 3-day course “Yoga for Deep Sleep”, was hosted by Nirmala, with 5 students. Open House welcomed 4 people. Sivashakti Chaitanya came back from Kid Camp Yen Bai. She and Harini moved to the Ashram for TTC. We held a workshop, ”Bhakti Yoga – Graceful of Mother Nature’s Love”, hosted by Sankari under Sivashakti Chaitanya supervision. The courses and classes schedule was reduced as the senior staff focused on TTC. We maintained basic classes and hosted residents for income.

By mid July staff Padmini (from Dalat Ashram) transferred to the Centre and continued her service here. She started to keep up with activities well. We hosted a Resident come from 22nd July who stayed for 1 month. A few staff had some health issues, but we keep a positive mind and steady practice. We held the asana classes outdoors. The number of students continued to rise. Staff maintained a regular Sadhana and positive energy for the Centre.

We did our best to keep our Sadhana strong and maintain energy. We pray for Guru’s grace and blessings. Om.

https://sivanandayogavietnam.org

Om Namah Sivaya. Namaste. The Dwarka Centre’s activities went well during July 2022. We were happy to start Beginners’ Yoga courses at 8am and 4pm. Regular classes ran smoothly. July weather was very hot in Delhi. All the staff took care of the Dwarka Centre very well.

Mid July: We started the Beginners’ Yoga course at 8 am and 4 pm. Our open classes ran smoothly.

May Master and Swamiji bless all in continuing on the yogic path. Pranams to one and all. Om.

http://www.sivananda.org/dwarka

Greetings and Namaste from Sivananda Nataraja Centre. With the Grace of Gurus everything was fine at the Centre for July 2022. We started a Beginners’ Yoga course at 6.30 pm with a good number of students. All other classes continued as usual.  The rainy season started, raining almost every day.

Mid month, we started a Beginners’ Yoga course at 6.30 am with a good number of students. The course “Foundation to Meditation” was offered Wednesdays and Saturdays. We did a headstand workshop and a ShatKriya workshop. The number of students increased in both open and Beginners’ Yoga courses.

The Nataraja Centre staff were doing well.

May Master and Swamiji bless and protect all while continuing on their yogic path. Please stay connected – https://sivananda.org.in/delhi/ Pranams to all. Om.

http://www.sivananda.org/delhi

Om Namah Sivaya. With best wishes for health and peace. OM.

http://www.sivananda.org/geneva

Greetings from the Hanoi Centre. Thanks to Guru’s blessing, our Centre can keep strong energy to serve the community online and onsite. In July all classes went well. We opened Beginners’ Yoga courses online with 6 students, and Beginners’ Yoga courses offline with 5 students. Sivakami Chaitanya taught a course: “Training Beginners for TTCers” with 7 people. The Nutrition Course online started with 9 students. We had a Thursday Satsang online with Swami Sita for the topic: “Three kinds of Faith”.

Mid July saw all classes continuing well. We opened yoga outdoors with 13 students. We had Satsang online with Swami Sita for the topic: “The Yogic Way for Alleviating Your Personal Suffering”, translated by Sivakami Chaitanya.

The Hanoi staff’s Sadhana is steady. Om.

https://sivanandayogavietnam.org/ho-chi-minh-center/

Om Namah Sivaya. In July 2022, thanks to Guru’s blessing, Ho Chi Minh Centre received plenty of energy from our students, karma yogis and newcomers. Everything was nice at the Centre, even the weather was cool and supportive. We are so glad that Viveka is back from the Kids Camp in Yen Bai. We also successfully completed 2 courses: Yoga for Beginners’ and Ayurveda for Beginners’. The students were inspired and kept the practice afterwards. Besides, our Satsangs we welcomed more and more karma yogis, students and newcomers, with most of them attending because of the wonderful power of Kirtan. A highlight of the month was the Mala bead workshop with 9 students under the guidance of Saraswati. They had so much fun making their own mala beads. Thanks to Guru’s blessing, our Ayurveda room gave quite a few treatments, as old customers introduced the service to their friends. We gardened and made the area clean and beautiful. The staff were happy serving and immersing themselves in Sadhana.

Mid month the Hochiminh Centre had great opportunities to serve the community. We bought plenty of nice cloth and sparkly accessories to make new clothes for the deities as an early preparation for Navaratri. We loved doing this type of worship, our devotion for the Divine blossomed. Our garden project continued. The area became so spacious and beautiful that everyone enjoyed it. We successfully opened a headstand workshop. In weekly Satsang, we had inspiring lectures on silence and Yamas/Niyamas. On the whole, our staff engaged with theie Sadhana and were well-prepared for many upcoming activities.

We are grateful for every chance to serve. We pray for everyone’s health and inspiration to keep practicing and teaching! May the Sivananda family worldwide be safe. Om.

https://sivanandayogavietnam.org/ho-chi-minh-center/

Om Namah Sivaya. In July the wooden floors of the meditation hall and the tea room were professionally sanded down making the beauty of the natural wood come through. A transparent finish revealed a very light coloured maple floor, looking like new and transforming these two spaces very beautifully. We prepared the house for the upcoming certificate course, the first residential course since the pandemic started. We looked forward to welcoming the small group of students around the theme “Mantras – Sacred Sounds of Power”.

Mid July saw several days of extreme heat, leaving the Centre deserted, with people being discouraged to travel or use public transport. Watering the Peace Garden became a substantial karma yoga task with many thirsty plants. A professional painting company restored parts of the ceiling and walls in the shop, meditation room and basement which had been damaged by water infiltrations. After their treatment of the wood all looked refreshed and neat.
May the Masters’ blessings and protection be with all of you, always. With best wishes for health and inner peace. Om Tat Sat. OM.

http://www.sivananda.org/london

Om Namo Narayanaya. In early July the theme of our 4th of July holiday weekend was “Cherishing Community”. The special programs included a talk on Yoga of Relationships, Compassionate Communication and a workshop on Relaxation Techniques. Guests were fully engaged and appreciative. Sunday evening Satsang was joyful. We were happy to connect with the Organization’s Unite for a Peaceful Planet effort. Swami Sivasankariananda communicated with a new SYHET student online. Our new karma yogis were a godsend, getting back on track with some stalled projects. Energy was very good. We enjoyed lots of beans and zucchini from our garden.
During mid July the LA staff enjoyed having Saraswati (from Vietnam) with us. She joined our Yantra Painting workshop. All were diligent and very focussed. Swami Sivasankariananda taught a workshop “Understanding Anger”. We had two retreat guests—both grateful for the practice, for the peaceful surroundings and for the opportunity to ask questions. Two Yoga 2 courses ended. A Meditation 1 started, as well as a 5-session course on Divine Stories. The first class covered stories of Ganesha.

It is an honour to serve. May the Gurus guide us as our reach grows wider and wider. Om.

http://www.sivananda.org/la

Om Namah Sivaya, Blessed Selves! Welcome to the oasis of peace amid the pressures of everyday life in the city. In July 2022 the Centre started the reduced Summer schedule. We also prepared the brochure for the upcoming season. Some maintenance projects were done while packing continued for the August TTC. Despite the hot temperatures, more students and karma yogis were coming to the Centre, feeling very dynamic and alive. We all looked forward to the coming weeks.

We are grateful to Master and Swamiji. Staff are well and sending our best wishes for health and peace. Pranams to all. OM.

http://www.sivananda.org/madrid

Om Namah Sivaya to all. We thank our Masters for all blessings and support bestowed. May all be blessed with equanimity and steadiness in practice. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi. Om.

http://www.sivananda.org/madurai

Om Namah Sivaya from the Montevideo Centre. We are happy to serve, love to all. We pray intensely for peace and harmony in this world. May the Grace of Gurudev and Swamiji be upon us all. Om Shanti. Om.

http://www.sivananda.org/montevideo

Om Namah Sivaya and Greetings from the Montreal Centre. May God’s grace and the teachers’ blessings always remain with us and guide us into being of impeccable service to the people around the world. Pranams to all. Om.

http://www.sivananda.org/montreal

Om Namah Sivaya. In July 2022 there was a special program with Dr. Kamlesh. He gave two lectures: “The Six Tastes” and “Ayurveda for the Whole Day” and answered lots of questions from the very interested participants afterwards. The highlight of the program was the cooking class. People enjoyed watching and appreciated the professional cooking of Dr. Kamlesh and the tasty meal afterwards. The trial class was well attended. It was a happy group grateful to be introduced into the first steps of yoga. After their summer holidays many want to join a Beginners’ Yoga course. A new Beginners’ Yoga course started with a motivated group of new students.

Mid July we held a Sunday workshop on “Concentration and Life Quality”. Included were many practical exercises for improving ones awareness. Despite the hot summer day a trial class attracted a group of very interested newcomers. Swami Vidyananda went to Reith to support the Sivananda Yoga Retreat House in Reith/Tyrol/Austria.

Staff are well and inspired. We wish everyone health and inner strength. OM.

http://www.sivananda.org/munich

Om Namah Sivaya. We send our blessings for all to stay healthy, positive and strong in Sadhana. Join us online for courses, studies, Satsangs and yoga classes. May Gurudev’s blessings continue to light our path. Om.

http://www.sivananda.org/ny

Om Namah Sivaya. God gave us blue sky and sunshine in early July. We had cheerful mornings with a one week Beginners’ Yoga course. In spite of the school holidays and the increase of COVID cases in France there were students for the regular classes and courses. We did not teach kaphalabhati as the number of COVID cases were strong again. The Centre was uplifted by a short visit of Swami Kailasananda who came to Paris for a medical appointment. Swamiji guided and inspired the staff. The Masters continued to send precious help. With the support of the karma yogis, we put a dose of sattva here and there and specially in the kitchen with a deep cleaning project which lasted an entire week. Vasishta went to Orleans for a couple of days. For the public Satsangs we had inspiring words of Master on the topics of Silence, Karma yoga and Sadhana from the Bliss Divine.

Mid July: The hot wave continued. God gave us a couple of refreshing rains. Parallel to the regular classes and the Beginners’ Yoga courses, there was a Pranayama course, a Positive Thinking course and a workshop on Yogic Diet. As usual, Gopala put special prana on the daily and monthly accounts as well as than on the online links. We all enjoyed teaching and welcoming the students at the reception. We started the day with a Durga Puja led by the priest from Orleans. For the three evening Satsangs we had inspiring words of the Masters on the topics of ‘The Three States of the Mind’, ‘Silence’ and ‘Happiness’. There was a good attendance to the activities of the open house and to the open classes. The students were grateful for the teachings and to have the opportunity to recharge their cards with a reduced rate. The Masters keep sending precious help.

May Swami Sivananda and Swami Vishnudevananda continue to guide and to inspire all of us. With all our wishes for health and peace. OM.

http://www.sivananda.org/paris

Om Namah Sivaya. July 2022 started with an evening Satsang with Pranava Chaitanya. Many new students joined. Bhargavi Chaitanya finished an advanced meditation course and also Yoga 3 course. We plan to open continuation for both courses. We had some renovations on the bottom floor of the Centre including painting and deep cleaning. We worked to uplift the sattva in the different areas of the Centre, so many of the storage rooms are being cleaned and organized.

Mid July: We had an evening Satsang with Sivakami Chaitanya. She read beautiful stories that Swami Vishnu used to tell, from the “Yoga Life” book. Pranava Chaitanya finished the meditation course and also the Yoga 3 course. Some of the students already asked to continue with another course. We prepared the Tel Aviv Centre for the arrival of Swami Swaroopananda and Swami Prema, Jnaneshwari Chaitanya, Rukmini Chaitanya and Kumari with Swami Shambhu arriving soon after. We put much energy into promoting a weekend retreat and also the TTC in Israel in October.

May the blessings of the Masters be upon us all! Om.

http://www.sivananda.org/telaviv

Om Namah Sivaya from the Shojiko Retreat. In early July Shinzo Abe, the former Japanese prime minister, was shot to death, by which countless number of people were shocked and saddened by his sudden and tragic passing. Staff together with the attendees in the Satsang offered prayers for a peaceful departure of his soul. The Sanskrit intermediate course taught by Vanidevi started, in which the students learned the spiritual language Sanskrit with enthusiasm and successively. Online programs including asana class and courses continued well. We had guests and students come to visit us every weekend at the Shojiko Retreat, all the way from the urban area such as Tokyo, to enjoy the asana class or interaction in person. The Shojiko Retreat was full of vibrant, uplifting energy.

May Master and Swamiji’s grace be with all. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi. Om.

http://www.sivananda.jp

Om Namah Sivaya.

May Master and Swamiji’s blessings bring all good health and peace. May we continue to be useful for many. We send Om Namo Narayanaya to everyone. Pranams. Love to all. Om.

http://www.sivananda.org/toronto

Om Namah Sivaya. Namaste to all from Trivandrum Centre, Kerala, South India. In July, all was well, with gods and gurus grace. We started a Beginners’ Yoga evening course with good number of participants. Other regular classes went well. We were thankful to Mangla Chaitanya from Neyyardam Ashram to come and conduct Sunday Satsangs with about 16 people participating in Sankirtan. We also welcomed Swami Gayatrinanda for the same, along with Sivadas ji. All is well otherwise, by gurus grace.

Mid month saw new faces every week in the regular open classes, those who have done the Beginners’ Yoga course in the past, plus, current batches. The Monday evening’s Beginners’ Yoga course started with a good number of students. Yashpal returned after completing the TTC in Netala. Digvijay from Delhi joined as staff for sometime. He just completed the TTC in June to deepen his practice as well as start teaching. Each week ended with a Sunday spiritual gathering with some outside guests and staff.

Praying for world peace – Om Namo Narayanaya. Our thoughts are with you all and we pray that you keep well and positive during these challenging times. Keep up your Sadhana and prayer for one and all around in the planet. Please stay connected. Pranams to all from Trivandrum Centre Kerala South of India. Om.

http://www.sivananda.org/trivandrum

Om Namah Sivaya. The summer holidays started in Vienna in early July. The last lecture of the Ayurveda programme on the Daily Regimen with Shanti Kumar Kamlesh was well attended. Drop In classes were well visited – outside temperatures were little lower than the last two weeks and students gladly took up their practice again.

By mid July we started a special course on Asanas as a programme for the course students during the summer holidays. Further we had a Yoga 1 course with French students and a weekend Yoga 1, both courses with inspired participants. The trial class was also well visited. Attendance in Drop In classes was rather moderate, as temperatures were very high in Vienna. The Vienna Centre contributed to the online programme with an additional morning Satsang.
We wish everyone health and inner strength. OM.

http://www.sivananda.org/vienna

Om Namah Sivaya. July 2022: Due to the retreat and public holidays the Vilnius Yoga Centre worked only 3 days. With the service of our teachers we still could offer open classes. The TTC was in its first week and students tuned well into the schedule and the teaching. Participants were from Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. It was an eager group, very awake and interested. We had a first Puja for Ganesha which was well received by all. As the TTC location was close to Vilnius some of the Centre teachers come for Satsang and classes as well as short stays whenever they can. A good group of Karma Yogis is supporting the course and everything runs very smoothly. It is inspiring to see how everybody is evolving by being part of the course.

Later in July the third week of TTC went very well. There was a good sense of spiritual family. Students improved in the how to teach classes and their own asana practice. One evening we had a small concert from a student from the affiliated Centre in Kaunas, a Lithuania city. She played a classical Lithuanian string instrument called “kanklės”. It was very beautiful, relaxing concert, well received by all. We held the TTC talent show with a nice theatre play “How Ganesha Got His Elephant Head” were the whole Lithuanian group was involved. The Russian speaking group shared songs and poetry with us. Several teachers from the Vilnius Centre joined us on a daily basis for Satsang and classes. We said good bye to Divya, who taught the TTC asanas for 2 weeks as well as Sarada, supporting with translation.

We are very grateful to the teachers, who support the Centre so well. OM.

http://www.sivananda.org/vilnius