Sivananda World News: The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Zentrum, Berlin, Germany

Om Namah Sivaya! In February several higher courses started, among them a Bhagavad Gita course and a Thought Power course 2. We celebrated Sivaratri with “Om Namah Sivaya” chanting plus, four Pujas throughout the night. A good group of students and teachers participated, helping create a very uplifted energy which could be felt during the whole following weekend in the Centre. We had a Beginners’ Yoga course start with a good group of students plus, many students for drop in classes. We had well visited classes and Sunday evening Satsangs. OM.

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

Om Namah Sivaya. In February we celebrated Sivaratri all night. This year few people came because it was Carnival week. We had the pleasant visit with Latif Bloat, a Sufi musician, who delighted us with a concert, a workshop and a conference on Sufi music. Saraswati, from Uruguay, also came to help us. Satyadev and Satyabhama came from Colombia who were part of the team of professors at TTC Bariloche. 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. May Guru’s Grace bless everyone. Om Shanti. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Om Namah Sivaya to all Blessed Selves from the Chennai Centre. Later in February Chennai weather was sunny, therefore allowing us to enjoy the sea breeze more than the usual. WE started a new Beginners’ Yoga course in the evenings, surging with enthusiasm. The Centre was filled with bliss while preparing & celebrating Maha Shivrathri, the great festival for Shiva. Commencing the day with a Ganapathi Homa, we celebrated the Siva night from 6pm to 6 am with “Naalu Kala Pooja” four times Abisheka, the evening full of programs from our students, singing, a dance performance the traditional Bharathnatyam by our students & chanting. Sudev Warrier “Sangeetha Ratna” & Sanjana Warrier performed the mesmerizing classical devotional songs. Many of our students attended the programs & chanted along with us. A few of the students kept awake till morning along with the staff. We had the Sunday Guided Meditation & Satsang, led by our staff, Shanthi Vitaya. The attendees were staffs, students & their families. Kids classes picking up with good numbers. Also the yoga vacationers. We had divine filled Sunday Satsangs with our staffs, students, and their families. Otherwise all our classes, and courses continued just fine. All staffs are doing their personal Sadhana. May all live under the grace of Master and 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. In February Sivaratri celebrations turned out simple, sweet & full of pure devotion with most current teachers in attendance. Blessings from Siva brought forth two past karma yogis who wished to help out with workshops and basic help around the Centre. The blips of warmth are bringing people out of their homes. Satsang Sunday nights had a great turnout. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits at the end & many people stayed a while later meeting one another and making solid connections. It was refreshing & indicative of new potential sprouting. We were grateful to the Gurus for continuing to protect and inspire our Sadhana. We wish you awareness of Guru’s Grace. Pranams to all. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta DÀ LAT Centre, Dà Lat, Vietnam

Om Namah Sivaya from the beautiful DaLat Centre. The number of students increased in February. All the other classes ran well. On the 21st February night, the Dalat Centre celebrated Sivaratri with all the staff and Swami in the Ashram. For many it was a new experience and a lot of good energy for all the staff. Meanwhile, we continued internal training for staff and Karma Yogis. Santoshi trained how to teach gentle yoga to replace Parvati when she joined ATTC. The decision from Swami Sita, two Dalat Centre staff members, Parvati and Radhika, will join the next ATTC. All other classes in the Centre ran well. Staff maintained their Sadhana, helping to keep the good energy of the Centre. We pray that the Guru’s grace to always be with us. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta DWARKA Centre, Delhi, India

Om Namah Sivaya. By God’s Grace and Gurus’ blessing the Dwarka Centre’s activities went well in February. We started a Monday Beginners’ Yoga course at 10:00 am and 6:30 pm. We started another meditation course with good numbers of students. We had usual Satsangs attended by many people. Otherwise, Staff maintained their Sadhana and Karma Yoga. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta NATARAJA Centre, Delhi, India

Greetings from Sivananda Nataraja Centre. With the Grace of Gurus we started a Beginners’ Yoga course at 10 am in early February. We also started a course of Five days on Bhaj Govindam by Shri Ravi Eshwaran with a very good number of students. We had a popular Headstand workshop, with ten students. The weather in Delhi improved day by day in February. We trusted that the number of students will increase in due course of time. All the staff are doing good at the Centre. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Geneva, Switzerland

Om Namah Sivaya. In February new courses, Yoga 2 and Yoga 3 started. We had a workshop on “Prana, Nadis & Chakras”. We also had a workshop on “Deep Stretching in Leg Raises and Forward Bends”. Sivaratri was celebrated with a group of 30 people, with a total of 10 staying until 1 AM. We did one Puja at 19h00 and chanted until 1 AM, with a little dancing in the middle. The altar was beautifully decorated as many students brought flowers. The celebration brought a good energy to the Centre. Swami Sivadasananda visited and guided a teacher’s meeting and a Satsang. Teachers asked questions about the current situation and Swamiji updated us and listened to various doubts. Later, he gave the Satsang and spoke about “ The Recipe for World Peace”. OM.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Om Namah Sivaya. The Hochiminh Centre continued to see a good number of students for courses and open classes in February. All staff went to the Dalat Ashram for one day to join the Maha Sivaratri celebration. The energy was joyful and very positive afterwards, even though we stayed up all night! We had the pleasure of welcoming Ram Vakkalanka to visit the Centre. He offered students a Nada Yoga workshop, with 40 people attending. He also gave a Satsang that evening. It was a good energy and everyone was happy. Ram Vakkalanka stayed here on his way to India. Jagadamba started teaching a Beginners’ Yoga course. Other regular classes are going well. Students at the Centre attended classes regularly. Pranams to the Sivananda Family. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, London, England

Om Namah Sivaya. Prayers and Greetings from London Centre. Swami Jyotirmayananda and our priest Yagneshwara left the Centre to return to the Orleans Ashram in France. February was punctuated by the activities of the Yoga Teachers Training Course. The students quickly took to the rhythm of the Centre and the daily schedule. It was a small and nice group of 11 students, all inspired and motivated with a good spirit of karma yoga. We were happy to welcome Dayan, a new staff coming from France, to support the Centre for the next few months. We had our festival Sivaratri. The local priest from London performed the first Puja in the early evening then we continued to chant the mantra of Siva all night with four others Pujas led by Swami Satyananda and assisted by Kailas and Saraswati. Many teachers, karma yogis and students, close to the Centre, came for the celebration and many of them stayed overnight until 5.00am. This celebration was a moment full of Bhakti, joy and inspiration for all of us. This also brought a vibrant and pure spiritual energy to the Centre. The week of Sivaratri ended calmly. The Masters keep sending new students and precious help. We felt blessed and grateful to be able to continue the Swami Vishnudevananda’s Peace Mission. May the Master’s and Guru’s blessings be with all in 2020. OM.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Om Namo Narayanaya. In February a Bharatanatyam dancer contacted the Centre, asking if she could offer a dance at our Sivaratri celebration. Dr. Dimple Kaur gave an enthusiastic and fitting opening to our powerful Siva all night vigil, presenting three prayers in the form of dance. Energy remained high all night, with people even arriving for the third and fourth Pujas. Radha Chaitanya led a workshop on making vegan cheeses from almonds and cashews. The results were as beautiful as they were delicious. That evening, Pundit Manisharma brought a large, crystal sivalingham and offered an elaborate Puja. We were sure the blessings were felt far and wide. Anuradha arrived from Russia to be staff for two months. By the grace of Master and Guruji, everything was well for all. Om.

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

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Madrid, Spain

Om Namah Sivaya, Blessed Selves! In February the classes and courses continued in good attendance. Several projects were done such as web updates, presenting the Summer brochure and doing a small mailing regarding the Easter family retreat in South Spain. The weekend saw a course How to control emotions. The spiritual highlight was the celebration of Sivaratri on Friday night: 35 close students were attending and 15 stayed until 4am. The energy of the Centre was uplifted and staff could still feel the change of vibration for many days. We are grateful to Master and Swamiji for inspiring so many souls on their path. Pranams to all. OM.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Madurai, India

Om Namah Sivaya to all. Courses and classes ran smoothly in February. Sunday Satsangs were with Swami Dharmananda. Everything else was fine under Gurus’ grace. We thank our Masters for all blessings and support bestowed. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Montevideo, Uruguay

Om Namah Sivaya! In February we continued closure of the big building as work continued on rebuilding the structure eroded by termites. The workers intensified their work and we already have the stairs to the second floor. Still missing was all the painting and certain renovations made for access. Teachers were already supporting the start of classes and new courses. We had a beautiful Sivaratri gathering. While we celebrated simply, an offering of flowers and mantras, meditation and singing were very powerful. Then we had a meeting to report the details that was happening internationally, all in a very positive environment, putting into practice the teachings of Yoga and the Masters. Love, prayers and patience has to be also present in this process. May the Grace of Gurudev and Swamiji be upon us all. 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 else ran well at the Montreal Centre. Pranams to all! Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Munich, Germany

Om Namah Sivaya. In February we started a new Beginners’ Yoga course with a group of very motivated participants. The spiritual highlight was the Sivaratri festivities. 26 close students came for the celebration. We started with a Satsang and went then on to chant the Siva mantra the whole night. During the night we performed four Pujas to the Siva Lingam. At the conclusion we served a warm kicheree to 13 brave souls, who tenaciously stayed until 4 am in the morning after which we finished the celebration so that staff had still time to rest before teaching asana classes. Swami Narayanananda went to India to the TTC in Rudraprayag. 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 from Manhattan. Happy MahaSivaratri! Classes and Courses continued as usual in February. Satsangs had good attendance. Nataraj joined us for the week to help out with some of the duties. Being from Mexico, we had some wonderful Mexican food. We were grateful for his service to the Centre. We then travelled to the Ashram for the celebration of Lord Siva! Sivaratri was a powerful night, full of bhajans and consistently high energy. We couldn’t fall asleep afterwards! The following morning we returned to the New York Centre to continue the schedule as usual. Mokshapriya arrived back from the Bahamas where she spent one week there. Staff were grateful for the community and the grace of the Gurus and send pranams to all. May Gurudev’s blessings continue to light our path. Om.

Centre de Yoga Sivananda Vedanta, Paris, France

Om Namah Sivaya. In February many staff from Orleans and Swami Nityananda from Paris Centre left to support and teach the TTC in Rudraprayag, India. There was a lot of vibrant energy of the presence of many staff and Swami Kailasananda. We had a beautiful spring weather in the mornings. The staff chanted together the mantra of the divine mother which created an uplifting vibration in the Centre. We had the kid’s yoga course, attended by five young curious and dynamic little yogis. Ganapati, Padmakshi and Devajyoti gave these classes which brought joy and prana to the Centre. The students in the Sanskrit course enjoyed learning the Sanskrit alphabet. The group of students in the Positive Thinking course learned different techniques to bring sattwa. Many of them shared their positive experiences with the use of affirmations and chanting of Om. We have some trainee teachers Uma, Parvati who assisted in the asana classes. They were motivated, learning fast and precisely with the instructions. Srinivasan helped the Centre with some DIY projects. The highlight of February was the Sivaratri Puja celebration. We were blessed to have our priest, Yagneswara, and his colleague from Berlin, priest Viyendra. They led the Siva mantras from the Vedas. The priest performed three main Pujas with panchamritam offering of milk, yogurt, honey, sugar and fruits. There was a positive and uplifting atmosphere for the first Puja, attended by 60 students. Some students left around midnight and the chanting of strotas and Om Namah Sivaya continued throughout night, energizing all. The ceremony lasted till 4:30 am, after which the remaining students were served the delicious breakfast puma, prepared by Vyasa. The students helped to set the big hall and the meditation hall for the next morning classes. We felt the blessings of Lord Siva throughout the Ashram. Meanwhile, we had many staff chanting melodious kirtans and reading from Bliss Divine on Japa. Kaivalya gave an inspiring Satsang on the topic of Anger and transformation from Bliss Divine. We also welcomed Swami Jyotirmayananda who came for a day from Orleans. She gave a dynamic intermediate class and an inspiring Satsang with beautiful Sunday prayers and talk on the topic of asanas from Yoga Sutras de Patajanali. There was a happy festive atmosphere after the Satsang and the students enjoyed eating the soup together. We were happy to welcome back Ganapati who arrived from the Ashram. OM.

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

Greetings from Porto Alegre. In February we had trial class with 7 enthusiastic assistants. We also celebrated the Mahashivaratri with 8 teachers and one student. The main carnival days were also in early February, which meant that for 4 days in a row we didn’t have students although we announced we would keep open. We kept the habitual Sadhana and Karma Yoga. May all live under Master’s and Guru’s grace. Om Shanti. Om.

Centro Yoga Vedanta Sivananda, Rome, Italy

Om Namah Sivaya, Blessed Selves. In February all the courses were happily running smoothly. We had 3 meditation courses for morning, afternoon and evening and we also started a Raja Yoga Course. All the students participating in these courses were very keen to take the next step and go deeper into the practice. Two regular Karma yogis from Bracciano helped at the Centre, one from Milan and one from the south of Italy, their help was very much appreciated. All else is well at the Centre. OM.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, San Francisco, California, USA

Om Namo Narayanaya, Blessed Selves. We are always thankful to our teachers and Gurus that have created the space to hold so much important work. 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. The highlight of February was the celebration of MahaSivaratri. Throughout a whole week, the staff was busy with all kinds of preparations such as planning Prasad lists and buying lots of flowers and decorations. The whole day was dedicated to Prasad making, decorating the meditation room and preparing for the Pujas. During the day Siva mantra was playing and we could feel strongly the energy of Siva. The Siva Night felt very holy, as many devotees joined us. The Pujas were beautiful and the chanting was powerful all through the night. We ended around 5:30 in the morning and enjoyed the abundance of Prasads afterwards. Meanwhile we had a couple of introductory classes for upcoming courses, a guided imagery course opened, and we started the registration for the Passover Yoga retreat in April. On Sunday evening Satsangs, Swami Shambhudevananda gave an inspiring talk about Mauna. Courses and classes went well. The staff is doing great, wishing everyone strength, inspiration and faith. May the Master’s grace be with all in 2020! Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Tokyo, Japan

Om Namah Sivaya. In February we gave a weekend retreat program in which Yoga 1 and Yoga 2 courses were learned intensively. The students brought their sleeping bags to stay at the Centre over night. Despite the tight and busy schedule, much like a TTC, they enjoyed learning and practicing yoga. As a part of the program, we held an online Satsang with Swami Sitaramananda. The students learned the methods and skills to face difficulties in life through yoga. Ambika who took the TTC in Uttarkashi in 2018 taught a class for the first time. She committed herself to the service to the Centre and continued her practice and training for months. Glad to see her taking a new step forward. In Tokyo the number of people not adventuring outside has increased, due to the coronavirus. The number of people visiting the Centre was getting less. However, the students are fit and healthy, keeping their immune system strong as they have been practicing yoga. May Master and Swamiji’s grace be with all in 2020! Om Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Om Namah Sivaya. In February Saraswati, Nalini and Gopala taught at Central Toronto Academy for grade 9 class. It was a very lively group of teens who managed to settle well during pranayama practice. Mookambika taught how to do natural body creams workshop followed by relaxation. It was a good exercise for her English as well as presentation skills and she did great. We had nice group of students for Sivaratri celebrations. Gopala did a beautiful Puja. Lalita Chaitanya visited us from the Montreal centre. It was nice for all to spend some time together. All staff are well. We send Om Namo Narayanaya to everyone. Pranams. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Trivandrum, Kerala, India

Om Namah Sivaya. In February the painting project for the outside of the Centre was still going on which affected the number of student arriving at the Centre. We started the preparations for our annual Sudarshana Homa on Feb 28th. The Centre’s staffs went to Neyyar Dam Ashram for the celebration of Shivaratri so we closed to be able to refresh a little bit and give good class in the evening. We received the visit of Swami Shivabhaktananda, from Yoga Camp, hence a good crowd of local students came for some inspiration. The energy was very nice during the Satsang. We pray for one and all’s health in our large Sivananda family. Pranams to all from the Trivandrum Centre. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Vienna, Austria

Om Namah Sivaya. In February we had a beautiful Sivaratri celebration with many souls in the beginning and 9 until the end at 3 am. Close students and teachers were here and the atmosphere was harmonious and devotional. We warmly welcomed Swami Shyamananda who joined us for the celebration and stayed for a couple of days. Four Pujas were performed, accompanied by energetic chanting. In the morning we served a nice kitcheree before everybody left. The altar was shining and Natarajya was beautifully garlanded with roses, smiling happily. An intermediate course started as well as a Meditation 2 course and two higher courses. We are looking forward to the continuation of the program. OM.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Vilnuis, Lithuania

Om Namah Sivaya. Classes and courses continued as usual in February. We had fewer teachers so a very good tradition that one teacher teaches the whole Beginners’ Yoga course twice a week returned. We had a workshop for the Centre teachers, led by senior teacher Bharata and Durga Devi. It was very useful. Teachers were correcting asanas and asking questions. Everybody agreed that this kind of workshop is needed more often. It was very significant to have this teacher’s meeting right after the Maha Sivaratri, though fewer teachers came because of the celebration on the eve. The celebration was very joyful, full of concentration and feeling of unity and gratefulness for knowing yoga and having a wonderful place – Master’s home for yoga practice. OM.