Sivananda World News: The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Ashrams

Om Namah Sivaya, Greetings from the Headquarters. At the Yoga Camp and Sivananda Headquarters October’s temperatures dropped significantly, hinting to start the preparations for the winter months. The abundant maple trees released their leaves to the ground. There were many guests visiting us which was very nice for the start of Navaratri. We began reading the Devi Mahatmya during the morning Satsangs then a trek up to the Subramnaya Temple for the Pujas in the evenings. We joined various devotees each very special and beautiful night. We welcomed Suzanne, Sushila and Isabelle who came to run the Juice Fasting Weekend at the Camp. There were about 34 people fasting. It was a great weekend for them. Not only were they able to cleanse their bodies with the delicious juices, but they also had the opportunity to partake in Navaratri. All participants were feeling great by the end of it. In addition, we also had an Open House one weekend. Krishna and Jagadamba guided the guests around the Camp while offering them a yoga class and meal. It was a pleasure welcoming people to the Camp and spreading the messages of Master and Swamiji. Since Swami Shivabhaktananda ji’s return he began settling in and finishing a few projects. The front entrance to the Lodge was redone, constructing a new paved path. There was also some indoor room renovating in the Registration Building. The staff worked hard plus continued with their Sadhana.

The first sight of snow appeared at the Camp by mid October. The weather was getting colder and we awoke to a white Yoga Camp one morning. Most of the leaves already had fallen. We prepared the walking paths for winter. We continued with the Navaratri celebrations. The Pujas each night were beautiful. We culminated the celebration with Vijayadasami. The 9 days were special to all at the Camp and brought about great energy and purification. We had many guests coming to stay for Mookambika Chaitanya’s weekend program: The Laws of Karma Yoga. Around the Camp we finished our outdoor projects before it got too cold. All the entrance ponds were drained and a new sloped path was created with a hand rail and some lights. Any leftover details and garden work will wait until the winter is gone. The stairs leading to the staff cabins were finished. The staff are all doing well and enjoying the projects. One night a few staff members went to the Montreal Centre to join their light Puja celebration. May the Grace of Master and Swamiji bless you all. Om Shanti.

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Namah Sivaya to all. Early October saw the start of Navaratri, the special celebration the glory of the Divine Mother. Next to the main shrine, a stepped display of many different statues of the deities was set up to show the court of the Divine mother, who is represented by a brass jar of grains topped with a coconut, dressed in red cloth and a flower mala. The recital of the Lalithasahasranama was offered two extra times a day with archana of flowers and kumkum – once early morning with few staff and then at 8.15 am with a good number of paid staff. In the evening more guests and volunteer staff attended the Yaa Devi Sarva Bhutesu hymn from Devi Mahatmyam, added to the usual chanting of Bhagavad Gita, Swami Vishnudevananda Ashtastotra and Lalitasahasranam stotram. Satya returned from the Janma Samadhi Yatra and some personal business whilst Luba, Parvati and Veronica travelled to Gudur to be part of the second Yatra segment, which began there. The painting of Ashram interior rooms began, as usual at this time of year, before the high season began, despite the second monsoon clearly being present. The Yoga Vacation program saw a lot of departures but even more arrivals! May we always see God in all. Pranams to the Sivananda family. Om.

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Om Namo Narayanaya – Greetings from Uttar Kashi. May Swamiji and Master’s blessings be with all. Om.

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Om Namo Narayanaya. Namaste. The Ashram kickstarted October with 41 students seeking blessings from Lord Ganesha for the successful completion of the TTC they have been enrolled for. Their schedule commenced with a high octane asana class by Prahlada ji giving them all a clear insight into the basic format of our class. They were given an orientation as to the code of conduct expected of them during their stay at the Ashram. A day trip was organized for a visit to Thirupparakundram and the Meenakshi Temple along with local sightseeing which saw the participation of few of the students. The talent show proved to be a platform to showcase the hidden abilities like dancing, singing and so on which in turn enthralled all. May all live in peace and harmony.

Meenakshi Medical Clinic Report: This time we offered Diabetes Camp which was more of an educational kind as it dealt with creating awareness about chances of developing diabetes by an expectant mother. Surveys prove that 1 in every 7 pregnant lady in India is prone to Gestational Diabetes which resolves itself after pregnancy. Several triggering factors contribute to the same in an otherwise non diabetic lady. One amongst them is associated with the physiological changes happening owing to the release of pregnancy hormones. So there is need for a pregnant lady to undergo adequate tests mostly during their second or third trimester as probability of contracting this condition is prevalent during the aforementioned pregnancy period. This will in-turn help to avoid any sort of complications during delivery which is a major hindrance in going for the highly desirable normal delivery session. We also had regular check-up for other patients who were motivated to spread the message about diabetes during pregnancy to their friends and family. Thanking our Gurus for their continued blessings with our campaign. Please find the photos depicting the happenings at the camp as attachment below. Thanking our Masters for all their grace and blessings that has helped us to come a long way ahead with our genuine endeavour. Sending Prem and Om to all from the Ashramites.

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Greetings from the Yoga Ranch, where by the Grace of the Gurus, life in the Ashram went very well in October. We experienced a truly wonderful autumn. Sita led a small group of wonderful guests for the Immersion Week for Beginners’ Retreat inspiring guests to create a home practice and have a greater ability to cope with stress and find inner happiness. We began celebrating Navaratri with a sacred ceremony dedicated to Mother Durga. Each day, our Priest Shankara Namboodri led beautiful Puja’s, with the help of staff. Srinivasan led uplifting Satsangs, reading stories from the Devi Mahatmya. For the first night to celebrate Mother Lakshmi, everyone in the Ashram took part in an oil lamp Puja sending their offerings in the form of flowers and rice to the lamps. An extremely spiritual high energy could be felt throughout the Ashram. Satyavati, a long term Sivananda Teacher and supporter of the Ashram, hosted the Goddess Weekend program. This was a truly invigorating and empowering course, with activities such as; archery and essential oils workshops together connecting guests with nature and to the divine Goddess within. We continued to celebrate Navaratri, finishing with a beautiful Puja for Vijayadashami where staff and guests alike revealed new study texts and musical instruments. Srinivasan continued reading stories from the Devi Mahatmyam during the morning Satsangs. After Nataratri the number of guests declined along with the outdoor temperature, allowing the Ashram staff to go deeper into their Sadhana and to prepare the Ashram for winter. Swami Paramananda took the staff out for a 10 mile hike into the wilderness of the Catskills Mountains to a peak called Peekamoose. The fresh air, smells and changing scenery uplifted all of the staff members. Swami Paramananda then left for a few weeks where he will be traveling to Israel and India. Swami Paramananda will be joining the 3rd segment of the Janma Samadhi Yatra then teaching in the Nov TTC in Neyyar Dam. The staff already looked forward to his return and wished him safe travels as well as many Trayambakams! Meanwhile Srinivasan, Sita and local hiker Benjamin led a group of 27 guests on a magnificent hike around Minnewaska State Park. The guests enjoyed vast views of luscious and colourful landscapes, exploring high peaks surrounded by an abundance of nature. Anjaneya visited the Ranch to teach the Chair Yoga Training, where each student learned how to adapt the Sivananda practices for those with limited mobility… with great joy! Staff are strong in their Sadhana and send pranams to all from The Ranch. Om.

Om Namah Sivaya. Om Sri Durgaye Namah! In early October the Ashram was high energy with nightly Navaratri celebrations and the beginning of October TTC. Staff and guests are inspired with the Pujas, led by Swami Vasishtanandaji, with chanting, offerings and lively readings of Devi Mahatmyam. TTC arrived and received initiation with Swami Dharmananda, Swami Vasishtananda and Swami SivaSankariananda, followed by Ganapathi Puja and Homa the next morning to remove obstacles and create sankalpa for the course. Swami Dharmananda led the Main lecture and Satsangs; Swami Vasishtananda taught Bhagavad Gita; Swami SivaSankariananda, taught Hatha Yoga and Chanting; Swami Jnaneswariananda taught A&P. Stephen Longfellow Fiske gave a beautiful peace/music workshop and evening Satsang concert, inspiring all with stories of Swamiji and songs of peace. The TTC settled into their course quickly, enjoying the Navaratri celebrations, feeling the blessings of the Divine Mother and the Gurus. Om Sri Durgaye Namah!

Later in October, the Ashram was blessed to welcome Swami Sitaramanandaji and Swami Adi Parashaktiananda back to the Ashram after their teaching of the TTC China and SYHET course in Vietnam. We also welcomed new staff HariKrishna das, who also arrived from Vietnam. The TTC completed their first week with great energy and inspiration from the teachings plus the Navaratri celebrations. Students and staff celebrated Vijaya Dasami together with a beautiful morning Puja in the Radha Krishna hall, led by Swami Vasishtanandaji. Great gratitude for the Divine Mother’s blessings was felt by all. TTC enjoyed several special guests with Durga Leela presenting “Yoga of Recovery”; Dr. Fred Luskin presenting “Forgiveness and Gratitude”; and Acharya Mangalananda leading a sweet Kirtan concert. We saw a full house with the Stress Relief and Relaxation program, taught by Rudra, with guests learning how to apply the 5 Points of Yoga to manage their lifestyle and reduce stress. Projects were in full swing around the Ashram with preliminary work beginning on the new bathhouse, gardening, landscaping the Durga Temple and tree cutting thanks to Wade and Monica. We were all feeling the blessings of Master and Swamiji. Om Shanti to all Blessed Selves from the Yoga Farm. Om.

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Om Namo Narayanaya, Blessed Selves. In early October at the Yoga Retreat, all attention turned to the Divine Feminine for the celebration of Navaratri. With nightly Pujas and a host of tantalizing Prasads prepared daily, the entire Ashram community was immersed into this nine-night celebration. To shed light on Navaratri, morning Satsangs, led by Swami Brahmananda, were devoted to introducing this festival: what it means, its historic and modern importance, etc. Mira Binzen joined the Ashram as a guest speaker on the topic “From Anxious to Awesome”, presented in a series of midday workshops. With practical advice for transmuting feelings of anxiety into a powerful impetus for creativity and action, attendees greatly benefitted by Ms. Binzen’s teachings. The workshop “Adapting Sivananda Yoga to Your Body” was led by Krishna Chaitanya. Attendees of all levels learned strategies for making the yoga practice more accessible to themselves and their students. We welcomed back Swami Shambhudevananda, who had spent two months in the Tel Aviv Centre. His teaching was promptly put to use in Satsangs on the Divine Mother and Bliss Divine, as well as for the Essentials of Meditation Weekend course. As the festivities, learning and devotion continued we wished everyone a blessed Navaratri!

Following the conclusion of the nine nights of festivities to honor the Divine Mother, we honoured Vijaya Dasami with a beautiful morning Puja. In the evening, the Mayapuris, an exquisite group of dancers and musicians, assisted our priest in performing the Dasara Puja with an exuberant re-enactment of the Ramayana, culminating in Rama’s rescue of Sita from Ravana. Energy remained high throughout as the Mayapuris continued to give concerts and workshops on chanting and sound. Saraswati Stacie Dooreck joined us to teach the workshop series “Chair Yoga: Yoga for Everyone”. Attendees learned strategies for adapting yoga for themselves and those whom they may teach. Swami Shambhudevananda presented several morning Satsangs on the topic of Bhakti. Narayani Chaitanya taught about the Yamas and Niyamas. Swami Brahmananda gave teachings from Swami Vishnudevananda’s article on the conquest of death. May all continue to receive the blessings from Master and Swamiji. Om.

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Om Namah Sivaya. In October many guests enjoyed the calm atmosphere of the fall season. We dove deeply into the meditation experience with longer meditations and techniques for concentration. Guests helped us with maintenance projects and preparations for the winter. Staff focused on further preparations for TTC Rudraprayag, the program in Mittersill near Salzburg, plus, boutique orders for Christmas. Progress was also made on the program for 2019. Navaratri started with the first Pujas for Durga and Lakshmi, elevating the energy of the Ashram. OM./p>
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Om Namah Sivaya. In early October the guest program theme was “Yoga and Silence”, guided by Swami Bhagavatananda. We also had a special topic for the weekend, “Mantra and Kirtan” which was guided by Kailas. Another special event started to celebrate Navaratri, with beautiful Pujas guided by the priest Manoj. As we started the Yoga and Silence week, Swami Bhagavatananda introduced the scriptures we read from, Navaratri and some of the silence practices. Almost all meals were in silence, both morning and evening. We taught in the ATTC room as the entrance to the meditation hall access was blocked for a week with the terrace renovation and canopy construction. Because the weather was still nice we enjoyed some silent walks. At this time of year the walks were almost entirely in the dark but the temperature remained nice, complete with a sky full of stars. Staff had the opportunity to have some Swadhyayas with Ananta, mainly on Asanas to improve teaching skills. It was very useful, especially for the new teachers at the Ashram. On the first night of Navaratri ceremonies we had a beautiful Puja performed to Durga by the priest, Manoj. 108 names of Durga were chanted. Manoj prepared the same Prasad which was mentioned in the Lalita Sahasranama, which pleases greatly the divine mother. The altar was very nicely prepared by the staff and had a powerful presence in the ATTC room. Meanwhile, Juliette returned looking fresh after some time off. Suman left for his holidays. He was one of the last people to take a break since the busy summer, working very hard throughout. Kamala Devi also returned from holidays and started to teach asana classes. Some staff went to support the Yoga Festival in Paris, including Swami Kailasananda, who taught some classes there. Madalassa also came to support the team at the booth.

As October continued we started the program “Improve your strength and flexibility”. Students had asana classes focusing on variations to increase the flexibility of the hips and shoulders, on how to increase the strength of the back, on how to balance muscle length and muscle strength, etc. The lectures/workshops were mainly focused on benefits of the asanas and yoga techniques to develop will power and mental flexibility. A new group of guests arrived at the Ashram, most of them coming for the Meditation Certification Course, guided by Swami Bhagavatananda. Also, a group of students from the London Centre arrived to stay with us for a few days. Yet another group of guests arrived for the program “Yoga and Stress Reduction”, so we had a good amount of students, bringing a nice and dynamic energy to the Ashram. We celebrated the last days of Navaratri with a beautiful Saraswati Puja, guided by Manoj and Swami Kailasananda. Radha made a beautiful new dress for Saraswati. We also held a beautiful Puja, guided by Manoj, which was the end of the Navaratri celebration. Manoj made a special and delicious Prasad. At the end of the Puja we received the books, malas and various items which were blessed during the ceremony. Parvati stayed with us for a few days. Swami Kailasananda and Kailas left for Paris to go then to India for the next TTC. OM.

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Om Namah Sivaya from DaLat Ashram. In early October the Ashram moved into a period of full and intense activity. The celebration of Navaratri started, with daily Pujas in the Krishna Temple, all attended by staff. We welcomed Swami Sitaramananda and Swami Narayanananda back to the Ashram after a period of two months traveling and teaching. We were happy to also welcome Swami Jnaneshwariananda who joined us for 2 weeks, plus guest teacher, Dr Sharma, from India. Ganga Chaitanya and Sivashakti also traveled to the Ashram direct from serving at the the China TTC. Mahadevi, a former staff member at the Yoga Farm and San Francisco Centre, flew in from Hanover in Germany. Students were arriving for the second module of the Asia SYHET course. 30 students, including a group from China, led by Chengdu Centre staff Sivani and Saraswati, were initiated and began their studies. This was the start of an intensive two week period of study and practice. At the same time we welcomed participants for the Yoga, Ayurveda and Detoxification program. One of our buildings was dedicated solely for Ayurveda practice, with three treatment rooms and accommodation for visiting doctors. We were happy to welcome Dr Ramdas from the Vaidyagrama Ayurveda village in Coimbatore, India, who stayed with us for two weeks to lead the Ayurveda programs. Ashram kitchen staff underwent additional training to ensure that the Ashram food for the coming weeks was suitably following the Ayurvedic principles. We received a group of 18 guests for the first week of the Ayurveda program, including a group of 7 Taiwanese students led by teacher Lakshmi, who rans the affiliated Ashram in Taiwan.

Mid October was an especially busy and inspiring time for all at the Dalat Ashram. The second module of the Asia SYHET course moved into full activity, with 30 students following the course, which has simultaneous translation into Vietnamese and Chinese. Students followed a very intensive daily schedule that demanded they use all their Yogic skills of balance and concentration to keep up. Swami Sitaramananda guided the program and teaching daily on different topics of Yoga philosophy and psychology. Swami Jnaneshwariananda taught the anatomy and physiology components, along with Dr Sharma. Mid-week we were joined by Jaya, Jeff Sims, based in Hawaii. He taught very practical and much appreciated classes on pain management through different Yoga practices. Two Vietnamese doctors who are both hospital directors in Ho Chi Minh City, Dr Hung and his wife Dr Nhung, joined the Ashram to share their knowledge with the SYHET group. Dr Hung spoke of his experience of working with cancer patients, specially about the use of natural, holistic methods to prevent and heal disease and Dr Nhung spoke on her specialty of womens’ health. Swami Sitaramananda departed for California and Swami Narayanananda stepped in to teach the Yoga philosophy portion of the SYHET course. Ayurvedic doctor Cynthia Copple arrived and started teaching. This has been a special trip for her as she had last visited Vietnam in 1969 as a young journalist. This was her first time to return, 50 years later. Mahadevi from Hannover, Germany, also started teaching classes on adapted Yoga. At the same time as all this intensive activity of the SYHET course, the Ayurveda section of the Ashram continued with full activity under the direction of Dr Ramdas and Nitya. The first week group of detoxification/rejuvenation guests finished their stay and a new group of 18 guests, including a large group from Hanoi, arrived to take their place. All benefited from the guidances of the doctor, their treatments and the pure and healing atmosphere of the Ashram. One evening we held a talent show with international performances from Taiwan, India, China, Germany and Vietnam. There was also a very special evening in the Ashram with a total of about 100 people, coming together to celebrate with a special dinner. It was the annual day of special appreciation for women in Vietnam, and also marked the 43rd wedding anniversary of Amba, Co My and Siva, Thanh Son, senior teachers who have been supporting the SYVC mission in Vietnam from the very beginning. All were happy to congratulate them and share in some delicious cake made by the Ashram staff. We gave profound thanks to the Masters for the inspiration, support and guidance that we are all receiving. Staff are well and inspired to have the opportunity to serve Swamiji’s mission in Asia. Om.