Sivananda World News: The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Ashrams

Om Namah Sivaya, Greetings from the Headquarters. During the beginning of August the Yoga Camp Family Week, with Arjuna as host, began with around 35 families over the course of the week. They enjoyed kids yoga classes, arts and crafts, outdoor activities and special Satsangs with Arjuna. Omkara, Kundalini and Yamuna provided a lot of support with keeping the children well fed, happy and entertained. Teen camp also started on the same day with 20 teens. Apart from yoga classes and workshops, the teens helped with various duties like reception, maintenance, housekeeping, garden etc. Most of the teens were new and took some time to settle into the routine and get in tune with the teachings. Swami Atmananda continued with workshops and talks during Satsang. We had a lot of movement with guests checking in and out, with an average of 30 guests at least staying every day. Few TTC students stayed as karma yogis after the course and provided a lot of support for Family Week. Ken Whiteley lifted our spirits with a beautiful concert. He also gave a workshop for the families one Saturday afternoon making sure that everyone participated and sang along with him. Saraswati started the ‘Teaching Yoga for Kids’ certification course, with 11 students. Anoosha assisted her through out the course and the students were very pleased with all the tools they received. Work continued for the maintenance team at the Temple. With the help of the teens and staff, new flooring was laid down in front of the Mariamman Temple and Shiva shrine. Staff continued to work hard making sure to keep the focus on the guests and ensuring that they have a good experience. The auspicious ATTC inauguration took place with 8 students.

Mid-August was hot and sunny, like a real summer. Dr.Sonal Bhatt started the Ayurveda for Nutrition and Cooking Certification Course, attended by 8 students. Through the week she conducted practical and theory workshops. The students cooked a special meal for dinner each night, with their graduating feast on Saturday. Hasu Patel played Sitar during morning meditation for a few days. Along with Subir Dev, a Tabla player, she performed a concert for all the guests and staff. We were busy with guests and workshops. ATTC continued to be a focussed group with the students starting with the advanced pranayamas. The Subramanya Temple was extremely vibrant and busy due to good weather. The maintenance crew worked tirelessly to clean up the Temple and plant new grass around Shiva. We did two karma yoga evenings with all the guests and staff at the Temple. It was very successful as a lot of work got done in little time. Vyasa along with his crew, almost finished building the new platform for dishwashing and laundry at the Annapoorna building. Kanti Devi and family left, returning to Uruguay after spending the Summer at the Camp. The kids took part in Kids Camp and helped Rajeshwari manage the Health Hut while Balarama helped with maintenance. We hope they come back next year! Staff are working hard as always, keeping up the spirit and energy of Swami Vishnudevananda for the guests. May Master and Swamiji’s blessings be with us and that their light and teachings continue to guide us all.

http://www.sivananda.org/camp

Namah Sivaya to all. During the beginning of August the weather was kind, allowing the silent walks to the lakeside to take place. Guests and staff were able to assist the kitchen doing extra karma yoga in the form of wood carrying on alternate days. Satsangs in the Temple on Friday nights were beautiful, with all the lamps lit in and around the Temple. Our internal auditors arrived to spend a week with us for the first quarterly audit which kept many of the office staff extra busy. Yully left for a trip to the North and to attend Sadhana Intensive at Netala in September.

In mid-August the Ashram welcomed a new Yoga Vacation group. They were happy to help with wood carrying. Onam festivities started with modest pukkalam display (flower petal designs) on the roadside. We celebrated 3 staff birthdays; Sathy, Bhavna and Arthur. Sathy has now returned to the UK. We will miss her dynamic energy. Pranams & Om Namah Sivaya from all staff at Neyyar Dam.

http://www.sivananda.org/neyyardam

Om Namo Narayanaya – Greetings from Uttar Kashi. Please note: The Yoga Vacation program at Sivananda Kutir will not be available for the rest of 2015, due to a number of factors. Pranams to all.

http://www.sivananda.org/uttarkashi

Om Namo Narayanaya. Pranams from Madurai. During the beginning of August a fresh module of Yoga Vacation course commenced with a good strength of guests. Since all of them had previous exposures of asana a need for exclusive beginner session was not necessary. Staff continued their group karma yoga indoors in deep cleaning and organizing the storage rooms of housekeeping and karma yoga. A meeting with Ravi sir was organized, relating to the dormitory-room construction. The entire team was present including Engineer, Architect, Interior designer, contractors along with Anoopji, Sandeep and Anisha. Minimalism ideas, including using bunk beds for expanding the capacity of occupancy, was proposed along with other alternatives like cubic style bed space isolated by a partition/study-storage set up. The latter was considered to be approved before the designer was asked to produce 3D drawings of the same by Monday. Bathrooms were planned to have un-tiled walls and rough granite floors for a rustic finish, plus a modern FRP corner shower cubicle with a L rail curtain partition. On Saturday we received Meghana who will once again team up with us for about a month and continue her service. The talent show was predominantly musical, with songs and percussion. Construction above the administrative block proceeded at an intensive speed. Om Shanti. All are well and conveying Pranams.

www.sivananda.org/madurai

Om Namah Sivaya! During the beginning of August the Youth Camp started with 10 aspiring young yogis following the discipline and practice of the camp, led by Omkari and Eka Jyoti. The youth were well behaved and blended in with the Ashram routine nicely. Srinivasan was at the Yoga Camp in Canada leading a program on “The Highest Yoga”. Staff began to prepare for several special guests. Dr. Kamlesh and his family arrived to spend several weeks with us. While here, he will teach an Ayurvedic cooking course. Mr. Poornam, a long time karma yogi and trustee of our Ashrams and Centres in India, arrived from the Yoga Camp to spend a weekend before visiting NYC. Gayatri, also arrived to assist Mr. Poornam while in the United States and to be his guide in NYC. P.C. Kapoor, director of the Delhi Centres, and his wife Sudha, arrived for a weekend on their way back to India. It was a full house, as guests joined us for the very popular Yoga and Hiking program. We had close to 40 guests join us for the hike at Lake Minnewaska. We offered two levels of difficulty, one for average ability and one more advanced. Mahadev Chaitanya then drove our special visitors into NYC, and also to he teach his regular Sunday advanced class at the New York Centre. P.C. Kapoor and Sudha returned to India and Mr. Poornam and Gayatri stayed a few days at the Centre while they toured NYC.

In mid-August the Ashram was full of parents and children for annual Family Week. We had a bon fire for the families, guests and staff with traditional smores and hot chocolate. Omkari, the teacher for Family Week, had songs and readings prepared for the evening. Everyone had a fun time. Having the children here with their purity and innocence is always refreshing. There were many activities planned for the families. There were Temple tours, gardening, hiking and swimming. There were also several chanting classes throughout the week, led by Radha. It was an overall a busy atmosphere. We began to prepare for the upcoming September TTC, ordering uniforms and manuals and getting the boutique restocked for the students needs. Various construction projects were in progress, one of them is the replacement of windows in the Vishnu main building. Another project was the upgrading of the septic system, and the process of working with an engineer on the plans. Mavis Gewant joined us for the weekend for Yantra Painting workshops. It was one of the largest groups to enroll for this program. With the weather so mild, the group worked outside on the upper barn platform to pull inspiration from the spectacular views. John Beaulieu, who is the founder of a technique called BioSonic Repatterning, was here with his wife Thea, for an afternoon workshop and evening Satsang. BioSonic Repatterning is a natural method of healing and consciousness development using tuning forks. John, in his humorous and down to earth approach, taught a hands-on workshop on using tuning forks. The workshop had 30 participants, including many of the staff and work studies. At the evening Satsang, John concluded the day with a short healing sound concert. All staff are well, strong in their Sadhana and send their pranams.

www.sivanandayogaranch.org/‎

Om Namah Sivaya! During the beginning of August the Farm had a Raja Yoga Sutras course, taught by Swami Narayanananda. The students studied the first pada and were inspired to deepen their practice. We had a staff training workshop on how to teach Stress Relief and Relaxation. One weekend we welcomed 35 weekend guests to the Ashram for the Stress Relief program. They had relaxing yoga classes and lectures on how to manage stress using yoga. We also welcomed guests for a short 5-day Juice fasting retreat. We all felt the blessings of Master and Swamiji.

In mid-August we had a Beginners course, taught by Shantanu and Savitri. The guests were inspired by the teachings of the course and intend to continue their practice as they go back home. We had an Interfaith Retreat with Swami Omkarananda from LA Centre. She was joined by Lama Palden Drolma who is a western Tibetan Buddhist monk. All the attendees were inspired by the teachings and the vision of unity from the Interfaith Retreat. Om Namah Sivaya to all blessed selves from the Yoga Farm.

http://www.sivananda.org/farm

Om Namo Narayanaya, Blessed Selves. During the beginning of August we bid farewell to Swami Hridyananda who returned to the Sivananda Centre in Tel Aviv. We welcomed back Swami Brahmananda who started a three-day lecture on Swami Sivananda’s 20 spiritual instructions. The power of prayer as a spiritual practice was a popular topic as we enjoyed many lectures referring to the importance of prayer. We also had the pleasure of learning more about the life and teachings of Swami Vishnudevananda during our well-attended workshops. We started our new program, “Living a Divine Life”, presented by Swami Brahmananda. Registrations for the upcoming season have been plentiful. We are set to have our biggest season yet. We’re expecting another rush of reservations as soon as we mail out our brochure.

Mid-August was fueled with busy workshops, and interesting Satsang discussions. We enjoyed a three-day program on The Healing Power of Foods on Body, Mind, and Spirit. With this topic the ancient science of Ayurveda was introduced during several Satsangs and one well-attended workshop. We also had the pleasure of learning about the three Guna’s and their subtle nature which underlie matter, life, and the mind. We began several discussions on the topic of the Practice of Meditation, presented by Swami Brahmananda. With the knowledge presented we were able to have a better understanding of the processes of the mind during the scared practice of meditation. To finish our week off we were pleased to welcome Shyam and Mohini who are joining us from the Yoga Warehouse in Fort Lauderdale. They presented the Power of Hatha Yoga course in the Recharge, Relax, and Rejoice program. New chefs have taken over the morning and evening kitchen which brought new menus of nutritious, tasty food for all to try. The Ashram did well after the lightning strike – damage has been assessed with replacement parts arriving soon by God’s grace, almost everything was quickly up and running to full speed. …also… the summer heat continued! Om Shanti from all the staff in Nassau.

http://www.sivananda.org/nassau

Om Namah Sivaya. Beginning of August a new yoga teachers’ training course started. The group accommodated very well to the daily schedule. This group especially had a positive outlook and a heart-warming willingness to help and also to learn. Sree Krishna, the priest from South India conducted several elevating Pujas. Dr Annika Waldman, nutritionist from Germany gave a series of lectures on the subject of Vegetarianism in the Light of Science. The scientific basis of and research on vegetarian diet is growing every year. This gave us some invaluable tools with which we can make well informed choices concerning our diet. TTCs and Yoga Vacation Guests profited from these inspiring lectures alike. As the TTC teachings continued the students felt the intensity of the course more intensively but at the same time the group feeling stayed positive and strong and supporting each other seemed to be their second nature. Furthermore they had also great fun in planning and presenting a very nice talent show. At the beginning of August Prema from Taiwan visited the Retreat House to give a well appreciated guest programme on ‘Diving into the Asanas’ for intermediate and advanced students. Her classes were offering guidelines on how to develop and deepen their practice.
In the second week of August student numbers increased quite a bit with many coming for the Beginners Guide programme. The guests had the opportunity to learn the basic asanas and pranayama in carefully guided yoga classes. Two lectures informed them on the topics concentration, meditation, breath and stress. As the summer season was in full swing Swami Ramapriyananda started a 5 days study course on Yoga Sutras with 15 participants, many long time students and teachers. Our special programme “Yoga Summer days” caused again a marked a growth in guest numbers. Swami Durgananda was present and gave invaluable guidance to many participants. Swami Sivadasananda led a four day asana workshop series on “Surya Namaskar, salutations to the Essence of Hatha Yoga”. So great was the interest that the culture house in the village was used to comfortably accommodate all students. The Bhagavata Saptaha left us in high spirits and warm feelings. The structure of wisdom from the Srimad Bhagavatam encased in elevating sound structures, presented with vocal mastery is something rare and precious and we felt so blessed and grateful to be part of this seven day journey. The TTC ended with a lovely graduation celebration. 38 new and happy Sivananda Yoga Teachers left the Retreat House assuring us that the goodbye would not be forever. OM.

http://www.sivananda.org/tyrol

Om Namah Sivaya. At the beginning of the month we welcomed Swami Durganandaji, Swami Sivadasanandaji, and our special guests for the Temple anniversary celebration. Swami Sivadasananda gave a wonderful lecture on Hatha Yoga. We had a Vastu Puja at the Temple in preparation of the 12th anniversary of the Temple installation. On Friday, August 07, was the official start of the Temple celebration with a powerful Puja to Lord Hanuman. The next day the priests performed Pujas to all the deities in the Temple: Ganesha, Krishna, Mookambika, Siva and the Navagrahas, which lasted from 6:00 am to noon. There was also a very special Puja to Kanya Kumari, to conclude her installation process. On August 11, we celebrated the birthday of Swami Durgananda with a wonderful Mahamrtyunjaya Homa at the Temple, followed by cake and presents.
Prema from Taiwan arrived for her certificate course, ‘Precision in the Asanas: Refine your teaching skills’. Omkari from Florence came and started her programme on ‘Yoga and Anatomy’ for the guest group. She also started to teach the anatomy for the TTC.
This month also saw the initiation of the Sadhana Intensive course. We started in the traditional way with the priest chanting auspicious mantras and with the procession with Mantra chanting through the Ashram’s grounds, stopping at the various shrines. Swami Kailasananda gave them guidance for their personal practice. Nataraj, who is a student of the course, brought with him the nice new statue of Swamiji, which he modelled a few months back. It found its place next to the statue of Master in the Temple. The Sadhana Intensive students also always enjoying the almond milk in the morning after taking the sankalpa in the morning. For one weekend Vincent Marechal came and gave two nice presentations on Ayurveda, which were quite informative and clear.
The Yoga psychology week was given by Kamala from Australia. The teaching was very much appreciated by the students and they were happy to receive their certificate.
The TTC course almost reached its conclusio, students went deeper into the context of the Bhagavad Gita, are enjoying their teaching groups, they had the Kriya workshop and many of them took part in a very sattvic talent show. OM.

http://www.sivananda.org/orleans

www.sivanandayogavietnam.org/