Sivananda World News: The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Zentrum, Berlin, Germany

Om Namah Sivaya! Whenever it was possible in August, classes were outside on the garden platform. The summer retreat was very successful with students enjoying the 5 days of Ashram atmosphere not far from Berlin. In the Centre itself we had a small group for headstand workshop and they all improved their posture. Swami Annapurananda and Swami Satyananda went to Reith, both to serve at the retreat house during the special program. We started with the redesign of the men’s restroom area, which will give us additional kitchen and storage space. On one weekend we had a further training for yoga teachers on the topic of supporting specific movement areas of the spine. Many teachers came for connecting to the wisdom and energy of the Masters. Almost all of them stayed until the end of the program and left the Centre inspired and elevated after the evening Satsang. The preparations for TTC Poland this week shifted to general packing for the shipment. Many Karma Yogis helped. 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 August. The winter holidays ended and a large number of children returned to their classrooms. We received Prajña from Buenos Aires, a TTC Colombia graduate who quickly integrated as a new teacher of the BA Centre. We started two Beginners’ Courses. We had a lot of help from the karma yogis. We hope all of you are well. Pranams. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Chengdu, China

Om Namah Sivaya from Chengdu. A highlight of early August was the weekend program on Qianfo mountain, with a group of 18 people, during which Ambika taught asanas and shared yoga life concepts. Some students did yoga for the first time. All of them were very inspired. At the Centre, Priya finished the Yoga 1 course. Sivani led the Sunday Satsang on the topic of fear. Open classes went on well. Saraswati came back from her vacation. We focused on upcoming TTC preparation. Another highlight in August was the new Half-day Meditation Introduction with 9 students plus all staff attending. Many students wanted to learn meditation, but couldn’t attend the meditation course or weekend intensive, so we decided to offer this half day program for them. Sivani introduced the techniques of Meditation to the students, who came mainly for peace of mind and stress relieving, and guided them through the process. Afterwards Janaki taught a meditative asana class and finished with short guided meditation. The Sunday Satsang, led by Sivani, was on the topic of Health. Open classes went well. Ambika finished teaching Yoga 1 course at the Meditation Centre of We-Well vegetarian restaurant. We welcomed Omkari (Taiwan) and her Ayurvedic therapies. Her workshop was very popular among the students. Meanwhile, we focused on TTC preparations and keep promotions. All the staff steadily continued their own Sadhana practice. May Guru’s Grace blessed us with more students for the Centre. Om Shanti. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Om Namah Sivaya to all Blessed Selves from the Chennai Centre. During the month of August there was a Monday morning Beginners’ Yoga course started and in the evening, Kalyani guided a 5 day meditation course, which was well attended. We had the Pranayama workshop recharging the Centre with this powerful practice. Kalyani led the Sunday prayers. The energy of the chanting was fully enjoyed by everyone, even for foreigners visitors who came for the first time to the Centre. Regarding our staff, Gripson went to home for a couple of weeks. The Monday evening Beginners’ Yoga course started with a small group. Kalesh and Sandeep came to the Centre. Sandeep stayed with us for one night. Anisha came for the Bhakti workshop. After that, we celebrated the Krishna Jayanti until almost midnight. We started with a meditation, daily chants and the local priest guiding the Puja for Lord Krishna, after which, everyone sung Krishna bhajans and listened how Lord Krishna came to this world. One Sunday, there was a Japanese free class and all of them joined to the Beginners’ Yoga course. Regarding the staff, Gripson came back from home. The others are well, under the grace of Gurus. Thanks to Master and Guruji. Prayers and Greetings from Chennai Centre. Pranams! Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Chicago, USA

Om Namah Sivaya. Blessings from Chicago, where regular classes and courses continued as usual in August. Radhika returned from time away at NY Centre and the Ranch, while Hamsa, Bhavani, and Mahadevi all departed. One of our teachers, Arjuna, left to serve at the Yoga Camp for a few months. Radhika began teaching the Yoga 1 and 2 courses and was getting settled back into Centre routine. Other classes, courses, and Satsangs continued with enthusiastic participation even thought overall numbers were slightly down from recent weeks. The Centre had a small and sweet Krishna Janmashtami celebration. 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

Om Namah Sivaya from the beautiful DaLat Centre. For the month of August the number of students remained constant. Our Yoga for Beginner 1 and Yoga Gentle classes progressed well. The Satsang, with Swami Sitaramananda saw a lot of students attending. Staff practiced their Sadhana daily, maintaining the good energy and positive atmosphere in the Centre. A Brahmacharya initiation ceremony was performed in the Netala Ashram in the Himalayas, India, by Swami Sitaramananda, where two Vietnamese staff took Brahmacharya vows and received new names: Daya Chaitanya (Durga from HCM Centre) and Priya Chaitanya (Dharmini from Dalat Ashram). We give thanks for Master and Guru’s grace. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta DWARKA Centre, Delhi, India

Om Namah Sivaya. By the guidance of the Gurus, the Dwarka Centre ran efficiently and effortlessly in August. The month started with lots of classes which were filled with enthusiastic students. All regular classes went well. The new weekdays Beginners’ Yoga course started on 5th August at 10am and 6:30pm and the new weekend Beginners’ batch started on 10th August at 8am, both the Beginners’ batches are running smoothly. The much awaited special advanced asana course started on 5th August at 10am. The response for this course was very good, with lots of students participating. It was monsoon season here so the weather was pleasant. To take maximum benefit of this course the students are practicing without the air conditioning and/or the fans. The more effort we all put in the practice it naturally brings out more benefits. Lots of workshops took place, namely Prana and Pranayama on 9th August at 6am, Shat kriyas on 10th August at 6am, correction class on 11th August at 4pm. A new evening 4 day meditation course also started from 10th August. The weekly Satsangs on Wednesdays and Saturdays saw all the staff come together and lovingly cook wholesome dinners and prasad for all the people who came to experience the blissful Satsang. All the staff members were doing karma yoga at their level best, with the will to improve each passing day. 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. With the Grace of Gurus we started August with two Beginners’ Yoga courses at 10am & 6.30pm with good number of students. We also started a course on Foundation to Meditation, with 16 enthusiastic students, in search of Happiness which is in one’s own self. Satsangs on Sunday evenings was also well attended by good number of students. All other classes like open, prenatal, gentle yoga, kids yoga went smoothly this month. We noticed the number of students had increased.

Around mid August we started two Beginners’ Yoga courses at 6.30am & 4pm. The foundation to Meditation course continued with all the students very happy with the practice of Tratak to increase the concentration. The intermittent monsoon rains made the weather very pleasant. We celebrated India’s Independence Day on 15th of August. Because of this the Centre was closed for the day which resulted in less number of students. We celebrated Krishna Jayanti with an Abhishekam to Lord Krishna and chanting the Krishna’s bhajans which was attended by large number of students and teachers. We conducted regular Satsangs, early mornings and Sunday evenings. With the grace of the Masters, August went well as per schedule. We send our Pranams and hope everyone is happy and peaceful. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Geneva, Switzerland

Om Namah Sivaya. The Centre was closed whole August. The Geneva teachers were teaching 5 classes a week & doing the reception themselves. The staff were helping in the Ashram Orleans and the Retreat house Reith in Austria with TTC and guest-teaching. OM.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Om Namah Sivaya. In August we were inspired to see 12 people attending a special workshop of Restorative Yoga, taught by Durga. Devika and Mahashakti still continued teaching Beginners’ Yoga, Yoga Two and Prenatal Yoga class. We also saw old students and new teachers coming back for more practice and guidance in our open classes and Satsangs. Around mid August we had another good turnout of students. We started a Beginners’ Yoga course taught by Devika with 16 new students attending. We had an Ayurveda Workshop, taught by Lilamayi, with 32 people attending. Some new TTC graduates continued to assist open classes. Many people continued to come for Satsangs as well. With Guru’s Grace all of the staff, teachers, residents and karma yogis continued to do very well with their Sadhana and were inspired to keep going! We were happy to continue spreading the wisdom of Yoga follow the teachings of the Master and Guru. Pranams to the Sivananda Family. Om Sri Maha Lakshmyai Namah! Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, London, England

Om Namah Sivaya. We had a joyful beginning of the month with the six day summer retreat in West Lexham, which brought prana and tuning with the energy of the Masters to the students and the staff. Saraswati took care of the running of the Centre meanwhile, being assisted by a team of karma yogis and teachers. Kailas guided them via telephone. The family is getting bigger, as Jyoti, karma yogi from the Paris’ Centre, arrived on Thursday to support the Centre for one moth. Chandra gave two inspiring Satsangs. On Friday, he read passages from The Great Vision – The Story of Swami Vishnudevanda and told us some personal stories about Swami Vishnudevananda. The retreat brought prana and tuning with the energy of the Masters to the students and the staff. The Masters sent many students for the activities of the Open House mid-month. Everyone appreciated the programme of the day and the beautiful energy they felt in the Centre. There was a cheerful mood with students blooming everywhere a big family to welcome them and the luminous garden. God gave us a charming morning silent walk with under a beautiful sky illumined by the rising sun. Ananda gave her first asana class in English. OM.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Om Namo Narayanaya! In August we held Sri Lakshmi Puja, where all devotees enjoyed contributing items, time and energy to honour the Divine Mother. Her abundance showered joy upon us all! Pundit ManiSharma offered beautiful new cloths for her dressing. Homemade sweets were offered by devout Karma Yogis. A Saturday Open House brought a batch of newly interested students who joined classes, eager to learn more through the Beginners’ Yoga course. Open classes carried on. Karma Yogis continued to support the Centre in many ways.

Around mid August students and teachers returned to the Centre from traveling. Staff honoured Sri Krishna with a beautiful Krishna Janmashtami Puja and for Sunday Satsang many devotees gathered and brought an abundance of offerings to the Divine. We shared another Krishna Puja, continuing in celebration to the Lord of Love in this auspicious time, reading His Lilas, chanting bhajans and uplifting our hearts. We sent off long time Karma Yogi, Jayani, to take TTC in China. We wished her a safe journey. May Master and Swamiji be with her. Jai Sri Krishna! Jai Gurudev! May the blessings keep coming our way and shine the path. By Guru’s Grace and our sincere efforts may we be instruments of Peace. Om Namo Narayanaya! Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Madrid, Spain

Om Namah Sivaya, Blessed Selves! The Centre continued with a reduced Summer schedule. Focus was the TTC Aluenda, packing items for our “Summer Ashram” and arranging the Centre for the month. We had a total of 44 TTC´s and a good number of enrolments for yoga vacation. Swami Dayananda and Chandra arrived from South America, it is wonderful for the TTCs to have them as their teachers. We also had a small group of yoga vacationers for the beginner’s program. Priest Yagneswara and Drs Kulkarni (Ayurveda) arrived.OM.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Madurai, India

Om Namah Sivaya. Namaste from the Madurai Centre. Courses ran smoothly. Classes went well. Everything else was fine, thanking 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 August we finished the Beginners’ Yoga courses with a good energy. Chandrashekar travelled to Aluenda, Spain, to teach during TTC. The Kids yoga class continued with very good attendance. We started the intensive Beginners’ Yoga course, with a very good participation of students. Dr. Padma gave a workshop on Ayurveda and perfect health. The students got very inspired with this ancient knowledge and the way Dr. Padma presented the class. Durga Devi presented the last class of the course, Sanskrit – Part II. Kanti Devi returned from Canada. A highlight of the month was the celebration of Krishna Janmasthami. Madhavi performed the Puja very beautifully. Radha helped as co-Pujari. Students and teachers participated with great devotion. We presented all the offerings. A delicious prasad was prepared by Madhavi. The energy of the Centre increased. The rest of the activities developed normally. May all live under Master’s and Guru’s grace. Om Shanti. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Om Namah Sivaya and Greetings from the Montreal Centre! In early August we had sunny and lovely weather in Montreal. We continued with the free yoga classes at the park Outremont and Laurier. The students enjoyed the classes very much. We were happy to welcome back Margarita, who’s new name is Mirabai, as she completed her TTC at the Camp in July. She was full of energy and enthusiasm and very happy to be back to serve at the Centre. Some of the new TTC’s from this summer started to come to the Centre for Satsang, yoga classes and karma yoga. This brought a very nice energy to the Centre. Two of them already started to assist the open classes and they were doing very well.

Around mid August the weather continued to be lovely, sunny and warm. All the daily activities ran smoothly. A highlight was the celebration of the 60th birthday of the Montreal Centre. We had a great support from the karma yogis for all the preparations. To celebrate, we welcomed Prahlada, Kanti Devi, Swami Shivabhaktananda, the Yoga Camp Ashram staff and the August ATTC students. The program started with a 2hr yoga class with Prahlada, followed by the Satsang where Prahlada share some histories and inspiration from his time with Swami Vishnudevananda. By the grace of the Masters we all experienced an evening full of inspiration, joy and positive vibrations. The big yoga hall was packed with all the special guests and the Centre community. After the Satsang we enjoyed a delicious Indian feast and delightful Indian sweets. Everyone left feeling very happy and grateful. By the grace of the Masters and all the support of the community, everything ran well at the Centre. We feel our Guru’s grace guiding us. Pranams to all! Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Munich, Germany

Om Namah Sivaya. Swami Durgananda and Swami Sivadasananda were with us the beginning of the month. Swami Narayanananda went for the August TTC at the Retreathouse in Reith/ Austria. We had a workshop “Peace of Mind and Inner Balance”. The students were very interested – some students enrolling for the four-week “Positive Thinking Course”. We had successful Open House at the beginning of the month with many newcomers and some more bookings for the upcoming Beginners’ courses. August is the main summer holiday time in Munich. The morning classes were quite well attended by people on holiday using their time to start with a yoga class into their day. We also had a good number of new students joining the Open classes this month. We also had a “Thought Power and Positive Thinking Course” with a very interested group of participants. On Assumption Day we offered a morning and an afternoon open class as well as a Satsang in the evening. 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 August. Three new courses started, each taught by long-time New York Centre teachers: Positive Thinking with Veena, Yoga 2 with Isani, and Yoga 1 Maheshwari. Bhavani returned to the Centre to help out for two weeks, while Tandava departed, to return to resident status at the end of the month. Harasakha departed for two weeks in Canada and transfer to the Yoga Ranch after he returns. We were grateful to both for their service and participation these several months as full time Centre staff. We wished them great light and inspiration. The garden will miss Harasakha’s loving care. We were honoured to welcome Swami Hridyananda, who gave a most wonderful Satsang on the topic of meditation, self-care and service.

By mid August there was much movement and transition at our Centre. Krishnapriya and Parameshwara visited from the Ranch. Sonam, who had been here as temporary staff, departed, and Kamala Devi likewise departed mid month. We were grateful for their enthusiastic participation in the Sadhana and service at the Centre. Neeti led a special Puja in honour of Krishna Jayanti, before traveling to the Ranch to participate in the Krishna Jayanti celebrations there and to lead a prasad-making workshop. Marie returned from the Ranch. We welcomed Padmavati, who stayed for a few days and gave a wonderful Satsang. May Gurudev’s blessings continue to light our path. Staff are well and send best wishes for an inspiring month of September to all. Om.

Centre de Yoga Sivananda Vedanta, Paris, France

Om Namah Sivaya. OM.

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

Greetings from Porto Alegre. In early August we initiated a new Beginner’s Yoga course with interested students. The regular classes ran normally despite the cold winter’s days. We also finished a Beginners’ Yoga course. Some students returned after the winter holidays. Om.

Centro Yoga Vedanta Sivananda, Rome, Italy

Om Namah Sivaya, Blessed Selves. TTC and ATTC in Bracciano, outside Rome and closer to the sea, went well as students went deeper and deeper into the science and practice of yoga. As were approaching the Italian holiday of Ferragosto, the height of the summer holidays, more yoga vacationers and karma yogis came. We surprised the students and guests with an outdoor vegetarian “barbeque’ feast to celebrate Ferragosto. Giving thanks to all the staff who worked preparing the food, keeping the fires going, and delivering a wonderful and festive meal. After the clean up we had arati and then showed an installment of Mahabharata in our makeshift open air theatre. Saturday was the creative and often very funny talent show. We finished the week with Likitha japa after Sunday prayers, collecting many pages to deposit at Vishnu Peak. OM.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, San Francisco, California, USA

Om Namo Narayanaya, Blessed Selves. In August we ran a Stress Relief Weekend, taught by SYHET trainee, Kamala. The students were eager and ready for the spiritual support and guidance offered and were already planning their next visits to the Centre during their wrap-up mini-consultations. Staff and a couple of Karma Yogis went to 11th generation sitarist Deobrat Mishra’s concert at Grace Cathedral one evening and were in awe at his presence and skill. All were uplifted. A lighting installation began for the new altar. A Yoga 3 course and the Mysteries of the Mind course finished. Sivaprem arrived to be staff for two weeks Another recent TTC grad Durga Devi came to help out for a weekend. We had a launch day for our new WordPress website and we are officially using MindBody at reception. The feedback was positive. We offered a talk “5 Ways to Deflate Stress” at a Wednesday evening Satsang in honour of the first annual Global Yoga Therapy Day. We held our monthly Wellness Day where Swami Sivasankariananda presented on yogic techniques for managing persistent pain. The grand finale of the day was the magnificent concert with sitarist Deobrat Mishra and his nephew tabla player Prashant Mishra. Both are full of heart and devotion. Gajananam spoke on Chapter 2 of the Bhagavad Gita at Sunday Satsang, reminding us that we will be miserable if we look for happiness. Swami Sivasankariananda spent a couple of days at the Yoga Farm to support Swami Dharmananda. We started teaching Chair Yoga regularly at a second senior centre; the seniors were enthusiastic and grateful. Our Bhakti Yoga Course finished, as did a Yoga 2 course. We became a provider for Gympass, a fitness platform that offers classes through an employer’s benefits program. After 2-1/2 years of teaching at the Centre several times a week, Pranava moved back to Israel. We send with him our pranams. 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. In early August we prepared for the monthly Open House. We also started promoting a kirtan workshop scheduled for the end of the month. Before we started another Beginners’ Yoga course we spread the news on all social medias. On Sunday, the 18th, we had an Open House day. We made a bonfire and served popcorn with lemonade. There were presentations from our dear students and teachers. It was a very pleasant afternoon, full of prana and joy. We are preparing for the next activity which will be the kirtans workshop and yoga class, with Vani Devi. We had an Archana, in celebration of Krishna Jayanti. We held a kirtan workshop with Prof. Vani Devi that brought a beautiful energy. We finished the Beginners’ Yoga course awith plans to start another class in September. May the Masters continue to maintain prana and harmony in the Sivananda Centre of Sao Paulo. Om Shanti Shanti to all the Sivananda family. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Tel Aviv, Israel

Om Namah Sivaya. In August we had many projects and a renovations done at the Centre. Walls were fixed and painted and the classrooms look great, clean and fresh. We did a very thorough and deep cleaning and organization of the office. We made a list of projects to do in preparation for the arrival of Swami Swaroopananda and Swami Prema from the Bahamas. The list was still long but everyday we managed to get something done. New Yoga 1 and Meditation courses opened successfully and introduction classes to an upcoming Mediation and positive thinking courses were held. One Saturday we had an Open House at the Centre, with over 100 students joining us for Satsang, yoga classes and a festive meal. Chandra, a devotee from India prepared authentic Indian food which everyone loved. One Sunday evening Satsang, Pranava Chaitanya read from the inspiring chapter about ‘Freedom’ from the Bliss Divine.

Around mid August Swami Swaroopananda and Swami PremaSwaroopananada arrived from the Bahamas. We prepared for their arrival with the staff and an excited group of devotees to welcome them at the airport. We also welcomed Swami Hridayananda, Swami Brahmananda and Rukmini Chaitanya, Jnaneshwari Chaitanya and Kumari. Apart from Swami Brahmananda who came for a short visit, they will all stay at the Centre for the next few months. We celebrated the Krishna Jayanthi with a beautiful Puja. Swami Swaroopananda gave inspiring teachings about the special celebration and at midnight he read the story of Lord Krishna’s birth. The meditation room was full with over 50 of us and the energy was very high and full of devotion. Courses and classes are going well. New Yoga 3 and Meditation 2 courses opened successfully. May the Master’s grace be with all! Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Tokyo, Japan

Om Namah Sivaya. In August a 7-day Vedanta Camp, navigated by Swami Cetananda, a disciple of Swami Dayananda, was scheduled with over 30 students attending. Many of them stayed on for the Sunday evening Satsang. A holiday week called Obon started for which millions of people travel a distance to their hometown to enjoy a family reunion. Tokyo was remarkably quiet, however, the Centre remained vibrant. Yashashvin offered a Vedanta study session. We held a trial class and started a new Beginners’ Yoga 1 course. A Restorative Yoga workshop was given by which the students had an experience of healing and restoration from fatigue by the summer heat. By the grace of gurus, the Centre was filled with uplifting energy.

Around mid August we offered a Sanskrit course, taught by Vanidevi. This course, designed for beginners and composed of 4 sessions. The course will be given again next month. Vanidevi took care of our website management and helped us with immense amount of work including a website construction for Japan TTC, management of the booking system, etc. We greatly appreciated her service and commitment. A Krishna Jayanthi Puja was performed to celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna, joined by many students. A briefing session on a 2020 Japan TTC was held, in which we shared a free asana class for demonstration, an explanation on TTC including Q&A, followed by lunch. We had participants from distant areas other than Tokyo and helped them clarify their questions and problems. We raised the fees for class and course for the first time since establishment. A raise of lesson fee was obviously a negative element for students, on the other hand, good number of students purchased annual passes or 10-class tickets in advance, which eventually has led to an opportunity to uplift their motivation to practice more often. Meanwhile, we renovated the rooms for staff and guests on 3rd floor, by which stuff no longer needed were disposed and each room was nicely organized and coordinated. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Om Namah Sivaya. In early August Nalini prepared to leave for Yoga Camp to take ATTC and train Chandrika and Mookambika on all aspects of running the Centre plus, coordinating with Saraswati who is still at the Ashram. We started a Yoga 2 course, continued working on some maintenance projects and finished making 50 meditation pillows. Maheswari gave nice Satsangs. We celebrated Krishna Jayanti, that all students enjoyed. Noriko presented Yoga Dance performance, which all participated in. We spent time cleaning residents room, loft and windows as well as working outside. All are well. We send Om Namo Narayanaya to everyone. Pranams. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Trivandrum, Kerala, India

\Om Namah Sivaya. In August, half of India was flooding due to heavy rain, including Kerala. There was heavy rain in Trivandrum, slightly affecting the attendance of our classes. We hoped the monsoons would reduce soon. Despite the heavy weather we started our Beginners’ Yoga course in the mornings, and continued all other classes. Yashpal ji returned to the Centre after spending time with family. Other Trivandrum Centre activities continued just fine. We started a Ladies’ Beginners’ Yoga course. We received some requests for private yoga classes. Our weekly Devi Pooja was performed by our regular priest. Sunday Satsang was led by Yashpal. Another staff, Sreejith, joined us as a staff member for two months. Otherwise the Centre was doing fine, with Gurus’ Grace. We pray for one and all’s health in large the Sivananda family. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi. Om.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Vienna, Austria

Om Namah Sivaya. The open classes were going well, although August is vacation time. Many Vienna tourists visited the drop in classes. We said a hearty good-bye to Swami Mangalananda, who led the Centre during the absence of Swami Gitananda. Our summer special classes were popular, the students they like the messages of Swami Vishnudevananda from the Upadesha at the end of the class and take them as inspiration for their own practice. We had a weekend meditation course – a good preparation to participate in the regular Satsang. Sivani returned fully recharged from the Retreathouse Reith at the end of the month. OM.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Vilnuis, Lithuania

Om Namah Sivaya. The classes, Beginners’ courses, and Satsangs took place as usual in the middle of the Summertime. We focused on making an order at the Centre, putting the things back into their places after the retreat, finishing with accounting, washing all the stuff used in the retreat and started looking for the new possible place for the next Summer retreats. OM.