Sivananda World News: The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Ashrams

Om Namah Sivaya. The Sivananda Yoga Camp is now open to restricted size retreats and TTCs. In September and October, due to the restrictions on the number of people allowed at the Ashram, we will be able to welcome only students attending the pre-registered retreats. The next Teacher Training Course is November 15th-December 13th. Meanwhile, continue your practice from the comfort of your own home with our online classes/courses to assist in keeping you connected, inspired, and energized. Let us take this time to reconnect with ourselves through the practice.
https://sivanandacanada.org/camp/Online-courses/

Meanwhile in August, Summer 2020 was accompanied by our first TTC of the year. We had our onsite TTC initiation – a month long journey and all Ashram functions, dedicated to handling this TTC with utmost care during COVID-19. We had 24 participants, all having a wonderful time at the Ashram unlearning and learning. We welcomed Atmaram, Karuna and Atmabala who moved from the Ottawa Centre to be permanent at the Camp. Atmaram was our main teacher in the course. The rolling out of the program was done with initiation ceremony on 2nd August and Ganapati Puja on 3rd August. Except online classes, all our other onsite programs were suspended for the month of August owing to the TTC. All facilities, indoors and outdoors were customized as per the government’s social distancing guidelines. It was truly a daunting task, but was worth the time and effort. The transformation within the participants brought joy and meaning to our lives. As the third week of TTC rolled past, the students started teaching the beginners classes, chanting kirtans and wholeheartedly participating in all exercises and activities. We were thankful for this special and high energy TTC group, inquisitive about practices, thirsty for knowledge and keen about learning. We celebrated a Devi Puja with special chants and individual lamps and devotions to the Devi. We chanted the Lalita Sahasranama and Mahishasura Mardini during the ceremony at the Yoga hall and Manjunath conducted the Puja. We looked forward to the last week of the TTC. The onsite classes for the visiting local practitioners continued at a good pace and the classes were well attended, especially on sunny days when the class can be held outdoors. The Subramanya Temple reopened on 17th August for public attendance. We had groups of devotees visiting everyday with full houses on weekends. The Ashram was fully back with activities, albeit with social distancing and COVID preventive measures. The staff were busy with the TTC and also the general maintenance and housekeeping of the buildings and grounds. 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.

http://www.sivananda.org/camp

Namah Sivaya to all. The Neyyar Dam Ashram continues to be temporarily closed. Join us through online classes, courses and programs online. Due to the unpredictability of the on-going COVID-19 situation nationally and locally we have had to change our opening dates. We request that you contact your local Centres and Ashrams directly for their latest update.

Meanwhile in early August the rains continued along with heavy winds bringing trees down, affecting the electric supply. Fortunately the Ashram generator worked well and all the online programs conducted or hosted from Neyyar Dam have continued as scheduled. The online program continued, attended with good numbers. Special online programs were Hip Openers and Standing Postures with Superna; an Introduction to Ayurveda with Dr Vishnu and Dr Priya; Sri Yantra – Sacred Geometry of the Divine Mother with Rohini. The initiation of the first Indian Online TTC took place after lots of preparation regarding hosting. Nataraj (N Dam), Nirmala Chaitanya and Parvathy (Madurai Ashram) and Ravi Easwaran (Ahmedabad) conducted the initiation ceremony with the welcome of the students and the introductions to Master, Swamiji, the Gurukula and the initiation process. Nataraj and Ravi ‘called up’ the students and repeated mantras whilst they prostrated in their homes and applied the powders physically or mentally. It was inspiring to see the 22 students’ respectful participation in these unusual circumstances. The TTC students were all from various parts of India, except for one stuck in Dubai. Voluntary staff, Veer and Rajeev left for home in Mumbai and Delhi. We thanked them for their service and wished them a safe journey. Aparna who had been in isolation for 14 days since returning from being staff in Trivandrum was happy to be released just in time for Padmavati’s birthday. All were happy to celebrate Padmavati’s 70th birthday. With the help of staff outside the Ashram, Sajan and Joy, we managed to get her a gift, balloons, ice cream, chocolate and snacks from as far as Trivandrum. Syam’s wife Anju (living locally) baked a huge chocolate cake and Madhavi drew a beautiful card with birthday wishes from all the staff. The staff at Madurai Ashram and Chennai also managed to tune in via zoom to share some of the celebrations and wish Padmavati a happy birthday.  The staff appreciated this opportunity to relax a little, particularly a little moderate dancing in the afternoon. We thanked Master and Swamiji for these small blessings.

As August drew to a close the dry weather continued making watering a regular karma yoga duty again. The Online TTC passed smoothly with the A&P and teaching practice sessions beginning. The kriyas were attempted with sincere interest. The second talent show of the course was enjoyed as much by the families as by the students; a great opportunity for all the family to get together and relax when the rest of the week, Mum, Dad… is barely available for the rest of the family. Registrations for the second Online TTC were coming in steadily. The general online programs continued with steady attendance. Two new 1 hour practice sessions started morning and evening, giving students different combinations of sun salutation, pranayama, relaxation and meditation. Rohini ji gave a four day program on overcoming anger, whilst Anoop ji continued with the popular hatha yoga intensive course. The Chennai Centre started holding small classes for the close students without any advertisement. The Delhi Centres waited for the politics between the various powers in the Capital to be resolved and allow yoga Centres to re-open. Kapoorji has the halls all marked up and Vijay started having small Satsangs with a few teachers. The Ashrams received enquiries about when they are opening. The staff were very much looking forward to that.  May Master and Swamiji’s blessings bring all good health and peace and that we continue to be useful for many. May all be blessed with peace of mind. Om.

http://www.sivananda.org/neyyardam

Om Namo Narayanaya from Uttar Kashi. The Uttar Kashi Ashram continues to be temporarily closed. Due to the lockdowns announced by the Indian government, we will not be accepting any new visitors or guests to the Ashram until further notice. During this phase, we’ll be offering various classes, courses & programs Online. Details regarding this can be found at sivananda.org.in/Online-sessions. Please like our Facebook page to stay notified about live open classes, Satsangs & other programs. Our thoughts are with you all and we pray that you keep well and positive during these challenging times.

http://www.sivananda.org/uttarkashi

Om Namo Narayanaya. Namaste from Madurai. The Madurai Ashram continues to be temporarily closed. Due to the unpredictability of the on-going COVID-19 situation nationally and locally we have had to change our opening dates. We request that you contact your local Centres and Ashrams directly for their latest update. Join us through online classes, courses and programs online. Sending Prem and Om to all from our family of guests and staffs. Our thoughts are with you all and we pray that you keep well and positive during these challenging times. Namaste. Om.

www.sivananda.org/madurai

Om Namah Sivaya from the Ranch. The Sivananda Yoga Ranch is currently closed to the public. Since the start of the pandemic, we put all our programs online. We are grateful for all your support and connection in these times! It has, and continues to be, an innovative time where we can see how easily accessible it is to connect & share the teachings of our Masters with people everywhere in the world! We encourage all to stay connected with the online yoga classes and online programs. Join us in meditations and Satsangs Sunday and Wednesday evenings at 7:30 pm (Eastern Time). The next Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Online (TTC) Course (Yoga Alliance Certified 200 hours) is October 17 – November 14, 2020.

Meanwhile the staff remain at the Ashram. We were hit by the remains of the tropical hurricane from down south, luckily not too high of winds but was still quite the show! Thanks to Gurus Grace and Masters’ Blessings, we did well. We welcomed a new guest on our new residential program. She stayed for two weeks. For online programs, we had a special discourse with Gopi Kallayil. The Online Srimad Bhagavatam Study continued each week-day morning. 30 min pranayama sessions were offered online just before and these have proven to be quite popular. As for now, we continue to be a small group. We are keeping up a positive spirit and dedication to Sadhana. We welcomed 2 residents to the Ashram – Lilamayi and Venugopala, with the intension to stay for around one month with potential to stay longer term. We were happy to welcome serious practitioners like them both. We also were happy to celebrate Ganesha’s birthday, with a Satsang talk on stories of Ganesha! We also had some nice online programs. All of our yoga classes until Aug 30th were donation based towards Beirut, Lebanon with connection to one of the Sivananda teachers from there, Mahadevi. Since after the serious explosion they have endured, we were happy to see so many people online supporting the cause which is called ‘Keeping Yoga Alive in Beirut’. Swami Shantananda from the Chinmaya Mission led an informative two evening Discourse on Ch. 12 of the Bhagavad Gita. We had one of our first Online Weekend Retreats. We connected with the Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico to lead the weekend on the Essentials of Ayurveda. It was a 3 day long retreat and the students were pleased with what they learned. Was a nice connection and good way to pass on classical teachings of Ayurveda. In the Ashram gardens we welcomed lots of fresh pumpkin and beets. There have been a lot of opportunities to be creative in the kitchen with our fresh garden to table produce. We also have been donating a lot of our fresh produce to a local organization that provides food to those in need. With the blessings of Master and Swamiji all staff are in good spirits and send Pranams to all. Om.

www.sivanandayogaranch.org/‎

Om Namah Sivaya. Warm greetings to you from the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm. We are grateful for your love and support as the Yoga Farm continues to thrive in this challenging time. We are adapting along with you to keep Satsang with each other and to share the teachings in new and creative ways. The Grass Valley Ashram will remain closed at least until the end of 2020. We will keep you updated as events unfold as we consider the health of our guests and staff and the pandemic situation. Please visit https://sivanandayogafarm.org/yoga-classes-online/ to easily join Online workshops, classes and courses. We encourage you to stay connected with the Ashram and LA Centre in these ways:
Yoga Stress Relief Counseling Service – Swamis, senior teachers, and Yoga Health Educators provide free 30-minute support services.
Satsang with Swami Sitaramananda – Join us every Sunday 5:30AM (CA time) for Satsang with Swamiji on relevant topics for our current times.
Satsang – Satsang live from LA Centre daily at 6am.
Hatha Yoga Classes – Live Hatha Yoga classes 4 times a day.
Online Courses – The Ashram and Centre continue to offer our foundational courses: Meditation, Positive Thinking, Hatha Yoga Sadhana, Bhagavad Gita, and more…
Online Workshops – Join senior teachers and special guests for relevant topics to build Stress Resilience, Increase Immunity, Yoga and Ayurveda Health, Jyotish, Vastu, and Sound Healing.
The next Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Courses Online are:
September 2 – 30, 2020 (for Asia time-zones)
October 17 – November 14, 2020 (for USA time-zones)

The Ashram remains an oasis of peace in the world. We look forward to welcoming you back to your spiritual home.

Your generous support to Swamiji’s mission will keep the Yoga Farm strong and vital during the pandemic. Please donate here: https://sivanandayogafarm.org/donation/

Meanwhile in August the online TTC progressed beautifully. The students completed their first week and are inspired to be able to connect to the teaching and with each other. Swami Sitaramananda linked in from Vietnam for a joint Satsang with the Vietnam TTC and Yoga Farm TTC. It was wonderful to feel we are all united in Swamiji’s vision. TTC students enjoyed the Main lecture, Chanting, Gita and Hatha Yoga Classes and adapted well to the online format. They do their karma yoga at home by taking care of their practice space, altar, cooking, etc. Swami Sitaramanandaji gave a fascinating talk on Reincarnation to the TTC; Swami Jnaneswariananda taught the Anatomy and Physiology lectures while we thanked MahaVidya (Mary Thompson) for a wonderful and informative Intro to Ayurveda talk, with much emphasis on lifestyle choices. One of the highlights was the Talent Show, with students sharing wonderful and very sweet talents including music, poetry, singing, chanting and dog tricks. Arun Deva, Ayurveda Practitioner, began a 4-week Ayurveda and Yoga Psychology course for Emotional Intelligence, with application of Yoga and Ayurveda practices for emotional well-being. The summer heat beginning to subside with hints of Fall in the air. The wildfires were still a problem in California but we are safe. The staff and karma yogis are doing well. The garden produced many greens and flowers. We are grateful for this opportunity to serve. May all feel Master and Swamiji’s blessings. Om.

http://www.sivananda.org/farm

Om Namo Narayanaya, Blessed Selves. Our reopening date is scheduled for November 1st, 2020. There is still a small group of us on property who are maintaining the Ashram way of life through daily Satsangs, yoga and teachings.

Meanwhile, in August the staff celebrated Krishna Jayanti, with a vigil that lasted past midnight, many bhajans, and ample trays of delicious Prasad. Around the grounds, the palm trees were sheared of their loose branches and coconuts in order to keep the trees healthy and the people safe. Online courses continued to go well. We began to livestream the daily two o’clock yoga class so that people around the world can join us for that hour and a half of asana, pranayama, and relaxation. We spent several days intensely engaged in karma yoga projects in order to make the Ashram secure and ready for the storm season. It was amazing to see how much our little group can accomplish when working together with focused efforts – three platforms of tents and their furniture were packed and moved, many storages were given a deep clean to make way for the furniture, and kitchen cleanups were quick and easy with many hands helping. Amidst all of the physical activity, the mind also continued to be kept in good shape as we continued to have both Satsang and the Vedanta classes with Swamini Atmaprakashananaji. Swaminiji concluded teaching the Mundaka Upanishad and we are both eagerly awaiting the next course and grateful for this respite to rest after work.We had a festive celebration for the birth of Lord Ganesha, with a Puja in the main Temple, led by Krishnan Namboodiri, chanting, and several trays of delicious Prasad. Online courses continued to go well. Every day our Satsangs and yoga classes are live-streamed for people to watch from anywhere around the globe. Krishna Chaitanya began teaching the online course Essentials of Yoga I, giving detailed explanations of how to come in, sustain, and come out of the primary Asanas that we practice. We bade a fond farewell to Lalita, who spent a year here providing excellent service in accounting, the garden, the kitchen, and everywhere else she was needed. We wished her safe travels, good continuation of Sadhana, and we looked forward to seeing her back in the Ashram very soon! We continue to send our prayers to the worldwide community. May all be well and may this be an opportunity to turn inward to that which is eternal and ever-free. Om Shanti. Om.

Please visit our Online Program page for the latest schedule. https://sivanandabahamas.org/visiting-the-Ashram/Online-program/ We look forward to continuing to add Online programs, courses and guest speakers to our calendar. https://www.sivanandabahamas.org/travel-update/

http://www.sivananda.org/nassau

Om Namah Sivaya. The Seminarhaus is open. We look forward to seeing you for a relaxing yoga vacation in the mountains and Nature. Yoga Teacher Training Courses in August and September. Meanwhile, live Online Yoga, Workshops, Webinars and Group Meditations continue online. Receive all the latest information via our newsletter. https://www.sivananda.at/en/newsletter

In August the students of the residential TTC course were eager to learn and happy to be here. The vacation guests enjoyed the classes, Satsangs and walks in nature. Several students joined us for the further education course “Expand your Asanas”, with Narayani. They appreciated the course very much. The live online yoga classes, webinars and Satsangs continued also. From India, the priest led us in another elevating Puja for Lord Rama. S.K. Kamlesh continued with the Ayurveda Nutrition Course. The August TTC went very well. Many students took mantra initiation. The participants from the online TTCs completed the additional module successfully. All the residential TTCs passed the exam and we closed this first residential TTC during the Coronavirus pandemic with a beautiful graduation ceremony. During an evening Satsang participants from the Music Summer School Course provided a celebratory end to the TTC with heart-opening kirtans. Shankara Schneider, who is a close student from the Munich Centre, led the music course. The vacation guests enjoyed their time in nature, as well as the yoga classes and Satsangs. The live online yoga classes, webinars and Satsangs continued also. From India, the priest led us in another elevating Puja for Ganesha. We were thankful that we are able to serve the students both online and at the retreat house. OM.

http://www.sivananda.org/tyrol

Om Namah Sivaya. The Masters keep sending prana and inspiration. At the end of June the Ashram de Yoga Sivananda in Orleans reopened to the public. We continued to offer special interest courses online. You can keep in touch via our newsletter. The teachings of the Masters continued to inspire hundreds of people every day. Together, we can put to practice one of the instructions of Swami Sivananda: “Adapt to all situations”. Take care of yourself, take care of others. See you soon. OM.

In August, we welcomed a great group of students for the Sadhana Intensive program. Most of them had attended the course at least once before so the energy was special with a number of close students joining this group. The TTC group engaged its second week calmly and positively. We had a beautiful week preparing for the Temple anniversary. The staff got busy in many ways. We celebrated over 5 days, with a chanting Satsang, theatre play, two days of story telling from the Srimad Bhagavatam. The event ended with our Krishna Jayanti Puja. The students responded very well to this taste of bhakti in its various forms.

Also continuing,
Unite for a Healthy Planet – Every 1st Sunday of the month at 2PM Continental European Time for 30 minutes. https://sivanandaorleans.org/unite-for-a-healthy-planet

http://www.sivananda.org/orleans

Om Namah Sivaya from DaLat Ashram. The DaLat Ashram is open. In August several courses were postponed, as we decided not to accept new guests during the current outbreak of Covid-19 in Vietnam. TTC continued as usual, though with stringent daily checks and reporting to local government health officials. Students started their study of anatomy and physiology with Swami Pranavananda. The students enjoyed a labyrinth walk, and in the evening a talk via video link by Ram Vakkalanka on Yoga and sound. The students studied and practiced more around the subject of mantra with most of the group receiving mantra initiation in an early morning ceremony. All were entertained with a creative and imaginative talent show, after which TTC students were happy to receive their spiritual names. The Ashram was also busy with the “Taste of TTC” online event which was broadcast with translation to students on Vietnam, Japan, Taiwan, China and Korea. All are well and thankful for Guru’s grace and protection.

Directly after the TTC, several courses started to enable new TTC graduates to continue their learning. First of all was a two day course on nutrition and cooking, led by Sivakami. A five day Children’s Yoga Teacher Training course followed immediately, 5 participants joined the course. Gentle Yoga Teacher Training followed, attended by 12 students. All were happy to continue learning and practicing more in depth. After TTC we were again able to open the Ashram to regular guests, and welcomed several Yoga Vacationers. We celebrated both Ganesha Chatiurthi and the birthday of Ganga Chaitanya and Saraswati with a Ganesha Homa, the usual Prasad supplemented with a special birthday cake. Swami Sitaramananda left the Ashram for a short trip to Ho Chi Minh City, giving Satsang there. The Staff continued to be inspired and looked forward to busy times in the coming months, grateful for Guru’s grace and protection. Om.

www.sivanandayogavietnam.org/

Om Namah Sivaya. Due to the unpredictability of the on-going COVID-19 situation nationally and locally we have had to change our opening dates. We request that you contact your local Centres and Ashrams directly for their latest update. Our thoughts are with you all and we pray that you keep well and positive during these challenging times. May Master and Swamiji bless us with true devotion and blessings be with us all! Pranams. Om.