Yoga Life Winter 2015 WEB

8/18/2019 Yoga Life Winter 2015 WEB

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$5 Canada $3.50 US £2.50 UK 3.70 € Europe Autumn/Winter 2015

S E R V E • L O V E • G I V E • P U R I F Y • M E D I T A T E • R E A L I Z E

Unity of ExistenceSwami Sivananda

Mental Processesin YogaSwami Durgananda

Nerve Impulse and PranaImpulse in your Daily PracticeSwami Sivadasananda

Celebrating The First International Day of Yoga A SPECIAL REPORT Page 26 – 38

Also in this issue


2/802 YOGALife|Autumn/Winter 2015

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EDITOR’S LETTER

2015 has been a landmark in the planetaryawareness about the benefits of yoga: thecelebration of the first International Yoga Day onJune 21, an initiative of prime Minister NarendraModi endorsed by the United Nations, has indeedgiven yoga a new platform in the world.

It was celebrated by millions of enthusiasticpractitioners, and people of all countries became

increasingly aware that yoga is not just aboutflexibility, but is a life-style aiming at inner andouter peace. The words of the Indian Prime Minister‘Yoga embodies unity of mind and body, thoughtand action, restraint and fulfilment, harmonybetween man and nature, a holistic approachto health and wellbeing’, echo the teachings ofSwami Sivananda and Swami Vishnudevananda,who worked tirelessly throughout their lives to

promote the true spirit of yoga. They taught thatYoga does not only bring individual health andwellbeing, but that it reconnects us with our trueself. It carries a powerful message of unity andpeace. It offers clear and practical solutions to helpovercome the consciousness crisis the world isgoing through.

The Sivananda Centres participated in the cele-

bration worldwide, from Tokyo to San Francisco,Buenos Aires to London. This issue’s main articlefeatures a report on this wonderful celebration.

May Yoga help each and all to expandand remove the barriers that separate us fromone another.

Om Shanti,

The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, London

Swami Sivananda (1887 – 1963)The spiritual strength behind the SivanandaYoga Vedanta Centres, Swami Sivananda’s

teachings are a synthesis of all the formaldoctrines of yoga. Author of more than300 books on yoga, Swami Sivananda wasa medical doctor before renouncing worldly lifefor the spiritual path. He founded the Divine LifeSociety and the Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy,Rishikesh, Himalayas. His main message was:

Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate, Realise. In 1957 he sent one of hisforemost disciples, Swami Vishnudevananda to the West to spread the idealsof yoga. Swami Sivananda entered Mahasamadhi on July 14th 1963.

Swami Vishnudevananda (1927 – 1993)Born in South India in 1927, SwamiVishnudevananda entered the ashram

of Swami Sivananda at the age of 18.A world famous authority on Hatha andRaja Yoga, Swami Vishnudevananda foundedthe International Sivananda Yoga VedantaCentres in 1957 and was author ofThe Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga ,Meditation and Mantras, Karma and Disease

and a commentary on the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Swami Vishnudevanandaentered Mahasamadhi on November 9th, 1993.

HEADQUARTERSSIVANANDA ASHRAM YOGA CAMPEighth Avenue, Val Morin, Quebec, Canada JOT 2RO

Tel: +1 819 322 3226

email: [email protected]

With ashrams and centres located around the world see page 60 for addresses

The Executive Board of the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres is comprised

of senior disciples of Swami Vishnudevananda, personally chosen and trainedby him to direct the organisation after his departure. Each of them has hadmany years’ experience in teaching all aspects of yoga. They are renownedfor their devotion to Swami Vishnudevananda and Swami Sivananda and fortheir profound knowledge and inspirational teaching and guidance, wisdomimparted to many thousands of students throughout the world.

We welcome Swami Sitaramananda, Acharya for our West Coastand Asian Centres, as a new member on the Executive Board.

Swami DurganandaSwami SwaroopanandaSrinivasan

Swami SivadasanandaSwami KailasanandaSwami Sitaramananda

The Executive Board

International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres

Welcome

Est 1957

Swami Durgananda Swami Swaroopananda

Swami Sivadasananda Swami SitaramanandaSwami Kailasananda

Srinivasan

The International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres, founded by Swami Vishnudevananda

is a non-profit organisation whose purpose is to propagate the teachings of yogaand vedanta as a means of achieving physical, mental and spiritual well-being andSelf-realisation.

Cover

International Day of Yoga: Swami Keshavananda teaches a free yoga class to 600 people at London’s South Bank in the heartof the City



CONTENTS

6 Unity of Existence By Swami Sivananda

8 Mental Processes in Yoga By Swami Durgananda

13 Sri Akhandeswara Mahadev Temple Installation FestivalSivananda Kutir, Netala, Himalayas

14 The Young SwamijiRecollections of Swami Vishnudevananda’s Childhood. By Kamala Devi

18 Nerve Impulse and Prana Impulse in your Daily PracticeBy Swami Sivadasananda

22 The Failure of Preventive Medicine By Dr. Gerhard Brand, MD24 The Diaphragm – An Amazing Muscle By Swami Rajeshwarananda

26 The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres Celebratethe first International Day of Yoga – A Special Report

40 How the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centreshelp the Community through its Charitable Works

42 Staff Refresher, 2015 A Special Report by Swami Gokulananda

46The Joy of Watching an Ashram GrowThe blossoming of the Ashram de Yoga Sivananda in Orleans, France

By Swami Bhagavatananda

48 A Funny Thing Happened to me on the Way HomeFrom the Yoga Class By Ken Whiteley

51Going up to Vishnu PeakA challenging journey to the ‘Om Namo Narayanaya Mantra Bank’ at Gangotri,

in the Himalayas. By Swami Shivabhaktananda

52 Peace Déjà Vu A personal experience of the Advanced Teachers’ Training Coursein Rudraprayag, India. By Sivani

54 Developments at Madurai Ashram, South India

56 Night Blindness Understanding the significance of night in our lives, health,and spirituality. By Rubin R. Naiman58 Spiritual Humour

60 The Lives of Saints – Mahatma Gandhi By Swami Sivananda62 A Divine Yogic Feast Vegetarian Recipes by Chris Cooper

68 Prison Yoga Outreach Programme The Sivananda Yoga Teachers’Training Course Goes to Prison

72 Sivananda Ashram and Centre NewsUpdates on new developments in Ashrams and Centres around the world

76 Sivananda Ashram and Centre AddressesA listing of Sivananda Ashrams, Centres and teachers worldwide

SIVANANDA

8

42

62

26

6 14 18


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ne Soul abides in all. There is one humanity andone brotherhood. There is one Brahman-hood.None is high, none is low, all are equal. Vain are

all distinctions. The man-made barriers shouldbe ruthlessly broken down. Then alone will there be peace.There is only one caste: the caste of humanity. There is only

one religion: the religion of love. There is only one commandment:the commandment of truthfulness. There is only one law: thelaw of cause and effect. There is only one God: the omnipresent,omnipotent and omniscient Lord. There is only one language:the language of the heart or the language of silence.

All life is one. The world is one home. All are membersof one human family. All creation is an organic whole. No manis independent of that whole. Man makes himself miserableby getting himself separated from others, and separation is

death. Unity is eternal life. Cultivate cosmic love. Recognise theworth of others. Destroy all barriers – the racial, religious andnatural prejudices that separate man from man. Recognise thenon-dual Principle, the immortal essence within all creatures.Protect animals and let all life be sacred. Then this world will be

a paradise of beauty. It will be a haven of peace and tranquillity.When one Brahman dwells in all living beings, why do you

hate others? Why do you sneer and frown at others? Why doyou use harsh words? Why do you try to rule and dominateover others? Why do you exploit others? Why are you intolerant?

Is this not the height of folly? Is this not sheer ignorance?Learn to live as members of a single family. Champion theideal of one humanity. Live in peace in the world. All arechildren of God. The whole world is a family of God. Feel this,realise this and be happy.

Behold the One-in-all and the all-in-One. Feel: “I am theall”, and “I am in all”. Feel: “All bodies are mine. The wholeworld is my body, my sweet home. I work in all and through allhands. I eat through all mouths. I am the immortal Self in all.”Repeat Om mentally. Feel the oneness of life or unity of conscious-ness, when you play football or tennis, when you drink or eat,when you talk or sing, when you sit or walk when you bathe or

dress, when you write a letter, when you do work in the office,when you answer the calls of nature. Spiritualise all youractions, movements, thoughts and feelings. Transmute them intoYoga. Then everything will become worship of the Lord.

6 YOGALife|Autumn/Winter 2015

UNITY OF EXISTENCE

Unity of ExistenceIn this extract from Sivananda’s Gospel of Divine Life , Swami Sivanandamakes the ultimate declaration of peace – the Unity of Existence.

By Swami Sivananda

“Learn to live as members of a single family. Champion the ideal of one humanity.Live in peace in the world. All are children of God. The whole world is a family

of God. Feel this, realise this and be happy.”

O

Where is a true and lasting peace to be found?



UNITY OF EXISTENCE

“There is only one religion:the religion of love”

– Swami Sivananda


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By SwamiDurgananda


MENTAL PROCESSES IN YOGA

"How can I keep up my regular yoga practice if I live in

a big city, amongst all possible circumstances of daily

life, with very little time for yoga?"

Mental Processesin

YOGA




he mental capacity for yoga sadhana or spiritualpractice requires preparation in daily life. SwamiVishnudevananda’s guide for spiritual practiceconsists of the five points: proper exercise, proper

breathing, proper relaxation, proper diet, positive thinking andmeditation. All of them ultimately lead to spiritual practice:

concentration is developed in the yoga asanas and becomeseven deeper in pranayama. Finding the right kind of relaxationis absolutely necessary in this day and age if you want to keepyour inner balance. Spiritual development is further enhancedby applying even a few principles of pure diet. The last of thefive points is explicitly mental: positive thinking and meditation.

In this perspective, “time for yoga” is a mental process.The yoga postures and breathing exercises keep the bodysufficiently fit for mental work. Swami Sivananda says thatthis mental work requires a cool head, emotional balance anda strong and healthy body. On the other hand, yoga practitionerswho actually have physical ailments often do not appear as sick,

and do not feel as bad as the severity of their disease wouldsuggest; this is the power of the yogic attitude. A yogi is a personwho is aware of the mental activities and knows how to directthem. There is no mental repression in this process, as thethoughts are actually being redirected.

Constantly giving in to the tendency of the senses weakensthe will power. The practice of asanas and pranayama builds upthe necessary energy to resist this pulling of the senses. Simpletapas or austerities protect the mind and can be integratedeasily into daily life: one day without sugar or without a news -paper or other media. The mind may try to resist and say: “I want itnow”. But due to your own rational decision, the mind will not

get it. Viveka, the power of discrimination, kept the upper hand.This results in a quiet state, away from the non-stop chaseof “I want to possess this” and “I want to enjoy that”. As onedesire is fulfilled, the next one comes up, and this happensfaster than the speed of light, which is 300,000 kilometres persecond. The mind moves faster than the speed of light.

We know that we are creating our future with our thoughts:what I am now corresponds to what I thought in the past, andin the future I will be what I am thinking now. So there is hopethat things can change. Hate may change, greed may change.In this process of transformation there is no repression. Newsynapses are formed in the brain as new thoughts are repeatedly

being affirmed. A new mode of thinking is created. Science isnow able to detect thought patterns and major mental trendsin the brain. Patanjali Maharishi, who formulated the principlesof raja yoga, called these thoughts samskaras, thoughts whichrepeat themselves and form strong impressions. Both raja yogaand modern science affirm that these impressions can be changed.However it requires a great amount of mental work.

Another aspect of this mental work is a gradual awarenessof your sensory perceptions. You become aware that everythingyou see, hear, smell, taste and touch is a relative impression.These impressions are finite. This awareness changes the waywe look at the world around us. Also disease, physical impair-

ments and aging will look different. The same is true for beautyand personal talents. The way we look at them changes. Youvirtually take a bird's eye view, you do not remain stuck in anysensory impression.

When we come to understand that everything that surrounds

us exists in exactly the same way within ourselves, that is whatthe masters call ‘real thinking’ or ‘cosmic thinking’. Natureconstantly changes: the planets, the Milky Way, the explosions,etc. The body undergoes the same changes. Outside we callit natural disasters, and inside these can be diseases.

This type of thinking stimulates the reflection on what

is infinite and what is finite, what is true and what is not true,what is permanent and what is impermanent. One begins toobserve one’s own habits, for example, from where the angerarises, and you wonder how it can be overcome. One comes tothe conclusion that new habits are necessary. Master Sivanandaspeaks of ‘wrong’ and ‘right’ action. If the quality of the actionis recognised, then new tendencies can replace the old habits.‘Wrong’ thoughts are those which drag us down: fear, jealousy,envy, greed, etc. ‘Right’ thoughts, however, are full of joy andserenity. Negative action may have closed up certain mental

functions, but it is possible to reopen them. Negative actionsor thought currents are those which do not lead to a moreopen, healthy worldview. Suppose, for example, there is fearof spiders. One can train oneself to overcome this phobia,by welcoming the spider when it shows up. The mental functionmust undergo training so that we can experience inner peace.It is possible to meet the spider peacefully rather than crushingit. The same goes for colleagues and other people whom you

may not particularly like: you can deal with them peacefullyrather than crush them. This is Yoga in daily life: you may notbe able to choose the people around you. And even if it allstarted in a positive way, the controlled and gracious behaviourthat was shown at the recruitment interview may change thenwhen there is time pressure, fatigue and work overload. As itmay not be possible to simply move away from the situation,it requires mental training to keep your balance, which in turnneeds energy, and that energy can be drawn from the practiceof asanas and pranayama.

The mind learns not to immediately respond to everything,not immediately to be angry, not to fall immediately into the

“Me” and “Mine” thought: “Why me? Why does this happenalways to ME? And I, I, I ...“. That is what distinguishes greatyogis. It does not really matter how long they can stand on thehead or hold their breath, live without food or are able tocontrol certain body functions. Circus artists may do this evenbetter, but that is not the real thing. One recognises the Yogiby the equanimity, the serenity and the fresh attitude towardssituations and people. He does not say, "I already know this,it is always the same problem", and then proceed accordingto his own mental habits. Habitual thought patterns veil theintuition and make it difficult to pursue new paths in anenthusiastic way.

Meaningful austerity includes doing good to someone else,giving the most precious thing we have, and that is our time.Love takes time. Health takes time. Serving people takes time.Really doing a favour takes time. A really good gift for example,needs a lot of time until we find what the other person can

T

“A yogi is a person who is aware

of the mental activities and knowshow to direct them.”


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really use and what makes him or her happy. It is a very efficientexercise in austerity to devote time to someone else. In this waythe egoism, which veils the intuition, is reduced. If we still thinkthat we have “no time for Yoga”, then it is even more austerityto give this apparently non-existent time to others.

Another remarkable exercise of spiritual practice consistsin taking a few minutes to see the relativity of things and theirfinite nature. It is the choice of seeing the glass half full or halfempty. If intuition is covered by egoism, then the glass willalways be “half empty” because greed has taken the upperhand and always wants more and more for oneself. But onceyou have determined that the car in the garage is not the basis

for your happiness, you have taken a major step.Yoga is a science, because we experiment with ourselves.Therefore it has nothing to do with religion, but rather withan attitude not to resign oneself to negative thinking and tocultivate the power for personal change instead. It all happensonly on the mental plane. Outwardly the same things mayhappen as before: you get sick, you lose the job, etc., but theway you deal with it has changed, by the yogic thinking, whichwas developed step-by-step. This is one of the most importantaspects of the yoga practice and does not require time. All itneeds is strength.

It is said that the seekers of self-realisation find intuitive

knowledge of who we really are and what is really going onin this universe. These intuitive revelations are the sourceof the yogic scriptures: the Vedas, the various Upanishads or the Bhagavad Gita . They tell us that we have a great potential,that there is great wisdom within us, and that this great bliss,ananda, may be experienced. That is the overwhelmingmessage of the scriptures: Yoga can be experienced.

However, it requires a change of lifestyle, a transformationof habits. Actually the entire way of life has to be reviewed.Those who deal exclusively with the things which can beexperienced by the senses, are veiled by the Unreal, by Maya,the illusion of life. Those who look beyond these things, turn

to the Higher, the Divine. The inner path begins when thequestion arises: “Who am I? What is the meaning of all this?”It is really all about personal practice. Swami Vishnudevananda

often told a joke which contains a lot of truth: I am posting asign next to my bed or in the bathroom which says: “TomorrowI will practice asanas.” Each time you read it, it says “tomorrow “.We get entangled in many worldly concerns and it becomesdifficult to untie the knot. Only practice helps. The longer wepractice with sincerity, the easier it becomes to open the knot.This condition of the human mind regarding this situation hashardly changed over the centuries. So many spiritual practiceshave already been offered and so many really fantastic masters

have walked on this earth, but if the respective era is over, it isonly history. In this regard, Swami Sivananda clearly emphasised:“Do not make a religion out of me, be practitioners.”

Getting oneself entangled in this way happens again andagain, so there is no need to feel inferior and think that you are

the only one to whom this happens. The whole of humanitygets itself entangled again and again. We live in this world inorder to learn not to get ourselves entangled, and to recognisethe entanglement and how to get out of it. In this respect theobjects of the world serve as a training ground. The objectsexist in order to learn how to renounce them. This is the inner

path, the necessity of the inner practice.Many practitioners do recognise the entanglement, but donot understand that this is a recurring normality. Therefore theysay “I'm not yet ready for this.” It is recommended to be gentlewith oneself when the entanglement comes up again, to lookahead and not to fall into apathy and lethargy, to become sleepyand disinterested with regard to the question “Who am I?”.Swami Vishnudevananda often said that many people areactually in a permanent state of sleep with open eyes. It is truethat often life situations lead to apathy and disinterest. One isonly interested in one’s own area, quickly closes the door andthinks: “Let them all do what they want.” We are lacking

strength and this sleepiness is often enhanced by dietary habits,alcohol and the lifestyle in general. The time available toactually educate oneself and to be awake is quite short in onelifetime. During the four week yoga Teachers’ Training courseone can see how much one is capable of achieving in a shortperiod of time. This has to be experienced directly. Theoreticalstudy of books cannot give this knowledge. Yoga provides anexperience that you did not know before, and this experienceis based on one’s own practice.

It is about the experience of real happiness that is independentof external things. It is good to remember this, so that yoga isnot used exclusively on the material level, for example, to look

slimmer, to be more successful or to be more relaxed. Whenit is seen that this inner happiness cannot be equated withmoney and success, then one is ready to make changes in lifeby making it a bit simpler.

With this the confidence in the Sadhana will grow. Withpractice comes experience. This goes beyond belief. You do notbelieve that yoga is good for you, you know it. This makes youmore awake and younger. It may take a while until you havefound your path and the right teaching lineage. Therefore SwamiSivananda says that perseverance is especially important.

The five points defined by Swami Vishnudevananda appearsimple and below the intellectual capacities of even a beginner

student. But it may actually take years until you come to under-stand that these five points contain a profound wisdom. It maywell happen that one gives up the practice too early, becauseone does not want to hear or read always the same instructions.There is a lack of perseverance to wait and allow somethingto develop. The teachings have to become interwoven with dailylife and that happens only through persistent practice. Thereis no way around it.



Swami Durgananda is Yoga Acharya (spiritual director)of the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres in Europe.

e-mail: [email protected]

Taken from lectures given by Swami Durgananda in February 2015 at the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres in Vienna,Berlin and Reith near Kitzbühel, Tyrol, Austria.

“It requires mental training to keep yourbalance, which in turn needs energy,and that energy can be drawn from thepractice of asanas and pranayama.”



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Founder: Swami Vishnudevananda. Est 1957

www.sivananda.eu · Contact: [email protected]

Fascinating IndiaRudraprayag, Himalayas 2016

SwamiVishnudevananda

1927–1993

Swami Sivananda1887–1963

International Sivananda

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SWAMI SIVANANDASWAMI

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Sivananda Yoga Seminarhaus, Reith bei KitzbühelFounder: Swami Vishnudevananda, est. 1957Bichlach 40, Reith near Kitzbühel, Tyrol, AustriaBooking: [email protected]: + 43 5356 / 6 74 04www.sivananda.at • www.sivananda.eu

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TEMPLE INSTALLATION REPORT


Early Spring was a time of tremendous energy and activityat the Sivananda Kutir ashram in Netala with TTC goingon alongside the preparations for the Installation Festivalof the Sri Akhandeswara Mahadev Temple.

The auspicious morning of the installation began with a pujaconducted by four priests from Kerala and four local brahmins. Overthe next week countless pujas and fire rituals were offered both insideand outside the temple throughout the days and evenings. A temporarypuja area was constructed in front of the temple in the dining hall,

beautifully decorated with plants, banana trees, temple umbrellas,fresh marigold garlands and flowers throughout. The Ashram wascolourfully decorated with festive lights and decorations, and the newtemple was completely filled with hundreds of fresh marigold garlands.

Srinivasanji, Prahladji and visiting staff from our Ashrams andCentres in India and guests from south India: Mr & Mrs Mamallanfrom Trivandrum, Dr. V. Narayanasamy and his wife, daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter from Madurai, Mr Ananta Krishnan andLalitha Amma from Palakkad, Vishnu from Toronto and Durairaj fromChennai were all on hand for the festival. The TTC concluded with abeautiful graduation satsang led by Prahladji and an inspirational talkby Srinivasanji. Many of the new teachers chose to stay on after theceremony to enjoy the festivities.

Local village Devatas from both Siror and Netala were also invitedto offer puja to Sri Akhandeswara Mahadev and they were each givenbeautiful South Indian temple umbrellas know as muthukudas. Duringone special puja, bells rang, conches were sounded and traditionaltemple music could be heard throughout the village as a mothercow and her calf were led to the temple for darshan. More than100 sadhus were in attendance, including Swami Janardananda,Swami Hariomananda and Swami Govindananda who sat and

chanted Rama Namam, bhajans and arati at the evening Bhandara.An offering of dakshina was given to each of them.

The auspicious concluding ceremony took place with Prahladjiand the priests rollingup their dhotis and climbing on scaffolding tothe top of the temple to offer Kalasa puja. Flowers and water prasadwere showered upon all. The sounds of Om Namah Sivaya, bells andPanchavadyam music filled the air and all were in awe of the beautifulvision of Sri Akhandeswara Mahadev’s garlands and elegant silver face.The evening concluded with puja and arati.

This was a unique, high energy event full of meaningful rituals withthe majestic Himalayas above Mother Ganga at Swamiji’s Mahasamadhiplace receiving the blessings of all who attended the ceremony.

The beautiful, colourful south Indian temple now soars high for all

to see and many locals stop on the bridge to offer their prayers andsee this magnificent addition to their village. The temple is open dailyfrom 6.30am – 12 noon and 4 – 6.30pm for the public darshan.

Om Namah Sivaya!Sri Akhandeswara Mahadeva Swamine Namaha!

Sri Akhandeswara Mahadev Temple

INSTALLATION FESTIVALSivananda Kutir, Netala27th April – 3rd May, 2015

“Bells rang, conches were soundedand traditional temple music couldbe heard throughout the village”

From Top left to right: Sri Akhandeswara Temple, Bhandara,The Sivananda Kutir Ashram next to the River Ganges.Inside the Temple – Sri Akhandeswara Mahadev



THE YOUNG SWAMIJI

Nemarra High School photo.Circled: The young Swamiji aged about twelve.Swamiji had to walk three miles and sometimes swim across the Gayatri Riverto reach school


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BackgroundSwami Vishnudevananda was born Swami Kuttan Nair inKaninmangalam, near Nemmara, in the Native State of Cochin(now Kerala) in 1927, a son of the famous warrior caste ofKerala, the Nairs. The Nairs are an ancient and extraordinarycaste. Although customs and traditions differ within various Naircommunities, they had their own marital customs (sambandham),their own form of matrilineal inheritance (marumakkathayam),their own art of warfare (kalarippayattu), their own war goddess

(Bhadrakali), their own cult of ancestor worship, and their ownart form, kathakali (dance drama). In swordsmanship and suicidesquads (chavers) they were similar to the Samurai of Japan.In feudal times the Nairs formed the chief militia in Kerala, andtravellers were as struck by their valour and military prowessas they were fascinated by the customs and traditions whichdistinguished them from other Keralites. Early writers describedthem as ‘exceedingly haughty, proud and bold’.

The Nairs lived in matrilineal joint families known as tarawads.They generally lived away from the towns in detached houseswith large compounds and good gardens. The plan and otherdetails of the structure of Nair houses were determined in strict

conformity with the principles of the ancient Hindu science ofarchitecture based on astrology (vastu).

The tarawad or marumakkathayam family consisted in theoryof all persons who could trace their descent in the female linefrom a single ancestress, and a single house could sometimescontain a hundred people, spanning three or four generations.

Swamiji’s tarawad, or traditional family home, was knownas Valia Peechankurichy Veedu: ‘Peechankurichy’ being thename of the house, ‘valia’ meaning ‘big’ and ‘veedu’ meaning‘house’. It had five rooms on the ground floor, six rooms on thefirst floor and open space on the third floor for storing grain.There were also two halls on the first floor and two halls on the

ground floor. All four sides had long sit-outs which were approx-imately one hundred feet by fifteen feet to accommodate anynumber of people during feasts and festivities. Guests comingfrom far off villages slept in these courtyards on mats andpillows provided by the family.

The family had three parcels of land totalling five hundredacres (five thousand paras) as well as two plantations (‘gardens’)adjacent to some rivers. Here they grew coconuts, mangoes andother fruits.

Swamiji’s father, Sri Chatthu Panicker, was said to have beena first class farmer and one of the important agriculturists in thearea. The local people often spoke of the effort he put into hisfarming. He would take the bullocks to the field at 3am andimmediately begin ploughing. As the bullocks had to come fromfar away they would have startedout at midnight or one am. A greatdeal of effort was put into theland and it was universallyadmired as being very beautiful.It was from his father thatSwamiji first acquired his highly-developed sense of discipline.

Swamiji’s mother was SrimatiDevaki Amma (later SwamiSivasarananda), the daughterof Srimati Cheechu Ammaof Valia Peechankurichy Veeduand Sri Padmanabha Shastry,a revered Sanskrit scholar and Veda pandit attached to thePalace of the Maharaja of Cochin. Swamiji’s mother was verypious. All felt that Devaki Amma had the full characteristics ofher father and that Swami must have had his blessings as well.

There was a pond near the house and a Subramania Shestramnearby. The land near the Temple belonged to Swamiji’s fatherand Devaki Amma would go there and pray every day for at leastone or two hours. Everyone in the family thought that that waswhy no one had any diseases among their near and dear ones.


THE YOUNG SWAMIJI

By all accounts, the striking personality of the young Swamiji was clear to all from his very earliest years.It had three distinct strands: a resolute and fearless determination,a capacity to discriminate between genuine religious observance and superstition, and a deep and abiding compassion for all living beings.

What was the background to this striking personality?

Swami Vishnudevananda’s mother, Devaki Amma, who later became Swami Sivasharanananda

“As a child Swamiji loved bhakti storieslike Kabirdas. He also loved to go forTemple celebrations.”

The Young Swamiji

What was he like, the young Swamiji?He was, his mother said, ‘a very adamant fellow’.

By Kamala Devi


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As a child Swamiji loved bhakti stories like Kabirdas. He alsoloved to go for Utsavam (Temple celebrations) to see the chariotbeing pulled and he loved to take friends to go and see it as well.

DeterminationIt was his powerful determination that Swamiji’s mother wasreferring to when she described him as ‘a very adamant fellow’.Illustrating with an incident from his infancy Mataji told of howonce the young Swami Kuttan had refused to eat until someof the food on his plate was removed. There was too much, hehad said, take some away. Mataji explained that the dog couldhave what was left, and instructed him to eat. Again he refused:there was too much food, and some should be removed. Mataji,in her own words, ‘beat him on the leg’ until his leg swelled.Still he would not eat, nor did he cry. It became clear thatbeating was useless. Mataji relented and removed some of thefood. Swami ate, and Mataji resolved never to beat him again.

Hand in hand with this resolute determination came a remark-able fearlessness. Swamiji’s cousin, Sri Achuthan recalled:

In his younger days Swami had no fear at all. There was amango tree near the house where we lived. If you climbed rightto the top you could see our house from the top of that tree.Once he saw me when I was climbing down. I told him that Ihad climbed up to try and pick some mangoes. He asked ‘Didyou get any?’ I told him ‘No’, I didn’t manage to get any. Theyare a bit too high to reach.’

So Swami climbed up and the branch broke and the stick heused to collect the mangoes also broke. When the branch brokehe fell down to the ground after getting hit by other brancheson the way to the ground. He broke his arm. It became a hugeevent and everyone gathered around. My father was very goodwith medicines. He had some medicinal oils that he got fromMysore. There was a toddy shop nearby and that man was goodat tying splints. So he came and with my dad applied oils andusing a white cloth tied a splint. Swami did not cry. Not a dropof tears fell from his eyes. In spite of so much pain he did not cry.

From birth Swami’s diet consisted of milk, fruits, sweets andghee. He refused to drink coffee and tea, and did not likestrong spices or salt. If some butter was added he would eatrice. He would eat idli and dosa. He was golden in colour. Oneday Kunji Amma, a neighbour, looking at Mataji with SwamiKuttan on her lap enquired whether she was the child’s mother,and what food he was being given. The child was lookingbeautiful, Kunji Amma said, while Mataji looked like his servant.‘Chovvari’ (sago payasam) and milk Mataji replied.

In his early years Swami Kuttan lived in Kumaramputhoorfarm, his father’s farm at Pallavur. Because the local school wasthree miles away Swamiji’s mother engaged a tutor to teachhim at home. One day his father’s nephew, Balan, took theyoung boy to his primary school in Thalloor to attend NavaratriPuja. The next day he ran to go to school. Mataji recalled: ‘I didnot permit, as he had to walk three miles and I thought to lethim complete one more year. But he ran again and I chasedhim and brought him back. Again he ran and thereafter heattended school regularly. He started going to school by himselfat the age of five. After passing 4th class he started attendingschool at Nemmara from Pallavoor crossing the Gayatri Riverand streams. If there is water in the river someone would helphim to cross. He had no fear even while young.’

Discrimination‘He did not like talking ill of others. One day when we ladieswere chatting he shouted, “Mother! Mother!” loudly and whenasked what he wants he advised us not to talk ill of others.

He will only tell the truth. When the shopkeeper returnedthe balance once with more money after the purchase of provisions,Swami asked that the excess amount be returned immediately.

He would not ask for money to visit the cinema. Only booksand fees he will ask. He is studying along with rich familychildren. They may eat from hotels, but Swami is satisfied withwhat I give. He will not demand anything from me.’

He was not fond of show or make-up. His dress was simple.It was not because he could not afford, but he had no desirefor costly costumes. He was fond of books. If he took up a bookhe wouldn’t leave it until it was finished.

Compassion‘When the woman sweeping the courtyard was sick, Swamiapplied oil and massaged her legs.

He would not harm animals, nor permit others to harmthem. Whenever he took a bath in the tank, if he found friendscatching fish, he would catch them and bring them home. Hewould advise them not to do it, and he would pay money not

to kill. He would not allow anyone to harm even ants and flies.Swamiji’s elder sister Lakshmi Kutty was advised not to eat

fish and meat and also not to conduct adharma poojas withanimal sacrifice; only oothama poojas to be conducted for thegods. No animal was to be harmed or killed.

When Swami was in the army Balan was laid up with TB.Swami came back from the Punjab on leave and kept Balan’shead on his lap and looked after him until death, reciting God’sname. Earlier, when he was studying, his uncle Murukandi wasin hospital. He looked after his uncle the whole night. He helpedother patients also. He looked after them until death. He wasnot at all afraid. In his younger days he had no fear at all.’


THE YOUNG SWAMIJI

The tank near the Subramanya Temple in Kanninmanglam where Swamiji bathed, and chased the boys catching fish

The paddy fields which once formed part of Swamiji’s family land

Kamala Devi runs an affiliated Sivananda Yoga Centre in Katoomba,NSW, Australia. She is a long time disciple of Swamiji Vishnudevananda andhas helped a lot with the organisation of the archives of Swamiji’s work.

email: [email protected]


17/8017 YOGALife|Autumn/Winter 2015 17 YOGALife|Autumn/Winter 2015

CENTRO DE YOGA SIVANANDA VEDANTA MADRID · Founder: Swami Vishnudevananda · C/ Eraso 4, 28028 Madrid, SpainPhone +34 91 361 51 50 · E-mail: [email protected] · www.sivananda.org/madrid · www.sivananda.eu

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Nerve impulses are clearly defined; they start in a specificplace and travel in one direction to another specific place.

Nerve impulses can be categorised into:• Motor impulses (to muscles for example), which can

be controlled voluntarily. Motor nerve impulses allow youto enter, remain or come out from an asana.

• Sensory impulses, which cannot all be perceived, dependingon the level of wakefulness and awareness. In the asanas themain sensory impulse is the sense of touch. When you actuallyfeel your muscles and joints, this is called proprioception.

• Sympathetic impulses, which create the fight and flightor stress scenario.

• Parasympathetic impulses, which help the body to restand relax.

It is said that a direct control of the so-called involuntarynerve impulses (sympathetic and parasympathetic) is notpossible. But the outcome of asana and pranayama practice

is an effective balance between these two impulses. Yoga practiceis both stimulating (sympathetic) and relaxing (parasympathetic).

The word prana means life energy. Just like the physicalnerve impulses, prana refers to active control and to theawareness of perceptions. At the time when the word pranawas created, the modern scientific observations of the nerveimpulses were not available. But obviously the functions of motor,sensory, sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve impulses wereall well known to the hatha yogis. How otherwise could theydevise such a sophisticated exercise system which balances allthe functions of the nervous system?

Based on these considerations, one could say that the pranaimpulses include all nerve impulses. What would then be amain difference between prana impulse and nerve impulse?

Nerve impulses are controlled either by conscious awarenessand will or by the subconscious mind.

The level of prana impulses, which is different from the nerveimpulses, can be controlled by both: the physical breath and mentalprocesses such as visualisation, concentration and will power.

NERVE IMPULSE AND PRANA IMPULSE

Nerve Impulse andPrana Impulse in yourDaily PracticeBy Swami Sivadasananda



A Simple ExampleWhen you lift one leg in Savasana, this movement is possibledue to motor nerve impulses causing the contraction in variousleg muscles. When you suddenly drop the leg, this is due to thesudden stopping of these nerve impulses.

Incidentally you also inhale while lifting, hold the breath

while the leg is up, and exhale when the leg is dropped. Thisaspect can be considered the prana impulse.

Which impulse is experienced more clearly in this lifting-and-dropping-exercise, the nerve impulse or the prana impulse?As both of them happen simultaneously it is difficult to tellthem apart.

If you modify the exercise, the difference becomes quite obvious:

Adaptation No. 1Inhale and lift the leg. Then exhale, but continue keeping the legup. Only when you have completed the exhalation, drop the leg.

Here you first released the breath, which is the prana

impulse, and then later you stopped the motor nerve impulseto the leg muscles, which caused the leg to drop.Isn’t it surprising how much your motor capacity of holding

the leg up against the gravity was weakened, once you hadexhaled? This shows the difference between prana impulseand nerve impulse and how much the nerve impulse dependson the prana impulse.

Adaptation No. 2Inhale and lift the leg. Keep holding the breath. Drop the legwithout exhaling. Exhale only once you clearly feel the leg onthe floor.

You first released the motor nerve impulse to the leg muscles,and then you released the respiratory impulse, which is theprana impulse.

It is surprising to see that the major sensation of releasewas only felt when you released the breath, the prana impulse.

Connection between the nerve impulseand the prana impulseHow is it possible that the motor nerve impulse which makesthe diaphragm contract (inhalation) and relax (exhalation), cancreate the prana impulse, which allows very different levelsof control and sensation in all body parts?

A possible answer is that the phrenic nerve which suppliesthe motor impulses from the brain to the diaphragm has a rami-fication to the solar plexus. The solar plexus has a wide range

of functions from sensory to sympathetic and parasympathetic.What is difficult to explain in terms of the nervous system ishow the effect of this prana impulse can either be very local orwide spread in the body, depending on the mental visualisation.

Importance of the prana impulsein your practice sessionSwami Vishnudevananda advises a specific order for yourpractice session

• Pranayama (breathing exercises)

• Surya Namaskar (sun salute)

• 12 Basic Asanas with a choice of variations (there are around100 variations to choose from), with a short relaxation aftereach asana

• Final relaxation with autosuggestion


Final Relaxation (Savasana)


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PranayamaIt is advisable to begin with pranayama, as it allows you toconnect again consciously to the prana impulse. The variousexercises create a wave of relaxation with the exhalation, a waveof energy with the inhalation and lead to mental controlof prana (concentration) when you hold the breath. All theseimpulses are experienced while the body is remaining calmand motionless in the meditative sitting pose.

Surya NamaskarIn the sun salute respiratory and muscle control happensimultaneously.

For example, when moving into position 2 (which is identicalto position 11), your muscle effort increases as you are stretchingthe hands and the arms upwards, then lift the shoulder girdle,and control your leg muscles positioning the weight on yourheels. The further you move into the pose the stronger willbe the muscle work.

At the same time you are inhaling. The longer and furtheryou reach upwards and backwards, the longer and deepershould be your effort to inhale, which is done by the diaphragmand the various respiratory muscles of the chest. The momentyou release the position, you also release the breath and startto exhale.

This connection between the power of the breath and thepower of muscle control can be felt in all the 12 poses of thesun salute. You can discover it quite easily with the followingapproach:

1 Start with four sun salutes (4 x 12 movements) and try to makeonly an intermediate muscle effort. Remain a bit below yourmaximum capacity of movement.

2 Now practice two sun salutes with exactly the same muscleeffort, but reducing the depth of your breaths to a minimum.You will see how the same muscle effort results in a clearlyinferior depth of movement.

3 Finally practice two sun salutes with a maximum depth andlength of breath, while maintaining the same muscle effort.By contrast, your muscle control will feel like riding on topof an added energy wave – the prana impulse.

Sun salute ensures that the mastery of the prana impulsewhich was gained from the pranayama exercises, is combinedwith the motor nerve impulses which allow the muscle control.

AsanasPatanjali Maharishi states in the Raja Yoga Sutras , that theasana should be held firmly and comfortably at the same time,while the practitioner should focus on relaxation and meditateon the Infinite. In order to remain in the asana there needs tobe a fine tuning of the muscle tone. This is comparatively easier

in headstand, shoulderstand, plough, fish, sitting forward bend,spinal twist and standing forward bend.

Only the steadiness of the pose can be seen by the outerappearance. All the other aspects mentioned by PatanjaliMaharishi can only be felt subjectively, and the best wayto reach the perception is to focus on the breath:

Each inhalation brings strength and firmness.

Each exhalation brings relaxation and comfort.

A first step towards the meditation on the Infinite is to focuson the expansion of energy. As you continue observing therhythmical interplay of inhalation/exhalation – firmness/comfort,this local energy imprint can expand into a more expandedawareness of vital energy, sometimes flowing from the limbsto the spine and up to the head, sometimes from the abdomenout to all body parts, sometimes moving in a circular way



Alternate Nostril Breathing (Anuloma Viloma)

Pranayama allows

you to connect consciously to the prana impulse

Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar) position 2

Muscle effort increases as you are stretching the hands and the arms upwards


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throughout the body. Each posture will show you its particularenergy patterns. You only need to watch the polarity ofinhalation and exhalation in relation to your body perception.

Final Relaxation

Here the conscious motor control is becoming very subtle. Deepmuscle relaxation requires a greatly reduced flow of motorimpulses to the muscles. This results in a very low muscle tone.

Sensory awareness is stimulated by conscious abdominalbreathing. This stimulates the sensory impulses in the solar

plexus, which in turn increases proprioception or feeling all bodyparts from within the body.

The deepest level of physical relaxation depends on thecombination of conscious abdominal breathing and auto-suggestion. When you focus on any part of the body withgentle breathing, you can feel each muscle in great detail, but

the deepest level of relaxation comes when you actually do notfeel the muscles any more at all. It is as if you had lost this partof the body. As the process of autosuggestion continues fromthe feet up to the head, this process of losing sensation of thebody through deep relaxation continues. However, it does notfeel like you are losing something, because the relaxationreduces the unnecessary amount of prana, which is spent in thebody contraction. The deeper you relax, the more deeply yourecharge your pranic battery.

When the 15 minutes of final relaxation are completed youmay sit quietly in any meditation pose for some time. First youmay sense some physical pulsations in various muscles in thelegs, pelvis and along your spine. This is due to the increasedmotor impulses, which reactivate the muscle tone needed tokeep the body upright. If you sit for a few minutes longer, you

can focus again on the breath: watch the change of breath,when the inhalation joins the exhalation and when the exhalation joins the inhalation. These are the moments when the pranaimpulses flow. You may now be able to feel the prana as a clearlydifferent sensation than the nerve impulses flowing to yourskeletal muscles.

Finally try to bring the awareness of the prana impulse to thethird eye centre between your eyebrows (Ajna Chakra). Here isthe connection between prana impulse and the thought waves,through which the practice of meditation moves from the physicallevel to the mental level.



Sirsasana (Headstand)

Meditation pose

after final relaxation

First you may sense some physical pulsations in various muscles in the legs, pelvis and along your spine

In order to remain in the asana there needs to be a fine tuningof the muscle tone

Swami SivadasanandaYoga Acharya and a senior student of Swami Vishnudevananda, teachesworkshops throughout the Sivananda Centres in Europe and Teachers’Training Courses worldwide. email: [email protected]

Final Relaxation (Savasana)

The deepest level of physical relaxation depends on the combination of conscious abdominal breathing and autosuggestion



DIET AND NUTRITION

he onset of the global obesity epidemic and the globalexplosion of diabetes is based on the most funda-mental misconception in the history of mankind about“proper nutrition”. A hundred years ago in the United

States of America, the quintessential country of affluence andimmigration in the 19th and 20th centuries, sugar consumptionwas 3 kg (6.6 lbs.) per capita per year and obesity was virtuallynonexistent. Three quarters of a century later the per capitasugar consumption has increased to 75 kg (165 lbs.) per yearand obesity affects more than a third of the population.

On behalf of the government,which has the people’smandate to promote good health for all, researchers andnutritionists developed a new nutritional concept which theyhastily announced to an astonished world whose residentswere already burdened by their increased body weight. Theconcept was that fat makes you fat and eating easily digestiblecarbohydrates five times a day makes you slim and healthy. Upuntil this point food corporations had already been very successfulwith their slogan: “Don’t just sit around – eat something“,paving the way for this new dogma to herald the worldwidesuccess of the fast food culture and finger food consumption.

The age-old adage: “Chew well and digest well” was quicklyignored as well as the crucial insights of the great nutritionist andphysician Dr. Franz Xaver Mayr that the fast in fast food leads totoo much and too much leads to too often, because we start to

feel hungry again too soon. An unhealthy diet composed of thewrong foods and their hazardous effects on acid base balance,together with the habit of eating at the wrong time, contributedto this imbalance.

This resulted in an unprecedented nutritional disaster in countrieswith a western diet and the development of hitherto largely un-known morbid obesity. The European study “Aspire” which ranfrom 1995 to 2007 shows that both medical professionals andpatients increasingly rely on pills and hospital treatments to dealwith this global health issue without addressing a change in lifestyleand eating habits. Adherence to drug prescription guidelines increases,for example cholesterol-lowering drugs with dubious and some-times considerable side effects are prescribed twice as often todayas they were 12 years ago. The same goes for anticoagulants, beta-blockers and other blood pressure lowering agents. Nevertheless,there is no improvement in hypertension which still affects 60%of the population. According to a big German public health insurancecompany (Barmer Ersatzkasse) the treatment of diet-related diseasesin Germany now takes up one third of all health sector costs, about80 billion euros per year in a total budget of 240 billion euros.

As we have seen, prescriptions alone don’t solve the problem.We seem to be losing the fight against obesity, because pillsdon’t make anyone any healthier, at best they enable people tolive a bit longer with their disease. It would be too easy to onceagain blame the doctors and especially the chronically ill andthus incurably ill patients for this dilemma, because we only curethe symptoms and not the cause. Thus we find ourselves in thesame seemingly hopeless situation as Goethe’s sorcerer’sapprentice: “From the spirits that I called – Sir, deliver me!”Our situation, however, may not be that hopeless.

The Failure

of PreventiveMedicine

By Dr. Gerhard Brand, MD,Munich, Germany

“We seem to be losing the fight against obesity, because pills don’t

make anyone any healthier, at best they enable people to live a bit

longer with their disease.”

T

“The treatment of diet-related diseasesin Germany now takes up one third of all health sector costs”


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The SolutionThere is an ancient doctrine, time tested for 2,500 years, thatyour food shall be your medicine and your medicine shall beyour food (Hippocrates, 460 – 372 BC, the forefather of modern,scientific medicine). In order to lose weight we must eat theright food ie: proper carbohydrates, proper fats, and proper

protein. Carbohydrates to provide proper energy, fat to giveproper reserves and proteins for an optimal hormonal balance.

ConclusionOnly a proper diet can reduce obesity and prevent the threatof a global catastrophe in countries with a western diet. Mostimportantly we need to provide people with correct informationon the relationship between health and disease. We are bom-barded by the media with completely irrelevant and even

sometimes grotesquely inaccurate information on this issue.Furthermore polls show that obese college students, forexample, do inform themselves about healthy eating, butprolong its implementation due to lack of practicality. Andalthough they may already be late in addressing their problem,it’s never too late to start.

The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres express their gratitudeto Dr Gerhard Brand for sharing his medical insight on thetopic of nutrition.


DIET AND NUTRITION

Here are a few lines on the yogicapproach to diet:

“Let the yogi eat moderately and abstemiously; otherwise,however clever, he cannot gain success.” Siva Samhita

Yogis are aware of and try to live by this ancient wisdom: there is a relationship between physical and mental well- being and diet. Yogis eat to live and do not live to eat. The goal is a pure and natural diet, wholesome, well-balanced,easy to digest, supplying the body with a maximum of nutrients and energy.

In Swami Sivananda’s words: “Eat moderately what you know by experience is agreeable to you and whatis digestible. Simple diet is the best“.

“Only a proper diet can reduce obesityand prevent the threat of a global catas-trophe in countries with a western diet”

Dr. Gerhard Brand MD. email: [email protected]



THE DIAPHRAGM

The Diaphragm

An Amazing MuscleBy Swami RajeshwaranandaWhen practising or teaching the abdominal breath it is common for many of us to take

for granted the mechanism, yet not quite fully understanding the process involved.

The diaphragm has been variously describedas a muscle shaped like a double dome,

a parachute and a jellyfish!



THE DIAPHRAGM

bdominal breathing is also known as deep

diaphragmatic breathing and it is the diaphragmthat takes centre stage here. What exactly is thismuscle and what does it do?

The diaphragm has been variously describedas a muscle shaped like a double dome, a parachute, a jellyfish,a cupola and so on. Just like other muscles in the body it isfibrous, non-rigid, contracts and stretches, and because of its supple-ness takes the form of the organs with which it comes intocontact. At the top of the “dome” the tissue contains a massof collagen fibres which together make up the central tendon.

Where is the diaphragm in the body?It lies between the thoracic (chest) cavity and the abdominalcavity. In fact it separates these two cavities and at the sametime connects them to each other. One can think of thediaphragm as acting like double-sided tape. On the upperside – the thoracic cavity or thorax – the lungs are attached viathe pleura, (a thin sheet of tissue surrounding the lungs) andthe heart via the pericardium (a sac of smooth membraneenclosing the heart). On the lower side – the abdominalcavity – the diaphragm attaches to the stomach and the livervia the peritoneum, (a membrane that covers many of theabdominal organs). The muscle is also in direct contact with the

kidneys, spleen, pancreas and parts of the large intestine.At its base the diaphragm is attached to the skeleton at thelower rib cage and to the spine in the lumbar region, aroundwaist level. The top of the muscle (the central tendon) reachesthe height of the fourth or fifth rib.

What exactly does the diaphragm do and

what is its role in the breathing mechanism?Most of us believe that the breathing mechanism starts withthe inhalation of air. This is not accurate. Initially the bodyregisters its need for air and nerve impulses pass to thediaphragm instructing it to contract. When the diaphragmcontracts it loses its bowl-like shape and flattens movingdownwards, pulling the lungs in the same direction (rememberthe lungs are attached to the diaphragm) creating a vacuum inthe lungs. In order to maintain equal pressure inside the lungsand outside of the body, inhalation is initiated. As the lungsexpand with the intake of breath they push down on thediaphragm. As the diaphragm moves downward it exerts

pressure on the abdominal organs. These are unable to compressand so balloon outwards, giving the impression that it is theabdomen that is “breathing”. If the stomach is full or the lungsare not elastic enough the inhalation will be inhibited.

In exhalation the relaxation of the respiratory musclesdecreases the chest cavity, deflates the lungs and the top of thediaphragm (central tendon) is drawn upward by the contraction.The relaxation of the diaphragm back to its dome shape allowsthe abdomen to return to its original position.

The advantages of abdominal breathing are many and it isthese that make the diaphragm such an amazing muscle. Abdominalbreathing is the most efficient method for achieving maximum

movement of air (both inhalation and exhalation) with the leastexpenditure of muscle energy. The diaphragm moves internalorgans, which in the case of the abdominal organs helps toeliminate constipation. Tension in the shoulders is reduced as theseare not used in the breathing process. By the movement of thediaphragm over the aorta and vena cava more blood is broughtto the heart increasing circulation in the heart and around thebody. The lymphatic system is stimulated by the movement of thediaphragm increasing the strength of immunity within the body.

Abdominal breathing is not just “breathing”Its advantages are far reaching and for these we can thank

the diaphragm for its tireless work!!

During inhalationthe diaphragmcontractsand moves

downwards.

During exhalationit relaxes andmoves back up.

Inhalation Exhalation

A

© Dorling Kindersley Limited

Swami Rajeshwarananda is the director of the SivanandaYoga Vedanta Centre in Rome. email: [email protected]



SPECIAL REPORT: INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA

The Sivananda YogaVedanta CentresCelebrate thefirst InternationalDay of Yoga




Worldwide Recognition of Yoga

On 11 December 2014, recognising the universal appeal of Yoga, the United Nations

passed a resolution proclaiming 21 June as International Yoga Day. The aim was toraise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practicing yoga.

Indian Prime Minister, Sri Narendra Modi, proposed the initial idea with the words: “Yoga is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. This tradition is 5,000 years old. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise butto discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature…”

The above message echoes that of Swami Sivananda and Swami Vishnudevananda who made it their lifes missionto disseminate the timeless wisdom of Yoga and Vedanta. In 1969, Swami Vishnudevananda conducted the first YogaTeachers’ Training Course in the West with the purpose of training future world leaders and responsible citizens in Yogicdisciplines. With the benefits of yoga now being recognised on such a global scale it is truly inspiring that Swami Vishnu’s

vision is now starting to become a reality.Over the preceding pages we print reports from our different Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres and Ashrams on their

celebrations for this special day.




Such was the truth in Swamiji’s words, which the entire world came outto experience today, the 21st of June 2015: the first International Dayof Yoga. A movement to good health and peace of mind which allcame through Yoga.

Thanks to the initiative of the Indian Prime Minister, the UnitedNations had earlier decided that the time for international recognitionof the great tradition of Yoga had indeed arrived. This momentousdecision of the world community has the potential to change the worldinto a healthier place – physically, mentally and spiritually.

Here in London, it was a special day for us at the Sivananda YogaVedanta Centre. Early in the morning, we gathered at the Indian HighCommission where the High Commissioner inaugurated the Day bylighting a ceremonial lamp. A recorded video message from the Prime

Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi, and another message from theBritish Prime Minister, David Cameron were broadcast. The Indian PMin his message emphasised the need for inner peace and happinessfor each individual, and how Yoga can help achieve that elusive peaceof mind and soul.

This was followed by a 15 minute asana demonstration by theSivananda Yogis, with Raghunath Manet playing the veena whichcomplemented the asanas and lent a sense of great calmness andserenity to the prevailing atmosphere. The session was attendedby a large audience which appeared to be truly absorbing the divineenvironment as they participated in the asanas.

The scene then shifted to the South Bank Pier where karma yogisdecorated the Sivananda cruise boat with colourful bunting, balloonsand banners commemorating the special day. This was organised and

executed under the supervision of Swami Kailasananda, SwamiJyotirmayananda and Swami Keshavananda. Just as the decorationswere completed and the boat ride from South Bank to Putneycommenced, Big Ben (which adjoins London’s Houses of Parliament)struck its majestic gong, as if to wish us luck! As the boat approached

Putney Pier, a long queue of yogis was waiting to come aboard and jointhe celebrations.

The boat looked mesmerising, angelic and divine. As the peopleboarded the boat and took their seats, the celebrations commencedwith meditation and satsang. The sacred atmosphere created by thechanting of Jaya Ganesha while sailing on the Thames was over-whelming. The sun was at its brilliant best as if Swami Sivananda andSwami Vishnudevananda were smiling and bestowing upon us theirlove and blessings! The satsang came to an end with the chanting ofArati. As the boat reached the South Bank Pier in the heart of the city,the Indian High Commissioner came aboard and delivered an inspiringaddress. The celebrations continued up to the Bernie Spain Gardenson the banks of the Thames where a host of people were waiting

to receive Yoga lessons.It was a beautiful sight, close to 600 yogis practicing yoga in a

public Sivananda class taught by Swami Keshavananda in the greengardens with the golden sun shining bright in the blue sky. The Masterswere with all of us and were bestowing upon each one of us theirblessings, wisdom and joy.

After the class we headed back to the boat to begin our return journey to the Sivananda Yoga Centre. Ragunath Manet entertained uswith a beautiful veena concert and a magnificent Bharata Natyam danceperformance. The day only got more divine with the concluding satsangat the Centre which was a tribute to the peace missions of SwamiVishnudevananda. As the celebrations were coming to a conclusion,one was reminded of another saying by Swami Sivananda, “STRIVE,STRIVE, STRIVE. This is the sacred mantra to success in everything.”

The First International Yoga Day was a great learning experiencefor all of us, the Sivananda family and everyone around us. As Masterhas said strive and strive, there is a long road ahead to take Yoga to thewhole world. Today was the beginning of this beautiful journey and wecould feel the enlightenment ourselves.

LONDON, UKSivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre

“Health is wealth. Peace of mind is happiness. Yoga shows the way”. – Swami Vishnudevananda




With the support of the Indian Embassy and 12 local yoga schools, the International Dayof Yoga in Madrid was a wonderful event. Similar celebrations took place in over fifty citiesthroughout Spain, including Granada, at the affiliated Sivananda Centre, and Barcelona with

the support of the Sivananda Satsang Group.The event in Plaza de Colón in Madrid began with an open air master Yoga class and anaddress by Mr. Vikram Misri, the Ambassador of India and Mrs. Manuela Carmena, the newmayor of Madrid. The mayor visited the Sivananda stand and received information about ourprogrammes. Over 1,500 people participated in the asana and pranayama class organised by theGovernment of India which was shown on a big video screen. Afterwards, the Sivananda YogaCentre conducted a 30 minute traditional asana and pranayama session parallel to other yogaschools. Over 60 teachers and karma yogis from the Madrid Centre participated in the class.In the afternoon, the Ambassador of India and representatives of different yoga schoolsincluding the Sivananda Yoga Centre participated in a conference to discuss the variousaspects of Yoga (health, consciousness and spirituality).

The International Yoga Day Celebration made a very important impact in the media,opening the news on several television news programmes.

MADRID, SPAINSivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre

At the Montreal Centre we began the International Yoga Day festivities with a wonderfulSatsang and Yoga Class with Swami Shivabhaktananda. This gave a good grounding for theday and Swamiji explained the significance of ‘International Yoga day.’ Many teachers, karmayogis and students from the centre congregated, as well as staff and guests from the Ashram.A strong sense of community and purpose was felt by those participating. It continued with abreakfast and gathering, where people had the opportunity to connect with one another.

Prahlada led the walk up Mont Royal, where some Asana Demos were performed, bothof which created interest by people passing. The group were on hand to distribute flyers andmagazines to those who were curious; they were feeling inspired to spread the message ofyoga!! Eventually we settled at a peaceful area by the lake where the group began to chant,later Prahlada shared some stories about Swami Vishnudevananda. It gave a good insight toSwamiji and his mission. There was much joy and smiles expressed about the event fromthose who participated, and they appreciated being involved in something meaningful. It wasan encouraging day and the vibration was high. There was a great sincerity amongst the evergrowing community. We are ever thankful for Master and Swamiji Vishnu’s grace.

MONTREAL, CANADASivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre




MADURAI, INDIASivananda Yoga Vedanta Meenakshi Ashramand Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre

The first International Yoga Day was celebrated in the Sivananda Yoga Retreat House on 21st of June 2015. For the morning yoga class, 30 guestscame from the area as well as from Germany, England, Scotland, Israel and Canada. The majority of the population of Reith village came to celebratethe event. After a snack the participants joined the lecture with Swami Vidyananda on the cross-cultural message of yoga followed by an asana

demonstration with detailed information on the 12 basic postures.In the afternoon, the programme continued at the event hall of Reith village. New visitors came to listen to the lecture of Swami Ramapriyananda

about the latest research on yoga and medicine. The lecture was followed by another free yoga class with 30 participants. The day ended with a casualget together with lovingly prepared vegetarian snacks and tea.

REITH, TYROL, AUSTRIASivananda Yoga Retreat House

The first celebration of the International Day of Yoga was jointly organisedby Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Meenakshi Ashram and Sivananda YogaVedanta Centre at Madurai.

Our celebrations were three-fold, encompassing three different groups:1. People who are eagerly looking upon yoga as a means to preparethemselves to meet the everyday challenges of life and also to keep them

physically fit; 2. Police who are intensely trained both physically andmentally, who are serving at the India-Tibet Border; and finally 3.At theAshram with a group of children and senior citizens.

The first part of the event opened at 6am in Sundaram park knownby the locals as ‘Walker’s Club’. The ceremony was inaugurated by the

Deputy Commissioner of Police of Madurai city in the distinguishedpresence of Dr. V. Narayanasamy, Trustee and other VIPs. About 150 people

took part to learn and explore the practice of asanas. At its conclusiona specially released organisational edition of the Yoga Day brochure wasdistributed to the public along with Ashram and Centre pamphlets.

The second part of the event was presented to a strong group ofIndia-Tibet Border Police at their camp. A large team of 300 policemenwent through the practice of 12 basic postures with absolute sincerity.Both sessions were taught by Yashpal with the assistance of Ashram andCentre staff. After accepting their hospitality, we moved on to MeenakshiAshram for the last part of the celebration which was a ‘kids special’.Following a formal inaugural ceremony at 4.30pm by prominentAdministrative Officials of the city, our yoga kids from the neighbouringvillage and school children from Madurai showcased some challengingasanas with such ease and confidence that they received wide applause.After the conclusion of the programme, high tea and dinner were servedfor about 200 people in the Ashram premises. We hope and wish that thebeginning of this celebration will globally mark the true purpose of Yoga,uniting one’s own outer self to their inner self, uniting minds, culturesand civilization, a 'True World Order' giving rise to universal peace andharmony as envisioned by Swamiji.




SAN FRANCISCO, USASivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre

We celebrated the International Yoga Day in San Francisco grandly andtook the opportunity to remind the public, as well as ourselves, of thehistorical moment when Swamiji set foot in America in 1957 via SanFrancisco. A Google search shows 176 Yoga studios in San Francisco,so it seemed a big celebration was in order.

Our original plan to celebrate independently with a processionin the street, asanas in Golden Gate Park and afternoon and eveningprogrammes at the new Centre on Vicente Street changed into a colla-borative effort of seven Yoga organisations (Art of Living, Ashtanga, Isha,Iyengar, Sivananda, YANA and Yoga Bharati) under the auspices of theConsul General of India. SYVC was acknowledged to be one of themost serious and old Yoga organisations in the City, providing Yogaservice non-stop for 30 years.

Preparation was intense for the last month before the event, withweekly meetings and conference calls increasing to every day meetingsin the final week. We had to apply the principles that Yoga stands for:Unity in diversity; Adapt, Adjust, Accommodate. It was an opportunityfor all concerned to display tolerance, love and respect. From an eventplanned for Golden Gate Park, we expanded to Marina Green Park,a large windy field near the water with the Golden Gate Bridge in thebackground to accommodate the anticipated 5,000 attendees. The finalcount is unknown, but the organisers estimated it to be over 2,000people, a large portion were members of the Yoga organisations. To thateffect, it was like preaching to the converted.

Swami Sitaramananda came to the event in a convoy of three vansand two cars from the Yoga Farm with a total of 46 people, comprisedof ATTC students and ashram staff. Enthusiastic karma yogis from bothSan Francisco and the Yoga Farm manned one of the entry booths,wearing t-shirts specially designed for the occasion.

At exactly 10.30am, a giant LED screen broadcast the opening videomessage from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A proclamationfrom the mayor was read. The prescribed protocol was then led fromthe stage. A sea of people followed along avidly. This was followed bya tightly scheduled programme, including the lighting of a lamp by theFinance Minister of India, Shri Arun Jaitley, who also said a few words.

So many Yoga groups demonstrated and practiced sun salutationsequences that, miraculously, the sun was forced to come out frombehind the clouds and fog to the delight of all. “Indeed, the coldest winterI ever spent was a summer in San Francisco!” (attributed to Mark Twain).

The Yoga Farm choreographed a beautiful performance of aSivananda Yoga class. On one side of the stage, the 12 basic postureswere demonstrated and on the other, variations of the basic poses.Swami Sitaramananda talked about how, 20 years ago, there were only

three Yoga schools in San Francisco, compared to the proliferation ofYoga studios today. She presented the classical approach to Hatha Yoga– the relationship between asanas and prana, prana to thought, positivethoughts to meditation and meditation to self-realization. She finished

with a short, guided meditation. All this in the allotted 12 minutes!At 2pm Grammy Nominee, Jai Uttal, engaged the crowd in Kirtan

to end the celebration.Everyone felt the sacredness of this historical day, with Yoga being

publicly acknowledged as a healthy, helpful practice, capable of bringingPeace and Health to the world.

By mid-afternoon, we returned to the new San Francisco Centre fora more intimate programme for 60 attendees. The large Yoga Hall camealive with the group of students from the Ashram and the students andsupporters of the Centre, so happy to have their own Sivananda YogaCentre again after eight months of absence from the SF Yoga scene.(SYVC was located in a three-story Victorian building by Golden GatePark for 27 years until our recent relocation to a new building of ourown in a very good neighbourhood, one block from Stern Grove Parkand a five-minute drive to the Pacific Ocean.)

Swami Sitaramananda, who was the constant source of inspirationbringing Master and Swamiji’s spirit to the California population andthe greater West coast side of the American continent, spoke at the

satsang. Komilla Sutton, a Vedic astrologer and longtime friend of theorganisation, talked about the greatness of Jupiter, the Guru. Gopi Kallayil,originally from the small village hometown of Swami Vishnudevanandain Kerala, talked of the growth of yoga classes at Google offices. Hewas marveling that from this tiny village, almost out of time and space,untouched by modern civilization and technology, came a giant of thestature of Swami Vishnudevananda, who literally, even now, continuesto change the lives of so many. GS Sachdev and his wife, Saroj, were inattendance, as were other people who knew Swamiji a long time – TaraDurga Devi and Chandra. Benoy Behl, a filmmaker from New Delhi, wasalso there, very busy interviewing and capturing the event for his newmovie about Sivananda Yoga: Unity in Diversity.

In the Ashram in Grass Valley, International Yoga Day was celebratedquietly with an Open House and free classes, while almost all staff and

students were in San Francisco.May Yoga practitioners and leaders carry on lighting the flame

of love and light and make this world a better place where allcan blossom.

Unity in Diversity in San Francisco!

©MahendraSingh.com

©MahendraSingh.com




A beautiful, blue sky greeted us on June 21st in the Bahamas, after our meditation walkbefore sunrise on the beach.

At the request of the High Commission of India, Kingston, Jamaica, Sivananda Ashram

Yoga Retreat Bahamas and the State Bank of India, Nassau partnered to host a special eventin honour of INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA.

The day’s special activities began at 8am, with 2 hours of Surya Namaskar, led by ourpriest, Krishna Namboodiri, who invoked continual chanting while doing the asanas.

Seventy five guests were greeted at the Nassau Dock by senior staff member, Pranava,and then transported by boats to Paradise Island. The local guests were then escorted to themain platform to join vacation guests, karma yogis and staff for the welcome by senior staffmember, Rukmini. A huge banner hung from the rafters denoting the historic day and welistened to a few opening remarks by our partner and CEO of the State Bank of India, PuneetNarain. A meaningful talk followed by Swami Brahmananda, ‘Yoga and a Healthy Lifestyle’,with demonstrations by senior staff member, Krishna Das.

Children’s activities, snacks and a special children’s yoga class took place while the adultswere led in a traditional yoga class. Children and parents united for a vegetarian feastprepared with love, by our wonderful chef, Ambika and her crew of karma yogis. After some

ice cream, tours were given, providing a glance into the history and future vision for theAshram. It was a great day of yoga and community spirit! Special thanks to Minakshi andMary for their organisation and production of the event.

NASSAU, BAHAMASSivananda Yoga Retreat

On June 21st we celebrated the first International Yoga Day with the greatYogic community in Tel-Aviv. The event was sponsored and organised by theIndian embassy and the Tel-Aviv municipality.

The Day started with three yoga classes from different schools andstyles. We conducted the third class which had the highest attendanceof over 100 people, and was directed by Shankara Chaitanya and assistedby many of our teachers. The day continued with lectures on Ayurveda,Classical Indian Dance & Singing concerts and an address by the Indian

ambassador to Israel. In the Centre many new and old time studentscame to join the yoga classes freely offered, and also for the eveningsatsang dedicated to the subject of “Inspired Living through Yoga”.The energy was very uplifting all through the day, and we thank ourMasters for being great pioneers in starting this great movement ofdisseminating the knowledge of yoga far and wide, a movement thatreached such global dimensions.

TEL AVIV, ISRAELSivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre




5.30am – 8am: 108 Sun SalutationsThe arrival of 12 visiting teachers and 60 guests was officially registered.The session started with breathing practice (kapalabati and anulomaviloma) led by Subbarao. At 6am the beginning of 108 rounds of SuryaNamaskar practice was announced. The Sun Salutation practice wasconducted by nine teachers (Subburao, Karthyayini, Prabutha, Rekha,Usha, Saravanan, Rani, Honey Rani, Gopan) each leading 12 rounds

of surya namaskar. Between the practice refreshments and drinks wereprovided to participants. After completion of 108 rounds guests wereserved the traditional south Indian breakfast consisting of idli, pongal,sambar and coconut chutney on the terrace with a beautiful sea view.

9am – 11am: Yoga Class Beginners/ IntermediateThe yoga class started with a lecture led by Hariharan and assistedby Honey Rani, Rani and Vaidyanathan about yoga, including anexplanation of the 5 points of Sivananda yoga and a demonstrationgiven of the basic asanas of the Sivananda sequence. After the lecture,guests were asked to proceed to the Ganesha hall for an intermediateyoga class or to Radha Krishna hall for the beginners class. The beginnersclass was led by Hariharan and assisted by Honey Rani and attendedby 47 guests. The intermediate class was taught by Vaidyanathan and

assisted by Rani and Saravanan and attended by 29 guests. After theyoga classes all the guests were offered refreshments with snacks andinformed about the upcoming programme of the day.

4pm – 5.30pm: Open Yoga Class Beginners/IntermediateThe Open Beginners yoga class started with an introduction to SivanandaYoga Vedanta Centre, yoga philosophy and demonstration of the basicSivananda yoga asana sequence led by Saravanan and assisted by Pradeep.The total number of participants exceeded 70. The Open Intermediateclass wa

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