Life in an Ashram
The Teacher and The
Nassau, Bahamas
9 April - 7 May 2006
Netala, North India
16 April - 14 May 2006
1 October - 29 October 2006
Dorset, England
22 April - 21 May 2006
California, USA
30 April - 28 May 2006
1 October - 29 October 2006
Palanga, Lithuania
13 May - 11 June 2006
New York State, USA
1 June - 29 June 2006
8 September - 6 October 2006
Orleans, France
30 June - 29 July 2006
Quebec, Canada
2 July - 30 July 2006
3 September - 1 October 2006
Disciple
Swami Sivananda
Practice with
Cuenca, Spain
Understanding
29 July - 27 August 2006 Swami Durgananda
Reith, Austria
26 August - 24 September 2006 Ashram Melting Pot
16 December 2006 - 14 January 2007
Swami Sitaramananda
Neyyar Dam, South India
12 November - 10 December 2006
Building Emotional
Madurai, South India Strength with Yoga
26 November - 24 December 2006
Swami Srinivasananda
Plus
*Advanced Asanas * Advanced Pranayama * Kriyas * Advanced Anatomy and Physiology *
Raja Yoga Sutras of Patanjali * Vedanta and the Six Philosophical Schools of India *
Sanskrit * the Nine Modes of Bhakti *

Reith, Austria
1 -30 April 2006
Orleans, France
30 July - 27 August 2006
Quebec, Canada
6 August - 3 September 2006

Open to graduates of the International Sivananda Yoga Teachers' Training Course only.
www.sivananda.org
hq@sivananda.org

Netala, North India

21 May - 4 June 2006
10 - 24 September 2006
Quebec, Canada
11 - 25 June 2006
Orleans, France
5 - 20 August 2006

3
The Founders Contents

W
Swami Sivananda Teaches
e welcome you toYogaLife and
hope that you will find much to The gentle side of Swami Sivananda juxtaposed with his 'Rudra'
aspect - an insight into a Master's teaching in the Ashram
6
inspire you in this issue. We
have taken Life in an Ashram
as a theme, to introduce readers to a way of
life with which they may not be familiar.
The Spirit of St Louis
The inspiration behind Swami Vishnu-devananda's intense spiri-
tual practice in his early days in the Rishikesh Ashram
14
We hope, through our articles by Swami
Sivananda and Swami Vishnu-devananda Practice with Understanding
and their disciples, Swami Durgananda,
Swami Srinivasananda and Swami
Swami Durgananda lucidly explains how practice must be done
with self-surrender, a mark of maturity and a way to growth and
22
Sitaramananda, to give you the sense of liv- change.
ing in an Ashram, of a way of life that is
The Tale of the Tomato
timeless -- we see the same joys and prob-
lems arising in our modern-day ashrams as
Swami Vishnu-devananda tells us how destruction and creation
are relative terms
25
SWAMI SIVANANDA were experienced more than sixty years ago
by Swami Vishnu-devananda when he first
(1887-1963)
The spiritual strength behind the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres, Swami Sivananda’s teach- arrived at the Rishikesh Ashram of Swami
Sivananda -- and transforming. One of the
Which Way to Go?
Swami Vishnu-devananda's first taste of Ashram life 26
ings are a synthesis of all the formal doctrines of yoga. Author of more than 300 books on yoga,
Swami Sivananda was a medical doctor before renouncing worldly life for the spiritual path. He great strengths of the Sivananda Yoga Siva Nataraja
founded the Divine Life Society and the Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy, Rishikesh, Himalayas.
His main message was: Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate, Realise. In 1957 he sent one of his
foremost disciples, Swami Vishnu-devananda to the West to spread the ideals of yoga. Swami
Vedanta Centres lies in its ashrams and the
spiritual power that they generate. The lega-
Lord Siva scorns the cynicism of ten thousand heretic sages
and starts to dance. 28
Sivananda entered Mahasamadhi on July 14th 1963. cy that Swami Sivananda and Swami Sivananda Beginner's Guide to Yoga
Vishnu-devananda left is felt strongly
through the nine ashrams that we have
An exciting new book release from the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta
Centre
31
throughout the world. Join us on a journey
of Life in an Ashram through the following A Wing and a Prayer
pages. May the blessings of Swami
Sivananda and Swami Vishnu-devananda
Yoga teacher Nick Acheson shares his love of nature by taking
us on a birdwatching tour of the Ashram in the Bahamas
36
be upon us all.
Building Emotional Strength with Yoga
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres
Swami Srinivasananda explains how the science of raja yoga
can relieve suffering through mastery of the emotions
38
Spring 2006
The Teacher and the Disciple
SWAMI VISHNU-DEVANANDA
(1927-1993)
A selection of moments of Swami Vishnu-devananda receiving
daily guidance from the Master 42
Born in South India in 1927, Swami Vishnu-devananda entered the ashram of Swami
Sivananda at the age of 18. A world famous authority on Hatha and Raja Yoga, Swami Vishnu- The Ashram Melting Pot
devananda founded the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres in 1957 and was author
of The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga, Meditation and Mantras, Karma and Disease and a
commentary on the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Swami Vishnu-devananda entered Mahasamadhi
Swami Sitaramananda shows how Swami Sivananda's holy
precept Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate, Realise translates
44
on November 9th, 1993. into the everyday life of an Ashram

The Executive Board

HEADQUARTERS
SIVANANANDA ASHRAM YOGA CAMP
The Executive Board of the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres is comprised of senior disciples of
Swami Vishnu-devananda, personally chosen and trained by him to direct the organisation after
A Year in the Life of an Ashram
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall…..the seasons of the Ashram 46
Eighth Avenue, Val Morin, Quebec, Canada JOT 2RO
his departure. Each of them has had many years’ experience in teaching all aspects of yoga. Front Cover: Swami Vishnu-devananda
Tel: +1 819 322 3226
They are renowned for their devotion to Swami Vishnu-devananda and Swami Sivananda and and the nine ashrams of the Sivananda
email: hq@sivananda.org Prison Project
With ashrams and centres located around the world
see page 52 for addresses
for their profound knowledge and inspirational teaching and guidance, wisdom imparted to many
thousands of students throughout the world.
Yoga Vedanta Centres
Bahamas, California, Kerala, Madurai,
Swami Padmapadananda updates us on the Prison Project 50
The International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres, founded Swami Mahadevananda Swami Durgananda New York State, Orleans, Quebec,
Reith, Uttar Kashi
52
by Swami Vishnu-devananda is a non-profit organisation whose Sivananda Ashram and Centre Addresses
purpose is to propogate the teachings of yoga and vedanta as a Swami Swaroopananda Swami Sivadasananda
means of achieving physical, mental and spiritual well-being and
Self-realisation. Swami Srinivasananda Swami Kailasananda

4 5

Swami Sivananda would teach according to the ability of the
student. Here we give two contrasting examples of Swami
Sivananda's teaching approach. In the first he is addressing a
westerner who is on a short stay to the Ashram in Rishikesh.
His frequent allusions to the Christian tradition make the stu-
dent feel at home and unthreatened. In the second he is
addressing a group of long-term sadhaks. He talks with his
'Rudra' (fierce) aspect in full play.
A WESTERNER
ENLIGHTENED
"What is moksha, Swamiji?"
asked a foreign seeker.
"Moksha is freedom from
bondage. It is happiness,
absolute bliss and immortal
life; it is the attainment of cos-
mic consciousness or Christ-
consciousness," replied the
Master.
"Please explain to me what is
meant by cosmic conscious-
ness."
"It is a state of consciousness
in which you are aware that
God is all that there is and
more; that He is the link that
connects all individuals. God
is the consciousness that
illumines the entire cre-
ation. Realisation of this
consciousness or God
liberates one from
bondage to passing
phenomena, from the illu-
sion of names and forms.
This is the state of God-real-
isation or Self-realisation."
"Is there an individuality after
the experience of God-reali-
sation?"
6 7
"No. The individual soul is completely merged in
cosmic consciousness. It is like the river entering
into the ocean. It loses its identity and you can no
more distinguish the waters of one river from that
of another after they have entered the ocean. The
appearance of the world vanishes in the Reality of
God, just as when a lamp is brought, the snake
which appeared to be, vanishes in the rope that
exists."
"Swamiji, please tell us the means of attaining this
wonderful state."
"You have the sadhana stated beautifully in the
Sermon on the Mount of Lord Jesus. Mind is the
dividing wall; it is the main obstacle on the path of
Self-realisation. All sadhanas aim at removing this
obstacle.
"There are two aspects of the mind-the lower mind
and the higher mind. The lower mind is full of lust,
greed, hatred, anger and jealousy. The higher
mind is free from jealousy, selfishness and other
negative traits, and is full of divine qualities like tol-
erance, love, selflessness and renunciation. You
should control the lower mind with the help of the
higher mind and then go beyond the mind also.
The mind is nothing but a bundle of past impres-
sions and desires. It can be controlled by disciplin-
ing the senses. This is achieved by the active culti-
vation of virtues."
"It is very difficult to cultivate these virtues," put in
the foreigner.
"True, but a positive attitude overcomes a negative
one. The virtues will overcome the vices, which
are merely negative qualities preventing the culti-
vation of virtues. Meditate on the divine virtues and
their glory. Meditate on God, then you will grow in
virtue."
"Is meditation so essential, Swamiji?"
"Yes, it is the very basis of sadhana."
"What is meditation and how to meditate?"
"Meditation is the withdrawal of the rays of the
mind scattered over the various objects, and
directing the concentrated beam of its light on the
Self, within, in order to commune with God. There
are two types of meditation: the first type is with
form and the second is meditation on the formless
Absolute. In the beginning an aspirant will always
find that fixing the mind on a form is essential.
"Meditate on the form of Lord Jesus, for instance,
and let the mind dwell upon His divine nature, His
great virtues and His splendour. You will thereby
grow in virtue.
"Another method of cultivating virtues is by means
of selfless service. It helps you to achieve marvel-
lous control over the mind and the senses. It also
enables you to snap the bonds of karma."
"How to free ourselves from karma, Swamiji?"
"As you perform your daily duties feel that you are
only a witness of all that goes on around you, that
you are a witness even of your own actions. This
is call sakshi bhav. You should inwardly realise that
you are different from the active principle in you.
This is the vedantic method.
"There is the other and easier method which is
equally potent-the method of nimitta bhav. Feel
that the Lord alone is the real doer of all actions
and that you are an instrument in His hands. Your
actions will then be transformed into worship of the
Lord and you will not be bound to them. Work
without the expectation of any reward and without
egoism. Root out the idea of agency and feel that
you are not the doer. You will be freed from the
shackles of karma; you will not accumulate new
karma. Allow the past karma to work out, then you
will attain liberation."
"Swamiji, is it true that man suffers only on
account of his own past karma? If so, how do you
explain the suffering he undergoes on account of
natural calamities like earthquakes, riots, etc.?"
"It is perfectly true that man suffers on account of
his own karma. And it is the collective past karma
of a number of persons that gathers them together
at a certain place where an earthquake happens
which works out this collective past karma, and
large numbers of people enter the mouth of Kala
at the same time."
"Swamiji, I have often come across this word Kala
in the Indian scriptures. What exactly is meant by
it?"
"It is the 'Great Time' personified. It is the destroyer
of name and form. In the Hindu pantheon there
are various gods and goddesses who are mem-
bers of the Divine Hierarchy. Just as we have our
government here, composed of various ministers
and officers the celestials who rule this world too,
have their own Deities who control various aspects
of the creation, preservation and destruction of the
world.
"Some are in charge of the various elements like
air, fire and water; others are in charge of birth,
death, preservation of life and disease. Kala or
Yama or Dharmaraja is the Lord of Death. The
entire universe is under his control in a way, for
when the time comes he brings about the end of
the earthly sojourn of all beings. It is only a man of
Self-realisation who transcends this Kala and
realises his own Self. All sadhana is meant to help
us transcend Kala, to conquer death and thus go
beyond time."
Swami Sivananda Teaches
"In this quest after Truth, Swamiji, I can understand that
great saviours like Lord Jesus can help us. But it is not
always that such souls are present amidst us. What are we
to do, Swamiji?"
"Saints are always present in the world. Rogues are also
always present. Saviours and dacoits are ever present in this
world, for it is a world of dualities. Good and evil are ever
present here. Absolute good can be found only in God. You
should get the guidance of saints; only they can teach you
the divine science. Books will certainly help you; they will put
you in tune with the great ones who attained God. When you
read the Bible you are in tune with Lord Jesus. When you
read the Gita, you are in tune with Lord Krishna. This will
also help you.
"But just as you cannot learn the art of cooking merely by
reading books, similarly, you cannot learn yoga from books
alone. However, you should not wait indefinitely for a teacher
to turn up. As soon as the aspiration arises in your heart, you
should at once start the practice with the help of some scrip-
tural text that you like, like the Bible."
"But, Swamiji, I have heard that it is dangerous to engage in
yoga practices without the aid of an expert Guru."
"There is danger at every moment of your daily life. While
going up the stairs, if you take a wrong step, you are likely to
fall and break your bones; if you are a little absent-minded
while crossing a road, you may be run over by a car. The
danger of practising yoga with the help of good texts is in no
way greater. If you are sincere, if you use your common
sense at every step, you will achieve success. In due
course, you will find a competent teacher also."
"Apart from the Guru, Swamiji, do you think that a mediator
is necessary in order to enable us to attain Self-realisation?"
"Yes, yes. That is the tutelary Deity, the Ishta Devata. The
mind cannot rise beyond itself all at once. The ego will sel-
dom cut its own throat. Your limited consciousness will find it
a hard task to realise cosmic consciousness. Therefore the
name and form of a Deity is chosen to meditate upon. In due
time this Deity will manifest Itself before you and do the work
of annihilating the ego and the mind, thus enabling you to
realise the state of cosmic consciousness."
"What Names shall we choose, Swamiji?"
"OM. This is the Name of the nameless Supreme Being.
This is the nearest approximation of the Truth. It is the
Mother of all sounds, names and forms. It is Sabda
Brahman."
"Is it proper during this practice to feel that we are, in truth,
parts of God, Swamiji?"
8 9
"Not exactly parts, but God Himself in reality. Remember
how Lord Jesus also declared, 'I and my Father are One.'
This is the ultimate experience, this is the ultimate truth
which all the prophets, seers and sages have proclaimed.
"Lord Jesus, Lord Buddha, Guru Nanak, Kabir and Prophet
Mohammed all delivered the same message in a way suited
to the people of the age in which they lived. They all taught
that God is one, Truth is one, and that man can realise the
Truth by controlling the mind and the senses."
"How to control the mind, Swamiji?"
The Master suddenly switched on to a little humour!
"Take sour curd and lie down on your bed, covering yourself
with a warm quilt, and then go to sleep!"
"The method of controlling the mind also has been beautiful-
ly given by all the sages and saints. They said, 'Serve, love,
give, purify, meditate, realise; be good, do good, be kind and
compassionate; enquire about the nature of your true Self.'
This is the essence of the teachings of all sages, prophets
and saviours of the world. Follow them and attain Self-reali-
sation this very moment.
"May God bless you! Come again and stay here for some
time."
TOUCHSTONE OF DISCIPLESHIP
In early 1953, shortly after he had sent away Sri…., who had
been disrupting the activities and harmony of the ashram,
Swami Sivananda assumed what he himself referred to as
the 'Rudra aspect' (fierce aspect) of his personality. To the
assembled ashramites he said:
"Moral turpitude is unworthy of a sadhaka and disgraceful in
a sannyasin. But, I would let off with a warning the man who
succumbs to lust, for instance, and give the person a chance
to improve. However, I take even more serious notice of any
attempt to disrupt the harmony of the ashram, to foil the mis-
sion of the Lord, and to drive a wedge between workers
here. You should be on the look-out for such mischief-mon-
gers who are a deadly canker to the institution and remove
them then and there. In their case, I adopt the thundering
method; and without even so much as a previous warning I
suddenly remove them.
I feel very much for him. I do not like to see anyone who
has taken to the path of renunciation denied the safe
refuge that the ashram affords, from the onslaughts of
maya.
I feel grateful, too, to Sri…for the services he has rendered
to the ashram during his stay here. But nothing, no personal
feelings that may well up in my heart, can stand in the way
of my all-consuming desire to see that the Lord's work is
carried on unhampered by discordant elements here. When
the weeds have to be pulled out, we should not be afraid of
doing so, for it is our duty.
What is lacking in these people is the spirit of dedication. If
you sincerely and whole-heartedly dedicate yourself to the
divine cause, such situations as this one will never arise. It
is this half-hearted seva that gives ample room for the old
vicious samskaras to assume great proportions and lead
you astray. You may work day and night; but, unless this
spirit of dedication is fully aroused in your heart, you will still
be wavering in your faith, in your adherence to divine life,
and pitfalls will crowd your path. It is dedication and dedica-
tion alone that will enable you to crush and destroy your
self-assertive ego and to progress rapidly on the path of
sadhana. When this spirit has been fully developed in you,
then you will understand the meaning of true humility.
Obedience, dedication and spiritual con-
tact are all interlinked. Only if you dedi-
cate yourself wholeheartedly to the cause
will you be able to establish the inner
contact with me. Otherwise you may
remain here for a number of years and
work like a bull; but you will not derive
much spiritual benefit.
Petty personal desires and ambitions, feelings of like and
dislike and your own notions about the spiritual life stand in
your way of establishing this contact. You must daily intro-
spect and find out your own defects. You must every morn-
ing pray to Mother Ganges: "It is through Your supreme
grace that I am here on Your banks while millions all over
the world long to have a glimpse of You and to have a sip
of Your holy waters. Mother! Bless me that I may be pure at
heart, that I may stick to this nivritti marga, that I may be
free from all faults and dedicate myself whole-heartedly to
the divine cause."
Think: what have you all come here for? Is it for quarrelling
over an extra cup of milk or a couple of fruits? Is it to fight
for position and power in the Society? You have come here
to attain Self-realisation. Fix your mind on this great lak-
shya. Let nothing distract your attention.
Even if you do not aim at Self-realisation, even if you have
come here merely for enjoying peace of mind, it is your
foremost duty to develop some sattvic virtues while you are
here. Virtues only will give peace of mind. Instead, if you
spend all your time in idle gossiping and scandal-monger-
ing, how can you enjoy peace of mind? And you will disturb
the peace of others, too!
Dissolve all these 'Vedantic Clubs' here immediately this
moment. When three idlers, whether they are sannyasins or
householders, meet in a tea-shop, what do they talk about?
About God or sadhana? About service to humanity or Self-
realisation? No. It is always about someone or other. It may
be about Stalin or Churchill or about their guru-bhais and
the secretary of the Society. They will criticise everyone in
the world, except themselves. And when this group breaks
up and the members join other clubs, then the new group
will criticise the old group! Disgraceful.
You must be every where busy in service. Work, work and
work. There is nothing so potent as work to keep the devil
(mind) ever engaged and to prevent it from doing its mis-
chief. You must surround yourself on all sides with work.
You must always have a month's work pending with you!
You should never have a chance to feel 'I have finished all
work'; for at that very instant you give the mind a licence to
run riot. There is no dearth of work here. I can give you this
very moment enough work that can keep you busily
engaged twenty-four hours of the day for two years to
come.
But you do not want to come closer to me! You hide yourself
from me. It is difficult for me to see many of the ashramites
here. Like an Englishman you lock yourself inside your
room and I have to wait at your door to give you some work.
You do not want to undertake two or three types of work at
the same time. You feel you will then be overworked and
you will have a breakdown. Work will never weaken you.
Work will infuse new energy into you. It is when your hands
are idle that your evil mind gets busy. When you think you
have finished the work on hand, you run to the Ram Ashram
to read newspapers, or join the 'Vedantic Club' to talk ill of
others.
You think I do not know anything. I know everything I know
every bit of every ashramite here, even the new-comers.
You cannot hide anything from me. But, it is my nature to
give a long rope. I do not make much of silly mistakes com-
mitted by anybody; I know it is human to err. I keep a close
watch to see if the person reforms himself or goes his own
way. Silently, I give him every opportunity to reform himself.
I give him the right kind of work and the best opportunities
of studying the scriptures and of engaging himself in medita-
tion. I excuse a man's faults almost indefinitely! The knowl-
edge of the man's evil doings goes on accumulating in me;
and when the limit has been reached I just send him away.
You think I am all-kindness and love; you think that I am
fond of work and making others work. Yes, so I am. But you
do not know my Rudra-aspect. When by cramming a few
phrases, you get puffed up with the pride of knowledge,
when you feel that you are indispensable for the mission,
then I show you a little bit of my Rudra-aspect. Just one
Gandhi, not any institution, brought independence to India;
one saint can bring spiritual uplift to the whole world.
Swami Sivananda Teaches
The institution is only an instrument in his hands; and the
institution provides scope for others to evolve. I can carry on
my work without any kind of institution. Even today I can dis-
solve this society, go and live in a cave taking bhiksha, and
work wonders. I am not enamoured of B.A.'s or M.A.'s. If
B.A.'s leave the Society, some M.A.'s will be waiting to join it.
If second-class writers leave the ashram, first class writers
will join it tomorrow. It is only one spiritual personality that
counts in the world, not thousands of half-baked aspirants.
Even now I can set you an example in renunciation. I can
live on two dry-breads and Ganges water.
Overwork, financial worries and above all
diabetes, compel me to allow the body a
few comforts. You have no idea how
much energy I spend daily in so many
channels. I must give that back to the
body and keep it in a fit condition to
serve.
With all this, I fast completely on ekadasi, and take saltless
diet on several days of the week. Does any one here do
this?
On the contrary, you are quarrelling over an extra cup of
milk! You are fighting for fruits. If at this young age, when you
are full of radiant energy, you do not practise renunciation,
titiksha, and self-denial, when will you do so? You have no
contentment at all. That is why there is no Brahma-tejas on
your face. If you have contentment, there will be lustre on
your face, sparkle in your eyes; and you will radiate peace
and bliss. But when your heart is torn into shreds by cravings
and desires, when you are ceaselessly craving for petty
things of the world, what spiritual progress can you achieve?
It is better, then, for such people to go out into the world,
marry and lead a proper household life. Otherwise, you will
miss both! You would have denied yourself the pleasures of
worldly life, and would have achieved nothing in the spiritual
life, either. There is no use of vegetating here. You must be
dynamic. You must be full of spirit, vigour and enthusiasm.
Supposing you were leading a household life, would you be
daily taking milk and fruits? Ask yourself? If you are earning
Rs 150 a month and if you are the head of a family of five
members, would you enjoy the luxury of a banana even
once a month? Never. You would, on the other hand, thiink
that it is a waste of money. Your mind would not even think
of such things. Why? Because you feel you are responsible
for the family maintenance, that you should save money in
order that your children may have their education. But here
you do not feel any such responsibility. You have no feeling
at all for the institution! If you have, there will be no problems
at all. All your efforts should be to further the cause, to find
10
out ways and means of utilising the income of the ashram in
the best possible manner so that the maximum good can be
done to the world. You should completely identify yourself
with the cause: then and then alone will you understand
what karma yoga means.
But you are not interested in the ashram. You think that you
can deceive the authorities here and further your own selfish
ends! You are fond of keeping a private purse! You have
your own bank accounts! A private purse and a cheque book
are the greatest curse to a real sadhaka. They throw you into
the abysmal depths of samsara. When you are in an institu-
tion that nourishes you and looks after you, providing you
with all that you need, where is the necessity for you to keep
a private purse? When you are serving the institution self-
lessly, and when you have no private outside contact, from
where do you get money for your private purse? The desire
for private money intoxicates you. It drives you to adopt all
kinds of vicious methods to earn money for your private
account. You serve the visitors as an inmate of the ashram,
show all your teeth in front of them, complain about the
ashram and then trade on their sympathy by getting a few
rupees from them.
What can you do with that money? All your necessities are
provided by the ashram. You cultivate some evil habits. Your
suppressed old vicious samskaras get the upper hand now.
You get a downfall. You try to drag others, too, with you. You
form a party of your own. You do not care for your guru and
even criticise him. The little money creates in you a craving
for more. You try to drive a wedge between the important
workers in the ashram, disturb the atmosphere in an attempt
to get power and money. You become a dangerous destruc-
tive element. Lust for power and wealth turns your head. You
create disharmony. You even go to the extent of turning
against your guru and ruining his mission.
What to speak of service of guru? You should whole-heart-
edly serve an ashram or institution that has given you food
and shelter for some time! Gratitude is a golden virtue. If you
do not possess even this fundamental virtue-which even ani-
mals possess-how do you hope to attain God-realisation?
From the very beginning you have adopted the wrong atti-
tude to life. Only if you had served your parents would you
know what obedience is, what seva bhava is. When an
opportunity for service is offered to you here, you think: "I
didn't serve even my parents; why should I serve these peo-
ple?" That is the granite state of your ego. It can only melt by
repeated knocks and blows and by the Lord's grace.
Continuously remember the Lord. Constantly
repeat His name. Serve, serve, serve. Work,
work, work.
New Centre
When you are not working you should be engaged in fruit-
ful study. When you are doing neither, you should do japa
and meditation. I have provided all facilities for these within
the ashram itself. Plenty of scope for work and service,
books and journals for study, and the Bhajan hall, mandir
and kutirs for meditation. And by God's grace you have
food and clothing without any difficulty at all. Is there any
need for you to go beyond the ashram area? It is only the
upsurge of your own wrong samskaras that takes you
beyond the bounds, that prompts you to make parties and
indulge in loose talks and scandal-mongering. Get rid of
these samskaras by service, study and meditation, by look-
ing into the good of others and never even thinking of the
faults of other people. Mind your own business. Mend your
own mind. Evolve, evolve, evolve.
What I have said today is enough to keep you vigilant
for three years to come. I have great love for you all. I
pray to God day and night to bless you with wisdom, dis-
passion and discrimination. That is why I am telling you
all this. I do not impose any hard discipline on you,
because I know there are people here who are in differ-
ent stages of evolution and I wish to allow each aspirant
to grow of his own accord without let or hindrance; to
awaken his latent faculties, to get ample scope for the
development of his talents and to grow in spirituality. It
does not mean that I am too lenient. I am carefully
watching every one of your actions. I can judge your
heart from the way you look, from the way you talk, from
The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre in Rome is
the smallest details of your behaviour. I can point out
becoming a reality. In November of 2005 the
your faults then and there and shape your future. But I
do not want you to be afraid of me. I do not want you to Centro Yoga Vedanta Sivananda was created as a
obey me out of fear. Obedience should spring from love Cultural Association in Italy and Swami
and dedication, from a genuine desire to evolve and Jnaneswariananda has been in Rome since
grow spiritually. Obedience compelled by fear and dread Christmas learning Italian and the intricacies of
will not last; it will not be sincere and whole-hearted. You Italian business law as well as meeting some of the
will only be waiting for an opportunity to run away from Sivananda teachers who live throughout Italy. A
discipline. few classes have been organised at private homes
as well as satsangs with outside teachers in the
Therefore, I adopt this loving method of north of Italy. An intensive search is currently
guiding you on the path. Live here and underway to find suitable facilities for the yoga
centre in Rome.
work in harmony. Do not criticise any-
body. Do not try to disrupt the atmos-
Picture: Swami Jnaneswariananda at the Teatro Marcello in
phere. Rome. Light and airy, needs some work, but it has plenty of
space!!
If you free the secretaries from criticism and worry, how
much good work can they not do? Now all their time is
taken up in settling disputes and attending to the petty
desires of ashramites. If all of you work harmoniously
you can work wonders. May God bless you with wisdom
and inner spiritual strength!
11
 INTERNATIONAL SIVANANDA YOGA RETREAT
HOUSE
Founder: Swami Vishnu-devananda, est. 1957
6370 Reith near Kitzbühel, Tyrol, Austria
Tel: +43 (0)5356 / 67 4 04 www.sivananda.org/tyrol Swami Swami Vishnu-devanan-
Sivananda da
(1887 – 1963) (1927 – 1993)

Swami
Swami Swami Vishnu-devananda
Vishnu-devananda
Sivananda (1927
(1927 – 1993)
(1887 – 1963)
1963)

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"The Spirit of St Louis, the name of the plane by
which Charles A Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic tells
the complete story of his famous New York to Paris
flight which shows how much courage and strength
is necessary to achieve the spiritual head. The best
story I ever read. Om Tat Sat on 11.12.53.
Reader's Digest November 53. This story inspired
me to do more rigorous sadhana to get success."
-This letter, found among Swami Vishnu-devananda's notebooks that he kept while
he was in the Ashram in Rishikesh, gives us an idea of his determination and of the
will-power required to succeed in spiritual life. What follows are extracts from the
article in Reader's Digest that gave Swamiji so much inspiration.
14
Why does the desire to sleep come
over water so much more than over
land? Over Nova Scotia and Cape
Breton Island, I hadn't noticed being
tired. Now I could fall asleep in an
instant. I'm beyond the stage where I
need a bed, or even to lie down. My
eyes feel dry and hard as stones. But
the cramped feeling in my legs has
left, as I knew it would.
It seems I am made up of three per-
sonalities, three elements, each part-
ly independent of the others. There's
my body, which wants sleep; my
mind, which is making decisions that
my body refuses to obey. And there's
something else, which seems to
become stronger instead of weaker
with fatigue: at points of danger an
element of spirit steps forth and takes
control over mind and body.
Cape Breton Island is nearly one
hundred miles behind. The ocean
ahead has assumed a different tex-
ture, brighter, whiter - an ice field! It
turns dazzling white in sunlight as it
slides in beneath my wing. I nose
down and see that the largest ice
cakes are 50 or 60 feet across. I
could bounce my wheels on them
with a half-inch movement of the
stick. At moments I forget I'm in a
plane. I feel I could reach down and
plunge my hand into freezing water,
or close my fingers on a chunk of
ground-up ice. I'm conscious only of
the desolate solitude, as though I
were standing alone on one of those
cakes.
What would I do now if my engine
failed? How could a pilot land on
such a surface? Well, God and gravi-
ty would take care of that. If an
essential part of my engine broke, I'd
be down in thirty seconds; I'd have
only time to bank left into wind, cut
the switch, pull my stick back and
pancake onto ice. The landing gear
would be wiped off the moment it hit
a cake's edge. But possibly the fuse-
lage would skid along without smash-
ing up too badly and, with real good
luck, end up on ice instead of water.
What then? The wet and cold at
night, without enough to eat….. And
suppose a storm came up and
ground the cakes of ice together?
Well, suppose the motor had cut out
during take-off. It didn't. Every pilot
knows the chance he takes at times,
that's part of aviation. I didn't start on
this flight because of its relative safe-
ty. I'm here only because I love the
sky and flying more than anything
else. Of course there's danger; but a
certain amount of danger is essential
to the quality of life. I don't believe in
taking foolish chances; but nothing
can be accomplished without taking
any chance at all.
As I grew older I learned that danger
was a part of life not always to be
shunned. It often surrounded the
things you liked most to do.
I climb higher. Bleak mountain sum-
mits glow coldly against a deepening
sky. Hazy in the light of sunset, a
great finger of water points down
between the ridges on my left. The
gray mass behind it, scarcely percep-
tible in the distance, is Conception
Bay.
I've covered 1100 miles in 11 hours -
and average of exactly 100 miles an
hour.
I come upon the little city of St.
John's suddenly after skimming over
the top of a creviced granite summit -
flat-roofed houses and stores, nestled
at the edge of a deep harbor. There's
no time to circle, no fuel to waste. It
takes only a moment, stick forward,
engine throttled, to dive down over
the wharves (men stop their after-
supper chores to look upward), over
the ships in the harbor (a rowboat's
oars lose their rhythm as I pass) and
out through the gap, that doorway to
the Atlantic.
These are my last minutes of
America and of daylight and I make
the most of them. Why should I con-
cern myself with engine failure; I, who
have flown above Nova Scotia
forests and ice fields of a northern
sea;
15
The Spirit of St Louis
Fourteen hundred miles behind.
Twenty-two hundred miles to
go. All readings normal.
I, who am about to take on the entire ocean and the night?
From now on the explosion of the engine will be inseparable
from the beat of my heart. As I trust one, I'll trust the other.
Now North America is behind me; Ireland 2000 miles ahead.
Here, all around me, is the Atlantic - its expanse, its depth,
its power, its wild and open water. I am heading eastward
across two oceans - one of night and one of water. I look
back at the black silhouette of Newfoundland, the final point
of refuge on my route.
I've also reached the point where real navigation must
begin. The detour to St. John's has put me 90 miles south of
the great-circle course I plotted. All the way to Ireland, I'll
have this extra factor to consider in setting my compass
heading.
I look down at the ocean for a final estimate of the speed
and direction of the wind. The figures will have to last all
through the night. The surface velocity looks close to thirty
miles an hour. I wish I had some experience in estimating
wind from waves. The direction is about west. I'll angle ten
degrees northward to compensate for drift. Another five
degrees should carry me slowly back onto my great-circle
route.
Suddenly I become aware of a white pyramid
below me - an iceberg makes me conscious
of a strange new sea. Soon there are ice-
bergs everywhere - sentries of the Arctic.
Wisps of fog lengthen and increase in number until they
merge to form a solid layer on ahead. I ease the stick back
slightly, take five miles from my speed, and turn it into a slow
and steady climb to stay above the mist. I've left the coast of
Newfoundland under the best conditions I ever hope for - on
schedule, with plenty of fuel and a tail wind.
Why can't I keep the compass needle centered? I skid the
"Spirit of St. Louis" back onto course again.
Since sunset I have been climbing steadily. But the cloud
layer - you can hardly call it fog at this altitude - has been
rising faster than I. A pillar of cloud blocks out the stars
ahead, spilling over on top like a huge mushroom in the sky.
I tighten my belt, push the nose down a bit, and adjust the
stabilizer in preparation for blind flying.
Wings quiver as I enter the cloud. Air roughens until it jerks
the Spirit of St. Louis about as though real demons were
pulling at fuselage and wings. No stars are overhead now to
help: everything is uniform blackness, except for the
exhaust's flash and the glowing dials in my cockpit.
16
It's cold up here. I glance at the altimeter - 10,500 feet. I pull
off a leather mitten and thrust my arm out the window. My
palm is covered with stinging pinpricks. I shine my flashlight
onto a strut. It is irregular and shiny - ice! And as far out into
darkness as the beam penetrates, the night is filled with
countless horizontal, threadlike streaks. The Venturi tubes
may clog at any moment! I've got to get back into clear air -
quickly!
I open the throttle another fifty revolutions. I don't dare nose
down very much to gain speed. The Spirit of St. Louis is too
near the tip of the main cloud layer below and that endless
stratus layer is probably full of ice too. If I drop down into it, I
may never see the stars again.
Finally I sense a change in the blackness of my cockpit. I
look out through the window. I can scarcely believe it. Can
those be the same stars?
I was in the thunderhead for ten minutes at most; but it's
one of those incidents that can't be measured by minutes. I
move my flashlight from one spot to another. Not enough ice
has yet accumulated on the plane to make much difference
in weight; but what about resistance? The air-speed needle
shows a five mile drop. Is it because of the increased drag
of the plane?
I turn southward, skirting the edge of the cloud pillar. I'll have
to fly around these thunderheads. But can I? Great cliffs
tower over me, ward me off with icy walls. For the first time
the thought of turning back seriously enters my mind. I can
climb another 5000 feet. The canyons up there may be
wider. If they're not, and I can find no passes east or south-
ward, I'll have to turn back….
The pillars of clouds multiply and thicken. I follow narrow
canyons between them, weaving in and out around thunder-
heads, taking always the southward choice for course, edg-
ing toward the ship lanes and what I hope is clearer weath-
er.
The 15th Hour: Time - 9:52pm
Fourteen hundred miles behind. Twenty-two hundred miles
to go. All readings normal.
I make the log entries and throw my flashlight onto the wing
strut again. The coating of ice is thinner. It's evaporating
slowly. The haze is gradually lessening. I can see cloud for-
mations farther away, follow a straighter course through
them. But something's seriously wrong - both of my com-
passes are acting peculiarly.
I never heard of two compasses giving out at the same time.
Is it possible that I'm entering a "magnetic storm"? Most
pilots say magnetic storms are figments of imagination, like
air pockets. Have I found my way through a labyrinth of
cloud only to be confronted with this new, unknown danger?
The earth inductor's needle is wobbling back and forth from
peg to peg. There's no use paying any attention to it. But the
liquid compass hesitates between oscillations and remains
fairly steady for several seconds at a time. If I can get my
heading by these periods of hesitation and hold it by the
stars, I can keep a general easterly direction; but if the liquid
compass gets any worse, and high clouds shut off the sky, I
won't know whether I'm flying north, south, east or west. I
may wander around in circles.
I'd almost forgotten the moon. Now, like a neglected ally, it's
coming to my aid.
Gradually, as light improves, the night's black masses turn
into a realm of form and texture. In the moon's reflected light
they seem more akin to it than to the planet over which they
hover, like the strange foreign surface one sees through a
telescope trained on the satellite of the world - volcanoes
and flat plateaus; crevasses and canyons; ledges no earthly
mountains ever knew - reality combined with the fantasy of a
dream.
I've struggled with the dawn often
enough before, but never with such a
background of fatigue. It's the third
morning since I've slept.
I weave in and out, eastward, toward Europe, hidden away
in my plane's tiny cockpit, submerged, alone, in the magni-
tude of this weird, inhuman space.
The haze is almost gone. The compasses are now reason-
ably steady. I throw my flashlight out onto the struts. There's
no trace of ice remaining. Maybe I've crossed the border of
the warming Gulf Stream.
With the faint trace of dawn - which comes about 1am by
New York time - an uncontrollable desire to sleep falls over
me. I've been staving it off with difficulty during the hours of
moonlight. Now it looks all but insurmountable.
I've lost command of my eyelids. When they start to close, I
can't restrain them. They shut, and I shake myself, and lift
them with my fingers. I stare at the instruments, wrinkle fore-
head muscles tense. Lids close again regardless, stick tight
as through with glue. Every cell of my being is on strike,
sulking in protest, claiming that nothing, nothing in the work,
could be worth such an effort. My back is stiff; my shoulders
ache; my face burns; my eyes smart. It seems impossible to
go on longer. All I want in life is to throw myself down flat,
stretch out and sleep.
've struggled with the dawn often enough before, but never
with such a background of fatigue. It's the third morning
since I've slept.
I have allowed the compass needle to stray ten degrees off
course! I've got to find some way to keep alert. There's no
alternative but death and failure. I keep repeating this
thought, using it as a whip on my lagging mind; trying to
make my senses realize the importance of what I'm saying. I
try running fast on the floor boards with my feet for as many
seconds as the Spirit of St. Louis will hold to course. Then I
clamp the stick between my knees while I simulate running
with my hands. If only I can hold out till the full light of day
has broken. Then the desire for sleep will give way to wak-
ing habits of the day.
During the long ages between dawn and sunrise I'm thankful
we didn't make the Spirit of St. Louis a stable plane. The
very instability which makes it difficult to fly blind or hold an
accurate course at night now guards me against excessive
errors. The slightest relaxation of pressure on either stick or
rudder starts a climbing or a diving turn, hauling me back
from the borderland of sleep.
I'm like a man lost in a blizzard feeling the weight of sleep
on his shoulders as though his coat were made of lead,
wanting nothing so much as to fall down in the softness of a
snow bank and give way to irresponsible sleep, yet realizing
that beyond such relaxation lies the eternity of death. I must
keep my mind from wandering. I'll take it in hand at once,
and watch it each instant from now on.
I've been tunneling by instruments through a tremendous
cumulus mass - thank God, the earth indicator compass is
working again. As I break out, a glaring valley lies across my
path, miles in width, extending north and south as far as I
can see. The sky is blue-white above, and the blinding fire of
the sun itself has burst over the ridge ahead. I nose the
Spirit of St. Louis down, losing altitude slowly.
At 8000 feet I level out, plumbing with my eyes the depth of
each chasm I pass over. In the bottom of one of them I see
a darker, deeper shade, a different texture - the ocean! Its
surface is splotched with white and covered with ripples.
Ripples from 8000 feet! That means a heavy sea.
I nose down steeply into the open funnel. Now I'll have the
answer I wanted so badly through the night. Yes, the wind's
northwest - it's striking the Spirit of St. Louis at almost the
same angle it blew off the coast of Newfoundland at dusk -
but it's much stronger. A quartering tail wind! A tail wind
across the ocean!
That's what I've always wished for. How strong is it? I nose
down to 50 feet above the huge and breaking waves. The
wind's probably blowing 50 or 60 miles an hour. The whole
surface of the water is white with foam. It's a fierce, unfriend-
ly sea - a sea that would batter the largest ocean liner.
The waves ahead disappear into fog. I have only time to
reset the altimeter and start climbing. A hundred feet above
water, in rough air, is no place for blind flying.
The fog doesn't pass. I go on and on through its white blank-
ness. Does this storm cover the entire ocean? Except for
that small plot of open sea, I've been in it or above it now for
nine hours.
In my eleventh hour out from Newfoundland - my twenty-
second from New York - brilliant sunlight and an opening
17
The Spirit of St Louis
sky fill me with hope. I've probably passed through the great
body of the storm. Clouds still lie ahead, but there are chan-
nels of clear air between. I'm free of the instruments.
Sunlight flashes as I emerge from a cloud. My eyes are
drawn to the north. There, under my left wing, only five or six
miles distant a coastline parallels my course - purple, haze-
covered hills, clumps of trees, rocky cliffs, small, wooded
islands.
But I'm in mid-Atlantic, nearly 1000 miles from land! I shake
my head and look again. There can be no doubt, now that
I'm awake. But the shore line is still there. Land in mid-
Atlantic! Am I hopelessly lost? Is it the coast of Labrador or
Greenland that I see? Have I been flying north instead of
east?
But the sun, moon and stars have all confirmed that my gen-
eral direction was toward Europe. No, they must be
mirages, fog islands spring up along my route. But so appar-
ently real, so cruelly deceptive!
How can those bluffs and forests consist of nothing but fog?
The pointed tops of spruce trees rise above the higher hills. I
can almost see their branches spreading out.
An island lies across my route ahead, wooded and hilly.
Now I can satisfy my curiosity without being lured off course.
As I fly toward it, my eyes almost convince my mind that it is
land. Then, like the desert mirage that turns to burning sand,
shades of gray and white and purple disappear. Boulders
are only shadows next to sunlight. Trees and rolling hills
become crevasses in the fog. Beaches are but wisps of
mist; and the surf, a line of whitecaps on the sea.
The ocean stretches ahead to the horizon, bleak and end-
less as a desert. Its brilliance smarts against my eyes.
According to all previous rules, this dawn-created stupor
should have departed long ago. But it hasn't. I'm still carry-
ing on the vaguest kind of navigation. I'm losing time. I'm
losing fuel - mixture control and throttle are only roughly set.
My eyes close and stay shut for too many seconds at a
time. No mental effort I exert can hold them open.
For the first time in my life I doubt my
ability to endure.
I strike my face sharply with my hand. It hardly feels the
blow. I strike again with all the strength I have. My cheek is
numb, there's none of the sharp stinging that I counted on to
wake my body.
For the first time in my life I doubt my ability to endure.
The stark concept of death has more effect than physical
blow or reasoned warning. I shake my head and body
harshly. I flex arms and legs, compress muscles of chest
and stomach, stamp feet on floor boards, bounce up and
down, jam the stick forward to throw my weight against the
belt. My brain still swims - I'm passing out!
No- I'm not going over the precipice. I'm too close to the
18
water to let go for an instant.
Consciousness is coming back. I push the stick forward and
left - to lift the wing. I hold my head in the slip stream,
breathing deeply. The seriousness of the crisis has startled
me to awareness. I've finally broken the spell of sleep. The
sight of death has drawn out the last reserves of strength.
I glance at the clock - 7:50, New York time - exactly one day
since take-off. Now the greater portion of the ocean is
behind me. There's plenty of fuel in the tanks, and no indica-
tion of a defect in my plane or engine. I'm wide awake. It's
almost noon of the day I'll land in Europe.
I have a strong impression that I've turned and drifted south-
ward of my route, and I was 90 miles south when I left
Newfoundland. I unfold the strip charts on my knees and
laboriously add all the factors involved, detours through
thunderheads, compass deviation in the magnetic storm,
errors in following the stars. But what of the unknown direc-
tion and velocity of the wind aloft? Figuring the possible
maximum error the other way could put me equally far north
of route. If I head north on a mistaken theory that I'm too far
south, I may miss the British Isles entirely. And strike the
foggy, fjorded coast of Norway in the night! No, I'll have to
fall back on the basic plan of navigation I laid out in San
Diego.
My navigating plans complete, I settle back with clear con-
science, letting my eyes sweep leisurely over the horizon.
Suppose I sight a vessel - what will I do? That's pleasant to
think about. If it lies close to my route, a slight change
in angle will cost only a minute or two. Possibly I could get a
check on my heading from the direction in which it's stream-
ing. Most ships will be in lanes that round the southern tips
of Ireland and of England.
The hours of afternoon stretch out, empty, warm and safe,
like the limitless sky ahead. How clear the sky is; how fiery
the sun!
It's now 26 ½ hours since I took off. It's asking a lot of an
engine to run 26 hours without attention. I shift arms on the
stick. My left hand - being free, and apparently disconnected
from my mind's control - begins aimlessly exploring the
pockets of the chart bag. Suddenly it comes on some forgot-
ten aromatic-ammonia capsules that were given to me at
the last minute as a weapon against sleep. I crush a capsule
and hold it cautiously, several inches from my nose, expect-
ing the stinging vapor of ammonia. There's no odor. I move
it closer, slowly, until finally it touches my nostrils. I smell
nothing!
My eyes don't feel the slightest sting, and no tears come to
moisten their dry edges. I throw the capsule out. I realize
now how deadened my senses have become, how close I
must be to the end of my reserves.
Is that a cloud on the north eastern horizon, or a strip of low
fog - or - can it possibly be land?
Framed between two gray curtains of rain, not more than its outline, pale and whitish in the haze. Above the sheer
ten or fifteen miles away, a purplish-blue band has hardened Cornish cliffs, rising straight up out of the sea, farm fields
from the haze. break off abruptly where their soil has tumbled down into
I'm only sixteen hours out from Newfoundland. I allowed 18 encroaching waves.
½ hours to strike the Irish coast. If that's Ireland, I'm more I drop down to 500 feet. I can't accustom myself to the short
then two hours ahead of schedule. Can this be another, distances of the Old World. It's only twenty minutes since I
clearer image like the cloud islands of the morning? struck the Atlantic Cornish coast, and there's the English
I stare at it intently, not daring to believe my eyes, keeping Channel already - shore line darkening against pale gray of
hope in check to avoid another disappointment. A fjorded distant water. The coast of France is an hour's flight beyond.
coast stands out as I approach. Barren islands guard it. From Start Point of England to Cape de la Hague of France
Inland, green fields slope up the side of warted mountains. is 85 miles. In the past I would have approached an 85 mile
This must be Ireland. flight over water, in a landplane, with trepidation. It would
The fields are too green for Scotland; the mountains too have appeared a hazardous undertaking. This evening it's
high for Brittany or Cornwall. just part of the downhill glide to Paris.
A strip of land, ten miles or so in width dents the horizon -
Cape de la Hague. The coast of France! It comes like an
I'm almost exactly on my route, closer outstretched hand to meet me, glowing in the light of sunset.
then I hoped to come in my wildest I've made the first nonstop airplane flight between the conti-
nents of America and Europe.
dreams!
Reprinted with the permission of Scribner, an imprint of Simon and Schuster Adult
I climb to 2000 feet so I can see the contours of the country Publishing Group, from THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS by Charles Lindbergh.
better. The mountains are old and rounded; the farms small Copyright 1953 by Charles Scribner's Sons; copyright renewed 1981 by Anne
and stony. Rain glistening dirt roads wind narrowly through Morrow Lindbergh.
hills and fields. Below me lies a great tapering bay; a long,
bouldered island; a village. Yes, there's a place on the chart
where it all fits - Valentia and Dingle Bay, on the southwest-
ern coast of Ireland!
I'm almost exactly on my route, closer than I hoped to come
in my wildest dreams!
I spiral lower, still fearful that I'll wake to find this, too, a
mirage. But nothing in that world of dreams and phantoms
was like this little village. There are boats in the harbor, wag-
ons on the stone-fenced roads. People are running into the
streets, looking up and waving. It seems to me that never
during my entire life have I known what of earth was mine
until this moment. I must have been within three miles of my
great-circle route when I sighted Ireland. An error of fifty
miles would have been good dead reckoning under the
most perfect conditions. Three miles was - well, what was it?
Before I made this flight, I would have said carelessly that it
was luck. Now, luck seems far too trivial a word.
The engine jerks against its mounting! I stiffen as though I'd
had an electric shock. Irregular spluttering replaces the
exhaust's sharp rhythm.
But of course! Nothing serious is wrong. I've simply forgotten
that I'd decided to let the nose tank run dry, as a check
against fuel consumption. Now it has done so, just as I
intended it to. I turn on the center wing tank.
The jerking and coughing stop. Power surges through the
plane. The engine smoothes out. The air speed rises. I take
up course.
The coast of England is well above the horizon when I see
19

You have the thought “I want to listen to a lecture on yoga”,
and as a reaction to the thought you find transport to get to
the Centre, go to reception, change, get a headphone for
translation and then sit here. You started with a thought and
the reaction to the thought led to doing many things in order
for the thought to be fulfilled.
Karma means action and reaction. Action means thinking.
Before we act, we have to think. The real action starts in the
mind--this is the most direct karma.
The practice of yoga begins with the main yamas or ethical
laws such as ahimsa (non-violence) and satya (truthfulness).
When we start to understand karma we see clearly that it is
not God who creates himsa or violence - it is our own mind.
If we have violent thoughts, we will attract violence. If our
thoughts are non-violent, we will not attract violence. If we
are truthful we will attract truth.
The next important practice is the niyamas or observances
such as cleanliness, a positive quality which helps us to
have a clean mind. If this positive quality is part of our think-
ing then the karma or the reaction is also positive. If we are
clean with our own self as well as with others, then we will
attract cleanliness. People who are also clean will want to
work with and be with us. If we are not honest we will attract
those who are also not honest. We are surrounded by that
which we attract.
In a Yoga Centre we find no alcohol, meals are simple.
People who are looking for luxury find nothing here to inter-
est them, and they are not drawn here. People who come to
the Centre want to be guided on how to be more inwardly
content and happy. They are humble, simple, calm and
open. If we are like that, our friends also will change. We do
not have to be at a Yoga Centre for this to happen, we can
also do this at home. We just change. We can change our
own destiny by changing our thoughts. If we change our
thoughts we change our actions. If we change our actions
we change our surroundings. If we change our surroundings
our life is changed. This is what happens with people who
practise yoga. They change with their own self-effort, not
because somebody tells them.
There is no such thing as being under the control of a guru.
22
by Swami Durgananda
The teacher helps only to give positive input. Ultimately the
highest teacher comes in form of the scriptures. The Raja
Yoga Sutras by Patanjali Maharishi is the scripture on how
the mind works. It teaches us how to cultivate positive quali-
ties, how to develop self-discipline and how to inquire into
our own nature, by asking the question "Who am I ?" All this
is part of the niyamas. And then self-surrender. We surren-
der to self-discipline. We need to understand why we follow
a discipline. It is a result of maturity; of not doing things
because someone says we should. If we study Raja Yoga
we need to understand why these rules are there. Self-sur-
render does not mean being a child; it means becoming an
adult. The idea that self-surrender consists of following
someone by surrendering to him is nonsense. What hap-
pens if this someone dies or if this someone is not as good
as we thought? It often happens. Self-surrender means to
surrender to a discipline that we have understood.
A follower who does only as the master says is no different
from a donkey pulling a cart. Self-surrender means that we
are surrendering because we understand that we want to
change and that we are the only one who can bring about
the change. No-one else can change us. This is Raja Yoga.
And how do we change? Through the thought. And how do
we change the thought? By listening, pondering over
whether it is true or not, and then changing it. How do we
keep changing it? By listening again. How do we keep lis-
tening? By keeping ourselves inspired to continue the prac-
tice of self-inquiry. Self-inquiry is "Am I satisfied with my life?
Have I understood that if I fulfill my desires I will not be
happy?" If we have not understood this then we will have to
keep fulfilling our desires. What brings peace? Real under-
standing lies in self-inquiry. This type of thought brings us
back to the teachings. Patanjali says contentment comes if
we practise yama and niyama. By listening again to the
yamas and niyamas we see that we still have much to do.
We have no reason to feel bored.
We have no reason to feel bored. Who is going to change? a monument. The purer we become the less interested
It is not really ourselves who are changing. The Self is we are in the body. We begin to realise that the body is
not changing, but the mind, the thinking-apparatus, is like a machine or an instrument which helps us attain the
understanding of who we really are. It actually is not that
changing. Swami Vishnu-devananda would sometimes
clean. It starts smelling after a while! As a result of all the
say jokingly: "The mind is like a tape-recorder, if I talk to food we put into it, many processes such as fermentation
you it is like one tape-recorder talking to another tape- occur and then it starts to smell. If the body was not cov-
recorder." Who is talking? Just two minds talking to each ered by skin it would not appear that clean. Thus in the
other. Like a tape recorder. It is not really the Truth talk- process of mental purification one becomes disgusted
ing. To understand this is to understand Raja Yoga. The with one's own body and starts looking at it in a different
way.
mind and the thoughts are impressions from the past.
Whatever we have heard, learned, seen or felt are
impressions in the mind, nothing more and nothing less.
So if we don't like the impressions, we can change them.
Yamas and niyamas lead us to higher impressions of the
mind, to sattvic and good impressions. They take us away
from himsa or violence, from non-truth, from stealing,
from uncleanliness and from laziness. Yamas and niya-
mas are there to uplift us.
Negative thoughts and emotions such as violence
whether committed, abetted or caused through greed,
anger or delusion, and whether present in mild, medium
or in great intensity result in endless pain and ignorance.
Thus there is the necessity for pondering over the oppo-
sites. Raja Yoga Sutras II, 34
Negative thoughts and emotions create pain and igno-
rance. Ignorance means we forget who we are. We forget
the goal of life. Negative thoughts and emotions are usu-
ally thoughts which involve I-ness and My-ness. What
about me? What do I get? I want love. I want this.
Sharing? Maybe, if I have enough. But in the meantime I
try to take as much as I can. This negative thinking
makes us more depressed, more sad and - as the sutra
says - causes endless pain and ignorance. So to
remove this negativity we must think of the opposite.
From purification comes disgust for one's own body and
disinclination to come into physical contact with others.
II, 40
This is a tough statement. It means the body
is no longer so important. For the person
of average consciousness, the body is
everything. We spend most of the
time looking after our body. Every
little aspect of the body is
overemphasised, the hair,
the eyes, the eyebrows, the
skin, the nose, the lips, the
teeth, the nails, the arms,
the feet, the toe nails
etc. The body becomes
23
Practice with Understanding
With purification also comes clarity of mind (...) II, 41
Purification and bodily cleanliness also give us a clear mind.
Whatever substance we absorb in the body also affects our
thinking. Once we have started the process of sadhana
(yoga practice) we no longer want to eat meat and fish or
drink alcohol. The body of a yoga practitioner changes. The
skin emanates a different odour. The eyes and teeth look dif-
ferent. The shine of the hair increases. These aspects of
bodily cleanliness become part of the quality of life, which
then affects clarity of mind. There is a natural cheerfulness,
like a child. Four- or five-year old children are very pure,
their skin is pure and their hair shines. Their eyes look as if
they have been bathed in oil. Their fingernails look fresh.
The body of a yoga practitioner changes.
The skin, eyes and hair will shine. These
aspects of bodily cleanliness become
part of the quality of life, which then
affects clarity of mind. There is a natural
cheerfulness, like a child.
They have a fresh start from God. But as we go through life,
accumulation takes place in all of us. The body starts to
smell. And because the mind is also made of matter, albeit
of a subtler frequency, it also starts to smell. With an impure
body and an impure mind the sense of taste also becomes
impure. The desire to eat meat manifests. Meat actually
appears to taste good, because it is served on a nice silver
platter with various tools and toys such as table cloth, nap-
kin, accompanied by sophisticated drinks in precious glass-
es, in a beautifully decorated room. But actually it is not a
higher taste, it tastes rotten!
The sense of smell will also change with the practice of
yoga. We are no longer able to enjoy artificial perfumes. But
a pure scent of a flower---this is true purity. It is in this way
that the body, the senses and the mind purify.
Many people may find this process austere. In fact, austeri-
ties are individual, and depend solely on what we are used
to. The nature of austerity is self-imposition. We may be
used to vegetarian food, and no longer drink coffee. But per-
haps every morning we have to have a cup of tea. Not to
have it would be very difficult. To forgo the tea for one week
would be an austerity. We have to control the senses during
this time. The senses will knock: "Where is my tea?"
Perhaps for an hour the mind will be a little agitated--one of
the withdrawal symptoms from tea addiction is a headache.
But the higher mind has made a contract with this austerity
and thus starts to assert its superior position as master. Who
will win? If the austerity has been really self-imposed, the
higher mind will win. The senses see that there is no tea and
daily life continues as usual. The next morning the senses
knock again. By the third day, the headache has gone and
we are free. We have controlled the senses. This is how
austerity works. It is not bad to drink tea. But it is not good to
24
be addicted to tea. We must be just as happy without it.
Each one of us can find our own example of austerity. Swami
Austerity must be self-imposed. We say Vishnu-devananda
no to the lower mind and learn to control
the mind. Otherwise our mind is in con-
trol of us. If the mind is in control of us,
we are unhappy each time our mind
does not get what it wants.
Patanjali says, in order to free ourselves from the clutches of
life we have to practise austerity-- known as tapas in
Sanskrit. It has to be self-imposed, it cannot be forced from
the outside. The clever mind says: "These yogis talk about
austerity. But don't they know that I have to earn my own
bread? Daily life is hard enough, in fact it is one big austerity
already." This is no argument. Everyone works from Monday
to Friday. Everyone gets up in the morning. Almost everyone
faces the situation of being short of money. This is not aus-
terity. Austerity must be self-imposed. We say no to the
lower mind and learn to control the mind. Otherwise our
mind is in control of us. If the mind is in control of us, we are
unhappy each time our mind does not get what it wants.
For example, we plan and save for a whole year to go on
vacation. We have looked through the brochures, booked
the hotel and we arrive, full of expectations. But when we
reach there, everything is different from what we expected:
the people, the beach, the hotel, the food, everything is dif-
ferent from what we were hoping. We are miserable. If, how-
ever, we take care, as much as we can, of all the prepara-
tions beforehand but then have no expectations, after a few
days we will adapt to the situation and will thoroughly enjoy
ourselves. We adapt. But we can only do so if we have
practised austerity. Austerity keeps the mind flexible.
An example of austerity is to practise yoga asanas every
day; not just to do them only when we feel like it. We make The destruction of things is from point will stop. And, one day
a contract with ourselves. I will practise asanas every morn- your point of view only. There is when I die, what will happen to
ing. Some mornings we feel like doing them, other mornings no destruction; there is only me? You will bury me under the
not. But we do the asanas anyway. This is the practice of change. Take, for example, a earth and put a tomato plant
austerity, which brings mental flexibility. Austerity makes us tomato. When I eat the tomato, over me and the tomato plant will
free. This mental flexibility enables us to deal with situations,
the tomato looks at my teeth and say, "You know you ate my
which otherwise we would not be able to handle. Happiness
cries "Oh my God, I am going to cousin once upon a time. Now I
is the automatic result.
be crushed." From the point of am going to eat you." There will
Our destiny is in our thought. This is not a religious teaching view of the tomato, I destroy it. grow some beautiful tomatoes. In
but the cosmic law of cause and effect. If we accept this But from my point of view it is this case, destruction of Swami
cosmic law with love, patience and purity, our life will be construction. Destruction of the Vishnu's body is construction of
filled with Divine Grace. tomato becomes construction of the tomato. We call it 'death' and
this body. Everyday I eat a toma- 'birth' or 'creation' and 'destruc-
to, and my body starts growing. tion', 'evolution' and 'dissolution'.
Extracts from a workshop given at the Sivananda Yoga Centre in Paris But changes cannot keep going But from the cosmic point of view
Swami Durgananda is Yoga Acharya (spiritual director) of the Sivananda Yoga in one direction. Growth at some it is only change.
Vedanta Centres in Europe
e-mail SwamiDurgananda@sivananda.net
For further articles consult www.sivananda.org/tyrol
25

"After about six months' stay there was a tug of war in my
mind. When you come for the first time to the ashram, or to
a master, you think it will be much easier for you; everything
is new. It is something like coming from a hot desert.
Suddenly you come under a shady tree, cool with a lot of
water, and how does it feel? So marvellous, is it not? Oh,
you take the water, you splash in it, you sit under the cool
shade. But if you are staying everyday at the same pool,
under the same tree, how does it feel after some time? It
becomes monotonous. But the first time you come, it's so
wonderful.
It's the same thing when you go to an ashram or a master.
When you first arrive, you are coming from the world where
it is just like a desert; the people are all negative, thoughts
are negative, everyone is trying to cut everyone else's
throat. But when you come to the ashram, everything is
pure, the people are all good, and everyone is trying to help
others. They are not perfect yet, but though each has his
own faults, he wants to correct them. There are a lot of prob-
lems in ashrams; they are not actually as holy as you think.
You find from saints to sinners there, and sometimes in the
guise of spiritual aspirants, rogues come in to get away from
the police. So it is very difficult in the ashram; there is every
type of temperament and condition. But still, being under the
master is like being under a huge tree. Everyone can sit
under that tree and enjoy the shade. There is no partiality in
this tree; its shade is completely open to anyone who comes
under it. We are just the scorched people coming from the
towns and villages and various parts of the world and the
26
Swami Vishnu-devananda
master is like a huge tree giving shade to everyone who
comes.
After some time, even in this shade, your mind slowly starts
feeling the monotony.
So, the terrible trouble then came to
me: one portion of my mind began
pulling me back to my home, to the old
samskaras, my father, mother, home,
family, sisters. The other side of my
mind was pulling me to stay with the
Master because I gave my word.
Which way to go?
Shall I go and serve my parents and stay with them or shall I
stay with my Master? I couldn't live with this mind; I couldn't
take any more! So I approached my Master saying, "What
shall I do?"
I wasn't strong enough to go directly and tell him my prob-
lems because we always gave respect to our Master and I
was very close to him. It was very difficult for me to
approach asking such a question. This much I knew, that my
heart was pulling me towards my parents. So I wrote a small
note explaining my state of mind.
Swami Vishnu-devananda as a young sadhak (far left)
My parents loved me; they had written several letters by this
time and were expecting me. They never knew that I wanted
to stay at the ashram, but now, after six months, they sur-
mised as much. They wrote telling me to come back home
and live with them, look after my father's land and take
charge of my responsibilities, as they were getting old. This is
our way; these are the customs in India. One takes care of
one's parents, especially if one is male. It is his duty to take
care of them, and so they expected me to be home.
But I also had other obligations. I had given my word to my
Master and I also felt strong love towards him, towards his
organisation and his mission. So I wrote, "My parents are
pulling in one direction, I want to go back home. I also want to
stay here and serve. I don't know which way to go! I have ter-
rible agony now in my heart; I want your advice. What shall I
do? Shall I go back home or shall I stay?"
What was Sivananda's answer? "Mata nasti, Peeta nasti." It
means "for you neither mother nor father." This is a great
philosophical formula. In innumerable past lives I had mothers
and fathers. In this life also there was a father and mother,
but they are not going to be here eternally. That was all he
said; he didn't say much. But that was sufficient, because I
knew what he meant. He could see everything that was hap-
pening in me and in my future. At that time I was still young; I
couldn't understand, I didn't know what he saw, I didn't even
believe what he saw, but I accepted.
It seems very cruel to say to a young man to forget his father
and mother. Master said if I had gone back home it's sure
that I would never have been happy because I was not
intended to live in that type of small family, with friends, a few
children, and so on. That is not inherent in my mind at all; but
I could not see that at that time. Now, I can see what state I
would have been in. There is no idea for me of individual fam-
ily life; it's not there.
After that day, I never considered anymore that I had only one
father and one mother, but now the other beings in this uni-
verse are all my father and mother. That is the teaching I
learned from my great Master. After I was a little bit more
peaceful and strong, then I was definitely ready to stay. Still, I
had to go through several stages. So many things I had to
pass through; this was only the first beginning stage of my life
in the ashram."
27

'Siva was absorbed in the rapture of his
own expression. He danced.
Once swept up and captivated by its
inward throb, the rhythms and
the mood began to soar'
28
A Parable in Sculpture
by James A. Kirk
A god does not have to be professed in order to be a god.
That One can exist in supreme indifference to the honour
which men would like to confer by their belief. It matters
not to God. Even when ten thousand heretic sages agreed
to refuse to believe in the gods, the gods were undis-
turbed. Still, since a god has all there is with which to play,
he can afford to take a moment to render clear to obstinate
and clouded minds his real Presence and his Power.
So Siva, though tranquil, let his over-
flowing love and grace impel him to the
gesture of visiting the skeptical sages in
their forest hermitage to show them the
truth. A gracious god will spare the time
to step forth and clear up cloudy points.
On his arrival at the forest glen, Siva
was received with the violent reactions
of men who face a fact that doesn't fit
their orthodoxies. They discovered,
however, that neither disbelief nor dis-
belief in a louder voice augmented by
curse could dislodge a simple fact. Siva
smiled.
When vehemence had failed to justify
their ignorance, they summoned brute
force to authenticate the just reason-
ableness of their claim and unleashed a
ferocious tiger at the god.
The only god who would be frightened
by a tiger would be just the kind of god
these sages could imagine and reject. It
was no such puny god, nor god for
puny men, who stood before them.
Calmly and deftly Siva stripped the tiger
of its skin and slipped the tiger-skin
around his waist, a gesture of propriety
toward man.
With their power countered and gra-
ciously transformed to modesty, as
gently as their vicious curses had
echoed back from the real Presence,
the faithful champions of scepticism
released their next defence, a strategy
of craftiness. A hideous, venomous
snake coiled silently in the grass and
slowly raised its head, spread out its
hood and bared its dripping fangs. Siva
bent down and gently stroked the out-
spread hood, then sliding a hand down
to smooth the coils, he cast the snake
around his neck as adornment for his
mighty chest.
The sage lovers of the Truth, armed
with an infinity of their disbelief, were
furious with the truth which stood
before them. Their curses had no sting;
their power hung on the opponent as a
garment; their craftiness adorned him
as a necklace. They decided to admit
half of what they did not believe, in
order to avoid believing in the other
half. From out of the dim, occult region
of their misinformed faith they called
forth a supernatural demon to wield his
club against the threatening truth. He
came forth with power, hideous and vile
as their intentions, but dwarfed as if in
mimicry of their half-formed faith. Siva
pressed the demon to the ground, set a
foot upon his back and paused.
Somewhere within the soul of that
great god a faint strumming of uncer-
tain sound began to stir. So faintly it
began that he turned his whole mind
inward and distinguished a slow and
stately rhythm rising from his overflow-
ing grace. A hand which held a drum
began to tap it in the slow and even
cadence of a pulsing heart. His supple
body responded to the invitation and
the movement of his legs picked up the
rhythm. The sound welled forth; the
cadence cleared and strengthened with
a more insistent throb. The drum he
stroked began to beat an intricate
rhythm. Crescendos of joy poured forth
in the sound and movement of a danc-
ing god. The fire in his left hand traced
the gestures of the accelerating tempo.
Graceful arms and hands declared the
motion of his ecstasy. Surging legs lift-
ed in ascending leaps of unpremeditat-
ed joy. Siva was absorbed in the rap-
ture of his own expression. He danced.
Once swept up and captivated by its
inward throb, the rhythms and the
mood began to soar. His body glis-
tened and then glowed with dazzling
splendour as he danced.
The heretic sages prostrated them-
selves to be his dancing floor. The
gods came down from their heavens to
watch the joyful dance. As Siva moved
with stately grace and gay abandon, as
only a Siva could do, mist began to
form in the outer reaches of the uni-
verse. The torch he waved aloft flared
forth in pulsing rhythms of the dance,
and stars expired before its dazzling
brilliance. All that was not Siva dancing
began to fall apart, disintegrate, evapo-
rate into the thin vapours of apparent
nothingness. The dance of joy became
Tandava, the Dance of Eternity, a
dance of universal death and joy.
At the climax of the nothingness, when
only the audience of gods remained to
contemplate his grace and power, Siva
paused, and then began again - as
slowly as before. His was to be a
dance of the full measure of grace. He
had danced the worlds out, now he
danced them in again, flinging stars
into their heavens, evoking life upon
the earth, a kinesthesis of overflowing
grace and love. So Siva danced a new
world and a new age into being, and
had himself a day of lovely sport and
playful joy. The world is here because
Siva danced, but can we know,
because the world is here, that Siva
has been dancing?
When he brought the world very near
to where we stand, the dance closed
quietly and he slipped back to the cos-
mic fellowship. After all, it matters not to
a god to dance a world out or in, or
whether wise men will believe in him or
not. He danced. It was enough.
Reprinted with the permission of Scribner, an imprint
of Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group, from
Stories of Hindus by James Kirk. Copyright @1973 by
James A. Kirk
29
New Book Release

31
New Book Release

32 33
New Book Release

34 35

Walking through the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat I am
struck by the diversity of people who come here to work, to
study and to relax - local people who work here alongside
karma yogis, TTCs and Yoga vacationers from the far reach-
es of the world. Through the eyes of a wildlife-watcher, I see
this human diversity reflected in the wonderful diversity of
birds which inhabit the Ashram: they too come from near and
far and every species has a remarkable story to tell.
Bananaquit Western Spindalis
Everywhere you look in the Ashram there are birds. Many of
them, like many of the people who work here, are natives of
the Bahamas. The Red-legged Thrushes (Turdus plumbeus)
that hop through the temple during dawn Satsang are doubt-
less descendents of the very thrushes which lived here when
Swami Vishnu-devananda founded the Ashram. The same is
true of numerous birds including two beautiful nectar-lovers:
the Bahama Woodstar (Calliphlox evelynae), a diminutive
hummingbird found only in the Bahamas, and the Bananaquit
(Coereba flaveola), which is found throughout the American
tropics as far south as my home in Bolivia. The ancestors of
these birds have lived in the Ashram since its inception; they
have witnessed the development of a spiritual community
here and have learned that here no harm will come to them.
Among the resident Bahamian birds some make their pres-
ence plainly felt in the daily life of the Ashram. Common
Ground-Doves (Columbina passerina) and Black-faced
Grassquits (Tiaris bicolor) spend their days around the
36
by Nick Acheson
kitchen hoping for handouts from the karma yogis who work
there. Perhaps their ancestors took crumbs from the hands of
Swami Vishnu himself. Meanwhile the Northern Mockingbirds
(Mimus polyglottos) which live by the temple have a joyous
song including many repeated phrases, making them sound
as though they are day-long chanting Jaya Ganesha!
Some native birds are rarer or shier but may be seen during
Red Legged Thrush
moments of quiet contemplation in the native forest surround-
ing the Vana Durga Temple. These include the Bahama
Mockingbird (Mimus gundlachii), whose entire world distribu-
tion is restricted to the Bahamas, the White-crowned Pigeon
(Columba leucocephala), the Thick-billed Vireo (Vireo cras-
sirostris) and the strikingly lovely Western Spindalis (Spindalis
zena).
Looking around an Asana class or a Satsang during the win-
ter it's clear that many of the Yoga-vacationers at the Ashram
are taking refuge from the North American cold. And looking
around the garden, you can see the same among the birds:
many of the birds seen here during the winter are migrants
from North America. Among the first birds to greet visitors to
the Ashram in winter are the Ruddy Turnstones (Arenaria
interpres) which frequent the rocky shore of the bay and the
jetties.These dumpy shorebirds, which take their name from
their habit of turning over pebbles in search of food, nest on
the far north shores of Canada and Alaska and migrate
each year to the warmer coasts of the Caribbean and South
America for winter. While we humans struggle with our
Asanas, we share the Ashram with creatures which have such
remarkable control of their physical bodies that they success-
fully undertake these momentous journeys twice each year for
many years.
During the winter the trees of the Ashram gardens are jewelled
with warblers from North America which have also flown hun-
dreds or thousands of miles to be here. Among the more com-
mon of the dozen warbler species in the garden are the Cape
May Warbler (Dendroica tigrina) which breeds in a broad arc
across southern Canada and the northern USA and the deli-
cate Prairie Warbler (Dendroica discolor) which travels here
from the south east quarter of the USA. Also common is the
Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapillus) which lurks among the fallen
leaves at the edges of the forest temple. It has a wide breed-
ing distribution in North America, as does the lovely American
Thick-billed Vireo
Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla), another common winter visitor.
The male Redstart's bright orange markings in its wings, flanks
and tail have prompted one of the Ashram's Brahmacharis, to
name it the Swami bird.
Some of the birds of the Ashram, like many of the vacationers
and a few of the more recalcitrant TTCs, may be found most
readily on the beach. While we chant on the beach at sunrise
after a meditative walk, Ring-billed (Larus delawarensis) and
Laughing Gulls (Larus atricilla) trot through the surf in search
of food. Nearby on the rocks handsomely-striped Killdeers
(Charadrius vociferans) pipe gently and a Royal Tern (Sterna
maxima) plunges for fish in the shallows. Often during a morn-
ing Asana class on the beach platform, an Osprey (Pandion
haliaetus) will circle overhead on slim, elegant wings, in search
of ocean fish.
Finally, some birds, like some people, have come to the
Ashram by strange routes. The Collared Dove (Streptopelia
decaocto), like many of the long-term human residents of the
Ashram, is a native of the Middle East. During the mid
Twentieth Century its populations began an extraordinary
westward expansion through Europe where it is now ubiqui-
tous. From Europe it was brought to the Bahamas by people
and it is now among the commonest birds in Nassau and the
Ashram. Its scientific name has an unexpected spiritual conno-
tation: decaocto is Greek for eighteen and is an onomatopoeic
reference to the bird's three-syllable song. An ancient story
tells that when Jesus was hauling the cross to the crucifixion
he was thirsty. His disciples stopped by the road to ask an old
woman to sell them water. She said she would, for eighteen
denarii. Between them the disciples had only seventeen but
the woman doggedly insisted that they pay her eighteen. For
her cruelty she was turned into a bird and, in her song, she
continues insisting on eighteen denarii - decaocto decaocto
decaocto. It is said that when she relents and accepts seven-
teen she will once again take human form. In the meantime
Photographs Mike Danzenbacker
Bahama Woodstar
the Collared Dove's decaocto song is among the most charac-
teristic sounds of warm afternoons in the Ashram.
But you need not worry about the names of the birds in order
to appreciate them. If you take a moment to contemplate birds
in humility, to prostrate before them as did Swami Sivananda,
there is no limit to what you can learn from them. Birds never
take more than they need to survive; birds never damage the
resources on which their survival depends; birds are masters
of their physical bodies and of the elements on which they live
- air, water and earth. Their colours and songs are a daily
blessing to us. Their message for us all is that we humans are
but one part of the glorious diversity of life with which we share
this planet and which it is our duty to love and protect. They
are a living reminder of Lord Vishnu and his abundant gen-
erosity. Each day stop for a moment: watch birds, listen to their
songs, prostrate before them in awe.
Om Namo Narayanaya!
Glory to Lord Vishnu in all the diversity of nature!
37

Emotions are the motivating force in our lives. This motiva-
tion can be productive, empowering and creative or it can be
addictive, negative and abusive. Whether we are happy or
sad, healthy or diseased, liberated or imprisoned in our own
mentally created hell depends upon our ability to manage
our emotions. Our emotions are constantly manipulated by
advertising, politics and popular art forms trying to sell their
wares and sway public opinion. Rather than practical train-
ing to control the mind, we have a culture that medicates
everyone from pre-school children to seniors because we
lack the tools to adapt to emotional pressure. Millions are
prescribed tranquillisers, anti-depressants and other mood-
modifying drugs; or they self-medicate with alcohol, recre-
ational drugs, and countless other addictions.
Consider the depression epidemic as one example of emo-
tional imbalance:
" Depressive disorders affect approximately 18.8 mil-
lion American adults or about 9.5% of the U.S. population
age 18 and older in a given year. This includes major
depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, and bipolar disor-
der.
" Everyone will at some time in their life be affected
by depression -- their own or someone else's, according to
Australian Government statistics. (Depression statistics in
Australia are comparable to those of the US and UK.)
" Pre-schoolers are the fastest-growing market for
antidepressants. At least four percent of preschoolers -- over
a million -- are clinically depressed”.
Alcoholism, obesity and other addictive disorders are equally
serious problems. Compared to eastern culture, western cul-
ture is both emotionally immature and imbalanced.
Swami Vishnu-devananda recognized that with our entire
Western technological know- how and industriousness, we
have very little understanding or control of our emotions. He
stated half-jokingly that his mission in the West was to teach
people to "stand on their own heads."
38
By Swami Srinivasananda
The ancient science of yoga shows the way to reclaim mas-
tery of our emotions. By recognising painful conditions of
alienation, guilt, self-hatred, addiction, fear and the destruc-
tive habits associated with these perceptions and by devel-
oping new healthy habits, negative emotions can be gradu-
ally thinned out and replaced with positive ones. Some indi-
cations of emotional strength addressed by the yoga disci-
pline are: the ability to concentrate and remove distractions
from the mind; to express compassion by listening and see-
ing the Divine in all; to be a witness of our thoughts and
choose the thoughts we want to nourish and those we want
to transform; to act from awareness, rather than to emotion-
ally react; to be established in contentment and gratitude for
gifts in this life; not allowing our happiness to depend on
external conditions; to maintain nonviolence, truth, control of
senses; to restrain from habits of stealing and greed; and to
constantly remember God.
Hatha and raja yogas are designed to bring balance and
integrity to both body and mind as a basis for higher spiritual
realisation. Both recognise the same eight steps to gain self-
mastery. The first five steps are external or accessories to
the direct control of the mind - and are more emphasised in
hatha yoga. The three internal practices of concentration
(dharana), meditation (dhyana), and the superconscious
absorption (samadhi), directly focus and quieten the mind.
However, to practise true one-pointed concentration (dha-
rana) there must be an extraordinary mental strength. Most
people's minds are too distracted with worries, anxieties,
desires, fantasies, or just dullness and disassociation to per-
form one-pointed concentration.
Raja yoga pinpoints the root disturbances which give rise to
these distractions and categorises them into five afflictions
(kleshas). Removing the kleshas is the key to liberating our-
selves from the human condition of mental suffering. 1)
Avidya - the primordial ignorance that takes the "non-eternal,
impure, painful, and non-self as the eternal, pure, happy Self
or Atma".
The other afflictions arise only to compensate for this deep
alienation from our immortal, blissful, ever-pure Self of all
Life or God. 2) Asmita - egoism or the false “I” created by
pure consciousness which identifies with the mind and the
body and then divides the world into objects to be consumed
or possessed, objects to be avoided, and objects of no inter-
est. 3) Raga - the power of the mind to dwell on the objects
that the false ego associates with pleasure. 4) Dwesha - the
opposite power of the mind to generate emotions of hatred
and disgust for objects that the false ego associates with
pain. Raga and Dwesha feed each other. 5) Abhinivesha -
the instinctual fear of death that haunts all people, even the
learned. These five kleshas or afflictions, generate insatiable
desires and the consequent demons of fear, anxiety, and the
low self-esteem at the root of all negative emotions. Further
they agitate the mind blinding the untrained mind from per-
ceiving the true unchanging Self.
Because the ego provides a consistent perspective in a con-
stantly changing world, it resists change. Concepts, atti-
tudes, feelings, likes and dislikes, as well as name, titles,
and relationships with individuals, communities, and material
objects are all ingredients of the ego's false identity. By
seeking the pure Self which is the source of light for the
mind, yoga helps the intellect to detach from the ego's habit-
ual wrong understandings of the self, gradually thinning out
the kleshas.
Patanjali, the compiler of the Yoga Sutras defined Yoga as
Yogas “chittavritti nirodhah”, which means "Yoga is the sup-
pression of the modifications of the mind". These modifica-
tions (vrittis) are emotionally charged whirlpools of thought
that disturb our peace of mind (chitta). The mind without vrit-
tis is pure understanding, a mirror reflecting the Divine
nature of the Self. It is the emotional charge of the kleshas
that generates the disturbing thought waves. The root kle-
sha, ignorance, is maintained by a vast network of roots of
unconscious desires (vasanas) imbedded in the depths of
our minds. We only recognise them when they swirl up in
our consciousness, manifesting as disturbing emotions such
as arrogance, lust, greed, fear, jealousy, anger, hatred and
prejudice. The emotionally charged vasanas sit like land
mines waiting to explode into our conscious minds when
they come into contact with corresponding sense objects
defined by the ego as objects of raga or dwesha.
To use Swami Vishnu-devananda's example, if we have a
vasana for French pastry we may go for weeks without it
bothering us until we pass a certain pastry shop and catch a
glimpse of a familiar pastry in the window. Then either we
rush in and make an impulsive purchase, or we are dis-
turbed for the rest of the day with frustration or even anger
as the imagination dwells on thoughts of the tempting pas-
tries. If we manage to repeat the pleasure of consuming the
pastry again, the impression of raga or attachment becomes
stronger and we may find our daily route soon altered to reg-
ularly pass by the pastry shop. If we are not mindful, the
pastry attachment can become an addiction. The pastry
itself does not bring happiness or unhappiness, but the mind
through the delusion of attachment becomes convinced that
happiness lies hidden in the pastry.
The potent antidote for all of the kleshas is unbroken dis-
criminative knowledge (viveka khyati). With awareness, we
can catch the mind from falling into negative habit energy of
attachment and fear. With awareness, even if we slip into
the pain-generating habits, we learn to practice vairagya or
letting go, and the whole afflictive drama is nipped in the
bud. However, to maintain unbroken discrimination requires
purity of mind and one-pointed concentration. These skills
are extremely difficult for the untrained mind and must be
developed step-by-step.
The five first steps or angas of Patanjali's eight limbed (ash-
tanga) yoga provide a foundation of emotional strength to
become the master of our mind rather than a slave to nega-
tive emotions. The scattered and dulled rays of the mind are
gathered back into the concentrated state. The higher prac-
tices of yoga then refine the concentration into meditation
and finally to the highest states of samadhi. Yoga is not just
doing attractive postures and temporarily feeling more
healthy and relaxed; it is a precise formula for transforming
our entire lives "from ignorance to truth, from darkness to
light, and from a life identified with the impermanent material
objects to spiritual immortality".
These five steps are: 1)Yama - ethical restrictions including
non-violence (ahimsa), truthfulness (satyam), non-stealing
(asteya), continence (brahmacharya), and abstinence from
greed (aparigraha); 2) Niyama - practices to develop internal
purity including cleanliness or purity (saucha), contentment
(santosha), austerity (tapas), study of scriptures (swad-
hyaya), and self-surrender (ishwara pranidhana); 3) Asana -
posture, 4) Pranayama - breath control; and 5) Pratyahara -
abstraction of the senses. Each of these accessories to con-
centration and meditation give yoga practitioners not only
survival techniques for emotional crises, but tools to perma-
nently transform negative emotions into their positive poten-
tial of pure joy, discriminative knowledge and freedom (prati-
paksha bhavana).
Each of these practices is simple, but essential to bring
about physical and emotional health. Yama or ethical disci-
pline is the base. In raja yoga, it is called the Great Vow,
(Maha Vrata). Starting with ahimsa or nonviolence, the brutal
habits of the mind are curbed. Knowledge of the unity of life
is cultivated. The goal of ahimsa is to disarm all hostilities in
one's life, by becoming a friend to all beings. By mastering
the vow of truth (satya), the practitioner's will becomes
39
Building Emotional Strength
harmonised with the Divine or collective will, and whatever he normally consider as hatha yoga--the practice of asana and
or she thinks or speaks turns out to be true. By mastering pranayama--also plays an important role in the eight-step
non-stealing (asteya), one becomes a benefactor to the world system of raja yoga. Awareness of where we hold tension in
and the world naturally supports its benefactor. Renouncing the body and breath, and self-regulating those imbalances
the tendency to objectify and exploit the world one becomes with asana and pranayama is an amazing first-aid when the
thankful for the countless gifts of life. Gratitude attracts mind becomes overpowered by the forces of rajas and
wealth. By the establishment of celibacy (brahmacharya) life tamas. When asanas are practised regularly body and mind
is empowered with inner strength and vigour. By abstinence are made strong and steady and one is free from the distur-
from greed (aparigraha), the mind quietens down and an bance of the pairs of opposites (likes and dislikes). Then the
understanding of the purpose of birth is obtained. mind's darkness is removed by the regular practice of
pranayama so that it can become fit for concentration. The
Niyama are basic practices for the purification of body, mind, body and breath provide a tangible field for our emotional
and spirit. It is the cultivation of purity, light and wisdom. imbalances. By thus purifying the body and breath, we open
While Yama reduces the the space for the deep mental transformations. This is a
impurities of rajas (desire, major step to reclaiming our emotions.
and agitation), and
tamas (darkness and Abstraction of the senses (pratyahara) is the bridge between
negativity), Niyama the external practices and the internal practices and ultimate-
increases mental ly leads to the supreme mastery of the senses. Only by
clarity and discern- establishing pratyahara can we be free from the distraction of
ment (sattva). the senses. Raja yoga unravels layers of dysfunctional emo-
Patanjali writes in tional training, by transforming physical, emotional and con-
the Yoga Sutras , ceptual habits. This work demands continued practice and a
"On the purity of willingness to let go of afflictive habits. The effort can be mild,
sattwa, arise moderate or intense. Each person is welcomed to practise at
cheerfulness of their own level, at their own pace, realising that the practice
mind, conquest will eventually lead to liberation from ignorance and suffering.
of the senses
and their Both Swami Sivananda and Swami Vishnu-devananda were
organs, and masters of hatha and raja yoga. Practising in this tradition,
fitness for we experience the empowerment of emotional transformation
Self-reali- in our lives. With will, faith, and practice thousands of yoga
sation." practitioners have overcome huge obstacles to lead strong,
healthy, productive lives.
What
we Swami Srinivasananda is a senior disciple of Swami Vishnu-devananda and the
Director of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Ranch in Woodbourne, upstate New York.
He is the acharya (senior teacher) for the East Coast Sivananda Centers and a
member of the executive board of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta
Centers. Like all Sivananda acharyas, he trains yoga teachers and lectures widely
on yoga practice and teachings.

40

Swami Vishnu-devananda was Swami Sivananda's personal
secretary for several years at the Ashram in Rishikesh. He had close
contact with the Master and was able to receive direct teaching from
him on a daily basis. The following are snapshots of the Master
teaching the disciple, showing how Swami Sivananda never missed
an opportunity to guide and instruct.
42
FIGHT IS GROWTH
While the Master was sitting in the verandah outside his
room one evening, some of the inmates of the Ashram took
the opportunity of getting their doubts cleared. The secretary,
Swami Vishnu-devananda, put a problem to the Master.
"Swamiji, if there is something wrong in the Ashram, should
we inform Swamiji and correct it or should we simply forget
it? If we correct it, we often wound the feelings of the wrong-
doer."
The Master advised, "Try to improve it by intelligent and kind
means."
"But that method is not always practicable," replied Swami
Vishnu-devananda.
"In an Ashram of three hundred people there is always
bound to be some trouble, some fight," observed the Master.
"Fight is growth! You should be tactful and kind. If in spite of
this, the feelings of others are hurt, then pray for them."
ON VIOLENCE
Sri KN Reddy asked "Can we use violent methods to fight for
justice?"
"Never!" answered the Master.
"Sometimes violence is necessary. Non-violence is not possi-
ble at all times and everywhere. Is it true?" Swami Vishnu-
devananda queried.
To this the Master replied, "Sannyasins should never use
any kind of violence. For householders, in order to protect
themselves, they can resist. They can defend themselves.
Sannyasins, on the other hand, should not resort to violence
because they are not the body. During the Vraja Homa cere-
mony the body is burnt."
A CORRECT DIAGNOSIS
Vishnu Swamiji's eyes were red. The Master noticed this the
moment he came into the office in the afternoon.
"Oh Vishnu Swamiji! Why are your eyes red?" Vishnu
Swamiji kept silent.
"Ohji, don't do tratak too much," said the Master. "It is due to
an overdose of tratak, is it not?" "Yes, Swamiji." "Be moder-
ate. There is no fun in overdoing these exercises and spoil-
ing the eyes. Apply boric lotion to the eyes."
DOING ONE'S DUTY
Sri Swami Vishnu-devananda expressed this doubt. "If the
duty of a disciple for the growth of the institution to which he
belongs clashes with his obedience to the Guru, what should
he do?"
"Guru's words must be obeyed, whatever happens to the
Ashram," observed the Master. Then everything will be all
right."
Swami Vishnu-devananda noted the instruction and after a
moment's thought asked again, "If the duty is not done prop-
erly, is it not a sin?"
The Master replied, "If you fail in your duty it is adharma."
"When contradiction comes between obedience and duty,
what should be done?"
"If there is contradiction, pray. Pray and wait," was the
Master's reply.
HIMSA AND AHIMSA
Sri Swami Vishnu-devananda asked, "Is it possible to lead a
life without hurting or injuring anybody?"
"A jivanmukta's life is like that," answered the Master. "It is
possible to lead such a life. If you attain wisdom of the Self, it
is possible."
"If we wish to save an animal which is attacked by another
animal, we have to injure the latter, Is it not a breach of
ahimsa?" asked Swami Vishnu-devananda.
The Master said, "You have to injure the other animal. It is
not against the principle of ahimsa. If a murderer kills five
people daily you will have to kill that murderer. To kill a mur-
derer is ahimsa."
CHANGE THE MIND
Vishnu Swamiji wished to go to Uttarkashi and explained that
a change would give him strength to do more work when he
returned. He could also learn certain advanced hatha yogic
kriyas at Uttarkashi from an expert there.
"Why do you want a change? What is it that needs a
change? Change the mind. Alter the mental attitude. This is
the most important thing," was the Master's advice.
REAL SPIRIT OF SERVICE
As soon as the Master came into the office, he enquired of
Vishnu Swamiji, "Vishnuji, did you go to Shroff's cottage this
morning to teach him asanas?"
"Yes, Swamiji."
"That is good. Some of these old people might feel shy to
practise asanas in public. They might think that they will fall
while doing sirshasana and others would laugh. So they
avoid coming to the asana class. For the sake of such peo-
ple you should go to their rooms and teach them the asanas.
That is the real spirit of service."
"Another important point is not to simply come away immedi-
ately after the asana practice is over. Do a few minutes of
japa and a couple of minutes of silent meditation. Repeat the
Shanti Mantras and then leave the place. Thus, even this
asana class will be converted into a class on the Yoga of
Synthesis. The effects of such asana practice will be much
more lasting."
43

Serve….
Why is service a solution
to people's problems?
Because it addresses the
problem of the ego, of
'doer-ship'. Most of our
heartbreak comes from the ego, from the idea that I am
doing something and I want it to come out in a particular
way. But when a mishap occurs and something happens to
us that we weren't expecting, then we start to ask: Why?
By consciously serving with the attitude that nothing is mine,
nothing belongs to me and I am serving others as I am serv-
ing myself, then we do not identify with our actions. So often
in our lives, expectation is the cause of misery and our feel-
ing of being let down. So, serve. Do karma yoga.
Serve, Love….
The love that is practised in the Ashram can offer solace in
our life because it is unconditional. We live together in a
spiritual community even though we have not chosen each
other. We come and we are accepted. And we have to
accept each other and live with each other all day long. We
have no choice. In the 'world', if we do not like someone, we
walk away from them and close the door. But in the Ashram
it is not like that. We have to go beyond who each one of us
is on the outside and see who we really are. The life in the
Ashram forces us to become selfless and to experience self-
less love.
We have the idea of romantic love…."I like this particular
person because they mirror back what I love about myself. I
love this other person because of what I love about myself."
This is a selfish kind of love, a love that is conditional to the
ego. Unconditional love is when we just like, just share, just
accept, just are compassionate. It is a love that is not
romantic because it is not personal. We don't promote per-
sonal attachments, personal kinds of relationships, a per-
sonal kind of love. We laugh together, we joke, we have a
good time, but we don't have the idea that "I am special and
you are special." Everyone is special. This kind of love pro-
vides a breath of fresh air, taking us away from much of the
drama we experience in our emotional life. When we are in
an Ashram, love has no name and no form and it is very
refreshing.
Serve, Love, Give….
We have to give in an Ashram. People come and we have
to serve. We have to give of ourselves. The idea of every
44
by Swami Sitaramananda
one's uniqueness is fine, but the idea of personality
and ego is not promoted. We are habituated to func-
tioning from the ego. When we have to bend, adjust
and do things we don't like, it is at this point that we
have to give of ourselves. We have to say "OK,
because somebody else wants it this way, even
though I don't, I will go along with it" or "it will
strengthen the Ashram, so I will do it". We sacrifice
our own time and feelings and ideas in order to give
something more than ourselves. This is true giving.
Giving is not only donating money, but giving of one-
self. We may give money, but if we don't give of our-
selves, then there is no power behind the giving. It is
only a token. It is not an easy practice to truly give of
oneself.
Serve, Love, Give, Purify….
Purification occurs when we do yoga and meditation
all day long - putting the body in shape, putting the
mind in shape, putting the spirit in shape, putting the
action in shape. We purify the body with the right
kind of food and with exercise or asanas. We purify
the prana with pranayama. We purify the mind and
emotions with mantra and chanting. We purify the
intellect by listening to discourses or study of scrip-
tures or enquiry into the nature of the Self. We let go
of our regular ideas and replace them with more
sattvic ideas - making them pure, instead of tamasic
and rajasic. Instead of having very turbulent and self-
centered or dark thoughts, we replace them with the
light and with the truth.
To purify also means that we go through ups and
downs. People come to the Ashram and say, "Oh this
must be heaven on earth." They feel as if they are
walking three feet above the ground and they just
want to quit the world, enter the Ashram and enjoy
life fully. They imagine they will talk with the butter-
flies and sing with the birds. It is not like that.
We do karma yoga, we have to deal with other people, we
have to cope with strict rules, we have to manage different
foods cooked by different cooks.We begin to realise that life
in an Ashram is hard work and is not as romantic as we first
thought. And then we have to deal with the ups and downs
of our own mind. Toxins start to come out which manifest
as negativity. When we try and shift this negativity, it is at
this point that we can say we are practising yoga. need to
be strong to withstand and understand this process of purifi-
cation. We must be patient and realise that it will come to an
end.
Our true nature is purity, our true nature is peace, our true have
nature is happiness. the experience and feeling of calmness. And in our daily life,
when we are challenged by circumstances and the people
So this is a part of Ashram life - the ups and the downs. who come and go, still we remain calm. It is at this point that
Some people will be moody and unhappy-this is fine. It is part realisation happens. We realise that WHO we really are has
of Ashram life. The Ashram is a place where we are accepted nothing to do with the coming and going of the mind and the
despite our faults. Normally in the 'world' we do not find this coming and going of the different circumstances of our life.
acceptance - we have to put on a façade. We have to act as We realise that whatever happens, it is only ourselves who
if everything is fine, when inside it is not so. But in an ashram create our world. We bear and tolerate much more, we
it is allright for us not to put on this act. It is allright to live out become calm, we become strong and after sometime we
the ups and downs and know that we will laugh about it after smile at everything. Nothing touches us - we become
some time. detached and we smile. This is what we call realisation.
Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate…. We think that realisation must be like being struck by light-
How can Ashram life bring us to meditation? Of course we ning. We will see lights and float in the air, visit Indra in
practise meditation every day, but that heaven and have darshan of our deity or guru It is
does not mean that when we sit, we not like that at all. Remember well the say-
meditate. The mind can be rac- ing, "Before realisation, chop wood. After
ing, it can be crazy. The realisation, chop wood." Life goes
way that we live our daily on. But inside we experience
life influences our med- changes. Our outlook is different
itation. So, because and our feeling about things is
of the "Serve, Love, different. We receive inner
Give, Purify" that confirmation that we are
is practised in the untouched by the comings
Ashram, medita- and goings and that we
tion comes by are capable, beyond
itself, even measure, of anything. We
though we don't understand that we are
necessarily not conditioned by this
expect it. Just existence, by age, by our
the fact that we body. We call this the
practise medita- knowledge of Immortality
tion every day -- or a state of All-knowing-
-5.30am the bell ness. We call it Bliss
rings, 6.00am Absolute. Realisation is
practise - it is just a experiencing this -- a state
matter of time. Every that is touched by no thing and
single day, whether we experiencing it all the time.
like to or not, regardless of
our mood, we sit for meditation In an Ashram, there is nothing static.
every day. We do yoga every day The only thing that is stable is the schedule
and we lead a simple, positive, sattvic and the practice of meditation showing us our impuri-
lifestyle. Automatically, without being aware, our meditation ties. It is as if we are constantly being washed. We no longer
practice will improve. Then it is just a matter of time before identify with the comings and goings around us. We have
realisation will be there. equipped ourselves to deal with challenges, using the prac-
tices and the tools that we have been taught. We become
Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate, strong and detached. We know it all already, we've seen it
Realise all before, so therefore nothing touches us. This is when
So, if we practise "Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate…", realisation comes.
then realisation will follow. What does realisation mean? It So, Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate,….Realise. And the
means that the impurities are removed and we have the Ashram is a place to do it. Hari Om Tat Sat
experience of meditation, both during the time we sit for med-
itation and outside of it. It means that when we meditate, we Swami Sitaramananda is Director of the Sivananda Yoga Farm Ashram in
Grass Valley, California and the Sivananda Yoga Centre in San Francisco.
45

Even though our schedule for each day is the same,
we know each day to be different
The winter is quiet in the Ashram, but not desolate quiet, or
eery quiet. The silence is soothing, peaceful like a healing
balm. To live here in the winter is a lesson in establishing a
rhythm with nature. The diversions are few, very little to dis-
tract the mind. We live in nature. We are surrounded by
ancient mountains, the Laurentians in Quebec, said to be the
oldest on earth. The Lodge, where the guests sleep, is built
into the fabric of the land, with the actual mountain serving as
some of the walls. The forests around us have remained
intact for many thousands of years. Even though our sched-
ule for each day is the same, we know each day to be differ-
ent. The light is different. We have come to know the individ-
ual routines of the crows and squirrels, the only animals to be
seen at this time of year, their black forms silhouetted against
the glistening canopy of snow. We know the weather inti-
mately and are aware of our response to the ups and downs
46
by Padmavati
of atmospheric pressure. We know when the sun rises and
falls. We know how high it will go each day in the sky.
We are only a few 'staff', at this time of year, unpaid spiritual
aspirants who have, for the time being, dedicated our lives to
the Ashram, providing a retreat from the stresses and strains
of daily life for those who seek it. And in this process we work
unceasingly at improving our own lives. We are going slowly
toward the final emancipation. Some are nearer than others.
Some may succeed in this lifetime, but it is more likely that
most of us will have to return again and again before the les-
sons we need to learn are fully absorbed.
We rise at 5.30am with the dawn and spend an hour and a
half in satsang: one half hour of silent meditation, one half
hour of Sanskrit mantra chanting and a short talk on the
philosophy and psychology of yoga. Satsang literally
means to be in the company of the wise and it forms the
heart of the life of the Ashram. Swami Sivananda says of
satsang "there is nothing so inspiring, elevating, solacing
and delightful as satsang. Satsang is the greatest of all
purifiers and illuminators of man". However down we feel,
however angry, we are always uplifted and inspired by sat-
sang.
At 8am our first class of yoga is held. Students from out-
side, who use the Ashram as their local yoga centre, as
well as guests and staff join together for just under two
hours of classical, traditional yoga. We are taken through a
beautifully-sculpted class designed by Swami Vishnu-
devananda incorporating the twelve basic postures of
yoga, with emphasis on breathing, relaxation and concen-
tration.
At 10am we eat the first of our two meals-pure, organic
and vegetarian based on the principles of a yogic diet. No
onions, garlic, mushrooms, meat, fish, fowl or eggs. Not
too much spice. Swami Sivananda has taught us that the
subtle essence of food creates the mind. To allow us to
keep the mind calm and to go deeper into our meditation
we keep our diet simple and pure. At first, it seems impos-
sible to cook without these ingredients, let alone have a
satisfying meal, but we learn to use herbs and less heating
spices with ingenuity and the food is delicious. We take it
in turns to cook.
At 11am, for one hour, guests and staff together clean the
Ashram. Karma yoga is the practice of giving selflessly,
offering the work to God, with no expectation of reward.
The practice allows guests and staff to get to know each
other and introduces the guests into the spirit of Ashram
life.
And then for the next few hours the staff spend time on
the various tasks allotted to each. We may be office-
based, working on accounts or administration. We may be
on housekeeping, dusting, sweeping, washing, keeping
the adage “cleanliness is next to Godliness” in our hearts.
Or maintenance--clearing snow, fixing heaters, painting
doors. We take it in turns to cover the phones, a twenty-
four hour task, and each week a different person is on
wake-up, ringing the large sonorous bell in the middle of
our grounds calling us to satsang, night and day.
During the afternoon the guests are free to explore the natu-
ral beauty surrounding us. Opportunities for snow-shoeing,
skiing, hiking, swimming in the nearby lakes, canoeing on the
local river abound. Or they may have a query on their individ-
ual yoga practice, how to do a headstand or questions on the
life of the Ashram and we have one of the staff on hand to
help. On Saturdays we have two-hour workshops on yoga-
related topics. How to control anger, fear, how to develop
compassion, joy and contentment. We teach basic Sanskrit,
we study the scriptures.
At 4pm we have another yoga class, at 6pm another meal
and 7.30pm another satsang. Our day is always the same.
We follow a discipline, we become disciples.
Here we are five or so strangers living a fully-communal life
working to serve the guests that arrive. We watch them come
and go. We know it is the weekend only because there are
more guests. We welcome the change of energy and we wel-
come the new faces. Some know the Ashram, they are old
hands. They may have been coming for over twenty or thirty
years. Some are first-timers, keen to learn yoga, eager to
experience some quiet in their minds. The fact that most of
the daily programme is mandatory is a great leveler. All of us,
guests and staff alike must attend both satsangs, and the
guests are obliged to go to both yoga classes. We all eat
together and we clean together. We do not know if we have
high flyers or down-and-outs amongst us. We treat everyone
the same. Because we sit on the floor to eat and to meditate,
all of us wear easy unpretentious clothes, another way that
keeps us on an equal footing.
As Spring approaches our work changes. We happily go out-
side eager to dig the ground and prepare for planting. We
chant Sanskrit bhajans as we work the land. The four or five
outdoor yoga platforms have to be prepped, sanded and
wood-stained. The swimming pool has to be drained and
painted. The camping sites have to be cleared, tents erected.
The cabins where the kids sleep for Kids' Camp have to be
cleaned and made and made ready. Bathhouses are
restocked with mops, buckets, shower curtains and more.
From the slower pace of winter, we are picking up speed for
the summer season. We bring in karma yogis from our
Centre in Montreal to help, our staff and guest numbers
increase. Instead of cooking for twenty, we now cook for fifty
and more.The sun is now high in the sky. June has arrived
and with it our first courses, a ten-day Meditation Immersion
Course, a two-week Detoxification and Juice Fasting
Programme and Sadhana Intensive, a two-week course for
Sivananda-certified teachers, unique in the West in which we
build up to six to eight hours of hatha yoga (postures and
breathing exercises) a day. Twenty to thirty students arrive,
eager to deepen their yoga practice. This course is based on
the spiritual practice undertaken by Swami Vishnu-devananda
in the breathing exercises) a day. Twenty to thirty students
arrive, eager to deepen their yoga practice. This course is
based on the spiritual practice undertaken by Swami Vishnu-
devananda in the Himalayas and offers a profound spiritual
experience for those who participate. July approaches and
there is another increase in tempo. This time we are prepar-
ing for the main intake of guests, who come for the Summer
sun. We also have the first of our two month-long Teachers'
Training Courses, (TTC) with up to one hundred and fifty stu-
dents enrolled from around the world. They wearlow
47
A Year in the Life of an Ashram
t-shirts and white pants as part of the course,
and they move as one, like a shoal of fish or a
swarm of bees. Their schedule is tight and
intensive, meant to stretch the mind beyond its
self-imposed limitations. The students are
pushed and pulled to greater horizons, their
egos breaking down in the process. The course
came from a vision that Swami Vishnu-
devananda had of the world on fire, with people
running in panic with nowhere to go. He knew
that he had to help the world and devised the
course, not to create a new profession of yoga
teaching, but to create future leaders who could
bring peace and harmony to the world.
-He knew that the ancient wisdom of yoga was
the means to do this. He simplified the four
great paths of yoga -bhakti, karma, raja and
jnana-into five basic principles. These principles
are proper exercise (asana), proper breathing
(pranayama), proper relaxation (dharana), prop-
er diet (vegetarian) and positive thinking and
meditation (Vedanta and dhyana). All our prac-
tices are based on these five simple principles
and are taught in the Teachers' Training Course
through the ancient gurukula system, in which
the student's daily life is fully integrated into the
yoga training. By the end of the course the stu-
dent possesses a firm foundation for teaching
others. But more importantly the students
strengthen their own personal yoga practice
through self-discipline and exposure to the
essence of yoga psychology and philosophy.
The majority of students who take the course
find its effects are profound and life-changing.
And now to complete the joy in the Ashram, the
kids arrive. Every summer we welcome Kids'
Camp, which combines the beauty and disci-
pline of yoga with the fun of camp. The kids fol-
low a modified daily Ashram schedule--not for
them a 5.30am wake-up call. Swimming,
canoeing, story-telling, games and day-trips are
combined with yoga and meditation. They
develop a love of nature, learn to respect all
religions and begin to experience the inner
silence and peace that comes through the yoga
practice. Their laughter and joy is infectious and
we all smile when they join us each evening for
the chants of satsang.
We have been joined by many swamis from our
Ashrams and centres around the world. They
add a powerful spiritual presence to the
48
Ashram, giving solace, guidance and advice to
the students, guests and staff alike. We are now
cooking for up to three hundred. Staff numbers
have risen to forty or fifty and the languages we
hear remind us of the diversity of the world out-
side. Our Teachers' Training Course offers
simultaneous translation in four languages, a
legacy of Swami Vishnu-devananda's peace
missions around the world. Numerous nationali-
ties and religions mingle in the Ashram with no
hint of animosity. The atmosphere does not
allow for political discussion, it allows only for
the joy of being human together and for the
spirit to soar.
August and September arrive, heralding in the
Advanced Teachers' Training Course and a
series of ten-day courses on Ayurveda. The
leaves are turning. Oranges, reds and yellows
blaze forth from the forests as summer draws to
a close. Guests come to drink in Mother Nature
in all her glory and the days are still warm
enough to have yoga classes outside. As
October comes, the tents come down, we say
good-bye to the summer staff and we start to
hammer down the hatches. The bathhouses
close, the cabins are firmly locked, the swim-
ming pool drained. Our courses continue with
an intensive Sanskrit programme introducing
sincere students into the beauty of one of the
richest languages in the world.
November brings us quietness again, but
we are still busy clearing from the summer and
fall. And Christmas is coming. We are taking
bookings daily for our Christmas programme,
again laden with special guests and swamis. It
is a joyous and joyful occasion with sleigh rides,
cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing, feasts, car-
ols, and of course yoga. And now January
again. We are still here, practising our yoga.
Back to four or five staff, but we are different.
We have learned a great deal. We are a little
more tolerant, a little more patient, a little less
angry, a little more courageous, generous and
joyful. The difference may be small, but still
there is a difference, there is growth and there
is change. We are blessed. And we thank our
teachers Swami Vishnu-devananda and Swami
Sivananda in the silence.
Padmavati is Director of the Sivananda Yoga Ashram Camp in
Val Morin, Quebec, Canada
Prison Project News

Swami Padmapadananda Krshnadas Narayani

I have relocated to San Francisco, bringing the Prison
Project along with me. We are settling down in this beautiful
city, trying to catch up with the huge pile of prisoners' letters
which are pouring in at an enormous rate. San Francisco
opens new doors, especially with the proximity of one of the
most notorious prisons in the USA, San Quentin, where I
hope we will soon be teaching. This is the prison where a
recent execution landed Governor Schwarzenegger into
international trouble. Krishnadas has moved to the Yoga
Ranch on a permanent basis, and continues to teach at the
local Sullivan prisons there. Narayani, a graduate of our
Teachers' Training Course 2005, lives not too far from San
Francisco, and is lovingly taking care of book distribution and
mailing list maintenance, while I take care of the never-end-
ing correspondence.
My twice relocating has been a setback for the Project,
which has suffered from a lack of continuity over the past two
years. This has resulted in a backlog of books to send and
loss of income. The New York Center is still helping out with
their cookie sales, but we need lots more funds. So -- please
help us to get the Project back on its feet. Contributions can
be sent to the Ranch or the San Francisco Center.
Statistics for 2005
Income: US$1,828
Books sent: Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga - 109;
Meditation & Mantras - 11; Others - 2
Om and Pranams,
Swami Padmapadananda

Sivananda Ashram Yoga Ranch Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center

PO Box 195, Budd Road 1200 Arguella Boulevard
Woodbourne, New York 12788 USA
Tel +1.845.436.6492
San Francisco, CA 94122 USA
Tel +1.415.681.2731
International Sivananda
e-mail YogaRanch @sivananda.org e-mail SanFrancisco@sivananda.org
Yoga Teachers’ Training
Course
Letter 1 our awesome God pour out tremendous blessings upon you
Dear Swami Padmapadananda, and yours.
I received your book and your kind letter today. I sure do Your Friend eternally,
appreciate your love and generosity! Thank you so very, very PS
much! I value the practice of yoga very much. I am still new at
it. I receive more information from time to time, in bits and Letter 2
pieces from people like you that enables me to move forward. Hi:
I am a Christian of many years in that faith. I have found I am on a journey in search of enlightenment. I found your Wimborne, Dorset, UK
much peace and much better understanding in life by incorpo- information on some papers I was about to throw away. I
rating yoga into my lifestyle.
The book you sent me is a tool that I will use for bettering
don't know how long I've had it or where I got it from, but the
note said you offer free books on yoga and meditation. Right
April 22 - May 21, 2006
myself with. I sure do thank you. I have never really had any now that is exactly what I need. If you can send me some-
A 4-Week Intensive Course held in the
teacher or instructor. I am just led by God's servants such as thing to help me with my meditation and educate me on yoga
yourself. poses, I would be most grateful. heart of the English countryside
Thank you one more time and may the Grace and Love of Bless you, D
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre • 51 Felsham Road London SW15 1AZ • email: London@sivananda.net
Tel: + 44(0) 20 8780 0160 www.sivananda.org/london

50 51
Ashram and Centre Addresses
ASHRAMS
Sivananda Ashram Yoga Camp
673, 8th Avenue
Val Morin
Quebec J0T 2R0, CANADA
Tel: +1.819.322.3226
Fax: +1.819.322.5876
e-mail: HQ@sivananda.org
Sivananda Ashram Yoga Ranch
P.O. Box 195, Budd Road
Woodbourne, NY 12788, U.S.A.
Tel: +1.845.436.6492
Fax: +1.845.434.1032
e-mail: YogaRanch@sivananda.org
Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat
P.O. Box N7550
Paradise Island, Nassau, BAHAMAS
Tel: +1.242.363.2902
Fax: +1.242.363.3783
e-mail: Nassau@sivananda.org
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta
Dhanwantari Ashram
P.O.Neyyar Dam
Thiruvananthapuram Dt.
Kerala, 695 572, INDIA
Tel: +91.471.2273.093
Fax: +91.471.2272.093
e-mail: YogaIndia@sivananda.org
Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm
14651 Ballantree Lane, Comp. 8
Grass Valley, CA 95949, U.S.A.
Tel: +1.530.272.9322
Fax: +1.530.477.6054
e-mail: YogaFarm@sivananda.org
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta
Meenakshi Ashram
Kalloothu, Saramthangi Village
Vellayampatti P.O., Palamedu (via)
Vadippatti Taluk, Madurai Dist.
625 503 Tamil Nadu, INDIA
Tel: +91.452. 209.0662
e-mail: madurai@sivananda.org
Sivananda Kutir
P.O. Netala, Uttar Kashi Dt
(near Siror Bridge)
Uttaranchal, Himalayas, 249 193, INDIA
Tel: +91.1374.222624/236296
Fax: +91.1374.224159
e-mail: sivananda108@rediffmail.com
Sivananda Yoga Retreat House
Am Bichlachweg 40A
A- 6370 Reith bei Kitzbuhel, AUSTRIA
Tel: +43.5356.67.404
Fax: +43.5356.67.4044
e-mail: tyrol@sivananda.net
Chateau du Yoga Sivananda
26 Impasse du Bignon
45170 Neuville aux bois, FRANCE
Tel: +33.2.38.91.88.82
Fax: +33.2.38.91.18.09
e-mail: orleans@sivananda.net
CENTRES
ARGENTINA
Centro Internacional de Yoga
Sivananda
Julian Alvarez 2201
CP 1425 Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA
Tel: +54.11.4827.9269 /9566
Fax: +54.11.4827.9512
e-mail: BuenosAires@sivananda.org
AUSTRIA
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Zentrum
52
Prinz-Eugenstrasse 18
A-1040 Vienna, AUSTRIA
Tel:: +43.1.586.3453
Fax: +43.1.587.1551
e-mail: Vienna@sivananda.net
CANADA
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre
5178 St Lawrence Blvd
Montreal, Quebec H2T 1R8, CANADA
Tel: +1.514.279.3545
Fax: +1.514.279.3527
e-mail: Montreal@sivananda.org
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre
77 Harbord Street
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1G4, CANADA
Tel: +1.416.966.9642
e-mail: Toronto@sivananda.org
FRANCE
Centre Sivananda de Yoga Vedanta
123 Boulevard de Sebastopol
F-75002 Paris, FRANCE
Tel: +33.1.40.26.77.49
Fax: +33.1.42.33.51.97
e-mail: Paris@sivananda.net
GERMANY
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Zentrum
Steinheilstrasse 1
D-80333 Munich, GERMANY
Tel: +49.89.52.44.76
Fax: +49.89.52.91.28
e-mail: Munich@sivananda.net
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Zentrum
Schmiljanstrasse 24
D-12161 Berlin, GERMANY
Tel: +49.30.8599.9799
Fax: +49.30.8599.9797
e-mail: Berlin@sivananda.net
INDIA
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta
Nataraja Centre
A-41 Kailash Colony
New Delhi 110 048, INDIA
Tel: +91.11. 292.40869 / 292 30962
e-mail: Delhi@sivananda.org
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre
House No.18, TC 36/1238
Subhash Nagar
Vallakkadavu PO, Perunthanni,
Trivandrum,
695 008, Kerala, INDIA
Tel: +91.471.245.1398 / 245.0942
Fax: +91.471.246.5368
e-mail: Trivandrum@sivananda.org
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre
3/655 (Plot No. 131) Kaveri Nagar
Kuppam Road, Kottivakkam
Chennai 600 041, INDIA
Tel: +91.44.2451.1626 / 2451.2546
e-mail: Chennai@sivananda.org
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre
Plot # 23, Dr Sathar Road
Anna Nagar, Madurai 625 025
Tamil Nadu, INDIA
Tel: +91.452.252.1170
Fax: +91.452.539.3445
e-mail: maduraicentre@sivananda.org
ISRAEL
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre
6 Lateris St
Tel Aviv 64166, ISRAEL
Tel: +972.3.691.6793
Fax: +972.3.696.3939
e-mail: TelAviv@sivananda.org
ITALY
Centro Yoga Vedanta Sivananda
+39 347 426 1345
roma@sivananda.org
SPAIN
Centro de Yoga Sivananda Vedanta
Calle Eraso 4
E-28028 Madrid, SPAIN
Tel: +34.91.361.5150
Fax: +34.91.361.5194
e-mail: Madrid@sivananda.net
SWITZERLAND
Centre Sivananda de Yoga Vedanta
1 Rue des Minoteries
CH-1205 Geneva, SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41.22.328.03.28
Fax: +41.22.328.03.59
e-mail: Geneva@sivananda.net
UNITED KINGDOM
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre
51 Felsham Road
London SW15 1AZ, UK
Tel: +44.20.8780.0160
Fax: +44.20.8780.0128
e-mail: London@sivananda.net
UNITED STATES
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center
1246 Bryn Mawr
Chicago, IL 60660, USA
Tel: +1.773.878.7771
Fax: +1.773.878.7527
e-mail: Chicago@sivananda.org
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center
243 West 24th Street
New York, NY 10011, USA
Tel: +1.212.255.4560
Fax: +1.212.727.7392
e-mail: NewYork@sivananda.org
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center
1200 Arguello Blvd
San Francisco, CA 94122, USA
Tel: +1.415.681.2731
Fax: +1.415.681.5162
e-mail: SanFrancisco@sivananda.org
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center
13325 Beach Avenue
Marina del Rey, CA 90292, USA
Tel: +1.310.822.9642
e-mail: LosAngeles@sivananda.org
URUGUAY
Asociacion de Yoga Sivananda
Acevedo Diaz 1523
11200 Montevideo, URUGUAY
Tel: +598.2.401.09.29 / 401.66.85
Fax: +598.2.400.73.88
e-mail: Montevideo@sivananda.org
AFFILIATED CENTRES
ARGENTINA
Centro de Yoga Sivananda
Carlos y Laura Chiarotto
Alderete 97- Neuquen (8300)
ARGENTINA
Tel: +54.299.4331774/ +54.299.4484879
e-mail: naradaneuquen@hotmail.com
BOLIVIA
Centro de Yoga Sivananda Santa Cruz
Calle Junin #271
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, BOLIVIA
Tel/Fax: +591.333.1508
e-mail: marcelaterceros@hotmail.com
BRAZIL
Centro Sivananda de Yoga Vedanta
Rua Santo Antonio, 374
Porto Alegre 90220-010 -RS, BRAZIL
Tel: +55.51.3024.7717
e-mail: centro@yogasivananda.com.br
www.sivanandayoga.com.br
Centro Sivananda de Yoga Vedanta
Rua das Palmeiras n/13
Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro CEP 20270-
070
BRAZIL
Tel: +51.21.2266.4896
www.sivanandayoga.com.br
CANADA
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre
Sarojini
32 Drake Crescent
St. Johns, Newfoundland A1A 3L3
CANADA
Tel: +1.709.726.0376
e-mail: namaste136@hotmail.com
Sivaram & Sasi
"Lakshmi"
108 Des Berges
Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec, J7V 9X2
CANADA
Tel: +1.450 510 2656/+1.450 510 2657
e-mail Psivaraman@sympatico.ca
Mountain View Centre
Catherine Gillies (Kumari)
17, rue Bancroft
Gatineau (secteur Aylmer)
Québec, J9H 4N1, CANADA
Tel: +1.819 684-2084
e-mail: mountainview404@yahoo.ca
www.yoga-aylmer.com
FRANCE
Centre de Yoga Sivananda affilié
17 avenue Julien Panchot
66000 Perpignan, FRANCE
Tel: +33.6.64.14.11.99
Shankara
(Lou Couture)
Lieu-dit "Scalo"
20230 Santa Lucia di Moriani
Corsica, FRANCE
Tel: +33.4.95.38.48.44. or
+33.6.11.39.38.33
GERMANY
International Sivananda Yoga Centre
Kleiner Kielort 8
20144 Hamburg, GERMANY
Tel: +49.40.41.42.45.46
e-mail: post@artyoga.de
www.artyoga.de
INDIA
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre
# 79, 4th cross, 4th Block, 16th Main
Koramangala, Bangalore -560034
Karnataka State, INDIA
Tel: +91.80.2563.4991
Mobile: +91 98866 72136
e-mail: yogamana@yahoo.co.in
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre
Swami Sundarananda
'Laxmi Sadan'
College Road
Palakkad, Kerala 678 001, INDIA
Tel: +91.491.254.5117 / 354.4549
e-mail: pgt_gak@sanchara.net.in
Sivananda Yoga Centre
Ajitha Vijayaraghavan
E-94 Income Tax Quarters
Panampilly Nagar
Kochin, Kerala 682 036, INDIA
Tel: +91.484.231.3418
T Raghavan
Kripa, Kundanmur
Maradu P.O.
Kochi 682304, INDIA
e-mail: trmenon@vsnl.com
Sivananda Yoga Centre
Sarath Kumar
Balan K. Nair Road, Asokapuram,
Kozhikode, Kerala 673 001, INDIA
Tel: +91. 495 2771754/2770384
Mobile +91 944 6953652
e-mail: mail@sivanandayogacentre.com
Sivananda Yoga Centre
#236,5th Cross, 3rd Block,
H R B R Layout,
Bangalore 560043, INDIA
Tel: +91 80 57637144,
Mobile: +91 9448464448
e-mail: yogaprabhus@yahoo.co.uk
Arsha Yoga Gurukulam
Double Cutting
Calvarimount Post
Idukki (Dt), Kerala 680 681 INDIA
Tel: +91 480284 6080
e-mail: harilal_k@yahoo.com
www.arshayoga.org
Sivananda Yoga Centre, Gurgaon
M13/23 DLF Phase II
Gurgaon 122002
Haryana, INDIA
Tel: +91 0124 2581353
e-mail:yogashowstheway@yahoo.com
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre
Durairaj Narayanasamy (Ganesha)
L-12, 26th Street, Annanagar East,
Chennai 600102 INDIA
Tel: +91.44.2663.0978
Mobile: +91.98.402.5.1382
e-mail:durain@gmail.com
INDONESIA
Bali Yoga and Wellness
Beate / Billie McLatchie
Jl Tunjung Mekar 58
Br Peliatan, Kerobakan
Bali, INDONESIA
Tel: 62 361 429 828
e-mail: info@baliyogawellness.com
www.baliyogawellness.com
ISRAEL
Sivananda Yoga Centre
3 Reuven Street
Jerusalem, ISRAEL
Tel: +972.2.671.4854
e-mail: syvc@013.barak.net.il
Sivananda Yoga Centre
8 Amnon and Tamar Street, Apt 1
Herzelia, ISRAEL
Tel: +972.9.9561004
e-mail: gerag@internet-zahav.net
Sivananda Yoga Center
11a Einstein Street
Haifa 34605 ISRAEL
Tel: +972.4.8111921
e-mail: narayans@netvision.net.il
Sivananda Yoga Centre
614A
Apartment 11
Eilat 88000, ISRAEL
Tel: + 972 8 631 7354
email: Yofy@canoemail.com
ITALY
Associazione Yoga Sivananda
Via. V.Veneto
I-30031 Dolo (VE), ITALY
Tel: +39 041 51 03 709
Cell: +39 348 89 86 047
e-mail: silvia@padmavati.net
www.padmavati.net/yoga-sivananda-
venice.htm
In Sabina Yoga Centre
Torri in Sabina
Lazio, ITALY
Tel: +39.340.387.6028
e-mail: giulialandor@tiscali.com
www.insabina.com
LEBANON
Sivananda Yoga Centre
522 Couraud Street #3A
Gemayzeh, Beirut, LEBANON
Tel: +961-1-566-770
e-mail:
sivanandabeirutcenter@yahoo.com
POLAND
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centrum
ul.Friedleina 20/6
30-009 Krakow, POLAND
Tel: +48.12.634.43.83
e-mail: parvati@wp.pl
www.joga.most.org.pl
UNITED KINGDOM
Jody Tull (Jyoti)
73 Crown Street
Brentwood
Essex CM14 4BD, UK
Tel: +44.127.7210372
e-mail: jodytull@aol.com
UNITED STATES
Sivananda Yoga Center
c/o Bharat J. Gajjar
614 Loveville Road, Bldg. D-1F
Hockessin, DE 19707-1611, USA
Tel: +1.302.234.8553
e-mail: bgajjar@comcast.net
Vishnu-devananda Yoga
Vedanta Center
1034 Delaware Street
Berkeley, CA 94710, USA
Tel: +1.510.273.2447
e-mail: mail@vishnuyoga.org
www.vishnuyoga.org
Yoga and Inner Peace
3964 Lake Worth Road
Lake Worth FL33461-4054, USA
Tel: +1.561.641.8888
e-mail: b@yogapeace.com
Stone Door Yoga Retreat
Dattatreya and Sita Lakshmi
168 Fahery Road, P.O. Box 256
Beersheba Springs TN 37305, USA
Tel: +1.931.692.2350
e-mail: yoga@yogadoor.com
www.yogadoor.com
Yoga Warehouse
Shyam and Mohini
508 SW Flagler Ave.
Fort Lauderdale
Florida 33301 USA
Tel: +1 954 525-7726
e-mail yogis@yogawarehouse.org
www.yogawarehouse.org
OUTSIDE TEACHERS
AUSTRALIA
Kamala
40 Ninth Avenue
Katoomba 2780
NSW, AUSTRALIA
Tel: +61.2.4782.3245
Fax: +61.2.4782.4185
Diego de Osorio 125
Lomas Virreyes, MEXICO 11000
Chicago, IL 60626-1666, USA
Tel: +1.773.465.2117 cell: 773.450.8248
e-mail: KamalaDevi@bigpond.com Tel: +52.5.202.65.78 e-mail:
radhachicago@12dollaraccess.com
Daya Devi (Donna Bennetts) Tashirat Cosmic Learning Center
P.O. Box 5150 Brenda Jacobson Tony D'Angelo (Keshava)
Middle Park 3206 km 4.5 Carretera Sto. Domingo Ocotitlan 3832 NYS RTE 22
Melbourne, AUSTRALIA Tepoztlan, Morelos 62520 MEXICO PO Box 403
Tel: +61.427.483.808 e-mail: contact@tashirat.com Willsboro, NY 12996, USA
e-mail: donnabanana@yahoo.com www.Tashirat.com Tel: +1.518.963.7928
BERMUDA PORTUGAL Grace Welch
Mohini Natarajan Frank Jensen (Parameshwara) 67 Scotch Pine Drive
Birkdale Moinhos Velhos Islandia, NY 11749, USA
98 Harrington Sound Road Cotifo Tel: + 1.631.348.7199
Smiths Parish HS01, BERMUDA Lagos 8600-077, PORTUGAL e-mail: grace@gracewelch.com
Tel: +1.441. 293.0579 Tel: +351.282.687147 www.gracewelch.com
e-mail: mohininatarajan@hotmail.com e-mail: frank@moinhos-velhos.com
The Synthesis of Yoga Natural Retreats
CANADA PUERTO RICO Anthony Sadasiva
James Alfieri (Arjuna) Eduardo A. Falcon-Villafane (Vasu) 88-10 74th Place
17 rue Bancroft # 274 Avenue Eleanor Roosevelt NY, New York 11421, USA
Gatineau, Quebec J9H 4N1, CANADA Hato Rey, PUERTO RICO Tel: 718.296.8543
Tel: +1.819.684.2084 Tel: 787 761 5625 e-mail: sadasiva@earthlink.net
www.yogasynthesis.org
Isabelle Boutet (Karuna) SOUTH AFRICA
69 Third Avenue Abundance Yoga and Holistic Centre Divine Love Yoga
Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 2J7 CANADA Cynthia and Gary Fort David LeWine
Tel: +1 613.234.4242 11 Montrose Avenue PO Box 519
iboutet@uottawa.ca Claremont, Cape Town 7708, SOUTH Verplanck, NY 10596, USA
www.karunayoga.ca AFRICA Tel: +1.914.737.0781
e-mail: abundanceyoga@telkomsa.net e-mail: dlyoga@aol.com
Sue-Anne Hickey (Saraswati) home.telkomsa.net/abundanceyoga
5170 West Hill Avenue #14 Hari Markman
Montreal QC H4V 2W7 SWITZERLAND 888 Louise Circle
CANADA Surya-Chandra Yogaschule Durham, NC 27705, USA
Tel: +1.514.577.1963 Ottenbacherstrasse 8 Tel: +1.919.383.6326
e-mail: Harmoni@cam.org CH-8912 Obfedlen, SWITZERLAND
www.illuminartyoga.com Tel: +41 1 760 3688 Nancy Polonitza
e-mail: hari@surya-chandra.ch 7 W. 8 Street
FRANCE www.surya-chandra.ch Barnegat Light, NJ 08006, USA
Centre de Yoga Vedanta Tel: +1.609.361.0957
Sita UKRAINE e-mail: yogabythesea@hotmail.com
7 rue Notre Dame Sivananda Yoga Centre
06000 Nice, FRANCE (Valentina Nikitina) Uma (Carolyn Esposito)
Tel: +33.4.93.91.09.58 Sadovaya Str 60 601 Oakwood Drive
95050 Simferopol Northvale, NJ 07647, USA
FIJI Crimea, UKRAINE Tel: +1.201.767.3898
James Marlowe e-mail:valentina-nikiti@mail.ru e-mail: carolynuma@yahoo.com
2 Kavika Place
Suva, FIJI Victoria Rybachuk (Savitri) Michael and Swetlana Sindler
Tel: +679.308.409 Street Baggovutivska 3/15, Flat 88 Prema Yoga
Kyiv 04107, UKRAINE 1329 Saluda River Drive
IRAN Tel: +380 44 4833683, mobile +380 West Columbia SC 29169, USA
Iran Yoga Centre 679925623 Tel: +1.803.796.7901
Chandra (S.A.Hamid.M.Naini) e-mail: padma04@yandex.ru e-mail: premayoga@mindspring.com
1 Jianpanah Lane, Park Avenue
Hamila Blvd, Poonak Circle, Tehran UNITED KINGDOM Bharata (Bruce Cable)
14696, IRAN Innergy Yoga Centre 43 Walnut Street
Tel: +98.98.21.4428072 East Row, Kensal Road Greenville SC 29607-1347, USA
e-mail: IranYoga@mail.dci.co.ir London, W10 5AW, UK Tel: +1.864.235.4778
Tel: +44 (0) 208 968 1178 e-mail: brucecable@hotmail.com
ITALY e-mail: faustomaria@innergy-yoga.com
Elbayoga www.innergy-yoga.com Elias Guerrero (Mahadeva)
Loc. Lacona 9B 7406 Dragonfly Court
I-57031 Capoliveri Sri Ramachandra Austin TX 78744, USA
Li- ITALY 71 Stansted Road Tel: +1.512.416.9350
Tel/fax: +39-0565-964026 or mobile +39- Bishops Stortford e-mail: yogashowstheway@earthlink.net
320-1529854 CM23 2DT, UK
e-mail: elbayoga@yahoo.it Tel: +44.1279.834670 Faye Yousry (Padmakshi)
School of Healing Arts
LITHUANIA UNITED STATES 5049 Cass Street, #3
Jogos Centras Narayana (Haridas) Neelakantha and Pushpa Robinson San Diego CA 92109, USA
Saltoniskiu 29/3, Vilnius 472 M St S. W. Tel: +1.858 272 2588
Lt - 2004, LITHUANIA Washington D. C. 20024, USA e-mail: fayeyousry@nethere.com
Tel: +370.52607723 e mail yogini8@hotmail.com
e-mail: narayana@yoga.lt Tel: +1.202.439.7167 or +1.202.863.7482 Mirabai Korallis
817 Wallace St.
Shanti Yoga Vedanta Center (Rukmini) Kyle Curley Coral Gables, FL 33134 USA
Medziotoju 14, Vilnius 3515 28th St #104 Tel: +1 305.803-5112
LT-10220, LITHUANIA Boulder, Colorado 80301 USA e-mail: Mkorallis@aol.com
Tel: +370.52767676 Tel: +1.303.443.2998
e-mail shanti@jogoscentras.lt e-mail: Pepovium@aol.com
MEXICO Gloria McCartney (Radha)
Karen Anderson 7450 N. Rogers, #906
53
 July 5 - 9 2006
Val Morin, Quebec, Canada

Five days of rituals, in which the energy of the

main Temple murthis is transferred to smaller
murthis and the Temple is cleaned, renovated
and redecorated. The energy is then transferred
back to the main murthis in a powerful recon-
secration ceremonies.

The programme will be attended by Swami

Vishnu-devananda's closest devotees.

The rituals will be performed by South Indian

priests under the supervision of Potti Swami
and guidance of the Executive Board and with
the blessings of Master and Swamiji.

For programme of events please contact

Sivananda Yoga Ashram Camp
673 8th Avenue
Val Morin, Quebec J0T 2R0, Canada
tel 819 322 3226
e-mail hq@sivananda.org

54