We are pleased to bring you this introductory issue of the North American Gurukul newsletter.
The newsletter will be quarterly, aiming to keep you connected to the activities of Satyananda Yoga both in North America and worldwide. It will include interviews, news of upcoming events, inspiring articles, and other snippets of value to strengthen your connection to the Satyananda Yoga community.
We welcome contributions to the newsletter and would love to have you involved.
NAG Newsletter Summer 2008
What is the North American Gurukul?
Excerpt from The Gurukul - Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati
"Kula means family, and when the word guru is added, gurukul means family of the guru. It is a place where people who share the same vision, the same lifestyle, who follow the same discipline, live a life as per the mandate of the teacher.
When you become part of this environment you also experience a different type of energy internally. That energy which you experience awakens the dormant dimensions of your mind. You begin to see not just with your intellect but with your heart. You begin to experience not just with your heart but with your psychic personality. You begin to perceive not just through the senses but through intuitive perceptions.
Think of this as an extended family. Not a family that is just confined to brothers and sisters, father and mother, but many unknown people, who have come together in the gurukul."
-
The North American Gurukul (NAG) is a registered, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
-
NAG is dedicated to supporting the growth of SATYANANDA YOGA® across North America in order to enhance the well being of individuals and society.
-
NAG was founded in 2004 with the blessings of Paramahansa Niranjanananda.
-
NAG works to provide a forum to connect the Satyananda Yoga community, discover the many benefits of Satyananda Yoga and serve the communities in which we live.
-
Since one of the major tenets of Satyananda Yoga is seva, selfless service to others and to the community, NAG will be conducting service programs in locations such as homeless shelters, schools, prisons, domestic violence shelters, senior citizen programs and other venues serving those in need throughout North America.
-
NAG is helping to bring together the Satyananda Yoga community in North America in a variety of ways, such as creating a teacher database, planning events to increase awareness about Satyananda Yoga, and by launching a bi-annual conference in 2009.
Visit us on the web at
www.myspace.com/NorthAmericanGurukul
Seva Opportunities at NAG
Seva, or service to humanity, is the basis of spiritual life. Swami Sivananda, Swami Satyananda's teacher, listed his fundamental teachings as: " Serve, love, give, purify, be good, do good, meditate, realize." It can be no mistake that he put service first.
NAG is your organization, and only together can we build and nurture the Satyananda Yoga community across North America.
There are a variety of ways to get involved with NAG. Seva opportunities include spreading awareness of Satyananda Yoga, fundraising, tabling at local festivals and other events, contributing to NAG's e-newsletter, administrative assistance, teaching yoga classes for NAG service programs, event planning and internet outreach — just to name a few! Seva can be offered on a short-term, long-term or project related basis. If you’d like to get involved, do e-mail us at Info@NorthAmericanGurukul.org.
Events
Teachers in the Satyananda tradition are visitng North America with increasing frequency. Some recent programs included:
Swami Muktidharma toured Canada in July – With more than 35 years of living yoga, both in India and the West, Swami Muktidharma is a sought-after international speaker. His calendar is available at www.anahata-retreat.org.nz/wiki/tiki-view_events.php
Swami Karma Karuna visited North America June through August - Swami Karma Karuna, director of Anahata Yoga Retreat in New Zealand, led programs in Hawaii, New York, Ontario, and several other North American sites. Learn about her latest events at www.anahata-retreat.org.nz/wiki/tiki-view_events.php
Swami Yogabhakti led a 5 day Seminar on CLASSROOM YOGA in OHIO -
Swami Yogabhakti Saraswati (Micheline Flak), President of RYE (Research on Yoga in Education), started her career as an English teacher in Paris. Having studied Yoga under the guidance of Swami Satyananda Saraswati, she realized that this discipline adapted to classroom content could greatly benefit the learning process. Youngstown University received a grant to study yoga in the classroom and Swami Yogabhakti was on hand to share her expertise in this area.
One resource for learning about upcoming Satyananda events in North America is the Atma Center's web site. Established in 1997 by Swami Atmarupa Saraswati, the Atma Center features two yoga studios, a retail store specializing in publications from the Satyananda tradition, and off-site classes in local schools and businesses. The Atma Center is dedicated to the expansion of Satyananda Yoga® and often hosts travelling teachers in this tradition.
If you are teaching in the Satyananda tradition, or are conducting workshops in your area, please submit them so your programs can be included in the newsletter.
Swami Satyananda's Satsangs - At Your Fingertips!
Paramahansa Satyananda's satsangs are being posted online by Swami Satyasangananda at www.rikhiapeeth.net/
These essays are being produced for the benefit and inspiration of spiritual seekers all over the world and address a range of topics. Paramahansa Satyananda was a disciple of Swami Sivananda Saraswati and currently lives in seclusion at Rikhiapeeth, near Deoghar in the state of Jharkhand; the web site also contains pictures of events there.
India's YOGA Magazine now distributed in the USA
We are happy to inform you that NAG has recently acquired distribution rights to YOGA magazine across North America. This means you can subscribe to YOGA online, and the magazine will reach you more quickly every month.
YOGA is a monthly magazine published by the Bihar School of Yoga and its affiliated institutions, Sivananda Math and the Yoga Research Foundation. Each issue contains insightful articles and discourses by the inspirers of Satyananda Yoga - Swami Sivananda, Swami Satyananda, Swami Niranjanananda & Swami Satyasangananda, and other Yoga Acharyas & sincere sadhaks. Articles explore yogic philosophy and psychology, research, yoga for specific health concerns and a wealth of other yoga-related topics. Typically only ONE advertisement is carried in each magazine - ensuring each issue is loaded with valuable information suitable for yoga practioners of all levels. Learn more or subscribe by calling 216-371-9760 or click here. Proceeds from magazine subscriptions go to support NAG in its mission to enhance the well-being of individuals and society.
To celebrate the inaugural edition of the NAG Newsletter, new subscription purchased by 8/31/08 will receive an extra month free! Here is part of an article from the May 2008 issue:
Excerpt - Strengthen the Mind (from the Teachings of Swami Sivananda Saraswati)
The mind is a bundle of habits. Bad habits and prejudices hidden in one’s nature will necessarily be brought to the surface of the mind when the proper opportunity comes. If you change the habits, you can also change your character. You sow an act, you reap a habit. You sow a habit, you reap a character, you sow a character, you reap a destiny. Habits originate in the conscious mind, but when they become established by constant repetion, they sink down into the depths of the unconscious mind and become second nature.
Though habit is second nature, it can be changed by a new, healthy agreeable habit of a stronger nature. You can change any habit by patient effort and perseverance. Habits such as sleeping in the daytime, late rising, loud talking etc., can be gradually changed by developing new habits.
By a new mode of thinking you can change your destiny. When you draw water with a rope and bucket from a well with a brick parapet, a definite groove is formed along the brick and the rope readily runs along the groove. In the same way, the mental force (the mind) runs easily or flows readily along the grooves in the brain made by continuous thinking on certain lines. By spiritual sadhana, an entirely new mind is formed with new feelings, new nerve channels, new avenues and grooves in the brain for the mind to move and walk about.
Do not be a slave to one idea. Whenever you get new, healthy ideas, the old ideas must be given up. The vast majority of people are slaves to old outgrown ideas and habits. They have not got the strength to change the old habits in the mind and the old ideas. When you hear new and striking news, you are startled. When you see a new thing, you are startled. It is natural. It is much more so with new ideas. The mind runs in ruts in its old, narrow grooves. It is directly or indirectly attached to pleasing or favourite ideas. It unnecessarily sticks to one idea like glue and never gives up. It is a great ordeal for the mind to take up a new idea. Whenever you want to introduce a new, healthy idea in the mind and discard an old outgrown idea, the mind fights against it and rebels. Place the idea near the grooves. It will slowly take it. It may revolt furiously in the beginning, but later on by coaxing and training, it will absorb and assimilate it.
In the mind, there is an internal fight ever going on between the swabhava (nature) and will, between old worldly habits and new spiritual habits in the case of aspirants, between old samskaras and new spiritual samskaras, between good and bad desires, between discrimination and the instinctive mind and the senses. Whenever you try to change a bad habit and establish a new habit, there will ensue and internal fight between the will and the swabhava.
If you try to drive away anger and passion, they assert, “You gave us permission to stay in this body for a long time. Why do you want to drive us out now? We have helped you a lot. We have every right to remain here. We will resist all your efforts to drive us out. We shall disturb your meditation and recur again and again.” The swabhava will try its level best to get back to its old habit. Never yield. The will is bound to succeed in the end. Even if you fail a few times, it does not matter. Again apply the will. Eventually, will, pure, strong and irresistible, is bound to succeed. There is no doubt about this.
Tip of the Quarter
Swami Niranjananda recommends a daily mantra sadhana (regular practice) during his lectures around the world. The three mantras listed below are to be chanted upon waking, first thing every morning. This is a very powerful sadhana which benefits body and mind.
- Mahamrityunjaya mantra 11 times while holding the intention of healing, health and well-being
- Gayatri mantra 11 times while holding the intention of allowing wisdom and luminosity to enter our lives
- 32 Names of Durga 3 times with the intention of removing distress and experiencing bliss
Transliteration of the mantras:
MAHAMRITYUNJAYA MANTRA
Om trayambakam yajamahe
Sugandhim pushtivardhanam
Urvaarukamiva bandhanaat
Mrityormukshiya mamrtaat
GAYATRI MANTRA
Om bhurbhuvaha svaha
Tatsaviturvarenyam
Bhargo devasya dheemahi
Dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat
32 NAMES OF GODDESS DURGA
Om Durga Durgaarti-shamani Durgaapad-vinivaarini
Durgama-chchhedini Durga-saadhini Durga-naashini
Durgatod-dhaarini Durga-nihantri Durgama-paha
Durga-majnaanadaa Durga-daitya-loka-davaanalaa
Durga-maa Durgamaa-lokaa Durga-maatma-svaroopini
Durga-maarga-pradaa Durgama-vidyaa Durga-maashritaa
Durgama-jnaana-samsthaanaa Durgama-dhyaana-bhaasini
Durga-mohaa Durga-magaa Durga-maartha-svaroopini
Durga-maasura-samhantri Durga-maayudha-dhaarini
Durga-maangi Durgamataa Durgamyaa Durgameshvari
Durga-bhimaa Durga-bhaamaa Durgabhaa Durga-daarini
Swamiji Says...
“To cultivate and develop, not only faith but trust, not only trust but strength, not only strength but wisdom, not only wisdom but understanding, not only understanding but also awareness - the ability to see. This is the complete circle of yoga.” – Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati
The DAAN Society
The meaning of daan ["giving"] is to divide whatever we have, giving in charity for the pleasure of the Infinite Divine.... Whatever we have achieved or accumulated should be distributed for the benefit of others, and we should take up vows of service. — Goswai Indira Betiji
The DAAN (Donors Advancing the Activities of NAG) Society is a special group of committed supporters who will provide the foundation for NAG's flagship programs. Find out more about DAAN here
The North American Gurukul, Inc. (NAG) is a nonprofit organization established to support the growth of Satyananda Yoga® throughout North America in order to enhance the health, well being, & human potential of individuals and society.