What is Yoga?
"The primary purpose of the practice of yoga should be to integrate the different planes of one’s personality and at the same time to evolve the consciousness to gain greater knowledge of oneself. In this way any person anywhere in the world can fulfill his/her long cherished wish."
- Swami Satyananda
The proliferation of yoga in modern day society has taken on many forms. Now, more than ever, individuals seek personal growth. Yoga is a tool for the development of the personality with the aim to bring about greater awareness. Yoga is about creating balance and harmony in one’s life. In the context of rapid growth of Yoga throughout the world, Satyananda Yoga® remains an authentic, holistic and systematic approach to unlocking human potential.
What is Satyananda Yoga® ?
Authentic. Holistic. Systematic.
Satyananda Yoga® has a long-established worldwide presence and is gaining an important presence in North America. It is authentically grounded in the ancient Vedantic, Samkyha and Tantric traditions. Satyananda Yoga® draws from the brances of Hatha, Raja, Karma, Bhakti, Jnana, and Mantra yoga and integrates yogic traditions to create a systematic approach to meet the needs of modern day society.
Satyananda Yoga® is a holistic system that acknowledges that spiritual development involves the mind, body and actions. Satyananda Yoga® is often referred to as the Yoga of the Head, Heart and Hands, the integration of which is necessary for the development of human potential. The head represents intellect, the heart represents compassion and the hands represent action. Yoga is achieved when these three aspects of self are balanced.
Satyananda Yoga® was developed by Swami Satyananada Sarawati and is derived from the teachings of a strong lineage of gurus. The tradition aims to develop the intuitive self and to offer a solid scientific foundation for the development of yogic practices. Satyananda Yoga gurus have long been devoted to the systematic advancement and accessibility of the yoga through in-depth instruction, publications and research.
Satyananda Yoga® is the first modern yoga tradition offering university level diplomas. The Bihar Yoga Bharati was the first government accredited yoga university, offering degree programs. The Satyananda Yoga® Academy of Australasia (SYAA) offers government accredited diplomas, which are also available through licensing by the Atma Center, the North American provider of Yogic Studies and Teacher Training.
In the past 40 years, nearly 150 books have been authored by Satyananda Yoga® devotees in all aspects of Yoga including history, philosophy, applications and heath management. These books are complimented by thousands of published articles and the publication of the monthly magazine "Yoga" (www.yogamag.net). Most of these materials are readily available to the public. The tradition is also grounded in applied research with dedicated research entities in India and Australia.
Satyananda Yoga® is suited to anyone who is looking for an integrated approach to their physical, mental, and spiritual development. Satyananda Yoga® classes are balanced between physical postures (asana), breathing (pranayama) and meditation practices. Satyananda Yoga® is suitable for people of all ages, sizes, and physical abilities. Studio classes, workshops, conferences and a more intense exploration in Yogic Studies or Teacher Training courses are available in various locations throughout the world.
Lineage
Swami Sivananda was a spiritual visionary of the 20th Century and an inspiration for the Satyananda tradition. He was born in Tamil Nadu, India in 1887. In 1924, Swami Sivananda renounced his longstanding medical practice in Malayasia and went to Rishikesh where he was initiated into Dashnami Sannyasa by Swami Vishwananda Saraswati. Inspired to bring yoga to the masses, Swami Sivananda tirelessly toured throughout India, inspiring people to practice yoga and lead a divine life. He founded the Divine Life Society at Rishikesh in 1936, the Sivananda Ayurvedic Pharmacy in 1945, the Yoga Vedanta Forest Academy in 1948 and the Sivananda Eye Hospital in 1957. During his lifetime Swami Sivananda guided thousands of disciples and aspirants all over the world and authored over 200 books.
Swami Satyananda Saraswati remains a spiritual guide to tens of thousands and the founder of the Satyananda Yoga® tradition. He was born in 1923 in Almora. At the age of nineteen he came to live and take sannyasa from his guru Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh. There he tirelessly served in the ashram for over 12 years. Upon leaving, he wandered through India, Afghanistan, Nepal, Burma and Ceylon for the next 8 years, extending his knowledge of spiritual practices. He eventually found his way to Munger, Bihar. In 1963 he founded the International Yoga Fellowship Movement and the Bihar School of Yoga a year later. He traveled around the world for the next twenty years teaching yoga ‘shore to shore and door to door,’ and authored over 80 books on Yoga, Tantra and Spirituality. In 1988, he retired from active involvement in yoga teaching and handed over all he had created to his disciple Swami Niranjanananda. He now lives in seclusion in his ashram in Jarkhand, India, where he continues to inspire others to support the local community and improve their quality of life.
Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati is a modern master of yoga, whose understanding spans both the scientific Western culture and the mystical wisdom of the East. Swami Niranjanananda was born in 1960 in Rajnandgaon, Madhya Pradesh, India. He is considered by his followers to be a yogi from birth. He began his training at Bihar School of Yoga in India at the age of four. Beginning in 1971, at the age of eleven, he toured extensively in Europe, America and Australia. In 1983 he returned to India and was appointed the Preceptor of Bihar School of Yoga. For the next eleven years, he spearheaded the research and development activities at Ganga Darshan, Sivananda Math and the Yoga Research Foundation. In 1990, he was initiated in the tradition of Paramahansa and in 1993 he was designated as the successor o Paramahansa Satyananda. In 1994, he established Bihar Yoga Bharati an institute for higher studies in the field of Yoga. Swami Niranjanananda exemplifies the harmony and fortitude of a yogi and he inspires all who encounter him.
Swami Satyasangananda is a yogic master and scholar who embodies compassion with clear reason. From the age of 22, Swami Satsangi experienced a number of inner awakenings which led her to her guru, Swami Satyananda. From 1981, she traveled ceaselessly with Swami Satyananda in India and overseas developing into a scholar with deep insight into the yogic and tantric traditions as well as modern sciences and philosophies. She has devoted her life to her guru’s vision. Swami Satsangi’s mission has been the establishment of Sivananda Math in Rikhia, where she guides all its activities, working tirelessly to uplift the weaker and underprivileged areas that surround the ashram.
Atma Center
Atma Center, founded by Beverly Singh (Sannyasi Atmarupa) in 1997, is a Satyananda Yoga® Center located in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Atmarupa has been dedicated to making the teachings of Satyananda Yoga® more broadly accessible in North America. As a result, the Atma Center has become a hub for education and training in the Satyananda tradition. The Atma Center is currently the sole provider of Yogic Studies and Teacher Training in North America, licensed under the Satyananda Yoga® Academy Australasia (SYAA). Atmarupa has seeded two independent nonprofit organizations to carry forward the growth of Satyananda Yoga® throughout North America - the North American Gurukul, Inc (NAG) and the Yoga Academy of North America (YANA). NAG is positioned to become the umbrella organization for the growth of Satyananda Yoga® in North America and is governed by an independent board of directors. YANA will become the educational subsidiary of NAG that will gradually assume the responsibility for the provision of Yogic Studies and Teacher Training courses in North America. The Atma Center will continue its leadership as a city yoga center in the Satyananda tradition, offering yoga classes, yogic lifestyle retreats, and hosting special events and workshops with Satyananda gurus and acharyas. Click here to learn more about Atma Center programs and services.
Swami Niranjanananda photo ©Geoff Oliver Bugbee