After the World Yoga Convention in 2013, we revived the Yoga Chakra, the Wheel of Yoga, and started preparing for the second chapter of yoga training. The first chapter was yoga propagation and the second chapter is yoga vidya, living the vidya, the knowledge of yoga, and living the knowledge is part of lifestyle.
Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati
From 1st November 2017 to 28th January 2018, the Yoga Lifestyle Experience was conducted for the second time at Ganga Darshan. The participants, between 22 and 62 years of age, came from Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Colombia, Germany, Ireland, Spain and Switzerland. The Yoga Lifestyle Experience focuses on bhakti, jnana and karma yoga, and the development of a yoga lifestyle. The classes were conducted by Swami Kaivalyananda, Swami Prembhava, Swami Yogatirtha and Sannyasi Sitamurti.
From 19th to 24th February, Jignasu Dasharath brought a group of students to Ganga Darshan. They enjoyed the experience of ashram life and participated wholeheartedly in the daily activities. Classes were conducted by Swami Yogakanti.
From 8th to 14th April, the Hatha Yoga Yatra 1 (Shatkarma Intensive) was conducted at Ganga Darshan.
The national participants came from Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Overseas participants from the following countries attended: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Israel and Italy.
From 8th to 14th April, the Hatha Yoga Yatra 2 (Asana and Pranayama Intensive) was conducted at Ganga Darshan. The national participants came from Karnataka and West Bengal. Overseas participants from the following countries attended: Bulgaria, Lithuania, Sri Lanka and USA.
Swami Niranjanananda addressed the participants in his satsangs emphasizing the importance of a systematic, sequential approach to hatha yoga and yoga in general. He clarified the different methods of asana, pranayama and pratyahara in hatha yoga and raja yoga. Swamiji also highlighted the different approaches to hatha, raja and kriya yogas intended for householders versus sannyasins.
Teachers were Swami Prembhava and Sannyasi Vijayashakti.
From 22nd to 28th April, the Hatha Yoga Yatra 3 (Mudras and Bandhas) was conducted at Ganga Darshan. The participants came from Bihar, Australia, Bulgaria, Ireland and Spain.
Swami Niranjanananda spoke on the mudras and bandha mudras as practices to experience the pranamaya kosha. He said these practices had therapeutic and spiritual aims. He also compared the similarities between the Chinese and Indian systems of meridians and nadis. For all participants it was a new understanding and experience of prana shakti.
From 1st to 5th July, one group of 50 judicial trainees, and from 5th to 10th July, a second group of 47 visited Ganga Darshan. They attended morning APMB and afternoon yoga nidra and concentration classes conducted by Swami Tyagraj. The trainees also wholeheartedly joined in the ashram activities.
From 6th to 11th August, the Kriya Yoga Yatra 1 (Preparatory) was conducted at Ganga Darshan.
The national participants came from Bihar, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. Overseas participants from the following countries attended: Israel, Romania and USA. Teachers were Swami Ratna shakti and Swami Nirmalratna.
From 6th to 11th August, the Kriya Yoga Yatra 2 & Tattwa Shuddhi was conducted at Ganga Darshan.
The national participants came from Gujarat and Maharashtra. Overseas participants from the following countries attended: Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Israel, Spain and Sweden. Teachers were Swami Yogakanti and Sannyasi Vijayashakti.
IMPRESSIONS: KRIYA YOGA YATRA 3
Since last year’s kriya course, I found one major difference in my personality. I am usually an introverted person, less expressive, hiding, shy, but now I find myself more open, straightforward and expressive.
I am aware of the practice of kaya sthairyam since my BYB days in 2002 and frankly speaking, I am not a fan of it. I didn’t like it, but karma returns. What a life-changing experience on days three and four!
It was beyond my expectation. I didn’t realize how 45 minutes passed. At the end, the body was completely still, steady and light. There was no desire to move the body. It was the meditation of my lifetime. Thank you so much, Guruji, for providing such a wonderful opportunity to me.
Sannyasi Devatma, Bangalore
From 20th to 25th August, Kriya Yoga Yatra 3 and Tattwa Shuddhi was conducted at Ganga Darshan. The national participants came from Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha. Overseas participants from the following countries attended: Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Ireland, Sweden and the Netherlands.
Teachers were Swami Yogakanti, Swami Nirmalratna, Swami Ratnashakti and Sannyasi Vijayashakti.
From 17th to 23rd September, Raja Yoga Yatra 1 was conducted at Ganga Darshan. The national participants came from Bihar, Delhi, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. Overseas participants from the following countries attended: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Greece, Iran, Italy, Japan, Moldova, USA and Uruguay.
Swami Niranjanananda conducted the morning sessions; Swami Prembhava and Swami Vedantananda conducted the yoga nidra and pratyahara sessions.
From 17th to 23rd September, Raja Yoga Yatra 2 was conducted at Ganga Darshan. The national participants came from Maharashtra and West Bengal. Overseas participants from the following countries attended: Brazil, Bulgaria, Germany, Iran, Ireland, Lebanon, New Zealand, Romania, Spain, Switzerland and USA.
Swami Niranjanananda conducted the afternoon sessions of satsang and practice; the other sessions were conducted by Swami Shivadhyanam, Swami Nirmalratna and Swami Yogamaya.
From 17th to 23rd September, Raja Yoga Yatra 3 was conducted at Ganga Darshan. The national participants came from Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. Overseas participants from the following countries attended: Bulgaria, Ireland, Serbia, Sri Lanka and Sweden.
Swami Niranjanananda conducted the afternoon sessions of satsang and practice; the other sessions were conducted by Swami Shivadhyanam, Swami Nirmalratna and Swami Yogamaya.
IMPRESSIONS: RAJA YOGA YATRA 3
From Swamiji’s open heart bookof understanding and compassion we received guidance.
Be natural, not high flying. Drop expectations. Practise letting go. Unplug from the vasanas and plug into dharma. Be relaxed and become aware. Be self-contained. Close your facebook and open your heart book. Be happy and be positive. Words and instructions are one thing but to have the example of Swamiji, one’s life is truly inspired.
Sannyasi Yogadhara, Ireland
The Munger Yoga Symposium was a multidimensional, multi-coloured event at Ganga Darshan Vishwa Yogapeeth which launched the 2nd Chapter of Yoga with a clear focus and joy inspiring yoga aspirants to live yoga with seriousness, sincerity and commitment, and to live it from moment to moment. Over 1000 delegates from 40 countries and 17 states of India attended.
From 20th to 23rd October, a pre-Symposium program was held. Swami Niranjanananda summarized the Yoga Chakra, the wheel of yoga, and the complementary branches of yoga: hatha and karma yoga, raja and bhakti yoga, kriya and jnana yoga. Acharyas from around the world spoke of their connection with Sri Swami Satyananda and his teaching. In the evening country reports of Satyananda Yoga were presented from around the world.
On 24th October, the Satyam Yoga Yajna was inaugurated at the Akhara by the learned pandits from Varanasi.
From 25th to 28th October, the Munger Yoga Symposium presented the practical aspect of the 2nd Chapter of Yoga with hatha yoga, pratyahara practices and swadhyaya. In his satsangs, Swamiji emphasized the relevant components such as pratyahara and the lifestyle yamas and niyamas as the doorway to deepen the understanding and experience of yoga.
Satyam Yoga Prasad was an offering of publications new and old for all the delegates; Satyam Darshan was a movie theatre which presented inspiring satsangs of Sri Swamiji and films of Ganga Darshan activities; and Satyam Yoga Drishti presented an educational 5D movie to the delegates. Akhand kirtan in Satyam Vatika rang through the ashram grounds from 8 am to 4 pm.
In the evening, the children of Bal Yoga Mitra Mandal (BYMM) presented a spectacular dance drama on the theme of water and Ganga. Members of the Youth Yoga Mitra Mandal (YYMM) presented a stunning yogasana performance. The theme was the inspiration given by Nature to find balance and harmony. A group of traditional musicians from Rajasthan known as the Manganiars also delighted the audience with their rendering of devotional songs.
IMPRESSIONS: MUNGER YOGA SYMPOSIUM
When I received the information from the Ashram saying, “Keep in mind when packing, that you will require space for your Prasad of the Symposium on your trip back home. Postal services will not be available in the ashram.” I was thinking of taking a big-size suitcase but the travel from Kathmandu to Munger by road is often unpredictable so I decided to carry a small suitcase. During the Symposium, I realized that the meaning of space was the space of the heart, and we had to make it bigger and more open. The information meant – to bring a bigger heart.
The message of the children of BYMM and yuvas for protecting the environment was heart touching. I sincerely bow to their feelings and intentions.
Thank you very much Swamiji for providing such a wonderful opportunity with the intention of making us better people. A ‘Thank you’ to all the ashram residents for making it happen.
Sannyasi Premananda, Kathmandu, Nepal