From 18th to 24th February, a yoga capsule for respiratory ailments was held at Ganga Darshan. Participants came from Bihar, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh. Sannyasis Aparokshananda and Vasundhara conducted the sessions.
From 18th to 24th February, a yoga capsule for arthritis and rheumatism was held at Ganga Darshan. Participants came from Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Swami Kaivalyananda conducted the classes and he was assisted by Vijay Shukla.
From 9th to 17th March, a yoga capsule for total health was held at Ganga Darshan. The participants came from Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, New Delhi, Odisha and Saudi Arabia. The sessions were conducted by Sannyasi Atmarpan who was assisted by Mouna Vilas and Devendra.
From 11th to 17th March, a yoga capsule for digestive ailments was held at Ganga Darshan. The participants came from Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, New Delhi and West Bengal. The sessions were conducted by Swami Satyamurti who was assisted by Vijay Shukla.
From 2nd to 6th April, a Yoga Lifestyle Capsule was conducted. Swami Niranjan spoke on the importance of a regular daily lifestyle. He said that to maintain positivity and to remain the witness, the drashta, throughout one’s daily activities was the foundation of a yogic life. The participants came from Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, New Delhi, Telangana and West Bengal.
The practical sessions were conducted by Swami Kaivalyananda and Swami Prembhava.
From 22nd to 29th April, Hatha Yoga Yatra 1 (Shatkarma Intensive) training was conducted at Ganga Darshan. Swami Niranjan conducted the morning hatha yoga sessions and gave satsang on the origin and original purpose of hatha yoga. Swami Prembhava conducted the pratyahara sessions. The overseas participants came from Argentina, Brazil, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Serbia, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand and the USA. National participants came from the states of Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha and Tamil Nadu.
From 22nd to 29th April, Hatha Yoga Yatra 1 (Asana and Pranayama Intensive) training was conducted at Ganga Darshan. Swami Niranjan conducted the morning hatha yoga sessions and in his satsangs developed the understanding of hatha yoga. Swami Prembhava conducted the pratyahara sessions. The overseas participants came from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy and the UK. National participants came from the states of Delhi, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
From 13th to 19th May, Hatha Yoga Yatra 3 (Mudras and Bandhas Intensive) training was conducted at Ganga Darshan. Swami Niranjan spoke on the purpose of mudras which is to become sensitive to pranic activity. Sannyasi Vijayashakti conducted the pratyahara sessions. The overseas participants came from Bulgaria and Italy. National participants came from the states of Bihar and Maharashtra.
From 13th to 19th May, Hatha Yoga Yatra 4 (Sanyam Intensive) training was conducted at Ganga Darshan. In his satsangs Swami Niranjan developed the concept of hatha yoga pratyahara and its relation to prana and the pranamaya kosha. Swami Ratnashakti conducted the hatha yoga and pratyahara sessions. The participants came from Bulgaria, Ireland, Spain and Sri Lanka, and from the Indian state of Gujarat.
From 2nd to 6th June, the Yoga Lifestyle Capsule was held at Ganga Darshan. In his satsangs Swamiji elaborated on four key aspects of yogic lifestyle: swasthya, health, sanyam, mental restraint, sad- bhavana, positive emotions, and seva, creative expression for the upliftment of one’s self and others.
The participants came from the Indian states of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Sikkim and Uttar Pradesh.
Swami Kaivalyananda conducted the hatha yoga session and Swami Shivadhyanam the raja yoga session. Sannyasi Amargeet led the chanting of stotras.
From 16th to 22nd August, Raja Yoga Yatra 1 (Asana Pranayama Intensive) was conducted at Ganga Darshan.
Participants came from the Indian states of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttarkhand and West Bengal. Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, New Zealand, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the UK, Uruguay and the USA.
Teachers were Swamis Amritbindu, Prembhava and Ratnashakti.
From 16th to 22nd August, Raja Yoga Yatra 2 (Pratyahara Intensive) was conducted at Ganga Darshan.
Participants came from the Indian states of Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Overseas participants came from Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Chile, Greece, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain and the USA.
Teachers were Swami Shivadhyanam and Sannyasi Vijayashakti.
Swamiji spoke on the importance of pratyahara as the core of raja yoga. He also emphasized that hatha yoga was the base and preparation for raja yoga. To derive the full benefit of every yoga sadhana the correct sequence is necessary.
From 23rd to 29th August, Raja Yoga Yatra 3 (Practical Pratyahara) was conducted at Ganga Darshan. Participants came from the Indian state of Maharashtra. Overseas participants came from Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Lebanon, Spain and the USA.
Teachers were Swami Ratnashakti and Sannyasi Vijayashakti.
From 23rd to 29th August, Raja Yoga Yatra 4 (Chitta and Prana Pratyahara) was conducted at Ganga Darshan. Participants came from the Indian states of Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. Overseas participants came from Ireland, Serbia, Sri Lanka and Sweden.
Teachers were Swamis Amritbindu, Prembhava, Ratnashakti and Yogatirtha. Swamiji explained the differences between the classical raja yoga and the raja yoga of Patanjali. In the practical sessions of pratyahara, the experience of mind and prana was developed.
From 19th to 23rd August, Sannyasi Saumya Yantra of Jamshedpur led a group of vision-impaired men to Ganga Darshan. Swami Tyagraj conducted the yoga sessions during their stay.
From 1st to 30th October, the Progressive Yoga Vidya Trainings were conducted at Ganga Darshan under the direct guidance and inspiration of Swami Niranjanananda.
Participants of PYVT 1 hailed from 17 countries including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Colombia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Mauritius, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Uruguay and USA. National participants came from 10 states: Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab and West Bengal. Swami Anandananda, Swami Ratnashakti and Sannyasi Vijayashakti assisted Swamiji in the teaching.
Participants of PYVT 2 came from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Croatia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, Uruguay and the USA. Participants from the Indian states of Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu attended. Besides Swamiji, Swami Vedantananda, Swami Sivadhyanam, Swami Ratnashakti and Swami Yogatirtha conducted the yoga sessions.
In his classes and satsangs, Swamiji took the participants on a journey into a new yogic understanding. He explained the physical, pranic and mental dimensions of yoga vidya. The seven bhumikas of hatha yoga, the five stages of pranic experience and the role of pratyahara in sadhana came alive. Swamiji also introduced the concept of the sense-mind, which relates to the world through the senses. He emphasized the necessity of following the prescribed sequence to experience the depth of yoga. The detailed and clear exploration left everyone spellbound by the vastness and completeness of yoga vidya, which is not merely theoretical but applicable through sadhana and yogic lifestyle.
From 4th to 10th November, Kriya Yoga Yatra 1 was conducted at Ganga Darshan. The overseas participants came from Colombia, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden and the USA, national participants from the states of Delhi, Karnataka and Rajasthan. All sessions were conducted by Swami Anandananda who was assisted by Swami Yogatirtha.
From 4th to 10th November, Kriya Yoga Yatra 2 was conducted at Ganga Darshan. The overseas participants came from Israel, Romania and the USA, national participants from the states of Bihar, Karnataka and Maharashtra. All sessions were conducted by Swami Vedantananda who was assisted by Swami Ratnashakti.
From 11th to 17th November, Kriya Yoga Yatra 3 was conducted at Ganga Darshan. The overseas participants came from Argentina, Bulgaria, Colombia, Israel, Lithuania, Netherlands, Peru and Spain, the national participants came from the state of Maharashtra.
All sessions were conducted by Swami Yogakanti, Swami Anandananda and Sannyasi Vijayashakti.
Swamiji has a way of presenting the truth and the reality both. The PVYT I was a revelation, really a wake-up call for me!
I realized all these years I have been splashing in the shallow end, hesitating, procrastinating doing the odd lazy superficial stroke. I am still at square one: breathe long and deep, remain awake during yoga nidra.
The second chapter is up close and personal. Enough lengthy detours with the six companions and playing hide and seek with raga and dwesha. Time to befriend the yamas and niyamas.
Time to review my SWAN and develop myself.
Time to put in sincere and sustained daily effort and practice, to live a meaningful, helpful and positive life on this Earth.
Time to deepen the awareness, to grasp the bigger picture and experience something more subtle.
The Guru’s time, knowledge and experience are very precious.
Swami Amritsagar, Greece
In each satsang, in each class, Guruji appeared to us as Lord Krishna unfolding the Bhagavad Gita for the Kali Yuga in which we are living. He unfolded yoga vidya not as physical, mental and spiritual practice for self-realization, but as a practical, divine and supreme science which can provide the compass for each of us to understand ourselves, improve ourselves and stay on the positive, beautiful and auspicious side of life – Satyam Sivam Sundaram.
He exploded the myths surrounding the theories and practices of yoga in today’s world, and expounded the meaning of the yoga chakra which hinges on the six spokes of hatha, raja, kriya, karma, bhakti, jnana yoga. He gave clear directions on how to practise yamas, niyamas, asanas, pranayama, pratyahara and dharma so that we may aspire to one day reach the state of dhyana and samadhi. He led us theoretically, practically and experientially on a journey from annamaya to pranamaya, manomaya, vijnanamaya and ananadamaya kosha.
A stern, direct and uncompromising Guru, Swami Niranjananandaji gave us a stark warning against the misuse of this yoga vidya, which is the highest vidya. Also a loving and compassionate human being, he interacted with us as a mother would to protect her children with the wish that they rise towards light.
We leave Munger inspired and motivated with the glimmer of hope that one day, through sincere, humble, dedicated and serious practice, we may become eligible to reside at his lotus feet. Today, as fourth generation Biharis living in Mauritius, we feel that we have come full circle, returning not only to the land of our ancestors but also to the spiritual home of our souls.
Hethal and Ajit Mohan, Mauritius
On 21st of June 2019, Bihar School of Yoga was selected for the Prime Minister’s Award for Outstanding Contribution for Promotion and Development of Yoga, in the national institution category. On 30th August the award was presented to the Bihar School of Yoga by the Honourable Prime Minister of India at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.