From 24th to 30th December 2018, a yoga camp was organized at Sri Arvind Society, Dehri on Sone. The camp was attended by 55 men and 45 women, all classes were conducted by Swami Atmabhishek.
On 2nd January, Satyananda Yoga Sadhana Kendra, Bariarpur, celebrated its Foundation Day. In 1983, Sri Swami Satyananda founded the Kendra which was officially inaugurated by Swami Niranjan in 2001. The program was attended by 200 men and 300 women. Swami Kaivalyananda gave a meditation practice to end the function.
On 3rd April, Swamiji inaugurated a National Seminar on ‘Future India: Science and Technology’ jointly organized by Indian Science Congress Association (Patna Chapter) and Munger University as part of the university’s first anniversary celebrations. In his address to the assembled scientists, faculty members and students, Swamiji said that he had great expectations of the newly established Munger University and felt that its motto should be: Nasti jnanaat paro bandhu – ‘There is no greater friend than jnana’. Swamiji said that along with scientific education, students should imbibe positive samskaras as well so that their education flowers into true knowledge and wisdom.
In February and March, two two-week shivirs were organized at Naga Baba Thakurbari, Rajendranagar, Patna, by Satyananda Yoga Kendra, Patna. Also the following three-day shivirs were conducted: from 18th to 20th February, at Eco Park for 50 participants; from 10th to 12th March, at Shivaji Park, Kankarbag, for 120 participants; from 21st to 23rd April, at Hardinge Park for 130 participants; from 22nd to 26th May, at Kumrhar Archaeological Park for 220 participants; from 27th to 31st May, at Energy Park. Teachers at these shivirs were Raj Kumar Bansal and Gopal Mishra who were assisted by Divya, Roshan and Mahadev.
From 23rd to 26th April, two daily yoga sessions were conducted at the Notre Dame Academy, Munger. One class was for 150 students of Standard IX and the second class was for 150 students of Standard X. Swami Krishnapriya conducted the sessions, assisted by Sannyasi Atmarpan. Children of Bal Yoga Mitra Mandal were the demonstrators of yogasana.
Swami Niranjanananda Yoga Kendra, Jamui, organized yoga shivirs from 4th to 6th May at Ma Netula Mandir, from 7th to 9th May at Mahavir Jain Mandir and from 12th to 14th May at HNN Memorial School, Jamui.
On 21st August, Swami Shivadhyanam attended a National Seminar on ‘Yoga, Science and Innovation’ organized by Munger University. In his address to the assembled scientists, faculty members and students, Swami Shivadhyanam spoke on the synergy between yoga and science and how the two are complementary to each other.
On 17th November, Swami Niranjan was the chief guest at the Acharya Laxmikant Mishra National Awards ceremony organized at Nagar Bhavan in Munger. Speaking on the occasion, he recounted how Acharya Laxmikant Mishra had been a positive influence on him since childhood and was like a literary guru to him. Swamiji described the purpose of journalism as disseminating information which helps in the development of the individual, society and nation, and exhorted journalists to live up to the great responsibility placed on their shoulders by society.
In November, the Satyananda Yoga Kendra, Patna, organized three five-day shivirs in different public parks in the city. The sessions were taught by Rajmani, Rajiv, Jitendra , Shubra and Girija with support from D.K. Srivastava. Shashi Bhushan Verma and other office bearers of SYK, Patna, spoke on the Satyananda Yoga tradition, yama-niyamas and yogic lifestyle.
On 25th March, the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine and Research organized a yoga program with the aim to generate interest for yoga and yoga therapy. Over 400 people attended the function. Swami Nirmalananda spoke on pranayama, pratyahara and dharana.
On 26th March, she conducted a meditation session at the local government yoga college. The students were overwhelmed by the practices of Bihar School of Yoga.
From 12th to 16th April, a five-day camp on ‘Health and Stress Management through Yoga and Meditation’ was organized by Yoga Mitra Mandal, Chandigarh. Swami Gorakhnath conducted the morning and evening sessions.
On 8th September, the Yoga Mitra Mandal Chandigarh organized a birthday celebration for Swami Sivananda at Banga Bhavan, Sector 35. With the satsang of Swami Nirgunananda, havan, kirtan and guru prasad the devotees remembered and honoured Swami Sivananda.
From 20th to 22nd May, a yogic stress management workshop was organized jointly by Bhilai Steel Plant and Gyandarshan Yogashram, Bhilai, for approximately 40 officers and employees of the Bhilai Steel Plant. The sessions were conducted by Sannyasi Prashantmurti.
From 19th to 21st June, two yoga shivirs were organized by Satyananda Yoga Mitra Mandal, Bilaspur. The first one was held at the Triveni Institute of Dental Sciences for over 160 female dental students, and the second one at Bhartiya Sindhu Sabha Mahila Wing for over 60 ladies and girls. Classes were conducted by Sannyasi Satyapriya.
From 16th to 22nd October, a yoga shivir was organized at Satyam Om Yoga Vidyalaya, Bilaspur, which was attended by over 130 participants.
On 21st October, a yoga program was conducted at Saraswati Higher Secondary School for over 350 students of Classes XI and XII. The sessions were conducted by Swami Harishraddhananda of Sivananda Darshan Yoga Ashram, Satna.
From 3rd to 9th June, SPICMACAY organized a yoga shivir at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. Students from 20 states of India participated. Besides the morning session of three hours, there was a second mid-morning three-hour session of intensive practice. In the afternoon a yoga nidra session was held. Swami Tyagraj conducted all the sessions; he was assisted by Kunal of Yuva Yoga Mitra Mandal.
From 18th to 20th January, a Know Yourself Yogotsav Bharat Yoga Yatra 2019 was conducted at the Sardar Patel Memorial, Karamsad, Anand. The shivir was attended by over 100 participants and all sessions were conducted by Swamis Kaivalyananda, Nirmalananda and Shivarajananda.
On 18th January, a morning session was conducted at the SV Patel Industrial Institute Pvt. Ltd, Anand, for 300 students and teaching staff. In the afternoon, a class was held at GMM Pfandler Ltd. for 60 staff members.
On 19th January, a morning class was held at the Smt. Chanchalba Jethabhai Patel English Medium School, Anand, for students of classes XI and XII and staff members. In the afternoon, a class was conducted at the Charotar Gas Sahakari Mandali Ltd., Anand, for staff and officers.
From 23rd to 25th January, a shivir was conducted at the Gujarat Vidya Peeth, Ahmedabad, for Certificate, Diploma and Postgraduate students of the Yoga Department.
On 29th January, an afternoon session was conducted at the Ram Krishna Seva Samiti which was attended by over 200 participants.
From 1st to 3rd February, a Know Yourself Yogotsav Bharat Yoga Yatra 2019 was conducted at the Gujarat Vidyapeeth Sports Complex, Ahmedabad. It was jointly organized by the citizens of Ahmedabad, Gujarat Vidyapeeth, Bihar School of Yoga, Bihar Yoga Bharati, Munger, and Satyananda Yogdarshan Peeth, Tryambakeshwar, Nashik. The shivir was attended by over 170 participants and all sessions were conducted by Swamis Kaivalyananda, Nirmalananda and Shivarajananda.
From 19th to 28th February, a shivir was held at the Central Jail, Ambala. It was organized by the Haryana Jail Administration. 120 jail inmates and some members of the staff attended the morning and afternoon sessions which were conducted by Swami Tyagraj, assisted by Kunal of Yuva Yoga Mitra Mandal.
On 1st March, the Government College of Yoga Education and Health, Chandigarh, organized a lecture on ‘Yoga Lifestyle’. The talk given by Swami Tyagraj was attended by 150 students, lecturers and the general public.
From 8th to 10th March, a Know Yourself Yogotsav Bharat Yoga Yatra 2019 was jointly organized by the citizens of Dhanbad, Ananda Yogadhara, Bihar School of Yoga and Bihar Yoga Bharati, Munger, at the Golf Ground in Dhanbad. The public program was attended by over 1,500 participants in the morning and evening sessions. Swami Kaivalyananda and Swami Shivarajananda conducted all the practices.
Prior to the Yogotsav, various programs were conducted in and around Dhanbad: 21st February – Ananda Mangal & Nayi Disha, a local ladies’ organization; 22nd February – Income Tax Office; 23rd February – Rajkamal Saraswati Vidya Mandir, for teachers and trustees; 26th February – IIT-ISM Engineering College, for professors and students; 27th February – Delhi Public School, for teachers; 1st March – for chartered accountants and IT advocates; 2nd March – Marwari Mahila Samiti; 3rd March – Bharat Vikash Parishad, Joraphatak Gurudwara and at the Ekal Pracharak, which promotes the single-teacher concept for each school in remote villages; 5th March – SBI Administrative Office, for senior bank employees; 8th March – Central Mining & Fuel Research Institute; 9th March – Asarfi Hospital, for doctors and nurses.
From 22nd to 28th June, a Yoga Health and Sadhana shivir was organized at the local Golmuri Club by Satyananda Yoga Kendra, Jamshedpur, which was attended by over 200 people. Swami Gorakhnath conducted all the classes.
On the evening of 21st June, Swami Gorakhnath conducted a program for over 300 police personnel.
On 27th June, he gave a talk on yogic lifestyle to 70 officers and supervisors of Tata Steel.
He also conducted satsang sessions on 23rd and 28th June in which over 120 local devotees participated.
From 19th to 21st September, Swami Niranjanananda visited Jabalpur.
On 19th and 20th, he gave evening satsang at Saketdham Ashram, which was attended by over 500 devotees.
On 21st, besides visiting the local Satyananda Yoga Kendra, he addressed over 1,500 people at Manasa Bhavan, informing them about his lifestyle and activities from 2009 to 2019, including the Second Chapter of Bihar School of Yoga and the launching of Sannyasa Peeth.
From 22nd to 25th September, Swamiji was in Sagar at the invitation of Swami Dhyaneshwar to attend the golden jubilee celebrations of Yoga Niketan Yoga Prashikshan Sansthan, Sagar. This yoga training institute had been inaugurated fifty years ago by Sri Swami Satyananda himself, and has been run by Swami Dhyaneshwar ever since.
From 23rd to 25th, Swamiji gave satsang in the morning and evening and guided practical yoga sessions at Adarsh Garden for over 250 aspirants. On 23rd afternoon, he addressed students and faculty of the local Degree College.
On 24th, he was invited by the yoga department of Hari Singh Gaur University, where he addressed an audience of 1,500, and later that day he spoke to over 600 students and faculty of Swami Vivekananda University.
From 26th to 28th September, Swamiji visited Kota, Rajasthan. During his stay, he gave satsang to the officers and employees of the local DCM Shriram Rayon factory and the students and teachers of DCM Sriram Bansidhar School on many occasions.
On 28th morning, he addressed more than 300 people at the Om Kothari Bhawan College, and in the evening he spoke to more than 2,500 people at the Allen Career Institute, inspiring them to adopt yoga as a lifestyle.
From 15th to 20th September, Satyananda Yoga Kendra, Jabalpur, organized a yoga sadhana shivir. More than 300 participants attended the morning and evening sessions. Swami Gorakhnath conducted all the sessions.
On 25th December 2018, the Shri Ambika Yoga Kutir, Thane, founded by hatha yogi Nikam Guruji, organized a one-day workshop for cancer patients. Over 70 patients and 150 yoga teachers working in the field of cancer treatment attended. Swami Nirmalananda gave the practices of yoga nidra and ajapa japa, and spoke on the importance of awareness.
From 27th to 30th December 2018, Kaivalyadham, Lonavla, organized its 9th International Conference. Swami Nirmalananda conducted a workshop on spirituality and therapy.
From 18th to 23rd February, a yoga shivir was conducted at the CCI Mumbai for the sixth consecutive year. Of the 120 participants, half were club members and half were guests. Swami Vigyanchaitanya conducted the morning and evening sessions. Swami Nirmalananda and Sannyasi Mantrashakti helped with the organization.
From 25th to 30th March, Adani Power Maharashhtra Limited organized a yoga camp at Shantigram Township, Tiroda. Over 130 employees and family members attended the various sessions. In addition to the yoga camp for families, sessions were conducted for agency staff, medical trainees and workers who learnt about the basics of yoga and the importance of yoga in their day-to-day busy life schedule. Swami Gorakhnath conducted all the sessions.
From 1st to 6th April, Yoga Mitra Mandal, Gondia, organized a yoga shivir which was attended by over 250 citizens of Gondia. Swami Gorakhnath conducted the morning and evening sessions.
During his stay in Gondia, Swami Gorakhnath also spoke to about 50 employees of Janata Cooperative Bank on stress management through yoga, and to about 100 students preparing for competition examinations at Sharada Vachanalaya.
From 8th to 10th November, the Know Yourself Yogotsav was organized at Thakkar Dom, Nashik, by the citizens of Nashik. Swami Shivarajananda and Swami Kaivalyananda conducted the morning and evening sessions which were attended by over 800 participants.
Prior to the Yogotsav, Swami Shivarajananda conducted yoga sessions, on: 3rd November, morning, at the Shri Adi Yoga Mahavidyalaya, Nashik, for over 90 students, teachers and organizers. The topic was the practice of yoga nidra; 3rd November, afternoon, at the Yashwant Rao Chauhan University, Nashik, for 80 students of Mass Media studies. The topic was mind management; 4th November, evening, at the Udasin Akhara Gurugangeshwar Dham, Nashik, for 60 sannyasins and devotees. The topic was yoga and meditation; 5th November, morning, at the Sandeep Foundation University, Nashik, for over 1,200 students, lecturers and professors. The topic was mind management; 7th November, evening, at the Nashik Industrial Corporate Ltd. (NICE) and the Indian Society for Development and Training (ISTD). Over 75 industrialists attended the session which was on mind management and spiritual yoga.
From 1st to 31st May, a one-month long shivir was organized at the Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai, for over 220 children in the age group 8 to 14 years. Sannyasi Shiva Rishi and a group of sevaks of Satyananda Yoga Centre, Chennai, conducted all the sessions.
On 14th April, a session of Satyananda Yoga was organized by Sannyasi Guru- premananda at the Shakti Club, Lucknow. The participants were yoga teachers of other yoga traditions and were introduced to the Satyananda Yoga system. They requested more such sessions.
From 17th to 19th May, a three-day yoga shivir was organized at Sikandar Nagla village of Bijnaur district. More than 100 people participated in the morning and evening sessions.
On 18th May, a program was also conducted in the morning at the local S.P.S. Public School for students, and in the evening Mahamrityunjaya havan was conducted. Swami Harishraddhananda from Shivananda Darshan Yoga Ashram, Satna, conducted all the sessions.
From 29th to 31st August, at the request of the villagers of Sikandar Nagla, district Bijnaur, a second yoga shivir was organized this year. More than 100 villagers participated in the morning and evening sessions. Yoga sessions were also conducted for students of a local college in the neighbouring village of Manpur, which were attended by over 700 students. All sessions were conducted by Swami Harishraddhananda of Sivananda Darshan Yoga Ashram, Satna.
From 20th to 22nd September, a Know Yourself Yogotsav was organized by the citizens of Siliguri at the Siliguri Indoor Stadium. The two daily sessions were conducted by Swami Shivarajananda and Swami Kaivalyananda. More than 700 people attended these sessions. Prior to the Yogotsav, Swami Shivarajananda conducted yoga sessions for members of the local Lion’s Club, soldiers and officers of the Border Security Force, and members of Surendra Institute of Engineering and Management.
From 29th March to 2nd April 2019, the Satyananda Yoga family of South America conducted the 4th Satyananda Yoga South American gathering in Mendoza, Argentina. The gathering was initiated by the South American Satyananda Yoga Academy in Bogotá, Colombia, and organized by the local Satyananda schools in Argentina, by Yogamudra in Mendoza and Sannyasi Sankalpa in Buenos Aires. The event was attended by 108 participants.
The themes for the gathering this year were: Yoga – finding a purpose in life and Deepening practice and sadhana. For the first time, Swami Ekananda from Chile was present and shared his experiences and knowledge. The theory sessions were conducted by Swami Maitreyi and the practices by Sannyasis Janardan, Uruguay, Atmatirth, Brazil, Sankalpa and Yogamudra, Argentina. They also shared their experiences and activities from their countries.
From 4th to 12th May, a Know Yourself Yogotsav was jointly organized by Indira Gandhi Centre for Indian Culture, Tamarind Leaf Yoga Centre, Ramayana Centre and Hindu House in Mauritius. In preparation, on 21st April and 1st May, sessions were conducted at the Arya Samaj Mandir in Plaine Magnien for over 100 people, and on 28th at the Arya Samaj Mandir in Quatre Bornes which was attended by 50 people.
The Yogotsav was held at various venues: 4th to 5th May, at the Ramayana Centre, Union Park for 80 participants; 10th to 11th May, at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Indian Culture for 125 participants; 11th May, at the Town Hall of the Municipal Council of Quatre Bornes; 12th May, at the Hindu House in Casis Port Louis, and 6th May, a special talk was given to teachers and staff at the Arya Vaidic school for children with special needs, Rose Belly. Swami Shivarajananda and Swami Kaivalyananda conducted all the sessions.
In May and June 2019, Swami Prembhava travelled to South America to conduct a series of seminars on Janani – Yoga Ecology and Lifestyle.
From 24th to 26th May, the seminar was held in Villa De Leyva, a small town two hours from the city of Bogotá. 36 people attended the weekend seminar ‘Food is Prana’. The seminar emphasized the importance of food in yogic lifestyle.
On 23rd May and 28th May, mantras and kirtan were chanted in the Satyananda Yoga Centre in Bogotá.
On 30th May, Swami Prembhava travelled to Argentina and conducted a chanting and kirtan session in the yoga centre in Buenos Aires.
From 31st May to 2nd June, a seminar was conducted at a beautiful location out of the city which was attended by 60 people. The seminar was an ‘Introduction to Prakriti’, and people practised Jyoti and Ashwattha Aradhana, havan, kirtan and lived a yogic life for the weekend.
On 7th until 9th June, another ‘Food is Prana’ seminar was conducted. 100 people attended the program in Piriopolis, a town two hours from Montevideo, Uruguay. People were given sacred trees as prasad, cooked khichari, and connected to nature through yogic sadhana and lifestyle.
On 10th June, a small Mahamritunjaya havan and kirtan was conducted at the Satyananda Yoga Centre in Montevideo.
On 13th June, Swami Prembhava concluded the South American tour in Casa De Guru in Brazil. The ‘Introduction to Prakriti’ weekend seminar was attended by 60 people. The natural environment was perfect for the practices of yoga ecology and Casa De Guru is already a vital centre maintaining the essence of yogic lifestyle.