YOGA OUTREACH 2023
Three and half tons of blessings poured from Ganga Darshan, Munger. The participants of the Experiential Satyananda Yoga Retreats received the books as prasad of Satyam Jnana Yajna with delight. Each participant’s family received a set of ten assorted books, ten DVD’s, Ten Yoga Magazines and Ten Tamil Yoga Magazines, a specially published booklet, book marks, a picture specially published for the centenary. The words of Swami Sivananda “Serve Love Give” reverberated in the entire program.
On 23rd July, the first retreat was conducted at the Hotel New Woodlands, Chennai. The entire hotel was offered for free for the event. The event was advertised on social media which was seen by over 300,000 people and the website was visited by 10,582 persons. It meant that about five out of every hundred persons who visited the website registered for the retreat.
The highlight of the retreat was a live satsang with Swami Niranjan who gave the message of Sadhana, Swadhyaya, Seva, Samarpan, Satsang. As eighty percent of participants were new to our tradition, the live-connection with Swamiji was an invaluable gift and inspiration. Their feeling of connection with our Parampara was well established and complete. Mangala Sasanam was conducted by Swami Bhakti Chaitanya. Swami Dharma Keerthi made the inaugural speech and assured the sevaks and participants, “It is not you who made the effort to participate and be present here, it is the Guru, who has selected you to be here.”
On 20th August, disciples of Satyananda Yoga Centre organized the second Experiential Satyananda Yoga Retreat, at the Saraswati Auditorium, Vivekananda Higher Secondary School, Lawspet, Pondicherry. The program consisted of Guru Paduka Stotram and havan, an asana session, Mangala Sasanam was conducted by Swami Bhakti Chaitanya, a session of pranayama and meditation, yoga nidra and kirtan, in the satsangs the lives of Swami Sivananda and Sri Swami Satyananda were described and the need for relaxation and yogic lifestyle were highlighted. Swami Niranjan’s live message, made on the occasion of the first retreat in Chennai, was shown to the participants, most of them new to our tradition.