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| AHYMSIN NEWSLETTER, ISSUE - July 2015 | ||||||||
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International Yoga Day Part 1Reports from many of our centersWe have combined the International Yoga Day reports from around the world into a single longer article. To help, we've also put a mini table of contents at the top of this article and removed the "International Day in" portion of the article's title from the table of contents. Photos each have a short caption, starting with the article number, a sequencing letter, and the location (ex: #11a_SRSG).— Newsletter editor Slideshow 1 (SRSG - Mauritius)
International Yoga Day at SRSG (#11)by Joanne Sullivan (Divya)
The International Day of Yoga was a worldwide event. Still, here at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama (SRSG) it felt at times like the whole world was with us. The morning began in quietude with hatha yoga, pranayama and was lit by an hour of silent morning meditation with Swami Veda Bharati. Lately he sits with us most days for morning and evening meditation. The day grew from that silence like a small pebble tossed into a body of water, radiating ever larger concentric circles of peace. It ended with a spectacular gathering at Triveni Ghat where Swami Veda had been invited to lead a meditation to hundreds who gathered along Ma Ganga to receive his blessings and that of several notables from the state of Uttarakhand and the city of Rishikesh, often called the world capital of yoga. The day unfolded into a day of peace and sharing. Some of us briefly took in the grand ceremonies on early morning TV, watching as Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated with thousands of people in Delhi and across the world. It was very exciting. At mid-morning, Dr. Prakash Dixit, one of the early residents of SRSG, explained how Prime Minister Modi had addressed the United Nations last year calling for the 21st of June to be designated as the annual International Yoga Day. Dr. Dixit welcomed all to SRSG, the world headquarters for the Association of Himalayan Yoga Societies International (AHYMSIN). He also emphasized that, though yoga had begun in India, it does not belong to India or to any one religion and is practiced worldwide in countless ways by people of many religions. Indeed, yoga goes beyond the boundaries of time and place and this day shined with that truth. The day’s full flowering came when Swami Veda Bharati guided an interdenominational meditation. He invited each of us to focus on the breath and on sacred words from our own particular religions - Hindu, Muslim, Zoroastrian, Christian and Jewish, to name a few. Our preceptor, H.H. Swami Rama, repeatedly told his students to “Love all, exclude none” and the day reverberated with this love. The waters that bind us together the world over converged here. It was a sunny day that opened into a refreshing rain. The meditation hall here was completely full with people from India and around the world. SRSG faculty taught some of our core practices and spoke about the work we do here. Lunch and snacks were offered to all. Participants also spoke of their experiences and where they came from in a class sharing, at meals and outdoors while the iridescent blue-black sunbirds darted in and out of flame trees. By lunchtime, the sun made cups of light through purple and yellow morning glories. The trails were a brilliant profusion of so many species of flowers, trees and birds. All of life seemed to say “Here I am” as people appeared to make themselves at home in the lush green pre-monsoon. Our faculty did an excellent job and the audience was attentive as the teachers spoke with enthusiasm and calm. Gita Bhoi blessed us all with a deeply beautiful song after the lamp lighting and with yet another before lunch. Both she and Meha Breja graciously explained some of the particulars of the day. He went on to say that the 21st of June marked the approach of the summer solstice, the longest day on earth when “the sun is also shifting its rotation…. This is a new day toward awareness and self-transformation.” He encouraged us to “celebrate what we learn and practice here today 24/7 so as to truly change ourselves.” Snacks were then served outside on the Meditation Hall veranda under a mysterious monsoon sky as friends new and old, children and elders alike enjoyed the day with one another. Then Ramprakash Das revitalized us with a brief session of gentle hatha exercise and then systematically provided an overview of ashtanga yoga (the 8 rungs of yoga). He began with the yamas and niyamas and mentioned Pañtanjali’s definition of yoga which is sometimes translated as “yoga is samadhi.” In his 21st June, 2015 message, Swami Veda also asked that we memorize these 2 important definitions of yoga: Yogah samadhih Yogo moksha-pravartakah
Ramprakash also said that to practice ahimsa (non-violence) we must begin by practicing love with all beings. “Everything else in yoga,” he said, “is a refinement of ahimsa.” Next came a video of a TV interview with Swami Veda by DD News in Delhi, whose crew came to SRSG to film that interview with Swamiji some days earlier. The talk was in Hindi, and one Hindi speaker said that it was a lively and insightful talk that revealed the depths of a man who ceaselessly and skillfully gave beyond measure. Many of us can confirm how, from the very outset, when Dr. Arya (Swami Veda before he took sannyasa vows) began teaching after his initiation into samadhi by his master H.H. Swami Rama, we were drenched in this unconditional love and vast inspiration. There was a special lunch followed by Adhikari Bhoi skillfully leading guests in the digestive breathing exercise. Then Pravin Soni gave a clear and helpful session on the science of breath in his usual joyful manner. It included core details of breath theory and a practicum. He talked about the importance of diaphragmatic breathing and establishing sushumna breath. In his PowerPoint presentation, he also showed the lab results of alternate nostril breathing. In addition, Pravin demonstrated the positive effects of 2:1 breathing, where the exhale is twice as long as the inhale. He hooked up an elderly gentleman from the audience to a lab breath monitor, guiding him in Hindi through the simple process. One could see the results on the screen before the audience. Then the group was invited to practice 2:1 breathing. According to another participant, the effects of the 2:1 breathing were almost immediately noticeable and quite calming. The day was auspicious not only because of the summer solstice and the International Yoga Day but also because Swami Veda was in residence here. Every single day here is precious. After the meditation he led in our meditation hall, tea was served and people departed for Triveni Ghat where Swamiji joined several dignitaries and led a meditation along Ma Ganga. In the final count over 180 countries participated worldwide, putting aside the artificial boundaries of language, culture and religion, as people joined together to honor Yoga’s rich and diverse pathways to peace. ("11..." Pictures courtesy of Jay Prakash Bahuguna) Editor’s Note: Swami Rama referred to ashtanga yoga as raja yoga. To learn more about this, there is the book The Royal Pathby Swami Rama, which is available as a paperback or in Kindle. International Yoga Day at Triveni Ghat (#12)by Bhola Shankar Dabral The city of Rishikesh decided to celebrate International Yoga Day as the city’s own programme because this city is known as the yoga capital of the world. More than 20 social, charitable and spiritual organizations came together for an evening programme to celebrate this day. These included the Lion’s Club, the Rotary Club and a number of Rishikesh ashrams. The Bar Counsel of Rishikesh (advocates, lawyers) and the Medical Association of Rishikesh were also among these many organizations. Organizers of this special event asked Mahamandaleshwara Swami Veda Bharati to grace the event with his presence in leading a guided meditation at the beautiful venue of Triveni Ghat, which has a sizeable square that accommodates large gatherings right along the River Ganga. A huge tree grows on one side of the square. Just across the square are a magnificent fountain and a large sculpture of Krishna and Arjuna on a chariot. After conducting a 30-minute guided meditation for a large gathering at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama at 4 pm, Swami Veda went directly to Triveni Ghat to conduct this guided meditation. More than 1000 participants gathered for this evening event by Triveni Ghat, which was the culmination of a full day’s celebrations all over Rishikesh on the occasion of the International Day of Yoga. Dignitaries from all walks of life also attended this important event , including Mr. Deep Sharma, the Mayor of Rishikesh, and Mr. Prem Chand Agarwal, a member of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly, the M.L.A. Afterwards 400 CD’s of Swami Veda’s 5-minute guided meditation were distributed along with SRSG brochures and small bottles of Ganga Jal (water from the holy River Ganges) free of charge. Mr. Jay Prakash Bahuguna has captured the beauty of the gathering in some of these pictures. (pictures starting with "12..." in the name — Ed.) International Yoga Day – HIHT (#13)by Dr. Prakash Keshaviah Celebration of International Yoga Day at Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust The International Yoga Day was celebrated jointly by the Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust (HIHT), Swami Rama Himalayan University and Sadhana Mandir Trust in the Nursing Auditorium of the campus at Jolly Grant, Dehradun on June 21st, 2015. This evening program began with lamp lighting and floral offerings to the founder, H.H. Swami Rama, a renowned yogi, teacher and humanitarian who built a bridge between East and West, between spirituality and science. The students of the Medical College performed a Guru Vandana with harmonium and tabla accompaniment. The program was compered by Ms. Savitri Jugdeo, an accomplished Yoga Teacher trained by Swami Veda Bharati. She introduced the program and spoke about Swami Rama’s global contribution to the spread of Yoga. A short video was shown featuring our P.M.’s U.N address where the International Yoga Day (IYD) concept was first mooted, followed by the chanting, at various locales, of a prayer from the Rig Veda. The very young (less than 12 years) children of the campus performed various yogasanas, followed by a demonstration of more complex asanas by the youth of the campus, who ended their performance by spelling out the word Y O G A with their postures. Our campus Yoga teacher, Rahul Baluni, performed a few asanas with significant medical benefits, accompanied by a narration by our Yoga expert, Dr. Ganasan, on the benefits, indications and contra-indications of these postures. Next on the program was a graceful but dynamic dance performance by the Nursing students, ‘Yoga as a Dance of Energy (Shakti).’ Dr. Prakash Keshaviah gave a 15 minute slide presentation on recent medical research related to the benefits of Meditation which included beneficial changes of brain structure (Functional MRI imaging), favourable changes of gene expression in certain cancers and reversal of telomere shortening brought about by the ageing process. The Nursing students performed a delightful skit on how a family experiencing stress, health problems and relational issues improved their wellbeing through the guidance of a neighbouring family steeped in Yoga practices. A 20 minute excerpt of a video of Swami Rama was screened on the meaning of Yoga. After a brief vote of thanks to the various members of the organizational team by Dr. Prakash Keshaviah, the program ended with a guided meditation recorded by Swami Veda Bharati and the ‘Sarve Bhavantu Sukinaha…’ prayer. Prasad of a fruit and delicious halwa was distributed to all attendees. (Photos starting with "13...") International Yoga Day in Trinidad & Tobago (#14)Yoga Meditation Society of Trinidad & Tobago Inc. initiated the International Day of Yoga at the Headquarters and Meditation Centre, Coora Branch Road, Siparia on Sunday June 14th, 2015. Alakshya Chaitanya opened the program with a prayer and gave a short talk on “What is Yoga” This was followed by Yoga Asanas and a demonstration of JalNeti with an explanation of how it is performed and information on the overall benefits. On June 19th, Yoga Meditation Society of Trinidad & Tobago Inc. led by Alakshya Chaitanya conducted a four hour period of Hatha Yoga, meditation and silence at the YMSTT Headquarters and Meditation centre. Some members were engaged in contemplative walking while others had the choice of meditation or sewa in silence. On June 20th, Yoga Meditation Society of Trinidad & Tobago Inc. participated in Yoga Fest organised by the National Council for Indian Culture at the Diwali Nagar Site, Chaguanas. The activities included a talk on Yoga which was delivered by Alakshya Chaitanya, Yoga postures for the public facilitated by Alakshya Chaitanya and Yoga for Youth guided by YMSTT teachers. At this Yoga Fest Alakshya Chaitanya along with two others were given awards in recognition of theircontribution to Yoga in Trinidad & Tobago. On June 21st- members of the Yoga Meditation Society of Trinidad & Tobago participated in the activities organised by NCIC at the Boardwalk , Chaguaramas. The highlight of this event was Surya Namaskaar. Also on June 21st members of the YMSTT took part in the international Yoga Day activities organized by the Indian High Commission. These activities took place at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, where Yoga Meditation Society had a booth set up to highlight and promote the organization. Yoga demonstrations were given by a combination of members from various Yoga organisations of Trinidad and Tobago. Alakshya Chaitanya gave a talk on the deeper aspects of yoga. Part of news article as reported in the Express NewspaperTrinidad and Tobago will join over 177 countries in observing International Yoga Day (IYD). The declaration of this day came after the call for the adoption on June 21, 2015, as International Day of Yoga by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address to UN General Assembly on September 27, 2014. Modi stated: “Yoga is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness within yourself, the world and the nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us deal with climate change. Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day.” Indian High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago, Gauri Shankar Gupta, in collaboration with the United Nations launched a week of activities to celebrate IYD on Monday, at the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre. The public will join various yoga organisations in a series of awareness programmes including workshops and demonstrations at various schools and centres. IYD will culminate with a massive programme on June 21 at Dagga Auditorium, UWI. Speaking at the launch of IYD Indian High Commissioner Gauri Shankar Gupta said yoga provides a holistic approach to health and well being and highlighted the need for wider holistic approach to health and information about the benefits of practising yoga. Gupta said the event has the potential to herald a far reaching change in the lifestyle of humanity as a whole with better understanding of nature and its role for human survival. “I therefore call all citizens of Trinidad and Tobago to whole-heartedly participate in this historic event. Your participation will be your contribution to the health and well being of humanity at large. Yoga is an ancient Indian science. Its origin goes back to the dawn of humanity itself long before the religious and belief systems were born,” Gupta said. “This initiative found support from many global leaders. More than 175 countries including US, Canada and Trinidad and Tobago are co-sponsoring the resolution and had the highest number of co-sponsors ever for any UNGA resolution of such Dr Safeeya Mohammed said the benefits to yoga are endless and should be part of the school curriculum. She said the role of yoga in the behavioural development of children and adolescents is significant, from controlling temper tantrums in a preschooler to teenagers developing positive strategies for dealing with anxiety and conflicts. “In my opinion, yoga is the holistic fitness package. One is truly healthy not just being physically fit, but mentally and emotionally balanced. Yoga first and foremost brings a greater awareness of self, cognitive functioning of the brain and being present in the moment. “The mind is constantly in activity, swinging from one action, task to another. By simply being aware of this tendency of the mind, we can actually save ourselves from getting stressed or frustrated easily, thereby relaxing the mind and reducing the vicious cycle of stressful factors. “There is also documented evidence of yoga aiding in the control of hypertension, improving one’s immunity, improving memory and intuitive abilities, increasing one’s energy level and bringing a sense of calm to daily activities. “There’s also the added benefit of increased flexibility, endurance, neuro-musculo-skeletal coordination, better skin tone and weight loss. Yoga should be added to the curriculum of schools, from as early as pre-school. My son is three years and already practises yoga, knowing the names of the varying asanas. Yoga is beneficial. We see its benefits in controlling temper tantrums in pre-schoolers to teenagers developing positive strategies for dealing with anxiety and conflicts,” Mohammed said. Doctor Mohammed said the four main types of non-communicable diseases are cardiovascular diseases (like heart attacks and stroke), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (such as chronic obstructed pulmonary disease and asthma) and diabetes. She noted that documented research has shown the benefits of incorporating yoga therapy into a patient’s overall management. “It can play a significant role in curbing the negative effect of each one of these non-communicable diseases, from lowering one’s blood pressure, improving lung functioning via intense breathing techniques and combating the effects of stress which is a known precursor to cancer, heart attacks and stroke,” Mohammed said. (Photos starting with "14...") International Yoga Day in Sabah, Malaysia (#15)Himalayan Yoga Science Society Sabah by Judy Rajah International Day of Yoga celebrated on 21st June 2015 at Sri Pasupathinath Hall in Kota Kinabalu Sabah, Malaysia. When the United Nations declared June 21st as the International Day of Yoga, on 11th December 2014, the Himalayan Yoga Science Society Sabah decided to celebrate it with the public. The committee met several times to plan this celebration. The main aim was to inform the public that yoga is a practice by which one attains inner peace and harmony with oneself and with others. This provided us an opportunity to help the people understand that yoga is a Science and Philosophy and not a religion. Thus our program was geared towards a holistic approach. Towards achieving our aims, there were press releases before the International Day of Yoga to inform and invite the public to join us in this celebration. There were write ups to put Yoga in the correct perspective. Members trained by Judy Rajah staged 4 performances. Children between 5 to 15 years old used Asanas to portray a trip to the North Pole and demonstrated Surya Namaskar. A flow of standing postures to floor postures by a group of adult members followed by a yoga dance featuring working in pairs, asanas that the children have learned using postures to make formation aimed at promoting team work was demonstrated. These yoga performances were very well received. A yoga practitioner Dr. Sandhya, a radiologist by profession, gave an enlightening talk on 'Yoga and its Health Benefits'. She said that the National Institute of Health has classified Yoga as a form of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Yoga is effective in Stress Management and is also beneficial in the management of obesity and menstrual issues. Though yoga cannot cure arthritis, it is helpful in reducing the intensity of back and joints pain. Her presentation was accompanied by a power point presentation. Brochures, designed especially for the occasion, with the International Day of Yoga logo and the name of the Himalayan Yoga Science Society with related messages were distributed. T shirts for the participants were donated by a life member Tan Sri Datuk Dr Mohan Swami. The program ended with refreshments. Judy Rajah (Hon Secretary HYSSSabah)(Photos starting with "15...") International Yoga Day in Italy (#16)By Rosi Grillo My beloved Swamiji, As you wrote to us, please find attached some pictures in order to offer our humble contribution to First International Yoga Day. We walked in forest around Sacra di San Michele from 9 AM to 1 PM. Our group was formed by 17 students, representing all the different courses; they participated with enthusiasm, understanding the sense of our "walking" together with Gurudeva, with You Swamiji, and all the Masters. We stayed in silence for some moments: then we perceived an intense and high Energy. Some of them did this experience for the first time. In the Satsanga I read some excerpts from Your book Italian Teachings. In the elevation of Atman, Your Holy presence Swamiji has crowned the splendor of the Creation that surrounded us. At the end of the walking I could see that students' glances shone of full Joy. Thank You for everything, With Love, Rosi (Photos starting with "16...") International Yoga Day – Noida Centre HYMC -2015 (#17)
The divine mission of our beloved Param Shredhye Gurudev Swami Veda Bhartiji is to guide his students on the path of healthy, disciplined and spiritual way of living through the Himalayan tradition of Yoga. It was the first time in the history of mankind that the world joined hands to practice Yoga as taught by the great sages of the Himalayas. This opportunity to teach the divine practice was taken up by the Noida centre on 21-Jun-15. About 40 people enrolled themselves to participate in the event out of which 30 Sadhakas came together to attend the session. Devotion and faith in Gurudev brought the aspirants to the centre and follow the system of Himalayan tradition of Yoga and meditation. The centre was decorated with banana leaves, flowers and rangoli at the entrance. The sadhakas were ushered with kum kum and haldi tikka as they entered the auspicious premises. There was perfect order and discipline at the centre and the feeling of devotion was writ large on the faces of all present. The program started with 3 Omkars to invoke the blessings of the masters of the lineage. The centre head Mrs. Jaya Bhagat welcomed the august gathering and prayed to almighty for guiding all present on this historic day when the world became a family spreading the positive energy sitting across the globe. The fundamental principles of Himalayan Yoga and meditation were explained and how the breath works as a link between the body and soul was established. She then dealt with the theoretical aspect of each step namely the correct sitting posture, breath awareness – with diaphragmatic breathing technique, systematic relaxation from head to toe, asanas, joints and glands, shavasana, nadi shodhana and finally withdrawing from all senses and going in meditation with silence of mind, body and soul. The same was then practiced by all present. To complete the session a beautiful talk on love energy was given by Mr. Vikas Verma; followed by Prasad distribution marking the closure of the event. The sadhakas felt rejuvenated and resolved to attend the classes on regular basis to accomplish the meaning of this human birth. In his great compassion for humanity Swami Veda Bharati writes – “I invite you to our ashram on the banks of the holy river Ganga where for thousands of years the yogi’s have wandered in silence and anonymity waiting for those who will come deserving and prepared.” (Photos starting with "17...") International in Quatre-Bornes, Mauritius (#18)by Sarojini Bissessur-Asgarally This is to share with you the experience of Yoga day. I started teaching yoga-meditation to fulfill the requirements of TTP Level 2 program to a small group of 6 persons on Sundays from 6 .00 am to 8.00 am, in a hall situated at Quatre-Bornes in Mauritius. Today we have 12 atmas learning yoga-meditation in the Himalayan Tradition. Each Sunday has become all the students' favourite day and I am also keen to share with them this perennial knowledge of our Gurus. We celebrated the Yoga Day on the 21 of June 2015 as suggested by Swami Veda. I invited the teacher of another group, Mrs. Raghu who has been teaching the physical Hatha Yoga at the same hall on Saturdays since six years to join us with her students. She is an aspirant of Kriya Yoga of Yogananda school. She joined us very gladly with nine of her students. I started the session with a warm welcome. Then we did a very inspiring Om chanting, Guru Prayer and Prayer of Harmony. Then I led the Joints and Glands Exercises after which I invited the other teacher, Mrs. Raghu, to guide the students for Surya Namaskara, and she did a few asanas. Then I guided the final relaxation and 20 minutes meditation in the Himalayan Tradition. After surrendering to the Guru parampara, we paid a tribute to the great enlightened souls, the Rishis and Mahatmas to whom were revealed the sacred wisdom of the Vedas, Upanishads and to all the great souls who in a long lineage have bequeathed to us this beautiful knowledge & wisdom and who are continuing to shower their blessing and wisdom upon us. All the 20 atmas present in our hall were delighted to participate in the small event. We shared dried fruits and nuts as Prasad and some hot tea at the end. Most of the aspirants said that they were very glad to do the meditation and they look forward for such peaceful and inspiring moments again. (Photos starting with "18...") International Yoga Day in Mauritius (#19)“It is a very special day, for all the world yoga community... so that all the yogis come together with verity of mind… like there are many colors in uncolored sun light uniting on one point union (yoga)… like it is some festival all family members gathered at one place and connecting with each other ....without passport.” - Manoj Kothiyal writes about the International Day of Yoga. There was a Himalayan Yoga & Meditation Retreat in Mauritius with Manoj Kothiyal and Sandeep Pandey. (Photos starting with "19...")
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