The two-week series of events addresses spiritual responses to environmental  challenges.

With the most serious environmental disaster in U.S. history continuing to develop in the waters and on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, the perilous relationship between humans and the natural world has never

seemed so fragile. While Congress investigates the cause of the oil rig disaster and thousands work to clear oil from both water and land, it may be time to consider a spiritual approach to understanding our relationship with the our natural environment. 

Led by global spiritual leader Swami Veda Bharati, the 2010 Himalayan Yoga Meditation Congress, sponsored by Northeast Minneapolis’ The Meditation Center, will explore spiritual responses to environmental challenges as informed by the 5,000-year-old Himalayan Yoga tradition. Through lectures, a discussion panel, guided silence retreats, a concert and meditation, participants will have the to opportunity to know more deeply and personally the transformative power of inner wisdom and love that has the potential to save our world.  Please see: http://www.themeditationcenter.org/jnana/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=131&Itemid=116

The theme for this year’s congress grew out of Swami Veda’s participation in a conference organized by the Global Peace Initiative of Women that was held concurrently with the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. In his opening address at this gathering of activists and spiritual leaders, he said, “Humanity does not face many problems; all the problems are facets of the same, single one. It is the lack of understanding of what human fulfillment is. . . . We would not be taking from the earth 137 percent of what the earth can produce if we found an inner fulfillment through contemplation and meditation.”

July 21–23: “Hatha Yoga Pradipika”

Lecture series by Pandit Hari Shankar Dabral

7:00–9:00 PM

The Meditation Center

631 University Avenue NE, Minneapolis

Cost: $20/evening; $50 for all three evenings

July 23–August 1: Five- and ten-day guided silence retreats

Led by Swami Ritavan Bharati

Dunrovin Retreat Center, Marine St. Croix, MN 55047

Visit http://www.themeditationcenter.org/jnana/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=149&Itemid=134 for information

July 29: “Tomorrow Begins with Us”

Lecture by Swami Nityamuktananda Saraswati

7:00 PM

St. Maron’s Catholic Church, Cedars Hall

602 University Avenue NE, Minneapolis

Cost: $15 suggested donation

Family Picnic

August 4: “The Heart of Yoga: Sustainability for a Peaceful Planet”

Lecture by Swami Veda Bharati

Co-sponsored by University of Minnesota Center for Spirituality and Healing

4:40–6:30 PM

University of Minnesota, Mayo Auditorium

Cost: Free

August 5: “Peaceful Planet, Heart, and Mind”

Lecture by Swami Veda Bharati

7:00 PM

Macalester Plymouth United Church

1658 Lincoln Avenue West, St. Paul

Cost: $20 suggested donation

August 7: “The Feminine: Spirituality and Environmental

Activism” presentations by and panel discussion with Swami Nityamuktananda Saraswati, Swami Jaidev Bharati and Swami Veda Bharati

1:00–4:30 PM

Macalester Plymouth United Church

1658 Lincoln Avenue West, St. Paul

Cost: $25 suggested donation

August 8: “One Earth, One Heart: Sacred Sounds of Kirtan”

Concert featuring A. Pavan and Pooja Goswami Pavan

4:00 PM

St. Maron’s Catholic Church, Cedars Hall

602 University Avenue NE, Minneapolis

Cost: $15 in advance, $20 at the door

August 8: Breaking Bread: Food for All

Simple vegetarian supper

6:00 PM

The Meditation Center

631 University Avenue NE, Minneapolis

Cost: $5.00

August 8: Peace on Earth Meditation

With recitation of the Lord’s Prayer, led by Swami Veda Bharati

7:00 PM

St. Maron’s Catholic Church, Cedars Hall

602 University Avenue NE, Minneapolis

Cost: By donation to cover hall rental

August 12, 14: The Goddess: Creative Energy Workshop

Led by Swami Nityamuktananda Saraswati

7:00–9:00 PM (August 12); 10:00 AM–noon, 1:30–4:30 PM (August 14)

The Meditation Center, 631 University Avenue, NE, Minneapolis

Cost: $15 for Thursday evening; $60 for Saturday workshop

Sri Mahamandaleshwar Swami Veda Bharati is the founder and spiritual director of The Meditation Center in Northeast Minneapolis,  Minnesota; the Association of Himalayan Yoga Meditation Societies International (AHYMSIN); and the Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama in Rishikesh, India. He is also the spiritual guide of Sadhana Mandir Ashram in Rishikesh, India, and of the Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust near Dehradun, India. He was born into a Sanskrit-speaking family and raised in the centuries-old Sanskrit tradition. Since the age of nine he has captivated audiences with the depth of his knowledge of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras and the Vedas, the most ancient of Sanskrit literature. He has both a masters and a doctoral degree and taught Sanskrit at the University of Minnesota before embarking on his lifelong path of international teaching in the Himalayan Yoga tradition. He has followed this path for over 60 years, passing on the purest teachings of Yoga to thousands of people across the globe.

In 1999, the Shankara Order of Swamis in India conferred on Swami Veda the title of Mahamandeleshvara; he is one of 30 or so Indian swamis holding this honor. Swami Veda is an inspired and loving teacher, a prolific author, poet and an international lecturer. Deeply interested in environmental challenges, he has spoken before the United Nations and met with the word’s major religious leaders, including the Dalai Lama.

Swami Veda's Summer Schedule in Minneapolis: http://www.themeditationcenter.org/jnana/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=134&Itemid=120

Swami Jaidev Bharati (Dr. Justin O’Brien) is known internationally for his programs in spiritual development and personal spiritual growth. Chief consultant and designer for world conferences on the future of humanity in Tokyo, Katmandu, New Delhi and Chicago, Swami Jaidev is also a well-known scholar and former professor of theology at Loyola University Chicago, lecturer at the New School for Social Research in New York City and senior research fellow in holistic medicine at the University of London. He was director of education at the Marylebone Health Centre in England, as well as faculty member and director of

education at the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science (http://www.ihtyoga.org/index.html) and   Philosophy. He currently is preceptor of the Institute of the Himalayan Tradition and adjunct professor of philosophy at the University of Minnesota, St. Mary's University Graduate School and the University of St. Thomas.

A former Catholic monk, Swami Jaidev has a doctoral degree in the philosophy of consciousness and a doctorandus degree in theology from Nijmegen University, the Netherlands; two masters degrees in philosophy and religious studies from Marquette University and St. Albert's College in Oakland, California; and two undergraduate degrees in the classics and philosophy from St. Albert’s College and the University of Notre Dame. He is also a certified Ericksonian hypnotherapist from the American Hypnosis Training Academy, is certified in neurolinguistic programming and is a recognized scholar of Eastern philosophy and psychology. His numerous books include Superconscious Meditation, Walking with a Himalayan Master: An American's Odyssey and A Meeting of Mystic Paths: Christianity and Yoga. Three of his books have won national awards.

Swami Nityamuktananda Saraswati, (Dr. Christa-Maria Herrmann), German by birth and naturalized British, took samnyasa (became a Yogic monk) in 2003 from Swami Anubhavananda and confirmed her vows in the traditional Vedic ceremony with Swami Veda Bharati in the Himalayan Tradition in 2007. In 1997 she completed a Ph.D. in ecophilosophy on the subjects of the mahabhutas (five great elements) and has since contributed worldwide in conferences and workshops especially in two areas: the five elements and Yoga philosophy in its widest sense. These include international congresses on world peace at the United Nations. Presently, she teaches mainly on topics related to Yoga philosophy (including meditation) and the five elements in many countries including Spain, New Zealand, Germany, Mexico, Singapore, Australia and Ireland. She also teaches in the Association of Himalayan Yoga Meditation Societies International teacher training program. She has taught for many years at the Kaivalyadhama Yoga Research Institute (Lonavla, India) as well as at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama (Rishekesh, India).  Her website: http://www.athayoga.info/

Swami Nityamuktananda's Minneapolis Schedule: http://www.themeditationcenter.org/jnana/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=155&Itemid=141

Swami Ritavan Bharati is a highly trained Yoga and meditation teacher with over 25 years of teaching and meditation experience. He holds a master's degree in management specializing in nonprofit organizations, a master's degree in education and a master’s in holistic philosophy. He has led silence retreats throughout the world on behalf of Swami Veda and travels extensively across the globe. He is a registered Yoga teacher through Yoga Alliance.

Pandit Hari Shankar Dabral was born in Dehradun, India, to a family of traditional Sanskrit scholars and imbibed the teachings of philosophy    and mantra-shastra as a family heritage. He holds a PhD in Sanskrit from the University of Garhwal. A disciple of H. H. Swami Rama of the Himalayas, he has been trained by Dr. Swami Veda Bharati for the past sixteen years and has assisted him in research, teaching meditation and lecturing. H. H.Swami Rama appointed Pandit Dabral spiritual director of his Himalayan Institute in Chicago, in which position he served for four years. Trained and authorized by Swami Rama to give initiations, Dr. Dabral has initiated many hundreds of people. An inspiring speaker, he spends his time lecturing and guiding students in meditation in various centers in North America. He also teaches at Swami Rama's Ashram in Rishikesh when time permits. Dr. Pandit Dabral is second to Swami Veda Bharati in guiding the International Himalayan Yoga Teachers Association, which has over 150 teachers teaching yoga in different parts of North America. (http://www.himalayanmeditation.com/)

A. Pavan, PhD, is a regular figure in the Twin Cities’ music scene as an accomplished tabla player and teacher. Dr. Pavan has studied tabla under several masters, including Sri G. Laxmiah, Sri Ambika Prasad Mishra, Sri Gopal Mishra, Pandit Vijay Shankar and Pandit Birju Maharaj. Presently he trains with Sri. Rajendra Nakod in Bangalore and Ustad Shabbir Nisar in Hyderabad. Over the years he has performed for Katha Dance Theater, Abhinaya Theater, Minnesota Dance Alliance, Pangea World Theater and the Indian Music Society of Minnesota. Dr. Pavan also appears on recordings of world/fusion music with Minnesota-based artists. A principal research scientist at Honeywell Labs, Dr. Pavan is an alumnus of the University of Minnesota, where he received his PhD in computer science. Dr. Pavan was on the executive committee of the Indian Music Society of Minnesota for several years and served as president from 1997 until 2001. He presently serves as an advisor.

Pooja Goswami, PhD, was born in a musical family and received her early training in Hindustani (North Indian) vocal classical music from her father, Sri Surendra Goswami. She received her MPhil from the University of Delhi and completed a PhD in music in 2005, also from the University of Delhi. Pooja Goswami is trained in semi-classical music from the eminent vocalist Smt. Shanti Hiranand, the reigning queen of Thumri and Ghazal (semi-classical vocal genres) and the universally acclaimed successor of the legendary vocalist, the late Begum Akhtar. Her versatility is evident in her ability to sing Thumri, Dadra, Ghazal, Bhajan and various folk genres (e.g., Chaiti, Kajri), as well as Khayals. Dr. Goswami has performed in prestigious venues across the globe. She recently co-composed the score for Pangea World Theater’s “The Partition Project,” staged in June 2006 in Minneapolis. Since 2006, Dr. Goswami has been a visiting faculty at the School of Music, University of Minnesota and at Macalester College, teaching courses in Indian music and culture.

Editor’s Note:   Swami Veda Bharati, Swami Nityamuktananda Saraswati and Swami Jaidev Bharati may be available for interviews. To inquire about interviews with Swami Veda or Swami Nityamuktananda, please contact Jennifer Manion at 612-703-6790. To inquire about an interview with Swami Jaidev, please call Ma Devi (Theresa King) at the Institute of the Himalayan Tradition, 651-645-1291. For information about the congress more generally, please contact Lela Pierce at 612-379-2386 or  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or visit http://www.themeditationcenter.org/jnana/.

About The Meditation Center: Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, The Meditation Center was established in 1971 by Swami Veda Bharati. It currently serves as a resource of the Himalayan Yoga tradition, which was established in the West by Swami Rama of the Himalayas. The ancient methods taught in this tradition underlie the variety of meditation systems found in all faiths. This approach not only includes the physical postures and stretches that people often refer to as yoga, but also includes efficient breathing, control of the senses, enhanced concentration, the cultivation of personally healthy habits and social relationship, and training in higher stages of meditation. The Meditation Center is the host of the 2010 Himalayan Yoga Meditation Congress.

For further information, visit http://www.themeditationcenter.org/jnana/