2018 Program for Initiates
2018-04-09 09:30 - 2018-04-15 21:00 UTC | Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama Dhyana Gurukulam, Virpur Khurd, Virbhadra Road, P. O Pashulok, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, 249203, India
During 9th -15th April 2018, there will be a Program for Initiates with Swami Ma Radha Bharati at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama (SRSG) in Rishikesh, India.
“You have been a guest at the Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, perhaps once, perhaps many times, and have had basic lessons in sitting and breathing etc… You have also received mantra-diksha. Now the question remains: WHAT after mantra? How to refine it; where to go further? There is always need for (a) refreshing, (b) refining to subtler levels and (c) learning the next steps.” – Swami Veda Bharati
Contact: ahymsin@ahymsin.org. When you write to the AHYMSIN Office about attending this retreat, please include the name of your mantra initiator and the date of initiation.

Programs for Non-Initiates
2018-08-06 09:30 - 2018-08-12 21:00 (Asia/Kolkata) | Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama Dhyana Gurukulam, Virpur Khurd, Virbhadra Road, P. O Pashulok, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, 249203, India
Programs for Non-Initiates
with Borim Murali
at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama (SRSG)
in Rishikesh, India

“You have been a guest at the Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, perhaps once, perhaps many times, and have had basic lessons in sitting and breathing etc…But, there is always need for (a) refreshing, (b) refining to subtler levels and (c) learning the next steps (d) even the explanation on mantra-diksha for those who wish to go in that direction.”
– Swami Veda Bharati

Contact: ahymsin@ahymsin.org

Borim Murali will be teaching the classes for the non-initiates. Academically, Borim is an English literature graduate from Anyang University with a graduate school degree in Social Work from Sungkoghoe. She has also studied Chinese classic literature and taken counseling training. She started learning yoga from the Korean Yoga Association in 1993 and joined the Himalayan tradition in 1996. She was initiated by Swami Veda in 1999 and started teaching in Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama from 2004. Residing in Korea, she comes regularly to practice and teach at SRSG and has taught yoga in Korea, Sri Lanka, Iran, and Malaysia.

Initiates Retreat October 2018
2018-10-10 09:30 - 2018-10-18 21:00 (Asia/Kolkata) | Uttarakhand
Special Initiates Retreat – Bhakti and Loving Meditations – October 10-18, 2018, at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama (SRSG) in Rishikesh, India.
Those of us who have experienced the infinite love and grace of the Himalayan Masters, of the Guru Lineage through the sacred mantra diksha (Initiation) were blessed with the mantra seed having been sown deep within. When nurtured lovingly, this mantra seed develops into a tree of spirituality within. The Initiates Retreat has been especially designed to show us exactly how to thus nurture the mantra seed.
As Swami Veda has said with regards to the initiate retreat, “You have been a guest at the Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, perhaps once, perhaps many times, and have had basic lessons in sitting and breathing etc… You have also received mantra-diksha. Now the question remains: WHAT after mantra? How to refine it; where to go further? There is always need for (a) refreshing, (b) refining to subtler levels and (c) learning the next steps.”
This year’s Initiate Retreat will be during the 9 sacred days dedicated to the Mother Divine, during Navaratri, during October 10-18, 2018, at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama (SRSG). We will have non-stop recitation of the 1000 names of the Mother Divine (akhanda japa of the Lalita-sahasra-nama). Navratri is indeed a special time to renew one’s commitment to their sadhana and spiritual life.
Swami Ritavan Bharati has given the theme of “Bhakti and Loving Meditations” for this special initiates retreat.
Gurudeva Swami Rama has written in his book – Choosing a Path:
“Bhakti yoga is known as the path of love and devotion. It is the path of self-surrender and dedication of all one’s resources to attain the ultimate Reality. In this path love becomes the Lord of life and motivates the whole being toward Divinity alone. The path of bhakti yoga is the path of love.” (p. 55)
“In the path of bhakti one of the easiest practices is to remember God’s name—a mantra or a word—constantly. Ajapa Japa, remembering God’s name constantly, becomes a part of life and makes one aware of the Lord all the time. Constant remembrance makes a deep groove in the unconscious mind, for the unconscious mind is actually the seat of habit formation. Once the habit is formed, then it becomes part of individual life. Ajapa japa is that state of remembering God’s name in which a devotee does all his duties, yet remembers God all the time, even during sleep. It is an effortless way of remembering God, but a constant and long practice of japa is necessary.” (p. 67)
“In bhakti yoga, many students use an idol, an image, or a statue of a spiritual guide because their minds cannot fathom the attributeless aspect of the Lord. This way of ritual, or puja, that they perform helps to make the mind one-pointed and inward. The scriptures explain that there are two level of devotion—devotion for the attributeless, and devotion with attributes (nirguna and saguna). It is not easy for a student to attain nirguna bhava¸or mood, and it takes a long time for the student to attain nirguna bhakti. The human mind is accustomed to leaning on certain forms or names. It cannot conceive of and is not able to fathom the unfathomable—the attributeless. Therefore, very few attain nirguna bhakti, but saguna bhakti seems to be very easy and pleasing to the students of this path.” (p. 68)
Swami Veda talking about Loving Meditations said, “Now there is obviously two translations of this phrase. Loving your meditation, to love your meditation. That’s one thing and the other is loving meditations. Meditations in which love is important. Both are two sides of the same coin.”
Swami Veda here adds, “Meditate silently and meditate lovingly and here love and silence are one and the same because when you pacify the tumultuous noises of the mind that is silence. When you quite the tumultuous noises of the mind that is silence. When you pacify tumultuously destructive emotions that is love. The two are one in the same and if you go from here with a renewed commitment. Commitment to your own spirituality, commitment to loving the community of disciples, commitment to helping others through what you receive here.”
Our beloved Swami Veda has also blessed us with the reminder that “…I wish to assure you that those who are initiated in our Tradition do remain thus enwombed. May these foetuses grow to full maturity of liberation.”
If you would like to take part in this special retreat to deepen your own sadhana or are inspired to learn more about the same, kindly write to us at ahymsin@ahymsin.org.

Editor’s Note:

Raghavendra Adiga will be guiding this retreat. Raghavendra is a mantra initiator and a member of the AHYMSIN Adhyatma Samiti, or Spiritual Committee. He is also the centre leader of Himalayan Centre for Yoga Meditation, Tumkur, Karnataka, India.

2018 Yoga and Martial Arts Workshop
2018-10-22 09:30 - 2018-10-27 21:00 UTC | Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama Dhyana Gurukulam, Virpur Khurd, Virbhadra Road, P. O Pashulok, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, 249203, India
Programme description:
Swami Veda Bharati has been one of the highest level world class exponents of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali in the late 20th and early 21st centuries This seminar will continue Swamiji’s tradition and legacy of interpreting from the point of view of a practitioner this most unique text which codified and systematized yoga philosophy. With several segments of this seminar held in the next few years in the month of February, the emphasis of this first seminar will be the overview of the text, including its different chapters, sections and topics, as well as the foundational principles of Sankhya philosophy, which are mandatory to master to get entry into the deeper meanings of the sutras. The first chapter, Samadhi Pada, will also be covered in detail along with the most important points from Sage Vyasa’s commentary.
A special emphasis will be put on the language and the deeper layers of meanings from the Sanskrit verb roots, prefixes and suffixes hidden in the terminology, as Swami Veda often emphasised, sharing the keys from the language with which we can help unlocking the real meaning of the text.
Faculty:
Swami Ritavan Bharati, Dr. Stephen Parker (Stoma), Michael Kissener, and others.
Pre-requisites:
Previous study of Swami Veda’s audio lectures on the Yoga Sutras and Sankhya Philosophy is recommended. Please contact Himalayan Yoga Publications Trust (HYPT) at info@yogappublications.org about purchasing these materials. Also this may interest you: Yoga Sutra Study Material.
Contact:
ahymsin@ahymsin.org

Breath Retreat
2018-11-05 09:30 - 2018-11-09 21:00 (Asia/Kolkata) | Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama Dhyana Gurukulam, Virpur Khurd, Virbhadra Road, P. O Pashulok, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, 249203, India
This is a chance to come and immerse yourself in an intensive practice of Pranayama. This retreat will include the foundations and deepening of the subtleties of breathing and pranayama practices, as they are taught in the Himalayan Tradition. You will learn and practice different techniques; diaphragmatic breathing, complete breath, kapalabati, bhastrika, brahmari, ujjayi and nadi shodhanam in a systematic manner, at beginning and more advanced levels. This seminar can be attended while remaining in silence to deepen your own personal inner journey.
Carol Crenshaw
Carol is the co-founder and co-director of Inner Peace Yoga Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, and co-director emeritus of the Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy of New York City. She has been practicing yoga and meditation for over 40 years and holds a Master’s degree in Eastern Studies/Comparative Psychology/Holistic Health from the University of Scranton. She is certified to teach from the Himalayan Institute Teacher’s Association and is an E-RYT Yoga Alliance instructor, and an IAYT Certified Yoga Therapist. She has taught yoga practices for 35 years in the U.S., India, and Italy. She served as a yoga therapist, biofeedback trainer, and wellness counselor both at the Center for Holistic Medicine in New York City and at the Himalayan Institute in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, where she also served as a senior teacher. Carol was an adjunct faculty member at the University of Phoenix serving in the Humanities Department. She is a Certified EFT INT practitioner who specializes in weight loss, a consulting hypnotist and certified NLP practitioner. Carol wrote several articles for Yoga International magazine, is a contributing author for The Clinical EFT Handbook, and co-author of EFT for Meditation.
Charles Crenshaw
Charles is the co-founder and co-director of Inner Peace Yoga Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, and co-director emeritus of the Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy of New York City. He has been practicing yoga since 1974. He holds a Master’s degree in Eastern Studies/Comparative Psychology/Holistic Health from the University of Scranton. During his tenure in New York, Charles worked on the staff of the Center for Holistic Medicine as a teacher, counselor, yoga therapist, and biofeedback trainer. He is also an ordained Interfaith Minister from the New Seminary, New York City, where he specialized in spiritual counseling and served on the lecture faculty for two years. Charles holds a certificate of training for alcohol & substance abuse counseling from the New School for Social Research in New York City. He also served on the staff of the Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust (Jolly Grant, Dehra Dun, India) as a yoga therapist and researcher investigating the benefits of yoga on health. Charles has served as a senior teacher and seminar coordinator at the Himalayan Institute in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. He is an E-RYT Yoga Alliance instructor.He is a Certified Yoga Therapist through the International Association of Yoga Therapists. Charles is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Phoenix, where he teaches courses in philosophy and religion. He is a Certified EFT INT practitioner (contributing author for The Clinical EFT Handbook), a certified consulting hypnotist, and Master NLP practitioner. He is author of The Pathless Path: God, Grace, Guru. Co-author of EFT for Meditation.
Contact: ahymsin@ahymsin.org

Six-day Retreat: Superconscious Meditation – Level One
2019-06-23 09:30 - 2019-06-28 21:00 (Asia/Kolkata) | Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama Dhyana Gurukulam, Virpur Khurd, Virbhadra Road, P. O Pashulok, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, 249203, India
Programme description:
This six-day programme is as much appropriate for beginners as for more advanced seekers treading the path of spirituality. The foundation stones of meditation will be approached in a scientific and systematic manner. Preparations and progressions of meditation practice will be shared step by step. This course will give you the tools to establish and pursue a regular personal meditation practice.
In his book Meditation and Its Practice, Swami Rama of the Himalayas wrote: “For thousands of years, the science of meditation has been studied and practiced by aspirants who sought to make their lives more serene, creative and fulfilling. Meditation will give you the capacity to improve your health, your relationships and the skilfulness with which you perform your activities. This is because meditation can do something no other technique can accomplish – it introduces you to yourself on all levels and finally leads you to the center of consciousness within, the higher self, which is called Atman.”
Faculty:
SRSG ashram resident faculty
Contact:
ahymsin@ahymsin.org

Six-day Retreat: Maunam - Guided Silence Practice
2019-07-28 09:30 - 2019-08-02 21:00 (Asia/Kolkata) | Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama Dhyana Gurukulam, Virpur Khurd, Virbhadra Road, P. O Pashulok, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, 249203, India
Programme description:
“Silence is such a profound and deep experience of human existence that only when we have understood silence would we understand all the inspiration that has ever flowed to humanity from the minds and mouths of its great saints and sages.” – Swami Veda Bharati
Come experience deeper levels of your inner self through the practice of silence. This six-day retreat, away from the business of daily life, will help you calm down the constant flow of random thoughts and emotions and rejuvenate yourself on all levels. This retreat includes two days of foundations and preparations to silence, three days of silence practice and introspection, as well as one day of sharing and assimilation.
Faculty:
SRSG ashram resident faculty
Contact:
ahymsin@ahymsin.org

Special Workshop: Mantra and Meditation (retreat for non-initiates)
2019-08-04 09:30 - 2019-08-10 21:00 UTC | Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama Dhyana Gurukulam, Virpur Khurd, Virbhadra Road, P. O Pashulok, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, 249203, India
Programme description:
This retreat is addressed to those who have previously visited Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama (SRSG) and have completed the basic lessons of sitting, breathing, joints & glands movements, relaxation and meditation. Swami Veda Bharati repeatedly emphasized the importance of refreshing and refining the foundations to subtler and subtler levels. Swamiji highlighted that a strong and solid foundation is the key to progress in our personal practice. Come join this six-day retreat to deepen your knowledge and practices, and to prepare yourself for mantra initiation, your next step on the journey of yoga in the Himalayan Tradition.
Faculty:
Borim Whang (Murali): Borim is an English literature graduate from Anyang University with a graduate school degree in Social Work from Sungkoghoe. She has also studied Chinese classic literature and taken counselling training. She started learning yoga from the Korean Yoga Association in 1993 and joined the Himalayan tradition in 1996. She was initiated by Swami Veda in 1999 and started teaching in Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama (SRSG) from 2004. Residing in Korea, she comes regularly to practice and teach at SRSG. Borim has taught yoga in Korea, India, Sri Lanka, Iran, and Malaysia.

Special Retreat: Mantra after Initiation / Your Next Steps After Mantra Diksha (retreat for initiates)
2019-09-29 09:30 - 2019-10-05 21:00 UTC | Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama Dhyana Gurukulam, Virpur Khurd, Virbhadra Road, P. O Pashulok, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, 249203, India
Programme description:
This special retreat is offered especially for those who have previously visited Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama (SRSG), perhaps once or on several occasions, and who have had the basic lessons and have also received initiation into a personal mantra.
Now, the fundamental questions remain:
how to refine our meditation practice after initiation,
how to deepen and refine the use of one’s personal diksha mantra and,
how does one progress towards the next steps.
All those will be skilfully and systematically approached by the qualified retreat guide. Come attend this week long retreat and give yourself the opportunity to advance your practice to the next levels of depth in your journey towards the center of consciousness.
“The mantra in meditation is that thought which replaces the knife cutting edge of all rational and emotional associations so that the mind may come to a center.” – Swami Veda Bharati
Faculty:
Raghavendra Adiga: Raghavendra is an engineering graduate from Bangalore University. He was in business by profession and taught martial art (karate) for many years. He met Gurudeva Swami Rama in June, 1995, and had some basic guidance in meditation. He received initiation by Swami Veda Bharati in December 1996. Then, onwards, he started teaching yoga and meditation according to the Tradition. He received training and became a mantra initiator in 2008. He visited and taught yoga meditation in Denmark and South Korea. Raghavendra lives in Tumkur, South India, and travels to Rishikesh, Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama ashram, regularly to teach and practice further.
Pre-requisites:
Mantra initiation in the Himalayan Tradition
Contact:
ahymsin@ahymsin.org

Prashna Upanishad Classes with Siddhartha Krishna
2020-02-09 09:30 - 2020-02-14 21:00 (Asia/Kolkata), 2021-08-13 08:00 - 17:00 UTC | Uttarakhand
We are happy to share that we will be having daily classes on Prashna Upanishad with Siddhartha Krishna Ji from February 9-14, 2020, at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama (SRSG) in Rishikesh, India.
How did life begin? What is a living being? What is meditation, why meditate? What is immortal?
These are a some of the six fundamental questions asked and answered by the Prashna Upanishad. One of the principal upanishads, Prashna takes the form of a dialogue between sage Pippalada and six of his students.
With great happiness, we will welcome the world wide recognized teacher and acharya Siddhartha Krishna from February 9th to 14th at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama. Holding daily session during this special course, Siddhartha ji will guide his audience through this most important text.

Siddhartha Krishna was raised in the family tradition of yoga. He was educated at the Kailas Ashram Brahma Vidya Pitha, a monastery focusing on the teaching of vedanta. Later, he taught courses on Sanskrit grammar and Indian philosophy at the same monastery, and also edited their publications on Vedanta. Teacher of yoga and vedanta as well as being an author and columnist, he currently teaches at the Omkarananda Patanjala Yoga Centre in Rishikesh, India, and as a guest lecturer abroad. His YouTube channel is Yogic Wisdom with Siddhartha Krishna.

Contact: ahymsin@ahymsin.org

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Seminar
2020-02-24 09:30 - 2020-02-28 21:00 UTC | Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama Dhyana Gurukulam, Virpur Khurd, Virbhadra Road, P. O Pashulok, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, 249203, India
Programme description:
Swami Veda Bharati has been one of the highest level world class exponents of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali in the late 20th and early 21st centuries This seminar will continue Swamiji’s tradition and legacy of interpreting from the point of view of a practitioner this most unique text which codified and systematized yoga philosophy. With several segments of this seminar held in the next few years in the month of February, the emphasis of this first seminar will be the overview of the text, including its different chapters, sections and topics, as well as the foundational principles of Sankhya philosophy, which are mandatory to master to get entry into the deeper meanings of the sutras. The first chapter, Samadhi Pada, will also be covered in detail along with the most important points from Sage Vyasa’s commentary.
A special emphasis will be put on the language and the deeper layers of meanings from the Sanskrit verb roots, prefixes and suffixes hidden in the terminology, as Swami Veda often emphasised, sharing the keys from the language with which we can help unlocking the real meaning of the text.
Faculty:
Swami Ritavan Bharati, Dr. Stephen Parker (Stoma), Michael Kissener, and others.
Pre-requisites:
Previous study of Swami Veda’s audio lectures on the Yoga Sutras and Sankhya Philosophy is recommended. Please contact Himalayan Yoga Publications Trust (HYPT) at info@yogapublications.org about purchasing these materials. Also this may interest you: Yoga Sutra Study Material.
Contact:
ahymsin@ahymsin.org

Advancing Asana Practice with Pandit Ashutosh Sharma
2020-03-01 09:30 - 2020-03-06 21:00 (Asia/Kolkata) | Uttarakhand
Programme description:
This is a rare chance to go deeper into your hatha yoga practice with an internationally renowned hatha yoga teacher and expert.
The Himalayan Tradition views the different aspects and techniques of yoga as preparation for the practice of meditation. These practical workshop sessions will help you align your asana practice towards the Prana Vidya style of hatha yoga as taught in the Himalayan Tradition, deepening your physical and mental stillness to enable you to experience a more profound meditation.
Faculty:
Ashutosh Sharma: Pandit Ashutosh Sharma is an expert hatha yoga instructor, who can teach both beginners and advanced students. From an early age, he studied asanas, pranayama, and subtle-body relaxation techniques. In 1992, he met Swami Rama, who sent him to Swami Veda Bharati to learn meditation and to intensify his practices in the Himalayan Tradition. Since 1996, he has been travelling and teaching worldwide. He serves as a senior Hatha Instructor for the Himalayan Yoga Tradition – Teacher Training Program (HYT-TTP) and has trained hundreds of teachers all over the world in the Prana Vidya Hatha Yoga Style of the Himalayan Tradition.
Pre-requisites:
Basic knowledge of joints & glands movements and hatha yoga asanas is recommended.

Sthitaprajña - Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 2 (Verse 54-72)
2021-05-15 18:00 - 19:00 (Asia/Kolkata) | Online via Zoom
Sthitaprajña – Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 2 (Verse 54-72)
How does a man of steady wisdom live in this world?
How does the person of steady wisdom speak?
How does he sit? How does he walk?
In this intensive study with Rabindra Sahu, we would try to learn and explore the characteristics of a person whose wisdom is steady in matters of both worldly affairs and spiritual life.

Recommended Readings:
1. Perennial Psychology of the Bhagavad Gita by Swami Rama
2. Bhagavad Gita by Swami Madhusudan Saraswati
3. Audio Talks: Sthitaprajna by Swami Veda Bharati

Śhiva Saṅkalpa Sūkta
2021-06-26 18:00 - 19:00 (Asia/Kolkata) | Uttarakhand
Śhiva Saṅkalpa Sūkta – a prayer for mind’s purification, mind’s pacification
Shiva Sankalpa Sukta is a powerful six-verse hymn from the Shukla Yajurveda that leads the mind “to dwell on the auspicious will of the Divine”.

The Shiva Sankalpa Sukta is part of the daily evening prayers at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama. Our Master, Swami Veda Bharati has said, “I grew up as a child reciting them with the family before going to sleep every night.”
He has further said that this is a prayer “to make the mind one in which, not by effort but naturally, [what was that word for ‘naturally’? ‘Sahaja’!], in the sahaja way, only the beneficent, benevolent, peaceful, meditative, godly Shiva-like divine thoughts, sentiments, emotions, and resolves arise.”
In this zoom event with Rabindra Sahu, we would learn this beautiful prayer in Sanskrit, while trying to understand and explore the practical, modern-day applications of the same in our individual lives.
Donations: Loving donations from the heart may be offered and will support the ashram during the pandemic. Kindly contact us at ahymsin@ahymsin.org for more information.
Teacher: Rabindra Sahu
Begins: 26 June, 2021 (Saturday)
The seven sessions will be organized over four weekends (Saturday and Sunday) at 6-7 PM IST (Indian Standard Time) from Jun 26 – Jul 17, 2021.
Kindly convert to your country’s time-zone accordingly.
Medium: Online through Zoom
Request: Kindly join only if you are able to commit to all the 10 sessions, as the topics are progressive and systematic.
Last Date for Registration: 25 Jun, 2021 (Friday)
For Registrations/Enquiries/Donations: ahymsin@gmail.com
Recommended Readings:
1. Practice for the Next Five Years and the Rest of Your Life by Swami Veda Bharati
2. Shiva-Sankalpa-Sūktam
3. Shiva Sankalpa Sukta Short Translation by Swami Veda Bharati
4. Shiva Sankalpa Sukta Extended Commentary by Swami Veda Bharati
5. Swami Veda Bharati’s Lectures at the 2013 Sangha Gathering

Guru Purnima: A Prayer to the Guru
2021-07-24 18:00 - 19:00 (Asia/Kolkata) | Uttarakhand
ॐ गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुर्गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः।
गुरुः साक्षात्परं ब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः
Om gurur brahmā gurur viṣṇur gurur devo maheśvaraḥ,
guruḥ sākṣāt paraṁ brahma tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ.
Om. To that beautiful and benevolent Guru who is Brahmā, the Creator, Viṣṇu, the Maintainer, and Śiva, the Great Lord through whom all things return to their origin. To that Guru who is the direct experience of Brahman, salutations.
Let us delve deep into the meaning of the Guru Prayer on the auspicious occasion of Guru Purnima. Our Gurudeva Swami Rama has written, “This day of Guru Purnima is a great day of delight, celebrated with reverence to the noble heritage of spiritual knowledge. It is the day that makes the aspirant aware that the light of knowledge is everflowing and overflowing internally and externally both.”
In this satsanga with Rabindra Sahu, let us get together on this special occasion and pay homage to the Guru Lineage.

Peace and Stillness
2021-08-07 13:30 - 15:00, 2021-08-22 13:30 - 15:00 (Asia/Kolkata) | Online via Zoom
Peace is what everyone seeks for, yet we often talk about peace in the external world and forget to see our inner peace. In order to have peace of mind and to still the mind, we need to understand our behaviors and emotions, and to train our own minds. Throughout this workshop, you’ll be equipped with the practical knowledge and skills which may help you to have a peaceful mind.

Topics:

Understanding our behavior and emotions
Purifying the mind and emotion
Making the mind a pleasant place

Date: August 7, 8, 14, 15, 21 and 22, 2021
Day: Saturdays and Sundays
Time: 5:00-6:30 PM Japan Standard Time (JST) *Kindly adjust to your time zone accordingly.
Instructor: Rabindra Sahu *In English with Japanese translation
For Registrations, Donations and more information, kindly contact:

Yuko Metsugi at ahymsin.jp@gmail.com
AHYMSIN Japan – Peace and Stillness

Understanding the Pancha Koshas
2021-08-07 18:00 - 19:00 UTC | Online via Zoom
Understanding the Pancha Koshas (The Five Coverings on the Self)
Pancha Kosha is a Sanskrit term made up of two words – Pancha and Kosha. Pancha means ‘’five’’, and Kosha means ‘’sheath’’ or ‘’layer’’.
The concept of Pancha kosha originated from Taittiriya Upanishad. The classical Upanishads were concerned with addressing the nature of the self and one’s relationship to the universe, and Pancha kosha is thought to be one of the earliest conceptualizations of the human self.

The Pancha kosha philosophy helps one to understand “Who am I”?. With this knowledge, one can transcend the grosser layers of one’s being, tuning into the subtle aspects, and ultimately gaining knowledge of the true self. As one works through the five sheaths, eventually one stops identifying oneself with these layers, be the body, mind, or intellect, and one begins to recognize that the true and real self is beyond these five layers.
Thus, understanding the coverings/layers of one’s being is key to obtaining peace and joy in life. Now, let’s learn more about the ‘Pancha Koshas’ with Rabindra Sahu.
Donations: Loving donations from the heart may be offered and will support the ashram during the pandemic. Kindly contact us at ahymsin@ahymsin.org for more information.
Teacher: Rabindra Sahu
Dates: The seven sessions will be organized over four weekends (Saturday and Sunday) at 6:00-7:00 IST (Indian Standard Time) from 7-28 August 2021. Kindly convert to your country’s time-zone accordingly.
Medium: Online through Zoom
Language: English
Request: Kindly join only if you are able to commit to all 7 sessions, as the topics are progressive and systematic.
Last Date for Registration: 6 August, 2021 (Friday)
For Registrations/Enquiries/Donations: ahymsin@gmail.com

Yoga Yatra: an inner pilgrimage
2021-08-09 19:30 - 2021-08-14 20:30 (Asia/Kolkata) | Online via Zoom
योग यात्रा: अंतर यात्रा की तरफ

आप सब का स्वागत है। अधिकारी जी के साथ इस सत्संग में, हम हमारे स्वाभाव के विभिन्न आयामों के बारे में निरिक्षण करने के साथ साथ स्वयं को ठीक तरह से देख भाल करके स्वयं में नूतनत्व का संचार करें।

Yamas and Niyamas: Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
2021-09-11 18:00 - 19:00 (Asia/Kolkata) | Online via Zoom
Yamas & Niyamas: Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
The first two limbs of the eight-fold path of yoga sutras—the basic text for classical yoga—are examined in this spiritual guide to the practice of yoga. Foundational to all yogic thought, they are considered to be the guidelines to the yoga way of living that free individuals to take ownership of their lives, direct them toward the fulfillment they seek, and gain the skills to choose attitude, thought, and action.

Donations: Loving donations from the heart may be offered and will support the ashram during the pandemic. Kindly contact us at ahymsin@ahymsin.org for more information.
Teacher: Rabindra Sahu
Dates: The seven sessions will be organized over four weekends (Saturday and Sunday) at 6:00-7:00 IST (Indian Standard Time) from 11 September – 2 October 2021. Kindly convert to your country’s time-zone accordingly.
Medium: Online through Zoom
Language: English
Request: Kindly join only if you are able to commit to all 7 sessions, as the topics are progressive and systematic.
Last Date for Registration: 10 September, 2021 (Friday)
For Registrations/Enquiries/Donations: ahymsin@ahymsin.org

Navaratri Celebrations
2021-10-07 - 2021-10-14 | Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama Dhyana Gurukulam, Virpur Khurd, Virbhadra Road, P. O Pashulok, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, 249203, India
The Navaratri, literally meaning the ‘nine nights’ are a sacred celebration dedicated to the Mother Divine. It is celebrated twice a year to mark the beginning of Spring and Fall.
We, the residents at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama (SRSG), will join with akhanda (non-stop) recitation of Lalita-sahasra-nama (Thousand Names of Divine Mother) for nine days and nights during this special celebration from October 7-14, 2020. These events are charged with special spiritual energy and are a very special time to renew your silence and sadhana.

While we know, many of our AHYMSIN Global Sangha members are unable to join us physically at the ashram, we miss your presence during this auspicious time at the ashram.
As Swami Ritavan Bharati has written, “We feel the abundance of blessings of the Mother Divine is available everywhere equally and I pray that you continue to feel her loving, gentle, and serene presence in your hearts at all times.”

Bhagavad Gita: Karma Yoga
2021-10-09 18:00 - 19:00 (Asia/Kolkata) | Online via Zoom
Swami Rama has explained that “No one can live without performing actions. When you perform actions, therein you reap the fruits of your actions. “As you sow, so shall you reap.” Nobody can escape from this law. When you reap the fruits of actions, those actions inspire you to perform more actions. Seemingly, there is no end. This creates a sense of helplessness. You cannot live without doing your duty, but when you do your duty, you find yourself caught in a whirlpool. You are not happy because duty makes you a slave.”
The Bhagavad Gita teaches us how we should engage in actions in a manner that can facilitate our ultimate good, while interacting in this world. We can thus learn to evaluate the effect of our actions on our life, and assess whether they lead us towards bondage or liberation.

The human life is a beautiful and delicate combination of right knowledge and right action. It will be a blind life, if there is only Karma and no Jnana (knowledge) to guide our actions in life. All efforts turn blind without good judgment, and intelligence is nonproductive without sincere effort.
We must have buddhi (discriminative faculty) as well as karma in our life. If we were to only think deeply and not do anything, the buddhi would be wasted. If we were to go on working and give no thought to things, the karmas would be destroyed. Life progresses in the right direction with a combination of both karma and buddhi.
Swami Rama has further said, “The first thing you should learn is how to perform your actions, yet remain unaffected. Your duty should not give you stress and strain. It should not make you a slave.
It is possible to live perfectly on earth if one is able to work and to love—to work for what one loves, and to love what one is working at.
Get up, my friends, arise: attain knowledge, and dedicate your life to the service of your fellow beings.”
Donations: Loving donations from the heart may be offered and will support the ashram during the pandemic. Kindly contact us at ahymsin@ahymsin.org for more information.
Teacher: Rabindra Sahu
Dates: The six sessions will be organized over three weekends (Saturday and Sunday) at 6:00-7:00 IST (Indian Standard Time) from 9 – 24 October 2021. Kindly convert to your country’s time-zone accordingly.
Medium: Online through Zoom
Language: English
Request: Kindly join only if you are able to commit to all 6 sessions, as the topics are progressive and systematic.
Last Date for Registration: 8 October, 2021 (Friday)
For Registrations/Enquiries/Donations: ahymsin@ahymsin.org

HYT-TTP Fall 2021 Virtual Workshop on Meditation: The Core Practice of the Himalayan Tradition
2021-11-06 10:00 - 12:30 (America/New_York) | Online via Zoom
We are pleased to announce to our worldwide AHYMSIN spiritual family, Yoga Teachers and Practitioners that registration is now open for the Fall 2021, 20-hour HYT-TTP Virtual Workshop.
After the very successful spring 2021 virtual workshop, where our presenters skillfully addressed different aspects of the practice taken from all the ten subjects of the HYT-TTP syllabus, for the fall workshop, the HYT-TTP team is inviting you to dive deeper in the practice of meditation. It is one of the most important practice of the Tradition handed down to us by Gurudev Swami Rama of the Himalayas and Swami Veda Bharati.
The Fall workshop will be held in November. It is titled Meditation: The Core Practice of the Himalayan Tradition, and today we are pleased to share the details of the schedule and invite you to register as soon as possible to secure your place in this important event.
This 20-hour Virtual Workshop is designed for all HYT-TTP Students, Graduates and Teachers, as well as current Yoga Tutors and serious practitioners. We will provide Yoga Alliance CEUs (Continuing Education Units) for all sessions.

The Workshop will be held from November 6th to November 21st, 2021. The sessions will be on Friday evenings at 7:30 PM EST (U.S. eastern standard time), and Saturday & Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM EST, with the exception of November 6th, which will begin at 10:00 AM EST, due to Daylight Savings ending in the North American region on November 7th. (This will not affect the timing in other regions).
As in the spring virtual workshop, the HYT-TTP Faculty will teach sessions of duration of approximately 2 1/2-hours, including live Q&As. Please find details of the schedule below.

Saturday Nov. 6th: Workshop opening and Basic Elements of Meditation in the Himalayan Tradition – Swami Ritavan Bharati, with Adhikari Bhoi and Ramprakash Das
Sunday Nov 7th: Hatha Yoga as a Gateway to Meditation – Pt. Ashutosh Sharma
Friday Nov 12th: Meditative Practices of the Himalayan Tradition – Swami Ma Radha Bharati
Saturday Nov 13th: Deepening Meditation Practice through Emotional Purification – Dr. Stephen “Stoma” Parker
Sunday Nov 14th: Breath, Mind, and Meditation – Carol and Charles Crenshaw
Friday Nov 19th: Meditation Sadhana as a Way of Life and Full Moon Meditation – Chuck Linke
Saturday Nov 20th: Advancing Mantra Practice After Initiation – Swami Ritavan Bharati
Sunday Nov 21st: Panel discussion, questions and answers – All Presenters

Click here to register for the workshop.
If you are unable to attend all the live sessions from your time zone, we will allow video access to the sessions for 3 months, so that you can schedule a time that is convenient for you to view the sessions.
To help sustain the Ashram during this difficult period, all the proceeds from this workshop will be donated to SRSG.
We are recommending a donation of US$180.00 for those that live in High-Income Countries, US$140.00 for those in Middle-Income Countries, and US$90.00 for those in Low-Income Countries. Of course, any additional donations to support the ashram will be appreciated.
The registration site is open for constant contact and it will allow you to pay using your credit card or your PayPal account.
If you cannot attend or wish to donate to support the mission and ashram of SRSG, please click here.
If you wish to sponsor one or more students from low-income countries, please click here, and after providing the donation amount, fill in the PayPal “Write a Note” box with the purpose of the donation.
We hope that we will once again be able to help the sustenance of Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama through your committed support to the tradition and lineage. We look forward to meeting you in the workshop.
In Loving Service,
HYT-TTP Administration

Contemplations on “The Mystical Poems of Kabir”
2021-11-27 18:00 - 19:00 (Asia/Kolkata) | Online via Zoom
“Kabir was a great Indian sage, seer and poet.”
“The philosophy presented in his works is identical to that of the Upanishads—there exists a nameless, formless, absolute Reality, One without a second.”
“In his ability to draw value from diverse sources, Kabir was actually like a bee who tapped the nectar from many different flowers and converted it into honey. Kabir’s philosophy and poetry inseparably weave together the threads of knowledge and ecstasy. For Kabir, the goal is sahaja samadhi, a state of mind attained through spontaneous ecstasy.” – Swami Rama, The Mystical Poems of Kabir.

We will be reading a few excerpts from Swami Rama’s book – The Mystical Poems of Kabir and contemplate on the teachings with Rabindra Sahu.
Recommended Reading: The Mystical Poems of Kabir by Swami Rama
Donation: Loving donations towards the course would go a long way in supporting the Ashram in its continued teachings, especially during the pandemic, when the ashram has been closed.
Dates: The six sessions will be organized over three weekends (Saturday and Sunday) at 6:00-7:00 IST (Indian Standard Time) from 27 Nov – 12 Dec 2021. Kindly convert to your country’s time-zone accordingly.
Medium: Online through Zoom
Language: English
Request: Kindly join only if you are able to commit to all 7 sessions, as the topics are progressive and systematic.
Last Date for Registration: 26 Nov, 2021 (Friday)

Breath Awareness and Pranayama
2021-11-28 14:00 - 16:00 (Europe/London) | Online via Zoom
A special 2-hour event
“There is one rule that is common to all meditation systems… All these systems of meditation, of the Tibetan Masters and the Zen Masters and the Himalayan yogis have one thing in common in teaching meditation and that is breath awareness. In the dhyana yoga, in the tradition of the yoga of meditation, we use that as the word for pranayama. We use that as the meaning of pranayama, expansion of breath.”
– Swami Veda Bharati

With the Grace of beloved Swami Veda Bharati and blessings of Swami Ritavan Bharati, the UK Initiate Sangha is happy to share that Shri Adhikari Bhoi from SRSG has graciously accepted the invitation to guide on the practices of breath awareness and pranayama as taught in the Himalayan Tradition.
Programme Details:
Date: 28th November 2021
Time: 19:30hours SRSG time; 14:00hours UK local time; 13:00hours EU time.
Duration: 2 hours
Teacher: Shri Adhikari Bhoi from SRSG
Medium: English
Mode: Zoom
Programme Outline:

Welcome
Guru Mantra
5 minutes meditation
Topic: The importance of breath awareness and pranayama practices as taught in the Himalayan Tradition. Adhikari ji will speak for 20 to 30 minutes followed by discussions/Q&A.
Meditation – 15mins

About Adhikari ji:
Adhikari ji is known for his unwavering steadfastness in his sadhana and service to the Guru. Nurturing a yearning for the message of the Himalayan Masters, Adhikari ji resolutely dedicated himself, over many years, to immersing in their teachings. He is well versed in scriptures, and practices as taught in the Tradition and is committed to sharing the teachings as one of the most dedicated teachers at SRSG. Adhikari ji is a mantra initiator and member of the AHYMSIN Spiritual Committee. He is also on the AHYMSIN Executive Committee.
Preparation:

Participants may find it useful to undertake at least one pranayama practice and related self-observation in the weeks prior the session.
Suggested reading:

Science of Breath by Swami Rama
Yoga-sutras: Sadhana-pada and Samadhi-pada by Swami Veda Bharati: 2.49-53 and 1.20,1.31,1.34

Registration:

Participants are requested to register early for the session as we aim to be a small group of around 25 people.
To register, kindly write to Rajini at rajinip79@gmail.com or Tejas at shobhnachandaria@gmail.com
When registering, please mention the following details:

Full name (and name used for Zoom)
AHYMSIN Centre/ Country from where you will participate
Initiated or awaiting initiation

As an offering to SRSG, a donation of £15 per person is suggested.

Participants are requested to make the offering to SRSG at your local/ regional AHYMSIN Centre. For participants from UK, details will be provided on registration.
We look forward to your loving presence at the session.
Warmly
In Service
Tejas and Rajini

Dhyana Yoga Sadhana Retreat at SRSG
2021-12-26 10:00 - 2021-12-30 12:00 (Asia/Kolkata) | Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama Dhyana Gurukulam, Virpur Khurd, Virbhadra Road, P. O Pashulok, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, 249203, India
ध्यान योग साधना शिविर (२६ से ३० दिसंबर २०२१)
स्वस्थ एवं आनंदमय जीवन का आधार है – “ध्यान योग साधना”
स्वामी राम साधक ग्राम की ओर से यह एक प्रेम पूर्ण निमंत्रण है, अपने व्यस्त जीवन से कुछ समय निकाल कर इस साधना शिविर में सम्मिलित हो कर एक नयी ऊर्जा तथा उत्साह से सरोवर हो जायें।

Contemplations on The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
2022-01-15 18:00 - 19:00 (Asia/Kolkata) | Online via Zoom
These beautiful poetic essays by Kahlil Gibran offer us a new dimension about “Life” and all its everyday mysteries.
These teachings are simple, yet profound…
They are mysterious, yet out in the open…
They are not merely intellectual, but essentially experiential…
Let us allow ourselves to sync into the depth of these timeless teachings.
Teacher: Rabindra Sahu
Donations: Loving donations from the heart may be offered and will support the ashram during the pandemic. Kindly contact us at ahymsin@ahymsin.org for more information.
Dates: The eight sessions will be organized over four weekends (Saturday and Sunday) at 6-7 PM IST (Indian Standard Time) from January 15-Febraury 6, 2022.
Kindly convert to your country’s time-zone accordingly.
Language: English
Medium: Online through Zoom
Request: Kindly join only if you are able to commit to all the 8 sessions, as the topics are progressive and systematic.
Last Date for Registration: January 14, 2022 (Friday)

For Registrations/Enquiries/Donations: ahymsin@ahymsin.org

Peace Mantras from the Vedas
2022-01-15 20:00 - 21:30, 2022-01-16 20:00 - 21:30 (Asia/Kolkata) | Online via Zoom
Shanti Mantras, or the Peace Mantras, are the mantras used as invocations at the beginning and end of the recitations of the Upanishads and other ancient Indian scriptures. These mantras are also used as special prayers for ‘peace’ during everyday pujas and rituals. Some of these mantras also are recited within the Himalayan Tradition and the Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama (SRSG) ashram as part of our daily morning and evening prayers.

This short weekend workshop with Pandit Priyadarshan (Pierre Lefebvre) will offer the students an introduction into this unique category of mantras found in the vast body of Vedic literature. We will learn about the importance of these mantras and their spiritual meanings.
