AHYMSIN

Choosing a Path
2023-10-29 09:00 - 2023-11-03 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
Sharing the essential wisdom and living practices of yoga’s major paths: Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Raja Yoga, etc.
In today’s modern times, we have done so much research on matter, mind, and energy, yet we have not discovered the ways and methods of attaining happiness and loving others selflessly. The search for truth alone thus provides a ray of hope for the individual and for humanity as a whole.
This in-person retreat with Rabindra Sahu offers a glimpse into some of the paths of yoga so that we are able to choose the one path that is most appropriate for our own personal spiritual journey.

Himalayan Yoga Tradition – Teacher Training Program Retreat
2023-11-05 09:00 - 2023-11-18 13:00, 2024-03-10 09:00 - 2024-03-23 13:00 (Asia/Kolkata) | Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama Dhyana Gurukulam, Virpur Khurd, Virbhadra Road, P. O Pashulok, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, 249203, India
Our Himalayan Yoga Tradition – Teacher Training Program (HYT-TTP) offers an integrated program of self-transformation leading to self-realization in the authentic tradition of Swami Rama of the Himalayas. HYT-TTP, as its parent organization, AHYMSIN, is dedicated to making available the teachings of Swami Rama.
Our program is a systematic, sadhana-based program. “Sadhana” is a Sanskrit word which means undertaking a practice so as to cultivate and refine one’s character. The main goal of our program is to deepen the students’ sadhana so that they can transmit authentic yoga teachings to others, not only from a storehouse of academic knowledge, but also from a depth of personal experience.
Our comprehensive curriculum offered through home study, mentoring, and ashram retreats presents all aspects of yoga and meditation in a spiritually inspiring context. The student’s progression through the home study is managed interactively and facilitated by an active discussion board, each student being followed and supported by a mentor who is well versed in the tradition.
The HYT-TTP consists of 3 levels. Each level requires at least one year of study and practice. The student will progress through three study levels becoming gradually more aware of the subtle layers of personality. Swami Rama defined this growth process as the attainment of some degree of disentanglement from attachments, allowing one to see that which s/he was previously “blind to”:

Level One – Awareness: exploration and self-acceptance
Level Two – Control: mindfulness and regulation of emotions
Level Three – Synthesis: harmonious whole personality

For more details, kindly visit – www.HimalayanYogaTradition.com

Sun Salutations as Worship
2023-11-19 09:00 - 2023-11-24 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
The practice of Surya Namaskara consists of a succession of twenty four Hatha Yoga postures done in a smooth flow according to a specific progression. Since it came into manifestation, this practice has been closely associated with the attitude of devotion and worship and can be experienced as a form of prayer involving movement and full body awareness.
In this seminar with Pandit Priyadarshan (Pierre Lefebvre), we will learn the basic postures constituting the sequence of the Solar Salutation as taught in traditional Hatha Yoga according to the Himalayan Tradition. We will also highlight the different directions in which we can bring our practice, as well as how to bring the element of devotion, worship and bhakti into our daily practice of Surya Namaskara.

Meditation and its Practice
2024-01-07 09:00 - 2024-01-12 00:00, 2024-01-07 09:00 - 2024-01-12 12:00, 2024-05-19 09:00 - 2024-05-24 00:00, 2024-05-19 09:00 - 2024-05-24 12:00, 2024-06-09 09:00 - 2024-06-14 00:00, 2024-06-09 09:00 - 2024-06-14 12:00, 2024-07-07 09:00 - 2024-07-12 12:00, 2024-07-12 09:00 - 2024-07-17 00:00 (Asia/Kolkata) | Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama Dhyana Gurukulam, Virpur Khurd, Virbhadra Road, P. O Pashulok, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, 249203, India
This 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.”

Recommended Readings:

Meditation and Its Practice by Swami Rama
“Beginning Meditation” in Night Birds by Swami Veda Bharati
Meditation: Art and Science by Swami Veda Bharati
Audio with book: Learn to Meditate (plus relaxation exercises) by Swami Veda Bharati.
Video: Treading the Path of Superconscious Meditation by Swami Rama
The Royal Path by Swami Rama
Holistic Living Manual by Swami Rama
Conscious Living by Swami Rama

Read More Information:

About visiting the ashram – Accommodation
About our other short-term upcoming events – Events
About our ongoing short-term Ashram Immersion Program
About how you may contribute towards the ashram – Donate

Preparatory Practices of Yoga Nidra
2024-01-14 09:00 - 2024-01-19 12:00, 2024-03-31 09:00 - 2024-04-05 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
Read More Information:

About visiting the ashram – Accommodation
About our other short-term upcoming events – Events
About our ongoing short-term Ashram Immersion Program
About how you may contribute towards the ashram – Donate

Mantra Practice After Initiation: Purash-charana
2024-01-21 09:00 - 2024-02-02 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
Mantra is very central to meditation practice. In the Himalayan Tradition of Yoga Meditation, the mantra stands as a representative of the eternal silence, the abode of the Lord of Life within.
In the Mundaka Upanishad, it is mentioned that “In the tree of life, there sits two eternal birds and they can never be separate. One is individual self—Jiva, and another is universal self—Ishwara, the Lord. It is the individual soul who experiences the sweet and bitter fruits of the tree of life. The cosmic self just witnesses and remains radiant for ever.”
Elsewhere in the Upanishads, it is said that, in the chariot called human body, the universal self and the individual self, travel together from time immemorial, so the sole purpose of meditation is to realise and experience within the omniscient and omnipotent universal self with its omnipresent.
That superconscious self projects itself through innumerable cosmic entities (Vedic deities). The mantras are the sonar (sound) forms of those cosmic entities and mantra initiation means handing over to a divine being who is the representation or himself a universal conscious being with infinite divine virtues.
The Upanishads declare that the sages by meditating on the cosmic sounds or mantras went into deep states of meditation and discovered/realised that the great power of universal conscious principle (Devatma Shakti) within.
We have in our tradition the systematic and precise approach to meditation mentioned in the ancient scriptures which are further commented and explained by Shri Swami Rama and Shri Swami Veda Bharati, which helps the serious students of meditation to enhance their understanding and practicing skills to reach the ultimate goal of meditation.
This unique retreat with Shri Raghavendra Adiga is offered only to those who have received Mantra Initiation within the Himalayan Tradition. They will have an opportunity to go deeper in their personal mantra through the practice of Purash-charana.

Editor’s Note:
Raghavendra Adiga ji is a mantra initiator within the Himalayan Tradition. He is also a member of the AHYMSIN Adhyatma Samiti, or Spiritual Committee. He is the center leader of the Himalayan Centre for Yoga Meditation, Tumkur, Karnataka, India, which is an AHYMSIN Affiliated center.

Mauni Amavasya Silence Retreat at SRSG
2024-02-03 09:00 - 2024-02-09 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
Mauni Amavasya (Silence Day) is an annual observance. The observation of Silence Day is a practice that Swami Veda Bharati invited us to practice.
In 2024, Mauni Amavasya is 9 February.
There will be 7-day silence retreats at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, Rishikesh, India from 3 – February, 2024. Swami Ritavan Bharati and Adhikari Bhoi will be available to guide the silence participants.

Swami Veda has said, “…there is also an annual silence day in the traditions of India. It is called Mauni Amavasya. Mauni means ‘of or for silence’, and amavasya means ‘no-moon day.’
It occurs on the no-moon day of the Maagha month in the Hindu calendar when sun and moon are both supposed to enter the sign of Capricorn (makara rashi).
It is held in the tradition as the day when Manu, the Archetypal Man first appeared on earth; he wedded Shata-roopa (She of a Hundred Beautiful Forms) and generated humankind.”
All silence retreats in the Himalayan Tradition are always guided and each participant is interviewed by a silence guide before the retreat may begin. Everyone is given a silence schedule to follow for the duration of the retreat. These schedules may vary among participants, depending upon the prerequisites or health issues or other individual factors. You will also be given some articles and handouts to read.
Everyone’s silence schedule will include the ashram morning and evening meditations, morning joints and glands class and an afternoon relaxation practice session. Schedules will also include breathing practices, contemplative walking and japa.
Arrival and Departure Plans
You are strongly advised to arrive on campus two days before your retreat begins in order to rest, get settled, take care of any pending business, get needed supplies etc. This is important. Only with rested body and a relaxed mind will you be able to enter a silent state of mind from the first day.
You should also plan to have at least one full day at the ashram at the end of your retreat before you leave or travel anywhere. This is to allow time for making a gentle transition from silence to everyday life.
At the end of your retreat you will have an opportunity to debrief with your silence guide. The silence guide will also advise you about ways to maintain some silence in everyday life.

Mauni Amavasya (Silence Day)
2024-02-09 | AHYMSIN, Pashulok, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, 1249203, India
Mauni Amavasya (Silence Day) is an annual observance. The observation of Silence Day is a practice that Swami Veda Bharati invited us to practice.
In 2022, Mauni Amavasya is 1st February.
In 2023, Mauni Amavasya is 21st January.
In 2024, Mauni Amavasya is 9th February.
Swami Veda has said, “…there is also an annual silence day in the traditions of India. It is called Mauni Amavasya. Mauni means ‘of or for silence’, and amavasya means ‘no-moon day.’
It occurs on the no-moon day of the Maagha month in the Hindu calendar when sun and moon are both supposed to enter the sign of Capricorn (makara rashi).
It is held in the tradition as the day when Manu, the Archetypal Man first appeared on earth; he wedded Shata-roopa (She of a Hundred Beautiful Forms) and generated humankind.”
He has further explained that the practice of silence is not limited to Indian spiritual traditions only – “On the other hand, if you prefer to be true to some western tradition you may research if there was a day sacred to Harpokrates, the Greek god of silence whose statues have been found as far away as the Gandhara country (present day Afghanistan). Harpokrates was derived from the Egyptian god Harpa-khruti, the child Horus, representing the daily new born sun, the source of light.
Of course, there is an amplitude of Christian saints who have taught silence and there are numerous monasteries of various orders dedicated to silence.”
He further has shared that – “…I would like many of my friends to set aside at least one day to share the silence with me just as you have shared the full moon day for an hour each month for more than a decade now.
…If you plan from now, you can arrange your worldly affairs in such a way that they do not interfere with your one-day vow of silence.
On that day, no driving (except for emergencies), no TV, no conversation, just self-observation, contemplation, japa and learning (1) to give love in silence while (2) learning to love silence.
May I ask all our swamis, initiators, spiritual advisers, teachers, centre leaders to kindly popularize this concept and take this year to prepare the people to undertake this one-day vow of silence.”
This sacred day is celebrated at SRSG by all ashramites and visiting sadhakas as well as globally by the AHYMSIN community.

Recommended Readings:

Silence (Vol. 1) by Swami Veda Bharati
Silence (Vol. 2) by Swami Veda Bharati
Motto for All Future Silence Days by Swami Veda Bharati

Intensive Meditation Retreat with Swami Ritavan Bharati
2024-02-11 09:00 - 2024-02-17 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
Yoga Meditation Identifies You as a Spiritual Seeker
These things are absolutely necessary to be a spiritual seeker:

to be ever wakeful and constantly aware of realizing one’s aim.
to be careful about the right use of time.
to make the right use of every situation and circumstance in life.
to regulate the breath to easily attain control of the modifications of the mind.
to establish control and mastery over oneself and attain a state of equanimity.

Summary: One who does not follow the path of yoga but instead seeks to enjoy the fruits of his actions is subject to birth and death. It is as though he is born and dies without any purpose.
The purpose of life and the purpose of yoga is to lead you within to the highest state of tranquillity, wisdom, and bliss, in which you remain fully conscious and aware of reality, and one’s true nature. Yoga teaches you how to see within. If you remain an outsider, your mind will continue to be influenced by the senses and ego’s desires and you will not understand why you have come to this world.
The main thing that one should learn in life is self-observation. If we want to understand ourselves, we can analyse our personality by understanding our habit patterns. When we remain vigilant and consciously aware of every action we perform, we realize that our actions arise from our unconscious mind. All thoughts, sensations, associations, and desires arise from the subtle levels of our unconscious mind where we store impressions. You know them when they come to the conscious level but you are not observing and discerning the force of their patterns that lead to disturbance.
When you apply self-observation and slowly learn the art of self-control through yoga’s introspective methods of meditation you first, learn to relax, and withdraw your senses voluntarily from the world of disturbance. When memories arise, you simply observe and maintain the witness. What you observe are the suppressions and repressions that come forward. These deep mental impressions called samskaras come forward and disturb you because they reflect your unfulfilled desires and attachments. You are observing yourself through this identity with your mental states.
Only a profound method of meditation can help you to purify the ego. A purified ego does not create barriers, conflicts, or any disturbance. By practicing diligently, you learn to coordinate actions, speech, and thinking to skilfully communicate and interact with others becoming selfless. But you will not realize the Truth unless you surrender your ego to the higher Self. Only after rising above egocentric awareness, can one find the universe within. Only then will you have the capacity to love all and exclude none.
To achieve a state of mental purity you will have to cultivate smriti – mindfulness and discrimination. The first step is to become aware of your thoughts. Through constant awareness, you can learn to discriminate between pure and impure thoughts, based on whether they lead to greater freedom or greater bondage. You are what you are because of the way you think, feel, and understand. It is not helpful to have animosity toward others or to imagine negative things which only lead to bondage. You are bound by the ropes of karma because karma is of your own making. What we experience today is the result of what we have created in our past, and so too, is our future of our own making.
Freedom from karma is to be attained only when one passes beyond the limitations of mind to the highest state of superconscious known as tranquillity or samadhi. From this state alone, achieved through the practice of meditation, the seeker of Truth receives the intuitive awareness of the Supreme Self and passes through realization into freedom. It is the freedom of performing action selflessly as genuine love that reveals the purpose of life.
Meditation has four phases. In the first stage of meditation, there is still an awareness of the differentiation of concrete things. In the second, there is an enjoyment and comprehension of universal oneness. In the third stage, there is a realization of individual self (atman). The first three stages are “with seed”– that is; there is some subject and object in one’s awareness. When this fourth state of union, samadhi “without seed” the revelation of essence alone remains. In this fourth state, turiya, the mind is left behind, completely dissolved in the Self.
Of course, in the beginning, you have to use the mind and make it one-pointed so that it does not dissipate and distract you from the work that you are doing. But later on, the involvement of mind is not present in selfish desires and attachments to the fruits of one’s actions. As long as you are within the field and state of mind, you are not in samadhi. When you are in samadhi you have gone beyond the domain of mind, and when you have attained Turiya, then you have achieved mastery, and this mastery is your liberation.

Sadhana Panchakam: 40 Steps towards Liberation
2024-02-18 09:00 - 2024-02-23 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
Towards the end of his life, the disciples of Sri Adi Sankaracharya requested him to give them a summary of his approach towards spiritual life. It is then that he composed a short text containing only 5 verses – the Sadhana Panchakam.
The text contains 40 instructions, furthering one’s journey on the path to liberating oneself. It goes beyond any philosophical engagements and offers practical means into the very essence of Sadhana at every stage of one’s spiritual life. For this reason, Sadhana Panchakam is also known as the Upadesha Pancharatnam, meaning the “Five precious gems of advice or teaching”.
These 40 instructions are presented in a systematic and sequential manner. Thus, it is also known by a third name, Sopana Arohana Nyaya, which means “A logical climbing ladder in Sadhana”.
The present study and reflections with Rabindra Sahu on the instructions given by Adi Sankaracharya may significantly help us all in gaining clarity on our spiritual practice.

Entrance to the Subtle Body
2024-02-25 09:00 - 2024-03-05 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
[Swami Ritavan completed a weeklong seminar on Intensive Meditation that was well received by those attending where he introduced the importance of rasana-buddhi. Through mindfulness and meditation, the experience of any perception can be transformed through entry into the subtle body and experiencing the sacred in buddhi. This art of joyful living will be the subject of the upcoming 10-day Entrance to the Subtle Body seminar at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, Rishikesh from 25th February through 5th March.]
There is a word in the Sanskrit language. The word is RASA. The word, rasa means a juice, the flavor, as the essence. Rasa means that essence as the experience. That which you taste, not merely the object of taste but the object of taste, the process of tasting, and the experience of tasting.
The object of taste, the process, the interaction that occurs between the one who is tasting and that which is being tasted, and the experience of taste itself. The sense and the experience of the juice. The sensation of the experience and the juice of what you are tasting all combine together – not as divided ideas but as a singularity that is called RASA. And, when you know the art of tasting, the art of experiencing the juice, the flavor, the subtlest possible essence, then you know the art of life.
We have lost the art of enjoying life. In the ancient texts of the meditative tradition, there are some passages; and in the Bhagavad Gita 4:24, the verse Brahmar Panam… That (Brahman – God) is rasa. Brahman is the flavor, Brahman is the essence of everything. All pleasure that flows from Brahman, and Brahman alone remains. When any pleasure becomes an experience of Unified Consciousness- a Divine presence, then you are experiencing, you are enjoying, RASA. The yogi lives in the mental field of that RASA, that essence, that ecstasy, that flavor, that juice of universal existence — becomes so blissful. When you are enjoying your food, when you go to its subtle-most essence, you are then enjoying that omnipresent God which being omnipresent is also in the food.
People try to derive pleasure by paying attention to the object of enjoyment. The term RASA implies that you concentrate on the experience itself, not only on the object.
There are two sources of pleasure.

One source is restraint so that you engage slowly with awareness from moment to moment.
The other source of pleasure is concentration itself, absorption of the experiencer, the object of the experience, and the process of experiencing.

Moment to moment concentrate on the smallest, the littlest taste bud that has been touched. The RASA is the essence, revealing the universal principle, Brahman – God, the ever-present omniscient consciousness.
Then you have understood how to enjoy in the totality principle and this is the art of enjoying.
A yogi, whose awareness rests in atma-artha operates from the rasana-buddhi and is called a RASIKA — the enjoyer. It is a term used in the ancient literature as the enjoyer. The yogi’s game is the whole universe. He plays with universal consciousness as a game called reality. He can change water into wine, or feed a multitude out of five loaves. What a game, what a play, what ecstasies he enjoys and experiences.
The entire essence of the experience of body and mind is hidden in the subtlest faculty of buddhi. When the sattvic buddhi is filled with light, the rasa – enjoyment of this sublime illumination, becomes the flavorful juice(amrita) that assimilates into the entire personality. This nectar of immortality-rasa drop by drop is introduced throughout the body and mind as the experience of aliveness. The essence of our entire sense experience becomes a light, drop-by-drop, sent forth through every possible cell of the body. Then one enjoys not only the objects of senses but that faculty of mind from which enjoyment proceeds. His joy is not in the sensual pleasure of the physical act. Only the novice is aware of that enjoyment in a physical object. He is the master who enjoys the very principle that enjoys. That principle is rasana-buddhi, and that rasana-buddhi is the reflective mirror of the Atmartha, where Atman remains Brahman as pure Consciousness.
It is with that experience within the buddhi that the modification or alternations may occur through the practice of mindfulness and meditation. By imbuing any particular experience with something more pleasant, virtuous, sacred that the experience changes. Rightly or wrongly, by whatever samskaras and associations the experience changes. When you put the spiritual, the atmartha into that same normal ordinary meaningless experience, which caused attractions and aversions, the experience is transformed and now becomes a holy act.
To apply this principle in your life, there are two steps in your introspection, in your spiritual observation, examination, and analysis.
First ask yourself: “Does this emotion lead me to the sublime? Examine the feeling. and if not, then discard it for it is not worth pursuing. Next, ask yourself, does my present emotion lead others to the sublime?
These two questions are the basis of your examination and analysis: does it lead me to the sublime, and does this state of mind emanating from me lead others to the sublime? If not, discard it, It is not worth pursuing. When you have cultivated a sublime emotion within you, that sublime emotion becomes so filling, makes you so full that it overflows, you become so full, that you overflow with that- sublime emotion and carry everyone along who is near you into the flood of that emotion. Cultivating such a sublime emotion is an art; then you learn to learn this art of entering the subtle body and enjoying life.
(Adapted from HSP #2506 – 06-07-1984 from Yoga concept of God: Rasa – the Flavor of Essence by Swami Veda Bharati)

Narada Bhakti Sutras - Treatise on Love and Surrender
2024-03-24 09:00 - 2024-03-30 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
Sitting in his hermitage of Badrika-Ashram, one day Sage Ved Vyasa asked Sage Narada, “Man seeks freedom. This seeking without devotion is dry. Many paths lead to freedom but they have importance only in so far as they are auxiliary to devotion. I, therefore humbly ask you to share with me the virtue of devotion.” Sage Narada said, “I shall explain devotion to you in the form of sutra (aphorism).” Saying so, the sage delivered a discourse on devotion in 84 aphorisms, later known as the Narada Bhakti Sutras. He also blessed Sage Ved Vyasa and said, “Its full explanation shall be given by you in the ‘Srimad Bhagavatam’ Mahapurana later.”
Within this text, Sage Narada explains the perfectional stage of unconditional love and devotion and the ways to achieve this state; gives examples from other Vedic personalities on the subject matter; cautions against the obstacles that come up in developing bhakti; and finally explains the nature of selfless love and the different forms of attainment to the Supreme bliss.
Gurudeva Swami Rama has written, “The power of emotion is one of the highest of powers, and if directed properly, it leads one to the highest state of ecstasy. In the path of Bhakti, one does not expect any rewards. He totally surrenders everything to the Lord. The offering is not just a flower or a fruit, but all of oneself. The offering is the devotee himself. In self-surrender an individual becomes an instrument of the Lord, and his mind, his action, and speech become channels for the expression of Bhakti. When the mind does not disturb, distract, and dissipate human potentials, then higher-consciousness reveals itself through such a human being. Love is the very basis of renouncing selfishness. As one’s love for the Lord intensifies, attachment to all else simply fall away of its own accord. In the path of Bhakti, one does everything for the Lord; no importance is given to individuality. A student of this path remains fearless always. ” (Choosing A Path).
If there is anything that has the capacity to make life filled with happiness and serenity, it is Pure Love. It has the power to enable one to experience Parama-ananda (supreme bliss). This unique study with Rabindra Sahu will offer many insights into the nature of Pure Love, Devotion, and Surrender.

Navaratri Retreat – Cultivating the Divine Feminine
2024-04-09 09:00 - 2024-04-17 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
During the sacred days of Navaratri (the nine nights), we will have Devi-Puja with akhanda (24 hours non-stop) recitation of the Lalita-sahasra-nama (Thousand Names of Divine Mother). One may come and join the daily morning and evening pujas, join the recitation of the Lalita-sahasra-nama. Twelve priests preside over the pujas and the recitations, which are offered both at the Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama and Sadhana Mandir Ashram.
Our beloved Swami Veda Bharati has said, “These events are charged with special spiritual energy and a very special time to renew your silence and sadhana.”
In this special retreat with Rabindra Sahu, we will be learning about the principles of the Divine Feminine within the Nature and the entire Universe around us. Swamiji has also reminded us “to bring the feminine kindness, compassion, motherliness among all of us. This has nothing to do with the gender of the person undertaking the observance but rather it is for the enhancement of the motherliness in all of us.”
We will thereby learn how can we cultivate these divine feminine qualities within ourselves. All the participants will also get an opportunity to practice recitation of the Lalita-sahasra-nama.

Art of Joyful Living
2024-05-05 09:00 - 2024-05-10 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
Whether one is on a spiritual quest or is simply looking for a way to improve one’s life, the Art of Joyful Living retreat would offer a simple philosophy of living, and practical suggestions for leading a joyful life.
In this in-person special retreat with Rabindra Sahu, we would learn methods for transforming our habit patterns, cultivating inner strength and willpower, maintaining loving relationships, and more.

You and Your emotions
2024-06-02 09:00 - 2024-06-07 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
This retreat is based on Swami Veda Bharati’s profound teachings contained in his book of the same title. We will learn to understand our own mind and thereby to learn how to live life by effectively managing and refining emotions to obtain true freedom.
Swami Veda Bharati has said, “You not only learn to analyse your own emotion, but also learn to analyse the other person’s emotion: where is it coming from, what are its components, what has led to this, what are the loads behind it? And once you understand the loads behind it, you will not react in the familiar way: anger with anger, stone with stone, eyes with eyes.”
In this retreat with Dr Divya Gupta and Dr Swati Saharan, both psychologists by training, we will approach the subject of our own mind and emotions from a practical perspective and learn to gently manage them better.

What is Yoga? International Yoga Day Retreat
2024-06-20 09:00 - 2024-06-23 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
The Himalayan Tradition is a meditative (dhyana) tradition. All the practices, including asanas are practiced to prepare oneself for meditation. Hatha yoga is taught as an integrated practice, which includes centering, correct breathing, breath-awareness, stretching sequences, joints & glands movements, asanas, subtle-body relaxations, pranayamas, and meditation. There is a focus on not only positioning the body correctly, but also on experiencing what is happening within. Asanas are performed with reverence and gentleness in the mind, moving from outside inwards.
Hatha Yoga, as taught within the Himalayan Tradition is understood as “a continuum” involving all the eight limbs of Raja yoga, especially Ahimsa.

As our beloved Swami Veda Bharati has said,
“What is this yoga? What is it? What are the signs of one practicing yoga?
On the very first sutra of the Yoga-sutras of Patanjali, Vyasa, the first and foremost sage commentator, defines:
Yogah samadhih
Yoga [means] samadhi.
‘Yogah samadhih’ is also in the logo of our organization AHYMSIN – the Association of Himalayan Yoga Meditation Societies International – with headquarters at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama in Rishikesh.
The most authentic ancient text of yoga speaks of it in these terms.
The most authentic ancient text of Ayurveda, Charaka-samhita, states:
Yogo moksha-pravartakah
Yoga is that which impels and grants spiritual liberation (moksha)
Sharira-sthana 1.137”
This International Yoga Day let us try to understand what truly and traditionally yoga is, beyond the asanas, as it is now popularly understood.

Himalayan Yoga Tradition Retreat in Brazil 2024
2024-07-06 10:00 - 2024-07-14 15:00 (America/Sao_Paulo) | Paradise on Earth, Ecological Reserve ITB – Theosophical Institute of Brasília, Rodovia DF-220, Km 4 – Brazlândia/DF, Brazil
Come and have an Indian ashram experience without having to go to India. These will be transformative days where our perspective of Being will be broadened. As a result, Tradition will emerge in our actions. The full force of the Himalayan Yoga Tradition will be present in Paradise on Earth. In this partnership between centuries-old traditions, Paradise on Earth and the Himalayan Yoga Tradition will stir your divine Being so that positive and harmonious transformation will gently spring up for you even after the retreat.
Yoga posture practices, meditation, health practices, integration with nature, mantras, healthy eating, and much more will be present in this complete journey.
Swami Rama was the master of the Himalayan Yoga Tradition who gifted us with a profound spiritual legacy. This beautiful tradition, in organized lineage dating back to very ancient times in India, organized the teachings through the Swami Veda Bharati and Swami Ritavan Bharati.
Nourished by the teachings of these great masters, Rabindra Sahu, today one of the teachers at the Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama Ashram in India, will be present in Paradise on Earth to bring an experience as if we were in an Indian Ashram. We will follow the practices, teachings and schedules established for the great journey into our Being.
A golden moment for our spirituality that should be qualified as important in the transformation we wish to make.
Location: Paradise on Earth
Ecological Reserve ITB – Theosophical Institute of Brasília
Rodovia DF-220, Km 4 – Brazlândia/DF
Date and time: Sat, Jul 6, 2024 10:00 AM – Sun, Jul 14, 2024 3:00 PM
WhatsApp: (61) 99966.5532 during business hours
Registration Link: https://www.paraisonaterra.com.br/himalayan-yoga-tradition-2024/

Guru Purnima Retreat
2024-07-13 09:00 - 2024-07-21 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
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.
“This day, the day of Guru Purnima is considered to be the holiest day for the students of life; for those that have been treading the path of light; for those aspiring to attain enlightenment in this lifetime. They remember this day and celebrate it by becoming aware the purpose of life is to attain enlightenment; the state of mind, internal state, that makes one free from all pains and miseries.” – Swami Rama
On the sacred occasion of the Guru Purnima, a 9-day celebration is held annually at the Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama (SRSG) Ashram in Rishikesh. This includes akhanda-patha (24-hour non-stop recitation) of the Guru-Gita, the Song to the Guru, preceding the Guru Purnima Day. The akhanda-patha of the Guru-Gita is offered both at the SRSG and the Sadhana Mandir Ashram by 11 Pandits each. This special celebration is a reminder for us to pay our homage to the Guru Lineage that has bestowed upon us the great blessings of mantra, meditation, initiation and the teachings of the Himalayan Yoga Tradition. This way we also recommit ourselves to our practices.
This year, the Guru Purnima is celebrated on 21 July, 2024. The Guru Purnima Retreat will be organised at SRSG from 13 July – 21 July 2024.

Guru Disciple Relationship
2024-07-14 09:00 - 2024-07-20 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
ॐ गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुर्गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः।
गुरुः साक्षात्परं ब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः॥१॥
Om Om Om gurur brahmā gurur viṣṇur gurur devo maheśvaraḥ,
guruḥ sākṣāt paraṁ brahma tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ. (1)
Om, Om, 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.
On the sacred occasion of the Guru Purnima (July 21st) and awaiting for our beloved Swami Veda Bharati’s Mahasamadhi (July 14th), let us get together to delve deeper into the meaning of the Guru Prayer and the sacred relationship between a Guru and a disciple with Rabindra Sahu.

AHYMSIN Sangha of the Americas
2024-07-25 09:00 - 2024-08-03 12:00 (America/Chicago) | St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN, United States
AHYMSIN SANGHA OF THE AMERICAS
25 JULY – 3 AUGUST 2024
Dear Friends,
We are excited about the upcoming 2024 Himalayan Tradition, AHYMSIN Sangha of the Americas, coming in July!
This gathering of the Himalayan Tradition Family is the perfect way to deepen your practices during this unique gathering of like-minded seekers through daily yoga and meditation sessions, teachings and inspirations, which will include a 5-day Silence period. The event will take place at the beautiful St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, USA.

From Swami Ritavan Bharati:
“It is my profound wish that we will be able to have the joy of your presence among us, and of your participation for the first four days, or the full ten days of the event, so that we can all reconnect, continue to allow the teaching to grow, and continue to serve the legacy we share. Please do make time to attend this important gathering as a member of the Tradition.”
The 10-day program will be comprised of:

Arrival and check-in for the 10-day program will be on July 25.
AHYMSIN gathering with center presentations, inspirations and family connections, as well as daily prayers, yoga, and meditation, from July 26 to 29.
5 day period of Silence from 29 July to 2 August, with guests departing 3 August.
Daily presentations by senior members of the Tradition will also be available via Zoom.
A Family Gathering Kirtan Event to be held 26 July.

*Prices represent Early Bird Pricing, and will expire 30.04.2024
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE AND TO REGISTER
In Loving Service,
AHYMSIN Administration

JOIN US FOR A DEEP DIVE INTO CONSCIOUSNESS
May our minds be filled with beautiful and benevolent thoughts. May those thoughts benefit our world.
This summer, join us for a deep dive into consciousness. We will embark on this journey during the upcoming Spiritual Festival, which begins on June 12 and concludes with Guru Purnima on July 21st. Over these forty days, no matter where we are located, we can explore ways to enhance our spiritual paths and allow the festival’s energy to guide us as we embrace our personal practice goals, growth, and self-transformation under the blessings of the guru parampara.
Immediately following, from July 25 to August 3, we have a profound opportunity to incorporate our spiritual goals into our lives. Join us in like-minded community at the Sangha of the Americas, held at the beautiful St. Olaf College campus in Northfield, Minnesota. Here we will immerse ourselves in an inspiring 10-day retreat that includes speakers and presentations from the Himalayan tradition as well as five days of silence led by our experienced meditation guide from The Meditation Center in Minneapolis, Swami Radha Bharati. The theme of this year’s sangha is “Illuminating Joyful Living.”
At Sangha of the Americas, we will experience the physical presence and guidance of swamis of the tradition, including Swami Ritavan Bharati. With the firm foundation of sangha supporting us, retreat participants will get the profound opportunity for personal interaction with many Himalayan leaders and teachers, giving us space to ask personal questions and truly incorporate new insights into our spiritual practices.
Join us and let the immersion of your own personal 40-day practice, followed by attendance at Sangha of the Americas, serve as a cornerstone for the rest of your year. The peace and harmony gained from aligning our minds with joyful living will not only enrich our personal journeys but also contribute positively to our world.
We look forward to seeing you there.
To register and for more information: www.himalayanyogatradition.com

Editor’s Note:
If you have any questions, please email: info@himalayanyogatradition.com
You may find information on the presenters and topics here: https://files.constantcontact.com/aba2bc11101/94e031ce-ba69-4a9d-9670-4bf3a634a4d3.pdf
If you are unable to attend the Sangha in person, there is a package of the presentations via Zoom, and hope that you can enjoy participating this way! Information regarding the specific schedules will be forwarded closer to the event, and, the sessions will be recorded for your convenience. You can register here.

To know more about the 2024 American Sangha gathering, you may want to read
1) Experiences from the AHYMSIN U.S. Sangha by Dowlat Budhram – https://www.ahymsin.org/experiences-from-the-ahymsin-us-sangha/
2) Why I Will Joyfully Attend the Sangha of the Americas by Jenny May – https://www.ahymsin.org/why-i-will-joyfully-attend-the-sangha-of-the-americas/
3) Sangha Blessings by Swami Ritavan Bharati – https://www.ahymsin.org/sangha-blessings/
4) A loving invitation to the Sangha of the Americas by Swami Ritavan Bharati – https://www.ahymsin.org/a-loving-invitation-to-the-sangha-of-the-americas/

Family Yoga Summer Camp in Greece
2024-08-01 09:00 - 2024-08-08 12:00 (Asia/Kolkata) | Scout Center Agios Andrea, Nea Makri, Greece, 27 Poseidonos Avenue, Nea Makri, Marathon, Greece
Dear kalyanamitras (friends on the spiritual path),
Dear leaders of the AHYMSIN affiliated Centers,
Dear sisters and brothers,
Those who joined in August 2023, might still remember the joy of those days of early morning practice, family beach-time, shared meals, meditation and play. A group of us are already organizing the 2nd AHYMSIN Family Summer Camp – a gathering of yoga-minded families in a climate of sun, beach and playfulness in Greece.
When: 1-8 August 2024
Where: Same place as last year: Scout Center Agios Andreas, 27 Poseidonos Avenue, Nea Makri, New Makri, Municipality of Marathon, Attica, Greece
Intention: To create a space in Europe where we can all meet and where families are welcomed. We are connected to the SRSG Ashram, where where the air we breathe is full of the subtle bodies of our Teachers, Swami Rama and Swami Veda Bharati. We will live a week together in a scout center, living in small houses or tents, practicing yoga for all ages in a forested area of 40.000 square meters, going swimming, and having a space for discussions about family and spirituality, creativity, and handcrafts workshops. We are also planning a one-day sightseeing visit. Three vegetarian/Mediterranean meals a day are catered so that families can use their time for maximum play and be together.
Information about the Camp facilities
The camp will take place in a scouts’ forested center. It is located approximately 30 minutes from the Athens airport. The rooms and conditions are simple. Participants can choose between sleeping in bedrooms or tents. There are 2 and 3-bed non-smoking bedrooms with bathrooms, hot water, and A/C for 100 people. There is space for 90 people who prefer to bring their own tents (no camping cars are allowed). Also, one can use rented tents for 8 people. Participants in tents have also access to toilets and hot water showers, as well as two open-air kitchenettes and dining areas. The camp has several shady areas for yoga and other activities. The scout camp has peripheral security with cameras, and the entrance doors close at night. Pets are not allowed in the camp.
Sightseeing
The camp includes a one-day visit to the Vavrona temple, museum and family time at Avlaki beach.
Beach and swimming
There is a beach 5 minutes walking from the camp, which is sandy and clean, to use every day.
What to bring

Bed sheets or/and sleeping bag
Pillow case(s)
Towel(s)
Toiletries (ex. soap, body and hair shampoo, etc).
Yoga mat and meditation cushion (for those who travel from abroad there will be yoga mats available). Also very important, bring a protective towel to place under your yoga mat to protect it from dust and stones.
Bathing suit, sea towel, hat, sun protection cream
Flashlight(s)
Mosquito repellant
Reusable water bottles
Ideas for non-competitive games that you think kids would be interested in.

Food
Mr. Stathis, the Kitchen Chef and the responsible of the Scout camp, will prepare 3 vegetarian/Mediterranean meals per day and will provide lunch boxes for the outing day.
There are water coolers of filtered water around the camp.
There are 4 supermarkets around the camp and a bakery shop in 15 min walk, if you need to buy some supplies. In addition, we offer:

Daily yoga classes for all ages given by an international team of
Himalayan Yoga teachers
Story time and Art and Craft activities.
Activities for teens
Games and beach time fun (our camp is only a 5 minutes’ walk from the beach)
Parents’ meetings and talks
Sightseeing tour

All these program activities are lovingly offered to participants by teachers or sadhakas of the HYT. If you feel like it, you can leave a donation (dakshina) which would be greatly appreciated as a love offering.
Prices per participant: To reserve you accommodation and meals please pay at least 50% with your registration (if you can 100%). We will send each family an email with the sum to be paid before 31st March (to benefit from early bird prices).
NB: All prices include accommodation, three meals per day, as well as a 20€ administration fee, which is not refundable, for one person for seven nights. Early Bird prices are valid if registration and payment is completed by 31st of March 2024.
Extra costs not included in the table:
Organization should know and payment needs to be done in advance if you wish to rent:

2 bed sheets + 1 pillow case = 8 €
1 sleeping bag = 10 € FOR 7 NIGHTS
Cleaning the room costs 10€/per room/per service, only available if 10 rooms request this service.
Yoga mats are available at the camp for a caution of 20€.
The outing day costs are excluded because it depends on your passport:
For Europeans under 25 years old: Free entrance at the Vravrona temple of Goddess Artemis and the museum.
For Europeans between 25-64 years old: 6€
For Europeans 65+ years old: 3€.
For all non-Europeans: 6€

Entrance for Avlaki beach with access to sunbeds, sun shade umbrellas, as well as the use of changing rooms, showers and toilets:

0-5 years old – Free
6-12 years old – 3€
13+ years old – 5€

We will have 50-person bus(es) for the whole day, for all visits, for 12€/person over 2 years old. This shall be paid together with your registration payment.
Payment information:
If you’d like us to book your family a spot, please transfer at least 50% of the fee before the 31st of March 2024 to the following bank details:
CAFÉ ECOLE- HIMALAYAN YOGA
Himalayan Yoga Meditation of Hellas
Address: 12, Thessalonikis Str. Chalandri 15234, Athens, Greece
NATIONAL BANK OF GREECE
IBAN GR 720110 69200 000 69200 177 280
BIC/SWIFT Code: ETHNGRAA
The remaining payment will be done by cash during the registration at your arrival.
Please note:

Parents are responsible for their children’s safety at all times except when they are in a group with a teacher.
All members should arrange on their own premises health/accident insurance.
The use of alcohol or recreational drugs are not permitted.
English will be the common language for communication, it is possible to plan for translations.
The beautiful place we will be staying was created and is sustained by volunteer scouts, so all participants in the camp are kindly invited to offer their selfless service to keep the place clean, functional and tidy as it was found at arrival.
All program activities are lovingly offered to participants by teachers of the HYT. If you feel like it, you can leave a donation (dakshina) which would be greatly appreciated as a love offering.
We will refund your registration completely if you cancel it before the 15th of May and it can be replaced by another person/family.
All information collected will be used only for the purpose of facilitating your stay in the camp.

To register please fill up the registration form before the 31st March 2024: https://forms.gle/KKudyv2zzHz3sCqG8
We will send each family an email with the value to be paid at registration.
Official Website: https://himalayanyoga.gr/en/summer_camp.php
If you have questions:
Sofia +30 6937122768 (Whatsapp) and info@himalayanyoga.gr Looking forward to meeting you all on 1-8 August 2024!
The organization team
Csilla Horvath (Hungary) Timi Varga (Hungary)
Tamara Soru (Italy and Mozambique)
Maria Miguel Ribeiro (Portugal and Switzerland)
Athina Papadopoulou (Greece) Anna Zaharopoulou (Greece)
Irene Laskaratou (Greece) Sofia Foteina (Greece)
