The Grace of the Himalayan tradition is often subtle, and yet pervasive, and inspiration can strike us in countless ways. With Guru’s Grace, finally our Swami Rama Dhyana Gurukulam now has the opportunity to welcome international students beginning this year for the One-Year Residential Program in the Himalayan Yoga Meditation Tradition.

You will be delighted to know that on the auspicious day of the Vijayadashami we welcomed the second batch of the Gurukulam with six students. The group consists of three Indian students and three international students (on one-year student visas).

(From left to right: Vipul, Pt Deepak, Shrikanth, Samrat, Anna from Italy, Barbara from Belgium, and Indji from Egypt.)

The one-year residential program for the Gurukulam has been carefully designed and planned to encompass the teachings of the Himalayan Tradition as taught by Swami Rama and Swami Veda. The focus is to support and nurture self-observation, self-examination, self-purification, and self-pacification that leads to Self-transformation.

As the Gurukulam-Acharya, Rabindra Sahu, has shared his sentiments on the first day of the Gurukulam 2023-24, “The Gurukulam is a sacred pilgrimage of self-discovery, woven with the threads of ancient wisdom and unfolds a mystical journey within. This program, a tribute to the teachings of Swami Rama and Swami Veda, with the blessings of the Himalayan Tradition, calls upon seekers from all over the world to embark on a year-long pilgrimage of the self-discovery. The second batch of students, coming from India and beyond, began their program with a celestial Yajna, and now find themselves immersed in the depths of Sanskrit studies and meditative practices at the Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama. Swami Ritavan, a guardian of the Tradition’s teachings, continues to offer countless moments of inspiration upon all seekers, inviting us to learn, practice, absorb, reflect, and surrender to the teachings bestowed upon them.

As the students tread upon this inner journey, I pray that they align themselves with the opportunities that will unfold throughout this year-long program and seek the blessings of the Lineage at every step of the way. The Gurukulam program echoes Swami Veda’s vision, radiating his light and love, inspiring the students to partake on this beautiful path towards the Self.”

We invoked the blessings of Lord Ganesha—who provides strength and stability, while eradicating all obstacles from one’s path. Students paid homage to the Tradition by chanting the Ganapati Atharvashirsha and offering flowers, fruits, and sweets at both the Initiation Room and Meditation Hall. We later walked by Mother Ganga to reach the seat of Gurudeva at Sadhana Mandir to receive the blessings of the Lineage. The students offered garlands at the Meditation Hall and Swami Veda’s Silence Hall, culminating the visit with a brief meditation session.

At the orientation session, Acharya Rabindra ji highlighted the importance of self-introspection and encouraged the students to remain receptive to unseen grace.

The daily schedule for the Gurukulam students begins at 5 AM with a Yajna, followed by the ashram prayers, joints & glands practice, hatha yoga, and guided meditation classes. Currently, the students are immersed in Sanskrit studies and refining their sitting posture, breathing, and understanding the foundations of meditation and its practice. For the first month of their study, they would also be studying the writings of Gurudeva Swami Rama through his books—Living with the Himalayan Masters, Choosing a Path, and Inner Dialogue.

Swami Veda held the Gurukulam program very dear in his heart and emphasized the importance of passing down the teachings of the Tradition through long-term studies at the ashram. As we embark on another year of Gurukulam, we are both humbled and grateful to carry out his vision.

We continue to seek the blessings of the Lineage and pray for our own self-purification, so that we may succeed in this endeavour. We are confident that the Gurukulam will provide a space for learning, practicing, and embodying the teachings of the Tradition.

Our gratitude extends to our DMT trustees, AHYMSIN family members, all the teachers, ashram sahayakas, and our well-wishers who continue to support this vision.