Practice, Practice, Practice

~ Swami Rama

The twin side of vairagya is abhyasa. Abhyasa means practice and practice means discipline and attention. The two are linked as night and day. A person cannot develop nonattachment or vairagya without abhyasa. Similarly, abhyasa without vairagya amounts ultimately to a waste of time.

These two, nonattachment and practice, are the most powerful vehicles for spiritual progress. Separately, they are like a boat with one oar. There is movement, but little progress.

In the preceding chapters the preliminaries to a spiritual life were discussed. These steps constitute the broad strokes on the canvas of your spiritual life. They are the essential background. The more refined strokes, from which the sharpened images and details come, are created by abhyasa or sadhana. Sadhana is spiritual practice, and usually refers to the specific practices of a tradition—hatha yoga, pranayama or breathing exercises, repetition of mantra, and so on. Abhyasa is a more encompassing term that includes not only practice of specific techniques, but the overall goal of life and the application of belief systems. In this book the two terms are used almost interchangeably.

To begin understanding abhyasa remember you are the citizen of two worlds—the outer world of family, community, and dharma, and the inner world you wish more fully to explore. Abhyasa begins with balancing these two worlds. Living in the external world, learning and growing, yet remaining above so the whispers from the inner world can be heard, is the sadhana of a person’s life. When a balance is achieved between the inner and outer worlds, the outer world can be used to gain access to the inner, and the inner world facilitates a richer and fuller life in the outer world.

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A Meditator pursues Eternity -
New Year Message

~ Swami Veda Bharati

Every 31st of December I come and do what I call time demolishing. One of the names of the great lord of the universe is Akala, one beyond time. For example, in the Sikh religion, the primary name is Akal Purush, the timeless person. So, to me, the celebrations of transitions in time, they are for that part of that vast segment of humanity which still lives in the world of time transitions.

Here [in the ashram] we celebrate all the transitions, festivals­­­­—Diwali, Christmas, New Year and so on. I celebrate them only so that I don't get branded a party pooper and joy killer. They have no meaning to me. But I am not saying that you should not celebrate; you should celebrate. I join in just because everybody is happy and I want them to feel happy that ‘yes, Swami is here’.

There is no such thing as a year, there is no such thing as a month, there is no such thing as a day and a night. There are either moments or there is eternity. We have taught in the Yoga-sutras the definition of the word moment, kshana. For the minutest atomic particle, the time it takes to traverse the distance of its own size, is the definition of moment. The yogis did not make atomic clocks, but we work by the internal atomic clocks. So to us there is either the kshana or there is eternity.

The words year, month, day, night, they are part of which particular branch of science? Astronomy. So, they are all terms in astronomy. Can anyone tell me if there is any particular astronomical event that happens on 31st December?

The ancient Persian calendars are built according to astronomical events. The Western calendar is the most unscientific. Nothing happens on 1st of January. They had 10 months, then two emperors decided that they were equal to God. So, they inserted the name of Julius and Augustus. So, you got July and August, two months put in between anywhere. In their computer they forgot to renumber the paragraphs. So, the ninth month is still called 7^th, the September. 10th month is still called 8^th, the October. 11th month is still called 9th, the November. The 12th month is still called 10th, the December. Everybody celebrates it, so it's okay. We go along.

In our traditions, we count only by the astronomical events—in the Indian calendar, Persian calendar, Arabic calendar, Chinese calendar, even the old Phoenician calendar. Even if we were to take these calendars which are much more scientific, even then how scientific are they? What is the measure of year on the satellite of Jupiter called Titan? What is the measure of year on Mars? What is the measure of year on Venus? And on some planet in the star cluster called Alpha Centauri, or rather the Sun called Alpha Centauri, this Sun number one of the Centaurus star cluster. So these are all human imaginations.

A meditator pursues eternity. In that eternity, there are no time divisions. There is no year, there is no month, there is no day and night. Whatever time divisions you celebrate, comes from the verb root to calculate. The Latin root for calculate is calculare. When you try to calculate eternity, you create time. But these are all imaginations because we are unable to grasp the whole eternity all at once.

To celebrate these time divisions, only as indications of the presence of eternity in your life. There is no such thing as human lifespan. From the moment of birth to the moment of death, you call that as one life. That's not real. Because Atman, the spiritual self, is not divided into these time divisions.

So, when people say, ‘happy birthday Swamiji.’ I want to go hide. I say, ‘what's a birthday?’

What is a birthday? I don't know what a birthday is. But people want to celebrate. So, okay, I enjoy. The way a parent plays with the baby's toys. And to me, all your birthdays and all your Diwalis and all your Christmases and all your New Years, they're all toys the children are playing with and I don't want to dampen your enthusiasm.

I hope I have not managed to kill your joy in celebration. I wanted to bring you to the right perspective.

And with that, Happy New Year.

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2025 IS-WAS-IS TODAY
New Year Message

~ Swami Ritavan Bharati

New Year Blessing from Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, Rishikesh, India

2026, You wanted it, and now you have it. That personality you chose yesterday and in each day of 2025, is your mask and role on this life-stage today. And today, you can change that habit and play the role as you are meant to be. You cannot continue to do something for long if you are not meant to do it. Your choice of emotions shapes your thinking, which in turn shapes your behavior. Yet, deeper than these character habits, stillness and silence can reveal your true nature. Your positive emotions, pleasant thoughts, kind and selfless actions all have arisen from that pure source of being.

This day Is Your Choice, thereby your destiny. Choose wisely, for as meditators, you have all the skills and tools to sculpt your personality, using it as your architect for joyful living. Practice-Practice-Practice.

May the masks and roles you play throughout the new year 2026 reflect your true nature: ever-wise, ever-pure, ever-free. May grace bestowed illumine your conscience as a guide to show the way; for each step becomes ours to walk or even run, for life is fleeting, and time has no ownership.

May your soul reflect a character that forms new habits of kindness and compassion, impelling selfless and loving service.

May your emotions be sculpted with gentleness in your judgements and patience in your decisions.

May you practice resilience through acceptance and forgiveness.

Thus, ever-pure, make your ever-wise decision to truly value life, remembering 'namah' and the Lord's name in each breath as 2025 ends and the next breath begins with each of those 12 million breaths of 2026. Mindfulness means: no pause and no break, thus, you are ever-free from bondage and dance with joy on this stage of time.

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Mauni Amavasya: Annual Silence Day

~ 18 January 2026

Mauni Amavasya (Silence Day) is an annual observance. The observation of Silence Day is a practice that our dear Swami Veda Bharati invited us to practice.

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 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.

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.

There will be 21-days silence retreats at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, Rishikesh, India from 8 to 28 January 2026. Swami Ritavan Bharati and Adhikari Bhoi will be available to guide the silence participants.

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God

~ Beatrix Sari

God is the first ray of Sun on a misty morning

God is the golden sunset over the ocean quietly glowing

God is the river teaching you to flow

God is the fire burning you until you let go

God is the wind whispering its song

God is the dawn you have been waiting for so long

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Yoga of Action -
Inner Battle Field and the Path of Warrior Within

~ Thaniya Kevalee

When I was planning the topic for our annual retreat in Thailand for 2025, suddenly “Yoga of Action” came to my mind. Perhaps it was because we already had “Yoga of Love,” “Yoga of Wisdom,” and “Yoga of Light” in the previous years as I did not have a particular logic or urge to go with this topic. When we had a discussion among a small group of Thai students, however, there was some resistance to this topic because of the concern that Thai people (mostly Buddhists) may be discouraged to join if they know that the teaching is based upon the “Bhagavat Gita,” a sacred Hindu Scripture. Nonetheless, we decided to go with this topic.

A few months later, I read an AHYMSIN newsletter and surprisingly found that “Perennial Psychology of Bhagavat Gita, by Swami Rama” was mentioned as a recommended book for this year; the year of Swami Rama’s centennial celebration. I took that as a confirmation for our decision. Then, the challenge came, with a lot fewer (than normal) number of people registering for the retreat. We decided to do commercial advertising to promote our event, which did not help at all, as no single person out of 2,000 people seeing the ad registered, although we received a few inquiries. With the Guru’s blessing, however, during the last two weeks before the retreat began, we had many more people joining, including some who initially could not join because they had other commitments.

The teachings of the “Bhagavat Gita” could be very controversial as they are based upon a story of the war between members of the same family who were fighting to reign the Kingdom. On the surface, it is understandable that many people found it contradictory to spirituality. We were very lucky to have Shi Hong and Pandit Priyadarshana (Pierre Lefebvre), whose sharp insights into this sacred text made it easier for participants to understand the deeper meanings of the teachings, clearing most of their doubts by the end. One participant told us after the retreat that while she is a Buddhist and fully embraces the Buddha’s teachings, she does not see the Bhagavat Gita teaching in contradiction with her mainstream belief after listening to our two teachers.

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New Programs in 2026 at
Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama

We received an overwhelming to our events and activities this year, along with multiple requests to continue to our long term programs including the 84-Days Intensive Sadhana Retreat and the One-year Residential Program: Swami Rama Dhyana Gurukulam. We will be offering both these programs in 2026 as well, starting on the auspicious day of the Guru Purnima, 29th July 2026.

84-Days Intensive Sadhana Retreat

One-year Residential Program: Swami Rama Dhyana Gurukulam

Global Meditation Reminder

Full Moon Meditation
on 3 January 2026

New Moon Meditation
on 18 January 2026

You are invited to sit in meditation for an hour wherever you are, in your home or with friends. Total beginners and longtime practitioners, non-initiates and initiates are welcome. If you cannot sit for the entire hour, sit as long as you are able; as Swami Veda has said, “Let the quietness of the mind continue even after you rise...”

Global Meditations Schedule

Full Moon New Moon

Upcoming Ashram Events

Mauni Amavasya Silence Retreat

AHYMSIN Sangha Gathering 2026

Himalayan Yoga Tradition -
Teacher Training Program Retreat

Navaratri Retreat –
Cultivating the Divine Feminine

More Events

Upcoming Global Events

Meditation and Silence Retreat with AHYMSIN Switzerland

For more information, you may contact AHYMSIN Switzerland directly at ahymsinch@gmail.com or follow them on Facebook or Instagram.

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AHYMSIN

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Contact Us

AHYMSIN, Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama
Virpur Khurd, Virbhadra Road, P.O. Pashulok Rishikesh 249203, India

Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama