AHYMSIN Newsletter, Issue - February 2022

Dear {subtag:name},

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Cultivating Sankalpa Shakti

~ Swami Rama

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Sankalpa shakti is a power. Without shakti you cannot be successful. All the great ones on the earth needed shakti; there was a shakti behind them to inspire them. Without inspiration, even the greatest ability is scattered. If you do not have sankalpa shakti, no mere technique imparted by either your teacher or the scriptures will help you. The teacher can give you all the techniques, but if you do not have sankalpa, nothing will happen.

Sankalpa is determination. Willpower is a one-pointed mind plus determination. The more one-pointed your mind and the more determined you are, the more you will have willpower. If these two things are absent, then you will have no willpower. Usually you do not have enough concentration or determination to develop willpower, but you can build your dynamic will, and then you can do wonders.

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Special Mantras

~ Swami Veda Bharati

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In our tradition we have been advising people to undertake special anu-shthanas (observances) of so many repetitions of special mantras from time to time and for specific periods. Normally, these have been in units of 125,000 plus twenty per cent. Actually, these are for beginners. To determine a full purash-charana, the principle to be observed is: count the number of syllables in a given mantra (for example, the gayatri has twenty-four syllables), and do that many hundred thousand. So that a real complete observance of gayatri will be 2,400,000 mental recitations, plus ten or twenty per cent, the reason for which will become clear below.

How long would that take? Let us first check into the amount of time needed for 125,000 recitations plus twenty per cent. That is 1500 malas. Calculate how long it takes one to complete one mala of the given mantra. Some beginners manage only, say, one mala per ten minutes. Allowing for distractions let it be an average of five malas per hour. How many hours a day can one sit, dividing the time into several sessions? Thus one can arrive at the number of days required. Let us say that one sits twice a day for one hour each; so,
ten malas per day,
for 150 days.
Total: five months.

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Conclusion of the 2019-2022 Practice &
New AHYMSIN Sangha Practice

~ with Swami Ritavan Bharati

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On the sacred occasion of the Mahashivaratri 2019, Swami Ritavan Bharati, our Ashram Pramukha and Spiritual Guide, had initiated the AHYMSIN Sangha into a collective special mantra practice. Thousands of initiates and students around the world practiced the Saumya-Tara Mantra during the last three years.

On the Full Moon of 16 February, 2022, we, the residents of Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama ashram, on behalf of the entire AHYMSIN Sangha, will undertake a Purash-charana and Yajna of the Saumya-Tara Mantra. The Japa practice and Yajna will continue for 9 full days and will conclude on 25 February, when we will have the Purnahuti of the Saumya-Tara Mantra. On behalf of the Lineage and all our global family members, Swami Ji will be presiding over the Japa, Yajna, and the Purnahuti ceremonies.

We now invite you all to make your final offerings to the beautiful practice that we all have done over the past three years.

After the Purnahuti of the previous Sangha Practice, Swami Ritavan will initiate the AHYMSIN Sangha into a new mantra on 25 February, 2022. Further guidance on the new practice will be offered over the following 3 days.

While all our global family members are unable to join these sacred events physically at the ashram, we have arranged to live stream these events on AHYMSIN Facebook Page and YouTube Channel, according to the below schedule:

Dates	India Time	Occasion
16 Feb	8:00 AM	Conclusion of previous Sangha Practice: Purash-charana of Saumya-Tara Mantra begins
25 Feb	10:00 AM	Conclusion of previous Sangha Practice: Purnahuti of Saumya-Tara Mantra
25 Feb	8:00 PM	New Sangha Practice Announcement
26-28 Feb	8:00 PM	Further Guidance on the New Practice
1 Mar	9:30 AM	Sankalpa and Yajna for the New Practice
1 Mar	9:00 PM	Mahashivaratri Celebrations

You are all lovingly invited to participate in this final event of the Saumya-Tara Mantra practice with us, from your own homes. You may take the sankalpa to complete a specific number of daily malas during these 10 days of the mantra and offer the same to the Guru Lineage.

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Volunteer Opportunities at SRSG

~ AHYMSIN Office

Have you ever wished to lead a quiet and inspired life as part of an ashram community, to deepen your study and practice of yoga meditation, to join a community of like-minded individuals who are also seeking a purposeful life, while offering voluntary selfless service “Seva” at an Ashram? If your answer is yes, the beautiful and serene ashram environment of Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama in Rishikesh awaits you.

Our residential volunteer opportunities comprise a work-study format where all the residents are expected to follow a personal sadhana at the ashram, while offering seva according to one’s unique skills and talents. Our Seva-Sadhakas come from all over the world and India. One’s time and energy are offered towards the growth of the AHYMSIN (Association of Himalayan Yoga Meditation Societies International) mission and towards furthering one’s own journey on the spiritual path.

We are now looking for a full-time resident Seva-Sadhaka, who can help us with graphic design, website management, digital content management and social media content management.

All Seva-Sadhakas would get the benefits of room and board, have a chance to join and participate in the Ashram’s daily classes of Joints & Glands exercises, Hatha Yoga, breathing exercises, and silent meditations, as well as joining in the special programmes and seminars taking place at the ashram.

If you feel that you would be a good fit in our ashram, kindly write to us at ahymsin@gmail.com and send us a copy of your resume.

Offerings

~ Tarinee Awasthi

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Away

‘Trivikrama,’[i] it is said, is to be remembered in pravāsa.
The one whose strides measure the three worlds—Trivikrama
When one must be in pravāsa—away.
For without remembrance
Until the very moment, indeed, of remembering Him who measured the worlds in three strides
All the world is away from home.
And in remembering the all-pervasive One
No space remains without.

Spring 2022 HYT-TTP
20 Hour Virtual Workshop

~ Meditative Mind, Mantra and Voice

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We are pleased to invite you to the upcoming 20-hour HYT-TTP (Himalayan Yoga Tradition – Teacher Training Program) Virtual Workshop on ‘Meditative Mind, Mantra and Voice’. Kindly see below the detailed scheduled and registration information.

5 Mar, Saturday at 9:00 AM EST: Introduction and Steps of Meditation – Swami Ritavan Bharati and Adhikari Bhoi

6 Mar, Sunday at 9:00 AM EST: Origins of Language and Subtle Sounds – Dr. Stephen Anthony Parker “Stoma”

11 Mar, Friday at 7:30 PM EST: Philosophy of Mantra Meditation – Swami Ma Tripurashakti Bharati

12 Mar, Saturday at 9:00 AM EST: Mind and Mindfield – Michael Kissener

13 Mar, Sunday at 10:00 AM EDT: The Process of Japa – Swami Ritavan Bharati with Pierre Lefebvre “Pt. Priyadarshana”

18 Mar, Friday at 8:30 PM EDT: The Teaching of Meditation – Swami Ma Radha Bharati

19 Mar, Saturday at 10:00 AM EDT: Transmission – Shi Hong and Yoong Khiang Wong

20 Mar, Sunday at 10:00 AM EDT: Questions and Answers – Swami Ritavan Bharati and Faculty

To help sustain the Ashram during this difficult time, all the proceeds from this workshop will be donated to SRSG. Register online here.

2022 HYT-TTP North American
In-Person Summer Retreat

~ Pt. Priyadarshana (Pierre Lefebvre)

Dear AHYMSIN family,

Together with our March HYT-TTP 20-Hour Virtual workshop Meditative Mind, Mantra and Voice, we are very happy to announce that registration for our Summer 2022 Level One and Level Two Teacher Training Retreat is now open. The retreat will be held at the beautiful Providence Renewal Center in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada from July 10th to July 23rd, 2022.

We are happy to be able to already announce that we have confirmed Dr. Stephen “Stoma” Parker, Carol and Charles Crenshaw, Chuck Linke and Pierre Lefebvre “Pt. Priyadarshana” among the faculty. Please go to the Event Page to register.

** Be assured, if the retreat needs to be cancelled due to covid issues or insufficient registrations, all payments will be refunded in full.

Full Moon Meditation Reminder

16 February 2022

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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…”

Dates	Name of the Retreat	Teacher	Language
Feb-Apr 2022	Seminar on an Exploration into Sankhya Philosophy	Pandit Priyadarshana (Pierre Lefebvre)	Videos only
16 Feb	Full Moon Meditation	All	Wherever you are
16 Feb – 1 Mar	Sangha Practice Events	Swami Ritavan Bharati and All	Facebook and YouTube Live
6-13 Mar	Illumination of HA and THA in Asana Practice	Pandit Priyadarshana (Pierre Lefebvre) – In-Person Sessions & Pandit Ashutosh Sharma – Live Sessions via Zoom	In-Person
18 Mar	Full Moon Meditation	All	Wherever you are
2-10 Apr	Navaratri Celebrations	All	In-Person