Meditation technique :

1. Conditionning the mind, give instructions to be here and now. What is the mind? A lake, a drunken monkey, a wild horse, a shy lady, music record, a fast fan , a needle with petals, relationship mind and body, relationship mind and breath, relationship mind and senses. One thought at a time. Mind works with names and forms, works with association.
2. Preparation: space time.
3. Posture- erect and comfortable.
4. Breath  – deep and long
5. Breath rhythmical and calmer and calmer till breathe becomes imperceptible.
6. Point of focus- 2 places of focus to choose from
7.  object of focus- mantras. Learning about mantras
8. observer/witness attitude
9. detachment attitude. Not fighting with the mind.
10. Return to focus, to the breath, let go
11. Become silence and peace. Meditation is like an elixir or tonic renewing oneself.
12. Meditator, object of meditation and act of meditation become one.

A devotional satsang that asks you to contemplate how you can be the medicine the world needs through your climate positive lifestyle actions and choices. Gain five simple tips to bring more healing to yourself, your community, and the world at large. This satsang is explores the power of collective prayer, love, and intention.

Future suffering is predictable

The topic of today is how to prevent future suffering. It is a very important topic because nobody wants to suffer. This teaching comes from the teaching in the Raja Yoga Sutras of Patanjali from 2,000 years ago, where Patanjali Maharishi explains the nature of the mind and how the mind works. He said: “Future suffering needs to be avoided”.

The point is, how do you know about future suffering? The answer is, if you know how the mind works, you know about future sufferings. In fact, the mind is almost like a tape recorder. It registers all the experiences, all the impressions. These impressions registered in the mind are called the samskaras. The mind will reproduce what it has experienced. This means that what you reproduce in the mind is predictable, It is predictable, because it is is based on what you have experienced. Let’s say you have the experience of pain, due to somebody attacking you. 

During this satsang you will meet the co-founders of EcoYoga Life and how during Covid, their swadharmas were brought together to manifest a shared vision of yoga being a medicine for the personal and planetary imbalances of the modern world. They will share what it means to live an ecoyoga life, plant seeds on how to live aligned with Dharma, and how to establish a life connected to our mother earth. This inspired and practical talk is about initiating and actualizing the healing that need to happen for people and planet.

These 9 Practices for Success in Meditation comes from Patanjali Maharishi's Raja Yoga Sutras.  In this text, Patanjali outlines, 9 obstacles to our practice.  If we can overcome these 9 obstacles then we can have success in our meditation.  The following obstacles are: Disease, Mental torpor, Doubt, Indifference, Laziness, Craving for pleasure, Delusion, Inability to practice due to lack of concentration, Restlessness of mind due to distractions.

This recording is a satsang on the 5 Kleshas or 5 Types of Suffering with Swami Sitaramananda.  This teaching is taken from Patanjali Maharishi's Raja Yoga Sutras writted thousands of years ago.  It is commented on in the Meditation & Mantas by Swami Vishnudevananda.

The 5 types of suffering come from Ignorance, Egoism, attraction, aversion, and fear of death.  The only solution to this is Yoga which alleviates our suffering.  Sometimes we think "I am the only one suffering" - but in fact everyone is suffering.  The ancient sages knew this reason of why we suffer and give us specific yoga practices to help.

This topic on Skill in Action (Karma Yoga) with Swami Sitaramananda is coming from the Bhagavad Gita which has teachings on the 4 paths of Yoga.  Specifically, Karma yoga is the yoga of action and teaches us that everything we do with our thoughts, speech, and body is action.  Karma is everything.

We are thinking all the time, so we should take time to consider this as an action.  All action has consequence and there is a karmic reason for our birth and for our specific situation in life  We should learn our lessons from this life as we experience the result of our past action.

Unity in Diversity is a very important topic now a days with all the problems we see in the world. The tendency of people is to see themselves as different from others. In fact according to Vedanta philosophy with is something in common which is the Truth of our life.

To understand this we practice Vedantic Meditation according to the Advaita Vedanta philosophy of Adi Sankaracharya. According to this there is only one Reality which is Sat Chit Ananda. The Universe is an Appearance and in fact the individual and universe are One.

04:00​ Vedantic Teaching of Sankaracharya

07:20​ Nature is Sacred and Diverse

09:38​ Vedantic Meditation

13:00​ Universe is made of Names & Forms

18:49​ Consciousness is our Essential Nature

23:48​ Raja Yoga: Calming the thoughts

27:03​ Turn the Mind Inwards

32:09​ Realize your Atman

35:00​ Seeing Unity is the Key

38:50​ How to go beyond the Emotions

42:28​ How relaxation allows you to go inside

https://sivanandayogafarm.org/

Manas Kshirsagar is a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner. He comes from a Rig Vedic Bramhin tradition with an extensive Ayurvedic background. He graduated from Aloha Ayurveda Academy and completed his BS in Health and Physiology from Maharishi University of Management. He is an acclaimed Wellness Consultant, and expected to complete his Masters program (Ayurveda & Integrative Medicine). He has worked as an Ayurvedic Consultant at MAPI and the prestigious Raj Panchakarma center in Fairfield, IA. He is a Health Educator, who is passionate about health and fitness. He has worked with clients of all age groups and specializes in Lifestyle Medicine. Providing a holistic approach to medicine, his philosophy of healing revolves around Diet, Yoga, Meditation, Detoxification, Nutrition & effective Stress Management.

Sivananda Yoga Asanas and Pranayama Class with Focus on forward bending variations taught by Swami Adiparashaktiananda.

Swami Vashistananda comes from the Namboodri lineage in Southern India, Kerala and has been a long-time teacher of bhakti and vedanta in the Sivananda organization ever since. He has been at the Yoga farm since October 2014 and does ceremonies at all the ashram temples and shrines.  Swamiji teaches with much inspiration and humor.

Shani Robins, Ph.D. pioneered the field of Wisdom Therapy TM in 1998.  He is a licensed Psychologist (PSY18795) by the California Board of Psychology and is the founder and director of the Wisdom Therapy Institute since 2000. He is an instructor at Stanford University Medical School’s Health Improvement and BeWell Programs and the Director of Clinical Training at Sofia University (Institute of Trans-personal Psychology). Dr. Robins received his B.A. in Psychology and Philosophy from UCLA in 1989, his M.A. and Ph.D. in Cognitive Experimental Psychology from U.C. Santa Barbara in 1996, completed a 2-year National Institute of Mental Health Postdoc at U.C. Irvine in 1999 and a Ph.D. re-specialization in Clinical Psychology in 2002.  He has published and has given numerous clinical workshops, invited talks, scientific conference presentations, and corporate consultations nationally and internationally on Wisdom Therapy TM and its relationships to cognition’s, emotions, stress reduction, relationships, work place effectiveness, coping, emotional intelligence, performance, and organizational consulting.

“Tibetan Buddhist Way of Meditation” – Anam Thubten

Our general ability to resist disease involves a conjunction of internal and external factors. Ayurveda emphasizes both prevention against and rapid recovery from diseases. Pathogenic factors flourish around particular imbalanced factors of our body-mind system. Ayurveda lifestyle recommendations help us acquire stronger immunity over time, while also protecting our innate strength through all periods of our life. This contributes to our overall physical and mental integrity allowing us to cope with various stressors that arise in our everyday life.

Vedanta is the knowledge of oneness. It reveals that everything in this universe is non-separate from a single conscious, all-knowing and all pervasive being, Īśvara. What ramifications might this teaching have for our daily lives, especially in contemporary times, marked by global pandemic and domestic unrest? How can we harness the powerful vision of the Upanishads to grow spiritually and abide in the glory of the self? These and other questions will be addressed in the two talks on this subject.

During this webinar we will:

1. Understand what thought is, and how it works
2. Breathe and relax and Visualize Self
3. The 3 levels of mind – how to move from lower mind to higher mind
4. Practice of conversion of thoughts
5. Practice of cultivating virtues and eradicating vices

The topic of today is highly philosophical, yet practical. It is essential to understand it so we know what to do to be healthy and free. Please be ready during this presentation to be able to do 6 practical breathing and relaxation lessons. Make sure you have space to lie down, and that your room be ventilated.

It is said that if we design and build structures not aligned with Nature’s grid of energy then we actually create dissonance not only in Nature of the Earth but also in the Cosmic Grid of Energy.

There has never been a time in our human evolution where we have fallen so deeply into an artificial life. Industry and technology have perpetuated our separation from where we were first born, Mother Nature. A recent study showed that the average person in a developed country spends 93% of the day inside (home, office, car, etc). This forced separation from the natural world is leaving us stressed, diseased, isolated, and numb. During this workshop we will take a good look at the current Techno-addiction and learn simple tips to limit screen time and begin to live your life more fully.

This topic of ahimsa and vegetarianism in not a new topic. In the context of the Covid 19 crisis and the eco yoga conference, it is good to revisit the question of cruelty to animals and to encourage vegetarianism as a way of life that will bring peace and healing to the earth and to us in general.

We will be talking about spiritual, ethical, health and environmental reasons for vegetarianism 

Lila will address the critical role that yoga practitioners have in reducing the climate crisis and birthing a new way of being. Right now the Earth needs our compassionate and immediate action. She is asking us for our active hope and an open heart to begin to model a lifestyle that proves all life is sacred, one of yoga’s founding principles. Therefore it is our dharma, our duty, to create and maintain a life of harmony inside and out.

It is said that if we design and build structures not aligned with Nature’s grid of energy then we actually create dissonance not only in Nature of the Earth but also in the Cosmic Grid of Energy.

How the vedic sciences help with Eco-Yoga (yamas and niyamas, Vedanta of oneness, ayurvedic living according to nature and natural healing, jyotish teaching on karma, as well as vastu considerations)

The talk today is about Self Healing and Healing of the environment using Yogic principles. The word Yoga here implies classical Yoga taught holistically in a philosophical traditional background and not just modern urban commercial exercise Yoga taught in a hectic stressful environment. This is an appropriate topic in the context of our public and personal health and immunity crisis due to the outbreak of Corona virus. We just celebrated the 50^th Earth day in the middle of the pandemic. We also face more and more Mother Nature protests in forms of global warming, tidal waves, droughts, forest fires and floods. Our urban and artificial societies are more and more sick and dependent on drugs and medication, feeding on processed food with little prana and creating health problems such as obesity, cancer, cardio vascular and digestive problems, and most recently respiratory problems. Our minds are full of disturbed media scenes of sex and violence, instead of experiencing mountains, sky, water and plants around us. Our world leaders are themselves alienated from nature and our corporations motivated by short term profits, lead us away more and more from our peace and health. Overall we are externally driven, feeling unstable and empty. Again, we revisit the the old idea of the correspondence between individual health, public health and health of the planet we live in and what can we do about it? How do we balance ourselves in a world out of balance? How to keep our faith and hope and do the right thing in this world in crisis? Together let’s explore the philosophical and practical foundation for a life in Total Harmony with Nature and let’s face our spiritual ignorance(avidya) at the root of our mistaken identity and mistaken perception of the environment we live in. 

In this time of pandemic, our global society is suffering in many levels. Even if we can carry on with our lives and we are not directly affected by the virus, the news, the images and statistics are haunting. This is an attempt to summarize what we can make use of from the tool box of Yoga techniques, the philosophy and tradition of Vedanta, and the guidance of Ayurveda Vedic healing science, as well as Jyotish, the science of karma and of timing. These tools can be applied for all conditions, – either for a medical responder from New York, or a mother with kids out of school to care for at home, or a regular student of Yoga already on the path of self healing and self – transformation.

Ganga devi is a river that flows from the Himalayas.  In her original form she is the Divine Mother

The topic of today is a complex topic, we will try our best to talk about how to bring meaning to our lives no matter what circumstances we found ourselves in. The two words of Karma and Dharma are charged with meaning. Considering we do not know if everyone in the audience has the same understanding about this, we will go a little bit in details, about karma and dharma to describe the cause of our existence – according to ancient Yogic philosophy- and what we are supposed to do to make the best out of our life. We need to see “the big picture” to become wise resulting from this expanded vision.

Happy Easter! On this meaningful day symbolizing renewal,  awakening and eternal life, we are being reminded of our infinite potential, infinite inner resources and perfect love which always wins. This holiday celebrates the meaning of life and this is the time for us to remember the beauty and sacredness of our lives. Swami Sivananda said that the true goal of life is to get back to the source from which we came. Just as rivers flow restlessly till they join the ocean, the ultimate source from which they got their supply of water, so too, we would be restless here till we become one with the Peace in the True Self deep within.

In this constant flowing journey of life towards Self realization, there are transitions and challenges that we need to face graciously, taking these as opportunities for growth.

Understand realistically, what meditation is. It is a process of overhauling or purification of our thoughts and behaviors over time. It is not just a technique taken out of context of our life. Learn the basic techniques of meditation, the yogic way.

Go to the root cause of our illusions stemming from our false identifications and long term belief , in order to feel stronger in face of adversity and danger. The answer lies within.

Chanting kirtan is a devotional practice that helps to uplift the mind, open the heart and bring inner peace. It is the fastest, easiest and most joyful way to achieve peace of mind. The mantras are mystical universal sounds that resonate with our chakras and remove negative energies. So, it is important that we chant so that we can benefit from this powerful healing energy.

In this webinar, we will address the question of how to be with ourselves and be happy no matter the outside interpersonal conditions and collective conditions (social distancing, be in isolation or working with groups, living with families and community, in intimate relationship, being alone or in search of close relationships). We will discuss strategies how to transform our negative emotional patterns into selfless love through the practice of Yoga applied in daily life. We will also discuss the Yogic way of how to uplift and spiritualize our relationships.

On the occasion of Sivaratri, the festival of Lord Siva, celebrated by millions, this is an offering to help understand how contemplation on Lord Siva can guide us in our life.

Lord Siva is the Lord of Yoga, and represents what yoga and meditation practitioners are aspiring towards. He is the Adi Guru, first guru of yoga, and taught the science of Hatha Yoga.

Symbolism of Lord Siva

He is often depicted with eyes half closed and half open. This represents an ideal state of mind that yoga practitioners want to achieve, of being “in the world and out of the world”, seeing the world of names and forms and changing phenomena that we live in, and at the same time seeing the essence of it, as opposed to seeing the manifested world as devoid of spirit and intelligence.

The topic of this online Satsang will be on Prana, Emotions, and Immunity. Swamiji will discuss how to increase our energy levels so we feel stronger, control our emotions so we can keep the mind calm and centered, and build up our natural defenses so that our body will be healthy.

This podcast talks about how yoga teachers can help individuals and society during this time of crisis.  Swamiji helps us understand how we can feel connection to our own self through the yoga practices, asanas, pranayama, mantra.  Instead of having the habit of thinking someone external is necessary for our happiness.  By creating a support system within our own self we can be happy in all situations.

In this talk, we will try to understand, in the context of the global epidemic, how fear and anxiety create havoc and take away your well-being and mental health, and how faith is so important in dispelling fear.

We will address the question step by step in 4 points keeping in mind the need for prevention of disease due to poor immune system impacted by negative emotions, and the need for healing emotionally in order to heal physically.

1. First we need to understand all facets of FEAR, STRESS, and ANXIETY.
2. What are the causes of fear?
3. Some Yogic methods for dealing with fear.
4. Cultivating faith to dispel fear and anxiety.

In these times we are hearing some unusual phrases and receiving some unusual advice, such as “social distancing!” “use pranams, namaste instead of hugs and embraces!”, “do not travel” “stay at home, work from home!”, “public health responsibility”.

If we are not going shopping, entertaining ourselves outside, not rushing about, what are we going to do?  Can we live with ourselves?  Can we really follow the Yogic lifestyle “simple living, high thinking” that we have talked about? How do we rethink our priorities? How can we go on appreciating life in face of this changing world around us?

Dr. Luskin is a psychologist and for over 20 years has run the forgiveness program at Stanford University in Northern California, USA.  In this talk he explains the process of forgiveness as he is teaching around the world with many different groups.  He is helping the SYHET students develop skills for counseling people with health concerns.  Please see his biography at the end of this transcript.

In this talk on Yogic Guidelines to Alleviate Suffering, Swamiji tells us that the causes of suffering are mental, emotional, and karmic.  Suffering comes from our ignorance, likes and dislikes, and fears.  If we can remember that the body and mind are our instruments and cultivate calmness, control of senses, turning inwards, balance, discrimination, and equal vision we can reduce our suffering.

This podcast is an a webinar by Swami Sitaramananda from 2016.  Swamiji discusses Yoga and Healing and how holistic healing of body, mind, and spirit can happen through the practice of yoga asana, pranayama, relaxation, and meditation.  Swamiji also discusses the new yoga therapy program that is being offered and how this helps us to return to our true nature.

A landmark event in the field of Yoga and of Health Management is the founding of the Sivananda Institute of Health and Yoga in California, USA. The institute’s first 2-year 800-Hour Yoga Health Educator Training Course was launched at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm at Grass Valley in California in October, 2017. It was followed by the launch of this intensive training course at the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center in Dalat in Vietnam in January 2018. This yoga health education-training course, is a yoga therapy course where we focus on positive health and well-being. We are educating people to approach the person that has disease as a total person, that means their body, their mind, their emotions, the circumstances of their life.

Celebrations to Swami Vishudevananda 60th year of work in the world (1957 - 2017) Swami Sivananda send Swami Vishnu to the West in 1957 with 10 rupees and the words "People are Waiting". With that Swami Vishnu start the entire International Sivananda Yoga Organization that now has 10 ashrams and more then 30 centers around the world and trained more than 40,000 Yoga Teachers for bring Peace to this chaotic world.

We live amidst much turmoil and confusion in the modern world. The state of mental and physical health has deteriorated considerably.

It is estimated that in Europe 70% of all costs in the health system are because of chronic diseases like diabetes, health ailments, hypertension and osteoarthritis. There are hardly any permanent solutions to these from either medicinal therapy or surgery.

There is an ancient path which can lead us to health and happiness. It is Yoga.

This short film by Benoy K. Behl, features Sivananda Yoga ashrams, teachers, and special guests. The interviewees talk about the power of yoga and self-transformation giving many personal stories on how yoga heals.

Full Transcript and more description here:
https://sivanandayogafarm.org/yoga-life-and-self-transformation/

This podcast is from an old webinar by Swami Sita.  Swamiji shares that karma means action and comes from our desires.  Our actions from the past will result in our present situation.  We have an inner conflict and need to choose the path that won't bind us to karma.  The yoga guidelines of yamas and niyamas are essential to be free from karma.

In this podcast, Swami Sita teaches from the book Crest Jewel of Discrimination written by Adi Sankaracharya.  Sankara describes the need for devotion in order to experience truth and freedom.  We have to learn to have discernment between what is helping us and what is not.  By practicing right thinking we can cultivate an inner power / knowledge.  Our current state is that we are lost in an ocean of worldliness where we only see external things.  But we need to remember the Self and have the power of discrimination / discernment.  It is like a snake / rope where what we are seeing is not real, and we need the light to see correctly.

Many people come to yoga because of stress in their lives.  In fact, most diseases that people suffer from come from stress.  Stress is in fact a subjective phenomenon.  Stress depends on the mind of the person.  Some people are stressed very easily and become sick while some others resist and carry on.  Some level of stress is normal and very healthy, but chronic stress is when we are stressed all the time.  Yoga through breathing, relaxation, positive thinking, meditation, and diet offers many solutions for stress management.

Yoga life is a conscious life.  In yoga, we become conscious of our actions.  It's not what you do that is important, but the attitude in which you do it.  In Yoga we learn to do our duty, and not just follow what the mind likes to do.  We understand the importance of cultivating positive feelings and positive relationships with others.  A yogi is very regular and follows a routine and does things always at the correct time.  At the same time the yogi is always calm and relaxed but not lazy.

In this talk, Swami Sita explains the concept of Prana as vital energy or life force.  Swamiji tells us the 5 things we can do with prana: increase, conserve, balance, channel, purify.  She then explains how we can increase prana and not lose prana from the 5 elements of nature: earth, water, fire, air, and ether.  Swamiji gives many practical examples that are very useful for us in our daily life.

Swami Sivananda says that Life is an expression of something higher.  Life is joy, life is a conscious stream, life is a voyage.  In this podcast, Swami Sitaramananda reads about the meaning of life and explains why someone starts to actually ask this question by giving examples from her own life and journey.  She explains how by coming to an ashram and turning to yoga helps in this discovery.

This podcast is a webinar by Swami Sita from 2013 on steps to peace of mind and how it is like a lake with waves.  There are countless thoughts which come from inside of us and also from outside influence.  We must understand how powerful the mind is.  If we are able to quiet the mind it is like seeing to the bottom of a clear lake.

This life is a karmic life. We are very restless beings and are bound by our karma.  Karma means action or more specifically our thoughts and desires.  

The true goal of life is to pay our karmic debts which can only happen through the practice of detachment.  For example in the movie Groundhogs day situations continually repeat themselves until we can find a new angle to approach life.

To get out of this pattern we must practice sadhana or conscious spiritual practices.  When we are able to connect to our true self through sadhana we find lasting peace.  

In this podcast, Swami Sitaramananda will explain the criteria to determine if you are progressing and what the point of progressing is.  In our life we want to develop and grow our potential.

Yoga offers specific practices that help us on this journey to realize our Self.  In this way we can wake up from all illusions and false ideas.  We can re-adjust our thinking and realize our True Nature.

When the mind is still our internal vision becomes strong and we can experience peace.  There is a direct relationship between our state of mind and our connection with self.

In yoga we understand mind as a vehicle that we drive.  The mind should not be driving us.  Thoughts are invisible but very real as they lead to action. When the mind is distorted, it is like an ocean with waves and leads us to a distorted vision where we misidentify, feel disturbed, and uncentered.

Instead, we want to control the mind so we can be harmonious. Through the practice of yoga and self discipline we can find what we really want.

In this podcast Swami Sita introduces us to the concept of living an integral Yoga Life.  Many people start practicing yoga asanas but as one continues to practice one also starts making changes to their life.

We become more aware of the way we feel and how that is connected to our breath, our ability to relax, what we eat, and what we think.  We come to a point where what we want is health, well-being, and peace of mind.

This podcast is a talk by Swami Vishnudevananda from the 1970s.  His talk focuses on what the difference is between something that is good versus something that is pleasant.  In this universe we always have a choice between 2 ways to go.  Something that is pleasant is for gratifying the senses.  For example when you scratch an itch it gives you instant relief but brings pain later on.

On the other hand something that is good does not give instant gratification and is a more rough and tough choice.  However the good choice is the source of all happiness and belongs to the True Self.

The pleasant path is more commonly taken and can be said to have big neon signs and gives you a golden nugget such as a trip to Las Vegas.  However following this path is like the moth which flies into a fire thinking that it will find happiness by ends in suffering.

This podcast is a recording of a Sivananda Yoga Class.  Please listen to the class and practice along.  You can see our website for more details on the practice.  Enjoy!

1. Beginning prayer and a short relaxation (savasana)
2. Breathing (Pranayama) (15 – 20 minutes)
3. Sun salutations (Surya namaskar)
4. The 12 basic yoga poses (asanas)
5. Some additional yoga poses (asanas) and variations
5a. An example of a properly sequenced yoga practice session
6. Final Relaxation (15 minutes)
7. Ending prayers
8. General Guidelines to follow in a Yoga Class
9. Benefits of the Yoga Poses and Pranayama practice

General Guidelines

Place & Setting

• Eat at least 2 hours before the asana session.  It is difficult to perform asanas with a full stomach.  Also, do not eat or drink half an hour after the session.
• The best time is early morning, after meditation.
• Find a cool and ventilated, quiet place with an even, level floor.  The best place is a space reserved for Yoga and meditation, with an altar.  It is suggested not to do Yoga in the bedroom as the energy is more tamasic.
• It is better to practice in silence without music or chanting.
• Group performance of asanas brings about awareness of collective energy.
• Wear light and loose fitting cotton clothing for better efficiency of movement.
• Use a sticky Yoga mat for better grip.

Order, Timing & Rythm

• Perform the sequence of the postures in order.  This will ensure the proper flow of energy.
• Try to hold each posture for at least one minute to three minutes.  It is said that holding for three minutes is the minimum time required to get all the benefits of the postures.
• The sequence of the postures follows the chakras, stimulating the chakras from the top down.
• The headstand cycle goes first and the standing cycle goes last because of the spiritual principle of turning inward first to find inner balance (headstand inverts all energies, stimulating the highest chakra, going against normal tendencies, after which the energy is flowing properly) then tuning the mind outward and trying to achieve balance and composition with worldly activities (standing postures are performed with the focus on external object to ground oneself).
• Practice daily, or at least 4 times a week, for 1-2 hours for maximum benefit.

Breath & Mind Awareness

• Breathe consciously during the performance of postures.  When holding the posture, the breath becomes calm and the mind focused.
• When holding, know where to concentrate for the specific posture.
• If there is tension, focus your attention on the tension, breathe consciously while focusing on the area, sending prana to the muscles or ligaments, and during every exhalation try to progress a little more.
• Keep the mind inspired by being aware of the physical and mental benefits of each posture.
• Yoga is not a competition, so try to do what you can but observe your limit.  Always try to feel comfortable.  Never push yourself to the point of pain, strain or exhaustion.
• Do not compare or compete with each other when perform in group.

Body Awareness

• Gentle modifications, adjustments and variations can be included if you experience any pain or strain while holding an asana. Some accessible examples include chair yoga, gentle yoga and restorative yoga. Click here to learn more about specialized yoga practices.
• Be aware of your body throughout the session.  Keep your mind focused inward and enjoy the practice.
• Always relax in between the postures, with deep breathing to restore the prana and avoid fatigue.
• If there is no time, stick to the basic 12 postures without variations, you will still get the maximum benefit.

Asana Considerations

• For beginners, take the time to practice headstand by preparing your arm strength with Dolphin.
• Achieve balance through posture and counter posture, on both the right and left sides, holding the postures on each side for an equal length of time.
• If you do variations, make sure that you have time for the basic postures first.  Do not skip postures.
• Try to practice asanas with eyes closed, creating an inner focus.
• If possible, it is better to perform the asanas without any props.  It is a very natural way of exercising.
• To maximize the benefit of the session, keep the energy internalized and calm and do not rush right away into worldly activities.
• Always spend at least 10 minutes in Savasana at the end; it allows you to integrate all of the benefits.
• Do not take a bath right away but allow the prana to remain for some time.

This recording is of Swami Vishnudevananda singing kirtan music.  Swami Vishnudevananda lived with his master Swami Sivananda for 12 years. In 1957 he traveled to America, and in the early 70´s came to Europe, founding international Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers in many cities. He was a dynamic Hatha and Raja Yoga master, bringing the classical teachings of Yoga and Vedanta in its purest form to the West. Swamiji was also a tireless campaigner for world peace who brought the message of peace to many troubled spots all over the world. Thousands of students have been personally trained by Swami Vishnudevananda as yoga teachers and many more have been inspired by his books, “The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga”, “Meditation and Mantras” and “Sivananda Companion to Yoga”.

In this talk Swami Sitaramananda will teach about our negative emotional patterns and we can turn this instead into Selfless love.  The main practice to do this is through Bhakti yoga (the yoga of devotion).  By doing this we uplift our self and others and we  spiritualize our relationships with others.

Normally we are suffering because we all aspire to love 100% but we fail to feel this way most of the time.  Instead we feel like we are losing ourself, our mind is swinging and we suffer from the paradox of wanting to lose ourself in love.

Swamiji will teach that Love is the true goal of life and this love is for ever.  By learning how to practice Universal Love we can come to a state of True happiness.

In this talk Swami Sitaramananda will teach about our negative emotional patterns and we can turn this instead into Selfless love.  The main practice to do this is through Bhakti yoga (the yoga of devotion).  By doing this we uplift our self and others and we  spiritualize our relationships with others.

Normally we are suffering because we all aspire to love 100% but we fail to feel this way most of the time.  Instead we feel like we are losing ourself, our mind is swinging and we suffer from the paradox of wanting to lose ourself in love.

Swamiji will teach that Love is the true goal of life and this love is for ever.  By learning how to practice Universal Love we can come to a state of True happiness.

In this podcast Swami Sitaramanandause talks about the use of yoga to heal addictions.  Yoga teaches us to practice self surrender and by doing this we can understand better how the mind works.  When the mind is very active there are many thought waves which causes us to look outwardly for external objects to bring happiness.  We identify with these thoughts and create an attachment to the objects which leads to addiction.

When we repeat these negative thoughts we suffer.  We must learn to practice detach so we are not at the mercy of negative thoughts.  Detachment helps us to connect to our True Self because we no longer identify with the thoughts.  We become content in our Self and no more energy is give to the negative thoughts.

The Yoga of Relationship teaches us to understand that we are in this constant and complex network of relationship and teaches us to learn from the emotional patterns that we usually follow within relationship. It is through our network of relationship that we learn and grow.

People in relationship serve as mirrors to each other emotionally and in various ways, so that we may reach the core issue of what it means to live in relationship, which is the relationship with our own Self.

In Yoga we aim to stop the cycle of recurring negative emotional patterns in our past relationships by looking within and by developing awareness about oneself. It is about being self-sufficient – not in an egoistic manner but in a spiritual manner.

In this talk, Swami Sitaramananda will discuss the Yogic view on Positive Thinking.  She will discuss the importance of thoughts, how to think correctly about thoughts, and practical tools and tips to use in your daily life to become more aware and conscious of your thinking patterns.

In this talk by Swami Sitaramananda, Swamiji will discuss how to bring harmony to chaos.  In this world of ups and downs we need to have tools that we can use to regulate our mind and find balance.  Yoga recommends the 5 points of yoga: proper exercise, proper breathing, proper relaxation, proper diet, and positive thinking and meditation.