Sivananda India Global/Sivananda Yoga is a non-profit organisation founded by Swami Vishnudevananda, and named after his guru Swami Sivananda, one of the most influential spiritual teachers of the twentieth century. The organisation is internationally-recognised for preserving the purity of yoga and its ancient traditions which date back several thousand years. Our programmes include the practice, philosophy, and psychology of yoga and meditation as well as a variety of allied subjects including Ayurveda and wellness–and, of course, our world-renowned teachers’ training courses.
Our mission: to propagate the authentic teachings of Yoga and Vedanta from the ancient scriptures. To further Swami Vishnudevananda’s vision of Unity in Diversity, we strive to create a supportive community for all to find health and peace through the practices of Yoga and Meditation.
Inspiration
A central message of yoga is that the individual must change before the world can change. Each of the classical paths of yoga: Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga, and Jnana Yoga, provide a different approach to understanding the self.
The beauty of yoga is that there are limitless entry points to a vast system of practices and philosophies which defy easy explanation. Yoga meets us where we are. Many of us begin with an interest in the asanas, pranayamas, and other more physical practices. The physical challenges provide the inspiration to keep up the practice on a regular basis. In time, as yoga grows in us, we may find our values and interests changing. We may seek out more subtle practices such as meditation or to better understand Vedanta philosophy.
Sirshasana, the headstand, provides a good example of how yoga grows in us. Initially, we approach it from an achievement-oriented perspective. We view being able to come into the headstand unassisted as an important goal. However, once we manage to come up our perspective subtly changes. We may understand that our viewpoint has changed, that we have, in fact, created some detachment from our everyday, mundane activities. This detachment may have once felt unpleasant, now gives us a greater sense of peace and control over our own mind and emotions. This is how yoga works.
Tradition
Our teachings trace back to Adi Sankaracharya (788-820 CE) and are based on the traditional texts: the Vedas, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Raja Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and others. The teachings are passed down from teacher to student in an unbroken chain called a “Guru Parampara”.
We practice and share the classical teachings of Swami Sivananda, the Yoga of Synthesis with a strong emphasis on practical experience. We uphold Swami Sivananda’s dictum ‘an ounce of practice is worth tons of theory’. Swami Sivananda had many prominent disciples who carried the teachings to various parts of the world.
as well as the Five Points of Yoga of Swami Vishnudevananda into a means to achieve physical, mental and spiritual well being, and self-realisation.
In 1957, Swami Vishnudevananda was sent to the west to bring the teachings of yoga to eager students there. Swamiji (as he was called) made the traditional yogic teachings more accessible to all through simple yoga discipline, breaking down the practice into easily understood and practical five points ~ Proper Exercise (Asanas), Proper Breathing (Pranayama), Proper Relaxation (Savasana), Proper Diet (vegetarian), Positive Thinking (Vedanta) and Meditation (Dhyana).
Together with Swami Sivananda’s yoga of synthesis, in which the classical Four Paths of Yoga (karma, bhakti, raja, jnana) are integrated, a well-balanced sadhana (spiritual practice) is achievable by those sincerely seeking for change in their lives. The wisdom of the ancient sages is made easily accessible for all.
Community
Swami Vishnudevananda established the first Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre in Montreal, Canada in 1959 and there are now close to 60 Sivananda locations around the world, with 8 in India. As a non-profit organisation for spiritual growth and learning, we have trained more than 50,000 yoga teachers worldwide since 1969, with 17,500 in India alone.
Many of those teachers have gone on to create their own communities, adding to a large network of yoga practitioners around the world. In India we have four Ashrams: Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and in the Himalayas which provide a spiritual retreat in nature to live and study under the guidance of a teacher. Our city centres situated in Delhi, Chennai, and Trivandrum offer a peaceful place to practice and connect with others in the midst of busy city life.
Our locations are staffed primarily by karma yogis, who serve on a temporary, short-term, or full time basis. Many of the teachers dedicate their lives to the study and practise of yoga, living within the organisation as renunciants or swamis. All of this contributes to a strong sense of community and of being ‘at home’ in whichever location you may land.
Among the practices that help to build community is ‘satsang’ where students and staff alike join together twice a day to meditate, chant, and to read or discuss the philosophical teachings. Students may arrive with an interest in the more physical practices of yoga (hatha yoga) however they generally leave with a love for the practice of chanting (bhakti yoga) and an experience of how it creates peace and joins people from all walks of life. Join us to experience this beautiful practice, and its joyful reverberations.
We welcome all.
