Sivananda Yoga Farm Podcast: Recent Episodes
Swami Sitaramananda
Talks and lectures on varying topics about Yoga and Yoga Life including finding balance and harmony, the power of positive thinking, non-violent communication and relationships, and understanding how the mind works and functions.
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What is dream? dream of death? and chasing? and how to think about it?
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What to do when your willpower is so drained?
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How do you keep puja from becoming routine?
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I have past trauma that is being activated by a present event. I deal with this situation by reminding myself that we are no longer living in that oppressive/abusive environment and that now i am an adult that can take actions to protect and take care of me.
The problem I have is that I am trying to push away the feeling using spiritual bypass... I am trying to slow down to be present with this uncomfortable emotional pain... it has been several days and still the pain is present... the pain is less than before but I still feel the rage of injustice being activated so I push away the feelings. Do you have any suggestion to make it go away?
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How do you protect your prana around unsattvic people?
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Can you help me to understand the cycle of birth and death?
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How do we find inspiration to keep going on the spiritual path?
- Why did God create all of this creation, this world, and samsara? 2. Why do we fall back into self-sabotaging behaviors when we know there is another way? 3. What is the best way to help someone who wants to grow spiritually but has difficulty seeing the world from another point of view? 4. Why are we judgemental and how do we remedy this way of thinking?
Diseases do not happen like right away, let’s say you are angry, you are resentful, it stays in the system for a long time; resentment is like rust, slowly, slowly it eats your body as it eats your mind; so then slowly slowly, after ten years of resentment, you develop some kind of problem, for example, problems on the liver, arthritis problem. Any physical health problem always has some kind of equivalence in the mind. If you are grieving, for example, you were crying, or you never really recovered for years, then you might one day have a problem with the lungs. Right now, our whole human community on earth appears to be sick. We have the Corona virus which attacks our lungs and we have difficulty breathing. Then you have to look at it, there is a meaning there, grieving, grieving, sadness; It is the lungs that are lacking joy, lacking energy; you cannot breathe, there's no air you feel suffocated. This you need to read in yourself and also in the world, okay? People have lung problems from Corona virus and then they also have heart problems as one of the effects of the virus. The heart is the center, it pumps the blood everywhere, so if some problem occurs at the heart level, it is serious.
The first level of knowledge is when you become a sadhaka, a seeker, a seeker after Truth. Somehow, you already know that you don’t know—that’s already significant. You are seeking for the Truth, seeking to know. But what are you seeking? There is sometimes darkness and sometimes light, and often, confusion when we embark on the inner seeking journey. It’s not a seeking outside. And you don’t need to come to the Ashram and do a Training Course if you can follow this guideline.
We have said how discrimination is the most important qualification to have, i.e., to know the difference between the Self and not-Self. The problem is that we get confused between the Self and the not-Self. In fact, the association of the Atman (the true Self) with the mind makes us think that we are the mind. Whatever the mind thinks, you think you are. This is a big problem, the biggest problem. That is why discrimination is the most important qualification.
I was a mess because of it, a real mess. My closest friend in the world, at that time, betrayed me; I had no skills for how to handle that betrayal and how to suffer that kind of loss. I had no knowledge of how to move ahead in life, and I became bitter and mistrustful. I dimmed my sense of hopefulness and appreciation of my life. I spent a couple of years in inactive unhappiness because I was betrayed and abandoned and never saw it coming. I never saw it coming; I had no clue on God's earth, that this human being could ever, do this to me. But it was during this period, that I was so unsettled by things, that I learned a couple of things.
One, I was an emotional mess. That's good to know, if you are one. It saves you from inflicting harm upon yourself and other people unconsciously. At least, you gain a little more conscious awareness of how absolutely annoying and ridiculous you are. So, that was one advantage of the experience of realizing that I was a mess.
Two, I learned that there are experiences that many of us have, that we can't get over. They become part of our personality for a while. Like, I'm Fred, the guy who was betrayed; that’s how I started to define myself. That's how I started to orient myself. I developed a victim consciousness and I came to recognize that healing that victim consciousness is a choice; it can be an effective choice if you don't want responsibility for your life, and it gives you a place to avoid having to look too much at your own behavior. That doesn't mean that victim consciousness is terrible the whole time. One of the things that I've learned is: victim consciousness is really good for a period of time. It's a wonderful, useful, helpful tool of safe harbor. You don't have to look too carefully at you and your coping abilities; you can look at what happened and blame it on that. That's a really essential kind of safety net that is obviously wired into us as a species. So we don't have to take on, in full force, our own failures to cope, no matter what it is.
To practice yoga is to feel that we are progressing It’s not nice to feel stuck in life. If you feel that things are not moving and you are stagnant, the best way is to practice. Go back to your yoga mat, to your meditation cushion, to your diary, to your journal and try to renew your practice. What does it mean to practice? What to practice? And how do you develop yourself and not feel stuck?
Conscious practice is the key The key is to be conscious in whatever you do. Self development has to come consciously. We call it yoga, we call it sadhana. Sadhana is a conscious practice. This is not something you do without thinking. Because the goal of all practices is to transform and renew yourself. Transform what? Transform consciousness. Transform the way you feel about yourself and about the world. You are growing towards physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.
So, it can happen any time the fear and the anxiety, fear, when you have something unfamiliar, when a situation is unfamiliar. Normally, you have a routine, you go to work, everything is orderly. Now everything changes your routine change. So then already that creates a certain kind of anxiety and then your imagination and when the mind is a very emotional have a lots of imagination. Yeah, how big the imagination in the mind. Very, very big. Yeah. So, the moment something you make or something unfamiliar, and the mind start to create different scenario and different imagination, yeah, and then you believe in it, because you believe in the mind.
The topic of today is about how to find your goal and your purpose in this life. Very often we find ourselves in transition, asking ourselves questions “What I'm going to do? What's my next step? I like this, I like that, but I like this too. I don't really know what to do”. Often times, we find ourselves in mild or severe depression, due to the sense of lack of direction and a feeling of meaninglessness. This is when we need to know about what our Dharma is. Dharma means your highest duty or your mission in life, the right thing to do. We can talk about Dharma only if we understand the word Karma. The reason why we do not understand our Dharma is because we are functioning out of Karma. The level that you can get out of your karma or be detached from your karma is the level that you understand your Dharma. People know what they like, but they cannot do it, they cannot fulfill it. They live life and always feel frustrated, or always feel that they want to do something, but never can really do it. The lucky ones are those who are able to do it, because of the circumstances of life and their inner motivations meet together and they feel fulfilled inside and outside. But you cannot blame the circumstances. If the circumstances are not favorable and you are not able to express yourself and fulfill your Dharma, you cannot blame the circumstances because it's also your Karma. You have to work it out. Every situation is just perfect for you to work it out. It might take a long time, but if you do the correct practice, then you'll be able to one day fulfill your Karma and Dharma both together. So, how to do this?
In this talk on Accepting the Shift in Your Inner Motivation, Swami Sitaramananda explains the traditional vedic society culture and we progress in our life from tams to rajas to sattva. From brahmacharya to grihasta to vanaprasta to sannyasa. From kama to artha to dharma to moksha. From sudra to vaishya to kshatriya to brahmin. And finally from believing ourself to be this limited body and mind to understanding we are in fact Atman, the infinite supreme reality.
Swami Sitaramananda talks about her experience and teaches about the meaning of guru in classical Sivananda yoga.
According to Yoga, Everybody is your own Self. There is Only but the Self We have our karmic way of reacting and need to learn how to manage relationships. In Yoga we tune into your own true self rather than be influenced of other people. You can lose yourself People will manifest in your life that you need to work out karma with so you can revisit your own way of behaving and thinking.
Swami Sitaramananda gives a talk on July 14, 2021 for HH. Swami Sivananda Mahasamadhi. Swamiji says that to understand our purpose we must always start from yourself and know that we are looking to understand the topic at hand of the relationship of a teacher to student. To understand the concept of guru we must know what we are seeking for - looking for. We want to improve our life by finding peace, truth, knowledge, liberate from suffering.
Raja Yoga Quote: “In the beginning of your Sadhana, you will encounter various difficulties. You will not be conscious of any spiritual progress, but you will be conscious of your failures in your attempts in meditation, the resistance you meet, your defects and weaknesses.” – Swami Sivananda in “Sivananda Upanishad”
Raja Yoga is the path of systematic analysis and control of the mind. Compiled by Patanjali Maharishi, Raja Yoga is also known as Ashtanga Yoga, because its practices can be divided into eight limbs. Hatha Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, and Mantra Yoga are all parts of Raja Yoga. The goal is to control the chitta vrittis, or thought waves, and thus attain the super-conscious state of mind, the final goal. Ashtanga Yoga – The eight limbs #1 Yamas – the restrictions Ahimsa – non violence, non injury. Vegetarianism is part of the practice of ahimsa. The great Indian saint Gandhi is famous for the practice of ahimsa Satya: truthfulness, not telling lies. Brahmacharya: chastity, sublimation of sexual energy. Asteya: non-stealing, non covetousness, lack of jealousy. Aparigraha: non-accepting of gifts or bribes. #2 Niyamas – the observances Saucha: purity (external and internal). Santosha: contentment. Tapas: austerity. Swadhyaya: study of religious scripture. Ishwara Pranidhana: worship of the Lord, surrender of the ego. #3 Asana – steady pose For spiritual pursuit, as for any other pursuit in life, a healthy and strong system is essential. A steady mind presupposes a steady body. #4 Pranayama Control of the vital energy #5 Pratyahara withdrawal of the senses from objects #6 Dharana Concentrating the mind upon either an external object or an internal idea, to the exclusion of all other thoughts. #7 Dhyana Meditation is defined as an unbroken flow of thought towards God to the exclusion of other sensual perception. #8 Samadhi super-conscious state Note that the Yamas and Niyamas constitute the ethical foundation of the Yoga practice, straighten out the mind, and help reduce agitations and restlessness. Asana, Pranayama and Pratyahara are external practices, while Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi are considered advanced internal practices. Even though there is an idea of progression in the practices, one doesn’t have to wait for ethical perfection before attempting concentration and meditation. In fact all the stages are involved together. For example, one cannot meditate if one doesn’t have good posture and possess a certain calmness of breath, thus achieving an inner focus at the exclusion of everything else.
To understand what means detachment, you need to know about the nature of the Self first, your true nature. Your true nature is satchitananda. Sat means all the time there, is not coming and going. It's not like when you are born, then you exist. And then you die, and you finish. So, your spiritual nature or your spirit is always there, your consciousness or your true self is always there. So, this is a spiritual approach to life.
To live your life with perspective, with a bigger idea of what life is, the purpose of life, and who are you. Then we can talk about detachment. If you do not know who you are, then we can’t talk about detachment because everything is action, everything is attachment, everything is involvement, everything is drama. So, we call the Battle of life, you are lost in the Battle of life. Sometimes you win something happened good and you are happy, and sometimes you have a difficult situation. For example, pandemic situation, you must close the business, stop everything, and things are disturbed. So, it's a big drama.
To understand what means detachment, you need to know about the nature of the Self first, your true nature. Your true nature is satchitananda. Sat means all the time there, is not coming and going. It's not like when you are born, then you exist. And then you die, and you finish. So, your spiritual nature or your spirit is always there, your consciousness or your true self is always there. So, this is a spiritual approach to life.
To live your life with perspective, with a bigger idea of what life is, the purpose of life, and who are you. Then we can talk about detachment. If you do not know who you are, then we can’t talk about detachment because everything is action, everything is attachment, everything is involvement, everything is drama. So, we call the Battle of life, you are lost in the Battle of life. Sometimes you win something happened good and you are happy, and sometimes you have a difficult situation. For example, pandemic situation, you must close the business, stop everything, and things are disturbed. So, it's a big drama.
Jnana Yoga meditation or Vedantic meditation is the practice of positive affirmations of the nature of the True Self and the Supreme Consciousness. It is meditation by positive thinking and by self enquiry, removing the veils of illusions to find the Truth that will set you free from false identification.
Meditation technique :
- 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.
- Preparation: space time.
- Posture- erect and comfortable.
- Breath – deep and long
- Breath rhythmical and calmer and calmer till breathe becomes imperceptible.
- Point of focus- 2 places of focus to choose from
- object of focus- mantras. Learning about mantras
- observer/witness attitude
- detachment attitude. Not fighting with the mind.
- Return to focus, to the breath, let go
- Become silence and peace. Meditation is like an elixir or tonic renewing oneself.
- 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/
Swami Adi Parashaktiananda is a dedicated Sadhak and Hatha Yoga practitioner and teacher, graduated from Sivananda Teachers Training Course in 2007 at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm in Grass Valley, CA. He took the first monastic vow from Sivananda lineage in 2011 and has been traveling yearly to Vietnam as Swami Sitaramananda’s assistant since then. Swamiji has been teaching the Hatha Yoga classes for the Teachers Training Course and has also been traveling to Chengdu, China to help teach the Teachers Training Course there. He teaches a 7-day Hatha Yoga Sadhana course and the 14-day Sivananda Sadhana Intensive course, whose emphasis is on individual practice of pranayama. Swamiji took sannyas vows in 2017 and received the name Swami Adi Parasahktiananda.
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.
Olga Mandodari Sokolova, is a certified Vaastu Shastra Consultant. She studied at the International Institute of Mayonic Science & Technology in Chennai, India under Dr. V. Sthapati Ganapati, a world renowned traditional architect of Southern India who relies on Vaastu principles in his projects. Ms. Sokolova earned her MS degree in Civil Engineering from the Architectural University of St. Petersburg, Russia and Associate of Arts and Associates of Applied Science in Interior Design from the Montgomery College, Rockville MD, USA and received Ph.D. from The Open International University for Complementary Medicines, Colombo, Sri Lanka affiliated with The International Institute of Integral Human Sciences, Montreal, Canada.
Olga Mandodari Sokolova, is a certified Vaastu Shastra Consultant. She studied at the International Institute of Mayonic Science & Technology in Chennai, India under Dr. V. Sthapati Ganapati, a world renowned traditional architect of Southern India who relies on Vaastu principles in his projects. Ms. Sokolova earned her MS degree in Civil Engineering from the Architectural University of St. Petersburg, Russia and Associate of Arts and Associates of Applied Science in Interior Design from the Montgomery College, Rockville MD, USA and received Ph.D. from The Open International University for Complementary Medicines, Colombo, Sri Lanka affiliated with The International Institute of Integral Human Sciences, Montreal, Canada.
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.
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.
Today humanity stands at a critical stage in its civilizational development. Will we develop the inner awareness to handle our complicated and artificial information technology, or will we become dominated by the very equipment and machines we ourselves have created? We are losing our organic connection to life and our true Self. Yoga, Ayurveda, Vedic Astrology and Vedanta provide us the wisdom and insights for a new awakening to our eternal spiritual calling. We will explain the evolution of consciousness in humanity and how we can take it forward at both individual and collective levels according to the inspiration and guidance of the ancient Rishis and Yogis who are our inner gurus.
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:
- Understand what thought is, and how it works
- Breathe and relax and Visualize Self
- The 3 levels of mind – how to move from lower mind to higher mind
- Practice of conversion of thoughts
- 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.
This workshop is based on a special sound healing protocol developed by Dr. John Beaulieu to help with anxiety and panic during the Covid 19 Pandemic. Dr. Beaulieu will present the evidence-based science of the protocol and its relationship to Yoga practices. Everyone will have access to the protocol and learn how to use it for themselves, family, and friends.
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 50th 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.
This Wisdom Therapy workshop offers a practical approach to alleviate stress and anxiety in the time of the COVID-19 crisis. Learn how to apply Wisdom Therapy components such as empathy, mindfulness, humility, and gratitude; learn relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and visualization; regain a sense of lightness and good humor in your life Shani Robins, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and the author of many scientific journal articles and book chapters. He has given numerous workshops and presentations on these topics worldwide, has been an instructor at Stanford University and CIIS, and consults to Fotune 100 companies on applications of Emotional Intelligence and Wisdom to stress management and performance.
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.
- First we need to understand all facets of FEAR, STRESS, and ANXIETY.
- What are the causes of fear?
- Some Yogic methods for dealing with fear.
- 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.
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.
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 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.