Take What You Like And Leave The Rest by Sheynapurna (Sandy) Peace

Made familiar from Alcoholic Anonymous, “take what you like and leave the rest” can apply in many situations, particularly Svaroopa® Vidya Yoga & Meditation. Although we are never, in this program, forced to ascribe to a certain philosophy, those yogis who are uncomfortable with alignment of Swami Nirmalandanda as their guru (or a guru, or any guru), can take this message to heart. The yoga you know and love is not changing.

The yoga philosophy offered has always been Kashmiri Shaivism – the same teachings I received during my YTT in 2003/4. Swami Nirmalananda can deepen the teachings, offer Shaktipat and take us further in the Self, but this is not, will not be, and has never been required of Svaroopa® yoga teachers. Take what you like – leave the rest.

Part of the 2013 India trip was held on the beautiful campus of the Himalayan Institute, and most of our fellow travelers came through that organization. The Himalayan Institute has a spiritual leader, but most of our travel mates were not very familiar with Pandit Rajmani Tigunait.

HI offers Meditation, yoga asana, ayurveda, philosophy. Some develop interest in areas they didn’t expect to like at first – and others joined the group simply to experience Kumbha Mela and India. The program appealed to them. Their students take what they like and leave the rest.

To my fellow yogis having no interest in a guru or those who have their own different guru; to my fellow yogis who are happily absorbed in their own religion or spiritual path – you can take a breath and turn to the aspect of Svaroopa® yoga that opens your body and opens your heart. Take what you like, leave the rest.

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Are You Open to the Possibilities? by Bob Nogue, SVA Board Member

I was initially drawn to Svaroopa^® yoga by noticing the profound impact that it had on my wife, Rudrani.  My feeling was, “There’s something good going on here”.  I have participated through the years in numerous Master Yoga and Svaroopa Vidya Ashram events, and have had profound breakthroughs in understanding myself and in learning about seeking the Self.  Mostly the yoga has had the impact of causing me to pause and notice what was happening in my life.  Throughout that period I have been in awe of the ability of Swami to articulate very complex concepts of ancient wisdom in a way that they spoke to me and had relevance in my life and to use all the modalities of yoga to do this.

When the call came from Swami to join the founding Board of Svaroopa Vidya Ashram came, I felt a need to take this journey.  I came to understand the depth of experience and commitment that Swami brings to putting programs and organizations together, and was in awe as I came to understand better the workings of both Master Yoga and Svaroopa Vidya Ashram.  As the Board journey commenced, I found Swami to be a person not satisfied with the status quo but seeing greater possibilities for both of these organizations.  At our Board meetings, we would be presented ideas for consideration and I have to say that my first reaction was often one of, “Why are we doing this?  If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”

Through a process of moving my own feelings to the side to allow the new ideas an opportunity to germinate and the flow of grace, I have been able to see so many of these ideas flourish into something better than what I had seen as a possibility.

The most recent changes to consolidate Master Yoga and Svaroopa Vidya Ashram evoked some of the same reactions from me.  I have had the opportunity to see and hear the intention of this change and believe that it is important that this be communicated to the broader Master Yoga and Svaroopa Vidya Ashram communities.  I know how jarring changes of this magnitude can feel to people.  I also acknowledge that this change hits some people in a place that raises concern about their livelihood.

My invitation to you is to become involved in this change, speaking up about what is going right for you and what you are concerned about.  My request of you is to become involved, with an open mind, where you are prepared to put your existing beliefs and ideas to the side and truly hear the intention of what is meant to happen here; to be open to new possibilities it may present, while having faith that it is not meant to detract from anything that you have today.

My experience has been that when I have gotten myself out of the way, I have seen wonderful new possibilities arise that I did not even see initially.  My only explanation is that this is the power of Grace brought to me through Swami.  Are you open to these possibilities?

OM svaroopa svasvabhava.h namo nama.h

Either — Or — Both? By David (Prakash) Falbaum, MYF Board Member

Eighteen months ago I was introduced to Svaroopa^® Yoga due to an unresolved back issue. In the first month, I was relieved from the physical pain that had nagged me for over 10 years, through asana and Embodyment^® yoga therapy sessions. What I didn’t expect was how yoga was beginning to open me into the knowing of my Self.

While my own daily practice, continued Embodyment^® sessions and yoga classes kept opening my body, I needed more. My teacher suggested I begin a meditation practice and pointed me towards Swami Nirmalananda and Svaroopa^® Vidya Ashram. I started looking into everything that SVA had to offer and was a little confused. Why was there one organization, Master Yoga Foundation, that taught asana and another, Svaroopa^® Vidya Ashram, that taught meditation? To me it seemed like the two organizations were two sides of the same coin.

When Master Yoga’s Board voted to consolidate with Svaroopa^® Vidya Ashram, I felt a shift as the two sides of the coin began to merge back together. The result is one organization, Svaroopa^® Vidya Ashram continues to offer the same Teacher Trainings you already know as well as the meditative practices.

Two sides of the same coin.  Both sides take you to svaroopa, the experience of your own inherent divinity. It’s up to you to choose which side works best for you.  Or do both, like me…

I Felt Torn…by Louise Davis, MYF Board Treasurer

It was just about a year ago that we got the news that Master Yoga Foundation had considered closing its doors – it was not financially feasible to continue operating the way things had been going.  Like many of you, I was in shock! Master Yoga Foundation, serving as the source of Svaroopa® yoga education for so long, is so important to me – my practices, my business, my life! How could it – even potentially – go away? Luckily, Swami Nirmalananda and a very dedicated Board took on the process of ”Reawakening”.

One of my first actions was to call then Treasurer, Shuchi (Sue) Cilley and say “how can I help?” Quite honestly, I had considered and had been encouraged by others to fill the vacant position of Board Treasurer more than a year earlier but didn’t think I was up for the task (that old “not good enough” issue kept rearing its head). A couple of months later, I was invited to join the Board. How could I say no?

As much as I wanted to serve Master Yoga Foundation, there was a part of me that also wanted to serve Svaroopa® Vidya Ashram – that had been part of my earlier indecision about joining the Board. I receive so much benefit from both organizations. I often felt torn about where to prioritize my time and money. Like many of you, I have a limited budget of both time and money for trainings, retreats, seva and donations. What, several years ago, went to Master Yoga, now had to be allocated between the 2 organizations – and I wanted to support both.

As the Board began to look at options for Reawakening, we kept coming back to the question – why two organizations? There was so much duplication – communications, websites, and administration.  And yet, there is only one source for the teachings and amazing technologies of the of Svaroopa® sciences. Ultimately, the decision to consolidate was easy. We always had in mind “how do we best serve those who serve by sharing Svaroopa® yoga?”

We still have limited resources – so many choices, so little time! But I believe you can feel more confident that the consolidation will eliminate the duplication, streamline operations, and give you more value for your tuition, SATYA dues and donations. Are you excited about the new initiatives ? Still have questions or concerns ? We’d love to hear from you. We are here to serve you!

One Organization~One Source, by Marlene Gast, MYF VP of Communications

As an MYF Board member, I voted for Master Yoga’s consolidation with the Ashram because I want others to be as lucky as I have been in receiving the authentic teachings of yoga on a path of Grace.

When Swami Nirmalananda formed the Ashram, I was already very involved in the Master Yoga organization. It was all because Swami Nirmalananda has been my Teacher — with a capital “T” — since I took her weeklong Core Opening Squared yogimmersion at Feathered Pipe Ranch in Montana, September 2004. How lucky could I get? She gave me my first Belly Up adjustment in Lunge. Then there was more good fortune. In July 2005 Swamiji, then called Rama, was the Primary Teacher Trainer in my Foundations of Svaroopa® Yoga course. I had already trained as a yoga teacher in another style, but Svaroopa® yoga had captivated me with all of the wonderful spinal opening poses. Even more intriguing were teachings about Consciousness. My former style talked a lot about Prana. But what was Consciousness? How does it relate to Prana? I could feel myself on the edge of Knowing, and still I didn’t know what that was. Swamiji patiently answered my persistent questions. Clearly, she was the Teacher I’d always been seeking, even though I never imagined that I was seeking a guru.

More good fortune —Swamiji taught selected sessions throughout my YTT. In 2007, right after my Level 2, I answered a Master Yoga call for sevites, and became editor of Tadaa! in its original quarterly form. I was supposed to be serving Master Yoga, and I wanted to give back, because I had received more than I can even talk about here. But in serving as editor, of course, I received more. Seva is a delicious cycle: You give of your capabilities as best you can, and the seva keeps opening you to Self and personal growth, and then you want to give more! But then you get more!! When called to the MYF Board this past winter during our Reawakening, I had no second thoughts. Of course, I would offer whatever service I could to Master Yoga. It was formed to serve those who serve others by teaching Svaroopa^® yoga. What better calling?

So how is voting to consolidate Master Yoga with the Ashram serving Master Yoga? I’ll paraphrase Shuchi (Sue) Cilley, MYF Board President: Master Yoga will have a better future as part of the Ashram than we could ever look forward to with Master Yoga separate.  The two organizations that are becoming one have always been individual doors to the same mind-blowing store of teachings; the organizations have always been essentially the same. Yet there has been an artificial wall between them, dividing the practices that work with the body to open within to Self, and the practices that work with the mind to recognize Self beyond the mind.

Practically, I voted for consolidation because it makes sense operationally. Consistent systems streamline effort and save time and money. The duplication of operations comes at a high cost on many levels. During the MYF Reawakening over the past year, while our Teacher has continued teaching in phone courses, in retreats, in selected sessions of MYF training programs, she has also devoted untold hours, for free, to shore up MYF operations. Having one organization bringing into the world the authentic teachings of yoga and meditation from the very same source — Swami Nirmalananda — just makes sense. It frees her to bring us all in the Svaroopa® community the teachings for which we yearn, whether we enter through Master Yoga asana programs or through the Ashram and meditation. One set of operations provides a sturdy foundation to support an abundance of options from which to choose, and there is no wall blocking any of them from the Grace of the Guru.

OM svaroopa svasvabhava.h namo nama.h

Consolidation Compliments & Thank Yous

Originally we intended to publish more FAQs about the consolidation of MYF and SVA, but we were surprised to find that there weren’t many questions! Instead, we received many lovely compliments and thank yous that we’d like to share with you:

“Thanks to all that made this consolidation possible. I think it is a positive move.”

“Thank God!  I feel the love.  I cried when I read the article.  I have been wondering, waiting…still unclear why that happened, what sort of logic…but that is the past…We can become closer now…”

“So simple – makes so much sense!”

“Infinite Love & Gratitude”

“My gratitude to the Board members, past and present and all who have served through this period of transition…which now that I think about it has been going on since Rama Berch came back from India and decided to call the style of yoga she was teaching Svaroopa.”

“Easiness and less duplication…more grace!”

“Ah, the wonders of yoga! Thank You again and again!”

“Unification will benefit each of us in ways yet to be explored individually and collectively.  Yay!”

If Not Now…When? by Rudrani Nogue, SVA Board Member

Most often my nature is to sit back and mull over any decision I make for a long time. However, as a SVA founding Board Member, the decision to consolidate Master Yoga and the Ashram was a clear and quick decision.

From my perspective, the time had come to end the artificial separation of Master Yoga (MYF) and the Ashram (SVA). Guru’s Grace is the “magic potion” that flows freely through SVA, yet not so freely though MYF.  However, the asana practice originated through Swamiji, by the Grace of her Guru Muktananda. The Svaroopa^® yoga asana and Ujjayi Pranayama practice are supported through Grace.   Just as you cannot take the heat and light out of the sunshine, you cannot take the Grace out of Master Yoga. It is an inherent part of it.

For me, the separation of MYF and SVA was awkward, both creating duplication and a sense of duality. Within the embrace of consolidated programs, we continue to train and support asana teachers and therapists. This will not change. With all the programs under one umbrella, the Grace will flow more easily.

We are all family and can live in the same house. As part of the family, asana teachers will have total choice around what Svaroopa^® practices to pursue, support and/or receive training in.  As your needs and interests (or not), you will be easily able to follow your interests all within in one organization. Day to day, month to month, year to year and decade to decade my practices have morphed and continue to grow and change. I have been on the path since 1999 when I entered Teacher Training. Today I have a large teaching practice and teach meditation, as well as serving as a Meditation Group Leader.

I practice asana every day.  As well, my readiness for all the other practices available through SVA has grown over time, as my understanding expands. Over time meditation, japa and chanting have become key practices for me as I search for and find my own true Self.

In the end consolidation will simplify things. Importantly, in the end it will simplify things for Swamji so she can return to more writing and teaching.  And for those of us who have been working with two organizations there will be ease in working with just one.  This will be one website, one menu of offerings for training and retreats, and fewer requests for donations (but donating will continue to be very important!).

Even if you have no intention of moving from whatever your entry point into the Svaroopa^® Sciences has been (perhaps asana, philosophy or meditation), the consolidation will not inhibit you from choosing what you want from the menu of practices and following your own path.

At the root level both organizations have always shared the same intention of uncovering the true essence of your being….your true Self. Both organizations simply offered different practices that give different access points to the Self. In hindsight it is easy to see that we never needed to be separate. Realigning to be one organization makes perfect sense to me.   I hope it does to you too and that you will come into our joint organization as it develops, with your questions and ideas as well as an openness to your inner Bliss!

OM svaroopa svasvabhava.h namo nama.h

Japathon! Seva – by Ellen Mitchell

When I came back from India, I knew I wanted to do seva.  I quickly filled out the application form and sent it in.  I was offered the opportunity to lead the team organizing a Japathon!  How very exciting!  Grace flowed at the very mention of it.  The Grace continued flowing throughout.  What a gift.  Were there bumps in the road?  Yes, there were.  Were there uncertainties?  Absolutely!  Were there questions?  Tons!  Were there answers?  Always.  Throughout it all the Grace flowed and love swelled within me for all.  Tears come to my eyes just writing this.

Swamiji’s hands

I want to thank Swami Nirmalananda Saraswati for the idea, for guidance, for making this the Year of Japa, for all the beautiful recordings about japa, for her superb editing skills, for being.  I thank Devapriyaa Hills for her wise words and fielding all those questions!  Rukmini Abbruzzi for her steady responses and guidance.  Janice O’Brien for her work on the web site Japathon! page and Glen Christensen for helping me figure out how to play a recording clearly.

Thanks to Sharada Macdonald and Kanchan Mohn, who were called to other services; although your time on our team was brief, you made an impact.  I thank the Meditation Group Leaders who so quickly responded to our requests and those who led the Japathon! — Rukmini Abbruzzi, Vibhuti King, Rudrani Nogue and Niranjan Matanich.  I especially want to thank the Japathon! team — Deborah Woodward, Gayatri Hess, and Vicharinee Chafin.  I could feel the Grace coming through every call and email.  Your words brought me to tears on more than one occasion and inspire me to do more japa — thank you.

To those who participated in the Ashram’s fourth birthday — thank you!  The Japathon!, our gift from the Ashram, to the Ashram and to each other, will continue to resonate with Grace, love and joy through us all.  Om Namah Shivaya

A Note from Swamiji

I echo Ellen’s thanks along with so many others who had a great experience on the call.  Your shares onFaceBook keep trickling in – each one touches my heart deeply.  This is truly the type of birthday celebration I like!  Instead of candles and cheers (as fun as they are), the event is another opportunity to experience your hidden Divinity, your own Self – and an opportunity to express it into the world.

Congratulations to the whole Japathon! team, who really picked up the ball and ran with it.  Behind the scenes, we were served by  Ellen Mitchell (coordinator), Deborah Woodward, Gayatri (Barbara) Hess and Vicharinee (Su) Chafin.  Our phone japa was led by Niranjan Matanich, Vibhuti Courtney, Rudrani Nogue and Rukmini Abbruzzi.  And of course Baba – without whom none of this would exist.  I owe it all to my Guru!

OM svaroopa svasvabhava.h namo nama.h

Five Years Ago compared to Today, by Saguna (Kelly) Goss, MYF Board Member

 

                     

My first Board meeting was the in-person Board Retreat five years ago, when Rama Berch informed the board that she would be taking sannyasa vows and becoming a monk.  She was interested in teaching more about meditation, the Guru and Grace and wanted to open an Ashram.  The board decided that it would be best if there were two organizations.

There were many factors that played into that decision.  One factor was giving Swamiji the freedom to establish the Ashram exactly as she wanted without having to fit within the confines and structure of Master Yoga, a Yoga Teacher Training school.  Swamiji could create an organization focused 100% on knowing the Self.  While this gave Swamiji an open slate, it also meant that she started from scratch and created an entirely separate administrative and board structure.

Another factor the board considered was the interests of different students.  There are so many different practices to choose from within the yoga system: poses, breathing practices, chanting, meditation and worship.  Five years ago, the idea was that we could best serve the students by separating them into two camps: poses and breathing versus meditation and Guru.

It was obvious, almost immediately, that it was not possible to divide the interests so simply.  Within a few months I was leading a committee that was charged with deciding where we draw the line in the sand between Master Yoga and Svaroopa® Vidya Ashram, specifically about where Vichara Therapist Training should be taught.  Vichara is a key tool for teachers to have to deal with students’ minds; however, it is a practice focusing on the mind!  Additionally, in my personal practice I found the line between the two organizations difficult to create.  I remember re-taking Foundations a couple of years ago and having a very difficult time not diving deep into meditation during the whole program – was this a Master Yoga program focused on poses or a Svaroopa® Vidya Ashram leading me to my Self?

Not only is it impossible to divide yoga practices into two groups, it doesn’t serve the students we originally identified, those interested in only some of the practices.  Having two organizations adds complexity and duplication.  And specifically for Svaroopa® Yoga, a yoga practice based on a lineage of Gurus, it is important to have the flow of Grace flowing through all practices.  Whether Swami Nirmalananda is your Guru, or you prefer to see her as the originator of the poses and breathing practices that you love, having her oversight will make the yoga more effective for everyone.

So yes, this is a big change.  Five years ago we made the decision to be two but now, today, the way to best serve you is to be one!  I’m looking forward to this change and to be better able to serve the growing community of Svaroopa® Yogis!

There or Here – Do More Yoga! by Rob Gold

There’s not one thing in my life I’d rather be doing this weekend more than attending the conference – but I won’t be there. A decision about something else in my life makes it (seem) undoable. A few months ago, about the time I was asked to write this series of pre-conference articles, I learned that my dog had lymphoma. For those of you who have experienced cancer, you know the only certainty is that you don’t know what, when, where, why or how things will change. It’s the great unknown and in that is an equally great lesson in surrender.

I couldn’t imagine leaving her in the care of others if she was sick or dying, nor can I leave her with others when she’s healthy – she’s just not that kind of dog. So, I decided not to decide, or rather to let her condition determine if I was coming or not. The good news is that, three months after her diagnosis, she is as vibrant as ever, thanks in part to some steroids and dietary changes.

I know I’m missing an incredible opportunity to connect this weekend, but I am also blessed with opportunities to connect in my life just as it is; right here, right now. There are always opportunities to do more japa, more seva, reach more students and know more of the Self. After all, what did Swamiji do when she was the only Svaroopi? Or what Muktananda do when He was not in the presence of His Guru? This is the beauty of the teachings: it’s ALL there, ALL the time. Sure, there are people, places and things that make it easier to connect, to accelerate ones spiritual journey, but we can access it any time we chose to direct our free will in that direction.

Will I miss the bhav of sitting in a hall filled with hundreds of Svaroopis? Yes.

Will I miss being in the presence of Swamiji and all the delicious programming? Definitely.

Do feel regular deep openings and connections to the Self from my life and environment here on Maui? Absolutely. After all, chanting the Guru Gita on an empty beach at sunrise  is an experience beyond what I could have imagined when I lived on the mainland.  So who’s to say it’s not actually the right thing for right now?