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.

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

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

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?

The Time Has Come – by Kanchan Mohn, SVA Board Member

Bringing Master Yoga’s teacher training and asana programming under the umbrella of Svaroopa® Vidya Ashram, Swami Nirmalananda’s home base,  is a “no brainer”  to me.  It is alignment with Grace, a returning home, to family, to the safety and security of the womb.

Svaroopa Yoga is a Grace-born yoga; Grace born through Swamiji. There is no denying or hiding that fact and to try to do so only weakens the yogis’ and yoga’s connection with Grace, and in turn, the yoga and the organization supporting the yoga is weakened. We’ve watched this happen to Master Yoga. In a recent survey, eighty-five percent of the yogis interested enough to respond supported consolidation.

Its time has come.

OM svaroopa svasvabhava.h namo nama.h

The Importance of the Ashram’s Birthday, by Swami Nirmalananda

I have two birthday celebrations every year: the day I was born into this world and the day that I was born into the Self, my Shaktipat anniversary, plus on Saturday I will be celebrating the Ashram’s birthday.  This is the second time this year I’m celebrating the birthday of a yoga organization.  Master Yoga’s 21^st birthday in May was a big event, yet I’m hoping our Saturday event is even bigger — our Japathon!  You can participate from wherever you are… [click for more information]

I also celebrate other birthdays, including my Guru’s birthday and Shaktipat anniversary, plus the birthdays of those in the family I was born into, as well as those wonderful beings I birthed and raised.  I’ve also birthed four not-for-profit organizations (working with many other dedicated yogis):  Yoga Alliance and YES (the San Diego yoga teachers association) as well as Master Yoga and Svaroopa^® Vidya Ashram.

Consider what happens when you tell others, “It’s my birthday!”  People get excited and want to take you out for a decadent-something, or maybe create time to share some enjoyable pursuit with you.  On birthdays, people want to pursue their favorite pleasures, usually with other people joining them so it is more pleasurable.  About 30 years ago, all this stopped working for me.  I now realize why — I was no longer pursuing pleasure.  Yoga had showed me a greater goal than mere pleasure.  For years I couldn’t figure out what to do, so I ignored birthdays (mine and others). It was frustrating to those close to me.

Now I delight in birthday celebrations, mine as well as others.  The difference is that I now understand what we’re celebrating — we’re celebrating life.  In celebrating an individual life, we are celebrating the whole of life, which is the dance of “Siva being “Sakti, being this world and all in it.  As great as that is, birthday of a yoga organization is different.

The birth of a person is into limitation, the exploration of individual identity.  Shree Guru Gita says it this way:  “Birth is into not-knowingness, spellbound by Maayaa’s worldly dance…”[1]  But the birth of an Ashram begins the liberation, a process that benefits not just one individual but all who yearn to know the highest.  For this reason, the Ashram’s birthday is deeply meaningful to me.  Regardless of the level of practice you choose (poses only, meditation only, a mix of both or more from our many offerings), the whole banquet is available to you.  Whether you come to one of our three locations or you dial in from home, you are stepping through Ashram’s doorway.  Ultimately, this is a doorway to your own Divine Self.

I find a birthday to be a great time to consider, “How am I doing?  Am I accomplishing the purpose of my life?  Am I still on target?”  This turns my attention to purpose for which the Ashram exists.  This an annual evaluation looks back to see how we doing are so far, and looks forward to see how will we fulfill our purpose in the future. Our purpose is eloquently stated in the Ashram’s founding documents:

to engage in & teach the worship of Parama”siva, the all-pervasive Divine Reality, focusing on finding and experiencing the Divine within the individual human being.

Now housing the consolidated programs for Svaroopa^® yoga and Svaroopa^® vidya, we are even more able to help you find and experience your own Divinity.  Whether you are focused on the poses and breathing or on the meditative practices, you are focusing on finding and experiencing the Divine within you — which is you.

Thank you for your Birthday Gifts, the donations that support the Ashram’s work.  Click here to donate.

Please join us in our Japathon! on Saturday morning at 10 am (Eastern Time)!  You can do it independently or join in our conference call — click here for more information.

With love and blessings,

Swami Nirmalananda

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[1] Shree Guru Gita, verse 10, rendered by Swami Nirmalananda

Seva Is Yoga by Rob Gold

My introduction to seva came from an Indian professor I had in college. She taught on the

topic and the responsibility of and value in serving one’s community. It was lost on me at the time.  However 20 years later, I remember what she looked like, subtleties of her accent and even the spelling of her Hindu name; clearly she had an impact on me.

The second time I encountered seva was at my Foundations training at Kripalu. Swamiji divided our large group into teams of sevites and sent us out to help with the housekeeping, kitchen and operations of the Center. Who knew vacuuming could be such

bliss! Gone were the superficial and selfish reasons for doing things; for that one hour my job was to vacuum carpet and focus on why I was doing it. Time flew by and I was amazed at how full I felt and how much I had accomplished in such a short time.

My third and deepest encounter with seva came from readings in the Bhagavad Gita during Swamiji’s Yoga Business Skills course. Time and time again Krishna provides the teachings and illuminates the path for Arjuna until finally he gets it. I often feel like Arjuna:  lost, confused and without focus, but once I recognize my state (with a small “s”), I have these collective experiences to draw upon and apply to my life. My version of it is this:

  “When you are stuck on yourself, go be of service to someone else.”  It works every time, usually in ways and to a degree I could never have imagined.

Such is the case with the upcoming Conference, now just 1 week away. I feel like Arjuna slumped in his chariot, burdened by my churning mind, caught in the turmoil of why I can’t go — and why I need to. But what if I went not for me but to serve others and assist with the event? Swamiji always builds in ways for us to be of service and the Conference is no exception. Vacuuming the halls of Kripalu was a profound experience before my spine opened, before I knew about seva and its power, so by becoming part of the Conference I’ll get more yoga, more Swamiji, more community and more Grace, all by doing more for others and less for me. Sounds like a pretty good deal, doesn’t it?