Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre - Homepage
 
Yoga, the science of union of individual and univeral consciousness, history spans more than 5000 years.

These ancient teachings have been passed from guru to disciple from the great sages and rishis of India.

One of the great yogis, Adi Shankaracharya, rediscovered the ancient vedantic teachings, reestablishing the sacred path of yoga throughout India.


Swami
Sivananda
The Saraswati lineage, from which Swami Sivananda hails, is one branch of a whole tree of yoga teachings which have descended from the teachings of Adi Shankaracharya.

Swami Sivananda, born in 1887 is regarded as one of the great saints of the 21st century. He trained as a medical doctor, this set his course in helping others and fueled his burning desire to serve the greater good. He tirelessly worked and wrote medical journals, joureying all over India and Malaysia.

In 1922, he became Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh and founded the Divine Life Society. He had many disciples and wrote over 300 books on the teachings and practices of yoga. Swami Sivananda left his body in 1963 leaving many disciples who have continued to spread his teachings.

One of his best known quotes is 'serve, love, give, purity, meditate, realise', which summarises his greater teachings.

Swami Vishnu Devananda was sent to the west by Swami Sivananda with the message 'Go People are waiting'.

Alongside setting up the International Sivananda Vedanta organisation and founding ashrams and centres worldwide he embarked on active peace missions spreading the message of 'unity in diversity'.

Inspired by a vision he created the Yoga Teachers Training Course to train the future leaders of today.
 

The 5 points of Yoga
(For healthy living, as summarised by Swami Vishnu Devananda)

Swami Vishnu Devananda
Swami Vishnu
Devananda
  • Proper Exercise (Asana)
    The physical body is designed to move and exercise. Disease and great discomfort will come with the onset of time if there is insufficient movements to the muscles and joints of the body. Yoga exercises are a pleasant way to maintain maxiumum health within all the body systems, along with a balanced mind and spiritual life.

  • Proper Breathing (Pranayama)
    Proper breathing is making full use of the respiratory system as most people tend to use only a portion of their full lung capacity. There is also a number of pranayama (breath control) exercises which are of great benifit in the practice of hatha yoga and mind control, paving a pathway to meditation.

  • Proper Relaxation (Savasana)
    By relaxing deeply all the muscles the Yogi can thoroughly rejuvenate his nervous system and attain a deep sense of inner peace.

  • Proper Diet (Vegetarian)
    We are what we eat. The foods we eat profoundly affect our mind.and body. For maximum body-mind efficiency and complete spiritual awareness, Yoga advices a lacto-vegetarian diet. This is an integral part of the Yogic lifestyle.

  • Positive Thinking and Meditation (Dhyana)
    Mind becomes matter, we become what we think. So we should strive to cultivate positive and creative thoughts as these will contribute to vibrant health and a peaceful, joyful mind. A positive outlook on life can be developed by learning and practicing the teachings of the philosophy of Vedanta. The mind will be brought under perfect control by regular systematic practice of meditation.

    • The 4 paths of Yoga
    Yoga can be divided into four main paths. Each individual may be more inclined to go down one path but it is important to practice a little of all creating a synthesis of yoga. The four paths are as follows:

  • Karma Yoga (the yoga of action)
    Karma yoga is selfless service without attachment to the fruits of ones actions. By serving others we are able to purify by burning the ego and developing compassion.

  • Bhakti Yoga (the yoga of devotion)
    The devotional practices of bhakti yoga help to open ones heart and channel our emotions to a higher level of consciousness by appreciating the divine in all aspects of nature.

  • Raja Yoga (the science of physical and mental control)
    Raja yoga is formed of the eight limbs also known as ashtanga yoga. They are a systematic process of purification and concentration techniques gaining control of the body and mind, leading to meditation. Raja yoga is therefore known as the Royal Path.

    		• Swami Sivananda
    Swami Sivananda
  • Jnana Yoga (the yoga of knowledge or wisdom)
    With a solid foundation of the other 3 paths of yoga, the jnana yogi emabarks on the advanced path of deep enquiry into the true nature of the self. Through study of the scriptures and meditation on what is real and what is unreal the jnana yogi strives to rest in the true nature of the self.

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