Community Voices
Power of Sound: Heal Yourself with Kirtan
Chanting mantra, whether done through kirtan (joyous chanting), japamala (repetition of mantra using prayer beads), or silent meditation is a practice. A practice has its ups and downs. Maintaining your own mantra practice requires discipline, determination, and concentration. When discipline, determination, and concentration wane, it helps to have a community that will uplift you.
“Older” Karma Yogis Find a Yoga Home
Service have been the mainstay of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat since it was founded in the 1960s by Swami Vishnu Devananda. Staying from one to three months — or longer — in a residential study program, Karma Yogis are assigned to service in the k …
Who Takes the Yoga Teacher Training? Stories from Sivananda Graduates
“Unity in Diversity” is a hallmark of the Sivananda tradition, the phrase used by Swami Vishudevananda as he set out on his missions for world peace. But even before his historic flights to trouble spots around the world, Swami Vishnu launched his effo …
Ganesha’s Famous Pizzas
On graduation day for students of the Sivananda Teacher Training Course, the entire ashram is hopping with excitement as dinnertime approaches. This is the night that Ganesha, a longtime staff member, makes pizza for dinner. These are no ordinary pizza …
Mother and Daughter, Together in the Yoga Teacher Training Course
Kathy Chappell graduated the July Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course 2018 with her daughter Samantha. This is her first-hand experience. The moment my daughter Samantha and I stepped on the dock of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat on Paradise Isla …
What Our TTC Graduates Say!
Worldwide Testimonials for the Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Toronto, Canada * Singapore * Montevideo, Uruguay * Vienna, Austria * New York City, United States * England, United Kingdom * Tel Aviv, Israel * Salem, Massachusetts * Groningen, The Nethe …
The Meaning of Satsang
“…the beginner will do well to take the opportunity that comes in his way to strengthen his own aspirations by communion with others who share them.” — Swami Sivananda, Bliss Divine Everyone is encouraged to attend both satsangs every day in the ashr …
A Pivotal Moment in Fish Pose: Sivananda Yoga Posture Stories
By Bea Doyle Over time, our experience of yoga asanas evolves beyond the physical — the postures become our teachers and companions, showing us our relationship with ourselves and the world. Enjoy this collection of stories submitted by Sivananda Yoga …
Why Long-Term Karma Yogis Keep Coming Back
A spiritual center of learning, teaching, and practice, the Sivananda ashrams all run on service … and the Bahamas ashram is no different. Karma Yogis, practitioners of selfless service, go beyond the traditional definition of volunteer. The Karma Yoga …
Grounding through Shoulderstand: Sivananda Yoga Posture Stories
By Sri Devi (Jennie Hastings) Over time, our experience of yoga asanas evolves beyond the physical — the postures become our teachers and companions, showing us our relationship with ourselves and the world. Enjoy this collection of stories submitted b …
Yoga Around the World: Guest Stories
Finally! One of the biggest trends in the world today is good for you. Yoga is a growing practice in North America, Latin and South America, Japan, China, Europe and Asia. Recent statistics indicate there are 300 million people now practicing yoga worl …
The Power of Savasana
By Ali Shevlin (Rukmini) Over time, our experience of yoga asanas evolves beyond the physical — the postures become our teachers and companions, showing us our relationship with ourselves and the world. Enjoy this collection of stories submitted by Siv …
The Wrong Triangle Pose: Sivananda Yoga Posture Stories
By Mark Hanuman Geraghty Over time, our experience of yoga asanas evolves beyond the physical — the postures become our teachers and companions, showing us our relationship with ourselves and the world. Enjoy this collection of stories submitted by Siv …
A Rush of Blood to the Head with Standing Forward Bend
By Nora Sundari Benian Over time, our experience of yoga asanas evolves beyond the physical — the postures become our teachers and companions, showing us our relationship with ourselves and the world. Enjoy this collection of stories submitted by Sivan …
Finding Balance, the Space Between Extremes: Sivananda Yoga Posture Stories
By Daniel Rama Over time, our experience of yoga asanas evolves beyond the physical — the postures become our teachers and companions, showing us our relationship with ourselves and the world. Enjoy this collection of stories submitted by Sivananda Yog …
Lightening up in the Spinal Twist: Sivananda Yoga Posture Stories
By Carolyn Uma Berry Over time, our experience of yoga asanas evolves beyond the physical — the postures become our teachers and companions, showing us our relationship with ourselves and the world. Enjoy this collection of stories submitted by Sivanan …
The Ugliest Bow: Sivananda Yoga Posture Stories
By Katie Ambika Papo Over time, our experience of yoga asanas evolves beyond the physical — the postures become our teachers and companions, showing us our relationship with ourselves and the world. Enjoy this collection of stories submitted by Sivanan …
Learning to Love the Locust: Sivananda Yoga Posture Stories
By Mahadevi (Robyn Hennon) Over time, our experience of yoga asanas evolves beyond the physical — the postures become our teachers and companions, showing us our relationship with ourselves and the world. Enjoy this collection of stories submitted by S …
How Cobra Lifted Me Up: Sivananda Yoga Posture Stories
By Stacie Saraswati Dooreck Over time, our experience of yoga asanas evolves beyond the physical — the postures become our teachers and companions, showing us our relationship with ourselves and the world. Enjoy this collection of stories submitted by …
Paschimothanasana and Breaking My Own Resistance: Sivananda Yoga Posture Stories
By Surya Over time, our experience of yoga asanas evolves beyond the physical — the postures become our teachers and companions, showing us our relationship with ourselves and the world. Enjoy this collection of stories submitted by Sivananda Yoga prac …
How Halasana Became Family: Sivananda Yoga Posture Stories
By Shahar Arjuna Kovetz Over time, our experience of yoga asanas evolves beyond the physical — the postures become our teachers and companions, showing us our relationship with ourselves and the world. Enjoy this collection of stories submitted by Siva …
Making Peace with Sun Salutations: Sivananda Yoga Posture Stories
By Annapurna Devi (Grace Welker) Over time, our experience of yoga asanas evolves beyond the physical — the postures become our teachers and companions, showing us our relationship with ourselves and the world. Enjoy this collection of stories submitte …
Conquering Headstand at Age 61: Sivananda Yoga Posture Stories
By Padmavati Over time, our experience of yoga asanas evolves beyond the physical — the postures become our teachers and companions, showing us our relationship with ourselves and the world. Enjoy this collection of stories submitted by Sivananda Yoga …
Personal Stories: Connecting with the Sivananda Yoga Postures
We created a series of blog posts that follow the sequence of the Sivananda Yoga practice. All are true stories from brave souls who were willing to share their inner workings and private relationship with a certain posture or practice. Read the storie …
10 Amazing Things About Living at the Ashram
The Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat welcomes students, yoga vacationers, spiritual aspirants, distinguished presenters from around the world — and Karma Yogis for the Residential Study Program. Karma Yogis enroll for at least one to three months o …
Life Change Through Yoga Teacher Training
The Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course (TTC) was created not only to train people to become yoga teachers but to become ambassadors of peace in the world. Now more than ever, we need people committed to their own personal transformation through yog …
Community Voices: Pivotal Books on the Spiritual Path
Is there a book that was pivotal to you on your spiritual path? Which book? How did it impact you? Please share your story below and inspire others. (It doesn’t have to be long to be inspiring!)
Feeding the Ashram: Chef Ambika and the Brunch Shift
by Grace Welker (Annapurna Devi) It’s 6:30 am on a Friday in mid-October. While the rest of the ashram community are in satsang transitioning from silent meditation into the daily chant, I am gathered with the kitchen’s brunch crew to begin preparation …
Community Voices: Using Yoga to Heal Illness and Chronic Conditions
Have you used yoga to heal an illness or chronic condition? What happened? How did yoga help? Please share your story below and inspire others. (It doesn’t have to be long to be inspiring!)
Advanced Yoga Teacher Training: A Conversation with Amelia Travis
When she graduated from the Teacher Training Course (TTC) as a Sivananda Yoga teacher four years ago, Amelia Travis had no idea that a business concept formed during that training would lead back to Sivananda, this time to the Advanced Teacher Training …
Singing to God: The Resurgence of Kirtan
Chanting, kirtan, devotional music — by whatever name you call it, the lure of ancient call-and-response singing in the name of God is on the rise. “Chanting wakes up our hearts,” says kirtan singer Luna Ray, who opened the On the Wings of Ecstasy devo …
Community Voices: First Yoga Experience
Do you remember the details of your first yoga experience? Yoga came to me unexpected. My first yoga experience was initiated by a close friend. One rainy evening, she asked me to join her at a new studio in Vancouver, Canada. I was very hesitan …
Community Voices: Yoga and Religion
Has yoga changed your relationship with your religion? In what ways? I went to Catholic school when I was young. I went to church camp and sang in the church choir. But at some point all of this drifted away. I stopped going to church. I never t …
Community Voices: Spiritual Names
If you have received a spiritual name, what has been the effect for you? How do you feel about your name? Do you use it in daily life I was given a spiritual name after completing the TTC in 2008. I feel a bit shy about using it. I have been tea …
Chanting Ahimsa
by Nicole Vahlkamp (Nirmala) It is 6 o’clock in the morning and 200 people are sitting cross-legged on a large wooden platform surrounded by palm trees made slightly iridescent by the contrast between the slowly rising sun and the shadows of the dissol …
