Shat Ripu's - The Six Enemies of The Spirit

In Yoga we mostly focus on cultivating our divine qualities such as devotion, love, compassion, & peace. However, many students have come to me saying that they cannot stop thier negative thinking. Theese negative tendancies are termed the Shat Ripu's in Yoga and are defined as the six enemies of the spirit. They are as follows;

1. Kama: Desire & Lust
2. Krodha: Anger
3. Lobha: Greed
4. Moha: Delusion
5. Madha: Egotistic tendancies
6. Matsarya: Jealousy

Desire & lust are closest to the root of our afflictions which will lead us nicely into a future discussion on the Kleshas. Frequently my students have heard me tell them to master thier desires & aversions (aversions are really desires for something other than what is) as this will take them to the goal. Of the Shat Ripu's anger is considered to be the most dangerous as it will rob you of the most energy and will cause the most karmic debt.

In The Bhagavad Gita Krishna tells Arjuna that "we are our own worst enemy, responsible for our own downfall". He goes on to say In chapter 16 verse 21 that greed, anger, & lust are the three gates to hell. In Verse 4 Krishna says arrogance, pride, anger, conciet, harshness, and ignorance - theese quaities belong to those of demonic nature.

In the beautiful story of the Ramayana we have the subtle meanings presented to us in many ways. The word for enemy "Shatru" and "Ripu" are stated no less than 445 times! Imagine that, do you think they are trying to tell us something? In the Ramayana Anger is stated as our worst foe followed by sorrow & despair.

In the Mahopanishad pride & arrogance are stated as our enemies and one of my personal favorites is how Shri Nammazhwar looks to the Indriyas as our worst foes. A full discussion on the Indriyas (our organs of action and our sense organs), is to follow in the near future however what is meant is that we have to train them and get control over them otherwise they will turn against us. Like an untrained pet dog or monkey in our home, if left untrained & undisciplined then they will terrorize us and destroy our homes. To be truly happy we must train them and gain control over our senses, our desires, and ultimatly our minds, if we are to be able to use them to thier best ability and to live to our divine potential.

First we must identify and become conscious of theese behaviours & tendancies in our thinking, then we can decide that we have to eliminate them. This decision is called a Sankalpa in Yoga where we make a resolute intention to integrate or eliminate something into our lives. In Yoga we have the beautiful practice of Pratipaksha Bhavana, "cultivating the opposites", which helps us when we have theese negative thoughts. It is this practice that we must then implement by turning our minds to divine thoughts & qualities.

In The Bhagavad Gita chapter 16- verses 1-3 "The Blessed Lord said: Fearlessness, purification of one's existence, cultivation of spiritual knowledge, charity, self-control, performance of sacrifice, study of the Vedas, austerity and simplicity; nonviolence, truthfulness, freedom from anger; renunciation, tranquility, aversion to faultfinding, compassion and freedom from covetousness; gentleness, modesty and steady determination; vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, cleanliness, freedom from envy and the passion for honor--these transcendental qualities, O son of Bharata, belong to godly men endowed with divine nature.

I might emphasize the practice of Seva as charity, selflessness, love & devotion, as well as the practices of mantra chanting to help us in purifying our minds. Along with the step by step skillfull use of the various Yoga practices we teach we can gain Self mastery.

Please remeber this important teaching "having a technique is one thing, how to implement it is the most important thing". In fact how we do anything is the most importnat thing. Once again we can look to the Ramayana and the way in which Rama dealt with his enemies. He always fought consciously, dharmically & fair, with patience and perhaps most importantly with compassion. It is in this way that we too must face our ego & its lower tendancies. Remember that anytime you try to push too hard there will always be resistance, and anytime that you fight an opponet they will fight back. If we love our enemies, accept them and help them to become disciplined we will find that they discover they/we are happiest when they are not ressisting, not fighting. Our enemies will relax and become our friends they will love us as well.

Like Hanuman who with his monkey mind gained control over his senses to such a degree that he was able to sublimate his desires and fully commit toBrahmacharya. Hanuman is our model for the perfect devotee who masters his lower animal nature and becomes a god himself.

In closing we are led to see that really we have two paths before us. The path that will lead to liberation and the path that will lead to bondage. My question to you my students is, "in any given momet which path will you take?" Most probably we would all say "the path of liberation", well then allow me to suggest a question for you to ask yourself; are you doing your best? I know often when I see people misbehaving I feel compassion and say "everyone is doing thier best". This attitude is ideal however it should not be confused with personal complacency. We must continually look within and as we sublimate our selfishness and integrate our divine qualities we get to use them to empower ourselves and others for evolutionary purposes. It is then as it is now when we use our divine qualities that we can say, Yes, I am doing my best!

Transcript of Satsang by Yogacharya Gowrishankaranada © July 2010

The Acharya's Path

The Acharyas Path

When one enters the Acharyas path he doesn’t know what lies ahead. She intuits that it is indeed the path to be on. He honors the path, and he takes the first step. Mixed with exhilaration and trepidation her intentions are good. For it to be the Acharyas path it has to first me known as “my” path then as you progress the sadhaks path. Alas, the path is always longer than we expect; likewise the fruits along the way are different, often bittersweet. Sometimes we stop to take in the view or to take a rest. Sometimes we slow down. Sometimes we slip. Then sometimes we run so fast we think we are flying. What we eventually realize is that we are being lifted, pulled & carried. Yes it was our effort that lifted us to within the guru’s grasp so that we could then be pulled. But let us make no mistake, there is magic here and it is the energy of the unseen guru whom we follow and to whom we must offer our gratitude for feeding us in every way. Then there are the times we take a wrong turn or get trapped in the many pits that are on either side of the path. Then there are the times we wallow in the pits not knowing how to get out or blinded by our tears & not caring as we despair over some imagined loss & burden we were attached to. Eventually we do get out, sometimes scratching & clawing with every bit of energy & will power we can muster. Often we are badly bruised, scratched, torn, & broken; this too is important for the scars are needed for a long time to remind us of what happens when we go off the path and in time we heal & we learn.

Know this fellow Sadhak, as your vision becomes sharper you will discern the path better & it will become clearer. That which leads us to our destination and that which will not will become more apparent. Feed the vision of viveka with a meaningful amount of viragya. Always and in all situations keep your stock of both topped up.

We learn how to pick ourselves up when we fall and we learn to get strong enough not to fall in the first place. It is this strength that makes all the varied & seemingly beautiful paths & temptations powerless over us. We know our minds therefore knowing all minds, it is in this way that we know the path. We walk the path and we walk strong & straight; steady, straight & with more and more ease. We learn when to take a helping hand and whom to accept it from. Eventually it is us who lends the hand. Careful of those who live in the land of pleasure for their goddess is Maya herself… remember what my guide told me; that which is pleasurable should not be confused with that which is good!

Only eat from the tree with eight limbs it will nourish you and if for some reason you imagine you can be nourished from another tree you can always come back. Just know that once you eat from another tree your ability to see the tree with eight limbs as the good tree will diminish. I am told there other trees out there from which you can be nourished but I do not know them just as I am told there are paths, but I only know this one. I do know that the fruits from the eight limbed tree are plentiful, nourishing and never ending. Everything else I have tasted was poison.

Every Sadhak must care for their own staff, it must be kept clean, strong, & flexible. You will not reach the goal if your staff is not capable of surviving the journey. I am not talking of any old stick. You must transform your staff with the use of the alchemical formula. Utilize the 3 subtle properties farmed from fields of the Dosha’s. Remember that there are many that you will meet along the way who have gone insane, alas this is a dangerous path with many unfit guides. These crazy ones did not care for their staffs and when the time came for their staff to support them unfortunately they were not able to climb the height or maintain the intensity.

The path is sometimes mazelike with choices that seem to lead no where. This is fine as we had to learn, …for how else could we know. We will become challenged with the narrowness of the path and we will feel like we are walking a tight rope… a razors edge! Then we will become truly happy that the path is no longer wide, (less traffic & less sideways wandering). The path will become steep and for this too we will become thankful for we will be made strong and we are better able to rise above our weaknesses.

Through the path we learn truth and eventually truly know as it teaches us through its experiences. We learn to appreciate our guides who point us in the right direction even though there is of course the inevitability for some of us, some of the time, to discover the futility of the wrong direction.

The path is navigated as this map is, lightly, with awareness, paying special attention to the hidden meanings and with the knowledge that success on this path is meant only for those who understand the allegorical hinting’s and the nature of the true path. Time will demand action and it will require your constant awareness. You must use time wisely and remember that its use does not make it your tool. While time is often forgiving, always know that there is an exacting opportunity of great value that can never be traversed again exactly as it is when it is presented to you. To make the best of times offerings, your awareness, energy, and sincerity are required to the same measure of the benefit you will receive. Among her many roles time is the tollkeeper, pay special heed to her.

Listen for the nameless voice and follow her. Do not succumb to repeat the patterns of your previous failures. Simply follow the path & do not yield to the temptations of your desires. Nor should you pay heed to aversions for you must move to a higher ground & become above these hindrances. In truth they are more than simple hindrances rather they are the weapons of your enemy that you must not give power to. We, you and I, have an enemy that each of us must face, befriend, and then let go of. The enemy is Ego but goes by many different names, know that there is never a time that Ego is your friend for he will use his weapons already placed within you known as your desires & aversions to destroy you and keep you his slave. We must pity him as he cannot ever achieve the heights you are called and destined to. Ego will use his servants, the five Klesha brothers to harass you, as well as the nine demons of Viksepa; recognize them early on and stay ever vigilant.

Slowly, slowly, as we learn the path, we contribute to the path, building it, repairing it, caring for it, building it, and adding our experience. Initially our guides may ask us to rebuild it. Step by step as we add to the path, it is we who are transformed. The path becomes our home, the gates, the walkways, the many steps, the outer and inner doors, the screens, the foretelling windows, the inner chamber, and even the weather, especially the weather.

As we love the path & all it has done for us, as well as all it has given us, we merge with it. We become the path! We are the gatekeeper, the light, the support, the guide, as well as the critical key. We and the path become one for without us the path would no longer exist and without the path we would no longer exist.

On this great Yoga Marga, the Acharyas path, let us rejoice for the gifts of our inner faculties. Let us honor the path and those who have tread and merged with it before us. Let us honor those who still guide us and those who apparently are long gone, for it is their steps that support us and their guide rails that keep us from falling. It is the light from Guru’s past that guides us and as we too merge with the path it is our light that makes the path brighter. May the light of the Guru ever shine brightly. Let us merge with the Guru. May we become one!

Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu Guru Devo, Maheshwaraha. Guru Saakshat Para BrahmaTasmai Sree Gurave Namaha!

by Yogacharya Gowrishankarananda © 2010 Yoga Life Magazine

Poem - Who am I?

I AM...

I am Gowrishankarananda..
I am not my name.

I am existance and non-existance.
I do not exist and yet I am...

I am not Shiva or Shakti,
I am Shiva and Shakti.

I am thier union, harmony.
I am the meaning and its word.

I am... that which I am,
and that which I am not.

I am neither time nor space,
yet time and space are mine.

I am the seed and its tree,
I am you and you are me.

This Self is I,
I am so that I am.

I am Yoga,
Infinite, Eternal...

By Yogacharya Gowrishankarananda © 2004 Yoga Life Magazine

Poem - The Mystic's Voice

Stepping forward as we may, precariously we tread;
unknowing of the slippery slope destined for the path ahead.

The joy, the passion, the wonder, the love;
Ah yes, ah yes… we say yes.

Eternity slips by in the flash of an eye, be warned… some moments are sly.
Time casts her doubt, joy, passion, wonder, love?

Before we know the slope has slipped, truth has gone and we have tripped.
Today we try, and now we see, just how that choice didn’t have to be.

The mirror laughs in mock dismay at what we’ve become from yesterday.
Alas this pain was the pleasure, knowing this we seek our treasure.

The voice is faint yet it’s true, go within the depths of you.
The message clear, we abandon fear, we begin again, releasing what was dear.

Life blossoms fresh, mystical & new, breathing strong from your inner guru.
Love at last, truth inspired, bliss within, your heart acquired.

The mystics voice, full of flair, you send your message to those who care;
Now listen close if you dare...

Gentle children perk up your head, careful never to be mislead;
Stepping forward as we may, precariously we tread…

© 2010 by Daniel Ross (Yogacharya Gowrishankarananda)

Poem - My Song to The Goddess!

I AM YOU!

When You were born, I breathed...
I am me, you are you, we are a whole.

When you feel pain, I cry.
When you laugh, I feel joy.

Wherever you are, my soul is with you.
When I cry, can you hear me?

I am a part of you, can you feel me?
Look for me, I am there.

I exist for you, but you are mine.
Till the end of time are we, for time is where we began.

I know your near, I feel strong.
Shall we start again, together, where we belong?

Dont stop, let us be, for I am you, and you are me...

© 2002 by Daniel Ross (Yogacharya Gowrishankarananda)

The Pranava Kriya™

Experience the ultimate truth of existence through what many of the ancient texts & scriptures consider the highest of Yogic practices! The Pranava Kriya™ as taught by Yogacharya Gowrishankarananda includes the specific combination of Asanas, Mudras, Mantras, Kriyas, & Pranayamas as propagated through the 6800 year old Brighu Rishi Paramparai. This specific combination of techniques facilitates a more complete system for rapid progression of the effects of the Pranava Kriya! Anyone wishing to learn the Pranava Kriya should contact Yogacharya Gowrishankarananda; this practice is taught through an intensive weekend retreat and can be hosted for interested groups. No pre-requisite is required.

The recommended practice of the Pranava is for quickening the spiritual evolution of the sadhak and is stated as a necessity for Moksha in the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Yoga Sutras, as well as many other Yogic scriptures. The Pranava is both Saguna, with form, and Nirguna, without form.

The Pranava is an excellent Yoga Chikitsa for those suffering from diseases of all types.
~ Swami Gitananda Giri

Various teachers and students of our Paramparai throughout the world have stated the following physical, mental, & emotional benefits.

- Firstly to heal latent or dormant dis-eases within the 5 energy bodies which could manifest as illness.
- Remove energy blockages.
- Energize and innervate chakras and subtle-energy bodies.
- Neutralize past emotional traumas and tensions of this and previous births.
- Take one to a higher state of consciousness.
- Receive messages from the Higher Self.
- Activate a process of healing at the Physical, Astral, and Causal planes of existence.
- Remission of Cancer and HIV
- Hypertension
- Diabetes
- Stroke & Heart disease
- Asthma
- Depression
- Overcoming insomnia
- Overcoming addictions
- Pain management

How Does The Pranava Kriya™ Work?
Within the Pancha Koshas we store emotional traumas, dis-ease, and negative karmas from our lifetimes. These karmas can inhibit our spiritual evolution and the flow of Prana to the various energy centers of the bodies. What the Pranava Kriya™ does is to maximize the free flow of prana and attune that prana to the highest vibrational healing frequency & consciousness in the universe.
When the body allows abundant Prana to flow into the various Chakras they can resonate to their ideal frequencies. As the causal body-mind complex becomes more energized and purer various other Yoga practices can become more effective including meditation.
The Pranava works on all three planes of existence to bring about a state of balance and healing. The three states of consciousness are Jagrat (wakefulness), Swapna (dream), and Shushupti (deep sleep) and are associated with the three planes of existence. In conjunction with working with the three planes of existence Pancha Koshas (5 energy bodies) are also affected.
The physical energy body which consists of the Annamaya Kosha.

The energy body which consists of the Pranamaya Kosha (Vital Body), the Manomaya Kosha (Memory and conscious mind which is in charge of all autonomic functions), and the Vijnanmaya Kosha (the higher mind with the intellect and the discriminating mind).

The causal energy body consists of the bliss body, the Anandamaya Kosha which extends into infinity.
Through the use of the Pranava the physical body (Annamaya Kosha) through ideation and causation is balanced and healed and the mental body (Manomaya Kosha) is purified by the cosmic body (Anandamaya Kosha) and thus the entire Pancha Kosha (five bodies of Man) are balanced and purified.
In order to renew, repair and self-heal we have to integrate the three planes of existence, transcend the three states of consciousness and move into a fourth state of consciousness - the state of causal silence within known as Turiya.
In the Mandukya Upanishad, we are told that the Pranava represents the four states of consciousness and that the fourth state, Turiya, is the state of enlightenment.
In order to achieve Turiya the Pancha Kosha or 5 bodies need to be adequately energized and balanced from Prana. Prana is cultivated through Pranayama and then it needs to be harmonized so as to vibrate at the appropriate frequency hence the scientific explanation for the healing and consciousness effects of the Pranava Kriya™.
The Pranava Kriya™ teaches the proper way to perform the Pranava and its appropriate application and it also maximizes the five energy bodies ability to absorb Prana, thereby greatly speeding the healing and evolutionary benefits of the Pranava!

What Will You Learn:
Through the Pranava Kriya™ we learn the potentiating techniques of the Brighu Rishi Paramparai to not only maximize but to also direct the Pranava!
The Pranava Kriya™ Includes the combined practices of the:
- Hathenas
- Prana Mudras
- Pradakshina & Mahat Pranayama
- Bija Mantras and…
The specifically combined practices of the Pranava Kriya™

The Spiritual Scriptures and Masters of India have all commented on the power of practicing the Pranava:

“The real nature of Brahman is identical with the Pranava.” ~ Svetasvatara Upanishad 2:8

“The Pranava is the bridge to immortality.” ~ Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.3-6

Pranava means both life-giver (infuser of prana,) and controller of life force (prana). “That which causes all the pranas to prostrate themselves before and get merged in the Paramatman, so as to attain identity with Him, is for that reason known as the Pranava.”
…(Atharvashikha Upanishad 1:10a)

Ramana Maharishi: The first recorded teaching of Sri Ramana Maharshi, written down by him in response to the request of a seeker, was: “The Ekakshara (Pranava)) shines for ever in the heart as the Self.”

Shankara Acharya: It has been common knowledge in India throughout the centuries that the Pranava is the mantra specially commended to sannyasis (monastics), and the majority of them–especially those in the Swami Order of Shankara–have generally employed it as the heart of their sadhana.

Swami Vivekananda: also generally recommended the practice of the Pranava.

Maharishi Dayananda Saraswati: renowned as a yogi par excellence, practiced the Pranava and taught it to others, whatever their mode of life.

Swami Rama Tirtha: the great Hindu reformer propagated Pranava Yoga in India, Japan, and America.

Avadhuta Sri Nityananda: of Ganeshpuri, whose Chidakasha Gita contains some of the most profound statements on the Pranava

Swami Swahananda: sums up the Nathas involvement with the pranava as the heart of their sadhana

Swami Purnanada: Inside her is Citrini, who is lustrous with the lustre of the Pranava and attainable in Yoga by Yogis.

Ramana Maharishi: “Earnest seekers who, incessantly and with a steady mind, practice the Pranava will attain success. By practice of the Pranava the mind is withdrawn from sense objects and becomes one with the Self.” In order to get at this true significance, one should meditate on the Pranava. …The fruition of this process is samadhi which yields release (moksha), which is the state of unsurpassable bliss.”
Avadhuta Nityananda Paramhansa: Nitya Sutra 95 “Following the path of discrimination, let the pure mind be firmly fixed on the Pranava.”

Sri Anandamoyi Ma: “Remembrance of the Pranava must become so automatic that you cannot breathe without remembering It.”

Lahiri Mahasaya: “Constant practice of the Pranava, Which is self-revealing, and constant focus on it as the form of Ishvara, and dedicating all actions to it as if you are not the doer yourself; is Kriya Yoga.”

Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa: ‘What will you gain’, some sages ask, “By practicing the Pranava you will attain Brahman, that Brahman has been described by the Vedas as the ultimate goal.”

The Pranava Kriya Weekend Intensive is available to interested groups of students anywhere in the world. If you & your group are interested in hosting this retreat please contact Yogacharya Gowrishankarananda at Gowrishankarananda@gmail.com to discuss the details.

The Ekadasi Psychic Cleansing Retreat

The Ekadasi Psychic Cleansing Retreat as taught by Yogacharya Gowrishankarananda includes a 5 day yogic fasting process, the Shankaprakshalana Gi Tract cleanse, the full Jala Neti nasal & sinus cleansing practice, The Kaya Kriya physical trauma cleansing practice, and the full Ekadasi 11 day psychic cleansing practice.

The Shankaprakshalana GI Tract Cleanse
This dhauti kriya is one of the mystical and coveted Shat Kriyas or Yogic cleansing practices. The specific version of this practice which is unique to our Paramparai also includes the Basti Shat Kriya as well. The word Shankhaprakshalana comes from two words, Shankha meaning “conch” and prakshalana meaning to wash completely. The Shankaprakshalana GI tract cleanse includes the 5 day yogic fasting process that serves to cleanse out accumulated waste products within the entire GI tract as well as to wash out worms and various parasites. The Shankaprakshalana practice allows for the other practices included in this retreat to take effect and be enhanced. Scientifically the practice itself cleanses metabolic acids and chemical wastes that cause Brain fog, fatigue, and physical stiffness; expect to experience a clearer and more alert mind.

The Jala Neti Nasal & Sinus Cleanse
The Jala Neti is the first of the mystical Shat Kriyas intended to cleanse the sinuses. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika as well as several other Yogic texts attribute many beneficial effects to Jala Neti ranging from profound physiological healing for the body, mind and personality to even clairvoyance. They are particularly beneficial for all respiratory tract afflictions. The daily use of Jala neti removes dirt, bacteria, & mucus resulting in eliminating allergies, sinusitis, asthma, bronchitis, and other upper respiratory complaints like sore throats and coughs, post nasal drip, as well as inflammation of tonsils and adenoids. Jala Neti also is beneficial for helping those who are giving up smoking as it clears out the sinuses and allows the brain to be de-programmed from the physical and psychological addiction. As well as nasal issues the Jala Neti practice is great for alleviating problems with the eyes by flushing the tear ducts resulting in clearer vision and a sparkle to the eyes. Jala Neti also is beneficial for ear disorders such as tinnitus and middle ear infections. It has subtle effects on the pineal and pituitary glands which control the hormonal system. This has a harmonizing effect on emotional behavior. Neti affects the psychic centre known as Ajna Chakra which helps in awakening higher states of meditation. It helps to stimulate better powers of visualization and concentration and gives a feeling of lightness and clarity to the mind.

The Kaya Kriya
Kaya refers to the body and the Kaya Kriya is an excellent whole body cleanser that relieves traumas & tensions. This Kriya should not be undervalued as it is indeed a very powerful Kriya belonging to the Kaya Kalpa rejuvenation practices shared by Ayurveda & Yoga. This practice has been attributed to the healing and recovery form severe automobile accidents and for those who have experienced falls from great heights.

The 11 Day Ekadasi Psychic Cleansing Practice
The foundation of the entire retreat is based upon this amazing and extremely powerful practice that is unique to our Paramparai. The Eka Dasi practice is not for the faint of heart as it does require a sincere commitment and through its cleansing results in tremendous energy. This Shakti Energy will be able to be harnessed for evolutionary pursuits now that psychic blocks have been removed. Have you ever come to the realization that when you thought you were over something or had dealt with it some 10 years later it comes up again? Well this is because there is still a psychic connection. The best way to describe the experience is by imagining that you go through life achieving progress as though through a number line. We move along going through point 1…2…3…4…5…6 then 12…16..17..25. and then we are stuck. This is because we had a psychic block to #7 and it needs to be removed. Once we can achieve #7 we can fill in the rest of the progression and accelerate our progress much more rapidly surpassing 25…and onwards! Warning! This practice is powerful and will even eliminate psychic connections that you have and may even want at some level. You will have to re-establish psychic bonds to family and Guru.

This entire retreat is one of my personal favorites as it provides so much benefit for me everytime I do it. Students have reported better sleep, Profound meditative states, & weight loss. I myself have connected more profoundly with my own Self and found this to be one of the major spiritual experiences of my life.

I encourage those students who have completed the retreat to comment below as to thier experience for the benefit of others.

If you are interested in hosting an Ekadasi Retreat with Yogacharya Gowrishankaranada please contact him at gowrishankarananda@gmail.com

The Brighu Rishi Yoga Paramparai

Yoga is a Sanskrit word meaning union, however like many Sanskrit words it means far more than our simple translation. Yoga refers to the ultimate goal of life, mans highest most worthy dream, union with God. This union is more than an intellectual understanding it is the actual achievement of being one with God; the universal, almighty, cosmic consciousness of love. Yoga is a union of our very selves as love with the source of love, with the one who never stops loving…God…our true Self! Yoga believes in the essential unity of everything in existence and non-existence. It is this universality that leads us to accept all of creation as our divine teachers, parents, children, brothers, sisters, and friends until ultimately we accept all as our “Self”. The path of universal consciousness as Self consciousness is the aim of Yoga Sadhana and is facilitated through centuries old traditional Yoga teachings, practices, and techniques, that foster energy, consciousness, love, compassion, stewardship, devotion, nurturance, and acceptance towards our bodies, minds, emotions, families, communities, environments, nations, and planets.

Classical Ashtanga Yoga refers to the eight limbed (ashta = eight, anga = limb) Raja Yoga path of Sage Patanjali and should not be confused with the modern “Power Yoga” of Pattabhi Jois. The practices and techniques facilitated by the Atmalaya Ashram and its Acharya, Yogacharya Gowrishankarananda espouses “Gitananda Rishiculture Ashtanga Yoga”. This “Rishi Yoga” which is the classical Ashtanga Yoga that the ancient Rishis embraced as a way of life has been most recently handed down to us through the 7000 year old Classical Yoga teachings of the Bengali Tantric lineage of Yogamaharishi Dr. Swami Gitananda Giri of the Brighu Rishi and Agasthya Rishi Paramparai’s one of only a few unbroken lineages still in existence.

In India Yogamaharishi Dr. Swami Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj has been widely honored as the father of modern Yoga Science with over 135 centers in over 30 countries around the world, yet this Classical form of Yoga is virtually unknown in North America. While many Yoga students today practice a specific type of Yoga, ie Hatha, Kundalini, Jnana, Kriya, ect …Rishi Yoga espouses many practices specific to the predisposition of the student. Traditionally Yoga was taught as a complete way of life incorporating all aspects of Yoga with many of its practices into students lives at appropriate times. By slowly integrating the Yogic practices of Seva, Asanas, Kriyas, Prakriyas, Pranayamas, Yamas and Niyamas, Mudras, Mantra, Japa - Ajapa, and Dharana and Dhyana (Meditation), we revitalize, maximize, and balance our own energy. This system of Yoga integrates the inner and outer practices of Yoga to balance the inner and outer aspects of our lives.

Through Yoga we use the body to transcend the body, we use the senses to transcend the senses, and we use the mind to transcend the mind, intellect, and emotions. Sincere students of Yoga should utilize and practice a combination of many techniques to dissolve their blocks to advancement and move them forward on the evolutionary path. Yoga, is a state of being and a path to attaining that state. It is one of the oldest, most practical, and most complete systems of exercise in the world. While Yoga is a system of exercise it is also a complete systematic path to attaining Self mastery and cosmic consciousness. The focus of this system of yoga is to evolve consciously and gain mastery over our lives. As living examples of Dharma (Right-use-ness) the ancient Rishis espoused Yogic living which is a lifestyle in harmony with nature and at-one-ment with the universe. By maintaining a consistent Sadhana (disciplined spiritual practice) we can maximize our energy, eliminate our “DIS-EASES” and live happy, healthy and holy lives, for that truly is our birthright!

Paramparai

North Indian Brighu Tantric Lineage (6800 years)

Brighu Rishi

(a long line of adepts)

Swami Purnananda

Swami Vivedishananda

Swami Kanakananada (Ram Gopal Mujamdar)

Swami Gitananda

Smt Yogacharini Yogamani Pudavai Kalaimamani Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani (Senior Acharya)

Yogacharya Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani (Mahant)

Yogacharya Gowrishankarananda

South Indian Saiva Siddhanta Lineage (8800 years)

Sri Agasthya Rishi

A Long Line Of Saiva Siddhanta Adepts

Sri Aruna NathGiri
Sri Kambliswamigal

Sri Ambalavana Swamigal

Sri Manika Swamigal
Sri Shanmugan Swamigal
Sri Velu Swamigal

Sri Subramaniya Swamigal
Sri Shankara Giri Swamigal
Sri Gitananda Giri Swamigal

Smt Yogacharini Yogamani Pudavai Kalaimamani Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani (Senior Acharya)

Yogacharya Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani (Mahant)

Yogacharya Gowrishankarananda

Yogashiromani Yogamaharishi Dr. Swami Gitananda Giri

Swamiji was the Governor-General for Yoga (1992-1995) in the World development Parliament (Vishwa UnnayanSamsad) founded by Baghwan Viashnacharya Krishna Kisore Das with headquarters in West Bengal, India.World Yoga Conference held at the Asian Village, New Delhi in December 1986. The Vishwa Unnayan Samsad at New Delhi honoured him in 1992 with the title Father of Modern Yoga Science.

Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj was born on July 24, 1907, in Maharajganj, Bihar,northern India,to an Irish mother and a Sindhi father. His father, Sukraj Bhavanani, was a High court Advocate in thePatna High Court and an extensive landowner. His mother Leelavathi was converted to Hinduism throughthe Arya Samaj rites. The Yogamaharishi received hisearly schooling at home from his mother. Tragically,his mother died when he was but eight years of age.When he was 12, his Guru, the great Siddha and Tantric Master, Yogamaharishi Swami Kanakananda Brighu, (Ram Gopal Majumdhar AKA the sleepless saint of Paramahansa Yoganandas Autobiography of a Yogi) entered his life. For six years, hestudied in the Guru Kula of his Master, imbibing not only the traditional education, but also the greatmystic sciences of Yoga, Tantra and Yantra. Swamiji often remarked that everything he taught and preached and knew about Yoga, he learned only from his Masterduring that intensive training. When he was sixteen years of age, his Guru sent him to England to study medicine. After receiving his medical degree, he entered the British Royal Navy to serve as a doctor on board several ships during World War II. He was injured during the war, and used the time recuperating to further his medical education. He migrated toCanada and set up his practice there, also establishing Yoga schools and centres wherever he lived. Pujya Swamiji was one of the pioneers to introduce Yoga to the Western mind in the early 1950s. He was also instrumental in hosting many visiting YogaGurus and Swamijis at his centre in Vancouver. In addition to his busy medical practice, he traveled widely lecturing and teaching. He worked several years for the US Atomic Energy Commission in the United States and also took up assignments for the World Health Organisation in South America. He returned to settle permanently in India in 1967 and established his Ananda Ashram in Pondicherry. He set up the Ananda Ashram in Lawspet, Pondicherry in 1972. In 1975 Srila Shri Shankaragiri Swamigal appointed Dr Swami Gitananda Giri as Madathiapathy of Sri Kambali Swamy Madam in 1975, which was then a dilapidated Samadhi site of around five acres in Thattanchavady near the Lawspet Ashram. Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri undertook the renovation of the ancient Samadhi site with great enthusiasm and built what was acclaimed as the Shanti Niketan of South India and An ideal Guru Kula on the Madam lands. Thus Swamiji who was the representative of the North Indian Brighu lineage alsobecame a representative of the Saiva Siddantha Yoga Tradition of South India. The lineage of Kambaliswamy is said to go back to the Rishi Agasthya himself.Gurus of the Kambaliswamy Madam tradition include Srila Sri Kambaliswamigal, Srila Sri Ambalavana Swamigal, Srila Sri Manikka Swamigal, Srila SriShanmuga Swamigal, Srila Sri Velu Swamigal, Srila Sri Subramaniya Swamigal, Srila Sri Shankaragiri Swamigal, Srila Shri Gitananda Giri Swamigal and at present by Yogacharya Dr Ananda Balayogi Giri.In his day Srila Shri Kambliswamigal, a Digambari Siddha, was termed The King of Ashtanga Yoga over the Whole Earth, we are thus indebted to him for transmitting the pure essences of Ashtanga Yoga through an unbroken line of living teachers. He obtained his Samadhi 126 years ago (from Dec 1999) in the Tamil year Sri Mugha on the Amavasai day of Marghazhi month after living 504 years . Every year without fail there have been grand Guru Pujas performed on this day by the successors to this line of the Paramparai.

Dr. Swami Gitananda was often called The Father of Modern Scientific Yoga. He was also acclaimed as one of the five leading exponents of Ashtanga Yoga in the twentieth century and one of the pioneers in making Yoga understandable to the Western mind. His total command over the English language and his wide worldly experience gave him a unique and cosmopolitan approach. This made the ancient wisdom accessible to those conditioned by the twentieth century, materialistic life style. Pujya Swamiji propagated this body of Yogic knowledge, which he termed “RISHICULTURE ASHTANGA YOGA” as per the recommendation of this Guru Swami Kanakananda Brighu. Pujya Swamiji became an active fighter for Hindu rights and leader of the Hindu community in addition to his many other numerous duties. He served as vice president of the All India Association of Maths and Ashrams under the president ship of Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal the present Shankaracharya of the Kanchi Kamakoti Petam. From 1968 until his Samadhi on December 29, 1993. He also edited from 1970, an international English monthly Yoga journal YOGA LIFE. He wrote twenty-five books on the subjects of Yoga and made ten world tours and morethan twenty All India tours. He was the Chief Guest for innumerable Yoga, Medical and Scientific Conferences, Seminars and meetings held all over Indiaand was in great demand as a speaker because of his immense and charismatic vitality. Known as the Lion of Pondicherry he was a great example of an ancient YogaRishi (Seer).

Manifesting a constant river of Siddhis and Riddhis Swamijis students were often amazed at how light he was for a large man and the fact that he never left footprints in the sand. Swamijis knowledge of everything due to his access to the Akashic records combined with his tough love made him the archetypical guru to his students. His true benevolence was related to empowering his students through the propagation of Yoga practices and the Yogic lifestyle of the ancient Rishis. Majestic in bearing and manner, with luxurious flowing beard and hair, and a magnificent, booming, powerful voice, Swamijis dynamic personality captured the hearts of people wherever he went. Pujya Swamiji was Patron and President of hundreds of Yoga and scientific organizations world wide. Notably he was Patron of the Indian Academy of Yoga with headquarters at the famous Banaras Hindu University. This is an organization of eminent Yogis, professional men, scientists and doctors interested in Yoga. He was President of Vishwa Yoga Samaj, a world wideorganization of Yogis, and Vice President of the All India Association of Madathiapathis. He was also the Governor-General for Yoga (1992-1995) in the World Development Parliament (Vishwa Unnayan Samsad) with headquarters in West Bengal, India. He trained tens of thousands of students in Rishiculture Ashtanga (Gitananda) Yoga. His students have established more than 135 centres of Yoga in 30 countries around the world. He received many honors in his lifetime. He was chosen by the Ministry of Health, Government of India, New Delhi, as a Governing Body Member of the prestigious Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy in March 1986and he held this post till his Mahasamadhi in 1993. He was awarded YOGA SHIROMANI by the then President of India Sri Zail Singh at the World Yoga Conference held at the Asian Village, New Delhi in December 1986. The Vishwa Unnayan Samsad at New Delhi honoured him in 1992 with the title Father of Modern Yoga Science. Pujya Swamiji had himself organised five World Conferences in Pondicherry, attended by hundreds of professional persons and Yogis from all over the world. He sponsored the First Ever International Yoga Asana Competition in Pondicherry in 1989. Since that time an International Yoga Competition has been held each year in various places in South America, India and Europe. He was one of the driving forces behind Yoga Sports. In this regard he is considered the Founding Father of the Yoga Sport Movement. Due to his inspiration and support, the Government of Pondicherry instituted an annual International Yoga Festival from January 1993 in Pondicherry, which features lectures by eminent speakers, Yoga Asana Competitions, and Yogic cultural programmes etc. Due to his influence, the Government of Pondicherry has also instituted Yoga teaching in all Government schools from 1997. Pujya Swamiji collaborated with many films makers in making educational films on Yoga, including the famous film MUDRA by Rajiv Mehrotra. He also was the guiding spirit behind the immensely popular television series YOGA FOR YOUTH, directed by Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani which has been broadcast for several years from 1989 over Doordarshan, Indias national television network. Swamiji was a great scientist and researcher and presented more than thirty papers on his scientific research into Yoga at various conferences throughout India. He collaborated with scientists from leading institutes throughout the country including AIIMS in New Delhi, NIMHANS in Bangalore, DIPAS (Indian Defense Institute) in New Delhi and JIPMER in Pondicherry.

Yogamaharishi Dr. Swami Gitananda Giri founded three institutions in Pondicherry, India to propagate the teachings of Rishiculture Ashtanga (Gitananda) Yoga. His ten of thousands of students worldwide have established more than 135 Centres of Rishi Culture Ashtanga (Gitananda) Yoga in thirty countries. All these centres propagate the classical Ashtanga Yoga taught to the Yogamaharishi by his own Guru Yogamaharishi Swami Kanakananda Brighu. Swami Kanakananda (Ram Gopal Mujumdhar) belonged to a Paramparai that traced their lineage back to the great Rishi Brighu. Swami Vivedishananda and Swami Purnanada Brighu (the 16th century Tantric mystic and poet made famous for his tantric texts by sir John Woodroof AKA Arthur Avalon) were the Guru and Paramguru of Swami Kanakananda. This classical Yoga System, passed down through generations of Bengali Tantric Gurus, was given a modern and scientific shape and expression through the medical background and cosmopolitan experience of Yogamaharishi Dr. Swami Gitananda Giri. It was his medical and scientific background combined with his thourough traditional training in the Gurukula of his Yoga Master the Mahant of the Brighu order, Srila Sri Kanakananda also known as the Sleepless Saint, that produced a modern mind set grounded in traditional thought and values. Today Rishiculture ”Gitananda” Ashtanga Yoga is alive and flourishing under the direction of his chief disciple and the Ashram Acharya, Kalaimamani Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani and Yogacharya Dr. Ananda BalayogiBhavanani, his son and successor who is also a medical doctor.

Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj attained his Mahasamadhi consciously on the auspicious time of Arudra Darshan on Wednesday, December 29, 1993 at 2.20 a.m., that time of year when the normally fierce Rudra Shiva may be viewed in his most benevolent aspect light rain fell. He was placed into Samadhi called the Ananda Mandala by his son and successor, Yogacharya Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani with all honors due to a Madathiapathy of his status in Sri Kambaliswamy Madam at Thattanchavady, Pondicherry on noon Thursday, December 30, 1993. As the top of his Samadhi was seaed tight, a light rain again fell. A lingam was specially carved from the stone from the holy mountain of Arunachala at Thiruvannamalai and was installed on his Samadhi for his Moksha Deepam on 11th January 1994 which on that year was also the 120th Arudhana for the great Yoga Siddha Srila Shri Kambliswamigal His Samadhi has become a famous pilgrimage place for all those seekingthe blessings of this great modern Yogamaharishi, who embodied so well the spirit of the ancient Hindu sages in a modern twentieth century body and mind. Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri, a great Bhakta and devotee of his Paramparai Guru Srila Shri Kambliswamigal, left is body in the most auspicious year of Sri Mugha. In the Tamil calendar, every 60 years the names of the years repeat themselves and it was 1993 that was the year of Sri Mugha. This was also the name of the year in which Srila Shri Kambliswamigal took Samadhi. Hence this year was an especially auspicious year for all devotees in every sense, thus Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj joined with his Guru at the most perfect and opportune moment. Swamiji entered his body on a full moon day on Guru purnima (Ved Vyasa Purnima). He also left his body on a full moon day of the most auspicious month of the year, Margazhi (Dec-Jan).
The Following is excerpt is from Swami Anandakapila Saraswati who describes here his experience with Yogamaharishi Dr. Swami Gitananda Giri.
“One night I wandered into a lecture hall for an advertised function by a Swami I had never heard of. The lecturer turned out to be the most charismatic person I had ever met and was to become my first Guru. What really shocked me is that the 'Swami' began his lecture with some Sanskrit and a Mantra - perfectly normal for Swami's, as I later discovered - but this was different!

The glass of water on the speaker's podium began to vibrate within seconds of Swami Gitananda's chant. I watched transfixed, rather like a hypnotized rabbit caught in car lights, as the tumbler trembled and bubbles began to rise in the water! Any moment I expected an explosion - shades of Caruso! The good Swami did not notice this event and finished the Mantric invocation just as I anticipated the goblet shattering in a wet shower of fragments. He went on nonchalantly as if nothing had occurred and indeed I believe he didn't even notice. The container of liquid settled down and became as free of agitation as a meditating Yogi!
Many years later I was to visit my beloved Swamiji in South India just months before his transition (1993). After Yogamaharishi Dr. Swami Gitananda Giri's Mahasamadhi, his wife, Meenakshi Devi, wrote in a memorial volume:
"On Sundays when we performed the elaborate Guru Pujas for the Samadhi Lingam of Sri Kambliswamigal, the brass flower plate I was holding would shake with the immense vibrations produced by Poojya Swamiji's Mantras."

Dr. Swami Gitananda Giri had the most magical command of psychic mantra and he could produce phenomena by chanting Sanskrit that I have never witnessed anywhere in the world. I was very fortunate to have him as my Guru when I was young and he was in his forties. When he was much older he seldom demonstrated his power with mantra.
He would induce profound psychic states in members of the Satsang group through chanting Shakti mantras. One of the most spectacular events I witnessed occurred about 1957 at the Yoga Jivana Center in Vancouver, Canada. Swamijii had a lovely German disciple he named Rajinda and one night at Satsang he chanted some special mantras with the result that Rajinda went deeply into trance and her body became so rigid that Swamiji picked her up by one hand under her neck while her feet stayed on the floor. He released his hold on the back of her neck when her body was raised about forty-five degrees off the floor and she appeared to remain suspended by the feet, oscillating a few degrees back and forth with every intonation he made. This defiance of gravity went on for several more minutes before he lowered her to the floor.
The shock of witnessing such things and being in his presence when he chose to demonstrate such power is hardly comprehensible or even imaginable, to those who have not experienced it. I stopped trying to communicate the magic of such moments because most Westerners dismiss such an account as a lie at worst, or an illusion, at best Swamiji had little tolerance for those who, in a less "politically correct" time, would qualify as 'cretins' (now diplomatically termed "Iodine Challenged!" as the director of Ananda Ashram, Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani, would say.) He was still capable of mischievously demonstrating right up to the early 1980s. In a New Age World besoughted with 'channelling' the following account by an American disciple of his, Yogacharya Raju Dev, who studied at the Pondicherry Indian Ashram with him in the 1980s is amusing. But one evening stands out in my mind above all others. We had a student in the Ashram at the time who fancied herself a psychic and had made a reputation in her home city for being able to lead people into past life experiences. Swamijii, who of course had no tolerance for this kind of psychological hucksterism, decided that enough was enough and announced one afternoon that the evening Satsangha would be devoted to a "Yogic Séance" where we would explore the past lives of some of the Ashram members. As his first volunteer he brought a young American girl up to the front of the room and after chanting several mantras started asking her if she could remember anything of her former life as a Chinese fighter pilot being shot down in a dogfight with the Japanese over the East China Sea. When she said she couldn't, the voice of someone, certainly not Swamiji, suddenly erupted from his body in fluent Mandarin. It was so startling it sent chills up my spine and a young student sitting next to me was so frightened she couldn't stop shaking until much later in the evening!"
Extracted from the Memorial Volume: "Tribute To A Great Guru" 1995, published by ICYER, Kottakuppam, Tamil Nadu, India

The understatement of my life would be to say, "Swamiji taught me a few things about Shakti Mantras". The first time I mastered an anesthetic mantra and skewered myself he gazed at me for a moment and muttered: "I knew you could do it! You have all the qualifications: no sense - no pain!" Swamiji's ultimate message for me is summed up by his comment:"To destroy is easy. To create, to construct is heroic. There is only one secret in this Universe. And that is…..THERE IS NO SECRET!."”

I Would Like To Offer My Deepest Respect And Obeisance To
The Brighu Rishi and Agasthya Rishi Paramparai Of
Yogashiromani Yogamaharishi Dr. Swami Gitananda Giri,
Yogacharini Yogamani Pudavai Kalaimamani Smt. Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani,
Yogacharya Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani
Of The The International Center For Yoga Education And Research At
Ananda Ashram, Pondicherry India.
It Is Because Of Their “Profound Interest” That We Are Empowered
To Offer These Profound And Powerful Teachings
We Are Simply The Offspring Of Their Divine Unconditional Love.

For More Information On
Gitananada Rishiculture Ashtanga Yoga
Go To
http://www.icyer.com/

Mata Amritanandamayi Devi "Ammachi"

There are no words to express the divinity that flows from this greatest of living saints. A fully enlightened Satguru Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (also known lovingly as Ammachi and Amma referring to the Divine Mother) continually pours love and compassion unto this world and all of her children. Emulating the path of Seva (selfless service) she is a constant river of selflessness. It is through her Divine inspiration and grace that we are empowered to offer our Yoga in the spirit of Seva.

On the morning of the 27th of September 1953, in a small poor fishing village, Parayakadavu in the Quilon district of Kerala, a baby girl was born. Her parents gave her the name Sudhamani. She came into this world not in tears as babies usually do, but with a beaming smile on her face, as if prophesying the joy and bliss she was to bring to the world.
Sudhamani spent the years of her childhood and teens immersed in intense spiritual practices in order to present a living example for the world. Even as a small child, she could often be found absorbed in deep meditation, totally oblivious of her surroundings. By the age of five, she had already begun composing devotional songs laden with deep mystical insight.
Another quality that was clearly manifest in Sudhamani from this tender age was her love and compassion toward her fellow human beings. Though only a child, Sudhamani did whatever she could to ease the suffering of her elderly neighbors. She washed their clothes, bathed them and even brought them food and clothing from her own home. This habit of giving away things from her family’s house landed her in deep trouble. However, no amount physical abuse or punishment could stop the expression of her inborn compassion. She later said, " An unbroken stream of Love flows from me towards all beings in the cosmos. That is my inborn nature."
‘Amma’ as she is known all over the world today, has inspired and started innumerable humanitarian services. She has earned international recognition for her outstanding contributions to the world community. She is recognized as an extraordinary spiritual leader by the United Nations and by people all over the world. Though Amma makes no claims herself, those who watch her closely notice that she is the greatest example of her teaching. Her disciples and believers imbibe her teachings by just watching her. For the past 30 years Amma has dedicated her life to the uplifting of suffering humanity through the simplest of gestures – an embrace. In this intimate manner Amma had blessed and consoled more than 21 million people throughout the world. When someone asked Amma why she receives every person who comes to her in a loving embrace Amma replied, “ If you ask the river,' why do you flow?' what can it say?” Amma spends most of her waking hours receiving the distressed and all who come to her for comfort, day after day without a break.

Once a press reporter asked Amma how was it possible for her to embrace each and every one in the same loving way, even if they were diseased or unpleasant. Amma replied, “ When a bee hovers over a garden of varied flowers, what it beholds is not the difference between the flowers but the honey within them. Similarly Amma sees the same Supreme Self in each and every one.” As Dr. Jane Goodall, while presenting Amma with the 2002 Gandhi-King Award for Non-violence said, " She stands here in front of us. God's love in a human body."

The greatest miracle that takes place in her presence occurs in the hearts of those who come to her – the gentle, gradual awakening of love, compassion and selflessness, an awakening of one’s own inherent divinity. Amma always says that the purpose of human birth is to realize the Self or in other words, “ to realize who we really are”. This goal lies in the heart of all her institutions. Through the example of her own life of tireless service to humanity, Amma inspires her children to walk towards the goal of self-realization by serving the poor and the needy. She has inspired many humanitarian activities that have drawn the attention of the world community. In recent years, Amma has addressed the Parliament of World’s Religions in Chicago, the United Nations in New York and the Global Peace Initiative of Women religious and Spiritual Leaders, conducted at the UN in Geneva, where she gave speeches on the present day social problems and their solutions. It was there that Amma was awarded with the 2002 Gandhi-King award for Non-violence.

Amma has never sought to convert anyone. Her's is not a sectarian mission. But Amma has always stressed that along with a new home, a pension, an operation or a meal, the beneficiaries of her Humanitarian activities receive a compassionate smile and a kind word from those who serve them. In this way those who give, those who receive, and those who look on--all are transformed by the selfless love and sense of universal kinship, blossoming in an experience of essential unity—the oneness in the Self.

When asked to which religion she belongs, she says, “My religion is love and service.”
“ Love is the foundation of a happy life. Knowingly or unknowingly we are forgetting this truth” she says. Amma on several occasions has said that it is important not only to feel love but also to express it. “ After all, love is our true nature. When we do not express love in our words and actions it is like honey hidden in a rock. “ she says, “ It is of no use to anyone. This mutual sharing and expressing of love should begin at home between married couples and between parents and children. Only then will there be peace and harmony at home and in the society.”
Once when someone asked Amma as to whom she would term as a true disciple, Amma said that, “One whose legs rush to offer help, whose lips utter comforting words of love and whose eyes shed tears of compassion on hearing the cry of the distressed, such a person I would call a true disciple."

*(Paraphrased from the ammachi.org website)

Obeisance To The Luminous All Pervasive Self, Permeating Existence And
Non-existence, Manifesting Within And Without. May That Self Lead Us From Ignorance To Knowledge From Untruth To Truth.

One Thousand And Eight Prostrations To The Divine Lotus Feet Of
Mata Amritanandamayi Devi,
For It Is By Her Will And Blessings That All Of This Is Possible.
For The Highest Of Teachings From A True Living Saint And Satguru Go To
http://www.amritapuri.org/

It is only through her service and love that we are empowered to offer our service and love;
we offer our selves to her lotus feet that through her example we may be lifted to know our true “Selves”.

The Glory of the Guru!

Let there be no mistake, we need a Guru to advance on the spiritual path. My purpose as a Yogacharya is to guide you and shine the light on the path. The Guru is the path and you are the light! I, as your teacher, will lead you to the Guru who is none other than yourself...the inner Guru!

Definition of a Guru and an Acharya:
A real Guru is an enlightened spiritual master who has attained God realization. Often qualified with the term Satguru to indicate the attainment of oneness with the supreme reality this rare master is a must for spiritual progress and the attainment of enlightenment. The Satguru is one with universal God Consciousness which is one and the same with your true identity. It is in this regard that the Satguru opens the door from within you and allows you to be free. God, Guru, & the true Self are one and the same and it is this understanding that allows us to surrender. Understandibly the path requires a tremendous amount of emotional maturity to surrender and allow God to guide us and to manifest within us. The Guru will have to be allowed to destroy our illusions, attachments, and our ego.

The term Acharya is defined in several ways. Some will state difinitively that an Acharya is a spiritual master, and while this is true in the best examples and in the highest expressions unfortunately, this is rarely the case nowadays. Our paramparai (Lineage) defines a Yogacharya as one who is deemed fit to lead by good Yogic example. Personally I prefer this definition as it keeps us all on our feet:). Occasionally an Acharya is termed a preceptor being one who oversees the teachings and has the responsibility of protecting the teachings & overall integrity of the Paramparai. An Acharya espouses and expounds the teachings and embodies them as a living example. While the Acharya intiates,the Guru serves as the true activating force for realization of the truth for the student. It is stated in the ancient scriptures that a spiritual aspirant on the Yogic path requires an Acharya for practicing thier sadhana. The techniques & methods, the teaching content and the verification processes are all taught by the Acharya according to the individual needs and abilities of the aspirants. Ideally an Acharya will be able to testify to the truth of the teachings through shining thier own light derived from personal experience.

It is of fundemental importance that you understand that our Paramparai is not in the bussiness of creating followers rather, we create Gurus! By producing many famous and illustrious saints & Gurus over several thousand years we have time and time again proven through our system an infalible path to spiritual mastery and Moksha! You can know that by walking in the same footsteps and practicing the very same techniques you too are on the path to enlightenment and reaching your own divine potential.

As an Acharya I will accept as my sadhana the role to guide you to your own inner Guru. Should you accept me as your teacher (and accepting me is the choice you make after you have sufficiently tested me and found me to be competant and worthy of your complete trust and surrender), I will then begin our journey by testing you, purifying you, as well as strengthening and loving you! The relationship between us is unique for you will find it one of the most demanding and loving of relationships possible; in its highest expression it is divine.

With respect, & love I welcome you to our Paramparai!
Yogacharya Gowrishankarananda Giri

Yogacharya Gowrishankarananda

Yogacharya Gowrishankarananda spent 6 years completing a University Education in Sports Therapy and Exercise physiology. Having worked for 23 years facilitating human potentiality in the areas of health, wellness, and Yoga he has become an internationally recognized public speaker, author of over a dozen published articles, and facilitator to thousands of students. Focusing on Yoga as Seva and teaching by example he encourages students to take up the Yogic path as a way of life thereby gaining self mastery through energy cultivation, and conscious evolution, guiding us to live to our full potential.

Yogacharya Gowrishankarananda is of the Brighu Rishi Paramparai (Lineage) and today he is the founder of the Atmalaya® Ashram, The Atmalaya® Meditation program and the Yoga Sadhana Foundation. Having been initiated into hundreds of esoteric Yogic practices at the Ananda Ashram where he lived in south India he has been deemed fit by his example to guide others on the “Yogic Path”. Attaining an internationally recognized 1500 hr Yoga Teachers Certification (over 3 times the number of hours required for the highest North American certification) from the International Center for Yoga Education and Research he now offers in Calgary, Canada an extremely powerful, and authentic form of Yoga from an unbroken lineage of Yoga Gurus and Acharyas. Recognized by the International Yoga Federation and the World Yoga Congress, Yogacharya Gowrishankarananda was also given the rare honor of being voted into the Indian Academy of Yoga as a life member. In July of 2004 the Senior Acharya,
Smt Yogacharini Yogamani Pudavai Kalaimamani Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani and the Mahant of the order, Yogacharya Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani Giri gave Gowrishankarananda their permission for him to found an Ashram, and to offer the Canadian Teacher Training prerequisite program for acceptance into the international program in Pondicherry South India. Later that same month the grace of his guru Mata Amritanandamayi Devi was showered upon Gowrishankarananda as she gave him her permission and blessings to found, as the Acharya, an international Yoga Sadhana Foundation whose purpose is to propagate the teachings of Yoga.

Yogacharya Gowrishankarananda offers through the Rishi Yoga Mandir a system of Yoga that is highly esteemed in India but virtually unknown in North America that could best be described as a complete classical system of Yoga. While all styles of Yoga can contribute to personal growth much of the Yoga that is taught in the west is a very diluted and is usually a narrowly focused form of Yoga that primarily emphasizes the Asanas (Poses). Through the step by step progression of Yogic practices taught in this Bengali Tantric system of Classical Ashtanga Yoga anyone can move towards gaining better health, Self Mastery, and a happier more fulfilling existence. Yogacharya Gowrishankarananda guides students to their inner Guru though the Yogic paths of Hatha Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Kriya Yoga, Tantra Yoga, Yantra Yoga, Raja Yoga, Laya Yoga, Karma Yoga and Jnana Yoga. Interested students will have the opportunity to study and disseminate the ancient Yogic scriptures to facilitate higher understanding. As well as offering group classes, individual classes are also offered to facilitate heightened understanding, greater inner awareness, and initiations into new practices. Individual classes can also be utilized for Yoga Chikitsa (therapy) and Kaya Kalpa (rejuvenation) sessions.

The Brighu Rishi Paramparai (lineage) dates back almost 7000 years to the origins of Yoga and the original Sapta Rishis (seven Yogic seers). Very few unbroken lineages are still in existence today and those that are, are almost impossible for westerners to study from. This unbroken lineage offers a powerful psychic connection that can literally progress a sincere student at a much more accelerated rate of consciousness. Because of the power of these teachings and their connection through the Paramparai, the Acharya has a profound responsibility and must therefore be extremely conscious regarding to whom he teaches what, and when to teach it in the appropriate way. It is because of this responsibility that students are accepted only after expressing a sincere interest in Yoga and then must go through an interview process to determine the appropriate path to follow. While utilizing modern teaching methodologies the far more advanced yogic teaching practices of the east are employed to advance sincere students along the spiritual path of Yoga.