By Amala Cattafi, SVA Board President

Support equals release – this is such a profound statement. This is the first thing I remember from the very first Svaroopa^® yoga class I ever attended. Consider for a moment, what does this mean to you personally?  Support equals release… It explains more than the physical, muscular definition. Something else opens up, a profound spiritual opening, yet it is facilitated with an extra blanket, block or strap. Still, it’s not about the blanket.

Where does this inner opening come from? Of course, from the practices you do – asana, chanting, meditation, seva, Ujjayi Pranayama – plus the props you use are a part of that.  But where did all those props and practices come from?  What makes them work?

Grace is what makes it work so deeply. This is the true “fire of yoga,” the power of consciousness burning away what no longer serves you, like anger, sadness, jealousy, pettiness, addictions, and more. You are on a journey to living in the full experience of your “capital-S Self.”  Once you acknowledge that the fire is supporting you, the path becomes so much easier!

The fire is Grace, already flowing from the Guru to you whether you understand it or not. This constant, loving support is the direct result of Swami Nirmalananda’s own deep study and practice. She is the originator of the Svaroopa^® Sciences, yet she attributes everything she has created to the generosity of her Guru, Swami Muktananda.  A Guru’s life story revolves around their sadhana, their spiritual journey. Just as Muktananda did before her, our Swami has invested her heart and intellect so you can do as little or as much as you want. You choose, for it is all about you. You also choose the level of support that you will return to the source.

There are many ways to reciprocate this support.  Right now I am asking you to focus on the financial support you can offer to your Ashram. Swami Nirmalananda has invested her body, heart, wallet and intellect in creating it to serve you. During the last 40 years she has given 32 years to teaching without pay. Does she have a nest egg? No. She is a swami, a renunciant. It’s not for everybody. When she hears us say we are so fortunate, she replies, “I am the most fortunate of all.” Yet to be able to serve you and the wider world, she and Svaroopa^® Vidya Ashram depend on your generosity.

As Board President, I am focused on serving you and making sure that our services continue seamlessly. The needed financial support comes from yogis like you. Our spring fundraising campaign is targeting three needs:

• Swami Support: supporting Swami Nirmalananda and her work in the world.

• 21st Century Technology: our computer equipment, our website with more than 1000 pages of content, and essential administrative staff who support our technology footprint.

• Freebies:  along with in-person programs, your Ashram offers more online Freebies than any other ashram in America. You can go online and binge-listen to hours and hours of AMAZING free teachings. That gives you a new meaning to “sitting by the fire.”

Thank you for your ongoing support. Remember always, that even when you aren’t aware of it, the power of Grace through Swami Nirmalananda is supporting your yogic journey, from the inside out.

Click here to donate today.

OM svaroopa svasvabhava namo nama.h