By David (Devananda) King, SVA Board Vice President

What does it mean to follow my heart?  How do I live from my heart? Before yoga, I really thought Hallmark made the whole heart/love thing up to sell greeting cards.

In school I was told to “pursue my passion.”  I was encouraged to choose a vocation that I could put my heart into.  After school it was suggested I follow my heart’s desire, find a job I loved.  I just could not reconcile the role of my “heart” in my life.  I did all the things I was supposed to do: career, house, wife, kids, neighborhood cookouts.  But there was a big gap between what I had and what I wanted.  When I started yoga, things came into focus.  Yoga reveals your heart, the heart of your own beingness, your own Divine Essence. 

Don’t get me wrong.  I didn’t have a miraculous epiphany.  Often fueled by desperation, moving from neighborhood cookouts to where I stand now has been a lengthy process.  Yet yoga gave me the tools to cooperate with the process.  Svaroopa^® yoga, specifically, leads one to understanding the heart’s role in a human being.  Yoga doesn’t refer to your physical heart or your emotional heart.  Yoga’s teachings on the heart refer to who you really are.

Sadguru Swami Nirmalananda teaches, “It’s what yoga does for you – immerses you in the heart of your own beingness… This is the essential part of every human being, that core essence that yoga names ‘svaroopa.’”  The Heart of who you really are! 

My story is not unique.  The lineage that Swamiji teaches from has supported countless people travelling this path.  What is unique is how accessible she is and how she brings the ancient teachings to life.  She does so in offering free programs weekly, recording her discourses and making them available as online Freebies.  Having access to these ancient teachings triggers in me an immense gratitude for Swami Nirmalananda.  She is the One who can lead us to our own Self.  Knowing that She can lead us all to the Heart of own Self further opens my heart.

When your heart opens, naturally you want to give from the bottomless depth of your being.  You want to contribute.  It works the other way too.  Swamiji says that when you open your wallet, even a little bit, you open your heart.  Giving and sharing are a mark of personal, and yogic, growth.  You grow by caring.  You grow by contributing.

This spring, we ask you to share your heart, your joy, your hope with those nearest and dearest to you.  We ask you to share the love by donating to the organization and the practices that give us so much.  We are also asking you to share the love by using social media to raise funds and to raise awareness of Swamiji’s profound teachings. We’ve only got 3 weeks to go for our Spring Fundraiser.  Help us by supporting the Ashram and its many services and programs.

We’re on our way to our goal, with only 3 weeks to go.  Thank you to the many donors who have contributed $16,000 toward our $20,000 goal – help us make it all the way by donating now.

And see our new Donor Gifts, a heart-full momento of your loving gift. 

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On our Facebook page, you’ll find information to help you either make a direct donation to the Ashram, or to create your own fundraiser for the Ashram.  When you create your own event, you magnify your ability to share your heart, not only with the Ashram, but with your Facebook friends.

It’s easy to do – here’s how. 

• For a single personal donation, go to the Ashram Facebook page.  Click on the “Donate” button on the cover photo.  Designate an amount and a payment method, then click donate again.  One, two three — that’s it!
• To create your own Ashram fundraiser, click Fundraisers in the left-side menu of your News Feed.  Then, click Raise Money. Select Nonprofit/Charity. Type in Svaroopa Vidya Ashram, and click on the link given.  You will choose a cover photo and fill in the fundraiser details, which we are happy to provide.  Click create and choose with whom you want to share this fundraiser.  Send it to people who know how much you love your yoga, and who love you! Don’t send it to your Svaroopa^® yoga friends on Facebook or they get the same fundraiser over and over again.  

After you make a donation, you’ll receive an email confirmation to the primary email listed on your Facebook account.  The email receipt shows that you’ve made this donation as a charitable contribution, and that you’re not receiving any goods or services in return.  Facebook sends your donation directly to the Ashram a few days after you make it! There are no fees to you, and no fees to the Ashram.  It’s simple and effective.

Want some help creating your fundraiser? Let us know and we’ll have someone phone you and walk you through the steps.  Call 610.644.7555 or email donate@svaroopayoga.org.  

Swamiji says, “Life is rich and full and varied, and there’s enough time and money for you to nourish all the aspects of your life, including your spirit of generosity.” But, she says, “you must give if you want to be happy. It is part of human nature; it’s the way it works for a human being. And it is yoga.” Do more yoga. Open your heart. Grow by caring. Contribute today!