Author Archives: Svaroopa® Vidya Ashram

Gaining Resilience

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By Corie Roseman

Interviewed by Lissa (Yogyananda) Fountain, Yogaratna

I am at every online Swami Sunday and Wednesday satsang as well as the daily Meditation Club.

Gurudevi inspires me with her thoughtful and entertaining discourses and articles. She makes the process of enlightenment so accessible, if you just put in the effort.

I thank Gurudevi for her endless patience in guiding and encouraging me through this process. I appreciate that she sees the Divine light in me, even when I can’t.

My experience reminds me of Sally Fields 1985 Academy Awards acceptance speech: “You like me, you really, really like me!” Better yet, I like me. In fact, I am loving myself more.

Gurudevi helps me become more resilient as l age. I look for purpose and connections in my life.

I started Svaroopa® yoga classes 25 years ago. The poses release spinal tension and strengthen my bones, joints and muscles. A recent bone density exam confirmed I’m in better shape than the average seventy-year-old!

And there’s more! I’ve dedicated my time and resources towards online Ashram participation these past five years. The more yoga I do, the more benefits I reap. I now feel a whole new level of awareness and deepening. And by Guru’s Grace, knowing my capital “S” Self has become my life’s purpose.

My resilience from Gurudevi’s practices and programs takes many forms. I’m able to let go of things that challenge me more quickly. My self-talk is more positive. I am able to be more engaged in what’s happening in the present moment.

When issues with my family come up, I accept the reality, even if I can’t repair it. I allow them time to sort it out for themselves. Gurudevi has helped me shift from a state of fear and anxiety to clarity. My daily meditation calms my mind, and I feel more blissful and focused.

I wish I lived closer to the Ashram so I could attend the satsangs in person. I’d hang around to chat and eat goodies, and pitch in to help.

Instead, I arrive early at my local Monday morning yoga class. I set up the room for my teacher. This feels like an Ashram seva that I can do, and it’s meaningful to me. I’m looking forward to my first visit to the Ashram for a Shaktipat retreat in July!

Meditation Satsangs
Meditation Club

November in India

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Go with Gurudevi to Ganeshpuri for profound spiritual upliftment. 

Ganeshpuri is the home of Gurudevi’s Guru, Baba Muktananda, and his Guru, Bhagawan Nityananda. This sacred place is Gurudevi’s spiritual hometown.  

Accept her invitation to join her there for her Golden Jubilee, the celebration of her 50 years of teaching and 80th birthday.

Our newly discounted rates come from an adjustment in the foreign exchange rate as well as the improved planning by our new Tour Manager. Click for more information. 

Golden Jubilee with Gurudevi

In Ganeshpuri India

Begins Monday November 9

At Fire Mountain Retreat Center, right across the river from Nityananda’s temple, you will join Gurudevi for meals, classes and satsangs. The traditional ceremonies of the Nityananda temple begin and end our days.

Two special events are happening. On the day before her birthday, Gurudevi will have a fire ceremony only for 80-year-olds. Sahasrara Chandra Darshanam honors that she has lived through 1,000 full moons. It expresses gratitude, longevity and spiritual maturity.

On her birth anniversary, Gurudevi will participate in the morning ceremonies for Nityananda in his temple. She has done this several times before, and says:

I am grateful to be able to honor Nityananda in such an intimate and personal way. This ceremony always gives me the feeling I had when sitting with my Baba. What a glorious way to honor my Baba — by honoring his Baba.

You are invited to join her for the transformative effects of immersion in this sacred place, where her teachings and practices will be generously amplified.

The travel information package is now available; email our Enrollment Advisor at programs@svaroopayoga.org or call 610.806.2119.

Previous travelers to Ganeshpuri with Gurudevi describe their transformative experiences:

After the early morning ceremony in the temple, I experienced a sweet bhav — a quiet bliss inside and outside. Even the dust along the road glimmered with shakti. I would meditate in Nityananda’s house or in his Mahasamadhi Shrine. I can still hear the village waking up, birds chirping and sacred-building caretakers going about their early morning chores. Now, eleven years later, remembering this experience of Ganeshpuri, I’m filled full, from the inside, with ecstatic bliss!

– Ruth (Rama) Brooke

Travel Information
Retreat Brochure

Our “Unmilana” Fundraiser Is Closing

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By Ellen (Lajja) Mitchell

Ashram Board President

Reflecting on giving, I realize I usually give when I am in a place of fullness.  My heart opens and I want to serve more, give more.  My inner fulfillment spills into the world.

This is my experience of “unmilana,” blossoming forth or spiritual transformation. I recognize how this aligns with what Gurudevi says about the power of yoga:

 Your yoga melts the tensions and dissolves the fears so that the inner Source can arise inside to fill you and to bloom into the world. Yoga doesn’t make you yogic, it makes you become more You.

I am grateful to you for having chosen to “do more yoga” by practicing dakshina, selfless financial giving. You have shared your heart and wallet in this way; you are making a difference in the world. 

Your gift allows us to send more Grace and light into the world. Thank you for your selfless financial support of our Svaroopa® Vidya Ashram.

I am grateful for your blossoming forth as well as for all that you enable SVA to give by your financial support. I bow to the light in you.

If you haven’t yet had a chance to participate, there’s still time. Donate online or call us at (610) 644-7555.  Or send your check to Svaroopa® Vidya Ashram, PO Box 143, Downingtown PA 19335. You may also email us at donate@svaroopayoga.org.

Thank you again and again! 

Donate Today

Do More Yoga — It Works!

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By Maryanne (Murti) Leagans

My growing up years were filled with significant abuse and trauma. This set me up to lack conflict resolution skills. I completely mistrusted authority figures. Later, I struggled in relationships because I inherently found it difficult to trust anyone. 

In my twenties, I began a decades-long process of working with various talk therapists. I was always seeking “the one” who could give me answers. I sought relief from the darkness that filled my mind and heart. Stronger and stronger doses of antidepressants became the crutch that kept me functional. 

And I was highly functional. I held down jobs, excelling in performance, though I changed them frequently. Without conflict resolution skills and trust in authority, my employment in any organization was one to three years.

Fast forward to September 2025. Chelsea (Rajñi) King, who teaches Svaroopa® Vidya Meditation, posted an invitation on Facebook for her three-class introductory series. As soon as I read her post, I signed up. With Rajni’s gentle teaching style and encouragement, I began meditating for 20 minutes each morning.

Later in the course, she introduced us to the Ashram website. I thought I had struck gold! I took one of Gurudevi’s free online meditation classes.

Later I joined her daily online Meditation Club. By then, I was meditating an hour each morning as well as slowly increasing my at-home yoga.

It was clear to me that meditation was rewiring my brain. My emotions and reactions to things were changing.

I questioned whether I still needed antidepressants. Working with my doctor, I set up a plan to slowly decrease the amounts over a four-month period, beginning December 1, 2025. It took only three months! Simultaneously, I had already begun taking various Ashram offerings.

In mid-January, I attended Swami Sunday in person for the first time. By then, I was down to 50% of my dose without any negative side effects. At the end of January, Gurudevi’s Shaktipat Retreat powerfully boosted my engagement in our Ashram’s full-spectrum yogic practices.

Several Enlightenment Studies series, the Guided Meditation course, a weekly Svaroopa® yoga class and Embodyment® Yoga Therapy sessions produced significant changes. I also attended Gurudevi’s satsangs regularly and took advantage of the Shishya Vichara Club. My intention was to stack everything that I had control over — in my favor.

For more than fifty years, I had believed that antidepressants were keeping my brain in “safe” mode. Although seeing my dosage decrease was scary, I was supported in my process by Grace.

Flowing from Svaroopa® practices, Grace opened me to feeling joy, love and compassion when interacting with fellow yogis. This kept me steady in my resolution to end my drug dependency. By the end of February, I had accomplished that.

Gurudevi ceaselessly invites us to “Do more yoga.” I did it and it works!

Click here to find your Pot of Gold

The Sweetest Perfume

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By Beth (Bhanumati) Cunningham

There is nothing sweeter than the blossoming forth of the Self.

There is nothing more exquisite than the bliss of the Self.

There is nothing more priceless than the experience of the knowing of the Self.

Grace allows this to happen. Gurudevi opens us to that Grace. That opening is the blossoming forth itself. What a gift we have received in our Gurudevi Nirmalananda.

Supporting that gift financially is essential to sustaining it. It is like providing water, sunshine and soil for a blossoming plant. This is a sacred practice called dakshina. Our seasonal fundraiser is the perfect opportunity to practice it.

I once had the opportunity to visit an exclusive perfumery. Every scent was hand-crafted in micro batches by leading masters from the perfume world. Prices were in the $600/oz range and up. The sensual experience of the perfumes was unlike anything I could describe. It was overwhelming yet grounding; heady and heart-opening; deeply inspiring and fulfilling, both at once.

Hmm… sounds like the experience of the Self. Yet the experience of the Self is worth far, far more than $600/oz. The experience of the Self is priceless. And it is given to us freely by our Guru.

When we receive Shaktipat, we begin to wear that experience like a perfume. It wafts into the world wherever we go. It spreads through our lives like an exquisite scent. When we support the Ashram financially, it spreads beyond our own lives and spheres. It blossoms forth into the greater world. It sweetens everyone and everything it touches.

Please help us spread this rare and exquisite gift. Please share in this sacred practice and give to our fundraiser this season.

Donate online or call us at (610) 644-7555. Or send your check to Svaroopa® Vidya Ashram, PO Box 143, Downingtown PA 19335. You may also email us at donate@svaroopayoga.org.

Thank you again and again! 

Donate Today

Planted at My Guru’s Feet

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By Carolyn (Karuna) Beaver, Yogaratna

Our current fundraising is themed “Unmilana,” a Sanskrit word which means to blossom forth.

“Bloom where you are planted” is popular advice. You make the best of your circumstances, even thrive and find joy.

I am so grateful to be planted firmly at Gurudevi’s feet. For all that the Svaroopa® Sciences have given me, I am grateful. So as each biannual fundraiser rolls around, I donate from an open heart and wallet. Won’t you join me?

Through your practices, you discover your inner light and bring it forth into the world. Gurudevi says, “As you are emerging into the world, you have an opportunity to focus on what you can give.”  

I am emerging back into the world after some serious injuries. They left me wondering if I would ever teach Svaroopa® yoga again. Gurudevi says yoga “melts the tensions and dissolves the fears so that the inner Source can arise inside to fill you and to bloom into the world.” This has been so true for me.

With dedication to the practices and Guru’s Grace, I am blooming where I am planted. My inner light is shining brightly once again. I am teaching and even giving yoga therapy sessions. I owe it all to Gurudevi and the fire she has lit within me.

Will your blossoming forth lead you to share with others, and with the Ashram? Please consider a generous donation to our spring fundraiser: “Unmilana — Blossoming Forth.” Let your bighearted inner light overflow. Share freely. It comes back to you, again and again.

Our fundraiser is ending soon. But the sun never sets on your opportunity to give. Please donate today! Thank you.

Donate online or call us at (610) 644-7555.  Or send your check to Svaroopa® Vidya Ashram, PO Box 143, Downingtown PA 19335.  Thank you again and again! 

Donate Today

Gratitude for Transformation

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By Kristine (Dhairyavati) Freeman

Our Ashram Fundraiser “Unmilana” has begun. Spiritual transformation is called “Unmilana” in Sanskrit — your inner opening, your blossoming forth. Through our Svaroopa® yoga practices, we discover inner light and bloom it into the world.

Svaroopa® yoga gives us so many transformational practices to choose from — asana, meditation, chanting, seva and dakshina (financially supporting the source of the teachings). Please join me in the practice of dakshina —  make a donation to our Ashram today!

Recently, I’ve been focusing on expanding my asana practice. It hasn’t been easy — tapas! I noticed I’d been doing the same poses over and over again. I was stuck in an asana rut. But with the help of a Yoga Therapy session, I got a growth spurt. I was able to cultivate a new practice to give my body the support it needs.

These yoga poses also support my spiritual transformation. They allow my own inner light to unfold into new areas. As this inner light spreads and grows brighter, I’m able to bring it into more and more of my worldly life. This is so beneficial for me and for those around me.

Gurudevi says, “Your yoga melts the tensions and dissolves the fears so that the inner Source can arise inside to fill you and to bloom into the world. Yoga doesn’t make you yogic, it makes you more You.”

Will you share your blossoming forth? Gurudevi says, “Like a star at night, you can bring the light of your own being into the world, which makes a difference for everyone.” And you can make a difference for the Ashram, which has made such a difference for you.

Please consider a generous donation to our “Unmilana – Blossoming Forth” fundraiser. Let your inner light overflow. Share your Self freely. It will come back to you again and again.

Donate online or call us at (610) 644-7555.  Or send your check to Svaroopa® Vidya Ashram, PO Box 143, Downingtown PA 19335. You may also email us at donate@svaroopayoga.org.

Thank you again and again!

Donate Today

Our Not-So-Secret Ingredient

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By Swami Satrupananda

With great joy and clarity, I exclaimed, “Svaroopa® Yoga can heal the world!”

I was introducing myself at the beginning of the Embodyment® PLUS training. My enthusiasm and confidence surprised me a bit. But I know this to be true.  Svaroopa® Yoga has limitless healing power.

Grace is the “not-so-secret ingredient” that makes Svaroopa® Yoga so magical. Grace is God’s power of revelation. Grace opens us up to experience our own Divine Essence. And the experience of our own Divine Essence can heal anything and everything. That’s how the accessible poses of this yoga can be so powerful. 

Yes, the angles target your spine. Yes, the propping supports you allowing muscular tension to soften. And Grace superpowers the whole process. Limitless healing ensues. It’s always amazing but never surprising. It’s reliable.

In my introduction, I followed up my bold statement with a comment: “If they let us heal them.”

Yes, it is up to you. You are in charge. How much will you allow Svaroopa® Yoga to transform your body, mind and heart? How much can you melt into Grace?

If you want more healing, take a yoga class with our teachers. Beneath the umbrella of the Ashram, Gurudevi’s Grace flows more strongly. Through Ashram yoga classes, Online as well as On-Site, you’ll get more of the not-so-secret ingredient, Grace. 

If you want even more change, take a private yoga therapy session. One of our Swamis will personally assist you. More Grace. More Healing.

Svaroopa® Yoga can heal you. How much will you allow? Take the next simple step with a yoga class or yoga therapy session. 

 Yoga Classes
Yoga Therapy

Gratitude for Spiritual Transformation

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By Ruth (Rama) Brooke, Yogaratna

Spiritual transformation is called unmilana in Sanskrit — your inner opening, your blossoming forth.
I have experienced the opening, expanding and unfolding through Gurudevi’s teachings and practices. This has likely been your experience as well.

Today, I ask you to join me in the practice of dakshina, financial giving in gratitude to the Ashram. Please give generously to our fundraiser, aptly titled “Unmilana — Blossoming Forth.”

Several years ago, in a personal meeting with Gurudevi, she said:

You are a bud blossoming forth from muddy earth into sunlight. Try to stop it! You can’t!

These words have resonated with me ever since. They speak to the power of the shakti (spiritual energy) flowing through her. As I look back, I see how that energy has blossomed within me. The emotional walls I spent most of my life constructing have tumbled (mostly).

I don’t need that protection to feel safe. I have a greater knowing of who I am. I am able to express my-Self with more clarity and less discomfort.

Another profound teaching stays with me as well:

Svecchaya svabhittau vishvam unmilayati.

By free will alone, Consciousness blossoms forth the universe on the screen of her own existence.
— Pratyabhijnah.rdayam, verse 2

Gurudevi explains that everyone and everything in the universe blossomed forth as a form of Consciousness-herself. She also personalizes the teaching, like she did for me that day in our meeting. You are one such form of Consciousness. You are blossoming forth. You are becoming more you.

Yoga guarantees this transformation. How will you choose to blossom forth and shine your light into the world?

Gurudevi and our swamis model this so beautifully for us. The light of Consciousness shines through their eyes, their teaching and all that they give. Please join me in giving back in gratitude. Donate generously to our Unmilana — Blossoming Forth fundraiser.

Donate online or call us at (610) 644-7555. Or send your check to Svaroopa® Vidya Ashram, PO Box 143, Downingtown PA 19335. You may also email us at donate@svaroopayoga.org.

Thank you again and again!

Donate Today