In the fourth century BCE, Alexander the Great arrived in Phrygia, a kingdom in what is now Turkey. There, outside the castle, an oxcart was parked tied to a post with a complex knot called the Gordion knot. An oracle had declared that any man who could unravel the knot was destined to become the ruler of all of Asia. Alexander the Great took a look at that. And he reasoned his way through it, thinking that it…
— Gurudevi Nirmalananda
From Gurudevi’s full discourse “Mind, Heart and Soul“
By Barbara (Girijananda) Hess
Gurudevi is a modern-day mystic who comes from a long line of Self-Realized mystics. She walks the walk she talks. Gurudevi says there are three criteria that must be met in order to teach:
Everything that Gurudevi teaches or writes meets these criteria. This was very important to me when I heard it. I knew there was validity in what was being taught or written. Gurudevi makes these ancient teachings so accessible. She gives us so many opportunities on our road to Self-discovery.
The Living Mysticism 2025 Calendar Journal is a golden opportunity for us. Gurudevi’s introduction reads: “Day-by-day, let these teachings support your inner experience of your own Divine Essence. Each quote is like a sutra, with profound meanings in a few words… Weave Divine Grace through your life.”
The year begins: “Yoga is choice-full living. You choose where to put your time and your energies.” And the Teachings Article containing this quote is listed: “Just Do It, October 2023.” You can contemplate the sutra and deepen your understanding by reading the article. You find each article in our online Freebies.
Below the quote, the journal page is blank. You have lots of space to write down your own experiential understanding. Or to draw it out.
Such an amazing way to start my day! I read the sutra. I listen to Gurudevi read the sutra in her morning Meditation Club. Something stirs deep inside me — an understanding, a knowing or a yearning. In gratitude I am sitting at my Guru’s feet learning from her, knowing she learned this same deep teaching from her Guru.
I am imbibing a Truth teaching passed down through the ages from one Guru to the next. I am so fortunate to receive Gurudevi’s deep teachings day by day.
Join me in utilizing the 2025 Calendar Journal. Day by day weave Grace through your life.
Celebrate life and the turning of a new cycle with Gurudevi at this retreat. She will get you ready for a fresh start. A chance for renewal and recommitment. From a deep place inside springs the newness of life. That source is your own Self.
Your retreat includes asana (yoga poses), chanting, meditation, Gurudev’s teaching talks and more. Gurudevi leads you through deep inner experiences that transform your sense of self.
Discover your eternal expansiveness. Be propelled into your highest potential for the year ahead and beyond.
I have made it a point to attend the Ashram’s New Year’s Retreat each year. It always delivers — always giving me what I need, when I exactly need it. I ground deeper into my own true Self. This determines my resolve for the new year. There’s no better way to start the new year. — Andrea P.
The splendor of Shiva-Consciousness is imprisoned within you. The prison cell bars are made of words. You lock Shiva down and hide him away by the words you use. You are so powerful. You can imprison Divine Consciousness. You can hide God. You can dim…
— Gurudevi Nirmalananda
From Gurudevi’s full discourse “Your Words Create Your Reality“
Words create realities. What you say comes into being. It’s as simple as saying, “I’m going to wash the car.” And then the car is clean. But if you said, “I probably should wash the car,” is it going to get clean?
Nope. Not unless someone else contributes their words, “Come on, let’s do it. I’ll help you.” A few simple words change the quality of your day and, for days afterward, the quality of your driving experience.
Words lead to action. That’s because words are an action in themselves. When you speak words, you are speaking, which is an action. Even thinking is an action, so every one of your thoughts is an action you are carrying out. Words are powerful, whether they are spoken or not.
Words are described in the Shiva Sutras:
Words have a tremendous influence in shaping our ideas which do not allow us to realize the splendor of Shiva-Consciousness, imprisoned within ourselves.
Wow! This says you use words to imprison Shiva within you. You lock Divine Consciousness up, out of sight, out of mind — by your words. Your words and ideas shape your whole sense of self…
The splendor of Shiva-Consciousness is imprisoned within you. The prison cell bars are made of words. You lock Shiva down and hide him away by using the words you use.
You are so powerful! You can imprison Divine Consciousness. You can hide God. You can dim your own inner light. You are able to make the all-pervasive seem to be absent. You can turn this Divine universe into a desolate landscape, all with your choice of words.
Does this incredible power have another outlet? Is there another way to use it?
Excerpt from Gurudevi’s Satsang Discourse, November 10 2024
By Gurudevi Nirmalananda
Focused on family, giving thanks – it sounds like a recipe for worldly bliss, an important part of life. While you may have found that family time is not always blissful, gratitude certainly is.
When you focus on gratitude, your thoughts change. Instead of fixating on problems or on a checkered past, you make a choice to stay present in the present, even loving and appreciating the best in each and in all. Yes, this will make it be a beautiful day.
Your focus on gratitude changes your brain chemicals. When you express gratitude, your brain releases dopamine and serotonin, two crucial neurotransmitters responsible for you feeling good. They enhance your mood immediately.
Research has shown gratitude to be a ‘natural antidepressant’. When practiced daily, the effects can be almost the same as medications. It provides a long-lasting feeling of happiness and contentment. Gratitude is also linked to more vitality, energy, and enthusiasm to work harder.
The word gratitude is related to the word Grace. They both come from the root gwere, meaning “to favor,” dating back to 4500-2500 BCE. It also shows up in Sanskrit as grinati[3] which means to sing, to praise and to announce.
I sing your praises, that you are here and choose to receive these teachings. On this American Thanksgiving day, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve you. I share what I received from my Baba, which brings me to more gratitude! Yes, it is going to be a beautiful day.
By Kristine (Dhairyavati) Freeman
Interviewed by Lori (Priya) Kenney
Attending Swami Sunday online gives me an infusion of Grace each week. Sometimes there’s a satsang that especially speaks to me, and I need to hear it again. Sometimes, again and again!
With Gurudevi’s Deep Teachings videos online, I can easily watch them. The subscriber discount makes it cost less than a latte at Dunkin’® Donuts. It’s so powerful to see Gurudevi in these videos. More of my senses are engaged. Grace is just pouring out of the screen.
I visit my son in California every few months. Before flying, I rent and download several videos to watch during the flight. It’s like having Gurudevi with me. Each video is available for three days, and I can watch as many times as I want in those three days. The three-day clock doesn’t start ticking until I start watching.
Another way I use them is on a long drive. I drive from Massachusetts to New Hampshire regularly to see my 85-year-old dad, who needs lots of support. I load the videos onto my phone, put it in my cupholder and listen. It puts me in a great state for whatever I encounter with my dad that day. These videos are a game-changer.
Gurudevi’s satsangs are grounding me in a deeper understanding of the teachings. That’s especially so when I watch the videos multiple times. Last week, I taught a “Troubleshooting Your Meditation” class. I noticed I was teaching from a greater depth. Both I and my students benefitted from that.
Breakthrough! Once I received Shaktipat, the old identities couldn’t limit me anymore. Oh, I still did daughtering. I still did worker-bee. I still did pay-my-taxes, vote-in-elections. I still renewed my driver’s license when it was due. But they were things I did, not…
— Gurudevi Nirmalananda
From Gurudevi’s full discourse “Open The Curtains“
By Kristine (Dhairyavati) Freeman
Ashram Board Member
Our Ashram Fundraiser “Tried and True: Recipes for your Spiritual Journey” has begun. Please join me in making a donation today.
Gurudevi describes herself as a modern-day representative of an ancient tradition. The yogic texts were written for monks living in monasteries. Yet Gurudevi makes these spiritual teachings relevant to us today. She shows us how to apply these ancient tried and true practices in our busy lives. And they work!
My yogic spiritual journey began with a referral to a Svaroopa® yoga class from my physical therapist. I’d been cycling in and out of PT (physical therapy) for more than a year with chronic back pain. In my very first Svaroopa® yoga class, my back felt better. I was so surprised!
Soon my teacher gave me a home practice to do. Right away I could feel the poses were more effective than the PT exercises. My mind was benefiting too. I felt a sense of overall well-being that motivated me to do more.
I quickly found my way to a weekend workshop offered by Gurudevi. She generously answered my questions and offered context for the spiritual experiences I was undergoing. Twenty years later, my spiritual practices have expanded to include chanting, meditation, seva, dakshina and studying with my Guru.
All of these practices are tried and true. They open you inward to the experiential knowing of your own Divine Essence. Ultimately, this experiential knowing can shift the world. What a great reason to be an Ashram Donor!
Donate today to our website. You can call us at (610) 644-7555. Or you can send your check to Svaroopa Vidya Ashram, 116 E. Lancaster Ave., Downingtown, PA 19335. Thank You!
Yes, you are spirit, clothed in a human body. Your inner essence is enlivening your body and using your mind to manage the tasks and functions of the physical world. You are not your body. You are not your mind. You are not your body, and your mind put together. You are…
From Gurudevi’s full discourse “Wearing a Costume“
practice & grace: giving you your Self
revealing the mystery
SVA Blog 