By Marlene (Matrikaa) Gast

Lucky for me, I’m a Svaroopa® yogi.  Even more, I’ve had the great good fortune of residing at the Svaroopa® Vidya Ashram since July 2019.  During the pandemic, I’ve been living in a most blessed place.  I say this not because I’ve been safe from contagion, though I have.  I say this because I’ve witnessed the Ashram’s yogic miracles. 

Within 10 days of 2020 pandemic lockdown, the Ashram was offering yoga online.  Swami Nirmalananda, whom we call Gurudevi, was Zooming the blessings of yoga and meditation into homes worldwide.  I have seen how tirelessly Gurudevi and our five other swamis serve the world.  And I’ve been privy to the blessings received by community members and other seekers globally.  As another Svaroopa® yogi put it, “The Ashram and Gurudevi are important to people in this yoga community.  And she is important to people who haven’t yet met her.”

Please join me in donating as generously as possible to this spiritual organization.  I am contributing financially to this not-for-profit organization to support its worldwide work.  During an unprecedented catastrophe, the Ashram has given its all, 24/7 for more than 365 days.

Practicing since 2005, I’ve experienced the Grace flowing through Svaroopa® yoga.  Sciatica and digestive issues have healed.  Gurudevi’s teachings have evoked spiritual illumination from layers of shadow where I long lived.  In gratitude for this transformation, I’ve been a longtime donor.  This year, however, I am donating in gratitude for how Gurudevi’s Grace-full teachings have benefitted the world.

You can be sure that every bit of your financial gift will go to supporting the Ashram’s work.  It’s been essential over the past year.  As we move into another “new normal,” the Ashram’s work continues to be crucial.

Participants in the free online Japa Club have reported that repeating mantra with Gurudevi has been a lifeline.  Amidst isolation, dramatic uncertainty, and fear of death worldwide, Japa Club members opened to divine peace and calm, inside.  Moreover, Gurudevi leads participants in offering blessings to everyone in the world affected by the pandemic. 

Plus, Gurudevi created the online Meditation Club, online yoga classes, Zoomed healing sessions, meditation and chanting retreats, a philosophy discussion group, her Sunday Satsang subscription program, and training for teachers in how to Zoom their own classes. 

Yogis far and wide have benefitted profoundly from these offerings :

“I live alone and far from any other Svaroopa® yoga teachers, classes or communities.  Once the magnitude of this pandemic became apparent, I realized that I really needed to “up my game” in terms of my own practices — more asana, more meditation, more japa.  The Meditation Club is helping me “up my game.”  Grace flows even stronger whenever we meditate together, even over the phone.  At the end of the meditation, we repeat mantra together, offering the benefits of mantra to all those who have been affected by this pandemic.  For me, that offering is going to the whole world.” — Caroline K.

“What Gurudevi has done in this pandemic to create online ways to deliver her Grace-full teachings has been a lifesaver.” — Barbara A.

“With my legs re-aligned in my hip sockets, I feel supported and upright, whether sitting or standing.  It’s a feeling of being grounded and expanded at the same time.” — Leonora T.

“My left leg [seriously weakened by abdominal surgery] now functions normally.” — Marianne S.

Reading these expressions of gratitude, please reflect on how the Ashram has supported you.  Giving back in gratitude for what you receive is the ancient yoga practice of dakshina.  There are three ways you can direct your financial gift:

Light the Way, supporting outreach and technology.

Maintain the Miracle Factory, supporting teacher training.

Give Blessings to the World, supporting our free programs.

You can donate on our website or on Facebook.  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!

By Matrika Gast, SVA Board Member

When I happened onto this path, I already thought I was a yogi. But it was all in my head, though I practiced yoga poses and was a teacher in another yoga style. I felt my body only when it was in pain. My mind rarely stopped or even slowed. I am grateful, of course, for the transformative Svaroopa^® yoga and meditation practices that are now dissolving tensions in my body and reining in my mind. Yet my gratitude for the guidance I’ve received from Swamiji and our Teacher Trainers is uppermost in my awareness.

In Foundations, Swamiji (then Rama) served as our primary teacher. She introduced me to Consciousness, then a new concept. For the 12 years since, her teachings in programs, trainings and a wealth of online Freebies have daily guided me to the tangible, mystical experience of Self, Pure Consciousness.

A decade ago, I learned to meditate in Vidyadevi’s “Meditation Made Easy” weekend. Later in YTT Level 3 with Kusuma and Vidyadevi, I heard that mantra was “scrubby bubbles” for the mind. How grateful I was to clarify a mind often cluttered with reactivity.

Yet I’ve received something more, for which it is hard to find words. Whenever I’ve brought up a professional or personal issue, Swamiji and our Trainers have listened, comprehended the problem and responded effectively. Their guidance has always been based in the ancient, authentic teachings of the Svaroopa^® Sciences. Thus their guidance conveys more than information, it’s an illumined perspective. I recognize that it’s infused with Grace and I am propelled by Grace to follow their guidance.

This has empowered me to live effectively and harmoniously with life’s challenges as well as life’s joys. Consciousness is the foundation that supports my capacity to do the work I love. Of course ongoing Svaroopa^® yoga and meditation teacher trainings give me the skills and knowledge to do so.

Yet the Grace-Full guidance of Swamiji and our Teacher Trainers gives me more — the palpable sense that Divine Essence is at heart of everything and everyone, myself included. Then I know experientially that I am, as everyone is, the One Self Being All. Such guidance has given me a life worth living. That’s why I delight in donating monthly as well as giving a special gift twice yearly. Giving is such a sweet celebration!

Gratitude & Grace are present in my daily life, thanks to Swami Nirmalananda, our Svaroopa^® Vidya Ashram, our Teacher Trainers, our Svaroopa^® Sciences practices — and you, my fellow Svaroopis. There is so much to be grateful for.

What has this path given you? What are you grateful for? Please celebrate these extraordinary Grace-Full gifts by giving back to the source: click here to donate online or call the Ashram at 610.644.7555. Every gift, of any size and frequency, makes a difference. Thank you.

By Dhananjaya King, SVA Board Member

A decade ago, my Guru Swami Nirmalananda set me on fire.  She gave me a simple adjustment in Alternate Leg pose.  That touch ignited a slow burn, which has been profoundly transformative.  I am truly grateful, for I am different now in ways I could never have imagined.

If you had told me then that I would have compassion for people who were trying to harm me or my family, I would have told you in no uncertain terms you were wrong.  Yet here I am, wanting to help those whom, in the past, I would have called enemies.  Before she came into my life, I was caught in drama, in the pursuit of desire.  Now I have only the one yearning, to know myself as the One Self Being All.

Because I am grateful to Guruji, I feel compelled to show my gratitude.  Yet how do you show gratitude to her, when she attributes everything that she gives as coming from her own Guru? When you thank her for all she has given, Guruji says she does what Baba has empowered her to do.  She offers to us what Baba offered to her.  She gives to us what we are able to receive.

So I feel that showing gratitude is supporting her in any way I can.  As a SVA Board Member, I serve by managing Ashram facilities.  I help improve the Ashram buildings that hold the Shakti which she infuses.  In gratitude, I offer time and service to support our community.  Following Guruji’s lead, I deal with everyone I meet in a more meaningful and present way.  I am empowered to do this because Guru’s Grace flows through me into everyone with whom I come into contact.

At this designated time of Thanksgiving, I ask you to find a way to show your gratitude for what you have received from Swami Nirmalananda’s teachings and presence.  Expressing your gratitude tangibly will serve you in cultivating the seeds of transformation that she has planted in you.  Once you fully give yourself to the act of giving, things that you could never have imagined will unfold.

Or perhaps looking at this another way works better for you.  A better question may be how much can you receive? Perhaps you don’t yet notice what she has planted in you.  If so, pondering this question will help you notice the new you that is beginning to form, thanks to Swami Nirmalananda’s teachings and presence.

In any case, I invite you to recognize what you have received and find a way to show your gratitude.  I don’t fully comprehend how she brings to fruition the transformation in each of us who sit at her feet.  I just know that I want to help her do what she does for all of us.

I ask you to do as I am doing, to support her in any way you can.  In this season of giving and gratitude please give what you can to support Guruji.  Click here to donate on online, or call the Ashram at 610.644.7555.  Every gift, of any size and frequency, makes a difference.  Thank you.

By Karuna Beaver, SVA Board Member

I have had some amazing teachers in my life. One sparked a love of reading. Another taught me not only how to sing but how to find my voice. My first boss showed me how to be a responsible journalist by respecting all points of view. These teachers and many more helped shape who I am today. They taught me how to do things, how to view things and how to be in the world.

Yet it was my first yoga teacher who helped me see who I was beyond what I could think, do or say. She inspired me to look inside and to view both the world and my place in it in a completely different way. She inspired me to become a yoga teacher.

Swami Nirmalananda says yoga teachers are unique “because they are not teaching you how to manage the world, or to succeed in worldly ambitions. Yoga teachers teach you how to be in your own skin. They teach you how to find the wholeness in your own being and bring that into your day-to-day, breath-to-breath, relationship-to-relationship world.” To me, this is the “real world.” It’s the world in which you discover you are more than your mind, your accomplishments and your relationships. Yoga opens your door to this “More.”

And yoga teachers hold the key. Swamiji says, “Without the teachers, there would be no Svaroopa^® yoga. Without the teachers, there would be no yoga of any kind at all. If the next generation hadn’t been trained, yoga wouldn’t have come down to us.”

As a yoga organization, an Ashram, we rely on those who care about the world being uplifted and inspired by this kind of teaching. We rely on you. Our spring fundraiser’s theme is “Inspiring the Next Generation.” A good number of our teachers, myself included, are reaching retirement age. Now is the time to make a concerted effort to ensure that the Svaroopa^® Sciences reach the next generation. Your generous donation to either the Scholarship Fund or to Swami Support will make a difference.

Thank you to so many of you who have already responded. Your Ashram Board of Directors thank you again and again. While our fundraiser timeline is almost over, you still have time to contribute if you have not yet done so, or to add to your gift. Your yoga teachers, and our Master Teacher, have given you so much. They have helped you recognize who and what you really are. Where would you be without them? Join me in honoring them with a gift today.

Our yogimmersions are now settled in at Lokananda, with almost three months of programs under our belt. While renovations continue, we now have housing for 16 students, with a beautiful new dining hall and student lounge making it comfortable for all.

We need your support to complete the needed work, so we are continuing our Capital Campaign to fund all that will make this a yogic home for all.

Our Goal

Last fall, 36 Svaroopis donated and pledged $37,000 toward this important project, bringing us 24% of the way to our goal of $150,000. This gives us only $113,000 to go. While this may seem like an ambitious goal, given the history of this community, it is quite reasonable.

The first time our community rallied to support a capital project was when Master Yoga’s building burned to the ground overnight. Everyone, including the Board was stunned, but the yogis knew what to do!  Within 6 weeks, Svaroopis had sent in unsolicited donations totaling $100,000. Now the Board was not stunned, but overwhelmed.

In 2010, a new Board and I were establishing the Ashram and embarked on a Capital Campaign. In only three months, yogis sent and pledged $162,000, making our home base a reality. Six years later, we are expanding to house our trainings and retreats in a dedicated environment. We need your help once again.

How Can You Help?

We have two months for this stage of our Capital Campaign, which is set up with four donation levels – while anything you can offer is deeply appreciated. Your donations are dedicated funds and can be used only on Lokananda’s improvements. The next big step is a new roof!

We will still reach out to you in the spring for our annual fundraiser, because it provides needed funds for our ongoing operations. Please consider how to plan your gifts in both campaigns, keeping in mind that a Capital Campaign happens rarely, only at a time of great growth and expansion.

Whether you are making a one-time Capital donation or a 2-year pledge, we hope you can find a way that works with your budget to help us complete this Bliss Place for our yogimmersions. The funding that we have available will determine the progress we make in continuing progress.

• Bliss Builder – donation of $15,001 or more
• Platinum Donor – donation of $5,001 or more (or pledge of $211/month for 24 months)
• Golden Donor – donation of $1,008 or more (or pledge of $42/month for 24 months)
• Silver Donor – donation of $501 or more or pledge of $21/month for 24 months)

Click here for more about Lokananda, including before and after photos. You may donate online, phone us at 610.644.7555610.644.7555  or email donate@svaroopayoga.org. Every donation makes a difference. We deeply appreciate your support.