By Gurudevi Nirmalananda 

When you get lost in the world, you have not only lost your way, you have lost your own Self.

If you go for a hike and get lost in the woods, after a while you know you are lost. You try to retrace your steps or find a pathway out. But you never get so lost that you think you are a tree. You still know you are a person and that you have a home to return to.

Getting lost in worldly stuff is like thinking you are a tree. You don’t remember that you have a home, a place inside where you are already whole, full, complete and perfect. When you are lost, you think you are imperfect and that you MUST have a certain worldly thing or a certain person to fulfill you. 

Allow me to assure you that you are not a tree. You are not a worldly person. If you were, you wouldn’t be reading this. You want something more than what the world can provide. Bottom line, you are seeking your own Self. You must look inward.

When you look inward, the first thing you discover is your mind. It replays your worldly experiences and reactions. Now, instead of getting lost in the world, you can get lost in your mind. You think, “I am my mind!”  But the statement itself proves…

This is the energy that fires off volcanoes.

This is the energy that keeps our sun burning. The energy that lights the stars or even makes them explode or collapse in on themselves. 

Kundalini Shakti is cosmic energy hidden in you. The name Kundalini describes how….   

— Gurudevi Nirmalananda

Turiya is the fourth state.  It is beyond your mind and senses, and free from the density and darkness you know from deep sleep. Turiya is vast, comforting… 

— Gurudevi Nirmalananda

By Amanda (Purna) Schmidt

Guru Sandals jewelry is now available! The Guru’s sandals are traditionally venerated as a potent source of Grace. These pieces were designed after Gurudevi’s own sandals. Choose from a pendant or earrings.

The earrings feature one sandal for each ear, while the pendant is a pair of sandals together. The jewelry is in stock in silver, or can be custom ordered in gold.

Adorn yourself with this powerful symbol of Grace, and feel Gurudevi’s guidance wherever you are.

You can rely on Gurudevi’s satsangs — community gatherings — for timeless yogic teachings and wisdom applicable to modern circumstances. Your particular, “real-life” questions are the basis of her Q&A satsangs. 

Get online with Gurudevi Nirmalananda in this free call so you can ask your questions.  Gurudevi calls on yogis in the order in which they enrolled online to ask questions. Some questions are quicker and others are longer, so the amount of time devoted to each cannot be predicted. Thus, those who enroll earliest are assured of getting to ask their question.

Everyone benefits from hearing the discussion, which is exactly what it is like when you are able to attend a satsang with Gurudevi.

When you meditate, you have meditation experiences. They are different from your everyday experiences and your usual mental activity. 

As you develop your capacity, your meditation experiences change. Your capacity includes…    

— Gurudevi Nirmalananda

By Gurudevi Nirmalananda 

Grace is one of the primary principles of yoga.  Grace makes everything easy. It is always flowing. 

If life seems hard to you, you have unknowingly shut yourself off from the flow of grace.  Yoga opens you up to its support in many tangible ways.

The principle of support is a primary element of Svaroopa^® Yoga practice. Your teacher may slide a blanket underneath you in a seated position in order for you to get the most benefit. Halfway through the pose, she may remind you, “Lean your full weight into the support of that blanket.”  Most people do not really sit on the blanket or chair underneath them, but hold themselves up by tightening their spinal muscles.

Check in with yourself right now. Are you leaning your full weight into the support underneath you? As you lean more fully into your seat, you may find that you significantly relax and can breathe more easily. Learning to lean into the physical support is a way of practicing how to lean into the support of grace.

Let down your walls. They not only isolate you from others — they separate you from the flow of grace.  Learning how to relax in Shavasana is learning how to melt the walls. The progressive release of Shavasana becomes deeper and more reliable with repetition.

Excerpt from Yoga in Every Moment, page 111

I love to see you shining.   You love to glow.  Your eyes shine, the corners of your mouth turn up, your breath opens, your collarbones widen, and you get taller.  Best of all, your mind is clear.  You can understand the intricacies of the teachings I bring you. You understand your life and…  

— Gurudevi Nirmalananda  

by Heidi (Hamsaa) Flannery

Interviewed by Lori (Priya) Kenney

Having a Guru seemed like a fairytale before meeting Gurudevi Nirmalananda. I met her at Swami Sunday in May 2022. It felt familiar and I knew, “I’m where I’m supposed to be.” I’ve loved Gurudevi’s Swami Sunday programs from the beginning. Every discourse brings me what I need to know that week.

I am reading a lot of books, including Gurudevi’s A Yogic Lifestyle. Two years ago, I decided to pick a word for my New Year’s resolution: humility. The next Swami Sunday, Gurudevi asked what our resolutions were. I raised my hand when no one else did. When I told her my word, she asked if she could change it. I nodded. She looked at me fiercely and said, “Warrior!”

In reflection, it felt like she placed it into my heart. At home I put warrior pictures and phrases all over the house. I was in the middle of a divorce and my ex wasn’t being generous financially. Gurudevi told me I needed to hire a lawyer — for my children. It was both practical and spiritual advice. I did what she told me to do. That whole year, I did warrior poses to help me stand up for my girls. I owe it all to Gurudevi. I needed her to point me in the right direction.

Every other Sunday when my girls are with me, I do Swami Sunday online. Gurudevi told me to keep doing it for my daughters, even though my own attention is divided. My girls smile at Gurudevi, touch the screen and call out to her. They chant “Jyota se Jyota” with us or while playing. I’m so grateful they have access to Gurudevi.

I never dreamed I would meet my forever teacher. Nor that I would announce it to the world and myself. The moment Gurudevi walks in the room, I don’t want to take my eyes from her. I love the devotional part of being there, honoring her, bowing to her, loving her. Yoga used to be a hobby or a class. Now it’s my whole life.