Comings & Goings

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Welcome to Bookkeeper Peter Mallis

With over seven years of experience, Peter Mallis has joined the SVA administrative staff as Bookkeeper. A Pennsylvania native and new to Svaroopa®, Peter’s background includes working for landscapers, a nursery and car dealerships in the greater Philadelphia area.  He enjoys playing sports, especially golf & baseball, and is looking forward to trying Svaroopa® yoga. He will be working part-time to perform all bookkeeping duties for the organization, which Swamiji and other sevites had been doing as seva.  Peter’s addition to the SVA staff will continue to remove Swamiji from administrative responsibility, opening her (and you!) to more teachings.

Welcome to Staff Yoga Instructor Devaraja Thoman

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Devaraja

Every other week, the on-site SVA administrative staff step away from their computers & meetings for Ujjayi & Shavasana. Ashram resident and Svaroopa® instructor Devaraja Thoman helps them stack their blankets at Downingtown Yoga Meditation Center and leads them through an hour and a half Svaroopa® yoga class. Nearly all the staff is new to Svaroopa®; it’s sweet to see their transformation after each of Devaraja’s classes and to hear them share their deeper understanding of the teachings they serve. Previously based in Massachusetts, Devaraja serves students full time with Svaroopa® yoga classes and yoga therapy sessions at three greater Philadelphia yoga studios, primarily at Downingtown Yoga.

Your New Home Away From Home

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After conducting much research photo%2014and analysis into which local center would best support you during your trainings and retreats, we are very excited to announce your new Svaroopa®  home away from home. The Desmond Hotel in Malvern will be hosting you in 2014. An independent, family-owned hotel with a B&B feel, the Desmond is clean, inviting and cozy. You first step into a warm, open reception area desmond2where you are greeted by the joyful, family-like hotel staff and 2-story floor-to-ceiling views of the spacious outside patio. Bedrooms are fresh and pleasant within-room baths and refrigerators at request. Shared rooms feature two queen beds and singles have a 4-poster or canopy king bed. The building has free wi-fe as well as a computer room, swimming pool, exercise facility, restaurant, photo%2013and outdoor walking trails.   

While this would make it a nice place to stay, what really makes it supportive for you is your retreat & training space. Your retreat & training hall is a real room with real walls (not sliding dividers!). While the space is shared with others participating in conferences on the same floor, it is distant from regular hotel traffic and offers around the clock staff  support. desmond1Just outside your retreat & training hall is a well-stocked lounge area where hot breakfast is served in the morning, afternoonsnacks (including hot hors-d’oeuvres), around the clock coffee (including latte/cappuccino drinks), filtered hot and cold water and Tazo teas, soda, juice, flavored water, etc. are served; there are men & women’s restrooms and a spacious charming outdoor balcony with tables. It’s ideal for a retreat environment as everything you should need (including outside access for fresh air) to support yourself is only steps away from your retreat & training hall.photo%208

A special thank you to Master Yoga Board Member, Marlene Gast, for her in depth research to find the most supportive facility for you.

Loving the Light by Swami Nirmalananda

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289I’m loving the light and the dark more this year, somehow.  I am enjoying the early fall of darkness and the chill that makes me want to tuck more deeply into the layers.  Especially I delight in the glitter of holiday lights piercing the darkness.  It’s and outside-inside sort of thing — it is the work I’ve dedicated my life to, piercing the darkness.  It’s why I do yoga.

I remember a small “Siva temple that I visited in an historic city of north India, with thick stone walls and giant hallways that armies could march through.  The inside of this stone temple was 5 feet square, with hollows worn in the stone where you stand to do your candle ceremony (BYOC — bring your own candle).

deepa candle flame baganajagat-comThe small room was very dark as I placed my feet where thousands had before me, placed my heart in my hand (because I had no candle), to do the traditional ceremony, reinstalling my heart in my chest when finished.  In that space of 90 seconds, I stood in timelessness, the eternality of “Siva, which is the Reality of your own Self.  The dark had disappeared.  Even though I’d had no candle, everything was light.

These are precious and holy days, these short days at the end of our calendar year.  Especially with family, you do deep work in these times:  the work of loving and the work of living in the truth of who you are.  Whether you have a candle flame to use or not, you can honor the light in each of your beloveds, and even in those you have difficulty with — the light is there.  Even when they cannot see their own light, you are a yogi; you can see it in everyone.  You can see it everywhere.

Do more yoga!

OM svaroopa svasvabhava.h namo nama.h

Yogic Hearts Together by Swami Nirmalananda

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Your yogic heart continues to amaze me. While I’ve seen many of you at your best, I’ve also seen you at your worst, facing your fears, slaying your own inner demons. I hear the stories of what you have faced and are facing in your life, and still you do yoga. In fact, it might be that those things are what drive you to yoga! Your heart had the strength of a survivalist long before you began yoga. But what you’ve gotten from yoga is the growth in your resiliency (your bounce-back) and generosity. They physical opening automatically makes you more resilient and generous. It’s reliable! And our Thanksgiving fundraising campaign has shown that to be true – again. Thank you.

I’m happy to report that your generous gifts, and the monthly donations that many of you are offering, are supporting a newly reorganized structure, with a few finishing touches to complete before the new year begins. The cleanup after the storm of Reawakening has been arduous, supported by many sevites in addition to our admin team. We’re almost ready for the 2014 Initiatives to fulfill their promise: an enlivened and exciting place to study the Svaroopa® yoga sciences.  Whether working with your body or mind, all the practices are guaranteed to give you svaroopa – your own Self. All of them are guaranteed to improve your life. All of them make you feel better, look better, and be better, within yourself and in your life.

A few weeks of gathering heart-and-hand photos as well as receiving regular updates on the donation stream have propelled my own heart deeper into gratitude. Long ago I made the shift into continual gratitude to my own Guru, who gave me all I’ve got. Now I find myself in perpetual gratitude to you, to each of you and to all of you, for making this yoga organization a place that I can do my work. A Yogic Heart just keeps expanding!

OM svaroopa svasvabhava.h namo nama.h

Resounding Support from Your Yogic Hearts! by Marlene Gast CSYT, MYF Board VP Communications, SVA Board Asana Committee

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Marlene Gast

Marlene Gast

Your yogic hearts have responded to our Thanksgiving fundraising!  We have received many messages of  gratitude for Svaroopa® yoga, accompanying gifts expressing the generosity of the season, as well as photos of your hands and hearts [click to see our slide show].

We are grateful to announce an increase in monthly donations as well as the generous, total dollar amount of $18,401.  Your gifts beautifully support us in the lean months of November/December, when we cannot run any programs, while helping us prepare for the new year: 2014, a pivotal year for us! A consolidated year!!

Clearly each donation received was a holiday gift wrapped in love for your Svaroopa® Sciences practices — and for all of our teachers.  We are blessed by wonderful teachers, beginning with Swami Nirmalananda and spreading out through our Teacher Trainers, through local Svaroopa® yoga teachers and Meditation Group Leaders worldwide. With every donation that you make, you support this whole, wondrous network. In turn, all of us support the expansion of Consciousness through the unswerving avenues of the ancient teachings.  This is cause for great jubilation and heartfelt congratulations!

Thus I write today with gratitude on behalf of the SVA Board and the MYF Board.  A great deal of the Board’s responsibility is fiduciary: A board of directors is responsible for ensuring the availability of adequate financial resources, an essential part of keeping any organization robust and vigorous.  We are grateful to you for helping us fulfill this responsibility.  Your donation and commitment support the organization, which supports Swami Nirmalananda along with our Teacher Trainers as well as administrative staff that bring the teachings into the world.

Yet the organization is simply a part of the whole.  You are the essential element that completes the whole. It is you, centered in your yogic heart; you are precious and indispensable. In the words of SVA Board President Amala Cattafi, you are more precious than gold, whether or not your personal circumstances allow for financial support of the organization.

The personal pronouns of English — you, I — divide us into individual units. “Us” is the closest pronoun to present us together as community — and “we”: We are yogic family.  You are — we are — wondrous, shining threads in the imperisable fabric of essential connection.  Our connection is the relationship in consciousness, the being of consciousness, but the being of consciousness-together while being consciousness individually.  We are individual persons, choosing to be in community, as yogis who can feel the presence of one another in the depths of Consciousness to which our practices open us.  Thank you.

The More I Give, the More I Receive by Louise Davis, MYF Board Treasurer

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louise

Louise Davis

I recently received a thank you note from one of my students. She thanked me for bringing yoga to our city and shared that it has changed her life. I was so touched, and so grateful to read her words. More importantly, I was so grateful to be able to share this amazing yoga with such amazing people. This student, let’s call her Lucy, is a true karma yogi: not only at our yoga studio, but in all parts of her life. She is always looking for ways to help and give back. This got me thinking about giving: do we feel more gratitude because we give, or do we give because we feel gratitude? My short answer is yes!

Svaroopa® Yoga and Meditation has changed my life as well, in ways too numerous to mention. And I feel such deep gratitude for its presence in my life. I serve on the Board of Master Yoga, in part, as a way to give back for all that I have received. And the more I’ve given, the more I seem to receive.

I grew up in a Christian church, so I was very familiar with the concept of tithing, or donating to the organization (church) which sustains you spiritually. In the last few years, I’ve noticed that much – even most – of my spiritual nurturement was coming from yoga. Why couldn’t I divide my tithe to support this organization as well? Such a simple solution!

I invite you to consider doing this as well. In this season and spirit of Thanksgiving, would you open your yogic heart and make a one-time or monthly financial donation – or increase your current gift? Even a small monthly donation of $5-10 will make a big difference. And your giving will continue to give back.

Click here to give from your Yogic Heart.  A one-time gift or monthly pledge in any size that works for you makes a difference in our ability to serve you; thank you.  Monthly donors receive our new Namaste poster as a thank you gift, for a new or increased monthly pledge.

Luxuriating in the Gratitude, by Swamiji

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On the day after the orgy of gratitude that is our national holiday, I am grateful for the Thanksgiving holiday itself.  I am deeply grateful to see and feel the world slow down a bit. Even in their rush to go see loved ones, there’s another motivator under the hurry.  Even in the early morning lines for Black Thursday, the gratitude they formally celebrated the day before still leaves an imprint on their heart – a perfect introduction to the holiday spirit that infects the airwaves and even people’s hearts. 

These are sweet times every year, the shortening of the days, the cuddle-into-your-covers nights, the choosing to slow down a bit.  That’s one of the reasons I left southern California:  there are no snow days.  They don’t know how to turn the switch off.  That took me a long time to learn, too.

It snowed.  The afternoon before Thanksgiving, it came drifting down outside my window for a couple of hours.  Two miles away, at Downingtown Yoga it was wet and rainy, but this hillside home got big puffy flakes.  It melted on contact, making it all rather easy — beauty without the hassle.  Another thing to be grateful for.

Today I’m still luxuriating in the gratitude.  Now that I think about it, that’s every day for me, for I revel always in what my Guru gave me – a gift beyond comparison, the gift of Self.  It was the only thing I ever wanted.  And now he lets me serve Him by serving you.  Thank you for wanting the only thing I ever wanted.  It gives us a starting point, a common cause, something you’ve said matters to you too. It’s really easy to make progress — just do more yoga!

swamiji

Thank you to the many of you who sent me birthday gifts, over $1,500 in donations to honor the day I was born into this world.  I must say I enjoyed this birthday more than any in the last few decades – the bliss is growing!

Our Thanksgiving fundraiser has already achieved $15,330 in financial offerings, but we only have one more week to go – Click here to send your gift, or to send your heart photo for our slide show and poster.

With love and blessings, Swami Nirmalananda

SVA Consolidation FAQs

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swami

Swami Nirmalananda Saraswati

1. How will the consolidation affect my Shishya Membership?

Click here to read the answer.

2. Will I have less, or limited access to my Guru?

Click here to read the answer.

3. Are there any new discounts, initiatives, or incentives for Shishya members, such as the one’s discussed at the conference for MYF courses?

Click here to read the answer.

4. I am concerned that the teachings will be “watered down” now that so many people with diverse interests in Svaroopa are involved.

Click here to read the answer.

5. Is Swamiji going back to teaching asana?

Click here to read the answer.

6. Will there be opportunities to stay at the Ashram?

Click here to read the answer.

7. What about permanent resident opportunities?

Click here to read the answer.

8. Will having so many people with such diverse interests “lessen” the Shakti, or dilute it somehow?

Click here to read the answer.

9. I am concerned that there will be less access to courses and retreats…will there be room to accommodate everyone?

Click here to read the answer.

10. Will Swamiji return to teaching and writing about the Guru Gita now that MYF and SVA are consolidating?

Click here to read the answer.

11. How will Swamiji be able to manage all the details that come with a larger consolidated organization?

Click here to read the answer.

OM svaroopa svasvabhava.h namo nama.h

2 Thank Yous: for Monthly Donors and from a Board Member

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Namaste Poster

NEW! Monthly Donor Gift – see info below…
Send us a photo of your hands for our online gallery (to jennifer@masteryoga.org), include your name and zip code.

by Peter Gallagher, Board Member

Thirteen years ago I went to a local massage therapist to relieve the tension and feeling of compression I had in my back. At the conclusion of the appointment, he told me that he was unable to tell the difference between muscle and bone in my body. He sent me to Tarlika Margery Anderson for a class in Svaroopa® Yoga.

After three classes I went to a weekend workshop given by Rama Berch. Rotated stomach pose required her personal touch to get the apparent 90 degree angle just right. The power of asana for me was the relief of my physical pain. The unexpected bonus was the relief of my mental and emotional pain.

Asana remains the steadiest, most reliable easiest practice for me. Yet something “more” continues to show up. I experience the Self in my family, work and casual relationships. I am more open, trusting and joyful.

It is natural for me to be thankful at this time of year. I was born on Thanksgiving. A few years ago I began making small, safe monthly donations to Master Yoga because I was thankful for what I had received. Sometime later, I thought I could be a little more thankful and I increased my monthly donation.

Peter

Peter in Anjali Mudra
Send us a photo of your hands for our online gallery (to jennifer@masteryoga.org), include your name and zip code.

Two years ago I was asked to do seva. I agreed and promptly put it off for a year. Last year I joined the Master Yoga Foundation Board because I was thankful for the gifts I had been given. This year’s increased monthly commitment of time and money has propelled me into fears. As promised the container has gotten larger. I can be present even during a storm. The unexpected benefit is a growing sense of community and gratitude.

I invite you to participate in your own experiment. Make a one-time or a monthly financial gift from the abundance of what you have received from your asana practice. Increase your current gift to sustain and grow this practice for others. Sit back and observe how your gift continues to give to you.

Click Here to Give a Gift From Your Heart!

Hands & Hearts – irresistible!

Your photos are irresistible!  The online slide show gets a little longer every day, but you lose track of time watching it, so it doesn’t matter.  Time doesn’t count if you’re not counting it.

Now we’re making it into a poster, to say thank you for your donation at this Thanksgiving time. New monthly donors will receive a free 16”x20” poster of many yogis’ hands in Anjali Mudra, with Swamiji’s hands in the center (at the “heart” of the poster).  If you are already a monthly donor, simply increase your monthly gift and you will receive this wonderful thank you – our “Namaste” poster.

Choose any category for your gift, dedicated to supporting meditation programs (SVA) or asana programs (MYF), our Ganeshpuri Music School or a general donation that empowers the Board to determine where your generosity will best serve.  Click here to make a donation – choose “monthly” instead of “one-time”, and set up the amount you desire by changing the “quantity.”

Swamiji

Swami Nirmalananda’s hands

Thank you for your heart-felt practice of yoga.  That’s what makes serving you such a pleasure for us!

OM svaroopa svasvabhava.h namo nama.h

Downingtown Yoga & Meditation Center – Upcoming FREE Events & More

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downingtownSaturday Nov 23, Free Newcomer Classes
Choose to come at 1:30 or 3:30 pm (or you can even take both classes)

Enjoy a free class while you help us train our new teachers!  They’ve been studying for over a year and are now teaching under the supervision of one of our grads – come and let them show you their stuff.  Come and let them show you how easy it is to change your body, calm your mind and open your heart.  Click here to reserve or call us at  610.644.7555.

Sunday November 24, Swami Sunday (FREE)

Join us for our last meditation program in 2013, led by Swami Nirmalananda just before she leaves for her annual India retreat.  A morning full of chanting, chai, great conversation and profound teachings – culminating in a sweet and deep meditation.

8:30-10:00 am – “Srii Guru Gita
10:30 am – 12:15 pm — Satsang with Swami Nirmalananda

Private Yoga Therapy

A great way to fit your yoga into a busy holiday schedule, pick your time and reap the benefits of many yoga classes in just one hour.  Devaraja, Kanchan and Sarvataa will work with you to make immediate changes in the way you feel, as well as to give you easy things you can do at home for yourself.

Holiday Special
$55.00 per session through December 12 2013

Jan 24-26, Shaktipat Retreat with Swami Nirmalananda

“An experience of my Self at a depth I didn’t even know was possible. I feel truly blessed to have had that time with Swamiji and my fellow yogis.” – Theresa Reynolds

Receive the initiation that Swami Nirmalananda is known for:  the awakening of your own potential to know your own Divinity.  A Kundalini master, Swamiji has been empowered to give you this boost into cosmic consciousness, a tangible experience of the Reality Within.  Let her open you up to you.