By Bhagavati (Brindi) Blessing

Even before I started Svaroopa^® yoga teacher training (YTT), I could have taken Radical Anatomy for Yogis, as it is open to anyone interested in yoga. It was an inadvertent omission to delay it until after my third week of Teacher Training. But even then it was fun and fascinating. And it has stood me in good stead for the months following my YTT 3 last year.

The demographics of our group ranged from longtime Svaroopis to those who had no experience of Svaroopa^® yoga. Taking the course alongside newcomers was a revelation. I marveled at how they developed the understanding that “it all begins at the tailbone.”  We teachers hear that in training. We say it in our classes. But Radical Anatomy for Yogis is a concentrated experience of functional anatomy. So I could see how our experiential learning is a unique, dynamic process. It takes place in the body. It bypasses the mind to change the mind.

Even a person trained in another yoga style made rapid changes in her mind set.  As her body opened up, from tail to top, she began to enter poses differently. For example, at first in Vajrasana (Digestive Pose) she separated her knees widely. But soon she focused on getting her knees together to sit back on her heels. Even in Swamiji‘s chant and meditation sessions, this student could recognize her own tailbone opening.

I found that I’d experienced some Radical Anatomy components in earlier trainings, but it was still an enlightening experience. It brought all the pieces of my previous training together. It really highlighted how tailbone tightening affects all of us. Because of that, all of us have an S-curve in the spine. It even shows up in our faces. In the course, we physically experienced how conditions that typically plague us humans originate in a tight tailbone, which is the root cause of the tightening in the rest of the spine.

Personally, I marvel at how this knowing has supported my recovery from major abdominal surgery last December. The surgery was to remediate a condition that was affecting my deep spinal muscles, and the surgery itself “messed with” my deep spinal muscles. But the understanding I gained from Radical Anatomy, as well as several years of dedicated Svaroopa^® yoga practice, has made all the difference. It has kept me devoted to Ujjayi Pranayama and Embodyment^® Yoga Therapy. I believe that no other path for full recovery exists.

I used to think it was astounding that Svaroopa^® yoga could heal my sciatica. Then it was the only manifestation I had of things being off at my tailbone and sacrum. I am now even more impressed with what the Svaroopa^® practices offer — all starting with that little tiny piece of anatomy at the base of my spine.

by Sri McNeill

When I first heard Swamiji teach about seva, I equated it with volunteering. I enjoy helping people, so I asked for a seva. Apparently she didn’t have the same ideas that I had about service. I thought I was supposed to use my skills and enjoy helping. Swamiji gave me computer jobs and various other tasks in my least favorite category. As a result, I frequently brushed up against — sometimes running headfirst into — my ego. It was uncomfortable, even painful. Eventually she sprinkled in some enjoyable sevas. And she repeatedly took them away. After a while and several sevas, I understood that selflessness is a part of serving. It took even longer to subscribe to it.

Currently, I offer weekly seva by cleaning the Ashram Meditation Hall and doing other household tasks. I am grateful to be able to help in this way. Yet I must admit my ego resistance was intact when she first offered these sevas. Yes, I was resistant to Guru seva. My reaction was a reflection of my identity. I had served in other positions that I felt were full of purpose. They included Seva Coordinator and Master Yoga Board member. I remember thinking that any seva I did was “MY seva.” I had an internal conflict to say the least. Caring for the Meditation Hall murtis (sacred statues) felt like the biggest privilege. And the household chores felt like a painful demotion all at the same time. My ego said, “I’ve run a company, managed people, led group movements, and you want me to do what?” Still, a voice said, “It’s important to me to serve and I’ll do my best.”

Eventually my inner conflict erupted into a steady, burning, internal yajña (sacred fire). As I worked, I found myself chanting more. I recognized a sweet space while folding laundry and cleaning pujas. I realized that some of the seva tasks were the same chores that I didn’t enjoy doing at home. So I began to chant while cleaning at home. I learned to do laundry at home from the same sweet space as at the Ashram, that space of less “small-s” self and more “capital-S” Self.

Seva has become the best way for me to sit in the fire. It gives me a way to practice non-attachment and to develop skill in action. I’ve learned to do things well without demanding perfection from myself. I’ve learned to exercise compassion and patience towards myself and others. Working around Swamiji, I’ve learned to be quiet as a mouse without feeling as small as one. I’ve become aware of being in darshan in every moment in her Presence and in the Presence of the Babas and of the murtis. The fire of seva is burning away my feelings of imperfection and my need to push for perfection. It’s burning away self-judgment and feelings of separation from Consciousness. Seva has been a maha-yajña for letting go of many small selves. I’ve developed more freedom from need and greed than I ever thought possible.

Recently I attended a seva meeting where Swamiji considered discontinuing my household sevas. I felt a familiar tiny tug of resistance in my heart. Then it vanished. My mind resolutely said, “OK.” There was neither ego crying nor internal shouts of “no.” There was only bliss and surrender without attachment or expectation. The fire of selfless service — there’s nothing like it!

By Matrika Gast

Our Florida venue overlooked white sand and the Atlantic Ocean. Daily on the terrace, they chanted Sri Guru Gita to the sound of the waves. All appreciated the comfortable accommodations and delicious meals. Yet the deep practices are remembered as the heart of their experience.

“Three days of Shaktipat and then Shivaratri,” says Ursula Myslinski, “were vastly rewarding. The power of the sunrise Guru Gita and other chants, along with the teachings, deepened my sense of capital-S Self. The strong support of like-minded yogis was very comforting as were the splendid surroundings. It was truly uplifting and unforgettable.”

Following the Shaktipat days, the Shivaratri celebration took place on Sunday night, February 26, during new moon. Tradition promises that those who stay up until dawn can become enlightened. Retreatants listened to ancient teaching stories from the Shiva Puranam, chanted and meditated with Swami Nirmalananda, enjoyed some asana and snacked on healthy treats. Then they repeated these rounds, all night.

Rama (Ruth) Brooke describes her experience as “supremely transformative.” She notes, “The opportunity to steep after the three-day Shaktipat experience by doing another two days including Shivaratri was immeasurable. The effects will continue to emerge and evolve for a long time, I’m sure.”

With experience of several previous Shaktipat retreats with Swamiji, Saguna Goss states, “This was one of the deepest programs that I have ever taken.”  Sumati (Pat) Morrison concurs: “Incredible program! Both housing and meals were excellent. I was changed by this program and continue to feel more steady in my state. I am living from a deeper place. My husband remarked that I seem newly and firmly settled.”

Our next retreats with Swami Nirmalananda will be at Lokananda, our home in Downingtown PA:

Shaktipat Retreat April 14-16
Yoga Therapy Intensive Retreat April 19-23
Shaktipat Retreat June 2-4
DIY: Healing June 15-18.  DIY stands for “Deepen It Yourself,” because you go home with practices and even pose handouts that will deepen your practice tremendously.

By Rudrani Nogue

My new favorite pose is not one I would have chosen. Swamiji assigned it (and other poses) to me a month ago at our Calgary Shaktipat Retreat.  She told me that my legs weren’t strong and that I needed to do TEN standing poses a day. I never thought of my legs as strong or weak. They were just how they were. Admittedly, my standing work until this point has been sporadic. I have leaned more towards floor poses. In my personal practice, I have added standing poses only when teaching themes with standing poses.

Swamiji’s intervention took me by surprise and challenged me. But I also knew I would get more than strong legs when I followed through. I just wasn’t sure what the more would be.

So I added TEN standing poses a day to my practices. I moved out of my comfort zone. It was tapas (doing the hard stuff). I work hard to claim the extra time for this new practice. Then magically I had the time. Over the month, I have come to look forward to the challenge.

The standing pose that has emerged as my favorite is Virabhadrasana 2 (Warrior 2). While I look forward to deeper understandings going forward, so far here is what I have discovered:

• Not only are my legs getting stronger but so are my arms, shoulders, abs and feet
• I am standing in my bones and letting them support me
• I can stay in Warrior much longer than I originally expected. I settle and soften into it. This is the stamina that my pink sheets tell me is possible.
• I have been discovering tight spots in my body (yet again). I had no idea they were tight. They were so tight that they were numb.
• I am experiencing the power and comfort of repetition.
• My physical balance is steadier.
• I am steadier emotionally.
• I am feeling into my body in a new way – my tailbone lengthening down sometimes, my sacrum opening, the floor of my pelvis becoming alive.

Still most exciting is finding the joy, ease, steadiness, clarity and strength in my mind. Or maybe it’s coming from just beyond my mind?

As my inner warrior arises, I am kinder, more loving both to my Self and others and more able to ask for what I need. For example, between classes some students like to stay and chat. That leaves me little time to go home and have lunch before I am due back to teach. Yesterday when that happened, I expressed to one how I would be glad to talk more at a different time (true), but that I needed to leave then, to eat and rest before returning to teach. I felt clear and kind.

Gladly, I offered another Svaroopi the use of my blankets and the idea of teaching out of the community hall where I teach. Until now this has been hard for me to do. Of course, some of these changes are due to my other practices, but I am sure my Warrior 2 is a factor in these shifts.

Thank you, Swamiji, for giving me what I needed when I had no idea this was what I needed. I am, as always, filled with gratitude.

By Gunaratna (Gail) Hinchliffe

This February, I experienced my second Shaktipat weekend with Swami Nirmalananda in Calgary. The first was in 2014 and the most recent was last February.

For me Shaktipat unfolds a continuing process.  It gives me a different lens through which to see the world. I continue to be the high-energy person I have always been. Yet each time I see Swamiji another veil is pulled away, so I have a new perspective.

As CEO of an elder services organization, I work very full time. Yet I feel no stress in my life. I work with many people and personalities, on many different levels of interaction. Each day Guru’s Grace from Swamiji supports my capacity for working through complexities. I do not get caught up in the dramas and emotions. I feel grounded.

Within our February Shaktipat group of 24, I felt the great blessing of being in our GeoCenter. Together, this core group, led by Rudrani Nogue, keeps the Svaroopa® Sciences practices alive and vibrant in Calgary. It was a miraculously wonderful immersion as we shared in the presence of Swamiji. It brought our community even closer, nurturing and deepening the love and respect we already have for each other.

By Swami Nirmalananda Saraswati

My first yoga teacher told me, “Every pose is for your spine.”  I didn’t understand, but I loved her classes.  I even started doing some poses at home.  After 2 or 3 months of taking her weekly classes, she told me I was ready to teach.  Really?  I was amazed!  This was 1976. The pathway to becoming a yoga teacher was not clearly defined.

I didn’t feel ready to teach, so I signed up for a local teacher training program.  It met 2 hours a week for 12 weeks.  The teacher was another wonderful yogini, who said, “Every pose is for your spine.”  She didn’t teach any anatomy, so I didn’t really understand where my spine was or how it was structured, much less how the poses were affecting it.  I began teaching, so I repeated what she said to my own students, like a parrot.  And I knew that I didn’t know.

Then I took another teacher training.  This one was in an Ashram, still in the USA.  The team of teachers took turns parroting the familiar phrase.  It never occurred to me to ask them about it.  But it certainly got my attention.  Mainly it made me feel stupid and inadequate because I didn’t understand what it meant.  Fortunately, by then I’d received Shaktipat from my Guru, so spontaneous yoga poses were moving me through a process every morning in meditation.  I was finding my spine, learning the anatomy from the inside out.

Then I took a teacher training in India.  The morning classes were outside on a cement slab from 4:30-5:30 am, with a final Shavasana during the sunrise.  Ecstatic!  And cold.  When the sun comes up, it generates a breeze.  On the cement slab, with a thin film of sweat coating my skin, that breeze was frigid.  So I learned how to relax into cold.  This wonderful teacher also repeated that every pose was for the spine, but gave no more information than my previous teachers.

I took another teacher training, in the USA.  Well, I began taking another teacher training.  They said, “Every pose is for the spine.”  By then, I’d learned to ask questions.  When I asked how the different poses were for the spine, they couldn’t explain it.  I realized that I knew more than the trainers knew, wonderful people that they were.  After a few weeks, I left the training and asked my Guru for blessings to train teachers.  I’ve been focusing on training teachers ever since, over 30 years now.

In every pose, I tell you what part of the spine is being targeted and how it’s being affected.  I name the muscles involved.  I can also see what you’re doing to your spine, too often tightening and compressing it when you should be getting a lift and opening.  I realign your body so you’ll get the spinal release that every pose is intended to provide.  In every teacher training handout, I detail the spinal effects for every pose.  And I tell you, “Every pose is for your spine.”  Except I know what each pose is doing – and why.

When you get the spinal release that the poses are supposed to provide, you experience the mystical reality of your own Divinity.  Beginning by lengthening your tailbone, then targeting each spinal area in turn, the lift and opening from tail-to-top shows you who you really are.  Yoga is a mystical science.  It uses your body to provide the mystical experiences promised by the sages, again and again, over thousands of years.  Yoga uses body, breath, mind, emotions, words, study, music, worship and mundane daily activities to open the doorway inside.  It’s a comprehensive science of mystical dimensions.  It all begins with your mystical spine.

Join Swami Nirmalananda for her workshop, “The Mystical Spine” on March 25 at Philly Namas Day.

By Bindu Shortt

In springtime the ground thaws, the snow melts and there is a muddy aliveness. With a saturation of water, the earth germinates seeds. Flowers and trees blossom. Fields are ploughed and planted. Ayurveda observes that your body and mind undergo a similar process of clearing and revival in spring.

Ayurveda recognizes spring as the “kapha” (kap-ha) season. According to Ayurveda, yoga’s sister science, your physical body, mind and emotions are formed of three “bioenergies,” which are made up of nature’s five elements. These bioenergies are called doshas. Vata is constituted of air and space, water and fire constitute pitta, and water and earth constitute the kapha dosha.

In Sanskrit, “kapha” means to bind or hold together. Kapha governs the structure of the body, giving you stability, strength and endurance. Your capacity for love, compassion, nurturing, empathy, loyalty, patience and forgiveness stem from kapha. You exhibit these qualities when you are kapha-balanced.

Ayurveda observes that “like increases like.” Thus, the qualities of spring on the outside increase those same qualities inside you. After winter, kapha thaws, accumulates and moves your bodily fluids. Kapha makes its home mostly in your chest, stomach, body fat, bones and lymph. So in spring you may experience colds, sinus problems, allergies or hay fever. Your kapha dosha moisturizes you with mucus, usually in response to the buildup of drying vata over the winter.

Just as the spring thaw cleanses the land, the movement of your inner fluids cleanses your body. As the earth thaws, the first plants to come up are the tender little sprouts and then some berries. Animals seek them out for their natural cleansing properties. Like the animals, you may find that you want lighter foods such as sprouts and berries. Your innate Ayurvedic wisdom knows they support your inner spring cleaning. Those heavy winter stews of potatoes, parsnips and carrots can be replaced by lighter springtime soups made with seasonal veggies such as asparagus or broccoli. Your taste for grains may run lighter to white basmati rice, quinoa or millet. You may find you want a little salad a couple of times a week as well as more cooked greens, steamed now rather than sautéed.

photo credit: Banyan Botanicals

To nurture yourself in sync with Ayurvedic wisdom, observe the six flavors. Favor the bitter, astringent and pungent tastes. These foods help to thin and move excess mucus. Grains are bitter; lentils and beans are astringent. For pungent, use green chilies, onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric and lots of black pepper. All strengthen your agni — your digestive fire in this cool, damp season.

Keep your veggies and fruits steamed or boiled. For fruits, favor seasonal berries and cherries. In addition to leafy greens, green veggies include peas, green beans, broccoli, asparagus, sprouts, celery, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. Minimize your dairy intake if you tend towards the spring imbalances of colds, sinus problems, allergies or hay fever.

Keep doing your daily oil massage before bathing or showering. If your individual constitution is kapha predominant, add another layer to this ritual. First give yourself a dry massage. Use either nubby exfoliating gloves from the pharmacy, or Ayurvedic silk self-massage gloves, found online. This dry massage helps to get your lymph moving, as part of your systemic spring cleaning.

In your daily life, ride the waves of natural energy. As we have more light each day, you might find it easier to be up before 6 am. That lets you ride vata — the wave of light, pristine energy from 2 to 6 am. It will support your entry into the heavier kapha energy wave from 6 to 10 am. This practice will keep your physical and mental energy higher and clearer. Take that clarity into your day to support your natural internal cleansing.

Spring is your time to ride the waves of outer and inner renewal. Revel in it!

By Karuna (Carolyn) Beaver

When my sisters and I came running to our mother with a scraped knee growing up, we were likely to be sent in search of a band aid. We had to take care of our wounds ourselves. We were unlikely to be coddled by her kissing our “boo-boos.” This is not to say our mother didn’t take care of us. She absolutely did. If we were really ill, she was right there with chicken soup, baby aspirin and all the time in the world. Still, part of me wanted to be coddled all the time.  My mother taught me a lot about the duality of the world, as mothers can. She loved me and pushed me hard. But it felt like she was either “nice” Mom or “mean” Mom.

In the February contemplation “It’s All for You!”, Swami Nirmalananda and Rukmini explain the sages’ two-fold map of duality. Duality makes you feel separate from everyone else. That sense of separation makes you feel small.  It’s there in childhood, which is not as idyllic as everyone thinks it should be.  As a child, I experienced the world’s opposites: good/bad, black/white, me/you. I felt that smallness when I didn’t get what I wanted or what I thought I needed to feel safe and loved.

Even as an adult, I much prefer it when everything seems to go my way. I don’t like pain and suffering. Who does? But my mother taught me a valuable lesson. I have figured out my mother was loving and pushing me for a purpose. It was so I could learn to take care of myself. It’s not about what happens to you or even necessarily what you do about it. It’s about who you are in the midst of whatever is occurring in life.

I’m still learning this lesson, sometimes daily. I imagine you are too. Family members know you best, and they’re experts at pushing you past your limitations. Swami and Rukmini say, “They want you to be a saint and they are doing their best to help you get there.” In fact, the contemplation article says my mother was pushing me right into enlightenment. Thanks, Mom!

It is just as the yogic sage Patanjali says, “The purpose of the world is solely for the sake of the Self,” your own Self. Everything in the world, seen and unseen, is for you to discover svaroopa, your own Divine Essence. This even applies to taking care of your own “boo-boos,” especially from an expansive and deep place within.

Living this world view can be difficult in the midst of hardship or conflict. Do you give in to the small-s self or dive deep into your Self — to soar past your limitations? I hear Swami’s familiar phrase, “do more yoga.” My yoga practice and Swami’s teachings help me choose to let go of my desires and fear. I tap into my deeper essence; I am reminded of who I really am. I am Consciousness. The world is providing me the experience I need in order to know that, more consistently. Thanks, Swamiji!

By Dasi Trautlein

Since I completed the Treating Pain training last year, all of my clients have had less pain. That is, when they do the practices I recommend! My 68-year-old client Karen has had the most remarkable results.

She came to me with over 50 years of chronic pain, affecting knees, hips, lower and upper back, and shoulders. She also suffered from headaches, sinus congestion and insomnia. Karen explained that her muscles were very tight. When she turned quickly, she would lose her balance and experience vertigo. She had shortness of breath and irregular heartbeat. She was under tremendous stress at home. When she filled out her intake form, she marked eight spots on her body. On a scale of 0–10, her pain level in every spot was between 3 and 9. With tears in her eyes, she said coming to see me was “her last hope to avoid living on pain medications.”

After her first session, her body hurt in only three spots. Their highest pain level was 5 & 6. After her second session, again three spots hurt, but their pain level was 2. During her third session, she recognized that during the session she had two minutes of no pain at all.

She completed an 18-session Overlap Healing series; at the end she had no pain to report. She was just tired from all the activity she had enjoyed the day before. Karen became able to play with her granddaughter, participate in family adventures and help with home projects. After her series, she eagerly attended yoga class to learn new ways of using her body. That keeps her from reinjuring herself. She also comes in for weekly yoga therapy sessions. And she is so committed to her weekly class that she quit her book club. Karen says her yoga is “more of a priority.”

photo credit: floridapainreliefgroup.com

With the pain treatment protocols, I have also been able to work with a client who winced with pain when touched. When she first came in, I could not even give her Shavasana adjustments. The protocols soothed her mind, as well as helping her body. Now she is able to let go and open to the healing possibilities that Svaroopa^® yoga therapy offers. I did not have to try to convince her, or explain why. I simply applied the tools that I was given, and they worked.

ATT 262 also taught me how to deal with my reactions to a client’s pain, as well as my desires for Svaroopa^® protocols to work. I learned how to rest deeper into my Self, to serve from this place while engaging with someone in pain, fear and doubt. The training increased my confidence in offering and recommending these amazingly powerful practices. The sutra studies helped my mind let go of fear of pain. The sutras led me to understand how pain works in the body and mind. Someone who is gripped by pain, even when Western medicine cannot solve it, can receive lasting change from our simple, deep and incredibly effective Svaroopa^® yoga practices.

When I could offer only Embodyment^® sessions, my clients would experience change, but it wouldn’t last. This outcome confused me. But the Treating Pain course taught me why and how I could really help clients maintain their openings. What I have learned has translated to all my clients and students. I have also benefitted.  Using these treating pain protocols on myself, I have become a healthier, happier and more energized teacher. As I have changed, my current students are more inspired and motivated.

Having also attracted more students, I have more income and look forward to more trainings. It has been satisfying to serve in this way, and I am so grateful for these tools. I look forward to deepening my skills even more with the yoga therapy trainings for neck and shoulders, and for spine, knees and feet.

By Bindu Shortt

When I was growing up, we always had a mother cat and some kittens in the house, plenty to share among seven children. I loved to take a cat into bed with me and pet it. I remember exactly the moment when I was scratching a cat under the chin and thought, “Who is giving here and who is receiving?” I had thought I was giving by scratching the cat. But I realized that the cat was giving me something also.

photo credit: petmassage.com

Now I won’t go so far as to call petting a cat seva. It’s more a story about the disappearing of the lines between giving and receiving. Seva does this, while it is also a deeper process. The Sanskrit word translates into “selfless service” or “actions taken without thought of reward or payment.” True seva contributes to your spiritual awakening, through your contributing to the Guru.  True seva makes the lines between giving and receiving disappear.

My first Svaroopa^® seva was at my Foundations training. We each pulled tasks out of a hat.  I pulled the job of cleaning out the refrigerator. At first I grumbled. I had seen the stuff left from the prior students, and it wasn’t a pretty sight or smell. But as I put my awareness solely on cleaning the fridge, I was able to land in the moment and be fully present with the task. As I yielded to the simplicity of the doing in the moment, I could feel myself relax and — dare I say it — enjoy the process of doing, as service.

When I decide to do seva I am not thinking about how it will advance me spiritually. In fact, that seems antithetical to what seva really is. I’m not so sure I’m “thinking” at all. I’m not weighing the gains against the effort. Choosing to do seva is simply a matter of “what is.” It is a natural process. The sun shines because that’s what it does. The wind blows, the water flows. Similarly, gardeners garden, editors edit, computer people do computer stuff (can you tell computers are NOT my seva?). Yogis give.

Some years ago I heard Swamiji say, “When you are Self Realized, all you do is give.” At the time I thought that sounded exhausting. I was thinking of it as a one-way street. I was very familiar with that old martyrdom identity of “I just give and give and give.” I depleted myself trying to construct an identity of being a “giving” person.

But now I understand Swamiji’s words differently, through my own experience of seva. There is a joy in doing, in giving, unfettered by a personal agenda. Seva as a practice is part of this mystical Svaroopa^® Science.

I can’t explain how seva works. I only know that by offering seva my capacity expands. It’s like my pot that holds Grace and Truth and Self becomes bigger. I become free-er. Free-er to do more, to give more. The flowing of giving from this free place affects me as it flows out through me, as me. If seva is “selfless service,” then there is no small ‘s’ self-involved. And the “service” is given to Self.

Certainly in our Svaroopa^® community it is easy to see that the actions of many are needed to sustain and move our community forward in its evolution. To be one of those included in this process is a privilege. As I immerse myself in my seva — whether it is gardening at the Ashram, emceeing a Swami Sunday, or offering Ayurvedic guidance to staff — I am immersed more deeply in the flow of the Grace of this lineage. So much has been given to me, such amazing abundance of Grace and gifts, that my seva is my sincere expression of my gratitude and giving back. Ironically, seva is another way of expressing my Divinity out into the world.