RishiCulture Yoga Magazine - June 2014 by Jennifer Aubé

RishiCulture YOGA

Ode to Mother

RishiCulture YOGA Content 7

The Mother Supreme: A Poem

The Yoga of Motherhood: My Own Experience

From Above or Within

From Son to Mother

Yoga: A Boon for Maternal and Child Health

Gitananda Quick Guide to Pre-Natal and Post-Natal

Yoga Practices

Glossary of Pre-Natal and Post-Natal Yoga Practices

Permanence in Impermanence

Giving Birth in Wales, UK

Revelations on the Mat

Inspirations

The Path of the Divine Mother

Earth Teach Me

Beemaratha Shanti: 70th Jyanthi Celebrations

My Cosmic Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Face: A Poem

Under Her Wings

Loving Mother-Eagle

A Beacon of Light

Enter Here Only if You Are Happy

Living a Yoga Life

Mother and Guru

Gift of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mother Culture

The Lionness of Tamil Nadu

Need Your Help

About Swami Gitananda Yogamaharishi Dr. Swami Gitananda Giri was one of the most potent and effective forces in the field of ashtanga yoga worldwide. Trained in modern allopathic medicine, he combined the ancient traditional spiritual sciences with a modern scientific temperament. His hundreds of thousands of students around the world were attracted to his clear, rational, scientific expositions of ancient philosophical and spiritual concepts. A practical man to the core, the technology of yoga which he transmitted to his students has proven an effective method of attaining perfect health, well being, personality and intellectual development.

Yogamaharishi Dr. Swami Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj was the purveyor of a vast, scientific, rational and systematic body of yoga knowledge. He embodied in himself the Bengali tantric tradition of his life-long guru Sri Kanakananda Swamigal with the Shiva Yoga and ritualistic expertise of the line of gurus of Sri Kambliswamy Madam, as imparted to him by his predecessor Sri Shankaragiri Swamigal. The vast living and vibrant knowledge which he imparted so freely to hundreds of thousands of students included a complete and rational system of Hatha Yoga practices which provided a base for the higher techniques. For those who prepared themselves properly, he offered a complete system of jnana yoga techniques to purify, steady and cultivate the mind, and free it

Mission of the Magazine Our offering to the Guru is the expression of our gratitude for the knowledge that has been imparted to us through the production of a beautiful Magazine that contains our stories, moments of swadyaya, poems, photographs and artwork detailing our continued efforts on the Yoga path. All issues can be downloaded for free at www.RishiCultureYoga.net.

Editor’s Note In honour of Ammaji’s Bheemaratha Shanthi (pages 32-35), we dedicate this issue to Mother. I know that she would prefer to have all attention given to Swamiji, but for this one issue she must indulge us in our desire to put all attention onto her. In truth, however, the energies of Ammaji and Swamiji are everywhere, as one cannot exist without the other. In the Gitananda photo archives, there was a severely damaged photo of Swamiji with Ammaji. I have digitally repaired the image (page 6), although I kept the feel of it painterly, so as not to mask the fact that it has been reworked. At first glance, read through the articles and the many quotes about Ammaji. On a second pass, look at the images in a two-page view. Look at the eyes, the direction of each gaze and where they lead you (pages 6-7). Look at a mother’s playful hands (pages 12-13). Consider the contrast of meaning in image and text (page 18). Look at the layout for archetype shapes, especially the triangle. The power of Sri Yantra is everywhere, intersecting upward and downward triangles, representing both male and female energies. An obvious example is on page 46, the image of the lioness represents the female principle while its shape is that of the upward triangle, the male principle. For the first time, included in the magazine is a quick reference guide (page 17) and glossary of a specific yoga practice (pages 19-23). In keeping with the theme of ‘Mother’, this issue focuses on pre-natal and post-natal yoga. One of the great joys of doing research for the magazine is making new discoveries, like the beautiful sculptures by Norwegian artist Emanuel Vigeland (pages 14-15) and German artist Rudi Hirt (page 36), Enjoy this issue and keep in touch. I look forward to collaborating with you in the near future. Jennifer Dany Aubé Managing Editor and Designer jendany@yahoo.com www.rishicultureyoga.net www.jenniferdany.ca

Acknowledgements Sincere thanks to all the contributors to this issue of the RishiCulture Yoga Magazine. Images used in this publication are copyrighted to the original artists. Other images have been purchased through the stock photo site Fotolia. © 2014

The Mother Supreme Soul stirring eyes of gold delight, All-where reigning supreme Our blind secrecy’s dream She seizes with Her all forgiving Sight. Torn now asunder our ego’s screen, Under Her Smile of Grace Blooms quick our surrender’s face. She paves the way to a life evergreen. by Sri Chinmoy

The Yoga of Motherhood by Ammaji, Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani, India Though I often jokingly refer to myself as a “reluctant mother”, I must confess that bearing, delivering and raising our son Ananda Balayogi has been the single most significant spiritual experience of my life, my first real initiation into the blissful state of Yoga – a oneness and communion with the Universe on a nearly mystical level. At, the age of twenty-eight, I had practised the techniques of Yoga for nearly four years before my son’s birth. Yet, it was in the most real sense only a “practice”, and not a realisation. It was a preparation for the experience of that sense of oneness, rather than a realisation of that blessed state. I can, with all honesty, say that from the moment of Ananda’s entrance to this Karma Bhumi (earth plane), I have experienced an inner wholeness, a completeness, a fulfillment and a peace which I would never have dreamed possible. This personal account of the pregnancy and delivery of my son thirty-two years ago may inspire some of our modern ladies to take up the practice of Yoga in order to prepare themselves for the greatest spiritual experience of them all – motherhood. Born in the USA, I traveled to India in 1967 to take up the study of Yoga. Luckily, I found my Guru and I took to the practice of Yoga as easily as a bird takes to the sky. The concepts of Yoga which I encountered through my Guru (later to become my husband) were those thoughts and feelings for which I had hungered for my whole life. In those days, I saw Yoga as Tapas, difficult austerities – long periods of silence, meditative practices, solitude, extreme Hatha Yoga Asanas, Pranayama and fasting. This I felt would culminate in that blissful state of Samadhi, which I assumed I could achieve within a year or two of intense Sadhana. After three years of marriage, I found myself pregnant. My pregnancy was very easy thanks to my Yoga Abhyasa. I had been practising Yoga Asanas, Pranayama and the usual Yoga Tapas, fasting, Mauna, etc. for four years prior to the pregnancy, so my body

was strong, flexible and healthy. Indeed, it was not till the end of the sixth month that anyone other than my husband even realised my state. At the end of the fifth month, however, one of our good friends, a Swamiji, had casually remarked, “Meenakshi, you are getting a little fat. That is not becoming to a Yogini”. I simply kept quiet, and suppressed my smile.

Yogic Life Style Prepared Me Well for Delivery I kept a good figure and never did become too big, even at the time of delivery. I was able to carry out all my normal, heavy workload, including riding on my bicycle to Pondicherry town, nearly five kilometers away, once and sometimes twice a day up to the end of the eighth month. I participated in all the Ashram’s daily 6 a.m. Hatha Yoga Asana classes right up to the very day of delivery, and was able to do all of the Asanas, Kriyas and Mudras up to the end of the fifth month. After that time, my body began to change its shape, so that some of the face-prone positions, such as Dhanur Asana, Shalabha Asana, where extreme pressure is placed upon the abdomen, were not possible. After that, I performed whatever Asanas, Kriyas and Mudras that my body shape would allow. I was able to do Hala Asana up to the beginning of the eighth month, and the Sarvanga Asana, Nava Asana and its variations, Balasana, and Vyagraha Asana, with relative ease. I found those positions done from a four-footed position (hands and knees-Chatus Pada) were especially beneficial. I worked hard on strengthening and loosening up my pelvic area and lower back and strengthening my stomach muscles. I performed Aswini Mudra (tightening and releasing the anus) and also Moola Bandha regularly. I did many standing postures. I worked hard on sitting postures and sat often in the Utkat Asana, the Squat, at any time of day or night, whenever possible. Baddha Kona Asana and variations were very useful in loosening the pelvis. I concentrated on performing as many Pranayamas as possible, especially using the various types of Bhastrikas to cleanse the body of toxins;

Savitri Pranayama, the Rhythmic Breath, to calm and harmonize systems; Loma Viloma, Aloma Viloma, Nadi Shuddhi, to clean and purify the nervous systems; I felt Sukha Purvaka gave my mind great depth and clarity. The various Vibhaga Pranayamas, Sectional Breaths, and Mahat Yoga Pranayama, the Complete Breath, stimulated pranic flow into body organs. I also used often the Kukuriya Pranayama, the Dog Pant, sticking the tongue out and panting like a dog, breathing in and out through the mouth, to deliberately strengthen the solar plexus.

Goals for a Healthy Pregnancy I wished to keep my system relaxed, flexible, and free of toxins, my pelvic area and lower back flexible, my lower back and stomach strong. I wanted my legs to be strong enough to support the added weight and prevent varicose veins. I wanted plenty of pranic energy flowing through my body and breathed as deeply as I could whenever possible. I participated in as much Mantra chanting as possible and tried at least to begin and end my day with a short period of concentration. I actually only had two hours in the morning for my Hatha Yoga Sadhana, though by participating in the Ashram Sadhana, I also had some time at the high noon Sandhyam for concentration-meditation and again at the sunset Sandhyam for Mantra Chanting. The rest of the day I carried on my busy work load: Ashram administration, Swamiji’s private secretarial work, supervising the printing of books and our monthly YOGA LIFE magazine; teaching classes, receiving visitors, etc. I did not go to a doctor until the eighth month. I only went then because I wanted to have some idea of the delivery date. At that time, the doctor told me I was in good health and should have no trouble. I found that my body did start to feel heavy towards the end of the eighth month and I found it difficult to take the deep breath to which I was normally accustomed. Swamiji told me this was because the child was now pushing up against the diaphragm. Two weeks before the actual delivery, the child dropped in the womb and the pressure against the diaphragm and lungs lessened considerably, allowing me to resume once more my various Pranayama routines. About that time I was starting to feel “crowded” in my body. I gave vent to my feelings in a poem to my unborn child, asking the child how it had the audacity to choose me to be its mother without consulting me! In the poem I complained to the child, that there was “scarcely enough room for me in this body, let alone for thee! ” I was feeling cramped for space, in spite of all my Yoga! During that last month my husband would often take me to the sea-beach where I found taking bath in the salt water made my

body feel light and buoyant and gave a great relief from its heaviness.

Diet During this Important Time I was careful of my diet, eating much fresh foods and drinking much fruit juice and vegetable juice and eating many salads. I was eating only whole grains and chewed the food carefully. If I was what I ate, then surely, my child would be what I ate as well! I was a vegetarian, and though my parents expressed concern that there would not be enough protein in my diet to build a child properly, our little Ananda later proved that all their fears were false. I used to see, occasionally, European women in Pondicherry who were expecting, sitting in the coffee shops smoking, and gorging themselves on pasteries and ice cream. Many of our students coming from the West had horror tales to tell of the life style of many expectant mothers in Western countries, who thought nothing of drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, taking drugs and eating the grossest of foods during their confinement. Swamiji cautioned me that I must be very careful of what I put into my system, for he explained that everything which entered my blood would pass via the umbilical cord into the child’s body. ”Those women who smoke in pregnancy are pouring nicotine into the clean, pure tissues of their child. Then they wonder why their child cries so much after delivery. The poor thing is suffering from “nicotine withdrawal”, he said. Apparently, pregnancy in the West is a traumatic time for most women. What a terrible shame! I was most grateful, when I heard those tales, and remembered my own experience, that I was privileged to experience this wonderful time in “Mother India”, where a pregnant woman is treated as a “priceless jewel”. The Hindu style of life, spending much of the time squatting on the floor, or sitting on the floor; the light, cotton saree, which makes such a graceful and beautiful maternity dress, the vast amounts of time spent outdoors in lovely, cheerful sunlight and fresh air, and the great innate respect that the Hindu people have for all “mothers” is a reassuring, comforting and supportive atmosphere in which to bear one’s child. I felt sorry for all those women in “less civilized countries” who found pregnancy so traumatic that they needed tranquillizers to get them through the experience I was finding so rewarding and spiritually enlightening.

Importance of Positive Emotions and Thoughts I was fortunate to have my Guru as my husband, for it was he who really initiated me into the spiritual

subtleties of motherhood and made me aware of the more subtle aspects of mother-child relationships. ‘You must be very careful of your emotions and thoughts during this time”, he said, “If you are happy and contented, your child will also feel those positive feelings as surely as if he is being bathed in sunlight. If you keep your mind on a high level of thought, your child will also imbibe those spiritual aspirations from his birth itself.” He told me stories of the wives of Rishis in ancient days, and how they would sit for hours during their confinement, listening to their husbands chant the VEDAS and the sacred scriptures, deliberately exposing the unborn child to the holiest of vibrations. I especially loved the beautiful story of Ashtavakra, who, when he was but a child in his mother’s womb, not only listened consciously to his father chanting the sacred scriptures, but actually called out one time, “Father, you are making a mistake! It is not chanted like that at all!” much to the amazement of all. Such charming stories with a moral such as that are common in India, and delightful paintings, drawings and sculptures of the various gods and goddesses in their infant stages abound, drawing the mind and the heart to rest on their beauty. Folk Wisdom Is Sometimes Real Wisdom: Thus, my time drew near. I had no senior woman friend or advisor close to me in whom I could confide, and for those things that only women know I could turn only to my old Ayah, a village lady of considerable personality. I had some misgivings about emerging from my experience with a misshapen body, and was gratified to meet later in my pregnancy a young woman who not only looked trim and slim, but had returned to her practice of Bharat Natyam only four months after delivery. Meeting women like this, who had come through this experience intact, joyous and loving, had a profound effect upon my state of mind. I received advice from all quarters, however, and was always happy to listen to the experience and thoughts of others. One old Russian lady in particular pleased me with her folk wisdom and humour. ”You should treat your son ”as a god for the first six years of his life; like a king for the next six years; like a slave for the next six years, and as a friend ever after. This attitude towards the “ego development” of a child at various stages I have found quite accurate and have seen its wisdom in the passing years. This same woman also gave me a formula for producing a genius. “If you want your child to be brilliant”, she said, “you must breast feed him for three years and during that time have no sexual contact at all. This power from your own body will pass through your milk to the child”. As things turned out, I later fulfilled these conditions and our little Ananda today does have a rare brilliance of mind. I used to ponder these concepts carefully, for they also had their harmonic thought in Yoga philosophy.

Motherhood – Nature’s Way of Subjugation of the Ego The various students and friends passing through our Ashram used to share their experiences with me, and I slowly built up confidence that I too could go through what women since Eve have endured as their part in perpetuating the race. It was a sacrifice, giving up my own body to another being for nine months, and I understood full well why the Hindus had so much respect for motherhood. Is there any other human experience in the world in which one can so willingly and joyously put every single need and desire of another living being before one’s own welfare? This constant subjugation of one’s own ego to the needs of another is itself a spiritual discipline unparalleled. I slowly felt the presence of another life growing close to my own and empathized with the Biblical description of Mary, the mother of Jesus, who “kept these things in her heart and pondered them deeply”. One does feel an immense closeness to the Universe at this time, a feeling of the utter mystery of creating, the perfection of the unfoldment, which has nothing to do with one’s mind. I could never consciously “create a baby”; even the most brilliant scientist with all his test tubes could not create life. Yet, here I was, on automatic pilot, so to speak, bearing witness to the slow unfoldment of another human life within the protective cocoon of my own. I could not help but meet each new stage, each new development with awe and thanksgiving for this rare opportunity.

The Yogic Experience of “Labour” One day in the middle of April, the 16th of the month, 1972, I was wakened about 3 a. m. with strange rippling sensations in my lower back. They were pleasant; my mind was drawn naturally to dwell on them, to contemplate their movement in my body. They were similar to the swells of the ocean, the mighty rhythm of waves beating upon the shore. I lay awake till dawn, absorbed in the sensations, which were like none I had ever felt. I attended the Hatha Yoga class and participated in whatever postures were possible for me in that state. After breakfast, I sat at my typewriter to take dictation from my husband, for we were working on several books, our monthly magazine and I had to do several pieces of mail before lunch. The “rolling sensations’ in my lower back became more and more pronounced, but they were not painful and I wondered if this could possibly be the “labour pains” about which all women speak. There was nothing painful about them, but they were becoming more and more intense. I started to squirm somewhat uneasily in my chair, but continued with the typing. Finally, when I felt they were becoming too powerful to sit still, I told my husband. “I think the labour pains have started, though they don’t

hurt.” They were coming very closely by then, about one minute apart. “I think we had better go to the nursing home”, I said. My husband sent for a taxi and by 10 a.m. we were on our way to the nursing home, about five kilometers away. This clinic was run by Catholic nuns in Pondicherry, and they took one look at me, and directed me to the delivery room. By 11 a.m. the sensations had become very intense, by that time breaking through the pain threshold and I became conscious of very powerful, now painful muscular thrusts of the body. I was “working very hard” even involuntarily and could appreciate the significance of the term “labour” pains. The body was hard at work to sever a connection, which it had maintained so intimately between two bodies for the last nine months and the partition would not be easy. The nuns did not give me any medication nor did I ask for it. I wanted to be conscious and aware. I walked around the delivery room. I did the Kukkriya Pranayama, much to the astonishment of the attendants, who had to be reassured that it was a Yoga practice and I had not indeed gone mad. I performed some shallow Nasarga Bhastrika and Nasarga Mukha Bhastrikas. I even got down on my hands and knees and crawled about the delivery room. These were rather strange antics for the staff and I suppose I should have prepared them better for the sight. I simply gasped, “Yoga practice” between breaths, through my clenched teeth, and they relaxed their anxious glances in my direction. I was in the delivery room for one hour, when at 12:45, the little one made his “big break” into Karma Bhumi, and let out a lusty cry to let us all know that he had arrived. My husband was standing directly outside the room on the balcony of the second floor of the clinic, and rushed into the room at the sound. The nursing sister put the small red bundle with an immense mop of black hair on its head into his hands, and he took it to the balcony and showed his child to the sun, chanting appropriate Mantra all the while.

Sahaja Samadhi – A Natural State of Bliss I really felt as though I had slipped into a Samadhi by mistake. Completely drained, relaxed, limp, receptive, I felt a bliss, which I had never felt before in my whole life. As though a purpose had been accomplished, as though I had achieved what I had set out to do, difficult though the task had been, as though I had somehow repaid a debt, which I had contracted by my own birth. I felt tremendous love for everyone, for my husband, for the doctors, for the nurses, for the Universe, for the good green earth, and the beautiful warm sun… but most all, I felt an immense, overpowering love and devotion to the small little creature that the doctors immediately put into my arms. It was mine, and from that day, I would be responsible for the growth into

light of another little human soul. My baby smiled at me, he really did, even though he could not see, and I smiled and smiled back at him, for surely, he was the most beautiful, perfect, intelligent and fantastic child ever born to the Universe! And even as I thought that thought, I realised how many others must have experienced the same feelings, looking for the first time at the first child born to them, and I felt wonderful communion with all mothers who had ever lived and all those who would ever pass through this marvelous experience. Certainly, we shared a secret; certainly, we had something more precious than the rarest of gems; certainly, we were blessed by life itself to be brought so close to that mystical core which creates, out of nothing but a few cells of matter and a few sparks of energy, such a marvelous creature as the new-born child.

Little Ananda, whose name means the “Universal, Blissful State of Cosmic Consciousness” slept. I laid him carefully by my side, for in Indian clinics and nursing homes, the child is given to the mother immediately after delivery and never separated from her again. I took my pen to paper and wrote these words. “I was given life… I gave life… a debt repaid with interest… I have returned what I was given a hundred-fold. Was there such perfect beauty in my own body… once, long, long ago…Did my mother also see…God move one step beyond herself…in me?” And thus, on the crest of these overpowering, ecstatic emotions, did the Yoga of Motherhood rush into my life… a whole new phase of my Yoga Sadhana had begun… with Ananda!

From Above or Within? by Yogacharya Ashok Kumar Bhatia, India

After years of research on bonobos â&#x20AC;&#x201C; intelligent apes closely related to us homo-sapiens â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Frans de Waal argues that human morality is not imposed from above but comes from within us. In his path-breaking book entitled The Bonobo and the Atheist, he proposes that moral behavior does not begin and end with religion. It appears that our values and ethics are instead a product of evolution and cultural response.

The fact that our innate goodness resulted into the diverse streams of religions we see around us today readily explains the success of religion â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and various Gods revered in each stream - as a concept. Matthieu Ricard, Buddhist monk, scientist and author of The Quantum and the Lotus also makes a strong case for the natural foundations of a secular ethics which is fully independent of faith. A cat or a dog may not think through the process so thoroughly, but bonobos surely appear to be aware of the nuances of social norms. They are known to intervene in a fight between two tribe members so as to maintain peace and harmony!

It is apparent that we have to thank the ancient apes for our sensitivity to others, our concern for fairness, love of harmony and other just forms of societal behavior. If religion or spirituality attract us, it is because these touch a chord somewhere deep within us.

The contribution of religion therefore is in presenting us with templates of exemplary conduct. It has codified the social and ethical norms for the common man. It has also made it easier to explain the nuances of ethical and moral values by portraying examples of Gods and Goddesses whose conduct is worth emulating for the common man.

from Son to Mother On this day (International Mothers Day) and everyday, I thank my beloved Ammaji, Yogacharini Kalaimamani Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani for being the “beacon of my life”. To paraphrase Einstein, “Generations to come will scarcely believe that such a woman ever walked the face of the earth”. She is the inspiration and motivation of my life and never fails to constantly remind me of the purpose of my incarnation. Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita tells us he will place into the wombs of yoginis those who have not fulfilled their purpose in the present incarnation, thus enabling them to do so in the next (praapya punyakritaam loka anushitwaa shaashwateeh samaah shucheenaam shreemataam gehe yogabhrashto’bhijaayate- 6:41). Ammaji, if I must be born again, I pray that I am once again blessed to be your son and student in all those lifetimes. Ananda

Yoga: A Boon for Maternal and Child Health by Yogacharya Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani Having been a medical practitioner for more than a decade now, and having been exposed to the benefits of Yoga as a way of life for the past 30 years, it amazes me that Yoga hasn’t yet become an integral part in the preparation of pregnancy and childbirth. It is deeply concerning to witness the lack of support an expectant mother receives towards preparing herself for childbirth and how this leads to feelings of stressful dread and debilitating exasperation. It is often said that the knowledge of how to give birth lies deep within each woman and that successful childbirth depends on an acceptance of the process. Yoga as a way of life is an excellent tool to help the expectant mother dwell deep within herself and develop this spiritual awareness of her strengths and blessings. Pregnancy and childbirth is a period of great change for the mother and the entire family. It gives them the opportunity to take another look at how they live their lives and propels them to make positve changes and become better human beings. The entire process engineers a great sense of joy and confidence. Yoga is not merely a preparation for pregnancy and child birth, but it is a continuous preparation for the experience of one’s whole life. Yoga is a boon that enables us to realise our blessings and manifest our potential. Pujya Swamiji, Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj used to often say, “Yoga is not all about changing the world but is all about changing oneself’.

Emotional and Physical Preparation Many Indian stories educate us about the maternalchild bonding that begins from conception, and warn us against underestimating the power of this psychic bond. There are many stories where the child in the womb was able to fully comprehend its external environment and be born with amazing abilities.

In the 1950’s, Grantly Dick-Read was one of the first western medical doctors to suggest that the emotional and physical preparation for birth encouraged more natural births. This concept, that has been part of Indian traditional thought since time immemorial, revolutionized the management of pregnancy in the west. It enabled the medical profession to understand that fear caused pain which in turn caused more fear which then caused more pain! To facilitate better pregnancy and childbirth experiences, Grantly Dick-Read created classes that involved practicing deep relaxation, which could then be practiced during labour to reduce tension and pain. These techniques have since been used for pre-natal preparation for labour.

Yoga for a Healthy Pregnancy Yoga as a way of life focuses on right living and right thinking while utilizing various tools for the overall psycho-physiological health of the mother and child. The Jathis, Kriyas and Asanas help promote healthy functioning of all body systems. Pranayama creates psycho-somatic harmony with a pranic energisation of every cell in the body. Various Mudras and Bandhas tone up the pelvic musculature while others induce a sense of inner wellbeing. The various concentrative and contemplative practices help to achieve an inner peace and a deep sense of self-understanding. Yogic relaxation practices facilitate a balanced and relaxed anabolic inner environment that promotes the healthy development of the baby and facilitates healing at all levels. A natural diet of life-giving foods and adequate hydration helps the mother nurture the child in the womb and fortifies herself for the challenging events to come. A balanced lacto-vegetarian diet rich in calcium, iron and other essential vitamins and minerals is advocated. Satvik foods elevate the mother’s

consciousness and helps to create an uplifting psychomental-spiritual inner environment which develops the inherent potential of the child.

Scientific Evidence of the Benefits of Yoga in Pregnancy Preliminary evidence from various scientific studies supports Yogaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s potential efficacy, particularly if started early in the pregnancy. A study by Beddoe1 showed that women practicing Yoga in their second trimester reported significant reductions in physical pain from baseline to post intervention compared with women in the third trimester whose pain increased. Women in their third trimester showed greater reductions in perceived stress and trait anxiety. A study by Sun2 reported that women who took part in the pre-natal Yoga programme reported significantly fewer pregnancy discomforts at 38-40 weeks of gestation. The subjects who participated in the Yoga programme exhibited higher outcome and self-efficacy expectancies during the active stage of labour and the second stage of labour. They also suggested that the provision of booklets and videos on Yoga during pregnancy may contribute to a reduction in pregnancy discomforts and improved childbirth self-efficacy. Satyapriya3 concluded that Yoga reduces perceived stress and improves adaptive autonomic response to stress in healthy pregnant women while Chuntharapat Setal4 concluded that Yoga produced higher levels of maternal comfort during labor and 2-hour post-labor with a decrease in subject evaluated labor pain. They also reported shorter duration of the first stage of labor, as well as the total time of labor in the subjects practicing Yoga. A study by Narendran5 reported a lower trend in the occurrence of complications such as pregnancyinduced hypertension, intra-uterine growth retardation and pre-term delivery in subjects who practiced Yoga. He also concluded that an integrated approach to Yoga during pregnancy is safe. It improves birth weight, decreases pre-term labor, and decreases Intra-uterine Growth Restriction either in isolation or associated with pregnancy induced hypertension, with no increased complications. A review by Field reported that alternative therapies have been found effective for reducing pregnancy related back and leg pain and nausea and for reducing depression and cortisol levels and the associated prematurity rate. It also said that the labor research generally shows that alternative therapies reduce pain and the need for medication. 6

Suggested Yoga Practices During Pregnancy The duration of the pregnancy is traditionally divided into three trimesters and hence the Yoga practices may also be advised under this classification. In the first trimester, standing postures such as Ardha Kati Chakrasana and Trikona Asana create a sense of stability. On the floor postures such as Balaasana, Chatus Pada Asana, Chatus Pada Kriya and Vyagraha Pranayama reduce the potentiality of back pain. Postures such as Pada Uttanasana, Hala Asana and Sarvanga Asana may be perormed if the expectant mother has some previous experience with Yoga, as they create a healthy neuroendocrine feedback along with the toning-up of the abdomino- pelvic musculature. Variations of the Utkat Asana and the Baddhakona Asana and Kriya help to open up the pelvis and facilitate a healthy delivery. Aswini Mudra and Moola Bandha create a healthy flow of pranic energy in the urogenital region. Relaxation practices such as Shavasana and Savitri Pranayama create a harmonious inner environment that is conducive to the creation of a healthy child right from day-one. In the second trimester, practices such as Supta Baddhakona Asana, Mehru Asana and Nava Asana are introduced while Bala Asana, Baddhakona Asana and Kriya, Aswini Mudra and Moola Bandha are continued. Jathara Parivirtta Asana is introduced to further open up the pelvis. Relaxation practices such as Kaya Kriya, Tala Kriya and Yoga Nidra are introduced.

If there is too much tension in Shavasana, then the relaxation practices can be done on the side in Nishpandasana. Kukkriya Pranayama is added to strengthen the diaphragm and abdomen.

A Word of Caution

In the third trimester, the main practices are the Chatus Pada Asana and Kriya and Vyagraha Pranayama. Moola Bandha and Aswini Mudra in Baddhakona Asana are continued while Bhramari Pranayama is added to reduce stress-based anxiety. Yoga Nidra, Anuloma Viloma Kriya and other practices can be used to produce a calm and steady mind with an optimistic outlook. The abdomino-pelvic muscular strength obtained from previous months of practice and deep breathing are used to facilitate a healthy delivery. Post-natal practices may be started a few weeks after the delivery and are aimed at enhancing a swift and healthy physiological return to the pre-pregnant state.

Postures such as Dhanur Asana and other on the face postures that exert great pressure on the uterus and impair flow of blood to the fetus must be avoided. Inverted postures may result in falls that can cause many complications while the rapid breathing practices such as Kapalabhati must be done with caution. The mother must be helped to develop an inner sense of knowing what is happening within her own body during the practices and if she senses that something is not right, she must stop the practice immediately. Exercise extra precautions in the final trimester. Simple things like jumping into postures or a sudden change in position may cause premature rupture of membranes. The list of practices that are safe and unsafe will of course depend on the mother’s previous Yoga experience, on how long she has been practicing Yoga, and on the type of practices she has been doing previously. When it doubt, err on the side of caution.

Baddhakona Asana and Kriya along with the Chatus Pada Asana and Kriya are key. Vyagraha Pranayama, Pranava Pranayama and Savitri Pranayama in Shavasana repair tissue damage and facilitates healing on all levels. Aswini Mudra and Moola Bandha focuses the energies in the pelvis while the Uddiyana Bandha, Pada Uttanpada Asana and Nava Asana helps in regaining abdomino-pelvic muscular tone. Pavanamukta Kriya and the Vakra Asana corrects any spinal displacements while the Surya Pranayama burns excess weight. A right diet and positive attitude towards parenting produces a state of psycho-physiological health and harmony. The role of the father in the whole process must not be underestimated. His involvement in both the practical Yoga sessions as well as in the adoption of a Yogic diet with positive attitudes is vital. Yoga can help the family to bond and such a bond is a boon to the entire social unit.

All Yoga practices must be learned from a competent and qualified Yoga teacher or therapist and performed with a common-sense based approach.

References 1.

Amy E. Beddoe, Chin-Po Paul Yang, Holly Powell Kennedy, Sandra J. Weiss, Kathryn A. Lee, “The Effects of MindfulnessBased Yoga During Pregnancy on Maternal Psychological and Physical Distress”, Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, Volume 38, Issue 3, May/June 2009, Pages 310–319.

Sun YC, Hung YC, Chang Y, Kuo SC, “Effects of a Prenatal Yoga Programme on the Discomforts of Pregnancy and Maternal Childbirth Self-Efficacy in Taiwan“ Journal of Midwifery, Volume 26, Issue 6, December 2010, Pages e31–e36.

Maharana Satyapriya, Hongasanda R. Nagendra, Raghuram Nagarathna, Venkatram Padmalatha, “Effect of Integrated Yoga on Stress and Heart Rate Variability in Pregnant Women”, International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, Volume 104, Issue 3, March 2009, Pages 218-222.

Songporn Chuntharapat, Wongchan Petpichetchian, Urai Hatthakit , “Yoga During Pregnancy: Effects on Maternal Comfort, Labor Pain and Birth Outcomes”, Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, Volume 14, Issue 3, May 2008, Pages 105-115.

Shamanthakamani Narendran, “Efficacy of Yoga in Pregnant Women with Abnormal Doppler Study of Umbilical and Uterine Arteries“, Journal of the Indian Medical Association, Volume 103, 2005, Pages 12-17.

Tiffany Field, “Pregnancy and Labor Massage”, Expert Review of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Volume 5, Issue 2, March 2010, Pages 177-181.

Gitananda Quick Guide to Pre-Natal and Post-Natal Yoga Pr actices 2nd Trimester Aswini Mudra Badhakonasana Balasana Jatraparivritha Asana Mehru Asana Moola Bandha Navasana Savitri Pranayama Supta Badha Konasana

1st Trimester

3rd Trimester

Ardha Kati Chakrasana Aswini Mudra Baddhakona Asana / Kriya Balasana Chatus Pada Asana / Kriya Chiri Kriya Moolabandha Pada Uttana Asana Pranava Pranayama Trikonasana Vyagraha Pranayama

Ashwini Mudra Baddhakonasana Bhramari Pranayama Chatus Pada Asana Chatus Pada Kriya Kukkriya Pranayama Moolabandha Vyagraha Pranayama

Aswini Mudra Baddhakona Asana / Kriya Chatus Pada Asana / Kriya Chiri Kriya Meditative Practices Moolabandha Navasana Pada Uttana Asana Pavan Mukta Kriya Pranava Pranayama Savitri Pranayama Shavasana Surya Pranayama Uddiyana Bandha Vyagraha Pranayama

Post-Natal

“Motherhood is the Height of Egolessness and the Goal of All Spirituality.”

In Indian Culture Mother is the ‘First God’ - even before Father and Guru.

Glossary of Pre-Natal & Post-Natal Yoga Pr actices AJAPA JAPA

BADDHAKONA KRIYA

Sit in a meditative posture. Savitri Pranayama is done in a 2:1 ratio. Start with a rhythm of 6 by 3 or 8 by 4. Listen to the sound of SAH as the breath enters the respiratory passages and the sound of HUM as the breath leaves the respiratory passages. Concentrate on this Ajapa Japa of HAMSA SO HAM in tune with the breath.

This Kriya resembles the fluttering wings of a butterfly. From the Baddhakona Asana, move the knees up and down slowly as if they were the wings of a butterfly. Do a few rounds of this movement with your hands on your thighs. Hold of your feet with your hands and continue the movement for a few more rounds. When ready, slowly release the position and stretch your legs forward in Uttana Asana for a few rounds of deep breathing.

ARDHA KATI CHAKRASANA Stand in a steady Samastithi Asana with your arms by your side. Inhale and lift your right arm over your head. Try to extend the arm over your head towards the left as far as possible without bending it. This gives a good stretch to the entire right side of the body. Exhale and lower your arm back to the side. Repeat the practice a few more times. Perform the practice on the opposite side and then repeat the entire sequence a few more times.

ASHWINI MUDRA Sit in any comfortable position. Moola Bandha is an anal restraint of the sphincter muscles. The action is to rapidly tense and release the restraint, like that of a defecating horse (Ashwa). The Ashwini Mudra energizes the entire nervous system and is an excellent preventive and curative practice for hemorrhoids as well as disorders of the rectum, gonads and perineum, It is useful before, during and after pregnancy and childbirth.

BADDHAKONA ASANA Sit on the ground with your legs stretched out in front. Bend your right knee and bring your right foot inwards until the right heel is close to your perineum. Bend your left knee and bring your left foot in until the soles of both feet are touching each other. Grip the outer side of your feet and try to make your thighs touch the ground. Make sure that your spine is straight. When ready slowly release the position and stretch your legs forward for a few rounds of deep breathing.

BALASANA The baby posture is helpful to relieve tensions in the pelvic region and restore the uterus to a healthy position. From a position on all fours, relax the elbows to the floor, placing the chest flat down between the elbows. Turn the head to the right side to rest like a baby. Breathe deeply in and out three to six times. Then turn the head to the left side and repeat three to six times before returning to Vajrasana, a heel sitting position. Balasana also helps with drainage of the lungs and relieves congestion.

BHRAMARI PRANAYAMA Sit in Vajrasana doing the Shanmuki Mudra to close all external senses. Put the thumbs over the auditory canal. The first two fingers are then placed over the closed eyelids while the ring fingers regulate the flow of air through the nostrils. The little fingers are placed over the closed lips. This Mudra helps in joining together the nerves of the hands with the facial and trigeminal nerves on the face. Inhale slowly and deeply for six counts then exhale slowly while making a sound in the nasal passages like the high-pitched sound of a female bee. This buzzing sound is very much like the Anuswarah sound of “MM” of the “AUM”. Repeat at least nine times. Bhramari is one of the Swara Pranayamas and stimulates the glandular secretions and tones up the nervous centres. It is a contemplative prelude to Nada Yoga. It is an excellent stress buster and creates psychosomatic harmony that produces health and healing at all levels. An excellent way to induce healthy vibrations in both mother and child.

CHATUS PADA ASANA Chatus Pada Asana is an excellent practice for women as it relaxes the spine and improves the pelvic circulation. Sit in Vajrasana and place your palms on the ground in front of you. Lift your buttocks off your heels until you are in a four-footed pose. Your weight should be balanced on your hands and knees. Keep your body parallel to the ground and breath deeply and rhythmically. After performing the posture for a comfortable period of time, slowly relax back into Vajrasana.

CHATUS PADA KRIYA From Chatus Pada Asana slowly move forward on all fours. Then start to move backward a few steps. Take a few steps to your right and then take a few steps to your left. Start to move in a circle in one direction. Repeat in the opposite direction. Continue moving around in this four-footed posture. When ready slowly relax back into Vajrasana, then stretch your legs in front of you.

CHIRI KRIYA From Chatus Pada Asana, inhale slowly and stretch your right leg straight back along the ground. Lift it as high as possible and look up as if performing the Sharabha Asana. Exhale and let your leg come back down while adding an exaggerated high back arch. Continue the movement and draw your right knee under your chest and lower your head until your forehead touches your knee. Repeat with the left leg.

DHARANA : BREATH AWARENESS Sit in Vajrasana or lie down in Shavasana. Be aware of your breathing. Pay attention to how the air passes down from the nostrils into the lungs and then back out the nostrils. Feel the abdomen rise with every inhale and fall with every exhale. Let your awareness settle on the abdomen.

Feel the cool air as it enters into the nostrils and the warm air as it flows out. Let your awareness settle at the tip of the nose. Consciously regulate the breath so that the ratio of each inhale and exhale are equal, for a count of 4, 6, 8 or 10. Do nine rounds.

JATRAPARIVRITHA ASANA Lie down in Shavasana and stretch both arms out to the sides making a cross like figure. Inhale and lift your right leg up towards the sky. Exhale and slowly slide the right leg down until the foot is on the open palm of the right hand. Try not to bend the knee. Inhale and turn your head to the left. Exhale and bring your head back to the centre. Inhale and lift the right leg back to the original position. Exhale and lower the leg back down to the ground. Repeat on the opposite side and then relax for some time. Repeat the practice two more times. This Asana can also be done from a sitting position.

KUKKRIYA PRANAYAMA Sit in Vajarasana with the weight of your body firmly on both heels. Place your palms on the ground in front with your wrists touching your knees and the fingers pointing forward.

Open your mouth wide and push your tongue out as far as possible. Breathe in and out at a rapid rate with your tongue hanging out of your mouth. After 10 or 15 rounds relax back into Vajrasana and feel the blood flow into the abdominal area.This strengthens the muscles of the abdomen and diaphragm. Repeat three more times. This may be introduced early in the pregnancy so that stamina and endurance can be gradually bulit up.

MEHRU ASANA

NAVASANA

This head below the heart posture helps to re-orient the flow of energy in the psycho-neuro-immuno-endocrine axis. From Samasthiti bend forward and place your palms on the ground. Adjust your feet so that your body is a reversed ‘V’.

Lie down in Shavasana with your arms by your sides. Inhale and slowly come up to a sitting position. Inhale and raise one leg, exhale and release. Repeat on the

other side. Hold the breath and raise both legs. The hands are placed on top of the thighs or beside the knees. Straighten your knees and raise your buttocks up until the soles of both your feet are flat on the ground. Keep your hands and feet in parallel so that the right hand and right leg as well as the left hand and leg are in a single line. Push your head in towards your abdomen and look at your navel. Perform a few rounds of regular breathing while holding the pose and contemplate on the steadiness of a huge mountain. When ready release the pose and slowly come back up to the standing posture.

MINDFULNESS BASED MEDITATION One of the most productive of the many forms of “quiet sitting”, is the mindfulness based awareness of one’s thoughts.

Exhale and slowly lower the legs. Recline back feeling each vertebra of the spine return to the ground. Repeat two more times before relaxing in Shavasana.

OM JAPA Take up any meditative posture. Do Savitri Pranayama in a 6 by 3 or 8 by 4 rhythm. Make an audible Pranava OM in the Bindu Nadi. With Japa-Ajapa, make silent intonation of the Pranava OM concentrating at this same point. Do not let the mind waver away from either a conscious repetition of the Mantra OM as Japa, or as the silent Ajapa.

PADA UTTANASANA Lie down in Shavasana and slowly inhale and exhale for an equal count of 6 or 8.

Sit in a comfortable position facing North or East, preferably in the early morning. Keep your mind as placid as possible. Breathe slowly, rhythmically and quietly. Hold your mind concentrated inside your head at a point in line with the eyebrows. Relax. Don’t attempt to force visualization, simply be alert and expectant. There will be a sensation of movement within the head. Observe the thoughts passively and dispassionately. Don’t get emotionally involved with them. It takes 20 minutes to change the chemistry in the brain.

MOOLA BANDHA After the breath is held in or out in a Kumbhaka, the rectal muscles are tensed so that the sphincters of the anus are tightened in an exaggerated manner. Moola Bandha balances the autonomic nervous system in a positive manner, therby reducing tension. Healthy pelvic tone can be developed by the regular practice of Ashwini Mudra and Moola Bandha.

Inhale and lift your right leg up towards the sky for acount of 6 or 8. Try not to bend the knee. On the exhale lower the leg back to the ground using a count of 6 or 8. Repeat two more times. Repeat three times on the left side then relax in Shavasana with deep breathing. Start again but this time lift both legs up towards the sky on the inhale. Try not to bend the knees. On the exhale lower the legs back to the ground. Repeat this two more times and then relax in Shavasana with deep breathing.

Those who have back problems, and to avoid increasing strain on the back further, should do leg lifts with bent knees.

PART 2: Madhyam Pranayama is thoracic or mid-chest breathing using Chinmaya Mudra.

PAWAN MUKTA ASANA

From Chin Mudra, curl your fingers inward. Put your hands on your thighs, palms facing down. Inhale deeply into the mid chest and thoracic area...1…2…3…4... then exhale with the sound OOO. Repeat.

Lie down in Shavasana and breathe in and out for an equal count of six or eight. Inhale, bend and lift your right knee. Simultaneously lift your head off the ground. Catch hold of your knee with your arms and bring it to your forehead. Hold the position for a few seconds. Exhale and release the position. Lower your head and bring your leg back to the ground. Repeat two more times.

Relax a few moments in Shavasana then repeat three times on the left side. Relax in Shavasana for a few minutes. Start again but this time, inhale and bend and lift both knees. Simultaneously lift your head off the ground. Catch hold of your knees with your arms and bring them to your forehead. Hold the position for a few seconds. Exhale and release the position. Lower your head and bring your legs back to the ground. Repeat two more times. Relax in Shavasana for a few minutes with deep and rhythmic breathing and focus on your abdominal area. This will help you to relax even further as emotional tensions tend to tighten up the abdominal area.

PRANAVA PRANAYAMA Pranava Pranayama has unlimited healing potential and is useful in virtually all disorders. It brings about harmony of body, emotions and mind. Sit in Vajrasana and do each part three times. PART 1: Adham Pranayama is abdominal or lower chest breathing using Chin Mudra. The index and thumb fingers touch each other at the tips. Keep the other three fingers straight and together. Put your hands on your thighs, palms facing down. Take a deep breath into the lower chest and abdominal area...1..2..3..4... then exhale with the sound AAA. Repeat.

PART 3: Adyam Pranayama is clavicular or upper chest breathing using Adhi Mudra. Clench your fists with your thumb in the centre. Put your hands on your thighs, palms facing down. Inhale deeply into the upper chest and clavicular area...1…2…3…4... then exhale with the sound MMM. Repeat. PART 4: Mahat Yoga Pranayama joins all three parts to create a complete Yogic breath while in Brahma Mudra. From Adhi Mudra, bring your hands together in front of your navel, with knuckles touching. Inhale deeply into all three areas: lower chest 1…2…3...mid-chest 4…5…6... and upper chest 7….8….9. Then exhale in equal parts with AAA….OOO….MMM. Repeat. Relax in Vajrasana and enjoy the feeling of healing energy flowing through the entire body.

SHAVASANA WITH SAVITRI PRANAYAMA Lie supine on the ground with your head to the North. It is preferable to align the body with the earth’s electromagnetic field. The head and body are in a straight line while the hands, palms facing up, are kept relaxed beside the body. The feet fall away into a ‘v’ shape, keeping the heels as close together as possible. PART 1: Consciously watch your breath by letting your awareness settle in the abdominal area. Feel the abdomen rise as you inhale, and fall as you exhale. Feel the cool air as it enters into the nostrils and the warm air as it flows out. Let your awareness settle at the tip of the nose. Consciously regulate the breath so that the ratio of each inhale and exhale are equal for a count of 4, 6, 8 or 10. Do nine rounds. Enjoy the sensation that spreads throughout your body.

PART 2: To deepen the relaxation and to further rejuvenate the body, emotions and mind, practice Savitri Pranayama to a ratio of 2:1:2:1. To start, inhale for a count of 6. Hold the breath in for a count of 3. Exhale for a count of 6. Hold the breath out for a count of 3. Pay attention that you are breathing through the nostrils, and filling each part of the lung consciously. Repeat 9 times, or a minimum of 10-15 minutes. PART 3: For a smooth transition from a relaxed to an active state, stretch consciously. Start by moving the fingers and toes, then stretch the arms and legs. Raise the left arm over your head and turn over onto your left side. Continue the turning action until you come into a face-prone posture. Stay in Makara Asana for a few moments, by making a pillow with your arms and keeping your legs a foot apart. Bring your hands forward near your shoulders and push yourself back into the Bhujanga Asana. Continue the back bending movement and go into the four-footed Chatus Pada Asana.

Relax in Shashanga Asana with your arms stretched out in front and then finally come back to Vajrasana.

With your palms on your thighs sit quietly for some time. Enjoy the effects of the deep relaxation that has spread to every part of your body.

SUPTA BADDHAKONA ASANA From Badhakonasana gently lie down on your back using the support of the right and then left elbows. Relax in this position for some time with deep breathing. The hands may be placed either on the thighs or by the sides. When ready slowly come back to the sitting position and then stretch your legs forward in Uttana Asana for a few rounds of deep breathing.

SURYA NADI ASANA From the supine position turn onto your left side with your right side dominant. Bend your left arm and use it as a pillow. After some time, the flow of the breath will become right nostril dominant, mimicing Surya Nadi Pranayama. Inhale and exhale slowly for a count of 6. With regular practice the breath count can be changed to a ratio of 1:2. This right dominant body position promotes healthy metabolic activity.

SURYA NADI PRANAYAMA Sit in Vajra Asana and put the right hand in Nasargha Mudra. Close your left nostril with your ring finger. Inhale slowly through your right nostril for a count of 6. Exhale through the right nostril for a count of 6. Keep your left nostril closed at all times. Do the Surya Nadi Pranayama for a minimum of nine rounds. This Pranayama helps speed up metabolism and burns up extra fat that has accumulated during pregnancy. With regular practice the ratio can be increased to 1:2. A count of 6 on the inhale and a count of 12 on the exhale.

TRIKONASANA Stand in Samasthiti Asana. The legs are apart and the feet are pointing forward. Turn your head and right foot to the right. Then slowly bring your right hand down to the right foot and place the palm of the right hand on the ground in front of the right foot. Look up at the middle finger of the left hand. Let the entire torso get a good twist and stretch. Hold the position for 30 seconds while breathing deeply. Be cautious of keeping the hips aligned. Repeat on the opposite side.

UDDIYANA BANDHA Uddiyana Bandha is a neuromuscular lock. Stand with your legs a few feet apart. Bend forward slightly and place your palms on your thighs keeping the elbows straight. Inhale deeply then blast it out through your mouth to empty your lungs as much as possible. Pull in the abdominal wall and pull it back as if trying to touch the vertebral column. This produces a concave depression in the abdomen. Hold this position as along

as comfortable. When ready, inhale and relax the abdominal wall back to its original portion. Rest for some time in Samastithi Asana and then repeat two more times.

Permanence in Impermanence by Yogacharini Matreyi, India

VAKRA ASANA Sit erect with your legs stretched out in Uttana Asana. Bend your right knee and place the right foot by the side of the left knee. Turn to your right and place your right hand on the ground behind you to support your erect position. Bring your left arm round the outer side of the right knee and catch hold of the right big toe if you can. The left shoulder blade rests on the outer side of the upright right knee.

Turn your head and look back over your right shoulder. The erect knee acts as a fulcrum for getting maximum twist of the spine. Hold the posture for 30 seconds. Release the posture and come back to the Uttana Asana. Repeat the practice on the opposite side. Release the posture and come back to Uttana Asana

VYAGRAHA PRANAYAMA The Tiger Breath relieves numerous musculoskeletal problems and creates excellent psychosomatic health. From Chatus Pada Asana, breathe at a ratio of 1:1. Inhale for 6 counts and exhale for 6 counts. Distribute the weight evenly between the hands and knees.

Inhale, slowly lift the head up and arch the back downlwards is a fluid motion. Let the abdomen hang loose. Exhale, slowly lower the head and arch the back upwards in a fluid motion. Tighten the abdomen. Repeat nine times.

Everything is impermanent say spiritual teachings Yet my motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love Has remained Growing in bounds, willing to share my pain Wishing me well and praying Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m safe Anithya, anithya impermanence rules Yet inner stability has been there In many of my friends and even in so called fools This stability that is seen in one who cares As most believe, is not so rare Despite the impermanence Life moves with regularity Including buses and trains, if not in India, in many other countries Permanent is the love one has shared And all the fulfilling memories Even that is impermanent, a seeker is told So dissolve in that Which nothingness holds To free yourself to be Filled with your highest reality.

Revelations on the Mat by Yogacharini Annabel Fitzsimmons, USA by Annabel Fitzsimmons Despite having practiced yoga for many years, I’m constantly surprised at the revelations I have on the mat -- both the smaller “a-ha!” moments to the greater “scream-it-from-the-rooftop!” realizations.

Well, I had a revelation today. I’m not sure where on the spectrum today’s revelation falls. The realization felt like a rediscovery of something I have always known -like a moment of déjà vu or the experience of an unfolding dream in which you seem to know what will happen a split second before it does.

This morning I took a yoga class that focused on strength and balance, neither of which you can achieve effectively without some degree of flexibility. We were working through a series of poses that required stamina and concentration but also the ability to find ease in the movements. At one point in the flow of postures, I was moving with grace and agility, and then through other parts of my practice I felt wobbly, awkward and off-balance.

As I lay down in savasana I was struck by this -that what I described above regarding my yoga practice is also true about the experience of motherhood. Each requires strength, balance, and flexibility. There are some days or moments that I handle being a mom with grace and ease and other days or moments when I feel awkward wobbly and completely off-balance.

But the important thing is to show up, be present, and breathe. 25

Giving Birth in Wales, UK by Yogacharini Deepika, Wales, UK The Guru will always manifest to those devoted to Yoga! This is something I have been contemplating and it is through the teachings I received at Ananda Ashram and my own pregnancies and birth experiences, that our Yoga School has now ‘given birth’ to a Pregnancy Yoga Teacher Training Course, the first in Wales, UK. The tools and practices I learnt at Ananda Ashram gave me such a strength and endurance of mind that I was able to cope with 3 very different birth experiences. The first was a natural birth, the second was a caesarian section, and the third, thanks to a prayer to Swamiji, averted another caesarian section, when a senior consultant who was not meant to be on duty at that hour, miraculously appeared. Thank you Swamiji from saving me from that! One of the greatest things I have realized from my pregnancies and birth experiences is that the preparation for being a mother is so vitally important to growing and nurturing an incarnating jiva (soul).

I decided to put together a Pregnancy Teacher Training Course based on: • my own experiences; • the work and research of Dr Ananda; and • m y husband, Yogachariya Jnandev, the other great teacher in this life. The more I reflect on this, the more I feel Swamiji’s spirit pushing me along and helping us with the delivery of our first course. I was feeling anxious and self doubtful about it all and wrote an email to Ammaji seeking her blessings. Ammaji reassured me that I have the experiences of three births, and I should simply chant Swamiji’s name before teaching so that he could speak through me. I started feeling much better and then the next morning I received a letter from Cathy Davies.

As Ammaji quotes in her book Yoga for Expectant Mothers and Others, “By their fruits we shall know them… and so the world will know us by our children for truly they are our fruits, seeded, nurtured and ripened on our tree of life.” The mother’s body, thoughts, actions and emotions are feeding the very existence, growth and development of the baby. The mother’s food, drink and lifestyle are also creating the baby. I realize that if I had not been through the 6 months course at the Ashram, and gone through the detoxing shankprakshalana and eka dasi twice before my first pregnancy, I am quite certain that my children would be very different beings! In fact, everyone who has been baked in the ashram oven has a great deal more than their own life to give gratitude for, as our children also benefit from our sadhana. These aspects made me want to share the importance of preparation for motherhood, and share with the general public how Yoga can help women cope so much better with their pregnancies and avoid so many of the modern complications pregnancy now carries.

Yogacharini Deepika and Cathy Davies

For those of you who don’t know, Cathy Davies is a senior student of Swamiji and more recently has been helping at the Ananda Ashram, teaching the 6 month course. She is also a qualified midwife and has practiced midwifery for 25 years, teaching Yoga to pregnant women in the maternity unit. Cathy wrote to me saying that she will come and stay with us for a few days, over the period of our course, to support us where she can. Another miracle! Thank you Swamiji and Ammaji I literally had tears in my eyes. What a privilege and blessing to have Cathy here for our first course. There can be no-one more perfect to be here. I knew in my heart Swamiji was sending me help and blessings. As we grow our own little Yoga Ashram here in West Wales I have also come to realize that receiving all these teachings and blessings also brings about a responsibility to humanity. I believe pre-conception, pregnancy and post-natal yoga can be a very powerful practice for changing society. By giving yogic tools to the mother prior to conceiving, helps in the development of the baby in the womb and after birth. For example in the Bhagavadgita there are references to recollections or memories of events happening outside of the womb that the baby remembers whilst inside the womb. Even the act of conception itself can

affect the baby, as illustrated in the Mahabharata epic when Satyavati forced her son sage Vyas to make her daughter in laws conceive, resulting in the blind king and his sickly brother. Simply educating people to live according to Yamas and Niyamas in their relationships, cherishing their family life, cultivating harmony, trust, unity and honesty can create a space for great souls to incarnate. As Ammaji often says, “Into the womb of yoginis yogis will be born!”. I am currently finalizing the Pregnancy Yoga Teacher Training Manual which will be dedicated to Swamiji’s teachings, my depth of gratitude for changing the course of my own life. During the 6 month course at Ananda Ashram, I practiced as sincerely as I could, and was shown how powerful the tools of Yoga are for cleansing one’s own karma. Thank you Ammaji for nurturing me in the womb of the Ashrama. You are truly a great divine mother and we can know you by your fruits. Dr Ananda is a beacon of light for true authentic Rishiculture Yoga in this life, and shows the way for those seeking to consciously evolve and become better human beings. I am ever grateful to be a part of this precious and pure paramparai.

Yogacharini Deepika joined the 6 month course in 2006 and co-founded Yoga Satsanga Ashram UK in 2009, with her husband Yogachariya Jnandev.

“The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.”

“Motherhood is the Ultimate Yoga Sadhana” 28

Inspir ations

“Being a mother means that your heart is no longer yours; it wanders wherever your children do.”

“Knowledge of the self is the mother of all knowledge. So it is incumbent on me to know my self, to know it completely, to know its minutiae, its characteristics, its subtleties, and its very atoms.” Khalil Gibran

“Enthusiasm is the mother of effort, and without it nothing great was ever achieved.”

“Mother is the name of God in the lips and hearts of little children.”

“A mother’s happiness is like a beacon, lighting up the future but reflected also on the past in the guise of fond memories.” Honore de Balzac

William Thackerey “In search of my mother’s garden, I found my own.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Alice Walker

“All that I am, my mother made me.” John Quincy Adams

“Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother.” Lin Yutang

“Like a caring mother holding and guarding the life of her only child, so with a boundless heart hold yourself and all beings.”

“The mother’s heart is the child’s schoolroom.” Henry Ward Beecher

The Buddha

“The choice to become a mother is the choice to become one of the greatest spiritual teachers there is.” Oprah

“In the heavens above The angels, whispering to one another, Can find, amid their burning terms of love, None so devotional as that of Mother.” Edgar Allan Poe 13 29

“Like a caring mother holding and guarding the life of her only child, so with a boundless heart hold yourself and all beings.”

The Path of the Divine Mother

The Buddha

In eastern philosophy, the earth is feminine and heaven is masculine. It is through the union of the two, bringing heaven to earth that we experience the body as a temple for the divine and live in a way where everything and everyone is holy. Even our suffering and the most painful human experiences and natural disasters are part of the divine and the Mother’s deep love to awaken us. Yoga and it’s simplest meaning, “to yoke” is a means to bridge the huge divide between our minds and bodies, our thoughts and actions, ourselves and others to experience oneness and heal all duality. What we are actually freeing ourselves from is the illusion of separateness; true freedom is internal and eternal.

“Our task must be to free ourselves from this self imposed prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and it’s beauty.” Albert Einstein

This path asks us to be completely present and aware of our intensely intimate relationship to the earth, as our Mother, and live in a way in which every act in sacred. The very word for action in Sanskrit is Shakti, which is the feminine creative power within us all. Cultivating attitudes of caring and compassion and taking action to heal, nurture, nourish, serve and transform are all ways to awaken the power of the divine Mother within us. To come into our own body is to reclaim this power. by Yogacharini Jasmine Tarkeshi, USA

Earth, Teach Me Earth teach me quiet as the grasses are still with new light. Earth teach me suffering as old stones suffer with memory. Earth teach me humility as blossoms are humble with beginning. Earth teach me caring as mothers nurture their young. Earth teach me courage as the tree that stands alone. Earth teach me limitation as the ant that crawls on the ground. Earth teach me freedom as the eagle that soars in the sky. Earth teach me acceptance as the leaves that die each fall. Earth teach me renewal as the seed that rises in the spring. Earth teach me to forget myself as melted snow forgets its life. Earth teach me to remember kindness as dry fields weep with rain. An Ute Tribe Prayer

“Actions born out of selfishness, malice and unawareness are more violent than the most severe tsunami.” “Walk lightly in the Spring; Mother Earth is pregnant.”

Homa Sweet Homa

Divine Energy that can be Seen and Felt

BHEEM AR ATHA SHANTHI (Ammaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 70 th Birthday) Every homa involves three things: the kindling and consecration of the sacrificial fire; the invocation of one or more divinities; and the making of offerings (whether real or visualized) amid the recitation of prayers and mantras. Although a consecrated fire is the central element of every homa ritual, the procedures and items offered to the fire vary by the purpose of the ceremony and the benefit expected from the ritual.

An alter is created of fruits and flowers, the most significant of which is the coconut. The coconut fruit resembles a human head and can represent various dieties at the alter. It is a whole food - as every part can be used. Some sadhus live healthily on coconuts alone. Narikela in Sanskrit means the coconut tree which provides all the necessities of life.

Puja with offering of flower petals and chanting of mantras by young students learning how to become competent priests, under the guidance of Chief Pundit Shri Natarajan. Ammaji is always happy to see the young generation hold onto Indian traditions.

Several homas were performed on Ammaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s special day: Ganapathi Homam (to remove obstacles) , Ayush Homam (for long life), Maha Mrutyunjaya Homam (to overcome untimely death) and Navagraha Homam (to remove the negative influences of the planets).

Preparing the receptacle where the sacred fire will burn. Homaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s can be done inside or outside.

The fire can be fuelled by sandal wood, mango wood, dried coconut, ghee and other combustibles.

Breathing in the gases and smoke emitted from the burning items in the sacred fire is inevitable and desirable, for both physical and spiritual reasons.

Samigri is a combination of 36 herbs, mixed with some ghee and raw sugar. It is used to purify the atmosphere like incense.

On the previous page, seeing Ammaji doing pranayama in a room filled with smoke... actually makes sense.

Participants present on Friday, September 13th, 2013,

After the homas were complete, the final ritual performed was Maha Rudrabhishek. Amma moved to the garden by the kitchen, and was subjected to a ceremonial bath, where the water of several coconuts were poured over her head. This ritual is performed for the sake of washing away oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sins and afflictions. The celebration ended with the offering of gifts and receiving Ammajiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blessings, then Anna Daanam, the sharing of a delicious meal.

My Cosmic Mother’s Face by Paramahansa Yogananda Fairy dream faces, like fresh flowers, May bloom in the vase of my gaze for my soul to see; But the Face that vanished behind space Cannot be replaced by any of these. There are faces of transcendent beauty, Faces of exquisite charm, faces tender and true; There are faces of sweetness and wisdom, But there’s none like the face of You. There are faces tainted by fires of lust, Faces the wise cannot fathom, faces a child cannot trust. There are faces of beauty, steeped in glory through and through; But O Cosmic Mother, they are dim beside You. There’s the violet, the lily, the lotus, the rose; Fragrant flower-faces blooming under the snows; There are faces of stars, and the moon and the sun. But for me there’s One Face evermore, only one. After my search through aeons unnumbered, The never-ceasing streamlets of my dreams Have melted in Thy silver ocean-face, Where smiling love forever softly gleams. Countless silver rays of living beauties Have melted into one transcendent grace – The beauties of a million, million ages – To make, at last, Thine omnipresent face. Without Thy face, there is no light for me In all the unplumbed depths of land or seal

Thy beauty-rays are rainbowed over all Eternity, while planets rise and fall. On the lips of laughter, on roses in the dawn, It is Thy smile forever glowing thereAn immortelle of glory, heavenly sweet With fragrance of unceasing, selfless prayer. On the calm lake of my breathless bosom, Where ripplets of desire no more Play little games like children, The glimmer of Thy face is spreading o’er. In the cleansed mirror of my memory, In the deep crystal pool that is my heart, I see Thine omnipresence trapped for meOf my own self forevermore a part. As I, awakening, pass through gates of light, Thy wisdom-face is all my soul can see. Faded, the pale pleasure-stars of dream skies, In the omniscient light enfolding Thee. Auroras, lights squeezed from shimmering hives of atoms, Flashing feelings, burning vitalities, worlds of flame, Dumb stones and speaking minds – all melted together To form Thy one face and to spell Thy one name. My vision, withdrawn from viewing pulsating centuries, Throws its countless eyes within to search eternity; And all I seek, O Cosmic Mother, all I crave forever, Is the light of one face – the face of Thee!

Under Her Wings by Yogacharini Jennifer Dany AubĂŠ, Canada

The mother Eagle wrecks the nest To make her fledglings fly, But watches each, with wings outstretched And fierce maternal eye;

And swoops if any fail to soar, And lands them on the crag once more.

(Poet Unknown)

“What past merits we must have earned to have landed into Ammaji’s nest.” During the time of training her young ones to fly, the mother-eagle nudges the eaglets out of the nest. Because they are scared they soon jump back into the nest where it is comfortable and familiar. Next, the mother-eagle removes the soft layers so that the nest is less comfortable. The thorns are left bare and the eaglets shriek in pain when they jump back into the nest. They do not understand yet the purpose of this perceived cruelty.

The mother-eagle is steadfast in her resolve to teach her eaglets how to fly. She proceeds to push the fledgelings off from the top of the cliff where the nest is built. The eaglets shriek in fear but before they hit the ground, they are caught by one of their parents. This process is repeated until the eaglets start to flap their own wings, and get excited in the new found knowledge and experience that they can fly.

“Every Spring, a new batch of eaglets leaves the nest at Ananda Ashram. They spread their wings and fly into the world – continuing to grow and glow in a wonderful yet challenging Yoga Life.” During the training at Ananda Ashram, the student quickly understands that they are there to learn more than a bag of tricks. The toolbox they leave with contains more than just a list of asanas and pranayamas, they leave with knowledge on how to be a better person and live a better life – a Yoga life. There is a reason why Ammaji is selective of the students she accepts into the inner sactum of Ananda Ashram and the inner circle of the Gitananda family. Anyone she feels who could not take direction to fully appreciate the ancient knowledge of the Rishis, or who are unwilling to commit themselves fully to the challenges of the gurukula – do not enter the front door.

When the student is ready, the teacher appears with wings outstretched, inviting a tender embrace, and a place with the others in a comfortable nest, where guidance and opportunities for spiritual growth awaits them. But when the student is READY, the teacher pushes them out of the nest so that they can fly on their own. A few lost feathers, scrapes and bruises along the way is inevitable, if not required, but if everything goes as it should, the student soars upward on the path of enlightenment. The teacher, the guru, always knows what the student needs, at any given time, whether it be gentle or not. The intention however, is always that of ‘profound interest’ in one’s conscious evolution.

“Let all the eaglets of Ananda Ashram imbibe and transmit the knowledge and the Light that Ammaji has so generously shared.”

Loving Mother-Eagle Yogacharini Hemashri, Germany/France. I remember well the first moment I met Ammaji personally. Before I had known her in black and white as a beautiful model in the correspondence course and through her answers to my letters. Having just arrived for the six-month course, we were some students sitting in the dining hall when she appeared. Everybody leapt from their seat, saluting her. She simply said, “so, this must be little Claudia from Germany” – and off she went. That was Amma in her home, dressed in a simple sari skirt (petticoat), welcoming the newly arrived little chap in an unspectacular but warm hearted way, a bit like a hen pulling her chick back under her plumage, simply, naturally. Well, here was mothereagle pulling a newly arrived eaglet under her big wing. First, I struggled with accepting my new place under the protective plumage. But when I was pushed out of the nest after six months, I was grateful that

this love, this deep interest –that is what it is – had become part of my life and will always be. Being thousands of kilometers away from my Garuda Matr I know she is watching (over) me with her hawk-gaze of deep interest. Dr Ananda once spoke about the concept of Drishti. Quantum physics confirms this knowledge, that in other cultures there is living memory, like the evil eye. The “observer effect” states that the act of observation itself influences the phenomenon being observed. Ammaji watching her eaglets with that deep interest is a blessing to us, with her love that wishes us to grow in order to be the best we can be. It fills me with joy when I think of her caring for each and every one of her eaglets. Thank you, Ammaji, for being the loving mother-eagle that you are!

“We are better for knowing her, and the world is a better place for her birth.” “Being able to educe inborn talent from all who make the effort is Ammaji’s Dharma.” “Personal development with everyone reaching their full potential is Ammaji’s Mantra.” “Ammaji is the epitome of simplicity and the personification of profoundness!” “The greatness of a Guru is to show the Chela how capable he is. The greatness of a Chela is to live up to the capability he has been shown.”

A Beacon of Light â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ammaji is an admirable symbol of those women who, just like Rishipatnis of the ancient time, are able to unite their emancipation with the value of service, their intelligence with spiritual life and dedication to the wellbeing of many people. Punya-Karma of this great soul is an extraordinary son, and splendid grandchildren who will keep on making her light shine in the future.â&#x20AC;?

“Ammaji is a torch bearer, igniting the flame of Yoga in the hearts of all she comes in contact with.”

“Ammaji inspires us. She walks, laughs, angers, doubts, hesitates, and offers realistic advice. She reminds us that enlightenment is attainable. At every step. she has steadily climbed towards the Divine Light, until she herself has become the beacon of light of this big spiritual family.”

“70 years can be many or few, it depends on how they have been lived. Ammaji has lived them fully, day after day, facing hard challenges and experiencing immense joys in the light of a great spirit, husband and Guru, Pujya Swami Gitananda Maharaj.

by Yogacharya Alan Davis, UK

When I first arrived as a naive student at Ananda Ashram in 1980, the formidable energy and wisdom of Swamiji seemed to eclipse everything. It seemed that he WAS the ashram, and it was hard to imagine it without his physical presence. After the distractions of family life and career, I was finally able to return to the Ashram to resume my sadhana.

Only then did I truly appreciate that Ammaji is now the cornerstone of this amazing yoga family. Somehow she combines wisdom, humility, experience, humour, stamina, and an understanding of the pressures of life in our material world. It is hard to imagine anyone being more committed to the yogic path and transmission of its teachings. As one of the countless humble beings who has benefited from this in the past, I now realise how much she endeavours to ensure that this unique institution is preserved for future generations. Not only has she provided the perfect milieu for our beloved Dr Ananda to flourish, she ensures that his children too are bathed in the true traditions of yoga. Tireless and selfless work, delivered with such sparkle and joy.

Our Guru, every day, for decades already.

“Ammaji is an expert in laugh-Yoga.” “The five C’s are synonymous with Ammaji’s great personality: Courtesy, Commitment, Concern, Conviction and Culture.” “Ammaji’s love and blessings can be felt from far across the seas. Everywhere on our beautiful little planet there are traces of her and her work.”

“Ammaji is the embodiment of the 5 D’s: divinity, dignity, dedication, determination and dharma.”

Living a Yoga Life by Yogacharini Margo Hutchison, Australia

Ammaji is undoubtedly the most amazing woman I have ever known. Beautiful, attractive, talented, courageous, kind and compassionate as well as strong physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. The energy required to accomplish all that she does in any given week is phenomenal. And yet, she always leaves us with the impression that she is not in a rush; that she has time for a chat; time to make everyone feel special; and time to write letters.

Nobody I know writes letters like Ammaji and nobody I know has written me as many letters as her. Letters are such a rare commodity now. I have boxes of letters I have kept from my family and friends over the years. However I have had more letters from Ammaji than I have had from any other person and they are a treasure. I have Ammaji’s letters from the last 40 years, filled with news and wonderful descriptions of life in the ashram.

“Amma’s letters are literary masterpieces; poetic, descriptive and wise.” Her letters are literary masterpieces, poetic, descriptive and wise; filled with thoughtful encouragement and gentle admonishments to stay on the Yoga path, lead a good life and be the best human being one can be. Yet, she reminds us that it is not easy, and that she, also struggles at times. Ammaji’s letters gives the impression they were written directly for the person who reads them. We hear her speaking and

are transported to the time and place they were written. We can visualise what was going on at the Ashram at the time. Ammaji is an inspiration to all; our beacon of hope, light and love. Her life has been one of dedicated service to Yoga and humanity in every way possible. A life of humility and unselfish devotion to Swamiji, his projects, his teachings and his legacy. May she continue to live a happy life for many years to come.

“Every letter and article is full of wisdom and inspiration…. and this is very much needed in the world we live in.” “The regular publication of Yoga Life is a testament to Amma’s innate talent and passion to patiently put forth knowledge from the scriptures in a simple yet captivating way for people of all walks of life.” “Yoga Life has been published every month for 40 years ... and every issue is a treasure.” “It is always with a sense of expected amazement that I read Ammaji’s reflections on Life.” “If Yoga is a way of life, then Ammaji is Yoga.”

“Ammaji tells us that what we do, what we think, and what we are must be the same. These words would certainly seem unachievable, if we could not see her embodying them with such ease.” “She is a remarkable woman, who has achieved and accomplished so much in one lifetime.” “Her humility and detachment when faced with challenges inspires us to do better.” “Ammaji is a shining example of Yoga and a continual inspiration to us all.”

“The future of mankind is brighter because of Ammaji’s contributions.”

Mother and Guru “In the last verse of the Guru Stotra, the Guru principle is praised in Its manifestation of Mother. For Ammaji the reverse is also true. Being a Mother informs her on how to be a Guru, a guide for so many.”

“Ammaji delivers the most insightful satsangas, leaving us all with much food for thought.” “Amma is the perpetual fountain of inspiration and motivation. She has deeply influenced thousands of people searching for meaning in their lives. The teachings continue to live and unfold within them.” “For someone who has never called herself my teacher, she has taught me more than all others in this world combined. Through eloquent prose; in profound and moving discourse; with a timely, knowing glance; in the graceful and dignified way in which she moves through this life; and perhaps most of all, in the warmth of her charm and sincerity, I have come to glimpse a fleeting truth that puts my mind at ease and my soul at peace.”

“Guru helps us extract the ‘extra’ in everything so that we can become extra-ordinary.” “Ammaji is the best role model as Yogacharini, Rishipatni, teacher, head nurse, editor, elder sister, mother, grand mother, comedian and Guru.” “Ammaji is living proof that living a yogic life with “skill in action” is possible. She not only talks the talk, but also walks the walk.”

Gift of India’s Mother Culture “Yoganjali Natyalayam is the physical manifestation of Ammaji’s personal commitment to the Yoga life.” “Ammaji is a true yogini who has given so much of herself to others, especially to her family, to the community and to her students.”

“The way Ammaji fuses life into a dance drama, spicing it up with vibrancy and dramatizing it with simple but apt vocabulary has always been an enjoyable sight. “

The Lioness of Tamil Nadu by Yogacharya Eric Doornekamp, New Zealand Ammaji, you will recall how we both enrolled in the yoga training course, held in 1968, under the auspices of Swamiji at Ananda Ashram, Pondicherry. It soon dawned on me that there was something ‘special’ going on between Swamiji and you but I kept that to myself. He was not particularly interested in idle talk and I made sure not to rock the boat..... I must say that Swamiji did not favour any student in the course. In fact you were literally thrown out onto the road on one occasion. I never asked, “Why?” I guessed it had to do with you not arriving on time for one of his dynamic lectures. He hated it when someone was late.

He was a tough taskmaster who ran a Guru Kula and did not want to be thought of as a kindergarten teacher. On the other hand. he encouraged his followers to be independent. He said, “Do not hang onto my dhoti but think for yourself”. Today you have become a leading light on the yogic path. Your spiritual attributes and advancement of Rishi Culture are more and more appreciated. May you continue to be honoured and blessed in a thousand ways. Swamiji is “The Lion of Pondicherry” and you are the “Lioness of Tamil Nadu”.

In later years I often wondered how the Ashram would have looked without your tremendous input had you decided to walk away for good. The yogic path is not an easy one and you have set a brilliant example of devotion and dedication to your husband and Guru. Many students just disappeared, finding the environment in the Ashram too tough. (Read yoga Sadhana versus a holiday resort). These students left to complete their karmic journeys in other ways of the world. Swamiji said that they were not ready for a yogic life. He was not one to suffer fools gladly. He called a spade a spade, digging deeply to get rid of the destructive ego. That might have hurt a lot at times.

Oh Maha Yogini Mother! 51

Your Help is Needed Be inspired by the principle of Saraswati to contribute to the next issue of the magazine. It will be dedicated to Hanuman, a wind-god, that represents the breath and pranayama. All sincere contributions will be published.

Articles and ARTWORK URGENTLY NEEDED for NEXT ISSUE The magazine is very much a collaborative endeavour. Consider putting some of your thoughts on paper (those ahah moments), tell a story or write a poem to share with the rest of the Yoga family. If you received your Yoga training while Swamiji was alive, please share your stories with those of us whom did not have that privilege. Artwork from budding artists, creative photography, photos from Ashram visits or that are meaningful to you are most welcome. Submit to: jendany@yahoo.com Send me an email confirming your interest in submitting content. I can help with editing if required.