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The World of Yoga, Goes Completely Online! - Yogavani from Indian Yoga Association

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Celebrating World Meditation Day with the Indian Yoga Association 

On World Meditation Day, the Associate Centres and Member Institutes of the Indian Yoga Association came together to honour the profound practice of meditation. Across various locations, our community gathered to reflect, connect, and deepen their meditation journeys, fostering a sense of unity and inner…

Celebrating 6 Years of Excellence:Indian Yoga Association Gujarat Chapter Foundation Day 

The Indian Yoga Association, Gujarat Chapter, virtually celebrated its 6th Foundation Day on 29th December with the theme Yoga for Lifestyle Management. The program began with a prayer, followed by Mauli Baviskar introducing all dignitaries. The event emphasized yoga’s role in promoting holistic well-being, inspiring…

Geetham Institute of Alternative Medicine hosts transformative sessions 

In December, Geetham Institute of Alternative Medicine, Associate Centre of Indian Yoga Association hosted a series of transformative sessions centered on Varma therapy, which plays a significant role in enhancing physical, mental, and emotional health. The month-long series was conducted by experienced practitioners, each focusing…

Indian ancient Siddhars and the science of longevity: A remarkable discovery byAttangaogam Peedam 

Recent research, supported by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), sheds light on the ancient practice of Attangaogam, Associate Centre of Indian Yoga Association, and its impact on longevity. The study, titled “Effect of Yoga-Pranayamam on Telomere Length in Medical Students,” revealed ground breaking…

Tamil Nadu SCC meets to discuss way forward 

The Tamil Nadu State Chapter Committee meeting was held in World Community Service Centre, Chennai on December 28, 2024, at 10:30am. The meeting commenced with a prayer and meditation session, creating a serene atmosphere for the discussions that followed. Shri Rajeshwari Prabhakaran, Senior Vice-Chairman of…

Enriching programs at Sri Aurobindo Society, Hyderabad 

Throughout December, the Sri Aurobindo Society, Hyderabad, hosted a series of insightful talks and satsangs, focusing on various elements of yoga and spiritual growth. The month began with Elements of Yoga 1 by Smt. Suneetha Sekhar on 1st December, followed by Smt. Harshitha’s session on…

Vedic Kaya Sadhana celebrates convocation ceremony 

The Vedic Kaya Sadhana, Associate Centre of the Indian Yoga Association, recently held its convocation ceremony, marking a significant milestone for its graduating students. The event celebrated the culmination of rigorous training and dedication, with graduates receiving certifications that recognize their comprehensive understanding and expertise…

SSIYRC Students Set World Record inArdha Matsyendrasana 

In a remarkable achievement, 105 students from the Sri Shankari Institute of Yoga and Research Center, Gummudipoondi (SSIYRC), Associate Centre of the Indian Yoga Association, sustained the Ardha Matsyendrasana pose for an impressive 10 minutes, earning them a place in the Worldwide Book of Records….

Sree Bala Yoga Studio reflects on a year of remarkable achievements in 2024 

Sree Bala Yoga Studio, Associate Centre of the Indian Yoga Association, celebrated a year of significant milestones in 2024, underscoring its commitment to yoga education and community wellness. The studio conducted two sessions of its 200-hour Certificate Course in Yoga and a 500-hour Advanced Certificate…

Ananda Chaitanya Meditation Center launches in Coimbatore 

The Ananda Chaitanya Meditation Center in Kurumbapalayam, Coimbatore, Associate Centre of the Indian Yoga Association was inaugurated with grandeur on December 20, 2024. The event began with the traditional lighting of the kuthuvilakku by renowned writer Jeyamohan, symbolizing the dispelling of ignorance and the illumination…



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07 Feb 2025

Yogavani

The World of Yoga, Goes Completely Online!
Editorial

The World of Yoga, Goes Completely Online! 

Over the past three months, the entire “World of Yoga” seems to have gone online completely with classes and events being offered galore all over the net. Institutions as well as individual teachers have started offering innumerable sessions online both for free as well as for a fee.

Given the importance of social (physical) distancing and the need to avoid group activities, Yoga sessions that have been traditionally offered person to person, either in small and large groups or in one-to-one situations have not been able to be held at all due to the worldwide lock down.

While, we really have no choice but to go online for the sake of both financial, social and public health considerations, this leads to pertinent questions about the legitimacy of such online training that lacks the traditional connection that is so vital between teacher and students in a specific learning environment.

Can we recreate the traditional environment and personalized connection as we move into this new medium is a question that begs strong self-reflection. Does it not reduce the human element that is so vital in Yogic learning?

I began offering free online sessions through social media such as Facebook and YouTube over the past three months and have at the time of writing completed 65 such session daily without a break. I also completed 48 days (One full Mandalam of the Vishwa Yoga Prarthana with 96 sessions) and then started to offer group online sessions of the Yogasutras and Yantra Vidhya. These have been amazing experiences both for the participants and me personally and I have learnt how much this medium can actually also help us in the self- transformative journey of Yoga.

Though initially very skeptical of such offerings, what I have come to realize is that the COVID-19 lock-down has come as a blessing and so many of my students worldwide have been able to come together in these sessions. This would never have happened if they all had to come to one place physically at the same time. Such online opportunities have enabled them all to come together as a Vishwa Yoga Kuthumbam.


I have been part of many e-events and these have also shown me the potential of this medium to reach so many worldwide in a positive manner and enable those who may have not have been able to travel for various reasons, the get the opportunity to receive the highest teachings from great Masters of various Parampara under a single banner. All the recent e-events of the Indian Yoga Association such as the Synchronized Global Prayer, Shankara Jayanthi and International e-Yoga Conclave have been good examples of the immense potential to effectively reach the un-reached everywhere!

Balancing the time constraints with people joining in from all over the globe is a major issue in logistics and also the dependence on a healthy internet network connectivity. It also tends to exclude those who don’t have access to modern e-tools of communications and thus is not really inclusive in many societies.

Yogacharini Kalavathi of the Om Yoga Studio in the UK has immense experience in this field having been one of the first to take her regular classes online and says, “It all boils back down to that triage. Efficacy will depend on the factors. The teacher, the student and the teachings. As soon as any of these are not pulling their weight, the balance may be lost and that’s when issues arise. If you are a good teacher, teaching good things, then hopefully the student will be attentive and learn what they need. But, if the teacher doesn’t really know so much to start, with and their system isn’t deeply rooted in the holistic essence of yoga, then this will make it a completely different experience. Standards should play a big part here but if we think of the law of attraction will then not everyone get what they asked for?!”
All in all, we must change with time and see how we can retain the traditional essence as we take Yoga forward through this new medium of sharing. Sharing is truly caring, and as human beings we must share with a heartful-mind and a mindful-heart!

Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani
( Editor-in-Chief )

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