Specialisations
The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre organisation’s greatest contribution has been to make accessible yoga philosophy and practice to the general public. It offers a structure for disseminating the knowledge of yoga that is easy to understand and simple to practise, through the four paths of yoga (karma, bhakti, raja, jnana) and Swami Vishnudevananda’s Five Points of Yoga. The organisation is considered by many in the field to be a landmark of truth and purity, providing a rich expression of the highest reaches of meditation and yoga knowledge in an easily accessible context.
SIVANANDA YOGA TEACHERS TRAINING COURSE (Ashrams)
(Internationally-acclaimed with over 50,000 teachers trained since 1969)
- Skills to teach asana & meditation
- Both theory & practice
- Vedanta & Raja Yoga
- Bhagavad Gita
- Anatomy & Physiology
- Four week residential gurukula
- Connection to ancient teaching lineage
2 YOGA VACATION (Ashrams)
(Two-week introduction to the theory and practice of Yoga and Vedanta)
- Twice daily asana and pranayama classes
- Morning & evening meditation and satsang
- Daily lecture on the philosophy of the teachings
- Meditation and asana coaching
- One hour daily practice of karma yoga
- Open year round and open to all
3 COURSES AND CLASSES (City Centres)
- Beginners and Advanced asana courses
- Meditation courses
- Pranayama and kriya workshops
- Philosophy & Scriptural study
- Open year round and open to all
FIVE POINTS OF YOGA OF SWAMI VISHNUDEVANANDA (Teachings)
Swami Vishnudevananda synthesised the four paths of yoga into five basic principles that can be easily incorporated into a daily lifestyle. It is on these five principles that the activities of the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres are based.
1) Exercise (Asana)
- the twelve classical postures
- stretches and tones muscular-skeletal system
- increases circulation
- tones internal organs, glands and nervous system
- releases tension, liberating vast resources of energy
- broadens mental faculties and spiritual capacities
2) Breathing (Pranayama)
- how to use the lungs to maximum capacity
- how to control the breath
- renders the mind calm and clear
- increases strength and vitality
3) Relaxation (Savasana)
Yoga teaches us powerful techniques of deep relaxation
- Rest and relaxation are nature’s way of recharging
- An essential ingredient for physical and mental health
- Conscious relaxation of every muscle of the body
- Deep controlled breathing
- Rejuvenation of the nervous system
- Attainment of a deep sense of inner peace
4) Diet (lacto-vegetarian)
What we eat profoundly affects our body but also our mind
- Seasonal, local, fresh food
- Vegetables & fruit, grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, dairy, oils etc.
- Keeps the body lean and limber
- Keeps the mind clear and sharp
- Protects life and the environment
5) Positive Thinking and Meditation (Vedanta and Dhyana)
- Control of one’s own thoughts (pratipaksha bhavana)
- Meditation
- Vedantic studies
Location
Ashrams
Our Ashrams are found in the heart of nature and the heart of India, ideal locations for spiritual growth and the practice of yoga and meditation.
- Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwantari Ashram, Neyyar Dam, Kerala
- Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Meenakshi Ashram, Madurai, Tamil Nadu
- Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Tapaswini Ashram, Gudur, Andhra Pradesh
- Sivananda Kutir, Netala, Uttarakhand
City Centres
Our City Centres are oasis of peace and calm amidst the hustle and bustle of metropolitan life.
- Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre Delhi South
- Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre Delhi West
- Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre Chennai
- Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre Trivandrum
- Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre Madurai
