March 2025 | Discipline

Om Namah Sivaya

Blessed Self,

February was a very inspiring month, as we put our humble efforts into Swamiji’s mission of peace by conducting a Maha Rudram event at our ashram in Madurai. With over 60 Vedic priests chanting and performing homa, the event left all who attended uplifted and inspired. Organising the event was a combined effort of our Trustees, Directors, and staff with the help of a number of donors, who helped make the event successful and deliver the message of peace to the world.

When times are tough, devotion and surrender seem to be the only way for us to stay sane. Our Ashrams and Centres provide the rich, authentic teachings of Master Swami Sivananda and our teacher Swami Vishnudevananda. The power of the teachings can be credited for returning to a high numbers of guests in the Yoga Vacation programmes in all three ashrams post-pandemic. Many returning guests inspire all of us to do more sadhana and deliver the teachings to the best of our ability.

We are ready to break ground for an Ayyappa temple construction within the present temple area at our Gudur ashram. Our other ashrams are working to improve their facilities to make the guest experience more comfortable and the ambience conducive for spiritual practices and connecting with other like-minded people.

Our Centres continue to thrive as we enter a period of improved weather. Our efforts to better present the teachings to all through our websites and social media are coming along nicely. Please stay connected with us for your own sadhana and inspiration.

May Master and Swamiji’s blessings be with you always.

Pranams,

Prahlada
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Ashrams & Centres, India

Maha Rudram is an ancient Vedic ritual, a powerful chant invoking the blessings of Lord Shiva for global peace and harmony.

For two days, February 8 and 9, 2025, over 60 Vedic priests came together at Sivananda Ashram, Madurai offering their voices and devotion in a collective prayer. Every chant, every intention, carried the energy to heal and uplift. Following in the footsteps of Swami Vishnudevananda and the peace actions he initiated; we gathered with an intention to promote global harmony during these challenging times. Our Indian Trustees, Directors, staff, students, and Sivananda community members, as well as local community members and online viewers from around the world participated to create an extraordinary spiritual gathering and to meditate with the collective intention of peace and harmony.

Please enjoy this immersive 360-degree video to witness the sacred vibrations of Rudram chanting, feel the power of the fire rituals, and engage in an atmosphere of devotion and stillness.

Wherever you are in the world, tune in, close your eyes, and let the chants guide you into stillness. Let’s create a wave of peace together.

Thank you to all for participating. May peace prevail on earth. Lokah samasthah sukhino bhavantu.

Yoga, a gateway to healthier habits:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/yoga-a-gateway-to-healthier-habits

The influence of yoga training on students’ self-discipline:
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March 10 – Ekadasi
March 14 – Full Moon
March 15 – Holi
March 25 – Ekadasi
March 27 – New Moon

Mar 16 to Apr 12, 2025,
Neyyar Dam, Kerala

Apr 6 to May 3, 2025,
Uttar Kashi, Himalayas

May 11 to June 7, 2025,
Uttar Kashi, Himalayas

May 25 to Jun 21, 2025,
Madurai, Tamil Nadu

For more details, click here

Mar 10 to Apr 4, 2025
Mon, Wed, Fri | 11.30 am – 1.00 pm

Apr 7 10 to May 2, 2025
Mon, Wed, Fri | 11.30 am – 1.00 pm

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Apr 13 to 17, 2025,
Neyyar Dam In-Person & ONLINE

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A very common question we get is: Do we teach the headstand in online classes? In other words: How can I practice safely at home without the support of a teacher?

The headstand is one of the most potent asanas, in terms of its physical and mental benefits. So, yes, we do teach it! We take the time to help you gain confidence with each stage of the asana and encourage you to practice to whatever stage feels comfortable for you.

In this video we’ll give some tips for practicing the headstand and half headstand on your own, and how you can bring a family member or friend in to help you gain confidence.

We hope the video is helpful. All best wishes for your inspired practice and teaching

As we practice different techniques to discipline our monkey mind, which helps us live a healthy, happy, and meaningful life, a disciplined approach in diet planning is very important too. As per the saying ‘you are what you eat’, diet has a powerful yet complex effect on our health. What we eat not only affects our physical health, but also our mental and emotional well-being. Here are some guidelines for a disciplined approach in healthy eating:

Setting a Goal – Diet is different for everyone, depending on their lifestyle, activity level, health condition (disease management), and stage of life. One needs to start by setting a goal such as growth, improving stamina, weight loss, muscle gain, general well-being, disease management, etc.

Choosing Nutrients – For the proper functioning of all the systems in our body it is very important to eat a balanced diet consisting of nutrients from all the categories: cereals, pulses and legumes, dairy, fruits and vegetables, healthy fats or oils, nuts and seeds and, most importantly, drinking enough water to keep the body hydrated.

Eating healthy food, which fulfills the daily nutrient requirements, helps avoid cravings and curb hunger. Wrong food choices cause deficiency of nutrients and don’t provide a feeling of fulfillment and satiety. This results in overeating. It is best to avoid stocking unhealthy foods at home like processed, packaged snacks, high sugar, low nutrients, refined flour-made products, and, instead, keep fresh, seasonal and whole foods at home, which are nutrient dense.

Controlling Portion Size – A healthy diet consists of the right amount of nutrients from different food groups in the right proportion as per individual needs. Overeating and undereating, irrespective of the food being rich in nutrients may cause toxicity and deficiency. Eating in moderation, filling the stomach to only 80% of its capacity is recommended for the proper absorption of food.

 Eating at the Appropriate Times – The same foods have different effects if eaten at different times. Certain foods may be energy giving if eaten in the morning and fattening if eaten in the evening. It is advisable not to eat heavy meals in the evening, as our activity and metabolic rate slow down. Eating at the same time every day for most days (except on certain occasions) is recommended, helping to regulate metabolism. There should be enough gap between the two meals, giving time for the previous meal to empty from the stomach, keeping in mind that digestion takes more time for certain foods.

Mindful Eating – Eating mindfully, enjoying the taste in every bite and chewing the food properly helps in better digestion and absorption of nutrients also helps in portion control as one can notice signals of fulfillment avoid distractions like eating in front of television, laptop, chatting, scrolling mobile etc. Avoid talking while chewing food, as sometimes the food may go to windpipe and can cause serious health complications

Eat According to the Situations in Life – Food, and nutritional requirements differ depending on your life stage (for example, the growing period, pregnancy, old age), your body type, lifestyle, physical and mental activity levels, your profession, and whether you are managing a disease. There is not one rule for all. Avoid following diet trends or copying other people’s choices. Nutrients which may be suitable, or cure a problem for one person, may be harmful for another.

Slow, Steady Progress – Make changes slowly, and progress gradually so that a disciplined diet eventually becomes a way of living.

Do you ever wonder about the fleeting nature of life and how our thoughts and beliefs that we cling to are so transient just like waves in the ocean, yet time and time again we find ourselves obsessing over these tiny details. For this month’s newsletter, let us take you through a beautiful story from Puranas, which sheds light on the idea of letting go while being one of the earliest references to time paradox.

In the quiet corridors of time, some stories slip through the cracks of history, like forgotten whispers carried by the wind. One such story is of King Kakudmi, a ruler whose name, though once spoken in every corner of the land, now rests gently in the folds of ancient myth.

Kakudmi ruled a vast and fertile kingdom where the air was always warm, and the rivers sang lullabies to the fields. His only daughter, Princess Revati, was the light of his life—her beauty as timeless as the stars, her talents as graceful as a summer breeze. Kakudmi, in his deep affection for her, wished for nothing but the best for her. But there was one thing that troubled him deeply. As she grew older, and her beauty bloomed like a rare flower, he could not find a man worthy of her.

The king, like so many fathers before him, was worried. Who could match such a radiant soul? And so, with a heavy heart, he decided to seek help from Brahma—the creator of the universe himself. Together with Revati, he set off on a journey, crossing forests, rivers, and mountains, until they arrived at Brahmlok, the abode of Brahma, which was said to be beyond the reach of time and space.

Brahma, as it turned out, was not easily found. He was deep in contemplation, listening to the music of the cosmos, the sound of the universe itself. They patiently waited—hours, days, or perhaps years—for the passage of time in Brahmlok was never certain. When they finally met him, King Kakudmi bowed low, his heart heavy with hope.

“Great Brahma,” he said, “I seek your guidance in finding a suitor for my daughter, Revati. She is a rare jewel, and I fear no one will be worthy of her.”

Brahma smiled, his eyes twinkling with the kind of wisdom that only the eternal possess. “Oh, Kakudmi,” he said, “the world you knew is no more. The time you’ve spent in coming here—waiting, wondering—has long passed. The people you knew, the suitors you had in mind for your daughter, are no longer here. They have all long since faded into the dust of forgotten time. The men you once considered for her have lived and died, their sons and grandsons too.”

The king stood, stunned and speechless. The idea of time, so vast and unfathomable, was something he had never truly understood. Brahma continued, “You see, Kakudmi, time runs differently here. What you experienced as a few moments of waiting in my presence was, in fact, the span of 27 Chatur-Yugas—more than 113 million years. And in that time, the world you once knew has transformed, vanished, and been reborn.”

There was a long silence, the weight of Brahma’s words settling over them like a heavy fog. But Brahma, ever kind, reassured them. “There is still hope. Return to the Earth, and there you will find Balarama, the brother of Krishna. He is the one who will take your daughter’s hand in marriage.”

So, with hearts heavy and minds filled with wonder, King Kakudmi and Princess Revati made their way back to the Earth. But when they found when they found something beyond their imagining. The world had changed. Rivers no longer flowed the way they had, forests had turned into barren fields, and the people they once knew had vanished as if they had never existed. Even the air felt different.

But the king and his daughter were determined. They sought Balarama, and after much searching, found him. He listened to their tale—of Brahma, of time, and of their extraordinary journey—and after a pause, agreed to marry Revati, accepting her as his bride.

However, there was something else. As they stood together, it was clear that Revati, having lived through so many lifetimes, was not like the women of this age. She was taller, more robust—her body and spirit marked by the passage of so many years. She was a relic, a memory of an ancient world that had long since faded.

The story of King Kakudmi and Princess Revati lingers in the quiet spaces of time. It is told and retold in the pages of the Puranas and epics, a story of divine intervention, time and love, and the unyielding march of the ages. Some might dismiss it as a tale woven from the fabric of fantasy, but in it lies something deeper—a reflection of the fleeting nature of time and the way it shapes our lives.

Perhaps it is not so much a story of time travel or gods, but a reminder that the world we know today will one day be a distant memory, like a story passed down from one generation to the next, growing fainter with each telling. In the end, we are all just travellers through time, waiting for the answers to questions that, sometimes, are far beyond our understanding.

This film was made in 1928 by the Raja of Aundh (present-day Maharashtra). Surya Namaskar is performed by the Raja, the Rani (Queen), their children and grandchildren as well as school children. The Raja published books on Surya Namaskar in many languages and used this film to promote its benefits. Watch this copy from the archives of the British Film Institute here: