Yogathon 2024 - Feasibility Study of the Effect of Surya Namaskars

A 21-day Feasibility Study of the Effect of Surya Namaskars on various public concerns, metabolic health, cardiovascular health, pain management, and mental health was conducted in January 2024. The Study began on January 13th,  with over 500+ people receiving the study details, 300 considered to begin, and 100+ got on board and started their journey. February 2nd, the study concluded, and the participants were provided with the online post-study form. 

Yoga Bharati provided 57 free yoga classes over 21 days with 20 volunteer yoga teachers and therapists. This was a nonfunded study with at least 300 + combined volunteer hours. 

While many participants have verbally given feedback about their flexibility, weight, and mental health, the study data is yet to be systematically analyzed and will be shared soon. Please stay tuned; the results will be shared on this page soon. 

Yoga-Yagna / Suryathon 2023 - Report

This year started with our usual Yoga Yagna held in the US, followed by concluding events held online, and also in-person events in the Bay Area and Dallas, Texas. Traditionally, the concluding event is held after a month of intense yoga sessions taught by enthusiastic teachers.  Over 200 people participated in the Yagna and over 100 people participated in the final day concluding event (online and in-person) in the combined SF Bay Area and Dallas events.

See under 2 min video below and scroll down for highlights about the two events:

Bay Area - Feb 18th, 2023

• Over 70 people attended the session (in-person and online) and most of them completed 108 Surya Namaskars(SN)

• The age group of in-person attendees ranged from 8 to 70 years!

• The event coincided with Shivrathri, making it all the more memorable as many participants were fasting, including 8-year-old Avni Bellary!

• Our youngest participant Avni (scroll for pictures below), while continuing her Shivarathri fast, cutely decided to save the cookies for the next day

• Senior participants Smt.Shobha Joshi and Dr. Raji Ayyar practiced 108 SN with ease

• We had announced competitions in different categories (men, women, and children). Scroll down for the results.

Dallas - Feb 26th, 2023

• Over 30 participants attended the event braving the cold Texas winds

• The age group of in-person attendees ranged from 8 to 86 years!

• Srija, the 8-year-old elementary school student, and Tejas, Amruta, and Eesha, the middle and high schoolers, were among the youth who completed 108 SNs.

• Sri.Sathyan Kalyandurg, Sri.Sunil Agarwal and Sri. Shukan Jain were among the seniors who participated in Suryathon.

Throughout both events, inspiring quotes were shared, and exciting quizzes were held to keep the momentum going. It was heartwarming to see this great synergy and meeting of ardent yoga practitioners.

Testimonial from our participants:

“I felt energized after each Surya namaskar session, just need to find a way to be regular in this rat race” - Ashika Jain

"I like the experience of practicing morning sessions with a vibrant group of instructors.” - Sheela V

“I was skeptical about doing 108 Surya Namaskars . I decided to try it with an open mind anyway. This was one of the transformational experiences for me personally. The difference it brought to my personal practice, physically and spiritually, is brilliant. My energy throughout the day was drastically big. The intoxication of positiveness it brought to my day was noticeably huge. “ - Vinutha R

Congratulations to the winners of the Yoga Yagna competition!! We have given awards for Yoga Yagna Protocol Compliance and also for Maximum total Surya Namaskars in a month

• Avni Bellary - 1st among Children - Yoga Compliance and Maximum SN Count (730) - Special Mention

• Sailaja Gavara - 1st among Women - Compliance and SN count (750)

• Suman Bellary - 2nd among Women - Compliance and SN Count (712)

• Ashok Medidi - 1st among men on Compliance and 2nd in SN Count (746)

• Neel Sundaresan - 1st on SN Count (1094)

Our sincere thanks to all those who made these events possible. 

• The online instructors did a fantastic job of guiding students and building their practice with confidence - Vinutha Nagaraj, Anusha Patil, Chaitanya Kalupukuri, Manjul Mishra, Latha Sathyamoorthy, and Veda Shreedhar 

• The volunteers in Dallas who helped with the setup and making sure the event went smoothly - Rupa, Sheela, Sharat, Aruna, Dimple, Divya, Vidya, and young Amruta and Eesha

• Shailesh Basani, the president of the Yoga Bharati-VYASA, Austin chapter, Texas, graced both SF Bay Area and Dallas events and practiced 108 SN in both states. 

• At the Dallas event, among the community leaders and chapter leads who attended and participated in the event were Sri Sathyan Kalyandurg and Sri Sunil Agarwal of Yoga Bharati-VYASA Dallas and Sri Prashant Joshi of HSS. 

• Dr. Sunil Thummala ji (MD, MBA. Board Certified Neurologist) graced the occasion in Dallas with his captivating and inspiring talk on the benefits of yoga in general and specifics on Suryanamaskars' benefits and what precautions to take during the practices.

• Thanks to Dr. Dhanada Kulkarini from Ashtanga Ayurveda for your warm kashayam at Dallas.

• Yogayush supported the event as well as helped with the monetary contribution 

• Last but not least, the enthusiastic participation by all those who attended the event whether in person or online added to making this event memorable and fulfilling!

SF Bay Area Yoga Yagna

Participants of the Suryathon in Dallas.

Stop Diabetes Movement (Feb 2021) - Report

Executive Summary

Abstract

This study is to observe the effects of yoga on the participants who have diabetes. SEWA, in the USA chapter, has been working in collaboration with Yoga Bharati to bring this opportunity free for interested people who want to take advantage of this workshop in understanding how yoga can help people with diabetes.

Methods

There were 11 participants in the workshop. Of them, 4 were men and 7 were women. 5 participants complete the pre-and post-assessments.

Results

There was an overall improvement in the quality of life including reduction of weight, waist circumference, and in one case, even reduction in the blood pressure.

Conclusion

We found out that Yoga for Diabetes Management and Metabolic disorders, even when practiced online for a short duration, helps in reducing waist circumference and building self awareness and improving quality of life.

Workshop Objectives

The main objective of this workshop is to help people manage diabetes therapeutically through  SDM (Stop Diabetes Movement). The intent was also to provide group therapy and equip the participants towards the recovery of their normal function and increase their self confidence.

The other objective of this workshop was to spread awareness on diabetes and how a quality lifestyle can play an important role in keeping the diabetes at check.

Materials and Methods

Participants

There were 40 participants who had registered for this workshop. However, only 11 completed the health survey out of which 7 were women and 4 were men.

Design  

The workshop took place over a 3 week period. Prior to the workshop, participants were asked to complete a self health assessment form. Sessions were conducted online and each session was 90 minutes long. In total, there were 4 sessions per week. An hour long information session by an endocrinologist and dietician was included, to explain underlying causes of diabetes and to bring balance to life with the consumption of healthy food.

Methods and Intervention

The design of yoga therapy included practices to increase the blood flow in the abdominal region and to activate the pancreas and metabolic system. Practices such as cleansing kriya, pranayama, MSRT(Mind Sound Resonance Technique) and other techniques involving twisting, compressing and stretching were given. This workshop focussed on providing relaxation and restorative techniques to enable the participants to move from sympathetic(fight or flight) mode to parasympathetic response. 

As part of the workshop routine, initially, breathing practices like Sahaja Pranayama were used as a tool to direct the outward senses towards oneself. Eventually, the participants were taught to help bring the focus towards each and every sensation that they experienced. Participants were educated to understand the mechanics of breathing - Breathing is subconsciously controlled by the respiratory center at the base of the brain. 

• Slow and controlled movements which involve rhythmic breathing  were practiced to calm down the rajasic(speedy) nature. 

• The focus was then brought towards the practices which would help in the stimulation of the pancreas and other abdominal organs. 

• Fast paced practices were given to increase the blood flow and to energize all the cells of the body. 

• Relaxation techniques like IRT, QRT and DRT were imparted in between the invigorating practices to bring deeper relaxation to the mind and body. 

• Kriyas like Kapalabathi and Agnisara Kriya, Bandhas like Uddiyana bandha were practiced to enhance metabolic functioning.

• Concepts on mindfulness, stress, pancha prana, pranayama, Ayurveda, karma yoga were shared to understand how these things impact diabetes. 

• Participants were told that Yoga can be integrated as part of their lifestyle by using the above described techniques and weaving them into their routine.

Feedback from Participants

• Atleast one participant reported regulated pressure and improved fasting blood sugar numbers.

• One participant reported an improvement in their frozen shoulder

• A couple participants reported that they lost weight.

• Overall, people reported improvement in the quality of life.

Assessments

A Self Health Assessment form was used which included questions on the lifestyle, demography, and chronic conditions. Basic vital parameters such as height, weight, blood pressure, pulse, Fasting Blood Sugar, Total Cholesterol were also compiled as part of this assessment.

Data Analysis

Data was analyzed using Google spreadsheets comparing pre and post data and generating simple charts. Due to the nature of the project which was an observational and subjective study, this report focuses on Therapist observation, Assessment reports and individual feedback collection based on Post- Workshop informal interviews.

Results

Graphs were produced to show differences in pre and post data. The below graphs show the following:

• A noteworthy decrease in participants’ weight of 1-3 pounds over the duration of the workshop

• A highly commendable reduction of 1-4 inches in the circumference of the waist 

• A notable reduction of 2-8 inches in the circumference of the hip

• A marginal improvement in the quality of the sleep pattern.

Effect of Yoga on Participants

• Information on different concepts like stress, mindfulness, food etc helped the participants to have a larger picture on how these can have an effect on their level of diabetes/the quality of life.

•  A session of 90 mins duration was conducive to deepen the holistic practice.

Conclusion and Discussions:

Yoga for Diabetes Management and Metabolic disorders helps in reducing waist circumference and building self awareness.

Since the workshop did not have a compensation model to encourage participants to complete the workshop in its entirety and provide the post data. It was found that a lot of participants were irregular and/or didn’t complete the post health survey. The workshop should be extended to have a duration of 2-3 months to be able to make an impact on the participants and to study the results better.

Yoga Yagna Winter 2022 - Report and Pictures

As with every year, Yoga Bharati conducted Surya Namaskar Yagna for 21 days starting from Jan 14th 2022 to Feb 4th 2022. Enthusiasts from different time zones from the USA actively participated in this yagna to spread the joy of Yoga to the world. 

Yoga Bharati participated in the "750 million Surya Namaskar' Project as part of India’s 75th Independence year. We are proud to have partnered with 75suryanamaskar.com.

Being a self-practice Surya Namaskar Yagna, YB wanted to ensure the safety of participants before the yagna began. Thus, online Surya Namaskar training sessions and practice sessions were conducted weekly every Saturday and Sunday from Jan 8th until the closing week,  guiding them on how to progress while offering vinyasa sequences in the practices. Participants felt that they were gradually able to increase their stamina and strength in both body and mind through this yagna. Read on…

Kids Quotes and Yoga Yagna Pictures

21 Days Journey

Yoga Yagna began on Jan 14th 2022 with great enthusiasm. We had three groups: One group was practicing Surya Namaskars and preparing for 108 SNs as the final goal. The second (no pain conditions) and third group (pain along with stress) participated in Stress Management program.

Tips on Yoga and Vegan diet were continuously shared to encourage the participants to stay healthy and fit. The importance of AUM, quotes from Bhagavad Gita like ‘YogaHa Karmasu Kaushalam’ and its meaning; quotes from Swami Vivekananda, Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi were shared with them throughout the Yagna period.

Yoga Yagna conclusion Program

Yoga Yagna was concluded with an online closing event where participants from different age groups ranging from kids to seniors from different parts of the USA joined. Participants were given different modifications and versions to fit their health needs. Wonderful energizing quotes by Swami Vivekananda, Martin Luther King, and other yogis were shared with everyone to set the stage for the rest of the practice. 

According to Raj, “the pacing of Surya Namaskars was excellent with added Yoga asanas and quotes by the great yogis, which brought enthusiasm to the otherwise tiring Surya Namaskars”

The Surya Namaskars were set to the tune of the energetic Totakashtakam song. Apart from the immense vigor it generated, it also helped with keeping count.

The highlight of the event was that children ranging from 7 to 14 years of age participated with great passion and devotion from the beginning of the session and shared inspirational quotes with everyone in between the sets.  Many participants appreciated the involvement of the budding kids who will soon become the ‘Ambassadors of Yoga’.

Delegates from SEWA International, USA; SEWA International (Trinidad and Tobago); Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh’s Health for Humanity group, and Hindu University of America wished and congratulated the yoga marathoners who practiced 108 Surya Namaskars.

The program ended with MSRT(Mind Sound Resonance Technique), a beautiful technique to calm down the stimulated mind and body and take it to a state of tranquility.

Testimonials:

• “I struggled to do 38 SN the previous day and today I completed 108 SNs with no problem. The SN was well paced. Doing 108 SN with experts will make all the difference and YB teachers are experts in this.” - Raj Patil

• “My kids completed 108 SN and I am proud of them.” - Shirisha Yelluru

• “I am amazed and Surprised to see all the kids. We all are together. All generations. It was a precious moment. - Amit

• “YB is doing a wonderful job and taking kids and others to the next level in this practice”  Shailesh Basani

• “Third time in a row, we are doing 108 SN. This time we were able to do 108 SN very easily because it is well paced. Thank you to everyone. Happy to start the year with SN” - Sailaja

• “Gratitude to all YTT teachers and yoga yagna program  which was conducted professionally. Last year I could do only 42 and this time I was able to do 108 without any breaks. It is a blessing to be part of this organization.” Seema Dubey

• “I and my husband did 108 SN for the first time. Did not really feel like we did 108. Really proud to do this. It was very amazing.” - Varsha

Acknowledgements

Yoga Bharati Gurus, teachers, and volunteers

Yoga Bharati kids and their parents for their support

Wishes from the delegates from Sewa International, Sewa TT, HSS, Hindu University of America and Testimonies about Yoga Yagna

Annual Report 2020

Holistic and Authentic - Yoga with a Difference !

Yoga Bharati Bay Area Chapter is happy to share our efforts and achievements in helping the society establish peace and global harmony—one individual at a time. Through our holistic, evidence based, open system of yoga, we aim to create a movement that helps prevent social disharmony, crime, and abuse. Our Motto — transform the world, one individual at a time. Yoga Bharati is a holistic, evidence based, open system of yoga. We borrow from the ancient Hindu classical yoga texts in bringing holistic yoga to the society.

We are a branch of Swami Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation (SVYASA), a yoga university in India that has a rich background of research based application of holistic yoga. We cater to the modern society's needs without diluting the knowledge as a means of commercialization.

We offer our humble gratitude to all our volunteers, paid and unpaid, for helping us achieve the following goals.

Yoga Bharati has adapted to the current, unprecedented situation by coming up with Covid-19 responses, to continue to serve the community through holistic health support. We offer yoga at Summit Estate - A Drug Rehabilitation Center, Blind and Community Centers, Corporate Sectors apart from various offerings as given in the report below.

Our Workshops for 2020 - Keeping the Community Forever Young!

• We conduct Deepen Yoga workshps to help our enthusiastic yoga practitioners to take yoga to the next level, both as a practice and as a philosophy and lifestyle.

• We conduct Yoga Yagna twice and year in which people practice upto 108 Surya Namaskars with different variations for people with different health needs; all the way up to 108 Chair Surya Namaskars by seniors would be performed in these yagna.

We Prevent news from Happening

As Patanjali says - ‘heyam dukham anagatam’ — yoga helps prevent social disharmony and unrest leading to abuse, divorce, crimes, and drug addictions. Yoga is a panacea in establishing social order.

Read our Complete Report below:

Annual Report 2019

WE PREVENT A CHILD FROM GOING ON THE STREET !

Yoga Bharati Bay Area Chapter is happy to share our efforts and achievements for 2019. Our Motto — transform the world, one individual at a time. Yoga Bharati is a holistic, evidence based, open system of yoga. We borrow from the ancient Hindu classical yoga texts in bringing holistic yoga to the society.

We Prevent news from Happening. As Patanjali says - ‘heyam dukham anagatam’ — yoga helps prevent social disharmony and unrest leading to abuse, divorce, crimes, and drug addictions. Yoga is a panacea in establishing social order.

Yes we do not support an orphan child or rehabilitate an abused destitute. But we prevent the child from becoming orphan or abused; and a woman from getting battered or molested in the first place. We serve yoga to the society. We offer our humble gratitude to all our volunteers, paid and not paid in many ways.

We have contributed in the following fields:

• Summit Estate - A Drug Rehabilitation Center

• Blind and Community Centers

• Seniors

• Kids

• Corporate Sectors

• Yoga Therapy and and Stress Management

• Stop Diabetes Movement

• Teacher Training

• Temples, Schools, and Colleges

• Outreach - Sevathon, Yoga Yagna (Yogathon), International Day of Yoga and health fairs

• Yoga Excellence and Enrichment 

Who are we?

We are not just “Yet Another Yoga Studio”. We are an institution of yoga. We are affiliated with Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation (SVYASA), a yoga university in India that has a rich background of research based application of holistic yoga. We cater to the modern society's needs without diluting the knowledge as a means of commercialization.

We thank Summit Estate for trusting us with providing yoga to their clients



Our Seniors yoga class participants bring joy to our teachers, volunteers, and all of our staff with their innocent carefree laughter

Our kids yoga classes are filled up to brim. We conduct field trips, health education for kids and parents through parenting workshops

We are the Yoga for Diabetes providers for Sewa International’s Stop Diabetes Project

Our volunteers and staff conduct yoga and Stress Management workshops in different companies and offices

Our volunteers teach free yoga at Santa Clara Blind Center as well as at San Jose Community Center

We conduct Yogathon at Sevathon. We conduct yoga yagna for community awareness in both winter and summer.

Therapeutic Yoga is our Core Competency. Yoga Bharati chapters in the US have helped more than 5000 people in the last 10 years providing yoga to help their health conditions.

Our yogi volunteers dedicate their evening and weekend hours teaching free yoga for close to 2 decades.

Our Gurus and Mentors bring yoga education to the public as a ‘Man Making, Character building assimilation of ideas’ as Swami Vivekananda quotes on education.

We wholeheartedly thank all our volunteers, clients, staff, and the leaders for taking part in this grand journey. Om ShantiH ShantiH ShantiH !

BalaYogi Retreat -Sivananda Ashram 2019

What a productive and fun way to spend time at Sivananda Ashram which gave the kids an opportunity to live with all four paths of Yoga, Raja Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga and Karma Yoga.

This year is our first kids residential retreat and kids made history at yoga bharati by participating!

Picture speak thousand words, so we have written this report with more pictures than words!

Children and adult volunteers drove early morning to the Ashram, at Grass Valley, California on Saturday July 20th and reached by the brunch time at 10 am. On the way we learned few mantras like “Shanno Mitra Sham Varunaha”… and getting to know about the Ashram life and discipline. We ate healthy sandwiches on the way and took one bio break.

Sivananda Ashram at Grass Valley was established by Swami Vishudevananda 40 years ago. Swami Sita is the current Swamiji who heads the Ashram and Swami Dharmananda handles many day today activities.

Children settled in the rooms after brunch and explored the area around. They liked the play area, with swings and hammocks. They learnt the aspect of Karma yoga by helping the Ashram in cleaning and gardening.

We made Malas of 108 beads for meditation with materials provided by Ashram.

Our next activity was Swimming in the pond with fishes and frogs :) Children helped each other to overcome the fear of water and the water habitats. Al though the water was 13” deep, they did swim around and experience the fun. They also learned group dynamics and leadership skills.

After the kids had shower and we made our way to Durga temple and lavender fields on the way. Durga temple hike is about 20 min from the front area. On the way we saw Lamas who are part of the Ashram from many years now. We ate fresh super sweet organic blueberries and apricots grown at the farm trees.

At the temple, children chanted mantras they know and they felt comfortable including, Sahana Vavatu.., Viduraneeti…, Sakshepa Ramayana.., Ekatmata mantra, Sarve Bhavantu, Ganesha mantra and many more. Children bowed down to Maa Durga to seek her blessings and we headed back. On the way back we walked through the fresh lavender fields which were both inviting to the visual and our taste senses. Took many pictures and ate some more fresh berries from around. Children were tired due to the Summer heat and the walk. They were also thirsty and wanted to go back soon. Some of them wanted to join for a Labyrinth walk and we headed there. Labyrinth walk took about 20-25 min to have a walking meditation experience.

We had brunch in the evening at 6 pm and played around at the free time. Evening experienced the Satsang which has Sivananda Ashram Kirtan which was our Bhakti Yoga experience. Ashram lights are out by 10.30 pm, but we slept off at 10 pm as kids and adults all of us were tired and had a peaceful sleep in the night. We stayed in cabins with bunk beds which had bathroom very close by.

Wake up time is 5.30 am with another bell at 5.45 am. Ashram has a very nice way of waking the ashram dwellers. They come with traditional bells and “Om Namah Shivaya” mantra and wake us up with a beautiful sattvic way on Sunday July 21st Sunday. Kids woke up early and had fruits and Oatmeal breakfast. Ashram food is fully organic with himalayan pink salt and some of it is vegan too..

Our group had a Raja yoga experience by the Ashram kids camp counselor Kalaila who was still there after the Ashram’s own camp for 10 days. Children had a great time with Kalaila and some of them even slept off during the deep relaxation. They said her voice was very soothing!

Brunch was at 10 am and kids had some more karma yoga experience in helping kitchen cleaning team. They helped wipe the dishes and put them away. Children played some more time. Then was the time for Jnana yoga experience with Swami Dharamandaji. Swami Dharmananda had a discussion on Guru and Guru Poornima. What does Guru mean and his significance in ones life was discussed with them. Kids were very interactive and told Swamiji about what they feel about Guru. Some said their experiences, their mistakes, their parents, teachers, friends are Guru. Swamiji gave them the Ashram lineage and stories of Swami Sivananda. Guru Poornima was in July and the vibes of the day was still fresh and alive in the Ashram air. After taking blessings from Swami Dharmanandaji we left the Ashram to head back to the Bay area. Kids did not want to come back as they enjoyed all of it very much. They were already asking when is the next year trip and they don’t want to miss it.

Ashram packed us some more food and fruits on our way back. We would like to invite you all for this fun and experiential learning Retreat next year. Stay tuned for the dates and don’t miss.

For Ashram information, please visit https://sivanandayogafarm.org/

For information about kids classes and camps at yoga bharati, please contact kids@yogabharati.org or call 408 341 YOGA (9642)

Field Trip to Goshala with kids and adults 2019

What a Serene and wonderful way to celebrate International Day of Yoga at the Goshala. Energy, vibrations and views all come together at the 80 plus acres land on the hills. Children felt comfortable, safe and were definitely curious to learn and know more. This is the first Official field trip to Goshala and yes we were the Pioneers of this activity. Goshala co ordinators were very happy about this new initiative taken by Yoga Bharati. Our camp parents and camp volunteers made it possible by driving to the facility as chaperones. A big thanks to them. Our youth teachers supported the field trip activities by actively participating and motivating camp attendees.

Goshala is a shelter for protecting and taking care of cows. A bit about Cows.

“ Cattle combat global warming by restoring carbon to the soil. ... When cattle eat grass they stimulate new growth and while they walk and fertilize on the ground it promotes seed germination. This prevents the overpopulation of woody shrubs and keeps our grassland ecosystems healthy and stable”

We started around 9 am from the camp location to the Goshala in Milpitas and reached by 10 am. Our first activity was Yoga in the open area under the sun and of course heat. We performed suryanamaskars, Paschimottanasana, Ushtrasana, Shashankasana, GOMUKHASANA, to feel the oneness with the cows. Finally 9 rounds of Bhramari followed by Silence and experienced the profound energy and vibrations around.

Cows at Goshala are given several names of Krishna and the birth significance, such as Nandini, Gopala, Ekadashi, Manasi, Brahma and more. Kids learnt about cow being Gomata, like our mother who is so important to our ecosystem. Field trip co ordinator explained the benefits of cows, uses of the products that cow gives. Milk and milk products are staple for many of us, cows urine is researched quite a bit and used as a medicine, cow dung is used as manure and fertilizer. Co ordinator mentioned a very important fact, “if you have a cow and a piece of land you can live happily as that is all you need!” Cow gives milk and fertilizer for the land to grow grains, vegetables and fruits and eats grass.

First Activity - petting - Children and adults had a chance to pet the cows and calf. Youngest member of the cow family is 2 months old naughty Manasi! She likes to jump around and play.. Her mom goes to graze while she waits at the shed area. There are totally 11 cows. In 2016 they started with 5 and now they are 11 ! Names have been chosen from Krishna’s life stories, like Nandini, Gopala, Ekadashi, Manasi and more. We were able to feed the cows bananas, cut watermelons. Cows happily accepted our feed. Our youngest child of 2 years also was able to and get close enough and pet the cows and calf without fear.

Next activity Cow Shed Cleaning: Older children and few small children were given the opportunity to clean the sheds. They did not hesitate a bit to get dirty and started taking turns in cleaning the sheds with brooms, brushes, water, shovel. We started with sweeping the cow sheds, then they moved to brushing and cleaning with water. Adults helped them to complete the task. They even held the fresh cow dung with their shovels and cleared it away!

Lunch and Disperse: All the children and adults gathered at the shed and sat on the chairs with our food on the tables. This shed is specifically built as a lunch area. While we were having food, Goshala co ordinators passed the info flyers and also mentioned about the importance of donating. Single day of feeding the cows costs $151. Many of us decided to donate a bit and do our part. Co ordinators made the kids to take quiz and give away few gifts to the ones who answered right.

Drive up the Mountain - Last activity: Goshala care taker guided us to the mountain off road drive which is pretty smooth and paved to watch the other cows grazing and the beautiful mountain views and the city views. We then started around 12.45 pm to reach the south bay center by 1.30 pm. Parents picked up the kids. Kids could not stop talking about their experiences at the field trip and the camp as a whole.

Anyone planning to visit Goshala, please visit their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/kbgosala/

We sincerely thank the Goshala volunteers, who co ordinated the trip completely which was planned at least 2-3 months ago. Many other volunteers and their children were present at the trip from Goshala whose expert guidance and support made it very informative and enjoyable.

Lastly we would like to say please visit this place again, adopt a cow, volunteer at this facility, as they need all kinds of help from the community to build such a safe environment for the cows to graze and live happily.

Childrens Summer Camp 2019

We had a wonderful summer camp 1 for Cupertino Area last week. As we always do, we had variety of programs including yogasana, games, yoga art, stories, yama/niyama, water conservation workshop,  and chanting Sanskrit shlokas and mantras. Our youth teachers Vivek, Shloka, and Aditya brought a huge spirit of encouragement for children. Along with them we had 7 adult teachers and volunteers conducting the camp.

Yogasana – We divided the camp attendees into two groups and had separate yoga sessions for kids 9 and under and above 9 years of age. The kids were educated on the benefits of the practices as they practiced and also were challenged so that they get motivated to do better. They also had their dosage of relaxation and meditation at the end of each class. It was a great sight to watch the children lie in shavasana and chant Om with a total synchrony and in a peaceful tone every day.

Games  - We play games to bring about age old practices of team games that children played on the streets without modern gadgets, TV screen or smart phones but with their own intuition, making up rules on their own, strategizing as a team, building presence of mind and helping them to go towards Nirodha Chitta – a total control over mind through games.

Art – Younger children did simple art work of  displaying yama/niyama and what it means to them. One child demonstrated Ahimsa with two pictures one man holding the gun in picture 1 and then dropping the gun in picture 2 as a symbol of Ahimsa. It is fun and rewarding to watch the young minds unfold with their creative spirit. Older children understood the concept of ShriYantra and have completed the outline of it. According to powerthoughts meditation club, The Sri Yantra is a 12,000 year old symbol and is considered the mother of all Yantras. Yantras are geometrical designs based on the principles of sacred geometry and are used for meditation. Each yantra design contains a centre point or “dot” from which geometric shapes and designs radiate.  Traditionally, such symbols are used to balance the left and right aspects of the brain, focus our minds or to focus on spiritual concepts to obtain spiritual benefit. It is even rumoured that Nikola Tesla, with his fractal mind, would see the Sri Yantra in blinding flashes!
Children who came for 1 week got to take their shriyantras home, others will get to paint their projects in the coming week camp.

Chanting: Chanting is a great way to develop memory, attention and focus, and also develop good lungs and strong vocal chords that prepares them to generate subtle resonance that brings peace into them as they chant. In fact, chantings are also considered to be great healing practice. Chanting of Bhramari has shown to even heal fractures.

In our camp, younger children learned to chant shanti Mantra – 

• Shanno mitra sham varunah….

• And Bhagavad Gita shlokas – vasudeva sutam devam…..,

• yada yada hi dharmasya….

• And sarva dharmaan parityajya….

Older children learned to chant shanti Mantra – 

• Shanno mitra sham varunah….

• And then we moved on to chant taittiriya Upanidshad’s Medha Suktam

• and more… yashchandasaam vrishabho vishwarupah…

• and we continued unto – aamayantu brahmacharinah swahah….vimaayantu brahmacharinah swahaah… etc and these are very rhyming and beautiful chantings.

This is to demonstrate how tranquilizing and exhilarating the mantras can be.

Chanting – Why?

Some of the older kids were frowning during chanting session. When asked they expressed their disinterest and questioned why chanting at all and what good they would do and how scientific they were. This is the usual frown we get from our teenage children. We handled it by explaining thus: 

Chantings are one great way to bring ekagra (one-pointedness) to the mind. Eventually our goal is nordha chitta, complete control over mind and ekagra leads us to that. The very definition of yoga per Patanjali is “Chitta vritti norodha” to develop control over thoughts.

Meaningless mantras? Or maybe we don’t know the meaning then why chant at all? Or why not say some positive affirmation in English and be done? – Yet another question. Sanskrit has its merits due to the language being the language of spiritual sages. But if one would chant a church chorus  or a namaz or any other spiritual song, it would still give the same benefit. In fact, meaning of these chants is not even required because many beeja mantras including OM do not have meaning on purpose. Thoughts are about names and forms; and words and meanings (shabdha, artha, nama, rupa). When you chant just as a chanting, then all thoughts vanish.

Defiance? These young teens were not completely happy with this explanation. Why should I chant only this way? Why should I follow your rules? Is this the only way to attain peace? What you say is the only truth was a direct attacking question and rightfully so.  To that, we said – No. There are many other ways too. But once you pick a path, then surrender to it and give it a faithful try. It is all about methodology. You cannot go to a church, follow their rituals, or even a piano school for that matter. If a teacher says you must hold the fingers in a certain way, you should follow it. Methodology has evolved after a long line of people trying and figuring it out. Don’t question for questioning and for defiance, but for understanding’s sake. And by the way, you have come over here yourself (or through your parents). Since you are already here, try it with devotion. Otherwise, loss is yours, not that of Yoga’s. That put the arguments at rest. We put these explanations out in the report so that it enables you to handle questions and rebellion of the children by giving them rational explanation. Hope this helps.

Excellence through chanting – We were amazed to see how well children learned to sit and chant these shlokas without feeling bored or burdened. It seemed like they were enjoying the chantings. That was even more apparent on the fourth day when they repeated without glitches. With another week’s practice, they would be ready to chant without help or prompt.

Field Trip on June 21st – Over 37 people including children, youth, siblings, and parents from south bay, Fremont, Evergreen and Pleasanton areas participated in the field trip to Goshala.

Please find the Field trip report here. https://yogabharati.org/reports-blog/field-trip-to-goshala

Kids Spring Yoga Camp - 2019

Yoga Bharati Spring kids camp is a huge success this time again with the help of yoga teacher training students Sloka, Aditya, Ashwathy, and Suman, by their active involvement.  

Even though we had a small camp, activities went smoothly and kids learnt a lot and shared their learning experience with us. 

A Small report: 

Our camp started everyday at 9.30 am with 1.30 hours yoga session that included: 

1. Breath cleansing practices 

2. Suryanamaskars 

3. Asanas

4. Deepa Relaxation 

5. Pranayama 

6. Om Meditation techniques 

Next activity was Sloka chanting. We separated the groups based on their levels. 

Our young chanters like Swayam, Amruta and Eesha taught chanting on a 1-1 basis. 

Meaning of the mantras and their applicability and benefits were shared. Chanting brings in wonderful health benefits focus, concentration and improves memory. 

Within minutes chanting brings about a meditative experience. 

Mantras learned and chanted: 

1. Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu - importance of a Guru, a spiritual teacher and his/her significance in ones life is given in this mantra 

2. Starting Mantra - Om Sahana Vavatu, Sahanau Bhnaktu - chant or vow between the teacher and student has been elaborated here. 

3. Ending Mantra - Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinaha - chant that focuses on the happiness, peace and prosperity for the entire Universe. 

4. Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra - Mantra restores health and happiness and brings calmness and conquers fears of life. Resonance of the words in the mantra leads to inner peace. 

5. Bhagawat Gita chanting - Some of our groups learnt Chapter 15th Bhagawat Gita. Chapter 15th is about the Secret of ones life success: One who knows the secret and understands life will attain eternal peace and happiness. 

For kids more than the meaning, the chanting is important. 

Our groups showcased their learning in front of the bigger group everyday. 

Next activity was the healthy organic snacks. Organic hummus, organic carrots, snap peas, cherry tomatoes, oranges, apples, Pita chips, popcorn made of avocado oil, rice crackers, veggie sticks were served. 

Right after the snacks, we did our Yoga based art project: Shri Yantra. 

The Sri Yantra diagram is formed by 9 triangles that surround and radiate from the central (bindu) point..These nine triangles are of various sizes and intersect with one another. In the middle is the power point called bindu,  This powerful symbol can help you solve  all your problems and clear all negativity in your life. Its a tool for meditation.

We completed it on Friday and kids got to take it home. 

Our last activity was Yogic games followed by circle meditation. 

Yoga games focused on strategy, team work and collective thinking.. 

Circle meditation where we brought the soft emotions through words such as kind, love, sharing, peace, chanting etc. 

Children thoroughly enjoyed and did not want to go home after the camp ! 

Hope children come to the Summer Yoga camp and next semester kids classes at Yoga Bharati and continue their yogic journey! 

Summer camp details https://yogabharati.org/kids-camp

Annual Report 2018

Yoga Bharati Bay Area Chapter is happy to share our efforts and achievements in helping the society establish peace and global harmony — one individual at a time. Yoga Bharati is a holistic, evidence based, open system of yoga where we borrow from the ancient Hindu classical yoga texts in bringing holistic yoga to the society. YB is a social movement that works on building the society one-individual-at-a-time in preventing social disharmony and unrest leading to abuse, divorce, crimes, and drug addictions. Yoga is a panacea in establishing social order. Yes we do not support an orphan child or rehabilitate an abused destitute. But we prevent the child from becoming orphan or abused; and a woman from getting battered or molested in the first place. We serve yoga to the society. We offer our humble gratitude to all our volunteers, paid and not paid in many ways.

We have contributed in the following fields:

• Hospital - We conducted free yoga workshop for Kaiser Permanante medical staff including doctors at the Kaiser hospitals this year.

• Drug Rehabilitation Center - We have been offering yoga service to Summit Center - a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center for over 2 years.

• Blind and Community Centers - We give free Yoga at Santa Clara Valley Blind Center and Santa Clara Public Health Dept

• Seniors - We offer heavily discounted classes for the seniors and have been providing yoga to seniors free of cost at ICC for close to a decade.

• Kids - Special affordable yoga classes for kids and youth, and in after school facilities.

• Corporate Sectors: Regular Yoga classes and workshops at corporate sectors by our volunteers in the Bay Area

• Yoga Therapy and and Stress Management- Stress management and yoga as therapy offered over ten locations in the Bay Area, California alone, where yoga is taught by our volunteer and staff teachers regularly

• Stop Diabetes Movement - In collaboration with Sewa International and SVYASA, we have offered free workshops for diabetes management for over 3 years.

• Teacher Training - Trained over 450 students in Yoga Teacher Training in the Bay Area alone. We offer 30% discount to the students with low-income as a means of helping them gain spiritual strength and also be able to take yoga as career.

• Temples, Schools, and Colleges - Over 5500 class-hours of FREE or affordable yoga sessions to the community each year in temples, community halls, schools and colleges. The list is long.

• Outreach -  We collaborate with Sevathon and other organizations in our outreach activities. We regularly conduct Yoga Yagna (Yogathon) twice a year, once during International Day of Yoga (June 21st) and once in January. We also visit health fairs and other conferences by placing a booth and spreading the word.

• Yoga Excellence and Enrichment - We bring experts from various fields of yoga from different parts of the globe to enrich our community's yoga learning. This year alone, we hosted yoga masters such as Dr. Nagarathna, Dr. Amritram from SVYASA, Yogashree N.V.Raghuram of Yoga Bharati, Swami Bodhananda from Sambodh Society, and Bhikku Sanghasena from Mahabodhi Cener in Leh Ladhak

Who are we?

We are not just “Yet Another Yoga Studio”. We are an institution of yoga. We are affiliated with Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation (SVYASA), a yoga university in India that has a rich background of research based application of holistic yoga. We cater to the modern society's needs without diluting the knowledge as a means of commercialization.

Our Wealth: the Volunteers; Our Homes: The ashrams

We build the organization brick by brick, with our culture rooted in compassion and service. Our adult and youth teachers are our biggest strength and together, we are one big family. Our volunteer teachers spread yoga from their homes and garages for the community! Our volunteer homes are like ashrams willing to serve any yoga enthusiast. We also offer yoga in temples, community halls, and parks, thanks to the community that also helps us help.

We train, motivate, and build spiritual strength into our teachers and staff volunteers. Our training courses have been given special emphasis in preparing personalities with karma yoga (volunteering) spirit. In return, our volunteers get ample opportunity to learn under yoga gurus and experts, in study groups, and through online sessions, and sadhana workshops. This helps them in building their health, their personality and meeting their entire family’s health and spiritual needs without having to go elsewhere. We are a one-stop-shop for holistic health and harmony.

Filling the Void - No Competition

Offering yoga in a studio setting and gym setting is a commercially viable option and has been mastered by many businesses and organizations world over. But offering yoga for individual transformation and as a  therapy is the most difficult proposition. Yoga is a great healer if TLC (Tender Loving Care) is given patiently to the suffering.

We focus on developing a paradigm shift in the client’s mind — to develop a positive outlook, and to develop awareness that the ephemeral, transient world is far less important than what we make it out to be. To help the clients focus on the big picture of life and to develop a new purpose and meaning to life takes our total presence with them, including our time, patience, and one-on-one attention. Yoga is a healing system that is not recognized as such even by the people who need it, leave alone the insurance and government bodies. It takes a great deal of marketing and soft talking to convince our clients to pay. Our yoga teachers work with cost-effective while not compromising on effectiveness.

Word-of-mouth referrals - Our humility, patience, and professional handling of enquiries and yoga service has brought a huge influx of clients through word-of-mouth alone. People come with strong positive referrals and almost always confirm that their experience validates their friend's feedback.

Building relationship with our clients, associates, and volunteers. From a cup of coffee at Starbucks to visiting their homes, no stone was left unturned in building the network of support for Yoga Bharati’s success.

We Pay Yogi Dollars and More

Yoga Bharati compensates many of the volunteers for their time, though not affluently yet. We have increased our compensation by 30% compared to last year. Apart from monetary compensation and professional yoga enrichment, we listen to their personal problems, we offer help in their personal needs, we connect with them at deeper levels, and we also provide a good family caring atmosphere for their children while they are volunteering with us . All this makes Yoga Bharati a wonderful extended family and a net of support in life.

Our Revenue

Yoga Bharati has leaped forward in its spending and revenue with the lease of the center around 3.5 years ago. With relentless effort and professional management of every aspect of business, we were break even last year itself and we hope to do so this year too. Our revenue has gone up by 40% this year. Our staff have increased, the number of yoga offering have increased, and the salaries have also gone up as we are hoping to come at par with industry standards in our payments.  But in spite of it, due to our smart operations, we may break even this year too.

We wholeheartedly thank all our volunteers, clients, staff, and the leaders for taking part in this grand journey. Om ShantiH ShantiH ShantiH !

Yoga Yajna 2018 - A Report

Yoga Yajna Conclusion event Feb 3rd Saturday 2018 - A report

Yoga Bharati has been conducting Yoga Yajna (SNY) for more than 5 years now. In the recent years it has been offered twice a year, winter and summer as a 21 day Yoga challenge.

Yoga Bharati has conducted population studies with yogic parameters to show the effectiveness of Yoga, mainly suryanamaskars and Om chanting. Starting of the year with a physical and mindfulness discipline for the body and mind brings in health and happiness in individuals and families.

Many such resources and facts are given on yoga bharati webpage at https://yogabharati.org/yogayajna/
 

This year yoga yajna had to offer much more than the inauguration and the closing events. Yoga Bharati also offered and supported daily practices for the participants by 3 weeks of free practices of protocol. Our Executive director Ashwini Surpur had put together a one hour yoga asana protocol around Suryanamaskars and pranayama and Om meditation. Many of our teacher volunteers conducted the morning 6.30 to 7.30 am classes including Shilpa Kurkut, Vandana Pathak, Bina Desai, Minakshi Rai, Anil Surpur, Ashwini Surpur, Shobha Charagondla and Savita Joshi.

Feb 3rd, Saturday was a day for yet another year of Yoga Yajna conclusion (formerly Suryanamaskar yajna) at Yoga Bharati. Yoga Bharati President Anil Surpur, Yoga Therapy Director Savita Joshi, Events coordinator Siddu Rati, Therapy Coordinator Reshma Amin and Education coordinator Rima Shah led the event.

There were many other volunteers Nikhita Malladi, Parul Africawala, Urmi Kandpal, Dhivya Ravi and Ratna Ullagaddi and many more volunteers helped execute the event.

We started with subtle body practices and loosening exercises. Three areas were dedicated to the practice; classic suryanamaskars, neck/back pain suryanamaskars and chair suryanamaskars. Main area led the classic suryanamaskars.

Group of close to 50 participants, men, women, kids and our seniors (ages 7 to 70 years approximately) started with individual Sankalpas (intention setting) to practice 108 Suryanamaskars.

Event started sharp at 7 am with Tontakashtakam (https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=rcLOL90OFrA) music to complete 9 sets of 12 suryanamaskars each. Yoga Bharati follows 10 step classic form of Suryanamaskars. So total 1080 asanas aimed to complete in 90 min. We followed 1 min of rest while listening to beautiful quotes of Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhiji and Martin Luther king during the 1 min rest in between.

We closed the event after 12 sets (108) suryanamaskars around 90 min after the start. Participants were asked to perform back relieving stretches in the supine pose like lumbar stretches, and pavana muktasana, rolling practices. Deep relaxation technique with chants helped us to connect ourselves with our deep silence and existence.

Our youngest participant 7 years old Meenakshi also completed all 108 rounds. Team energy was such that our seniors refused to take the chair but did their practice on the mat and most of them completed at least 50 rounds.

One of the yoga yajna participant Anil Surpur gave his feedback about the Sankalpa and his actual practice. He was feeling sick the day prior to the event and was almost about to skip the session. “Sankalpa (intention) setting helped me to wake up and reach ON time to the event and complete all 108!”

Few statistics of the 2018 Yajna (as of Feb 2nd evening)

Total registrants - 114+

Female participants - 81

Male participants - 33

Participation:

Age range - 8 years to 70 years

Children less than 18 years - 18

Children less than 10 - 10

Suryanamaskars reported - 6,228

Aum reported - 7,296

Female reported - 453 (Savita Joshi), 420 (Rajani Sinha), 286 (Vanaja Jagini)

Male - 644 (Santosh Kulkarni), 444 (Vikram Pandita), 300 (Paresh Africawala)

Instructions lead 24 FREE yoga sessions online and coaching sessions at 6.30 to 7.30 am including 3 Inaugural sessions and 1 closing session.

Group had healthy snacks and herbal teas after the practice. Everyone left from the place with a sense of accomplishment and carrying the strength and courage to accomplish anything their lives

Annual Report 2017

We are proud to claim fifteen years of bringing authentic yoga, ancient wisdom and modern research. As a volunteer-managed global community, we work to foster yoga with its therapeutic applications and life transforming effects.  We bring yoga classes for general wellness, yoga teacher training courses for students who want to teach yoga, and yoga therapy to heal those with chronic ailments.

Achievements

• Trained over 400 yoga teachers just in the Bay Area alone.

• Over 5000 class-hours of FREE or affordable yoga sessions to the community each year,

• Special affordable yoga classes for kids, seniors, stress management and yoga as therapy.

• Over nine locations where yoga is taught regularly just in the Bay Area

• Yoga offering to Corporate sectors by our volunteers

• Yoga offering to After School Day Cares at low affordable rates

• Yoga offering to Blind Center Santa Clara as a volunteer service.

• Yoga therapy offering to health care centers and Rehabilitation centers NEW project started this year!

Accreditation - International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) - We are in the final stages of accreditation with IAYT for our Diploma in Yoga Therapy Course. We have 10 CIAYTs (IAYT certified Yoga Therapists) in grand-parenting path of IAYT.  This is a great stamp on our high quality holistic yoga education that combines western scientific methodology and rational thought with classical and traditional yoga and spirituality.

Advanced Teacher Training (RYS-300)  - We are now offering Advanced Yoga Teacher Training program (RYT-300) . 

Stop Diabetes Movement - Yoga Bharati collaborated with Sewa International in offering Stop Diabetes Movement again this year. Over 50 Bay Area participants benefited from this movement. 

Yoga for Cancer – We offer FREE three month active support for Cancer using Yoga Therapy for people who are undergoing or taken Chemo/Radiation to help them achieve a better quality of life and to move toward normalcy.  Eight cancer patients took yoga therapy this year alone.

Yoga for Seniors - We offer discounted yoga workshops for Seniors to encourage seniors to practice yoga. More than 25 seniors took advantage of this program at our main center and over 200 seniors are regularly taking yoga from Yoga Bharati volunteers in the Bay Area alone.

Yoga Therapy

Yoga Bharati has committed to building a world-class research culture that can scientifically validate the benefits of Yoga Therapy, and to bringing authentic Yoga Therapy to our community.

Our Main Center: We have well established facility in West San Jose close to Cupertino, Saratoga, Santa Clara and Sunnyvale. We offer yoga for wellness, yoga therapy, and Ayurveda services.

Visit our center at: 20445, Prospect Rd, Suite #1, San Jose

Yoga Therapy classes for special groups – we have yoga therapy classes running continuously in Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Milpitas, Pleasanton Tri-valley, and Fremont. This year, we have conducted workshops on Yoga for back, neck, shoulder and knee pain, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, obesity and metabolic disorders, vision disorders for children and teens, prenatal and postnatal workshops.

Yoga Yajna (Yogathon) 2017 – we conducted Yoga Yajna in both winter and summer this year. The theme of the closing ceremony was group practice of 108 sun salutation cycles (yajna) and Om chanting. More than 200 people from age 3 to 65 years participated in Yoga Yajna this year.

Yoga Teacher Training 2017

More than 28 students from age 13 years – 55 years took Yoga Instructors Course (YTT) aka Yoga Teacher Training this year. It was a  year long course, with 3 month intensive course from March to May 2015 and a yoga retreat at Sivananda Ashram. We have revamped the entire course to make it more modular, with greater emphasis on quality and depth. We had two offerings of YTT module 1 this year, and with 2018, there will be four YTT module 1 offerings to meet the growing demand.

Yoga Therapy Training

We now have 10 graduated of Diploma in Yoga Therapy who are actively serving at our center, in rehabilitation centers, and in their private studios. We have more than 20 students enrolled into our Diploma in Yoga Therapy. This is a 2 year course aimed at training the yoga teachers to address people with different chronic ailments and empower them towards management and healing of their disease conditions.

Youth Yoga Training and Practice:

Yoga Bharati has a unique focus on building youth ambassadors and lifelong yogis. More than 250 children in the Bay Area have taken our yoga classes with us. Youth have been showing increasing interest in yoga each year and we have trained 9 yoga teachers this year alone and over 60 youth yoga teachers overall. We bring awareness about health and well being at all levels of human personality and we  also create opportunities for them to channel their energy and develop their leadership skills. We conduct spiritual parenting sessions for our parents so that the entire family participates in developing yoga as a lifestyle.

Bhagavad Gita for Children and Adults

Yoga Bharati offers Gita for children and adults as a memory and focus improvement program and also to inculcate spirituality into them. Parents are encouraged to participate along with their children for effective learning. More than 30 students benefited from this program this year.

Promote awareness of Yoga, Vedanta and Ayurveda

Yoga Bharati hosts prominent speakers in the fields of Yoga, Vedanta and Ayurveda.

In 2017, we arranged pranayama and meditation workshop and discourse by Shri N.V.Raghuram, Chairman of Yoga Bharati and Swami Bodhananda of Sambodh Society

We hosted Spiritual Parenting and Relationship, and Meditation program and an in-depth study on Patanjali Yoga Sutras by Swami Bodhananda Saraswati in Nov 2017.

Active partnership with local organizations

Over the years, Yoga Bharati has passionately served the community and has created a niche position for itself in the local volunteer organization network. We consistently contribute and support local events in various roles – as specialists in yoga and also as enthusiastic participants. This year was no different.

Sevathon 2017: This was held in the month of June Yoga Bharati has been a key partner of Sevathon since it’s inception. This year Yoga Bharati conducted international day of yoga in San Jose California. More than 120 participants practiced Surya Namaskar and OM Chanting.

Roadmap for Future Events in 2018

In 2018, Yoga Bharati will work with greater resolve towards our goals, building on the momentum in previous years. In addition, we’re planning a few new projects that are outlined below.

Yoga Teacher Training 2018 – We have revamped Yoga Training to reach out to more people in different corners of the Bay Area. As an effect we will have many more people taking our YTT. This year, we are likely to have a 30-40% increase in YTT participation.

Advanced Yoga Education Courses - RYT-300 and DYT - We plan to start our next batch of advanced courses in Yoga - both Advanced Yoga Teacher Training and Diploma in Yoga Therapy. The demand has been tremendous and we hope to meet this increased demand.

Yoga Yajna 2017– We invite everyone to participate in Yoga Yajna like every year, and in addition we are also preparing and training for a competition of practicing Surya Namaskars and Aum Chanting.

Sevathon 2018: We will be partnering with Sevathon organization and organize Yogathon in big way in 2018.

Support Us

With your generous support, we at Yoga Bharati have been able to take up significant programs to promote Yoga in a holistic way. Your further contributions will strengthen our resolve and initiatives. Please see the link below for ways to contribute generously towards ‘Samājanidhi’.

Yoga in Festival of Colors - Holi 2016

The bright sunny Saturday morning of March 29, 2016 saw about 500 people come together to celebrate the festival of colors (Holi). This event was organized by Net Effect media, Tradecraft and Skoolcare.org. 

Yoga Bharati took an active role and put together a grand yoga show. This show also had the audience participate and do all the yoga postures set to an upbeat music to suit the Holi spirit. It got the young and the old alike in the mood to stretch, twist and turn in tune with the rhythm!

Holi comes every year during the Spring season when the Sun begins to shine bright and the empty branches of the trees start to spring with new life. The birds migrate from the North to enjoy the greener pastures where the land is ready to provide and nurture the needs of all the creatures. Holi represents the human urge to celebrate life. There is sprouting of new life on earth everywhere and everything in nature seems to dance to the songs of the migratory birds. The variegated colors on the faces of joyous people represent the diversity of each of our thoughts, cultures, tendencies and paths to perfection we each have chosen and continue to journey on. 
There is no discrimination of any sort when it comes to playing Holi —  no one is left behind. Everyone is dragged and drenched in Holi colors, laughed with, laughed at and made to laugh with a positive spirit. Such a spirit of Holi is indeed a spiritual festival, matching the theme of yoga that aims to spread peace and harmony in the world. 

Saturday's Holi at the Rainbow Park in West San Jose was one such festivity celebrated with a spiritual spirit where yoga added yet another holy color to the colors of Holi. Yoga Bharati volunteers were seen everywhere with their blue T shirts, colored faces and immersed completely in the spirit of the event amidst a riot of colors! On the stage were the youth and the adult volunteers of Yoga Bharati who conducted a yoga based performance consisting of asanas and Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutations) set to the tune of M.C.Yogis's Hara Hara Shankara song from his album, ‘Pilgrimage’.

The later part of the show was interactive and the crowd was kept engaged by getting them to participate in yoga – the spirit was so contagious that everyone present, the young and the old alike did various yoga poses. Some of the poses were the Tree pose, Triangle pose, Dancers pose and the Warrior pose. 
 
Savita Joshi — Yoga Bharati volunteer and one of the main organizers for this event said, "The entire event was very well received and event host from Net Effect Media, Kapil Sethi and Anjali Kauser from Skoolcare.org were very happy. They would like to host many more of Yoga Bharati's events".

Madhavi Jain, who choreographed the Yoga show said "It was a great experience to be here and to conduct the show". Ankita Jain, who was one of the demo-er in the yoga show said "It was so much fun to celebrate Holi like this".

Six year old Eesha, who had never played Holi before, drenched herself with colors and did not want to leave the event. It was the case with most of the kids who attended such an event for the first time and were ecstatic with the colors — Amruta, Atulya and many other little ones. The dry powder used for colors proved to be safe and enjoyable especially for the kids.

There were also a number of mainstream Americans who had never witnessed such a riot of colors before and were simply thrilled being a part of such a festivity.
 
 Some of the other Yoga Bharati volunteers who took an active part in the program were Jolly Bose, Ratna and Basu Ullagaddi, Anil Surpur, Sharat Joshi, Pramod Srivatsa, Siddu Rati, Reshma Amen, Sushant T, Rekha Shivapa and Vanaja Konduri. 

Willow Brazier, Yoga Bharati Yogaksema center massage therapist provided more than 30 free chair massages at the booth for attendees and had a blast herself with all the colors and music! Local bands and great food from Peacock restaurant completed the fun scene at the event.

Holi at the park streaked everyone with the color of innocence, culture, happiness and a spirit of oneness, thus bringing the entire community together!

Video of Holi Pictures below:

YIC 2016 Inauguration Report

Around 70 people including Yoga Teacher Training students of 2016, Yoga Teachers who completed their training from 2014 and 2015 batches, Children and parents of Yoga Bharati classes attended Yoga Teacher Training inauguration program on Sunday March 13th at BayVP temple Milpitas. The chief guests were Swami Tattwamayananada of Vedanta Society SF, Dr. Prasad Kaipa, the CEO advisor and coach, and Yogashree N.V.Raghuram, the spiritual founder and chairman of Yoga Bharati.

The program started with a peace chant and was followed by a beautiful yoga formation for a music in Raag Kedar. This was followed by Gita chanting of 16th chapter by the Bhagavad Gita class students — both adults and children. 

After children's program, Anil Surpur, the president of Yoga Bharati gave a welcome speech followed by a wonderful panel discussion conducted by Ashwini Surpur, the Executive Director of Yoga Bharati where the three luminaries were given questions on various aspects of yoga and spirituality as applicable to health, world peace and to the economy and sustenance of the material world. The panelists gave a sumptuous food for thought for all the new and graduate yogis in the audience.

The panel discussion was followed by Certificate award ceremony conducted by Savitha.Nanjangud, the Director of Yoga Education. The graduate students of Yoga Therapy Training and Yoga Teacher Training received the certificates and blessings from the three chief guests.

Madhavi Jain, the Joint Director of Yoga Teacher Training gave vote of thanks. Youth Yoga teacher Sushant.Thyagarajan was the MC of the program.

Thanks to many volunteers who helped in the event.  

Scroll down for the Youtube.

Bio of the Chief Guests:

Diaz members - Anil Surpur, Swami Tattwamayananda, Raghuramji,  and Dr. Prasad Kaipa, 

Swami Tattwamayananda, currently the Minister- in -charge of the Vedanta Society of Northern California, will be conducting the lecture series.  He served in various centres of the Ramakrishna Order in India as editor, publisher, and teacher of Sanskrit, Advaitic texts such as Sri Shankaracharya's commentaries on the Prasthanatraya  and Indian philosophy. Before coming to the United States in January, 2012 he was teaching Sanskrit, Vedantic scriptures and Indian philosophy at the Training centre in Belur Math, the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission, Kolkata, India. The Swami has received traditional education in Sanskrit and Vedantic scriptures and is frequently invited for lectures on Yoga, Vedanta, and traditional Hindu scriptures.

Yogashree N.V.Raghuram is the Chairman and Spiritual Founder of Yoga Bharati and Professor of yoga philosophy in Swami Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation (SVYASA), Bangalore India. Sri N.V Raghuram is trained under some of the most renowned exponents of yoga such as Prof Satyanarayana Sastry and has been practicing yoga since early childhood. He is instrumental in introducing yoga therapy in a neurological clinic in Germany and starting yoga therapy in hospitals in Italy, Turkey, and China. He has traveled to several countries in Asia, Europe and America, giving discourses and stress reduction programs based on yoga. 

Dr. Prasad Kaipa has been an advisor and coach focusing on innovation and leadership since 1990 for about 120 C-level executives in Global Fortune 500 companies. Prasad coaches them to channel their creativity to come up with innovative decisions, products, and services. He assists clients in becoming effective in managing people as well as oneself (personal mastery) in exploring innovative, and strategic decisions. He has deep exposure to Hindu spiritual literature like Vedas, Upanishads and brings this rich eastern value into the business world. Dr. Kaipa conducts Practical Vedanta sessions in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Watch the Entire Youtube

CSE Kriya Yoga Congress - A Report

Bay Area, California Report

We attended some of the sessions of the Kriya Yoga Congress 2016 organized by the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment, San Jose, mainly the Friday Keynote and Saturday Banquet dinner.

Friday, March 11th

The event started and ended with Yogacharya Ellen O'Brian's Kirtan session. It was heart-filling and soul filling session with beautiful patterns emerging out of the concert, repeated by the entire audience and the hall seemed to have patterns of waves in which we all were floating. The chanting of Hey Prabhu, Gopala Jai jai, Jai Bolo Rama, Namah Shivaya, Namo Arunachala and so on were so beautiful on the lips of these passionate spiritual seekers who are not homegrown Sanskrit or Sanskrit based speakers, but instead a passionate adopted Sanskrit children.

After the initial bhajan was the moment of honoring of Yogashree N.V.Raghuram, the spiritual founder and chairman of Yoga Bharati. It was also the moment of remembering CSE leader's recent trip to VYASA, their love for India, and their love for Yoga Bharati. 

Sri N.V.Raghuram, popularly known as Raghuramji, then got on to the podium. His wisdom filled words filled the hearts of the audience with love and compassion through the message on Yoga. He connected the journey from outer to inner, from gross to subtle, from matter or materialism to Spirit or Spirituality. His talk flowed so beautifully that each of the members of the audience — around 500 members — was profoundly merged into sublimation by the end of his speech.

Sessions and Initiation - The attendees of CSE's Kriya Congress were busy the entire afternoon of Friday and Saturday with many talks and sessions including Kriya Yoga Initiation taken by hundreds of people from Rev. Roy Eugene Davis, the direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda.

Saturday, March 12th Banquet Dinner

The event started with a beautiful chanting of Raghuramji from Rig Veda and Ishavasyopanishad. After that, we had a small talk by Cynthia Coppel of Lotus Ayurveda and Shunya Pratichi Mathur of Vedika Global. They both gave a beautiful and crisp message in the honor of the dedicated yogi of CSE, Rev. Roy Eugene Davis. 

Then came a beautiful rendering of Hindustani classical instrumental concert. Not a single player was Indian and yet it was done as if they had learned music in India since childhood. The fretless sitar and the rendition of the Kirwani, Raag Mishra Mand and finally Raag Bhairavi. We were already full before the dinner began ! 

Then came the most sumptuous and satvic vegetarian dinner and the delightful conversation with wonderful people on our table. We met some of the most amazing and passionate people in the field of Yoga, Sanskrit, meditation, researchers in meditation, etc. 

Some of the CSE regulars who were in the school board member for Santa Clara school district, the Jain Community leader and the official of Santa Clara Correction facility gave an account of how they have used spirituality and meditation in the respective fields of their profession. The example of the high school kid whose GPA was 1.6 in Freshman year improved to 4.0 in Final year due to Meditation was a hugely inspiring story for all in the audience.

This was followed by Yogacharya giving a beautiful account of her Guru Roy Eugene Davis and his work. She said her inspiration was derived from his selfless and unswerving dedication for more than 70 years in the service of humanity and in spiritual sadhana. This moved the audience to the point of tears of joy. Everyone gave a standing ovation to the "Swami in the black Suit" as I would like to address him. Yogacharya then awarded the first edition (1947) of the book "Autobiography of Yogi" by Paramahansa Yogananda, a rare collection. Then was the time for thanking the volunteers. Rev. Sylvia Karuna Kunt was honored for her all-encompassing dedication to CSE's work. The list of Sylvia's work makes this report too large. Suffice it to say she took the heavyweight lifting of the Kriya Yoga Congress along with her heavyweight lifting of the center's operations, finance, human resources, facilities, mentoring the seminaries, and the list goes on.

We got to see all the volunteers of CSE starting with Rev.Sundari Jensen, another heavyweight lifter of CSE to many passionate volunteers — over 50 of them — who stood up to be honored and clapped.

Once upon a time, there was, nay, there IS — a humble group, dedicated souls, and a beautiful spiritual group emerging out of one spark of Punya Bhumi Bharat — Mother India as they say — the Jagadguru of the world ! I came out TODAY humbled and benumbed with sublime bliss!

Jai Paramahansa Yogananda! Jai Gurudev! Jai Bharat ke Sant !

- Yoga Bharati Volunteers
 

Yoga Teacher Training 2014 at CSE - Conclusion

We are proud to announce that 14 people completed Yoga Teacher Training at the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment, a group with the lineage of Paramahamsa Yogananada. 

Savitha.Nanjangud, Anil Surpur and Ashwini Surpur of Yoga Bharati were the primary teachers. Savita.Joshi and Shailesh Basani were the guest yoga teachers and Priyanka Patil was the anatomy guest lecturer and Vedika's Aparna Lewis were the guest lecturer for Ayurveda.  Rev. O'Brien teaches the theory classes and Rev. Sundari Jensen would be conducting Ethics through yama/niyama.

It was a fantastic learning experience for all and a lot of bonding with CSE group and staff. Please visit their Sunday services - http://www.csecenter.org/