March Monthly Subscription

March 2021 Monthly Subscription. This month’s focus is on Bhakti (devotion) & Asana (steady posture).  

**The subscription grants you access to all programs included and recordings of the weekend workshops/discourses.

What is included?

• Pranayama & Sun Salutation Mornings (Mon-Fri)  5 am – 6 am
• Srimad Bhagavatam Study Satsang- (Mon-Fri) 6 am – 7:30 am
• Monday Bhagavad Gita Study Classes 60 mins
• Weekend Hatha Yoga Classes (Sat & Sun, 2 classes/day) 90 mins each
• Hanuman Chalisa Chanting 30 mins each (4 Saturdays)
• Lalita Sahasranama Chanting 60 mins each (4 Sundays)
• Puja- Worship & Divine Offering 101 Workshop 90 mins 
• Balanced Mind, Balanced Asana Workshop 120 mins 
• Hip Opening Workshop 90 mins
• 54 Sun Salutation Challenge approx 60 mins
• Edwin Bryant: Stories of Lord Krishna 90-120 mins
• Swami Shantananda- Navavidha: Nine Modes of Bhakti 60 mins
• The Start of Passover with Rabbi Zoe Zak approx. 90 mins

How does it work:

-Tuition: $59 grants you access to all the Philosophy Month Programs.

-All programs will be streamed LIVE on the platform Zoom.

With the subscription, recordings of each weekend program are accessible. (excludes yoga classes)

*** Include daily yoga classes with Subscription for $75

Full Yoga Schedule (Included in $75 Subscription)

Mon- All Levels

8 am – 9:30 am

4 pm – 5:30 pm

Tues- Gentle Yoga

8 am – 9 am

Tues- All Levels 

4 pm – 5:30 pm

Wed – Sat- All Levels

8 am – 9:30 am

4 pm – 5:30 pm

Sun- All Levels 

8 am – 9:30 am

3 pm – 4:30 pm

Description of Programs:

Hatha Yoga Classes

Take Classic Sivananda Hatha Yoga classes in our Online Community! In these 90 min classes you’ll be guided through Pranayama (charging and balancing breathing exercises), Sun Salutations, a series of Yoga Asanas (steady postures) and an extended final relaxation.

Inclusively available on Weekends (Sat 8 am & 4 pm) (Sun 8 am & 3 pm) 90 mins each. Daily yoga classes also available as an option during registration.

Bhagavad Gita Study

Taught by Neeti
The Bhagavad Gita is one of the most important texts in the Hindu tradition and is part of the teaching material in the Sivananda Teacher Training Courses. It is said that Lord Krishna incarnated many years ago to establish righteousness and provide mankind with the knowledge of Yoga.

In the Bhagavad Gita (part of the great epic “Mahabharata”), Lord Krishna teaches Arjuna – who represents the individual. In this dialogue between teacher and disciple, Krishna teaches in detail about the different paths of Yoga and their application in daily life.

We will systematically study the Gita chapter by chapter. This includes chanting the original sanskrit text, reading the verses and discussing their meaning and application in daily life. The study group is open for anyone to join who is interested.

Come and share the joy of studying this ancient scripture.

Pranayama & Sun Salutations Mornings

Gift yourself the powerful practice of morning Sun Salutations & Pranayama. Sun Salutations practiced daily, it brings great flexibility to spine and joints and keeps the waist trim.
Starting your day with pranayama relaxes nerves, cleanses the respiratory system and you willfeel the healing benefits of breathing exercises physically, mentally and spiritually. Notice the difference throughout your day after these reinvigorating breathing exercises!

These sessions will guide you through the practices of sun salutations, kapalabhati & anuloma viloma.

This is for all levels, although we recommend you already have knowledge of the practices. Please email us if you have questions about the practice- ranch@sivananda.org

Srimad Bhagavatam Study

Each morning, join us from the Ashram for a 30 min meditation, Daily Chants (Jaya Ganesha) and study on Srimad Bhagavatam.

The Srimad Bhagavatam consists of eighteen thousand Slokas, three hundred and thirty-two chapters and twelve Skandhas. The book is named Bhagavata because it speaks of the glory of Bhagavan or Vishnu. It is one of the most authoritative of Hindu scriptures. It is a work of great repute in India. It exercises a direct and powerful influence on the opinions and feelings of the people. It has acquired a wonderful hold on the minds of Hindus. It contains the essence of all the Puranas.

In Srimad Bhagavatam alone the history of the universe is systematically dealt with.

Lord Krishna is the central figure of this unique book. It is an authoritative book on devotion. Bhagavatam teaches devotion that is associated with Jnana (Bhaktiytikta-Jnana). It does not divorce knowledge from Bhakti. It teaches that Jnana is extremely helpful to its perfect attainment. In Bhagavatam the treacle of Bhakti is mixed with the elixir of Jnana.

Sri Hanuman Chalisa Chanting

Shri Hanuman Chalisa is a hymn dedicated to Shri Hanuman, the great devotee of Lord Rama

It is composed by Saint Goswami Tulsidas, the author of the Tulsi Ramayana (Ramacharitamanasa). 

Composed of 40 verses filled with praises for Lord Hanuman, the Hanuman Chalisa is composed in Avadhi. This dialect of Hindi was spoken in Ayodhya, Lord Rama’s birthplace. 

Benefits of Chanting the Hanuman Chalisa: 

• Calms the mind
• Instills a sense of gratitude and humility 
• Effective remedy to overcome depression and negative thinking
• Bestows protection from adversities 
• Blessings from Hanuman, who stays in the heart of the devotee 
• Removes doubts
• Removes fear

Sri Lalita Sahasranama Strotam

Learn the significance and some of the beautiful translations of the 1000 names. Each name of the Divine in the Sahasranama refers to a different quality or attribute of the Divine.

Benefits of Chanting Sri Lalita Sahasranama

• Atmosphere is purified 
• Purifies the mind
• Uplifts mood
• Long, contented life
• Gained self confidence
• Feel more close to the Devi for and receive blessings/overall protection
• Removes fear 
• Relieves malefic effects of planets 

Lalita Sahasranama (thousand names of goddess Lalitha) is an ancient Sanskrit text praising the virtues, aspects, greatness and manifestations of Mother Divine. It is believed if recited with devotion Sri Lalitha, the Mother Divine fulfills both spiritual and material aspirations, and bestows Karya Siddhi (fortune of getting good things done successfully).

Chanting the thousand names of Devi enlivens the qualities within us, helps us gain the ability to see clearly and become grateful of the beauty in the world around us. May the blessings of the Divine Mother be bestowed upon all! 

Puja- Workshop & Divine Offering 101

Learn how to do Puja (worship ceremony) at home. A part of the legacy of classical Yoga passed on to us from our gurus, is the practice of Puja, or symbolic worship of the divine. In all of our Sivananda Ashrams and Centers worldwide we have received our current format of Puja from Swami Vishnudevananda. Sitaram Chaitanya, who performs this Puja daily at the Sivananda Yoga Ranch, will be guiding you on how to bring this practice to your home.

About Puja: 

Puja is ritual worship wherein a visual or concrete representation of God is treated as an honored guest. They are welcomed, bathed and dressed in fine garments and jewels, garlanded, offered flowers, incense and food, and praised with hymns and mantras. The devotee attempts to external- ize his/her inward love for the Supreme.

Puja is one of the different modes of Bhakti Yoga, the devotional approach to mystical union. Even the Vedantins are extolled by the greatest of non-dualists, SriShankara, who recommended this form of worship in order to steady and purify the mind. Lord Krishna states in the BhagavadGita that worship of the devas and of Godis to be considered the sattvic or pure type of austerity of the body.

What you will learn in this workshop:

• The traditional Puja done at Sivananda Ashrams daily
• The items needed for Puja 
• The meaning behind the offerings 
• Proper order of Sanskrit mantras and verses used
• Recitation of 108 Names of Krishna
• Recitation of 108 Names of Swami Sivananda 

Also included in this workshop:

• PDF Text for Daily Worship (downloadable to save) 
• Recordings to do Daily Puja at home (downloadable to save)

Who should take this workshop:

This workshop is available to everyone. No special requirements/ knowledge are needed. Puja is a bhakti (devotional) practice, with this practice one develops an expansion and openness of the heart.

How does it work? 

Once registered, we will send you the confirmation email with a packet needed to follow along as well as instructions on how to set up an altar at your home & items needed.

About the teacher:

Sitaram Chaitanya is a devoted Brahmachari serving full time at the Sivananda Yoga Ranch Ashram for many years. Sitaram Chaitanya regularly performs Puja in the main ashram temple each morning with joy, devotion and discipline.

Stories on Krishna

Taught by Dr. Edwin Bryant

Navavidha Bhakti

Taught by Swami Shantananda

Navavidha bhakti comprises the nine ways to express devotion or develop devotion for God or the higher Self. 

Bhakti yoga is one of the main paths of yoga that a practitioner can follow on the path to Self-realization and is the path most followed in India. The name comes from the Sanskrit root word, bhaj, meaning “to adore/worship God.” Thus, it is the path of love and devotion. Bhakti is sometimes described as “love for love’s sake.”

In this discourse, gain a deeper understanding of the nine modes of bhakti and how to utilize these paths in your journey towards the Supreme. 

About the teacher: Swami Shantananda 

Mesmerized by Pujya Swami Chinmayananda in the 1960s, Brahmachari Raghavan served Pujya Gurudev as his traveling secretary for a few years. After completing his Vedanta course in Mumbai, he traveled to Taiwan, where he successfully managed his own business and taught Vedanta part-time. He was instrumental in founding CM in Hong Kong and Taiwan. In 1992, he received sannyasa diksha from Pujya Gurudev and became Swami Shantananda. Since then, Swamiji has dedicated his life to Mission work and Vedantic teachings, and is presently the resident acharya of Chinmaya Mission New Jersey. As a speaker, Swamiji’s talks are filled with wonderful insights into life and people respond instantly to his wisdom and affectionate nature. In 2001, as his personal tribute to Pujya Gurudev, to commemorate the 50th-year celebrations of Chinmaya Mission, Swamiji undertook and completed 50 Gita jnana yajnas all around the world.

The Start of Passover

Led by Rabbi Zoe B. Zak

Join us for an uplifting celebration of freedom and resurrection that includes a Passover reading of the Aggadah, book of Passover stories.

About Rabbi Zoe B. Zak:

Rabbi Zoe serves Temple Israel of Catskill in Catskill, NY and is Outreach Chaplain for Jewish Federation of Northeastern NY. Rabbi Zoe is a founding member of Peace Ensemble, where Christian and Jewish clergy come together carrying the message of Peace through original and traditional music. As a performer, composer and producer, Zoe has over 30 CDs to her credit. She aims to blur the line between praying and playing.

Asana Workshops

Balanced Mind, Balanced Asana Workshop- 120 mins

Taught by Isani

Sthira-Sukham-Asanam” (Asana is steady, comfortable posture.)
II-46 Patanjali Yoga Sutra

The qualities of steady (sthira) and comfortable (sukha) should be present in our Asana practice. In this practical workshop, we will explore how to bring Steadiness, thru understanding the body-mind connection. Learn how to bring Balance/Comfort to our asanas by increasing both attention and intention principles in the postures. You will experience a full practice of Meditation, Pranayama, & Sivananda Asana Sequence.

Suitable for all levels, some knowledge of the Sivananda sequence is helpful.

Hip Opening Workshop- 90 mins

Taught by Mokshapriya

Outside of our physical habits, the muscles around the hips are often tight in response to habitual environmental and mental stresses. Through systematic stretching of the hips, you can release this stored stress and calm down the mind.

The Importance of Hip Opening:

There are 840,000 yoga asanas in the Hatha yoga practice- the goal is meditation- to sit steady in one asana. Hip opening helps us to feel comfortable enough to stay steady in a meditative posture.

In this workshop we will explore hip opening postures based from the traditional practice of the Sivananda sequence exploring the greatness of the simplicity of staying in an asana. We will also incorporate variations to deepen stretching and free stagnant energy to create more flexibility and relief. 

Physically, hip opening creates more range of motion, improves circulation and prevents injuries from overly tight hip flexors (psoas), abductors, and hamstrings.

Emotionally and energetically, hip opening releases unnecessary tension by releasing stagnant, disturbed energy built up over time. 

Spiritually– The connection between the mind, emotions and body are often most noticeable and felt in the hip area. By gently and slowly stretching, an awareness is developed of the path necessary for releasing this tension. 

54 Sun Salutation Challenge- approx 60 mins

Taught by Isani

In Hindu mythology, the Sun God is worshipped as a symbol of health and immortal life. The Sun Salutation originated as a series of prostrations to the sun. It is a series of twelve positions coordinated with the breath performed as one continuous exercise to stretch and warm up the entire body. It is designed to prepare the body for the Asanas (postures) practice.

The session will be entirely guided. We will start as per our tradition with a short initial relaxation and the opening prayer. We will be doing  exercises and carry on with 108 sun salutation (27 salutations on the right side alternated with 27 on the left). We will conclude the session with a nice, well-deserved final relaxation.