Swami Satyananda Saraswati, my Guru and founder of the Bihar School of Yoga, spent twelve years in Swami Sivananda’s ashram. In that period, he found that many persons wrote to Swami Sivananda, asking for help and treatment for their health problems. He would suggest that they practice Yoga.

In his years of peregrination, Swami Satyananda visited many, many countries. People would come to him for advice and he did not have the answers. He then decided that he must study philosophy, Yoga and the different schools of religion. While he was at the ashram the realization dawned upon Swamiji, that yoga was not just a series of exercises. The sadhana produced great changes in the body, in the organs, in the endocrine system and in the nervous system.

He understood that the body was maintained by the life force and the mind is maintained by the mental force. This meant that there were two kinds of energy. One was responsible for the gross organs and the other was responsible for the mental activities.

He explained that when one practiced major asana, they exerted mild pressure on the six major centres in the spinal passage. Of these six, four distributed life force and mental force. A disease occurred when there was an imbalance in these centres. There were two major forces which were also functioning like the material forces and they were referred to as positive and negative force.

Swamiji realized the power of Yoga and gifted message this to all the followers that Yoga was a way of life. He was a witness to the miracles, which happened in the lives of the disciples. His only request was dedicated practice. These were also the words of his Guru, Swami Sivananda, who said, Sadhana, Sadhana, Sadhana.

High on Waves

My wishes have matured
And I have written the whole song.
Today my songs rise
From all directions of the world
And in the limelight
Of the moon and the stars
Flows the light of your prana.
All the Vedas have been sung
And all the shastras have been written
Today I have given the prana
Of my Gyana to all.
And I have already given you everything
In the form of beautiful flowers. – Swami Satyananda Saraswati

Aim Hrim Klim