THE HIMALAYAN TRADITION OF YOGA MEDITATION

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Sadhana Mandir Ashram, Rishikesh, India

THE HIMALAYAN TRADITION OF YOGA MEDITATION

The Himalayan Mountains have been the home of sages for millennia. These great sages have lived and passed on knowledge of yoga to disciples who then became masters passing on the teachings in an unbroken lineage. Twelve hundred years ago the sage Shankaracharya organized this teaching into five centers of the Himalayan Tradition, one of which is the Bharati lineage. Bharati means lover of knowledge.  This lineage is a mantra based meditative tradition.

The initial purpose of the Tradition is to awaken the divine flame within each human being. The goal is for each student to come to know his or her true Self.  The student can look to the Tradition and its teachings for guidance. The principal tenets and practices of all known systems of meditation are included in the Himalayan system and, for the most part, these systems have arisen out of it.

The chief components of the Himalayan system are purification of thoughts and emotions, mindfulness, breath awareness, shavasana (relaxation), japa (mantra repetition), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi.  In our tradition, hatha yoga is taught as a way to train the mind through the body, not merely as a set of physical exercises.  Meditation is a way of making the unconscious conscious.  All aspects of our being are trained and guided for this purpose and all our practices lead us toward realization of the Self.

The Himalayan Tradition is distinguished in that it is the first meditative tradition, the most comprehensive, integral and all-inclusive, has given birth to the major meditative traditions of the world and continues to enrich them all, does not require adherence to a belief system but experientially helps verify  metaphysical reality, and has an unbroken lineage whose continuity is ensured through transmission of shakti in meditative and initiatory states. 

Swami Rama of the Himalayas made the teachings of the Himalayan Tradition available to people all over the globe, including North America. A Self-realized master, he is a direct descendent of the lineage of the Himalayan yogis.  He was Shankaracharya, the highest spiritual position in India.   A scientist, philosopher, humanitarian and mystic poet, he is the founder of the Himalayan International Institutes of Yoga Science and Philosophy and the Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences near Dehra Dun. 

Swami Veda Bharati, a direct disciple of Swami Rama, is an internationally renowned yoga meditation expert who has taught and guided seekers throughout the world for over 50 years.  He is an inspired and loving teacher, a prolific author, poet, and international lecturer.  Swami Veda currently serves as Spiritual Director of Swami Rama’s ashram on the banks of the Ganges in Rishikesh as well as for numerous groups and centers in North America, Europe, Southeast Asia and elsewhere.

Swami Veda’s Teacher Training Program ([email protected]) will appeal to people who wish to be connected to a lineage for ongoing study and spiritual guidance.  Working with all aspects of our lives, the aim of the program is self-transformation.  By the advanced level, yoga meditation teachers are disciples of the Himalayan Tradition with a thorough knowledge of the tradition and scriptures and are able to act as guides within their communities.