Yoga will emerge as a mighty world power; it is the need of today and the culture of tomorrow and will change the course of world events.
Swami Satyananda Saraswati
Swami Satyananda envisioned that yoga will emerge as the need of society at large. He structured the vision of Swami Sivananda, the philosophy, practices, application and lifestyle into a very practical and scientific system we have called Satyananda Yoga as a tribute to the work of our guru, Swami Satyananda.
Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati
SATYANANDA YOGA® is an internationally renowned holistic system of yoga developed by Swami Satyananda Saraswati and his lineage which incorporates practices derived from ancient and traditional sources, yet adaptable to the needs of today.
Suitable for everyone, from beginners to adepts, it is not limited to any one culture, tradition or religion, political belief or social customs. The wide range of practices suit all ages, sizes, all levels of physical fitness and all lifestyles. It is authentic, scientific and systematic, and provides the tools for developing a balanced personality, on all levels (physical, mental, emotional, social, psychic, and spiritual), and awakening one’s dormant potential.
The efficacy of Satyananda Yoga has been scientifically proven countless times and is beyond reproach as it has been researched and documented for many years. Its integral approach and multifaceted branches offer the individual a wide choice of paths to formulate a practice to suit their own needs.
Last century, Sri Swami Satyananda defined a sequence of progression for practicing yoga.
First is hatha yoga, which manages the body and keeps it healthy as it balances the two powerful energies of ida and pingala Next is raja yoga whose aim it is to manage the senses and control the modifications of the mind. This is followed by kriya yoga which explores one’s inner potential and accesses the psychic and intuitive levels of the mind and beyond.
These three branches of yoga enable one to become an observer and master of one’s thoughts, speech, actions and behaviour. They are known as bahiranga yoga, (the outer or external yoga), which aims at self-perfection.
Simultaneously, Sri Swami Satyananda trained aspirants in karma yoga in which one cultivates the qualities of adapting and adjusting to people and circumstances. In karma yoga, one performs actions without being attached to them or to their results, and discovers ways to learn from every experience.
Next in the sequence comes bhakti yoga, where one is trained in how to manage the emotions, keep the mind positive in all situations, and connect the lower mind with the higher mind. Jnana yoga is then practiced so as to deepen one’s awareness, and to see the Self in all, and the all in the Self. In ancient Greece it was known as “Γνώθι Σ’ Αυτόν” which translates into, ‘know thyself’. It is the yoga of knowledge and wisdom which is fostered and inspired in an ashram environment.
These three branches of yoga make up the antaranga yoga, (inner yoga); it is the expressive yoga. Through the practices, we change our attitude, our mentality and outlook, and find ways to express our creativity and discover the aim of life.
According to the prominence of your qualities, one type of yoga should be selected as the main yoga. This means that you may be a raja yogi, a bhakti yogi or a karma yogi but alongside the yoga you have chosen, you practice other forms of yoga also.
Swami Satyananda Saraswati