There is no greater happiness than experiencing yourself within your soul. For centuries, yoga has been a medium to awaken peace, balance and self-realization within humans. Today, when man is trying to find mental peace in external achievements and material resources, the importance of Yoga has increased more than ever. Among the great men who revived Yoga in the modern context in the twentieth century, whose names are taken with the most respect, the place of Paramhans Swami Satyanand Saraswati is very important. – Kumar Krishnan, Center of Global Yoga Renaissance
Center of Global Yoga Renaissance
Yogi, spiritual guru, physician and great scholar of Vedanta, Swami Satyanand Saraswati took yoga out of the confines of ashrams and devotees and brought it to the lives of common people. Bihar Yoga School established in Munger in the year 1963 was the result of his visionary efforts. This institute later became the center of the global yoga renaissance and even today represents the authentic form of yoga throughout the world. Paramahansa Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati, Swami Satyananda’s spiritual successor, says, “Swami Satyananda gave new life and new birth to Yoga. He revived Yoga, otherwise it would have gradually become extinct. Therefore he is the Patanjali of the modern age.” Swami Satyananda coordinated the practical aspects of Vedanta, Yoga and Tantra by drawing on the concept of ‘Synthesis Yoga’ propounded by his guru Swami Shivananda. From this the Bihar Yoga or Satyananda Yoga system was developed. Its biggest feature is that various branches of yoga have been presented in it as a holistic and systematic method. The foundation of this yoga system is based on Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, Gyan Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Karma Yoga, which develop body, mind, intellect, emotions and action potential respectively. Apart from this, many branches like Mantra Yoga, Naad Yoga, Kriya Yoga, Kundalini Yoga and Laya Yoga have also been included in it. In this way the all-round development of the seeker is ensured.
Modern interpretation of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras
A major achievement of Swami Satyanand Saraswati was that he presented many rare and esoteric practices preserved in the ancient Yoga and Tantric traditions to the society in a systematic form. He made the exercises simple and safe by clarifying their sequence, level and progressive stages. As a result, yoga became practical and accessible to the common people for the first time. He realized that amidst the busyness of modern life, only simple but regular exercises can prove to be more useful for people. This approach played an important role in making Yoga accessible to a wider group of people. Swami Satyananda presented a modern interpretation of the Yoga Sutras of Rishi Patanjali and established Yoga not only as a spiritual practice but as a science of life development. He removed the veil of mysticism surrounding Yoga and tried to explain it from a scientific point of view. In the 1970s he encouraged scientific research on the effects of yoga. Under his guidance, many research projects were started, which developed an understanding of how yoga affects the body, mind and emotions and how it can awaken the latent abilities of humans. These studies also made it clear that yoga is not just a medium for health promotion but is a science that improves the quality of life.
medium for development of human consciousness
Studies on the therapeutic uses of yoga in many conditions such as asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer and pregnancy have attracted the attention of the medical world. This is the reason why today yoga is being accepted as an adjunctive therapy in many hospitals and health centers of the world. One of the most important contributions of Swami Satyananda is ‘Yoga Nidra’. By developing the ancient Nyasa system of Tantrashastra from a modern scientific point of view, he gave the form of Yoga Nidra. Today this technique is proving helpful in the treatment of stress, insomnia, high blood pressure and serious diseases. Modern research has also proved that Yoga Nidra reduces mental and emotional stress by balancing brain waves. According to Swami Niranjananand Saraswati, “Yoga Nidra has become a popular practice all over the world today. Heads of State and Prime Ministers of many countries are also practicing it. Just as cleaning the house is necessary every day, similarly cleaning the mind is also necessary and Yoga Nidra is very helpful in this.” Similarly, Swami Satyananda developed the Pawanmuktasana series, which gave yoga a new identity in the field of medicine and physiotherapy. Remarkable benefits of these exercises have been seen in arthritis, joint pain and digestive disorders. The impact of his efforts was not limited to health only. He considered Yoga as a medium for the development of human consciousness and worked to take it to every section of the society. The Bihar Yoga method has also been used successfully in rehabilitation programs for prisoners and detainees in many countries, including the US, Sweden and India.
Yoga tradition prevalent in more than 56 countries
Today Bihar Yoga or Satyananda Yoga tradition is prevalent in more than 56 countries of the world. Its widespread influence is especially visible in France. The teachings of Bihar Yoga are being adopted in schools, colleges and even at the kindergarten level. Trained yoga teachers from Munger are playing an important role in the physical health and mental development of children. For nearly six decades, Swami Satyananda developed a holistic system of yoga that fosters physical health, mental peace, and emotional balance. Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga and Kriya Yoga are trained as external yoga, while the internal aspects of Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Gyan Yoga are developed through the inspiration of Ashram life. This coordinated structure makes the seeker balanced at all three levels – mind, heart and action. This is the real purpose of Yoga, where a person can realize the higher possibilities of life by establishing harmony within himself.
science of balanced lifestyle
Swami Satyanand Saraswati’s book ‘Asana, Pranayam, Mudra, Bandha’ is still taught as a standard textbook in many yoga institutes around the world. It has been translated into many languages and is considered an authentic guide for yoga practitioners. Carrying forward his tradition, Paramhansa Swami Niranjananand Saraswati has developed Yoga in accordance with contemporary needs. In his book ‘Dharana Darshan’, many concentration exercises compiled from Tantra and Upanishads have been presented in a systematic form. He also developed the concept of ‘Yoga Capsule’, which consists of simple exercises performed in 10 to 20 minutes. Their aim is to connect people with yoga even amidst the busyness of modern life. Swami Niranjanananda is of the clear opinion that yoga should not be seen only as a physical exercise. It is the science of mental concentration, emotional stability and a balanced lifestyle. He believes that amidst the increasing commercialization of Yoga, it is necessary to preserve its original purpose and spiritual essence. The Satyananda Yoga tradition has introduced the world to the true nature of Yoga. It not only explains yoga and spiritual experiences, but also teaches the art of implementing them in life. Today, Paramhans Swami Niranjananand Saraswati is working to take this Yoga Prasad to the people through ‘Bharat Yoga Yatra’. In fact, Swami Satyanand Saraswati has given an invaluable heritage to humanity by transforming the ancient science of yoga as per the needs of the modern era. His contribution in the global expansion of Yoga and establishment of its scientific form will always be remembered.