Sivananda Yoga
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 Swami Vishnu-Devananda was born in Kerala, South India in 1927. In 1947, he came to the Sivananda ashram in Rishikesh, where he lived and worked with his Master, Swami Sivananda.
Swami Sivananda saw in his young disciple special tendencies towards Hatha Yoga. With his training directed towards the disciplines, Swami Vishnu-Devananda became an expert, mastering many of the most difficult and advanced hatha yoga techniques (asanas, pranayamas, mudras, bandhas and Kriyas) He was appointed the Professor of Hatha Yoga at the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Forest Academy.
In 1957, Swami vishnu-devananda was sent to the west by his guru with the words, 'People are waiting.' Vishnu devananda founded several yoga centres in the United States, and then settled in Canada, where he established the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta headquarters in Montreal. Swami vishnu Devananda's innovations in yoga instruction have reached millions through his yoga centres, which are now found in 5 continents; his popular yoga vacations and his yoga teacher training courses, which thousands have attended. Swami Vishnu devananda has also committed himself to the cause of world peace and brotherhood and to demonstrate his concern and the importance of the individual non-violent struggle for peace. Extract from 'The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga' by Swami Vishnu-Devananda |
Swami Sivananda was born in 1887 in Tamil Nada, India. In his early life Sivananda went to Medical School in Tanjore and worked as a doctor in Malaya until 1923. From here he left Malaya for India and went on an extensive pilgrimage. At Banaras, he had a Darshan (vision) of Lord Vishvanath which sent him to Rishikesh where he met his guru, Swami Vishwananda Saraswati. Sivananda performed many austerities for many years, but also continued to help the sick by started a charitable dispensary at Lakshmanjula in 1927.