Sivananda Ashram and Yoga School

Phone: (011) 646 4084
Fax: (011) 646 9876
Yoga School address: 4 Tyson Rd, Parkview, Gauteng, South Africa

At its ashram in Johannesburg, the Sivananda School of Yoga, founded in 1956, (Associated with the Divine Life Society of India) offers classes in every ingredient of Yoga.  Shunning hybrid western inventions and commercial “Yoga” designed for westerners – usually having names with prefixes to the word “yoga” – the Sivananda School teaches the pure, tried and trusted Yoga of its millennia-old heritage, spiritual tradition and country of origin. Yoga is an applied spiritual science, so old that its origins cannot be traced. We believe that it is eternal: that it has always existed as man’s divinely intended way of life. Yogis have, and always have had, the ultimate holistic science. Other (purely physical) exercise systems may come and go, but if we want a time-honoured system with a real pedigree, it has to be Yoga.

The ultimate purpose of Yoga is the attainment of a mystical state of enlightenment-and-liberation known as God-realisation, but most begin their quest with Hatha Yoga, the exercise system which lays a healthy foundation for the deeper Yoga practices.

At our Centre in Johannesburg, we offer every ingredient of Yoga and invite our members to choose whatever practices interest them.

Ethos: The Sivananda School of Yoga is a non-profit public benefit organization: No. 026-017 NPO.  Its ashram and assets are vested in trustees who are appointed by an executive committee led by the President, Swami Ishwaramayananda Saraswati.  The Yoga School’s objective is to educate and enlighten in the spirit of the mission of the holy master Swami Sivananda, a medical doctor who, in 1924, renounced the world to devote his life to serving humanity.

Classes Offered At The School

Yoga  -  supreme spiritual science

Yoga is the ancient science of the mystics – eternal, universal and transcendent.  Its origins are lost in Indo-Atlantean pre-history but Yoga has always been practised by advanced members of human society who have recognised it as our divinely-intended, evolution-promoting way of life.

Integral yoga  -  accessing spirit through body and mind

The practices of Yoga integrate the whole being. Yoga does not define body and mind as separate but recognises both as an integrated entity. The Yogi begins to understand the ‘connectivity’ of the entire universe through his or her experience of the essential unity of the different aspects of the self and, by extension, all creation.

Yoga has two broad divisions which overlap and interpenetrate:  HATHA, the ‘outer or physical fundamentals’ and TANTRA, the ‘inner or esoteric advanced’ curriculum.

If you attend weekly satsang (literal meaning: association with truth) and/or lectures on the vedic (based on the ancient scriptural teachings, the Vedas) philosophy of the masters, you may soon understand the essence of the sage Patanjali’s definitive work, the Yoga Sutra, and thereby gain a real understanding of Yoga.  

Hatha yoga  - within the body beautiful, the spirit soars free

Most westerners associate Yoga with Hatha, the aspect of Yoga which begins with the physical being.  However, the primary goal of Hatha is to restore the mind to peace and tranquillity, to alleviate the stress and anxiety of modern living and, ultimately, to transcend the perceived limitations of the body in order to set the mind free.  Yoga asanas (postures) actually balance the chemicals of the brain which naturally facilitates enhanced mental functioning.

Hatha Yoga comprises Asana (postures); Pranayama (life-force control via breathing techniques); Bandha (energy locks); Kriya (cleansing processes); and Mudra (energy-directing poses and gestures).

Hatha Yoga is unique as an exercise system in that there is no strain on the body. Each posture targets a specific part or body system so that the entire physical being is benefited. The stretches, inversions, forward and backward bends and twists of the asanas build up strength and stamina, tone and define muscles, activate the endocrine system and supply fresh blood to vital organs. Yoga practice actually cleanses the body, ridding it of toxins and vastly improving overall health.

The effects of Yoga are never purely physical.  The postures, when correctly taught, enable the practitioner to take control of his or her physical and mental well-being; to triumph over the obstacles of daily living and to find inner peace. Its true purpose is to improve the yogi’s control of the vital energy whereby the brain and mind may be calmed; thus facilitating the advanced inner practices of Pratyhara (abstraction of attention and energy), Dharana (concentration) and Dhyana (meditation). 

Satsang   -   truly in touch

Satsang means ‘true association’ or ‘association with truth’.  Not only does satsang help you to make contact with your inner, higher self, it also fosters friendship between fellow seekers after truth.  It is a devotional gathering where yogis explore the intellectual, esoteric and mystical aspects of Yoga at the feet of their Guru who discourses and answers questions.  Our main weekly satsang is open to all.  It includes singing, chanting, readings, a discourse by our spiritual head, Swami Isvaramayananda Saraswati, prayer and meditation and traditional arathi (light-waving ceremony) followed by Prasad (consecrated food).

The Mystic Philosophy of the Masters  -  the knowledge, having which all else is known

Classes in Vedantic philosophy and meditation take place on Monday evenings from 17h30 to 19h00. These classes are led by Swami Ishwaramayanandaji Maharaj, mystic, esotericist and spiritual leader of the Sivananda School of Yoga.  They are extremely popular as Swamiji has a wonderful way of communicating the loftiest spiritual concepts to seekers at all levels of understanding.

The Philosophy expounded in the Vedas is the foundation of Atlantean-Indo-Aryan-Egyptian religion, from which all of the world’s great religions are descended.  It was a descent in which the knowledge of the ancient mystery schools was lost to many (but not all): knowledge of life before and after death; karma and reincarnation; the sacred meditation techniques of mystics and initiates; expansion of consciousness and the siddhis (psychic faculties).  It is still known to the masters, and expounded for sincere enquirers in satsang at the Sivananda School of Yoga.
 
Guided Relaxation, Meditation and Yoga Nidra

Swami Karunananda Mataji teaches you how to transmit healing energy, and guides you into meditation, the yogi's supreme practice, and yoga nidra - "wakeful sleep of the yogi" - used by occultists to connect with subliminal levels of consciousness.  Regular practice may lead to deja vu 'flashbacks' and other enlightening experiences.  This advanced practice should always be under expert guidance.

Mantra Repetition and Meditation

Japa (Mantra Repetition), the occult science of repeating mystical sound formulae, is an essential, indispensable part of Tantra, the inner sadhana (spiritual curriculum) of the advanced yogi.  We teach it in our Meditation and Philosophy sessions.  Those who are accepted for initiation into the guru-disciple relationship are given a personal mantra and taught a sacred meditation technique.

Meditation is the yogi’s supreme practice.  All other practices constitute the yogi’s ongoing preparation and conditioning for meditation.  Only meditation can lead to enlightenment, and without meditation there is, literally, no Yoga.  A sacred technique is imparted during Mantra Diksa (initiation).

The purpose of yoga    -    ‘who am i?’

Yoga means ‘union’ with God.  It is the answer to the great question that, sooner or later, every soul on the verge of awakening will ask: ‘Who am I?’  Yoga leads us to the experience of the truth.  The only objective of Yoga is God-realisation:  a state of enlightenment-and-liberation referred to by all masters, but known only to mystics.  Only meditation by the right method can lead to God-realisation.

Initiation    -   the sacred secret

Members who have proved their sincerity may be accepted for initiation into the guru-disciple relationship, and the sacred meditation technique which is imparted only to initiates, during initiation. Candidates must resolve to remain vegetarians for
life, avoid overindulgence and non-medicinal use of drugs, pray for the welfare of others, repeat their mantra and meditate as instructed, and live decently. Initiation includes entry to the spiritual family and lineage of Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj.

Healing services    -    easing your dis-ease

Spiritual Healing, by the ancient practice of  ‘laying on of hands’ is available by private appointment.  A minimum donation is invited for this service.

Inspirational Spiritual Counselling is available by private appointment to those bereaved and traumatised by the deaths of loved ones.  A minimum donation is requested for this service.