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“Previously, people did not need to have a amma’s special day for performing Yoga because Yoga was part and parcel of their lives. Un- fortunately, now we need a special day to re- message mind us to perform Yoga, just as we need a day to remember our mother and father. our cholesterol, and through this, it helps maintain cardiac health. It increases our In the olden days, people would wake up bone strength. This is especially important in the morning, bow down to mother Earth as the incidence of arthritis and osteoporo- and then, facing the sun, they would chant sis is on a steep rise. It even helps improve prayers and perform Surya Namaskaram. our memory power. The whole time they were praying, they were exposed to the rays of the rising sun. Today, Yoga also creates powerful spiritual vibra- in many countries, out of ten people, six or tions. These vibrations positively affect seven have Vitamin D deficiency. It is postu- both us, as well as others. It is like entering lated that vitamin D deficiency may be one a perfume factory. Even after emerging, the of the precipitating factors for Alzheimer’s sweet fragrance will remain on our body, disease and other types of dementia. Some pleasing both to others and us. When we may argue that even people with normal vi- perform yoga with complete awareness, it tamin D levels get Alzheimer’s disease. This is purifies each and every cell in our body. true, but studies have shown that a majority The purpose of Yoga is for our inner of people with this condition have Vitamin D well-being. It does not belong to any par- deficiency. It is also thought to be a cause of ticular faith or religion. It was passed on to depression, which may be why the incidence us by the ancient seers for the well-being of depressive disorders is higher in countries of humanity. Yoga helps us to reconnect that have less sunlight. with nature and eventually become one with God.” Yoga is beneficial for our health, physical beauty and mental discipline. It helps reduce contents 2 MATA AMRITANANDAMAYI DEVI Her Holiness Sri Mata Amritanandamayi is known throughout the world as Amma, or Mother, for her selfless love and compassion toward all beings...... P 2 5 YOGA AS A PART OF LIFE Amrita Yoga stems from origins that have been part of India’s lifestyle from P 10 time immemorial.Families have practiced yoga together in the same....... 9 WHO WE ARE Amrita Yoga classes was formally started in 2004. Since then, classes on yoga for women have been offered twice weekly......... 11 INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA Amrita Yoga helps coordinate the promotion, propagation and execution of all International Day of Yoga (ID Y) activities Iin India and abroad...... message P 15 15 RETREATS & OUTREACH Amrita Yoga retreats offer a unique approach to yoga postures using skillful awareness. Awareness is a tool for life........ 18 SeRVe: YOGA IN RURAL INDIA Amrita SeRVe(Self Reliant Village) is also trying to help villagers understand their inner strength to attain true self-reliance. In this objective........ 20 YOGA AT UNIVERSITY & SCHOOLS P 16 Yoga is taught to all first years of undergraduate and postgraduate students at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Campuses...... P 18 22YOGA & MEDITATION RESEARCH Amrita University’s Computational Neuroscience laboratory, Amrita School of Medicine and Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences’ research......... 23 INTEGRATED AMRITA MEDITATION P 22 Amrita University’s Computational Neuroscience laboratory, Amrita School of Medicine and Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences’ research clinicians....... 24 TESTIMONIALS 26 EMBRACING THE WORLD AMMA SRI MATA AMRITANANDAMAYI DEVI Her Holiness Sri Mata Am- ancient Gurukul yoga tradition ritanandamayi is known and yet is a completely new throughout the world as approach of understanding Amma, or Mother, for her self- yoga practice based on Am- less love and compassion to- ma’s core philosophy of “Liv- ward all beings. Her entire life ing from the Heart”. Practices has been dedicated to allevi- were initiated and developed ating the pain of the poor, and under Amma’s guidance. those suffering physically and emotionally. Amma has em- Initiated by Amma, Yoga prac- braced and comforted more tice has been a part of sadha- than 38 million people. na (spiritual practices) since the beginning of Amritapuri Amrita Yoga is rooted in the Ashram. Amma has been in- spiring, initiating, pro- moting and conduct- ing yoga in India and across the world. She has been conducting the International Day of Yoga celebrations since 2015. 2 AMRITA YOGA | PRESERVING YOGA CULTURE 30 YEARS OF AMRITA YOGA | OUR JOURNEY SO FAR 3 2 AMRITA YOGA | PRESERVING YOGA CULTURE 30 YEARS OF AMRITA YOGA | OUR JOURNEY SO FAR 3 1987-1990 At the ashram and within Kerala, Swami Prajnan- amritananda Puri and Brahmachari Nirvanamrita Chaitanya had conducted several classes of yoga. www.amritapuri.org 1990-2001 Br. Nirvanamrita Chaitanya’s Classes At various locations outside Ashram, 6242 participants were trained on yoga within Kerala. 1990 – 110 participants 1991 – 304 participants 1992 – 266 participants 1993 – 433 participants 1994 – 1268 participants 1995 – 302 participants 1996 – 359 participants 1997 – 1156 participants 1998 – 2879 participants 2001 – 194 participants 4 AMRITA YOGA | PRESERVING YOGA CULTURE 30 YEARS OF AMRITA YOGA | OUR JOURNEY SO FAR 5 Amrita Yoga stems from origins that have been part of India’s lifestyle from time immemori- al. Families have practiced yoga together in the same way that they ate, worked and worshipped together. Yoga practice has been a part of Sadhana (spiritual practices) since the Amritapuri Ashram began. YOGA AS A PART OF LIFE Nov-Dec 1990, yoga classes were held at 1987-1990 Parappanangadi, Kundara for 52 more par- As initial outreach of Mata Amritananda- ticipants. In June-August 1991, 242 people mayi Math’s yoga efforts, Swami Prajnan- attended yoga classes at Trivandrum, Ernaku- amritananda Puri’s (previously Brahmachari lam and Koothuparambu. In Oct-Nov 1991, Damodaran) classes on therapeutic yoga, 62 more were trained at Parapannangadi focused on addressing psycho-somatic and and Peroor. In 1992, 266 participants were holistic health. The swami had held yoga trained on yoga at Ernakulam, Trivandrum, camps to mixed groups of young and old and Anikkad (Kottayam), Oachira and Palakkad. had taught 300+ students in 1987-90 and 433 attended yoga classes of Br. Nirvanan- to 200 more in 1993-94 at various locations mrita in 1993 held at Vatakara, Parappanang- within Kerala. The classes had focused asth- adi, Trivandrum, Koothuparamba, Ernakulam ma, hypertension, diabetes and digestive and Palakkad. In 1994, he introduced yoga diseases. There were training also on 5-6 classes for 1268 participants at Kalpatta, Ko- asanas for some mildly depressive patients. Classes also were held for children aged 5-12 to help promote overall growth. The sessions included Yoga Shibiram (yoga camp) or Yoga Chikilsa Shibiram (Therapeutic Yoga Camp) and yoga training. Amrita Industrial Training Institute students had been trained in ear- ly 90s. Brahmachari Brahmamrita Chaitanya had taught all brahmacharies at the ashram before many of these activities. Brahmacha- rini Virajamrita Chaitanya had conducted classes for women and brahmacharinis 1990-2001 In July-August 1990, 58 participants were trained by Brahmachari Nirvanamrita Chait- anya (previously Brahmachari Devadas). In 4 AMRITA YOGA | PRESERVING YOGA CULTURE 30 YEARS OF AMRITA YOGA | OUR JOURNEY SO FAR 5 othuparamba, Kannur, Ernakulam, Trivandrum, Kunnamkulam, Cherthala, Ettumanoor, Kollam, Payyannur, Angamali, Tripprayar, Quilandy. In 1995, 302 participants were trained at Thal- assery, Kannur, Ernakulam and Trivandrum. In 1996, 359 were trained at Kodakara, Ernaku- lam, Tanur, Koothuparamba, Kozhikode, Qui- landi. In 1997, yoga classes at 18 places in- volved 1156 participants. In 1998, 2350 were trained in one-day camps at 18 locations and 529 were trained at 8 locations within Kerala. In 2001, Br. Nirvanamrita also trained 194 participants at public events at Amrita Institu- tions in Kochi, Ernakulam, Kozhikode, Kodun- gallur and at Kenchira and Pulpally. 2001-2004 Several yoga camps were held by Br. Nirvanam- rita Chaitanya in 2001-2004. In 2002, camps were held at Amrita Vidyalayam (school) cam- puses at Kollam, Haripad, Tiruvalla, Ernakulam, Kodungaloor, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Vadakara, Kannur, Koothuparamba, Talassery, Manan- thavady, Pulpalli totaling 5830 participants and 54 days of 2-hour sessions. Amritapuri ashram and ashram centers also had offered other courses including yoga and meditation. Ashram-based yoga trainers from abroad had offered yoga courses to visitors at the Ashram and in other countries. Some 2-hour session courses were held at Schools and University campuses for health and atten- tion. 6 AMRITA YOGA | PRESERVING YOGA CULTURE 30 YEARS OF AMRITA YOGA | OUR JOURNEY SO FAR 7 Courses had included fundamental principles and applications of yoga, easy to practice sessions for laymen without too much strain and pain and backed by Vedantic knowledge. Yoga camps were held free of cost and anyone could participate. Several classes of yoga were conducted at Amrita Institutions totaling nearly 8280 young learners. 6 AMRITA YOGA | PRESERVING YOGA CULTURE 30 YEARS OF AMRITA YOGA | OUR JOURNEY SO FAR 7 MEDIA AND COVERAGE OF EARLY ACTIVITIES 1990-2001 8 AMRITA YOGA | PRESERVING YOGA CULTURE 30 YEARS OF AMRITA YOGA | OUR JOURNEY SO FAR 9 www.amritayoga.com WHO WE ARE Formal Amrita Yoga classes were intro- A school of yoga directly formed from Amma’s duced at Amritapuri in 2004 for the Amrita sankalpa prompted by unconditional love and University students, and at various Amrita an attitude of service to the world. The fore- Vidyalayam schools in India. The unique most aim of Amrita Yoga is to transcend from teaching methodology of Amrita Yoga was a physical asana practice into yoga’s original set in rigor in 2007.

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