My first program in Bogotá, Colombia, was at the University with groups of students who are suffering from depression, have either been suicidal or tried to commit suicide. I was surprised to see how many young people attended the classes. I had heard that depression was on the rise in society since Covid-19 shook humanity, and here was my first real experience of this; so many young students struggling daily with their mental health, facing severe depression, anxiety and fear. They shared with me, how the yoga classes had helped them to overcome so many difficulties in their lives. In these difficult times, with the help of the Satyananda Yoga teachers, these students were seeing the benefits of yoga in their lives, not just the asana but also the practices of pranayama, yoga nidra and simple pratyahara as tools to befriend and manage their thoughts and reactions.
The first weekend seminar of ‘Living Yoga Moment to Moment’ was held at the Satyananda Yoga Academy within Bogotá city. Both newcomers and people with long association attended, some had been connected to Satyananda Yoga since the time Sri Swamiji travelled to Colombia in the 1970s. The flame of his inspiration still burns brightly in their commitment to him as Guru, the yogic tradition and his teachings. I always feel very much at home among the Colombian people, they are a yogic family that has stood the test of time, Sri Swamiji is still very much in their hearts and minds and Swami Niranjan too, is their friend and guide in life. Seeing and feeling this connection, I felt honoured to be there with them.
We shared and connected with the vast teachings of Swami Satyananda and his contributions to yoga vidya as we all prepare to celebrate the centenary of his birth next year in 2023. There was a very strong feeling of gratefulness and love towards Sri Swamiji from everyone, knowing that none of us would have been together learning and living yoga if it was not for Swami Satyananda, his life and teachings. He is a constant light and guide in all our lives.
We must live a yogic lifestyle; not only for ourselves but for the good of all humanity on the planet. A yogic lifestyle must be present in our daily life, no matter which role we play. Only with practice we can experience the changes. A yogic lifestyle does not imply hiding from reality, but how to face it with the tools we have from yoga. Perseverance and discipline are necessary to succeed. A very simple life will free us from stress, and we will be freer and happier. We should always be happy and contribute to others to be happy too. We should practise control in all our actions. We should try to be better beings every day.
—Clara Gutiérrez
It was an inspiring weekend where I took in with open arms the yogic lifestyle and yogic attitude to live a simple and happy life. It is a daily effort that certainly will bring results if I water the roots of the teachings of the seminar and commit to practise every day.
—Jorge Alvarez