Yoga Vidya

Aleksandra (Shaligram)

Aleksandra Vukasinovic
sannyasi Shaligram

My training in practicing and teaching yoga began in Belgrade - Serbia in 1993, where I was born. I continued to deepen my personal practice at the European Satyananda Yoga Academy (Greece) and the Bihar School of Yoga (India).
In 1994, I went to India for the first time to meet my spiritual teachers, Swami Satyananda and Swami Niranjananda Saraswati. Since then, I regularly visit India to participate in yoga courses, seminars and events, holy places and cities to constantly validate and develop my knowledge and experience.
I have been a teacher for 20 years, and 15 years of them - in Bulgaria.
In Satyananda Yoga, I found a holistic, systematic and scientific approach to the development of all aspects of the human personality - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
For me, yoga is a way of life and I believe that through inspiration, understanding and practice we can achieve balance and harmony in our lives.

Yoga Vidya

Vidya means knowledge; Yoga Vidya means knowing yoga. There is a difference between knowledge and cognition. Knowledge is impersonal, intellectual. Knowledge is an integral part of your behavior, mind, understanding, thinking, logic and what you believe in. He saw inner knowledge, awareness. Yoga Vidya is something you achieve and experience, not something you only know intellectually.

Vidya there are many levels. One is a way of life, because what you know must become your behavior and action. Your behavior and action is your way of life. Another aspect of vidya is sadhana, knowledge and cultivation. Another aspect of vidya is darshan, which is the philosophy of this subject. Another aspect of vidya is sampradaya, tradition, to know how this vidya has developed over a period of time through tradition. These are the four aspects: lifestyle, sadhana, philosophy, and parampara or sampradaya. These four aspects make up the overall picture of vidya.

From the lecture of Swami Niranjananda

What is yoga

There are many definitions of yoga because yoga is a powerful word. For Westerners, it all started at the beginning of the last century with Swami Vivekananda and Swami Yogananda, who went to America and brought yoga to the West. Later came the time of teachers like Swami Sivananda, Ramana Maharishi and others. And over time, these teachers have set a high standard for teaching yoga in the East and the West. Scientists themselves are already studying yoga and its effects on humans. Yoga helps the evolution of body and mind. This is done through various practices and techniques included in many types of yoga, which one can follow according to one's personal inclinations. Yoga is basically about health. Yogic practices aim to make the physical body healthy, the main thing being prevention - avoiding disease. Health is a state of the body in which all its systems work in harmonious cooperation.
Another development of yoga is relaxation in order to relieve the mind of stress in it. But in addition, through yoga practices, everyone can discover their hidden abilities of the brain and mind. Yoga gives us the opportunity to concentrate better and improve our memory. Through yoga we can develop both our creative abilities and the ability to make decisions and in general be able to control all situations that arise in life, maintaining inner balance.
Yoga can also be a way to achieve sacred union, to realize our deep divine essence, which is always harmonious. Yoga is not a goal, yoga is a journey and in its own way teaches us to live in the present. And when we learn to live and realize the present, this journey can be truly beautiful.
Yoga is a new view of life that we already have, and the purpose of yoga is the development of personality.

Integral yoga

Integral yoga is a style inspired by Swami Satyananda and Swami Niranjanananda.
It begins with a series of flexions of the body, removal of blockages from joints and muscles, as well as energy blockages. Tones the autonomic nervous system, hormonal functions and the activity of internal organs. The natural result is calmness and a relaxed mind.
As the practice progresses, more complex asanas are introduced. Each yoga complex also includes breathing practices (pranayama), mudras, relaxations, yoga nidra, mantras. When the body and mind are prepared, meditation techniques are added.
The practices have a variety of options and levels of complexity, so they are suitable for both complete beginners and people who have already practiced yoga.
The purpose of this system is to harmoniously develop all aspects of the human personality - the physical body, mind, emotions, spirit. It also works on a fine energy level, which leads you to deep self-knowledge.
Integral yoga is a good answer to our busy daily lives. The groups are suitable for everyone who strives for health, inner peace and balance, regardless of their physical training.

Tradition

Yoga Vidya draws its main inspiration from the tradition of Satyananda yoga and her teachers. This is a living tradition built on the ancient philosophies of Tantra, Samkhya and Vedanta. Its practical orientation encompasses the whole human being and its various aspects - physical, mental, psychic and spiritual. It offers techniques both for improving the physical condition and for calming the mind, as well as for a deeper exploration of one's Self. Satyananda yoga is an integrated system suitable for every person, regardless of age, gender, health status or religious orientation.
For more information you can read on the website of Satyananda Yoga Teachers’ Association Website
An important feature of the tradition of Satyananda yoga is that there is always a teacher who inspires the spiritual seekers with his personality and living wisdom and adapts the techniques offered to the time in which he lives.
Here you will find a little more information about the inspirers of this tradition.

Sri Swami Sivananda Saraswati was born in Patamadai (Tamil Nadu) in 1887. He worked as a doctor in Malaya and at the age of 40 gave up his practice, donated all his property and went to the Himalayas in search of his guru, as he realized the limited possibilities. of medicine to help people. In 1924, he was initiated into the Saraswati tradition by Swami Vishvananda Saraswati and settled in Rishikesh, devoting himself entirely to the spiritual life. Its main mission is to serve the good of the people, to provide them with a safe tool that can help them improve their lives. His efforts are aimed at removing the barriers separating those in need from the teachings that will be useful to them, presenting yoga as a tool for everyone, whether he wants to achieve good physical health, a calm mind or spiritual enlightenment.
Той написва над двеста книги и статии върху йога и духовността. Постига махасамадхи на 14.07.1963г.
Swami Sivananda Saraswati is one of the greatest spiritual leaders of his time, guiding and inspiring thousands of people around the world.

Sri Swami Satyananda Saraswati е роден през 1923 г. в индийския град Алмора, щата Утар Прадеш. На 20-годишна възраст той напуска дома си в търсене на гуру и пътешества много, пребивавайки в компанията на много светци на това време. След дълго търсене открива свами Шивананда Сарасвати, който го посвещава в Дашнами саняса на 12 септември 1947 г. От този момент свами Сатянанда се отдава изцяло на безрезервно служене на своя гуру, работейки неуморно от сутрин до вечер. Там той получава задълбочени познания в науките на йога, Тантра, Веданта, Самкхя и кундалини йога. Дванадесет години по-късно свами Шивананда го изпраща извън ашрама със задачата да разпространи йога до всеки праг и до всеки бряг. Безграничната му любов и сила събуждат много хора за същността на йога и духовния живот. Той пътува по целия свят, предлагайки помощ и знание на всеки.
In 1956, Swami Satyananda founded The International Yoga Movement, and in 1963 laid the foundations of Bihar School of Yoga. Написва едни от най-сериозните трудове на тема йога и разкрива древни техники, пазени в тайна до тогава. 
През 1984 г се оттегля от активния живот и се установява в Rikhiapeeth, the state of Jharkhand, devoting his whole life to the basic philosophy of life of his guru: “Serve! Love! Come on! ” After changing the lives of thousands of people around the world and leaving a legacy of enormous spiritual wealth, Swami Satyananda Saraswati attained maha samadhi on December 5, 2009.

Swami Niranjananda Saraswati was born in Madhya Pradesh, India in 1960 and is the heir of Paramahamsa Satyananda. At the age of 4 he joined Bihar School of Yoga under the direction of Swami Satyananda. In 1971, he traveled around the world for the next 11 years. In 1983 he returned to India and was appointed head of Bihar School of Yoga.
He has since been based in India, leading the development of activities at Ganga Darshan, Sivananda Mat and the Yoga Research Foundation. In 1994, he founded Bihar Yoga Bharati, an institute for advanced research in the yogic sciences. He is the author of over 20 yoga texts and provides spiritual guidance to those around the world.

Swami Satyasanganganda (Satsangi) was born in 1953 in West Bengal, India. Since the age of 22, she has experienced a series of inner awakenings that lead her to her guru, Swami Satyananda Saraswati. Since 1981, she has traveled continuously with Swami Satyananda in India and overseas, establishing herself as a scholar with deep insight into yogic and tantric traditions, as well as modern science and philosophy. The creation of Sivananda Math in Rikhia is her creation and mission. She directs all his activities, working tirelessly to raise disadvantaged areas. She embodies compassion with a clear mind and is the basis of her guru's vision.