Why Ashram Food Isn’t All Vegan

“Food makes your thoughts. What type of food you eat will be the type of thought and emotion and things that will come”  Vishva-ji when referring to the wisdom of the Buddha’s advice on food In this wonderful video Vishva-ji relieves any angst that many people who practice Yoga can feel around veganism and vegetarianism.…

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Ammaji About the Age and History of Asanas

In our interview Ammaji (Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani) is giving insights into the historical development of concepts and practices of Yoga. It was in 1967 when the journalist of US-American origin was literally drawn to India, where she is living ever since. She married Yogaguru Dr. Swami Gitananda Giri. Ever since the ICYER ashram in…

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Lessons from my Akhanda Yoga Teacher Training

by Evguenia Alechine, PhD Akhanda Yoga is a holistic Yogic approach developed by Himalayan Master Yogrishi Vishvketu (also known as Vishva-ji). He studied and practiced Yoga for over 40 years and holds a PhD in Yoga Philosophy. For the last 25 years, he has been sharing his learnings at workshops and conferences around the world. Vishva-ji…

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A memorable stay at Santosh Puri Ashram

By Melanie Lutz Melanie’s first experience with yoga was in Dhaka, Bangladesh where she worked for 4 years in the field of international development cooperation. Though there were few yoga classes to choose from, she was lucky to find a good teacher. Eager to experience yoga in its birthplace, she went to stay at an…

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Sivananda Meenakshi Ashram Experience

Sivananda Yoga is well-known worldwide and follows the teachings of Swami Sivananda. There are five Sivananda Ashrams in India, the largest one being Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwantari Ashram, which you can also find in our book. Clare Hudson, a yogini from the UK, shares with us her experience at the Sivananda Meenakshi Ashram in southern India.…

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All Night OM Chanting

Last week we started sharing with you about Otto’s experience in an Indian ashram. Here’s more on Otto’s first night in the ICYER Ashram.  We arrived in Pondicherry on the 3rd of February, and on the same night there was a special event: the all-night Om chanting. Yes, chanting the magic “OM“ for hours and…

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