The world's capital of Yoga

Rishikesh is an Indian city which fairly gained the name of world's capital of yoga.


Being edged from three sides by the foothills, the city lies at an altitude of 356 meters above sea level. The Holy Ganges runs through the city, and along its sandy shores, there are numerous ashrams. This is a perfect place for those who wish to temporarily leave the bustle of modern life and explore yoga, meditation and other aspects of Hinduism. The city gets its popularity also by the fact that in the sixties "The Beatles" came here to study with Maharishi Mahesh.


Rishikesh is one of the places directly connected to the Holy Ganges river. According to Hindu beliefs, the Ganges was born by Shiva and represents its vital force. For Hindus the river Ganges is presented in feminine gender and is associated with the female deity - the Ganges Atri, whose symbolic sculptural image is displayed on one of the guts on the river-bank. A gut is a ritual staircase, descending to the holy pond, where the believers make a ceremony of gifts and purification (Puja). Believers light lamps brought to the Ganges merge into a sea of lights, and it is impossible to remain indifferent while looking at this great unity of believers' spirit with the holy river.

In numerous restaurants of Rishikesh, it is impossible to find meat dishes, and a huge fish swimming in the waters of the Ganges is not caught by people.
Fish of the Ganges is considered sacred, and many pilgrims feed it because it is considered a welfare.
The city is also considered to be a «gateway» to the Himalayas. It starts out the routes deep into the mountain system, to a famous mountain temples. This place is considered sacred, and on the beliefs, a meditation held here will certainly lead to the achievement of nirvana.

Two parts of the city, separated by the Ganges, are joined by a famous suspension bridge - Lakshman Jhoola. According to beliefs, the suspension bridge has been existing here since the times of Ramayana and every time someone stepped on it, the bridge began to swing heavily.


In Rishikesh, they pray daily to all 33 thousands of Hindu gods, however not all of these gods are dedicated with the temples.

The most part of the city temples are dedicated to the Vishnu and Shiva gods, of course. Thus, the Bharat Mandir - the oldest temple in the city is dedicated to the Vishnu god.
A temple of Nilkanth Mahadev is built on the place where Shiva drank a poison threatened to destroy all life. Many ashrams offer their assistance to those wishing to try their-selves in yoga and meditation. Signboards glisten everywhere. There are large many-storied ashrams, as well as small huts also proudly named ashrams.


But one ashram stands out from the others for its blooming and well-groomed beauty. This is Parmat Niketan. Now it is the most famous and largest ashram in Rishikesh.
It seems that this is where the legendary "Beatles" met the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi guru, by what made a great contribution to the glory of Rishikesh.

On the background of the whole plain city, Parmath Niketan sparkles like an emerald in the sun. Lots of flowers and greens, beautiful fairways and mighty Banyans, marble statues and openwork lattice. On the main entrance, in the waters of Ganges, there is a white statue of Shiva, by which every evening at sunset a colorful ceremony with songs and dances takes place. This ashram has even a website, parmath.com.
Of course, on the streets of Rishikesh you can find many yogis, or, to say it more precisely, sadhu, strangers. An essential features of them are orange garb, many beads and a big mug for handouts. The greater part of the day they spend on the streets, sitting under the hot sun and unobtrusively asking for help. Although not all of them are carefree and happy. Most of them have to literally fight for survival, as there are not so much people who are willing to help them. Ongoing shortages of food, care, etc is a common event. Despite of this, none of them had lost spirit, no one is embittered to the world. They are all friendly and good-natured, always happy to sit with you and chat. For someone who arrived to India at first time, it is unusual to see such good and always smiling people. Entrusting their fate to divine providence, these nameless heroes bravely go on unknown ways, remaining faithful to their ideals. People for whom religion is not fun and not an empty phrase but a living reality.

Yoga Tourism in Turkey

Turkish tourism in search of an alternative to the system of "all inclusive" applied to a "yoga tourism." Professor Akif Manaf, the founder of the Academy of Yoga in Turkey said that the latest trend in tourism is to combine leisure with the procedures of the SPA and yoga. Yoga Academy periodically organizes the "yoga camps" in different parts of the country, to give people a chance to experience nature via yoga. Many people go to the mountains and the nature to practice yoga, to get rid of the negative effects of urban life. Mr. Manaf said that the Academy organizes the year-round camps, where the courses last from two days to a week.


For example, the program of yoga seminars may include the following events: “Practice, recreation, swimming, traveling on the yacht, delicious vegetarian Turkish cuisine, Hammams (local baths), communication. These would be the days full of valuable practice, rest, sun, sea, communication with friends and surrounding elements. You would get the answers to your questions, revise your practice, attitude towards yourself and surrounding space, widen your picture of universe, using the "puzzles" which will form in your mind as a result of such the informational-practical seminar.”

Today there are camps in Antalya, Fethiye, Kemer, Bodrum, and the mountains of Ida.

Bhakti Yoga - the science of our era

For centuries, Bhakti was followed by the great sages, holy men and kings. Prominent poets of the past dedicated wonderful poems and songs to the glory of God, and praised a pure love for the Lord.
Nowadays, the Bhakti Yoga (a relationship with God through a faithful service of him) becomes even more relevant and valuable than thousands years ago. Because now people have neither the time nor the ability to meet the requirements of any other host system of Yoga. But the method of Bhakti is quite simple. The Bhakti Yoga will help us develop a truly high qualities in ourselves and find what everyone strives living in a material world - the eternal life, eternal happiness, and eternal knowledge.
Practicing of Bhakti-yoga is available to everyone, whoever he could be. There's no need to retract from the world, keep house, family and work or go to great expense. You need only one – to give Lord Krishna the most important place in our lives. He should be the one we devoted all of our thoughts, desires and deeds. We will achieve this if we repeat, with love and devotion, a sacred name of God – the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra, follow the prescribed limits, read the Bhaktivedanty Swami Prabhupady books and eat only what was first presented to our Lord as a sign of our love.

International Festival of Yoga in Bali

Despite of the frustration of Muslim religious figures, on the Indonesian island of Bali, the International Festival of Yoga was open in March, 2009. Since January, it was announced that the Muslims are prohibited from engaging in yoga, as it includes elements of Hindu religious rites - such as reading mantras. Nevertheless, the festival was held, and that's great.

Organizers of the International Festival argue that it stands outside of any religious teachings and denominations, and aims to not only deliver the benefits of a popular recreational practice to the widest possible audience, but also to prove that yoga is not contrary to Islam. «This festival has a universal value. It does not belong to any religious teachings, »- said the representative of the festival organizing committee Susi Andrini.

According to organizers, the festival took more than 500 people from the United States, Germany, Sweden, Japan, China and other countries.

What is Tri-Yoga?

"The manifestation of Kundalini in Hatha yoga is known as Kriyavati. One who experienced Kriyavati starts spontaneously making various asanas of Hatha Yoga under the influence of newly originated power. The practice of Hatha yoga includes asanas, pranayama, and mudras. Yoga practices evolved from Kriyavati are natural. When practicing them for some time, they will help raising Kundalini."
Devatma Shakti

Tri Yoga is an original yoga, because it is a cosmic force of creation manifested in the World Trinity. Sat-Chit-Ananda - one of the names used in the Tri Yoga. It means three energies which are an integral part of each of us: Sat (Existence), Chit (Knowledge), Ananda (Bliss). All the great spiritual teachings mention Universal Trinity. Tri is a triple eternal principle, which pervades all the universe. Yoga means Unity, Harmony and Balance. Tri Yoga is a union of body, mind, and spirit. This fully versatile system includes three main aspects: the physical practice, breathing, dynamic concentration (meditation). All these three aspects are important and inconceivable without each other. Tri Yoga is a soft, plastic, continuous flow of exercises - one is derived from another. It is a combination of dynamic kriyas and static asanas. Tri Yoga is the divine energy that reflects the essence of Devi Sri Chakra.
Traditionally, the knowledge of yoga is passed from teacher to student. Guru plays a vital role in the spiritual behaviour of the student, pointing the correct way to him. As someone who sincerely wants to learn how to play the piano studies with a specialist, the yoga student studies yoga with the guru. You can get the spiritual knowledge of the internal guru with permission of Shaktipat. Kalidzhi experienced both. Like a burning candle lights unlit candles the Guru awakens the inner light of Kundalini in the students.
Kalidzhi received a very rare form of initiation - Shaktipat. Svamidzhi said: “Many asked for Shaktipat and waited for so long, but only Kalidzhi got it.” There are Kundalini Shaktipat and Shaktipat. Kundalini Shaktipat is a systematic way, similar to receiving a certificate at the end of each level. Shaktipat is the rarest dedication. Kalidzhi received the blessing of Shaktipat. She has the full spiritual knowledge. Kriyavati is one of manifestations of this knowledge. 5 January, 1980 Kali began to experience Kriyavati. Kriyavati is the most sacred way of getting yoga practices. Synchronized flow of yoga-asanas, pranayama and mudras spontaneously drives the body of Kalidzhi while she is in the meditative state (Trans Yoga of Samadhi). This inspiration has developed the Kriya Flows. And through such experiments the Kriya Flows continue developing to this day.

Yoga as a cult of healthy living

The cult of healthy lifestyle is becoming increasingly popular in various circles of society. Diet, different sports have become an effective opposition to crazy urban rhythm and stress. Thereupon, yoga has become extremely popular, having pushed fitness from a leadership position to the second place.
In many cities around the world, gradually multiple beautiful, modern and comfortable yoga studios begun opening one after another instead of semi-basement yoga-rooms. Famous designers started including clothes for yoga into their collections, many major brands use the image of yoga in their campaigns. All this has happened so quickly that the person who is going to do yoga, can get lost in the number of proposals, names of schools, techniques, methods, directions widely mentioned in the world web: Hatha Yoga, Ayengara Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Yoga-23, Tri-Yoga.
To assist a person, there are multiple print media: the shelves of book stores are literally overwhelmed with guides for yoga, biographies of world celebrities who have become adepts of Yoga, the great guru of yoga.

Most of those who starts training today consider yoga a miraculous cure for all ailments. And no matter how they are indignant at simplified approach to this ancient practice, being systematized as far back as in the V century B.C. by Indian wise man Patanjali, the statistics is implacable - Yoga is in great demand today, because this is not only more sparing than the fitness with its training apparatuses, but in practice, is very useful to the body.

Scientists confirms the fact that yoga is also a cure. One of the miracles of yoga is a wonderful cold endurance of adherents of one of the most secretive Tibetan practices - Thummo. The adherents of Thummo Yoga can even dry a wet sheet on the nude body at temperature below 20 degrees. The science explains that in fact the warm-blooded organisms are able to produce an unlimited quantity of heat on the cold by burning fat in the lungs. So, we can breathe in the sharp frost, instantly warming the air. Targeted at developing this ability one can achieve a phenomenal cold endurance, what the Tibetan yogis do.

The question of what yoga to choose is far from idle. Today, the most popular directions are Ayengara yoga and Ashtanga yoga. Ayengara is good because it suits everyone. There are no restrictions on age and physical training. It is static and is based on a proper construction of asanas. In Ashtanga yoga the asanas are performed in a dynamic sequence and synchronized with breathing. It focuses on the young and physically trained.

Even if you are doing a very gentle yoga, there are still some constraints related to health. By the way, a guarantee that you has come doing yoga to the right place is the mandatory division into groups by the level of complexity. But even if you are in the initial group, it does not mean that training will be very easy for you. Typically, at the first level the asanas are physically harder than at the next one, but they are not dangerous. Conversely, in the more advanced yoga the asanas may seem to be too easy, but one can begin only when the body is ready for this. In addition, many centers have special therapeutic classes: for pregnant women, for example, or for people who have problems with the spine.

Recently, Kundalini yoga is getting more and more fans. This is a complicated technology, that goes beyond the boundaries of the body on a mental level. Dynamic and static asanas in Kundalini yoga are accompanied by breathing techniques, meditation and singing of mantras, affecting not only the body but also the consciousness. It is believed that during the Kundalini-yoga classes, a powerful ejection of endorphine - hormone of happiness - occurs. Endorphine is not produced with simple physical exercises, it is allocated only when they are accompanied by internal concentration and specific respiration.
However, whatever yoga you do, a positive charge is provided to you. Nobody will deny that a healthy spirit is in a healthy body.

The International Yoga Federation Held A Regular Yoga-Sport World Championship in Spain

Hatha-yoga is an ancient spiritual practice, which via the work with body and breath allows "bringing out" a human consciousness to higher level of functioning.
There is no secrete that human mind and body are interrelated. The final goal of traditional yoga practice can be designated as spiritual self-actualization, Unity with Divinity.

Today, yoga takes on the second birth, and gradually its perception will deepen, because many highly embodied Indian teachers specially directed their disciples to the West with the words like: "People are waiting."
Also, as in India itself, in the West, there are different practices, different teachers, different levels of depth perception.
In today's world, there are a number of well-known hatha yoga schools, each of which presents its own style of practice.
In the West, the most famous is Ashtanga vinyasa yoga in the transfer of Shri K. Pattabhi Joyce and style of yoga developed by Sri B.K.S. Ayengar called for brevity as “Ayengar yoga”.
Both of these outstanding masters studied from a guru Sri Tirumalay Krishnamacharya (1888 - 1989), which in the early 1930's, opened Ygashala (yoga school) in South India town of Mysore. Krishnamacharya was a great connoisseur of Sanskrit, Indian religion, philosophy and literature, Ayurveda, astrology and other mystical subjects.
In addition to P. Joyce and B.K.S. Ayengar, the known disciples of Krishnamacharya are also his son T.K.V. Desikachar and the native of Riga, the daughter of a Swedish father and Russian mother - Indra Davy (her real name is Eugene Peterson, 1899-2002).

Different philosophies and training systems are based on different per se Spirit. The essence of the Rivalry Spirit is more peculiar to single combats used in training of competition with a partner. But in yoga, there is only one opponent - one's own imperfections, which are not in the others, but inside one's own essence, at the level of these or those coverings.

On the 9-17 of April, The International Yoga Festival took place in Milan.
First, the Olympic Yoga Sport competition took place. The participants demonstrated a specific set of asanas, and the members of the jury were choosing the one who, in their opinion, was the best to cope with a task. The criteria for selection were not only high technical level of performance, but also a calm attitude to what is happening. It was the calm and smiling by which the Indian guys predisposed the jury, although, of course, there were no equals of them in technique terms. In competition on artistic-yoga-sport a technique, artistry, costumes, music were estimated...

This competition is now more than two millennia. In ancient times, the masters, yogacharyas, sadhu gathered on so-called Kumbha-mely in the days of big festivals. In addition to asanas demonstration, they competed in Pranayama, and had philosophical debates. So, the competition is in blood of Indians.
Any Indian child is familiar with the philosophy of yoga since school years, and even sits for the corresponding examinations. As a sports discipline, yoga is a part of school and university, urban and national sports competitions.

The International Federation has been existing for more than 3 year. Its foundation was the «Vishwa Yoga Samsad» World Council of Yoga, founded in 1965. In Spain, the European Yoga Alliance supported by the Federation, annually holds the training course for professional teachers of yoga. Diploma issued by the end of this course is consistent with the college diploma, because the quality of training is very high.
The first official competitions on yoga were held in India. There are championship of India, Indian cup, national competitions held in each state. Age of participants is different, they can be representatives of different schools and directions, but united by one important idea: they believe that yoga is good!