“Yoga is not only about stretching the body, it is about flexibility of your mind.”
Satyananda Yoga, or Bihar Yoga, has developed into an internationally renowned system of yoga and draws on the ancient wisdom of a number of traditional systems of yoga, including Hatha, Raja, Karma, Jnana, Mantra and Bhakti. It evolved through the work of Paramahamsa Satyananda, a dedicated disciple of Swami Sivananda Saraswati. The lineage is now actively guided by Swami Niranjanananda, who was born a yogi and has authored over 20 books. He continues to inspire the world carrying forward a strength of tradition melded with a modern approach to current challenges.
Satyananda Yoga provides a coherent philosophy of life without postulating any religious or political beliefs and provides everyone, regardless of their social background, with tools for health, peace of mind and an inspired vision for their lives. Satyananda teachers work in a variety of areas within society such as prisons, health management, schools, therapeutic situations, the corporate field and more.
Early life: Raised as a catholic but was always interested in esoteric life, Swami Muktidharma spent some time with the Kogis, a wise group of Colombian natives, during his early years. In his late teenage years, he became a Franciscan monk for a short time and in his early twenties, came into contact with Swami Niranjanananda who was only 13, but already displaying such amazing qualities, that Swami Muktidharma’s dedication to yoga was solidified.
Life in India: In Swami Muktidharma’s late twenties he met his Guru, Paramahamsa Satyananda, who encouraged him to come to India. Despite resistance from family, Swami Muktidharma went to India to live his Guru, a Master of the ancient science of yoga.
Swami Satyananda is recognized throughout the world for his contributions to the field of Tantra and Yoga. He has authored over 80 books on the science of yoga, established ashrams and yoga institutions world-wide and remains one of the most inspiring Yogis of modern times, continuing to guide humanity through being an example of serving and uplifting all.
During his 16 years in India with Swami Satyananda, Swami Muktidharma received direct training in all aspects of yoga science, including yoga, meditation techniques, Sanskrit, philosophy, yoga therapy etc, but above all, he imbibed a yogic attitude in front of life and acquired a flexibility of mind necessary to live lightly. Swami Muktidharma had various responsibilities within the ashram and as a travelling representative, including teaching yoga throughout India, stress management courses for corporations and the management of an external ashram. He was also involved in research conducted into the affects of yoga on the body and mind.
Swami Muktidharma transformed himself by participating wholeheartedly, head, heart and hands in his Guru’s mission to uplift humanity. Beyond sharing the ancient yoga science, he actively participated in service to Swami Satyananda’s neighbors. This took the form of plowing fields, distributing necessities, building houses and training the locals in important skills among other duties.
From India to New Zealand: Like a tree that grows big enough to sustain itself without being watered, Swami Muktidharma’s time to stand on his own feet came in 1996 when he left the ashram and began travelling and teaching internationally. He is now based in Golden Bay, New Zealand with Swami Karma Karuna and Atma Sundari, where they are building and managing Anahata Yoga Retreat, an affiliated Satyananda Yoga centre. They teach courses and train people in living a yogic lifestyle while remaining deeply connected to the Satyananda mission. Swami Muktidharma and Swami Karma Karuna travel frequently around the world and to the heart and home of Swami Satyananda and Swami Niranjanananda in India, where they conduct Yoga Lifestyle and sadhana courses and bring groups to experience themselves in a subtle and charged environment.
A scientific approach: Swami Muktidharma approaches yoga from a scientific point of view to bring it into the 21st century in a valid way. He uses scientifically proven Yoga techniques to treat asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome, high blood pressure, diabetes and other psychosomatic diseases.
Yoga as a Lifestyle: Swami Muktidharma postulates bringing yoga into daily life. He says, “that practice should not be on-off, on-off, but that yoga is a 24 hour day, 7 day a week, all year long practice!” People who take his courses and spend time at Anahata Yoga Retreat receive inspiration and techniques to transform their daily lives into a yogic life.
Yoga & Children: Swami Muktidharma encourages parents to live yoga themselves and in this way they will influence their children positively. He believes that if children were introduced to yoga at a young age, we would have a more balanced society.
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Excerpts from Bhakti Yoga Sagar – Satsangs with Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Volume One
Would you please explain why it is said that death during uttarayan is more auspicious than dakshinayan?
To understand this, we may begin with these slokas from the Gita: “Those who know Brahma go to Him following the path of fire, light, daytime, the bright half of the solar month, the six months of the northern passage of the sun. Following the path of smoke, night, the dark half of the lunar month and six months of the southern passage of the sun, the yogi obtains the lunar light and returns. (Chapter 8:24-25)
Hindus believe that when you die during uttarayan, the six months when the sun moves to the north of the equator, from December 22nd to June 21st, you attain one of the passages which are written about in the Gita. When you die during dakshinayan, the six months when the sun moves to the south of the equator, from June 22nd to December 21st, you go through the other passage. These passages also refer to the two paths the consciousness can take when it enters the inner dimension after you have transcended the senses, mind and intellect.
When your consciousness is able to penetrate beyond that, you have the experiences of agni, fire, jyoti, light, a whitish hue and of dawn. This means you are going through the path from which the consciousness will not return to the material plane. The second meaning is that you have transcended the indriyas, or the sensory level of mental and intellectual awareness. You are in the region of the Self, the spirit. When you have the experience of smoke, dhumra, dark night, ratri, and darkness, krishna, then it means that you are going through the path of dakshinayan. When you go on this path, you will have the experience of moonlight, or something like moonlight, and then you will come back again as Mr. So and So, or Mr. X,Y,Z or Swami Satyananda. You will never revert to normal consciousness.
It is further explained in the Gita: “The bright and the dark paths are deemed to be the world’s eternal paths. By the bright path one goes never to return again. By the dark path one goes to return again.” (Chapter 8:26). That makes it clear. If you take one path, you will reach the destination; if you take the other, you will return.
The first meaning is the religious meaning. If you die between Capricorn and Cancer you go this way, and if you die between Cancer and Capricorn, you go that way and have to return. There is also a second deeper meaning. You can accept whichever meaning you like. The second meaning is that there are the two paths of consciousness which can be taken, depending on one’s karma. My guru told me, “If you insist on spiritual path now, you will go through dakshinayan and you will have to come back. Wait forty to forty five years and purify yourself. Be free of the passions that are lurking in your mind. Clean up in any way you like and then, one day, sit down. Beyond the senses and mind are buddhi and atma. Go beyond that, then you will not come back.”
My path, however, is simple. I am a servant of God and I take orders from Him.
If You tell me to stand up,
I will stand up.
If You tell me to walk,
Then I will walk.
If You tell me to sing,
Then I will sing for Thee.
From morning to evening,
From earth to sky,
I will sing and dance.
The love between us is longstanding. He just needs to give me an order; we have that understanding. It is called dasya bhakti, the devotion of a servant for his master.
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