Yogoda Satsang Society of India (YSS) will be conducting free introductory programmes on yoga meditation on the occasion of the 7th International Day of Yoga. The programmes will be held in different sessions from 19th to 21st June. The events will be held online keeping in view the global corona pandemic.
More than a hundred years ago, Paramahamsa Yogananda, the founder of YSS, visited the United States in 1920 and awakened the world to the greatness of Indian culture and meditation, especially Kriya Yoga. Paramahansaji would be very pleased to learn that the world is now paying homage annually to the philosophy and science of Yoga, as his life was dedicated to introducing all truth seekers to the time-honoured techniques of yoga meditation.
Directly or indirectly, much of the present world interest in yoga is a consequence of the teachings Paramahansa Yogananda took from India to America more than a hundred years ago. “If India’s idea of an International Yoga Day has found easy acceptance in the UN, much of the credit must go to Paramahansa Yogananda, India’s first yoga guru in the U.S.” reported an online news outlet. “He played a huge role in laying the foundation for yoga in the United States a century ago.”
In the last one and a half years, the importance of Yoga has increased all over the world, because just as the light of the lamp removes darkness, so this divine science that arises in India — Yoga and Meditation — is removing the gloom from the minds of the people in this corona pandemic by scattering its peace-giving rays to the remote provinces of the world. From this point of view, this 7th yoga day is of special importance.
According to the information provided by Yogoda Satsang, the three-day programmes are as follows:
June 19: This special event will be held in English from 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm. The session will be conducted in the presence of Swami Smaranananda Giri, Vice President, Yogoda Satsang. It will briefly introduce Paramahamsa Yogananda and his works as well as explain the elements of Yoga. He will then conduct a guided meditation including practice of the correct posture, preliminary breathing exercises, an affirmation, and a visualization.
June 20: The session will be held from 5 pm to 6 pm on the eve of International Day of Yoga. Yogoda Satsang’s General-Secretary Swami Ishwaranand Giri will conduct this session in Hindi. It will explain the elements mentioned by Paramahamsa Yogananda for the balance of body, mind and soul through Yoga. The programme has been specially designed for newcomers on the path of Dhyana-yoga.
June 21: The event has been designed on the theme ‘Yoga For All’ on International Yoga Day. The session, which runs from 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm, will be conducted by Swami Chaitanyanand Giri in English. He will explain in his discourse how Yoga is more relevant and useful for everyone in the current contexts. The basics of meditation will also be taught in this session.
For more information kindly visit yssi.org/Yoga-Eng.
