Cultural Parallels: Where East and West Meet
Atma Center Goes to SYTAR: Yoga Therapy Conference in Los Angeles
Atma Center Calendar of Coming Events
| Join Our Mailing List! |
THE YOGA CONNECTION
Cultural Parallels: Where East and West Meet
By Swami Satyadharma Saraswati
In honor of Swami Satyadharma's visit, please enjoy the following excerpts from an article she wrote for March 1996 YOGA magazine. Here at the Atma Center, Swami Satyadharma is presenting a two part weekend workshop March 29-30: "The Chakras: Purify Your Energy Centers," preceded by a Friday evening Satsang, "In the Company of Truth."
Anyone attending the Sat Chandi Maha Yajna which was conducted last November [and every year since] in Rikhia would have been surprised to see the numbers of sincere and dedicated western participants. Disciples, sadhaks and friends of yoga from all parts of the world came to offer their respects to Paramahamsaji [Satyananda] and to pay homage to the Universal Mother over the eight day period. . . .
Often people wonder how the western mind is so adaptable to yoga, and not only yoga but to the entire Indian culture. When yoga was first introduced to the West, it was thought that any traditional aspect of Indian culture, apart from the yogic science, would be shunned as pagan and treated with disrespect. However, at the Sat Chandi Maha Yajna it was seen that Indian traditions are more cherished and respected by many westerners today than they are by the Indians themselves.
How is it that the ancient vedic and tantric philosophies, deities, symbols and rituals have been understood and readily accepted by many westerners as true paths and vehicles of spiritual experience? It is as if these traditions, rituals and thoughts are not foreign to them. Rather they communicate with a part of them which reaches inside and connects with their ancient past, a part of their unconscious which they have long lost contact with and are unable to access or understand.
This allure of India and Indian spirituality seems very mysterious until we begin to investigate the pre-Christian tribes and traditions of many western countries. Now cultural research into ancient civilisations is coming up with some very interesting parallels between pre-Christian traditions in Europe and the vedic and tantric traditions of India. This research points towards amazing links between Indian culture and other spiritual cultures in ancient times.
It seems that the people of many pre-Christian tribes living in ancient Europe were kindred spirits to the vedic Sanatanis in India. The Celts and their predecessors, for example, were a spiritual people, speaking an Indo-European language which was very similar to Sanskrit [language of yoga]. . . .
Although the Christian religion spread throughout the entire European continent, underneath, the people continued to pass down the ancient folklore and myths. . . . Many of the ancient festivals days were also redesignated to honor Christian saints and holy days. For example, Christmas Day (December 25th) was originally based on the Roman festival of Mithra, the sun god, which in turn was derived from the Celtic festival of the winter solstice, an astronomical calculation used to determine the beginning of the new year. The same calculation was also used by Brahmins in early vedic times.
In this way, there are numerous parallels between the ancient European and Indian cultures and further research is bound to discover many more. We can easily see that the rishi and sannyasin counterparts in pre-Christian culture were the Druids. These nomadic priests roamed at will and were honoured by all the Celtic tribes. They were exempt from taxes and warfare, although they taught breathing and chanting techniques to warriors for inducing battle trance and high body heat, both of which are attributes of awakened psychic energy.
The similarities between these cultures and the popularity of yoga and Indian spirituality in the West today is perhaps a gauge of the deep correspondence of Indian culture and the ancient western culture which was totally eradicated by religious influences. Perhaps the westerners who flock to yoga and other Indian spiritual events like the Sat Chandi Maha Yajna are trying to find their lost roots which still exist in the depths of their unconscious. These ancient archetypes within them, which are crying out for the renewal of their lost cultural links, are again finding expression and being fostered by the teachings, philosophy and practices of yoga and other Indian spiritual traditions.
To read the entire article by Swami Satyadharma - - a rich account of the many connections between ancient yogic cultures of the east and more familiar western traditions—please go to YOGA magazine’s website: http://www.yogamag.net/archives/1996/bmar96/culparal.shtml.
Atma Center Goes to SYTAR: Yoga Therapy Conference in Los Angeles
Traveling to LA for the recent Symposium on Yoga Therapy and Research (SYTAR) in LA, Diane Swander, Atmadarshan (Laura Santoro), and Mantram (Mary Baird) represented the Atma Center and SATYANANDA YOGA®. Here are some notes from their experience:
Diane. The Atma Center sponsored a booth at this year’s SYTAR conference. This was the first time that SATYANANDA YOGA® was represented at a major Yoga Conference in North America. I was struck by three messages that were most reflected in our conversations with people who visited our booth – Community, Quality and Health.
First, the yoga community is a supportive group of people actively engaged to promote personal and societal well-being. It was wonderful to meet devotees of the Satyananda tradition and others who respect the transformative potential of yoga.
Secondly, there was universal recognition of the value and quality of the Bihar School of Yoga books – the same series of books for sale in our Atma Center store. Countless teachers and students commented that they are fans of the books and consider them an invaluable reference in their yoga studies programs, class instruction and individual yoga therapy practices. We displayed nearly two dozen Bihar Yoga titles, the newly available YOGA Magazine from India, and several CDs.
Finally, the impact of our tradition and the Bihar books on health was noted again and again. One client emailed us after the conference saying “I wanted to tell you that I purchased Yoga For Hypertension at the conference for myself. . . This is a wonderful resource and I can't tell you how much I have gained from the wisdom in this book.” In a more recent email she said that after one week of following the hypertension program outlined in the book, she was feeling better than she ever had with her previous yoga practice. In one session, she reduced her systolic blood pressure by 10 points! What a great testament! A Canadian woman was the grand prize winner of a free raffle for $100 worth of Bihar books. Raising awareness and stimulating the growth of Satyananda Yoga will continue as we share the tools and aspects of our tradition with others.
Atmadarshan. SYTAR was a tremendous opportunity to learn more about other yoga styles and the people who practice them. Every morning, a class was taught by people who applied yoga in different ways. One teacher concentrated on how to provide a challenging class for people who could not bear weight on their arms.
Another instructor focused on emotional and psychological release. A third class was facilitated by a yogi who had lost 60% of his lung function to COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder) and specializes in yoga for students with similar conditions.
Afternoon conferences allowed us to explore applied anatomy and physiology in more depth. One physician paired with a yoga therapist to explain the process behind a condition and how to use yoga to improve it. I saw a woman with a rotator cuff injury regain full use of her shoulders with one simple pose! And, I learned how doctors can come to rely on yoga therapists to help patients manage post-surgical care.
I also enjoyed working at our Atma Center booth, where we sold our Bihar Yoga books and were surprised to learn how widely used and well-respected they are.
Mantram. Likewise appreciating the positive reception we received as representatives of our yoga tradition, I was privileged to attend an excellent session on Back Care. Listening was presented as a key tool – treating clients as whole persons and not just “body parts.” The yoga therapist’s job is to help the student reconnect to the true self – the part that’s whole, well and joy-full. Emotional distress is assumed with chronic back pain, so deep breathing and guided relaxation help quiet the central nervous system. While receiving the healing aspects of yoga, we learn not to view our bodies or the pain as “the enemy.” Rather, we cultivate a self-nurturing attitude and boost confidence by practicing accessible movements that do NOT create pain. These messages reminded me of our Atma Center teaching philosophy of adapting yoga to every body.
Observing and participating in some of the practical workshops motivated me to keep learning as much as I can about the therapeutic aspects of yoga in order to help my students (and myself!) heal, protect our bodies, and enhance our overall wellness – particularly as we age. The conference provided clear evidence of the treasure trove of tools we have at our disposal as yoga students and teachers!
Atma Center Calendar of Coming Events
This newsletter is provided to you by the Atma Center, 2319 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights, Ohio. [216-371-9760 www.atmacenter.com] The Atma Center is one of three places authorized worldwide to offer advanced training in Satyananda Yoga through Yogic Studies and Teacher Training courses.