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Newsletter of SATYA Summer 2016

(Svaroopa® Association of Teachers & Yogis) Volume 19, Issue 3

PUBLISHER � Svaroopa® Vidya Ashram, www.svaroopa.org, satya@svaroopayoga.org EDITOR-IN-CHIEF � Swami Nirmalananda Saraswati CO-EDITORS � Matrika Gast and Vibhuti King

CONTRIBUTORS: Swami Nirmalananda Saraswati Mangala Allen Karuna Beaver Shanti Catacchio Amala Cattafi Yogeshwari Fountain Matrika Gast Premdas (Rob) Gold

Lisa Hansen Barbara Helms-Bot Priya Kenney Dhananjaya King Vibhuti King Karen Schaub Deborah Shapiro Maitreyi Wilsman

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Table of Contents EDITOR�S NOTE: NOW IS THE TIME! 3

TEACHER TALK ............................................................................................................................................................. 4

HOSTING SWAMIJI ......................................................................................................................................................... 4 FOLLOWING IN HER FOOTSTEPS ..................................................................................................................................... 4 MEDITATION NESTS & PUJA ........................................................................................................................................... 5 CONTRIBUTED BY MATRIKA GAST .................................................................................................................................. 8 LOKANANDA: BLISSY ACCOMMODATIONS ...................................................................................................................... 10

THE BUSINESS OF YOGA .......................................................................................................................................... 11

SUPPORT = SUCCESS .................................................................................................................................................. 11

ORGANIZATION NEWS ............................................................................................................................................... 12

GTC: GEOCENTER TUITION CREDIT ............................................................................................................................ 12 MEDICAL OUTREACH ................................................................................................................................................... 13 SVA GIVES BACK ........................................................................................................................................................ 13 HAND OUT THOSE YTT FLYERS! .................................................................................................................................. 15

CONTINUING EDUCATION ......................................................................................................................................... 16

YTT: OUR NEW APPROACH ......................................................................................................................................... 16

CERTIFICATES AWARDED ......................................................................................................................................... 17

FEBRUARY 1 THROUGH JUNE 10, 2016......................................................................................................................... 17

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS DONORS ............................................................................................................ 18

FEBRUARY 1 THROUGH JUNE 10, 2016......................................................................................................................... 18

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EDITOR�S NOTE: Now Is the Time! By Matrika (Marlene) Gast

Our time, the 21st Century, exists within the era named �Kali Yuga.� Recently, Vidyadevi explained that Kali Yuga is the Age of Time. We are subject to the constraints of time more and more. In our lives, these constraints show up as schedule conflicts and the need to prioritize.

In this issue, �New Approach� describes how Swami Nirmalananda�s redesign

of YTT immersions addresses this reality. It is now easier to sign up for YTT, with the programs shorter and less expensive. Yet she simultaneously made them deeper, taking �teachers to new depths within themselves� by adding a Shaktipat Day to each of Component A & B. If you are a Foundations grad, now is the time to take YTT. If your Current Standing is about to or has expired, YTT Level 1 in July is the perfect solution; you�ll be amazed by the

changes as well as by how much you will learn.

And find out how to get a GTC (tuition subsidy) for doing session exchanges with other members of your GeoCenter. A brand-new benefit that makes it even more valuable for you to do more yoga, supported by of your own local community. Karuna Beaver and Swami Nirmalananda explain this exciting new program in �GTC: GeoCenter Tuition Credit.�

Harried by too much to do and too little time? The solution is simply sitting in meditation, your gateway to eternal expansiveness within, your timeless Self. For inspiration, scroll down to �Meditation Nests & Pujas,� our photo spread of SATYA members� sacred spaces.

In the corporate world when time gets short, we hear �work smarter, not harder.� For growing your yoga

business, take tips from the Business of Yoga interview with Deb Shapiro, who serves as the Boston GeoCenter Liaison. Support from the community as well as your Ashram is the path of wisdom, as the story of the Boston GeoCenter shows. �Support Equals Success� spells out several proven ways to generate support

for growing your Svaroopa® yoga community. This stuff does work!

To support you in educating your local medical community about Svaroopa® yoga, Swami Nirmalananda has piloted a medical outreach program in the Downingtown area. Read about it in Organization News in this issue. There you will also find news of how SVA is giving back to teachers in Downingtown as well as Ganeshpuri, the home of our Guru lineage. As Amala Cattafi, SVA Board President, explains, these projects are especially appropriate and meaningful priorities because �Swami Nirmalananda is a member of the Saraswati order of monks, which is dedicated to education.�

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TEACHER TALK Hosting Swamiji By Yogeshwari (Lissa) Fountain

Five years ago the thought came to me to bring Swamiji to Boston for her first "Shaktipat" road trip. I felt it was my dharma (and still do) to facilitate and spread her message and Grace to everyone ready for it. In my mind, I saw hundreds of devotees waiting to come see her, so strong is my love and devotion!

The real nuts and bolts of organizing the event flowed in the powerful current of her Grace, even as I was juggling my mother's illness and relocation to assisted living. The more I needed to give, the more was given to me. There is nothing more sacred for me than Guruseva (service to the Guru). And just when I think I've hit my max, Swamiji always offers me a new challenge for my growth as a teacher and my own inner development.

My sweetest memory of all the Shaktipats I have either hosted, co-hosted or team taught with Swamiji, occurred on the first night of our first Shaktipat Retreat in Byfield, MA. As fifty students poured into the dining hall, some having not seen Swamiji for a long time, the atmosphere was electric. None of us had any idea of what was to come!

She called me to her, took my hand in hers, and we stood together as everyone chanted food mantras, then filed past for their food plates. The shakti was nailing me into the earth with a powerful surge. Time seemed to stand still. She had no intention of letting my hand go, then, or since. I remain, to this day, riveted by her Grace.

Following in Her Footsteps By Vibhuti King

When I heard that Yogeshwari was hosting Swamiji for a Shaktipat Retreat, I so wanted to be a part of this event that I asked to help.

It was an extraordinary retreat and I experienced yogic community in a way that I had been longing for. Fifty of us together, receiving the greatest of gifts, Shaktipat, the initiation that awakens your Kundalini energy for the highest purpose of human life � the knowing of your own Divine Self.

The next year Yogeshwari was asked by Swamiji to be her Assistant Teacher at the Boston Shaktipat Retreat, which meant that Yogeshwari could not host. I asked, �What are we going to do?�

Yogeshwari told me, in a very matter of fact tone, �You are going

to host.� �Me?!� I said with

disbelief and alarm! �Yes, you are going to host and

I am going to help you,� replied Yogeshwari.

Over time I became more than just a host in name alone. Together, Yogeshwari�s and my co-hosting of Swamiji year after year fostered a deep respect and love for one another. I came to love this seva and, just as Yogeshwari had done for me, I began to mentor a co-host as well, my dear friend Tirtha Richards.

So when Swamiji offered to travel to Marlborough Yoga three times in 2016, to provide us with free satsangs, as a community we said, �Yes!� Her

plan? Along with Shaktipat, this would place us in the flow of her Grace every three months, bringing us to a new level! Of course we said YES!

Yogeshwari & Vibhuti with Swami Nirmalananda

July 1-3 � Boston Shaktipat Retreat

November 18 � Boston Satsang

November 19 � Boston Shishya Satsang

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Meditation Nests & Puja Assembled by Vibhuti King

Contributed by Priya Kenney

�My nest is the seat of my rocket-ship to explore the realms of my Self. My puja is a few feet behind my nest. My nest and puja are the most reliable places in my home. Always there, always uplifting. They are a comfort, a guide, a rudder, a place to come home to. The doorway to Grace and my Self.� � Priya Kenney

Contributed by Dhananjaya King

�I truly am a closet meditator.� � Dhananjaya King

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Contributed by Yogeshwari Fountain �My puja has a lot of sentimental value, which seals me into a cocoon of Grace every time I sit to meditate.

The murti (statue) of Nityananda was blessed by a priest at the temple in Ganeshpuri. Many Shaktipat flowers grace Swamiji�s photo as well as sacred ash

from the Ashram fire ceremony and my vial of holy water from the Ganges. In the lotus blossom candle in front of Swamiji, each petal holds a stone from the river in Ganeshpuri, reminding me of the five acts of God; plus there is a rose bud from my 30th wedding anniversary. Guru's Grace is both cosmic and personal. This space is my true home within my home.� - Yogeshwari Fountain

Contributed by Karen Schaub

�My Puja and 'Nest' are the heart of my little home. A sacred space to which I return again and again to settle in to my 'Self'. There is something quite precious about having this dedicated space to propel me along this journey.� � Karen Schaub

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Contributed by Shanti Catacchio

�My best days start here...�

� Shanti Catacchio

Contributed by Lisa Hansen �When I sit for my practice, I love to feel the sun shining on my back from this

lovely window. My aunt made me this quilt and it is my favorite blanket. It was made with so much love, and now I can even feel Divine Grace absorbed into it. Even my dog gravitates towards it! My altar has anchored my Native American Spiritual Path for the last 20 years. However, the yogic path has weaved in and out of my life for all these years too.

�During my first Vision Quest in the Catskills, a man I had never seen before appeared on my blanket. Three days later I was invited to a meditation. As I walked through the door, I immediately saw a picture: it was the man I had seen!! It was Nityananda. I have many stories of the Siddha Yoga tradition appearing in my path, but it wasn't until this past fall that I listened to the "call home" and was led to Svaroopa® Yoga. Now my altar is also home to Baba and Swamiji, and my heart is full.� � Lisa Hansen

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Contributed by Mangala Allen �When I rise in the morning, I go to my nest. I prepare my sweet

yoga space by performing arati (candle flame ceremony), calling the power of this lineage into my awareness. I listen to an inspiring talk by Swamiji through the website Freebies or read from Muktananda�s books. I meditate. �Lingering in the glow, I move into my seva for our Ashram (SVA), as well as into preparation for my classes and programs and into my day. My spiritual practice opens me to the knowing of my Self.� � Mangala Allen

Contributed by Matrika Gast �My meditation nest of Svaroopa® yoga blankets, between my bedroom closet doors & chest of drawers is softened by the shawl received from Swamiji at the May Shaktipat Retreat in Boise. Here I feel the influx and embrace of Grace. �The Guru photos on my puja bless me without my asking. It's just their generous nature, anchoring me into Self.� � Matrika Gast

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Contributed by Maitreyi Wilsman �This meditation nest and puja are in a bedroom nook, the place that I slip into from bed in the morning, to sit quietly and reawaken my connection to the Consciousness that I am, my connection with Kundalini, and the Guru�s Grace. �Before meditating, I chant �Guru Om� and a few verses from the Guru Gita. Sometimes I meditate here again in the evening. �Now in summertime I keep the window open so I also can hear the birds singing on the outside, and in the evening it�s the

bullfrogs that are chanting.� � Maitreyi Wilsman

Swami Nirmalananda in Ganeshpuri, 2015 SVA Yatra

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Lokananda: Blissful Accommodations Interview with Barbara Helms-Bot by Maitreyi Wilsman

Barb attended Radical Anatomy at Lokananda last April. Since it was her first time there, she did not know what to expect. She loved Lokananda! She found that the new accommodations have several improvements over the hotel location where her previous Teacher Training courses were held. At Lokananda, Barb shared a 3rd floor room with one person. She loved the beds. Not only do they have a great mattress, they also have plenty of built-in storage drawers and cupboards. In the morning, even when someone else was in the bathroom, Barb could start her morning getting-ready routine because all her personal items were

within easy reach, right there in her bed cubbies. The rooms are decorated with lovely mirrors and have towel drying racks too � all making morning preparations easily sharable. Previously, at the hotel, Barb did wake up during the night due to back pains from traveling to the course, or due to a snoring roommate. She had no place to go. Sometimes she moved into the bathroom.

At Lokananda, she still sometimes woke during the night, but she had choices of where to go � to the 2nd floor lounge (Deviloka), which is set up with blankets, or to the lounge area right outside her bedroom with a sofa, chairs and lots of pillows. What a midnight relief! One day at lunch Barb ate with Swamiji in the Lokananda dining hall. She told Swamiji how impressed she was with the loving and thorough attention to details. She said Swamiji shared with her about having lived in many Ashrams and understanding what people need.

Barb appreciated that Lokananda has many spaces where she could go, and that the areas have serene and tranquil environments. Everything was convenient, only a short walk right down the hall or downstairs. Life at Lokananda is fairly easy going. So, while Barb did not know what to expect, she really likes our new retreat accommodations. The food was delicious too.

I shared with Barb that Nirmalananda has made recent changes, with some furniture moved and single rooms now available. Being a light sleeper, Barb liked the single room idea. Yet she understands that this reduced capacity means people will need to register early to insure a spot in upcoming courses. Lokananda is a lovely old building that has been transformed into an extension of Svaroopa® Vidya Ashram. There is still much transformation work to be accomplished: a new roof, more rooms to remodel, etc. Thus, in September there will be a continuation of our Capital Campaign to restore and maintain Lokananda. Dedicated donations have been continuing to come in, so we hope to reach our fundraising goal this fall. That will enable us to proceed with the rest of the upgrades.

OM svaroopa svasvabhava namo nama.h

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THE BUSINESS OF YOGA Support = Success An Interview with Deborah Shapiro and Vibhuti King, by Matrika Gast

The Boston GeoCenter is robust and vibrant, supported by 27 members, deeply committed to the practices of Svaroopa® Sciences in their personal lives as well as teaching. Boston has been a GeoCenter since the early days of Svaroopa® yoga, when Master Yoga Foundation established GeoCenters to support local teachers, where five or more are located within a one-hour drive of one another.

Serving as GeoCenter Liaison, Deb Shapiro feels that this support of community is the essence of the GeoCenter. She says, �I am really happy

about being surrounded by colleagues. It keeps us bound together, and creates synergy, with a sense of everyone working together to keep

Svaroopa® yoga �out there.� Our main goal is to stay together and spread the word.� The GeoCenter works together to host Vidyadevi and Kusuma for Weekend Workshops as often as possible. We coordinate their dates so that different studios benefit from their profound yogimmersions. Boston is also fortunate to have two resident Weekend Workshop Leaders, Addie Alex and Yogeshwari (Lissa) Fountain. The GeoCenter also makes sure that each offers a yogimmersion in a different studio yearly. This keeps the word about Svaroopa® yoga circulating throughout Metropolitan Boston. The GeoCenter is also fortunate in having Kamala (Michele) Gross, who is a Foundations Teacher Trainer. That means local Foundations courses are held, both to grow the community of teachers as well as to support local teachers who want a convenient way to stay in current standing. Also qualified as a Leading Teacher, Kamala is available to conduct Pose Clinics at GeoCenter meetings. Meetings also include practices, socializing and holiday celebrations, depending on the time of year,

as well as the business of planning workshops and courses. Meetings begin with opening mantras, a chant and meditation. A decade ago, several teachers began learning the harmonium, a delightful support for chanting. Deb Shapiro notes that incorporating such practices into their business meetings is �getting back to the core of what we are all about. We are a group integrated by these practices; together we are a Yoga Body.� The Boston GeoCenter website markets every teacher�s yoga business. Deb relates that their

website was inspired by the Vermont GeoCenter. She says, �We thought the Vermont website was a

good idea. So I developed the Boston website and make changes to it. It's not very difficult and doesn't cost very much. Everyone has seen it and approves it. Others have contributed to the writing. To get it started, we collected money from several of us who also participated in The Spirit of Change magazine�s Natural Living Expo, a yearly event in Metro West.� For this popular holistic event over the years, Boston GeoCenter has had a table advertising Svaroopa® yoga. Yogeshwari and Addie have also taught workshops there. Deb recalls, �It was a lot

of fun and hard work. We made some connections.� Deb feels that the support of the GeoCenter is a factor in teachers being willing to try things in business. She explains that they learn about marketing from each other, which sparks their entrepreneurial fire. That results in teachers teaching in diverse venues. For example, Deb has a home studio and teaches as well at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown MA. There are at least seven well-known studios specializing in Svaroopa® yoga throughout the Boston area. Many teachers also offer classes in alternative health centers and offices. From the individual endeavors of Yogeshwari Fountain and Vibhuti King, the spiritual dimension of Svaroopa® Vidya Ashram is spotlighted and supported. For five years Yogeshwari and Vibhuti have partnered in hosting Swami Nirmalananda�s Shaktipat

Retreats and free satsangs. These events attract participants from Maine,

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Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Connecticut as well as Western Massachusetts, the Boston area and from as far away as Quebec and Montreal. Vibhuti knows that she can count on the GeoCenter members to send out flyers for these events and generate enthusiasm among their students. The Shaktipat Retreats attract more and more attendees every year. Swamiji�s

recent satsang drew 100 participants. Vibhuti describes the aftermath of such events as glorious. She says, �Teachers and yogis are rejuvenated. We are refreshed in our practices.� Moreover, they bring in new students, and new connections are made across the community.

For centuries, Boston has been called �the hub of the Universe.� The support

that the Boston GeoCenter has sought and received from Swami Nirmalananda and the Ashram has brought �the hub� to a whole new level.

ORGANIZATION NEWSGTC: GeoCenter Tuition Credit Private Session Subsidy By Karuna Beaver & Swami Nirmalananda

Teachers benefit immensely from being together and working together. To foster more of this, your Ashram is offering a new GeoCenter benefit � to support you in taking care of one another, in order to take care of your Self. It also makes it easier for you to come to a Lokananda immersion!

Tuition Credits Beginning 7/1/2016, when you receive a private session �trade� with another

GeoCenter member, you earn $10 credit towards an immersion at Lokananda. Apply this credit toward any immersion tuition, for up to half of your tuition, max $500 per year. This means you can receive 50 sessions in a year, while getting a big discount on your next program! What kind of sessions? This is valid for Embodyment®, Yoga Therapy and Vichara Sessions, traded with another GeoCenter member. The teacher receiving the session gets the GTC, but then the other teacher will receive a session, giving both of you $10 towards your next immersion. Both of you have to register your trade within 3 days of your trade for either GTC to be valid. When you give sessions, you deepen into your yoga and your Self. When you receive sessions, you deepen in the same ways, but get even more benefit. When you trade with another teacher, you have the benefit of a deeper starting point for both of you, so your �reciprocal adaptation� takes you much further. Swamiji hopes

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that all GeoCenter members start getting weekly sessions (or maybe more often), which means you come in for your next immersion with a whole new level of readiness. She wants you to get more!

GeoCenter Background Geocenters were created more than 20 years ago, to recognize and support the community of teachers growing around Svaroopa® yoga�s most inspiring

teachers. GeoCenters are listed in our online Teacher Directory, plus you get first-come access to invite our faculty to your home town. When you host one of our Teacher Trainers, you can also hold a free introductory program or satsang for the general public, in order to expand your student and client base. Swami Nirmalananda just returned from Australia, having done 8 of these in 4 days, for different teachers in Brisbane. We also recognize and support the Leading Teachers in your area. They who have done more training, in order to support teachers-in-training as well as everyone�s continuing development.

Recent Board Visits In recent GeoCenter visits, our Board members discovered that electronic communications and the ever-quickening pace of life makes teachers get together differently. So much of �together� time is

spent in emails and texts. Even a phone call now seems personal. While many GeoCenter members used to gather monthly, most now meet quarterly or just once or twice a year. Titled �GeoCenter Tuition Credit� (GTC), this new

program is designed to escalate your reasons for getting together. When you both get and give sessions, the benefits are physical and they are more than physical. The sweet connection that grows amongst all of you will make your whole community stronger. It will even increase the numbers of students in your classes! And we hope that we�ll see you at Lokananda more often.

Log Your Trade Learn more about how to log your trade, so that both of you get your GTCs. Your SATYA member pages explain this more fully; click here & your login is: SatyaMember.

Medical Outreach By Swami Nirmalananda

A number of new students have come in saying their doctor told them that they need to meditate or to do yoga. We were inspired by our local medical community and decided to reach out to them as well. We held a program titled, �Medicine,

Meditation & Yoga.� Our

invitation summarized the wealth of medical research on yoga and meditation, and we decorated the room with research posters summarizing key studies. One attendee told us of her excitement over the invitation: �All the doctors got invitations but administrative staff didn�t. Someone posted

theirs on the refrigerator in the staff lounge, so I photocopied it and distributed it to all our staff.� Two people from her office came! Along with several administrative staff, one physician and one clinical psychologist joined us. One attendee teaches yoga and stretching for a nearby chiropractor and was very interested in the research I presented. I prepared information packets for them to take back, both for themselves and for colleagues, 12 pages with summaries of important research studies. Click here for your copy. I began by meeting with the group for an informal discussion. At their request, I led them through a few poses and a short meditation. They were, of course, amazed at how easy it all was, plus how great the results were, and especially at how easy it was to meditate. We will repeat this event in the fall, continuing our educational outreach to our local medical community.

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SVA Gives Back By Amala Cattafi

We have begun two exciting and very meaningful charitable projects, each with a focus on giving back to our communities: our local Downingtown community as well as Ganeshpuri, the birthplace of our lineage. Swami Nirmalananda is a member of the Saraswati

order of monks, which is dedicated to education. This is reflected in everything she does for us, while it is also a driving force in creating our new charitable projects. While Swamiji and SVA remain focused on providing you teachings and services that give you the experience of your Self, we are also focusing on giving back to our own communities. This is yoga!

Schools In-Service Programs We have designed a Teacher In-Service Program, which we are offering for free to our local schools. The program is designed to give faculty and staff tools they can use to take care of themselves in the middle of their busy day. Schools can choose any of our one-hour programs:

Simple Stretching Simple Relaxation Simple Breathing Simple Sitting Simple Stillness

In each program our Svaroopa® yoga teacher teaches two-to-three simple yoga techniques, which are designed for everyone and anyone to do. These yoga classes are not typical, as they must be accessible regardless of what staff members are wearing and without their lying on the floor. Everything is carefully non-sectarian, which is important in public schools, meaning �No Sanskrit!� The techniques we teach them can be used anywhere, including in their classroom if they so choose. After they learn each technique, they are given the opportunity to teach each other � the best way to learn! They are teachers, after all.

I was fortunate to have Rukmini lead me through one session. It was amazing, with quick and easy results in a very compact and simple package. Swamiji has named the program SRI (Stress Relief In-Service), which is an acronym with deep meaning. In Sanskrit, �sri� (shree) means honored

or respected. In this program, we honor our local schools� teachers. Swamiji says, �It is so important to give these

techniques to those who are educating our children. Schoolteachers are a very important, yet it is a very stressful occupation. To give the teachers simple tools for stress relief is my way of giving back to our local community.� In addition to our new SRI programs, we are also planning a fall event to benefit a local school. We�re

currently meeting with the district office to find a school and PTA with which to partner. We hope to set up a long-term relationship that benefits our local community.

Yoga in Ganeshpuri Schools Ganeshpuri is a most important place. The birthplace and motherland of our lineage, it is the home as well for the burial place of both Muktananda and Nityananda.

We closed our successful five-year project, the Ganeshpuri Music School, just a few months ago, due to the challenge in managing projects in India from America. Now we are partnering with Fire Mountain Ashram (shown here), which is managed by an American couple,

Jeanette and Dewa Haley. They have already invested seven years of loving service for Shree Nityananda Education Trust. Many of you have met them during our Ganeshpuri retreats, and have seen the amazing work they are doing as well as the Fire Mountain Ashram. It is the hub of many ongoing projects, which include providing free household water purification systems, vocational training in sewing, gardening, and computer and business skills to help the villagers lift themselves up.

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Our co-sponsored project is named �Yoga in the

Village.� Two village women are now in a

residential training to become yoga teachers. They will be teaching yoga classes to the students in local schools. They need about $1,500 for their training and setup costs. Plus, we are now responsible for monthly costs of $350. We have set up a dedicated donation category for you to be able to support this charitable program, if you would like to. It is such a privilege to give yoga back to the land of its origin, especially in the local schools in Ganeshpuri and the whole Tansa River valley. The native population of this region never had access to the yogic or Vedic tradition. Like Native Americans or Australian Aborigines, they were the forgotten people, now working to find their place in mainstream society in India. To bring them the heritage of their own land is a deeply fulfilling project. We hope Svaroopis will support it on an ongoing basis.

Hand Out Those YTT Brochures! By Matrika Gast

Now is the perfect time to hand out those YTT brochures, inviting your dedicated students to become a Svaroopa® yoga teacher. Swami Nirmalananda�s

YTT redesign (see the following article) has rendered our program budget-friendly, in terms of time as well as finances. YTT is shorter, but no less powerful, reducing costs in tuition, meals and lodging for training that is still deep and highly effective. �Long overdue,� is the

response from many SATYA members. �Thrilled that a day of Shaktipat

is included,� is another wide-spread comment. In a recent publication, Swami explained her process, �As I streamlined the program, I kept my �eye on

the ball.� It's still about Core Opening, our tail-to-top technology that opens up your experience of consciousness within.� Be bold in helping to create the next generation of Svaroopa® yoga teachers. Make a student�s day

when you hand him or her a flyer and say, �You

would make a wonderful teacher.� They will never forget that moment. And you will have helped them into a transformative process that they cannot yet imagine. For more brochures: satya@svaroopayoga.org or call 610.644.7555.

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CONTINUING EDUCATION YTT: Our New Approach By Swami Nirmalananda, interviewed by Premdas (Rob) Gold

Swamiji�s first words were �consolidated� and

�streamlined,� describing her revisions to YTT.

�These changes bring our trainings more in line with industry standards, as set by Yoga Alliance and the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT).� Until now, however, Svaroopa® yoga teachers have been receiving 350 hours of training for Levels 1 and 2, far exceeding Yoga Alliance�s

200-hour minimum. Our graduates have 700 hours for the 500-hour certification. IAYT requires 800 yoga therapy training hours, while Swamiji has been providing 1,400 hours. �People compare trainings, price and duration. So if

we don�t right-size, we�ll have absolutely beautiful

trainings with no one in them,� says Swamiji. The

extra time, poses, adjustments, lectures and long Shavasanas have added richness and depth, but current industry standards make these profound �extras� superfluous.

What has changed in YTT? Teachers will learn 35 poses in Levels 1 & 2 (Component A), exceeding the 25 poses learned by most teachers in a RYT 200 program. The therapeutics have been removed, and are moving into our EYTS (Enhance Your Teaching Skills) and ATT (Advanced Teacher Training) programs. Those who feel called to work with students outside the bell curve will definitely want more training! But that�s no surprise, because that�s the training that

Swamiji has always offered, only now it�s not

required for everyone. What does this mean in the classroom? Teachers-in-training will learn our Dual-Knee Press in Supta Garbhasana. They will need to take a therapeutics training in order to learn our Cure-All Knee Press. The next change is a BIG addition to YTT: a Shaktipat Day! This will propel teachers-in-training to very deep levels, but in a different and more powerful way than in the past. This means that the students of new teachers will still get profound healings and incredible openings. �Yet,� Swamiji says, �their students won�t be receiving spontaneous Shaktipat to the same

extent as with teachers trained in the years before this change.� In terms of time, Foundations is one half-day shorter. Levels 1 and 2 have gone from 10 days to 5 each, and Levels 3 and 4 are now 7 days instead of 10 days each. In Swamiji�s words, �Accessibility matters,� and for

many people �time is the most precious

commodity.� The shorter, less expensive courses

will be easier to fit into their busy lives and their household budgets. The changes are obvious from the very beginning, with abdominals, standing poses and backbends now incorporated into Level 1. The earliest classes that new Level 1 graduates teach will be more like other styles in their area, but with the principles and spinal openings of Svaroopa® yoga built in. Students will be decompressing their spines from tail to top just as before; only now the Marker Poses will seem more familiar and show them how powerful core opening really is. �The yoga environment has changed dramatically

and continues to change. The Ashram has to set itself in the real world,� says Swamiji. This is the 3rd incarnation of Svaroopa® teacher curriculum since its inception in 1990. Every educational institution revises its curricula, with courses being added, removed and redesigned to reflect the times. SVA will continue to offer the same teacher/student ratio, class sizes and immersive experience. That is supported by beginning each day with morning practice: poses and meditation. As always, your training day continues with breakfast, a busy �work

day� with a long lunch break, followed by lighter

teachings in the evening to wrap up your day. Our new streamlined format begins with our June Foundations and July Level 1. The last of our 10-day trainings is Level 2 in September, for those who completed Level 1 in the old format, so they can complete their training.

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CERTIFICATES AWARDED February 1 through June 10, 2016 Certified Svaroopa® Introductory Teacher

Pamela Lindsay Lorraine Vince Grace Yap Di May Lisha G. Reynolds Kris Montgomery Sharon A. Spontak Chris Page Jenny Bush Dianne Osborne Barb Anderegg Julie Anne Currie Barbara Weikamp

Certified Svaroopa® Basics Teacher Martha Billman Barbara Smith Fennel Shirley A. Class Robert Van Horn Janet Fix Lori Lepold

Certified Embodyment® Yoga Therapist Colleen Malone Debra Ann Klebesadel Cynthia Rust Alice McNeely

Certified Svaroopa® Yoga Teacher Yasmin Inauen Susan Hollister-Schell Zo Ghielmetti Cherie Bronsky Martina Caviezel

Certified Half Day Workshop Leader Annie Aanandi Ross Jessica Fontaine Susan Wardle Mitchel

Yoga Philosophy Discussion Group Leader Nansi Colley Jyoti Rebecca Yacobi Margot Garritt

Certified Svaroopa® Pregnancy Yoga Teacher Betsy Ayers Tahira Haroon Pamela Aldrich Church

Svaroopa® Vidya Meditation Teacher Matrika Marlene Gast

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THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS DONORS February 1 through June 10, 2016 Abby Chemers Agnes Hetherington Ajeet Khalsa Alan Harmon Alex Addie Alexia Lialios Amala Cattafi Heinlein Amanda Ahern Amanda Cahill Amanda Schmidt Andrea Perry Andrea Wasserman Angela Barnett Ann Katz Annette Bongiorno Annette Zucco Annie Ross Anthony Stokes Ashley Molson Barbara Anderegg Barbara Helms-Bots Barbara Hess Barbara Smith Fennell Barbara Wilson Belle Mann Beth (Bhanumati) Cunningham Beth Holmes Betsy Archer Betsy Ayers Betsy Bommer Brenda Benna Brenda Turner Brendon Baraeiss-Bodie Carol Ann Pala Carol Waite Caroline Kutil Carolyn Beaver Catherine Leigh Rose Cayla Allen Chelsea King

Chris Horner Chris Lautz Chris Peppell Christine Godfrey Cindy Rust Connie Clews Connie Mohn Constance Vineyard Cyndi McKenna David Falbaum David King Deb Kaufmann Deborah Mandel Deborah Moncur Deborah Woodward Debra Miles Deena Rotches Deidre Lentz Denise Hills Donna Lawton Ed Miguel Elaine Nesta Elizabeth McKenty Elizabeth Randzo Ellan Catacchio Ellen Mitchell Ellen Zientara Emma Jung Erica Andersen Evelyne Crivello France De La Fontaine Frances Amery Gail Hinchliffe Gillian Marriot Grace Whitman Jack Clement Jacqueline Cresswell Jana Flaherty Jane Fine Janet (Janaki) Murray

Janet Klauber Janet Neff Janice Varone Janis Fish Jari Grimm Jean Glover Jeanne Ormiston Jenny Bush Jill Gillespie Jim Totin Joanne Kirk Judith Jyoti Kenney Judy Dettwiler Judy Goodkin Julia Birch Julia Djaic Julie Watson Kalavati Christine Hernandez Kalyani Evy Zavolas Wallis Kara Wilson Karen Epstein Karen Schaub Kaura Grant Ken Cloonan Kim Zikmund Kirsten Hale Kristine Freeman Krystal Fenn Laura Marshall Laurie Hislop Laurie Hradec Leslie (Bhakta) Johnson Leslie Hahn Liane Bracciale Linda Avsharian Linda Neukam Linda Roebuck Lisa Hansen Lisa Newlan-Morris Lisa Spangler

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Lisa Trombetta Lisa World Livia Suver Lizabeth Darling Lloyd Apirian Lori Kenney Lori Lepold Louise Davis Louise Harkema Lucy Hallowell Lyndall Madden Madelyn Jablon Marcia Costello Margie Wilsman Margot Garritt Maria (Deepa) Mazzi Maria Sichel Marianne Volpe Marlborough Yoga Center Marlene Gast Marlis Mazzie Moldenhauer Marsha Fennimore Martha Billman Mary Carpenter Mary Proctor Dehn Maureen Shortt Melissa Fountain Melissa Leibman Melissa Parsons Michael Newman Michele Gordon Michelle (Kamala) Gross Misty Heiskell Monika Schulz Monique Keffer Monique Martin Nancy Chang

Nancy Mabry Stachiw Nancy Nowak Nathan Matanich Nicolas Dalton Nirooshitha Sethuram Nityaa Robin Blankenship Noelle Dijoud (Mahee) Norah Gress Pam Church Pat Morrison Patricia Frederick Patricia Keefe Patricia Strawderman Patti Campbell Patty Sayre Pauline Michelin Peter Gallagher Phil Milgrom Prudy Costa Randy Overbaugh Rebecca (Jyoti) Yacobi Rebecca Bettencourt Rebecca Rivers Renate Hanauer Renee Corbin Rhoda Joyner Richard Reeve Rob Horricks Robin McBride Rosemary Bredeson Rosemary Nogue Rukmini Maria Abbruzzi Ruth Brooke Saguna (Kelly) Goss Sandra (Sheyna Purna) Peace Sandra (Vibhuti) Courtney King Sandra Carter

Sandra Gilbert Sandy VanOosten Sharon Bergen Sharon Elliot Sharon Morgan Sheralee Hancherow Soraya Pereira Sri McNeill Stacey Cross Stephanie Zukewich Su Lee Chafin Sue Cilley Susan (Day) Daniel Swami Nirmalananda Saraswati Tahira Haroon Tammy Rabideau Tammy Wieliczko Terese (TC) Richards Terri O'Connor Terry Gardner Tina Marcus Tish Roy TJ Webb Tricia Sterner Trine Larsen Ursula Myslinski Ute MazelReeves Valentine Kogan Valerie Light Trautlein Vicky Osborn Vidyadevi (Cathy) Stillman Wendy Hickey Wendy Miller