By OUR STAFF REPORTER
RISHIKESH, 13 Mar: A special concert took place with International Yoga Festival participants and presenters from across the globe, today, at the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram, popularly known as the Beatles Ashram. The participants immersed in the historic Ashram’s sacred energy where Maharishi Mahesh Yogi once lived, practiced and taught Transcendental Meditation and was also home for some time to the famous Beatles. Musicians from across the globe came together to sing for peace and love. MC YOGI, Gurnimit Singh, Daphne Tse, Joseph Schmidlin, Sudhanshu Sharma, Sandra Barnes, and many others sang sacred mantras and “Imagine” by the Beatles together.
“You only see holes in other people when you aren’t whole,” said Swami Chidanand Saraswati. “War is not the way. Fighting is not the way. We have Russians, Ukrainians, Palestinians, Israelis, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis. And we have love. We have peace. This is the message of International Yoga Festival. It is up to us to take this message of love and peace back home across the world. Love is the way. Peace is the way.”
“If we are one family, we must take care of the planet,” he continued. “If any part of our family isn’t happy, we are not happy. The planet is suffering. We must take care of the planet. In the name of love, become green yoga ambassadors. Inspire those you touch and teach. There is no planet B. Love is all there is.”
“The only way I’ve found to heal yourself and to heal the world is through love,” said Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa. “Love is the way. Love is all there is.”
This visit was the highlight to the sixth day of the International Yoga Festival (IYF) under the guidance of Swami Chidanand Saraswati, and Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, with the support of Incredible India, Ministry of Tourism, in association with Ministry of Culture and Ministry of AYUSH.
During the visit, the participants took a pledge for environmental preservation and climate action. Following this, dozens of Rudraksha trees were planted by the global IYF Family.
The day began at 6 a.m. with a special class by Dr Yogrishi Vishvketu on ‘Bringing Pranayama into Your Daily Routine’. Participants practiced sacred breath with the Himalayan Yoga Master. True to the festival’s multicultural and international scope, Sensei Sandeep Desai, a master of T’ai Chi, Ashtanga Yoga and Martial Arts, led Original Chen style T’ai Chi Circles and introduction to Form. Other participants enjoyed diverse styles of asana like Kundalini yoga with Kia Miller, vinyasa with London-Based Claire Missingham, and power yoga with Yogiraj Swami Jayant Saraswati.
After a satvik brunch, participants geared up for much-awaited sessions on a workshop to use journaling to find true purpose with yoga master Katie B Happyy. Anand Mehrotra conducted a session called “Cosmic Heart / Cosmic Prana”.
At the Sacred Sound Stage, three internationally recognised musicians came together to celebrate the Power of Saraswati, Music, Water, and Dance. Guests were mesmerised by the vibration and energy of Daphne Tse, from Texas, who combines spiritual practice with her contemporary folk singer songwriter style; Simon Glöde, a multi-talented musician, ceremony facilitator, and music producer, who weaves ancestral sounds and energetic practices from around the world; and Parmarth Niketan’s own Acharya Vindo Joshi.
Following lunch, Mohan Bhandari, founder and director of YogiYoga, led a sacred AUM Meditation, while María Alejandra Avcharian, an Ayurvedic Medicine Therapist and Plastic Artist, from Uruguay, taught yogis how to Balance the Mind. Parmarth Niketan’s own resident Vedanta expert Gayatri Yogacharya taught a course on the Fundamental Concepts of Vedanta. At the Sacred Sound Stage, participants luxuriated in a Restorative Sound Bath with Sanj Hall.
“The world is Nada….a vibration,” Hall taught as he struck the reverberating gong.
After the sacred Yagna and divine Ganga Aarti, internationally recognized kirtan singer Visvambhar Sheth soulfully blended guitar, harmonium, bansuri flute, sitar, and cajon, as participants hearts filled with love and peace, marking the end of the second last day of IYF with everyone’s hearts full of love, gratitude, and devotion.
