By Our Staff Reporter
RISHIKESH, 11 Mar: Union AYUSH Minister Sarbananda Sonowalji, after interacting with all of the participants and presenters of the International Yoga Festival last evening and enjoying his visit and overnight stay at Parmarth Niketan Ashram, departed this morning after performing the purnahuti of the sacred world peace and health Yagya Ceremony , with Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswati, President of Parmarth Niketan Ashram and Pujya Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, Director of international Yoga Festival, alongside eminent Yoga Presenters and Teachers.
At the break of the Dawn, the participants geared up for the Day 4 of the International Yoga Festival with a packed schedule of Meditation, yoga and divine music.The morning classes included the Sowing Your Ashtanga yoga seeds mindfull session by Sandeep Desai, a master of Ashtanga Yoga and T’ai Chi, Kia Miller, founder of Radiant Body Yoga, led an impressive class on the Full Mind, Body, Energy Activation, Kundalini Sadhana by the wonderful Gurushabd Singh Khalsa from California.
Ganga Nandini, a senior Parmarth Yogacharya led a beautiful yoga class to ease into Body Awareness, and a Sunrise Nāda Yoga on the Ghat, next to banks of the divine mother Ganga was led by Gumi, a Nada yoga teacher from Japan & Arindam, a Tabla Artist.
The second series of the session included special spiritual plenary session on “Spiritual Healing – Transformation Beyond the Physical.” It was conducted by Pujya Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, Director of International Yoga Festival; Rev. Michael Beckwith author, and founder and spiritual director of Agape International Spiritual Center in Beverly Hills, California; Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa, a Kundalini Yoga teacher based in the US and in Mexico; Dr. Raghavan Ramankutty, modern doctor devoted to Ayurveda & Yoga and the Founder & Director of DATHATHREYA – Integrated Holistic HealthCare; and Abuelo Antonio Oxte, indigenous elder and a Shaman, Dr. Smita Naraya, Female Entrepreneur and the Co-Founder of Ayushakti; and the moderator Ira Trivedi,Yogini.
Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati beautifully talked about her perspective by quoting “Health is not just an absence of fever, virus, bacteria or an infection. Health is something bigger than that, it’s an experience of wholeness.The struggles we hold and the stress that is harming our bodies, our minds and our hearts have to do with stories we tell ourselves, about who we are based on what has happened to us and how we identify. Freedom and liberation are possible. And if you were brought here, to Mother Ganga, take the opportunity to let go of whatever you can, that is creating that disease in you. ”
Michael Beckwith also helped give the participants a perspective by quoting “Prayer is powerful when we are coming into alignment with the perfect idea of ourselves. Being here at the Yoga Festival, we are seeking to have a conscious union with the presence of the divine. We are detoxing the stress, allowing ourselves to be so transformed that we go back home differently. We go back to the western world in this new vibration which is a very prayerful meditative yogic frequency.”
Dr Raghavan Ramankutty added, “Prana is everything. Pranayama is a very important part of yoga, the breathing force, the realisation, the evolution of turning a man into superman. It’s a conscious process of evolution.”Dr Smita also said, “I believe that the body is a house of our soul. And how we maintain our house, clean and strong, is important to keep it energetically positive.”
Zooyie from Canada also said, “Wow, what a privilege! I feel so touched! It feels as if in all the cells of my body something has changed!”
Kia Miller, a presenter said, “It is such a joy to hear the wonderful presenters speaking about very relevant topics, about what it trully means to heal. Like practical ways of healing through yoga, meditation, pranyama & prayers.”
Rohini Manohar the founder of Chennai Yoga Studio, conducted a flow Sangha class to weave movement and living the moment effortlessly to create the perfect space for students to discover themselves.
Erica Kaufman Pennsylvania, USA, Founder of the Sattva Yoga Retreat, led Lila Yoga Vinyasa titled Awakening Love to Share & Feel, to celebrate the expansive sensation of Joy and ease.
Stewart Gilchrist conducted the “Yoga Vrksa – The Trunk of Niyama” based on the teachings of BKS Iyengar and the incorporation of philosophy of Patanjali’s Classical yoga and Vinyasa System of T.Krishnamacharya of Mysore. The peaceful Kriya, Prana, Meditation: The Keys to the Kingdom” by Tommy Rosen, Founder of Recovery 2.0, taught the participants that the breath, body and mind are interconnected by practicing a powerful breath-based Kriya and bringing the mind into the state of full presence. A “Calibre of life” session was run by Gurumukh Kaur Khalsa of USA to help remove fear of the future by conquering the imagined disabilities and experiencing calm and open heart by laughing, sweating, dancing, chanting and meditating.
Visvambhar Sheth, internationally recognised Kirtan-Singer taught the participants The Art of Kīrtan: Leadership Techniques.
The wonderful Dr. Raghavan Ramankutty and Sarada Raghavan conducted the Right & Wrong Food Combination to help the participants understand the recipes of the modern day diseases caused by wrong combination of food, and to help impart knowledge of healthy food in Ayurveda to make meals rejuvenating.
A yoga therapy on Scoliosis to help alleviating spine issues, lower back pain, slipped disk and Sciatica by Mohan Bhandari, a BKS Iyenger scholar and the co-founder and director of Yogic Yoga in China was conducted.
María Alejandra Avcharian, an Ayurvedic Medicine Therapist spoke about the role of diet, impressions, mantra, meditation and yoga, the five elements in the mind and how to support and cultivate vibrant mental and emotional health. Andrea Carrani from London taught a meditation class to let go of all that no longer serves you, by surrendering to the power of soul.
Swami Svatmananda, a scholar on Hatha yoga, Meditation, Jyotisha, Ayurveda, Vastu, Sanskrit, Veda and Vedanta discussed the harmonic balance necessary for humans. Joseph Schmidlin a classical osteopath physician, and sound practitioner led the Therapeutic sound bath.
“Detox & Renew – Secrets to AntiAgeing” by Dr. Smita Naraya, Female Entrepreneur and the Co-Founder of Ayushakti, taught the powerful principles of detox to remove blockages and plans for daily nourishment to balance cholesterol and sugar with Anti-aging youthful skin.
Andrea Paige, master of lifestyle medicine, conducted a workshop to Master Physical Posture, Regardless of Current Flexibility.
The afternoon session concluded with a Gurbani Kirtan Ceremony. It celebrated Diversity & Inclusion by 3rd generation lineage holder Kirtan singer, a Coach and Kundalini Yoga Teacher from Vancouver Canada.
After a short tea and Snacks break the participants attended the sacred Ganga Aarti and the divine golden hour that gives no hangover the next day in the presence of Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswati, President of Parmarth Niketan and Sadhvi Bhagawati, director of international yoga festival.
Kīrtan by Gurnimit Singh included chanting with the beloved family of international musicians in a cozy, intimate space.
Gil Ron Shama, an artist of Middle Eastern descent and the art director of international cultural and peace seeking project from Israel captivated the participants at the end of Day 4.
