By OUR STAFF REPORTER
RISHIKESH, 8 Mar: Kirtans vibrated across the holy banks of Ma Ganga as world famous musicians Gurnimit Singh and Sattyananda performed at a sacred Maha Shivratri celebration as 1400 yoga enthusiasts from 75 countries, 64 yoga teachers from 25 countries participated in the 36th annual International Yoga Festival, here, today.
Swami Chidanand Saraswati, President of Parmarth Niketan, and Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, Director of International Yoga Festival, opened the first day of the highly anticipated Festival at Parmarth Niketan. The festival is organised with the support of Incredible India, Ministry of Tourism, in association with the Ministry of Culture and Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India.
About the sacred energy of Shiva, Swami Chidanand said, “If you want to be peaceful on this earth, this is the way: Realise Shiva and Shakti are not two; they are one. Today, on Shivaratri and International Women’s Day, this is a beautiful way to start the festival. Yoga is the union of Shiva and Shakti.”
He continued, “People from Ukraine and Russia, Palestine and Israel were in my jhopri last night, but there was no war. Yoga is the way, love is the way, peace is the way. That is why we come to Yoga, come to the banks of Maa Ganga in the lap of the Himalayas. Your practice will first transform yourself, then your communities, countries, and the world.”
Sadhvi Bhagwati introduced the international audience to core Vedic understandings. “In Vedic tradition we do not believe in original sin but original divinity. That we have not been created by the Divine but are of the Divine. Hinduism is not a polytheistic religion or monotheistic religion but actually there is nothing but the divine. The dilemma is we have ignorance, we forget who we are. We think we are this body, this skin colour, this skill, this bank account, and then we suffer. The solution is to come back to the truth of who we are. Everyone wants to know, ‘what’s the purpose of live, what’s my dharma’? You are here to remember. Shiviratri is the day to remember you are divine. That’s the real you.”
She also explained the significance and meaning of the Mahamritunjaya Mantra – Om Tryambak Yajamahe, Sugandhim Pushtee-Vardhanam, Urvarukmeva Bandhanaan, Mrtyoh-Mrukshiya MaaMmrataat- to the participants from across the world that spirituality is not converting, destroying, annihilating or taking away something valuable but a ripening, a fullness of discovering something so infinitely more valuable from within yourself so that all other bondage just drops.
The morning asana class began at the break of dawn with Kundalini Sadhana led by Gurushabd Singh Khalsa from California, USA, followed by pre-breakfast classes by Stewart Gilchrist, founder of East London School of Yoga, Katie B Happyy, best-selling author and motivational speaker; and “Enlivening Shakti” with Anand Mehrotra.
Tommy Rosen, founder of Recovery 2.0, taught participants how to use yoga to rise above whatever additions hold us back in life.
Following lunch, participants joined a thought-provoking conversation on “How Ayurveda and Yoga can Heal Addiction” between American yoga teacher and addiction recovery expert Tommy Rosen, founder of Recovery 2.0, and renowned Ayurveda expert Vaidya Dr Ramkumar. Meanwhile, on the Sacred Sound Stage that hosts internationally acclaimed musicians throughout the day, Sanj Hall and Sandra Barnes performed a “Cosmic Sound Scape,” where listeners dropped into a dreamy and restorative sound journey.
After a short break for tea, around 5:30 p.m., the participants gathered on the banks of Ganga at the Parmarth Niketan ghat for a special Maha Shivaratri lecture, meditation, and chanting session led by Swami Chidanand Saraswati, Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati and renowned yogacharyas from across the world.
After the Aarti, a kirtan session with renowned musicians Gurnimit Singh and Sattyanand, had participants dancing in joy till late at night on the banks of Maa Ganga.
