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"There is something beyond the mind. This is the Self, the consciousness. We should not only have a thorough knowledge of western science and psychology, but should also combine it with Raja Yoga and spirituality."
Swami Sivananda
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Sivananda Yoga
Sivananda yoga was developed by Swami Sivananda and brought to the west by Swami Vishnu-devananda, who wrote one of the contemporary yoga classics “The complete illustrated book of yoga”. His book was first published in 1960 and is still one of the best introductions to yoga available today.

This style of yoga is a classical structured yoga which uses a combination of relaxation, breathing and postures. It also puts importance on diet, positive thinking and meditation. Sivananda yoga consists of twelve basic yoga poses, designed to increase strength and flexibility and to improve the sitting position for longer meditations. These poses are practised in a sequence, stimulating energy centers in the body from the head down. The twelve basic poses are covered in a beginner’s class. As the student advances, variations of the twelve poses are covered as well as more advanced breathing techniques.

Swami Sivananda
Born in south India in 1887, Swami Sivananda’s driving force, even as a young man was the service of humanity. For this reason, he became a medical doctor. He served the poor in Malaysia for many years before renouncing the material world.
He returned to India and spent a year wandering before settling in Rishikesh (in the Himalayas) to do intense spiritual practices. For the next 7 years, Swami Sivananda spent most of his time in meditation. Yet even during this period he served the sick in a small medical clinic which he established. Slowly disciples started to gather around him. In 1936, the Divine Life Society was founded to disseminate spiritual knowledge. In 1948 the Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy was organized. Dissemination of spiritual knowledge and training of people in Yoga and Vedanta were their aim and object. In 1953 he convened a world parliament of Religions. At one time in Swami Sivananda’s career he was an editor for a Health Journal and wrote extensively on health problems. He discovered that people needed the correct knowledge most of all. In his mission to share his knowledge and spread messages of love he wrote more than 300 books.

Swami Sivananda's work is carried on by his many disciples who have traveled to all parts of the world. Swami Sivananda entered Mahasamadhi (left his physical body) on July 14, 1963.