“A mantra is a mass of radiant energy. Every mantra has got tremendous force. It helps the spiritual power and reinforces it.” – Swami Sivananda

The word ‘mantra’ is derived from the root man which means to think. Tra means to protect or to free and thus a mantra protects our own mind from negativity and frees it from the bondage of the illusory world. Mantras fill the mind with purity, improve concentration, generate harmony and divine love.

Methods of mantra meditation

There are three ways to use the mantras:

• Mental repetition – repeating the mantra mentally in silence
• Verbal repetition – repeating the mantra aloud
• Likitha japa – writing the mantra

In the mental repetition of a mantra, the mantra is repeated in harmony with the natural rhythm of the breath. Mental repetition is considered a very powerful method and requires a concentrated mind.

In the verbal repetition of a mantra, the organ of speech is involved which makes it easier to keep the attention focussed.

External sounds are muffled when repeating a mantra aloud supporting the process of inner concentration further.

Likitha japa includes mental repetition of the mantra with the mind simultaneously reciting the mantra while writing. As the hands and the organ of sight are active in likitha japa, this method tends to concentrate the mind easily and efficiently.

There is no need to choose one method as a personal practice while excluding the other methods. You can use the three different ways of mantra meditation alternately, according to the mantra practice that naturally draws you more at any given point. Providing variety to the mind helps concentration and keeps the practice fresh and inspired.

Likitha Japa

If you have received mantra initiation, then you can write your own personal mantra during likitha japa like Om, Soham, Om Sri Maha Ganapataye Namah, Om Namah Sivaya, Om Namo Narayanaya, Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya, Om Sri Ramaya Namah, Om Sri Durgayai Namah, Om Sri Maha Lakshmyai Namah, Om Aim Saraswatyai Namah, Om Sri Hanumateh Namah.

If you do not have a personal mantra, then you can use the mantra Om Namo Narayanaya for your practice of likitha japa. This is a mantra for inner peace and world peace which creates very harmonious and soothing vibrations.

You can write the mantra in orderly lines just like when writing sentences or you can express your creativity by creating forms and shapes – according to your temperament.

One uniform style of writing or drawing will help concentration. You have a choice of scripts: you can write the mantra in the Western alphabet, in Devanagari (Sanskrit alphabet), or in any other script depending on your linguistic background.

You can write the mantra in front of your altar as part of your sadhana, your daily or regular spiritual practice. There is though no need to limit your mantra writing practice to a specific time or a specific place. It is also possible to write your mantra during the hidden moments of the day when a little time becomes unexpectedly available: at work, when travelling, while sitting in a waiting room.

For practicing likitha japa at home or in your spiritual community, it is best to reserve a notebook specifically for the purpose of mantra writing. You can keep it on your bookshelf with spiritual literature or place it near your altar. Day after day, the pages of your notebook will fill themselves with a special spiritual vibration which will radiate out into the room where the notebooks are kept and far beyond.

Om Namo Narayanaya mantra bank

The pages and notebooks with written mantras transform an ordinary piece of paper into a mass of radiant energy. Once the paper or the notebook is full, you can respectfully keep them near your place of worship.

Swami Vishnudevananda transformed a rock cave high in the Himalayas, into an ‘Om Namo Narayanaya mantra bank’. He called this mountain the Vishnu Peak, it is accessible by foot after a long climb from the cave in Gangotri in the state of Uttarakhand in North India where Swamiji used to spend time in seclusion. Since 1987, likitha japa notebooks and loose sheets of papers with mantras written by yogis all over the world have been deposited in the mantra bank.

A crystal was placed on top of this rock cave to magnify the energy of the mantras even further and make them radiate out over the whole area and into the entire world.

If you would like to make a contribution to the Om Namo Narayanaya mantra bank, kindly send your likitha japa notebooks and/ or sheets of paper to any of the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres in the world. We will make sure that your mantra donations find their way to the Vishnu Peak and are deposited into the mantra bank.

OM NAMO NARAYANAYA

Benefits of mantra writing

From the book Sadhana by Swami Sivananda (An easy, practical and scientific form of Yoga for modern busy people):

Mantra writing leads to meditation

Of the various methods of Japa described in the scriptures, Mantra writing is the most efficacious. It helps the aspirant in concentrating the mind and gradually leads to meditation.

Benefits:

• Concentration: Distractions are minimised as the mind, tongue, hands and eyes are all engaged with the mantra. This increases the power of concentration and efficiency in work.
• Control: The mind is controlled by the power of mantra and it will work better and quicker for you.
• Evolution: Due to the repeated innumerable impacts of the mantra on the subconscious mind, subtle, spiritual impressions are made, which hasten the soul’s progress in evolution.
• Peace: If you are disturbed due to worries or untoward incidents, the mind will get calm and peaceful.
• Force: A mighty spiritual force is generated in course of time in the atmosphere of the place, where you write mantras or keep the notebooks. It helps in secular and spiritual progress.

Conclusion

Begin today. Do not procrastinate. Give it a sincere trial. Be a master of your mind, not its slave. Write from one to three pages a day. Follow the rules as far as possible if you want quicker results.

Rules for mantra writing

• Select a mantra, or name of God, and write it with ink in a notebook daily in any script on one to three pages.
• Sit in the same place at the same time daily. If possible, keep it under lock and key.
• Write after a bath, or after washing hands, feet, face and mouth.
• Sit in one pose throughout. Do not move until completed.
• Observe silence, and avoid talks, engagements, or calls.
• Fix the eyes on the notebook. Do not move until completed.
• Repeat the mantra or name mentally while writing.
• Fix the mind on the form and attributes

Swami Jyotirmayananda is the director of the Sivananda Yoga Centre in London.

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“Meditation is a mysterious ladder which reaches from earth to heaven, from error to truth, from darkness to light, from pain to bliss, from restlessness to abiding peace” – Swami Sivananda

From Concentration (Dharana) to Meditation (Dhyana)

In the beginning, when you decide to concentrate on a certain object, the scattered mind slowly begins gathering around the meditation object. The mind needs some time to settle down and focus on a particular object. Once the mind is able to focus on the meditation object, with few other related thoughts in the background, it is in a state of Dharana (Concentration). When there is an unbroken flow of thought towards the meditation object, with no other thoughts in the background, this is the state of meditation. The process of meditation is often compared to the flow of oil in a steady unbroken stream.

Practice of Meditation

Meditation is a state of relaxed awareness. It is not possible to teach someone how to achieve this state, just like it is not possible to teach someone how to sleep. However, in the beginning, it is good to give some attention to preparing the body and mind for meditation.

The preparation can be divided into two parts:

I. Physical Preparation

1. Place – It is best to set aside a room for meditation, but if this is not possible, then try to separate one portion of a room for meditation practice. You can keep spiritually uplifting images in this room and burn incense sticks. Use a meditation cushion or blanket to sit for meditation. As one meditates regularly in this designated space, powerful vibrations will be set up in the area. This atmosphere will make it easier for the mind to go into a state of peace and calm.
2. Time – The best times for meditation are at dawn and dusk, when the atmosphere is peaceful and charged with spiritual force. It is important to fix a time of the day for meditation practice. This makes it easier for the mind to focus.
3. Habit – Regularity of time and place are very important. The subconscious mind gets accustomed to the regularity, and you will find it easier to settle and focus. One can start with 15 or 20 minutes of practice and gradually increase to one hour. Make sure you practice everyday!
4. Sitting position – Try to sit on the floor, with your legs crossed (Sukhasana), in Lotus posture (Padmasana) or half lotus posture (Ardha Padmasana). If it is not possible to sit on the floor, use a chair. It is very important to keep the spine and neck straight and relaxed. One can use hand positions (Mudras) like chin mudra for meditation.
5. Breathing – Once you are in a comfortable position, relax the body as much as possible and focus on your breath. Slow down the breath and notice how your breath becomes light and completely silent.

II. Mental Preparation

2. Give the mind space – Try not to be too eager to control the mind. Allow the mind to take time to settle down and focus. Bring awareness to your breath. Slowly start observing the mind. Be patient and compassionate with the mind and develop a trusting relationship with the mind. This ensures co-operation.
3. Disassociate – Watch the mind objectively and try not to identify with the thoughts and emotions which are being observed. Slowly, you will observe the mind becoming quiet.
4. Concentration point – Bring your awareness to a chakra. Focus on the heart center (Anahata Chakra), if you have an emotional temperament. Or you can focus between your eyebrows on the Self-awareness center, Ajna Chakra, if you have an analytical temperament. Aim to keep this focus for life.
5. Concentration object – Focus on a symbol, try something which inspires you like the sun or sky, or a positive quality like compassion. One can use a personal mantra or the universal mantra OM.

To still the mind and enter into silence requires practice. A beautiful tree grows slowly, and we have to be patient for the flowers to blossom and the fruit to ripen, before tasting the sweetness of the fruit. So also, with meditation, we must be patient and regular with our practice. When meditation blossoms, there is an inexpressible peace that permeates the entire being. The fruit of meditation is the bliss of superconscious state which is indescribable as there is no duality in it.

At the Sivananda Yoga Retreat House you will experience yoga and meditation as part of a holistic lifestyle. Join us for a yoga and meditation holiday or explore the meditation experience more in depth on one of our special meditation theme retreats.

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First, let us have a look at the benefits of meditation:

Physical benefits

During meditation, the distractions of the world around you reduce to a large extent, bringing about a sense of relaxation and balance. The heart beat and respiratory rate slow down and the internal organs are rested. Research shows that meditation stimulates the immune system, promotes health and helps protect against illness. The vibrations generated by thoughts and emotions affect every cell in the body. Negative thoughts can impede cells’ capacity for regeneration and homeostasis. The focus in meditation on positive and harmonious thoughts, therefore, is thought to promote health and well-being at a cellular level.

Mental benefits

As one practices meditation more often, the mind becomes calm and focused. Confusion gives way to clarity. You find that you can face the conflicts that disturb mental peace and discover creative, positive solutions to those conflicts. The benefits of meditation spill over to the rest of the day and help you to concentrate better at work and during leisure activities. Meditation brings about an emotional balance, enhances understanding, compassion and patience, which helps with relationships around you.

Spiritual benefits

Ancient yogic scriptures describe the goal of meditation as samadhi or cosmic consciousness. In this state, the illusion of ego vanishes. Everything dissolves or merges into one consciousness. Experienced yogis aim to be in this state at all times, living life as one unbroken meditation.

As your meditation practice deepens, you will gain glimpses of a state of being that you have probably never experienced before. You will have a sense of greater inner space, well-being, positivity, and a real feeling of trust in the goodness of life. You will start to realize that beyond the familiar world of thoughts and emotions lies a whole new realm of consciousness. Your sense of self will expand and you will experience a sense of unity with everything around you.

Meditation is so powerful that its benefits extend far beyond the person who is meditating. Yogis believe that the powerful vibrations of peace that emanate from an experienced meditator have a positive effect on everyone that person comes into contact with – and that, in the end, they influence the whole world. So, making your mind peaceful through meditation is the most positive thing you can do to contribute to world peace.

“Feel the silence, hear the silence, touch and taste the silence. Silence is the music of your soul”

– Swami Vishnudevananda

After learning about the benefits of meditation, the next obvious question, of course, would be: how do I get started with meditation?

Learning the art of concentration

Making the mind single-pointed, that is, to be able to concentrate the mind is the first step in meditation. In the Ashtanga Yoga technique of Patanjali Yoga Sutras, the practice of Dharana (single-pointed attention) is mentioned before Dhyana (meditation).

From childhood we train the mind to concentrate through reading books, studying for exams, and later on in work life as well, one needs concentration. But as you might have noticed, our attention span has reduced drastically especially with mobile devices constantly around us. Hence the need to practice concentration.

Practical exercises for concentration

The exercises below provide an easy way to start developing your ability to concentrate. Initially, train your mind to concentrate on external objects, such as a book, sound, or something in nature like waves of the ocean, the sky. As you progress, you will be able to focus on subtler objects like an inner sound or an abstract idea. You can gradually lengthen the practice until you can concentrate for half an hour.

1. Lose yourself in a book

Read two or three pages of a book, giving them your full attention. Then test your concentration by stopping at the end of a page. How much of the story do you remember? Can you classify, group, or compare the facts you have been reading about?

2. Focus and contemplate on nature

An example of contemplating nature would be to concentrate on the sky. Feel your mind expand as you reflect on its vast expanse.

3. Listen to a sound

Try to listen to a prominent sound in your surroundings and focus only on that sound. For example, the trickling of water, the rustling of leaves. Observe how long you are able to concentrate on that sound alone. When your mind wanders, bring it back to the sound.

4. Reflect on an idea

Relax your body and mind, then think about a quality like compassion. Imagine how you could express it in your life. Think of people who embody this quality. Ask the quality to fill your heart and then to flow out to the world.

5. Candle light contemplation (Trataka)

Sit comfortably in a dark room with a lighted candle at eye-level, an arm’s distance away. First observe your breath for a couple of minutes. Then look at the candle flame for a minute. Try not to blink. Close your eyes and visualize the flame between your eyebrows for a while.

Benefits of concentration

• Practicing concentration has many benefits. It can strengthen “thought-currents” – how we connect thoughts and ideas in the brain – making it easier to grasp difficult, complex or confusing concepts.
• It also clarifies ideas; you can express yourself more clearly.
• Concentration exercises energize the mind, boosting efficiency at work and other tasks.
• It builds will power and the ability to influence other people positively.
• It brings about serenity, insight and cheerfulness.

In the next blogpost, you will get to know more about Dhyana (Meditation), which comes after Concentration (Dharana).

In order to experience and learn more about meditation join our Daily Online Meditation and Satsang sessions or visit the Sivananda Yoga Retreat House for yoga and meditation retreats.

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When we think of a holiday, most of us think of a temporary escape from the “daily routine”. But when we come back from the holiday, does anything change for the better in the routine of life? Most often, the answer is No. Have you then asked yourself, how can I face all the challenges of life with equanimity? How do I transform the tired body and mind into one full of energy and enthusiasm? The answer lies in leading a Yogic life.

“Yoga life is the hope of the new decade. It is a practical life, not a utopian escape. Life is for inner happiness, not misery. This is the way of Yoga” – Swami Vishnudevananda

A yoga retreat introduces you to leading a yogic way of life. Here are five things to expect from a yoga holiday.

1. Experience the benefits of Asanas (physical postures), Pranayama (breathing exercises) and relaxation

An authentic Yoga Class focuses on bringing harmony to the level of the body, breath, and mind. Asanas (physical postures) benefit many systems of the body like the musculoskeletal system, nervous system, endocrine system, to name a few, and bring them in balance. The practice of Pranayama (breathing exercises) balances and increases the flow of prana (vital energy) in the body which recharges the body and mind. It is very hard to put into words the deep relaxation that one feels after a yoga class. The best way is to experience it yourself!

2. Know more about the How’s and Why’s of meditation practice

Once you feel comfortable practicing the asanas and breathing exercises, you will feel more relaxed in the body. Then, it will seem like a natural step to pay more attention to your mind. Meditation lies at the heart of any yoga practice.

Meditation has become a buzzword nowadays and many people talk about it. A Yoga Retreat is a great way to get introduced to the practice of meditation or deepen the practice if you are already familiar with meditation.

“Meditation is the cessation of mental activities. When your thoughts reduce by just 20%, you will experience relief and a sense of self-control. ” – Swami Sivananda

Meditation brings about greater mental and emotional balance and, eventually, inner peace.

3. Learn the art of stress management

One of the practical benefits of learning all the yoga practices is in managing stress. In today’s world, most of the stress is psychological in nature and caused mostly due to work or relationships. Simple yoga practices like abdominal breathing with full awareness and body scan relaxation can help in countering stress. Having a regular yoga practice gives deep rest and relaxation to the body and mind, which is a vital aspect of self-healing and rejuvenation.

4. A well-balanced Sattvic diet

Diet is a very important part of health and well-being. The Yogis say “You are what you eat!”. You can expect a healthy, well-balanced Sattvic vegetarian diet in a yoga retreat. The word Sattva is one of the three qualities (Gunas). It means Purity, Goodness. A sattvic diet consists of a lacto-vegetarian diet that is freshly prepared, organic, locally produced, and seasonal. The person preparing the food should also have an attitude of selfless service. A Sattvic diet helps a person to develop the qualities of Purity and Goodness.

5. Connect with a supportive community

One of the benefits of a yoga retreat is that you meet like-minded people which allows mutual learning. It also helps in connecting with experienced yoga teachers and getting personal guidance on your yoga practice. Connecting with the community also helps in maintaining a regular yoga practice after the yoga retreat.

To experience authentic Yoga, join us at the Sivananda Retreat House in Reith bei Kitzbühel, Austria for Yoga Holidays. Tucked away in the mountains of Tyrol with the beautiful Wild Kaiser mountains as a backdrop, the Sivananda Retreat House welcomes people from all over the world for various yoga retreat programmes.

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Two wholefood, vegetarian meals are served daily according to yogic principles. The ingredients are sourced from organic farms (as certified by the Austria Bio Garantie, Austria’s leading inspection body for organic businesses).

The hotel accommodates vegan and gluten-free diets by offering appropriate alternatives. However, gluten-free bread is not provided.

The hotel has a limited capacity to accommodate other dietary preferences.

The rooms are equipped with wooden floors, health mattresses (except in the dormitory), shower, toilet, hair dryer and telephone. Most rooms have a balcony.

A Finnish and a low-temperature sauna are available in Hotel Pointner.
The hotel offers free parking.

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• Meditation and Mantras, by Swami Vishnudevananda
• The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga, by Swami Vishnudevananda

Both books are available from our online shop.

Please bring

• TTC manual and uniforms
• Yoga mat, cushion, blanket (you will find a selection of yoga accessories in our Retreat House boutique)
• Meditation shawl
• Comfortable and warm clothing
• Notebook, writing utensils, torch (flashlight)
• Slippers, shoes suitable for hiking
• If residing in a dormitory or shared room, please bring your own towel
• Toiletries,
• Neti pot, neti catheder, salt
• Water bottle

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Special programmes and concerts may take place during the evening Satsang (see the events calendar on the website).

Once a week is a free day. You are however expected to participate in the morning and evening Satsang and to do your Karma Yoga on this day.

In your free time you can take part in the daily workshops offered by the Retreat House, explore the surroundings, or rest.

Participation in all activities is mandatory.

There may be occasional changes to the daily schedule.

Back to the Advanced Teacher Training Course in Tyrol

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The rental fee for the radio receiver is €30 for the entire month. You can bring your own headset with normal disc man jack or buy one for €10 at the Yoga Retreat House.

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1. Proper exercise (Asanas)
2. Proper breathing (Pranayama)
3. Proper relaxation (Savasana)
4. Proper diet (vegetarian)
5. Positive thinking and meditation (Vedanta and Dhyana)

Daily: two meditation sessions, two yoga classes, two lectures, one hour of service to the ashram community. One day a week is lecture-free.

Asanas (yoga postures)

The daily in-depth practice with individual corrections comprises:

• Sun salutation
• 12 basic yoga postures
• 100 asana variations, from intermediate level to advanced
• Postural alignment
• Deep relaxation with autosuggestion
• Release of blocked energy
• Training sessions for all age groups

Additional workshops as part of the yoga teacher training course

To support you even more effectively in your practice and teaching, we offer two complementary workshop modules as part of the training. These workshops are specifically designed to deepen essential aspects of asana and pranayama practice and to strengthen confidence in your personal practice:

1. Headstand intensive: “Step by Step into Sirsasana”

In a total of around ten guided Headstand sessions, we will lead you systematically and safely into the king of asanas – the Headstand (Sirsasana).
This practice series offers you:

• A step-by-step approach, suitable even for beginners
• Techniques for building strength, balance, and self-confidence
• Correction guidance
• Understanding of variations and safe alignment

The goal is to prepare you to practice the Headstand independently.

2. Breath & nervous system: The pranayama preparation workshop

A special breathing workshop for harmonizing the nervous system helps you establish a stable foundation for your pranayama practice.
Contents include:

• Introduction to precise breath control
• Practices to calm and strengthen the autonomic nervous system
• Preparatory techniques for alternate nostril breathing and Kapalabhati
• Connecting breath with mental focus

This workshop not only makes it easier for you to access the pranayama techniques taught in the training but also helps you integrate greater calmness and inner peace into your personal practice.

Benefits of asanas:

• Control emotions
• Improve power of concentration
• Rid the body of excess fat
• Enhance physical fitness
• Relieve chronic ailments such as constipation, rheumatism, stomach complaints
• Stimulate circulation
• Stabilise thyroid functions
• Keep muscles youthful and supple into old age

Pranayama

• Expands capacity of the lungs
• Relaxes the nervous system
• Balances the two hemispheres of the brain
• Purifies the nadis (subtle energy channels)
• Awakens the inner spiritual energy
• Kapalabhati (lung cleansing exercise)
• Anuloma Viloma (alternate nostril breathing)
• Samanu (mental cleansing of the nadis)
• The 8 main pranayamas: Ujjayi, Surya Bheda, Bhastrika, Plavini, Moorcha, Sitali, Sitkari, Bhramari

Kriyas

• Tratak, Neti, Kapalabhati, Dhauti, Nauli and Basti: six classical purification exercises for the eyes, nose, air passages, oesophagus and stomach, abdominal organs and large intestine. Explanation and demonstration of the exercises and their effects. Individual instruction

Yoga anatomy and physiology

• Introduction to the major body systems
• The effects of asanas and pranayama on: the cardiovascular system, respiration, digestion, skeletal and muscular systems, endocrine system

Teaching practice

• How to teach the 12 basic postures and breathing exercises to beginners and intermediate students
• Detailed correction workshops
• In the second half of the training course, participants will teach each other under the guidance of an experienced instructor

Yoga nutrition

• Vegetarianism – for ethical, spiritual and health reasons
• How diet affects the mind
• Proper balance of the main nutrients
• Ayurvedic principles of nutrition
• Healing effects of fasting

Meditation

• Physical and mental meditation
• 12-step daily practice
• Effects of and experiences in meditation
• Mantras – spiritual energy in sound
• Mantra initiation (if desired)

Hatha Yoga

• Ethical and moral principles
• Body – prana (life energy) – mind
• From control over the body to control over the mind and meditation

Raja Yoga

• Ashtanga – the 8 steps of yoga
• Antahkarana – functions of the mind
• Concentration and meditation

Kundalini Yoga

• The Absolute and how it manifests itself in nature
• Macrocosmos & microcosmos
• The 7 Chakras
• The awakening of cosmic energy

Bhakti Yoga

• Kirtan: chanting of classical Sanskrit mantras
• Indian gods and their cosmic meaning
• Arati and Pujas (traditional Indian rituals)

Karma Yoga

• The law of cause and effect
• Samsara – the wheel of birth and death
• Karma Yoga – selfless service: one hour daily in the ashram community

Jnana Yoga

• Basic concepts of Vedanta philosophy
• The 7 Bhoomikas or planes of consciousness
• Space, time, causation
• The 3 bodies
• The 3 levels of the mind
• Conquest of death

Bhagavad Gita

• Study of both the text and the commentary of this classical yoga scripture

Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training in Austria

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The schedule is subject to change.

One day a week is lecture-free.

• The day starts at 6 am with silent, guided meditation, mantra chanting, and a short reading.
• After a short tea break, the practical yoga class begins at 8 am. In the first two weeks, you will practice the 12 basic postures and relatively easy asana variations, breathing exercises, and deep relaxation. In the second half of the course, advanced asana variations are introduced. You will learn how to adjust and perform these variations according to your physical abilities. In the last week advanced pranayama exercises are introduced.
  The goal of this daily practice is fitness, improved flexibility of muscles and joints, emotion regulation, ability to concentrate, and mental relaxation. The breathing exercises help you achieve good lung capacity, relaxation and strengthening of the nervous system.
• At 10 am a fully organic and freshly prepared brunch awaits you. It consists of: A grain dish, legumes, vegetables, a variety of salads and dressings, herb tea, homemade bread, and butter, cheese, fruits, and homemade jam. The hotel offers vegan and gluten-free alternatives, however gluten-free bread is not offered. The hotel cannot cater to individual dietary wishes.
• In the theory unit at noon you will learn the technique and practice of meditation and mantra chanting. The main focus lies in a solid introduction to the Bhagavad Gita, the classical yoga text about the synthesis of the most important yoga paths.
• The main lecture begins at 2 pm, in which the different paths of yoga, the goal of yoga, and the natural unity of physiology, psychology, and philosophy of yoga are explained. These lectures open up many new perspectives for one’s own practice and yoga teaching and broadens one’s understanding of yoga as an integral lifestyle.
• In the afternoon you will learn teaching techniques, for beginners and intermediate levels. In the second half of the training, the participants teach each other under guidance.
• Dinner is at 6 pm and usually consists of soup, grains or pasta, vegetables, a variety of salads, dessert and tea.
• The evening meditation rounds off the day. Silent meditation, group mantra chanting, and a short reading relax the mind and fill it with positivity, helping to ensure a good night’s sleep. Occasionally cultural programmes are offered during evening satsangs.
• Each week there is a day free of lectures. On this day students are required to attend morning and evening satsang. The asana classes are optional. During their free time, students can explore the vicinity or enjoy trips to places of interest.

Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training in Austria

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