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The tradition
Sivananda
of Yoga Vedanta
The founders of the Sivananda tradition
Swami Sivananda (1887-1963)
A great sage of modern India, his teachings are the inspiration for the International Sivananda Vedanta Yoga Centres.
After a career as a doctor, he renounced the world to dedicate himself to yoga and intense meditation, establishing the Sivananda Yoga Ashrams and Divine Life Society in Rishikesh, in the Himalayas. A prolific author, he published over 200 books, conveying all aspects of yoga and its philosophy in a simple and accessible way.
Swami Sivananda is one of the key figures in the spread of Yoga: he was the first to open his teachings to women and non-Indians. In his ashram, he trained many remarkable disciples. In 1957, he sent one of them, Swami Vishnudevananda, to teach yoga in the West.
Swami Vishnudevananda (1927-1993)
A direct disciple of Swami Sivananda for 12 years, Swami Vishnudevananda was sent to the West in 1957 to spread the teachings of yoga. He founded the Sivananda International Yoga Vedanta Centers in numerous cities around the world. A dynamic master of hatha and raja yoga, he taught these disciplines in their purest form.
In 1969, he created the first yoga teacher training program, an innovative program that has become a global benchmark for yoga teaching.
A tireless worker for world peace, he traveled to many conflict zones to bring a message of hope.
The 5 principles of the Sivananda tradition
The Sivananda tradition of Yoga Vedanta offers a holistic approach to yoga based on five essential principles. These principles harmonize the body, mind, and spirit, going far beyond the mere practice of postures.
1. The correct exercise — Asana
The postures maintain the body's flexibility, strength, and balance. Practiced mindfully and without striving for performance, they also prepare the body and mind for introspection.
2. Correct breathing — Prāṇāyāma
Breathwork helps to better regulate and control prāṇa, the vital energy. It promotes concentration, calms the mind, and balances energy.
3. Proper relaxation — Śavāsana
Conscious relaxation allows the body and nervous system to deeply release tension. It helps to conserve and restore energy rather than dispersing it unnecessarily.
4. The right diet — vegetarian (sattvic)
A simple, natural, and vegetarian diet is traditionally preferred. It aims to nourish the body while promoting clarity, balance, and an inner state conducive to the practice of yoga.
5. Positive thinking and meditation — Vedanta & Dhyana
The study of Vedanta, self-knowledge, and meditation gradually calm the mind and allow us to transcend identification with our thoughts. Yoga then becomes a path to inner knowledge and self-realization.
These five principles form a whole: taking care of the body, mastering energy, calming the mind and gradually discovering our true nature.
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