H. H. Sri Swami Sivananda
Born in 1887, Swami Sivananda was a great yogi and sage who devoted his life to the service of humanity and the study of Vedanta. His teachings can be summed up in the six simple commands of “Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate, Realise” To serve all, love all, associate all and see God in all were the ideals he not merely taught but also lived by.

This great Indian master trained and worked as a doctor of medicine before renouncing the world and adopting the spiritual path. During this time he published over 300 books, pamphlets and journals bringing the authority of his medical background to bear on the teachings of yoga, while explaining the most complex philosophical subjects in simple, straightforward terms.

Besides establishing an Ashram and a Yoga Academy, Swami Sivananda founded the Divine Life Society in 1935, dedicated to spread the ideals of truth, purity, non-violence and self-realization. At his Ashram in Rishikesh, he trained many exceptional disciples in path of yoga and Vedanta, including Swami Vishnu-devananda. It was he who was chosen by Swami Sivananda to spread the practice of yoga in the West.


Swami Vishnu-devananda
Swami Vishnu-devananda traveled for several years throughout the United States, lecturing on yoga and its benefits as well as demonstrating yoga asanas. Then he established an international network of Sivananda Yoga Centers and Ashrams. As well as being one of the pioneer advocates of Raja and Hatha Yoga in the western world, Swami Vishnu-devananda was actively dedicated to the cause of peace and universal brotherhood.

A teacher of great personal dynamism, Swami Vishnu-devananda inspired thousands of students both through his writings as well as a living example of the benefits of a yogic lifestyle. He was successful in spreading the yogic teaching of his Guru both within India and overseas. Swami Vishnu-devananda with his keen intellect spent time closely observing and identifying the shortcomings of the western lifestyle. He then formulated a comprehensive synthesis of the ancient wisdom of yoga and the understanding he gained from his observations. It was only then that he introduced to the western world a style of yoga that could be easily assimilated into ones regular pattern of living which would proved a good foundation for a long and healthy life.