Yogi Ashokananda

Yogi Ashokananda

Introducing Yogi Ashokananda, a luminary in the realms of Yoga, Meditation, and Spirituality. His life’s journey has been dedicated to serving humanity, generously sharing his vast reservoir of wisdom and experience with all seekers of deeper understanding. Hailing from the spiritual epicenter of India, Yogi Ashokananda’s immersion in yoga began under the tutelage of his grandfather during his formative years.

Guided by an unbroken lineage of Indian masters and siddhas, he meticulously crafted his own distinctive styles of yoga and meditation firmly rooted in ancient Indian tradition. Now he teaches a number of his own profound disciplines and insights which have their roots in ancient, sacred Indian tradition.

Biography

Raised in India, Yogi Ashokananda was fortunate to develop his teaching experience and education of yoga under great Indian masters and siddhas, including his Grandfather as his 1st teacher. The Gurukul style of learning with the masters, influenced his experience and inspiration to develop his own profound yoga & meditation disciplines and insights with roots in the ancient, sacred Indian tradition, namely Himalayan Hatha Yoga, Prana Kriya Yoga, ATMA Meditation & Science of Relaxation.

After many teaching years in India and at the advice of his guru, Yogi moved to the U.K. and began teaching these practices outside India. He founded two charities focusing on humanitarian causes in the UK & India, and the Yogi Ashokananda School, Yoga & Meditation Academy for all levels of learning and ability, for self practice and to teach others.

Today, mainly based in the UK, he teaches globally. He incorporates these specific practices in his daily life, while helping others to achieve the same. As an eternal student, he continues to learn from all his students and is open to new experiences.

Philosophy and Teachings

Yogi Ashokananda  is the founder of Himalayan Hatha Yoga and Prana Kriya Yoga, practices that reflect his strong respect for yoga as a complete holistic system in itself and which are based on ancient, traditional principles. His yoga is strong yet supportive and works through the entire body, cleansing and revitalising through special sequencing with a combination of sukshyam vyayam (subtle energy body exercise).

With a vast experience of meditation, Yogi has established some of the most simple and effective meditation techniques to accept, transform and embrace the material and spiritual aspects of ourselves. These include The Power of Relaxation active meditation and Atma Kriya Meditation as well as having developed and taught his own practices of Kriya, Tantra and Kundalini Meditations.

Yogi sees the journey of yoga and meditation as one that allows you to see all of yourself; his philosophy of “without engaging the vehicle, you cannot make any journey” applies to the engagement of the physical, emotional, mental and psychological aspects of oneself through his practices of yoga and meditation. The spirit or soul, he says, does not need healing as it is already whole and complete; it is the consciousness, the awareness around the soul and the mind which yoga and meditation can help to clear giving you access to the spirit or soul. The aim of the practices is to bring you to the centre of yourself so that you can transform yourself and your life from this authentic place within you.  

Yogi Ashokananda’s desire to teach yoga sprang from wanting to understand and experience the truth of yoga for himself, in his own life, and then assist others, whether it be for greater fitness and vitality, or to embrace themselves and their lives on a deeper, more profound and joyful level. Yoga is scientifically proven to positively ease a variety of conditions, physical, emotional and spiritual, including anxiety, depression, back pain and hypertension.

Yogi Ashokananda’s understanding and discovery is that yoga is a paradox. While he believes that it brings one to unity, really it brings about separation. Many people believe that by practising yoga (as in asanas) they will achieve unity of themselves. The journey of Yoga can be challenging, confronting and uncomfortable as it helps you to see how you have separated yourself, within your own body and mind. That separation leads you back to unity with yourself and with God. Yoga is a realisation of freedom, yoga is a realisation of yourself, enabling you to hold and contain the awareness of both your individual self with your greater Self. Eventually only one will exist, either you or the Higher Self.

Yogi Ashokananda spent many years in India learning, exploring and developing what he has found to be the most simple, beneficial forms and techniques of meditation. He believes that meditation is one of the most powerful and subtle ways of getting to know oneself, and to understand who are we.  This exploration of the self helps one to explore the depth and subtleties of both our human self and our spiritual self – known as “swadharma” – finding the centre of yourself, your self religion.

His approach to the origins of yoga and meditation is grounded and down to earth, based on beginning with embracing the human self and all that entails. This can help you return to a place within you which is both magical and also very real. When you re-discover this place, your life will change around you as your perception shifts and you see through new eyes. It is not about running away from yourself or creating a fantasy, it is in fact the opposite; it is based on staying with yourself, on every level and with every aspect of your physical body as well as your emotional and psychological self. Yogi Ashokananda’s philosophy and practical methods combine both mystery and attainability and evoke a sense of the jewel like quality of mysticism which is totally relatable to modern society and the lives we all lead today.  

Notable Contributions

Books: He made a great contribution to the realm of spiritual literature with his writings. His book "The Power of Relaxation: Align Your Body, Your Mind, and Your Life Through Meditation", which explores the transforming potential of meditation and its function in holistic well-being, is one of his most well-known creations.

DVDs: A number of his lectures have been visually filmed, with "Power Yoga & Kriya Yoga by Yogi Ashokananda" being one of the most popular. This enables practitioners to see and immediately absorb his techniques.

Digital platforms: Yogi Ashokananda has made his teachings accessible on Amazon Prime Video in an effort to broaden his audience. Both newcomers and seasoned practitioners can benefit from the titles "Beginner's Flow AM: Solar Yoga with Yogi Ashokananda" and "PM: Lunar: Restorative Flow Yoga - Yogi Ashokananda," which are both very popular.

Retreats: Yogi Ashokananda hosts Yoga& Meditation retreats in some of the most serene and inspiring locations worldwide, from the tranquil landscapes of Europe to the sacred surroundings of India.

Master Classes & Workshops: Yogi Ashokananda’s workshops foster self-awareness, healing, and insight, equipping you with practical knowledge and tools to nurture your well-being.

Self-Development & Teachers Training Courses: The Yogiville Gurukul diverse curriculum includes Teachers’ Training, Self-Development Courses and course modules for advanced study

Projects & Vision

Yogiville Gurukul: Yogiville Gurukul, established in 2003 and led by Yogi Ashokananda, provides the system for the student to learn from their Teacher through observation, lecture, immersion, and experience as in the ancient education model. The Yogiville Gurukul is a centre for excellence in higher learning for yoga, meditation and spiritual philosophy. The fundamental aspects of Yogiville Gurukul are of upholding the ancient, original, authentic principles of yoga and meditation as both an art and science.

Yogiville Gurukul provides the system for the student to learn from their Teacher through observation, lecture, immersion, and experience as in the ancient education model. Yogiville Gurukul invites Schools of authentic Vedic, holistic and complementary health studies and traditions to join Yogiville Gurukul.

Yogiville Life Retreats: Yogiville is a concept based experience, to help achieve balance and harmony between the mind, body, and spirit. Yogiville locations in India & Croatia are truly self-sustaining, beautiful, and natural sanctuaries where rejuvenation, exploration and relaxation can be enjoyed in a harmonious environment. They are places and concepts, to help achieve balance and harmony between the mind, body, and spirit, both individually and in relationship with the world around us.

Investment in Community

As well as teaching around the world, Yogi Ashokananda founded the Indian registered charity, Yogi Ashokananda Foundation in 2013 and the UK based charity Ashok Tree Foundation in 2014. Ashok Tree Foundation is committed promoting sustainable advancement in education, healthcare, and social well-being.

The Sita Devi School was established in 2008 by Yogi Ashokananda and is now managed by the Yogi Ashokananda Foundation.  The school provides a primary school education in the village of Paliapattu, Tamil Nadu India to students aged 4-10. Meditation and Yoga are core to its curriculum.

Yogi Ashokananda left behind a legacy that inspires and directs innumerable people all over the world by fusing spirituality with societal improvement.

This article "Yogi Ashokananda" is from Simple English Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Yogi Ashokananda.

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