Swami Satchidananda was born on December 22nd in 1914 in South India. From the time he was a little boy, he was deeply spiritual. Even as a young child, his devotion to God was strong, and he viewed people of all castes and faiths with an equal eye, recognizing the same light within every person.
When he lost his young wife, he turned his attention to full time spiritual practice and studying with many great spiritual masters, including Sri Ramana Maharshi and Sri Aurobindo. In 1949, he met his Guru—His Holiness Sri Swami Sivanandaji of the Divine Life Society, Rishikesh. He received initiation into monkhood from his spiritual master and was given the name Swami Satchidananda.
Thus began a new level of dynamic service for Swami Satchidananda. Sri Swami Sivanandaji sent him to serve in various parts of India and Sri Lanka. That led to his service in many other countries, and eventually—at the insistence of his many American students—to his moving to the United States, as well as to the founding of Satchidananda Ashram—Yogaville, Virginia and Integral Yoga Institutes and centers around the world.
The teachings of Swami Satchidananda have now spread into the mainstream and thousands of people teach Yoga. Integral Yoga is the foundation for Dr. Dean Ornish’s landmark work in reversing heart disease, Dr. Michael Lerner’s Commonweal Cancer Help program, Sonia Sumar’s Yoga for the Special Child program, and many more. One of the earliest Yoga teacher training programs was established by the Integral Yoga organization, and Integral Yoga is one of the founders of the Yoga Alliance.
Swami Satchidananda’s message emphasized harmony among people of all races and faiths. His motto was: “Truth is One, Paths are Many.” He believed that we are all one in spirit and once we have found that spirit within ourselves, we will always recognize it in others. Then, we truly have the power to help heal the world. Swami Satchidananda exemplified these teachings. His beautiful message is that we, too, can exemplify them.
Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville serves as international headquarters for Integral Yoga International. A focal point of Yogaville is the Light Of Truth Universal Shrine (www.lotus.org). This unique interfaith shrine honors the spirit that unites all the world religions, while celebrating their diversity.
Swami Satchidananda dedicated his life to the cause of peace—both individual and universal—and to unity and harmony among all people. Not limited to any one organization, religion or country, Sri Swami Satchidananda received invitations for over fifty years from around the world to speak about the way to peace. He served on the advisory boards numerous Yoga, interfaith, and world peace organizations.
Swami Satchidananda received wide recognition for his public service including, the Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Award, the Juliet Hollister Interfaith Award, and the U Thant Peace Award. On the occasion of his birth centennial in 2014, he was posthumously honored with the James Parks Morton Interfaith Award by the Interfaith Center of New York.
Swami Satchidananda is the author of many books on Yoga and is the subject of the documentary, “Living Yoga: The life and teachings of Swami Satchidananda.” In 2002, he entered Mahasamadhi (a God-realized soul’s final exit from the body). Continuing his inspiration, Integral Yoga centers and teachers around the globe offer classes and training programs in all aspects of Integral Yoga.
For more information, www.swamisatchidananda.org and www.integralyoga.org
SPAIN
ONYOM - LITTLE MIRACLES
Little Miracles - Onyom is a section of SIS dedicated to helping families and carers of children with Special Needs.
Often parents need to work harder to meet these additional financial constraints. Ironically, this happens at a time when there is also much more support needed at home and often one parent needs to stop working to become a full time carer.
SIS has donated to special needs projects in India, Romania, Spain and Portugal and continues to offer support where needed.
SIS in collaboration with AEPMI ( Association for Patients with Mitochondrial Disease, Mito ) - 'Energy For Life' hosted a Charity Dinner to increase awareness & raise funds for research into Mitochondrial disease in children and adults.
The amount raised for the night was a superb €29,500 - which firmly allows us to initiate the Mitochondrial Disease National Clinical Register for Spain. Our volunteers have already been busy liaising with the Italian Health Service to co-ordinate the transfer of the necessary software to help establish the technical transfer.
Little Miracles has been set up to help in a number of ways:
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Working with other associations to help to provide necessities (such as the seat belts)
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Financial help for those requiring immediate medical attention, yet cannot afford the cost of the treatment
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Financial help for those requiring specialist equipment that may not be provided by the state
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Training and Development for parents and therapists, to ensure that the children get the best possible therapy and to help parents with day to day living
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Aiding the integration of special needs kids into schools and nurseries and ensuring that the support required is available
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The sky is the limit though and the long-term vision is to build a school for children with special needs.
LITTLE MIRACLES - ENERGY FOR LIFE TALIA"S STORY
HOGAR BETANIA
Hogar Betania, a residential shelter for homeless adults and their babies and children, of Caritas of La Linea de La Concepcion
The current crisis in Spanish society gravely affects the most vulnerable in the community, those socially excluded.
This centre was founded in 1992 as a hostel for those suffering social problems. The homeless were taken in with dinner and a place to sleep offered from 7pm overnight to 8am. The rest of the day the homeless would be out loitering on the streets at the mercy of bad weather, and the disregard of other people, with little hope of being able to change their lives. The centre could only cope with meeting the most basic needs and the rule then, was support for a maximum of 3 days.
In 2009 the hostel services were extended to support any person regardless of origin, religion or sex, attending on a daily basis to on average 40 adults/ children on the street.
HELP SAVE HOMELESS SHELTER BY DONATING €10 PER MONTH
Register your membership at www.hogarbetania.es
ADOPTED FAMILY IN SEVILLE
The parents are unable to work as all three children a have mitochondria disease. The disease did not show up until these children were in their first three years.
They all live in a tiny home with five sharing one room . SIS has raised enough funds to build them an extension so they can have some space to move! Their shower was in the sitting room.
We are also paying for therapies and AKIN paying to get them some home help.
They are truly grateful. The children are always smiling and joyful despite their problems.