Our Center
Our approach is rooted in Raja Yoga, an integrated, scientific, experiential path grounded in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and the living Himalayan Tradition.
An integrated, scientific approach
Our approach at the Meditation Center follows the insights of great Indian scholar and sage Patanjali, who systematized this knowledge as Raja Yoga. The source of our practices and teachings is the Himalayan Tradition, brought to the West by H.H. Sri Swami Rama of the Himalayas and established at TMC by Swami Veda Bharati. At TMC, we invite all to explore meditation, hatha yoga, philosophy, lifestyle and wellness topics, community, and more.
What students learn
- Physical stretches and yoga postures
- Efficient, effective breathing
- Control of the senses
- Enhanced concentration
- Relaxation techniques
- Cultivation of healthy habits and enriched relationships
- Higher stages of meditation
Yoga is a journey of the self, through the self, to the Self.
– Swami Veda Bharati
Our board
TMC Board of Directors
The board of directors at the Meditation Center supports the mission of sharing the Himalayan Yoga Meditation Tradition by providing thoughtful leadership, stewardship, and long‑term vision. Drawing on diverse professional and personal backgrounds, board members help guide the center’s programs, nurture its community life, and ensure that its resources are used in ways that reflect the values of integrity, service, and inner growth.
Our Teachers
TMC Teachers
Our teachers serve as dedicated guides to the Himalayan Yoga Meditation Tradition, sharing its practices in a grounded, accessible way. With different backgrounds and years of personal study, they offer instruction in meditation, hatha yoga, philosophy, and lifestyle practices with an emphasis on clarity, compassion, and practicality. TMC teachers help students connect the teachings with their own lived experience, creating a welcoming environment for all.
Begin where you are
New students typically start with Meditation I or our gentle hatha yoga classes, then build a personal practice from there.
More than five decades in Northeast Minneapolis
The Meditation Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was founded in 1972 through the direction of Dr. Usharbudh Arya, later known as Swami Veda Bharati, whose work as a Sanskrit professor at the University of Minnesota helped shape its early life. In collaboration with H.H. Sri Swami Rama of the Himalayas, he established the center as a place for meditation, study, and inner growth within the Himalayan Yoga Meditation Tradition. From the beginning, the center reflected Swami Veda Bharati’s lifelong devotion to classical learning, meditation, and the direct transformation of mind and consciousness.
Over the years, the center has remained committed to preserving the authenticity of this tradition while making its teachings accessible to contemporary practitioners. Through classes, retreats, community gatherings, and ongoing guidance, it continues to support a path of self-discipline, self-awareness, and compassionate living. In this way, the Meditation Center serves not only as a place of learning, but as a community grounded in the timeless aim of the Himalayan Tradition: the realization of inner stillness and the unfolding of human consciousness.