Hybrid Thursday Satsang In Person Viewing at TMC and via Zoom - Path of Fire & Light: 'Package Deal' continued with Gary Gran, CYT, DAy - November 9, 2023
2023-11-09 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
Hybrid Thursday Satsang In Person Viewing at TMC and via Zoom – November 9, 2023
“Path of Fire & Light: ‘From the Beginning’ “
with Gary Gran CYT, DAy
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Michael Snodgrass
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation by Swami Ma Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: Path of Fire & Light: ‘From the Beginning’ “
with Gary Gran CYT, DAy
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks

Swami Rama taught the first of several “Path of Fire & Light” seminars from July 24-31, 1986, in Honesdale, PA. There were eight full days of lectures and workshops given in support of the book “Path of Fire & Light: Advanced Practices of Yoga”, the first of two volumes on the subject. Swami Rama called the first volume ‘an encyclopedia of yoga.’ In his series of lectures, he gave a systematic account of all the teachings known as the path of fire & light. Please join us as we share the contents of his first four lectures. On December 7th, we will detail the last four lectures. There will be plenty of quotes from Swamiji to inspire us. All are welcome.
Gary Gran, CYT, DAy. was in attendance at the seminar and will be sharing the teachings from his personal notes. He and his wife Cynthia have been treading the Himalayan path since the late 1970s. They met at the old Glenview Center in Illinois and have served the tradition in various capacities over the years. They are both certified yoga teachers and Ayurvedic educators. They have published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. They are currently residing in Tucson, Arizona where they enjoy desert gardening, cooking and hiking.

Thursday Satsang In Person and via Zoom:“Remembrance of the Mahasamadhi of H.H.S. Swami Rama of the Himalayas” November 16, 2023
2023-11-16 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person and via Zoom – November 16, 2023
“Remembrance of the Mahasamadhi of H.H.S. Swami Rama of the Himalayas”

New Time – 5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Susan Guthrie
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Swami Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: Commemoration of Māhasamadhi of H.H.S. Swami Rama
8:30 p.m.: Recording of Swami Rama chanting AUM
8:40 p.m.: Snacks

H.H.S. Swami Rama of the Himalayas left his body on November 13, 1996. Please join us on Thursday, November 16, 2023 for a celebration and memorial of the life and teachings of this great master from The Himalayan Yoga Tradition. H.H.S. Swami Rama was a yogi, scientist, researcher, writer, and humanitarian

27th Anniversary
H.H.S. Swami Rama’s Māhasamadhi
November 13, 1996

“In 1996, this fully enlightened Master and representative of the ancient lineage of yogis left his body. His memorial today is in the hearts of his disciples and students who carry his work. He is most remembered for his great love for all and the magnetic power of his spirit, such that as he walked, one felt pulled to follow behind him. The full impact of his legacy will be
realized perhaps in a century.”

Om
Gurave namaḥ.
Parama-gurave namaḥ.
Parameṣhṭhi-gurave namaḥ.
Paramparā-gurubhyo namaḥ.

~ Swami Veda Bharati ~
from Swami Veda’s Blog

Program Schedule
This year, we celebrate the 27th anniversary of Swami Rama’s MahaSamadhi. Gurudev left his body on November 13, 1996 in his apartment at the HIHT campus. He was surrounded by his close disciples. A special program (in person and via Zoom) for Thursday’s gathering will be presented.

Please join Swami Radha, Emilio Bettaglio, and Chris Young for a special Swami Rama Mahasamadhi celebration on Thursday evening. After a guided meditation by Swami Radha, there will be a flower Havan with the following sankalpa:

An expression of deepest gratitude for Swami Rama’s presence in our lives, for the Guru lineage and wisdom, and for the oral tradition.
Havan Program:

Purification and Sankalpa
11 Recitations of Ganapati Mantra
108 Recitations of Akhanda Mandala
3 Recitations of OM Shreem Gurave Namaha
1 Recitation of Purna Ahuti

Read the mantras here.
After the Havan, a video entitled “Portrait of a Himalayan Master” will be played, followed by recordings of Swami Rama reciting the poem “At Thy Lotus Feet,” and then Gurudev Swami Rama chanting “Guru Brahma.”
There will be a few minutes of time for community sharing of thoughts / memories of Swami Rama.
Join The Meditation Center Community either in person or via Zoom on November 16th, to remember and honor the life and work of H.H.S. Swami Rama

On the First Maha-Samadhi Anniversary of H.H. Swami Rama

Published: 13 November 2015 | Written by Swami Veda Bharati

On the First Maha-Samadhi Anniversary of H.H. Swami Rama
Phone Address by Swami Veda
The Meditation Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
November 2, 1997
OM! OM! OM!
The days become sacred when a sacred being imparts a special grace or energy to the forces in the universe. All the annual cycles of celebration and commemorations are built around those occasions. In our present day society and thinking, the human being is no longer a unit in the universe; he views himself as something outside the universe, trying to control the universe as an outsider. This view is incorrect, we are part of the universe, the energy and life that flows through us is the same one through whose rhythms and waves, all the planets, stars, constellations, breath patterns, respond. That enlightenment is not an individual event; it is a cosmic or ultra-cosmic event. The coming into body of a sacred being, an enlightened being, also is not an individual event. It is not something over which only the immediate physical relatives rejoice; it is something of universal importance. It is a universal event. It is beyond the category of the birth of planets. It is said that when an enlightened being sits for his final enlightenment session all the saints, past Buddhas, and enlightened ones attend upon him. And thereafter, his rhythms are not the rhythms of an individual. Those of us who were fortunate to see the Master walking, who recall at times walking with him and feeling as though we paced together with the universal force, with some unseen, unknown magnet – those of us who experienced that phenomenon will never forget it, because it was not an individual but the condensation, the convergence of an unknown number of universal forces passing through that particular space, time, matter coordinate that we call an individual.
I’ve said, “The days become sacred.” Those of us who have been taught to be in tune, even to a minor degree, to be attuned to those rhythms, to the beat to which a master walks, find that on those sacred days, certain special waves touch us. These are not the waves of a physical energy, but rather something happens within the consciousness. We do not realize that it is all synchronized, that the events of consciousness are synchronized with the events in the universe. Or rather, to put it more correctly, the events in the universe are projections of the events in consciousness… (an excerpt)

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing Only: "Ayurvedic Study Group: Teachings on Herbs and Medicinals" with Gary Gran DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP on November 30, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CDT
2023-11-30 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC – November 30, 2023
“Ayurvedic Study Group: Teachings on Herbs and Medicinals”
with Gary Gran DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CDT
6:00-7:00 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Michael Snodgrass

7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Swami Radha Bharati

7:30-8:30 p.m.: “Ayurvedic Study Group: Teachings on Herbs and Medicinals”
with Gary Gran, CYT, DAy. and Cynthia Gran DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP

8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

8:40 p.m. – Snacks

Please join us for the next meeting of our Ayurvedic study group. Attendance at prior meetings is not required. All are welcome.
For this class, we’ll review some key concepts from Chapter 1 of the CharakaSamhita as we delve into the all important sutras on the use of herbs and medicinals to restore and maintain good health.
This session will conclude our study of the first four chapters of Charaka on Longevity. Next year we’ll begin a new section called “On the Preservation of Health.”
Please bring your ‘beginner’s mind’ and join us as we listen deeply and reflect on the words of the sages.

“May we live happily and healthily for 100 autumns,
and see each other with love and respect for 100 years.”
-Atharva Veda

Gary and Cynthia Gran have been treading the Himalayan path since the late 1970s. They met at the old Glenview Center in Illinois and have served the tradition in various capacities over the years. They are both certified yoga teachers and Ayurvedic educators. They have published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. They are once again enjoying desert gardening, cooking and hiking at their home in Tucson, Arizona.
Gary Gran, DAy. CYT
Cynthia Gran, DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP

Gary’s blog is ayurvedalessons.com.

Hybrid Thursday Satsang In Person Viewing at TMC and via Zoom - Path of Fire & Light: 'From the Beginning' Last Four Lectures continued with Gary Gran, CYT, DAy - December 7, 2023
2023-12-07 19:00 - 20:30
Hybrid Thursday Satsang In Person Viewing at TMC and via Zoom – November 9, 2023
“Path of Fire & Light: ‘From the Beginning’ ” Last Four Lectures
with Gary Gran CYT, DAy
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Michael Snodgrass
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation by Swami Ma Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: Path of Fire & Light: ‘From the Beginning’ ” Last Four Lectures
with Gary Gran CYT, DAy
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks

Swami Rama taught the first of several “Path of Fire & Light” seminars from July 24-31, 1986, in Honesdale, PA. There were eight full days of lectures and workshops given in support of the book “Path of Fire & Light: Advanced Practices of Yoga”, the first of two volumes on the subject. Swami Rama called the first volume ‘an encyclopedia of yoga.’ In his series of lectures, he gave a systematic account of all the teachings known as the path of fire & light. Please join us as we share the contents of his first four lectures. On December 7th, we will detail the last four lectures. There will be plenty of quotes from Swamiji to inspire us. All are welcome.
Gary Gran, CYT, DAy. was in attendance at the seminar and will be sharing the teachings from his personal notes. He and his wife Cynthia have been treading the Himalayan path since the late 1970s. They met at the old Glenview Center in Illinois and have served the tradition in various capacities over the years. They are both certified yoga teachers and Ayurvedic educators. They have published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. They are currently residing in Tucson, Arizona where they enjoy desert gardening, cooking and hiking.

Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom: The Meditation Center's Holiday Program 2023, "Celebration of the Season of Silence, Light, and Hope" December 14, 2023
2023-12-14 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom
December 14, 2023
The Meditation Center’s Holiday Program 2023
“Celebration of the Season of Silence, Light, and Hope”
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Holiday Program Schedule
5:30-6:45p.m. No Hatha Yoga Drop-In Class Tonight
7:00-7:30 p.m. “Meditation on Light” guided by Swami Ma Radha Bharati
7:30-7:45 p.m. Welcome Message and Annual Board of Directors Report by Sunita Gangopadhyay
7:45-7:50 p.m. Lighting of the Menorah on the Last Night of Hanukkah
with Daniel Hertz and Nikki Strong
7:50 -8:00 p.m. Music by Chris Young
8:00 -8:05 p.m. Eric Ness Reading Swami Ritavan’s Holiday Message 2023
8:05-8:30p.m. Spiral of Light Candle Lighting Ceremony Accompanied with Music by Chris Young
8:30 p.m. Chris Young and Community Singing Silent Night
Read here the lyrics of “Silent Night”
8:40 Vegan Soup by Paul Emerson and Trimmings
If you can, please bring a savory dish or a sweet to share with the community.

Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom: "What is Mauna Amavasya on February's New Moon Day" with Swami Ma Radha Bharati and Emilio Bettaglio, February 8, 2024 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
2024-02-08 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom – February 8, 2024
“What is Mauna Amavasya on February’s New Moon Day”
with Swami Ma Radha Bharati and Emilio Bettaglio
7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Sunita Gangopadhyay
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Swami Ma Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: “What is Mauna Amavasya on February’s New Moon Day
with Swami Ma Radha Bharati and Emilio Bettaglio
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks
We are continuing with the spiritual theme of Silence for the month of February 2024, Join Swami Ma Radha and Emilio as they discuss the practice of silence called “Mauna Amavasya” during the new moon day of February 2024.
Swami Radha and Emilio will read more passages from Swami Veda’s profound writings on silence. Between readings we will show the last three 2007 Dunrovin video clips of Swami Veda speaking on the topic of silence and its purpose.
There will be time for discussion. Bring your questions on Thursday regarding the practice of silence that you always wanted to ask.

Mauna Amavasya (Silence Day) is an annual observance. The observation of Silence Day is a practice that Swami Veda Bharati invited us to practice.

Swami Veda has said – “…I would like many of my friends to set aside at least one day to share the silence with me just as you have shared the full moon day for an hour each month for more than a decade now.

If you plan from now, you can arrange your worldly affairs in such a way that they do not interfere with your one-day vow of silence.

On that day, no driving (except for emergencies), no TV, no conversation, just self-observation, contemplation, japa and learning (1) to give love in silence while (2) learning to love silence.”

By way of this period of mauna and reflection, please read and listen to this short address given by Swami Veda in 2010 in California. Such a reminder will return you to the innocence and purity of stillness and silence. Honor that sentiment of love this week, and receive the blessings of the Lineage, with gratitude, srb.

Message from “Mauna Amavasya, Silence Day – February 11, 2021.” Courtesy of AHYMSIN.org

______________________________

“Oneness in Silence”
Asilomar-Contemplative Alliance Conference
Monterey, California – October 11, 2010
Swami Veda Bharati
(an excerpt)

“…In such silence a field of divine unity is experienced which is not a unification of many parts but parts exist in that one infinite field. For thousands of years many traditions have taught systematic methods as to how to enter this interior ekanta, solitudinous silence.

In my ashram we have people who do ten days of silence, forty days of silence, ninety days of silence, but it is done methodically, and is scientifically guided. In that silence sooner or later the true face of God makes its appearance. It is not a face with features. It may be, as described by Arjuna, the light of ten thousand suns shining simultaneously in the sky.

In our interior sky which is more minute than the minutest atomic particle, and, more expansive than all the expansive space. All within us becomes filled with that light, with that noor, with that jyotih of which the Vedas have recited, of which the “Quran” has spoken, of which the Christian saints have sung hymns and psalms…”

Read or listen to the entire talk here.

Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and Via Zoom: "An Evening of Spiritual Music with Chris Young, "Songs Dancing into Silence" - February 15, 2024, 7:00- 8:30 p.m. CST
2024-02-15 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and Via Zoom – February 15, 2024
An Evening of Spiritual Music with Chris Young
“Songs Dancing into Silence”
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CST

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Susan Guthrie
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Meditation Guided by Swami Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: Special Spiritual Music with Chris Young “Songs Dancing into Silence”
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks
The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between.
~ Mozart~
Hushhhhh…Listen! Did you hear the music in the last space?
~Swami Veda Bharati~
Join Chris in this evening of spiritual music, it being an opportunity, a vehicle, to receive an experience of Beauty; a time to drop the worry and the hurry, set aside the intellect, and simply be… with people who are beautiful, in a setting that is beautiful, and with beautiful music.

“Kirtan is a spiritual practice that originated in India centuries ago. The word “kirtan” means singing, chanting, and praising the Divine. It is a sacred practice anyone can do; no special training is required. The music does the work for you, carrying you to a state of tremendous joy and mental clarity…

…But the most important instrument in kirtan is the voice,’There is a sacredness in everyone’s voice. It is like hearing your own soul’, shares Milwaukee-based kirtan wallah Ragani. who leads one of the largest ongoing monthly kirtan events in North America. Your voice comes from within; it is uniquely yours. Unlike an instrument which acts on you, emanating from the outside in, the voice acts internally, emanating from the inside out. When you sing kirtan, you can literally feel the sound resonating inside you. ‘massaging’ your inner organs with sacred mantras…”
(Kirtan! Chanting as a Spiritual Path, pages 7 and 9)

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing Only: "Ayurvedic Study Group: On the Preservation of Health" with Gary Gran DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP on February 22, 2024 at 7:00-8:30 p.m. CST
2024-02-22 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC – February 22, 2024
“Ayurvedic Study Group: On the Preservation of Health”
with Gary Gran DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CST
6:00-7:00 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Eric Ness

7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Swami Radha Bharati

7:30-8:30 p.m.: “Ayurvedic Study Group: On the Preservation of Health”
with Gary Gran, CYT, DAy. and Cynthia Gran DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP

8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

8:40 p.m. – Snacks

Please join us for the next meeting of our Ayurvedic study group. Attendance at prior meetings is not required. All are welcome.
We’ll begin a new section of the “Charaka Samhita” this evening called “On the Preservation of Health.”
Please bring your ‘beginner’s mind’ and join us as we listen deeply and reflect on the words of the sages.

“May we live happily and healthily for 100 autumns,
and see each other with love and respect for 100 years.”
-Atharva Veda

Gary and Cynthia Gran have been treading the Himalayan path since the late 1970s. They met at the old Glenview Center in Illinois and have served the tradition in various capacities over the years. They are both certified yoga teachers and Ayurvedic educators. They have published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. They are once again enjoying desert gardening, cooking and hiking at their home in Tucson, Arizona.
Gary Gran, DAy. CYT
Cynthia Gran, DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP

Gary’s blog is ayurvedalessons.com.

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Zoom Viewing: "How Destiny Brought Me to Meet Swami Veda, He was then Dr. Arya)” with Randall Krause- February 29, 2024
2024-02-29 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Zoom Viewing at TMC – February 29, 2024
“How Destiny Brought Me to Meet Swami Veda, He was then Dr. Arya)”
with Randall Krause
7:00-8:30 p.m.

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga TBD
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Swami Ma Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: “How Destiny Brought Me to Meet Swami Veda(He was then Dr. Arya)”
with Randall Krause
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks
Randall says, “I was searching and an amazing series of events led to meet my teacher. I’ll tell this tale and also relate some of what happened after that. ”
Randall is a senior teacher and senior mentor on the tradition, served Dr. Arya and Swami Veda many times, has taught for the Tradition in Europe, Asia, and North America. He considers his meeting and subsequent initiation by Dr Arya to be one of the most fortunate events in his life. Outside of yoga, Randall practiced law for many years and served as a personal coach. He is also a disciple of Master Bosco Baek of the Chen Village Tai Chi tradition. He continues to teach both yoga-meditation and tai chi.
To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here (suggested donation $15.00) for Thursday Satsang or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
Note: There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing Only: Ayurvedic Study Group: "Feeling Run Down? It's Time to Slow Down and Take Care" with Gary Gran DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP on March 21, 2024 at 7:00-8:30 p.m. CST
2024-03-21 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC – March 21, 2024
Ayurvedic Study Group: “Feeling Run Down? It’s Time to Slow Down and Take Care”
with Gary Gran, DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran, DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CDT
6:00-7:00 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Chris Young

7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Swami Radha Bharati

7:30-8:30 p.m.: Ayurvedic Study Group: Feeling Run Down? It’s Time to Slow Down and Take Care

with Gary Gran, DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran, DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP

8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

8:40 p.m. – Snacks

Please join us for the next meeting of our Ayurvedic study group. Attendance at prior meetings is not required. All are welcome.
How often do we get so caught up in our daily activities that we don’t take enough time to care for our bodies? Then we find ourselves feeling run down, or slowed by some ailment. This month we’ll share and discuss more time-tested methods for preserving our health and well-being.
Please bring your ‘beginner’s mind’ and join us as we listen deeply and reflect on the words of the sages.
“Then came a time when it hit me, and I learned my lesson.”
~ Swami Veda~

Gary and Cynthia Gran have been treading the Himalayan path since the late 1970s. They met at the old Glenview Center in Illinois and have served the tradition in various capacities over the years. They are both certified yoga teachers and Ayurvedic educators. They have published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. They are once again enjoying desert gardening, cooking and hiking at their home in Tucson, Arizona.
Gary Gran, DAy. CYT
Cynthia Gran, DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP

Gary’s blog is ayurvedalessons.com.

Hybrid Thursday Satsang In Person Viewing at TMC and via Zoom: "Commentary on the 'Book of Revelation'" with Gary Gran, CYT, DAy - March 28, 2024
2024-03-28 19:00 - 20:30
Hybrid Thursday Satsang In Person Viewing at TMC and via Zoom – March 28, 2024
“Commentary on The Book of Revelation”
with Gary Gran CYT, DAy
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Eric Ness
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation by Swami Ma Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: “Commentary on the Book of Revelation” with Gary Gran CYT, DAy
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks

The rich imagery found in the last book of the Christian Bible has been interpreted and reinterpreted over the years through many lenses, including various literal, artistic, symbolic, and spiritual interpretations.
In 1982, at the old Glenview Center of the Himalayan Institute, Swami Rama gave a powerful commentary on the text from the yogic point of view. He described the Revelation or Apocalypse of John as a complete guidebook to the spiritual journey, as one crosses the threshold from the rational mind to the unconscious mind and beyond to the eternal. It represents the highest initiation possible for mankind.
Please join us to hear the words that Swamiji spoke as we open and read from the Book of Revelation. All are welcome.
Jesus: “Those who have ears to hear, let them hear.”
Swami Rama: Revelation is “a universal revelation for humankind.”
Swami Veda: “Revelation is a parable of the spiritual journey and the process of breakthrough and transformation. The passage from one ground to the next is often accompanied by a trial or tribulation. This passage could be from waking to sleeping, waking to meditation, living to dying, or epoch to epoch…”

Gary Gran, CYT, DAy. was in attendance at the 1982 seminar and will be sharing the teachings from his personal notes. He and his wife Cynthia have been treading the Himalayan path since the late 1970s. They met at the old Glenview Center in Illinois and have served the tradition in various capacities over the years. They are both certified yoga teachers and Ayurvedic educators. They have published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. They are currently residing in Tucson, Arizona where they enjoy desert gardening, cooking and hiking.

Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom: "Self-Realization as Exemplified by the Mystics of the Western Traditions" with Dr. Stephen Parker (Stoma) PsyD, E-RYT 500 - April 4
2024-04-04 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom – April 4, 2024
An Evening with Stoma
“Self-Realization as Exemplified by the Mystics of the Western Traditions”
with Dr. Stephen Parker (Stoma) PsyD, E-RYT 500
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. CT

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Michael Snodgrass
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with with Dr. Stephen Parker (Stoma)
7:30-8:30 p.m.: “Self-Realization as Exemplified by the Mystics of the Western Traditions”
with Dr. Stephen Parker (Stoma) PsyD, E-RYT 500
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks

Join Stoma for a talk regarding self-realization among the mystics of the Western traditions (details to come).
A story from the desert fathers:
“Abba Lot came to Abba Joseph and said: Father, according as I am able, I keep my little rule, and my little fast, my prayer, meditation and contemplative silence; and, according as I am able, I strive to cleanse my heart of thoughts: now what more should I do?
The elder rose up in reply and stretched out his hands to heaven, and his fingers became like ten lamps of fire. He said: Why not become fire?”
Quotes from St. Teresa of Avila:
“It is foolish to think that we will enter heaven without entering into ourselves.”
“Let nothing disturb you, nothing frighten you, all things are passing, God is unchanging. Patience gains all; nothing is lacking to those who have God: God alone is sufficient.”
“The important thing is not to think much, but to love much.”
“It is love alone that gives worth to all things.”
Quote from Jakob Bohme:
The virtue of Love is nothing and all, or that Nothing visible out of which All Things proceed. Its power is through All Things; its height is as high as God; its greatness is as great as God.
Quote from Hildegard of Bingen:
“There is the music of Heaven in all things.”

Dr. Stephen Parker was initiated in the Himalayan Yoga tradition by Swami Veda Bharati and was given the initiate name Stoma in 1971. Among the first teachers certified by the Himalayan International Teachers’ Association, H.I.T.A., he began teaching hatha yoga in 1974. During that time he also studied Sanskrit with Swami Veda and South Asian languages and culture for his B.A. at the University of Minnesota.
Stoma is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher at the 500-hour level of the Yoga Alliance (E-RYT 500). A member of the International Association of Y.T., he serves on the faculties of the Meditation Center in Minneapolis and the Sadhaka Gram ashram in Rishikesh, India. He is also a senior faculty member of the Himalayan Yoga Tradition Teachers’ Training Program.
Stoma has been a licensed psychologist in private practice in St. Paul, MN since 1985. He also served as Adjunct Assistant School Professor of Counseling and Psychological Services at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, MN.
Dr. Parker edited volume two of Swami Veda’s definitive scholarly work on the “Yoga-Sutras of Patanjali.” He is also the author of “Clearing the Path, The Yoga Way to a Clear and Pleasant Mind: Yoga, Neuroscience and Emotion”(2017) published by AHYMSA publishers.
To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here (suggested donation $15.00) for Thursday Satsang or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
Note: There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing Only: Ayurvedic Study Group: "Time of the Season Feeling Under the Weather?" with Gary Gran DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP on April 25, 2024 at 7:00-8:30 p.m. CDT
2024-04-25 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC – April 25, 2024
Ayurvedic Study Group:
“Time of the Season Feeling Under the Weather?”
with Gary Gran DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CDT

5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Hatha Yoga with Eric Ness
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Swami Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: Ayurvedic Study Group:
“Time of the Season Feeling Under the Weather?”
with Gary Gran, DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran, DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m. – Snacks

It could be the change of the seasons, and it could be the time of the season to change your seasonings! In the fascinating 6th chapter of the Charaka Samhita, we’ll learn how the seasons are related to the seasonings, and how to harmonize ourselves with those changing seasons, with references to astrology, essential qualities, lifestyle, and, of course, food!
Please bring your ‘beginner’s mind’ and join us as we listen deeply and reflect on the words of the sages. Attendance at prior meetings is not required. All are welcome.
“Awareness of these time changes helps one to keep in touch with the flow of energy in the external and internal environments.” – Dr. Vasant Lad
“Living according to Nature’s time is the only way to remain healthy.”
– Dr. Robert Svoboda

Gary and Cynthia Gran have been treading the Himalayan path since the late 1970s. They met at the old Glenview Center in Illinois and have served the tradition in various capacities over the years. They are both certified yoga teachers and Ayurvedic educators. They have published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. They are once again enjoying desert gardening, cooking and hiking at their home in Tucson, Arizona.
Gary Gran, DAy. CYT
Cynthia Gran, DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP

Gary’s blog is ayurvedalessons.com.

Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom at TMC: "Images and Stories of My Visit to SRSG in February and March 2024 with Sunita Gangopadhyay - May 9, 2024
2024-05-09 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom at TMC – May 9, 2024
“Images and Stories of My Visit to SRSG in February and March 2024
with Sunita Gangopadhyay
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. CT
5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Hatha Yoga with Michael Snodgrass
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Meditation Guided by Swami Ma Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: “Images and Stories of My Visit to SRSG in February and March 2024
with Sunita Gangopadhyay
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks
Join Sunita Gangopadhyay for a synopsis of the events and experiences at SRSG in February and April of 2024
Sunita Gangopadhyay, President of The Meditation Center, has been associated with The Meditation Center since 2006, and was initiated in the tradition in 2011. Native of India, Sunita moved to the US in 1987 for graduate studies (Physics). She has had a keen interest in spirituality, meditation, and yoga for many years. Teachings of the Himalayan Tradition as well as Sunday Satsang with Michael Smith and Jim Nelson have immensely helped deepen her practice and navigate through a busy home and work life. Whenever she gets an opportunity, she visits the SRSG Ashram at Rishikesh, India. One of her passions is to take the learning of the tradition to a wider part of the community as well as be of greater service to the center for years ahead. Sunita is married and has two children. She was an Executive in Research and Development department of Seagate Technology.
To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here (suggested donation $15.00) for Thursday Satsang or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
Note: There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing Only: Ayurvedic Study Group with Gary Gran DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP on April 25, 2024 at 7:00-8:30 p.m. CDT
2024-05-23 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC – May 23, 2024
Ayurvedic Study Group: Time, Space & Causation:
Harmonizing Ourselves with Nature & the Cycles of Time”
with Gary Gran DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CDT

5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Hatha Yoga with Sunita Gangopadhyay
6:15-7:00 p.m. Vegan Soup Light Supper
7:00-8:00 p.m.: Ayurvedic Study Group:mTime, Space & Causation:
Harmonizing Ourselves with Nature & the Cycles of Time”
with Gary Gran, DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran, DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP
8:00-8:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Swami Radha Bharati
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m. Clean-Up and Departure after Prayers

Tradition tells us we are all subject to time, space, and causation. In this session, we’ll contemplate some verses on the nature of Time from the Atharva Veda. Then we’ll share Swami Rama’s explanation of how our minds are conditioned by time. We’ll conclude with more verses from Chapter 6 of the Charaka Samhita on how the fluctuations of time affect our health, with tips on how to stay balanced this summer!
Please bring your ‘beginner’s mind’ and join us as we listen deeply and reflect on the words of the sages. Attendance at prior meetings is not required. All are welcome.
“Time is a filter. Anything that happens goes through the filter of time.”
– Swami Rama

Gary and Cynthia Gran have been treading the Himalayan path since the late 1970s. They met at the old Glenview Center in Illinois and have served the tradition in various capacities over the years. They are both certified yoga teachers and Ayurvedic educators. They have published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. They are once again enjoying desert gardening, cooking and hiking at their home in Tucson, Arizona.
Gary Gran, DAy. CYT
Cynthia Gran, DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP

Gary’s blog is ayurvedalessons.com.

Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom: "Listening Circle" with Maja Radovanlija, Matt Rahaim, and Molly Sturges - May 30, 2024
2024-05-30 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person and via Zoom – May 23, 2024
“Listening Circle” with Maja Radovanlija, Matt Rahaim, and Molly Sturges
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. CDT

5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Hatha Yoga with Michael Snodgrass
7:00-8:00 p.m.: An Evening of Music with Maja Radovanlija, Matt Rahaim, and Molly Sturges
8:00-8:30 p.m.: Meditation Guided by Swami Ma Radha Bharati
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks

Join Maja Radovanlija, (Professor of guitar and improvisation at the University of Minnesota; Matt Rahaim (hindustani vocal music/ethnomusicologist); and Molly Sturges, ( healing centered composer/artistic director, music/sound and health researcher) for an evening of beautiful music. Come and enjoy the evening with uplifting harmony and vibrations. Come and gather…listen…listen…listen…with an open heart.

Maja Radovanlija was born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia), in 1975. She studied classical guitar for almost 20 years in Eastern Europe, Vienna and Bloomington, IN. Along the way, Maja collaborated with musicians in a variety of genres and became interested in improvised music through Balkan traditional music, jazz, intuitive free improv, and experimental music. Some of the projects and ensembles Maja works with on regular bases are Szilard Mezéi ensemble, Minneapolis Guitar Quartet, Ensemble Studio6, MM Guitar duo, Linda Chatterton-MRadovanlija guitar/flute duo, and Satu Jiwa improvised music collective. Maja’s recent projects are Jeleche trio (traditional Balkan music), and collaborations with improvisers such as Milana Zarić, Molly Sturges, and Matt Rahaim.
Matt Rahaim is a teacher, performer and student of Hindustani vocal music. He has trained in the Gwalior tradition for twenty years, first in Pune under Vikas Kashalkar, and lately under the guidance of his guru, L.K. Pandit, in Delhi. He also is Associate Professor of Music at the University of Minnesota, with affiliations in Religious Studies, Asian Languages / Literatures / Media, and Cultural Studies & Comparative Literature.
Molly Jane Sturges is a healing centered composer/artistic director, music/sound and health researcher, facilitator, educator, activist, whole health coach, and meditation teacher who has worked with individuals, organizations, and communities around the globe for over 30 years at the intersection of personal and collective healing, participatory music and arts, spirituality, healthcare, creative research, community organizing, and education. She is currently a senior researcher/faculty/artist at the University of Minnesota, a senior fellow and coaching faculty with The Center for Excellence in Public Leadership at George Washington University and artist-faculty with Minnesota’s College of Art and Design’s Creative Leadership Program where she specializes in teaching interdisciplinary creative collaboration and contemplative and creative wellbeing relational practices. Molly collaborates with individuals, communities, and organizations across the globe to co-create a care-centric, equitable, compassionate and earth-centered world. Molly is a United States Artist Fellow in Music and a founder of many creative healing activation projects including Littleglobe, Firerock: Pass The Spark, Lifesongs and Waking The Oracle. Courtesy of www.mollysturges.com
To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here (suggested donation $15.00) for Thursday Satsang or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
Note: There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Happy Summer Solstice! Thursday Satsang In Person and via Zoom: "Path of Fire & Light: Swami Rama in Illinois, 1989" with Gary Gran CYT, DAy.
2024-06-20 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person and via Zoom: – June 20, 2024
“Path of Fire & Light: Swami Rama in Illinois, 1989” with Gary Gran MBA,CYT, DAy.
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. CDT
Happy Summer Solstice!

5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Hatha Yoga
7:00-8:00 p.m.:”Path of Fire & Light: Swami Rama in Illinois, 1989 with Gary Gran MBA,CYT, DAy.
8:00-8:30 p.m.: Meditation Guided by Swami Ma Radha Bharati
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks
Every year from 1986 to 1989, Swami Rama presented a series of lectures on the Path of Fire & Light. His stated purpose in offering these seminars was to ensure that his students were well-informed on the practices of the tradition. Proceeds from these seminars helped fund the opening of the Himalayan Institute Hospital in Dehradun, India. According to the HIHT website:
“Swamiji started this project in 1989 with an outpatient clinic of only two rooms. The hospital at HIHT currently has 750 beds and is serving approximately 10 million people of Garhwal, Kumaon and adjoining areas.”
The 1989 lectures were given at the Sheraton Hotel in Northbrook, Illinois over the course of three days, August 18-20. He offered many intriguing tips to refine our standard practices. But the primary focus was to present what he called ‘the monastery system’ of meditation, with an emphasis on third chakra practice and solar science.
“You don’t need to be still like a log – you are a living being!” – Swami Rama
Gary Gran has been treading the Himalayan path since the late 1970s. He was in attendance for the 1986,1987 & 1989 Path of Fire & Light seminars, and will be presenting a recollection of the 1989 teachings from his personal notes. He has served the tradition in various capacities over the years beginning at the old Glenview center in Illinois. He is a certified yoga teacher and an Ayurvedic educator, having published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. He and herself Cynthia enjoy desert gardening, cooking and hiking at their home in Tucson, Arizona, and are currently in summer residence in Minneapolis.
Gary Gran, MBA, DAy. CYT

Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom: "Remembering Swami Veda Bharati" Ninth Anniversary Commemoration of Swami Veda Bharati's Mahasamadhi - July 11, 2024
2024-07-11 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom – July 11, 2024
“Remembering Swami Veda Bharati”
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CDT

5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Hatha Yoga – TBD
6:15-7:00 p.m. – Vegan Soup
7:00-8:00 p.m.: Commemoration of the Mahasamadhi of Swami Veda
8:00-8:30 p.m.: Meditation with Swami Radha Bharati
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

Join us to remember Swami Veda Bharati.

Thursday, July 11th, is the commemoration at TMC of
Swami Veda’s Mahasamadhi Anniversary which falls on July 14th.

Details to come.

Join us, either in person or via Zoom, for a special Thursday Satsang to commemorate the ninth anniversary of the Mahasamadhi of Swami Veda Bharati. Swami Veda entered Mahasamadhi on July 14, 2015.

Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom: “The Wisdom Tradition: Yoga, Christianity and the Divine Feminine” with Gary Gran, CYT, DAy. - August 15, 2024
2024-08-15 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom
The Assumption of Mary – August 15, 2024
“The Wisdom Tradition: Yoga, Christianity and the Divine Feminine”
with Gary Gran, CYT, DAy.
7:00-8:30 p.m.

5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Hatha Yoga with Michael Snodgrass
7:00-8:00 p.m.: “The Wisdom Tradition: Yoga, Christianity and the Divine Feminine” with Gary Gran CYT, DAy.

8:00-8:30p.m.: Meditation Guided by Swami Radha Bharati

8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
The development of wisdom is a central theme in Christianity, yoga, Ayurveda and Buddhism, with deep roots in ancient culture. Wisdom denotes a deep knowing, a gnosis, that comes from Silence. Our main theme on this night of the Assumption of Mary will be to trace the presence of Holy Mother Wisdom in the Christian scriptures.
In yoga science, wisdom is called prajna. In the Buddhist tradition, the Perfection of Wisdom is called Prajna-paramita. Ayurveda tells that to go against wisdom, prajna-paradha, is unwise! In the Jewish tradition, wisdom is called Hokmah. And in ancient Greece, wisdom was known as Sophia. Indeed, the ancient philosophers were lovers of Wisdom, Sophia being the root of the word philosophy.
Please join us for this prayerful reflection on our Mother Wisdom.
“One who doesn’t know the beginningless sound of Wisdom, the highest point of heaven where the gods dwell, what do they know of Wisdom?
Only those who sit quietly with focused minds know this inner truth.”
Rig Veda 1.164.39
“Meditating on Her is understanding in its perfect form, and anyone keeping awake for Her will soon be free from care.” Wisdom 6:15
“For in the end you will find rest in Her and She will take the form of joy for you.” Ecclesiasticus 6:28
~
“God the Silence and Mother the Silence, entwined …
you are rapt in listening.
Listen how they sing their listening…
Serenade by you with vow to become a song sung to same entwined entity who, since before locus and time, has been ever serenading to you.
In mindfulness of ascending notes of symphonies breathing cadences of gnosis, silence your serenade so it never ceases. Sing your silence that silence sing you.
May you be a song.”
From Serenade God with a Song of Silence by Swami Veda Bharata
~
Gary Gran, CYT, DAy.
Gary first began to appreciate the depth of the Christian tradition when listening to Swami Rama, Swami Veda, and Swami Jaidev talk on the yogic interpretation of the Christian scriptures at the old Glenview center.
Gary and his wife Cynthia have been treading the Himalayan path since the 1970s. They met at the Glenview Center in Illinois and have served the tradition in various capacities over the years. They are both certified yoga teachers and Ayurvedic educators. They have published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda.
To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here (suggested donation $15.00) for Thursday Satsang or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
Note: There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom:"Our Collective Vision for 2025 and The Decade of Loving Transformation" with Swami Ritavan Bharati - August 22, 2024
2024-08-22 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and via Zoom – August 22, 2024
An Evening with Swami Ritavan Bharati
“Our Collective Vision for 2025 and The Decade of Loving Transformation”
7:00-8:30 p.m. CDT

5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Hatha Yoga – Our beloved ashramite, Chu, will be guiding this session.
Join Chu for a beautifully guided hatha class before he leaves TMC at the end of August.
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Meditation Guided by Swami Ritavan Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: An Evening with Swami Ritavan Bharati
“Our Collective Vision for 2025 and The Decade of Loving Transformation”
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

We are blessed with the love and light of our guru-guided path through those words: Love, Serve, Remember. We remain steadfast to continue on the path of light serving selflessly as our expression of gratitude. The essence of sacrifice is giving selflessly. It is a complete expression of love in the true sense. We have learned to be content with our essential needs fulfilled using our resources in service of others. We are all here for a purpose; it is an ongoing spiritual process. We are all here for spiritual liberation and to serve that mission. This spiritual path, the Guru’s mission, is alleviating pain and suffering in the world; and to recommit to our path of Mantra-Meditation, Honoring the Sacredness of Life.

To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here (suggested donation $15.00) for Thursday Satsang or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
Note: There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom: "Listening Circle" with Maja Radovanlija, September 12, 2024
2024-09-12 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person and via Zoom – September 12, 2024
“Listening Circle” with Maja Radovanlija
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. CDT

5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Hatha Yoga with Sunita Gangopadhyay
7:00-8:00 p.m.: An Evening of Music with Maja Radovanlija
6:15-7:00 p.m.: Vegan Soup
8:00-8:30 p.m.: Meditation Guided by Swami Ma Radha Bharati
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

Join Maja Radovanlija, (Professor of guitar and improvisation at the University of Minnesota;music/ethnomusicologist) for an evening of beautiful music. Come and enjoy the evening with uplifting harmony and vibrations. Come and gather…listen…listen…listen…with an open heart.

Maja Radovanlija was born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia), in 1975. She studied classical guitar for almost 20 years in Eastern Europe, Vienna and Bloomington, IN. Along the way, Maja collaborated with musicians in a variety of genres and became interested in improvised music through Balkan traditional music, jazz, intuitive free improv, and experimental music. Some of the projects and ensembles Maja works with on regular bases are Szilard Mezéi ensemble, Minneapolis Guitar Quartet, Ensemble Studio6, MM Guitar duo, Linda Chatterton-MRadovanlija guitar/flute duo, and Satu Jiwa improvised music collective. Maja’s recent projects are Jeleche trio (traditional Balkan music), and collaborations with improvisers such as Milana Zarić, Molly Sturges, and Matt Rahaim.
To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here (suggested donation $15.00) for Thursday Satsang or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
Note: There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom: Ayurvedic Study Group: "The Preservation of Health - Working with our Biological & Psychological Urges" with Gary Gran DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP on September 19, 2024 at 7:00-8:30 p.m. CDT
2024-09-19 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and Via Zoom – September 19, 2024
with Gary Gran DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CDT

5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Hatha Yoga
7:00-8:00 p.m.: Ayurvedic Study Group:
Ayurvedic Study Group: The Preservation of Health:
Working with our Biological & Psychological Urges
with Gary Gran, DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran, DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP
8:00-8:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Swami Radha Bharati
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m. Clean-Up and Departure after Prayers

Once again, we’ll use the “Charaka Samhita” to guide us in our discussion of Ayurvedic principles and practices for the preservation of health. In this session, we’ll first consider some timely health tips and yoga practices for entering the fall season.
The autumnal equinox is considered to be the sunset of the year,
when day and night are in equal balance.
Then we’ll begin chapter seven on how to work with our biological urges and our psychological urges. We’ll be encouraged to restrain certain urges and to express others.
“Give way to your natural human urges—the urge to give, the urge to share, the urge to make sacrifice for others, the urge to knowledge, the natural urge to peace.” – Swami Veda Bharati

Please bring your ‘beginner’s mind’ and join us as we listen deeply to the words of the sages and share our reflections. Participation is invited! Attendance at prior meetings is not required. All are welcome.

Gary & Cynthia Gran have been treading the Himalayan path since the late 1970s. They met at the old Glenview Center in Illinois and have served the tradition in various capacities over the years. They are both certified yoga teachers and Ayurvedic educators. They have published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. They enjoy desert gardening, cooking and hiking at their home in Tucson, Arizona, and are currently in summer residence in Minneapolis.
Gary Gran, DAy. CYT
Cynthia Gran, DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP

Gary’s blog is ayurvedalessons.com.

Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom: "Swami Hari: A simple forest monk" presented by Daniel Hertz - October 17, 2024
2024-10-17 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom – October 17, 2024
“Swami Hari: A simple forest monk”
A presentation by Daniel Hertz MS, BCB, E-RYT 500
5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Hatha Yoga
7:00-8:00 p.m.: “Swami Hari: A simple forest monk”
A presentation by Daniel Hertz MS, BCB, E-RYT 500
8:00-8:30 p.m.: Meditation Guided by Swami Radha Bharati
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

Swami Hari Harananda Bharati spent many years living in near-isolation at the holy Himalayan Shiva shrine of Tarkeshwar. Over the course of thirty-five years, he pursued Swami Rama to become his disciple, but was always turned down and sent away. Then late one night, Swami Rama unexpectedly showed up at Tarkeshwar and told Swami Hari he would initiate him the next morning. Daniel will share several stories about Swami Hari and also explain how he became Swami Hari’s personal assistant for several years. In addition, he will show several photos of Swami Hari and play a rare recording of Swami Hari leading a kirtan at Tarkeshwar.

BIO:
Daniel Hertz, MS, BCB, E-RYT 500 has been on the faculty of The Meditation Center since 1995. He is the author of a book about Swami Hari entitled Swami Hari: I am a simple forest monk. It is available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Swami-Hari-simple-forest-monk/dp/1456505874

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing: Showing of Documentary Film on Neem Karoli Baba ﻿"Moved by Grace - Part I", November 7, 2024, 7:00-8:30 p.m. CST
2024-11-07 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing -November 7, 2024
Showing of Documentary Film on Neem Karoli Baba
“Moved by Grace – Part I”
7:00-8:30 p.m. CST

5:30-6:45 p.m. – Gentle Hatha Yoga with Michael Snodgrass
7:00-8:00 p.m.: Showing of Documentary Film on Neem Karoli Baba “Moved by Grace Part I”
8:00 -8:30 p.m. – Meditation with Swami Ma Radha Bharati
8:30 p.m. Evening Prayers
Everyone is welcome!!!

“An Astounding Mystic” by H.H.S. Swami Rama
Selflessness is one of the prominent signs of a spiritual man. If this quality is missing in the character of one who is supposed to be spiritual, he is not really a spiritual person. There was a well-know master, Nim Karoli Baba, who befriended me when I was still quite young. He lived in Nanital, one of the hill resorts in the Himalaya. He was a man who lived half here and half there…
…In such a high state one becomes like a child. He is not fully aware of mundane things, but he is constantly aware of the Truth.
(Living with the Himalayan Masters pages 107-110)

Using the festive ambience of the 15 June bhandara queue at Kainchi, as a warp and 11 versions of Hanuman Chalisa as a weft, the film weaves together remarkable and endearing stories of faith into a small shred of Maharajji’s blanket of love. Equally the film is a heartful tribute to Maharajji and to the sweet surrender and devotion of so many of Maharajji’s delightful devotees.
The film endeavors to spotlight different facets of the Master’s grace through a few beings who represent us all as the countless nameless, faceless devotees of a Master.
The potent reminder for us is that the subtle movement of grace can occur to any one of us as long as we are receptive.
These “Moved by Grace” stories are interspersed with different verses of the “Hanuman Chalisa” sung by 11 different devotees in their own unique melodies.

To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here (suggested donation $25.00) for Special Thursday Satsang or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.

Thursday Satsang In Person and via Zoom:“Remembrance of the Mahasamadhi of H.H.S. Swami Rama of the Himalayas” November 14, 2024
2024-11-14 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person and via Zoom – November 14, 2024
“Remembrance of the Mahasamadhi of H.H.S. Swami Rama of the Himalayas”

7:00-8:30 p.m. CST
5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Swami Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: Commemoration of Māhasamadhi of H.H.S. Swami Rama through stories and remembrances of some of Swami Rama’s close disciples and students.
8:30 p.m.: Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks

H.H.S. Swami Rama of the Himalayas left his body on November 13, 1996. Please join us on Thursday, November 16, 2023 for a celebration and memorial of the life and teachings of this great master from The Himalayan Yoga Tradition. H.H.S. Swami Rama was a yogi, scientist, researcher, writer, and humanitarian

28th Anniversary
H.H.S. Swami Rama’s Māhasamadhi
November 13, 1996

“In 1996, this fully enlightened Master and representative of the ancient lineage of yogis left his body. His memorial today is in the hearts of his disciples and students who carry his work. He is most remembered for his great love for all and the magnetic power of his spirit, such that as he walked, one felt pulled to follow behind him. The full impact of his legacy will be
realized perhaps in a century.”

Om
Gurave namaḥ.
Parama-gurave namaḥ.
Parameṣhṭhi-gurave namaḥ.
Paramparā-gurubhyo namaḥ.

~ Swami Veda Bharati ~
from Swami Veda’s Blog

This year, we celebrate the 28th anniversary of Swami Rama’s MahaSamadhi. Gurudev left his body on November 13, 1996 in his apartment at the HIHT campus. He was surrounded by his close disciples. A special program (in person and via Zoom) for Thursday’s gathering will be presented.

On the First Maha-Samadhi Anniversary of H.H. Swami Rama

Published: 13 November 2015 | Written by Swami Veda Bharati

On the First Maha-Samadhi Anniversary of H.H. Swami Rama
Phone Address by Swami Veda
The Meditation Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
November 2, 1997
OM! OM! OM!
The days become sacred when a sacred being imparts a special grace or energy to the forces in the universe. All the annual cycles of celebration and commemorations are built around those occasions. In our present day society and thinking, the human being is no longer a unit in the universe; he views himself as something outside the universe, trying to control the universe as an outsider. This view is incorrect, we are part of the universe, the energy and life that flows through us is the same one through whose rhythms and waves, all the planets, stars, constellations, breath patterns, respond. That enlightenment is not an individual event; it is a cosmic or ultra-cosmic event. The coming into body of a sacred being, an enlightened being, also is not an individual event. It is not something over which only the immediate physical relatives rejoice; it is something of universal importance. It is a universal event. It is beyond the category of the birth of planets. It is said that when an enlightened being sits for his final enlightenment session all the saints, past Buddhas, and enlightened ones attend upon him. And thereafter, his rhythms are not the rhythms of an individual. Those of us who were fortunate to see the Master walking, who recall at times walking with him and feeling as though we paced together with the universal force, with some unseen, unknown magnet – those of us who experienced that phenomenon will never forget it, because it was not an individual but the condensation, the convergence of an unknown number of universal forces passing through that particular space, time, matter coordinate that we call an individual.
I’ve said, “The days become sacred.” Those of us who have been taught to be in tune, even to a minor degree, to be attuned to those rhythms, to the beat to which a master walks, find that on those sacred days, certain special waves touch us. These are not the waves of a physical energy, but rather something happens within the consciousness. We do not realize that it is all synchronized, that the events of consciousness are synchronized with the events in the universe. Or rather, to put it more correctly, the events in the universe are projections of the events in consciousness… (an excerpt)

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing: Showing of Documentary Film on Neem Karoli Baba ﻿"Moved by Grace - Part II", November 21, 2024, 7:00-8:30 p.m. CST
2024-11-21 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing -November 21, 2024
Showing of Documentary Film on Neem Karoli Baba
“Moved by Grace – Part II”
7:00-8:30 p.m. CST

5:30-6:45 p.m. – Gentle Hatha Yoga
7:00-8:00 p.m.: Showing of Documentary Film on Neem Karoli Baba “Moved by Grace Part II”
8:00 -8:30 p.m. – Meditation with Swami Ma Radha Bharati
8:30 p.m. Evening Prayers
Everyone is welcome!!!

“An Astounding Mystic” by H.H.S. Swami Rama
Selflessness is one of the prominent signs of a spiritual man. If this quality is missing in the character of one who is supposed to be spiritual, he is not really a spiritual person. There was a well-know master, Nim Karoli Baba, who befriended me when I was still quite young. He lived in Nanital, one of the hill resorts in the Himalaya. He was a man who lived half here and half there…
…In such a high state one becomes like a child. He is not fully aware of mundane things, but he is constantly aware of the Truth.
(Living with the Himalayan Masters pages 107-110)
Using the festive ambience of the 15 June bhandara queue at Kainchi, as a warp and 11 versions of Hanuman Chalisa as a weft, the film weaves together remarkable and endearing stories of faith into a small shred of Maharajji’s blanket of love. Equally the film is a heartful tribute to Maharajji and to the sweet surrender and devotion of so many of Maharajji’s delightful devotees.
The film endeavors to spotlight different facets of the Master’s grace through a few beings who represent us all as the countless nameless, faceless devotees of a Master.
The potent reminder for us is that the subtle movement of grace can occur to any one of us as long as we are receptive.
These “Moved by Grace” stories are interspersed with different verses of the “Hanuman Chalisa” sung by 11 different devotees in their own unique melodies.

To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here (suggested donation $25.00) for Special Thursday Satsang or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.

Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom: The Meditation Center's Holiday Program 2024, "Celebration of the Season of Silence, Light, and Hope" December 19, 2024
2024-12-19 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom
December 19, 2024
The Meditation Center’s Holiday Program 2024
“Celebration of the Season of Silence, Light, and Hope”
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Holiday Program Schedule
Details to come

Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom: "Relax, Rest, and Recover" with Swami Ma Radha Bharati and Lori Beron; Lighting of Hanukkah Candles on the Second Night of Hanukkah with Nikki Strong and Daniel Hertz at 8:30 p.m.- December 26, 2024
2024-12-26 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom
December 26, 2024
“Relax, Rest, and Recover”
with Swami Ma Radha Bharati and Lori Beron
7:00-8:30 p.m. CST
Lighting of Hanukkah Candles on the second night of Hanukkah
with Nikki Strong and Daniel Hertz at 8:30 p.m.
Everyone is welcome!

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga – Cancelled
7:00-8:00 p.m.: “Relax, Rest, and Recover”
with Swami Ma Radha Bharati and Lori Beron
8:00-8:30 p.m. Guided Meditation with Swami Radha
8:30-8:40 p.m.: Lighting of Hanukkah Candles on the second night of Hanukkah
with Nikki Strong and Daniel Hertz
8:40 p.m.: Evening Prayers

Relax, Rest and Recover from the hustle and bustle that typically comes with Christmas: Swami Radha Bharati and Lori Beron will be leading practices to help you let go of tension and stress in your body and mind. No lectures. Nothing is required of you. Yoga mats, cushions and blankets are available at the Center or bring your own. Just come to TMC or participate via zoom. Since you will be lying down on the floor in shavasana for a while, you may want to cover yourself with a blanket or shawl and use a cushion under your knees and a small pillow under your head. After the practices we will sit for meditation.
Practices: (approximately 45 minutes or so)

Tension and Release
Systematic Relaxation
61 Point Blue Star
Shitali Karana relaxation
Yoga Nidra Conscious Rest
followed by Guided Meditation

To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Zoom Viewing at TMC: "Writing and Reading as Personal Practice" with Michelle Skally Doilney - February 4, 2025
2025-02-06 08:00 - 17:00
Thursday Satsang via Zoom and In-Person Zoom Viewing at TMC – February 6, 2025
“Writing and Reading as Personal Practice” with Michelle Skally Doilney
7:00-8:30 p.m.

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga – TBD
7:00-8:00 p.m.: “Writing and Reading as Personal Practice” with Michelle Skally Doilney
8:00-8:30 p.m. Guided Meditation with Swami Ma Radha Bharati
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

Join us for a talk with Michelle Skally Doilney as she speaks about the benefits and the hows of using reading and writing as a personal practice. She will read examples from her own unedited notebooks and travel journals, as well as from Living with a Himalayan Master. Michelle will share benefits and how-tos of writing practice as another way to witness mind, to experience non-judgement and non-attachment. Bring your pen and paper for a short experience.
If you have further interest, Michelle will also be teaching an extended workshop on writing practice on February 15, 2025. 10:00-11:30 a.m., “Writing is for Everybody.”
Michelle Skally Doilney is a student and initiate in the Himalayan Tradition since 1997. She is a lifelong writer and a longtime student studying in-person with Natalie Goldberg, writing teacher and author of Writing Down the Bones and her latest, Writing on Empty: A Guide to Finding Your Inner Voice. Michelle is currently consulting and teaching feng shui, yoga, and writing practice. She is working on several writing and art projects drawing from her love of travel and photography.
www.practicalenvironments.com

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Zoom Viewing at TMC: "Writing and Reading as Personal Practice" with Michelle Skally Doilney - April 3, 2025
2025-04-03 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang via Zoom and In-Person Zoom Viewing at TMC – April 3, 2025
“Writing and Reading as Personal Practice” with Michelle Skally Doilney
7:00-8:30 p.m.

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga – TBD
7:00-7:30 p.m. Guided Meditation -TBD
7:30-8:30 p.m.: “Writing and Reading as Personal Practice” with Michelle Skally Doilney
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

Join us for a talk with Michelle Skally Doilney as she speaks about the benefits and the hows of using reading and writing as a personal practice. She will read examples from her own unedited notebooks and travel journals, as well as from Living with a Himalayan Master. Michelle will share benefits and how-tos of writing practice as another way to witness mind, to experience non-judgement and non-attachment. Bring your pen and paper for a short experience.
If you have further interest, Michelle will also be teaching an extended workshop on writing practice on April 5, 2025. 10:00-11:30 a.m., “Writing is for Everybody. Part II”
Michelle Skally Doilney is a student and initiate in the Himalayan Tradition since 1997. She is a lifelong writer and a longtime student studying in-person with Natalie Goldberg, writing teacher and author of Writing Down the Bones and her latest, Writing on Empty: A Guide to Finding Your Inner Voice. Michelle is currently consulting and teaching feng shui, yoga, and writing practice. She is working on several writing and art projects drawing from her love of travel and photography.
www.practicalenvironments.com
