Via Zoom – Sunday Morning Guided Meditation with Swami Radha Bharati from 8:20 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
2022-06-05 08:20 - 09:15 (America/Chicago)
Via Zoom – Sunday Morning Guided Meditation
with Swami Radha Bharati
8:20 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

Join for Morning Prayers: 8:20-8:30 a.m.
Sunday Morning Meditation: 8:30-9:15 a.m.

To receive the zoom link for this event, please subscribe to The Meditation Center’s e-newsletter on the home page of this website.

Join Swami Radha Bharati on Zoom for a guided meditation on Sunday from 8:20 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

Thursday Evenings – In-Person Hatha for Everyone! 6:00pm – 7:00pm
2022-06-09 18:00 - 19:00
THURSDAY EVENINGS – HATHA FOR EVERYONE!
Time: 6:00pm – 7:00pm
Instructor: (Rotates weekly)
Fees: $10.00 drop-in fee for everyone
*No pre-registration necessary. Just show up for drop-ins!
Drop-In Hatha Classes (Ongoing)
Everyone is Welcome
These classes are for all levels. Instructors excel at leading the class in relaxation, gentle asana (yoga positions) and pranayama (breath). Relieve stress, achy joints, improve balance at all levels and increase your sense of well-being. No registration necessary, just show up.

Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and via Zoom: "Everything You Wanted To Know About Meditation (And Its Practice), But Were Afraid to Ask" with Members of the TMC Spiritual Committee - Part 4
2022-06-09 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and via Zoom – June 9, 2022

“Everything You Wanted To Know About Meditation (And Its Practice),
But Were Afraid to Ask” with Members of the TMC Spiritual Committee – Part 4

Swami Radha Bharati, Lori Beron, Emilio Bettaglio, Paul Emerson,
Kay (Shanta) Gendron, Jim Nelson, Stephen (Stoma) Parker, and Michael Smith
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

7:00 p.m.: Meditation with Swami Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: Panel Discussion by the Spiritual Committee
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

Overview of Presentation

New to meditation, an old sage or somewhere in between, join a panel of senior teachers for a lively discussion and on the problems and promises of keeping a meditation practice. How does one keep meditation “fresh”? Why aren’t I “enlightened” yet? What are the tricks for keeping a regular meditation time? Am I making progress? Why don’t I see pretty lights? Or what do I do if I do see pretty lights? These and other questions brought by the gathering will be answered.

Saturday Morning Hybrid Drop-In Gentle Hatha Yoga Class with Nicole Roberts from 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. CDT
2022-06-11 09:30 - 11:00, 2022-06-18 09:30 - 11:00
Saturday Morning Hybrid Drop-In
Gentle Hatha Yoga Class with Nicole Roberts
9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. CDT
Fee: $12.00
Section 1: In-Person

Register here for In-Person Option

Section 2: Via Zoom

Register here for Zoom Option

These classes are for all levels. Instructors excel at leading the class in relaxation, gentle asana (yoga positions) and pranayama (breath). Relieve stress, achy joints, improve balance at all levels and increase your sense of well-being.

Nicole Roberts is the current resident and caretaker at The Meditation Center. Nicole has been guiding hatha yoga since 2010 and is 250-RYT certified with Yoga Alliance. She trained in the Jivamukti yoga lineage and the Himalayan Tradition yoga meditation lineage. Nicole was initiated in 2016 in the Himalayan Tradition. Nicole is part of our DEI team teaching outreach hatha classes. Nicole has guided the gentle hatha class on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings.

Cancelled for June 11th - Monthly "Bhagavad Gita" Study Group via Zoom with Sandra Uyterhoeven and Randall Krause - June 11, 2022
2022-06-11 10:00 - 11:30
Cancelled for June 11, 2022
Join us on July 2, 2022
Monthly “Bhagavad Gita” Study Group via Zoom
with Sandra Uyterhoeven and Randall Krause
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Donation: $15.00/session
This class will meet the 1st Saturday of every month
Check the TMC website periodically for changes in the schedule.
The “Bhagavad Gita” is one of the great spiritual books of the world and a core source of Yoga Philosophy. In essence, it is a spiritual discourse given by Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu, to his disciple, the great warrior Arjuna, on the threshold of a vast war in which both would soon be involved. The teachings of the “Gita” are as meaningful today as they were thousands of years ago.

In this study group, in successive monthly sessions, we will slowly walk through the “Gita” from the beginning, discussing each of the verses. This will not be a lecture, but rather a study and discussion group. Although the leaders will officiate and offer brief talks now and then, all of the study group members will read and discuss the verses. Participants will share perspectives from their favorite translations of the verses and commentaries, and this will broaden our understanding of the “Gita.”
Because one of the leaders is a Yoga Alliance Continuing Yoga Education Provider (YACEP), you may count each hour of your participation in this study group as a “Contact” hour of continuing yoga education.
Leaders: Sandra Uyterhoeven and Randall Krause
Sandra Uyterhoeven is an experienced yoga teacher, yoga therapist and loves the Bhagavad Gita. She is an initiate in the Himalayan Yoga Meditation Tradition. Sandra is experienced at leading study groups in yoga philosophy.
Randall Krause is an initiate of the Himalayan Yoga Meditation Tradition and a senior mentor and teacher in the Tradition. He is registered with Yoga Alliance (YA) as an Experienced Yoga Teacher and a Continuing Yoga Education Provider (YACEP).

In-Person and Via Zoom – Sunday Morning Guided Meditation with Swami Radha Bharati from 8:20 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
2022-06-12 08:20 - 09:15, 2022-06-19 08:20 - 09:15, 2022-06-26 08:20 - 09:15
In-Person and Via Zoom – Sunday Morning Guided Meditation
with Swami Radha Bharati
8:20 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

Join for Morning Prayers: 8:20-8:30 a.m.
Sunday Morning Meditation: 8:30-9:15 a.m.

To receive the zoom link for this event, please subscribe to The Meditation Center’s e-newsletter on the home page of this website.

Join Swami Radha Bharati on Zoom for a guided meditation on Sunday from 8:20 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

On Summer Break Until Fall 2022 - Sunday Book Club/Satsang via Zoom: with Swami Radha Bharati, Michael Smith, and Jim Nelson,
2022-06-12 10:00 - 11:30
Sunday Book Club/Satsang on Summer Break until Fall 2022
with Swami Radha Bharati, Michael Smith and Jim Nelson from 10:00 a.m. – 12 Noon

Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Swami Radha, Jim, and Michael will continue the study of spiritual topics in Fall of 2022. Stay tuned for announcements regarding the start date in September 2022.

Hybrid Full Moon Flower/Water Ceremony In Person and Via Zoom 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. and Full Moon Meditation In Person 9:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
2022-06-14 20:00 - 22:00
Hybrid Full Moon Flower/Water Ceremony
In Person and Via Zoom
8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Full Moon Meditation
In Person
9:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Tuesday: June 14, 2022

Join Swami Ritavan, Swami Radha, Emilio, and others in the Hall of the Tradition at TMC for a full moon flower havan at 8:00 p.m. Then stay for the full moon meditation at 9:00 p.m.

The Havan mantras will be:

Om Gam Ganapataye Namah – 11 repetitions
Akhanda Mandala – 11 repetitions
Saumya Taara – 11 repetitions
Ganesha Gayatri – 108 repetitions
Akhanda Mandala – 11 or 21 repetitions
Purna Ahuti – 1 repetition

If participants at home wish, they may join the process by performing their own puja in their homes. All that is needed is a large bowl, such as a clean salad or mixing bowl, some water to fill the bowl about two-thirds full, a candle, and some flower petals. Flower petals can be obtained at most flower shops or can be harvested from your own gardens. Approximately 200 offerings will be made into the havan, each with a petal offering.

Mantras for June 14, 2022 in pdf format for your use and to print.

Full Moon Meditation Tuesday, June 14, 2022 from 9:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
2022-06-14 21:00 - 22:00
Full Moon Meditation
Tuesday, June 14, 2022
9:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Swami Ritavan invites you to join us for a group meditation starting at 9 o’clock in the evening. You are invited to sit in meditation for an hour wherever you are, in your home or with friends. Total beginners and longtime practitioners, non-initiates and initiates are welcome. If you cannot sit for the entire hour, sit as long as you are able; as Swami Veda has said, “Let the quietness of the mind continue even after you rise..”

Swami Ritavan Bharati has said, “The full moon meditations are an opportunity for us to come together in connecting with the universal mind-field bringing unity, harmony, peace, and love. Go into your silence; exhale-release, inhale-accept, forgive and fulfill, with purified heart and mind receive the blessings of the Lineage.”

Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom: "Tips and Pointers for Spiritual Retreats" with Paul Emerson, Ph.D. - June 16, 2022
2022-06-16 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom – June 16, 2022
“Tips and Pointers for Spiritual Retreats”
by Paul Emerson, Ph.D.

7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CDT

The Center will be open for an in person talk on Thursday, June 16th.

7:00-7:30 p.m.: Meditation guided by Swami Radha Bharati
7-8:30 p.m.: Talk by Paul Emerson Ph.D.
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

Join us for an Thursday evening with Paul Emerson Ph.D. More details to come soon.

New AHYMSIN Community Mantra Japa Practice via Zoom with Chris Young - Friday, June 17 , 2022, Time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
2022-06-17 19:00 - 20:00
New AHYMSIN Community Mantra Japa Practice via Zoom
with Chris Young
Friday, June 17 , 2022
Time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
We will meet every other Friday to recite the mantra together.
For those that would like to practice together the japa of the Ganesha Gayatri Mantra, we will meet every other Friday with Chris Young via Zoom. Chris will guide us in the recitation of 1 mala of the new mantra and then share tales and stories of the life of Ganesha.

Gaṇeśa Gāyatrī Mantra Recitation by Swami Veda Bharati (108 times) can be heard here.

If you would like to learn proper recitation of the Gaṇeśa Gāyatrī Mantra and the Mother Gāyatrī prayer, Pandit Priyadarsana (Pierre Lefebvre) has shared word-by-word slow recitations, which can be heard here.

Chris Young was initiated into the Himalayan Yoga Tradition in 2005, but has been connected with The Tradition in some way since birth, with his parents being early members and faculty of The Meditation Center in Minneapolis. Chris occasionally leads Kirtan at the Meditation Center’s Thursday satsang, and helps with some IT aspects of the HYT Teacher Training Program. Chris finds the thread of yoga and meditation that has been taught through the Tradition and its teachers, and cultivated through practice, to always keep him returning to his heart’s path – the path of Yoga – and he is grateful to be a part of the local and global communities that are working to further the mission of The Himalayan Yoga Tradition. He is the father of two amazing boys, he enjoys singing and playing music, and is ready to help with your ocular asanas through eye-roll-inducing dad jokes.

On Summer Break until Fall 2022: Sunday Book Club/Satsang via Zoom with Swami Radha Bharati, Michael Smith, and Jim Nelson
2022-06-19 10:00 - 11:30

Hybrid Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC for Zoom Viewing and via Zoom Worldwide: An Evening with Stephen (Stoma) Parker, Psy.D. E-RYT 500 - June 23, 2022
2022-06-23 19:00 - 20:30
Hybrid Thursday Satsang – June 23, 2022
In Person at TMC and Via Zoom
“An Evening with Stephen Parker (Stoma), Psy.D., 500-RYT”
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CDT
The Center will be open for an in-person Zoom viewing on Thursday Evening.

6:00-7:00 p.m.: In-Person Hatha Yoga
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Stephen Parker (Stoma), Psy.D., 500-RYT
7:30-8:30 p.m.: Presentation by Stephen Parker (Stoma), Psy.D., 500-RYT
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks…cookies, fruit, and nuts
Join Stoma for this Thursday’s Satsang offered as both an in-person Zoom viewing at TMC and via Zoom from any location. Stoma will talk on the themes of mantra and meditation.
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 Grama ashram in Rishikesh, India. He is also a senior faculty member of the Himalayan Yoga Tradition Teachers’ Training Program. He has lectured on yoga, meditation, yoga psychology, and spiritual practice in the U.S. and Canada as well as in Caribbean countries, Holland, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Lithuania, South Africa, Korea, Hong Kong, and India. In 2004 he helped originate and teach the first course on yoga in an American medical school at the University of Minnesota Academic Medical Center. In 2007 he received preliminary vows of renunciation from Swami Veda and the Shankaracharya of Karvirapitha.

Stoma has been a licensed psychologist in private practice in St. Paul, MN since 1985. He also serves 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. He teaches on the faculty of the Introductory Workshops of the Minnesota Society of Clinical Hypnosis. In addition to authoring journal articles and book chapters, Dr. Parker edited volume two of Swami Veda’s definitive scholarly work on the “Yoga-Sutras of Patanjali” and he has been a peer review editor for the “Journal of Men’s Studies,” the “American Journal of Orthopsychiatry,” the I”nternational Journal of Yoga T. and Yoga Mimamsa.” 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.

On Summer Hiatus Until Fall - Saturday Morning Hybrid Drop-In Gentle Hatha Yoga Class with Nicole Roberts from 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. CDT
2022-06-25 09:30 - 11:00
On Summer Hiatus Until Fall
Saturday Morning Hybrid Drop-In
Gentle Hatha Yoga Class with Nicole Roberts
9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. CDT
Fee: $12.00

Section 1: In-Person

Register here for In-Person Option

Section 2: Via Zoom

Register here for Zoom Option

These classes are for all levels. Instructors excel at leading the class in relaxation, gentle asana (yoga positions) and pranayama (breath). Relieve stress, achy joints, improve balance at all levels and increase your sense of well-being.

Nicole Roberts is the current resident and caretaker at The Meditation Center. Nicole has been guiding hatha yoga since 2010 and is 250-RYT certified with Yoga Alliance. She trained in the Jivamukti yoga lineage and the Himalayan Tradition yoga meditation lineage. Nicole was initiated in 2016 in the Himalayan Tradition. Nicole is part of our DEI team teaching outreach hatha classes. Nicole has guided the gentle hatha class on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings.

On Summer Break until Fall 2022 - Sunday Book Club/Satsang via Zoom: with Swami Radha Bharati, Michael Smith, and Jim Nelson
2022-06-26 10:00 - 11:30

Hybrid Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and Zoom Viewing at TMC: “Are we there yet? Thoughts about evaluating our “progress” in meditation and sadhana with Kay Gendron, Ph.D. (Shanta)" - June 30, 2022
2022-06-30 19:00 - 20:30
Hybrid Thursday Satsang Via Zoom – June 30, 2022
The Center will be open for an in-person Zoom TV viewing on Thursday.
“Are we there yet?”
Thoughts about evaluating our “progress” in meditation and sadhana.
with Kay (Shanta) Gendron Ph.D.
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CDT
6:00-7:00 p.m.: In-Person Hatha Yoga
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Swami Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: Presentation by Kay (Shanta) Gendron, Ph.D.
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

Kay (Shanta) Gendron, Ph.D. will talk on the topic of “Are we there yet?”, ….thoughts about evaluating our “progress” in meditation and sadhana.

Whether we have been meditating for years or decades, we often wonder whether we are actually making progress in our practice.

What do Swami Veda and Swami Rama and our tradition say about the issue of progress and how we define it?

Kay Gendron, PhD. (Shanta) has been a student of meditation since meeting and being initiated by Swami Veda in 1970 and receiving initiation by Swami Rama soon after. She worked closely with Swami Rama on most of the main books he wrote during his time in the US. She received her Doctorate in Psychology from the University of Minnesota and taught psychology at several universities and Yoga Psychology at the Program in Eastern Studies at the Institute. On behalf of our lineage, she has studied and taught Meditation in the US, Canada, India and the far East. She is interested in the practical aspects of deepening meditation by working with the barriers created by mind and emotions. She continues to work as a Licensed Psychologist, spiritual coach, and Classical Homeopath.

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.

New AHYMSIN Community Mantra Japa Practice via Zoom with Chris Young - Friday, July 1, 2022, Time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
2022-07-01 19:00 - 20:00
New AHYMSIN Community Mantra Japa Practice via Zoom
with Chris Young
Friday, July 1 , 2022
Time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
We will meet every other Friday to recite the mantra together.
For those that would like to practice together the japa of the Ganesha Gayatri Mantra, we will meet every other Friday with Chris Young via Zoom. Chris will guide us in the recitation of 1 mala of the new mantra followed by the reading of tales and stories of the life of Ganesha,

Gaṇeśa Gāyatrī Mantra Recitation by Swami Veda Bharati (108 times) can be heard here.

If you would like to learn proper recitation of the Gaṇeśa Gāyatrī Mantra and the Mother Gāyatrī prayer, Pandit Priyadarsana (Pierre Lefebvre) has shared word-by-word slow recitations, which can be heard here.

Chris Young was initiated into the Himalayan Yoga Tradition in 2005, but has been connected with The Tradition in some way since birth, with his parents being early members and faculty of The Meditation Center in Minneapolis. Chris occasionally leads Kirtan at the Meditation Center’s Thursday satsang, and helps with some IT aspects of the HYT Teacher Training Program. Chris finds the thread of yoga and meditation that has been taught through the Tradition and its teachers, and cultivated through practice, to always keep him returning to his heart’s path – the path of Yoga – and he is grateful to be a part of the local and global communities that are working to further the mission of The Himalayan Yoga Tradition. He is the father of two amazing boys, he enjoys singing and playing music, and is ready to help with your ocular asanas through eye-roll-inducing dad jokes.

Cancelled - New Monthly "Bhagavad Gita" Study Group via Zoom with Sandra Uyterhoeven and Randall Krause Begins on Saturday, February 5, 2022
2022-07-02 10:00 - 23:30
Cancelled -New Monthly “Bhagavad Gita” Study Group via Zoom
with Sandra Uyterhoeven and Randall Krause
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Donation: $15.00/session
This class will meet the 1st Saturday of every month.
The “Bhagavad Gita” is one of the great spiritual books of the world and a core source of Yoga Philosophy. In essence, it is a spiritual discourse given by Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu, to his disciple, the great warrior Arjuna, on the threshold of a vast war in which both would soon be involved. The teachings of the “Gita” are as meaningful today as they were thousands of years ago.

In this study group, in successive monthly sessions, we will slowly walk through the “Gita” from the beginning, discussing each of the verses. This will not be a lecture, but rather a study and discussion group. Although the leaders will officiate and offer brief talks now and then, all of the study group members will read and discuss the verses. Participants will share perspectives from their favorite translations of the verses and commentaries, and this will broaden our understanding of the “Gita.”

Because one of the leaders is a Yoga Alliance Continuing Yoga Education Provider (YACEP), you may count each hour of your participation in this study group as a “Contact” hour of continuing yoga education.

Leaders: Sandra Uyterhoeven and Randall Krause
Sandra Uyterhoeven is an experienced yoga teacher, yoga therapist and loves the Bhagavad Gita. She is an initiate in the Himalayan Yoga Meditation Tradition. Sandra is experienced at leading study groups in yoga philosophy.

Randall Krause is an initiate of the Himalayan Yoga Meditation Tradition and a senior mentor and teacher in the Tradition. He is registered with Yoga Alliance (YA) as an Experienced Yoga Teacher and a Continuing Yoga Education Provider (YACEP).

Via Zoom – Sunday Morning Guided Meditation with Swami Radha Bharati
2022-07-03 08:20 - 09:30
Via Zoom – Sunday Morning Guided Meditation
with Swami Radha Bharati
8:20 A.M. – 9:15 A.M.
Join for Morning Prayers: 8:20-8:30 a.m.
Sunday Morning Meditation: 8:30-9:15 a.m.

Join Swami Radha Bharati on Zoom for a guided meditation on Sunday from 8:20 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

Wednesday Mornings via Zoom – Gentle Hatha Yoga (Drop-In) with Sig Martell and Rosann Chamberlain
2022-07-06 10:30 - 12:00
WEDNESDAY MORNINGS VIA ZOOM – GENTLE HATHA YOGA (DROP IN)

Time: 10:30am to Noon
Instructors: Sig Martell and Rosann Chamberlain
Fees: $12.00/class ($10.00 for seniors and students)
DROP-IN HATHA CLASSES (ONGOING)
Everyone is Welcome! These classes are for all levels. Instructors excel at leading the class in relaxation, gentle asana (yoga positions) and pranayama (breath). Relieve stress, achy joints, improve balance at all levels and increase your sense of well being. No registration necessary, just show up.

Hybrid Thursday Satsang Via Zoom: "Reflections on Sadhana in Relation to the 40-Day Spiritual Festival and Guru Purnima" with Michael Smith - July 7, 2022
2022-07-07 19:00 - 20:30
Hybrid Thursday Satsang:
In Person Viewing at TMC via Zoom and Via Zoom – July 7, 202
“The Center will be open for an in-person Zoom TV viewing on Thursday.

“Reflections on Sadhana in Relation
to the 40-Day Spiritual Festival and Guru Purnima”
with Michael Smith
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CDT

6:00-7:00 p.m.: In-Person Hatha Yoga
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Swami Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: Presentation by Michael Smith
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

Michael will talk about how he first came to The Meditation Center, his own sadhana in the Himalayan Yoga Tradition, and how he sees the 40-day Spiritual Festival in relation to Guru Purnima.

Please come and share how the Spiritual Festival is going with you.
Reflect on where you were attitudinally in prior years and where you are now. Ask any questions you might have and offer any ideas about how TMC staff and teachers can help you in your sadhana.

Michael Smith has been practicing and teaching yoga for over 50 years and is currently a curriculum coordinator for the International Himalayan Yoga Teachers Association. He has also been certified by the Himalayan Institute Teachers Association and the Behram Guard School of Yoga Meditation (an Iyengar-based Hatha Yoga School). He was a public school teacher for 35 years and also a professor of Comparative Religion at North Hennepin Community College. He has edited and/or illustrated several books on yoga and has lectured widely on stress management (the topic of his Masters Thesis) and also on holistic health. His main work has been to transcribe and to get the teachings of Swami Rama, Swami Veda and the Himalayan teachers out to as many people as possible.

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.

Guru Purnima Celebration In-Person and Via Zoom - July 13, 2022
2022-07-13 18:00 - 22:00
“Guru Purnima Celebration”
In-Person and Via Zoom
Wednesday: July 13, 2022
FULL MOON FIRE HAVAN AND GURU PURNIMA PROGRAM
6:00 – 9:00 P.M.
FULL MOON MEDITATION
9:00 – 10:00 P.M.
Guru Purnima Celebration Schedule

“Celebrating Guru Purnima is a joy beyond words, a deep stillness that echoes a wholeness and holiness. A wholeness that guru provides the answers to our pursuits, our yearnings and reveals a purpose for life. To live and to love with a heart unconditioned by conflict, and a mind, unified beyond division.”
– Swami Ritavan Bharati-

6:00-7:00 p.m. – Short guided meditation by Swami Radha followed by a fire havan, weather permitting, otherwise a flower puja will be held indoors.

7:00-8:00 p.m. – A potluck and time for socializing. If you come to The Meditation Center for Guru Purnima, please bring a dish for sharing with others.

8:00-8:30 p.m. – Recording of Swami Veda on Guru Purnima

8:30-8:50 p.m. Community Sharing

8:50-9:00 p.m. – Evening Prayers

9:00-10:00 p.m. – Full Moon Meditation

10:00 p.m. – Closing Om

Mantras for the Havan / Puja

11 Gam Ganapataye Namaha
21 Ganesha Gayatri
21 Saumya
108 Akhanda Mandala
21 Ganesha Gayatri (again)
1 Purna Ahuti

Mantras available for print here.

Those participating via Zoom may join the process by performing their own puja in their homes. All that is needed is a large bowl, such as a clean salad or mixing bowl, some water to fill the bowl about two-thirds full, a candle, and some flower petals. For those who are interested in participating with their own flower/ water havan at home, flower petals can be obtained at most flower shops or can be harvested from their own gardens. Approximately 200 offerings will be made into the havan, each with a petal offering.

The Zoom link will be made available the day before the event.

Thursday Satsang In-Person and Via Zoom: "Remembering Swami Veda Bharati" Seventh Anniversary Commemoration of Swami Veda Bharati's Mahasamadhi - July 14,2022
2022-07-14 19:00 - 20:30
Hybrid Thursday Satsang
Via Zoom and In-Person
July 14, 2022
“Remembering Swami Veda Bharati”
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CDT

6:00-7:00 p.m.: In-Person Hatha Yoga
7:00 p.m.: Meditation with Swami Radha Bharati
7:30- 8:30 p.m.: Commemoration of the Mahasamadhi of Swami Veda
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40: Snacks, fruit, nits, cookies

Join us to remember Swami Veda Bharati. Thursday, July 14th, is the commemoration of Swami Veda’s Mahasamadhi.

Stephen Parker (Stoma), Psy.D., RYT-500, will do a reading of the commentary Swami Veda wrote on the topic of death. Following the talk, there will be a slide show presentation and then an opportunity for stories and sharing.

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

TMC policy for those entering the building or participating in outdoor ceremonies will be requesting all to practice non-violence – being fully vaccinated or wearing a mask w/social distancing. Staff and volunteers will not be asking for vaccine certification cards as trust of community will be sufficient. All are welcome.
To further protect the community, an Iso-Aire purification movable unit has been purchased to use in all rooms of TMC where people gather. These units have pre-filter, hospital quality HEPA filters, and a bi-polar ionization unit to remove pollen to pathogens.

Cancelled for July 15th - New AHYMSIN Community Mantra Japa Practice via Zoom with Chris Young - Friday, July 15, 2022, Time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
2022-07-15 19:00
Cancelled for July 15th
New AHYMSIN Community Mantra Japa Practice via Zoom
with Chris Young
Friday, July 15, 2022
Time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
We will meet every other Friday to recite the mantra together.
For those that would like to practice together the japa of the Ganesha Gayatri Mantra, we will meet every other Friday with Chris Young via Zoom. Chris will guide us in the recitation of 3 malas of the new mantra.

Gaṇeśa Gāyatrī Mantra Recitation by Swami Veda Bharati (108 times) can be heard here.

If you would like to learn proper recitation of the Gaṇeśa Gāyatrī Mantra and the Mother Gāyatrī prayer, Pandit Priyadarsana (Pierre Lefebvre) has shared word-by-word slow recitations, which can be heard here.

Chris Young was initiated into the Himalayan Yoga Tradition in 2005, but has been connected with The Tradition in some way since birth, with his parents being early members and faculty of The Meditation Center in Minneapolis. Chris occasionally leads Kirtan at the Meditation Center’s Thursday satsang, and helps with some IT aspects of the HYT Teacher Training Program. Chris finds the thread of yoga and meditation that has been taught through the Tradition and its teachers, and cultivated through practice, to always keep him returning to his heart’s path – the path of Yoga – and he is grateful to be a part of the local and global communities that are working to further the mission of The Himalayan Yoga Tradition. He is the father of two amazing boys, he enjoys singing and playing music, and is ready to help with your ocular asanas through eye-roll-inducing dad jokes.

An Evening of Kirtan with Chris Young and Pierre Lefebvre - In Person at TMC Saturday, July 16, 2022
2022-07-16 19:30 - 21:00
An Evening of Kirtan
with Chris Young and Pierre Lefebvre
In Person at TMC
Saturday, July 16, 2022

7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. CDT
Join Chris and Pierre for this kirtan, 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)

Cancelled for July 21st - Thursday Evenings – In-Person Hatha for Everyone! 6:00pm – 7:00pm
2022-07-21 18:00 - 19:00
THURSDAY EVENINGS – HATHA FOR EVERYONE!
Cancelled for July 21, 2022
Time: 6:00pm – 7:00pm
Instructor: (Rotates weekly)
Fees: $10.00 drop-in fee for everyone
*No pre-registration necessary. Just show up for drop-ins!
Drop-In Hatha Classes (Ongoing)
Everyone is Welcome
These classes are for all levels. Instructors excel at leading the class in relaxation, gentle asana (yoga positions) and pranayama (breath). Relieve stress, achy joints, improve balance at all levels and increase your sense of well-being. No registration necessary, just show up.

Note Change in Regular Thursday Schedule: Thursday Satsang via Zoom and In-Person Viewing: "Spanda and Levels of Initiation (Anava, Shakta, Shambhava)"with Stephen (Stoma) Parker. Psy.D., RYT-500 - July 21, 2022
2022-07-21 19:00 - 21:00
Thursday Satsang via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC – July 21, 2022
“Spanda and Levels of Initiation (Anava, Shakta, Shambhava)”
with Stephen (Stoma) Parker. Psy.D., E-RYT-500

Stoma’s guided meditation at 7:00p p.m. will be in person only at TMC.
The presentation will be both in person and via Zoom.
7:00 p.m. – 9:10 p.m. CDT

Note changes below to TMC’s Thursday Evening’s regular schedule.

6:00-7:00 p.m.: No Hatha Yoga on Thursday, July 21st
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Only In Person at TMC, No Zoom Access
Guided Meditation by Stephen “Stoma” Parker, Psy.D., E-RYT 500
7:30-9:00 p.m.: Presentation by Stephen “Stoma” Parker, Psy.D., E-RYT 500
9:00- 9:10 p.m.: Evening Prayers

In this session, Stoma will describe layers of practice in our tradition from the perspective of Kashmir Shaivism. The three levels of practice, the upayas,roughly parallel the three prescriptions of practice in “Patanjali’s Yoga-Sutras.” Each of these levels has its own experiential component of initiation. Most students of the Himalayan Tradition are familiar with the term shakti-pata, which is usually described as a feature of the shakta-upaya. There are aspects of initiation, the direct induction of a higher experience, in the other upayas as well.
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 Grama ashram in Rishikesh, India. He is also a senior faculty member of the Himalayan Yoga Tradition Teachers’ Training Program. He has lectured on yoga, meditation, yoga psychology, and spiritual practice in the U.S. and Canada as well as in Caribbean countries, Holland, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Lithuania, South Africa, Korea, Hong Kong, and India. In 2004 he helped originate and teach the first course on yoga in an American medical school at the University of Minnesota Academic Medical Center. In 2007 he received preliminary vows of renunciation from Swami Veda and the Shankaracharya of Karvirapitha.

Stoma has been a licensed psychologist in private practice in St. Paul, MN since 1985. He also serves 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. He teaches on the faculty of the Introductory Workshops of the Minnesota Society of Clinical Hypnosis. In addition to authoring journal articles and book chapters, Dr. Parker edited volume two of Swami Veda’s definitive scholarly work on the “Yoga-Sutras of Patanjali” and he has been a peer review editor for the “Journal of Men’s Studies,” the “American Journal of Orthopsychiatry,” the I”nternational Journal of Yoga T. and Yoga Mimamsa.” 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.
