The Meditation Center

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In Person Viewing at TMC: "Contemplation for the New Year" Recorded Lecture by Swami Jaidev Bharati Followed by a Talk with Michael Smith - December 29, 2022
2022-12-29 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
Thursday Satsang – December 29, 2022
Via Zoom and In Person Viewing at TMC

“Contemplation for the New Year”
Recorded Lecture by Swami Jaidev Bharati
Followed by a Talk with Michael Smith
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
6:00-7:00 p.m. Gentle Hatha Yoga with Eric Ness

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

7:30 -8:30 p.m. Recorded Lecture by Swami Jaidev Bharati
Followed by a Talk with Michael Smith

8:30-8:35 p.m. Evening Prayers

Join us for a recorded lecture given by Swami Jaidev Bharati on contemplation followed by a talk with Michael Smith on stories of the Divine Mother in the form of Our Lady of Guadalupe and some comments on the art of contemplation.

“There is another school called contemplation, “shravana manana nidhidhyasana.” What is contemplation? Contemplation is to discover what truth is. I am in search of truth. I listen to the sayings of great sages and to the scriptures taught by competent teachers. This is “shravana.” I think deeply about these sayings and teachings. This is “manana.” I systematically go on searching and finally, I know truth and integrate it into my life. This is “nidhidhyasana.” And I cannot describe it to anyone…

…In the school of contemplation you learn what is truth. Now you want to contemplate on that teaching. Truth in the world is different from absolute truth…

…A few hints for practice. Don’t speak too much. Those who speak too much speak nonsense most of the time. Speak less, to the point. Reduce, if you are speaking too much. Be conscious that I will not speak much. Second point, “Ok, I will speak whatever I have to speak but I’ll speak strongly and lovingly.” Don’t keep saying “I mean to say, I mean to say, I mean to say.” Many people say, “I mean to say.” It means there is something they mean to say, that they are not saying. Be straight, be gentle when you speak. Your speech will be effective. Those to whom you are speaking will know the language, it will affect their hearts and minds if you speak properly…

Slowly by understanding the great sayings of the sages, you start contemplating the great sayings, “I am atman, Brahman. The atman is within me. I’m not body, not the breath, not the mind, not my individuality but the atman within me is the same Paramatman.” This type of contemplation, constant awareness, is very healthy.” ~ H.H.S. Swami Rama ~

Via Zoom – Sunday Morning Guided Meditation with Swami Radha Bharati
2023-01-01 08:20 - 09:30, 2023-01-15 08:20 - 09:30, 2023-01-22 08:20 - 09:30, 2023-01-29 08:20 - 09:30, 2023-03-05 08:20 - 09:30 (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.

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

Cancelled for New Year's Day - Sunday Book Club / Satsang via Zoom with Swami Radha Bharati, Michael Smith, and Jim Nelson
2023-01-01 10:00 - 23:30 (America/Chicago)
Cancelled – Sunday Book Club/Satsang via Zoom
Happy Happy New Year!
with Swami Radha Bharati, Michael Smith, and Jim Nelson
10:00 A.M. – 11:30 A.M.

Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Swami Radha, Jim, and Michael will continue the study of spiritual topics in 2023. The Book Club is now reading “Signs of Spiritual Growth by Swami Veda Bharati.

Note Change for Thursday Satsang Via Zoom Only: Showing of the Video, "Saundaryalahari, Part I" with Swami Rama on January 5, 2023
2023-01-05 18:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
Note program change because of today’s hazardous road conditions due to this week’s major snow event in the Metro area…stay safe.
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom Only – January 5, 2023
Showing of the Video,
“Saundaryalahari, Part I” with H.H.S. Swami Rama
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Please accept this invitation to all initiates to join this New Year Sadhana Retreat January 5-8, 2023.

6:00-7:00 p.m. No Gentle Hatha Yoga Class
7:00-7:30 p.m. Meditation with Swami Ritavan Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m. Showing of the Video, “Saundaryalahari, Part I” with Swami Rama
8:30 p.m – Evening Prayers
Talk by Swami Rama on Saundaryalahari, the Wave of Beauty, which is a prominent text of Sri Vidya Kundalini Tantra Yoga. The wave of creativity, love, and bliss of Shakti is one and the same with Shiva. The lectures contain practical advice on advanced meditation practices of Yoga, Vedanta, and Tantra. (Courtesy of YouTube)

Other events for the New Year Sadhana Retreat January 5-8, 2023.

Friday, January 6, 2023 – In Person and Via Zoom
6:00 p.m. – Chanting of Lalita Sahasranama
7:00-7:30 p.m. – Meditation with Swami Ritavan Bharati
7:30-8:45 p.m. – Lakshmi Full Moon Flower Havan
9:00-10:00 p.m. – Full Moon Meditation

Saturday, January 7, 2023 – In Person and Via Zoom
(full program with Swami Ritavan)
9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Exercise without Movement, Shitali-karana, Pranayama,
Japa, and Meditation

Cost: $20.00 In Person
Cost $20.00 Via Zoom

Register here

Followed by lunch. Bring a dish to share.

Sunday Morning, January 8, 2023 – In Person and Via Zoom
8:30-9:15 a.m. – Meditation session with Swami Ritavan Bharati
10:00-11:30 a.m. – Sunday Book Club Study Group with Swami Ritavan Bharati

Full Moon Flower Puja and Full Moon Meditation: Change to Schedule for Hybrid Friday Satsang Via Zoom and In Person at TMC: "New Year Renewal and Abundance In Divine Grace" with Swami Ritavan Bharati - January 6, 2023
2023-01-06 18:00 - 22:00 (America/Chicago)
“New Year Renewal and Abundance In Divine Grace” with Swami Ritavan Bharati

Hybrid Friday Satsang Via Zoom and In Person at TMC – January 6, 2023
Full Moon Flower Havan and Full Moon Meditation
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. CST
8:00-8:45 p.m. Lakshmi Full Moon Flower Havan with Emilio Bettaglio

8:45-9:00 p.m. Break
9:00-10:00 p.m. Full Moon Meditation with Swami Ritavan Bharati
This Full Moon Meditation will begin guided by Swami Ritavan Bharati, then followed by a silent meditation until 10:00 p.m.
Full Moon Havan with the mantras: Akhanda Mandala, Saumya, Lakshmi Gayatri, Akhanda Mandala. Read here the mantras to be used.

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.”
“You are lovingly 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..'” (Courtesy of AHYMSIN.org January 2023 newsletter).

Everyone is welcome!
Other events for the New Year Sadhana Retreat January 5-8, 2023.
Saturday, January 7, 2023 – In Person and Via Zoom
(full program with Swami Ritavan)
9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Exercise without Movement, Shitali-karana, Pranayama,
Japa, and Meditation
Cost: $20.00
Followed by lunch. Bring a dish to share.

Sunday Morning, January 8, 2023 – In Person and Via Zoom
8:30-9:15 a.m. – Meditation session with Swami Ritavan Bharati
10:00-11:30 a.m. – Sunday Book Club Study Group with Swami Ritavan Bharati

Saturday Morning with Swami Ritavan Via Zoom and In Person at TMC: "New Year Renewal and Abundance In Divine Grace" January 7, 2023
2023-01-07 09:30 - 12:30 (America/Chicago)
“New Year Renewal and Abundance In Divine Grace” with Swami Ritavan Bharati
Saturday, January 7, 2023 – In Person and Via Zoom
(full program with Swami Ritavan)
Cost: $20.00 In Person
Cost: $20.00 Zoom
Register here.
9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Exercise without Movement, Shitali-karana, Pranayama, Japa, and Meditation
Followed by lunch. Bring a dish to share.

Other events for the New Year Sadhana Retreat January 5-8, 2023.

Sunday Morning, January 8, 2023 – In Person and Via Zoom
8:30-9:15 a.m. – Meditation session with Swami Ritavan Bharati
10:00-11:30 a.m. – Sunday Book Club Study Group with Swami Ritavan Bharati

In Person at TMC and Via Zoom – Special Sunday Morning Guided Meditation with Swami Ritavan Bharati
2023-01-08 08:20 - 09:30 (America/Chicago)
Special In Person at TMC and Via Zoom – Sunday Morning Guided Meditation
with Swami Ritavan 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 Ritavan Bharati on Zoom for a guided meditation on Sunday from 8:20 a.m. – 9:15 a.m on January 8, 2023

Sunday Book Club / Satsang via Zoom with Swami Ritavan Bharati - "Marks of Spiritual Progress"
2023-01-08 10:00 - 23:30 (America/Chicago)
Sunday Book Club/Satsang In-Person and via Zoom
with Swami Ritavan Bharati,
10:00 A.M. – 11:30 A.M.

Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
On Sunday, January 8th, Swami Ritavan will be leading the discussion. Swami Radha, Jim, and Michael will continue the study of spiritual topics in 2023. The Book Club is now reading “Marks of Spiritual Progress” by Swami Veda Bharati.

Postponed until January 17th - Meditation I via Zoom: Learning the Basics with Rodney Huff (Rajni), Tuesdays: January 17 – February 21 , 2023
2023-01-10 18:30 - 20:00 UTC
Postponed until Tuesday, January 17th
In Person Meditation I : Learning the Basics
with Rodney Huff (Rajni)
Dates of Series: Tuesdays: January 17 – February 21 , 2023
Time: 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Instructors: Rodney Huff (Rajni)
Fee: $75.00
This class introduces the student to the basics of meditation in the Himalayan Tradition. Relaxation techniques, pranayama (yogic breath), ideal sitting postures, and the use of mantra will be taught to help the student focus the mind and relax the body. Beginning Raja yoga philosophy is also included in this class. Treat yourself to the many benefits of a regular meditation practice.

Rodney Huff first came to the Center in January of 2000 and quickly took as many classes as he could. Since then he has traveled to India to study at Sadhana Mandir and Sadhaka Grama in Rishikesh. He began teaching Hatha yoga in 2003 and has been a regular teacher of Hatha Yoga (I & II) as well as Meditation I. Rodney is grateful for the opportunity to teach at a place as special as the Meditation Center. The teachings he received transformed his life, and he hopes that each of his students can have an equally rewarding experience.

AHYMSIN Community Mantra Japa Practice via Zoom with Chris Young - January 11, 2023
2023-01-11 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
New AHYMSIN Community Mantra Japa Practice via Zoom
with Chris Young
Wednesday, January 11, 2023
Time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
We will meet every other Wednesday 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 tell stories and tales from 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.

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In Person Viewing at TMC: An Evening with Dr. Stephen Parker (Stoma), PsyD, E-RYT-500 - January 12, 2023
2023-01-12 18:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In Person Viewing at TMC – January 12, 2023

An Evening with Dr. Stephen Parker (Stoma), PsyD, E-RYT-500
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CST

6:00-7:00 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Sunita Gangopadhyay
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Meditation guided by Stephen Parker (Stoma), PsyD, E-RYT-500
7:30-8:30 p.m.: Talk by Dr. Stephen Parker (Stoma), PsyD, E-RYT-500
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks
Join Stoma for a talk on nourishing others spiritually in all of the realms and levels of our being…how to feed people.
Details to come.
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.

Sunday Book Club / Satsang via Zoom with Swami Radha Bharati, Michael Smith, and Jim Nelson
2023-01-15 10:00 - 23:30 (America/Chicago)
Sunday Book Club/Satsang via Zoom
with Swami Radha Bharati, Michael Smith, and Jim Nelson
10:00 A.M. – 11:30 A.M.

Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Swami Radha, Jim, and Michael will continue the study of spiritual topics in 2023. The Book Club is now reading “Signs of Spiritual Progress” by Swami Veda Bharati.

Meditation I via Zoom: Learning the Basics with Rodney Huff (Rajni), Tuesdays: January 17 – February 21 , 2023
2023-01-17 18:30 - 20:00 UTC
In Person Meditation I : Learning the Basics
with Rodney Huff (Rajni)
Dates of Series: Tuesdays: January 17 – February 21 , 2023
Time: 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Instructors: Rodney Huff (Rajni)
Fee: $75.00
New registration! Register here.
This class introduces the student to the basics of meditation in the Himalayan Tradition. Relaxation techniques, pranayama (yogic breath), ideal sitting postures, and the use of mantra will be taught to help the student focus the mind and relax the body. Beginning Raja yoga philosophy is also included in this class. Treat yourself to the many benefits of a regular meditation practice.

Rodney Huff first came to the Center in January of 2000 and quickly took as many classes as he could. Since then he has traveled to India to study at Sadhana Mandir and Sadhaka Grama in Rishikesh. He began teaching Hatha yoga in 2003 and has been a regular teacher of Hatha Yoga (I & II) as well as Meditation I. Rodney is grateful for the opportunity to teach at a place as special as the Meditation Center. The teachings he received transformed his life, and he hopes that each of his students can have an equally rewarding experience.

Via Zoom - Meditation III: Mantra: The Key to Deeper Meditation (Prereq: Meditation II and Meditation I) with Jennifer Manion
2023-01-18 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
Via Zoom – Meditation III: Mantra: The Key to Deeper Meditation (Prereq: Meditation II and Meditation I)
The Zoom link will be set to you the day before the first class. This link will be a recurring link for all 6 sessions.
Series: Wednesdays: January 18 – February 22, 2023
Time: 6:30pm – 8:00pm
Instructor: Jennifer Manion
Fee: $85
Register here.
Meditation III fee includes 11 CD series
Learn the science of mantra in meditation and how it is a tool to help focus your mind and move through blocks to a deeper meditative experience.
This class opens the opportunity for the student to receive a personal mantra. We will also cover the use of a mala, japa practice and akhandajapa, as well as what to expect during mantra initiation. The cost of the class includes the CDs of Swami Veda’s Mantra and Meditation lectures.

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In Person Viewing at TMC: Showing the video "Saundaryalahari, the Wave of Beauty" Part 2 with H.H.S. Swami Rama - January 19, 2023
2023-01-19 18:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In Person Viewing at TMC – January 19, 2023
Showing the video “Saundaryalahari, the Wave of Beauty” Part 2
with H.H.S. Swami Rama
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CST

6:00-7:00 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.: Showing the video “Saundaryalahari, Wave of Beauty” Part 2 with H.H.S. Swami Rama
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks
Talk by H.H.S. Swami Rama on Saundaryalahari, the Wave of Beauty, which is a prominent text of Sri Vidya Kundalini Tantra Yoga. The wave of creativity, love, and bliss of Shakti is one and the same with Shiva. The lectures contain practical advice on advanced meditation practices of Yoga, Vedanta, and Tantra. (Courtesy of YouTube)
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.

Mauni Amavasya (Silence Day) Saturday, January 21, 2023
2023-01-21 00:00 - 23:30 (America/Chicago)
Mauni Amavasya (Silence Day)
Saturday, January 21, 2023

Mauni 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 “Mauni 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.

AHYMSIN Community Mantra Japa Practice via Zoom with Chris Young - January 25, 2023
2023-01-25 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
New AHYMSIN Community Mantra Japa Practice via Zoom
with Chris Young
Wednesday, January 25, 2023
Time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
We will meet every other Wednesday 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 tell stories and tales from 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.

Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and via Zoom: "State of The Meditation Center Address 2023 and Onwards" Talk with Swami Ritavan Bharati, Sunita Gangopadhyay, and Georgeann Bianchi - January 26, 2023
2023-01-26 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and Via Zoom – January 26, 2023

“State of The Meditation Center Address 2023 and Onwards”
Talk with Swami Ritavan Bharati,
Sunita Gangopadhyay, and Georgeann Bianchi

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.: Meditation Guided by Swami Ritavan Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: Talk with Swami Ritavan Bharati, Sunita Gangopadhyay, and Georgeann Bianchi
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks

Swami Ritavan Bharati will be announcing the vision and themes of 2023, leadership, and the new TMC board members. Sunita Gangopadhyay will be sharing the “Proposal for the future sub-committees–next steps from 50th panel discussion”, and Georgeann Bianchi will be presenting the Center’s financial report for 2022 and moving into 2023.

Swami Ritavan will share the enthusiasm and the diligent work that has been accomplished during January through the blessings of Divine Mother and the Lineage.

…This is just to re-emphasize what we have always known. The Meditation Center is not just a hatha-yoga center but that it is primarily a spiritual center and all the members need to remember this in making their decisions and arriving at their policy and level of participation. The Lineage has established the Center to carry on the spiritual part of the Guru’s work….

Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and via Zoom: Kirtan with Chris Young - February 2, 2023
2023-02-02 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and via Zoom – February 2, 2023
Kirtan with Chris Young

6:00-7:00 p.m.: Guided Hatha Yoga with Sig Martell
7:00 p.m.: Meditation with Swami Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: Kirtan with Chris Young
8:30-8:40 p.m.: Evening Prayers

Join us for an evening of kirtan and chanting with Chris Young to celebrate Love, the ancient traveler.
Join Chris in 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)

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.

Full Moon Meditation Via Zoom with Dr. Stephen Parker (Stoma) - February 5, 2023
2023-02-05 21:00 - 22:00 (America/Chicago)
Full Moon Meditation
Sunday, February 5, 2023
9:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. CST

This Full Moon Meditation will begin guided by Dr. Stephen Parker (Stoma), then followed by a silent meditation until 10:00 p.m.

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.”

“You are lovingly 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..'” (Courtesy of AHYMSIN.org January 2023 newsletter).

Everyone is welcome!
O

AHYMSIN Community Mantra Japa Practice via Zoom with Chris Young - February 8, 2023
2023-02-08 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
New AHYMSIN Community Mantra Japa Practice via Zoom
with Chris Young
Wednesday, February 8, 2023
Time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
We will meet every other Wednesday 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 tell stories and tales from 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.

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC: An Evening with Michael Smith "Signs of Spiritual Progress" - February 9, 2023, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CST
2023-02-09 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC – February 9, 2023

An Evening with Michael Smith
“Signs of Spiritual Progress”
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CST

6:00-7:00 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Chris Young
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Paul Emerson Ph.D.
7:30-8:30 p.m.: An Evening with Michael Smith
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks

Swami Veda’s most recent book – just published in India last week – is titled Signs of Spiritual Progress. Those who attend the Sunday Morning Book Study received an advanced copy to read, and they realize what a profoundly wise and inspirational book it is.

There is a prayer Swami Veda sometimes quoted in his talks at The Meditation Center:

May the wicked become good.
May the good become enlightened.
May the enlightened ones enlighten others.

Many of us have been contemplating these things. We wonder: “What can one do to make the wicked become good?” “How do the good become enlightened?” “What do the enlightened ones do to enlighten others?” Signs of Spiritual Progress, answers those questions.

It is a compilation of some of Swami Veda’s most intimate talks in which he shares insights from his own inner explorations — “I am speaking to you out of my personal self-experiments.”

Signs of Spiritual Progress is filled with various practices to refine one’s personality and “polish our egos.” — “Remove the dust from the clean, clear mirror of your mind and all your problems will be solved. Then the Yamas and Niyamas will develop automatically.”

In this path of self-effacement, quietude, and inner stillness, how far can the honing-down and polishing go?

Maybe all the way.

This Thursday Michael will share some of his recent understandings of Swami Veda teachings in relation to Signs of Spiritual Progress.

Thursday Satsang via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC: "Shivaratri, A Celebration of the Many Aspects of Shiva with Stephen Parker (Stoma) - February 16, 2023
2023-02-16 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
Thursday Satsang via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC – February 16, 2023
“Shivaratri, A Celebration of the Many Aspects of Shiva”
with Stephen Parker (Stoma) PsyD, E-RYT 500
6:00-7:00 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Susan Guthrie

7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Stephen Parker (Stoma) PsyD, E-RYT 500

7:30-8:30 p.m.: An Evening with Stephen Parker (Stoma) PsyD, E-RYT 500

“Shivaratri, A Celebration of the Many Aspects of Shiva”

8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

8:40 p.m.: Snacks

Wherever there are Shiva temples, that Shiva there has a name. The ashram temple for Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama is named: Sadhakesvara, the Lord of the sadhakas – those who are aspiring to become as Shiva, those who are aspiring to know the truth of “Shivoham”. Within the walls resides “Sphatika-Jyotir-Linga” – ‘the linga of light’. The Temple and Crystal Lingam were given these names at the first consecration. As a meditation temple, here, a sadhaka performs their interior mental worship – manasa-puja. In this meditation, one dissolves all identification with name and form. Through pralaya, one withdraws his/her conscious identity with body, with senses, with sense-objects, with memories of the experiences of sense objects, so as to become that very jyotir-linga as Shivo ’ham – I’m Shiva, jyotir aham – I am a being of light.

Everyone who performs a worship to Shiva says – Shivo ’ham – I Am Shiva. Then, if you are Shiva, who is the worshipper? Who is the worshiped? This mystery is unveiled only when one truly enters “within”. In this internal worship – manasa-puja, each external devolute is dissolved into its corresponding cause. As our consciousness dissolves the external forms and as awareness moves into subtler and subtler energies, all that remains is the causal body – linga-matra, and then alinga – just an amorphous form of light, an amorphous form of the presence of energies. That subtlest form of divine being is called the linga – just an indication of a mere presence – like a crystal lingam. That is why in our Shiva temple you will find the crystal-lingam. It has no head, face, senses, arms, legs – they have all been dissolved and absorbed into the linga-matra the ‘mere presence’ of light reflected in the crystal. Shivo ’ham – I’m Shiva, jyotir aham – I am a being of light. (redacted from Swami Veda).

Hatha Yoga Cancelled at TMC - Thursday Satsang Via Zoom Only: "Ayurvedic Self-Care for the Winter Season" with Cynthia Gran, February 23, 2023 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CST
2023-02-23 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom Only – February 23, 2023
“Ayurvedic Self-Care for the Winter Season”
with Cynthia Gran
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CST

6:00-7:00 p.m.: Cancelled – Gentle Hatha Yoga with Eric Ness

7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Emilio Bettaglio

7:30-8:30 p.m.: “Ayurvedic Self-Care for the Winter Season” with Cynthia Gran

8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

Join us for timely techniques to stay warmer and healthier through late winter and into early spring. We’ll cover a few basics of Ayurveda, emphasizing its winter principles, exploring techniques that include herbs, aromatherapy, and foods with recipes! We will learn about a deep relaxation posture to benefit many systems of the body at once. There will be time for a few questions at the end. No prior understanding of Ayurveda needed.

Thursday Satsang In-Person at TMC and Via Zoom: "Summary of the SRSG Global Sangha Gathering" with Sunita Gangopadhyay - March 2, 2023
2023-03-02 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
Thursday Satsang In-Person at TMC and Via Zoom – March 2, 2023
“Summary of the SRSG Global Sangha Gathering”
with Sunita Gangopadhyay
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CST

6:00-7:00 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Swami Ma Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: “Summary of the SRSG Global Sangha Gathering” 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 the SRSG Global Sangha Gathering 2023.
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.

Global Full Moon Meditation - Will begin guided by Swami Ritavan Bharati - March 7, 2023, 9:00-10:00 p.m.
2023-03-07 21:00 - 22:00 (America/Chicago)
Tuesday, March 7, 2023
Via Zoom
Global Full Moon Meditation
9:00-10:00 p.m.

This Full Moon Meditation will begin guided by Swami Ritavan Bharati,
then followed by a silent meditation until 10:00 p.m.
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.”

“You are lovingly 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..'” (Courtesy of AHYMSIN.org January 2023 newsletter).

Everyone is welcome!
