A beloved teacher of yoga known throughout the world, Swami Vishnudevananda (1927-1993) wrote The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga and founded the original Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre in Montreal as well as numerous still-thriving campus sites and ashrams, including Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat in Nassau, the Bahamas. Swami Vishnudevananda was an intellectual and spiritual heir of the great classical tradition of yoga, as imparted by his teacher, Swami Sivananda, and encapsulated in the Five Points of Yoga. The Swami based these principles on time-hallowed wisdom, distilled into a form easy to remember and practice for busy people. The five principles are proper physical exercise, as practiced through the many asanas (“postures”) of hatha yoga; pranayama, or proper breath control; savasana, or proper relaxation; a proper, natural vegetarian diet; and the consistent practice of positive thinking and meditation, known as vedanta and dhyana, respectively. The work of the many Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres and retreats focuses on these principles. Known as a great popularizer of ancient teachings able to reach contemporary society, the Swami often used the image of a car to illustrate these five points. He noted that a car needs lubrication–in this case, exercise–to remain in good working order. It also needs power from a battery (breathing) and the work of a radiator and gasoline (relaxation and diet). But all these are simply inert matter without the intentional actions of a careful driver, his image for the power of meditation and positive thinking. via WordPress https://ift.tt/3sBUd5x
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