“Yoga means union of soul and God, through step-by-step methods with specific and known results. It raises the practice of religion above the differences of dogma,” said Guruedva Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda.
The popularity of the word ‘Yoga’ is evident from the innumerable related activities conducted all across the globe on and around June 21, 2017 to mark the International Day of Yoga. YSS Noida Ashram, Delhi Kendra and Gurgaon Kendra also held special Open House and Guided Meditation sessions led by monastics around this time.
Swami Lalitanandaji conducted the session in Noida Ashram on Sunday, June 18, which was attended by around 460 people, including 120 newcomers.
The same day, Brahmachari Sheelananadaji conducted an Open House session at Delhi Kendra which was attended by nearly 325 people, including 80 new participants.
On the following Sunday, June 25, Brahmachari Dhairyanandaji conducted the session at Gurgaon Kendra, which drew over 185 people, as well as around 35 first-timers.
During the three sessions, YSS monastics introduced people to Yoga and its true meaning according to ancient sage Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. They introduced the attendees to Yogoda Satsanga Society of India (YSS) – the spiritual organisation founded in 1917 by Gurudeva Paramahansa Yoganandaji to disseminate his Kriya Yoga meditation teachings, how to learn meditation by subscribing to and reading the home-study lessons of YSS, and the importance of meditation for right living.
Guiding the audience through a half-an-hour meditation session, monastics gave the first-timers a “real taste of meditation,” and left them wanting for more. Some, like Ms. Gunjan Goyla, a food historian from the capital, requested for a repeat session of the Guided Meditation conducted at YSS on the occasion.
Monastics also took queries from the newcomers regarding various aspects of meditation during the Question-and-Answer sessions that followed the programme. Several attendees also enrolled for YSS lessons at the venues.
The programmes were promoted through SMS, banners posted outside the venues and through advertisement in the newspapers as well. Books were displayed for sale at the venues. First-time visitors were presented with complementary copies of the Autobiography of a Yogi in their preferred language.
Special arrangements were made for these sessions by monastics to be transmitted through video feed for relay at other areas accommodating the large number of guests in the venues. Refreshments were also served after the programmes.
