12th Annual Day and Annual Report of Yoganjali Natyalayam, Pondicherry,India

[Guest guest]

GRAND FESTIVAL OF YOGA, BHARATANATYAM AND CARNATIC MUSIC

More than 200 students and staff members of Yoganjali Natyalayam will present a 6-hour cultural extravaganza on the occasion of the celebrations of the 12th Annual Day of Yoganjali Natyalayam and the 37th Anniversary of Ananda Ashram to be held on June 26th 2005.

The programmes will be inaugurated at 3.15 pm at the Kamban Kalai Arangam near the old bus stand and will highlight the talents of the young students aged between 3 and 20 years.

The director of JIPMER Prof KSVK Subba Rao will be chief guest along with eminent Pondicherry Academic and luminaries such as Dr. Madanmohan, Dr. Karoon Agrawal, Dr. P.P. Mathur, Dr. R.P. Raya and the well-known philanthropist and social activist Shri Om Shakti Sekar who will be special guests.

It is notable that the National Child Award For Exceptional Achievements given by the Human Resource Ministry, New Delhi has been bagged by students of the Natyalayam for the past four years in succession.

The Natyalayam was founded in 1993 by the visionary Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri and is being directed by Kalaimamani Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani.

All are welcome to attend the annual day celebrations, as admission is free for all the interested Rasikas who wish to witness a heart warming and spell binding performance by our beloved children who are the bright future of our nation.

For details contact: Yoganjali Natyalayam, 25, 2nd Cross, Iyyanar Nagar, Pondicherry – 13 E-mail: yognat2001 Tel: 0413-241561. Cell: 98423 02916, 98423 11433 Website: www.geocities.com/yognat2001

 

 

 

YOGANJALI NATYALAYAM

ANNUAL REPORT 2004-05

By Yogacharya Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani,

Chairman, Yoganjali Natyalayam

 

 

With the blessings of our visionary founder Satguru Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj, the past year has been an eventful and busier-than-ever year for all of us at Yognat. Numerous public and private performances, guest lectures, lecture-demonstrations, Yoga sport events and conferences have kept us on our toes throughout the year. Our beloved dynamic director, Amma, Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani has been in the forefront of the cultural and Yoga renaissance amongst the youth of our beloved national as well as the entire world though her inspiring example laden guidance. Numerous awards and accolades have poured in throughout the year and reinforced our resolve to keep the Yoga and cultural flag flying as high as possible. Parents of the institute have offered us unconditional and

unlimited support at all times and with the blessings of our well wishers our beloved and talented children have made great progress in Yoga and the fine arts and make our heart swell with pride at their, “Skill and beauty in action”.

 

CULTURAL PROGRAMMES: More than 100 public performances, programmes and events including more than 35 major dance programmes, 60 vocal and instrumental music programmes and 20 Yogasana group demonstrations have been conducted by staff and students of Yognat. The dedicated staff and talented students also won laurels in numerous Yoga Sports and cultural events at state and national levels.

Important performances include the 7 hour long 11th Annual Day Celebration at Kamban Kalai Arangam, 50th Independence Day of Pondicherry Parade on Beach Road, a three hour long “Pancha Maha Bhutas” dance drama on the occasion of the 98th Jayanthi Celebration of Pujya Swamiji Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj at Kamban Kalai Arangam and the Children’s Festival sponsored by Art and Culture dept in association with South Zone Cultural Centre, Thanjavur. Yognat was also invited to perform the Pancha Maha Bhutas dance drama for the World Tourism Day sponsored by the tourism department and the show was well appreciated by all those present. During the annual Navarathri celebrations at Sringeri Madam in Pondicherry

staff and students of Yognat performed numerous programmes in music and dance to great appreciation from all devotees. Yognat also performed at the World Women’s Day celebrations as well as the 19th Pondy state Yoga Sport event and the Swami Gitananda best Youth and child competitions. Renukadevi, Padma Prashanthini and D Lakshmi performed a specially choreographed performance of Sanskrit items under Amma’s divine direction at the Shri Chandrasekara Saraswathi Sanskrit University in Kanchipuram. This was during the National level Sanskrit Meet organised by the Rasthriya Samskrit Sanstham of New Delhi in December 2004. All eminent Sanskrit scholars from different parts of the country appreciated the beauty and deep significance of each item as Amma explained Yognat’s love for this Divine Language of Bharat. One of the special performances was at JIPMER during the National Workshop of Yoga and Stress where the director of JIPMER, Dr Subba Rao said that it was the best

performance he had ever witnessed at JIPMER. A great compliment from a truly great man indeed that immensely gladdened our hearts.

Yoganjali Natyalayam presented a scintillating prayer to the five magnificent elements of nature (Pancha Maha Bhutas) during the 98th Jayanthi Celebrations for Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj in September 2004 at Pondicherry, South India. The three hour dance drama “PANCHA MAHA BHUTAS” featuring Bharatanatyam, Folk dances, and Yogasanas as well as Natya Karanas was witnessed by a packed house of nearly a 1000 spell bound audience most of whom stayed in their seats from the start to conclusion of this epic presentation. A team of more than 80 dancers, Yoga demonstrators, musicians and artisans as well as stage managers worked tirelessly under the divine direction of Amma to bring about the resounding success of this creation. Dr Ananda and Yogacharini Devasena Bhavanani assisted Amma in the direction and choreography.

Kalaimamani Pulavar I Pattabiraman penned lyrics for the dance drama while Dr Ananda and Nada Yoga Shironmani SV Jagadeesan composed the music. The Director of Art and Culture, Govt of Pondicherry Ms N Sumathi said that she was speechless as no words could explain the feeing of divinity that had been brought out in every one of the audience through the presentation. She complimented all the participants on their 100% involvement and recalled the role of the founding father of Yognat, Dr Swami Gitananda Giri with deep reverence and appreciation. “This magnificent presentation will stay in our minds for a long time” said she.

Amma explained the necessity of developing reverential feelings towards the elements that are divine entities that also need to feel loved and revered. “When we have reverence for them, we will not misuse them,” she said eloquently.

This production was the tenth major dance drama (three hour duration) by Yognat in the past 12 years and its twenty-fifth dance drama in all as the Yognat troupe has also presented fifteen mini dance dramas of 45-60 minute duration in the past 19 years.

Yognat conducted the Bharatanatya Arangetram of one of its senior most students Selvi D Lakshmi on the 11th of June 2005 at the Alliance Francaise auditorium. Lakshmi has won numerous state and national level awards and this marked her completion of the requirements for her Nine Year Diploma in Yoga and Bharatanatyam. The diploma was handed over to her by the respected Vice Chancellor of the Pondicherry Central University, Prof Dr A K Bhatnagar.

Yognat only allows students to perform their Arangetram after the completion of the 9-year training, as we want the student to develop in the art to the maximum possible. Of course the students get numerous opportunities to be part of the Yognat performances and Lakshmi had done at least 300 performances till date in Bharatanatyam and Yoga including key roles in the Annual 3 hour Dance Dramas. Lakshmi has participated in every one of the Bharat Natyam Dance Dramas presented by Yoganjali Natyalayam since 1994. She has played the leading role in Nala Damayanthi as “Nala”; in Ramavathara as “Lord Rama”; and in Silappadikaaram as “Kovalan”. She won the inaugural Swami Gitananda Best Youth Award 2000 as well as Champion of Champion Award in 17th Pondicherry State Yogasana Championship. She has been awarded Best Girl Student Award at Yoganjali

Natyalayam in 1998-99 and was awarded the Best Yoga Personality at the Pondicherry State Yogasana competition in 2001. She was part of the Pondicherry Yogasana Association team to the National Himalaya Yoga Olympiad in 2001 in Bangalore. An excellent orator and promising writer, she has imbibed wonderful Yogic qualities in her life. She has won numerous prizes in dance competitions and was winner of the Kamban Khazhagam Dance Competition (2003) and the Bharat Natyam competitions at Bharatidasan College in 2002 and 2003. She has also won the Daya Rajini Award in 2001 in Chennai as well as many other competitions conducted for individual and group dances. She has good choreography skills and has helped to choreograph numerous light group dances. She has performed in Yoganjali Natyalayam programmes since 1995 in Natyanjali at Chidambaram, ABHAI in Chennai and many conferences. She is a recipient of the International Yoga Scholarship Award for the Yoga Research and Education Centre,

California, USA.

Yognat was also invited to perform for the visiting parliamentarians of the Standing Parliamentary Committee under the leadership of Smt Sushma Swaraj at Raj Nivas on the 16th June 2005. It was a unique opportunity to showcase the local talent for the representatives from all over the country. D Lakshmi, Padma M Prashanthini, V Renuka Devi, S Devasena, V Roshini and J Sangavi did us proud with a sweet performance on the occasion. The Yoganjali Natyalayam’s well-known Snake Dance with acrobatic Karanas and a thrilling Thillana interspersed with tastefully choreographed Yoga Asanas drew vigorous applause from the distinguished audience. At the conclusion of the performance, the Guest of Honour Smt Sushma Swaraj remarked: “We have seen many dance performances and we have seen many

Yoga Asana demonstrations, but we have never seen Asanas and Dance combined in such a wonderful manner. It will stay in our minds for a long time”.

 

SUMMER COURSES 2005: The first annual Bharatanatyam workshop was conducted on the 21st and 22nd of May 2005 at ICYER campus. 31 students of Yognat were selected to attend the two-day intensive dance workshop with Sangeetha-Natyacharya Adyar Shri K Rama Rao who is the elder brother of our Param Guru in Bharatanatyam Padmashri Adyar K Lakshmanan of Bharata Choodamani, Chennai. Ramu sir is an alumnus of Kalakshetra and is known for his excellent and tireless teachings. The students were drilled extensively in many aspects of dance and polished numerous items and learnt two new items for their repertoire. All participants expressed a deep sense of satisfaction at

the wonderful opportunity provided by Amma and felt that such workshops should be conducted every year to help them work out their flaws and improve in all aspects of the divine art of dance.

As usual, the Annual Summer Intensive Yoga and Bharat Natyam Course was held in May 2005 with more than 120 students participating in the Yoga classes in addition to the Bharatanatyam and Shlokam recitation classes that went on for nearly four hours on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. Tremendous changes were witnessed in the children as the intensive gave them an opportunity to work closely with Amma and thus manifest their inherent potential. All students learnt the Guru Stotra in addition to working on Yoga theory concepts of 1 to 10 and six groups of difficult Asanas for self-development. SS Lothikha and D Venkatesan topped the exams conducted at the end of the intensive and were selected to receive the Best Girl and Best Boy of the Intensive Award 2005 respectively for their excellent all round

performance.

The May intensive culminated in the much‑eagerly anticipated Annual Summer Day Residential Camp at ICYER campus, on ECR near Kottakuppam, on the Bay of Bengal. 65 students participated in the camp conducted on the 26th to 28th May and numerous activities such as Yoga team games, a video show of Swamiji’s lecture on the Chakras and the new ashram videos as well as an adventurous treasure hunt and new activities to broaden the young minds were on offer. Mouthu Pawan Kumar and D Venkatesan were selected “Best Boys of the Camp” while Reena Joseph and G Kanimozhi were selected “Best Girls of the Camp” in recognition of their Yogic talents and behaviour.

 

YOGA SPORT CHAMPIONSHIPS: More than 150 students of Yognat participated and won numerous prizes in the 19th Pondicherry State and 1st Tamil Nadu State Invitation Yoga Sport Championship 2004 organised by the Pondicherry Yogasana from 12th to 14th November 2004. Championship Awards were bagged by T Mrithika (Under 16 female), M Swaroup Ramanan (Under 16 male), G Dayanidy (Above 16 male) and G Saranya (Above 16 female).

More than 130 members of Yognat participated in the 5th annual Swami Gitananda Best Youth and Best Child Awards competition for the year 2004 on the 25th and 26th of December 2004 as well as 2nd and 9th of January 2005. Mr. G Dayanidy won the maximum points overall and was declared the recipient of the Swami Gitananda Best Youth Award 2004 while Miss V Roshini won the Swami Gitananda Best Child Award 2004 (Under 10 category) and Miss Nivedha Kannan won the Swami Gitananda Best Child Award 2004 (Above 10 years category) by winning maximum points overall in their respective categories. Awardees in the previous four years are Miss D Lakshmi (2000), Miss N Ramya (2001), Miss V Renuka Devi (2002) and Mr. S Tamilsengolan (2003). Winners of the Best Child Awards in the last two years are Miss Desh M (2002) and Miss R Subhashini (2003).

15 members of Yognat were selected to represent the Pondicherry Yogasana Association at the 22nd National Yoga Championship that was organised by the Tamil Nadu State Yogasana Association at Chennai. Our director Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani was an honoured guest at the inauguration. All students put up a good show. In addition many Yognatites participated in the Excellence Demonstration conducted during the championship.

Students of Yognat made Pondicherry proud by winning numerous laurels at the 2nd Open National Yogasana Championship conducted by the Sree Narayana Guru Sevashram at Kanchipuram under the auspices of the Indian Yoga Federation in July 2004. Our director, Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani was also a chief guest at the championship along with Thiru Inba Tamizhan the Honorable Minister for Sports, Govt of Tamil Nadu. Dr Ananda was the special observer for the championship while PYA juries from Yognat included the team manager Shri C Shanmugam, Shri G Kumaran. V Renukadevi and R Chandrasekar stood out for their performance of winning numerous prizes in their respective categories. S Devasena won a commendable first place in the highly competitive 6 to 9 years category having 65 competitors from all

over the country.

Our chairman Dr. Ananda was the Chief Guest at the Tamil Nadu State invitation Yoga competition organised by the Rotary Club and Ramakrishna Vidyalaya in Vilupuram where many members from Yognat won prizes.

Miss V. Renukadevi, D. Reena Joseph and K. S. Revathy of Yognat were selected to represent Pondicherry University at the All India Inter-University Yoga Championship 2004 conducted at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab in Nov 2004.

 

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES: We at Yognat realise the importance of creating awareness about the great art and science of Yoga amongst members of our society and have undertaken many programmes to serve this purpose. Our chairman, Dr Ananda gave guest lectures as well as lecture demonstrations and insightful introductions to Yoga at numerous forums such as the Rotary Cub of Pondicherry Central, IFET Engineering College, ACER India (Pvt) Ltd, Faculty Club of the Pondicherry Vetinary College and the staff and students of the English department of Bharatidasan Women’s College, Pondicherry. He along with Yogacharini Devasena Bhavanani and Yoga Chemmal Lalitha Shanmugam participated in an interactive TV programme broadcast on Sky Sat network

on Yoga for Sleep disorders in collaboration with the Yoga Research Project, Dept of Pharmacology, JIPMER, Pondicherry.

Our Director, Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani was a Special Featured guest Lecturer at the 9th National Conference of the Public Health Dentistry, held in December 2004 at MGM Resorts near Chennai. Nearly 200 top Dental Surgeons from all over India attended the three-day conference. The distinguished group of doctors listened attentively to the points raised by Amma in regard to issues of “Real Health” through Yogic Science, and gave wide appreciation for her words of wisdom. Dr. M. Shivakumar, Treasurer, Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry and Head, Department of Community Dentistry, Ragas Dental College also arranged a Special Guest Lecture by Amma on “Yoga for Overall Health” at Ragas Dental College. In a letter of appreciation he wrote, ”We are highly delighted and elated after listening to your thought provoking very much

relevant highly useful lectures delivered at our conference and the entire gathering including senior faculty members post graduate students and other delegates who were present during your discourse felt the vibration of Yoga influence on our body and mind. I received many complements praising the scientific committees selection of such a wonderful speaker for providing nutritious food for the mind. I am indeed highly thankful for making the scientific committee events more meaningful and memorable. I really felt proud to identify myself at your feet as a disciple to learn Yoga and improve the quality of life”.

Amma also was invited to give an invited talk at the Annamalai University, Chidambaram for the students of the Postgraduate Diploma in Yoga in April 2005.The talk attended by more than 170 students and faculty members was well appreciated by all for her finer points of showing how Yoga helps us to ‘see’ reality in its true light and thus loose the common human failing of not appreciating that which is nearest to us. “God is so near to us, that is why we cannot see him, her, or it”, said Amma in her inimitable style. Amma explained how Yoga was one of the Shat Darshanas and thus a means to ‘see’ and realise the Divinity. She also pointed out that the greatest sadness was that we couldn’t see the true value of those closest to us and search far and wide for the mirage of our dreams while reality is right in front of us. The talk was well arranged by Dr S

Viswanathan, the dynamic director of the Centre for Yoga Studies, Annamalai University who is also head dept of obstetrics and gynecology and deputy medical superintendent at the medical college hospital.

D Lakshmi and V Renukadevi of Yognat gave a scintillating performance for the invited audience before going to the Nataraja Temple where Lakshmi performed her Salangai Puja in preparation for her Arangetram. Dr Nalini, Dr Ananda and Devasena Bhavanani accompanied Amma and of course the young Bala Yogini Dhivya Priya had to tag along for her first Darshan of Lord Nataraja. It was a wonderful moment for all of us when Dhivya broke into the dance of Shiva for the song Bho Shambo in front of the Nataraja shrine at Chidambaram. She thus may have become the youngest (at 21 months) to dance for the Lord of Thillai, Lord Nataraja.

Yogacharya Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani conducted a two-hour session for more than 100 students of the Govt Higher Secondary School in the rural area of Karayanmbuthur near Pondicherry in April 2005 as part of the Suicide Prevention Awareness Campaign organised by the Community Service Scheme, Govt HSS, Karayanmbuthur, Pondicherry. “Suicide is a needless waste of the Divine’s gift of life and prevents the individual from attaining to their inherent potential. Each person is potentially Divine and we need to realise this and value our life for it is the only way to evolve and become better persons” said Dr Ananda in his introduction. He advised the students not to be led astray by the illusionary Maya filled world of Cinema and television and emphasized that a strong body and strong mind would stand them in good

stead throughout their life. Dr Ananda then guided the students though a simple routine of basic Jathis, Asanas, Pranayamas and relaxation as well as taught a simple version of Bhrumadhya Dharana for developing their positive characteristics and letting go of the negative aspects of their personality. The students enjoyed their session and felt that it had given them a new view of life. Kaviarasan and Ragaramya, senior students of Yoganjali Natyalayam accompanied Dr Ananda and Prevention demonstrated the practices for the students. The Suicide Awareness Campaign was organised by Mr. Sriram a teacher at the school who is in charge of the Community Service Scheme at Karayanmbuthur. This need was felt as this area had a history of being suicide prone and the Community Service Scheme wanted to prevent this occurrence in future.

Yognat’s programme “Yoga for Special Children of SADAY” was formally inaugurated at the SADAY premises in Kamaraj Nagar, Pondicherry on the 14th August 2004. Upon the request of Dr. Sugatham, Director of SADAY- a school for Special Children Yognat has drawn up a programme of “Gitananda Yoga” practices to help these children improve their physical and mental abilities. Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani, Director ICYER and Yognat inaugurated the “Yoga for Special Children of SADAY” programme in the presence of the eminent social activist Smt Sayi Kumari and Dr. Nalini Devi of the Gitananda Yogalayam, Spain. Many associates of SADAY as well as parents of the children attended the inauguration. The children of SADAY thoroughly enjoyed the hour long session that was conducted by Dr Ananda and G Dayanidy that included many Jattis and other

loosening exercises, Kriyas modeled on animals, various Asanas as well as Yoga games that have been devised by AMMA in her 36 years of experience in teaching Yoga to children. A special appreciation of all was for the Simha Kriya (the lion sound movement) and the Chatus Pada Kriya (the four footed animal movement) that evoked peals of joyful laughter.

G. Dayanidy and S. Tamil Sengolan, student-faculty members of Yognat are continuing Yoga training for the special children every Saturday from 10 to 11 am at the SADAY premises under the supervision of Dr. Ananda. 9 students of SADAY presented a Yoga Demonstration at the 19th Pondicherry State and 1st Tamil Nadu State Invitation Yoga Sport Championship 2004 organised by the Pondicherry Yogasana in November 2004. It was an emotional moment for all to witness the joy on the faces of the children as they performed the Yogasanas to thunderous applause from the packed audience.

Our Chairman Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani was a Resource Person for the CYT (Certificate in Yoga Teaching) course at the Pondicherry University Community College and taught theory lectures for the subject of “Scientific Basis of Yoga” for four months. He has also been a Guest Faculty for the Diploma, PG Diploma and Certificate courses in Yoga offered by the MGR Deemed University at the Asana Andiappan Yoga College in Chennai and conducted Guest lectures in Scientific Basis of Yoga Practice and Yoga Therapy for 200 students of the course. All of this was in addition to his regular duties as Senior Research Fellow in the Physiology Department at JIPMER as well as taking the lectures in Mantra,

Yantra and Yoga Anatomy and Physiology for the Annual Six Month International Yoga Teacher Training Course at ICYER. He has also conducted the practical Yoga training classes for 30 students of the BA Philosophy course at Tagore Arts College for the 8th successive year. Shri E Gajendiran assisted him in the practical classes that are aimed at providing a sound Indian practical philosophical basis to the course.

Yognat also conducted Yoga classes for the Summer Training programme that was conducted by the Smart Brain institute at Anna Nagar, Pondicherry in April and May 2005. Smt Lalitha Shanmugam conducted the classes with able assistance from G Dayanidy, U Gokila and S Kaviarasan who are student–faculty members of Yognat.

Yognat continues to impart quality training in Yoga and Bharatanatyam and Carnatic Vocal Music at the Pondy West Branch near JIPMER. Our faculty members are also conducting regular Yoga classes at the Little Angels School in Anna Nagar and the Govt Schools of Pakkamudianpet and Vinobha Nagar.

Amma and Dr Ananda supervised 40 hours of practical training in Classical Yoga over a period of three months for students of the Study India Programme of the Pondicherry University. Six students of different universities in the United States of America had chosen to take a semester in India and to study at the Pondicherry University. Prof PP Mathur, coordinator of the Study India Programme did an excellent job of bringing together all facets of the programme. Five of the students took the Yoga course that was designed as an introduction to Classical Yoga with emphasis on the practical aspects of Asana, Mudra, Surya Namaskar, Jathis, Kriya and Pranayama. Yogacharya Hariharan of Gitananda Yoga Switzerland (a visiting faculty at Yognat) conducted the 90-minute classes twice a week at the ICYER campus and created

great interest as well as developed a profound appreciation of Indian culture in them. The students had numerous opportunities to witness cultural programs by Yoganjali Natyalayam including the Best Youth Award and Yantra Valedictory functions and enjoyed their interaction with the students of ICYER and Yognat. Yogarani Yogacharini Dr Nalini Devi of Gitananda Yoga, Spain (a visiting faculty at Yognat) conducted the final classes as well as the final examinations along with Yogacharini Devasena Bhavanani (general secretary Yognat). Yogacharini Maitreyi of Arkaya Awareness Centre, Chennai (a visiting faculty at Yognat) was a guest lecturer. Amma and Dr Ananda supervised the planning and implementation of this new programme and the feedback received from the students as well as the University has been very positive. It is hoped that such programmes will be conducted in future and more and more American and other students get a chance to see and know India as it ‘is’ rather than as it

is portrayed in the west.

 

 

CONFERENCES AND SEMINARS: Amma was a specially invited consultant to the first meeting of the Central Government Ministry of Health Project to set up Accreditation Procedure for Yoga Institutions in India in February 2005 at the Moraji Desai National Institute of Yoga in New Delhi. The meetings were presided over by the Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Director of Moraji Desai National Institute of Yoga. Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani was one of the five Yoga experts invited for the deliberations along with Hazel Siromani, Director, Canadian Education Centre, New Delhi, Shri Madhukar, Deputy Advisor, National Academic Accreditation Council-UGC, Lt. Commander Sudhakar Chopra, Head, Accreditation, DOEACC Society, New Delhi and Dr. Chidananda Murthy, Director, Central Council for

Yoga and Naturopathy, Health Ministry. The Meeting was organised by Shri Girish Jha, (i/c) Accreditation of Yoga Institutions, Moraji Desai National Institute of Yoga, New Delhi. Practical details were discussed as to procedure, standards, systematic classification modes for accreditation of Yoga Institutions and Yoga Teachers by the Government of India. The project is being sponsored by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, New Delhi. Due to the unregulated growth of Yoga Centres and Yoga Teacher training programmes and the absence of any central accreditation agency at present, Government of India has decided to establish a core Accreditation Agency which will draw up standards and procedures in consultation with Yoga experts and accreditation agencies from other disciplines, such as medicine, engineering etc. both in India and abroad. The meetings are aimed at developing a methodology for establishing this accreditation, registration

and recognition of all Yoga Institutions and Yoga Teachers in India.

Dr Ananda was an invited Faculty Member for the International Seminar On Yoga Therapy In The Current Millennium organised by the Indian Academy of Yoga at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi in March 2005. Dr Ananda presented a guest lecture entitled “Yoga for health in children” that was chaired by the eminent pediatric surgeon, Dr Chooramani Gopal as well as two other presentations entitled’ “Therapeutic benefits of Pranayama” and “Meeting points of Yoga and modern medicine”. The International Seminar on Yoga therapy had a great many stimulating presentations by eminent Yogis and Yoga scientists from all over India and different foreign countries. More than 250 participants benefited from the three-day programme that had lectures, demonstrations and lecture demonstrations as well as stimulating Gita Chanting

sessions. Dr Ananda also attended the Annual Meet of the Indian Academy of Yoga and was elected as the Joint Secretary of the Academy for the next two years. The meet was ably organised by Dr RG Singh, General Secretary, Indian Academy of Yoga and sponsored by the Medical Council of India and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Dr Ananda was invited as a Resource Person for the National Conference on “Yoga and Naturopathy for common man”, organised by the Indian Yoga Federation at Chandigarh in March 2005. As Dr Ananda has already committed himself to attending the National Level workshop on, “Stress and its management by Yoga relaxation techniques” organised by the Department of Physiology of JIPMER his paper on Yoga Sport for the Youth was read by Mrs. Meena Ramanathan at the conference on his behalf.

Our director and chairman were invited as Guest Faculty for the National Level workshop on, “Stress and its management by Yoga relaxation techniques” organised by the Department of Physiology, JIPMER, Pondicherry in March 2005. More than 55 delegates were selected to participate in this workshop that had invited 17 eminent faculty members from eminent medical and Yoga institutions of repute such as AIIMS, NIMHANS, JIPMER, ICYER, Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, Moraji Desai National Institute of Yoga, Aurobindo Ashram, Manipal Hospital and Dept of Psychology, Madras University. Amma presented an enlightening guest lecture entitled, “Divine Indian music and dance for the management of stress” that was followed by a spell binding cultural programme by the Yoganjali Natyalayam troupe. “Fear is the key cause of stress

due to dichotomy of spirit and Indian music and dance help us realise that we are one with the Divine. Once we have this realisation, there is no cause for fear and thus all stress is lost” said Amma in her inimitable manner. The director of JIPMER Dr KSVK Subba Rao praised Yognat’s performance as the best cultural programme he had ever seen at JIPMER. Amma and Yogacharya Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani were amongst the eminent panelists on the open forum that was held to generate public interest in the science of Yoga. The panel that included Dr Madanmohan, Dr RL Bijlani, Dr Alok Pandey, Dr A Malathi, Dr KK Deepak, and Shri Girish Jha tackled many questions on the role of Yoga in modern life and methods of practice. Dr KR Sethuraman and Dr Chandiraeskaran joined the eminent panelists on another panel discussion held the next day where different questions on Yoga and its management of stress were discussed. Karma Yoga Shironmani Dr Madanmohan, Director-Professor and Head, Department of

Physiology , JIPMER was the Yogic-scientific brain behind this much needed workshop and had put in months of dedicated work in planning every intricate details to perfection. A grant from the Central Council for Research In Yoga and Naturopathy (CCRYN), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt of India, New Delhi sponsored the workshop.

Amma, Dr Ananda and members of ICYER were invited to participate in the Second International Seminar on Integral Yoga Psychology and the Sixth National Conference on Integral Education held at Pondicherry in January 2005. This conference brought together scholars and practitioners from across the globe with a common aim to discuss issues related to relevance and application of Eastern and Western psychological and spiritual approaches to education in meeting global challenges. Amma was awarded “Best Educationist Award” at the inaugural function and received the award from Professor Dr. A. Gnanam, Former Chairman, National Assessment and Accreditation Council, Bangalore and former VC Pondicherry University. Dr Ananda presented a paper on “ Yoga for Educators” at the Plenary Session on Application of Integral Yoga Psychology in Teacher Education Curriculum.

The conference was attended by nearly 300 delegates from all over the world and was well organised by the multi-talented, hard working Karma – Jnana Yogi Dr. Panch Ramalingam, President Pondicherry Psychology Association.

 

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION: Our director, Amma, Yogacharini Smt Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani received many awards and honors this year including BEST EDUCATIONIST 2004 from the Pondicherry Psychology Association. She was also honoured as one of the most important “Women Who Have Brought Fame To Pondicherry” and received an award for excellence in Bharata Natyam and Yoga from the Lt Governor of Pondicherry His Excellency Shri MM Lakhera in the presence of the Education Minister Shri K Lakshminarayanan and a host of other dignitaries at a glittering function held in November 2004 at the Woman’s Week Celebrations held by Pondicherry People’s Art Confederation and Woman’s Welfare Confederation of Pondicherry as part of Golden Jubilee Celebrations of Pondicherry Freedom.

A book, “ PUDUVAIKKU PUGAZH SERTHA PENMANIGAL” by Shri Clement Ishwar on women who have brought name and fame to Pondicherry was released on the occasion. This book has the biography of nearly 300 women of eminence listed under various categories. It is heartening the Amma finds a pride of place in this book and a special mention as the first lady of western origin to take up the practice of Bharata Natyam and Yoga and spread it to the people of Pondicherry. It is also apt that four of her students V Renukadevi, D Lakshmi, Padma M Prashanthini and M Niraimathi have been included in the young artists section. Students of Yoganjali Natyalayam presented a Bharata Natyam performance on the occasion that was witnessed by an appreciative audience of more than 200 at the Vedapureshwaran Temple in downtown Pondicherry.

The snake dance by J Sangavi and V Roshini as well as the Shiva Tandava by Renukadevi evoked thunderous applause from the spectators.

Amma was also honoured with the MARUDHA RAMALINGANAR OUTSTANDING SENIOR CITIZEN AWARD In recognition of her service in the field of art and culture. This Award instituted by the Youth Peace Centre, Pondicherry was presented to Amma by the Honourable Deputy Speaker, Thiru A V Subramaniyam and Thiru SP Sivakumar the former Education Minister on 16th June at Hotel Ram International. This was a heartening public recognition and reward for our director’s efforts to promote and develop Yoga and the Cultural Arts amongst the youth of Pondicherry and the world.

 

Our chairman, Yogacharya Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani was honoured with the title award of YOGA BISHMACHARYA by the Tirumoolar Yoga and Natural Diet Trust and Tamil Nadu State Yogasana Association at the State Level Yoga Sport Championship held at Chennai in November 2004. Dr. Ananda was also named INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL AMBASSADOR for the International Yoga Federation, Buenos Aires, Argentina, South America. The appointment will entail attending International Yoga Conferences and Yoga Sports Competitions held throughout the world, as a representative of India’s Yogic and artistic community. Duties also include maintaining an elaborate website, articles on various aspects of Yoga for journals and newspapers world wide, conducting seminars and delivering lectures.

Yogacharya Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani was also honoured with the prestigious FELLOWSHIP of the Indian Academy of Yoga at its Annual Meet held at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India in March 2005. Dr Ananda is the youngest to thus join the legion of eminent Fellows of the Academy that include Padma Bhushan BKS Iyengar, Shri TKV Desikachar, Dr B Ramamurthy, Dr Georg Feuerstein, Dr HR Nagendra, Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani, Dr MV Bhole, Prof BK Anand and Dr W Selvamurthy. The colourful convocation was held at the Malaviya Bhavan, the premises of the Yoga Sadhana Kendra, the Yoga wing of Banaras Hindu University. Prof TR Anantaraman the president of the Academy and former Vice Chancellor, BHU in the presence of Dr IM Gupta, ex Dean, Institute of Medical Sciences and Prof KK Sharma, Director, Yoga Sadhana Kendra bestowed the fellowship on Dr

Ananda and eight others including Shri SK Jindel of Jaipur and Dr Madanmohan of JIPMER, Pondicherry.

The Asana Andiappan Yoga Research Centre, Chennai, awarded the YOGACHARYA BANGALORE SUNDARAM AWARD 2005 to Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani, Chairman of Yoganjali Natyalayam for his dedicated efforts in spreading the Science of Yoga all over the world. Dr Ananda received the prestigious award from the hands of His Excellency the Governor of Tamil Nadu Shri Surjeet Singh Barnala at a glittering function held in February at the Chettinad Vidyasham auditorium in Chennai. Shri A Annadurai and Smt Meena Ramanathan, Yoga Education Committee members of the Pondicherry Yogasana Association were also honoured with the Bangalore Sundaram Award in recognition of their efforts towards Yoga education at college and University levels. The event was ably organised by Yogasana Chakravarthy Dr Asana Andiappan, director and Shri Asana Yogananth,

Secretary of the Asana Andiappan Yoga Research Centre.

Smt Lalitha Shanmugam, Shri E Gajendiran and Shri G Kumaran, Senior faculty members of Yognat were honoured with the title award of “YOGA CHEMMAL” by the Pondicherry Yogasana Association during the 19th Pondicherry State and 1st Tamil Nadu State Invitation Yoga Sport Championship 2004 organised by the Pondicherry Yogasana in November 2004. Shri C Shanmugam, Smt. Devasena Bhavanani, Smt. Lalitha Shanmugam, Sri. E. Gajendiran, Shri G. Kumaran and Shri R Chandrasekar were inducted into the PYA jury board during the during the championship and were honoured with jury board membership certificates and ID cards.

The Asana Andiappan Yoga research centre, Chennai honoured Shri E Gajendiran with the Yogacharya award at the inauguration of his Gitanjali Yoga Centre in Vennila Nagar. The award was presented to him by the chief Minster Shri N Rangaswamy in the presence of Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani.

Desh. M a student of Yognat for the past 8 years was awarded the National Child Award for Exceptional Achievements, announced by the Human Resource Development Ministry from New Delhi. She has earlier bagged the Swami Gitananda Best Child Award 2002 as well as Sangeetha Samrat Vijaya Bhaskar Best Young Vocalist Award 2003. She has won many prizes in Yoga, Music and Dance competitions and has also completed her Vocal Music Arangetram. Desh. M is the fourth student of Yoganjali Natyalayam to win the National Child Award For Exceptional Achievement for Yoga and Dance and other talents. M. Niraimathy won the award in 2000, N. Ramya in 2001, M. Ilaval in

2002 and Desh. M in 2003.

 

PUBLICATIONS: Our chairman, Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani’s book on Yoga Theory has been very well received all over the world and the first edition has been completely sold out within a year of publication. The 2nd edition of his Yoga theory book, “ A PRIMER OF YOGA THEORY” was released by Shri Neela Gangadharan MLA, Chairman PTTDC at the 19th Pondy State Yoga Sport Championship. The Tamil edition of his theory book, “YOGA VINA VIDAI THOGUPPU” translated by Smt Meena Ramanathan and Dr Ananda’s “YOGA: 1 TO 10” dealing with numerous Yogic concepts grouped under the numbers 1 to 10 were released by His Excellency, the Lt. Governor of Pondicherry Shri M.M. Lakhera Ji at the Swami Gitananda Best Youth And child Awards Ceremony in February 2005.

 

 

YOGNAT PRODUCTIONS: Dr Ananda played Mridungam for the three CDs on Music Therapy for healing directed by Dr M Harre Harren’s (Music therapist and healer) and produced by Magnetic Marketing (P) Ltd, Chennai. The CDs are available commercially and are entitled Indian Music Therapy, Nada Yoga Sangam and Music Therapy.

Yognat students also participated in the production of a VCD on Yoga Practices for Sleeping Disorders produced by the Department of Pharmacology, JIPMER as part of the CCRYN sponsored research project. Amma directed and scripted the VCD and she was a co-investigator in the project while Yogacharini Devasena Bhavanani was the Yoga teacher for the project and guided the patients.

Yognat’s headquarter, Ananda Ashram at ICYER has embarked on a project of putting out various DVDs related to applications of Gitananda Yoga. The first of these is a DVD on PRANAYAMA FOR HEALTH AND WELL BEING that contains 25 evergreen Pranayama techniques of Rishiculture Ashtanga Yoga Presented by Yogacharya Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani. This is the first time the Pranayama etchings of Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri are being presented for a worldwide audience through this new medium. The project is being produced by the well-known music company SUPER AUDIO, Chennai and will be marketed by them all over the world. The Pranayama project was shot at ICYER on the Yoga Sadhana Beach with 14 of the International students of ICYER and 10 members of Yoganjali Natyalayam, Pondicherry. All members of the Ashram

had a terrific experience of the professionalism of the camera crew under the direction of Shri Muthu, the dynamic young director of Chennai. Later Dr Ananda spent a 14-hour day in Chennai editing the DVD with a voice over to describe all the practices. Yognat recommends this DVD to all its students and alumni in order to grasp the importance of these vital practices that is much neglected in the modern Yoga world. For further details on the Pranayama DVD please contact Super Audio (Madras) Pvt. Ltd. (www.musicandchants.com) or Dr Ananda at ananda

 

YOGNAT SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS:

Sangeetha Samrat Shri Vijaya Bhaskar Music Awards: Yognat conducted the third Sangeetha Samrat Shri Vijaya Bhaskar Music Awards in June 2005. This award in memory of the great music composer Shri Vijaya Bhaskar was instituted in 2003 by the Family of Smt Mangala Gowri and Sri CK Manoharun for students of Yognat showing exceptional talent in Classical Music. SS Lothikha was awarded the Best Vocalist Award in the above 12 years category while R Shalini won the Best Vocalist Award in the 12 and below category. I Krishnaveni was awarded the Sangeetha Samrat Shri Vijaya Bhaskar Music Scholarship for the year 2004-05.

Michael Danckwerts Yoga and Cultural Excellence Award: In June 2003 Mr. Chris and Mrs. Annette Danckwerts of Australia instituted the Michael Danckwerts Yoga and Cultural Excellence Award in memory of their son who was a lover of Yoga and Indian culture. Candidates are evaluated on the basis of curriculum vitae: character, academics, extra curricular, personality and poise in an interview by a panel of eminent judges. The award consists of a year's full scholarship in Yoga and Bharat Natyam; a gold medal; a special certificate; and several books on Yoga. Every year two students get the award based on their performance and two others are selected for the scholarship. Previous

winners include V. Renuka Devi and Miss M. Padma Prashanthini (2003), Pa. Raga Ramya and R. Balaji (2004). Winners of this year’s awards are R Varalakshmi and G Saranya. The three scholarships for 2005-06 are being awarded to S. Kaviarasan, Desh M and S Sri Sagana.

Yoganjali Natyalayam Institute Awards: Yoganjali Natyalayam each year selects from its hundreds of students, one boy and one girl who have shown outstanding Yogic qualities as well as one student who has shown Yogic heroic nature in the face of adversity. A "family" which has gone "above and beyond" the call of duty to ensure that its children are nourished by the roots of our ancient Indian Culture is also honoured. This year the awards go to: Best Boy 2005 – T Tamilarasan; Best Girl 2005 – U. Parinitha; Best Family 2005 – Shri Rajasekaran and Family; Yoga Veerya Award 2005- S Samyuktha.

 

 

We at Yognat realise that our beloved children and youth are being overwhelmed by dry academic study and are caught in a vicious “rat race” to “score high” in exams. They are becoming physically weak and sick, and mentally confused and dull as a result. The science of Yoga and the arts of Bharat Natyam and Carnatic Music strengthen and refresh body, mind and spirit. To return to our young people their own birthright, their own cultural heritage, in this time of multi-nationals and their materialistic propaganda, is our aim and our mission.

Much is made of the evil of "Child Labour" in India. However, the worst and most insidious "Child Labour" of our nation is the tyranny of the fierce, inhuman, "working conditions" of our school‑going youngsters, who have no time at all to enjoy their youth, caught in the clutches of exams, tuitions, classes and "selection procedures". We at Yognat attempt to "mitigate" this "evil" and provide some relief and refreshment in the "dry and dreary" lives of the young students by offering constructive recreational (re-creation) activities, utilizing the wise and humane concepts of our Ancient Indian Rishis, as manifested in Rishiculture Ashtanga Yoga and the Cultural Carnatic Arts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yogacharya Dr.Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani

Chairman : Yoganjali Natyalayam and ICYER

25,2nd Cross,Iyyanar Nagar, Pondicherry-605 013

Tel: 0413 - 2622902 / 0413 -2241561

Website: www.icyer.com

www.geocities.com/yognat2001/ananda

 

 

Sports Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football

[Guest guest]

30 June 2005

 

Dear Ananda,

 

Yoganjali Natyalayam - Annual Report

 

You have detailed your achievements for the year 2004-05 under the following nine captions:

1. Cultural Programmes

2. Summer Courses

3. Yoga Sport Championships

4. Community Development Programmes

5. Conferences & Seminars

6. Awards & Recognition

7. Publicity

8. Productions

9. Scholarships & Awards

They are all not only soul inspiring but mind boggling.

Amma, you, Devasena and your dedicated team humble us with your devotion to Swamiji’s mission of developing the individual physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually based on the rich cultural heritage of India. The healing will follow automatically.

You all are doing a fantastic job. You are inspiring all of us.

May the good Lord bless and guide you to greater heights of action and achievement!

love

Sri Bala.

Founder, Vibrational Breath Therapy

Website: www.vbt.com.au

 

 

-

Yogacharya Dr.Ananda Bhavanani

; BGV 91 ; bvsraj ; bgv_alumni ; bgv_friends ; jnmc-friends ; internationalyogafederation ; worldyogachampionship ; yogatherapyassoc ; Devender ; Dr. Madanmohan ; debjani_dutta ; Australian Yoga Life ; SVYASA ; maitreyi ... ; kumar a. ; Asok Kumar A.J ; Asha and Keshav ; Gitananda Ashram ; balaji balaji ; Swami Veda Bharati ; C.Panduranga Bhatta ; Dr. M. V. Bhole ; Dr Shashi Bhushan Mishra ; Brenda ; Milos Buchacek ; Chandrasekaran ; Chandrasekaran ; Devadas Chauhan ; confederation ; Jiri Cumpelik ; D.R.Karthikeyan ; Sadhaka Dandapani ; David ; David ; Trisha Lamb Feuerstein ; fiy ; bharathi devi giri ; EuroYoga http://euroyoga.yoganet.org/ ; iyfsecretary ; iyfyoga ; Mukund Bhole - Yoganubhava ; administration ; Advika ; ananda ; aratnam ; BGV ; Kutcheri Buzz ; Health Centre ; International Dance Council - CID ; Debjani ; Executive Secretary of the Presidency of International Yoga Federation ; Mystic India ; AK Lakshman ; letters ; News Pondicherry ; Dipa Ramakrishnan ; thanjavur sundaram ; T.V.Sankaranarayanan ; TattvalokaW ; VP Dhananjayan

Saturday, June 25, 2005 1:05 PM

12th Annual Day and Annual Report of Yoganjali Natyalayam, Pondicherry,India

 

 

GRAND FESTIVAL OF YOGA, BHARATANATYAM AND CARNATIC MUSIC

More than 200 students and staff members of Yoganjali Natyalayam will present a 6-hour cultural extravaganza on the occasion of the celebrations of the 12th Annual Day of Yoganjali Natyalayam and the 37th Anniversary of Ananda Ashram to be held on June 26th 2005.

The programmes will be inaugurated at 3.15 pm at the Kamban Kalai Arangam near the old bus stand and will highlight the talents of the young students aged between 3 and 20 years.

The director of JIPMER Prof KSVK Subba Rao will be chief guest along with eminent Pondicherry Academic and luminaries such as Dr. Madanmohan, Dr. Karoon Agrawal, Dr. P.P. Mathur, Dr. R.P. Raya and the well-known philanthropist and social activist Shri Om Shakti Sekar who will be special guests.

It is notable that the National Child Award For Exceptional Achievements given by the Human Resource Ministry, New Delhi has been bagged by students of the Natyalayam for the past four years in succession.

The Natyalayam was founded in 1993 by the visionary Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri and is being directed by Kalaimamani Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani.

All are welcome to attend the annual day celebrations, as admission is free for all the interested Rasikas who wish to witness a heart warming and spell binding performance by our beloved children who are the bright future of our nation.

For details contact: Yoganjali Natyalayam, 25, 2nd Cross, Iyyanar Nagar, Pondicherry – 13 E-mail: yognat2001 Tel: 0413-241561. Cell: 98423 02916, 98423 11433 Website: www.geocities.com/yognat2001

 

 

 

YOGANJALI NATYALAYAM

ANNUAL REPORT 2004-05

By Yogacharya Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani,

Chairman, Yoganjali Natyalayam

 

 

With the blessings of our visionary founder Satguru Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj, the past year has been an eventful and busier-than-ever year for all of us at Yognat. Numerous public and private performances, guest lectures, lecture-demonstrations, Yoga sport events and conferences have kept us on our toes throughout the year. Our beloved dynamic director, Amma, Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani has been in the forefront of the cultural and Yoga renaissance amongst the youth of our beloved national as well as the entire world though her inspiring example laden guidance. Numerous awards and accolades have poured in throughout the year and reinforced our resolve to keep the Yoga and cultural flag flying as high as possible. Parents of the institute have offered us unconditional and unlimited support at all times and with the blessings of our well wishers our beloved and talented children have made great progress in Yoga and the fine arts and make our heart swell with pride at their, “Skill and beauty in action”.

 

CULTURAL PROGRAMMES: More than 100 public performances, programmes and events including more than 35 major dance programmes, 60 vocal and instrumental music programmes and 20 Yogasana group demonstrations have been conducted by staff and students of Yognat. The dedicated staff and talented students also won laurels in numerous Yoga Sports and cultural events at state and national levels.

Important performances include the 7 hour long 11th Annual Day Celebration at Kamban Kalai Arangam, 50th Independence Day of Pondicherry Parade on Beach Road, a three hour long “Pancha Maha Bhutas” dance drama on the occasion of the 98th Jayanthi Celebration of Pujya Swamiji Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj at Kamban Kalai Arangam and the Children’s Festival sponsored by Art and Culture dept in association with South Zone Cultural Centre, Thanjavur. Yognat was also invited to perform the Pancha Maha Bhutas dance drama for the World Tourism Day sponsored by the tourism department and the show was well appreciated by all those present. During the annual Navarathri celebrations at Sringeri Madam in Pondicherry staff and students of Yognat performed numerous programmes in music and dance to great appreciation from all devotees. Yognat also performed at the World Women’s Day celebrations as well as the 19th Pondy state Yoga Sport event and the Swami Gitananda best Youth and child competitions. Renukadevi, Padma Prashanthini and D Lakshmi performed a specially choreographed performance of Sanskrit items under Amma’s divine direction at the Shri Chandrasekara Saraswathi Sanskrit University in Kanchipuram. This was during the National level Sanskrit Meet organised by the Rasthriya Samskrit Sanstham of New Delhi in December 2004. All eminent Sanskrit scholars from different parts of the country appreciated the beauty and deep significance of each item as Amma explained Yognat’s love for this Divine Language of Bharat. One of the special performances was at JIPMER during the National Workshop of Yoga and Stress where the director of JIPMER, Dr Subba Rao said that it was the best performance he had ever witnessed at JIPMER. A great compliment from a truly great man indeed that immensely gladdened our hearts.

Yoganjali Natyalayam presented a scintillating prayer to the five magnificent elements of nature (Pancha Maha Bhutas) during the 98th Jayanthi Celebrations for Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj in September 2004 at Pondicherry, South India. The three hour dance drama “PANCHA MAHA BHUTAS” featuring Bharatanatyam, Folk dances, and Yogasanas as well as Natya Karanas was witnessed by a packed house of nearly a 1000 spell bound audience most of whom stayed in their seats from the start to conclusion of this epic presentation. A team of more than 80 dancers, Yoga demonstrators, musicians and artisans as well as stage managers worked tirelessly under the divine direction of Amma to bring about the resounding success of this creation. Dr Ananda and Yogacharini Devasena Bhavanani assisted Amma in the direction and choreography. Kalaimamani Pulavar I Pattabiraman penned lyrics for the dance drama while Dr Ananda and Nada Yoga Shironmani SV Jagadeesan composed the music. The Director of Art and Culture, Govt of Pondicherry Ms N Sumathi said that she was speechless as no words could explain the feeing of divinity that had been brought out in every one of the audience through the presentation. She complimented all the participants on their 100% involvement and recalled the role of the founding father of Yognat, Dr Swami Gitananda Giri with deep reverence and appreciation. “This magnificent presentation will stay in our minds for a long time” said she.

Amma explained the necessity of developing reverential feelings towards the elements that are divine entities that also need to feel loved and revered. “When we have reverence for them, we will not misuse them,” she said eloquently.

This production was the tenth major dance drama (three hour duration) by Yognat in the past 12 years and its twenty-fifth dance drama in all as the Yognat troupe has also presented fifteen mini dance dramas of 45-60 minute duration in the past 19 years.

Yognat conducted the Bharatanatya Arangetram of one of its senior most students Selvi D Lakshmi on the 11th of June 2005 at the Alliance Francaise auditorium. Lakshmi has won numerous state and national level awards and this marked her completion of the requirements for her Nine Year Diploma in Yoga and Bharatanatyam. The diploma was handed over to her by the respected Vice Chancellor of the Pondicherry Central University, Prof Dr A K Bhatnagar.

Yognat only allows students to perform their Arangetram after the completion of the 9-year training, as we want the student to develop in the art to the maximum possible. Of course the students get numerous opportunities to be part of the Yognat performances and Lakshmi had done at least 300 performances till date in Bharatanatyam and Yoga including key roles in the Annual 3 hour Dance Dramas. Lakshmi has participated in every one of the Bharat Natyam Dance Dramas presented by Yoganjali Natyalayam since 1994. She has played the leading role in Nala Damayanthi as “Nala”; in Ramavathara as “Lord Rama”; and in Silappadikaaram as “Kovalan”. She won the inaugural Swami Gitananda Best Youth Award 2000 as well as Champion of Champion Award in 17th Pondicherry State Yogasana Championship. She has been awarded Best Girl Student Award at Yoganjali Natyalayam in 1998-99 and was awarded the Best Yoga Personality at the Pondicherry State Yogasana competition in 2001. She was part of the Pondicherry Yogasana Association team to the National Himalaya Yoga Olympiad in 2001 in Bangalore. An excellent orator and promising writer, she has imbibed wonderful Yogic qualities in her life. She has won numerous prizes in dance competitions and was winner of the Kamban Khazhagam Dance Competition (2003) and the Bharat Natyam competitions at Bharatidasan College in 2002 and 2003. She has also won the Daya Rajini Award in 2001 in Chennai as well as many other competitions conducted for individual and group dances. She has good choreography skills and has helped to choreograph numerous light group dances. She has performed in Yoganjali Natyalayam programmes since 1995 in Natyanjali at Chidambaram, ABHAI in Chennai and many conferences. She is a recipient of the International Yoga Scholarship Award for the Yoga Research and Education Centre, California, USA.

Yognat was also invited to perform for the visiting parliamentarians of the Standing Parliamentary Committee under the leadership of Smt Sushma Swaraj at Raj Nivas on the 16th June 2005. It was a unique opportunity to showcase the local talent for the representatives from all over the country. D Lakshmi, Padma M Prashanthini, V Renuka Devi, S Devasena, V Roshini and J Sangavi did us proud with a sweet performance on the occasion. The Yoganjali Natyalayam’s well-known Snake Dance with acrobatic Karanas and a thrilling Thillana interspersed with tastefully choreographed Yoga Asanas drew vigorous applause from the distinguished audience. At the conclusion of the performance, the Guest of Honour Smt Sushma Swaraj remarked: “We have seen many dance performances and we have seen many Yoga Asana demonstrations, but we have never seen Asanas and Dance combined in such a wonderful manner. It will stay in our minds for a long time”.

 

SUMMER COURSES 2005: The first annual Bharatanatyam workshop was conducted on the 21st and 22nd of May 2005 at ICYER campus. 31 students of Yognat were selected to attend the two-day intensive dance workshop with Sangeetha-Natyacharya Adyar Shri K Rama Rao who is the elder brother of our Param Guru in Bharatanatyam Padmashri Adyar K Lakshmanan of Bharata Choodamani, Chennai. Ramu sir is an alumnus of Kalakshetra and is known for his excellent and tireless teachings. The students were drilled extensively in many aspects of dance and polished numerous items and learnt two new items for their repertoire. All participants expressed a deep sense of satisfaction at the wonderful opportunity provided by Amma and felt that such workshops should be conducted every year to help them work out their flaws and improve in all aspects of the divine art of dance.

As usual, the Annual Summer Intensive Yoga and Bharat Natyam Course was held in May 2005 with more than 120 students participating in the Yoga classes in addition to the Bharatanatyam and Shlokam recitation classes that went on for nearly four hours on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. Tremendous changes were witnessed in the children as the intensive gave them an opportunity to work closely with Amma and thus manifest their inherent potential. All students learnt the Guru Stotra in addition to working on Yoga theory concepts of 1 to 10 and six groups of difficult Asanas for self-development. SS Lothikha and D Venkatesan topped the exams conducted at the end of the intensive and were selected to receive the Best Girl and Best Boy of the Intensive Award 2005 respectively for their excellent all round performance.

The May intensive culminated in the much‑eagerly anticipated Annual Summer Day Residential Camp at ICYER campus, on ECR near Kottakuppam, on the Bay of Bengal. 65 students participated in the camp conducted on the 26th to 28th May and numerous activities such as Yoga team games, a video show of Swamiji’s lecture on the Chakras and the new ashram videos as well as an adventurous treasure hunt and new activities to broaden the young minds were on offer. Mouthu Pawan Kumar and D Venkatesan were selected “Best Boys of the Camp” while Reena Joseph and G Kanimozhi were selected “Best Girls of the Camp” in recognition of their Yogic talents and behaviour.

 

YOGA SPORT CHAMPIONSHIPS: More than 150 students of Yognat participated and won numerous prizes in the 19th Pondicherry State and 1st Tamil Nadu State Invitation Yoga Sport Championship 2004 organised by the Pondicherry Yogasana from 12th to 14th November 2004. Championship Awards were bagged by T Mrithika (Under 16 female), M Swaroup Ramanan (Under 16 male), G Dayanidy (Above 16 male) and G Saranya (Above 16 female).

More than 130 members of Yognat participated in the 5th annual Swami Gitananda Best Youth and Best Child Awards competition for the year 2004 on the 25th and 26th of December 2004 as well as 2nd and 9th of January 2005. Mr. G Dayanidy won the maximum points overall and was declared the recipient of the Swami Gitananda Best Youth Award 2004 while Miss V Roshini won the Swami Gitananda Best Child Award 2004 (Under 10 category) and Miss Nivedha Kannan won the Swami Gitananda Best Child Award 2004 (Above 10 years category) by winning maximum points overall in their respective categories. Awardees in the previous four years are Miss D Lakshmi (2000), Miss N Ramya (2001), Miss V Renuka Devi (2002) and Mr. S Tamilsengolan (2003). Winners of the Best Child Awards in the last two years are Miss Desh M (2002) and Miss R Subhashini (2003).

15 members of Yognat were selected to represent the Pondicherry Yogasana Association at the 22nd National Yoga Championship that was organised by the Tamil Nadu State Yogasana Association at Chennai. Our director Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani was an honoured guest at the inauguration. All students put up a good show. In addition many Yognatites participated in the Excellence Demonstration conducted during the championship.

Students of Yognat made Pondicherry proud by winning numerous laurels at the 2nd Open National Yogasana Championship conducted by the Sree Narayana Guru Sevashram at Kanchipuram under the auspices of the Indian Yoga Federation in July 2004. Our director, Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani was also a chief guest at the championship along with Thiru Inba Tamizhan the Honorable Minister for Sports, Govt of Tamil Nadu. Dr Ananda was the special observer for the championship while PYA juries from Yognat included the team manager Shri C Shanmugam, Shri G Kumaran. V Renukadevi and R Chandrasekar stood out for their performance of winning numerous prizes in their respective categories. S Devasena won a commendable first place in the highly competitive 6 to 9 years category having 65 competitors from all over the country.

Our chairman Dr. Ananda was the Chief Guest at the Tamil Nadu State invitation Yoga competition organised by the Rotary Club and Ramakrishna Vidyalaya in Vilupuram where many members from Yognat won prizes.

Miss V. Renukadevi, D. Reena Joseph and K. S. Revathy of Yognat were selected to represent Pondicherry University at the All India Inter-University Yoga Championship 2004 conducted at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab in Nov 2004.

 

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES: We at Yognat realise the importance of creating awareness about the great art and science of Yoga amongst members of our society and have undertaken many programmes to serve this purpose. Our chairman, Dr Ananda gave guest lectures as well as lecture demonstrations and insightful introductions to Yoga at numerous forums such as the Rotary Cub of Pondicherry Central, IFET Engineering College, ACER India (Pvt) Ltd, Faculty Club of the Pondicherry Vetinary College and the staff and students of the English department of Bharatidasan Women’s College, Pondicherry. He along with Yogacharini Devasena Bhavanani and Yoga Chemmal Lalitha Shanmugam participated in an interactive TV programme broadcast on Sky Sat network on Yoga for Sleep disorders in collaboration with the Yoga Research Project, Dept of Pharmacology, JIPMER, Pondicherry.

Our Director, Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani was a Special Featured guest Lecturer at the 9th National Conference of the Public Health Dentistry, held in December 2004 at MGM Resorts near Chennai. Nearly 200 top Dental Surgeons from all over India attended the three-day conference. The distinguished group of doctors listened attentively to the points raised by Amma in regard to issues of “Real Health” through Yogic Science, and gave wide appreciation for her words of wisdom. Dr. M. Shivakumar, Treasurer, Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry and Head, Department of Community Dentistry, Ragas Dental College also arranged a Special Guest Lecture by Amma on “Yoga for Overall Health” at Ragas Dental College. In a letter of appreciation he wrote, ”We are highly delighted and elated after listening to your thought provoking very much relevant highly useful lectures delivered at our conference and the entire gathering including senior faculty members post graduate students and other delegates who were present during your discourse felt the vibration of Yoga influence on our body and mind. I received many complements praising the scientific committees selection of such a wonderful speaker for providing nutritious food for the mind. I am indeed highly thankful for making the scientific committee events more meaningful and memorable. I really felt proud to identify myself at your feet as a disciple to learn Yoga and improve the quality of life”.

Amma also was invited to give an invited talk at the Annamalai University, Chidambaram for the students of the Postgraduate Diploma in Yoga in April 2005.The talk attended by more than 170 students and faculty members was well appreciated by all for her finer points of showing how Yoga helps us to ‘see’ reality in its true light and thus loose the common human failing of not appreciating that which is nearest to us. “God is so near to us, that is why we cannot see him, her, or it”, said Amma in her inimitable style. Amma explained how Yoga was one of the Shat Darshanas and thus a means to ‘see’ and realise the Divinity. She also pointed out that the greatest sadness was that we couldn’t see the true value of those closest to us and search far and wide for the mirage of our dreams while reality is right in front of us. The talk was well arranged by Dr S Viswanathan, the dynamic director of the Centre for Yoga Studies, Annamalai University who is also head dept of obstetrics and gynecology and deputy medical superintendent at the medical college hospital.

D Lakshmi and V Renukadevi of Yognat gave a scintillating performance for the invited audience before going to the Nataraja Temple where Lakshmi performed her Salangai Puja in preparation for her Arangetram. Dr Nalini, Dr Ananda and Devasena Bhavanani accompanied Amma and of course the young Bala Yogini Dhivya Priya had to tag along for her first Darshan of Lord Nataraja. It was a wonderful moment for all of us when Dhivya broke into the dance of Shiva for the song Bho Shambo in front of the Nataraja shrine at Chidambaram. She thus may have become the youngest (at 21 months) to dance for the Lord of Thillai, Lord Nataraja.

Yogacharya Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani conducted a two-hour session for more than 100 students of the Govt Higher Secondary School in the rural area of Karayanmbuthur near Pondicherry in April 2005 as part of the Suicide Prevention Awareness Campaign organised by the Community Service Scheme, Govt HSS, Karayanmbuthur, Pondicherry. “Suicide is a needless waste of the Divine’s gift of life and prevents the individual from attaining to their inherent potential. Each person is potentially Divine and we need to realise this and value our life for it is the only way to evolve and become better persons” said Dr Ananda in his introduction. He advised the students not to be led astray by the illusionary Maya filled world of Cinema and television and emphasized that a strong body and strong mind would stand them in good stead throughout their life. Dr Ananda then guided the students though a simple routine of basic Jathis, Asanas, Pranayamas and relaxation as well as taught a simple version of Bhrumadhya Dharana for developing their positive characteristics and letting go of the negative aspects of their personality. The students enjoyed their session and felt that it had given them a new view of life. Kaviarasan and Ragaramya, senior students of Yoganjali Natyalayam accompanied Dr Ananda and Prevention demonstrated the practices for the students. The Suicide Awareness Campaign was organised by Mr. Sriram a teacher at the school who is in charge of the Community Service Scheme at Karayanmbuthur. This need was felt as this area had a history of being suicide prone and the Community Service Scheme wanted to prevent this occurrence in future.

Yognat’s programme “Yoga for Special Children of SADAY” was formally inaugurated at the SADAY premises in Kamaraj Nagar, Pondicherry on the 14th August 2004. Upon the request of Dr. Sugatham, Director of SADAY- a school for Special Children Yognat has drawn up a programme of “Gitananda Yoga” practices to help these children improve their physical and mental abilities. Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani, Director ICYER and Yognat inaugurated the “Yoga for Special Children of SADAY” programme in the presence of the eminent social activist Smt Sayi Kumari and Dr. Nalini Devi of the Gitananda Yogalayam, Spain. Many associates of SADAY as well as parents of the children attended the inauguration. The children of SADAY thoroughly enjoyed the hour long session that was conducted by Dr Ananda and G Dayanidy that included many Jattis and other loosening exercises, Kriyas modeled on animals, various Asanas as well as Yoga games that have been devised by AMMA in her 36 years of experience in teaching Yoga to children. A special appreciation of all was for the Simha Kriya (the lion sound movement) and the Chatus Pada Kriya (the four footed animal movement) that evoked peals of joyful laughter.

G. Dayanidy and S. Tamil Sengolan, student-faculty members of Yognat are continuing Yoga training for the special children every Saturday from 10 to 11 am at the SADAY premises under the supervision of Dr. Ananda. 9 students of SADAY presented a Yoga Demonstration at the 19th Pondicherry State and 1st Tamil Nadu State Invitation Yoga Sport Championship 2004 organised by the Pondicherry Yogasana in November 2004. It was an emotional moment for all to witness the joy on the faces of the children as they performed the Yogasanas to thunderous applause from the packed audience.

Our Chairman Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani was a Resource Person for the CYT (Certificate in Yoga Teaching) course at the Pondicherry University Community College and taught theory lectures for the subject of “Scientific Basis of Yoga” for four months. He has also been a Guest Faculty for the Diploma, PG Diploma and Certificate courses in Yoga offered by the MGR Deemed University at the Asana Andiappan Yoga College in Chennai and conducted Guest lectures in Scientific Basis of Yoga Practice and Yoga Therapy for 200 students of the course. All of this was in addition to his regular duties as Senior Research Fellow in the Physiology Department at JIPMER as well as taking the lectures in Mantra, Yantra and Yoga Anatomy and Physiology for the Annual Six Month International Yoga Teacher Training Course at ICYER. He has also conducted the practical Yoga training classes for 30 students of the BA Philosophy course at Tagore Arts College for the 8th successive year. Shri E Gajendiran assisted him in the practical classes that are aimed at providing a sound Indian practical philosophical basis to the course.

Yognat also conducted Yoga classes for the Summer Training programme that was conducted by the Smart Brain institute at Anna Nagar, Pondicherry in April and May 2005. Smt Lalitha Shanmugam conducted the classes with able assistance from G Dayanidy, U Gokila and S Kaviarasan who are student–faculty members of Yognat.

Yognat continues to impart quality training in Yoga and Bharatanatyam and Carnatic Vocal Music at the Pondy West Branch near JIPMER. Our faculty members are also conducting regular Yoga classes at the Little Angels School in Anna Nagar and the Govt Schools of Pakkamudianpet and Vinobha Nagar.

Amma and Dr Ananda supervised 40 hours of practical training in Classical Yoga over a period of three months for students of the Study India Programme of the Pondicherry University. Six students of different universities in the United States of America had chosen to take a semester in India and to study at the Pondicherry University. Prof PP Mathur, coordinator of the Study India Programme did an excellent job of bringing together all facets of the programme. Five of the students took the Yoga course that was designed as an introduction to Classical Yoga with emphasis on the practical aspects of Asana, Mudra, Surya Namaskar, Jathis, Kriya and Pranayama. Yogacharya Hariharan of Gitananda Yoga Switzerland (a visiting faculty at Yognat) conducted the 90-minute classes twice a week at the ICYER campus and created great interest as well as developed a profound appreciation of Indian culture in them. The students had numerous opportunities to witness cultural programs by Yoganjali Natyalayam including the Best Youth Award and Yantra Valedictory functions and enjoyed their interaction with the students of ICYER and Yognat. Yogarani Yogacharini Dr Nalini Devi of Gitananda Yoga, Spain (a visiting faculty at Yognat) conducted the final classes as well as the final examinations along with Yogacharini Devasena Bhavanani (general secretary Yognat). Yogacharini Maitreyi of Arkaya Awareness Centre, Chennai (a visiting faculty at Yognat) was a guest lecturer. Amma and Dr Ananda supervised the planning and implementation of this new programme and the feedback received from the students as well as the University has been very positive. It is hoped that such programmes will be conducted in future and more and more American and other students get a chance to see and know India as it ‘is’ rather than as it is portrayed in the west.

 

 

CONFERENCES AND SEMINARS: Amma was a specially invited consultant to the first meeting of the Central Government Ministry of Health Project to set up Accreditation Procedure for Yoga Institutions in India in February 2005 at the Moraji Desai National Institute of Yoga in New Delhi. The meetings were presided over by the Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Director of Moraji Desai National Institute of Yoga. Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani was one of the five Yoga experts invited for the deliberations along with Hazel Siromani, Director, Canadian Education Centre, New Delhi, Shri Madhukar, Deputy Advisor, National Academic Accreditation Council-UGC, Lt. Commander Sudhakar Chopra, Head, Accreditation, DOEACC Society, New Delhi and Dr. Chidananda Murthy, Director, Central Council for Yoga and Naturopathy, Health Ministry. The Meeting was organised by Shri Girish Jha, (i/c) Accreditation of Yoga Institutions, Moraji Desai National Institute of Yoga, New Delhi. Practical details were discussed as to procedure, standards, systematic classification modes for accreditation of Yoga Institutions and Yoga Teachers by the Government of India. The project is being sponsored by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, New Delhi. Due to the unregulated growth of Yoga Centres and Yoga Teacher training programmes and the absence of any central accreditation agency at present, Government of India has decided to establish a core Accreditation Agency which will draw up standards and procedures in consultation with Yoga experts and accreditation agencies from other disciplines, such as medicine, engineering etc. both in India and abroad. The meetings are aimed at developing a methodology for establishing this accreditation, registration and recognition of all Yoga Institutions and Yoga Teachers in India.

Dr Ananda was an invited Faculty Member for the International Seminar On Yoga Therapy In The Current Millennium organised by the Indian Academy of Yoga at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi in March 2005. Dr Ananda presented a guest lecture entitled “Yoga for health in children” that was chaired by the eminent pediatric surgeon, Dr Chooramani Gopal as well as two other presentations entitled’ “Therapeutic benefits of Pranayama” and “Meeting points of Yoga and modern medicine”. The International Seminar on Yoga therapy had a great many stimulating presentations by eminent Yogis and Yoga scientists from all over India and different foreign countries. More than 250 participants benefited from the three-day programme that had lectures, demonstrations and lecture demonstrations as well as stimulating Gita Chanting sessions. Dr Ananda also attended the Annual Meet of the Indian Academy of Yoga and was elected as the Joint Secretary of the Academy for the next two years. The meet was ably organised by Dr RG Singh, General Secretary, Indian Academy of Yoga and sponsored by the Medical Council of India and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Dr Ananda was invited as a Resource Person for the National Conference on “Yoga and Naturopathy for common man”, organised by the Indian Yoga Federation at Chandigarh in March 2005. As Dr Ananda has already committed himself to attending the National Level workshop on, “Stress and its management by Yoga relaxation techniques” organised by the Department of Physiology of JIPMER his paper on Yoga Sport for the Youth was read by Mrs. Meena Ramanathan at the conference on his behalf.

Our director and chairman were invited as Guest Faculty for the National Level workshop on, “Stress and its management by Yoga relaxation techniques” organised by the Department of Physiology, JIPMER, Pondicherry in March 2005. More than 55 delegates were selected to participate in this workshop that had invited 17 eminent faculty members from eminent medical and Yoga institutions of repute such as AIIMS, NIMHANS, JIPMER, ICYER, Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, Moraji Desai National Institute of Yoga, Aurobindo Ashram, Manipal Hospital and Dept of Psychology, Madras University. Amma presented an enlightening guest lecture entitled, “Divine Indian music and dance for the management of stress” that was followed by a spell binding cultural programme by the Yoganjali Natyalayam troupe. “Fear is the key cause of stress due to dichotomy of spirit and Indian music and dance help us realise that we are one with the Divine. Once we have this realisation, there is no cause for fear and thus all stress is lost” said Amma in her inimitable manner. The director of JIPMER Dr KSVK Subba Rao praised Yognat’s performance as the best cultural programme he had ever seen at JIPMER. Amma and Yogacharya Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani were amongst the eminent panelists on the open forum that was held to generate public interest in the science of Yoga. The panel that included Dr Madanmohan, Dr RL Bijlani, Dr Alok Pandey, Dr A Malathi, Dr KK Deepak, and Shri Girish Jha tackled many questions on the role of Yoga in modern life and methods of practice. Dr KR Sethuraman and Dr Chandiraeskaran joined the eminent panelists on another panel discussion held the next day where different questions on Yoga and its management of stress were discussed. Karma Yoga Shironmani Dr Madanmohan, Director-Professor and Head, Department of Physiology , JIPMER was the Yogic-scientific brain behind this much needed workshop and had put in months of dedicated work in planning every intricate details to perfection. A grant from the Central Council for Research In Yoga and Naturopathy (CCRYN), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt of India, New Delhi sponsored the workshop.

Amma, Dr Ananda and members of ICYER were invited to participate in the Second International Seminar on Integral Yoga Psychology and the Sixth National Conference on Integral Education held at Pondicherry in January 2005. This conference brought together scholars and practitioners from across the globe with a common aim to discuss issues related to relevance and application of Eastern and Western psychological and spiritual approaches to education in meeting global challenges. Amma was awarded “Best Educationist Award” at the inaugural function and received the award from Professor Dr. A. Gnanam, Former Chairman, National Assessment and Accreditation Council, Bangalore and former VC Pondicherry University. Dr Ananda presented a paper on “ Yoga for Educators” at the Plenary Session on Application of Integral Yoga Psychology in Teacher Education Curriculum. The conference was attended by nearly 300 delegates from all over the world and was well organised by the multi-talented, hard working Karma – Jnana Yogi Dr. Panch Ramalingam, President Pondicherry Psychology Association.

 

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION: Our director, Amma, Yogacharini Smt Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani received many awards and honors this year including BEST EDUCATIONIST 2004 from the Pondicherry Psychology Association. She was also honoured as one of the most important “Women Who Have Brought Fame To Pondicherry” and received an award for excellence in Bharata Natyam and Yoga from the Lt Governor of Pondicherry His Excellency Shri MM Lakhera in the presence of the Education Minister Shri K Lakshminarayanan and a host of other dignitaries at a glittering function held in November 2004 at the Woman’s Week Celebrations held by Pondicherry People’s Art Confederation and Woman’s Welfare Confederation of Pondicherry as part of Golden Jubilee Celebrations of Pondicherry Freedom.

A book, “ PUDUVAIKKU PUGAZH SERTHA PENMANIGAL” by Shri Clement Ishwar on women who have brought name and fame to Pondicherry was released on the occasion. This book has the biography of nearly 300 women of eminence listed under various categories. It is heartening the Amma finds a pride of place in this book and a special mention as the first lady of western origin to take up the practice of Bharata Natyam and Yoga and spread it to the people of Pondicherry. It is also apt that four of her students V Renukadevi, D Lakshmi, Padma M Prashanthini and M Niraimathi have been included in the young artists section. Students of Yoganjali Natyalayam presented a Bharata Natyam performance on the occasion that was witnessed by an appreciative audience of more than 200 at the Vedapureshwaran Temple in downtown Pondicherry. The snake dance by J Sangavi and V Roshini as well as the Shiva Tandava by Renukadevi evoked thunderous applause from the spectators.

Amma was also honoured with the MARUDHA RAMALINGANAR OUTSTANDING SENIOR CITIZEN AWARD In recognition of her service in the field of art and culture. This Award instituted by the Youth Peace Centre, Pondicherry was presented to Amma by the Honourable Deputy Speaker, Thiru A V Subramaniyam and Thiru SP Sivakumar the former Education Minister on 16th June at Hotel Ram International. This was a heartening public recognition and reward for our director’s efforts to promote and develop Yoga and the Cultural Arts amongst the youth of Pondicherry and the world.

 

Our chairman, Yogacharya Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani was honoured with the title award of YOGA BISHMACHARYA by the Tirumoolar Yoga and Natural Diet Trust and Tamil Nadu State Yogasana Association at the State Level Yoga Sport Championship held at Chennai in November 2004. Dr. Ananda was also named INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL AMBASSADOR for the International Yoga Federation, Buenos Aires, Argentina, South America. The appointment will entail attending International Yoga Conferences and Yoga Sports Competitions held throughout the world, as a representative of India’s Yogic and artistic community. Duties also include maintaining an elaborate website, articles on various aspects of Yoga for journals and newspapers world wide, conducting seminars and delivering lectures.

Yogacharya Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani was also honoured with the prestigious FELLOWSHIP of the Indian Academy of Yoga at its Annual Meet held at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India in March 2005. Dr Ananda is the youngest to thus join the legion of eminent Fellows of the Academy that include Padma Bhushan BKS Iyengar, Shri TKV Desikachar, Dr B Ramamurthy, Dr Georg Feuerstein, Dr HR Nagendra, Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani, Dr MV Bhole, Prof BK Anand and Dr W Selvamurthy. The colourful convocation was held at the Malaviya Bhavan, the premises of the Yoga Sadhana Kendra, the Yoga wing of Banaras Hindu University. Prof TR Anantaraman the president of the Academy and former Vice Chancellor, BHU in the presence of Dr IM Gupta, ex Dean, Institute of Medical Sciences and Prof KK Sharma, Director, Yoga Sadhana Kendra bestowed the fellowship on Dr Ananda and eight others including Shri SK Jindel of Jaipur and Dr Madanmohan of JIPMER, Pondicherry.

The Asana Andiappan Yoga Research Centre, Chennai, awarded the YOGACHARYA BANGALORE SUNDARAM AWARD 2005 to Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani, Chairman of Yoganjali Natyalayam for his dedicated efforts in spreading the Science of Yoga all over the world. Dr Ananda received the prestigious award from the hands of His Excellency the Governor of Tamil Nadu Shri Surjeet Singh Barnala at a glittering function held in February at the Chettinad Vidyasham auditorium in Chennai. Shri A Annadurai and Smt Meena Ramanathan, Yoga Education Committee members of the Pondicherry Yogasana Association were also honoured with the Bangalore Sundaram Award in recognition of their efforts towards Yoga education at college and University levels. The event was ably organised by Yogasana Chakravarthy Dr Asana Andiappan, director and Shri Asana Yogananth, Secretary of the Asana Andiappan Yoga Research Centre.

Smt Lalitha Shanmugam, Shri E Gajendiran and Shri G Kumaran, Senior faculty members of Yognat were honoured with the title award of “YOGA CHEMMAL” by the Pondicherry Yogasana Association during the 19th Pondicherry State and 1st Tamil Nadu State Invitation Yoga Sport Championship 2004 organised by the Pondicherry Yogasana in November 2004. Shri C Shanmugam, Smt. Devasena Bhavanani, Smt. Lalitha Shanmugam, Sri. E. Gajendiran, Shri G. Kumaran and Shri R Chandrasekar were inducted into the PYA jury board during the during the championship and were honoured with jury board membership certificates and ID cards.

The Asana Andiappan Yoga research centre, Chennai honoured Shri E Gajendiran with the Yogacharya award at the inauguration of his Gitanjali Yoga Centre in Vennila Nagar. The award was presented to him by the chief Minster Shri N Rangaswamy in the presence of Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani.

Desh. M a student of Yognat for the past 8 years was awarded the National Child Award for Exceptional Achievements, announced by the Human Resource Development Ministry from New Delhi. She has earlier bagged the Swami Gitananda Best Child Award 2002 as well as Sangeetha Samrat Vijaya Bhaskar Best Young Vocalist Award 2003. She has won many prizes in Yoga, Music and Dance competitions and has also completed her Vocal Music Arangetram. Desh. M is the fourth student of Yoganjali Natyalayam to win the National Child Award For Exceptional Achievement for Yoga and Dance and other talents. M. Niraimathy won the award in 2000, N. Ramya in 2001, M. Ilaval in 2002 and Desh. M in 2003.

 

PUBLICATIONS: Our chairman, Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani’s book on Yoga Theory has been very well received all over the world and the first edition has been completely sold out within a year of publication. The 2nd edition of his Yoga theory book, “ A PRIMER OF YOGA THEORY” was released by Shri Neela Gangadharan MLA, Chairman PTTDC at the 19th Pondy State Yoga Sport Championship. The Tamil edition of his theory book, “YOGA VINA VIDAI THOGUPPU” translated by Smt Meena Ramanathan and Dr Ananda’s “YOGA: 1 TO 10” dealing with numerous Yogic concepts grouped under the numbers 1 to 10 were released by His Excellency, the Lt. Governor of Pondicherry Shri M.M. Lakhera Ji at the Swami Gitananda Best Youth And child Awards Ceremony in February 2005.

 

YOGNAT PRODUCTIONS: Dr Ananda played Mridungam for the three CDs on Music Therapy for healing directed by Dr M Harre Harren’s (Music therapist and healer) and produced by Magnetic Marketing (P) Ltd, Chennai. The CDs are available commercially and are entitled Indian Music Therapy, Nada Yoga Sangam and Music Therapy.

Yognat students also participated in the production of a VCD on Yoga Practices for Sleeping Disorders produced by the Department of Pharmacology, JIPMER as part of the CCRYN sponsored research project. Amma directed and scripted the VCD and she was a co-investigator in the project while Yogacharini Devasena Bhavanani was the Yoga teacher for the project and guided the patients.

Yognat’s headquarter, Ananda Ashram at ICYER has embarked on a project of putting out various DVDs related to applications of Gitananda Yoga. The first of these is a DVD on PRANAYAMA FOR HEALTH AND WELL BEING that contains 25 evergreen Pranayama techniques of Rishiculture Ashtanga Yoga Presented by Yogacharya Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani. This is the first time the Pranayama etchings of Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri are being presented for a worldwide audience through this new medium. The project is being produced by the well-known music company SUPER AUDIO, Chennai and will be marketed by them all over the world. The Pranayama project was shot at ICYER on the Yoga Sadhana Beach with 14 of the International students of ICYER and 10 members of Yoganjali Natyalayam, Pondicherry. All members of the Ashram had a terrific experience of the professionalism of the camera crew under the direction of Shri Muthu, the dynamic young director of Chennai. Later Dr Ananda spent a 14-hour day in Chennai editing the DVD with a voice over to describe all the practices. Yognat recommends this DVD to all its students and alumni in order to grasp the importance of these vital practices that is much neglected in the modern Yoga world. For further details on the Pranayama DVD please contact Super Audio (Madras) Pvt. Ltd. (www.musicandchants.com) or Dr Ananda at ananda

 

YOGNAT SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS:

Sangeetha Samrat Shri Vijaya Bhaskar Music Awards: Yognat conducted the third Sangeetha Samrat Shri Vijaya Bhaskar Music Awards in June 2005. This award in memory of the great music composer Shri Vijaya Bhaskar was instituted in 2003 by the Family of Smt Mangala Gowri and Sri CK Manoharun for students of Yognat showing exceptional talent in Classical Music. SS Lothikha was awarded the Best Vocalist Award in the above 12 years category while R Shalini won the Best Vocalist Award in the 12 and below category. I Krishnaveni was awarded the Sangeetha Samrat Shri Vijaya Bhaskar Music Scholarship for the year 2004-05.

Michael Danckwerts Yoga and Cultural Excellence Award: In June 2003 Mr. Chris and Mrs. Annette Danckwerts of Australia instituted the Michael Danckwerts Yoga and Cultural Excellence Award in memory of their son who was a lover of Yoga and Indian culture. Candidates are evaluated on the basis of curriculum vitae: character, academics, extra curricular, personality and poise in an interview by a panel of eminent judges. The award consists of a year's full scholarship in Yoga and Bharat Natyam; a gold medal; a special certificate; and several books on Yoga. Every year two students get the award based on their performance and two others are selected for the scholarship. Previous winners include V. Renuka Devi and Miss M. Padma Prashanthini (2003), Pa. Raga Ramya and R. Balaji (2004). Winners of this year’s awards are R Varalakshmi and G Saranya. The three scholarships for 2005-06 are being awarded to S. Kaviarasan, Desh M and S Sri Sagana.

Yoganjali Natyalayam Institute Awards: Yoganjali Natyalayam each year selects from its hundreds of students, one boy and one girl who have shown outstanding Yogic qualities as well as one student who has shown Yogic heroic nature in the face of adversity. A "family" which has gone "above and beyond" the call of duty to ensure that its children are nourished by the roots of our ancient Indian Culture is also honoured. This year the awards go to: Best Boy 2005 – T Tamilarasan; Best Girl 2005 – U. Parinitha; Best Family 2005 – Shri Rajasekaran and Family; Yoga Veerya Award 2005- S Samyuktha.

 

 

We at Yognat realise that our beloved children and youth are being overwhelmed by dry academic study and are caught in a vicious “rat race” to “score high” in exams. They are becoming physically weak and sick, and mentally confused and dull as a result. The science of Yoga and the arts of Bharat Natyam and Carnatic Music strengthen and refresh body, mind and spirit. To return to our young people their own birthright, their own cultural heritage, in this time of multi-nationals and their materialistic propaganda, is our aim and our mission.

Much is made of the evil of "Child Labour" in India. However, the worst and most insidious "Child Labour" of our nation is the tyranny of the fierce, inhuman, "working conditions" of our school‑going youngsters, who have no time at all to enjoy their youth, caught in the clutches of exams, tuitions, classes and "selection procedures". We at Yognat attempt to "mitigate" this "evil" and provide some relief and refreshment in the "dry and dreary" lives of the young students by offering constructive recreational (re-creation) activities, utilizing the wise and humane concepts of our Ancient Indian Rishis, as manifested in Rishiculture Ashtanga Yoga and the Cultural Carnatic Arts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yogacharya Dr.Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani

Chairman : Yoganjali Natyalayam and ICYER

25,2nd Cross,Iyyanar Nagar, Pondicherry-605 013

Tel: 0413 - 2622902 / 0413 -2241561

Website: www.icyer.com

www.geocities.com/yognat2001/ananda

 

 

 

 

SportsRekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football "Health and Happiness are your birthright, claim them through Rishiculture Ashtanga Yoga" -Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri