Ambassador of Israel to India and Sri Lanka, Dr. Ron Malka, joins the 31st International Yoga Festival to do Yoga & be Yoga
Breakdown to Breakthrough Spiritual Lecture Series Sheds New Perspective on the Corona Virus Scare
Eco Friendly Holi Celebrations and Hafla Music Night with Gil Ron Shama add beautiful colour to the Fifth day of the International Yoga Festival at Parmarth
5 MARCH 2020 RISHIKESH INDIA: HE Dr. Ron Malka, the Ambassador of Israel to India and Sri Lanka, made a special visit to the International Yoga Festival at Parmarth Niketan, being held in association with the Ministry of Tourism of the Government of India, to participate in the day’s many yoga offerings. Joined by his lovely wife, Lea, and his friend, Dr Ron Malka had a beautiful meeting with Pujya Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji before joining a yoga class in Parmarth’s Yoga Village.
He returned after a beautiful class for a special meeting with HH Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji after the class in which they discussed all of the wonderful work that Israel is doing to conserve water and how its a leading example of exemplary water management.
HE Dr Ron Malkaji shared, “Water brings unity. It is essential for us to start with water and empower people to conserve water. We need to protect the water given to us by Nature and ensure we don’t pollute and defile it. Israel and India can work together for water.” He also deeply appreciated the efforts of the Hon’ble Jal Shakti Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekawatji.
Pujya Swamiji said, “Water belongs to all. Given the scarcity of water in many parts of India there will be not only State Wars but Street Wars for clean water. I believe that if we can not create water at least we can work to conserve water.” Pujya Swamiji warmly invited him and his family to join for the Kumbh Mela 2021 in Haridwar and they planned to work together to create greater water consciousness through one of the world’s largest gathering of humanity.
The day’s power-packed Spiritual Lecture Series, Moving from “Breakdown to Breakthrough” took attendees on a journey of inner personal healing that, as panelists Dr. Bruce Lipton, Rev. Michael Beckwith, Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati and Tommy Rosen all agreed, could end-up collectively healing our planet.
Some of the inspirational comments by the panelists included those of Dr. Bruce Lipton, who shared, “You cannot be in growth and in protection at the same time, they are mutually exclusive. And, when stress hormones are released into the body, the body is prepared to run – fight or flight. If you look at governments and corporations around the world, they sell themselves on fear: Be afraid, the immigrants are coming. Be afraid, the coronavirus. But if you look at the actual situation people are always dying. But, they scare you, they put you in fear. And, when you feel that you are a victim, you will give up your power to somebody else. And, the more fear they throw at you the weaker you become. Don’t buy fear, because you give up your life. Realise and live your power.”
Breakdown to Breakthrough – Amazing Spiritual Lecture Series w/ @drmichaelbb @biologyofbelief @sadhvibhagawati @tommyrosen & @UpliftConnect on #fear, the #CoronavirusOutbreak & sustainable #peace w/in us & our communities. https://t.co/e0yHyLYrhA https://t.co/AHxRrv7IiI pic.twitter.com/5nFtX8Q4mo
— Parmarth Niketan (@ParmarthNiketan) March 5, 2020
Rev. Michael Beckwith said of the change movement that is happening around the world that “we have to shift our interest to the possibility that’s being born right now. We have to be aware that every great movement on the planet, every great leap that’s happened has not had anything to with any governments or politicians. It has something to do with the rising of people, people that carry the visionary possibility, whether it’s urban shaman, whether it’s artists, whether it’s individuals who have had individual breakthroughs – governments have done nothing for progress, historically. It’s always come from an urgency that has arisen through individuals who have called a possibility.”
Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatijji said: “Every one of us has the power today and tomorrow and every single day to actually save those lives. But, that requires us to stand up and consciously, excitedly and willingly be part of a new system. It’s not enough to simply sign petitions online, it’s not enough to like and share things on social media. Those things are great, but let’s not be deluded enough to think that we’ve done something. If we want to live in a different world – create it. As Gandhiji said, ‘Be the change that you want to see in the world.’”
Tommy Rosen said: “The mechanisms of personal inventory at the level of society, at the level of government, at the level of corporation – there has to be a shift from ‘this is how we do business, this is how we benefit our shareholders and our stakeholders’…there has to be a shift immediately to ‘we are now doing business in a different way.’ And, it has to begin – and this is true for the individual and for society – there has to be a bottom reached. The way that happens to corporations is their profits are threatened. That’s what forces a corporation to its knees. Reconciliation, repair of damage done, ownership of what’s been done is one of the most important mechanisms in this change. We’re going to come to this place very soon where this focus on appearance is going to be less important than our survival. The government has to return to an ethic of service – service to the collective, service to humanity. It’s so desperately missing.”
Immediately after the lecture series there was a beautiful Eco-Friendly Waterless Holi Celebrations in which participants and presenters from across the world celebrated with beautiful flower petals being showered and eco-friendly colours applied by the respected saints and teachers present on the occasion to the divine sound of the drums of world famous percussionist Sivamani and the gorgeous singing of his wife Runa Rizvi. There was a pledge by the saints to protect and preserve water, treading on the planet with reduced carbon and water footprint.
It was so amazing to have @drumssivamani and Runa at @ParmarthNiketan for #IYF2020 to celebrate a #musical and #waterless #Holi @PujyaSwamiji and @SadhviBhagawati Ji showered Petals upon participants making it an eco-friendly and loving celebration. 🥰🌈✨ pic.twitter.com/jJyx65AFB5
— Int'l Yoga Festival (@IntlYogaFest) March 5, 2020
#HoliHai – an #ecofriendly #waterless Festival of Colours, Connection & Love brings such joy & gratitude to all during the 5th day of @IntlYogaFest as the divine rhythm of @drumssivamani & the soulful voice of @RunaRizvi echo & reverberate thru the ashram. #HappyHoli #Holi2020 pic.twitter.com/UibEWo3gxN
— Pujya Swamiji (@PujyaSwamiji) March 5, 2020
The “festival of colors" #Holi when we join together in the color of love, oneness and unity & let go of all grudges! It's the perfect holiday for @IntlYogaFest the embodiment of love, Unity & Union. We united under Lord Shiva to shower each other w/colours of love! #Holi2020 pic.twitter.com/4zavCauxAv
— Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati (@SadhviBhagawati) March 5, 2020
During our amazing @IntlYogaFest Lecture Series: Breakdown to Breakthrough y’day Rev @drmichaelbb @tommyrosen @SadhviBhagawati @biologyofbelief put the #Coronavirus into perspective. #CoronaVirusChallenge #IYF2020 pic.twitter.com/Fd09wO8O3v
— Int'l Yoga Festival (@IntlYogaFest) March 6, 2020
***********************
Day 5 of the International Yoga Festival continued its incredibly-successful run with another beautiful morning of practices, performances and power-talks designed to inspire, motivate and uplift both participants and presenters. Beginning at dawn with Ganga Nandini’s Yoga For All – Sukshma Yoga, Rohini Manohar’s Mandala Flow and Mert Güler’s Sufi Love Meditation and continuing through Accessing the Command Center with Kia Miller, Patanjali Yoga for Health with Dr. Radhika Nagrath and another beautiful Sunrise Nada Yoga on the Ghat with Anandra George, bodies were activated, minds were cleared and hearts were opened before breakfast was even served.
Ganga Nandini described her Sukshma Yoga practice by sharing that: “The beauty of the practice here at Parmarth Niketan teachers is that its basic and authentic but that it flows and is authentic. Sukshma Yoga is such a beautiful opportunity for us to flow from subtle body deeper aspects of our body.”
The playful and imaginative aspects of her Mandala Flow Yoga class this morning inspired newcomer to the Festival, Rohini Manohar, to share: “I taught a mandala flow this morning and as I shared my heart out.. I realised there is so much that connects us. Beyond the clothes, the hair, the Mala beads and the yoga tights lies an undying passion for growth….and THIS is what inspires me.”
After a healthy and delicious light breakfast, Katie B. Happyy brought Sweat and Depth together to influence and inspire her student’s lives, while Yogrishi Vishvketu offered his students alignment to their true selves with a journey through the five koshas, Sianna Sherman spun a web of Mantra, Mudra and Magic, Tommy Rosen calibrated his class to the infinite and Joanna Faso demonstrated Yin Yoga & Self Massage to Free her students’ voices.
Akhanda Yoga creator Yogrishi Vishvketu shared about his experiences thus far by saying: “You are born to be happy, you are born to be blissful. That is your birthright, to experience and share this bliss. And when you are in the Festival you get more opportunities to feel and share those amazing feelings.”
Following lunch, Dr. G S Gupta presented Look Health & Be Pain-Free with Super Foods; Dr. Alejandro Junger reprised his popular Detoxification in the Modern Toxic World class; Yusuke Hoshido offered his Digeridoo Sound Healing workshop; and, Maa Gyaan Suveera taught students Healing with Words and Thoughts. These beautiful offerings were supplemented with a Creating Enlightened Alliances discourse by Janet Attwood, Mind & Soul Through Pulse Reading with Dr. Smita Naram, Awaken to Your Destiny with Rev. Michael Beckwith and Pranayama (Breath and Energy) with Mohan Bhandari.
The afternoon sessions also included music and dance offerings, as well as the premier screening of a documentary film, followed by an in-depth Q&A with one of the subjects of the film. Musically, Arindam Chakravarty presented Tablā: A Journey into Indian Rhythm, while Nrityavali offered their brilliant Indian Classical Dance Workshop. The film, Agniyogana meanwhile, was a meditative inquiry into the lost art of classical Hatha Yoga. Offering an experiential collage of action and stillness, light and darkness, sound and silence, AGNIYOGANA explores the richness of traditional Hatha Yoga teachings, and was a crowd-favorite on this event-filled day.
The day concluded with another installment of the hugely-popular Kīrtan Family Hour – which gives participants the chance to chant their hearts open on an open mic and with the Festival’s beloved family of musicians – followed by the UPLIFT Celebration and Hafla Music Night with Gil Ron Shama, Soul’s Diet & Special Guests. UPLIFT is a global media channel founded by Organic India’s Bharat Mitra that is dedicated to sharing thought-provoking content that inspires positive change around the world. UPLIFT stands for Unity, Peace and Love in a Field of Transcendence.
Only two days remain in the exciting and enlightening week of song, sadhana and surprises that is the International Yoga Festival – but, those two days are sure to be just as fulfilling as those preceding.
