International Guests Make a Special Visit to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram, popularly known as the Beatles Ashram on Day 6 of the International Yoga Festival at Parmarth Niketan
The second to last day of IYF of the International Yoga Festival was another beautiful day as over 75 countries represented, came together to celebrate peace and love while celebrated musicians MC YOGI, Gurnimit Singh, Daphne Tse and more joined in a special collaborative concert.
IYF is organised by Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh with the support of Incredible India, Ministry of Tourism, in association with Ministry of Culture and Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India and was officially inaugurated by the Hon’ble Governor of Uttarakhand Lt Gen (Retd) and will have the visit of other Hon’ble Ministers, Diplomats and Dignitaries throughout the week (please see more below).
RISHIKESH: A very Special concert took place with International Yoga Festival participants and presenters from across the globe today to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram, popularly known as the Beatles Ashram. The participants immersed in the historic Ashram’s sacred energy where the great Saint Maharishi Mahesh Yogi once lived, practiced and taught Transcendental Meditation and was also home for sometime to the world famous Beatles. Musicians from across the globe came together to sing for peace and love. MC YOGI, Gurnimit Singh, Daphne Tse, Joseph Schmidlin, Sudhanshu Sharma, Sandra Barnes, and so many more sang sacred mantras and “Imagine” by the Beatles together.
“You only see holes in other people when you aren’t whole,” said H.H. Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji. “War is not the way. Fighting is not the way. We have Russians, Ukrainians, Palistinians, Israleas, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis. And we have love. We have peace. This is the message of International Yoga Festival. It is up to us to take this message of love and peace back home across the world. Love is the way. Peace is the way.”
“If we are one family, we must take care of the planet,” he continued. “If any part of our family isn’t happy, we are not happy. The planet is suffering. We must take care of the planet. In the name of love, become green yoga ambassadors. Inspire those you touch and teach. There is no planet B. Love is all there is.”
“The only way I’ve found to heal yourself and to heal the world is through love,” said Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa, the disciple of Yogi Bhajan who founded Yogi Bhajan’s first yoga center in the United States. “Love is the way. Love is all there is.”
This visit was the highlight to the sixth day of the world famous International Yoga Festival (IYF) under the divine guidance and blessing of H.H. Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, the President of Parmarth Niketan Ashram and Pujya Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, Director of IYF, with the support of Incredible India, Ministry of Tourism, in association with Ministry of Culture and Ministry of AYUSH the Festival.
During the visit the participants were blessed by Pujya Swami ji’s divine chanting and singing and Pujya Sadhviji’s beautiful guided meditation, and a pledge for environmental preservation and climate action. Following which Pujya Swamiji and Sadhviji along with the global IYF Family planted dozens of Rudraksha trees.
DAY 6 SCHEDULE Highlights:
The day Began at 6 AM with a special class by Dr. Yogrishi Vishvketu on Bringing Pranayama into Your Daily Routine, where participants practiced sacred breath with the Himalayan Yoga Master, author and founder of Akhanda Yoga, Yogrishi Vishvketu (Vishva-ji). Students were delighted with the master’s infectious laughter and memorable stories. Meanwhile, true to the festival’s multicultural and international scope, Sensei Sandeep Desai, a master of T’ai Chi, Ashtanga Yoga and Martial Arts lead an Original Chen style T’ai Chi Circles and introduction to Form. Other participants enjoyed diverse styles of asana like Kundalini yoga with Kia Miller, founder of Radiant Body Yoga, vinyasa with London-Based Claire Missingham, and power yoga with Yogiraj Swami Jayant Saraswati, the head of the Kanav Ashram in Kotdwar.
After a satvik brunch, participants geared up for much-awaited sessions on a workshop to use journaling to find your true purpose with yoga master Katie B. Happyy a yoga master. Anand Mehrotra, founder of Sattva Yoga Academy and an evolutionary thought leader, conducted a session called “Cosmic Heart / Cosmic Prana.” At the Sacred Sound Stage, three internationally recognized musicians came together to celebrate The Power of Saraswati, Music, Water, and Dance. Quests were mesmerized by the beautiful vibration and energy of Daphne Tse, from Texas in the United States, who combines spiritual practice with her contemporary folk singer songwriter style; Simon Glöde, a multi-talented musician, ceremony facilitator, and music producer who weaves ancestral sounds and energetic practices from around the world; and Parmarth Niketan’s own Acharya Vindo Joshi, who visitors to the ashram will recognize as one of the heavenly voices who graces the ashrams world famous nightly Ganga Aarti.
Following lunch, Mohan Bhandari, founder and director of YogiYoga, the most prestigious yoga school in China, led a sacred AUM Meditation, while María Alejandra Avcharian is an Ayurvedic Medicine Therapist and Plastic Artist, from Uruguay, taught yogis how to Balancing the Mind. Parmarth Niketan’s own resident Vedanta expert Gayatri Yogacharya taught a course on the Fundamental Concepts of Vedanta. At the Sacred Sound Stage, participants luxuriated in a Restorative Sound Bath with Sanj Hall, a traveling gong yogi who has taken the divine order to spread the goodness of gongs and its teachings around the world. He extensively travels to Europe, Middle East and Asia as well in ashrams and monasteries in India and Nepal.
“The world is Nada….a vibration,” Hall taught as he struck the reverberating gong.
After the sacred Yagna and divine Ganga Aarti, internationally recognized kirtan singer Visvambhar Sheth soulfully blended guitar, harmonium, bansuri flute, sitar, and cajon, as participants hearts filled with love and peace, marking the end of the second last day of IYF with everyone’s hearts full of love, gratitude, and devotion.
QUOTES FROM PRESENTERS & PARTICIPANTS:
When asked what she is most looking forward to as she returns to the IYF Sacred Sound Stage for the first time in 4 years, Internationally acclaimed recording artist Daphne Tse said, “I am most excited about being immersed in the heart to heart connection of diverse yogis and yoginis from around the planet here to join our breath, voices, and whole beings together to uplift, inspire, and resonate in Love at the banks of Ma Ganga.”
Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa, the disciple of Yogi Bhajan who founded Yogi Bhajan’s first yoga center in the United States, joined IYF for the 24th year this year. When reflecting on what’s changed, she said, “The International Yoga Festival has grown and grown into becoming the most fantastic yoga festival in the world. The schedule never ends. I don’t know how you choose what to go to.”
