Our Teachers
Dr.Swami Gitananda
Dr Swami Gitananda was born to an Irish mother and a Sindhi father in Bihar State in 1907. At the age of 13 he met his first Guru, Swami Kanakananda- the sleepless saint. At a very young age he was initiated by his Guru in one of the oldest Vedic Yoga traditions of India. He went to England at the age of 16 where he did his training to become a doctor. He spent most of his medical profession abroad spending much time in Canada and Europe only returning to India to settle in 1967, he then took Sannyasin at the age of 55. Dr Swami Gitananda was also initiated into the Paramparai of the great Ashtanga Yoga Siddha Sri Kambliswamigal , by Srila Shri Shankaragiri Swamigal in 1975. Thus a medical knowledge was combined with the best of the Bengali Tradition and the finest South Indian Siddha Yoga. Dr Swami Gitananda was considered to one of the five leading authorities of the Ancient Science of Ashtanga Yoga, the Eight-Limbed Yoga of Patanjali (Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi) in the Twentieth Century. He is accredited as being one of the pioneers of popularizing the Ashtanga Yoga concepts throughout the world. Due to his precise scientific and medical approach to Yoga, Swamiji was acclaimed by many as The Father of Modern Scientific Yoga. Dr Swami Gitananda wrote 26/30 books on the subject of Yoga and was editor of the international Yoga Life monthly journal for forty years. He was the Director of 65 institutes of Rishi Culture Yoga in 35 countries, operated by his close disciples. He was President and Patron of scores of Yoga organisations in India and the world, notably the Indian Accademy of Yoga, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi UP. He organised the 1st International Yoga Asana Competition in January 1989 in Pondicherry and also worked extensively for the Olympic Standard Yoga Competitions. He sponsored four International Yoga Conferences in Pondicherry which drew scientists, doctors, engineers and other professional bodies from all over the world. The Swami founded The International Centre for Yoga Education and Research (ICYER) by the Bay of Bengal. Kottakuppam, Tamil Nadu in 1988 and Yoganjali Natyalayam (Ananda Ashram City Centre) in downtown Pondicherry in 1993 where Hindu Cultuaral arts of Bharat Natyam, Yoga and Carnatic Music are taught to the community. Programmes for both adults and 100's of children go on here. Swamiji offered 6 month International Teacher Training Course from 1968 each year in Pondicherry and these were attended by thousands of students from India and all over the world. This uninterrupted course is now conducted by Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani, his wife and disciple. He left his body in 1993 in Pondicherry- India. His work is successfully continued by his wife Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani and his son and successor Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani.
Yogacharya Dr.Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani
Yogacharya Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani son and successor of Dr Swami Gitananda and Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani was born at Pondicherry, South India on
April 16, 1972.
He has lived all his life in the Gurukula atmosphere of Ananda Ashram as a 24 hour a day Sadhana. He has been trained in Rishiculture Ashtanga (Gitananda) Yoga from the Day of his birth. He has assisted his parents in the Yoga training imparted at Ananda Ashram and ICYER from that time onwards.
Yogacharya Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani is now the Chairman of the International Centre for Yoga Education and Research at the Ananda Ashram, Pondicherry, South India . He has authored ten DVD's and six books on Yoga as well as published two dozen papers and abstracts on Yoga and Yoga research in national and international journals. He is a Gold Medalist in Medical Studies (MBBS) with postgraduate diplomas in Family Health (PGDFH) and Yoga (PGDY). He is a Carnatic Vocalist, Mridungist, Music Composer and Bharathantyam Choreographer in addition to his duties as a medical officer in the Village Health Programme of the Auroville Health Centre. He has traveled to Italy, Germany and Switzerland as the Cultural Ambassador of the International Yoga Federation and is Advisor of the World Yoga Council and Member of the International Council for Yoga Sport.
Over the last few years he has been travelling the world teaching the techniques of yoga to thousands of enthusiasts eager to meet him up close.
Dr Ananda can be contacted at :
Yoganjali Natyalayam
25, 2nd Cross, Iyyanar Nagar, Pondicherry-13, India.
e mail: [email protected]
April 16, 1972.
He has lived all his life in the Gurukula atmosphere of Ananda Ashram as a 24 hour a day Sadhana. He has been trained in Rishiculture Ashtanga (Gitananda) Yoga from the Day of his birth. He has assisted his parents in the Yoga training imparted at Ananda Ashram and ICYER from that time onwards.
Yogacharya Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani is now the Chairman of the International Centre for Yoga Education and Research at the Ananda Ashram, Pondicherry, South India . He has authored ten DVD's and six books on Yoga as well as published two dozen papers and abstracts on Yoga and Yoga research in national and international journals. He is a Gold Medalist in Medical Studies (MBBS) with postgraduate diplomas in Family Health (PGDFH) and Yoga (PGDY). He is a Carnatic Vocalist, Mridungist, Music Composer and Bharathantyam Choreographer in addition to his duties as a medical officer in the Village Health Programme of the Auroville Health Centre. He has traveled to Italy, Germany and Switzerland as the Cultural Ambassador of the International Yoga Federation and is Advisor of the World Yoga Council and Member of the International Council for Yoga Sport.
Over the last few years he has been travelling the world teaching the techniques of yoga to thousands of enthusiasts eager to meet him up close.
Dr Ananda can be contacted at :
Yoganjali Natyalayam
25, 2nd Cross, Iyyanar Nagar, Pondicherry-13, India.
e mail: [email protected]
Yogacharini, Yogamani Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani
Yogacharini ,Yogamani, Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani – Wife and disciple of Dr Swami Gitananda
Born September 13th 1943 in United States. She went to India in 1968 to Study Indian Art and Yoga and never left ever since. She met her Guru Dr Swami Gitananda in 1968 in Pondicherry and since that time has devoted her life to his teachings and to institutions founded by him. She studied Bharata Natyam (traditional Indian Dance) and gave performances all over India. She has been instrumental in training more than 10.000 village children in the art and science of Yoga and traditional Indian Dance since 1975 through the Sri Kambliswamy Yoga and Fine Arts Programme.
As a journalist by profession, her articles and essays appear in national and international magazines and newspapers. She has been editor of the international magazine “Yoga Life” since 1968 and is managing director of the ashram’s publishing unit ‘Satya Press’. She is an author of eight books, including two books of poetry
She is director of studies for the six-month International Yoga Teacher’s Training Course offered annually at the ICYER. She is Director of Yoganjali Natyalayam, a popular City Centre for the propagation of Yoga, Bharat Natyam and Carnatic Music and has developed a famous Bharat Natyam troupe that appears regularly in prestigious festivals and also stages spectacular Bharat Natyam and Yoga programmes yearly in Pondicherry. Yoganjali Natyalayam was founded in 1993 as a continuation of the Sri Kambliswamy Yoga and Fine Arts Programme that was begun in 1975.
She is an excellent Yoga teacher and philosophical speaker, an inspiration of thousands of Gitananda Yoga teachers all over the world. She keeps contact with all her Yoga students all over the world remininding them their highest goal, guide them and advise them whenever in need.
Born September 13th 1943 in United States. She went to India in 1968 to Study Indian Art and Yoga and never left ever since. She met her Guru Dr Swami Gitananda in 1968 in Pondicherry and since that time has devoted her life to his teachings and to institutions founded by him. She studied Bharata Natyam (traditional Indian Dance) and gave performances all over India. She has been instrumental in training more than 10.000 village children in the art and science of Yoga and traditional Indian Dance since 1975 through the Sri Kambliswamy Yoga and Fine Arts Programme.
As a journalist by profession, her articles and essays appear in national and international magazines and newspapers. She has been editor of the international magazine “Yoga Life” since 1968 and is managing director of the ashram’s publishing unit ‘Satya Press’. She is an author of eight books, including two books of poetry
She is director of studies for the six-month International Yoga Teacher’s Training Course offered annually at the ICYER. She is Director of Yoganjali Natyalayam, a popular City Centre for the propagation of Yoga, Bharat Natyam and Carnatic Music and has developed a famous Bharat Natyam troupe that appears regularly in prestigious festivals and also stages spectacular Bharat Natyam and Yoga programmes yearly in Pondicherry. Yoganjali Natyalayam was founded in 1993 as a continuation of the Sri Kambliswamy Yoga and Fine Arts Programme that was begun in 1975.
She is an excellent Yoga teacher and philosophical speaker, an inspiration of thousands of Gitananda Yoga teachers all over the world. She keeps contact with all her Yoga students all over the world remininding them their highest goal, guide them and advise them whenever in need.