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Swami Vignanananda

Parsva Bakasana, by Swami-ji (116K)

Swami-ji was born in Thinnanore, Trichy District, Tamil Nadu, India, on June 14, 1932. From 1947 to 1957 Swami-ji practiced yoga intensely, while working at a textile company in Salem, and began teaching yoga, and publishing spiritual articles in many journals. During this period, Swami-ji corresponded with Kadappa Swami Satchidananda Yogeeswarar and also with Swami Sivananda of the Divine Life Society, and developed tremendous spiritual strength. In 1957, Swami-ji left to seek out Kadappa Swami in Bangalore, but the master passed into maha-samadhi a short time thereafter. After travelling throughout South India, Swami-ji arrived at the Divine Life Society in Rishikesh, in 1959, where he served as professor of Hatha Yoga and handled Tamil correspondence for Swami Sivananda until going to Japan in 1962. Swami-ji spent 10 years in Japan, with a full schedule of private classes, lectures, television appearances, pranic healings and group classes including the US Army-Navy Base Camps. In 1973, Swami-ji came to the United States and established Prana Yoga Ashram, in 1975, with the assistance of James and Janet Moffet (Prana and Yamuna) and developed the 80-acre Yoga Retreat, Ayodhyanagar, in California. Swami-ji became a US Citizen in 1982 and travelled widely, opening the 16-acre Sivashram Yoga Retreat / PYC in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, the PYC in Eureka, CA and over three dozen Centres in Europe, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, Burma, India, and other countries. Swami-ji's publications include, 'Wings of Divine Wisdom', 'Heart Wisdom', 'Song of the Will' and many articles in the journals, 'Prana Yoga Life', 'Prana Yoga Leaves', 'Sivashram' and 'Yoga Vision' and instuctional materials including an 11-year Calendar and the 'Sun and Moon /Yoga Asana Wall Chart'.

Eagle Pose (66K)