Satyananda Yoga or Bihar School of Yoga

Satyananda Yoga is world renowned school of Yogic Studies set up by Swami Satyananda Saraswati in 1963 in Munger, Bihar. Today, 'Satyanada Yoga' has found its niche in every nook and corner of the globe through its innumerable centres that are run by trained yoga teachers and researchers. Basic tenet of Satyananda yoga, also known popularly as 'Bihar school of Yoga', is its comprehensive and integral approach to ancient sciences of Yoga and Tantra.

Swami Satyananda emphasizes on cultivating yoga as a life science, as a culture of this and future generations. He has written more than eighty books where all the imaginable aspects of yogic science are exposited in very simple, lucid and scientific manner.

Swami Satyananda's expositions of yoga bring it out from the ancient garb of religious embellishments and make it shine in a secular context which is accessible to every individual in modern age regardless of their region, religion, caste, class and gender.

Swami Satyananda defines yoga as:

Yoga is a system of living with sense and science, of the realization of ultimate values and altruistic missions of life.

Yoga evolves a harmonious order in mind, matter and man.

Yoga is an absolute departure from basic animal tendencies.

Yoga is a slate of aloofness from the artificialities of life and relationships.

Yoga is the culture of tomorrow.

‘Satyananda Yoga’ focuses on all the four aspects of being viz . body, mind, psyche and soul or physical, mental emotional and spiritual It focuses on bringing these four aspects of human individual in health and harmony with each other. Satyananda Yoga integrates into its curriculum all the available wisdom of Ancient Indian knowledge systems that come from the Upanishads, Bhagwad Gita and other Shashtras on Yoga and Tantra . It subtlety makes use of various yogic streams like Hath Yoga, Raja Yoga, Mantra Yoga, Karma yoga. Bhakti yoga to name a few in order to heal specific ailments and also to bring out complete human potential. For instance, to cure the physical ailments asanas can help, to cure the emotional aspect 'Kirtan' (a part of Bhakti yoga)can help and to heal the psychological imbalances techniques of 'yoga nidra' and 'Ajapa Japa' can help.

Satyananda yoga offers to each individual a path which begins exactly from that station where he / she is already located in terms of health and spirituality. In this School, even the most basic step of yoga that begins with 'Asanas' is conceived in such a way that it can offer health to a seeker of health at bodily level. At the same time it can also offer a meditative state to somebody who does it from a different level of awareness. For instance, complete integration of breath with the movement in an 'asana' and complete involvement of awareness in here and now makes 'Satyananda Yoga' a unique tradition among various other schools that have evolved in recent past.

Bihar School of Yoga is also famous for some very simple yet extremely effective tools of Meditation. Most important systems that have been evolved by Swami Satyananda are 'Yoga Nidra' (Yogic Sleep) and 'Anter Mouna'(Inner Silence).

Out of these two, the first one is being used extensively by the followers of Swamiji and many others to bring positive transformation in their outlook on life and its situations. This ancient technique of 'Pratyahara' or ' withdrawl of senses' is being used as a method of improvement of positive skills and for opening the hidden potential of the energies hidden in the subconscious and unconscious layers of mind. In modern times, 'Yoga Nidra' as developed by Swami Satyananda Saraswati is being used in various fields like schools, prisons, corporate world and in common households by men and women to suit their own diverse requirements.

Yoga Nidra has proved to be highly effective in bringing the stress levels down and in curing diseases like high B.P. and heart ailments \\'hich have beoofTle menace of the modern world. In the prisons, it has helped the criminals to transform their negativity and to vistJalize a positive future for themselves. It is also being used to improve memory. concentration and focus in children and sportspeople.

'Sataynanda Yoga' bases itself on extensive studies of ancient philosophical traditions of India and scientific research which is a constant engagement of the Yoga Research Foundation, a subordinate body of the Bihar School of Yoga.