our lineage
The teachings of Radha Yoga belong to the Saraswati order of yogis and yoginis. Saraswati represents creativity and the arts. Here is an insight into our teachers.
Swami Sivananda (8 September 1887 – 14 July 1963)
“serve, love, give, meditate, realise”
Swami Sivananda founded Sivananda Ashram at Rishikesh on the banks of the Ganges after years of intense spiritual practice, spending 12 hours in daily meditation, fasting and serving the sick. He is said to have radiated his divine and lofty message of selfless service, meditation and God-realisation. He established the Divine Life Society that grew into a worldwide organisation for the dissemination of spiritual knowledge. Devotees were drawn to him from all religions and all parts of the world. In turn he encouraged his disciples, including Swamis Venkatesananda, Satchidananda, Satyananda, Vishnudevananda and our own Swami Sivananda Radha to go out into the world and set up centres dedicated to the advancement of Yoga in daily life.
For more about Swami Sivananda click here
Swami Sivananda Radha (20 March 1911 – 30 November 1995)
“cultivate gratitude and never be too shy to express it”
Swami Radha founded Yasodhara Ashram on the banks of Kootenay Lake in British Columbia, Canada in 1963 after a spiritual pilgrimage to India in the 1950s and intense training from her guru, Swami Sivananda and other holy men and women in India. Her pioneering work included the establishing of centres across North America, in Europe and Australia and the publication of classic books such as Kundalini Yoga for the West and Hatha Yoga the Hidden Language.
Touched by her wisdom, the power behind her voice, the practicality of her advice and the example she provided of the compassion and strength it takes to surrender one’s life to the Divine, her disciples continue the work worldwide.
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Swami Radhananda
“for your life to bloom, a decisive action of clipping back is often required, a renunciation of things that prevent you from attaining who and what your potential really is”
December 1993 saw Swami Radhananda become president of Yasodhara Ashram. “I was so grateful to have found a woman guru, someone who had the unique ability to think in depth and to weave love and devotion into everything she did. Stepping into the position of president gave me a deep appreciation of the strength of character she needed for her mission.”
Swami Radhananda was initiated into sanyas in 1994 and has since carried forward the work at the ashram and through travelling around the world to offer workshops and support those living and teaching at Radha Yoga Centres. Her first book Carried by a Promise was published in 2010.
For more about Swami Radhananda click here