By the Grace of Master and Swamiji, we welcomed back Swami Sitaramananda to the Yoga Farm after nearly 18 months in Vietnam. We were grateful for Guru’s grace in being able to offer the course at this challenging time. With 5 - 10 minutes per day of practice, you really can learn to listen more deeply developing an attitude of reverence for your voice as being precious and God-given. For the public Satsangs, we had many kirtans and some inspiring words from Swami Sivananda on the topics of attitude in adversity and application from ‘religious education’. With the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic in March we started online live programs: Morning Satsang studies of the Shrimad Bhagavatam, led by Srinivasan, as well as evening Satsangs on Wednesdays and Sundays, discussing different topics. The participants of the TTC Online started teaching each other mid month. After 15 months of Covid-19 lockdown, What is Sivananda yoga the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Ranch is opening cautiously for guest stays shorter than a month. We now shift our focus to the upcoming summer months. The group grows and learn together, and I can now clearly see that each step of each one of us counts. Now think about it.

Over the years, Vishnudevananda met regularly with other spiritual and religious leaders to promote interfaith dialogue and understanding; among other things, Catholic students studied Yoga at the Sivananda center in Larchmont. They were given their spiritual name and the next day. Meanwhile in May we offered a special hip opening workshop given virtually, by Isani, from the NYC Centre. The TTC Online started early May. They started teaching in pairs and seemed to enjoy both the chance to practice teaching and the chance to meet their classmates. Ashram guests came for a pranayama program with extra daily practice. The topic "9 Practices for Success in Meditation" with Swamiji helped our understanding to improve our meditation practice. Swamiji continued with the Thursday morning Satsang online, including students from Asia, with over 120 students attending. Rukmini Chaitanya began a successful Japa Meditation course with over 40 students registering! The sapodilla trees shared many of their fruits with us, while the poinsettia trees provide a cheerful crimson umbrella over the grounds. Om Namah Sivaya. May the Masters bless us all. Om Namah Sivaya. The Seminar House is still closed. Om Namah Sivaya from the beautiful DaLat Centre.

We welcomed Rupesh from Chennai Centre and he has plans of staying until the year end. We welcomed Swami Vashistananda, Radhakrishnan Namboodiri, who is Krishnan Namboodiri’s son and Vishnuprasad Namboodiri from India. We got an outside cook care from one of our long time students who runs a hotel chain in Madurai with almost his entire relations devoted to hotel business spread throughout South India. Chandrika left Japan to visit India for 6 months, translating for Japanese TTC students in Neyyar Dam Ashram during January and February 2016. We wished her a safe travel and a wonderful experience in India. We pre-poned the Kids Camp graduation to a Thursday so that the following weekend travel restrictions could be evaded. The following morning the priests conducted a Ganapati Homam, sanskrit mantras were recited and kirtans were sang as the rituals were carried out. Students had a chance to experience the TTC with the online Taste of TTC weekend immersion, following the TTC schedule of asana class, Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Philosophy class, with Satsangs led by Swami Sitaramananda from Vietnam. Maheswari, our long time teacher, started Bhagavad Gita study group on Sundays. Shanti Kumar Kamlesh started his new course "Ayurveda Nutrition Essentials".

We began a couple of new programs: the fourth round of the Asana Challenge course with Swami Paramananda and a weeklong Zoom Satsang program with Swamini Svatmavidyanandaji. Only around 3 weeks prior to the starting date of the course your registration can be confirmed. We can be connected together online! Before practicing Jnana Yoga, the aspirant needs to have integrated the lessons of the other yogic paths - for without selflessness and love of God, and strength of body and mind, the search for Self-realization can become mere speculation. A mere sword can keep your mind fully concentrated because of fear. How can Yoga help? He seemed quite happy with the Yoga Vacation schedule and also took great joy in serving food and cleaning the Satsang Hall. We were also busy with painting and cleaning up the office, brightening and freshening the space. As May continued, we returned to the usual schedule, focussing on promoting our upcoming TTC which was postponed for 2 weeks due to lockdown restrictions. The first tomato seedlings were transplanted and the nursery is currently occupied by basil, beets, calendula, hollyhock, nasturtium, cornflowers, sunflowers, and replacement tulsi and zucchini which were lost due to the winter weather and little four legged creatures.