Yoganjali Natyalayam - Annual Report 2003-04

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Yoganjali Natyalayam

Annual Report 2003-04

 

With the blessings of Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj, the past year has been an eventful and busier-than-ever year for all of us at Yognat. More than 100 public performances, programmes and events including more than 30 major dance programmes, 50 vocal and instrumental music programmes and 15 Yogasana group demonstrations have been conducted by staff and students of Yognat in Pondicherry, Chennai, Bangalore, Kovilpatti, Tanjore, Mahe and many other places. The staff and students won laurels in numerous Yoga Sports events held at Kovilpatti, Pondicherry, Vilupuram, Gumidipoondi, Chennai and Bangalore.

YOGNAT PRODUCTIONS: Yognat Productions had many new releases this year including three CDs and tapes: Bhakti Manimala by Smt Jyothirmayi and Selvi PVL Shailaja, Pranava Sadhana by students of ICYER and Panchakshara Japa by students of Yognat and ICYER. A new book on Yogic Approach to Stress by Yogacharya Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani was also released in the past year. The excellent response to Dr Ananda’s Yoga Theory book has helped us to sell out all copies within only two years and now a revised edition is planned for release later this year. Six books are in the press and will also be

released this year including books by Swamiji on Pranayama and Amma’s mammoth History of Yoga that runs nearly 2000 printed pages!

PERFORMANCES SPONSORED BY YOGNAT: Yoganjali Natyalayam collaborated with the Pondicherry University Drama Department and NTS Educational Trust to bring more than fifty dancers from the University of Singapore to Pondicherry to present an extravaganza of Malay, Chinese and Indian Music and dance. The two-hour brilliantly colourful and varied programme was held at the Pondicherry University Conference Hall and witnessed by a "house‑full" audience. Chief Guest of the occasion was the University Vice Chancellor Dr. A.K. Bhatnagar. The programme included classical Chinese instrumental music, folk dances,

modern dance and Bharat Natyam.

Yognat and ICYER hosted a hundred members of the Inner-Search Travel Study Programme (ITSP) of the Kauai Aadheenam, Hawaii, USA who were on a Hindu Pilgrimage tour of South India. Hailing from sixteen different countries, the pilgrims were led by Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami, present Head of the Kauai Aadheenam, Hawaii, U.S.A. Yognat presented a spectacular cultural programme of Bharatanatyam and Yogasanas on the occasion. Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami said, “We are attracted to the work of Amma Meenakshi Devi and Dr. Ananda at Yognat and ICYER, for they propagate the Rishiculture Ashtanga Yoga system based on the ancient spiritual and cultural values of Hinduism. Their insistence on the firm grounding of Sadhaks in Yama – Niyama, the moral and ethical system of

Patanjali, is most exemplary, especially in these modern times when most associate Yoga with nothing more than Asanas or body postures. Interacting with their students, we see that they have succeeded in inculcating in them the best values of Sanatana Dharma.” Amma is the Indian correspondent for the Aadheenam’s magazine Hinduism Today.

Yognat also sponsored a vocal recital by Yogacharya Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani at the Sankaradas Swamigal Tamil Isai Sangam. Held at Vivekananda School, Lawspet on June 4th 2004. The concert was well attended by Pondicherry Rasikas.

Yognat conducted the Second Sangeetha Samrat Vijaya Bhaskar Music Awards in June 2004. This award was instituted in 2003 by the Family of Smt Mangala Gowri and Sri CK Manoharun for students of Yognat showing exceptional talent in Classical Music. T. Ramachandran was awarded the Sangeetha Samrat Best Vocalist Award in the above ten years category while Nivedha @ Heera won the Sangeetha Samrat Best Vocalist Award in the 10 and below category. L Kanmani was awarded the Sangeetha Samrat Music Scholarship for the year 2004-05.

In June 2003 Mr. Chris and Mrs. Annette Danckwerts of Australia instituted the Michael Danckwerts Yoga and Cultural Excellence Award in memory of their son who was a lover of Yoga and Indian culture. Candidates are evaluated on the basis of curriculum vitae: character, academics, extra curricular, personality and poise in an interview by a panel of eminent judges. In June 2003 Miss V. Renuka Devi and Miss M. Padma Prashanthini won the award, which consisted of a year's full scholarship in Yoga and Bharat Natyam; a gold medal; a special certificate; and several books on Yoga. The Michael Danckwerts Awards for 2004 were won by Pa. Raga Ramya and R. Balaji. Scholarships went to G. Dayanidy and S.

Kaviarasan.

Yoganjali Natyalayam Institute Awards: Yoganjali Natyalayam each year selects from its hundreds of students, one boy and one girl who have shown outstanding Yogic qualities. A "family" which has gone "above and beyond" the call of duty to ensure that its children are nourished by the roots of our ancient Indian Culture is also honoured. This year the awards go to: Best Boy 2004 – S. Chandrasekar; Best Girl 2004 – U. Gokila; Best Family 2004 – Shri Om Shakti Sekar and Family.

YOGA EDUCATION PROGRAMMES: Yognat has expanded its teaching network and we now have extension programmes running successfully at Indira Nagar (Mahatma Gandhi Dental College), Ariankuppam (Bharatiar Palkalai Koodam), Brindhavan (St Marie English School), Anna Nagar (Little Angels English School), Lawspet (Tagore Arts College), Pakkamudaiyanpet (Govt Middle School and Primary School), Vinobha Nagar (school) in addition to the regular classes at Thelashpet in the West Branch. Our Chairman Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani was a Resource Person for the CYT (Certificate in Yoga Teaching) course at the Pondicherry University

Community College and taught theory lectures for the subject of “Scientific Basis of Yoga” for four months. He also conducted stress reduction sessions for the personnel of the ACER Company in Pondicherry as a consultant. More than a hundred persons from all over the world have benefited from the special individual ten lesson sessions conducted at Yognat for tourists. Faculty members of Yognat have also been instrumental in the Yoga training imparted to the personnel of Pondicherry Police and students of the Indira Nagar and Kendriya Vidyalaya schools through Yoga Research Projects at JIPMER.

Yognat is proud of our valuable Indian heritage that includes Sanskrit and we were very pleased that Yognat was selected for the three month long Sanskrit Learning Session by the National Organisation Rashtriya Sanskrit Samsthana, New Delhi. More than 50 students learned spoken and written Sanskrit and obtained certificates through these classes, January through March, 2004.

PROGRAMMES AND EXCURSIONS: Yognat has performed more than 100 public performances, programmes and events including more than 30 major dance programmes, 50 vocal and instrumental music programmes and 15 Yogasana group demonstrations in the past year. Some of the important performances were of the Ramavathara Dance Drama at the 97th Jayanthi of Swami Gitananda Giri; Salangai Nadam in Tanjore; Varnam 2004 at Mahe; Food Festival and Chittirai Vizha at Pondicherry; International Yoga Festival 2004; Temple Chariot Festival at Villianur; Valampuri Vinayagar Temple Festival at Chennai; Vinayagar Chathurthi Celebrations at Pondicherry; Saradha Madam’s Navarathri Celebrations and Independence Day Celebrations by Pondicherry Tourism. Yognat was also invited to perform on numerous occasions for foreign dignitaries at events organised by the Integra Software Services Company at Pondicherry.

Dr Ananda has been very busy with his Vocal and Instrumental concerts and performed at the Sringeri Saradha Madam’s and Putthu Mariamman Koil’s Navarathri festivals and as well as the Tyagaraja Festival and Tamil Isai Sangam. He also accompanied many eminent artists during their concerts at the Isai Vizha, Tamil Isai Vizha, Bharatiar Vizha, Saradha Madam Kumbabhishekam etc. He has also given Mridungam support to all of the Yognat dance performances.

Our beloved Amma gave all of us a great birthday gift when she enacted the story of the great Shiva Bhakta Saint Nandanar on her 60th birthday on 13th September 2003 at ICYER. Hundreds of present and past students of Yognat as well as eminent dignitaries of Pondicherry and more than 30 Yogacharyas and Yogacharinis from sixteen foreign countries witnessed the wonderfully presented solo dance drama by Amma. She brought out the Bhakti Rasa of Saint Nandanar in a very emotional and spiritually uplifting manner. All students and staff of Yognat and ICYER have taken great motivation from Amma’s splendid performance and hope that she continues to give us the joy of watching her spiritually evolved performances in the future also.

Yognat presented a two-hour Bharat Natyam Dance Drama “Ramavathara” for the 97th Jayanthi of Swami Gitananda Giri at the Kamban Kalai Arangam in September 2003. Sixty-four young dancers, aged 7 to 32, ten musicians, two announcers, five technicians, five make-up artists and five stage assistants, all under the Direction of Amma and Dr. Ananda worked hard to make the Dance Drama a resounding success. Seventeen scenes, with verses from the Kamban Ramayana in pure classical Tamil set to original music, were used to dramatize the epic story. The audience broke into spontaneous applause scores of times during the various scenes. D. Lakshmi enacted Lord Rama to perfection while Sita Devi captivated the hearts of all through the brilliant portrayal by M. Padma

Prashanthini. V. Renuka Devi magnificently showed Ravana, in all his mighty glory and power while the splendid athleticism and good nature of Hanuman was brilliantly portrayed by M. Dhesh. The dual personality of Soorpanaka seductress-cum-vixen was well portrayed by Shailaja. King Dasaratha by R. Varalakshmi and Queen Kausalya by Smt. Devasena Bhavanani were well delineated. Baby Dhivya Priya Bhavanani made her debut on stage at the age of three months as Baby Rama. Samiksha Kapoor beautifully sketched the scheming Kaikeyi and an excellent depiction of Kumbakarna was given by T. Tamizharasan @ Vivekananda. Especially charming were the group dances which showed the tormenting of Sita in the Ashoka Gardens by the Rakshashinis and the waking up of Kumbakarna by the Rakshasha army. These were performed with “military precision” by the small children of Yoganjali Natyalayam. All music and choreography was original to Yognat, composed by Amma,

Dr. Ananda and Smt. Devasena along with the faculty of Yognat. For us at Yognat, presenting dance dramas such as Ramavathara is more than mere entertainment. It is “info-tainment” and “spiro-attainment” and indeed, even a kind of Satsangha, a coming together to share the joys of the spirit.” Yoganjali Natyalayam, in an attempt to preserve the rich cultural ethos of India, has in the last ten years presented nine full length Bharat Natyam Dance Dramas with Spiritual Messages for modern humanity, including Kannappa Nayanmar, Karaikal Ammaiyar, Nandanar Charitram, Kamba Ramayanam, Meenakshi Thiru Kalyanam, Nala Damayanthi, Andal Charitram, Silappadikaram and Ramavathara.

Yognat was invited to perform the Inaugural Cultural Presentation at SALANGAI NAATHAM 2004, the ten-day National Dance Festival and Arts & Crafts Fair held under the auspices of the South Zone Cultural Centre at Tanjore on January 31, 2003. More than a thousand persons witnessed the programmes that were inaugurated by the Honorable Governors of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh at the South Zone Cultural Center’s brand new out door auditorium in Tanjore. Yognat performed various Yoganatya Kadambham items with a troupe of 17 members. The sight of little Dhivya Priya in Smt Meenakshi Devi’s arms and Amma moving to the music with her grand child actually reminded a famous dance critic who was present of the great dancer Bala Saraswathi dancing while cradling a

child in her arms. The Yognat troupe also had an educative visit to the famous Brihadeshwara temple where Amma explained the intricate symbology of South Indian temple art as depicted on the walls and ceilings of the temples. Yognat members also had a chance to visit the museum and art gallery at the Tanjore Palace Complex and climb the towers of the queen’s palace. A quick view of the Maha Magam tank at Kumbakonam and the towers at Chidambaram were the toppings on the cake of cultural experience.

Upon a special request from the Honorable Health Minster Shri E Valsaraj, the Yognat team performed at the inauguration of VARNAM 2004, Artist Camp at Mahe on the West Coast. It was a mind-opening experience for all of us to see the beauty of Mahe and its surrounding regions and the chance to have all the eminent artists as well as Shri E Valsaraj who is the MLA of Mahe as our audience . Yognat presented a variety of dances and Yogasanas in a unique form of Yoganatya Kadambham. A spectacular Yogasana demonstration by the Yognat boys was also presented on the occasion. The people of Mahe were very receptive and many complimented our artists both after the performance as well as the next day. Dr Ananda led the team of 25

members to this enclave of Pondicherry on the West Coast where you can see the sun set over the Arabian Sea. The Yognat members who have enjoyed the sunrise over the Bay of Bengal at ICYER camps marveled at the sunset over the Arabian Sea. They remarked that they had seen both a sunrise as well as a sunset over the ocean at Pondicherry as Mahe is also a part of Pondicherry.

25 members of Yognat also went on an educational tour in April, 2004 to the famous Gingee fortress situated 80 kms away from Pondicherry. The sight of the ancient hilly forts of the kings of the Vijaya Nagar Empire that were later under the Nawab of Arcot were a treat for all the youngsters. Climbing the steep steps of the hilly forts was, however, another story! But, all reached the top safely and came down safely. Dr Ananda and Yogacharya Sharan accompanied the team and enjoyed the feelings of being in the “teens” once again with these wonderfully talented youngsters. As usual, the Annual Summer Intensive Yoga and Bharat Natyam Course was held in May with nearly 100 students participating. The intensive culminated in the much‑eagerly anticipated Annual Summer Three Day

Residential Camp at ICYER campus, on ECR near Kottakuppam, on the Bay of Bengal, May 24th, 25th, and 26th, 2004. Most of the classes are held on the beach itself, giving the children the chance to enjoy Yoga in the natural surroundings and to swim in the Bay of Bengal. More than sixty "senior" students participated under expert supervision of ten teachers. Programme schedule followed normal Ashram

routine from 5 am rising to 9.30 pm "lights out". Classes, Yogic games, discussions, competitions and other team work were devices to elicite the "Yoga nature" from the young students.

More than 200 students and faculty of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Chennai enjoyed a morning of Satsangha with Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani on May 1st on the occasion of the Valedictory Function for the NSS Training Programme held on the beautiful IIT Campus at Guindy, Chennai. Amma spoke on “The Four R’s of Yoga Education” and reminded the aspiring scientists, “Yoga is the Mother of All Sciences.” She pointed out that just as one must understand the “mother” if one wishes to “understand the child”, so also Scientists should study Yoga Philosophy if

they wish to delve into the roots of all science. She elaborated on the theme that success in Sadhana (a concentrated pursuit of Truth – Reality), requires "Repetition, Regularity, Rhythm and Ritual". After her Lecture, she presented two of her Senior Students D. Lakshmi and V. Renuka Devi, who gave a skillful demonstration of Yoga Asanas in artistic and acrobatic tableaus. The programme was highly appreciated and plans were made to develop a regular Yoga Programme for the students IIT, Chennai. The two-hour function was skillfully organised by Professor Dr. B. Subramanian, Department of Humanities, IIT, Chennai.

PARTICIPATION IN YOGASANA COMPETITIONS: Mrs. Devasena Bhavanani, Mrs. Lalitha Shanmugam, Mr G Kumaran, Mr E Gajendiran and Mr C Shanmugam were juries at the Pondicherry Government’s International Yoga Festival 2004. Yognat is proud that two of its students won the First Place in their highly competitive divisions, besting hundreds of other competitors from all over India. They qualified themselves to participate in the Final "Champion Of The Meet" round where they performed with great credit to our institution. We congratulate Mr G Dayanidy and Miss V Renuka Devi on this achievement. Our Director Amma Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani and our Chairman Yogacharya Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani were invited speakers and the official consultants at this year’s Yoga Festival, coordinating all events. As in the past few years Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani also organised the Yoga theory exam as well as the Yoga Viva for the championship round. Eminent dignitaries from all over the world appreciated this aspect of Yoga Sports.

Miss V Renuka Devi and Mr. R Chandrasekar of Yoganjali Natyalayam were crowned Champion of Champions in female and male categories respectively at the 18th PONDICHERRY STATE YOGASANA CHAMPIONSHIP 2003 that was conducted in November 2003. Miss Dhesh M and Mr. G Dayanidy won the 1st Runner Up Prizes and Mr. Pa Vinokrupa and Miss Pa Ragaramya the 2nd

Runner Up prizes in the Overall Championship. The Championship, conducted by PONDICHERRY YOGASANA ASSOCIATION at the International Centre for Yoga Education and Research, was under the auspices of INTERNATIONAL YOGA FEDERATION, South America, which had officially approved and recognised this Championship. Nearly 400 competitors from all over Pondicherry participated in this model competition that not only tested the proficiency of the competitors in Yogasanas but also in Yoga theory.

Mr R Chandrasekar was awarded the title of "Yoga Bhushan" for his splendid all round show at the 15th Tamil Nadu State Yogasana Championship conducted at Kovilpatti near Madurai in August 2003. He bagged six gold medals in the 25-30 years category. 14 members of Yognat won a total of 28 medals and 17 prizes including ten gold, six silver and twelve bronze medals. Pondicherry also won a creditable third place in the overall team championship. G Dayanidy who won 3 gold medals in the 17 to 20 years category for boys while V Renuka Devi won six medals including one gold, one silver and four

bronzes in the 17 to 20 years female category. R Balaji won 2 silver medals while M Dhesh, S Devasena and KN Naswini won a silver medal each. S Vasu Bala won 4 bronze medals. During the valedictory function Tamil Nadu State Yoga Association and Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (Tuticorin) honoured Yogacharya Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani with the Title Award of YOGA VIBHUSHAN in recognition of his service towards the cause of Yoga Education and Yoga Sports in India and abroad. Members who represented Pondicherry were R Chandrasekar, G Dayanidy, V Renuka Devi, G Kanimozhi, U Gokila, Dhesh M, Pa Vino Krubha, K Muruga Manickam, S Vasu Bala, R Balaji, R Subashini, S Samyuktha, S Devasena and K N Nasvani. Officials of Yognat who accompanied the team and represented Pondicherry as juries were Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani, Shri G Kumaran and Smt Ilavarasi.

Yognat participated in the All India Invitation Yoga Championship 2003 held July 28-30th in Bangalore. The six-member team bagged ten prizes in all. Amma was the Chief Guest of the function. In the highly competitive competitions, Dhesh M. won First Prize in Back‑Bending Asanas and Fifth Prize in General Category. R. Monica bagged five prizes, including one Second; three, Fourth Prizes and one Fifth Prize. R. Balaji won Sixth Prize in his highly competitive category with 95 contestants. R. Chandrasekar won Second and Fourth Prizes. The competition was organised by

world famous Yoga Asanist Shri P. Gopalakrishna of the International Krishna Yoga Association and Shankar Yoga International Association of Bangalore.

Yogacharya Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani was the Chief Guest at the Tamil Nadu State Invitation Yoga Competition organised by the Rotary Club and Ramakrishna Vidyalaya in Vilupuram where many members from Pondicherry including Miss A Yoganjali and Miss R Monika won top prizes. Sri Venkatesan conducted the competition in an able manner.

Miss R Monika won a Championship Award at the Yoga Mela 2003 conducted at Gumidipoondi near Chennai and also won the top prizes in Yoga Elocution and Yoga Quiz competitions at the same Mela.

Yognat members also participated in the 22nd National Yoga Championship of the Indian Yoga Federation at Chennai in February 2004. Amma was honoured as a Special Guest on the occasion. Yognat members who represented Pondicherry included R Chandrasekar, G Dayanidy, V Roshini, R Monika, M Swaroup Ramanan, V Renuka Devi, Rajmohan, R Balaji, G Murthy, G Surendiran, G Revathy. Officials of Yognat who accompanied the team and represented Pondicherry as juries were Shri C Shanmugam and Shri G Kumaran. Many students of Yognat participated and received medals and certificates for the Excellence Demonstration Event that was conducted at the same time by the Tamil Nadu State Yogasana Association.

CO-OPERATION WITH GOVT DEPARTMENTS: Yognat has actively cooperated with the departments of Tourism as well as Health and Education and Art and Culture in various activities. As usual Yognat cooperated actively with the Tourism department in the conduct of the International Yoga Festival 2004. Upon request of the Director, Health and Family Welfare, professional advice was given for the Republic Day Celebrations float depicting therapeutic benefits of

Yogasanas. The refresher training in Yoga for the PT teachers of Pondicherry Schools has been an opportunity for coordination with the Education department and we have expressed our willingness to help with the proposed introduction of Yoga in all Pondicherry Schools. We are also actively cooperating with the Tourism Department and PT & TDC with regards to providing Yoga training to tourists visiting Pondicherry. Faculty of Yognat were also instrumental in the Pondicherry Police personnel receiving Yoga training at the Police Training School, Indra Nagar. Yognat is regularly called to perform in the various Cultural Festivals conducted by the Department of Art and Culture.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS: Our director Amma Yogacharini Smt Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani has received many awards and recognitions this year including being elected FELLOW of the Indian Academy of Yoga (FIAY), Banaras Hindu University. She has also been elected as the Secretary General of this prestigious learned society. She received the OUTSTANDING SENIOR CITIZEN 2003 Award from Chief Secretary Dr R Padmanaban on behalf of JAYCEES on August 15th 2003 as well as the Achiever’s Award 2003 from the Vinayagar Chathurthi Festival committee in September, 2003. Yognat students also received the "Young Achiever's Award" from the Vinayagar Chathurthi Committee. They were: V. Renuka Devi, D. Lakshmi, M. Padma Prashanthini and S. Tamil Sengolan. Amma was recently honoured with the Yogacharya Bangalore Sundaram Gold Medal for Excellence in Yoga from Asana Andiappan College of Yoga and Research Centre, Chennai at Anna University in December 2003. She attended many National Conferences during the last year as Invited Speaker including the NCERT Consultations on Value Education at Mysore and New Delhi; CCRYN at Ministry of Health, Delhi; National Conferences at Kaivalyadhama, Lonavla, Maharashtra; SVYASA, Bangalore and the National Psychology Conference at Pondicherry in addition to the

International Yoga Festival and Annual Meet of the Indian Academy of Yoga at Pondicherry. She was an honoured guest at IIT, Chennai in May 2004 and delivered the Valedictory Address at the NSS camp organised by the IIT. She has also served on various committees of the Pondicherry University including the Inspection Committee to Bharatiar Palkalai Koodam. Amma was featured in a Tamil book entitled “Great Goddesses and Spiritual Women Personalities of Pondicherry”. The book, written by the well known Pondicherry scholar and intellectual, Thiru Clement Eswaran, describes the Goddesses in various temples, in the Union Territory of Pondicherry. He also gives biographical notes of the Mother of Aurobindo Ashram, great ladies of the Brahma Kumari sect, Meenakshi Devi and others working in the spiritual field in Pondicherry. Thiru Clement Eswaran released the first copy of his book to the hand of Meenakshi Devi during the Sri Kambliswamy Puja on December 23,

2003.

Amma was honoured as a special invited Guest Speaker at the International Yoga Conference held at sVYASA, Bangalore in December 2003. She also shared the stage in a panel discussion with Dr. Nagarathna, Dr. Shirley Telles and Nischala (Joy) Devi, the Yoga expert associated with Dr. Dean Ornish’s famous Heart Care Programme in the U.S.A. Nearly 1000 delegates from all over India and the world participated in the Conference.

In January 2004 Amma was also invited to give Invited Guest Lectures at the National Seminar on Yoga In Education that was held at Kaivalyadhama, Lonavla. She spoke on the topic of “Putting Life into a Lifeless Curriculum” and presented to the conference a syllabus for classes six to twelve in Indian schools. The conference, sponsored by the Ministry of Human Resources, Govt of India addressed very important points in implementing Yoga programmes in the Indian School System. The conference was attended by more than 200 delegates and 30 invited guest speakers, all of whom were eminent educationalists. Shri O.P. Tiwari and Shri Subodh Tiwari directed the arrangement and Dr. Bera served as programme co-ordinator.

Amma was also a Special Invited Guest Speaker at the Pondicherry Psychology Association’s Conference on Indian Approaches to Teacher Education held at the Acharya Institutions Complex, Villianur, Tamil Nadu in January 2004. About 500 delegates from all over India attended. She spoke on “Acharyas – Teachers Who Guide by Actions, Not Words.”

Amma and Dr Ananda were invited Speakers at the International Seminar on Integral Psychology conducted by the Pondicherry Psychology Association and Indian Academy of Applied Psychology in June 2004. Amma chaired the session on Integral Yoga Psychology and Dr Ananda presented a paper on “Integral Psychology of Yoga” while Yognat students presented a Yogasana Demonstration explaining the concept of “Exercise to Exorcise”. The seminar was well organised by Dr Panch. Ramalingam, President PPA.

Our Chairman, Yogacharya Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani received the Marudha Ramalinganar Best Youth Award from the Youth Peace Centre, Pondicherry as well as the Yoga Vibhushan Title from the Tamil Nadu Yoga Association. He was nominated as an Honorary Member of the International Yoga Sport Council of the International Yoga Federation, South America and also received the “Sadanaialar Virudhu” from the Vinayagar Chathurthi Festival Committee. He has been recently honoured as Advisor to the International Yogatherapy Association of the International Yoga Federation, South America. The Asian Union of Yoga has also nominated him as the Vice President in April 2004. He has published four scientific research papers on Yoga in the past year and

many more are in the pipeline. He also completed his PG Diploma in Family Health from Sri Ramachandra Medical University, Chennai with Merit Distinction.

Miss D Lakshmi one of the senior most students of Yognat, was declared the Best Outgoing Student 2004 at Bharathidasan Women’s’ College from where she has graduated with BSc (Nutrition and Dietetics) this year. She was chosen for this prestigious award from amongst more than 900 outgoing students in her batch. Her all round performance and excellence won her this prestigious award. Yognat congratulates her on this special achievement and wishes her all the best in her further studies.

Mr S Tamilsengolan and Miss R Subashini of Yognat won the Best Youth and Best Child Awards respectively in the Swami Gitananda Best Youth and Child Awards 2003 competitions organised by the Pondicherry Yogasana Association in January 2004.

Mr R Chandrasekar was featured on the cover of the first issue of the Hindi edition of the national monthly magazine “Life Positive” in May 2004. This magazine that is dedicated to spirituality and Yoga in India had earlier run an article on Legendary Yoga Schools in India in the English edition last year and the first issue of their Hindi edition carried a Hindi translation of that article. ICYER (Ananda Ashram), Pondicherry was listed first in the "Ten Legendary Yoga Schools" that were described in that article of Life Positive in India.

CELEBRATIONS: Yoganjali Natyalayam celebrated the 2nd ANNIVERSARY MEMORIAL DAY CELEBRATIONS of Kalaimamani, Nada Yoga Shironmani Srirengam Sri R RANGANATHAN in October 2003 at the Yoganjali Natyalayam premises. A great exponent as well as Master Guru of Carnatic Music, Kalaimamani, Nada Yoga Shironmani Srirengam Sri R RANGANATHAN left his mortal coil on the 23rd October 2001. That auspicious date was fittingly the first day of the Saraswathi segment of Navarathri. The Memorial Day Function was our way of paying tribute to this great Guru who guided many on the path of Nada Yoga. Sri Ranganathan was the Carnatic Music Guru of both Dr. Ananda and Smt. Devasena Bhavanani. He also served as Carnatic Vocal Master of Yognat for several years.

We at Yognat realise that our beloved Indian children and youth are being overwhelmed by dry academic study and are caught in a vicious “rat race” to “score high” in exams. They are becoming weak and sick, confused and mentally dull as a result. The science of Yoga and the arts of Bharat Natyam and Carnatic Music strengthen and refresh body, mind and spirit. To return to our young people their own birthright, their own cultural heritage, in this time of multi-nationals and their materialistic propaganda, is our aim and our mission.

Much is made of the evil of "Child Labour" in India. However, the worst and most insidious "Child Labour" of our nation is the tyranny of the fierce, inhuman, "working conditions" of our school‑going youngsters, who have no time at all to enjoy their youth, caught in the clutches of exams, tuitions, classes and "selection procedures". We at Yognat attempt to "mitigate" this "evil" and provide some relief and refreshment in the "dry and dreary" lives of the young students by offering constructive recreational (re-creation) activities, utilizing the wise and humane concepts of our Ancient Indian Rishis, as manifested in Ashtanga Yoga and the Cultural Carnatic Arts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yogacharya Dr.Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani

Chairman : Yoganjali Natyalayam and ICYER

25,2nd Cross,Iyyanar Nagar, Pondicherry-605 013

Tel: 0413 - 2622902 / 0413 -2241561

Website: www.icyer.com

www.geocities.com/yognat2001/i_am_here