Sahaja Yoga started in India and England (where Nirmala Srivastava moved in 1974) and there are now Sahaja Yoga centers in almost 100 countries worldwide. The Sahaja Yoga organization is known as Vishwa Nirmala Dharma (Universal Pure Religion) or Sahaja Yoga International.
The term:-
The word 'Sahaja' in Sanskrit has two components: saha meaning 'with' and ja meaning 'born'. Sahaja means natural, simple or innate and Yoga means union or yoking and refers to a spiritual path or a state of spiritual absorption.
The term 'Sahaja Yoga' goes back at least to the 15th Century Indian mystic Kabir. and has been used to refer to Surat Shabd Yoga. The term is also used to describe the basic meditation practice of Ananda Marga. Rajneesh (aka Osho) described 'Sahaja Yoga' as the most difficult of yogas because it involves no effort and is natural and spontaneous.
In 2000 the term 'Sahaja Yoga' was trademarked in the United States by Vishwa Nirmala Dharma. In 2001 a complaint by Vishwa Nirmala Dharma to the World Intellectual Property Organization regarding the use of the term was rejected (despite the dissenting opinion of the presiding panelist), in part due to the determination that the words 'Sahaja' and 'Yoga' are descriptive Sanskrit words heard in Buddhism, used by Kabir and also referred to by Guru Nanak in Sikhism.
Beliefs:-
The organisation suggests that Sahaja Yoga beliefs, seen as re-discovered ancient knowledge, should be treated respectfully, like a hypothesis and if found by experiments as truth, should be accepted. The individually verifiable achievement of self realization is held to be the single most important point of difference between Sahaja Yoga and other forms of yoga/meditation. At a doctors' conference in 1993 Nirmala Srivastava stated that Sahaja Yoga as a meta science is already researched and does not require years of further work.
Students are encouraged to experience and test the meditation for themselves rather than proceeding blindly or learning from a book. Advanced concepts are not generally taught until a beginner is understood to have gained enough knowledge of their own subtle system through actual experience. Without direct experience of the meditation, some people have reported difficulties understanding or proceeding to the more advanced material. Sociologist, Judith Coney, for example, reported facing a challenge in getting behind what she called "the public facade".
Coney wrote that because "established devotees are usually prepared to discuss their more 'advanced' beliefs only with people who have followed the practices laid out by Sri Mataji for some time, Sahaja Yogis at different stages of membership have recourse to different amounts of information." She described Sahaja Yogis as adopting a low profile with uncommitted individuals to avoid unnecessary conflict.
Chakras and nadis:-
Sahaja Yoga believes that in addition to our physical body there is a subtle body composed of nadischakras (energy centers). Psychoanalyst, Sudhir Kakar writes that Nirmala Srivastava's additions to this widespread traditional 'tantric' model include giving it a scientific, neurological veneer, an elaboration of the health aspects and an introduction of notions of traditional Christian morality. Nirmala Srivastava equates the Sushumna nadi with the parasympathetic nervous system, the Ida nadi with the left and the Pingala nadi with the right sides of the sympathetic nervous system. Kakar believes that this follows the theories of Vasant Rele. (channels) and Sahaja Yoga teaches that there are seven main chakras and that each chakra possesses different qualities and looks after different aspects of our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Disease is said to occur when the subtle qualities of the chakras are neglected or denied.
Kundalini, Self-Realization and vibratory awareness:-
Sahaja Yoga teaches that the chakras can be balanced by awakening the kundalini in the sacrum bone, which is conceived of as a normally dormant 'mother' energy. Nirmala Srivastava has said that the kundalini is the reflection within us of the Holy Ghost or Adi (Primordial) Shakti. She has said that kundalini "is the desire of God.... and the desire of God is the Shakti" and that yoga is impossible without kundalini awakening. As the kundalini rises through these centres, the qualities of the chakras are said to begin manifesting spontaneously. Most illnesses are said to be a result of damage to the chakras and kundalini is said to repair them.
Sahaja Yoga teaches that when the sahasrara (topmost) chakra is pierced by the kundalini, a person will feel a cool breeze on top of their head and/or on their hands. These sensations (referred to as 'vibrations') are interpreted in Sahaja Yoga as indicating Self-Realization or an "encounter with Reality." The vibrations sensed are believed to be an objective divine energy that can even be caught on camera.
If there is a feeling of warmth or heat, it is interpreted as the kundalini working to achieve this state. Sensations in the hands, head and/or body are also used to diagnose imbalances in the different chakras and nadis.
Upon self-realization, the practitioner may also experience thoughtless awareness (Nirvichar Samādhi).
Healing:-
Reporting on Sahaja Yoga, Sudhir Kakar writes that mental and physical disease can be caused by "clogged chakras" or an overactivity of the left and right channels. If the chakras are not linked together by the flow of (kundalini) energy, there is no integrated personality. Sahaja Yoga claims that it has cured patients of high blood pressure, asthma, epilepsy, diabetes, cancer and can prevent many other ailments. In an interview, Nirmala Srivastava stated Sahaja Yoga has cured people with AIDS.schizophrenia.Kakar has written that followers of Nirmala Srivastava consider faith in her divinity to be a precondition for being cured. She has also said that Sahaja Yoga can cure mental illnesses such as
Nirmala Srivastava:-
Nirmala Srivastava is said to have made the unique discovery of a way to grant Self-Realization en masse on May 5, 1970. She visited different religious people including Rajneesh and said that she found them to be greedy and promiscuous rather than spiritual. She said she found the situation hopeless and began searching inside herself for a solution.
Nirmala Srivastava is said to have opened the primordial Sahasrara and thereby cleared the path for the kundalini to rise effortlessly in all who desire self-realization. She has said that when the kundalini reaches the top of the head, the Sahasrara chakra opens and enlightenment (samadhi) takes place. One "may feel a powerful sensation in the crown of the head, followed by a melting sensation and a flow of cool vibrations from the fontanelle area". She says this is the true second birth.
The ability to grant en-masse Self-Realization is held to be proof that Nirmala Srivastava is the 'Avatara of our times'. Nirmala Srivastava has claimed to be the complete incarnation of the Holy Ghost or Adi (Primordial) Shakti. The incarnation of the Adi (Primordial) Shakti was prophesied in the Markandeya Purana and the Nadi Grantha 2000 years ago.
Practices:-
According to followers, the practice of Sahaja Yoga results in spontaneous Self-realization which, according to the official Sahaja Yoga website, can even be obtained online as one sits in front of one's computer, although it is usually experienced at a Sahaja Yoga program.
Practitioners are encouraged to regularly practise techniques which can strengthen the experience of self realization. These include meditation and chakra cleansing techniques, as well as rituals found in other religious traditions such as prayer and havan. Practises by Sahaja Yogis, rather than being just rituals, produce an actual experience of spiritual vibrations through the body. Sahaja Yogis emerge from these experiences in a pleasurable state, reporting feelings like increased mental clarity, being "blissed out" or filled with overwhelming love. Relief from pain or tiredness are also noted.
The methods for practicing Sahaja Yoga are made available free of charge to those interested. According to the official Sahaja Yoga website there is a fee for attending international pujas to cover costs and voluntary dakshina. In the US, the dakshina has only been collected separately from the costs since 2005, when the customary dakshina was $121 per adult.
Meditation:-
Sahaja Yoga meditation was developed during the 1970s by Nirmala Srivastava, and is followed and promoted among and by the Sahaja Yoga movement. The practitioner's aim is to enter the state of "thoughtless awareness" – a state of relaxation and clarity. Nirmala Devi has said that the establishment of thoughtless awareness in one's meditation is necessary before divine connection and spiritual growth can take place. Meditation is not thinking "about your problems at all, whatever chakras you have, anything", rather it "means exposing yourself to God’s grace."
It is suggested a candle or oil lamp is lit in front of a photograph of Shri Mataji, which is believed to emit a constant stream of "positive, cool vibrations (energy)". The practitioner generally begins by raising the kundalini in a physical exercise with their hands and attention and puts on 'bandhan'.He or she then sits comfortably, breathes normally and holds the hands out, palm upwards, as if receiving something precious. During meditation, the attention is focused on the Sahasrara chakra. Sahaja Yoga can be practiced while listening to music or in silence. Nirmala Srivasta has described meditation as "an individual journey towards God."
In her Diwali talk in 2002, Nirmala Srivastava said that those who do not meditate cannot get the full advantage of Sahaja Yoga. Judith Coney wrote that practitioners who decide to leave the movement generally do so after not meditating for about 6 months.
The practice has been taught to prisoners in Italy and the United States, such as at Rikers Island as a form of prison contemplative program. Nirmala Srivastava has said that the younger children practice meditation the better.
Medical studies:-
Some studies have suggested that Sahaja Yoga may have some effect in addressing some medical ailments. One study reports results with asthma patients. The authors acknowledged the help of Sahaja Yoga practitioners during the trials and the role of Shri Mataji. Short-term effects on asthma were noticed, by both objective and subjective measures. According to an article in the Medical Observer Weekly, Sahaja Yoga was found to be "significantly more effective than a generic form of meditation in reducing stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms".
A pilot study (N = 14, no control group) on the effect of Sahaja Yoga conducted by Dr Ramesh Manocha of the Royal Hospital for Women in Sydney, Dr. Barbara Semmar of the department of Psychology at Bond University and Dr. Deborah Black of the Faculty of Medicine at the School of Community Medicine of the University of New South Wales on menopausal symptoms showed that "Changes in vasomotor symptoms, especially hot flashes, were most prominent as a significant decrease of 67% at post-treatment and 57% at follow-up". All other symptom measures improved substantially indicating that most of these changes were significant. These findings tentatively suggested that menopausal symptoms, especially vasomotor symptoms, and particularly hot flashes, might be substantially improved by Sahaja Yoga. Dr. Ramesh Manocha was thanked by Nirmala Srivastava's husband for assisting in his wife's medical team in Australia in 2006.A news report on a preliminary study suggested that Sahaja Yoga "may be the most effective form of treatment for occupational stress".
A case study showed that test subjects who were practising Sahaja Yoga had "significant improvement in VCS (Visual Contrast Sensitivity)", and that meditation appeared to bring about changes in some of the electrophysiological responses studied in epileptic patients.Another study indicated that Sahaja Yoga results in fewer and less acute epileptic seizures. A review of the studies determined that there was insufficient evidence to draw conclusions about the efficacy of Sahaja Yoga in treating epilepsy and that further studies were needed. One of the authors of this study, Dr U.C Rai, former head of the Physiology Department of Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry, and professor in various medical colleges in Delhi, was appointed by Nirmala Srivastava as the first director of the International SahajaYoga Research and Health Center in 1996.
Mishra reported that Sahaja Yoga resulted in a "significant increase" in beta-endorphins between control and meditating subjects. The endogeneous opiates, b-endorphins, are known to have a role in body homeostasis. They strengthen the immune system, and are involved in the maintenance of a healthy psychological functioning. They can even combat cancer cells, which could explain so-called 'miraculous cures' in cancer patients after the practice of Yoga meditation.
Cleansing techniques:-
Some cleansing techniques involve the natural elements in the form of candle flame, camphor flame, the earth and salt water. Others techniques involve ice, lemons, chillies, coconuts, ajwain, affirmations, mantras and "shoe-beating".
Nirmala Srivastava has developed a liver diet to promote better health. White cane sugar, white rice, yogurt, ginger, fruits and vegetables promote the "cooling" of the liver. Alcohol, fried foods, red meat, fish, cream and chocolate are among the foods that are "heating" and thus may be harmful if taken in excess.
Water can be spiritually vibrated, according to Sahaja Yoga, changing the characteristics of the water, and resulting in purification.
Puja:-
Puja is a traditional Hindu ceremony. In Sahaja Yoga, puja is one of the means for expressing devotion to particular deities. In some pujas, Nirmala Srivastava allows herself to be worshiped as the Adi Shakti. This may include ghee, honey, yoghurt, milk, sugar and water being poured on Nirmala Srivastava's feet.
Pujas are only recommended for realized souls (people who have received their Self-Realization – knowledge of Self) for them to gain from these pujas.
All the gain that you have from Puja is only possible when you are a realised soul otherwise it is useless to do any Puja, any worship, people go to church, sing few hymns and come back, they are just the same and afterwards go to the pub because they think pub is the only place where they can get some joy.
Nirmala Srivastava has strongly indicated that puja in Sahaja Yoga is only meant for people who have reached the state of Nirvichara (thoughtless awareness), and people which haven't reached that state should not come for the puja.
"For Puja, we should not have people who are not at least in Nirvichara ... means if they still think ... they should not come... nothing will work out with them".
Nirmala Srivastava has said that Puja is necessary for realized souls to achieve a state of "Shiva Tattwa".
"Puja is one of the things by which you can excite the forms into formless. Now your centers are the centers of energies, but they too have a guiding deity sitting on all these chakras. They are also the formless made into forms. And when you do the puja, the forms melt into formless energies. And these formless energies start flowing, and then blows the wind. And that is how these misidentifications, these superimpositions on the Spirit are removed."
According to a Canadian Sahaja Yoga website, puja is defined as: "the act of showing reverence to a God, or another aspect of the Divine through invocations, prayers and songs" and notes that a Sahaja Yoga puja involves "the same kind of ceremony as practised thousands of years ago in the East when mankind had a much closer relationship with God".
Complete devotion to the guru:-
A 2001 INFORM leaflet says that the emphasis on complete devotion has led to problems and controversy. Some of those who deviate and some who are not able to experience the promised sensations may be told they are possessed by evil spirits or may be said to be mentally abnormal. Those who fight the pressure to follow the Guru's suggestions and radically change their lifestyle risk being expelled. It is claimed that this may bring problems for those who still believe in the power of the Guru and fear 'losing vibrations'.
Barrett writes that some former members say that they were expelled from the movement because they "resisted influence that Mataji had over their lives". According to Barrett, the movement's founder's degree of control over members' lives has given rise to concerns. The Austrian Ministry for Environment, Youth and Family regards Nirmala Srivastava as an authority who cannot be questioned.
Marriages:-
Couples intending to marry will generally consult Shri Mataji first. The traditional practice of arranged marriages is also promoted and the movement hosts its own voluntary arranged marriage system.An official testimony says that arranged marriages save devotees from spending unnecessary attention on searching for prospective partners for potentially the wrong reasons for example, physical attraction. Applicants for arranged marriages and their leaders fill out a form detailing their qualities, backgrounds and involvement in the movement. International seminars often provide an opportunity for practitioners to meet another, often from another country, for the purpose of marriage. The couples are introduced, either through Shri Mataji or one of the movement's national leaders. When matching couples, Shri Mataji takes into consideration their vibrational compatibility. No pressure is placed on the partners to proceed and they are encouraged not to go ahead if they have any doubts, according to an official website. 'Mass marriage ceremonies' are sometimes held at puja events. Reportedly not all marriages arranged by Shri Mataji are successful but official statements boast high rates of success.
Nirmala Srivastava herself has said that marriage is "spontaneous" and can not be "organized". "Marriage is secondary, and is spontaneous - it cannot be organised."
Nirmala Srivastava has emphasized that marriage should be a "support", not a prime thing in Sahaja Yoga. "So marriage should not be the prime thing ... it's supportive ... what is the prime thing is the kundalini."
Commitment and relationships with family and friends:-
The aim of the Sahaja Yogi is to develop detachment but not run away from family or society. It is suggested that by remaining detached and unaffected, the yogi can play a part in transforming society.
Tasks, meditation requirements, and devotion however, may make great demands on free time and this can mean that as commitment increases some devotees cut themselves off from relatives and former friends. INFORM has said that over time the Guru's advice (about child rearing, marriage and divorce) can take precedence for some devotees.
Judith Coney observed that the movement tolerates a variety of world views and levels of commitment with some practitioners choosing to remain on the periphery.
Organization:-
Vishwa Nirmala Dharma (trans: Universal Pure Religion, also known as Sahaja Yoga International) is the organizational part of the movement. It is a registered organization in many countries such as Colombia, the United States of America, France, and Austria. It is registered as a religion in Spain.
The organization is governed by the World Council for the Advancement of Sahaja Yoga and, in addition to directly promoting Sahaja Yoga, promotes Sahaja culture, runs schools, a health center, a youth movement, and a project for the rehabilitation of "destitute women and orphaned children".
World Council for the Advancement of Sahaja Yoga:-
The World Council for the Advancement of Sahaja Yoga (WCASY, also known as the "Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi Sahaja Yoga World Foundation") is the highest authority in Sahaja Yoga. It was proposed in December 2003 and formed the following year. In July 2005 the role of the WCASY was affirmed by C. P. Srivastava Hon KCMG speaking on behalf of his wife, Nirmala Srivastava.The WCASY is intended as a model of collective leadership to increase the ownership of decisions taken by those concerned and to ensure a system of checks and balances.
The WCASY has 31 members, "World Leaders", who represent Sahaja Yoga collectives from across the world. Among the latest additions to the WCASY is a Dr. Bohdan Shehovych, Gagan Ahluwalia, Paul Ellis, Alan Wherry, and Alan Pereira in 2005. Dr Bohdan Shehovych was fined in Brisbane's District Court in 2001 for assaulting a critic while delivering to him a letter from the movement's founder. According to an official Sahaja Yoga website, Guido Lanza, a World Leader, was suspended from all activities in Sahaja Yoga in 2005, for disrupting a havan ritual and threatening members. An Italian ashram was "temporarily closed". The same website announced that a Russian World Leader, Sergey Perezhogin, resigned his position in 2005.
In 2005 the founder transferred the worldwide rights for all of her talks in video, audio and written form to the World Foundation for Sahaja Yoga as well as her house in New Jersey for the foundation's headquarters. In the same year the Cabella property was gifted to an Italian based non-profit foundation.
Schools:-
Sahaja Yogis should be able to become detached from all things, both material and spiritual, including their children and hence some children go to one of the Sahaja Yoga schools in Rome or India. In India, they are said to be free from what are considered to be harmful Western influences, and to benefit from what they consider to be a more favourable environment.
• The International Sahaja Public School in Dharamsala was founded in 1990, teaches around 250 international students annually and has accepted children from the age of 4.
• The Shri P.K.Salve Kala Pratishthan is an Indian Classical Music and Fine Arts academy that was founded in Vaitarna, India, in 2003.
• The Cabella Primary School in Italy will open in September 2008, with the children attending the local village school in Rocchetta Ligure.
• An international kindergarten was opened in Borotin, Czech Republic.
• A small kindergarten and primary boarding school was opened in Canajoharie, New York in 2004. As of 2006 it had an enrollment of fourteen students from pre-kindergarten through grade 3.
• There has been a Sahaja Yoga school in Rome.
Judith Coney wrote that the Sahaja Yoga school in Rome accepted boarding infants from the age of 2. A 1988 Italian television program surreptitiously filmed children sleeping 6 to a bed and there has been negative press coverage in Le Figaro, 16/5/91; Paris Match, 30/1/91 and Marie France, February 1992. Coney also reported the allegation that "when Swiss parents protested to Sri Mataji about their children going away from the age of three, thinking that the command to send their offspring came from the national leader rather than her, she personally reinforced his orders and, moreover, ordered them to have no contact with their children for at least a year."
Health center:-
The organization runs the International Sahaja Yoga Health and Research Centre in Mumbai, India, which uses Sahaja Yoga methods. Daily activities at the center include meditation, clearing techniques, listening to Nirmala Srivastava's lectures and bhajan singing. This health center claims to have been successful in curing incurable diseases such as (refractory) high blood pressure, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis. The center's website states: "What really counts in this Health Centre is that Our Holy Mother Shri Mataji has Her Divine Attention here and it is evident that She effects all cures."
On 9 May 2007 a conference called Towards Sustainable Global Health was held. The conference was organised by the United Nations, UNESCO-UNEVOC and the University of Bonn. Sahaja Yoga was presented at a conference symposium by doctors from the Sahaja Yoga Research and Health Centre, Mumbai, India, Prof Katya Rubia, King’s College, London and others.
Yuvashakti:-
Sahaja Yoga's youth movement is called "Yuvashakti" (also "Nirmal Shakti Yuva Sangha"), from the Sanskrit words Yuva (Youth) and Shakti (Power).
As well as helping organize Sahaja Yoga events such as Realize America tour, The European realization tour, and Realize Australia, Yuvashakti is active in forums such as the World Youth Conference and TakingITGlobal which aim at discussing global issues, and ways of solving them.
An example of this is the participation in the 2000 "Civil Society & Governance Project" in which Yuvashakti were "instrumental in reaching out to women from the poor communities and providing them with work".
Sahaja Yoga culture:-
Because of the diversity of cultures practicing Sahaja Yoga, a range of different projects focusing on the similarities and differences between cultures was born, including the formation of theater company called the Theater of Eternal Values (TEV) and musical groups playing fusion of different genres, such as Nirmal Bhakti, Sahaj Unlimited and Indialucia including Flamenco, Qawwali and Indian classical music. As Academy of Indian Classical Music and Fine Arts state: music is Divine Inspiration to become the spirit.
Vishwa Nirmal Prem ashram:-
The Vishwa Nirmala Prem Ashram is a not-for profit project by the NGO Vishwa Nirmala DharmaDelhi, India, opened in 2003. The ashram is a "facility where women and girls are rehabilitated by being taught meditation and other skills that help them overcome trauma". In 2005, 21 girls were housed, most of them full orphans, aged between 5 and 12 years, and a "reasonable number of destitute women" . (Sahaja Yoga International) located in Noida,
Other projects:-
The World Council supports the creation of an 108-room Ashram complex in Chhindwara, near the birthplace of its founder. Another project is the transfer of her audio and video tapes, many in delicate condition, to digital media. The founder is said to have given several of her homes to the trust run by the World Council to be used in future projects by the organization. The International Sahaja Yoga Book Project aims to publish 10 or 11 books by Nirmala Srivastava. Sahaja Yoga also broadcasts radio programs.
Funding:-
Shri Mataji neither charges for Her lectures nor for Her ability to give Self Realization, nor does one have to become a member of this organization. She insists that you cannot pay for enlightenment and to-date she continues to denounce the false self-proclaimed ‘gurus’ who are more interested in the seekers’ purse than their spiritual ascent. However, according to the author David V. Barrett, the movement had been criticized because of encouragement of its members to make donations to pay for Mataji's trips and "expensive properties."
Sahaja Yoga leaders deny this, pointing out that their group is a recognised religion in both the US and Russia, that all members are free to come and go as they please. They admit that members are asked for voluntary contributions to events and projects, but that the money does not go to the founder herself. A current member of 25 years said: "All the organisation owns is a few properties in various countries. If we were into making money, that would be a pretty feeble return.
