Swami Prakashanand Saraswati & The Heart of Yoga

Introducing the teachings of H.D. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati. The spiritual heart of yoga. Visiting Barsana Dham in Austin will help to establish and guide you in your spiritual quest to find the Divine love of God.

It is the scandal of our modern age that the practice of yoga, which has been extensively described and practiced since ancient times, has been reduced to a set of physical routines.

Above, H.D. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati giving talk at Barsana Dham.

At Barsana Dham, under the Divine guidence of H.D. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati, we learn about the spiritual heart of yoga

The spiritual heart of yoga is the recognition that we are not only physical beings. We have a Divine energy within us. Yog helps us to improve our physical and mental wellbeing. It gives us clarity of thought and peace of mind. The spiritual essence of yog helps us to experience fulfillment because our inner self is longing for perfect happiness. At Barsana Dham we learn what that happiness is and how to find it.

Shree Swamiji says that the Sanskrit word bhakti comes from a root word which means to serve. The word yog comes from a root word that means to join. So, through bhakti yog we develop our feelings of love and relationship with God. Bhakti is the heart of all true yoga because the word yoga itself means union of the heart and mind with God. Barsana Dham hosts workshops and retreats on hatha yog and yogic breathing processes for enhancing physical well being. But on a more important and deeper level, it teach about the nature of the soul, cosmic energy (maya) and God.

Bhakti is the heart of all spiritual practices and all true religions. Shree Swamiji says that Opening of the heart and the loving aspect of devotion is the essence of true spirituality.

It's very valuable to understand that the Bliss of God, God's love, can be experienced by anyone. Learning how to become receptive to experience that love is something very special. Barsana Dham, through its retreats, intend to guide a person to experience for themselves what already exists within their own heart. Because the chants that are sung at Barsana Dham are imbued with Divine love and Graced by Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj they are very special. That Divine love can be experienced by anyone who is open to receive it.

Barsana Dham retreats and satsang programs help us to develop our positive potential and to gain a deeper and enriched understanding and experience of God's love. In English, the word God is not clearly defined, but in Sanskrit there are many, many words for the single Supreme Divinity, which has uncountable Divine powers and Divine aspects. Specifically, Swami Prakashanand Saraswati teaches about the supreme power of God - the power of Divine love, and how to experience that love in our lives. This philosophy explains how to live a spiritual life so that our practice is not just an intellectual study or physical experience.

When we trace the yog practices that we see prevalent in the Western world back to their original source, we find they were part of a greater system that was spiritual. The lectures of Swami Prakashanand Saraswati reconsile and explain how all the true teachings of the original masters of various practices and religions from India are part of one greater whole.

Barsana Dham, by holding satsang programs and retreats on yoga, is a multifaceted, precious spiritual resource. The Workshops, intensives and retreats are regularly held at the ashram. The Shree Raseshwari Radha Rani Temple established at Barsana Dham is one of the largest Hindu temples in the United States. Inside the temple meditation hall a natural depiction of the sky and a decorated shrine provide a serene atmosphere for meditation. Large glass windows look out over the lotus pond fountains and 200 acres of beautiful Texas hill country on which Barsana Dham is established.

(Used with permission from Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat, Barsana Dham. © 2002-2009. All rights reserved.)

5 steps to help find your spiritual path.

At peace in nature, seeking the Divine love of God - a devotee
of Shree Swamiji quietly meditating at Barsana Dham.

1. Reading this website is a good start. I have put together some information explaining the path of Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of devotion which I thought would be helpful. If you are interested in what you see, check out some of the interesting and inspiring links in the links section.
2. Why not buy an inspiring book from the Barsana Dham bookstore? In addition to books, they provide speeches by Swami Prakashanand Saraswati on the deeper philosophy of Divine love and how to integrate it into our life.
3. If you like the philosophy, you can begin to experience the practical aspect of bhakti yoga by listening to the chanting meditation cds and dvds from Barsana Dham.
4. Bhakti yoga is a process of the heart and can be done in any location or position. But there is nothing like the experience of staying at an ashram, especially if that ashram was established by a living Saint who is absorbed in the very Divine love which we seek. Barsana Dham, the unique and inspiring ashram in Austin Texas offers comfortable and clean accomodation for families or individual spiritual seekers all year round. The staff are extremely friendly and helpful and they have a number on their website. As an aside I would say that I found it truly breath taking to stay with and talk with such a group of like-minded spiritual enthusiasts. The valuable knowledge I obtained will help me throughout my life.
5. The teachers of Barsana Dham offer classes, retreats, satsangs and youth programs in cities throughout the USA. Attending any of these classes in your locality is a must for every sincere spiritual seeker.