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Kriya Yoga Teachers
Marshall Govindan Satchidananda

Marshall Govindan Satchidananda has practiced Babaji's Kriya Yoga intensively since 1969.

He studied and practiced Kriya Yoga in India for five years with Yogi S.A.A. Ramaiah. He also assisted him in the establishment of 23 yoga centers around the world during an 18 year period. During this period he practiced Kriya Yoga for eight hours per day on average, and as a result attained Self-realization. While in India he studied the Tamil language and the works of the Tamil Yoga Siddhas. In 1980 he assisted in the collection and publication of the complete writings of Siddhar Boganathar.

In 1986 he administered the construction of a rehabilitation hospital dedicated to Yoga therapy and physical therapy in Tamil Nadu, India. In 1988 he was asked by Babaji Nagaraj, the founder of Kriya Yoga to begin teaching. This followed the completion of certain rigorous requirements to initiate others in the 144 Kriyas given to him by Yogi Ramaiah five years earlier.

In 1991, he wrote the best selling book, "Babaji and the 18 Siddha Kriya Yoga Tradition", now published in 13 languages. In 1992 he established Babaji's Kriya Yoga Ashram in St. Etienne de Bolton, Quebec. Classes, seminars and retreats are offered there year round. In 1995, he retired from his work as the chief systems auditor for Quebec's largest employer, the cooperative Mouvement Desjardins to devote himself full time to teaching and publishing in the field of Yoga. Since then, he has travelled extensively throughout the world guiding about 50 Kriya Yoga study groups in over 20 countries, and an ashram and publiishing office in Bangalore, India, and a lay order of teachers of Kriya Yoga: Babaji's Kriya Yoga Order of Acharyas, a non-profit educational charity, incorporated in the USA, Canada and India. He has authored and published over fifteen books on the subject of Yoga, His book, the “Kriya Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and the Siddhas,” has been critically acclaimed, and for the first time demonstrates the close connections between Classical Yoga and the Siddhars.

Since 1989 he has personally initiated over 10,000 persons in Babaji's Kriya Yoga in a series of intensive sessions and retreats. In October 1999 he was blessed with the darshan of Babaji Nagaraj near his ashram in Badrinath, Himalayas.
He is currently co-directing a team of scholars in a large scale research project encompassing the whole of the literature related to the Yoga of the Tamil Siddhars. He is a graduate of Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He is married to Durga Ahlund.

 

Durga Ahlund Govindan

Durga Ahlund Govindan has been practicing and studying Yoga since 1967.

She has shared her experience of yoga as a teacher of Hatha Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Raja Yoga and Kriya Yoga and as a therapist since 1984. She co-authored, performed, and produced with Marshall Govindan, the Yoga video, "Babaji's Kriya HathaYoga, Self-realization through Action with Awareness."

She developed and teaches a 200-hour Teacher Training Course for Babaji's Kriya Yoga and she developed the Kriya Yoga correspondence course, 'The Grace Course' and writes it with MG Satchidananda. She was inducted into the teaching Order of Acharyas of Babaji's Kriya Yoga in Bangalore, India in January 2003. She is married to Marshall Govindan and has two grown sons.

 

Rudra

Rudra Shivananda has been married since 1981, and has two grown-up children.

He was trained as an engineer and has a Masters of Science in Electronics, as well as a Doctorate in Law, and has worked in the high- tech industry for over 27 years. Having been born in Hong Kong, he has been privileged to have studied Taoist and Buddhist Yogas for many years, before recognizing Babaji as his Satguru. He was inducted into the teaching Order of Babaji's Kriya Yoga in 1999. He has also been trained in the Indian Nath tradition (closely associated with the Siddha tradition) and is an Acharya of Hatha, Raja, Kundalini and Kriya Yogas. He is also adept in healing modalities such as Shakti Healing as well as in Reiki and the use of oils and gemstones.

Currently he lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, and has committed himself to spreading Babaji's teachings wherever he is called to do so.

 

Rohini

Rohini has practiced Kriya Yoga intensely since 1997, under the guidance and direction of M. Govindan, disciple of Babaji and author of the book babaji and the 18 Siddha Kriya Yoga Tradition.

After fullfilling certain rigorous conditions over several years, Rohini was inducted into Babaji's Kriya Yoga Order of Acharyas in Bangalore, India. She is now authorized to conduct first level initiations into Babaji's Kriya Yoga in Australia and abroad. She began her study of Yoga in the 1990's with Patabhis Jois, in Mysore and has raised a daughter through college graduation, managed a boutique and taught high school students.

She gives weekly classes at her home in Daylesford, Australia, and teaches Kriya Yoga in seminars all over Australia and abroad.

 

Shanti Ananda

Shanti Ananda was born in Guatemala City, Central America.

She earned her Masters in Counseling Psychology from ASU, and has worked in the prevention and intervention field for the last 15 years. She has been studying Yoga since 1970, and was first initiated into Babaji's Kriya Yoga in 1991. In July, 2001 she became a member of Babaji's Kriya Yoga Order of Acharyas. Shanti is now authorized to initiate others into the first level of Babaji's Kriya Yoga. She conducts regular satsang gatherings in her hometown of Tempe, Arizona. In July, 2001, after several years of rigourous training, Shantiananda was authorized to become an Acharya in Babaji's Kriya Yoga Order of Acharyas.

She now teaches the first level initiation seminar of Babaji's Kriya Yoga in the Southwest as well as in Spanish speaking countries.

 

Arjuna

Arjuna
Really I do not know what to write, my past is of no real importance, and who I am is not what I've done or I'm doing. I'm an actor in a perfect drama, I do not know what tomorrow reserves me in the role play, but it doesn't really matter. I'm the wick, remember? Complete surrender to the Lord helps to bring the wax to the flame and burn to the light, that is what I feel here and now.


So, I'm not the candle or the flame, I'm not the light either, but only the means for the Divine to let Himself being experienced. What experiences in the representation of my actual life are more significant? I do not know, and probably they are so only if read in the context of past and future lives, but there is no past or future either, only space and through that space we are desperately seeking for truth, not our limited sensorial truth, but that which has no words, only a deep total experience of bliss. We can say I'm an ordinary person, born in Italy, with a love for horseback riding, living in Italy with a stressful job in an investment bank, with an expertise in NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) and hypnosis, I daily experiment all emotions everyone does, I can feel frustration, sadness, happiness, sexuality and so on.

I know how to laugh and how to cry, how to get angry and how to forgive, but moreover I never am any of these emotions, I simply can experiment and enjoy these variations like diving in the sea and playing with the waves.This is what I can say.
Om Kriya Babaji Nama Aum.

 

Ananda

Ananda is the organizer our activities in Atlanta, Georgia and was initiated in 1993 more than 10 years ago. She is a representative of the Bell South Telephone company in Atlanta, and the mother of a teenage daughter.

 

Nityananda) Nacho Albalat

(Nityananda) Nacho Albalat is a native of Valencia, on the east coast of Spain. He was initiated into Babaji's Kriya Yoga in 1997, learned the advanced Kriyas in 1998 and 1999, and since then has practiced them faithfully. He has also actively collaborated in the diffusion of Babaji's Kriya Yoga throughout Spain by organizing seminars and translating publications. He has translated into Spanish the books "Kriya Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and the Siddhas", "The Voice of Babaji: The Trilogy on Kriya Yoga", and the Kriya Yoga Journals since the beginning, and several initiation seminars. He was also responsible for translating and recording the video course "Babaji's Kriya Hatha Yoga: Self-realization through Action with Awareness".

He has a University degree in journalism and he has worked for several local media organizations, promoting subjects related to personal growth and spirituality in the community. He is happily married to his wife Aurora, who is also a distinguished journalist, and has one daughter.

As an acharya, his major aspiration is: "to transmit the best possible way the teachings and techniques of Babaji's Kriya Yoga." Through it, any person can manifest his potential and improve not only one's own life, but that of everyone around.

 

Sharana Devi

Sharana Devi of Sao Paulo, Brazil, became an Acharya in 2003.

Born in 1961, she recounts how she first met Babaji in a dream, in 1993. At that time she had no knowledge of Yoga or of Babaji. Babaji told her that he was her Guru. After this dream she began looking for information about Babaji, and found Yoganandaji's "Autobiography of a Yogi." She followed Yogananda's lessons from the SRF, for five years, and then met M. Govindan Satchidananda, who initiated her into the 144 Kriyas of Babaji's Kriya Yoga from 1998 to 2000, in Brazil and Canada. She has practiced these diligently and faithfully since then. She also completed the requirements for the Kriya Hatha Yoga Teacher Training program and gives several classes to the public every week since 2001.

Sharana Devi works as a body mind therapist since 1993. She was certified by Stanilaus Grof in Holotropic Breathwork in 1996 and uses it to facilitate the growth of those who are in spiritual emergencies or emotional problems.

Married with three children, she states that "the practice of Babaji's Kriya Yoga has completely transformed my life and the people around me."

 

Saraswati Karuna Devi

Saraswati Karuna Devi of Sao Paulo Brazil. Born in 1948, in Egypt, of British nationality, she moved with her parents to Brazil when she was twelve. She became a seeker of God and a practioner of a Yoga as a teenager. During her first visit to India in 1981, she recognized the presence and guidance of Babaji in her life.

In 1996 she was initiated by M. Govindan Satchidananda into Babaji's Kriya Yoga in Canada, and received the second and third level initiations in 1997 and 1998. Since that time she has not stopped practicing it, and began sharing it with others while completing the Teacher Training requirements for Kriya Hatha Yoga in 2001. She teaches several classes per week in Kriya Hatha Yoga.

Trained as a Jungian psychologist, she became a student of Stanislaus Grof in the 1970's, and since then has worked intensively in private practice as a transpersonal psychologist, using his Holotropic Breathwork and related techniques. She is knowledgeable in numerous spiritual traditions and practices.

 

Satyananda

Satyananda was inducted into the Order of Babaji's Kriya Yoga in Aug 2005, in a ceremony in Germany. He had dedicated several years to intense study and practice of Babaji's Kriya Yoga and to serving Babaji's Kriya Yoga in the form of Karma Yoga, and as a translator, both at the Quebec ashram and in Germany.

Satya, who is trained as a Clinical Psychologist has worked as a psychosomatic therapist and as an Industrial Psychologist in various corporation settings in Germany. But, it has been his spiritual pursuits and aspirations, which have created the overriding direction in his life, since 1997. During this time he pursued a study of the spiritual wisdom of the world, eastern psychology, Vedanta and Yoga and taken several personal pilgrimages to India.

Presently, in addition to giving Kriya Yoga initiation seminars, mainly in German speaking countries, Satyananda offers psychological and spiritual counseling and consultation to initiates (or on personal request their friends) on an individual basis for personal affairs, such as: spiritual growth, finding and developing personal potential and new dimensions of a yogic lifestyle or partnership, coping with a spiritual crisis, acute conflict or chronic stress management, preparation for spiritual psychotherapy, handling or psychosomatic-energies symptoms, and processing towards physical and mental health.

 

Ramana

Ramana became an Acharya in the Order of Babaji's Kriya Yoga in 2005. All throughout his adult life he had always acknowledged that there was a silent "guiding hand" directing his spiritual and material life. The "guiding hand" was always full of compassion, patience and love. It was in 1998 while on a Pilgrimage to North India that the identity of the guiding force revealed itself to be Babaji. In 2002, through a series of direct dictations, Babaji asked Ramana to teach Kriya Yoga.

Ramana is a householder with a young family. He was born in 1970 into a Gujarati, Indian family and grew up in London and Hong Kong. He has a Batchelor's degree in Microbiology and a Doctorate in Environmental Pollution Treatment. He works as a Consultant in the environmental protection industry, specializing in wastewater treatment.

Ramana says that "through Babaji's Grace and Love he is learning to recognize Him in every moment of his life and to surrender to Him. It is only through surrender of the ego that we can fully understand what our dharma in life is. That's when inspiration can flow, we can communicate with our higher self and become instruments in the hands of the divine". Ramana is committed to helping others seek a spiritual purpose, motivation and direction in their lives and to show how one can realize their full potential through the practice of Babaji's Kriya Yoga.

Ramana will be teaching hatha yoga and giving first level initiations into Babaji's Kriya Yoga in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

 

Vyasa

Vyasa first became interested in Yoga as a university student in Toronto, where he learned hatha yoga and meditation. As he matured, Vyasa fulfilled his life as a spouse, father and in a successful real estate career. As mid-life approached, he was moved to look for a way to continue his growth and self-awareness with all that is entailed in modern life as a householder. Gradually he made changes that led him to retire from his career and earn an independent living, to devote his time to charity hospice work and to maintain a practice of Kriya Yoga. Vyasa has been initiated into Babaji's Kriya Yoga and, as an acharya, welcomes all those who are sincere in learning the scientific art of God-Truth union.

 

Ishvarananda

Ishvarananda became an acharya of Babaji's Kriya Yoga in May 2007, during a cermony attended by over 100 persons of the intentional community, Lilleoru, near Tallin, Estonia, which he founded fifteen years earlier. He is the spiritual director of this community and has for many years taught couses in developing awareness and higher consciousness. He has practiced and taught Yoga for more than 20 years. He has received initiations from several lamas and yogis from Tibetan buddhist traditions. Shri Muniraj, disciple of Herakhan Baba, has authorized him to conduct havan (yagya) fire ceremonies. These are conducted regularly at the Lilleroru community temple and yagna peetam. He has made several pilgrimages to India, both north and south. He is a skilled herbalist, community leader, and teacher of spiritual arts and sciences.

Ishvarananda was the managing director of a private company for several years. In his youth he served in the Soviet army for several years. He is now constructing an Eco Village with fourteen homes and a community center, following plans approved with a grant from the European Community. He is married, and the father of three children.

 

Dayananda

Dayananda was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1953. From the age of 15, he has been passionately engaged in spiritual study and the practice of tai-chi, Buddhism and Yoga. He was initiated into Babaji's Kriya Yoga by Yogi S.A.A. Ramaiah in 1986 in Washington, and received his second initiation from him in Yuma, Arizona in 1987. He received the third initiation, into the balance of the 144 Kriyas in 1991, from M. G. Satchidananda in Quebec. Ever since he has remained in close contact, sharing his experience and karma yoga with Satchidananda. He became a member of Babaji's Kriya Yoga Order of Acharyas on June 24, 2007. With the arrival of his retirement in two years, he will dedicate his life to service to the Divine and to Kriya Yoga.

 

Nandi Devar

Nandi Devar Nandi Devar began his diverse spiritual training from the age of 16. He studied and practiced both Japanese and Tibetan Buddhism. Sogyal Rinpoche taught him Dzogchen. He worked 7 years with S. Salpietro, a Sufi guru. He practiced martial arts for 6 years with a great master. It was after this master died that he felt the need to find some strong tools for personal transformation. He found them in Babaji's Kriya Yoga in 2002, when he was initiated by MG Satchidananda. He was certified in both Kriya Hatha Yoga and Shivananda Yoga and began to teach Hatha Yoga in 2003. His longing to free the personal self into the universal self increased, and what followed was a period of intense sadhana of the 144 Kriya techniques. His prayer that the divine would provide guidance for his life was answered when four weeks later, Satchidananda asked him to join the Order of Acharyas.

Nandi is a professional dancer, with an academic degree and has worked for many years as dance instructor. As a choreographer, he both developed dance theatre and performed with the company. He, and his wife Shakti are now running their own Yoga and Dance studio in Düsseldorf/Germany.

 

Dayananda

Premananda (Joseba Imanol Idoyaya) of Bilbao, Spain was born and raised in a devoted Christian family, and educated in the values of love and forgiveness. As a young man, he practiced the spiritual exercises prescribed by the St.Ignatius of Loyola. He aspired to dedicate his life to a religious order, until he married and had two children.

He is a graduate in psychopedagogy (the study of psychological education) and computer engineering. He worked for ten years as a computer analyst and later as a teacher in public schools. More recently he became a teacher trainer and lecturer in education centers.

He became an initiate of Tibetan Buddhism and made a pilgrimage to the Himalayas before beginning his initiation and training in Babaji´s Kriya Yoga in 2000. Since completing the teacher training course in Kriya Hatha Yoga, in 2003, he has organized many Kriya Yoga classes, seminars and satsangs in the Basque country.

His main motivation is to serve, and now to do so through Babaji´s Kriya Yoga. Kriya Yoga has been a great support to him during difficult periods, even removing from him the notion of being "difficult."

 

Nandi Devar

Valmiki (Mikel Agirrfazkuenaga) is a long time student of languages. He is currently a professor of linguistics in the University of theBasque region in Spain. Since 1998 he has worked with the Foundation "Life and Languages" based upon thework of Dr. M.M. Sanchez Carrion, to sustain language cultures- Since beginning his training in Babaji´s Kriya Yoga in 2000, he has come to appreciate it as "language of transformation and service." He has attended many seminars in Babaji´s Kriya Yoga and a Kriya Yoga pilgrimage to India.

He has been sharing his knowledge and love for Babaji´s Kriya Yoga in the Basque region of Spain for several years since completing his training as a teacher of Babaji´s Kriya Hatha Yoga. He is married and has one daughter.

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