Swami Mukundananda conducting yoga classes & retreat

CHICAGO: A former IIT and Management graduate turned ascetic in quest of self-realization, Swami Mukundananda, will be conducting yoga and meditation classes and seminars across ten cities in USA under the auspices of Jagadguru Kripalu Yog (JKY), USA

The program started on May 30 and will continue in all ten cities till September 25, according to Ajay Chandok, a Chicago based JKY spokesperson.

The states/cities being covered are: New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Boston, Houston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Sunnyvale, Florida, and New York. In Chicago, it commenced at Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago on Saturday, July 11 and will run thru Friday July19.

In each place, there are week-long programs with sessions in the mornings and/or evenings.  The first part of the session focuses on yoga and meditation and the second part includes devotional chanting and spiritual discourses to self purification of the mind and soul. Light meals are served after the session each day.

At a news meet on Devon Avenue, Swami Mukundanand said that the correct word is Yog and not Yoga. Yog means union of soul with the Supreme - (Creator). Yoga, as it is understood widely in this part of the world, is largely cantered around yogic exercises which are good for health as also for mental discipline.

But Yog has a wider meaning and it means giving a proper direction to the mind for Sat Chit Anand, the three qualities manifest in the Supreme Being- the Creator. Yog helps a practitioner to achieve a state of mind which would help guide him to the path of self realization and a union with the Supreme. 

"There is no doubt  Yoga exercises are good and helpful, but without emphasis on the purification of the mind, their effectiveness in curing physical diseases is limited, and mental diseases or limitations get  ignored and untouched. The JKY program covers both the aspects of Yog," he said.

"Jagadguru Kripalu Yog is a system of Yoga that incorporates both material and spiritual knowledge for the complete physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual health of humankind. A healthy body and a calm, composed mind - these are the basis for attaining our goal in life," he added.

"Wellness for Life - Reach the Treasure Within" is a lifestyle system presented by Jagadguru Kripalu Yog that combines yoga, meditation, healthy diet and intellectually stimulating discourses on ancient and modern philosophy to attain well being of the body, mind and soul".

Chandok added that there is no charge for any of the sessions as the aim is to increase Yog awareness and to encourage participation, besides helping participants to traverse the spiritual path of enlightenment,  Swami Mukundananda, who will be conducting the programs as also a retreat in Houston, received his degrees in Engineering and Management from two world famous institutes in India- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Indian Institute of Management (IIM) respectively. "However, I found that there was something lacking in this type of formal education. I was not finding happiness within and was lacking a sense of fulfilment. 

The call for self realization  was so strong that a short while after landing a top corporate job, I  renounced my  professional career and sought solace with Jagadguru Kripaluji Maharaj  and took  sanyas,," he said.  For the past two decades, Swamiji has been travelling far and wide in various states of India and has also been to Nepal, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, USA, and Europe helping hundreds of thousands who seek self attainment and self realization.

-Madhu Patel