Sacred Dreams

Happy New Year and Namaste!

Such a momentous year 2015 was for the yoga community around the world and in our own backyard!

The year 2015 will go down in history as the year when International Yoga Day (IYD) was officially launched. In addition to presenting exciting images from IYD as it was celebrated this year on the National Mall in Washington, DC (see ), this issue of the YogaSetu Newsletter (YSN – Vol. 4, No. 1, Dec. 2015 – Jan. 2016) features an intimate about his journey from the celebration of  World Yoga Day (WYD) to the pinnacle of IYD recognition around the globe.

I was privileged to be at the birthplace of this historic event, Lisbon, Portugal, with “Guruji,” as he is lovingly known to thousands of his followers in Portugal and worldwide, who have been celebrating World Yoga Day (WYD) on June 21st since 2002. At Guruji’s urging and with further endorsement from Dr. H. R. Nagendra, Vice Chancellor of the Swami Vivekananda Samsthana (S-VYASA) in Bengaluru, India, Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi assumed a leadership role in elevating this tradition to the international level. As a result, the proposal to mark June 21st as International Yoga Day witnessed unparalleled support from the United Nations community, as 175 countries joined together to cosponsor this resolution.

In this YSN issue, we are also honored to bring you some unique insights from Acharya Shunya, the President of the California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine. Her article, “,” will help readers determine which dominant or combination of Nature’s Elements they possess, and understand their attributes as expressed in their own particular constitution, as we are ourselves an expression of Nature.

You can also read news about China setting up its first yoga college and Cuba offering yoga to its people in our section on . Yoga enthusiasts may also want to check out our listing of upcoming global yoga events scheduled for 2016, as well as notes about recent global events, particularly the video link to the Common Yoga Protocol film (36 mins.) and the booklet on general awareness about yoga issued by the Government of India, both in the  section.

Finally, we are proud to announce the availability of Dr. Dilip Sarkar’s exciting new DVD presentation on Yoga Therapy, developed for those looking for a new approach to healthy living, as well as for those who have some knowledge of yoga poses and seek further information on the philosophy, practice, and therapeutic aspects of yoga. Look below, for more information about this DVD and how to order.

We invite you to delve into this issue, wishing you a very healthy and happy New Year!

Announcing the availability of

TAKSHA YOGA THERAPY FOR HEALTH & HEALING: A DAILY PRACTICE

This DVD presents: 1. Introduction 2. Āsana-s 3. Prānāyāma-s 4. Meditation 5. Mudrā-s, Bandha-s, Kriya-s ()

This DVD presents one hour of daily practice, 25 minutes of asana-s, 25 minutes of pranayama and 10 minutes of meditation. Approximate run time is 2 hrs. 28 mins. The DVD is divided into 26 chapters: 14 of them for the introduction and asana practice; 10 chapters for pranayama, mudra, and bandha practices; one for meditation; and the last one to finish the practice. The asana chapters are organized by similar practices, e.g. steps of relaxation, relaxation of the neck, standing and balancing poses, etc. Different chapters needs to be practiced on different days to create the balance of body/mind. Please see the insert for more information.

PRESENTER: Dr. Dilip K. Sarkar, M.D., F.A.C.S., C.A.P., is a retired Vascular Surgeon and was an Associate Professor of Surgery at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia, and Chairman of the Department of Surgery and Chief of Staff at Portsmouth General Hospital. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and American Association of Integrative Medicine (AAIM). In 2010 he started the first category one ACCME approved CME course in USA for the medical professionals on Yoga Therapy for Medical Professionals. ()

Go to to order, or call 757-766-7880. All proceeds from the sale of this DVD and other Taksha Institute products and services support the programs of  the not-for-profit organization Taksha Institute to further its education and research outreach in Yoga Therapy for the benefits of health and healing.