‘Behold there came three wise men from the east of Jerusalem, Saying. Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him (Matthew 2.2).’
Let us together reflect on the purpose and the life of Jesus
For someone who wore a crown of thorns and carried a cross to his own coronation, do we truly ‘understand’ what it is like to be a King of Eternal Life - beyond body, beyond mind and beyond intellect!!
Shanker Madan
Chair IYA
Swami Sivananda’s Christmas Message
Every day should be Christmas day for us. So bring the spirit of Christ into your daily life.
Behold Christ in everything, in all beings.
Cultivate sympathy and mercy for all beings. Expand your heart and embrace all.
Greet the Christ everywhere.
Perform each day, for yourself, the Christ’s mass.
Remember that Christ is in the priest. Christ is in the saint and the sinner. Christ is in the dog and in the labourer.
Christ is in all.
There is no knowledge of the Self to the unsteady and to the unsteady no meditation is possible, and to the unmeditative there can be no peace and to the one who has no peace, how can there be happiness? (Bhagavad Gita II.66) "Peace is happiness: they are indistinguishable. Even worldly happiness is not possible if we do not enjoy peace of mind. Craving for pleasure drives pleasure or happiness away by creating a tension or stress. Satisfying this craving only temporarily allays the tension by weakening the tension. But soon the tension is built up again: it is pain. "The peace sustained by regular meditation and coupled with the four-fold Bhavana or sane attitude towards our neighbours:
Friendliness towards equals
Happiness at the status of superiors
Compassion for the less fortunate, and
Indifference towards the wicked
will ensure unperturbable inner tranquillity and, thus, supreme and perennial bliss."
Swami Venkatesananda
SIVANANDA ASHRAM Beacon Yoga Centre
wishes you
Peace and Happiness
this Christmas & New Year
As 2020 draws to a close our programme and classes have gone into recess. We re-open in January with:
5-day Summer School 4th-8th January
Hatha Yoga Programme resumes - Yoga Hall -11th January
Sunday Night Kirtan resumes January 17th with Chinmaya
Daily Meditation 6.30am Resumes Monday 18th January
At the beginning of February the Ashram's Full Programme will resume in our Yoga Hall, Library and Satsang Hall. May 2021 give us all many opportunities to attune to, and ignite, the spirit of yoga – the spirit of Swami Venkatesananda – and the spirit of H.H. Swami Sivananda Maharaj, that informs, inspires and flows through our Ashram - this oasis of yoga and meditation. Sobha Day
23rd Psalm
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.