In the I AM Yoga tradition, we honor the life and teachings of Swami Kripalu with an annual gathering called Mahasamadhi. If you are a beginner or new to the Roots of Yoga, this is a great opportunity to learn more and experience aspects of yoga that go way beyond exercises on a mat. If you’ve been practicing Yoga, especially in the Integrated Amrit Method, the Kripalu style, or Meditation in Motion, you may be familiar with the depth of meditation, the power of chanting, the joy of learning about Swami Kripalu, or the peace when you connect to the subtle movement of energy.

But no previous experience is needed - simply arrive with an open mind and an open heart. ALL are very welcome to connect with a wider global sangha (community) of people who resonate with the lineage of light.

This year, we are honored to feature:

Heather Indu Arena, Santosha Co-Founder and Senior I AM Yoga Teacher - guiding a seated meditation, the Kriya of Chitta & Prana, that was Kripalu’s “Gift to the West.” Read more about Indu here.

One of Swami Kripalu's Bhajans chanted by Leela Bruner, a devoted disciple of Swami Kripalu. Leela is the only woman in the U.S. to receive spiritual initiation from Bapuji and her strong connection continues today. See below for details about Leela and to learn more about Bhajans.

And as a bonus because this event falls on a Full Moon your experience will be integrated as we end the evening with a fully-guided meditation in a reclined position, Yoga Nidra for the Full Wolf Moon, guided by Jayashree Missy.

The Event will include:

• Santosha Yoga Instructors and Students
• Friends and fellow Siblings on the Path from both Near and Far
• Swami Kripalu's poem “My Beloved Child”
• Chanting to connect to your heart
• Community Connections

The first part of the program will be a chance to listen, chant if you’d like, and connect with the flow of energy through a guided meditation. The second part will include a Yoga Nidra (fully-guided reclined meditation) in alignment with the full moon. Santosha Yoga offers a Pop-Up Yoga Nidra every month for the full moon.

Yoga Nidra is one of the easiest ways to meditate – it can be done on your yoga mat with lots of props to make sure your body is supremely comfortable when you relax deeply, in a recliner or couch, or even on a bed. Practicing Yoga Nidra in conjunction with the Full Moon helps connect you to the Earth’s rhythms, encourages a state of harmony and balance, and prepares the body and mind for a rejuvenating sleep experience. Our Full Moon Yoga Nidra will begin at 8:40pm.

Why is it called Mahasamadhi?

Mahasamadhi is 2 Sanskrit words (Maha = great) + (samadhi = deep integration), together referring to the death of a spiritual being - Swami Kripalu's final deep integration. He's called a Swami because he took vows to renounce a worldly life, similar to a monk in the West. This event is an annual opportunity to remember Swami Kripalu's passing (on December 29, 1981). This year, we're honoring the date of his birth (on January 13, 1913), and each year it's a chance to learn about and revisit his teachings and connect to the wider community of people who resonate with Kripalu.

Embrace Yoga’s Roots

Since there are so many ways to practice and study yoga in the West, we offer this annual event as a chance to Embrace Yoga's Roots as we highlight and uplift the original words, wisdom, and gifts of a yoga master from India, Swami Kripalu.

Swami Kripalu (January 13, 1913 - December 29, 1981) was a renowned yoga master who lived primarily in the Gujarat region of India. At Santosha Yoga and in the I AM Yoga (Integrated Amrit Method of Yoga), we call him “Bapuji,” an affectionate nickname meaning “beloved father.” Among Swami Kripalu’s dedicated disciples was Yogi Amrit Desai, who we call “Gurudev” meaning “beloved teacher.” Kripalu encouraged Yogi Desai to bring yoga to the US in 1959. Gurudev began teaching around 1961, creating first Kripalu Yoga and then Amrit Yoga to convey the power of these teachings to Americans and other Westerners.

In 1977, despite the rigorous demands of his yoga practice (Sadhana), Bapuji stunned his followers in India by accepting an invitation to visit America. Bapuji arrived in May of 1977, expecting to stay only a few months, but he extended his visit to over four years, living at the original Kripalu Yoga Ashram in Sumneytown, Pennsylvania in a small cottage named Muktidham or “Abode of Liberation.” Here in Muktidham, Bapuji did his ten-hour a day yoga practice and reached the highest stages of yoga. He was supported by Amrit Desai’s wife, Urmilla Desai, who was also a disciple of Bapuji and is known as “Mataji” or “beloved mother.” In 1981, Bapuji’s health began to deteriorate, and he wished to return to India. He peacefully left his body (Maha Samadhi) on December 29, 1981.

Leela Bruner writes: “My Mother was my first guru. When I was 8 she taught me several asanas and their benefits as well as pranayamas and about prana and of the masters who lived in the Himalayas who have total control over their bodies and lives and who never die. For the first 29 years of my life I would search every night in my dreams for the guru who was mine.

On April 3, 1973, Amrit Desai came to Omaha and invited us to his ashram in Sumneytown and it is there that I saw a photo of Bapuji and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was mine. I was totally blissed out and entered an altered state that lasted for over a month. I meditated, cried, wrote and sang songs to Bapuji for 5 years. The gist of them being “come to me, I love you.” (Since I had a husband and 2 small children, I could not abandon them.)

On April 3, 1978 Bapuji came to Omaha and at the airport I wrote and sang a song in Gujarati about renunciation and dedicating my life to him. April 6 at the home of Ramesh and Neeta Panchal, in Columbus, Nebraska Bapuji blessed me with mantra diksha which solidified that I was his spiritual daughter and Shishya and not crazy. At that time he gave me specific instructions for my sadhana. Much of this is written in the book Pilgrim of Love edited by Atma Jo Ann Levitt pages 236-239.

Enrique Romaguera (Narad) introduced me to the idea of translating Bapuji’s bhajans into English. We worked on 6 of them and presented them to Bapuji at his last gurupurnima. With the help of Vinit Muni in 1983 in India we went over so many bhajans with word for word translations which took me 5 years to render into English and keep the same melodies. I’m still working on integrating their lessons into my life.

In 1983 at Kayavarohan, I went to see the Murti of Lord Lakulish and could not see it for all the light it was emanating. At that time I vowed to build a temple in his form. Go to: POWEROFLOVETEMPLE.ORG for construction history and for the Bhajan translations.

For the last 10 years, I have been helping Umesh (Eric Baldwin) with correspondence with my Gujarati family for photos for the website: SWAMIKRIPALVANANDA.ORG which has over ten thousand photos, videos and important writings by Bapuji, an accurate detailed biography. resource contact information, quotes and a list of contributors.”

What is a Bhajan?

In general, a Bhajan is a devotional song with a dharma theme or spiritual idea. Some Bhajans describe a deity or the guru and their activities; some tell of the difficulties of sadhaks; others give instructions for life or how to make the sadhana easier. Some are very sad and others are extremely playful. All are personal and based on the experiences of the saint/author. All of Swami Kripalu’s bhajans are very poetic.

Leela has generously recorded her chanting of Swami Kripalu’s Bhajan “Realization” in both Gujarati & English for us and we are looking forward to sharing it with our community.

All are Welcome!

The first part of the program will be a chance to listen, chant if you’d like, and connect with the flow of energy through a guided meditation.

The second part will include a Yoga Nidra (fully-guided reclined meditation) in alignment with the full moon. Santosha Yoga offers a Pop-Up Yoga Nidra every month for the full moon.

Please reach out with any questions: santoshayoga621@gmail.com