View of the Kali Temple at Amritapuri Ashram.
Who is AMMA??
Spiritual leader, humanitarian and visionary, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi is known throughout the world simply as “Amma”. She has served the world-community for decades. Through extraordinary acts of love and self-sacrifice, Amma has endeared herself to millions. She inspires thousands to follow in her path of selfless service.
Truly a global citizen, Mata Amritanandamayi holds free public programs throughout the world. She travels through India, Europe, and North America. She also goes to Australia, Southeast Asia, Africa and South America. In her talks, she offers both personal words of wisdom and guidance on global issues. She tackles issues such as climate change, terrorism, poverty and women’s rights. Amma invites each of us to get involved in the process of building a caring society.
To this day, Amma concludes her programs by embracing each person attending the event. These one-on-one meetings take up the vast majority of Amma’s time. Amma has given this motherly embrace, known as her darshan, to more than 36 million people throughout the world.
Amrita Yoga Standing Posture.
She has been known to give darshan for more than 22 hours without interruption.
Amma is the most personally accessible spiritual leader alive today. She may well be on first-name basis with more people than anyone else in the world! When people pour out their hearts to Amma she offers them so much. She gives them solace, spiritual guidance, and concrete solutions to their problems. Receiving her embrace, many feel inspired to offer selfless service to those in need. This simple yet powerful act has become both catalyst and symbol for a growing international network of humanitarian initiatives.[su_divider top=”no” margin=”25″]
Amrita Yoga is more than Asana practice.
Amrita Yoga is a school of yoga formed from Amma’s sankalpa or divine intention. It is inspired by her attitude of unconditional love and service to the world. Amrita Yoga offers a holistic approach, focused on Awareness with heart-centered intention. Practicing yoga while staying focused on the heart helps us transcend the physical asana practice.
Amma in meditation posture.
Amrita Yoga offers a chance to study yoga in its true essence. With a living example like Amma, yoga can be more than physical postures. Amma encourages people of all ages to stay healthy and active. The end result of yoga isn’t just fitness. It can be a spiritual journey towards a higher goal.
Yoga comes from the root word ‘yuj’ in Sanskrit meaning “yoke” or “union”. Any action done with the purpose to unite to the divine source, is yoga. Amma points out that the purpose of life is to realize who we really are!
Many people seek meaning; something they cannot find from their other pursuits. No matter how hard we try, the external world cannot give us lasting happiness. We have to look within to arrive at this contentment, peace, and divinity.
Amma says that no single path can help us reach the goal. She encourages people to try all four major streams of yoga. These are:
karma (selfless service),
bhakti (devotion),
jnana (wisdom) and
raja (meditation).
Amrita Yoga programs reflect all of these paths of yoga. You can explore hatha yoga classes and meditation. You can join in devotional singing and chanting. You can volunteer selfless service. Amrita Yoga retreats include discourses on yoga philosophy and spiritual principles.
Amrita Yoga Satsanga (Yoga Talk).
Bit by bit, these practices will lead us to a state of unity. Amrita Yoga is a deep inner journey that enables us to express our true essence.
Bit by bit, these practices will lead us to a state of unity.
Amrita Yoga students learn to apply the insights gained on the yoga mat into daily life. Absolute awareness is the goal. We learn to witness the body and also the thoughts and emotions. This helps us catch our reactions before they get out of control. We learn to navigate challenging situations in life. Many students find they gain flexibility in their minds as well as their bodies! Amma has given us many tools for creating lasting change.
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