The photo below and the following quote are from Swami Nirmalananda’s recent Facebook post: “Hasta Padasana – arms up in the air – brings up joy. It’s reliable. You don’t have to wait for spring. You can do it anytime. I planted these forsythia and now they’re bigger than me. That’s what I want all… Read More You Don’t Have to Wait for the Sun to Shine for You to Shine

Why is April called April? According to www.dictionary.com, one theory is that the name is rooted in the Latin Aprilis, which is derived from the Latin aperire meaning “to open”— which could refer to the opening or blossoming of flowers and trees.   Another theory is that it derives from the Greek Apphodite, the Greek goddess of love.  … Read More You Are Blossoming

I can feel it. I can see it. The earth, once frozen and dormant, is beginning to breathe again. Trees, left barren and ghostlike under the icy grip of winter, are starting to pulse with life again. Their sap is already flowing, and an aura of energy graces their crowns like glimmering garlands.   Seedlings… Read More Springing Up

Happy belated Valentine’s Day! And here’s a happy belated February newsletter to you as well!   The good news is, to paraphrase Mark Twain, we have made it through some of the worst winter storms that never happened. That’s nature’s Valentine to all of us. And, we have passed the midpoint of winter. The sun… Read More Stay Free

Greetings! “A year from now you may wish you had started today.” ~ Karen Lamb So, let’s turn that around: may today be the day you start what you wish, and at the end of the year—and every day between — may you be glad! And if what you start has anything to do with… Read More May You Be Glad!

One night, a 5 year old child looked up at the stars and exclaimed, “God’s home! All God’s lights are on!” Yoga teaches us to see God’s Light in one another. Look into the eyes (the window to the soul) and see the Divine Light shining through. Yes, you are seeing that God is home.… Read More Peace and Joy

Hello One and All!   First of all, thank you! Thank you for your continuing support. Thank you for your continuing interest in what we are offering. It gives us great delight to be able to serve you. It’s an honor. And speaking of honor, we honor those who have served our country. We thank… Read More Giving Thanks

Swami Nirmalananda (Gurudevi) always begins a talk with this benediction: OM svaroopa svasvabhavah namo namah It means: “I bow to your own inherent Divinity, your Self. I bow to my own inherent Divinity, my Self. I bow to the inherent Divinity of all beings, the One Divine Reality being you, being me and being all.” And… Read More Bow to the Self Masquerading on Halloween, and to Barbie!

One of the highlights the past few weeks, for each of us, was getting time to read a good book. Mine was Sometimes Brilliant, by Larry Brilliant, one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People and winner of the TEDPrize. He really is brilliant. So are you, by the way, but more on that later.… Read More You are brilliant

Well July seemed to fly by. Can we slow down August? I like the depiction of August as “the Sunday of Summer.” Sunday is the end of the week, and August is the end of summer (almost). But there is a much deeper correlation than that. Sunday is a time for slowing down, for rest… Read More Savoring the Remaining Days of Summer

Soon after her brother was born, little Sachi began to ask her parents to leave her alone with the new baby. They worried that like most four-year-olds, she might feel jealous and want to hit or shake him, so they said no. But she showed no signs of jealousy. She treated the baby with kindness… Read More What does God feel like?

A Sunday school teacher asked her class, “Where is God?” No one seemed to have an answer except Danny. “I know where God is!” he said excitedly.   “And where is that?” the teacher asked.   Danny responded: “In the bathroom at my house.”   “Very interesting, Danny. How are you so sure God is… Read More Where is God?

A minister was giving the offertory for church services. He raised his arms, looked up to the heavens with a look of rapture on his face. “Dear Lord,” he exclaimed. “Without you, we are but dust!”   He would have continued, but at that moment one little girl leaned over to her mother and asked… Read More Good news all around

Our world is rife with disconnection. I am not referring to power grid outages. I am referring to outages affecting the human grid of love.   Most people spend more time peering into their screens than into the eyes of another human being. They spend more time in their head than in their heart. They… Read More From Disconnect to Connect

Who Amongst Us?   This particular story tells of a mysterious stranger who showed up at the door of a rundown monastery operated by several old monks who had become “spiritually parched.”   The monks noticed that the mysterious stranger had a glow about him. So they were eager to get to know him and… Read More It Could Be You (It Is!) ~ A Parable

February is often the coldest if not the snowiest month of the year. So Valentine’s Day comes at a good time. It’s a day that gives us an opportunity to share the warmth of our heart more generously and extensively. It can even be a day to thaw a cold heart — our own or… Read More Find the Sweetness in Your Heart

Hello and Happy New Year   For certain, 2023 promises to be another interesting year. You are likely to see plenty of challenges and opportunities — individually, nationally and globally. You might think the easy route (and a tempting one) is to escape from the world. But wherever you escape to, you still have your… Read More The New Year Brings Challenges and Opportunities

Walking with the Wind From the memoir of the same title, written by the late civil rights leader and congressman John Lewis     [A]bout fifteen of us children were outside my aunt Seneva’s house, playing in her dirt yard. The sky began clouding over, the wind started picking up, lightning flashed far off in… Read More Walking with the Wind

In mid-August (2022) I sent out an announcement saying something like “I have shingles but our roof is fine.” Some of you mistook my quirky sense of humor and thought we were closed because of problems with our roof. Our roof was fine. My head and face weren’t. I had shingles, an infection caused by… Read More My “Roof” and Shingles

Well, I took on the challenge to slow down this past month – at least when I remembered to! Here’s what I experienced the first time I tried: On a Wednesday in early August, I had an appointment at noon in Florence (east of Northampton) for a treasured monthly cranial-sacral therapy session with Gretchen Jennings. Florence is an… Read More Slowing Down – Haltingly

A story that’s been circulating for a while, with a great lesson for all of us:   “Some years ago, I was stuck on a crosstown bus in New York City during rush hour. Traffic was barely moving. The bus was filled with cold, tired people who were deeply irritated with one another, with the… Read More Get a Lift

  The pessimist sees the glass as half empty. The optimist sees the glass as half full. The engineer sees the glass as twice as large as it needs to be. The Svaroopa® yoga teachings would go even further. The teachings would say the glass is already full and always has been and always will… Read More Raise Your Glasses!

The Fourth of July has come and gone, but what about the independence it celebrates? As a nation: so far so good. From the yogic perspective: the independence of each human being is considered first and foremost. The strength and independence of a nation depends on the strength and independence of its citizens, as well… Read More The Ultimate Independence and Freedom Starts with You

n April 2020, when the pandemic was first gaining momentum, this newsletter addressed the fear and anxiety that was also gaining momentum. In classes, we dedicated the month to standing poses – in specific, warrior poses — to help you stand up to your fears. Now, with mass shootings happening across the country at an… Read More June 2022: Stand and Make YourSelf Count

Now that the weather is gradually turning warmer, I eagerly head out to the yard. I focus on a few things that need to be done first: cleaning up old growth, raking the lawn, spreading compost in the garden. These days, the sun is shining at an angle that seems to feed directly into my energy… Read More Spring into Action, But …

Bring on the Light! We are living in troubling times, no doubt. We see the pain and suffering wrought by racial and economic injustice, political polarization and disinformation. We see the ravages of climate change, the pandemic and now the war in Ukraine. The whole world is on edge, watching and trembling. It’s very easy… Read More You Are the Light of the World

Yoga is not about becoming a pretzel. We don’t need more pretzels today. We need people to become more human. That’s what yoga is really about: becoming more human. Becoming More Human What does it mean to become more human? American Heritage Dictionary’s definition of human is: “a member of the species Homo sapiens, distinguished… Read More What are You Becoming?

What’s to Celebrate This Month?   February is a short month but has a lot to celebrate. Besides the birthdays of two of our greatest presidents, we had the Lunar Chinese New Year to celebrate a few days ago. It’s the year of the Tiger. One of our students, Nancy (Purna) Chang, celebrated by making… Read More What’s To Celebrate This Month?

On the way home from church, a little girl turned to her mother and said, “Mommy, the Preacher’s sermon this morning confused me.” The mother said, “Oh! Why is that?” The girl replied, “Well, he said that God is bigger than we are. Is that true?” “Yes, that’s true,” the mother replied. “He also said… Read More You Are the One

From this month’s Teaching Article by Swami Nirmalananda (December, 2021), Who or What is God?, an excerpt that includes a story about Ram Dass (1931 – 2019), formerly Richard Alpert, a Harvard professor who travelled to India in 1967 and became a disciple of a Guru. He came back to the states and helped establish… Read More You Are Divine and You Are Not the Only One

Mahatma Ghandi said “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” This holiday season, and forevermore, be the light you wish to see in the world. Be the peace and joy you wish to see in the world! Spread it around like greeting cards!   Your own Divine Self is light, peace… Read More The Best Gift

This is the month for Thanksgiving. But so can be every month — every day, for that matter. Giving thanks is not meant to be confined to one holiday. In fact, being grateful can make every day a holy day. “Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary… Read More Giving Thanks: Everyone Wins, Especially You!

Most of us want peace, but finding it is another thing. We are seekers but not always finders. Where do you find peace? You might find peace on a beach, in the woods, inside a cave or some other special hideaway. But how are you when you have to leave that special place? How long-lasting… Read More Where do you find peace?

“It is very rare to find a human being today. They are always going somewhere, hardly ever being here. That is why I call them ‘human goings’. ” ~ Ajahn Brahm, a British-Australian Buddhist monk known for his warmth and sense of humor. Yes, most people tend to be human goings, not human beings. Or… Read More Where are You Going, human being?

  “This is a quest for the sacred, the ultimate human frontier, one that you investigate by looking inward.” ~ Swami Nirmalananda It has been said that when you find yourself on your death bed, your last thoughts will not be that you should have spent more time at the office. For too many sorry… Read More August: The Sunday of Summer ~ Go for Your Gold

A spectacular display of fireworks is happening every day, all around you. Stand in front of a flower garden, and you will easily notice it: a brilliant display of fireworks in (very) slow motion. These “flowerworks” do not fizzle out instantaneously. They do not burn you or blow out your ear drums if you get… Read More Don’t Miss the Fireworks

Happiness does not come from your mind. Happiness comes from your Self. In the Teaching Article of June 2021, Why Is My Mind Crazy, Swami Nirmalananda says your mind is incapable of happiness. The best your mind can give you is “a brief sense of satisfaction, like when you check a task off your to-do… Read More What Is Your Mind Up To?

Everyone wants to be happy — you and all 8 billion inhabitants of this planet. But where do you look for it? Where do you try to find it? And if you do find it, how long does that happiness last? How soon are you back on the trail looking for something else to make you… Read More Where to Find Happiness

As I write, it is Good Friday. I reflect on the solemnity of this day. Over 2000 years ago, Jesus hung from the cross, his life on earth expiring at the hands of the ignorant. Right before their eyes was a man of God, but they could not see. Nor could they see their very own… Read More The Passion

When Nancy and I read a story in the Boston Glove about the owners of this farm and their dedicated commitment to serve their community and especially those in need in Springfield where they live, we were both immediately smitten. Theirs is an amazing and inspiring story. I picked up the following from the article,… Read More April Fundraiser: Support a Fledgling Farm Determined to Serve Those in Need – Agric Organics Urban Farm in Wilbraham

This quote on the left can help you fathom what it means to experience your own Self. You hear about the Self often in these newsletters. It’s referred to in many ways: your Divine Essence, Beingness, Consciousness, Shiva, God, the Divine Reality being you – you name it, it’s all one and the same. But… Read More A Realization

This past year, with the pandemic forcing us to isolate, and with so many lives being shortened by COVID, we have had a greater opportunity and motivation to consider these questions: Why am I here? What did I come here to accomplish? What is the best I can do with the time I have left… Read More Why Are You Here? What Gives You Meaning?

“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering ‘it will be happier’…” ~ Alfred Lord Tennyson May all beings have the ears to hear that whisper, the eyes to see the good in others and the heart to welcome the many wonderful possibilities in this new year. Happy, Healthy New Year from… Read More Silver Linings to Start the Year with Hope

Have You Seen the Light? Phil Milgrom, The Centered Place This is the season of light. The traditional holidays of this time of the year all celebrate light in some way. Though the Winter Solstice on December 21st is the beginning of winter and the shortest day of the year, it’s also a day that… Read More Have You Seen the Light?

Gratitude We are now entering the season of giving. This month in particular brings the season for giving thanks. It’s a great reminder. It’s so easy to take things for granted, even to take our loved ones for granted. Thanksgiving is a holiday that gives us a chance to open our eyes and hearts to… Read More Gratitude

What’s All the Fuss About the Tailbone? (Part 2) Phil (Krishna) Milgrom, 2019 In Part 1, the focus was on the structural significance of the tailbone. Why does Svaroopa® yoga begin with releasing the tailbone first and then follow with the rest of the spine, from bottom up? The tailbone is not just an inconsequential… Read More What’s All the Fuss About the Tailbone (Part 2)

What’s All the Fuss About the Tailbone? (Part 1) Phil (Krishna) Milgrom, 2019 If you know Svaroopa® yoga, you know that much emphasis is given to your tailbone. In every class, we teach poses that release your spinal tension, beginning with the tailbone. Why the tailbone? Consider the problem of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.… Read More What’s All The Fuss About the Tailbone? (Part 1)

© Phil Milgrom, RYT, CSYT, CSMT  “No matter what you are doing, keep the undercurrent of happiness. Learn to be secretly happy within your heart in spite of all circumstances.” ~ Paramahansa Yoganananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi. How do we become happy? I know what I used to think. I used to think… Read More On happiness

© Phil Milgrom, RYT, CSYT, CSMT For the first twenty or so years that I taught yoga, beginning in 1974, I was never quite sure what I was doing. I had my teacher’s certificate and a multitude of trainings from a wide variety of yoga styles, and I had plenty of students who seemed satisfied… Read More Svaroopa® yoga: How we found it, why we teach it, and what you will find

© Phil Milgrom, RYT, CSYT, CSMT  My teacher, Swami Nirmalananda, always says “Do More Yoga!” I know that many of you are so busy that more yoga is probably the last thing on your mind. We all have so much to do and so much ahead of us that stopping, or even slowing down, seems… Read More How often should one practice yoga, and when is the best time to practice?

© Phil Milgrom, RYT, CSYT, CSMT The main focus of this article is the benefits of Yoga, and primarily those benefits for your back. However, such a limited approach would be a great disservice to you, and disrespect to the great teachers who have handed down to us this wonderful and sacred discipline from over… Read More Yoga for your back and much more