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Shiva Process retreat and training course
In mid-November we ran our first training course in Shiva Process Self-inquiry. It was timed to lead into our spring retreat, also based on Shiva Process. |
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Chandra Alexander, via Skype
Chandra Alexander joined us via Skype from her home in South Florida on Sunday 30 October. Chandra is a noted transformational teacher, life-coach and television personality. She spent 10 years in close association with Baba Muktananda in the 1970s and ran the tour kitchen for him. She shared some wonderful stories about Baba's attitudes to food and the spiritual teachings that she learned during her time with him. |
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Goddess havan (photo slideshow)
Sri Yogi Matsyendra Nath from Russia visited Shiva Ashram recently. He is part of the Nath tradition and was visiting his devotees in Australia. He performed a goddess havan (fire ceremony) for us on Friday, October 28 and attended satsang the following night.
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Swamiji in Geelong
Swamiji and Devi Ma held a highly successful Satsang and Intensive in Geelong on October 14 and 15. |
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Param Saint Maharaj Kamal Bir Ji visits Shiva Ashram
On Thursday, Param Saint Maharaj Kamal Bir Ji visited the Shiva Ashram with a small group of devotees. He was visiting Australia from India doing talks in Melbourne and Sydney. |
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Annual Interfaith Awards Satsang
Our second Annual Interfaith Awards Satsang was held on Saturday September 10. It followed the opening of the Interfaith Garden. |
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Self-inquiry with Devi Ma in Noosa
Devi Ma recently returned from a trip to Noosa where she held Shiva Process Self-inquiry workshops and a satsang with local devotees. |
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Winter retreat report: The Blissful Sport of Consciousness
Our winter retreat coincided witht he 50th anniversary of Bhagavan Nityananda's Punyatithi (his death). |
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Back in the USA: Swamiji on tour
Swamiji recently returned home to Melbourne after a highly successful tour of the USA in which he held meditation programs, Self-inquiry courses and Intensives. |
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Shiva Process for Kids
On Sunday 3rd July we held a very successful Shiva Process for Kids workshop at the ashram. |
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'The Circle' visits Shiva Ashram
Channel 10's 'The Circle' featured Shiva Ashram as part of a series on health and wellbeing. |
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Installation of Nityananda murti and Baba's birthday
On the weekend of May 14-15, we celebrated the installation of our beautiful murti (statue) of Bhagavan Nityananda in Shree Gurudev Hall. It was also Baba Muktananda's birthday, and two 40-year anniversaries.
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Autumn Retreat 2011
From Wednesday 13th April until Sunday 17th April the Shiva ashram held the autumn retreat, Know Who You Are: Living from Shiva’s point of view. The focus of the retreat was to encourage us to take a higher perspective, seeing the events of life as a divine play of consciousness and helping us get in touch with the divinity within. Read More >> |
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Kids Intensive
On Sunday the 10th April, there was the first ever kids Intensive held at the Shiva Meditation Centre. In keeping with the normal Intensive tradition, the program began with the chant Joyta se Joyta and the breaking of the coconut. There was a palpable feeling of joy, excitement and anticipation in the air. Devi Ma was the master of ceremonies and she introduced two d inspiring talks from Magnus and Tristen. Swamiji spoke and then Devi Ma asked the children questions about the Ashram and their inner worlds. Devi Ma then lead everyone in a guided meditation. After morning tea Swamiji gave Shaktipat. To end, all the children came up to meet Swamiji and Devi Ma for the first time without their parents. It was a very successful day full of joy and wonder.
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Shiva Symposia: How I Found My Path to God
On Sunday 3 April, the Shiva Ashram hosted a fascinating Shiva Symposia. Organised by the Hindu Community Council of Victoria, four religious leaders from different faiths shared their experience of “How I Found My Path to God”. Drawn from Buddhist, Islamic, Christian, Bahá'í and Falun Gong faiths, the speakers told of their spiritual journeys. It was interesting to observe that most began on one faith path and then, often to their surprise, found themselves drawn to another. The crowd responded to the speakers honest and self-revealing stories of spiritual awakening and there was a lively discussion time.
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Special Visitors: A meeting of Mahamandaleshwar’s
We were delighted to welcome H.H. Vishwaguru Mahamandaleshwar Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda (Swamiji) along with Mahamandaleshwar Swami Jasraj to the ashram last week. Swami Mahaeshwarananda is the founder of Yoga in Daily Life and is currently on tour around Australia. Both Swami’s were ordained in the Mahanirvani Akhara, which is the same Akahara as Swamiji Maharaj. The group (which also included Swami Gopal) enjoyed a short program in the meditation hall and admired our new Bhagavan Nityananda murti before having tea with Swamiji Maharaj and Ma Devi.
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Shiva Symposium with Dr. Harry Oldmeadow
We were delighted to welcome Dr. Harry Oldmeadow to the Shiva Symposium which was held on Sunday 20 March. Harry is an Associate Professor at Latrobe University’s School of Philosophy and Religious Studies and has published and lectured widely. His entertaining and provocative talk was titled, ‘Ancient Beliefs and Modern Superstitions: Religion in the Contemporary World’. Harry is a traditionalist who affirms both the inner unity of religions while honouring their diversity. In both his talk and the lively discussion that followed he suggested the place that religions might play in our new global circumstances.
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Study Group with Mark Dyczkowski
Swamiji recently invited the great Kashmir Shaivite scholar, Mark Dyczkowski, to join us in a study group via Skype. Although he was in his home in Benares, India and it felt like Mark-ji was in the room with us. Mark-ji referred to the Shiva Sutras, which is the foundation text of Kashmir Shaivism. He discussed sutra 1:18: Lokanandah samdhisukham. To begin, Mark-ji summarized the Shiva Sutras leading up to this one in a clear simple manner, making the somewhat complicated text sound like a divine story of consciousness. He defined Lokanandah samdhisukham as ‘The bliss of the Light is the joy of contemplation.’ He went on to describe and explain each word including the many meanings of the term, loka. We then had the opportunity to ask questions on the sutra. To end we chanted verse 1:21 from the Spanda Karikas with Mark-ji, thus absorbing the benefits of the sound of Sanskrit
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Special visitors
On Tuesday 16th February we were delighted to welcome the American Hare Krishna bhajan singer, Gaura Vani along with Jahnavi and Parividha Das. The evening began with highly entertaining songs from Parividha Das’s ‘devotional cabaret show’. We then heard from Gaura Vani and Jahnavi who performed several ecstatic chants which had Shiva Yogis and Krishna’s dancing. |
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Intrafaith Event: Hare Krishna ‘Festival of the Chariots’
Festival Sunday is the culmination of the St Kilda Festival and this year it attracted a record crowd of 420,000 people. One very special feature of the day was the Hare Krishna ‘Festival of the Chariots’. Read More >> |
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Summer Retreat 2011
Over nine days in January, the summer Retreat was a time to intensify our spiritual practice and deepen our connection with the inner Self. Everything in the ashram is designed for this goal, whether we are meditating, working in the garden, cooking, or even doing the dishes. Read More >> |
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Annual Baseball Game
The Shiva ashram held it’s annual baseball game and barbeque on the 2nd January. Four teams battled it out but, after some fierce play (and many disputes over rules!), Swamiji led his team to victory. Afterwards we had an excellent vegie burger barbeque at the ashram
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“Spot which one is the Mahamandaleshwar!” |
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New Year’s Satsang
‘Walk through open doors. Don’t beat your head against closed doors.’
What better way to start the New Year than to come to Satsang. This year, Satsang happened to fall on the 1st of January and Swamiji Maharaj took the opportunity to give his New Years message. Read More >> |
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Swami Shankarananda Becomes a Mahamandaleshwar
Around the corner of a dusty road in Ganeshpuri, India they swept – the orange-clad Mahamandaleshwars and Mahants who were to instal Swami Shankarananda, head of the Shiva Ashram in Melbourne, Australia, as a Mahamandaleshwar in the Mahanirvani Akhara. Read More >> |
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Ganeshpuri: 2010
Ganeshpuri is the wellspring of the Shiva Yoga tradition. On this, our third major trip to Ganeshpuri, 93 Shiva Yogis joined Swamiji and Ma Devi on retreat. The highlight was undoubtedly the remarkable ceremony to initiate Swamiji as a Mahamandaleshwar, but there were many other great moments that were unforgettable. Read More >>
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The Sadhana Files: Interviews with Shiva Yogis
A regularly updated series of interviews with members of the Shiva Yoga community about their spiritual life (sadhana). There are two new interviews in our Sadhana Files this month with the leaders of our Adelaide and Melbourne city centers. Lilavati interviews both Swami Dayananda (Director, Adelaide center) and Maria Lazzaro (who hosts the recently opened center in her home in East Brighton, Melbourne) Read More >> |
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News Archive
>> Read our news archive
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Ashram Photo Gallery
Ashram Gardens
Pets at the Ashram |
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