________________
Yoga Flourishes in Brazil
२३३
.
movement of Yoga unitedly. This is obviously a difficult task, but we have been successful in bringing three schools of Yoga together and forming one association.
Physical and mental health being the primary concern before us, we are centring our attention on projecting Yogic activities in a scientific manner in the departments of physical education. Our scientific approach and rational outlook of the problems of modern living tackled through Yoga is being appreciated in many quarters.
In order to deal with the stupendous task of educating the masses we have to depend on the adequately trained teachers. We are engaged in preparing the teachers of Yoga along the lines of and under the guidance of Kaivalyadham, Lonavla.
We are aiming our efforts in two directions : among the Official Schools and the Private Yoga Institutes. The work towards the Official Schools has found a footing in the Physical Education Schools.
For the last two years I have been teaching Yoga in the School of Physical Education of the Sao Paulo University. Upto now the work has been done on an experimental basis. There is a great interest on the part of the students and by now we hope to have established a permanent footing there. .
Besides the São Paulo School, we have also established contact with the Physical Educational School in Goiania, capital of the State of Goias, where the Yoga has been taught for about two years. Since my visit to Goiania last October, we have the pleasure to learn that the orientation of Yoga adopted by that School will be in accordance with the lines of Kaivalyadham.
The book "Asanas," which I have translated into Portuguese (duly authorized by Kaivalyadham) has been adopted as text book for their students in Goiania.
Furthermore, we have established contact with a private Yoga Institute in Goiania. Since geographically Goiania is situated in the centre of Brazil, very close to our new capital - Brasilia, this new association has a very auspicious meaning to us. We are very happy indeed with this last development of our work.
On the other hand, the work with the private Yoga Institutes and Yoga teachers in general is also taking shape. We have founded an Association as an effort to join all the Institutes and teachers willing to practise and to develop on the lines of scientific Yoga lines as directed by Kaivalyadham. The newly founded Association has already organized a training course whose candidates came from those Yoga Institutes forming the Association. This was our way to give them the fundamental tenets of scientific Yoga. Some 25 teachers completed the course and have already organized themselves in the "Association of Teachers of Scientific Yoga". And the new Association is already very active.
The translation of the book "Asanas" by Kuvalayananda into Portuguese was a landmark in our efforts. First, because it is a deserved homage from ourselves to the great Swami, founder of Kaivalyadham. Then, because through a book the spreading of Yoga on the right lines can reach anywhere, everywhere. It was a very difficult task to finish and still today it gives me a thrill to see the book in some libraries or displayed for sale in book-shops.
Another land-mark was to have a headquarter to all our activities and also a place to practise and teach Yoga. So, our Institute came to life and a group of students attend regularly Yoga classes under our guidance. It is a very gratifying experience, the real basis of our work.
It is our general experience that most people look after Yoga for mental and physical health reasons. Quite a few come to Yoga directed by their physicians. Sometimes a Yoga teacher fiņds himself dealing single-handed with therapy cases, besides trying to attend to all different needs of the group. So the requirement of joining forces and more guidance is very great indeed.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
