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Sahaja Yoga (Sahaja meaning born with and Yoga meaning union) is a type of meditation, religion and yoga, created by Nirmala Srivastava, also known as Shri Mataji, in 1970. The term Sahaja Yoga is also used to refer to the Sahaja Yoga International (Vishwa Nirmala Dharma) movement which she founded.

The practice is internationally popular, having lead to the creation meditation centers in multiple countries, and its own television show. It has also notably been taught to prisoners in Italy and the United States, such as at Rikers Island The organization has also, however, come under criticism for allegedly having cult-like elements Many members meditate on the photo of the founder, this is believed to aid in focusing the attention needed to aid in the rise of the Kundalini.

Beliefs

Followers believe that there are seven energy points, or chakras, on the body that can be balanced by awakening the kundalini, a normally dormant energy which exists in every human being. When self-realization is achieved, a person will feel a cool breeze on top of their head. If there is a feeling of burning, then the body has not achieved such balance. Sahaja Yoga claims to provide an easier method of attaining this state than other traditional methods such as Hatha Yoga, which rely on physical postures to attain Self-realisation.

Sahaja Yoga in medicine

Sahaja Yoga meditation has proven effective in addressing various medical ailments, including asthma, epilepsy, and ADHD. Some of these claims have been scientifically confirmed. For example, some case studies have shown that test subjects who were practing Sahaja Yoga meditation had "significant improvement in VCS (Visual Contrast Sensitivity)", and that meditation appeared to bring about changes in some of the electrophysiological responses studied in epileptic patients. Other studies showed that Sahaja Yoga meditation results in fewer and less acute epileptic seizures According to the Medical Observer Weekly, Sahaja Yoga was found to be more effective than other generic forms of meditation in the reduction of stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Short-term effects on asthma have also been noticed, by both objective and subjective measures.

The organization runs an international hospital in Bombay, India, the Sahaja Yoga International Health and Research Centre, which uses Sahaja Yoga methods. This hospital claims to have been successful in curing incurable diseases such as high blood pressure, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis.

Sahaja Yoga International (Vishwa Nirmala Dharma)

Sahaja Yoga International (also known as Vishwa Nirmala Dharma) is the administrative side of the movement. Founded in 1970, ostensibly to teach Sahaja Yoga meditation, it has formal recognition as a new religious movement, and according to its members has centers in over 75 countries.. It also runs other yoga-related facilities and activities, including radio programs a hospital (described in the above section), and as of 2003, the Vishwa Nirmal Prem Ashram, Delhi, a project for the rehabilitation of "destitute women and orphaned children". Another project is the "Shri P. K. Salve Kala Pratishthan," an academy of Indian Classical Music and Fine Arts, in the Vaitarna region, in the state of Maharashtra near Bombay.

The organization's youth movement is called "Yuvashakti" (previously "Nirmal Shakti Yuva Sangha"), from the Sanskrit words Yuva (Youth) and Shakti (Power). Members help organise Sahaja Yoga events, such as a showcase for the animation and film of Yuvashakti artists

See also

• International Sahaja Public School

References

1. An Unlikely Source for Meditative Study - Queen's tribune online
2. Roman prison will begin offering meditation and yoga to inmates Mirror of an article appearing in Ansa
3. "Shri Who Must Be Obeyed" Article from The Independent, July 13, 2001.
4. Manocha, R. "Sahaja yoga in asthma", Thorax 2003;58:825-826. URL:
5. ^ Manocha R, Marks G.B., Kenchington P., Peters D., Salome C.M. "Sahaja yoga in the management of moderate to severe asthma: a randomized controlled trial", Thorax 2003;57:110-115. URL:
6. Ramaratnam S., Sridharan K. "Yoga for epilepsy", Cochrane Database Syst Review 2000;(3):CD001524
7. Harrison, L.J., Manocha R., Rubia, K. "Sahaja Yoga Meditation as a Family Treatment Programme for Children with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder", Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry 2004;9(4):479-497. URL:
8. Panjwani U., Selvamurthy W., Singh S.H., Gupta H.L., Mukhopadhyay S., Thakur L. "Effect of Sahaja yoga meditation on auditory evoked potentials (AEP) and visual contrast sensitivity (VCS) in epileptics", Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback 2000;25(1):1-12
9. Panjwani U, Selvamurthy W, Singh SH, Gupta HL, Thakur L, Rai UC. "Effect of sahaja yoga practice on seizure control & EEG changes in patients of epilepsy." Indian J Med Res 1996;103: 165-72.
10. ^ "Making sense of meditation", August 13, 2004, Medical Observer Weekly
11. Medical research literature on Sahaja Yoga meditation
12. "A message for one and all", April 7, 2003, The Hindu
13. List of Sahaja Yoga centers
14. http://www.sahajayoga.com.au/level_1/Radio.shtml
15. http://www.2ser.com/programs/shows/sahajayoga/?searchterm=sahaja
16. Project description
17. http://www.pksacademy.com/
18. Yuvashakti Universal - design, animation, and film showcase of Yuvashakti artists

External links

• Sahaja Yoga - official website
• The Light of Sahaja Yoga, newsletter
• Woman's Hour September 12, 2001 BBC radio program, with questions and answers by Nirmala Srivastava and two ex-members.
• Say 'No' to Drugs, Turn To Sahaja Yoga for Help September 10, 2006 editorial from Times of India
• "Official Response from Sahaja Yoga International to False Allegations"
• The Beginning of Sahaja Yoga video

• New religious movements
• Yoga
• Religious organizations
• Spirituality
• Meditation