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It has been suggested that Yuvashakti be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since October 2006.

Sahaja Yoga (Sahaja meaning born with and Yoga meaning union) is a type of meditation, religion and yoga. It claims to be a unique method of meditation based on an experience called self-realization (Kundalini awakening) that is believed to occur within each human being. The term Sahaja Yoga is also used to refer to the Sahaja Yoga International (Vishwa Nirmala Dharma) movement founded by Nirmala Srivastava (also known by devotees as Shri Mataji) on 5 May 1970 based on this practice.

Beliefs

The non-profit organization offers an experience by which it is claimed that individuals can spontaneously become aware of their subtle system through which they become one with (union) the all pervading power, attaining Self-Realization.

Kundalini is believed to be an energy that exists in every human being, but is dormant. Sahaja Yoga believes that this energy manifests itself through a "cool breeze" emanating from the hands and head. Many ways of awakening this energy have been proposed, however Sahaja Yoga proposes to offer an easier method of attaining this than other traditional methods such as Hatha Yoga which traditionally were known to require great penances to achieve Self-Realization.

Sahaja Yoga in medicine

There are case studies in which practitioners of Sahaja Yoga methods were tested in attempts to overcome diseases such as ADHD, asthma, and epilepsy.

In the test group practicing Sahaja Yoga meditation, it was found that there was a "significant improvement in VCS (Visual Contrast Sensitivity)", It was noted that Sahaja Yoga meditation appeared to bring about changes in some of the electrophysiological responses studied in epileptic patients. Other studies also show that Sahaja Yoga meditation results in fewer and less acute seizures

Results showed short-term effects on asthma: conclusions of the study found "Sahaja Yoga does have limited beneficial effects on some objective and subjective measures of the impact of asthma."

In the studies made, Sahaja Yoga was found to be more effective than generic forms of meditation in the reduction of stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Sahaja Yoga International (Vishwa Nirmala Dharma)

Vishwa Nirmala Dharma or Sahaja Yoga International is an international nonprofit organization and new religious movement established in 1970 by Shri Mataji Nirmala Srivastava to teach Sahaja Yoga meditation. According to members, it has centers in over 75 countries.

Facilities

• An international hospital in Bombay, India, the Sahaja Yoga International Health and Research Centre using Sahaja Yoga methods. This hospital claims to have been successful in curing incurable diseases such as high blood pressure, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis.
• The International Sahaja Public School (ISPS) in Dharamsala, India
• The Vishwa Nirmal Prem Ashram, Delhi, a project for the rehabilitation of destitute women and orphaned children, which opened in 2003
• The Shri P. K. Salve Kala Pratishthan, an academy of Indian Classical Music and Fine Arts, Vaitarna (Maharashtra)

Activities

Activities of Vishwa Nirmala Dharma include:

• Free weekly meditation programs.
• Inner city programs and free drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs featuring Sahaja Yoga.
• Free Sahaja Yoga meditation programs in work environments, such as the National Institute of Health in Washington, DC, Twentieth Century Fox studios in Los Angeles, California, Motorola, Inc. in Chicago, Illinois, Nortel Networks in Dallas, Texas; in hospitals; and in schools and colleges .
• Patronage of the arts, through creation of the Theater of Eternal Values, Poetry Enlightened, and other projects, and through use of Sahaja Yoga.
• The performance and recording of Indian and Indian-based spiritual music through groups such as Music of Joy (Australia), Nirmal Bhakti (Switzerland), many of whose members have trained at the Shri P.K.Salve Kala Pratishthan in Vaitarna.
• Radio Programs in Sydney and other parts of Australia.

Criticism

Some ex-members assert that the organization is a "cult which aims to control the minds of its members".

References

1. 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:
2. Manocha, R. "Sahaja yoga in asthma", Thorax 2003;58:825-826. URL:
3. 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:
4. Ramaratnam S., Sridharan K. "Yoga for epilepsy", Cochrane Database Syst Review 2000;(3):CD001524
5. 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
6. 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.
7. Project description
8. "Shri Who Must Be Obeyed" Article from The Independent, July 13, 2001.

External links

• Sahaja Yoga - official website
• The Beginning of Sahaja Yoga video
• Woman's Hour BBC radio program] questions and answers by Nirmala Srivastava and two ex-members.
• Timeline
• Medical research literature on Sahaja Yoga meditation
• The Light of Sahaja Yoga online international newspaper
• Roman prison will begin offering meditation and yoga to inmates Mirror of an article appearing in Ansa
• Say 'No' to Drugs, Turn To Sahaja Yoga for Help Article in the Times of India
• An Unlikely Source for Meditative Study - Queen's tribune online
• Facts on Sahaja Yoga

• Articles to be merged from October 2006
• New religious movements
• Yoga
• Religious organizations
• Spirituality
• Meditation