Gitananda Yoga

Gitananda Yoga - Puducherry

Yoga Jivana Satsangha is an International Organisation founded in 1968 with 135 Centres in twenty-two countries ICYER, the International Centre for Yoga Education and Research, is the two acre residential complex of Yoga Jivana Satsangha, where Six Month International Yoga Teachers Courses are held each year from October 2nd to March 25th annually for thirty-five years since 1968.

Pondicherry Yogasana Association founded by Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri in 1975 has been in the forefront of the Yoga Sport movement and Swamiji is hailed as one of the founding fathers of this concept. Since 1975 the Pondicherry Yogasana Association has held 26 Annual Pondy State Yogasana Championships with more than 600 competitors from 30 institutions participating in these championships in recent times.

City Centre of ICYER is called Yoganjali Natyalayam and Yogamaharishi Dr. Swami Gitananda Giri established it on March 29, 1993. The flourishing Centre of Yoga, Bharata Natyam and Carnatic Music with more than 500 actively enrolled students and more than 10,000 alumni is located in Central Pondicherry, behind the New Bus station. It caters to the needs of the local populace as well as providing special individual and personally tailored lessons for passing Tourists and those visiting Pondicherry on a short-term basis.

Yoganjali Natyalayam has developed a very popular Bharata Natyam troupe, which specializes in performance of the difficult acrobatic Natya Karanas, which are essentially a form of Yoga Asanas. The Centre presents a full three-hour length Bharata Natyam Dance Drama each year in July - August to celebrate the birthday of Yogamaharishi Dr. Swami Gitananda Giri. Its Annual Day is held in June each year and is a feast of spectacular music, dance and Yoga demonstrations with more than 400 children appearing on stage.