devamitenblog

the sivananda ashram (part two)

hidden away in this tiny oasis, deva and i spent a week among some of the kindest and sweetest of fellow travellers.
people came from all over the usa to spend time with us over thanksgiving.
here’s a pic of the morning sunlight streaming through the temple windows at 6 am.
swami sivananda can be seen in the photo above deva - swami vishnu devananda, the founder of the ashram in the bahamas, can be seen behind miten

the ashram nestles in a warren of sandy paths and trees, with tiny wooden guest houses tucked away in the undergrowth.
birds sing, waves caress the white sand, chanting the holy name of lord krishna can be heard, and temple bells chime

manose made the most of his week there, enjoying snorkelling and, of course made friends with everyone, and still enchanted us all with his bansuri – even at 6 am

hal and marcia martin, our miami concert promoters were also among the guests

we want to thank the new friends we made at the shivananda ashram, and look forward to seeing them again sometime

the sivananda ashram (part one)

the sivananda ashram is a special place

not only because of its location, in the bahamas...

but also, because of the swamis and ashramites who live there - here we are with our gracious hosts, swami brahmananda and sharadadevi

you fly into nassau, drive through the old colonial town to a loading dock, where a small motor boat awaits to take you across the water to ‘paradise island’

paradise island was obviously once, paradisical.
but times change.
paradise is still there if you look for it, and i guess for some folks it’s all about gigantic, corporate, off-the-charts hotels, crowded beaches and non stop dance beats

but nestling among the rich and wealthy is this tiny little oasis, known as the sivananda ashram

..unity in diversity...

the hotel chains have tried many times to buy them out, but they hold fast.
this is where swami vishnu devananda came from india, over 40 years ago, to teach the west the power of yoga... when there was nothing to be seen on the stretch of beach but a few houses, the turquoise ocean, and a forest.
now cruise ships, billion dollar yachts, and oil tankers slide by while yogis and yoginis focus on their asanas from the deck of the ashram, a few meters away from one of the biggest, highest and most extravagant of hotels in the bahamas