In the deep west of our cultural country, amidst the boundless ghats of diverse Maharashtra, lies a picturesque town called Lonavala. A hub for Mumbaikars and Punekars to untwine after a frenetic week at work. Other than the pristine lakes such as Tungarli and mouth-watering delicacies such as Misal Pav and Batata Vada, Lonavala has a lot to offer.
It holds home to one of the world’s most pioneering yoga institutes. Approximately a 100 metre detour between the Mumbai-Pune expressway, lies the splendid arcadia known as ‘Kaivalyadhama’. As the slogan says ‘ Where Yoga Tradition and Science Meet’, Kaivalyadhama presents the perfect relation and balance uniting our ancient yogic practices to our present-day Modern Sciences.
Spread over 180 acres of lush land and flourishing forests, the campus has a lot to offer, attending to each and everyone’s requisites.
The melodic chirping of the kestrels and the Jungle Nightjar birds in the evergreen monsoon rains accompanied alongside the morning bells of the divine Hanuman Mandir in the campus is the ideal sound to open our eyes to every morning.
Commencing the day early in the morning with Shuddi Kriyas purifies the body and extinguishes all physical and mental stasis and lays foundation to a brighter start to the day in a yogic lifestyle. The nourishing milk extracted by the healthy cows of our Gaushala stands responsible for the first sip of our day of the warm Kada that gives solace to the mind, body and stomach.
The aroma of homemade spices and fresh curry leaves inevitably creates space in our stomachs and draws us to the Annapurna and Sadapurna Mess for many wholesome Sattvic delicacies that are just the perfect blend of flavour and fuel for the yogic practices throughout our time in kaivalyadhama.
Beginning with the Yog Abhyas ranging from therapy to basic and advance comprising of Asana, Pranayama and meditation practices and then engaging in the Dehdharna and Prandharna practices for Yoga and Relaxation, to lectures on many topics such as health in modern times and traditional texts such as the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Kaivalayadhama offers practices and knowledge suitable for everyone and pulls us closer to the recognition of our true and divine self.
The SADT Gupta Yogic Healthcare hospital caters to patients with all kinds of ailments and disorders, tending to them through the yogic process of therapy and healing, and promoting everyone towards a sustainable, active and conscious lifestyle.
After engaging and purifying the body and mind, the ayurveda and naturopathy centers act as the perfect oil to the machine that our body is, cleansing our body, then the mind through the blend of nature and ayurvedic sciences, really replenishes the soul and cleanses the aura.
Ancient practices such as Nasya, Panchakarma and Mud baths hold spiritual properties that can be used to excrete or let go of any kind of impurities in the body.
The naturally scented smoke that comes from the havan in the evenings from Swamiji”s Kuti finds it way through the energy channels of our body and completely replenishes the physical, mental and spiritual body.
The main library of our campus truly stands by the quote “Knowledge is the eye of desire and can become the pilot of the soul.” as it is home to more than 30,000 books varied over numerous topics such as Philosophy and Modern Medicine.
After a day of dedication and perseverance to learn, the Sattva Cafe of our institute, is the foremost spot to unwind as it offers all that you need to re-energize, whether it is a fresh brew or one of the pure homemade juices or if your body craves a little shot of glucose, you can munch upon nutritious delicacies such as vegetable sandwiches, aloo parathas or methi theplas.
My journey of Kaivalyadhama commenced back in 2017 when I accompanied my parents on their yearly visit. My parents are regulars of Kaivalyadhama and have studied under senior teachers such as Dr. O. P. Tiwari Ji and Dr. Ganesh Rao.
Born in a family of yoga teachers, I have been exposed to many different styles traditional and non-traditional schools of yoga and philosophy. Although I have learned yoga in various hemispheres of the world, the traditional principles of hatha yoga are engraved to my practice and daily life. From learning the four stages of Gurukulam in the Sivananda Ashram to understanding the meridians of Chinese medicine in my Yin Yoga Teacher Training in Bali, I am well versed with the concepts each style of yoga has to offer and how each is useful to incorporate in our practices.
Why Kaivalyadham?
Kaivalyadhama offers just the perfect mixture of our old traditions and practices of yoga with the modern sciences that the world is seeking these days to prove the soundness of yoga.
The rich lineage of Swami Kuvalayananda Ji and his disciples have established an institution, being Kaivalyadhama in Lonavala, which is quite uncommon in these modern times as even many of the traditional schools these days too, do not have one institution or center where you can experience and practice all practices of yoga.
The wide array of teachers and faculty, and the accessibility of learning from them is a blessing as it is very difficult, perhaps in these modern times to grasp such true and pure knowledge on all subjects such as traditional texts like the Bhagavad Gita or modern subjects like how yoga can help with stress.
Mr. Angad Babbar
A student of B.A. Yogashastra, at the prestigious institute Kaivalydhama, a yoga teacher and a keen learner.