About Nityananda Institute

Nityananda Institute
The Power of Spirit through the Practice of Yoga

ABOUT NITYANANDA INSTITUTE

Nityananda Institute, directed by Swami Chetanananda, is a community of people who are devoted to leading a life of authentic spirituality. Nityananda Institute is not a mainstream western or a traditional eastern-based religious organization; Nityananda Institute is a dynamic, evolving event. Authentic spirituality is not about doctrine or dogma or do's and don'ts, but about contacting the power of spirit within us and sustaining that contact as we move through our daily lives.

The Power of Spirit

Every one of us has something special that is our core. It is what is alive in us. It is not our minds, and it is not our bodies, although our bodies and minds are expressions of it. It is our spirit, the source of all power. The power of spirit has from within itself pulled forth the whole universe, and the power that has created the whole universe is within us. Spirit is one, it is whole, and it is infinite. Its potential is unimaginable.

Spirit manifests itself when we are in contact with it as a quality of completeness, of joy and satisfaction and clarity. This power is a power that supports us in every circumstance; it is a power which makes the ultimate wisdom and joy that is intrinsic to the ultimate reality available to us at all times. By establishing our attention there, we are beyond our bodies; we are beyond our mind and emotions; we are beyond every kind of limitation whatsoever.

The Practice of Yoga

The vehicle through which students at Nityananda Institute cultivate their contact with spirit is called yoga. The practice of yoga in all its forms is about a deeply individual experience, a deeply personal vision of the ultimate reality-what we in the West sometimes call God. Through yoga, we strive to experience and sustain this vision. Yoga is about the ability to feel our spirit and to feel that spirit all the time, under every circumstance, and to allow it to be nourished and grow stronger.

There are various forms of yoga; for instance, hatha yoga puts us in touch with our bodies and gives us greater control and flexibility. This flexibility is an expression of our essential, natural vitality. Meditation quiets the mind, quiets the emotions, and brings us a much greater level of mental health. Kundalini yoga is still deeper, an exploration of the mystery of life itself, the creative energy which is a manifestation of our inner spirit. To examine that energy carefully frees us from the limited perspective of our individuality and establishes from within us a communion with the universal power of Life itself.

Trika Yoga

At Nityananda Institute, our main spiritual practice is Trika Yoga, a form of kundalini yoga. The essence of Trika Yoga is to release tensions in all dimensions and allow our creative energy to flow without obstruction. Trika Yoga is a practice intended to develop awareness of this energy to the point where we experience it not merely as our finite self, but as the infinite Self, the power of spirit that underlies all reality.

The practice of Trika Yoga puts us in touch with our energetic mechanism, a system of energy channels and chakras, and helps us develop a deep understanding of the way in which it functions. We learn to change our state and our ways of relating to our environment. As we learned to stay attuned to the flow of creative energy, we experience an accelerated process of change and growth that leads to the maturing of love and fulfillment in our lives. Eventually we become established in a state of joy and total well-being which benefits everyone with whom we come in contact.

An Authentic Teacher

An authentic spiritual teacher is a person who has become established in the infinite nature of their individual awareness. The authentic teacher demonstrates continuously, and in every connection, the great creative power of spirit. An effective teacher is also a great student-one who is committed to extending their contact with, and capacity for access to, this creative energy of Life.

The role of the authentic teacher is basically two-fold: first, to arouse the deepest creative power of Life present within us; then, to support us as this power unfolds. The teacher is a well from which we draw a clear, pure vitality which facilitates our process of transformation. As this process unfolds, the creative power of Life makes us aware of the intimate relationship of all spirit and matter, and the oneness of all spirit.

The current teacher in the Nityananda Institute lineage is Swami Chetanananda, who was born and raised in the United States and has devoted his life to exploring the essence of authentic spirituality. Swami Chetanananda was a student of Swami Rudrananda (Rudi), who lived in New York City and passed away in 1973. The Nityananda Institute lineage also includes Bhagavan Nityananda of Ganeshpuri, India, Rudi's teacher and one of the greatest yogis of the 20th century.

The Nityananda Institute Community

The Nityananda Institute community has lived and worked together for over 30 years. We have tried to create an environment that is tolerant and flexible, appreciating human diversity in every single way, without losing our focus on spiritual development. Living in community supports our effort to deepen our contact with spirit by immersing us in a much larger field of energy from which we can draw to fuel our own growth.

Living from contact with spirit does not preclude or exclude any activity, any particular style of life, or any particular line of work. In fact, to live in this way totally extends and refines our capacity for self-expression as it completely refines and extends our capacity for self-awareness. Accordingly, the Nityananda Institute community comprises a wide range of ages, backgrounds, and professions. It offers exposure to a diverse array of talents, interests, accomplishments and expertise-a mixture which enriches each of us.


Nityananda Institute contact info:
phone: 503.231.0383
PO Box 13310, Portland, OR 97213-0310, USA
e-mail: info@rudrananda.org