The 18-FOLD PATH of Swami Sivananda & the Practice of Pratyahara

In April 2013, Swami Sivananda’s 18 -OTHTES and the practice of pratyahara were the subject of a series of talks given at Ganga Darshan by Swami Shivamurti, Acharya of Satyanandashram Hellados. The 18 -OTHTES refer to eighteen positive qualities or virtues. The practice of these qualities leads the seeker to a divine way of life. Swami Satyananda Saraswati established the practices of pratyahara as the trademark of Satyananda Yoga®, Yoga of Bihar. Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati further expanded pratyahara, evolving it into a practice that can be experienced empirically throughout the day, twenty-four hours a day. He emphasizes the importance of the yogic way of life and brings back to the forefront the practice of the 18 -OTHTES as an integral part of his teaching.

Swami Shivamurti was the one who presented these two practices as directly connected to our way of life. Each quality is described in detail and accompanied by various storytelling, in order to achieve an in-depth understanding of all the latent meanings. Then each quality is correlated with a stage of pratyahara, thus allowing the seeker to systematically work on these concepts in the form of sadhana, through the experience and embodiment of all concepts in his daily life. These lectures provide the motivation and the necessary guidance to the seeker, not only to practice yoga but also to make it a personal experience.