18 – 22 May 2023

Vishwaguruji's recent visit to two beautiful Northern European countries, in words and pictures.

SWEDEN

18 – 19 May 2023, Helsingborg

The 18th of May was a memorable day for Swedish bhaktas of Yoga in Daily Life. This was the first visit of Gurudev Maheshwaranandaji to Helsingborg, in southern Sweden. Many international followers gathered for the two-day program at the seaside city, along with many locals, to listen to Vishwaguruji’s lectures and soul-uplifting bhajans.

Gurudev Maheshwaranandaji paid a visit to the local Hindu Mandir where the organisers received him with great respect. Vishwaguruji gave a public lecture as well, talking about the importance of ahimsa (non-violence) as the basis of human qualities, to avoid eating meat and drinking alcohol.

Dr Nemrud Büyükkaya Narsinghpuri, Tibor Kökény Tyagpuri and Swami Umapuri gave lectures on yoga and physical health, psychological aspects of yoga, and yoga and spirituality, respectively.

A new ashram was inaugurated, located on the pedestrian street of the city centre. Bhajans were sung and local songs as well, attracting a few passersby, who also joined the program with Vishwaguruji.

One of the highlights during the seminar was the sightseeing around the seaside, where an open satsang took place spontaneously. A few local people who had moved to Sweden from India, also joined the satsang and greeted Vishwaguruji.

THE NETHERLANDS

20 – 22 May 2023, Noord-Brabant

Vishwaguruji continued the North European tour with a visit to the Yoga in Daily Life community of his devotees in The Netherlands from 20 - 22 May 2023. In the 1970’s, Vishwaguruji visited this country several times and enjoyed the Dutch flat waterlands, during short vacations or when flying to/from India. In 2004 and 2008, he also held public lectures and seminars with Dutch devotees in Amsterdam, Tilburg and Breda.

This seminar took place in the small villages Dongen and Oosteind in Noord-Brabant, just north of Breda, where one of his devotees has had a Yoga in Daily Life school for over 23 years.

Dongen

The seminar began on Saturday 20 May in Dongen, and satsangs with Vishwaguruji and a program of YIDL practice of asanas, pranayama and meditations, were attended by devotees and YIDL practitioners from The Netherlands, all around continental Europe and the UK. Also participating, as guest speakers, were Mahamandaleshwar Swami Gyaneshwarpuriji, Swami Uma Puri, Swami Rukmani and Swami Lakshman Puri, who all shared their experiences and extensive yoga wisdom.

In his lectures, Vishwaguruji emphasized the importance that humanity should stop killing animals. His Holiness also explained the significance of being a human. That people should practise yoga in daily life, practise every day, and live in full awareness and according to human moral and ethical norms. The invigorating atmosphere of the seminar filled everyone with happiness, contentment and a genuine feeling of being a part of the YIDL spiritual family.

On Sunday 21 May, Vishwaguruji was given a tour by the host of the Dongen program venue around their greenhouse property where they grow organic vegetables on three hectares, and also their larger fruit forest. Their whole production model is completely biological/organic and optimally self-sufficient, all based on their own, as well as world-renowned Dutch sophisticated scientific methods for agricultural glasshouses. As well as the large hall used as a venue, their whole greenhouse centre includes an organic food shop, a bar, a vegetarian kitchen and cafe.

Oosteind

The Monday 22 May satsang was held outside in the beautiful garden of the Oosteind farmhouse property of one of the devotees. Next to the house, the property currently includes also a YIDL practice space, offices, facility buildings, and a park with larger vegetable gardens, a fruit forest and a lawn by a pond. During the program, Vishwaguruji laid the foundations for a Yoga in Daily Life Vegan & Vegetarian Ashram on the property, along with 20 local members living in The Netherlands.