Sri Swami Sivananda Saraswati was born at Pattamadai, (Tamil Nadu) in 1887. After serving as a medical doctor in Malaya, he renounced his practice to answer the spiritual call, which brought him to the Himalayas. He settled in the sacred valley of Rishikesh and was initiated into the Dashnami Sannyasa tradition in 1924 by Swami Vishwananda Saraswati.
In subsequent years he wrote hundreds of books and articles on yoga and spirituality to maintain and introduce yogic values in the minds of the general public. His emphasis was on bringing the spiritual and yogic teachings to all without distinction, for health, peace of mind or spiritual upliftment.
Sri Swami Sivananda Saraswati’s teachings inspired people across the globe to practice yoga and lead a divine life. He founded the Divine Life Society at Rishikesh in 1936, the Sivananda Ayurvedic Pharmacy in 1945, the Yoga Vedanta Forest Academy in 1948, the Sivananda Eye Hospital in 1957 and attained Maha Samadhi on 14th July 1963.
Sri Swami Sivananda never left the shores of India but today he is known all over the world for his spiritual wisdom and clarity.
Read more about Swami Sivananda’s contributions to yoga here.
