Swami Muktidharma Full Biography

“Yoga is not only about stretching the body, it is about flexibility of your mind.”

Name: Swami Muktidharmananda Saraswati (Swami Muktidharma)

Born: Colombia, South America in 1948.

Early Life: Raised as a catholic but was always interested in esoteric life, Swami Muktidharma spent some time with the Kogis, a wise group of Colombian natives, during his early years. In his late teenage years, he became a Franciscan monk for a short time and in his early twenties, came into contact with Swami Niranjanananda who was only 13, but already displaying such amazing qualities, that Swami Muktidharma’s dedication to yoga was solidified.

Life in India: In Swami Muktidharma’s late twenties he met his Guru, Paramahamsa Satyananda, who encouraged him to come to India. Despite resistance from family, Swami Muktidharma went to India to live with his Guru, a Master of the ancient science of yoga.

Swami Satyananda is recognized throughout the world for his contributions to the field of Tantra and Yoga. He has authored over 80 books on the science of yoga, established ashrams and yoga institutions world-wide and remains one of the most inspiring Yogis of modern times, continuing to guide humanity through being an example of serving and uplifting all.

During his 16 years in India with Swami Satyananda, Swami Muktidharma received direct training in all aspects of yoga science, including yoga, meditation techniques, Sanskrit, philosophy, yoga therapy etc. but above all, he imbibed a yogic attitude in front of life and acquired a flexibility of mind necessary to live lightly. Swami Muktidharma had various responsibilities within the ashram and as a traveling representative, including teaching yoga throughout India, stress management courses for corporations, and the management of an external ashram. He was also involved in research conducted into the affects of yoga on the body and mind.

Swami Muktidharma transformed himself by participating wholeheartedly, head, heart and hands in his Gurus mission to uplift humanity. Beyond sharing the ancient yoga science, he actively participated in service to Swami Satyananda’s neighbors. This took the form of plowing fields, distributing necessities, building houses and training the locals in important skills among other duties.

From India to New Zealand: Like a tree that grows big enough to sustain itself without being watered, Swami Muktidharma’s time to stand on his own feet came in 1996 when he left the ashram and began traveling and teaching internationally. He is now based in based in Golden Bay, New Zealand with Swami Karma Karuna and Atma Sundari, where they are building and managing Anahata Yoga Retreat, an affiliated Satyananda Yoga centre. They teach courses and train people in living a yogic lifestyle while remaining deeply connected to the Satyananda mission. Swami Muktidharma and Swami Karma Karuna travel frequently around the world and to the heart and home of Swami Satyananda and Swami Niranjanananda in India, where they conduct Yoga Lifestyle and sadhana courses and bring groups to experience themselves in a subtle and charged environment.

A scientific approach: Swami Muktidharma approaches yoga from a scientific point of view to bring it into the 21st century in a valid way. He uses scientifically proven Yoga techniques to treat asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome, high blood pressure, diabetes and other psycho-somatic disease.

Yoga as a Lifestyle: Swami Muktidharma postulates bringing yoga into daily life. He says, “that practice should not be on-off, on-off, but that yoga is a 24 hour, 7 day a week, all year long practice!” People who take his courses and spend time at Anahata Yoga Retreat receive inspiration and techniques to transform their daily lives into a yogic life.

Yoga & Children: Swami Muktidharma encourages parents to live yoga themselves and in this way they will influence their children positively. He believes that if children were introduced to yoga at a young age, we would have a more balanced society.

Meditation CDs: Swami Muktidharma has produced three different meditation CDs covering a range of practices related to deep relaxation, the chakras, mind management and the breath. His fourth CD on Seed Sounds, recorded with Swami Kailash and Swami Karma Karuna, was released in October 2007. Click for CDs.

---