Meditation Sessions 2018 via Live Audio Stream
This series of seven Siddha Yoga meditation sessions were live audio streamed via the Siddha Yoga path website, and are now available via webcast in English and with voice-over translation in French, Hindi, and Spanish. The meditation sessions are led by Siddha Yoga meditation teachers.
To participate in Meditation Sessions I—VII, click on the links below.
Session I: Pranayama: Unveiling the Power of the Breath
Taught by Siddha Yoga Meditation Teacher Gita Sen
In this session, participants will practice a pranayama similar to the one introduced in A Sweet Surprise Satsang, and will explore how this breathing technique helps put the mind to rest in the tranquility and peace of the Self. This practice will help participants recognize how pranayama supports their study of Gurumayi’s Message for 2018—Satsang—by connecting them with their own inner Truth.
Session II: The Golden Sun Within
Taught by Siddha Yoga Meditation Teacher Aldo Colella
In this session, participants will enter meditation by practicing a dharana, a centering technique, which will guide the mind’s focus to the divine Truth in the form of a golden sun, blazing at the center of their being.
Session III: Rest Your Mind in the Serenity of Nature
Taught by Siddha Yoga Meditation Teacher Theresa Perez
In this session, participants will be guided to recognize their inherent serenity through a dharana on nature.
Session IV: Let the Mantra Fill Your Being
Taught by Siddha Yoga Meditation Teacher Patrick Ramacciotti
In this session, participants enter meditation by repeating the mantra Om Namah Shivaya with the awareness that the mantra resounds within. This practice will strengthen the participants’ relationship with the mantra as a means of experiencing satsang.
Session V: Delight in the Nectar of the Truth
Taught by Siddha Yoga Meditation Teacher Reshma Burkhard
In this session, participants will explore satyarasa, the ambrosia of the Truth, by means of a dharana, visualizing this yogic nectar flowing from the sahasrara.
Session VI: In All Things, One Truth
Taught by Siddha Yoga Meditation Teacher Mehul Joshi
In this session, students will explore the all-pervasive Truth existing in everything sentient and insentient. They will do this through a dharana, visualizing the golden light of the Truth permeating all that exists.
Session VII: The Center of Peace Within
Taught by Siddha Yoga Meditation Teacher Shakti Butler
In this session, the conclusion of this meditation series, participants engage in satsang by recognizing their own innate ability to embody peace and invoke blessings for the benefit of all. Through a dharana on the Heart, participants will discover how this is possible.
About Gita Sen
Gita began following the Siddha Yoga path in 1984 after participating in a satsang at the Siddha Yoga Ashram in Manhattan. She serves as a Siddha Yoga meditation teacher for Pilgrimage to the Heart retreats and Muktananda Dhyana Saptahs. Gita served as a Trustee for PRASAD Chikitsa from 2003 to 2005. She also offered seva as a member of the steering committee for the Siddha Yoga Meditation Center in Bangalore, India.
Gita holds a master's degree in economics from the University of Delhi and a PhD in economics from Stanford University. She is the director of a research center for public health in Bangalore, and an adjunct professor of global health and population at Harvard University. Gita currently lives in Bangalore with her husband.
About Aldo Colella
Aldo Colella Garofalo began following the Siddha Yoga path in 1988, after attending a satsang in the Siddha Yoga Meditation Center in Naples, Italy. Currently, he works as a business consultant in Milan, giving trainings in communication, leadership, and marketing. Since 1990 Aldo has offered seva as a Siddha Yoga meditation teacher in Siddha Yoga Shaktipat Intensives, Sadhana Retreats, courses, and satsangs. Known for his lightheartedness and enthusiasm, Aldo brings to his teaching a keen interest in people and years of professional coaching experience.
About Theresa Perez
Theresa Perez was introduced to the Siddha Yoga path by a friend in 1998 when she was fifteen years old and has been a dedicated student ever since. She has a deep love of the practice of meditation, and began offering seva as a Siddha Yoga Meditation Teacher in 2008.
Theresa also serves as a Project Manager in the Content Department, offering seva from home and as a visiting sevite. She was a staff member in the SYDA Foundation from 2011 to 2014, during which time she served as the head of the Content Department.
Theresa earned a Bachelor of Music in Contemporary Writing and Production from the Berklee College of Music and a Masters Degree from the Rome Business School. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, and works as a consultant and creative director for arts & cultural organizations.
About Patrick Ramacciotti
Patrick began practicing the Siddha Yoga teachings in 1983 in Paris, France. Between 1994 and 2006, Patrick served in leadership positions for the Siddha Yoga Meditation Center in Paris and the national organization for the Siddha Yoga path in France. He currently offers seva as a Siddha Yoga meditation teacher. He also serves as the Intellectual Property Coordinator in France.
Patrick has a Master of Science degree from École Polytechnique in Paris. He is retired from his work as a manager in business and information systems.
Patrick lives in Paris with his wife.
About Reshma Burkhard
Reshma Burkhard began her Siddha Yoga practice in Mexico City in 1991. Since then, she has offered seva in many capacities, both at Shree Muktananda Ashram and at the Siddha Yoga Ashram in Mexico City, including supporting Gurumayi’s Teaching Visits to Mexico in 1992, 1996, and 1997. She is a Siddha Yoga meditation teacher and a facilitator for the Prison Project in Mexico.
Professionally, Reshma is documentary filmmaker and teacher. She studied political science at Freie Universität in Berlin, Germany, finishing with a master's degree in 1993. In 2001, she earned a bachelor of arts in filmmaking at Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica in Mexico City.
Reshma lives in Mexico City with her eleven-year-old daughter, Sofia.
About Mehul Joshi
Mehul Joshi began his Siddha Yoga practice twenty-seven years ago. He has offered seva as a Siddha Yoga meditation teacher, teaching in Siddha Yoga courses and retreats in locations around the world. Mehul served on staff in the SYDA Foundation from 2000 to 2009, and he currently offers seva from home with the SYDA Foundation Content Department.
Mehul holds an honors degree in physics from the University of Essex in the United Kingdom. He works as a senior partner in a leadership development consultancy in Sydney, Australia, where he lives with his wife, Genevieve Uttara, and their two children.
About Shakti Butler
Shakti Butler began following the Siddha Yoga path after participating in a Shaktipat Intensive in 1987 in Oakland, California. Shakti serves as a Siddha Yoga meditation teacher at the Siddha Yoga Ashram in Oakland, teaching in satsangs and Muktananda Dhyana Saptah: A Siddha Meditation Event. She also serves as a visiting sevite in the SYDA Foundation Live Events Department.
Shakti holds a PhD in transformative learning and change and is the founder and president of World Trust Educational Services, a nonprofit social justice organization. She lives in Oakland with her husband, Shiva.