Shir Shemesh Yoga

We are happy to invite you to our Self-Love & Healing Yoga Retreat. 🙏🏼💚🫶🏽

Spend four nourishing days immersed in the peaceful, wild beauty of the magical Black Forest. Surrounded by nature, you’ll naturally slow down the pace of your thoughts, creating space for inner peace, deep relaxation, and healing.

Through yoga āsana, prāṇāyāma (breathwork), self-massage, meditation, sattvic vegan Food, chanting and the support of a like-hearted community, we will practice and cultivate self-care, self-love, acceptance, and healthy daily habits that can continue to support relaxation, healing, transformation, and a more conscious way of living long after the retreat has ended. 💚

This retreat is for anyone who wishes to reconnect with themselves, explore yoga in all its beautiful forms, and be inspired by a supportive community. No previous experience or knowledge is required.

Come exactly as you are. 💚

लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु
Lokāḥ Samastāḥ Sukhino Bhavantu

Love,

Mariella and Shir

Where: Seminarhaus Karuna, Wolfach, Germany
When: 1–4 October 2026

For more information and registration:
📧 [email protected]
📱 WhatsApp: +49 159 06416405

I first met Sri Dharma Mittra 14 years ago, and meeting him transformed my life and my spiritual understanding in ways that continue to unfold to this very day.

The guru of Dharmaji is Swami Kailashananda Saraswati, also known as Yogi Gupta. Dharmaji began studying yoga under the guidance of Yogi Gupta in 1964. In honor of his beloved Guru, Dharmaji later created the renowned Yoga Master Chart, featuring 908 yoga postures as an offering of devotion.

This April, we had the blessing of spending a few days in Rishikesh once again. Throughout the twentieth century, Rishikesh became a source of inspiration for many revered yogis, including Swami Sivananda, Swami Rama, Swami Dayananda, and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Before founding the Kailasananda Mission Trust, Yogi Gupta served as an Ayurvedic physician at the Sivananda Ashram. He later established three temples and ashrams, along with an Ayurveda and Nature Cure Centre, dedicated to preserving the wisdom of yoga and Ayurveda.

Our pilgrimage began at the magnificent Kailasananda Mission temple near Lakshman Jhula on the Tapovan side of the Ganga. The temple houses more than a thousand sacred forms of the Divine. We were fortunate to meet some of Yogi Gupta’s longtime devotees, who lovingly guided us through the many shrines while sharing stories filled with devotion and wisdom. It was here that Yogi Gupta trained Brahmin priests to perform sacred ceremonies for the deities.

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„It’s a mistake to expect benefits from any pose. Expectations make you restless because if you fail to get what you expect, you feel miserable. Yoga practice is an act of adoration... you do it because it has to be done.“ - Shree Dharma Mittra ji 💚🫶🏽

Picture taken by our sweet friends from the blackforest
Whom we met in magical krabi, Thailand this year 💚 If u need Thailand family travel tips , she’s the one 💚

Every fruit, every leaf, every seed, every herb carries the life force of the sun, the soil, and the rain💚Today and everyday we want to choose food that is alive, so we can feel fully alive too🌿🌞

Swami Premananda🙏🏼💚

since I took my first teacher training course with Sivananda Yoga I felt a deep connection with Swami Sivananda Saraswati. I kept feeling drawn to his wisdom through his books, recorded speeches and lightful spirit. I felt often being guided by his spirit in times of unclarity and darkness. as years passed by the connection with the international Sivananda organisation declined for many reasons, but the connection with Sivananda and the direct line of yogis back to Adi Shankaracharya have never deemed.

While staying in Uttarkashi we heard of a 93 years old Swami, a direct disciple of Sivananda, who lives in his Ashram and doing important charity work in the region. He came to live in UIttarkashi around 1964 with other monks, to do their spiritual work and practices on the banks of Ganga Ma. At these times they got help, food and shelter from the local people. He established his Sivananda Ashram in Ganeshpur 40 years ago and since then giving back to the villagers in education, medical aid, food and help after the earthquake in 1991.

Arriving to his Ashram something felt familiar. The shrines dedicated to Sivananda and Swami Chidananda (the predecessor of Sivananda) with many quotes of Sivananda touched my heart, reminding me all of Sivananda wisdom phrased in short but brilliant way, such as ‘serve, love, give, purify, meditate, realise….’. The meeting Premananda, one could feel a motherly love poring from his eyes on us, and his often laughter reminded me the child like laughter of Dharmaji. In his presence we could all feel a different state of awareness that he posses. He talked with us about the importance of following strictly the Guru instructions, referring to ‘Mantra Mulam Gurur Vaakyam’.

Continue in comments💚

Soon back from India, with full hearts and deep inspiration from our journey and practice we are very happy to share this special Maha Sadhana with you in Freiburg — an evening to move, breathe, chant, meditate and connect and elevate through the devoted practice of Dharma Yoga💚🩵🫶🏽

The practice will be both in-person and online, so you can join from wherever you are 🤍

Asana • Pranayama • Mantra • Meditation

📍 Freiburg Yoga Akademie

📅 25.05.2026

⏰ 18:30 – 21:00

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu
May all beings everywhere be happy and free

We feel grateful every day for the teachings, guidance, compassion and dedication of our Guru, Sri Dharma Mittra.
We wish to dedicate this mantra for his 87th birthday, which expresses the importance of Dharmaji in our spiritual life.

ध्यानमूलं गुरुर्मूर्ति: पूजामूलं गुरुर्पदम्।मन्त्रमूलं गुरुर्वाक्यं मोक्षमूलं गुरुर्कृपा ॥

Dhyaana-Muulam Gurur-Muurtih
Puuja Muulam Gurur-Padam |
Mantra-Muulam Gurur-Vaakyam
Moksha Muulam Guruur-Krpaa ||

The root of meditation is the form of the Guru.
The root of worship is the feet of the Guru.
The root of all mantras is the word/teachings of the Guru.
The root of liberation is the grace of the Guru🙏🏼💚🙏🏼

Like this mantra says, the words of Dharmaji are pure guiding light like a mantra. And in his presence and blessings we feel the ignition of liberating proccess. 💚🙏🏼

Happy 87th birthday💚

Blessings of Ganga Ma from tapasyalayam ashram ,netala village 💚
We spend the last month on the banks of the sacred river Ganga.
For thousands of years many spiritual seekers settled on the northern banks of the Ganga with strong intention of purification and connecting with the highest spirits of the Ganga valley. Some of the more known sages associated with this region are Vashishtha, Nachiketa, Kapila, and Chaurangi.
Mother Ganga is not a simple river with water flowing through it. Ganga is a life giving, source of not exhaustible energy, and associated as the purifier of ancestral malefic deeds (sins). The story how the goddess Ganga was brought down to earth through the intense penance of King Bhagirath in order to cleanse the sins of his ancestors, is echoing in the sound of Ganga Ma rushing between the rocks and the glittery sand💚
Staying in the Ashram while constantly hearing this flow of water sound, pulling the mind towards it and inside yourself, whispering that everything that you feel and go through is perfect. 💚everything is perfect💚
This sound brings you to experience presence and is guiding the heart naturally towards spiritual practice, devotion, and deeper self-inquiry. gradually we felt a profound silent inner change taking place.
Bathing in the Ganga in the morning time, meditating on its banks and chanting Om Shuddhi Daataa Ganga Mata Namo Namo, while feeling gratitude helped us to reconnect with the healing powers and spirits of the valley as a reflection of our own healing powers 💚