Mr. Pascal Edeline, born in Belgium on 15th April, 1960, was a student of architecture, music, painting, sculpture, history and culture. He has also learnt drawing. He made a complete tour of the world in two years, and visited Tapovan twice. He learnt the Shiva-yoga under the guidance of H.H.Mahatapasvi Shri Kumarswamiji and has continued its practice. Some of his experiences are recorded here.) I met Shri Swamiji for the first time in Belgium, where the lectures were organized in the year 1979. It happened in 1982, I was traveling throughout the world for one and half a year, when I arrived in India. I had during all those months, met many people, groups, churches who were teaching the ways of divinity and spirituality, but none of them gave me what I wanted. I always found that they did not guide me fully. I was attracted by the love of Shri Swamiji and by the voice of Swamiji through Shiva-yoga, which brought me to India and Tapovan. Read More

Mr. Claude is a Yoga teacher and director of the Yoga school run by the French Federation of Hathayoga in Nice, a big tourist city on the Mediterrian coast. Since 25 years he is interested in Yoga and Indian Philosophy and he teaches yoga since 15 years. Shri Kumarswamiji lived 5 days in the family of Mr. Claude. Mr. Claude visited Tapovana in 1982 and lived for 10 days. He is practicing Shiva-yoga and having profound experiences. It is with high emotion I write this. I thank God to have given me a golden opportunity to meet H.H.Shri Kumarswamiji; who is a person of full of love. He guides us for our realization and liberation. It is in Tapovana, I received the initiation of Shiva-yoga. It is like receiving the grace of God. I stayed one week in Tapovan in 1982, which is a memorable event in my life. I could realize fully by the divine power. During those days, I was practicing Shiva-yoga and every day was a day of new experiences. On the very first day, I was practicing Shiva-yoga and I was seeing the only bright aura and not my palm and Ishtalinga. On second day, I was seeing Rev. Swamiji was talking with me in that aura. The most awful experience was that I was asking the questions in French and Rev. Swamiji was replying me in French language, when Swamiji does not know French. Read More

Mr. Richard Matthews, had the priviledge to meet H.H.Mahatapasvi Shri Kumarswamiji at the Yoga and Spiritual Center of Mr.Peter Rendel, in England, in 1976. He visited Tapovan, and spent 14 months there. In 1980-81, he stayed at Tapovan for 11 months, learnt Shiva Yoga thoroughly, and has decided to dedicate his whole life for the propagation of Shiva Yoga and the teachings of Swamiji. He is conducting Shiva Yoga center, in Flat -4, King Arthur's Castle Hotel, Flate Tintagel, North Cornwall, England PL34, ADQ For the third eye to function an intake of energy through the Brow Chakra is required. The Pituitary gland, corresponding to the Brow Chakra is connected to the pineal gland, corresponding to the Sahastrar Chakra through the optic thalamic nerve. The third eye, as all eyes do, requires a lens for focusing the appropriate images. The lens for the third eye is in front of the forehead, and we find its construction within the surface of the magnetic aura. The Ishtalinga which the practitioner gazes on during the practice of Shiva-yoga provides the requisite lens for opening the third eye. The Ishtalinga which is placed on the palm of the left hand during practice, is made of a light grey slate stone, covered with a durable paste. Read More

Muz Murray, "Arunachala", 179 Monte du Levant,30820 CAVEIRAC, France. Muz Murray felt Swamiji to be one of the few genuine sages he encountered in three years as a wandering sadhu all over India." During my three years as a wandering sadhu all over the length and breadth of India, I came into contact with hundreds of so-called 'gurus' and 'masters' of all kinds and visited over three hundred and sixty ashrams. Because of my experiences, many foreign pilgrims often came to me for advice on where to go to learn whichever type of spiritual practice they sought. I gradually amassed reams of notes, which were eventually written up and published in 1980 as 'Seeking the Master' -- the first ever, comprehensive guide to the Ashrams of India and Nepal. Read More

Boureau Francoise, 653, Chemin de la tour carree, 06700 St. Laurent du VAR, France, visited Tapovan along with Shri G.Mahesh and has learnt "Shiva Yoga" with all devotion and dedication. The effect of telepathic experiences of Boureau Francoise are recorded in her own words. What a Yogi can do, can be seen here. I was to meet Swamiji during my first trip to India organized by Shri. G.Mahesh Quickly, the invitation into Shiva-Yoga brought me through a tremendous experience which made me discover in me strong emotions and a huge responsibility. Very quickly, this made me feel a huge peace within myself a lightness of being. With time, I felt that well-being was a trap to overstep. New experiences came up during the second time, I met Swamiji during a yoga camp in Sainte Baume (France). I received the meaning of figures, not only concerning their mathematical value, but also their symbolic meaning in the construction of the world. Each calculation of figures would give a verbal knowledge of the visible and invisible that exists. Read More

Mr. John Thorpe is a student of Mr. Richard Matthews. Mr. Richard had the priviledge to meet H.H.Mahatapasvi Shri Kumarswamiji at the Yoga and Spiritual Center of Mr.Peter Rendel, in England, in 1976. Mr. John has mentioned in his own words his experiences in practice of Shiva-yoga. Shiva Yoga has had a profound effect upon my life. Like a key that fit's a lock, it has opened up a new dimension of thought and perception whilst turning my life inside out. In a certain degree it has enabled me to know myself and to embrace the spiritual reality of life. It is a path for those who want to know themselves and find the deepest spiritual knowledge. It is a path that enables that inner self transformation, a spiritual alchemy. Old and limited patterns of emotions and thought are transformed into ever new and more flexible patterns whilst raising them to highest possible degree that is within our temperament and abilities at this particular time. Shiva Yoga enables us to tune in to our inner 'Self', which opens us up to a deeper experience and knowledge of the 'universal' and even beyond to its transcendent 'Ground'. Before I became acquainted with Shiva Yoga, I began practising Hatha Yoga at the age of 20, though my understanding of it was rather limited. I saw it as a series of postures in a health sense only and did not realise its spiritual significance. Read More

Sunita ( VESNA STIPANOVIC ) and Kavita ( SNEZANA STIPANOVIC ) are two happy and blessed sisters from Zagreb, Croatia. They are ardent devotees of H.H.Mahatapasvi Shri Kumarswamiji and adherents of Shiva-yoga and Prayer-yoga. In the following article they have narrated their beautiful spiritual experiences which were originally written for the publication in 'Basava Vani', the Virginia and Washington DC chapter's newsletter, USA. The same article has been reproduced here on the website with the permission of Kavita and Sunita. // HE PRABHO PRASEED AUM // My sister Sunita and I ( Kavita) are members of the Croatian Satsang and we are Shri Kumarswamiji's devotees. In this letter or article I will try to explain to you how we started with Shiva-yoga practice and I will also tell you a few words about our Satsang in Croatia. Once my sister and I happened to be in different parts of the world when we received an inner call from His Holiness Shri Kumarswamiji to start with the practice of Shiva-yoga and Prayer-yoga. We had no idea what it was all about, although we had heard about Shiva-yoga a few years before that. And so, even though we were separated from each other, we started searching and inquiring about Shiva-yoga simultaneously, asking questions like how to find the - stone - to gaze at, which as we discovered later, was called Isthalinga. We were anxious to find out what it was precisely so we started collecting opinions from other people who might have known something about it. Read More

Dr. Rajkumari B. Deshmukh, Bidar, Karnataka, India, composed a beautiful, devotion filled Garland of 108 Praises to H.H. Mahatapasvi Shri Kumarswamiji. Read More