The Method Satyananda Yoga (or Bihar Yoga) draws inspiration from Adi Shankaracharya, the codifier of the Dashnami Sannyasa tradition, and from the masters who established the current lineage of Satyananda Yoga: Sri Swami Shivananda Saraswati, Sri Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati, and Swami Satyasangananda Saraswati.
Adi Shankaracharya was born in the 8th century CE. He is recognized as an undisputed spiritual leader in India and a propagator of the Advaita Vedanta philosophy, which leads directly to the experience of the highest yogic life. During his lifetime, he founded the Dashnami Sannyasa Tradition in order to unify the various and diverse groups of sannyasins scattered throughout the country, bringing them together under the banner of Sanatana Dharma. The Dashnami Sannyasins continue to this day to transmit his timeless message of the synthesis of all beliefs within Advaita—the monistic vision of reality in which all things are ultimately understood to be One.
Sri Swami Shivananda Saraswati was born in Pattamadai (Tamil Nadu) in 1887. After practicing medicine in Malaya, he gave up his profession to seek his Guru at the foot of the Himalayas. He settled in the sacred valley of Rishikesh and was initiated into the Dashnami Sannyasa Tradition in 1924 by Swami Vishwnanda Saraswati. In the years that followed, he wrote hundreds of books and articles on yoga and spirituality to preserve and instill yogic values in the collective consciousness. His emphasis was on breaking down the barriers that separate those in need from the teachings that can help them, whether in the form of yoga for health, peace of mind, or spiritual aspirations. This ideology continues to guide the work of the Satyananda branch that follows his lineage to this day. To this end, Sri Swami Shivananda traveled throughout India, inspiring people to practice yoga and lead a divine life. He founded the Divine Life Society in Rishikesh in 1936, the Shivananda Ayurvedic Pharmacy in 1945, the Yoga Vedanta Forest Academy in 1948, and the Shivananda Eye Hospital in 1957. He entered Maha Samadhi on July 14, 1963. As one of the leading voices of his time, Sri Swami Shivananda Saraswati guided millions of spiritual seekers, disciples, and aspirants around the world.
Sri Swami Satyananda Saraswati was born in Almora (Uttar Pradesh) in 1923. In 1943, he met Swami Shivananda in Rishikesh and adopted the Dashnami Sannyasa lifestyle. In 1955, he left his guru’s ashram to live as a wandering mendicant and later founded the “International Yoga Fellowship” in 1956 and the “Bihar School of Yoga” in 1963. Over the next twenty years, Swami Satyananda traveled the world and authored more than 80 books. In 1984, he founded “Shivananda Math,” a charitable institution to promote rural development, and the “Yoga Research Foundation.” In 1988, he renounced his mission by adopting kshetra sannyasa. At midnight between December 5 and 6, 2009, he entered Maha Samadhi.
Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati was born in Madhya Pradesh in 1960. At the age of four, he joined the Bihar School of Yoga and was initiated into Dashnami Sannyasa at the age of ten. Beginning in 1971, he traveled abroad and visited many countries over the next 11 years. In 1983, he was called back to India and appointed President of the Bihar School of Yoga. Since then, he has guided the development of Ganga Darshan, Shivananda Math, Yoga Publications Trust, and the Yoga Research Foundation. In 1990, he was initiated as a Paramahamsa, and in 1993, he was consecrated as a preceptor, succeeding Swami Satyananda. The Bihar Yoga Bharati was founded under his direction in 1994. He is the author of more than twenty books and leads national and international yoga programs.
Swami Satyasangananda (Satsangi) Saraswati was born in 1953 in Chandorenagore, West Bengal. At the age of 22, she experienced a series of inner awakenings that led her to her guru, Swami Satyananda Saraswati. Since 1981, he has traveled continuously with his guru throughout India and abroad, developing, through deep intuitive study, an understanding of both yogic and tantric traditions as well as modern sciences and philosophies. He is an excellent conduit for transmitting his guru’s teachings. The founding of Shivananda Math in Rikhia is her creation and mission: she guides all activities, working tirelessly to uplift the most vulnerable and disadvantaged communities. She embodies compassion with a clear purpose that lies at the heart of her guru’s vision.