Who is Acharya Jnanaskandar? At a ceremony on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025 in Tallinn, Estonia Babaji’s Kriya Yoga Order of Acharyas welcomed a new member. During it, Jaak Kivimae received the name Jnanaskandar,. Here is his biosketch:“ I was born in Estonia in 1967 and I’ve lived here all my life. For 28 years I have been married to my lovely wife Maiu. We have 3 grown-up children in our family. Also, I’m a grandfather to my two darling granddaughters. I have worked as a security instructor and consultant since 1992. I think that my first encounters with the divine depth and looking for the meaning of that took place spontaneously in my adolescence. More systematic search began while practising Wado-Ryu karate in the 1980–90s. The whole time I was assured that there must be a deeper meaning behind all my undertakings. During the years 1993–2004 I was led to many different teachers and teachings by my quest. It was a colourful period which could be compared to a patchwork quilt. Although each patch was of a different colour, the edges were nevertheless connected. In 2004 Babaji’s Kriya Yoga arrived to Estonia with Durga Ahlund and Marshall Govindan Satchidananda. That year was like finding a way home when I participated in the first initiation; in 2005 I received the second initiation and in 2010 to the third. Later I have also repeated the initiations. I undertook Kriya Hatha Yoga teacher training twice, led by Durga Ahlund, Marshal Govindan Satchidananda, Nagalakshmi and Laurier-Pierre Desjardins. I have organized weekly meetings (satsaṅgas) in my homeplace Kiisa and also in Tallinn, our capital, more than 20 years, where we have explored the true meaning and practical potential of Yoga through practical experiments and exercises with a smaller group of people. Since 2010 till now Kriya Hatha Yoga has been the main focus of these meetings. As much as possible I’ve supported translating texts about Kriya and Integral Yoga into Estonian. I also organize the Estonian lessons and discussions of M. G. Satchidananda’s and Durga Ahlund’s “Grace Course”. In 2015 I took part in a pilgrimage to Badrinath with M. G. Satchidananda. From 2018 I’ve been organizing pilgrimages to North India, including both Badrinath and Rishikesh, myself. In July 2023 I was proposed to start ācārya-training. It has involved a lot of discipline and extensive studies. Today I can tell that Babaji’s Kriya Yoga is my Life’s calling. Something very natural to delve into. I have said, half-jokingly, that I have my job and my Life’s Calling. Uniting these two has been exciting and challenging. Babaji’s Kriya Yoga is not anything separate from my life, as it is the Life itself. When I was beginning my Yoga journey, I tried to integrate Yoga into my life bit-by-bit. But in the course of time, similar to a scientist who carries out the same experiment many times and in different circumstances again and again, I have discovered that my own life has a beautiful potential to be integrated into Yoga. This way the inner essence of Life itself opens up. Photos 1: Acharya Sita from France who conducted the ceremony of induction into the Order of Acharyas, and , Jnanaskandar and Malu Kivimae Kes on ācārya Jñānaskandar? 20. aprillil 2025. aastal, ülestõusmispüha ajal Tallinnas, tervitas Babaji Kriyā Jooga Ācārya’te Ordu oma uut liiget. Ordu liikmena sai Jaak Kivimäe omale nimeks Jñānaskandar. Siin on ülevaade tema elukäigust: “Olen sündinud 1967. aastal Eestis ja kogu elu siin elanud. 28 aastat olen olnud abielus oma toreda abikaasa Maiuga. Meil on peres kokku 3 täisikka jõudnud last, nüüd saan olla ka vanaisaks kahele toredale tütretütrele. Töötan turva- ja ohutusvaldkonna koolitaja ja nõustajana alates 1992. aastast. Arvan, et esimesed kokkupuuted jumaliku sügavuse ja selle tähenduse otsimisega leidsid aset spontaansete sündmustena noorukieas. Esimesed juba süsteemsemad otsingud algasid 80–90ndatel aastatel aktiivselt Wado-Ryu karatega tegeledes. Kogu aja saatis mind veendumus, et kõige taga, millega tegelen, peab olema palju sügavam tähendus. Minu otsingud viisid mind aastatel 1993–2004 kokku mitmete erinevate õpetajatega ja õpetustega. See oli värvikirev periood, mida saaks võrrelda lapitekiga. Kuigi iga lapp oli eri värvi, olid servad omavahel ühenduses. Kuuldes vahel sõna “Babaji” (loe: babadži), puudutas see alati seletamatult mu südant. 2004. aastal jõudis Babaji kriyā-jooga Durga Ahlund’i ja Marshall Govindan Satchidananda vahendusel Eestisse. See oli minu jaoks nagu kodutee otsa leidmine. Läbisin Babaji kriyā-jooga I astme pühitsuse, aasta hiljem II astme ja 2010. aastal III astme pühitsuse. Hilisematel aastatel olen osalenud pühitsustel ka kordajana. Kahel korral olen osalenud Babaji kriyā haṭha jooga õpetajate koolitusel Kanadas, juhendajateks Durga Ahlund, Marshal Govindan Satchidananda, Nagalakshmi ja Laurier-Pierre Desjardins. Üle 20 aasta olen organiseerinud iganädalasi kohtumisi (satsaṅga’sid) oma kodukohas Kiisal ja ka pealinnas Tallinnas, kus me väiksemas grupis oleme läbi praktiliste katsetuste ja harjutuste uurinud jooga tähendust ja praktilisi võimalusi. 2010. aastast alates on kriyā haṭha joogasse süvenemine muutunud nende kohtumiste põhiliseks praktikumiks. Jätkan tänaseni nende iganädalaste joogatundide läbiviimist Kiisal ja Tallinnas. Jõudumööda olen organiseerinud kriyā-jooga ja integraaljooga alaste kirjatööde tõlkimist eesti keelde. Samuti organiseerin soovijatele M. G. Satchidananda ja Durga Ahlund’i poolt koostatud kaheaastase kaugõppekoolituse „Armu kursus“ eestikeelset õpet. 2015. aastal viibisin Marshall Govindan Satchidananda juhendamisel palverännakul Badrinath’is. 2018. aastast alates korraldan palverännakuid Põhja-Indiasse, nii Badrinathi kui Rishikesh’i. 2023. aasta juulikuus sain ettepaneku alustada ācārya-ettevalmistust. Sellele on järgnenud kindla distsipliini järgimine ja ohtralt õpinguid. Babaji kriyā-jooga on midagi, mille kohta saan täna öelda, et see on minu Elukutse. Midagi, millesse sisenemine on olnud elu loomulik osa. Olen naljatamisi öelnud: “mul on erialane töö ja mul on Elukutse”. Põnev ja väljakutsuv on neid kahte ühendada. Babaji kriyā-jooga ei ole midagi, mis oleks minu elust eraldi, sest see on Elu ise. Alustades joogateed, püüdsin selle osiseid järk-järgult kuidagi oma ellu sobitada. Olles aga jätkanud, visalt nagu teadlane, kes teeb ühte ja sama katset palju kordi ja erinevates tingimustes, olen jõudnud järeldusele, et hoopis minu enese elu on see, mis omab hindamatut potentsiaali sobituda joogasse. Nii avaneb järjest enam Elu enese olemus. (fb)

An Integral Yoga response to fear and uncertainty, by M. G. Satchidananda “I had a terrible life. Thank God most of it never happened.” - Anonymous “Take one step towards Babaji, and He takes ten steps towards you.”- Yogi Ramaiah We live in uncertain times. We are individually and collectively faced with unprecedented risks of natural disasters due to climate change. Populism is undermining our confidence in science, legacy media, and political institutions through disinformation and misinformation. Artificial intelligence and innovation threaten most professions and jobs. New viruses threaten our physical health. Loneliness and isolation threaten our mental health. … The ordinary response to disturbing news, undesirable events, uncomfortable circumstances, memories and emotions of all types is simply to allow the mind to create reactions with more thoughts, emotions, and memories. In integral Yoga however, one learns to cultivate a response which is initiated by the perspective of being a calm witness to whatever is seen, heard, felt or thought, and ultimately to listen to the inner Guru or the Divine itself. The witness perspective begins with “being” as the starting point. It may be found whenever one simply stops, and notices what is. It is most easily found in the space between one’s breaths. Or when one concentrates on a particular sensation in the body. Or when one remembers to repeat “Let go.” It can also be found after asking the question “Who am I?” Or “Who is it that is thinking this thought, or feeling this emotion?” The witness does not do anything. It observes the acts of seeing, hearing, and feeling. It observes thoughts arise and associating with others including some as memories, others which are completely new. It observes emotions appearing in the vital body and their secondary effects in the physical body, such as tension or changes in breathing. It observes how emotions give rise to thoughts related to liking and disliking. Continue reading at the links below: Kriya Yoga Journal volume 31, number 4, Spring 2025 issued March 21, 2025 Table of Contents 1. An Integral Yoga response to fear and uncertainty, by M. G. Satchidananda 2. Yoga as purification of human nature’s three stains, by M. G. Satchidananda 3. Beyond Asana: Breaking through Habits and Conditioning, by Durga Ahlund 4. News and Notes English : https://www.babajiskriyayoga.net/.../Journal-Spring-25.pdf French : https://www.babajiskriyayoga.net/.../Journal-F-Spring-25.pdf Spanish : https://www.babajiskriyayoga.net/.../Journal-S-Spring-25.pdf Portuguese https://www.babajiskriyayoga.net/.../BKYJ_Brasil_outono... Italian https://www.babajiskriyayoga.net/.../Journal-I-Spring-25.pdf (fb)