Northern Michigan University's Yoga Club will present a public event titled “Yoga and Meditation in Busy Life,” featuring Swami Omkarananda from India. The event will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 11, at Unity Yoga Co-op at 147 W. Washington St. in Marquette. Swami Omkarananda grew up around the great lady saint of India, Ma Anandamayi. He studied and lived with six world-renowned Hindu and Buddhist masters, and has been traveling throughout the world as a peace and wellness messenger.
“There is a lot of interest in yoga and meditation today,” said NMU Sociology Professor and Yoga Club Adviser Yan Ciupak. “In the West, our understanding and practice tend to be quite limited. Yoga is often treated as a form of stretching exercise and meditation as a relaxation technique. This narrow understanding limits the benefits we could reap from these ancient arts."
Swami Omkarananda served as the spiritual master of a yoga teacher school Ciupak attended in Rishikesh, India, this summer.
"I was there for 25 days to receive training and hoped to develop a more authentic and integrative yoga course to bring back to our corner of the world," Ciupak said. "Besides his vast knowledge and experience, Swami Omkarananda is loving and friendly. He happens to be visiting the U.S. this summer and fall so I invited him to visit the U.P. I am very happy that he is able to carve out some time for us on his way to Chicago for the Parliament of the World's Religions. We hope this event brings refreshed conversations and insights about holistic well-being and balanced life.”
According to his website, Swami Omkarananda has multifaceted experience in metaphysics, parapsychology and mind-matter interaction like psychokinesis and psychic healing. He also has profound knowledge in Vedanta, Sanskrit, holistic lifestyle and yoga. He holds a doctorate in metaphysics, along with five master's degrees and a bachelor's in engineering.
The Aug. 11 event is being organized by the NMU Yoga Club in collaboration with two non-profit community organizations: Unity Yoga Co-op and Meditate Marquette. The event is donation-based and free to students. For more information, please contact Ciupak at yciupak@nmu.edu.