I was introduced to this article published in online magazine – JOY: The Journal of Yoga written by Sedef.
This article is about the experience of a US resident, who started learning Yoga from Yog Sadhan Ashram, Chicago and she got chance to visit Yog Sadhan Ashram, India along-with her crew in March this year (2007). The occasion was Ram Navmi. She has written about the transformations she came across while being part of Yog Sadhan Ashram, USA – the way it grew to a quite big in size and attendance. She starts with explaining the ambience of YSA, USA, practices, schedule and the way it is followed. She talks about the organization at Ashram by Hersh and Mohan Lal Kheterpal (daughter and son-in-law of Guruji – Shri Chaman Lal Kapur ji), the regular preaching of Bhagavat Gita, different Yoga practices, meditation, Hindi and Sanskrit classes and the dedication with which this free-of-cost mission is being driven without any expectations in return.
She has beautifully covered the history of Yoga, Yog Sadhan Ashramas, their evolution and the flag-holders from Prabhu Shri Ram Lal ji and then Swami Shri Mulakh Raj ji to Shri Chaman Lal Kapur ji. The article also covers the itinerary followed in Ashramas, especially in Yog Sadhan Ashram, India and assimilates the total experience of author over both of the locations.
You may like reading excerpt of complete article which I am posting down. You can also download complete article in Microsoft Word format from this website or the original article in PDF format.
Yog Sadhan Ashram in West Chicago, IL
When I first heard about Yog Sadhan Ashram in West Chicago, I could not believe that a yogic sanctuary of this kind existed within such close proximity to downtown Chicago. Surrounded by many acres of green land and tall trees, on a clear and crisp Sunday morning, I saw many aspiring yogis from all races and walks of life practicing asanas, chanting mantras and learning cleansing techniques. It was easy to forget that this little-known and even less publicized yogic haven was only 45-minutes drive away from the hustle-and bustle of the one of the largest cities in the country. The distant sound of the highway 355 remained my only point of connection to the real world.
The satwic air that permeates the pastoral property roots from the yogic hearts of Mike and Hersh Kheterpal who run the only ashram in the Chicagoland area. Beautiful both inside and out, Hersh Kheterpal’s face lights up when she talks about her father Shri Chaman Lal Kapur of Hoshiarpur, India whom she refers to as “Guruji”. After many decades of studying, her father bestowed upon her the title of “Acharya”, allowing her to spread the yogic teachings of the lineage.
Sunday mornings at the Ashram start with a guided morning meditation and a hatha yoga practice. After the chai service adults take the Bhagavat Gita class with Hersh while children practice yoga asanas with another instructor. Lovingly prepared vegetarian lunch follow Satsang and spiritual discussion. The Ashram has recently added Hindi and Sanskrit classes to their list of offerings. The rest of the days of the week have a plethora of learning and yogic experience opportunities from Havan Ceremony (fire ritual) to Yoga Sutra discussions. Weekend workshops allow yogis to listening to the sound of chirping birds and yogis chanting mantras. Hersh and Mike stress that Hersh’s father, Guruji, kept the doors of ashram open for everyone without charging fees and by accepting donations. They are committed to continue this tradition.
While fully participating in life as a wife, a mother and a professional in the corporate world, Hersh maintained her yogic practices and dreams of bringing the teachings of her father’s lineage to the US. Her dream came true in 1992 when she started Yog Sadhan Ashram with the goal of teaching all aspects of yoga from asana and pranayama to meditation and scriptures to anyone who is interested. As the attendance to the Ashram grew exponentially over the years, the need to find to a larger place became imperative. In 2005, Mike and Hersh came across the grand estate in the town of West Chicago which now houses Yog Sadhan Ashram. Nevertheless, it had the capacity to accommodate many yogis and provide them with the opportunity to immerse in the nature. Using their savings they made the biggest investment of their lives, taking out a large mortgage as they put their trust in the hands of the universe to guide them on their path to help others.
Following a grueling battle with the county zoning board, who took a lot of pressure from a neighboring religious establishment, the ashram finally gained its non-profit status and opened its doors to all who have a thirst for higher knowledge.
When Hersh extended an open invitation for all of us to join her on her annual trip to Hoshiarpur, Punjab to visit Guruji’s ashram to experience a real yogic style life I knew I needed no further convincing. The plan was to be there on or before the end of March 2007 to celebrate Guruji’s 90th birthday.
Yog Sadhan Ashram in Hoshiarpur Punjab
On March 23, 2007 I set out to discover yoga as it is practiced in the country where it was originated.
Ashram devotees gladly and proudly shared with me the history of their lineage: The lineage started with Ram (Prabu Ram Lalji), who was born in 1888 in Amritsar. Before his teenage years, Ram Lalji set out to look for a Yogi Guru in his home town of Amritsar. Disappointed but not discouraged, his search took him to the hills of Nepal. One day, the God incarnate Lord Shiva, in the form of an old man appeared and woke him up from his sleep. Together they flew to Kailash Mountain at Tibet border. Lord Shiva stayed with Ram Lalji for 2.5 years. During that time, many miracles happened where Ram Lalji acquired super-human powers, called siddhis in Sanskrit. Shiva told him to go back to the cities and towns and bring yoga to the householders. Ram Lalji opened the first ashram in Amritsar, and then another one in Rishikesh. His disciple was Mulakh Raj, who stayed in Samadhi for 10 years upon finding his Guru. During that time, with eyes closed, from the outside he led the life of a householder and a professional, while remaining in deep meditation from the inside. So intense was his focus on his practice, once he opened his eyes his face maintained the stern expression that is depicted in his pictures.
The current perpetuator of the lineage, Shri Chaman Lal Kapur was a student in Lahore, Pakistan when he saw Ram Lalji in his dream. He knew he was on the right path when he went to the Ashram in Lahore where he saw the same picture of Ram Lalji as he had seen in his dream. He became a disciple of Ram Lalji’s disciple Mr. Mulakh Raj and eventually opened the Ashram in Hoshiarpur in 1952. Adhering faithfully to the teachings of the scriptures, Guruji started spreading his yogic knowledge to Hoshiarpur and beyond while at the same time continuing his professional life as a school principle and a Sanskrit scholar.
The life at the Hoshiarpur Ashram starts no later than 4:30 AM. Devotees greet the new day as they faithfully practice “Shat-karmas”, the six yogic cleansing techniques. To prevent asthma and clean their stomachs they swallow a long cloth (dhauti), to keep their nasal passage clean, they insert a rubber tube inside the nostril and pull it out through the mouth. Hence, every morning I continued with my personal meditation practice against the background sound effect of chorus of yogis disgorging and spewing. My friend Marina, who is also a yoga teacher succeeded in teaching me the rubber neti practice after several tries. In India, neti pot that is heralded in the West is spurned for not doing a thorough job.
At Guruji’s birthday celebration, we have feasted our eyes on the demonstrations by young yogis who drank ghee (clarified butter) through their nostrils and left it in there to be absorbed by their nasal passages. As a matter of fact, nourishing the inner organs with ghee is a common practice in ayurveda. Some ashram devotees swallowed six feet of cloth, whereas others drank milk through their nose, displaying perfect yogic control of their physical bodies.
The lineage focuses on a formless universal power to the extent that the ashram is completely devoid of pictures and sculptures of deities that are common in any yogic establishment. Vedas, Upanishads, Yoga Sutras and Bhagavat Gita are all for devotees to recite and follow. However, the first four chapters of Bhagavat Gita is the focal point of the teachings at both Ashrams at two ends of the world. Ashram devotees in Hoshiarpur chant a version that is summarized by Guruji everyday, reaffirming their commitment to follow their dharmas without any attachment to the fruits of their actions.
Almost all of Guruji’s satsangs emphasized the importance of Hatha Yoga to keep the physical body healthy, strong and clean. My friend Marina and I ended up demonstrating many advanced asanas at the request of Guruji and Hersh, to encourage local practitioners, especially women, to take up a more serious physical practice.
Long trips on the mountainous roads on the foothills of Himalayas brought us closer to our hosts. The devotees enthusiastically shared their individual accounts of why they chose Yog Sadhan Ashram over other facilities. The common denominator was the balanced approach to Bhakti, Raja and Hatha Yoga. Most of them also had stories about Guruji’s healing powers: Following a regimen of asanas, pranayama, meditation and life style changes, infertile women gave birth to healthy babies, near-dead patients revived, and stomach ailments disappeared.
Reflections of the Trip and the Ashrams
When I came back from the trip, it took me sometime to assimilate the experience. It was amazing to see how different, yet how similar the practices were. On one hand, the yoga in the Ashram in Hoshiarpur is more devotional, whereas the yoga in West Chicago is more intellectual. On the other hand, both ashrams are nondenominational, free-of-charge and emphasize a balanced combination of Bhakti, Hatha and Raja yoga paths. The most prominent teaching from the scriptures that both Hersh, and her father Guru stress is about performing one’s duties without any attachment to the outcome. Committed to bringing yoga to the ordinary people, Hersh and Shri Chaman Lal Kapur clearly discourage householders to leave everything to seek out an ascetic path in the solitude of a cave. Although more challenging, the philosophy that both ashrams teach to their students is about leading a yogic life and working towards enlightment without changing anything from the outside, but changing plenty from the inside.