About the ashram
About Us
A century-old heritage home on a 2½-acre organic farm in Bankikodla, 5 km from Gokarna, in the Satyananda Yoga tradition.
The teacher & founder
Swami Yogaratna Saraswati
May we live with awareness, connect deeply with nature, and serve all beings with love and divine purpose.
Swami Yogaratna Saraswati, Swamiji, is a senior sannyasin in the Satyananda Yoga tradition, who has taught yoga and meditation for over 40 years. Born in Paris to Australian parents and raised in India, she has devoted these years to yoga, meditation and seva (selfless service).
After studying in Australia, she returned to India in 1984 and joined the Atma Darshan Yogashram in Bangalore, where she received her full training and sannyasa initiation under Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati, the direct successor of Swami Satyananda Saraswati, founder of the Bihar School of Yoga.
Swamiji teaches Yoga Nidra, chakra sadhana, kundalini yoga and tantric meditations. She has conducted yoga therapy and stress-management programs for communities in India and overseas, and is the founder of Shankar Prasad Ashram near Gokarna.
The ashram community
An open spiritual family
Shankar Prasad Foundation is in Bankikodla village, 5 km from Gokarna, among coconut groves and paddy fields. People come to learn, to serve and to practise together.
The ashram is housed in a century-old heritage home on 2½ acres of coconut grove and rice paddy. People from all walks of life stay and practise here, joining satsangs (wisdom talks), kirtans (group chanting) and the weekly havan (fire ceremony).
- Community service (seva), selfless service that uplifts the local community
- Sustainable living, an organic farm and animal-care initiatives
- Spiritual education, yoga and meditation in the Satyananda tradition
The tradition we follow
What is Satyananda Yoga?
Sri Swami Satyananda Saraswati (1923–2009) developed this form of yoga meditation, incorporating ancient and traditional practices as well as insights from modern medical physiotherapy. His teachings are propagated inside India as the Bihar School of Yoga, and outside India as the Satyananda Yoga tradition.
Satyananda Yoga looks on the many traditional Indian yogic practices with equal vision, acknowledging the validity of all their methods for spiritual development. More gentle than some popular forms of yoga in the West, the system incorporates the whole person, not just the body.
There is an emphasis on awareness, and practitioners are encouraged to learn about every aspect of their personality through yoga. Change takes place naturally as a consequence of regular practice with full awareness, rather than by forcing the mind and body beyond its limit.
Asanas balance the body and mind through the physical body, pranayama works on the energy body, and meditation calms and focuses the mind. The tradition also encourages a yogic lifestyle, not only for renunciates, but for householders and lay practitioners alike.
The practice includes
The lineage
From Sivananda to today
Initially inspired by his guru, Swami Sivananda Saraswati (1887–1963), Swami Satyananda went on to author over 80 books, including the well-known Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha (1969), recognised internationally as one of the most systematic yoga manuals today, reprinted 17 times and translated into many languages. He founded the International Yoga Fellowship (1956), the Bihar School of Yoga (1963) and the Yoga Research Society (1988).
The work of the Bihar School of Yoga is continued by Swami Satyananda's appointed successors, Swami Niranjanananda (b. 1960) and Swami Satyasangananda (b. 1953). Trained sannyasins carry these teachings to groups, seminars, conventions and lecture tours around the world.
Where spiritual life meets social needs
Sivananda Math
Serve, love, give, purify, be good, do good, meditate, realize.
Seva, service to humanity, is the basis of spiritual life. The first precondition of sadhana is to recognise the suffering and needs of others. In 1984 Swami Satyananda founded Sivananda Math at Munger, in memory of his guru, as a charitable institution aiding rural development. Its principle is simple: serving others is serving God.
A look around
Photos of Shankar Prasad
Glimpses of the ashram, the heritage home and the organic farm at Bankikodla, near Gokarna. Real photographs from the ashram will fill these frames.
In their words
What people say
“The Yoga Nidra taught by Swamiji touches many layers, from the physical level to the deepest parts of the subconscious. Swami Yogaratna is a highly experienced teacher with a genuine passion for sharing her knowledge.”
“I enjoyed the accessible and practical content, and the light in Swami Yogaratna’s eyes. Her knowledge was shared with generosity and clarity. I recommend this practice to anyone seeking wellness of mind and body.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed the course. I had waited a long time for the chance to study Yoga Nidra, and this was a wonderful and accessible option. Highly recommended. Thank you.”
“An extraordinary educational and spiritual experience. Swami Yogaratna gives deep, personal guidance to every student, weaving together theory and the practical application of Yoga Nidra, Hatha Yoga and Karma Yoga.”
“I really enjoyed my stay and, without much effort, organically I was able to keep my silence there. I find the style of your teachings traditional and modern at the same time — traditional because of the focus on chanting and the daily schedule, modern because of how dynamically you are running the ashram.”
“Thank you so much for such a deep and enriching experience. I have learned so much and enjoyed so much.”
“Thank you for a very enriching session tonight. I sat up feeling light like never before.”
“Thank you for the wonderful course you are conducting — I am enjoying it. And thank you for the beautiful notes that you are sending. I really appreciate it.”
“I have been practising Yoga Nidra for the past few years and I bring it into the yoga therapy sessions I lead. The impact of this practice excites me over and over again.”
“I got sick with covid. Last night I practised Yoga Nidra and it was wonderful.”
Contact
Write to us
Write to us with your enquiry and your purpose for coming, and we will send you the stay details.
- Find usBankikodla Village, Hannehalli, Taluka Kumta · 5 km from Gokarna · Karnataka 581319, India
- Call+91 80953 29129 (Shyam S or Swamiji)
- WhatsApp+91 80953 29129
- Emailswamiyogaratna@gmail.com
- We replyUsually within a day or two. Please call or WhatsApp if it is urgent