Himalayan Institute

06/13/2026

1. Self acceptance comes first. 2. Then see where the change & growth can happen.... Panditji at the Berkshire Yoga Festival

06/10/2026

This Thursday for satsang, we honor the life and friendship of Rolf Sovik. Please join us for a viewing of a talk Rolf gave at the Meditation Center in May 1984 entitled, "My Experiences in Nepal with Swami Rama." Michael Smith will offer introductory thoughts about Rolf and his friendship with TMC, and people will have the opportunity to share their thoughts and experiences after the video.

A student and teacher in the Himalayan tradition for more than 50 years, Rolf met Swami Rama in 1973, which opened up the opportunity of travel to India, Nepal, and Tibet. Returning to the US, he began teaching in the tradition, and pursued graduate work in psychology. In 1991, Rolf and his wife, Mary Gail, became co-directors of the Himalayan Institute of Buffalo, NY. He subsequently served as the spiritual director for the Himalayan Institute. In 2012, Rolf and Mary Gail relocated to the institute's headquarters in Honesdale, PA, where Rolf served as president for 10 years.

The evening program is:
6:00–7:00 pm CT: In-person hatha yoga
7:00–7:30 pm CT: Guided meditation, led by Paul Emerson
7:30–8:30 pm CT: Introduction by Michael Smith, and viewing of “My Experiences in Nepal with Swami Rama” by Rolf Sovik
8:40 pm CT: Tea & snacks

Link to request Zoom access will be in the comments; please check back.

06/03/2026

For three years running, you have helped us earn the #1 Yoga Retreat Center in the USA Today 10Best Reader's Choice awards. This year, we are back in the running for Best Yoga Retreat Center AND Best Meditation Center — and we need your vote!
Voting is open daily, so every day is a new chance to show your support. Click the link below and vote for the Himalayan Institute today! 🙏🏆

VOTE HERE: https://10best.usatoday.com/awards/himalayan-institute-honesdale-pennsylvania/

05/20/2026

Are you looking forward to Pandit Rajmani Tigunait’s July course, Prajapati Sukta: Invoking the Spirit of Humanity?

You can begin your study today. We have released a suite of learning resources in the Prajapati Sukta course so registered students can begin familiarizing themselves with these mantras right away.

Learning Resources — Available Now

* Prajapati Sukta Handout with Devanagari and transliteration
* Pronunciation Audio Guide with Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
* Recitation Audio Guide with Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
* Pronunciation Video Tutorial with Shiva Tigunait, PhD
* Recitation Audio Guide with Shiva Tigunait, PhD

Register today for immediate access to these learning resources. (Find the link in our pinned post!)

05/11/2026

Our habits quietly shape the direction of our life.
The thoughts we repeat, the patterns we reinforce, the things we consume, avoid, indulge, or return to daily—all leave impressions in the mind.

Over time, those impressions become grooves.
And those grooves become tendencies.
Eventually, tendencies become the lens through which we experience ourselves and the world.

The tools of yoga help us work directly with the mind and nervous system. They help loosen old patterns while creating new inner pathways rooted in steadiness, clarity, compassion, and purpose.

Little by little, new grooves are formed.

What once drained us can begin to lose its hold.
What once felt difficult can begin to feel natural.
And the direction of our energy starts to change.

What we practice… we become.

05/09/2026

Simhasana — Lion Pose — is more than a dramatic exhale or a playful roar. Beneath the physical movement is a deeper energetic process.

This practice awakens the throat, jaw, tongue, eyes, diaphragm, pelvic floor, and subtle channels connected to expression, containment, and inner awareness. In some ta***ic traditions, the tongue reaching upward helps develop sensitivity around the talu chakra — an important energetic gateway linked to the subtle dimensions of the mind.

The pose asks the whole body to participate at once:
grounding through the pelvic floor,
lifting through the spine and heart,
activating the throat,
focusing the gaze,
and releasing sound from deep within.

When practiced with awareness, Simhasana becomes a way of directing energy inward and upward — helping the mind move beyond its ordinary patterns into subtler states of perception.

It is both activating and releasing.
Powerful and playful.
A reminder that yoga is not only stretching the body, but refining awareness itself.

You can find a full class from Sandy Anderson on lion pose called - Simhasana—Lion Pose Tutorial, on HI Online now.

05/08/2026

05/07/2026

The Himalayan Institute is in- get your tiles fast they are going quick

The Greater Honesdale Partnership invites you to participate in Greater Honesdale Partnership Mural Mosaic Project. Explore this Ticketing to engage and give back.