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Are there study guides or commentaries available for Swami Sivananda’s yoga manuals?
Several resources have sprouted up over the years to unpack Swami Sivananda’s classic yoga manuals, making his teachings even more approachable.
• Divine Life Society Publications
– Official “Study Guides” accompany flagship titles like “The Science of Pranayama” and “Practice of Yoga.” These booklets include chapter-by-chapter questions, summaries and practical tips pulled straight from Sivananda’s ashram lectures.
– Sivananda Study Circle Bulletins, released quarterly, dive deep into practices such as hatha asanas and meditation, often featuring essays by senior disciples like Swami Niranjanananda.
• Commentaries by Disciples
– Swami Vishnudevananda’s lecture transcripts on “Kundalini Yoga” and “Meditation and Mantras” shed fresh light on Sivananda’s terse instructions, turning them into lively workshops.
– Swami Krishnananda’s philosophical expositions on Vedanta offer a running commentary that weaves Sivananda’s aphorisms into the broader tapestry of Upanishadic thought.
• Modern Teachers & Online Platforms
– Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers worldwide now include annotated handouts in their 200- and 500-hour teacher trainings. These materials bridge Sivananda’s 1930s wording with today’s anatomy-savvy world.
– Digital learners can find guided video series—courtesy of the Divine Life Society YouTube channel—paired with downloadable PDFs acting as study companions.
• Recent Events & Ongoing Dialogues
– At the 2025 International Yoga Festival in Rishikesh, a panel dissected Sivananda’s “Yoga Practice and Cure,” sparking new podcasts that double as interactive commentaries.
– Emerging apps are even gamifying Sivananda’s daily affirmation exercises, so study guides now come with reminders, reflective prompts and community threads.
All of these avenues add color and depth to Swami Sivananda’s perennial manuals—no need to reinvent the wheel when decades of collective wisdom are just a page (or a podcast) away.