ASHRAM TEMPORARY CLOSURE

August 12, 2020
Om Namo Narayanaya
Blessed Self, dear friends and students,

The Sivananda Centers in New York City and Chicago, as well as the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Ranch have closed to the public since March to help stem the spread of the covid19 virus. The staff of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Ranch continue our practice, supporting each other and continuing with our mission of disseminating the Yoga teachings and supporting the Sivananda Yoga community sharing live satsangs, study groups and asana classes using the growing social media software of Facebook Live and Zoom.
We are now opening the Ashram to longer-term new staff, work-studies and residents.

To maintain a relatively safe environment in the Ashram, we have put in place a series of safety measures:
-Mandatory covid-19 testing within 48 hours of arrival at the Ashram. We have an arrangement with Middletown Medical, where new arrivals can schedule a test on their way to the ashram with a normal turn-around time of less than 24 hours.
-Separate quarters where any new staff or residents stay for at least a before entering our main building.
-We have handwashing and sanitizing procedures for staff as well as communally used facilities like bathrooms, office, kitchen, etc. We have instigated the same social distancing disciplines as outside the ashram of small gatherings.
-New arrivals where masks in public and have their temperature tested daily for the first, and all residents keep the six-foot physical rule and masks whenever we come for meals, satsang, or class.

With all of these protocols, we feel that we can safely share our in house yoga practice like a family coming together who live in the same house. Thank God, we are all in excellent health and doing regular yoga practice maintain our health. The Ashram is a perfect environment to practice a healthy yoga lifestyle.

We hope to continue to share our practice with all of you who are not able to come for longer stays at the Ashram by continuing to bring to you via Zoom and Facebook Live, satsang, yoga classes, workshops and devotional music for as long as this crisis continues. We continue to navigate a new world, trying our best to continue our practice and service while adapting, adjusting and accommodating to the new rules. We are learning every day. We hope that you will continue on this journey with us.

We know the shutdown has challenged many of you financially. Yoga Centers and Ashrams have been among the businesses hardest hit by the social distancing demands. We hope those of you who can participate fully in the practice and financially with the fees will do so generously. We also know that many people have lost their jobs and livelihood, and we want to accommodate you as well. Please let us know by email and we will make special arrangements for reduced prices. If you have the means, please donate to help sponsor those in conditions that are more difficult.

If you would like to join our small ashram community, we are accepting applications for residency, work-study and temporary staff positions. We are asking new residents to a commitment to stay at the ashram for a minimum of two weeks, and work-study applicants to stay a minimum of one month. We are also accepting qualified staff for longer stays with teaching experience and willingness to take responsibility of essential services of the ashram like, cooking and cleaning.

Om and Prem,
Srinivasan