Welcome – YSN Vol. 11, No. 1 (Mar 2023)

EDITOR’S WELCOME NOTE


Abha Gupta, PhD
YSN Editor

Greetings and Namaste from the Editorial Board of Yoga Setu. It is with great sadness that we announce in this issue the passing of Dr. Adarsh Deepak, founder of TakshaShila (Taksha) Institute and Co-Editor and Managing Editor of YogaSetu Newsletter, on December 5, 2022. Adarsh was a beloved member of the community, and his absence will be deeply felt.

My personal journey with Adarsh began with our shared passion for yoga. I remember how excited he was to start yoga sessions on the Virginia Peninsula when I approached him, at the suggestion of Dr. Dilip Sarkar, and he was immediately enthusiastic. Before we had even finished our phone conversation, he offered his beautiful residence to host the first yoga session with Dr. Sarkar. That initial gathering in 2008 was a huge success, with over 30 people attending the session with their sprawled yoga mats at his home. That event set in motion a movement that continues to this day.

Adarsh Deepak, PhD – Founder and Chairman of TakshaShila Institute (TI) and its printing branch A. Deepak Publishing (ADP), and Founder/Publisher and avid supporter of the YogaSetu Newsletter (YSN).

Adarsh was not just a colleague but a friend, mentor, guide, and advisor, who played an integral role in the growth and success of Taksha Institute and the YogaSetu Newsletter (YSN).

Over the years, Adarsh directed over ten annual yoga therapy retreats and several webinars; launched the YSN; initiated the digital Taksha Hall of Fame; referred YSN readers to a number of research-based papers and articles on yoga and Ayurveda related to health and wellness, which contributed greatly to the success of YogaSetu. I could never have imagined taking on the editorship of YogaSetu Newsletter or conducting the weekly yoga sessions in Hampton Roads, Virginia, with such regularity without his inspiration and support. He was the driving force behind it all.

Adarsh’s interests were not limited to the world of yoga. His dedication to language and the etymology of words was astounding, and so was his advocacy for cognates in other languages as derivatives of Sanskrit. He had a talent for connecting people from all walks of life. He encouraged deep thinking in conversations, and his innovative ideas were always a source of inspiration. Even his restaurant recommendations became legendary among my colleagues at the Old Dominion University whenever we traveled internationally for a conference.

His loss is felt deeply by the community. Adarsh Deepak truly lived up to his name, “Exemplary Light”.

~ Abha Gupta, YSN Editor-in-Chief


A Note on our Weekly Online Yoga Therapy Sessions

For your safety and that of the community, to be able to continue to “meet” for our weekly yoga therapy sessions, a yoga sessions will be offered online every Sunday evening. The Restorative Yoga session will focus on traditional yoga, and will be conducted between 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm.

See https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo7k9Di3t831Af6xgmk32lQ/featured?disable_polymer=1 for copies of our past sessions.

A brief description of each session and the information required to join the sessions via Zoom are provided on our website here: https://yogasetu.org/onlineyogatherapysessions


~ GUIDED MEDITATION FOR ABIDING CALMNESS IN TURBULENT TIMES ~

by Dr. Ajmal Sobhan

Meditation is the first step in learning to focus on being the best you can be, not only for your own good but also that of the people around you, especially during these trying times. The following link leads to a sample of guided meditation for calming. Please listen, as Dr. Ajmal Sobhan guides you in his serene voice to your inner space of stillness and tranquility.

Audio Player

00:00
00:00

Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume.


TO SUBSCRIBE TO YSN OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL PREFERENCES:
Email us at contact@taksha.org requesting to be added to or removed from our subscriber list, or to change your contact information. Please provide your first and last names, state and country where you are located, and email address.

OR Write us with this information at Taksha Institute, 21 Enterprise Parkway, Suite 150, Hampton, VA 23666.