Siddha Maha
Team

Swami Pranavanand is a highly respected representative of Siddha Maha Yoga and the Siddha Ashram in India. He came to the Ashram in its early years, himself a boy of 8 years, to study with Swami Nardanand at the small school he had established at the Ashram. When Swami Nardanand's travels became more extensive, he closed the school. The youth, who is now Swami Pranavanand, wanted to stay and Swamiji lovingly took him on as a student, son, and ultimately a close disciple. The love and respect between them is to this day, decades later, palpable.

Swami Pranavanand went to University as well as an advanced Yoga School. Upon returning to the Siddha Ashram, he took on many of its responsibilities. He receives seekers and dignitaries in Swamiji's absence, attends spiritual conferences representing the lineage, and is highly sought after by many seekers and in many functions locally. He is also the manager of the Siddha Ashram, seeking earnestly to ensure the happiness of the many guests and visitors. He appears as an eternally calm and friendly being, yet has a strong inner fire and a great sense of humor! Taught music by Swamiji as well, his bhajans are a joy to participate in.

Swami Jyoti Maa is an English swami who operates within the European sangha and is deeply connected to various Siddha Maha Yoga communities worldwide. She is a realistic and grounded swami with a nurturing and loving presence, amazing humor, and an extraordinary understanding of the spiritual path along with the experience of ups and downs on the way.

Jyoti Maa's journey to the world of Siddha Maha Yoga began in 2012 when she met Swami Nardanand in India and had a profound experience of awakening through the blessing of Shaktipat. Her dedication to realizing the Truth and helping others on the same path led her to become a swami only 10 months after meeting, traveling, and living with Swami Nardanand. Since then, she has traveled around the world holding retreats to make the blessing available.

Previously, Jyoti Maa had worked as a nurse, aiming to help others feel well and happy. She felt that nursing work had its limitations, whereas introducing people to Siddha Maha Yoga was a gift that empowered them to truly know themselves and experience infinite happiness and freedom. Later, Jyoti Maa's calling to embody the divine in the everyday world led her to return to nursing work while continuing to pursue her path as a swami and a yoga teacher.

Jyoti Maa's specialty lies in supporting people to meet the resistance of their minds. She recognizes that especially in Western cultures, the idea of an effortless path and surrendering to our inner knowing is a foreign concept. The blessing initiates a process of clearing the resistance, which may take many shapes. Jyoti Maa's in-depth understanding of this process provides invaluable support to our community. She is devoted to helping others to know the Truth, and her life is a testimony to that.

Swami Satya Maa is the driving force behind Siddha Maha Yoga in Brazil. She is a powerful pioneer who introduced the practice to Brazil, embracing Swami Nardanand’s ideas and bringing them to fruition. She inspires our community through her strong personality, determination, discipline, and dedication.

Swami Satya Maa was born and raised in the region of Rio Grande do Norte. She graduated in civil engineering and worked in urban planning, environmental protection, and preservation, as well as an educational facilitator in the Biodanza Human Integration System. In 2010, she received the Shaktipat blessing at the Maha Kumbha Mela festival in India. As Swami Nardanand’s first direct disciple in Brazil, she relinquished her professional activities to represent the lineage of Siddha Maha Yoga as a swami in her home country.

Satya Maa invited Swami Nardanand to Brazil, and together over the next decade, they organized various retreats and events, founded Siddha Maha Yoga of Brazil, and built a community of Brazilian seekers and volunteers willing to support the practice. In 2015, they constructed the Siddha Ashram of Brazil in a rural area of the municipality of Nísia Floresta, near Natal – the city where Satya Maa grew up.

Today, Swami Satya Maa continues to organize in-person and virtual meditation retreats and events in Brazil with a team of volunteers. She is dedicated to providing all Brazilians the same opportunity she has had – an opportunity to experience inner happiness and freedom.