Note: To stay in the Wellness Center, it does not matter whether one is a member of Ananda Marga or not. In fact most of the students who check into the Wellness Center are not members of AM. Of course it is important that you have the willingness to try all of our therapies, including yoga and meditation. At the same time, you don't need to worry that you will be asked to do any yoga exercise which are too difficult for you, as such difficulty would obstruct rather than support healing.

The Organization

Ananda Marga Yoga Association is a non-sectarian lifestyle movement and the most extensive yoga organization in the world.
Founded in India in 1955 by Shri Shri Anandamurti (a.k.a., Shri PR Sarkar), its branches are registered as non-government organizations (NGOs) with the United Nations and are present in over 150 countries.
Its activities include thousands of service projects, such as pre-schools, orphanages, medical clinics, ecological farms, food cooperatives and welfare centers. It also does a vast amount of catastrophe relief work. For example, it was among the most active organizations providing both short and long term relief to the victims of the tsunami in Aceh, Indonesia. Ananda Marga is unique in giving equal importance to both self-development and social service.

The Practice

The physical yoga exercises (asanas) of Ananda Marga are ancient time-tested methods for improving and healing the body. Our techniques are classical and non-commercial, i.e. uncomplicated and non-competitive. They are practiced slowly without any pain, stress or dizziness. Exercises are prescribed individually according to ones own needs relating to the bodys hormones, nerves, internal organs, blood circulation, general vitality, and specific diseases. Everyone has the capacity to do yoga. Even people in wheelchairs have appropriate exercises. AM yoga is being practiced by people of various religious and belief systems all over the world.
In the long run, meditation is even more important than physical yoga. If practiced regularly, one begins to experience its benefits in a matter of two to three weeks or less. The positive changes vary from person to person, e.g., overcoming:

stress
emotional weaknesses
sleep disturbances
addictions
bad habits

It may alsodevelop:

concentration
creativity
intuition
personal relations
will-power,
ability to adhere to one's conscience

Ultimately, it directly leads to self-realization.
Yoga also includes numerous other useful practical systems for:

bathing
sleeping
eating
exercise
hygiene
fasting
service
study