ICYER (International Centre for Yoga Education and Research)
BACKGROUND
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ICYER – Ananda Ashram is a premier institution dedicated to the preservation, practice, education, and scientific research of Yoga. Functioning as a living centre of learning, it integrates traditional Yogic wisdom with modern medical and academic perspectives to promote holistic health, well-being, and human development.
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The International Centre for Yoga Education and Research (ICYER), widely known as Ananda Ashram, is a globally respected centre for traditional Yoga education, research, and applied yogic living, situated at Chinnamudaliarchavady, Kottukuppam (near Puducherry), Tamil Nadu, India.
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Founded in 1967 by Yogamaharishi Dr. Swami Gitananda Giri, Ananda Ashram was envisioned as a living Gurukula where Yoga would be taught not merely as a physical discipline, but as a complete system of life, health, culture, and spiritual evolution.
The Ashram functioned from 1975 at the Sri Kambaliswamy Madam (Samadhi Sthalam) and was formally established in its present location in 1989, in a quiet coastal village on the Bay of Bengal.
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Located approximately 8 km north of Puducherry, Ananda Ashram offers a serene, simple, and pollution-free environment conducive to yogic discipline. The Ashram is set within garden surroundings, close to the sea, where the natural rhythms of land, water, and breath support inner balance and self-study.
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From its inception, ICYER has functioned not merely as an institution, but as a living spiritual ecosystem, integrating traditional wisdom with modern scientific understanding.
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PHILOSOPHY
The philosophy of ICYER – Ananda Ashram is rooted in Classical Rishiculture Ashtanga Yoga (Gitananda Yoga) and is based on the understanding that:
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Yoga is a way of life, not a technique
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Health is a state of dynamic harmony, not merely absence of disease
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Education must integrate body, breath, mind, emotions, and culture
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Core philosophical pillars include:
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Guru–Shishya Parampara (living lineage transmission)
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Yoga as both goal and means
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Gradual, graded, and systematic practice
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Integration of Patanjali Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Dakshina Marga Tantra, and Siddha traditions
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Emphasis on Indian culture, rituals, discipline, and daily observances
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Gitananda Yoga as taught at ICYER is a scientifically structured yet spiritually rooted system, emphasizing awareness, responsibility, and self-transformation.
The Ashram upholds that true Yoga education unfolds through experience, discipline, and service, not information alone.
ACTIVITIES
CYER – Ananda Ashram functions as a living centre of learning, practice, and service, integrating daily Yogic discipline with education, research, and outreach.
Key Areas:
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Ashram Life: Hatha Yoga, Pranayama, Karma Yoga, Mauna, simple routine, satsang
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Education: Yoga Teacher Training, Yoga Therapy, residential/non-residential courses, workshops, international programs
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Research: Yoga therapy research, Yoga–medical integration, academic collaborations, health-oriented living
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Culture & Lifestyle: Indian traditions, sattvic diet, disciplined and mindful living
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Outreach: Global student training, inclusive education initiatives, community well-being, Yoga for global harmony
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ICYER – Ananda Ashram stands as a living bridge between ancient Rishiculture and modern humanity.
It is not a retreat, resort, or commercial yoga school—but a place of inner work, responsibility, and transformation, where Yoga is lived moment to moment.
In the spirit of its founding vision, the Ashram continues to guide sincere seekers toward health, harmony, and self-realization, rooted in tradition and open to the world.