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Amma Sri Karunamayi, also affectionately known as “Amma” which means “Mother”, is revered as an embodiment of unconditional Divine Motherly Love and Wisdom.

A living saint, humanitarian, peace leader & spiritual teacher worldwide, with Her outpouring compassion, unconditional love and grace on all beings and sharing the sacred knowledge of the Supreme Self called Sri Vidya, and helping all beings everywhere to live in peace and happiness is Amma’s mission.

“The nature of the Supreme Self is cosmic love only.”

Amma Sri Karunamayi

A GODDESS WAS BORN

Amma’s birth was extraordinary. Prophesized by great sages such as Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, it was predicted that Her parents would birth into the world an embodiment of supreme love and knowledge in the form of Divine Mother.

Amma’s parents received many powerful signs and visions indicating that their daughter would be Divine…

“One such incident occurred when Amma’s father went to the Chamundi Temple in Mysore, India to study Vedic scriptures. While studying, a little girl grabbed his books and prayer beads and went off running with them. Amma’s father did his best to find the girl, but mysteriously had great difficulties. Finally, he was led to a very sacred and holy place in the temple where he caught the girl, and holding Her in his hands inquired as to why She had stolen the mala and books…

The little girl laughed and instantly disappeared in thin air leaving below Her two footprints drawn on the floor.

One made with holy turmeric powder and the other with holy kumkum (red vermillion) powder, and both having a perfectly drawn Shri Yantra (the highest symbol of Divine Mother as the Matrix and Creatrix of the universe) placed inside them.”

Shortly after this incident both of Amma’s parents made a pilgrimage to the Chamundi Temple and witnessed a Divine light emanate from the inner sanctum of this Divine Mother temple and enter the womb of Amma’s mother.

In 1958, in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, Shri Karunamayi, was born on Vijayadashami, the most auspicious day of the year symbolizing Divine Mother’s victory over the ego or ignorance. For this reason, Amma is also known as Bhagavati Sri Vijayeswari Devi, “The Victorious Goddess”.

HER DIVINE EARLY LIFE

As she grew into a young woman, Amma felt an inner urge to begin spending more and more time in her family worship room, immersed in prayer and meditation. As her meditations deepened and intensified, she also began reducing her intake of food. These meditation sessions grew in length until one day Amma locked herself inside a room of the house and remained there in meditation for a month.

Though her family members were perplexed, they did not dare to disturb her, having witnessed the profundity of her meditations before. When she finally emerged, she seemed like a different person to her family members. Though she still showed the same sweet affection to which they were accustomed, her demeanor now expressed a more impersonal, universal love.

“The only real wealth is peace”

Amma Sri Karunamayi

AMMAS LEAVES TO THE SACRED FOREST

Determined to fulfill the sacred purpose of her life, Amma gently told her mother that it was time for her to go into seclusion in the sacred Penusila Forest, to meditate there in solitude. Always respectful of her daughter’s divine nature, and trusting completely in God, Amma’s mother did not try to stop her from going.

In the year 1980, at the tender age of 21, Amma left the comfort and security of her parents’ home and traveled by foot to the remote and sacred Penusila Forest, where a number of India’s ancient sages had meditated for many hundreds of years.

There, she lived an austere life absorbed in meditation for hours, days, or even weeks at a time with the intent of fulfilling the sacred purpose of Her life— to uplift humanity and bring peace to the world.

EMERGING FROM THE FOREST

After performing such intense practices for over 10 years, Amma decided that it was time to share her knowledge with all those who thirsted for true spirituality, wherever they may live in the world.

An ashram and Divine Mother temple (Devi Mandir) was later built in Penusila, in the same area where Amma had spent her many years of spiritual practices where true spiritual seekers from around the world come for deep yogic and meditative practices.

“True happiness and contentment come only when we serve others, love others and trust others based on mutual understanding.”

Amma Sri Karunamayi

AMMA TODAY

Amma continues to serve the world in the highest way through inspiring and guiding countless projects aiming to alleviate suffering, healing and uplifting humanity. With numerous projects aimed in:

• The eradication of poverty
• Free medical care for the disadvantaged
• Free housing to those in need
• Stopping child labor through free schooling & mentoring programs
• Supplying water treatment facilities to those in impoverished communities
• Educating & empowering the next generation with Knowledge

Read more about Ammas charities or how to get involved.

Amma works selflessly and tirelessly to help all beings through Her charitable projects, Her Timeless Teachings, and Her Divine Love.

“Let your heart constantly overflow with waves of compassion. Give your love to those who are alone or in a helpless state.”

Amma Sri Karunamayi

MEETING A LIVING SAINT: BE WITH AMMA YOURSELF

Amma now offers yearly public programs around the world where she offers teachings, blessings, meditation retreats, sacred ceremonies for the benefit of all beings and so much more.

She comforts every follower with Divine Motherly Love. Amma often likes to say that Her only work in this world is to remove the suffering from the hearts of Her children. This she does through Her kind, loving words of spiritual guidance and encouragement, Her healing touch, and Her divine knowledge and insight.

Today, Amma divides Her time between the US, Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia and India, fulfilling Her life’s mission of providing comfort, solace, and spiritual guidance to all who come to Her.

Read more about Amma’s world tour and to find Her at a city near you here.

To join one of Amma’s programs at Her ashram in India, click here.

“Knowledge of the Self, compassion, equanimity, pure devotion, inner faith and complete divine love— these are the qualities that illuminate the heart.”

Amma Sri Karunamayi

OUR ENDLESS LOVE & GRATITUDE TO OUR BELOVED AMMA

With annual pilgrimages in India to her remote forest ashram and temples and trips to North America to be with Amma, plus an undeniable inner connection, it is our great fortune to have Her Holiness, our beloved Amma as our Great Teacher, Satguru and Spiritual Mother.

We are endlessly grateful for her endless compassion, love, teachings, blessings, wisdom and grace in our lives and for the the benefit of the whole world.

If you’ve practiced yoga before, it’s likely you’ve encountered a beautiful and ancient posture called Tree Pose, or Vrksasana, in Sanskrit.

Its beautiful shape is inspired by the elements of a tree— the toes spread wide resembling roots connecting down into the earth. The standing leg strong, sturdy, stable like the trunk of the tree. The torso long and tall, arms like branches growing towards the sun with fingers spread wide open like leaves extending into a heavenly sky above.

Naturally, this pose awakens a deep sense of connection to the earth and leaves us feeling grounded, centred, connected, focused and present like a tree.

But there’s more to Vrksasana than just a pretty, feel-good pose— this configuration is encoded with symbolism, ancient wisdom and deep spiritual meaning.

Here you’ll discover the deeper meaning behind tree pose, the beautiful yogic connection to trees and the secret powers of this posture so you can take your yoga practice to new heights.

Vrksa (vrik-SHAW) = tree
Asana (AHH-suh-nuh) = posture

THE YOGIC ROOTS & CONNECTION WITH TREES

In spiritual traditions around the world, trees play an interesting role in the world of spirituality. Trees have been revered as sacred by many cultures, both ancient and modern. Appearing throughout most ancient Indian literature, trees are sacred— symbols of life and expressions of the Divine.

PLACE OF ENLIGHTENMENT

In many wisdom traditions, enlightenment occurs under the shelter of a tree— from the famous example of Buddha and the Bodhi to countless saints and sages that have entered a profound state of bliss under a holy tree.

TREES AS A DIVINE MOTHER

In Yogic traditions, Mother Earth has been deified as Bhumi Devi, or the Goddess of the Earth.

Trees are personified as Divine Mother, with a selfless maternal nature of giving to humanity— the shade and shelter She provides, the oxygen from Her leaves, the wood gives fuel for burning and building, Her fruits provides nourishment to all of Her creatures, Her roots give stability to the earth, uphold the ecosystem and filter the soil. Every part of her is an Ayurvedic or natural medicine— her leaves, fruit, bark, roots, flowers and seeds.

As we cut a tree down to make use of her wood, the mother tree selflessly offers herself without complaint. Her love is so great, that if you cut a branch, she will respond by growing more fruit.

TREES AS GODS & GODDESSES

Vedic cultures revere trees as sacred— it is said that all trees are embodiments of innumerable Gods and Goddesses.

Worship of trees is a common way to honor the God or Goddess that dwells within that tree. During certain Vedic rituals, the roots, fruits, or flowers of the trees are offered back to the respective God or Goddess associated with that tree as a humble offering of love.

For example, Lord Shiva is known to reside within the sacred Bilva Tree, commonly known as the Bael or Bel Fruit Tree. These leaves are auspiciously offered during ceremonies pertaining to Shiva energy. The well-known trees through Ayurveda, such as the neem tree and Tulsi tree (Holy Basil,) are worshipped as a form of Lakshmi Devi— the Goddess of abundance.

VEDIC TALES OF THE TREES

Vrksasana is one of the most ancient and important yoga poses known to humanity and is found in most systems of traditional yoga.

Throughout classical yogic texts, there are countless examples of yogis, saints, sages, gods and goddesses relying upon trees or practicing Vrksasana to acquire knowledge perform heroic acts, gain strength and invincibility or even receive boons from God.

• The great Ramayana text expresses the Goddess Sitas’ affinity with the forest. Sita sees only the beauty and giving nature of forest… the forest is all-giving, nourishing and all-embracing.
  
• In the classical story of the Mahabharata, Pandu practiced tree pose to win the grace of Lord Indra so that his wife could give birth to the greatest warrior of the named Arjuna.
  
• The tree mother came to earth during the great churning of the oceans along with Mother Cow and Lakshmi Devi in the form of the “wish fulfilling tree” known as the Kalpavrksa.
  
• There’s a story of a great sage Bhagiratha who practiced tree pose for 300 years on one toe to so that the God of Creation, Brahma, God of Preservation, Vishnu, and God of Dissolution, Shiva, would bring the River Goddess, Ganga Devi from the heavens to the earth so her sacred waters could liberate him and his ancestors. (Before this holy river was on earth!)

7 SUPER POWERS OF VRKSASANA

Vrksasana is a very significant and common pose in most classical yogic literature. Below are some ancient secrets as to why yogis have loved this pose since time immemorial!

1. Mantra Amplifier— reciting a mantra on one leg in tree pose is known to be significantly more powerful and gives more merit (punya) than regular mantra practice.
   
   In temples in India, wise ones know this secret and will often recite mantras and prayers in front of a deity in tree pose to acquire boons from God.
   
2. Wish-fulfiller— a great yogic secret is that the Sanskrit word for tree, also means “wish”, Vrksasana is a great pose for generating austerity (tapas) to manifest our noble desires.
   
   Trees are considered spiritual by nature, and wish-fulfilling because every part of Her is an offering for humanity.
   
3. Enhances one’s meditation— the strength developed in the big toe by practicing this pose results in a firmly balanced mind which give the ability to sit longer in meditation.
   
4. A teacher in love— Vrksasana is a great teacher, like a mothers’ selfless love giving for her children, this pose inspires us to love and serve like the blessed mother tree.
   
5. Cultivate forbearance, patience, tolerance, forgiveness— just like a selfless, generous, grounded mother tree.
   
6. Stimulates the Root Chakra (Mooladhara Chakra)— strengthening our connection to the earth, stability, security, faith and trust in life.
   
7. Develops intense concentration and willpower— To this day, great yogis, Sadhus of India are found to practice Vrksasana from 4 hours to 12 years for special spiritual practices— they’ll even tie themselves up to trees to be able to hold this position as long as possible to receive the great gifts of this pose.