• About Us

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center

Est 1972

The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center has been serving the Chicago community for the past 45 years. It is part of the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres, a worldwide organization founded by Swami Vishnudevananda in 1957.  Swami Vishnudevananda, endearingly called Swamiji by his students, was a renowned authority on Hatha (asanas and pranayama) and Raja Yoga (meditation). Swamiji was one of the first yogis to come to the West to spread the teachings of yoga and start a yoga teacher training course.  He was sent here by his guru, a great saint of India, Swami Sivananda. Out of deep love and devotion for his guru, Swamiji named the organization after him.

The mission is to spread the ideals of Yoga and Vedanta (philosophy).  We continue carrying on with this mission, offering yoga, meditation and philosophy classes to all who are interested in the transformative effects of the yoga.  Swamiji believed that to bring about world peace each individual needs to first cultivate inner peace.  Through the practice of yoga this can be achieved.

Swami Sivananda

(1887-1963)

The spiritual strength behind the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres, Swami Sivananda taught a synthesis of all the formal doctrines of Yoga. He trained many exceptional disciples in Yoga and Vedanta, among them, Swami Vishnudevananda, whom he sent to spread the practice of Yoga in the West.

Swami Vishnudevananda

(1927-1993)

Disciple of Swami Sivananda, founder of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres and world-renowned authority on Hatha and Raja Yoga and author of the bestselling Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga and other books.

  • "The expression of the spirit increases in proportion to the development of the body and mind in which it is encased."

    – Swami Vishnudevananda

Our mission

The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center Chicago is part of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers, a non-profit organization founded in 1959 by Swami Vishnudevananda with the purpose of sharing the teachings of Yoga and Vedanta as a means of achieving physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

Center Aims and Activities

The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center is a non-profit organization run by voluntary staff and dedicated to the aim of disseminating the knowledge of Yoga. Activities at the center include the following:

  •     Daily drop-in Yoga classes
  •     New Student Introductory Special
  •     Advanced Yoga class
  •     Beginners’ Yoga courses
  •     Advanced Yoga courses
  •     Meditation and Yoga philosophy courses
  •     Satsang (Free): group meditation, chanting, and talk on the philosophy of Yoga.
  •     Special programs with guest speakers
  •     Cooking workshops
  •     Yoga bookstore