A Hindu monk will visit the Island this month to share her teachings and experience with interested local residents.

Swami Karunananda is an American woman who became attracted to yoga philosophy and practice when she was in college. She studied chemistry and philosophy at Columbia University's Banard College in the 1960s. She graduated in 1969 and a year later met her spiritual master Swami Satchidananda. Thus began her life on the path of Integral Yoga.

In fact she embraced the doctrines so completely that her first work was in yoga and not chemistry. "I actually tried to get a job at first at a chemistry lab, but they felt I was over-qualified and would find the work boring," she said. "I did do research and writing about creativity in the arts, sciences, business, and education for the Dean of the College of Science & Engineering of a university in New Jersey," she added. "As part of this work, I designed a course to develop creativity in engineering students by bringing in artists from different fields to instruct and inspire them.

"The course was implemented and very successful. This helped to finance my college years."

In 1971, Swami Karunananda became a yoga teacher and offered classes in hospitals, mental health centres, businesses, prisons, schools and colleges. Thirty-seven years later she is a Hindu monk committed to the practices of yoga. Her teachings are not solely on yoga postures, but also on breathing, meditation and mental well-being. She said as a monk her daily life consists of prayer, meditation, reflection, study of hatha yoga (the postures) pranayama — breathing exercises and of service.

"I read from the writings and scriptures of various faiths, but mainly focus on the Yoga Sutras of Sri Patanjali, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Tirukkural — a famous scripture from South India," she said.

Hindu monks have a spiritual guide, a person who helps them with their practice and who shares their teaching. In the case of Swami Karunananda, her guide is Sri Swami Satchidananda who was ordained as a Hindu monk. "He was a Hindu in the true sense of the word, being totally inclusive in his perspective," she said.

"In that regard, the centrepiece of Yogaville, where I live is a beautiful interfaith temple known as LOTUS (Light of Truth Universal Shrine). Across the gateway is a quote that comes from the ancient Vedas: 'Truth is One, paths are many.' He appreciated the unity behind all the faiths, while celebrating their diversity.

"He came to describe himself as an 'Undo' rather than a Hindu, meaning that we had to undo all the damage that had been done in order to realise the supreme truth. Originally, we were fine. Then we became 'defined', limited by all our identifications and attachments. So we have to 're-fine' ourselves in order to uncover that pure and perfect divine essence within," she said.

These teachings form the basis of the Integral Yoga Teacher Training programmes in Raja Yoga and meditation that Swami Karunananda developed over 20 years ago. She continues to offer this training and also writes articles, books and gives lectures on yoga.

She said she's pleased with the growing popularity of the Eastern practice not only in the West but also in the world. And she stresses that it's suitable for any and everyone. "Peace is the need of the hour," she said. "The teachings and techniques of yoga are a time-proven method to realise that peace within and then share it with others."

And peace is something she personally has reaped as a benefit of yoga. Asked if she ever gets angry she said: "Waves of anger may arise in the mind, but much less frequently, and if they do, I can observe them without acting on them. Many years ago, I devoted a full year to working on anger, mainly using the techniques of observation and introspection.

"Toward the end of that year, I went to visit my parents, who were not supportive of the life I had chosen. As I was about to leave, my mother came and told me that even though she wasn't in favour of the path I had chosen, that I must be doing something right, because she didn't see any of the anger that she had always seen in the past."

She said her experience convinced her that we can change undesirable patterns, psychological and behaviour. "Yoga can help us get unstuck from all that binds and limits us and free us from suffering," she said.