Amma sustains her utmost teaching that selfless service with compassion is the foundation of all other spiritual practices. Through her many activities, she upholds the ancient tradition of Yoga as the recipe for a healthy life, as well as for internal and external purity.
With an aim to equip oneself with essential knowledge, tackle life situations, and to build a discriminative mind, based on Amma’s teachings, the Mata Amritanandamayi Math (MAM) initiated yoga activities for the ashram residents in 1980. Since those early days, yoga has been part of daily life in Amritapuri.
That same year, inspired by Amma, residents and trained teachers of MAM also began teaching Amrita Yoga, and since then, people from all walks of life have been introduced to Yoga as a way to lead a peaceful, harmonious, and complete life.
More than 7.3 million (73 lakh) individuals across the globe have participated in Amrita Yoga and Integrated Amrita Meditation programs through Embracing the World.
Specialist trainers have reached people belonging to all age groups in schools, universities, industrial organizations, corporations, prisons, and India’s Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). This includes MAM’s 150+ centres in India and around the world, 65 Amrita Vidyalayam schools for children, MAM’s university – Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amrita Hospitals, MAM’s youth wing – Amrita Yuva Dharma Dhara (AYUDH), MAM’s self-reliant village program – Amrita SeRVe, Balakendras (youth groups for children ages 4-12), and other units.
MAM and Embracing the World instructors have also led International Day of Yoga (IDY) celebrations worldwide since its inception on June 21, 2015. Amrita Yoga has been an official co-organizer of IDY events, along with the Indian Embassies in Denmark, Chicago and Norway.