| Jagadguru Kripaluji Yog | |
| Abbreviation: | JKYog |
| Formation: | Plano, Texas, United States |
| Type: | Nonprofit Organization, 501(c)(3) |
| Status: | Charitable Trust |
| Headquarters: | Plano, Texas, United States |
| Area Served: | United States |
| Affiliations: | Hinduism |
Jagadguru Kripaluji Yog (JKYog) is a spiritual and charitable non-profit organization in United States. It was founded by Swami Mukundananda (in 2009), a senior disciple of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj. JKYog works for physical, mental, spiritual wellness through a holistic system of Yog that includes Bhakti yoga, meditation, and spirituality. The organization also supports health care for the underprivileged and education for rural youth.[1]
In 2009, Mukundananda, a senior disciple of Kripalu Maharaj, founded JKYog in the United States with the goal of disseminating Vedic knowledge in the western world.[2] In July 2017, JKYog established the Radha Krishna Temple, Dallas, which serves as the JKYog headquarters in United States.[3] [4]
The mission of JKYog is to serve society with both material and spiritual knowledge for complete physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual well-being. The teachings of JKYog include a combination of five disciplines of Vedic philosophy, which are yoga, breathing techniques, relaxation, meditation and healthy diet.[5]
JKYog teaches non-violence and respect for all living beings.[6] JKYog requires their followers to consume a lacto-vegetarian diet for ethical and spiritual reasons.[7] [8] [9] In 2018, JKYog published a vegetarian cookbook.[10]
JKYog offers weeklong yoga and meditation workshops in about twenty cities of the United States every year, along with philosophical discourses on Vedic sciences and mind management. JKYog arranges typically four spiritual retreats every year in different parts of the United States.[11] Swami Mukundananda visits different cities across United States every year to conduct weeklong yoga and meditation workshops, and deliver spiritual discourses to explain the theoretical and practical aspects of Bhakti yoga.
Daily Sadhana helps people practice Bhakti Yoga on a daily basis by participating in devotional chanting and guided meditation and Vedic study.[12] Several JKYog centers facilitate weekly interactive Bhagavad Gita study sessions based on Swami Mukundananda's commentary on the Bhagavad Gita.[13]
Bal-Mukund is a children's program that includes character building, yoga, pranayam, meditation, chanting, stories and discussions, language classes, games, and arts and crafts.[14] JKYog also offers a youth career development program of leadership skills, public speaking skills, college counselling and community services.
Happiness Challenge JKYog conducted a 21-day worldwide program called "Happiness Challenge" from 1 January to 21 January 2019. The program was created by Swami Mukundananda. According to him, "One of the most pleasing and beneficial arts in our life we can learn is the art of happiness. Happiness is a state of the mind. It arises from a conscious attempt to generate and hold the right stream of thoughts and corresponding emotions."[15] [16]
Life Transformation Challenge From 1 January to 21 January 2020, JKYog conducted a 21-day worldwide program called "Life Transformation Challenge". The program was created by Swami Mukundananda to offer 21 free tools to people around the world to manifest their innate potential by harnessing the powers of the mind with right knowledge and practice.[17] [18]
International Festival of Yoga JKYog has been celebrating the International Day of Yoga since 2015. On this Day JKYog organizes several sessions on yoga, pranayam, holistic health, health and wellness seminars and workshops. Due to the Covid-19 situation, in 2020 JKYog organized an online event to celebrate the International Day of Yoga (20 June 2020 – 26 June 2020), where thousands of people participated virtually around the globe.[19]
For the second year in a row, JKYog conducted an online international Yoga festival in 2021, the theme of which was the link between yoga and good mental health in a post-pandemic world. Several renowned spiritual leaders, yoga teachers, and health professionals discussed the theme in this online event.[20]
Family Camp Every summer JKYog conducts a week-long spiritual retreat and family camp in the Radha Krishna Temple of Dallas, Allen, Texas. The week-long program includes guided meditation sessions, kirtan chanting, cultural events and enlightening discourses by Swami Mukundananda. The spiritual retreat also provides personality development activities, value based teachings, painting and music classes for the children (age 5 - 12) and the youth (age 13 - 18).[21]
JKYog has 75 congregation centers (as of 2018) all over the world with 50 centers in India, 22 in USA, and 3 in Nepal. The centers in USA span across different cities like Dallas, New York, San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, Connecticut, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, New Jersey, Houston, Los Angeles, Maryland, Phoenix, Morrisville, Tampa, and Pennsylvania. The centers in India are located mainly in the states of Odisha, Gujrat, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. The Nepal centers include Kathmandu and Birgunj. People regularly meet in the congregation centers to practice bhakti yoga. Many centers also conduct regular Bal-Mukund classes for the spiritual upliftment of children.[22] [23] [24] [25]
JKYog social services include health care for the underprivileged and education for rural youth. JKYog has helped establish Jagadguru Kripalu Chikitsalaya, a free hospital in the state of Odisha, India and supports charitable hospitals and educational institutes in Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat, in Mangarh, Kunda, Vrindavan, and Barsana. JKYog also supports several charitable initiatives in United States such as Little Hands Big Hearts, and Kids Assisting Kids. Kids Assisting Kids is a JKYog initiative to provide better access to educational resources to homeless kids by distributing free laptops to needy youth.[26] [27]
JKYog conducted a 24-hour continuous chanting of Hare Rama Mahamantra, for world peace and physical, mental, and spiritual well-being during the coronavirus pandemic. The event was coordinated from the Radha Krishna Temple of Dallas premise, with singers participating from around the world, by relay system.[28]
JKYog conducts regular online and live Bhagavad Gita sessions. In 2021, JKYog celebrated International Gita Festival from Mar 15th to Mar 21st to spread the wisdom of Bhagavad Gita.[29]