The Kula is grounded in a nondual approach to Yoga. Our only goal is to be free from suffering so as to recognize and live from our true nature that exudes such qualities as peace, joy, ease and generosity. There is nothing to do or achieve, we are already peace and joy itself, right now.

Learning to deeply relax is a prerequisite to experiencing one's essential nature. As we begin to release some of the stress, fatigue, and tension from the body/mind we can gradually penetrate the many false identities obscuring the real Self beyond the ego personality by pondering the question 'Who am I'. This question in all its unlimited variations underlies, supports and informs all the practices we engage in.

Jnana yoga is one of the principle branches of classical Yoga (the others being bhakti-yoga and karma-yoga). Specifically, it consists in the constant exercise of discriminating Ultimate Reality from unreality, the Self from the non-self.

Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950) born in Venkataraman, India is known as one of the twentieth century's greatest adepts of Jnana yoga.

Ramana was moved to spiritual life at an early age. One day he suddenly experienced an intense fear of death, which he then imagined his own cremation and dissolution. By directly experiencing this terror he was led to his realization of the Self beyond the physical body. He became Self-realized at the age of sixteen.

After his enlightenment he settled on the sacred hill of Arunachala in Triuvannamalai in South India. His peaceful presence attracted thousands of seekers from around the world.

His essential meditative inquiry - to ponder the question 'Who am I' (atma vicara) is a version of the Vedantic method of neti neti ('not this, not that') which is a well know Upanishadic response to the inquiring student who wants a description of the transcendental Self. Whatever can be said of the Self is not ultimately true, only a concept. Descriptions are merely pointers to That which is beyond all mental constructs.

To find out more about Sri Ramana, log onto the website dedicated to him: http://www.sriramanamaharshi.org/