Singapore
In India Swami Atmananda looked after the administration of Bihar School of Yoga according to the instructions of Swami Satyananda, before setting off on a tour of the Far East in 1978, and this time she settled in Singapore and opened another ashram.
She became known as Mataji, Respected Mother; she was a well-known and well-loved figure. Swami Ramdev joined her, and Kriyamurti came from India.
In Singapore she, Ramdev and Kriyamurti used to get up early and sit on her bed in silence, drinking hot tea. The hall light would be on in the background, and she would mostly have her eyes closed, or somebody might say something softly.
It was a sacred, quiet time, when the darkness seemed so intimate, deep and full of mystery. It was meditation, without any formality.
Swami Atmananda gave yoga classes, meditation, public lectures, satsangs, teacher training courses, seminars and conferences.
She travelled to Europe, America, Canada, Australia, the Middle East, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Indonesia, at the invitation of friends, giving yoga programmes and meeting people.
Many people came to lay their problems at her feet. When she stayed abroad she never acted the VIP, but used to make herself useful, although her hosts felt blessed just by having her in their home.
One friend remembers getting up early and finding Swami Atmananda already busy at work in the kitchen, the walls streaming with condensation from all the pots on the boil. She even prepared a few dishes for the freezer when she left.
When people came to share their difficulties with her, her advice was always practical and non-judgemental. She saw daily life, relationships, as the real, authentic yoga. What use is yoga and meditation if you can’t live in harmony with your partner, your children, your family?
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