Seva
Brahma Seva Practice flows inward. Seva flows outward.
Brahma Seva is Yogamani's support for the sadhus of the Himalayas: food, warmth, medicine and the repair of simple shelters, given where it is needed, when it is needed.
Definition
What Brahma Seva is
It is not a programme with a calendar. Someone hears that a sadhu two valleys away has no blanket before the snow, and something is carried up.
Who
Who it supports
The men and women who keep the Himalayan tradition alive by living it: sadhus in caves and small ashrams above Rishikesh and along the Kedarnath routes, and people in the hill villages nearby who need help through the winter.
We do not name or photograph the people we support without asking them. Many would prefer not to be photographed at all, and that is respected.
What is given
What is given By season
| Season | What is needed |
|---|---|
| Winter | Blankets, warm clothing, woollen socks, solar lights |
| Through the year | Simple food and staples: rice, dal, flour, tea |
| When needed | Basic medicines, a doctor's visit, help reaching a hospital |
| Occasionally | Repair of a shelter roof or door before the rains |
Why this way
The Himalayas are not a backdrop for practice. The people who live and practise there made the tradition we teach.
Supporting them is part of the practice, not a campaign attached to it. So Brahma Seva stays small and direct: things people need, carried to them, without an organisation in between.
Take part
How you can take part Three honest ways
Give something that is needed
The simplest help is an item from the list above. Tell us what you would like to give, and we will tell you what is needed now and where to bring it, or which shop in Rishikesh to buy it from.Ask what is needed
Support the work another way
If you would like to contribute in another way, write to us and we will tell you honestly what is needed: a skill, a contact, a doctor's time.Write to us
Boundary
What we do not ask for
We do not run fundraising drives, we do not publish targets, and we do not ask students to donate as part of a course. Nobody is asked for money at a class, a retreat or a training.
Questions
Questions about Brahma Seva
Not through the website. Write to us and we will tell you what is needed.
Goods sent from abroad may be regulated; it is usually simpler to buy locally.
Ask us, and we will tell you what was given and where.
Help
Ask how to help What is needed now
Tell us what you would like to give or do, and we will tell you what is needed now.
Not sure which programme is right for you?
Tell us what you're looking for and we'll help you find the right place to begin. A teacher replies, usually within a day.
No payment is taken online. We confirm everything with you personally.