Letters from the Yoga Masters: Teachings Revealed through Correspondence from Paramhansa Yogananda, Ramana Maharshi, Swami Sivananda, and Others

398 Pages·2016·13.08 MB·English

by  Marion (Mugs) McConnell

Praise for Letters from the Yoga Masters
“This book is a ‘must-read’ for every sincere and dedicated yoga sadhaka as it provides a glimpse of
beautiful soulful responses elicited from great masters by the questioning spirit manifesting through a
dedicated seeker in Dr. Harry (Hari) Dickman. As an ideal student of a great teacher, Marion McConnell
has done commendable seva (selfless service) for the cause of yoga in bringing all of these historical
documents together. She lays out in intricate detail some very rare techniques of pranayama, mudra, and
dhyana that are gems for all sincere students. Beautiful stories to enliven the spirit embellish the end of this
lovely treatise that will serve as a guide for so many spiritual seekers in time to come.”
—Yogacharya Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani, chairman of the International Centre for Yoga
Education and Research (ICYER) at Ananda Ashram, Pondicherry, India
“Letters from the Yoga Masters is a beautifully written account of the relationship between student and
teacher. Marion gifts us rich history and a clear sense of the yogic teachings that Dr. Harry Dickman taught
her as he learned from numerous yoga masters. This rare look at a beautifully lived and spiritually very rich
life is a must-read for all those on the path of yoga.”
—Brenda Feuerstein, director of traditional yoga studies; founder/director of Georg Feuerstein Inner
Freedom Project; coauthor with Georg Feuerstein, PhD, of The Bhagavad-Gita: A New Translation,
The Matrix of Yoga, Green Dharma, and Green Yoga
“This jewel of a book is a fitting tribute to a great soul, offered lovingly by his dedicated student. How
fortunate that the yogic knowledge Dr. Dickman gained from many revered teachers has been preserved so
carefully and faithfully that it can enrich the lives of many spiritual seekers who otherwise would never
have known of him.”
—Nayaswami Gyandev McCord, PhD, director of Ananda Yoga, cofounder of Yoga Alliance
“Some things should not be lost. Letters from the Yoga Masters is a uniquely valuable book containing
wisdom and advice from most of the well-known and respected yoga masters of India in the twentieth
century. McConnell has done a commendable job preserving this knowledge and presents the stories and
teachings in a very entertaining way.”
—Bernie Clark, author of YinSights: A Journey into the Philosophy and Practice of Yin Yoga, From
the Gita to the Grail: Exploring Yoga Stories & Western Myth, and coauthor with Sarah Powers of
The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga The Philosophy and Practice of Yin Yoga
“McConnell provides glimpses into the modern history and practice of yoga that no one else could have
given us. As the private student of an acharya who was himself taught by Swami Sivananda, Shyam Sundar
Goswami, and other great masters, she was privy to exchanges of knowledge and wisdom known to no one
else. We are lucky indeed that these precious letters have survived for our benefit.”
—William Phillips (Shantideva), disciple of Dr. Swami Gitananda Giri and author of Laya Yoga
Kriyas (CD)
“Letters from the Yoga Masters is an extraordinary presentation on yoga built around extracts from private
letters written by Paramhansa Yogananda, Swami Sivananda, Ramana Maharshi, and others, to Dr. Hari
Dickman, founder of the Latvian Yoga Society in the 1930s. McConnell offers clear instruction and
enjoyable reading supported by rare original writings from these revered yoga masters. She provides
insights into a pioneering advanced yogi during the historical spread of yoga teachings to the West. A
treasure for beginner and advanced yoga students.”
—Bill Francis Barry, Vedic priest, spiritual teacher/counselor
“It is rare that someone in their teens has the insight to understand their Dharma (life purpose). In the early
1970s Marion (Mugs) McConnell followed her innate wisdom to follow a path of yoga, which led her to Dr.
Hari Dickman, one of many wise yogis who recognized the glowing Spirit within this young woman. With
so many books about “doing yoga” I feel it is commendable that someone with Marion’s experience has
meticulously documented the deeper aspects of yoga in Letters from the Yoga Masters, which in years to
come will be a valuable and inspiring volume in the history of yoga in the West.”
—Mary-Louise Parkinson, president of International Yoga Teachers Association
LETTERS FROM THE YOGA MASTERS
Teachings Revealed through Correspondence from Paramhansa
Yogananda, Ramana Maharshi, Swami Sivananda, and Others
MARION (MUGS) M CONNELL
C
North Atlantic Books
Berkeley, California
Copyright © 2016 by Marion (Mugs) McConnell. All rights reserved. No portion of this book, except for brief review, may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording,
or otherwise—without the written permission of the publisher. For information contact North Atlantic Books.
Published by
North Atlantic Books
Berkeley, California
Cover art created from letters written by Swami Sivananda Saraswati of Rishikesh, Swami Satchidananda, Swami Vishnudevananda,
Swami Shivananda Saraswati of Assam, Faye Wright (Sri Daya Mata) of Self-Realization Fellowship, and Dr. Hari Dickman (to
author). Classic drawing of nadis circa nineteenth century Tibet is attributed to the prophet Ratnasara.
Cover design by Bill Zindel
Letters from the Yoga Masters: Teachings Revealed through Correspondence from Paramhansa Yogananda, Ramana Maharshi,
Swami Sivananda, and Others is sponsored and published by the Society for the Study of Native Arts and Sciences (dba North Atlantic
Books), an educational nonprofit based in Berkeley, California, that collaborates with partners to develop cross-cultural perspectives,
nurture holistic views of art, science, the humanities, and healing, and seed personal and global transformation by publishing work on
the relationship of body, spirit, and nature.
MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: The following information is intended for general information purposes only. Individuals should always
see their health care provider before administering any suggestions made in this book. Any application of the material set forth in the
following pages is at the reader’s discretion and is his or her sole responsibility.
North Atlantic Books’ publications are available through most bookstores. For further information, visit our website at
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: McConnell, Marion, author.
Title: Letters from the yoga masters : teachings revealed through correspondence from Paramhansa Yogananda, Ramana Maharshi,
Swami Sivananda, and others / Marion (Mugs) McConnell.
Description: Berkeley : North Atlantic Books, 2016.
Identifiers: LCCN 2015037866| ISBN 9781623170356 (paperback) | ISBN 9781623170363 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Yoga. | Spiritual life. | Dickman, Hari, 1895-1979—Correspondence. | Yogis—Correspondence. | BISAC:
PHILOSOPHY / Eastern. | LITERARY COLLECTIONS Essays. | HEALTH & FITNESS Yoga.
Classification: LCC B132.Y6 M243 2016 | DDC 181/.45—dc23
LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015037866
For Hari, my beloved guide to the spirit.
Dr. Hari Dickman, 1938. Photo credit: L. Alutis Kreicberg.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A BOOK DOESN’T WRITE ITSELF. It takes a lot of support from a lot of people. I had
no idea this project would be so consuming, and without all the encouragement
from my friends, students, and colleagues, this book would never have come to
be.
From the very beginning of my years as a yoga teacher, I have tried to tell my
students how blessed I am to have had Hari Dickman as my teacher. He was
highly regarded by the greatest yoga masters of his time, and yet he remained
humble and gentle. I am so fortunate to have been his student—I was his last
student—with whom he willingly shared his knowledge and his M&M’s. It has
been my honor and my duty to pass on to others everything he taught me. His
knowledge was hard won, gained during a time of censorship and war, refugee
camps and homelessness. He worked obsessively at his yoga practice to earn the
trust of many yoga masters so they would impart upon him the truths of this
sacred path. This knowledge needs to be shared, not lost. This book is intended
to let the world know about this lovely man, Hari Dickman. It is through the
efforts of great yogis like him that we are able to enjoy the ancient truths of yoga
today. And for this, we should all be grateful.
I thank Bob McConnell, my loving husband, for his endless support over the
years it took to write this book, never complaining about papers and documents
spread all over the house and office. He cooked numerous meals while I stared at
the computer, and his only request was that every day we got out for a good
walk together.
I am grateful to Mrs. Edie Thorslund, who for a brief time was my neighbor.
She introduced me to yoga in 1973, when I was seventeen years old.
I would never have met Hari if Mrs. Velta Snikere-Wilson had not suggested
that I study with him. In my search for a teacher, she shared his address with me.
I have never met her—she is now in her nineties and continues to teach yoga in
London, England.
Katherine DaSilva Jain opened her home to Hari in his last years, and then to
me, so I could study with him. She also permitted me to copy Hari’s letters after
all my notes had been stolen. Without her generous spirit, this book could not
have been written.
For many months, the late Doug Paterson helped me make photocopies of the
letters as Katherine mailed them to me in small packages. I am grateful for the