Classical Yoga - Empowering Yoga, Enriching Lives

Grants

History

Welcome to the Patanjali Yoga Centre Trust We are a grant-making charity that exists to further the cause of Yoga. We grew out of the Patanjali Yoga Centre in Battle, east Sussex, UK.This Ashram is now closed but the Trustees have transformed the organisation into a charitable foundation in honour of our Founder Swami Indrananda Ji (Sri Indar Nath).

Empowering Yoga, Enriching Lives

Accessible yoga sessions designed for all ages and abilities to foster wellness and community spirit across the UK.

Good-looking women in sports clothing are doing yoga exercises in park on sunny day in autumn enjoying practice and nature. Youth, healthcare and sports concept.

Community Yoga Classes

Specialized yoga programs aimed at improving mental well-being and reducing stress through mindful practice.

Slender girls in trendy sportswear are doing yoga together in group at outdoor class in park developing strength and flexibility. Millennials and active lifestyle concept.

Yoga for Mental Health

Organizing workshops to raise funds and awareness for charitable causes through the practice of yoga.

Charity Yoga Workshops

Our aim is to advance public education in the classical teachings of yoga, particularly for those with limited resources, who might otherwise be excluded.

Yoga Resources and Education

We will continue Swamiji’s mission by supporting underprivileged people, especially younger and older ones, in the UK, India or Africa, through providing grants to organisations that will help these individuals weave the principles of yoga and meditation into their everyday lives.

Capture the essence of empowerment and rejuvenation as women gather together for an exclusive wellness event created to inspire and uplift.

Yoga Outreach Programs

Providing financial support and mentorship to aspiring yoga teachers committed to spreading classical yoga teachings.

Yoga teacher demonstrating Eka Pada Koundinyasa 2. Also called Eka Pada 2 or Eka Pada II or One-Legged Sage Koundinya's Pose 2.

Yoga Teacher Grants

Our Support Programme

Frequently Asked Questions

Contact

One of the best sunsets I have ever experienced and definitely one of the best pictures I have ever shot.

Gallery

a wide version of the morning yoga session over looking the Bali jungle. 

<h3>Expertise in Classical Yoga</h3>Eligibility: In order to be eligible for one of our grants, you must be able to show your teaching, or organisation meets the following criteria:The Organisation is based on the principles of Classical Yoga and operates with complete integrity in a spirit of serviceAims to help people who might otherwise be excluded from YogaReaches people in the United Kingdom, India or AfricaHas a specific project in mind where our grant could make a difference (not just a requirement for additional funds for day-to-day running) e.g. training more yoga teachers, running a special event or buying additional equipment. Projects should reflect our commitment to community wellbeing, health and the promotion of yoga and holistic living.Please note our grants are for yoga teachers or organisations who offer yoga to the community. We do not provide grants directly to individuals who wish to study yoga.To apply: In the first instance please apply by writing a short email (no more than 400 words) that includes: A description of your specific project The intended outcomes and community benefits An idea of the likely budget and timescaleSend your email to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:grant@pyctrust.com">grant@pyctrust.com</a>We will let you know whether we feel you are potentially suitable to receive one of our grants. At that point we will ask for more details and supporting documents. Following receipt of this we will make our final decision.

Classical Yoga: Empowering Communities Through Charitable Yoga Teaching

Empower minds, heal souls through yoga's gentle touch.

HistoryThe Patanjali Yoga Centre was founded by Sri Swami Indrananda Ji (Sri Indar Nath) in 1972 with a view to spreading the true message of Yoga in Great Britain and abroad. It was registered with the Charity Commission in 1982. In 1988 an Ashram was established in Battle, East Sussex to impart the classical teachings of Yoga to serious aspirants and others.

Swamiji passed away in 2007, after which the day-to-day organisation of the Ashram was taken over by the Trustees of the charity. After many successful events and retreats, spanning over 35 years, the Ashram was closed in July 2024, and the building sold.Thanks to the funds from the sale of the Ashram, the Trustees will be able to support like-minded yoga teachers and organisations, such as schools and other yoga centres, with grants. In this way, more people will have access to teachings and retreats that they might not otherwise have been able to afford. Swami Indrananda Ji’s vision and spirit will live on through this new path, and we look forward to continuing his work together with you.

Yoga instructor, Madison Lavern does bow pose in her Denver home.

The spiritual landscape of the West owes a significant debt to the disciplined life and vision of Swami Indrananda Ji. In a modern era often characterized by innovation and adaptation, Swami Ji took a determined stand for the purity and classical integrity of the yoga tradition, founding institutions dedicated to teaching the science as outlined by it’s earliest masters.Swami Indrananda Ji (formerly Sri Indar Ji) stands as a profound example of a life wholly transformed by principle and unwavering personal practice. Born in Punjab, India, in 1923, his journey took him to London in 1957, where he served first with the High Commission of India and later for over two decades at the British Post Office headquarters.This seemingly conventional life, however, became the fertile ground for a spiritual dedication that would touch countless lives. Though his interest in yoga began in childhood, nurtured by his devout upbringing, it was in England that his commitment to classical yoga solidified. His role as Secretary of the Hindu Centre of London brought him into contact with spiritual giants, notably the pioneering Maha Mandaleshwar Ma Yoga Shakti Saraswati in 1967, and Swami Satyananda Saraswati a year later. It was Ma Yoga Shakti’s encouragement that inspired him to dedicate his life not merely to teaching, but to practicing and spreading the authentic message of yoga.This dedication culminated in the founding of the Patanjali Centre for Classical Yoga in 1972. Upon retiring from the Post Office in 1983, Swami Ji poured his entire being into the Centre’s mission, leading teacher training for the British Wheel of Yoga and conducting international seminars and retreats. His philosophy was encapsulated in his deeply rooted personal motto: “One should only teach what one practises; theory is of no avail without practice”.For him, yoga was a practical science, not an abstract theory.This philosophy was further condensed into his teaching framework of the ‘Three Ps’: Practice, Patience, and Perseverance. From his initiation into Mantra Yoga in 1986 to his formal initiation as Swami Yogi Indrananda in 1999 by his first guru, Ma Yoga Shakti, his entire life was a testament to the transformative power of these three principles. His legacy is the unwavering light he shone on the path of authentic, classical yoga until his passing in 2007.The climax of this commitment came in 1988 with the acquisition of property in East Sussex to establish Patanjali Kutir (Ashram). This was not just a retreat; it was conceived as an independent sanctuary devoted to teaching classical yoga "without the influence of other systems”.After retiring in 1983, Swami Ji spent the remainder of his life as the heart of this movement, leading courses, pilgrimages (including three Himalayan tours), and serving as the UK representative for the International Yoga Coordination Centre.

As long as we are not living in harmony with nature and our constitution, we can not expect ourselves to b Ayurveda gives us the means.

His personal commitment was recognized by the highest authorities within the global yoga community. He was initiated into Mantra Yoga by the great Master Swami Krishnananda Ji of the Sivananda Vedanta Society, Rishikesh, and later received the prestigious Vishwa Yoga Ratna (Jewel of Worldwide Yoga) from the World Development Parliament. He was ultimately initiated as Swami Yogi Indrananda in 1999 by his first guru, Ma Yoga Shakti Saraswati.Swami Indrananda Ji's ability to transmit this transformative power reached a wide audience in 2006 when the television program "Checkout Yoga" aired. The show featured him guiding individuals with no prior experience through intensive classical practice, powerfully demonstrating that the traditional path was accessible to all through dedication.Swami Indrananda Ji passed away in 2007. His life remains a luminous guide for all who seek the path of self-mastery, rooted in unwavering, principled practice, and the core wisdom of his philosophy: Practice, Patience, and Perseverance.