- A Siddha Yoga online account is required to register for and participate in Siddha Yoga Meditation: Meditation Sessions 2020 via Audio Stream.
- When registering for an individual meditation session, you gain unlimited access to participate in the given session for one year, starting from the day of registration.
- When you register for the full series of meditation sessions, you gain unlimited access to all sessions held in 2020. Access to the full series expires eighteen months after registration.
- The meditation sessions are being held via audio stream in English and become available as audio webcasts after the audio stream ends.
- A few weeks after the audio stream, the audio webcast will be available in French, Hindi, and Spanish.
- Every session in the webcast is structured in chapters, and you will be able to either play the whole webcast or select any chapter within it.
- Please use up-to-date versions of the Google Chrome or Firefox browsers to participate in the audio streams and audio webcasts.
- Please read the Commonly Asked Questions below for more detailed information about this series.
Information about Signing into Your Account
In order to participate in this event, you need to sign into the Siddha Yoga path website with your Siddha Yoga online account.
Preparing for Participation in a Meditation Session
General Information
Location Information
Audio Stream and Audio Webcast Information
Audio Stream and Audio Webcast Technical Details
Cancellation Policy
Information about Signing into Your Account
How do I create a Siddha Yoga online account?
Click on the link “CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT” located in the top right corner of the Siddha Yoga path website. An email will be sent to your email address requesting you to validate your new account. Please create your new account in advance of your participation in the event.
Preparing for Participation in a Meditation Session
How do I prepare for a meditation session?
Prepare for a meditation session of this series by engaging with Gurumayi’s Message for 2020, which is on the Siddha Yoga path website.
How do I prepare technically for online participation?
- In order to participate in an online event, you need to sign in to your account on the Siddha Yoga path website.
- A few days before the event, make sure you can successfully sign in with your username and password.
- Click SIGN IN, which can be found on the top right corner of every page of the Siddha Yoga path website.
- If you do not have a Siddha Yoga online account, you can create an account here.
- Make sure you have the latest versions of both recommended browsers installed on your device:
- For most mobile devices, the apps of these browsers are readily available.
- Play Store for Android devices
- App Store for Apple devices
- Click on a Commune with Nature video to test if you can successfully launch a webcast with sound.
- If you cannot successfully launch a Commune with Nature video with sound, please contact Webmaster@syda.org at least two days in advance of the audio stream for further support.
- On the day of the audio stream, please log into this event fifteen minutes before the stream begins. If everything is working properly, you will hear music playing. If you are not able to hear music:
How do I prepare the space in which I will participate?
- If you are participating in a meditation session from home, choose and set up a quiet space free from distraction, and where you will be most comfortable meditating and singing fully.
- Set up your computer or computer speakers to allow you to hear the audio stream at a good volume.
- The following are items to have with you for a meditation session:
- A pillow or cushion to support your sitting posture
- A glass or bottle of water
- Journal and pen
- You may wish to sit on a meditation asana, available for purchase through the Siddha Yoga Bookstore.
How do I prepare my body?
Practice hatha yoga, or other exercises that support physical strength and flexibility, in the days leading up to a meditation session, so that you’re able to sit comfortably for about one hour.
General Information
Are there any prerequisites for participating in the meditation sessions?
There are no prerequisites for these sessions. They are available to seekers new to the Siddha Yoga path who wish to learn about meditation as well as to those who have an established meditation practice.
Participants are invited to prepare for these sessions by engaging with Gurumayi's Message for 2020.
Are there any prerequisites for young people to participate in the meditation sessions at a Siddha Yoga Ashram, meditation center, or chanting and meditation group?
If a young person age 17 or under wishes to participate unaccompanied by a parent, written parental permission is required. Please contact the location where you wish to participate for information.
Children 12 and under may participate in the meditation sessions if they can comfortably sit through the entire session and meditate. It is recommended that the child speak with the coordinator of the event (or the local designated sevite for young people, if there is one) to get an overview of the event, including the length of the meditation session.
If the child states that they can and would like to participate, they may register.
For the US, if a young person has registered online and wishes to participate in a Siddha Yoga Ashram, meditation center, or chanting and meditation group, the steps above needs to be followed.
How many meditation sessions will there be?
There will be a total of eight meditation sessions in this series. One session will be held every month through September 2020.
What is the length of each meditation session?
Each meditation session is approximately 50 to 60 minutes in length.
For how long will each meditation session be available?
For each webcast, registration will be available until at least Thursday, December 31, 2020.
Once registered for a session, you will be able to participate in that session as often as you wish for one year after registration.
- For example, if you register for Session I on February 23, 2020 at 7:00 p.m., then the audio webcast for Session I will be available to you until February 23, 2021 at 7:00 p.m.
In what languages will the meditation sessions be available?
The meditation sessions will be available in English, French, Hindi, and Spanish.
- The audio stream will be in English.
- The audio webcast in English will become available after the audio stream concludes.
- The translated webcasts in French, Hindi, and Spanish will become available a few weeks after each meditation session concludes.
What is the registration fee and how long will I have access to the meditation sessions?
To register and participate via the Siddha Yoga path website, there are two ways to register:
- You can register for the full series: $160 (for adults in the US) and $55 (for young adults in the US). Registering for the full series gives you unlimited access to all meditation sessions for eighteen months following registration.
- You can register online for each session individually: $25 per session (for adults in the US) and $8 (for young adults in the US). The purchase of a session grants you unlimited access to that session for one year after registration.
- To learn about the online registration fees in another country, please begin the registration process. The final fee will be displayed before you place your order.
To register and participate at a Siddha Yoga Ashram, meditation center, or chanting and meditation group, you may register at that location. The cost is $15 per session (for adults in the US) and $5 per session (for young adults in the US). For the cost in other countries, please contact the location where you wish to participate. You will not have access to the session afterwards.
Location Information
Where can I participate?
Participate online via audio stream or audio webcast or at a participating Siddha Yoga Ashram, meditation center, or a chanting and meditation group.
Does online registration allow participation at a location?
- Residents of the US can register online and participate at no additional cost in a location in the US, if they provide proof (e.g., a copy of their confirmation email) of their online registration for the respective session.
- For countries other than the US, contact the location where you wish to participate for local registration details.
How do I register to participate at a location?
Contact the Siddha Yoga Ashram, meditation center, or chanting and meditation group where you wish to participate.
Audio Stream and Audio Webcast Information
At what time will the audio stream of a meditation session begin?
The audio stream will begin at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (USA), with entry music starting to stream at 9:30 a.m. EST.
At what time will the audio webcast for a meditation session become available?
The audio webcast in English will become available after the audio stream concludes.
The translated webcasts in French, Hindi, and Spanish will become available a few weeks after each meditation session concludes.
Can I invite friends to participate in the audio stream or audio webcast in my home?
- You may invite as many people as you like to participate with you, as long as they have all registered.
- You may invite non-registered participants to sign into their Siddha Yoga online accounts on your computer, or they can register at home on their own computers and participate with you.
- If participants register at home, it is your responsibility as the host to ensure that everyone has paid the registration fee.
Can I participate in the audio stream or audio webcast on a different computer from the one I used to register?
- Yes, you can participate on any computer or electronic device with access to the internet, such as a smartphone or tablet.
- To launch the meditation session, click on the Sign In link in the top right corner of the homepage of the Siddha Yoga path website (www.siddhayoga.org) and sign in with the same username and password that you used to register.
Audio Stream and Audio Webcast Technical Details
What are the recommended browsers for the audio stream and audio webcast?
The recommended internet browsers are Firefox and Google Chrome.
Please make sure you have the latest versions of both these browsers installed on your device so that you can test which browser works best for your streaming.
What is the recommended internet speed for participating in the audio stream?
The minimum recommended internet speed is 4 Mbps. For lower internet speeds, you will be able to participate with lower video resolution, though you may experience pauses or breakup of the stream.
Do the audio streams and audio webcasts have visual elements?
The audio stream and audio webcast contain slides throughout the session. If you do not have the capability to project the visual content adequately, the “audio only” option is available by clicking on the headphone icon in the lower right corner of the player. This will not detract from participants’ experience of the session.
How do I change the visual quality of the media player?
To change the visual quality of the media player, click on the settings icon 
in the lower right corner of the player (see screenshot). A dropdown showing your current visual quality and other resolutions (240p, 480p, 720p, 1080p) will appear.
Choose a higher resolution if the still images are flickering and choose a lower quality if the stream does not load properly. The quality selection only influences the visual quality; the audio quality is the same for all settings.
See the images below of the audio stream and audio webcast players. The illustrations for the audio stream and audio webcast players look slightly different.
Audio stream player:
Audio webcast player:
During the audio stream, if the video is still buffering or pausing too often, you may switch to audio only. To do so, click the headphones icon in the lower right corner of the player (see screenshot).
To switch back to video from audio only, click the settings icon in the lower right corner of the screen.
Can I pause and rewind the audio stream and audio webcast?
You will not be able to pause or rewind the audio stream. You will, however, be able to pause, rewind, and replay the audio webcast once it becomes available after the stream concludes.
What do I do if I am having technical difficulties?
If you are having technical difficulties, please see Technical Information or email Webmaster@syda.org.
Cancellation Policy
What is the cancellation policy for participation on a personal computer?
To cancel your registration, please send an email to Webmaster@syda.org. Payment can be refunded only up to 30 days from the original date of payment.
- If no session has been launched:
- The fee for an individual session which has not been launched, or for the full series of meditation sessions for which no sessions have been launched, can be refunded minus a 10% processing fee.
- If a session has been launched:
- The fee for an individual session cannot be refunded once the session has been launched.
- The fee for the full series of meditation sessions can be refunded within thirty days of the original date of payment, and the refund will be reduced by $25 for each session that has been launched.
- For example, if you paid $160 and launched one session, and then canceled within thirty days of your original date of payment, you would receive a refund of $135.
What is the cancellation policy for participation at a Siddha Yoga Ashram, meditation center, or chanting and meditation group?
To cancel your registration, please contact the location where you registered.
- If you cancel prior to the start of the event, a 10% cancellation fee will be withheld.
- If you cancel after the start of the event, the registration fee will not be refunded.