Mahamandaleshwar Swami Nityananda is from a lineage of traditional spiritual teachers in India. While carrying the traditional teachings, he makes spirituality a practical part of modern daily reality, guided by the prayer “May all beings live in peace and contentment.” Born in Mumbai, India, in 1962, Swami Nityananda was raised from birth in an environment of yoga and meditation. His parents were devotees of the ascetic avadhut Bhagavan Nityananda, and then became disciples of his successor, Baba Muktananda. Swami Nityananda was trained from childhood by Baba and initiated into the mysterious path of the Siddha Gurus. He learned the various yogic practices, including meditation and Sanskrit chanting, and studied the philosophies of Vedanta and Kashmir Shaivism. He was initiated into the Sarasvati order of monks at eighteen years of age and was given the name Swami Nityananda by Baba. In 1981, Baba declared Swami Nityananda would carry on the lineage. In 1987, Swami Nityananda founded Shanti Mandir as a vehicle for continuing his Guru’s work and subsequently established four ashrams. In 1995, the acharyas of the Dashnam tradition installed him as a Mahamandaleshwar of the Mahanirvani Akhara. He was the youngest recipient since the inception of this order. Currently, Swami Nityananda, also known as Gurudev, travels around the world, sharing the spiritual practices in which he has been trained.www.shantimandir.com