Where Yoga, Breath, and Martial Wisdom Become One
At Ananda Maya, a new class is being offered that reaches beyond the surface of modern yoga practice. Siddha Yoga with Skanda Shiksha is not designed as a fitness routine or a stylized flow. It is a living discipline rooted in ancient knowledge, refined through martial experience, and applied with clarity to real life.
This is a practice for those who sense that yoga was never meant to exist in isolation from strength, awareness, and inner steadiness.
A Return to the Original Purpose of Yoga
While the class includes familiar elements from Hatha Yoga and Ashtanga, these are not treated as goals in themselves. Postures are used as tools rather than destinations.
Here, the emphasis is on how breath, movement, and intention are unified. Asanas are linked with conscious breathing and precise transitions, drawing from both yogic science and martial mechanics. The body is trained not for display, but for stability, responsiveness, and endurance.
Flexibility may increase. Strength will develop.
But the deeper aim is composure under pressure.
Ancient Martial Arts, Applied to Modern Life
Skanda Shiksha brings together ancient Indian martial traditions, Thai and Cambodian martial arts, and modern military tactical self-defence systems designed for real-world effectiveness.
The martial aspect of this class is practical, controlled, and deeply mindful. It focuses on:
- Situational awareness and grounded presence
- Efficient movement rather than brute force
- Balance, timing, and breath under stress
- Highly effective self-defence for real-life situations
Separate considerations are given for women’s self-defence and men’s training, ensuring that techniques remain realistic, respectful, and empowering rather than aggressive.
This is not performance martial arts.
It is functional training that builds confidence without inflating ego.
The Subtle Work Beneath the Surface
What distinguishes Siddha Yoga with Skanda Shiksha is that the visible practice is not the main practice.
Beneath the movement lies subtle work with the breath, the nervous system, and attention itself. Students gradually learn how to:
- Calm the mind while the body is active
- Maintain clarity while moving through challenge
- Regulate breath in moments of intensity
- Remain inwardly still even when outwardly engaged
This is where yoga and martial discipline truly meet.
About the Teacher
Skanda Guru Raja Suraj has been in continuous training since 1987. His path is shaped by lifelong discipline, lived sādhana, and authentic lineage rather than display, branding, or ideology.
His background spans ancient Indian martial traditions, Thai and Cambodian martial arts, and modern military tactical self-defence systems developed for real-world effectiveness. This is not theoretical knowledge or staged training, but experience refined through decades of practice and application.
Having consistently chosen truth over comfort, his teaching integrates warrior training, yogic science, and bhakti into a grounded path of inner stability. He does not promise extraordinary experiences, nor does he seek followers.
His work is to stabilize the body, refine the breath, and quiet the mind, so that practitioners can stand independently and walk their own path with clarity, strength, and responsibility.
His authority is not asserted.
It is recognized by those who are ready.
What to Expect in Class
- Calm, focused, and disciplined atmosphere
- Breath-led movement rooted in yogic and martial principles
- Practical self-defence adapted for real-life situations
- Respect for individual limits and capacities
- Training that strengthens without hardening the mind
No prior experience in yoga or martial arts is required. Only sincerity and presence.
Class Details
Time: 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Location: Ananda Maya
Format: Drop-in classes welcome
This class is for those who feel that yoga should cultivate resilience, not just flexibility, and that true strength begins with inner stability.
If this resonates, you are welcome to step in.
