ascent was an independent, not-for-profitmagazine published quarterly that explores the intersection of spiritual values with social and political issues, art, culture and contemporary thought. ascent also published a website, a blog, books, and held an annual retreat at Yasodhara Ashram. The tag line for the magazine was "Yoga for an inspired life". Its offices were based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
History
ascent started as an in-house journal for Yasodhara Ashram in 1963. It was founded by Swami Sivananda Radha who started teaching yoga in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1956 when she returned from India where she was initiated into Sanyas by Swami Sivananda Saraswati of Rishikesh. In 1959 she moved to the West coast of Canada and established an ashram in Burnaby, British Columbia. She instructed people in Indian dance, hatha yoga, mantra, and meditation. Within a few years Swami Sivananda Radha began looking for land outside of the city. In 1963 she established Yasodhara Ashram, a spiritual retreat center, on Kootenay Lake near Nelson, British Columbia. In July 1963 she began sending out a monthly newsletter to her associates and friends. They functioned as a way to keep people engaged with the work and activities being carried out at the ashram. In the mid-sixties the newsletter began to include more commentaries on spiritual practices such as meditation, mantra, hatha yoga, and the Divine Light Invocation. In 1969 the newsletter became a bi-monthly publication and changed its name to ascent. It was printed in a booklet format and cost 50 cents. It included an article by Swami Radha, news and photos of the ashram, and concluded with an article by a guest author. Guest authors include Swami Sivananda Saraswati and Swami Chidananda Saraswati of the Divine Life Society, Rishikesh, India. Throughout the 80s and 90s the direction of ascent was primarily focused on acting as a vehicle for the teachings of Swami Sivananda Radha, as a promotion for the ashram courses, and to share experiences of people who had participated in ashram courses. In 1992 the Temple of Divine Light at Yasodhara Ashram was completed. This is a dome structure designed with 8 doors and 8 major arches to symbolize the unity in the 8 major religions. This integral and inquisitive approach to spirituality would come to influence the direction of ascent it was launched as a nationally-distributed magazine in 1999. The ascenteditorial offices moved to Montreal and there was no longer a focus on the day-to-day activities of Yasodhara Ashram. The magazine continued to focus on the teachings of Swami Sivananda Radha but also showcased the spiritual experiences of many authors and artists from various traditions and fields of thought.
Editorial Focus
Each issue of ascent centered around a specific theme. There was an emphasis on personal narrative and translating the philosophy of yoga and other spiritual traditions into practical reflections. ascent regularly published articles and art-work submitted by its readers. Past themes include gender and sexuality, family, healing and food. Each Issue features the following regular columns:
editorial
from the desk of Swami Radhananda - an article from the president and spiritual director of Yasodhara Ashram
hidden language hatha yoga - Swami Lalitananda blends real-life reflections with Hatha Yoga instruction and penetrating questions that point to the spiritual roots of the practice.
from the archives - A previously unpublished article by Swami Sivananda Radha.
