What is MISA - the Movement for Spiritual Integration in Absolute?
The Movement for Spiritual Integration in Absolute (M.I.S.A.) has been founded as a non-profit association, by judicial decision on January 23, 1990, by the Court of Bucharest’s First District. It has a socio-professional, philosophical and educative character, aiming to increase the spiritual level of peoples by spreading the yoga knowledge and practices.
The spiritual mentor of Movement for Spiritual Integration in Absolute is the yoga teacher Gregorian Bivolaru. Endowed with a truthfully encyclopaedic knowledge, having a rich practical experience and genuine pedagogical talent, Gregorian Bivolaru contrived to found what we today name M.I.S.A. Yoga School, the largest yoga school in Europe.
For understanding the context of M.I.S.A. setting up and the development of M.I.S.A. Yoga School we have to point out that Romania is the only country in the world where the practice of yoga has been ever forbidden. Something like this has never happened anywhere else on earth. In Romania, yoga was forbidden in 1982, in connection with the "Transcendental Meditation scandal”, whose victim Gregorian Bivolaru was also. Yoga was illegal in Romania until December 1989, the time of Romanian “revolution”.
Even before the Romanian “revolution”, Gregorian Bivolaru was permanently kept under observation by the Securitate (Romanian communist Secret Service), because he was practicing and teaching yoga. He has been jailed two times and then forcedly hospitalized in a psychiatric hospice during the communist regime (solution adopted during communist regime for getting rid of undesirable ones, because the communist ideology was not allowing political detainees). Why was Gregorian Bivolaru guilty of? Because he exchanged letters with Mircea Eliade and kept on practicing and teaching yoga during 1982-1989.
After revolution Gregorian Bivolaru, together with a group of yogi friends, founded M.I.S.A. The first yoga conferences and courses conducted in January 1990 had a tremendous success. Thousands of people then registered to the yoga classes organized by MISA in Bucuresti, Cluj, Iasi and Brasov in the first months of 1990. In the following years have been opened classes in more and more cities throughout Romania and abroad. Thus, what we are now calling the M.I.S.A. phenomenon grew more and more, despite some permanent attacks, harassments and abuses from authorities, having the officious support of mass-media.
Dr. Sanjeev Sood about MISA
Yang Spiral Meditation - Costinesti, Romania, august 2009
Not at all surprisingly, especially tacking into account the questionable authenticity of 1989 events, Gregorian Bivolaru remained on the undesirable persons list after 1989 also. Periodically, the press launched extremely virulent attacks, really press campaigns to compromise M.I.S.A. and Gregorian Bivolaru. We recognize in these also the Securitate’s (Ceausescu's secret service) aberrant accuses and mentality. Because the real target of these press campaigns was Gregorian Bivolaru, he decided to withdraw himself as leader of M.I.S.A. in 1995, and later on he even ceased to personally conduct yoga classes. Still, he permanently and continuously remained the mentor of M.I.S.A. yoga school, giving lectures, theoretical lessons, spiritual initiations, yoga camps (in Romania and abroad). He is also the author of many books, brochures, articles about yoga, naturist treatments, spirituality, parapsychology etc.
Starting from 1990 the M.I.S.A. yoga school opened yoga courses in over 250 localities in Romania and other 16 countries. The movement leadership evaluates that about 35000 students followed so far the yoga courses conducted by M.I.S.A. The instructors conducting these classes are selected based on some both theoretical and practical examinations and have a special training.
The First Congress of European Yoga Federation took place in Bucharest, between 11-13th of November 2005 and was organized by MISA. Here are a few articles regarding this event:
- The First Congress of European Yoga Federation is taking place in Bucharest and is organized by MISA
- First Congress Day Real face of MISA shows at the European Yoga Federation Congress
- 1st Congress of the European Yoga Federation – Day 2 – a great success
- A Great Accomplishement of MISA Yoga School: First Congress of European Yoga Federation
- European Yoga Federation First Congress, through the journalists’ glasses
The International Congress YOGA AND THE PLANETARY MILLENARY WISDOM 2008 took place in Bucharest, between 6-8th of June 2008 and was organized by MISA:
- The International Yoga Congress «YOGA AND THE PLANETARY MILLENARY WISDOM»
- The Program of the International Congress YOGA AND THE PLANETARY MILLENARY WISDOM 2008
International YOGA contest - Promoting the YOGA millenary values (6 min. 00 sec.) |
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Click here for photos from the 2010 International Yoga Congress.
The third International Congress of Yoga and Alternative Therapies from the Eastern and Western Traditions: “Spirituality – the Science of the Consciousness which is Inspired by God” took place under the patronage of the International Federation of Yoga and Meditation Atman in Bucharest, Romania, from the 22nd to 25th of November 2012, and with a large international participation. More informations on the Congress site: www.internationalyogacongress.net
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