From a very young age Swami Sivananda wanted to become a doctor. When the time came for him to take the exams for medical school, he received the highest marks and was given automatic placement in the university of his choice. While in medical school, Sivananda was eager to learn the ins and outs of medical science and spent much of his time in the hospital ward looking after patients. Under the guidance and support of English doctors, Sivananda quickly acquired the skills to become a great physician.

Before his climb up the ladder to spiritual greatness, Swamigi worked in Malaya as a medical doctor, working endlessly to relieve the suffering of his patients. Sivananda had founded and published a journal entitled Ambrosia which he continued to run during his medical service in Malaya.

In 1923 Swami Sivananda left Malaya after an inner revelation told him that the greatest service to humanity is to free the human mind and soul from suffering. After spending much time in contemplative practices in the Himalayan Mountains, Sivananda became a Sanya in 1924 from Swami Vishwananda of Rishikesh, taking upon himself the lifelong commitment of monkhood as an Indian Swami. After initiation, Sivananda began an intense study of the Yogic practices while continuing to serve the sick villagers and spiritual beings whom he came into contact with.

With some money he had saved from his matured insurance policy, Sivananda started a medical clinic, helping the sick and poor. As his time in Rishikesh passed, the clinic grew to an immense size, supporting up to a few hundred patients at a time.

After some time, Swami Sivananda began an extensive pilgrimage throughout India, traveling the breadth and width of the country. He spent the majority of his pilgrimage offering discourses and lectures on spirituality. Sivananda never hesitated to help another human being and worked nearly every waking moment, serving those near and far from him. He slept little and worked tirelessly which allowed him time to practice medicine, hold spiritual lectures, manage a publishing company, and author a variety of books.

In 1936 Sivananda started the Divine life Society (DLS) along the banks of the holy Ganges River in Rishikesh, the birth place and home of his spiritual life. From the Society came many spiritual discourses and publications which were offered free of cost to all who were interested in learning the traditional sciences.

In 1945 Swamigi organized the Sivananda Ayurvedic Pharmacy which was committed to organizing and dispensing naturopathic medicines from the ancient Indian medical sciences.　 He also opened the All World Sadhu Federation in 1947 and the Yoga Vedanta Forest Academy which offered college and university level courses on the Indian spiritual traditions as well as lectures on other world philosophies.

During his lifetime Sivananda began to spread the knowledge of yoga throughout the world. He had many well known and spiritually knowledgeable disciples who ultimately transformed the face of Yoga in the West. Some of his disciples include Swami Satyananda, Swam Chinmayananda, U.G. Krishnamurti, Swami Krishnananda, and Swami Satchidananda just to name a few.

Before his death he had published hundreds of invaluable books which covered a variety of topics such as Yoga, metaphysics, religion, Eastern Philosophy, Western Philosophy, fine arts naturopathy, Tantra, and education.

Today Swami Sivananda’s name rests as one of the greatest saints of modern India, a soul that was entirely committed to the service of humanity: he fed the hungry, relieved the sick, and most importantly guided many souls towards liberation.

Swamigi left his body in 1963 while in the final stage of Samadhi, a state of meditation in which the soul reaches the eternal state of divine consciousness.