Yoga is one of the most important facets of the Indian culture. It has a living tradition of more than five thousand years. As a philosophy no doubt, Yoga offers a transcendental vision of Reality. But more important than this is a fact, that as a practical discipline, it offers precise way to realise that vision.

Though Yoga is meant essentially for the spiritual development, it also emphasises the fact that this development is possible only when the body and mind are healthy. For this purpose Yoga has developed a unique system comprising of numerous physical and mental practices. It makes the body and mind work at their highest level of efficiency and also helps in the removal of all those factors which would reduce this efficiency.

Thus though Yoga is a science of spiritual development, it can also be used as a science of Health and Healing.

Over the ages, unfortunately, it got buried under layers and layers of ignorance, indifference and superstition. The credit for its revival and for its presentation to the world on a very rational scientific basis goes to few enlightened persons, foremost amongst them is Swami Kuvalayananda.

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SWAMI KUVALAYANANDA
He initiated the process for investigating the effects of Yogic practices on the body as well as the mind in the research laboratory and applied the knowledge gained from these experiments to evolve the system of Yogic Health Culture.

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KAIVALYADHAMA HEALTH CENTRE, MUMBAI

  When the work of Swami Kuvalayananda to investigate the effects of Yoga in a scientific way became well known, more and more number of people started coming to the institute at Lonavla with a desire to learn Yoga for the purpose of health and healing. Many amongst them were from Mumbai. As their number grew, they requested Swamiji to open the branch of the institute in Mumbai itself.

In response to these requests the Mumbai branch of the Kaivalyadhama was started on the 6th January, 1932. In the initial period the work was carried out at two centres in the suburbs of Mumbai. The Health aspect was handled by the centre at Santacruz and this Health Centre was known as Arogya Sharanam. The other centre at Borivali functioned as the spiritual centre and was known as Adhyatma Kendra.

Later on, for a greater convenience of the people, the Health Centre was shifted from the suburb to its present site on Marine Drive. The munificent donation received from Sir Chunilal Mehta, made it possible for the Health Centre to have its own building. In the memory of Sir Mehta's son, it was renamed as Ishwardas Chunilal Yogic Health Centre, Kaivalyadhama and was inaugurated as a full-fledge centre on 30th April, 1936.

Swami Kuvalayananda had a clear vision about how Yoga can play a great role in health and healing. In an information booklet brought out at the beginning of the Bombay branch, he had mentioned that "he is far more anxious to prevent diseases than to cure them. He is convinced on ground thoroughly scientific, that Yogic physical culture is capable of building such vitality in every individual that seriously takes to it, as would expose him to ills rarely, if at all. To practice Yoga daily and systematically is to develop immunity against all diseases". All along the last 70 years, this has remained the main thrust of the activity of Kaivalyadhama, Mumbai.

Organisational setup of Kaivalyadhama Mumbai: 
Kaivalyadhama Mumbai is registered as a Charitable Trust with charity Commissioner of          
Mumbai. Its activities are guided by the Board od trustees and implemented by the Secretary, 
Shri Parmanand Agarwal and its team.