Swami Radha was one of the world’s most highly respected spiritual teachers. During her lifetime, 1911-1995 she inspired many people with her courage and willingness to lead a life of purpose and quality.

Born in Berlin and given the name Ursula Sylvia, she became a creative writer, photographer and a solo concert dancer early in life. Her first marriage ended abruptly when her husband, Wolfgang was killed by the Gestapo for helping Jewish friends leave Germany. She married again, this time to a composer and violinist. Albert Hellman wrote beautiful music for her dances but their time also was shortlived. After one year together he died in her arms. 

Against many odds she survived the war and in 1951 emigrated to Canada settling in Montreal.

From an early age she had begun to question the meaning of life, and it was this search that took her to India, after her guru, Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh appeared to her during a meditation. In her book, Radha Diary of a Woman’s Search she tells the story of reuniting with her teacher. He challenged her to remember who she was and to think deeply about the purpose of life. “He used every moment to teach you something,” she said. His message was- that truth can be found in a balanced life and to use discipline to avoid extremes. She heard him say over and over that selfless service will make you Divine. Seeing this in action made a deep impression on her and karma yoga became a cornerstone of her work.

Swami Sivananda initiated Sylvia into the sacred order of sanyas, the path of renunciation, in 1956.  The first western woman to become a sanyasin, she was given the name Swami Sivananda Radha Saraswati. Shortly after the initiation Swami Sivananda sent her back to the West to "update the Teachings for the Western mind."

Upon her return to Canada, she worked unceasingly to fulfill the promise she had made to Sivananda. Her approach to the Eastern teachings was straightforward, accessible and intensely practical. Her goal was to help people discover the purpose of their lives and to guide them in achieving spiritual and emotional independence.

In 1988 in an interview with Hinduism Today she described her mission, "The main thing I try to do is have my students bring quality into their lives. To me, people are not spiritual if this quality is not there in their lives-even if they meditate six hours a day. By quality I mean that which comes from deep inside and shows up in their actions, their treatment of others and the way they do their jobs."

Swami Radha's teachings are both intensely pragmatic and full of quality. She worked with her students and devotees at the gut level where ideas translate into application. With her sensitive understanding of human nature she integrated modern Western psychology with ancient Eastern yoga to produce a unique teaching system which devotees say changed their lives.

She thought that her dancing would be given up as part of her renunciation. But Sivananda had other ideas. He encouraged her to find the sacred in the dance showing her that the body could be a spiritual tool. Prayer dance became part of her teachings helping students learn how to transform their emotions into devotion through the beautiful gestures of east Indian dance.

The science of yoga is the heart of Swami Radha's teaching, but she contended that before any yoga instruction can begin, there must be a foundation of clarity. This clarity may come at first in understanding certain often-used terms like love, service, humility, meditation, consciousness, mind, energy and God.

"I have them write down what they think the meaning of a certain word is and then we discuss it," Swami Radha commented. "This then forces them to become aware of where they are. You know, you have to clear away so many of the basic things before you can even have a grasp of these teachings."

Swami Radha accomplished a lot but it was not always easy. She grew up in Germany through two World Wars. Her upbringing in a very wealthy family-while highly cultured-was not religious. To travel to India, receive sannyas and take the vow of renunciation was unheard of for a woman of her background. To subsequently travel West on a spiritual mission, establish and sustain an ashram, take on students and successfully maintain an active teaching program for more than 30 years was both a challenge and an achievement. Her legacy is wide ranging.

In 1970 Swami Radha established the Association for the Development of Human Potential in the U.S. now based in Spokane, WA. In the 80’s she turned her attention to the cities setting up teaching centres (Radha Yoga Centers), in North America, Mexico and England.

She formed her Timeless Books imprint in 1978. The publication of her writings includes Kundalini:Yoga for the West, Mantras: Words of Power, and Hatha Yoga the Hidden Language.   These books are popular and distinctive because they clarify the sometimes enigmatic Eastern teachings in a way that can be understood and applied in western daily life.

Today the ashram she founded in 1963 is carrying on Swami Radha’s work under the enlightened leadership of Swami Radhananda. The Radha Yoga Centers, light-houses in the cities offer classes and courses in the teachings. Timeless Books continues to publish her writings drawing from an archive of material that is prolific, and Ascent magazine is a brilliant manifestation of yoga for an inspired life.