The International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre is a non-profit organisation founded by renowned authority on Hatha Yoga and Raja Yoga, Swami Vishnu-devananda in 1957. By closely observing the lifestyles and needs of people in the West, Swami synthesised the ancient wisdom of yoga into five basic principles that could easily be incorporated into one's own lifestyle to provide the foundation for healthy living. It is around these five principles that the activities at the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres are based. They include: Exercise, Breathing, Relaxation, Diet and Positive Thinking and Meditation.