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Living Gratefully: A Passage to a Radically Inclusive World
We are told we are divided and we may also feel divided. I feel it when I watch the news or spend time on social media, but I seldom experience the divide in routine human-to-human interactions in which we are all busy simply going about our daily lives. Even if the...
The Spiritual Benefit of Adversity
In life we go through many tests, and it is often these very tests that teach us the most valuable lessons. As the old sayings go, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” and “Adversity is a blessing in disguise.” So, we should learn to see adversities, difficulties,...
Gratitude and Compassion in Action
Thanksgiving, a special time when we give thanks. It's the perfect time to reflect on how we can put gratitude and compassion into action. As we make our way through the month of November, we can return to the following practice as a tool to deepen your capacity for...
An Affirmation: Caring, Useful, and Supportive
At the close of our morning meditation, the residents of the San Francisco Integral Yoga Institute reaffirm the intention we hold for our spiritual growth while living together in community. Last month, we chose a phrase from this affirmation as our focal practice:...
When Two See as One: The Yoga of Marriage
There is a saying, “Marriages are made in heaven.” Heaven is wherever the spirit is expressed. In this sense, a true marriage is not only on the physical level. The couple temporarily rises to a lofty height. We could say that their wedding is a celestial gathering....
Gossip: A Barrier on the Spiritual Path
Why do we gossip? This question might appear trivial at first, but when examined deeply, it opens a window into human psychology, social dynamics, and the level of spiritual evolution or lack thereof. Gossip is not merely idle talk, it is more. It is both idle and...
Swami Sivananda’s Sampoorna Yoga for Modern Seekers
If you asked Sri Swami Sivananda what a busy person in the West should actually do each day to grow spiritually, he would likely point you to a deceptively simple framework: do a little meditation, a little prayer, a little study, a little service—every day—with...
A Unifying Theory of Lifestyle Medicine
In this featured hybrid program, at the Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco, Dr. Dean Ornish will explain why a whole foods plant-based diet, moderate exercise, stress management techniques, and love/social support are so beneficial in treating and preventing a...
Be Unshakeable
When you make a spiritual commitment—what kind of commitment is it? And why do you make it? A spiritual commitment doesn’t have to be to become a swami, a minister. Particularly in the spiritual field, what are you committed to? Not to an organization or an ashram,...
Finding Peace in Chaos
In this inspiring conversation led by host Avi Gordon (director of Integral Yoga Teachers Association), Swami Ramananda (senior monk and president of the Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco) shares profound insights on finding peace in chaotic times through...