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A Life of Grace and Service: Remembering Narayana Kiekens

“If you ask me ‘What is Yoga?’ the only reply I can think of is: Yoga is a state of grace.” These words by Narayana Kiekens distill a life wholly devoted to the spirit of Yoga and the teachings of his Gurus. For more than six decades, Narayana—alongside his wife...

The Surprising Nearness of Guidance

It's hard to trust that any words of wisdom are dependable until you experience their truth in your own life. So, when as a child I first came upon Jesus' words, “Seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you; ask and it will be given to you,” I...

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,...
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Questions & Answers on Meditation with Swami Satchidananda

Questions & Answers on Meditation with Swami Satchidananda

Question: What is the difference between meditating on something like a mantra and meditating on nothing at all, that is, on no particular mantra, thought or phrase? Will there be different results? Swami Satchidananda: No. But you have to teach me, how to meditate on...

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What Distinguishes the Integral Yoga Hatha Method?

What Distinguishes the Integral Yoga Hatha Method?

Integral Yoga is a complete system developed by Swami Satchidananda to address all levels of the individual, all aspects of life, bringing about the opportunity for personal transformation and spiritual realization. The Integral Yoga system includes principles and...

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The Breath of Bhakti

The Breath of Bhakti

Ancient sages inform us that breath is the mirror of our ever flowing emotions. It reflects the way we each perceive and process external stimuli, and how we position our consciousness in relation to it. Because breathing is so intimately interwoven with our mental...

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Ishvara Pranidhana: The Bhakti Yoga of the Sutras

Ishvara Pranidhana: The Bhakti Yoga of the Sutras

Our whole experience of life is based on the stories we tell ourselves about what unfolds. Swami Vivekananda describes it like an oyster making a pearl. A parasite gets inside the shell, and then the oyster reacts to the irritation by producing enamel around it, which...

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Approaching the Yoga Sutras with Great Respect and Love

Approaching the Yoga Sutras with Great Respect and Love

As a practitioner and as a teacher of Yoga, (the late) Mukunda Stiles pondered the Yoga Sutras for over three decades. He brings not just a philosophical understanding to the Sutras, but a deep personal experience that helps illuminate the text. In this interview from...

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An Overview of the Yoga Sutras

An Overview of the Yoga Sutras

In this article Yogacharya Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani gives us an overview of the four chapters of The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali—the  foundational text for the classical Yoga (Ashtanga/Raja) system. This system is neatly unpacked by Dr. Ananda, who gives us key...

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The Practice of Enlightenment

The Practice of Enlightenment

As a yogi, mainly in the Krishnamacharya lineage, and as a practitioner of Buddhist meditation for many years, Chip Hartranft’s work bridges the traditions of Yoga and Buddhism. His deep contemplation and study of the Yoga Sutras is evident in this interview,...

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Chanting the Yoga Sutras in Sanskrit

Chanting the Yoga Sutras in Sanskrit

To hear Dr. M. A. Jayashree chant the Yoga Sutras in Sanskrit is to be transported to the time when this great text was transmitted in the oral tradition. Her melodious voice, flawless pronunciation and classical articulation of the Sanskrit, replete with meaning and...

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Vibhuti Pada: Entering the Oneness of Time

Vibhuti Pada: Entering the Oneness of Time

Ruth Lauer Manenti (affectionately known as "Lady Ruth" in the Jivamukti Yoga tradition) has been offering her students “dharma talks”—stories from her life that accompany her classes and represent the yogic commitments to ahimsa (non-violence), compassion and...

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Inside the History of Patanjali & the Yoga Sutras

Inside the History of Patanjali & the Yoga Sutras

 Dr. Edwin Bryant lived for years in India and was trained with traditional pundits. He has a background in Indian philosophy, and his translation and commentary on the Yoga Sutras is dedicated to contributing to the growing body of literature on Yoga by providing...

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