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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...

The Greatest Victory

Gurudev Sivanandaji used to say that we should watch our thoughts because they create habits. Once you develop a habit, it becomes your character. And then your character becomes your destiny. So, it all originates with your thinking. That is why it is so important to...

How to Practice Viveka

Viveka is the spiritual practice of discrimination—distinguishing between the real and unreal, the eternal and temporary, the Spiritual Presence and ego-identity. Here are some ways to put viveka into practice. See which of these resonates with you and supports you to...
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Prison Yoga

Prison Yoga

With the popularity of the Netflix series, Orange is the New Black, viewers are given a rare look at what it might be like inside a women’s prison. Recently, I found myself getting a real life look inside a women’s prison. Though I wouldn’t be wearing orange, I knew...

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Daring to Rest

Daring to Rest

Each time you practice Yoga Nidra meditation, you’re stilling the waves of the mind through conscious entry into the sleep state. How? You start with sensing the body and breathing in specific ways in order to trigger the relaxation response. The relaxation response...

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Stress & Relaxation: A Yogic Approach

Stress & Relaxation: A Yogic Approach

The Roots of Stress Stress is an exaggerated response to change in the external or internal environment. The centre of the neuroendocrine system is the hypothalamus that prods the adrenal glands into activity. These glands are known as the “3 F” glands to the...

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Pranayama: Unique Gift of the Yogic Tradition

Pranayama: Unique Gift of the Yogic Tradition

Gary Kraftsow asserts that pranayama is among the most uniquely potent parts of Yoga practice. He explains that there’s no other tradition that has the sophistication of the yogic science of breath. In this article, he eloquently explains the ways you can use...

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Breath: The Sacred Bridge

Breath: The Sacred Bridge

“Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts.”  ~Thich Nhat Hahn Vera was shocked when her boyfriend told her he wouldn’t ask her out again because she always agreed with him. He said she never had any ideas of...

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How I Built Up My Pranayama Practice

How I Built Up My Pranayama Practice

In this article, Swami Asokananda reflects upon the journey that took him from novice pranayama student to one of Integral Yoga’s master teachers. He shares the challenges and triumphs of having a regular pranayama practice, as well as the insights and wisdom he...

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Pranayama: Its Therapeutic & Spiritual Potential

Pranayama: Its Therapeutic & Spiritual Potential

Introduction The Gurus of Vedic times placed great importance on pranayama and advocated its practice in order to unleash the hidden potential energy known as the Kundalini Shakti. In the Prasnopanishad we find the following statement: “All that exists in all the...

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Breath: The Subtle Connection

Breath: The Subtle Connection

Often in life, we overlook the value of the simple and familiar: a kind word, a helping hand, a timely smile. Such everyday gestures impart meaning and a sense of connectedness as we wend our way through time and space. Similarly, the breath is our constant companion,...

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Sadhana Chart: Why Keep One?

Sadhana Chart: Why Keep One?

Over more than three decades, Bhaktan Eberle has kept a sadhana chart—a daily log of his Yoga practice—that he sent to Sri Gurudev Swami Satchidananda every month. Bhaktan Bhaktan says, “The sadhana chart is the one practice that yields the most dramatic results for...

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Sadhana: The Effort Toward Self-realization

Sadhana: The Effort Toward Self-realization

Many westerners are first introduced to Yoga through asana, the practice of the yogic postures. As one’s practice deepens, it can lead to an interest in further exploring aspects of Yoga. In this interview, we talk with Dr. David Frawley—considered to be an acharya, a...

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