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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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Make Your Meditation Yummy

By Swami VidyanandA With over four decades of regular sadhana, Swami Vidyananda has great wisdom and practical advice for those who want to develop a steady practice. She has meditated deeply on Sri Gurudev’s teachings on sadhana, applied them and discovered the depth...

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Yoga Psychology: Where East Meets West

An Interview with Swami Ajaya, Ph.D. Swami Ajaya, Ph.D., has the unique distinction of being both a licensed clinical psychologist and a Swami initiated by Swami Rama (Himalayan Institute). Swami Ajaya has spent over forty years studying and teaching Yoga and...

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The Nature of the Mind

An Interview with Swami Asokananda A student of Swami Satchidananda since the age of 19, Swami Asokananda describes his understanding of Yoga as homespun, cultivated from years of practice, studying and living a yogic lifestyle. In this interview he shares his...

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Yoga, Vulnerability and Emotional Transformation

By Bo Forbes, Psy.D. Many yogis I know lament that Hatha Yoga’s mood-enhancing benefits don’t last as long as they’d like—as one recently put it, “I feel like my best self—but only for about as long as a caffeine high.” Others confide that meditation’s calming effects...

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Teaching Yoga—Moving Toward Enlightenment

An Interview with David Life and Sharon Gannon In 1984 Sharon Gannon and David Life created the Jivamukti Yoga Method, which is a path to enlightenment through compassion for all beings. They are pioneers in teaching Yoga as spiritual activism/activation. The...

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The Future of Teaching Yoga

An Interview with Rama Jyoti Vernon Rama Jyoti Vernon’s interest in metaphysics and mysticism began in her childhood. Her parents were pioneers in holistic health. Ultimately, she became one of America’s first Yoga teachers, and was instrumental in bringing many great...

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The Integral Yoga Teacher

An Interview with Swami Ramananda The focus of an Integral Yoga Hatha class isn’t on obtaining a buff body, but in some ways it can be a harder workout. Integral Yoga teachers aren’t interested in their students working up a sweat, but instead create an environment in...

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Paramhansa Yogananda—Personal Reflections

An Interview with Swami Kriyananda In Paramhansa Yogananda: A Biography with Personal Reflections and Reminiscences by Swami Kriyananda, one of Yogananda’s few remaining direct disciples, tells the untold story of this sublime master and world teacher—his teenage...

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Impurities and Obstacles: Challenges in Yoga

By Christopher Chapple, Ph.D. In this article, Dr. Chapple gives our readers a concise and clear overview of the obstacles to the goal of Yoga that Sri Patanjali delineates in the Yoga Sutras. This overview includes the cause of the impurities and obstacles, the role...

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