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Building Emotional Strength with Yoga
In this article, Srinivasan, a senior disciple of Sri Swami Vishnu-devananda (who was a brother monk of Sri Swami Satchidananda), gives us a beautiful overview of the subject matter of our special section from the yogic perspective. Through our study and sincere...
Emotional Self-Mastery
Emotions are part of the mind and are one part of its functioning. According to Raja Yoga, there are several different ways the mind functions: the analytic mind, the feeling mind, the thinking mind and the desiring mind. Some people think if you are a big yogi, you...
“As You Think, So You Become”
There is a Sanskrit saying that Swami Satchidananda often quoted: “Mana eva manushyanam karanam bandha mokshayoho.” It means: “As the mind, so the individual. Bondage or liberation are in the mind.” In other words, “As you think, so you become.” If you think well, you...
Yoga and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk is considered one of the world’s leading authorities on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He has pioneered the use of Yoga as a therapy that is helping these individuals to work through their PTSD and regain a sense of mastery. In this...
Teaching Yoga to Women with Eating Disorders
Laura Sevika Douglass, Ph.d. is a regular guest editor of Integral Yoga Magazine. In this article, she discusses the importance of creating a safe space in her Yoga classes and the role her personal spiritual practice plays in her service to others. Dr. Douglass...
Yoga-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Based on his personal experience with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic attacks and anxiety, Boris Bhagavan Pisman, MS, NCC, developed a Yoga-based approach to recovery. In this interview, he talks about his journey and how he integrates the best of Yoga...
The 12-Step Yogi
Yoga, combined with 12-Step principles, enhances the recovery process, as both systems complement one another. The additional benefits of a Yoga practice include philosophical and physical components to help guide the practitioner to lifestyle changes that ultimately...
Questions and Answers with Swami Satchidananda: Yoga and Diet
In this article, Swami Satchidananda answers questions about Yoga and vegetarian diet. Q: Is it hypocritical to be a vegetarian for spiritual reasons and also to cook for others who insist on eating meat? A: Just because you have become a vegetarian, it doesn’t mean...
Vegetarianism & the Vedas
Once I was asked a question: “Do the Vedas teach vegetarianism?” The answer is, there is no Veda without the mention of ahimsa. “Ahimsa paramo dharmaha” means that the greatest dharma one can embrace is ahimsa. Saint Ramalinga Swamigal always said, “If you want the...
Vegetarianism and the Yoga Sutras
In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali lays out an eight-limbed plan for liberation called Raja Yoga. The first limb is called yama, which means restraint and includes five ethical restrictions: ahimsa (non-harming), satya (truthfulness), asteya (nonstealing), brahmacharya...