Bhakti Yoga
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“Sri Guru Gita:” Song of Love
This 8th century CE text describes a conversation between the Lord Siva and his wife, the Goddess Parvati, in which she asks him to teach her about the Guru and liberation. Siva answers her by describing the Guru principle, the proper ways of paying homage to the...
Guru Tattva: The Guru Principle
Through venerating our Guru, our lineage and traditions, we are connecting with the principle of Guru-tattva. This is summarized in Śrīgurustotram: akhaṇḍamaṇḍalākāraṁ vyāptaṁ yena carācaram tatpadaṁ darśitaṁ yena tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ Salutations to that Guru, who...
Setting Aside Selfishness
My spiritual master, Swami Sivananda used to say, “The sannyas (swami/renunciate) ego is the worst kind of ego. You have renounced everything, but you have not renounced the egoism of renunciation itself.” That’s what you see when someone demands: “Do you know who I...
Take Care of Your Heart
The best way to take care of your heart is to not disturb it. Originally, the Creator programmed it to be a beautiful place for physical, spiritual, and emotional growth. But we don’t keep it that way; we disturb it. We don’t have to do anything to make the heart...
Be Love Now
On a beautiful and sunny late morning in Hawaii and a sunny (though perhaps less balmy) late afternoon in Virginia, Integral Yoga Magazine editor Rev. Prem Anjali had the opportunity to interview Ram Dass via Skype. Ram Dass’ latest book, Be Love Now, is the third in...
The Alchemy of Discipleship
Like a single warrior facing a king’s army, the spiritual seeker tries to subdue the army—one’s own ego. Armed with only a monkey mind, unrestrained sense organs, and a body subjected to nature's control of the physical body, the spiritual warrior is left virtually...
What Do You Believe?
Question: I was raised as an atheist. Life would be so much easier if I had faith. In all my years of Yoga, I know I have heart, compassion and spirit, but I can’t connect with faith. Please offer me your guidance. Swami Satchidananda: Whether you know it or not, you...
The Benefits of Lineage
Swami Satchidananda often explained that the easiest way to learn to master something is to train with an expert in one’s chosen field. All fields of training and learning come down to a succession of those who master the material—whether its mechanics, doctors,...
Krishna Das Kirtan, Yoga of Devotion Weekend & Webinar
Memorial Day Weekend 2019, Krishna Das graced us during what has become an annual event in Yogaville. Once a year, Krishna Das comes to Yogaville on Memorial Day weekend to share the practice of Bhakti Yoga. In addition to satsang on Saturday evening, he conducts a...
The Essence of the Bhakti Yoga Path
Thayumanuvar, a great South Indian saintly poet, was also the prime minister to a king. He was once asked, if a married or unmarried life was better. He answered in the following way. If you realize that you are nothing but a top, spun around and somebody’s playing...