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Raja Yoga Teacher Training – September 2026

Join the Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco for a 2-part Raja Yoga Teacher Training with trainers Swami Ramananda and Swami Divyananda Date and Times (PDT) Part 1: September 30, 2026 – December 12 and Part 2: February 27 – April 3, 2027. For Yoga teachers, Yoga...

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...

Raja Yoga II: A Deeper Dive into the Sutras, Online July 2025

Join the San Francisco Integral Yoga Institute for this online 5 week advanced study of Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali from July 1 - August 5, 2025. We will explore key sutras from each chapter, examine how they are grouped together, and learn how to both integrate these...

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A Practical Guide for Life

A Practical Guide for Life

The teachings of Raja Yoga are a golden key to unlock all health, happiness, peace, and joy. Everyone, everything, in the creation wants to be happy. If you put a plant in the shade, its leaves will turn toward the sun, because the plant wants to be happy. Place a...

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The Yamas and Niyamas

The Yamas and Niyamas

Deborah Adele says that the yamas and niyamas (the ethical precepts that are the first two foundational limbs in Patanjali’s eight-limbed system of classical Yoga) offer us tools to help us stay centered in the midst of the ups and downs of life. She’s written a book...

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The Yamas and Niyamas: Aparigraha (Non-Greed)

If you’ve ever taken a class with Swami Karunananda, you know that she is a Raja Yoga master teacher and a fantastic storyteller. That’s why we couldn’t miss the opportunity to share the transcript of her talk on one of the five yamas: aparigrapha (non-greed). Swami...

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Patanjali’s Raja Yoga

Patanjali’s Raja Yoga

Patanjali’s Yoga system is written in sutras. A sutra is a terse verse. It is an aphoristic saying. It is pregnant with deep, hidden significance. Rishis of yore have expressed philosophical ideas and their realization in the form of sutras only. It is very difficult...

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Lessons from Raja Yoga: Viveka (Discrimination)

Lessons from Raja Yoga: Viveka (Discrimination)

Patanjali once beautifully said, “Dukham evam sarvaam vivekinaha.” For a viveki, a person with discriminative knowledge, everything is painful. When you realize that everything is painful you cease to develop attachments toward those things. In fact, it is to relieve...

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Spiritual Hints for Daily Life — Raja Yoga

Spiritual Hints for Daily Life — Raja Yoga

Depending on our temperament, we can pursue the journey of awakening in various ways. If we wish to develop the will and gain mastery over the mind, we can take a Raja Yoga approach. If we tend to be analytical and intellectual, there is the path of Jnana Yoga. If we...

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Raja Yoga: The King of Yogas

Raja Yoga: The King of Yogas

Raja Yoga is the king of Yogas. It is concerned directly with the mind. The Yogi sits at ease, watches the mind and silences the bubbling thoughts. The Yogi stills the mind, restrains the thought-waves and enters into the thoughtless state or asamprajnata samadhi....

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