When I feel defeated by all of the distractions and information I consume on a daily basis, I go to the river near my home. On the shore, my senses are inundated with beauty — the light in the trees, a heron passing by, the roar of water over stones that drowns out...
Balancing Humility and Self-Worth
In this episode of the Integral Yoga Podcast, Līlā Śakti Mayī and host Avi Gordon (director, Integral Yoga Teachers Association) dive into the profound connection between humility, self-care, and the power of Sanskrit. The discussion focuses on how language can embody...
Using the Yoga Sutras in Daily Life
We all get those physical signs of stress and anxiety. We might feel tired or have random aches and pains and can’t pinpoint the source. We stretch, we breathe, and we feel rejuvenated right afterwards. But after a few days the same aches and pains are back, and...
Seeking the Kingdom Within: A Journey to True Contentment
We try to use our limited, finite intelligence to understand, grasp things, and make our lives happy, aiming to achieve and acquire this or that. Yet, in the end, nothing seems to truly help. Sometimes, it may feel like we’re finding peace or happiness, but all these...
Yogic Preparation for the End of Life
From time-to-time, Integral Yoga teachers ask how to address yogic practices, traditions, and advice on preparing for death. Here are some tips, from our own expert in the field, that may be helpful in preparing for your or anyone’s journey—starting with some basic...
Gratefully Navigating the Holidays
Holidays symbolize significance. They are markers for human history, our shared values and beliefs, and a time of remembrance. Holidays can elicit awe, joy, connection, hope, and memories. However, their nourishment can also be a source of pain. I like to think of...
Overcoming a Fear of Flying: How Mantras Carry Me on Their Wings
The small commuter airplane swayed as it began its descent toward rural Virginia. I gripped the armrest. The seatbelt chime dinged and the engines droned. I closed my eyes and felt the twenty-thousand feet below me open like a chasm. I put my earbuds in and raised the...
Iria Leino: A Life of Art, Spirituality, and Yoga
The Finnish-born artist Iria Leino is known not only for her expansive body of abstract work but also for her deep spiritual devotion, which played a central role in her artistic development. Throughout her life, she found inspiration in a rich spiritual practice and,...
Integral Yoga Podcast with Krishna Das
Krishna Das, the Grammy-nominated sacred music composer conducts a workshop in Yogaville annually. During his 2019 program, he sat down with Avi Gordon (Integral Yoga Teachers Association director) for a podcast. Having traveled extensively in India, where he met his...
Humility: Access to Deeper Wisdom
While humility is the hallmark of a sincere spiritual aspirant, we may rarely think of practicing it. In an age where self-empowerment is synonymous with personal growth, the idea of humbling oneself is decidedly unpopular. It can easily be dismissed as a sign of...
New Interactive Website: Ask Swami
Ever have questions about Yoga? The meaning of life? What is maya? Other burning questions? Now there’s a new website, Ask Swami (askswami.org), where you can ask those questions in real time and get your questions answered! The answers are sourced from the Integral...
Integral Yoga Podcast: Mataji
In this episode of the Integral Yoga Podcast, senior Integral Yoga monk Swami Gurucharanananda (Mataji) shares insights into her life journey and spiritual path, first as a Catholic nun and later meeting her Guru, Swami Satchidananda. Born in Washington DC on April...
“Lotus Girl”
From one of the central figures in Buddhism’s introduction to the West and the founder of Tricycle magazine comes Lotus Girl: My Life at the Crossroads of Buddhism and America by Helen Tworkov, a brilliant memoir of forging one’s own path that Pico Iyer calls...
Christian Mysticism Meets Integral Yoga
Everyone seeks happiness, but happiness seems never to be stable. Something always happens to disturb our happiness. Religions were born to show a path to happiness that never dies. The mystical aspect of most faiths are particularly focused on this quest. Integral...
Finding Gold in Yoga Practice
It has been easy for me to stay on the spiritual path for thirty-four years; but finding an attitude that sustains my joy and compassion is the challenge. A dogmatic seeker is dangerous. I could easily become rigid, controlling, or just an annoying know-it-all. It’s...
The Yin & Yang of Gerry Lopez
Gerry Lopez is not only a leading Yoga teacher, but one of the most influential surfers and surfboard shapers of all time. Known as "Mr. Pipeline"—for his mastery of the huge waves that form large, hollow, thick curls of water that surfers can tube ride—Lopez is an...