I set out on a journey to the 2024 Integral Yoga European Reunion held in Spain not knowing what to expect. It’s been more than six years now of serving as director of the Integral Yoga Teachers Association (IYTA) at Yogaville, and during that time, I’ve gotten to...
In this short, self-directed, free online course, "Introduction to The Essential Teachings of Swami Satchidananda," you will be able to watch Swami Satchidananda sharing some of his core teachings in his fun, loving, and inspirational manner. He also reflects on how...
The Cosmic Guru is the only Guru. All the rest is just comic. The real Guru is everywhere. Within, without. The Guru is above all the qualities, at the same time you see every kind of quality there. Sometimes the Guru is all sattvic, sometimes very rajasic, sometimes...
A dialogue between Sri Ramana Maharshi and a disciple, as recounted in Maharshi's Gospel: The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, 1939. Devotee: How is the Guru found? Maharshi: God, who is immanent manifests, through Grace, according to the devotee’s development. The...
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...
When asked to reflect upon his life, Swami Satchidananda once said, "It’s hard to summarize a long life in a few words. But I can just say I am fortunate, in a way, to be born in a family of pious parents. They were my first Gurus. They instilled faith in God in my...
The secret of spiritual practice is not what you do but how you do—that is more important. Sometimes a newcomer who gets into spiritual practice will make a big list of resolutions, “I will practice half an hour every day in the morning, pranayama, three malas every...
As a young boy, Ramu (Swami Satchidananda’s birthname was Ramaswamy, Ramu for short) was deeply immersed in Tamil culture and spirituality. One of the most significant influences in his life was the Thirukkural, a revered Tamil text written by the celebrated poet and...
It was ten years ago, Saturday, June 7, 2014, to be precise that the "Global Garland Interfaith Kirtan for World Peace Celebrating the Centennial Birth Year of Sri Swami Satchidananda" was held at the magnificent Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City....
Ethan Sisser, a young man with terminal brain cancer started livestreaming his death journey. Thousands joined to celebrate his courage. Honoring Ethan's wish, his doctor Aditi Sethi transported him to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. What...
Integral Yoga's beloved Parameshwari Mary Dinsmoor, an early disciple of Swami Satchidananda (Sri Gurudev), passed away on May 29, 2024, from cancer. Born on Oct. 6,1940, she was a true embodiment of love and selfless service and leaves behind a legacy of devotion,...
In March 2024, Impulse! Records (whose parent company is Universal Music Group), released the live recording of Alice Coltrane (Swamini A.C. Turiyasangitananda) that was part a benefit concert held in 1971 for the Integral Yoga Institute of New York. This new album...
To learn from a spiritual teacher, more than anything else, you need faith in God: “God, I really want to experience the Truth. Put me in good hands. Present a good teacher to me.“ Then, when you meet them, feel—not through the head, but through the heart. And if you...
Wandering Turtle, a a cherished member of the Choctaw community and beloved member and resident of Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville for the past 25 years, passed on into the Divine Light on May 15, 2024. Turtle, as he was lovingly known, was a dedicated Karma Yogi,...
As noted in our last installment (part 3), devotion played a central and foundational part in how Ramu (Swami Satchidananda’s birthname was Ramaswamy, Ramu for short) was raised. In his biography, Sri Swamiji noted that of all the devotional worship offered in his...
Born in 1947, Rev. Saraswati was a graduate of American University in Washington D.C. After graduation she worked in an interior design firm and architectural companies in New York city and in New Jersey and even worked as a professional clown for some time. She...