The great South Indian sage Thiruvalluvar said, “What is tapasya (penance)?” Tapasya doesn’t mean go and close your eyes and meditate. That’s easy, comfortable. Tapas means to burn. A spiritual seeker is supposed to practice tapasya. Thiruvalluvar says, “The more you...
Before my ordination into the priesthood in the Episcopal Church, I had this powerful dream. In the dream, I was visiting Pope Francis. We met. He welcomed me. There was a sense of connection, of communion. Then he gave me—or instructed his assistant to give me—a...
In this video, Rupert Spira and Swami Sarvapriyananda share their perspectives on various aspects of the path of wisdom, including seeing the true reality behind all appearances, the process of awakening, and what life is like after Self-realization. They also discuss...
In the sacred stillness of the Palani Hills, at the samadhi shrine of the great Siddhar Bhogar, a seed of profound transformation was sown in the heart of a young seeker named Ramasamy. Years later, known to the world as Sri Swami Satchidananda, he would carry that...
Everything takes its own time to mature, including one’s spiritual maturity. Just because you pray a raw fruit will ripen, it won’t ripen overnight. Imagine that you plant a seed and you just sit there and pray, “Please seed, I have planted you and I hope you will be...
Pope Francis — born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires in 1936 to Italian immigrant parents — made history as the first Latin American and the first Jesuit to ascend to the papacy in the Church’s two-millennia-long tradition. Upon his election, he chose the name...
In the previous chapter of this journey tracing the spiritual legacy of Swami Satchidananda, we touched on the mystical experience he had while meditating at the samadhi shrine of Siddhar Bhogar in Palani. It was there—surrounded by the silent vibrations of Tamil...
Matthew Welsh, JD, PhD, (founder of Spiritual Media Blog and his podcast of the same name) recently invited Carroll Ann (Prashanti) Friedmann to be a podcast guest and talk about her new book (Practicing the Yoga Sutras, from Integral Yoga Publications). The book...
The profound Nirvana Shatakam stotra (hymn of praise) was composed by Adi Shankaracharya, the great 8th-century philosopher and sage, who stands as one of the most profound spiritual figures in India’s history. His teachings revitalized the understanding of Advaita...
Karma Yoga transforms karma into Yoga. Karma Yoga never binds you to good or bad results, whereas karma ensures that you must experience the consequences of your actions, whether pleasant or painful. If your actions are good, then you face that in the form of...
The Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco is pleased to announce the 3rd bi-annual scholarship based 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). We recognize structural and institutional racism that exists in wellness...
High above the verdant landscape of Tamil Nadu, atop the sacred Palani Hills, the echoes of devotion resound through the ages. The Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple—one of the six revered abodes of Lord Muruga—stands as both a beacon of spiritual transformation...
Looking for some inspiration? The Integral Yoga Etsy Shop has you covered—literally! Our Woodstock collection is a blast from the past reminding us it's time to "Get Ourselves Back to the Garden!" All our Integral Yoga Shop offerings bring you fun and uplifting...
If you get divinely and miraculously healed, is this part of your karma? Yes. Miraculously you are healed. Maybe you deserved it. God helped you to heal. You have done some good karma to receive that kind of healing energy. But if you haven't healed and if you want to...
In our last installment, we journeyed back to 1942, when Ramaswamy (later known as Swami Satchidananda) traveled to Palani, a sacred pilgrimage site steeped in centuries of spiritual significance. This holy place in Tamil Nadu has long been a sanctuary for saints and...
The great Indian sage and proponent of Advaita Vedanta, Adi Shankara, realized his true nature and wrote the “Nirvana Shatakam,” with six Sanskrit verses that describe his experience. Gaiea, a Western yogini, Sanskrit scholar and teacher both sings and composed music...