On a recent Sunday morning I awoke to the sound of my wife’s voice shouting my name, followed by “Call nine-one-one! Call nine-one-one!” The garage on the property just beyond our backyard fence was ablaze. The 9-1-1 operator told me that fire engines were already on...
Adapting to Change
In the first of this series on "Adapting to Change," Integral Yoga teacher and SIS founder Nalanie Chellaram answers questions centered on what we need to change in order to find peace. How do we find fulfillment when we're not clear about what we want to do with our...
Yoga, Work, Lunch & Laundry
During a workshop at the Integral Yoga Institute of Gibraltar, Swami Ramananda (president of the Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco) spoke about Yoga not just a practice but integral to our daily lives. He reminds us that if we limit our practice of Yoga to one...
Awakening to the Present Moment
Are we truly free to act with full awareness in the present moment — in harmony with our true nature and our interconnection with all of life? To choose freedom means learning to respond to life without being driven by the hidden “shoulds” that may have taken root in...
Love in the Face of Injustice
There are moments when the weight of the world’s suffering presses in with unusual force. We watch conflicts deepen, communities fracture along lines of belief and identity, and sense the distance between what we know is possible for human beings and what we see...
There Is No Other: Ram Dass on Healing the Illusion of Separation
Few spiritual teachers in the modern era spoke as directly to the human heart as Ram Dass. Decades after his teachings first transformed Western spiritual culture, his voice continues to guide seekers navigating a world that often feels fragmented and divided. A newly...
Procrastination is the Thief of Time: Action is Our Defense
“Many situations in life are similar to going on a hike: the view changes once you start walking.” —James Clear, American writer and speaker, author of the 2018 self-help book, Atomic Habits. My father used to warn us with an adage that still echoes in my ears:...
Embodied Worship
Several years ago, by sheer chance, I saw a picture of an old, skinny, wrinkly person wearing a simple printed black and white cloth and with tattoos on her legs, arms and face. I remember I stayed astonished in front this portrait, not only because of the full body...
Holding Light in an Age of Illusion
We are witnessing one of those moments seen in all the epic stories, a time when Maya reigns and the dark energies rise up to veil the hearts of men and women. Those in power are blinded by fear and greed, offering empty promises. People of the light must wait...
Turning All of Life into Yoga
In this talk, Swami Satchidananda uses practical, experiential language to describe the different dimensions of human life, emphasizing the importance of developing all aspects of our being in an integrated way—Integral Yoga, a complete Yoga. Each person is a mixture...
What Does it Mean to be a Yogi?
What does it mean to be a yogi? You can find out when you spend four weeks immersed in the Living Yoga Training program and discover a newfound peace. The Living Yoga Training (LYT) program offers a transformative experience for those seeking spiritual growth. In the...
(Re)Awaken to Life’s Gifts
As December holidays give way to New Year celebrations, it's a good time to move beyond the wrapped presents received and re-awaken to life's gifts. As you make your way through the new year, you can return to this foundational practice as a way to (re)awaken to the...
Beyond Resolutions: Choosing a Deeper Way
The beginning of a new year is a natural time to reflect on and re-envision our lives. The tradition of New Year’s resolutions can be life-changing or it can be a temporary way of fooling ourselves with lofty ideas that fade when reality hits. Clarifying our...
Living Gratefully: A Passage to a Radically Inclusive World
We are told we are divided and we may also feel divided. I feel it when I watch the news or spend time on social media, but I seldom experience the divide in routine human-to-human interactions in which we are all busy simply going about our daily lives. Even if the...
The Spiritual Benefit of Adversity
In life we go through many tests, and it is often these very tests that teach us the most valuable lessons. As the old sayings go, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” and “Adversity is a blessing in disguise.” So, we should learn to see adversities, difficulties,...
Gratitude and Compassion in Action
Thanksgiving, a special time when we give thanks. It's the perfect time to reflect on how we can put gratitude and compassion into action. As we make our way through the month of November, we can return to the following practice as a tool to deepen your capacity for...
