Once you become the master of your body, mind, and senses, you truly become the master of everything. If you are unable to curb a negative thought, at least try not to speak the thought. And if you can’t control the thought or the speaking of the thought, control the...
As a young girl, I spent part of my summers with my grandparents in Deal, New Jersey. My days were spent at the beach, where I reveled in the violent surf. The undertow on the Jersey shore can be quite dangerous, so there were lifeguards on duty. Even on days when it...
As human beings, we have beautiful clothes, nice cars, and we are very fond of many things. We think we are so great, but much of what we do is also done by many animals. They eat when they’re hungry and they have nice houses in which to live. Are your houses as nice...
In the morning and evening, take some time for your personal physical and mental Yoga practice. This should include a little pranayama, meditation and some asana. The entire thing need not take more than an hour, or an hour and a half. You can always find some time in...
In this recent Integral Yoga Podcast, Avi Gordon (director, Integral Yoga Teachers Association) talks with Ram Wiener about forgiveness, the experience of finding a Guru, and allowing the universe to shape us into someone we like. Ram (vice-president of business at...
Even post-election we are still undergoing turbulent times in a divided nation. When Swami Satchidananda (Sri Gurudev) arrived in New York City in 1966 our country was also going through seismic cultural shifts. I know that, for me, the teachings and practices of...
A selfless person does not depend on anyone or anything to be happy. Selflessness, unconditional happiness, and peace of mind go hand in hand. Whatever happens, such a person retains their peace. By remaining in that peace, they are in a much better position to react...
In October 2020, Swami Karunananda gave the following talk—during the San Francisco Integral Yoga Institute’s 50th anniversary celebration—on the future of the Integral Yoga teachings and organization. A reporter once asked me to describe Swami Satchidananda’s legacy,...
Are you looking for true enlightenment, or do you just want to escape from reality? In this video, Integral Yoga teacher and Yoga therapist Nalanie Chellaram talks about the dangers of drugs and ayahuasca, both of which are seen as shortcuts to enlightenment. She also...
In 1975, Swami Satchidananda was asked a question about how to avoid getting so caught up in spiritual bliss, that we forget about the social and ecological problems in our world. The person asking the question really wanted Sri Swamiji’s advice on how we best can...
The yogi’s emergency response practice has three pillars: Breathe. Be calm. Smile. As we envision all the possible scenarios for the US presidential election on November 3rd, one thing is for sure: there will be a lot of emotion! Already we have fear verging on panic...
Invisible Hand is the world’s first documentary film about the creation of "Rights of Nature." The defining battle of our times where nature, democracy and capitalism face off in rural America. Produced by award-winning actor Mark Ruffalo, Invisible Hand takes you...
The beginning of 2020 has become, in some ways, a distant fog. I remember sinking into grief from day one, descending like a rock thrown into the ocean. Australia was on fire and the fires were consuming a small kangaroo rescue I loved. I was on the West Coast, so far...
Sri Swami Sivananda (the Guru of Integral Yoga founder Sri Swami Satchidananda) said that our suffering brings out the essence in us, just as an herb releases its fragrance when crushed. Gold is exposed only by removing a mountain of soil. Diamonds are formed through...
We live in an age where information is available in abundance; perhaps even in excess. Be it through books, documentaries, or a quick Google search, we have centuries, maybe even millennia, of spiritual teachings at our fingertips. In some ways this is, of course,...
Sri Swami Satchidananda often reminded us that the great surfers spend thousands of dollars to travel across the globe to find the big waves, and to experience the thrill of riding them into the shore. Emotionally, socially, economically and spiritually we are...