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...
Michelle Johnson’s new book, Skill in Action: Radicalizing Your Yoga Practice to Create a Just World, is a primer on the skills needed to radicalize your Yoga practice to create a just world, inspire you to connect with your dharma, and explore the intersection of...
In this video (part of a talk sponsored by Integral Yoga Global hosted by Integral Yoga Europe), Shri K. Ramasamy shares advice he received from his Guru, Swami Satchidananda. A key concept he shares is how to transform business into service. Shri Ramasamy is a highly...
A lot of people who’ve come to me have this idea that being spiritual is about being peaceful. But that idea of spirituality just turns spirituality into wanting to get from here now where you are to there where you want to be, where you think you should be. It...
The mother is everyone’s first Guru, or teacher. The universe itself is the feminine aspect and all mothers are expressions of the Goddess energy. Mothers have the great responsibility and joyful prospect of nurturing and raising beautiful souls. This is one of the...
As some of us were discussing the strange feel of this life with social distancing, we expressed both a sense of gratitude for being safe and healthy, and a deep pang of sorrow for those many souls who are suffering. Those in my immediate circle of friends are...
Question: What do you think will happen to our natural environment? Swami Satchidananda: It’s already happening. We are ruining it. Now, we are thinking of repairing it. Well, that’s the way we learn. Mother Nature allows us to make the mistakes and to learn by our...
It seems that life has taken us all to a surreal place. Initially, when changes happen in our lives, it takes a little time to adjust. Some become fearful, stressed and panicked, others want to help as much as they can. Time and understanding will help us adjust. In...
As we gather for various events celebrating the 50 year anniversary of Integral Yoga in San Francisco, we are reminded again and again of the importance of spiritual community. We have committed ourselves this month to making good use of the support and inspiration...
Unless we achieve complete mastery over the mind, we won’t achieve anything. To achieve this mastery, we need self-discipline. Human beings have been given the capacity to have good control over our minds and to do good, useful things with our minds—things that are...
“I became a Buddhist because I hated my husband.” These were the words of Pema Chödrön that hooked me, after accidentally discovering an interview she gave about why she became a Buddhist nun. Until then, I was only vaguely familiar with her. Buddhism represented the...