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...
Many of us think of joy as an experience we have when something special happens. We may plan specific activities, such as a vacation, some entertainment or dining out, that we think will bring us joy. This thinking is so prevalent in our culture that we don’t realize...
Before I had any experience with Yoga—the practice, the principles, the lifestyle—I assumed it was for people who already had their act together. Those who could live life successfully and were looking to enhance what they already had. I pictured holy men in caves or...
If you want to love all, serve all, and spread peace you first have to learn to love yourself. You also have to find peace within yourself. If you recognize the peace and joy within, then you will be able to give the same to everyone else. And you are not actually...
When people think about meditation, often an image of a blissed-out figure sitting cross-legged on a soft pillow comes to mind... Ahh, total peace, quiet, and comfort. Wouldn’t that be nice! While meditating in a quiet place without distraction is an amazing...
As a follow-up to her article on her hopes, dreams, and preparation for a 108k run in Yogavile, Tracy Cooley shares the experience of actually undertaking and completing the run. You can read her first article, "Running: A Moving Meditation" here. There are trail runs...
In honor of Earth Day, here is the answer to a question a student once asked Swami Satchidananda the question: "What do you think will happen to our natural environment?" It’s already happening. We are ruining it. Now we are thinking of repairing it. Well that’s the...
The basis of the mind, which you call the ego, has a tendency to want everything. I want this, I have to gain or own it; I want to do this or that. Wanting to possess is the nature of the ego. That’s why the little “i” always has a “mine” in it. You become really...
Anybody can follow saints, sages, and prophets—even the tail follows the body of the dog but it remains a tail. You have to become that peace, joy, wisdom, on your own. You should bring out those qualities in your life and let people say, “Oh, here is another Jesus,...
Question: I’ve heard you say that everything is all right in moderation. Can you speak more about that, and does it apply to drinking alcohol and smoking? Swami Satchidananda: There is a saying, in the Tirukkural, one of the oldest spiritual texts in Tamil, “You can...
After years of dedicated service in Integral Yoga ashrams and centers in California, New York, Virginia, India and other places, Swami Divyananda now travels more than ever, calling the entire world her home. Along the journey, she has learned some insightful lessons...
There are continuous, constant tests on a spiritual path. A person who wants to get a degree is given tests. Those who are not interested in learning, do not need to be tested. Teachers will not even want to give a test to a person who doesn’t want to learn. And, the...
In 2013, Integral Yoga Magazine’s editor, Reverend Prem Anjali, Ph.D., shared an in-depth conversation on enlightenment with renowned author and spiritual activist, Marianne Williamson. Williamson’s 1996 book, A Return to Love, is considered a must-read in the field...
In March, I will be running a self-supported 108k trail “moving meditation” at Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville to honor Sri Gurudev Swami Satchidananda—the Woodstock Guru—during the 50th anniversary year of Woodstock. Although I have decades of experience running long...
Are you getting ready for an epic moon event on Sunday? Overnight from Sunday, Jan. 20 into Monday, Jan. 21, millions of people in North and South America will have a prime view of a total lunar eclipse. During a special nocturnal hour, the full moon will become fully...