In this inspiring talk, Dr. Michael (Mitra) Lerner (co-founder of the Commonweal Institute in Bolinas, California) shares profound wisdom on Integral Yoga as a path to healing. This talk was livestreamed during the Integral Yoga Global Gathering in Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville in Buckingham, Virginia, held from August 21–25, 2025. Integral Yoga teachers and students from across the globe came together in community, practice, and reflection at the ashram.
Not only is Dr. Lerner an author, educator, healer, and co-founder of the Commonweal Institute in Bolinas, California, he has worked extensively with the Cancer Help Program, Healing Circles, and the Collaborative on Health and the Environment. He is also the recipient of a prestigious MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship for his pioneering contributions to public health and integrative medicine.
In his satsang, Dr. Lerner reflects on:
- The distinction between healing and curing—and how Integral Yoga provides tools for wholeness.
- The life-saving effects of Yoga, meditation, and spiritual practice for himself and colleagues such as Dr. Dean Ornish.
- Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and the transformative triad of accepting suffering, studying wisdom teachings, and surrendering to the Divine within.
- His decades of work with people facing life-threatening illness, and how ashram practices and retreat settings support deep transformation.
- The role of kindness, service (Karma Yoga), wisdom, and love as foundations for spiritual growth and community healing.
