Swami Satchidananda often explained that the easiest way to learn to master something is to train with an expert in one’s chosen field. All fields of training and learning come down to a succession of those who master the material—whether its mechanics, doctors,...
Memorial Day Weekend 2019, Krishna Das graced us during what has become an annual event in Yogaville. Once a year, Krishna Das comes to Yogaville on Memorial Day weekend to share the practice of Bhakti Yoga. In addition to satsang on Saturday evening, he conducts a...
Rev. Jaganath, Integral Yoga Minister and Raja Yoga master teacher, has spent a lifetime delving into the deepest layers of meaning in Patanjali’s words within the Yoga Sutras. Our series continues with the 23rd sutra of Chapter 1 in which Patanjali offers another...
When people are facing very serious illness or great loss, they often ask me, “How can I still have faith?” My answer is, “Keep the faith.” All medical treatments work better if you have faith. Does fear ever help you? No. On the other hand the fear makes you feel...
Thayumanuvar, a great South Indian saintly poet, was also the prime minister to a king. He was once asked, if a married or unmarried life was better. He answered in the following way. If you realize that you are nothing but a top, spun around and somebody’s playing...
Ancient sages inform us that breath is the mirror of our ever flowing emotions. It reflects the way we each perceive and process external stimuli, and how we position our consciousness in relation to it. Because breathing is so intimately interwoven with our mental...
Our whole experience of life is based on the stories we tell ourselves about what unfolds. Swami Vivekananda describes it like an oyster making a pearl. A parasite gets inside the shell, and then the oyster reacts to the irritation by producing enamel around it, which...
Profiled by Time magazine and nominated for a Grammy, Krishna Das is regarded as America’s leading “chantmaster.” Each year Krishna Das gives a workshop in Yogaville and he graciously agreed to be interviewed. Krishna Das talks about his Guru, his path, and falling in...
When we allow love to transform us through Yoga, the first thing it begins to affect is our vision and thus our relationships. In this article, Catherine Schweig reflects on the ingredients needed for success in relationships. Essentially, Yoga is a practice of the...
Bhakti Yoga is the path of love and devotion. Bhakti Yogis look upon everyone and everything as a manifestation of the divine and feel that in serving them, they are serving God. They accept all that happens in life as coming directly from God for their highest good....
Traditionally there are five separate Yogas. Each, like a spoke of a wheel, leads to the hub, to oneness or union with the Divine. Hatha, the way of the body; Raja, the way of the mind; Karma, the way of service; and Bhakti, the way of the heart. “Some people think...
The word “bhakti” means devotion. Bhaktas are devotees whose goal is to attach themselves completely to God, or the Beloved. Our entire nature is based on such love. We are attached to so many things. From early childhood, we learn to cling to someone or...
Our whole experience of life is based on the stories we tell ourselves about what occurs. These stories begin with our mind’s interpretation of what it perceives. Swami Vivekananda describes this like an oyster making a pearl. A parasite gets inside the shell, and...
Question: Can you please talk a little bit about chanting, the path of Bhakti Yoga, and developing oneness with God. Swami Satchidananda: Bhakti means heart. That’s what God wants. Being in the head alone is egoistic; the head is a hard nut to crack. Chanting...
I once visited a home where there was a young baby. I was talking to the family and the mother was busy somewhere in the kitchen. The baby was playing with its toys. After a while, the baby cried a little and started putting things in its mouth, thinking that by...
Profiled by Time magazine and nominated for a Grammy, Krishna Das is regarded as America’s leading “chantmaster.” Each year Krishna Das gives a workshop in Yogaville and he graciously agreed to be interviewed. Krishna Das talks about his Guru, his path, and falling in...