This 8th century CE text describes a conversation between the Lord Siva and his wife, the Goddess Parvati, in which she asks him to teach her about the Guru and liberation. Siva answers her by describing the Guru principle, the proper ways of paying homage to the...
Make Hay While the Sun Shines!
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...
Mahasamadhi: Faith and Transition
Swami Karunananda (senior Integral Yoga monk and master teacher) writes about the Guru-disciple relationship and shares some of the inspiring experiences she had with her Guru, Sri Swami Satchidananda. This talk was recently given on the 18th anniversary of the...
The Alchemy of Discipleship
Like a single warrior facing a king’s army, the spiritual seeker tries to subdue the army—one’s own ego. Armed with only a monkey mind, unrestrained sense organs, and a body subjected to nature's control of the physical body, the spiritual warrior is left virtually...
The Benefits of Lineage
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,...
Patanjali’s Words: Guru
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 26th sutra of Chapter 1 in which Patanjali now talks about...
A Treasure in Your Hands
Over his many years in sharing the yogic teachings, Reverend Jaganath Carerra has taught in universities, prisons, and Yoga centers. He has participated in interfaith programs, and helped to establish many of the Integral Yoga professional trainings.He was a long time...
Lessons I Learned From My Beautiful Master: The Transformation Begins
Integral Yoga Teacher Trainer Nalanie Chellaram shares the story of the spiritual journey that led her toward an ever-deepening discipleship of Swami Satchidananda, whom she calls Sri Gurudeva. In this article, she relates the beginning of that discipleship and how...
Chanting from the Soul: An Interview with Krishna Das, Part 2
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...
Soul to Soul: The Guru-Disciple Relationship
Sample from the Summer 2007 issue of Integral Yoga Magazine An Interview with Ram Dass Ram Dass (formerly Richard Alpert, Ph.D.) first went to India in 1967 and met his guru, Neem Karoli Baba, affectionately known as Maharajji. Everything changed then—his intense...
Jai Uttal: Singing to the Inner Vastness of the Heart
Jai Uttal’s eclectic East meets West sound has put his music at the forefront of the world fusion movement. Jai’s musical roots embrace a rich variety of cultures and traditions that span the globe and the centuries. From the hillbilly music of the Appalachian...