Introduction The art and science of Yoga, one of the greatest treasures of India's unique cultural heritage, has much to offer in terms of understanding the human mind. Yoga treats the human being as a multi-layered conscious being, possessing three bodies (sthula,...
Sleep as a Spiritual Practice
There are many stories in the Zen tradition that offer a perspective on sleep, such as the enlightenment of Ananda, where he stayed awake for several days on end trying to attain Great Liberation. He finally decides to give up on attaining enlightenment and get some...
Yoga Nidra: Portal to Our Essence-Nature
Julie Lusk, MEd, E-RYT-500, NCC, has a new book out: Yoga Nidra Meditations: 24 Scripts for True Relaxation. Featuring twenty-four Yoga Nidra scripts written by author Julie Lusk and thirteen of the world's master teachers—including Swami Satchidananda—this book shows...
Teachings from the Gita: The Real and the Unreal
The entire Bhagavad Gita is a series of questions and answers between Sri Krishna and his disciple, Arjuna. In chapter 13, Arjuna asks for knowledge about prakriti and Purusha. Arjuna asks: “What is knowledge and what is it that is to be known?” In those days, none of...
What Yoga Has to Say About Health
Yoga is the original mind-body medicine that has enabled individuals to attain and maintain sukha sthanam, a dynamic sense of physical, mental and spiritual well-being. The Bhagavad Gita defines Yoga as samatvam, meaning thereby that Yoga is equanimity at all levels,...
Happiness in Daily Life: A Yogic Formula
In the world today, most people approach the study of Yoga through the asanas (physical postures). And for many schools, that’s where the study of Yoga ends. People want to be healthy and have a trim physique. One may ask, why do you want a trim physique? In some...
The Yoga of Nine Emotions
Sample from the Winter 2008 issue of Integral Yoga Magazine An Interview with Peter Marchand Author and teacher Peter Marchand gives us an overview of Rasa Sadhana, an ancient practice of gaining mastery over the emotions that originated in India and that he learned...
The Integral Yoga Approach to Balancing the Emotions
Integral Yoga master teacher Swami Vidyananda’s workshops on Yoga and the emotions explore Integral Yoga techniques that bring greater harmony within oneself and to one’s relationships. These workshops use Hatha Yoga and meditation, as well as sacred imagery,...