In children, the mind is pure. It is the world that goes in and contaminates our mind, otherwise, the mind is always plain and pure, like a crystal. No mind is bad, no mind is dirty; it’s always crystal clear. But it is the proximity of the mind to other things that...
Introduction I was inspired to write this article after reading Tracy Cooley’s excellent Integral Yoga Magazine article. She describes running a 108 kilometer distance. Certainly, an incredible accomplishment, particularly as a Yoga meditation. I love to swim....
Journalist Maria Shriver has created an important interview series she's calling: "Architects of Change." In this episode, she sits down with Dr. Dean Ornish, author of Undo It! to discuss his new book and what he learned from his teacher, Swami Satchidananda, who...
Meditation can be like watching a movie—if you simply observe or witness the thoughts, without any judgment, you will enjoy the show. Watching the thoughts is different from analyzing and judging them. A judge in the court is analyzing the case and judging who is...
Take a deep breath at 23,000 feet, and breath out turbulence. Or at least your fear of turbulence. That's the goal of Virgin Australia, which is introducing meditation as part of its focus on well-being for travelers who are stressed out by flying. "Integrating...
The aim of Patanjali’s Yoga system is to keep the mind one-pointed on any object or idea which would remind you of a higher idea that will broaden your outlook, elevate your mental attitude and, ultimately, your life. He encourages the student to take up any object...
Sometimes we talk a lot about God, about faith. We say we have faith, but our own life should prove that. If you have complete, absolute faith you will always be happy and joyful—even under severe suffering and severe handicaps. One of the four well-known Saiva saints...
Swami Satchidananda: We all have a witness in our own system. That’s what you call the Self. It is a constant witness. What is it witnessing? It witnesses the play of the mind. The mind constantly creates drama. When you go to a movie theater, what do you do? You sit...
A disciplined mind is your beautiful friend and a fantastic instrument. You’ll not only win God, you win everything, because when you automatically win God, you win the whole universe. An undisciplined mind can cause you to run here and there, chasing desire after...
Meditation is more or less the final practice in the yogic ladder. Patanjali talks about the eight steps of Ashtanga Yoga. The eighth step is an experience; we are not doing anything. But the first seven start with Yama and Niyama; thinking and handling your day to...
Question: What is the secret of mantra japa (mentally repeating a mantra continuously)? I can keep my attention on if for a short time and then I forget all about it! Swami Satchidananda: First, you have to constantly and consciously repeat the mantra. Later, the...
Question: We hear so much these days about creative visualization and manifesting with the mind. Isn’t this the opposite of being present and in the moment? Swami Satchidananda: I don’t think they oppose each other. If you like, you can be in the present moment...
According to Erich Schiffmann, a much beloved Yoga master, Yoga is a way of moving into stillness in order to experience the truth of who you are. In this interview he talks about the practice of asana as the practice of meditation or inner listening. And, as he...
Gregory Kramer, Ph.D., offers participants in his Insight Dialogue workshops the opportunity to experience meditative awareness of what happens when we retreat into our habitually well-defended and lonely “constructed” selves. Through silent and guided meditation, and...
In this article, Swami Asokananda reflects upon the journey that took him from novice meditator to one of Integral Yoga’s master teachers. He shares the challenges and triumphs of having a regular meditation practice, as well as the insights and wisdom he gained on...
In this interview, Reverend Jaganath Carrera, an Integral Yoga master teacher and author of Inside the Yoga Sutras, explains how the heart of meditation can be understood through an unlocking of the term “nirodha,” which Patanjali uses in the second sutra of the Yoga...