Sample from the Spring 2011 issue of Integral Yoga Magazine. The Neuroscience of Meditation and Enlightenment An Interview with David Perlmutter, MD and Alberto Villoldo, PhD Neuroscientist David Perlmutter and medical anthropologist and shaman Alberto Villoldo have...
Sample from the Spring 2011 issue of Integral Yoga Magazine. Inside the Yoga Sutras: The Subtle Mechanics of Meditation An Interview with Reverend Jaganath Carrera In this interview, Reverend Jaganath, an Integral Yoga master teacher and author of Inside the Yoga...
Sample from the Spring 2011 issue of Integral Yoga Magazine. Mantra Meditation An Interview with Dr. David Frawley (Pandit Vamadeva Shastri) According to Dr. Frawley, mantra is perhaps the main method of the Yoga of technique. He regards mantras as asanas for the...
Sample from the Winter 2008 issue of Integral Yoga Magazine An Interview with Swami Vidyananda 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...
By Michael Stone As a yogi, mainly in the Krishnamacharya lineage, and as a practitioner of Buddhist meditation for many years, Chip Hartranft’s work bridges the traditions of Yoga and Buddhism. His deep contemplation and study of the Yoga Sutras is evident in this...
Sri Swami Satchidananda recorded a self-inquiry process that he recommended as a meditation technique. Here is the process he gave: One wonderful meditation technique is self-analysis. It’s a process that leads you to identify with the inner Self, the Knower, rather...
In this interview, Prentiss Alter explains that japa (chanting or silent repetition of a mantra) essentially is a relationship. He explains four components of alignment that help guide the practitioner into relationship, communication and connection. That’s why, even...
There is a pretty Indian fable to the effect that if it rains when the star Svati is in the ascendant, and a drop of rain falls into an oyster, that drop becomes a pearl. The oysters know this, so they come to the surface when that star shines, and wait to catch the...
Meditation starts with concentration. Meditation actually begins when the mind is well-focused and it learns to become totally still. When the mind becomes completely still it seems to be losing itself. That is what you call transcending the mental state. All...
Students often ask me if there is one method of meditation that is the best. There is no one particular way of meditation. Meditation is the same process for all of us, no matter what technique we use. It is only the object or idea for meditation which may vary...
The mind can be steadied by practicing repeated concentration and meditation on a visual form. The particular form can differ according to the individual's temperament and taste. Some examples are: the steady flame of a candle, a picture of a beloved saint or...
Whenever you feel in a peaceful state of mind, meditate. Just close your eyes and relax, even if it's only for a minute. If you wish to deepen your meditation, then schedule some time daily for this practice. From the physical to the mental to the spiritual Meditation...
Japa, the practice of repetition of a mantra, focuses the mind, makes it one-pointed and leads it into meditation. In this calm state, the powerful forces which are stored up in the unconscious get released and raised up to the conscious or subconscious level. The...
In this article, Swami Satchidananda explains the science behind the relationship between sound vibrations and prana (subtle energy). He teaches the practice of ajapa-japa—concentration upon the natural sound of the breath which continually repeats the mantras Soham...
Jnana Yoga is the path of wisdom. It is suitable for people of an intellectual nature. A Jnani Yogi acts with the feeling, “I am not the doer; Nature is doing everything. The body and mind are moving among the objects. I am the silent witness of all that is happening....
In the Yoga Sutras, Sri Patanjali Maharishi lists nine obstacles, which cover a range of physical, mental, and spiritual problems. They are: disease, dullness, doubt, carelessness, laziness, sensuality, false perception, failure to reach firm ground, and slipping from...