I don’t know about you, but the spirit of sacrifice and service has never come easy for me. In the early days of my spiritual journey, due to my self-absorption in “taking care of Number 1,” I used to cringe whenever Swami Satchidananda (Gurudev) talked about Karma...
In Part 5 of this series, we went over the first verse of the first chapter. I’d like to skip ahead now to the twentieth verse of the first chapter where Arjuna says to Sri Krishna: “Place my chariot in the middle of the two armies, O Krishna, so that I may behold...
In part 4 of this series, we talked about Dhritarāśhtra, the blind king. We can consider him to be manas, the lower mind. And we also talked about Sanjaya, his minister, who we said could be considered our conscience. The king is blind, but he is not deaf. He does...
In Part 3 of this series, we read the first verse of the first chapter, and we were introduced to the blind King Dhritarāśhtra. This week I’d like to introduce us to Sanjaya. Let me share the first verse again: “Dhritarāśhtra asked, What did the Pāndavās and my sons...
This series continues with part 3, in which we’re going to start at the very beginning. I remember, growing up, Julie Andrews singing in the film The Sound of Music, “A very good place to start . . .” So we’ll start with chapter 1, verse 1 of the Bhagavad Gita. Take a...
I would like to continue this series with a little more background and history to set the stage and context for our study of the Bhagavad Gita. Throughout the ages people, probably throughout the planet, maybe possibly other planets, went deep into the mind,...
In this video, host Kim Weeks and Swami Asokananda (president and spiritual director of the New York Integral Yoga Institute) explore the origins, evolution, and modern-day story of Integral Yoga. Hosted by Yoga Alliance, "Yoga Lineages" is a series of conversations...
In the 1980s, when the gay community in New York City was under siege, suffering and dying from a vicious plague yet to be named HIV, Prema Pleva was an inspiring force for Integral Yoga in New York as she welcomed and served those suffering most. In 1985, she...
In this episode, host Avi Gordon (director of the Integral Yoga Teachers Association) and his guest, Swami Asokananda, talk about how each works with self-judgment, resistances to daily sadhana (spiritual practice), pratipaksha bhavana, and other topics regarding...
In this series of short articles, Swami Asokananda shares his insights from years of study of and contemplation on the great Indian scripture the Bhagavad Gita. I would like to start with a little background. The Bhagavad Gita is 700 verses of the longest poem ever...
While season 1 of the "Two Old Fogey Yogis" podcast (hosted by Swami Asokananda, president of the New York IYI, and Rev. Prem Anjali, PhD, editor of Integral Yoga Magazine) has ended, you can still listen to all 20+ episodes via Soundcloud, iTunes, iHeart...
What motivates you to get out of bed? What do you aspire to in your life? How do you live your Yoga? These are some of the questions our two yogis will consider in Episode 23 of the "Two Old Fogey Yogis" podcast. This topic also leads them into a deep discussion about...
In this episode of the "Two Old Fogey Yogis" podcast, our two yogis continue their discussion of aparigraha, the fifth and final yama, with an examination of two of its very subtle aspects: the teaching of not receiving gifts, and of one’s relationship to the physical...
Let’s face it, we live in a busy world. This just may be the reason that podcasts have become so popular—not only are they convenient, it’s easy to multitask while we listen. I’ve been listening to a wonderful podcast lately: “Two Old Fogey Yogis.” I’ve been enjoying...
How do we integrate Sri Patanjali’s teachings about sex/celibacy/continence in today’s world? What does brahmacharya really mean? Swami Asokananda and Rev. Prem (the two yogis of the "Two Old Fogey Yogis" podcast) consider various aspects of this yama (ethical...
In an earlier episode of their podcast, the "Two Old Fogey Yogis" did a deep dive into satya, truthfulness. Now, they apply this principle to difficult situations. After sharing a bit of philosophy, they ask the question: “What does this really look like in real life?...