There is a constant force shaping our experience that we usually don’t recognize: we are often “at the effect” of everything we encounter. The reactions that arise within us in response to these experiences are called the “effect.” For example: we might see a steaming...
Integral Yoga trainers, teachers, and sangha from Europe and around the world will gather together at a meditation center on the shores of Italy's beautiful Lake Maggiore for this Integral Yoga European Conference where Integral Yogis share practices, kirtan, meals,...
We are witnessing one of those moments seen in all the epic stories, a time when Maya reigns and the dark energies rise up to veil the hearts of men and women. Those in power are blinded by fear and greed, offering empty promises. People of the light must wait...
The beginning of a new year is a natural time to reflect on and re-envision our lives. The tradition of New Year’s resolutions can be life-changing or it can be a temporary way of fooling ourselves with lofty ideas that fade when reality hits. Clarifying our...
At a satsang at the Integral Yoga Institute in Buenos Aires years ago, I spoke and led a discussion about three essential elements of spiritual life: discrimination, equanimity, and service. The reflections shared that day brought out the complementary nature of...
At the close of our morning meditation, the residents of the San Francisco Integral Yoga Institute reaffirm the intention we hold for our spiritual growth while living together in community. Last month, we chose a phrase from this affirmation as our focal practice:...
Prejudice exists not only in the world around us but also, often unconsciously, within us. Whether we see it or not, it shapes how open—or closed—our hearts are to others. Recognizing the subtle ways prejudice arises in us can be a powerful step toward living with...
Viveka is the spiritual practice of discrimination—distinguishing between the real and unreal, the eternal and temporary, the Spiritual Presence and ego-identity. Here are some ways to put viveka into practice. See which of these resonates with you and supports you to...
In this inspiring conversation led by host Avi Gordon (director of Integral Yoga Teachers Association), Swami Ramananda (senior monk and president of the Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco) shares profound insights on finding peace in chaotic times through...
When we strive to see ourselves as instruments of a Higher Will—the hands of God at work in the world—we access and allow ourselves to be guided by a concern for the well-being of everyone. We more easily let go of our personal desires without force or denial and find...
In this inspiring conversation led by host Avi Gordon (director of the Integral Yoga Teachers Association), Swami Ramananda (president of the Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco) shares profound insights on finding peace in chaotic times through spiritual...
Many people I know are searching for ways to actively respond to the chaotic events unfolding in the U.S. and a world filled with violence, suffering, and injustice. We don’t want to see our Yoga practice as a retreat from the world, nor do we want to simply shake our...
We all probably struggle sometimes to make wise choices when deciding between taking care of others and taking care of ourselves. Many of us were raised with a strong work ethic that is reinforced by the “gotta get ahead” mentality of American culture, the value...
Ahimsa is a Sanskrit word that translates as “without injury” or “nonviolence” in English. It’s a principle in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jainist philosophy that involves causing the least amount of harm possible to all beings. It’s the first ethical principle given as a...
If you want to see well through a window, you have to clean both sides. Practice (abhyasa) and non-attachment (vairagya) work much the same way. They are the complimentary practices given in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras as a means to quiet the movement of thought in the...
Contentment is a deceptively simple concept that offers tremendous benefit if we fully embrace its practice. It is referred to as santosha in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and is not so easy to master because the habit of wanting and achieving is so deeply ingrained in...