A new year often means making resolutions and setting goals. In this video from an annual New Year's Silent Yoga Retreat at Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville (Virginia) several years ago, Swami Karunananda (senior monk and chair of the Integral Yoga Spiritual Life Board)...
What drew you to your spiritual path? Does modern Yoga throw out the “baby with the bathwater” when it goes post-lineage? In Ep 10 of the “Two Old Fogey Yogis” podcast, our hosts explore the relevance of a traditional spiritual path in today’s world and what drew each...
Students often ask me questions like, “Why am I here on this earth?“ “What am I to do here?“ and “What is the purpose of life?“ The answer is that we are here to fulfill our part of the work in the great universal mission. There is one universal plan, a cosmic plan,...
We tend to identify with the body-mind because it is concrete, easily experienced and appears to be permanent, thus dependable, giving us a sense of security and control. Yoga teaches us that we are much more and that to center our lives around body-mind will be...
During these challenging times, the stresses and strains on our relationships can take a toll. What does Yoga have to say about this? Swami Asokananda and Rev. Prem discuss relationships (with oneself & others), communication, and how to respond vs. react....
In this conversation, Heike Farkas (director, Integral Yoga Germany) and Avi Gordon (director, IYTA) discuss how to shift our attitude toward challenges, the practice of humility, and the importance of having fun. Heike Amma Farkas has been practicing Yoga since the...
Once you become the master of your body, mind, and senses, you truly become the master of everything. If you are unable to curb a negative thought, at least try not to speak the thought. And if you can’t control the thought or the speaking of the thought, control the...
One can appreciate Yoga, and be a yogi, without disturbing one’s own faith. There are Yoga centers all over the world. Often, students begin with Hatha Yoga, the physical side. Gradually, when they understand the true essence of Yoga, they want to go more deeply into...
I sit looking at my Christmas tree, which for the first time since I moved to Yogaville (several decades ago!) was not decorated by the swamis (monks) who live here. It was a strange and sad experience (due to the pandemic) doing it myself, but a sweet, tall angel...
In this music video, Sanjay Mahajan (accompanied by Rupali and Saveri) chant selected verses with a backdrop of footage filmed in India and Satchidananda Ashram, along with photos of Satgurus, sages and saints of India. This video is part of the CD/DVD set "Sri Guru...
As human beings, we have beautiful clothes, nice cars, and we are very fond of many things. We think we are so great, but much of what we do is also done by many animals. They eat when they’re hungry and they have nice houses in which to live. Are your houses as nice...
This 8th century CE text describes a conversation between the Lord Siva and his wife, the Goddess Parvati, in which she asks him to teach her about the Guru and liberation. Siva answers her by describing the Guru principle, the proper ways of paying homage to the...
In the morning and evening, take some time for your personal physical and mental Yoga practice. This should include a little pranayama, meditation and some asana. The entire thing need not take more than an hour, or an hour and a half. You can always find some time in...
In this video, Swami Karunananda (senior monk and chair of Integral Yoga's Spiritual Life Board) gives a Thanksgiving talk that stresses the healing power of forgiveness, which is an oft-overlooked aspect of gratitude. Through Yoga teachings, stories and parables, she...
Nothing is going to make you always happy. That’s what the Mother Nature teaches. She says, “You are running after me for happiness; stop running.” Sometimes we hear people saying, “I’ve run and run and run and now I’m tired of running. I’m going to stop.” If that...
Yoga lost one if it's great Western pioneers with the passing of Rama Jyoti Vernon. If Mataji Indra Devi can be called the first lady of Yoga, Rama Jyoti Vernon was certainly the keeper of the flame of classical Yoga in America. In later years Rama was also known as...