Sally Kirkland, the Golden Globe–winning actress, Oscar nominee, and radiant spiritual seeker known to the Integral Yoga community as Satya passed away on November 11, 2025, at age 84. Though acclaimed for her magnetic presence on stage and screen, those who knew her...
Diane Ladd: Finding the Holy in Hollywood
Rose Diane Ladd—known to the world as the acclaimed actress Diane Ladd and to the Integral Yoga community as Divya (“Divine one”)—passed away peacefully at her home in Ojai, California, on November 3, 2025, at the age of 89. Her daughter, actress Laura Dern, was by...
Embarking on a Spiritual Odyssey, Part 21: Swami Ranga Nath and the Awakening of Discernment
The life of a seeker is marked not only by radiant moments of revelation but by encounters that test the very fiber of discernment. For the young Ramaswamy—who would one day be known to the world as Swami Satchidananda—one such turning point came through his meeting...
When Two See as One: The Yoga of Marriage
There is a saying, “Marriages are made in heaven.” Heaven is wherever the spirit is expressed. In this sense, a true marriage is not only on the physical level. The couple temporarily rises to a lofty height. We could say that their wedding is a celestial gathering....
Embarking on a Spiritual Odyssey, Part 20: When Grace Meets Destiny–The Siddha Who Pointed the Path Beyond India
The history of a sage’s journey is not measured only in years spent with a teacher, but in the depth of the impression left upon the soul. For Ramaswamy (later known to the world as Swami Satchidananda) one such moment came during his years as a sadhu (wandering...
From Clouds to Clear Sky: Transformation Through Yoga
If you deny thoughts and emotions or try to get rid of them by suppressing them they will just reemerge. When negative thoughts come there are three things you can do. You can ignore them the same way that the blue sky ignores the gray clouds that appear in it. The...
In the Service of All Beings: Dr. Jane Goodall and the Yoga of Compassion
The world has lost one of its most steadfast voices for the voiceless: Dr. Jane Goodall. Her life was nothing short of a living hymn to compassion, curiosity, and courage. Integral Yoga Magazine, steeped in the ideals of harmony, nonviolence, and the unity of life, we...
A Life in Service: Remembering Fr. Christie A. Joachimpillai, OMI (1931–2025)
On August 30, 2025, the world lost a devoted priest, scholar, and bridge-builder between faiths. Fr. Christie A. Joachimpillai, OMI—affectionately known as Fr. Pillai to many in the Integral Yoga community—passed away peacefully in Toronto, surrounded by loved ones....
Swami Sivananda’s Sampoorna Yoga for Modern Seekers
If you asked Sri Swami Sivananda what a busy person in the West should actually do each day to grow spiritually, he would likely point you to a deceptively simple framework: do a little meditation, a little prayer, a little study, a little service—every day—with...
The Greatest Victory
Gurudev Sivanandaji used to say that we should watch our thoughts because they create habits. Once you develop a habit, it becomes your character. And then your character becomes your destiny. So, it all originates with your thinking. That is why it is so important to...
Embarking on a Spiritual Odyssey, Part 19: When Breath Becomes Light – The Legacy of Swami Badagara Sivananda
When tracing the spiritual roots of Sri Swami Satchidananda’s extraordinary life and mission, one finds a constellation of saints, Siddhars, and sages who shaped his vision. Among these was a yogi of remarkable attainment and discipline: Sri Swami Sivananda...
A Life of Grace and Service: Remembering Narayana Kiekens
“If you ask me ‘What is Yoga?’ the only reply I can think of is: Yoga is a state of grace.” These words by Narayana Kiekens distill a life wholly devoted to the spirit of Yoga and the teachings of his Gurus. For more than six decades, Narayana—alongside his wife...
The Surprising Nearness of Guidance
It's hard to trust that any words of wisdom are dependable until you experience their truth in your own life. So, when as a child I first came upon Jesus' words, “Seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you; ask and it will be given to you,” I...
Be Unshakeable
When you make a spiritual commitment—what kind of commitment is it? And why do you make it? A spiritual commitment doesn’t have to be to become a swami, a minister. Particularly in the spiritual field, what are you committed to? Not to an organization or an ashram,...
To Have or Have Not? Aparigraha: Non-Possessiveness
“Possession are okay, as long as you possess them, and you don’t allow them to possess you.” ~Sri Swami Satchidananda It’s ironic how as youngsters all we want to do is play with our toys. As children, we must learn to share at home with our siblings and at school...
Embarking on a Spiritual Odyssey, Part 18: The Blind Siddha Who Saw Clearly
After spending several years immersed in sadhana under the guidance of Sadhu Swamigal at his ashram in Palani, Ramaswamy—who would one day be known to the world as Swami Satchidananda—felt a stirring once again in his soul. His heart was restless, not from...
