The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali begins with a call that reverberates through the ages: Atha Yoganusasanam: Now the exposition of Yoga is being made. It is an invitation to seekers of truth everywhere, irrespective of place, time or circumstance. It offers a universal...
Those who have been blessed to call themselves disciples and devotees of His Holiness Sri Gurudev Swami Satchidanandaji know the special grace of having a Satguru. Not only a Satguru, Sri Gurudev is a Tamil Siddhar (Siddha in other regions; realized saint) and what is...
Mahasamadhi (a realized saint’s conscious final exit from the physical body) and thus prepared his disciples brilliantly well in advance. He left the physical body in August 2002 in South India. Here are some of his words in relation to Mahasamadhi—his own and other...
On August 12, 2002, Sri Swami Satchidananda gave satsang at the Integral Yoga Institute of Coimbatore during which he answered questions. This excerpt is part of the last recorded satsang of Sri Swamiji and follows his participation as a keynote speaker at the World...
In 2002, Sri Swami Satchidananda was invited to be a keynote speaker at the World Congress on Peace, Nonviolence and Harmony in South India. He left the body and entered Mahasamadhi a few days after the conclusion of the World Congress—his participation a fitting...
These Sanskrit slokas are led by Swami Satchidananda and are from the Vedas and other sacred texts. Swami Satchidananda recommended chanting these prior to a meditation session to help connect to the Guru-tattva principle. This principle teaches that there's a...
In 1976, Swami Satchidananda was giving this talk (below) on Yoga in Denver, Colorado. Yoga was something that wasn't widely practiced, or understood, in its broader and deepest sense at that time—and in large part, still isn't today. And, the use of mantras in...
Julie Lusk, MEd, E-RYT-500, NCC, has a new book out: Yoga Nidra Meditations: 24 Scripts for True Relaxation. Featuring twenty-four Yoga Nidra scripts written by author Julie Lusk and thirteen of the world's master teachers—including Swami Satchidananda—this book shows...
Joann Lutz, MSW, LICSW, C-IAYT, E-RYT has a new book: Trauma Healing in the Yoga Zone. It is an informative and trailblazing guide for mental health professionals, Yoga therapists and teachers working with trauma utilizing the science of Yoga. In this article, she...
Nalanie Chellaram, Integral Yoga teacher and Gibraltar and Sotogrande, Spain centers head, recently published a book, Loss, Love, Life. In this article, she shares the inspiration behind writing the book and her journey through loss into life and love again. The book...
In honor of Guru Poornima, the interfaith music that has been a part of the Light Of Truth Universal Service is now available for all to utilize during services you organize in your local areas. Also, many new interfaith tools and resources have been added to the...
Reciting praises of 108 or even 1000 Holy Names dedicated to God or great sages is a time-honored tradition. Each and every manifestation of Brahman is thus given a series of Holy Names. This garland of 108 Holy Names, compiled and translated by Swami Yogananda...
In this short video "The Inner Guru" from 1998 during Guru Poornima, Swami Satchidananda speaks about the true meaning of "Guru" and also about attuning oneself to the inner Guru. Using examples from his own Guru (Sri Swami Sivananda), the Bhagavad Gita and South...
Guru Poornima is when, during the full moon in July, we celebrate the ancient tradition of guru-sishya (Guru-disciple). Since time immemorial, traditional knowledge and teachings have been passed down from one generation to another through sacred texts and teachings...
During Guru Poornima in 2021, we specially honor Swami Yogananda Sarasvati, who was initiated into the Holy Order of Sannyasa fifty years ago in 1971 by his Guru, Sri Swami Satchidananda in Kandy, Sri Lanka. He was the first westerner to be initiated by Swami...
My relationship with Swami Satchidananda began with meeting Dr. Sandra (Amrita) McLanahan, at a conference in Tarrytown, New York where she was one of the speakers. She was a student of the Swami, and she was young, energetic, and spoke of Yoga, spirituality, and...