In this enlightening episode of the Integral Yoga Podcast, hosted by Avi Gordon (director, Integral Yoga Teachers Association), Michelle Jacobi shares her captivating journey into the world of Yoga. Starting as a professional dancer in New York with a keen interest in...
Santosha – Making Peace with the Present
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...
Seeking the Kingdom Within: A Journey to True Contentment
We try to use our limited, finite intelligence to understand, grasp things, and make our lives happy, aiming to achieve and acquire this or that. Yet, in the end, nothing seems to truly help. Sometimes, it may feel like we’re finding peace or happiness, but all these...
Embarking on a Spiritual Odyssey, Part 10: The Inspirational Influence of Sri Ramalinga Swamigal
Sri Ramalinga Swamigal, a great Tamil Siddhar, left an indelible mark on South Indian spirituality, inspiring future generations through his profound compassion, universal outlook, and commitment to social justice. His teachings continue to resonate, particularly...
The Antidote to Fear
The only way to deal with fear is to face it. The more you try to run, the more it will haunt you. Face it and ask yourself questions: “Who are you? Where are you coming from? Why are you coming to me? What am I afraid of?” When you ask these questions, you will find...
Humility: Access to Deeper Wisdom
While humility is the hallmark of a sincere spiritual aspirant, we may rarely think of practicing it. In an age where self-empowerment is synonymous with personal growth, the idea of humbling oneself is decidedly unpopular. It can easily be dismissed as a sign of...
How God Came Into My Life
It would be easy to dismiss the question by saying: "Yes, after a prolonged period of intense austerities and meditation while I was living in Swarg Ashram, during which I had the darshan of a number of maharishis and their blessings, the Lord appeared before me in...
Staying Balanced in the Midst of Pain
Someone once asked me the following question: “In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says, ‘The yogi who perceives the essential oneness everywhere naturally feels the pleasure or pain of others as their own.’ Is it possible to feel the pain of others without losing...
Spiritual Media Blog Podcast: Practicing the Yoga Sutras in Daily Life
Matthew Welsh, JD, PhD, (founder of Spiritual Media Blog and his podcast of the same name) recently invited Carroll Ann (Prashanti) Friedmann to be a podcast guest and talk about her new book (Practicing the Yoga Sutras, from Integral Yoga Publications). The book...
The Path to Spiritual Awakening
The Cosmic Guru is the only Guru. All the rest is just comic. The real Guru is everywhere. Within, without. The Guru is above all the qualities, at the same time you see every kind of quality there. Sometimes the Guru is all sattvic, sometimes very rajasic, sometimes...
Overcoming a Fear of Flying: How Mantras Carry Me on Their Wings
The small commuter airplane swayed as it began its descent toward rural Virginia. I gripped the armrest. The seatbelt chime dinged and the engines droned. I closed my eyes and felt the twenty-thousand feet below me open like a chasm. I put my earbuds in and raised the...
Learning to Work Through Challenges: Tapas (Self-Discipline)
"God knows your breaking point. You simply don't know your own strength." –Swami Satchidananda How many times have you been a safe container for those you care about? What did it look like? What did it feel like? Challenging oneself to be disciplined or to attain a...
The Secret of Spiritual Practice
The secret of spiritual practice is not what you do but how you do—that is more important. Sometimes a newcomer who gets into spiritual practice will make a big list of resolutions, “I will practice half an hour every day in the morning, pranayama, three malas every...
The Glory of Santosha – Contentment
“Contentment is golden. A contented mind is a golden mind.” –Swami Satchidananda It’s funny how children enjoy the simplest of toys and teenagers relish in their relationships with their best friends, while a quiet transition commences during adulthood and suddenly...
Spiritual Longing
To learn from a spiritual teacher, more than anything else, you need faith in God: “God, I really want to experience the Truth. Put me in good hands. Present a good teacher to me.“ Then, when you meet them, feel—not through the head, but through the heart. And if you...
NEW! Swami Satchidananda Teaches the Meditation Ślokas
Integral Yoga Media is please to offer the newly mastered audio recording “Swami Satchidananda Teaches the Meditation Ślokas.” These ślokas are part of the daily meditation sessions at Satchidananda Ashram Yogaville and Integral Yoga centers around the world. Integral...