As a young boy, Ramu (Swami Satchidananda’s birthname was Ramaswamy, Ramu for short) was deeply immersed in Tamil culture and spirituality. One of the most significant influences in his life was the Thirukkural, a revered Tamil text written by the celebrated poet and...
Embarking on a Spiritual Odyssey, Part 3: Roots of Devotion
Devotion and worship were part and parcel of Ramu’s (Swami Satchidananda’s birthname was Ramaswamy, Ramu for short) upbringing and shaped him, his daily life and worldview. His parents were extremely devout and raised Ramu to participate fully in traditional spiritual...
Sri Swami Sivananda: A Spiritual Giant
Sri Swami Sivanandaji was a great spiritual giant. India had four great spiritual giants at one time. These saints represent the four different Yogas. Papa Ramdas of South India represented the path of Bhakti Yoga. He was a great devotee of Lord Rama. Papa Ramdas...
Rama Jyoti Vernon (1941 – 2020): American Yoga Pioneer and Luminary
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...
Integral Yoga: Looking Back, Going Forward
In October 2020, Swami Karunananda gave the following talk—during the San Francisco Integral Yoga Institute’s 50th anniversary celebration—on the future of the Integral Yoga teachings and organization. A reporter once asked me to describe Swami Satchidananda’s legacy,...
Living Yoga: The Life and Teachings of Swami Satchidananda
Get the newly re-edited downloadable version here for the discounted price of $6.95 This pricing is time-limited so order now! LIVING YOGA: The life and teachings of Swami Satchidananda, a documentary film, tells the story of the birth of the modern Yoga movement and...
Inside the History of Patanjali & the Yoga Sutras
Dr. Edwin Bryant lived for years in India and was trained with traditional pundits. He has a background in Indian philosophy, and his translation and commentary on the Yoga Sutras is dedicated to contributing to the growing body of literature on Yoga by providing...