I first came across the teachings of Swami Satchidananda (Sri Gurudev) in a transcript from a talk he gave in which he said, “We have a natural state of ease and when we lose it we get disease.” I was in medical school at the time, and nobody was really addressing the...
There are many stories in the Zen tradition that offer a perspective on sleep, such as the enlightenment of Ananda, where he stayed awake for several days on end trying to attain Great Liberation. He finally decides to give up on attaining enlightenment and get some...
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...
In recognition of "Mental Health Awareness Month" (observed each May in the USA), Nalanie Chellaram's (director of the Integral Yoga Institute Gibraltar and Sotogrande, Spain) gave a talk on how Yoga can help with mental health issues. In this video, Nalanie also...
A beautiful relaxation experience led by Sri Swami Satchidananda. Yoga Nidra is a classical Yoga practice for de-stressing the body and mind that leads the practitioner toward the recognition of one's essence-nature. The practice enables you to let go of body-mind-ego...
With his unique humor and enormous depth of wisdom, Swami Asokananda is a master in presenting the great teachings of Yoga in ways that are deeply relevant to key issues in modern life. In this article, he shares the benefit of his experience from his personal journey...
Pranayama, often described as yogic breathing, is one of the most powerful, yet subtle practices in Yoga. Certainly, we use yogic breathing techniques to practice pranayama—but if we mistake these techniques for the intent, we cut ourselves off from the full scope of...
In this interview, renowned Yoga teacher Rod Stryker explores the four motivating forces in life and how a steady spiritual practice can bring those to fruition in a way that helps us live happy, healthy and fulfilling lives. Stryker believes that the aim of practice...
These are stressful times. You may be one of the many who feel stressed and tired but find it hard to sleep. This short Integral Yoga Guided Relaxation, with Integral Yoga senior teacher Nalanie Chellaram, is designed to help you relax, fall asleep, and rest well....
Savasana (or Corpse pose) is well-known for being the most important pose in our Yoga practice. It is the moment when all the physical hard work of class can seep into our muscles and bones, our body can melt into the floor, and we can finally do nothing but breathe....
At the heart of life’s most seductive, unsolved mysteries we find death—that dizzying prospect that our existence is but a flicker upon the landscape of eternity. Or is it? Humans have resisted accepting their own mortality since antiquity, when attitudes toward dying...
Each time you practice Yoga Nidra meditation, you’re stilling the waves of the mind through conscious entry into the sleep state. How? You start with sensing the body and breathing in specific ways in order to trigger the relaxation response. The relaxation response...
1. Yoga Nidra by Swami Satyananda Saraswati remains today the classic book on the subject. Written by this disciple of Sri Swami Sivananda and brother monk of Sri Swami Satchidananda, the text explains the theory of Yoga Nidra in both yogic and scientific terms and...
Among the most successful (using scientifically verified studies) therapeutic applications of Yoga Nidra is Dr. Richard Miller's Integrative Restoration Yoga Nidra or iRest ®. This program is fast becoming a major healing tool, having been used by Walter Reade Army...
Life has become very complex these days. The struggle for existence is very acute and keen. A great deal of constant mental and physical strain is imposed on humanity by its daily work and unhealthy mode of life. Action produces movements and these in turn cause...
One of the first visualizations to use could be the one of Sacred Space, finding the safe, secure place within oneself: “Close your eyes. Take in a few deep breaths. Today we all will go on a magic trip…We will have to cross the river to get to the other side…so, you...