“The body itself is the temple of the Divine. Even your personal acts of bathing and keeping your home clean become worship then. The kingdom of God is within. Tat Tvam Asi: Thou art That. So, for a devotee, every act is worship.”
In any Sanskrit mantra, one of the letters will be a sound that is considered a “seed” sound or a bija. The various bijas each have a different effect on our bodies and minds, and even on plant life. Mantra Shastra, is the science of sound. In Yoga, we have the practice known as Japa Yoga, the Yoga of the repetition of bijas and mantras. There are scientific principles behind sound. The well- known biblical phrase, “In the beginning, there was the Word” means that in the beginning there was sound.MORE
A meditation teacher of mine once quoted a Burmese teacher as saying “When everything that can go is gone, what’s left is the truth.” That sentence resonated with me. I heard it maybe 20 years ago and I still reference it and repeat it a lot. And I think that’s because we know there’s already a truth in us, with us, as us—it’s probably the one thing we really do know. This innate knowing may have gotten veiled, it may seem so removed that we have to project it outward onto a deity... MORE
A Benedictine monk for the last 66 years, Brother David Steindl-Rast and Swami Satchidananda were close spiritual friends and brothers as interfaith activists and pioneers. An internationally-recognized practitioner of gratitude and founder of gratefulness.org, Brother David sits down to talk with Avi Gordon (Integral Yoga Teachers Association director) about prayer, meditation, Swami Satchidananda, gratitude, trust, Jesus, and other topics.
One fine spring morning I stood on the deck as the sun crested the trees. Tucked into the raised beds, cabbages, and leaf lettuce glittered with dew. As if on cue a Mourning Dove landed on the topmost barn gable. I half expected a butterfly to land on my shoulder and say good morning. But a swordlike tuft of green among the perennials caught my eye. More of the dagger-like foliage poked up from behind the soft fronds of native ferns. I grabbed my phone and texted my sister, "The mean girls of the garden are back." MORE
Observing how Yoga has changed the world, I cannot help but wonder how the world has changed Yoga. As the plethora of Yoga studios and communities formed, they focused mainly on serving the physical body. The calling was great; strengthen and balance the body—that is what people knew, and that is where the need seemed to be the greatest. Many of the transformational physical benefits were touted, and the studios that sprang up were brimming to capacity. MORE
Paul Barton is a pianist from Yorkshire, England who traded the dales and concert halls for the jungles of Thailand, where he performs for elephants rescued from captivity, some blind and handicapped, at a sanctuary in Thailand. This story and short video is so beautifully moving (and so is the music!).
This conference, hosted by the Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco, will explore different styles of meditation led by seasoned teachers from the Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Sufi, and Yoga traditions. There will be in depth study, practice, and an opportunity to ask questions. Some meditation experience is welcome but not necessary. Find more information and registration informationhere.
