“Nobody and nothing should be able to irritate us. It’s up to us to work with our minds. That is the real Yoga: developing a stability of mind. Getting or not getting irritated is completely up to you. Don’t ever put the blame on anything outside yourself. In all conditions and under all circumstances you can have a steady mind.”–Swami Satchidananda
In order to have a better world we must learn to think of the globe as a whole. Our world leaders need to be more selfless and sacrificing. Only by having a universal and spiritual vision can we bring positive change into the political field. Someone interested in making positive changes will never resort to violence to effect political reform. The approach has to be nonviolent. Anything achieved through violence will not last long; it will leave an enemy sitting somewhere plotting against you. MORE
In honor of the 135th Jayanthi (birth anniversary) of H.H. Sri Swami Sivanandaji (the Guru of Sri Swami Satchidananda), we hope you will enjoy this wonderful video. It features the actual voice of Sri Swami Sivanandaji, as well as rare footage of him at the Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, including daily activities like immersing in and sitting on the banks of the Ganges, welcoming luminaries to the Ashram, and his inspirational teachings. Jai Paramgurudevji!
I don’t know about you, but the spirit of sacrifice and service has never come easy for me. In the early days of my spiritual journey, due to my self-absorption in “taking care of Number 1,” I used to cringe whenever Gurudev talked about Karma Yoga—which was pretty much every time he spoke. With reticence, I accepted that service was the dues I needed to pay to join “The Spiritual Seeker Club.” I figured it was the “hazing” that new members were forced to endure to be accepted in the fraternity. MORE
I looked over the damaged carrot patch. Bunnies had shorn the tops off; turning the frilly fronds into scant spikes. I sighed and wondered, Why do I bother? I was headed for trouble when I focused on “getting something” out of the garden. But this time the bunny damage felt personal, as I had promised the carrots to my youngest Yoga student, Jack. Summer was waning and a breeze set the sunflowers dancing. It was cool and dry, a welcome relief from the humidity.MORE
In this latest episode, Avi Gordon and Rabbi Rami discuss freedom of belief, tribalism, silence, gratitude, changing the world without antagonism, and the divine feminine. Rabbi Rami Shapiro is an award–winning author of over thirty-six books on religion and spirituality. He received rabbinical ordination from the Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion and holds a PhD in religion from Union Graduate School. He currently co-directs the One River Foundation.
In honor of the International Day of Peace (Sept 21), we'd like to share our tradition in Integral Yoga in which, after daily meditation, we repeat Shanti mantras, or peace prayers. These prayers are a beautiful way to end one’s formal meditation sitting and are a spiritual support in that they are affirmations of peace. The Yoga tradition reminds us that our meditation practice is not only of benefit to us individually, but helps us to carry the awareness of our inner peace out into the world. MORE
During the dormancy of the pandemic a new branch of Integral Yoga was planted, has taken root, and is sprouting with great promise: the Integral Yoga End-of-Life Project. Its purpose is to serve a large population of aging baby boomers and those who love and support them. It's taking the basic principles and teachings of Integral Yoga, showing how to live a life that is peaceful, easeful, and useful—and applying these to the way that we take our leave from this worldly form. MORE
