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Integral Yoga® Magazine, Issue No. 212  “Fix the Mind”
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Fix the Mind
 
“Your only work in meditation is to fix the mind on the right object. Leave the rest to happen by itself. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.”   

(photo: Meditating in Vashishta Guha, Rishikesh, mid-1970s)

Escapism is Not Spirituality
By Sri Swami Satchidananda

Is it possible to live without war? We can’t really live without fighting. What do you do when you eat? Are you not at war with your food? You chew everything and then when it goes down in your digestive system and gets churned up and digested there is another kind of war. Even when you inhale, you are in a war with the living organisms that go through the air into your lungs. The same thing is going on in the mind. There is always the conflict between your higher nature and your lower nature.  MORE

Teaching of the Month: Our Response-Ability
By Swami Divyananda

The yogi’s emergency response practice has three pillars: Breathe. Be calm. Smile. As we envision all the possible scenarios for the US presidential election on November 3rd, one thing is for sure: there will be a lot of emotion! Already we have fear verging on panic and anger verging on violence. So as we place our votes for US president, let us also place our votes for peace.  By that I mean: commit to a peaceful attitude no matter what happens.  MORE

During this recent talk, Nalanie Chellaram asks the question, "Are you stuck emotionally and can't move forward?" She explains that emotions come from thoughts so if you change your thoughts you can change your emotional responses. She also leads two short (2 minute) meditations. Nalanie is the director of the Integral Yoga Centre of Gibraltar, which recently reopened for in-person programs.

Integral Yoga Media is happy to announce a new initiative in collaboration with the Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco in honor of their 50th anniversary this month: the Integral Yoga Video Library. The library features video-on-demand and includes classes, kirtans, talks, and documentaries. The library will expand with more offerings continually being added.

I met Yoga therapist Lakshmi Sutter by chance in September of 2015. I had been unable to participate in Yoga classes for more than a year. Total knee replacement and surgeries had left me in poor mental and physical condition. After the long hiatus, my husband coaxed me into attending his regular Yoga class. Lakshmi and the instructor were good friends and Lakshmi happened to participate just that once because she had a free day. I look on it as “Divine Intervention.”  MORE

For most of human history it’s been “normal” to eat non-human animals. This is now changing. We are awakening to the massive suffering of the billions of animals killed each day for food, the horrors of the animal-food industry, and the impact it has on climate change (second only to fossil fuels.) In this short talk, Buddhist teacher Tara Brach shares her personal story of transitioning to a vegan diet, and invites listeners to investigate, without judgment, their own choices in this domain.

Swami Satchidananda's book, The Golden Present, is a much beloved daily reading text that has also been made into an app for mobile devices. The newly updated app for iPhone/iPad and the Android version are now available for free through the generosity of Sri K. Ramasamy, president of Integral Yoga India and the Swami Satchidananda Trust. Special thanks also to him and to Sri O. S. Balasubramaniam, IYI India director.

The Integral Yoga Virtual Studio (IYVS) features a calendar of the vast line-up of programs. Avi Gordon's free webinar "Intro to Integral Yoga" Oct 7th is a great way to introduce students/friends to Integral Yoga & celebrate annual Integral Yoga Day! SPECIAL EVENT REMINDER! Oct. 2–4: Virtual Coast-to-Coast Global Celebration: 50 Years of Integral Yoga on 13th Street New York and in San Francisco! Each center will host individual programs as well as joint programs. New York info; San Fran info. Not too late to join the free celebrations!

If ever there was a wonderful time for reaching out to nature for healing and comfort this would be that moment. If you can possibly get into nature peace and joy await you. And even if you have to wear a mask, peace and joy will still be there. I have discovered that all it takes to tune into that blessing from nature is some silence and being present in the moment. That did not come easily to me. It required persistence and learning to let go. Now, when I get on the LOTUS road, the blessing is right there. Please take good care of the precious you. (Text/photo: Jeff Ananda Kamen)
Inspiring Meme of the Week
 
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