“All your Yoga practices, all that you do in the name of spirituality, is not to bring you peace or put God into you. Yoga helps you to not disturb your natural state of ease and peace, of happiness and fulfillment—the God or Divine in you.”–Swami Satchidananda
Live in the golden present, then you won’t have any anxiety or any fear of losing anything. Look at the sparrows, they just fly around. If they are hungry they just go and pick up a grain from anywhere. They are not constantly worried about what will happen tomorrow, what will happen to this or that. Human beings seem to be the opposite. The minute somebody predicts there will be a flood we try to buy all the grains and store them. We don’t see the birds doing that.MORE
The question that scientists ask is how matter becomes conscious. The new idea is that everything has a “degree” of Consciousness. It’s called panpsychism. The conclusion of this way of thinking is that the universe is conscious. And this is considered to be equivalent to the non-dual understanding. But it is not. It’s a misunderstanding. It is a form of materialism. The mistake is right at the very beginning… The mistake is the idea “I, the body, am aware.”MORE
“Where the Rope Ends” is a new documentary about Yoga teacher Nichole Doane’s experience when a rope ended and a long road to recovery ensued. Nichole shared her story with us: I’ve always had endless appreciation for the benefits of Yoga but it wasn’t until I was hanging from a rope, 100 feet off the ground, clinging to the final moments of my life, that I could fully comprehend the actual lifesaving capabilities of a dedicated Yoga practice. MORE
In North America, the Spring season will soon be behind us giving way to the Summer Solstice in June. Spring has long been a time of transition, when the dark and barren days of winter give way to light, warmth and new growth. Before summer is upon us, this month’s teaching involves the intention to make space for a fresh perspective and new ways of blooming. So, in this spirit, the tradition of Spring cleaning is something we continue to practice this month, as we move toward summer, and beyond.MORE
Sixteen years ago, I founded Yoga Gives Back (YGB). When anyone asks me, “What inspired you to found Yoga Gives Back,” I usually reply: “Hope for the future.” I founded YGB out of a Yoga classroom in Los Angeles where, as a beginning Yoga student, I was getting so much benefit physically and mentally from the daily practice. The real bliss was profound as I walked out of the studio daily, which led me to wonder what I was going to do with my happy healthy self? MORE
Laney Sullivan and Jameson Price are the amazing musicians whose music is an inspiration and call to activism. They recorded "Awake" in Yogaville (at Kailash) in protest of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. Thankfully the groundswell of activism averted its construction. The video location is very close to the site where the pipeline companies planned to horizontally drill under the James River. Hear more from Sullivan and Price in this conversation on the Integral Yoga Podcast.
Swamis Ramananda and Asokananda will be leading an inspiring satsang on May 20th in which they will present the distilled wisdom of all the Yoga teachings as practical principles that lead to skillful action and wise choices. They will explore how to take refuge in the unchanging source of wisdom within us and how each of us can learn to access that presence in a unique way. Join in-person at the San Francisco Integral Yoga Institute or via Zoom. Info and registration here.
