Photo by Mat Reding courtesy of Pexels.

Many people I know are searching for ways to actively respond to the chaotic events unfolding in the U.S. and a world filled with violence, suffering, and injustice. We don’t want to see our Yoga practice as a retreat from the world, nor do we want to simply shake our heads and shrug our shoulders at the turmoil around us.

Often, we think of spiritual awakening as a passive practice—something that involves withdrawing the senses and quieting the mind to experience the spiritual presence within. While this is an important aspect of spiritual growth, it is equally vital to consider how we engage with the world. Both approaches are necessary, as we want our responses to the challenges we face to be guided by the source of spiritual wisdom we all share.

We may need to reconnect with this inner spiritual light repeatedly, awakening to it fully so that it clearly shines in our hearts and minds as we go about our days. However, we need not wait for a certain level of awakening before we take our Yoga practice off the cushion or mat and into the world. We can intentionally practice moving, speaking, and thinking with peace and compassion in our hearts.

This intention remains vague unless we find specific ways to cultivate it. We bring compassion into conversations when we listen deeply to others, making a real effort to understand and respect their needs. Even when we disagree, we can approach others with an open heart, focusing on common ground rather than our differences. We can speak out against injustice when we witness it and strive to be peacemakers in moments of conflict.

Above all, we can maintain our equanimity in the face of unjust or violent words or actions. By keeping our balance, we sustain a connection to an inner well of peace and bring that energy into the situation. Mindfulness allows us to pause and make conscious choices that consider the well-being of everyone involved.

We can also bring more compassion into the world by serving our local communities. Whether it’s offering Yoga classes, volunteering at a soup kitchen, becoming politically active, or reaching out to those in need, serving locally connects us to the needs and disharmony in our own neighborhoods, where we can truly make a difference. It compels us to look beyond our own worlds and reminds us that, beneath our differences, we all seek the same happiness. A grateful heart is naturally inclined to uplift others.

On a subtler level, Sri Swami Satchidananda strongly affirmed that each time we pray for peace in the world—such as we do at the end of each Integral Yoga class—we send subtle yet profound energies into our world. Even though we may not see the effects, each time we visualize peace in our hearts and intentionally send it outwards, our intentions have a real impact on those who are ready to receive them.

Every choice we make, every action we take, can be guided by either a ‘me’-centered or ‘we’-centered mindset. Understanding that our daily actions are an expression of our beliefs can transform our lives, giving meaning to every aspect of it. May we all learn to see how bringing spiritual values into everyday life is both a vital response to a violent world and an essential part of awakening to our inner Light.

About the Author:

Swami Ramananda is the Executive Director of Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco, a certified Yoga therapist, and a founding board member of the Yoga Alliance. He leads beginner, intermediate and advanced-level Yoga teacher training programs in San Francisco and teaches throughout the world. Having dedicated his life to teaching Yoga for nearly 50 years, Swami Ramananda is highly-respected senior teacher in the Integral Yoga tradition in Yoga communities worldwide. Swami Ramananda co-developed the Stress Management Teacher Training program with Swami Vidyananda, has trained many teachers to bring Yoga into corporate, hospital and medical settings, and has taught mind/body wellness programs throughout the US and abroad. He is also a co-founder of The Spiritual Action Initiative (SAI) which brings together individuals committed to working for social justice for all beings and for the care and healing of our natural world.

The post A Spiritual Response to a Troubled World appeared first on Integral Yoga® Magazine.

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We all get those physical signs of stress and anxiety. We might feel tired or have random aches and pains and can’t pinpoint the source. We stretch, we breathe, and we feel rejuvenated right afterwards. But after a few days the same aches and pains are back, and sometimes accompanied by new ones.

Stress shows up in the body, but it starts in the mind. If we don’t address it in our mind, our bodies will keep tensing until we do something about it. Stress is a catch-all word. Stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It can come from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous. It’s a feeling, and feelings tend to be very personal. So the little things that stress you out can be as individual as you are.

I tend to be an obsessive thinker. I can remember times when obsessive thinking distracted me from work and studies, movies and conversations. I even told myself, “Hey, you’re sabotaging your own fun!” But then I returned to obsessing. And the stuff I obsess over is often ridiculous. Like “I let that 40 percent-off coupon from CVS expire!” And that spirals into “see ya shoulda set an alarm to use it,” or “I can’t believe I forgot!” I can ruin my whole day this way.

Enter sutra 2.33: When disturbed by negative thoughts, opposite, positive ones should be thought of. This is pratipaksha bhavana.

As it turns out, it is impossible to hold two thoughts in your head at once. That’s right, you may think you’re multitasking, but in fact, you are rapidly switching focus from one thought to another. So when I catch myself obsessing, I’ll deliberately think of something pleasant, or something I actually accomplished that day, and I’ll repeat that to myself instead. Pratipaksha bhavana works for big and small regrets. This week, when I was upset that I didn’t save on those expensive Ghirardelli chips for cookies I was baking, I replaced it with the thought that I successfully made gluten-free cookies that were healthier.

Sometimes it works right away like a charm and sometimes it takes some effort to replace the aggravating thought, (wasted coupon — cookies!–wasted coupon!) I can do this all day so I tried to amp up the pleasant thinking a little. I thought about how many people enjoyed the cookies and how good they tasted. Guess what? That was so much more fun than obsessing over the coupon, and CVS is gonna send me another one in a couple of days anyway.

I definitely feel emotionally better the more I practice pratipaksha bhavana. But what I hadn’t expected is that the more I think about lighter things, the more I don’t feel achy or heavy. I literally feel lighter.

Test it out for yourself. Watch someone tell a story about something that makes them happy and see how their body moves with the energy of that emotion. Watch when someone is speaking about something unpleasant or upsetting. Then notice those things in yourself. Your body punctuates your emotions. What are you feeling? What patterns are you noticing in postures and movements? In breathing patterns?

And it’s helpful to find out what upsets you. What patterns do you notice in your thoughts? In your emotions? When do those patterns show up? And remember that it’s definitely a practice, as is all of Yoga. We’re human, after all, which is exactly what this sutra is acknowledging.

About the Author:

Diana Diaz Dharani, RYT-500 is an Integral Yoga teacher with advanced certifications in Anatomy and Physiology, Accessible Yoga, Holistic Sound Healing,Yoga Philosophy, Healing Relationships, and Yoga for Stress Management. Dharani is a Native Nuyorican and mother who is passionately dedicated to serving marginalized communities. She serves at the Integral Yoga Institute of New York and she is also an author, specializing in personal essay, memoir and creative non-fiction. Dharani conducts workshops and retreats that combine the grounding and spirituality of Yoga with the discipline and self-reflection of writing. She currently lives and serves at the Integral Yoga Institute of New York.

The post Using the Yoga Sutras in Daily Life appeared first on Integral Yoga® Magazine.

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From time-to-time, Integral Yoga teachers ask how to address yogic practices, traditions, and advice on preparing for death. Here are some tips, from our own expert in the field, that may be helpful in preparing for your or anyone’s journey—starting with some basic information and then moving on to how Yoga teachers can add their special gifts. Additionally, please visit our website: https://yogicendoflife.org

Be Prepared

1. Gather your family and/or friends and have a frank discussion about wishes, desires, needs for yourself and others as you approach end of life. Develop an advanced medical directive, such as the excellent “Five Wishes.” Assign a designated health care agent as well as a financial agent. Make a living will, an estate will, and even plan the memorial or service that you wish. Have on record how you wish to dispose of the body or ashes. Designate recipients of your estate. Have all these records secured and easily obtainable when needed (examples can be found online). You may need a notarized copy or the assistance of a lawyer. Every large hospital and every hospice organization has staff provided to assist you with your questions. Every state has different laws, so be sure you are making the most generic and complete coverage of your wishes.

2. Learn all you can about the grief process, especially anticipatory grief. In all situations we all experience grief, and we must go through the process to move on to our new situation. If you can, work with friends, a group, a professional to recognize and go through the common steps of a grief process. It is commonly accepted that all people experience a fear of death and then have to deal with how to face that fact. The steps to acceptance, which may be experienced in any order, is explained by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross as: 1) Denial and isolation, 2) Anger, 3) Bargaining, 4) Depression, and 5) Acceptance. There are many resources and many health and hospices have staff to assist you. You need not be a recipient of their services to use this assistance. There is a need for grief work before, during, and after any event—this takes time and cannot be ignored.

Approach Gently, Peacefully, Listen Deeply

Practicing peace first, last, and always—with self and others—is foremost. Most people enjoy sharing stories of their past, talking about their beliefs, and saying what is important to them at this time. By listening deeply we can ask real, relevant questions to assist in the transition. Most good listeners will enable the person to finally expose what is bothering him or her and the listener may be able to help facilitate closure. Listen, don’t talk much, share feelings of love, of a worthy life, and of leaving a legacy. These seem to be key areas of concern for everyone.

Yogic Practices: Skills Integral Yoga Teachers Can Share

1. Service of silence—sitting, being, presence: We call on our inner resources to maintain our peace while serving others.

2. Releasing tension: As Integral Yoga teachers, we’ve been trained to help others with deep relaxation, visualization, scanning the body for tension, using imagery (re-focus, relax, re-frame, return to sense of order) and simple stretching to relax the body. Used carefully, with approval if necessary from health professionals, we have many ways to help others relax themselves, releasing tension.

3. Breathing through: Integral Yoga Teacher Training has given us three-part breathing, ways to balance breath, deep breath techniques (“in-spire,” sigh, release tension, etc.), ways of matching breath, concentrated and controlled breath, and even a cooling breath. All of these pranayama techniques, when you are trained and have health professional approval, are very helpful for people in transition.

4. Looking within: All people can use assistance in assessment of their present situation, in talking through a life review, and in reflection of where to go from here. Sri Swami Sivananda, Sri Swami Satchidananda, and other great teachers have all indicated that God will not waste a single breath on a person. When that person’s work/service in this lifetime is done, death happens. The trained yogi can bring peace, acceptance, centeredness, and love to assist the person.

5. Adding Spirit: As Swami Satchidananda and Father Keating have said, we have three practices: prayer, when we talk to God (Divine Presence in any form); meditation when we listen for the divine answer; and contemplation, when we think about the answer and prepare to make changes. This three-part practice directly addresses any concern we may have. You will find it useful for yourself daily and certainly for use when dealing with those on the path of dying.

6. Adapt, Adjust, Accommodate: As yogis, we know this is the key to everything! Keep your peace, enjoy the journey, and apply this quote to everything in your life, and especially in preparing for death.

Some Fine Points

1. As the person comes closer to dying, the body often becomes very still. Movement is still useful, but our job is to aid, not insist on any activity. A few days before death, there is often a burst of energy and close loved ones often interpret this to mean the person is getting better, which is usually not the case. Near death, the breath becomes irregular and even stops for some time. All the organs begin to shut down, energy focuses on the heart area, and the person loses his or her senses. Again, any big hospital or hospice can give you booklets with specifics. Your job is to assist family and friends in not becoming afraid, obsessed, or demanding of interventions as the person goes through these expected experiences.

2. Many would like their loved ones to die at home, and with proper papers in place, this can usually be accomplished. Care must be provided at home and this may mean bringing in home health workers. Others will be sent to assisted living, nursing homes, or specific units, with or without the extra care of hospice, palliative care personnel. Your yogic task is to assist where you can, but focus on bringing peace to the situation and the personnel.

3. Autopsy is not needed unless legally required for some reason.

4. The decision regarding organ donation is an individual one. A discussion is very important here. What does the person believe happens when they die? Are they willing to give organs for use by others or for research? Is their body healthy enough to donate? What are the beliefs of those close to them? There is no universal belief or practice in Yoga regarding donation. (For those who are facing receiving an organ, you should note that often after an organ has been harvested and put in another body, the recipient will have change in tastes, even new ideas that can be attributed to the beliefs and tastes of the donor. Clearly, the transfer is more than just the placing of an organ.)

5. The person transitioning should have control over who visits, what rituals are followed, etc. If the person is unconscious, the health care agent should make the decisions. Otherwise it is the spouse, the children from oldest to youngest (over 18), the patient’s parents, siblings—in that order. Laws vary, so be prepared. As a yogic advisor, you may be able to assist in calming the situation, providing music, suggesting schedules, etc. Anything you do can be helpful in the grieving processes of everyone.

6. Most Eastern traditions believe that the time of death is determined by one’s destiny and death and illness (suffering) is a part of life. At this time, life-saving treatment is not necessary. Suicide and euthanasia are forbidden. Therefore, the yogic friend needs to assist the patient and family in these wishes being carried out. If the initial papers are all inclusive, this is easier to accomplish.

7. At time of death, chanting or repetition of prayers, or music that pleases the patient is very helpful. A quiet, calm atmosphere with loved ones around is most comfortable. The person may wish to be “knocked out” or very awake—honor their wishes. This may mean a change in medications and the yogic friend may be able to help the family and the medical people come to the same conclusions.

8. When the person dies, yogic traditions indicate that the body should be attended and a light kept on in the room. When moved, it would be good to still have an attendant as long as possible. Sri Gurudev indicated that the soul may be confused in the transition and these matters make it easier for the soul to be able to move on.

9. Eastern traditions encourage a group of same-sex relatives, friends, and temple members prepare the body. Special prayers, chants will accompany this ritual.

10. In Eastern traditions cremation is preferred because this body has completed its work/service, so there is no reason to keep the vessel. Certain chants and prayers may be said. Ashes must be disposed of according to local laws. In general, it is not legal to spread ashes in public lands, parks, on waterways. Ashes are often buried, sometimes with the burial clothing if it was not burned in the cremation.

11. Most families will hold services, memorials, or gatherings of friends and family to hold a puja that celebrates the person’s memory, and prepares the body ritualistically, such as placing flower petals on all of the bodies orifices to “sweeten the (bodily) temple” and allow the soul a definitive send-off. Rituals differ and the family makes the decisions on what to do if this is not defined in the original health care papers.

Final Reflections

At the time of death, chanting, prayer, or soothing music can help ease the soul’s transition. Yogic traditions suggest that the presence of loved ones, light, and peace helps the soul navigate this sacred journey. As yogis, we are called to offer understanding, compassion, and equanimity at every stage, fostering dignity and grace in this profound transition.

About the Author:

Swami Sarvaananda received Sannyas (monastic) initiation from Sri Swami Satchidananda in 1977 and has served the Integral Yoga organization in many roles. She is a Board Certified Chaplain, served as a hospital and hospice chaplain for 15 years, and serves on many national boards for the Association of Professional Chaplains. She also served as Dean of the School of Divinity at Hindu University of America, developing online courses for volunteer and graduate-level chaplaincy.

The post Yogic Preparation for the End of Life appeared first on Integral Yoga® Magazine.

Photo by Marc Kleen via Unsplash.

When I feel defeated by all of the distractions and information I consume on a daily basis, I go to the river near my home. On the shore, my senses are inundated with beauty — the light in the trees, a heron passing by, the roar of water over stones that drowns out most thoughts, and birdsong that enchants. The enormity of the world is very small there, and it is where I often recognize that my inner life needs liberation from the distractions and misinformation provided by external sources.

Fear can be the greatest distraction in daily life. It is a reaction that fertilizes a limited perspective, causing you to forget what is good in others and yourself. It leads you to quickly draw conclusions and to react based on the primal instinct of fight or flight. This binary approach is helpful if you are in the jungles of the Yucatan fleeing a jaguar, but is otherwise inadequate for living a full life, which requires a broad perspective to explore many possible routes and responses.

The grateful life is a liberated life. Liberation means to “set free.” And, in some regards, living gratefully could be summed up as being free of fear. Br. David Steindl-Rast is quite clear: anxiousness is a part of life but fear is a choice. In other words, where we are told to see danger there may be another way of perceiving and responding.

When fearful thoughts and reactions contribute to limited thinking, living gratefully guides you towards an alternative path that begins with observation. Rather than only seeing a threat, you can explore what is before you and look for an opportunity. Here, you see the ever-changing and fluid nature of life and can respond accordingly.

A mighty gift that exists within living gratefully is that when your thoughts constrict your perspective, your practice opens you up to life — it liberates you from dualistic thinking that distracts you from whatever gifts, opportunities, beauty, and precious moments fill a day. It does so because it grounds you in each breath, step, and encounter, and in every moment where you are on this side of death.

This practice can also set you free from the belief that you are unworthy or unlovable. And, as a result, it can free you from any conviction that some people deserve inclusion and rights while others do not. Here is where we see that living gratefully compels you to cherish and safeguard people and the earth, challenging a “throwaway” culture in which we have become too quick to discard both people and things. By freeing yourself from fear, you expand your perspective and what it asks from you, which allows you to better understand life and others and all that truly matters.

Through practice we see that our inner life is where living gratefully cultivates growth for tomorrow. After all, how are we to be repairers of the world and to re-imagine a life worthy of future generations if we are not first repairers of ourselves? This is a question at the heart of living gratefully. You can return to it daily.

About the Author:

Joe Primo is the Chief Executive Officer of Grateful Living. He is a passionate trainer, community-builder, and program developer whose accomplishments in the field of grief made him a leading voice on resilience and adversity. Grateful living became a pillar to his work since his first introduction to Br. David Steindl-Rast in 2005. An entrepreneurial leader, Primo designed, built, expanded, and led Good Grief, Inc., the largest children and family bereavement organization in the Northeast, from 2007-2022. His TED talk, “Grief is Good,” reframed the grief paradigm as a responsive resource. He is the author of “What Do We Tell the Children? Talking to Kids About Death and Dying” and numerous articles.

Source: Grateful.org

The post The Grateful Life Is a Liberated Life appeared first on Integral Yoga® Magazine.

In this episode of the Integral Yoga Podcast, Līlā Śakti Mayī and host Avi Gordon (director, Integral Yoga Teachers Association) dive into the profound connection between humility, self-care, and the power of Sanskrit. The discussion focuses on how language can embody intention and emotion, highlighting that every language carries sacredness. Līlā Śakti Mayī teaches the Sanskrit language and courses in Sanskrit scripture, but her greatest joy is bridging this ancient wisdom with the modern theory and practice of nonviolent communication.

The post Balancing Humility and Self-Worth appeared first on Integral Yoga® Magazine.

Then in my mid-40s, I stumbled into the Integral Yoga Institute (IYI) in New York City. The Hatha Yoga classes were a revelation. I knew the basic poses but the more subtle practices of deep relaxation and pranayama were newer to me. Never had I felt so peaceful and free, so spacious in body and mind, as I did floating out of the IYI. I became a teacher and ended up serving at the New York IYI for more than 20 years. There, I studied the Yoga Sutras and the Gita, read The Golden Present on a daily basis, and applied the teachings of Yoga to how I conducted my life—at least most of the time.

Sharing these practices and teachings with willing students is joyous and easy. More challenging is trying to convince some of the people in my life that the valuable lessons I learned about peaceful interactions and healthy lives might make their lives better—and mine easier if they would only become yogis! I was certain if only my husband would do just a few poses (selected by me, of course!) each day, his back pain would subside, and if he would only adopt some Raja Yoga teachings, we would argue less. If one of my oldest friends would calm down and practice some pranayama (“I already breathe!” she angrily replied to my admittedly sometimes pushy suggestions), her hips and shoulders would feel better and she would stop being angry and resentful in her life.

Bottom line: nothing worked on either of these dear people. Furthermore, my equanimity was actually sometimes a source of friction between us. In advocating for peace and health and comfort and love, I was perceived as a bit superior and off-putting.

What can we do as Yoga teachers and enthusiastic, dedicated practitioners to address the desire to share, the frustration of resistance, and the courtesy of honoring people where they are?

Here’s what I do, with varying degrees of effectiveness depending on the day. First, I go deeper into the practices of Integral Yoga that have literally transformed my own life. The daily practices. My body and mind depend on them and on the rare days that I miss, I am reminded why these are called “daily” practices.

Second, I try to look at every situation through the lens of all of the teachings to explore how I feel, what my mind is bringing up, and how I can use the great tool of a deep breath before responding to anything. With this foundation, I try to be humble, not a model or icon, but simply an example of the value of these teachings. When people say to me, “Oh, you look good,” or, “Oh, you seem happy and relaxed,” I have finally learned to merely reply, “That’s because I practice Yoga.” Following this sentence, I clamp my mouth shut to avoid saying, “You should try it.”

Though I can’t seem to get my folks to practice asana or breathe or meditate, I have had some success in improving our communication utilizing the skills of Yoga. It’s easier now for me not to answer a sharp remark with another one, not to visibly wear my feelings on my face, and even not to silently think a harsh thought. It’s easier for me to listen and to carefully choose my words when trying to convey something that is important to me in the hope that the clarity and precision we learn in Hatha practice can also apply to spoken thoughts. This almost always softens the other person because it takes two to fight.

Talking simply about stretching as a generic idea, without using the word Yoga, made some inroads with my husband. I notice he stretches more, not in any organized way, of course, but at least there’s a stretch now and then. As for my friend, I bought her a gift certificate for one session with a wellness practitioner who is also a Yoga Therapist, though again I did not use the word. She feels somewhat obligated to go. When she thanks me, I will say the best thanks would be for her to book a second (and third) session.

Questions for contemplation:

1. How have your own experiences in trying to share Yoga gone?

2. Why do you think people are so resistant to something you (and often they) know is so good?

3. What can you do to accept people where they are rather than where you want them to be?

About the Author:

Chandra/Jo Sgammato is a certified Integral Yoga instructor who served for twenty years at the Integral Yoga Institute of New York in many capacities, mostly as general manager. She founded the Yoga At School program to bring the benefits of Yoga to New York City public schools. Today she is a member of the Integral Yoga Global Network.

The post Learning How or Whether to Share About My Yoga Practice appeared first on Integral Yoga® Magazine.

Once, a man was hiking through a jungle. Exhausted, he could barely walk any further. When he saw a big tree with nice shade, he thought, “Ah, let me rest here a bit.” As he was sitting, he heard a loud roar—a tiger was coming toward him! He ran, and out of nowhere, his adrenal glands kicked in. Moments before, he could barely walk; now, he had all the energy he needed to flee.

As he fled, he suddenly fell into a large, overgrown pit, an old deep well. Fortunately, he managed to grab onto some vines before hitting the bottom. The vines were strong enough to hold him, but when he looked up, the tiger was still there, glaring down at him. He couldn’t climb up, and when he looked down, he saw cobras at the bottom. He was stuck, clinging to life.

At that moment, he heard a gnawing sound, “Krit, krit, krit.” Looking around, he saw that even the vine he held onto was being gnawed by a rat. Any moment, it could break. Still, he hung on. At that moment, he looked up and called, “God, what am I to do?” Just then, something dropped onto his lip.

He though, “What is that? Ah, honey!” When he fell, he had disturbed a honeycomb, and now a drop of honey had fallen on his lips. As he tasted it, he remembered his wedding day and the delicious honey his wife and he had enjoyed. In that instant, he forgot everything—the tiger, the cobras, even the gnawing rat. He was lost in a sweet memory. Our happiness from worldly things is like that—a fleeting drop of honey amid the dangers surrounding us.

Our lives hang by a vine, slowly gnawed away each day. That’s why life in this world is called a “rat race.” Every day, as you tear the page from the calendar, you’re cutting the thread of life. Any bite, any cut, could be the last one. Life has no guarantees. Even life insurance doesn’t ensure life; it only secures money for those left behind.

Death can come at any moment, in countless ways. We don’t even know how to live in the golden present. In the Thirukkural, the South Indian sacred text, Thiruvalluvar says, “People don’t even know how to live well for a second, yet their thoughts extend for millions of years.” The world is here to teach us this truth, whether we want to learn it or not. Mother Nature, the ultimate teacher, shows us that nothing is permanent—everything is fleeting. Even pleasure, pain, profit, and loss are all temporary. Life’s lessons come through both challenges and joys.

Ultimately, we must realize, “I’m not going to look outside for my peace and happiness.” True peace doesn’t come from outside. Great sages and saints have advised us not to seek God externally. At first, we might seek God outside, and that’s fine. But in time, we realize it’s all within. Even the pursuit of God outside oneself must end. When that pursuit ceases, peace arrives. This is contentment.

Contentment means not running after anything. It means simply staying put, attending to what’s before us. When that chase ends, everything else we used to run after comes to us. The Bible says to “Seek that Kingdom within you first, and everything else will be added to you.” When you stop running after things, everything will run after you. When you find peace within, your seeking and reaching changes. You realize the best ambition is to never lose your peace. Seek the Kingdom—that’s the real ambition. Everything else can be achieved easily. Moses, Muhammad, Jesus, Buddha—all of them stopped running. Their followers came to them because they saw the inner contentment they radiated.

Contentment doesn’t mean doing nothing. It means attending to the present moment, wholeheartedly, without worrying about yesterday or tomorrow. A contented person says, “God, let whatever comes, come. You are the giver; You are the taker. If it’s meant for me, it will be.” This is what it means to live contentedly in the golden present.

By Sri Swami Satchidananda

The post Seeking the Kingdom Within: A Journey to True Contentment appeared first on Integral Yoga® Magazine.

Photo by Manu Schwendener via Unsplash.

Holidays symbolize significance. They are markers for human history, our shared values and beliefs, and a time of remembrance. Holidays can elicit awe, joy, connection, hope, and memories. However, their nourishment can also be a source of pain. I like to think of this paradox as a box of fine chocolates. The chocolates are delightfully scrumptious, but after eating four cream-filled pieces your belly might ache. And, after eating the whole box in one sitting, the delight will likely become regret.

The meaning of a holiday, of course, is accompanied by past and present traditions, memories of family members who have died, and expectations — often lots and lots of expectations. The joy and gratefulness that can be awakened around a holiday may be diminished by what has unfolded in your life this year, and that’s okay. The practice of grateful living can help guide you through this season. Here are some tips to prepare for the holiday season with a grateful orientation.

1. You belong

Whether you are invited to the festivities or excluded, you still belong. At a time when families and relationships are all too often fractured, grateful living reminds you that you are loved and worthy even when you feel alone. Approach the holiday with the knowledge that your life is a gift and then respond to the holiday in a way that honors this truth.

2. Permission granted

Grateful living gives you permission to look at your life exactly as it is and without a silver lining. If you are in pain and your heart needs some space, gratefulness encourages you to listen to and honor your heart. That may mean making a change to rituals and traditions or maybe you need them to resemble how they’ve always been. The opportunity before you is to be present to your needs without conditions.

3. Stop. Look. Go.

The grateful living practice of Stop.Look.Go reminds us to pause, observe, and proceed when we are ready. It also encourages us to start all over — to stop again — if we don’t discover what the present moment is offering. This is to say that the path before you this holiday is not linear. Stop and look. Take your next step when it feels right to do so based on what you have observed.

4. Be open to opportunity

This holiday season be on the lookout for the opportunity in every moment. If you seek the opportunity to connect with someone — maybe they are grieving and need your tenderness or maybe they hold some joy they can share with you — your alertness will ground you in your life. Your life is the resource that is always right in front of you however it may be unfolding. It’s here where you may be surprised to find your next step forward.

5. Say yes to joy

Saying yes to joy is not a betrayal of grief. In fact, it may be a deeper and fuller acknowledgment of your pain. It is in the experience of joy that we also encounter the absence of those who cannot share in it alongside us. Our yes to joy is not a forgetting but a carrying forward. And what courage it takes to hold the past in the present, the joy among the grief.

Often times the days preceding a holiday are more challenging than the holiday itself. That is why preparedness through the practice of grateful living can help. Before the day is upon you, you are invited to ground yourself in your life — to look inward and outward and explore every moment that is leading you towards the holiday that awaits. Every step towards your heart’s desire is the goal.

About the Author:

Joe Primo is the Chief Executive Officer of Grateful Living. He is a passionate trainer, community-builder, and program developer whose accomplishments in the field of grief made him a leading voice on resilience and adversity. Grateful living became a pillar to his work since his first introduction to Br. David Steindl-Rast in 2005. An entrepreneurial leader, Primo designed, built, expanded, and led Good Grief, Inc., the largest children and family bereavement organization in the Northeast, from 2007-2022. His TED talk, “Grief is Good,” reframed the grief paradigm as a responsive resource. He is the author of “What Do We Tell the Children? Talking to Kids About Death and Dying” and numerous articles.

Source: Grateful.org

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The author in Yoga pose as she conquers her fears!

The small commuter airplane swayed as it began its descent toward rural Virginia. I gripped the armrest. The seatbelt chime dinged and the engines droned. I closed my eyes and felt the twenty-thousand feet below me open like a chasm. I put my earbuds in and raised the volume. Guitar chords and drums pulsed. A filigree of cymbals wove around the melody as David (Durga Das) Newman’s earthy tenor sang “Love Peace and Freedom for Us All” in a call and response kirtan; a lullaby which kept me from tipping into a full-blown panic attack.

After the nausea-inducing flight I drove my rental car to Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville. Hours later but still rattled from the flight, I made my way to a kirtan event lead by Newman. The hot summer air clung to my skin as I took a seat in the crowded hall. It should have been a happy coincidence to attend a live event by one of my favorite artists. I was at the ashram to serve as program coordinator for a different training program and surprised by the serendipity; but I could barely muster enthusiasm to tap my fingers. The relentless cymbal clanging and mantra repetitions seared my raw nerves. I resisted the guitars, the drums, and even more so I resisted the pull of the mantra. Only Midwestern-born politeness kept me in my seat. Sweat trickled down my face until eventually the chanting trailed its vibrations into a final Om that melded into silence.

I had so much resistance back then, and used it like some kind of backwards protective system: if I resist opening up during kirtan it means I’m safe from heart-break; if I fear dying on an airplane it means I’m alive.

A week later I returned home to Boston and wore myself out during the nauseating and panicked flights. But this time I got fed-up. It was time to face my fear of flying. Figuring that learning about aviation might help, I booked a Discovery Flight; a forty-five minute ground lesson followed by a thirty minute flight in a small four-seat airplane. On the way to Mansfield Airport I almost backed out and had to coax myself by bargaining the drive from stoplight to stoplight. And despite grumbling my way through his kirtan concert, Newman was my go-to artist when dealing with my fear, so it seemed inevitable that I’d chant along with Love Peace Chant as I willed the car forward.

After numbly enduring the ground instruction the time came to strap myself into the four-seat Cessna. I was a breath away from backing out but somehow held my nerve. And when the enthusiastic but patient flight instructor started the engine I almost ripped off my headset and bolted. Once airborne it took endless coaxing by the instructor but I finally put my trembling hands on the controls. The radio crackled and the wind hummed around us. It was late spring and the thick green canopy of trees rolled over the Earth. Just beyond the spinning propeller sat the rugged Boston cityscape and the cool blue Atlantic ocean.

Soon one lesson turned into another. Before my mind could catch up to my heart I had enrolled in flight school to become a certificated private pilot. To my surprise I had fallen in love with flying. Fear, however, had worn canyons in my mind. Each new sensation or flight maneuver triggered years of well-practiced fear. My brain was clogged and learning felt like a Sisyphean effort. My resistance wanted me to stay stuck; “It would be easier this way wouldn’t it? Give up now and go back to teaching Yoga,” it whispered. Each departure climb sent my pulse racing. My body was as taut as a guitar string and to keep my mind from giving into panic, part of it would repeat a mantra.

The seasons ticked by: we checked for bugs in the intake tubes that summer, then cleared leaves from the hanger in autumn, and in winter scraped frost off the wings.Then spring arrived and on social media David Newman’s wife Mira announced that he had brain cancer and would soon pass away. Even though I did not know him personally it felt like the blow of losing a good friend. It seemed impossible that someone so much younger than me could measure the time from first symptoms to final breath the span of weeks. Once again, I queued up Love, Peace, Chant and drove to the airport.

A few lessons later I was ready to fly solo; a rite of passage for every aviator. Three takeoffs and three landings around my home airport with just the plane and me. Flying in the pattern is busy; climbing, turning, radio calls to make, all the piloting jazz. But for a few moments on each downwind I exhaled slowly and gazed at Boston as it peeked at me from behind the Blue Hills and mentally waved at the Atlantic ocean. I no longer needed to repeat a mantra to keep my heart from racing; for I was now in duet with the sound of flight.

During my final approach to landing I pulled the power to idle and the engine purred. I slowed to my final approach speed and smiled when I heard the soprano whistle of wind over the fuselage, the sign of the speed dialed in just right; this was the song of flight. The wind and plane worked together and soon we made a smooth touchdown.

A few days later Newman’s wife posted to social media that he had “recently quoted one of his favorite musical artists, Nick Cave…‘I’m transforming, I’m vibrating… I’m flying, look at me now…’ ” I like to think that Newman was with me on that solo flight; that he saw the power of mantra embodied in a budding aviator stepping away from fear and into her power. A few weeks later he passed away.

In classical music, composers sometimes guide the decrease of volume—a decrescendo— by specifying with the notation al niente: to nothing. Fading into nothing reminds me of the quiet hush after the final Om of Newman’s kirtan or the smooth whisper of air over a wing. I used to resist giving up my fears; because without it to define me if felt like dropping into nothingness; my life disappearing al niente and with no meaning. The mantras and flying are slowly dissolving my illusions of separateness and as my vision expands, my fear has no barrier to push against. I no longer fear the void beneath me, for now I see that I am part of it, and it is a part of me. I was born from silence and shall eventually return to silence. In between, I sing with the sky.

(Author’s Note: the timeline of events in this essay have been compressed for clarity.)

About the Author:

Gita Brown is a wellness activist, musician, and writer. She is a certified Advanced Integral Yoga®  teacher and licensed Yoga for the Special Child® practitioner. Through her “Yoga with Gita courses” and podcast, “The Gita Brown Show,” her mission is to teach her students how to adapt the traditional practices of Yoga to bring more ease, wellness, and joy into everyday life. Gita started Yoga as a teenager, when her love of Yoga grew in tandem with her career as a classical clarinetist and music therapist. For three decades, she has taught Yoga, wellness, and music courses at colleges, schools of music, community schools, private studios, public schools, and hospitals. She offers Yoga to students of all ages and abilities through online programs and in person at her home studio at Three Dog Farm in Kingston, Massachusetts. Learn more about her services by visiting:  https://www.gitabrown.com

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Iria Leino at work in her SoHo loft. Photo courtesy of iriathefilm.com

The Finnish-born artist Iria Leino is known not only for her expansive body of abstract work but also for her deep spiritual devotion, which played a central role in her artistic development. Throughout her life, she found inspiration in a rich spiritual practice and, significantly, through her relationship with Swami Satchidananda and Integral Yoga. This connection brought new depth to her work, imbuing her art with the meditative and introspective qualities for which it became known.

From Finland to the World of Art and Fashion

Born in Helsinki, Iria Leino’s early passion for drawing and painting blossomed as she grew, and her artistic abilities took her far beyond her Finnish roots. Initially, she found herself in the world of fashion as a successful model in Paris, a city where creativity and art flourished after World War II. Despite her success in the modeling world, she felt a strong pull toward a more meaningful life path—one focused on artistic creation and spirituality.

Eventually, Iria left her modeling career behind, returning to her artistic roots and immersing herself in painting. Her life became a balance of devotion to art and a search for inner meaning, themes that became increasingly central as her work developed.

Spiritual Transformation and Embrace of Yoga

As Iria’s life took a more introspective turn, spirituality became a defining aspect of her work and existence. She first delved into Buddhist practices, which influenced both her spiritual outlook and her art. Elephants—sacred in Buddhism—were the focus of her well-known “Elephant Series,” evoking wisdom, strength, and the sacredness of life.

A transformative moment in her spiritual journey came in the early 1970s when she connected with Swami Satchidananda, the founder of Integral Yoga. He was a renowned spiritual teacher who had brought the teachings of classical Yoga to the West, focusing on a holistic approach to life that balanced physical health, mental peace, and spiritual growth. Iria, drawn to his teachings, affectionately referred to him as “Gurudev,” and his teachings provided a deep sense of spiritual grounding and direction for her life and art.

Under Gurudev’s guidance, Iria found a path that combined spiritual discipline, self-awareness, and creativity. Yoga was not just a practice of physical postures for her; it was a way of being, a framework through which she could channel her artistic expression into a form of meditation and spiritual devotion. Her connection to Swami Satchidananda also played a role in her healing, as she credited his teachings with helping her overcome struggles with bulimia.

Art as a Meditative Journey

For Iria, painting was far more than a visual endeavor; it was an expression of her inner spiritual journey. Her work often evolved in a meditative space, influenced by hymns, chants, and mantras that arose spontaneously while she painted. She was deeply moved by the belief that art could become a channel for Divine Consciousness, a concept strongly echoed in her Guru’s teachings.

Iria embraced the idea that her artistic practice could serve as an active form of meditation, bringing the experience of the divine into every brushstroke. Like fellow artist Peter Max—also a student of Yoga inspired by Swami Satchidananda—she sought to allow the Cosmic Consciousness to flow through her, letting go of ego and letting the spiritual essence guide her creative process.

This practice of creating art as meditation is particularly evident in her “Buddhist Rain Series.” With its thousands of layered strokes, this series captures an ethereal and contemplative essence, as if each line and color represented a thought, a breath, or a spiritual insight that flowed directly from her consciousness onto the canvas.

A Life of Devotion and Solitude

In the years that followed, Iria’s devotion to spirituality and art led her to live a life of simplicity and solitude. She was not focused on recognition or external success but rather on the internal process of creation and spiritual discovery. She often withdrew from public life, spending much of her time in her SoHo loft, where she lived and worked in a space that served as her sanctuary and studio.

Painting was a sacred practice for Iria—a sadhana that demanded full attention and devotion. This inner focus became central to her life. Her artwork became a living expression of her spiritual practice, offering a window into the transcendence and beauty that can arise from deep meditation and contemplation.

Iria’s spiritual journey also impacted her choice of themes. For example, her later works, such as “The Growing Series,” were inspired by the meditative focus on a simple houseplant, the Lucky Bamboo. She viewed this daily practice of focusing on the plant as a way to cultivate spiritual energy and align with the natural flow of life. Her reverence for nature and life as a reflection of spiritual truth shone through in each piece, inviting viewers to experience the deeper realities she aimed to reveal.

Photo: Iria’s large painting of Gurudev, made of tiny dots, that she gifted to the IYI, where it still hangs.

The Solitary Practice of an Artist-Yogi

While she found herself increasingly isolated, this isolation was a conscious decision that allowed Iria to cultivate her spirituality and art without distraction. Her retreat into her own world was not simply a withdrawal but a profound commitment to living a life aligned with spiritual values. She limited her interactions with the outside world, instead dedicating herself to Yoga, meditation, and painting. She rarely ventured out and when she did it was usually to attend a talk by Gurudev or take a class at the Integral Yoga Institute.

Swami Satchidananda’s teachings emphasized that the pursuit of spiritual realization is often accompanied by a letting go of worldly attachments and distractions—a principle Iria embodied. By minimizing her possessions and focusing her energy on her art, she lived a life that resonated with the yogic ideal of simplicity, balance, and inner peace.

Despite her reclusive lifestyle, Iria remained deeply connected to the world around her through her political activism and passion for social change, particularly in advocating for women’s representation in the art world. Her spirituality and devotion to Gurudev’s teachings only deepened her dedication to expressing truth and justice through her work.

A Legacy of Spiritual Artistry

Iria Leino’s life as an artist was not just about creating visual beauty but about embodying and expressing a spiritual journey. Her art, guided by the principles of Yoga and the teachings of Integral Yoga, transcended the mere act of painting. It became a practice of revealing the divine within, exploring themes of oneness, harmony, and the interconnectedness of all life.

Her art remains a vibrant reflection of the deep spirituality that flowed through her. It continues to inspire viewers to connect with their own spiritual journeys, encouraging a sense of peace and introspection. Iria’s legacy, as an artist who saw her craft as a meditative offering, invites others to experience art not just as a visual experience but as a path to the sacred.

Through her life’s work and spiritual devotion, Iria demonstrated how art, Yoga, and spirituality can form a harmonious whole—each aspect enriching the other, and together creating a life of profound beauty, depth, and grace.

Though Iria Leino passed away in 2022 she and her work are once again garnering attention. Several articles about her in the New York Times and W magazine, among others, have recently been published and a documentary is about her is in pre-production. Through October 19^th, Harper’s Gallery in Chelsea, New York is hosting an exhibition of some of her work.

About the Author:

Swami Premananda, Ph.D. is a senior disciple of Sri Gurudev Swami Satchidananda and served as his personal and traveling assistant for 24 years. She serves as editor of Integral Yoga Magazine, Integral Yoga Publications; senior archivist for Integral Yoga Archives; and director of the Office of Sri Gurudev and His Legacy.

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http:/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuqhGFlq9z8

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The Serenity Prayer

While humility is the hallmark of a sincere spiritual aspirant, we may rarely think of practicing it. In an age where self-empowerment is synonymous with personal growth, the idea of humbling oneself is decidedly unpopular. It can easily be dismissed as a sign of weakness or allowing oneself to be pushed around.

Understood and practiced correctly, humility is an essential part of spiritual growth. It is letting go of the need to be right, the effort to defend ourselves, and making space for the truth, whether or not the truth is in agreement with what we want. For example, no real communication can happen without accepting the possible validity of another person’s point of view. Then even when we disagree, we have allowed ourselves to be touched by another person’s perspective.

We humans, like all animals, make an instinctual effort to achieve some mastery over our lives in order to survive. Things like securing a home and a livelihood depend upon asserting ourselves enough to achieve success. A healthy self-esteem serves us in accomplishing these basic goals, but will lead us astray if we then identify our success in life completely with this ability to control the world around us.

It is just as important to realize that there are ways in which we cannot control the outcomes of our efforts, and that our happiness does not have to depend on events conforming to our plans. We can put tremendous effort into building our dream house or getting the perfect job, only to have a hurricane or a stormy boss take it away in a matter of minutes.

Real mastery requires not only the courage to try, but also the courage to accept being unsuccessful, without losing the ability to learn and adjust. This is where humility comes in — it is exactly the virtue that allows us to accept what comes or to see that we are making a mistake. Then, instead of being lost in disappointment over that mistake, we can move onward with a new lesson to guide future efforts.

The serenity prayer of St. Francis beautifully expresses this need for a balance of courage and humility: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” This serenity is born from humility – the ability to know that we (our bodies and minds) have limitations, and that we are powerless over some things. A posture of humility then opens the door for wisdom, that truth that is available when our hearts and minds become quiet enough to listen, allowing them to be guided by spiritual principles that reside in the depths of our being.

We can develop humility in a number of ways. In a Yoga class, we can practice with the clear intention to listen and accept the body’s capacity in each asana, without wanting it to be better or to impress others. When we meditate, we consciously affirm an effort to quiet the mind, so that deeper wisdom can express itself. Thus, we acknowledge the limitations of the mind and the need to keep it in its place. During daily life, we can cultivate the belief that each challenge that befalls us is an opportunity to learn. Even when we feel hurt by someone else, we can learn to focus more on our own part in the problem.

Sri Swami Satchidananda often taught that when we make fist and point a finger at someone, blaming them, there are three fingers pointing back at us. It can be a powerful experience to apologize and see how the other person’s heart also softens and caring communication can take place. Some people will not respond to our efforts, but we can be at peace in our own hearts knowing we did all we could.

Of course, we will struggle with this practice and get lost in our pride numerous times. But even a small success with accepting the truth comes as great relief from the pain and tension of trying to live up to a false image, and closing our hearts in defense of that image.

When we begin to live with a little more humility, everything we experience becomes an opportunity to learn, to discover something. Like in the well-known Buddhist story, we become an empty cup that is ready to receive. All the saints and sages tell us that there is much more to receive than we can imagine.

About the Author:

Swami Ramananda is the Executive Director of Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco, a certified Yoga therapist, and a founding board member of the Yoga Alliance. He leads beginner, intermediate and advanced-level Yoga teacher training programs in San Francisco and teaches throughout the world. Having dedicated his life to teaching Yoga for nearly 50 years, Swami Ramananda is highly-respected senior teacher in the Integral Yoga tradition in Yoga communities worldwide. Swami Ramananda co-developed the Stress Management Teacher Training program with Swami Vidyananda, has trained many teachers to bring Yoga into corporate, hospital and medical settings, and has taught mind/body wellness programs throughout the US and abroad. He is also a co-founder of The Spiritual Action Initiative (SAI) which brings together individuals committed to working for social justice for all beings and for the care and healing of our natural world.

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