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Our Thoughts Travel
“The minute we think, that thought travels around this world. Just by thinking, we can do something good or bad to somebody else. There is plenty in the entire world. If we really want to do good, if we really care, we have enough to share.
“God bless you. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.” —Sri Swami Satchidananda
(photo: Swami Satchidananda distributes prasad to children in Coimbatore, South India, mid-1980s.)
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The best thing to do to succeed in your spiritual practices is to develop your willpower. That is because everything begins in the mind. The practices that we do in the name of Yoga are to help us become masters of our own minds. Your mind should be your instrument; you should not be the instrument of your mind. To control the mind, to develop willpower, start with simple things. All the great thinkers say that the greatest victory ever won is the victory over your own mind. My Guru, Sri Swami Sivanandaji, used to say that to develop willpower start gradually, with simple things. If you are using three teaspoon of sugar for a cup of tea, try two and a half. Your mind should learn to accept it. If you are sleeping with two pillows, take out one pillow. If you are successful in these attempts your will confidence build. Then, take it one step further. Long and high jump athletes learn to jump that way. They take only one step higher each time. Gradually, they gain confidence. Ultimately, you will develop a strong will and you'll be able to do whatever you want. MORE (Illustration: Sakkiya Nayanar, from the story in this article)
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Almost all spiritual traditions acknowledge the importance and value of community—fellow seekers following the same teachings that can be a great source of support and inspiration. In the Yoga and Buddhist traditions, this kind of community is called sangha and is seen as an essential element of spiritual growth. Along with the benefits we receive, it is also the responsibility of each of us to contribute what we can, to be a source of kindness and compassion for the others. In the spirit of this understanding, we chose to practice spiritual friendship for the month of February. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali give friendliness as one of the key ways to keep the mind at peace when interacting with happy people. This may seem simple and easy, but real friendship can be much more than a casual smile and greeting. It implies approaching others with an open and compassionate heart, and a willingness to listen deeply and understand them. Spiritual friendship is expressed by appreciating their strengths and virtues, ignoring their quirks, and forgiving their mistakes. A challenging aspect of being a true friend arises when we observe behavior that is unhealthy or selfish, and can see that someone would benefit from feedback. This intention guides us to offer such criticism with care and mindfulness. MORE
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In March, I will be running a self-supported 108k trail “moving meditation” at Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville to honor Sri Gurudev Swami Satchidananda—the Woodstock Guru—during the 50th anniversary year of Woodstock. The message that opened Woodstock 50 years ago remains the powerful message of Yogaville and Integral Yoga today: Always choose peace by seeking it within.... Running for me is a moving meditation that brings me closer to the peace and stillness within. While I haven’t decided on the path that I will follow, I’m estimating 2-mile loops on trail primarily, with a few brief road sections within the LOTUS gate and on Karuna Lane leading to Kailash.... Nothing brings me greater peace than becoming one with nature by freeing and opening myself to the freedom that is available when fear drops away and the journey fills with pure possibility. There are many parallels between Yoga and running. For me, the connection between both activities is in the disentangling of the grasping and holding onto what isn’t needed in the body and in the mind. The result is the unraveling of the tightness of who I am to find greater freedom, which is at the core of my experience of life. In a word, it all comes down to one thing—flow. MORE
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Satya Greenstone: Detox is the act of getting rid of toxins, or getting rid of anything that’s not necessary and useful. Detox could be in any area of your life. You can think of it in terms of your house—decluttering, or getting rid of anything that’s not necessary or that you’re not using. And you can think of it in terms of the body—getting rid of anything that’s accumulated in the body that’s not useful for day-to-day healthy living. And mentally—getting rid of anything in the mind that’s not useful and is cluttering up clear thinking and focus. So those are all different areas that we think about in regard to detox.... There are two things happening in the body that cause us to get into a more overloaded state or condition of excess. The body can become overloaded by taking in too much food in quantity, taking it in at the wrong time or in the wrong condition, such as when the body is stressed, angry or depressed. In these states, the body is unable to process food and it goes undigested. This undigested food stagnates in the systems and leads to toxins. This applies to more than just eating food—it is possible to overload the other senses also. Too much input, visually, auditory, mental, any excess can cause the mind to become stressed. So everything that’s coming into the system needs some type of regulation so as not to cause an imbalanced state. MORE
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Rev. Jaganath, Integral Yoga Minister and Raja Yoga master teacher, has spent a lifetime delving into the deepest layers of meaning in Patanjali’s words within the Yoga Sutras. Our series continues with the 21st sutra of Chapter 1 in which Patanjali defines the conditions for attaining samadhi. Rev. Jaganath unpacks the word "saṃvegānām" to illustrate Patanjali's intent in this sutra.
Success—enlightenment, liberation—is near for those whose practice is samveganam. This important term suggests an attitude, practice, and lifestyle found in one who has addressed their doubts and is filled with, and driven by, enthusiasm for Yoga’s ultimate objectives. Samveganam is intensity without attachment. When samveganam arises, success in Yoga is near; enlightenment will soon dawn, and with it, the eradication of suffering. Look at the roots of vega. It includes agitated, shock, flood, vehemence, speed, the flight of an arrow, outbreak, outburst of passion, semen. Taken at face value, it would seem that success in Yoga is for those who are about ready to explode emotionally. Instead, think about these words in the context of a passionate relationship. When we meet the one we love, the one who we have faith in, we naturally wish to commit to that person for life. In this, there is an elation, a sense of rising above all our troubles, and a joyful natural focus trained on the one we love. MORE
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In this video, Swami Lalitananda—one of Swami Satchidananda's senior swamis and who was instrumental in the founding of the Integral Yoga Institute of Coimbatore, India—is interviewed (around the 3 minute mark) about the Camford International School. Mataji has a Master's Degree in education and is a highly sought after teacher and counselor. After teaching at Satchidananda Jothi Niketan, she has since become the counselor for the Camford International School in Coimbatore. She has been counseling students from 1st to 12th grade, as well as serving as Counselor and Faculty Resource person for the teachers. She also teaches Value Education classes for 3rd to 8th grade students. This English medium school is one of only 45 schools across the nation that was chosen by Republic TV to profile in this news report as a top school. Mataji explained, "I really love my job as it gives me a wonderful opportunity to do all the counseling based on Swami Satchidananda's teachings, and to be an example of these teachings for all the staff, parents and community-at-large."
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There were countless gems of wisdom shared by Integral Yoga master teacher, Swami Asokananda on his first visit to Australia in January 2019 (sponsored by the Integral Yoga Centre of Melbourne). Since the events, so many people have contacted me to relay their gratitude for Asokananda’s teachings and how these have affected them. For many, their practice has been reignited, their desire to go deeper initiated, their eyes opened to Yoga off the mat, their interest in lineage-based teachings sparked, and so much more.... While in Aussie, Swami Asokananda also gave a workshop for Yoga teachers. It was a delight to welcome 12 teachers from different traditions on this day. I met so many teachers over the events whose thirst for more than a physical practice was palpable! We did learn a few new bendy twisty things. However, a great take home was Swami’s “17 Ways to Keep Improving as a Yoga Teacher.” I loved: “We teach when we shut up,” reminding us about our talk/silence ratio and that we all talk too much.... Swami Asokananda shared insightful lessons from the Bhagavad Gita. I love this one: Your job in this life is to paint your masterpiece but be indifferent to the outcome. Then there is no attachment to ego and no new karma is generated in this lifetime. MORE (photo: Swami Asokananda, IYC board members, and some of the workshop participants.)
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An independent group of community members just launched a GoFundMe campaign to open a new vegan cafe and grocery in the space formerly occupied by Integral Yoga Natural Foods on 13th Street in New York City. In 1972, the Integral Yoga Institute of New York was growing rapidly under Sri Swami Satchidananda's guidance. Many people had become students of Hatha Yoga and, with so much interest in following a vegetarian diet, there came a real need for a store that would, supply fresh whole foods at reasonable prices. On March 26, 1972 Swami Satchidananda opened the first Integral Yoga Natural Food store. Forty-five years later, an independent group of Integral Yoga community members has come together to create Sangha Natural Food Store.* These members are heartbroken that the Integral Yoga Natural Foods store has closed its doors. Based on the initial response, they are now optimistic about reaching their $400,000 goal. You can make a donation here. A If they are not successful in opening the store, donors will receive a full refund. MORE
*The Integral Yoga Institute of New York makes no representations as to the efficacy of this project which is not affiliated with, or backed by, IYI or, its Board of Directors.
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Neuroscientist Dr. Han (Ray) Yu, who lives in China, returned to Yogaville for a visit last month, with his luminous new wife, Ling. Ray was a LYT and then took Teacher Training during a stay in Yogaville some years ago. Ray reunited with beloved teachers including the Barsels, hired Steve Goodspeed (photo) to make their wedding rings, and offered a meditative tea ceremony at the end of Mimosa Lane. They shared the happy news that Ling is carrying their first child, due in early May. After this recent visit to Yogaville, the couple returned to China where they met with Integral Yoga Shanti (Milan, Italy) center director, Parvathi Faini, who was visiting. Parvathi lived in China for some years and periodically returns there to teach Integral Yoga programs. (photo/report: Jeff Ananda Kamen)
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Inspiring Meme of the Week
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