by Kalyani Cohen Barr

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, our roadmap to managing and mastering the mind, teach that: Yogas citta vritti nirodha, or, Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind stuff. In order to better understand this and arrive in this state, I have found that I need to work with what obstructs Nirodha (stilling the activities of the mind).  Enter the obstacles and afflictions. The yoga sutras contain several passages that discuss what gets in the way, or prevents us from experiencing a still mind and a peaceful, joyful life in every moment.

In the first pada (section) we learn about the types of thought and the obstacles. Two of the most obvious obstacles are disease and dullness. Disease, as in dis-ease, because it takes us out of ease and away from yoga practices, and dullness because it clouds the natural clarity of mind. These two obstacles distract us and cover up or block the view to our true nature.  To me they are more in the gross form or manifestation –  we are drawn out by the senses and the effect is more of a physical cascading of symptoms, so to speak.  Taken by these obstacles, we are often left in a lethargic, heavy, unmotivated state.

The obstacles just seem to arise, like tests, as we attempt to live a life based on a spiritual foundation. So, how do we connect  to our spiritual source and remedy the illusion that we are only this body, this mind? I found it became easier to employ the tools once I had some awareness of what was going on inside my mind. Taking time to reflect and look inward we can use the knowledge of the obstacles and afflictions as diagnostic tools.  We can implement practices that keep us connected to the Self and remembering our true nature.

Some of these practices will be on the mat, and some off. One example we can use, all day everyday, both for ourselves and others, are the Four Locks and Keys. “By cultivating attitudes of friendliness towards the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and equanimity toward the non-virtuous, the mind retains its undisturbed calmness.”

In addition to the obstacles and afflictions, the Four Locks and Keys is one of the sutras we will also dive into during my upcoming 3-part series – Scripture Study: Unveiling Your Inner Wisdom – Overcoming Mental Obstacles, Mondays July 15, 22 & 29 from 6-7 pm.

Kalyani Carlee Cohen Barr first found herself at the Integral Yoga Institute (IYI) in 2001 and began teaching Hatha Yoga, Pranayama and meditation in 2005 after receiving her certification with Swami Ramananda at IYI Bacalar, Mexico. The name Kalyani is a spiritual name given to Carlee by Swami Ramananda which signifies a state of auspiciousness, recognizing blessings, and bliss. Kalyani has attended numerous workshops and trainings over the years, including Pranayama, meditation, Mantra, Mudras, Dharma, nutrition, Yoga Therapy for Cancer and Chronic Illness (YCAT), Yoga for the Special Child (IYINY), and Anusara Yoga. She is now certified in Raja Yoga (IYISF), weaving the yoga sutras into her teachings. Kalyani has led classes and small group sessions for musicians of all ages at Interplay Jazz Camp in Vermont, has co-lead a retreat in Northern India, has led “Yoga Day” classes for 150 students, and has appeared on Canadian public television. She co-founded Simply Yoga in South Florida. “Yoga has many facets that contribute to a peaceful, happy, healthy life. Yoga has transformed my life on many levels, and my favorite thing is sharing this gift with others.” Join Kalyani to find your breath and balance, and enjoy the benefits of increased energy, health, and overall well-being.

by Swami Satchidananda

“In the process of letting go you will lose many things from the past, but you will find yourself.” – Deepak Chopra

The world is very helpful in that respect; it makes you sick and tired, and the sooner the better. Then, you begin to seek. The Mother Nature is created for that very purpose. She is there to help you and to goad you toward the truth from the falsified, superficial, and shallow life. Know the nature and its nature first. Then, you will understand that there is nothing deep or permanent in it. Everything is impermanent. Power is impermanent. Position is impermanent. Name and fame are impermanent. Beauty is impermanent. Money is impermanent.

That is the lesson that Mother Nature is trying to tell us. It’s all right to use these things, enjoy material success, but do not depend on it for your permanent happiness. Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras says, “For a person who has the discriminative faculty, who can discriminate which is permanent and which is impermanent, for such a person, everything is painful.” It’s just what the Buddha says in the first Noble Truth. There is pain, suffering, and difficulty in this life. Nothing is really going to make you happy in this world. You get or achieve something and you become excited. You lose it and you become depressed. So, the world keeps on changing. That is what is meant by the impermanent nature of life.

Sri Swami Satchidananda (lovingly called “Sri Gurudev” by his students) was one of the first Yoga masters to bring the classical Yoga tradition to the West. Invited to America in 1966 by iconic pop artist Peter Max, the distinctive teachings he brought with him blend the physical discipline of Yoga and the spiritual philosophy of India, as well the interfaith ideals he pioneered. Surrounded by students eager to learn from him, the Integral Yoga Institute of New York opened in1966 and grew into the global Integral Yoga® organization. In 1969, he opened the Woodstock festival and became known to an entire generation as the “Woodstock Guru.” He made 8 world tours, 20 European tours, and logged nearly two million miles of travel around the globe sharing the Yoga teachings.

by Jen “JP” Andrews

Jen “JP” Andrews graduated summer of 2022 from the Integral Yoga Basic Teacher Training and continued as a student of Raja Yoga teacher training & Meditation teacher training in 2023. She discovered Hatha Yoga about 20 years ago and committed to deepening her spiritual practices after discovering Integral Yoga Institute SF and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. For the last 4 years she has been coaching clients to find their way to inner peace and joy by organizing and decluttering their space. This process allows her to apply yogic principles in her client sessions as a way to support and help clients reconnect to their True North.

Practice and Non-Attachment: A Two Pronged Approach to Liberation

by Swami Ramananda

If you want to see well through a window, you have to clean both sides.  Practice (Abhyasa) and Non-Attachment (Vairagya) work much the same way.  They are the complimentary practices given in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras as a means to quiet the movement of thought in the mind so that we can experience our true nature — a source of unchanging peace within.

In order to see clearly, we must remove anything that would cloud or color our vision. Practice implies a steady effort to calm any thoughts, emotions or prejudices that might prevent clear, neutral perception. For example, if you shake a glass ball with imitation snowflakes inside, and then hold it still, the snowflakes will gradually settle, leaving an unobstructed view.  We may think primarily of sitting meditation as a means to still the mind, but practice can include anything done with meditative focus or mindfulness, creating a steady flow of attention.

But only learning to calm the disturbances in the mind does not insure our vision stays clear since we are so often disturbed by the difficulties that we encounter in daily life.  Non-attachment works perfectly as a compliment to practice by preventing disturbances from arising. While practice may be pursued by pausing from activity to meditate or quietly focus the mind, non-attachment is meant to help us relate in healthy ways to all the activity we engage in.

Non-attachment guides us to learn that we cannot depend on anything outside of ourselves for our peace of mind.  Non-attachment towards our goals means not depending on the results for that peace.  We work with less tension and more clarity when we are not anxious about the outcome. Non-attachment towards the things we enjoy simply means that we can remain at peace even when those things are not available to us.  In relationships, we can love more freely if we are not afraid of losing someone’s love or approval.

These two approaches to creating and maintaining a clear and focused mind support each other perfectly.  Any effort to develop non-attachment becomes much easier if we begin to experience a natural sense of internal contentment as a result of a regular practice.  Feeling this innate peace within, we more readily let go of desires and expectations as the source of our happiness.  And if we learn to let go of attachment to the results of our meditative practices, we can pursue them steadily without becoming discouraged or disappointed.

­­­­­­­­­We can develop practice by meditating regularly with sincere effort and by performing any action with one-pointed attention.  Non-attachment can be a little trickier to cultivate.  If we look deeply into any situation that causes us to suffer, we can usually find that we are wanting something so much (recognition, admiration or some experience that we enjoy), that we become disturbed by not getting it.  We unintentionally make our peace of mind dependent on acquiring or achieving something.

It can be difficult to observe and analyze our struggles with the clarity and neutrality to see the underlying motives that give rise to suffering.  Here again, practice compliments the effort to free ourselves from attachment by calming and strengthening the mind sufficiently to look deeply and objectively at our desires.  When we are able to see clearly what we are holding onto in an unhealthy way, we then have the choice to let go.

These two elements of spiritual life empower us to free ourselves from the illusion that we can gain happiness by arranging the people and events around us make our lives happy.  It is ultimately our choice.  We can all gradually build the mental strength to focus our minds in selfless ways that align our behavior with the Cosmic Will and reveal the natural peace that has always been there.

Swami Ramananda, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, is the Executive Director of the Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco, C-IAYT, and a greatly respected senior teacher in the Integral Yoga tradition who has been practicing Yoga for over 45 years. Ramananda offers practical methods of integrating the timeless teachings and practices of Yoga into daily life and transforming the painful aspects of human experience into steps toward realizing one’s full potential.
He leads beginner, intermediate and advanced-level Yoga teacher training programs in San Francisco and offers a variety of programs in many locations in the U.S., Europe and South America. 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 in many locations. He is a certified Yoga therapist and founding board member of the Yoga Alliance, a national registry that supports and promotes yoga teachers as professionals. He co-founded 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. His warmth, wisdom and sense of humor have endeared him to many.