by Swami Ramananda

As we approach the shortest days of the year in the northern hemisphere, the need for light becomes more evident to us. Our world seems to be entering a dark period as well, characterized by the climate emergency, violence and protests, racial tensions, and an ever widening gap between political factions and the wealthy and poor.

From a spiritual perspective, darkness represents our fundamental inability to experience the truth, and it is the resulting illusion of separation and incompleteness that has given rise to human suffering. Clouded by this ignorance, we seek happiness and fulfillment by acquiring and achieving things in an unending search for security and peace.

Many of the holy days during December use light as a symbol for a Higher Power that can guide us through this spiritual darkness. For this reason, we chose to focus on seeking and holding onto the spiritual Light within, and as best we can, to live as a presence of Light in our world.

This effort begins with some form of spiritual practice that clears away the selfishness, confusion and attachment that veils our true nature, exposing the Light that is already present. This is not easy to accomplish, requiring a real commitment to let go of desires and temporary pleasures in order to experience deeper truths.

The teachings and practices of Yoga offer us a step-by-step approach toward this goal, and the presence of a “guru” can inspire the dedication and commitment to achieve it. The word guru literally means remover of darkness – one who has realized the truth and embodies our natural condition of contentment and compassion. Such a living presence is a tremendous blessing, radiating Light and Peace.

In the absence of a living guru, we can hold onto the teachings of the gurus, saints and sages, which are an ever-present reminder of our true nature and an unfailing source of guidance. If we are serious seekers, we integrate these teachings into every aspect of our lives. With persistent effort, we inevitably begin to experience for ourselves a natural joy independent of outer circumstances.

But we need not wait for some special experience to be a presence of spiritual values in our communities and we need not do great things to make a difference. Our inner Light shines outward each time we recognize with gratitude all the ways we are blessed, and allow that sense of abundance to overflow as generosity with others.

Each effort to remain peaceful in moments of conflict – be it an argument or a traffic accident – gives expression to our deeper Self. Speaking up against discrimination, reminding our families to recycle and avoid plastic bags, and lending a listening ear to someone in need, are all ways that we give voice to the inner Light.

Actions performed with genuine care for the earth and our fellow beings are healing for our hearts, and we find joy in giving rather than looking for a reward. We may need to touch this inner, spiritual Light again and again in prayer, meditation or by serving, to awaken it fully enough that it shines through us as we move through our days. This is how we give birth to peace in the world, and really bring our Yoga practice to life.

Swami Ramananda is the President of the Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco and a greatly respected senior teacher in the Integral Yoga tradition, who has been practicing Yoga for over 35 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 trains Yoga teachers to bring Yoga into corporate, hospital and medical settings and has taught mind/body wellness programs in many locations. He is a founding board member of the Yoga Alliance, a national registry that supports and promotes yoga teachers as professionals. His warmth, wisdom and sense of humor have endeared him to many.

by Diana Meltsner

There is this inner quiver. Can you feel it?

It’s like a knocking from the inside.

Don’t be scared. Take a peek.

You alone can receive this messenger.

It carries a blessing.

It unlocks the doors.

Let the loudmouths of fear and thrill be.

They only hold you tight in endless spin.

Sweep them out of the house.

Get quiet and listen.

Feel it.

This moment is a gateway.

Enter and love.

Enter and dance.

Enter and be.

Diana Meltsner, C-IAYT and e-RYT500, has been teaching yoga in the Bay Area since 2001. The classes she teaches include prenatal, gentle, various levels of Hatha yoga, and yoga workshops. Diana is a lead teacher trainer for 200-hour Basic Yoga Teacher Trainings at Integral Yoga Institute San Francisco. She is certified yoga therapist and offers individual therapeutic sessions with focus ranging from stress reduction to injury recovery. Her classes include physical postures, breathing, guided relaxation, meditation and other yoga teachings which help people to find deeper sense of well-being and ability to move through life with increased ease, intuition, and stress resilience.

by Jenny Saraswati Bichsel

Birthdays can be triggers for so many negative thought patterns: sadness, regret, failure, fear, and of course the ‘shoulds.’ I should have done … in my life by now. He/she should have done … for my birthday. I should be celebrating with a party/dinner/event with a fabulous group of friends… and on and on.
On paper, today I have woken up one year older, one more year ‘past it.’ I have woken up alone (my partner is away on business), away from family in a foreign country, with a sore knee following knee surgery two weeks ago. I’m ‘stuck’ at home, unable to walk far, with no special party plans. I should be celebrating this special day somehow.
But that’s how conventional society would have me see it. Contrary to convention, I find that today I’ve woken up with an enormous sense of santosha. Santosha is a Sanskrit word meaning contentment, or as an old friend of mine describes it, “gentle happiness.” I’ve woken up with a pervading feeling of gratitude, fullness, contentment, and gentle joy.
If I take away all the “shoulds,” all the comparisons and conventions that today traditionally brings, what is left?
I practised yoga this morning. Not the physical Hatha Yoga, but the inner meditative yoga. I practised connecting to the steady field of being that lies beneath (or above, depending on how you experience it) all the thoughts, all the shoulds. There I discovered the real celebration. Therein lies the freedom, the spaciousness, the joy, and that bright, bright light. We spend our lives searching and organizing everything around us in order to achieve a sense of harmony, balance and happiness, when it is precisely all the external things, including thoughts and beliefs, that obscure and cover up the reality of what we are.
In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, Yoga is defined as the stilling of the mind, or rather, what we experience when the mind becomes still. When we can brush aside all the ‘shoulds’ and allow the spinning thought patterns to settle, we can begin to see what lies beneath, what treasure lies within us. “Then the Seer (Self) abides in his own (True) nature.”
On this ‘special’ day, just as special as all the other days of our lives, my sincere wish is for all beings to experience, to know, to touch, or to taste the gift of Yoga.

Jenny Saraswati Bichsel was born in Switzerland, grew up in London, England, and began practising yoga 15 years ago after sustaining a repetitive strain injury from extended hours of computer work in the VFX industry. In 2005 a work transfer opportunity brought her to New York City, where she balanced freelancing in film & TV with teaching yoga and meditation.
Yoga brought her balance, strength, adaptability and ease when dealing with stress. Wishing to pass on these powerful tools, she completed her basic teacher training at the Integral Yoga Institute in New York in 2011, and was invited to teach the weekly Introduction to Yoga class there. She completed Intermediate level training in 2013. In 2015 she became an Integral certified meditation teacher. She is also qualified to teach Kidding Around Yoga for children, Prenatal Yoga, and Raja Yoga philosophy and is registered RYT500 with the Yoga Alliance.
In June 2016 she moved to Rome, Italy, where she teaches both yoga and English full-time. Her yoga lessons are in Italian and English, integrating asana, pranayama, meditation and Yoga Nidra in every lesson. She hopes to give each student a broader and deeper understanding of the possibilities of yoga and of themselves.

by Swami Ramananda

Autumn in the northern hemisphere is a season known for harvesting all that one has grown and giving thanks for the abundance of the earth. Celebrating the fruits of our labors with gratitude is a beautiful practice. But as spiritual aspirants, we want to take a further step and explore how we can make good use of all the blessings we receive to make a difference in the world.
The most fundamental use of the abundance we have received is to focus our energies on our own spiritual growth. Some of us have our basic needs fulfilled, and both the time for spiritual practice and access to a tremendous wealth of spiritual teachings. It is our responsibility to apply these gifts to free our hearts and minds from selfishness and learn to see the spiritual oneness behind all names and forms.
This requires committing ourselves to some regular, sustained spiritual practice. That practice may take many forms, all of which enable us to shift from a me-centered to a we-centered way of living. As we make peace in our own hearts, they will naturally open with compassion for others, and we can become a presence of peace and compassion wherever we go.
We need not wait until we have achieved some level of spiritual growth before we more outwardly share the benefits we have received by serving in the world. Service is itself a form of Yoga practice called Karma Yoga, in which we act with the welfare of others in our hearts and without attachment to the outcome of our efforts. There are endless opportunities to do things with such mindfulness and care.
We can share the abundance we have received in numerous ways, such as serving in a soup kitchen, donating to an environmental organization, praying for those who suffer, or tutoring disadvantaged children. We have many opportunities every day to be loving, to listen and understand others, and to give without expecting something.
Sharing the abundance we dwell in can also take the form of caretaking our planet and all the beings that inhabit it. I believe it is our duty to stand up for our spiritual values by supporting the healing of our natural world, and by defending the rights of the oppressed, marginalized and underserved.
Sharing the gifts and blessings we have received with others is a natural impulse when we acknowledge our abundance and free ourselves from the self-centered messages of our culture. Actions performed with genuine care for others are healing for our hearts, and we find joy in giving rather than looking for a reward or outcome. This is how we really bring our Yoga practice to life.