Sevika Ford, Author at Integral Yoga San Francisco

About Sevika Ford

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So far Sevika Ford has created 244 blog entries.

Fall Basic 200-hour Teaching Training

by Snehan Born

As one of the lead trainers of our Hatha Yoga teacher training, I am happy to share some exciting news with you. Mia Velez, Swami Ramananda, and I will be offering our first training together since the pandemic with the option of attending a portion of the sessions in-person for those who are able and wish to attend in this way! The entire course (including in-person optional sessions) will be offered online for those who choose to attend online.

Are you interested in deepening your Yoga practices? If you are, Mia and I would like to meet you! Please come join us for one of our open houses at the Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco Online. We will get to meet each other and answer any questions you may have regarding the training and learn if it is right for you. When I took the training in 1999, I thought I was taking the course in order to build a new career. I wanted to become a Yoga teacher, but what I didn’t realize was how Integral Yoga, this classical approach to Yoga practices, would inspire and deepen my personal practice. To this day, I find the benefits to be unlimited. Even if you are not thinking of becoming a Yoga instructor, you may greatly benefit from our teacher training program which addresses the many spiritual aspects of Yoga in depth.

Want to know more about this opportunity? Please visit with us online at one of the two Open Houses: Saturday, July 31, 11:00am-12:30pm PST or Tuesday, August 17, 5:30-7:00pm PST.
OM Shanti

Snehan Born has four decades of experience with yoga and has been teaching Integral Yoga since 2000. Snehan resides at the Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco. He serves as assistant to Swami Ramananda and is a lead teacher trainer. He has also led Hatha Yoga trainings at Satchidananda Ashram, Yogaville, Virginia, The Integral Yoga Institute in New York City and privately in Hawaii where Snehan co-created the Metamorphous Yoga Studio. Snehan is certified in all levels of Integral Yoga Hatha and has received additional certifications in Pranayama, Meditation, Raja Yoga and Stress Management from Integral Yoga and “Life of a Yogi” certification from Sri Dharma Mittra. Snehan has taught yoga all over the US as well as in India, Nepal, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Japan and Europe.

Sevika Ford2021-07-27T15:44:04-07:00July 26th, 2021|

Why Now is the Time for Yoga

by Reverend Jaganath Carrera

This past year has magnified the uncertainty of life. Things can change at any minute, and because of that precariousness, people experience stress and worry. Watching the world shut down and start back up was shocking and unexpected. For many people, it has at best created a sense of mistrust, and at worst, exasperated issues related to basic safety and wellbeing.

As yogis, we are in a position to lift that heaviness. We have access to a wide array of practices and techniques that are designed to help us overcome suffering and persevere to liberation. These secrets are taught through lineages of thought, from saints and sages throughout the ages; many of them are at our fingertips!

Gurudev Swami Satchidananda Himself has plenty of his talks online, and He trained many of his disciples who continue to share the practices and benefits of the many facets of Yoga. In the spirit of that, let’s focus on three words from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, which together explain Why Now is the Time for Yoga.

Nirodha: Stilling, restraint, cessation.

Every effort in the practice of Yoga is nirodha, which cultivates and cumulates as the ultimate goal of Self-realization. Nirodha is a turning towards the truth, a rooting down to rise up. The word is introduced in Yoga Sutra 1.2, as it refers to both the process and attainment of calming the mind. By nirodha, and in nirodha, “Yoga ends the misperception that the Seer/Self is the same as the mind’s usual tangle of whirling excursions of thought” (Inside Patanjali’s Words).

This is a teaching that has stood the test of time, and it is needed today. The opposite of nirodha is vyutthana, which is an externalization of consciousness. We have a lot of people living with their awareness outside, rather than looking inside to discover the great liberation of Self. We can see how this can become an issue, especially if we reflect on the past year. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the impermanence of what exists outside of us, but it did not shake the truth of the Self that lies within.

Dukha: suffering, pain, sorrow, grief.

Even those with strong practices were disrupted or disturbed during the quarantine period. Businesses were closing down, families were keeping their distance, and essential workers were afraid for their lives. For a moment, the whole world was living in a shared dukha. This word appears in the second chapter of the Yoga Sutras, and there really is no English word that does it justice.

Dukha is like a “persistent, pervasive feeling of precariousness”(Inside Patanjali’s Words). It’s the existential angst that Carl Jung describes – a feeling that the other shoe is always going to drop. Most of us can more readily relate to that now because of the magnified uncertainty of the pandemic. However, it is part of the human condition to live with some degree of dukha. In fact, it’s often what leads us to Yoga: we are seeking to escape the whirling and twirling of our own minds. We do not want to live in constant fear, and we do not need to. Given the shared trauma of humanity, there truly is an increase in the need for these teachings and practices to bring peace and harmony.

Viveka: discriminative discernment.

Patanjali tells us that life is dukha, and anyone who really looks at it will see that. That is often what our minds get caught up in, and it perpetuates those whirling excursions of thought. However, for those who choose to see clearly, this sense of suffering can be transcended. Patanjali introduces the word viveka right after dukha, as a solution. Viveka is “discrimination between the Real and the unreal, Permanent and impermanent, and the Self and the non-Self– a state of ever-present discrimination between that which changes and that which does not.” (Inside Patanjali’s Words).

It sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? It takes practice, patience and compassion. Viveka is a by-product of nirodha, both of which enlighten the heart and the mind. Viveka allows us to make decisions that are aligned with the Self, strengthening our ability to identify with the Self, rather than the whirling excursion that distracts us. In a world that is arguing over which way is up and which way is down, now more than ever – we need to seek and find the truth.

There is urgency in sharing this, because the suffering is so heavy. Many people do not know what to do. As yogis, we have the solution to dukha. We can be the light. Through nirodha, we lift the world as we align with the Self. With viveka, the light of truth shines through the yogis, guiding those who are lost. It is a much-needed remedy for the suffering of humankind, and that is Why Now is the Time for Yoga.

Reverend Jaganath Carrera has shared the joy and wisdom of the Yoga Sutras with thousands of students since 1975. A direct disciple of Sri Swami Satchidananda, he is the founder and spiritual head of the Yoga Life Society and author of the highly regarded Inside the Yoga Yoga Sutras: A comprehensive Sourcebook for the Study and Practice of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and Awaken: Inside Yoga Meditation. He has taught all facets of Yoga since 1975 at universities, prisons, Yoga centers, and interfaith programs. In 1980, under the guidance of Sri Swami Satchidananda, he established the Integral Yoga Ministry and in 2006, the Yoga Life Ministry-ministries that are rooted in the full spectrum of the theories and practices of the major branches of Yoga, and in living a life of selfless service to all.

About Inside Patanjali’s Words

From the author of Inside the Yoga Sutras, comes a new and unique study guide for all who are interested in a deeper dive into the Yoga Sutras. Reverend Jaganath Carrera breaks down each of Patanjali’s words so the reader can further grasp the richness and depth of meaning in each of the Sanskrit words. As each word is unpacked, new levels of understanding behind each sutra are revealed.

Available through IYI Distribution: https://new.iydistribution.com/inside-patanjali-s-words.html

Sevika Ford2021-07-15T13:03:02-07:00July 15th, 2021|Tags: Yoga Sutras of Patanjali|

Mindfulness and Freedom from Worry

by Rich Panico

Hard to hold down,

nimble,

alighting wherever it likes:

the mind.

Its taming is good.

The mind well-tamed

brings ease.

For a person of unsteady mind,

not knowing true Existence (Dhamma),

serenity set adrift:

discernment doesn’t grow full.

-Dhammapada, verse 35, 38 translated, Thanissaro Bhikku

Mindfulness has been shown to be helpful on a level of considerable significance in addressing anxiety and depression. In addition, it has been proven effective in preventing relapse of these disorders and the overall cultivation of resilience in the face of adversity. Specifically mindfulness helps individuals with “worry” on levels that interfere with function or quality of life.

Mindfulness is a cultivation, a process that has momentum and durability. It purifies, balances, strengthens, and brings into custody various poorly regulated mental functions in a generalized sense, allowing critical thinking, discernment, and insight to develop and become the guiding principles of shaping a life instead of “symptoms.” Mindfulness is not “figuring things out” and does not suggest specific antidotes or tricks for this or that problem. The process set in motion with mindfulness “tames the mind” as the Dhammapada suggests. A tamed

mind is potentially without affliction, in other words it is purified and creates “possibility” where none existed previously. Most people experience and call this arising of “possibility” hopeful and healing.

Over four weeks, we will develop an eminently learnable meditation process derived from early Buddhist practices in the Satipatthana Sutta of the Buddha. From this meditative core, we will identify important cognitive distortions from contemporary cognitive behavioral therapy that drive and amplify suffering caused by worry. We will learn a mindful approach to the cessation of these cognitive distortions.

Please join us for a free talk on this course and a sample meditation on Wednesday July 7th, 2021 from 8-9pm EST 5-6pm PT.

Rich Panico is an artist, yogi and physician known for his humor and clarity in teaching. He has practiced meditation and yoga since 1970 and began teaching mindfulness woven into pottery making classes in the late 70’s.
Rich has taught mindfulness formally in medical, academic and art-related settings for over 20 years. He was a pioneer in the use of mindfulness-based treatment in the adaptation to and treatment of chronic disease. Mindfulness occupied a central therapeutic role in his professional offering as a physician.

Sevika Ford2021-07-05T16:34:40-07:00July 5th, 2021|

Sustaining a Spiritual Vision

by Swami Ramananda

One of the primary challenges of the spiritual path is sustaining the intention to awaken, even as we encounter considerable obstacles. Compelled by suffering and/or inspired by saintly beings, we may commit ourselves to experiencing the profound peace we understand to be our true nature. We may take up specific practices to free ourselves from the cultural conditioning that filters our perception, limits our vision, and imprisons us in the illusion of separation.

For most of us, this effort requires patience, persistence, and some means to renew this commitment. The obstacles are many: the countless stressors of daily life, the subconscious beliefs and habitual thinking that compel us to defend the ego-identity we’ve formed, the physical or psychological pain that can sidetrack our energy, and the constant messages of our consumer culture offering us a quick fix of pleasure—a poor substitute for the natural contentment we aspire to experience.

So how do we sustain that vision we may have formed in moments of clear insight and inspiration? The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali refer to this challenge specifically in Book 1, sutra 30. This sutra names nine different obstacles that, if unchecked, can end up completely diverting us from the path we chose. Book 1, sutra 32 clarifies the importance of establishing and sticking with one specific method by which we begin to master the mind and thoughts.

No doubt, developing a meditation practice into a strong habit is one of the primary ways we can remain inspired. And if a regular practice penetrates deeply into our consciousness through consistency and enthusiasm, it will give rise to moments of healing silence and a taste of the unchanging peace within. It may be that nothing will renew our intention to awaken more than feeling for ourselves the profound benefits that it can yield.

Another form of great support is a community of like-minded spiritual seekers. Our practice may seem to plateau for long periods of time with no real progress. Sharing such challenges with others can uplift our spirits, inspire us to have more compassion for ourselves and each other, and keep our efforts in perspective.

I have also found a great benefit from creating a personal prayer or affirmation that I repeat at the end of each meditation session and before each meal. I created this prayer as a way of affirming to myself in my own words what I deeply believe to be true, based on my own experiences and the teachings of Sri Swami Satchidananda. It varies somewhat each time but goes essentially like this:

“Let me remember that all I really need to be happy is to feel this Presence I can sense now, so that I can be free from clinging or longing for anything outside, free to serve as an instrument of the Divine, free to be mindful, humble and grateful, and free to enjoy everything I do.”

While I may not feel it deeply every time I repeat it, this prayer reminds me of how I can live with peace in my heart, serve in ways that are fulfilling, and have faith that I am learning and growing despite the mental ups and downs I may experience.

It can be very helpful to remember that it is challenging to sustain an enthusiastic pursuit of such an exalted goal as mastering the mind as we navigate the sometimes stormy waters of life. So it behooves us to remember that not one moment of effort is lost—all the spiritual study we do, every meditation session, each repetition of a mantra or affirmation, every instance of devotion or genuine service is an essential step on the path.

Through repeated practice, we will begin to experience moments free of habitual thought patterns, and see ourselves and our relationship to the world in a fresh way. We will begin to feel our connection to each other and all of nature. Over time, our accumulated practice will gradually restructure even the subconscious mind so that we are no longer compelled by old beliefs and fears, and approach life with a sense of deep belonging, inner contentment, and wonder.

Swami Ramananda is the Executive Director 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 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 is 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. His warmth, wisdom and sense of humor have endeared him to many.