Blog – Page 2 – Integral Yoga San Francisco

Santosha: Contentment or Acceptance

By Kealoha DeLuz

As I journey through life’s ups and downs, I’ve come to appreciate the significance of inner peace of contentment/Santosha. In our fast-paced world, it’s easy to become preoccupied with external validation and material possessions that leave us feeling unfulfilled and dissatisfied. The rise of social media and the ever-changing news landscape have exacerbated these feelings, as constant exposure to negative news and comparisons can lead to anxiety and discontent. Amidst global conflicts and rising inflation, it’s essential to find ways to navigate these challenges and cultivate a sense of contentment/Santosha. While it may not be easy to quiet the mind’s incessant chatter, practicing Pratipaksha Bhavanam —replacing negative thoughts with positive ones—can be a powerful tool. When studying a sutra, it’s often helpful to incorporate related sutras to support the practice. However, it’s important to approach this process gradually and gently, as the mind may need time to adjust.

The ancient practice of yoga offers a solution to our pervasive discontent: Santosha. Derived from the Sanskrit word meaning “contentment,” Santosha is a state of being satisfied with the present moment, regardless of external circumstances. It’s a cornerstone of the Niyama’s, the ethical observances in yoga. Santosha goes beyond mere happiness. It’s about a supreme joy that transcends material possessions. While many of us seek happiness in things or people, true contentment lies in being blissful even when we don’t get what we desire. Material things are temporary. As the Buddha said, “The only constant in life is change”. Our possessions, relationships, and even our bodies are subject to flux. By clinging to these impermanent things, we set ourselves up for disappointment and pain.

Recently, I faced a heartbreaking loss: I had to say goodbye to my 15-year-old cat, Henry. The bond I shared with Henry was deep and profound. He was more than just a pet; he was a beloved member of our family. When the time came to euthanize him, I was overwhelmed with grief and sorrow. The yogic teachings I had been studying provided solace during this difficult time. Through mindful meditation, deep breathing and the Yoga sutra teaching of Patanjali, I was able to calm my mind and accept the inevitable. The practice of Santosha helped me to let go of my attachment to Henry, and I’ve personally found incorporating Santosha into my daily life to be transformative. It has helped me navigate life’s challenges with greater resilience and grace.

One of my favorite practices is mindful meditation. By focusing on my breath and being present in the moment, I’ve been able to observe my mind as a third person might, detaching myself as if watching a friend make their own choices. This detachment has helped me reduce stress and anxiety by not being overly attached to my thoughts and feelings.

Additionally, gratitude journaling has been instrumental in shifting my perspective and appreciating the small joys in life. By focusing on gratitude for everything and avoiding dwelling on what I don’t have, I’ve been able to navigate my thoughts more positively. Nature walks have also played a significant role in my journey toward contentment. Spending time in nature helps me connect with my inner self and appreciate the beauty of the present moment. The sounds of birds chirping, the feel of the sun on my skin, and the sight of lush greenery all contribute to a sense of peace and tranquility. This helps me stay grounded and appreciate what the universe has to offer. I believe that every human being has the potential to find something in life to be grateful for.

By cultivating Santosha, we can discover a profound sense of peace and fulfillment. This practice empowers us to navigate life’s challenges with grace and resilience.

While studying the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, I consistently return to the foundational sutra 1.2: Yogas’ Citta Vritti Nirodhah, which translates to ‘The restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff is Yoga.’ This sutra serves as the bedrock upon which all other sutras are built. I believe it is imperative to genuinely comprehend Patanjali’s message here. Just as we construct a house on a solid concrete foundation, we must establish a firm groundwork before erecting the walls.

Kealoha Deluz has been a holistic health practitioner for 30 years, holds a Master of Divinity, Ph.D. in Holistic Studies, and is currently working towards a degree in transpersonal counseling. He has been an Integral Yoga Teacher since 2006 and is a Raja Yoga trainer, advanced level Hatha Yoga, meditation and stress management instructor. Kealoha is a licensed massage therapist, skin care practitioner, and holistic life coach. Kealoha Born and raised on the Big Island of Hawaii, and currently lives and works in San Francisco, California. Divinity, Ph.D. in Holistic Studies, and is currently working towards a degree in transpersonal counseling. He has been an Integral Yoga Teacher since 2006 and is a Raja Yoga trainer, advanced level Hatha Yoga, meditation and stress management instructor. Kealoha is a licensed massage therapist, skin care practitioner, and holistic life coach. Kealoha Born and raised on the Big Island of Hawaii, and currently lives and works in San Francisco, California.

prajna2024-10-26T14:43:10-07:00October 26th, 2024|

Preventing Cognitive Decline Through Small Lifestyle Changes

by Claudia Bartsch

Cognitive decline and the developement of diseases like Alzheimer’s are often accepted as a natural progress of aging. Many of us fear that it might affect our loved ones. Currently, there are no effective drugs that can stop or prevent progressive diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, yet most mainstream research and medical treatments are currently drug based.

The Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation (ARPF), founded by Dharma Singh Khalsa, has done over twenty years of intense research and shown that lifestyle changes have an enormous impact on the prevention of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease – even if the genetic predisposition, in particular genes called Apoe E2 aand Apoe E4, are present. Our daily choices indeed have the power to turn genes on or off, a fact that, unfortunately, is not widely known yet.

ARPF developed an approach to prevention that is drug-free and has proven to be highly effective. It is based on four pillars.

Diet (mostly plant based, rich in vitamin, minerals, healthy fats; low in sugar alcohol and red meat.)
Physical and mental exercise (regular physical exercise can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s by 50%.)
Stress management.
Spiritual fitness (purpose, meaning, connection.)

Sounds familiar, right? Dr. Dean Ornish’s program for heart health is based on the same four pillars and they are recommended by many others for general health and well being. Our bodies and brains simply function better if we address the four pillars properly. Yet, it often seems incredibly challenging to adhere to what we intuitvely know. Our food choices are too abundant, confusing and tempting, our lives are too busy, filled with too many urgencies, never quite enough time to relax or focus on what is important to us.

Changing our lifestyle seems initially simple, but the problem is that it’s not meant to be for a month or a year but for the rest of our lives. The style in which we live our lives – that can sound daunting and overwhelming.

For me personally, yoga and meditation practice has been the greatest support system. It gave me the structure and discipline to make slow but permanent changes. It taught me to keep promises I had made to myself, not always immediately but step by step, practice by practice, day by day. Over time I realized that the practice wasn’t just helpful to make those daily, healthy choices but that my identity had actually changed. I did not have to force or motivate myself anymore because I had become a person who takes care of herself naturally. Being accountable and proactive in respect to my own health became an expression of self-love and self-appreciation.

Recently, I discovered another quite powerful tool: Behaviorial Science: I learned that motivation and willpower really do not work. Instead, I learned to not work against my minds’ programming and reward system. Accepting my minds’ ingrained mechanisms and following very pragmatic steps allowed me to outsmart these programs. And the biggest secret was to start very SMALL, to be less ambitious, less demanding, less driven. Instead I practiced being steady and consistent – Just like Patanjali suggested in the Yoga Sutras 🙂

If you would like to learn more about this, please join me on October 26th at 11 a.m. for Preventing Cognitive Decline through Small Lifestyle Changes, a workshop full of information, practical approaches and experiential practice.

Claudia Bartsch has been teaching yoga for 17 years. With over 1,500 hours of training she offers an in-depth understanding of yogic practices and techniques and how to apply them for healing, integration and transformation. In 2011 she bridged her interest in Western psychology and the yogic path and became a certified Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapist. Additionally, Claudia is a certified Stress Management Educator, a trained Reiki and Shiatsu Practitioner. In her work, she offers a unique blend of the various branches of yoga, hands-on body and energy work empowering her clients to move towards greater resilience, well-being and health. Please visit her website for more information:claudiabartsch.com

prajna2024-10-15T12:10:45-07:00October 15th, 2024|

Teaching of the Month: Contentment – Making Peace with the Present

by Swami Ramananda

Contentment is a deceptively simple concept that offers tremendous benefit if we fully embrace its practice.

Sensory pleasures give rise to countless desires, none of which bring lasting satisfaction. Instead, they all reinforce the prevailing messages of our culture telling us that something pleasurable is a means to happiness. Thus, the present moment is continually warped by anticipation over the next thing to do or get, and is never enough as it is.

Contentment, referred to as Santosha in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, is not so easy to master because the habit of wanting and achieving is so deeply ingrained in us. It does not mean that we give up having goals and striving for them, or give up enjoying sensory experiences.

Contentment does mean that we are at peace with what we have now and with ourselves as we are, even as we strive to learn and grow. It does mean that we can enjoy the process of pursuing our goals, giving ourselves fully to them, without fear of failure.

I really like this idea but I struggle to practice it when my to-do list gets too big for my comfort, or when some challenging issue remains unresolved. At such times, I can’t seem to help feeling that I’ll be happier after I finish a project or after this issue is resolved. I find myself pushing my limits, working longer hours, ignoring my resolves for getting exercise and enough sleep, and or doing everything with a simmering stew of anxiety on the back-burner of my mind.

It has really helped me to make a conscious effort to practice contentment. One way is to start my day, after my morning meditation, affirming that my essential nature is joy, and this joy is independent of anything that happens. It feels really good to assert this truth and really try to feel it, reminding my mind that nothing can make me happy or sad.

I encourage everyone to use this month to experiment with contentment by pausing and reflecting, “Can I be at peace with this moment as it is?” “Do I really have to have ____________ before I can be happy?”

This will certainly be challenging in some situations, but when we do succeed to feel for ourselves moments of a natural inner contentment, we’ll be inspired to keep practicing. The more we learn to stay in touch with this innate peace, the more our lives will become a joyful balancing act, riding the waves of change.

You can join Swami Ramananda, Diana Meltsner and Eric Gustafson Cultivating Compassion and Forgiveness, 7-day Meditation & Raja Yoga, ONLINE, Mon.- Sun., October 14-20, 7:15 am – 8:00 am PDT

Or Deepen your in your own practice and guide your students to go deeper in theirs by joining Swami Ramananda, Diana Meltsner, and guest teacher Rich Panico M.D., for Meditation Teacher Training – ONLINE, NOV 14–DEC 19, 2024 & JAN 7–FEB 4, 2025

Swami Ramananda C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, 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 all levels of Yoga teacher trainings and programs around the globe. Ramananda co-developed the Stress Management Teacher Training program and has trained many teachers to bring Yoga into corporate, hospital and medical settings. He a founding board member of Yoga Alliance and is a co-founder of The Spiritual Action Initiative 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.

prajna2024-10-02T09:15:12-07:00October 1st, 2024|Tags: Contentment, Santosh, Swami Ramananda, Yoga teachings|

Sankalpa : Intention

“Wise to resolve, and patient to perform.” Homer

“Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.” –Helen Keller

“Resolve to be thyself: and know that he who finds himself, loses his misery.” –Matthew Arnold

“No matter what situation we find ourselves in, we can always set our compass to our highest intentions in the present moment.”

–Jack Kornfield

Sankalpa – A Deeply Held Intention Aligned with One’s True Purpose

“Rod Stryker, founder of ParaYoga, explains that the chief architect of life is the mind. To create the life we are meant to live, we must draw the mind again and again to our dharma, our deepest intentions, and the qualities of the Divine within.

A sankalpa is a statement that does this for us. Stryker explains that kalpa means vow, or “the rule to be followed above all other rules.” San, he says, refers to a connection with the highest truth. Sankalpa, then, is a vow and commitment we make to support our highest truth. “By definition, a sankalpa should honor the deeper meaning of our life. A sankalpa speaks to the larger arc of our lives, our dharma—our overriding purpose for being here.” The sankalpa becomes a statement you can call upon to remind you of your true nature and guide your choices.”

Excerpted from an article “How to Create a Sankalpa” by Kelly McGonigal

prajna2024-09-16T18:04:48-07:00September 16th, 2024|

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