Blog – Page 42 – Integral Yoga San Francisco

Seva: Dedication and Devotion in Action

by Swami Ramananda

The saints and sages of many faiths are dynamic examples of how spiritual awakening is accompanied by a natural impulse to serve humanity. After experiencing the interconnection of all of life, many of these great beings were moved by a profound compassion to dedicate their lives to the relief of suffering. All of the many faith traditions also recognize the importance of seva, or selfless service, as one of the primary means by which we grow on the spiritual path and experience that full awakening.

But the messages of our culture instill in us the illusion that we are all separate beings, each needing to pursue happiness as individuals. This easily leads to comparing ourselves and competing with each other for the things and achievements that seem to create a happy life. And the world economy feeds on this illusion by offering us happiness in the form of the marketplace—an endless variety of things to buy. Thus, many people find themselves living in a relentless cycle of earning and consuming that, sooner or later, leaves them feeling frustrated and incomplete, cut off from everything that really gives life meaning.

The teachings of Yoga offer a completely different paradigm. Serving others is seen as a unique spiritual path—Karma Yoga—a practice in which actions are performed with a focused mind, a caring heart, and no concern for personal gain. This intention can be incorporated into literally anything we do and it deepens as we become less dependent on the outcome of our efforts and experience a newfound freedom from tension and expectations.

What a relief it is for me to focus fully on my work projects, free of worry, knowing that agonizing over the results only diminishes my skills. Then it can be more like play. Sri Swami Satchidananda put it this way: “Do your best, leave the rest.”

Perhaps the most powerful way this practice develops is from the joy we derive from giving ourselves wholeheartedly in service to someone or some higher purpose. Many people who work in service of others find tremendous fulfillment in the act of serving, giving, or even praying for others. Such experiences go beyond theory—they enable us to feel a deep sense of connection and belonging, a purpose for living that is larger than ourselves, and the flow of love that is a natural expression of our true nature.

An equally powerful approach to seva is devotion, service as an offering to God. Since we don’t easily recognize the Divine in each other—and the idea of a spiritual consciousness is so abstract—people throughout history have found countless symbols, names, and forms to represent this ineffable Presence that dwells within everything. This form, be it a deity, spiritual principle like peace, or a picture of a saint, can help us cultivate a higher form of love. Love directed toward God in any form inspires us to feel protection and comfort, to access an ever-present Grace and inner strength, and rise above the illusion of separation.

Yoga offers techniques to cultivate this deep love, which are collectively known as Bhakti Yoga. These practices include chanting the names of the Divine to feel its Presence (kirtan), creating an altar and making heartfelt offerings (puja), and performing actions with reverence and devotion (seva).

When we perform duties as an offering to a beloved personification of the Divine, we give our very best. In the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna says, “Perfection in action is Yoga.” When we strive to see ourselves as instruments of the Divine—the hands of God at work in the world—we access and allow ourselves to be guided by an inner strength, much greater than our own. We let go of our personal desires without force or denial by willingly surrendering to a Higher Will.

The intention to serve a Higher Will inevitably leads us to serving our families, neighbors, and communities. As Mother Theresa beautifully experienced and taught, we serve God by serving the Divinity in each other, in all of nature. Seva is a practice, and if we practice seeing and serving God in all, we gradually erase the imaginary boundaries we have come to believe in.

We have a new administration in the United States and people all over the world are gradually receiving the COVID vaccine. But that doesn’t mean we can sit back and let our governments take care of everything. We all need to step up and contribute to our communities in whatever way we can. Serving in such ways arises naturally from the recognition of our interdependence with all of life. 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.

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.

Sevika Ford2021-02-02T16:42:49-08:00February 2nd, 2021|Tags: bhakti yoga, Kirtan|

Shining a Light in the Darkness

by Swami Ramananda

The recent political drama on top of the continued devastation wreaked by the COVID virus has many of us holding our breath in a state of hypervigilance, or steeling ourselves against the next assault on our values. While it is important to be aware of the events around us, if we lose ourselves in obsessive reactions or rage against those we blame, we render ourselves powerless to changing that dynamic in any meaningful way.

One of the most powerful things we can do is maintain our own equanimity so that we can continue to touch the spiritual ground of being that connects us to one another, even those whose behavior we abhor. Only then we can make conscious choices to channel our anger in healthy ways, to stand up at every turn against racism and injustice, to follow in the sacred footsteps of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

There is no denying the truth of the many crises that threaten the global family, and how helpless we can feel at times to make a difference. Let us remember what Sri Swami Satchidananda and many other saints taught: that each of us has the power to give birth to peace and compassion in our own hearts. In that context, changing the world starts here and now.

Michael Lerner clearly spells out in the quote below, the myriad challenges we face in our world. He ends with questions that challenge us to evaluate our priorities and consider what contribution we can make to bring more light into a world that appears to be darkening.

“The truth is we face a whole web of interacting global stressors — climate change, the refugee crisis, the technology revolution that threatens jobs and freedom, the rise of authoritarian governments around the world, the ever greater concentration of wealth, and the radical disjunction between our economic system and the natural world.

“This is the world we are living in…so the true question is how we can live lives of kindness and compassion, consciousness and wisdom, and joy and service in such dark times.

“To speak of the global polycrisis can make us feel paralyzed by the enormity of the challenge, but the truth is that the real work is at the personal and community level.

“The real solutions are emerging among people like us and communities like ours around the world. It’s up to us. No one is coming to rescue us. No government, no corporation, no NGO.”

Michael Lerner’s words resonate fully with me. As spiritual aspirants, most of us are not called to retreat from the world to awaken the Light within. Along with our personal practice, we really embody that intention by actively engaging in the world and cultivating virtues like compassion, generosity, contentment, and non-violent communication.

We bring compassion into conversations when we listen deeply to another person and make a real effort to understand and respect their needs, instead of stubbornly defending our own. We can build bridges instead of barricades by approaching even those with whom we disagree with an open heart and an effort to build on the common ground we share, instead of focusing only on the differences.

At the same time, we must speak out against injustice when we hear of or witness it, and be a presence of peace in moments of conflict. We have hundreds of opportunities every day to be a little more considerate, for example, when we are driving, listening to others, or working with them. Practicing kindness in these moments has a ripple effect, softening the hearts of those around us, and shining a light that will always dispel darkness.

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.

Sevika Ford2021-01-19T12:46:43-08:00January 19th, 2021|

Bhakti: The Yoga of Devotion

by Swami Ramananda

“The desire for connection with the Divine and our formless inner self is at the foundation of all desire for human connection.”

― Donna Goddard

Sooner or later, most of us find ourselves compelled to seek a deeper source of connection and love that is not subject to the changes we all experience in our personal relationships. People all over the world and throughout history have found countless ways of seeking and identifying this deeper source as an unconditionally loving Spiritual Consciousness that dwells within everything. Since consciousness is too abstract for many of us to relate to, endless symbols, names, and forms have been used to express and connect with this Presence.

This form, be it a deity, a spiritual principle like Peace, or the image of a saint, can help us cultivate a higher form of love and connection. Love directed toward God in any form inspires us to feel protection and comfort, to access an inner strength, and rise above selfish thinking. By acknowledging something beyond the ego-mind and its limited ideas, we humble ourselves and open our hearts to receive a grace that is always present. Just as raising the window shade allows the sun to shine in, we experience an inner Light when we let go of the habitual thoughts that define us and separate us from the Spirit that dwells within each of us.

Yoga offers techniques to cultivate this deep and unconditional love, which are collectively known as Bhakti Yoga. These practices include kirtan (chanting the names of God), puja (creating an altar and making offerings to it), and an abiding devotion toward a specific form that represents the Divine Spirit.

As the presence and power of the Spirit becomes more real, it can become a part of everything we do. Such devotion can motivate us to dedicate everything we do as a loving offering and to access the Divine Will in our daily choices. It will guide us to recognize, love, and serve that Presence in each other. Whenever this happens, we begin to relate not so much to the ego-mind of another person, but to the Light that is within them, no matter how well hidden by the personality.

I once heard a story of a wealthy man who became attracted to Sri Ramakrishna, an Indian saint. This man was accustomed to all the sensual pleasure that money could buy: a luxurious home, fine wines and gourmet foods, and the company of prostitutes. His love of Ramakrishna grew enough that he asked to be accepted as a disciple, even though he had no intention of giving up his lifestyle.

Ramakrishna agreed to accept him on the condition that he would offer everything he consumed or did to Ramakrishna before partaking in it. The man readily agreed, thinking he had the best of both worlds. Before he ate or drank or did anything, he offered it mentally to Ramakrishna. But as his devotion grew and he sought to honor the saint with appropriate offerings, he gradually gave up all the old unhealthy habits.

Such is the power of higher love to transform us in ways that our willpower alone may not. That is no doubt why various Yoga masters have said that the path of devotion is the easiest practice during this era of materialism. In a way, the goal of all spiritual practice can be summed up as a process of learning to love unconditionally. Rumi says it beautifully: “Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love.”

Please join us on January 30th at 7 PM, as Mirabai guides us to experience our own connection and love with the Divine through chanting, mantra, and song. Details and registration HERE.

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.

Sevika Ford2021-01-16T14:11:57-08:00January 16th, 2021|Tags: bhakti, bhakti yoga, Kirtan|

Every Pelvis Has a Story

by Leslie Howard

What is the pelvic floor? Many people might respond with a shrug or a blank stare; the slightly more knowledgeable might point to “down there.”

Let’s say I were to ask you what part of the body is the most crucial to maintaining good posture? You might say the feet and legs, or maybe the abdominal muscles. While those parts are important, they are not our foundation, or the part of our body that integrates the head and torso with the legs and the feet. The foundation is the pelvic floor.

But the pelvic floor is more than just the bedrock that supports the rest of our “building”—it houses our energy and influences how we hold ourselves while standing, sitting, walking, or having sex. In other words, the pelvic floor is key to performing our everyday activities.

A few things we probably all know about the pelvis: It has two hip bones. And we can place our hands on these bones to convey how we feel—sexy, impatient, proud, or angry at our partner who is late for dinner.

Needless to say, there’s more to the pelvis than those hip bones. The pelvic floor is a group of muscles situated at the bottom of the pelvis. These muscles are attached to the sitting bones on either side, to the pubic bone in front, and the tailbone in back. These muscles have a serious job: They hold our abdominal organs in and up. They are part of the platform for the vulva and pubic hair. They also manage what goes in and what goes out “down there,” such as urination, defecation, and sexual activity. When the pelvic floor is off balance, everything on top of it—torso, shoulders, neck, head—and everything below it—groins, legs, feet—can be off balance. The pelvis provides a foundation and fulcrum for our entire bodies.

Still think of it as just a resting place for your hands?

Unfortunately, the pelvic floor is often misunderstood, or completely overlooked, by the majority of the medical and wellness community (with the exception of those pioneering physical and occupational therapists who specialize in the pelvic floor).

In the yoga world, the pelvic floor is also underappreciated. While focused on by prenatal yoga classes or schools of yoga that emphasize the pelvic floor contraction known as the “root lock” (mula bandha), outside of a few worthwhile articles on the pelvic floor, you won’t find a lot of yoga-related books on the topic.

Historically, we have mistreated our pelvis. We’ve constrained it with corsets, exaggerated it with bustles, hidden it under muumuu dresses, squeezed it into jeans, tortured it with shapewear (formerly known as girdles), and misaligned it with high heels. It gets flossed with thongs and g-strings, sweetened by lube, perfumed by intimate spray, odor neutralized by douching, and even “rejuvenated” with cosmetic surgery. It’s been manicured, coiffed, and waxed. Why such mistreatment of a crucial part of our bodies?

One answer lies in one guiding principle: political control of the female pelvis by men. Methods include demonization— Cover it, lest a man have temptation; skirts must extend below the knee; erasure of the unique complexities of the female body when doing so suits the needs of medical professionals—The doctor will tell you to give birth on your back, which is easier for him; neutralization—Barbie, anyone? and ridicule—Why do you need all that hair?!? Get rid of it! The female pelvis is desensualized: Quick! Cover up that smell before someone notices it! The female pelvis is shamed: Menstruating? Take your pain meds, hide your tampons, and be discreet! The female pelvis is weaponized: You are cranky today. Are you on the rag? And, finally, the female pelvis is hyper- sexualized and constantly judged: Check your local newsstands for ten surefire ways to please your man and which female star has been deemed overweight this week.

So it’s no wonder that women who dared to take ownership of their pelvic regions were targets for suspicion, ostracized, and feared. I think it’s safe to say that men felt, and continue to feel, a deep unease about the powers of the female pelvis—after all, we have the ability to create, nurture, and deliver life into the world, if we choose, and they simply do not, despite all the advances in modern medicine.

When I started on my journey toward pelvic liberation with yoga, I wasn’t initially focused on how society treats women and their bodies. Eventually, I realized that healing my pelvis required not only knowledge of yoga and anatomy, but also an enhanced awareness of the larger political and cultural forces that have framed our attitudes toward “down there.” What started as a desire to alleviate my pelvic pain became a quest to fully inhabit and understand my body—without shame or embarrassment—and experience the sense of aliveness that flows through all my parts.

To physically look at our pelvis we have to arm ourselves with mirrors and flashlights. To emotionally look at it, we may have to arm ourselves with courage and tissue boxes.

Please consider joining Leslie at her online workshop, Yoga and the Pelvic Floor on Saturday, February 6th from 11:00am-3:00pm PST.

Leslie Howard is an internationally acclaimed yoga educator who pioneered the growing field of yoga for pelvic health, what she calls Pelvic Floor YogaTM. Sonima Health named her one of the top 50 yoga instructors in the USA. University of California, San Francisco medical studies has scientifically demonstrated the effectiveness on Leslie’s techniques for improving women’s pelvic health. This is an excerpt from her book, Pelvic Liberation.

Sevika Ford2021-01-13T06:29:38-08:00January 13th, 2021|