by Swami Ramananda

Real generosity springs from the heart not from the pocket.  Real generosity arises easily from the sense of deep connection that we experience when we practice Yoga and free ourselves from the limiting thoughts that divide us.  It can take many forms:  a warm smile, taking time to appreciate someone or a silent prayer offered with sincerity to uplift a friend.  Simply listening to someone with full attention can be a powerful way to offer support and care.

Sharing the gifts and blessings we have received with others is a natural impulse when we acknowledge our abundance and escape the self-centered messages of our culture.  Sharing generously opens our hearts to the love and compassion that is our true nature and is ultimately more fulfilling than keeping things for ourselves.

In her book, The Secret Power of Yoga, Nischala Devi comments on the teaching of Astheya:  “In our lives we have many occasions to give.  In the simplest way, Astheya tells us not to steal.  As it expands your heart, it says, give.  For maximum benefit, do not even wait for someone to ask, be alert, and never miss an opportunity to give, give, give.  Sri Swami Sivanandaji’s students, who hoped to emulate his most generous nature, gave him the nickname of Swami Give-ananda (the bliss of giving).”

Join Swami Ramananda for his 3 part Scripture Studies: The path to freedom, 3 consecutiuve Mondays: June 3,10 & 17,  6:00-7:00 pm (offered individually). Or deeply explore Raja Yoga in Raja Yoga Teacher Training Online starting June 20th.

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.

by Kealoha DeLuz PhD

For over three decades, I’ve been on a path of self-discovery through alternative healthcare. It all began in the challenging 1980s, when I lost many loved ones. This period of hardship sent me searching for meaning, and that’s how I found the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

The word “sutra” means “thread,” and these ancient teachings weave together the fabric of our lives. More than just a philosophy, the Yoga Sutras are like an operating system for the soul. They’re a treasure map guiding us towards inner peace and a sense of belonging, especially during difficult times.

Here are some questions to consider on our journey together:

• How can we study the Yoga Sutras? The Sutras themselves are like a book with four chapters, each one requiring focus to truly understand. Each chapter unveils a layer of wisdom, like interconnected threads, leading us toward self-realization.
• What are the benefits of the Yoga Sutras beyond inner peace? In addition to inner peace, the Yoga Sutras offer a profound exploration of consciousness, self-awareness, and the path to liberation.
• How are the Yoga Sutras different from religious teachings? Unlike religions with strict doctrines and rituals, the Yoga Sutras go beyond those boundaries. They touch the core of who we are, emphasizing a spiritual journey over rigid rules.

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.

by Swami Ramandanda

The residents of the Institute chose Appreciation as a spiritual practice for the month of April.  We didn’t want to define it narrowly so that it can be understood and practiced in multiple ways.

We did discuss how appreciation begins with awareness of the numerous things we have to be grateful for.  In a world where many people struggle for food and shelter, we take these basics for granted and become preoccupied with comforts and possessions others may never experience.

Most of us have basically healthy bodies, and both the time for spiritual practice and access to a tremendous wealth of spiritual teachings.  Appreciation implies at minimum that we acknowledge this abundance, which may free us from the scarcity mentality that we often see in our culture.

A more active form of appreciation is making the effort to convey it, especially when we recognize that we have benefited from someone’s efforts.  Expressing our gratitude naturally flows out of the fullness we feel, is healing for our hearts and uplifting for those we appreciate.

Sometimes we may not be able offer thanks directly, like when we receive anonymously or benefit from the synchronicity of events.  But we can still give back by allowing the abundance we feel take shape as service to someone in need.

Imagine what it would feel like to take nothing for granted–to really experience how much more than enough most of us have.  Let us each see how that reflection can shift our perspective and influence our lives.

“The store was closed, so I went home and hugged what I own,” says Brooks Palmer.

Join Swami Ramananda for his upcoming 2-part workshop, Prana Yoga, Thursdays, April 11 & 18 @ 6:30 – 8:00 pm PDT, Online & in-person.  He will also be hosting Sunday Spiritual Talk: Inspiration for the Spiritual Journey with Swami Asokananda on Sunday, April 21 @ 11:00 am – 12:30 pm PDT.

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 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.

by Prajna Lorin Piper

The reason for my teaching is not for merit or good deeds or good karma, or concentration, or rapture, or even insight. None of these is the reason that I teach, but the sure heart’s release. This and this alone is the reason for the teaching of a Buddha.

This is a direct quote from the Buddha; it’s a clear description of why a Buddha would bother to teach and it’s a succinct description of what he’s teaching – of liberation, realization, the point of our practice.

But it’s also linguistically strange to our ear, something translated from an ancient text that maybe carries the rhythms and intention of the original sentence but doesn’t quite convey its meaning.

So what does it mean? What is the sure hearts release?

I think that it’s actually literal. When the heart is sure, when there is no doubt in it, only then is it capable of letting go of the illusions that cause suffering in life, of being released from the bondage of suffering. The point of practice is to bring the heart to an unshakable surety, to stabilize it and root out any conflict, anything unwholesome that could confuse it, keep it grasping or rejecting, agitated or numbed or in doubt. This sureness and this alone, the Buddha tells us, is the reason for his teaching.

Most of us understand, at least conceptually, that enlightenment is not an intellectual process, not something we’re going to buy with our powers of concentration or mental capacities. It’s not about achievements – worldly success or even about how many of the sublime spiritual states we can experience.

The Buddha tells us plainly, in his first noble truth, his first teaching, that this practice won’t keep our toe from hurting when we stub it, or spare us the suffering of sickness, old age or death. Those things are with us, are part of our human lives. His concern is with the suffering of our hearts and his teaching is for the healing of our hearts. In the language of the Buddha’s time, the heart mind was one word, citta, a unit, not two separate things, so we can say his teaching is for the healing, the release of the heart mind.

Now, we live in a world where people sell teachings, profit from them, make them into a commodity and vie for attention. We live in a world where people can change continents to study different traditions. We’re offered so many options. Some of us are open to everything and some of us are hold outs, wanting a path that is perfect, infallible. As Ajahn Amaro once said, some of us want to kick the tires when we’re shopping for a spiritual path. We have our different responses, are attracted to various things. We each have our own temperaments, our own personal strengths and weaknesses.

Some of us think we won’t follow a path, we’ll weave together one of our own, or we think we’ve found the right path, maybe the only one. We can get discouraged along the way and think maybe we should find another path. We can think all sorts of things about spiritual practice, but if it’s not connected to the heart, in the beginning, in the middle and in the end, what are we doing it for?

This is the real, practical question we can ask ourselves. What do we want to do with our spiritual practice? I think it’s important to remember the words of a Buddha, 2,500 years ago, who was teaching for the sake of the sure hearts release.

Prajna lives and practices at Integral Yoga Institute San Francisco.