Free

Join us for a few hours of fun, food, and meaningful connection as we explore how to transform our work into spiritual practice. We’ll begin with a brief talk and discussion on the practice of Karma Yoga, led by Swami Ramananda. This will be followed by an opportunity to support our beautiful building through mindful service—cleaning the Institute’s classrooms, hallways, and outdoor areas with awareness and joy.

We’ll conclude our time together with an extended deep relaxation and a nourishing meal. During the meal, we will honor the dedicated Karma Yogis who have generously supported the Institute over the past few years.

“Work done in the right attitude becomes consecrated; becomes a sacred act. A life consecrated in doing selfless acts will become a divine life.” – Swami Sivananda

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 co-founded 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.

Kia Meaux. I have been a dedicated student of yoga since 1989 beginning with my first teacher, Richard Freeman in Boulder, CO. I began teaching my alignment-based vinyasa flow classes in 1998 here in San Francisco and then eventually opened my own yoga studio, Kaya Yoga in 2006. Due to Covid I closed my yoga studio in 2022 and currently only teach yoga online. My interest has moved more towards meditation and the practice of deeply contemplating “What Am I? I am currently a Resident of the Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco where I have the great fortune to manage the daily organization of the house.

Raama Das, C-IAYT, is a former director of the Integral Yoga® Teachers Association and has been instructing Integral Yoga since 2009. He is a lead trainer for the Integral Yoga 200-hour Teacher Training at Yogaville and co-presenter for the 200 and 500-hour Yoga Alliance programs at Heal Me Institute in Fredericksburg. Raama recently received certification as a Yoga Therapist through the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT), having studied Yoga programs for specific health conditions, including, anxiety, depression, cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and addiction. He is also certified as a teacher of Intermediate Hatha, Raja Yoga, Meditation, Stress Management, Yin Yoga, and Yoga for our Elders. Raama has studied and served extensively at the Integral Yoga Academy at Yogaville and managed the Integral Yoga Therapy Program. In addition, he has participated in many months of deep Tantric and classical Yoga sadhana (practice) at the Scandinavian Yoga and Meditation School in Sweden under the direction of Swami Janakananda. He currently serves as Institute Manager at the Integral Yoga Institute San Francisco.