Price $15, $25

Stress is an inevitable aspect of human life that can help us build new strengths or cause great suffering. Chronic stress triggers health problems that range from minor headaches to heart disease, and studies show that two-thirds of visits to primary care physicians are stress-related. While we cannot avoid difficult events, we can learn to respond skillfully to life’s challenges and maintain our equilibrium.
In this first of two parts, we’ll explore how the teachings of Yoga can help us understand the root cause of our reactions to stress, and how we can use the practices of Yoga to relieve stress and heal the residual effects from the past. By developing greater awareness of our physical, emotional and mental condition, we can learn how to create a balanced and easeful inner landscape and maintain optimum health.

Surfing the Sea of Change: Yoga for Stress Management Part II is on Wednesday, September 9, 5:30 – 7 pm PT.

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.