New Moon Hanuman Chalisa
2024-04-08 20:00 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
In-person | $5-$20 | Enroll for free, use promo code FREE.
Book now/In-PersonPlease review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
Join Snehan for in-person chanting of the Hanuman Chalisa with harmonium.
The Hanuman Chalisa is an ancient 40 line poem by Tulsidas extolling the many attributes and supernatural abilities of the Monkey God, Hanuman.
Sri Hanuman represents the ultimate devotee by his 100% commitment to his Dharmic path of serving Sri Ram, the Lord Itself.
Chanting the Hanuman Chalisa promises the removal of all pain and suffering. And Sri Hanuman is the Wish-fulfilling Deity…..ask for what you really want!
We will chant for 30 minutes or so and then sit in meditation for about 10 minutes more.

Snehan Born, E-RYT 500, has over four decades of experience with yoga. He resides at the Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco, where he teaches yoga classes and is a lead teacher trainer. Snehan is certified in all levels of Integral Yoga Hatha and has received additional certifications in Pranayama, Meditation, Raja Yoga and Stress Management from Integral Yoga. Chanting mantras and playing the harmonium are part of his regular practice and classes. Snehan has lived and traveled extensively within India and practiced with many teachers there. He has taught yoga all over the US as well as in India, Nepal, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Japan and Europe.

Tuesday Tea Time Series
2024-04-09 11:15 - 11:45
How Yoga Helps When the Going Gets Tough
Online & In-person | $1-108 sliding scale
Please consider donating to the “Swami Ramananda Yogic Wisdom” GoFundMe page in support of Swami Ramananda’s shift from administrative tasks to writing and publishing a book describing how to integrate the teachings of Yoga into everyday life.
Book now/OnlinePlease register in advance, a Zoom link will be provided via email 1 hour prior to the session. You can also join Zoom directly from your Momence dashboard.
Book now/In-PersonPlease review our In-person Safety Guidelines.

Share a cup of tea with Swami Ramananda, one of our most beloved IYI teachers. Swami-ji will be hosting monthly 30-minute “tea break” discussions exploring how to integrate Yoga and meditation in our daily lives. In-person students can join us right after the 9:30 am Yoga class!
Join in community and explore how Yoga can be integrated into every action, every day to benefit our lives and the world. Discover how the timeless teachings of Yoga and meditation can help us transform the painful aspects of human experience into steps towards realizing our full potential.
Tuesdays • Monthly • Save the dates:
May 7: The Secret to Authentic Joy
June 11: Surrender, Prayer and Grace
July 9: Can We Know God? How Yoga Enlightens
Live Streamed via Facebook and available to watch later, at your convenience.
Global times: 11:15 PT, 12:15 pm MDT, 1:15 pm CDT, 2:15 pm EDT
7:15 pm GMT, 8:15 pm CET, 11:45 pm IST

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.

Prana Yoga
2024-04-11 18:30 - 20:00
Online & in-person | 2 Thursdays, April 11 & 18
$40 Early bird, use promo code PRANA, exp. 4/4/24.
$50 Regular
Book now/OnlinePlease register in advance; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.
Book now/In-PersonPlease review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
The science of Hatha Yoga was primarily designed for the purpose of leading us into deeper, more subtle levels of our being.
In this two part workshop, we will explore the flow of prana (subtle energy) as we move through the Yoga practices. This subtle approach releases tension, enhances strength and brings a calm focus to the mind. Each time we practice this way, we can go a little deeper, enabling us to cultivate the awareness and stillness needed to experience the Spiritual presence at the heart of our being.
Yoga Teachers – receive 3 hours of CEUs for Yoga Alliance upon request.

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.

New Beginnings Writing Group
2024-04-12 16:00 - 17:30
Our apologies. This event has been cancelled.
Next session is Friday, April 26th, 4:00 – 5:30pm PT.
Online | $1-15 Sliding scale | Meets second & fourth Friday of each month.
In these times of great change we will explore a path toward meeting ourselves where we are to give voice to all that matters! As we live with interruptions and chaos, we can deepen into the roots of our creativity, encouraging the river of expression to flow. Beginners and seasoned writers are welcome, as we explore various forms of writing: poetry, prose, short stories, memoir, among others. Through writing exercises using everyday life, place, family, images, poetry of others, while using pranayama, meditation and the guidance of the Sutras we will build a body of work. Participants are encouraged to go at their own pace.
Tools we will Practice:

The Art of Paying Attention
Acceptance
Play
Writing from the Heart

Together we will combine self-care with our writing and discover what a writing practice means to us and how it may take shape.

Susan Ford, C-IAYT, RYT-500, began teaching in 2011 and has been an assistant trainer for the Basic Yoga Teacher Training at Integral Yoga Institute San Francisco (IYISF) since 2012. She specializes in gentle yoga and yoga therapy working with people with disabilities, cancer, heart disease, arthritis, aging, bone health, anxiety, depression and asthma. Her focus is to help students to meet their bodies where they are by introducing and incorporating Therapeutic Yoga, Raja Yoga, Hatha Yoga, pranayama and meditation. Susan has been a writer of poetry, short stories and plays most of her adult life and has been repeatedly featured in storytelling events in Northern California. She has led writer groups, tutored many in writing, and regularly hosts poetry reading Satsangs at IYISF.

Pelvic Floor Yoga to Alleviate Incontinence: An Evidence Based Practice
2024-04-13 12:30 - 16:00
Online & in-person
$75 | $60 Early bird, use promo code PELVIS, exp. 3/31
Book now/OnlinePlease register in advance; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.
Book now/In-PersonPlease review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
About one in four people in the US struggle with urinary incontinence. It is not just a medical problem; it can affect us emotionally and socially, as it often makes us afraid to engage in activities that would make us veer too far away from a bathroom.
The pelvic floor muscles play an important role as part of the body’s core system, contributing to core stabilization during movement. Yoga offers numerous techniques to strengthen and balance the pelvic floor. Proper strengthening and stabilizing of the pelvic floor help to create the correct foundation for each movement in the body. This is the true meaning of “core work.” In this course, study with yoga therapist and pelvic floor expert Leslie Howard as she shares the evidence-based yoga practices for pelvic floor health used in studies on the benefits of yoga for pelvic floor health with a specific focus on incontinence. In a study designed by Leslie for University of California, San Francisco, women who participated in the yoga program in the study experienced an overall 70 percent improvement – or reduction – in the frequency of their urine leakage compared to the baseline!
Whether you experience this condition or are just plain curious about how to create greater tone and balance of the pelvic floor, this course contains a wealth of helpful and practical information.
This workshop qualifies for continuing education credits with Yoga Alliance. Certificate given upon request by the instructor.

Leslie Howard is an Oakland-based yoga teacher, specializing in all things pelvic. She leads workshops and trainings nationally and has written a book about caring for the female pelvis, Pelvic Liberation. In 2022, after losing a long time student, she took a deep dive into the subject of death. She has 60 hours of Death Doula training, runs a regular Death Café (a place to come and talk about death) and is volunteering in hospice for Kaiser Oakland. Her teaching is informed by over 3500 hours of yoga study with senior Iyengar yoga teachers. She considers Ramanand Patel her most important influence and mentor. She has designed two very successful studies for UCSF on how to use yoga to alleviate incontinence and pelvic pain. To learn more about Leslie or for some online education opportunities visit: www.lesliehowardyoga.com

Passover Seder
2024-04-20 16:30 - 18:00
$5-$20 | Enroll for free, use promo code FREE
Book now/OnlinePlease register in advance; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.
Book now/In-PersonPlease review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
Join Jackie Barshak and Swami Ramananda and celebrate your own path to liberation at the Institute’s Passover Seder, exploring the Passover story from a yogic perspective. Participate in the timeless ritual of storytelling, recreating and reimagining the Jewish peoples’ exodus, drawing on its powerful themes of resistance and liberation. Honor the yogic teachings as they apply to Passover and your own traditions. Reflect on legacies of liberation and redemption. Joyfully leave behind your own struggles as we collectively move to the promised land of self-realization.

Jackie Barshak, CYT-500, began her meditation and yoga practice in 1972. She completed her basic yoga teacher training at Integral Yoga Institute (IYI) in 2012 following a three year stay in Pondicherry, India. Jackie has completed advanced teacher trainings at IYI in Accessible Yoga, Yoga for Children, Therapeutic Yoga and Raja Yoga. She has participated in world peace projects in Israel and Palestine.
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.

Kirtan with Ekachakra Prana and The Bhakti Band
2024-04-20 19:00 - 20:30
In-person
$15 In advance, use promo code BHAKTIBAND, exp. 4/19
$20 Day of
Book now/In-PersonPlease review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
Come immerse yourself in the transcendental vibrations of the maha-mantra! Drawing from the rich tradition of Gaudiya Vaisnavism (The Hare Krishnas!), a rockstar-turned-monk will take you on a spiritual journey through song. From meditative to ecstatic, both emotional and highly musical, your heart, voice and ears are in for a treat. According to the Vedic wisdom literatures, singing holy names of God together is the topmost process of self-realization in this age. So let’s get down to it!

Ekachakra Prana was a touring musician and yoga teacher searching for God when he met Indradyumna Swami, who invited him to travel the world in his Kirtan band. Over the next several years he wrote books about his experiences living in bhakti yoga ashrams and traveling to Kirtan festivals around the world. He recently settled in Silicon Valley at the request of his spiritual teacher, Vaisesika Dasa.

Sunday Spiritual Talk: Inspiration for the Spiritual Journey
2024-04-21 11:00 - 12:30
Online | $5-$20 | Enroll for free, use promo code FREE.
Book now/OnlinePlease register in advance; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.
Join Swamis Ramananda and Asokananda for inspiration and encouragement on our spiritual journey. In this online workshop, they will share the teachings and practices that have most impacted their lives and guided them towards spiritual equilibrium.
The spiritual path is beset with challenges and pitfalls and progress is slow. Almost all of us will greatly benefit from having friends who have traveled this road, who can share their experience, and care enough to want to support us. These two senior and respected Integral Yoga swamis will discuss what has sustained them for many years and what is inspiring to them at this time.
Half of the session will be dedicated to Q&A. Please bring your heartfelt questions. All are welcome.

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.
Swami Asokananda, a monk since 1973, is one of Integral Yoga’s foremost teachers, known for his warmth, intelligence, and good humor. His teaching comes out of his own practice and experience, since he has absorbed the wisdom of his guru, Sri Swami Satchidananda, since the age of 19. While he enjoys sharing the practical wisdom of the Yogic philosophy (especially that of the great Indian scripture the Bhagavad Gita), he also loves his practice of Hatha Yoga and is one of our primary instructors for Intermediate and Advanced Hatha Yoga Teacher Training. In the past, he has served as the president of Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville® and Integral Yoga® International; he is currently the President of the New York Integral Yoga Institute.

Full Moon Chanting & Sri Hanuman's Appearance Day
2024-04-23 20:00 - 20:30
Online & In-person
$5-$20 | Enroll for free, use promo code FREE.
Book now/OnlinePlease register in advance; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.
Book now/In-PersonPlease review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
We gather once a month to chant the Gayatri Mantra, the great mantra of Light and Liberation, to maximize the spiritual benefits of the full moon.
It is very auspicious that the April full moon coincides with Sri Hanuman’s Jayanthi (birth day). Therefore we will include chanting of the Hanuman Chalisa with chanting the Gayatri for a rich devotional experience.
The Hanuman Chalisa is an ancient 40 line poem by Tulsidas extolling the many attributes and supernatural abilities of the Monkey God, Hanuman.
“oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ
tat savitur vareṇyaṃ
bhargo devasya dhīmahi
dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt”
– Rigveda 3.62.10[11]

Snehan Born, E-RYT 500, has over four decades of experience with yoga. He resides at the Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco, where he teaches yoga classes and is a lead teacher trainer. Snehan is certified in all levels of Integral Yoga Hatha and has received additional certifications in Pranayama, Meditation, Raja Yoga and Stress Management from Integral Yoga. Chanting mantras and playing the harmonium are part of his regular practice and classes. Snehan has lived and traveled extensively within India and practiced with many teachers there. He has taught yoga all over the US as well as in India, Nepal, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Japan and Europe.

New Beginnings Writing Group
2024-04-26 16:00 - 17:30
Online | $1-15 Sliding scale | Meets second & fourth Friday of each month.
Book now/OnlinePlease register in advance; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.
In these times of great change we will explore a path toward meeting ourselves where we are to give voice to all that matters! As we live with interruptions and chaos, we can deepen into the roots of our creativity, encouraging the river of expression to flow. Beginners and seasoned writers are welcome, as we explore various forms of writing: poetry, prose, short stories, memoir, among others. Through writing exercises using everyday life, place, family, images, poetry of others, while using pranayama, meditation and the guidance of the Sutras we will build a body of work. Participants are encouraged to go at their own pace.
Tools we will Practice:

The Art of Paying Attention
Acceptance
Play
Writing from the Heart

Together we will combine self-care with our writing and discover what a writing practice means to us and how it may take shape.

Susan Ford, C-IAYT, RYT-500, began teaching in 2011 and has been an assistant trainer for the Basic Yoga Teacher Training at Integral Yoga Institute (IYI) since 2012. She specializes in gentle yoga and yoga therapy working with people with disabilities, cancer, heart disease, arthritis, aging, bone health, anxiety, depression and asthma. Her focus is to help students to meet their bodies where they are by introducing and incorporating Therapeutic Yoga, Raja Yoga, Hatha Yoga, pranayama and meditation. Susan has been a writer of poetry, short stories and plays most of her adult life and has been repeatedly featured in storytelling events in Northern California. She has led writer groups, tutored many in writing, and regularly hosts poetry reading Satsangs at the IYI.

Scripture study: Unlocking Inner Peace with 8 Limbs of Yoga, 3-part
2024-04-29 18:00 - 19:00, 2024-05-06 18:00 - 19:00, 2024-05-13 18:00 - 19:00
Online | $5-15 sliding scale
Free for active teachers
Book now/OnlinePlease register in advance; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.
Each session offered individually:

Monday, April 29, 6:00-7:00 pm
Monday, May 6, 6:00-7:00 pm
Monday, May 13, 6:00-7:00 pm

This three-part series peels back the layers of the Eight Limbs presented in Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, revealing their practical relevance in our modern lives. From cultivating ethical principles like non-violence and truthfulness (Yamas) to mastering the art of breath control (Pranayama) and diving into meditative absorption (Dhyana), you’ll discover tools to navigate everyday challenges and fuel your spiritual growth.
Each week, we’ll delve into three key sutras, allowing their wisdom to permeate your understanding. Remember, your unique perspective shapes your interpretation, making this a personalized journey of self-discovery. We’ll learn from each other’s insights as we collectively explore new facets of ourselves and cultivate inner peace.
Whether you’re a yoga newbie or a seasoned practitioner, this series unveils the transformative power hidden within the Yoga Sutras. Kealoha will be using Deborah Adele’s “Yamas and Niyama” book as a reference point. No prior knowledge or having your own book is required, just an open mind and a willingness to embark on a journey of inner exploration. All are welcome.
Read Kealoha’s recent blog post Exploring the Yoga Sutras: A Journey to Inner Wisdom

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.

Energetic Refreshment for Summer
2024-05-04 12:00 - 13:30
Online | $20-35 sliding scale
Book now/OnlinePlease register in advance; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.
Come and honor May Day or Beltane, the gentle start of summer, with this session of energy work performed through guided meditation. We will attune ourselves to our energetic aspect, the Pranamaya Kosha, connect to the Earth in grounding, then invite energy to flow inward for renewal, inspiration, healing, and outward in clarification and release. From this state of connection we will offer loving support for all of life. A gentle and powerful session of engagement with the subtle body.

Kristie Dahlia Home has been devoted to the sharing of spiritual arts since 1995. With training in Instinctive Meditation, Yoga, Thai Massage, Reiki, Intuitive Healing, and Chi Nei Tsang. Dahlia has served as a Yoga Therapist at the UCSF School of Nursing, Dr. Dean Ornish’s Preventive Medicine Research Institute, and at UCSF’s Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, where her work included both public classes and medical research. She has taught Reiki for CPMC’s Institute for Health and Healing and Thai Massage at Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Her students say that they appreciate her warmth, precision, contagious love of life, and keen attention to the unique needs of each individual. She has recently returned to life on land after five years at sea and looks forward to sharing practice with the IYI sangha once again. For more information, visit beloved.org

Satsang: Poetry Reading
2024-05-04 17:30 - 18:30
Online and In-person
$5-$20 | Enroll for free, use promo code FREE.
Book now/OnlinePlease register in advance; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.
Book now/In-PersonPlease review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
Join us for an evening of shared poetry. We will read and discuss that which awakens inspiration, delight and peace in the heart. All are welcome to bring a poem or two to share or simply listen and enjoy.
Poetry offers powerful expressions of the human experience, a dynamic meeting of the mind with Grace and creativity that crosses the lines of time or conceptual views.
A simple vegetarian meal will be offered after in-person Satsang with a suggested in-person donation of $5-10.
Satsang is a special time for us to come together as a community. In Sanskrit, Sat means truth and Sangha means community. Satsang offers an opportunity to come together to share spiritual teachings. The philosophy of Integral Yoga is explored often through an informal discussion. Although our spiritual paths may diverge, the act of sharing spiritual teachings with others is inspiring and creates a solid foundation for continued practice.
People of all faiths are welcome.

Susan Ford, C-IAYT, RYT-500, began teaching in 2011 and has been an assistant trainer for the Basic Yoga Teacher Training at Integral Yoga Institute (IYI) since 2012. She specializes in gentle yoga and yoga therapy working with people with disabilities, cancer, heart disease, arthritis, aging, bone health, anxiety, depression and asthma. Her focus is to help students to meet their bodies where they are by introducing and incorporating Therapeutic Yoga, Raja Yoga, Hatha Yoga, pranayama and meditation. Susan has been a writer of poetry, short stories and plays most of her adult life and has been repeatedly featured in storytelling events in Northern California. She has led writer groups, tutored many in writing, and regularly hosts poetry reading Satsangs at the IYI.
Diana Meltsner, C-IAYT, ERYT-500, YACEP, has been teaching a variety of classes and workshops since 2001 and since 2017 offers yoga therapy sessions privately and at Integral Yoga Therapy Clinic in San Francisco. She has worked in the clinical setting for Kaiser Permanente since 2005 as a yoga teacher, yoga therapist, and health educator and is teaching mindfulness and meditation to the medical staff. Her focus is on the healing aspects of yoga on the mind as well as the body by applying the teachings of Yoga, practices of breath-control, mindfulness and meditation. Diana helps her clients to find healing and the ability to move through life wiwww.dianameltsner.comth increased ease, stress resilience, and intuition. Diana Meltsner works as a programs manager and serves on the board of directors at Integral Yoga Institute, an urban ashram in San Francisco. She is a yoga teacher trainer for the 200-hour and Meditation Teacher trainings. www.dianameltsner.com

Crystal Bowl Sound Bath & Vedic Mantras
2024-05-04 19:00 - 20:30
In-person | $35 early bird, use promo code BATH exp. 4/27 | $40 regular
Book now/In-Person
Please review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
Using crystal bowls, drum, and voice, Shalom gets the whole room vibrating and harmonizing. The sound waves travel deep into your body delivering an impressive and fascinating range of benefits including powerful physical healing, creative mental stimulation, and profound waves of emotional release. The experience as a whole is relaxing, stimulating, experimental, and explorative.
Traditional Vedic chants combined with the sound of instruments are so supportive and therapeutic to the modern yogi. We will be sitting down as we chant and laying down during the sound bath. Wearing comfortable clothing is recommended.
If you haven’t tried sound healing before, you’ll have to do so firsthand to see what it’s all about. If you have, you’ll be impressed with the depth and care of Shalom’s offering. At the end of the sound bath, we’ll take a minute to come together and reflect as a group.

Dedicated to holistic well-being and spiritual exploration, Shalom Mayberg is a yoga instructor, energy healer, and sound healing practitioner. Through the practice of yoga, he guides individuals on a mindful journey through movement, breath, and self-awareness harmonizing the body, mind, and soul. Shalom has also been working in the healing arts for over 13 years and uses modalities such as Reiki, Energy Medicine, and Intuition to facilitate holistic healing. In addition, the medicine of sound is prominent in his practice and is used to create transformative experiences for people of all backgrounds. Shalom recently graduated from the Academy of Intuition Medicine and offers 1:1 work, training in Reiki and sound healing, and group events. To learn more, visit www.shalom360.com.

Tuesday Tea Time Series
2024-05-07 11:15 - 11:45
The Secret to Authentic Joy May 7th Tea Time has been cancelled
Online & In-person | $1-108 sliding scale
Next Teatime dates:
June 11: Surrender, Prayer and Grace
July 9: Can We Know God? How Yoga Enlightens
Please consider donating to the “Swami Ramananda Yogic Wisdom” GoFundMe page in support of Swami Ramananda’s shift from administrative tasks to writing and publishing a book describing how to integrate the teachings of Yoga into everyday life.
Share a cup of tea with Swami Ramananda, one of our most beloved IYI teachers. Swami-ji will be hosting monthly 30-minute “tea break” discussions exploring how to integrate Yoga and meditation in our daily lives. In-person students can join us right after the 9:30 am Yoga class!
Join in community and explore how Yoga can be integrated into every action, every day to benefit our lives and the world. Discover how the timeless teachings of Yoga and meditation can help us transform the painful aspects of human experience into steps towards realizing our full potential.
Please consider donating to the “Swami Ramananda Yogic Wisdom” GoFundMe page in support of Swami Ramananda’s shift from administrative tasks to writing and publishing a book describing how to integrate the teachings of Yoga into everyday life.
Live Streamed via Facebook and available to watch later, at your convenience.
Global times: 11:15 am PT, 12:15 pm MDT, 1:15 pm CDT, 2:15 pm EDT
7:15 pm GMT, 8:15 pm CET, 11:45 pm IST

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.

New Moon Hanuman Chalisa
2024-05-07 20:00 - 20:45
$5-$20 | Enroll for free, use promo code FREE
Book now/In-PersonPlease review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
Join Snehan for in-person chanting of the Hanuman Chalisa with harmonium.
The Hanuman Chalisa is an ancient 40 line poem by Tulsidas extolling the many attributes and supernatural abilities of the Monkey God, Hanuman.
Sri Hanuman represents the ultimate devotee by his 100% commitment to his Dharmic path of serving Sri Ram, the Lord Itself.
Chanting the Hanuman Chalisa promises the removal of all pain and suffering. And Sri Hanuman is the Wish-fulfilling Deity…..ask for what you really want!
We will chant for 30 minutes or so and then sit in meditation for about 10 minutes more.

Snehan Born, E-RYT 500, has over four decades of experience with yoga. He resides at the Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco, where he teaches yoga classes and is a lead teacher trainer. Snehan is certified in all levels of Integral Yoga Hatha and has received additional certifications in Pranayama, Meditation, Raja Yoga and Stress Management from Integral Yoga. Chanting mantras and playing the harmonium are part of his regular practice and classes. Snehan has lived and traveled extensively within India and practiced with many teachers there. He has taught yoga all over the US as well as in India, Nepal, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Japan and Europe.

New Beginnings Writing Group
2024-05-10 16:00 - 17:30
Online | $1-15 Sliding scale | Meets second & fourth Friday of each month.
Book now/OnlinePlease register in advance; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.
Next session is Friday, May 24th
In these times of great change we will explore a path toward meeting ourselves where we are to give voice to all that matters! As we live with interruptions and chaos, we can deepen into the roots of our creativity, encouraging the river of expression to flow. Beginners and seasoned writers are welcome, as we explore various forms of writing: poetry, prose, short stories, memoir, among others. Through writing exercises using everyday life, place, family, images, poetry of others, while using pranayama, meditation and the guidance of the Sutras we will build a body of work. Participants are encouraged to go at their own pace.
Tools we will Practice:

The Art of Paying Attention
Acceptance
Play
Writing from the Heart

Together we will combine self-care with our writing and discover what a writing practice means to us and how it may take shape.

Susan Ford, C-IAYT, RYT-500, began teaching in 2011 and has been an assistant trainer for the Basic Yoga Teacher Training at Integral Yoga Institute San Francisco (IYISF) since 2012. She specializes in gentle yoga and yoga therapy working with people with disabilities, cancer, heart disease, arthritis, aging, bone health, anxiety, depression and asthma. Her focus is to help students to meet their bodies where they are by introducing and incorporating Therapeutic Yoga, Raja Yoga, Hatha Yoga, pranayama and meditation. Susan has been a writer of poetry, short stories and plays most of her adult life and has been repeatedly featured in storytelling events in Northern California. She has led writer groups, tutored many in writing, and regularly hosts poetry reading Satsangs at IYISF.

Kirtan with Rob & Melissa
2024-05-11 19:00 - 20:30
In-person
$20 In advance, use promo code CHANT, exp. 5/10
$25 Day of
Book now/In-PersonPlease review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
Kirtan, call and response chanting, is considered to be the heartbeat of Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of devotion. Rob and Melissa’s kirtan is a fresh take on an ancient practice, where heart-filled songs blend Sanskrit chants with modern, accessible melodies and lush harmonies. Join Rob and Melissa for a joy-filled celebration of the divine!
Testimonials:
“Kirtan with Rob and Melissa is still flowing and vibrating in and around me! Call it Reiki, call it transmission, call it God, call it whatever-you-like. I have been Touched.”
-Christina Lovejoy, Owner of Morning Light Yoga, Coeur d’Alene, ID
” ….beautiful, soothing and joyful medicine.”
-Marian Wilson

Rob and Melissa are kirtan singers and yoga teachers devoted to sharing their love of kirtan and Bhakti Yoga wherever they go. The husband and wife duo is based in Seattle, but music and yoga keep them on the move, leading kirtans, workshops, and retreats all over the world. They have shared their music at numerous yoga festivals in the US, including Bhakti Fest, Shakti Fest, Prana Fest, Samsara Fest, and the Northwest Yoga Feast.
Their music has been described as “heart-opening bliss,” “joyful medicine,” and “love and devotion materialized!” Whether you’re new to kirtan or a life long devotee, Rob and Melissa create a fun, accessible and sacred space…the perfect setting for a joy-filled celebration of the divine!
Find out more at www.robandmelissa.com

The Last Savasana: Yoga, Breathwork & Inquiry to Help Prepare You for the Final Exit
2024-05-18 13:30 - 17:00
Online & in-person
$62 Early bird, use promo code LAST, exp. 5/11.
$72 Regular
Book now/OnlinePlease register in advance; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.
Book now/In-PersonPlease review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
Join Leslie and Richard for a deep dive into Savasana with a twist. Most of us spend our days trying to extend our lives, i.e. looking both ways before crossing a street, putting our seatbelt on and checking expiration dates on our food. Nonetheless, nothing we do, not even yoga, can help us escape life’s inevitable end. Yoga can help prepare us to face our fear of the inevitable, maybe even embrace it so that we come to appreciate the preciousness of each day we are alive.

Find a renewed appreciation for the beauty of our time on the planet
Increase personal agency around end of life decisions
Delve deep on what really matters to you
Realize a new perspective on a very old pose and how it can help you
be more comfortable with the inevitable

Yoga is meant to bring us more awareness and gives us tools to manage the challenges of being human. This workshop is designed to manage the anxiety we all have around dying and to be more comfortable with these types of conversations.
There will be a short lecture on the history, practice, symbolic message of this often misunderstood pose. Then we will do a series of short practices with a savasana. Each practice will begin with a thought provoking question around your own death, like what are some of your regrets in life, or what do you want your legacy to be, who am I. After each practice, you will be given time to journal about each question. We’ll conclude with a group discussion and of course a final (FOR THIS WORKSHOP) savasana.
Leslie and Richard have been talking about the power of savasana for a long time. They got the idea to do a whole book about it and to include some of the teaching of yoga around accepting death. This workshop is a result of many hours of conversation and we hope to pull it all together for a book before we die!
Hear what others are saying:
“The workshop on Savasana with Leslieji and Richardji was a beautiful, poetic experience, the pose as a metaphor, a rehearsal for the final act in one’s life explored ever so lovingly and thoughtfully. I loved everything about it : the way ‘doing’ and ‘being’—asanas, breathing and Mudras—are all woven together with various versions of Savaasna serving as knots, creating a dynamic and at the same time a contemplative space for the body and mind. Leslie’s every prompt for the journal gently filled in the practical aspects. At the end, I left the mat with an awareness that I hope to carry with me to the end, an understanding released in a deep sigh that silently says, ‘all done.’ Thank you so much, dear Leslie and Richard, for designing such a beautiful workshop that captures the philosophical heart of yoga in the one asana to live and die for.“
– Sarada, class participant
“I took Leslie Howard’s and Richard Rosen’s “The Last Savasana” workshop in February 2024. I had experienced a lot of loss in the last months of 2023 so this was a great way to look at my own “end”.The prompts we were given were fairly simple. But in the asana and/or breathing practices that followed, during which time we were instructed to think about the prompts, life became a little more complicated. This led into a period to “journal” about the prompts and our responses to them.It was a safe place to explore end of life issues….regrets, guilt, shame; how one might envision their last days; and finally one’s LegacyLeslie and Richard a great facilitators and this was an afternoon of introspection well spent. Can recommend this workshop with high praise and gratitude.“
–Sandra S. class participant

Leslie Howard is an Oakland-based yoga teacher, specializing in all things pelvic. She leads workshops and trainings nationally and has written a book about caring for the female pelvis, Pelvic Liberation. In 2022, after losing a long time student, she took a deep dive into the subject of death. She has 60 hours of Death Doula training, runs a regular Death Café (a place to come and talk about death) and is volunteering in hospice for Kaiser Oakland. Her teaching is informed by over 3500 hours of yoga study with senior Iyengar yoga teachers. She considers Ramanand Patel her most important influence and mentor. She has designed two very successful studies for UCSF on how to use yoga to alleviate incontinence and pelvic pain. To learn more about Leslie or for some online education opportunities visit: www.lesliehowardyoga.com
Richard Rosen, E-RYT500, began his practice of yoga in 1980 at the Yoga Room, in Berkeley, CA. Two years later he began a two-year teacher training course at the B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Institute in San Francisco, from which he graduated in 1983. In 1987, with his good friend Rodney Yee, he opened the Piedmont Yoga Studio in Oakland, CA, which operated until 2012. Richard has written numerous articles and reviews for national yoga magazines, and is also the author of five books, four of them published by Shambhala: The Yoga of Breath (2002), Pranayama: Beyond the Fundamentals (2006), Original Yoga (2012), a book on traditional yoga practice based on the seventeenth century Gheranda Samhita (Gheranda’s Compilation), and Yoga FAQ: Almost Everything You Need to Know about Yoga–from Asanas to Yamas (2017). His fifth book for Shambhala, Yoga by the Numbers, is due out in the Spring of 2022. Richard lives in a 115-year-old bungalow in beautiful Berkeley, CA.

Sunday Spiritual Talk: Let's Talk About Karma
2024-05-19 11:30 - 12:30
$5-$20 | Enroll for free, use promo code FREE
Book now/OnlinePlease register in advance; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.
Defined as the sum of one’s actions and their consequences, Karma is a popular and interesting concept. Is it a myth or real? What is the difference between Karma and Karma Yoga? How is karma related to Samskaras? And how does understanding Karma help us navigate our lives better? Please join me in this interactive session where we investigate, explore and talk about Karma.
“Every action of our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity.” – Edwin Hubbell
People of all faiths are welcome.

Mia Velez, E-RYT 500, entered the Integral Yoga Sangha in 2016 through the kitchen by helping to cook Thursday community lunches and silent retreat meals. In 2018 she was certified as an Integral Yoga teacher to learn more of the IYI approach and be part of the lineage. Mia is a disciple of the Moy Yat Ving Tsun Kung Fu lineage and is highly influenced by her martial arts training. After completing her first 200-hour teacher training in 2008, she began to see undeniable parallels in Yoga and Kung Fu. When she began teaching Kung Fu in 2014, she incorporated Yoga insight and principles in her classes. Her goal in teaching is to connect with the students and to facilitate a safe space for exploration and self-inquiry. Yoga and Kung Fu are integrated into her daily life as a mother, a preschool teacher, and an advocate for gender, race, and class equality through multiple non-profit groups.

Cultivating 4 Keys to Peace, 7-day Meditation & Raja Yoga course
2024-05-20 07:15 - 08:00
7 consecutive days: MAY 20-26, 7:15-8:00 am
$40 Early bird, use promo code KEYS, exp. 5/13/24 | $50 regular
Book now/OnlinePlease register in advance; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.
Join Diana Meltsner a meditation teacher and teacher trainer online for 7 morning meditations and brief talks. They will focus on 4 keys from Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Book 1 Sutra 33; friendliness, compassion, delight and tranquility. These keys cultivated with meditation in the mind lead to developing attitudes towards oneself, others and our daily life experience. We can acquire the ability to stay present regardless of what is happening within us and around us. When cultivated, this helpful and practical mindfulness skill allows the mind to remain undisturbed and become a useful tool and a friend to us.
With these practices Yoga and Buddhism meet. In Buddhism they are known as the Brahma Viharas, The Four Immeasurables, the practices of the heart. One learns to dwell (vihara) in these four forms of love as said by God Brahma. In the Buddhist texts and in Upanishads, these mental attitudes are considered to create protection and are associated with strength.
Meditation, talk, discussion and sharing will be included. Keeping a daily journal is recommended but not required.
All sessions will be recorded and shared with participants for later viewing.
CEUs 5 hours for Yoga Alliance offered to teachers upon request.

Diana Meltsner, C-IAYT, ERYT-500, YACEP, has been teaching a variety of classes and workshops since 2001 and since 2017 offers yoga therapy sessions privately and at Integral Yoga Therapy Clinic in San Francisco. She has worked in the clinical setting for Kaiser Permanente since 2005 as a yoga teacher, yoga therapist, and health educator and is teaching mindfulness and meditation to the medical staff. Her focus is on the healing aspects of yoga on the mind as well as the body by applying the teachings of Yoga, practices of breath-control, mindfulness and meditation. Diana helps her clients to find healing and the ability to move through life with increased ease, stress resilience, and intuition. Diana Meltsner works as a programs manager and serves on the board of directors at Integral Yoga Institute, an urban ashram in San Francisco. She is a yoga teacher trainer for the 200-hour and Meditation Teacher trainings. www.dianameltsner.com

Full Moon Chanting
2024-05-23 20:00 - 20:30
Online & in-person | $5-$20 | Enroll for free, use promo code FREE
Book now/OnlinePlease register in advance; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session. You can also join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.
Book now/In-PersonPlease review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
We gather once a month to chant the Gayatri Mantra, the great mantra of Light and Liberation, to maximize the spiritual benefits of the full moon.
“oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ
tat savitur vareṇyaṃ
bhargo devasya dhīmahi
dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt”
– Rigveda 3.62.10[11]

Snehan Born, E-RYT 500, has over four decades of experience with yoga. He resides at the Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco, where he teaches yoga classes and is a lead teacher trainer. Snehan is certified in all levels of Integral Yoga Hatha and has received additional certifications in Pranayama, Meditation, Raja Yoga and Stress Management from Integral Yoga. Chanting mantras and playing the harmonium are part of his regular practice and classes. Snehan has lived and traveled extensively within India and practiced with many teachers there. He has taught yoga all over the US as well as in India, Nepal, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Japan and Europe.

New Beginnings Writing Group
2024-05-24 16:00 - 17:30
Online | $1-15 Sliding scale | Meets second & fourth Friday of each month.
Book now/OnlinePlease register in advance; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.
In these times of great change we will explore a path toward meeting ourselves where we are to give voice to all that matters! As we live with interruptions and chaos, we can deepen into the roots of our creativity, encouraging the river of expression to flow. Beginners and seasoned writers are welcome, as we explore various forms of writing: poetry, prose, short stories, memoir, among others. Through writing exercises using everyday life, place, family, images, poetry of others, while using pranayama, meditation and the guidance of the Sutras we will build a body of work. Participants are encouraged to go at their own pace.
Tools we will Practice:

The Art of Paying Attention
Acceptance
Play
Writing from the Heart

Together we will combine self-care with our writing and discover what a writing practice means to us and how it may take shape.

Susan Ford, C-IAYT, RYT-500, began teaching in 2011 and has been an assistant trainer for the Basic Yoga Teacher Training at Integral Yoga Institute San Francisco (IYISF) since 2012. She specializes in gentle yoga and yoga therapy working with people with disabilities, cancer, heart disease, arthritis, aging, bone health, anxiety, depression and asthma. Her focus is to help students to meet their bodies where they are by introducing and incorporating Therapeutic Yoga, Raja Yoga, Hatha Yoga, pranayama and meditation. Susan has been a writer of poetry, short stories and plays most of her adult life and has been repeatedly featured in storytelling events in Northern California. She has led writer groups, tutored many in writing, and regularly hosts poetry reading Satsangs at IYISF.

Kirtan with Acharya Mangalananda
2024-05-25 19:00 - 20:30
$25 Day of | $20 In advance, use promo code UNION, exp. 5/24
Book now/In-PersonPlease review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
Acharya Mangalananda has learned by deep immersion the traditional spiritual music of India. His kirtan is couched in the mystical ragas of India and is full of the lively ecstatic joy of the Divine Names.
Mangalananda has toured extensively throughout India, Europe and the USA, presenting kirtan concerts, yoga classes and workshop retreats. He is an Acharya (an appointed Spiritual Teacher) of Ma Anandamayi Ashram in Omkareshwar / Indore in the lineage of Sri Anandamayi Ma.
Chanting mantras and prayers are elements of the Bhakti Yoga path which leads to union with the Divine Consciousness. Chanting calms the nerves, purifies the emotions, heals the body and opens the heart. It elevates and concentrates the mind, preparing one for silent mantra repetition, meditation and communion with the Divine. Chanting done with a devotional attitude lifts the emotions toward selfless, divine love.

Open House for Raja Yoga Teacher Training
2024-05-30 17:00 - 18:00
Online | Free
Book now/OnlinePlease register in advance; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.
Join Swami Ramananda, Swami Divyananda and Kealoha DeLuz in a free info session about the online Raja Yoga Teacher Training starting on Thursday, June 20, 2024.
Raja Yoga provides a practical approach to health and balance in all aspects of life: physical, mental, social and spiritual. It proposes a pathway to relieve suffering, which is the goal of all the great wisdom traditions, and the practical goal of Yoga teaching and therapy.
This is a natural next step in learning for those who completed 200-hour Yoga teacher training from any Yoga tradition and will give teachers practical tools on how to share these ancient teachings in these modern times.
For more information about the upcoming training visit Raja Yoga Teacher Training
The attending participants will receive a discount for $100 reduced tuition if they apply and pay by the end of the week, June 2nd.
Raja Teacher Training will be led by trainers Swami Ramananda and Swami Divyananda, with guest trainer Swami Vidyananda & senior staff Kealoha DeLuz and Sue Evans

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.
Swami Divyananda Ma, E-RYT 500, has had a wealth of experience teaching Integral Yoga around the world since 1973. She has taught at corporations, universities, the Commonwealth Cancer Center, and for the Dr. Dean Ornish Reversing Heart Disease programs. She has also served as one of Integral Yoga’s Basic Hatha teacher trainers. Swami Divyananda Ma took monastic vows in 1975 from the great saint and yogi, Sri Swami Satchidananda. Over the years she has served as the director of the Integral Yoga Institutes in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and as Ashram Manager at Yogaville. She also served for ten years as the director of the Integral Yoga Institute in Coimbatore, India; this immersion into the South Indian culture has given depth to her understanding and practice of Yoga. Now an itinerant monk, Swami Divyananda is constantly “on the road.” She leads the annual Sacred India Tours to sacred sites in India in addition to international Yoga retreats and trainings. Learn more at sacredindiatours.org.
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.

Pranayama: A Healing Science
2024-06-01 08:00 - 13:30
This event has been cancelled
Online | $75.00 (11am – 4:30pm ET)
From slowing down aging to boosting self awareness and reducing stress, Pranayama, or Yoga breathwork, has the power to enhance our everyday lives in more ways than we thought imaginable. Recent research provides ample evidence that Pranayama benefits our physical health and mental well-being, and even slows down the process of aging on a cellular level. As a true Science, the effects of Pranayama practices are predictable and repeatable. Pranayama can be learned easily and practiced safely to improve many of our health issues.
Integral Yoga Institutes of NJ and San Francisco are bringing together fifty years of experience of Senior Teachers to offer a special Introductory online Seminar: “Pranayama: The Healing Science” leading to an in-depth Course to develop your skills and experience, both as a teacher and practitioner. You can enjoy a taste of what is in store by checking out this video:
YouTube: Margabandhu leading Pranayama Class
Margabandhu Martarano, Swami Ramananda, Rev. Premajyothi Devi and Raama Das will discuss

The Health Benefits of Pranayama
Introduction & Review of the Basic Pranayama Practices
Introducing Variations in Pranayama & their Benefits
How to build & progress safely in one’s practice
Details on a Complete Course that can help you personally as well as help others
Questions & Answers

Margabandhu Martarano, E-RYT 500, has served as director of the New Jersey Integral Yoga® Institute for 50 years. Margabandhu is a senior certified Integral Yoga instructor, proficient in all aspects of Yoga. He has a B.A. in education, is a master herbalist, and is certified in therapeutic acupressure massage and reflexology. Margabandhu is also the director of the Well Being Center in Verona, NJ, a holistic center specializing in all aspects of health and healing. He is the co-creator of the Yoga for Autism teacher training.
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.
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.
Rev. Prema Jyothi is a certified Integral Yoga Instructor for Cardiac, Children’s, Intermediate Hatha, Meditation, Pre-natal, Post-Partum, Raja Yoga, and Beginner Hatha Yoga. On August 19, 2006, she deepened her commitment to Integral Yoga by becoming an Integral Yoga Minister, dedicated to serving all the needs of our community. She specializes in bereavement services.

Satsang: Making Meditation Accessible
2024-06-01 17:30 - 18:30
$5-$20 | Enroll for free, use promo code FREE.
Book now/OnlinePlease register in advance; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.
Book now/In-PersonPlease review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
Although it’s one of the most widely used spiritual practices in the world, many people believe that they can’t meditate. This might be because they believe that their mind has to be quiet or peaceful in meditation. Or they may have had a negative experience with meditation and give up on the idea of practicing altogether. In this Satsang, Jivana and Ramananda will offer clear simple methods to make meditation accessible, build a regular practice, and experience the way meditation can transform our lives. They’ll explore a few different techniques and approaches to make the practice more accessible, including trauma-sensitive practices, and alternative forms of meditation that might be more welcoming for many practitioners.
A simple vegetarian meal will be offered after this in-person Satsang with a suggested in-person donation of $5-10.
Satsang is a special time for us to come together as a community. In Sanskrit, Sat means truth and Sangha means community. Satsang offers an opportunity to come together to share spiritual teachings. The philosophy of Integral Yoga is explored often through an informal discussion. Although our spiritual paths may diverge, the act of sharing spiritual teachings with others is inspiring and creates a solid foundation for continued practice.
People of all faiths are welcome.

Jivana Heyman is the founder and director of Accessible Yoga, an organization dedicated to increasing access to the yoga teachings and supporting yoga teachers. He’s the author of the books: Accessible Yoga: Poses and Practices for Every Body; Yoga Revolution: Building a Practice of Courage & Compassion; and a new book, The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga: Best Practices for Sharing Yoga with Every Body. His books, classes, and trainings offer support to yoga teachers and yoga therapists in finding ways to bring creativity and collaboration into their teaching while still respecting the ancient yoga tradition. More info at jivanaheyman.com.
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.

Scripture Study: The Path to Freedom, 3-part
2024-06-03 18:00 - 19:00
Online | $5-15 sliding scale. Please register separately for each session.
Book now/OnlinePlease register in advance; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.
Each session offered individually:
Monday, June 3, 6:00-7:00 pm
Monday, June 10, 6:00-7:00 pm
Monday, June 17, 6:00-7:00 pm
In this three part series, Swami Ramananda will guide us in a study of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali to transform our relationships with each other and our goals.
6/3 – The first session will focus on understanding the root cause of suffering.
6/10 – The second session will examine the necessity of adversity for spiritual growth.
6/17 – In the third session, we will explore the pathways to authentic joy.
All are welcome to join any one or all of the sessions.
The Yoga Scripture Study series is an offering in which participants learn and discuss how the teachings of Yoga apply to our daily lives. We read passages, take time to reflect upon them, and share with each other how these words and practices support us on the spiritual path.

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.
