Integral Yoga San Francisco

A Unifying Theory of Lifestyle Medicine
2025-10-11 11:00 - 12:15 (America/Los_Angeles)
$25 Early bird, use promo code MEDICINE, exp. 11/4
$30 Regular
Book now/OnlineWe appreciate advance registration.
This presentation will explain why a whole foods plant-based diet, moderate exercise, stress management techniques, and love/social support are so beneficial in treating and preventing a wide variety of chronic diseases. They share common biological mechanisms which, in turn, are directly influenced to what we eat, how we respond to stress, how much exercise we have, and how much love and social support we experience. The health policy implications of this will also be explored.
This workshop will be recorded for later viewing and shared for limited time with all enrolled students.

An author of 7 bestselling books, Dean Ornish, MD, is founder and president of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute and Ornish Lifestyle Medicine, and Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCSF. He directed groundbreaking randomized trials showing, for the first time, that lifestyle changes often reverse many chronic diseases, without drugs or surgery. Medicare created a new category to cover his program for reversing heart disease. He was recognized as a “TIME 100 Innovator;” a University of California, Berkeley, “National Public Health Hero;” a New Yorker cartoon and two Jeopardy answers; and by Forbes as “one of the world’s seven most powerful teachers.”

Music and Poetry of South Asian Mystics: an exploration of Sufi songs
2025-10-11 19:00 - 20:30
In-person | $25 Day of | $20 In advance, use promo code SUFI
Book now/In-PersonWe appreciate advance registration.
Join us for exploration of traditional devotional music from the motherland of Yoga.
Anhad Naad Collective presents:
Music and Poetry of South Asian Mystics: an exploration of Sufi songs.
We are sharing our own experience with Sufism through singing, music and poetry. Audience is encouraged to sing along with us, we will provide lyrics with English translations.
Historically, in South Asia, Sufism played a huge role in inter-faith syncretism and Sufi shrines (dargahs) have been pivotal to communal harmony.
Singers:
Divya Vyas, Faizan Ali, Irum M, Vivek Anand and Ashwini Sriram
Instruments:
Abhay Shankar Anand -Tabla
Craig Reiter – bass
Jun Qb Moda Jazz -keyboard , flute

Spiritual Study: Living Into the Yoga Sutras in Daily Life, 4-Part
2025-10-13 18:00 - 19:00, 2025-10-20 18:00 - 19:00, 2025-10-27 18:00 - 19:00
Online | $5-15 sliding scale | 4 Mondays, offered individually
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.
The Yoga Sutras offer practical guidance on how to live from a place of peace, joy, love, and light.
They can shift our perception of the world around us, making our interactions—with those we love, those we encounter, and even with ourselves—more easeful and compassionate.
Let’s explore what it means to become our best Self in the world—together.
Join Jyothi Kimberly Schick and Dharmini Debra Fischgrund for this four-part series as we dive into key sutras and learn how to surf the waves of daily life with wisdom and grace.
The Yoga Spiritual Study series is an offering in which participants learn and discuss how the teachings of Yoga apply to our daily lives. We read passages from scriptures of Yoga and other ancient and contemporary spiritual texts, take time to reflect upon them, and share with each other how these words and practices support us on the spiritual path. All are welcome to join any one or all of the sessions.
4 Mondays – Book individually:

October 6
October 13
October 20
October 27

Jyothi Kimberley Schick, RYT-500. Yoga is my life, and my lifestyle. I am a 20+ year practitioner, 15+ of that as an instructor, with 1000+ hours of yoga-related training, and an RYT-500 from the Integral Yoga Institute. My style of teaching is holistic and meditative in nature, with breath as the entry point. I create a sacred container for students to go deep in their practice, find their center, and access peace within.
Dharmini Debra Fischgrund’s bio coming soon.

Satsang: Inspiration for the Spiritual Journey
2025-10-18 12:00 - 13:00
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.
Book now/In-PersonWe appreciate advance registration.
Join us for this heartfelt and inspiring session, where two senior and widely respected Integral Yoga swamis, Swamis Ramananda and Asokananda, will reflect on the teachings and practices that have sustained them over the years. They will also share what continues to inspire and renew their dedication to the path today.
The spiritual journey is filled with challenges, and progress can often feel slow or uncertain. Along the way, we benefit deeply from the support of fellow travelers, those who have walked this path before us, who generously share their experience, and who care enough to walk beside us.
Please bring your heartfelt questions. At least half of the session will be dedicated to Q&A. All are welcome.
This workshop will be recorded and available to enrolled students for 2 weeks.

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.

Therapeutic Yoga and Sound Healing
2025-10-19 15:30 - 17:30
In-person
$45 | $40 Early bird, use promo code SOUND, exp. 10/12
Book now/In-PersonWe appreciate advance registration.
Therapeutic Yoga and Sound Healing are remedies for the challenges of our stressful times, and blends restorative yoga with guided breathwork and sound healing. Accompanied by the healing sounds of various instruments, you will be gently guided to relax into postures that allow for deep relaxation and restoration of the entire body including tight muscles, restricted fascia, overstimulated nervous systems, and an overactive or out of balanced mind, resetting and restoring a natural rhythm to your whole being. The practice creates a calm, supportive and nurturing environment in which you can relax and let go, allowing the innate wisdom of your body to naturally restore balance and well-being. Whether you just need to decompress from stress, recover from injury or if you’re dealing with chronic illness, this workshop will help your body, mind and spirit to relax, rejuvenate, and heal.
No prior yoga experience is necessary.
Please register in advance, space is limited. Thank you!

Rachel is an IAYT Certified Yoga Therapist, Educator and Doctor of Psychology. Specializing in trauma work and embodied practices for nervous system integration, Rachel helps clients increase their capacity for joy and love in life through somatic movement, breath work, sound healing, self-reflection, and cultivating healthy life choices. Rachel brings years of mental health experience working with at-risk and underserved populations, integrating Eastern and Western practices to help clients move past symptom relief into true healing. She has brought holistic yoga programs and professional trainings on yoga for mental health into community mental health centers, hospitals and schools. Rachel’s aim is to guide individuals into states of peace and trust in their life’s story through the mind and body, create community, and bring the teachings and practices of yoga into various settings around the world. Rachel’s classes meet each student where they are at while still challenging them to reach new heights of self-realization, acceptance, and strength and flexibility, both on and off of the mat. She will push you to challenge yourself while also guiding you to listen to your body and intuition, teaching from a place of authenticity, passion and playfulness. To learn more about Rachel and her work visit racheljenninewellnessandyoga.com.
PJ Church is an RYT-500 and certified yoga therapist who has been a practitioner of yoga, mindfulness and related modalities for decades. Over the last 12 years, he has taught an array of studio classes, workshops and teacher trainings. Modalities that PJ teaches and practices include Hatha, Raja, Restorative, Vinyasa, Yin, as well as sound healing. When not teaching, he enjoys books, tea, travel, music, and being a grandparent.

Cultivating Compassion and Forgiveness, 7-day Meditation and Raja Yoga course
2025-10-20 07:15 - 2025-10-26 08:00
7 mornings, Monday-Sunday, October 20-26, 7:15 – 8:00 am.
$45 Early bird, use promo code MEDITATE, exp. 10/13
$55 Regular
All sessions will be recorded and shared with participants for later viewing.
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 three meditation teachers—Diana Meltsner, Swami Ramananda, and Eric Gustafson—for seven online morning meditations and brief talks focused on Karuna, or compassion and forgiveness.
Compassion, mercy, and forgiveness—when cultivated through meditation—help us develop a positive attitude toward ourselves, others, and our everyday experiences. Paired with practical mindfulness skills, meditation supports a calm and clear mind in the face of sorrow and suffering, enabling us to be of service even in difficult situations.
This is a path of connection to the heart, where Yoga and Buddhism meet, aligning our personal will with a deep concern for the well-being of others. Karuna is recognized in Buddhism as one of the Brahma Viharas (The Four Immeasurables), and in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali as one of the keys to maintaining mental tranquility.
Each session includes meditation, a talk, discussion, and sharing. Keeping a daily journal is encouraged but not required.
All sessions will be recorded and shared with participants for later viewing.
Yoga Alliance CEUs (4 hours) are available 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 over 15 years of experience in leading and co-teaching Yoga and Meditation teacher trainings. She has been working in the clinical setting for Kaiser Permanente since 2005 as a yoga teacher, yoga therapist, and health educator. Diana’s focus is on the healing aspects of Yoga on the mind as well as the body by applying the physical postures, practices of breath-control, mindfulness and meditation. Diana helps her clients to find the ability to move through life with increased ease, stress resilience, and intuition. Diana Meltsner works as a programs manager at Integral Yoga Institute, an urban ashram in San Francisco. www.dianameltsner.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.
Eric Gustafson embarked on a yoga journey more than 25 years ago. It became a foundation from which his life thrives and he serves. Many years of solid practice on and off the mat allows him to draw from experience and share yoga teachings with others as a teacher and a mentor to new teachers. Spiritual study, meditation and loving kindness are at the core of his daily practice. It is the source of inspiration for him and others and a bit of silliness is never far behind

Fueling the Flame: Cultivating True Sincerity on the Spiritual Path
2025-10-23 18:00 - 19:30
Online and In-person | $10-25 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.
Book now/In-PersonWe appreciate advance registration.
What is sincerity? How can we deepen it? And how do we recognize when it is truly present in us?
We engage in practices that nurture the well-being of body and mind—this is our sadhana. Yet at times, we unconsciously undermine those efforts. One foot presses the accelerator, while the other rests on the brake.
In this workshop, Swami Asokananda will offer heartfelt insights and practical tools to help us become more earnest and focused on the spiritual path. Learn how to release the brake, press the gas with confidence, and move forward with greater clarity, sincerity, and inner momentum.
“If you are earnest, whatever way you choose will take you to your goal. It is the earnestness that is the decisive factor. Earnestness is the homing instinct which makes the bird return to its nest and the fish to the mountain stream where it was born. The seed returns to the earth when the fruit is ripe.” Nisargadatta Maharaj
Everyone is welcome to stay for tea and visit with Swami Asokananda afterwards.
This workshop will be recorded for later viewing and shared for 2 weeks with all enrolled students.

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.

New Beginnings Writing Group
2025-10-24 16:00 - 17:30
Online | $1-15 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.
Meets twice a month on 2nd and 4th Friday | Ongoing
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.
Next session is 11/14.

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 Amritamurti, Chaitanya, Sumeru, Christopher & Tori
2025-10-25 19:00 - 20:30
IN-PERSON
$15 In advance, use promo code KIRTAN
$20 Day of
Book now/In-PersonWe appreciate advance registration.
In this Kirtan gathering, we will sing and chant accompanied by the harmonium and khol drum, immersing ourselves in a devotional practice that invokes the mantras of the deities. Through sound, we invite their presence and qualities to awaken within our own hearts and minds. This is a practice of community, where our voices weave together to adorn the presence of our collective sadhana—our shared spiritual journey.
Amritamurti, Chaitanya, Sumeru, Christopher, and Tori — the Jivas — are a group of aspirants and bhaktas, friends from diverse cultures and spiritual traditions, united by a shared love of music. They come together in song to celebrate and explore the mystery and power of mantra.

Anger Management Through Yoga Therapy
2025-11-01 13:00 - 16:00
This event has been cancelled.
Online & In-person
$58 | $49 Early bird, use promo code ANGER, exp. 10/25
Anger is a completely normal—and often necessary—human emotion. It can range from mild irritation to intense rage, and like all emotions, it brings with it distinct physiological changes While anger can be useful in signaling boundary violations or injustice, unmanaged anger can lead to harm—internally and externally.
You can’t eliminate anger—and you shouldn’t try to. But you can transform your relationship to it. This Yoga Therapy-based anger management workshop offers practical, somatic tools to help you recognize how anger manifests in your body and mind, and to regulate both the emotional intensity and physiological arousal it creates.
This work empowers you to work with anger as a source of energy, clarity, and transformation, helping you express it in ways that support healing, communication, and emotional well-being. Through reflective inquiry, breathwork, grounding practices, and mindful movement, you’ll learn to engage with anger consciously rather than reactively.

Antonio Sausys MA, IGT, CMT, C-IAYT is a somatic psychologist and yoga therapist specializing in grief counseling and therapy.He studied with Hugo Bilsky and Yoga masters and teachers such as Indra Devi, Ram Dass, Swami Shankaradevananda, Swami Ekananda, Babashi Singh and Swami Mairtreyananda. He has continued his professional development with training in Integrative Grief Therapy with Lyn Prashant, Foot Reflexology, Swedish Therapeutic Massage and Reiki. Antonio presents his work both nationally and internationally at Schools and Universities and leads retreats at Ashrams, Retreat Centers and Yoga Studios., is a member of the World Yoga Council, the International Association of Yoga Therapists, a TV Host for YogiViews and the founder and Executive Director of ‘Yoga for Health’ the International Yoga Therapy Conference. He is the author of ‘Yoga for Grief Relief: Simple Practices for Transforming Your Grieving Mind and Body’ (New Harbinger) and a contributor for Yoga and Science in Pain Care – Treating the Person in Pain (Edited by Shelly Prosko and Neil Person – Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2019) and New Techniques of Grief Therapy: Bereavement and Beyond by Robert Niemeyer (Routledge 2019).

Yoga for Strong Bones
2025-11-01 15:30 - 17:00
$16 | Online – first Saturday 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.

Did you know that yoga can help strengthen your bones? Research by Dr. Loren Fishman shows that practicing specific yoga poses can improve bone density and quality, helping prevent fractures and support bone health at any age. Yoga also enhances balance, posture, and coordination—key factors in reducing the risk of falls.
This ongoing monthly class focuses on Dr. Fishman’s 12 poses from Series I, gradually introducing additional bone-strengthening poses from his Series II and III over time. These are integrated within a traditional Integral Yoga structure of warm-ups, asanas, guided relaxation, pranayama, and brief meditation. The approach is gentle, steady, and mindful—supporting bone health, posture, balance, and coordination for people of all ages.
Depending on class interest and familiarity, each session may begin with brief discussions on general bone-building fundamentals—such as how bones are formed, how they change with age, and how movement and lifestyle can help maintain bone strength—before transitioning into guided yoga practice. Whether you are joining for the first time or returning to refine and deepen your understanding, you’ll benefit from ongoing
participation.
All levels are welcome. Standing, chair-based, and wall-supported variations will be offered to make the practice safe and accessible.
Recommended props (please have them nearby before class begins to ensure a safe and comfortable practice): Yoga mat, chair (without arms), strap, block, wall access, and a thick towel or blanket.
Important note: This class is educational and experiential in nature. If you have any
medical conditions—including fractures, spinal issues, or joint replacements (especially hips or knees)—please consult your healthcare provider before participating. The class offers safe modifications but is not a substitute for medical advice.

Saroja Subrahmanyan, E-RYT 500, has studied and practiced yoga for several decades. Her early yoga studies were in India followed by extensive teacher training in the Integral Yoga tradition since 1994 (Basic, Intermediate, Stress Management, Accessible Yoga Teacher Training, Laughing Yoga, Raja Yoga, Meditation). She also received training in other areas such as Therapeutic yoga, Laughter Yoga in the Madan Kataria style, Ayurveda, Reiki, iRest® Level 1 and a 20- hour teacher training course on Yoga vs. Osteoporosis offered by Dr. Loren Fishman in February 2024. She has taught yoga and stress management courses in a variety of settings and for varied audiences (colleges, gyms, offices, ashram, yoga studios and private classes) in the US, Singapore, and India. For the past two decades, she has taught a popular yoga philosophy and practice course at Saint Mary’s College of California, where is also a tenured professor in the business school. She loves how yoga practices offer guidance for physical, mental, and spiritual health and can be practiced by anyone.

Satsang: Book Event—Mom's in There
2025-11-01 17:30 - 18:30
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-PersonWe appreciate advance registration.
Join Kirana Stover—Integral Yoga trainer and director of the Integral Yoga Center in Barcelona, Spain—as she celebrates the publication of her book Mom’s in There with all of you. Through sharing the story of her mother’s passing, Kirana invites others to open up and share their own experiences of loss.
When she learns of her mother’s terminal diagnosis, the author returns to the city of her birth. Mother and daughter find, re-find, and lose each other in a tender, poetic portrayal of the end of a life.
Mom’s in There is a gentle shift in perception. It invites readers to engage with the creative energy that being present can awaken. For anyone caring for someone who is dying, or grieving the loss of a loved one, this book serves as a powerful reminder to be here, now.
“This simple, almost childlike book, is a doorway to wonder! Without commentary or interpretation, the author records her mother’s words and the scenes through her window during the last months of her life. Without the sense of the author as intermediary, I felt that I was personally there and I joined her mother as she made the journey from anxiety to wonder, and from prose to poetry. This sweet story soothed my own fears of dying, and brought glimpses of the Great Life beyond.”
~ Swami Divyananda Ma, Integral Yoga.
Everyone is welcome to stay for tea and light snacks afterwards.
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.
This donation-based program will not be recorded.

Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Kirana was first introduced to Integral Yoga in 1982. In 1987 Kirana lived on 22nd and Guerrero in San Francisco and did karma yoga at the Institute in exchange for Hatha yoga classes. In 1993 she became a certified Hatha yoga teacher and since 2001 has been the director of the Integral Yoga Center in Barcelona, Spain. In 2023 Kirana returned to Virginia to be with her mom who was in hospice care. Mom’s in There is imbued with the essence of the Integral Yoga teaching “Truth is One, Paths are Many.” Her time with her mother was punctuated by a trip to Yogaville; she also spent a week there after her mother “transitioned.” This helped her integrate and understand both her time with her mom and her own spiritual practice at a deeper level.

Annual Virtual Integral Yoga Memorial Service Remembering and Honoring Our Loved Ones
2025-11-02 08:00 - 10:00
Online with Integral Yoga Ministry
Sign up/Online (via Zoom).
There is nothing more difficult than losing a loved one.
Prayerful Presence can be the best support for bereaved and Heartfelt Prayer can be the best support for departed Loved Ones.On Sunday November 2, from 11AM to 1PM EST, we will conduct an Interfaith Memorial Service to honor and pray for our departed loved ones.
Recognizing that Truth is One, Paths are Many, leaders from different traditions will share their views on the passing of the soul and hear their uplifting prayers and songs to move our spirits into a peaceful loving state.
You are warmly invited to participate in our virtual Memorial Service to invoke divine blessings upon the departed souls, assist them on their journey to the heavenly realms, and to bring comfort and peace to their family and friends. We will honor both people who recently departed as well as those departed long ago.
If you would like to include your loved one in the memorial, please email us at ministry@integralyoga.org, by Monday October 27, with their name, date of birth and date of passing, a picture, and one to two of the wonderful qualities for which they will be remembered, and we will publicly honor them during the service.
Even if you are not honoring a departed loved one, you are welcome to join us for the service to celebrate our
Unity in Diversity and pray for others.

For more information: ministry@integralyoga.org

Keep Calm & Tantra OM workshop
2025-11-02 14:00 - 17:00
Online and In-person
$49 | $40 Early bird use code TANTRA exp. 10/26
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-PersonWe appreciate advance registration.
8 Essential Tantra Practices to become fit for Life
“Keeping Calm” – The real goal of yoga. A sense of peace is your true nature. This provides an ability to deal with life’s challenges, remaining focused and in the moment
“Tantra” – Processes for liberation from limiting self beliefs
“Ommmm” – The original mantra, expressing the fundamental vibration of the Universe
Come just as you are, no prior experience necessary, and learn how to add Tantra, Yoga and Meditation to your daily life.
You will learn how to practice:
• “Loosening the Knots” to warm up the Body and release tension
• An Energizing “Sun, I Greet You” sequence
• Shakti Bandha to strengthen the Nervous System
• Bhramari (Humming Bee) breath to soothe the Mind
• A Calming and Grounding “Moon, I Honor You” series
• Chakra Hand Mudras to balance Subtle Energy
• Chakra and Mantra Meditation, immersing into Consciousness
• Yoga Nidra and Sankalpa for Inner Peace and Personal Growth
This workshop will be recorded and available to enrolled students for 2 weeks.

Having practiced for many years already, Raama began his journey into the deeper aspects of Yoga, Tantra and Meditation on Sadhana Retreat at The Scandinavian School of Yoga and Meditation in 2009. He was deeply affected by the authentic teachings of Swami Janakananda who in turn was directly mentored by Swami Satyananda of the Bihar school of Yoga in India, over 50 years ago. It was truly a life changing experience and Raama has dedicated his life to practicing and teaching yoga ever since. An experienced class teacher, workshop presenter and teacher trainer for both Integral Yoga and HealMe Yoga, Raama is currently Vice President of the Integral Yoga Institute, San Francisco. By sharing his personal experience of Tantra, Raama now hopes to encourage others to truly incorporate these practices into their own daily life. His informed, compassionate and light hearted approach will ease you through resistance to experience new insights and profound personal growth. Raama has been inspired by Renata’s inquisitive mind and dedication to her practice of Tantra and is delighted to offer this unique workshop as the first of a new collaborative partnership.
Renata began practicing Hatha Yoga two decades ago, initially drawn to it for its physical benefits, but soon realizing how other aspects of the practice are also beneficial for mental and spiritual wellbeing. In 2014 she started to deepen her yoga journey, studying under Vimala Ren Fields of the Healing Arts and Yoga Center in Fredericksburg and began teaching in 2015 at various locations in the area. Renata has a gentle approach to yoga and her teaching style expresses the calmer aspects of the practice, emphasizing breath awareness and an overall sense of peace and balance. She believes that yoga is for everyone, and through her kind and tranquil nature she seeks to inspire students to experience the true essence of yoga, on and off the mat. Renata met Raama in 2018 on a Graduate level Teacher Training that he was leading for HealMe Yoga. Remaining in contact ever since, Renata has gradually incorporated Tantra into her existing Yoga and Meditation practice with his guidance, encouragement and support. Renata’s experience of developing from a “novice” in these techniques, to having a regular daily practice under Raama’s patient mentoring, has led them to now both being uniquely qualified and prepared to introduce Tantra to a wider audience as teaching partners. Contact us: raamaerenata@gmail.com

Monthly Hatha Clinic
2025-11-03 17:00 - 18:30
This event has been cancelled
In-person | $20
First Mondays of each month
The Hatha Clinic focuses on personal practice and alignment with regards to anatomy making the practice of yoga postures, flow and transitions accessible and safe.
This class meets monthly on the last Saturday. It will include mixed level practice with time for questions and learning personalized ways to approach asana. Yoga Clinic approaches asana practice as a somatic practice, where sensations and signals from the whole human system are explored.

Raisa Divyajyothi Punkki, RYT-500, was introduced to Yoga while studying at the University of Arts, Finland in 1988. Studying with various schools of yoga and after years of practicing and wandering on the quest of deeper knowledge, she found her spiritual home at Integral Yoga Institute San Francisco in 2019. Raisa has been certified to teach Hatha Yoga from the Beginning to Advanced levels, Raja Yoga and Stress Management. She is teaching in person and online Hatha classes at the IYI San Francisco. Raisa has over 30 years of experience in teaching movement. She holds an MA in Dance and is a Certified Pilates Teacher with two decades of teaching experience with various age groups and populations. Raisa is also a Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner, SEP®. She guides the private movement and Somatic Experiencing® sessions in her studio located by the Union Square in downtown San Francisco. She wishes to share the beauty of Integral Hatha Yoga’s healing, centering and strengthening power with others in their journey. This sharing of wisdom of Yoga happens with kindness, compassion and passion.

Ananda Rasa Kirtan with Mr David and Band
2025-11-08 19:00 - 21:00
In-person
$30 Day of | $25 In advance, use promo code ANANDA
Book now/In-PersonWe appreciate advance registration.
Ananda Rasa Kirtan led by Mr David (David Estes) is rooted in traditional Sanskrit chants sung to original raga melody compositions and explores the mystical and ecstatic moods of Bhakti in call and response chanting with the audience.
anandarasa.com
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(@) anandarasakirtan

Mr David (David Estes) is the lead vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and band leader of the Ananda Rasa Kirtan band based in the San Francisco Bay Area. David grew up in India and spent several years immersed in the practices of kirtan, sanskrit text chanting, meditation and service as a full time ashram resident. Ananda Rasa Kirtan is rooted in traditional sanskrit chants and mantras sung to original Indian raga based melodies and explores the ecstatic and mystical moods of Bhakti in call and response chanting with the audience. Mr David has also toured with kirtan singers Krishna Das and Jai Uttal and many more supporting on drum and vocals. When not leading kirtan he is running his business Ragamala Harmoniums which has become a harmonium brand favorite worldwide.

New Beginnings Writing Group
2025-11-14 16:00 - 17:30
Online | $1-15 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.
Meets twice a month on 2nd and 4th Friday | Ongoing
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.
This workshop will not meet on 11/27 due to Thanksgiving holiday.

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.

Reclaiming Peace: A Toolkit for Modern Stress
2025-11-15 13:30 - 16:30
Online & In-person
$54 | $45 Early bird, use promo code PEACE, exp. 11/8
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-PersonWe appreciate advance registration.
We’re living in stressful times. The safety and order of our world seem to be disappearing, and the pace of change is accelerating. It’s no wonder that worry and anxiety have become regular companions for many of us.
It’s easy to get caught in doom-scrolling and catastrophizing about the unknown. We do this in an effort to be prepared if the worst happens. But our worry about the future often robs us of the beauty of the present moment. Instead of helping us feel prepared, chronic stress and anxiety create mental imbalance and physical exhaustion, leaving us unable to clearly see our best options for being a positive influence in the world.
Yoga offers practical tools to cultivate mental and emotional calm, helping us rest in our inner peace—regardless of what our lives look like or how the world around us is shifting. This is real power: being in charge of our internal state, no matter the circumstances. From that place of inner steadiness, we can better recognize where and how we can make a meaningful difference.
In this workshop, you will experience:

Yoga strategies for reducing stress and caring for yourself, to find inner steadiness in an unsteady world
Techniques for working with your thoughts and emotions during times of anxiety, to reduce negative conditioning and catastrophizing
Yogic perspectives to help you see your place in the bigger picture
Tools for using the body and breath to stay grounded in the present
Practice of yoga poses, breathwork, relaxation, and centering for stress relief
Discussion of yoga philosophy and wisdom for rising above stress and anxiety

Suitable for all levels.
This workshop will be recorded for later viewing and shared for 2 weeks with all enrolled students.
Yoga Alliance CEUs (3 hours) are available to teachers upon request.

Swami Vidyananda has been teaching Integral Yoga since 1973, and practicing Yoga Therapy since 1979, specializing in Yoga as Stress Management. Vidyananda co-developed the Integral Yoga Stress Management Teacher Training with Swami Ramananda, and taught it for over 30 years. She has taught in many therapeutic programs, including Smith Center Cancer Retreats, Yoga for children with Down Syndrome, Yoga for university students with eating disorders, and chair Yoga for seniors. She is also trained as a hospital chaplain, with an emphasis on end-of-life issues.
Vidyananda has created therapeutic yoga programs for clients with stress-related mental and physical challenges, anxiety, sports and other injuries, and complex trauma. She uses a multi-leveled approach to Stress Management, including adapted stretches, breathing, relaxation, centering and wisdom teachings, to bring wellness to the body, emotions and mind.
Before becoming a Yoga teacher, Vidyananda worked as a broadcast news producer and reporter. Since 1983 she has produced and edited dozens of Yoga Videos, audios and documentaries for Integral Yoga. She also served as conference translator into French for her teacher, Swami Satchidananda, and other notable Yoga Masters. She has been a monk (Swami) since 1983. She founded the Integral Yoga Teachers’ Association and serves as the Director of the Integral Yoga Therapy Training Program. She lives in Satchidananda Ashram, VA, and travels and teaches internationally.

Sunday Spiritual Talk: Becoming Sage as We Age
2025-11-16 11:00 - 12:00
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-PersonWe appreciate advance registration.
As we age, we begin to care less about others’ opinions, recognize the preciousness of time, and find peace in letting go of control. Yoga supports this transition with wisdom teachings that foster clarity, emotional balance, and self-compassion, and gentle, age-appropriate practices that help sustain vitality and well-being.
Together, these tools calm the nervous system, quiet the mind, and invite deeper presence. Even reflecting on death can open the door to living more fully now. Join us online for a thoughtful, supportive exploration of how yoga can help us become truly sage as we age—through discussion,
practice, and community.
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.
This workshop will be recorded and available to enrolled students for 2 weeks..

Swami Vidyananda has been teaching Integral Yoga since 1973, and practicing Yoga Therapy since 1979, specializing in Yoga as Stress Management. Vidyananda co-developed the Integral Yoga Stress Management Teacher Training with Swami Ramananda, and taught it for over 30 years. She has taught in many therapeutic programs, including Smith Center Cancer Retreats, Yoga for children with Down Syndrome, Yoga for university students with eating disorders, and chair Yoga for seniors. She is also trained as a hospital chaplain, with an emphasis on end-of-life issues.
Vidyananda has created therapeutic yoga programs for clients with stress-related mental and physical challenges, anxiety, sports and other injuries, and complex trauma. She uses a multi-leveled approach to Stress Management, including adapted stretches, breathing, relaxation, centering and wisdom teachings, to bring wellness to the body, emotions and mind.
Before becoming a Yoga teacher, Vidyananda worked as a broadcast news producer and reporter. Since 1983 she has produced and edited dozens of Yoga Videos, audios and documentaries for Integral Yoga. She also served as conference translator into French for her teacher, Swami Satchidananda, and other notable Yoga Masters. She has been a monk (Swami) since 1983. She founded the Integral Yoga Teachers’ Association and serves as the Director of the Integral Yoga Therapy Training Program. She lives in Satchidananda Ashram, VA, and travels and teaches internationally.
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.

5 Quick Yoga Steps for Stress Relief
2025-11-18 18:30 - 20:00
Online & in-person
$32 | $26 Early bird RELIEF exp. 11/11
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-PersonWe appreciate advance registration.
5 Quick Yoga Steps for Stress Relief
For the Middle of Your Busy Life
This workshop gives you simple, effective tools to intercept stress right in the middle of your busy day—especially when you:

don’t have time for a full yoga session,
can’t change your clothes,
can’t get down on the floor,
just ate,
and really need some peace of mind.

You’ll learn a collection of 1- to 5-minute yoga practices leading you through a simple 5 step process designed to intercept the stress response as it arises—because that’s exactly when you need it most. We’ll focus primarily on chair and standing yoga. These practices are easy, accessible, fun, and adaptable to any level.
You’ll be amazed by what even a little bit of yoga can do—slipped into your hectic life—to help you rise above the chaos and surf the waves of stress with more grace and clarity. Don’t believe it? Come and see for yourself!
This workshop will be recorded for later viewing and shared for 2 weeks with all enrolled students.
Yoga Alliance CEUs are available to teachers upon request.

Swami Vidyananda has been teaching Integral Yoga since 1973, and practicing Yoga Therapy since 1979, specializing in Yoga as Stress Management. Vidyananda co-developed the Integral Yoga Stress Management Teacher Training with Swami Ramananda, and taught it for over 30 years. She has taught in many therapeutic programs, including Smith Center Cancer Retreats, Yoga for children with Down Syndrome, Yoga for university students with eating disorders, and chair Yoga for seniors. She is also trained as a hospital chaplain, with an emphasis on end-of-life issues.
Vidyananda has created therapeutic yoga programs for clients with stress-related mental and physical challenges, anxiety, sports and other injuries, and complex trauma. She uses a multi-leveled approach to Stress Management, including adapted stretches, breathing, relaxation, centering and wisdom teachings, to bring wellness to the body, emotions and mind.
Before becoming a Yoga teacher, Vidyananda worked as a broadcast news producer and reporter. Since 1983 she has produced and edited dozens of Yoga Videos, audios and documentaries for Integral Yoga. She also served as conference translator into French for her teacher, Swami Satchidananda, and other notable Yoga Masters. She has been a monk (Swami) since 1983. She founded the Integral Yoga Teachers’ Association and serves as the Director of the Integral Yoga Therapy Training Program. She lives in Satchidananda Ashram, VA, and travels and teaches internationally.

Kirtan with Acharya Mangalananda
2025-11-22 19:00 - 20:30
In-person
$25 Day of | $20 In advance, use promo code UNION
Book now/In-PersonWe appreciate advance registration.
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.

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.

Thanksgiving Benefit Yoga Class
2025-11-27 09:30 - 11:00
Online & In-person
$15-$108 (class card use ok)
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-PersonWe appreciate advance registration.
Join us for a Thanksgiving Morning Yoga Class! As we move through our yoga practice, we will focus on gratitude and the profound effects that cultivating gratitude can have in our lives.
All proceeds from this class will support to sustain and grow our IYISF Community Outreach Program, which offers free or low-cost yoga and meditation held in culturally accessible locations to support domestic workers, day laborers, mothers-to-be, young adults with disabilities, and seniors in achieving better health through movement and mindfulness.
The program began to develop in 2022 with a free, six-week yoga series in Spanish for domestic workers, led by Integral Yoga teacher Andreína Maldonado. It was sponsored by IYISF, the San Francisco Day Labor Program, the Women’s Collective, and Dance Mission Theater.
In 2023, the program blossomed with support from grants and private donors. In 2024, it expanded to include Accessible Yoga classes for young adults with disabilities, in partnership with the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).
Now in 2025, the program continues to grow thanks to fundraising and grants from Livongo Health, Working Theory Foundation, Give Back Yoga Foundation, and Lululemon’s Here to Be Foundation, ​a​nd with community partners such as the Alliance for Social and Economic Justice Center, Community Well, Casa Doulas Center, San Francisco Women’s Building, and Access SFUSD. By 2026, it aims to offer postnatal yoga and chair yoga classes for seniors—all in Spanish.
By addressing barriers such as language, culture, cost, and transportation, the IYISF Community Outreach Program fosters inclusive, healing-centered spaces for underserved communities.
Donate or invite others to donate.
This donation-based program will not be recorded.

Andreína Maldonaldo (She/her) is a Venezuelan interdisciplinary performing artist and registered Integral Yoga practitioner based in Yelamu, Ohlone Territory, colonially known as San Francisco, California. She currently teaches beginner level Hatha yoga in Spanish, and in English by request. She guides her students through the powerful practice of Integral yoga by centering mindfulness, joy, and self-care. Join Andreina in this fun and intentional class that will leave you feeling renewed, empowered, and more connected to self and others.

Join Swami Ramananda for Thanksgiving Puja, Sharing & Potluck
Thu. NOV 27 @ 11:15 am – 12:15 pm PST
ONLINE & IN-PERSON
Book now/OnlineBook now/In-Person

Thanksgiving Puja, Sharing & Potluck
2025-11-27 11:15 - 12:15
Online​ & In-person | 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-PersonWe appreciate advance registration.
Join Swami Ramananda at the Institute or online as he performs a sacred ceremony to invoke the Spiritual Light and guide us in a reflection on the profound spiritual practice of gratitude. We will have time for personal sharing on the many blessings we have received. It’s our ability to be grateful for whatever we have that allows us to connect with the Joy and Divinity already within us.
We will share a potluck meal afterward and enjoy each other’s company. Please bring a vegetarian dish to share (no meat, fish or eggs).
This donation-based program will not be recorded.

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.

Join Andreína Maldonaldo for Thanksgiving Benefit Yoga Class
Thu. November 27 @ 9:30 am – 11:00 am PST
ONLINE & IN-PERSON
Book now/OnlineBook now/In-Person

Spiritual Study: Resist or Surrender
2025-12-02 18:00 - 19:00
Online | $5-15 sliding scale | Free for active IYISF 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.
How do we interact with our world, maintain our inner peace, and still be responsible citizens?
So many changes are happening so quickly—many of which raise questions. These shifts impact us financially, environmentally, and emotionally. What will their long-term effects be?
Do we resist or surrender?
How do we live in the world, yet not be of it?
What is the Yogic perspective?
Join us for a short talk and discussion. This session will not be recorded.

Swami Vimalananda Ma, RYT500, is an Integral Yoga sannyasi – monk. She has been involved with Integral Yoga since 1971 and Director of the San Francisco Integral Yoga Institute from 1992-2011. She specializes in teaching yoga philosophy and spiritual counseling.

Satsang: What Do We Do Now?
2025-12-06 17:30 - 18:30
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.
How’s everyone holding up out there? How are you managing while the world feels like it’s on fire? Many of us don’t like to think about it—but we all feel it. Something just isn’t right. And yet, we keep moving forward as if everything is fine.
This Satsang is a call to a community ready for activation and transformation, with guidance from a spiritual practice like Yoga. I’ve seen that when a true community comes together, the impossible becomes possible.
Let’s talk.
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. This session will not be recorded.

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.

The Shoulders Workshop
2025-12-07 11:00 - 13:00 | In-Person & ONLINE
Online & In-person
$35 | $27 Early bird, use promo code SHOULDERS, exp. 11/30
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-PersonWe appreciate advance registration.
Have you ever felt like you were carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders? Are the neck and shoulders the area where you feel tension due to stress? Do you have recurring or chronic pain?
We will explore how to release the tension and also how to support the area with mindful movement and strengthening.
In this workshop you we will learn:
• how to build a supportive muscle strength
• anatomy of the shoulders
• common causes that trigger shoulder pain
• preventive measures that can minimize the recurring pain
• stretches and strengthening practices to incorporate into your personal Hatha practice
• ways to release strain in neck and shoulders with mindfulness practice
There will be time for questions. This workshop is open to students of all levels. There will be some seated (chair or floor) and some laying down practices.
Suitable for all levels.
This workshop will be recorded for later viewing and shared for 2 weeks with all enrolled students.
Yoga Alliance CEUs (2 hours) are available 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 over 15 years of experience in leading and co-teaching Yoga and Meditation teacher trainings. She has been working in the clinical setting for Kaiser Permanente since 2005 as a yoga teacher, yoga therapist, and health educator. Diana’s focus is on the healing aspects of Yoga on the mind as well as the body by applying the physical postures, practices of breath-control, mindfulness and meditation. Diana helps her clients to find the ability to move through life with increased ease, stress resilience, and intuition. Diana Meltsner works as a programs manager at Integral Yoga Institute, an urban ashram in San Francisco. dianameltsner.com

Spiritual Study: Our First and Foremost Duty
2025-12-09 18:00 - 19:00
Online| $5-15 sliding scale | Free for active IYISF 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.
In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Swami Satchidananda states that we have a “first and foremost duty.” He writes, “We should analyze all our motives and try to cultivate selfless thoughts.”
How do we see our thoughts clearly?
Why is this our foremost duty?
Join us for a short talk and discussion. This session will not be recorded.

Swami Vimalananda Ma, RYT500, is an Integral Yoga sannyasi – monk. She has been involved with Integral Yoga since 1971 and Director of the San Francisco Integral Yoga Institute from 1992-2011. She specializes in teaching yoga philosophy and spiritual counseling.

New Beginnings Writing Group
2025-12-12 16:00 - 17:30
Online | $1-15 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.
Meets twice a month on 2nd and 4th Friday | Ongoing
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.
