Integral Yoga San Francisco

Sunday Spiritual Talk: Aparigraha: Letting Go with Gratitude
2025-05-18 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
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 us for a session where we honor the art of letting go as a path to gaining clarity and aligning with our true nature.
Together, we will explore what is lost in the relentless pursuit of acquiring and accumulating possessions, as well as, the fear of being without or in need. Drawing on Yogic principles, this talk will contemplate the transformative power of letting go of material belongings, relationships and behaviors to create internal & external spaciousness and strengthen intuition. Participants will engage in dialogue and reflection.
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.

Jen “JP” Andrews graduated summer of 2022 from the Integral Yoga 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training and continued as a student of Raja Yoga teacher training & Meditation teacher training in 2023. She discovered Hatha Yoga about 20 years ago and committed to deepening her spiritual practices after discovering Integral Yoga Institute SF and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. For the last 5 years she has been coaching clients to find their way to inner peace and joy by organizing and decluttering their space. This process allows her to apply yogic principles in her client sessions as a way to support and help clients reconnect to their True North.

Spiritual study: Recognizing & Overcoming Obstacles, 2 of 3 part
2025-05-19 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.
Each session offered individually. 3 Mondays 6:00 – 7:00 pm:

May/12 Part 1 of 3
May/19 Part 2 of 3
May/16 Part 3 of 3

Have current events contributed to disharmonious thoughts or feelings of anxiety? The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali provide ancient wisdom for current concerns.
Join Prajna in a review of the Yoga Sutras, identifying the obstacles that contribute to feelings of disharmony, anxiety or fear and focusing on practices that help identify and resolve concerns restoring the inner calm that is our true nature.
We will review Sutra 1.30 & 2.3 and will add others as we progress in the 3 sessions on May 12, 19 and 26th.
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, 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.

Prajna Tricia is a San Francisco native who joined Navy Military Medicine in 1980, served on active duty for 20 years and as a Civil Servant for an additional 15 years. A search for natural complementary and alternative medicine treatments for a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis in 2015, led to the practice of yoga. The practice was so transformative, (both physically and mentally) she felt compelled to bring the practice to others. Tricia completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training with Zenya Yoga in 2023 and teaches at the Beazley Senior Center, the YMCA and local Yoga Studios in Portsmouth, Virginia. A retreat to Yogaville in Buckingham, Virginia in 2023 opened her heart to the Integral Yoga Institute (IYI) community. Tricia completed IYISF Raja Yoga Teacher Training in October of 2024 with Swami Ramananda & Swami DIvyananda and received her spiritual name Prajna, defined as wisdom & knowledge gained through intuitive insight. She completed IYISF Meditation Teacher Training with Swami Ramananda and Diana Meltsner in February 2025.

New Beginnings Writing Group
2025-05-23 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 Fridays.
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 Michael Hathaway
2025-05-24 19:00 - 20:30
This event has been cancelled.
In-person | $20 In advance, use promo code MANTRAS | $25 Day of
Michael will lead us in chanting traditional Sanskrit mantras set to his original music, weaving an enchanting soundscape of hypnotic harmonics, joyful celebration, and fierce intensity. His unique melodies (often channeled in dreams) reveal a blend of musical influences including jazz, soul, folk, psychedelic rock, church hymns, Western classical, and Indian classical – creating an innovative fusion that honors the tradition while expressing a deeply personal offering. He sings with sweet, celestial, heart-felt yearning, and shares his practice as medicine with others by creating an uplifting communal experience of ecstatic group prayer.

Michael Hathaway discovered his musicality and voice through the practice of devotional chanting. He was introduced to daily chanting at the Sivananda Ashram in the Bahamas in the late 90s. He quickly became immersed in the Bhakti scene – taking every opportunity to sit with his teachers Jai Uttal, Krishna Das, Bhagavan Das, Shyamdas, and others. Michael can be found leading kirtan at yoga studios, festivals & conscious gatherings, and singing with his harmonium for yoga classes in the Los Angeles area. His two albums, remixes, and music videos are available on streaming platforms. He’s also a Jivamukti yoga teacher, Reiki practitioner, 3rd-degree black belt in Seido Karate, and a regular practitioner of 5 Rhythms/ecstatic dance. He humbly bows at the feet of Maharaj-ji Neem Karoli Baba, Ram Dass, and all of his Teachers, and wishes to honor them by singing the holy names. michaelhathawaykirtan.com

Spiritual Study: Recognizing & Overcoming Obstacles, 3 of 3 part
2025-05-26 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.
Each session offered individually. 3 Mondays 6:00 – 7:00 pm:

May/12 Part 1 of 3
May/19 Part 2 of 3
May/26 Part 3 of 3

Have current events contributed to disharmonious thoughts or feelings of anxiety? The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali provide ancient wisdom for current concerns.
Join Prajna in a review of the Yoga Sutras, identifying the obstacles that contribute to feelings of disharmony, anxiety or fear and focusing on practices that help identify and resolve concerns restoring the inner calm that is our true nature.
We will review Sutra 1.30 & 2.3 and will add others as we progress in the 3 sessions on May 12, 19 and 26th.
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, 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.

Prajna Tricia is a San Francisco native who joined Navy Military Medicine in 1980, served on active duty for 20 years and as a Civil Servant for an additional 15 years. A search for natural complementary and alternative medicine treatments for a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis in 2015, led to the practice of yoga. The practice was so transformative, (both physically and mentally) she felt compelled to bring the practice to others. Tricia completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training with Zenya Yoga in 2023 and teaches at the Beazley Senior Center, the YMCA and local Yoga Studios in Portsmouth, Virginia. A retreat to Yogaville in Buckingham, Virginia in 2023 opened her heart to the Integral Yoga Institute (IYI) community. Tricia completed IYISF Raja Yoga Teacher Training in October of 2024 with Swami Ramananda & Swami DIvyananda and received her spiritual name Prajna, defined as wisdom & knowledge gained through intuitive insight. She completed IYISF Meditation Teacher Training with Swami Ramananda and Diana Meltsner in February 2025.

Vagus Nerve Activation Workshop
2025-06-01 11:00 - 13:00
Online or in-person
$32 Early bird, use promo code PSNS, exp. 5/25 | $39 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-PersonWe appreciate advance registration.
Join Integral Yoga Therapist Diana Meltsner for a transformative session combining Yoga Asana, Pranayama, and vocal vibration to activate the vagus nerve, also known as cranial nerve X, and stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system.
A balanced nervous system is one of the many physiological benefits of Yoga, especially through the Integral Yoga sequencing. In this workshop, you will learn a variety of techniques to engage the parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS), which helps slow the heart and breathing rates, lower blood pressure, and promote optimal digestion. This process encourages the body to enter a state of deep relaxation, fostering recovery and healing.
Spending more time in a PSNS state promotes overall health, dismantling stress, trauma, and tension patterns in both the body and breath. By regulating the nervous system, you’ll gain a powerful tool for healing on all levels—physical, mental, and emotional. Some anatomy presentations will be included.
This workshop will be recorded for later viewing and shared for limited time with all enrolled students. Yoga teachers are eligible for 2 hours of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) through Yoga Alliance, 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

Yoga Therapy for Grief Relief; Navigating Loss in Challenging Global Times
2025-06-07 13:00 - 17:00
ONLINE & In-person
$54 Early bird, use promo code GRIEF, exp. 5/31/25
$65 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-PersonWe appreciate advance registration.
In a world full of uncertainty, grounding techniques are crucial to maintaining balance. This workshop will focus on poses, breathing exercises, and meditations that help you connect deeply with the earth, offering a foundation of strength and stability amidst chaos. You’ll learn to cultivate resilience, tapping into your inner power as you face the complexities of grief and loss.
Whether you’re navigating personal loss or grappling with the global challenges that affect us all, this program offers a compassionate space for self-discovery, empowerment, and connection. Join a supportive community and together, let’s cultivate peace, clarity, and resilience.
This combination of theoretical lecture and experiential work can help the heart of anyone who is grieving a loss or those working with them.
The physical, mental, and spiritual release that doing the practice provides truly does help your body pain decrease, your mental fog lift, your engagement with life return, and eventually you begin to “ring the bells that still will ring.”~ Jessica Bell

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).

Satsang: Joy as Resilience, Joy as Resistance
2025-06-07 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.
In a world that often equates joy with ease and achievement, how do we reclaim it as a source of inner strength and collective healing? In this heart-centered talk, Kamala Itzel Hayward invites us to explore joy not as a performance or escape, but as a courageous act of presence—rooted in authenticity, emotional honesty, and deep connection. Drawing from yogic wisdom, social insight, and lived experience, we’ll reflect on how joy can nourish resilience, disrupt isolation, and serve as a powerful force for liberation.
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.
Check Kamala’s recent blog article: Reclaiming Joy in a Hurting World

Kamala Itzel Hayward was a lawyer for over a decade before becoming a Yoga teacher and Yoga therapist specializing in trauma, addiction, and wellness. She is passionate about bringing Yoga and other healing modalities to adults facing chronic stress caused by living under oppression, such as racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, classism, ableism, and more. She is founder of the Integral Yoga Institute’s Scholarship-Based Yoga Teacher Training for Black, Indigenous, People of Color. Since founding Attuned Living in 2010, she has been sharing Yoga with individuals facing housing insecurity and related challenges, including systemic barriers; structural oppression; social dislocation; physical, emotional, and mental health challenges; substance abuse; and addiction. She sits on the Advisory Board for the Trauma Prevention and Recovery Certificate Program at the City College of San Francisco.

Therapeutic Yoga and Sound Healing
2025-06-08 15:30 - 17:30
In-person
$40 Early bird, use promo code SOUND, exp. 6/1
$45 Regular
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 breath-work 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!

PJ Church, RYT-500, C-IAYT, 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.
Rachel Jennine Goudey C-IAYT, Psy.D. As an educator 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.

New Beginnings Writing Group
2025-06-13 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
Next session is on Friday, 6/27
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.

Music and Poetry of South Asian Mystics: an exploration of Sufi songs
2025-06-14 19:00 - 20:30
Anhad Naad Collective presents:
Music and Poetry of South Asian Mystics: an exploration of Sufi songs.
$20 In advance, use promo code SUFI | $25 Day of
Book now/In-PersonWe appreciate advance registration.
Join us for exploration of traditional devotional music from the motherland of Yoga.
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: Yoga and Mystical Experiences, 1 of 3 - parts
2025-06-16 18:00 - 19:00
Online | $5-15 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.
3 Mondays, June 16, 23, 30 • 6:00 – 7:00pm | Offered individually

6/16 Book now
6/23 Book now
6/30 Book now

Mystics from diverse traditions often describe their experiences in remarkably similar ways. In this series, we will explore the mystical experiences of several great beings, from ancient times to the present. We will examine how these experiences align with the teachings of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and how transcending identification with the body and mind can open the door to realms beyond time and space—realms accessible to all of us.
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.

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.

Enlighten Up: How to Enjoy the Spiritual Path
2025-06-21 14:00 - 15:30
Online & In-person | $10-$30 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.
Book now/In-PersonWe appreciate advance registration.
Approaching our spiritual journey with the same achievement-driven mindset that dominates our culture can often lead to frustration and burnout. The relentless chase for happiness may ironically pull us away from the present moment—the very space where our true joy resides.
Join us for this enriching workshop, where we’ll explore together how to engage in both our spiritual practice and daily lives wholeheartedly, with curiosity and focus, revealing a profound sense of fulfillment that is free of dependency on results or approval. Learn to experience firsthand how both sitting still and service are potent forms of Yoga, illuminating our immense capacity to enjoy life.
Afternoon of Yoga at IYISF in celebration of International Day of Yoga & Summer Solstice.
Pacific Times, all online or in-person:
2:00-3:30 pm – Enlighten Up: How to Enjoy the Spiritual Path with Swamis Asokananda & Ramananda
3:45-4:45 pm – Freeing Your Yoga Practice – Mixed Level with Raisa Punkki
3:45-4:45 pm – Gentle Yoga class with Kayko Watanabe
5:00-6:00 pm – Light Immersion with Subtle Practices with Diana Meltsner
All levels of practice are welcome. All programs are available for individual sign up online or in-person at a sliding scale pricing.
All proceeds will help us sustain our mission:
“The Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco, founded by Sri Swami Satchidananda, is a non-profit, interfaith organization dedicated to serving the community through living and sharing the classical teachings of Yoga, making the teachings accessible, and cultivating peace and harmony among all people.”

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. Listen to Swami Asokananda on the Two Old Fogey Yogis podcast on Soundcloud. Phil Goldberg, author of American Veda, interviews Swami Asokananda on spiritmatterstalk.com podcast. Listen on SoundCloud.

Freeing Your Yoga Practice
2025-06-21 15:45 - 16:45
Online & In-person | $10-30 sliding scale –Class passes & memberships are accepted.
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 Raisa Punkki as she leads you through a mixed-level hatha yoga practice. ‘Stretch your body, stretch your mind’ by incorporating different flow variations and breaking patterns of habitual practice. Explore the possibility of taking your hatha practice to the next level by finding the optimal level of strengthening, stretching and awareness building. The class will include asana, and some deep relaxation, pranayama (breathing practices) and meditation.
Previous experience with yoga is welcome.
Afternoon of Yoga at IYISF in celebration of International Day of Yoga & Summer Solstice.
Pacific times | online & in-person:
2:00-3:30 pm – Enlighten Up: How to Enjoy the Spiritual Path with Swamis Asokananda & Ramananda
3:45-4:45 pm – Freeing Your Yoga Practice – mixed level with Raisa Punkki
3:45-4:45 pm – Gentle Yoga class with Kayko Watanabe
5:00-6:00 pm – Light Immersion with Subtle Practices with Diana Meltsner
All levels of practice are welcome. All programs are available for individual sign up online or in-person at a sliding scale pricing.
All proceeds will help us sustain our mission:
“The Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco, founded by Sri Swami Satchidananda, is a non-profit, interfaith organization dedicated to serving the community through living and sharing the classical teachings of Yoga, making the teachings accessible, and cultivating peace and harmony among all people.”

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.

Gentle Yoga
2025-06-21 15:45 - 16:45
Online & In-person | $10-30 sliding scale –Class passes & memberships are accepted.
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.
This class is suitable for beginners, seniors, and individuals with injuries, disabilities, or illnesses – or anyone seeking a gentler experience. It consists of warm-ups both in a chair and standing, followed by modified traditional vinyasa with the chair for support. The class concludes with relaxation, breathing, and meditation, promoting holistic benefits for overall well-being.
Everyone is welcome to attend, either in-person or online. A sturdy chair and a blanket will be used during the practice.
Afternoon of Yoga at IYISF in celebration of International Day of Yoga & Summer Solstice.
Pacific times | online & in-person:
2:00-3:30 pm – Enlighten Up: How to Enjoy the Spiritual Path with Swamis Asokananda & Ramananda
3:45-4:45 pm – Freeing Your Yoga Practice – mixed level with Raisa Punkki
3:45-4:45 pm – Gentle Yoga class with Kayko Watanabe
5:00-6:00 pm – Light Immersion with Subtle Practices with Diana Meltsner
All levels of practice are welcome. All programs are available for individual sign up online or in-person at a sliding scale pricing.
All proceeds will help us sustain our mission:
“The Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco, founded by Sri Swami Satchidananda, is a non-profit, interfaith organization dedicated to serving the community through living and sharing the classical teachings of Yoga, making the teachings accessible, and cultivating peace and harmony among all people.”

Kayko Watanabe, C-IAYT, has been a part of the Integral Yoga Institute (IYI) community for more than two decades. She completed Basic Teacher Training at IYI and obtained her RYT 200 certification in the spring of 2019, followed by RYT500 in 2021. Kayko is dedicated to giving back to the community of San Francisco and beyond by teaching yoga as a form of Karma yoga practice, which is a selfless service. She strives to create a safe and nurturing environment for her students while also making sure they have fun. She strongly believes in the concept of “yoga for all” and is passionate about providing accessible yoga to people with age-related ailments, limited mobility, and chronic illnesses. She is a certified yoga therapist and has received training in anatomy & physiology, psychology & mental health, as well as Yoga for Arthritis® founded by Dr. Steffany Moonaz, and Yoga Therapy in Cancer & Chronic Illness (YCat) spearheaded by Jnani Chapman of the Commonweal Cancer Help Program. When not teaching at IYI, Kayko leads therapeutic yoga classes for local senior centers and community-based public health services while working privately with small groups and individuals. She also offers Hatha classes in the Japanese language, introducing Integral Yoga to the Japanese community in the Bay Area. You can learn more about Kayko’s offerings at kaykowatanabe.com

Light Immersion with Subtle Practices
2025-06-21 17:00 - 18:00
Online & In-person | $10-30 sliding scale –Class passes & memberships are accepted.
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 special practice of subtle Yoga as we celebrate both the International Day of Yoga and the Summer Solstice. Subtle practices, like the physical practice of Yoga, establish a deep connection with the universe. They offer a unique opportunity to open the doors to higher states of consciousness, inner Light, and pranic healing.
The session will include:
⋅ Yoga Nidra: A deep relaxation practice to awaken the pranic flow within the body
⋅ Breathing exercises: Techniques to enhance vitality and energy
⋅ Guided meditation: Focusing on connecting with the Earth and uncovering our Inner Light
⋅ Light invocation: Inviting positivity and illumination
⋅ Extended Gayatri Mantra chanting: A powerful mantra to harmonize body, mind, and spirit chanted to enlighten the mind
The Summer Solstice serves as a reminder to honor our connection to the natural world and the inevitable cycles of life. It’s a time to celebrate our inner power and brightness.
Afternoon of Yoga at IYISF in celebration of International Day of Yoga & Summer Solstice.
Pacific times | online & in-person:
2:00-3:30 pm – Enlighten Up: How to Enjoy the Spiritual Path with Swamis Asokananda & Ramananda
3:45-4:45 pm – Freeing Your Yoga Practice – mixed level with Raisa Punkki
3:45-4:45 pm – Gentle Yoga class with Kayko Watanabe
5:00-6:00 pm – Light Immersion with Subtle Practices with Diana Meltsner
All levels of practice are welcome. All programs are available for individual sign up online or in-person at a sliding scale pricing.
All proceeds will help us sustain our mission:
“The Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco, founded by Sri Swami Satchidananda, is a non-profit, interfaith organization dedicated to serving the community through living and sharing the classical teachings of Yoga, making the teachings accessible, and cultivating peace and harmony among all people.”

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

Death Cafe
2025-06-22 15:00 - 16:30
In-person | $1-$15 Sliding scale or enroll for free, use promo code FREE.
Book now/In-PersonWe appreciate advance registration.
Join Leslie for a Death Cafe at Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco. At a Death Cafe people, often strangers, gather to eat cookies, drink tea and discuss death.
What is Death Cafe?
It is a group discussion about death with the topics determined by attendees, with no agenda, objectives or themes. It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counselling session. The objective is ‘to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives’.
Death Cafes are always offered:

On a not for profit basis, donation based
In an accessible, respectful and confidential space
With no intention of leading people to any conclusion, product or course of action.

You can learn more about Death Cafe
Leslie has taken a deep dive into death and dying after losing a long time student to uterine cancer. She has had a 30 year obsession with Savasana which is the last pose done in a yoga class and is translated as “corpse” pose. She is very interested in the intersection of how yoga, breathwork and intentional savasana can help people become more comfortable with the inevitable end we all must face. Leslie Howard has taught folks yoga for the last 30 years and has recently completed sixty hours of End Of Life Training and is a hospice volunteer at Kaiser.

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:lesliehowardyoga.com

Spiritual Study: Yoga and Mystical Experiences, 2 of 3 - part
2025-06-23 18:00 - 19:00

New Beginnings Writing Group
2025-06-27 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.
Upcoming sessions:
Friday, July 11 Book now
Friday, July 25 Book now

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
2025-06-28 19:00 - 20:30
CANCELED
In-person
$20 In advance, use promo code UNION | $25 Day of
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 began his spiritual life in 1972 under the guidance of Swami Satchidananda, a direct disciple of Swami Sivananda. After an inner experience with Anandamayi Ma, the great woman Saint mentioned in Yogananda’s “Autobiography of a Yogi”, with Sw. Satchidananda’s permission, he went to India to find her. He travelled with her in India during 1973 and ’74, receiving mantra Initiation from her. He has been since living within her Lineage with some of her great disciples in ashrams in the US and India. In 2001, he was sent back to India by Ma’s main Swami, Sw. Bhaskarananda to help start a school in one of her ashrams. He lived in Central India for twelve years, teaching in this school and also traveling within India extensively.
From 2007 to 2013, the Ashram sent him yearly to Europe and the US to present kirtan concerts and classes. In 2013, he returned to the US and lives in the San Francisco area, where he presents programs and hosts an online worldwide Matri Satsang group. He is an appointed Acharya (Lineage Teacher) of Ma Sharanam Ashram in India. He is the author of the book A Goddess Among Us which has been translated and published into five different languages. He is on the Board of Directors of the Shri Anandamayi Ma Ashram and Temple in Massachusetts and is a guest speaker and musician at Satchidananda Ashram/Yogaville, as well as at Sivananda Yoga Farm and Sivananda Bahama.

Spiritual Study: Yoga and Mystical Experiences, 3 of 3 - part
2025-06-30 18:00 - 19:00

Raja Yoga II: A Deeper Dive into the Sutras, 5-week course
2025-07-01 17:00 - 19:30
July 1 – August 5, 2025
Tuesdays: 5:00 – 7:30 pm PT – Online
Sundays: 8:30 am – 12 pm PT – Hybrid (Online with In-person option)
Tuition:

$395 Early early bird, exp. 5/1/25
$445 Early bird, exp. 6/1/25
$495 regular

Learn more/Apply Please register in advance via our Thinkific learning platform.
Raja Yoga II: A Deeper Dive into the Sutras, 5-week course aims towards personal transformation and spiritual awakening. This advanced Raja Yoga studies course offers a chance to deepen one’s knowledge of Yoga philosophy and its applications.
Many who have completed Raja Yoga Teacher Training or have studied Raja Yoga extensively have expressed interest in a deeper dive into the study and practice of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. These timeless teachings have transformed the lives of inestimable spiritual seekers. Each time we approach them with open hearts and quiet minds, new levels of meaning are exposed and we awaken more fully to the Spiritual Presence we all share.
Yoga Alliance CE hours: 35 (additional 5 for optional teaching participation)
Prerequisites:

Completion of Raja Yoga Teacher Training or an alternate extensive study course.
Having read through all of the chapters of Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali in one or more translations prior to the course.
Experience with incorporating the Sutras into daily life.

All the materials shared online and the recordings of the lectures will be available throughout the course and for 3 months after completion.

Swami Ramananda, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, YACEP is the Executive Director of the Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco and a greatly respected senior teacher in the Integral Yoga tradition, who has been practicing Yoga for over 45 years. Ramananda offers practical methods of integrating the timeless teachings and practices of Yoga into daily life, and transforming the painful aspects of human experience into steps toward realizing one’s full potential. He leads beginner, intermediate and advanced Hatha Yoga teacher training programs in San Francisco as well as Meditation and Raja Yoga teacher trainings. He 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.
Swami Divyananda has 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. See more at sacredindiatours.org
Kealoha DeLuz, M.Div., Ph.D., is a holistic practitioner, coach, and teacher with over 30 years of experience in integrating Eastern and Western modalities and accelerating the mind-body-spirit connection. He believes that mental health is on the rise and that becoming a Raja yoga teacher can help reduce stress levels for the world at large. Kealoha sees this as a duty rather than a passion, and he believes that the yoga sutra is a treasure map to help all awaken.
Kealoha holds a M.Div. in Theological Studies, a Ph.D. in Holistic Life Coaching, and is working on a second degree in Transpersonal Counseling. He is certified as an integral yoga teacher (Levels I, II, III), Raja Yoga, Meditation & Pranayama, Stress Management, a licensed massage therapist, a licensed skin care practitioner, and a holistic life coach & counselor.
Kealoha offers a range of services to his clients, including coaching and spiritual facilitation, he also hosts a weekly Sutras study group, meditation and stress management, massage therapy and skin care, and a holistic business philosophy. He has expertise in developing holistic techniques utilizing yoga psychology, meditation, and action-based practices. He helps clients discover their authentic vitality and most urgent questions, supports them as they make exponentially positive changes in their lives, and achieves and maintains balance through unique processes and journeys.

Kealoha was born and raised on the Big Island of Hawaii and now resides in San Francisco, California. He is continuously learning about life and loves all animals, especially cats. His favorite thing to do is to sit in a coffee house and read a good book.
Sue Evans, MBA/MHA, C-IAYT, E-CYT discovered Yoga in 2000 to help manage work-related stress and found the practice to be healing. She is now an Integral Yoga Certified Instructor at the 500 hour level and is certified to teach Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Hatha. Certified in Raja yoga she teaches as an Adjunct Lecturer at Wake Forest University; a for credit class, The Transformative Practice of Yoga, which is a combination of the 8 limbs of yoga, focusing on the Yamas and Niyamas and basic Hatha. She is also certified to teach Yoga for Stress Management and teaches the faculty and staff at local high schools and in a variety of corporate environments. After completing the Yoga for Cancer and Chronic Illness training, Sue began teaching a weekly class at the Cancer Center of Wake Forest University and has been involved with several federally funded research projects at the Medical School. In addition, Sue is a member of the Integral Yoga Therapy Training Program (800hr) and enjoys her role as student mentor.
Diana Meltsner, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, YACEP has been teaching Yoga in the Bay Area since 2001. Diana has been a lead teacher trainer for 200-hour Integral Yoga Teacher Trainings since 2012 and Meditation Teacher Training since 2020. The classes she teaches include various levels of Hatha Yoga, chair/gentle, prenatal, guided mindfulness meditations, and various Yoga workshops including anatomy and healing with Yoga, pranayama and meditation workshops. She’s been working as a health educator and Yoga instructor for Kaiser Permanente since 2014. Study of the texts on spirituality, Yoga, Vedanta, lives of saints, their application to current times has been her interest since her teens and
Diana is a C-IAYT certified Yoga therapist and served as a mentor for the Integral Yoga Therapy 800-hour certification program. Diana offers individual therapeutic sessions privately and at the SF Integral Yoga Therapy Clinic with focus on physical and mental wellness. Her offerings help people to find a deeper sense of well-being and ability to move through life with increased ease, intuition, and stress resilience as well as finding personal and spiritual awakening. www.dianameltsner.com

Satsang: Guru Purnima
2025-07-05 17:30 - 18:30
Online or 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.
Guru Purnima is an annual celebration that offers us an opportunity to express gratitude to our spiritual teachers and to recommit ourselves to the teachings they have imparted. We will honor the founder of Integral Yoga, Sri Swami Satchidananda, his teacher Sri Swami Sivananda of the Saraswati lineage, as well as teachers who transmit wisdom from all spiritual traditions.
All are invited to join in deepening their connection to the source of grace and guidance, however they experience it.
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.

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.
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.

Guru Purnima Puja
2025-07-10 12:00 - 12:45
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.
This annual devotional service is a time to come together, express gratitude, and receive blessings from our teachers—the founder of Integral Yoga, Sri Swami Satchidananda; his teacher, Sri Swami Sivananda of our Saraswati lineage; as well as teachers who transmit the teachings of all spiritual traditions. A puja (spiritual service) with participatory chanting will be performed. This service will include our noon meditation.

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
2025-07-11 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:
Friday, 7/25 Book now

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 Ekachakra Prana and The Bhakti Band
2025-07-12 19:00 - 20:30
In-person | $15 In advance, use promo code KIRTAN | $20 Day of
Book now/In-PersonWe appreciate advance registration.
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.

Knees Need Good Yoga
2025-07-13 13:00 - 15:00
Online & In-person
$40 Early bird, use promo code KNEES, exp. 7/6 | $45 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-PersonWe appreciate advance registration.
Most people with knee issues can benefit from a deeper understanding of the underlying causes and learn how to tailor their yoga practice to strengthen the supporting muscles. With the right knowledge and techniques, you can improve stability while maintaining essential mobility.
In this workshop, we’ll explore fundamental stretches and strengthening postures for the knees. Participants will also receive a brief written practice to continue the work at home.
Keep walking—and doing all the things you love—by cultivating happy, healthy knees.
Attendees may request two hours of continuing education (CE) credit, which meet Yoga Alliance or IAYT standards.

Dawn​ ​Summers​,YACEP, ERYT-500​, is a certified Yoga Therapist who has been teaching yoga​ ​since becoming an Integral Yoga teacher in 1985. She has been a senior faculty in Teachers Training and Yoga Therapists Training Programs for the American​ ​Viniyoga Institute. She teaches classes through Ocean Yoga and works privately with individual students.

Sunday Spiritual Talk: Eastern and Western Wisdom's Approaches to Thought Fluctuations
2025-07-20 11:00 - 12:00
$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.
There is a vast body of content across time and cultures on the experience of thinking and how this function of the mind can lead to profound suffering. The Yoga Sutras describe yoga as “the restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff” (योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः॥२॥ – Yogas Citta Vritti Nirodhah), suggesting that mental activity distorts reality, resulting in a sense of disconnection and pain.
Modern teacher Eckhart Tolle speaks of identification with form—particularly attachment to thought forms—as a primary factor in the creation of ego and the illusion of a separate “me.” Similarly, many Western psychotherapeutic approaches focus on our interpretations of events as a core driver of emotional distress, aiming to increase awareness of thought patterns and promote cognitive restructuring as a path to well-being.
Overall, both conscious and unconscious attachment to thought forms is a significant theme closely linked to spiritual and emotional suffering. In this workshop, we will explore how both Eastern and Western teachings approach the nature of thinking, and we will learn techniques to help loosen the grip of thought and free ourselves from its trance.
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.

Dylan Burditt has his RYT-500 from the Integral Yoga Institute, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), and currently resides in and serves the community of Mammoth Lakes, CA through yoga teachings and working professionally as a psychotherapist. In his personal life, he enjoys spending time with his partner and dog, being in nature, buzzing through cities, cooking and eating delicious plant-based food, traveling, experiencing music, being quiet, and connecting to body, mind, soul, and higher power. You can learn more about him and his offerings at dylanburditt.com.

New Beginnings Writing Group
2025-07-25 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.

Sukhawat Ali Khan & Cali Qawwali in a Sufi & Kirtan Concert
2025-07-26 19:00 - 20:30
In-person
$20 In advance, use promo code SOULFUL | $25 Day of
Book now/In-PersonWe appreciate advance registration.
Sukhawat Ali Khan leads Cali Qawwali, a soulful qawwali ensemble. Performances by Cali Qawwali bring you group singing and an instrumental sound, combining introspective prayer and joyful celebration. This music is performed both in unplugged and in electric abandon. Cali Qawwali’s unique spiritual music calls upon traditional Sufi and classical raag-based songs from Pakistan and India, new compositions, Bollywood, kirtan, ghazal and folk. The music is nourished by Sukhawat Ali’s immersion in the Shaam Chaurasi gharana, his musical family dating from the sixteenth century. Lyrics are in Urdu/Hindi, Punjabi, Arabic and Persian, sometimes combined effortlessly in one song. The audience is often invited to clap, sing and move with the band, creating a Cali Qawwali form of dhamaal, which is a song and dance seen at Sufi shrines. Instagram: @caliqawwali Soundcloud: Cali Qawwali
Sukhawat Ali Khan ji’s Sufi music samples:

Allah Hu: https://soundcloud.com/caliqawwali/allah-hu
Ghulam Ali: https://soundcloud.com/casaganeshrecords/sets/laaj-review
Jogiya: https://soundcloud.com/caliqawwali/jogiya
Raste Juda Juda: https://soundcloud.com/casaganeshrecords/raste-juda-juda-sukhawat-ali
Ghoom Charakhana: https://soundcloud.com/caliqawwali/ghoom-charakhana
Heer: https://soundcloud.com/casaganeshrecords/heer-sukhawat-ali-khan
Door: https://soundcloud.com/casaganeshrecords/door-sukhawat-ali-khan

Sukhawat Ali Khan, vocals and harmonium – Sukhawat Ali is a classical vocalist from the Sham Chaurasi Gharana, a tradition founded in the 16th century. He is the son of legendary Indian-Pakistani vocalist Ustad Salamat Ali Khan and nephew of Nazakat Ali Khan. In addition to being a master of Hindustani classical music, he is an accomplished performer of North Indian and Pakistani devotional and folk music and ghazals. He began singing and playing music at the age of seven with his father Salamat Ali Khan, and has performed extensively around the world. Based in Sacramento he teaches individual students in the San Francisco Bay Area and leads Cali Qawwali. Instagram: @alisukhawat
Vivek Anand, vocals – A vocalist deeply rooted in emotional and spiritual expression, Vivek hails from a musical family in Bombay and has studied with Sukhawat Ali Khan for sixteen years. His repertoire spans Hindustani classical, semi-classical, bhajans, Sufi songs, and ghazals. Vivek performs solo and in other ensemble concerts in the Bay Area with Rita Sahai, her Vasundhara Choir, and with Anhad Naad. Instagram: @vivek.anand.sf
Irum Aftab, vocals – A vocalist and passionate student of Sukhawat Ali Khan, Irum hails from Pakistan and now lives in Berkeley. Her musical focus is on understanding the raagas that form the foundation of ghazal, folk, geet, and qawwali music across South Asia. Instagram: @irum.out.west
Saima Jamshed, vocals and percussion – A multi-instrumental percussionist and vocalist, Saima began playing dholak at age six. Now a key member of the qawwali ensemble led by Sukhawat Ali Khan, she brings joyful energy to the stage through dholak, darbuka, tambourine, and shakers. Originally from Karachi and now based in Berkeley, she continues classical and qawwali training under Sukhawat Ali Khan and Rita Sahai. Instagram: @saimamilesaway
Varun Pattabhiraman, drum set and percussion – An Indian percussionist based in San Francisco, Varun seamlessly blends traditional Carnatic percussion with global rhythms. He explores hybrid setups that incorporate instruments like the cajón, Roland HandSonic, drum set and mridangam. Instagram: @varunrpraman
Craig Reiter, acoustic and electric bass guitar – Craig Reiter is a multi-talented creative spirit whose musical expression transcends form. Known for channeling the divine through any instrument he encounters, his eclectic interests include everything from card counting to feline domestication, all of which somehow feed into his musical persona.
Daljeet Singh, acoustic and electric guitar – Daljeet brings the magic as a music director and guitarist, fusing devotional, classical Indian, Sufi, old-school Bollywood, and rock influences into a sound that is both soulful and electrifying. A master at building bands and weaving traditions, he is the driving force behind the group’s unique sound. Instagram: @ka8mandude
