Integral Yoga San Francisco

The Power of Love for Healing & Spiritual Transformation – Part 1
2023-02-21 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
Online & In-Person | $20 (Parts 1 & 2 offered individually)
Enroll/Online Please register in advance, a Zoom link and passcode will be provided via confirmation email.
Enroll/In-person Please review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
The experience of love and compassion flowing through the heart is a powerful element of human life and an important part of the spiritual path. This two part workshop provides an in-depth exploration of how the energies of the heart can assist us in meeting challenges and accessing a wellspring of inner strength.
Part 1 • Tue. Feb. 21: Swami Ramananda will focus on the yogic approach to concepts like surrender and devotion. Together we will explore how genuine forms of love and compassion free us from deeply ingrained patterns of thinking and behavior, and bypass the intellect to open the spiritual heart.
Part 2 • Tue. Feb. 28: We will use guided reflection, discussion and ritual to clarify for each of us a personal doorway to Grace. We can all learn to tap into this aspect of ourselves to find meaning, inspiration and the profound peace that is our true nature.
Swami Ramananda, C-IAYT, RYT-500, is the Executive Director of the Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco and a greatly respected senior teacher in the Integral Yoga tradition, who has been practicing Yoga for over 45 years. Ramananda offers practical methods of integrating the timeless teachings and practices of Yoga into daily life, and transforming the painful aspects of human experience into steps toward realizing one’s full potential. He leads beginner, intermediate and advanced level Yoga teacher training programs in San Francisco, and offers a variety of programs in many locations in the U.S., Europe and South America. Ramananda co-developed the Stress Management Teacher Training program with Swami Vidyananda, has trained many teachers to bring Yoga into corporate, hospital and medical settings, and has taught mind/body wellness programs in many locations. He is a certified Yoga therapist and founding board member of the Yoga Alliance, a national registry that supports and promotes yoga teachers as professionals. He is a co-founder of The Spiritual Action Initiative (SAI) which brings together individuals committed to working for social justice for all beings and for the care and healing of our natural world. His warmth, wisdom and sense of humor have endeared him to many.

Love, Wisdom and Will
2023-02-19 11:00 - 12:30
Online | $5, $15, $25, $54 sliding scale
Enroll/Online Please register in advance, a Zoom link and passcode will be provided via confirmation email.
Love, wisdom and will are the three great yogas of the Bhagavad Gita.
The energies of heart, head and hands are recognized in many traditions around the world.
We are all given these three gifts — heart, head and hands. What we do with them defines our destiny.
Please join us for this workshop with our beloved guest teacher Michael Lerner.
Michael Lerner is president and co-founder of Commonweal in Bolinas, California. He co-founded Commonweal in 1976. His projects include the Commonweal Cancer Help Program, Healing Circles, CancerChoices, The New School at Commonweal and Omega. A Harvard graduate, he received a PhD and taught at Yale in the early 1970s before moving to Bolinas, California in 1976. He received a MacArthur fellowship for contributions to public health in 1984. He has been engaged with integral yoga since 1982.

Maha Shivaratri
2023-02-18 19:00 - 21:00
Online & In-Person | By donation $0, $5, $10, $15
Enroll/Online Please register in advance, a Zoom link and passcode will be provided via confirmation email.
Enroll/In-person Please review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
Please join us for the celebration of Maha Shivaratri, a major festival in Hinduism. This sacred festival marks the remembrance of “overcoming darkness and ignorance” in life and the world. It is observed by remembering Shiva and chanting prayers, fasting, bathing, and meditating on ethics and virtues such as honesty, non-injury to others, charity, forgiveness, and the discovery of Shiva. Swami Ramananda, Babaji and Snehan will contemplate Shiva, his attributes and forms as well as the austerities in yoga practice as they relate to the modern time yogis. The program will be concluded with puja and extended chanting.
You are welcome to join the traditional fasting on this day. After finishing morning practices and bathing, take a vow (Sankalp संकल्प) to observe full day fast, pledging for self-determination throughout the fasting period and seeking blessings of Lord Shiva to finish the fast without any interference. Traditionally, before doing Shiva Puja or visiting temple in the evening, the devotees take a second bath on this day to cleanse themselves. Shiva Puja is done during night and the ardent devotees observe this celebration by staying awake all night. The fast is broken the next day after taking a bath.
Swami Ramananda, C-IAYT, RYT-500, is the Executive Director of the Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco and a greatly respected senior teacher in the Integral Yoga tradition, who has been practicing Yoga for over 45 years. Ramananda offers practical methods of integrating the timeless teachings and practices of Yoga into daily life, and transforming the painful aspects of human experience into steps toward realizing one’s full potential. He leads beginner, intermediate and advanced level Yoga teacher training programs in San Francisco, and offers a variety of programs in many locations in the U.S., Europe and South America. Ramananda co-developed the Stress Management Teacher Training program with Swami Vidyananda, has trained many teachers to bring Yoga into corporate, hospital and medical settings, and has taught mind/body wellness programs in many locations. He is a certified Yoga therapist and founding board member of the Yoga Alliance, a national registry that supports and promotes yoga teachers as professionals. He is a co-founder of The Spiritual Action Initiative (SAI) which brings together individuals committed to working for social justice for all beings and for the care and healing of our natural world. His warmth, wisdom and sense of humor have endeared him to many.
Baba Ghanshyam Puri is a Bhakta who has practiced yoga for over twenty five years and is certified to teach all levels of Hatha Yoga and Stress Management. He is a former attorney who became an Integral Yoga Teacher in 2010. He has taught in the United States, Mexico, Spain, and India. “Yoga can point the path to the Divine”, he sustains.
His devotion to the Guru, Swami Satchidananda, led him to India to experience the teachings of Gurudev directly. Puri resided temporarily at the Divine Life Society in Rishikesh, India, where he studied at the Yoga Vedanta Forest Academy. The following years, Babaji went on extensive pilgrimages throughout all India, Nepal, and other countries. In 2017 he completed the Maha Yatra or great trip to the Twelve Temples of Lord Shiva known as Jyotirlingas. Subsequently, he took Vel Kavadi for purification purposes in 2018. The following year he attended Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj and took Shahi Snan (holy bath for purification) with the order of Naga Babas of Juna Akhara. Puri took Diksha or initiation and became a member of Juna Akhara in February 2019 at Kumbh Mela. Babaji is an Ayurvedic Life-Style Consultant, leads yoga retreats in Mexico, teaches classes online, and since 2011 has been leading community classes in San Francisco.
Snehan Born, E-RYT 500, has over four decades of experience with yoga. He resides at the Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco, where he teaches yoga classes and is a lead teacher trainer. Snehan is certified in all levels of Integral Yoga Hatha and has received additional certifications in Pranayama, Meditation, Raja Yoga and Stress Management from Integral Yoga. Chanting mantras and playing the harmonium are part of his regular practice and classes.
Snehan has lived and traveled extensively within India and practiced with many teachers there. He has taught yoga all over the US as well as in India, Nepal, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Japan and Europe.

Kirtan with wah!
2023-02-12 17:00 - 18:30
$20 | In-person
Enroll/In-person Please review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
Wah! performs Sanskrit mantra using Ableton Live. Loops, beats, samples, live vocals and harmonium create upbeat music for yoga and celebration. Her albums High Energy 1 and High Energy 2 showcase her work creating electronic mantra. Bring your jubilant Self!
Wah! has performed at festivals worldwide, including Bhaktifest, Ecstatic Chant, Floyd Yoga Jam, and Yoga Journal Conference.
You can expect:

Loops and beats
Sanskrit mantra and English lyrics
A few words of inspiration
Live singing by Wah!
Upbeat, danceable electronic music

Many people know Wah! through her music. Her music is used worldwide for yoga, meditation and relaxation. She was featured on iTunes in 2011 with a compilation titled ”Greatest Yoga Music Ever.” In 2012 she started performing her multi-media relaxation event (“Healing Concert”) at planetariums, theatres, expos, conferences and universities throughout the country, including UC Boulder’s Fiske Planetarium, Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, Loyola Marymount University, and NJ State Museum in Trenton. Ladies Home Journal says she has a “natural gift of music to help people with healing.” wahmusic.com

New Beginnings Writing Group
2023-02-10 16:00 - 18:00
Online | By donation $0, $5, $10, $15 | Monthly on the second Friday
Enroll/Online Please register in advance, a Zoom link and passcode will be provided via confirmation email.
Free follow-up Friday, February 24, 2023, 4:00 – 6:00 pm
Monthly on the fourth Friday
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 practicing yoga when she was 18 years old. Her first yoga teacher training was Accessible Yoga through Integral Yoga Institute (IYI) and began teaching in 2011. Susan has been an assistant trainer for the Basic Yoga Teacher at IYI since 2012. She specializes in Gentle Yoga and working with people with disabilities, heart disease, arthritis, anxiety, depression and asthma. Her focus is to help students to meet their bodies where they are by introducing and incorporating Raja Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Pranayama and meditation. Susan has been certified in Yoga for Arthritis, Therapeutic Yoga, Raja Yoga and Meditation Teacher Training.

Full Moon Chanting
2023-02-05 20:00 - 20:30
Free
Enroll/Online Please register in advance, a Zoom link and passcode will be provided via confirmation email.
We gather once a month to chant the Gayatri Mantra, the great mantra of Light and Liberation, to maximize the spiritual benefits of the full moon.
“oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ
tat savitur vareṇyaṃ
bhargo devasya dhīmahi
dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt”
– Rigveda 3.62.10[11]
Snehan Born, E-RYT 500, has over four decades of experience with yoga. He resides at the Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco, where he teaches yoga classes and is a lead teacher trainer. Snehan is certified in all levels of Integral Yoga Hatha and has received additional certifications in Pranayama, Meditation, Raja Yoga and Stress Management from Integral Yoga. Chanting mantras and playing the harmonium are part of his regular practice and classes.
Snehan has lived and traveled extensively within India and practiced with many teachers there. He has taught yoga all over the US as well as in India, Nepal, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Japan and Europe.

Satsang: Mystical Poetry Night
2023-02-04 17:30 - 18:30
By donation $0, $5, $10, $15 | Online & In-Person
Enroll/Online Please register in advance, a Zoom link and passcode will be provided via confirmation email.
Enroll/In-person Please review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
Join us for an evening of shared poetry that reﬂects the voice of our soul. We will read and discuss that which awakens inspiration, delight and peace in the heart. All are welcome to have a poem or two to share or simply listen and enjoy. Mystical poetry and sacred songs are powerful expressions of the human experience, a dynamic meeting of the mind with the Grace of the Divine that crosses the lines of time and specific religious views. A simple vegetarian meal will be offered after this in-person Satsang with a suggested donation of $5-10. Pre-registration is required for all in-person attendance.
Satsang is a special time for us to come together as a community. In Sanskrit, Sat means truth and Sangha means community. Satsang offers an opportunity to come together to share spiritual teachings. The philosophy of Integral Yoga is explored often through an informal discussion. Although our spiritual paths may diverge, the act of sharing spiritual teachings with others is inspiring and creates a solid foundation for continued practice.
People of all faiths are welcome.
Susan Ford, C-IAYT, RYT-500, began teaching in 2011 and has been an assistant trainer for the Basic Yoga Teacher Training at Integral Yoga Institute (IYI) since 2012. She specializes in gentle yoga and yoga therapy working with people with disabilities, cancer, heart disease, arthritis, aging, bone health, anxiety, depression and asthma. Her focus is to help students to meet their bodies where they are by introducing and incorporating Therapeutic Yoga, Raja Yoga, Hatha Yoga, pranayama and meditation.
Susan has been a writer of poetry, short stories and plays most of her adult life and has been repeatedly featured in storytelling events in Northern California. She has led writer groups, tutored many in writing, and regularly hosts poetry reading Satsangs at the IYI.
Diana Meltsner, C-IAYT, RYT-500,has been teaching variety of classes and workshops since 2001 and since 2017 offers yoga therapy sessions privately and at Integral Yoga Therapy Clinic in San Francisco. She has worked in the clinical setting for Kaiser Permanente since 2005 as a yoga teacher, yoga therapist, and health educator and is teaching mindfulness and meditation to the medical staff.
Her focus is on the healing aspects of yoga on the mind as well as the body by applying the teachings of Yoga, practices of breath-control, mindfulness and meditation. Diana helps her clients to find healing and the ability to move through life with increased ease, stress resilience, and intuition.
Diana Meltsner works as a programs manager and serves on the board of directors at Integral Yoga Institute, an urban ashram in San Francisco. She is a yoga teacher trainer for the 200-hour and Meditation Teacher trainings.
dianameltsner.com

Intro to the Chakras, 2-part Workshop
2023-02-04 11:00 - 12:30
$40 for both sessions | Online & In-Person
Enroll/Online Please register in advance, a Zoom link and passcode will be provided via confirmation email.
Enroll/In-person Please review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
Saturday, February 4
11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Saturday, February 11
11:00 am – 12:30 pm

Enhance your Hatha practice using the 7 chakra system. Learn the key aspects of each chakra and how to identify energetic imbalances through Asana, Pranayama, Meditation, and journaling to find your way back to balance. This is an interactive workshop, so come prepared with questions as we practice and discuss how we can use the chakra system in everyday life.
About Mia
Mia Velez entered the Integral Yoga Sangha in 2016 through the kitchen by helping to cook Thursday community lunches and silent retreat meals. In 2018 she 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 parallel 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 is integrated into her daily life as a mother, a preschool teacher, and an advocate for gender, race and class equality through multiple non-profits groups.

Meditation: Sure Ways for Success
2023-01-28 11:00 - 13:00
$25 | Online
Enroll/In-person Please review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
Join Rev. Jaganath as he explores some compelling reasons for practicing meditation and sure ways for success – with what he calls the Essential Triad: Intention, Attention and Nonjudgmental Attitude.
Rev. Jaganath writes in his book Awaken: Inside Yoga Meditation, “Meditation speaks eloquently of the inborn impulse to find deep and lasting fulfillment. We look for something that can bring our anxieties, restlessness, questions, and insecurities to a satisfying resolution. When we’ve exhausted name, fame, possessions and attainments in our search for happiness, we turn to the only place we may not have looked- within.”
For Beginners and Experienced Meditators alike.
Sri Guruji Reverend Jaganath Carrera is the founder and spiritual head of Yoga Life Society and its first Yoga Life Center in Woodland Park, NJ. He is a direct disciple of world renowned Yoga master and leader in the ecumenical movement, Sri Swami Satchidananda, the founder and spiritual guide for the Integral Yoga Institutes and Satchidananda Ashrams worldwide. Guruji has taught at universities, prisons, Yoga centers, and interfaith programs both here and abroad. He was a principle instructor of both Hatha and Raja Yoga for the Integral Yoga Teacher Training Certification Programs for over twenty years and co-wrote the training manual used for that course. He established the Integral Yoga Ministry and developed the highly regarded Integral Yoga Meditation and Raja Yoga Teacher Training Certification programs.
He served for eight years as chief administrator of Satchidananda Ashram – Yogaville and founded the Integral Yoga Institute of New Brunswick, NJ. He is also a spiritual advisor and visiting lecturer on Hinduism for the One Spirit Seminary in New York City.
He is the author of Inside the Yoga Sutras: A Sourcebook for the Study and Practice of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and Awaken: Inside Yoga Meditation.

Satsang: The Limitless Benefits of a Regular Spiritual Practice
2023-01-21 17:30 - 18:30
Online & In-Person | By donation $0, $5, $10, $15
Enroll/Online Please register in advance, a Zoom link and passcode will be provided via confirmation email.
Enroll/In-person Please review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
Join Raama and Snehan for their first Satsang together. After gathering for a brief kirtan, we will explore the results of a regular spiritual practice. There are many such Sadhana (spiritual practices) to discuss/consider and we will delve into the unlimited benefits that inevitably come for long term practitioners. There can also be so many challenges, or obstacles. We can all share tips and techniques, then practice together to overcome these Kleshas (obstacles) and benefit from the collective wisdom of the group. So let us find support for each other by coming together as satsangha, a tribe of spiritual seekers.
A simple vegetarian meal will be offered after this in-person Satsang with a suggested donation of $5-10. Pre-registration required.
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.
Raama Das, C-IAYT, is a former director of the Integral Yoga® Teachers Association and has been instructing Integral Yoga since 2009. He is a lead trainer for the Integral Yoga 200-hour Teacher Training at Yogaville and co-presenter for the 200 and 500-hour Yoga Alliance programs at Heal Me Institute in Fredericksburg. Raama recently received certification as a Yoga Therapist through the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT), having studied Yoga programs for specific health conditions, including, anxiety, depression, cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and addiction. He is also certified as a teacher of Intermediate Hatha, Raja Yoga, Meditation, Stress Management, Yin Yoga, and Yoga for our Elders.
Raama has studied and served extensively at the Integral Yoga Academy at Yogaville and managed the Integral Yoga Therapy Program. In addition, he has participated in many months of deep Tantric and classical Yoga sadhana (practice) at the Scandinavian Yoga and Meditation School in Sweden under the direction of Swami Janakananda. He currently serves as Institute Manager at the Integral Yoga Institute San Francisco.
Snehan Born, E-RYT 500, has over four decades of experience with yoga. He resides at the Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco, where he teaches yoga classes and is a lead teacher trainer. Snehan is certified in all levels of Integral Yoga Hatha and has received additional certifications in Pranayama, Meditation, Raja Yoga and Stress Management from Integral Yoga. Chanting mantras and playing the harmonium are part of his regular practice and classes.
Snehan has lived and traveled extensively within India and practiced with many teachers there. He has taught yoga all over the US as well as in India, Nepal, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Japan and Europe.

Awakening your Inner Rhythms – A Sound Healing Journey
2023-01-20 18:00 - 19:30
$30 | In-person We apologize, this event has been cancelled.
Please mark your calendars for upcoming date for Awakening your Inner Rhythms – A Sound Healing Journey:

Friday, April 28
August 25
Sunday, December 17

Each session will be 6pm-7:30pm.

Clear the Path for 2023
“Your mother’s heartbeat is the first sound you ever hear, and your heartbeat is the last.” — Dave Brubeck
Connect with your inner rhythm through a healing journey. Be guided by sounds to release old energies that no longer serve you. You will create space to embrace the new, ignite your creativity and clarity, and nourish your body, mind, and spirit.
Bettina Neumann will guide you through this journey with sound healing instruments, her voice, movement, image-making, and creative writing to calm your mind and access your inner wisdom. So explore your desires and wishes, and set your intentions and medicine to lead you through 2023.
What to bring:

Comfortable clothing. Dress in layers
Anything else that would comfort you
A journal

Come early and settle in before we start. The door opens 15-minutes before the start time. We will begin promptly.

Bettina Neumann, PT, CST, LLCC, is a licensed Physical Therapist, a certified Integral Sound Healer, a practitioner of Health Rhythms, and a student in the Life/Art Process. She founded Aurras Transformation and Rising Sun Physical Therapy. Her life experience as a mother and cancer survivor lead her to her passion for expressive dance, movement, art, and ritual, which she calls her medicine. However, her healing journey and nature’s elements are her most consequential teacher. Thirty-five years as a physical therapist made her firmly believe the body can heal itself. Holistic, intuitive, evidence-based medicine and methods helped thousands of patients recover from cancer, lymphedema, chronic pain, and pelvic floor dysfunctions. She combines her experience, tools, and intuition to guide people through transformative journeys and open up the opportunity to lead a joy-filled life.

Healing Power of Yoga Nidra
2023-01-15 15:00 - 16:30
$20 | In-person
Enroll/In-person Please review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
Integral Yoga Therapy Clinic Presents the Healing Power of Yoga Nidra

You can access a profound state of awareness and activate your capacity to heal the mind, body and spirit.
Yoga Nidra reboots the nervous system by evoking one’s natural state of “relax and restore,” formally known as the Parasympathetic Nervous System. Some of the benefits of the practice include slowing heart rate, dampening of the “fight or flight” hormones, a deep sense of rest, and improved sleep. In the state of Yoga Nidra, the body can do what it is wired to do: rejuvenate, repair and revitalize at a cellular and energetic level.
Learn more and treat yourself to the relaxing Healing Power of Yoga Nidra, Sun. January 15 @ 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm PST
In this workshop, you will receive an introduction to the origins and science of Yoga Nidra, some gentle movements to warm the body, a 45-minute guided Yoga Nidra session, and a short sit-in meditation.
Please be prepared to lie on the back for approximately 45 minutes during the session. A folding chair will be provided if coming to the floor is not available. Please wear warm, comfortable, loose-fitting clothes. A head pillow is optional. Mats, blankets and bolsters will be provided. Please bring a scarf to cover your eyes during the practice.
No experience is necessary. Space is limited. Please register in advance. Thank you.

About Heather Sevika Ford, C-IAYT, RYT-500, MFA Design
In 2018 Sevika experience the Yoga Nidra retreat weekend led by Dr. Marc Halpern & Dr. Andrea Deerheart. This experience transformed her and her teaching practice. Soon after, she trained and certified as Classically Based Yoga Nidra instructor with Dr. Marc and Deerheart and loves sharing the profound practice with others.
Sevika has been a certified Yoga Teacher since 2008 and a certified Yoga Therapist since 2017. With a collaborative approach, she leads individuals toward optimal health and wellness through mindful movement, restorative postures and subtle practices such as Yoga Nidra, Pranayama and meditation. She designs accessible yoga classes for mat, wall, chair and/or bed sequences to strengthen the body, increase flexibility, optimize the immune system, and soothe the nervous system.
Her extensive training and experience allow her to work safely and therapeutically with a wide range of clients who are experiencing conditions that include chronic pain, arthritis, stroke, cancer, post-op, depression, PTS, anxiety and limited physical mobility. She has developed and leads classes and workshops for Alta Mira Recovery Center, Stanford University, and Integral Yoga Institute San Francisco. You can learn more about her teaching method and experience at sevikayoga.com.
Save the date – Yoga Nidra Personal Retreat In-person March 4-5 with Dr. Marc Halpern and Dr. Andrea Deerheart will be here soon. Early bird savings are available through February 19th. Space is limited so please sign up in advance.

New Beginnings Writing Group
2023-01-13 16:00 - 18:00
Online | By donation $0, $5, $10, $15
Monthly on the fourth Friday
Enroll/Online Please register in advance, a Zoom link and passcode will be provided via confirmation email.
Free follow-up Friday, January 27, 2023, 4:00 – 6:00 pm
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 practicing yoga when she was 18 years old. Her first yoga teacher training was Accessible Yoga through Integral Yoga Institute (IYI) and began teaching in 2011. Susan has been an assistant trainer for the Basic Yoga Teacher at IYI since 2012. She specializes in Gentle Yoga and working with people with disabilities, heart disease, arthritis, anxiety, depression and asthma. Her focus is to help students to meet their bodies where they are by introducing and incorporating Raja Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Pranayama and meditation. Susan has been certified in Yoga for Arthritis, Therapeutic Yoga, Raja Yoga and Meditation Teacher Training.

Releasing Emotional Psychic Blocks (Granthis) Through Yoga Practices
2023-01-09 08:00 - 09:30
ONLINE | $30
Enroll/Online Please register in advance, a Zoom link and passcode will be provided via confirmation email.
Free for IYTA Members. Please email membership@iyta.org for your member discount code.
Granthis are psychic, physical and emotional blocks in our chakra system which are brought about by past Samskaras, traumas, desires and old patterns.
This workshop will discuss the 3 major blockages and the techniques used to release these blockages or knots. When released, prana can flow freely through the body allowing the aspirant to experience better physical, emotional and spiritual health.
Continuing Education Credits: Yoga Alliance (YA), 1.5 contact hours. You can input your contact hours using your YA login information.
***This event will also be translated live into multiple languages***
Nalanie Chellaram, C-IAYT, BSYth, has been surrounded by spirituality for her whole life. She was raised by Hindu parents, educated at a Catholic school and studied philosophy in college. Nalanie began practicing the teaching of her Guru, Sri Swami Satchidananda in 1986 and continued to study the science of Yoga. She has been accredited by the Council of Teachers of the Satchidananda Ashram in Virginia, USA to teach Asanas, Pranayama and Meditation. She is also an accredited Teacher Trainer for Integral Yoga and a therapist under the British School of Yoga. She is the Chairwoman of the Integral Yoga Center in Gibraltar where she runs regular weekly satsangs, teacher training and counseling sessions. This Center is a registered Charity serving the community. Nalanie, who now lives in Spain, frequently lectures on the Science of Yoga, in Portugal, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, the USA and the Far East. She is the first of a new generation of spiritual teachers. Her particular upbringing and education has given her a special insight into both Hinduism and Christianity, inspired by her Beloved Guru.

21-Day Meditation Challenge
2023-01-09 07:15 - 08:00
Online | $108 or $54 discounted for those with limited resources
Free for active teachersEnroll/Online Please register in advance, a Zoom link and passcode will be provided via confirmation email.
Sign up for the 21-day meditation challenge and jumpstart or deepen your meditation practice. Meditation reduces stress, brings Self-knowledge and more. It becomes a mini retreat where we connect with the inner calm, feeling whole and contentment of simply being. Meditation cultivates positive states of mind which lead to compassionate actions in our daily lives.
We will practice Integral Yoga-style pranayama and meditation. There will be guidance in the beginning and we will progressively reduce the instructions and increase time for practice.
Each session will include a topic relating to meditation, such as Why People Meditate, The Technique and Objects for Meditation, What to do with distracting thoughts, Affirmations, Chants & Prayers, Breathing Practices, Obstacles, Insights & Wisdom, Traditional Texts That Speak on Meditation. There will be time for Questions. We will create a space for sharing at the end of each week.
We will keep a sadhana chart to track the practice. A special reward will be offered to all with good attendance.

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

Swami Ramananda is the Executive Director of the Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco, C-IAYT, and a greatly respected senior teacher in the Integral Yoga tradition, who has been practicing Yoga for over 45 years. Ramananda offers practical methods of integrating the timeless teachings and practices of Yoga into daily life, and transforming the painful aspects of human experience into steps toward realizing one’s full potential.
He leads beginner, intermediate and advanced level Yoga teacher training programs in San Francisco, and offers a variety of programs in many locations in the U.S., Europe and South America. Ramananda co-developed the Stress Management Teacher Training program with Swami Vidyananda, has trained many teachers to bring Yoga into corporate, hospital and medical settings, and has taught mind/body wellness programs in many locations. He is a certified Yoga therapist and founding board member of the Yoga Alliance, a national registry that supports and promotes yoga teachers as professionals. He is a co-founder of The Spiritual Action Initiative (SAI) which brings together individuals committed to working for social justice for all beings and for the care and healing of our natural world. His warmth, wisdom and sense of humor have endeared him to many.

Satsang: Creating a Spiritual Vision
2023-01-07 17:30 - 18:30
By donation $0, $5, $10, $15 | Online & In-person
Enroll/Online Please register in advance, a Zoom link and passcode will be provided via confirmation email.
Enroll/In-person Please review our In-person Safety Guidelines. A simple vegetarian meal will be offered after this in-person Satsang with a suggested donation of $5-10.
If we don’t have some clear sense of what we really want to do with our time and energy, we can easily be sidetracked by all the things calling for our attention. Please join us as we use guided reflection to create a personal vision for this lifetime and envision the immediate steps we want to take to fulfill this vision. Having such an intention in harmony with our hearts breathes spiritual life into our lives, frees us from being captive to the consumer-oriented messages of our culture, and guides our way to a meaningful life.
A simple vegetarian meal will be offered after this in-person Satsang with a suggested donation of $5-10.
Satsang is a special time for us to come together as a community. In Sanskrit, Sat means truth and Sangha means community. Satsang offers an opportunity to come together to share spiritual teachings. The philosophy of Integral Yoga is explored often through an informal discussion. Although our spiritual paths may diverge, the act of sharing spiritual teachings with others is inspiring and creates a solid foundation for continued practice.
People of all faiths are welcome.
Swami Ramananda is the Executive Director of the Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco and a greatly respected senior teacher in the Integral Yoga tradition, who has been practicing Yoga for over 45 years. Ramananda offers practical methods of integrating the timeless teachings and practices of Yoga into daily life, and transforming the painful aspects of human experience into steps toward realizing one’s full potential.
He leads beginner, intermediate and advanced level Yoga teacher training programs in San Francisco, and offers a variety of programs in many locations in the U.S., Europe and South America. Ramananda co-developed the Stress Management Teacher Training program with Swami Vidyananda, has trained many teachers to bring Yoga into corporate, hospital and medical settings, and has taught mind/body wellness programs in many locations. He is a certified Yoga therapist and founding board member of the Yoga Alliance, a national registry that supports and promotes yoga teachers as professionals. He is a co-founder of The Spiritual Action Initiative (SAI) which brings together individuals committed to working for social justice for all beings and for the care and healing of our natural world. His warmth, wisdom and sense of humor have endeared him to many.

Full Moon Chanting
2023-01-06 20:00 - 20:30
Free
Enroll/Online Please register in advance, a Zoom link and passcode will be provided via confirmation email.
We gather once a month to chant the Gayatri Mantra, the great mantra of Light and Liberation, to maximize the spiritual benefits of the full moon.
“oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ
tat savitur vareṇyaṃ
bhargo devasya dhīmahi
dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt”
– Rigveda 3.62.10[11]
Snehan Born, e-RYT500, has four decades of experience with yoga and has been teaching Integral Yoga since 2000. Snehan resides at the Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco, where he serves as assistant to Swami Ramananda, teaches yoga classes and is a lead teacher trainer. He has also led trainings at Satchidananda Ashram, Yogaville, Virginia, The Integral Yoga Institute in New York City and privately in Hawaii where Snehan co-created the Metamorphous Yoga Studio. Snehan is certified in all levels of Integral Yoga Hatha and has received additional certifications in Pranayama, Meditation, Raja Yoga and Stress Management from Integral Yoga and “Life of a Yogi” certification from Sri Dharma Mittra. In 1997 Snehan studied with Deepak Chopra in Goa, India and again in 2001 in Agra, India where he was asked to teach an Integral Yoga class to about 250 participants. Also, in 2001 he received “Conscious Eating”, a live foods certification from Dr. Gabriel Cousens at the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center in Arizona.
Snehan has lived and traveled extensively within India (over 9 trips) and practiced with many teachers there. He has taught yoga all over the US as well as in India, Nepal, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Japan and Europe.

New Year's Eve Program
2022-12-31 20:00 - 22:30
Online & In-person | By donation $0, $5, $10, $15
Enroll/Online Please register in advance, a Zoom link and passcode will be provided via confirmation email.
Enroll/In-person Please review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
Ring in the new year together. Join Swami Ramananda, Swami Vimalananda and Sangha for an evening of inspiration, mantra, dance, poetry and intention setting

8:00 pm – 9:00 pm Meditation and Prayers for World Peace: The beginning of a New Year is a potent time to pause from our daily pursuits, reflect on our personal goals and send out heartfelt prayers for the spiritual upliftment of all beings. Swami Vimalananda will offer a message of inspiration and lead us in chanting mantras dedicated to world peace followed by meditation. The stillness of meditation allows us to enter the New Year charged with a natural sense of Oneness
9:00 pm – 9:30 pm Universal Dances for Peace: Swami Ramananda will lead us through some dances of universal peace as a form of moving meditation and prayer which brings healing to our own hearts.
9:30 pm – 10:30 pm​ ​Guided Reflection and Intention Setting: The Swamis will also offer a guided reflection with intention setting to keep our spiritual journey inspired and authentic and share their favorite stories and poem

Enjoy Mixed Level Hatha Class Sunday JAN 1, 10:30 AM – 12:00 pm
ONLINE with Snehan Born. This traditional yoga class is a comprehensive and balanced class with a steady flow, relaxation between poses, and guided instruction throughout. First-time students are welcome.
Enjoy 50% off ALL single class purchases during the month of January! Use promocode “FRIEND” and share with your friends. Happy Holidays

Swami Ramananda is the Executive Director of Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco and a greatly respected senior teacher in the Integral Yoga tradition, who has been practicing Yoga for over 40 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 trains Yoga teachers to bring Yoga into corporate, hospital and medical settings and has taught mind/body wellness programs in many locations. He is a founding board member of the Yoga Alliance, a national registry that supports and promotes yoga teachers as professionals. His warmth, wisdom and sense of humor have endeared him to many.
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.

Christmas Eve Satsang
2022-12-24 16:00 - 17:30
Online & In-person | By donation $0, $5, $10, $15
Enroll/Online Please register in advance, a Zoom link and passcode will be provided via confirmation email.
Enroll/In-person Please review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
Join us for a special service to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and his embodied teachings with a discussion of the deep meaning he shared through his words and example. Our program will include a worship service and Christmas music with Mirabai, and end with sharing cookies and other traditional refreshments. You are welcome to bring food, cookies or drinks to share.
Join us for New Year’s Eve Program Saturday, DEC 31, 8:00 pm – 10:30 pm PT
ONLINE & IN-PERSON with Swamis Ramananda and Vimalananda and Sangha. Ring in the new year with an evening of inspiration, mantra, dance, poetry and intention setting.
Enjoy Mixed Level Hatha Class Sunday, JAN 1 10:30 AM – 12:00 pm PT
IN-PERSON with Snehan Born. This traditional yoga class is a comprehensive and balanced class with a steady flow, relaxation between poses, and guided instruction throughout. First-time students are welcome.
Enjoy 50% off ALL single class purchases during the month of January! Use promocode “FRIEND” and share with your friends. Happy Holidays

Swami Ramananda is the Executive Director of the Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco and a greatly respected senior teacher in the Integral Yoga tradition, who has been practicing Yoga for over 45 years. Ramananda offers practical methods of integrating the timeless teachings and practices of Yoga into daily life, and transforming the painful aspects of human experience into steps toward realizing one’s full potential.
He leads beginner, intermediate and advanced level Yoga teacher training programs in San Francisco, and offers a variety of programs in many locations in the U.S., Europe and South America. Ramananda co-developed the Stress Management Teacher Training program with Swami Vidyananda, has trained many teachers to bring Yoga into corporate, hospital and medical settings, and has taught mind/body wellness programs in many locations. He is a certified Yoga therapist and founding board member of the Yoga Alliance, a national registry that supports and promotes yoga teachers as professionals. He is a co-founder of The Spiritual Action Initiative (SAI) which brings together individuals committed to working for social justice for all beings and for the care and healing of our natural world. His warmth, wisdom and sense of humor have endeared him to many.
Snehan Born, E-RYT500, has four decades of experience with yoga and has been teaching Integral Yoga since 2000. Snehan resides at the Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco, where he serves as assistant to Swami Ramananda, teaches yoga classes and is a lead teacher trainer. He has also led trainings at Satchidananda Ashram, Yogaville, Virginia, The Integral Yoga Institute in New York City and privately in Hawaii where Snehan co-created the Metamorphous Yoga Studio. Snehan is certified in all levels of Integral Yoga Hatha and has received additional certifications in Pranayama, Meditation, Raja Yoga and Stress Management from Integral Yoga and “Life of a Yogi” certification from Sri Dharma Mittra. In 1997 Snehan studied with Deepak Chopra in Goa, India and again in 2001 in Agra, India where he was asked to teach an Integral Yoga class to about 250 participants. Also, in 2001 he received “Conscious Eating”, a live foods certification from Dr. Gabriel Cousens at the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center in Arizona.
Snehan has lived and traveled extensively within India (over 9 trips) and practiced with many teachers there. He has taught yoga all over the US as well as in India, Nepal, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Japan and Europe.
Mirabai Warkulwiz planted her yoga and meditation roots in San Francisco at the Sivananda Center in 1998. Amazed at her healing of a back injury and many other positive life changes, she became yoga certified through 200-hour teacher training programs both at the Integral Yoga Institute in 2004, and at the Greenpath Ashtanga Studio in 2005. In July 2008 she completed another 170 hour Intermediate Teacher Training program in Asana and Pranayama through the Integral Yoga Institute in Virginia. She is attuned to Reiki Level 1, studies Aryuveda, is a dancer, and enjoys being in communion with nature. She invites all of her yoga students to transcend physical, emotional, and mental blocks to experience more spaciousness, comfort, happiness, clarity, and inner peace. As a Kirtan musician (Mirabai and Friends Kirtan Band) Mirabai leads Kirtan around the Bay Area, and enjoys implementing chanting, sound, and music into class.
