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

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

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

Kealoha Deluz has been a holistic health practitioner for 30 years, holds a Master of Divinity, Ph.D. in Holistic Studies, and is currently working towards a degree in transpersonal counseling. He has been an Integral Yoga Teacher since 2006 and is a Raja Yoga trainer, advanced level Hatha Yoga, meditation and stress management instructor. Kealoha is a licensed massage therapist, skin care practitioner, and holistic life coach. Kealoha Born and raised on the Big Island of Hawaii, and currently lives and works in San Francisco, California.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Art of Paying Attention
Acceptance
Play
Writing from the Heart

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

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

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

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

Swami Ramananda, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, is the Executive Director of the Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco, C-IAYT, and a greatly respected senior teacher in the Integral Yoga tradition who has been practicing Yoga for over 45 years. Ramananda offers practical methods of integrating the timeless teachings and practices of Yoga into daily life and transforming the painful aspects of human experience into steps toward realizing one’s full potential.
He leads beginner, intermediate and advanced-level Yoga teacher training programs in San Francisco and offers a variety of programs in many locations in the U.S., Europe and South America. Ramananda co-developed the Stress Management Teacher Training program with Swami Vidyananda, has trained many teachers to bring Yoga into corporate, hospital and medical settings, and has taught mind/body wellness programs in many locations. He is a certified Yoga therapist and founding board member of the Yoga Alliance, a national registry that supports and promotes yoga teachers as professionals. He co-founded The Spiritual Action Initiative (SAI), which brings together individuals committed to working for social justice for all beings and for the care and healing of our natural world. His warmth, wisdom and sense of humor have endeared him to many.
Swami Divyananda Ma, E-RYT 500, has had a wealth of experience teaching Integral Yoga around the world since 1973. She has taught at corporations, universities, the Commonwealth Cancer Center, and for the Dr. Dean Ornish Reversing Heart Disease programs. She has also served as one of Integral Yoga’s Basic Hatha teacher trainers. Swami Divyananda Ma took monastic vows in 1975 from the great saint and yogi, Sri Swami Satchidananda. Over the years she has served as the director of the Integral Yoga Institutes in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and as Ashram Manager at Yogaville. She also served for ten years as the director of the Integral Yoga Institute in Coimbatore, India; this immersion into the South Indian culture has given depth to her understanding and practice of Yoga. Now an itinerant monk, Swami Divyananda is constantly “on the road.” She leads the annual Sacred India Tours to sacred sites in India in addition to international Yoga retreats and trainings. Learn more at sacredindiatours.org.
Kealoha Deluz has been a holistic health practitioner for 30 years, holds a Master of Divinity, Ph.D. in Holistic Studies, and is currently working towards a degree in transpersonal counseling. He has been an Integral Yoga Teacher since 2006 and is a Raja Yoga trainer, advanced level Hatha Yoga, meditation and stress management instructor. Kealoha is a licensed massage therapist, skin care practitioner, and holistic life coach. Kealoha Born and raised on the Big Island of Hawaii, and currently lives and works in San Francisco, California.

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

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

Margabandhu Martarano, E-RYT 500, has served as director of the New Jersey Integral Yoga® Institute for 50 years. Margabandhu is a senior certified Integral Yoga instructor, proficient in all aspects of Yoga. He has a B.A. in education, is a master herbalist, and is certified in therapeutic acupressure massage and reflexology. Margabandhu is also the director of the Well Being Center in Verona, NJ, a holistic center specializing in all aspects of health and healing. He is the co-creator of the Yoga for Autism teacher training.
Swami Ramananda, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, is the Executive Director of the Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco, C-IAYT, and a greatly respected senior teacher in the Integral Yoga tradition who has been practicing Yoga for over 45 years. Ramananda offers practical methods of integrating the timeless teachings and practices of Yoga into daily life and transforming the painful aspects of human experience into steps toward realizing one’s full potential.
He leads beginner, intermediate and advanced-level Yoga teacher training programs in San Francisco and offers a variety of programs in many locations in the U.S., Europe and South America. Ramananda co-developed the Stress Management Teacher Training program with Swami Vidyananda, has trained many teachers to bring Yoga into corporate, hospital and medical settings, and has taught mind/body wellness programs in many locations. He is a certified Yoga therapist and founding board member of the Yoga Alliance, a national registry that supports and promotes yoga teachers as professionals. He co-founded The Spiritual Action Initiative (SAI), which brings together individuals committed to working for social justice for all beings and for the care and healing of our natural world. His warmth, wisdom and sense of humor have endeared him to many.
Raama Das, C-IAYT, is a former director of the Integral Yoga® Teachers Association and has been instructing Integral Yoga since 2009. He is a lead trainer for the Integral Yoga 200-hour Teacher Training at Yogaville and co-presenter for the 200 and 500-hour Yoga Alliance programs at Heal Me Institute in Fredericksburg. Raama recently received certification as a Yoga Therapist through the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT), having studied Yoga programs for specific health conditions, including, anxiety, depression, cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and addiction. He is also certified as a teacher of Intermediate Hatha, Raja Yoga, Meditation, Stress Management, Yin Yoga, and Yoga for our Elders. Raama has studied and served extensively at the Integral Yoga Academy at Yogaville and managed the Integral Yoga Therapy Program. In addition, he has participated in many months of deep Tantric and classical Yoga sadhana (practice) at the Scandinavian Yoga and Meditation School in Sweden under the direction of Swami Janakananda. He currently serves as Institute Manager at the Integral Yoga Institute San Francisco.
Rev. Prema Jyothi is a certified Integral Yoga Instructor for Cardiac, Children’s, Intermediate Hatha, Meditation, Pre-natal, Post-Partum, Raja Yoga, and Beginner Hatha Yoga. On August 19, 2006, she deepened her commitment to Integral Yoga by becoming an Integral Yoga Minister, dedicated to serving all the needs of our community. She specializes in bereavement services.

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

Jivana Heyman is the founder and director of Accessible Yoga, an organization dedicated to increasing access to the yoga teachings and supporting yoga teachers. He’s the author of the books: Accessible Yoga: Poses and Practices for Every Body; Yoga Revolution: Building a Practice of Courage & Compassion; and a new book, The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga: Best Practices for Sharing Yoga with Every Body. His books, classes, and trainings offer support to yoga teachers and yoga therapists in finding ways to bring creativity and collaboration into their teaching while still respecting the ancient yoga tradition. More info at jivanaheyman.com.
Swami Ramananda, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, is the Executive Director of the Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco, C-IAYT, and a greatly respected senior teacher in the Integral Yoga tradition who has been practicing Yoga for over 45 years. Ramananda offers practical methods of integrating the timeless teachings and practices of Yoga into daily life and transforming the painful aspects of human experience into steps toward realizing one’s full potential.
He leads beginner, intermediate and advanced-level Yoga teacher training programs in San Francisco and offers a variety of programs in many locations in the U.S., Europe and South America. Ramananda co-developed the Stress Management Teacher Training program with Swami Vidyananda, has trained many teachers to bring Yoga into corporate, hospital and medical settings, and has taught mind/body wellness programs in many locations. He is a certified Yoga therapist and founding board member of the Yoga Alliance, a national registry that supports and promotes yoga teachers as professionals. He co-founded The Spiritual Action Initiative (SAI), which brings together individuals committed to working for social justice for all beings and for the care and healing of our natural world. His warmth, wisdom and sense of humor have endeared him to many.

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

Swami Ramananda, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, is the Executive Director of the Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco, C-IAYT, and a greatly respected senior teacher in the Integral Yoga tradition who has been practicing Yoga for over 45 years. Ramananda offers practical methods of integrating the timeless teachings and practices of Yoga into daily life and transforming the painful aspects of human experience into steps toward realizing one’s full potential.
He leads beginner, intermediate and advanced-level Yoga teacher training programs in San Francisco and offers a variety of programs in many locations in the U.S., Europe and South America. Ramananda co-developed the Stress Management Teacher Training program with Swami Vidyananda, has trained many teachers to bring Yoga into corporate, hospital and medical settings, and has taught mind/body wellness programs in many locations. He is a certified Yoga therapist and founding board member of the Yoga Alliance, a national registry that supports and promotes yoga teachers as professionals. He co-founded The Spiritual Action Initiative (SAI), which brings together individuals committed to working for social justice for all beings and for the care and healing of our natural world. His warmth, wisdom and sense of humor have endeared him to many.

New Moon Hanuman Chalisa
2024-06-05 20:00 - 20:45
$5-$20 | Enroll for free, use promo code FREE
Book now/In-PersonPlease review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
Join Snehan for in-person chanting of the Hanuman Chalisa with harmonium.
The Hanuman Chalisa is an ancient 40-line poem by Tulsidas extolling the many attributes and supernatural abilities of the Monkey God, Hanuman.
Sri Hanuman represents the ultimate devotee by his 100% commitment to his Dharmic path of serving Sri Ram, the Lord Itself.
Chanting the Hanuman Chalisa promises the removal of all pain and suffering. And Sri Hanuman is the Wish-fulfilling Deity…..ask for what you really want!
We will chant for 30 minutes or so and then sit in meditation for about 10 minutes more.

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

Reiki for Self-Healing
2024-06-08 13:00 - 16:00
In-person | $42 Early bird, use promo code HEALING, exp. 6/1/24
$50 regular
Book now/In-PersonPlease review our In-person Safety Guidelines. https://integralyogasf.org/attending-in-person
In this 3-hour workshop, you will learn the basics of self-healing with reiki, receive a brief introduction to energy healing generally, as well as learn techniques to ground, center and improve your energy flows.
Reiki is a form of energy healing that originated in Japan, based on revitalizing the “life force energy” that flows through us and causes us to be alive; if one’s “life force energy” is low or obstructed, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high and flows freely, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.
Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and wellbeing, as well as grounding, balance and confidence. While there are no guarantees for a specific result, there are many reports of reiki helping a wide variety of illnesses and maladies. It also works in conjunction with all other medical or therapeutic techniques to relieve side effects and promote recovery. Though Reiki is spiritual in nature, it is not a religion and has no dogma, and can serve as a complement to yoga or other spiritual or wellness practices.
This workshop will include:
• Brief introduction to energy healing and reiki and how it can relate to yoga
• Empowerment to receive and transmit reiki energy
• Training on how to give a complete Reiki session to yourself, including hand positions
• Techniques to ground yourself, clear energy, and keep your energy protected from outside influences
Reiki is a simple, natural and safe method of spiritual healing. This workshop may be especially useful for people in highly stressful roles such as parents, caregivers, health and emergency workers, teachers, activists, and other service providers, as well as people in highly stressful situations such as being currently without work or sufficient pay, or seeking freedom from abusive living situations or workplaces.
Participants will be seated or lying down on yoga mats for this class. We sincerely apologize this is not a wheelchair accessible classroom – it requires climbing several flights of stairs.
It is highly recommended to experience a Reiki treatment prior to this workshop.
Aryahi offers private Reiki sessions through the Integral Yoga Therapy Clinic; participants that enroll in this workshop will receive a 20% discount on treatments with her. For a greater discount, contact her directly through aryahi@integralyogasf.org

This workshop offers the essentials on self healing from the upcoming 2-day Reiki certification training:
Reiki I & II for Yogis – Reiki Training for Self and Others with Aryahi Naomi Onaga
September 14-15, 2024 ⋅ 9:00am-12:30pm & 1:30–5:00pm.

Space is limited to 8 people – save your spot today
Early bird savings available now through 9/7
Tuition discounts available to BIPOC by request: email manager@integralyogasf.org.

Learn more

Aryahi is an intuitive energy healer specializing in Reiki, Inner Alignment, and other healing modalities. She was certified by the International Center for Reiki Training as a reiki master in Japanese (Usui) reiki in 2013, and in the new “Holy Fire” reiki in 2018. Aryahi completed the 200-hour yoga teacher training at Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco in 2019 and has served as a member of the staff. Aryahi also has training in other energy healing modalities including Inner Alignment, sound healing, and intuitive healing. Aryahi offers private healing sessions through the Yoga Therapy Clinic at Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco, the Subud Center in Palo Alto, and at her Noe Valley studio, and teaches reiki, yoga and other workshops. As a healer, Aryahi intuitively sees the resplendent beauty in each soul, and supports each person to clear trauma, burdens and limitations to realign with her/his/their radiant self. As a teacher, she creates a nurturing environment where students can explore and grow, not just by learning technique, but also by connecting to their own unique gifts and joy. For more information on Aryahi see ashreyavi.com

Kirtan with Easy E
2024-06-08 19:00 - 20:30
In-person
$5-$25 | Enroll for free, use promo code FREE.
Book now/In-PersonPlease review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
Please Join Easy E for an evening of chanting. His style of Kirtan is wonderful for all levels of Kirtan goers, with an easy flow of music and lyrics that are simple to follow and chant to. Easy E wants everyone to focus on the medicine of the music and not the complication of the lyrics. With an Easy and gentle flow of mantra music, Easy E takes everyone down a path of devotional music and challenges everyone to dive deep into their hearts and feel the true spirit of what Kirtan can dish out for its participants.

Easy E was born and raised in Southern California and found the Bhakti practice back in 2015 when he went to India on a retreat with Govindas from the Bhakti Yoga Shala. It was on that trip that Easy E was introduced to Hanuman, and the connection was life changing. Easy E comes from a musical background and has been playing the acoustic guitar since he was 8 years old. With a deep rooted background in Judaism, the Bhakti path was like a coming home party for Easy E, playing and singing mantras was heart opening which is very transparent to all those who chant together with him. He often plays with Hanuman Ji’s, a Band of Friends, born out of the Bhakti Yoga Shala in Santa Monica California.

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

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.

Tuesday Tea Time Series
2024-06-11 11:15 - 23:45
Surrender, Prayer and Grace
Online & In-person | $1-108 sliding scale
Please consider donating to the “Swami Ramananda Yogic Wisdom” GoFundMe page in support of Swami Ramananda’s shift from administrative tasks to writing and publishing a book describing how to integrate the teachings of Yoga into everyday life.
Book now/OnlinePlease register in advance, a Zoom link will be provided via email 1 hour prior to the session. You can also join Zoom directly from your Momence dashboard.
Book now/In-PersonPlease review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
Share a cup of tea with Swami Ramananda, one of our most beloved IYI teachers. Swami-ji will be hosting monthly 30-minute “tea break” discussions exploring how to integrate Yoga and meditation in our daily lives. In-person students can join us right after the 9:30 am Yoga class!
Join in community and explore how Yoga can be integrated into every action, every day to benefit our lives and the world. Discover how the timeless teachings of Yoga and meditation can help us transform the painful aspects of human experience into steps towards realizing our full potential.
Tuesdays • Monthly • Save the dates:
July 9: Can We Know God? How Yoga Enlightens
Live Streamed via Facebook and available to watch later, at your convenience.
Global times: 11:15 am PT, 12:15 pm MDT, 1:15 pm CDT, 2:15 pm EDT
7:15 pm GMT, 8:15 pm CET, 11:45 pm IST

Swami Ramananda, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, is the Executive Director of the Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco, C-IAYT, and a greatly respected senior teacher in the Integral Yoga tradition, who has been practicing Yoga for over 45 years. Ramananda offers practical methods of integrating the timeless teachings and practices of Yoga into daily life, and transforming the painful aspects of human experience into steps toward realizing one’s full potential.
He leads beginner, intermediate and advanced level Yoga teacher training programs in San Francisco, and offers a variety of programs in many locations in the U.S., Europe and South America. Ramananda co-developed the Stress Management Teacher Training program with Swami Vidyananda, has trained many teachers to bring Yoga into corporate, hospital and medical settings, and has taught mind/body wellness programs in many locations. He is a certified Yoga therapist and founding board member of the Yoga Alliance, a national registry that supports and promotes yoga teachers as professionals. He is a co-founder of the Spiritual Action Initiative (SAI) which brings together individuals committed to working for social justice for all beings and for the care and healing of our natural world. His warmth, wisdom and sense of humor have endeared him to many.

New Beginnings Writing Group
2024-06-14 16:00 - 17:30
$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.
Next session is Friday, June 28 from 4:00 – 5:30 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 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.

Vagus Nerve Activation
2024-06-15 11:30 - 13:00
Online & in-person
$25 Early bird, use promo code NERVE, exp. 6/8/24 | $30 regular
Book now/OnlinePlease register in advance; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.
Book now/In-PersonPlease review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
Join Integral Yoga Therapist Diana Meltsner for a practice of Yoga Asana, Pranayama and vibration of our voices to activate the vagus nerve and the parasympathetic nervous system.
A balanced nervous system is one of the physiological benefits of Yoga practice through Integral Yoga sequencing.
Learn various practices to activate the parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS), which can slow our heart and breathing rates, lower blood pressure and promote better digestion. Our body enters a state of relaxation, which cultivates recovery. The more time we spend in a PSNS state, the healthier we can become. In time we’ll see benefits, including dismantling stress, trauma and other patterns of tension in the body and the breath. Regulating the nervous system gives us a tool to bring healing on all the different levels of who we are.
We offer teachers 2 hours CEUs for 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 worked in the clinical setting for Kaiser Permanente since 2005 as a yoga teacher, yoga therapist, and health educator and is teaching mindfulness and meditation to the medical staff. Her focus is on the healing aspects of yoga on the mind as well as the body by applying the teachings of Yoga, practices of breath-control, mindfulness and meditation. Diana helps her clients to find healing and the ability to move through life with increased ease, stress resilience, and intuition. Diana Meltsner works as a programs manager and serves on the board of directors at Integral Yoga Institute, an urban ashram in San Francisco. She is a yoga teacher trainer for the 200-hour and Meditation Teacher trainings. www.dianameltsner.com

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

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.

Honoring the Spiritual Light
2024-06-21 19:00 - 20:30
$5-$20 | Enroll for free, use promo code FREE
Book now/OnlinePlease register in advance; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.
Book now/In-PersonPlease review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
Join us in a celebration of the Summer Solstice, with the sun at its zenith, the International Day of Yoga, and the full moon.
We will honor these three auspicious occasions with a discussion and puja to unveil the spiritual Light within, and by chanting 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]
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.
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.

Full Moon Chanting
2024-06-21 20:00 - 20:30
$5-$20 | Enroll for free, use promo code FREE
Book now/OnlinePlease register in advance; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.
Book now/In-PersonPlease review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
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.

Yoga for Strong Bones
2024-06-22 15:00 - 16:30
Online| $25 Early bird, use promo code BONES, exp. 6/15
$30 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.
About half of Americans over age 50 are at the risk of breaking a bone and should be concerned about bone health according to the Bone Health Foundation. Dr. Loren Fishman ’s longitudinal studies over the past two decades demonstrated an increase in bone mineral density and improved bone quality with regular practice of 12 Yoga poses in people of all ages including those with osteoporosis, osteopenia, or without any of these conditions. Apart from bone health, yoga asanas offer several other benefits such as improved balance, posture, range of motion and coordination, greatly reducing the risk of fractures.
This workshop will cover basics of the bone building process and nutritional needs, followed by instructions for doing the 12 poses recommended by Dr. Fishman. Instructions for doing the poses will be offered at basic and intermediate/advanced levels with guidance for adapting the poses to your level. Resources/ links to information on bone health and practicing the 12 poses on your own will be provided. Previous experience with yoga poses is not necessary. If you have medical conditions including fractures, hip, or knee replacement, please consult with your doctor before doing yoga poses.
This class will be offered online. Please make sure you have access to a wall, chair, strap, block, yoga mat and a thick towel/blanket.

Saroja Subrahmanyan, E-RYT500, has studied and practiced yoga for several decades. Her early yoga studies were in India followed by extensive teacher training in the Integral Yoga tradition since 1994 (Basic, Intermediate, Stress Management, Accessible Yoga Teacher Training, Laughing Yoga and Raja Yoga). She also received training in other areas such as Therapeutic yoga, Laughter Yoga in the Madan Kataria style, Ayurveda, Reiki, iRest® Level-1 and recently a 20-hour teacher training course on Yoga vs. Osteoporosis offered by Dr. Loren Fishman.
She has taught yoga and stress management courses in a variety of settings and for varied audiences (colleges, gyms, offices, ashram, yoga studios and private classes) in the US, Singapore & India. For the past two decades, she has taught a popular yoga philosophy and practice course at Saint Mary’s College of California, where is also a tenured professor in the business school. She loves how yoga practices offer guidance for physical, mental, and spiritual health and can be practiced by anyone.

Sufi Devotional Music from North India and Pakistan
2024-06-22 19:00 - 20:30
In-person | $20 In advance, use promo code SUFI, exp. 6/21/24
$25 Day of
Enroll/In-person Please review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
Join us for exploration of traditional devotional music from the motherland of Yoga. This gathering will explore Sufi devotional music from North India and Pakistan lead by Sukhawat Ali Khan, an Eleventh Generation Singer of the Sham Chaurasi Gharana of hindustani music in Pakistan.
In the first part we will focus on listening and experiencing the effect of raaglead by Sukhawat ji. We will also discuss sufi lyrics/ poetry. Sukhawat ji will demonstrate the basic characteristics and phrasing of simple raags commonly used in hindustani sufi music participants can learn and sing along.
In the second half of the program, we will sing popular qawwali songs together in call and response format. The lyrics sheets with English translations will be provided.
Sukhawat Ali Khan ji’s sufi music samples:
• Ghulam Ali
• Raste Juda Juda

Skhawat Ali Khan will be accompanied by his student Jun Ishimuro on keyboard and flute. Jun is a music producer under Qb Moda Jazz Soundcloud, former member of Astrud Castillo Cosmic Caravan. Acoustic Guitar accompaniment by Daljeet Singh, drums by Ryan Melnick and Saima Jamshed.

Yoga Classes Infused with Raja Yoga, 6-week course
2024-06-23 09:00 - 10:00
Online | 6 consecutive Sundays: JUN 23- JUL 28
$65 Early bird, use promo code RAJA, exp. 6/16 | $75 regular
Book now/OnlinePlease register in advance; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.
Join six Integral Yoga senior teachers, Swami Ramananda, Swami Divyananda and IY senior teachers, for six weeks of online Sunday morning Yoga classes that offer a unique way of integrating Yoga philosophy into the familiar practices of an Integral Yoga class.
These teachings of Raja Yoga provide a practical approach to health and balance in all aspects of life: physical, mental, social and spiritual. They propose a pathway to relieve suffering, which is the goal of all the great wisdom traditions, and the practical goal of Yoga teaching and therapy. Some previous experience with Yoga is welcome but not necessary.

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

New Beginnings Writing Group
2024-06-28 16:00 - 17:30
$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.
Friday, June 28 from 4:00 – 5:30 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 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.

Moving Energy: Hatha, Yoga Nidra & Sound Bath
2024-06-29 15:30 - 17:30
In-person
$35 In advance, use promo code ENERGY | $40 Day of
fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”]Book now/In-PersonPlease review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
Enjoy a transformative 2-hour workshop, where you’ll delve into the art of dissolving blockages in the flow of energy, rebooting your nervous system and harnessing your innate self-healing abilities.
Our bodies are densely packed fields of energy, influenced by the ebb and flow of life’s daily challenges, regardless of their magnitude. These challenges can disrupt the natural flow of energy, both physical and energetic, triggering a complex physiological response to stress that often leads to congestion and blockages. Yet, within us lies the capacity to restore equilibrium.
Through the profound ancient practices of Pranayama, Asana, and Yoga Nidra accompanied by live, healing instrumental sounds, we create an optimal environment to nurture our innate state of equanimity, promote energy flow, self-healing, and expand consciousness. Yoga Nidra, rooted in ancient wisdom, facilitates the body’s innate ability to rejuvenate, repair, and restore itself on both cellular and energetic levels. This practice also serves as a conduit for connecting with our personal intentions or Sankalpa (in Sanskrit). Immersing ourselves in soothing sounds interrupts the stress cycle in a gentle, non-invasive manner, while recalibrating our vibrational frequency.
Medical studies continue to reveal to us the benefits of these complementary practices. Benefits include: reducing heart rate, blood pressure, symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, PTS, PMS, chronic pain and symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes, and can greatly improve quality of sleep.
Let your experience be your guide to receiving the profound effects on the path towards optimal health.
No experience necessary.
During the session, we’ll be sitting, moving and then lying on our backs for approximately 40-50 minutes. For those who may have difficulty getting to the floor, folding chairs will be provided.

Heather Sevika Ford, C-IAYT became a certified Yoga teacher in 2008 and earned her accreditation as a Yoga Therapist in 2017. Deeply rooted in in classical-lineage-based yoga, accessibility and stress management, her background, experience and training enables her to work effectively and safely with diverse clients with unique goals and conditions. With a collaborative approach, she guides individuals toward experiencing the essence of Yoga; a contemplative, mindful practice intended to eliminate obstacles and foster inner peace. Working collaboratively she supports and empowers students to explore and embrace the transformative power of Yoga. By cultivating a renewed connection between the mind and body one can attain skills that extend beyond a given session transforming our relationship with the internal and external.
Sessions include mindful movement and postures to enhance strength and flexibility, along with subtle practices such as Yoga Nidra, Pranayama, and meditation. Additionally, Heather often integrates Reiki, sound healing, and aromatherapy to facilitate resetting the nervous system. She has worked with individuals experiencing addiction recovery, chronic pain, PTSD, stress, anxiety, depression, arthritis, stroke, cancer, pre and post-operative care, limited physical mobility, nerve damage, obesity, post-polio syndrome, knee and hip replacements.
Heather teaches privately and leads workshops at Integral Yoga Institute San Francisco, Stanford University and Alta Mira Recovery Center. Learn more at sevikayoga.com

Intro to Embodiment and Non-conceptual Awareness
2024-07-02 17:00 - 18:00
Free | Online
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.
Free meditation, talk and brief Q&A to introduce the upcoming 4-week meditation course which will be focused on the development of non-conceptual somatic wisdom (insight based in tranquility and a still mind) through mindfulness and insight practices that will be offered on 4 Tuesdays, July 9, 16, 23 & 30, from 5:00-7:00pm , recordings will be available.
Click here for more information.
“Great wisdom lives within the body but is not of it.”
“By whatever thing the world is bound, by that, the bond is unfastened.”
-Hevajara Tantra

Rich Panico is an artist, yogi and physician known for his humor and clarity in teaching. He has practiced meditation and yoga since 1970 and began teaching mindfulness woven into pottery making classes in the late 70’s.
Rich has taught mindfulness formally, in medical, academic and art-related settings for over 20 years. He was a pioneer in the use of mindfulness-based treatment in the adaptation to and treatment of chronic disease. Mindfulness occupied a central therapeutic role in his professional offering as a physician.

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

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

Satsang: Aparigraha and the Art of Decluttering
2024-07-06 17:30 - 18:30
$5-$20 | Enroll for free, use promo code FREE.
Book now/OnlinePlease register in advance; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.
Book now/In-PersonPlease review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
We live in a culture whose motto is “more is better;” and we are encouraged to fulfill our spiritual needs with material things.
JP Andrews and Swami Ramananda will lead us in exploring how to gain mental clarity through mindful organizing strategies and removing visual clutter to align with our true nature.

Explore the Yoga practice of Aparigraha
Discuss intentional steps for transforming our physical space
Learn to let go with gratitude
Review guidelines for living in alignment with our true nature

A simple vegetarian meal will be offered following this in-person Satsang with a suggested in-person donation of $5-10.
Satsang is a special time for us to come together as a community. In Sanskrit, Sat means truth and Sangha means community. Satsang offers an opportunity to come together to share spiritual teachings. The philosophy of Integral Yoga is explored often through an informal discussion. Although our spiritual paths may diverge, the act of sharing spiritual teachings with others is inspiring and creates a solid foundation for continued practice.
People of all faiths are welcome.

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.
Jen “JP” Andrews graduated summer of 2022 from the Integral Yoga Basic 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 4 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.

In celebration of Swami Ramananda’s upcoming 71st birthday, we have created a Fundraiser-raffle! Tickets are available online now! Raffle entries are $10 each or 12 for $108. The raffle draw will be held on Saturday, August 3, 11:00am – 1:00pm at Swami Ramananda’s Birthday Brunch Potluck.
Raffle Tix

Please visit the Yogic Wisdom Campaign GoFundMe page to learn more and pledge your support today. No amount is too small to help us reach our goal. Thank you for your support.

Tuesday Tea Time Series
2024-07-09 11:15 - 11:45
“Can We Know God? How Yoga Enlightens”
Online & In-person | $1-108 sliding scale
Book now/OnlinePlease register in advance, a Zoom link will be provided via email 1 hour prior to the session. You can also join Zoom directly from your Momence dashboard.
Book now/In-PersonPlease review our In-person Safety Guidelines.
Share a cup of tea with Swami Ramananda, one of our most beloved IYI teachers. Swami-ji will be hosting monthly 30-minute “tea break” discussions exploring how to integrate Yoga and meditation in our daily lives. In-person students can join us right after the 9:30 am Yoga class!
Join in community and explore how Yoga can be integrated into every action, every day to benefit our lives and the world. Discover how the timeless teachings of Yoga and meditation can help us transform the painful aspects of human experience into steps towards realizing our full potential.
Tuesdays • Monthly • Save the dates:
Live Streamed via Facebook and available to watch later, at your convenience.
Global times: 11:15 am PT, 12:15 pm MDT, 1:15 pm CDT, 2:15 pm EDT
7:15 pm GMT, 8:15 pm CET, 11:45 pm IST

In celebration of Swami Ramananda’s upcoming 71st birthday, we have created a Fundraiser-raffle! Tickets are available online now! Raffle entries are $10 each or 12 for $108. The raffle draw will be held on Saturday, August 3, 11:00am – 1:00pm at Swami Ramananda’s Birthday Brunch Potluck.
Please visit the Yogic Wisdom Campaign GoFundMe page to learn more and pledge your support today. No amount is too small to help us reach our goal. Thank you for your support.
Raffle Tix

Swami Ramananda, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, is the Executive Director of the Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco, C-IAYT, and a greatly respected senior teacher in the Integral Yoga tradition, who has been practicing Yoga for over 45 years. Ramananda offers practical methods of integrating the timeless teachings and practices of Yoga into daily life, and transforming the painful aspects of human experience into steps toward realizing one’s full potential.
He leads beginner, intermediate and advanced level Yoga teacher training programs in San Francisco, and offers a variety of programs in many locations in the U.S., Europe and South America. Ramananda co-developed the Stress Management Teacher Training program with Swami Vidyananda, has trained many teachers to bring Yoga into corporate, hospital and medical settings, and has taught mind/body wellness programs in many locations. He is a certified Yoga therapist and founding board member of the Yoga Alliance, a national registry that supports and promotes yoga teachers as professionals. He is a co-founder of the Spiritual Action Initiative (SAI) which brings together individuals committed to working for social justice for all beings and for the care and healing of our natural world. His warmth, wisdom and sense of humor have endeared him to many.
