Satsang: Mystical Poetry Night

Online | $5-$20 – Enroll for free, use promo code FREE

Please register in advance. Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.

Join Diana Meltsner and Susan Ford for an evening of shared poetry that reflects the voice of our souls. We will read and discuss that which awakens inspiration, delight and peace in the heart. All are welcome to bring a poem or two to share or simply listen and enjoy.

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.

Satsang is a special time for us to come together as a community. In Sanskrit, Sat means truth and Sangha means community. Satsang offers an opportunity to come together to share spiritual teachings. The philosophy of Integral Yoga is explored often through an informal discussion. Although our spiritual paths may diverge, the act of sharing spiritual teachings with others is inspiring and creates a solid foundation for continued practice.

People of all faiths are welcome.

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

Diana Meltsner, C-IAYT, ERYT-500, YACEP, has been teaching 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

2024-02-03T11:00:34-08:00December 19th, 2023|Tags: , , , , |

21-Day Meditation Challenge

Online | $74 Early bird use promo code CHALLENGE, exp. 1/2/24
$108 Regular

Please register in advance, a Zoom link will be provided via email.

Develop, deepen or jumpstart your meditation practice.

We will meet daily starting January 8th – 28th. Swami Ramananda, Claire Schneeberger, Eric Gustafson and Diana Meltsner will guide the practice of Integral Yoga-style pranayama and meditation. There will be guidance in the beginning and we will progressively reduce the instructions and increase time for silent practice during the 21-days of meditation challenge.

Meditation cultivates positive states of mind which lead to compassionate actions in our daily lives. 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.

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.

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.

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.

 

Claire Schneeberger: I am an educator leading workshops, classes, and healing circles related to meditation, mindfulness, compassion, and well-being. I facilitate a regular mindfulness meditation circle for WomenCARE, a center serving women with cancer in Central California, and have teaching certifications in meditation from the San Francisco Integral Yoga Institute and in applied compassion from Stanford’s Center for Compassion and Altruism (CCARE). I am passionate about building communities and connections focused on compassion, empowerment, and well-being.

Diana Meltsner, C-IAYT, ERYT-500, YACEP, 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

Cultivating the Heart; Kindness and Compassion

This event has been cancelled
$30 Early bird use promo code Heart, exp. 11/9
$35 Regular

 

In this 2-hour workshop we will practice gentle and restorative yoga to allow the body to find ease followed by guided meditation practice on the heart space, to help feel the heart and open its doors.

In Sanskrit, this practice is called Hridayākāsha Dhārāna, concentration on the bright space in the heart which is at the center of our being and the core of connection to ourselves. This powerful ancient practice is still so current and provides us with inner strength. Talk and discussion will be included as well as suggested ongoing practices supporting cultivation of kindness and compassion towards oneself and others.

CEU: 2 hours – Yoga Alliance certificate upon request

Diana Meltsner, C-IAYT, ERYT-500, YACEP, 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. www.dianameltsner.com

Satsang – Navaratri: Celebration Honoring the Divine Mother – Saraswati Puja

Online & In-person | By donation $0, $5, $10, $15

Please register in advance, a Zoom link will be provided via confirmation email.

Please review our In-person Safety Guidelines. https://integralyogasf.org/attending-in-person.

Navaratri is the celebration of the Divine Mother in the form of the three Hindu Goddesses: Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati.

We’ll celebrate each of the three Goddesses over the 9 days of Navaratri. The celebration culminates with a special service called Vijayadasami. This is a special opportunity to bless your house and all the tools you use in your work. Please join us for this special ceremony.

Satsang, 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 spiritual paths may diverge, the act of sharing spiritual teachings with others is inspiring and creates a solid foundation for continued practice.

9-Day Navaratri Schedule / PT:

  • Durga PujaSunday, OCT 15 • 12:00 – 1:00 pm
  • Lakshmi PujaWednesday,OCT 18 • 12:00 – 1:00 pm
  • Saraswati Puja– Saturday, OCT 21 • 5:30 – 6:30 pm
  • Vijaya Dasami: Tuesday, OCT 24 •12:00 – 1:00 pm | Final celebration

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.

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.

2023-10-19T12:57:53-07:00August 29th, 2023|Tags: , , , |
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