Swami Ramananda’s Birthday Raffle and Brunch Potluck

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

Please review our In-person Safety Guidelines.

Join us as we gather for some fun, offer gratitude for all the contributions to the Yogic Wisdom Campaign and celebrate Swami Ramananda’s 71st birthday.

This final fundraising event will be preceded by the sale of raffle tickets – $10 per ticket – available now online, and available in-person at our front-desk reception starting July 1st.

Raffle prizes include*:

  • 3-day personal retreat stay at Integral Yoga Institute,
  • Sailing in the Bay for 2 with Swami Ramananda
  • Unlimited class passes
  • Gift basket full of “Yoga Goodies”

*Alternative prizes are available for participating Sangha from out of town.

At this event Swami Ramananda will offer a brief talk, we will draw the winning raffle tickets, play Yoga Jeopardy, and have a potluck brunch. Please bring a vegan dish to share with others in our backyard garden. You can enjoy a Yoga class beforehand led by Swami Ramananda 9:30 am – 10:45 am Book, online/in-person.

In lieu of birthday gifts please donate to the Swami Ramananda Yogic Wisdom Gofundme.

Swami Ramanada is a beloved teacher in the Integral Yoga Institute. As a monk, he has chosen a path to dedicate his life in selfless service to others by teaching Yoga & meditation classes worldwide.

We are raising funds to help Swami Ramananda share his yogic wisdom to a broader community to make the world a better place. Your financial support will allow Swami Ramananda to shift his focus from performing day-to-day administrative work to inspirational tasks such as:

  • Writing a book on how to integrate Yoga and meditation in everyday life
  • Leading advanced teacher trainings to prepare a new generation of yoga teachers
  • Supporting emerging yoga communities in underserved communities around the world

We ask for any donation you can give large or small. Let’s help Swami Ramananda share the timeless teaching of Yoga and meditation with more people, so that we can live healthier, meaningful and peaceful lives.

New Beginnings Writing Group

Online | $1-15 sliding scale

Please 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 at 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 the storytelling events in Northern California. She has led writer groups, tutored many in writing, and regularly hosts poetry reading Satsangs at the IYI.

New Beginnings Writing Group

Online | $1-15 sliding scale

Please 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 March 22

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 at 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 the storytelling events in Northern California. She has led writer groups, tutored many in writing, and regularly hosts poetry reading Satsangs at the IYI.

New Beginnings Writing Group

Online | $1-15 sliding scale

Meets second & fourth Friday of each month. Next sessions:

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

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 at 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 the storytelling events in Northern California. She has led writer groups, tutored many in writing, and regularly hosts poetry reading Satsangs at the IYI.

Go to Top