Satsang: The Healing Power of a Yogic Lifestyle

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

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.

From cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes to Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and depression, many physical and mental conditions have not only been escalating for decades, they are accepted as a natural progression of aging by conventional medicine, which treats chronic conditions with drugs or surgery.

In this presentation, IYI certified yoga teacher and research scientist Larry Scherwitz will describe the scientifically validated, therapeutic approach that can prevent, halt, even reverse the underlying causes of chronic conditions: the yoga-based Lifestyle Medicine program inspired by Swami Satchidananda and developed by Dean Ornish, MD.

As Director of Research on the “reversal program” for 18 years, Larry will present the yoga-inspired clinical trials by Dr. Ornish and colleagues, which showed that comprehensive lifestyle changes can halt and reverse CAD, hypertension, prostate cancer, and Alzheimer’s–without drugs or surgery. Throughout the presentation, Larry will shed light on the healing power of such yogic lifestyle ‘ingredients’ as a predominantly plant-based diet, exercise, group support, asanas, yoga nidra (progressive relaxation), pranayama, meditation, and more.

You will learn the specifics of each modality of Ornish Lifestyle Medicine, and how, and how much practice is necessary to achieve the benefits of the practice.

Everyone is welcome to share a simple vegetarian meal and tea afterwards. Recommended donation $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.


Larry Scherwitz, PhD, C-IAYT is a behavioral medicine scientist with a doctorate in social psychology. He is also a certified Integral Hatha yoga teacher, who first met Swami Ramananda while being trained at IYI in 1989.
As an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, Larry met fellow yoga practitioner, Dean Ornish, who was a medical student at the time. Based on the suggestion of Dean’s guru, Swami Satchidananda–that heart patients adopt a yogic lifestyle–Dean was then in the process of conducting a pilot study to see if the yogic lifestyle could halt and reverse heart disease. As Dr. Ornish’s Director of Research over the next 18 years, Larry conducted three clinical trials at Dr. Ornish’s Preventive Medicine Research Institute (PMRI) in Sausalito, California, showing that the yoga lifestyle could reverse heart disease as well as related risk factors, such as high cholesterol. Based on the success of these studies, Larry became a Guest Professor at cardiovascular clinics in Germany, where, for two years,
He conducted clinical trials on Ornish Lifestyle Medicine in both Germany and the Netherlands. During this time, he did two keynote presentations in New Delhi, India, about the yoga-based heart disease reversal program.
Larry is the co-author of four books on diet and health, and Co-Founder of the Whole Person Integrative Eating dietary lifestyle–a science-backed program about the power of food to enhance physical, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being (ergo, ‘whole person’ integrative eating). He is married to nutrition researcher Deborah Kesten, MPH, who was the nutritionist on Dean Ornish’s first clinical trial for reversing heart disease.

2024-12-16T21:14:01-08:00December 16th, 2024|Tags: , , |

Satsang: Setting an Intention for a New Year

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

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

Please review our In-person Safety Guidelines.

If we don’t have some clear sense of what we really want to do with this life, we may be distracted by the many devices and messages that constantly call for our attention, and lose focus on what we truly value. Inspired by sources of universal wisdom, we will explore and identify for ourselves the overall purpose we hold for this lifetime, and the way we want to carry ourselves through each day. Having such an intention in our hearts breathes spiritual meaning into our lives, frees us from being captive to the consumer-oriented messages of our culture, and guides our way to a fulfilling life.

Everyone is welcome to share a simple vegetarian meal and tea afterwards. Recommended donation $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 is a co-founder of The Spiritual Action Initiative (SAI) which brings together individuals committed to working for social justice for all beings and for the care and healing of our natural world. His warmth, wisdom and sense of humor have endeared him to many.

Satsang: Facing Adversity

$5-$20 or enroll for free, use promo code FREE.

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. https://integralyogasf.org/attending-in-person

In this Satsang, our Integral Yoga San Francisco teachers Arpita, Muktidevi and Swami Ramananda will share how they have used the teachings and practices of Yoga to face adversity.
At some point in our lives, we all face situations that are traumatic or overwhelming to us. We may feel like giving up. We seek ways to grapple with disability, chronic illness or anxiety and grief.
We will discuss together the importance of having compassion for ourselves and maintaining our equanimity to make wise choices. With the right guidance and support, we can all learn how, ultimately, every difficult situation can be an opportunity to deepen our connection to the unchanging source of life within us.

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.


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.

My name is Arpita Roy, RYT 500. I am an Accessible Yoga Teacher Trainer living in Hyderabad, India. I am also a certified in Yoga Psychology, guided meditation and as a stress management coach.
In 2006 I lost both of my legs in an accident, from above the knee. I began practicing yoga in 2015 and became a yoga teacher in 2019. I believe that Yoga is for anybody and if I can practice it then anybody can.
My community is mostly amputees who need hope to get out from the trauma of their accident. I teach those with specially-abled bodies, amputees, able bodies and kids. I have led workshops with the Central Reserve Police force in India, taught for Yoga Alliance Teaching for Equity Program as well as other specially-abled groups. In addition to teaching yoga, I am a motivational speaker and have appeared in various colleges and Yoga conferences both virtual and in-person.
Photo: Arpita.jpg

K. Muktidevi Demafeliz is a born and raised San Franciscan and has been a yoga practitioner for 16 years. Her yoga practice began with her mentor Tony Garcia who guided her in the study of yoga back in 2012 through the SFO Airport’s Wellness Program. He encouraged her to pursue yoga teacher training, which she did, in the Integral Yoga tradition. She is certified in Basic Hatha I, Intermediate Hatha II, Accessible Yoga (Gentle), and certified in Mindful Resilience Training through the Veterans Yoga Project to teach trauma-informed yoga. She wishes to pursue future trainings such as Meditation Teacher Training in addition to Yoga for First Responders as she is the Well-Being Champion for the San Francisco Police Department. YOGA IS HER PASSION, and she expresses her love and enthusiasm for the practice with those she comes into contact with, on and off the mat. Muktidevi mentors and supports teacher trainees as well as newly certified teachers to help them continue to develop and grow while on their yogic path. She also supports the BIPOC Sangha which was born at the Integral Yoga Institute San Francisco (IYISF) and continues to serve these communities to help create ripples for change to establish a space of healing and empowerment. With that, yoga has impacted and transformed her life in such a positive and healthy way that she truly believes it is the saving grace for all. For 26 years, Muktidevi has been living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and continues to carry out the practices of yoga to help her maneuver through life’s challenges when facing adversity. She is a lifelong learner and strives to become the best version of herself to live her best life, regardless of what life may bring.

Satsang: Recovering Our Natural Wisdom & Joy

Online | Sliding scale $5-15. To enroll for free use discount code FREE.

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

We’ve all had moments in which we experienced great joy and the wisdom that comes from a clear and insightful mind. But so often our vision is clouded by the prevailing messages of our culture that condition us to look outward for happiness and for solutions to our struggles. Join us for this Satsang in which Nalanie and Ramananda will share how the practices and teachings of Yoga can quiet the worldly voices in the mind, revealing the natural source of wisdom and joy that is our true nature.

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.

Nalanie Chellaram, C-IAYT, BSYth, has been surrounded by spirituality for her whole life. She was raised by Hindu parents, educated at a Catholic school and studied philosophy in college. Nalanie began practicing the teaching of her Guru, Sri Swami Satchidananda in 1986 and continued to study the science of Yoga. She has been accredited by the Council of Teachers of the Satchidananda Ashram in Virginia, USA to teach Asanas, Pranayama and Meditation. She is also an accredited Teacher Trainer for Integral Yoga and a therapist under the British School of Yoga. She is the Chairwoman of the Integral Yoga Center in Gibraltar where she runs regular weekly satsangs, teacher training and counseling sessions. This Center is a registered Charity serving the community. Nalanie, who now lives in Spain, frequently lectures on the Science of Yoga, in Portugal, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, the USA and the Far East. She is the first of a new generation of spiritual teachers. Her particular upbringing and education has given her a special insight into both Hinduism and Christianity, inspired by her Beloved Guru.

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.

 

2023-11-29T11:51:44-08:00November 13th, 2023|Tags: , , , , |
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