Scripture study: The Essence of Balance: Exploring the Gunas through the Yoga Sutras, 3-part

Online | $5-15 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.

Join us for a transformative 3-week scripture study group, “Understanding and Balancing the Gunas,” where you’ll explore the ancient wisdom of the Gunas—Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas—as described in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

On 3 Monday evenings, January 13th, 20th and 27th, we will delve into how these fundamental energies shape our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. The first week, you’ll dive deep into the characteristics of each Guna through group discussions and weekly reflections, gaining a profound understanding of how these energies manifest in your life. The concept of Gunas in Yoga philosophy introduces three fundamental energies that influence human behavior and the natural world. Sattva represents harmony, balance, and purity, associated with qualities like joy, intelligence, and clarity. Rajas are characterized by activity, passion, and desire, linked to movement, ambition, and restlessness. Tamas is associated with inertia, darkness, and ignorance, often leading to lethargy, confusion, and delusion. Understanding the interplay of these Gunas provides a framework for self-observation and personal development, allowing practitioners to navigate their emotional landscapes effectively, ultimately leading to a state of liberation as described in Patanjali’s teachings.
The Yoga Scripture Study series is an offering for participants to learn and discuss how the teachings of Yoga apply to our daily lives. We read passages, take time for reflection , and share how these words and practices support us on the spiritual path.

All are welcome to join any one or all of the sessions. Each session offered individually:
Part 1 Monday 1/13
Part 2 Monday 1/20
Part 3 Monday 1/27


Kealoha Deluz, Ph.D, 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.

Cultivating Compassion and Forgiveness, 7-day Meditation & Raja Yoga

7 mornings, Monday – Sunday, October 14 – 20, 7:15 – 8:00am

$55 | $45 Early bird, use promo code MEDITATE, exp. 10/7/24

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

Join meditation teachers Diana Meltsner, Swami Ramananda and Eric Gustafson online for 7 morning meditations and brief talks focused on Karuna, compassion.
Compassion, mercy and forgiveness, when cultivated with meditation, support us in developing a positive attitude towards ourselves, others and our daily life experience. When cultivated with practical mindfulness skills, the mind remains undisturbed and clear when facing challenges of sorrow and suffering which allows us to be of service during difficult situations.

This is a path of connection to the heart, where Yoga and Buddhism meet, aligning our personal will with concern for the well-being of other people. Karuna is known in Buddhism as one of the Brahma Viharas, The Four Immeasurables, and is mentioned in Yoga Sutras of Patanjali as one of the keys to maintain mental tranquility.
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 4 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

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.

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.

Yoga Classes Infused with Raja Yoga, 6-week course

Online | 6 consecutive Sundays: JUN 23- JUL 28

$65 Early bird, use promo code RAJA, exp. 6/16 | $75 regular

Please 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!

Tuesday Tea Time Series

“Can We Know God? How Yoga Enlightens”

Online & In-person | $1-108 sliding scale

Please 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.

Please 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.


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.

2024-06-19T18:45:58-07:00March 20th, 2024|Tags: , , , , , |
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