Co-creating a Wave of Change in 2021

by Swami Ramananda

As this calendar year comes to an end, people all over the world are ready for a fresh start. All of us in the Northern Hemisphere are now seeing the return of light to our days, which is an ideal time to recommit ourselves to awakening the inner spiritual Light. In addition, the COVID vaccine offers us hope that we may once again be able to be together with friends and family in 2021. 

This worldwide pandemic and other events this year have been teaching us many lessons. We have seen how we struggle without some of the comforts we relied on as sources of happiness. We are still seeing how taking risks to pursue life as it was can easily spread the virus and endanger lives. Our eyes have also been opened to the tremendous harm caused by systemic racism. As literally millions all over the world are suffering from racism and the spread of the virus, it has become clearer than ever that we are all interconnected and that only by working together can we protect each other and our communities. 

Some of us have been learning to be alone. All of us, if we are sincerely interested in spiritual growth, have had a tremendous opportunity to self-reflect—to see in ourselves the thinking and behavior that creates suffering, and the need for spiritual practices that can free us from the prison of selfishness. If we are willing to embrace those lessons and put them into action, we have a tremendous opportunity to co-create a better world.

Many sources of wisdom have asserted that changing the world begins with changing ourselves, and the new year is a traditional time to rethink how we want to live. But far too often, a New Year’s resolution made in a moment of inspiration falls away in a relatively short time as our intentions are swept away by the stresses of daily life.

Along with creating intentions, real change happens through a realistic assessment of the obstacles we face, the willpower we have—which tends to fluctuate—and the support system we can count on to provide continual encouragement. Only by carefully creating very doable and measurable goals can we expect to make the sustained commitment to some new routine or practice that is necessary to make it a habit.

Here are some things we can ask ourselves:

o Are there changes I could make to my diet or lifestyle to support the healing and vitality of the body-mind? It can be much easier to give up some unhealthy habit by substituting something healthier that can fulfill the same need.

o Is there some Yoga practice or teaching I can begin or increase to support my well-being and spiritual growth? Starting small but practicing daily builds a habit and the benefits we experience provide additional inspiration.

o Am I taking care of my emotional needs for connection and support? We have a tendency to override or escape uncomfortable feelings which often lead to compulsive behavior. A practice partner or someone to talk to can make a big difference.

o Have I educated myself sufficiently about how systemic racism is embedded in our culture, and how I may unconsciously be contributing to it? Simply avoiding the topic altogether because it’s uncomfortable or inconvenient sustains this insidious crisis.

o Is there some habitual way of thinking that I find myself stuck in, such as self-judgment or judging others? Do I need guidance to deepen my awareness of how and why that happens and to choose more positive ways of thinking?

o Am I using my time and energy in harmony with my values? We can waste a lot of time with social media and we can do tremendous good by focusing our energies on some form of service—few things are as fulfilling as opening our hearts this way.

If we sincerely reflect on questions like these, we can create a slow but steady process of personal transformation that will inevitably spill into our lives in many other ways. Don’t think for even one second that we cannot hope to make a difference in the numerous and complex problems in our world. Healing our own hearts and minds enables us to feel the natural connection we have with all of life. Making a commitment to embody spiritual values brings them more fully to life than any political process. 

Everyday choices, as well as our long term goals, take on new relevance when we realize that each action and every focused thought is a tangible contribution to the collective consciousness of our planet. We each have the opportunity to co-create a new wave of change in 2021, manifesting more fully than ever the Light in ourselves and our world.

Swami Ramananda is the President of the Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco and a greatly respected senior teacher in the Integral Yoga tradition, who has been practicing Yoga for over 35 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 trains Yoga teachers to bring Yoga into corporate, hospital and medical settings and has taught mind/body wellness programs in many locations. He is a founding board member of the Yoga Alliance, a national registry that supports and promotes yoga teachers as professionals. His warmth, wisdom and sense of humor have endeared him to many.

2021-01-02T14:36:27-08:00January 2nd, 2021|Tags: |

Satsang: Enlighten Up

By donation $0, $5, $10, $15 Sliding scale, pay what you can.
Please register in advance, a Zoom link and passcode will be provided via confirmation email.

Most of us are facing numerous challenges in our day to day lives, making it difficult to keep our balance and even harder to stay focused on our spiritual growth. We may lose hope of making real progress towards experiencing a life filled with deep peace and natural contentment. Join us for this Satsang in which we will use stories, humor and reflection to enlighten up, gain inspiration, laugh at our minds and discover how to enjoy the spiritual journey with all its twists and turns.

Reverend Paraman Barsel has been a disciple of Sri Swami Satchidananda since 1970. He has served as president of Yogaville West, the Washington D.C. and New York Integral Yoga Institutes, and Yogaville East in Connecticut and has served on the Board of Trustees and Spiritual Life Board of Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville, Virginia. He was co-coordinator of the LOTUS Dedication. Paraman was an editorial consultant on Inside the Yoga Sutras and Inside Patanjali’s Words by Rev. Jaganath Carrera as well as several of Sri Swami Satchidananda’s works including the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and To Know Your Self. He helped to design the first Integral Yoga Hatha Basic Teacher Training program, and has taught meditation workshops, Jnana Yoga, Raja Yoga and the other branches of Integral Yoga for many years. He was ordained into the Integral Yoga Ministry in 2007. In addition to teaching he currently helps with the Ashram Prison Project and, with his wife, has co-hosted hundreds of Sutra Study Gatherings in their home for many years.

Swami Ramananda is the Executive Director of the Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco 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.

2020-12-23T12:56:57-08:00December 23rd, 2020|Tags: , , , |

Satsang: Hard Knocks

By donation $0, $5, $10, $15 (Sliding Scale. Pay what you can)

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

Does anyone get out of this world unscathed? I doubt it.
Are we alone and naked in this world?
It feels sometimes like we are beaten down, we are beaten up and we are rolled over, sometimes completely flattened.
What kind of life is this? Is there such a thing as mercy? Is there a God? If there is, is it a vengeful or compassionate God?
How can we make the transition from feeling done in to one of peace and contentment? Is there a blueprint?
Yes, there is. This Satsang will discuss the ways from darkness to the light.

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 share spiritual teachings and explore the philosophy of Integral Yoga through 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. People of all faiths are welcome. May be attended on a drop-in basis with no preregistration.

The topics for discussion at Satsang change each week and include a wide array of diverse and interesting subjects and issues ranging from personal healing to global transformation.

 

Swami Vimalananda Ma, RYT500, is an Integral Yoga sannyasi – monk. She has been involved with Integral Yoga since 1971 and Director of the San Francisco Integral Yoga Institute from 1992-2011. She specializes in teaching yoga philosophy and spiritual counseling.

2021-01-04T17:47:32-08:00December 23rd, 2020|Tags: , , |

What the Practice of Kirtan Means to Me

by Snehan Born

The practice of chanting the Holy names of Gods and Goddesses in Sanskrit is known as Sankirtan or simply Kirtan, as we’ve come to know it in the West.

This practice of singing the names in song form has the distinct ability to center us in our hearts. When we chant together in this way, we begin to lessen our self-consciousness and our hearts feel safe to open more fully. As we all know, music itself has the power to touch our hearts and evoke so many emotions. Imagine being free to sing unselfconsciously from your heart in a deeply spiritual practice, and in communion with other like-minded seekers; this is just a taste of what Kirtan can do for us. Repeating these Sanskrit names over and over produces internal vibrations that can be peaceful, healing, enlightening, relaxing and/or energizing.

I love to sing and in my own way I’ve been trying to learn to sing my whole life, though my natural voice is not great. I’ve imitated all kinds of singers; some even became friends. Eventually I decided that I would just keep practicing and in some future life I might have a voice that could be good enough to inspire minds and heal hearts. I still feel that way, that I am practicing in order to become a real singer next time around. But I’ll tell you something, when I came to love Kirtan in my 40s and after practicing for some time, I secretly discovered that my voice seemed to be slowly improving, little by little. I’m still pretty insecure about my voice, but I receive so much benefit and enjoyment from chanting together with others that I keep with it. And now it’s an inspiration and surprise to receive encouragement from friends who perform Kirtan professionally. 

Presently, I’m practicing the Hanuman Chalisa with an online sangha that meets every morning at 8am for an hour. This is so much fun and it furthers my awe of the effects of Kirtan on myself and others. Try it out. But be aware that it’s addictive to the soul. You might not just like it, you might love it!     

Our beloved kirtanist, Astrud Castillo, will be leading an online kirtan here at the Institute this Saturday, December 12th, at 7pm.  Steeped in the Bhakti Yoga tradition, Astrud will lead us in chanting the names of the divine, opening and attuning the heart to the spiritual ground of being we all share. We hope you will join us.  https://integralyogasf.org/event/integral-yoga-kirtan

Snehan Born has four decades of experience with yoga and has been teaching Integral Yoga since 2000. Snehan resides at the Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco. He serves as assistant to Swami Ramananda and is a lead teacher trainer. He has also led Hatha Yoga trainings at Satchidananda Ashram, Yogaville, Virginia, The Integral Yoga Institute in New York City and privately in Hawaii where Snehan co-created the Metamorphous Yoga Studio. 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 and “Life of a Yogi” certification from Sri Dharma Mittra. Snehan has taught yoga all over the US as well as in India, Nepal, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Japan and Europe.

2020-12-12T18:57:41-08:00December 7th, 2020|Tags: , , |
Go to Top