Sangha

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.

Sevika Ford2021-01-04T17:47:32-08:00December 23rd, 2020|Tags: Sangha, Satsang, Swami Vimalananda|

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.

Sevika Ford2020-12-12T18:57:41-08:00December 7th, 2020|Tags: bhakti yoga, Kirtan, Sangha|

Satsang: Wings for the Soul, Mystical Poetry Night
Gallery
Satsang: Wings for the Soul, Mystical Poetry Night

Satsang: Wings for the Soul, Mystical Poetry Night

Enroll

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

Join us for an evening of sharing words that reﬂect the voice of our soul. We will read and have discussions, awaken inspiration and peace in the heart. Mystical poetry and sacred songs are powerful expressions of the human experience, the dynamic meeting of the mind with the Grace of the Divine. It crosses the lines of time or even specific religious views.

All are welcome to have a poem or two ready to share or simply listen and enjoy. We will end with a 15 minute writing exercise led by Susan. Have a pen and be ready to be amazed by what can happen at the end of this highly inspiring collaboration.

Diana Meltsner, C-IAYT and e-RYT500, has been teaching yoga in the Bay Area since 2001. The classes she teaches include prenatal, gentle, various levels of Hatha yoga, and yoga workshops. Diana is a lead teacher trainer for 200hour Basic Yoga Teacher Trainings at Integral Yoga Institute San Francisco. She is certified yoga therapist and offers individual therapeutic sessions with focus ranging from stress reduction to injury recovery. Her classes include physical postures, breathing, guided relaxation, meditation and other yoga teachings which help people to find deeper sense of well-being and ability to move through life with increased ease, intuition, and stress resilience.

Susan Ford, C-IAYT, RYT-500, began practicing yoga when she was 18 years old. Her first yoga teacher training was Accessible Yoga through Integral Yoga Institute (IYI) and began teaching in 2011. Susan has been an assistant trainer for the Basic Yoga Teacher at IYI since 2012. She specializes in Gentle Yoga and working with people with disabilities, heart disease, arthritis, anxiety, depression and asthma. Her focus is to help students to meet their bodies where they are by introducing and incorporating Raja Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Pranayama and meditation. Susan has been certified in Yoga for Arthritis, Therapeutic Yoga, Raja Yoga and Meditation Teacher Training.

Sevika Ford2020-11-06T13:15:21-08:00November 6th, 2020|Tags: Diana Meltsner, Integral Yoga Institute San Francisco, Sangha, Satsang, Susan Ford|

Satsang: Building all-inclusive relationships
Gallery
Satsang: Building all-inclusive relationships

Satsang: Building all-inclusive relationships

Enroll

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

Chinnamasta will share her thoughts, how to weave uplifting relationships in your life. During these challenging times we need, more than ever, loyalty to Sangha. We need to reach out to support, especially those who are vulnerable, less fortunate, and forgotten. The yamas and niyamas are being reevaluated on a global level and as yogi’s we have the moral obligation to abide by these ethics. To move from separation to appreciation and respect for diversity. How do you put that in practice in your everyday life?

You could ask ourselves if the way you relate to another leads to a deeper understanding of yourself and the other. Does your attitude lead to connection and a desire on both ends to be together. Does the connection create communion?

Chinnamasta Stiles
The essence of Chinnamasta is her heart-felt and loving presence attained during many years of deep study and practice with gifted Master Teachers in Europe, India and the U.S. While sitting next to these teachers, she received abundant blessings that led to the healing of her Self, blessings she now shares with others. Chinnamasta’s true gift is that she has the capacity to assess the root cause of a disease due to physical, emotional, mental or karmic imbalances and understand how these lead to health issues and deep suffering. With a loving and understanding attitude she helps students become proactive on their spiritual healing path, which leads to a deeply rooted connection to the Yoni Mudra (the Inner Source), resulting in long-term restored vitality and well being.

Sevika Ford2020-12-21T11:33:38-08:00November 4th, 2020|Tags: Sangha, Satsang, yoga|

Satsang: Hard Knocks

Satsang: Hard Knocks

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.

What the Practice of Kirtan Means to Me

Satsang: Wings for the Soul, Mystical Poetry Night

Satsang: Wings for the Soul, Mystical Poetry Night

All are welcome to have a poem or two ready to share or simply listen and enjoy. We will end with a 15 minute writing exercise led by Susan. Have a pen and be ready to be amazed by what can happen at the end of this highly inspiring collaboration.

Satsang: Building all-inclusive relationships

Satsang: Building all-inclusive relationships

You could ask ourselves if the way you relate to another leads to a deeper understanding of yourself and the other. Does your attitude lead to connection and a desire on both ends to be together. Does the connection create communion?