god wanted fun...volume xviii, no. 2, august 2010 continued on page 4 inside god wanted fun by sri...

Volume XVIII, No. 2, August 2010

Continued on Page 4

InsideGod Wanted Fun by Sri Swami Satchidananda p. 1Letter from the Editor p. 2Juggled by God by Sri Swami Sivananda p. 3 Bhagavad Gita Study by Swami Asokananda p. 5Balancing the Sun and Moon by Shailaja Menon p. 6The Real Advanced Teacher and a Bit of History by Swami Murugananda p. 7The Healing Power of Sangha by Rev. Manjula Spears p. 9

Restorative Yoga for Stressful Times by Candi Madhuri Lavender p. 10Practical Yoga with Patients and Their Families by Swami Sarvaananda, PhD, BCC p.13Integral Yoga Branches by Arjuna Guttadauro p.15Academy & Yogaville news by Manu Hunt p.15Senior Speaker’s Schedule p. 18Calendar of Upcoming Programs at Yogaville p. 19

God Wanted Funby Sri Swami Satchidananda

Life is a play. Our own ego makes it into a serious, heavy thing. Life was never meant to be that way. God wanted to have some fun so He created all of us. He is having all the fun, and we seem to be missing it because we don’t know His purpose behind all this.

Just treat everything as play. All this coming, going, meeting, eating, welcoming, sending off, taking birth, saying goodnight and goodbye, it’s all a part of the fun.

We should know how to take things easy and see in this light that it’s all a great, Divine play, and we are being made to play our roles. We are all like puppets with strings attached. The string that is tied to us is that Consciousness, God’s Consciousness. When we fail to understand that and allow our individual egos to come to the surface, then we think that we are controlling the movement. That is what is called basic ignorance.

Actually, we have no business here at all of our own. Nothing belongs to us. Not even this body, not even this mind. Just because we happen to have something in our hands, we immediately try to possess it. We say, “This is mine. I should keep it. I did it!”

Instead of thinking that way, just leave it to the Lord. We are not really saving the world. We cannot even destroy the world. It’s not in our hands. If that Supreme Power wants

IYTA Newsletter August 2010

The Goal of Integral Yoga

The goal of Integral Yoga, and the birthright of every individual is to realize the spiritual unity behind all the diversities in the entire creation and to live harmoniously as members of one universal family.

This goal is achieved by maintaining our natural condition of a body of optimum health and strength, senses under total control, a mind well-disciplined, clear and calm, an intellect as sharp as a razor, a will as strong and pliable as steel, a heart full of unconditional love and compassion, an ego as pure as a crystal, and a life filled with Supreme Peace and Joy.

Attain this through asanas, pranayama, chanting of Holy Names, self discipline, selfless action, mantra japa, meditation, study and reflection.

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti. Ever yours in Yoga,

Integral Yoga®

Teachers AssociationFounder: Sri Swami Satchidananda

The Integral Yoga Teachers Association is a membership association open to all Integral Yoga teachers. Its mission is to provide mutual support and spiritual fellowship, to share information, to provide inspiration, and to conduct ongoing training and guidance.

Director: Gopal WatkinsSupervising Editor: Rev. Prakasha ShaktiNewsletter Editor: Arjuna GuttadauroGraphic Design: Anand Shiva HervéPhotos: Richard DiMaria, Sraddha Van DykeCopy Editors: Swami Hamsananda, Bhagerati MartinMembership Coordinator: Manu HuntIYTA Assistant: Purnima Trifonova

Integral Yoga Teachers AssociationSatchidananda Ashram–Yogaville108 Yogaville Way, Buckingham, VA 23921 USATel: 434.969.3121, ext. 177 Fax: 434.969.1303E-mail (Newsletter): [email protected] (Membership): [email protected] (Director): [email protected] Website: www.iyta.org

Letter From The EditorHari OM,

It’s a wonderful time of year here in Yogaville, Virginia. Cool mornings filled with the sound of the voices of the birds. A time of the year when the Ashram is in the midst of its busy season.

Many guests and program participants coming together to share in the teachings of Swami Satchidananda’s Integral Yoga. Hatha classes, meditation, programs, and Teacher Trainings all contribute to a full dining hall and activity that starts around the quad and ripples out to Kailash, LOTUS, LCC, and the organic farm.

People also come here for rest and rejuvenation. They take advantage of not only the teachings, but the quiet country atmosphere. Walks can be had without the interruption of passing vehicles. Talks can be shared without background noise. Practices can be held outside completely in touch with the energies of nature.

How sweet it is to sit at Kailash in the complete silence, exploring our own inner Being. How serene it is to open eyes to a never ending blue sky which shares itself with puffy white cumulus clouds. All of this blending into a panoramic view of the picturesque Blue Ridge mountain range.

How nice it is to walk the peaceful roads within the surrounding silence. Allowing a deep connection with what is, our inner self,

and Mother Nature. Our energy flowing in and out with our breath, uniting us with the grass, trees, breeze and sky. O yes, Yogaville is a special place.

It’s ironic to be sitting here this morning listening to the birds, feeling the cool breeze coming in via the screen door, writing to you about the wonderful things of Yogaville, looking forward to my morning walk and meditation at Kailash. Especially, since I know that I will be leaving here shortly.

I know that I will need to take the teachings and practices with me, how could I not? I will take all that I have learned here and bring it out to a world in need.

I will take the accumulated peace that I have received from the Ashram with me. Hoping to take what I have learned over the past two years to help make myself and the world a better place. A place where we know that we are all one, a place where we can feel comfortable with our seeming differences. Knowing that we are one in Spirit. Brothers and sisters all heading hOMe.

I have greatly enjoyed the gift of editing this newsletter for the last two years. It has been my pleasure to work with the highly conscious and gifted writers that have taught and inspired us through their articles. It has been a tremendous blessing to serve you the readers.

In Love and Light, Arjuna

Sri Swami Sivananda and disciples


The visible world is God’s jugglery. This world is not chaos. It is an organized, divine institution. The world is a shadow of God.

God creates this unthinkable universe through His illusive power of Maya for His own Leela or sport. The phenomenon of this universe is due to the power called Maya, by which the Absolute, without undergoing any change in or by Itself, appears as an ever changing succession of phenomena conditioned by time and space.

God has projected this universe without being affected in any way. The absolute is not affected by the world process that is going on within It, just as the rains from a cloud do not wet the sky. The one God can put on all these countless names and forms and appear as many. There is no change in Himself. The world is mere appearance.

This whole universe is the body of God. The world is not a world of dead matter, but a living Presence. The Absolute manifests Itself as the universe through forms.

Creation is a joyous self-expression of the One.

A king played the part of a pauper for his own sport. A sage played the part of a fool for his own sport. Even so, this world is a sport or Leela for God.

God appears as the world. It is God alone that shines as the world or variegated objects. God Himself appears as stone, tree, stars, and so on. The One Consciousness alone appears as the universe of plurality. Just as one person alone becomes many in a dream, so also God exists as many.

Earth, food, fire, and sun are forms of God. East, west, north, and south are parts of the Lord. The sky, heaven, and ocean are portions of God. Breath is a part of God. Sight is a part of God. Hearing is a part of God. This life is God. God or Truth is the essence in which the universe has its being, from which it is born, and in which it dissolves at the end of each world-cycle.

An effect does not exist apart from its cause. A pot does not exist apart from clay. This universe does not exist apart from God.

If you have a candle light, and from it you light a thousand other candles, is not the first light in all the other candles? So it is with God. Creating all things, He is in all by spirit, breath, and being.

The world is charged with the splendor, glory, and grandeur of God. Just as sugarcane juice pervades the sugarcane so God pervades all the objects animate or inanimate.

As from a blazing fire, sparks all similar to one another come forth in thousands, so also from one imperishable God

Juggled by Godby Sri Swami Sivananda

proceed all breathing animals, all worlds, all the gods, and all beings.

Why?

The answers to the question, “Why has God created the world?” are very unsatisfactory. For His own glorification? We cannot attribute to Him so much vanity. By love of mankind? How may He love a thing before it exists and how may it be called love to create millions for misery and eternal pain? The creation of the world is a moral necessity. It is to give fruits for enjoyment to the souls and to help them attain God-realization. God’s desire for His creation is to provide all that is needed to bring His creation into an awareness of Himself.

The question “Why has God created the world?” is a transcendental question. The finite mind cannot give a proper answer. Reason can give answers only to worldly questions.

What is the cause for ignorance, illusion, desires? In enquiring the cause, you abuse your innate mental organ of causality to penetrate into a region for which it is not made and where it is no more available. You are here in ignorance, pain, and misery. You know the way out of them. The question of a cause for them is useless. A finite mind that is gross and conditioned by time, space, and causation cannot comprehend the why and how of the universe, a question that is transcendental. Do not rack your mind on this point. You can never get a solution for this problem.

You simply waste your energy and time by entering into hot discussions regarding the question “Why has God created this world? Is the world real or not real?” It would matter nothing to you whether the world be real or not. You will not gain anything substantial by entering into such

Continued on Page 4


to save the world, it won’t even take a second. All of you could be saints and sages overnight. All He has to do is think: “Come on, let you all be sages, be saints.” That’s it.

The very fact that He is not doing that means He wants us to experience the truth in our own way, even by making mistakes. Even though you sometimes forget this and take life as a serious matter there are certain situations which help to remind us. At times when you really get caught up in everything and you cannot go anywhere, at least at that point think: “God, I give up! It’s all Your play, Your fun.” Keeping this awareness is called the Divine Leela, God’s play.

Try it just for a sample week. Remember: “It’s all God’s fun. I’ll simply do whatever He wants me to do.” Just one week of this attitude will make you feel very Light. Then if you like you can continue that way. If not, simply take back your ego. It’s always there.

Work As Fun

Even during activity you can be relaxed, doing it with joy. That is what Karma Yoga means. If your entire life is Karma Yoga, a dedicated life, there’s no need for any tension to build.

That tension causes all kinds of problems: “Ahhhh, what will happen? Will I get it or not? What will others think? How should I look? Will he smile at me or not?” Constant anxiety, worry, concern, all put weight on your shoulders.

Just keep the mind calm and relaxed always: “Well things will happen. It’s already decided; I simply have to go through it. Whatever I have to get, I will get. Whatever I have to lose, I will lose.” Accept things. Be relaxed. Take life easy.

People come and go. Money comes and goes. Things, beauty, power, all come and go. Anything that comes will go. Watch the show: allow it to come and go. Then, you are relaxed. You enjoy every minute. You enjoy the hero coming, hugging and kissing the heroine. At the same time you enjoy the villain coming, kidnapping the heroine. Think about that a moment. Don’t you enjoy the villain’s part

also? Without the villain or some type of conflict, there is no show.

Once I was a filmmaker myself. I made a film without a villain one time, and it didn’t bring in any money. People didn’t like it. Everything went smoothly, just loving without conflict. There was no suspense. When I added a villain, everyone loved it. It was just the same story basically with some difficulties added.

Life is just like that. So, accept the hero; accept the villain. Accept the marriage; accept the divorce. Accept the birth; accept the death. Then life becomes easy, and you are always relaxed.

The Doer

Question: Please talk to us about the line between doing our very best and leaving it all to God because we are not the doers.

Sri Gurudev: As long as you feel you are doing something, do it well, according to your capacity. But you can still remind yourself “I am not the doer.”

You have the knowledge that Somebody is working through you. It’s like a bulb saying “I am giving the light with the help of the current. It’s not that I am giving the light all by myself. Without the current I cannot give you light. If you want to thank me, thank the current.” That way we can say we are doing everything because we are made to do it. We have been given enough energy, enough knowledge to do it. Ultimately the real doer is that Cosmic Consciousness which is called God. The real doer is God. We are all just instruments through which God’s current functions. If we realize that then we don’t need to get into prideful feelings: “I did it!” You won’t even condemn someone by saying “You did it wrong!” God is the only doer.

If you can’t fully accept that yet, okay. Go ahead and think that you are doing it, and do it well. Do it for the sake of everybody, not just for your sake. If you do it for your sake, it will create a lot of turmoil in the mind.

God Wanted Fun (Continued from page 1)

controversies. You have to dive deep into the chamber of your heart by withdrawing the mind and the outgoing senses to rest in the Supreme Self. Give up, therefore, these useless discussions and proceed straightaway in the quest of the Self and Its realization.

If you attain knowledge of the Self, the meaning of life will cease to be a mystery. You will clearly understand the why and how of this universe. The purpose and progress in the

scheme of things will become clear to you. All transcendental things will be known to you like the apple in the palm of your hand. You can know God only by becoming God. To become God is to identify yourself with the divine element, the Supreme Soul, which constitutes your essential nature. The knower of God becomes God. The drop mixes with the sea and becomes one with the sea.

—From “Bliss Divine”

Juggled by God (Continued from page 3)

Bhagavad Gita Study

Chapter 2 Verse 14

Commentary by Swami Asokananda


Sri Krishna said: As the senses contact the objects of the senses, feelings of heat and cold, pain and pleasure arise, Arjuna. These sensations come and go; they’re impermanent. Patiently endure them, strong soul.

Through our senses-our eyes, ears, nose, and skin-we come in contact with the world around us. The sensations are carried by the nerves to the brain. Some mechanism in our brain decides whether a sensation is pleasurable or painful. If we mistakenly feel that this mechanism in the brain is “me”(what is known as egoism), we experience ourselves as being either happy or miserable-but never at peace.

When we think of ourselves as the body and mind, we are naturally driven to seek to maximize pleasure and minimize or completely avoid pain. Though this is natural for all living organisms, Sri Krishna says here that this is not a smart strategy for those seeking to find a deeper meaning in life. This running after things we want and away from things we don’t want is in itself stressful and agitating for the mind.

If we are really interested in enjoying our lives and finding a deeper peace, rather than running after some things and away from others, Krishna suggests that we stand our ground and train the mind to remain steady and balanced whatever comes our way. Everyone’s life will have success and failure, praise and blame, profit and loss, pleasure and pain. These fluctuating pairs of opposites, called the “dwandwas,” will always be there. Krishna asks us to “patiently endure them”-the Sanskrit word he uses is “titiksha,” meaning endurance or a mental evenness that arises from the understanding that everything will pass. Titiksha means that we still feel the pleasant or painful sensation, and our identity is still

entwined in the sensation, but we begin to develop the capacity to not react no matter what the situation. Thus our minds will become stronger and healthier, and the external environments will have less and less power over us. When we are less disturbed over the events of our lives, we become more useful to those around us and a source of strength for those in need. Without this balance and mental steadiness, our minds are continually shaken by our experiences, becoming weak, oversensitive, and prone to constant irritation.

The most powerful way to become the “strong soul” that Krishna refers to is to see that all the circumstances and events of our lives-big and small, pleasant and painful, physical and emotional-can be utilized to help us to become stronger, clearer, and more directed toward our spiritual essence.

With such an unwavering mind, we will become fit for the veil that covers our eternal, blissful nature to be lifted.

Swami Asokananda is one of Integral Yoga’s foremost teachers, known for his warmth, intelligence and good humor. Asokanandaji is one of our primary instructors for Intermediate and Advanced Hatha Yoga Teacher Training. He presently serves in the Integral Yoga Academy. Before this position, he served as the President of Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville and Integral Yoga International and as President of the New York Integral Yoga Institute.


Why balance?

Mention balance, and images immediately fill our minds; a man walking on a tightrope, of a child precariously balanced on a bicycle for the first time, of a baby taking his first steps, being in the head stand…balance is vital in the cycle of life, the crux of the wheel that holds it all together.

But why is balance important? The very fact that balance is necessary implies that there are imbalances…opposites. If we look deeper, we realize that “opposites” are the order of the day. Mother Nature’s energy continuously expressing itself in its two opposing themes—day and night, winter and summer, birth and death, mother and father, pride and shame and so on in its endless combinations. Neither is more or less important and everything flows together in equal glory in her.

When we look within also, we find the same pattern in the opposing rhythms of inhalation and exhalation, digestion and elimination, enthusiasm and lethargy etc. We are constantly torn between opposites; emotional needs vs. intellectual needs, personal desires vs. family responsibilities, right vs. wrong and so on. And our minds and bodies get either healthy or sick depending on whether these two energies are in balance or not.

The ancient gurus of yoga in their study of opposing energies termed them as sun energy “Ha” and moon energy “Tha”; Hatha yoga. All things in this world can be viewed as emerging out of a combination of these two energies, two opposites that cannot exist without each other, their balance being the key.

Balance and Asana

In yoga, we strive for balance (samatvam). In fact we are taught to balance on most of the body parts, such as head (sirsasana), shoulder (sarvangasana), chest (viparita salabasana), one foot (vrksasana), one hand (vasistasana) and so on. And when we strive for these postures, we understand the interplay of opposite forces innate in our bodies. The pull of gravity, the base of support and the line of gravity are, for example, the three principles or the tripod on which students have to learn to balance their awareness and physical efforts to achieve stability in balancing postures. With regular practice, through reflection and contemplation of the asana, that which was thought to be impossible (I can never do hand stand), slowly comes into the grasp of the aspiring practitioner.

While doing asanas, there are two opposing rhythms involved. Guru B.K.S Iyengar in his book “The Tree of Yoga” says, “One is the evolutory, expressive or the exhibitive path, taking the self towards the body, towards the pores of the skin, towards the periphery. The other is involutory, intuitive or inhibitive path, where the vehicles of the body are made to move towards the

self. The union of these two paths is the divine marriage of the body with the soul and the soul with the body.”

The key, according to him, is in the performance of asanas to express the outer form and beauty of the pose without losing our inner attention. Lofty ideal indeed but where do we begin?

How do we achieve samatvam?

Even in our asana practice we can strive and cultivate “samatvam.” Instead of focusing on success (siddhi) in achieving end points or not (asiddhyoh), let us base (yogastha) our awareness on the wisdom that there are no end points in an asana practice and wherever we are in a pose is right for us at that point in time. This shift of awareness is exactly following the advice of Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita, samo bhutva (be equiposed). And it can be sought in all the poses not just in balancing poses like the Vrksasana, tree pose.

Initially our focus is only on getting the asana done….never mind how awkward or inept we feel. Which is good, as that is where most of us start. Then with practice, we learn not just to be content with the shape, the outward physical form of our bodies, but to listen and understand what it is telling us…my hamstrings feel tight, my right side is more flexible than my left, my left knee hurts… And then we make adjustments to be balanced and even in the pose.

For e.g. In janushirsasana, as beginners, though our teachers tell us that there are no end points, our only aim is to grab hold of our toes with our fingers and somehow force our forehead to our knees. But instead if we would only fold forward over the extended leg as much as our body will allow us to at this point in time, spending the time in the pose reflecting on it, am I doing it right, am I feeling discomfort anywhere, why am I feeling that, and by working on achieving samatvam, we would be getting established in yoga (yogastha kuru karmani).

If the right leg is extended, there is a general tendency for the left side of the body to be higher than the right; the left elbow will be higher, the left shoulder will be higher, the left side of the rib cage will be lifted... As a result there is imbalance in the pose. This knowledge comes through mananam, reflection. For the imbalance to be corrected, at the onset of performing the pose itself; as we raise our arms towards the ceiling to lengthen the spine, we have to observe whether our hips are aligned, whether the torso is tilting towards the left (draw the right side of the torso back), whether the navel is pointing straight forward. Then we fold forward into the pose over the extended leg. Even if the physical adjustment does not happen right away, by making the adjustment in the mind, by making the adjustment in the direction of energy in our body, the physical adjustment will occur bringing about balance. This is nidhi dhyasanam,

Balancing the Sun and Moon By Shailaja Menon


actions, to bring about balance in life, at work or at home. To achieve samatvam.

Without balance, life becomes a whirlpool of emotion. Like a leaf caught up in a storm, tossed helplessly from side to side, we too get swept away by the strong winds. Though we may be in the grip of a strong emotion, being balanced, on the other hand, gives us a chance, through reflection and contemplation, to figure out the right path, despite our emotions. Then and only then do we have a shot at a marriage between “body and soul, soul with body.”

Shailaja Menon is based in Malaysia and is a yoga practitioner and teacher. She is also a freelance writer and writes a yoga column for “Shape” magazine, Malaysia. She was introduced to yoga through the Integral Yoga Institute in Coimbatore, India and obtained her basic teacher’s training from there. Since she moved to Malaysia she has been practicing under Manoj Kaimal, who created the style Manasa Yoga. She respects all the different yoga traditions and styles and believes that though the names may be different, the essence, which is yoga, remains the same.

contemplation. Contemplation on the body, contemplation on the mind, contemplation on the intellect. Then there is samatvam.

Balance in everyday life

Learning to be balanced in asana is one thing, but when it comes to opposing factors within our minds, it is quite another thing. And yoga, in its true sense is not just about achieving balance in physical forms alone, but about being even minded in the face of opposing forces in the mind, such as expectation vs. results, hope vs. despair, can vs. can’t, should I vs. shouldn’t I and so on. Of not just reacting but being aware, being reflective and contemplative of our actions.

The samatvam that we develop on our mats, the contemplation and reflection that we do on our asanas make us seek more balance in our approach to everyday life, beyond our mats! The part of our mind that is reflective on the asana in the class remains alive and, as well, forces us to contemplate on our everyday actions that we take for granted. If we are hollering at the children, that part of our mind begins to question; Are you upset because of the kids or because you had a bad day at work? Maybe what you just said was a bit harsh? Maybe a little hug and a kiss are required to make up? The scenarios may be varied, different, it may be at work or while driving the car; but the intention is the same, to be aware of our

The Real Advanced Teacher and a Bit of HistoryBy Swami Murugananda

Part One—Genesis.

In the beginning... Now, wait that opener has been taken, but it was a really popular book so why not? So... In the beginning there was just Gurudev. And He gave the teaching of the Hatha Yoga to a few people who then commenced to give classes at the 500 West End Ave apartment in New York. And that is where I began my studies in September of 1966. I lived within walking distance of the IYI at that time. In those days classes were $1.00; imagine that. As soon as I sat down for my first class and when we chanted OM it was - WOW. And at the very moment I began the hatha for the very first time in my life it was the ULIMATE WOW, this was really made for me. During that period Sri Gurudev also lived in that apartment and I clearly recall several occasions when He would come into the classroom to “check us out,” perhaps, or was it for some other reason. I will never know for sure but I was always wondering, “Am I doing this right?” It was an exciting and inspirational time. I just LOVED it all, I soaked it all up. For many of us Hatha Yoga was all we knew and as I loved a challenge and had a ginormous ego I just wanted to be able to do it all. It was a great time to be there at the genesis of it all.

Hatha was the main attraction then. There was not much emphasis on meditation or other practices. There was a lot

of, “Can you do THIS?” We can still see this mind-set even today. There are scores of schools, books and publications devoted to the physical aspect of yoga. We see, on the covers of all those magazines, photos of lithe physically adept young women in the latest of fashions doing the current “calendar pose.” On the other hand, there is also a greater emphasis on the pranic aspects of asana; this is very important.

Believe it or not back then there was no teacher training, not even a little manual. Nada, nothing, zip. We just had the very ancient Oral Tradition. So I went to dozens of classes and because I loved it so much, I just absorbed it all, and one day while living in the Santa Cruz IYI I thought, “Well, I love this so much, “Why don’t I teach?” So I simply asked the person in charge of that institute and he said, “Well, give me a sample of your class.” The whole bit took about fifteen minutes and I thus became an Integral Yoga teacher. And that is how it went to become a teacher for some five years.

Part Two—The First Script.

It was at our Connecticut ashram where Vidya Vonne, who was also editor of our magazine, wrote out the very first


TT manual. She just sat down one evening at her electric typewriter (no computers then, hard to believe that there was such a time) and did the whole thing in one go. There are some who may think that the current tome, as large as a Manhattan Yellow Pages, emerged Athena-like from the forehead of some teacher complete in its present form, but it evolved over these 35 years with the contributions and service of many individuals so that what we have now is truly Integral Yoga.

And so the script was formalized and the first trainings came to be. I recall that when I set up a training program at the SFIYI it was for eight weeks with a single two or three hour class per week. For some reason we set all course classes at eight weeks; I think it was an arbitrary decision to have it at eight weeks. The center of this evolving program has always been the basic class script which students were required to set to memory. This requirement has also been a cause for tension in many students. But once they realize that they have actually acquired the “script” almost by osmosis they relax.

Eventually we developed what we now have, the many varieties of training programs. It’s nice to have variety. The mind likes it and we do indeed provide valuable services for teachers and students.

Part Three—The Advanced Teacher

We are approaching the prize, the gold ring; your patience is to be rewarded.

So then is the advanced teacher one who can do all those super great asanas, with the ability to twist into a square knot? Is it one who has the smoothest script? These are obviously just rhetorical questions. So what then is the “Advanced” teacher?

First, a short story. Back in 1967 I was living in Berkeley, California in search of a yoga class. That was just before the great blooming of all the Gurus. The only teacher I found was a student of the American Guru known then as Master Subramunya (Later known as Sivaiyasubramunya Swamigal). He was a beautiful teacher who gave classes in San Francisco which were actually Raja Yoga but he did not refer to it by that name. Master Subramunya’s student gave gentle hatha classes in Berkeley which I attended. He was a very solidly centered and peaceful man. I wanted that very quality for myself so I asked this fellow one day after class what his secret was, how he got to be so calm and peaceful. His answer was very simple, “Practice, practice, every day do your practice no matter what.” Well, I took him at his word and that is just what I did and have done so ever since.

And so the first essential requirement of teaching is practice. But not just any practice. We need deep practice, a depth in which you get to the very heart of understanding, a depth in which you have understood the subtle yoga levels. We do not say that you must be a master of hatha, only that

you have deep understanding from personal experience. Much like the master carpenter really knows from years of experience the nature of wood and how to use various woods to their best purpose; so too you know how the body works and the subtlest way to adjust it in a pose. Simply the understanding of the basic poses will not be enough, not just the physical aspect, but the deeper pranic side of it. To use that wonderful old word made popular by Robert Heinlein; you “grok” yoga. That is to say it has entered into your very inner being. You KNOW the yoga by experiencing it.

Second is observation. When you enter the class with the deeper understanding of Hatha, you may use the script as a skeleton, but first just observe. Observe most especially the very beginners. It is to them that you focus most (not all) of your energy. See what they need and you will instantly find exactly the right words delivered with just the right feeling of love and caring and not intimidation and this is the Real Advanced teacher.

Finally, it is well to keep in mind that the principle text on Yoga philosophy, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, has but one sutra mentioning asana, “Shtira sukham asanasm” Steady, comfortable is posture. The whole aim is to find a solid, comfortable, easeful way to sit for deep meditation.

May we always remember that we are here to serve and love and that is the purpose of our becoming teachers. The advanced teacher loves and serves with deep understanding and compassion.

Swami Murugananda has known Sri Gurudev since 1966. He has served in all of the ashrams in California and Connecticut as well as most of the IYI’s in California and NYC serving in various capacities as teacher and gardener, bookstore manager and herbalist.

Here he created the SASTRI project (Satchidananda Automated Satsang Text Retrieval & Indexing). This is the database containing all the transcripts of Sri Gurudev’s satsangs and talks covering over 36 years. There is also a CD of selected satsangs from that collection, as well as the Commemorative slide show on CD with over 250 slides from Sri Gurudev’s life and service. These CDs are available to the public from him.

Murugananda also created and maintains our Yogaville Library of over 25,000 books, tapes, CDs etc in some 30 languages in a wide range of subject matter.

In his spare time he also writes and performs a bit of humor.

He is currently compiling a book of stories by Sri Gurudev’s disciples about their experiences with Sri Gurudev and what Gurudev taught them through those experiences.


The term Sangha in Sanskrit or Pali can be translated roughly as “association”, “company” or “community” with common goal, vision or purpose. In a stricter sense, Sangha can mean the assembly of all beings possessing some high degree of realization.

In the medical community where I have offered Yoga education for the past 10 years my students can be described as a group of people coming together with similar intent, needs and risks. Their vision is to practice yoga in community as a means to move towards wholeness. This is our definition of Sangha.

When Sri Gurudev was asked to speak about health he illustrated a surprising definition. He wrote the word illness and the word wellness. He then circled the I in illness and the we in wellness. This simple and beautiful way to describe health emphasizes the importance of connection with others as a basis for our well-being.

The illustration of being connected with others is reflected in some of the research reported at the 2009 International Yoga Therapist Conference by Dr. Dean Ornish. Dr. Ornish stated that there is a 3-7 times increase in mortality from loneliness and depression. He also added that after 5 years breast cancer survivors meeting together once weekly lived twice as long as those not regularly meeting with others.

There is evidence in our Breast Cancer Survivors Yoga class of what it means to have a strong sense of sangha. Students look to one another as helpers and models. They have developed respect, friendship, and support among themselves.

For the past two years the Breast Cancer Survivors Yoga class formed a walking team to raise funds to support our local cancer center. Among the accomplishments associated with the walk our team was recognized both years as the group that raised the most money per team member. Many of the people in the yoga class who did not choose to walk participated as support staff at water stations and rest stops for those of us who did walk. It meant so much to encounter members of our class along the way. Those who could not participate on the day of the walk were supportive in many other ways.

Recently a member of our Therapeutic Yoga class at the Mind/Body Institute was told that they needed yet a fourth brain surgery. I offered to create a guided imagery recording to help prepare this student for the process. I was touched when a member of the class suggested that we all create a visualization to do together for the recovery and ease of the person undergoing the procedure.

If we can see each other as a large human family and learn how to help and support one another we can create a strong

sense of community. There are times when we are like a group of people crossing a river holding hands. If one person fell in we wouldn’t let go and leave them there we would lift them up and keep going.

The most recent class evaluations reflect the importance students place on their connection with one another. Among the comments were the following:

• “I am more grounded and centered in touch with and aware of my connection with all things”

• “When I started this class my expectation was to increase range of motion after a lumpectomy in 2001. I have experienced many more benefits than I ever anticipated. The quiet time for internal meditation in the company of others reminds me how important this kind of time is for my overall well-being.”

I was recently told that a group of centenarians were found to have in common these three things: a sense of humor, faith and a strong connection to other people.

The clinical truth is there is inherent uncertainty in the behavior of even the worst diseases. There is also hope beyond this clinical truth. In holding a space for healing and creating connection with others sharing the same goals, we can become inspired to make choices that address our own needs, desires and beliefs. These are sometimes formed out of the freedom of spirit to have control over our life and the empowering realization that we are not alone or at the mercy of something outside ourselves. To have hope can be a radical act of defiance that can lead a person to live a life on their terms. It is part of the human spirit to give a miracle the chance to happen.

Reverend Manjula Spears, e-RYT 500 has served as a trainer for Integral Yoga’s Intermediate and Advanced teacher training programs for many years. In addition she has a deep interest and extensive training in Yoga therapeutics. Rev. Manjula is a long-time student of Ayurveda. She studies and teaches sound as healing. She is an accomplished instructor in the field of Yoga therapy and is the principle teacher of the Therapeutic Yoga program at Athens Regional Medical Center

specializing in restoration of functional mobility, reduction of musculoskeletal pain and joint health. For the past 10 years Manjula has had a special interest in working with women facing the challenge of breast cancer. This interest has motivated her to create a thriving program at ARMC’s Loran Smith Center for Cancer support.

The Healing Power of Sangha By Reverend Manjula Spears


Restorative Yoga for Stressful Times By Candi Madhuri Lavender

Given the proper environment the body is designed to repair and heal itself. Unfortunately our daily routine usually supports an environment that fosters chronic stress. Restorative yoga can help relieve the effects of this stressful environment in many ways.

A well-sequenced Restorative class is designed to move the spine in all directions. This spinal movement not only restores the natural curves of the vertebral column, but also enhances well-being. Stress can compromise the neuroendocrine and immune systems, but by itself does not cause problems. In fact, the human body has a very efficient, built-in mechanism for dealing with stress. What compromises the system is when we can’t turn off the fight or flight syndrome and our adrenal glands become exhausted from constantly pumping adrenaline into the system; the digestive and immune systems remain sluggish.

Restorative yoga poses, just like Hatha asanas, alternately squeeze and soak the body’s organs. This squeezing and soaking process enhances the exchange of oxygen and waste products across cell membranes. B.K.S. Iyengar, master of yoga’s therapeutic applications, contends that through the process of squeezing out the old, stale blood or lymphatic fluids and soaking the area with fresh, oxygenated blood or fluids, yoga helps the body to utilize the nutrients it needs.

In my teaching experience Restorative yoga is an essential for all students. I recommend that new students begin with me in a Restorative class. This gives both of us the opportunity to observe the body’s symmetry and flexibility. Integral yoga aligns itself with the Patanjali’s principles of Stira (steady) and Sukha (comfortable) and a Restorative yoga practice can reinforce these principles. In the non-competitive and supportive

environment of Restorative yoga a student can focus inward without distractions or comparisons with other students. It also allows each person to tune into the body/mind connection.

Conscious breathing is an essential component of Restorative yoga. Prana is the life-force and during a well sequenced restorative practice students can become more aware of pranic energy and how the body and mind move and support this energy. In each Restorative pose the teacher can help guide students to observe how the pose affects the breath and take this awareness off the mat into everyday living.

To practice or teach Restorative yoga you will need access to props: blankets, blocks, straps and chairs. These props provide a supportive environment for total relaxation. The use of these props can be a bit intimidating for both teacher and student. Be patient and carefully demonstrate the setup with students and you will be surprised how quickly they will catch on to the use of props.

Restorative poses can also be challenging for beginners because they might discover that the mind doesn’t always settle into stillness just because the body rests quietly. Again, be patient and help guide students into stillness. If you have a theme for your class, think about how your pace and your sequence may help communicate and support this theme. You might also consider readings, good articles can be read during the poses to help instruct students in yogic philosophy or offer explanations of the poses.

The following is a short Restorative sequence following the Integral Yoga model. Begin with gentle warm-ups like cat/cow and thread the needle.

1 2 3

Depending on time, choose one or more from the following:

Supta Baddha Konasana:

(Figure 1) Place the bolster length-wise behind you with a folded blanket at the far end of the bolster. Pull the bolster right up against the low back and carefully lie back. Draw the folded blanket under the head and close enough for the folded edge to touch the tops of the shoulders. For those who

experience back pain, use more than one folded blanket, or place a block under the far end of the bolster (Figure 2).

Setu Bandhasana:

(Figure 3) Place the bolster lengthwise behind you and a block in front of you as you sit on one end of the bolster. Gently allow the body to release back onto the bolster and slide the body off the bolster just far enough for the shoulders

BACKBENDS:


4 5 6

7 8 9

10 11 12

and back of the head to rest comfortably on the ground. When the body is comfortable, stretch the legs out so that the lower end of the calves rest on the block and stretch the arms overhead (Figure 4). Modifications can include keeping the knees bent, or substituting a folded blanket for the bolster.

Balasana:

(Figure 6) Place a folded blanket on the floor in front of you and place a bolster length-wise on the blanket. Kneeling on the blanket, place your hands on either side of the bolster about halfway up the bolster. Lower the hips to the heels and stretch the arms out along the bolster and come into child’s pose. Rest with the head in one direction for awhile and then turn to the other side. If your hips don’t comfortably sit on your heels, you can place a block under the hips and another block under the end of the bolster for more height (Figure 7).

Halasana:

(Figure 8) Sit on a crosswise bolster and place your hands on the floor behind you. Lift and shift your tailbone toward your heels so that your sacrum rests on the bolster. Carefully lower the body down onto the floor so that the upper back and head rest on the floor and the hips are

Simple backbend:

(Figure 5) With the bolster crosswise behind you lean back and adjust your ribs on the bolster and allow the back to arch over the bolster. You may place a block or folded blanket under the head if it doesn’t reach the ground comfortably. Modifications can include keeping the knees bent, or substituting a folded blanket for the bolster.

elevated on the bolster. Stay here for a few minutes and breathe. When you feel ready, draw the knees into the chest and hug over or under the knees. (Figure 9) If you are comfortable you can stretch the lower legs toward the head and release the arms as gravity allows the legs to “hang” in space. (Figure 10)

Pachimottasana:

(Figure 11) Sit on a folded blanket and place a crosswise bolster in front of you. Place your knees over the bolster and make sure there is space between the legs and that the inner thighs are rolling inward. Hinge forward from the hips with an extended spine and place your elbows on your knees and your head in your hands. If you can’t comfortably place your head in your hands, then use another folded blanket. As you release or are more flexible, you can release deeper into the pose (Figure 12).

FORWARD BENDS:

A World in Flux

I am simply a bundle of elements, a world in flux. They move and change I know not

how for the job is not mine. Everything is dependent upon His Will. I come and go in

helpless fashion and He allows it. He is calling the shots, He is the Director of the Dance

—Perchance I surrender to the possibilities and await His perfect expression.

—Vimala Storey


Viparita Karani:

(Figure 13) Using a lengthwise bolster and a folded blanket, make a “T” shape with the bolster 1 or 2 inches from the wall and blanket running lengthwise on the other side. Carefully sit at one end of the bolster and swing your legs up the wall as you settle your spine on the blanket. Drop the tailbone down into the space between the wall and the bolster and allow your arms to open to the sides. Align your spine along the center of the blanket. If you need something under your head, place another folded blanket there.

Candi Madhuri Lavender enjoys teaching Yoga at her home studio in Winston-Salem, NC. She has practiced yoga since the 1970’s and found Swami Satchidananda and Yogaville in the 1990’s. Candi is certified as an Integral and Cardiac Yoga Instructor and has taken many workshops on Anatomy that support her love of alignment principles. She has staffed several Basic Teacher Trainings at Yogaville and tries to visit at least 4 times a year. She holds a Masters degree in education

13

14 15 16

INVERSION

(Figure 14) Lie on the back with the feet on a lengthwise bolster. Press down with the feet and shift the hips a few inches to the left and let the knees roll to the right. The right calf should rest on the bolster and the left leg rests on the right where it is comfortable. The arms can be outstretched, shoulder height. If you are comfortable here, then slide the feet closer to the right side of the bolster so that the knees are hanging or even resting on the floor. If you still wish more stretch, then you can cross the left leg over the right leg and let the left foot rest on the floor (Figure 15). Wherever you are in your twist, be sure that the upper body is resting comfortably on the ground and the breath is soft. Repeat to the other side.

TWIST

Finish with Alternate Nostril Breathing and Meditation followed by supported Savasana (Figure 16).

Whether you choose to use one Restorative Pose at the beginning or end of each class, or choose to offer a complete 90 minute restorative class, students will be more relaxed and aware of their body/mind connection and better able to cope with the stress life has to offer. As teachers it is a good idea to incorporate periods of Restorative yoga in our practice as well. Restorative yoga —it does a body good!

Practical Yoga with Patients and Their FamiliesBy Swami Sarvaananda, PhD, BCC

Serving in health care as a chaplain, I use yoga philosophy and practices when dealing with the demented, very ill, and dying patients and their loved ones. Because of the Yogic Teachings, I can always convey love and respect for the individuals and compassion for their situation while giving hope for the future. Almost always I can adapt Yogic Philosophy to the Western mind set, using very American language, in conversation. Much of the time I am able to incorporate Pranayama and Meditation practices. Some of the time Yoga Practices are accomplished through mental visualization of the Classic Integral Yoga Hatha Class. In all cases, adapting yoga to the patient and family needs brings positive results. This article shares some of the tips that you also can deploy with students, having fun and spreading the great teachings of Yoga as taught by Sri Swami Satchidananda in yet another way.

It is easy to always use the Yogic Teachings to convey love and respect, compassion, and hope if you yourself are steady in your own practices, if you are able to connect with sangha, and if you pray for the guidance to do what is needed for the specific situation. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stated many times that anyone and everyone can serve: “You just need a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love.” Sri Gurudev states, “The dedicated ever enjoy supreme peace. Serve with love.” Brother David Steindel Rast indicates that practicing unselfishness and gratefulness are paths to unconditional love. All these and more are available guidelines and practices for the yoga teacher.

Yogic Philosophy can be conveyed easily in western language. Sri Gurudev was a master of language. Here are some of his quotes and other material you can adapt. Speak and use these principles daily in your life and you will accomplish wonders:

• A Perfect Act is “Of benefit to someone, of harm to no one”: Others on my hospice team now use this quote as a criteria when developing a patient care plan! We all can use this in guiding our actions, our lives.

• Law of Karma: The western mind has heard “what goes around, comes around” and is familiar with Newton’s law, “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Starting with these beliefs, you can lead to a discussion about factors leading to dis-ease, to acceptance of what has come one’s way, and to finding real peace. I recommend that you stay away from “past lives” discussions and concentrate on actions in this life. Reincarnation discussion is usually a distraction from facing one’s own state.

• “If you don’t get it, forget it.”: Acceptance seems to be necessary in achieving serenity. Along with the Law of Karma discussion, this statement assists persons in their quest for peace and in letting go of long-held hurts. There is much to release in the dying process, this release may

also lead to some resolution. A peaceful, serene death is a miraculous sight that seems to benefit everyone.

• “Wellness starts with We, Illness starts with I”: I believe that Sri Gurudev first used this when addressing physicians and medical students in a talk at the University of Virginia. The crowd was not friendly at first, but this concept wowed them. No matter how sick, no matter if death is imminent, when “We” serve together, there is often comfort and peace. When “I” is the focus, it is often a time of disharmony, may not be serving patient needs, and just isn’t a happy, peaceful situation.

• Selfless Service: In health care situations, it is very, very difficult not to impose our own beliefs, which are often very subtle. Our job is to listen to the patient and family needs and desires, then serve. For me the phrase “not my will, but Thy will be done” runs through my mind as I try to decipher what is truly needed. “Thy” for me is simultaneously the Divine Guidance and the person one is serving. Listen objectively with all the senses, watch your own mind (especially for “should’s”), and as much as possible only speak when necessary. Then selfless service is easier.

Pranayama techniques are useful to everyone, as we all breathe to the last moment. I have even seen unconscious patients on regulated ventilators relax and change the rhythm of the machine by my breathing a regular pace into the patient’s ear. (Of course, I had the physician’s approval before trying the practice.) Westerners are used to grandma saying, “Take a deep breath, you aren’t making sense”—when we were upset and pleading our plight. Demented patients respond well to breathing techniques, enabling them to breath more fully using all parts of the lungs. Alternate nostril breathing also works well with those with which you have developed relationship and you have found out that they are open to trying new practices.

Meditation practices come in many names and forms, one just needs to find those that are familiar to the patient. In starting this discussion, explaining the almost universal concepts regarding prayer, meditation, and contemplation is useful. Prayer is when you ask the Divine for guidance. Meditation is when you are quiet and listen for the answer. Contemplation is when you have heard the directive and you plan how you can incorporate that into your life and actions. With this understanding, I have never had anyone reject the possibility of trying meditation techniques.

Visualizing a Classical Integral Yoga Hatha Class is something that works for those who have damaged bodies, clear minds, and are willing to try new things. Yoga research indicates that by visualizing the poses one can obtain mental and physical benefit. Those of us that approach yoga as a part of our spiritual life will also agree that one also can attain


“We can see the same spirit in everybody

only when we know we are that spirit, Atman or Self.

Only a person who has understood his own Self can see that Self in everybody”

—Sri Swami Satchidananda


spiritual benefit. I have personally seen patients relax muscles that they can no longer move consciously, breath easier, lose the strain lines on the face, and generally become more calm if not peaceful. One patient said, “This seems to be as close to bliss as I can get.”

The classic Integral Yoga Hatha class has a fantastic order, which when shared in general terms, also assists patients. For those not trained in this tradition, the following is in general what I try to say when explaining: The class sets the tone and gives a focus for your total development of mind, body, spirit. We start with prayer to focus ourselves and ask for guidance. A general toning is accomplished with the sun salutation, which gets everything moving. Between every pose there is a time of rest, so that no one extends beyond their limit and allows time to release the toxins activated from the pose. This is followed by backward bending poses to stretch the abdomen and flex the back, forward bending poses to reverse this process. Then we go upside down and focus on clearing out toxins, followed by stretching our necks and then doing a sideways pose. After that, we seal and center the energy produced. Breathing techniques follow to burn out the toxins; meditation calms the mind. Only then, with a cleaner instrument, are we able to pray for others. We close with prayers acknowledging the Divine Presence and requesting peace, joy, love, and light everywhere.

With the very few patients that were open to the process, explaining this complete class plan brought them joy and even wonder. It also seemed to allow them a greater focus that went beyond the body and mind and activated their spirit. For most, offering prayers for others is a practice they have learned from childhood. Hearing that the complete class has that as a final focus lifts the patients and family members beyond themselves. Often, praying is the only way that they feel useful, praying. It seems that in a time when they personally need so much, this is a major factor in combating the sadness that comes from not feeling useful.

In conclusion, please, if you can, enter the worlds of the demented, very ill, and dying with our fantastic tool of Yoga. Use its many forms to reach persons where they are, with what they need and desire. With others not so limited, please

at least incorporate the yogic philosophy in a more active way. Continue teaching the pranayama and meditation, looking for new ways to expand your audience. And, for fun, with your seasoned students, you might try discussing the plan of the classic Integral Yoga hatha yoga class and then conducting a completely mentally visual class. Have a discussion, listen to their reactions. For most, it should be an uplifting experience that opens them up to new ideas. (Visual mental hatha while riding the subway! What a concept!) Be creative. Be loving. Be steady in your practices. Have fun. Let’s try anything we can to assist others in rediscovering their inner peace, along with ourselves.

“Do Good, Be Good, Serve All, Love All”

Swami Sarvaananda has been a follower of Sri Swami Satchidananda since 1976. She has resided on the property of Yogaville, VA since 1980; our longest residing resident. She has served by developing, teaching and as principal of the Yogaville Vidyalayam and Yogaville Summer Camp programs (1977–1993). In the 1990’s, she served as Ashram Resident Services coordinator (1993–1998). During this time she also was instrumental in developing the LYT program and Adaptive Integral Yoga Hatha trainings for people with various conditions. In 1998, she began training at the University of Virginia Medical Center as a Chaplain and has served there as the first certified Hindu Chaplain at the UVA Hospital. She currently serves at Hospice of the Piedmont where she supervises 4 Chaplains covering a daily census of about 180 patients and families.

In March 2010, the University of VA Chaplaincy Services and Pastoral Education presented Swami Sarvaananda, PhD, BCC with the Clyde M. Watson, Jr. Distinguished Service Award for Pastoral Care and Education for clinical leadership in pastoral care and for research and teaching in the field of pastoral care and spirituality.

Integral Yoga BranchesBy Arjuna Guttadauro

Integral Yoga is the synthesis of the various branches of Yoga, including Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Japa Yoga. Each branch is briefly described in the first part of our Integral Yoga Basic Teacher’s Manual. We don’t have to look real hard to see that the commonality of each branch is that its name is followed by the word Yoga.

A definition of the word Yoga is yoke. We can picture a yoke being made of wood and having two loops connected to each other. The purpose of that yoke is to connect two oxen. In Yoga the connection we aspire to is the connection of our self with the Divine. Here we are back to the commonality of each branch of Yoga, a way of connecting each individual self to the Divine.

We can use any single branch or we can use multiple branches to help us toward this purpose. Swami Satchidananda in satsang called Integral (whole) Yoga to be like a big grocery store. We take our cart down the aisles, choose according to our individual tastes and put what we like in our cart, and leave the rest.

As Hatha Yoga teachers we all have the Hatha Yoga branch in common. From there we vary greatly, for instance; some of us love Japa Yoga, meditation is a way for us, some of us Raja Yoga, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are the way to the Divine, Bhakti Yogis love to connect through chanting, and devotion to God. I can picture a group of Bhakti Yogis sitting together with the look of Bliss all over their faces during or after chanting. The individual or combinations of these branches and the remaining branches lead us to “yoke” with the Divine.

The commonality does not stop at the word Yoga. The methods of each branch may vary in their form, but as we dissect each one we find that they have even more similarities, for instance, stillness. As Hatha Yoga teachers we see that no matter what state our students arrive in, they always leave quieter. Japa Yoga has the same effect on a person, each branch does.

We can increase the depth of the stillness by being in the present moment. For instance, a Karma Yogi may be out weeding in a garden. If while weeding the mind is elsewhere (like an argument earlier in the day), the Karma Yogi will not attain as deep a level of stillness as the one who is totally present in the moment, feeling the soft breeze, the hot sun, the dirt getting under the fingernails. The Bhakti Yogi going through the motion of chanting, but having the mind elsewhere will not be as still or as connected as the one fully focused on the moment at hand. The Jnana Yogi may be reading a beautiful spiritual scripture, but if the mind is elsewhere the depth of stillness is hindered. The Hatha Yogi when distracted by thoughts, does not experience stillness as fully as when the awareness is on the breath, the body and the energy during the postures.

We enhance the depth of the quietness by being totally present in whatever branch we are on at that moment. All branches bring a connection to the Divine via becoming One with All, becoming connected with the quiet space behind our thoughts. We leave our ego behind as we experience our own true nature. Each branch assists us in this endeavor. It does not matter which branch or branches we aspire to, each has the same goal and the same results. No matter which one(s) we choose, being totally present will enhance our depth and connection to the Divine.

Arjuna Guttadauro is a long time devotee of Sri Swami Satchidananda. He attended TT in 1977 and ATT in 1995. He is now living in Yogaville where he is the IYTA Newsletter editor, Satsang and Special Events Coordinator and helps with maintenance at the Vidyalayam School (Yogaville’s elementary school). Arjuna can be contacted via email at [email protected]

Academy and Yogaville NewsBy Manu Hunt

Hari Om beloved Sangha, and greetings of peace from Yogaville. We are entering into summer here at Satchidananda Ashram, Yogaville, VA, and enjoying some of the best weather we have seen all of this year.

It has been almost a month since the sounds of Krishna Das vibrated through the halls, walls, lips and minds of these grounds and the people who inhabit them. The tone was set on Friday, May 28th as Krishna Das and his group of musicians began the weekend with some beautiful Kirtan upstairs in the Samadhi

room of the Teaching Academy. K.D. arrived with four other musicians in his ensemble, and was accompanied by our own Robert Bonacolta on drum. There were 120 people that signed up for the entire weekend program, and approximately 350 people in attendance for the Saturday evening Kirtan which was held in Sivananda Hall.

Over the weekend, K.D. delivered some of the finest Kirtan I have ever been exposed to. This included a “rocking gospel” session on Monday featuring the tune of “Jesus on the Main


Line.” During the afternoons, you could catch Krishna Das sharing stories about his experiences with his guru, Neem Karolie Baba, as well as other stories that he has compiled over the years. He also sat for a “question and answer” series on Saturday afternoon, where he tried to give his perspective on spirituality and the world as a whole today.

Upon observation I noticed that Krisha Das was easily approachable and spoke with many of the program participants and ashramites during his stay. It is no wonder that his style of Kirtan is so popular and well liked around the world.

This was Krishna Das’ ninth year coming to Yogaville, and hopefully there will be many more to come. I spoke with Steve Willig, who heads up the Programs Department, who said “the program was a real success thanks to help of the many who staffed and the help of the ashram as a whole for catering to the needs of all of the guests.” A special thanks to the kitchen staff is well deserved for preparing delicious meals to the guests of over 200 over the weekend, especially on Sunday when we all celebrated K.D.’s birthday with four large cakes. Of all Memorial Day weekends, this one will be especially hard to forget for all who were in attendance.

Going along with the theme of Kirtan, I must mention the help of Shakticom during the program, especially those who helped to move equipment from the Academy to Sivananda Hall, and Gopal Metro who assisted with the sound board during the Kirtan sessions. Shakticom as a whole has a new director, Sam Eberle, who has taken over as manager of the independent audio and visual department of Integral Yoga and its teachings. I spoke with Sam who mentioned that in the upcoming months they will be working on recording every Satsang presentation to be archived.

In other news, the ashram held its Spring Teacher Training, made up of eighteen students with graduation on the 16th of May, 2010. The TT was lead by Swami Asokananda and Dijon Carew. The TT group was a real treat for us to have here and seemed to be very rooted in the teachings even prior to participating in the life changing process of TT. Four of the eighteen students had actually attended the Vidyalyam, the Yogaville elementary school, and brought a unique energy to the group as a whole.

One last important bit of news is the completion of the Yoga room located in the downstairs of our R.N. building. The room was in need of a “face lift” and that is exactly what it got. The old gray carpet was removed this spring and replaced with brand new bamboo flooring. Bamboo is known for its durability, longevity, and good looks. Along with the flooring, the walls were painted and new trim boards were added at the base of the floor. A new altar and carpet were placed in the front of the room. From someone who has spent a fair amount of time in this room, I must say that the space was transformed not only visually, but energetically as well. The sound of “Hari Om” now carries and resonates through this new and vibrant classroom, as it should.

Om Shanti, Manu Hunt

How many roads I have traveled?

By Tina Soucie

How many roads have I traveled?

Sometimes it was so hard to see

Who it was that I really could be

But no matter where I found myself

I could always feel Him leading me.

Knowing that He loved me dearly.

Lord, bless me as I walk this path

Show me where is my rightful place.

So many roads to travel Lord

If I can just manage to live and walk in truth

I can see that grace is always surrounding me.

If I can just take the time for grace to show itself

Calling out in its sweetest tone to me,

I can learn to trust in my blessings in life

And all will flow free from heaven

All will always flow free!

AND I WILL sing to the Universe

Just WHO I AM.

Because Lord:

I AM all my mother’s dreams

I AM my father’s hope

I AM my grandmother’s secrets

And I AM the breath of God

I AM the spirit of courage

I LIVE in the brother-ship of love

And I AM a seeker of truth

I AM a builder of mercy

I AM a lover of life

I AM the keeper of faith

I AM a maker of peace

And I hold the wisdom of generations

In my clearest of thoughts.

Because Lord:

I AM STILL ONE!



Kali RaySept. 17–19, 2010

Transforming Lives

Roy Eugene DavisOctober 29–31, 2010

®

Amy WeintraubOctober 29–31, 2010

Robert GonzalesNovember 4–7, 2010

David (Durga Das) Newman & MiraAugust 26–29, 2010

Cathy & Paul CalderonSeptember 3–6, 2010

Timothy McCall, M.D.September 13–17, 2010

INTEGRAL YOGA SENIOR SPEAKERS’ SCHEDULESPlease contact local representatives for times, costs, pre-enrollment requirements, schedule changes, etc.


Swami Asokananda

August Advanced Teacher Training San Francisco IYI

(415) 821-1117

Early September Programs in Finland Raghavan Cobelli

[email protected]

September 23–27 Programs in Colorado Padma Habid

[email protected]

Sept 21–Dec Intermediate Teacher Training New York IYI

(212) 929-0586

November 12–14 Spiritual Dimensions of Hatha Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville

800-858-YOGA

[email protected]

Swami Karunananda

July 25–Aug 22 Raja Yoga for Basic TT Satchidananda Ashram - Yogaville

August 13–22 10- Day Silent Retreat Satchidananda Ashram - Yogaville

Sept. 19–Oct. 3 Raja Yoga for Split Basic TT Satchidananda Ashram - Yogaville

Oct. 17–Nov. 14 Raja Yoga for Basic TT Satchidananda Ashram - Yogaville

Nov. 5–7 Karma, Effort and Grace Workshop Satchidananda Ashram - Yogaville

Swami RamanandaAugust 12 Swami and the Rabbi Talk NYIYI

iyiny.org

Sept 9 Deepening Your Practice: ADK Yoga - Plattsburgh, NY

Hatha Yoga as a Tool for Self-Discovery www.adkyoga.com

518-561-2869, ext. 2

Sept 11 Making Peace During Difficult Times ADK Yoga - Plattsburgh, NY

with Ourselves, Each Other and Our World www.adkyoga.com

518-561-2869, ext. 2

Oct 1-3 Teaching the Yoga Sutra Monterrey, Mexico

Weekend Program with Evening Satsang Olivia Martinez

[email protected]

Oct. 22–24 Stress Management and Self-Mastery Satchidananda Ashram - Yogaville

Swami DivyanandaSept 24–26 Unwrapping the Present Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville

October 1–3 A Retreat in Ohio. Al Thunderbear

[email protected]

Satya & Sadasiva GreenstoneOct 17–Nov 14 Basic Teacher Training Program Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville

November 19-21 Relax and Rejuvenate with Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville

Restorative Yoga

UPCOMING PROGRAMS AT YOGAVILLE


July25–Aug. 1 Children’s Hatha Yoga Teacher Training with Madhuri Flynn and Inga Ishwari Benson30–Aug. 1 Seven Techniques for Mastering Stress and Enhancing Wellbeing with Meenakshi Angel Honig30–Aug. 1 Introduction to Thai Yoga Massage with Jyothi Watanabe

August6–8 Relieving Your Anxiety: An Integration of Wisdom from East and West with Boris Bhagavan Pisman, MS, NCC 6–8 Yin Yoga—A Practice of Quiet Acceptance with Biff Mithoefer1–11 Prenatal & Labor Yoga T. T. with Beth Donnelly Cabán9–11 Labor Yoga T. T. with Beth Donnelly Cabán12–15 Post-Partum Yoga T. T. with Esther Jyothi Larson13–22 Interfaith Ten-Day Silent Retreat—Healing Ourselves, Healing Our World26–29 Kirtan College Summer School: A Weekend Intensive with Durga Das & Mira27–29 Yoga Secrets—The Inner Practice with Mukunda Stiles & Chinnamasta30–Sept. 8 Structural Yoga Therapy (Teacher’s Program) with Mukunda Stiles & Chinnamasta

September3–6 Honoring Intuition: A Women’s Retreat with Nischala Devi3–6 Salsa & Yoga with Cathy & Paul Calderon 10–12 Feng Shui Revealed with Bhaskar Alan Deva 10–12 The Science of Yoga with Timothy McCall 13–17 Yoga as Medicine: The Yogic Path for Health, Healing & Personal Transformation with Timothy McCall 17–19, Asana Pranayama Mudra, Meditation Jnana (Yoga Philosophy)Pravachan (Q & A) Chanting/Satsanga with Kali Ray17–19 The Harmony of I and i: The Art and Practice of Connecting to Your Higher Self With Gopal and Radha Metro19–Oct. 3 Basic Hatha Yoga Teacher Training Split (Part 1) with Swami Dayananda & Ram Wiener24–26 Unwrapping the Present with Swami Divyananda 24–26 Back to Basics with Lakshmi Sutter, eRYT500 24–Oct. 1 Yoga for the Special Child,Æ L.L.C. with Sivakami Sonia Sumar30– Oct. 3 Fall Silent Retreat: Awakening to the Fullness Of Who We Are

October8–10 Ecstatic Kabbalah: A Weekend of Chant with the Kirtan Rabbi with Rabbi Andrew Hahn, Ph.D. and Primal Percussionist Shoshana Jedwab8–10 Peaceful Weight Loss—The Practice with Brandt Bhanu Passalacqua

8–11 Foundation of Yoga Therapy with Lakshmi Sutter, Rich Panico & Manjula Spears15–17 Basic Meditation with Swami Gurucharanananda15–17 The Shaman’s Journey: Huichol Health and Healing with Brant Secunda17–22 Thai Yoga Massage Intensive I with Jyothi Watanabe22–24 Stress Management and Self-Mastery with Swami Ramananda17–Nov. 14 Basic Hatha Yoga Teacher Training (Fall) with Swami Dayananda22–24 Stress Management and Self-Mastery with Swami Ramananda22–24 Zen Photography & the Art of Haiku with Rama Roosevelt 24–29 Thai Yoga Massage Intensive II with Jyothi Watanabe29–31 The Superconscious Meditation Practice in the Kriya Yoga Tradition with Roy Eugene Davis29–31 LifeForce Yoga® to Manage Your Mood with Amy Weintraub, M.F.A., e-RYT 500

Integral Yoga® Teachers Association108 Yogaville WayBuckingham, VA 23921

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OrganizationDillwyn,

VA 23936

god wanted fun...volume xviii, no. 2, august 2010 continued on page 4 inside god wanted fun by sri...

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