Our Mission is to practice, live and impart the Integral Yoga teachings of Sri Swami Satchidananda to experience supreme peace and joy, and to share that peace and joy with one and all. The ten Integral Yoga Core Values support the Mission of the organization and aid us in leading easeful, peaceful and useful lives. The ten precepts of Yama-Niyama, from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, serve as the ethical foundation of Integral Yoga.
- Gratitude: We are grateful for the gift of life, and the universal teachings of Sri Swami Satchidananda, the founder of Integral Yoga.
- Peace: Peace and Joy are our true nature. By calming the thought waves in the mind through yogic practices, we are able to the experience that supreme peace and become instruments of peace in the world.
- Ethical Foundation: Yama (abstinence): Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truthfulness), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya (continence or moderation), Aparigraha (non-greed) Niyama (observance): Saucha (purity), Santosha (contentment), Tapas (accepting pain as help for purification), Svadhyaya (spiritual study), Isvara pranidhana (devotion and surrender to the Divine).
- Faith: Trusting in the Divine, we turn to the Integral Yoga teachings and sangha for guidance and inspiration.
- Love and Compassion: Recognizing that we are all members of one universal family, we relate to people of all faiths, races, ages and gender identity with loving-kindness and understanding.
- Interfaith Harmony: Honoring all the world’s faiths, we recognize the underlying unity while celebrating the diversity.
- Selfless Service: Letting go of personal desire, we are able to perform our actions for the benefit of one and all.
- Integrity: By aligning our thoughts, words, and deeds with our values, we honor the True Self in ourselves and one another.
- Healthy Living: By following a yogic lifestyle–meditation, Hatha Yoga, vegetarian diet, abstinence from harmful substances, and balance in our activities–we are able to maintain optimum health and well-being.
- Environmental Awareness: Realizing our interconnectedness with all life, we use resources wisely, while doing all that we can to protect the environment.
Spiritual Life Board, Satchidananda Ashram—Yogaville, Inc., March 2024 Update