Why Study About Death and Dying?
One of the most important things we can do to prepare for death is to think about it. Bring it into your life, and as Don Juan said, “Use death as an advisor.” What would you do if you had six months to live? What would you cut out of your life? What would you do if you had one month, one week, one day? The Indian master Atisha said: If you do not contemplate death in the morning, the morning is wasted. If you do not contemplate death in the afternoon, the afternoon is wasted. If you do not contemplate death in the evening, the evening is wasted. One of the best ways to prepare for death is to acknowledge that we really are going to die. We are falling in the dark and have no idea when we will hit the ground. Buddhist scholar Anne Klein says: Life is a party on death row. Recognizing mortality means we are willing to see what is true. Seeing what is true is grounding. It brings us into the present. We all know that we’re going to die. But we don’t know it in our guts. If we did, we...
Apple Pie and Chai: A Delicious Duo
Master chef, skilled potter, and longstanding Yogaville community member, Karuna Marcotte regularly graces the local Mandala Cafe with her delectable pastries. Today she shares her recipe for an Ashram favorite, the delicious dessert duo of apple pie and chai. This...
Yoga is for Everybody: Adapt, Adjust, Accommodate
Yoga is for Everybody As far back as the 1970s, Sri Swami Satchidananda, founder of Integral Yoga, emphasized this truth: “Be he young or old, weak or strong, elderly or sickly. From prince to peasant, child to grandparent, ailing to robust, all can practice these...
More Recent Articles
Integral Yoga Key Teaching – May 2016
If you want to keep the mind calm and clean, at least have clean thoughts—ones that won’t disturb the mind.
Where Weight Loss Begins
Does Yoga help you lose weight? Physically, it uses much less energy compared to hiking, cycling, and other health-promoting activities. So how did Yoga help Brandt, (then, a 30-year-old chain smoker struggling with an autoimmune disease and obesity) find his way to...
Four Practices for Spring Balance
Heavy and sluggish: These aren’t the words we normally associate with spring. But according to Ayurveda, Yoga’s sister science, an out-of-balance constitution (or dosha) can leave you feeling lethargic when the world around you seems to be blossoming. Spring is the...
Integral Yoga Key Teaching – April 2016
You are what you eat. Think about what babies eat. Simple, clean food. What you put in your stomach is the major cause of all the problems…
Keeping It Real
In the US, Yoga is a $27+ billion industry. But is it even real Yoga? One teacher reflects on how a recent class changed him—but not in the way you'd expect. I discovered Yoga at the age of 13 in Union City, NJ. I saw a little paperback book for $2.25 called The...
Movement as Meditation
Meditation doesn’t have to mean sitting in silence. Physical movement can also bring the mind to a place of stillness—and for some, it’s easier than hours on a cushion. After all, anything that is done with one’s full attention and awareness is meditation: walking,...
Integral Yoga Key Teaching – March 2016
When you do everything for the sake of doing, not just for your benefit, you retain your joy.
Ecumenism
The teachings may vary, but the central teaching is always the same—to know our True Self.
The Dis-Ease of Busy-ness
Even when we are aware of our “busy–ness” to some degree, we feel unable to do much about it. We seem to have become human “doings” rather than human “beings”.
Business Yoga
Perform the work of your livelihood as Karma Yoga— selfless service.
The Purpose of Hatha Yoga
asanas and pranayama are needed to reach the goal of Raja Yoga (chitta vritti nirodaha).
Beyond the Insane Mind
Your association, your thoughts, your words, your music, your food, your exercises should all be producing a sattwic condition, a tranquil condition, to calm the mind and nerves.