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WINTER 2017

Allan Hunter, Ph.D.

Carole Nathan I n t e g r a l Y o g a® M a g a z i n e D o n o r s

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Integral Yoga® Magazine His Holiness Sri Swami Satchidananda heart disease and Dr. Michael Lerner’s noted (Sri Gurudev) is one of the most revered Commonweal Cancer Help program. Today Founder – Sri Gurudev: Yoga Masters of our time. Sri Gurudev’s more than 25 Integral Yoga Institutes and H. H. Sri Swami Satchidananda teachings and spirit guide us toward a Integral Yoga Teaching Centers throughout life of peace and religious harmony the United States and abroad offer classes Editor: among all people. For more and training programs in all Rev. Prem Anjali, Ph.D. than forty-five years, aspects of Integral Yoga. Sri Gurudev sponsored Webmaster: interfaith worship In 1979, Sri Gurudev was Karuna Kreps, services and inspired to establish Netingenuity.com conferences. Satchidananda His teachings Ashram–Yogaville, Consulting Editor: advocate a large residential Rev. Prakash Shakti Capen respecting and community in honoring all Virginia based on Layout and Design: faiths and he his teachings. Alain Shiva Hervé was invited Guest stays, to share his retreats, and message of programs on all Archives: peace with aspects of Integral Swami Priyaanandaji many world Yoga are available. Shakticom (Recordings) leaders and At the center of dignitaries. Over Yogaville® is the Transcripts: the years, Sri Light Of Truth Swami Murugananda: SASTRI Gurudev received Universal Shrine many honors for his (lotus), dedicated in public service. Among 1986. This unique recent awards: the 1994 interfaith shrine honors the Juliet Hollister Interfaith Spirit that unites all the world Contact: Award presented at the United religions, while celebrating their diversity. Integral Yoga Magazine Nations and the 2002 U Thant Peace 108 Yogaville Way Award. In honor of his birth centennial Sri Gurudev is the author of many books, Buckingham, VA 23921 in 2014, he was posthumously awarded including Integral Yoga Hatha, To Know Editorial: the James Parks Morton Interfaith Your Self, The Living Gita, and The Golden [email protected] Award. In addition, he served on the Present. He is the subject of three biographies, advisory boards of many world peace Apostle of Peace, Portrait of a Modern Sage, and and interfaith organizations. Boundless Giving, and the documentary, Living Integral Yoga®: Yoga. Integral Yoga Publications disseminates Winter 2017 Sri Gurudev founded, and is the guiding the teachings of Sri Gurudev through books Copyright © 2017 light for, the worldwide Integral Yoga® and Shakticom through audio-video programs. Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville® organization. Integral Yoga, as taught Integral Yoga Distribution also makes available ISSN 0161-1380. by Sri Gurudev, combines various books, tapes, and gift items from a wide variety methods of Yoga, including Hatha Yoga, of spiritual paths and well-being resources. selfless service, meditation, prayer, and a All rights reserved. 5,000-year-old philosophy that helps one In August 2002, Sri Gurudev took Mahasamadhi No part of this publication may find the peace and joy within. Integral (a God-realized soul’s conscious final exit from be reproduced without written Yoga is the foundation for Dr. Dean the body). Chidambaram, his Mahasamadhi permission from the publisher. Ornish’s landmark work in reversing Shrine, is open for prayer and meditation. C o n t e n t s

6 the Guru Within By H. H. Sri Swami Satchidananda

8 the Divine Life of H. H. Sri Swami Sivanananda By Swami Suryadevananda

10 liberation By Swami Sivananda Radha

12 4 Locks, 4 Keys: A Simple Approach to Relationships By Beth Hinnen

15 Letters from the Yoga Masters: A New Book by Marion (Mugs) McConnell

18 a Conversation in the Spirit with Swami Satchidananda and Lex Hixon

Allan Hunter, Ph.D.

22 pretzel Up with Family Yoga By Meryl Davids Landau

24 the Teachings: A Matter of Life and Death By Karuna Scarola

26 Lost Masters: Rediscovering the Mysticism of

the Ancient Greek Philosophers By Linda Johnsen

28 the Inner and Outer Guru By Amanda Hayden

30 From Behind Prison Bars: An Easter Reflection

on the Cross and Criminal Justice By Jens Soering

32 rediscovering the Cosmic Music of My Life By Carol Bodhini Mahan

33 Integral Yoga Therapy: A Progress Report

Carole Nathan 34 books, CDs, and More: What’s New?

36 Integral Yoga Multimedia TS phi er i Gt uu a r l u HWui nt ghi en r An Interview with ByAllan H. Hunter,H. Sri Swami Ph.D. Satchidanandaby Sevika Laura Douglass, Ph.D.

Allan“ Hunteratchidananda” is a professor is at the Curry common College name and forauthor all ofof The PathDon’t of Synchronicity, allow the monkey The Sixmind Archetypes or the ego of within Love, toStories guide We Needus to and Know, every Spiritual thing. Satchidananda Hunger, and manyis your other own inspirational you; texts. it will He drag is a renownedyou into thelecturer, ditch. teacher, That’s andwhat therapist you see with a heartfeltessential belief name. in theAnd power that isof thewriting, real Gurumyth, within.and the arts toin enhance the great personal scripture, growth. Bhagavad He is currently Gita. The working prince onArjuna the film,That Theessence Wisdom is what of you the callHeart Satchidananda.. In this interview, It is dividedhe discusses thewas role supposed of spiritual to hunger fight the in Northwar, face American the world. culture But and he wasoffers suggestionsinto three parts:on how Sat, we Chid,can nourish Ananda our. Sat soul. is existence, Chid is puzzled. He brought all kinds of arguments. They are knowledge; the Truth revealed. And then by knowing that, all sound arguments. But they were nothing but sound. the outcomes a childis Ananda I had or an bliss. aversion to gym class. I was Having exhausted his arguments, he realized his foolishness unable to catch—or hit—any ball thrown and told Krishna, “Sir, I am foolish enough to bring out all For example, in mywood direction, pulp exists. and Thatwas always is the Satthe. lastThen one it my ignorance. It is not in my hands anymore. I give up my chosenexpresses for as team a piece sports. of paper. It was The only existence years later expresses, that my so arguments. I know the simple way is to let you guide me. visionyou get problems, the Chid ,which the knowledge had co of it. And then when you You tell me what to do, and I do it. I surrender to you.” use it, you have the Ananda. So, existence-knowledge-bliss. Arjuna stands there as an ego. Ego surrenders ultimately. The Guru within you is Satchidananda. It directs you When you completely give up your ego, you hear the voice continuously. It advises you. Sometimes you listen. within. You hear the Guru within. Then it becomes very Sometimes you don’t and then you get burned and cry. easy to face the life, to win the battle. We are constantly It will say, “Please next time be careful.” We call that the facing a battle in life. We cannot do it all by ourselves. Let antar Atma, the inner Self that constantly guides you. It is God do that. As you know, the Father knows best. Leave it your conscience. “Be true to your Self,” we say. That is the to God. Leave it to Beaver. Did I say Beaver? No. I meant Self. Listen to that Self. to say Be-er. Leave it to the Be-er. Let God handle it, let God guide you. You don’t even have to look for a Guru outside. If you still want to, that Guru will ultimately tell you, “You have a This reminds me of a great verse that was sung in a beautiful Guru within. Learn to listen.” Sometimes we hear people work called Thiruvasagam by the great Saint Manickavasagar. saying, “The Guru is giving me knowledge.” Nobody can He addresses God, “Lord, You know what I need. You will Sever give you anything. If somebody gives you something, give what I need. But when I want to face You, see You, You somebody else will knock it out. Don’t live on borrowed escape me. If even the devas try to face You, see You, You things. It won’t stay long. A real Guru is one who tells you don’t show yourself to them. But You pulled me out. You that you have that person within you. It’s almost like a made me your instrument. With all that, if there is any want mirror. When you go in front of a mirror the mirror will in my mind, I know even that want is created by You. I can’t tell you, “Hey, you have a face.” Is it not so? The mirror is even want something without Your wanting me to want. So I Anot giving you a face. The mirror simply reflects what you give myself completely in Your Hands.” are, how you are. In the next verse he says, “Lord, I remember, a long The Guru will simply reflect you as you are. Sometimes time back, You took me—my body, my intelligence, my that’s the reason why people don’t like to go in front of a everything—under Your Feet. I know that everything Guru. Because everything is exposed. “Oh boy, if he sees happens because of You. I am only a humble instrument. my ugly heart what could I do?” If that’s what you have, it As such it doesn’t matter to me what You will be doing has to show. And it’s better that it shows, so that you will with this tool. People might say I am doing great know. Because you don’t know your own face. You never achievements. Others may say I’m a rogue, doing nothing see your face. You know that you have a face but you don’t good. If some praise me and some blame me, am I see it. To see your face you have to have a mirror. responsible for it? No. Why? Because You are the one who is working through me.” That is what. Like that, you are the Guru. You have not seen it. The external Guru is to point out the Guru within you. Guru The Guru means Gu-ru. “Gu” is the darkness. “Ru” is the is the omnipresent consciousness that pervades everywhere, remover. Guru removes the darkness of our ignorance. which guides the entire universe constantly. But because Put complete faith in the inner Guru. And follow the the Guru is within you, and you have never seen it, you teachings. My Master Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj put want to see it with a reflection. It is there the external it in simple tablet form—because he was a doctor. Even Guru or the teaching comes. With the help of the teacher Moses got two tablets with Ten Commandments. Swami and teaching, you will realize your own Guru within. And Sivanandaji gave us four commandments. He simplified that Guru constantly guides you in all your efforts in life. the entire Yoga philosophy in that. What is it? Serve. Love. Realize that Guru. Meditate. Realize.

6 | Integral Yoga Magazine Winter 2017 Allan Hunter, Ph.D.

Realizing comes automatically. You don’t have to do said in the Bhagavad Gita, by Lord Krishna: “You are free anything in the name of realization. All we should do is to do things, and you are entitled to perform actions. But serve with love and meditate on it. Bhakti Yoga, Karma beware, don’t look for the fruit.” They use the same word! Yoga, Raja Yoga—our lives should be based on serving That one sloka is enough. Out of the whole Bible just one others with love. That’s what the entire universe teaches us. piece, “Love thy neighbor as thyself,” and “Blessed are the We learn this lesson from anything and everything other pure in heart. They shall see God.” For me that is enough. than human beings. I don’t know why God created human Apply it. That’s why practice is the most important thing. beings. Maybe God wanted to have some fun. God allowed us to make all mischiefs. But look at the entire universe— That’s why we offer fruit to God. That means the fruit of animals, plants, minerals. They are all there to serve others. my life is at Your Feet. Because without You I wouldn’t They don’t exist for themselves. Their only purpose is to have performed anything, done anything. That is what is be useful to others. Everything, everything that you see. called sacrifice—you sacrifice the result of your actions. Only that makes real service. All other things are business. That is the book of knowledge, the universal message that You do something, you get something in return. Instead we learn from the cosmos itself. Let our motive be service, of that, life should be motivated this way: “I am here to service, service. And of course service goes with love. serve.” Or, in other words, “I am made to serve—I am Without love you cannot serve. And when you serve there Caroleonly a tool.”Nathan Then, your heart is always peaceful. There is is no room for ego. That is what the essential teachings of nothing to disturb your peace. As one of the saints said, all the religions are. Serve, serve, serve, without looking “I have eternal peace and bliss. I have no suffering at all. for any reward. That was the teaching of the Bible. The Because all the sufferings are created by ‘me’ wanting to get one and only advice given by God to the first boy created the reward. Once I give that up, I have no suffering at all. I is, “Adam, do not eat the fruit.” The very same thing is am always in bliss.’”

Winter 2017 Integral Yoga Magazine | 7 T h e D i v i n e L ifSep iorfi t H u . a l H H. Sur ni g S ew r a mi S i v a n a n d a An Interview with AllanBy Hunter, Swami Ph.D.Suryadevananda by Sevika Laura Douglass, Ph.D.

Allan Huntereading is athe professor Divine at Life Curry is leading College aand life authorof discovery of The Paththen of Synchronicity,suggests what will The quickly Six Archetypes rectify the of situationLove, Stories and We Needand to Know,transformation Spiritual at Hunger the same, and time many. We other are inspirationalbeing texts. so Hecaught is a uprenowned in this lecturer,self-imposed teacher, unhappiness—we and therapist with a heartfelt busy throughout belief in the the power day—every of writing, moment myth, andwe arethe arts toact enhance against personal our highest growth. interest. He is currentlyShedding working limitations on the forms film,doing The something Wisdom or of the the other. Heart Even. In thisnot interview, doing something he discusses thethe role true, of spiritual protective hunger armor, in North a disentangling American culturefrom the and past offers suggestionsis “doing nothing.” on how we In can a few nourish terse oursentences, soul. Swami or habit. It is necessary for us to act differently so the Sivananda tells us what Divine Life is: “To lead the Divine resulting experience can be known. Life is to sheds a child all limitations, I had an aversion act in theto gymspirit class. of the I wasunity of all things,unable be ever to catch—or Self-centered hit—any and let ball these thrown be evident 2. Acting in the Spirit of the Unity of Things in the daily in battles my direction, of life.” and was always the last one There is a supreme unity that harmoniously contains chosen for team sports. It was only years later that my infinite diversity without affecting the unity that alone visionGoals orproblems, aims have which to be had fueled co by aspiration and guided by is. It is the source, the substratum, diversity itself and the precepts. When aspiration enters life, life enters aspiration. knower of all—we can call this supreme oneness by any Without life, all this remains as just nice things to talk name: God is the simplest. To live our life in accordance about sitting around the coffee table, but it cannot help with the unity of all things is to joyfully live the Divine Life. you. The cultivation of virtue is not a social nicety but a broad 1. Shedding Limitations leap beyond the flawed limitations of conditioning. When Discovery is always in the present and its unfolding is not I am good, when I do good—goodness resides in me! possible if the past keeps interfering with the present. Most Swami Sivananda’s dictum, “Be Good. Do Good,” should friction in life is the refusal to accept the present for what be etched firmly on the heart tablet. When you are good, it is. The past insists on wanting things its way. This causes doing good is natural, but one can do some good in the much stress and consumes tremendous energy, fatiguing eyes of others and not be good. us unnecessarily. This can and should be avoided. Swami Sivananda taught: “To shed the animal in man and to The cultivation of virtue is a choice to grow into sublimate the human in him into the divine, to express this goodness by larger measures consciously. The old will Lsublimation in his daily, hourly, life in thought, word and drop away just as the slough on a snake when its new deed—that is truly divine life.” skin has formed. Fighting old habits is futile because they reappear with redoubled force. It is wise to stay Why do things have to be our way or any certain way? We away from situations that are not conducive to the new are a part of everything, part of this grand world—is it aspiration, but at the very same time—there must be a reasonable for the part to expect the whole to be a certain ready new channel for old energies. Away? Can a drop expect the ocean to be a certain way? What does one do with these hidden wants? How does one The force of old habits is the movement of energy in old handle them? patterns. This energy must already have a new channel before restricting the old. Farmers of old who use natural The ongoing awareness of the movement of all thought canal irrigation, open new pathways before closing off old while we are doing what needs to be done, itself is dis- pathways so water is not wasted. The very same principles identification with them—you are not what you are aware apply here. Yoga calls this vairagya (absence of passion) of! It is not difficult to shed limitations and gain clarity and abhyasa (repetition of new effort. Swami Sivananda when situations are “serious,” so to say, but once things are calls these, “Detach and Attach: detach the mind from to our preference, the awareness drops and habit regains the world and attach the mind to God.” It is important to control. There is a cost for vigilance to be established beyond note the words “detach the mind” and “attach the mind” situational use. One must be convinced beyond doubt of as these tell us that the Divine Life can be practiced by the utter futility and harmfulness of careless living—and this anyone—anywhere. registers as an indelible image in the mind’s eye. One has to see very clearly that the only evil is the content of one’s own The practice of virtue until it is natural and spontaneous mind, which insists on certain reactions. is acting in light of the truth of things—the existing unity that alone is. The practice of virtue cannot be selective Self-justification and reason are two cunning, potent when convenient. Selective application is exactly that; weapons of the mind to prevent your interference. You application, like makeup, does not stand the test of time yourself are made to participate in your bondage! In short, and gives rise to hypocrisy. Once you embrace the path of you are made to express and experience unhappiness. The virtue, your life will become greatly simplified, as the path mind says it is unhappy and experiences unhappiness. It of virtue is simple in essence.

8 | Integral Yoga Magazine Winter 2017 Allan Hunter, Ph.D.

3. Be Ever Self-centered Divine Life is living in such a way that ideas of “I” and Being Self-centered is to always abide in the Self that “mine” are continually weakened. There is expansion at is existence itself. Beneath the body, mind and ego, each step, as each action is a blow to limitations so that we you are still there, you exist, and this existential aspect can enter into the largeness they hide. or element is the same in all beings and things. It is not limited to any particular form or personality. The Spiritual practices take on a wide scope and are not limited to center has everything outside it but is never disturbed a room of prayer. One may ask what practice is, and how one by their presence. Swami Sivananda wrote: “To be ever practices, in the context of living. If life is being lived, what in communion with the Lord by annihilating mineness is the need for practice? Practice is a steady stream of renewed and egoism through faith, devotion and self-surrender is and energetic effort until the aim is achieved. Here, the aim is Divine Life.” not external—the means are. One keeps practicing in life until one can be established in living without limitation—and Spiritual life is hard work because success rises out of the thereby without sorrow or confusion. Spiritual practices done ashes of defeat—the very ashes of defeat spark the embers in a room of prayer are concentrated practices in a quieter of the flame of success. This is something we are not used setting towards the same aim—self-mastery. to or prepared for. All our lives we have known victory as success in achievements, both external and internal. What 4. Dynamic Spiritual Evolution we worked so hard for has come, and the personality that To realize is to make real to oneself—not conceptually worked hard can bask in the achievement. The feeling of but by direct experience. Expansion of being brings gain is rooted in a sense of increase—more now that there this realization within the individual with reference to has been achievement. everything. Gradually, division becomes only a concept and unity becomes a reality!—it becomes natural to want But spiritual life is life in the spirit—That which pervades Caroleto play Nathanone’s part well in life. As Swami Sivananda taught: all—and for this, all divisions must be let go. Just like a “Your whole life should be a perennial worship. That sculptor chisels away what does not belong to reveal the is the dynamic way of spiritual evolution, of spiritual beauty that has always been, life becomes an adventure of unfoldment, and highest experience.” removal of limitations. Mineness and egoism are at the root of all division or ideas of separateness. ~Courtesy of suryadevananda.org

Winter 2017 Integral Yoga Magazine | 9 S p i rLi itb u e a r l a t Hi ou n g e r An Interview with AllanBy Hunter,Swami SivanandaPh.D. by Sevika Radha Laura Douglass, Ph.D.

Allan Hunter oga is isa professora path of at liberation, Curry College and liberationand author has of Theto Pathhave of toSynchronicity, define and lay The out Six for Archetypes yourself because of Love, it is Stories your We Need begin to Know, in the Spiritual here and Hunger now of, ourand dailymany lives. other We inspirational path texts. and Heit is is your a renowned life—then lecturer, you have teacher, to take and responsibility therapist with a heartfelt have to belief liberate in theourselves power offrom writing, our own myth, self-made and the arts tofor enhance what youpersonal do. And growth. you Hemust is currentlytry your veryworking best onnot the to film,prisons. The These Wisdom are prisonsof the Heartof attachments,. In this interview, concepts he and discusses therepeat role of past spiritual mistakes, hunger even in ifNorth you occasionallyAmerican culture slip. If and you offers do suggestionshabits, and on the how compelling we can nourish forces ourof mechanical soul. reactions slip, forgive yourself but carry on. It is important to make and untested beliefs. a clear decision of will. If you can turn your stubbornness s a child I had an aversion to gym class. I was into properly directed willpower, you will be successful in Where areunable you imprisoned? to catch—or You hit—any may feel ball there thrown are areas, reaching your spiritual goal because perseverance is needed. such as your in workmy direction, situation, and where was you always didn’t the create last one the chosenprison—the for team eight-hour sports. Itworkday was only five years days later a week, that themy Spiritual liberation is not possible unless you lay a good, visiontough boss,problems, the lack which of recognition,had co the low salary, or solid foundation in your daily life— building character and whatever the situation is. But do you have to stay in that taking responsibility for yourself. Daydreaming will not prison? No. Sometimes it is your own lack of courage that lead to liberation. You can’t just think about it. You have keeps you prisoner. Many people feel comfortable in the to take action. You have to take your life very firmly into security they’ve created and yet are angry at themselves your own hands. for needing such security because it prevents them from trying something new. They also How can we become aware? Where may have spent whatever they’ve shall we begin? Again, we want earned, leaving no money to pay to be practical. Look into your for additional training or education. habits. Look into those mechanical Or they may have become lazy in reactions, things that you do over their thinking and blame life or and over again with little change. destiny for circumstances that they Keep a daily diary in which you themselves have created. write your reflections on your daily actions and become aware of how YAlways remember you are the doer, mechanical, almost robot-like you and you can undo. You have the can be. Observe how difficult it is power of choice, which is often not to drop your grudges and negative recognized. Take responsibility for thinking. Not only do we have to the choices you have made in your undo the selfishness from this life, life—for your job, your education, but we also have an accumulation Ayour marriage partner, your desire of karma from many lives. Life for spiritual life. The power of choice is the battleground of the Gita. is yours. You even have the power Wherever you are, you battle your to make changes if you discover that own selfishness, you battle your own your original choices did not meet many personality aspects and you your expectations. battle your illusions.

How can new decisions be made? First, get all of the facts As you work on yourself ask, Have I changed? What together about what you want to do. Generate options. have I accomplished in my attempts towards self-mastery? Pay attention to your emotional responses to the various When you begin to clearly see your self-made prisons possibilities because where your joy is the greatest, there and limitations, then you will slowly start to understand you will succeed—even if you think you have little to offer what the word “liberation” means. Usually we have or you have little capital to enter into any new business or a theoretical understanding. We intellectualize very professional venture. cleverly about all these things but haven’t necessarily accomplished anything. We learn by trial and error, and all great things in life have been achieved by trial and error. So we have to try. Your So we have to be clear. Tell yourself the truth about past mistakes are also not important. We have all made our yourself—that you are just starting out on the path. The mistakes. I have made my own, therefore I would never be liberation that you’re aiming for will come by degrees, and in a position to judge others. But what is it you want to so will meditation. Without the ability to concentrate, do now? Where do you want to go from here? If you step there is very little possibility of results. Making the mind onto the royal highway towards a spiritual goal—which you a blank is not meditation. Triggering yourself into a state

10 | Integral Yoga Magazine Winter 2017 of trance is not meditation. Meditation comes when the mind is calm, and that calmness comes only when you stop scheming to fulfill selfish desires.

There is no sudden miracle where all of your negative characteristics just drop away. It is a Western misconception that if you meditate eight hours a day like the yogis in India all your shortcomings will disappear. They won’t. We have to work on ourselves. God will not do it for us. No true teacher will do it for you. You must take responsibility for yourself. You are the doer of the wrong actions in the past, so you are also the one who can undo them.

It is my prayer that you all have the courage, the determination, and the persistence to undo your self-made prisons. Awareness is the key. Recognize the key. Find the door, put the key in the lock, and open the door. Courageously step into that new freedom. In his farewell address to me when I left India, Swami Sivananda said, “Don’t worry about the absolute and the ultimate. Selfless service alone will make you divine.” Allan Hunter, Ph.D. Selfless service means doing work without self-gratification, not just because you like it. You work without waiting for approval, without praise. You do the work that needs to be done simply because it needs to be done, putting high quality into your efforts and expecting nothing in return. Even my words imply it is difficult, but if you can do it you will grow very strong inwardly. Selfless service brings very good results.

You should not object even if you are taken for granted because if you sit down and look at your entire life, you’ll see how much you have taken for granted. If you had to pay a dollar for every time you took something for granted, you would owe a lot of dollars. In other words, there’s a lot to be repaid. Selfless service helps us repay Swami Sivananda garlands his new disciple whom he names “Radha.” our debts.

Besides making a living, everybody should do some kind One of the first Western disciples of Sri Swami Sivananda, of selfless service. There’s no limit to the opportunities. he initiated her into monkhood as, Swami Sivananda Radha Even if you are in an office from 9 to 5, when you hear in 1956. She was a pioneer in bringing Yoga to the West, the siren of a fire truck or an ambulance, you can think establishing the Yasodhara Ashram in Canada and later, Om Namah Sivaya or repeat the Lord’s Prayer—it doesn’t branches around the world. Swami Sivananda Radha is the really matter which—for anybody who is in danger and for author of 10 classic books on Yoga, including Kundalini Yoga whatever help they may need. It takes only a minute and for the West and Hatha Yoga: The Hidden Language. Her then you can continue your work. The problem is that we teachings focus on developing awareness and quality in life. are so wrapped up in ourselves that when we hear a siren For more information: www.yasodhara.org. we think, What a disturbing noise! But we have the power of choice. We can choose to send a blessing. Cultivating concern is a very important thing. It helps to counteract all This article has been adapted by Ascent magazine from a the criticism that we usually generate. talk given in 1974.

Winter 2017 Integral Yoga Magazine | 11 4 L o c k s , 4 K e y s : A S im p l e A p p r o a c h t o R e l a t i o n s hi p s By Beth Hinnen

hen I first studied Raja Yoga, or Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, in my Yoga Teacher The sutra (as translated by Reverend Jaganath Carrera) Training Class of 2001 at the Integral Yoga reads, “By cultivating attitudes of friendliness toward Institute, New York City, I clearly remember Swami the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the Ramananda saying something like, “First your mind virtuous, and equanimity toward the non-virtuous, the talked you into eating the ice cream, then it started mind-stuff retains its undisturbed calmness.” Here, saying you shouldn’t have eaten the ice cream (dramatic Patanjali is giving us attitudes to cultivate, not actions to pause)—how can you trust your mind?” I have been take. We focus on how our heart approaches a situation, asking myself that question ever since. not on what our mind says we should do.

Lucky for me, the Yoga Sutras give clear instructions Let’s look at cultivating friendliness toward the happy. on bypassing the mind, not getting caught up in its This one seems like a no-brainer. I am walking down whirlwinds of “do it; no, don’t do it; do it; ah, you the street and a fellow whistling and smiling comes shouldn’t have done that.” toward me. If I were in an undisturbed calmness of mind, I could keep that state, according to the sutra, by The Yoga Sutra’s aim is to help calm those whirlwinds, responding to such behavior with friendliness, which slow them way down so I can see, hear between the gaps might be a smile, nod, or even a hello. That seems for other options of action, options I like to think come simple enough. from life, Divine Consciousness, True Self. I became so enamored with the Sutras that I received Teacher However, what if the fellow’s happiness triggers a sense Training for them and taught several Raja Yoga classes of comparison in me, that I am not that happy, only to new Yoga Teacher Trainers in New York. Each calm. I can just hear the vrittis now, “What’s he so happy time, I was amazed at the wisdom, the simplicity, the about? Did he win some money? Get a big promotion? practicality, of the Sutras. What’s wrong with me?” It is easy to see how quickly the vrittis can spin a calm mind into a whirlwind of WOf course, the most well known Sutra is the second stories! And imagine if I meet this fellow and I don’t one, Yogas Chitta Vritti Nirodah, the restraint of the have a calm mind. modifications of the mind-stuff is Yoga. To me, this is the lynchpin around which all other sutras revolve. Instead, I’m thinking about a million things, including No matter what sutra we look at, it comes back to this how to get a very important report out by the end of the truth. We experience union, or Yoga, when the mind’s day. I’m worried and unhappy, invisible vrittis encircling whirlwinds calm down. me much like Pigpen’s dirt cloud in the Peanuts comic strip, saying, “you are a failure, you won’t get the project However, as Patanjali proceeds through the first pada, done, everything is going to blow up! And why is that or section of the Sutras, “On Contemplation,” there person so happy?” My mind could become even more arises what Swami Satchidananda called the “Four Locks, agitated seeing a happy person. Four Keys” sutra. Amidst the encouragement to practice devotion to God (Ishvara Pranidhana) followed by other However, if I heeded Patanjali’s words, trusted them devotional and contemplative practices, we find the Four and responded without thought, and felt friendly toward Locks, Four Keys, a practical-as-can-be sutra that gives this fellow, what might happen? A smile might break responses to four major types of behavior people exhibit. my agitated thought pattern, my body reading a signal of happiness, and suddenly, my mind might calm (or at The lock is a human behavior that can trigger whirlwinds; least there would be a break in the vrittis) and I am in a the key is what keeps the mind unlocked from the position to experience Yoga, or union, joining a fellow whirlwinds to experience Yoga. human in a happy feeling.

In this sutra, Patanjali isn’t talking about practicing Two exciting things come from the example above. First, contemplation, he’s offering a quick fix, an immediate this sutra can work both ways. We can keep a calm mind response to everyday situations, a simple approach to showing friendliness toward the happy, and, we can calm relationships. To keep our mind calm, we need only a whirlwind mind by doing the same thing! Second, practice the key that fits the lock. when we use it to calm our minds, it can happen

12 | Integral Yoga Magazine Winter 2017 instantly. It only takes a moment to drop the vrittis and experience Yoga.

Amid all the concentration guidance in the first pada of the Sutras, which can sometimes sound challenging, Patanjali gives us this chance to experience instant Yoga (or not fall out of it) simply by responding with a particular attitude to a particular behavior.

The second lock and key is cultivating compassion toward the sad. Again, this seems so straight forward. Yet, many of us have different definitions of compassion. To some it means to be “nice,” to others it might mean “tough love.”

Again, Patanjali doesn’t give us any guidance on action, only on attitude so it would be helpful here to explore what compassion means. According to Merriam-Webster, compassion is “a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.” Beth Hinnen

Pema Chodron has been know to define compassion as However, I have found being alongside someone who is “an armless mother watching her child fall into a raging sad, knowing I don’t have to change them, the situation, river.” Brene Brown suggests compassion is “allowing or fix anything allows me to experience compassion—I another to be vulnerable, exposed, loved, and accepted can relax and allow, let the person be vulnerable and all at the same time;” and also that, “compassion is a exposed while still loving and accepting them. We are relationship between equals. Only when we know our equals, and it feels natural, even easy, and from that, my own darkness well can we be present with the darkness mind clears and calms. I don’t have to do anything except of others.” be there, be compassion. And, as we saw before, it can work the other way. For me, compassion has a sense of suffering alongside, without having to do anything to fix the other person. Say I have been practicing the contemplations Patanjali And while this may sound contrary to the dictionary offered in the first pada; devotion to God, mantra definition, I don’t believe it is. I believe that suffering repetition, pranayama, and meditation, and from those alongside and allowing someone to have the very human I have a calm mind. Now I can be alongside another experiences of sadness, grief, trauma, and not push those person who feels depressed, anxious, lost, or hopeless emotions aside to feel better or get over them, can be the without my mind racing with vrittis, and I can hold space most healing, transformative, helpful action (or perhaps, for that person to experience very real, deep and human non-action) we can share. emotions without being judged.

However, I project that in our Western society, this may And with that calm mind, in the absence of vrittis, life or be one of the most challenging behaviors to exhibit, as Divine Consciousness can drop in (like an insight or an being sad seems to indicated being a loser. Typical vrittis intuition) an action that might be helpful; holding the might sound like, “Get over it! Ugh, how miserable this person’s hand, praying, singing and dancing, listening, person is. Why do I have to hear this?” Hardly anyone sitting in silence, asking how to help. Compassion can be wants to recall their own sad times to feel compassion expressed in unlimited ways. for someone else going through it. Mostly we want to drag that person out of sadness so we don’t have to The third lock/key is delight toward the virtuous. Again, acknowledge our own grief. this seems simple, especially when it comes to heroes

Winter 2017 Integral Yoga Magazine | 13 like Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, and Sri Swami And what I’ve discovered when I can keep a calm mind is Satchidananda. It becomes much more challenging that no matter what the behavior is, happy, sad, virtuous, when it hits closer to home. If my friend and I decide to non-virtuous, that behavior becomes information, not eat healthier, and my friend sticks to the commitment a judgment or a statement on who we are as humans. and I don’t, can I show delight toward my friend? It’s only the vrittis that want to come up with a story, Typical vrittis would most likely attack me and my judgment or critique about what happened. friend! “She’s a show-off, a goody-two-shoes. I’m lame, a loser, and fat.” For instance, if I say something to my spouse who instantly gives me a look that I have always interpreted Again, I turn to Merriam-Webster for a definition of the as severe disapproval, rather than going to a knee-jerk attitude ofs adelight: child I “recognitionhad an aversion with to joy; gym after class. (de-) I was reaction of anger I can choose to interpret that look light.” Lightunable shines to catch—orand we de-light! hit—any Patanjali ball thrown is offering as information. Something caused my spouse to have that by dropping in my direction,the vrittis andin each was alwaysof these the locks last andone that expression. Was it really what I said? By practicing chosenkeys we for can team resonate sports. with, It was experience, only years be, later True that Nature. my equanimity, I can calmly ask about the “look” and it visionI imagine problems, life, Divine which Consciousness had co delighting when my could easily be that while I was talking, my spouse had friend sticks to her commitment to eat healthy. And I can a moment of extreme pain from an old knee injury that choose to experience the same. And it all can happen in caused the expression! an instant! Which leads to another beautiful part of this sutra; I The more we explore this, the more it appears that don’t have to figure anything out. I need only respond the Four Keys: friendliness, compassion, delight, and how Patanjali suggests, show equanimity, even mind, equanimity (which we are getting to) could all be toward the “look” and keep my calmness at which point, included in the definition of True Nature. It could be I can ask for clarification. And if it is disapproval, that that Patanjali’s attitudes are simply discreet aspects of equanimity can allow for endless response options that experiencing Yoga. In this instance then, delighting in don’t include anger and may even lead to an openhearted my friend’s success could calm the vrittis and give me discussion that could benefit the relationship. the energy to recommit! In some ways, I see the keys continually unlocking the mind (or keeping it unlocked), In the end, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras are aimed at so that the mind gets out of the way for the next key to encouraging me, and all spiritual students, to experience work in a new situation! Yoga, Divine Consciousness, a calm mind. There is no quicker way for me to do that than to practice this sutra The last lock/key is equanimity toward the non-virtuous. and above all, to practice it toward myself. For what more In all my years of teaching, this one seems to cause the important relationship is there in my life, than the one I most head shakes and grumblings. “When someone have with myself? When I’m happy, I shall treat myself cuts me off in traffic (or on the way to the subway), with friendliness and not let vrittis try to shame me out AI’m supposed to smile and be nice?” In a word, yes. of feeling happy—same with sadness, virtuous, and non- Because Patanjali’s whole point of the Sutras is for you virtuous behaviors. to experience Yoga, union. It doesn’t comment on what other people are supposed to experience, be or do. Whatever I practice with others, I practice with myself, for I am as deserving as any other human being to be For me in particular, with respect to this part of the sutra, approached with friendliness, compassion, delight, and it doesn’t matter what someone else’s behavior is, I can equanimity. always maintain a calm, peaceful mind. It is important what I do, not what anyone else does. My well-being is not at the mercy of someone else; it is all up to me. Beth Hinnen began her Yoga teaching path with the Integral Yoga Teacher Training Program in 2001. And yet, when I look at Merriam-Webster’s definition of Afterward, she took the Intermediate, Advanced, Raja, equanimity: “awareness of mind; right disposition, even and Prenatal trainings. With over 1,000 hours in Yoga mind,” smiling and being nice, actions, are not part of it. certifications (including Structural Yoga Therapy), Beth Again, Patanjali wants us to cultivate a heartfelt attitude. taught in the New York City area for over 10 years, both privately and in classes. In 2013 she moved back to her Perhaps what strikes me most about this lock and key is native state, Colorado, to open a common-denominational to not make things worse, to not spiral down. Mostly I spiritual center named Samaya (“right timing” in want to maintain a calm mind in this situation, because Sanskrit) following Sri Swami Satchidananda’s teaching, out of all the “lock behaviors,” this one has the highest “Truth is one, paths are many.” She currently also likelihood of turning harmful. studies Buddhism.

14 | Integral Yoga Magazine Winter 2017 L e t t e r s f r o m t h e Y o g a M a s t e r s A New Book by Marion (Mugs) McConnell his intimate and insightful account of the Taken together, the rare correspondence and personal life of Dr. Harry (Hari) Dickman, referred to chronicles provide an unparalleled glimpse into the life by Swami Sivananda as “the Yogi of the West,” of a yogi, the development of Yoga in the West, and features more than fifty years of correspondence between the ways that spiritual wealth is disseminated across Dickman and well-known Yoga masters such as Swami generations.

Sivananda, Ramana Maharshi, Swami Satchidananda, Paramhansa Yogananda, and almost one hundred others. We are fortunate that Marion (Mugs) McConnell, Dickman’s student, has Ms. McConnell has created a brilliant and loving tribute to her teacher, who taken good care of Dr. founded the Latvian Yoga Society in the early 1930s and Dickman’s archives and later spread his knowledge in the U.S. with the blessings has provided us with of Paramhansa Yogananda. copies of some of the correspondence between Offering a broad range of information on Yoga history, Swami Satchidananda and theory, and techniques from a variety of different paths, Dr. Dickman, which we Letters from the Yoga Masters contains a treasure trove reprint here (along with of previously unavailable material and presents detailed a typed transcript of the teachings about pranayama, mudras, diet, and much handwritten letter from more, all interwoven with stories and personal anecdotes. 1954).

Allan Hunter, Ph.D. T Revered Self. OM Namah Sivanandaya. OM.

You’re very kind letter and the contents. Thanks very much.

First of all I am very eager to congratulate you for having been awarded the title, “Master of Hatha Yoga” by our beloved Gurudev. May you live long to train several more Masters for the world.

Now coming to the query about the flushing kriya. It may be done with lukewarm water once in a week.

The path of Yoga starts with the will power, proceeds with the same power which is made stronger and stronger while practising the eight fold path and ends in Kaivalya where the will power is transformed into or absorbed by the power of the Rasi Carole Nathan Purusha. Therefore we may assume that every practice in Raja Yoga cultivates will power. Particularly Prathyahara and Dharana improve the power.

Winter 2017 Integral Yoga Magazine | 1315 In Hatha Yoga, Pranayam practices increase will power to a very great extent.

Pratipaksha Bhavana may be practised as long as the mind takes the Bhavana easily and comfortably. When it gets tired it is better to stop that sitting. It is not advisable to wrestle with the mind. Hence the time depends upon one’s own nature & stage.

Regarding Sutra 41 of Ch I of Yoga sutra, I would like to advise you to go through the previous Sutra, No. 17 of Ch I. Swamy Vivekanandaji’s commentary on No. 17 and that of our Swamiji’s [Sivananda] on Nos. 41 & 42 will give you better light.

Meditation on the knower, knowable and knowledge at one time is not possible till the mind becomes pure like crystal. This meditation is only the result of the previous meditations given in sutra No. 17. One should practise meditation upon an external object to its perfection. Then it is almost easy to meditate on his own mental reactions about that object, i.e., to observe how it receives that idea of that particular object and what sort of modifications take place in the mind regarding that object. This will be meditation on the

knowledge. Then the meditation on the knower will be automatic.

Therefore please see the quality of your meditation on the known – external object and make it perfect. Then the others are easy.

Regarding my lectures on Raja Yoga, I regret very much to say that it is not possible as I am giving those lessons in the local language [Tamil] and there is no proper person to translate this in english. Some one or two are trying to do that but it may take time. When it gets ready by His Grace I will certainly send it.

Still, you please let me know the routine of yours as well as the same given to your students, if it is convenient.

Appreciating you for your intense desire and effort in the Path of Yoga and congratulating once again for having made yourself fit to receive the title “Master of Hatha Yoga” and wishing you all everything good in the Path of Yoga.

I am, Yours ever in OM, Satchidananda OM Shanti

16 | Integral Yoga Magazine Winter 2017 Winter 2017 Integral Yoga Magazine | 17 A C o nS vp ei rr si at t ui ao l n Hi nu nt gh ee r S p i r i t An Interview withWith Allan Swami Hunter, Satchidananda Ph.D. by Sevikaand Lex Laura Hixon Douglass, Ph.D. Armed with a generous heart, subtle mind, and a Ph.D. in comparative religion from Columbia, Lex Hixon, as host for WBAI’s Allanradio show,Hunter In is the a professorSpirit, was at Curryable to College interview and and author skillfully of The probe Path the of leading Synchronicity, spiritual Thelights Six of theArchetypes 1970s. Roughly of Love, 34 Stories (includingWe Need toSwami Know, Satchidananda, Spiritual Hunger Alan, andWatts, many Allen other Ginsberg, inspirational St. Teresa texts. of He Calcutta, is a renowned Swami lecturer,Muktananda, teacher, Ram and Dass) therapist of withthose ainterviews heartfelt beliefappear in for the the power first oftime writing, in print myth, in the and book, the artsConversations to enhance personalin the Spirit: growth. Lex He Hixon’s is currently WBAI working “In the on Spirit” the film,Interviews: The Wisdom A Chronicle of the of Heart the Seventies. In this interview, Spiritual Revolutionhe discusses .the Swami role of Satchidananda’s spiritual hunger 1975 in North interview American (one ofculture several and he offersgave suggestionsas a guest on on other how shows),we can isnourish reprinted our here.soul.

Swami Satchidananda:s a child I had Don’t an aversion forsake to your gym piece, class. even I was for a boy.” See? So you have a name and a form, a masculine the sake ofunable the whole to catch—or world. Peace hit—any is very ball important. thrown If you form, and a name, Jacob. But, unfortunately, the masculine lose your piece, in my even direction, if you’re and going was to always get the the whole last oneworld form and the name will go away again. But satchidananda chosenfor your for self, team you’re sports. not goingIt was toonly enjoy years it. It’slater something that my like will remain, Even when you get into powder form. visiona man problems,wanting to which buy a hadpainting co and the price he paid is his So the name and form change constantly. When you were own eyes. He paid his eyes as the price, and he bought the born, you were called the baby. Then you grow into a young painting—how is he going to appreciate it? boy, then a teenager, then a student. Then probably later Likewise, you pay your peace as a price and you get the on, you become a boyfriend. And then after some time you whole world. What are you going to do with that? Don’t become a hubby. You get all the different names. And after pawn your peace for anything. If you’re contented, if you hubby, you become a father, then a grandpa and a great- were peaceful, everybody will recognize that peace in you. grandpa, and an old, old man, and, ultimately, you become And they will love to be with you. Name, fame, success, a dead body. friends—everything will come to you. The common element is satchidananda, but it expresses So practice what is the God in us. Peace in us is the God itself on the worldly level with different names and forms. in us. Seek ye that kingdom first. And everything else will That is what you see. So, if you have the proper eyes, you be added unto it. It is exactly the same saying that you see can use the name and form for your convenience, but in the Bible that is given in the form of a proverb. Just be you will also go deep into the satchidananda and see the contented! Don’t run after things! oneness in everybody.

Lex Hixon: Thank you, Swami. There is something that I Lex Hixon: Why does the satchidananda express itself in am curious about, Swami, what is “Satchidananda?” name and form?

Swami Satchidananda: That’s a very good question! Because Swami Satchidananda: Well, if everything is going to be just many people think that there is a person by the name satchidananda, without a name and form, don’t you think Satchidananda, about 5 feet, 11 inches tall, long beard, and the whole world will be boring? We are all the same. You Athis and that. No! What you see is a composition of the just take a big piece of wood, maybe you even chop it into elements. You don’t see the satchidananda. But you can small pieces. But there is no fun, there’s no game. Only experience it. It’s a combination of three words: sat, chid, and when you carve it into a king, a queen, a pawn, a knight, a ananda. Sat means existence, or the truth the one that always castle, and a bishop, then you have a nice game of chess. is. Chid is the expression of that existence. And ananda is the bliss that you get out of it. So existence, knowledge, and bliss Lex Hixon: But why would satchidananda want to play is what we mean by satchidananda. It could be compared with games? the holy Trinity. The father exists always and he expresses himself as the son. So through the son, you know the father. Swami Satchidananda: Satchidananda must have been If he doesn’t express himself, you can’t know the father. simply satchidananda for a long time and got bored, and he So, satchidananda—when you know [your life as] that, just wanted to play a game, so he multiplied himself. That’s you get the bliss of it. It is everywhere, in everything. That is why, even the Bible said, “In the beginning there was only the common name for everything. See, we are all common God and nothing but God.” Probably God got bored and in satchidananda. I’m not talking about only human said, “Come on, let me multiply myself. Let me separate beings. Everything, even dust is satchidananda. There is, it myself into different names and forms, and let’s just have expresses as dust and brings some kind of joy. So everything fun.” So it’s the Lords play. It’s fun. is satchidananda. If you see everything as satchidananda, you have the vision of spirit. But on the worldly level, we are the Lex Hixon: Do you think you’ll ever get sick of this game? name and form. Swami Satchidananda: Well, probably. Sometimes we get If somebody asked you, who are you, you just don’t say, “ tired of it if we don’t play the game well. If we make a I am satchidananda.” The answer is, “Oh, I am Jacob. I am serious thing of defeat, then we get tired of it. Otherwise,

18 | Integral Yoga Magazine Winter 2017 Allan Hunter, Ph.D.

Carole Nathan

Winter 2017 Integral Yoga Magazine | 19 we always enjoy the game. See, we do! People play different many fights, because we lost the original truth. games. There’s no winner or loser. At the end of the game, they shake hands with each other, and then go have coffee Lex Hixon: Talking about going to the sea with buckets, is together. But in the worldly game, we don’t play that well. there any way to bring the sea back to your house without We take it seriously, and we fight. An enemy remains an using a bucket? enemy, and opponent remains an opponent. Swami Satchidananda: You cannot bring the sea into the Lex Hixon: Is there any reason to wish to be liberated from house. You can get into the sea and become the sea. Then this game? you are in the sea, not as a separate you, but as the sea. I get lost in the sea. I am no more separate. It is Swami Satchidananda: the only time will be when you get something like a drop [of water] wanting to know the tired of it. When you really feel caught in it, then you sit depth of the sea. As long as it’s outside the sea as a drop it back and think, “Why did I get caught? Ah, I forgot. That can never fathom the sea. And if it jumps into the sea to is all just for our enjoyment. And ultimately we are all one. see the depth it loses itself as a drop. It’s no more a drop, We just took different names and forms to play the game. but it has understood the depth of the sea by becoming the I forgot the common spirit behind everything. I gave too sea. We cannot understand something by staying outside much importance to the differences, which is the name and as a different entity. The real way to know something is to form, so now I am in a terrible state. So let me go down to become it. the deep root of it.” That’s why there is a very simple proverb in India, a That is when you become a religious person. Because, Tamil proverb. The meaning of it is, “a snake will know this what is religion? You are trying to bind your self back to the snake’s leg.” That means, only a snake will know how the original. The word “religion” [comes from the Latin verb other snake crawls. We cannot. We can theorize. But if you ligare, which] means “to go back” or “to bind back.” Just want to really know how a snake could crawl, you have to for the sake of fun, you have some names and forms, but become a snake. you forgot the satchidananda because it is not always there That’s why God knows God. A guru knows a guru. visibly. So you just catch the superficial things. Then when A thief knows a thief. It takes a thief to catch a thief; in you are tired of it, when you trying to go back, you are the same way, it takes a God to catch a God. If you are called a religious person. You are going back. You’re trying something different, there is no real understanding possible. to get reunion with your original self. You can get an idea. And that is the reason why the Bible says, “Who can see God? Blessed are the pure in heart. Lex Hixon: You mentioned that satchidananda is sort of like They shall see God.” Because God is pure, only when you the Christian Trinity. But Christians regard the Trinity as become that purity will you know God. So to know God is having a personhood apart from the world. Is there anything to become God. personal about satchidananda? Lex Hixon: But even if one has the best intentions and Swami Satchidananda: God is not personal. God is wakes up in the morning and says, “I’m going to know God unlimited. God is infinite. Everything that is infinite cannot today,” one finds it very difficult. be a person. You just name it, you’ve given a form to it, and then you miss the spirit of it. In Hinduism, it clearly says, Swami Satchidananda: That’s it. You are trying to know “He is nameless and formless.” Because we are limited, our with your limited mind. See? It’s not within the grasp of the thinking is finite. We cannot understand something infinite. mind. You have to understand it, know it without the help So for our convenience’s sake, we bring that infinite one to of the mind. Mind has its limitations. I must rise above my the finite state. mind. Or at least I must use a clean and pure mind, which is What if you wanted to bring a little sea to your house? almost similar to the God in you. How will you bring it? The Sea is infinite. If you want to And you should also listen with the same clarity. Then we bring it to your home, you will have to just bring it in a understand each other. So the best way to know ourselves bucket. So the bucket limits the sea and you say, “Hey, I is to keep our mind clean and crystal-clear. That’s the only have a bucket full of sea.” It’s a bucket of sea; It’s no more way. We don’t need to worry about God at all. God is the real sea. You have unlimited it. there always within, without, everywhere. It will just shine So do to our own limitations, we limit. Each mind has its by itself, if we could clean the mind. Something like, if own capacity and limitation. According to each mind, you you keep cleaning the surface of a wall—polish it—all of a perceive God in your own way. As there are so many minds, sudden you get the reflection. you see so many perceptions of God. But when we forget that originally God is nameless and formless, and because of Lex Hixon: Are there techniques to polish the mind? Or is it our limitations, we limit it, we forget the truth and then we just by this kind of thinking itself that the mind polishes itself? fight. We say, “My God is the real God.” Then you say the same thing to me. And for God’s sake, there is no ending to Swami Satchidananda: The direct away is just to analyze. the quarrel. That is why even in the name of God, we see so But not everyone is clever in doing that, so they have to

20 | Integral Yoga Magazine Winter 2017 slowly remove themselves from the binding definitions to other definitions, which will not ultimately bind them. So, instead of doing the wrong, undesirable thing, you do something right. You do some holy practices like your mantra, your japa, your prayers. But the truth is truth. You cannot even depend on your mantra and prayer. Then you are still not independent. You are not free. If you want to be free, you have to one day completely free yourself from the gurus, from Yoga practices, from everything. Just be alone. Be free. The scriptures talk about it clearly. By renouncing every thing you are going to achieve God or the immortal principle in you. Everything includes all your practices. But until we come to that level we still have to have some hold somewhere. That’s the reason why you do something useful for people. So from bad to good, from good to something neutral— that’s the process. Because, ultimately God is neutral. What is the core of God? The very central part of the word God, G-O-D? the center of God is O. What does O stand for? It could be of completeness, or it could be a zero. So God is a zero. God, have mercy on me. Sometimes I feel that I am insulting God or something. You knows I am telling the truth because God is neutral to everything. God is that big O. O is either full or empty or both extremes. God is complete—God is nothing.

Lex Hixon: What if someone heard your talk and was so impressed by this that they decided that they wouldn’t engage in any spiritual practices at all, but they would just A poster of Swami Satchidananda on the wall of the WBAI studio. go right to the zero? Lex Hixon: We’ve been talking on a high plane. Can you Swami Satchidananda: Fine, if they can do that, fine. If they give us a sense of some of the practices that one might adopt can go right to the zero, they are immediately enlightened. in this spirit? I hope there will be 1000 people, at least, like that. If they become zero, what happens? They become completely Swami Satchidananda: we should know first what ultimately neutral and it’s the neutral people that are going to be very is going to happen. We have to renounce everything and be useful for everybody because they are not taking sides. completely neutral. When we cannot do it right away, then Take, for example, a judge. He should be completely what is the next alternative? That means we will have some neutral. A politician should be completely neutral. Anybody practices. And that is where there are many names with the who wants to serve the world should be completely neutral. same aim; names such as prayer, meditation, mantra, japa, He cannot be prejudiced by anything. He cannot have chanting, and doing everything as service to humanity, anything as his own because if I say, “My country is in India,” which we call Karma Yoga. then I look at America at something different. I am limited to Karma Yoga is just serving humanity, serving everybody— my country, and I see that’s your country, that’s my country. the path of service. And Bhakti Yoga is the devotional path. If I am neutral, everything is mine and nothing is mine. You use your devotional aspect and perform services, puja or Then I serve everybody equally. I’m not prejudiced. I don’t worship, pray, repeat holy names, praise God. This is very see one man is different from the other man. I don’t have good. a friend or a foe. God is like that. God never distinguishes between people. God serves. God blesses both a thief and Lex Hixon: Thank you, Swami, for taking us to a high the policeman. Otherwise, why should the God allow the plane and then delivering us safely back to earth with the thief to get away with that thing? But the time will come reminder of the spiritual value of service to our fellow beings when policemen will catch the thief. God remains neutral. and praising God. God blesses everybody. God hates nobody. That kind of neutrality is very, very important. To judge people, to weigh Reprinted here from Conversations in the Spirit: Lex Hixon’s people, and to serve them equally, like a judge. Where do you WBAI “In the Spirit” Interviews: A Chronicle of the have justice? In the balance, is it not? The symbol of justice Seventies Spiritual Revolution by kind permission of Monkfish is a scale. In very many courts we see that. What is it? She is a Book Publishing Company, Rhinebeck, NY. Listen here to balanced woman. She never swings to the defendant’s side or Swami Satchidananda’s interview, as well as many of the other the offender’s side. She is neutral, impartial. God is like that. interviews conducted by Lex Hixon that appear in this book.

Winter 2017 Integral Yoga Magazine | 21 P r e t z eS lp iU rp i t W u ai lt h H Fua nmi g el ry Y o g a An Interview with AllanBy Hunter, Meryl Ph.D.Davids by Landau Sevika Laura Douglass, Ph.D. remember my first Yoga class as vividly as Allan Hunter if it wereis a professor weeks ago, at Curry instead College of more and thanauthor two of The Path of Synchronicity, The Six Archetypes of Love, Stories We Need decades. to Know, Actually, Spiritual what Hunger I recall, and is the many going other to inspirationaland texts. He is a renowned lecturer, teacher, and therapist withcoming a heartfelt from that belief first in class. the power Details of writing,of the session myth, itselfand the are arts to enhance personal growth. He is currently working on the film,a blur. The What Wisdom I easily of conjure the Heart is the. In tensionthis interview, in my shouldershe discusses the role of spiritual hunger in North American culture and offers suggestionsand stomach on ashow I raced we can to nourishthe gym our on soul. my lunch break during that particularly harried day, visions of papers piled on my office desk swirling in my mind. Cars honked and pedestrians nudged me as I navigated the frenzied New York City street crossings. Smog filled the air and vendors loudly hawked merchandise from the street corners, the cacophony further fraying my nerves.

When I entered the room in my gym where the Yoga class was held, I felt desperate for a little soothing. After a variety of stretching and strengthening movements and calming breathing, the class concluded with a progressive relaxation. I remember as I lay there during the silence envisioning myself lying on a puffy cloud in a placid sky. When the teacher signaled the end of the session by ringing a soft bell, I felt connected to my higher Self in a way I’d never experienced before. As I headed back to my office, the cars were still honking, people still jostling, smog still making it hard to breathe, vendors yelling just as loudly. But I felt removed, encased in a bubble of Itranquility that nothing could disturb. I went back to my stack of papers and finished the day with a sense of calm.

The class had been even more than I’d hoped for—and my expectations had been high. I had decided to try the Yoga because a few days earlier at the gym I had been pedaling away on my stationary exercise bicycle when the Yoga teacher walked by—or, I should say, floated by. She moved Then we had babies, and our beloved Yoga fell victim to like a gazelle; serenity personified. Although she was solidly time. Who can race off to classes, or even find the energy middle aged, she looked young and limber. What’s more, to do more than a pose or two in the bedroom before bed her inner peace radiated out like the glow from a soft light when you’re sleep deprived and exhausted? Once our kids bulb. I wanted what she was offering. got a little older, though, we decided we wanted to get it together enough to incorporate Yoga at least occasionally I found out during the next few months as I regularly took into our family’s routine. The best approached seemed to her wonderful classes that she was a student of Swami be to make Yoga a family affair. Satchidananda. When I finally got up the nerve to ask her for suggestions of books I might read to better understand Doing Yoga with young kids is obviously different than Yoga, I expected her to give me a book about the asanas. being in a room full of focused adults. But experiencing Instead, she handed me Swamiji’s classic, To Know Your Self. Yoga with your family offers its own rewards, with the The book opened up a whole new vista for me about the practice enhanced as you breathe and move with the ways Yoga impacts your life that goes well beyond the poses. people you love.

During the next few years, after I met my husband at a Children can begin to do Yoga at pretty much any age (after lecture given by Swamiji when he came to New York in their first months of life, once they gain control over their the 1980s, he and I took many classes at the Integral Yoga head and neck). It’s not that babies need Yoga—they are Institute (IYI) of New York. Eventually, we took teacher born naturally flexible—although gentle Yoga movements training and intermediate teacher training with Swamis can help flow energy (and gas!) through their little bodies. Asokananda, Ramananda, and Divyananda, and became It’s that baby Yoga, like that for older kids, is a terrific way Yoga instructors ourselves at the IYI. to strengthen the bond between parent and child.

22 | Integral Yoga Magazine Winter 2017 Kids who are preschool or grade-school age are ready to to all the others in the snake chain. Continue for several take full advantage. Most children naturally respond to the minutes. way many poses imitate animals, from lions and snakes to monkeys and crows. There’s a great DVD of Swamiji You may find that your child loses interest in the Yoga after leading a class of kids from Yogaville, Yoga for Children a few minutes, especially the first few times. What I learned with Swami Satchidananda, that really shows how easily from Swamiji and from his disciples during my teacher kids take to the asanas. training is that the main practice of Yoga is acceptance of what is—whether that’s your body’s inability to stretch When my daughter was young, she and I did many as far over your legs as you’d like or your children’s desire traditional Integral Yoga poses showcased in that video. to jump on your back if you continue your practice after But we also took our mini sessions one step further. they are finished. Sending out loving energy rather than Modeling our joint practice after “partner Yoga,” typically frustration during these situations is even more true to done with similarly sized adults, we adapted a few Yoga than doing a perfect scorpion or other challenging physically interconnected poses that we could do as a unit. pose. I am clear that while most people think Yoga is about Maybe you’d like to give our favorites a try: flexibility, it’s foremost about flexibility of mind, not body. Embrace whatever comes out of your family sessions. • Helpful camel: “Stand” on your knees facing one another and take hold of the other person’s hands. As you both We ended our family Yoga practice with pranayama, the inhale, arch your backs (bending in opposite directions), deep breathing further quieting the mind and connecting your faces looking up to the ceiling in your quest to us with our higher Selves. You can do this sitting cross- make camel humps. Breathing deeply, hold for as long as legged, back-to-back with your child, which is more likely comfortable, then gently pull each other up by the hands. to keep them interested in the practice. You can do the (Giggles at this stage are fine, and make the pose fun!) simple three-part breathing, where each of you takes a Repeat several times. long, slow inhalation through the nose, filling up the abdomen, then continuing to take in air to the mid-chest • Loving turtle: Sit facing one another, legs straddled wide, region and finally the upper chest. Exhale slowly in reverse your feet nearly touching your child’s. Both of you bend order before repeating several times. the knees slightly and bring the forearms from the front under the knees. Lower your head towards the ground. Now that my kids are in college and beyond, I am As you simultaneously inhale, each lift your head, neck, once again able to treasure my adult Yoga classes and upper back toward one another. Don’t be shy about unencumbered. But the time I spent sharing this practice making eye contact or even blowing kisses. After a few with my son and daughter were my favorite Yoga moments, return to your “shells.” Repeat several times. moments. After even a short session with my kids, I felt that same bubble of tranquility I had experienced after my • Adoring cat: Come on all fours, facing one another, knees first Yoga class in the gym—but now I had my precious under the hips and hands under the shoulders. Interlock children inside it with me. your “paws” with those of your child’s and flatten them on the floor. As you exhale, simultaneously round your Meryl Davids Landau is backs and tuck your chins towards the chest. Hold briefly. the author of the new book Next, simultaneously flatten your backs and bring your Enlightened Parenting: A heads level, gazing at one another and silently sending Mom Reflects on Living your love. Now, as you inhale, each continues raising their Spiritually With Kids. Her head upward and curving the back like a stretching cat. prior book, Downward Continue alternating rounding, flattening/gazing, and Dog, Upward Fog, is a curving several times. spiritual women’s novel with a Yoga theme. She’s • Resting snake: You can do this with your own children also an award-winning and even their friends. The first person (usually the adult) magazine writer, having lies on their back, legs extended and arms resting gently by been published in Parents, their side as in savasana. The next person puts their head Glamour, O: The Oprah on the first person’s abdomen, also assuming a relaxed Magazine, Redbook and position. Continue until all children have their head on many others. She blogs another person’s belly. The last child can put a favorite regularly on Huffington Post (find her blogs here.). Meryl stuffed animal or doll on their abdomen. Everyone closes and her husband Gary Landau are certified Integral Yoga their eyes, breathing deeply and raising the tummy as teachers living in South Florida, although they haven’t they inhale, lowering as they exhale, all the while sending taught in many years. This article was adapted, by Meryl, love through their belly to the person resting on it, and from her new book.

Winter 2017 Integral Yoga Magazine | 23 T h e T e a c hi n g s : A M a t t e r o f L if e a n d D e a t h By Karuna Scarola hen I became a disciple of Swami with every word and gesture. During one airport visit Satchidananda (Gurudev), many years ago, my there was a torrential rainstorm; planes were delayed, roads husband Dominick, got pulled along as well. flooded. I commented on the “terrible” rain to Gurudev. The spiritual name that Gurudev gave him, Sevaka, means His response? “It’s rain.” “the one who serves all,” which not surprisingly, captured the true essence of my husband. Sevaka came to Gurudev I remember our family visiting Yogaville shortly after the through me and for me. An open minded and adventurous events of 9/11. My older daughter had been at school in individual, Sevaka supported me in my spiritual quest. I New York City that day, and was one of the masses trying remember taking him to the Integral Yoga Institute (IYI) to get as far away from Manhattan as she could. We were of New York on Thirteenth Street one Saturday evening talking with Gurudev about the horrifying events we had for satsang back in the early 1980s. The sounds of Hari all witnessed that day. I was at first a bit shocked by his Om reverberated throughout the stairway as we climbed response, “It’s all a part of God’s play.” A second later, I to the satsang room. Sevaka, with his amazing and quirky got it! Nothing is “good” or “terrible,” it all is a part of the sense of humor looked at me, eyes raised, and said, “What cosmic plan. This important lesson stayed with me, and the heck did you get me into!?” would provide me with much support and understanding as the years unfolded. Into indeed! He loved Gurudev and respected him with all his heart, yet always kept a step away. He never called After Gurudev’s passing, going to Yogaville on Gurudev’s himself a disciple, never took initiation, and was not on Mahasamadhi anniversary became our custom. If I were board with all of Gurudev’s advice and teachings. Yet, dragging my feet about the long trip and the expense of it, Sevaka supported and encouraged me through the years Sevaka would encourage me and remind me that I would as I took Teacher Training, taught classes at the IYI, and regret not going. How right he was! I always returned home lived the yogic lifestyle. He loved our frequent trips to spiritually refreshed, and ever so grateful for my Guru and Yogaville, and never complained about the eight hours his gift of the LOTUS and the Yogaville community! drive with our two young children for Guru Poornima, Wwhich was how we spent our summer vacations. We both Sevaka connected with spirit through nature. His favorite agreed that having our children in Gurudev’s presence was spot in Yogaville was Kailash. He would sit there for long the most important place for them to be! stretches of time, mesmerized by the beauty and peace of the view from Kailash. He would look out at the LOTUS Sevaka’s path was one of service; we met when we were and Chidambaram or sit near the Nataraja Shrine and both working with emotionally disturbed children. Later watch the sunset, basking in the quiet and beauty. he became a respiratory therapist working at Bellevue Hospital, and later Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. He Sevaka retired from his work in 2013 and took on a loved his work, and was always going above and beyond new job of service that he loved: babysitting for his first for his patients and co-workers. He often spoke of grandchild, Saveria (Sadie) Jyoti. She was the light of his Yogaville and Gurudev with his friends and co-workers. eyes! He also volunteered for our local rescue squad. In Before Yoga and vegetarianism became mainstream, the summer of 2014 he began to experience some unusual he was often teased about his lifestyle. But, Sevaka was symptoms. He Googled them and thought he might have lighthearted about it and proud of his choices. ALS. His appointment with the doctor would not be for several weeks, but he was determined, more than ever, that As the years passed, Sevaka continued to support me in all we should make our yearly trip to Yogaville. He had much things, including my spiritual path. We attended many of faith and trust in Gurudev, and the healing energy of Gurudev’s satsangs in New York City. Sevaka was especially Yogaville. Not that he felt he would necessarily be “healed” impressed by Gurudev’s practical and humorous way of or spared a frightening diagnosis, but he knew it would viewing things. certainly help him on some level.

We would often sit with other disciples at the airport, As the next few months passed his symptoms worsened waiting with Gurudev for his flight. This close contact and that December he was diagnosed with ALS. We with Gurudev was a treasure beyond belief! I needed, and were devastated! Yet underneath this tremendous sadness, was blessed to have, Gurudev to illuminate the teachings. Gurudev’s words played in my head: “It’s all His name, it’s His constant examples of complete acceptance of every all His deed, it’s all His form and it’s all for good.” moment as it manifested, changed my entire perspective. Never ruffled, always at ease, here was another human—a After the initial shock, we both focused on the positive and charming, accessible person, emanating holiness and love remained hopeful that he could maintain at his current

24 | Integral Yoga Magazine Winter 2017 The Scarola family with Swami Satchidananda at the airport, 1980s. state of the disease. This was not the case, and the disease this period. The abiding faith that everything happens for progressed quickly and aggressively. In retrospect, I often our ultimate good, that the karmic plan is always in place, think this was the blessing Sevaka received. ALS is a disease helped me to remain strong and support Sevaka. that robs one of everything, except one’s mind. It exhausts the patient and caregivers emotionally and financially due Family, friends, and his former co-workers all came to see to the amount of care needed. Sevaka required help to Sevaka in those last few weeks. He was always laughing the point of even moving a finger. One becomes literally with them, never feeling sorry for himself even as he entombed in the body. Sevaka had worked with patients knew he would never see them again. He kept his sense of with this diagnosis and was well aware of what he was up humor to the end, and when I would massage his legs, just against. He confided in me that he was “terrified,” yet he days before he passed, he was concerned that my hands remained upbeat and gracious on the outside. We had some may be hurting. He cared for us all, despite the fact that of the best talks of our marriage during this period, and death was imminent. He knew from his work exactly what were so grateful for the life we had together. After all these was happening in his body. years of sitting at Gurudev’s feet, the teachings had become the fiber of my being. Gurudev’s example of acceptance and In the final days, as he lost his capacity to speak, he faith nourished my soul, and Sevaka’s as well. managed to mumble to me, “Be happy.” Sevaka didn’t realize it, but he was serving up to the end. My sister, Sevaka called himself an “agnostic.” He also was uncertain commenting on his bravery in accepting his fate, remarked, about an afterlife or reincarnation, and he did not have a “He is teaching us how to die.” deathbed conversion. I reminded him of Gurudev’s talks about death, and how he spoke of it as a natural part of Sevaka had always carried a picture of Gurudev in his life. Gurudev spoke of the body as being released, like a wallet. Now as he lay totally entombed in his body, he bird from its cage, able to move freely: “Death is a release asked for a picture of Gurudev to be placed near his bed from the body prison.” I encouraged Sevaka in the thought where he could see it. He trusted in the power of Gurudev that he was going to a better place, free of the prison his and of the mantra. The Shiva-Shakti mantra played body had become. Despite his fear, Sevaka and I looked continuously the final day of his life. As Sevaka took his forward to his passing as a release from this torturous last breath, the mantra was playing, I was at his side and I illness. Sevaka told a visitor that Gurudev’s teachings, had no doubt that Gurudev was with us carrying Sevaka shared through me, helped him enormously to get through on his journey.

Winter 2017 Integral Yoga Magazine | 25 L o s t M a s t e r s : R ediscovering t h e M y s t i c i s m o f t h e A n c i e n t G r e e k P h i l o s o p h e r s By Linda Johnsen

shrams in Europe twenty-five hundred years ago? Greek philosophers studying in India? Meditation classes in ancient Rome? It sounds unbelievable, but it’s historically true. Alexander the Great had an Indian Guru. Pythagoras, Empedocles, and Plotinus all encouraged their students to meditate. Apollonius, the most famous Western sage of the first century C.E., visited both India and Egypt—and claimed that Egyptian wisdom was rooted in India.

In Lost Masters, author Linda Johnsen, digging deep into classical sources, uncovers evidence of astonishing similarities between some of the ancient Western world’s greatest thinkers and India’s yogis, including a belief in karma and reincarnation.

Today ancient Greek philosophers are remembered as the founders of Western science and civilization. We’ve forgotten that for over a thousand years they were revered as sages, masters of spiritual wisdom. Lost Masters is an exploration of our long-lost Western spiritual heritage and the surprising insights it can offer us today.

Alexander the Great Meets His Guru Though Aristotle was Alexander’s teacher, the Indian yogi AKalyana was his Guru. It’s a remarkable story recorded by Plutarch, Strabo, and other ancient Greek writers.

Alexander’s effort to conquer India was a total failure—his first. Yet it was here that Alexander met several of India’s legendary sadhus—ascetic yogis who devote their lives to the exploration of consciousness and its energies. Aristotle had taught him about the external world, and he had set out to conquer it. These yogis, who so astounded the long as he himself is subject to the King of Greeks, had mastered the inner world. Another world Death? And what can he offer me when my to conquer! Alexander, like many travelers to India even mother the Earth already provides everything today, was looking for a Guru. I need? I have no possessions I need to guard, so I sleep peacefully at night. We’re told Alexander’s men soon met a yogi they called Dadamis—probably a Danda Swami, a Hindu ascetic who “Alexander can kill my body, but he can’t owns nothing but a danda or walking stick. Hoping to learn touch my soul. Tell your king that at the time his doctrines, Alexander sent an emissary with this message: of death each of us is called to account for our “Alexander, son of Zeus and sovereign of the entire earth, deeds. Ask him how he’s going to explain the commands you to come at once. If he is pleased with you, agony of those he has murdered and oppressed. you will be richly rewarded. If not, you will die.” He can tempt those who crave gold, he can terrify those who fear death, but we yogis care “There is only one supreme king,” Danda for neither. Tell your Alexander he has nothing answered calmly, “the one who created light I want, and I will not come to him.” and life. This is the only king I obey, and he abhors war. When Alexander heard this reply, he exclaimed, “I conquered the world, but this naked old man has “How can this Alexander be supreme ruler as conquered me!”

26 | Integral Yoga Magazine Winter 2017 I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion. There is nothing impossible to him who will try. I am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher for living well. —Alexander the Great (photo: right)

By suspending judgment, by confining oneself to phenomena or objects as they appear, and by asserting nothing definite as to how they really are, one can escape the perplexities of life and attain an imperturbable peace of mind. —Pyrrho (photo: left)

Alexander also tried approaching a yogi the Greeks called do; one has to live it. A true philosopher is at peace with Kalanos (probably Kalyana in Sanskrit) but the elderly himself and the universe, unaffected by the conditions sadhu would have nothing to do with him. “Strip naked of his life and the events around him, like the yogis who or I won’t say a word to you, not even if God sent you never surrendered their state of tranquility. . . himself!” Kalyana commanded. No doubt he hoped to teach the arrogant young ruler a little humility. Perhaps The real truth, [Pyrrho] explained, is beyond the reach he was also hinting at the level of renunciation required of rational inquiry. Therefore it is best not to lose oneself for real spiritual growth—that one must strip off one’s in logical analysis, but rather to cultivate a state of inner outer identity in order to experience the true Self within. peace, free from craving and attachment. Luckily for Alexander, one of Kalyana’s disciples persuaded the aged master that it might be a good thing for the There is a well-known story that one day Pyrrho was world that a great emperor like Alexander came to India attacked by a wild dog and involuntarily leapt back seeking spiritual wisdom. So Kalyana agreed to accompany in fear. He ruefully admitted that maintaining perfect Alexander back to Greece as his Guru. tranquility—as Danda had done before Alexander’s soldiers and Kalyana had done in the funeral pyre—wasn’t We don’t know the details of Alexander’s discipleship, but so easy. Nevertheless, Pyrrho’s example of an ethical yet he probably made a poor student. The young conqueror serene and nonattached lifestyle had a significant impact was a raging alcoholic, uncontrollably addicted to power in Greece. The tradition Pyrrho founded endured in the and its perks. By the time the retreating army reached Western world for centuries. the province of Persis (today’s Fars in Iran), Kalyana had had enough. He announced he was leaving his body. He Excerpted from the book Lost Masters. Copyright ©2006, gave away the numerous gifts Alexander had lavished on 2016. Reprinted with permission from New World him, and ordered the Greeks to build him a pyre. Then, Library. www.NewWorldLibrary.com chanting mantras and wearing only a garland of flowers, Kalyana stepped into the flames. To the Greeks’ complete Linda Johnsen, author of astonishment, he showed no sign of discomfort as the fire Lost Masters is a long- consumed his body. Alexander could not control him; to time student of religious the very last moment, Kalyana was a total master of himself. philosophy. She holds degrees in Eastern and Stories like these of the wisdom, renunciation, and Western psychology, and has unshakable equanimity of the yogis electrified the Greeks, post-graduate training in who carried tales of the extraordinary wise men of India theology and Sanskrit. She is back to their homeland. the award-winning author of eight books on spirituality Some of the Greeks who accompanied Alexander to India including Daughters of apparently decided to become yogis themselves. The most the Goddess: The Women famous of these was Pyrrho of Elis, who lived in India for Saints of India, and The a year and a half. Returning to Greece, Pyrrho taught that Complete Idiot’s Guide it’s not enough to talk philosophy as the Greeks so loved to to Hinduism.

Winter 2017 Integral Yoga Magazine | 27 T h e I n n e r a n d O u t e r G u r u By Amanda Hayden s I hiked the trail toward the Light Of Truth head. A little dizzy, I made my way off the stage, feeling like Universal Shrine, the unusual sound of a I had just been zapped. motor vehicle rumbled through the woods. As I emerged into the clearing, a russet grandfather’s face turned After I went back home, I continued to practice Yoga toward me through the rolled down window. His enormous religiously and get additional trainings, pursue my study in palm lifted near his long, gray beard, his slender fingers the Yoga Sutras, teach, participate in kirtans and eventually extraordinarily long. He waved at me enthusiastically and learn the harmonium. Almost exactly a year after my smiled, then honked the horn, beep beep. It was…Swami Ashram stay and teacher certification, Swami Satchidananda Satchidananda (Gurudev). went into Mahasamadhi while in his homeland of India. In my mind, I could picture the Ashram devotees walking I was in my early twenties and I loved Yoga with a youthful, around, tears streaming down their faces, hugging each unbridled passion. But until coming to Yogaville, I had other in solace, having prayer and meditation circles for his not thought too much about Gurus. Literally a “dispeller of journey to the other side. I had some reflection that day on darkness,” the Guru shines a kind of spiritual flashlight into the enigma that Gurudev was to me and the mixed emotions the darkness of one’s emotional world. All I knew was that I was feeling, some of which were that now maybe it was too he was a bearded Indian man who wore orange robes and late to truly embrace him as everyone else at the Ashram did. had led the people at Woodstock to chant “OM.” This was, of course, very cool to me at 23. However, I would soon see One afternoon soon after, in a spring cleaning feng shui there was much more to Sri Gurudev and that he was a very attack, I came across a slim copy of Kailash Journal, a highly venerated figure. Every room had portraits of him, his diary Gurudev kept of his pilgrimage to the sacred Mt. face wise and serious. The teachers spoke of him constantly, Kailash in Tibet. I picked it up and read it ferociously, their face aglow whenever his name was invoked. immersing myself in his treacherous eight hundred mile journey (on foot!) to this sacred site, revered by Hindus A few days into my teacher training, after cleaning the hall and Buddhists pilgrims. Reading his reflections of his from ceiling to floor, we gathered for our first meeting extraordinary pilgrimage, the tremendous physical exertion, Awith Gurudev. He walked slowly into the room clad in his his vulnerability and strength against the elements, and signature orange robes and long beard and sat on a large the sacred experience that was both his journey and wicker chair at the front of the room as our Hatha teacher, destination—this was my first real connection with him, Satya, gave him a small glass of tea. He gave a brief talk, through our mutual love of travel and pilgrimage. his voice calm and steady, speaking of meditation and how we must see ourselves clearly if we are going to have peace. I began bringing this book to my Eastern religions class After his talk, he bowed in Namaste and left a room full I teach at a local college campus, sharing it during our of beaming smiles. I didn’t know if it was all the smiling, section on pilgrimage and Hindu ritual. I read passages to Gurudev’s presence, or the fact that the space was so darn my students, finding myself excited to share his journey to clean, but I had to admit, the room felt really good. We all Kailash with them. They would ask questions about him took our time standing up, wanting to absorb this feeling as and I was enthusiastic in telling them everything I knew. long as we could. That’s when I realized there was so much more I didn’t know about him, so I began reading more and more, curious Throughout my month long immersion at Yogaville, I was about his life and his Yoga practice. soaking in all I was learning about Yoga. It was so much more than just what we did on the mat and I found my When I went to India, I made a pilgrimage to the Sivananda strongest passion was in Yoga philosophy (Vedanta) and Ashram in Rishikesh, where Gurudev had studied in his kirtan (chanting). All the while, I kept thinking about Sri early 30s, and found it was my favorite place to experience Gurudev and the role he played in all of this, still not quite Yoga in all of India! It was as if I could feel the presence of sure how to reconcile my Western skepticism with the the youthful Gurudev there among the Sivananda grounds, Eastern emphasis on the Guru. the marble temple, the meditation halls, and the scampering monkeys, encouraging me in my practice and also chuckling During our graduation ceremony as we received our at me while I swatted at the Volkswagen-sized mosquitoes diplomas, each of us had a moment to bow or kneel in front that tried to distract me. of Gurudev. When it was my turn, I made my way onto the stage, accepting my certificate. I bowed toward him and said A few years later, there was a very dark time I went through a simple gratitude in my mind, Thank you for your teachings. with a loved one. There were many hopeless days and nights As I stood back up, we locked eyes for a moment. I instantly of despair. On one of these in particular, I had a dream felt a rush of energy shoot up my spine into the top of my that I was sitting on a rock ledge over a waterfall. Hundreds

28 | Integral Yoga Magazine Winter 2017 of huge boulders filtered the rushing stream. As I sat on my Yoga altar, he stands along with many other images, the ledge, I was overcome with feelings of sadness and including Ganesh, Jesus, Buddha, Shiva Rea, Kwan Yin, my helplessness. In frustration, I began sobbing uncontrollably. great-grandmother, etc. The picture I chose is the black and Then, I felt a leathered hand on mine and long fingers white image of Gurudev on his Kailash pilgrimage. In it, gently curled around my own. I looked up and Gurudev was he stands at ease, holding a long walking stick that mirrors sitting next to me, his orange robes flapping in the wind and his lean, lanky, stretched body. His beard is unruly and still mist. He smiled at me sweetly, so beatifically and genuinely, dark in its youth, his turban is wrapped snugly around the it made me giggle in the middle of my sobs. He bobbled his crown of his head and his hip sunglasses shield him from head back and forth and said, “Let’s jump” and then looked the bright sun high in the Himalayas. He stands with an down at the rocky water. I looked at him, eyes wide, “What? ease and satisfaction, his face content, looking out over the We can’t jump down there!” He smiled again, “Trust me.” beauty of the trail. He pointed at my heart, “Trust yourself.” He squeezed my hand. I closed my eyes and then felt the sensation of falling, It is my absolute favorite picture of him—not only because his hand still wrapped around my own. I awoke before we Gurus in sunglasses make me smile—but because it landed. reminds me that like him, I am a pilgrim too. Much like with our own grandparents, our youth comes at the most I was surprised at how moved I was by his presence in my inopportune time—it is often only years later that many of dream. How real it felt. How real the feelings of comfort us appreciate what these story keepers have to offer, their and solace I felt, in a time when I needed it desperately. libraries of history and family tradition. I wondered, Was it really him? Or perhaps he symbolized the Sat Guru—the Guru within us all—and that we Though Swami Satchidananda is “gone,” he is more present have the wisdom and strength ourselves to overcome any to me now than he was 13 years ago at the Ashram when he obstacles. This dream was a game changer in my Yoga was in body, just a few feet from me. My Guru is the one practice. Now, Sri Gurudev was on my mind and more than who takes my hand when I need it, the one whose voice I that, was in my heart. hear when I chant, the one who explains the Yoga Sutras to me in a way that I understand and can relate to my own I remember toward the end of our training at the Ashram, students, the one who spent a childhood eating idli and dosa a fellow teacher trainee named Tori had said to me, “You in Southern India, running around on knotty knees and know, I’ve struggled so much with this Guru stuff too. bony feet. My Guru is the rugged backpacker and pilgrim, But, I’ll tell you what . . .” she paused and shook her head, the Woodstock Guru, the “Om” leader, the adorable driver, “When I’m in my room, I can’t do Yoga without facing his the devotee of Sivananda, and the one who opened the door picture. I just can’t bring myself to do my Sun Salutations to a deeper sadhana. with my back to him.” Sri Gurudev taught me that the Guru is within. And Over a decade later, I’ve come to find those words ringing perhaps this Guru is just as real and powerful as any “living” true for me as well. I cannot turn my back on him. On one.

Winter 2017 Integral Yoga Magazine | 29 F r o m B e hi n d P r i s o n B a r s : An Easter Reflection on the Cross and Criminal Justice By Jens Soering he New Testament tells us that when God However, the Cross also illustrates perfectly the human sin chose to take on human flesh, he did not become for which the Son of God died in expiation. At the Last a priest or a monk, a king or a general, a poet or Supper, he told his disciples that “this is to fulfill what a philosopher. Instead, he became a death row prisoner, is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason’” a condemned criminal executed alongside two thieves. (John 15:25; Psalms 35:19, 69:4). The “this” to which

Yet we somehow manage to overlook this central fact of Christ referred here was “persecute [ion by] the world”: the Christian faith. When we think of Jesus, we think of his imminent trial, conviction, sentencing, and execution the beautiful baby in Mary’s arms, the miracle worker, (John 15:20, 18). Because “they have hated … me,” the eloquent preacher, or the resurrected Son sitting on Jesus’ opponents deliberately put him to death as part of a a cloud next to his Father. Christ is indeed all of these— judicial proceeding and thus stand “guilty of sin [and] have but he saved his believers by submitting himself to capital no excuse for their sin” (John 15:22). punishment as a convicted felon. His most important work was to die as a common criminal. So perhaps we can complete the apostle John’s thought in his above-quoted letter by saying, “This is how we know Of course we know that Jesus broke neither God’s nor what sin is: hating Jesus Christ enough to execute him. And man’s law, but mere innocence is no protection against we ought to refrain from doing the same to our brothers.” the vagaries of human justice. Christ was tried by a That is a provocative restatement of the meaning of the properly authorized court, made a prisoner just like any Cross, of course. To see Christ’s self-sacrificial death as the other sentenced defendant, and put to death as part ultimate expression of love is comfortable and familiar— of a random group of three outlaws. “If he were not a though not especially challenging, since none of us really criminal, … we would not have handed him over to expect to have to give our own lives for our brothers. you,” the Sanhedrin told Pontius Pilate (John 18:30). And, indeed, having his Son classed as a felon was part But to see Jesus’ execution as the sum and substance of of God’s plan, as Christ explained at the Last Supper: evil is strange and unsettling, since it calls into question “It is written, ‘And he was numbered with the our own criminal justice system. For how can we justify Ttransgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled using police and court procedures today that are virtually in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its identical to those used to prosecute Christ 2,000 years ago? fulfillment” (Luke 22.37; Isa. 53:12). In our own, supposedly more civilized age, the authorities still hire undercover informants—just like Judas. Tactical Moreover, becoming a convict was not merely a role that squads still go out at night to make arrests—just like the Jesus assumed like a divine play-actor, as though he were soldiers at Gethsemane. And under certain circumstances, not “really” a prisoner. In the parable of the sheep and the interrogators still slap suspects around to obtain goats, he said explicitly, “I was in prison and you came to confessions—just like the Sanhedrin. visit me. . . . [W]hatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matt. 25:36, 40). All of us still enjoy a nice, spectacular, high profile trial— Just as Christ became a full, true human being at birth, he just like the crowd outside Pilate’s palace. Judges are still became a full, true jailbird at death. sometimes swayed by public opinion to find defendants guilty despite their own doubts—just like Pilate. Appeal For the earliest Christians, becoming a prisoner was courts still tend to uphold a trial court’s verdict even nothing to be ashamed of. “Whoever serves me must when there are procedural errors—just like Herod, who follow me,” their master told them, and virtually all the refused to overturn Pilate’s decision. Unfortunately, some apostles did time behind bars and were eventually executed prison guards still humiliate and abuse convicts—just by the state—just like Jesus. In the Roman amphitheaters like the soldiers who had charge of Jesus. And in some thousands of 1st- and 2nd-century believers died as cases, we still cheer when the death penalty is imposed criminals, members of an illegal revolutionary movement. on an especially heinous criminal—just like the rabble at Perhaps those early followers of the Way accepted a Golgotha. convict’s death so readily because they had a deeper insight into the full meaning of the Cross than we do today. Are we supposed to believe it was wrong to do all this to Of course, all Christians then and now understand that, Jesus, but right to do it to the two thieves, “one on his through the crucifixion, Christ revealed the self-sacrificial right, the other on his left” (Luke 23:33)? Or is it possible nature of divine love: “For God so loved the world that he that God wants to teach us, through the Cross, that we gave his one and only son” (John 3:16). should not do such things to any of his children? Christ

30 | Integral Yoga Magazine Winter 2017 himself answers those questions directly and explicitly in the Gospels:

• At the very beginning of his public ministry, immediately after his temptation in the desert by the devil, Jesus went to the synagogue in Nazareth and laid out a detailed campaign platform for his mission: “to preach good news to the poor, … to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, [and] to release the oppressed” (Luke 4:18).

• “Freedom for the prisoners” apparently referred not only to metaphorical prisoners of sin, but to a literal convict jailed for assault: the Gerasene demoniac, who “had often been chained hand and foot” but was now freed by Christ from the improvised jail in the town cemetery (Mark 5:4; cf. Matt. 8:28).

• When confronted with an ordinary criminal found guilty of a capital offense—the woman caught in adultery— God’s Son did not hesitate to intervene and released her from death row (John 8:1-11). as his missionary “in the Decapolis” (Mark 5:20)? Do we actively oppose the death penalty and other excessively • Perhaps in reaction to incidents like these, Jesus evinced punitive sentences, such as mandatory minimums and a low opinion of man’s justice: his parable of the persistent “three strikes, you’re out”—the way Jesus did with the widow featured an “unjust judge,” and he advised his woman caught in adultery? Are we working to reform a disciples to “settle matters quickly with your adversary” on court system that sends African-American men to jail at the way to court because human judges must be assumed seven times the rate of Caucasian men—the way God’s to be merciless (Luke 18:6; Matt. 5:25-26). Son spoke out against the “unjust judges” of his own time?

• In the parable of the sheep and the goats, mentioned Have we joined the “sheep” who visit prisoners, or are we earlier, Christ explicitly threatens us with the “eternal fire still “goats” who fail to recognize the Lord’s face even in prepared for the devil” if we fail to recognize his face in the those difficult, broken, angry people behind bars? Do we faces of “the least of these brothers of mine … in prison” approach any of these issues as a parakleitos —a defense (Matt. 25:41-45). lawyer—or as a satanos —a prosecutor? If we conduct a weekly 12-step program at a local jail and have a success • Perhaps most significantly, the Son of God described rate of “only” 50 percent—just as Jesus saved “only” the Holy Spirit as a defense lawyer (parakleitos in Greek, one of the two thieves—is that cause for joy, or too little advocatus in Latin) who protects us from an accuser or reward for our precious time? adversary (satanos in Greek) (John 14:16, 25-26, 15:26, and 16:7-15). How are we living out the Easter message—the message of the convict Christ? • During his final moments on earth, knowing he was about to die, Jesus did not utter a few last words of Jens Soering is a prize- wisdom to his disciples or cure one last leper, but instead winning author of nine ministered to the two common crooks on the crosses next books who has been unjustly to his—and succeeded in saving one (Luke 23:38-43). imprisoned since 1986. In 2016, new DNA evidence Those final actions of Jesus are the most eloquent answer came to light that conclusively to our earlier question, whether the Cross is meant to proves his innocence. tell us something specific about sin and criminal justice. Satchidananda Prison The very first person whom God’s Son took “with me Project has been supporting [to] paradise” was a convicted thief (Luke 23:43). Just his petition for an absolute a coincidence? And if it was not a coincidence, how are pardon, which is currently we answering the challenge of the Cross in concrete, pending with Virginia practical ways today? Do we hire ex-prisoners in our own Governor Terry McAuliffe. businesses—the way Christ hired the Gerasene demoniac www.jenssoering.com.

Winter 2017 Integral Yoga Magazine | 31 R e di s c o v e r i n g t h e C o s mi c M u s i c o f M y L if e By Carol Bodhini Mahan ver the course of the last several years I was introduced to Integral Yoga and eventually took a Raja Yoga course followed by Yoga Teacher Training. I learned about chanting and mantras in my Yoga classes and then through the process of Raja and

Yoga Teacher training I learned much more about the history of chanting, the meanings behind the chants, and meanings of a lot of Sanskrit words used in Yoga.

I have been listening to a lot of music from various decades and realized that some of my favorite songs that I remember from childhood actually have some mantras and chanting in them. Before I learned about chanting I never knew what I was singing. It is interesting now to come across these songs and know what they mean. Singing them now is a completely different experience for me.

One of these songs is by George Harrison and is called “My Sweet Lord.” I remember singing: My sweet Lord (hallelujah) Hm, my Lord (hallelujah) My sweet Lord (hallelujah)

Then I realized that the song included these lyrics: My, my, my Lord (Hare Krishna) OMy sweet Lord (Hare Krishna) My sweet Lord (Krishna Krishna) Carol Mahan My Lord (Hare Hare) Hm, hm (Gurur Brahma) When I began my journey of taking Yoga Teacher Hm, hm (Gurur Vishnu) Training and Raja Yoga I learned about pratipaksha Hm, hm (Gurur Devo) bhavanam, which is the practice of cultivating the opposite Hm, hm (Maheshvara) and so on. . . of something negative. The mantra John and Paul added means “glory to the shining remover of darkness.” It is so As a child of the 70’s, I never realized when I was singing amazing to me that I stumbled over these words repeatedly Hare Krishna that I was asking God to remove my sorrow as a child. Now I can sing this song and know exactly what and pain and to give me joy and bliss. It was simply a the intention is and can use it to help me chant my way catchy tune that I loved to sing over and over. No wonder out of a bad mood when needed. I loved that song so much! There are many more mainstream songs that include I remember singing the song “Across the Universe” by the mantras and other chants, as I found out while doing some Beatles and I think back now that I did not know all the research on this topic including, but definitely not limited words, but sang along as best I could. It turns out this song to, Madonna, Boy George, Sting, and the list goes on. I was inspired by a fairly negative experience John Lennon invite anyone and everyone to do their own research to had with his then-wife Cynthia. One evening she was find other songs like this that we have been singing over ranting on incessantly about something and long after she the years that have wonderfully positive and healing effects moved on and went to sleep, John allowed those words to on our lives. run around in his mind causing him a lot of anxiety and he was not able to sleep. He started to formulate the first few Carol Bodhini Mahan is a native of Richmond, Virginia. She lines of the song more as a distraction from the thoughts of completed the 200 hours of Integral Yoga Teacher Training in this situation frustrating him. As he and Paul McCartney 2016 at the Integral Yoga Center of Richmond. She teaches a collaborated on the rest of the words, they decided to add class called “Yoga is for EveryBODY,” which focuses on those the mantra “Jai Guru Deva Om.” John Lennon mentioned individuals who may not know that Yoga is, in fact, for every in an interview that he wanted to add the mantra as a way shape, size and age. She is also participating in the current to turn it into a cosmic song rather than an irritated song. teacher training program at the IYC as a mentor.

32 | Integral Yoga Magazine Winter 2017 I n t e g r a l Y o g a T h e r a p y : A P r o g r e s s R e p o r t

Yoga Therapy Certification Integral Yoga Therapy Clinic (IYTC)

In 2012, the International Association Inspired by the New York IYI’s Wellness of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) Board first Spa, the San Francisco IYI just opened approved the Educational Standards the IYTC. Rev. Jivana explained that, for the Training of Yoga Therapists. “We have these great Yoga therapists In 2014, the first Yoga Therapy who have just been certified through schools were accredited. Updates were IAYT’s grandfathering program and we made to the Standards in 2016 after wanted them to be able to offer services receiving input from many member thru the IYI. So, we opened the IYTC schools, including Integral Yoga to offer one-on-one private sessions for International. The draft standards our current student base who have issues were twice presented to IAYT that can’t be addressed in a general Yoga Member Schools and practitioners and class.” Rev. Jivana gave an example of a the practitioner community in order student who has advanced arthritis and to ensure that the final set of standards would be widely is unable to go a regular drop in class and practice in a way acceptable and allow for a diversity of Yoga philosophies that feels comfortable. Now, they can go to the IYTC and and training approaches. get tips on how to practice that they can bring into a class. They can work with a therapist for few sessions to learn a As of September 2016, some of the Integral Yoga home routine or they can continue with the therapist. Other teachers who had applied for certification under the candidates for IYTC services include seniors, people with IAYT grandfathering policy began receiving their Yoga an injury, with MS, Parkinson’s, and any other physical therapy certificates. In early 2017, Integral Yoga applied challenges. IYTC will also serve those with emotional to IAYT for accreditation for a new 800-hour Integral challenges—like PTSD and other anxiety disorders—who Yoga Therapy (IYT) certification program that, when want to delve into spiritual practices as a way to deal with approved, will launch in early 2018. This program those challenges. was developed by the IYT governing board, which includes: Lakshmi Sutter, Rev. Jivana Heyman, Swami Rev. Jivana emphasized that, “Empowering students Ramananda, Chandra Sgammato, Swami Sarvaananda, to do the practices on their own is the goal of Integral and Ram Wiener. Yoga Therapy. It’s about using the Yoga practices and applying them in a specific way, based on a student’s Part of the application to IAYT is a proposal to create the particular ability. What’s great about IYT is that we have IYT certification program as an international program— all the branches of Yoga at our disposal. What makes IYT enabling applicants to take the program at either unique is that we can bring in Raja Yoga, chanting, self- Satchidananda Ashram, New York IYI, or San Francisco inquiry, and so on. All those practices are brought into IYI. And, with the further possibility of trainees being the session depending on the needs of the student.” able to take modules with faculty who are part of IYT at any location where the module is being offered around There will also be the opportunity for those who enroll the world. in the IYT certification program to be able to do their practicum requirement at the IYTC. Find more The proposed new program would include many of information about the IYTC here. our current Yoga Therapy programs, such as Yoga of the Heart (Nischala Devi), Yoga for Depression (Amy Weintraub), YCat (Jnani Chapman), Yoga for Arthritis (Steffany Moonaz), Therapeutic Yoga (Cheri Clampett), Yoga for the Special Child (Sonia Sumar), and more. Also, for those teachers who have been practicing Yoga Therapy for over ten years—you can apply for grandfathering as part of the IYT certification process through the end of June. More details will be announced once IYT receives approval from the IAYT. For the latest details, subscribe to the free weekly Integral Yoga Newsletter (signup at: www.integralyogamagazine.org). Those who are interested in certification can also contact Rev. Jivana: [email protected].

Winter 2017 Integral Yoga Magazine | 33 B o o k s , C D s , & M o r e : W h a t ’ s N e w ? S p i r i t u a l H u n g e r An Interview with Allan Hunter, Ph.D. by Sevika Laura Douglass, Ph.D. Quantum Resonance — CD

Allan Hunter is a professor at Curry CollegeFrom and Jonathan author ofGoldman, The Path Healing of Synchronicity, Sounds® pioneer The Six and Archetypes regular Yogaville of Love, presenter,Stories We Need to Know, Spiritual Hunger, comesand many Quantum other inspirational Resonance: Chants texts. He & isRhythms a renowned of the lecturer, Cosmos .teacher, The CD and features therapist with a heartfelt belief in the power of writing,Jonathan, myth, Laraaji and the and arts other to enhance well-known personal sonic growth. luminaries. He is currently It includes working “Tomorrow on the film, The Wisdom of the Heart. In thisNever interview, Knows,” he discusses a song thefrom role the of Beatle’sspiritual album hunger Revolver in North, based American upon culture the Tibetan and offers suggestions on how we can nourish our soul.Book of the Dead. It was John Lennon’s desire that this song sound like the Dalai Lama chanting from a mountaintop. Lennon’s vision inspired the CD and its eight offerings of sacred sounds from different traditions resonating together for s a child I had an aversion tomovement, gym class. Ihealing, was and transformation. unable to catch—or hit—any ball thrown in my direction, and was alwaysThe theTeacher last one Appears: 108 Prompts to Power Your Yoga Practice — chosen for team sports. It was only yearsJournal later that my vision problems, which had co An illustrated journal of 108 prompts from such luminaries as Krishna Das, Elena Brower, Jack Kornfield, Shiva Rea, Seane Corn, Gretchen Rubin, and more. Acclaimed author Brian Leaf guides readers to deepen their Yoga practice with dristi, mudra, and pranayama; to explore their uncomfortable edges; to cultivate intuition; and, simply, to long for the divine, as they experience the true meaning of Yoga. Readers discover a new depth to their Yoga practice and a new level of dedication, meaning, and happiness in their lives.

The Art of Vinyasa: Awakening Body and Mind through the Practice of Ashtanga Yoga — Book

Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor are the first couple of Yoga, and are two of the most senior and respected Yoga teachers in the US who helped usher in the current Yoga popularity. In this book, they present a radical approach to the form of Ashtanga Yoga—one that is based on the subtle internal forms of the practice. With warmth, humor, and wisdom, Freeman and Taylor provide the groundwork for establishing an internally rooted and spiritually enlightening Yoga practice that goes far beyond the mat and into the core of one’s life. A The New Vegan — Cookbook Going vegan can be a daunting prospect. Top vegan author Áine Carlin guides you through the process of adopting a vegan lifestyle, with tips on what to tell people about your new diet, what you can eat at a restaurant, dealing with cravings and her take on vegan-friendly fashion. The 90 tempting recipes in the book are carefully tailored to people giving up meat, fish, and dairy for the first time, including Jerk- Marinated Cauliflower Steaks for a main course and Macadamia Cream Blueberry Pie for dessert.

Anatomy and Yoga: A Guide for Teachers and Students — Book

Structures of the body—muscles, bones, joints, nerves and connective tissue—are described by author Ellen Saltonstall in a user-friendly style, with short, interactive practice sessions to bring the information alive in the moment. This book presents anatomical information in a progressive and practical sequence, with chapters on each major body part that contain illustrations, Yoga references, innovative exercises, therapeutic tips, and study questions. Throughout the book, anatomical details are balanced with the holistic perspective of Yoga as an integrative, transformational lifelong practice.

34 | Integral Yoga Magazine Winter 2017 Yummy Yogi — Cookie Cutters & Cutting Board

Amy Dube, a mom and practicing yogi, created the Yummi Yogi™ collection after being inspired by Yoga. It is the only Yoga shaped cutter on the market with five immediately recognizable Yoga postures. Yummy Yogi also recently added a new product: the Yoga Cutting/Serving Board, made from top quality Ash wood with an exclusive driftwood teak oil finish. All of the Yummy Yogi materials are sourced in the US and the cookie cutters are made in Vermont. Visit YummiYogi.com for more information.

Discovering Your Soul’s Purpose (2nd edition) — Book

The medical clairvoyant Edgar Cayce (1877-1945) left the world a wealth of intuitive readings on everything from health and spirituality to psychology and past lives. Now the most significant teacher of Cayce’s teachings, Mark Thurston, updates and revises his classic book, Discovering Your Soul’s Purpose, to help you use the Cayce teachings in the twenty-first century to find greater purpose in your relationships, career, and overall mission in life.

The Yoga Kitchen — Cookbook

Kimberly Parsons brings her healthful recipes and yogic principles straight into your kitchen. All her recipes are vegetarian and gluten-free, allowing you to improve your health, build your inner core, increase your energy, and support your spiritual development. The recipes are divided into chakra-based chapters: Ground, Flow, Vitalize, Nurture, Strengthen, Calm, and Pure. It has never been easier to eat in a balanced way with these delicious and inspiring Yoga-based recipes. Allan Hunter, Ph.D. Yoga FAQ — Book

Here are answers to all the questions that come up in your Yoga practice and study! Richard Rosen, renowned Yoga teacher and friend of Integral Yoga, has asked—and been asked—nearly every Yoga-related question that there is, and his wonderfully practical, helpful answers will give you a thorough explanation of the tradition’s key concepts, and the nuts and bolts of Yoga philosophy and practice, including: Yoga’s main texts, including the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Sutras, among others; yamas and niyamas; the subtle body; the evolution of asanas, and much more.

Meditation Studio — App

Named one of Apple’s Top 10 Apps of the year and one of TIME magazine’s top 50 apps of 2016, this app features experts leading guided meditations to help reduce stress and anxiety, sleep better, deal with pain, boost confidence, power up performance, and more. Whether you want to deepen your practice,Carole prefer Nathan a short break, or a deep dive, Meditation Studio has over 200 meditations from renowned teachers, all in one place. Thousands of users have discovered the newest way to reap the mental, emotional, and physical benefits of meditation.

Winter 2017 Integral Yoga Magazine | 35 I n t e g r a l Y o g a M u l t im e di a Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville Coloring Book

This coloring book tells the story of Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville, the Yoga ashram and community in central Virginia. It was founded in 1979 by Swami Satchidananda, who is also the founder of Integral Yoga. Yogaville is a place where people of different faiths and backgrounds can come to study and practice Yoga and realize their essential oneness.

It is also the home of the Light Of Truth Universal Shrine (LOTUS). This unique interfaith shrine honors the Spirit that unites all the world religions, while it celebrates their diversity. This coloring book is a wonderful way for children to discover the joy of Yoga and explore Yogaville!

The Daily Guru — App

This inspirational free app is now available on all platforms: It’s a quote-a-day by Yoga master Swami Satchidananda. Select a day of the month to enjoy daily inspiration or swipe through all the 365 quotes of wisdom to gain insights into universal truths that help you live your best life. Features a search function: Put in a keyword and find quotes on a particular subject.

Share the inspiration: You can post quotes to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter and also email quotes to friends. Find it on iTunes, Google Play Store, and Amazon.

The Golden Present — App

Enjoy and be inspired by this new app, which is based on the bestselling book The Golden Present, by Sri Swami Satchidananda. This app includes a reading for each day from the book and it also includes a perpetual calendar so you can select each reading by the month and day.

Created by the Integral Yoga Institute of Coimbatore in South India, the app also features beautiful photos of the Light Of Truth Universal Shrine (LOTUS), which was opened in India in 2014, on the occasion of the birth centennial of Sri Swami Satchidananda. Available now in the Google Play Store. Stay tuned for iOS and Amazon versions coming soon.

Integral Yoga Magazine — Back Issues Archive

Many of our back issues are still available in print and make a great resource. Issues are available on a wide variety of specialized themes including: The Yoga Sutras, Yoga therapy, Teaching Yoga, Yoga for Grief and Loss, Inside the Niyamas, Overcoming Obstacles to Yoga Practice, Meditation, Pranayama, Yoga and the Emotional Body.

36 | Integral Yoga Magazine Winter 2017 Yoga Wisdom with Swami Satchidananda — Podcast

This weekly (new episodes every Thursday) podcast features a short talk (15- 25 minutes) by Swami Satchidananda on a variety of topics, and often includes answers to questions posed by his students.

Listen online or download via SoundCloud or on iTunes. You can also listen via the SoundCloud app on iTunes and Android devices.

Integral Yoga YouTube — Video

This channel also features a short talk (15-25 minutes) by Swami Satchidananda, with new uploads each Tuesday, on a variety of topics, with questions and answers included. Subscribe for notification of new uploads and explore videos organized into playlists (by subject).

Explore Integral Yoga — Magazine

In honor of Integral Yoga’s 50th, a new publication titled Explore Integral Yoga offers a comprehensive overview of this organization founded by Sri Swami Satchidananda in 1966.

This elegant, full color magazine showcases Integral Yoga teachings, programs, and services. It also includes a timeline of Integral Yoga milestones over the past 50 years. Available as an e-zine and also in hard copy.

IntegralYoga.org — Website

A new website devoted to all aspects of the Integral Yoga organization—from teachings to programs to services. It also includes a directory to Integral Yoga centers and teachers around the globe.

Integral Yoga Newsletter — eNewsletter

A new, free weekly newsletter that combines the ever-popular “Weekly Words of Wisdom” with news, events, and Yoga resources and information for the global Integral Yoga community. Subscribe to the Newsletter via IntegralYoga.org.

Integral Yoga Distribution — Shop

In addition to its wholesale website, Integral Yoga Distribution recently launched YogaCatalog.com, which they describe as “Ikea for Yogis!” Featuring their huge 2016 catalog of books, CDs, DVDs, Yoga props, etc., as well as free giveaways, and more.

Shakticom — Shop

Integral Yoga’s online shop for all of Swami Satchidananda’s books, CDs, DVDs, and featuring instant digital downloads of a range of titles. Also features books by Sri Swami Sivananda, and Integral Yoga master teachers.

Winter 2017 Integral Yoga Magazine | 37 Y o g a v i l l e® P r o g r a m C a l e n d a r 2 0 1 7 M a rc h S p i r i t u a l H u n g e r 1-5 Yoga for AnLife Interview: Cultivating with a Conscious Allan Hunter, Relationship Ph.D. withby Sevika Yourself Laura with GaryDouglass, Kraftsow, Ph.D. E-RYT 500, M.A. 3-5 Brain Science and Yoga: Why (and How) Yoga Works with Rev. M. Mala Cunningham, Ph.D. Allan10-12 Hunter YogaNursing is a professor :at The Curry Heart College of Caring and author with Susanof The Turnage, Path of Synchronicity,RN, CYN, RYT The 500 Six Archetypes of Love, Stories 10-12We Need to YogaKnow, for Spiritual People OverHunger 50, withand manyBhavani other Marcia inspirational Miller, E-RYTtexts. He 500 is a renowned lecturer, teacher, and therapist with a heartfelt belief in the power of writing, myth, and the arts to enhance personal growth. He is currently working on the film,10-12 The WisdomYoga for of Detoxthe Heart: Spring. In this Cleaning interview, for Bodyhe discusses and Mind the role with of spiritualSatya Greenstone, hunger in E-RYTNorth American500 culture and offers 17-19suggestions onAshtanga how we can Yoga: nourish Breath our and soul. Asana with Tim Feldmann 17-19 3-Day Laugha Yoga Leader Certification with Bharata Wingham, E-RYT 200, CLYT 17-19 s a Familychild I Yogahad an Weekend aversion withto gym Haris class. Harini I was Lender and Rev. Sam Rudra Swartz 17-26 unableYoga to Therapy catch—or in Cancerhit—any and ball Chronic thrown Illness : YCat Level 1 inwith my direction,Jnani Chapman, and was E-RYT always 500, the lastRN, one BSN and Senior YCAT Intern Teachers chosen for team sports. It was only years later that my vision24-26 problems,Relieving which Anxiety: had co CBT and Yoga with Boris Bhagavan Pisman, LMHC 27- Apr. 2 Weeklong Raja Yoga Retreat with Swami Karunananda, E-RYT 500 28- Apr. 2 Yoga for Autism Teacher Training with Sharanya Sharon Manner, E-RYT 500, RCYT, Margabandhu Martarano, E-RYT 500, B.A., and Dr. Marc Rosenbaum, Psy.D. 31- Apr. 2 Marketing and Outreach for Yoga Teachers with Ram Bhakt, E-RYT 500

A p r i l 7-9 Enter the AUM: The Healing Power of Sound with Paradiso and Rasamayi 7-9 LifeForce Yoga® to Manage Your Mood with Amy Weintraub, E-RYT 500, MFA, C-IAYT, YACEP 9- May 7 Integral Yoga 200-hour Teacher Training: Spring with Satya Greenstone, E-RYT 500 14-16 A Course in Miracles Retreat with Bharata Wingham, E-RYT 200, CLYT 20-23 Spring Silent Retreat: Budding Potential with Prakasha Capen Retreat Director and Senior Staff 28-30 Taking Ayurveda to the Mat with Letícia Padmasri, E-RYT 500, ALC, M.A. 28-30 Yoga Anatomy for Graceful Living: How to Remain Supple and Agile on Life’s Journey with Aramati Akke Hulburt, E-RYT 500 28-30 Mindfulness, Compassion and Difficult Emotions with Susan Carol Stone, Ph.D. A28-30 Kid’s Yoga Program with Nitya Griffith and Shakti Love Liebe May 5-7 Building Your Sadhana:The Sweetness of Steady Practice with Prashanti Carroll Ann Friedmann, E-RYT 500 5-7 Spiritually Fly/Master Your Soul with Faith Hunter, E-RYT 500 12-14 Family Time at Yogaville with Gita Zember, E-RYT 200 12-16 Accessible Yoga Training with Rev. Jivana Heyman, E-RYT 500, IYM 18-21 iRest® Personal Practice Immersion with Robin Carnes, E-RYT 500, MBA, C-IAYT 19-24 Peaceful Weight Loss with Brandt Bhanu and Anna Neiman Passalacqua 26-29 Yoga of Devotion: A Retreat with Krishna Das 26-29 Kid’s Yoga Program with Nitya Griffith and Shakti Love Liebe 30- June 11 Meditation Teacher Training with Swami Karunananda, E-RYT 500

For more information on any program or to register, call: 1-800-858-YOGA (9642) or go online to: www.yogaville.org