Yoga Wisdom With Swami Satchidananda

Swami Satchidananda is asked a question about how overcome the challenges of Yoga practice. He explains that mere Hatha Yoga practice will not be enough to overcome fears and anxieties. You need to go deeper, to analyze what causes your fears and anxieties. He reveals that the underlying cause is selfishness. He is also asked questions about the difference between the soul and the Self, as well as a question about enlightenment. He explains the obstacle to enlightenment is attachment. (c)2017 Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville, Inc. / www.integralyoga.org

Swami Satchidananda gives a talk during a Yoga retreat (in the early 1990s) for a group of people with HIV/AIDS. They ask him various questions about healing with Yoga and coping with depression. He gives advice about the benefit of Yoga practices, particularly pranayama, vegetarian diet, and cleansing practices and how this all can help rebuild health and immunity. (c)2017 Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville, Inc. / www.integralyoga.org

Swami Satchidananda answers a question about hurt feelings and forgiveness. He advises us to learn how to not let things affect the mind and to not harbor hurt feelings. He also is asked about Self-realization and calming the mind. (c)2017 Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville, Inc. / www.integralyoga.org

“Don’t do business when you pray” Swami Satchidananda advises. He describes prayer as enjoying and expressing your true nature. Pray for the sake of praying, not asking for something in return. He also answers questions about stealing, karma, and being who you are. (c)2017 Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville, Inc. / www.integralyoga.org

Swami Satchidananda answers a question about feeling lonely and incomplete. He advises that we need to become whole first. In response to another question, he explains how to open and purify one’s heart. In a final question, he’s asked about becoming a renunciate and the challenges of monastic life. (c)2017 Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville, Inc. / www.integralyoga.org

Swami Satchidananda speaks about how having a Guru and doing spiritual practices are not to bind you but to help free you. He also answers questions about letting go of the past and how our minds color how we see the world. (c)2017 Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville, Inc. / www.integralyoga.org

Swami Satchidananda answers questions during a program. These questions center around how we are to understand religious doctrines like reincarnation or if there is a God. And, he also explains the nature of the mind-body complex, its relation to the higher Self, and the quest for knowledge of that Self. (c)2017 Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville, Inc./ www.IntegralYoga.org

Swami Satchidananda addresses the emotion of fear, which he says is an emotion that is foundational to the human condition. However, it can be overcome through faith in something greater than ourselves. He affirms: “Faith and fear do not go together.” He also talks about a near death experience on his pilgrimage to Mt. Kailash. (c) 2017 Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville / www.integralyoga.org

During an Integral Yoga retreat, Swami Satchidananda answers various questions about the nature of desire, fears that may arise during meditation, and the oneness of all. He explains that desires aren’t bad as long as they don’t create problems. He advises how to overcome fears in meditation, and also how to reconcile seeming conflicts between religion and Yoga. (c)2017 www.integralyoga.org

Swami Satchidananda answers a question about how one can cultivate faith. He explains, through a series of stories, that we are what we believe in and how powerful faith can be. If you believe in a Higher Power, you acquire that power. (c)IntegralYoga.org

Swami Satchidananda answers questions about spiritual practice and obstacles to this practice. He explains the eternal quest: winning the war of spirit over flesh. He encourages us to never give up: failures should be stepping stones. He also answers questions on breathing practice and explains the benefits of mantra meditation. (c) 2017 / www.IntegralYoga.org

During a Yoga retreat that is conducted in silence, Swami Satchidananda answers a question about the meaning of silence. He explains that we each have a silent witness within, which is the divine in us. This leads into a discussion of two levels of truth—absolute and worldly, according to Vedantic philosophy—and universal laws, as well as the nature of spiritual growth. www.IntegralYoga.org (c) 2017

Swami Satchidananda talks about the benefits of kirtan (chanting) and Bhakti Yoga—the Yoga of the heart. He explains, however, that the energy that is raised through chanting and devotional practices need to be balanced by all the other branches of Yoga, especially Raja Yoga. He also answers questions about health, healing, and the nature of death. (c) 2017 / www.IntegralYoga.org

Swami Satchidananda explains that we can each tap into the universal mind by keeping our minds clean and clear. Then, the mind will reflect everything—all knowledge—clearly. Yoga at its heart is a science of psychology. He also answers questions on the relationship between sound vibration and prana. www.IntegralYoga.org

Swami Satchidananda responds to a question about how to master the senses. He explains that when the mind becomes calm, nothing is impossible to achieve. He instructs listeners on how to gain a calm mind and cosmic beauty. He also answers questions about mantras, Gurus, and living in the golden present. www.IntegralYoga.org

Swami Satchidananda is asked if he is an avatar (incarnation of God). He explains he is not an avatar, or even a Guru, but an instrument in the hands of the Divine. He speaks about how for a true spiritual seeker, everyone and everything is teaching you lessons. If you change your vision, change yourself, the world will be changed. www.integralyoga.org

Swami Satchidananda answers a question about Guru. He explains that a Guru or spiritual teacher is to help liberate, not bind you. Ultimately, you have to find the Guru within. He answers a question about why God created the world and he also speaks about the unity behind the diversity. www.integralyoga.org

Swami Satchidananda explains that how we experience the world depends largely on our own perception. Using stories from the Indian epic The Mahabharata, he explains how the world is colored by our own projections. He also discusses Sri Swami Sivananda’s teachings. www.integralyoga.org

Angels, Faith and Prayer: Swami Satchidananda answers questions on non-violence as relates to killing insects and also what we eat. He also addresses questions on the nature of guardian angels, how faith and prayer help us. www.integralyoga.org

Swami Satchidananda suggests remedies for breaking bad habits like smoking. He also answers questions on how to deal with difficult people, challenging situations, and he also answers questions about the nature of ego, the soul, and love. www.integralyoga.org