Yoga Wisdom With Swami Satchidananda

Swami Satchidananda answers a question about how to best spiritually guide one’s children or grandchildren. He explains the essence of spirituality, prayer, and God. He also answers a question about the nature of aparigraha (not accepting gifts) and its link to the pain of expectations in relationships. www.integralyoga.org

Swami Karunanandaji is one of Integral Yoga's leading experts on Raja Yoga and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. She recently gave a workshop on Raja Yoga at the Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco. It covered topics such as Yoga psychology, vrittis, the kleshas, practice and non-attachment. It also included some of her wonderful stories about Swami Satchidananda and about her journey in Yoga over the past 40+ years. www.integralyoga.org

Swami Karunanandaji is one of Integral Yoga's leading experts on Raja Yoga and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. She recently gave a workshop on Raja Yoga at the Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco. It covered topics such as Yoga psychology, vrittis, the kleshas, practice and non-attachment. It also included some of her wonderful stories about Swami Satchidananda and about her journey in Yoga over the past 40+ years. www.integralyoga.org

Swami Satchidananda explains how to use the four keys that Patanjali describes to deal with different types of people. He explains how to take back control of your life and emotions by making yourself strong. He also answers a series of questions on how to heal migraine headaches and Yoga, sex, marriage and spiritual growth. www.integralyoga.org

This podcast opens in the midst of Swami Satchidananda addressing a question about how to deal with anger. He explains that when anger rears its head, it’s very hard to contain it in the heat of the moment. So, he recommends working on preventing the cause for anger vs. trying to stop the anger mid-burst, which is very difficult. He goes to the root of what causes anger: fear of loss and this leads to discussion about contentment vs. fear.

From a talk given by Swami Satchidananda during a workshop on "Addiction and Spirituality" at Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville. He uncovers the root cause of addiction and how to address it most effectively.

Swami Satchidananda explains that we need mastery over the thoughts in the mind in order to lead a happy life. If not, what happens is a downward spiral: First you have a thought; then attachment follows. If you don’t get what you want, you get angry. Then, anger, fear, and depression ensue. What happens next? You lose your mind. Meditation, Bhakti Yoga, faith in God are wonderful remedies. www.integralyoga.org

Taming the Untrained Mind: Swami Satchidananda explains how meditation takes us out of the backseat and puts us into the driver's seat—releasing us from the grip of the chaotic nature of the mind. He addresses how to deal with challenges in meditation and how to train and quiet the mind. www.integralyoga.org

Swami Satchidananda explains a very profound and complex philosophical concept: how one can realize the Ultimate Truth, Self, or God. He gives many analogies to help the listener understand the process of awakening and translates esoteric concepts such as the Self, Realization, God, and so on, into simple terms. www.integralyoga.org

Quoting Thayumanavar, one of South India’s spiritual giants and a Tamil philosopher, Swami Satchidananda translates famous lines from the teaching: You can achieve anything in the world but what is the most difficult thing to achieve? To make the mind quiet. Swami Satchidananda goes on to encourage listeners to follow the biblical verses: “Seek the kingdom first” and to “become like little children.” www.integralyoga.org

Swami Satchidananda answers the following questions, “What is Heaven?”, “How Can I Realize My supreme Self?”, “What is Death?”, “What is there Suffering and Evil?” He takes the most profound concepts and fundamental questions of life and explains them with his easy-to-follow responses and examples. www.IntegralYoga.org

Following a lecture, Swami Satchidananda answers a question about how we can know whether concepts like reincarnation, faith, karma, God, and so on, are true. He takes the opportunity to explain some of these concepts and what they mean for a spiritual seeker. www.integralyoga.org

Swami Satchidananda addresses a question about the purpose of religion and spirituality, which leads to a discussion of the purpose of this world. He explains that anything and everything is a “religion” because all spiritual paths are supposed to lead us back to our true nature. And, the purpose of the world is to wake us up. Includes his stories about a nonbeliever and the story about all the roads leading to Rome. www.integralyoga.org

During an Integral Yoga Retreat, Swami Satchidananda answers questions: How to let go of expectations of others, how to get over disappointments and the mistakes we make in life. He explains that every failure should be a stepping-stone for your future success. He also answers a question on the nature of love and devotion and offers advice on the challenges of married life. www.integralyoga.org

In a talk during an Integral Yoga New Year’s retreat in California, Swami Satchidananda explains that behind all the different names and forms in the world, behind all of our apparent differences and distinctions as human beings—we are one in our essence or spirit. He shows how to not let these differences divide us but rather how we can realize our essential oneness. www.integralyoga.org

Swami Satchidananda explains the distinction between the essential nature of consciousness and the material world of name/form. He expounds upon the meaning between the concepts of “Purusha” and “Prakriti” according to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the foundational text of classical Yoga. But, he warns that we shouldn’t become too serious about philosophy and remember that life is also for fun. Included in this episode, are some of Swami Satchidananda’s reminiscences of his pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in the Himalayas and a story about Dakshinamurthy, an aspect of the Hindu god Shiva as a Guru or teacher of spiritual knowledge.

Drawing examples from the Bhagavad Gita, Swami Satchidananda explains that there is no happiness for a peaceless person. He also responds to the queries: Do I have to believe in God to be happy? Do I have to live in the Himalayas to find peace? Making use of puns—one of his much loved teaching tools—he explains the importance of living one’s life with an open heart. www.integralyoga.org

Swami Satchidananda speaks about what Mother Nature teaches us: the nature of temporary happiness vs. long lasting, permanent happiness. Find the source of your happiness. He also offers commentary on the philosophy behind the Bhagavad Gita verse about performing actions without looking for the fruit of the action—selflessness. And, how this leads to spiritual liberation.

Swami Satchidananda addresses a series of questions about spiritual life and the spiritual path including: how to be more disciplined, how to know if you are on the right path, how to deal with the waves in the mind. Includes the parable of the chipmunk from the Indian epic, the Ramayana.

Swami Satchidananda addresses a question about how we can see or understand or experience what is called the “Essential or Absolute Reality” or Enlightenment. In this episode, he also speaks about the alchemy of sound and light, as well as how to recognize signs of spiritual progress or growth. www.IntegralYoga.org