Goal:
The Goal of Integral Yoga, and the birthright of every individual, is to realize the spiritual unity behind all the diversities in the entire creation and to live harmoniously as members of one universal family. This goal is achieved by maintaining our natural condition of a body of optimum health and strength; senses under total control; a mind well-disciplined, clear and calm; an intellect as sharp as a razor; a will as strong and pliable as steel; a heart full of unconditional love and compassion; an ego as pure as crystal; and a life filled with supreme peace and joy.
Hatha Yoga
The physical practice of Yoga, which includes asanas (postures),
pranayama (breath control), mudras, kriyas, yogic diet, and deep relaxation. These practices help to purify and strengthen the body
and mind.
Raja Yoga
The path of meditation and self-discipline, based on ethical principles. Practicing the eight limbs of Yoga described in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali helps to purify, strengthen, and harmonize all aspects of the individual culminating in Self-Realization.
Japa Yoga
The practice of mantra repetition. The concentrated repetition of a mantra (a sound vibration representing an aspect of the Divine), leads to awareness of and attunement to, this cosmic vibration.
Karma Yoga
The path of selfless service. By engaging in one’s duties without attachment to the fruits (or results) of the action, one becomes a pure channel of love and service.
Bhakti Yoga
The path of love and devotion. Through prayer, kirtan, puja, and practices that help transcend the limited personality or ego, one attains union with the Divine.
Jñana Yoga
The path of wisdom. By study, analysis, and the cultivation of greater awareness, one ceases to identify with the body and mind, and realizes the eternal, unchanging Witness within.
System:
Integral Yoga is a complete system developed by Swami Satchidananda to address all levels of the individual, all aspects of life, bringing about the opportunity for personal transformation and spiritual realization. The Integral Yoga system includes principles and practices for people of various tastes, temperaments, beliefs and capacities. It’s an all-embracing system aimed at peace for the individual—through the six branches of Yoga—and peace for the
world by promoting interfaith understanding and harmony.
Method: What Distinguishes the Integral Yoga Hatha Method?
- The asanas have been carefully selected and ordered so as to bend and stretch the spine in every direction. The strength and flexibility of the spine, in turn, directly impacts the health of the entire body. Every bodily organ is nurtured by the electrical energy that flows to it along nerves that emanate from the spine.
- The class systematically leads you from the physical, to the vital, to the mental level, and ultimately leads to an experience of the peace that is your true nature. Each class incorporates postures, deep relaxation, breathing practices, and meditation.
- There is a balance between effort and surrender, enabling the practitioner to discover the optimal flow of energy to achieve greater flexibility, strength, poise, and mental focus. Postures are performed to their own capacity with focused awareness, carefully observing the benefits and effects.
- There are classes for students of all ages and conditions. Students are encouraged to proceed at their own pace in a non-competitive atmosphere.
The Integral Yoga Hatha method was designed to draw the practitioner into a physical and mental stillness that leads to an experience of one’s true nature of peace and happiness.