Finding Your Best Practice - Integral Yoga

Integral Yoga® was founded in 1966 by the great Sri Swami Satchidanandaji Maharaj (Sri Gurudev), who passed in 2002 at 88. Sri Gurudev also created the worldwide Integral Yoga® Institutes, and Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville®, a thriving Yoga community. Sri Gurudev was a leader in the peace movement in the 60s and has gently led and guided through the principle of: “Truth is One, Paths are Many.” He is is the author of many books and is a blessed and revered figure in the yoga community.

Integral Yoga is a gentle practice that integrates traditional hatha yoga with other branches of yoga such as Raja yoga (concentration and meditation), karma yoga (selfless service), and bhakti yoga (acts of devotion).

What is the style/class like?

An integral yoga class is the embodiment of peace, gentleness and tradition with challenging postures.  Class starts with opening chants, meditation, pranayama (breathwork) then asanas (postures) followed by shavasana (rest), more pranayama then closing chants.  The classes are usually 90 minutes long.

Personal insight and who might benefit from this style:

Integral Yoga in New York City was one of the studios I was dedicated to when I got deeper into my practice and the spiritual side of yoga.  It was place where I could love the words to chants and their meanings, my first meditation classes were taken at Integral, and my knowledge of postures was fortified in this environment.  Integral Yoga is a style for those seeking  a more spiritual practice, in a gentle loving environment.  Perfect for people off all ages and sizes and for those with physical limitations as well - which is all part if their non-judgmental credo.

Additional Information:

Satchidananda first came to public attention as the opening speaker at the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair in 1969 and was never out of the yoga and peace movement thereafter.

Also if you’re looking to deepen your practice or learn about other areas in the healing arts and yogic lifestyle, Integral has some of the best workshops and classes in New York City.

For more information on the Integral community, please visit http://www.iyiny.org.

Namaste.

Written by:  Michelle Barge