"Every human being longs for true and lasting happiness. The path or means through which (s)he attempts to find it varies according to the level of the individual's development. (S)he may strive for happiness by satisfying the physical, emotional, and intellectual aspects of his/her personality. Experience may teach him/her what sages and saints have been proclaiming throughout the ages: that true and lasting happiness cannot be based upon that which is impermanent in its nature. True and lasting happiness can only be attained through the knowledge of the source of all life. It has been given such names as the Self, Nature, God, Brahman, Cosmic Consciousness, Infinity the Thing in Itself, Nirvana and so on. Since it is infinite, it can only be experienced when the individual raises above the limited personality."

Swami Satchidananda

Somatic Practices


​“One can talk endlessly, piling words upon words, coming to various conclusions, but out of all the verbal confusion, if there is one clear action, that action is worth ten thousand words.” 

J. Krishnamurti 

The somatic practices of yoga include: yoga postures (asanas), breathing practices (pranayama) and relaxation practices (yoga nidra).  These somatic practices are designed to help you observe, listen, and uncover your inner intelligence.  

Developing a positive relationship with one’s physical body is imperative to the process of healing.

The somatic practices of Yoga are designed to cultivate increased awareness of the functioning of our physical body, and how it functions in relationship to our mental and emotional habits. As we engage in the exploratory practices of Yoga, we find out how our body reacts to stress, and uncover ways that we can work with the body to remove long-term patterns of embodying stress.
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  • Releases Tension: Releasing tension in the physical body allows for better circulation and flow of energy in the body. Tension causes us our blood to flow in a more restricted way leading to, decreased memory, mental fatigue and an overall feeling of stress that can lead to anxiety.   
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  • Physical Alignment: Asanas release habitual tension and brings attention to unnecessary movements. Improved alignment allows our bodies to conserve energy as the body does not have to work as hard to maintain stability. This gives us greater vitality and an improved state of well being.
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  • Balances the Nervous System: The correct practice of asanas balances the nervous output, helps us to be alert without being tense. They enables us to feel equally at home with activity and resting states. The practice of asanas teaches the individual how to engage in activities while retaining a relaxed and peaceful state of mind. Many of the asanas put pressure on the vagus nerve, leading to greater health and vitality. 
 
  • Change from Chest to Abdominal Breathing: As we switch from chest to abdominal breathing our exhalations are more complete which allows us to take in up to 7 times more oxygen. The increase in oxygen gives us a greater sense of vitality. More oxygen in the system means more oxygen in the brain resulting in improved concentration and mental clarity in addition to a longer life span.
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  • Counters the Effects of Aging: Pooling of blood and lymph impairs proper nutrient supply to the skin and organs interfering with anti-aging maintenance and repair.
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  •  Improves Endocrine System: Places pressure on the glands and helps to regulate he metabolism of the body. 
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  •  Increased circulation of Lymph: The lymphatic system does not have its own circulation method and relies on the movements of the body to keep it flowing. Postures and breathing help to prevent pooling of lymph and increased lymph circulation leading to improved immunity.
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  • Physical Massage: Placing the body in asanas massages the muscles and glands as well as organs. This benefit is increased with deep breathing during the asanas. 

Psychological Practices


​“We are not going to change the whole world, but we can change ourselves and feel free as birds. We can be serene even in the midst of calamities and, by our serenity, make others more tranquil. Serenity is contagious. If we smile at someone, he or she will smile back. And a smile costs nothing. We should plague everyone with joy. If we are to die in a minute, why not die happily, laughing? (136-137)” 

 Swami Satchidananda

The psychological practices of yoga include sense withdrawal (pratyahara) and concentration techniques (dharna) The psychological practices are designed to help you understand the role of the mind in creating peace and suffering. 

Developing an understanding of the mind is central to the process of healing. From a yogic perspective all suffering comes from the mind. 

Concentration and meditation techniques will assist you in developing a clear understanding of the minds likes/attractions and dislikes/repulsion. The goal of these practices is to learn to find equanimity in all circumstances.

​Many individuals find concentration and meditation techniques too disturbing. If this is your experience, return to the somatic practices of yoga. 

The benefits of practicing meditation include:

  • ​Decrease Depression.  Many studies point to a increased GABA levels and decreased depression due to a consistent practice of meditation. 

  • Helps Regulate Mood and Anxiety Disorder. Over 20 randomized controlled studies taken from PubMed Databases, show a clear decrease in symptoms of anxiety.   
  • ​Increases gray matter of the brain. Sara Lazar, PhD. showed that a consistent practice of meditation shows positive results on MRI scans, with grey matter increases in areas of the brain involved in learning and memory, and regulating the emotions.
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  • Meditation unveils your mental strength, resilience and emotional intelligence.   Dr. Ron Alexander reports that the process of controlling the mind, through meditation, increases mental strength, resilience, and emotional intelligence.

  • Meditation relieves pain better than morphine. In an experiment conducted by Wake Forest Baptist Medical Centre, 15 healthy volunteers, who were new to meditation, attended four 20-minute classes to learn meditation, The effect was "about a 40 percent reduction in pain intensity and a 57 percent reduction in pain unpleasantness. Meditation produced a greater reduction in pain than even morphine or other pain-relieving drugs, which typically reduce pain ratings by about 25 percent.”
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  • Meditation prepares you to deal with stressful events. A study from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, conducted with 32 adults that had never practiced meditation before, showed that if meditation is practiced before a stressful event, the adverse effects of stress were lessened.

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Spiritual Practices


"Always do good to others. Be selfless. Mentally remove everything and be free. This is divine life. This is the direct way to Moksha or salvation.

Swami Sivananda

The spiritual practices of yoga are dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (sustained bliss over time). The spiritual practices of yoga cannot be taught, as they are your own true nature: truth, knowledge and sustained happiness. The spiritual state of consciousness are unveiled once the mind is still. 

​Spirituality provides a meaning making framework from which to understand the nature of this existence; this can be particular useful if you've experienced trauma and have a sense of the hostile, futility of existence.

We can try to develop an understanding of spirituality by reading books, studying spiritual texts and listening to teachers. Yet the truth of the matter is that we already are perfect and whole. Learning spirituality is a reminder of who we are and why we are here. 

The entire universe is a spiritual creation. The entire world if your home. 

 All religious traditions offer spiritual truths that you can use to make sense of this very strange human experience.

Many individuals find spirituality annoying because some people hide behind spiritual ideas, perpetuating false notions like: you personally create all of your own suffering. That's doubtful! Why? Because you didn't create gender bias, racism, social inequality and violence all on your own. 

Here's a few quotes from spiritual traditions around the world:

  •  Christianity. "I have found a desire within myself that no experience in this world can satisfy; the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." C.S. Lewis,

  •  Hinduism. "You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul. We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far. The world is the great gymnasium where we come to make ourselves strong." Swami Vivekandanda,

  • Islam. "Smiling in your brother’s face is an act of charity. So is enjoining good and forbidding evil, giving directions to the lost traveler, 
    aiding the blind and removing obstacles from the path."  Ibn Hajar, 
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  • Taoism.  “Those who know don’t talk. Those who talk don’t know. Close your mouth, block off your senses, blunt your sharpness, untie your knots, soften your glare, settle your dust. This is the primal identity. Be like the Tao. It can’t be approached or withdrawn from, benefited or harmed, honored or brought into disgrace. It gives itself up continually. That is why it endures.”  Lao Tzu, 

  • Buddhism. You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger. Buddha

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