Integral Yoga Institute San Francisco, 770 Dolores Street, San Francisco, CA (2026)

02/18/2026

Yoga teaches that beneath all names and forms in creation—including our human bodies and minds—there is a single, unchanging Spirit or Consciousness. Our suffering arises largely from our inability to experience this subtle level of interconnection. Instead, we identify almost exclusively with our individual personalities and physical forms, drawing a psychic line between ourselves and others. Though this separation can feel very real, Yoga tells us it is a product of the limited mind, which perceives only the surface levels of reality.

A sincere and consistent Yoga practice gradually reveals the unchanging spiritual presence within us. As this inner awareness deepens, the boundaries we have unconsciously constructed begin to soften and dissolve, exposing an underlying sense of unity with the world around us. From this lived experience of oneness, compassion naturally arises—not as an idea we adopt, but as a spontaneous expression of our deeper nature.

At the same time, Yoga reminds us that we do not need to wait for a full awakening to begin living compassionately. We can choose, right now, to recognize the inherent dignity of all people and to interact with others from that intention. The very first of the classical eight limbs of Yoga calls us to refrain from causing harm to any being, in thought, word, or action.

Yet compassion goes beyond simply avoiding harm. It asks something more active of us—a sincere effort to meet others with kindness, respect, and understanding, regardless of their appearance, behavior, or personality. Compassionate action can be quiet or visible, simple or challenging, but it always begins with the willingness to see beyond separation.

Simple Ways to Practice Compassion in Daily Life
Offer your full presence when someone speaks, setting aside distractions and the need to fix or advise.

Respond rather than react in moments of irritation, choosing words that do not add suffering.

Practice patience with people who move, speak, or think differently than you do.

Extend small kindnesses—a warm greeting, a sincere thank-you, or a helpful gesture—without expecting recognition.

Refrain from judgment, silently reminding yourself that others, like you, are shaped by unseen struggles.

Include yourself in compassion, treating your own mistakes and limitations with gentleness rather than harsh self-criticism.

Through these small, intentional actions, compassion becomes less of a spiritual ideal and more of a lived expression of our shared humanity.

02/14/2026

ONLINE Mon. February 16 @ 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm PST
Register for FREE at https://bit.ly/4tCqMQS
Come join us for this free open houses on January 24th or February 16th to learn more about our 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training, now offered in a two-module format.
Meet the trainers and learn more about the curriculum. There will be time for questions.
Sign up for one or both modules at the event and receive a discounted rate!

Module 1: Yoga Immersion Program 3/9 – 5/11 (no class 5/9)
This foundational module provides a strong base for personal and spiritual development. It offers well-rounded, in-depth yoga studies and an authentic experience of living Yoga—whether or not you plan to teach. Students may choose to register for this module on its own.

Module 2: Yoga Teaching Essentials 8/22 – 11/16 (no class 9/5, 9/7)
Designed for graduates of Module 1 and teachers from other schools, this module offers comprehensive training to build confidence, deepen Hatha Yoga knowledge, strengthen teaching skills, and gain certification to teach Integral Yoga worldwide. Comment end

Our program trainers include Swami Ramananda, Raama Das, Raisa Punkki, and Kalyani Cohen Barr. Swami Ramananda will present the Raja Yoga study of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and lead various workshops, including professional development for teachers.

Register for FREE at https://bit.ly/4tCqMQS

02/12/2026

Living “Love All, Serve All”

How do we begin to work with the teaching “love all, serve all” so that it becomes a lived experience rather than a spiritual platitude? A wise place to start is with simple acts of kindness toward those closest to us, learning directly from the quiet joy that arises through serving and giving.

When we pause long enough to actually feel the energy of genuine care in the heart, we begin to value it. From there, we can gradually learn to extend that same care toward others. Each day offers countless opportunities to practice—while driving, listening, or working with those around us—to be a little more patient, considerate, and kind.

Even small moments of kindness create a ripple effect, softening hearts and contributing positively to the collective consciousness of our world. And when correction is needed, we can wait for the right moment, speaking from a foundation of respect and goodwill rather than reactivity.

By choosing to see others through the eyes of compassion—assuming the best, and forgiving the negligence or compulsiveness we may encounter—we align our daily lives with the deeper purpose of Yoga: to live from love, and to serve from the heart.

02/06/2026

Wednesday March 04 • 6pm - 7:30pm PST
Join Swami Ramananda, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500
Many of us have, at one time or another, felt a benevolent presence quietly supporting and caring for us—even if we cannot fully understand it with the mind. This presence may reveal itself through subtle synchronicities that guide us toward wise choices, through unexpected help in times of difficulty, or through mysterious turns of fate that spare us from great mistakes.

In this two-part workshop, Swami Ramananda will lead us through a series of experiential practices to help us open our hearts and align our will with the ever-present flow of grace. Together, we will explore how to recognize and trust this hidden presence that continually moves through our lives.

All are welcome
Swami Ramananda

02/05/2026

Engaged Yoga – the Intersection of Yoga and Politics

If, like me, you’re living as a householder, that means you are engaging with society through relationships, through work, and through other aspects of an organized society.

These social systems are guided by politics and the laws that firmly insert politics into our daily lives. If you’re a householder yoga practitioner, then your practice demands an additional level of social awareness. You don’t have to call it politics, but there is a way
that your practice automatically becomes socially engaged because your life is. Practicing yoga is not an excuse to ignore what is happening around you. So, unless you’re a monk, you really have no excuse.

So let’s stop pretending that we are monks living in caves dedicating 100% of our lives to yoga. The reality is that most of us are householders who are making choices all the time regarding the way we spend our money, who we vote for, and how we talk to our friends about politics. As householder practitioners we have an extra burden of responsibility in our practice. That is the responsibility to apply the teachings in every aspect of our lives –– in our relationships, at work, and in politics.

Excerpted from Engaged Yoga –
The Intersection of Yoga and Politics by Jivana Heyman

02/04/2026

dear little ego
are you not tired of this treasure hunt,
no gold at the end of the rainbow
and no end

your story is a dark cloud
it blocks the light but has no substance
and goes as the wind blows

you think you’re in charge--
you don’t even decide when to breathe,
that effort makes you weak
a personal gravity holding you down

though your mirror is broken
your vision blurred,
when you surrender and your little sun sets
a sky of stars appears inside and around you

you have heard this song,
a full moon of white sound that makes you weep--
make that your prayer

you felt a rose open
where a world of flowers raise their heads—
that is your true purpose

-Swami Ramanada

01/29/2026

Seva is Compassion in Action

Compassionate action goes beyond simply refraining from harming others. It implies that we make a genuine effort to treat others with kindness, regardless of their appearance or personality, and it can take many forms. It can mean speaking up in public when we witness some form of discrimination or participating in a protest against some policy that we feel is unjust. It can mean actively soliciting the participation of people of color on a committee or praying for marginalized populations who are suffering far away from us.

01/26/2026

Seva – Dedication and Devotion in Action

The saints and sages of many faiths are dynamic examples of how spiritual awakening is accompanied by a natural impulse to serve humanity. After experiencing the interconnection of all of life, many of these great beings were moved by a profound compassion to dedicate their lives to the relief of suffering. All of the many faith traditions also recognize the importance of seva, or selfless service, as one of the primary means by which we grow on the spiritual path and experience that full awakening.

But the messages of our culture instill in us the illusion that we are all separate beings, each needing to pursue happiness as individuals. This easily leads to comparing ourselves and competing with each other for the things and achievements that seem to create a happy life. And the world economy feeds on this illusion by offering us happiness in the form of the marketplace—an endless variety of things to buy. Thus, many people find themselves living in a relentless cycle of earning and consuming that, sooner or later, leaves them feeling frustrated and incomplete, cut off from everything that really gives life meaning.

The teachings of Yoga offer a completely different paradigm. Serving others is seen as a unique spiritual path—Karma Yoga—a practice in which actions are performed with a focused mind, a caring heart, and no concern for personal gain. This intention can be incorporated into literally anything we do and it deepens as we become less dependent on the outcome of our efforts and experience a newfound freedom from tension and expectations.

What a relief it is for me to focus fully on my work projects, free of worry, knowing that agonizing over the results only diminishes my skills. Then it can be more like play. Sri Swami Satchidananda put it this way: “Do your best, leave the rest.”

Perhaps the most powerful way this practice develops is from the joy we derive from giving ourselves wholeheartedly in service to someone or some higher purpose. Many people who work in service of others find tremendous fulfillment in the act of serving, giving, or even praying for others. Such experiences go beyond theory—they enable us to feel a deep sense of connection and belonging, a purpose for living that is larger than ourselves, and the flow of love that is a natural expression of our true nature.

An equally powerful approach to seva is devotion, service as an offering to God. Since we don’t easily recognize the Divine in each other—and the idea of a spiritual consciousness is so abstract—people throughout history have found countless symbols, names, and forms to represent this ineffable Presence that dwells within everything. This form, be it a deity, spiritual principle like peace, or a picture of a saint, can help us cultivate a higher form of love. Love directed toward God in any form inspires us to feel protection and comfort, to access an ever-present Grace and inner strength, and rise above the illusion of separation.

Yoga offers techniques to cultivate this deep love, which are collectively known as Bhakti Yoga. These practices include chanting the names of the Divine to feel its Presence (kirtan), creating an altar and making heartfelt offerings (puja), and performing actions with reverence and devotion (seva).

When we perform duties as an offering to a beloved personification of the Divine, we give our very best. In the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna says, “Perfection in action is Yoga.” When we strive to see ourselves as instruments of the Divine—the hands of God at work in the world—we access and allow ourselves to be guided by an inner strength, much greater than our own. We let go of our personal desires without force or denial by willingly surrendering to a Higher Will.

The intention to serve a Higher Will inevitably leads us to serving our families, neighbors, and communities. As Mother Theresa beautifully experienced and taught, we serve God by serving the Divinity in each other, in all of nature. Seva is a practice, and if we practice seeing and serving God in all, we gradually erase the imaginary boundaries we have come to believe in.

01/24/2026

Open House for 2-part 200-Hour Basic Yoga Teacher Training
ONLINE TODAY with Raama Das, Raisa Punkki, Kalyani Cohen Barr.
Sat. January 24 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm PST
Free | Sign up: https://bit.ly/3YUow9R; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.

Meet the trainers and Learn more about or apply for 200-hour Teacher Training in two module format. There will be time for questions.
If you can’t join us on today, we hope to see you at our second open house on Monday, February 16, from 5:30–6:30 PM.: https://bit.ly/4sZlejk

ABOUT Modules 1 & 2:
Module 1: Yoga Immersion Program 3/9 – 5/11 (no class 5/9)
This foundational module provides a strong base for personal and spiritual development. It offers well-rounded, in-depth yoga studies and an authentic experience of living Yoga—whether or not you plan to teach. Students may choose to register for this module on its own.

Module 2: Yoga Teaching Essentials 8/22 – 11/16 (no class 9/5, 9/7)
Designed for graduates of Module 1 and teachers from other schools, this module offers comprehensive training to build confidence, deepen Hatha Yoga knowledge, strengthen teaching skills, and gain certification to teach Integral Yoga worldwide. Comment end

Our program trainers include Swami Ramananda, Raama Das, Raisa Punkki, and Kalyani Cohen Barr. Swami Ramananda will present the Raja Yoga study of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and lead various workshops, including professional development for teachers.

Special Discount Offer:
Sign up for one or both modules at the event and receive a discount!

01/24/2026

Join Claudia Bartsch, C-IAYT, this morning for an immersive exploration into the science and felt-sense of the nervous system.

Book now: https://bit.ly/4sVu2GK
Sat. January 24 @ 11:15 am - 2:15 pm PST

This 3-hour workshop blends the insights of Polyvagal Theory with the embodied wisdom of yoga, breath, and mindful movement to help you understand, sense, and regulate your own physiological state.

Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, explores how the nervous system constantly shifts between states of safety, connection, and protection—and how these shifts shape your emotions, behaviors, and relationships. By learning to recognize and work skillfully with these states, you can restore balance, resilience, and ease.
The workshop begins with a lecture and discussion to demystify how the nervous system influences emotional and mental states, as well as patterns of connection. From there, Claudia will guide you through experiential practices designed to help you:
• Recognize your own nervous system states
• Increase body awareness and interoception (the ability to feel internal sensations)
• Use movement, breath, and mindful attention to regulate and balance your system
• Begin to rewire habitual stress responses toward greater calm, resilience, and presence
• Integrate these practices into daily life for a healthier, more centered nervous system

This is more than a lecture—it’s a visceral experience of your body’s innate capacity for balance and self-regulation.
No prior yoga experience is required. All levels are welcome. This workshop will be recorded for later viewing and shared for 2 weeks with all enrolled students.

Originally from Germany, Claudia has been studying and teaching yoga for over 25 years. With more than 2,000 hours of formal training, she brings a strong foundation in the classical traditions of yoga together with innovative, therapeutic approaches.

Certified as a Yoga Therapist in 2016, Claudia is deeply dedicated to facilitating holistic healing. In her work, she specializes in supporting individuals navigating mental, emotional, or physical challenges by adapting yoga practices to meet their unique conditions and needs.

01/22/2026

I really appreciate this important message from my dear friend Marcia Miller about how to flow with the winter season.

About These Dark Nights......

The sun is now setting about 5:30p and it is fully dark before 6. We light candles to eat dinner with, and candlelight remains the main light throughout the rest of the evening. It feels so restful and intimate to be in this light, and when we had another couple over for a meal, the candlelight fostered a kind of security and honesty that created a deeper connection than usual.

If it’s cold enough we light a fire, and flickering of the soft red, orange and yellow flames, along with the crackling sounds, is like a sweet ancestral balm on our nervous systems. And the tending of the fire is a part of the felt sense of safety and community care, even if it’s usually just a community of two.

Sometimes, if we want to read, we add a small reading light over our books, yet we still feel encompassed by the overall darkness in the room. Then at some point we turn off the reading lights and just sit together in the quiet. We might rub each other’s feet or shoulders, or speak of something meaningful in our lives, or maybe we get up and do a few Yoga or Qi Gong moves. The light stays low and the feeling is one of deep nourishment and satisfaction. Once we enter this phase of the evening, we don’t use our phones again—at least that is our intention.

When we start yawning, we head to bed and sleep as long as we want. The rest after an evening like this is profound. I have been sleeping more than usual, and it feels so good. If I wake up before light, I generally lie in bed and send Reiki out into the world, and when I do get up before it gets light I do my practices in the dark or with more candlelight until the sun comes up. What I can tell you is that I feel more rested than I have in a long time and my whole system is so appreciating this slower, darker time. To feel rested is a miracle; I believe it is a rare thing these days.

Soon it will be lighter and I’m guessing that because I did not overdo this season, I’ll have more energy to do more then. And because it is still mostly dark, I’m also asking what else I need to nourish myself before the light returns. The message I keep getting is to keep going. My system is not yet ready to shift gears. A tiny part of me is afraid it will never shift back to more activity, and the rest of me is good with more quiet and rest. Living on a farm really helps me see just how nature is dealing with winter. Answer: by not doing much visible. A lot is happening that is invisible as earth prepares for the spring by being fallow for now. It’s a lot like Savasana (Yoga relaxation pose). I often say that Savasana is the most important no-thing you can do. Lying down doing nothing at all changes everything, and research backs that up.

Do we do this every night? No, not every night, but once we got started it had a way of pulling us back in again night after night. Most nights for sure.

I will also say here, that in this time of ongoing political unrest and our rights being violated everywhere we look, that I am feeling calmer than usual even as I am angrier than usual. Does this make sense? It is true. I somehow have time to take the actions that are meaningful to me to help create the world I want to live in, where others can feel safe as well. I’m, well, a little surprised and amazed. Rest up and you’ll understand what I mean. - Marcia Miller

01/21/2026

Saturday February 28 • 7pm - 8:30pm PST

Join: Sukhawat Ali Khan leads Cali Qawwali, a soulful qawwali ensemble. Performances by Cali Qawwali bring you group singing and an instrumental sound, combining introspective prayer and joyful celebration. This music is performed both in unplugged and in electric abandon. Cali Qawwali’s unique spiritual music calls upon traditional Sufi and classical raag-based songs from Pakistan and India, new compositions, Bollywood, kirtan, ghazal and folk. The music is nourished by Sukhawat Ali’s immersion in the Shaam Chaurasi gharana, his musical family dating from the sixteenth century. Lyrics are in Urdu/Hindi, Punjabi, Arabic and Persian, sometimes combined effortlessly in one song. The audience is often invited to clap, sing and move with the band, creating a Cali Qawwali form of dhamaal, which is a song and dance seen at Sufi shrines.

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Integral Yoga Institute San Francisco

02/18/2026

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