Sivananda Yoga Farm Articles, Podcasts, and Videos
Learn more about all the Sivananda Yoga Teachings and Practices
Your Mind is Your Best Friend or Your Worst Enemy
You are the observer of the mind. You are the witness of the mind. The mind is not you. It is your instrument. It is your tool. It is like when you drive a car. You don’t say the car is me. The car is a tool. You can stop it, you can start it , you can park it, and you can leave it alone. Observe the mind. How to do it: you realize that the mind functions in a certain way. So you have to learn about the mechanics of the mind, how the mind works. Here is an article on 5 Practices to Keep the Mind Elevated.
Guru is the Mirror: the Truth is Within
The Guru is the mirror shows that in order to find the Truth we need outside guidance. But after practice and learning we realize the Truth is within.
17 Loving Reminders for a New Year
17 Loving Reminders for a New Year by Swami Sitaramananda Om Namah Sivaya, Blessings and New Year greetings from the Sivananda Ashram in Dalat Vietnam! I am sitting on top of the mountain in Central Vietnam looking out to the lake, the distant mountains, and the pine...
Carrot Ginger Soup
Carrot Ginger Soup A favorite among guests and staff that is sure to deliver the warmth and comfort during these colder months. 1 quart of vegetable broth 2 lbs. carrots, peeled and chopped 2 tsp ginger, peeled and finely minced 2 tsp curry powder 1 tsp ground cumin...
Finding your Dharma through Selflessness
For finding your dharma, yoga recommends selflessness. Whatever skills you have or whatever you desire find the way to use that to help others.
The Path to Spiritual Success through Yama and Niyama
Success is when we are able to break through the chain of karma. In other words, success is being able to retrain ourselves not to repeat the same pattern of conditioned behavior which makes us unhappy. The reason we are not happy comes from the fluctuations of the...
How to Avoid Unhealthy Habits
To keep our minds from falling into repetitive negative patterns, we make our minds so focused on positive thoughts that there is no space for a negative thought or habit to enter. Events happen so that we can be molded into a better person. When we are faced with a...
How to Progress Towards Peace of Mind
Peace of mind is difficult to attain because our mind is changing and we fail to remember our true nature, which is already Perfect.
The Importance of Practicing Hatha Yoga Every Day
The first thing we teach you when you come to yoga is that you are not the body. That’s the first thing. It is not the last thing. It is the first thing. We teach you that you need to take care of the body but you are not the body. That is the principle...
The Yoga Way to Health, Peace, Truth and Spiritual Realization – reprinted from 1973
Everybody knows there is such a thing as Yoga, but only a few are aware of what it could and should mean for them and for the whole world. Many in the West regard it as a system of physical culture with only a few knowing it as a self-realization practice. What is...
Understanding Karma with Swami Vishnudevananda – reprinted from the 1970s
For understanding karma we can learn from the stories of our teachers. Swamiji here tells a few stories about karma manifesting in his life.
Yoga Life and Self Transformation
Yoga Life and Self Transformation is a film that describes an ancient path which can lead us to health and happiness. It is called Yoga.
Understanding Why We need to Meditate and the Benefits
"Meditation is the 'cessation of mental activities.' When your thoughs reduce by just 20 percent, you will experience relief and a self of self-control." - Swami Sivananda Meditation lies at the heart of any yoga practice. Once you feel comfortable practicing...
Treating Addiction through Yoga
Many people suffer from addictions because the mind has a natural tendency towards addiction. Continuous thought patterns develop a habit and we hold on to it thinking that this is just who ‘we’ are. The easiest and most effective way to remove these habits is...
Training Peace Leaders through Yoga
“The only way to change society is like changing a cotton cloth to a silk one — by changing each thread one by one.” – Swami Vishnudevananda Unity in Diversity In 1968, while meditating in the temple at the Sivananda Yoga Retreat on Paradise Island, Swami...
Mantras and Meditation: Fancy, Fiction and Fact – reprinted from 1970s
This article has been taken from the new Yoga Life book, published late last year. This is a collection of articles that come from the YOGALife magazine published by the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers from 1970 to 2012. Most of these articles are written by...
Subscribe to the Yoga Farm Newsletter for regular updates, articles, and upcoming events.
