Jivamukti Yoga Satsang

The satsang is - within the mass culture - like little mushrooms here and there, and somebody, maybe a Christian and a Hindu and a Buddhist, come together; doesn't matter, because those are paths. They're paths to the One. But those satsangs are what the world needs. And as I say - heart to heart - that's what satsang is.

- Ram Dass

Satsang is of the utmost importance to those who practice Jivamukti Yoga.

As Sharon Gannon, the co-Founder of the Jivamukti Yoga method, wrote in a Focus of the Month essay in December 2012:

"Sat means "truth” and anga means “attachment,” so the word satsang means “to be attached to the truth” (satsanga is the Buddhist equivalent). Traditionally satsang meant to keep the company of the enlightened, to spend time with your guru or a saint, or to make pilgrimage to a holy place where a saint may have lived or taught. Of course it is not always possible to live 24/7 with a saint, so the practice of satsang involves doing your best to make the most of your time. It doesn’t mean that you immediately have to quit your job, move away from your family or divorce your husband or wife because they are not yogis. What it does mean is that when you do have a choice as to how to spend your free time, you spend it with kindred spirits. You go to a yoga class every day after work, you attend evening meditation classes or join a kirtan group and chant God’s name, or attend a weekly lecture on the Bhagavad Gita, or sign up for Sanskrit lessons, or go away for a weekend spiritual retreat. Satsang can also take more subtle forms, like surrounding yourself with inspiring books and reading the Yoga Sutra, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, biographies of saints and yogis or mystical poetry. You can also start your own satsang, by inviting people to your house to practice meditation together once a week, or form a study group around a book that has inspired you."

The longer I practice and teach Jivamukti Yoga, the more important satsang has become. Because there is only so much time to discuss spiritual teachings during a Jivamukti Open class, as well as only so long its socially acceptable to connect with "others" before and after class, I have decided to offer a monthly satsang.

My Jivamukti Yoga Satsang will be offered on the last Saturday of every month (from 10:15-11:00) following my Jivamukti Open class (from 8:30-10). Though I will be hosting the satsang, and will be providing some guidance - perhaps by choosing to dive deeper into the spiritual concept, Sanskrit, sutra, shastra/scripture or practice that was our Focus of the Month - this is an opportunity to hear from and speak with kindred spirits, about matters of Yoga. The depth of yoga psychology and philosophy is normally not able to be adequately covered in a Jivamukti Open class, but over 45 minutes we will be able to explore Truth, in more depth, by discussing it together.

Given the generous nature of satsang, the Jivamukti Yoga Satsang is offered freely once a month at the Mindful Movement Hub (7-9 Tanner Street, Breakwater). However, if you would like to provide a small donation, or even elect to use one of your visit passes, this will help me to cover the small studio hire fee.

All beings, of all ages, racial and ethic backgrounds, gender and sexual identities, political and religious orientations, are welcome in our satsang.

Please, join us - heart to heart.