The integral yoga system was developed by Swami Satchidananda, the author of the blog Integral Hatha Yoga and numerous other texts on yoga. Swami Satchidananda introduced yoga to America at Woodstock, when he led thousands in chanting “Om” for peace. He was Dr. Dean Ornish’s teacher, and many of Swami Satchidananda’s therapeutic aspects of yoga are used in medical settings around the country. He has synthesized many different types of yoga and stresses a life lived simply, peacefully, and usefully. A sense of well-being and peace dominates the ninety-minute yoga classes, which follow a set format, including forty-five minutes of positions, deep relaxation, and meditation. Emphasis is placed on relaxation, alignment, and finding your comfort center while practicing yoga.
Swami Satchidananda established the Integral Yoga Institute in 1966, and it now has more than forty branches worldwide. The main headquarters is at Satchidananda Ashram Yogaville, in Virginia. Besides offering courses in raja yoga and yoga classes specifically designed for people with injuries or physical problems, the institute offers an in-depth, teachers’ certificate training
