The Teaching on Working with Your Mind with Swami Ramananda

Join Jivana Heyman in conversation with his longtime teacher and mentor, Swami Ramananda, a monk (sannyasi) in the Integral Yoga tradition. Swami Ramananda, who has dedicated nearly 50 years to the practice and teaching of yoga, shares profound insights, offering practical wisdom on working with the mind and cultivating inner peace. He discusses the challenges and rewards of monastic life, and how living in service has shaped his understanding of yoga practice. Together they explore the importance of spiritual community, the transformative power of meditation, and essential yogic concepts including non-attachment, surrender, and compassion.

In the second part of the episode, Jivana reflects on his 30-year yoga journey and how his practice has transformed his relationship with his mind. He shares that the concept of non-attachment has been a life-changing teaching, helping him understand that happiness comes from within, rather than external circumstances. Jivana emphasizes that yoga isn't about fixing ourselves but rather shifting our identification from ego to spirit, and he expresses gratitude for his teacher Swami Ramananda's influence on his practice and life.

Topics include:

• Jivana’s history with and departure from Integral Yoga
• The role of meditation in everyday life
• Non-attachment as a path to freedom while still engaging with the world
• Sangha (spiritual community) and how it supports yoga practitioners
• The relationship between inner practice and outer service
• Bhakti Yoga, prayer, and surrender
• Developing a compassionate relationship with ourselves

  

We Want to Hear from You!

What story, teaching, or practice inspires your yoga journey today? Submit your answer or any other questions you have for Jivana via Google Form: https://forms.gle/NtijeM82dSgU5jVD7 or leave a voice message here (90 second maximum): https://www.speakpipe.com/AccessibleYoga

Selected responses may be featured in future episodes!

 

Connect with Swami Ramananda:

Swami Ramananda, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, is the Executive Director of the Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco and a highly respected senior teacher in the Integral Yoga tradition, with over 45 years of dedicated practice. A certified Yoga therapist and founding board member of Yoga Alliance, Ramananda is known for his compassionate presence, deep wisdom, and ability to translate the timeless teachings of Yoga into accessible tools for everyday life.

He offers practical methods for transforming life’s challenges into pathways toward inner freedom and realizing one’s full potential. A co-founder of the Spiritual Action Initiative (SAI), Ramananda brings together individuals committed to social justice, environmental healing, and spiritual activism. His warmth, insight, and gentle humor have inspired and uplifted countless students on the path of Yoga.

@swami_ramananda_108 | facebook.com/Swami Ramananda 108

 

Connect with Jivana:

Check out Jivana’s books, Accessible Yoga, Yoga Revolution, and The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga, and get more information about Accessible Yoga at accessibleyoga.org

www.jivanaheyman.com | @jivanaheyman | facebook.com/jivanaheyman

 

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Credit: Mikus Dharma (they/them), AY Podcast Sound Engineer