Sri Ramakrishna taught the principles of yoga to help people live in greater awareness, happiness and freedom. He explained that the attributes of buddhi (witness consciousness) and grit are needed to grow in spiritual awareness.

In the 1960s I began studying yoga with Swami Kriyananda in Northern California. Around that time, he was building a 70-acre retreat center in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Through him I learned the importance and wonder of silence.

Classical kriya yoga is part of the Eightfold Path developed by Patanjali. It is especially helpful for busy people. Explore the three steps of kriya. Learn the practice of spinal breathing which can support your growth in higher awareness. Discover how kriya can bring more balance and harmony into your life.

Tantra is a wonderful type of yoga which is often misunderstood. The practice of tantra yoga can help you release negative patterns. The basic idea is that the dynamic power of God can free and change you. Instead of remaining stuck in bad habits, you can open yourself to the liberating and transforming power of the Divine.

In laya yoga you work directly with the chakras (energy centers) as a means of experiencing the harmony of body, mind and spirit. Through them you can unify your individual consciousness with Infinite Spirit everywhere. Yogis have found that the chakras are doorways to spiritual awareness.

Bhakti means love. Bhakti yoga, the yoga of devotion, works most effectively for people who are dominantly emotional. The great yogi Sri Ramakrishna (1836-1886) taught that bhakti yoga is the easiest and quickest way to find fulfillment.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is one of the greatest books ever written on yoga. Through the use of sutras (thread ideas), Patanjali explains the essential principles of yoga which can enrich your life in countless ways.