Integral Yoga Institute

By Danielle Winston

A virtual candy land of yoga centers has sprouted up in our city. It’s nice to have one that hasn’t disappeared during the stampede. Instead it’s grown stronger with age. After over 40 years Integral Yoga Institute remains as one of the few non-profit ashrams in Manhattan. IYI illustrates the whole-mind-body ideal in action. Linger awhile. Breath deeply. Experience an urban sanctuary housed in a West Village brownstone. As you enter the school’s welcoming doors, allow your mind to transport you back to a more innocent era. Founded in 1966 by Swami Satchidanandaji, the Institute offers Hatha Yoga classes for every conceivable body, ranging from beginner level to post partum.

If you are a potential student who has shied away from trying yoga because you’re out of shape and fear you won’t be able to keep up—you may find a home here. Whether it’s a student with HIV, severe back pain, or simply one in need of an extra gentle routine—IYI has tailored classes specifically for them and continues reaching out to new members of the community. A teacher I spoke with explained how she especially enjoyed working with special needs students, touched by the effort they put into the assanas. It is Integral’s belief that yoga should be accessible for everyone. When I spoke with the school’s director Swami Ramananda, he emphasized that even people in hospitals with very little mobility benefited from doing supported restorative poses and pranayama. He went on to say, how he wished to see the basic fundamentals of yoga being brought into everyday life more. Such as, learning to breathe properly. Stretching. And stress reduction techniques. IYI also teaches corporately to people in the workplace and children in the public school system.

However, IYI may not be right for those seeking a high-intensity Madonna-style power yoga workout. Chances are you won’t work up an athletic sweat but you will stretch your body, and increase flexibility. For those wishing to intensify stamina, advanced levels are taught by seasoned teachers. But the overall approach here is a more meditative one, incorporating chanting and breathwork in each class.

Expect a non-competitive vibe at Integral. It’s reflected in the causal way people dress, and the relaxed “do what you’re comfortable with” attitude of the teachers. The instructors offer their services as a form of karma yoga; so the overall feeling one gets is that of sharing. One student talked about his experience, “teachers don’t push you.” He went on to say, he appreciated the rhythm of the class. How from the start a teacher will ask if there is anyone who doesn’t want hands-on correction. You can raise your hand, while everyone has their eyes closed in meditation. After experimenting with different studios in the neighborhood he returned to IYI because he didn’t feel pressured into moving past his limits.

Open meditations are held Monday through Thursday and are free of charge. The institute’s curriculum offers myriad choices. Caribbean cooking. Heart healing Hatha. Even financial yoga is on the calendar. These ongoing workshops and events are geared for spiritual seekers and practical thinkers alike. Another student I spoke with said, the after-effects of her first yoga class were what surprised her most. As she began walking down Thirteenth Street, she claimed to speak entire sentences of French, even though she hadn’t spoken it since high school. She attributed the unusual shift to a dormant part of her psyche, being reawakened through meditation.

Practically the entire block encompasses IYI’S yoga home. After stretching your body, stop at the bookstore and limber your mind. Should you be curious about holistic health, there’s an apothecary right across the street. Perhaps you just want a snack after your Hatha? Just next-door is a gourmet vegetarian market. And if you happen to come by on Wednesdays between 4:30 - 6:00 pm you can benefit from a free diet and nutritional consultation from Manu Dawson.

These days there are more Hatha styles to choose from, than there are stops on the downtown 6 Train. This can be fantastic or fantastically confusing. Each brand of yoga has something different to offer, and every student has his or her own particular tastes. While you may not expect to unlock hidden languages after your first class at IYI, there’s a good chance you will leave feeling much more peaceful than when you arrived. Is inner calm what you seek? If so then you may respond to the integral approach, which seems more internal, giving a person the chance to take yoga off the mat and into their daily lives.

What is the attitude when you enter the Institute?
The receptionists take their time to explain anything you want to know. People show you around, tell you about the classes, and we have a lot of printed info you can take away.

Tell me about the rooms. What are they like?
Each of the 7 rooms is a different color and it is called by that name. Ranging from a class of 5-34 people. They are very sacred spaces because so much yoga has been done here over the years. The rooms are comfortable quiet oases of peace.

What types of people come here?
Every body type is welcome here. It’s so refreshing to have a place where people feel they don’t have to have a perfect body and a spandex exercise suit.

Swami Ramananda is president of IYI NY. A greatly respected senior teacher, he has dedicated his life to the teaching of yoga for over 30 years. He spoke about what makes the institute unique.

Where did the IYI Style originate?
The Hatha class was designed by Swami Satchidanandaji. The hallmark of his approach was portrayed in the name: it aspires to integrate all the aspects of the individual to help create personal transformation in all the levels of being.

How is IYI different that the other Yoga places in the city?
We’re a part of a lineage, teacher to student that dates back to the origins of yoga four thousand years ago. Our teachers have also brought Yoga into other aspects of their lives, such as: performing arts, relationships and psychotherapy. Many of them have created workshops here where they instruct how to integrate the teachings of yoga into every aspect of their lives.

Tell me about Raja Yoga. What it is?
Raja yoga is the study of the yoga sutras, which is often thought of the first scriptures that delineate yoga in their wholeness. It gives an almost scientific approach to all the levels of being and the levels of the mind.

What could a new student expect to take away after their first class?
A new student could get a snapshot of what yoga potentially has for them. And I think that’s the beauty in the class that swami Satchidanandaji designed. The class starts very gently, stretching, and healing the physical level. Then it’s even more relaxing with deep relaxation. And then it moves beyond the physical level with the breathing practices, which is stress relieving and works with the sensory emotional mind, calming the mind in general. The class includes a little chanting, and even a brief moment of meditation.

What would you say to a new student who’s never tried yoga before?
Our society is so image conscious it’s common in our culture to feel uncomfortable about being a beginner, and of course that’s completely contradictory to the whole way of teaching yoga. Our center is specifically oriented for beginners. To help them understand that there’s no competition necessary, make them understand the benefit of Yoga is in fact to customize the practice to your own body. Not to try to meet some defined standard.

Chandra is the administrative director and a teacher at IYI.

Integral Yoga Institute
227 West 13th Street, NYC 10011 - 7794
212-929-0586; www.iyiny.org

Nearest Subway Stop: W. 14th Street or East Side, Union Square
Hours of Operation: M-F 9:30am-8:30pm: Sat. 8:15 am-6:00pm & Sun. 10:00am-6:00pm

Upcoming Classes & Workshops of interest at IYI:

• Free Open Meditation M-Thurs. 12:15am & 8:30pm
• Free first-time Hatha Intro Class for New Students Sat. 10:15 am
• Raja Yoga Study Group Led by Swami Ramananda Tues. Dec. 4th - Jan. 15th 6-7:30pm Drop in classes $8.
• Annual Christmas Eve Celebration Service: Monday Dec. 24th 5-6:30pm by donation.
• The First Annual Day for Your Spirit, a Free Open House: January 26th 12-7pm