Teachers
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Swami RamanandaE-RYT 500, C-IAYTSwami Ramananda is the Executive Director of the Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco and a greatly respected senior teacher in the Integral Yoga tradition, who has been practicing Yoga for over 45 years. Ramananda offers practical methods of integrating the timeless teachings and practices of Yoga into daily life, and transforming the painful aspects of human experience into steps toward realizing one’s full potential. He leads beginner, intermediate and advanced level Yoga teacher training programs in San Francisco, and offers a variety of programs in many locations in the United States, Europe, and South America. Ramananda co-developed the Stress Management Teacher Training program with Swami Vidyananda, has trained many teachers to bring Yoga into corporate, hospital, and medical settings, and has taught mind/body wellness programs in many locations. He is a certified Yoga therapist and founding board member of the Yoga Alliance, a national registry that supports and promotes yoga teachers as professionals. He is a co-founder of The Spiritual Action Initiative (SAI) which brings together individuals committed to working for social justice for all beings and for the care and healing of our natural world. His warmth, wisdom, and sense of humor have endeared him to many.
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Rabbi David IngberRabbi Ingber was named by Newsweek as one of the top 50 most influential rabbis in the United States as well as by The Forward as one of the 50 most newsworthy and notable Jews in America. A major 21st Century Jewish thinker and educator, his rich perspective, open heart and mind, and full-bodied approach to Jewish learning has brought him to speak worldwide. He serves on the faculty for the Wexner Heritage Program, and the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America and Israel, and was an AJWS Global Justice Fellow. Rabbi Ingber has lectured extensively on the topics of spirituality, theology, Jewish mysticism, prayer, and meditation. He lives in Manhattan with his wife Ariel and their three children.
Program Description
This is part of the ongoing series Contemporary Mysticism: Paths to Spiritual Awakening hosted by the Integral Yoga Ministry.
Join us for an enlightening conversation exploring Jewish mysticism as a profound path
to personal liberation and spiritual enlightenment. Delve into the mystical teachings of
Kabbalah, exploring how Jews describe the highest goal of meditation and spiritual
practice. Discover the transformative power of Jewish mysticism, and how its ancient
wisdom can illuminate our understanding of self, purpose, and the universe. Whether
you’re new to Jewish mysticism or seeking deeper insights, this conversation promises
to inspire and illuminate your spiritual journey.
Jewish mysticism, particularly in the Kabbalistic tradition, often describes the highest
goal of meditation as devekut, or cleaving to God, where the individual seeks to
transcend the self and become one with the divine. This state of unity is seen as the
ultimate source of liberation and enlightenment, where the barriers between the
individual and the divine are dissolved, and true spiritual union is achieved.
Swami Ramananda and Rabbi David will also explore how the teachings and practices
of the Kabbalah overlap and are synergistic with Integral Yoga Teachings, as well as
areas where they may differ.