Swami Satchidananda

Sri Swami Satchidananda was one of the first Yoga masters to bring the classical Yoga tradition to the West. He was invited to America in 1966 by the iconic pop artist Peter Max and in 1969 opened the Woodstock Festival, becoming known as "the Woodstock Guru." His distinctive teachings blend six branches of classical Yoga, the spiritual philosophy of Vedanta (nonduality), and the interfaith ideals he pioneered. These concepts and practices influenced a generation and a spawned Yoga culture that is flourishing today. The organizations founded on his teachings, Integral Yoga International and Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville, are leading centers for Yoga teacher certification. Integral Yoga is the foundation for Dr. Dean Ornish's landmark work in reversing heart disease and Dr. Michael Lerner's noted Commonweal Cancer Help program. He is the author of many books on Yoga and is the subject of the documentary, Living Yoga: The Life and Teachings of Swami Satchidananda.