Stu Girling is a yoga teacher, anatomy expert and author. He runs Love Yoga Anatomy online and on Youtube, and is the author of Illustrated Yoga Anatomy book. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions about yoga, ashtanga, avoiding injury and maintaining healthy bodies.  We asked questions such as: How to return to yoga practice after pregnancy? How to do yoga asana with sciatica? Avoding ankle pain in lotus pose Why should spiritual yogis care about anatomy? How crosstraining can...

There’s been a lot said and written about the changes female yogis go through when they become mothers. Now, for the first time, we discuss Ashtanga Yoga and fatherhood. Our guests, Mark Robberds, Prem Carlisi, and Scott Johnson have about 80 years of practice and teaching experience between them, close to 100 if you include me.  Mark and I are new fathers, Scott Johnson’s kids are teenagers, and Prem is a grandfather. It was really special to sit with a group of men and learn about...

Ben Goresky is a counsellor, coach, and explorer of consciousness. He is involved in addiction recovery and working with men as part of the Samurai Brotherhood. He also teaches counscious relationship training, a modern take on the old yoga of coupling. Show notes Nathan and Ben are both recovered addicts and share deeply about abuse, drug addiction, and recovery. They delve into the spiritual practices that have helped Ben and Nathan on their journey to recovery and get into...

Ash Hope is a Brisbane-based Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga teacher and a student of Nancy Gilgoff. Her fascination about the body’s self-healing abilities led her to study CranioSacral therapy with the Upledger Institute in Singapore. Ash explores the practice of meditation in the Zen tradition and teaches traditional Mysore style classes in her shala in Fortitude Valley in Brisbane. Show notes Spiritual longing: From Eastern Germany to India Discovering Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga system after an...

Michael W. Taft is a meditation teacher, bestselling author, and the host of Deconstructing Yourself podcast. From Zen temples in Japan to yogi caves in India, Michael has been meditating for over thirty five years and has extensive experience in both Buddhist Vipassana and Hindu Tantric practice. Michael authored several books, including "The Mindful Geek, Nondualism: A Brief History of a Timeless Concept", and Ego (which he co-authored). Show notes Switching between incompatible...

Phil Mistlberger is an explorer of world's philosophic and esoteric traditions, transpersonal therapist, international seminar and workshop facilitator, and author with over thirty years of experience. Phil has written 7 books looking from different angles on wide variety of teachings and teachers. He has co-founded and founded schools and communities of inner work like Samurai Brotherhood, and traveled around the world to study and teach numerous courses and workshops. Show notes ...

Thomas Van Breda is a scholar of religion specialising in the western esoteric tradition. He joins us to discuss notorious occultist Aleister Crowley and his contribution to the evolution of modern yoga. In 1901, Crowley travelled to Sri Lanka and studied what seems to be a mixture of Ashtanga and Shaivite Yoga. When he returned to the UK he started teaching. Is it possible that he was one of the first western yoga teachers ever? Or did his bombastic and strange personality only obscure the...

Show Notes Maggi’s artworks especially sacred symbols and geometry What kingons and vedic concepts of gunas have in common Pattabhi Jois and Bikram back in the day A non dual experience slipping into a river How the warrior poses are the same as walking 70s Hairstyles and the subtle body How “The body accepts whatever practice you choose” Different catagories of healing The wisdom of working with the moon Pranic and apanic breathing and moon days Ashtanga and aging ...

While his words are often like poetry and his photos stun you with their raw aesthetics, it is that space beyond the form and beyond the mind that Ty invites us to discover and out which his reflections are generously springing from. He is the wizard of most intricate thought castles, the faqir juggling heavy philosophical constructs with lightness and innocence of a child, while his fascination for exploring the ways of embodiment of the creative principle that animates all life is like a...

Mumbai-based yoga practitioner and teacher, Deepa Rao shares her experience on Yoga and Meditation with us. Show notes Deepa's first spiritual recollections Amulets, yantras and experience growing up in a Brahmin familiy Goenka's Vipassana, practice and studies, aleviation of the fear of darkness Equanimity and challenges of daily life The story behind Trivikramasana How knowledge of mythology can help unravel deeper layers in your asana practice Using mantras, themes and...

Swami Jaya Devi Bhagavati is the Founder and Spiritual Director of Kashi Atlanta, a nonprofit urban yoga ashram that has served Atlanta for 21 years. She is an urban yoga monk, working to inspire people to live deeply, loving everyone along the way. Swami has studied yoga, pranayama (yogic breath), meditation, and healing in-depth since 1985. She took her monastic vows in the Saraswati lineage of Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati and was given the title Yoga Acharya (master teacher of yoga) in 2007. ...

Sebene Selassie is an African American Buddhist teacher. She has been studying Buddhism for 30 years and teaching for 10. She has worked extensively for not-for-profit organisations everywhere from the Tenderloin in San Francisco to refugee camps in Guinea, West Africa. This year, she published her first book via HarperOne titled You Belong: A Call for Connection.  In this enriching conversation we tackle the kind of tough subjects that we all think about but need to talk about more. Why...

Robert Moses has 50 years’ experience as a teacher of yoga and advaita vedanta. Robert served in the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers for 22 years. He is a founder and co-publisher of Namarupa – Categories of Indian thoughts, a magazine about the philosophies and arts of India. He is leading annual pilgrimages to sacred places of India and offering classes on Pranayama, Bandhas, Kriyas, Mudras as well as exploration of Hatha Yoga Pradipika online. Show notes First glimpses...

Dr. Erik Davis is an American writer, scholar, journalist and public speaker whose writings have ranged from rock criticism to cultural analysis to creative explorations of mysticism. Few people are able to talk about the spirituality with  a precision and accuracy born of a commitment to always remain open to the Mystery.  Erik shares his own path, describing how he maintains scientific viewpoint while also embracing the weird and unknown aspects in all religions, especially...

Leigh has been practicing meditation since 1985. He is the senior American student of the late Ven. Ayya Khema. He began teaching retreats in Europe and North America in 1997, and is the author of the book "Right Concentration - A Practical Guide to the Jhanas". This is first part of our in-depth exploration of different aspects of Buddhist teachings that Leigh generously took time and energy for. Episode 2 Show Notes Studying Buddhist suttas and commentaries, Visuddhimagga and...

Leigh has been practicing meditation since 1985. He is the senior American student of the late Ven. Ayya Khema. He began teaching retreats in Europe and North America in 1997, and is the author of the book "Right Concentration - A Practical Guide to the Jhanas". This is first part of our in-depth exploration of different aspects of Buddhist teachings that Leigh generously took time and energy for. Episode 1 Show notes The falling of the veil, spiritual hedonism and world trip The...

Norway-born, Kathmandu-based KPJAYI authorised level 2 Ashtanga yoga teacher, co-founder of the first Ashtanga studio In Oslo, buddhist practitioner and scholar of Himalayan languages and Tibetan philology - Ellen Johannesen shares with us her fascinating life story as we change between buddhist and yogic perspectives exploring the path to liberation. Show notes From contemporary dance to yoga Movement patterns, innate animal logic and asana The act of balancing or playing with the...

A lover of the ancient and obscure, Forrest Knutson is a yogi householder, writer and meditation teacher. He offers many great video instructions on Kriya Yoga and meditation on his YouTube channel, as well as through his courses and trainings. Show notes Search for Truth, "Hamsa" meditation and first spiritual experience Joining monastic community Lahiri Mahasaya and Babaji Wondering up in the hills Kriya Enlightenment equasion, samadhi, layman vs monastic practice "Remedial...

We are beyond excited to kick off the new year with these 2 beautiful guests - Deepika Mehta and Mark Robberds. Yoga couple, Ashtanga practitioners and movement specialists, teachers and successful Instagramers, humble and curious beings on the spiritual path - which of these labels come close to who they really are? Listen in! Show notes Deepika's path to spirituality Relationships, practice and parenthood Pareto principle in Mark's approach to maintaining the practice Aging:...

We are very happy to present to you this interview with Gregor Maehle that was recorded around a year ago. Gregor's path is a remarkable example of limitless determination to find the Truth. While not attempting to gain popularity and fame his ideas and views can be polarizing, provoking and challenging. He dismisses authorities, hierarchies, guru worship and other unhealthy group dynamics. By doing so he is not only living out authentically one of the fundamental yogic attitudes of willing...

Harmony Slater is Ashtanga Yoga practitioner and teacher based in Calgary, Canada. Her search for meaning led her from ballet dancing to studying philosophy, religion and psychology, travelling to China to learn Buddhist meditation and eventually meeting Sri. K Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. In this lively conversation we talk about her path and discuss many other topics: Entranced by Sri Yantra - first mystical experiences Different internal drishtis during asana practice and the...

This is a second interview in our two-part special with yoga teachers Mary Taylor and Richard Freeman. In our first conversation we were primarily focusing on different aspects of the Yoga practice. Now in this episode we explore the relationship between Yoga and Buddhism. We look closely at the content of both teachings to understand how they intersect, whether they are talking about same or similar things just under different angles, what is the reason between different emphasis of those,...

Our hearts are filled with joy and gratitude, and we are honoured to bring you a very special series of conversations with a yogic couple, who have influenced the world of modern yoga probably more than anyone else. Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor dedicated their lives to practice and study of the spiritual traditions of the East and are sharing the knowledge revealed to them humbly and graciously with their students. Show notes Mary's reflections on her first spiritual experiences ...

Bhante Panna is an American monk living in a forest monestry near Bangkok. He has a popular Instagram (@bronthepath} where he shares his life of contemplation. In this conversation we address monkhood, spiritual powers, communing with nature, ending racism, and liberation. I know you're going to like this one! Show Notes 2.50 Bhante’s spiritual awakening while climbing a mountain  11.40 The spirituality of Thailand  14.00 Bhante’s daily routine and life as a monk 24.00 How celibacy...

Anthony "Prem" Carlisi has been practicing and teaching Ashtanga yoga for over 40 years. He learned directly from Pattabhi Jois in 1978 for several months in Southern California. In 1979, he was amongst the first small group of Western students to study with Jois in his home town of Mysore, India. He is considered one of the American pioneers of Ashtanga yoga, along with David Williams, Nancy Gilgoff, David Swenson and Tim Miller. Prem was certified to teach the primary, intermediate and...