CHITHEADS with Jacob Kyle (Embodied Philosophy) (Jacob Kyle)

Dr. Chris Walling, PsyD, SEP, C-IAYT has been an active leader in healthcare for nearly two decades. His work integrates the developmental, biological, and somatic aspects of the lifespan. His work in academic medicine has included the administration of multidisciplinary leadership teams in hematology-oncology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and geriatric psychiatry. He is a Clinical Research Fellow in the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium at the Kinsey Institute located at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Dr. Walling is the current President of the United States Association of Body Psychotherapy, the hub of somatic psychology. His clinical focus in the behavioral sciences has examined the intersections of neuropsychotherapy, affect regulation, and somatic psychotherapy. Dr. Walling is the former Executive Administrator for the UCLA Longevity Center and Division of Geriatric Psychiatry. He currently serves as the Vice President of Education at the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation where cutting-edge research is conducted in geriatric integrative medicine. Dr. Walling is also a member of the Somatic Experiencing Research Committee at the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute in Boulder, Colorado. Dr. Walling is a clinical associate at the New Center for Psychoanalysis and a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in Los Angeles, California.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Blending body work, yoga and anatomy, Zachery Dacuk coined the practice of Conscious Embodiment. Chitheads and Jacob Kyle had the opportunity to sit down with Zach to talk with him about his 15-year journey into holistic healing where he developed an experiential practice that integrated postural analysis and fascia movement. Based in New York City, Zach provides an anatomy curriculum to students and renowned teachers all over the United States. Zach is a registered yoga teacher, licensed massage therapist, and since 2002 has built a successful and innovation bodywork practice that applies the teachings of yoga, Shiatsu, fascial manipulation and Kinesis Myofascial Integration.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we discuss:

1. How David found yoga, his evolution as a teacher, and the teachers who have influenced him.
2. His current view on his 2012 interview in New York magazine: David Regelin's Unorthodox Style of Yoga
3. Yoga skepticism 
4. Yoga as a human science
5. A few principles from his Geometry of Yoga
6. The 200-hour yoga teacher training model

David Regelin is a traveling yoga teacher based in New York City. Sought after for his workshops and teacher's intensives, his unique talent for simple yet precise articulation of form and technique, echo in the bodies and minds of his students. As a young teacher, David was at the forefront of what became a popular trend of choreographed vinyasa classes to the sound of live music. He created the "Multi-Intenso" experience, a class that garnered a cult following in New York City. "Multi-Intenso" is a technique based, athletic and dynamic style of yoga centered around handstands. Over time, David's reflective nature and incessant personal investigation into the potential transformative powers that a yoga practice can give, has led him to a more comprehensive approach to how physical form relates to psychological and emotional states. Inclined toward the mystical and timeless, greatly influenced by intensive study with Nevine Michaan, David's practice and teaching have evolved into a more refined adaptation of how an asana (postural) practice can instigate profound mind-body awareness.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marcy Braverman Goldstein, Ph.D., began teaching Sanskrit and the history and philosophies of yoga in the 1990s. To design her courses, she draws from her academic training and 20 years of yoga practice. At UNC Charlotte she teaches “Yoga Through the Ages.” Since creating Sanskrit Revolution, Marcy has taught at more than three dozen studios, teacher training programs, conferences, and festivals nationally. Her passion is to help people discover the history and fascinating linguistic foundation of yoga. In this episode of the Tarka Journal Podcast republished on the Chitheads Podcast, Stephanie and Jacob speak to colleague and friend, Marcy Braverman Goldstein about an article she wrote for the Scholar-Practitioner Issue of Tarka, titled "Is Academia (Like) a Religion?" 

GET ARTICLE HERE: https://www.embodiedphilosophy.com/is-academia-like-a-religion/ In this episode, we discuss:

1. Marcy’s view of the scholar-practitioner and how it has informed her approach to research and teaching.
2. Defining emic and the etic and balancing the insider vs. outsider perspectives.
3. The path of the seeker.
4. The study of Sanskrit as a practice.
5. Identifying the dimensions of religion found in academia.
6. Parallels between academia and the religious quest.
7. Challenging the ideological conformity of modern academia and encouraging new spaces of intellectual activity outside the modern university.

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In this episode, we discuss:

1. Role of his travels and his perennial philosophy
2. Using metaphors to make sense of non-duality (e.g. “hole in the cheese”)
3. Position of the status of education in this country from the perspective of his perennial position (occupational oriented vs. wholeness as a person, process of individuation as children)
4. Exile and Return
5. Verifiability
6. Wonder and the extraordinary beauty of life

John Greer has spent nearly twenty years inquiring deeply into sacred texts and teachings of the world's traditions, spurred by his own spiritual search. He is a dedicated practitioner of meditation and has taught insight meditation for over a decade. John Greer holds a Ph.D. in education from Pennsylvania State University, and in three decades as a professor at the University of Memphis published numerous articles, co-authored several books on education and special education and was a recipient of the university's highest award for distinguished teaching. He also served for two years in Nepal with the Peace Corps and has traveled extensively on six continents. He lives with his wife in Memphis. To learn more about John Greer and his work, visit www.SeeingKnowingBeing.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we discuss:

1. Yoga’s evolution in New York City immediately following 9/11 and how Susanna found a yoga practice rooted in an intelligent spiritual worldview
2. Does everything happen for a reason? How Karma and Lila (divine play) interact in our lives.
3. Yoga of cancer as a deep inner conversation with the body rather than the language of battle.
4. What is pilgrimage? Can we engage in pilgrimage even if we can’t travel to spiritual sites?
5. Susanna’s pilgrimage with Kali, the Mother Goddess who represents all possibility.
6. Choosing who to walk through your (inner) life with.

Susanna Harwood Rubin is the author of Yoga 365: Daily Wisdom for Life On and Off the Mat. She is a yoga teacher, writer, and artist whose work is rooted in South Indian Philosophy. Based in NYC, Susanna teaches internationally and speaks on yoga, meditation, and Hindu myth. Her spiritual home is in Chidambaram, at the great Nataraja and Tillai Kali Temples. She teaches  Devi Soul Yoga, combining yoga asana with mantra, myth, and mudra, and is the creator of 30 Things and Writing Your Practice workshops and online courses that apply yoga philosophy and myth to the practice of writing. Susanna writes for numerous publications and has been featured on HuffPostLive, MSNBC Today, SHE Summit, Yoga Journal, Mantra Wellness, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Layering traditional kirtan with instantly accessible melodies and modern instrumentation, Krishna Das has been called yoga’s “rock star.” With a remarkably soulful voice that touches the deepest chord in even the most casual listener, Krishna Das” known to friends, family, and fans as simply KD” has taken the call-and-response chanting out of yoga centers and into concert halls, becoming a worldwide icon and the best-selling western chant artist of all time. His album ‘Live Ananda’ (released January 2012) was nominated for a Grammy in the Best New Age album category. KD spent the late ’60’s traveling across the country as a student of Ram Dass, and in August 1970, he finally made the journey to India, which led him to Ram Dass’ own beloved guru, Neem Karoli Baba, known to most as Maharaj-ji. Given the name Krishna Das, KD began to chant as part of following the path of Bhakti yoga, the yoga of devotion. In this episode, we discuss:

1. Spiritual awakening and the need for a deeper connection.
2. The potency of chanting the divine names.
3. Chanting divine names as a way to wake up.
4. The real meaning of divine names.
5. The role of a teacher in the life of a contemporary seeker.
6. The purpose of the spiritual path.
7. Finding freedom by learning to trust ourselves.

More from Krishna Das: Join Krishna Das on a journey with chanting, stories, and discussion in this 4-Module Course. Learn more and register here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

William K. Mahony is the Charles A. Dana Professor of Religion and Chairman of the Religion Department at Davidson College, where he teaches courses on the religions of India. He also teaches workshops, trainings and retreats on yoga philosophy across the US and abroad. His books include The Artful Universe: An Introduction to the Vedic Religious Imagination (1997) and Exquisite Love: Heart-Centered Reflections on the Narada Bhakti Sutra (2014).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spring Washam is a well known meditation and dharma teacher based in Oakland, California. She has studied numerous meditation practices and Buddhist philosophy since 1997. She is a founding member and core teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center located in downtown Oakland. She has practiced and studied under some of the most preeminent meditation masters in both the Theravada and Tibetan schools of Buddhism. She has completed a 6 year teacher training program under the guidance of Jack Kornfield and is now on the teacher’s council at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California. Spring is considered a pioneer in bringing mindfulness based healing practices to diverse communities and is committed to creating opportunities for disenfranchised people everywhere. She is also the founder of Lotus Vine Journeys, a Retreat company that connects Ancient Medicine to Buddhist wisdom.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Marianne Garneau lives in New York City, where she is a graduate student in philosophy at the New School for Social Research. She is a "stay-at-home" mom, who devotes most of her time to labor organizing for industrial workers of the world, and part of her time to writing articles about politics. She also works as an editor.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kavitha M. Chinnaiyan, MD, is the author of Shakti Rising: Embracing Shadow and Light on the Goddess Path to Wholeness. She became drawn to the Direct Path through the teachings of Greg Goode and Sri Atmananda Krishna Menon. She has studied yoga, Sri Vidya Sadhana, Vedanta, and tantra through Chinmaya Mission and the teachings of Sri Premananda, Sally Kempton, and Paul Muller-Ortega. Chinnaiyan blends her expertise in cardiology with her knowledge of Ayurveda, yoga, Vedanta, tantra, and the Direct Path in her program for patients to discover bliss amid chronic illness. She is an integrative cardiologist at Beaumont Health System, and associate professor of medicine at Oakland University Beaumont School of Medicine in Rochester, MI.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeffery D. Long is Professor of Religion and Asian Studies at Elizabethtown College, in Pennsylvania. He is associated with the Vedanta Society, DĀNAM (the Dharma Academy of North America) and the Hindu American Foundation. A major theme of Long's work is religious pluralism, a topic he approaches from a perspective informed by the process philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead and which he refers to as a "Hindu process theology." Dr. Long has authored three books, A Vision for Hinduism: Beyond Hindu Nationalism, Jainism: An Introduction, and The Historical Dictionary of Hinduism. He has published and presented a number of articles and papers in various forums including the Association for Asian Studies, the Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy, and the American Academy of Religion. He is currently working on three manuscripts: Indian Philosophy: An Introduction, a book on Hinduism in America, and another on Swami Vivekenanda and his teachings.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The utility of righteous anger in activism.
• Spiritual practice as an expression of disrupting violence in the world.
• Discomfort as the place where realization and freedom arises from.
• Orienting to the collective - holding my needs and the needs of the collective together. 
• The necessity of a commitment to practice for to create change.
• Dharma as a path to freedom, liberation, complete. 
• Becoming yourself to free yourself.

Lama Rod Owens is a Buddhist minister, author, activist, yoga instructor and authorized Lama, or Buddhist teacher, in the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism and is considered one of the leaders of his generation of Buddhist teachers. He holds a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School and is a co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love and Liberation. Owens is the co-founder of Bhumisparsha, a Buddhist tantric practice and study community. Has been published in Buddhadharma, Lion’s Roar, Tricycle and The Harvard Divinity Bulletin, and offers talks, retreats and workshops in more than seven countries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, author and Embodied Philosophy faculty, Andrew Holecek, is in conversation with Stephanie Corigliano and Jacob Kyle, as they discuss Andrew’s article, “Is the West Ready for Tantra?” an article released in the latest issue of Tarka.  Explore the latest Tarka issue here. About the Guest Andrew Holecek has completed the traditional three-year Buddhist meditation retreat and offers seminars internationally on meditation, dream yoga, and the art of dying. He is the author of Preparing to Die: Practical Advice and Spiritual Wisdom from the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition; Meditation in the iGeneration: How to Meditate in a World of Speed and Stress; The Power and the Pain: Transforming Spiritual Hardship into Joy; the audio learning course Dream Yoga: The Tibetan Path of Awakening Through Lucid Dreaming, and his latest book Dream Yoga: Illuminating Your Life Through Lucid Dreaming and the Tibetan Yogas of Sleep. Dr. Holecek is a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and has authored scientific papers. His work has appeared in Parabola, Lion's Roar, Tricycle, Utne Reader, Buddhadharma Magazine, Light of Consciousness, and many other periodicals. Andrew holds degrees in classical music, biology, and a doctorate in dental surgery. In this episode, we discuss:

1. What makes practices “Tantric”.
2. Why and when Tantra can be risky.
3. Why it’s important to have a teacher and how much power a teacher should have.
4. The 4 types of guru.
5. Psycho-spirituality & the different vectors of growing up versus waking up.
6. What is reality from the perspective of Tibetan Buddhism?
7. The role of devotion in Tantric practice.

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In this episode, we discuss:

1. Quantum physics is an astounding entry into consciousness and puts trans-personal psychology on the map.
2. Why spiritual teachers talk so much about quantum physics.
3. Key features and principles of Quantum Physics and the role of the observer, quantum collapse, quantum entanglement, and downward causation.
4. How we actually live according to the quantum worldview and manifest our reality.
5. How archetypes are our internal stimuli, the divine waiting for us to act, and the lifestyle of living around a certain archetype. 
6. Creativity, the power of intention and what comes next.
7. What is a quantum activist and how do we become one.

Theoretical Quantum Physicist Dr. Amit Goswami is a retired full professor from the University of Oregon’s Department of Physics where he served from 1968 to 1997. He is a pioneer of the new paradigm of science called “science within consciousness,” an idea he explicated in his seminal book, The Self-Aware Universe, where he also solved the quantum measurement problem elucidating the famous observer effect. Goswami has written several other popular books: The Visionary Window, Physics of the Soul, The Quantum Doctor, Creative Evolution, God is Not Dead, HowQuantum Activism Can Save Civilization, Quantum Creativity: Think Quantum, Be Creative, Quantum Economics: Unleashing the Power of an Economics of Consciousness. In his most recent book, The Everything Answer Book (April 2017), Goswami's basic premise is that quantum physics is not only the future of science, but it is also the key to understanding consciousness, death, God, psychology, and the meaning of life. In short, quantum physics offers a theory of everything. In his private life, Goswami is a practitioner of spirituality and transformation. He calls himself a quantum activist. He appeared in the film What the Bleep Do We Know!? and its sequel Down the Rabbit Hole as well as the documentaries Dalai Lama Renaissance and the award-winning The Quantum Activist.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

JP Sears is an emotional healing coach, YouTuber, author, international teacher, speaker at events, world traveler, and curious student of life.  His work empowers people to live more meaningful lives.  JP is the author of “How To Be Ultra Spiritual,” which was published by Sounds True in 2017.  He is very active with his online videos where he encourages healing and growth through his humorous and entertainingly informative videos, including his hit Ultra Spiritual comedy series, which has accumulated over 100 million views.  You can learn more about JP and his work at AwakenWithJP.com.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anneke Lucas founded Liberation Prison Yoga in 2014. Aside from her duties as executive director , Anneke trains new volunteer instructors on site. She also teaches regularly at several of the eight facilities where LPY has weekly programs. She conducts trainings and workshops for yoga instructors, mental health professionals and NYC DOC and DOP employees,  to bring yoga and mindfulness into work with traumatized populations. Anneke is regularly invited to speak at conferences and universities about the subject of trauma, incarceration, and sex-trafficking. In 2013, Anneke started two groups  at the Woman’s Jail at Rikers Island for survivors of sex-trafficking.  Anneke herself experienced and witnessed some of the worst atrocities known to humankind – before she reached the age of 12. Her background, the obstacles she overcame, and the insights she received into the nature of the human psyche on her journey to health are an inspiration to students inside and outside of prisons, and audiences around the world. The continued healing she receives from her work reminds her that human connection is the agent for change, in teacher and student, provider and client.  In 2008, Anneke created a 500 Hour Yoga Alliance RYT program for a New York City based yoga studio. From 2011 to 2014 Anneke was director of Prison Yoga Project New York. She graduated from the Screenwrting program at AFI in 1993, published a novel in her home country, Belgium, and wrote many articles about yoga and trauma. She has been working on a book about her childhood, previewed in an article about her work in the prisons.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we discuss:

1. Neil’s documentary film, Gurukulam, which explores a living Advaita Vedanta lineage through sensory ethnography
2. What brought Neil to his path
3. Triple process of study for knowledge - listening, logical reflection, contemplative understanding
4. Experienced hunting, the need for a teacher and reflections on the current state of "Gurus"
5. The Western concept of Karma yoga vs. the way it is traditionally defined
6. Cultural appropriation, academia, yoga practitioners, the market of yoga and how we are manifesting these issues

Neil Dalal is Associate Professor of South Asian Philosophy and Religious Thought at the University of Alberta, where he teaches in both the Philosophy Department and Religious Studies Program. He received his PhD in Asian Cultures and Languages from the University of Texas at Austin where he specialized in Sanskrit and Indian philosophy, and an MA in East-West Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies. Dalal’s interests explore philosophy of mind, contemplative psychologies, and meditation practices found in classical South Asian Yoga systems. He grounds this research in classical Sanskrit texts and commentaries as well as their living traditions. Dalal’s current research focuses on the intersections of contemplative practices, textual study, and embodiment in Advaita Vedānta. He is the co-director of Gurukulam (The Orchard/Sony Pictures), a sensory-ethnographic study of a contemporary Advaita Vedānta community, co-editor of Asian Perspectives on Animal Ethics (Routledge Press), and has published articles in venues such as the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Journal of Indian Philosophy, and Journal of Hindu Studies. Dalal is also a teacher within the traditional lineage of Śaṅkarācārya’s Advaita Vedānta. He spent several years living a monastic lifestyle in India while studying under the direct guidance of the renowned Advaita Vedāntin, Swami Dayananda Saraswati, who gave him permission to teach in 2002.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founder, Executive Director and President of the Board of Directors Integrative Restoration Institute Richard Miller, PhD is a clinical psychologist, author, researcher, yogic scholar and spiritual teacher. For over 40 years, Richard Miller has devoted his life and work to integrating the nondual wisdom teachings of Yoga, Tantra, Advaita, Taoism and Buddhism with Western psychology. Among his mentors were Jean Klein, T.K.V. Desikachar and Stephen Chang. Richard is the founding president and CEO of the Integrative Restoration Institute, co-founder of The International Association of Yoga Therapy and founding editor of the professional Journal of IAYT. He is also a founding member and past president of the Institute for Spirituality and Psychology and a senior advisor for the Baumann Foundation for the study of Awareness and its impact on well-being. Author of Yoga Nidra: The Meditative Heart of Yoga, Richard serves as a research consultant studying the iRest Yoga Nidra protocol that he has developed (Integrative Restoration ~ iRest, a modern adaptation of the ancient nondual meditation practice of Yoga Nidra) researching its efficacy on health, healing and well-being with diverse populations including active-duty soldiers, veterans, college students, children, seniors, the homeless, the incarcerated, and people experiencing issues such as sleep disorders, PTSD, chemical dependency, chronic pain, and related disorders. In addition to his research and writing projects, Richard lectures and leads trainings and retreats internationally.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bob Doto is the owner and director of Church Avenue Yoga and Bodywork Center in Brooklyn, New York City. He is a yoga instructor and massage therapist, who has been practicing Ashtanga Yoga under the guidance of Eddie Stern. Bob is a prolific writer on body-centered spirituality. He is a founding member of The Babarazzi; was the Managing Editor of internationally acclaimed journal of religious studies, Parabola; and was a founding member of the elusive post-art-punk band SPRCSS. Bob received his MFA in Writing & Poetics from Naropa University’s “Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics” in 2002, and is a graduate of the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stephen W. Porges, Ph.D. is a Distinguished University Scientist at Indiana University, where he is the founding director of the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium within the Kinsey Institute.  He holds the position of Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina and Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Maryland.  He served as president of both the Society for Psychophysiological Research and the Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences and is a former recipient of a National Institute of Mental Health Research Scientist Development Award.  He has published more than 300 peer reviewed scientific papers across several disciplines including anesthesiology, biomedical engineering, critical care medicine, ergonomics, exercise physiology, gerontology, neurology, neuroscience, obstetrics, pediatrics, psychiatry, psychology, psychometrics, space medicine, and substance abuse. In 1994 he proposed the Polyvagal Theory, a theory that links the evolution of the mammalian autonomic nervous system to social behavior and emphasizes the importance of physiological state in the expression of behavioral problems and psychiatric disorders. The theory is leading to innovative treatments based on insights into the mechanisms mediating symptoms observed in several behavioral, psychiatric, and physical disorders. He is the author of The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-regulation (Norton, 2011), The Pocket Guide to the Polyvagal Theory: The Transformative Power of Feeling Safe, (Norton, 2017) and co-editor of Clinical Applications of the Polyvagal Theory: The Emergence of Polyvagal-Informed Therapies (Norton, 2018). He is the creator of a patented music-based intervention, the Safe and Sound Protocol™, which currently is used by more than 1200 therapists to improve spontaneous social engagement, to reduce hearing sensitivities, and to improve language processing, state regulation, and spontaneous social engagement.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Livia is a pioneer in the intersection of yoga and psychology with a dedication to embodiment. She is known for weaving together yogic teachings, disciplined asana and somatic psychology in clear and meaningful ways inspiring teachers and students alike towards greater safety, trust and the discovery of their own truth. She is known for her wit, humor and fierce-love as well as her ability to actually “teach” yoga so you make it your own. A scholar-practioner, her passion for learning and irreverent reverence is infectious. Her methods of teaching straddle old school lectures and new school unconventional experiential models.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this interview with Dr. Cornel West, originally a keynote event from our July 2021 Spiritual Citizenship Online Conference, co-host for the conference, Oneika Mays, explores the relationship between Cornel West’s spiritual and religious commitments and his political activism. By highlighting the example of his many decades of work, through this conversation we arrive at a notion of what it means to be a spiritually-informed citizen. They explore what, from Dr. West’s perspective, are the most important things we can do today to start living our spiritual practices in a politically engaged way. About Cornel West... Dr. Cornel West is Professor of the Practice of Public Philosophy at Harvard University and Professor Emeritus at Princeton University. Cornel West graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard in three years and obtained his M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy at Princeton. He has written 20 books and has edited 13. He is best known for his classics, Race Matters and Democracy Matters, and for his memoir, Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud. His most recent book, Black Prophetic Fire, offers an unflinching look at nineteenth and twentieth-century African American leaders and their visionary legacies. Dr. West is a frequent guest on the Bill Maher Show, CNN, C-Span and Democracy Now. He has a passion to communicate to a vast variety of publics in order to keep alive the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. – a legacy of telling the truth and bearing witness to love and justice. Dr. West is the co-host of the new podcast Cornel West & Tricia Rose on The Tight Rope along with his esteemed friend and colleague Professor Tricia Rose, the Director of the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America at Brown University. In this episode, we discuss:

1. Bearing witness and responding to spiritual decay.
2. The necessity of community, of mutuality as part of citizenship.
3. How to intervene with ourselves.
4. Responding to hate with love, cultivating loving-kindness.
5. Learning how to die to allow for growth.
6. Wrestling with suffering.
7. Transfiguring grief, hurt, and pain into joy. 
8. The difference between hope and optimism.
9. Coming to terms with what it means to be human.
10. Finding ways to cultivate hope.
11. Joy in service to others.

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Gavin Flood is the Academic Director of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, Professor of Hindu Studies and Comparative Religion at Oxford University, and Senior Research Fellow at Campion Hall. He is a Fellow of the British Academy. Gavin read Religious Studies and Social Anthropology at Lancaster University and taught at the universities of Wales (Lampeter) and Stirling before coming to Oxford in 2005. His research interests are in medieval Hindu texts (especially from the traditions of Shiva), comparative religion, and phenomenology. Recent books are Religion and the Philosophy of Life (Oxford University Press, 2019); Hindu Monotheism (Cambridge University Press, 2021); and The Truth Within, a History of Inwardness in Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism (Oxford University Press, 2013). He is interested in Tantric Knowledge and is currently working on an edition and translation of a Sanskrit text called the Netra Tantra and a book, A Phenomenology of Holiness. He is general series editor of the Oxford History of Hinduism. In this episode, we discuss:

• How to approach Hinduism as both a monotheism and polytheism.
• Unpacking the distinction between monotheism, monism, and emanationism.
• How one extracts an ethical perspective from Śaivism.
• Why philology has received a bad reputation and how we might reconsider it.
• Hinduism as an orthopraxy rather than an orthodoxy.
• The theological significance of Śaiva-Śākta and the 13 Kālīs.
• Śaiva-Śākta Meditation as expanded awareness.

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Jacob Kyle sat down with Bob Thurman and Isa Gucciardi at the 2017 Science and Nonduality Conference in San Jose, California, after attending their workshop, "Shamans and Siddhas". Scroll down to listen to their wide-ranging conversation on peace and the Dalai Lama.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Françoise Bourzat has been bridging the divide between western psychology and indigenous wisdom for the past 30 years in collaboration with healers in Huautla de Jimenez, Mexico, on the optimal applications of the psilocybin-containing mushrooms for healing and growth . She is the Founder of the Center for Consciousness Medicine and is the co-author of Consciousness Medicine. Françoise was part of the advisory board for Oregon Prop 109 initiative. She is currently collaborating with the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in an FDA approved research study on psilocybin assisted therapy for Covid related grief in Los Angeles. She has a Master of Arts in Somatic Psychology and is Hakomi trained. Françoise has taught at CIIS in San Francisco, is a counselor, and runs online courses and lectures in various institutions. She is a sought-after keynote speaker that has traveled the world sharing her message, along with the Mazatec tradition, to international audiences around the globe. In this episode we discuss:

1. Plant medicine journeying as therapy - incorporating expanded states into our growth process.
2. Psychedelic Psychotherapy Renaissance and the Neo-shamanistic movement.
3. The importance of rooting in lineage, indigenous context, the thread of permission, and respectful sharing.
4. The spiritual dimension of healing and avoiding spiritual bypassing.
5. The relationship between pain and suffering; and the role of meaning in the transmutation of suffering.
6. The role of fear and what it is that we’re afraid of.
7. Françoise's five-part holistic model: body, mind, spirit, community, and environment.

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After receiving his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Harvard, Richard Katz began a journey beyond the confines of psychology, into a world of experiences nourished by Indigenous knowledge and its emphasis on spirituality.   He traveled in 1968 to the Kalahari Desert to work with the Ju/’hoansi, Indigenous peoples who, as primarily hunter-gathers, offer a view into the fundamental evolutionary roots of our human behavior.  He experienced how their spiritually-infused healing energy expanded and became renewable, so, in a synergistic manner, the healing of one became the healing of all.   Over the past 55 years, Katz has lived and worked with other Indigenous healers, experiencing that same spiritually nourished healing energy pervading daily life.  They asked him to bring their teachings to Western health care so as to make it more appreciative of diversity, more committed to social justice, and more respectful of the importance of community and spirituality in health and healing.   Katz stresses that while Indigenous knowledge is always offered freely – it cannot be sold on a fee-for-service basis – there is a cost.  That knowledge has been nurtured by Indigenous peoples through centuries of colonization and oppression.  To share in that knowledge we must commit ourselves to a path of service, not ego-enhancement or power; and give back to those who have been its guardians. Katz’s latest book, Indigenous Healing Psychology:  Honoring the Wisdom of the First Peoples is a culmination of his work.  Author royalties from that book will be given back to the Indigenous elders and healers whose teachings animate the book. Katz is presently a Professor Emeritus at the First Nations University of Canada, he can be reached at:  rkatz@firstnationsuniversity.ca In this episode we discuss:

1. Contemplative practices, popular approaches to alternative wisdom, psychedelics and indigenous healing.
2. The irreplaceable role of community in spiritual transformation.
3. Comparing western concepts of psychology to healing from indigenous points of view.
4. Notions of cultural appropriation and procedures for the transmission of teachings.
5. Orienting our purpose in passing on teachings and performing ceremonies in a context of service.
6. Principles of allyship.
7. The roles and responsibilities of elders.

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In this episode we discuss:
1. The philosophy of yoga nidra, the goddess of yoga nidra and the four states of consciousness. 
2. Yoga nidra as a state and as a systematic guided relaxation. 
3. Obstacles to rest in our culture.
4. Working with trauma and the importance of safety in moving toward rest.
5. The science of yoga nidra, accessing the place of healing and rejuvenation.
6. The relationship between liminal space and creativity.
7. How to set up a supportive yoga nidra nest. Tracee Stanley was introduced to the practice of yoga nidra in 2001. She immediately recognized it as a healing salve for the world and began to incorporate it into her life and her yoga teaching. She left her high-stress career as a Hollywood film producer to delve deeper into the study of the practices that were empowering and rejuvenating her, so she could share them with others. With over 20 years of experience practice and teaching in the Himalayan Tradition, Tantra and Sri Vidya, she also understands the demands of life as an entrepreneur, wife, and stepmom. Her effortless way of sharing ancient teachings in accessible ways is her superpower. She travels extensively to offer yoga nidra, meditation, self-inquiry, teacher trainings and workshops. As a gift to all of our listeners, Tracee is offering a 30% discount on her book “Radiant Rest” which is now on pre-order from the publisher’s site with the code RR30 until 3/31/21 at https://www.shambhala.com/radiant-rest.html.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Isa Gucciardi is the Founding Director and lead teacher of the Foundation of the Sacred Stream. The workshops and training programs of the Foundation are part of her larger vision for helping people who are interested in stepping into greater consciousness and leading happier lives. Her primary focus is on teaching, writing, and curriculum development. Isa is also the creator of the groundbreaking therapeutic model, Depth Hypnosis, which is born from her studies in transpersonal psychology, cultural and linguistic anthropology, comparative religion, hypnotherapy, and transformational healing. Isa has lived in eleven countries and she speaks five languages. The mother of two children, she is a potter and gardener, a stained glass artist, a piano enthusiast, and an herbalist. In addition to her busy teaching schedule, she has an active Depth Hypnosis counseling and consulting practice in San Francisco.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we discuss: 

• How religious fundamentalism is problematic
• Many gods and choosing one god to workshop
• The key to finding heaven here and now is the recognition of an omniscient God that is available to everyone at all times and in all spaces
• Distortion of the Hindu way of life by colonialism and the spread of a more open-minded approach to the divine
• Yoga of constant union   
• Defining features of the Vedic way of life
• Being in an age of darkness and transition

Vanamali Mataji resides in Vanamali Ashram, Rishikesh. Vanamali is one of the names of Lord Krishna and she is an ardent Krishna Bhakta. Mataji always dresses in lavender as that is the colour of Krishna in transcendence. She has published many books on the Hindu gods - The Complete Life of Krishna, The Complete Life of Rama, Shiva - stories and teachings from the Shiva Mahapurana, Hanuman - Devotion and Power of the Monkey God, The Science of the Rishis, In the lost city of Krishna, Nitya Yoga - (Essays on the Bhagavad Gita) etc. Mataji regularly conducts classes on the Vedic Way of Life and the Sreemad Bhagavad Gita both in the Ashram and abroad. The Ashram is run by her brother - Mohanji who is an exemplary Karma Yogi. The Ashram does a lot of charitable work in both Rishikesh and in a small Himalayan village called Gaja. About a hundred widows are being given rations and many have also been adopted by various philanthropists all over the world. They also help in running a small village school in Gaja and a tribal school in the Wyanad district of Kerala.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

About the Guest Daniel Simpson is the author of The Truth of Yoga, an accessible guide to yoga history and philosophy. His approach combines scholarly knowledge with humor and insight, informed by more than 20 years of practical experience. He holds a master's degree in yoga studies (from SOAS at the University of London) and teaches courses at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, on yoga teacher trainings and via his website, truthofyoga.com. In a previous career, he was a foreign correspondent, working for Reuters and the New York Times. In this episode, we discuss:

1. The relationship between intellectual knowledge and embodied experience.
2. How the evolution of yoga scholarship has impacted the space of modern yoga.
3. Reconciling ourselves to a more accurate representation of yoga history.
4. The re-enchantment of yoga.
5. Having an authentic relationship on our own terms with yoga here and now, and also with yoga tradition.
6. What does an ideal yoga teacher-to-yoga learner relationship look like today?
7. Faith, fidelity, and authenticity in our yoga practice.

NOTE: This episode was previously recorded as part of the Future of the Yoga Teacher Summit and is being republished for its depth and relevance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jacob Kyle speaks with Miles Neale and Isa Gucciardi about the corona virus, how we can skillfully respond to the situation, and why contemplative practice is so important at this time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shreena Gandhi is a part of the Religious Studies Department at Michigan State University, where is primarily teaches classes on religion and race in the Americas. She is currently finishing up edits on a manuscript, A Cultural History of Yoga in the United States, which looks at the impacts of race, gender and class on how yoga is practiced and commodified in religious and secular spaces. She is also collaborating with 4 other scholars of South Asian descent on an article titled Feminist Critical Hindu Studies in formation. Dr. Gandhi has presented her work nationally and internationally and is committed to intersectional scholarship and meticulous research grounded in facts. In this episode we discuss:

1. Whiteness, white supremacy, and cultural appropriation.
2. Honoring the roots of yoga.
3. Colonialism, capitalism, and war and their relationship to white supremacy.
4. Understanding orientalism and yoga.
5. Unrooting westernization and white supremacy in the studies of philosophy and religion.
6. Reflecting on privilege.
7. An affirmative vision of the project of the United States.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Born in New York City in 1952, Sharon Salzberg experienced a childhood involving considerable loss and turmoil. An early realization of the power of meditation to overcome personal suffering determined her life direction. Her teaching and writing now communicates that power to a worldwide audience of practitioners. She offers non-sectarian retreat and study opportunities for participants from widely diverse backgrounds.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we discuss:

1. Unreasonable happiness as a way to engage in this time of crisis 
2. Todd’s personal experience of spiritual awakening 
3. The fall from grace of two beloved gurus
4. Betrayal, resentment, grief, healing and forgiveness with boundaries as an act of self-love
5. A new student-teacher relationship and the foundation of Ashaya Yoga
6. Seeing everything in life as a path of awakening
7. Non-duality, integration of all of it - this is the spiritual practice

​Todd Norian, E-RYT 500, seeks to awaken others to their inherent potential for healing and joy by integrating the body, mind, and heart through yoga and meditation. Believing that yoga is a gateway for self-discovery and spiritual growth, Todd founded Ashaya Yoga in 2012 to guide his students through an alignment-based, heart-opening practice that builds strength and flexibility while giving them access to the universe of power within. A student of yoga since 1980, Todd brings advanced biomechanical knowledge, Shaiva Tantra philosophical teachings, and an unapologetic sense of humor to his international workshops and trainings. As a classically trained Jazz musician, Todd created several music albums for yoga and relaxation, including Bija: Soothing Music and Mantras for Yoga and Meditation. Learn more by reading Todd’s book, Memoir of a Jewish Yogi. For a listing of Ashaya Yoga Certified Teachers near you and a schedule of Todd’s upcoming teacher trainings, workshops, and retreats, visit ashayayoga.com. Practice with Todd online at www.yogainternational.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steve Peterson started Taoist Alchemy and Chi Kung on the recommendation of his family doctor.  The practices both had a dramatic effect on his health and set him on a new spiritual path.  He now teaches it to anyone and everyone who wants to learn.  In his day job, he manages software projects.  He lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina with his wife and family.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With her extensive background in health sciences, including studies in nutrition and dietetics at McGill university, degree in Psychology and extensive and ongoing training in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Angela pulls from a diverse background to offer the wisdom of traditional medicines combined with the most up-to-date, relevant and impactful options available for her patients and students. Angela has additional training in applied mindfulness based mediation, and runs a weekly mindful meditation group out of her clinic in Toronto.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ramesh Bjonnes is a writer, yogi and workshop leader. Currently residing in the United States, he lived in India and Nepal in the 1980s learning directly from an enigmatic master of Tantra. He has practiced yoga and meditation for over 30 years and lectured on Tantra, yoga and meditation in many countries. The co-founder of the Prama Institute, a holistic retreat center, he is also the Director of the Prama Wellness Center, where yoga therapy, meditation, juice fasting and Ayurveda is used to rejuvenate people’s health and wellbeing. He lives and practices in an eco-village in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, USA. His is the author of two books on Tantra, Sacred Body, Sacred Spirit (Innerworld, 2013) and Tantra: The Yoga of Love and Awakening (Hay House India, 2014).  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matthew Remski has been practicing meditation since 1996 and asana since 2000. He’s taught yoga, yoga philosophy, and Ayurveda in Toronto and beyond since 2005. He maintains an active Ayurveda consultation practice from his home, which he shares with his partner Alix, and their son Jacob. He’s authored several books on yoga and related subjects, and is working towards completing What Are We Actually Doing in Asana? — an examination of pain, injury, and healing in modern yoga. His blog hosts an average of 20K readers per month: http://matthewremski.com/wordpress/.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Medical anthropologist Alberto Villoldo has studied the shamanic healing practices of the Amazon and Andes for more than 25 years. He is the founder of the Four Winds Society, which trains modern shamans in the practice of energy medicine. He directs the Center for Energy Medicine in Chile, where he investigates and practices the neuroscience of enlightenment. Over the course of two decades with the shamans in the jungles and high mountains of the Andes, Villoldo discovered a set of sacred technologies that transform the body, heal the soul, and can change the way we live and die.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An artist, Advaita Tantra master and founder of the Flowing Wakefulness community, for over a decade Igor Kufayev has been serving as a conduit of transmission for awakening towards the new era of heart-centered consciousness. Speaking from direct realization of Oneness, he inspires all seekers of truth to recognize the fullest potential present in human birth. Many have been touched by Grace and awakened in his presence, as he continues working towards building a global community to serve as a container for exploring possibilities for alternative, consciousness-based culture.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With 22 books on spirituality and science, and translations in more than 25 countries, Ken Wilber is now the most translated writer on consciousness studies in the United States. He is seen as an important representative of transpersonal psychology, which emerged in the sixties from humanistic psychology, and which concerns itself explicitly with spirituality. For the fundamental and pioneering nature of his insights, he has been called "the Einstein of consciousness research”. His debut The Spectrum of Consciousness (1977) established his reputation as an original thinker, who seeks to integrate Western and Eastern psychology. No Boundary (1979), which summarizes this work, is one of his most popular books. His core works The Atman Project (1980) and Up from Eden (1981) cover the territories of developmental psychology and cultural history respectively. In his recent work, especially the voluminous Sex, Ecology, Spirituality (1995), he has criticized not only Western culture, but also counter-cultural movements such as the New Age. In his opinion, none of these approach the depth and detailed nature of the "perennial philosophy", the conception of reality that lies at the heart of all major religions, and which forms the background of all his writings. This fundamental work has been summarized too, in A Brief History of Everything (1996). In 2000 he founded the Integral Institute, a think-tank for studying issues of science and society in an integral way. He lives in Denver, Colorado.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laura Amazzone is a teacher, writer, intuitive healer, yogini and initiated priestess in the Shakta Tantra and Kaula Sri Vidya traditions of India and Nepal. She is the author of the award-winning book, “Goddess Durga and Sacred Female Power.” She has published numerous articles within the fields of Hinduism, Tantra and Women’s Spirituality in many different encyclopedias, anthologies, journals and also online publications. Laura teaches in the Yoga Philosophy Program at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. She offers a diverse array of authentic and undiluted lineage-based rituals and spiritual practices as well as pilgrimages to Nepal that promote spiritual empowerment and divine embodiment.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How the world and yoga are open sourced.
• Vocabulary and framework of Daoist vs Indian yoga.
• The yoga technique doesn’t matter. What matters is that it is well done, that you have the skills and get it all into integrity (mind, body, breath).
• Useful metaphors and maps to define, understand and explore the territory of our bodies.
• Mystical practices, such as yoga, are practical and pragmatic.
• Participate in the awe. Speak the language of the spirit, play with math; the universal language that transcends the cultural. Music is math. Yoga is music.
• Visit  https://www.katonahyoga.com/about for the resources referenced in this podcast.

Nevine Michaan, Founder and creator of Katonah Yoga possesses a gift for teaching the physical and esoteric aspects of yoga. Many consider her a philosopher, a poet; a seer. Her teaching methods are articulated intelligently with meaning and metaphor. Nevine's practical approach entwines the body, the breath and the imagination. Her unique dialogue and insight are matched by her extraordinary ability to convey and communicate her keen acumen. Michaan, born in Egypt in 1954, moved to New York at the age of three. In her early 20’s while studying history and comparative religion at Vassar College she discovered meditation. Nevine understood that there is a function(s), a formality and a fit to the universe and that yoga is a tool, a technique–a practice with repetition which gives us the opportunity to participate in life intelligently and joyfully. Nevine started a daily practice in NYC with renowned yoga instructor Allan Bateman, in the 1970s. She became fully immersed in what would become her life’s work(s). She began teaching Yoga in 1980 and founded the Katonah Yoga Center in Katonah, New York in 1986. Nevine continues to teach in her studio in Bedford Hills, NY and to inspire those both near and far, of all ages and backgrounds.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lisa Danylchuk is a licensed psychotherapist and yoga teacher trainer whose specialty is bringing yoga into trauma treatment. A graduate of UCLA and Harvard University, Lisa is the founder of the Center for Yoga and Trauma Recovery and creator of the Yoga for Trauma Online Training Program. She has authored three books, serves on the UN Task Force for the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation, and is also a contributing editor for Best Practices for Yoga for Veterans, published by the Yoga Service Council.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we discuss:

1. The spirit of Bhakti
2. Breath as a supreme principle, relating to the Divine through breath - a delivery system of love
3. The power of mantra
4. Bhakti as the fuel for practice and the importance of digging in one spot to reach a depth
5. Cultivating a relationship to deity 
6. The relationship between Bhakti and Tarka and the process of falling in love with awareness
7. Your own signature Bhakti

Mary Reilly Nichols is the Director of Nalanda Institute’s Yoga, Mind & Spirit and has been teaching yoga for over 30 years. She offers teachings through the lens of non-duality in the Upanishads, Advaita Vedanta, as well as in the Tantric methods of Kashmiri Shaivism and Kundalini Yoga. She holds a BA in anthropology from Harvard University, and completed five years of residency in the ashrams of Swami Muktananda both in India and in the US. In addition to workshops, weekly classes, corporate and teacher-trainings, Nichols teaches stress management in psychiatric settings and is involved in ongoing research on the mind/body benefits of yoga and meditation. Dr. Kavitha Chinnaiyan is a Cardiologist and Professor of Medicine at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in Royal Oak, MI. She is an initiate in the Tāntrik lineages of Śrī Vidyā and Non-dual Śaiva Tantra (also known as Kashmir Śaivisim) and has studied Advaita Vedānta, Ayurveda, and Yoga with teachers across the globe. Her workshops, courses and writings on meditation, Yoga, Tantra, Ayurveda and non-duality strive to bring these time-honored traditions to modern living in practical ways. She is the author of The Heart of Wellness (Llewellyn Publications, January 2018), Shakti Rising (New Harbinger Publications, October 2017), which won the Nautilus Gold Award for Best Books of 2017 and Glorious Alchemy: Living the Lalitā Sahasranāma (New Sarum Press, UK, January 2020).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we discuss:

1. Embodied nonduality – Judith’s definition of embodiment and nonduality
2. Fundamental features of the Realization Process and the 2 main exercises (inhabiting the whole body and tuning into the subtle vertical channel)
3. Her new book Trauma and the Unbound Body
4. Realization Process techniques that contribute to trauma work
5. Importance of inhabiting the body and the space of consciousness before releasing trauma

Judith Blackstone, PhD, developed the Realization Process, a method of embodied psychological and relational healing and nondual spiritual awakening. She is the author of Trauma and the Unbound Body, Belonging Here, The Enlightenment Process, The Intimate Life, and The Empathic Ground. An audio series of the Realization Process is available from Sounds True. For information on Judith's teaching schedule, visit www.realizationprocess.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrea R. Jain, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, editor of the Journal of American Academy of Religion, and author of Selling Yoga: From Counterculture to Pop Culture (Oxford University Press, 2014). She received her doctorate degree in religious studies from Rice University in 2010. Her areas of research include religion in late capitalist society; South Asian religions; the history of modern yoga; the intersections of gender, sexuality, and religion; and methods and theories in the study of religion. She is a regular contributor to Religion Dispatches on topics related to yoga in contemporary culture and co-chair of the Yoga in Theory and Practice Group of the American Academy of Religion.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

About the Guest Tracee Stanley is the author of the bestselling book Radiant Rest: Yoga Nidra for Deep Relaxation and Awakened Clarity and the founder of Empowered Life Circle, a sacred community and portal of practices, rituals, and Tantric teachings inspired by more than twenty-five years of studentship in SriVidya Tantra and the teachings of the Himalayan Masters. As a post-lineage teacher, Tracee is devoted to sharing the wisdom of yoga nidra, rest, meditation, self-inquiry, nature as a teacher, and ancestor reverence. Tracee is gifted in illuminating the magic and power found in liminal space and weaving devotion and practice into daily life. She lives with her husband and two dogs in northern New Mexico. Chitheads listeners can use receive 30% off the price of Tracee’s new book The Luminous Self when you order from Shambhala.com and use coupon code LUM30. Website: https://www.traceestanley.com/luminous-self Facebook: Tracee Stanley - Empowered Life Instagram: @tracee_stanley   In this episode, we discuss:

1. Our true nature and what gets in the way of accessing that.
2. The extractive nature of the spiritual marketplace.
3. How saṃskāra shapes a life.
4. The kleśas (obstacles) that stand in the way of realizing our true nature. 
5. Spiritual and professional recommendations for yoga teachers in the wake of the pandemic.
6. Creating your own rituals to honor transitions.
7. Sādhana as a source of creativity, clarity, and wisdom.

   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An accomplished speaker, teacher and practitioner, Nikki Myers is an MBA,
C-IAYT Yoga Therapist, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, Addictions
Recovery Specialist, and Certified Health Coach. Born from her personal
struggle with addiction, Nikki is the founder of Y12SR, The Yoga of 12-Step
Recovery. Based in its theme ‘the issues live in the tissues’, Y12SR is a
relapse prevention program that weaves the art & science of yoga with the
practical tools of 12-step programs. Y12SR meetings are now available
throughout the world and the curriculum is rapidly becoming a feature of
addiction recovery treatment centers. Nikki’s work has been featured in the
New York Times, Black Enterprise, The Huffington Post, Origin Magazine, and
CBSnews.com. She is honored to be a co-founder of the annual Yoga,
Meditation and Recovery Conferences at Esalen Institute and Kripalu Center.
Nikki was named as a Yoga Journal Game Changer in 2015 and honored as a
recipient of the esteemed NUVO Cultural Visionary Award in 2014.
web: www.y12sr.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vera de Chalambert, MTS,  is a spiritual storyteller and Harvard educated scholar of comparative religion. She speaks and writes about spiritual culture, mindfulness in the modern world and the Divine Feminine and has been a speaker at the Science and Nonduality Conference in the US and Europe, Sister Giant in Washington DC and other gatherings around the world. Vera holds a Master’s degree from Harvard Divinity School where she studied comparative mysticism and a Bachelors degree from the University of Florida in Religion and Literature. Her work explores the meeting place of creativity, psychology and spirituality and is informed by insights from both Eastern and Western philosophies. Vera is a graduate of the Barbara Brennan School of Healing and has been a student of Jason Shulman's Nondual Healing work. She is deeply influenced by Buddhist and Kabbalistic lineages and is a lover of the world’s great wisdom traditions. Vera's recent work has been on the topic of Holy Darkness and exploration of the Dark Goddesses associated with transformation and initiation found in the world's spiritual lineages, the most well known of whom is the Hindu Goddess Kali. Vera is a mother and a devotee of the Great Mother in all her forms. She is working on her first book on the Dark Feminine.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeffrey S. Lidke earned his M.A. (1996) and Ph.D. (2000) in South Asia Religion and Philosophy from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and his B.A. in Religious Studies from the University of Colorado (1990). He was a Fulbright Dissertation Fellow to Nepal in the 1996-97 academic year. During his graduate years, Lidke devoted himself to Sanskritic languages, both classical and vernacular, with training from several teachers, including Gerald Larson, Nandini Iyer and Sthaneshwar Timalsinsa. Currently, he is chair of the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Berry  College where he has taught since 2003. After two years as editor for the Southeast Review of Asian Studies (SERAS), Lidke is now attending to the publication of his recent research on the neuroscience of contemplative practice as well as three book projects: the long overdue The Goddess Beyond and Within the Three Cities: Śākta Tantra and the Paradox of Power in Nepāla-Maṇḍala a textbook for Cognella Academic Publishing on the world's religions titled World Religions: A 21st Century Primer and a reissue of his first book,Viśvarūpa Maṇḍir: A Study of Chaṅgu Nārāyaṇa, Nepal's Most Ancient Pagoda (to appear in a newly titled, revised and updated edition,  with proceeds going toward the rebuilding of Changu Narayan, one of several Nepalese UNESCO heritage sites severely damaged by the 2015 earthquake). Dr. Lidke's publications and current projects can be found here: https://berry.academia.edu/JeffreyLidke  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jacoby Ballard is a social justice educator and yoga teacher who leads workshops and trainings around the country on diversity, equity, and inclusion. As a yoga teacher with 20 years of experience, he leads workshops, retreats, teacher trainings, teaches at conferences, and runs the Resonance mentorship program for certified yoga teachers to find their niche and calling. In 2008, Jacoby co-founded Third Root Community Health Center in Brooklyn, to work at the nexus of healing and social justice. Since 2006, Jacoby has taught Queer and Trans Yoga, a space for queer folks to unfurl and cultivate resilience, and received Yoga Journal's Game Changer Award in 2014 and Good Karma Award in 2016. Jacoby has taught in schools, hospitals, non-profit and business offices, a maximum-security prison, a recovery center, a cancer center, LGBT centers, gyms, a veteran’s center, and yoga studios. Jacoby's book A Queer Dharma: Yoga and Meditations for Liberation offers a distinctly queer lens on yoga and meditation. He lives with his partner, child, and innumerable plant friends on unceded Goshute, Ute, Paiute, and Shoshone land, now known as Salt Lake City, Utah. More at jacobyballard.net. In this episode, we discuss:

1. What “queer dharma” means. 
2. Working at the intersection of anti-oppression work and dharma practice.
3. Skillful attempts at social justice work that include healing and inner work.
4. The role of anger in anti-oppression and social justice work.
5. Differentiating apology versus forgiveness.
6. Discovering common ground by sitting in silence together.
7. What some of the unique needs are for queer and trans people in yoga spaces.

Liberatory models of yoga discussed in the episode: 

• Holistic Life Foundation
• Yoga for 12 Step Recovery
• East Bay Meditation Center

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Christopher Key Chapple is the Doshi Professor of Indic and Comparative Theology and Director of the Master of Arts in Yoga Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. His research interests focus on the renouncer religious traditions of India: Yoga, Jainism, and Buddhism. He has published several books on these topics with SUNY Press, including Karma and Creativity (1986), Nonviolence to Animals, Earth, and Self in Asian Traditions (1993), Reconciling Yogas (2003), and Yoga and the Luminous: Patanjali’s Spiritual Path to Freedom (2008). He has also edited and co-authored several books on religion and ecology, including Ecological Prospects: Religious, Scientific, and Aesthetic Perspectives, Hinduism and Ecology, Jainism and Ecology, Yoga and Ecology, and In Praise of Mother Earth: The Prthivi Sukta of the Atharva Veda. His most recent books are Poet of Eternal Return and Sacred Thread. Chris serves as academic advisor for the International Summer School of Jain Studies and on the advisory boards for the Forum on Religion and Ecology (Yale), the Ahimsa Center (Pomona), and the Jaina Studies Centre (SOAS, University of London). In 2002 he established the first of several certificate programs in the study of Yoga at LMU’s Center for Religion and Spirituality and founded LMU’s Master of Arts in Yoga Studies in the fall of 2013.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

About the Guest Jill Miller, C-IAYT, ERYT, YA-CEP is a fascia and movement expert that forges links between the worlds of yoga, massage, athletics, and pain management. Her programs, Yoga Tune Up® and The Roll Model® are found at gyms, yoga studios, hospitals, athletic training facilities and corporations worldwide. She is the former anatomy columnist for Yoga Journal and has been featured in New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Shape, Women’s Health, O, Today Show, and Oprah Winfrey Network. She is the author of The Roll Model: A Step-by-Step Guide to Erase Pain, Improve Mobility, and Live Better in Your Body, and a contributing author on self-myofascial release in Fascia, Function and Medical Applications. She is the creator of dozens of instructional DVDs, with movement luminaries Tom Myers, Katy Bowman, Kelly Starrett DPT and Jen Fraboni DPT. Her newest book is Body by Breath: The Science and Practice of Physical and Emotional Resilience. She lives in LA with her husband, 2 kids and rescue dog.  Website: www.tuneupfitness.com Instagram: @TuneUpFitness, @thejillmiller   In this episode, we discuss:

• Innovation in the yoga classroom.
• Being a disrupter in the yoga space.
• How fascia makes you whole.
• Breath-induced altered states.
• Breath as a tool to reduce stress and promote relaxation.
• Accessing the parasympathetic dominant state for healing, recovery, and growth.
• An embodied breath approach to yoga therapy.

  *UPCOMING MASTERCLASS - September 26, 7:30 pm ET
Voyage to Vagus: How to Arouse Physiological Relaxation w/ Jill Miller    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we discuss:

1. Understanding the culture of Contemporary medicine and medicine as an industry.
2. The Ayurvedic approach, addressing the physical, energetic and mental realm.
3. Quantum biology and the Siddha texts - healing from the inside out. 
4. Role of intuition as it informs mastery in healing and any field of work.
5. Science of Sound, biological translation to energy and meaning. 
6. The distinction between mantra and aphorism; using mantra and devotion to connect to  your soul’s intention.
7. Alzheimer’s as a mutable disease and alternative practices to support conditions.

Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary’s combined expertise in both modern neurology and the ancient science of health known as Ayurveda has uniquely positioned her as an expert able to pull from the broadest possible base to treat her clients. She is passionate about raising awareness for the need of a paradigm shift in contemporary medicine that focuses on patient empowerment and a health-based (rather than disease-based) medical system. Dr. Chaudhary is a regular guest on the Dr. Oz show, where her teachings about Ayurvedic medicine have been applauded by a national audience. Dr. Chaudhary is the author of The Prime and Sound Medicine. She is also a neuroscientist and has participated in over twenty clinical research studies in the areas of multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Her research includes groundbreaking work in stem cell therapies for diabetic peripheral neuropathy and drug development for the treatment of ALS. Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary spends her time doing research in Siddha Medicine in Tamil Nadu, India and seeing patients for Integrative Medicine consultations from San Diego, CA.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we discuss:

1. Dreams from the perspective of Eastern tradition
2. What is the non-dreaming state
3. Spiritual benefits of lucid dreaming, including the development of psychic power
4. Physical and psychological therapeutic benefits of lucid dreaming
5. Tools to navigate nightmares
6. Principles and strategies to begin a practice of lucid dreaming (intention and meditation as foundational practices)
7. Preparation for a lucid dreaming practice by developing good sleep hygiene and establishing a more honored and treasured relationship to the dreaming state

Andrew Holecek has completed the traditional three-year Buddhist meditation retreat and offers seminars internationally on meditation, dream yoga, and the art of dying. He is the author of Preparing to Die: Practical Advice and Spiritual Wisdom from the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition; Meditation in the iGeneration: How to Meditate in a World of Speed and Stress; The Power and the Pain: Transforming Spiritual Hardship into Joy; the audio learning course Dream Yoga: The Tibetan Path of Awakening Through Lucid Dreaming, and his latest book Dream Yoga: Illuminating Your Life Through Lucid Dreaming and the Tibetan Yogas of Sleep. Dr. Holecek is a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and has authored scientific papers. His work has appeared in Parabola, Lion’s Roar, Tricycle, Utne Reader, Buddhadharma Magazine, Light of Consciousness, and many other periodicals. Andrew holds degrees in classical music, biology, and a doctorate in dental surgery.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leslie Kaminoff is a yoga educator inspired by the tradition of T.K.V. Desikachar. He is an internationally recognized specialist with four decades’ experience in the fields of yoga and breath anatomy. He leads workshops for many of the leading yoga associations, schools and training programs in the world. Leslie’s book Yoga Anatomy, (co-authored with Amy Matthews), sold out its first print run of 19,000 within one month of its June 2007 release, and has been a top-selling yoga book on Amazon ever since. The book went into 12 printings before the newly-revised third edition of Yoga Anatomy was released on October 31, 2011, now with well over half a million copies in print and translations into 23 languages. Leslie also helped to organize international yoga conferences while serving as Vice-President of Unity in Yoga, and was part of the ad-hoc committee that established national standards for yoga teacher training. Prior to the formation of The Yoga Alliance, Leslie was a strong voice in the ensuing national debate regarding the application of those certification standards. This dialogue resulted in the creation of e-Sutra, an influential e-mail list and blog that has an active worldwide membership. Leslie is the founder of The Breathing Project, a New York City based non-profit educational corporation which ran highly respected year-long courses in yoga anatomy from 2003 to 2017. Leslie Kaminoff founded The Breathing Project in 2001 as a non-profit dedicated to the sharing of educational, community-based programming related to yoga, anatomy and health enrichment. From 2003 until mid-2017 the main vehicle for this mission was the physical studio we ran in New York City. The Breathing Project continues its mission of community service by producing and co-sponsoring workshops, immersions, symposia and publications featuring thought leaders from the fields of yoga, anatomy, somatics and other allied fields. The courses Leslie taught at The Breathing Project in New York City have been available online to a worldwide audience at yogaanatomy.net since 2011, with thousands of students worldwide participating in this growing online community. In this episode, Jacob & Leslie discussed:

• three tiers of yoga education: instructor, teacher, educator (and therapist?)
• the yoga teaching landscape post-Covid
• the historical arc of yoga's popularity
• the psychology of the classroom & student/teacher dynamics
• studying the anatomy of the mouth through Sanskrit

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christopher, also known as Hareesh, was introduced to Indian spirituality at the age of seven and initiated into the practice of yogic meditation at sixteen. His degrees include a B.A. in Religion and Classics from the University of Rochester, an M.A. in Sanskrit from U.C. Berkeley, an M.Phil. in Classical Indian Religions from Oxford, and a Ph.D. on the traditions of Śaiva Tantra from Berkeley. He received traditional education at yoga āshrams in upstate New York and India in meditation, kīrtan, mantra-science, āsana, karma-yoga, and more. He currently teaches meditation, yoga darśana (philosophy), Tantrik philosophy, Sanskrit, mantra-science, and offers spiritual counseling.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Stone (1974–2017) was a prominent and innovative Buddhist teacher, yogi, psychotherapist, and author. He was the founder and director of the Centre of Gravity Sangha, a community of yoga and Buddhist practitioners based in Toronto, and he taught widely and had a large international following. He is the author of The Inner Tradition of Yoga, Yoga for a World Out of Balance, Freeing the Body Freeing the Mind, and Awake in the World. For more information visit michaelstoneteaching.com.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kelly Brogan, M.D. is a Manhattan-based holistic women’s health psychiatrist, author of the book, A Mind of Your Own and co-editor of the landmark textbook, Integrative Therapies for Depression. She completed her psychiatric training and fellowship at NYU Medical Center after graduating from Cornell University Medical College, and has a B.S. from MIT in Systems Neuroscience. She is board certified in psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine, and integrative holistic medicine, and is specialized in a root-cause resolution approach to psychiatric syndromes and symptoms. She is on the board of GreenMedInfo, Functional Medicine University, Pathways to Family Wellness, NYS Perinatal Association, Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation, Mindd Foundation, the peer-reviewed, indexed journal Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, and the Nicholas Gonzalez Foundation. She is Medical Director for Fearless Parent and a founding member of Health Freedom Action. She is a mother of two.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we discuss:

1. Commonality between mystical experiences
2. Expressing difference vs. unity and our ability to communicate with each other; difference doesn’t exist without sameness
3. New essentialism - what are the general ideas that allow us to speak from our various silos and communicate with each other
4. Practitioner hat and the scholar hat (fetishization of the particular)
5. Mysticism and neuroscience
6. Spiritual basis of life expresses itself in multiple registers - physical, psychological, and metaphysical levels
7. Meditation as the fundamental tool to discover these realms and experience

Kenneth Rose, Ph.D., is Senior Research Fellow at the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California, and emeritus professor of philosophy and religion at Christopher Newport University in Virginia. He teaches and publishes in the areas of comparative religion, comparative mysticism, religious pluralism, and the philosophy of meditation. He developed and lead the online course “Wisdom from World Religions,” which is supported by a Templeton World Charity Foundation grant (archived at https://radianceofawareness.com/course/). His degrees include an M.Div. from Harvard Divinity School and an M.A. and Ph.D. in the Study of Religion from Harvard University. At Harvard, he was a Fellow at the Center for the Study of World Religions. His books include Yoga, Meditation, and Mysticism: Contemplative Universals and Meditative Landmarks and Pluralism: The Future of Religion. Influenced as much by the Bhagavad Gītā as by Thomas Merton and the Buddha, Prof. Rose has engaged in a lifelong quest to understand and practice spirituality in light of the sublime mystical texts and practices in the world’s wisdom traditions. More information is available at amazon.com/author/kennethroseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we discuss:

1. The roots of pastoral care and chaplaincy 
2. Incorporating the frameworks of Vendantic, yoga philosophy in Hindu chaplaincy
3. Contemplative dimensions of pastoral care, bringing radical compassionate presence in spiritual accompaniment
4. Obstacles to cultivating spiritual health and the epidemic of loneliness in the globalized westernize world 
5. The three elements of Sādhanā: Tapas, Svādhyāya, Īśvarapraṇidhāna
6. Building inner resilience
7. Intimate and personal experience of the Supreme

Vineet Chander is the Coordinator for Hindu Life and Hindu Chaplain at Princeton University and a Religious Life Leader at the Lawrenceville School.  He has also served as an adjunct professor, attorney, and communications consultant. His areas of specialty include Bhakti theology, models of pastoral counseling, and the Hindu-American diaspora community. His writing has appeared in a number of publications, and he is co-author of Hindu Chaplaincy (Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, 2017) and co-editor of Hindu Approaches to Spiritual Care: Chaplaincy in Theory and Practice (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2019). A student of His Holiness Radhanath Swami for more than two decades, he is a sought-after speaker and teacher in his own right— particularly known for his ability to infuse ancient wisdom with humor, relevant examples, and avenues for application. He has spoken at a number of conferences and educational institutions, including the American Academy of Religion, the Global Dharma Conference, the Global Chaplains Conference, Yale University, Cornell University, and the Harvard Divinity School at Harvard University. In addition, he has offered wisdom teachings in a number of temples, ashrams, and yoga studios, including the philosophy portions of YTT courses at Gratitude Yoga (Princeton, NJ), Prana Yoga Shala (Princeton, NJ), and Onyx Yoga (Warren, NJ). He is a regular speaker at, and past board member of, the Bhakti Center (New York City).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In over two decades of practice, Dr. Loren Fishman has gained an international reputation as a back-pain specialist, a diagnostician and a pioneer in the treatment of many disorders, including piriformis syndrome, scoliosis, osteoporosis and rotator cuff tear. He has authored more than 90 academic journal articles and 10 books. A past president of the New York Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Dr. Fishman is currently an Assistant Clinical Professor at Columbia Medical School. He has recently published an innovative book about electrodiagnostic testing, published by Springer, and the book on yoga cures Healing Yoga.  His books on osteoarthritis and osteoporosis guide the workshops he teaches nationally and internationally. Dr. Fishman studied yoga in India with BKS Iyengar, uses it in his rehabilitation practice and has written extensively about yoga as an adjunct to medical treatment.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joe Loizzo, M.D., Ph.D. is a contemplative psychotherapist, clinical researcher, and Buddhist scholar-teacher who integrates ancient contemplative science and technology with current breakthroughs in neuroscience and optimal health. After training in psychiatry at Harvard and completing a Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies at Columbia, he founded Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science, a non-profit that helps people build sustainable happiness, compassion, and leadership through integrating science-based contemplative skills into their daily lives.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alex Auder, recently hailed by the NYTimes as “Yoga’s Instagram Provocateur” (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/31/style/yoga-instagram-alex-auder.html) is a native New Yorker, who grew up in the Chelsea Hotel, where she lived with her mother, the Warhol Superstar Viva, and her sister, the actress Gaby Hoffmann. Besides for being hailed as one of America’s “most influential” yoga teachers, Alex is an actress (you can find her as a recurring character in HBO’s High Maintenance) and writer (currently working on a memoir about growing up in The Chelsea with Viva). She and her husband/co-collaborator have a podcast called “15minutes with Alex.”
Teaching for over 20 years, she has developed a keen eye and a genuinely authentic, irreverent, and original voice. Her classes are known for the graceful integration of clear and precise alignment cues, intelligent sequencing based on stability and functional movement, somatics, and vedantic philosophy.
Alex has been interviewed and quoted in The New Yorker for the article about guru predators called: https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/yoga-reconsiders-the-role-of-the-guru-in-the-age-of-metoo .
When the pandemic landed, she closed down her brick and mortar studio on Philadelphia and now teaches two weekly live classes and has an extensive On Demand library of classes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bo Forbes is a clinical psychologist, embodiment guide, urban contemplative, and research collaborator in the science of well-being. Her paradigm-bending work explores the body as an essential part of transformation and the inextricable links between individual and collective well-being. Bo’s work is interdisciplinary, and integrates emerging research in science, psychology, somatics, and contemplative practice with decades of experience on the front lines of somatic education. Since the 1990’s, her experience in the field of trauma and social epigenetics has included inpatient and outpatient psychiatric settings, private practice, organizational consulting, somatic therapy, and scholarship. She has a unique perspective on embodiment: she works intimately with the body in relation to trauma, and has also experienced, written about, and spoken publicly about sexual assault and harassment. Her mother was a prisoner of war in World War II who between the ages of 7 and 12 was forced to march through Kenya, Uganda, and Siberia. And until the age of two, she lived with her parents on a Seneca reservation in New York before its destruction by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; her master’s thesis focused on the bodily rituals of indigenous cultures. Bo co-teaches a course at Tufts University with colleague Kris Manjapra that focuses on colonialism, social justice, and the body. She is the founder of Embodied Awareness, an online education company, and teaches workshops and trainings internationally. She recently presented her work on interoception, connective tissue, and emotional health at the Fascia Research Congress in Berlin. She has written scholarly and lay articles for numerous leading magazines, and is the author of Yoga for Emotional Balance: Simple Practices to Help Relieve Anxiety and Depression and Her newest book on the science and practice of embodiment, is slated for publication in early 2020.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Pranada and Jacob discuss Bhakti philosophy and theology.  You will learn:

• The connection of Vedanta teachings with Bhakti teachings.
• What is Wise Love (Bhakti Vedanta) and the difference between the love with others? The relationships with others as a vehicle to fully express highest love with each other and as a practice for our individual relationship with the Supreme.
• The acknowledgment of the small self and the creation of a dynamic, magical, spiritual, irrevocable and strong connection with source.
• How the yoga system provides tools to control the mind and go beyond the mind to transcend the platform of self.
• The difference between faith and belief.
• The important distinction between the divine feminine and the feminine divine.
• Pranada’s work on gender inequality and education, the absence of gender in the concept of soul, and everyone’s equal access to the full spiritual realm, practices, and services regardless of gender.
• The harmonization and oneness of the head and the heart and how to transcend and become our full potential as spiritual beings.

Pranada Comtois is a devoted pilgrim, teacher, and award-winning author of Wise-Love: Bhakti and the Search for the Soul of Consciousness. Her writing sheds light on bhakti’s wisdom school of heartfulness with a focus on how to culture wise-love in our lives and relationships so we can experience the inherent, unbounded joy of the self. “Mindfulness and meditation alone can never satisfy the self. Joy comes from an awakened heart, not from a controlled or stilled mind.” At sixteen she met her teacher A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami and began her lifelong study and practice of bhakti. The wisdom of her teaching grows from living for twenty years as a contemplative in bhakti ashrams, and another twenty years raising a family and running two multi-million dollar businesses. Pranada is an activist in women’s spiritual empowerment. She has always been deeply affected when witnessing the de-humanizing of women. She was the first to speak up for gender harmony in the modern bhakti tradition and successfully organized global steps against gender injustice. Her writing has appeared in Integral Yoga, Rebelle Society, Elephant Journal, Tattooed Buddha, Urban Howl, and the books Journey of the Heart, Bhakti Blossoms, and GODDESS: When She Rules. She is a featured speaker in the film Women of Bhakti.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jay L. Garfield directs the Smith's Logic and Buddhist Studies programs and the Five College Tibetan Studies in India program. He is also visiting professor of Buddhist Philosophy at Harvard Divinity School, professor of philosophy at Melbourne University and adjunct professor of philosophy at the Central University of Tibetan Studies. Garfield’s research addresses topics in the foundations of cognitive science and the philosophy of mind; the history of Indian philosophy during the colonial period; topics in ethics, epistemology and the philosophy of logic; methodology in cross-cultural interpretation; and topics in Buddhist philosophy, particularly Indo-Tibetan Madhyamaka and Yogācāra. Garfield’s most recent books are Minds Without Fear: Philosophy in the Indian Renaissance (with Nalini Bhushan, 2017), Dignāga’s Investigation of the Percept: A Philosophical Legacy in India and Tibet (with Douglas Duckworth, David Eckel, John Powers, Yeshes Thabkhas and Sonam Thakchöe, 2016) Engaging Buddhism: Why it Matters to Philosophy (2015), Moonpaths: Ethics and Emptiness (with the Cowherds, 2015) and (edited, with Jan Westerhoff), Madhyamaka and Yogācāra: Allies or Rivals? (2015). He is currently working on a book with Yasuo Deguchi, Graham Priest and Robert Sharf, What Can’t Be Said: Paradox and Contradiction in East Asian Philosophy; a book on Hume’s Treatise, The Concealed Operations of Custom: Hume’s Treatise from the Inside Out; a large collaborative project on Geluk-Sakya epistemological debates in 15th- to 18th-century Tibet following on Taktshang Lotsawa’s 18 Great Contradictions in the Thought of Tsongkhapa and empirical research with another team on the impact of religious ideology on attitudes toward death.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mauro Zappaterra graduated from Harvard Medical School with an MD and PhD and now specializes in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation with a particular focus on regenerative medicine, neuro-rehabilitation, neuroplasticity, musculoskeletal medicine, and pain. He completed his PhD doing work with neuronal stem cells and the effects of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in brain development and in the adult. He is published in numerous scientific articles on the CSF and his work was chosen as the cover image for the prestigious Neuron Journal. He is also featured in the New England Journal of Medicine in teaching medical students about living with life threatening diseases and in Psychology Today on an article titled “Joy: The art of loving life.” Dr. Zappaterra was nominated by his peers and staff to be Chief Resident at the UCLA / VA Greater Los Angeles Residency Program in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and won the Outstanding Senior Resident Award. He will be working as Director of Regenerative Medicine and Clinical Research, incorporating prolotherapy, platelet rich plasma (PRP), and stem cell therapy into patient care for a multitude of musculoskeletal ailments to help create an optimum healing and regenerative environment. He combines his training in rehabilitation medicine, research, nutrition, and various complementary and alternative medicine modalities such as polarity therapy, Reiki and Craniosacral therapy to work holistically with individuals to optimize their potential and improve their quality of life.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nikki Vilella started teaching at Kula Yoga Project in New York City in 2005 and opened Kula Williamsburg (alongside Schuyler Grant) in 2010. She has written for Yoga Journal and was named one of America's top 100 Most Influential Yoga Teachers by sonima.com. As a teacher, she strives to include the perfect alchemy of precise physical instruction, intelligence, intention and space into her classes. As a teacher trainer, she wants to unpack the mystery of putting together an inspired vinyasa sequence so that the student can step away from the stress of "following a methodology." WEBSITE: https://kulayoga.com/ In this episode, we discuss:

1. Behind-the-scenes conversations about the Kula Yoga Project and how it's evolved through the pandemic.
2. Contemplating the current state of the yoga asana world, how it has changed, and what its future might look like.
3. The value of brick-and-mortar spaces and in-person yoga as a place for support and to connect.
4. What it is to be a modern yoga teacher and what it is to engage in studentship. 
5. Rethinking the path to becoming a yoga teacher.
6. MeToo, Social Justice, and Inclusivity; how collective awakenings and movements are calling for the transformation of how yoga is taught. 
7. Evolving views on physical adjustments in yoga classes.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lama Tsultrim Allione is founder and resident lama of Tara Mandala, located  in Colorado.  She traveled to India in her late teens and at the age of twenty-two, was the first western woman to be ordained as a Buddhist nun. After living in the Himalayan region for several years she returned her vows and became the mother of three, while continuing to study and practice Buddhism. She has been awarded the international “Outstanding Woman in Buddhism” by a panel of distinguished scholars and practitioners in Bangkok, Thailand. She is author of Women of Wisdom and Feeding Your Demons and her new book Wisdom Rising: A Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

About the Guest Ava Taylor, Founder of YAMA Talent, is a tenacious entrepreneur & avid yogi. Committed to running an ethics-based business, her personal mission is to be a Catalyst for Better Living, bringing the tools of wellness to communities of all kinds. Ava has pioneered the development of the booking, management, & consulting business in the yoga space and is a sought-out media contributor known for having her finger on the pulse of this rapidly expanding industry. She’s the creator of The Catalyst: Online Business School for Yogis and author of the forthcoming Yoga Business with Human Kinetics. Website: https://yamatalent.com/ IG: @yamatalent ,  @avantaylor   In this episode, we discuss:

1. The future of yoga business.
2. The yoga industry climate pre-pandemic and how it’s transforming today. 
3. The link between grief and creativity.
4. Business lessons from COVID.
5. Considerations for yoga teachers from a yoga business perspective. 
6. Reimagining yoga. 
7. Opportunities, innovations, and possibilities for a sustainable future of yoga.

  NOTE: This episode was previously recorded as part of the Future of the Yoga Teacher Summit and is being republished for its depth and relevance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Unless we transform the wounds of oppression in our own bodies and then by extension into our own embodied relationships with others...no amount of macro-sociological institutional legislative change will last because we keep producing the inequities at the grass roots levels.” In this episode, we discuss:

1. Personal experience always emerges out of socio-economic context
2. Importance of joining the personal with the professional
3. Moving past oppressors vs. oppressed and finding a common ground about our pain
4. Somatic literacy and illiteracy, cultivating somatic intelligence
5. Not all yoga is somatic – feeling yourself from the inside out

Rae Johnson, PhD, RSMT is a scholar/activist and registered somatic movement therapist who chairs the Somatic Studies in Depth Psychology doctoral program at Pacifica Graduate Institute. The author of several books – including Elemental Movement, Knowing in our Bones, and Embodied Social Justice – Rae teaches and trains internationally on embodied activism, somatic research methods, and the poetic body.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Manorama D'Alvia is one of the leading teachers in Sanskrit and Yoga Philosophy. She is the founder of both the Sanskrit Studies Method™ and the Luminous Soul Method™. Manorama evokes healing through the universal arts of language and conscious living. “Happiness,” she often says, “is the free flow of energy, and communication is energy. When we use our voices authentically and confidently, we create harmony between ourselves and others.” A renowned, highly respected teacher, Manorama offers Sanskrit Studies Method programs for yoga teacher trainings, as well as Luminous Soul Method trainings and retreats. She tours the globe, training students in the Sanskrit Studies Method and the Luminous Soul Method.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nikki Costello is an educator with 30 years of teaching and training experience in the Yoga and Wellness industry. She works at the intersection of social justice and Yoga with a focus on facilitating new models of embodied leadership. Nikki is a Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher (Level 3-CIYT) and a Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT). In 2013-2014, she was a contributing editor at Yoga Journal, writing the magazine’s “Basics Column,” and in 2016, Nikki was named one of the 100 Most Influential Teachers in America. She is the featured Iyengar Yoga teacher on GLO. Nikki holds an MA in Traditions of Yoga and Meditation from SOAS, University of London and is a PhD candidate at the California Institute of Integral Studies. Since 2020, she has taught weekly online yoga and meditation classes at Nikki Costello | The Practice. To learn more, visit Nikki's website.

In this episode, we discuss:

1. Sources of exclusion in the yoga classroom. 
2. Moving away from the performative aspect of studentship.
3. Courage, safety, and trust in sadhana.
4. Autonomy and choice in a yoga classroom.
5. The virtual classroom as an opportunity instead of a limitation.
6. Pedagogical practices that support or inhibit access, belonging, and diversity.
7. Rethinking how we learn and how we create community within the framework of a yoga class.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode of the CHITHEADS podcast is from a previous panel discussion hosted by Embodied Philosophy on the intersection of somatics and spirituality. Featuring esteemed teachers Sally Kempton, Judith Blackstone, Rae Johnson, Scott Lyons and Tara Judelle. DR. SCOTT LYONS Dr. Scott Lyons is dedicated to teaching embodiment as a way of exploring human development, healing and transformation. Scott is the co-creator of Embodied Flow™, a Clinical Psychologist, and Mind-Body Medicine practitioner. Additionally, Scott is a Certified Body-Mind Centering® Teacher, Cranio-Sacral Therapist, Visceral Manipulation Therapist, Infant Developmental Movement Educator, Movement Therapist, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, Clinical Hypnotherapist, Mindfulness-based Executive Coach, and Focusing Practitioner. TARA JUDELLE Tara Judelle is a world renowned yoga facilitator moved by bringing humans into their innate sense of freedom and purpose. After 30 years experimenting in all forms of movement, Tara co-created the School of Embodied Flow™ in 2014 to bring her current passions into a modern movement of Yoga. From a background in literature, film writing, directing and dance, Tara brings students on a journey of discovery of their numinous self through laughter, meditation, embodiment, movement & inquiry. DR. RAE JOHNSON Rae Johnson, PhD, RSMT is a scholar, activist and registered somatic movement therapist who currently chairs the Somatic Studies specialization in the Department of Psychology doctoral program at Pacifica Graduate Institute. The author of several books – including Elemental Movement, Knowing in our Bones, and Embodied Social Justice – Rae teaches and trains internationally on embodied micro-aggressions, somatic research methods, and the poetic body. DR. JUDITH BLACKSTONE Judith Blackstone, PhD, is an innovative spiritual teacher and a licensed psychotherapist in New York with forty years of clinical experience. She developed the Realization Process, a method of embodied psychological and relational healing and nondual spiritual awakening. She is the author of Belonging Here, The Enlightenment Process, The Intimate Life, The Empathic Ground and Trauma and the Unbound Body. An audio series of the Realization Process is available from Sounds True. SALLY KEMPTON Sally Kempton is a widely respected teacher of meditation and spiritual wisdom known to help students work with meditative experience as a framework for practical life-change. A former swami in a Vedic tradition, she has spent over four decades delving deeply into meditation and self-inquiry. Spirituality and Healthmagazine call her work “the meditation books your heart wants you to read.” She is on the faculty at Esalen and Kripalu, teaches meditation on Yogaglo & leads international retreats.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Diane Dreher, Ph.D., is a bestselling author, researcher, and positive psychology coach. Her books, The Tao of Inner Peace, The Tao of Personal Leadership, The Tao of Womanhood, Inner Gardening, and Your Personal Renaissance, have been translated into ten languages and her work has been featured in media outlets including USA Today, Entrepreneur, Redbook, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Science of Mind, radio and TV talk shows, and websites on leadership and personal growth.  Dreher has a Ph.D. in Renaissance English literature from UCLA as well as a Master’s Degree in Counseling. She is a HeartMath clinical practitioner and a Professional Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation. Her research on positive psychology and hope has been published online and in academic books and journals. She is currently professor emerita and associate director of the Applied Spirituality Institute at Santa Clara University and a lecturer in the Positive Psychology Guild in the United Kingdom. In this episode, we discuss:

1. The fundamental principles of Taoism.
2. Nature and the wisdom of the Tao within and around us.
3. Watching and waiting, the radical act of Wu Wei.
4. Religious Taoism and Taoism as a philosophy.
5. Spiritual practices of the Tao, cultivating the balance of Tao in daily life.
6. The Tao of now, Taoist Politics and conflict resolution.
7. Reducing stress and anxiety with the Tao.

Read an excerpt from THE TAO OF INNER PEACE by Diane Dreher: Beginning the Journey: Tao Te ChingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode of Chitheads is a talk from Sally Kempton republished from Embodied Philosophy’s 2017 Radical Body Conference.  In this episode, Sally talks about Goddess practice as a spiritual technology and provides guided practices experiencing the divine feminine through the breath, through being seen by the divine, and through a formal meditation on the goddess Lalita. About the Guest Sally Kempton is a master of meditation, yoga philosophy, and practical tantric philosophy. Her retreats and workshops are known for creating breakthroughs, born of her ability to help people turn sublime truths into lived, and life-shifting, experience. Sally spent 20 years as a swami in a Vedic order and has been studying and teaching spiritual wisdom for 40 years. She is the author of Awakening Shakti: The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga and Meditation for the Love of It, a seminal book on basic meditation practice, and writes the popular Yoga Journal column, Wisdom. Learn more at sallykempton.com. In this episode, we discuss:

1. Goddess practice as a spiritual technology.
2. Sacred Feminine practice in tantric practice.
3. Experiencing Archetypal Goddess energies.
4. Fast-tracking awakening through the empowerment that Goddess gives us.
5. Three core practices for invoking Goddess.
6. The breath as a vehicle through which Goddess flows into your body.
7. Lalita energy as a model for the feminine, as self-empowered blissfulness, and the force behind genuine creativity.

 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nina Rao learned traditional chants (bhajans) from her grandfather in a village in south India when she nine years old. The chants quietly stayed with her until she rediscovered chanting with Krishna Das in New York in 1996. Her childhood was spent living in and moving between many countries around the world and when she settled in New York her working life began in the banking world, switched to organizing and leading photographic wildlife safaris in Africa and India, and now for many years, is Krishna Das' business manager and assistant. Nina tours with Krishna Das, playing cymbals and singing with him, and was honored in 2013 to accompany him at the Grammy Awards webcast performance. In 2007, she recorded the track 'Nina Chalisa' on Krishna Das' CD "Flow of Grace - Chanting the Hanuman Chalisa". In January 2013, she released her debut album, "Antarayaami - Knower of All Hearts". The double CD includes devotional kirtan, bhajan, and a variety of Hanuman Chalisa melodies including a duet with Krishna Das. Nina regularly leads kirtan, chanting of the Hanuman Chalisa, and sings for yoga classes in her hometown of Brooklyn, NY and beyond.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richard Smoley has over thirty-five years’ experience studying and practicing mystical spirituality and philosophy. His latest book is The Deal: A Guide to Radical and Complete Forgiveness. Other works of his are Inner Christianity: A Guide to the Esoteric Tradition; The Dice Game of Shiva: How Consciousness Creates the Universe; Conscious Love: Insights from Mystical Christianity; Forbidden Faith: The Secret History of Gnosticism; The Essential Nostradamus; and Hidden Wisdom: A Guide to the Western Inner Traditions (with Jay Kinney). Richard is the former editor of Gnosis: A Journal of the Western Inner Traditions. Currently he is editor of Quest: Journal of the Theosophical Society in America. His Web site is innerchristianity.com. Richard’s latest book, How God Became God: What Scholars Are Really Saying about God and the Bible, was published in June 2016.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Jude Currivan is a cosmologist, planetary healer, futurist, author and previously one of the most senior business women in the UK. Having grown up as the daughter of a coal miner in the north of England, she has since journeyed to nearly seventy countries around the world and for the last nearly twenty years has lived in the sacred landscape of Avebury. She has experienced multidimensional realities since early childhood and worked with the wisdom keepers both incarnate and discarnate of many traditions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Swami Sarvapriyananda was appointed as Minister and Spiritual Leader of the Vedanta Society of New York, and assumed his duties there on January 5, 2017. He served as assistant minister of the Vedanta Society of Southern California for 13 months, beginning on December 3, 2015. Swami joined the Ramakrishna Math and Mission in 1994 and received Sannyas in 2004. As assistant minister, Swami Sarvapriyananda gave regular evening classes in the Hollywood Temple, assisted Swami Sarvadevananda with major pujas, delivered Sunday spiritual talks at each of the Southern California centers, and led monthly retreats at Vivekananda House. He also gave retreats here and at centers throughout the U.S. Before being posted to the VSSC’s Hollywood Temple, Swami served as an acharya, instructor, of the monastic probationers’ training center at Belur Math. He has served the Ramakrishna Math and Mission in various capacities including being the Vice Principal of the Deoghar Vidyapith Higher Secondary School, Principal of the Shikshana Mandira Teacher’s Training College at Belur Math, and the first registrar of the Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University at Belur Math. Swami holds a degree in Business Management from the Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Philipp and Jacob discuss his research on classical Indian literature and the historiography of yoga.  You will learn about:

1. The role of British colonization and yoga history
2. The Patanjali Yoga Shastra (Yoga Sutra) authorship and its connection to other texts
3. The attempts to translate the text
4. The difference between the original authorial intention and our contemporary relationship to it
5. The relationship of the modern asana practice and the Yoga Shas

Philipp André Maas is currently a research associate at the Institute for Indology and Central Asian Studies, University of Leipzig and was previously an assistant professor at the Department of South Asian, Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at the University of Vienna, Austria. He received his M.A. (1997) and Dr. phil. (2004) degrees from the University of Bonn, Germany, where he studied Indology, Comparative Religious Studies, Tibetology and Philosophy. His first book (originally his PhD thesis) is the first critical edition of the first chapter (Samādhipāda) of the Pātañjala Yogaśāstra, i.e. the Yoga Sūtra of Patañjalitogether with the commentary called Yoga Bhāṣya. He published, inter alia, on classical Yoga philosophy and meditation as well as on the textual tradition of the Pātañjala Yogaśāstra. For the last couple of years, he worked in several research projects directed by Prof. Karin Preisendanz (at the Austrian Academy of Sciences and at the University of Vienna, Austria) that aim at a critical edition of the third book (entitled Vimānasthāna) of the oldest classical text corpus of Āyurveda, the Carakasaṃhitā. Since 2009 he is a member of the “Historical Sourcebooks on Classical Indian Thought” project, convened by Prof. Sheldon Pollock, to which he contributes with a monograph on the development of Yoga-related ideas in pre-modern South Asian intellectual history.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode of Chitheads is a talk from Joe Loizzo republished from Embodied Philosophy’s Yoga Seminar.  It's a taste of a deeper dive with Dr. Joe Loizzo in our upcoming 30-hr Certificate Program, “Buddhist Psychology in the Nalanda Tradition,” co-presented with the Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science. To learn more or to take advantage of the Early Bird pricing (before May 19), go here. About the Guest Joseph (Joe) Loizzo, MD, Ph.D., is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist and Columbia-trained Buddhist scholar with over forty years of experience studying the beneficial effects of contemplative practices on healing, learning, and development. Joe is the Founder & Academic Director of the Nalanda Institute. He is Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry in Integrative Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, where he researches and teaches contemplative self-healing and optimal health. He has taught the philosophy of science and religion, the scientific study of contemplative states, and the Indo-Tibetan mind and health sciences at Columbia University, where he is Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Columbia Center for Buddhist Studies. In this episode, we discuss:

1. The philosophy of science from a Western point of view and practice.
2. The history and context of the mind-body split in Western science.
3. Research on stress and neuroplasticity that shed light on the mind-body connection. 
4. Buddhist and scientific definitions of the mind and consciousness. 
5. The question of where do I find my mind?
6. A multi-disciplinary paradigm of mind-brain integration.
7. Yoga as the science of integrating the human nervous system, mind, and body with awareness.

  Select slides from Joe's Talk here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rod Stryker (also known as Yogarupa) is widely considered one of the West's leading authorities on yoga, tantra and meditation. He has taught for more than thirty-five years, is the founder of ParaYoga® and author of The Four Desires: Creating a Life of Purpose, Happiness, Prosperity, and Freedom. Rod has contributed to countless wellness publications and recently launched one of the most comprehensive online yoga teacher trainings in the world. At the forefront of integrating ancient yogic wisdom into a broad array of modern-day applications, he is a thought leader and mentor to thousands of ParaYoga practitioners and hundreds of teachers throughout the world. Rod lives in Colorado with his wife and four children.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jason Birch is a scholar of medieval haṭha yoga and a founding member of SOAS's Centre for Yoga Studies. His research includes locating and translating early yoga manuscripts, and preparing critical editions, such as of the Amaraugha. In this episode, Jason and Jacob discuss:

• what inspired Jason to pursue the study of Sanskrit texts
• the historical importance of the Amaraugha, a 12th century text attributed to Gorakṣanātha
• the account of 4 yogas discussed in the text
• what mantra, laya, haṭha and rāja yoga practices looked like for the yoga tradition associated with the Amaraugha
• the relationship between Buddhist and Śaiva yogas
• what this corpus of haṭha yoga texts might mean for modern practitioners
• how the forthcoming translations of haṭha yoga texts could enrich the landscape of yoga study

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This talk is being republished from the Radial Practice Conference in 2018. If you have a Gītā handy you might want to grab it while you listen. About the Guest Edwin Bryant received his Ph.D. in Indic Languages and Cultures from Columbia University. He taught Hinduism at Harvard University for three years and is presently the professor of Hinduism at Rutgers University where he teaches courses on Hindu philosophy and religion. He has received numerous awards and fellowships, published eight books, and authored a number of articles on the earliest origins of the Vedic culture, yoga philosophy, and the Krishna tradition. As a personal practitioner of bhakti yoga for over 45 years, a number of them spent in India studying with traditional teachers, where he returns yearly, Edwin strives to combine academic scholarship and rigor with appreciation towards traditional knowledge systems. His teaching method is to allow the ancient texts to speak in their own voice and through their own terms and categories. Website: https://sites.rutgers.edu/edwin-bryant/   In this episode, we discuss:

1. Patañjali’s citta-vṛitti-nirodhaḥ type practice in the Gītā.
2. The difference between karma and karma yoga.
3. A new definition of yoga, skill in action.
4. The 3 definitions of yoga in the Gītā.
5. Ashtanga-type practice in the Gītā in comparison with verses in Patañjali. 
6. The mind of a yogi.
7. Bhakti, the highest expression of yoga.

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In this episode we discuss:

1. Daniel Simpson’s upcoming book, The Truth of Yoga. Daniel shares his intention and inspiration behind this comprehensive overview integrating contemporary history with scholarly history
2. Differentiating yoga history and yoga philosophy as evolutionary systems of ideas
3. Debunking commonly misunderstood concepts and myths of yoga evolution
4. Connection points to tradition within modern practices
5. Postural practice and being definitive about the unknown
6. Reinterpreting yoga traditions, cultural appropriation and exploitation of yoga
7. The nature of ultimate and relative truths in yoga

Daniel Simpson teaches yoga philosophy at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, on teacher trainings and online. He earned his Masters degree in Traditions of Yoga and Meditation at SOAS (University of London), the home of the pioneering Hatha Yoga Project. He is the author of The Truth of Yoga, a comprehensive guide to the history of practice, which will be published in January by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. His website is http://danielsimpson.infoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

About the Guest Bihani Sarkar is a Calcutta-born, Oxford-educated, scholar of classical Sanskrit literature and pre-modern Indian history and religious traditions. Bihani is a historian of early Indian politics, religions, and literature (poetry and drama) between the 2nd and the 15th centuries CE. She is lecturer in Comparative Non-Western Thought at Lancaster University and formerly a departmental lecturer in Sanskrit at Oriental Institute, University of Oxford. Bihani has researched and taught in universities in the UK and in Europe. Her teaching goal is to enable everyone access to early Indian Sanskrit texts and traditions in the original language, regardless of ability or prior knowledge, and to think about them in critical, modern, and exciting ways. Bihani’s publications span the history of the Śākta (goddess-centric) traditions, their metaphysics, their relationship to power, their role in the growth of the state and kingship and, most recently, on Śākta epigraphy as well as on histories of classical Indian literary genres, aesthetics, and emotions. Her most recent book is Classical Sanskrit Tragedy: The Concept of Suffering and Pathos in Medieval India.   In this episode, we discuss: 

1. Marginalized voices in the study of Sanskrit.
2. Wild women and goddesses in ancient Sanskrit poetry in mythology.
3. Shaktism as a stand-alone tradition.
4. Shakta as a homegrown feminist tradition inspiring and emancipating Indian women.
5. Does one need to be from a culture to understand a culture?
6. The importance of valuing the place where something comes from.
7. Being an accidental academic.

 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode of the Chitheads podcast is actually the first episode of a new podcast we’re releasing as a part of the new Embodied Podcasts Network – the Tarka Journal Podcast. So as some of you know, embodied philosophy publishes a quarterly journal called Tarka in print and digital, and Stephanie, the Editor in Chief of Tarka and I wanted a space where we could have conversations about the the topics we’re exploring in the journal. In this episode we talk about the inspiration behind Tarka and how it got started and where it's going. And if you decide to subscribe to the Tarka Journal Podcast, which you can do now, then in future episodes we’ll be joined by colleagues, fellow faculty of Embodied Philosophy and we’ll discuss the ideas in particular articles from Tarka. We’ll also explore some of the current debates, issues and perspectives in the fields of contemplative studies, dharma studies, as they relate to the experience of the scholar-practitioner. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

About the Guests

Hari-kirtana das is a yoga teacher, spiritual mentor, and author. He's been practicing devotional yoga and various other yogic disciplines for the better part of the last 50 years, has lived in yoga ashrams and intentional spiritual communities, and has a talent for making complex ideas about spiritual philosophy easy to understand.  Kenneth Rose, Ph.D., is an author, speaker, and professor of philosophy and religion. As a scholar-practitioner, he specializes in comparative religion, comparative mysticism, and spirituality. Trish Tillman is a history professor and yoga teacher in the Washington, DC area. She holds a Ph.D. in History from the Catholic University of America and teaches at the University of Maryland - Global Campus. Trish has been steadily involved in the study and practice of Bhakti yoga, via her teacher, Hari-kirtana das.  Stephanie Corigliano is the editor for Tarka at Embodied Philosophy. She works as a lecturer in the Religious Studies department at Cal Poly, Humboldt. Stephanie holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Theology from Boston College University and an MA in Theology from Loyola Marymount University.   In this episode, we discuss:

1. The concept and role of the guru in present-day spheres of yoga and academia.
2. The overlaps and differences between guru and teacher.
3. What the yogic tradition has to say about the qualifications of a guru and misconceptions about the role.
4. The emergence of scholar-practitioners in academic religious studies and its impact.
5. Why the guru role is still relevant. 
6. The debate over female gurus within the Hare Krishnas in the West as a microcosm of the larger debate over female gurus and spiritual authorities.
7. How the guru role may evolve in our unbounded, modern time.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we discuss:

1. Post-Daoism as a philosophy reinterpreting depth psychology, qigong, and Daoism
2. MogaDao as a practice at the intersection of somatic, queer, and socioerotic inquiry
3. Socially imposed self-images versus deeply personal mythopoetic self-images
4. The democratization of desire in all forms and socio-erotic experiences
5. Spiritual significance of sex, sexuality, and desire as authentic expressions of a soul’s original virtue
6. Consumeristic paradigm of sexuality as another attribute of power 
7. The importance of trans people in society as leaders in and examples of radical authenticity

Zhenevere Sophia Dao is a poet, novelist, playwright, and the director of the SACRa Theater Company. She has been a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University and has published fiction with Penguin Books. An independent scholar, she is the founder of the philosophy of Post-Daoism and the practice tradition of MogaDao, which incorporates original “mythosomatic” qigong forms and meditations, and spiritualized asana, in combination with academic studies in mythopoetics, comparative philosophy and religion, Depth Sexology, socioerotic and sociopolitical inquiry, and queer studies. A transgender woman, she is also the founder of The Transgender Necessity, a platform for public discourse which underscores the cultural necessity of transgender individuals. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we discuss:

1. How yoga communities and the industry have changed during the Covid pandemic.
2. The inspiration for Tia’s new book “The Practice is the Path”.
3. Being comfortable living with uncertainty.
4. Identity and attachment.
5. The significance of dreams and the role of the dream state in breaking the spell of the everyday life.  
6. Emphasizing the “not doing” and shifting the default mode to be one of rest
7. Yoga and the art of seeing - the role of being seen and heard in relationship and healing.

About Tias Little: Tias Little’s unique and skillful approach enables students to find greater depth of understanding and awareness in their practice, both on and off the mat. His approach to the practice is inter-disciplinary, passionate, intelligent, innovative and full of insight. Tias synthesizes years of study in classical yoga, Sanskrit, Buddhist studies, anatomy, massage and trauma healing. Tias began studying the work of B.K.S Iyengar in 1984 and lived in Mysore, India in 1989 studying Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga with Pattabhi Jois. Thus his teaching brings together precision of alignment, anatomical detail and a profound meditative experience. Tias is a licensed massage therapist and his somatic studies include in-depth training in cranial-sacral therapy. His practice and teaching are influenced by the work of Ida Rolf, Moshe Feldenkrais and Thomas Hanna. Tias is a long-time student of the meditative arts and Buddhist studies beginning with Vipassana and continuing in Tibetan Buddhism and Zen. His teaching style is unique in being able to weave together poetic metaphor with clear instruction filled with compassion and humor. Tias earned a Master’s degree in Eastern Philosophy from St. John’s College Santa Fe in 1998. Tias is the author of four books, The Thread of Breath, Meditations on a Dewdrop, Yoga of the Subtle Body, and The Practice is the Path.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Philip Goldberg is the author and co-author of various books, including and most notably, American Veda. CHITHEADS and Jacob Kyle sat down with Philip to talk about his journey as a public speaker, spiritual counselor, workshop leader, and transcendental meditation teacher from his beginnings in the counterculture movement of the sixties and seventies. Philip lives in Los Angeles and writes often for Huffington Post. Considering himself a pragmatic mystic, he also leads Vedic tours in India, exploring the origin of the main gurus that visited the West, and is the co-host of the podcast, "Spirit Masters". Currently, Philip is working on a biography on Yogananda, set for release in 2018.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Constantina Rhodes is an acclaimed scholar of Sanskrit and the spiritual traditions of India, as well as a Certified Intuitive Consultant and Certified Instructor of Intuitive Development. Constantina holds a doctorate in South Asian Languages and Religions from Columbia University. She was a full professor with tenure at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida before moving back to New York City, where she teaches in the Program in Religion at Hunter College of the City University of New York. She has served on the steering committee of the Society for Tantric Studies; was an inaugural member of the Tantric Studies Group of the American Academy of Religion; and has held prestigious elected office as President of the American Academy of Religion. Constantina has practiced yoga and meditation for most of her life. She spent two years living and studying in India, and over the course of several decades she has received mantra initiation in the lineages of Transcendental Meditation, Integral Yoga, and Siddha Yoga. She is a Level II Usui Reiki practitioner and draws upon healing energy within her sessions. As a Certified Intuitive Consultant, Constantina engages in an ancient art that both enhances and is enhanced by her longtime meditation practice.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ian Whicher is a Professor and Head of the Department of Religion at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. He specializes in Hinduism and the Yoga tradition and is the author of scholarly books and numerous articles including, The Integrity of the Yoga Darśana (SUNY Press), and coeditor of Yoga: The Indian Tradition (Routledge Curzon). Dr. Whicher has a new book coming out soon, titled Essays on the Yoga Sutra: Engaging the World in Freedom and is currently writing a book on The Yoga of Intelligence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiki is a renowned Ashtanga Yoga teacher, wellness consultant, and personal coach. With 34-years experience, she has pioneered a career at the strategic intersection of Wellness, Natural Lifestyle, Yoga, Inspired Living, and Organic Beauty. Kiki is a spokesperson and community builder with a dedicated YouTube and Blogging audience. Kiki facilitates and implements transformational programs for individuals and organizations. Her clients include Hollywood and Fortune 500 leaders as well as adults and children with therapeutic needs. She develops and executes Yoga and Wellness Programs for Spinal Cord Injury at The Axis Project as well as Independence Care Systems, providing Yoga for communities with disability. Based in New York City, Kiki also consults remotely with clients around the world. A Yoga educator, she teaches workshops locally and worldwide. Kiki Graduated with Honors from NYU with a BFA in Drama, and it is here she was introduced to Yoga. As an actress, she starred and co-starred in Hollywood, New York, and Independent projects in film, television, and theater. Kiki continued her Yoga studies traveling to India more than a dozen times studying closely with Ashtanga Yoga with founder Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois in Yoga Therapeutics, Wellness Traditions, Sanskrit and Philosophy. In 1996, Kiki opened her first yoga school in Los Angeles, where she taught for 10 years. Here she was honored to host her teacher Pattabhi Jois as well as celebrated Kirtan singer Krishna Das in his first California appearances. She also worked as a Yoga Consultant in film and television, notably on The Next Best Thing, starring Madonna.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we discuss:

1. His continual journey of awakening
2. 7 stages of consciousness
3. Awakening inside and outside of a tradition
4. Chasing experience
5. “Feeling value” and its role in the process of awakening
6. Personal and impersonal - changing focus
7. Ethics and awakening - three folds of the ego
8. Rising of the consciousness in our modern world

David Buckland is a former IT consultant who lives on Vancouver Island in the temperate rain forest of SW Canada. He began his spiritual journey in the mid-70's. On a long retreat soon after, he began witnessing full time and refined perception clicked on with a bang. He has now been meditating and exploring consciousness for more than 40 years. Soon after awakening in 2007, he began writing online under the nickname "Davidya." The name and related blog (Davidya.ca) soon took on a life of its own. In 2011, he earned an MA in Vedic Science, studying Vedic literature, Sanskrit, and world religions. He has observed and spoken with many people having shifts in consciousness and has been working to synthesize historical understanding with modern experience.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.