Let's Talk Yoga

In this episode, I’m doing a deep dive into what type of asana will help during perimenopause. I'll share some tips on how to approach your practice, which pranayamas are useful, which restoration techniques will leave you feeling rejuvenated, what will really add value to your practice, and what yoga principles in living yoga are we going to really pull from.

Episode Highlights:

• The difference between perimenopause and menopause
• Asana practice in younger years
• The practice of asana during the four weeks of menstrual cycle
• We have to let our asanas evolve as we age
• Three things that yoga teachers would want to do:
  • Poses to stretch and lengthen the lower abdomen, upper thigh region
  • Poses for gentle pressure on the abdomen
  • Poses to soothe the mind
• The three rules of perimenopausal practice
• Three main things to keep in mind when it comes to pranayama practices.
  • Three cooling Pranayamas
  • Balancing Pranayama
  • Bhramari
• Resting is priority
• Fixing your body will not fix all your problems
• Manomaya Kosh

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The topic of women yogis in India is often overlooked and not widely discussed due to its complexity and nuances. It involves many layers of cultural factors. Popular yoga often includes discussions about yogis, but there is a mysterious aspect to it. To shed some light on this topic, I decided to invite Prasad Rangnekar back, one of our favorite guests, to discuss the history of women practitioners, specifically yogis and yoginis in India.

Episode Highlights:

• Was yoga a man's practice?
• The distinction between saying women yogis and yoginis
• Defining yoga in context
• The role of women in society and their impact
• The link between the feminine divinity and the goddesses in India and women yogis
• The Vedic period
• The privacy of women in their practice of sadhana
• Women yogis at the end of BC Period to the Common Era
• What are yoginis?
• Things to consider as a modern-day practitioner about the topic of yoginis

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I know that some of you have been requesting an episode about mudras. When it comes to mudras, I couldn't think of a better person to have this conversation with than our favorite guest, Indu Arora. We delve into the concept of namaste as a mudra and explore mudras that extend beyond the hands. Indu defines what mudras are, their origin, and how to practice them. Additionally, she provides advice for those who are new to the idea of mudras and how they can explore it further.

Episode Highlights:

• Mudras and their relevance to today's yoga
• The origins of mudra
• Relationship between mudras and the Sukshma Sharira and prana
• Beginner's guide to mudras
• The context between Namaste and Anjali Mudra
• The significance of elements between mudra and namaste
• Hasta mudra: the use of the right hand versus the left hand
• Is Drishti a mudra?
• The mind mudras
• Advice for beginners in mudras

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Today, I have the pleasure of hosting Prashant J, a yoga teacher from India, on my show. He is the proud owner of a yoga school in Rishikesh and is known for his expertise as an international yoga teacher and content creator. Our discussion today will focus on pranayama, where we dive deep into topics like prana, Kundalini Shakti, and Kumbhakas.

Episode Highlights:

• The link between yoga and pranayama
• The definition of prana and pranayama
• Can pranayama alone help one move towards higher states of consciousness and enlightenment or get into much deeper practices?
• The relationship between the Kundalini Shakti and the practice of pranayama
• What should be the goal for a modern-day practitioner of pranayama?
• Is pranayama and meditation the same thing?
• How much pranayama does the average person need?
• Pranayama history overview
• The significance of the Kumbhaka stage of Nadi Shodhana
• Antar vs Bahir Kumbhaka
• Is Bahir Kumbhaka the same as Kevala Kumbhaka?
• Kumbhaka practice for men vs women
• Should women do Kumbhaka during menstruation?

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Fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum are three phases in life that Ayurveda provides a lot of wisdom about. I can't think of anybody specializing in this field other than our past guest, Nidhi Pandya. She uses her generational Ayurvedic wisdom to help us understand it in a simplified and relatable manner where we can find ways to apply Ayurvedic wisdom in our daily lives.

Episode Highlights:

• What Ayurveda says about fertility
• Healthy practices one can do
• Advice to women who choose to be childfree
• Ayurveda for men
• How to nourish the body post-partum
• How to nourish the body after a miscarriage
• Three to-go practices for pregnant women
• Protocol for fertility treatments

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Ayurvedic self-care is taking care of ourselves from within. Indu's book SOMA: 100 Heritage Recipes for Self-Care is filled with recipes, rituals & remedies. Looking after ourselves is especially important these times, so if you’re like me who loves anything DIY and self-care, you'll enjoy this conversation.

Episode Highlights:

• What is SOMA?
• What is at stake if we don’t talk about ourselves?
• How important is a self-care routine?
• Indu’s favorite morning ritual
• Indu’s nighttime practice
• Oiling the soles of the feet
• What is oil pulling and its benefits?
• Tongue scraping and the difference between steel and copper tongue scrapers
• What to do to keep our ears healthy
• Indu suggests a simple way to practice mouna
• Indu’s favorite eye-care ritual
• Mudras and it's part in self-care
• Indu shares the value of self-care

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In this episode, we're going to do a deep dive to figuring out the answers to these two important questions. I'm going to give you very clear markers to work with. I want this episode to be a reminder that preparing yourself for pranayama is very important. That way, you resonate with it deeply as you explore the practice. Because there is nothing imaginary in pranayama. It is an exact science and a precise system that has been handed over by Yogis for centuries with care and caution.

Episode Highlights:

• Part 1: How do you know you are ready to do a deep dive into pranayama study?
  • Step 1: Understand where pranayama begins
  • Step 2: Understand the role of time and the maturation of practice
  • Step 3: The importance of understanding the role of your source for pranayama
  • Step 4: Replace the "I want more" mindset with more refinement
  • Step 5: Find more Ananda within you in this practice
• Part 2: When do you know you are ready to teach pranayama?
  • You have a deeply established asana practice
  • You are prepared to lead others
  • Okay with not teaching pranayama

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On this episode, I invited a very special guest, Dr. Abha Rajbhandari, who's going to dive into the intersection of science and spirituality. We’re going to explore the definition of science and spirituality, where they intersect, the nature of our consciousness, what yoga does to our brains, the goal for emotional regulation, and so much more.

Episode Highlights:

• The definition of spirituality
• What makes up something to be called spiritual
• The definition of science
• Scientific parts of yoga
• What yoga does to the brain
• The impact of meditation on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases
• The nature or origin of consciousness
• Connecting with our consciousness through meditation
• The type of meditation to use in connecting with our consciousness
• The goal of emotional regulation
• What happens to the ego in the pursuit of consciousness
• Layers to consciousness to know about
• Practices or rituals to help both physically and spiritually
• Neurochemicals and the effects of screen time on our brains
• What chemical imbalance causes depression?
• An invitation to become open-minded both in scientific and spiritual aspects of life

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Surya Namaskar, also known as sun salutations, is such a simple yet daunting topic for a lot of yoga teachers and we as modern practitioners only know it from the lens of it being very physical. So on the show today, I invited Pradeep Sattwamaya to help us trace the origins of Surya Namaskar and its uses in our modern-day yoga.

Episode Highlights:

• How old is the practice of Surya Namaskar?
• The importance of Hatha yoga
• What is Chandra Namaskar?
• Breath practices
• Supplemental elements in yoga
• The Origins of Surya Namaskar
• Classical Surya Namaskar as a physical practice and Vinyasa
• What type of Surya Namaskar and how many rounds is recommended a day
• Is Surya Namaskar a moving meditation?

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In this episode, I'm giving you a teaser of my Pranayama class by talking about the different groups of Pranayama practices. You'll be amazed to know how each type impacts our body and spirit. And did you know that there is such a thing called Pranayama Sequencing? I can't wait to get into all that and more in our upcoming training and immersion.

Episode Highlights:

• The three main groups of Pranayama practices
• Why is Vitalizing Pranayama also called Energizing Pranayama?
• Tranquilizing Pranayama and what it does to the body
• Which is the most beginner-friendly among the different types of Pranayama?
• The reason why Classical Pranayama is considered as a unique category

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Have you ever heard about Bhoga? The word Bhoga is a Sanskrit word that means to enjoy or to consume. And since we are heading into a celebratory season across the globe, I thought that this would be a very timely conversation for us to have.

Episode Highlights:

• What is Bhoga
• Bhoga is not necessarily a bad thing
• Four stages of life
• Yoga versus Bhoga
• The problems that come from overindulging in Bhoga
• The six types of indulgences that we have to watch for
• Dealing with Bhogas through the four Margas of yoga
• Useful tips for holiday seasons

I really hope that you will find some nuggets of wisdom from this episode and be able to apply it, especially during the holiday season!

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I know many of you have been waiting for my annual Pranayama Yoga Teacher Training and I'm very excited to share that the wait is finally over. As you're listening to this episode, all the details are live and the waitlist is open.

To get a first-hand experience of what it's like inside this course, I looked at one of our older Pranayama podcast episodes that I wanted to share with you. I want to allow you to practice a little Pranayama with me via this podcast. So what I’m sharing with you today is called Free Pranayama Masterclass and Sequence Guidelines.

Episode Highlights:

• Defining the word ‘pranayama’
• Parts of respiration
• Nadi Shodhana, the king of breath practice
• Why it's not meant to be rushed
• Stage 1: Preparatory practice
• Nasikagra Mudra
• Guided self-practice for stage one
• Stage 2: Equalizing the breath
• Guided self-practice for stage two
• How we tend to force our breath out
• Stage 3: Antara Kumbhaka
• Guided self-practice for stage three
• Recap of the three stages of the practice

So if you have been waiting to add Pranayama to your own practice and teaching repertoire, this is it. The course is waitlisting now. Registrations open on December 1st and close on December 31st, 2023. The course is starting on January 9th, 2024 and it runs online for six weeks.

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It's a real challenge to teach a person who is just starting their yoga experience. What is the best approach in teaching yoga to beginners? How do we prepare ourselves as teachers?

Take advantage of this level when they are most susceptible to knowledge and build a strong foundation. After all, mentors play a big part in their students' yoga. Listen and discover more in today's episode.

Episode Highlights:

• How to teach yoga to a beginner
  • Teach the beginner what they can relate to first
  • See the student in front of you with your head and your heart
  • Operate from a point of abundance, not lack
  • Check if you're able to explain yoga to yourself if you were a beginner
• Preview of the training manual
• The teacher's mindset for teaching beginners yoga
  • You were once a beginner and still a beginner in other aspects
  • Most learning happens at the beginner's level
  • Picture your students living their yoga in the long run
  • Teach whoever comes to you without judgment or selfish agenda
  • Build a professional rapport rooted in yoga with your each of your students
  • Be willing to unlearn some things to uncover more yoga
  • Practice non-attachment in your teaching
  • Go the extra mile for your students and yourself as well

I hope to see you on November 7th in the Teaching Yoga to Beginners Course. Enjoy this episode.

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In today's episode I share 3 things I wish I knew a decade ago when it came to teaching a beginner (or any student). You know I think every beginner student is extremely important because there are a lot of yoga teacher training programs that do not get this covered because most of them focus on teaching a student who already has some basic yoga knowledge. Because teaching a beginner requires a nuanced approach and can be challenging. But also very rewarding. It comes down to the caliber of the teacher and the student. 

So in today's episode, I'm going to share with you three things that I wish I knew when I was teaching beginners that took me a decade to figure out. They are things that I have stuck to time and time again and have definitely been game-changers. Take note that none of them are about poses. In fact, they're what I commonly refer to as invisible yoga when it comes to teaching yoga.

Episode Highlights:

• Focus on how they will learn instead of how you will teach
• Teach the practice more, not just the pose
• Stop queuing, start communicating

I hope you enjoy this episode and I hope to see you on November 7th in the Teaching Yoga to Beginners Course.

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As the owner of Aham Yoga Studio for 10 years, I have honestly been testing, trying, and failing many times and coming up with a blueprint that now we put on repeat that helps us to move the students in a way where they relate to yoga, they feel successful, and they come back to continue investing in themselves and in their journey with yoga. So I have taken these 10 years of my work and have condensed and packed it into a 30-hour online Teaching Yoga To Beginners Course that is built specifically for you.

While there are many aspects to teaching beginners—which we'll explore in-depth in the Teaching Yoga to Beginners course—in today's episode, I want to focus on discussing the yoga sequencing principles for beginners. Yoga sequencing principles largely being asana-oriented. 

I'm giving you three, out of nine, proven yoga sequencing principles that I have used for beginner's asana classes for a decade successfully.

Episode Highlights:

• Sequencing principle #1: Lay the roadmap
• Sequencing principle #2: Start and end positions matter
• What positions to avoid
• Sequencing principle #3: Know your what-if moments

The training starts on November 7th, 2023, and enrollments open on October 15th, 2023. It's completely online. It is built for yoga teachers who want to get better teaching, especially a beginner. How you learn matters to me so I've done my best to make it as effective as possible.

On October 16th, I'm hosting an information session at 8:30 AM Pacific Time to give you a preview of the content and walk you through the content library where you can also ask your questions.

I hope to see you on November 7th in the Teaching Yoga to Beginners Course. Enjoy this episode.

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In my studio at Aham Yoga, I have students who have some knowledge of Ayurveda and I would often get so many questions about what the role of food is. How should we really eat? How frequently should we eat and in what quantity? This is honestly a topic that I am no expert with and so I decided to invite back a past guest who is the real expert in Ayurveda, Nidhi Pandya.

Join us as we explore the role of food in our lives, the various effects different foods bring to us, and some practical tips for modern-day yoga practitioners who want to live a more holistic lifestyle.

Episode Highlights:

• The role of food in our lives according to Ayurveda
• The three pillars of health in Ayurveda
• The connection between the ahara (food) and prana
• Does Ayurveda look at cooked food and raw food differently?
• The effects of green juices and smoothies on our bodies
• How the yogis ate and their relationship to food
• What is a sattvic diet?
• Does doing yoga mean one should only eat a vegetarian diet
• Does the food we eat affect the quality of our minds and our thoughts
• Ayurveda's approach to the frequency of meals, what to eat, and in what quantity
• Practical tips for modern-day yoga practitioners to live more holistically

You can find more about Nidhi and the resources mentioned in the episode show notes.

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Nowadays, there are people who start yoga through asana practice but, at its core, keep saying that yoga is for the mind. The question is how is the mind actually connected to yoga? In this episode, I will be joined by a new guest, Sandipani Manur, who will help us look into managing the mind through yoga and the different layers of the mind.

Sandipani has been teaching for a very long time. He has 25 years of learning and teaching yoga and he aims to keep yoga very simple and relatable.

Some of the things we discuss are the parallels between the Eastern and Western views of the mind, how yoga views the mind, and whether or not meditation helps with managing the mind.

You can find more about Sandipani and the resources mentioned in the episode show notes.

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In the previous episode, Vikram and I started a masterclass on the yamas and niyamas where we dove deep into the five yamas, their layers, and how someone moves through the yamas. And as part two of this masterclass, Vikram and I are putting the spotlight on the niyamas in this episode.

Join us as we identify the differences between the yamas and niyamas and the reasons why they differ in application. We also go over each of the five niyamas, their definitions, and applications for practitioners in our day-to-day life.

Episode Highlights:

• The difference between the yamas and the niyamas
• Are the yamas and niyamas absolute?
• The layers of saucha and its application to a modern-day practitioner
• How does one practice santosha
• What does tapas mean?
• The methodology to svadhyaya
• The practice of ishvarapranidhana
• Recommendations for practicing the niyamas

You can find more about Vikram and the resources mentioned in the episode show notes.

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If there is a one conversation about the Yamas you need to listen to as someone who does or even teaches yoga - let it be this one. 

Vikram Jeet Singh is back on the podcast with another power packed conversation. This time diving deep into the yamas. If you want to do more than poses and curious about living yoga but don’t know where to start. Listen to this conversation. It will be insightful and enriching no matter what stage of yoga you are in. 

This is part 1 of a 2 part series. Part 2 is all about the niyamas and that drops next week. 

Find about more about Vikram in our show notes . 

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Now that our summer break is over, we are back with more episodes. 

Kickstarting with a solo episode, Arundhati talks about 10 truths of studying yoga in the modern day that often gets over looked. 

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