Yoga Inspiration

Without a doubt, yoga is an invitation for introspection and growth. It holds a mirror to who we truly are and generously serves as our unwavering support throughout the trials of life. But as we move through this journey, how often do we consider our contribution to the yoga community?

Much like the unwavering support of our own practices guiding us through arduous human experiences, community parallels as the backbone of yoga’s presence in society. It’s truly in the embrace of a supportive community that the true essence of yoga blossoms. 

And in this moment, who do we consider responsible for togetherness in yoga? It's not solely the teacher's guidance or the student's perseverance that fosters connection, but the intersection of both that forms a sense of belonging, a sense of sangha. 

So next time we dive into our asanas with devotion, let’s extend that outwards to the yogi on the mat next door, open up the space for deeper connection - for more togetherness - and consider community a loving duty for us all.

Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST.

Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at info@kinoyoga.com. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

Yoga does change your life if you tend to the practice every day. But is it compassionate enough to show up on the mat when your body is begging you for a break? 

You get to choose: you could show up to your Ashtanga practice once a week giving your everything or you could show up every day with just 50% - even 10% - of what you’ve got. With this decision, you get the invitation to reflect upon what brought you to Ashtanga in the first place. Because if spiritual transformation is what you seek, you must release the shackles of perfectionism and validation.

So let’s talk about this road to consistency and explore how samadhi greets you when you return every day with humility. After all, when we live in a world that’s conditioned us to want more, why not release the chase for applause for our impressive string of asanas?

Why not allow Ashtanga to bring us back down to earth - not just from the busyness of modern life, but to settle the ego?

Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST.

Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at info@kinoyoga.com. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

The belief that one metaphorical door closing is the chance for another one to open couldn’t speak to Katy Scherer’s story more. When pregnancy placed a sudden limitation on her running career, a redirection emerged that she never expected; she traded laces for bare feet and the gravel beneath them for a yoga mat.

But this isn’t a conversation about life’s surprises, this is in fact an exploration of Katy’s wisdom of the breath. 

Her initiation into yoga offered incredible gifts of community and well-being, but it profoundly guided Katy towards a deeper connection to oneness and, ultimately, her journey of guiding others along the path of pranayama.

Through candid discussions on body awareness and the recognition of bodily limitations, this conversation explores the profound potential for self-discovery that lies within the practice of pranayama and breathwork. So join us - but not before taking a nourishingly deep inhale-exhale.

Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST.

Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at info@kinoyoga.com. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

From summer camp serendipity to university days solace, yoga can meet us in the most unsuspecting times. It plants tiny seeds of inspiration into our awareness so that our yogic journeys can fully bloom when the time is right.

And it’s in these moments - where many of us find yoga’s healing qualities as a soothing balm to insomnia or back pain - that we meet the real essence of yoga. The deeper dimensions offer opportunities for self-compassion, introspection, and connection with the breath, with oneness.

It’s the devotion to this essence of yoga that nurtures teachers with not just the connection to oneness but the vision of that nature too. Isn’t yoga for everyone? And do we really need to categorize our practices to achieve that?

Tune in to this episode and immerse yourself in thoughts of diversity, ashtanga versus vinyasa and audience Q&A.

Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST.

Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at info@kinoyoga.com. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

Limitlessness and opportunity – the inertia of pacy modern life can serve as fuel for realising our purpose in this lifetime. But much like this two-month immersion in Mysore that serves as a grounding balance to our proactive compulsions, finding the right teacher will surely keep us all on the right track. At the very least, it will help us avoid complete burnout.

Yet while living in a world of endless possibilities, this can also be a tricky endeavour in itself. When there are many gurus in arms reach - whether digitally or a plane ride away - it inevitably raises the questions: How do you find your teacher? How do you know they’re right for you?

Everyone has teachers along their path, but not all of us are willing to acknowledge them. Whether that’s perfectionism rearing its head or a case of warped expectations, the only thing that matters is ensuring they meet our needs, our values. 

So teachers and life-long students, settle into this dharma talk that arose after two months in Mysore - the truth that arose when the desire for action was extinguished.

Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST.

Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at info@kinoyoga.com. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

If we expect somehow to only show up for our practice when things are feeling good and do a good job from the external standards, then we'll lack the kind of spiritual fortitude that’s really required.

And, in this modern age, it’s all too easy to lose our grip of patience when immediacy permiates our every chance to make a decision. We may be fortunate to live in a world of advancements that better our lives but, if our desire for convenience takes precedence, we risk weakening our spiritual edurance. We risk hardening our hearts when faced with difficulty.

We must also ask: if our default understanding of endurance is to bring presence and perspective to adversity, where does that leave us when things are going well? 

Spiritual endurance goes beyond ‘pushing through’ and instead offers a chance to deepen our yoga journey, to enrich our lives way beyond the mat.

Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST.

Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at info@kinoyoga.com. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

As we journey on the spiritual path, we seek answers for our ever questioning minds. What is the meaning of life? What is my purpose? Can I really be bothered to do primary series today?

Healthy questioning offers us meaningful personal growth but it is indeed part of the practice to remain the observer of thoughts. Once we step into the rabbit hole questioning ourselves, our yogi paths, and even our teachers, it is during those moments we must decide whether we are truly cultivating fertile ground for faith.

From dropping the notion of romanticism to the benefits of a dynamic practice - let’s dive in and explore the gifts available to us during challenging times.

Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST.

Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at info@kinoyoga.com. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

What brought you to yoga? For many, the instant access to other people’s lives online fuels them to chase aspirational goals. But where does a path lit up by comparison lead?

For instance, to be excitedly motivated by the idea of mastering a headstand or flexibility draws in so many people to yoga - this would be fine if our self-perception didn’t become so easily warped in the pursuit of perfection.

The truth is, the perfect practice is the one where you show up. And the perfect body is the one you already have. So to remain in touch with the true essence of yoga, arrive with compassion for yourself and your students and be prepared to ask yourself: Why am I really on the mat today?

Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST.

Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at info@kinoyoga.com. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

This conversation with Maya Gross will leave us not surprised at how transformative Ashtanga yoga has been in her life’s journey but enamoured with how she transmutes her own learnings into soothing offerings for the world. 

When discussing the current turmoil in the Middle East, her compassionate outlook and advice are met with global support. And then there’s all of this compressed for social media - a space that requires careful considerations at this time, or any time for that matter.

Lean into Maya’s spiritual tools for peace promotion and tap into the knowing that a plea for world peace is one for inner peace too. In fact, that’s where it begins.

Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST.

Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at info@kinoyoga.com. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

Openly, vulnerably and courageously, Dina Ghandour shares her experience as a Palestinian Yogi throughout this conversation. Her journey began with practising asanas with a VHS tape in her bedroom at 15 to now, a Jivamukti Yoga certified yoga teacher and bodyworker based in Duba leading community classes and worldwide retreats.

Tapping into her belief that yoga is a practice of liberation and that liberation is about the elevation and healing of all beings, Dina’s mission for women’s remembrance of their strength is needed now more than ever.

To let in the very real, authentic details of her personal story and to inspire you to continue the work of yoga, enter this interview with an open heart and a curious mind.

For further information and resources on the topics mentioned in the episode, please access them below.

Resources (books written by both Palestinian and Israeli acclaimed historians):

The 100 Years' War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi

The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine + The Biggest Prison on Earth by Ilan Pappe

Gaza in Crisis by Naom Chomsky and Ilan Pappe

Palestine Academy's Palestine 101 online course

All Out for Palestine Digital Action Toolkit by the Palestine Feminist Collective

Death toll raised to 21,000

Website for the SIM cards

Terms

According to the UN Genocide Convention: 

The current definition of Genocide is set out in Article II of the Genocide Convention: Genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: 

(a) Killing members of the group; already 15,200 have been killed in Gaza alone, 6,600 of which are children -- and violence and killing also happening also in the occupied West Bank, which is not ruled by Hamas

(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; consistent images and videos coming out of Gaza prove this is true

 (c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; the blockade on Gaza and the control of its food, fuel, electricity, medication etc pertains to this clause accurately 

(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; 

(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group

Reference (un.org)

Occupation:

In international humanitarian law, a territory is considered occupied when it is actually placed under the authority of the adverse foreign armed forces. The occupation extends only to the territory where such authority has been established and can be exercised. (From the International Red Cross) 

For background: 

Military Presence and Control: Israel maintains a significant military presence in the Palestinian territories, particularly in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) control checkpoints, strategic locations, and border crossings, restricting the movement of Palestinians and exerting authority over key areas.

Settlement Construction: Israel has been involved in the construction and expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which are considered illegal under international law. These settlements often result in the displacement of Palestinian communities, changing the demographic and geographic realities on the ground.

Separation Wall: The construction of the Israeli West Bank barrier, also known as the separation barrier or the wall, has further separated Palestinian communities and hindered their access to agricultural land, education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. While Israel argues that it is a security measure, critics argue that it serves as a de facto border, annexing Palestinian territory.

Restrictions on Movement: Palestinians face various restrictions on their movement, both within the territories and internationally. Checkpoints, roadblocks, and barriers limit the ability of Palestinians to travel freely, affecting daily life, economic activities, and access to essential services.

East Jerusalem Annexation: Israel's control and annexation of East Jerusalem have been a contentious issue. The international community does not recognize Israel's sovereignty over East Jerusalem, which Palestinians consider the capital of their state. However, Israel has continued to expand its presence in East Jerusalem through settlement construction and policies that alter the demographic composition of the city.

No matter how much passion we have for our yoga practice, it’s our relationship to discipline that profoundly shapes our experience. And, even if two people had the same passion for yoga yet one was regimented and the other was averse to consistency, neither one of them will have a perfectly smooth journey.

But isn’t finding balance the point? Isn’t an opportunity to dive deeper into our being the essence of the practice itself? 

Along with Tim, in this episode we explore powerful tools that support our personal approach to devotion. From community to obsession, let’s uncover the challenges and solutions to showing up on our mats consistently. 

After all, why wouldn’t we want to cultivate the opportunity to meet our truest selves?

Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST.

Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at info@kinoyoga.com. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

Whether it is morally correct to pursue wealth, business, or even simply charging for services has perhaps been a question on many wellness practitioners mind. It's this question weaves its way throughout this episode as we explore both the philosophical and the practical side to running a spiritual business.

It’s improtant to acknowledge that this inner conflict is deeply rooted yet we must remember that there are two types of yogis - the one that takes monastic vows and the one who follows the householder path. The latter liberates us from the conflict and shows us that we can live life however we want - even seeking prosperity - so long as we remember our yogic principles.

That doesn’t mean it will be easy, though. Let’s dive into honest conversations about trial and error, building yourself a strong network, and shifting your focus away from ego with fellow yogi, Beatriz Yepes. 

Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST.

Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at info@kinoyoga.com. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

At the heart of our yoga practice, we engage mindfully with asanas to awaken the whispers of our subconscious and dive into layers unseen. Yet what is central to the symphony of ashtanga is the tristana method – a trilogy of asana, breath, and gaze. While it may be a simple structure for the mind to understand, truly how many years does mastery take?

Along with Tim, in this episode we explore how the interplay between conscious and subconscious worlds through tristana isn't a mere detail; it's the essence that anchors us in the rich traditions of yoga. We also meditate on the truth that with enough daily dedication, we can cultivate an inner sanctuary to welcome the merging of these worlds. To feel real peace. To bring ourselves home.

How is your journey of anchoring in tristana going? Let’s delve into the weaving together of the body, breath, and consciousness.

Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST.

Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at info@kinoyoga.com. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

In this conversation, we explore the type of yoga that almost all of us have thought “it looks so easy” but turns out to be one of the most challenging styles. World-renowned yoga trainer, Jo Phee, walks us through the world of yin yoga and how she went from corporate life to teaching this quietly powerful style.

Yin yoga is stillness, reflective, and meditative. And if we’re all seeking more of that in our lives then doesn’t that mean yin is better than any other form of yoga? Jo illuminates the principles of Taoist philosophy reminding us that yin and yang cannot and they should not exist in isolation. Even the Taoist symbol isn’t a perfectly straight line. They're always having a dance.

So what do you need more of in your life? Perhaps you can allow the answer to unfurl within this conversation; whether yin yoga brings you stability, healing or balance, it’s time to find out how it could enrich your life.

Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST.

Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at info@kinoyoga.com. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

When I think about my first ever yoga class, I remember that feeling of finally being back in my body again. More than that, I finally felt comfortable in the body I was in. For Jonathan Ferrucci, his first class inspired him to wonder where his body ends and the rest of the universe begins. 

Jonathan is a professional pianist sharing his experience at the intersection between yoga and music. For him, these are both languages he used to find his authenticity as not only a musician but as a human being. 

His introduction to yoga came from his mother, but it wasn’t until he discovered the Ashtanga practice in his twenties that he started to really understand the spiritual journey of yoga.

The ambitious, performance-oriented side of his mind is balanced by the patience of the practice, and Jonathan shares how his yoga routine transformed into a spiritual practice through Ashtanga. 

Many of us can relate to Jonathan’s experience of being “outside of the body,” where our minds are constantly wandering in circles of anxiety and stress. Performing on stage can bring this anxiety to a new level, and Jonathan saw yoga as a tool that would help him return to his body. 

Our yoga journeys are more than a sequence of poses or routines. Yoga is a practice; it is a daily effort in being present in the moment, which forces many of us to dig deep and recognize some parts of ourselves we may have forgotten or misplaced. 

You cannot predict how the practice will affect you, and Jonathan shares how he was struck most by the silence and how it turned into the biggest lesson he’s learned on the yoga mat.  

If any of us have ever lost ourselves and are looking for a way back onto the mat, Jonathan’s story will inspire you to come back to the practice with a new perspective. You may be humbled by this new perspective, or maybe you will learn something new. 

Meet Jonathan at this intersection between self, yoga, and music with a special concert performance on Omstars. All charitable donations will bring music to children in disadvantaged situations. 

If you have an inspiring story to share, please get in touch. Send an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

Stay connected: @kinoyoga and @omstarsofficial

View my teaching schedule, blogs, etc on Kinoyoga.com

Get your free 30 day membership on Omstars.com& use code: PODCAST

What does yoga represent to you? Why did you take that first step onto the yoga mat? 

I’ve been practicing yoga because I was looking for a more peaceful life. Now, more than twenty years later, I can confidently say that when I walk off my mat after practice I’m a little bit more peaceful, a little bit kinder. 

Yoga practice has the power to bring a little bit more love and peace into your life by changing the way you treat others and the way you treat yourself. One can even argue that this quest for peace is why the practice of yoga has survived for so many years. 

The spirituality of our yoga journey reminds us that this practice is more than just the pose. Even now, when we keep seeing perfectly photographed poses on Instagram, we have to remind ourselves that we are more than just our asana obsessions.

We all have our favorite poses. I’m the first to admit that I really wanted to do a headstand when I started my Ashtanga practice. But the true journey of yoga is not limited to the physical poses. The path of yoga is more spiritual and metaphysical.

At the core of the metaphysical practice of yoga are the five niyamas:

Saucha: cleanliness and purity Santosa: contentment, acceptance, and optimism Tapas: discipline and persistence Svadhyaya: self-study and study of the sacred texts Isvarapranidhana: devotion to the higher power

These moral and ethical self-disciplines help yogis relate with society. Since very few of us will become monks, the niyamas can help us householder yogis balance our yoga practice with the society in which we live. 

As I discuss the five niyamas, you may recognize some of these from other episodes. I’ve discussed tapas many times before on this podcast, but not in the way it influences the effort the yogi dedicates to their practice. 

In yoga, your effort is directly related to how much yoga is asking you to change your life. These changes can manifest in many ways, from dietary changes to complete mental makeovers in your subconscious. Tapas will help you balance your discipline so you can dedicate the right kind of effort to your practice. 

Remember - we should have that feeling of effort or else we miss the very thing that yoga is trying to teach us.

The five niyamas are the substance of the lifelong journey into the spiritual practice of yoga. You will think of them every time you get on your mat, and your perspective of the niyamas will change as you evolve on this journey. 

Tune in now to learn how to fit the niyama into your yoga practice.

I want to keep inspiring you to continue your practice. Send an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

Stay connected: @kinoyoga and @omstarsofficial

View my teaching schedule, blogs, etc on Kinoyoga.com

Get your free 30 day membership on Omstars.com& use code: PODCAST

The important thing to understand on this spiritual journey we’re on is knowing the difference between what is real and what is imaginary.

If we only live in the imaginary, then we risk the spiritual practice becoming a way for us to ignore reality. On the other hand, some of us can get attached to difficult realities, which can lock us into those negative cycles of thinking. 

Luckily, yoga practice and meditation teach us that we are not helpless victims of the life experience.

We have the power to break our subconscious thinking patterns if we learn to accept our failures in the practice. It’s no secret that this spiritual journey is made up of struggles - that’s why we call it a practice, but through this practice we have the opportunity to learn.

One of my biggest lessons on the yoga mat was (and sometimes still is) the acceptance of failure. More than that, it’s being able to sit with this failure with a relaxed and non-judgmental attitude. 

For me personally, the more I expect something to work out in a particular way, the more tightly I’m wound to it, which breeds negative thoughts and judgmental behavior. Does this happen to you? 

If the answer is yes, realize that the brain doesn’t subconsciously know the difference between imagination and reality. The way you react to real-world stimulation is the same way you react to a visualization, and your subconscious mind will interpret it as such. 

It is this reaction that is the root of suffering, and I’m discussing the ways we can recognize these moments during our meditative and yoga practices so we can train our brain to understand the difference between what is imagined and what is reality.

Recognizing this opens up the possibility to remain neutral in the face of failure, which makes it much easier to break the unconscious patterning of the mind. I want to empower you to sit with your failure without judging yourself, and learning to recognize the difference between your reality and your imagination is a great place to start.

What failures have you learned to face on the yoga mat? Send an email at info@kinoyoga.com. You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

Stay connected: @kinoyoga and @omstarsofficial

View my teaching schedule, blogs, etc on Kinoyoga.com

Get your free 30 day membership on Omstars.com& use code: PODCAST

For this meditation I want you to choose something you want to manifest. I always recommend having this idea in mind before you sit down for practice so you don’t interrupt the spiritual journey, but don’t hold it so tightly that you can’t relax your mind.

Remember - your mind needs an anchor. Just as your body needs a seat in order to settle into this moment, so does your mind. And just as in previous practices, this anchor will be your inflowing and outgoing breath. 

As you focus on your breathing, pay attention to the way it feels on your upper lip, the way it flows in and out of your nostrils. If you find your mind wandering, bring it back to your breath. 

It’s important to use this anchor of your breath. Keep your attention focused there in order to practice the state of equanimity we’ve discussed before, but it’s interesting to note where your mind wanders during meditation.

Is there a pattern to your thoughts? Do you find yourself focusing on the same emotional and physical reactions?

All of these distractions - even something as simple as your feet falling asleep - are worth noting, especially if there is a pattern of reactivity. Acknowledge and note this discomfort, note how you want to react, and then bring your attention back to your breath.

This is the work we put in during meditation. We are training our minds to be neutral, to detach our ego from all that we’ve experienced, and break the chain of attachment and aversion that traps us in negative thinking patterns. 

This humble work of practicing holding a single point of concentration in your mind is the key to this meditative practice, and the key to unlocking the subconscious patterns we all fall victim to in our daily lives. Please find a comfortable space to sit and relax as you join me in this meditation.

I want to keep inspiring you to continue your practice. Send an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

Stay connected: @kinoyoga and @omstarsofficial

View my teaching schedule, blogs, etc on Kinoyoga.com

Get your free 30 day membership on Omstars.com& use code: PODCAST

Practicing meditation is a practice in doing nothing. That may sound like a riddle, but it’s the truth! And it’s why meditation is so difficult for some of us.

My yoga teacher always used to say that meditation was very difficult. Asana yoga is almost easier because as we practice the poses, we are giving our minds a distraction from the sheer weight of nothingness.

I’m here to tell you that the key to meditation lies in embracing this nothingness, this intangibility of the practice. Meditation is designed to move us away from the material world and into the quality of the exact moment we are in without a hectic need to define it or run away from it. 

Unfortunately, our minds don’t always work that way. Don’t you ever experience doubts on the yoga mat?

We are always looking for something to fill up the moment that, in the instant we’re left alone with the stillness, we start to doubt ourselves. 

Who are you without your thoughts?

What are we without our busy schedules?

Sometimes there can be unprocessed thoughts and emotions laying heavy on our hearts that we don’t want to face. The silence forces us to face them, which breeds fear and doubt. 

This is because if your mind is not trained it will ruminate back and forth between worrying about the past and projecting into the future. Meditation trains our mind to recognize the frequency of our thoughts so we can break that cycle of worry and doubt.

I have a few helpful tips for my fellow yogis who have a hard time accepting the stillness of meditation, and I’m discussing many ways you can break the cycle, including: 

First, be nice to yourself. Everyone is allowed to have their mind run wild once in a while. Just bring yourself back to your breath and refocus your mind. Count your breaths backward from ten to refocus your mind. Accept that meditation is supposed to be boring. If you’re bored, then you’re doing it right.

Tune in now for more helpful ways to anchor your mind and more tips on how to get into that state of mind even if you don’t have a silent space to practice at home. Quarantine has made many of us modify our yoga practice to fit into our new lifestyles, and it’s important to share these moments together. 

Practicing meditation together, as I have done in previous episodes of this podcast, creates a collective energy that inspires us and makes meditation a little less intimidating. When practice is more attainable like this, you’re more likely to stick with it.

I want to keep inspiring you to continue your practice. Send an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

Stay connected: @kinoyoga and @omstarsofficial

View my teaching schedule, blogs, etc on Kinoyoga.com

Get your free 30 day membership on Omstars.com& use code: PODCAST

Please prepare for a long sit if you’re joining me for this meditation. These guided meditations are important to the spiritual practice, but the longer we practice you may find that certain positions aren’t as comfortable as they used to be. So get comfortable and settle into this moment.

Feel free to use a chair. Feel free to lay down. As long as we settle into this moment and are aware of our bodies and our breath releasing and relaxing, the meditation can begin.

When we meditate, we are doing the subtle, inner work that is so important to our yoga practice. We are creating a path for the mind to be inwardly focused. Think of this as your chance to be the silent traveler in your mind - the silent observer of your thoughts. 

As your thoughts arise, observe them without judgment or emotion. This takes practice, so be nice to yourself as your thoughts start to wander. If this happens, remind yourself that you are not your thoughts and return to your breath.

Sometimes, when we’re in the stillness of meditation, it can be hard to turn off the waking mind. Your breath gives the mind a focal point so that you can begin to enter that stillness of mind. This takes great discipline, so I am inviting you to join me in this episode for a special meditative practice. 

In this meditation, we practice recognizing Anapanasati, or the awareness of the inflowing and outflowing breath. This awareness puts us in a state of equanimity, where breath is simply breath and thoughts are simply thoughts, and we can truly reach that space of stillness.

Because it is only in this stillness of the mind where you are open to receiving the energy of happiness and peace, and we can begin to practice metta. Join me now to practice finding that balance with all things, including our own minds.

Share with me your tips for finding peace and stillness on the yoga mat. Send an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

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Every one of us must ask ourselves, sometimes more than once: what is yoga?

By definition, yoga means unity - but what do you want unity with? More specifically - are you seeking this unity consciously or unconsciously?

To clarify, it’s not important whether you are conscious or unconscious of your spiritual journey. 

Rather, it’s important to recognize your spiritual quest as just that - a journey. 

The unconscious seeker may take longer to reach a revelation, but the conscious seeker risks the ego getting in the way of their growth. That’s why it’s important to learn the historical context of yoga and apply the methodology of yoga to your practice.

I’m discussing the history of Patanjali’s teachings and the dichotomy in his yoga sutras to teach us how to find this unity.

Prakriti and Purusha are the dichotomy at the center of Patanjali's teachings.  Prakriti - the phenomenal world - is our material world, the ephemeral where the only constant is change. On the flip side is Purusha - the noumenal world. 

Purusha is the singularity that exists independently of our sense and perception; it is that oneness we seek within ourselves and with our universe. According to Patanjali, the Purusha within us has agreed at some moment to forget what it is. 

We have forgotten who we are, and the oneness within us now identifies itself as our bodies or our thoughts. Yoga practice teaches us that it is actually neither. 

Yoga is a quest for the unity we seek within ourselves and with the world, and to Patanjali, unity could be dangerous if one does not involve the higher mind in the process. That’s why I’m teaching you the history of the yogi’s journey.

Without this framework, anything can become yoga, and it’s very important to maintain the practice of yoga as sacred. It’s important to set out a time for your personal practice so you can continue to build on this foundation as you make this spiritual journey. 

I’m happy to share this time with you on your yoga journey. If you want to share some of the most important lessons you’ve learned on your quest, send an email to info@kinoyoga.com. Tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

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What are you thinking about right now?

If you think too hard about it, you’ll realize our minds are always distracted. We are always focused on the business of daily life, which is why so many of us avoid the silence. I’m here to tell you that these moments of silence are important. 

It is in this silence that we come to truly know ourselves, and through this silence is how we fight the battles within ourselves. You just have to get comfortable with it. Meditation can help you do that.

Meditation trains us to survive the silence. Through meditative practice, we can utilize the quiet moments between our breath and rebel against the ingrained habits of our subconscious mind.

For some of us, meditation makes us anxious. For others, we get sleepy. I have a few recommendations for all my meditators listening to this podcast, but first — I want to ask you to close your eyes.

By closing our eyes, we force the mind’s attention inward, force it to focus on something other than the outside world, if even just for a minute. It could be the longest sixty seconds of your life, but the silence is there to help you. Sitting in silence will strengthen your mind and give you the power to break all those old negative ways of thinking.

If you’re worried about the silence, I recommend that you pay attention to your breathing. Don’t change the way you breathe, just watch yourself breathing until there is no longer silence - there is just you and your breath. 

Taking on your own mind takes courage, and your courage inspires me to step onto the yoga mat every day and practice not only my asanas but my meditation. Tune in now to learn more benefits of meditative practice, and take advantage of my guided meditation episodes.

It’s up to you to get on the mat every day. Send an email to info@kinoyoga.com and tell me what inspires you to continue practicing yoga. You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

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This is a practice in meditation and mindfulness and how to integrate a sitting practice into your yoga practice. If you’re intimidated by meditation - or just afraid you’re going to fall asleep in practice! - I invite you to tune in for this guided meditation.

I will begin by drawing your attention to your senses and the inner experience. Our senses are normally directed to the external world and our day-to-day lives, but while meditating we have the chance to consciously direct our senses inward.

The easiest way to do this is to pay attention to your breath. Acknowledge the feeling as you inhale and exhale. Don’t try and control or manipulate your breathing pattern, just acknowledge and recognize it. It will be your focal point as I guide you through this meditative practice.

Meditation is an important part of the spiritual journey in yoga. It teaches us to acknowledge our experiences without getting lost in the often overwhelming sensations of our feelings and our emotions.

When you practice meditation, you are training your mind to break old habits and see different opportunities. As your mind wanders - as it inevitably will as you sit quietly on your mat - all you have to do is call it back to your breath with a sense of kindness. There is no judgment, only acknowledgment and a gentle call back to the meditative state of mind. 

As I said, this is a judgment-free zone. Meditation is no easy feat and it takes practice. Why not start the practice today?

I want to hear about your accomplishments on the yoga mat. Send an email to info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor! 

Stay connected: @kinoyoga and @omstarsofficial

View my teaching schedule, blogs, etc on Kinoyoga.com

Get your free 30 day membership on Omstars.com& use code: PODCAST

The secret to yoga practice is in the asanas. These poses we twist our bodies into are not just for our physical health and strength. Yoga practice has the power to lead you on a path of liberation from the mind and body. 

In this episode of the Yoga Inspiration Podcast, I get a little theoretical and discuss how yoga gets into our subconsciousness. While our subconscious minds are made up of the habitual reactions of our thoughts, bodies, and emotions, yoga can tap into and disrupt even the most negative cycles of thinking. 

How? 

Consider this - rather than thinking of our brains and minds as synonymous, consider the theory that our mind is actually capable of creating reality based on our perception. This perception includes our innate physical reactions to certain stimuli, such as pain or pleasure.

For example, when something is uncomfortable, our reaction is to run away or otherwise remove ourselves from the painful situation. But if you practice yoga, you are training yourself to remain neutral in the face of discomfort. 

The discomfort we experience on the yoga mat is there to teach us how to recognize bodily sensations in response to various experiences. Yoga teaches us that it’s not the pain that’s important. It’s the way we react to this pain that matters the most. And this heightened sense of the body gives you an access point into your subconscious mind.

What will you do with this access?

Will you have the power to break your habits?

Learning how not to react is one of the most important lessons you will learn on the yoga mat. Mastering it will give you the ability to change the way you think, and that is the first step toward changing your habits and becoming the best possible version of yourself.

Tune in now for more important lessons in spiritual training, and contact me with other valuable lessons you have learned a valuable lesson through yoga practice. Send an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

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You are such an inspiration to me, and it inspires me to continue practicing when I see all of you taking to your mats every day. I created this forum to help you and all my listeners find a safe space in your lives for yoga practice. 

This is YOUR practice where I send you that same inspirational energy! No matter where or when you’re joining this primary series practice - it is meant for you to relax and appreciate the spiritual journey.

I welcome rest. I welcome modifications. All I expect is that you work as hard as you know you can work today. 

Let’s get started!

I will guide you, starting with a traditional opening prayer and through the poses and breathing so you can feel accomplished on the mat. 

If you want to share some of your yoga accomplishments, send an email to info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor! 

Stay connected: @kinoyoga and @omstarsofficial

View my teaching schedule, blogs, etc on Kinoyoga.com

Get your free 30 day membership on Omstars.com& use code: PODCAST

The two practices of sati, or mindfulness, and metta, love and kindness, are distinctly different, but you cannot practice one without the other. It’s important to understand their differences in order to make the most out of your yoga practice.

To start with, you cannot practice metta without sati. Sati is the mindfulness and awareness of what is. There is no imagination or visualization - what is simply is, and we must stay grounded in this practice in order to achieve mindfulness.

Achieving this mindfulness is easier said than done because sitting and meditating is very intimidating to most of us. We are carrying existential pain and suffering deep within us and meditation forces us to sit with this pain. There’s absolutely nothing comfortable about that. But as you practice sati, you are practicing ways to observe this pain without fueling it.

This objective way of looking at our thoughts and emotions makes it possible to practice metta. Metta is the power of creation through conscious thinking. When we practice metta, we are actively planting positive thoughts in our heart’s center of love, kindness, peace, and harmony, both toward ourselves and those around us. 

These positive thoughts can be things like “I am worthy” or “I deserve to be happy,” but they can also be as simple as the mere thought of love. Thinking of someone or something you love is part of the practice of metta. These thoughts tap into the vibration of love and give you the power to carry it within you and share it with others.

As you listen today, think of your mind and heart as a garden. Sati will clear away the overgrowth of negative thoughts so you can plant the seeds of metta in an open mind and an open heart. 

I hope you recognize how important sati and metta are to not only our yoga practice but also to our own peace of mind. You cannot practice metta without sati because you cannot plant seeds of love before recognizing the pain and suffering that exists within your heart. 

Share some of what’s in your heart with me and my listeners. Send an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor.

Stay connected: @kinoyoga and @omstarsofficial

View my teaching schedule, blogs, etc on Kinoyoga.com

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There is a transformation that happens with each practice. Your heart expands and you are better able to tap into that vibration of love, peace, and harmony. But, as with all things in this life, practice is not always easy.

We require sustenance to stay on the mat, and I bring this meditation to you today to inspire you and sustain you as we continue our yoga journey together. 

Meditation is a practice. You don’t need to be perfect the first time you do it, or even the second or third! Your mind will wander and your nose might itch, but all you need to do is follow each breath with attentiveness. Meditative practice requires an anchor, and this anchor will be your breath. Start now.

Inhale.

Exhale.

This natural pace of your breath will act as your guide through this meditation. Notice the actual sensation of your breath, the way it feels on your upper lip and through your nostrils. Take a moment to find this sensation because it will be your anchor on this journey.

If your mind wanders, don’t stress. If your foot falls asleep, don’t move. Just acknowledge these thoughts and sensations and use the anchor of your breath to bring you back to the meditation. I apply this same advice to the powerful emotions that may bubble to the surface as we practice. Try not to react. These feelings are transitory, so observe with mindfulness and move forward.

When you choose not to react to these minor disruptions, you become stronger on this meditative path to mindfulness. And when you practice mindfulness, you’re better able to bring your focus to the heart’s center, the center of love and kindness, the center of metta. It is here that you can tap into the vibration of love. 

Join me now on this meditative journey as we tap into the vibrations of love, peace, and harmony and learn the importance of practicing self-metta just as we practice yoga. Love is our natural state, and this practice today will bring you back into that natural state of being.

Share some of the things you’ve learned on the yoga mat with me and my listeners. Send an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor! 

Stay connected: @kinoyoga and @omstarsofficial

View my teaching schedule, blogs, etc on Kinoyoga.com

Get your free 30 day membership on Omstars.com& use code: PODCAST

Training the mind is hard work. Any of us who have spent time on a yoga mat can attest to that. But what if I told you there was a secret to training your mind?

That secret is meditation. Meditation allows us to gaze at the inner plane, and it’s through this self-observation that we can effectively calm and train the mind. 

Now, the practice of meditation can mean many things to many different people. Perhaps you already include it as part of your yoga routine, or maybe you even practiced meditation first before you took up yoga. Anyone can practice meditation, and this episode of the Yoga Inspiration podcast is meant for beginners and advanced meditation practitioners.

Meditation requires a state of deep introspective concentration, and even the most advanced meditators can still have difficulty relaxing the mind. In fact, to be considered “good” at meditating, you must be able to focus on your breathing for 60 seconds. 

While we won’t be trying to achieve that today, all I ask is for you to consider meditation as a way to celebrate and accept the cycles of life we go through. I’m sharing my experiences from my most recent meditation retreat to hopefully inspire you to give meditation a try.

To start meditation, it’s important to find a neutral object to focus on. Many of us use breathing as our center of focus. We all breathe, and breath is unlikely to have any emotional attachment to any thoughts of any kind. You want to keep your mind clear, and meditating on your breath flowing in and out can help concentrate your mind.

There are key differences between the breathing in meditation and the breathing we do in yoga. While meditating, you breathe as normal and learn to recognize your pattern of breath. This recognition can help you notice the way your breathing may change depending on the various life situations you find yourself in. 

I discuss how and why meditative breathing is different from yoga, and I answer some key questions many yogis have about starting and maintaining a regular meditative practice. Meditation is key to training your mind and breaking any bad habits of negative thinking, so tune in now to step into that meditative mindset and begin retraining your brain.

Share some of the things you’ve learned on the yoga mat with me and my listeners. Send an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor! 

Stay connected: @kinoyoga and @omstarsofficial

View my teaching schedule, blogs, etc on Kinoyoga.com

Get your free 30 day membership on Omstars.com& use code: PODCAST

Meditation is an essential component of the spiritual path of yoga. Before you tune in to another episode of the Yoga Inspiration Podcast, I invite you to join me in this meditative practice. 

It’s easy to have theoretical conversations about meditation, but engaging in the act of meditating is the only way to truly grow on this yoga journey. Try it with me now! I will guide you through this meditative practice and share some of the benefits of meditation with you.

To start, come to a comfortable seated position and allow your eyes to close. Try not to change your position too much during this practice, but do stay comfortable.

It’s important to keep your eyes closed during this practice in order to become aware of your senses. When your eyes are closed, the sense of sight is driven inward and you can start to practice in a state of self-observation.

Self-observation is how we enter the meditative mind. When you direct your cognizant mind to your inner world, it becomes much easier to focus on your breathing. Use your breath to create an anchor in your mind. 

The easiest way to create this anchor is to bring your attention to your nose, your nostrils, and be aware of the feeling of your breath as it goes in and out. Don’t try to breathe in a particular way, just simply breathe. If your mind starts to wander, acknowledge the adventure, and use your breath to bring yourself back to your inner world.

Your job on the yoga mat today is to acknowledge where your mind goes without engaging in any of the thoughts. Simply acknowledge, observe, and return to your breathing. When you do this, your mind will become clearer and you can start to truly practice metta.

Even if you’ve never meditated before, this practice is the perfect place to start. Get comfortable and get ready to enter the meditative mind!

Share the lessons you’ve learned on the yoga mat with me and my listeners. Send an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor! 

Stay connected: @kinoyoga and @omstarsofficial

View my teaching schedule, blogs, etc on Kinoyoga.com

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I’m taking a little inspiration from my Chat & Chai classes at the Miami Life Center for this special episode. Please tune in now for a special chat and a meditation that will help you reconnect with the innocence of your mind.

Remember when you first started yoga? That beginner’s mindset is what we’re trying to get back to today. 

The longer you practice, the more important it is to check back in with yourself and your beginner’s mind. Too often we come to the mat with an agenda - sometimes it’s to do a headstand, or maybe we want a deeper backbend, but when you come to practice with a plan in your head, you’re missing out on your moment to really connect. 

That moment goes beyond the physical poses. Yoga is your chance to reconnect with your spirit and get back in touch with the deeper intention of the practice. Remember - yoga is an initiation of the heart. 

The more we practice, and the more we learn about the physical practice and poses and bending, the further we stray from that excitement and wonder we felt that first day on the mat - our beginner’s mind. Yes, I love learning about yoga, but I also love how my yoga practice is a chance to unlearn all that I know. 

When you come to the yoga mat, you are starting on a journey that will turn you into a totally new person, if you let it. In order to be re-invented, you have to acknowledge that - despite all you know - you really don’t know anything.

Your spirit remains untouched by all that your mind knows, and your yoga practice is the rare moment where you have the freedom to spend time within the freshness and newness of the human spirit.

Come explore this freshness of spirit and reconnect with the innocence of the beginner’s mind.

Share the lessons you’ve learned on the yoga mat with me and my listeners. Send an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor! 

Stay connected: @kinoyoga and @omstarsofficial

View my teaching schedule, blogs, etc on Kinoyoga.com

Get your free 30 day membership on Omstars.com& use code: PODCAST

Yoga is here to change the very foundation of the way you think. But that can only start when you change the way you inhabit your body. Join me in this episode for a special dose of daily yoga inspiration. 

This special meditative practice will open your heart and change the way you look at yourself.

The society we live in teaches us to toughen up and put on a happy face. But the longer we live in society, the more we become hardened to the ways of society, and it’s hard to let go of that, even as we practice yoga. 

Yet the practice of yoga is designed to break this facade and give us a moment to establish a powerful emotional link with our bodies.

The body is the home of your spirit while you are on this earth, and it’s important to understand the value of your body. This value extends beyond the shape and size of your body. Yoga reaches into the very space you inhabit.

If you’ve ever felt ashamed of yourself, at yoga practice or elsewhere, then you understand what it feels like to judge your own presence. It’s important to feel your presence and tune into yourself without any judgments or desires. This pure act of feeling and awareness is where we begin our practice.

With today’s practice, I’m asking you to open your heart to the idea of self-love and acceptance. Listen today and consider these three things as you practice along with me:

Think about the space of the physical body without judgment. If it hurts, let it hurt.  Experience the inner body, the space beneath the skin and thoughts of your conscious mind. Experience the space around your body and feel the space you physically inhabit. 

Open your heart and share the lessons you’ve learned on the yoga mat with me and my listeners. Send an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor! 

Stay connected: @kinoyoga and @omstarsofficial

View my teaching schedule, blogs, etc on Kinoyoga.com

Get your free 30 day membership on Omstars.com& use code: PODCAST

On this episode of The Yoga Inspiration Podcast, I’m sharing the inside scoop on what yoga means to a lifelong athlete. Dusty is a professional gymnast and yoga student in Las Vegas who didn’t take his first yoga class until he was in his 60s! Now it’s been five years since he started and his experience is bound to inspire yoga beginners and expert yoga students both to get on the mat.

Because you don’t have to be an athlete to practice yoga. Sure, being a lifelong gymnast has its perks when it comes to flexibility and core strength, but Dusty reveals that any kind of athleticism can’t prepare a yogi for the mental and emotional workout the practice takes you on. 

Unusual circumstances brought Dusty to the yoga mat. As a gymnast, he was always sustaining sprains and injuries - but then he broke both of his legs in a surfing accident. It wasn’t the physical healing he was worried about. Dusty was more curious about the emotional impact an injury like this would have on him. He shares how his first yoga class inspired him to rethink his healing process and why he ultimately decided to turn taking care of himself and his yoga journey his top priority. 

I’ve always been in awe of the work gymnasts can put in. But yoga taught Dusty things he never considered before. We’re always quick to assume that someone as nimble as a gymnast can just hop on their yoga mat and do pose after pose after pose. In reality, yoga stretches a range of motion that a gymnast like Dusty never stretched before. 

Dusty discusses what surprises him most about the differences between gymnastic training and yoga practice. It might surprise you to hear that a star athlete like Dusty couldn’t even do child’s pose at first! But all of this practice and learning made Dusty feel like a beginner again. 

No matter how far along you are in your yoga journey, you will always be a yoga beginner. There are always new positions to learn, new mistakes to be made, and Dusty shares with me the things that yoga is teaching and re-teaching him every day. 

Dusty even asks me what it’s like to be a yoga teacher at the end of this episode. I must admit that self-reflection immediately makes me feel embarrassed. I still feel like a beginner. I relate to my yoga students and they inspire me every day to get back on the mat and keep trying. 

What is your yoga inspiration?

It’s something Dusty made me think about on this episode, and it’s something I want you to think about as you listen today. Because you never know when inspiration will strike. You can’t predict what the world has in store for you, and you never know where moments like these will end up taking you. Like Dusty says, yoga is timeless, and your yoga mat will be right here waiting no matter where you’re at in your yoga journey. 

If you’re a practicing yoga student, please share a bit of your yoga journey with me! Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

This episode of Yoga Inspiration is a special one! Not only am I interviewing two of my favorite fellow yogis - Henry and Veronica - but it’s also our first ever LIVE podcast episode. I took the podcast to Omstars to share some inspiration in real-time and give people a chance to ask their own questions. 

And there are some very important questions discussed in this episode. 

Veronica shares her experiences battling with mental health on the mat. For her, it wasn’t necessarily about attaining physical perfection or mastering the asanas. Veronica wanted to return to the home within herself and reconnect with her body.

Yoga is a spiritual experience, and Veronica discusses how being an empath impacted her yoga practice, her mental health, and inspired her healing journey. 

Of course, she couldn’t do this all by herself. Henry, her husband and fellow yoga teacher, offers advice on how to be supportive of a partner in crisis. He may not have come to the yoga mat for spiritual healing, but the practice teaches him a lot about how to help others (and yourself) heal. 

Too often we want a clear cut explanation for why things are the way they are. Sometimes that’s impossible to find. Life is chaotic, Henry says, and yoga teaches us how to sit comfortably with this uncertainty.

We all have the narrative in our heads that tells us that we can’t or won’t, and yoga can be the opportunity we need to prove ourselves we can. It can also be an opportunity to heal and find well-being.

But achieving mental, physical, and spiritual well-being is easier said than done. Many of us on this journey will need mentors to guide us on our way. Choosing a yoga teacher, a therapist, a doctor - or asking for help at all can be an intimidating experience on its own. Where do you start?

Finding a teacher or a mentor is a matter of asking yourself - what kind of person do you want to share your space with? Henry and Veronica provide amazing resources for those who need them and advice on how to choose. By aligning yourself with the core values that mean the most to you, you can find someone to help you grow as a person. 

When is it appropriate to seek therapy for mental help?

Veronica and Henry have advice for that too. Veronica promised herself that if she found the help she needed, she would share what she learned with others. Tune in now for spiritual and mental healing and a glimpse into the subtle energy training that influenced Veronica and Henry’s healing journey.

Share the lessons you’ve learned on the yoga mat with me and my listeners. Send an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor! 

Contact Veronica Lombo

Instagram: @kaluluwaco 

Website: https://kaluluwa.co

Contact Henry Winslow

Instagram: @henrywins

Website: https://henrywins.com

Cultivating gratitude is almost always on our minds during this time of year, but the concept of gratitude is multifaceted. There are so many different ways we can be grateful!

How do you express your gratitude?

There are no right or wrong answers here. I just want to encourage you to look at gratitude from a different perspective in this daily dose of Yoga Inspiration.

We are all grateful for those positive moments in our life, those big events and loved ones we’ve waited for. Unfortunately, our lives aren’t made up entirely of amazing days. In fact, most of what you experience in life is neutral.

Think about that for a moment…

The brain innately reacts to every situation in one of three tones: positive, negative, or neutral. While positive experiences inspire feelings of attachment and joy, negative experiences can create patterns of aversion. But neutral situations garner no such reaction. 

What does this mean when most of our daily experiences are neutral?

Well, depending on how you react to the positives and negatives in your life can influence the way you interpret these neutral experiences. Each reaction stimulates certain patterns in the mind, and I discuss how your mental habits can be changed for the better by teaching you how to skew your reactions.

How you react to any given situation is very important. Our reactions are our one true freedom. 

We have the freedom to choose how we react, even when it feels like we can’t control it. But that lack of control is just a habit that’s set up shop in our minds. In yoga, we call this samsara. Samsaras are habitual reactions influenced by moments that happened in the past. 

Yoga teaches us how to be present in the moment, which can help us recognize when past experiences are influencing our present-day reactions. More importantly, it can help us notice when negative past experiences are impacting our otherwise neutral day-to-day moments.

You have the power to skew those moments of neutrality toward a positive reaction. If you can interact with a neutral experience in a positive light, you can start to change your point of view on life. 

I’m sharing ways you can do this on the yoga mat and in your daily life to cultivate a new way of thinking. Get inspired and learn how to cultivate a new path for these neutral moments so you can be grateful all year round for even the most mundane moments in your day!

Share the lessons - both positive and negative! - that you’ve learned on the yoga mat with me and my listeners. Send an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor! 

This episode is a Dharma talk I shared with my students here in Miami. I discuss the intersection between neuroscience and yoga, and I hope you are inspired to break some of your bad habits after listening to this special episode of The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

I may not be a scientist, but I love yoga, and I’m interested in the elements of yoga that can be studied and verified by rational, scientific means. Yoga has the power to retrain our brains and our bodies, giving you the power to lay the foundations for more evolution of consciousness.

To visualize this, I want you to remember the Native American proverb of the two wolves. As the story goes, there are two wolves living in each of us - the wolf of hate powered by anger, sorry, jealousy, and greed; and the wolf of love, powered by compassion, peace, love, and serenity. 

These two wolves are in direct competition with one another in our subconscious. The wolf that lives is the one you feed. And as you practice yoga, you feed that wolf of love. You become kinder and more empathetic toward yourself and to others. 

There is always a lot of talk about the negativity bias, how to work with stress, and what stress can do to our bodies. But when we focus on all of this negative energy we are completely overlooking the fact that there are equally strong physiological systems rooted in connection, empathy, and compassion. 

The wolf of love is the state of calm and connection we all feel in our practice. The physical poses of yoga are designed to develop our empathy and our kindness, and it’s important that you remember this as you listen to this inspirational episode. 

The more you practice yoga, the stronger your mind becomes. With each asana, you’re building a concentrated mind that will stop you from feeding into the reactive patterns you may be used to, and learning how to develop new, more compassionate ones.

Tune in now and learn to re-conceptualize the way you think about yourself and about your yoga practice. I want you to tap into our natural capacity for empathy! I’m sharing steps you can take to conquer your fears and self-doubt and learn to recognize that you have the power to change the way you think. 

Share the lessons you’ve learned on the yoga mat with me and my listeners. Send an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor! 

Tune in now to this special episode of The Yoga Inspiration Podcast and learn how to use yoga as a life hack.

If you’ve ever heard of jailbreaking a phone, then you know what I mean by life hack. Yoga practice can open you up to a new life of infinite growth and inner peace by teaching your brain (and your body) new ways of thinking.

Your tendencies toward self-hatred and negative thinking are not permanent states of being. The operating system of your brain can be updated, and you can become a conscious creator of the thoughts that you think and the emotions you feel.

Ancient years ago, yoga practitioners in India developed the practice to understand the operating system of the human mind. I’m talking about the science and technology of yoga. Think of your body - the operating system we exist in - as a type of technology, and the language that we use as a kind of code.

Of course, the language of the mind is words. But what about the language of the body?

A vast majority of our communication happens with our bodies, and almost all of our body language is subconscious. You could think of your body as your subconscious mind, and your body speaks best when your mind is silent. 

Think about how quiet it is when you step onto your yoga mat. How that silence lets you step into and through your body with each asana... 

Communicating with your body is key to using yoga as a life hack, and there are key times of the day when your yoga practice will hit it just right - like first thing in the morning!

Learning how to communicate with your body is the easiest way to make some serious updates to your subconscious mind and the way you think about yourself and the world around you. I’m sharing more yoga life hacks in this podcast to inspire you with another reason to get on your mat this morning. 

Yoga has the power to change your brainwaves, and a few minutes on your mat every day is all you need to use yoga as a life hack. Practice with me today online at www.omstars.com.

Share the lessons you’ve learned on the yoga mat with me and my listeners! Send an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor! 

If you’ve been following me on YouTube then you know that I love to teach strength poses in yoga. It might surprise you, but when I first started yoga I wasn’t naturally strong. That’s why these strength poses are so important to me and my personal yoga journey. In this episode, I’m taking you on my journey of strength to inspire you with you some of the most important lessons I learned on my yoga mat. 

Remember back to my first episode - my very first impression of yoga was the headstand. I wanted nothing more than to be able to stand on my head. That’s what I thought yoga was: a fitness class of perfect, physically fit people standing on their heads. I quickly learned that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

The yoga path is for everyone, and this is why representation is so important in yoga. When the yoga journey is presented as one image or one particular shape or size or color of body, it starts to exclude those who really want to learn the practice. Yoga students start to think they have to pose a certain way or look a certain way to be a real yogi, and it can be really hard to find the strength to stay on your mat. 

But you have the strength! We all have the strength to get back on our mats and try these poses again and again and again. I wasn’t able to snap my fingers and be in a headstand. There were months of practice, of posing, of kicking yoga teachers in my attempt at inversion. And there were a lot of doubts. I doubted myself and my own strength and thought - there’s no way I can do this.

That’s when I turned to my yoga teacher. Yoga teachers - in fact, all teachers have the uncanny ability to believe in their students, even when that student doesn’t believe in herself. That faith started as a tiny seed, a tiny voice that shouted “Yes I can!” through the doubt, and it eventually bloomed into the strength I use today, both on and off my yoga mat. 

The lessons I learned of lifting myself into a headstand carry through to my daily life. I have the strength to lift myself up from negative emotions or cycles of self-doubt, and I’ve learned to trust in this strength as well. Don’t sell yourself short just because you don’t think you can be any stronger than you are right now in this moment. I’m here to tell you now that you are strong enough, you just need to put in the effort to see your strength. Are you willing to work for it?

What lessons have you learned on the yoga mat? Please share a bit of your yoga journey with me and my listeners. Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

We’re all on a quest for truth. If you practice yoga, then you’ll recognize the term Satya, which means true essence or truthfulness. It is the goal of yoga to cultivate Satya, and I’m discussing this philosophy in order to bring some clarity to the modern concept of Universal Truth.

Satya is the ethical concept of the value of truthfulness. It’s considered a virtue of the yoga practice and it guides us on our everlong quest for truth. More importantly, Satya is the opposite of falsehood and delusion, and it helps govern the very operation of our universe. 

But what does truthfulness mean in our contemporary world? 

What we’re after are the answers to some of the deepest questions of life. The goal of yoga is to cultivate true knowingness and to understand what Satya means. 

Satya exists in our individual actions and thoughts, and it can influence the way we interact with one another. By practicing yoga, we can move on from our individual biased truths and into the universal truths of this reality. 

Universal truths - like gravity - are infallible. On the other hand, our individual truths are shaped by our experiences. They are often based on value judgments and opinions. We make most of these value judgments subconsciously, which can give people the power to take advantage of our relative truths.

What yoga is after is to find you a path out this relative truth through the practice of Satya. I share some ways to recognize your own biases in the echo chamber of our society and discuss the limits to the types of knowledge that yoga intends to teach you. 

It’s time to cultivate a path to knowledge and wisdom within ourselves. The yoga practice presents different ways to reach this knowledge and wisdom, and this universal kind of awareness is the kind of truth we’re after through Satya. It’s so much more than determining what’s true and what’s not. It’s time to connect with the universal truth of what is and contemplate the very nature of being.

If you would like to share any lessons you’ve learned on the yoga mat with me and my listeners, send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor.

This podcast episode will air the week before the United States Presidential Election, and I’m dedicating this discussion to the importance of civic engagement. 

I was inspired to do so by my yoga students and fellow practitioners, whom I keep hearing say that they believe their vote doesn’t matter, or that it doesn’t count. So many American citizens sat out of the 2016 election for that reason, and that disenfranchisement still lingers. 

It seems like this time around, more and more people are giving up on the idea that their vote matters. 

I come from a very political family. My mom was a lobbyist for the Teacher’s Union, and she brought me to volunteer in elections when I was a little girl. I was involved with election campaigns long before I was old enough to vote, and the environment has always been at the top of my mind when it comes to political issues.

But this podcast isn’t about political issues or political parties. In this episode, I am inspiring you to participate in your government.  Yoga has the power to change the world, and that change starts from within ourselves and through our own actions. 

The history of The United States is fraught with hard-won battles for the right to vote across generations. Choosing not to vote disregards those who came before and made the sacrifice just so we could have this right. I encourage you to do your own research and vote for what you believe in.

I’m providing resources here where you can check your voter registration and find local voting polls in your neighborhood - 

Check these out, vote for what you believe in, and try not to hate those who may disagree with you. 

If you’re a practicing yoga student, please share a bit of your yoga journey with me. Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

This special episode of the Yoga Inspiration Podcast is going to feel like a conversation between friends. I have a lot of things on my mind since publishing my brand new book, Get Your Yoga On, and I feel like it’s getting harder and harder for us to talk to one another with compassion.

Studies show that bad news travels faster than good news. And, unfortunately, the algorithms in our social media accounts are designed to capture our attention and draw us in.

This is why the bad news shows up at the top of our newsfeeds way more often. 

Every time you react to these negative posts, the more the algorithm thinks that’s what you like and will keep showing you more. This kind of persuasive technology is what I’m discussing in this episode, and I want to help my fellow yogis gain consciousness over the information we’re consuming online.

Negativity bias is real. It’s a biological inheritance from a time when it was really important to amplify negative experiences. This makes sense when it was protecting us from predators, but in this modern hi-tech world it means that our brain is going to remember the worst things without letting us focus on the moments that make us happiest.

I do not doubt that this is why we have so much negativity in the world right now. I know that if we took a moment, took a breath, before responding or reacting to a negative encounter - online or off - we might have a little more compassion for one another. 

This is why shadow work is so important. Bringing up things that make you uncomfortable teaches you how to be compassionate toward yourself, which is a call for healing. It’s a powerful thing to be able to recognize and forgive negativity in yourself, and even more so when you can apply this same compassion to others. 

As yogis we are called to embrace compassion and love. The emotional labor of our practice teaches us how to use compassion to improve ourselves on emotional and spiritual levels. I am asking you now to apply this same compassion to those around you. 

I’m ending this episode with a special metta practice designed to tap into this compassion. I see the good in you, and I see the potential goodness that can be throughout the world through us. Please take this metta practice to heart and grow your light big enough to embrace, understand, and help others through their own pain.

If you’re a practicing yoga student, please share a bit of your yoga journey with me - the good and the bad. I want to talk with you about it so send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

What does it mean to be a lifelong practitioner of yoga?

If you’re a new student of yoga, meeting these seasoned and talented yoga practitioners is so intimidating. Especially if you have that feeling of unworthiness. Maybe you found yoga on Instagram or YouTube and you see other yogis and their gurus, and suddenly you think to yourself - “wow, maybe I’m not a real yoga student?”

But there is nothing further from the truth.

On this episode of The Yoga Inspiration Podcast, Susanna Barkataki is helping us explore the ins and outs of the new yoga student’s spiritual journey. Susanna grew up with the folk knowledge of yoga in the backdrop of her life, but growing up with mixed heritage in the United States meant that she never fully realized yoga’s teachings until she accepted them for herself later on in life.

Susanna wanted to reclaim the wholeness of who she was, to absorb every element of each of her ancestral cultures, and to bring this myriad of experience to her yoga practice. There are alternative yoga lineages that are evolving with our modern way of life, and Susanna is here to tell yoga students of all levels that we can still honor the roots of yoga without having to re-invent the spiritual path. 

So many new yoga students experience a backlash of what many call a “cultural appropriation of yoga”. We may feel as if we are stepping on the toes of an ancient and established spiritual journey, and this can make us feel unworthy or embarrassed of our own attempts at poses and spiritual reflection. On the other hand, it might inspire some yoga students to create their own version of yoga, one that’s better suited for them.

Susanna says that isn’t necessary. We discuss the differences between cultural appropriation and a true cultural appreciation, one that accepts the traditional teachings of yoga but also embraces the evolution yoga students everywhere are currently experiencing, and how new students can find teachers that truly meet their needs. 

The guru-shishya, or student-teacher relationship in yoga, is a key aspect of your yoga journey. But finding a mentor isn’t easy, especially for Westerners who have a hard time battling the ego, both in themselves and in the culture that defines most North Americans today. Susanna shares her experience with yoga teachers both in the West and in India, and her biggest advice for new students today is to find a teacher that supports your vulnerability as a new student and helps you cultivate that better version of yourself that you’re seeking. 

In this modern age, especially with COVID-19 keeping all of us in our homes, yoga is more accessible than ever. No matter where you’re starting your yoga journey - be it online or with a guru - there’s no reason for new students to feel unworthy of the practice. As Susanna says, we are all within a web of knowledge, and we are each contributing to this knowledge as we explore our own yoga journeys together. 

If you’re a practicing yoga student - no matter where you are on your journey - I want to hear about it. Please share a bit of your yoga journey with me and my listeners. Send an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

It’s so important to understand that we all come to yoga with different perspectives. I’m blessed to travel the world and teach yoga classes to people of all cultures and backgrounds, and guess what I’ve learned?

I learned that yoga is a universal language that transcends any cultural differences we might have. 

On this episode of The Yoga Inspiration, you will hear how one yoga student’s journey inspired him to connect with one of the most inclusive communities in fitness - the yoga community. 

Skye is a local yoga student here with me in Miami. In fact, he’s the student model I’m using for my new book and video series Get Your Yoga On. Working together with Skye, we’re taking 30 traditional yoga positions and making them accessible for yoga students of all strengths and ages.

Skye hasn’t been practicing yoga that long either. He started his yoga journey a little over two years ago when his brother inspired him to attend a yoga class, and his beginner’s journey might sound a lot like yours. Skye wasn’t intune with his breathing, he wasn’t familiar with the positions, and he was intimidated by this community that looks so fit and enlightened.

Does that sound familiar?

I know that when I started my own yoga journey, I felt many of these same things. Poses weren’t at all accessible. There was no YouTube or Google that could quickly connect me with teachers or videos to help my at-home practice. I attended yoga classes almost every day and took home what my yoga teachers were telling me. 

The relationship between a yoga student and their teacher is sacred, and Skye shares how his yoga teachers inspire him to continue getting on the mat and practicing every day. One of the most important things his yoga teacher ever told him is - “yoga is a journey.”

How does that resonate with you?

As a yoga teacher, I feel that it’s so important to find yoga students who are on similar yoga journeys. I love working with yogis who are intimidated by the practice at first but learn to overcome that fear and embrace the yoga community as one of their own. 

Because yoga isn’t a privilege. Yoga is an inclusive and personal revolution for anyone that wants to make their world a happier, more peaceful place. That is why Skye inspired me to make him model for Get Your Yoga On and exactly why I invited him on this podcast to share his story. The yoga community can be an amazing source of inspiration when you find the courage to step into your first yoga class. 

If you’re a practicing yoga student, please share a bit of your yoga journey with me! Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

If you’re feeling anxious, please listen to this episode of The Yoga Inspiration Podcast. Yoga gives you the power to step outside of yourself and watch your emotions from a different perspective, and I hope to inspire you to find happiness again through a lesson in post-traumatic growth.

Yoga never promises to be an easy spiritual journey. The practice of yoga is a hard and arduous one, and it’s the purpose of our yoga practice to prepare us for the cycle of suffering and growth we experience throughout our lives. 

What we learn from our practice is that these states of suffering - and our states of happiness - aren’t permanent.

But would you believe me if I told you there is a state of happiness within us that transcends the highs and lows of our daily lives?

I believe that this is what yoga practice is designed to do, and what I discuss in this episode. Yoga is physically challenging so that you can exercise your mental strength and learn to continue to see the happiness throughout this spiritual journey.

Suffering is essential. Yoga teaches us that. Otherwise these poses would be so much easier, don’t you think! But it’s through the struggles of our practice where we learn that this state of discomfort isn’t permanent.

We also learn that the state of euphoric zen we feel after practice isn’t permanent either, and learning to recognize this ever-changing cycle between our highest and lowest emotions is key to finding the untouchable happiness within us.

Trauma leaves scars, and it can manifest in bitterness, negativity, and stress. But there are ways to encourage post-traumatic growth by learning to prepare yourself for the overwhelming wave of negative emotions, experiencing them, and then letting them pass. 

This is a habit that cannot be learned overnight, but it’s important to realize that you deserve to experience happiness. Everyone needs a little inspiration to be happy sometimes, and it starts with being willing to let in joy, no matter how small. Let this episode be your inspiration for happiness today.

Please share some of the lessons you’ve learned on the yoga mat with me and my listeners. Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor.

Thanks so much for sitting with me and sharing this space with me. Sharing my practice and my podcast with you is an opportunity for all of us to share and really feel our collective energies even if we aren’t in the same room.

The non-local quality of consciousness is so important during times like these where we can’t always be together or attend the yoga classes we’re missing right now. I truly believe this connection and this anchoring of our energy through metta will positively impact our lives and the lives of those around us. 

Can you feel it? 

Emotion is one of the most powerful tools of vibration, and one of the hardest things to do in yoga practice is to carry this emotional vibration with us off the mat and into the real world. It can be difficult to maintain our vibrational integrity amidst the disturbing energies in the world around us. 

How can we use our emotions to anchor our vibration?

That is the question I seek to answer in this episode of The Yoga Inspiration Podcast. We often think of thoughts and emotions as sort of a chicken and the egg paradox. Which comes first? Do our thoughts influence our emotions or vice-versa? 

What I can say for sure is that emotions and thoughts definitely influence one another, but in this practice I challenge you to use your own memories to bring up emotions of happiness and vibrations of wholeness. I want you to anchor that vibration and carry it with you off of your yoga mat.

If your emotional reality is strong enough, then your thoughts will follow. In this sense, we can argue that emotions come first and have the power to inspire healthy thoughts of happiness and wholeness. You can take that power into your own hands and control your reality as best you can.

Rather than be a victim of your emotions, you can use them to fuel the power of a new space Even more, you can act as a harmonizing vibration for others around you. Your emotional vibration will be a positive one that others will feed off of and hopefully start recognizing in their own lives. 

Please share some of the lessons you’ve learned on the yoga mat with me and my listeners. Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor.

Your yoga journey brings a sense of balance in your life. The practice awakens the spirituality within us, and we carry that sense of transcendent knowledge with us on and off the yoga mat. For Edyn, from the Edyn Loves Life YouTube channel, she says that something special happens after that first savasana washes over us. 

Edyn is my guest on this episode of the Yoga Inspiration Podcast. I’m in love with her YouTube channel, and I’m inspired by her pioneering sense of inclusivity within the yoga community. Although she didn’t see many students like her in yoga class, she still felt the love and overwhelming stillness of the practice and used this to pursue her own yoga journey. 

Yoga brings you closer to all of the things that are sacred to you, and Edyn found her yoga practice reconnected her with her spiritual roots and her relationship with God. It brought a divine balance to her life that led her to pursue more of it. 

Unfortunately, yoga classes weren’t always accommodating. It can be extremely frustrating when a modification is just a Child's Pose, but Edyn was resourceful. She found yoga on Instagram and learned how to use blocks and modify poses that made it possible to truly teach yoga at all levels. 

She put her yoga journey on YouTube, and we discuss what it’s like to start a channel from scratch. It’s difficult to be your authentic self on social media, but Edyn offers advice to inspire all of the beginners out there to take that first step in front of the camera. 

It’s all a matter of getting comfortable with yourself in front of the camera, just like you have to get comfortable with yourself on the yoga mat.

Your yoga journey takes you on paths you never expect, and now that Edyn is a certified yoga teacher, she is working toward making yoga accessible to every human body. She is empowering yoga students to advance their practice in such a way that is inspiring other yoga teachers to find new ways to teach and reach students of all kinds. 

We each share our experiences as yoga teachers in a world where we don’t match the mainstream yoga stereotype. But there is no such thing as being “right” or “wrong” for the yoga practice. Yoga is going to be different for everyone, but yoga is for everyone. No matter who you are or where you are on your spiritual path, yoga can bring you the balance that you need.

I hope you’re as inspired by Edyn’s point of view as I am. Her yoga journey reminds me that yoga is a practice. It takes practice to be this strong and healthy in every way that we can be, and we’re never going to be perfect. Our yoga poses aren’t going to be the same every day, so there’s no point to fitting yourself into the pose. Make the pose fit around you instead.

Please share some of the lessons you’ve learned on the yoga mat with me and my listeners. Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor.

“There are some things that can’t be rushed.” 

I’m sure you’ve heard your yoga teacher say that more than once, but it’s true.

If yoga teaches us anything, it is that most things in life - the best things - take time. The accumulation of wisdom is one of those things. No matter your age, you bring your experience to your yoga mat with every practice. My guest today on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast is of this wiser generation whose inspiring life experiences are leading her on her own unique yoga journey.

“Where have you been all my life?” is what Smadar asked after her first yoga class. At 56 years old, she admits to being a little more than frightened of her first yoga practice. 

Coming from a non-yoga world, Smadar is an accomplished pastry chef who owned and ran her own business for nearly a decade. She experienced a very tumultuous financial journey that ultimately led her to practice yoga, something she never considered before. 

Smadar shares on this episode what it feels like to give up on one dream only to find another. Owning her own business was a dream she lived to fulfill and even managed to maintain amid the 2008 financial crisis. Maintaining her dream challenged her in ways she never imagined, but these experiences inspired her to realign her values. 

When you almost lose everything, you’re able to gain new insight into what truly matters to you and your happiness. It’s a very interesting place to be. 

Smadar discusses what it feels like to be in that space between loss and forgiveness. Giving up on a dream is not a sign of failure. In fact, “giving up” is the wrong way to describe it. Rather, one door closes so that Smadar could open another that leads to a new way of living, a new way of thinking, and a brand new way of being. 

Smadar learned a valuable lesson at that first yoga class. She shares that lesson with us, and I hope it inspires you to get on your yoga mat today. I value wisdom and experience, and I truly believe that our yoga mats are a laboratory for our real lives. When you bring your personal experiences to your yoga practice as Smadar does, they can lead you on an inspiring journey of self-realization and self-acceptance that will stick with you long after yoga class is over.

If you’re a practicing yoga student with an inspiring journey, please share a bit of your yoga journey with me and my listeners! Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

So many yoga students I talk to start their yoga practice because of a romantic interest. And it's one of the best ways to share yoga, to be honest. To be inspired by friends and loved ones is the best fuel for the fire. 

A passionate inspiration like that keeps you on the mat -- it might even inspire you to tell others about yoga! That’s how it happened for my guest Tracy, and he’s sharing what inspires him to come back to the yoga mat even as relationships evolve and fade. 

Tracy, like so many yoga beginners, thought that yoga “just wasn’t for him”. This isn’t a negative thought, but it does exclude you from a holistic practice that is meant for anyone and everyone. But Tracy just didn't get it at first. He wanted a space where he could let go of all the negative things, but he mistakenly went looking for it in the intensity of sports and cardio workouts. 

Does this sound similar to your first yoga experience?

Many new yoga students can have trouble connecting with the practice at first. We’re inside of our heads too much and it’s very hard to get back into our bodies and reset our minds.

Making this mind-body-breathing connection is key to yoga practice but not exactly easy to do. Each student of yoga will make this connection in their own way on their yoga journey, and Tracy shares advice for yoga beginners struggling like he was. 

Inspiration can strike in the strangest of places. Tracy walked into his first yoga class because he was inspired by a girlfriend, but he found ashtanga yoga - his true yoga journey - when he found the infamous Six Americans Video [link?] online. Once the seed of yoga is planted, it can start to bloom slowly, waiting on the right moment of inspiration to strike and lead you back to the yoga mat. 

Whatever inspires you to get on your mat, I hope you carry it with you through your everyday life. Tracy discusses what he learns about himself every day on the mat and why it’s so important to carry these lessons with us. 

My favorite lesson Tracy talks about is active listening. Hearing the poses from your yoga teacher is one thing, but actively listening to your friends and loved ones out in the real world is one great takeaway yoga practice can give you. I know it’s helped me so much when it comes to being a yoga teacher.

I might teach yoga students, but I’m also listening to students of yoga. I’m blessed to be able to teach yoga students across the globe with my podcast and videos, and I want you to know that I hear you and I’m listening to your inspiring stories, questions, and lessons about your own yoga journeys. Your inspiration and Tracy’s inspiration is what keeps me inspired and reminds me that we’re all on this amazing journey together. 

If you want to share your yoga journey with me, I would love to hear it! Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

It only takes a few moments to break out of this pattern of craving and clinging we find ourselves trapped in. This metta meditation will bring you a few moments of mindfulness to achieve this.

Sit with me now in a comfortable position or lay down, but don’t get so comfortable you fall asleep!

Because this metta practice is important. We’re going to tap into the three points of mindfulness I discussed in my earlier podcast, but I’m also discussing the two levels of your mind that make practicing metta possible. 

The two levels of your mind are the conscious mind, where we are aware of our thoughts and our feelings, and the subconscious mind, where our habits and the patterns of our thoughts are manifested.

During this meditation I will ask you to bring your consciousness within yourself so that you may tap into this subconscious part of your mind and consider the habits that are forming there. 

Your subconscious mind has this sticky habit of ruminating on the same thoughts over and over again. More often than not, these thoughts are negative and worrisome. This energy carries into your conscious mind and into your daily actions. The practice of metta is an active re-training of your mind’s pattern so that you can overcome these negative samskaras and learn to focus on forgiveness, peace, and happiness. 

Metta is a vibration of compassion. Yes, it’s hard to truly love ourselves, but the foundation of all love starts with self-love. Loving yourself makes it possible to reciprocate and share this love with others and the world around you.

As you listen and share your practice with me, I will ask you to bring your attention to your heart. You may feel your heartbeat inside of you, but it’s more than just this internal feeling. I want you to feel that energy both within yourself and the vibration of it outside of your body at the level of your heart. 

Can you feel the love?

There is goodness within you, and I encourage you to take this time now to be grateful for it and celebrate it. Forgive yourself of any shortcomings and accept yourself for who you are, even with all the mistakes you may have made today.

Tapping into this level of self-love takes you deeper within yourself and even closer to your true self, the self that is free from the judgmental eye of the ego. Moving towards a complete acceptance of yourself will elevate your consciousness, which makes the practice of metta possible. 

When you’re ready to anchor your awareness in your heart’s center, please tune in and start your metta practice with me. 

If you would like to share what you’ve learned from the metta practice, or any other lessons you’ve learned on the yoga mat with me and my listeners, send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor.

Find a comfortable spot and grab a comfy blanket if you need, because this episode of Yoga Inspiration is a metta meditation practice designed to help you cultivate love, peace, and kindness, both within yourself and in the energy around you.

I hear too often from my yoga students and other yogis out in the world that they are intimidated by metta practice. How can we be intimidated by this loving, warm, and kind energy? Because life is hard, and living as a human being is very overwhelming. We can end up feeling caught up in the negativity and just stuck in it. 

How can we be worthy of cultivating metta with all this anger and ugly feelings?

You ARE worthy. Love cannot exist without the balance of its opposite, more angry energy. Your shadow side makes you whole, and embracing your shadow self is a major part of this metta practice.

For me, I woke up in a yucky mood after not getting a good night’s sleep. I’m starting today’s meditation with very negative emotions from the tiredness and frustration of fitful sleep. That doesn’t mean I’m not worthy of the loving energy I’m about to share with you. 

You aren’t being fair to yourself if you’re denying yourself this practice simply because you feel mad, hurt, or anxious. If you feel that way, it’s even more reason to sit here with me today and join this metta meditation.

Every being sitting here will be a part of this vibration in our hearts. You will feel a palpable increase of energy as all of us connect, and listen, and meditate on our metta practice. Whatever you’re feeling today, I want you to sit with it and take these few minutes to redirect your attention inward and into your heart space.

In our metta meditation, we will be focusing on the three points of mindfulness so that you may anchor an awareness of yourself. It will help to relieve some of these negative emotions we’re carrying with us.

These three points of mindfulness cultivate a seat of equanimity with us that stops us from passing judgment on ourselves or our thoughts. Take a moment to read over these before you start this meditation so that you can prepare yourself to let go of the ego and truly embrace the path of metta:

First, become aware of your breath. Second, become aware of your body. Third, notice the quality of your thoughts and your emotions.

I will be going more in-depth with our mindfulness as we meditate, but this is just the beginning of what is a lifelong practice designed to train the mind to operate beyond the ego and beyond the material. No matter how you’re feeling today, this metta meditation practice will help you embrace and overcome the ego and its negative emotions.

Please share some of the lessons you’ve learned on the yoga mat with me and my listeners. Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor.

We all start yoga practice for selfish reasons. Our minds are in pain, our bodies are in pain, and we are looking for something to escape our suffering. Conventional happiness doesn’t always cut it. We want a way to truly heal ourselves that isn’t through prescription drugs or any of our other vices.

I’m here to tell you today that there is no conventional path to happiness. In fact, there is no “right” way to happiness either, and practicing yoga can break this cycle you’re in of finding - and losing - that sense of happiness and fulfillment. 

Your yoga practice presents a different path for you, a spiritual path. The spiritual path of yoga leads us into becoming someone and something other than what we have assumed we are for our whole lives. 

Wait - becoming someone other than you thought you were? Isn’t that a heavy thought?

This concept can be very hard to process, but yoga gives you the tools you need to take on this spiritual concept and gives you the strength you need to confront yourself.

Patanjali called these tools tapas. Tapas is what you feel when your back muscles burn as you try to pull yourself up from the downward dog. Tapas is what you feel when your thighs and calves are burning for days after your practice. And if you can think of this burning as a purification, then you’re one step closer to understanding this spiritual path you’re currently on. 

You will come across tapas numerous times during your yoga practice. I’m covering Patanjali’s tapas in this episode because they are key to finding true peace and happiness.

How? 

Tapas will help you break the shackles of your ego, which makes it possible to confront yourself on the yoga mat. Tapas give you the ability to turn your senses inward in order to give you that liberation that only happens when you break down everything you know about yourself.

Sounds nice, doesn’t it? If only it were as easy! Unfortunately, nothing about our yoga practice is easy. I’ve been practicing yoga for nearly two decades, and I can tell you honestly that it doesn’t get easier. But anything worth doing is never easy. 

To make it easier for you, I’m sharing an in-depth discussion of the different tapas and how they manifest in our bodies, in our senses, and in our souls. You will learn new ways to enlighten your senses and redirect that power to the inner world, the one that’s inside of you and so very, very important to your spiritual journey through the practice of yoga.

What are some of the lessons you’ve learned on your spiritual path? Please share some of what you’ve learned with me and my listeners. Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

Grief is such a profound subject that impacts so many of us. Yet it is still one of the hardest emotions to talk about, even with our closest friends. This episode of The Yoga Inspiration is very important because Cynthia, a new yoga student, is opening up to me about her own journey through grief, pain, and healing by practicing yoga. 

Who do you turn to when you’re grieving?

Being vulnerable and opening up to someone is one of the only ways to truly allow yourself to heal. Vulnerability breeds generosity, love, and acceptance, and yoga allows you to open yourself up to these emotions without fear. Part of what yoga teaches us is that, through our pain and vulnerability, we are able to find that human connection.

When Cynthia’s father was diagnosed with cancer, she looked for an opportunity to get healthier herself. She didn’t want her daughter to go through what she went through, and she decided that yoga class was a great way to get fit and strengthen her immune system. But what Cynthia wasn’t expecting was how yoga would strengthen her soul. 

The story Cynthia shares on this podcast is one she hasn’t really told anyone else yet. It takes a long time to process grief and finding the words to talk about these emotions doesn’t come easily. Yoga gives Cynthia a different way to heal. Yoga practice is less of a physical practice for her and more an exercise of her soul and of her mind. 

Your own yoga journey might inspire some emotions you aren’t expecting. For Cynthia, her journey helped her find peace. Everyone manages their grief differently, and finding peace with it is a long and hard process for many of us. People say grieving gets better with time, but you’ll hear on this episode that we don’t necessarily believe that. We may get stronger, and we get better at withstanding the waves of grief, but it never really leaves us. 

In order to process her grief, Cynthia learned not to judge herself for the sometimes ugly emotions she would feel. Once upon a time, a yoga teacher told Cynthia, “Don’t judge the pose.” In that same vein, Cynthia knows that she can’t judge her own grief. Yoga teaches us that we must accept it and be at peace with it. 

There is a kindness and a softness that comes through when you practice yoga. When you step on your yoga mat today, remind yourself that life is precious. It’s sweet, and it’s beautiful, but it is temporary. These moments we have are valuable, and they too shall pass. Cynthia’s vulnerability on this episode is proof of that, and I hope that it inspires you to see the beauty in your life’s tiniest moments. 

If you’re a practicing yoga student, please share a bit of your yoga journey with me! Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

We all come to the yoga mat for so many different reasons. We may crave a healthier lifestyle, or we believe we’re ready to take on the spiritual journey of yoga practice. But this yoga journey takes us through more than meditation and asanas. And one of the greatest gifts of this journey is truly meeting our bodies for the first time.

Meeting your body - more importantly, loving your body and being comfortable in your own skin - is the biggest blessing that comes from yoga practice. We spend so much time in our minds and outside of our bodies that we’ve forgotten how to actually be inside the body. 

I want to share with you now that yoga is a tool that can reacquaint you with yourself and teach you how to be comfortable in your body. 

What you’re looking for is the sense of ease that comes from being at home in your own skin. You can’t run and hide from yourself, even though we all may have tried at some point. But to find peace, you have to know peace within yourself first. I know this from personal experience.

I’ve been at war with myself before, and being at war is not where I want to be, or where I want you to be either. I want everyone to come into the yoga practice and become at peace with themselves. The more we’re at peace with ourselves, the more we'll be at peace with one another.

What does it mean to you to be at home in your own skin? 

You don’t have to answer that question right now. Sit and listen to this podcast. Ask yourself - are you listening to your body? 

The body doesn’t speak with grammar or logic. Your body will speak to you through sensation and feeling. It’s been speaking to you since you were born, but we’ve forgotten this ancient language. Coming to the yoga mat can help you remember. 

The biggest mistake that so many yoga students make is failing to realize that they have the potential within themselves to love themselves and be comfortable in their own skin. It isn’t easy, but it’s not impossible. You have to learn to listen to your body and understand the language your body uses to communicate.

Yoga will take you on a journey to become best friends with your body. Are you ready? 

Please share a bit of your yoga journey with me and my listeners. Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

Welcome to a new paradigm of thinking! This episode of The Yoga Inspiration Podcast is all about Spiritual Bypassing - an important term I want every yoga student to get familiar with. Understanding this concept is integral to your yoga journey as it can be what’s possibly holding you back from your spiritual growth through yoga. 

Spiritual Bypassing was originally introduced by John Welwood in the 1980s to describe the process when certain concepts of the yogi’s spiritual path are co-opted and used for avoidance, repression, and other negative mechanisms. All of the concepts that we learn about in yoga - the patience, the acceptance, the enlightenment - can be bypassed by our behavioral routines without us even realizing it.

Do you ever find yourself thinking negative thoughts? 

We all do. Yoga teaches us that we can’t have the light without the dark, but you should never feel guilty or be embarrassed by your negative thoughts. If you do feel guilty, then you are experiencing a Spiritual Bypass.

That’s because it’s hard to accept your shadow shelf, especially if you’re stuck in a cycle of negativity. In the moments when you feel insecure, frustrated, even jealous, it can be hard to accept some of the metaphysical and spiritual concepts of yoga. These ideas that “everything is fine, just breathe” can feel ingenuine, even flippant. We can’t pretend that problems don’t exist, but we can take control of the way we feel.

The spiritual tools of yoga are meant to give you the confidence to go into the deepest darkness of our shadow selves with the understanding that nothing is permanent. I share the ways these tools work for me and how you can implement them into your own yoga routine. This way, when a Spiritual Bypass tries to tell you that nothing matters, you can practice finding that balance between the bypass and your spiritual path. 

The middle ground between the Spiritual Bypass and the Path to Enlightenment is my main focus on this episode. Because finding that middle ground is not easy. There are still days when I get on my yoga mat feeling angry and insecure about my poses or my body. The trick is to recognize when you are bypassing your emotions and learning how to sit with them instead. I share these 3 tricks on this episode - 

Tune into your breathing. Listen to your body. Practice non-reactivity.

I dive deeper into these 3 steps and ways I make them work for me and my yoga practice in hopes that I can inspire you to find a happy medium between your lightest and darkest self. You have to have faith in yourself and put in the work to build that strong foundation for yourself, otherwise your yoga journey will be anything but easy. It’s time to take the concepts of open consciousness and apply them to the nitty-gritty of your real world. Are you ready?

If you’re a practicing yoga student with an inspiring journey, please share a bit of your yoga journey with me and my listeners! Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

This episode of The Yoga Inspiration Podcast is important for every yoga student, teacher, and yoga studio owner to hear. I’m very excited about the energy Davina Davidson brings with her to the yoga mat, and the perspective she shares with us today is something the yoga community needs to hear. 

Davina is the founder of The Melanin Yoga Project in Houston, a project that focuses on creating a space where people of color can learn, ask questions about, and ultimately practice the benefits and teachings of yoga. 

The reality is that there is not one singular black experience in the yoga community. There are unconscious biases built into the business standards of the yoga world that, quite frankly, do not create a safe space for POC yogis to learn or even teach their practice. 

More than that, these biases greatly limit the opportunities yoga students and yoga teachers have to interact with diversity. 

From Davina’s point of view - as a successful black woman and as a yoga teacher - it is the responsibility of the yoga teachers and the yoga studio owners to start these inclusive conversations. As leaders, we need to be open to receiving feedback and constructive criticism. It’s time to ask - what is your experience coming into the yoga space? 

Davina and I discuss the different ways yoga teachers can engage with their POC yoga students and ask these kinds of questions. Not only to make sure that they and their yoga practice are doing well, but also to see where we, as teachers, can create more space and opportunities for them to get the most from our yoga community. 

Doing this sometimes means having those difficult conversations. It’s not easy to look inward at yourself and start unpacking unconscious prejudice you didn’t realize you had. But if you can acknowledge the privileges you’ve been afforded, then you can recognize the areas where you can make a positive change. 

We want to make a positive change on a bigger level. Davina says it’s time to move past our individual experiences and realize we, as a community, have a systemic issue with race and blackness in the yoga world. We can still embrace ahimsa while taking actions that benefit the POC yoga community, and Davina shares with us further steps we can take to acknowledge race and turn them into teachable moments, not only for ourselves but for our yoga students. 

Check out some of the resources Davina recommends for self-study:

If you’re a practicing yoga student with an inspiring journey, I want to hear your story. Please share a bit of your yoga journey with me and my listeners. Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? I would love to have you as my guest on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

Welcome to yoga class! As we navigate our new post-COVID world, I’m bringing you new opportunities to practice yoga online. This two hour class will give you the opportunity to meet me as a yoga teacher and follow me through one of my favorite ashtanga yoga flows.

Are you ready to transcend your mind and meet your true self? 

The goal of yoga practice is to help you realize that you exist beyond your thoughts and your physical form.

For this reason, your yoga journey is important now more than ever. To meet you on this journey, I’m making myself more available online for yoga students everywhere. Please immerse yourself in the experience of this episode and practice some of the yoga sutras with me, like the ones I discussed in Episode 1. 

There will be more opportunities like this and immersive experiences coming online as we move through our new normal way of life. Make sure you’re following my podcast so you can stay up to date with all of the amazing yoga opportunities coming your way.

Our relationship with ourselves greatly influences our yoga practice. And some of us might think of ourselves as our thoughts, or maybe we think of ourselves as our physical bodies. On this episode of The Yoga Inspiration Podcast, I’m going to tell you that your sense of self is neither.

Your life is more than this material structure. It’s hard to detach our self-identity from our thoughts, but the goal of your yoga practice is to help you realize that you exist beyond your thoughts and physical form. 

We are not the body. We aren’t even really our minds. Those things represent our smaller selves, the one that exists to please our ego and cling to the material world. Those cycles of suffering I’ve discussed in previous podcasts come from this limited view we have of ourselves. 

When you think this way about yourself, you are glorifying the ego and moving further and further away from the teachings of yoga.

Are you ready to transcend your mind and meet your true self? 

Working towards our liberation is no easy feat, but the yoga sutras are designed to help you transcend. On this episode I discuss three specific sutras from Patanjali’s Three Ways of Knowledge:

Anumana, or intellectual knowledge, which is what you can think about and reach a seemingly logical conclusion Agama, or devotional knowledge, which is the knowledge you don’t understand but you take it to be true because you trust the source Pramana, or experiential knowledge, is direct experience, and when we experience something we know it to be true even if we don’t understand it logically

Ideally, these types of knowledge all line up and we reach a transcendent sense of self-knowledge. But of course, this is not as easy as it looks. Too often we reach incorrect logical conclusions, or devote ourselves to the wrong sources of information. I discuss ways we do this in our daily lives without realizing it and how it all influences our misconception of ourselves. 

Can you remember a time when you came to an incorrect logical conclusion? Think about it. 

You can use logic and still reach a wrong conclusion that looks and feels correct. Maybe you even confirmed this logic with a source you found on Facebook or YouTube, thus devoting yourself to a negative agama.

This is not an easy thought process to shift. It’s harder than just turning around to get a new perspective. The challenge lies in breaking the habits of your mind to think beyond the physical and the mental. Shifting this thought process is a goal of the yoga practice, and we dive deeper into this concept as I answer questions at the end of the episode and discuss ways you can use these sutras in your daily yoga practice. 

If you’re interested in learning more about yoga sutras like these, stay tuned. There will be more opportunities and immersive experiences coming online as we continue to navigate the post-COVID world. Make sure you’re following my podcast so you can stay up to date with all of the amazing yoga opportunities coming your way.

If you’re a practicing yoga student with an inspiring journey, please share a bit of your yoga journey with me and my listeners. Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

Ashtanga yoga doesn’t have a reputation for being accessible, and I’ve spent my career trying to change this. Because if you don’t see yourself in this yoga space, how will you ever feel a part of our community? That’s why I invited yoga teacher Angelica Wilson onto the Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

Angelica’s spent 8 years using her background as a dance instructor to create a more accessible space in the yoga community. As a dancer, she learned to teach classes for all ages, body types, and skin colors. This experience is something many yoga teachers lack, and Angelica shares how these experiences are key in creating accessibility in yoga. 

Both dance and yoga give off the vibes of high ponytails, cinched waists, and light skin. This leaves very little room for diversity. We discuss ways the media perpetuates these images and how this deters many of us from ever stepping foot in a studio. Think about it - something as simple as a clothing brand can make you feel like you aren’t dressed appropriately for yoga class! 

All beings should be treated equally; this is one of our teachings and truths in the yoga practice. But as it turns out, this is not a truth in every yoga studio all of the time. Angelica shares her experiences practicing and teaching in different studios. In some instances she’s treated like a student, in others like the receptionist. Each story comes with an interesting reflection on the unconscious biases we all have and the ways in which we can start unpacking them. 

This reflection is important. Too often the instinct is to react defensively rather than to listen and reflect. Don’t cut off your ability to listen. If you can’t listen, then how can we trust you to reflect and make a positive change? 

We have reached a point as a society where passive conversations and empty promises are no longer acceptable. There are steps we can take as yoga teachers, studio owners, and as simple human beings to bring about positive change, and Angelica shares a few with us on this podcast. 

It’s time to unpack and challenge our unconscious biases. More than that, it’s time to hold those in positions of power accountable for perpetuating stereotypes and downright alienating people from practicing yoga. Change won’t happen overnight, but when you actually take time to enact change in your own way of thinking and living, you’ll quickly see how those positive changes influence the world around you. 

If you’re a practicing yoga student with an inspiring journey, please share a bit of your yoga journey with me and my listeners. Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

This is a special episode of The Yoga Inspiration Podcast. It’s shorter than you might expect, but I’m discussing the importance of ahimsa within our personal revolution. A cultural revolution is happening around us right now, and our yoga practice gives us the power to inspire change in not only ourselves, but in others. 

Yoga practice is designed to break the cycle of suffering. When you sit quietly on your yoga mat, you may feel anger, fear, or hatred towards others, maybe even towards yourself. But you practice yoga to find and uproot these seeds of suffering within yourself so that you can be a better person. 

Why not expand this healing cycle? When we take the principles we learn and practice every day on our yoga mats and bring them into our reality, we have the power to inspire that same change in others.

Right now, those privileged and in power are allowing themselves to be guided by fear and hatred. As long as these seeds of suffering are there, there will never be justice or peace. And as long as good people continue to turn away from the injustice we’re seeing today, then justice will never be our reality. 

But yoga justice is real. We have the power to inspire change in our community. We aren’t just sending light and love with each pose. Our love is an action verb, and there are actions we can take as yogis to make sure those seeds of suffering don’t blossom.

How are you using the values of ahimsa in your daily life? 

There is no lasting change without behavioral change. I’m speaking today from personal experience. I do not claim to be an expert on race relations or sociological theories, but I do have over twenty years of experience on this spiritual yoga journey. And as a yoga practitioner, you and I both have the power and the responsibility to inspire change in our community. 

What actions are you taking today?

If you’re a practicing yoga student with an inspiring journey, please share a bit of your yoga journey with me and my listeners. Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

Over the past twenty years, we have seen the yoga world morph and evolve. Yet we are still so far from where we need to be. It’s a shame that it’s taken us this long to recognize the need to support and uplift the black and brown voices in our yoga community.

I invited Shanna Small on this episode of The Yoga Inspiration Podcast to give us actionable steps we can take to make yoga more accessible amidst the Black Lives Matter movement and the powerful cultural shifts we are seeing today. 

Shanna has been practicing ashtanga yoga for almost two decades. She started yoga because it seemed like a cute and interesting workout that just so happened to be sprinkled with spiritual teachings. It wasn’t until she heard the yoga sutras for the first time years later that she recognized the true spiritual power of the yoga journey. Today, Shanna teaches accessible ashtanga yoga.

This is something I am personally excited about. I believe in accessible yoga classes that welcome people of all creeds, colors, and walks of life to practice the asanas and explore their own yoga journeys. Yoga class is supposed to be a place where people can come to practice, relax, and enjoy themselves. For people of color, this is rarely the case. 

Think about it - when you do a Google Image Search for “yoga”, what do you see? Think about what kind of message this is sending to yoga students and how it is also affecting their and your own yoga journey. If you don’t see yourself in the yoga community, how will you ever truly feel a part of it? 

This is what Shanna calls on us to recognize in this episode. The role of yoga right now - and our role as yogis - is long overdue. Remember ahimsa means non-violence, but it’s not just attributed to one group of people. Ahimsa is the idea that, if harm is being done to any of our fellow human beings, then - as a yogi - it is our responsibility to be of service. 

Shanna writes in her blog that this concept of Yoga Justice is more than just love, light, hopes, and prayers. Your hopes need legs, and your prayers require action. Right now is not the time to be passive. That’s why we’re sharing actionable steps you can take now as yoga students to start inspiring change. And you don’t have to be confrontational. Be an ally by asking yoga studios - “Why are you so homogenous?” And inspire your friends to take classes with a yoga teacher you know is diverse and supports an accessible approach to yoga. 

Change will start with you. This episode is meant to inspire you and equip you with the knowledge you may need to move forward with these changes. We’re at a time now where we need to be spreading the true philosophy and spirituality of yoga - and we’re ready to take it on! 

If you’re a practicing yoga student with an inspiring journey, please share a bit of your yoga journey with me and my listeners. Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

Facing doubt is already hard, but imagine having to face it without your yoga practice. In this episode of The Yoga Inspiration Podcast, I’m discussing how doubt sometimes kicks us off our mat, and the key ways we can all push through that doubt and stay dedicated to our yoga journey. 

What does doubt look like to you?

No one is immune to doubt, especially yogis. For us, yoga is not a clear or linear path. There is no steady upward progress like we see in traditional sports. Sure, it feels like an uphill battle, but we don’t have clear steps to measure to satisfy our egos and analytical minds. That’s why doubt so easily seeps into our mindset. 

When you make a mistake, your mind can be extra hard on you. When you just can’t get the asana in practice, your mind can be very hard on you. The ego can be relentless in these moments of frustration and discouragement. You beat yourself up for the lows and don’t give yourself enough credit during the highs because we are doubting ourselves and our practice. 

So what do you do when you face down an obstacle?

My very first lesson about facing doubt came to me on the yoga mat. I realized that in this exact moment of doubt and frustration, when I wanted to give up, this was the key moment where I had the power to transform myself. Because when we’re facing our doubts in yoga, that means the practice is working. 

Yoga breeds doubt because it forces us to take that inward look at ourselves, something that is very difficult - both physically and emotionally. So when you face this doubt head on - what do you do?

Today’s discussion is all about the ways we can face doubt head-on and stay the course of our yoga practice. I share my own experiences with doubts on my yoga mat before opening the floor for another inspiring Q&A session with some of my students. 

We all have our own doubts, and we face them in our way. There are ways you can meet your doubts head-on with yoga while still respecting your body and your agency. This is your practice, and finding your faith will be as unique to you as it was for me. So I challenge you this week - I challenge yoga students everywhere to figure out what yoga means to you so you can face your doubts head-on with strength and confidence. 

If you’re a practicing yoga student with an inspiring journey, please share a bit of your yoga journey with me and my listeners. Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

As a yoga teacher, it’s been really wonderful to see students stay motivated and committed to their journey while practicing at home yoga. That’s why this episode of The Yoga Inspiration Podcast is a little bit different. Times like these require a different kind of inspiration. 

So I’m sharing one of my recent Zoom calls, including a brief meditation and a yoga Q&A session at the end of this episode. 

It’s so important right now to feel a sense of community within the yoga community itself. That feeling of shared space is necessary. We all need space right now to process what’s happening to us. And our teaching methods are evolving to create this feeling of community online.

A virtual community of yogis, if you will, where we’re teaching yoga classes on Zoom and Instagram. I’m bringing this kind of community experience to my podcast so every yoga student listening out there can access this space. Because teaching yoga is less about putting bodies in poses and more about making sure you have the space to do your practice.

And space can mean so many things. It can mean the physical space you needed to make in your house to practice yoga during quarantine. It means finding the supportive environment you need to stay motivated. For a yoga teacher, it also means making yoga class accessible in a socially distant world. 

Space can be particularly hard when practicing home yoga, for yoga teachers and students alike. We’re all easily distracted by the messes we make during the day or the emails we still need to answer. But if you can create the space to practice, then you can continue your yoga journey. 

Our current situation can cause difficult questions to bubble up during practice, making yoga not just physically demanding but also emotionally. It can sometimes be even harder now to create the silent and still space needed for that kind of work, and I share ways yoga students of all skill levels can stay on their mat despite the pressure. 

I’ll tell you this - it can be easier to find that space and stay on your mat when you realize that the purpose of it is to clear your mind. The stillness should turn your mind into a clear mirror, one that causes you to look in at yourself. You may not yet know yourself, that is why you’re on this journey. You seek to answer that question we all seek to answer - who am I? 

Who am I? 

That is the seeker’s question, and your yoga practice will take you on this seeker’s journey, bringing this question to the surface many, many times. It can be harder to face that question now as you practice home yoga. But remember, you are not alone. While we all practice safe social distancing, the yoga community is alive and thriving with yoga teachers working to make yoga more accessible to each of us, no matter where we are on our yoga journeys. 

Keep listening after the end of this episode for an amazing yoga Q&A with my students. We discuss ways you can adapt your practice for home yoga, how to advance to second series asanas, posing techniques, and more.

If you’re a practicing yoga student with an inspiring journey, please share a bit of your yoga journey with me and my listeners. Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

Yoga is hard. I’ve been practicing yoga for over 20 years, and I still think it’s challenging. But something worth doing is never easy, and I’m talking about one of the most difficult practices in yoga on this episode of The Yoga Inspiration Podcast - the Tapas.

We all come to our first yoga practice for selfish reasons - and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! Wanting to strengthen your body, open your mind, and improve your health are all great reasons to seek out a yoga studio. But yoga isn’t a fast and easy shortcut away from suffering. Yoga is a journey, and like all journeys, your yoga practice will come with its own and deeply personal trials and tribulations. 

How do you face these trials?

Patanjali’s Tapas are the way to make sense of them, but it’s more than just a few complicated poses and positions. Tapas is how you identify and burn away the chains of your ego so that you can continue your spiritual growth. 

Your ego is how you recognize yourself and your personality, so the Tapas will not be easy. Tapas are here to help you learn how to break the habits of being yourself. 

Sounds intense, doesn’t it? That’s because it is. As you meet this confrontation on your yoga mat, you will experience two levels of Tapas:

I discuss in more detail what these levels mean, because it is more than just your physical body that benefits from this kind of yoga practice. According to Patanjali - whom I also discuss more in this episode - the benefits of Tapas start first with the physical body, and then move through the energy and space around and within the body.

The Tapas will start in Kaia, your physical body. This also includes your subconscious, where your thoughts reign. You have to be able to bring your subconscious thoughts to the surface in order to benefit from the Tapas, and that means taking on your ego. 

Then the Tapas move to your physical senses, the Indria. Your senses are more than just a means to experience the external world - they are just as important to your internal world, too. In order to benefit from the Tapas, you will have to turn your senses back in toward yourself and your spiritual journey.

Finally, you can achieve Siddhi after putting in the work that the Tapas require of you. And you may not achieve it in this lifetime. The important part is that you put in the work and get on the mat every day to tackle your ego. Because it’s not easy, and I admire anyone that can power through and take on even the most impossible pose.

The Tapas will be strongest during your hardest practice, so never let the pain hold you back. Whether it’s physical or emotional, the pain is what leads to this purification and brings up the fire and heat within is. When you feel the burn, that means your Tapas is on fire - and my advice is to let it burn. 

If you’re a practicing yoga student with an inspiring journey, please share a bit of your yoga journey with me and my listeners. Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

On the this episode of The Yoga Inspiration Podcast, I’m sharing with you the powerful life lessons I learned about failure from the yoga mat. If you remember back to my first episode, you know that I didn’t come from an athletic or particularly physically fit background when I took my first yoga class. I didn’t even know what any of these poses were when I started! But just because you can’t balance a pose doesn’t mean you aren’t worthy of practicing yoga. 

Yoga practice is anything but easy. You will most likely meet failure right there in your first yoga class. When I first started practicing yoga, I wasn’t good at the poses-- these backbends don’t come naturally! In fact, it was the Pose Pincha Mayurasana that was absolutely impossible for me, and I failed more at this yoga pose than anything else. 

I wasn’t good at failing, either. Frustration and failure have a nasty habit of sneaking into your mindset, and they have the potential to really ruin your yoga practice if you let it. The reality of staying inspired to practice yoga when you keep failing is exceptionally difficult. You can’t force it. What you can do is change the way you think about failure.

Yoga practice is a space where failure is welcome. Failure is the only way you can learn from yoga because yoga isn’t about memorizing or perfecting the poses. Yoga is a personal and spiritual journey that strengthens your mental abilities just as much - if not more - than your physical form. 

Are you afraid of failure?

Fear of failure is a huge inhibition, both on the yoga mat and in your everyday life. This fear can stop you from achieving the things you want most in the world. When you let fear rule your actions, you trap yourself in an endless loop of fear and failure that can be difficult to break. 

In a success-oriented society like ours, failure can be seen as a threat to our livelihood. Each of us will experience this fear more times than we can count. Did you know that I was afraid to start this podcast because I thought I would fail? Even after 20 years of yoga practice, I still have my own doubts when it comes to my abilities as both a yoga student and a yoga teacher. The trick is to acknowledge these doubts and create a process-oriented way of thinking that will focus on the steps that will work through these doubts rather than just setting an impossible goal for yourself. 

Remember - perfection doesn’t exist and you will never achieve it. What you can achieve is self-acceptance and a higher sense of self that is able to accept failure and learn new things because of it.

This process of trying-failing-learning is the process-oriented thinking that is required to be successful at yoga. Process-oriented thinking in your yoga practice gives you the freedom to not care about whether you achieved the poses but to focus on your breathing and the internal journey you are taking with your practice.

My goal with this episode and this podcast is to change the whole paradigm of “success”. The next time you get on the yoga mat, I want you to challenge the way you look at failure. My stories as a yoga student will inspire you to see your failures in a new light and give you the guidance you need to keep moving forward with your practice. Success is what you get from yoga practice when you learn something about yourself, not necessarily when you do a headstand. 

Don’t be afraid to share your failures with you. If you’re a yoga student and you want to share your yoga journey with me, I would love to hear it! Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

This episode of The Yoga Inspiration Podcast is especially inspiring for me because one of my very own mentors is here as my guest. Dianne Bondy is a disruptor in the yoga scene. She is a social justice activist who paved the way for more inclusive yoga studios and practices, and I sought out her mentorship when I wanted to make my classes more accessible to yoga students from all walks of life. 

Inclusive yoga is more important now than ever, even as we’re squinting through our computer screens on Zoom. Being a yoga teacher in the digital age of COVID-19 means we are seeing more and more new yoga students picking up the practice. That’s why I brought Dianne onto the podcast. 

Dianne is teaching more yoga now than ever before - go figure! Not only does she have more time to do yoga with friends, but she’s also helping new yoga students start this spiritual journey for themselves.

For her, without the spiritual journey of yoga, she would be “going off the handle,” as she calls it. With all the uncertainty in the world, a spiritual connection between mind, body, and soul can be very grounding. This is what makes the spiritual journey particularly important to new yogis.

How can a spiritual practice help you keep your sanity?

Just breathe. Dianne wants us all to learn to breathe again. Because yoga isn’t about mastering impossible poses. Yoga is about breathing, and if you’re brand-spanking-new to yoga, tuning in with your breath is the first thing you should be doing with your practice. 

Just. Breathe.

Breathing can ground you. Breathing helps you notice when you’re in your head and overlooking the bigger picture - the bigger energy - you are a part of in this big, crazy world. It can really soothe the jagged edges around your nerves and bring you a sense of calm.

Dianne shares her favorite breathing exercise for beginners, and we discuss how taking this time to breathe can bring a calming pause to your life - a pause that is not so unlike “The Great Pause” this pandemic has caused for all of us. 

The Great Pause. That is how Dianne refers to our global situation on this episode, and it’s inspired me to think a bit differently about how I look at and approach my own yoga practice. We’re all going to have to relearn how to live in this world again, but rather than focus on the anxious energy - take a breath, and take a pause. We’re all going to see each other on the other side of this.

If you’re a practicing yoga student with an inspiring journey, please share a bit of your yoga journey with me and my listeners. Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

I’m bringing a new kind of inspiration to this episode of the Yoga Inspiration Podcast! You may not realize it, but humor is so important to our spiritual journey - especially right now. We can walk the line between appropriate and inappropriate humor, or we can use humor to help us and our fellow yoga students to cope, understand, and bring some light to an otherwise dark and confusing time. My guest, conscious comedian JP Sears, is here to discuss how humor can be a yogis best motivator.

What I love most about humor is that it takes something that’s mysterious and makes it approachable. If you’ve ever been intimidated by a yoga studio, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. Being able to laugh at your awkwardness or the silliness of the poses is a great way to relax and come into your own in a yoga class. For more practiced yoga students, humor is a great way to approach meditation and keep your ego in check. At least, that’s how JP does it.

JP’s motivation for comedy came from a personal need to get his own big head back to size. He was quickly becoming aware of his own egotistical nature - as he calls it - and he wanted to bring himself back to earth. 

As students of yoga, we aren’t immune to our own successes. Sometimes on our spiritual journey we can grow a little over-confident in our abilities and the role we play. That role puffs up an ego and influences the way we share our spirituality with others. Humor can be a way to tap into that side of our ego, to learn where it hides and how it feeds, and ultimately laugh at it (and ourselves). 

Just like yoga students, comedians have layers. When you start to peel away the layers of their jokes, you realize that they are making some serious points. We peel away some of JP’s jokes on this episode and really talk about what it means to be a comedian during the Coronavirus. Because there’s not too much humor in this situation. There’s a lot of fear, a lot of anxiety, and JP points out ways we can still laugh in the face of trauma without disrespecting the severity of our situation.

With humor, timing is everything. Navigating when is the right time to make a joke is one big topic we discuss on this episode. Humor isn’t always going to be an appropriate response for everyone, but there are ways to use humor in a way that’s inspiring without being inappropriate. 

How can we inspire ourselves with humor?

JP says to look at our lives as a spiritual practice. Too often we compartmentalize our yoga journey and our spirituality. It becomes something we only do on the yoga mat or when we meditate, which is kind of silly when you think about it. JP looks at his experiences and his relationships all as spiritual practices. Every day there are opportunities to learn by fire and discover new layers of yourself, and you don’t have to be in a yoga studio to do it. 

I hope that taking this kind of approach to your spiritual journey - and being able to laugh along the way - will inspire you to continue your yoga practice throughout these sheltered times. Being able to laugh at ourselves can be immensely healing. I know that, personally, I would not have been able to work on my higher spiritual journey if I wasn’t able to laugh. When JP interviews me at the end of this episode, I explain how humor tackled my internal antagonistic paradigm of achievement, and I hope it helps you to see how humor and laughter can encourage your spiritual journey.

If you’re interested in hearing more of JP Sears’ conscious comedy, check him out every Friday night on his website - Awaken with JP.

If you’re interested in the resources I discussed today, you can find In Love with the World by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche here.

If you’re a practicing yoga student with an inspiring journey, please share a bit of your yoga journey with me and my listeners. Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

This episode of the Yoga Inspiration Podcast is coming straight from my heart. I was inspired by my own yoga teacher this week when he reminded me how special and valuable life - all living things - truly is, including yourself.

Do you know how hard it is to love and accept yourself? Especially during the times we live in now. The world is so different, and things are changing so quickly for so many of us that any sense of normalcy or acceptance is flying right out the window. With this episode, I want every yoga student out there to continue practicing compassion and empathy.

The reason we practice yoga is to tap into our hearts, the heart of compassion, and find ways to turn our empathy into action. And the first place to start is with yourself - Do you ever think negative thoughts? Do you ever think negative thoughts about yourself?

You aren’t alone. All of us face our own personal conflicts with self-loathing. Recognizing our own worthiness is not always an easy feat, but you must have faith that this negative cycle is not a permanent state of being. There is nothing natural about hating yourself. Self-hatred is a habit we have learned and conditioned ourselves into believing. 

Remember that your thoughts and emotions have the power to influence your life. What’s more, if you’re trapped in this cycle of negative thoughts towards yourself, it will be that much harder to open yourself up to a higher plane of being. Think about this - how are you supposed to learn acceptance on this spiritual journey if you don’t first accept yourself? 

It’s time to take a closer look at self-hatred and why so many of us mistake these negative feelings as facts about ourselves when the complete opposite is true. I share the psychological research behind this condition of self-loathing many modern adults are susceptible too, and I ask each of my listeners to take a closer look at the thoughts and feelings they experience towards themselves. 

Take note of how you think about yourself, as it will influence the way you move forward on your yoga journey. True spiritual liberation doesn’t happen overnight and learning how to recognize a pattern of self-loathing in yourself can be a powerful tool for overcoming self-doubt and low self-esteem. Great strength and love are there inside you, and I discuss ways you can tap into these powerful emotions and restructure the way you think about yourself.

The architecture of self-love is built on more than just hope and faith, but you must have both if you wish to be truly inspired by this episode. Compassion is the life force within every living being. Let it first flow through you so that you can experience the power of your own compassion before sharing it with others.

If you’re a practicing yoga student with an inspiring journey, please share a bit of your yoga journey with me and my listeners! Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

We are sitting with so much uncertainty these days. I know many of us have been impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic, and it’s put many of us in a difficult space. Even the most dedicated yoga practitioners are having a hard time, myself included. I’m turning to my yoga community for guidance right now, and I’m sharing their responses with you on this episode.

Hearing real stories from fellow yogis can help us through this in-between stage of not-knowing. Uncertainty is a common trigger for many anxieties, and just being able to discuss these fears with others can be a huge relief. Especially when we can’t leave our homes to see friends or even get out to our favorite yoga studios. 

If yoga teaches us anything right now it is that it’s impossible to try and deny our depressive or anxious emotions. In order to become a whole person, we must embrace the darkness. Yoga is about embracing the darkest, most vulnerable sides of ourselves and recognizing that this, too, shall pass. Everything is of cycles, and we will not be in this uncertain state forever. 

Much of what I talk about in this episode is inspired by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche’s book In Love with the World. With it I discuss the Buddhist Bardo states, especially the Bardo of the unknown and the transient. It acts as my guidance on this inner journey of my mind as I process the uncertain situations happening around me. I hope to inspire my fellow yogis struggling with their own anxieties. 

You are a student of yoga, and you have the strength within you to bear the brunt of these uncertain times. Yoga practice is designed to help us get through challenges just like these. Meditation, breathing exercises, and centering yourself within yourself are all techniques made to ease the mind and soothe anxiety. 

The responses I share in this episode vary across the board. I work with many yoga students from across the globe, and we are all in varying degrees of social distancing and lockdown. But right now, it seems we are all sharing the same grateful attitude for having our yoga practice. 

The reality of yoga right now is that it’s available to us whenever we need it. Whether you’re using this time to develop a home yoga practice or taking an online yoga class, just make sure all of your thoughts and actions are aligned with supporting a balance within yourself. Know that these transient times are a necessary part of the cycle, and none of your anxious feelings are permanent.  

If you’re a practicing yoga student with an inspiring journey, please share a bit of your yoga journey with me and my listeners. Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

No matter where you are in your yoga journey, you are or you will soon start to practice yoga at home - and you don’t need to be a self-taught yogi to practice home yoga! All you need is a routine and a commitment to your yoga practice to start posing at home. A sacred space can help, too. On this episode of The Yoga Inspiration Podcast I’m unpacking the skills you’ll need to establish a home practice for yourself.

No, I’m not talking about yoga skills. Home yoga is for everyone, even yoga beginners who know only a handful of poses. It’s important not to try and teach yourself new poses at home, but practicing meditation and building on what you do know is key to home practice.

There are some things I absolutely love about home yoga. Hot showers right after practice are at the top of that list, but I really love just being able to pose in my own little yoga sanctuary. When you have a sacred space to practice yoga in your home, it makes it easier to get back to the mat every day. On the days when you’re feeling particularly uninspired, just stepping into your own space can bring that yoga inspiration right back. 

Setting up a sacred space is one way to establish a home yoga practice, but you won’t use that space if you don't have a routine in place. I’m discussing some of my best tips that personally helped me create a yoga routine that works with my everyday routine. A yoga routine will make it easier for you to stay motivated and it will also minimize all those at-home distractions, like the laundry and dirty dishes.

What can you do today to create a routine around your yoga practice? 

The best place to start is with your commitment to your yoga journey. It can be hard to stick to a routine with everything going on at home, but setting small, attainable goals for yourself and your practice can help you stay committed. Achieving those goals turns your yoga mat into a happy space where you WANT to be, rather than a place you HAVE to be. 

Your yoga goals can be anything you want them to be, but they should align with your meditation and yoga practice. I’ve found that setting a realistic routine goal, such as 1 or 2 days a week of home yoga, will not only motivate you to practice, but you might find that you’re inspired to exceed that goal on a regular basis.

Whenever you start practicing home yoga, always remember to align yourself with a yoga teacher and check in with them regularly. Connecting with our sangha, our community of fellow yogis, is important to each and every one of our yoga journeys. 

Luckily, today we have the luxury of connecting online. Find out if there are any live yoga classes near you like this one or reach out to your favorite yoga studio once a week, once a month, once a year - whenever it is best for your routine. Checking in regularly with other yoga students and teachers will keep you motivated to keep getting on the mat. 

If you’re a practicing yoga student with an inspiring journey, please share a bit of your yoga journey with me and my listeners! Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

The Yoga Inspiration Podcast is all about talking with real yoga students about practicing yoga in the real world. It doesn’t matter if you’re a yoga beginner or if you’ve been practicing for decades, everyone’s yoga journey is an inspiration. And this episode is a very inspiring interview with one of my own yoga students, Kelly. 

Kelly came to practice with me for a week after a very important moment in her own life. Just two months ago, Kelly had a hysterectomy. Her doctors told her not to practice yoga for four weeks.

Thirty days without yoga?

I can barely imagine what it would feel like to not practice for three days! 

When you practice yoga, it becomes a part of you, and to sacrifice that part of yourself can be quite the challenge. But Kelly is not a yoga student who gives up easily. She may not have been able to practice yoga physically, but the self-study of the yoga journey became integral to her healing process. 

Kelly’s santosha and inner acceptance of her position is an inspiration. So often students of yoga experience setbacks that cause them to lose faith in their journey. I hope that when you hear Kelly’s story you’ll be inspired to get back on the mat. Because there’s no reason to hold yourself to such high standards when you’re practicing yoga. Your experience on the mat should be enlightening, healing, and inspiring - not a competition. 

Yoga can be intimidating. Any practice that forces you to peel layers away from yourself can be frightening, but Kelly teaches us today that yoga is really a part of your mindset. It doesn’t just stay on the mat. Yogis carry their yoga practice with them through their daily routines, and we learn more about ourselves as we continue on our yoga paths. 

Your yoga journey can start from humble beginnings but then blossom into something powerful and inspiring, something Kelly never knew she was capable of until she got back on the mat and tried. 

As you travel on your own yoga path, I hope that Kelly’s story acts as an inspiration for your practice. She truly inspires me to keep practicing, and you will hear this inspiration in action when she asks me a few questions of her own at the end of this podcast. Kelly understands what it means to practice yoga with integrity, and she inspires me and hopefully all you yoga students listening to practice in the same way. 

If you’re a practicing yoga student, please share a bit of your yoga journey with me! Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

Yoga is a journey, and at the heart of this journey is the student. This brand new lifestyle podcast is for every yoga student, beginners and experts both, because we never really stop being students, do we?

Think now, back to your first yoga class...Do you remember it?

On this first-ever episode of The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor, I’m dialing it all the way back to my very first class. I might be a yoga teacher now, but I will always be a student. I’m always looking for inspiration, and I hope that hearing how I started my yoga path will inspire you to get on the mat every day and keep changing your world.

To be a student of yoga means that your mind is open and you yourself are open to inspiration - inspiration to learn, inspiration to practice, inspiration to find narodha and inner peace. And this inspiration is never stronger than when you’re just beginning. A beginner’s inspiration is the perfect zen for your yoga practice, and this series will look closely at ways we can get back into our beginner’s mind. 

I never had any intention of taking a yoga class. Not at first, anyway. When I was a teenager, I just happened to see a class of people at my gym standing on their heads. I thought to myself - how amazing! I want to do that! - and signed up for my first yoga class. This was no yoga for beginners. There was also no standing on my head, either. I signed up for a hatha yoga class without realizing what I was getting myself into. 

Do you think that stopped me? 

No! If anything, it inspired me to learn more. I found books, practiced at home, practiced in class, and learned so many new things about yoga and about myself that I never knew before. It changed the way I inhabited my own body, which opened up my mind to a new way of living. 

Getting physically stronger through yoga also helped me to become emotionally stronger. I found the inner strength to do the introspective work I needed to do to love myself and heal. I share on this first episode what it meant to me to find yoga at a hard time in my life and what inspired me as a student to commit to my connection with yoga. 

We are all students of yoga, and this podcast is meant to inspire all yoga students to seek every and all opportunities to learn. I want this podcast to become an inexhaustible source of inspiration and knowledge for my fellow yogis. 

If you’re a practicing yoga student, please share a bit of your beginner’s motivation with me! Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!

Can you remember day 1 of your yoga journey? How compelling the practice was even when your body was exhausted? That’s dedication, right? In this episode, world-renowned and trailblazing yoga teacher, David Swenson, reminds us that the essential awareness of push and pull with yoga can be almost non-existent at the beginning, especially if you're like David who likens his younger yogi self as an overly-keen labrador…

While it can be hard to distinguish the line between pushing on and pulling back, a good teacher will empower you to think for yourself and develop enough body awareness to make the call. And to lean ever so slightly more inward, let’s also not forget that the ultimate goal of yoga extends beyond physical abilities. 

We are not merely our bodies and part of the yogic path is about avoiding self-identification with external achievements. Instead, yoga offers the chance to cultivate humility, empathy, and the willingness to share the positive energy gained through practice–if you listen carefully enough. 

Throughout this conversation, we explore both perspectives found within a yoga class and emphasise that students should have the intention of respect for the teacher's expertise and the discipline of yoga. While the student may be on a seeker’s journey, the path of a yoga teacher is not always easy either…

Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST.

Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at info@kinoyoga.com. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

How often do we contemplate the profound connection between the practice of yoga and life itself? There’s an intricate reflection of our existence that unfolds as we delve into the depths of our yoga practice - a mirror that unveils the habits and patterns ingrained within us. Much like a session with a psychologist, we bear witness to whether they nurture positivity and bear fruitful outcomes or carry the potential for harm. 

But gaining this sacred knowledge all depends on the attitude we bring to the mat. Whether we seek shortcuts, succumb to self-doubt, or strive for perfection, yoga unveils a profound truth: our worthiness lies not in flawless performance or superficial outcomes, but in the profound act of wholeheartedly surrendering ourselves. 

It is in devotionally baring our vulnerabilities, our weaknesses, strengths, and everything in between, that we discover our truth. To get there, you can ask two questions: “can I give everything I have to every breath?” and “what can I learn from this situation?”

By dedicating ourselves to the practice, by offering our very being to it, we infuse it with reverence and devotion, and that’s when it becomes a sanctuary where transformation unfolds.

Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST.

Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at info@kinoyoga.com. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

In New Age teachings, there’s the idea that we can be our own gurus. But since life is not as simple as one step forward after another, yoga traditions teach us that we do in fact need someone further along the path to guide us along the way. But which guidance is right for us? 

You may find that a true yoga teacher is someone who can sit with the vast knowledge of instructions and create a safe space for the spiritual journey. Whereas a guru is someone who removes the darkness from one's path and has a heavy fullness of spiritual vibration that brings wholeness and wisdom. They hold space to awaken our inner Buddha.

So when opening up this conversation of tradition, lineage and guidance, what’s left to say about our own spark of divinity, New Age guilt and journeys full of challenges?

It’s time to bring attention to the importance of tradition, lineage, and respect for the role of a teacher or guru in the yoga tradition by appreciating the fine balance between questioning and challenging our lineage. 

Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST.

Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at info@kinoyoga.com. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

Yogic philosophy shows us that we’re born with imprints that affect the way we think and behave throughout our entire life–that is, of course, until we break free. In conversation with Swami Chidanadana, we explore what it means to awaken to our samskaras, the tumultuous journey it ensues, and the guiding light of the Bhagavad Gita.

Because why wouldn’t we want to free ourselves from suffering? The negative shades of our personality so often hinder our path to peace so the chance to let go should be embraced with open arms. Right? 

Perhaps not. In this episode, we learn that while it’s true that we want to change, so often we’re afraid to let go. Because letting go means leaving a part of us behind.

So how do we find enlightenment then? Are we even in control of the process no matter how much we long for it? Some say the Gita holds the answers. 

Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST.

Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at info@kinoyoga.com. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

Life is a series of lessons and so we are met with countless teachers holding the mirror up or shining the light on something new. But what makes a teacher qualified? What makes us dedicated to one source?

Walking through life, nature, friends, or even music can be our teachers. But when we dedicate ourselves to the spiritual path, gurus help us put one foot in front of the other. Whether that’s along the path or on the mat, it’s all the same. But their job is not just to keep our bodies healthy with teaching through asana, they keep us spiritually healthy, psychologically healthy, and emotionally healthy too. 

This makes the job of the guru so much more than your average university teacher. Gurus teach us students what it means to be alive, what it means to be human, and what we need to hang on to or let go of to grow as spiritual beings. 

In this conversation, we explore what makes someone qualified to take on this role, and how we must resist the urge to chop and change our teacher. We also cover audience questions such as becoming a teacher ourselves and whether to hold a career alongside teaching yoga.

Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST.

Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at info@kinoyoga.com. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

Tapas, the sacred fire we build with our vinyasa, lights up our inner flame. Whether that be consciousness, aspiration or purification, we honour the harmonisation of breath, body and mind. While in this sense we offer a continuation of ancient vedic rituals, it’s hard to ignore the contrasting desire to fixate on our outer worlds.

Will I ever reach the full embodiment of this pose? What time should I meditate each day? Should I change my diet? These are all questions that we find ourselves proposing once the power of yoga has enriched our lives. Yet, in this episode, we remember the bliss of ignorance. Or rather, asking the correct questions.

Because in reality, presence rules over any achievement. That harmony of breath, mind and body is the true state of yoga. Even when we witness the ever-changing nature of our bodies, trusting the process surmounts it all.

We must surrender control and trust the natural cycle of growth and development. The outcome? Sweet fruits.

Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST.

Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at info@kinoyoga.com. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

In conversation with Indu Arora, precious memories are shared about meeting her teachers for the first time. This moment not only changed her life because of the sacred knowledge she gained, but it marked the beginning of yoga.

Yoga can be thirty minutes of asanas or it can be the feeling of synchronicity with the rhythms of nature. If anything is true, it’s that yoga is everlasting. Yoga is a state of awareness.

As the discussion meanders between the modern misunderstanding of yoga and the fundamental philosophies, it becomes clear that the main hurdle with true understanding is our eagerness to dilute the message.

Yet, yoga is not something that can be endorsed, nor can it be forced upon someone. In this case, the most challenging obstacle between ourselves and real understanding is our individual readiness for the truth. After all, who said yoga was easy?

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Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at info@kinoyoga.com. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

Join this relaxed conversation with Harmony Slater and Russell Case who are the brilliant hosts of Finding Harmony podcast and my long-time friends. This catch up explores generational scars, the evolution of yoga teaching, and even dips into those hedonistic NYC days in the early 2000s.

That was a time before either one of us had fully committed to a path of yoga and spirituality yet it marked a pivotal point as a 20-something who was on a vastly different path. 

In this episode, I openly discuss that former self along with the conversations I had to have with my parents and the way this new path transformed me mentally, physically and spiritually (witnessed first hand by Harmony and Russell).

But not only that, we explore this present day and talk over 1:30 AM meditations, the discipline of writing and publishing a book, asana accessibility, veganism and so much more. 

Enjoy this joyful catch up between old friends.

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Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at info@kinoyoga.com. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

While not one of us is a stranger to ruminating about the way we think, act or behave, leaving these thoughts unattended allows negativity to seep into our sphere.

It’s time to drop any frustrations or shortcomings you may be holding towards yourself. 

By honoring the practice of mindfulness, you can catch these moments of negativity and plant seeds of positivity. Tending instead to self-compassion can not only improve the relationship you have towards yourself, but it offers the chance to appreciate that we’re all walking a similar path.

We’re all trying our best to tap into that infinite well of love. And, we’re all finding it just as challenging as the other, too.

Try a solution. Take a moment to tune into peace with this meditation from Mysore and offer yourself the loving kindness you deserve.

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Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at info@kinoyoga.com. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

Adam has been practicing Ashtanga yoga for almost 20 years and teaching for the last 15, based in London but also internationally. He was fortunate enough to study directly with Pattabhi Jois and has continued his studies with Sharath Jois, obtaining Level 2 Authorization as well as completing the Advanced A sequence in Mysore.

A humble and open-minded student of yoga asana and yoga philosophy, he has spent much time with the older teachers of the tradition as well as running his own yoga centres both in Europe and Canada.

British by birth, he retains a sense of humour in his teaching, yet tries to convey clear and precise instruction. Adam is also a vegetarian/vegan chef as well as a trained medical homeopathic doctor.

Tune in and learn how the pandemic has changed the perspective on teaching large classes. We also cover everything from importance of being flexible, accepting failure and staying true to your own message and values.

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Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at info@kinoyoga.com. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

Have you ever noticed that the people who have been to the darkest of places are the same people who end up feeling immense peace and happiness? Happiness and positive psychology coach, Robert Mack, can attest to that.

Rob dug himself out of a dark hole by seeking out the people, places and activities that made him feel good. This sounds pretty simple until we learn the lesser talked-about fact that being in a deep depressive state can rob you of that knowledge.

So you have to start from scratch. Start small until the light starts returning. Keep observing what lights you up because, with momentum, you’ll have built yourself some “happiness islands”.

What also became apparent in this exploration of happiness is that even with the tools–or happiness islands–bad days are inevitable. Despite misconceptions, even yoga teachers and happiness coaches have bad days. 

Perhaps you relate to the struggle of feeling like you ‘should’ feel happy but you don’t. Let's explore that. Because, what if happiness cannot be found through achievement? What if happiness is tangled in a false belief system?

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How often do we realise we’re wrong in the moment? It can take time and perspective to gain a well-rounded picture of any issue we’re confronted with no matter how sure we feel in the moment. Yet, despite this, communication is a skill so many of us are in constant battle with.

In this episode, mediator and coach Mia Forbes shares her communication wisdom shining light on self esteem, trauma and ego. It’s factors like these that create this dysfunction where everyone is talking but no one is listening. 

And while we learn that it’s completely human to get entangled with our past, emotions and, quite simply, desire to be right, Mia shows us how even that can be positively inverted. She encourages the idea that our ego protects us from overwhelm.

With this knowledge, we can afford ourselves time and space to see beyond our unique lens and resist placing blame. No matter how innocent our intentions are, we must know this is the case for most people.

We’re all trying to do our best. So what if healthy communication is simply finding compassion?

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Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more. 

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at info@kinoyoga.com. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

Holding space for those in pursuit of spiritual or psychological growth is not a path free from compassion fatigue yet we must look at how absorbing the pressure of the ‘pedestal’ is one of the catalysts for burnout.

But what if our teachers aren't really the ones leading the way? After all, personal epiphanies could not occur without the self, nor could they be delivered without spirit.

No matter what position you hold in society, you are always a student. Whether that humility is embraced with open arms or the universe offers a perfect storm for your awakening to the fact, life is not a game to complete. 

Besides, if we completed it, would anyone feel the call to guide and teach the rest of society to find the light that shines between these human experiences?

Even when we find the light, we face tests and, as many of us will admit, question whether our spiritual practices actually serve us.

From altruism to therapy disease, it’s time to dig deep.

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Swami Chidananda once lived a life of expensive cars and partying–exactly what you might expect of a young investment banker. 

But his life took a dramatic turn after realising that rising to the top still meant he was a cog in the capitalist machine. He had a call to follow his purpose even if that meant taking a leap of faith all the way to India.

After years of devotion in ashrams, Swami Chidananda is able to now shine some perspective on wisdom seeking and asana practice in the west. 

When can philosophies become ungrounding? And, how can teachers guide students through the call of the divine when they are not connected to lineage?

Perhaps those like Swami Chidananda have the answers.

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If you were blindfolded and asked to describe what’s in front of you, you might say ‘thin and ropey’. At least, that’s what you’d say if an elephant’s tail was in front of you. This description of your experience is true, but it’s not the whole elephant. 

When it comes to understanding this life, the same thing applies: not one person can comprehend the whole. 

We’re each searching for meaning through different lenses. For many, the lens is yoga and with commitment, profound insights are uncovered. Yet, as yoga brings us closer to our truth, we mustn’t get lost in competition nor should we forget that our insights are just as fragmented as seeing the elephant for its tail.

The solution? Of course, we open our minds. More practically, we can honour yoga lineage by respecting our elders. Their asana practice might be as agile, but their wisdom is rich.

Let’s preserve our most sacred sources of knowledge.

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Tim takes inspiration from David Bowie’s song ‘Heroes’ (and his own guru experience) to unravel the everpresent draw towards figures of leadership.

Yet, on a spiritual path, we face the choice to turn to our yoga teacher or an acclaimed guru. But really, what’s the difference?

Tim explores how the idea of ‘teacher’ is multifaceted. The person leading your class could be brand new to the space or have a lifetime of practice behind them. Regardless, they’re devoted to serving. Equally, a fellow yogi on the mat next to you is a teacher in their own right too. 

The guru’s devotion, however, is to the liberation of souls. The guru shows us the big picture of life and can guide us to liberation. That power is a privilege and while worshipped, Tim makes no hesitation to address the injustice that can arise from such a position in society. 

What it really comes down to is finding the empowerment to unlock our own authority on this journey. Whether that’s through a teacher or guru, you get to decide.

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As yoga evolves, there's a risk of over-complication and self-centredness. In this episode, Ashtanga Yoga Teacher, David Swenson, takes us on an exploration of yoga observations from almost 50 years of dedication. 

To him, what’s changed the most over the decades is the way people show up to yoga. For some there’s a drive to ‘complete it’ while others can be overly fixated on anatomy. Too much of this and we can be distracted from the basic yet powerful benefits of the practice.

But there’s also the beauty in watching yoga evolve. David has witnessed ashtanga branch off into different forms such as vinyasa and power yoga. So whether attitudes change or sequences morph into something new, the bottom line is that yoga evolves with the world around it. 

And that’s all fine–on one condition: we keep showing up to our mat and share the love we gain from our practice with the world. That’s our duty.

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We know that when we practice yoga, it has a positive ripple effect on the world around us. But in moments of injustice, we cannot rely on this as a way to change the world. 

Azadeh sees both worlds as an Iranian woman and owner of yoga studios. She expresses how it’s now more important than ever to ensure we speak of this oppression so that the world can awaken to the truth of Iran’s reality.

We may turn to yoga for peace but Azadeh reminds us, anger is okay too. It’s within our practice of meditation to accept all feelings; to be angry at the current situation is our right. 

For women around the entire world, we need to resist bypassing and instead be heard.

We’re being invited to observe whatever freedom we each have right now and take the steps to pass it on to our sisters in Iran. If we want peace, we must take action. 

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Samin compares Iranian women to birds - they have wings yet they don’t know how to fly. Samin herself was born and raised in Iran but once she left the country, she embarked on a yoga journey. 

While her purpose is to share peace, her story is far from peaceful. Because like the birds she compares herself to, no journey is smooth for an Iranian woman. Even one that has left the country.

Her personal yoga practice began when she was 19 and ever since then, her path led her to build an online yoga school for the Persian yoga community as well as a community of Farsi-speaking yogis. 

Within these communities, women have faced incomprehensible hardships from students practising in refugee camps to the borderline criminalisation of yoga in Iran. Samin not only provides a piece of joy in these lives but she speaks her truth on the issues in this episode.

Yoga touches more lives than we can often imagine.

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Consider how freely you practise yoga, ride your bicycle in the sunshine, or smash a workout for an endorphin hit. What happens when all of these activities are taken away from you?

The sad reality is that this is happening in our world. Kino talks with Maryam, an Iranian who emigrated from her home country in 2018, about the quality of life in Iran. More specifically, the country’s unrest regarding women’s rights - a backlash to the tragic death of Mahsa Amini. 

Myram discusses how she found solace in her online yoga practice during difficult times and sympathises with her fellow Iranians stuck in the country where the internet has been prohibited and most outdoor exercises banned (to name a few restrictions). 

In this episode, Kino and Myram also observe how yogis appear to lead from a place of love. It’s that love which is crucial to understanding these devastating times. They emphasise how important it is to separate religion from an oppressive government. 

Let’s exercise discernment, love, and empathy for nuanced situations. Let’s keep nurturing our love for ourselves on the mat so that we can keep sharing love with the world around us.  

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The call that brought us to our yoga mat is the same call that leads many of us toward the path of teaching.

The mental, physical and spiritual healing that can be found within a dedicated yoga practice is life changing. It’s only natural that the desire to spread this wisdom with the world comes knocking.

But is that passion enough to be a good teacher? Your teacher training may have provided an immersion into yoga but the truth is, the deeper we dip our toe into the stream of truth, the more we realise that there’s an entire ocean of knowledge yet to be understood. 

This conversation explores a teacher's need to surrender to their life-long role as a student. To potentially hold space for someone’s awakening requires a first-hand understanding of the power this sacred practice possesses. 

A teacher will face many lessons - maybe even doubt and comparison. But these are lessons that are just as important as your studying. There is no rush. Take your time.

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After an hour-long group meditation, all areas of the practice are covered. Why do we struggle to keep up a daily practice? Why do our thoughts spiral? Where is the subconscious mind located? This exploration provides consolation to the thinking mind’s questions about meditation.

Whether it’s five minutes or a one-hour sit, mediation is a practice that requires daily attention yet so many of us feel like we fail at it. The question is rarely whether we’re capable though. Rather, we must understand whether we’re asking too much of ourselves. 

The secret to starting and sustaining a daily practice is to underestimate our capabilities and we might just surprise ourselves.

Once we find ourselves deep in these meditations, our thoughts come into focus. If the mind is left unchecked it can proliferate and remove us from our intention to be present. While the goal is not to rid all thoughts from our mind, we’re often reminded that we’re not our body, mind, or emotions. We are the awareness. 

Being aware of a mind full of thoughts and a body revealing past emotions can make meditation challenging. It’s true. But the more we dedicate ourselves to the practice, the more equanimity unfolds. It’s waiting for us.

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Pranidhi Varshney is the founder of Yoga Shala West which is based in Los Angele and has been practising yoga for 15 years. She believes that learning is cyclical where the student learns from the teacher and the teacher learns from the student unlike a top-down relationship. 

Previously, within the yoga community, there was a tendency to overlook the origins and lineage of yoga. Pranidhi feels it’s important for this conversation and voices around yoga to include people of South Asian descent. Nevertheless, she is quick to admit that Western practitioners have played a key role in promoting Ashtanga yoga. 

The Ashtanga community is in a transition and accessibility is a big part of that transition. People are moving away from strict regimens and harmful hierarchies that had made yoga feel restrictive and acted as a barrier for newcomers.

We can learn culturally from India where people who practice yoga incorporate it into their everyday life just like eating or combing your hair. Your life shouldn’t come to a halt when you practice yoga.

Hopefully, during this transition, as teachers and practitioners, we can create a safe space where everyone can express their point of view without being shamed or ostracised.

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Dannion Brinkley had faced unimaginable odds, having several near-death experiences and even crossing over and coming back. He discovered that we are spiritual beings. Death, as we are taught, is only an illusion. Dannion works with those close to passing to accept that we never die. 

The biggest mistake we all make is forgetting we are spiritual beings. And to be able to live now is a gift, no matter what may be going wrong in your life. As you release more love and gratitude, you enter your spiritual consciousness a little more. 

A new world is being born. We are light bearers, holders of a certain spiritual consciousness, and grateful for the practice and whatever divine forces are at work in your life. As this world changes and shifts, we change and shift along with it, carrying the torch of our practice to new generations for future change. 

Things that affect your dignity, like helplessness and loneliness, are grand illusions that we learn to accept upon living in this world. But, they are not present in the spiritual realm. When you realize this, the steps you take are in love and gratitude and the only power you have is within you. But this power in our breath is the power to create change from a distance.

You are a great, powerful, and mighty spiritual being, with dignity, direction, and purpose. You’re in the right direction, but it’s the purpose that most struggle with. It’s not to be perfect. Your purpose is to be yourself and to make a difference. And you have the power within yourself as a spiritual being to do that. 

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A misunderstanding about meditation is that it calms your mind. But even after 20 years of practicing, a calm mind will still have days of chaos. The purpose of meditation is not to become calm but to create equanimity. 

Though the words calm and equanimous are often used synonymously, there is a slight difference. Calmness can be compared to still waters, while equanimity is more like the sky. It’s a container that holds all things. 

The equanimous mind remains the same, no matter what happens. It contains all of your thoughts, emotions, and memories but does not react to them. 

Similar to memory, mindfulness requires total presence and having full faculty of your senses. But while memories are rooted in the past, mindfulness is now.

If you can learn to anchor the mind with mindfulness and yoga practice, you can learn to become equanimous. Begin with a 5-minute meditation or mindfulness practice.   

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Yoga is an existing flow, like a stream. It has flowed before you, you interact with it when you step in, but it keeps flowing when you step out. Lineage requires us to have a multidimensional outlook. To be able to look back, look forward, and be aware of our current standings.  

It’s not the type of lineage that involves genetics or bloodlines. To enter into the Yoga lineage, you must practice conscious choice and intentionality. It’s Setting the intention to practice, making the conscious choice to practice, not to mention the practice itself.

Yoga is an intentional type of connection from teacher to student. The lineage of the practice gets passed on like a torch. The flame ignites within the teacher who lights the student's metaphorical candle, and so the flame burns on through others, as they pass it on. 

When you devote yourself to the yoga practice, you aren’t devoting yourself to the teacher. You’re devoting yourself to the source, where the lineage points. How will you tend the sacred fire?

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Dr. Shyam is a scholar-practitioner and professor of the department of philosophy at the York Centre For Asian Research at York University in Toronto, Canada, and the founder of yogaphilosophy.com. 

Dr. Shyam translated the Yoga Sutra as a project as an undergrad taking South Asian Studies. This is what sparked his interest in yoga. Through studying the ancient sources of yoga, he recognized how time and colonialism had changed the yoga practice. Then, he began to understand the true philosophy behind the yoga practice. 

Yoga is a devotional practice for doing the right thing and becoming a better version of yourself. It creates independence and self-responsibility, two huge parts of yoga often left out of Western practice.

Devotion to yoga is about recognizing the ideal of the practice and committing yourself to it even if you don’t fully understand it. Because when you’re devoted, you challenge yourself to go deeper, understand, and become better. 

Challenge yourself to deepen your practice by going deeper than Asanas and really understand the yoga practice as a whole. After that, yoga is just another part of your life. It becomes second nature when you truly understand the philosophy. 

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I am not an expert in constitutional law, but as a woman, I felt a duty to create a dialogue around the recent overturning of Roe vs. Wade and the rights that have been stripped from women in many states across the US.  Not all of us will agree on this topic. It’s a very personal question that really only you can answer yourself.  But, that doesn’t make it any less important to speak on. 

The definition of life is the idea of when the soul was created. To many religious groups, life begins at conception. However, not that long ago, there was a time when the mortality rates for unborn babies and newborns were very high. At this time, life didn’t start until a baby was born and took a few breaths. 

One of the founding beliefs of the US constitution was the separation of church and state. The equal protection clause of the constitution declares that no state can make a law that reduces the rights of the citizens or deny anyone equal protection of the law. 

The overturning of Roe Vs. Wade completely contradicts this constitutional right. Stripping women of the right to birth control or abortion denies them the privilege of being an American and having that equal protection. It’s sending us back in time and undoing years of progress for women’s rights.  

Whatever your opinion on this matter, remember to respect everyone’s views, even if they don’t align with yours. And, for the rights of all Americans, let’s start living up to the constitution of our beautiful country!