I'm Aiko, and today, I'm thrilled to chat with Emily Zorn, a registered dietitian (RD) and health coach from Palo Alto, California.

Emily is the founder of Emily RD Nutrition Coaching, guiding people through nutrition confusion and freeing them from the stress of diets. She's also the co-host of the podcast RDs vs BS, where she and Marie take deep dives into nutrition topics to determine what's legit and what's not.

In this episode, we focus on how nutrition affects hormones, the menstrual cycle, perimenopause, and menopause, a topic of vital importance to women worldwide. Emily shares three (and a half) essential pieces of advice that women can use to balance hormones naturally. Her expert insights will empower you to make positive changes in your diet and lifestyle to support a happier and healthier menstrual cycle.

Join us to learn evidence-based strategies and debunk myths, empowering yourself with the knowledge to support a happier and healthier menstrual cycle. Whether you seek to improve well-being or love nutrition science, this episode promises to be an eye-opening journey.

Where to find Emily:

Instagram - @emily_rd_

Email - emilyrd@emilyzorn.com

Website - www.emilyzorn.com

Podcast Instagram - @rds_vs_bs_pod

Podcast website - www.rdsvsbs.com

Where to find me:

aikoota.com

There are five abstentions: non-violence, truthfulness, refrainment from stealing, celibacy, and renunciation of unnecessary possessions. The yogi following the path of astanga is instructed to follow these on the physical, the verbal, as well as the mental level, meaning, for example, that they are not supposed to engage in physical violence, think of stealing, or speak lies.

Yama is, according to Patanjali’s outline of this system, the first step in yoga, and what to speak of the final goal, even this is a tall order! However, rather than beating ourselves up (for not being able to live up to the ideal) or knocking ourselves out (the over-enthusiasm of the beginner), we should pay attention to the point made by the commentators that non-violence (ahimsa), which includes abstaining from self-harm.

Contemplate the five abstentions and feel out for yourself how far you are able to go sustainably in the present.

This is the section leading up to the description of the eight limbs of yoga (astanga). In the previous section, we heard that the world of experience is there to provide experiences and liberation for the experiencer (we, you, and I, the sentient beings, are the experiencers talked about here). In the current section, this key teaching is reinforced by Patanjali stating that in essence the experienced world is meant solely for the experiencer.

Does this mean that we are encouraged to treat the environment however we please? Not exactly. In the upcoming section on astanga-yoga, the first two limbs prescribe non-violence (ahimsa) as the very first principle.

But why should there be rules if the world is meant only for us? Because the world is here to teach you about your potential and to act as a springboard to your final goal rather than for you to be entangled in it forever.

https://www.belaba.fi/

https://www.instagram.com/belaba.fi/

These sutras and their classical commentaries go deep into explaining the root of the obstacles to yogic enlightenment. This root is the mixing up of spirit and matter. Sutra 15 reflects the first noble truth of the Buddha: life is suffering. For Patanjali this is a healthy acceptance of reality that allows us to unplug from habits that perpetuate this suffering.

The suffering consists of trying to find ourselves in material things that we project ourselves into. With a healthy relationship to matter, we can engage with this energy in a way that helps us attain enlightenment.

You could say that the climbing rope is extended from the same place but this time it’s extended further down so that more people can grab and hang on to it. While the first chapter speaks to those who are pretty much ready to go for samadhi, this second chapter will be user friendly for us who still have a bit further distance to go. It is a more hands on practical chapter.

The practical things we can do are moderate abstinence, study, and selfless actions dedicated to Ishvara, meaning God or what you prefer to call it/him/her. Later on in the chapter, we will start to hear about the famous ashtanga, the eight limbs of yoga.

First, these things are meditated on with distinctions as to what they are called, our understanding of them, and the objects-in-themselves. Then we move on to meditating only on the object in itself without labels or ideas about them. In stages three and four, one meditates on subtle realities underlying the things we can directly perceive with our senses.

Ultimately this means meditating on material nature in itself. As in the previous two stages, here we also go from meditating on these principles with their respective names and our understanding of them to later move on to meditating on them in themselves without labels. Finally, we arrive at independent samadhi, meaning samadhi that does not require holding anything in the mind as an anchor.

The obstacles are physical illness, mental difficulties such as depression, doubts, carelessness, laziness, attachment to distractions, misunderstanding the goal of yoga, inability to achieve a base of concentration, and having achieved such a base, being unable to maintain it for longer periods. Some of the things we can focus our mind on to achieve stillness are parts of the body, like the sense organs.

We can focus on the breath, on the mind of an advanced yoga practitioner that inspires us, on spiritual visions we have had in dreams, or lastly, on anything that works for us. The last one may not be the ultimate type of practice, but as always: we have to start somewhere.

The alternative is to absorb oneself in Isvara, a special self. Isvara is a way to speak about God, but Patanjali does not speak of Isvara as a creator. He focuses on Isvara as someone who is like us but who has since a time without beginning been experiencing the goal of the yogis. Isvara has never been affected by karma or the influence of time. He is all-knowing and the teacher of the ancients. His name is the syllable ‘aum’ (or ‘om’) and if one repeats this syllable while contemplating its meaning, one will get to know Isvara and consequently get to know oneself and attain samadhi.

The description of God is general and therefore the method can be applied to any religious path. The details will be figured out in the personal dynamic between student and teacher. Happy listening and see you again after our Christmas break!

In the first level of absorption, one is mindfully aware of the physical environment. In the next stage one is absorbed in awareness of the mental world, letting thoughts come and go without attachment. In the third stage, one is absorbed in the joy of existence reflected in one’s psyche.

In the fourth stage, one is absorbed in one’s sense of self. Beyond these four stages, there is the stage where one is absorbed in the self itself (rather than the ‘sense’ of self). At this point, one may still be connected with one’s psyche and physical body, but the impressions from previous experiences that would normally urge us on in external or internal cravings are inactive.

The section concludes by saying that the attainment of this level is as near to us as we are committed to the practice. We can be somewhat committed, pretty committed, or very committed, and this will determine the pace at which we proceed. The purpose of this section is thus to inform us about the interim goals of the practice and inspire us to go through them.

He answers the question that may come up by reading the previous sutras: how can the movements of the mind be stilled? The process has two divisions: practice and detachment. In other words, yoga is the stilling of the mind by the dual process of practice and detachment. Having stated this, Patanjali gives two sutras defining practice and another two defining detachment. Practice means to make an effort to control the mind and to try to maintain whatever control we can muster up. This practice becomes firm when it has been sustained with devotion and without interruption for a long period of time.

We discuss different ways to look at the word “uninterrupted” in the episode. As the practice has its beginner and advanced levels, so the second division, detachment, has two levels, broadly speaking. The first one is conscious detachment, whereas on the higher level one would be oblivious to superficial matters and therefore not needing to do any effort to stay detached from them.

To illustrate this, we can say that it’s one thing to know that cigarettes are bad and therefore avoid smoking while it’s another thing to forget what cigarettes even are. The joy of resting in one’s own being implies the absence of desire for anything superficial. Happy listening!

As Yoga is defined in the first section as stilling the movements of the mind, the next section tells us with these movements are. The movements of the mind are divided into five categories: right knowledge, error, imagination, deep sleep, and memory. All of these can be either helpful or unhelpful to your yoga practice, but in the end, they will all need to be stilled.

But before stilling them completely we need to culture the aspects of them that are helpful for yoga practice and let go of the others when we realize for ourselves how they are not serving any purpose.

The first introduces the book, saying quite plainly: “Now, the study/self-discipline of yoga”. The “now” can be seen in different ways, but one particularly powerful way is to emphasize that yoga is something that is meant for the present moment, as the present moment is the only time we have. We cannot do anything in the past or the future, only now.

The definition of yoga then follows: “Yoga is the controlling and stilling the movements of the mind.” When this stilling is achieved, we rest in our own being. If we do not take the trouble to do this, we will continue identifying with the fluctuations of the subconscious. These movements of the mind will be elaborated in the following sutras that we will discuss next time.

The better part of the episode is dedicated to a retelling of Patanjali’s life story as told in certain yoga traditions. Once upon a time, there was a yogini named Gonika who was the most accomplished practitioner of her time. Having practiced for her entire life, on her hundredth birthday she reflected on the fact that she would soon pass away and a lot of insights would be lost to the world if she didn’t share them with someone.

Listen to the episode to find out what happened next! 🙂

We do a recap of each of the chapters from 1 to 17 and then wrap up with chapter 18. Again, setting the scene, the Bhagavad-Gita is a chapter of the Mahabharata and earlier in the story, there has been a build-up leading to war over a kingdom between the Kauravas and the Pandavas who are from the same extended family. One of the Pandavas, Arjuna, is the hero in focus in the Bhagavad-Gita. He has God himself, Krishna, as his charioteer and asks him to move the chariot in between the two armies so that he can see who he is about to contend with. On the other side, he sees respected elders and relatives and is stricken with despair.

The underlying reason for his despair is that killing these people would mean killing his own ego. But this fact is hidden behind the more obvious fears of doing something highly immoral. Therefore, Krishna takes Arjuna through a comprehensive discourse on the different levels of material and spiritual ethics. In the course of his speech, Krishna reveals directly to Arjuna how the universe is a manifestation of himself. He shows the universe as a conscious living organism and personification of time.

This vision is frightening to Arjuna and so Krishna shows himself again in human form and continues the philosophical discussion resulting in Arjuna picking up his bow and arrow to stand up and fight.

This chapter is called “The Yoga of Discerning Threefold Faith”. This threefold faith refers to faith that is not illuminated by wisdom coming from outside of the three modes of nature: sativa, rajas, and tamas. You may remember the modes of nature from previous episodes, but to recap: The modes of nature permeates anything in our material world, including the mind and intellect. It is what causes manifestations to appear (rajas), to stay for some time (sattva) and then disappear (tamas). So without being illuminated by the light source beyond these three qualities, we will have faith in appearances that come and go which will produce results that come and go.

These things can either be harmful or helpful, but they all have in common that they will not last. The chapter also covers different types of food, charity, austerity, and sacrifices according to the three qualities.

Reenee goes through the basics while also adding a fascinating layer to the picture by discussing which chakra is in focus for each respective season. For example, in our inner autumn, our throat chakra is in focus as we connect with our truth and desire to express it.

We also get tips on how to structure our life according to our menstrual cycle, especially if we have a community of women who can support one another through these phases. Our society is structured in a linear way where cyclical movement is perceived as “ups and downs”. Shifting our perspective to a cyclical one makes much more sense and is way more satisfying. As Renee remarks, we wouldn’t say that Mother Nature is having a “down” when it’s winter and an “up” when it’s summer. Okay, I’m not going to give any more spoilers.

🙂 Hope you will find this episode inspiring!

Reenee Khanna is the Founder of Love Your Moon Cycle, a clinical herbalist and purveyor of ancient wisdom and medicine.

Over the last five years, Reenee has been helping women around the world battle PMS and painful periods, using ancient medicinal wisdom and Ayurveda.  Not only have these women been able to find relief from painful periods, but they have also transformed their lives to feel energized and vibrant throughout their cycle. 

You can download Reenee's Guide: 5 Natural Ways to Stop PMS Mood Swings at www.loveyourrmooncycle.com

You can connect with Reenee on social:

www.instagram.com/loveyourmooncycle

www.youtube.com/reeneekhanna

https://www.tiktok.com/@love_your_moon_cycle

https://www.facebook.com/groups/mooncyclealignment

This example illustrates how this material world is a reflection of the inner spirit world, or what Plato called the ideal world. The light that lights up this world seeps in from that world which is self-luminous, and it’s calling for us to go there, not in some sort of spaceship, but by changing our angle of vision.

These qualities are found in the mental and intellectual realms, for example, in the forms of creativity and problem-solving (rajas), serenity (sattva), and avoidance coping (tamas). The spiritual practitioner will be very helped by becoming aware of these influences and learning how to deal with them. Welcome to the world of the gunas!

This is for us to get a clear picture of who we are in relation to our source and to matter, which will help us in dedicating ourselves in devotion, bhakti, to our source. The discussion in this episode is mainly on texts 8 through 12, listing aspects of knowledge that are in one sense part of the practice of bhakti but also fruits of bhakti in their ultimate expression. Thank you for listening!

Madeline Ofina supports spiritually conscious humans making the shift in their lives to a more soul-centered path. She helps women awaken spiritually from a grounded space, mindful of the impact of white supremacy in the spiritual community. Her work is helping women learn to change their view of self-love, unlearn how society has told them to be, hone their intuition/internal voice, embrace their wildest dreams, and leap.

She uses her professional knowledge as a psychologist as a student in Earth Medicine to create a bridge between the two worlds. She's helping women take ownership of their lives, address their shadows, and create a new lease on life to liberate themselves. 

Website: madelineofina.com

IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr.madeline.o/

Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/SpritutalAwakeningandLeaping/

In this episode, I speak with Syama about the 12th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita called the Yoga of Devotion. Arjuna asks the beginning whether it’s best to meditate on the all-pervading unseen spirit or to meditate on God’s personal form. Krishna answers that either method will afford perfection, but meditating on his personal form is more straightforward and natural.

He then goes on to give the most direct way of doing this, namely by giving him one’s heart and soul. If one is not capable of this, there are progressively less intense practices that one can try out until one finds a practice that matches one’s level of consciousness.

In this episode, I speak with Syama about the eleventh chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. Having heard Krishna speak about himself as permeating the universe as the soul of the world, Arjuna is inspired to ask Krishna to show himself directly in his universal form, the universe, time and space itself as a person.

The vision is quite astonishing, and while showing it to Arjuna, Krishna tells him that here he can see past, present, and future all at once and in this way know the outcome of the battle. He can see that he will win the battle. All he has to do now is to play his part in the drama. Doing it with the right mindset he will not only win a physical battle but also attain enlightenment in the process. (The background noise are cicadas, Costa Rican crickets 🙂

The Bhagavad Gita edition we use for research is Bhagavad Gita: Its Feeling and Philosophy by Swami B. V. Tripurari.

In this episode, I speak with Syama about the tenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. In this chapter, called the Yoga of Divine Manifestation, Krishna reaches the peak of his teaching, and then he starts going down to earth again to ground the knowledge in everyday experience. The peak is expressed in verses 8, 9, 10, and 11.

The teaching of these four verses can be illustrated by the classical story “The blind men and the elephant” told a bit differently. In the original story, a few blind men are standing around an elephant and touching different parts of it. They all try to convince one another about what an elephant is like. The one touching the trunk says it’s like a big snake. The one touching the tail says it’s like a rope, etc.

But what if they would enlighten one another about the aspect that they experience? They would all get a better understanding of what the elephant is like. And if they would cooperate to take care of the elephant, feeding it bananas, and scratching it behind the ears, perhaps they may one day get eyesight by a miracle.

The elephant represents the ultimate truth, called by various names like God or Krishna.

In this episode, I speak with Syama about the ninth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. The chapter is called The Yoga of Hidden Treasure, and Krishna starts off by telling Arjuna that he is qualified to hear this secret because he is free of envy. Does this mean that we have to be free of envy to read this chapter? That would mean hardly anyone could read the Bhagavad Gita. And in the chapter itself we find the cure for envy. So the point is that we should keep in mind that this knowledge will only take root in us inasmuch as we are letting go of envy. Perhaps we can get a glimpse of the beauty of what it would be like to be free of envy and in that way be inspired to take the necessary steps. Krishna gives assurance that he will personally carry the necessities to a person who is free of envy.

Superwoman!

The ‘glamourous' component of the power process is the inner summer. In our culture, the part of the power is most known, cherished, and recognized.

It is power.

After the high energy of summer, you'll start to feel like settling down in the first half of autumn as progesterone levels climb. This is when we may get PMS symptoms, want comfort foods, and feel unbalanced or ungrounded due to mood fluctuations.

But it's not all terrible news; the more you can stay in touch with your feelings and follow this phase, the better you'll understand it.

In this episode, I speak with Syamananda about the eighth chapter of the Bhagavad-gita. What kind of lifestyle will allow you to have a peaceful mind at the time of death? This chapter gives a few wakeup calls about how short life is and, as ironic as it may sound, that we don’t have time to be impatient. Just like a mayfly’s life is extremely short in comparison to our lives, our lives are extremely short in comparison with, say a planet. But even planets come and go. The point is that no matter how long you live in the form of an organism, it’s ultimately not going to last. Your essence lasts however, and the Bhagavad-gita invites us to center ourselves in our essence and turn to our consciousness source.

In this episode, I speak with Syama about the seventh chapter of the Bhagavad-gita, dealing with the yoga of knowledge and realization. In this chapter, Krishna speaks more confidentially with Arjuna than he has done so far. He says that out of a thousand people, maybe one person would be interested in such confidential knowledge about God. He names the elements of the universe and confides that all of them and their manifestations rest on him as pearls are strung on a thread. He gives examples we can directly relate to in the here and now: “I am the taste of water. I am the original fragrance of the earth. I am the light of the sun and the moon. I am the sound in ether. I am the life in all that lives.” God is not only in the churches, mosques, and temples. Rather, the whole world is a temple, and we ourselves are temples. And the type of natural calm we feel when entering a sacred building we will feel and express without cease upon realizing this. We will see everyone and everything in relation to God and therefore understand them to be well-wishing and friendly.

Your inner spring is a space where things change. You're negotiating your way out of your inner winter's deep inwardness and into the full manifestation of yourself in your inner summer. You're solidifying your sense of self, becoming more at ease with the sacred art of being yourself.

In this episode, I speak with Syama about the sixth chapter of the Bhagavad-gita. In this chapter, Krishna explains to Arjuna about rigorous meditation practice. Arjuna doubts that he will be able to engage in such meditation and says that the mind is more difficult to control than the wind. Krishna agrees that it's difficult but says it's possible with detachment and practice. The trick is to contemplate the folly of shallowness until you reach a sense of detachment from meaningless entertainment. Then use this temporary sense of detachment as a springboard to launch you into a session of meditation practice. In the beginning, it's important to take leisurely breaks from the rigorous practices but in a way that is consistent with the purpose of your practice.

In this episode, Syama and I speak about the yoga of action without material ambition, niskama-karma-yoga. Here the seeds of wisdom planted by Krishna in chapter 3 are beginning to bear fruit.

This is where things start to happen. In the basic yoga of action, one still has material ambition but begins to appreciate and pay hommage to the bigger picture outside of one’s personal bubble. In niskama-karma yoga, one starts to have real understanding about the workings of the world and how the inner self is different from it yet continues to carry out one’s duties in relation to the world in a detached way. This opens up the inner door to the yoga of knowledge that was described in chapter four.

Your menstrual cycle moves through an inner winter, spring, summer, and fall, and then back to winter again, just like the seasons of the year. Each phase introduces a unique collection of tools and psychological challenges to help you develop and embody your power.

The main thing is to recognize and follow your own cycle experience, as well as to discover for yourself when the seasons change. As you bring awareness to and care for each season in turn, you restore the cycle's order, your inner ecosystem, and as a result, you experience a greater sense of ease, joy, coherence, and effectiveness in wielding your power.

Winter is a moment of inhalation of vital forces, the energies of our body are absorbed to be nourished and regenerated.

Alteration of the air element prevents and counteracts the dispersion of these energies. So we have to work on elements like earth, water, fire

Pranayam is especially beneficial during menstruation since it helps to relax the mind and balance emotions. It can also assist with pain management.

Meditation and of course yoga will help.

"Knowledge is learning something every day, and wisdom is letting go of something every day."

I really can't remember where I heard this quote, but it definitely stuck with me. 

In this podcast episode, I'm talking with Syama about the 4th chapter of the Bhagavad-gita, the yoga of knowledge. Syama is commenting on the quote above saying "the yoga of knowledge in the Bhagavad Gita includes the wisdom because that IS the yoga part. It's not just knowledge, but it's the yoga of knowledge. So that's an important point to make in regard to that quote". He will continue by explaining how to get spiritual knowledge and the importance of the teacher principle. 

Today I was angry at my husband... and guess what? It's my 27th day, yes, as usual. After realizing that, I could just smile at myself.

In today's episode, I'm talking about how to chart your menstrual cycle and how important it is to do so. I guess by now you're familiar with the concept of inner seasons, and how it's important to connect with them.

In order to connect with your inner seasons, the first step you have to do is to chart your menstrual cycle. So how do you chart your menstrual cycle? It's very easy and I explain it in detail in this podcast episode. I will also introduce you to your inner powers for each season.

She shares her journey from the age of 15 when she started realizing how hardship on the mind translates into physical hardship. A few years later, she started experimenting with different diets.

Check out her music https://odesli.co/pgbnfr4jwvdb8 

In this episode, I speak about balancing out the heat of the summer with cooling yoga and diet. Here in Europe, it’s very hot right now. Of course, our bodies will automatically work to adjust to the weather, but we can also help the transition by practicing certain asanas and eating certain foods. The summer is the season of the fire element or pitta, ayurvedically speaking. What we want to do here is to reap the benefits of this element without getting “burnt out”. This we do by responding to this influence with practices promoting the elements of water and wind, also called kapha and vata. Those whose basic constitution is kapha and pitta may automatically be in harmony with this season. Still, the practices I present here will still be beneficial for them as well.

Before asana practice, I advise doing pranayama. For this summer session we will start with nadi shodhana pranayama, alternating nostril breathing. By closing the right nostril and inhaling with the left one a cooling lunar current is created throughout the body. Then exhale with the left nostril. Repeat from 5 to 20 times. Then do it one time the opposite way, inhale with the left, and exhale with the right.

For asanas we begin with the Chandra namaskar, the moon salutation. Then sun salutation can also be done, but slowly and without skipping sequences as is sometimes done. Then we go on to viparita karani, legs up to the wall, followed by anuvittasana, the standing backbend pose. During backbends it’s important to activate your gluten and abdomen and to not overarch your neck, keeping your ears aligned with your shoulders. Then cat and cow pose, cakravakasana. This asana is appropriate for most of the seasons, but during the summer it’s good to make your exhalations and inhalations a second longer. Then we go on to forward fold pose, uttanasana, one of my favorites, during which it’s important to keep your chest open. Then floor twist, septa matsyendrasana. This one can be done either laying down or sitting. 

It’s important to always end your sessions with savasana, the corpse pose. This applies to all seasons, but in the summer, stay a little longer in this position.

Diet is always important, so also during summer. In the same way, as we do cooling pranayama and asanas, there are cooling foods to balance the heat of this season. In the summer, the digestive fire in the body is dispersed to help us keep cool with all the heat in the environment. Here it’s good to eat light foods and small easily digestible meals. I’m sure you can relate to this. During the summer, salads are usually more attractive than something heavy. Sweet, bitter, and astringent tastes are recommended, as well as cool, watery, and slightly oily dishes. Raw vegetables are best absorbed during lunch. Cool water infused with mint is great for cooling the body, but iced drinks disrupts the digestion process and cause toxins to build up in the body. Unrefined sweeteners and can be used in moderation. Hot spices can be used, but during the summers it’s good to not go too extreme with those.

All of this said, trust your instinct, and do what feels right for you. Tuning into each season as it comes will help us tune into the cyclical nature of our being.

In this episode, my husband and I chat about the third chapter of Bhagavad-Gita that deals with karma yoga, the yoga of action. It’s the recommended yoga for the stage when we are identified with temporary circumstances and prone to act on that identification.

In the beginning, you keep this identification and do your actions in this world as an offering to God. God, who is infinite, ever-present eternal joy, will gradually shine through your actions and reveal to you your real identity. This chapter deals with honoring the deities of nature on whom we depend for life and also describes the inner hierarchy of the components of our subtle bodies.

The psychologist quoted in the episode, whose name Syama couldn’t think of at that moment, is M. Scott Peck, whose books The Road Less Traveled and The Different Drum are highly recommended.

This time, we discuss an intriguing quote from Carl Jung about the practice of yoga in the western world. It may sound controversial to western yogis, but Carl Jung was not someone whose words are to be taken lightly. Out of deep appreciation for yoga and deep understanding of western culture he stated that the west is the worst possible soil for yoga practice.

This is because it is barbarously one-sided in its thinking whereas eastern spirituality is thousands of years ahead in its evolution. He said, though, that over the course of the centuries, the west will produce its own yoga. In his reflections, Tim commented that collectively what’s going on now is that the west is gradually making friends with yoga and other forms of spirituality, a relationship that will deepen over time.

A surprising twist is that he gives a literal take on Jung’s soil analogy, speaking of how the literal soil of India is more potent and favorable for yoga practice than that of the west, given the fact that so many yogis have walked barefoot on those lands over millennia.

Get ready for a plunge in the ocean of wisdom, as Tim Kenty unpacks Jung’s statement, and travels back in time to the pre-Socratic philosophers who communed with Mother Nature.

In this episode, my husband and I continue where we left off in our previous Bhagavad-gita chat.

Arjuna has presented his arguments not to fight in the war and now, we will hear what Krishna has to say in response.

Krishna elevates the conversation from worldly matters to the level of pure spirit and then takes us back down to earth to ground that knowledge in our situation at the present moment.

He then goes on to instruct about how we can act on that theory, implementing it practically in this world.

It’s a subject that needs to be studied back and forth, inside out. As a wise person once put it, “If you want to have a comprehensive solution, you have to have a comprehensive approach to that solution.”

In this episode, I speak with Mark and Eileen about putting spiritual theory into sustainable practice. Mark was featured in the second episode of this show, which greatly appreciated by myself and the audience. So I wanted to do another interview with him and also with his partner, Eileen. Eileen had an interest in spirituality already as a child and took a ten-year break from it when she entered academia. When she met Mark she was happy to have found someone who had combined both worlds, someone who was both a scholar and a spiritual practitioner. Now she’s practicing Qi Gong and Reiki among other things.

Mark is also engaging in practices from different traditions. He agrees 80% with those who say that one should focus on one tradition, let’s say yoga, and not mix in other elements in one’s path. But because of his vast learning about different traditions he is able to see how it is at the bottom one tradition in a sense, and he is able to pick and combine practices that are relevant to his one goal: helping others to heal.

Mark learned from his Ninjutsu teacher in Japan how to practice 20 hours a day. This, of course, sounds impossible at first, but the point is to integrate practice in whatever you are doing, while commuting to work, while cooking, while… smoking. Mark doesn’t smoke, but he will tell a wisdom story from the Buddhist tradition about meditating and smoking. So buckle up, and get ready for a ride through the different spiritual traditions of the world and how they’re related.

Here are Mark and Eileen's websites and social media links:

English:

www.shingon-reiki.com

German:

www.shingon-reiki.de

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/your_reiki_guide/

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/Shingon.institut/

Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/user/Markhosak

In this episode, I speak with Saci-sundari, a teacher by profession and henna artist by passion, about the healing art of body painting with henna. 

Henna is a healing herb that regulates female hormones. Body painting with henna is a healing art in African, Middle Eastern, as well as Asian cultures and is meant to connect women with each other. The rule is to not paint on yourself but on a friend and then the friend will paint on you. It is used for important rites of passage in life and the different cultures around the world have different legends about how this herb was gifted to human society, especially to women, from the heavenly realms.

Whatever creative expression you are called to, henna painting or other, the same principle remains: It will have the best possible outcome if you allow your inner child to participate. The reason this is important to creativity is that children are not afraid to make mistakes. They know that making mistakes is a natural part of learning. So try it out yourself and have fun! It’s not that we have to be perfect at everything we do, and definitely not immediately. As the saying goes, all good things take time; fall in love with patience. The real urgency in life is not about hurrying but about not getting distracted from patience.

Her FB Page:

https://www.facebook.com/Indian.Beauty.Workshop/

Books about Henna:

http://hennapage.com/

In this episode, I sit down for a quick chat with my husband Syama (Syamananda) about the first chapter of the Bhagavad-gita, which I would say is a must-read for yogis and yoginis who feel that their time has come to go deeper into the treasure of yoga. This chapter deals with stepping back and becoming objective about what nature is, what spirit is, and how to realize the purpose of the connection of matter and spirit.

In this episode, yoga teacher and blogger, Ambika di Maria, speaks about karma yoga, the art of dedicating your sense of agency in this world for a higher purpose and letting go of the outcome. We will first get to hear the interesting story of how Ambika came in touch with her yoga teachers through serendipitous events. Then the discussion turns into being about the importance of the connection between karma yoga and bhakti yoga, karma yoga meaning, as indicated above, to dedicate one's actions, whereas bhakti yoga means coming to the point of dedicating one's sense of self.

Facebook: Ambika Yoga | Instagram: yoga.ambika

Twitter: @LinaDiMaria1

Blog: https://realyogatoronto.wordpress.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCov7ALEcMxc4fi6vknXGw2Q

Further, he gives a balanced view of spirituality, the golden middle way between naiveté and skepticism. For this episode, I will not post any links, as the speaker prefers to remain anonymous. But if you have any questions, you can contact me at aikoyogareiki.com.

In this episode, Krisangi, co-founder of award-winning yoga magazine Ananda, speaks about how yoga came into her life.

Krisangi was born with a serious foot deformation and later chose to have her feet amputated. During her childhood, she used to be angry at God for what she perceived as an injustice. She couldn't understand why she had to suffer in that way. But when she learned about yoga philosophy and the teaching about karma, everything started making sense, and she had answers to questions she had never dared to ask.

I'm amazed at how she has formed her professional life around things she loves to do, such as biking the world and drawing comics, and how she is a hundred times more physically active than I am, and I was wondering where she gets all the power from. You will have to listen to the episode to hear the answer. 🙂

Check out Krisangi and her husbands latest book at:

absolutetruthpress.com

Her yoga teacher Lori:

yoginilori.com

Her teacher Swami B. V. Tripurari:

swami.org

In this episode, special guest Måns Broo, professor of religion, Sanskrit scholar, yoga practitioner, and philosophy teacher, talks on the definitions of yoga in ancient Indian scriptures.

His main argument, and the main takeaway from this episode, is that although yoga has always been changing and adapting to new circumstances if it is to have value beyond mere entertainment, its roots need to be kept in mind. The main texts he refers to are the Vedas, the Yoga-sutras, and the Bhagavad-gita.

Måns says that the system of yoga can be seen as a map. On a map, you need to find out where you are and where you are going. When you have ascertained both, the path ahead of you will be clear.

Here are Måns Broo's websites and links:

https://www.patreon.com/yogavidyapitha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxnxsO1dtw4&list=PL7qqMPz-nPyPBpfnR9UkkrXaOBg7QmWqB

In this episode, special guest Mark Hosak, Reiki master and author of best-selling books on the subject, reveals the connection between Yoga and Reiki by looking at the history of Buddhism which is the bridge between these two practices.

He elaborates on the five principles of Reiki called Gokai. Mark uses his expertise in the Japanese language of old as well as modern times to shed light on what each of these principles really means.

Generally, the Gokai principles are translated as:

For today only

Do not anger

Do not worry

Be humble

Be honest in your work

Be compassionate to yourself and others

Some of these translations call for clarification, and that’s what Mark Hosak gives. He also shares examples from his personal life of practicing these principles.

Here are Mark Hosak's websites and social media links:

English:

www.shingon-reiki.com

German:

www.shingon-reiki.de

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/your_reiki_guide/

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/Shingon.institut/

Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/user/Markhosak

In this episode, special guest Swami Padmanabha, traveling monk, and yoga philosophy teacher for 20 years speaks on the first three restraints of astanga-yoga: non-violence, truthfulness, and non-stealing.

Astanga-yoga means the eight-limbed path of yoga. Swami Padmanabha gives a brief description of the eight limbs:

yama - restraints

niyama - observances

asana - posture

pranayama - regulation of breath

pratyahara - sense withdrawal

dharana - concentration

dhyana - meditation

samadhi – complete absorption

He then goes on to comment on the first three yamas:

ahimsa – non-violence

satya – truthfulness

asteya – non-stealing

Since ahimsa comes first it has a prominence, and this means that the following principles are guided by this one. For example, you are asked to be truthful. But since you are first of all asked to be non-violent, you need to be mindful about speaking the truth in a way that is not hurtful.

Stealing goes beyond stealing physical things. Punctuality is also part of asteya, since you’re otherwise stealing people’s time. Swami is careful to point out, however, that we’re not expected to be mastering these principles at once. We need to start somewhere and find a healthy pace of growth from there.

We also get to hear Swami’s reflections on practicing these principles in community life, a situation where one is continually challenged in this regard. He advises the listeners to reflect on, hear about, and keep the company of others who are likewise interested to be able to make this a part of one’s life.

Here are Swami Padmanabha's websites and social media links:

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/swamibp.padmanabha

Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HlU3TuHscs&list=PLfj7YOU9I4AxVe8_I-7IDPhLeINQJ4m9y

Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3VAInuyy1jIdzWPFd0nHlg

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/swamipadmanabha/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/swamipadmanabha?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

A short presentation of the Podcast.