Rethinking Cultural Appropriation
Did you know that even with the best intentions, we might unknowingly engage in cultural appropriation within our yoga community? The reason might surprise you.
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Is Yoga Being Appropriated?
In this thought-provoking episode, we dive deep into the ongoing conversation around the decolonization of yoga and cultural appropriation. Hari-Kirtana Das and his guest Sarita Sugopi Telhan address critical questions on what truly qualifies someone to teach yoga. Does ethnicity determine authenticity, or is it one’s years of practice, knowledge, and spiritual dedication?
We also discuss the challenges modern yoga teachers face, navigating cultural reverence while teaching in a Westernized, often commodified yoga world. Tune in as participants share their struggles and insights on maintaining yoga’s sacredness amidst today’s yoga practices.
If you’re passionate about yoga, lineage, and respect for tradition, this conversation is for you.
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How to Integrate Compassion and Detachment
Can detachment and compassion truly coexist? Yoga wisdom offers surprising tools to balance the two, revealing how serving others is deeply connected to our own spiritual journey.
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Do Yoga and Politics Mix?
Yoga and politics—two worlds that seem miles apart. But what if the wisdom of one could reshape your understanding of the other?
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How to Achieve Unshakeable Balance
Is your yoga practice merely keeping you fit, or is it guiding you toward something deeper? What if the key to finding balance in life lies changing your perspective?
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Does God Have a Birthday?
We might think of a Supreme Being as a distant Creator or an impersonal energy as opposed to a Divine Person who has a birthday.
After all, how can a Supreme Being have a birthday when such a Being would be beginning-less by definition?
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Good Karma is Bad
The Sanskrit word “karma” refers to a universal law of action and reaction.
Yoga wisdom texts describe three kinds of karma: harmonious, dissonant, and transcendental.
Harmonious karma consists of actions that are aligned with cosmic order and generate correspondingly harmonious reactions, otherwise known as “good karma.”
Conversely, dissonant karma, actions that conflict with cosmic order, produce negative reactions: “bad karma.”
Now here’s the catch:
Why Study the Bhagavad-gita?
Contemporary yogis usually look to Patanjali’s Yoga-sutras for an introduction to yoga philosophy. But the Yoga-sutras are actually for yogis who already know the underlying philosophy for Patanjali’s particular system of yoga. If you want to understand the philosophy behind all of the classical yoga systems – including Patanjali’s – then you want to study the Bhagavad-gita.
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Community Conversation: How To Connect Yoga Asana to Yoga Philosophy with JEN RENÉ
In this engaging episode, yoga instructors Hari-kirtana das and Jen René delve into the nuanced relationship between yoga asana and yoga philosophy. They explore how physical practice can invoke deep emotional responses, the significance of being present in challenging poses, and the idea of experiencing yoga beyond the physical.
Jen René shares her insights on modifying Ashtanga practices to accommodate individual needs, emphasizing the importance of preserving joy and sustainability in one’s practice. The discussion also touches on how yoga teaches tolerance and resilience, referencing key philosophical texts like the Bhagavad-gita. Listeners are encouraged to find their own path in yoga, balancing discipline with self-awareness and compassion.
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What Is Transcendental Knowledge?
“Nothing in this world is as sublimely purifying as transcendental knowledge. One who has achieved the perfection of yoga realizes this knowledge within one’s self in due course of time.” – Bhagavad-gita 4.38
But what is “transcendental knowledge” anyway?
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