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  • #219 Healing Through Grief: How Yoga, Practice, and Community Carry Us Forward When Everything Falls Apart

    #219 Healing Through Grief: How Yoga, Practice, and Community Carry Us Forward When Everything Falls Apart
    2025/12/24
    This year has been rough in ways I could not have imagined. The overarching theme has been one of grief, loss, and sorrow, a kind of ache that spread through every part of my life. The tragic death of my teacher did not remain a single event. It rippled outward until it touched everything. Other losses arrived in the wake of his passing. Some were directly connected to the vacuum of his absence. Others had nothing to do with him at all, yet they braided themselves into the same thread of heartbreak. In this same season, the illusion of friendship shattered before my eyes. People I once cared for looked at me without softness and told me they had never considered me a friend. They used words I would rather forget, and strangers echoed similar judgments. The very ground beneath my feet shifted. The principles and relationships I had held dear suddenly felt unstable and uncertain, as though the internal architecture of my world had been shaken loose. During this tumultuous year, a few things remained solid. My practice never wavered. Each morning I returned to my mat, not to achieve anything and not to perform anything. My practice is and has always been a spiritual act. It is the way I connect with God. It is the place where my ego dissolves and humility rises in its place. It is the steady thread that holds me when everything else feels broken. My effort becomes a quiet offering. My breath becomes a prayer. This is the ground that holds me upright when the world feels unsteady. Joy remained too. Even in sadness, meaning continued to appear. Sometimes it came as a small flicker in an ordinary moment. Sometimes it felt like a pulse of grace moving through the day. I have been criticized for smiling. I have been called fake for speaking about the luminosity that comes from spiritual connection. Still, I cannot hide that joy. It rises from a place beyond circumstance, beyond judgment, beyond the opinions that others hold. It does not erase the grief. It simply reminds me that sorrow and devotion can live side by side. Somewhere in the haze of disappointment, moments of clarity filtered in. I used to believe we could all find common ground and get along. I am not sure I believe that anymore. It feels like some people will dislike you simply because you are happy. Your joy unsettles something in them. Your smile irritates what remains unexamined in their own heart. No amount of calm conversation or compassionate outreach can shift their perspective once they have decided that your presence is somehow a problem. When someone needs you to dim your light so they can feel comfortable in their own shadow, there is nothing you can offer that will satisfy them. What you can do is release the need to win them over. Their reaction belongs to them. Your peace and your happiness belong to you. Instead of trying to bring out the goodness in people who are committed to hating you, it may be wiser to live and let live. When people show you who they are, we learn to believe them. Contrast can help us become clear about who we are and who we are not, while comparison only breeds jealousy or unworthiness. There are people who use words like knives, whose intention in speaking is to cut and tear down, perhaps in an effort to feel a momentary rush of power. Real power is not about harming others. Real power is about lifting others up. Hate and judgment are easy. The human mind lapses into divisive thinking, fueled by negativity bias and amplified by algorithms that reward outrage. Hate justifies anger, and the cycle continues. In some ways, hate is an act of cowardice. We turn someone we fear into an "other" so we do not have to sit with the discomfort they awaken in us. Separation and division may appear powerful, but sowing seeds of destruction for personal gain is a form of weakness. Compassion and kindness are often the more difficult choice. In the face of pain, forgiveness is an act of courage and strength. Hate has never healed anything, including injustice and harm. If justice becomes only an eye for an eye, we are trapped in an endless struggle to extract the next punishment. We are instead offered the possibility of ending the cycle by choosing togetherness and committing to build on the foundation of love. Each brick in the house of the heart is formed by our thoughts, actions, and behaviors, not only toward ourselves but toward others. When someone has decided to hate you, there is, unfortunately, nothing you can do to change their mind. Once you become the villain in someone's story, everything you do will be interpreted through that lens, regardless of the truth. We cannot change anyone's mind for them. Each of us is responsible for our own thoughts, beliefs, speech, and actions. The only thing we can truly tend is the garden of our own heart. The hardest thing to do is to love someone who hates us. At the very least, we can try not to hate them in return. That alone may be enough to break the cycle. They may ...
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    28 分
  • #218 Is Yoga Inherently Healing? Trauma, Activation & the Power of Presence with Terri Cooper and Kino MacGregor

    #218 Is Yoga Inherently Healing? Trauma, Activation & the Power of Presence with Terri Cooper and Kino MacGregor
    2025/12/19
    In this episode, Kino speaks with trauma-informed yoga educator and activist Terri Cooper to explore the deep connection between yoga and healing. What is trauma, really? Is yoga inherently trauma-sensitive? And how can teachers and students use yoga to navigate emotional activation and create space for true transformation?

    Terri shares her insights from years of work with Connection Coalition, a nonprofit bringing trauma-informed yoga to youth in underserved communities. You'll also learn accessible tools for emotional regulation, why healing is essential for anyone who teaches, and what society gets wrong about trauma. Listen in to discover how yoga can become a path of profound presence, self-inquiry, and collective healing. Resources & Links: The Connection Course on Omstars Connection Coalition

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    1 時間 11 分
  • #217 Walking in the Light of the Guru: Lineage, Faith & Living Wisdom

    #217 Walking in the Light of the Guru: Lineage, Faith & Living Wisdom
    2025/12/05
    Each year, under the bright full moon of Guru Purnima, yoga practitioners and seekers around the world pause to honor the timeless presence of the Guru, the teacher who removes darkness and reveals the light that has always been within us. This was written in July 2025, the first Guru Purnima Day, after Sharath Jois passed. Our hearts were still heavy with grief and we contemplated what it truly means to walk in the light of the Guru? In the ancient yoga tradition, the Guru is far more than just a transmitter of techniques or philosophy. The Guru is the living embodiment of wisdom, a steady flame passed from teacher to student, generation after generation. The Guru: Not Just a Teacher, but a Living Embodiment Our ancient texts speak clearly about this. The Mundaka Upanishad (1.2.12) tells us: तद्विज्ञानार्थं स गुरुमेवाभिगच्छेत समित्पाणिः श्रोत्रियं ब्रह्मनिष्ठम् ॥ Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet Samit-panih srotriyam brahma-nishtham "To realize that Supreme Knowledge, one must approach a Guru alone, carrying fuel in hand, who is learned in the scriptures (srotriya) and firmly established in Brahman (brahma-nistha)." These two qualities, srotriya and brahma-nistha, reveal the heart of the true Guru. Srotriya (श्रोत्रिय) comes from sruti (श्रुति), meaning "that which is heard," the revealed wisdom of the Vedas and Upanishads. Etymologically, sru means to hear and -triya means possessor of. A srotriya is one who has fully mastered the sacred teachings, the outer mastery of scripture, tradition, and precise method. Brahma-nistha (ब्रह्मनिष्ठ) brings us deeper still. Brahman is the undivided reality, the ultimate truth. Nistha means "firmly established," from nis (down, firm) and stha (to stand). A brahma-nistha is one who stands unshakably rooted in the living truth of Brahman. This is the inner realization that breathes life into the outer knowledge. Together, they remind us: Without srotriya, the teaching drifts. Without brahma-nistha, the teaching is lifeless. How the Guru Lives in Our Lineage In the Ashtanga Yoga tradition, we have seen these qualities alive in the teachers who came before us. Sri T. Krishnamacharya was a true a srotriya and brahma-nistha, deeply rooted in Sanskrit, the Vedas, and the subtle method of yoga: his whole life was devoted to the practice. His student, K. Pattabhi Jois was my teacher and he dedicated his life to teaching. While K. Pattabhi Jois' scholarship as a Sanskrit Vidwan was widely recognized, he unfortunately did not fulfill the role of a perfect endowment of the teachings due to the harm done to female students at his hands. Ashtanga Yoga still seeks to account for those actions. Sharath Jois, K. Pattabhi Jois' grandson, embodied the living thread of the practice with all his heart and sought to steady the lineage and make space for healing. His srotriya shined through in the precise count, the unwavering discipline, the commitment to preserve the parampara, the unbroken lineage. But what touched people most was his brahma-nistha: the quiet steadiness, the humility, the simple, living truth that shows through his presence and service to this path. Both of my Ashtanga teachers are gone now. To me, they will always be a light on the path. I still sit with much grief, sorrow and loss about their passing. A yoga Guru is a yoga master teacher, not necessarily a spiritual embodiment. The word Guru has many levels and my teachers cultivated a light in me that continues to shine today. I would not be who I am today without them both. A true Guru (or teacher) does not make you a follower. A true Guru (or teacher) shows you how to find the light that has always been yours. The Guru Cultivates the Inner Flame As Patanjali reminds us in the Yoga Sutra (1.20): श्रद्धावीर्यस्मृतिसमाधिप्रज्ञापूर्वक इतरेषाम् ॥ १.२० ॥ Sraddha-virya-smrti-samadhi-prajna-purvaka itaresam "For others, samadhi comes through faith (sraddha), vigor (virya), remembrance (smrti), deep absorption (samadhi), and wisdom (prajna)." These qualities are the hidden garden the Guru, our teacher, nourishes in us: Sraddha: faith, the quiet trust that steadies us when doubt arises. Virya: courageous effort, the strength to keep going. Smrti: remembrance of who we really are and why we practice. Samadhi: deep absorption, the merging of mind, breath, and heart. Prajna: clear insight, the wisdom that sees through illusion. The outer Guru lights this lamp. The inner Guru, which is our own guidance and light, keeps it burning. A Prayer on Guru Purnima When we bow on Guru Purnima, we do not bow only to a person, we bow to the entire living thread that connects us to truth: our teachers, our daily practice, our...
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    1 時間 34 分
  • #216 The Importance of a Teacher, the Meaning of Being a Student and the Power of Transmission.

    #216 The Importance of a Teacher, the Meaning of Being a Student and the Power of Transmission.
    2025/11/21

    In a world where information is always within reach, it's tempting to believe we no longer need teachers. With a few clicks, we can access ancient texts, videos, and tutorials on nearly any aspect of yoga. But there's something that the internet cannot give you: transmission. Yoga is not simply learned; it is received. And it is only in relationship that this sacred transmission occurs.

    Our role as yoga teachers is not to entertain or perform. We are not here to serve up a random collection of poses or stories. Our job is to teach yoga to you, to help you understand the significance of the method. Especially in Ashtanga Yoga, where lineage matters and precision holds meaning, we offer a comprehensive system, not a fragmented sampler. What we offer is not just technique; it is a way of being. And that way of being is passed down through a living thread.

    To understand the teacher-student relationship in yoga, we must return to its roots, in the Sanskrit tradition, in the oral teachings of the Upaniṣads, and even in the deep etymology of the words we use in English.

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    1 時間 26 分
  • #215 Dialogue and Discipline, Rethinking Authority in Ashtanga Yoga

    #215 Dialogue and Discipline, Rethinking Authority in Ashtanga Yoga
    2025/11/07

    In this deeply honest and sometimes difficult conversation, Melissa Matt, Kino MacGregor, Peg Mulqueen, Sarah Nelson, and Greg Nardi take a courageous step into the heart of Ashtanga Yoga's ongoing reckoning. This episode asks some of the most pressing and uncomfortable questions facing our community today:

    Who decides what practice looks like? How are poses given, and what happens when power, hierarchy, and silence intertwine?

    Drawing from recent events and decades of shared experience, the teachers reflect on accountability, lineage, and the urgent need for new models of integrity. The dialogue is raw, vulnerable, and imperfect but necessary.
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    2 時間 8 分
  • #214 The Quiet Turning: Meditation, Yoga, and the Truth of Impermanence

    #214 The Quiet Turning: Meditation, Yoga, and the Truth of Impermanence
    2025/10/24

    Podcast notes

    The Quiet Turning: Meditation, Yoga, and the Truth of Impermanence

    One of the most frustrating instructions I ever received in a meditation class was deceptively simple: Close your eyes and quiet the mind. I remember thinking, if I could do that, I wouldn't be here learning how to meditate. Like so many others, I was searching for peace amidst the chaos of my own thoughts.

    Fortunately, I stumbled upon an ancient method that didn't demand silence from the start. It welcomed me exactly as I was. And over the years, daily meditation has become a cornerstone of my spiritual path, a way not to escape my thoughts but to learn how to be with them, honestly and gently.

    Many people believe they can't meditate because their minds are too restless. But that's precisely why meditation works. You don't need to be naturally calm to benefit from the practice, in fact, it's often those with the most inner turbulence who stand to gain the most. The very effort to sit, to observe, to try, even if imperfectly, is itself transformative. Every sincere attempt to concentrate, even for a moment, changes the texture of our awareness. Presence deepens. Stillness peeks through.

    In this way, meditation becomes a necessary companion to the physical discipline of yoga āsana. While āsana strengthens and opens the body, meditation refines the mind. Both are limbs of the same eightfold path and thrive in relationship to each other. If you're immersed in a strong physical practice, I invite you to explore the quiet power of sitting. If you already sit, but haven't stepped onto a mat, consider how movement might deepen your awareness. It's in the meeting of stillness and motion, of breath and body, that yoga reveals its deepest gifts.

    There is a turning that happens in every sincere moment of meditation: a turning inward, a turning away from distraction, and when we're ready, a turning toward truth.

    Seeing the Dhamma in Impermanence

    The Buddha's path is experiential, not theoretical. In the Saṃyutta Nikāya (SN 22.45), he says:

    "Yo aniccaṃ passati, so dhammaṃ passati. Yo dhammaṃ passati, so aniccaṃ passati."

    "One who sees impermanence sees the Dhamma. One who sees the Dhamma sees impermanence."

    To walk the path is to see clearly—moment by moment—that all things arise and pass. This insight is not depressing, but liberating. It opens the heart to compassion, to presence, and to the letting go that leads to peace.

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    1 時間 6 分
  • #213 Abhyāsa: The Sacred Art of Returning, Practice, Repetition, and Inner Cultivation

    #213 Abhyāsa: The Sacred Art of Returning, Practice, Repetition, and Inner Cultivation
    2025/10/10

    What does it really mean to practice yoga not just once in a while, but again and again, across years, through resistance, joy, boredom, and transformation?

    In this episode, Kino and Tim explore the deeper meaning of abhyāsa, the Sanskrit word often translated as "practice," but whose roots reveal something far more enduring: the committed, intentional act of returning. They weave this with the concept of bhāvanā, the inner cultivation of the heart and mind, drawn from early Buddhist teachings.

    Through stories from the Ashtanga method and personal reflections on the power of repetition, Kino and Tim share how practice is not about performance or perfection, but about shaping who we become through presence.

    This episode is an invitation to see practice not as a means to an end, but as the path itself. The pose is not the point. Returning is the point. Cultivating presence, breath by breath, day by day, becomes the living path of yoga. When we stop running and return to the moment, we remember, this is the place we never truly left.

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    1 時間 7 分
  • #212 Understanding the Ashtanga Yoga Opening Invocation: Etymology, Meaning & Inner Alchemy

    #212 Understanding the Ashtanga Yoga Opening Invocation: Etymology, Meaning & Inner Alchemy
    2025/09/26

    The yoga community is like one big family, not united by fancy poses but by a shared love for this ancient practice. It doesn’t matter what shapes your body can or can’t make; what matters is that you keep showing up and giving your best effort.

    What binds us is presence, not perfection. The practice calls forth a quiet courage and insight within us and it weaves us into a community of fellow seekers.

    One of yoga’s subtle gifts is clear seeing, not just of the body but of the mind and heart. Its promise is not mere physical skill, but an inner transformation that dissolves confusion and reveals freedom.

    At the start of every Ashtanga practice, we chant an invocation. It’s not just ritual, it’s a reminder of why we practice and what we’re really here to transform.

    Key Line:

    Saṃsāra Halāhala Mohaśāntyai

    “For the pacification of the delusion (Moha) that is the poison (Halāhala) of Saṃsāra.”

    Quick Word-by-Word Meaning

    Saṃsāra (संसार): From sam- (together) + √sṛ (to flow) - the endless cycle of birth and death. Literally “the continuous flowing together.”

    Halāhala (हलाहल): Deadly poison - like the mythic poison Śiva contained in his blue throat. Symbolizes the toxic nature of worldly entanglement.

    Moha (मोह): Delusion - the ignorance that clouds clear seeing.

    Sāntyai (शान्त्यै): “For pacification” - calming the poison of confusion.

    Why It Matters

    This ancient line reminds us: the real work of yoga is inner alchemy. The Guru and the practice help neutralize the poison of confusion so we can see clearly and live freely.

    When we chant, we remember: the obstacles aren’t just outside, they live inside us as fear, attachment, and illusion. The path of yoga transforms poison into nectar, chaos into calm, confusion into clarity.

    Listen in as we explore more hidden meanings behind this beloved chant and how it can deepen your practice.

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    57 分