Darren Main's Podcast

Almost all of us struggle with depression or know someone who does. In this episode, renowned mental health advocate and author of So-Called Normal , Mark Henick, shares his personal journey through depression and suicidal thinking and provides insightful tips and practical advice for those struggling with depression.

Join Darren Main and Mark Henick as they delve into the transformative potential of holistic health practices like yoga and meditation in addressing the complexities of depression and suicidal thinking.

RESOURCES

• If you or someone you know needs support, you can contact the National Suicide Hotline . Send an SMS Text to 988

Connect With Mark Henick

Mark's Website

Purchase So-Called Normal :

Connect with Darren Main

Darren's Website, Social Media and Free Meditation Course

In this insightful episode, we delve into the art of teaching yoga during challenging and stressful times. Join the conversation between Darren Main and Amy Ippoliti, the author of The Art and Business of Teaching Yoga: The Yoga Professional's Guide to a Fulfilling Career .

Amy Ippoliti, celebrated for her innovative approach to yoga and wellness, shares her expertise in adapting yoga practices to meet the demands of contemporary life.

This episode is not just a discussion; it's a treasure trove of wisdom for yoga teachers looking to deepen their impact and provide a sanctuary of calm and resilience through their teaching. Whether you're a seasoned yoga instructor or new to the field, this conversation between Darren Main and Amy Ippoliti offers valuable perspectives and tools to help you guide your students through these turbulent times.

RESOURCES

• Learn More about Amy Ippoliti :

• Learn More about Darren Main

purchase : The Art and Business of Teaching Yoga: The Yoga Professional's Guide to a Fulfilling Career

Join Darren Main in this insightful episode of 'Living Yoga' as he chats with Sarah Ezrin, author of 'The Yoga of Parenting.' Dive deep into the transformative world of yoga and how it offers valuable parenting tips, advice, and hacks. Learn how the ancient practices can be the key to stress management for parents, ensuring self-care, balance, and holistic well-being. From breathwork to mindful meditation, discover the tools every parent needs in their arsenal. Don’t miss out on this union of yoga wisdom and modern-day parenting insights. Subscribe for more enlightening interviews and yoga-based solutions.

READ: The Yoga of Parenting

CONNECT AND FOLLOW

Sarah Ezrin

Darren Main

Now that The Supreme Court has overturned Roe V. Wade and states are criminalizing abortion and passing more restrictive abortion laws, millions of women have fewer choices and are left to navigate healthcare decisions without the support of a trusted doctor or clinics.

• How can women in states that have criminalized abortion end a pregnancy safely?

• When is it safe to get an abortion using abortive drugs?

• How can women get medical advice remotely in states that have abortion bans?

• When should a woman see a doctor about complications?

• How do I minimize legal risk when discussing reproductive medicine with a healthcare provider?

In this episode, Nurse Practitioner and wellness coach Jill Baker offers important advice for making reproductive health care choices in our post Roe v. Wade world. She discusses issues like Morning-After pills, abortive pills that induce a miscarriage, IUDs, and legal issues faced by both women and their healthcare providers. She also offers important guidance about when to seek medical attention should complications arise while using abortive drugs at home.

_______________

RESOURCES

Jill Baker Wellness: https://www.jillbakerwellness.com

Abortions Resources and Services

All-Options Hotline- 888-493-0092 https://www.all-options.org

Planned Parenthood https://www.plannedparenthood.org

National Network of Abortion Funds https://abortionfunds.org

Repro Legal Helpline https://www.reprolegalhelpline.org/sm...

Abortion on Demand https://abortionondemand.org

Self Managed Abortion https://abortionpillinfo.org/en/using...

Follow Darren on social media and learn more about his work- https://darrenmain.com/follow-darren

FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME

Mindfulness for Busy Minds Video Course: https://darrenmain.com/busy-minds

BOOKS BY DARREN

Yoga and the Path of the Urban Mystic https://darrenmain.com/urban-mystic

Inner Tranquility: A Guide to Seated Meditation https://darrenmain.com/inner-tranquility

River of Wisdom: 108 Life-Changing Reflections https://darrenmain.com/river-of-wisdom

Spiritual Journeys along the Yellow Brick Road https://darrenmain.com/yellow-brick-road

The Yogi Entrepreneur

Check out Darren’s other channel, The Yogi Entrepreneur https://darrenmain.com/yogi-entrepren...

This episode was sponsored by yogis just like yourself. If you feel inspired to support future episodes, you can leave a tip in any amount here: https://darrenmain.com/support-living...

Kori Hahn is the author of Rituals of the Soul and founder of a community gathering place called the Santosha Society, which is dedicated to travel, surfing, and the soulful.

Learn More about Kori Hahn: https://santoshasociety.com/

Purchase: Rituals of the Soul: Using the 8 Ancient Principles of Yoga to Create a Modern & Meaningful Life https://amzn.to/3KNL1ot

This episode was sponsored by yogis just like yourself. If you feel inspired to support future episodes, you can leave a tip in any amount here: https://darrenmain.com/support-living-yoga

FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME

Mindfulness for Busy Minds Video Course: https://darrenmain.com/busy-minds

Yoga is wonderful, but for students practicing with various limitations as and unique challenges or who use a wheelchair, it’s hard to know where to start or how to practice.

In this conversation, Jivana Heyman, a certified yoga teacher and author, will offer tips on how to adapt the practice to make it more accessible for everyone.

Jivana Heyman’s Website

Purchase Accessible Yoga

FREE VIDEO COURSE: Mindfulness for Busy Minds (limited time)

This video course will teach you everything you need to avoid frustrating pitfalls and get started with regular practice so that you can start living a healthier, happier life. Jumpstart your meditation practice today! Free Registration

Often, modern Christianity can feel exclusive and judgmental. Pastor and author Brandan Robertson has a very different approach forged in his own experience as a gay Christian. His mission is to promote a more inclusive Christianity that welcomes everyone. This approach to Christianity had made him a wildly popular and also made him the target of the intolerance he preaches against.

Brandan's Website
Brandan on Amazon

What does it mean to be truly masculine—to move through the world with confidence and strength. In this episode, Sam Pond, a leading men's coach, explores what it means to embrace true masculinity an how straight men can more confidently connect with women.

About Sam Pond

Sam is a coach for men, helping men in many countries drop into feeling, releasing old stories, finding freedom in their dating and professional lives. Also a coach for the Fearless group and the Amorati based in Bucharest, Romania.

www.sampond.com

In spite of greater political equality in recent decades, many gay men still struggle to find deep connections with other gay men. Finn Deerhart began his career as a conservative Christian minister only to realize that he was living in denial. Ultimately, he let go of his body shame and started a new career helping gay men to celebrate their sexuality. In this episode, Finn talks about ways in which gay men can deepen their connection to each other and ultimately to something powerful within themselves.

LEARN MORE

Finn Deerhart’s Website

About 3.5 million Americans and nearly 2 billion people worldwide identify as Muslim. How can Muslims benefit from yoga? Is yoga a complement to or in conflict with Islam? What can the broader yoga community do to make the yoga space more welcoming to Muslims? In this podcast, Sameera Qureshi—a prominent Muslim yoga teacher will address these many other questions.

About Sameera
Sameera Qureshi is a Muslim yoga teacher and prevention specialist based in the Washington, D.C area. She is the Director of Education and Training for a national nonprofit that empowers Muslim communities to prevent sexual violence. Sameera is passionate about infusing Islamic spirituality into evidence-based programs for her work in the violence-prevention field and within her role as a yoga teacher.

A conversation with, yoga teacher, author and Ayurvedic practitioner Mariko Hirakawa. In this episode Mariko talks about her inspiring journey and her new book, The Yoga of Personal Development: Enlightened Lessons on Peak Performance, Leadership and Living A Life of No Regrets

RESOURCES

Mariko's Website

Purchase: The Yoga of Personal Development: Enlightened Lessons on Peak Performance, Leadership and Living A Life of No Regrets

https://amzn.to/2HEhdh6

Wall of Song is a collaborative singing video work that invites people from all different backgrounds, beliefs, political affiliations, orientations and countries of origins—no matter their ability to carry a tune—to record themselves singing along to Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. In this time of great unknowing, uncertainty and division, this is a wall that brings us together.

RESOURCES

The Wall of Song iOS App

Jaimal Yogis is an outdoorsman, award-winning writer, and frequent teacher. He is the author of Saltwater Buddha , a humorous coming-of-age memoir about running away to Hawaii at sixteen to surf, nearly becoming a Zen monk, and eventually winding up at Columbia Journalism School.

In this interview Jaimal talks about his new book, All Our Waves Are Water: Stumbling Toward Enlightenment and the Perfect Ride

Resources

Jaimal's Website

Purchase

All Our Waves Are Water: Stumbling Toward Enlightenment and the Perfect Ride

Saltwater Buddha: A Surfer's Quest to Find Zen on the Sea

Darren’s Books
Amazon | Audible

In our culture of “get more, have more, be more,” is there any place for “thanks, I’m good”? In this interview, Darren talks with Bestselling author and acclaimed teacher Roger Housden who says yes in this alternative to nonstop striving and self-criticism.

Resources

Roger's Website
Purchase Dropping the Struggle: Seven Ways to Love the Life You Have
Learn More about Roger's other books

Paul MacAlindin was called to help create a National Youth Orchestra in the world's toughest place for music, Iraq. Through his book, UPBEAT: the Story of the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq , he explains how a youth orchestra became the crucible for the young musicians' trauma and hunger for education, to create the most powerful cultural ambassador Iraq has ever seen. Although the story ends tragically with the invasion of Daesh in 2014, MacAlindin reflects on the power of paradox and conflict in creating powerful art and uniting people in peace.

Resources
Paul's Website

Purchase: UPBEAT: the Story of the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq

The Wizard of Oz is one of the most beloved stories of all time and with very good reason. The images and symbolism in this story contain profound guidance and wisdom that speak to the heart to the human condition. By reflecting on Dorothy’s search for home, the Tin Man’s quest for love, the Scarecrow’s desire to learn and the Lion’s need to face his fears, powerful insight and wisdom can be realized on your own journey along the Yellow Brick Road of life.

Get the entire audiobook. . .

Audible | iTunes | Amazon

Donald Trump’s ‘Access Hollywood Tape’, numerous allegations against Bill Cosby and many other high profile news stories about sexual assault have been reported in recent years bringing up strong emotions in those who have experiences trauma of their own. In this discussion, autho Lisa Danylchuk talks about the triggering effects these stories have had and how practices like yoga and meditation can help people recover from trauma.

Resources
Lisa's Website

PURCHASE
How You Can Heal
Embodied Healing

Kimberly Roberts lives for adventure and had devoted her life to helping others walk through the fears that keep them stuck. By forming the Rebel Livin’ online community and coaching hundreds of people, she has become an expert boat rocker that will inspire you to leap first and ask questions later!

Resources

Kimberly’s Website

Join the Rebel Livin Facebook Community

At eighteen, Jake Heilbrunn entered college like millions of other high school graduates. But after developing a chronic skin condition and falling into depression, Jake realized staying in school didn’t align with his dreams.

Listening to his inner voice and following his heart, he took a leap of faith, left school and hopped on a one-way flight to Guatemala. The result—an amazing adventure and a the inspirational new book, Off the Beaten Trail.

Resources

Jake's Website

PURCHASE: Off the Beaten Trail

For thousands of years mystics have espoused the notion that observing the physical universe changes it. Now quantum physics has begun to observe this effect in measurable and scientific ways as well.. In this episode, Bob Berman author of Biocentrism: How Life and Consciousness are the Keys to Understanding the True Nature of the Universe and Beyond Biocentrism: Rethinking Time, Space, Consciousness, and the Illusion of Death

Resources

Bob’s Website

PURCHASE

Biocentrism: How Life and Consciousness are the Keys to Understanding the True Nature of the Universe

Beyond Biocentrism: Rethinking Time, Space, Consciousness, and the Illusion of Death

Motivational speaker and author Kute Blackson is unique in his approach to empowerment. Unlike those who promise to simply help people “get” what they want, Kute’s life work instead reveals to people what they have to give, by liberating who they are most truly and deeply. The focus: Freedom. In this interview Kute talks about his work and his groundbreaking new book You Are The One: A Bold Adventure in Finding Purpose, Discovering the Real You, and Loving Fully .

Resources

Kute’s Website

PURCHASE: You Are The One: A Bold Adventure in Finding Purpose, Discovering the Real You, and Loving Fully

The Enneagram is a popular method of understanding personality types and how to more effectively communicate in business and personal relationships. In this episode, Enneagram expert and author Karl Hebenstreit talks about his new book and how the Enneagram can help you better understand your own personality and the personalities of the people in your life.

Resources

Purchase Karl's Book

Defining yourself as a yoga teacher and sharing teachings through marketing can draw students to your practice. Crystal Higgins supports teachers and studios to do just that. From a career in Corporate Marketing, Crystal took the leap to live her passion for yoga and integrate her marketing talents along the way. Crystal challenges her clients to find their voice and market themselves by doing what they like best. She pushes them to identify their goal and brand in order to make their yoga business successful.

Resources:

www.crystalmarieyoga.com

How does a loving and supportive parent support their child when that child's gender doesn't fall in our conventional binary understanding of Gender? Gabriel and Janna Barkin faced this question when their child's true gender started to assert itself early in life.

This amazing and inspiring couple model for all parents what it means to be loving and supportive and they give hope and encouragement to other parents who want to understand and support a transgender or gender-nonconforming child.

RESOURCES

He's Always Been My Son Blog
Gender Spectrum
Spectrum LGBT Center
Call Him Hunter Blog
Transgender Law Center
Transequality

Books: Gender Born Gender Made by Diane Ehrensaf t The Transgender Child by Stephanie Brill

Chef Rossi, (yes, she only has one name) -– has been a writer for many publications, such as The Daily News, The New York Post, Time Out New York and Mcsweeney's to name a few. She has been the food writer of the "Eat Me" column for Bust magazine since 1998, hosts her own hit radio show on WOMR and WFMR in Cape Cod called "Bite This," now in its twelfth season, has been featured on "The Food Network" and "NPR” and is a popular blogger for “The Huffington Post.”

In this episode, the owner and executive chef of "The Raging Skillet," talks about her amazing journey and her new book that is as entertaining as it is mouth watering!

Purchase The Raging Skillet

The Raging Skillet Website

According to the Centers for Disease Control, about one in sixty-eight people fall somewhere on the autistic spectrum. In this episode Lance King, author of Never One of Them talks about his diagnosis on the spectrum that came well into his adulthood.

Resources

Lance on Facebook

Purchase Never One of Them

Purchase NeuroTribes by Steve Silberman

The Complete Guide to Aspergers Syndrome by Dr. Tony Attwood

The Wrong Planet website (run by and for autistic people):

An online test to see if you might have autistic traits

Find Autism diagnosis and treatment

There are countless resources out there to help women navigate the new world of dating now that online matching services are increasingly used to find potential partners. Men, however, have precious few guides to help navigate 'right swipes' and profiles. Author and psychologist Jeremi McManus seeks to change all that with his book Dating Success for Men .

In this podcast Jeremi talks about practical ways in which modern men find a lasting and meaningful relationship.

Resources

Purchase Dating Success for Men

Jeremi's Website

People spend millions every year on self help books, classes and coaching only to find lasting contentment remains elusive. Psychologist and author, Dr. Gail Brenner, takes an approach to self help that is so radical that it just might work! In her book The End of Self Help , Gail promotes the idea that we are not damaged, inadequate, limited selves who need help—the notion that nothing about you needs to change for you to be happy—it takes only a simple shift of attention.

Resources

Purchase The End of Self Help

Gail's Website

Yogi Aaron (formally Aaron Star) is the co-founder of the Blue Osa Yoga Center in Costa Rica and the former owner and founder of Hot Nude Yoga in New York City. In his new book, Autobiography of a Naked Yogi , he details his unique approach to yoga and the colorful journey that led him to the tropical forests of the Osa Peninsula

Resources

Purchase Autobiography of a Naked Yogi

Blue Osa Yoga Center

Speaker and author Byron Katie developed a method of self-inquiry often referred to as "The Work". The technique involves four simple questions followed by a 'turn around' process. This very simple technique has been transformational for thousands of people around the world.

In this episode, Bryan Wagner discusses his own experience with 'The Work' as well as the healing that has occurred for many of his clients when he guides them through this transformational process.

Resources

Byron Katie's Website

Bryan Wagner's Website

Books by Byron Katie

• Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life

• I Need Your Love - Is That True?: How to Stop Seeking Love, Approval, and Appreciation and Start Finding Them Instead

• A Thousand Names for Joy: Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are

• Who Would You Be Without Your Story?

On July 21, 2015 Grace Cathedral hosted a panel discussion moderated by Darren Main. Speakers included renown spiritual leaders Pujya Swamiji, Bishop Marc Andrus and Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati. If you enjoy this free recording please consider making a donation the Grace Cathedral Community Preschool

About the Speakers

Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswati (often called Pujya Swamiji ), is one of India’s most revered and beloved spiritual leaders. He is the President of Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh, India, and the founder of the Hindu Jain Temple in Pennsylvania. He is also the founder of numerous humanitarian and environmental organizations, and actively engaged in interfaith work for world peace, eradication of poverty and environmental protection with prominent organizations including the World Bank, the United Nations, the Parliament of Religions and more.
Learn More bout Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswati

Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati
For nearly twenty years American born Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati has lived in the lap of the Himalayas on the banks of the Ganges River. Since her arrival in India she has worked tirelessly to promote women’s rights,environmental awareness and an end to poverty. At her gurus’s ashram she has hosted countless dignitaries including the Dalai Lama and Prince Charles and has spoken before the United Nations and at many other venus around the world. She is known the world over for her gentle spirit, engaging talks and humanitarian efforts.
Listen to Sadhvi's previous talk at Grace Cathedral
Listen to Darren's Interview with Sadhvi

The Rt. Rev. Marc Handley Andrus is the eighth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California. His leadership has focused on key issues related to peace and justice, including immigration reform, climate change, civil rights for LBGT persons, and health care. An example of his local engagement includes co-chairing a community-wide planning process for rebuilding St. Luke’s hospital in San Francisco. Bishop Andrus serves on the boards of the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, California Pacific Medical Center, Episcopal Charities, the Episcopal School for Deacons, Episcopal Community Services, and the American Bach Soloists, among other foundations.
Learn More about Bishop Andrus
Listen to Darren's Interview with Bishop Marc Andrus

Once the illusions about using drugs and alcohol have been smashed, one faces the more subtle aspects of recovery and leading a recovered life. Addiction can be a teflon process sometimes slipping from one behavior to another: food, consumerism, sex, love, affection, internet activity and so on.

In this episode author Kyczy Hawk her new book “Life in Bite-Sized Morsels ” which addresses recovery from the perspective of a woman with more than 30 years sobriety.

RESOURCES

Purchase:Life in Bite-Sized Morsels

Kycy's Website

Online 12-Step Meeting • Sundays at 7:00 AM (California Time)

In this episode, we explore how gay men have emerged from a history of victimization to become teachers for humanity. Raymond Rigoglioso, author of Gay Men and The New Way Forward , and founder of the Gay Men of Wisdom project, will discuss how gay men serve and heal humanity, reinvent manhood, and free and enrich the human spirit.

Raymond L. Rigoglioso is the founder of Gay Men of Wisdom and is certified as a life coach through the International Coach Federation. His professional background includes more than two decades as a writer and editor for nonprofit organizations in New York City and Boston.

Ray lives with his partner and dog White Plains, New York. This is his first book.

Resources

PURCHASE: Gay Men and The New Way Forward

Ray's Website

Ray on Facebook

Ray on Twitter

Mystic David Hoffmeister is known for his practical application of the non-dual teachings needed for seekers to experience the unified mind; his clarity about the function of forgiveness in spiritual awakening and his radical use of mindful movie watching in the release of judgement. David is an inspiring living demonstration of the teachings of "A Course in Miracles," a non-dual pathway of Awakening. David has been invited to 39 countries and 49 states and speaks from the Enlightened mind. Darren speaks to him ahead of his first trip to India.

Resources

READ
Evolve Magazine Feature on David Hoffmeister's
pathway of Movies, Miracles & Mysticism

Books by David Hoffmeister

DAVID'S WEBSITES
• www.acim.me
• www.mwge.org
• www.davidhoffmeister.com

Video
David on Youtube

Social Media
David on Facebook
David on Twitter

Letting Go Again is one birth mother’s courageous and compassionate account of giving up her baby daughter for adoption, and their troubled relationship once they are reunited almost two decades later.

While many of us have witnessed the emotional “adoption reunions” on daytime TV, we rarely see what happens when the cameras stop rolling. In this compelling true story, author Kimberly Smythe reveals how the happiness and completion she expected to feel when her first child was back in her life remained elusive. Kimberly writes with extraordinary vulnerability, sharing the highs and lows of becoming a teen mom and allowing her child to be adopted, as well as the darkest moments of the heartbreaking, rollercoaster relationship that followed when they were reunited.

Resources

Kimberly's Website

Purchase Letting Go Again

The applicability of the message within Buddhist Boot Camp to everyday life, regardless of spiritual or religious affiliation, or none at all. The invitation is for each of us to live in abundance through gratitude and kindness (toward ourselves and others). By understanding the way our mind works, we can learn to accept everything in the world as it is (and everyone), without needing to change a thing. Gratitude has a way of turning what we have into "enough", and that is luxury. That is being rich.

Timber Hawkeye, author of Buddhist Boot Camp , offers a secular, non-sectarian approach to being at peace with the world, both within and around us. His intention is to awaken, enlighten, enrich and inspire

Resources

Purchace Buddhist Boot Camp

Books-to-Prisons Project

Contact Timber

Timber's Website

Timber's YouTube Channel

Timber on Facebook

Timber on Twitter

Timber on Instagram

Join Timber's Email List

Recorded Live at Grace Cathedral • May 12, 2015

For more than twenty years American born Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati has lived in the lap of the Himalayas on the banks of the Ganges River. Since her arrival in India she has worked tirelessly to promote women’s rights, environmental awareness and an end to poverty. At her gurus’s ashram she has hosted countless dignitaries including the Dalai Lama and Prince Charles and has spoken before the United Nations and at many other venus around the world. She is known the world over for her gentle spirit, engaging talks and humanitarian efforts.

Resources
Contact Sadhvi through Facebook
Grace Cathedral
Yoga on the Labyrinth

On April 25, 2015 the Gorkha earthquake rocked the country of Nepal killing more than 7,000 people and leaving many other injured, homeless and in desperate need of food, water, medicine and shelter. While the quake itself registered at 7.8 magnitude and was felt as far away as china and India, the relief effort has been equally large with people the world over donating and getting involved.

In this podcast, I speak with Eric Roache, founder of ForWorld Thinking , about the reality of life in Nepal after the earthquake, and how each of us can make a difference.

Resources
ForWorld Thinking
Nepal Relief- Suggested Organizations to Support

For thosands of years, Buddhist monks and yogis have found refuge in the jagged peaks of the Himilayas, but few modern seekers make that pilgrimage. New York based yoga teacher True (Blake Jung) is an exception to that rule.

In this podcast True recounts his adventures hiking to Mount Everest's infamous Base Camp where he practiced yoga and mediation and experineced a profound spiriutal awakening.

RESOURCES

True's Website

True's Nepal Instagram Feed

True's Facebook Wall

For more than twenty years, American born Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati has lived on the banks of the Ganges River in the Parmarth Niketan Ashram . In this interview she talks about the unique journey that lead her from Stanford graduate to one of India's great spiritual teachers. Sadhvi's unique style and passion have had a direct and measurable impact on environmental issues, women's rights and poverty not only in India specifically as well as on the global stage.

Resources

READ
OM Times Feature on Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati

Websites

www.parmarth.com,

www.divineshaktifoundation.org

www.washalliance.org

www.gangaaction.org

Video

Hollywood to Holy Woods

Gary was introduced to Eastern philosophy in college when he discovered the writings of Alan Watts which led to studies in Zen and Zen poetry. Gary is a Registered Yoga Teacher with the Yoga Alliance (RYT 200) and has a Certificate of Yoga Philosophy from the California Institute of Integral Studies. He has studied yoga at Esalen Institute, Parmarth Niketan Ashram and Satchidananda Ashram. Gary is on the faculty of Breathe Yoga of Los Gatos.

Gary has photographed many spiritual sites in his travels. He recently published his first book entitled: "The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali- Illuminations Through Image, Commentary and Design." The book provides a new approach to studying the Yoga Sutras by using photography, poetry and quotation to illuminate the heart of the Sutras. He is working on a new app which will incorporate Sanskrit chants of the Yoga Sutras within the book.

Resources

Gary's Website
PURCHASE: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali- Illuminations Through Image, Commentary and Design

While the world may be full of violence, war and hostility, Rita Glassman believes that music can be a powerful tool to help all of us see beyond superficial differences to reveal a world of peace.

In this moving podcast Rita reflects of growing up as the daughter of holocaust survivors, her work as a cantor in the Jewish tradition and her travels to Israel where she witnessed first hand people of various faiths and backgrounds coexisting peacefully. She also explains the inspiration behind her latest album, A World Of Peace In Song And Prayer .

Resources

Rita's Website

Rita on Youtube

Bruce Dickson is the author of sixteen books and countless articles about holistic healing and wellness as well in the co-founder of the Holistic Chamber of Commerce in Los Angeles.

In this podcast Bruce talks about how we can now make Energy Medicine, all of holistic health and healing, less "woo woo." Reach out and shake the hand of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe from 200 years ago. His holistic approach to science and experiments closely anticipated what we do in holistic health and healing since the 1950s.

Resources
Bruce's Website
Bruce's Books
Bruce's Videos

Mentioned in this Podcast
The Skill Latter of Energy Medicine
Arm Length Testing
Innitial Gift Session with Bruce

Merging with the Medicine Wheel is a Shamanic Yoga Tour that CJ Ananda and her husband, Coby have created as a way to invite individuals to explore the fusion of the two mystical traditions of Yoga and Shamanism. Yoga (union with the Divine) and Shamanism (interaction with the spirit world) are both practices designed to grant us access to the infinite wisdom we carry within our selves. The ceremonies that Ananda and Coby offer are grounded in a vinyasa flow yoga class, and use the sacred vibration of sound and the sweet nectar of cacao as portals to connect us with our Power Animals and Spirit Guides. The ancient teachings of the Medicine Wheel provide an anchor for this intense, transformational experience. Energetically guided by the cycles of the four wind directions, we come to sense the inner anatomy of our bodies, and access the emotional patterns and attachments held in the mind. From there, we learn to reveal our passions and use the mystical gifts within to shift perceptions and dream our world into being.

About CJ Ananda

Co-Founder of Pura Vidya and Present Moment Retreat and ERYT 500 certified, Ananda is a renowned teacher of yoga, dance and meditation. She has combined her joy of these self-healing therapies with her experience as a wellness coach and healing practitioner to create international retreats and trainings. Ananda offers Yoga Alliance Certified Teacher Trainings with SchoolYoga Institute, giving each person the heartfelt attention and direct facilitation that cultivates an ecstatic, healing and magical experience.

Ananda draws on the philosophy that we are all a part of a collective life force that is driving us towards greater consciousness. By exploring our gifts and expanding our relationship with higher self, we come into alignment with our inner purpose of Awakening. Through our collaborative efforts and unified intentions, we magnify the richness of this life's experience.

Ananda currently travels between Mexico, Peru and Guatemala where she offers 200 and 500 hour Yoga Teacher Trainings and Shamanic Cleansing Retreats.

Resources
CJ Ananda's Website
CJ Ananda on Facebook
Retreats with CJ Anandada

In recent years there has been a near constant flood of sexual abuse charges against pominant yoga teachers and gurus. Most recently, Bikram Choudhury, the founder of Bikram Yoga has been accused of rape and sexual misconduct by a number of women.

In this podcast psychologist and yoga teacher Darcy Lyon talks about how the yoga community can address these scandals, support victems and create an environment in which sexual abuse and assault is no longer tollerated in the yoga community.

Resourses
Darcy Lyon's Website

The recent outbreak of measles in the United States has cast a small segment of the population that chooses not vaccinate into the spotlight. In this podcast Darren, a vaccine advocate, has a civil yet pointed debate with Neil Z. Miller.

Neil is a medical research journalist and the Director of the Thinktwice Global Vaccine Institute and the author of sevral books that incourage parents to question conventional medical advice about vaccination.

Resources

Neil’s Website

The CDC Vaccine Site
National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
What is “Pseudoscience”?
7 Biggest Lies Spread by the Anti-Vaccine Movement, Debunked by Science

Follow-Up Resources from the Interview

Throughout the interview both Neil and Darren promised to provide citations for claims made.

Was there a CDC Coverup? NO

Neil Reference: Methodological Issues and Evidence of Malfeasance in Research Purporting to Show Thimerosal in Vaccines Is Safe

Darren Reference: Snopes Rebuttal • Science Blogs Rebuttal

Do vaccinations make children less healthy? NO

Neil Reference: Relative trends in hospitalizations and mortality

Darren Reference: Vaccination Status and Health in Children and Adolescents (peer reviewed)

Does the measles cure/prevent cancer? NO
Neil Reference: Measles (MMR) Vaccination and Increased Rates of Cancer

Darren Reference: Could measles cure cancer? Uh, not exactly…

Recorded live inside San Francisco's iconic Grace Cathedral, this year-end class was attedend by 700 people. It features Darren Main teaching yoga and live music from Sam Jackson, Amber Field, Kendra Faye, Mirabai & Friends, Clare Hedin and Gary Malkin.

Yoga on the Labyrinth is a weekly donation-based yoga and meditation practice in San Francisco.

—> Learn More about Yoga on the Labyrinth

Jon Bernie is a contemporary spiritual teacher who offers a compassionate, heart-centered approach to awakening. His teaching focuses on returning the attention to the already enlightened state that lies at the core of our human experience. He has four decades of practice and study in the Zen, Theravada Buddhist and Advaita traditions, and was formally asked to teach by Adyashanti in 2002. Jon is also an experienced healer and teacher of somatic embodiment, trained in the Alexander Technique, Zero Balancing, and the Qigong system of Dr. Yu Penxi. He works closely and intimately with individuals to facilitate consciousness development and deep emotional healing.

Resources

Jon's Website
Jon on Facebook
Jon on Twitter

Purchase Ordinary Freedom by Jon Bernie

How did the crystal-meth-addicted, alcohol-abusing porn star cross the road to become a beloved, world-famous yoga teacher? In his inspiring memoir, Two Lifestyles, One Lifetime, Les Leventhal reveals his desperate and wildly self-destructive attempts to grasp at self-worth in a turbulent, hostile environment. In the throes of a sharp downward spiral toward certain death, Les summons the strength and surrender to transform his life. However, he soon falls prey to the eerie parallels between his tumultuous past and the life many of us hold as an objective. With more at stake than ever before, Les finds the courage to make a daring choice that penetrates through superficial layers to profoundly change his life.

Resources

Les Leventhal's Webisite

Previous Podcasts with Les Leventhal
Bumi Sehat with Les Leventhal
Yoga & The Twelve Steps with Les Leventhal

Purchase: Two Lifestyles, One Lifetime: An Inspiring Journey From Rock-Bottom Hopelessness to Wildly Extravagant Possibility by Les Leventhal

Getting in shape and staying fit can seem like elusive goals, but Mitch Menaged of National Fitness Campaign has found a way to inspire people of all ages and abilities to develop and maintain healthy bodies and balanced minds.

By partnering with cities and towns around the country the National Fitness Campaign is working to install outdoor workout areas in public parks and to offer free apps to help people work out, track their progress and build communities. In this interview the founder and director of National Fitness Campaign talks about his unique approach to health and wellness.

Resources

National Fitness Campaign Website

Download the App

Tour The Fitness Court

Falling in love is the easy part. Cultivating and sustaining a lasting, loving relatioinship takes skills. In her groundbreaking book, Love Cycles: The Five Essential Stages of Lasting Love, Linda Carroll challenges many of the misconceptions we have about romantic relationships and offers powerful tools for deep, lasting and connected partnerships.Resources

Linda Carroll's Website

Purchase: Love Cycles: The Five Essential Stages of Lasting Love

Linda's Other Books

Her Mother's Daughter: A Memoir of the Mother I Never Knew and of My Daughter, Courtney Love
Remember Who You Are: Seven Stages on a Woman's Journey of Spirit

Simone Wright is an internationally valued expert on the power of the human mind and its massive potential for evolutionary intelligence and groundbreaking ingenuity. She is a highly respected Intuitive consultant, an award winning entrepreneur, a globally collected artist who has become the highest selling artist of her kind in the world; she is also an author and sought after speaker who is quickly gaining a reputation as the ‘Evolutionary Mind Coach for Elite Performers and Visionary Leaders.’

In this podcast Simone talks about her groundbreaking book, First Intelligence, which explores the science behind intution and how all of us can be more intuitive in our daily lives. By taking intuition out of the relm of the 'hokey' and into the relm of sciece, Simmone empowers people to trust that inner voice to not only avoide danger but also to live in a more whole and meaningful life.

Resources
Simone's Website
Buy First Intelligence

The Rt. Rev. Marc Handley Andrus is the eighth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California and his vision of what will come next for Christianity stands in stark contrast to the vision of more conservative and fundamentalist ministers.

In this interview Bishop Andrus explains the bold and sometimes controversial steps he is taking to shape the future of Christianity and the visionary metrics by which he measures success!

Resources

The Dioceses of California

Bishop Andrus' Blog

Grace Cathedral

Yoga on the Labyrinth

If you are a parent, a yogi or even if you have parents, you will love this interview with author and yogi Brian Leaf. His latest book Misadventures of a Parenting Yogi is a collection of funny reflections of the pitfalls of consciouis parenting.

Resources
Brian's Website
Brian on Facebook

Mentioned in this Podcast
Yogi Amrit Desai

Purchase Brian's Books

Misadventures of a Parenting Yogi: Cloth Diapers, Cosleeping, and My (Sometimes Successful) Quest for Conscious Parenting

Misadventures of a Garden State Yogi: My Humble Quest to Heal My Colitis, Calm My ADD, and Find the Key to Happiness

Infusing music from ancient India, the Middle East and tribal Australia, Amber Fields music will stir heart string you didn’t even know were there! Her latest album Serendip has already become a staple in yoga studios around the world.

In this interview Amber talks about the deep emotions that helped to define her life and inspire her music.

Resources

Amber's Website

Amber on Facebook

Purchase Amber's Music

The Halo is a mind-altering instrument that a less than 1000 musicians are able to play and far fewer with the skill of Gabriel Gold. By combining the unique tones of his voice with the hauntingly beautiful sounds of the Halo, Gabriel takes listeners instantly to that elusive quiet refuge inside every human heart!

In this interview Gabriel talks about the journey that lead him to the halo and about his groundbreaking new CD.

Rescues

Gabriel's Website

While Ryan Brewer began practicing and teaching yoga for the physical benefits, he quickly discovered that Bhakti yoga—the yoga of devotion and heart opening would become an important part of his path. After facing his crippling fears of singing in public, he discovered that chanting was his first love.

Ryan's chanting has been compared to Krishna Das and Jai Uttal and his first CD, Kirtan: Yoga for the Heart is one of the bestselling chanting CDs in many years and has redefined popular notions about devotional chanting.

In this interview Ryan shares his amazing story.

Resources
Ryan's Website
Ryan on Facebook
Purchase: Kirtan: Yoga for the Heart

The Rev. Matthew Fox is the author of over thirty books including Original Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality . Originally Roman Catholic, Matthew Fox is now an Episcopalian after numerous theologic disputes with Rome that led to his expulsion. By advocating 'Creation Spirituality' which embraces the Divine Feminine, gay rights and earth-based traditions such as Native American Spirituality he has rocked the foundations of more traditional approaches to spirituality.

He is also the driving force behind The Cosmic Mass—a modern ritual which has drawn people of all ages but is a particular draw for the younger generation. It infuses multimedia images, dancing, modern music and elements of the trational Mass.

In this Podcast Skylar Willson joins Matthew Fox to talk about Creation Spirituality and the next generation of The Cosmic Mass.

Learn More
The Cosmic Mass
Matthew Fox's Website
Matthew's Book

Deacon Carpenter is an Ayurvediist and yoga teacher based in Healdsburg, CA, and has been studying the practice of Yoga and Ayurveda since the age of 16. He believes in a practical approach to both Ayurveda and Yoga.

Deacon received his degree in Ayurvedic medicine from the California College of Ayurveda in 2010 and is the founder of VedaBars – the first Ayurvedic wholefood nutrition bar and co-director of Parallel Practice Partners , an integrated eastern and western concierge medical practice, He practices and teaches all over the US.

Contact Deacon
Deacon's Website
Facebook Page
Twitter

About Vedabars
Website
Facebook Page

Email

As yoga expands to more and more corners of Western society, many Christians are finding that a strong yoga practice can greatly complement one's faith. Robert Karle is a Catholic in prepration to become a Jesuit Priest who also shares a passion for yoga. In this podcast we discuss the ways in which these two paths complement oneanother and where there is conflict and how all of that takes root in Robert's own spiritual practice as a Jesuit Yogi.

Email Robert

Author and Yoga Teacher: Kyczy Hawk is the author of “Yoga and the Twelve Step Path” - and has been teaching yoga to people in various stages of recovery for five years. She has developed a yoga teacher certification program called S.O.A.R (TM) to assist others in pursuing this specialty area. In addition to her regular classes she leads Y12SR (Yoga of 12 Step Recovery) meetings in the So. SF Bay Area. She volunteers in the local jail bringing these classes to the women at Elmwood and occasionally continues to work with the Art of Yoga in San Mateo and has worked with Niroga in San Jose.

Purchase Yoga and the Twelve Step Path by Kyczy Hawk

Resources

Kyczy's Website

Kyczy on Facebook

Kyczy's Twitter Feed

Jeffrey Small is the author of the best-selling thriller, The Breath of God , which won the Nautilus Book Award Gold Medal for Best Fiction. He is also a popular blogger on Huffington Post, and an acclaimed speaker on religious and spirituality topics. Jeffrey graduated summa cum laude from Yale University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He then graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School where he was elected to the Board of Student Advisors and taught speech, legal writing, and research. Jeffrey next earned a Masters in the Study of Religions from Oxford University in England where he was a member of Oriel College.

Jeffrey is active in the Episcopal Church, currently serving as a member of the Board of Trustees at General Theological Seminary in New York, but he has also studied Yoga in India, practiced Buddhist meditation in Bhutan, explored the ancient temples in Egypt, and journeyed throughout the Holy Land.

When not pursing his passion for theological discourse, Jeffrey is the CEO and founder of MDH Partners, an Atlanta-based commercial real estate investment and development company that has participated in over $2 billion of acquisitions and developments. Jeffrey’s eclectic hobbies include being a former US Champion amateur ballroom dancer with his wife, Alison. He also held the rank of Black Sash in Kung Fu, specializing in the Internal Arts.

Resources

Jeffrey Small's Website
Purchase The Jericho Deception
Purchase The Breath of God

Jeffrey's Previous Inquire Within Podcasts
—>The Breath of God with Jeffrey Small
—>East-West Spirituality with Jeffrey Small

Creating Time is a heart-centered-yet-practical guide that offers a new paradigm of time and the tools to implement it. Marney Makridakis has devoted her career to helping people live fuller and more meaningful lives by connecting with their own creativity. In this podcast, Marney talks about her unique approach to time which combines art and philosophy, science and story, to help us connect deeply with the power of our creative selves.

http://artellaland.com/

http://www.artellaland.com/time.html

Rev. Maggie Oman Shannon, M.A., is an interfaith minister, spiritual director, workshop and retreat facilitator, and author of five books, including Prayers for Healing and A String and a Prayer: How to Make and Use Prayer Beads . In 2000, Maggie Oman Shannon founded The New Story, a coaching and consulting business focused on helping people create deeper meaning in their lives. Shannon currently has the honor of serving as Spiritual Director of Unity Spiritual Center of San Francisco. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and seven-year-old daughter.

Website URL: www.maggieomanshannon.com

www.vivaeditions.com

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/authormaggieomanshannon?fref=ts

Crafting Calm: Projects and Practices for Creativity and Contemplation , Published by Viva Editions, 2013

Prayers for Healing : A String and a Prayer: How to Make and Use Prayer Beads .

Jen Blackstock is a Certified BioDynamic CranioSacral Therapist, Healer, Spiritual and Life Coach and Intuitive. In this podcast, she talks about her journey in becoming a healer generally and craniosacral therapy specifacially.

Resources

www.jenblackstock.com

www.upledger.com

Suggested Reading

The Heart of Listening: A Visionary Approach to Craniosacral Work

In this podcast, renown teacher Jason Bowman explores the balance between aligment focused yoga such as Iyengar and vinyasa or flow based yoga such as The Primary Series of Ashtanga Yoga. On this surfce, these very different approaches to hatha yoga seem very different, but Jason explains how the two paths are really very complementary and similar.

Resources
Jason's Website

Jason on Facebook

Watch Jason's Video

What is floatation?
Floatation therapy is the act of floating on your back in 10 inches of a warm saltwater solution, in a lightproof and almost soundproof tank . Free from external stimulation and gravity, your body and mind quickly reach a state of relaxation and meditation. Many people float to relieve pain, to catch up on rest, to meditate, or to find creative inspiration.

http://www.zazensf.com/

Swami Kriyananda, born J. Donald Walters (born May 19, 1926), is a direct disciple of the yogi Paramahansa Yogananda and had many hours of personal contact with him during the last four years of Yogananda\s life (1948 – 1952).[1] During this time Kriyananda became a minister for Self-Realization Fellowship, founded by Yogananda. Yogananda also asked him to teach Kriya Yoga, which Yogananda called the highest technique of Self-Realization.[citation needed] Swami Kriyananda was elected as Vice President of Self-Realization Fellowship in 1960. Kriyananda is the founder of Ananda, a worldwide movement of spiritual intentional communities based on Yogananda\s World Brotherhood Colonies idea. Ananda has meditation centers and study groups throughout the world based on the teachings of Yogananda.[2] Kriyananda is also the author of more than 80 books and the composer of over 400 songs.

Swami Kriyananda (J. Donald Walters) is one of the foremost spiritual teachers of Yoga principles in the world today. In 1948 at the age of twenty-two, he became a disciple of the Indian yoga master, Paramhansa Yogananda. He is one of a few remaining direct disciples of Yogananda teaching today.

At Yogananda’s request, Swami Kriyananda has devoted his life to lecturing and writing, helping others to experience the joy and living presence of God within. He has taught on four continents in seven languages over the course of nearly 60 years. His television program, audio and video recordings of his talks andmusic , and his many books in 28 languages have touched the lives of millions of people.

Swami Kriyananda has taken the ancient teachings of Raja Yoga and made them intensely practical and immediately useful for people in every walk of life, on a daily basis. His books and teachings cover nearly every field of human endeavor, including spiritualizing business life, leadership, education, the arts, community life, and science. He has written extensive commentaries on the Bible and the Bhagavad Gita.

Swami Kriyananda is also known as the “father of the intentional communities movement” which began in the UnitedStates in the late 1960s. Inspired by his guru’s dream of establishing spiritual communities, in 1968 he founded the first of what are now eight Ananda communities worldwide. They provide a supportive environment of “simple living and high thinking” where 1,000 full-time residents live, work, and worship together.

A monastic nearly all of his adult life, Swami Kriyananda is a Swami of the Giri (Mountain) branch of the Swami Order, as was his guru and his guru’s guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar. He is the Dharmacharya (leading according to Dharma) and spiritual guide for Ananda communities and activities worldwide.

Shahla Ettefagh has committed her life to assisting underprivileged children in India. she gave up her careers in USA and permanently relocated to India in 2002 to create Mother Miracle's Programs in slums of Rishikesh free of charge.

Shahla Ettefagh has a master's degree in Architecture and a bachelor's degree in Sociology and Psychology with an emphasis in child development. In 1984, she started a successful commercial interior art design firm, as well as an adult community art school, in San Francisco, California, USA. During repeated visits to India since 1995, Shahla was heartbroken after witnessing the desperation of Indian children in slum areas.

Her life was not the same thereafter, and she became inspired to help children in India. In 2002, Shahla decided to give up her career and planned to permanently relocate to India.

www.mothermiracle.org

Email - shahla@mothermiracle.org

Stacie-Saraswati Dooreck is a Certified Gentle Integral Yoga Instructor, Certified Sivananda Hatha Yoga Instructor Since 1995, and a Certified Kundalini teacher. Stacie used chair yoga while healing from an illness and continues to share with others the benefits of chair yoga. In 2011 she was featured on CBS Ch. 4 News Healthwatch teaching "Yoga for Seniors". She created and leads SunLight Chair Yoga Teacher Trainings in the US and Bahamas ashrams and yoga studios, and teaches weekly Chair Yoga bay area Senior and Alzheimer homes and for companies.

Resources
http://www.sunlightyoga.com/

John L. Martin has served as Airport Director of SFO since 1995. Prior to becoming Director, he served as the Airport’s Deputy Director for Business and Finance and has worked for the Airport Commission since 1981. He received a Masters Degree from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Lawrence University.

During his tenure as Airport Director, Mr. Martin oversaw one of the largest public works projects in the country at the time – the $2.4 billion SFO Master Plan, which included the construction of the now iconic International Terminal, a BART station linking the Airport to the Bay Area and a light-rail system connecting all terminals. Recent SFO accomplishments include the completion of Terminal 2, the first and only LEED Gold terminal in the United States, being designated by the San Francisco Business Times as the healthiest places to work among large companies in the San Francisco Bay Area and being named one of the best airports in North America by the international Skytrax survey.

In this podcast Shayla Mihaly discussed her system to detox and cleanse without annoying shakes, powders, hunger or side effects. Her system is affordable and will not interupt your daily life/routine.

To sign up for the cleanse go here: http://CleanseEasy.com/summary
Enter the code "ilovedarren" and enjoy your cleanse for 1/2 price!

To watch the free educational videos on cleansing, go here: http://CleanseEasy.com
You sign up, and receive a free video right away, and then another video every 2-3 days, for a total of 4 videos.

For you podcast fans, the code is "darren12" and they will save $100 on the cleanse!

Other resourse: www.abundanthealthsf.com

Listen to an inspiring interview on how yoga teacher Janessa Wells survived sexual assault through yoga and ultimately found her own voice through forgiveness. Her traumatic experience and journey of healing has shaped her teaching and the sharing of yoga with her students.

Email: j@janessawells.com

Website: janessawells.com

Organizations:

SF Women Against Rape

353 18th St. #7, San Francisco, CA 94110

www.sfwar.org

Impact Bay Area

www.impactbayarea.com

History has demonstrated over and over again that humanity finds ways to utterly miss the punch line in God’s cosmic joke. But every now and then an author comes along who finds humor in the divine and in doing so unveils profound truths that are easily hidden under layers of fundamentalism. In this podcast, Tosha Silver reflects on her new book Outrageous Openness: Letting the Divine Take the Lead .

Resources

Tosha Silver’s website

Purchase Outrageous Openness: Letting the Divine Take the Lead

Most people think of the ancient practice of yoga as a purely physical one, but anyone who has maintained a deep practice for any length of time knows that the practice is even more intense on the psychological and emotional level. In this podcast psychologist Marc Rappaport, MFT talks about the experience of becoming a yoga teacher and the profound yet intense psychological and emotional cleansing that so often occurs as a result of such rigorous training.

About Marc
Marc is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in San Francisco, CA and has been licensed since 2007. Having worked for the past 11 years in the Community Mental Health system, Marc has seen a diverse population of clients, from children and adolescents, to families and groups, as well as individuals. This has been a dedication of Marc’s: helping people to find their strengths and build on them, assisting them in managing their feelings and thoughts, guiding them to resolve crisis and challenges, steering them around pitfalls, and witnessing their journeys every step of the way.

Resources

Marc’s Website

The Yoga Tree Teacher Training

Since the 1960's incidents of eating disorders have more than doubled as people the world over struggle with weight, diet and body image. In this interview, Sue Louiseau shares her struggles with food addiction that trace back more than sixty years to her early childhood. At her heaviest, Sue weighted over 300 pounds and suffered many health consequences as a result. While she still struggles with food, she is currently at a much more manageable 175 pounds

Resources

Email Sue
Overeaters Anonymous

Since adopting my son, I have had many people approach me with questions. How did you do it? Was it hard to do? Did anyone care that you were single, gay or HIV+? Why did you choose a local adoption over a foreign adoption?

Family Builders is the agency that I worked with to fulfill my longtime dream of becoming a father. In this podcast I interview Jill Jacobs, Executive Director of Family Builders about the process of adopting children who are stuck in the foster care system. In the interview Jill talks about the process of adopting a child and shares some shocking statics about just how many children are in need of a loving home right here in the United States.

Resources
Family Builders website
Documentary: Daddy & Pappa

All of us have a body and a gender identity, but few of us are forced to confront the depth of personal and cultural meaning these things hold. Author Nick Krieger shares his powerful story of self-discovery, growth, and empowerment. Born Nina Krieger, Nick first identified as a lesbian only to realize that coming out sexually was only part of the journey. Nina Here Nor There is not simply a memoir about gender awakening—It is a potent metaphor for the transformation that all of us must undertake to become fully actualized human beings. In this podcast Nick shares some of his journey and talks about the powerful role yoga played in his finding the courage and body acceptance to face the twists and turns that emerged on his path.

Resources

Nicks Website
Watch the Video Trailer for the Book

Buy Nina Here Nor There: My Journey Beyond Gender

Paperback
Kindle eBook

Amrit Desai was one of the original gurus to come to the United States from India in the 1960s. He founded the Kripalu Yoga Ashram in Massachusetts—the largest ashram in the West.

He, like most gurus, is not without controversy . Yet in spite of the controversy, he has made an invaluable contribution to modern yoga and to the massive growth of yoga here in the West and he is considered one of the leading authorities on yoga in the world. He is the author of numerous books on yoga , is a renown musician , lectures worldwide , and is featured in the documentary, Yoga Today: 100 Years of Yoga in America .

In this episode, Desai speaks about how to use the technique of yoga nidra, a yogic state of superconsciousness, to reduce stress and achieve profound changes in one’s life.

Resources

Amrit's Website

Judith Hanson Lasater has been teaching yoga since 1971. She has studied directly with B.K.S Iyengar, is a physical therapist and holds a Ph.D. in East-West psychology. She has taught and lectured the world over and is one of the original founders of Yoga Journal.

In this podcast, Judith talks about the physiological difference between rest and sleep and how restorative yoga allows us to tap into the physiological process of rest. Through regular rest and relaxation, we can ultimately connect with our highest values and bring them into the world.

Resources

Judith's Website

Restorative Yoga Teachers Directory

Relax and Renew: Restful Yoga for Stressful Times

Living Your Yoga

What We Say Matters

Les Leventhal is a popular San Francisco based yoga instructor who offers retreats and workshops around the world. In this episode, Darren and Les talk about his upcoming retreat in Indonesia where he and his students will help Bumi Sehat, a natural birthing clinic which helps the poor families of the community who were being taken advantage of by the medical system. By helping those in need, Les hopes to teach that yoga is more than perfecting one’s poses and that through internal and external work yoga shows its true benefits to the world.

Resources

Bumi Sehat

Les' Website

Eric Maisel is a former novelist and psychological counselor turned creative coach with over 30 published books. In this episode Darren and Eric discuss Mastering Creative Anxiety: 24 Lessons for Writers, Painters, Musicians, and Actors from America's Foremost Creativity Coach. Through Eric’s 22 anxiety management techniques, we can help ours open up to the creative anxiety that all creative workers will eventually face and manage it. Through practice of self-awareness we can recognize when anxiety arises, causing roadblocks for ourselves. By being in the present moment with the anxiety, and utilizing Eric’s techniques, we can expand into greater openness throughout the creative process.

Resources

Eric's Website

Mastering Creative Anxiety: 24 Lessons for Writers, Painters, Musicians, and Actors from America's Foremost Creativity Coach

Dan Millman is a former world champion athlete, university coach, martial arts instructor, and college professor. After an intensive, twenty-year spiritual quest, Dan’s teaching found its form as the Peaceful Warrior’s Way, expressed fully in his books and lectures. His work continues to evolve over time, to meet the needs of a changing world. Dan’s thirteen books, including Way of the Peaceful Warrior, have inspired and informed millions of readers in 29 languages worldwide. The feature film, “Peaceful Warrior,” starring Nick Nolte, was adapted from Dan’s first book, based upon incidents from his life.

In this episode, Dan and Darren talk about Dan’s new book The Four Purposes of Life. Dan talks about the life lessons that daily life teaches us and how immersing ourselves in the moment can bring the most fruitful lessons to those who practice this. Drawing upon many traditions, Dan believes that finding your calling in life is part of necessary experimentation that we all need to do. Beneath all of the distractions of daily life is that hidden calling. Only by attending to this arising moment can we really live life to the fullest.

Resources

Dan’s Website

Books by Dan Millman

The Peaceful Warrior Saga

Way of the Peaceful Warrior
Sacred Journey of the Peaceful Warrior
The Journeys of Socrates
Peaceful Warrior: The Graphic Novel

Guidebooks

The Four Purposes of Life
Wisdom of the Peaceful Warrior
Everyday Enlightenment
The Life You Were Born to Live
No Ordinary Moments
The Laws of Spirit
Body Mind Mastery
Living on Purpose

Inspiration

Bridge Between Worlds (with Doug Childers)

Children’s Books

Secret of the Peaeful Warrior Quest for the Crystal Castle

Sam Jackson is a renowned musician who’s pioneering work with the crystal singing bowls has become the sound track in hundreds of yoga classes and massage therapy offices. The tones vibrate the listener to the core and frequently move people to deep states of meditation and evoke powerful emotions. In this podcast Sam talks about his new CD Initiate: Crystal Bowls and Bamboo Flutes.

Resources

Sam’s Website
Yoga on the Labyrinth at Grace Cathedral
Experience Sam’s Music Live

Purchase Sam’s Music*
Initiate: Crystal Bowls and Bamboo Flutes (iTunes • Compact Disc )
Dropping into Stillness (iTunes • Compact Disc )

* The bowls are best enjoyed in a CD quality recording

Jeffrey Small, Jr. is the author of the mystical thriller, The Breath of God, a popular blogger on Huffington Post , and an acclaimed speaker on religious and spirituality topics. A student of world religions, Jeffrey has studied at Harvard and Yale and traveled the globe to study various religions. In addition he is a successful real estate developer and champion amateur ballroom dancer along with his wife Alison. He is also active in the Episcopal Church and board member of the General Theological Seminary in New York.

Breath of God is a novel of suspense and spirituality. It is the story of a graduate student who travels to the Himalayas to try to find linkages in the world religions and the antagonist zealots who try to protect their belief systems. Throughout their journeys, the characters experience their own spiritual journeys. Jeffrey and Darren talk about St. Issa and the legend that Jesus traveled through the Middle East and India where he underwent his spiritual awakening and around which the plot of the novel revolves. Through his story, Jeffrey hopes to create a point of discussion about the commonalities of the religions of the world.

Resources

Jeffrey’s Website

Breath of God

Kamini Desai is an author and teacher with an exciting and versatile body of teachings combining western psychology and eastern philosophy. In addition to assisting individuals towards higher levels of physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, she delivers corporate training and conducts teacher trainings for the Amrita Yoga Institute.

Kamini talks about growing up in an ashram, in the shadow of her famous yogi father as well as the life and love lessons she experienced beyond those years. In recounting some of her lessons learned, she talks about opening our hearts to all experiences, painful and blissful, through unconditional love. By working from within, we develop our capacity to bring peace and love to others.

Resources

Kamini's Website

Life Lessons Love Lessons: A Guru's Daughter Discovers Knowledge is Only Half the Journey

Amrit Desai was one of the original gurus to come to the United States from India in the 1960s. He founded the Kripalu Yoga Ashram in Massachusetts—the largest ashram in the West.

He, like most gurus, is not without controversy . Yet in spite of the controversy, he has made an invaluable contribution to modern yoga and to the massive growth of yoga here in the West and he is considered one of the leading authorities on yoga in the world. He is the author of numerous books on yoga , is a renown musician , lectures worldwide , and is featured in the documentary, Yoga Today: 100 Years of Yoga in America .

In this episode, Desai speaks about the guru-disciple relationship, the imperfection of the guru, kundalini awakening and the transformative shifts possible through the giving of shaktipat.

Resources

Amrit Desai's Website

For thousands of years yoga masters have understood the connection between the breath and ones physical, emotional and mental health. But because retraining old breathing patterns can be a difficult task, these powerful techniques were generally reserved for advanced yogis. Nagabhushanam "Bobby" Peddi believes it is time to change that and he is using the iPhone and iPod to make the ancient art of breath regulation fun, easy and accessible.

Although he graduated from Edinburgh University with a degree in medicine and went on to become a surgeon, he left Western medicine to pursue his passion for preventative health. He is the co-Founder and CEO of Saagara, a “digital health” company that develops applications for mobile devices that help modern people live more balanced, healthful lives.

Resources

Saagara
Download the Lite iPhone App (free)
Download the Full iPhone App (4.99)