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Friendship as a Radical Practice for Social Change
How can friendship offer healing and transformation for ourselves and for the world? Author and spiritual teacher, Kate Johnson shares simple strategies, grounded in ancient teachings, to help us embody our deepest values and show us the importance of working toward the collective well-being in all our relationships.
Kate Johnson is an acclaimed teacher, writer, and facilitator. She leads programs and retreats integrating meditation, somatics, social justice and creativity around the world and online. She works with individuals and organizations seeking greater sustainability through the cultivation of wise relationships. She is the author of the book we are discussing today, Radical Friendship: Seven Ways to Love Yourself and Find Your People in an Unjust World.
Website: KateJohnson.com
#spiritualfriendship #selfcompassion #radicalfriendship #kriyayoga #socialjustice
THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: This was another important program about social justice but this time in the context of friendship with others and friendship with ourselves and how those friendships can transform the world. Kate Johnson defines these friendship as quality. She says it is unconditional friendliness, unconditional positive regard and that the friends genuinely want the best for each other. She goes on to say that radical friendship is where we commit to show up for our own and each other’s liberation, in a spiritual sense and in a human sense. She spoke quite a bit about how we can be better friends with others when we can be a better friend to ourselves. When we accept ourselves for being who we are, we can accept others no matter what their flaws. I highly recommend this podcast for those who want to receive from and give to deep friendships and see those friendships as a way to contribute to a better world.
Live a Spiritually Conscious Life: The Way of the Yogi - Part 2
The second limb of yoga consists of five ethical practices called the Niyamas. David McGrath, spiritual teacher and author of the book The Yogi’s Way: Living in Accord with the Yamas and Niyamas, shares how the teachings of Kriya Yoga, specifically the practices of the Niyamas offer us a practical way to live a spiritually conscious life.
David McGrath is dedicated to sharing the philosophical and psychological principles, and practices of yoga with a focus on promoting the holistic capacity of Kriya Yoga to provide insight into what it means to be human and how we can appreciate and live in tune with the fundamental nature of life. David was ordained by Mr. Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, as a minister within the tradition of Kriya Yoga, in 2011. He offers instruction and guidance through one-to-one consultations, organized retreats, online programs, public seminars, workshops, and written publications. David imagines a world awakened in oneness and invites people to follow a path which will allow them to clarify their conscious awareness.
WEBSITE: www.davidmcgrath.ie
THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: Part 2 of this interview with David McGrath was a wonderful discussion on the niyamas following up from part 1 on the yamas. He explained how the yamas and niyamas support each other. While the yamas are practices that deal with the outside world, the niyamas are practices that disconnect with the outside world to give space to look within ourselves. Laurel and David agreed that meditation is a key practice to disengage with the ego concerns and go within to experience contentment. It is also a key part of Self-study, the second of the three pillars of Kriya Yoga. Self-study supports us in moving into the space of the witness. I was inspired by what he shared at the end of the program, wherever one is in the practice of yoga, it is extremely useful to disconnect, find silence and stillness. There you can know yourself just as a witness. This was an excellent interview and shouldn't be missed.
#yoga #niyamas #contentment #santosha #selfstudy #svadhyaya #eightlimbsofyoga #meditation #yogasutras
DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: After my discussion with David McGrath on the Yamas in Part One; the ethical principles about how we relate to others, it was useful to turn our focus within and discuss the five Niyamas: cleanliness, contentment, self-discipline, self-study, and self-surrender. As we discussed, these practices gain depth and subtlety the longer we engage with them, and practicing them deepens our understanding of the practice of the Yamas, or restraints, as well. I particularly appreciated our deeper conversation about two of the Niyamas, contentment and self-study. David’s exercise of contemplating words to decide how much they describe contentment was thought-provoking. He lists happy, balanced, still and curious as words that may describe contentment, and I appreciated our discussion that happiness and contentment are not necessarily the same thing. We both agree that meditation is one key practice that helps us with both contentment and self-study.
Live a Spiritually Conscious Life: The Way of the Yogi - Part One
The first limb of yoga consists of five ethical principles called the Yamas. How do these Yamas offer us a practical way to live a life that is worthy of us? Author and Kriya Yoga teacher, David McGrath shares how these principles and practices guide us to live in the highest way, a yogic life. David is the author of the book being discussed in this program, The Yogi’s Way: Living in Accord With The Yamas and Niyamas.
David McGrath is dedicated to sharing the philosophical and psychological principles, and practices of yoga with a focus on promoting the holistic capacity of Kriya Yoga to provide insight into what it means to be human and how we can appreciate and live in tune with the fundamental nature of life. David was ordained by Mr. Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, as a minister within the tradition of Kriya Yoga, in 2011. He offers instruction and guidance through one-to-one consultations, organized retreats, online programs, public seminars, workshops, and written publications. David imagines a world awakened in oneness and invites people to follow a path which will allow them to clarify their conscious awareness.
WEBSITE: www.davidmcgrath.ie
THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: It was a pleasure to listen to Part One of this discussion with David McGrath on his book, The Yogi's Way, concentrating on the yamas, the first limb of the eight limbs of yoga. The Yamas are how we relate to others and to the world. David began reflecting that, as yogis, we know how well we are doing in our practice by how well we are doing in life. It's a feedback loop. As we go deeper, it is like peeling off another layer. The book is set up to allow the reader to peel off the layers over a period of time to help us experience each of the yamas in an ever more subtle way. I appreciated his view of Ahimsa or harmlessness, as attracting the unified expression of love, to allow life to flow without harming it; seeing compassion as an inside job, but also an outside job, allowing us the opportunity to connect and care. David and Laurel also discussed how Satya, truthfulness, is looking from the vast Absolute Truth of Oneness the doesn’t change to what it means to us in this moment. In the moment, it is a process of continuously discerning how to relate to life for the betterment of every single aspect of life. I look forward to Part Two where the discussion will be about the the niyamas, how we look inward.
DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: In both David’s book and in our conversation I appreciated the opportunity to dive more deeply into the ethical principles that form the first limb of the 8 limbs of Yoga. As we discussed, the first Yama of Ahimsa, or harmlessness, comes from the deep underlying principle of Yoga that everything in the outer world is a manifestation of the underlying Oneness, of Supreme Consciousness. When we harm others we are also harming ourselves. I also appreciated the exercise of looking at different words and deciding how much they described Ahimsa, words like calm, attentiveness, empowering, and my favorite, bravery. Our discussion of the relationship between Harmlessness and Truthfulness was enriching.
Compassion, Community and Kinship: Fostering Spiritual Interconnection
How can we, as individuals, contribute to the repair of the world and ourselves in this polarized time? Dr. Pamela Ayo Yetunde, author of Casting Indra’s Net, asks the questions “What happened to us? Why do so many choose brutality over mutuality? In this program she shares how we can do the necessary inner work to live as spiritual kin, caring for each other amidst global crisis and suffering.
Dr. Pamela Ayo Yetunde is a lawyer and has a doctor of theology in pastoral counseling. She is an activist, lay Buddhist teacher, professor, pastoral counselor, and writer. She is the co-editor of Black and Buddhist: What Buddhism Can Teach Us About Race, Resilience, Transformation, and Freedom as well as the author of two volumes on pastoral care. Her articles appear in Buddha-dharma, Lion's Roar, Journal of Buddhist-Christian Studies, Religions and Feminist Theology. She also serves as an associate editor for Lion’s Roar magazine and has been featured on NBC.com, the Tamron Hall Show, and Sisters of AARP, and she appears regularly in major online summits concerning spirituality and caregiving.
WEBSITE: PamelaAyoYetunde.com Facebook: Pamela Ayo Yetunde
#indrasnet #yoga #civility #goldenrule #kinship @pamelaayoyetunde
THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: Dr. Ayo Yetunde said that she wrote this book, Casting Indra's Net, because she is concerned about how we are treating one another. She asks the questions “What happened to us? Why did many of us choose brutality over mutuality?” Those questions really struck me. She says "It is very dangerous now and I didn’t want to be one of those who didn’t say anything." I so appreciate how she brings in the spiritual teachings of the major spiritual traditions that teach about how we are all connected and what happens to one, happens to all. These spiritual teachings offer us tools to overcome this time of perceived separation. Dr. Yetunde reminds us that we are all inextricably part of Indra's net. There is no denying it. We all need to step up and recognize our place in Indra's net. We are supporting and are supported by each other. Ayo spoke so eloquently and clearly about the trouble we could be in if we don't begin to step up and speak up in a truthful but harmless way. That is what she means by the word "casting". This is another important program about how spiritual practice opens up our hearts and leads us towards compassionate action.
DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: I so appreciated having Dr. Pamela Ayo Yetunde as a guest on The Yoga Hour to discuss her important book Casting Indra’s Net: Fostering Spiritual Kinship and Community. The Vedic story of Indra’s Net describes a network over the Earth where each point where the fibers cross contains a jewel that represents each of us. This story is contained in both Buddhist and Yoga traditions shows our interconnection, how we belong to something greater than ourselves, as well as representing our precious inner light. We discussed the need for civility. Civility, in this context, doesn’t mean being “nice" but rather being able to be compassionate, to listen deeply and to affirm each others fear and concerns and then come to a negotiated solution. I appreciated Dr. Yetunde’s “Platinum Rule” which goes beyond the Golden Rule of “treat others the way you’d like to be treated” to “treat others the way they need to be treated”.
Foster Love and Build Connection to Make Great Relationships
How can we foster healthy and fulfilling relationships of all kinds? Author and psychologist Rick Hanson offers simple but powerful ways to improve relationships with our family, friends and with challenging people so that we can cultivate kindness and communicate more skillfully.
Rick Hanson is a psychologist and has written and taught about the essential inner skills of personal well-being, psychological growth, and contemplative practice – as well as about relationships, family life, and raising children. Dr. Hanson is the author of several best-selling books on these topics, including the book we are discussing today- Making Great Relationships: Simple Practices for Solving Conflicts, Building Connection, and Fostering Love. He is a Senior Fellow of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, and has been invited to speak at NASA as well as at Oxford, Harvard, Stanford, and other major universities. Dr. Hanson offers online classes and programs as well as a free online weekly meditation program. He has his own podcast, Being Well, with his son Forrest Hanson.
WEBSITE: RickHanson.net
FaceBook: @rickhansonphd
Instagram: @rickhansonphd
#relationships,#makinggreatrelationships,#compassion,#meditation,#kriyayoga,#befriendyourself
THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: When Rick Hanson was asked why he wrote this book, Making Great Relationships he said that healthy relationships are the most important aspect of our lives—for our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. He said one of the most frequent issues that people come to him for, as a psychologist, is help with relationships. Through this book he wants to give us tools that support us in answering HOW to improve our relationships. Dr. Trujillo asked him about meditation and how that supports better relationships. He said that for those of us on the spiritual path, meditation is "homecoming". When we are more rooted in our "home" the harder it is to not be there and then share that energy space with others. Another inspirational and helpful Yoga Hour program that I highly recommend.
DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: The Yoga Hour team thinks that the topic of building relationships is a critical one for our world at this time, and Rick Hanson’s book Making Great Relationships is a wonderful tool for us all to build skills in this area. I enjoyed our discussion of the need to befriend oneself as a critical starting point in this effort to build better relationships. Our conversation touched on the many benefits of having good relationships on our overall health, including increased longevity. The anecdotes Dr. Hanson shared about feeding the wolf of love in our hearts instead of the wolf of hate, and the importance of not taking things personally really resonated with me. Lastly, I appreciated his description of meditation as coming home, since it certainly feels that way to me.
Transform Your Life with Kriya Yoga
What is it like to live as a Kriya Yogi? Yogacharya O’Brian draws inspiration from the Bhagavad Gita to explore this question about how to live a spiritually conscious fulfilled life in today’s world.
Ellen Grace O'Brian (Yogacharya O’Brian) is an acclaimed teacher, award-winning author, and minister who has served seekers of spiritual enlightenment from all walks of life for over thirty years. She has published several books and audio programs about meditation, mindfulness and spiritual living, offering a refreshing and authentic voice that makes timeless wisdom accessible to the modern mind. She is the spiritual director of the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment, a meditation center in San Jose, CA. Through her teaching and publications, Yogacharya O’Brian helps people learn to live from the inside out with practices and insights for developing life-transforming skills to cultivate a spiritually awakened, fulfilled life.
WEBSITE: EllenGraceOBrian.com CSECenter.org
Podcast: Kriya Yoga Today with Yogacharya O’Brian
YouTube: Ellen Grace O’Brian
Instagram: @ellengraceobrian
Facebook: @ellengraceobrian
#Bhagavad Gita, #Meditation, #Jnana Yoga, #Karma Yoga, #Yamas
THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: Yogacharya O'Brian shared that the essence of Kriya Yoga is acting and being anchored in our spiritual identity rather than ego self. I loved Yogacharya's clear and uplifting message about how everything we do; talking, sitting and walking or as she described, moving in the world, are manifestations of our state of mind. The spiritually awakened one is obvious through the life they live with calm wisdom. The discussion touched on how the practice of meditation is the opportunity to experience steady discernment of our spiritually awakened and enlightened nature. Knowing this truth inspires us to live our lives as a reflection of our spiritually conscious mind. Yogacharya O'Brian shared how our study of the Bhagavad Gita can support our understanding of ourselves as spiritual beings but beyond that can answer any question we have about living a spiritually centered life. I was so uplifted and inspired by the discussion.
DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: I really enjoyed our discussion of the Bhagavad Gita, and in particular Chapter 2 verse 54, the verse where Arjuna asks Krishna what it’s like to live as an enlightened person. As Yogacharya O’Brian said, we each need to try on the idea and imagine what that might be like as part of our quest to live as Kriya Yogis. When imagining how a wise and calm sage would speak, we discussed the importance of the yogic practices of harmlessness and truthfulness. Arjuna also asks Krishna how a sage would sit, or meditate, and how they walk, or relate to the outer world. Yogacharya’s perspective about all of this resting on the consciousness of each of us was illuminating.
Overcoming Barriers to Spiritual Awakening
How can we overcome the tendency to jeopardize our own spiritual journey? Swamini Svatmavidyananda offers lessons from the ancient, timeless teachings of the Upanishads which offer practical tools to overcome the most common barriers on the spiritual path.
@svatmavidyananda
#upanishads
#self-knowledge
#obstaclestospiritualawakening
#kriyayoga
#beyourself
Dr. Swamini Svatmavidyananda Saraswati is the resident acharya at Arsha Vijnana Gurukulum with several locations throughout the United States including Atlanta, Georgia and Eugene Oregon. Swaminiji has taught at several universities nationally, including UC Berkeley. She is widely recognized as a scholar of Advaita Vedanta and teaches nationally and internationally and is the author of the book we will discuss today; Overcoming Self-Sabotage in Self-Knowledge: Insights from the Upanishads As a founding member of the “Global Women's Peace Initiative,” she has traveled globally addressing the ever-increasing challenges that face humanity in a global ethos. Swaminiji addresses contemporary challenges facing the world, from global warming to religious/social unrest, in her unfolding of the Upanishads, the foundational spiritual texts of the Hindu tradition.
WEBSITE: arshavg.org
YouTube:@svatmavidyananda
THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: Swamini Svatmavidyananda’s way of teaching from the ancient scripture of the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita about overcoming self-sabotage to our spiritual awakening is so relatable to what most of us experience in our everyday lives. This is much like the way that Yogacharya teaches us. When Swamini ji was asked why we identify with the ego and the ever-changing body and mind, rather than the limitless, free Self she said "It is a question of partial knowledge. Like the rope lying in the dark that we mistake for a snake. It is a misapprehension due to a lack of light. Not knowing what it is exactly makes it a cause of fear." This is a compassionate way of looking at our lack of knowledge and that the tools of spiritual practice shine the light taking away the fear. I also loved her closing inspiration to our listeners: "Be yourself. Be Oneself. Let go of any inauthenticity. Don't worry about making mistakes. Make many new mistakes because they are a gateway to knowledge."
DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: I found Swamini ji’s teaching to be very practical and down to earth, which especially showed in her discussion of FOMO, the fear of missing out, that is so common in our world today. She illuminated how the desire for instant gratification drives our attachment to the changing external world, and how we can begin to choose the permanent rather than the temporary. I loved how she said that we can go from “ho hum”, that boredom and repetitiveness that comes when we overly focus on the temporary, to “So Hum”, which means “I am THAT, that Oneness”, referring to our permanent unchanging Self.
Let's Start Meditating!
Are you ready to begin meditating, or to recommit to a regular meditation practice? Swami Saradananda, meditation and yoga teacher and author of Sitting Comfortably discusses the benefits of a regular meditation practice and how to overcome obstacles to beginning and continuing one.
Swami Saradananda has been practicing and teaching yoga and meditation for over 40 years. She holds an MA in Traditions of Yoga and Meditation from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. She has written several books on various aspects of yoga and meditation including the book being discussed in this episode, Sitting Comfortably: Preparing the Mind and Body for Peaceful Meditation. Swami Saradananda worked with the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers for 26 years and directed centers in New York, London, Toronto, New Delhi and the Himalayas. She is now teaching independently and offers personal mentoring for yogic and meditation practices.
THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: It was a delight to hear Swami Saradananda talk about meditation and all the supportive ways we can help ourselves stay steady in our meditation practice. And asking why we stay steady in our practice, she says, is like asking "Do I want to be happy?" She shared that meditation helps with mental and physical wellbeing as well as spiritual awakening. There were so many small actions and steps Swami Saradananda shared with our Yoga Hour audience. This session can be listened to again and again to understand the importance of meditation as well as how to prepare our mind and body for our practice.
DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: This conversation will be supportive for those who want to begin a meditation practice and for those who want to recommit to a steady practice. I enjoyed our conversation about happiness, and understanding that when we tie our happiness to external things, that happiness is transitory. Our discussion of the many benefits of meditation included reducing stress, insomnia, anxiety, and depression; alleviating pain; increasing patience, compassion, energy, stamina and resilience. We also discussed the importance of steady practice and letting go of preconceived ideas about what meditation should be like.