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Sacred Chants—A Divine Connection
How does sacred music deepen our connection to the Divine? Swami Nirvanananda, musician and spiritual teacher, shares how sacred chants and music can quiet our minds, bringing us to a deeper connection with the Divine.
#kriya yoga #yogananda # kirtan #sacred chants #bhakti #pratyahara
Swami Nirvanananda
Giorgio Kriegsch was born to devout parents, a Catholic mother and a Lutheran father in Trieste, Italy. In 1975 his life was changed after reading Paramahana Yogananda’s book, Autobiography of a Yogi. He was initiated into Kriya Yoga by Swami Hariharananda—a direct disciple of Yogananda’s guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar. During one of his early trips to India, Giorgio discovered the inspiring work of Father Marian Zelazek, who was helping the children of lepers in Puri, a city in eastern India. He asked Fr. Zelazek how he could help and was asked to seek sponsors to support this work. Giorgio began performing Kirtan (sacred chanting concerts) to raise funds. In 1992, in the holy city of Jagannath Puri in India, Giorgio took the final monastic vows of a sannyas and became Swami Nirvanananda Saraswati, meaning “the bliss of freedom from suffering.” He continues to travel the world, inspiring audiences withdevotional music and raising funds to help others.
WEBSITE: nirvanananda.org FB: Swami Nirvanananda
THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: Listening to this podcast was a supportive experience with the comforting presence of Swami Nirvanananda. In an hour filled with sacred chanting, he shared his heart, love and joy through his beautiful voice, guitar and harmonium playing. Step into this time with Dr.Trujillo and Swami Nirvanananda as they discuss how to deepen our connection to the Divine through sacred chanting. The mind becomes still through the attention to the breath and sound vibration. This was such a joyful time and so helpful in this moment in history.
DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: Experiencing Swami ji’s music and chanting was a joy. We discussed chanting as part of the practice of Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of devotion. He shared chants in both English and Sanskrit, and I particularly was touched by his chant of the 23rd Psalm. It was so moving that it brought tears to my eyes. Chanting is also a part of Interiorization, or Pratyahara, one of the eight limbs of yoga. I believe listeners will experience both the joy and turning within that chanting brings by listening to this episode.
Take Action on Climate Change with Heart and Mind
How do we respond to the urgency of climate change yet act effectively with hope? Join the conversation with our guest, author Susan Bauer-Wu as we discuss the challenges of this moment, to channel our inner awareness and wisdom, and to re-orient our thinking toward hopeful action.
#yoga #climate crisis #wonderment #contemplation #raising consciousness
Susan Bauer-Wu
SUSAN BAUER-WU is an organizational leader, clinical scientist, and mindfulness teacher, who has held leadership and academic roles in nonprofits, universities, and health care. From 2015 to 2023 she served as President of the Mind & Life Institute, an organization co-founded by the Dalai Lama to bring science and contemplative wisdom together to better understand the mind, foster dialogue, and create positive change in the world. Susan is the author of several books including, A Future We Can Love: Effective Approaches to the Climate Crisis That Begin with Us
The short films about climate feedback loops, which were the genesis for the book, are available for free online with subtitles in 32 languages at feedbackloopsclimate.com.
WEBSITE: MindAndLife.org
THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: In this impactful podcast, Susan Bauer-Wu discusses important information related to the climate crisis, as presented in her book, A Future We Can Love: Effective Approaches to the Climate Crisis That Begin With Us. While sobering, there are choices we can make for the future that we can love. Look for the interconnected nature of all things. Take time in nature and wonder. Ground yourself, breathe--be with the grief. And we can create positive feedback loops when we meditate, plant a tree, live more simply, or be in community--- as these actions strengthen us spiritually, they also contribute to the healing of the planet.
DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: I really enjoyed speaking with Susan Bauer-Wu about her book A Future We Can Love: Effective Approaches to the Climate Crisis that Begin with Us. The four part plan that she presents is so helpful: we begin with knowledge about where we are in the climate crisis; acknowledgement of our capacity; willingness to change; and then take action. At times the climate crisis feels overwhelming, yet you discuss ways that each of us can approach it with both mind and heart. We can learn about what is happening (mind) yet remain hopeful as we make changes in our lives (heart). We discussed the role of expanding our viewpoint, recognizing our connection with the earth and all living things, and the role of connecting with others to make changes.
Lasting Peace Begins with Us
How can we contribute to a lasting peace in the world? The ancient yogic scriptures tell us that the power to change the world begins with us. Renowned spiritual teacher and spiritual head of the Himalayan Institute, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait offers practical tools for self-transformation. We can all contribute to lasting peace.
WEBSITE: HimalayanInstitute.org Social Media: Himalayan Institute
#kriyayoga #peace #innerpeace #egoism #compassion #kindness
Pandit Rajmani Tigunait
Pandit Rajmani Tigunait is a modern-day master and living link in the unbroken Himalayan Tradition. He is the successor to Sri Swami Rama of the Himalayas, and the spiritual head of the Himalayan Institute located in the heart of the Poconos in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. As the author of 19 books, including the book we are discussing in this program, Why We Fight: Practices for Lasting Peace, Pandit Tigunait offers practical guidance on applying yogic wisdom to modern life. For over 40 years he has touched innumerable lives around the world as a teacher, humanitarian, and visionary spiritual leader.
THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: Pandit Tigunait published this book in the wake of the first US/Iraq war in 1991. He was surprised that when the war quickly ended how those who had been protesting the war forgot about it and went back to their lives and he didn't sell any books. For him this highlighted how our attention span is limited and only our individual inner peace brings compassion, kindness and nonviolence to the world. Compassion and kindness becomes an automatic way of life when we have a consistent practice for inner peace. I was inspired by his closing comments:
Embrace your best friend, your own mind. No matter how long it takes. Tell that best friend "Let’s go to that place of peace. Then let us come back to this beautiful world to serve."
Be kind to everyone and to all the world.
DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: I appreciated Pandit Tigunait’s teachings expressing the importance of cultivating our inner peace in order to contribute to peace in the world. We discussed the role that egoism plays in disturbing our inner peace, as egoism is one of the five Kleshas, the obstructions to our experience of our own essential Oneness with all that is. Pandit ji spoke of the importance of purification, or refinement, of the ego to provide clarity in how we can move forward in challenging situations. He also stressed the importance of having a regular meditation practice in cultivating our inner peace and our discernment. It was wonderful to have him on the show to discuss this important topic.
The Happiness of Yoga
Do you yearn for lasting happiness? Join yoga teachers and authors Mary Taylor and Richard Freeman as they explore the root causes of suffering and how to negotiate a path toward awakening and the integration of your physical body, heart, and mind. The shore of joy and happiness is waiting. Richard and Mary are the authors of the book that is being discussed on this program, Feeling Happy: The Yoga of Body, Heart and Mind
WEBSITE:FreemanTaylorYoga.com FB: Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor IG: FreemanTaylorYoga
#kriyayoga #happiness #ananda #interconnectedness #meditation #mindfulness
Richard Freeman & Mary Taylor
Richard Freeman has been a student of yoga since 1968. He spent nine years in Asia studying yoga asana, pranayama, Sufism, Sanskrit language, and Indian philosophy. He has studied asana with B.K.S. Iyengar and K. Pattabhi Jois and has worked with numerous Buddhist teachers to draw insights into the interfacing of Buddhism and yoga as a reflection of life. Richard’s metaphorical, humorous, teaching style appeals to students of many backgrounds and nationalities.
Mary Taylor began studying yoga in 1971 and her studies have grown into a deep interest into how yoga asana, meditation and the interfacing of yoga with Buddhism combine to support us through complex modern times. Her main asana practice is in the internal forms of the ashtanga vinyasa tradition. She is part of the core faculty of the Being with Dying program at Upaya Zen Center and the senior faculty for the UZIT training program, both of which apply contemplative practices to improved and sustainable wellness within medical settings.
THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor remind us of this truth, that we all want to be happy. But how do we find true happiness? In the conversation with Dr. Trujillo, we are presented with significant ways we can touch into happiness, which is what we are. With the breath, we can be in that perfect place of “ah” and find inside of us, our happiness. That present moment awareness experienced in the body, mind and breath will also bring us to the deeper meaning and purpose of our lives: to share our innate goodness with others, giving kindness and generosity. This reminds us of what it is to be happy.
DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: It was a joy to discuss lasting happiness with Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor. Their book, Feeling Happy: The Yoga of Body, Heart and Mind tells us about the happiness of the soul, and how we can experience more of that happiness in our lives. As we discussed, looking outside of ourselves for happiness results in the experience with which we are all so familiar: alternating waves of happiness and unhappiness. They write: “The underlying premise of this book is that happiness isn’t something you do; it’s something you are.” As Richard and Mary point out, in order to remain connected to this highest happiness, we need to be fully present in the moment. A meditation practice is a wonderful tool to help us to achieve this presence awareness.
Cultivate Health Through The Yamas and Niyamas
An important component of health is contentment of the soul and the mind. Anusha Sehgal BAMS M.D, a classically trained Ayurvedic physician, shares how the yogic principles of the yamas and niyamas can be cultivated to support our everyday life, bringing balance and stability as well as support to navigate life’s inevitable challenges.
Dr. Anusha Sehgal is a classically trained Ayurvedic physician with over 20 years of experience in teaching, practice, and research in the field of Ayurveda. She is currently working as the director of Boston Ayurveda Inc. in Massachusetts, as adjunct faculty at Kripalu School of Ayurveda as well as lead instructor of the Advanced Ayurveda Practitioner Training (AAPT) and Ayurveda Doctor programs at Boston Ayurveda Inc. She also served as the former Editor in Chief of the Ayurveda Journal of Health, and founding chair of the NAMA (National Ayurvedic Medical Association) Certification Board. For this program we are referencing the talk she offered for the Kripalu Institute’s Amplify Voices of the Global Majority conference in May, 2024.
Click here for Dr. Sehgal’s Talk
WEBSITE: BostonAyurvedaInc.com
#kriya yoga #ayurveda #yamas #niyamas #gunas
THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: Dr. Sehgal is an Ayurvedic physician who told us that she began to study yoga philosophy as a "hobby" when she was in India studying Ayurveda. This led her to understand the connection between the two sciences. The eight limbs of yoga and especially the first two limbs, the yamas and niyamas helped her to realize how important living an ethical life through the practices of the yamas and niyamas supports both our physical and mental health. She has a practical way of describing these practices and how they work to give us more mental and physical vitality, resilience and support us through the ups and downs of life. Living these practices are supportive for those who have an interest in deepening their spiritual practice through yoga philosophy, but also for those who just want to live their lives in the highest and best way. I highly recommend this program.
DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: I appreciated the opportunity to discuss the effect of the gunas on the mind: how sattva guna invokes mental clarity, rajas guna can manifest as a state of agitation, and tamas guna can present as being stuck. Dr. Sehgal’s correlation between following the ethical principles of yoga, the Yamas and Niyamas, and the resultant states of mind was quite interesting to me. I also enjoyed the Ayurvedic view that these ethical practices are rejuvenating: they require little energy, and even increase our energy as following them is consistent with our highest true Self.
Awaken Your Healing Energy: Part Two- The Mind
How can we use the mind’s capacities to create for ourselves a healthier and happier reality? Shivani Lucki, internationally known Kriya Yoga meditation teacher and author of Healing with Life Force: Teaching and Techniques of Parmahansa Yogananda, shares Paramahansa Yogananda’s teachings for vitality, healing and Self-realization. This program is focused on the second of the three books in this trilogy,
WEBSITE: HealingLifeForces.com
#yoga #kriya yoga #yogananda #concentration #visualization #superconscious #affirmation
Shivani Lucki dedicated her life to the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda in 1969 when she met Swami Kriyananda, the founder of the Ananda community. Her passion has always been the self-healing techniques of Yogananda, taking on as her unique mission to find and share these mostly out-of-print or never published teachings. She helped to establish two Ananda communities-one in California and one in Assisi, Italy as well as the Yogananda Academy of Europe. She is also the founder of Life Therapy School for Self-Healing. Since 1985 she and her husband have lived at the Ananda Assisi Community in Italy.
THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: Knowing the intricacies of the mind is vitally important on the path of yoga, and in today’s discussion with Shivani Lucki, we are provided with essential tools and techniques that Paramhansa Yogananda taught for self-healing that she shares in her book, Healing With Life Force: The Mind. The mind is powerful, and we can learn to use it wisely for our healing and transformation. We need these techniques more than ever as we encounter a multitude of distractions in our daily lives. Among the tools of the conscious mind that were discussed were the “superpowers” of concentration, willpower and visualization as ways to direct the mind. We can become aware of our thoughts and bring them into alignment for the highest good, for our own spiritual growth, healing and transformation.
DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: I loved our discussion of the three dimensions of the mind: superconscious, conscious, and subconscious mind. Shivani Lucki points out that the three superpowers of the conscious mind are willpower, concentration, and visualization. Willpower is important to establishing and maintaining our meditation practice, which builds our ability to concentrate. I think our discussion of the importance of visualization and affirmation, along with her sharing of your favorite healing affirmation, will be helpful for listeners.
Mudras for Healing and Transformation
Discover the positive qualities that mudras evoke in us! Join yoga therapist and author, Joseph LePage, as he shares the ancient yogic science of mudra, yogic hand gestures for healing the physical body, balancing the mind and awakening spirit. If your body can’t do yoga, your hands can.
#mudra #yoga #eightlimbs #anxietyrelief #personaltransformation #jnanayoga #meditation
Joseph Le Page founded Integrative Yoga and Integrative Yoga Therapy (IYT) in 1993 and is a pioneer in the field of Yoga therapy training programs. He began teaching yoga therapy in hospital settings in 1995 and continues up to the present as Director of The Healthy Heart Program. Joseph has been a speaker at major conferences including Yoga Journal, the International Association of Yoga Therapists, the Kripalu Yoga Teacher’s Association, the International Association of Yoga and Ayurveda, and others. He is co-founder and director of the Enchanted Mountain Yoga Center in Garopaba, Brazil, one of the largest Yoga retreat centers in South America. He is the co-author of Yoga Toolbox for Teacher and Students and the book being discussed in this program, Mudras for Healing and Transformation.
THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: The podcast on mudras with Joseph Le Page is both dynamic and experiential. Joseph portrays mudras as radio antennas into the superconscious realms, a connection beyond words, thoughts and speech. He sees mudras as transmitters to enhance an inner journey to finding the true self. The basic hand gestures (Hasta Mudras) are clearly explained and demonstrated. An integrated meditation through the mudras of the eight limbs is very powerful and I can feel how it would prepare me to sit for a deep meditation
DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: Our rich conversation drew from Joseph Le Page’s classic book Mudras for Healing and Transformation, and included the definition of the Sanskrit word mudra, meaning to bring forth delight and enchantment. He described mudras as doorways that open ourselves to superconsciousness which is beyond words, thoughts, and speech, and also mudras as antennas that can both receive and transmit our inherent spiritual qualities at the soul level. Joseph gave a demonstration of several mudras, including those representing the eight limbs of yoga, as well as those that can help relieve anxiety. This was a wonderful conversation that listeners will learn from and enjoy.
Overcome the Obstacles to Personal Healing and Contribute to the Healing of the World
Ever notice the ways we can create suffering for ourselves and others? Our guest, author and spiritual practitioner, Michelle Cassandra Johnson, shares tools to navigate the obstacles that create suffering. We can facilitate positive change not only within ourselves but also within our communities and the broader world.
Michelle Cassandra Johnson is an activist, social justice warrior, author, anti-racism consultant and trainer, intuitive healer, yoga teacher and practitioner. She has led dismantling racism work in many settings for over 20 years, and has two decades of practice as a clinical social worker. Michelle’s work centers on healing from individual and collective trauma, coming back into wholeness and aligning the mind, body, spirit, and heart. She has a BA from the College of William and Mary and an MA in social work from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She is the author of many books on yoga philosophy and social justice including the book we are discussing on this program, Illuminating Our True Nature: Yogic Practices for Personal and Collective Healing. Website: MichelleCJohnson.com
FaceBook: Michelle Cassandra Johnson IG:SkillinAction
#yoga #kleshas #avidya #egoism #healing #liberation
THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: Today's podcast with Michelle Cassandra Johnson was a fantastic discussion into the topic of the kleshas, as presented in her book, Illuminating Our True Nature. With a deep desire for healing, Ms. Johnson shares how the kleshas can guide our Self-study practice for liberation and give us clarity around the role of egoism in perpetuating division among communities. The kleshas are presented like a masterclass into what gets in the way of our freedom and understanding about the truth of Oneness. Using these distinctions, we can move away from chaos, suffering, and separation in our communities and globally.
DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: I enjoyed our rich discussion of the obstacles to liberation, or Kleshas. I appreciated Michelle Cassandra Johnson’s statement in the book that since she did not learn about Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras in the way that Patanjali would have taught, she approached teaching yoga with both humility and curiosity. We explored all five Kleshas, beginning with ignorance of our true nature (or Avidya in Sanskrit), the root of all of the other obstacles. Our discussion illuminated the role of the Kleshas in both personal growth, as well as societal problems, pointing out that work to understand the kleshas can benefit us as individuals and as a community and society.