Sivana Podcast: Eastern Spirituality, Yoga Philosophy, And Conscious Living

Join us with Jeffrey Armstrong, author, mystical poet, motivational speaker and spiritual teacher, as we discuss how yoga can inspire a new generation of thought leaders living and participating in the every day world. How can we work to effect positive change in the world around us and within us? We ask how to integrate yoga into our daily lives, and explore important questions about life, divine intelligence and the challenges of living a conscious life in the modern world. Award-winning poet and best-selling author of numerous books, Jeffrey is a relationship expert, philosopher, practitioner and teacher of the Vedas for over 40 years. Prior to his teaching he had a successful career as an executive in Silicon Valley and spent five years in an ashram as a brahmacharya (monk). He also holds degrees in Psychology, History & Comparative Religion and English Literature. For the past 40+ years and currently as the Media and Communications Director for both the Vedic Friends Association (VFA) and the Hindu C

While we can agree that yoga is about a lot more than stretching, that doesn't change the fact that the majority of people coming to yoga in the west, come because of a perceived benefit of stretching. So what is actually happening to the body when we stretch and move in a postural yoga practice? Has what we know about the body changed in recent years because of developments in western medical science?  Join us as we chat with Jules Mitchell MS, CMT, RYT, a Los Angeles based yoga teacher, manual therapist and educator. She combines the tradition of yoga with her background in biomechanics to create yoga programs designed to help people move better and achieve individually defined physical success. As adjunct faculty at Arizona State University, Jules serves as the yoga consultant on various research studies (including a recent grant from NIH) to quantify the effects of yoga therapy on special populations – including pregnant women, women with depressive symptoms associated with perinatal loss, and cancer pati

Are we taking yoga somewhere, or is it taking us? And where are we headed? Join us as we talk with J. Brown, yoga teacher, writer and host the Yoga Talks Podcast. His writing has been featured in Yoga Therapy Today, the International Journal of Yoga Therapy, Elephant Journal, and Yogadork. In this episode, J. shares his personal story of how yoga helped him process his mother's death and how his practice has changed over the years. As we discuss the power of yoga to support and transform people's lives, we ask what direction we see yoga heading here in the West and explore ways in which technology is impacting how yoga is taught and shared throughout the world. Special Guest: J. Brown www.jbrownyoga.com Host: Ashton Szabo www.anatomyofliving.com Sound Engineer: Zach Cooper Producer: Benn Mendelson www.sivanaspirit.com  

In Part II of our conversation with yogi and sanskrit scholar, Christopher Tompkins, he expands on his amazing findings that include an important missing link between the modern popular postures and ancient tantric traditions! Were early yogi masters who brought yoga to the west teaching everything they knew or was something intentionally left out? Where does this leave the modern practice, so popular today? Where do we go next? Join us for the conclusion of our conversation about the true origins of modern yoga. -- The true origins of the modern practice of Hatha Yoga, practiced by so many in the world today, is hotly disputed by many scholars. Some people believe most of the postures practiced today were invented by a great yogi and sage, Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, in the early 20th century. Others say the postures are much older,  but how much older? If the postures did exist hundreds or thousands of years ago, were they practiced the same way? Are we missing anything in our modern practice? We explore the

The true origins of the modern practice of Hatha Yoga, practiced by so many in the world today, is hotly disputed by many scholars. Some people believe most of the postures practiced today were invented by a great yogi and sage, Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, in the early 20th century. Others say the postures are much older,  but how much older? If the postures did exist hundreds or thousands of years ago, were they practiced the same way? Are we missing anything in our modern practice?  In Part I of our conversation with yogi and sanskrit scholar, Christopher Tompkins, he tells us the story of how he came into yoga and what him led him to these mysterious ancient sanskrit texts.  He goes on to explain the discoveries he has made and speaks of the true origins of modern postural yoga. Has he found a missing key to unlock the postures so commonly practiced in the world today? Join us in this exciting conversation about the roots and origins of modern yoga! Christopher P. Tompkins, MTS, MA is a Yoga practitioner an

In this episode, we dive into a story of Hanuman that warns us not to get too comfortable on the spiritual journey. Even after Hanuman realizes his divine nature, there is still work to be done and obstacles to overcome. With strength, wit, and a commitment to explore the depths of the subconscious, Hanuman shows us how to overcome the challenges of the spiritual path. The story serves as a reminder to stay vigilant in your quest, no matter how far you've come. Host: Ashton Szabo www.anatomyofliving.com Sound Engineer: Zach Cooper Producer: Benn Mendelson www.sivanaspirit.com  

What do yoga and martial arts have in common? How about yoga and sport? In this episode, we talk with Dr. Jerry Lynch, who has been using mindfulness techniques with world class coaches and athletes for decades. He shares with us how mindfulness techniques can be applied to any life experience and can fundamentally change the way we engage the world. What is mindfulness? How does one practice it? We'll explore these questions and more! Sports psychologist Dr. Jerry Lynch is the author of eleven books and founder/director of Way of Champions, a performance consulting group gear towards "mastering the inner game" for athletic excellence. He has over 35 years of experience as a sports psychologist, coach, athlete, and teacher. He draws from his experience working with Olympic, NBA, and NCAA champions to help transform the lives of athletes, parents, coaches, and every day people. Special Guest: Dr. Jerry Lynch www.wayofchampions.com Host: Ashton Szabo www.anatomyofliving.com Sound Engineer: Zach Cooper Producer:

Join us for a thrilling three part conversation with author, scholar and yogi, Douglas Brooks, who is currently Professor of Religion at the University of Rochester, NY. His work with yoga communities has impacted countless numbers of yogis and yoginis all over the world, and particularly here in the United States. In Part III, we conclude our conversation about what it means to be a western yogi in the world today. We ask vital questions about living in the world and how to accept and say "yes" to the experiences of life. How do we say yes to the challenging moments, as well as the easy ones?  How can we as a community drive forward together to create a more harmonious planet? We dive into these topics and more in our final episode of this talk with Professor Douglas Brooks. Living In The World As A Modern Yogi [Part III] - Conversation with Douglas Brooks [Episode 53] Special Guest: Douglas Brooks www.rajanaka.com Host: Ashton Szabo www.anatomyofliving.com Sound Engineer: Zach Cooper Producer: Benn Mendelso

Join us for a thrilling three part conversation with author, scholar and yogi, Douglas Brooks, who is currently Professor of Religion at the University of Rochester, NY. His work with yoga communities has impacted countless numbers of yogis and yoginis all over the world, and particularly here in the United States. In Part II, we continue our conversation about what it means to be a western yogi in the world today. We ask how to honor the traditions of past while still recognizing the needs and particular aspects of modern life. How do we integrate these ancient practices and the experiences we have into our daily lives? We explore this and much more in this engaging episode with the always insightful Douglas Brooks. Living In The World As A Modern Yogi [Part II] - Conversation with Douglas Brooks [Episode 52] Special Guest: Douglas Brooks www.rajanaka.com Host: Ashton Szabo www.anatomyofliving.com Sound Engineer: Zach Cooper Producer: Benn Mendelson www.sivanaspirit.com

Join us for a thrilling three part conversation with author, scholar and yogi, Douglas Brooks, who is currently Professor of Religion at the University of Rochester, NY. His work with yoga communities has impacted countless numbers of yogis and yoginis all over the world, and particularly here in the United States. In Part I, we begin our conversation about what it means to be a western yogi in the world today.  What are we missing, given the context of yoga's origins? What opportunities do we have for greater integration and understanding? Are there other streams of ideas within yoga that we typically don't know of in the west? In addition to exploring these ideas and more; Douglas shares some of hist first experiences with his teacher in India and how it set the stage for his life now. Living In The World As A Modern Yogi [Part I] - Conversation with Douglas Brooks [Episode 51] Special Guest: Douglas Brooks www.rajanaka.com Host: Ashton Szabo www.anatomyofliving.com Sound Engineer: Zach Cooper Producer: Ben

What does the latest scientific research say about reality and consciousness? As it turns out, scientists are starting to sound a lot more like the ancient yogis when they answer. In this episode, one of the worlds most well read and widely known astronomers, Bob Berman, joins us to chat about reality, time, consciousness, life and death. What sometimes sounds eerily like a real life Matrix, Berman explains ideas of reality supported by some of the most recent scientific findings and leads us down a fantastic rabbit hole into understanding the nature of reality. Special Guest: Bob Berman www.skymanbob.com Host: Ashton Szabo www.anatomyofliving.com Sound Engineer: Zach Cooper Producer: Benn Mendelson www.sivanaspirit.com  

The story of Narasimha and the Demon King, that many associate with the holiday of Holi, is typically understood as a story that demonstrates the fierce grace of the Hindu god, Vishnu. It's also an opportunity to explore the importance of staying connected to something larger than one-self. Offering an alternative to attempts at subduing or controlling life, the story encourages us to deepen the connection to our highest self to help navigate the difficulties of life.   Host: Ashton Szabo www.anatomyofliving.com Sound Engineer: Zach Cooper Produced By: Benn Mendelson www.sivanaspirit.com  

In this episode we explore ideas of service and the "why" behind our every day actions, as well as discuss success, struggle, what can hold us back in life, and much more. Our guest is Jake Ducey, who at only 24 years old, is a two-time published author with Penguin/Random-House), a leading speaker for his generation having been featured in TEDx Youth, and has already inspired countless thousands of young people to seek meaningful career success and to make a difference in the world. He joins us to share some of the unique insights and perspectives he's learned from his journey and countless connections with people from all over the world. Special Guest: Jake Ducey www.jaceducey.com Host: Ashton Szabo www.anatomyofliving.com Sound Engineer: Zach Cooper Producer: Benn Mendelson www.sivanaspirit.com  

Is there a place for anger on the spiritual path? In this episode, we dive into the story of the Warrior, Virabhadra, a ferocious aspect of the deity Shiva, and learn about our own anger. If you've been to a yoga class, chances are you've done a posture named after the Warrior, Virabhadra, but the story of Virabhadra goes much deeper. In this classic tale of love and destruction, we find permission to have the whole human experience, without trying to suppress or bypass certain emotions, and learn how anger can lead to deeper experiences of compassion and understanding. Host: Ashton Szabo www.anatomyofliving.com Sound Engineer: Zach Cooper Producer: Benn Mendelson www.sivanaspirit.com  

Stories have the ability to inspire us through the ages, no matter how old or young we might be. In this episode we share three stories, spoken for children, but enjoyable by all! Our three stories, Story of the Rabbit (Native American), the Frog in the Well (Chinese) and Zhuang Zi and the Butterfly (Chinese), teach us to follow our heart, have perspective in life, and appreciate the beauty of everything around us. If you are an adult listening to these stories, you can play these stories to children, but we also encourage you to make these stories your own and share them with the children in your life.  Whether young or old, we're sure you'll enjoy the richness of these ancient stories! Host: Ashton Szabo www.anatomyofliving.com Sound Engineer: Zach Cooper Producer: Benn Mendelson www.sivanaspirit.com  

Would you love to grow your own organic herbs or veggies but lack the space or know how? In this episode we talk with Master Gardener and Founder of the Society of Garden Goddesses, Susan Gouveia, as she explains some simple things you can do to create your own garden, no matter what your space concerns, inside or out. We'll also talk about edible weeds, worm composting in your house, and more! A great episode for anyone looking to live a more sustainable life by growing some of their own food and composting organic materials, even with limited space. Special Guest: Susan Gouveia www.gardengoddesses.org Host: Ashton Szabo www.anatomyofliving.com Sound Engineer: Zach Cooper Producer: Benn Mendelson www.sivanaspirit.com  

Something often happens in our youth. From young, vibrant beings, alive with energy and potential, we are molded and shaped by society, family, and media. That loss of uniqueness can often diminish our radiance as beings. Especially in the western world, where education can often just mean creating a better consumer, we often lose touch with our inner most being in our race to adulthood. In this episode we explore a story of Hanuman to tell us why forgetting is important; why being molded by culture and society serves an ultimate purpose. It's through our necessary process of forgetfulness that we are ultimately lead back to who we really are. Host: Ashton Szabo www.anatomyofliving.com Sound Engineer: Zach Cooper Producer: Benn Mendelson www.sivanaspirit.com  

How important is the breath in yoga and what does a breath centered practice look like? Join us with yoga anatomy expert, Leslie Kaminoff, co-author of the wildly successful Yoga Anatomy book, as he explains the importance of breath as well as talks about many relevant topics with modern postural yoga. Special Guest: Leslie Kaminoff www.yogaanatomy.org Host: Ashton Szabo www.anatomyofliving.com Sound Engineer: Zach Cooper Producer: Benn Mendelson www.sivanaspirit.com  

Can you picture that futuristic moment in a Sci-Fi film where the character walks up to a machine and requests a meal that is instantly grown and presented to them? What if that dish included meat that didn't harm any animal? Well, the future is closer than you think! Our guest, Shir Friedman, works for a company that is creating chicken meat without harming animals. No hormones, no GMOs, real meat. The meat is grown in a medium that mimics the conditions inside a living animal, allowing it to grow as it would naturally. The potential impact on our environment, the meat industry, and our diet is HUGE! How is it possible? We'll learn more in this episode! Special Guest: Shir Friedman www.supermeat.com Host: Ashton Szabo www.anatomyofliving.com Sound Engineer: Zach Cooper Producer: Benn Mendelson www.sivanaspirit.com  

The heat of the summer can effect our health in a number of different ways. Join us with Trudy Collings, an ayurvedic practitioner, herbalist and co-owner of Paavani Ayurveda, as she explains some helpful tips you can use to help beat the heat! Find out which herbs and foods can keep your body cool and skin glowing, no matter what the temperature gauge reads.  Special Guest: Trudy Collings www.paavaniayurveda.com Host: Ashton Szabo www.anatomyofliving.com Sound Engineer: Zach Cooper Producer: Benn Mendelson www.sivanaspirit.com