Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast

The following episode of the Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast is a recording from Stillpoint Yoga's weekend Spring Gathering this past May. The annual event is the brainchild of Scott Johnson who has made it a bit of a personal mission to provide space and opportunity for students and teachers alike to come together in more than just practice - but in conversation also. That we may all learn from each other and grow together. This year's focus spanned the following topics: power, lineage, and how this method is currently shared. Many of the conversations had over the weekend were intense and deeply personal. For this reason, we chose to protect the intimacy of the group and the privacy of individuals by not broadcasting the entire weekend. However, the following excerpt is from Day 2's panel discussion, featuring Scott, Greg Nardi, and me as we fielded questions submitted through the Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast group on Facebook. Specifically, the role of social media, the importance of just one teacher, and the structure of a healthy teacher/student relationship. The Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast is edited and produced by Chris Lucas and hosted by me, Peg Mulqueen. Opening chant by Greg Nardi from the Ashtanga Dispatch Magazine #2 in Digital. Also thanks to good friends who support this podcast over at Patreon who support this show through their monthly donations. If you would like to join them, please visit Patreon.com/ashtangadispatch - Thank you!

This episode of the Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast is a prerecorded panel discussion featuring Tim Feldmann, (Miami Life Center), Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor (Boulder, Colorado), Manju Jois (Encinitas, CA), Dena Kingsberg (Byron Bay, Australia), David Swenson (Austin, TX), and as moderator, Jessica Walden (San Diego, CA). The audio is courtesy of the Ashtanga Yoga Confluence, Inc. For more about the 2018 Ashtanga Yoga Confluence, visit Ashtanga Dispatch’s recap of this year’s event. https://www.ashtangadispatch.com/ashtanga-yoga-confluence-2018 The Ashtanga Dispatch podcast is edited and produced by Chris Lucas with host, Peg Mulqueen.

Jen Rene is a teacher I’ve wanted you to meet for a very long time - and mostly because I’m afraid you might never otherwise get the chance. You see, Jen is one of those no-nonsense, incredibly functional teachers who are much more focused on keeping practice real than dazzle you with fancy tricks. Of course, the irony is - this is Jen’s real magic. She’s practical. She’s honest. And she’s not afraid to get messy. I’ll warn you, Jen doesn’t have a filter. She’s pretty straightforward and quite frankly, I find this refreshing. Because Jen’s not in this for likes, sponors, and notoriety. Which can feel kind of rare these days. In fact, in today’s podcast, we spoke pretty frankly about the struggle to keep the yoga real - including the challenges we both face both online and in our own practice. If you want to learn more about Jen (and I believe you will!) visit her website at www.jenrene.com

During a weekend in New York just before Christmas, I had the amazing opportunity to catch up with renowned Ashtanga yoga teacher, Eddie Stern and practice at his shala, the Brooklyn Yoga Club. Lots to learn in this latest episode of our yoga podcast - which could certainly feel, at times, more like a science lesson than an interview. Listen as Eddie describes the vagus nerve, an information pathway for a lot of things that are really important for the yogis. Eddie explains that we are an entire biological mechanism of complementary systems, and so our practice isn’t based on striving and pushing - but in seeking a normal, every-day balance and harmony so we can live a healthier, happier life. And why the yoga, among other things - a true scientific method. The Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast is edited and produced by Chris Lucas and hosted by me, Peg Mulqueen. Opening chant is by Greg Nardi from Ashtanga Yoga Worldwide. Thanks to good friends who support this podcast over at Patreon who support this show through their monthly donations. If you would like to join them, please visit Patreon.com/ashtangadispatch – Thank you!

Finding the spiritual side of a physical practice and discussing the gender bias that exists - even in yoga - are just a few of the topics covered in this episode of the Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast with today's guest, Harmony Slater. The Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast is produced and edited by Chris Lucas, and hosted by Peg Mulqueen.

Philippa Asher is a certified Ashtanga yoga teacher and one of the few female students who has completed the Advanced B series. As impressive as all that is, that’s not really the reason I asked her to come on the Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast. I had read a piece she wrote called Musings About an Ashtanga Asana Practice from 20-something to 40-something. And in there, Philippa talked quite pointedly about challenges and issues of her own - including her own recklessness as well as fertility issues - and I just was struck by how brave and forthcoming she was with her experience. I can’t tell you how rare it is to chat with someone - especially for the first time - who is willing to be that open and therefore that vulnerable. As you will hear her say, It’s not been an easy ride. And that’s precisely why she does choose to put her self and her story out there - for others who also haven’t had an easy ride. The Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast is edited and produced by Chris Lucas - and hosted by Peg Mulqueen. If you love this show and would like to help support, please visit Patreon.com/ashtangadispatch - Thank you!

Kino MacGregor is one of the most celebrated Ashtanga yoga teachers in the world with over a million followers now on Instagram. And though it would be easy to chalk up her fame to a winning mixture of beauty, charm, and physical skill - you’d then be missing the REAL reason Kino is who she is and where she is. As the author of 4 books, including her most recent, The Yogi Assignment, a co-creater of Om Stars, an online channel for yogis, producer of six videos, and one of a select group of teachers certified to teach Ashtanga by Pattabhi Jois, Kino is like a true force of nature. Smart, driven, and incredibly disciplined, Kino’s success is by no accident. This isn’t the first time I’ve interviewed Kino, either. So I already know how smart and driven she is. And I’ll admit, she can also be somewhat guarded and perhaps with good reason. But not this time. In fact, in today’s episode of the Ashtanga Dispatch podcast, Kino opens up about her personal obstacles and struggles in both her practice and in her marriage. And in a rare, candid moment - Kino responds to the critics who say videos are no way to learn Ashtanga. Stay tuned after our interview for a very special offer from Kino to try out her new Om Stars channel, as well as exciting news from Ashtanga Dispatch. This episode of the Ashtanga Dispatch podcast was edited and produced by Chris Lucas - and hosted by me, Peg Mulqueen. Thank you to our good friends who support this podcast over at Patreon. If you’d like to join them, please visit patreon.com/asthangadispatch

Well, the irony for me is, the more I practice and the more I do these interviews, the more questions I end up having! And today’s episode with certified Ashtanga yoga teacher, Mark Darby - or Darby, as he tells me to call him - is no exception. Darby was first introduced to Ashtanga yoga with Pattabhi Jois - Guruji - in Mysore in 1979. You do the math - but lets just say Darby has been practicing and teaching for a very, very long time. Lucky for us, I got the chance to catch up with Darby for practice and this interview his very last week teaching morning Mysore in Montreal. If I had any questions prepared for our interview, they all went out the window. So if I sound a little tongue-tied at times, it’s only because I’m not sure I was able to form words around what I had just experienced in the practice room before the interview. He stops me in my very first sun salutation having me straighten my legs and fold over his fist. “Dantian” he tells me. Look for Dantian. But as I fold over Darby’s closed hand below my navel, something else catches my attention. It’s his feet. There are individual letters below each of his 10 toes: S-P-R-E-A-D-T-O-E-S He will tell me later, he’s thinking of having this tattooed on his two feet. Then I come to the floor and instead of binding in my seated postures to pull myself forward in the folds, Darby has me specifically not bind and push away instead. Curious yet? I hope so! Because I think you’re going to really have fun listening to this one. And afterwards, you can an take all your questions and YOU to Costa Rica to spend time with Darby where he and his wife Joanne, will continue to teach. Visit their website, sattvayogashala.com to start planning. This episode of the Ashtanga Dispatch podcast was edited and produced by Chris Lucas - and hosted by me, Peg Mulqueen. This show is made possible by each and every one of you listening right now. Ashtanga Dispatch wouldn’t be possible without YOU! And also our good friends who support us through Patreon.com. Thanks to their contributions, we are able to keep this podcast going - ad-free. If you’d like to join them in supporting the show, please visit patreon.com/ashtangadispatch. Enjoy the rest of your summer and see you again in the fall with Kino MacGregor and Eddie Stern to start us off!

We’re in Mysore, India and waiting to be ushered into the shala for chanting class. It’s hot as hell standing outside that afternoon, That's when I first see her - Laruga Glaser. I’m a hot, sweaty mess - while she’s as stunning as every Instagram post I’ve seen of hers. And I’m in awe. Of course, not just she glows in a different way than I am at that moment … but also because it’s odd to see a teacher of her notoriety at chanting class. First of all, they are held in the heat of the afternoon but also, they’ve been there and done that a hundred times over. But there's Laruga, waiting in blazing hot sun for the door to open and class to start - just like all the rest of us. And that’s exactly why I love her. She’s real and relatable ad keeps the yoga the same way. Genuine and completely down-to-earth, I know then that Laruga Glaser would be just the kind of person you and I would enjoy getting to know better.

As much as I hate to admit it, pain has a lot to teach us. Maybe that's why my next guest, Tim Feldmann, is such a great teacher - because he's certainly had his fair share to deal with. You see, Tim began practicing yoga after a terrible accident many years ago, left him nearly unable to walk again. Injuries sustained such as those may heal, but they don't always go away and instead, tend to reappear in various forms and struggles. These days, Tim is dealing with his wrist and at the time we talked, was still forced to wear the soft cast he'd been wearing even since the last time I'd seen him, many months before. In any case, Tim will tell you, pain is inevitable. For all of us. The Ashtanga Dispatch podcast is edited and produced by Chris Lucas and hosted by Peg Mulqueen.

Sharath Jois. Grandson of the legendary Sri K. Pattabhi Jois ... son of Saraswathi Jois ... director of the KPJAY Institute ... and the current holder of our lineage. And yet, if there's one thing I have learned as his student it's this: Sharath would not want this podcast to be about him. It's about the yoga. For Sharath, it's always about the yoga. "Yoga is the superstar. Not me." But he is pretty special. And about as generous, wise, devoted, and kind as ever a teacher should be. Or rather, a Guru. Because Sharath is much, much more than just a teacher. He's truly a living example of what this yoga means. ****** Finally, a thank you to all of you who are supporting our show through Patreon. Remember, this podcast was recorded in India - amidst blaring horns, generators, barking dogs, and a whole cacophony of other sounds. Because of YOU, we were able to upgrade our editing software which made all the difference! So THANK YOU! If you want to support the show, go to http://patreon.com/ashtangadispatch and get some early previews, access to our community slack channel and more!

Today is January 20, 2017 - Inauguration day. And while part of me is relieved to be out of the country at the moment, another part of me is disappointed not to be there with you. This election has been like no other I've ever been a part. We are a country divided and that's scary. And so to process some of this, I turned to Dr. Carol Horton, a former political science professor turned and yoga teacher. Carol has a strong voice and she’s not afraid to use it. But she also has a wise voice, a voice of compassion and reason. I began this conversation with Carol feeling hopeless - and I came away feeling inspired and hopeful. Give a listen and remember, we are all in this together. The Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast is edited and produced by Chris Lucas and hosted by me, Peg Mulqueen.

I remember how I came to hear of Cathy Louise Broda of Purple Yoga in Hawaii. First, a listener from Chicago wrote me an email asking me to interview Cathy. She said she’d just gotten back from one of her retreats and was just really inspired. I didn’t know Cathy but I let the student know I’d certainly try. And I would’ve too if Cathy herself didn’t reach out to me before I even had a chance. Apparently she read a blog I wrote on my struggle with menopause and was so moved, she called Christine Hoar to get my information and next thing I know, I have an email from Cathy - just a few weeks after being asked to track her down. The universe is funny like that, right? Like just in case I didn’t get the message the first time …. Talking with Cathy helped. As did talking with other women, like Christine Hoar. And I hope this chats as helpful for many of you too!

A special gift from Harmony Slater and Ashtanga Dispatch: A Loving Kindness Meditation to begin the new year.

Synchronicity. It’s not luck that puts us in a place and with people we need … at just the right time. No, there was nothing random finding myself spending really needed time with Certified teacher, John Scott last month at the EcoYoga Centre in Scotland. Just how needed I’d come to find out this week in the aftermath of an incredibly emotional election here in the states. In fact, I found myself turning to this discussion again and again for both comfort and guidance. Because in this podcast, John shares the four codes of relationship he learned from Guruji, keys in building meaningful connections in the yoga room - but also in our families, in our neighborhoods, and, yes - right here in our country. Scott Johnson of Stillpoint Yoga joins us halfway in and shares a story of great loss his community suffered, and how John stepped in, modeling for Scott and his students, how to move on using this very method of practice we’ve been handed down. The same way Guruji modeled in the days following 9/11. Truth is, John Scott may have blown my mind in the first podcast, but in this one, he stole my heart. And in this week, his words bring me peace - which we could all use right now. And why we decided to bring you this special episode early. A tremendous thank you to the EcoYoga Centre in Scotland for making this podcast possible. The EcoYoga Centre is one of the most enchanted places here on earth. Please check them out at ecoyoga.org. One final note, if you love this show and would like for it to remain ad-free, please consider showing your support by visiting Patreon.com/ashtanga dispatch and making a monthly contribution of $2 or more. Thank you!

For the next hour, be a fly on the wall as David Keil and I cover the gamut of topics including how we both have changed in the ways we practice and how we look at practice. David calls himself lazy, and me, hippy-dippy. But his laziness is actually efficiency and my more laid back approach these days is simply inviting more ease. In other words, we’re growing and changing. Towards the end of our talk, David and I did touch upon a pretty serious subject: yoga and injuries. In fact, David is right now working on some cutting-edge research into the long-term effects of yoga. With over 2400 participants, David hopes this project will help bring about more meaningful inquiry, both statistically and experientially. You can follow this ongoing project - and if still available - participate yourself, by visiting www.yoganatomy.com/survey Also as a reminder, if you liked this podcast please consider supporting it at www.patreon.com/ashtangadispatch - where, for the price of a cup of coffee, you can help us make the show better and better, while getting access to some cool stuff in the process. We are really committed to keeping this podcast ad-free and also want to ensure it remains sustainable and gets better with time! So if you are inclined, please visit the link above and help support this show. This episode of the Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast was edited and produced by Chris Lucas and hosted by me, Peg Mulqueen.

Olivia Hsu is a longtime dedicated student of Richard and Mary Freeman, and taught with them in Boulder, CO for years. She is also a PrAna ambassador and these days, she teaches all over the world - but not just Ashtanga yoga. In fact, you could say this girl is pretty hard to keep up with! You see, Olivia has another passion that rocks her world, and that's climbing. This sort of blows my mind because up until I met Olivia, I would’ve believed yoga and rock climbing did NOT go together. Of course, now I realize how messed up that was. Because as you'll hear Olivia explain: that would all depends on how you measure practice and what you value in life. And why I knew I wanted Olivia to be the feature model for Third Series in the next Ashtanga Dispatch Magazine. Not because she has a strong asana practice - but because her yoga asana practice is only such a small part of what makes her such an inspiration. Don't let the third series reference fool you. Because the next magazine is not really about 'yoga' at all! It's about the rest of our lives. The stuff we do the other 23 hours of the day - hiking, climbing, planting, surfing ... and as loving partners,moms and dads, community leaders, and activists. Of course, that means the next magazine is ALL about yoga - the only yoga that matters. The kind we bring in to our lives. And Olivia Hsu is a wonderful example of someone who knows how to do just that! Join us at http://www.ashtangadispatch.com for more. Produced & Edited by Chris Lucas of http://cwlucas.com

We have a new interview with Saraswathi Jois from her home in Mysore, India, plus Peg shares about reclaiming the passion of your practice.

Ashtanga yoga Authorization. A controversial topic I'd avoided - until now. Meet Authorized teacher, Zoë Ward, and listen to our rather spirited discussion on how yoga teachers become teachers, in Ashtanga.

To set the stage for you, our conversation takes place at the Green Hotel in Mysore, India. It's probably the quietest place we could find to record and they serve the most amazing cakes - just ask Jeff and my daughter, Meghan who were enjoying theirs during the broadcast! You don't see Jeff and Harmony out in the usual hangout near the Shala. And that's because when they are not practicing in the morning, they are busy being parents to Jediah, their 5 year-old son. That means, while many are hanging out at coconut stands, getting chai and massages, or taking some exotic lessons - they are home, taking care of their son (who had a fever the whole week leading up to this interview), making play dates with the other families here in Mysore, and just trying to keep their family life as normal as possible - considering where we all are. Actually, hanging with them and also Taylor Hunt and his wife Jess and family, it makes this whole Mysore thing seem very reasonable for young families. Sharath makes it very easy as well, giving parents different times to practice and moms, actually, no set time at all - just any time they can come. The conferences are littered with tiny people and sprinkled with the sweet babbles of babies. Makes this mum's heart sing. No doubt, this trip has been as much about seventh series more than any other. And as you listen to the following conversation with Jeff and Harmnoy Lichty, you'll understand why.

The tables are turned and now PEG is the one answering the questions! Special thanks to Bryan Sims for video and audio recording as well as CITYOGA in Indianapolis for sponsoring today's episode. What's super cool is Bryan is the son of Dave Sims, owner of CITYOGA - I love the father/son team and being a part of that! So thanks guys! Visit CITYOGA's website at www.cityoga.biz and check Bryan out at http://www.bryanthesims.com

Peg clearly has a girl crush! Meet Jessica Walden in Episode 13 of the Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast and find out why!

Part Two of our conversation with Ashtanga Certified teacher John Scott, who imparts his knowledge and experience of the Ashtanga yoga practice it in a way that is almost poetic. This was not as much an interview as it was John doing what he loves - teaching, as he spent more than 90 minutes sharing his experience with Guruji, his passion for the breath and vinyasa, and the method of Tristhana, as I hung on every word - and you will too. And why we broke this podcast into two parts, so you could relax and take it all in. Here's Part Two of the Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast with John Scott. Today's episode was sponsored in part by Stillpoint Yoga London, a vibrant growing ashtanga yoga community and frequent host of John Scott's trainings. Visit their website at stillpointyogalondon.com. And also by Meghan Powell Photography, official photographer and creative director of the Ashtanga Dispatch Magazine and website. Find out more by visiting meghanpowellphotography.com. The Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast is brought to you by me, Peg Mulqueen and my producer and editor, Chris Lucas of http://cwlucas.com

Ashtanga Certified teacher, John Scott imparts his knowledge and experience of the Ashtanga yoga practice it in a way that is almost poetic. This was not as much an interview as it was John doing what he loves - teaching, as he spent more than 90 minutes sharing his experience with Guruji, his passion for the breath and vinyasa, and the method of Tristhana, as I hung on every word - and you will too. And why we broke this podcast into 2 parts, so you could relax and take it all in. Here's Part One of the Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast with John Scott: All is God. Today's episode was sponsored in part by Stillpoint Yoga London, a vibrant growing ashtanga yoga community and frequent host of John Scott's trainings. Visit their website at stillpointyogalondon.com. And also by Meghan Powell Photography, official photographer and creative director of the Ashtanga Dispatch Magazine and website. Find out more by visiting meghanpowellphotography.com. The Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast is brought to you by me, Peg Mulqueen and my producer and editor, Chris Lucas of cwlucas.com. Thanks for joining us and look for Part Two with John Scott, next week.

Get ready because this is our longest episode yet as Greg Nardi and I covered a whole lot of territory. We talked about relationships, about pain, and of course, a lot about the Ashtanga yoga practice.

If you’re only familiar with David Keil through his Yoga Anatomy website … or through his Anatomy workshops and DVDs … or even his recently released book, Functional Anatomy of Yoga … then I’d say, you have only even barely scratched the surface. For example, did you know it was David who first lured me into a daily Mysore practice — or tricked me, depending on whose telling the story? It was also David who got me through intermediate series with my sanity still intact. (Though this also is debatable, depending on the story-teller!) How about this? David Keil was also the one who convinced me to begin a seated meditation practice and even introducing me to his meditation teacher, the same one I now call mine.

Christine Hoar, a woman with nearly 20 years of practice and teaching experience, is a direct student of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (Guruji). Though for years, he referred to her affectionately as “Nancy’s (Gilgoff) student,” her teacher to this day. Now, if you’re a woman in this practice, I don’t need to tell you how rare it is to find women with that kind of depth and experience in the practice.

As Ashtanga’s most familiar and easily recognizable couples, Tim Feldmann and Kino MacGregor couldn’t be any more different. While Kino has made it her personal mission to introduce as many students, on a global level, to the Ashtanga Yoga method as she possibly can, reaching millions of students a day through books, blogs, videos and Instagram challenges … Tim prefers a more personal connection, closer to home, teaching at Miami Life Center, the studio they founded together in 2006 and he now runs. Either way, whether on a screen viewed by millions or within intimacy of the yoga room, the two of them sure have a lot of yogic wisdom to share. But after listening today, you’ll also see why they also might have a thing or two to share about what makes relationships work as well. Get ready to meet one of Ashtanga’s coolest couples!

When I asked David Garrigues to sit down with me last week to talk a little about "Parampara", that student-teacher relationship and how, in yoga, information is transmitted, he really took me to the mat in more than one way! You see, I once (or twice) have said that David doesn’t teach me asana – which he disagreed with … strongly! So this became less the interview I had planned with David and more of a lesson I think he had planned for me. And the result is probably one of the liveliest, informative, and impassioned conversations we’ve had to date.

Welcome to Ashtanga Dispatch: The Podcast Episode 5 and meet Aliya Weise of Ashtanga San Diego and #ThePeoplesAshtangaYoga. Aliya is one of those impassioned people who speaks from the heart – straight to the heart. In fact, his essay, The Call To Mysore, featured in the first Ashtanga Dispatch, received more tearful notes of gratitude from readers than any other featured article. Students who had been feeling excluded, disenfranchised, not worthy – the very ones, I suspect, Aliya had hoped to reach. In this podcast, he does it again. And in under an hour we cover a lot of territory – from Aliya’s ardent stand for any/every student’s ability to be a practitioner of ashtanga yoga, all the way to a controversial online conversation thread had in a closed FB group about Parampara, the traditional teacher-student transmission of teaching, and … well — me. Spoiler alert: I cried. And get ready, because you might too. But don’t worry, it’s the happy kind.

Episode 4: David Robson by Ashtanga Dispatch

In this episode of Ashtanga Dispatch: The Podcast, Peg sits down for a one on one with her meditation teacher, John Churchill. John is a widely known teacher and psychologist and it only takes a few moments to find out why.

Hi and welcome to the first episode of Ashtanga Dispatch: The Podcast. I'm Peg Mulqueen and I am very excited to share with you one of the people most important to my ashtanga practice and my life, my teacher David Garrigues. We talk about his family, his experience as a student of Guruji, and exciting upcoming projects that he's working on, revealed here first!