What can we learn from an ancient text about war and peace, among the many other topics in the Mahābhārata? Or as a new adaptation puts it: “In times of division, how do we find wholeness? Are we destined to repeat the mistakes of our ancestors? And how can we build a new world when we have nearly destroyed this one?”

The production’s co-author, Miriam Fernandes, also stars as a storyteller – a key role in the Mahābhārata’s own story. It’s been told and retold in many different forms over the centuries, and part of its appeal is that it leaves us with questions, inspiring us to think for ourselves what to do with its message.

Among other topics, our conversation explores:

* Why dharma – or doing the right thing – is “a slippery fish”

* What this says about contemporary problems such as ecocide

* How to end cycles of revenge in which both sides feel righteous

* The extent to which fate and free will define human activity

* Who gets edited out, and which themes are prioritised

Links to resources discussed in the podcast are posted here. Meanwhile, stay tuned for a retreat based on the Mahābhārata – more news soon at danielsimpson.info.

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How do we relate to the problem of suffering? Does the body rule the mind or does the mind rule the body (to quote Still Ill by The Smiths)? Are there ways to get more comfortably entangled, or is the answer to renounce all attachments?

Ranju Roy and Dave Charlton have been practising yoga since the 1980s, and teaching together for 20 years. They’re also co-authors of a book titled Embodying the Yoga Sūtra, sharing practical insights on yoga philosophy. Our conversation explores what they’ve learned about life in the process.

One recurring theme is how things are connected, and yet not necessarily “all one”. As Ranju and Dave put it in their book: “two things remain two things. They are united only in the sense of being linked and it is in their interaction and relationship that there is yoga, not in them merging together inseparably.”

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What are the benefits of studying yoga academically? Is critical thinking a practical obstacle? Are the two ways of seeing complementary? Expanding on a recent essay, I talk about these questions – among many others – with Graham Burns.

Graham has been teaching yoga for more than 20 years. He holds a PhD from SOAS, University of London, and wrote his thesis on the Vedic Upaniṣads. He also taught on the M.A. in Traditions of Yoga and Meditation, to which I contribute.

As I explain in the introduction, I never imagined that I’d find myself doing that when Graham and I spoke at the start of this year. Back then, I didn’t have a proper podcast, so I’m sharing it now for those who missed it. Among other topics, we discuss what we’ve learned from intellectual engagement with yoga, as well as from practice – and how to strike a balance between both perspectives.

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What might yoga look like if it we weren't making shapes? As Mary Richards explains in Teach People, Not Poses, the purpose of practice is self-inquiry, so one way to start is by getting more familiar with physical form, instead of contorting to follow instructions.

Mary’s approach is down-to-earth, yet shaped by decades of study. A self-described “anatomy nerd”, she’s also guided by philosophy, having first encountered yoga via the Bhagavad Gītā as a teenager. Among other topics, our conversation explores:

* The extent to which everyone’s body is different

* How a fixation on postural alignment causes injury

* Why many modern classes teach unhelpful methods

* Which specific āsanas might be worth abandoning

* Whether one-to-one teaching makes most sense

* How physical practice unwinds mental issues

* What it means to be the “Sith Lord of Yoga”

Mary’s book is published by Shambhala, and she’s offering a webinar via Yogacampus (on January 26) that shares some techniques for getting grounded in gravity...

I like how Mary call herself a facilitator. I’m doing more facilitation too – in the form of a men’s group that starts on Sunday, and a philosophy immersion in February.

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Yogic traditions often highlight non-harming (ahiṃsā), but to what extent is harm an inevitable part of worldly life? Is it more realistic to try to reduce it, or is anything short of removing it part of the problem? There are few easy answers…

Christopher Miller is a scholar and practitioner. He’s co-founder of the Arihanta Institute, which offers courses on Jain studies, and he’s the author of a book entitled Embodying Transnational Yoga: Eating, Singing, and Breathing in Transformation, which investigates practices other than postures.

Among other topics, our conversation explores:

* How Jains perfect the precept of non-harming, and influence yoga

* If it’s better to promote being vegan, or to eat fewer animal products

* Where harmoniums come from, and if the ukulele can raise kuṇḍalinī

* Whether teaching prāṇāyāma in polluted environments is unhelpful

* Ways in which critical thinking can complement yoga practice

Chris is on Instagram @theyogaprofessor, and he’s based in Switzerland, where I’ll be teaching a retreat in July.

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What might yoga philosophy look like if it was shaped by contemporary science? How compatible are cognitive therapies with traditional ideas about alleviating suffering?

Isabel Dziobek is a professor of psychology at the Humboldt University of Berlin, and she’s also a yoga teacher. As we discuss, there are no easy answers to these sorts of questions. Yogic teachings define the self differently to modern researchers, while attributing suffering to karmic effects that drive cycles of birth.

The original aim of renouncing the world isn’t most people’s goal when they go to a yoga class, so teachers often reframe texts such as the Yoga Sūtra to make them align with today’s priorities. Many fill in the gaps with New Age thinking. How might it work to start afresh, including ideas from psychology and neuroscience?

Our conversation looks at ways to train teachers that highlight compassion. Although we draw a few tentative conclusions, we’re both keen to explore this further, so please comment below to share your thoughts! And if you’d like to study texts and traditions in more depth, you can join me for a course at truthofyoga.com.

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What’s the purpose of yoga and where does it lead? 🤔

In his forthcoming book, Ranju Roy compares the process of practice to going on a pilgrimage. The journey spirals inwards and outwards, from deep contemplation to communal gatherings, and goals are less important than walking the path.

The book includes Ranju’s own sūtras – i.e. pithy expressions of practical pointers – interspersed with stories from decades of experience as a teacher and practitioner. Our conversation dives deep into both. Along the way, we hear about:

* A minibus tour of Cotswolds tearooms with B.K.S. Iyengar

* The pitfalls of “preparing to meditate” without ever doing so

* Why Sāṃkhya provides a useful map to contemporary territory 

* What distinguishes Life from life – and whether that’s divine

* How individual experience relates to something universal 

Ranju’s book is available in hardback – including your name if you order a copy by October 31. This exclusive edition, signed by the author and featuring his paintings, will help to cover production costs for a paperback version next year.

In other impending deadlines, early bird rates for next year’s Swiss retreat expire on October 31. And from November 5, I’m running a men’s group called Power to Relate.

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What does it mean to live a yogic life in the twenty-first century? Alex Medin runs Nøsen, a Norwegian retreat centre, which hosts an annual yoga festival, and is part of a programme that rehabilitates former prisoners and drug addicts.

Alex doesn’t do things by halves. He’s studied yoga and Sanskrit academically, as well as exploring physical practice to advanced levels. He’s also lived in India for extended periods, where he was certified to teach Ashtanga by K. Pattabhi Jois. And before he found yoga, Alex was a boxer and breakdancer, who earlier dabbled in crime.

Our conversation explores these topics, including asking awkward questions about the extent to which yoga can change us – and the values we need to prioritise if that’s to happen. It’s therefore a chat about worldly approaches, from ethical conduct to deeper relationships, with the development of love as the ultimate goal.

I’ll also cover these themes with a men’s group in November (called Power to Relate), and I’ll be teaching in Nøsen next year – stay tuned for news via danielsimpson.info.

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What helps people to cope with traumatic events that can sometimes accompany altered states? Jules Evans researches this question for the Challenging Psychedelic Experiences Project. He’s also the author of books about Stoic philosophy, ecstatic transcendence and strategies for navigating “spiritual emergency”.

That term covers all sorts of crises, not just those arising from psychedelics. People get into difficulties while meditating and practising yoga. In this wide-ranging chat, we explore:

* How a bad trip on acid led to years of anxiety that made Jules feel broken

* Why cognitive behavioural therapy led him to write about Stoic philosophy

* What inspired him to try Ayahuasca despite his earlier traumatic experience

* Why he no longer takes psychedelics and focuses instead on helping others

* What causes spiritual emergencies and why it’s helpful to talk about them

* How understanding the balance of risks and rewards makes people safer

You can find out more about Jules’s work here, or subscribe to his Substack, Ecstatic Integration, for regular updates on his project’s research. He also covers broader topics – including the links between Aldous Huxley, spiritual eugenics and Silicon Valley…

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Ade Belcham used to think it was obvious that yoga was good for him – until he got a hip replacement in his early 50s. That made him ask some searching questions, which he explored in a recent article for Spectrum, the British Wheel of Yoga magazine.

For the previous two decades, Ade was a devoted Ashtanga practitioner, studying regularly in Hawaii with Nancy Gilgoff. And although he’s reappraised some of what he was doing, he’s not out to bash yoga or Ashtanga. Instead, he’s been exploring the patterns – both physical and mental – that shaped his approach and led to injury.

As we discuss, there are broader implications to people’s motivations for practising yoga. Ade identifies five – connection with others, exercise, well-being, identity and transformation – and reflects that “injuries helped me see that I was mixing up yoga as exercise with yoga for identity building”.

This raises questions about how yoga gets conflated with postures, which the podcast explores. We also talk about a general resistance to critical thinking in yoga circles, as well as what it means to be authentic – and why asking “why” is a helpful tool, which can keep people grounded in what really matters.

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