YOGA · What if the way you move on your mat could change how you meet the world? Today’s guest is Devi Sakti, a Honolulu-based yoga teacher (RYT 500) who was born and raised in the Bay Area. She honors her Indian heritage while staying rooted in ancestral wisdom and grounded in the modern world. She moves between the lineage of yoga and her lived experience as a millennial woman who works in tech and loves pop culture. Devi's teaching style blends Sanskrit, philosophy, playfulness, and real life in a way that feels both accessible and intentional. She teaches a strong, fiery Vinyasa practice shaped by movement, dance, and creative expression. This conversation offers a refreshing perspective on yoga that is expansive, relatable, and lived rather than performed. Mahalo for tuning in! 

Follow Devi's yoga journey here: https://www.devisaktiyoga.com/

Episode Highlights

01:27 Finding joy in teaching yoga ✨

03:14 Devi’s origin story on the mat 🌱

04:11 Culture, roots, and movement

06:28 From physical practice to deeper philosophy

08:01 Yoga in the West and the teacher’s responsibility 🌍

10:27 Honoring lineage while teaching in modern spaces

15:03 Joy as resistance 🔥

18:07 Lessons that follow you off the mat

19:45 Sanskrit, made simple 📖

20:32 Saying yoga words without fear

21:18 Language, loss, and what gets erased

21:41 Teaching Sanskrit with care and respect

22:45 What yoga really means

23:51 Practice as liberation

24:49 Living yoga beyond the studio

25:43 Anxiety, awareness, and reframing the mind

28:04 Finding the students who find you

30:17 What makes Devi’s heart beat

31:20 Pop culture, joy, and the little things

32:53 What’s next for Devi

35:52 Namaste 

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Credits
🎙️ Host & Producer: Molly Mamaril
🎸 Guitar: Amund Gismervik

A Diversity of Experiences: Guests on Heartbeat Narratives share their own perspectives and experiences. Their views do not necessarily reflect those of the host or the podcast. We invite you to listen with an open mind and enjoy the joy and insight offered from many different vantage points.