Do you ever get confused by all of the Sanskrit names of yoga poses? In this episode our guest, Victoria Moran, gives us some fun mnemonics to help remember some of the most common poses. You will also find out about the free space on your Sanskrit Bingo card!

I first met Victoria Moran in NYC around 2013, through our many connections in the vegan community. I had just begun working my new job as web editor at Jivamukti Yoga, and she had just released her best-selling book, Main Street Vegan. At the time I didn’t realize that she was also an accomplished yogi.

In this episode of the Don’t Forget Yoga Podcast, Victoria shares her journey in yoga, which began in 1967, long before yoga became a trendy exercise routine in the west. In those days, the spiritual teachings of yoga were integrated into all of the classes, and vegetarianism was an integral part of the practice.

Victoria picked up yoga in one hand and vegetarianism in the other and created a unique and wonderful life. She is the author of 13 books, a public speaker, a podcaster, film producer, and the founder of the Main Street Vegan Academy, which is a training and certification program for vegan coaches, educators and entrepreneurs. She is currently working on getting a film made from the script she co-wrote with her husband, Miss Liberty, about a fictional cow who escapes from a slaughterhouse and the human drama that ensues. “This capricious tale tugs at the heart and the surprise ending will leave you amazed—that’s a promise.”

Watch the video version of Episode 12 on Youtube!

Show Links:

* Victoria Moran’s website

* Main Street Vegan Academy

* Miss Liberty film

* Indra Devi

* Watkins Bookstore in London

* Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and animal rights

* Sivananda Yoga

* Rynn Berry

Chapters

* 0:00 Intro

* 03:34 Indra Devi and the Goddess Pose

* 05:42 Victoria Goes Vegan

* 08:05 Rocket Raccoon and Guardians of the Galaxy

* 09:32 A Spiritual Journey

* 13:48 Main Street Vegan Academy

* 17:18 The Seat of the Teacher

* 19:47 Sanskrit Asana Mnemonics

* 29:36 Teaching Yoga Philosophy

* 32:30 Advice for New Teachers

* 34:06 Miss Liberty and the Main Street Vegan Podcast

* 40:03 Outro

In this episode we explore the world of kids yoga with guest Deven Sisler, including

* Ways to teach kids yoga and incorporate lessons from yoga philosophy

* How she got into teaching kids yoga, including her experience working with children after the tsunami in Indonesia

* The importance of authenticity and listening in teaching yoga to kids

* Teaching yoga to families and the importance of meeting children where they are

* Deven's journey to offering kids yoga teacher training and writing her book, The Yamas in Pajamas.

Speaking of mnemonics. the use of nursery rhymes and familiar songs to incorporate movement into kids yoga classes is a great fit for a podcast about playful ways to absorb yogic wisdom. This interview inspired Derek to record his own version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with lyrics to choreograph sun salutations for children!

In her book, The Yamas in Pajamas, Deven explores ways to get kids and families involved in yoga by incorporating ethical and spiritual lessons from yoga philosophy. The book is divided into chapters dedicated to each of the Yamas, which are principles of ethical behavior in yoga. Each chapter includes reflections, guided meditations, breathing exercises, journal prompts, activities, and mindful movements for kids and their adults to experientially explore these concepts.

Deven's approach to teaching yoga to kids and families is centered around improvisation, meeting children where they are, and creating a space for laughter, play, and authentic listening. She believes in empowering kids to express themselves.

Deven Sisler is a kids' yoga expert and author. She has been teaching yoga to adults and children since 2005 and acro yoga since 2007. Deven's background in theater, art, and circus has influenced her teaching practice, and she combines these elements to create an embodied teaching experience for those interested in sharing yoga with kids and families. Deven offers kids' yoga teacher trainings and has recently released a book called "Yamas in Pajamas," which explores age-appropriate lessons from yoga philosophy for children.

Episode Links

Stay connected with Deven by signing up for her newsletter and receive a free "Wiggle & Stillness" Guided Meditation: devensisleryoga.com

Purchase The Yamas in Pajamas

Purchase a signed copy of the book &/ start your Kids Yoga Teacher Training journey with Deven's "Online Anytime Intro to Philosophy Course : https://www.devensisleryoga.com/shop Use the CODE DontForgetYoga upon checkout for 25% off

Here’s a Youtube video of Deven teaching the Twinkle Twinkle Yoga Sun Salutation.

Learn about the song Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

In this episode, we're going to explore ways to simplify our approach to teaching yoga by recognizing the core practices that will help us connect with yoga students and become better yoga teachers over time.

This episode features guest Jeffrey Cohen, who shares with us:

* How to keep it simple with the breath

* Three powerful elements of VInyasa: Dristi, Pranayama & Mulabhanda

* Three Niyamas that will supercharge your teaching practice

* The importance of daily meditation

* A fun way to absorb the wisdom of teachers you admire

This episode also features the song Wake Up, Urinate and then Meditate featuring clips from Jeffrey Cohen’s interview layered into original music and a mantra chorus by host Derek Pashupa Goodwin.

Jeffrey Cohen began teaching yoga in 2002, having completed the Jivamukti Yoga Teacher Training with founders Sharon Gannon and David Life. A couple years later he opened the Jivamukti Yoga Charleston with Andrea Boyd, and began being a mentor at Jivamukti Yoga teacher trainings. In 2011, I met him at my Jivamukti Yoga teacher training, where he was the Head Facilitator. He's currently the owner of Satsang Yoga in Charleston. Hi is a musician who leads kirtans and plays rock and roll, and loves the spaces where they overlap.

Show Outline:

* 00:00 Intro

* 02:02 Namaste

* 07:47 Keep it simple with the breath

* 11:25 Three powerful elements of VInyasa: Dristi, Pranayama & Mulabhanda

* 13:02 Don't Forget to Meditate

* 13:42 Wake Up, Urinate, Meditate

* 15:41 Tapas

* 17:07 Svadyaya

* 19:55 Īśvarapraṇidhāna

* 24:25 Teaching Breath

* 28:06 Outro

Show Links:

* Satsang Yoga Charleston

* jeffreycohenyoga on Instagram

* satsangyogacharleston on Instagram

* Wake Up, Urinate and then Meditate song on Youtube

Don’t Forget Yoga

* dontforgetyoga on Instagram

* dontforgetyoga on Youtube

In today's episode, Christine Furler lets us in on her main method for offering a successful yoga class (hint: its in the title of this episode), and then shares 4 Self Care Tips for Yoga Teachers.

1. Set your Intention: know your "why"2. Breathe3. Bring it in4. Be your own parent

That last one might not be apparent... but its a really good one! You will have to listen for context, but I guarantee it will help you make friends with your struggles.

I met Christine in the 2011 Jivamukti Yoga Teacher Training. She is originally from Switzerland, and spent a lot of time teaching in Central America before migrating back to Europe and then discovering her love of Bali. She new teaches Aerial Yoga in classes, workshops and retreats, and also has a succesful coching business.

Christine can be found on her website CristineFurler.com and as christinefurler on Instagram.

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 Don't Forget Yoga Links:

Website: Don't Forget YogaYoutube: @dontforgetyogaInstagram: @dontforgetyoga

This episode features a song to help you remember the Kleśas, as described by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras.

Song begins: 05:40

I have struggled a bit with remembering the kleśas, the five poisons or mental afflictions that keep us from yoga. I was inspired by the talk with Austin Sanderson about Patanjali and the Kleshas, so I grabbed some soundbites and make a beautiful little song to help you remember the kleshas.

Patanjali's Kleśas Song was written and recorded in a Providence, Rhode Island hotel where I was staying to help my friend recover from a surgery. As the fates would have it, I ended up getting a surgery three days after I returned from helping her. The process gave me some time and to meditate on the kleśas, experience them, and report back.

• Urban Sadhu Yoga (Austin Sanderson)
• Transcend Suffering Through the 5 Kleshas
• Kleshas Wikipedia

Don't Forget Yoga Links:

• Website: Don't Forget Yoga
• Youtube: @dontforgetyoga
• Instagram: @dontforgetyoga
• Facebook: Don't Forget Yoga Group

If you have taken a yoga teacher training in the Western world, you probably learned a little bit about Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. You might even get the impression that most of the yogic tradition comes out of that text.

In this episode, I share the second part of my interview with Austin Sanderson (The first part is in Episode 3, Don't Forget the Vedas). In it he gives us some historical context for Patanjali and the Yoga Sutras, and contrasts them with texts like the Bhagavad Gita.

As yoga teachers, it is helpful to understand that the Yoga Sutras are only one take on yoga, and that much of what is being taught in the west is going against the grain of what Patanjali was teaching. Should we be as attached to the Yoga Sutras as we are, or is it time to acknowledge all of the other sources that influence us as modern yogis?

Austin, along with his partner Bobby Hranichny, are the owners of Urban Sadhu Yoga in Jersey City, New Jersey. Austin and I met as students of the 2011 Jivamukti Yoga Teacher Training.

Episode Links:

• Urban Sadhu Yoga
• The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali: A Biography by David Gordon White
• Swami Vivekananda
• Tirumalai Krishnamacharya
• Indra Devi
• K. Pattabhi Jois
• B. K. S. Iyengar
• Theosophy
• Helena Blavatsky
• Gunas
• Kleshas
• Yamas
• Bhagavad Gita 3.3

Don't Forget Yoga Links:

• Website: Don't Forget Yoga
• Youtube: @dontforgetyoga
• Instagram: @dontforgetyoga
• Facebook: Don't Forget Yoga Group

Have you ever wondered how important it is to pronounce a Sanskrit mantra correctly? This episode will provide you with an answer, and give you a little insight into the importance of Sanskrit in yoga. 

I met our guest Manorama in 2011 when she came to teach the Sanskrit module at the Jivamukti Yoga Teacher Training. I also got to work with her while I was the web editor for Jivamukti from 2012-2018. She is the creator of the Sanskrit Studies Method and the Luminous Soul Method, and teaches Sanskrit privately and in group settings — online, in person and at yoga teacher trainings around the world.

This interview was recorded in Central Park in 2019, before the pandemic, while I was moving out of NYC and creating the Warrior One Podcast. The wisdom is evergreen, so I want to share it here with my new listeners. We also get to hear Manorama's beautiful chanting of three mantras, including the Gayatri Mantra.

Episode Links:

Sanskrit Studies

Ananda Ashram (Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati)

Gayatri Mantra

Don't Forget Yoga Links:

Website: Don't Forget Yoga

Youtube: @dontforgetyoga

Instagram: @dontforgetyoga

Have you ever noticed that a really great yoga class feels like a song? The breathing creates a rhythm, the teacher's voice moves like a melody, and the emotion rises and falls until we land gently in Shavasana. 

My guest Juju Stulbach was a dancer before she became a yoga teacher. Juju grew up in Brazil and moved to NYC in her late teens. On her first New Year's Eve in the city, she had an auspicious encounter with the Jivamukti Yoga studio on Lafayette St. That moment eventually landed her at the 2011 Jivamukti Yoga Teacher Training, where I met her.

Our conversation is a meditation on the coreography and songlike structure of a group yoga class. We also talk about how memory lives in the body, how to see the potential in your students, and how to find ease in your practice.

Show Links:

• Juju Stulbach
• Jivamukti Yoga
• Rima Rani Rabbath
• Yemọja

Don't Forget Yoga Links:

• Website: Don't Forget Yoga
• Youtube: @dontforgetyoga
• Instagram: @dontforgetyoga
• Facebook: Don't Forget Yoga Group

Vasisthasana (वसिष्ठासन vasiṣṭhāsana) is the Sanskrit name for side plank pose, and it turns out lots of us yoga teachers mispronounce it. 

Today's guest is Frances Vicente, an advanced certified Jivamukti Yoga teacher who lives and teaches in Montreal. Derek met Frances at the 2011 Jivamukti Yoga Teacher Training, and they have been friends ever since. Frances most recently completed a Sanskrit Teacher Training through the American Sanskrit Institute.

We explore the correct pronunciation of Vasisthasana, and learn about the sage Vasistha who the pose is named after. Includes mnemonics to help remember how to pronounce the pose name, and why the sage Vasistha is a great eponym for a pose that works on two sides (another mnemonic!)

Show Links:

Frances Vicente on Instagram

Sanskrit Studies with Manorama

Learn to Pronounce Yoga Poses (Spotify)

American Sanskrit Institute

Jivamukti Yoga

Jessica Stickler on Instagram

Luna Yoga in Montreal

Yoga Sangha in Montreal

Don't Forget Yoga Links:

Website: Don't Forget Yoga

Youtube: @dontforgetyoga

Instagram: @dontforgetyoga

One way to remember yoga is to learn about the timelines of the spiritual traditions and cultures that yoga emerged from. Yoga was first mentioned in the Vedas, the oldest scriptures of Hinduism, which were passed on orally for centuries before being written down (mantras and mnemonics!). They are filled with rituals, ceremonies, sacrifices, mantras and benedictions. As time went on, spiritual discourse evolved into the Upanishads, which introduce karma, bhakti, meditation, the atman and Brahman, and other spiritual concepts in forms that are more recognizeable to serious yoga practicioners today.

In this first part of a two part interview, our guest Austin Sanderson takes us through the Vedic era, the Upanishads, and the Puranas (stories of gods like Krishna, Ram, Saraswati, etc;). We cover the difference between dualism and non-dualism, and between Shruti and Smriti. We also touch briefly on the Bhagavad Gita, and how it made yoga accessible to the everyone. This episode lays the foundation for part two of the interview, where we will talk about the Yoga Sutras, Tantra, the Shiva Sutras, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and more.

Includes Derek's original Veda Song to help remember the Vedas and Upanishads with, accompanied by harmonium and bass guitar.

Austin K. Sanderson is an Advanced Certified Jivamukti Yoga Teacher. In 2020, Austin founded the Urban Sadhu Yoga Method, “a method of applying ancient yogic wisdom in a contemporary context.” He and his partner Bob are the co-owners of Urban Sadhu Yoga Shala, formally Jivamukti Yoga Center Jersey City (opened in 2013). Austin is the co-founder and co-producer of Yoga Fest Jersey City, a free public yoga, music and vegan food festival held in the heart of downtown Jersey City. He is the author of the Urban Sadhu Chant Book, with illustrations by Devdutt Pattanaik.

https://www.urbansadhuyoga.com/

The Don't Forget Yoga Podcast helps new yoga teachers absorb yogic wisdom with music, mantras, and mnemonics. Leave us a voicemail to have your question featured on our show at: 

https://dontforgetyoga.com