Integral Yoga Podcast

Avi speaks with past broadcast journalist and present yogi Jeff Ananda Kamen, who shares some engrossing stories about his adventures and his search for meaning, purpose and understanding.

Jeff Kamen first met Swami Satchidananda in 1973 when he made the first public television documentary on yoga in America. It was a primetime special on New York City’s premiere public television station WNET 13. Jeff was 29 years old and already a veteran of news reporting in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and London, and a confessed smart alec. He did his best to conceal that from the Swami during the interview. That documentary film was one of dozens Jeff had the opportunity to make over a career that has spanned more than a half a century. Besides the founder of Yogaville, Jeff has also been blessed by one-on-one contact with the Dalai Lama, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as well as other major figures in spiritual life. Jeff has lived in Yogaville for almost a decade.

Links:

Warrior Pups: True Stories of America's K9 Heroes (Amazon):

https://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Pups-Stories-Americas-Heroes/dp/1493029657?tag=interior0d3-20

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this inspiring interview, John Ferguson shares his personal journey of finding positivity and using it as a tool to help veterans struggling with mental health issues. John emphasizes the importance of service and reaching out to support those who are suffering. Through his experiences with yoga and meditation, he highlights the power of these practices in promoting mental well-being and healing.

John is a retired US Marine with three combat tours, and IY Yoga instructor, and the author of "Living Beyond PTS: Journey towards Peace - A Veteran's Path to Recovery - Through Mind Nidra". He works at helping people learn about PTS and its affects, both mental and physical.

Some highlights:

• John's personal journey of finding positivity and healing in Yoga, and helping veterans with mental health issues
• the significance of service and supporting those who are suffering
• the transformative power of meditation and Yoga for mental well-being and healing

Links:

• "Living Beyond PTS" on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Living-Beyond-PTS-Veterans-Recovery/dp/173591990X?tag=interior0d3-20
• Living Beyond PTS Website - https://livingbeyondpts.org/yoga-for-veterans
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064036477365

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kirtan artist Seán Johnson, of Seán Johson and the Wild Lotus Band, discusses:

• the importance of preparation for presenting and his personal singing practice as a means of connecting to the universe
• the balance between planning and staying present in the moment - using templates as a framework for improvisation and creativity
• experiences of doubt, grief, and loss, and finding solace in connecting with his brother's spirit through music
• challenges, self-care, and finding value in difficult experiences, as well as the universal nature and benefits of singing and chanting in many spiritual traditions

Seán's Bio:

Seán’s intimate, intuitive connection to the spirituality of music, singing, and songwriting goes back to his childhood. He was a member of the New Orleans Symphony Children’s Chorus and active in musical theatre. After a traumatic performance experience as an adolescent, he quit singing in public for many years and found his voice again in his early twenties by connecting deeply to his Irish ancestors through singing traditional sean-nos songs in a year long Irish Studies program at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA, guided by ethnomusicologist Seán Williams. Williams shared songs that she had learned directly from Joe Heaney, considered to be one of Ireland’s greatest singers. In an intensive program focused on heart-centered spiritual traditions guided by Doranne Crable, Seán was introduced to the Sufi practice of dhikr, a powerful chanting practice that deepened his connection with the voice as a vehicle for spiritual transformation.

After focusing on Comparative Spiritual Traditions in his undergraduate studies, Seán went on to complete a Master’s degree in Creation Spirituality from The Naropa Institute-Oakland (1999) with focus on teaching chant as spiritual practice, apprenticing there with south Indian musician and teacher Russill Paul, author of The Yoga Of Sound. In 1999, Seán moved home to New Orleans, sharing weekly chanting sessions, and founding several spiritual music ensembles, introducing many people to the practice of chanting. In 2005 he founded The Wild Lotus Band as a post-Hurricane Katrina philanthropic music project, raising funds across the country for relief from the devastation of the storm through benefit concerts. Chanting mantras has been a deep and integral part of his personal spiritual practice, music, and teaching for the last 25+ years. Singing Irish music and connecting to his Irish ancestors remains a pillar of his life and spirituality. He guides online gatherings and retreats in Ireland with Mary Meighan, founder of Celtic Journeys each year.

Links:

• Website - https://seanjohnsonandthewildlotusband.com
• Instagram - @seanwildlotusband
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SeanJohnsonAndTheWildLotusBand/
• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/SeanWildLotusBand
• The Auricle Collective - https://auriclecollective.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Avi Gordon speaks with Swami Sugunananda, a monastic since 2010. Sugunananda shares her journey of becoming a swami after the loss of her partner, and discusses finding clarity through faith and guidance from her guru, the role of intuition in decision-making, the importance of faith and humility, the practice of meditation and prayer, and other topics.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Avi Gordon and Richard Sclove recently discussed some thought-provoking themes from Richard's latest book, "Escaping Maya's Palace: Decoding an Ancient Myth to Heal the Hidden Madness of Modern Civilization". The conversation touched on topics such as the impact of capitalism on psychological-spiritual development, addiction, and the spiritual growth path described in the ancient Mahabharata.

Richard brings a wealth of experience to the discussion, having been a long-time meditator and senior staff member at the Mind and Life Institute, cofounded by the Dalai Lama. He holds a PhD in political theory from MIT and has also held a postdoctoral fellowship in economics at the University of California-Berkeley. Richard founded The Loka Institute, which has worked internationally to prioritize science and technology based on democratic decisions. His book, Democracy and Technology, received recognition from the American Political Science Association as the best in its field. Additionally, he is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

To learn more about Richard's new book and his work, please visit www.EscapingMayasPalace.com and www.RichardSclove.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Avi and Lindsaya talk about beauty culture, caring (or not caring) what others think of us, the value of simply being aware, how to be your own best friend, the tremendous perspective change of becoming a parent, and more.

Lindsaya VanDeusen is a Beauty + Wellness Strategist and community creator. She passionately empowers humans to amplify the Wellness Warrior Within.

Links:

• http://www.lindsaya.com/⁣

• https://www.instagram.com/lindsaya_com/

• https://facebook.com/Lindsaya.com.OFFICIAL/

• https://www.clubhouse.com/@lindsaya.com

• https://www.youtube.com/@UCCqNqcB4BK61eVr-iHcumfw

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Avi and Greta Rose discuss optimism, finding comfort in the unknown, living a simple life, gratitude, and more.

Greta Rose Pharr has been helping companies tell their stories around the world in unforgettable ways since the era of digital marketing began at the turn of the century (love being able to say that). Greta Rose Agency is best known for working with companies and projects in the organic, wellness, heart-centric, integrity space where the intention is to inspire, and the pursuit of improving the world and our personal experiences really do matter. Projects & clients include: Fantastic Fungi, The Secret, TheSkimm, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck!, Coconut Bliss, Eminence Organic Skin Care and now, Gratitude Revealed and WILD HOPE.

Links:

• Greta's website: gretarose.com
• Gratitude Revealed website: gratituderevealed.com
• The Louie Channel (Louie Schwartzberg): louiechannel.tv

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Avi Gordon and Shankar Fern discuss the long term changes as a result of Yoga practice, faith and trust, enlightenment, the key to healthy relationships, and working with troubled young people.

Biographical Notes:

• Bruce was given the Sanskrit name Shankar directly by his Guru Sri Swami Satchidananda who is one of the great Yoga Masters and God Realized Saints of the century
• Shankar is one of Swami Satchidananda’s senior disciples and a teacher having taught all aspects of yoga to many hundreds of students in the US and Canada
• Shankar practices deep spiritualty while actively living in the world as a householder
• He will be the first to tell you anything good that comes from him comes from the Divine Force which of its own accord chooses to use him as an instrument
• Shankar is an Integral Yoga Minister who does humanistic coaching and spiritual counseling (he was trained as a psychotherapist) as well as spiritual wedding ceremonies, family and pet memorial services, birth ceremonies and house blessings
• He is also on the Board of Directors of the NY Integral Yoga Institute, the Vice Chairman of the Integral Yoga Global Ministry Board of Trustees, and a Chaplain in the NY Putnam County SPCA
• In the business world he is the president of Change-Ready Solutions which provides business with coaching and consulting to help them curate of culture which elevates people to achieve remarkable business results.
• Prior to this role, Shankar was an executive with Citibank, IBM and other consulting and business organizations.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mia Velez and Avi Gordon discuss Yoga and kung fu, connecting to something bigger, finding divinity within, the tao of activism, our relationship with words, inclusivity in Yoga and more.

Mia entered Integral Yoga in 2016 through the kitchen, by cooking community lunches and silent retreat meals. Even though she'd been teaching yoga since 2008, she certified as an Integral Yoga teacher in 2018 to learn more of the IYI approach and be part of the lineage. She is an IYI trainer and co-trained the BIPOC 200 YTTs in San Francisco. She's led a stress management course for new parents, teaches at a men's jail in California, and is a student of kung fu. Mia is a disciple of the Moy Yat Ving Tsun Kung Fu lineage and is highly influenced by her martial arts training. She sees an undeniable parallel in Yoga and Kung Fu, and feels they are complements to each other. Yoga and Kung Fu are integrated into her daily life as a mother, preschool teacher, and advocate for gender, race and class equality through multiple non-profits groups.

Links:

Mia's preschool: https://www.facebook.com/OMSchoolSF

10-minute Video Bio for the BIPOC YTT: https://youtu.be/Lv3hKk0a4yc

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Genevieve Georget and Avi Gordon discuss "wrestling with God", what it means to be ok, acknowledging the smallness of the mind, surrender, community building and other topics.

Genevieve is a full-time writer, photographer, and storyteller whose work has been seen on Oprah.com, “The Good Mother Project,” “Addicted 2 Success,””Real Leaders Magazine,” “Simplify Magazine,” the “Huffington Post,” and among her online community of 35,000 people. Genevieve’s first book, “Her Own Wild Winds,” was published in September 2016 and her second book, “Solace,” was released in the fall of 2019 and named Ottawa Faces Magazine’s 2020 Book of the Year. She lives in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada with her husband, two children, and their golden retriever.

Links:

Instagram: @gen_georget

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/genevieve.v.georget

Gray and Granite Magazine: https://gengeorget.com/storyteller

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.