Welcome to the Liberating Yoga Podcast. My guest today is Anjali Rao.Why do modern yoga spaces feel so in conflict with the path’s core principles? In this episode of the Liberating Yoga Podcast, I'm in conversation with Teacher, Intersectional Health Advocate, and Space Holder, Anjali Rao.We discuss the absence of history and philosophy in yoga teacher trainings, the damage of unbridled power and privilege in yogic spaces, and all that is possible when we tap into the depth of yoga’s teachings.00:00 - Intro 00:43 - Meeting Anjali Rao01:31 - Meaning Of Yoga04:47 - History Gap In Teacher Trainings07:06 - Colonisation, Capitalism & Asana09:56 - Practitioner Vs Teacher Responsibility13:12 - Reframing 200-Hour Curriculum18:19 - Erasure & Dominant Narratives22:17 - Quantity Over Quality Culture26:17 - Yoga On Happiness & Contentment30:18 - Harms Of Capitalism36:23 - Wholeness, Practice & Patriarchy40:30 - Dating Yoga’s Origins45:35 - Learning Philosophy Paths48:23 - Trauma-Informed Claims Examined51:39 - Interconnectedness Core Teaching58:29 - Living Yoga With Integrity1:00:02 - Power, Privilege & Diverse Voices1:05:17 - Burnout And Staying Grounded1:11:24 - Vision For Future Change

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Thank you for watching this video and checking out the channel. My practice is rooted in my spiritual background of Sikhism and Buddhism and ancestral roots in Panjab, India - this informs my desire to teach yoga authentically as a spiritual practice. To learn more, please find all of our resources below.

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Welcome to the Liberating Yoga Podcast. My guest today is Dr. Neil Dalal.

There is no checklist for avoiding cultural appropriation and honoring yoga’s roots. In a society seeking quick fixes to avoid being “wrong,” this episode is an invitation to think more deeply about how we might connect back to the path’s original intentions with reverence.

In this conversation, Dr. Neil Dalal, Researcher and Director of Religious Studies at the University of Alberta, speaks about what it might look like to practice deeply and decolonize the spiritual path of yoga.

00:00 - Intro

05:01 - What Yoga Means to Dr. Neil Dal

10:05 - Understanding Moksha in Classical Yoga

15:21 - Yoga as Present-Moment Liberation

20:11 - Modern Yoga Goals vs Classical Intent

25:23 - Structural Shifts in Global Yoga

30:31 - Dangers of Surface-Level Teaching

35:52 - Teacher Trainings & Lack of Depth

41:03 - White Ownership & Cultural Distortion

46:30 - Can Yoga Be Decolonized?

52:03 - Beyond the Checklist Mentality

57:00 - Yoga’s Identity Crisis in the West

1:02:08 - Finding Authentic Yoga Paths

1:07:14 - South Asian Teachers & Tokenism

1:12:17 - Value of Traditional Lineage

1:17:21 - Yoga as Deep Cultural Training

1:22:12 - Dangers of Unsupervised Practices

1:27:05 - Rise & Issues of Modern Kundalini Yoga

1:32:51 - Yoga Nidra, Modern Myths, & Misunderstandings

1:38:01 - History of Asana & Lineage Loss

1:43:06 - Four Aims of Life & Yoga’s Real Goal

1:48:54 - Yoga’s Critique of Capitalism & Desire

1:54:00 - Returning to Wholeness Through Inquiry

2:00:00 - Last Reflections & Integration

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Resources

Thank you for watching this video and checking out the channel. My practice is rooted in my spiritual background of Sikhism and Buddhism and ancestral roots in Panjab, India - this informs my desire to teach yoga authentically as a spiritual practice. To learn more, please find all of our resources below.

Online

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Liberating Yoga Book

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Welcome to the Liberating Yoga Podcast. My guest today is Kendra Coupland.You are divine. What might it look like to embody this truth, while being deeply aware of how oppressive systems impact us in a very real way based on our multi-faceted human identities? Harpinder Kaur Mann is in conversation with Kendra Coupland, Yoga Grandmaster, Mindfulness Coach, and Artist, on this episode of the Liberating Yoga Podcast. They explore the importance of discomfort, harmful patterns in mainstream yoga spaces, and how tantric philosophy can lead us toward collective liberation.

Book Launch Eventhttps://www.harpindermann.com/events

00:00 - Intro

02:06 - Meet Kendra Coupland

02:40 - What Yoga Means to Kendra

06:17 - Embodiment of Divinity

09:11 - Spiritual Bypassing in Yoga

12:15 - Yoga and Suffering

16:16 - Trauma & Yoga Spaces

19:00 - Individualised Practice

22:02 - Kendra's Teaching Style

25:07 - Limits of the Practice

28:42 - Daily Practice Matters

33:26 - Emotional Regulation

36:09 - Embodying Oneness

41:17 - Practices to Decondition

45:16 - Seeing the Interconnectedness

50:27 - Ancestors & Awareness

54:26 - Honoring Lineage

57:26 - Yoga & Disconnection

59:59 - Entry Points Into Yoga

1:02:02 - Equanimity & Observation

1:06:03 - Awareness vs. Ignorance

1:08:15 - Yoga & Cult-like Trends

1:12:30 - Teacher vs. Student First

1:16:36 - Warrior Heart Practice

1:18:10 - Disrupting Thought Patterns

1:20:28 - Where to Find Kendra

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Resources

Thank you for watching this video and checking out the channel. My practice is rooted in my spiritual background of Sikhism and Buddhism and ancestral roots in Panjab, India - this informs my desire to teach yoga authentically as a spiritual practice. To learn more, please find all of our resources below.

Online

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Liberating Yoga Book

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Work With Me

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Welcome to the Liberating Yoga Podcast. My guest today is Dr. Shyam Ranganathan.

While mainstream American culture limits yoga to a mere fitness class or a “woo-woo” spiritual endeavor that belongs at home, it began as a philosophical commitment toward ethical action and sovereignty.

In this episode of the Liberating Yoga Podcast, host Harpinder Kaur Mann is in conversation with Scholar and Historian of Philosophy, Dr. Shyam Ranganathan. Together, they dive deep into the ways yoga’s current definitions have been shaped by Western colonization and how we can reclaim the practice today to fight racism and colonialism.

00:00 - Intro

02:19 - What Is Yoga?

03:59 - Yoga as Unity of Self

06:21 - Yoga vs. Fitness

07:22 - Colonialism’s Impact

13:27 - Internalized Colonialism

16:57 - Race, Religion, and History

19:33 - Pre-Colonial Philosophy

23:15 - Ethics & Dharma

26:54 - What Is Pre-Colonial Yoga?

28:14 - Yoga’s Ethical Model

30:42 - Modern Yoga & Colonization

33:26 - Yoga as Decolonial Practice

35:49 - Yoga Studies & White Supremacy

41:01 - Yoga Heals Colonial Trauma

44:43 - Egotism & Power Structures

47:27 - Yoga as Political Action

50:11 - Tokenism in Yoga

55:12 - Diversity vs. Change

57:38 - Lifelong Learning

1:02:05 - Why Only Āsana?

1:05:42 - Big Y vs. Small y Yoga

1:08:09 - Philosophy vs. Industry

1:12:00 - Teaching vs. Selling

1:14:23 - Embracing Change

1:15:06 - Where to Learn More

Find Dr. Shyam Ranganathan Online

⁠https://yogaphilosophy.com/

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Resources

Thank you for watching this video and checking out the channel. My practice is rooted in my spiritual background of Sikhism and Buddhism and ancestral roots in Panjab, India - this informs my desire to teach yoga authentically as a spiritual practice. To learn more, please find all of our resources below.

Online

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Liberating Yoga Book

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Welcome to the Liberating Yoga Podcast. My guest today is Tejal Patel.

In a sea of yoga spaces that often feel exclusionary, I find myself asking: What does it really take to create an environment that reflects yoga’s deeper purpose—collective liberation and peace?

Tejal is the founder of Tejal Yoga, and in this conversation, we explore what it means to build yoga spaces rooted in community, cultural humility, accountability, and justice.

00:00 - Intro

01:14 - Speaking on Gaza

02:20 - Meet Tejal Patel

04:00 - Yoga and Peace

06:45 - Meditation as Listening

10:51 - Student vs. Teacher Role

14:51 - Challenging Assumptions

18:32 - Harm in Modern Yoga

22:50 - Love & Light Culture

27:20 - Yoga and Collectivism

33:58 - Intentional Communities

37:46 - More Work to Do

42:47 - Inclusive Yoga Spaces

47:05 - Building Brave Spaces

52:04 - Addressing Harm

57:07 - Trust Through Honesty

1:03:16 - Returning Through Yoga

1:06:18 - Closing Thoughts

Find Tejal Online

https://www.tejalyoga.com

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Resources

Thank you for watching this video and checking out the channel. My practice is rooted in my spiritual background of Sikhism and Buddhism and ancestral roots in Panjab, India - this informs my desire to teach yoga authentically as a spiritual practice. To learn more, please find all of our resources below.

Online

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Liberating Yoga Book

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Work With Me

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Welcome to the Liberating Yoga Podcast. My guest today is Reggie Hubbard.

Reggie is the founder/chief serving officer of Active Peace LLC. His yogic and meditative practices have served as a sanctuary of peace and perspective while navigating the stresses of being a black man in the world and serving in pressure-filled jobs at the height of US politics.

His practices have also helped him navigate complicated emotions (anger, grief, disappointment) to find and nurture peace of mind and ease of spirit, which is why he now seeks to share them widely for the well-being of all.

He has extensively studied with leading teachers such as Faith Hunter, Amy Ippoliti, Yogarupa Rod Stryker and Sri Dharma Mittra and countless other amazing teachers he has encountered along the way – always remembering that the best teacher is an eternal student. He is a graduate of the 2023 MMTCP (Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program) cohort, led by Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach.

Find Reggie

https://activepeaceyoga.com

https://www.instagram.com/oreggieglobal

00:00 - Intro

02:54 - Yoga & Activism

05:05 - Burnout & Awakening

08:11 - Starting the Path

10:55 - Merging Practice & Politics

14:54 - Healing Retreat for Black Men

17:14 - Refuge, Not Retreat

20:25 - Representation Matters

22:09 - Why Black-Only Spaces

24:07 - Community Healing

26:06 - Listening to the Call

30:06 - Teaching with Compassion

34:02 - Listen with the Heart

36:26 - Identity & Teaching

41:10 - Teaching Philosophy

44:03 - Collective Healing

47:02 - Healing Through Grief

51:03 - Wisdom in Community

54:33 - Radical Self-Love

57:44 - From Despair to Action

1:01:02 - Generational Burnout

1:05:00 - Rest in Retreat

1:08:59 - Fast Connection

1:13:00 - Gong Meditation & Close

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Resources

Thank you for watching this video and checking out the channel. My practice is rooted in my spiritual background of Sikhism and Buddhism and ancestral roots in Panjab, India - this informs my desire to teach yoga authentically as a spiritual practice. To learn more, please find all of our resources below.

Online

⁠https://www.harpindermann.com⁠

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Liberating Yoga Book

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Work With Me

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#yoga #yogapractice #yogainspiration

Welcome to the Liberating Yoga Podcast. My guest today is Leah Saliter (she/her). Leah is a Death Doula, Digital Creator, Yoga enthusiast, and certified Yoga-Asana instructor who teaches Yoga as a source of healing for Black and Brown, abundant bodies.

She is the founder of Unity in Healing, an organization that creates safe spaces where folks can experience the power of healing in community through movement practice, tarot, divination work, and ancestral practices. Leah's mission is to create accessible healing communities that support the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual exploration of self.

Find Leah

https://www.joywork.online

https://www.instagram.com/leahlaughed

00:00 - Intro

01:17 - Meeting Leah Saliter

02:52 - What Yoga Means to Leah

04:02 - The Importance of Safety in Community

07:46 - Profit-Driven Wellness Spaces vs. Authentic Healing

10:04 - Reducing Yoga to Fitness

13:27 - Discovering Yoga as a Path to Survival and Peace

17:03 - Teaching Tools and Encouragement for Students

20:02 - Reconnecting to Accessibility in Yoga

24:05 - Teaching Restorative Yoga Amid Studio Resistance

29:00 - Letting Go of Capitalist Measures of Success in Yoga

33:00 - Body Acceptance and Embracing What Is

37:42 - The Violence of Beauty Standards

40:54 - Practising Ahimsa (Nonviolence) with Ourselves

43:04 - Speaking Kindly to Ourselves

47:04 - More Ways Fatphobia Shows Up in Yoga

49:01 - Disordered Eating "Perfect" Bodies

52:30 - Yoga as Stillness, Listening, and Deep Work

56:01 - The Challenge and Rewards of the Inner Work

01:02:51 - What Led Leah to Reach Out

01:08:56 - Working Together in Community, Not Hierarchy

01:10:49 - How to Connect with Leah and Unity & Healing

01:12:29 - Outro

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Resources

Thank you for watching this video and checking out the channel. My practice is rooted in my spiritual background of Sikhism and Buddhism and ancestral roots in Panjab, India - this informs my desire to teach yoga authentically as a spiritual practice. To learn more, please find all of our resources below.

Online

https://www.harpindermann.com

https://www.facebook.com/harpindermannyoga

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mannharpinder

https://www.instagram.com/harpindermannyoga

Liberating Yoga Book

https://www.harpindermann.com/book

Work With Me

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#yoga #yogapractice #yogainspiration

Welcome to the Liberating Yoga Podcast. My guest today is Yoga Teacher & Social Justice Advocate Susanna Barkataki. Today’s mainstream yoga culture is steeped in capitalism, exclusivity, and cultural appropriation.

How did we get here, and how can we protect the wholeness of the practice for future generations? In this episode we discuss the nuances of yoga’s history, accountability for yoga professionals, and decolonization in practice.

00:00 - Intro

01:25 - What Yoga Means to Us

03:17 - Interconnectedness in Yoga and Daily Life

05:58 - Moving Beyond the Mat: Everyday Practice of Yoga

07:14 - Harmful Norms in Modern/Postural Yoga

10:00 - How Oppressive Systems Show Up in Yoga Spaces

13:07 - Hierarchy in Yoga Studios

15:04 - Yoga’s Resilience and Power Despite Appropriation

16:03 - The “At Least They’re Moving” Narrative

20:07 - Teachers' Responsibility to Go Deeper

25:04 - Internalised Oppression

27:06 - Desire to Learn and Practice with Respect

29:00 - The Emotional Toll of Appropriation

31:01 - Capitalism and Commercialisation in Yoga

34:59 - Historical Context of Yoga

37:02 - Modern-Day Capitalist Exploitation in Yoga

40:00 - Teachers Navigating Capitalism with Integrity

42:27 - Representation, Reparations, and Platform Inequity

48:03 - Mutual Support vs. Competition

52:23 - Humanizing the Experience: Healing Through Yoga

55:11 - Importance of Internal Validation

56:56 - How to Begin the Work of Decolonizing Yoga

58:59 - Move Slowly and Consistently with the Work

01:00:03 - Building Relationships with Stewards

01:03:04 - Ask Hard Questions to Institutions

01:05:47 - Reflections on Slowing Down

01:08:05 - Be Yoga, Not Just Do Yoga

01:10:01 - Uplifting Each Other

01:12:39 - Outro

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Resources

Thank you for watching this video and checking out the channel. My practice is rooted in my spiritual background of Sikhism and Buddhism and ancestral roots in Panjab, India - this informs my desire to teach yoga authentically as a spiritual practice. To learn more, please find all of our resources below.

Online

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Liberating Yoga Book

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Work With Me

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#yoga #yogapractice #yogainspiration

Welcome to the Liberating Yoga Podcast. In this first episode, I'm in conversation with Yoga & Resilience Educator Prasad Rangnekar.

In this episode, we discuss yoga’s many definitions and margas while unpacking all that is lost in a society that narrows its abundance down to a commercialised brand of asana.

We also explore the differences between traditional yoga and the version that is popular today, and why the commodification of yoga strips its rich ecosystem of vital history, ethical frameworks, and cultural roots.

00:00 - Intro

01:31 - Meeting Prasad Rangnekar

05:01 - Yoga as a Life Skill

07:00 - Traditional Goals of Yoga

10:00 - Beyond Asana: Acknowledging Yoga’s Full Scope

13:00 - Cultural Roots of Yoga

16:00 - The Complexity of Yoga’s History

20:27 - You Don’t Have to Know Everything

24:00 - Problem of Overconsumption in Yoga Education

27:48 - Traditional vs. Popular Yoga: Key Differences

36:08 - Responsibilities of Practitioners

40:25 - Lack of History & Philosophy in Modern Yoga

43:07 - Vastness of Yogic History

47:02 - The Eight Limbs Are Not the Whole of Yoga

51:01 - What Makes a Sincere Yoga Student or Teacher?

54:04 - Performing Yoga vs. Living Yoga

56:56 - Different Margas (Paths) of Yoga & Their Relevance

01:03:04 - Raja Yoga: Symbolism and Mental Refinement

01:07:05 - Refinement of the Mind

01:12:10 - Letting Go & The Path to Freedom

01:17:05 - Uncovering the Self Through Shedding Layers

01:20:02 - Importance of Critical Thinking

01:27:04 - Reconciling Science and Spirituality in Yoga

01:33:05 - Yoga Sutra: Beyond Yama and Niyama

01:37:27 - Outro

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Resources

Thank you for watching this video and checking out the channel. My practice is rooted in my spiritual background of Sikhism and Buddhism and ancestral roots in Panjab, India - this informs my desire to teach yoga authentically as a spiritual practice. To learn more, please find all of our resources below.

Online

⁠https://www.harpindermann.com⁠

⁠https://www.facebook.com/harpindermannyoga ⁠

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/mannharpinder ⁠

⁠https://www.instagram.com/harpindermannyoga⁠

Liberating Yoga Book

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Work With Me

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#yoga #yogapractice #yogainspiration

Welcome to the Liberating Yoga podcast. A space to explore yoga as a practice and path of healing, resistance, and deep connection.I'm Harpinder Kaur Mann, a yoga educator, writer, and seeker, here to dive into the roots of yoga, dismantle appropriation, and uplift practices that honor collective liberation while making yoga accessible.These conversations were recorded two years ago as part of my research and interviews for my upcoming book, Liberating Yoga: From Appropriation to Healing.Now, I'm sharing them with you - unedited and in full. This is Liberating Yoga - where we honor yoga's past and shape its future.ResourcesThank you for checking out this episode of Liberating Yoga, my practice is rooted in my spiritual background of Sikhism and Buddhism and ancestral roots in Panjab, India - this informs my desire to teach yoga authentically as a spiritual practice. To learn more, please find all of our resources below. Onlinehttps://www.harpindermann.comhttps://www.youtube.com/@harpindermannyogahttps://www.facebook.com/harpindermannyoga https://www.linkedin.com/in/mannharpinder https://www.instagram.com/harpindermannyogaLiberating Yoga Bookhttps://www.harpindermann.com/book Work With Mehttps://www.harpindermann.com/work-with-me#yoga #yogapractice #yogainspiration