Living It

In the Season two preview we look at the first and second limbs of the ashtanga yoga system, the yamas and niyamas. This is yoga's moral code, our guidelines for how we treat others and ourselves. For the rest of the season, we talk to ten different guests about these practices and how they are living them in their off-the-mat life.

Season 2 of the Living It podcast will launch in September. Until then, we’ll bring you a minisode each month. Today, we thought we’d do a throwback and share how this podcast came to be. When Living the Sutras first came out, Rosie Acosta interviewed us for her podcast Radically Loved. It was at Rosie's prompting that we started Living It. So today, Rosie has generously shared her interview with us so you can listen in and hear what and who inspired the Living It podcast. For those of you who want to find out about Rosie, her podcast Radically Loved or where she’s speaking visit RadicallyLoved.com.

To send us your yoga questions by the end of July you can record a voice memo on your phone and emailing it to us at kelly AT livingitpodcast DOT com or by calling 202-525-6653 and leaving a voicemail.

As always you can message us on Instagram @kellydinardo and @amypearcehayden and email us through our website livingitpodcast.com.

In this bonus episode, Sharon Salzberg guides us through a short, five-minute LovingKindness meditation.

Sharon Salzberg is a pioneer in the field of meditation, a world-renowned teacher and New York Times bestselling author. She has played a crucial role in bringing meditation and mindfulness to the West and into mainstream culture since 1974, when she first began teaching. Sharon is the co-founder of the first western meditation center in the US: The Insight Meditation Society, in Barre, MA. She has authored ten books, including The New York Times bestseller, Real Happiness, her seminal work, Lovingkindness and her 2017 release, Real Love: The Art of Mindful Connection. Acclaimed for her down-to-earth teaching style, Sharon offers a secular, modern approach to Buddhist teachings, making them instantly accessible. She is a regular columnist for On Being, a contributor to Huffington Post, and the host of her own podcast, The Metta Hour, with 90+ episodes.

In this episode, we discussed:

- Sharon’s meditation journey

- What LovingKindness meditation is

- What gets in the way of a regular meditation practice

- How we know if meditation is working

Michelle Gielan has spent the past decade researching the link between happiness and success. She is the bestselling author of Broadcasting Happiness: The Science of Igniting and Sustaining Positive Change and was named one of the Top 10 authors on resilience by the Harvard Business Review. Michelle is an Executive Producer of “The Happiness Advantage” on PBS and a featured professor in Oprah’s Happiness course. She formerly served as anchor of The CBS Morning News, and her research has received attention from dozens of media outlets including The Washington Post, FORBES, and The New York Times.

In this episode, we discuss:

- What is positive psychology and happiness research

- Why exercise is a powerful tool for happiness

- How gratitude trains your brain for happiness

- The small habits that boost happiness

- When unhappiness can be good

- The difference between happiness, contentment and optimism

Mama, author, yoga teacher and speaker, Elena Brower is influenced by several yoga traditions and recognized internationally for her expertise in offering practices to approach our world with realistic reverence.

She is the author of Art of Attention, a yoga workbook that has been translated into six languages, and her second book, Practice You, is now a bestseller and beloved in dozens of countries, in yoga trainings and courses as well as educational and healing settings for all ages.

In this episode we talk about:

- The five pillars of a graceful divorce

- Parenting through divorce

- The importance of giving children a voice in the family

- The sacred transition from life to death

- Collaborating with other women

- Listening as a critical off-the-mat practice

This week's giveaway comes from BirdandFish. For more details visit www.livingitpodcast.com

A regular yoga practice fortified Bibi McGill‘s courage, stamina and devotion as internationally renowned lead guitarist and band leader for Beyonce. She has found great sustenance and healing in yoga, and her joy in teaching is making yoga accessible to anyone who seeks it.

Her down-to-earth, vibrant nature empowers students to claim their own authentic gifts as they deepen their relationship with themselves on the mat. Bibi leads classes and workshops around the world. Through her work with organizations like Street Yoga, Peace in Schools, Wolf Connection and her artist residency with Open Middle School, Bibi spreads the message of healing and wellness to youth. A rocker on a mission to help the world vibrate higher, Bibi has graced the covers of Yoga Journal, About Face, Edge Magazine and Om Times. When she’s not on the mat or stage, Bibi is often connecting with n

ature in her garden, on a kayak or in the forest with a cup of tea.

In this episode, we discussed:

- Bibi’s journey from guitarist to yogi

- Establishing boundaries and practicing your values

- How yoga keeps us emotionally balanced

- The importance of alone time as a spiritual discipline

- Making time to be quiet, alone and in nature

- Ditching dogma and creating your own rules

And our partner Yoga Journal's Live Be Yoga Tour is giving away a yoga mat and online course. Visit www.livingitpodcast.com/bibi-mcgill for detials.

Growing up in inner-city LA, gangs, drug-use and violence was a pervasive part of Rosie Acosta‘s childhood. She grew into a troubled teen battling depression, struggling with overeating, hanging with the wrong crowd, and plummeting in a downward spiral. With prison on the periphery, Rosie made a choice. Yoga and meditation offered her a ladder and she began to climb.

Today, Rosie Acosta is a world-renowned Yoga and Meditation Teacher, Yoga Teacher Trainer and Holistic Health Coach. She is also the founder of Radically Loved: Yoga, Health + Wellness and host of the top-rated podcast, Radically Loved.

In this episode we talk about:

- Rosie’s journey from troubled child to yogi and motivational speaker

- Calling out self-limiting beliefs and leaving victimhood behind

- How having a purpose helped Rosie turn her life around

- Getting responsible and taking agency over one’s life

- How your values play into what you create

Rod Stryker is a world-renowned yoga and meditation teacher, guiding and sharing his wisdom for 40 years. He is the founder of ParaYoga®, the author of The Four Desires: Creating a Life of Purpose, Happiness, Prosperity, and Freedom and creator of the app Sanctuary, a premier destination for all levels of those wanting to experience the life-changing practices of meditation and yoga nidra, also known as enlightened sleep.

A living link to a venerable lineage of sages and teachers, Rod is distinguished for his ability to make ancient wisdom and practices accessible to modern audiences. A thought-leader for how best to live with meaning, creativity, responsibility and freedom, he guides experienced students and teachers of yoga and meditation seeking to deepen and share their understanding of the ancient wisdom and timeless practices.

In this episode we discuss:

- Knowing we are already innately whole

- Stilling the mind gives us the opportunity to understand our true nature and purpose

- Discerning the difference between non-constructive and constructive purpose

- Working with the desires in our life

- Understanding our happiness is an expression of how close we are to living our purpose