The Path of Yoga

Guest Paul Rodney Turner is the founder of Food For Life Global, the world's largest vegan food relief organization with 211 projects in 60 countries serving up to 2 million meals daily. He has more than 35 years of experience in food security, food and nutrition, world hunger, and the non-profit sector. He is the author of Food Yoga-Nourishing Mind, Body, and Soul, and The 7 Maxims for Soul Happiness. Paul spent 14 years as a Brahmachari (celibate monk) in the Vaishnav yoga tradition. He now helps run Juliana's Animal Sanctuary with his wife Juliana in the high Andes of Columbia in South America.

https://foodyogi.org/

https://paulrodneyturner.com/

There are blue skies in Delhi, sea turtles are nesting in incredible numbers on beaches, and deer are frolicking through empty London streets. The lockdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic have clearly shown that we humans and our infinite consumption and growth are a big problem, and inversely Mother Nature has an amazing capacity to heal if we give her even the slightest opportunity. In this podcast, host Paramesh Gonzalez talks about the incredible opportunities right now to reconnect with nature, help the planet and ourselves heal, and to dedicate ourselves to living in a more sustainable way. 

Paramesh talks about the Spiritual lessons to be learned from the Corona Virus pandemic and the global economic slowdown. He talks about the cycles of nature and life, nature spirits, chapter three of the Bhagavad Gita, and Amma's corona virus message.

What happens after death? Do we still exist? What is the nature of consciousness? The Katha Upanishad, one of the oldest and most sacred scriptures in the Hindu Yoga tradition, is truly a Universal teaching that addresses the most profound questions of life. Paramesh introduces the Upanishads and the Vedānta tradition, and then dives into the Katha exploring it in a clear and easily accessible way that makes it applicable to everyday life.

Paramesh talks about the importance of the true Guru or Satguru for the spiritual aspirant seeking enlightenment. He talks about the three stages of spiritual education and the three levels of enlightenment spoken of in the Hindu yoga tradition. He draws inspiration from his guru's teachings, the Bhagavad Gīta, and the Katha Upanishad. He also warns of the dangers of spiritual teachers and false gurus and references the recent Netflix documentaries about Osho and Bikram Choudhury.

In this podcast Paramesh shares his experience as a meditation practitioner and instructor. He also talks about topics that came up on a recent retreat that he was teaching at in France. The topics involve meditation techniques and letting go of techniques, and dealing with boredom while on retreat.

Paramesh Gonzalez gives tips on sitting with discomfort and talks about the importance of practicing meditation even when we are experiencing physical, mental, and emotional discomfort. By sitting with discomfort we learn to make friends with it and we learn to find more space and peace within ourselves to be fully present through the ups and downs of life. Through the practice of sitting meditation we can cultivate bravery, love, and the fearlessness needed to thrive in a turbulent world.

Karma yoga is yoga in action. In this podcast with host Paramesh Gonzalez, learn to take your yoga practice off of the meditation cushion or yoga mat and apply yoga teachings to all aspects of life, especially in times of high stress and overwhelm. Paramesh shares how he applies the teachings of karma yoga found in the Bhagavad Gīta, and as taught by the great sages of India to difficult times in his own life. These teachings on karma yoga from the Bhagavad Gīta are what inspired Mahatma Gandhi to make non-violent social action into a spiritual practice. 

In this first episode of The Path of Yoga podcast, host Paramesh Gonzalez gives anecdotes from his own life and draws from the ancient Sanskrit yoga scriptures to illuminate the yoga tradition. Paramesh takes the listener on a journey deep into the heart of the ancient yoga tradition beyond the popularized physical exercises (asanas) and modern spin-offs, so that they can learn about the traditional practices, philosophical views, and the ultimate goal of yoga, which is spiritual liberation.