Yoga philosophy does not characterize the universe as a glorious place designed to fulfill all your wishes if you ask it nicely. That doesn't mean goal setting is bad - quite the contrary - but this is a cheeky exploration into the difference between new age spirituality pop religion and yoga philosophy. We go into some psychology on willpower and self-control, too!

Give that it's the new year, we talk about...

• Where the phrase "the universe has your back" came from and Gabrielle Bernstein (who is a heck of a lot more popular on instagram than I am)
• How heavily influenced by latent Christian culture new age spirituality can be, including evangelical movements
• How this differs from yoga philosophy, which does not see the universe as omniscient and providing
• Why goal setting is a good thing for yogis to do and participate in, and some interesting facts about willpower from The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal

And more!

The intelligent edge yoga podcast was produced by Kathryn Anne Flynn; author of Teach Kind, Clear Yoga: A Guide for Practitioners and Teachers. To learn more about Kathryn, practice online, or find retreats and training opportunities, visit kathrynanneflynn.com