Have you ever wondered what the original learning environment of yoga philosophy actually looked like?

In this episode, I share why texts like the Yoga Sutras, Bhagavad Gita, and Upanishads were never meant to be read alone—and how studying in community can completely transform your understanding.

As I've been leading my Yoga Sutras Book Club, I've seen how powerful it is to learn this way—and why it might be the missing piece in your own practice.

We explore:

🔹 Why reading alone is actually a modern anomaly

🔹 How sutras were designed to be unpacked together

🔹 Why commentary and conversation deepen insight

🔹 How community supports nervous system regulation

If something feels like it's missing in your spiritual study, this episode will show you why.

💖 Want to experience this in practice?

Join me inside the Yoga Sutras Book Club where we study these teachings the way they were originally meant to be explored—together, in community, and in conversation → https://www.brettlarkin.com/uplifted/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=uplifted

📘 Want the physical, glossy keepsake journal? Order it here → https://cart.brettlarkin.com/sutras-journal-pada1/

FREE Practice: 15 Minute Power Morning Vinyasa Flow For Strength

Relevant Blog: What Is Santosha? Yoga's Philosophy of Happiness.

Relevant to Today's Episode:

🐍 History of Yoga

📚 Healing with Somatic Yoga Book

💖 Uplifted Membership

🎧 Also Listen to:

#297 – What is Samkhya Philosophy and How is it Different from Yoga?

#358 – Intro to The Bhagavad Gita: How Do You Navigate Moral Dilemmas?

#364 – Dissecting The 8 Limbs and Their Origins

© 2026 Uplifted Yoga | BrettLarkin.com

If you've been working all day, running around, or living a little too much in your head, this short guided meditation is designed to help you shift out of "doing" mode and back into being.

In this visualization, I guide you into a peaceful nighttime beach setting where you encounter a radiant goddess figure who bathes you in what I call the nectar of compassion — a symbol of the feminine qualities many of us forget to give ourselves: softness, warmth, receptivity, and care.

You can practice this meditation lying down and return to it anytime you need to release stress, reconnect with your body, and transition into a calmer, more intuitive state.

In this meditation, we explore:

🔹 A simple three-part breath to slow the nervous system and release the day

🔹 A soothing moonlit beach visualization to shift from mental activity into embodied presence

🔹 Meeting a compassionate goddess archetype representing nurturing feminine energy

🔹 A symbolic "nectar of compassion" ritual to soften tension and restore emotional balance

🔹 Reconnecting with the quiet strength, warmth, and intuition already within you

This practice is especially beautiful when you're transitioning from work into the evening, preparing for rest, or simply needing a few minutes to reconnect with yourself.

✨ Want more practices like this?

Inside the Uplifted Membership, you'll find a full library of guided meditations, somatic yoga practices, and deeper trainings to help you regulate your nervous system, reconnect with your body, and build a sustainable spiritual practice.

Join here → https://www.brettlarkin.com/uplifted/

© 2026 Uplifted Yoga | BrettLarkin.com

Are chakras just a New Age myth—or is there real wisdom behind the energy centers?

In this episode, I unpack the skepticism around chakras—and why it's totally valid. We explore how chakras are not physical organs, but symbolic energy centers that correlate with real anatomical structures like nerve plexuses and endocrine glands. I also share how the chakra system evolved in ancient yogic texts, and how yoga teachers can present chakras in a way that feels grounded, inclusive, and relevant.

You'll learn:

🔹 The historical roots of chakras in ancient yogic texts

🔹 How chakras align with anatomical and physiological structures

🔹 Why skepticism is welcome—and how to teach through it

🔹 Ways to talk about energy without alienating your students

🔹 How to present the chakras through the lens of body awareness

If you've ever felt torn between spiritual depth and scientific credibility—this episode bridges the gap.

🌈 Sign Up for the Live Chakra Challenge => https://www.brettlarkin.com/chakralive/

FREE Practice: Chakra Vinyasa Flow | FULL BODY STRETCH FOR CHAKRA OPENING

Relevant Blog: How To Ignite The Power Of The Seven Chakras

Relevant to Today's Episode:

💖 History of Yoga

✅ 200-hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

🔮 300-hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

🐍 Yoga for Self Mastery

🎧 Also Listen to:

#303 – The 7 Chakras as a Tool for Personal Growth

#341 – How To Balance Your 3rd Eye with Guru Singh

#370 – Yoga's Messy Origins: Understanding Yoga's Historical Context

© 2025 Uplifted Yoga | BrettLarkin.com

What happens when your hips can no longer do what your yoga practice asks of them?

In this deeply honest conversation, Uplifted alum Cyndi Stewart shares her journey toward hip replacement surgery — and the identity crisis that followed. As a longtime yoga teacher, intuitive healer, and movement lover, she opens up about navigating chronic hip pain, reduced mobility, and the emotional spiral that can come when your body no longer "performs."

We talk candidly about:

🔹 Early signs of hip degeneration and what yoga teachers often miss

🔹 Why strengthening matters more than stretching for long-term hip health

🔹 How overstretching can accelerate instability

🔹 What hip replacement surgery and recovery are actually like (timeline, pain, mobility, surprises)

🔹 Supporting students with hip replacements in class

🔹 The grief, ego, and surrender that accompany physical limitation

🔹 Somatic tools and meditations that helped regulate pain and fear

This episode is for yoga teachers worried about their own hips… for students navigating osteoarthritis or labral tears… and for anyone facing surgery and wondering what it means spiritually when your body says "enough."

Your body's breakdown is not your failure. Sometimes it's an initiation.

🌈 Sign Up For The Live Chakra Challenge https://www.brettlarkin.com/chakralive/

GUEST EXPERT: Cyndi P Stewart, PhD. | @stewartcyndi

Root Cause Health Solutions' founder, Cyndi Stewart, PhD, uses a unique "Mystics approach" to get to the heart of chronic health issues. Through her own healing journey, Cyndi discovered that physical symptoms are often the body's way of calling for attention. Her process integrates intuitive eating, bioenergetics, kinesiology, and the Akashic Records to uncover the root causes of dis-ease. A Kundalini and Uplifted Yoga teacher, she also uses yoga and meditation to ground her energy. To learn more about her work, including classes on Emotions & Metaphysical Kinesiology, you can visit rootcausehealthsolutions.com

Connect with Cyndi: https://rootcausehealthsolutions.com/

Read about surgery and recovery on Cyndi's website here: https://rootcausehealthsolutions.com/body-mind-spirit-my-transformational-journey-through-hip-surgery/

FREE Practice: MORNING YOGA FOR TIGHT HIPS & LOWER BACK | Stretches for Flexibility - Unleash Your Creative Energy✨

Relevant Blog: 10 Yoga Poses For Hip Pain That Anyone Can Do

Relevant to Today's Episode:

📚 Healing with Somatic Yoga Book

✅ 200-hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

🔮 300-hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

🌀 Somatic Yoga Life Coaching

💫 Somatic Certification

🎧 Also Listen to:

#285 – Is Yoga Enough…? with Dr. Jen Fraboni

#300 – Unraveling the Mystery of Chronic Pain for Yoga Teachers & Practitioners with Kim Patel

#369 – Nervous System Masterclass with Kristin Leal

© 2026 Uplifted Yoga | BrettLarkin.com

Are you collecting yogic wisdom… or in a relationship with Divine mystery? Today we're opening into Chapter 7 of the Bhagavad Gita, and it's a true turning point. The first six chapters have been so much about discipline, self-mastery, and effort… but here, we pivot into the bhakti arc: relationship with the divine.

Before we drop into the verses, I frame the big shift this chapter is asking of us — and I weave it through a distinction that changes everything: jnana (intellectual knowing) vs vijnana (realized, embodied knowing).

Here are the 5 biggest takeaways from this episode:

🔹 The pivot from self-effort to reverence + relationship (and why this is such good news if you're tired of over-efforting)

🔹 Jnana vs vijnana: reading about truth vs living it in your nervous system, your body, your actual life

🔹 Krishna's reveal: not "worship me as a personality," but recognize the animating intelligence of reality (taste in water, light in sun + moon, Om…)

🔹 The gunas as weather patterns — and bhakti as remembering the "sky" behind them

🔹 The radical reframe: awakening isn't a solo achievement… it's participatory — you're being met

If you're loving this deeper dive into yogic texts, come join me inside the Uplifted Membership for the Yoga Sutras Book Club — it's where we keep studying together (with prompts, practices, and community) so the teachings move from your head into your life.

💖 Join the membership today and get all the details on our next call → https://www.brettlarkin.com/uplifted/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=uplifted

FREE Practice: The Healing Power of Divine Love | VINYASA FLOW HEART OPENING

Relevant Blog: What Are The Gunas In Yoga? A Complete Overview

Relevant to Today's Episode:

✅ History of Yoga

📚 Healing with Somatic Yoga Book

🔮 300-hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

🐍 Yoga for Self Mastery

🌀 Somatic Yoga Life Coaching

💫 Somatic Certification

🎧 Also Listen to:

#297 – What is Samkhya Philosophy and How is it Different from Yoga?

#364 – Dissecting The 8 Limbs and Their Origins

#404 – What If I Fail? Krishna's Answer to Your Inner Critic (Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6)

© 2026 Uplifted Yoga | BrettLarkin.com

I recently went on live television — and it reminded me how much intentionality goes into both getting these opportunities and preparing for them.

In this episode, I share how media invitations actually happened for me (spoiler: it wasn't cold pitching networks)… and how I prep so live TV doesn't fry my nervous system. If you have a book, retreat, teacher training, or offering you want to grow, this is the real behind-the-scenes.

In this conversation, I cover:

🔹 The two-part strategy that builds visibility over time

🔹 Why doing "three uncomfortable things a day" changed my business

🔹 How local relationships led to magazine covers and TV invites

🔹 Why credibility and backlinks matter in the age of AI

🔹 My exact rehearsal process for live segments (so I don't freeze)

This episode is about outreach, alignment, nervous system awareness — and building momentum without overriding yourself.

Because visibility should feel expansive, not depleting.

📘 Want to explore the work I referenced in this episode? Grab Healing with Somatic Yoga here → https://amzn.to/3WGulGG

FREE Practice: 30 Minute Morning Vinyasa Yoga Flow for a Boost of Energy | WAKE UP & STRETCH

Relevant Blog: Exploring the Five Human Design Types: A Guide to Self-Discovery

Relevant to Today's Episode:

📖 Yoga Life Book

📚 Healing with Somatic Yoga Book

🔮 300-hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

🐍 Yoga for Self Mastery

✨ AI Training Course

🎧 Also Listen to:

#291 – How to Get an Agent, Write Your Wellness Book and Make a Bigger Impact

#326 – How To Plan The Ultimate Yoga Photoshoot

#386 – Stop Selling Products—Start Selling YOU: Human Design for Visibility & Flow with Juliette Stapleton

#396 – Rewire Your Nervous System + My New Somatic Healing Book is HERE!

© 2026 Uplifted Yoga | BrettLarkin.com

Let's talk about something a little controversial today… the forces of evil. 👀

How do different wisdom traditions frame temptation, demons, and the dark forces that often appear right before a spiritual breakthrough?

I'll explore the story of Eve in the garden, Jesus in the desert, and Buddha under the Bodhi tree, comparing how each figure faces illusion, doubt, and distraction—and what we can learn from them in our own practice.

I'll also break down how yogic philosophy (and Hinduism more broadly) defines the "enemy" very differently—from the ego as adversary to karmic patterns of desire and delusion. We'll explore:

🔹 Why the darkest moments often come before awakening

🔹 Jesus vs. Mara: how two traditions handle temptation

🔹 The serpent's tactic: twist truth, create doubt

🔹 Why contentment (Santosha) is spiritual protection

🔹 Vedanta's view: ego, craving, and identification as the true 'enemy'

🔹 How to tell if you're in a "spiritual setup" moment

This is part one of a two-part conversation exploring temptation, truth, and the psychological and spiritual forces we encounter on the path. Whether you're deep into the Gita or just navigating your own spiritual uplevel, this one's for you.

💖 Ready to deepen your practice and live from your true nature? Explore the Uplifted Membership here => https://www.brettlarkin.com/uplifted/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=uplifted

Book mentioned: Deceived No More by Doreen Virtue

FREE Practice: 10 Min Kundalini Kriya For Awakening For Beginners | GUIDED KUNDALINI MEDITATION

Relevant Blog: What Is Santosha? Yoga's Philosophy of Happiness.

Relevant to Today's Episode:

✅ History of Yoga

📖 Yoga Life Book

🐍 Yoga for Self Mastery

💖 Uplifted Membership

🎧 Also Listen to:

#362 – Somatics, Catholicism & Tantra – A Big Picture Inquiry

#395 – The Role of "God" in Yoga + Tantric Shadow Work w/ Katie Silcox

#408 - Aparigraha vs. Hustle Culture: I Quit Maximizing. Here's What Happened

© 2026 Uplifted Yoga | BrettLarkin.com

What if your chakra "block" isn't a block — but your nervous system doing its job?

In this bonus episode, I go deeper into your most advanced chakra questions: from how the polyvagal ladder maps onto the energy body, to why certain life patterns keep repeating. We'll explore how trauma, somatics, and subtle anatomy intersect — and why your healing path isn't linear (and was never meant to be). We'll explore:

🔹 Are chakras sequential or cyclical?

🔹 Why trauma theory transforms how we understand energy centers

🔹 How the koshas and gunas make chakra work more precise

🔹 Why you keep facing the same life lessons — and what to do about it

🔹 How each chakra reflects your nervous system's state (fight/flight/freeze)

This is a practical, somatic deep-dive into energy anatomy, grounded in compassion, science, and lived experience. If you've ever said "I feel stuck," this one's for you.

🌈 Discover your dominant chakra with my FREE dominant chakra test => https://www.brettlarkin.com/chakra-test/

🎁 Grab my new book: Healing with Somatic Yoga: A 6-Week Journey to Release Emotions, Rewire Your Nervous System, and Reclaim Your Body → https://amzn.to/3WGulGG

FREE Practice: 30 Min Somatic Yoga Flow through Somatic Movement for Hips, Lower Back, Sacral Chakra

Relevant Blog: Opening Root Chakra Symptoms And How To Balance Muladhara

Relevant to Today's Episode:

📚 Healing with Somatic Yoga Book

🔮 300-hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

🐍 Yoga for Self Mastery

💖 Uplifted Membership

🎧 Also Listen to:

#303 – The 7 Chakras as a Tool for Personal Growth

#324 – The Importance of Emotional Processing and Regulation: DENT Model Trauma

#390 – The Koshas Decoded: Energy Layers, Leadership + Financial Flow with Carla Cline Thomas

© 2026 Uplifted Yoga | BrettLarkin.com

If you've been feeling stuck or uninspired—whether in your personal practice or your teaching—this episode is for you.

I'm sharing how I've reignited my own creativity over the years, not by pushing harder, but by allowing myself to breathe in new experiences. From Da Vinci to Mirabai, from Einstein's violin to the poetry of Lalla, I'll take you on a journey that reveals the true source of inspiration—and how you can access it again (and again).

Here's what I'll explore:

🔹 What "inspiration" really means (and why you can't force it)

🔹 How to feed your creativity through multi-disciplinary learning

🔹 Why your students crave emotion more than information

🔹 The power of music, beauty, and sensory detail to awaken your teaching

🔹 How you showing up in your element is the greatest gift you can give

🔹 Why "how" something is offered matters as much as what's offered

If you've been wondering how to get inspired again—or how to truly inspire others—this episode will give you a whole new lens. And maybe, a little fire in your belly.

🎉 And if you need just a little extra teaching inspiration download my sequences and get my free yoga playlist => https://www.brettlarkin.com/teach?utm_medium=social&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=teach

💖 Join our book club! We're starting with the Yoga Sutras inside the Uplifted Membership here => https://www.brettlarkin.com/uplifted/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=uplifted

FREE Practice: MORNING YOGA STRETCHES TO HELP KICK START YOUR DAY | Beginner Women's Yoga - Hips, Shoulders & Psoas

Relevant Blog: Somatic Yoga For Yoga Teachers: Everything You Need to Know in 10 Steps

Relevant to Today's Episode:

✅ 200-hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

🔮 300-hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

🐍 Yoga for Self Mastery

🌀 Somatic Yoga Life Coaching

💫 Somatic Certification

🎧 Also Listen to:

#299 – Strategies to Slay Imposter Syndrome and Share Your Gifts

#363 – How to Become a Magnet for Loyal Students & Own the Room with Confidence with Taylor Lorenz

#401 – Who Has Your Attention? Attention Economy vs the Ancient Path

© 2026 Uplifted Yoga | BrettLarkin.com

If you've been feeling braced, overextended, or stuck in your head — this episode is for you.

In this conversation with one of my Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training graduates, Polly of North & Soul, we explore the Adi Shakti mantra not as theory… but as medicine. This isn't just a breakdown of Sanskrit.

It's a conversation about what happens when you stop micromanaging your life force — and allow energy to move again.

In this episode, we explore:

🔹 Living at "two out of ten" versus fully expressed in your energy

🔹 Kundalini as your magnetism — your truest creative essence

🔹 How conditioning and trauma constrict your life force

🔹 Shiva and Shakti as awareness and energy inside the body

🔹 Why surrender feels unsafe when your nervous system learned to brace

🔹 The nurturing frequency of Mata Shakti (Divine Mother)

🔹 How to use the Adi Shakti mantra as an anchor when overwhelmed

🔹 The exact mudra and meditation setup

We also talk about what it means to soften without collapsing.

To allow energy to move instead of clamping down.

To trust that you don't have to control everything in order to feel safe.

If you've been trying to hold it all together — this episode invites you into a different way.

And, if this conversation awakens something in you, my upcoming Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training goes deeper into:

• Mantra & energetic anatomy

• Shiva–Shakti integration

• Nervous system regulation

• Embodied leadership

https://www.brettlarkin.com/online-kundalini-yoga-teacher-training/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=ku

GUEST EXPERT: Polly Standeven | @northandsoul

Polly Standeven is the founder of North & Soul, a Kundalini teacher, and community leader devoted to feminine alchemy, energy work, and heart-led living. She is a graduate of Brett's 200-hour YTT and Kundalini University and has taught inside Brett's programs.

Connect with Polly:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northandsoul

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/northandsoul

Community: solcircle.tv

Website: www.theinvinciblewoman.co.uk/lilnew

FREE Practice: 20 Min Kundalini Yoga for the Entire Body | KUNDALINI YOGA FOR HEALTH

Relevant Blog: Adi Shakti Mantra: Manifest Your Divine Femininity

Relevant to Today's Episode:

📚 Healing with Somatic Yoga Book

🐍Kundalini 200-hour YTT

🔮Kundalini Demystified

🎧 Also Listen to:

#43 – What is Kundalini Yoga and Can it Make You Crazy?

#138 – The Secrets of Kundalini Demystified with Kia Miller

#297 – What is Samkhya Philosophy and How is it Different from Yoga?

#265 – What is the Kundalini Serpent? The Major Misunderstandings Demystified

© 2026 Uplifted Yoga | BrettLarkin.com