The Yoga Heart Mind Podcast

A shorter contemplation today on something I’ve been feeling into deeply since returning from retreat: integration.

Retreats, ceremonies, workshops and other peak experiences can be incredibly powerful. We step outside the usual machinery of life. There’s space to practise, breathe, sit around fires, spend time in nature, have meaningful conversations and remember something that can be very easy to forget.

And then we come home.

Back to work. Traffic. Dishes. Family. Phones. Responsibilities. The same relationships, habits and triggers patiently waiting for our return.

This is where the practice gets interesting.

Can some of that spaciousness survive a Tuesday afternoon in traffic?

Can the kindness and harmony we experience within a beautiful group find its way into a difficult conversation?

Can Yoga become less about chasing the next peak experience and more about how we inhabit ordinary life?

That’s what I’m exploring in this short episode.

If you’d like to dig a little deeper, come join us over on Yoga Heart Mind Substack, where I’ve shared the longer version of this contemplation along with a meditation on integration:

yogaheartmind.substack.com

And if you’d like to dig deeper still, join me on Sunday 23 August at Sivananda Ashram in Beaconsfield for The Yoga of Ordinary Life — a three-hour long-form session exploring breath, body, attention, meditation and the quieter teachings and practices that help us bring Yoga home.

Not another experience to collect.

A chance to explore what happens when the experience begins to become part of how we actually live.

As always, I’m grateful you’re here and supporting the work that keeps all of this flowing. Below are some of the conscious brands I genuinely use and love — each of them adds something beautiful to my daily rhythm.

Ceremonial Clothing

Ajjaya

Use StuartWatkins for a discount on their beautiful ceremonial clothing and sacred wear.

Red Light Therapy

For the best red light technology:

Infraredi

Use STUARTWATKINS for a discount.

Ayurvedic Bathing Rituals

STEEP Ayurveda

Take your baths to the next level with STEEP Ayurveda — pure, intentional and deeply restorative.

Conscious Clothing

The comfiest, healthiest clothes on the planet:

One Golden Thread

Use STUART181 for 18% off.

Barefoot Freedom

For grounding, strength and connection to the Earth:

Sole Mechanics

Use WATKINS6162 for 15% off.

Sacred Adornment

For the finest mala beads handcrafted in Bali:

Aum Rudraksha

Use WATKINS10 for 10% off.

Thank you for listening, for supporting conscious creation, and for walking this path together.

With love,

Stuart

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The ancient Yogic teachings describe three fundamental qualities that shape our experience of life: tamas (inertia), rajas(activity), and sattva (clarity).

In this short contemplation, we explore the guṇas not as labels or personality types, but as ever-changing movements within the mind and body. As we learn to recognise these patterns, we can respond with greater wisdom, balance, and presence.

If you'd like to dive deeper into this topic, I've created a longer companion video  on Substack, where we continue exploring the guṇas through the lens of Jñāna Yoga, meditation, and everyday life. I'd also love to hear your thoughts over there. If this is a topic you'd like me to unpack further, leave a comment and let's keep the conversation going.

Listen/watch the longer video on Substack:
https://yogaheartmind.substack.com

🙏 Support the podcast and explore the conscious brands I genuinely use and recommend:
Red Light Therapy
 For the best red light technology:
 infraredi.com.au
 
Use STUARTWATKINS for a discount.

Ayurvedic Bathing Rituals
Take your baths to the next level with STEEP Ayurveda — pure, intentional, and deeply restorative.

Conscious Clothing
The comfiest, healthiest clothes on the planet:
 One Golden Thread
 
Use STUART181 for 18% off.

Barefoot Freedom
For grounding, strength, and connection to the Earth:
 Sole Mechanics
 
Use WATKINS6162 for 15% off.

Sacred Adornment
For the finest mala beads handcrafted in Bali:
 Aum Rudraksha
 
Use WATKINS10 for 10% off.

Thank you, as always, for listening and for supporting Yoga Heart Mind. It means a great deal and allows me to continue sharing these conversations each week.

With love,

Stuart Watkins

Support the show

Yoga isn't only found in retreats, caves, or on the yoga mat.

It's found in washing the dishes.
Listening deeply to someone you love.
Meeting frustration without immediately reacting.
Preparing a meal with care.
Walking barefoot at sunrise.
Showing up for your children, your community, and your work with presence.

In this short reflection, I explore what it means to bring yoga off the mat and into the ordinary moments that ultimately shape our lives.

If this conversation resonates, I've written a much deeper companion article on Substack exploring the householder path, the middle way, and what it means to be fully in the world without being consumed by it.

Read it here:
→ Yoga Heart Mind on Substack

This conversation is also the inspiration behind my upcoming immersive:

The Yoga of Ordinary Life

Saturday 23 August
CNTRE SPACE, Beaconsfield, Western Australia

A long-form workshop exploring how the ancient teachings of yoga can become a living practice woven into everyday life—not something we escape to, but something we embody.

I'd love to have you join us.

Support the Podcast

As always, I'm grateful you're here and supporting the work that keeps all of this flowing.

Below are a few of the brands I genuinely use and trust.

Go deeper
Join us on Substack for longer-form writings, practices, and conversations:
→ yogaheartmind.substack.com

Infraredi
High-quality red light therapy:
→ infraredi.com.au
Use code STUARTWATKINS

STEEP Ayurveda
Ayurvedic bathing rituals crafted with intention.

One Golden Thread
Consciously made clothing.
Use code STUART181 for 18% off.

Sole Mechanics
Barefoot footwear for grounding and natural movement.
Use code WATKINS6162 for 15% off.

Aum Rudraksha
Handcrafted mala beads from Bali.
Use code WATKINS10 for 10% off.

Thank you for listening, for supporting conscious creation, and for walking this path with me.

With love,

Stuart

Support the show

In so much of modern wellness culture, it’s easy to rush toward the practices.

The yoga class.

The meditation.

The gym.

The breathing technique.

The cold plunge.

And while these practices can absolutely support us, sometimes we forget something simple:

The body itself is the ground.

The terrain matters.

In this short episode, I explore some of the foundational rhythms that help prepare the body for deeper practice — not through optimisation, force, or endlessly trying to improve ourselves…

…but through relationship.

Relationship to light.

Relationship to water.

Relationship to the earth beneath our feet.

Relationship to the subtle electrical intelligence of the body itself.

We explore themes that many of you have heard woven through recent conversations:

Light.

Water.

Magnetism.

Voltage.

Grounding.

Circadian rhythm.

Nervous system regulation.

And why simple foundations can profoundly influence how we feel, move, perceive, and practice.

Prāṇāyāma begins long before we consciously sit to breathe.

The body prepares.

The nervous system prepares.

The rhythms of daily life prepare.

When the instrument has been gently tuned, practice lands differently.

Breath lands differently.

Life lands differently.

This is not about perfection.

Not about chasing some ideal version of health.

But perhaps remembering a few simple things modern life can sometimes pull us away from.

For those tuning in through the podcast feed — deep gratitude.

Thank you for listening.

Thank you for supporting these conversations.

This is a shorter check-in.

If you’re enjoying these explorations and would like to continue further, the full extended discussion and accompanying 45-minute practice are available over on Substack.

Deep gratitude as well to everyone supporting the deeper work there.

Continue the Journey

Substack (writings and videos):
https://yogaheartmind.substack.com

Upcoming retreats, including Sri Lanka 2026:
https://www.stuartwatkins.org/sri-lanka-retreat-2026

This Episode Is Supported By

These are brands I genuinely use and value in my own life:

Ajjaya — ceremonial clothing and sacred wear
Use code STUARTWATKINS

Infraredi — red light therapy
https://infraredi.com.au

Use code STUARTWATKINS

STEEP Ayurveda — ayurvedic bathing rituals

One Golden Thread — conscious clothing

Use code STUART181 for 18% off

https://onegoldenthread.com/

Sole Mechanics — barefoot and grounding footwear

Use code WATKINS6162 for 15% off

https://www.solemechanics.com.au/

Aum Rudraksha — handcrafted mala beads from Bali

Use code WATKINS10 for 10% off

https://www.aumrudraksha.com/

Deep gratitude for listening.

Stuart

Support the show

In this episode I explore what it means to clarify the natural state — not as something to attain or construct, but as something already here, quietly present beneath the noise, the striving, and the constant movement of mind.

This is a conversation around direct recognition — the simple, often overlooked capacity to notice what is aware, rather than getting endlessly caught in what we are aware of.

We explore how easily the system gets pulled into patterns of seeking, fixing, improving… and how this, in itself, can obscure the very clarity we’re looking for.

There’s a gentle but honest look at the habits of mind that keep us looping — and how through awareness, breath, and embodied presence, something begins to soften.

Not through force.
Not through more effort.
But through seeing clearly.

This episode also touches on embodied living — what it means to bring this recognition into the body, into relationship, into daily life. Not as a concept, but as a felt, lived experience.

A return to simplicity.
A return to what’s real.

If you’ve been feeling caught in the “more, more, more” — more practice, more knowledge, more optimisation — this is an invitation to pause…

…and notice what’s already here.

If you’d like to listen to the full episode, come and join me over on Substack.

Continue the Journey

Substack (writings and videos):
https://yogaheartmind.substack.com

Upcoming immersive — May 2:
https://app.punchpass.com/org/6670/classes/19796254?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio

Upcoming retreats, including Sri Lanka 2026:
https://www.stuartwatkins.org/sri-lanka-retreat-2026

This Episode Is Supported By

These are brands I genuinely use and value in my own life:

Ajjaya — ceremonial clothing and sacred wear
Use code STUARTWATKINS

Infraredi — red light therapy
https://infraredi.com.au

Use code STUARTWATKINS

STEEP Ayurveda — ayurvedic bathing rituals

One Golden Thread — conscious clothing
Use code STUART181 for 18% off
https://onegoldenthread.com/

Sole Mechanics — barefoot and grounding footwear
Use code WATKINS6162 for 15% off
https://www.solemechanics.com.au/

Aum Rudraksha — handcrafted mala beads from Bali
Use code WATKINS10 for 10% off
https://www.aumrudraksha.com/

Thank you for listening and for supporting the work.

Stuart

Support the show

There’s a version of yoga that has become familiar in the modern world—
shaped by performance, aesthetics, and commercialisation.

And then there is Yoga as it has always been.

In this conversation, I sit down with Amy Landry—teacher, educator, and author of Ocean of Yoga—to explore what it means to return to the depth, integrity, and living essence of the tradition.

Amy’s work is rooted in a deep respect for the classical teachings of Yoga. Through her book Ocean of Yoga, she offers a comprehensive and grounded guide to yoga as a complete path—one that includes philosophy, subtle anatomy, mantra, meditation, and the deeper streams of Hatha and Tantra.

We speak to the difference between doing yoga and living Yoga…
between surface-level practice and a path that reshapes how we relate to body, mind, and reality itself.

This isn’t about rejecting modern yoga.
It’s about re-rooting it.

Not about adding more—
but remembering what was always there.

If you’ve felt the quiet pull toward something deeper in your practice,
this conversation will meet you there.

Explore Amy’s book
→ Ocean of Yoga — Amy Landry

Support the Podcast

As always, I’m grateful you’re here—supporting the work that keeps all of this flowing.

Below are a few of the brands I genuinely use and trust. Each one adds something meaningful to my daily rhythm.

Go deeper
Join us on Substack for longer-form writings and deeper dives:
→ yogaheartmind.substack.com

Ajjaya
Ceremonial clothing and sacred wear.
Use code STUARTWATKINS

Infraredi
Red light therapy I use and recommend:
→ infraredi.com.au

Use code STUARTWATKINS

STEEP Ayurveda
Ayurvedic bathing rituals. Simple, potent, restorative.

One Golden Thread
Comfortable, consciously made clothing.
Use code STUART181 for 18% off

Sole Mechanics
Barefoot footwear for strength and grounding.
Use code WATKINS6162 for 15% off

Aum Rudraksha
Handcrafted mala beads from Bali.
Use code WATKINS10 for 10% off

Thank you for listening, for supporting conscious creation,
and for walking this path together.

With love,

Stuart

Support the show

In this episode I sit down with Dr Harsh Agrawal, CMD of Vardan Ayurveda Nilayam in Rishikesh, for a grounded and insightful conversation exploring Ayurveda as a living science — one that bridges tradition, nervous system regulation, and the deeper intelligence of healing.

Dr Harsh comes from a lineage of doctors, carrying forward the legacy of his grandfather, a renowned Ayurvedacharya in the 1970s. With over a decade of experience treating chronic disorders through Ayurveda, he brings both clinical depth and lived wisdom to the conversation.

Together we explore Ayurveda 101 — what Ayurveda really is, how it understands health and imbalance, and the foundational principles that shape this ancient system. We talk about the doshas, the gunas, and how these frameworks help us understand body, mind, energy, and behaviour in a practical and embodied way.

This conversation bridges traditional Ayurvedic wisdom with modern life — offering simple insights into lifestyle rhythms, daily practices, and the subtle intelligence of healing that arises when awareness and right relationship return to the body.

And some exciting news — we will be bringing Dr Harsh to Perth for a series of workshops and consultations.

So stay tuned, Perth.

If you’ve been curious about Ayurveda beyond surface-level wellness trends — or are seeking a deeper, grounded approach to health — this episode offers a thoughtful and accessible introduction.

About Dr Harsh Agrawal

Dr Harsh Agrawal is the CMD of Vardan Ayurveda Nilayam (VAN) in Rishikesh, one of the region’s leading Ayurveda and Panchkarma centres.

He comes from a respected lineage of Ayurvedic doctors and carries over 10 years of experience treating chronic disorders through Ayurveda. More than 20,000 patients from India and abroad have benefitted from his work.

“It is not the pathy (stream of medicine system), which a doctor or healer adopts, but the feeling of empathy, which connects him with his patients and cures them finally.”

— Dr Harsh Agrawal

Continue the Journey

Substack (writings and videos):
https://yogaheartmind.substack.com

Upcoming retreats, including Sri Lanka 2026:
https://www.stuartwatkins.org/sri-lanka-retreat-2026

This Episode Is Supported By

These are brands I genuinely use and value in my own life:

Ajjaya — ceremonial clothing and sacred wear
Use code STUARTWATKINS

Infraredi — red light therapy
https://infraredi.com.au

Use code STUARTWATKINS

STEEP Ayurveda — ayurvedic bathing rituals

One Golden Thread — conscious clothing
Use code STUART181 for 18% off
https://onegoldenthread.com/

Sole Mechanics — barefoot and grounding footwear
Use code WATKINS6162 for 15% off
https://www.solemechanics.com.au/

Aum Rudraksha — handcrafted mala beads from Bali
Use code WATKINS10 for 10% off
https://www.aumrudraksha.com/

Thank you for listening and for supporting the work.

Stuart

Support the show

In this episode I explore the living field between the heart, the mind, and the body — what I’ve come to call Heart–Mind Electric.

It’s a conversation about coherence, voltage, and the subtle intelligence of the nervous system. When the heart, mind, and body begin to align, something quietly powerful happens: energy stabilises, perception sharpens, and life starts to feel more fluid and alive.

We touch on simple lifestyle rhythms and embodied practices that help bring the system into a more coherent state — not through force or discipline, but through listening, breath, movement, nature, and a steady return to what is real.

This episode isn’t about optimisation as performance.
It’s about remembering how to live in tune with your own current.

If you’ve been feeling scattered, depleted, overstimulated, or disconnected from your deeper signal, this conversation offers a grounded recalibration.

If you’d like to explore this work in person, you’re welcome to join me at CNTRE Space on February 7.
Bookings here:
https://www.cntrespace.com.au/timetable

In This Episode

What Heart–Mind Electric really means
Why coherence is the foundation of wellbeing
How the nervous system sets the tone for daily life
Simple shifts that support natural voltage and clarity
The relationship between presence, energy, and perception
How to live in alignment without forcing or fixing yourself

Continue the Journey

Substack (writings and videos):
https://yogaheartmind.substack.com

Upcoming retreats, including Sri Lanka 2026:
https://www.stuartwatkins.org/sri-lanka-retreat-2026

This Episode Is Supported By

These are brands I genuinely use and value in my own life:

Ajjaya — ceremonial clothing and sacred wear
Use code STUARTWATKINS

Infraredi — red light therapy
https://infraredi.com.au

Use code STUARTWATKINS

STEEP Ayurveda — ayurvedic bathing rituals

One Golden Thread — conscious clothing
Use code STUART181 for 18% off

https://onegoldenthread.com/

Sole Mechanics — barefoot and grounding footwear
Use code WATKINS6162 for 15% off

https://www.solemechanics.com.au/

Aum Rudraksha — handcrafted mala beads from Bali
Use code WATKINS10 for 10% off

https://www.aumrudraksha.com/

Thank you for listening and for supporting the work.

Stuart

Support the show

In this episode, I dive into a story I’ve never fully shared in this way — the long, winding, unlikely path that led me to becoming a marriage celebrant.

For most of my life, I was firmly against marriage.
Not dramatically, but with that subtle, arrogant, anti-establishment streak that shaped so much of my youth — skateboarding, grunge, drum-and-bass raves, and later, the tantric-yogic path of walking the edges.

Marriage felt like a construct, a box, an outdated script.
Freedom was the religion.

But then came the turning points — the plant medicine ceremony in 2012 that revealed a future I could never have imagined, the awakening of dharma, the clarity of union with Jo, and finally, Ram Dass marrying us and naming our path as “a tandem journey to God.”

This episode explores:

• the roots of my anti-marriage mindset
• how skate culture, rebellion, and tantric yogic life shaped my worldview
• the December 21st, 2012 ceremony that cracked everything open
• what marriage revealed about freedom, devotion and purpose
• how I discovered relationship as one of the deepest forms of yoga
• why I now feel called to support couples entering marriage consciously

This is a conversation about love, dharma, initiation, and the profoundly sacred terrain of relationship.
It’s honest, raw, cheeky, and tender — and if you’ve ever walked the path of partnership (or avoided it), I think it will land in your heart.

As always, I’m grateful you’re here and supporting the work that keeps all of this flowing.
These are the conscious brands I genuinely use and love — each adds something beautiful to my daily rhythm.

✨ Substack — our deeper community
Join us for the long-form teachings, sādhanā, and heart shares:
yogaheartmind.substack.com

✨ Ceremonial Clothing — Ajjaya
High-vibe, intentional clothing for practice, ceremony, and life.
Use code STUARTWATKINS for a discount.

✨ Red Light Therapy — Infraredi
The best red-light technology in Australia.
Use STUARTWATKINS for a discount at infraredi.com.au

✨ Ayurvedic Bath Rituals — STEEP Ayurveda
Pure, intentional, deeply restorative blends to elevate your bathing and self-care.

✨ Conscious Clothing — One Golden Thread
The comfiest, healthiest clothing on the planet.
Use STUART181 for 18% off.

✨ Barefoot Freedom — Sole Mechanics
For grounding, strength, alignment, and connection to the Earth.
Use WATKINS6162 for 15% off.

✨ Sacred Adornment — Aum Rudraksha
Handmade mala beads from Bali, crafted with devotion.
Use WATKINS10 for 10% off.

Thank you for listening, for supporting conscious creation, and for walking this path together.

With love,
Stuart

Support the show

Hey beautiful friends,

Just a quick little check-in in this episode — a moment to pause, breathe, and reconnect.

As always, I’m grateful you’re here and supporting the work that keeps all of this flowing. Below are some of the conscious brands I genuinely use and love — each of them adds something beautiful to my daily rhythm.

Come join us over on Substack — that’s where we’re sharing the deeper dives:
yogaheartmind.substack.com

Ceremonial Clothing
Ajjaya

Use StuartWatkins for a discount on their beautiful, high-vibe clothing and sacred wear.

Red Light Therapy
For the best red light technology:
infraredi.com.au

Use STUARTWATKINS for a discount.

Ayurvedic Bathing Rituals
Take your baths to the next level with STEEP Ayurveda — pure, intentional, and deeply restorative.

Conscious Clothing
The comfiest, healthiest clothes on the planet:
One Golden Thread

Use STUART181 for 18% off.

Barefoot Freedom
For grounding, strength, and connection to the Earth:
Sole Mechanics

Use WATKINS6162 for 15% off.

Sacred Adornment
For the finest mala beads handcrafted in Bali:
Aum Rudraksha

Use WATKINS10 for 10% off.

Thank you for listening, for supporting conscious creation, and for walking this path together.

With love,

Stuart

Support the show