The Yoga Hour

What is the role of pilgrimages in understanding ourselves and our lives more fully? These journeys can call us to travel far from our homes, or occur within, as we travel deeper into our own hearts. We return with a renewed appreciation of our true Self. Rev. Charles P. Gibbs, Episcopal priest and author of the book Light Reading: Poems From a Pilgrim Journey, joins Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian to share poetry and reflections of life as a pilgrimage of divine remembrance. Listen in and join the journey that celebrates the beauty of the human heart.

What does yoga offer those seeking freedom from debilitating habits and addictions? Is yoga philosophy and practice compatible with the 12-step program of recovery? Durga Leela, founder of Yoga of Recovery, joins Yogacharya O’Brian for a discussion about liberation—including both its practical and ultimate dimensions. We can all reach beyond our habits and limitations for a life brimming with health, vitality, and freedom. Tune in and find out how.

What is truly beautiful? How can we each enhance our beauty by being more true to who we really are? The beauty of all creation is a manifestation of the Divine. Ayurveda and yoga offer many practices that help us get in touch with our own inner beauty and enhance it on all levels. Tune in for a conversation between our regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo and Dr. Manisha Kshirsagar, an Ayurvedic physician, yoga teacher, and esthetician whose specialties include skin care and natural beauty treatments. Learn how yoga and Ayurveda can help us express more of our inner beauty to the outer world. We can all experience lasting beauty that is more than skin deep!

Yoga and Ayurveda, sister sciences arising from the Vedas, each offer an entire way of life. Their practices enhance health in a holistic fashion, affecting body, mind, and spirit. Tune in as Acharya Shunya Pratichi Mathur joins Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian for a discussion of the potential for radiant health and spiritual awakening offered by these ancient systems. Simple, profound, practical—three key words that describe what we can learn about how to live optimally with yoga and Ayurveda.

What was it like to study with the great yoga master Paramahansa Yogananda? Roy Eugene Davis, one of Paramahansa Yogananda’s last living direct disciples, joins Yogacharya O’Brian for an inspiring conversation about his years with his guru. Learn what Yogananda emphasized as essential for spiritual awakening, how he advised his disciples, and some of the ways he inspired others to live in the highest way. Discover why the Kriya Yoga taught by Yoganandaji is a path of Self- and God-realization especially relevant to truth seekers today.

Decades ago, Paramahansa Yogananda taught that the practice of meditation made positive changes in the brain as well as the mind. Now science can show what this meditation master knew from his own experience before there were instruments to measure such changes. Neuroscience research today has shown many differences in the brains of long-term meditators. How does meditation change our brain structure and function? What do these changes mean? Anyone who practices meditation is soon aware of the benefits of increased calm, peacefulness, and improved ability to focus. Tune in as Martin Wuttke, Neurofeedback practitioner and researcher, joins Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian and find out more about how these beneficial changes can change our life for good.

Jyotish, or Vedic astrology, helps us comprehend how the macrocosm of the universe impacts the microcosm of our individual lives. Jyotish gives us a map of our lives and allows us to understand the tools we have been given. How can we use this knowledge for personal growth and greater spiritual awareness? Tune in for a conversation between Vedic Astrologer Komilla Sutton and Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian. Discover how Jyotish can help you in your life today.

What do yoga and Vedanta have to teach us about honoring all spiritual traditions and the roles diverse religions can play in building peace in our world? Swami Vivekananda and Paramahansa Yogananda both modeled an interspiritual approach. How have the seeds they planted helped to build the Interspiritual movement that is growing today? What practices do yoga and Vedanta offer that allow us to find the common ground at the mystical core of all religions? Swami Mahayogananda, from the Vedanta Society of Southern California, joins Yogacharya O’Brian to explore the interspiritual imperative of yoga and Vedanta. Tune in to discover how yoga and Vedanta are building bridges that contribute to our awakening world.

Would you like to stay healthy during the busy winter holiday season? Are there tips to keep our inner light shining while we shop and travel? Both Ayurveda and yoga include practices that help us maintain our health and balance, despite seasonal changes and regardless of the activities we need to perform. Tune in for a conversation with Dr. Vivek Shanbhag, naturopathic physician and Ayurvedic practitioner, and Dr. Laurel Trujillo, regular guest host, about flourishing throughout the holiday season and into the new year. Learn to thrive with festivity!

What is it that makes us truly happy? How do we find happiness that lasts? The traditions of Taoism and yoga each describe life as a spiritual journey, full of meaning and undertaken with specific purpose. Along the way we discover peace, joy, well-being, and lasting happiness. Derek Lin, author of The Tao of Happiness: Stories From Chuang Tzu for Your Spiritual Journey, joins regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo for a conversation that draws from the insights and practices of yoga and Taoism to guide us on our journey. Tune in and explore how you can experience lasting happiness along the way.