The Yoga Hour

Understanding the nature of the mind holds the key to successful meditation practice and conscious living. Join Dr. Christopher Key Chapple and Rev. O’Brian for this dynamic dialogue about how to use the mind to support our highest achievements, fulfill our life purpose and reach its ultimate goal.

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, the foundational text for yoga philosophy and practice, offers a model for living fully and freely in this world. Discover its timeless wisdom as host Rev. Ellen is joined by Dr. Christopher Key Chapple, Doshi Professor of Indic and Comparative Theology at Loyola Marymount University.

Enter the stream of Yoga’s ancient wisdom with this three-part series on the Yoga Sutra. This first segment, Gems of Wisdom, offers insights and practices for ethical and spiritually awakened living with Sanskrit scholar, yoga philosophy instructor, and author Nicolai Bachman and Rev. Ellen Grace O'Brian.

The science of Mantra Yoga takes us to the heart of matter through the creative energy of sound. Understanding and applying the power of the word through mantra is a yoga discipline that can bring healing, prosperity and spiritual transformation. Rev. O’Brian is joined by Dr. David Frawley (Pandit Vamadeva Shastri) and Yogini Shambhavi for this exploration of mantra as a key to awakening.

The mystical path takes us out of the world as a place of mundane existence and brings us back to it as holy ground. Camille Helminski and Shaikh Kabir Helminski of the Mevlevi Order of Sufis bring their recent translations of Rumi to this conversation with Rev. O’Brian about what really matters in life.

The spiritual philosophy and wellness practices of the Hatha Yoga system can be utilized by anyone interested in better health, clarity and balanced living. Hatha Yoga instructors Julianne Rice and Victor Dubin join Rev. O’Brian for a practical and inspiring conversation about how to incorporate this ancient practice into our lives to experience greater well-being.

A meditation retreat can deepen our meditation experience and open us to profound insight. Rev. O'Brian will be joined by the Venerable Jian Hu, Abbot of the Chung Tai Zen Center of Sunnyvale, California, for this inspiring conversation about why retreats are so important for truth seekers and how we can prepare ourselves for what a retreat can offer us.

Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of the great yoga master Paramahansa Yogananda, joins Rev. O'Brian to share his experiences with Paramahansaji documented in his book, Paramahansa Yogananda as I Knew Him. Intimate reflections on the transformations possible in the life of a devotee of God offer powerful insights and inspiration for the path of enlightenment.

Rabbi Rami Shapiro joins Rev. O'Brian in an exploration of the wisdom sayings of Solomon from the book of Proverbs. These sayings challenge, encourage and instruct us to live our deepest truth. Each essential teaching is a simple but profound guidepost that shines light upon the path of spiritually conscious living and reveals the way to live with purpose, insight and balance. Rabbi Shapiro's translation of Proverbs touches the heart of enlightened insight.

What is discipleship? How does it arise? What does it offer? What does it require? In this episode Rev. O'Brian is joined by Dr. Kusumita Pederson, professor of religious studies, in a profound conversation about the way of discipleship—the universal path of radical freedom walked by devotees, saints and mystics through the ages.