Unity in Yoga

Cinthya Esquea shares teachings and perspective on the importance of self-care and the practice of White Tantric Yoga in this insightful conversation with sangha host and Yoga Alliance’s Vice President of Cross-Cultural Advancement, Maya Breuer. Learn more about yoga, Ayurvedic practices, and meditation.

Trigger Warning:

This episode contains talk about disordered eating. If listening to this episode is not right for you, then please skip onto the next episode. Take care of yourself first.

Dr. Jennifer Webb discusses her research on the impact of body image, the media, and yoga. Podcast host Maya and Dr. Webb also explore the research findings on why people choose yoga, and how the practice helps address body shaming, media images, and diet culture.

Barrie Risman shares how yoga philosophy can deepen and evolve one’s practice. This conversation includes practical recommendations for yoga teachers exploring the path to Self.

Tajamika (Taj) Paxton shares her experience as a yoga teacher and the presence of prejudice in yoga spaces. She and host Maya have a candid discussion on racism along with a call to action for yoga teachers and practitioners to move toward greater equity, both on and off the mat.

Robin Downes shares her story on finding yoga through managing the stress of her job. She also discusses the experience of how she found her way into being a caregiver to her aging father as he was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Chelsea Roff discusses the mission of the non-profit Give Back Yoga. A collective of organizations, Give Back Yoga works to bring yoga to different populations in need not only in the U.S. but across the world.  It’s mission is to make sure the practice of yoga is accessible to anyone who faces obstacles to practice and can benefit from yoga.

Heard Here:

Eat Breathe Thrive

Give Back Yoga Foundation

Teaching for Equity recipient, Jasmine Hines discusses yoga as a form of social justice and self-care towards collective liberation. Listen to the inspiration behind Amplify and Activate, a nonprofit that functions as an interactive, inquiry based, learning community.

Heard here:

Self- Care Matters A Revolutionary Approach

Be More Foundation 

Yoga Retreat for Women of Color

Kiesha Battles

Octavia Raheem

Michelle Cassandra Johnson

Jasmine’s website

Sandy Boutros discusses teaching for equity in Lebanon. Sandy is the founder of Koun, a Lebanese NGO that aims to promote Yoga to marginalized communities. Maya and Sandy discuss receiving the Yoga Alliance Teaching for Equity grant. 

Monique Schubert shares reflections from her explorations into meditation and contemplative practices. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience, she also addresses the importance of personal practice and how to adapt the teachings of mindfulness and meditation to fulfill intentions as a teacher, meeting students where they are as they are. 

Heard Here: The Blooming of a Lotus , by Thich Nhat Hanh  Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness: Practices for Safe and Transformative Healing, by David A. Treleaven 

Sowmya Ayyar discusses her work to empower communities in vulnerable conditions through yoga. She also shares on being a participant in the inaugural Yoga Alliance Foundation Teaching for Equity program. Heard Here: Prafull Oorja – holistic practices for all

Teaching for Equity