The ModernZen Collective Podcast

Yoga Beyond the Mat: A Journey Through Traditions and Philosophy with Kloe Zhang Latting


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When Kloe first stepped onto a yoga mat 16 years ago, weight loss was her only goal. Today, after thousands of training hours across India and beyond, she understands yoga as something profoundly different – a spiritual practice that leads to liberation from conditioned thinking.

This episode takes you on a remarkable journey through diverse yoga traditions, revealing how commercialized Western yoga often misses the essence of this ancient practice. Kloe expertly unpacks the distinctions between Bikram, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Iyengar, Yin, and Restorative yoga, explaining their unique purposes and philosophical foundations.

Nikki & Kloe explore how traditional yoga balances standing postures with seated, prone and supine sequences, while many modern classes overemphasize standing poses. Kloe reveals fascinating origin stories – how Iyengar transformed eating blocks into yoga props, how Vinyasa was designed for energetic royal teenagers, and how Power Yoga emerged when Western bodies couldn't perform traditional sequences.

The conversation takes a powerful turn when Kloe shares how Zen Buddhism and yoga philosophy harmoniously inform her practice, especially in navigating profound grief after losing both parents. Her insight that "the letting go is undo – you don't do anything but return to the present moment" offers wisdom applicable far beyond the yoga mat.

Whether you're a seasoned practitioner curious about yoga's spiritual dimensions or someone seeking tools for mindful living, this conversation illuminates how these ancient traditions offer exactly what our distracted modern world needs – a path to presence, peace and authentic being.

Join our free monthly meditation sessions with Kloe or experience her Wednesday Yin Yoga classes to deepen your own practice in our supportive ModernZen community.

Connect with Kloe through her profile on the ModernZen Practitioner Collective

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Enjoy & see you next time!

Follow us on IG @modernzenco & personally at @lizzysutton.co & at @nikki.sucevic

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The ModernZen Collective PodcastBy Lizzy Sutton & Nikki Sucevic