Yoga Is Vegan

This is the second half of the Best of 2019. In this episode, the compilation of excerpts focus on personal development, healing, spiritual growth and being effective vegan activists and teachers.

Obi Ndefo: As an actor of Nigerian and American heritage, onscreen and onstage, Obi Ndefo’s relationship with his body has been crucial for his life’s work and self-expression. Trained at the Yale School of Drama, Obi subsequently progressed to playing pivotal roles in film and television. For 3 seasons, he recurred as Bodie Wells on the television series “Dawson’s Creek,” and for 4 seasons he recurred as Rak’nor in the adventure science fiction series “Stargate.” As a physically transformative actor, extensively trained in yoga and multidimensional fitness, Mr. Ndefo took on a wide variety of physical roles in “Star Trek - Deep Space Nine” as the Klingon Drex, “Star Trek - Voyager” as Kelamane, along with roles in “The West Wing,” “NYPD Blue,” “The Jamie Foxx Show,” “Angel,” and “Third Rock from the Sun.”


As a writer, Obi had been 5 years into the development of a groundbreaking new multicultural television series entitled “Juice Bar,” which is centered around the world of the global health movement, the organic food movement, and our planet’s movement towards consciousness and inclusivity. The deeply uplifting series is in its pilot phase. Obi is the lead writer for the character-driven scripted series.


8 weeks ago, on the evening of August 17th, after shopping at Erewhon Natural Foods Market in Los Angeles, Obi’s body was struck by a hIt-and-run DUI driver moving full speed. Miraculously, Obi survived the impact, but his right leg was severed instantly, just above the knee, and his shattered left leg had to be amputated 30 minutes later at the hospital to save his life.


Through dramatic self-will and determination, Obi used his yoga abilities, commitment to vibrant organic vegan food, and his positive mindset, to not only heal and recover from the very violent incident, but to recently return to his life’s work of acting and writing.


Ironically, Obi’s new television series “Juice Bar” sought to offer transformative portrayals of diversity on television, with several characters who happen to be amputees! With an even deeper mission now to tell the stories of these “other abled” characters, staggeringly, Obi will now be playing one of the roles he originally wrote to be played by an actual double amputee.
In an emotionally moving turn of events from the universe, the above-the-knee double amputee is now Obi.


Obi’s family, community, and co-workers in the entertainment field are coming together to support both his survival, and his physical ability to portray these roles, and maintain his position as co-show creator and writer of this and other television series. Obi would like the exposure of his story and his work within media to be a vehicle/vessel for positive portrayals of diversity, multiculturalism, and inclusion.

Listen to Episode 26- Obi Ndefo: Triumph Through Tragedy



Kathleen Kastner has a master’s degree in Exercise Physiology and has been practicing and teaching Ashtanga Yoga since 1997.

She was a yoga studio owner in Kansas City for 16 years and now lives in Encinitas, CA where she practices with Tim Miller daily.
She’s been vegan since 2002 and is certified in plant-based nutrition with the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine.
Her main focus in life is spreading ahimsa through animal and vegan activism and her youtube cooking show, Vegan Vitality.
Kathleen is Vegan Coach, specializing in weight loss and is the author of two books. She hosts yoga workshops and international retreats.
Listen to Episode 12- Kathleen Kastner: Becoming a Vegan Yogi Activist


Christopher August and Sara Oakley: After a series of...

May 2019 marked the beginning year of the Yoga Is Vegan Podcast. In The Best Of: Part 1, Holly Skodis features excerpts from some of her favorite interviews this year. This is a great episode to listen to if you are new to the show or haven't quite yet listened to them all. Clearly there wasn't enough time to share as many as she would have liked. Stay tuned next week, for Part 2.

Episodes featured in this episode:

Joy Pierson and Bart Potenza are pioneers in the vegan restaurant business. They have been New York's staple for fine dining for over 16 years and their restaurants have included Candle 79, Candle Cafe West and Candle Cafe. Unfortunately, their episode was corrupted while editing and the full episode never aired. What remains is golden non-the-less. For more information on the Candle Cafe's visit http://www.candlecafe.com

Sri Dharma Mittra: Legendary yoga teacher Sri Dharma Mittra first encountered yoga as a teenager before meeting his guru in 1964 and beginning his training in earnest. Sri Dharma founded one of the early independent schools of yoga in New York City in 1975 and has taught many tens of thousands the world over in the years since. Sri Dharma is the model and creator of The Master Yoga Chart of 908 Postures, the author of ASANAS: 608 Yoga Poses, the LOAY Teachers’ Manual and Yoga Wisdom, has released two DVDs to date – Maha Sadhana Levels I and II, and recently captured classes are available for streaming via alomoves.com, YogaJournal.com and Vimeo On Demand. Sri Dharma continues to disseminate the complete traditional science of yoga through daily classes, international workshops and his Life of a Yogi Teacher Trainings at the Dharma Yoga New York Center. For more information on all things Dharma Yoga, please visit: www.dharmayogacenter.com.

Listen to Episode 28- Sri Dharma Mittra

Victoria Moran is a vegan of over three decades, a yoga practitioner of half a century, and was voted “Peta’s Sexiest Vegan Over 50” in 2016. Listed by VegNews among the Top 10 Living Vegetarian Authors, Victoria made her reputation in the self-help and spirituality genre with books including the international bestseller, Creating a Charmed Life. In the vegan space, she’s written books including The Love-Powered Diet, The Good Karma Diet, and the iconic Main Street Vegan.

Moran is founder and director of Main Street Vegan Academy, an in-person program in New York City that trains vegan lifestyle coaches, educators, and entrepreneurs. The Academy has over 400 alumni in twenty-eight countries, who are engaged in vegan enterprises ranging from counseling to cooking to cowboy boots.

Featured twice on Oprah and regularly appearing on television and radio, Victoria is an internationally celebrated speaker and host of the award-winning Main Street Vegan podcast. She is also lead producer of A Prayer for Compassion, the 2019 documentary from Student Academy Award winner, Thomas Jackson, that explores the intersection of food choices and spirituality. She lives with her husband, writer and musician William Melton, their rescue-dog, Forbes, and a handicapped pigeon named Thunder, in a “green” building in New York City.

Listen to Episode 16- Victoria Moran

Dotsie Bausch- After concluding a prolific professional cycling career that produced a medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games, eight US national championships, two Pan American gold medals and a world record, Dotsie Bausch has become a powerful influencer for plant-based eating for athletes and non-athletes alike. Named by VegNews in 2019 as one of the top 20 most influential vegans in the world, she utilizes her degree in plant-based nutrition to inform her impassioned messages as an advocate on behalf of humans, planet earth and animals.

Never one to...

In this episode, Yoga Is Vegan's Holly Skodis and Thomas Wade Jackson discuss:

Finding Your Dharma
Cowspiracy The Sustainability Secret
Raising a vegan child
Sailesh Rao the Founder and Executive Director of Climate Healers.
Embracing Vulnerability
Meditation
Dr. Melanie Joy
Vegan Psychologist Clare Mann
Dr. Will Tuttle (For more information listen to his interview on Episode 7)
Victoria Moran (For more, listen to her interview on Episode 16)
Effective Activism
Dr. Michael Gregor's Nutritionfacts.org
The Game Changers
Jainism
Jerome Flynn
The Animal Product Black Market in India
Vegetarianism

Thomas Wade Jackson received his Masters from Florida State University's College of Motion Picture Arts, where his thesis film, Slow Dancin’ Down the Aisles of the QuickCheck, won both the Student Academy Award and the Student Emmy Award, as well as 20 other awards and honors. He is the founder of The Compassion Project, a multi-media production company, and director of the award-winning, feature-length documentary, A Prayer for Compassion. Thomas is a vegan and animal rights activist and lives in the woods of North Florida with his daughter and their cat friend Obi Wan.

Connect with Thomas Wade Jackson:
Website: www.aprayerforcompassion.com
Facebook: @compassionmovie
Instagram:@compassionmovie

Yoga Is Vegan's Holly Skodis interviews psychedelic artist & yoga teacher, Madi Moon.

Topics discussed in this episode:

Ahimsa

Main Street Vegan Academy https://mainstreetvegan.net/academy/

New Milford Hospital Connecticut Guided Imagery & Hypnotherapy for Minimizing Anxiety and Pain and Promoting Healing. Alexandra Chalif MS, MP.

The Law of Attraction

Yoga Union Teacher Training in Bali www.yogaunionbali.com

The van & bus life movement.

Julia Butterfly Hill Episode 24

Madi’s journey as an artist. Learning to express visions from her meditations and dreams with painting. nan

Activism

Anonymous for the Voiceless

Philly VegFest

Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One by Dr. Joe Dispenza

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chakra-meditation-balancing-healing-meditation-music/id886156937

Madi Smedley is a self-love enthusiast who helps women with healing the heart and mindset. She is a psychedelic artist, yogi, and vegan. Her next step is spreading love and art in her self converted bus tiny home, healing women along the way.

Connect with Madi:
Instagram: @madisunmoon
E-Book: Guide To A Goddess Mindset
Etsy Shop: madisunmoon
YouTube: Madi Moon

Born in Israel, Talia, along with her family relocated to New York early in her life. Curious by both nature and nurture, Talia was brought up by soulful, caring parents. She was first introduced to yoga and meditation at age 6, when her mom integrated these practices into her lifestyle to beat lymphoma.

Love has always been the flame lighting the way.

Talia sees nothing as external to her studies: She has learned impeccable skill and technique from masters of ballet, yoga and art. Equally, she finds sensitivity, intuition and insight are to be found through stillness, silence and connection with the seemingly ordinary world around us and that ultimately no teacher is greater than the one within.

Talia has recently relocated to Tel Aviv where she lives with her husband Ezra and their son Akiva.

She is excited, humbled and honored to spread her love of yoga worldwide and is grateful for all her teachers and students.

Holly Skodis & Talia Sutra discuss in this episode:

Julia Planine-Troiani (YIV podcast episode 22)
Talia's first introduction to yoga with her mother.
Dr. Will Tuttle (YIV podcast episode 7)
Yoga To The People
Dance and the relationship to the Self
Asana and its role in the system of yoga
Body image, eating disorders and how they have been changing in the past 10 years
Sisterhood and the Divine feminine
Tel Aviv and the vegan community
Effective forms of activism & best practices
Regenerative farming
Raising children vegan
Asana & bringing deep consciousness to the body
Removing blocks in the body & using poses as a reflection of you.
Alo Moves
Connect with Talia:
Website: taliasutrayoga,com
Instagram: @talia_sutra
Ellen Ruben x Talia Sutra Vegan Shoes & Bags www.ellenruben.com

Henry Winslow is a dedicated yoga practitioner of nine years, whose teaching is rooted in the Ghosh, Ashtanga, and Dharma Yoga traditions. In 2018, Henry took first place in the International Yoga Sport Federation's world championships, and in 2019, he launched the Henry Yoga app, a 40-day program for anyone looking to get serious about yoga, no matter their budget or schedule. To Henry, yoga is above all else a tool for cultivating clarity. He credits his practice for attuning him to his own values and for lending him the courage to leave a safe yet emotionally draining job in pharmaceutical advertising and blaze a new path in yoga and entrepreneurship. Through live classes and workshops, the Henry Yoga app, and his podcast Dharma Talk, Henry empowers students worldwide to connect to their innermost selves, where our natural resilience, unlimited power, and universal compassion reside.

In this episode Holly Skodis and Henry Winslow discuss:

Henry Winslow's podcast Dharma Talk
Yoga teacher and photographer Fabio Filipi (Fabio is on Yoga Is vegan podcast 5)
Maha dharma and unique dharma
Dharma Mittra (for more listen to Dharma Mittra on Yoga Is Vegan podcast episode 28)
Screamers Pizzeria
Documentaries Forks Over Knives, Cowspiracy & What The Health
Dr. Melanie Joy "Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows: An Introduction to Carnism"
"Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
Ghosh Yoga
International Yoga Sport Federation's World Championships
Rajashree & Bikram Choudhury
Yoga Inc Documentary
Rose Erin Vaughan Science of Self Yoga & MYT Workshops & Certifications
Information on the recent Bikram downfall in the documentary, Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator.

In this episode YIV's Holly Skodis and Jonina Turzi discuss:
Ahimsa
The concept of herdism as coined by Dr. Will Tuttle in his book The World Peace Diet. For more on Dr. Tuttle listen to YIV's podcast episode 7.
Approaches to addressing Thanksgiving and other family and friend invitations as a vegan.
Yoga and Vegetarianism by Sharon Gannon
Yoga professor Jonathan Dickstein
Anna Ferguson. For more on Anna Ferguson listen to YIV's podcast episode 4.
Lancaster Farm Sanctuary
Genetic manipulation of farm animals. Why it hurts to just exist.
Why eating eggs is unnatural and cruel to egg-laying hens.
How to spot animals being transported to slaughter and factory farms.
Supporting farmers by helping them transition towards plant-based
Neil Barnard's medical group PCRM submitted a petition with the FDA to change the labeling on cheese to include a cancer warning. Read the article,
"Doctors Group Petition FDA to Put Cancer Warning on Cheese" on VegNews
Michael Gregor's Nutritionfacts.org
The Last Pig Documentary
Osteopathic manual therapy and cranial sacral and visceral manipulation. Vagus nerve tension, adhesions and blockages and how they relate to the chakras.
Somato-Emotional Release
Guru Singh on Consciousness Rich Roll Podcast Episode 468
Chakras
West End Yoga Studio

Jonina Turzi is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and a Yoga Educator who teaches group classes, private sessions, and leads yoga teacher trainings in Lancaster, PA. She is the owner of West End Yoga Studio in downtown Lancaster and is a co-founder and resident of Lancaster Farm Sanctuary, a nonprofit farmed animal rescue, education, and advocacy center that is home to 40 liberated beings including cows, pigs, sheep, goats, turkeys, ducks, and chickens.
Jonina got her start in animal activism by becoming a District Leader for the Humane Society of the United States with her partner Sarah Salluzzo. After reading The World Peace Diet by Dr. Will Tuttle she realized she wanted to expand her activism from a focus on legislative progress in animal welfare to include the ethical and spiritual stance of freedom for all beings inherent in the yoga tradition as realized through veganism and animal rights activism.
In her private physical therapy practice, Jonina sees clients daily to provide Functional Manual Therapy, and a variety of postural and osteopathic interventions for chronic and complex pain including visceral and craniosacral therapies.
Through her yoga training called Yoga Sanctuary School, and in all her yoga class offerings, Jonina encourages yoga teachers and students to yoke the benefits of their personal practice to the benefit of all beings.

Connect with Jonina:

Website: www.joninaturzi.com
Website: www.lancasterfarmsanctuary.org
Website: www.westendyogastudio.com
Website: yogasanctuaryschool.com

In this episode YIV's Holly Skodis interviews Sri Dharma Mittra about the role of the teacher, yogic practices and veganism for spiritual development.

Topics discussed in this episode:

Sri Dharma Mittra’s Guru Sri Swami Kailashananda a.k.a. Yogi Gupta
Ahimsa
The Sattvic Diet
The role of vegan foods in a spiritual practice
The condition of the soul
Reincarnation and the meaning of life
Raja Yoga
Yoga Nidra
Karma Yoga
Meditation
Yoga Postures

Legendary yoga teacher Sri Dharma Mittra first encountered yoga as a teenager before meeting his guru in 1964 and beginning his training in earnest. Sri Dharma founded one of the early independent schools of yoga in New York City in 1975 and has taught many tens of thousands the world over in the years since. Sri Dharma is the model and creator of The Master Yoga Chart of 908 Postures, the author of ASANAS: 608 Yoga Poses, the LOAY Teachers’ Manual and Yoga Wisdom, has released two DVDs to date – Maha Sadhana Levels I and II, and recently captured classes are available for streaming via alomoves.com, YogaJournal.com and Vimeo On Demand. Sri Dharma continues to disseminate the complete traditional science of yoga through daily classes, international workshops and his Life of a Yogi Teacher Trainings at the Dharma Yoga New York Center. For more information on all things Dharma Yoga, please visit: www.dharmayogacenter.com.

YIV's Holly Skodis interviews Dotsie Bausch about her road to becoming vegan and self discovery along the way.

After concluding a prolific professional cycling career that produced a medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games, eight US national championships, two Pan American gold medals and a world record, Dotsie Bausch has become a powerful influencer for plant-based eating for athletes and non-athletes alike. Named by VegNews in 2019 as one of the top 20 most influential vegans in the world, she utilizes her degree in plant-based nutrition to inform her impassioned messages as an advocate on behalf of humans, planet earth and animals.

Never one to shy away from facing staggering odds – just like she did in the Olympics while riding for Team USA, whose unlikely and triumphant story is chronicled in the Netflix documentary “Personal Gold” – her latest initiative is founding the non-profit Switch4Good. Switch4Good launched in early 2018 with a television commercial featuring six Olympians from four different countries and proves that cow’s milk is not part of a high-performance diet. The ground-breaking commercial aired on NBC during the 2018 Winter Olympic Games closing ceremonies and on ABC during the Academy Awards broadcast. View the commercial at: https://Switch4Good.org. Bausch is also one of the stars of the film The Game Changers (http://gamechangersmovie.com), which chronicles the story of the world’s most dangerous myth. Directed by Academy Award winner Louie Psihoyos and executive produced by Oscar winner James Cameron, The Game Changers released to worldwide audiences in October of 2019 and in just one week, became the #1 downloaded film of all time on iTunes.

Long before embodying radiant health and becoming an influential game changer, Bausch struggled for years with severe eating disorders and a recreational drug habit, that combined, led to a suicide attempt. It was during her recovery that she discovered her gift and love for the bike.

Bausch speaks passionately around the world, spreading her message about the numerous benefits – humane, nutritional and environmental – of plant-based eating. Her popular TEDx Talk, “Olympic Level Compassion,” has garnered over 275,000 views and has been a catalyst of change for thousands of people.

In this episode Holly & Dotsie discuss:
Karma yoga
The Switch4Good
Navigating veganism on her road to the Olympics
The Game Changers Movie
Effective activism

Connect with Dotsie:
Website: Switch4Good.org
Instagram: @Switch4Good
Instagram: @VeganOlympian

In this episode YIV's Holly Skodis & Obi Ndefo discuss:

The hit & run accident that left Obi an above-the-knee double amputee and his road to recovery
Healing with an organic, raw vegan diet
The power of plants
Obi's new television series "Juice Bar"
Yoga & yogic philosophy
As an actor of Nigerian and American heritage, onscreen and onstage, Obi Ndefo’s relationship with his body has been crucial for his life’s work and self-expression. Trained at the Yale School of Drama, Obi subsequently progressed to playing pivotal roles in film and television. For 3 seasons, he recurred as Bodie Wells on the television series “Dawson’s Creek,” and for 4 seasons he recurred as Rak’nor in the adventure science fiction series “Stargate.” As a physically transformative actor, extensively trained in yoga and multidimensional fitness, Mr. Ndefo took on a wide variety of physical roles in “Star Trek - Deep Space Nine” as the Klingon Drex, “Star Trek - Voyager” as Kelamane, along with roles in “The West Wing,” “NYPD Blue,” “The Jamie Foxx Show,” “Angel,” and “Third Rock from the Sun.”

As a writer, Obi had been 5 years into the development of a groundbreaking new multicultural television series entitled “Juice Bar,” which is centered around the world of the global health movement, the organic food movement, and our planet’s movement towards consciousness and inclusivity. The deeply uplifting series is in its pilot phase. Obi is the lead writer for the character-driven scripted series.

8 weeks ago, on the evening of August 17th, after shopping at Erewhon Natural Foods Market in Los Angeles, Obi’s body was struck by a hIt-and-run DUI driver moving full speed. Miraculously, Obi survived the impact, but his right leg was severed instantly, just above the knee, and his shattered left leg had to be amputated 30 minutes later at the hospital to save his life.

Through dramatic self-will and determination, Obi used his yoga abilities, commitment to vibrant organic vegan food, and his positive mindset, to not only heal and recover from the very violent incident, but to recently return to his life’s work of acting and writing.

Ironically, Obi’s new television series “Juice Bar” sought to offer transformative portrayals of diversity on television, with several characters who happen to be amputees! With an even deeper mission now to tell the stories of these “other abled” characters, staggeringly, Obi will now be playing one of the roles he originally wrote to be played by an actual double amputee.
In an emotionally moving turn of events from the universe, the above-the-knee double amputee is now Obi.

Obi’s family, community, and co-workers in the entertainment field are coming together to support both his survival, and his physical ability to portray these roles, and maintain his position as co-show creator and writer of this and other television series. Obi would like the exposure of his story and his work within media to be a vehicle/vessel for positive portrayals of diversity, multiculturalism, and inclusion.
Please watch the NBC news clip on Obi Ndefo’s miraculous recent recovery, and his efforts to serve his community. https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Actor-Lost-Legs-in-Crash-Recovering-560636501.html

Connect with Obi:
gofundme: https://www.gofundme.com/f/obi-ndefo-lifeline-organized-by-his-family
Instagram: @ndefoobi
Facebook: Obi Ndefo