Yoga Is Vegan

In this episode Holly Skodis interviews Christopher & Sara about how vegans can find their unique gifts and talents so they can effectively contribute to the vegan movement . They explore how pain can be a great teacher and share different modalities for self-discovery. Chris and Sara each share their stories behind why they are vegan and how their own pain inspired led them to a life dedicated to elavating the collective consciousness.

In this episode, Holly Skodis interviews Adam Sobel about the Cinnamon Snail, spirituality and the connection to food. Adam Sobel (aka Acutyananda Das) is a student of Mahayogi Gokulacandra Das. Adam and his wife Joey (Daya Devi Dasi) have been offering free yoga classes in Red Bank NJ for the last 12 years.

Adam is also the chef and owner of The Cinnamon Snail, an award winning vegan restaurant and food truck serving NYC and NJ. He has cooked at the James Beard House, won the Vendy Awards (the oscars of Street food) and represented the United States in the World Street Food Congress in the Philippines. His cookbook Street Vegan is available in bookstores everywhere.

In Episode 12 Holly Skodis interviews Astanga Yoga Teacher and Vegan Activist Kathleen Kastner about how yogis can become effective vegan activists.

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.

In Episode 11, Holly Skodis interviews Certified Yoga Nutrition Therapist and 36 year vegan Manu Dawson about his wisdom in his field.

In episode 10 Holly Skodis and Vanessa Van Noy talk about approaches to becoming vegan and understanding the connection through yoga. Vanessa shares what has worked for her in the past and tips for planting the vegan seeds for the future.

Vanessa Van Noy has been teaching in the NY metro area for nearly 20 years. She has worked with pro and collegiate athletes , people with physical limitations, and everyone in between. She specializes in creating practices that are fluid, functional and fun. She encourages humor&compassion, perseverance & perception , love &laughter. Her training as a Certified Thai Yoga Massage Therapist allows her to be very hands on in her classes, using touch as a way to deepen a posture or just show a little love.

Vanessa's classes are always a little bit different from the last. With music that motivates the body and lifts the spirit. Her class environment is conducive to laughing one moment, or discovering your true inner-self the next. It is always a flowing style, intelligently formulated to move toward some fabulous postures with comfort and ease. She will sprinkle some breath work, sometimes some Kundalini, being mindful of alignment and modifications to keep everyone safe while digging deep. Vanessa travels teaching workshops and retreats nationally, and world-wide. She also was selected for the Wanderlust festival in 2015.

Vanessa is the founder of “Headstands for Hunger“ a annual yoga-based community event that feeds hungry people and homeless pets in Monmouth County NJ. Taking yoga off the mat is where it's really at.

In this episode, Holly Skodis interviews Dakota Mays about his journey to yoga and veganism. This episode covers a lot of topics including:
Increasing strength and flexibility in your yoga practice by reducing inflammation in the body.
Resources for helping you understand the health benefits of a vegan diet.

While studying at University in Mexico, Pablo Herrerias was in a car accident that changed his life as he knew it. After losing a substantial portion of his foot and spending a year in bed unable to walk, he began a journey to heal his body. This led him to both the healing effects of yoga and veganism.

Holly Skodis interviews Pablo about his journey to yoga and veganism. In this episode they talk about his accident and discuss permaculture and sustainability in Mexico.

Pablo is a Mexican Industrial Engineer with interest in permaculture and sustainability. He has been a Dharma Yoga student and teacher since 2015. He is also an amateur vegan cook.

In this episode, Holly Skodis interview's Will Tuttle about how being vegan plays a role in the spiritual realm of yoga. Will Tuttle explains how we can all live in a more conscious society based on understanding the consequences of animal agriculture.. He explains how the herding culture manifests in today's materialistic world and the greater spiritual journey of life.

Dr. Will Tuttle, visionary educator, has presented widely throughout North America and worldwide. A 39-year vegan, he is the author of the #1 Amazon best-selling book The World Peace Diet and is a recipient of the Courage of Conscience Award and the Empty Cages Prize. He is also author of the recent book, Your Inner Islands: The Keys to Intuitive Living, as well as editor of Circles of Compassion: Essays Connecting Issues of Justice and the newly-released Buddhism and Veganism: Essays Connecting Spiritual Awakening and Animal Liberation.

Devoted to cultural healing and awakening, he is a former Zen monk and Dharma Master in the Zen tradition, and his Ph.D. degree from the University of California, Berkeley, focused on educating intuition and altruism in adults. He has taught college courses in creativity, humanities, religion, and philosophy, and is also a composer and concert pianist. He is noted for his clear and inspiring presentations, and is featured in many documentary films, including Cowspiracy; A Prayer for Compassion; Vegan: Everyday Stories; and HOPE: What You Eat Matters.

In this Episode Yoga Is Vegan's Founder Holly Skodis interviews Beryl about all things yoga and her vegan journey. They discuss her experiences with Yogi Bhajan and Yogi Pattabhi Jois. Beryl shares why she eventually broke away from the traditional Ashtanga sequence and created Power Yoga.

The discussion moves on to veganism. Beryl breaks down why she went vegan after being a long time vegetarian and her experience with a whole food plantbased diet.

Beryl Bender Birch graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in English and Philosophy. She has been an avid student of classical yoga since l971 and traveled to India in l974 to further her studies. She is the founder/director of The Hard & The Soft Yoga Institute and co-founder and board chair of the Give Back Yoga Foundation. She has been teaching yoga and training yoga teachers as “spiritual revolutionaries” for 45 years and is the best selling author of many books on yoga, including Power Yoga and Yoga for Warriors.