Nikki Vilella started teaching at Kula Yoga Project in New York City in 2005 and opened Kula Williamsburg (alongside Schuyler Grant) in 2010. She has written for Yoga Journal and was named one of America's top 100 Most Influential Yoga Teachers by sonima.com. As a teacher, she strives to include the perfect alchemy of precise physical instruction, intelligence, intention and space into her classes. As a teacher trainer, she wants to unpack the mystery of putting together an inspired vinyasa sequence so that the student can step away from the stress of "following a methodology."
WEBSITE: https://kulayoga.com/
In this episode, we discuss:

Behind-the-scenes conversations about the Kula Yoga Project and how it's evolved through the pandemic.
Contemplating the current state of the yoga asana world, how it has changed, and what its future might look like.
The value of brick-and-mortar spaces and in-person yoga as a place for support and to connect.
What it is to be a modern yoga teacher and what it is to engage in studentship. 
Rethinking the path to becoming a yoga teacher.
MeToo, Social Justice, and Inclusivity; how collective awakenings and movements are calling for the transformation of how yoga is taught. 
Evolving views on physical adjustments in yoga classes.
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Yoga World Past, Present & Future with Nikki Vilella

Chitheads is a smorgasbord of contemplative nourishment and education. Each episode is like a masterclass, exploring the diverse landscapes of spiritual practice, philosophy, and the transformative power of contemplative knowledge. Each episode is crafted with the curious and open heart in mind, aiming to illuminate the path of self-inquiry and empowerment for yoga teachers, scholar-practitioners, meditators and other spiritual seekers and contemplative folks all over the world.
From the profound teachings of Yoga and Buddhism to the sometimes complex theories of contemplative psychology and the vibrant tapestry of indigenous wisdom, our guests share insights that awaken, challenge, and inspire.
With every episode, we dive into discussions that matter, exploring questions that guide us closer to our true selves and to a deeper understanding of the world around us. Our mission is to create a space where wisdom (and not fame, power, or money) is the center of gravity and what we are most concerned about cultivating in this lifetime. 
Join us on Chitheads as we explore the liminal spaces of consciousness, embrace the complexities of the human experience without dogma or self-righteousness, and discover the beauty again and again of the interconnectedness of all things.
Subscribe to Chitheads on YouTube and your favorite podcast platform, and please consider leaving us a positive review on one iTunes, or your favorite podcast player. Come dive into these in-depth conversations that illuminate our path of contemplative discovery. If you’ve felt like you’re the only one full of chit – full of consciousness or awareness ˀ– welcome home. This community of listeners, seekers, and scholar-practitioners is for you.

Society & Culture

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Palestine with Shambhavi Sarasvati

Athena Potari is a philosopher, spiritual teacher, and lineage holder of the Hellenic
spiritual tradition. She is the founder of Athenoa – an Academy for Hellenic Wisdom in
Greece, where Hellenism is approached as a living wisdom tradition whose core
consists in the inextricable synthesis of scientific reason, self-inquiry and spirituality.
Her work aims to revive the deeper spiritual and experiential dimensions of Hellenic
Philosophy as a living spiritual lineage, combining discursive rigor, embodied
meditative practices, and ancient spiritual practices with the aim of awakening to the
ever-present mystery of being – our true Self. She received her PhD from the University
of Oxford, specializing in Political Philosophy, and her MA in Political Theory with
Distinction from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). She was
Fellow at the Center for Hellenic Studies at Harvard University, exploring possibilities
for an expanded practice of Philosophy by re-integrating elements and histories of the
feminine. She is recipient of the Academy of Athens Award of Philosophy (2020),
author of “A Call for a Renaissance of the Spirit in the Humanities” published by the
Galileo Commission, and Member of the Galileo Commission Steering Committee.
In this episode, Athena and Jacob discuss:

How engaging with the Indian yogic traditions can clarify our ability to find wisdom in our own indigenous traditions.
The unique energetic “field” of Oxford and how it nurtured her academic and philosophical development.
The basics of the Hellenic worldview, and how it frames a spiritual path that sees the All as both One and Many.
The inherently political nature of Being.
The ways in which the modern university does not satisfy the deepest impulses toward eudaemonia – happiness, or fulfillment.
A view of ethics not as “morality” but as “habits of energy.”
Philosophy not as an “intellectual” but an “embodied” endeavor. 
The teachings of various ancient Greek philosophers, including Plato, Heraclitus, Plotinus, and Pythagoras. 
The holistic synergy between consciousness and matter.
The nature of Being.

Follow Athena on the Following Channels:

Facebook: facebook.com/athenapotari ; facebook.com/athenoa
YouTube: @athenoa
Instagram:  @athena_potari
Webpage (finished soon): philathenea.wixsite.com/athenoa-academy
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Ancient Greek Wisdom with Athena Potari

In today's episode, Embodied Philosophy Founder Jacob Kyle is interviewed by Kelly Blaser for the 2024 Power of Meditation Summit. They discussed the role of the scholar-practitioner, the philosophical significance of "zero," the important synergy of knowledge and experience, "reappropriating God," and the necessary role of spirituality in the lives of queer people. 
Jacob Kyle is a meditation teacher, writer, philosophy educator, and the Founding Director of Embodied Philosophy. He holds an MPhil in Classical Indian Religions from the University of Oxford, an MA in Philosophy from the New School for Social Research in New York City, and an MSc in Political Theory from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Jacob is a student of Kashmir Śaivism scholar-practitioner Paul Muller-Ortega and is a devoted practitioner of the Śaiva-Śākta Darśana. 
Kelly Blaser is the founder of DharmaBridge and SomaPsychotherapy, and is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist with an emphasis in Buddhism, Shaiva and Shakta Tantra, and Somatic Psychology. Her background in feminist movements and Latin American Studies and experience living in Central America opened her up to the extent that our inner struggles are reflective of systemic structures that promote domination and disassociation. Her work is to help others experience the infinite compassion beneath the chaos of life and to remind them of their true nature. Her programs and courses focus largely on the power of applying the dharma to one's relationship with oneself and others. She helps people train themselves in meditation, mindfulness practices, and compassionate self-inquiry, so they can gain freedom from conditioned mind and open up to possibility. 
Explore the many upcoming offerings and follow Kelly's work at www.kellyblaser.com.
In this episode, Jacob and Kelly discuss:

how the history of "zero" as a mathematical disruptive discovery reflects the way our contemplative sādhana both disrupts and inspires different forms of knowledge
the importance of studying yoga philosophy as a way to empower embodied experience
how scholarship should take seriously and employ experientially the embodied epistemologies of ancient wisdom traditions
what it means to let your subjective experience inform your practice without rejecting the knowledge systems of the tradition
the symbolism of Nataraja (the dancing Shiva) and how it represents the five universe functions of reality
the dance of revelation and concealment according to the Tantrik tradition
how organized religions have rejected gay and queer people, and how this necessitates a "re-appropriation" of God in queer-inclusive theologies and philosophies that are simultaneously informed by an understanding of wisdom traditions.
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The Wisdom of Zero with Jacob Kyle

Leslie Kaminoff is a yoga educator inspired by the tradition of T.K.V. Desikachar. He is an internationally recognized specialist with four decades’ experience in the fields of yoga and breath anatomy. He leads workshops for many of the leading yoga associations, schools and training programs in the world.
Leslie’s book Yoga Anatomy, (co-authored with Amy Matthews), sold out its first print run of 19,000 within one month of its June 2007 release, and has been a top-selling yoga book on Amazon ever since. The book went into 12 printings before the newly-revised third edition of Yoga Anatomy was released on October 31, 2011, now with well over half a million copies in print and translations into 23 languages.
Leslie also helped to organize international yoga conferences while serving as Vice-President of Unity in Yoga, and was part of the ad-hoc committee that established national standards for yoga teacher training. Prior to the formation of The Yoga Alliance, Leslie was a strong voice in the ensuing national debate regarding the application of those certification standards. This dialogue resulted in the creation of e-Sutra, an influential e-mail list and blog that has an active worldwide membership.
Leslie is the founder of The Breathing Project, a New York City based non-profit educational corporation which ran highly respected year-long courses in yoga anatomy from 2003 to 2017.
Leslie Kaminoff founded The Breathing Project in 2001 as a non-profit dedicated to the sharing of educational, community-based programming related to yoga, anatomy and health enrichment. From 2003 until mid-2017 the main vehicle for this mission was the physical studio we ran in New York City. The Breathing Project continues its mission of community service by producing and co-sponsoring workshops, immersions, symposia and publications featuring thought leaders from the fields of yoga, anatomy, somatics and other allied fields.
The courses Leslie taught at The Breathing Project in New York City have been available online to a worldwide audience at yogaanatomy.net since 2011, with thousands of students worldwide participating in this growing online community.
In this episode, Jacob & Leslie discussed:

three tiers of yoga education: instructor, teacher, educator (and therapist?)
the yoga teaching landscape post-Covid
the historical arc of yoga's popularity
the psychology of the classroom & student/teacher dynamics
studying the anatomy of the mouth through Sanskrit
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Yoga World Past, Present & Future with Nikki Vilella

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