YogaScussion: Yoga Talk, Culture, Philosophy & Practice

In this episode of YogaScussion, Dr. Meenakshi Vishwanath talks to hosts Gina and Brendon about how she grew up in India with yoga woven through her family—a grandfather who practiced headstands before court cases, a mother exploring holistic wellness decades early. Yet she describes herself as an "on-again, off-again" yogi, never quite appreciating what was always there. Training at Yoganjali Natyalayam in Pondicherry, surviving dental school's demands, navigating deep depression after moving to the U.S., and eventually meeting her husband Brendon in a yoga class she tried to avoid—Meena's journey reveals the difference between inheriting a practice and truly choosing it for yourself.

Topics: Growing up with yoga in India, cultural differences in yoga practice, Indian yoga lineages, ICYER Pondicherry, yoga ashrams, immigration and identity, depression and healing, orthodontics and yoga, prescriptive vs. intuitive teaching styles, Ashtanga vs. traditional Indian yoga, yoga in physical education, Hindu temple yoga classes, self-paced practice, mantra chanting, guru-shishya tradition, yoga as destiny, cross-cultural yoga perspectives, householder yoga, grit and persistence

Follow YogaScussion wherever you get your podcasts. To get early access to ad-free episodes, attend and participate in live show recordings and more, join the YogaScussion Circle!

> Support the show!

> Give a one-time THANK YOU donation

> Shop for YogaScussion Merch!

> Website: yogascussion.podmasana.com

> Feedback: [email protected]

> Social Media: YouTube | Bluesky | Mastodon | Instagram

Thank you for listening and thank you for your support! Feel free to also check out Podmasana Media’s other shows: Podmasana and My Mindful Moment.

In this preview of next week's YogaScussion, Meenakshi Vishwanath discusses how yoga can be different and similar in the United States and India. Tune in next Wednesday for the full episode.

About YogaScussion: YogaScussion is a dynamic podcast that goes far beyond the yoga mat. Each episode brings together passionate practitioners, teachers, experts, and thought leaders from various backgrounds to dive deep into the rich, nuanced world of yoga. Hosted by Brendon Orr and Gina Clingerman, the show explores yoga’s intersection with philosophy, wellness, culture, personal growth, and social issues. Expect authentic, thought-provoking discussions, personal stories, and insights that challenge and expand your understanding of what yoga has meant in the past and what it means today. In each week’s Yogascussion, Gina and Brendon are joined by guests and paid member listeners to share in a collective discussion about what yoga is, what it’s not, what it was, what it wasn’t, what it is becoming, and what it can be.

Follow YogaScussion wherever you get your podcasts. To get early access to ad-free episodes, attend and participate in live show recordings and more, join the YogaScussion Circle!

> Support the show!

> Give a one-time THANK YOU donation

> Shop for YogaScussion Merch!

> Website: yogascussion.podmasana.com

> Feedback: [email protected]

> Social Media: YouTube | Bluesky | Mastodon | Instagram

Thank you for listening and thank you for your support! Feel free to also check out Podmasana Media’s other shows: Podmasana and My Mindful Moment.

In this episode of YogaScussion, we hear from Casey Karges who walked into yoga unable to touch his knees. A runner, golfer, and self-described "intense" person, he discovered something unexpected: the connection between breath, mind, and body that transforms both personal practice and professional life. As director of a mediation center handling high-conflict situations including domestic violence cases, Casey applies yoga principles daily—breathing techniques, presence, creating safe space. After years of Ashtanga practice, he's learned that yoga isn't about perfecting poses but finding peace within challenge. His three words for yoga: breath, mind, peace.

Topics: Ashtanga yoga, mediation and yoga, conflict resolution, breath awareness, mind-body connection, yoga for athletes, yoga for runners, golf and yoga, flexibility journey, home practice, studio practice, nervous system regulation, presence, peacemaking, holding space, co-regulation, yoga for beginners, long-term practice, yoga and professional life, caregiver wellness, back health, hip flexibility

Follow YogaScussion wherever you get your podcasts. To get early access to ad-free episodes, attend and participate in live show recordings and more, join the YogaScussion Circle!

> Support the show!

> Give a one-time THANK YOU donation

> Shop for YogaScussion Merch!

> Website: yogascussion.podmasana.com

> Feedback: [email protected]

> Social Media: YouTube | Bluesky | Mastodon | Instagram

Thank you for listening and thank you for your support! Feel free to also check out Podmasana Media’s other shows: Podmasana and My Mindful Moment.

In this YogaScussion Preview, Mediation Center Executive Director Casey Karges talks to Gina and Brendon how a yoga practice can help one value the wants, needs and interests of the other towards a process of peace finding and making. Full episode releases December 17th. 

Topics: Ashtanga yoga, mediation and yoga, conflict resolution, breath awareness, mind-body connection, yoga for athletes, yoga for runners, golf and yoga, flexibility journey, home practice, studio practice, nervous system regulation, presence, peacemaking, holding space, co-regulation, yoga for beginners, long-term practice, yoga and professional life, caregiver wellness, back health, hip flexibility

Follow YogaScussion wherever you get your podcasts. To get early access to ad-free episodes, attend and participate in live show recordings and more, join the YogaScussion Circle!

> Support the show!

> Give a one-time THANK YOU donation

> Shop for YogaScussion Merch!

> Website: yogascussion.podmasana.com

> Feedback: [email protected]

> Social Media: YouTube | Bluesky | Mastodon | Instagram

Thank you for listening and thank you for your support! Feel free to also check out Podmasana Media’s other shows: Podmasana and My Mindful Moment.

Subscribe or follow My Mindful Moment to get ad-free episodes of that show in your podcast feed.

October 10th, 2025. Brendon Orr walks his 16-year-old dog Amelia through a golden sunlit meadow. But Amelia stops—perhaps the first time in her life she clearly doesn't wish to walk. Three deer appear in the tall grass, watching peacefully. Brendon locks eyes with one deer. A profound moment of stillness. He looks down at Amelia looking up at him. Together they watch the deer slowly walk into the tree line, as if returning to where they came from. A tear passes down Brendon's cheek. "It's time to go home now, isn't it girl?" Amelia passes that afternoon. If we are still enough and listening openly, the universe speaks.

This was Brendon’s Mindful Moment. Submit yours to [email protected]. For more information, visit https://podmasana.com/mymindfulmoment.

Topics

Loss of a pet, dog death, end of life, saying goodbye, mindfulness in grief, deer encounter, animal communication, last moments, recognizing endings, new beginnings, profound stillness, universe speaking, trust in timing, life transitions, sacred moments, presence in loss, honoring grief, animal companions, 16-year-old dog, sister dogs, moving with elderly pets, when it's time, peaceful passing, tears and love, listening to wisdom, chapters closing and opening

Listen to previous My Mindful Moments: https://my-mindful-moment.castos.com/ 

Listen to Podmasana: https://podmasana.castos.com/ 

Yogascussion Podcast: https://yogascussion.castos.com/ 

You know those moments when enlightenment, insight, and wisdom find us? When the universe speaks to us during periods of adversity, joy, or stillness and we feel more aware, mindful, and present having listened to it? What if we took the time to record those moments and share them with others? This is the inspiration behind Podmasana’s sibling podcast, My Mindful Moment where you are invited to listen to the mindful moments of others from around the world and share your own. 

Send your recording via email to [email protected]. Feel free to include a photo of yourself that you would like to include with your Mindful Moment. Further instructions are below.

Find a quiet room or space and open a recording app on your phone.

Speaking in full sentences, please share your Mindful Moment. No need to write down your story and read it from paper, but feel free to do so if that makes you more comfortable. Just try to keep it natural. Please keep the submitted recording to less than three minutes. Your recording should include (but does not need to be limited to): 

Again, please try to keep the submitted recording to less than three minutes. When you are finished, email the file to the show. For more detailed instructions, see the recording tips page.

In this episode of YogaScussion, airport executive Jeri Winkelmann came to yoga five years ago for the "wrong" reasons—wanting to look good in wedding photos. What she found was Ashtanga's challenging, repetitive practice that reminded her of ballet, a practice that's made her calmer, more focused, less anxious, and "a better human." Commuting an hour from Omaha to Lincoln even in winter, practicing with her schnauzer George, and being "the calming presence" in crisis situations at work, Jeri shares honest truths: down dog isn't rest, 10-minute practices count, and yoga is "life, connection, health."

Topics: Ashtanga yoga, body image, airport industry, breath work, family practice, home practice challenges, competitive personality, beginner's mindset, aging parents, grandmother, pets and yoga, professional development, calm presence, crisis management, commuter dedication

Follow YogaScussion wherever you get your podcasts. To get early access to ad-free episodes, attend and participate in live show recordings and more, join the YogaScussion Circle!

> Support the show!

> Give a one-time THANK YOU donation

> Shop for YogaScussion Merch!

> Website: yogascussion.podmasana.com

> Feedback: [email protected]

> Social Media: YouTube | Bluesky | Mastodon | Instagram

Thank you for listening and thank you for your support! Feel free to also check out Podmasana Media’s other shows: Podmasana and My Mindful Moment.

Airport executive Jeri Winkelmann came to yoga five years ago for the "wrong" reasons—wanting to look good in wedding photos. What she found was Ashtanga's challenging, repetitive practice that reminded her of ballet, a practice that's made her calmer, more focused, less anxious, and "a better human." Commuting an hour from Omaha to Lincoln even in winter, practicing with her schnauzer George, and being "the calming presence" in crisis situations at work, Jeri shares honest truths: down dog isn't rest, 10-minute practices count, and yoga is "life, connection, health."

Topics: Ashtanga yoga, body image, airport industry, breath work, family practice, home practice challenges, competitive personality, beginner's mindset, aging parents, grandmother, pets and yoga, professional development, calm presence, crisis management, commuter dedication

Follow YogaScussion wherever you get your podcasts. To get early access to ad-free episodes, attend and participate in live show recordings and more, join the YogaScussion Circle!

> Support the show!

> Give a one-time THANK YOU donation

> Shop for YogaScussion Merch!

> Website: yogascussion.podmasana.com

> Feedback: [email protected]

> Social Media: YouTube | Bluesky | Mastodon | Instagram

Thank you for listening and thank you for your support! Feel free to also check out Podmasana Media’s other shows: Podmasana and My Mindful Moment.

Gina and Brendon participate in the first YogaScussion where they touch on how they met, what brought them to yoga, the role it has played in their lives, the evolution of their practices, the cultural appropriation of yoga, the role of yoga in spirituality, mental health, and the benefits of this ancient system from India.

Topics: Yoga practice, teaching philosophy, cultural appropriation, capitalism in yoga, mental health, depression, cancer caregiving, trauma-informed practice, spiritual evolution, authenticity, darkness and light

About YogaScussion: YogaScussion is a dynamic podcast that goes far beyond the yoga mat. Each episode brings together passionate practitioners, teachers, experts, and thought leaders from various backgrounds to dive deep into the rich, nuanced world of yoga. Hosted by Brendon Orr and Gina Clingerman, the show explores yoga’s intersection with philosophy, wellness, culture, personal growth, and social issues. Expect authentic, thought-provoking discussions, personal stories, and insights that challenge and expand your understanding of what yoga has meant in the past and what it means today. In each week’s YogaScussion, Gina and Brendon are joined by guests and paid member listeners to share in a collective discussion about what yoga is, what it’s not, what it was, what it wasn’t, what it is becoming, and what it can be.

Follow YogaScussion wherever you get your podcasts. To get early access to ad-free episodes, attend and participate in live show recordings and more, join the YogaScussion Circle!

> Support the show!

> Give a one-time THANK YOU donation

> Shop for YogaScussion Merch!

> Website: yogascussion.podmasana.com

> Feedback: [email protected]

> Social Media: YouTube | Bluesky | Mastodon | Instagram

Thank you for listening and thank you for your support! Feel free to also check out Podmasana Media’s other shows: Podmasana and My Mindful Moment.

in this YogaScussion trailer, Gina asks Brendon if he thinks yoga is the best path to develop human consciousnes and Brendon asks Gina about how she came to yoga.

Follow YogaScussion wherever you get your podcasts. To get early access to ad-free episodes, attend and participate in live show recordings and more, join the YogaScussion Circle!

> Support the show!

> Give a one-time THANK YOU donation

> Shop for YogaScussion Merch!

> Website: yogascussion.podmasana.com

> Feedback: [email protected]

> Social Media: YouTube | Bluesky | Mastodon | Instagram

Thank you for listening and thank you for your support! Feel free to also check out Podmasana Media’s other shows: Podmasana and My Mindful Moment.