The Heart of Yoga

What if real Yoga begins with feeling more alive, not just more flexible? Ari is a Yoga teacher from Korea on a mission to investigate the depth of the Yoga tradition. She discovered a passion to bring the teachings of Krishnamacharya to Korea, along with her dear friend Ray and friends from the Gabbi community. This is a community of young people from Korea who are dropping out of corporate life and patterned conformism, in favour of finding their own path in life.  This conversation gets to the heart of the matter — what is Yoga, really? How can it be integrated into the lives of everyday people? The shift from conformity to autonomy is paralleled by the shift from yoga as performance to Yoga as intimacy with our own body and breath… the mystery of our own incarnation.  It’s a great interview because it is coming from the freshness of Ari’s own experience of Yoga, and feeling the breath and movement as one continuous intelligence. And it’s a good convo to listen to because both speakers are loving and respecting what the other has to offer.  In Short: Yoga Begins with You –The practice adapts to your life, not the other way around Breath is the Guide – Let the breath lead the body and the mind will follow Strength is in Softness – Inhale and exhale are a love relationship, each nourishing the other Real Yoga is Personal – It doesn’t require tricks, brands, or poses; it requires honesty Intimacy is the Path – Yoga returns us to real connection with life, with others, and with ourselves Start Where You Are – A short, daily practice made just for you can change everything Find Ari on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ari.yogatraveler Support the Heart of Yoga Foundation: This podcast is sustained by your donations.

In this episode, David turns the tables and interviews Mark. We dive into the roots of Mark’s life, growing up in New Zealand’s church and school systems, confronting injustice early on, and stumbling into my body through sport and the natural world.  David grills Mark on the long journey that led him to the heart of Yoga with his teachers Krishnamacharya and Desikachar. This is a very personal conversation, going into the sincere “teachers” (aka friends)who helped Mark see through the spiritual industrial complex, and the simple, traditional yoga practices that smoothed out all the drama of spiritual India in the 1970s. In other words, Yoga as intimacy with reality. Key Takeaways Early Awakening – A childhood moment on the lawn, sun on the back, revealing the body’s deep continuity with the cosmos. Seeing Through Systems – From church to school to spirituality - recognising how society exploits us with the promise of a future salvation or success. Real Yoga Is Empowering – the good stuff adapts to the individual, honors the breath, and returns us to our natural state of wholeness. Teachers Who Transmit – Meeting Krishnamacharya and Desikachar brought a transmission of humility, scholarship, and direct experience, not guruism. Yoga Is Relationship – the power of real and actual friendship that is equal and mutually felt and expressed The Body Is God – Yoga reveals that the body is not separate from divinity, it is divinity. Not a metaphor!! Where to Find Our Guest David’s Website: http://lenirvanawear.com David on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/david22bali Links & Resources You are the beauty. You are the intelligence. You are already in perfect harmony with life. You don’t need to seek it. You need only participate in it. Learn more and access courses at https://www.heartofyoga.com  Support the Heart of Yoga Foundation if you can… you help us keep the lights on and the podcasts made listenable.  This podcast is sustained by your donations.  

What if the life you’re seeking is already unfolding beneath your feet? David Fardi's path from spiritual confusion to grounded clarity is a powerful reminder that real Yoga begins when we stop chasing and start participating in what is. A Yoga teacher and founder of the men’s fashion brand Le Nirvana, David shares how he moved through disillusionment in Europe and neo-tantric circles to find a deeply embodied practice in Bali. His story touches on healing generational wounds, living in rhythm with nature, and discovering how simple breath and movement can reshape a life. David now teaches private sessions at Samyama Yoga and lives what he practices with devotion, artistry, and love. Key Takeaways The Power of Presence – Gathering in person allows for a deeper transmission of Yoga that even the best Zoom call can’t replicate. Bali’s Blessing Culture – The spiritual fabric of Balinese daily life creates an environment of tolerance, beauty, and ease that supports deep practice. Yoga Is Participation, Not Performance – Real Yoga is not information gathering; it’s direct participation in the reality of breath, body, and being. Spiritual Friendship Matters – One-on-one connections made in gatherings often become lifelong support systems for practice and healing. The End of the Separate Self – Gathering invites us into a recognition: there’s no fixed “me” to fix. There’s only reality unfolding through us. We Are the Forest Dwellers – These gatherings are part of an eternal cultural process of Yoga; friends meeting in sacred spaces for wisdom to be lived and shared. Where to Find Our Guest David Fardi’s Website: https://lenirvanawear.com David Fardi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/david22bali Le Nirvana on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lenirvanabali Links & Resources All In-Person Gatherings : https://www.heartofyoga.com/all-in-person-programs You are the beauty. You are the intelligence. You are already in perfect harmony with life. You don’t need to seek it. You need only participate in it. Learn more and access the course at https://www.heartofyoga.com. Support the Heart of Yoga Foundation. This podcast is sustained by your donations.

What does it mean to begin Yoga now—right here, in your breath and body, with your life exactly as it is? This talk, recorded during our teacher untraining in Bali, is a direct experience of the first four Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Together, we chanted, laughed, and explored what it means to practice Yoga in a way that’s grounded, personal, and alive. These Sutras are a living guide, not a doctrine. They point us to something we already are. Your life, your interests, your body in its natural context—this is where Yoga begins. Key Takeaways The Sutras Come Alive in Relationship – Their meaning emerges through the shared inquiry between teacher and student. Yoga Begins Now – Each breath and step taken in presence is the real beginning of practice. Yoga Means Direction with Continuity – Choose your direction and stay with it. This is how peace arises. The Role of a Teacher – A true teacher supports your path, not their own agenda. The Body Is Consciousness – Whole-body participation in reality is the essence of Yoga. You Are Already the Power of the Cosmos – No improvement needed, only recognition and participation. Links & Resources https://www.heartofyoga.com/ You are the beauty. You are the intelligence. You are already in perfect harmony with life. You don’t need to seek it. You need only participate in it. Learn more and access the course at https://www.heartofyoga.com. Support the Heart of Yoga Foundation. This podcast is sustained by your donations.

What makes us leave home and come together in person to share Yoga? In this episode, Mark and Rosalind reflect on hosting Yoga gatherings in Bali. They speak about the deeper meaning of these meetings, the beauty of Balinese blessing culture, and what it really means to offer something useful in a spiritual tourist economy.  Can travel be justified as Bali groans under the weight of tourism and the expansion of the concrete jungle? What are we doing here, and what are the potential  They discuss how seeking makes us vulnerable to exploitation, the nature of real practice, and the kind of intimacy that arises when people meet without pretense.  Themes Bali as a spiritual gathering place and why people come here Blessing culture: what is it and how does it work How do we justify going to a Yoga gathering? Is it selfish? The difference between information-gathering and experiential learning Personal practice as the foundation of everything The healing power of dear friendship grounded in Yoga How do we welcome a genuinely wide range of people?  Key Quotes “Yoga is participation in the given reality.” “There’s no need to get to what you already are.” “The gathering is the icing on the cake. Zoom is the cake—we already have it.” “People come to Bali looking for something, even if they don’t know what it is.” “There’s a relief in realizing there’s nothing to become. You already are.” Key Takeaways Place Carries Power – Bali holds a blessing culture that people can feel in their bodies. Gatherings Create Intimacy – In-person Yoga opens a space for deeper relational presence. Practice Starts with You – The daily rhythm of breath and movement is where change happens. Transmission Is a Felt Thing – Yoga is shared in silence, in contact, in attention. Seekers Need Care – Honest offerings matter in places shaped by spiritual commerce. There Is No One to Fix – Yoga reveals freedom through untraining, not accumulation. Learn more and register for future events at https://www.heartofyoga.com/bali-ytt.  This podcast is sustained by your donations. You can support the Heart of Yoga Foundation at www.heartofyoga.com/foundation

Imagine words so sincere, that the author appears as a close friend, speaking directly through time to the deepest part of who we are? This week, Dylan Giles joins Rosalind to share how reading Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself” in a time of personal drift opened a direct experience of connection. Dylan describes nights spent under the Californian moon, feeling Whitman’s words as a living presence, breaking him free of rigid traditions.  In this episode I find out from Dylan about Whitman as mystic, and we use him to understand yogic ideas such as shaktipat, ishta, and guru parampara.  We explore how reading Whitman can lead to a shift from cleverness to sincerity in our own writing, the subtle ways we unconsciously believe we are separate from greatness, and the challenge of integrating moments of inspiration into daily life. In this conversation we track the shift from being a FAN of a mystic like Whitman of William Blake, to being a fellow participant in the great mystery called life. With our artists and mystics holding our hands. Subjects Explored Meeting Whitman in a moment of drift and loneliness The freedom of Whitman’s meterless, sincere poetry Sensing Whitman’s living presence through reading How sincerity cuts through patterned language Moving beyond cleverness to honest writing Recognizing unconscious beliefs of separation Yoga as the way we integrate grace into our lives Key Phrases or Quotes “I was reading this and feeling from the page that Walt Whitman was directly communicating to me, like he was in the room.” “True sincerity really moves me.” “I felt as if his words were so sweet. I felt it in my heart that he was just around me somehow.” “There’s erosion of spontaneous human expression. You sort of felt like you’d discovered a fountain of spontaneous human expression in a desert.” “I realized he wasn’t different from me. We are made of the same stuff.” Key Takeaways Sincerity Creates Real Connection – Honest words carry a power that reaches others directly. Poetry Reveals Yoga – Words infused with life transmit a sense of presence and unity. Admiration Sparks Recognition – Seeing beauty in Whitman helps us see it in ourselves. Yoga Grows in Integration – Grace opens possibilities, and Yoga helps us live them fully. Spontaneous Words Are Alive – Breaking from scripts nourishes life and brings clarity. We Share the Creative Force – The same life that moved Whitman moves through each of us. Suggested Reading Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman – Explore the groundbreaking free verse poems that celebrate the body, nature, death, and the joy of existence. The Marriage of Heaven and Hell by William Blake – A visionary work challenging traditional views of good and evil, exploring the unity of opposites, and the energy of life. Timestamps 00:02:00 Intimate Yoga revealed in Whitman’s poetry during Dylan’s personal drift 00:04:00 Whitman’s presence felt through words alive and immediate across time 00:06:00 Scripted language blocking authentic, heartfelt human communication 00:08:00 Shaktipat-like realization ignited by powerful, sincere words 00:09:00 Shared creative power with Whitman dissolves illusions of separation 00:20:00 Radical embrace of body, sexuality, death, and life celebrated by Whitman 00:29:00 “What is the grass?” reflects on life, death, and universal connection 00:32:00 Eternal life recognized within finite human experience through Yoga 00:36:00 Bold authenticity inspired by Whitman’s lines urging courage beyond comfort 00:46:00 Body-soul unity illuminated in Blake’s vision of eternal creative energy You are the beauty. You are the intelligence. You are already in perfect harmony with life. You don’t need to seek it. You need only participate in it. Learn more and access the course at https://www.heartofyoga.com. Support the Heart of Yoga Foundation. This podcast is sustained by your donations.  

What happens when healing becomes another form of harm? When the search for purity, wellness, and relief becomes a maze of restriction, shame, and exhaustion? In this quietly radical conversation, Konstanze Weiser joins us to speak not as an expert, but as someone who lived it from childhood illness to orthorexia, Panchakarma to spiritual burnout. We explore the parts of wellness culture we don’t often talk about: the obsession with food, the spiritualization of suffering, the silent shame around digestion and embodiment. Konstanze shares what it took to finally stop outsourcing authority, soften her grip, and listen to her own body. What emerged wasn’t a protocol, but a practice. Not control, but connection. This is not a story of being healed. It’s a story of no longer needing to be. Subjects Explored Orthorexia and the glorification of “clean” eating When Ayurveda becomes another system to get right Panchakarma, shame, and the desire to purge pain Digestive distress, embodiment, and feminine silence Yoga practice as participation, not perfection Letting go of healing as a project Food, feeling, and the return to simplicity Key Phrases or Quotes “It wasn’t the food. It was the shame.” “I believed my body couldn’t heal unless I followed all the rules.” “At some point, I didn’t even have the capacity for shame anymore.” “I don’t use food to compensate as much anymore—because I don’t need to.” “Healing isn’t about fixing. It’s about not betraying yourself.” “My practice is non-negotiable. But it’s not because I’m trying to improve. It’s because it brings me back.” Key Takeaways Orthorexia is often hidden in wellness culture – When food becomes a moral issue, restriction masquerades as discipline. Systems are not saviors – Ayurveda, yoga, or detox can become prisons when driven by fear or perfectionism. Digestion and shame are deeply linked – It wasn’t the food causing distress. It was the silence, the hiding, the internalized shame. Embodiment is not a theory – Real practice means listening to the body, not overriding it with ideals. Simplicity is a form of intelligence – Healing came not from doing more, but from letting go. The body already knows – The role of practice is to help us trust it again. Resources Mentioned Konstanze Weiser on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/konstanze.weiser The Period Repair Manual by Lara Briden: https://www.larabriden.com/period-repair-manual Timestamps [00:00:00] Introduction from Mexico and today’s theme [00:02:00] Konstanze’s early health struggles and the roots of obsession [00:05:00] Orthorexia and the quiet pain of trying to eat “perfectly” [00:08:00] When Ayurveda becomes another form of control [00:13:00] First Panchakarma: detox, intensity, and unexpected peace [00:17:00] Returning to Germany and feeling alive for the first time [00:23:00] Digestive shame and the false image of the perfect woman [00:28:00] The trap of spiritual protocols and chasing purity [00:36:00] Second Panchakarma: heartbreak, collapse, and exhaustion [00:42:00] Yoga as non-negotiable—not for performance, but for sanity [00:48:00] Breaking the rules and finding freedom in food [00:54:00] Reframing sickness as a message, not a malfunction [01:00:00] Breath, simplicity, and the intelligence of the body [01:01:00] Final reflections and invitation to return to trust Your body is not broken. You are not behind. You are not a problem to be solved. Practice is not a fix. It’s a homecoming. To support the Heart of Yoga Foundation or learn more about our courses, visit heartofyoga.com. This podcast is sustained by your donations.  

What if our anger is sacred? What if the rage we feel in our bodies, in our culture, in our Earth, is not something to suppress, but something to honor? This week, Mariana Garcia Flores and I sit again in the Garden of the Moon to invoke the presence of Kali, the fierce face of the Divine Feminine, and the part of us that says no more. We speak into the places where softness meets strength, where grief becomes action, where Yoga becomes the healing of the rift between Shakti and Shiva, within us and in the world. This conversation is not sanitized. It’s raw, truthful, necessary. Kali is not here to be palatable. She’s here to wake us up. To rewild us. To make our practice real. Subjects Explored The mythology of Kali and the archetype of feminine rage Dissociation and the violence of spiritual bypass Why embodiment is activism The pain of controlling Shakti and separating from Shiva What Yoga teaches us about sacred integration How feminine anger becomes a healing force Key Phrases or Quotes “Shakti is angry. And it is appropriate.” “Kali is here to destroy what needs to be destroyed.” “You don’t separate Shiva from Shakti. You gather her.” “Your practice is making love with life.” “She’s not killing people. She’s killing the delusion.” “It is destroying what is not real.” Key Takeaways Sacred Anger is Real – Feminine rage is not dysfunction. It is sacred correction. Dissociation is the True Demon – When the mind leaves the body, suffering begins. Yoga is the Union of Opposites – Strength and softness, Shiva and Shakti, must be lived together. Receptivity is Power – To receive Shakti is the strength of true masculinity and humanity. Embodied Intimacy is Activism – When we inhabit our wholeness, we reclaim the world. The Feminine Will Not Be Silenced – This is not about gender. It’s about life force refusing erasure. Resources Mentioned Tantric Visions of the Divine Feminine by David Kinsley Timestamps [00:00:00] Opening with Kali and the missing piece of feminine rage [00:02:00] The illusion of gendered energy and cultural separation [00:04:00] Trees, nature, and the union of opposites [00:05:00] Reading the terrifying and sacred imagery of Kali [00:07:00] Kali’s rage as sacred destruction and healing [00:09:00] Severed heads and the metaphor of cutting dissociation [00:10:40] Yoga as receptivity and the return of mind to body [00:11:50] Gathering Shakti: what real husbanding means [00:12:40] Modern relationships, transactional needs, and intimacy [00:14:00] Feminine rebellion and Kali as a global force [00:16:00] Suppressed anger and the cost of not saying no [00:18:00] Strength, softness, and the spine of Yoga practice [00:20:00] Shiva’s surrender and the softening of Kali [00:22:00] William Blake and the marriage of heaven and hell [00:24:00] The sacredness of desire and the distortion of repression [00:27:00] Violence, anger, and sexuality in religious conditioning [00:29:00] Receiving desire vs. grasping in relationship [00:30:00] A meditation on Kali’s wrath and the transformation of rage [00:32:00] The world’s denial of the feminine and embodied revolt [00:34:00] Kali’s names, her sacred sexuality, and final reflections   You are the beauty. You are the intelligence. You are already in perfect harmony with life. You don’t need to seek it. You need only participate in it. Learn more and access the course at https://www.heartofyoga.com. Support the Heart of Yoga Foundation. This podcast is sustained by your donations.  

What if everything you were taught to fear is actually sacred? In this intimate, resonant conversation, I sit down with Mariana, a dear friend and fellow teacher whose life story continues to unfold in powerful ways. Raised in a strict Catholic school environment in Mexico, Mariana shares how years of religious repression shaped her understanding of sexuality, embodiment, and spirituality and how the practices of Yoga, meditation, and humanistic psychotherapy helped her unravel those beliefs and come home to her own sacred aliveness. This episode is not a theoretical conversation. It is an embodied testimony to the power of Yoga as life itself as Shakti, as descent, as the energy that we are. Together, we question the cultural scripts that pit spirit against flesh, and remember what it means to live in a world where the seen is the source. Subjects Explored Growing up Catholic and the repression of the body Unlearning religious shame through embodied practice How Yoga reunites what doctrine divides The holiness of desire and the wisdom of William Blake Why the feminine can never be denied, only exiled Shakti as the undismissable truth of nature Key Quotes "Shakti is what we are. There's no denying Shakti." "It was as if I had finally placed the needle on the right record, and the music began to play in rhythm with my own heart." "The body is not a shell to the soul. It is the soul." "Religion told me that the closer I was to God, the further I should be from the body. Yoga showed me they were never separate." "The repression of nature is not safety. It's suffering." Key Takeaways Embodied Awakening – True spiritual life begins when we reclaim the body as sacred. Shakti Cannot Be Denied – The feminine principle is life itself—wild, wise, and ever-present. Beyond Duality – Spirit and matter are not in opposition. Yoga reveals their unity. From Shame to Sovereignty – Dismantling internalized doctrine opens the door to freedom. The Holiness of Desire – As William Blake taught, energy is delight. To feel is divine. Intimacy is the Practice – Yoga is not an escape from reality but a deep participation in it. Resources Mentioned Mariana’s offerings: https://www.aliveaslife.com IG @aliveaslife Timestamps [00:00:00] Opening and Mariana’s Catholic upbringing [00:04:05] Leaving Mexico and the search for freedom [00:08:17] Early messages about sexuality and sin [00:12:00] Confession culture and fear of the body [00:15:48] Yoga, psychotherapy, and reclaiming desire [00:19:55] William Blake and the holiness of energy [00:23:40] From shame to sovereignty [00:27:12] The myth of ascension and the truth of descent [00:31:06] Shakti as nature, not a concept [00:35:30] The body is the soul [00:39:45] Mariana’s current offerings and final reflections You are the beauty. You are the intelligence. You are already in perfect harmony with life. You don’t need to seek it. You need only participate in it. Learn more and access the course at https://www.heartofyoga.com. Support the Heart of Yoga Foundation. This podcast is sustained by your donations.  

What if you are already everything you're looking for? What if the power of the cosmos is not out there, but pulsing through your breath, your body, your life right now? In this conversation, I welcome Mariana Garcia Flores, a radiant presence from Mexico City, and a Woman of the Americas in her full power. Mariana shares her story of transformation from counselor and seeker to embodied yogini and teacher. She speaks of the moment the search ended, when she realized: I am that. Not as an idea, but as a lived, undeniable reality. It is the story of Yoga as life itself, not a technique, not a path, but a participation in what already is. Mariana's clarity is practical, grounded, and deeply feminine. She speaks with the strength of someone who has remembered who she is, and now wants to share that possibility with others. It is not ambition; it is love. It is not effort; it is life flowing through. Key Phrases or Quotes "You are the power of the cosmos. You are life happening."  "The end of the search is the beginning of participation." "This is not poetry. It's not something to attain. It is the fact of your existence." "No power can stop you because you are that power."  "Yoga is the catalyst that brings forth your latent talents." Key Takeaways Embodied Awakening – Yoga is not something you do; it is who you are when you remember.  Feminine Power Reclaimed – Women of the Americas and the world are remembering their inherent Shakti.  The End of Seeking – The great relief comes when we realize there's nowhere to get to. We are already home.  Spiritual Decolonization – Dismantling inherited frameworks that deny the power and beauty of life, especially for women.  Yoga is for Everyone – This is the base of human life, not a luxury, not an escape, but our shared ground.  Service from Wholeness – Teaching is not a career move. It is what naturally flows when we recognize our completeness. Resources Mentioned The Heart of Yoga course: https://www.heartofyoga.com Timestamps  [00:00:00] Introduction and welcoming Mariana, honoring her as a Woman of the Americas and setting the context for the conversation. [00:10:00] Mariana and Mark discuss the impact of colonialism on feminine power and Shakti, exploring the inherited cultural wounding and need for reclamation. [00:20:00] Mariana speaks about family life, sacred motherhood, and how Yoga supports the creative and relational aspects of living. [00:30:00] They reflect on returning to source, living in alignment with life, and how spiritual practice must be grounded in truth and experience. [00:40:00] Mariana discusses the dismantling of guilt, shame, and inherited patterns that obscure our connection to life and presence. [00:44:00] Closing reflections on clarity, the simplicity of being, and how Yoga reveals the truth already present. ‘’You are the beauty. You are the intelligence. You are already in perfect harmony with life. You don’t need to seek it. You need only participate in it.’’ Learn more and access the course at https://www.heartofyoga.com.  Support the Heart of Yoga Foundation. This podcast is sustained by your donations.