CHITHEADS with Jacob Kyle (Embodied Philosophy)

Christopher Tompkins is a Yoga practitioner and Sanskrit scholar specializing in the tradition of Tantric Shaivism.  His research focuses in particular on the ritualized practices of ‘Hatha’ Yoga as originally presented in the earliest surviving (un-translated) Tantras, which pre-date the later ‘Hatha Yoga’ manuals by centuries.  He holds advanced degrees in Religion and Sanskrit and presents internationally on the history, practice, and philosophy of Yoga. In 2012, he founded the ‘Kashmir Shaivism Preservation Project,’ which seeks to preserve and to freely share the literary legacy of Kashmir Shaivism. To date, he has acquired over 24,000 pages of manuscripts, most of which have never been seen in the West, which span the vast subject range of Philosophy, Ritual, and Yoga representing the medieval Tantric tradition.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alex Auder, director of Magu Yoga, was recently included on a list of America's 100 most influential yoga teachers (she was in the top 25!): sonima.com.  Alex is a native New Yorker who grew-up in the Chelsea Hotel with her mother, Viva (an Andy Warhol Superstar), and her sister, the actress, Gaby Hoffmann.  She is very excited to bring her 20 years of teaching experience (almost half of her life!) to Philadelphia. Known as one of NYC’s preeminent teachers, she has developed a keen eye and a genuinely authentic and original voice.  She began her teaching career in 1996 at Jivamukti Yoga Center and at her own studio in Rhinebeck, NY (now Satya Yoga). During her years in Upstate NY, she studied closely with her Vedanta teacher, Shubraji, who continues to deeply influence her teaching and her practice. Over the last 10 years Alex had been teaching out of her own studio in the WestVillageYoga (critics pick in NY Magazine) and as a senior teacher at Kula Yoga Project until she recently moved to Mt Airy. Informed by 20 years of studying various movement modalities including ballet, Iyengar Yoga, Kula Yoga, the work of Nevine Michaan (among others), Body-Mind Centering, & Somatics, Alex has developed a keen eye and a genuinely authentic, irreverent, and original voice.  Her classes are known for the graceful integration of clear and precise alignment cues, intelligent sequencing based on stability and functional movement, Somatics, vedantic philosophy, and generous hands-on assists.  Alex co-leads a summer retreat at Kripalu, teaches a monthly "Masters Class" at Kula Yoga Project, leads the sections of Kula 200 hour TT called: "Relevant Dharma Talk" & "The Art of Adjustments," and leads her own 75 hour advanced Teacher Training at Magu Yoga called “The Eye of the Teacher".See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Stone (1974–2017) was a prominent and innovative Buddhist teacher, yogi, psychotherapist, and author. He was the founder and director of the Centre of Gravity Sangha, a community of yoga and Buddhist practitioners based in Toronto, and he taught widely and had a large international following. He is the author of The Inner Tradition of Yoga, Yoga for a World Out of Balance, Freeing the Body Freeing the Mind, and Awake in the World. For more information visit michaelstoneteaching.com.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anodea Judith, Ph.D. is the author of eight best-selling books on psychology, spirituality, and social change. She is best known for her pioneering work with the chakra system, through the classics Wheels of Life  and Eastern Body, Western Mind.  She holds a doctorate in Human Health, a Master’s in Psychology, is a 500 E-RYT yoga teacher, and has engaged in lifelong studies in psychology, yoga, mythology, sociology, history, systems theory, evolution, and comparative religion. Her most recent book is Anodea Judith’s Chakra Yoga. She teaches worldwide.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jillian Turecki is a New York based yoga teacher and certified coach who for over 15 years, has been studying the art and science of fulfillment. Through the practice and teaching of yoga, Jillian has explored in depth the radical impact changing one’s physiology has on a person’s psychology. More recently, she has taken her work beyond the physiology to include studying the way we think, the emotions we consistently experience, and the meanings we attribute to any given circumstance as massive clues to how we lead and experience our lives. Committed to understanding her own emotional patterns and how they have both helped and crippled her at times have been at the core of how she helps others. Under the masterful guidance of Anthony Robbins, Cloe Madanes, Magali and Mark Peysha, Jillian is certified by the Robbins Madanes Center for Strategic Intervention/Coaching, known for employing innovative strategic solutions to the most pervasive difficult problems. Jillian is expertly trained in working with the individual, couples, and families.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ralph De La Rosa, a Brooklyn-based psychotherapist and meditation teacher, shares his transformative journey from addiction to healing. He discusses the science of neuroplasticity and how mindfulness can rewire the brain, offering hope for personal growth. Ralph tackles myths about meditation, emphasizing the value of embracing thoughts rather than silencing them. He recounts personal struggles with identity, heartbreak, and spirituality, highlighting meditation's role in fostering resilience and emotional well-being. Listeners are encouraged to engage with mindfulness and find empowerment within themselves.

My guest in this episode is Gabriel Halpern, who is an Iyengar yoga teacher based out of Chicago.  I first met Gabriel a few years ago, when I took his workshops at Kula Yoga Project in Williamsburg, NYC. Gabriel's therapeutic approach to asana was intelligent and illuminating, but what I found most inspiring were his elegant and thoughtful dharma talks, which drew heavily from mythology and philosophy. I immediately admired Gabriel as the kind of teacher that I myself would like to be someday.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Rima Rabbath was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, but eventually traveled to Paris to pursue an undergraduate education in economics and later finished graduate school at NYU. In 2001, while pursuing a fast-paced career in brand management, Rima Rabbath took her first yoga class at the Jivamukti Yoga School in New York City, which changed the course of her life. In May 2005, Rabbath entered the Jivamukti Yoga Teacher Training. Since then, she has been teaching five days a week at the Jivamukti Yoga School, leading Jivamukti Immersions, and is very active in the apprenticeship program.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.