Keen on Yoga Podcast

Govinda Kai has studied and dedicated himself to martial arts, meditative disciplines and yoga for over 20 years. At the age of 30, Govinda discovered the practice of Ashtanga vinyasa yoga and immediately fell in love with the practice. He is one of the select individuals in the world who are certified to teach the Ashtanga Yoga Method by its founder, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. In 1995, Govinda made his first trip to Mysore, India to practice with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. From 1995 to 2015, Govinda made over 20 trips to Mysore to practice Ashtanga, with each trip lasting an average of 3-4 months. He is of Japanese-American descent, born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. From a very young age, Govinda took a passionate interest in meditation, yoga and spiritual philosophy. Govinda's father, Edward Yamaguchi, was a highly respected practitioner and teacher of martial arts (he held a high ranking in both Judo and Aikido) and like Govinda, nurtured a strong attraction to spirituality and philosophy from a very young age. Govinda began the practice of martial arts while in high school and began yoga, meditation, and devotional chanting at age 18, studying with respected teachers such as Swami Muktananda and Sogyal Rimpoche. Govinda's father died of colon cancer at the age of 49 years old, when Govinda was only 16. The passing of his father affected Govinda deeply and inspired him to begin reading books on spirituality and meditation at the age of 16. After university, Govinda considered becoming a Buddhist monk, but was advised by his teacher Sogyal Rimpoche to enter into a more worldly career. Thus, Govinda became a practicing professional in the area of real estate, all the while still devoting much of his time to spiritual practice. He is currently teaching in Bellingham, Washington state and you can find him at @govindakai If you enjoy the Keen on Yoga Podcast and would like to support us you can share this post, give us a review on Apple or Spotify or make a donation . We appreciate your help to us keep creating free content for all.

The journey started in the late 60's, Krishna Das met spiritual seeker Ram Dass. He traveled across the country with Ram Dass as his student. And was captivated by the stories of his recent trip to India where he had met the legendary guru Neem Karoli Baba, known to most as Maharaj-ji. Finally, following his heart, in August 1970, Krishna Das left behind his dreams of being a rock star and made his way to meet this remarkable Being. Basking in the love of Maharaj-ji in the three years that followed, KD's heart was drawn to the practice of Bhakthi Yoga – the yoga of devotion and after two and a half years with Maharaj-ji, he returned to USA – alas, six months after his return, word came that Maharaj-ji had died. "I will sing for you in the west" he had promised his beloved Guru in his own heart. This did not come easily. If you listen to KD in one of his many workshops or read his book 'Chants of a Life Time' you will know that it took almost 20 years for KD to sing with groups of people around the USA. In his book Chants of a life time, KD writes about his journey over all the years. If you would like to know more straight from Krishna Das himself, we invite you to read his book. KD TODAY In 1994, he started leading chant at Jivamukti Yoga Center, NYC. Over the years, he continued chanting, developing his signature style, fusing traditional kirtan of the east with western harmonic and rhythmic sensibilities. The audiences have been ever growing. With a remarkably soulful voice that touches the deepest chord in even the most casual listener, Krishna Das – known to friends, family, and fans as simply KD, has been called yoga's "rock star." He has taken the call-and-response chanting out of yoga centers and into concert halls, becoming a worldwide icon and the best-selling western chant artist of all time. KD now travels the world sharing his kirtan practice and wonderful stories of his life, of Maharaji-ji, of his life on the Path, and discusses bringing chanting into our lives through retreats and workshops. To date, KD has released 16 well received albums, including Live Ananda (released January 2012) that was nominated for a Grammy in the Best New Age album category. In February 2013, Krishna Das performed at the Grammy awards in Los Angeles, CA streamed online to millions of viewers. The award-winning film 'One Track Heart: The Story of Krishna Das' has been in over 100 US cities, over 10 countries worldwide and is available on DVD everywhere. In 2014 the Kirtan Wallah Foundation was formed. This 501c3 is dedicated to spreading the teachings of KD's guru and spiritual teacher, Neem Karoli Baba, Lovingly called Maharjji, his teachings can be summed up by his saying: 'Love Everyone. Serve Everyone. Remember God" To visit the website click here. IG: @krishnadasmusic YouTube: Krishna Das Music

From the very young age of 13, Doug Swenson began his study of yoga in 1964. He has studied and practiced with many amazing teachers including Ernest Wood, the highly respected British Yoga Master, theosophist, and Sanskrit scholar. Doug's other mentors include Pattabhi Jois, Ramanand Patel, BKS Iyengar and Swami Satchidananda. Many of Doug's students have become highly celebrated teachers, including his younger brother, David Swenson. Doug is a master yoga practitioner, philosopher, poet and dedicated health advocate. He has incorporated influences from several different yoga systems along with his passion for cross-training, elevated nutrition and healthy lifestyle. Over the years he has authored four books and 23 videos on Amazon. The book list includes: Yoga Helps, Power Yoga for Dummies, Mastering the Secrets of Yoga Flow, and Pioneering Vinyasa Yoga. His educational videos, for all levels of practice, include topics of Yoga practice and philosophy, enhanced nutrition, and cross-training between challenging and more restorative yoga styles. Doug's Sadhana Yoga Chi is a holistic balance between learning and teaching, power and softness, intellect and fitness. The goals of Sadhana Yoga are achieved by striving to create a body of enhanced health and fitness, a mind with pure clarity, true intellect and focus, all woven together with a heart filled with peace and harmony. Sadhana Yoga Chi does not restrict your intelligence, or put limits on expanding your knowledge. Instead, we encourage the freedom to study and practice positive aspects of other different holistic techniques. This includes other systems of yoga and alternate body and mind expansion concepts. Doug is one of the original yoga teachers in the West and has quietly been living as a yogi for decades. You can find him on his website

The Dalai Lama befriended Bob in 1964, ordained him as a Buddhist monk, then later forgave him for returning to lay life. Bob Thurman is known in the academic circles as Professor Robert A.F. Thurman. He is a talented popularizer of the Buddha's teachings. In addition, Bob is the first Westerner Tibetan Buddhist monk ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, He is a charismatic speaker and author of many books on Tibet, Buddhism, art, politics and culture. Bob was named by The New York Times as the leading American expert on Tibetan Buddhism. In 2020 he was awarded the prestigious Padma Shri Award for his help in recovering India's ancient Buddhist heritage. Time Magazine chose him as one of the 25 most influential Americans in 1997. They describe him as a "larger than life scholar-activist destined to convey the Dharma, the precious teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha, from Asia to America." Bob served as the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies in the Department of Religion at Columbia University for 30 years, until 2020. A very popular professor, students always felt his classes were "life-changing". Tibet House Bob is the founder and active president of Tibet House US, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Tibetan culture. And of the American Institute of Buddhist Studies, a non-profit affiliated with the Center for Buddhist Studies at Columbia University and dedicated to the publication of translations of important artistic and scientific Tibetan treatises. His own search for enlightenment began while he was a university student at Harvard. After an accident in which he lost the use of an eye, Bob left school on a spiritual quest throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia. He found his way to India, where he first saw His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1962. After learning Tibetan and studying Buddhism, Bob became a Tibetan Buddhist monk and the first Westerner to be ordained by the Dalai Lama. Some years later, however, he offered up his robes when he realized he could be more effective in the American equivalent of a monastery: the university, returning to Harvard to finish his PhD. Long-term Commitment As part of his long-term commitment to the Tibetan cause, at the request of H.H. the Dalai Lama, Bob co-founded Tibet House US in 1987 with Tenzin Tethong, Richard Gere, and Philip Glass, a non-profit organization based in New York City and dedicated to the preservation and renaissance of Tibetan culture. Inspired by his long-time good friend the Dalai Lama, Bob takes us along with him into an expanded vision of the world through the prisma of Tibetan Buddhism. He shares with us the sense of refuge in the Dharma, which unfailingly helps us clear away the shrouds of fear and confusion. He sustains us with the cheerfulness of an enriched gift, and opens a door to a path of realistic hope for a peaceful, kind, and wise future. Bob has a prolific podcast of 287 episodes to date, which you can find on his website Instagram @bob__thurman @tibethouse.us @menlaretreat

Tara has been a dedicated practitioner of yoga for over 18 years. She has been blessed to practice with some of the most dedicated ashtanga teachers in the world. Studying with Johnny Smith, Tim Miller (completing both his primary and intermediate series trainings), R. Sharath Jois & R. Saraswathi Jois. She has apprenticed with only certified teachers (6 years) with R. Saraswathi Jois for 4 of those years in her very busy Mysore shala where she assisted up to 200 students a month for nine months of the year. Tara has a special bond with Saraswathiji and is one of the few students authorised by her to teach. Tara is also a Certified Yoga Therapist in the tradition of T. Krishnamacharya & his son T.K.V. Desikachar in Chennai, India. Her interest in yoga therapy is a focus to help heal others from injury and imbalances within the body. She has helped many students learn to understand their bodies while bringing back health and stability through yoga therapy, diet and lifestyle changes. She has studied Pranayama with Sri O.P. Tiwari, Philosophy with Prof. Nagaraja Rao and Vedic chanting with Dr. Vigneshwar Bhat and Madhavi Kotha in the lineage of T. Krishnamacharya. Tara has been studying ritual, chanting and Vedic chanting for the last 7.5 years and is a long time Vipassana Meditator. Both R. Saraswathi Jois, Saraswathi Vasudevan & Vigneshwar Bhat have given her blessings to share the teachings as taught to her through parampara. Other interests Tara's curiosity for understanding the mind and body led her to study psychology (since 1993) and nutrition (since 1999). She is a trained Chef, has worked with many healing modalities, and has recently spent 5 years living in Mysore, India in order to seek and learn pure knowledge directly from the source and continues to visits India every 6 months to be with her teachers. Tara has also studied classical Carnatic music with two of Mysore's greatest teachers and she has and continues to study Ayurveda with Dr. R. Padmini. Tara believes that to be a good teacher one needs to be a good student. Therefore, she continually expands her knowledge on the subjects of yoga, health, nutrition and healing through sound and other methods. She teaches in a traditional yet playful manner incorporating the teachings of her teachers. Tara now lives in Sicily with her husband Dr. Rob Lamport of @morethananatomy You can find Tara on Instagram @taramitrayoga and on her website.

Yan Ong tested at the top 2% of worlds IQ at the age of 16. Joining the Mensa Society, sparked an interest to discover the purpose of intellect. She sought out to gain knowledge through university degrees in science graduating with honours in Biotechnology from the world's 5th ranked university. In attempt to balance both left and right brain function took a second university course in the arts. Although she found solving problems and creating ideas fun, there was still something that corporate life was not fulfilling. 6 years of working in business and I was over it, there had to be more to life. She hit the road for 2 years of backpacking on her own from South America, Africa and ending up in Bali. She discovered Ashtanga yoga in 2001 with a book and a class for 4 years. In 2008 everything fell into place and the Ashtanga Yoga became her life. In 2010 she found her teacher, Paramagruru Sharath Jois and moved to Mysore. Living in Mysore for 4 years Yan practicing under his guidance and privately studied sacred texts constituting the Upanishads and Yoga Sutras with renowned philosophy expert Professor Najarajao Rao. Yan and Mysore In 2012 she was authorised by Paramaguru Sharath Jois to teach Ashtanga Yoga and was fortunate to have the opportunity to travel and teach across the globe in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines & more. I'm blessed to be Malaysia's first Level 2 qualified Ashtanga Yoga teacher. In the 20 years since she found Ashtanga Yoga, she has learned to heal her own spinal, ankle and wrist injuries, manage stress and hypothyroidism within the practice. Thus having a more thoughtful, accepting and compassionate approach towards asana and its ability to be therapeutic. In conjunction with having dealt with both physical and health struggles during her journey, 10 years study of yoga philosophy scripture which the practice is built upon, has given her understanding of the practice from a deeper yet wider perspective. Yan is also largely influenced by non-denominational spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle. She has time with him on retreat and completed his 6-month advanced School of Awakening course. She teaches with her husband Manuel and now plans to spend time between their native countries, Malaysia and Portugal. You can find her at @yanyoga or on her website https://www.yanong.me/

Ross Stambaugh is an Ashtanga yoga teacher who is Authorized Level 2 by Saraswati Jois. He has made many annual trips to India to continue his studies and has assisted Saraswati on multiple occasions. Ross seeks to preserve the traditional Ashtanga method by maintaining a daily practice and teaching his students with the same integrity and patience that was taught to him by his teachers. Ross teaches Ashtanga yoga workshops internationally and welcomes a chance to work with you and your yoga practice. Ross is a 20+ year veteran of the Ashtanga lineage. Apart from having a daily Ashtanga yoga practice, Ross has been a collegiate swimmer, judoka, and mountain climber. He is a public school teacher and holds a post-master's degree in education. He enjoys walking his dogs, Kali and Brie and is an avid motorcyclist. You can find him on Instagram @ashtanga.yoga.ross

The "Yoga Doc" - Dr. Ronald Steiner is the founder of the AYI method. This method links traditional Ashtanga Yoga with innovative Yogatherapy. Body and mind connect with each other and together create a harmonious balance. Ronald is a sports physician, researcher with focus on prevention and rehabilitation as well as one of the most well-known practitioners of Ashtanga Yoga. Ronald Steiner is one of the very few yoga teachers authorized in the traditional way by both the Indian grand masters Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and BNS Iyengar. You can find more about Dr Steiner on his website https://www.ashtangayoga.info/ Listen to the Keen on Yoga Podcast via link in bio, all usual outlets & now on YouTube. If you enjoy our show and would like to support continued free content click Donate link in the Instagram bio or visit our website https://keenonyoga.com/donate/

Stephen W. Porges, Ph.D. is the author of The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-regulation (Norton, 2011). In 1994 he proposed the Polyvagal Theory, a theory that links the evolution of the mammalian autonomic nervous system to social behavior. This emphasizes the importance of physiological state in the expression of behavioral problems and psychiatric disorders. The theory is leading to innovative treatments based on insights into the mechanisms mediating symptoms observed in several behavioral, psychiatric, and physical disorders. Stephen is the creator of a music-based intervention, the Safe and Sound Protocol ™ , which currently is used by more than 1400 therapists to improve spontaneous social engagement, to reduce hearing sensitivities, to improve language processing and state regulation. Also written by Stephen: The Pocket Guide to the Polyvagal Theory: The Transformative Power of Feeling Safe, (Norton, 2017) and co-editor of Clinical Applications of the Polyvagal Theory: The Emergence of Polyvagal-Informed Therapies (Norton, 2018). Stephen is Distinguished University Scientist at Indiana University where he is the founding director of the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium. In addition, he is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina, and Professor Emeritus at both the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Maryland. He served as president of the Society for Psychophysiological Research and the Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences and is a former recipient of a National Institute of Mental Health Research Scientist Development Award. Your support of the Keen on Yoga Podcast is greatly appreciated. https://keenonyoga.com/donate/

David Jackson a Master Instructor with the Oxygen Advantage and a breathwork coach. He is a former professional rugby player, accredited UKSCA Strength & Conditioning coach, NASM performance enhancement & corrective exercise specialist. His mission is to make breathwork a normal part of our everyday lives. David retrained his own breathing after a brain injury in 2013 forced him to retire from professional rugby. He's passionate about helping others change the way they breathe to improve the way they feel, move and perform. He believes that there is something for everyone in breathwork. David has worked with professionals seeking better stress management or those suffering with anxiety to professional athletes looking to improve performance and everything in between. He knows how your breath can impact all areas of our body and mind. This is the reason he is so passionate about helping people use breathwork to fulfil their true potential. Having felt the benefits personally, he wants to share it with others. Find more about David: Website: https://www.rootedlife.co.uk/ YouTube: David Jackson Instagram: @ jackohumanflag