Keen on Yoga Podcast

Christopher Wallis – Near Enemies of The Truth (www.hareesh.org | @hareeshwallis | YouTube ) Speaking in near absolute truths | Digesting v rather than letting emotions go | Don’t take it personally | I am my own guru | When the mental filters fall away | Communion with reality | Being with what is | Is yoga stilling the fluctuations of the mind? | Finding your dharma? | Following the golden thread in your life New Book Available for Pre-order: Near Enemies of the Truth https://hareesh.org/nearenemies  Support Us Subscribe, like, comment and share with your friends Buy us a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/infoRf Become a Patron:  https://keenonyoga.com/membership/  Connect With Keen On Yoga Instagram Keen on Yoga: https://www.instagram.com/keen_on_yoga/ Instagram Adam Keen: https://www.instagram.com/adam_keen_ashtanga/ Website: https://keenonyoga.com/ ____________________________________________________________________ Christopher Wallis, also known as Hareesh, is a Sanskritist and scholar-practitioner of Classical Tantra with thirty years of experience. He was initiated by a traditional Indian guru at the age of sixteen and received education at yoga āshrams in India and the West.  Subsequently, he engaged in fourteen years of formal education in Sanskrit, South Asian Studies, and classical Indian religions. Hareesh teaches classical Tantric philosophy and Tantric practices, meditation, Sanskrit, and mantra-science to an engaged online community of practitioners. He is the Founder of Tantra Illuminated Online, an online learning portal where all his courses and teachings are available. He also offers workshops, retreats and classes in person in Portugal and around the world. He combines his practice of more than 25 years with a rigorous inquiry into the original Sanskrit sources to accurately translate and bring this ancient nondual wisdom to modern practitioners. The practices aim to facilitate both spiritual awakening and enhanced well-being for people in all walks of life. His community of students frequently praise his deep love for the tradition and the clarity of thought and expression.  His teachers, mentors, and gurus, in chronological order, include: Gurumayī Chidvilāsānandā (root-guru), Paul Muller-Ortega (Śaiva Tantra and Classical Yoga); Alexis Sanderson (Śaiva and Śākta Tantra and Sanskrit); Marshall Rosenberg (Nonviolent Communication); Somadeva Vasudeva (Śaiva Tantra), Adyashanti (Meditation), and others who wish to remain anonymous.  His degrees include a B.A. in Religion and Classics from the University of Rochester, an M.A. in South Asian Studies from U.C. Berkeley, an M.Phil. in Classical Indian Religions from Oxford, and a Ph.D. in Sanskrit from U.C. Berkeley.  Hareesh is the author of Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition, the first comprehensive and accessible introduction to Classical Tantra in English (also available in Spanish, Portuguese and Romanian), and of The Recognition Sutras, a translation and commentary on a 1000-year-old masterpiece on experiential recognition of oneself as a direct expression of universal divine Consciousness.  His new book Near Enemies of the Truth comes out on November 14 and is available for pre-orders now.  EDUCATION  Ph.D. in South Asian Studies (Sanskrit), University of California-Berkeley, 2014 M.Phil. with Distinction in Classical Indian Religions, University of Oxford (UK) M.A. with Honors in South Asian Studies (Sanskrit), University of California-Berkeley, 2003 B.A. magna cum laude in Religion and Classics, University of Rochester, 2001  In this talk: Near Enemies of the Truth  Christopher Wallis YouTube Channel  Christopher Wallis Blog  Tantra Illuminated Online   

Lotta Sebzda - The Mindset of Practice |  @lottasbzdayoga Ashtanga as a 57-year-old grandmother (not what you’d think) | The importance of listening to the body | Early injury | Balancing yoga practice with family | Finding your limit | Finding joy in simple moments | Practice moments when feeling down | Inspiration from social media | Struggling with jumpbacks | Being mindful of social media | The benefits of a cold plunge | The practice in the early 2000s | Discovering the handstand press | Pushing yourself in practice Lotta Sebzda is a 57-year-old hairdresser - Ashtanga lover - mother of two adult children and two grandchildren.  Ever since Lotta was a child, she was mostly upside down, doing handstands, cartwheels or other gymnastics. When she found Ashtanga Yoga in the late 90s it was like coming home, she says - she was immediately drawn to the practice. Since that day it’s been a big part of her life - with dedication, love, curiosity, energy and gratefulness. Andrew also started his Ashtanga Yoga journey at the same time as Lotta. With a background as a basketball player, he had many old injuries to deal with. Ashtanga yoga helped him to strengthen the weak and injured parts of his body, and today yoga is the only thing that keeps him strong, both in body and mind.

Christopher “Hareesh” Wallis – Non-dual Classical Tantra or The Teacher Drinks Bourbon? (www.hareesh.org | @hareeshwallis | YouTube ) First yoga for householders | True Holistic Experience | Digesting the remnants to incomplete experiences from the past | Scholar & practitioner | Eastern spirituality upbringing Siddha yoga | Powerful experience during meditation | Exploring psychedelics | Classical Tantra teachings | Seeking in various ways | Nondual tantra provided the context for everything in one | Discipline is required for meaning | Paul Muller-Ortega | Adyashanti | Unpacking transmissions | Tibetan Buddhism v Classical Tantra v modern yoga | Revivalism of the Yoga Sutras | Reincarnation and the soul | Connecting to the subtle body during asana | Feeling the pain | Digesting our experiences to resolve them His new book Near Enemies of the Truth comes out on November 14 and is available for pre-orders now. Christopher Wallis, also known as Hareesh, is a Sanskritist and scholar-practitioner of Classical Tantra with thirty years of experience. He was initiated by a traditional Indian guru at the age of sixteen, and received education at yoga āshrams in India and the West.  Hareesh teaches classical Tantric philosophy and Tantric practices, meditation, Sanskrit, and mantra-science to an engaged online community of practitioners. He is the Founder of Tantra Illuminated Online, an online learning portal where all his courses and teachings are available. He also offers workshops, retreats and classes in person in Portugal and around the world. He combines his practice of more than 25 years with a rigorous inquiry into the original Sanskrit sources to accurately translate and bring this ancient nondual wisdom to modern practitioners. The practices aim to facilitate both spiritual awakening and enhanced well-being for people in all walks of life. His community of students frequently praise his deep love for the tradition and the clarity of thought and expression. His teachers, mentors, and gurus, in chronological order, include: Gurumayī Chidvilāsānandā (root-guru), Paul Muller-Ortega (Śaiva Tantra and Classical Yoga); Alexis Sanderson (Śaiva and Śākta Tantra and Sanskrit); Marshall Rosenberg (Nonviolent Communication); Somadeva Vasudeva (Śaiva Tantra), Adyashanti (Meditation), and others who wish to remain anonymous.  His degrees include a B.A. in Religion and Classics from the University of Rochester, an M.A. in South Asian Studies from U.C. Berkeley, an M.Phil. in Classical Indian Religions from Oxford, and a Ph.D. in Sanskrit from U.C. Berkeley. Hareesh is the author of Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition, the first comprehensive and accessible introduction to Classical Tantra in English (also available in Spanish, Portuguese and Romanian), and of The Recognition Sutras, a translation and commentary on a 1000-year-old masterpiece on experiential recognition of oneself as a direct expression of universal divine Consciousness. Tantra Illuminated: https://www.amazon.com/Tantra-Illuminated-Philosophy-Practice-Tradition/dp/0989761304/  ‘Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice by Mark Singleton https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Body-Origins-Posture-Practice/dp/0195395344  ‘The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali: A Biography’ by David Gordon White: https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Sutra-Patanjali-Biography-2014-05-25/dp/B01FGMV5S2/  Hamsamitthu: "Pātañjalayoga is Nonsense" by Somdev Vasudeva: https://www.jstor.org/stable/23884110 The Recognition Sūtras; https://www.amazon.com/Recognition-Sutras-Illuminating-000-Year-Old-Masterpiece/dp/098976138X/  The Vātūlanātha-Sūtras: https://hareesh.org/blog/2023/7/30/the-sutras-of-the-intoxicated-lord-vatula-natha  Christopher Wallis YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@christopherwallis751  Christopher Wallis Blog: https://hareesh.org/blogpage  Tantra Illuminated Online: https://www.tantrailluminated.org/  

Adam completed the advanced A series with Sharath in Mysore in 2012, the same year he was authorised, and yet he believes that the practice is meant to be individualised for each student.  F Support Us  Buy us a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/infoRf Become a Patron:  https://keenonyoga.com/membership/  Exclusive content, yoga & lifestyle tips, live Zoom meet-ups & more.  €10 per month, cancel at any time. Connect With Keen On Yoga Instagram Keen on Yoga: https://www.instagram.com/keen_on_yoga/ Instagram Adam Keen: https://www.instagram.com/adam_keen_ashtanga/ Website: https://keenonyoga.com/ 

Kranti (Renato Libanati) - Love of Ashtanga (Krantivira.com |@kranti.yoga.movement) Certified Ashtanga Teacher since 2012 | India 1991 – Osho | Meditation at age 14 | Finding Ashtanga | Mysore in 2005 | Richard Freeman, Maty Ezraty | Changes in Mysore | Managing injuries | Keeping motivated | Guilt in practice | Teaching in Japan v Europe | The future | Teaching relationship (more info below) ******************************************** Support Us Subscribe, like, comment and share with your friends Buy us a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/infoRf Become a Patron:  https://keenonyoga.com/membership/  Connect With Keen On Yoga Instagram Keen on Yoga: https://www.instagram.com/keen_on_yoga/ Instagram Adam Keen: https://www.instagram.com/adam_keen_ashtanga/ Website: https://keenonyoga.com/ ********************************************* Kranti was born in Italy, under the sign of Cancer in 1970, in Chinese astrology’s Year of the Dog. Since childhood, he’s had an instinct for expansion and growth. His interest in the human mind and self-inquiry ignited at age 14, after reading his first book on meditation written by Osho (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh).   Eventually, Kranti developed an interest in Yoga. In 1991, he travelled through India, and a few years later, he started a daily practice.   In Milan in 1996, he took a one-year teacher training with Carlo Patrian, one of the yoga pioneers in Italy. A few years later, while in Berlin, he was introduced to the Ashtanga method and fell in love with the practice. Since then, although Kranti’s yoga experience was complimented with the Iyangar method, Ashtanga became his daily practice and passion.   Kranti moved to Copenhagen a few years later, teaching Ashtanga and Hatha Vinyasa. He taught different yoga enthusiasts, dancers, actors, and athletes; one of his regular students was the Crown Princess of Denmark, Mary Donaldson.   In Paris in 2002, Kranti attended a workshop with Richard Freeman. He was deeply inspired by Richard’s versatile and open approach to yoga and yoga philosophy, and the following year he traveled to Boulder, Colorado, for Richard’s one-month intensive teacher training. This experience further deepened his understanding of the Ashtanga method, meditation, and philosophy.   In 2004, he attended a course in Yoga Therapy at the Yoga Biomedical Trust of London, England. He worked with students with heart disease and was moved by the powerful healing aspect of yoga as a complementary alternative therapy.     Since 2005, Kranti has routinely studied in Mysore, India, under the guidance of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and his grandson Sharath Jois. He received Authorization Level 1 to teach Ashtanga Yoga from Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in 2008, and on July 5th, 2010, Kranti received Level 2 Authorization.   In 2012, Kranti was Certified by the K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Institute (KPJAYI) – the only official institute in the world able to certify students to teach the traditional Ashtanga Yoga method by the Jois family.   Kranti & Gabriele Severini, who teaches in Rome, are the only two certified teachers from Italy. As of 2012, only 38 certified teachers were recognised globally by KPJAYI.   Kranti is also a registered teacher with the Yoga Alliance (RYT and E-RYT 500 hours), and he completed the Yin Yoga Teacher Training with Sarah Powers.   Through his teachings, Kranti will help you tap into your own true, unique potential. “In addition to Yoga studies, Kranti has trained and self-studied ‘Life Coaching,’ NLP, Body Language and psychology, incorporating aspects of these fields in his daily teaching and private lessons.”  

 Zoë Slatoff - The Practice of Sanskrit  (www.ashtangayogasanskrit.com | @yogasankrit ) Introduction to yoga | One month of led Intermediate with Pattabhi Jois in NY | Qutting school for Mysore at 21 years old | Falling in love with Sanskrit | Interest in he texts | Integrated study with practice | Giving up neuroscience | Inspiration | Sanskrit for yoga students book | Sanskrit classes online | The stilling of thoughts | Deeper understanding of Sanskrit Online classes: https://ochsonline.org/learning-pathways-sanskrit/ Zoe’s Book https://www.amazon.com/Yogavataranam-Translation-Integrating-Traditional-University/dp/086547754X/ About Zoe Slatoff-Ponte Zoë teaches Sanskrit and Yoga Philosophy in the Yoga Studies M.A. program at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, as well as online courses for the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies. She has a PhD in Religion and Philosophy from Lancaster University and an MA in Asian Languages and Culture from Columbia University.  Zoë is the author of Yogāvatāraṇam, a Sanskrit textbook for yoga students, which uses extracts from classical yoga texts to integrate traditional and academic methods of learning the language. Zoë is also the Sanskrit editor for Pushpam, and has done Sanskrit editing for Nāmarūpa and Robert Svoboda's book Vāstu. Zoë also taught for many years at her yoga shala in NYC, Ashtanga Yoga Upper West Side. She discovered yoga at the age of 15 and has been devoted to a daily practice ever since. She first traveled to Mysore in 2000 to study with Pattabhi Jois and Sharath and has returned almost annually. She is honored to have received Guruji's blessing to teach in 2002, and level 2 Authorization in 2009. Her PhD centers around a translation of the Aparokṣānubhūti, an Advaita Vedānta text attributed to Ādi Śaṅkarācārya, which is particularly relevant to yoga practitioners. It explains how we get caught up in illusions about our bodies and the world and how we could instead use practice to help us discover and be more connected to our essential nature.  

In this solo episode, Adam shares his thoughts on physical assists in teaching yoga.  Once thought of as the only way to teach this method, things are gradually shifting. Support Us Subscribe, like, comment and share with your friends Donate: https://keenonyoga.com/donate/ Buy us a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/infoRf Become a Patron:  https://keenonyoga.com/membership/  Exclusive content, yoga & lifestyle tips, live Zoom meet-ups & more.  €10 per month, cancel at any time.   Connect With Keen On Yoga Instagram Keen on Yoga: https://www.instagram.com/keen_on_yoga/ Instagram Adam Keen: https://www.instagram.com/adam_keen_ashtanga/ Website: https://keenonyoga.com/   Keen On Yoga Podcast Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/keen-on-yoga-podcast/id1509303411 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5iM9lcw52JskHUZ2eFvVxN Full Guest List: https://keenonyoga.com/podcast-guests/  

Nicki Doane (www.nickidoane.com | @mayayogastudio ) Nicki lives in Maui and she recorded this episode from her studio sharing her story of yoga as well as the devastation caused by the fires in the last few days.  Links to donate and help the people of Maui are below. Maui Strong Fund Maui Rapid Response - the hub for verified donation links What’s happening on Maui | Mind Blown from Yoga | Yoga via The Grateful Dead | Yoga feeling familiar | Tim Miller | Mysore in 1991 | Thoughts on Pattabhi Jois | Yoga was fun, but it gets deeper | Not being ready for The Yoga Sutras | Teaching style | Ashtanga on Maui | Fires on Maui Nicki Doane is an internationally recognized yoga teacher, known for her ability to make the practice of yoga accessible to every body. She began her study of yoga at the age of 18 while attending the University of Massachusetts. From her first class, she knew she had found something special and deeply familiar. While she began to practice yoga on a purely physical plane and because it felt good, it became apparent some years later that there was more to Yoga than she originally thought. In 1991, Nicki traveled to Mysore, India to study with Sri K Pattabhi Jois, the master of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. She fell in love with the practice and continued her studies with Pattabhi Jois until his death in 2009. What she experienced on that first trip was a radical realization that yoga is much more than a physical practice. The yoga affected her deeply on an emotional and spiritual level. After that she was hooked! As she delved deeper into the Ashtanga practice she became curious about her teacher’s teacher and his lineage. She learned that Tirumalai Krishnamacharya had been Pattabhi Jois’ teacher and also the teacher of BKS Iyengar. This led her to study Iyengar Yoga with Mr. Iyengar, his children and with many of his senior teachers as well including Gabriella Giubilaro and Patricia Walden, at his institute in Pune, India. Nicki has always believed that her practice continued to grow and evolve due to her study and practice of both of these systems of Yoga. Nicki continues to study to study yoga with senior teachers and believes that a great teacher must always remain a dedicated student. Nicki’s teaching has grown out of her practice and her deep faith in yoga and she chooses to honor her students as individuals first and foremost. Nicki’s style combines asana, pranayama, philosophy, and poetry and her classes are strong and accessible to everyone. Nicki uses humor in her teaching to set her students at ease and she is considered to be very relatable and down to earth. She is known as a Teacher’s teacher and loves igniting the spark of yoga in her students. Nicki lives on the beautiful island of Maui, Hawaii, where she owns and directs the Maya Yoga Studio on the North Shore of Maui. She has been featured in numerous articles and has graced the cover of Yoga Journal magazine. She is featured in 2 Ashtanga Yoga videos available through Gaiam and in 9 videos entitled Maya Yoga Vinyasa on her youtube channel. She is currently finishing a book on Yoga for beginners. Nicki teaches workshops and teacher training courses at her studio on Maui and travels all over the world conducting workshops, teacher trainings, and retreats.

Jahnavi Jethmalani - Authentic Yoga & The Modern Human @jahnavi.jethmalani Adam met Jahnavi at Purple Valley Yoga in Goa in April and they started a dialogue, this is a follow-up conversation to that original one.  Adam will be back at Purple Valley Goa teaching with Edwin Bryant in October 2024. How do we balance yoga transmission for modern life? | Yoga is suited to the context of the West | When yoga goes too far from its roots makes it uncomfortable for Indians | How to move toward a more authentic expression | Is yoga union? | Going beyond the physical asana | Grounding the practice in yoga philosophy | Overtake of the sutras | Can you do yoga sadhana without looking at the original texts? | What is the sadhana grounded in? | How to a space of sincerity and authenticity | Physical movement and mind mastery | What do you use your mind for? | The trap of authoritarianism in the yoga world The problem comes when you are taking the culture as an identity to what you are doing. If I practice yoga then I also have to wear the clothes and the beads and the whole set up as a costume. Yoga is not anything you do externally. Support Us Subscribe, like, comment and share with your friends Donate: https://keenonyoga.com/donate/ Buy us a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/infoRf Become a Patron:  https://keenonyoga.com/membership/  Exclusive content, yoga & lifestyle tips, live Zoom meet-ups & more.  €10 per month, cancel at any time.   Connect With Keen On Yoga Instagram Keen on Yoga: https://www.instagram.com/keen_on_yoga/ Instagram Adam Keen: https://www.instagram.com/adam_keen_ashtanga/ Website: https://keenonyoga.com/

Clayton Horton – Living the Yamas & Niyamas  (www.greenpathyoga.org |  @shivaburns) Asian philosophy | Hippy San Francisco | Hatha yoga | Baptiste yoga | Iyengar yoga | Brian Kest | Tantra, meditation | Teaching in Asia | Body types | Individualised teaching | Living the yamas and niyamas | Changes in teaching | Meditation | Diet | Pattabhi Jois | Current practices Clayton Horton is the Director of Greenpath Yoga. He has been a student of yoga for over 30 years and began teaching in 1996. Clayton is an experienced and internationally known KPJAYI Certified Ashtanga yoga teacher born in Oklahoma, USA. He discovered yoga at age 21 whilst living in San Francisco, California, when his mother took him to a pranayama class. After several years of practice and a long trip to India, he began teaching in 1996. To Clayton, yoga is a healing path back to the Self, allowing us to experience true peace and happiness. Being kind and living in balance with nature continue to guide his life. Clayton studied with masters Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and the Greensufi for 14 years, both of whom gave him great inspiration to practise daily and develop a yogic lifestyle. Clayton received formal authorisation to teach Ashtanga Yoga from the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute of Mysore, South India in 2003 and he received Level Two Authorisation in 2010. While attending a course for teachers in Mysore during the summer of 2016, Sharath Jois awarded Clayton with the blessing of ‘Certification’ – the highest level of accreditation for teachers at the institute. Clayton’s teaching style is traditional, yet light-hearted and relaxed. He believes that by practising and living yoga, we can transform ourselves and the world around us. According to Clayton, Ashtanga Yoga is a complete and well-balanced system in which an experienced and skilled teacher can help any student ‘find their place’ within its structure regardless of individual challenges, aptitude, and constitution. From 2001-2006, Clayton operated Greenpath Yoga Studio in San Francisco, California, USA. The studio was one of America’s first Green and Environmental–Friendly yoga studios. It was an inspiration with its progressive yoga programs, philosophies, events, and authenticity. The studio helped to inspire awareness of Earth Friendly yoga practices, philosophies, and products. Currently, Clayton teaches Daily Ashtanga classes at Pure Yoga in Hong Kong. He teaches workshops, retreats, and courses and presents at yoga conferences internationally. His favourite hobbies are surfing, swimming, singing, and playing guitar. He is committed to making the world a better place by living with eco-awareness, teaching yoga and meditation, serving others with charity work (karma yoga), and offering music & Kirtan chanting (bhakti yoga).