In this episode, we try to find out if the yogis and the Buddhists are describing the same thing when they talk about Samadhi. Are the paths aiming at the same experience but using different language to talk about it? Or are there deeper differences? To find out, we host a conversation between Gregor Maehle and Leigh Brasington who practice and teach deep Samadhi meditations from the yogic and Buddhist schools, respectively.   

MC Owens is a Buddhist teacher, translator, and author who uses a sutra-based curriculum to teach the history, philosophy, and practices of Buddhism. He has taught in universities, colleges, monasteries, and a variety of unique venues including museums, teahouses and nightclubs. Through Lotus Underground, MC Owens offers courses and private study, and is building the Lotus Underground School of Buddhism, which will combine traditional methods with immersive technologies to provide resources and develop innovative approaches to the study of Buddhism.  He is also a teacher for the San Francisco Dharma Collective, where he currently hosts Dharma Doors, a Sunday evening gathering that brings sutras to life through recitation, translation, humor, and storytelling.  MC Owens' dharma talks, sutra recitations and deep dives into Buddhist texts can be found on the Lotus Underground soundcloud and youtube.  He is also the author of the historical fiction novel, A Sacrifice of Monks

A little Ashtanga episode for your ear holes! Nothing I like better than a fine and geeky Ashtanga-based chat and what a privilege to do so with the raconteur himself, Russell Case. Russell has been practicing and teaching Ashtanga yoga for more than 25 years. A humble and refined teacher, he was given Authorization by Pattabhi Jois in 2005. Case is known for his joking spirit, and his perpetual eye toward social justice work. When Pattabhi Jois invited him to his pranayama class in 2007, he considered this distinction to be the highest grade.  Russell co-hosts the Finding Harmony Podcast with Harmony Slater which is one of my favourite yoga podcasts and if you like Ashtanga you should check them out

Shaila Catherine is the founder of Insight Meditation South Bay, a meditation group in Silicon Valley, and also Bodhi Courses, an online Buddhist classroom. She has been practicing meditation since 1980, with more than nine years of accumulated silent retreat experience. She has taught since 1996 in the USA, and internationally. Shaila studied with several Asian masters in India, Thailand, and Nepal, including H. W. L. Poonja, Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche, and Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, in addition to the founders of several western meditation centers including Christopher Titmuss and Joseph Goldstein. She completed a one-year intensive meditation retreat with the focus on concentration and jhana, and authored Focused and Fearless: A Meditator’s Guide to States of Deep Joy, Calm, and Clarity. Shaila practiced under the guidance of Venerable Pa-Auk Sayadaw from 2006-2015, and authored Wisdom Wide and Deep: A Practical Handbook for Mastering Jhana and Vipassana to help make this traditional approach to meditative training accessible to western practitioners. In 2014, Shaila founded Bodhi Courses to develop and offer teachings in an online classroom.

Stu Girling is a yoga teacher, anatomy expert and author. He runs Love Yoga Anatomy online and on Youtube, and is the author of Illustrated Yoga Anatomy book. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions about yoga, ashtanga, avoiding injury and maintaining healthy bodies.  We asked questions such as: How to return to yoga practice after pregnancy? How to do yoga asana with sciatica? Avoding ankle pain in lotus pose Why should spiritual yogis care about anatomy? How crosstraining can stop you getting injured What's with Setu Bandhasana?  Find more from Stu https://loveyogaanatomy.com/ Stu's book: https://illustratedyogaanatomy.com/

There’s been a lot said and written about the changes female yogis go through when they become mothers. Now, for the first time, we discuss Ashtanga Yoga and fatherhood. Our guests, Mark Robberds, Prem Carlisi, and Scott Johnson have about 80 years of practice and teaching experience between them, close to 100 if you include me.  Mark and I are new fathers, Scott Johnson’s kids are teenagers, and Prem is a grandfather. It was really special to sit with a group of men and learn about realising the goals of yoga in family life.  Show Notes Becoming a father and how men experience having a baby How to continue a yoga practice while holding the responsibilities of family life How to maintain a quality relationship with your partner And the play of masculine and feminine in the yoga of relationship Check out our guests online! https://www.markrobberds.com https://www.markrobberds.com/ https://stillpoint.yoga/ https://www.ashtangayogabali.com/

Ben Goresky is a counsellor, coach, and explorer of consciousness. He is involved in addiction recovery and working with men as part of the Samurai Brotherhood. He also teaches counscious relationship training, a modern take on the old yoga of coupling. Show notes Nathan and Ben are both recovered addicts and share deeply about abuse, drug addiction, and recovery. They delve into the spiritual practices that have helped Ben and Nathan on their journey to recovery and get into the spiritual power of "men's work" - a worldwide movement to support and heal the masculine. Find out more about Ben's coaching and online trainings here: https://evolvingman.com/

Ash Hope is a Brisbane-based Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga teacher and a student of Nancy Gilgoff. Her fascination about the body’s self-healing abilities led her to study CranioSacral therapy with the Upledger Institute in Singapore. Ash explores the practice of meditation in the Zen tradition and teaches traditional Mysore style classes in her shala in Fortitude Valley in Brisbane. Show notes Spiritual longing: From Eastern Germany to India Discovering Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga system after an injuiry On synergetic relationship of Primary and Intermediate series Weekly sequencing - thoughts on rotation of series Meeting Nancy Gilgoff Evolution of Pattabhi Jois' teaching approach On old-school Advanced A series, teaching methodology Ashtanga pranayama Meditation practice Mixing practices from different schools Visit https://www.ashtangayogacentre.com.au/ to find out more about Ash and her teaching schedul

Meditation teacher Michael Taft discusses Buddhist modernism, tantric practice, emptiness, and the similarities between Hindu and Tibetan Tantra. They delve into different models of reality, the importance of multiple working models, and the effects of mudras and pranayama on the subtle body. They also explore relying on subtle energy and omens, coherence in terravada practice, and the influence of Yogic Tantra. The chapter ends with a discussion on meditation, awareness, and the coherence between different practices and approaches to reality.

Phil Mistlberger is an explorer of world's philosophic and esoteric traditions, transpersonal therapist, international seminar and workshop facilitator, and author with over thirty years of experience. Phil has written 7 books looking from different angles on wide variety of teachings and teachers. He has co-founded and founded schools and communities of inner work like Samurai Brotherhood, and traveled around the world to study and teach numerous courses and workshops. Show notes Spiritual experiences and Perennial philosophy Moving from one tradition to another 21st century destructed mind's dark night of the soul problem 3 Dangerous Magi On Aleister Crowley Studying with Osho Benefits of releasing generational rage and guilt On addiction, ethics and generational context Premature teaching On conditioned culture, autonomy and reality tunnels Encounter work and men groups Visit http://www.ptmistlberger.com/ to find more about his work. Want to support the show? Thank you! Support us via PayPal