The Uplifted Yoga Podcast

Positioned along the spinal axis, from the tailbone to the crown of the head, the seven main energy centers of the body are called chakras. In today’s episode, author Michelle Fondin explores and explains each one, demystifying their role in facilitating healing, balance, personal power, and everyday well-being. We discuss what it means to have a chakra that is “blocked,” and how to bring it back into balance. We discuss Ayurveda and each dosha as it relates to the chakra system. Whether you are experiencing an illness brought on by imbalance, feeling sluggish because of seasonal changes, or simply wishing to deepen your study of the subtle body, you will find healing and rejuvenation while discovering the power of these vibrant energy centers. Don’t miss this special two-part episode!   ---   Michelle S. Fondin, author of Chakra Healing for Vibrant Energy and The Wheel of Healing with Ayurveda is owner of the Ayurvedic Path Yoga and Wellness Studio, where she practices as an Ayurvedic lifestyle counselor and as a yoga and meditation teacher. She holds a Vedic Master certificate from the Chopra Center and has worked with Dr. Deepak Chopra teaching yoga and meditation. Find out more about her work at www.michellefondinauthor.com.   Special Guest: Michelle S. Fondin   www.michellefondinauthor.com https://www.youtube.com/user/AyurvedicPath   Creator & Host: Brett Larkin http://www.brettlarkin.com/   Sound Engineer: Zach Cooper www.zmcmusic.tumblr.com   Producer: Benn Mendelson www.sivanaspirit.com www.sivanapodcast.com   Please consider leaving us a rating or review on iTunes! Not sure how? Follow the steps at www.sivanaspirit.com/review

Mark Walsh tells us more about how the transformative practice of “Embodied Yoga” with concrete examples of EYP poses you can try now at-home. This way of practicing yoga can be emotionally intense (and he describes that this looks like). Bringing this additional layer of observation to the practice is a powerful tool for looking at your personal patterns and changing your life for the better. Mark also discusses the role of meditation. While meditation is fantastic for self-awareness, it doesn’t teach us social awareness or interpersonal skills. We also discuss why the Guru-model is broken in the West and why you might want to practice inquiry instead of affirmations. Listen to learn more! --- Mark Walsh, founder of Embodied Yoga Principles, has extensive training and facilitation experience with organizations worldwide, including Unilever, L’Oreal, Shell, Ikea, Virgin Atlantic, NHS, The Institute of Development Studies, The Natural History Museum, The House of Lords, The Met Police, and The Army of Sierra Leone and more. He a black belt in aikido, a yoga teacher and has 20 years of experience training and teaching on five continents. You can find him on his Embodied Yoga Philosophy Youtube Channel, The Embodiment Podcast, and Twitter.   Special Guest: Mark Walsh https://www.embodiedyogaprinciples.com http://www.embodiedfacilitator.com/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTE4NtZrTMN_pv1Wc15fRTw   Creator & Host: Brett Larkin http://www.brettlarkin.com/   Sound Engineer: Zach Cooper www.zmcmusic.tumblr.com   Producer: Benn Mendelson www.sivanaspirit.com www.sivanapodcast.com   Please consider leaving us a rating or review on iTunes! Not sure how? Follow the steps at www.sivanaspirit.com/review

What are you choosing to embody when you come to your yoga mat? Are you using the yoga postures to gain awareness of your subconscious patterning? These are the questions Mark Walsh, founder of Embodied Yoga Principals, poses in this powerful episode. EYP blends yoga asana, partner-work, body therapy, and martial arts to create a unique system of yoga for people who want to achieve real-world success. Postures and group exercises are used to explore and develop the body as a way of being, integral to how we live. This kind of yoga is not esoteric. It’s about improving personal freedom, the relationships that matter most in our lives, and effectiveness in making the world a better place. Because Embodied Yoga is a set of principles rather than a style, it can add a new dimension to any form of yoga you choose to practice. Transform the way you view your time on that! You won’t think about your yoga practice the same way after this episode. --- Mark Walsh, founder of Embodied Yoga Principles, has extensive training and facilitation experience with organizations worldwide, including Unilever, L’Oreal, Shell, Ikea, Virgin Atlantic, NHS, The Institute of Development Studies, The Natural History Museum, The House of Lords, The Met Police, and The Army of Sierra Leone and more. He a black belt in aikido, a yoga teacher and has 20 years of experience training and teaching on five continents. You can find him on his Embodied Yoga Philosophy Youtube Channel, The Embodiment Podcast, and Twitter.   Special Guest: Mark Walsh https://www.embodiedyogaprinciples.com http://www.embodiedfacilitator.com/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTE4NtZrTMN_pv1Wc15fRTw     Creator & Host: Brett Larkin http://www.brettlarkin.com/   Sound Engineer: Zach Cooper www.zmcmusic.tumblr.com   Producer: Benn Mendelson www.sivanaspirit.com www.sivanapodcast.com   Please consider leaving us a rating or review on iTunes! Not sure how? Follow the steps at www.sivanaspirit.com/review

Enhance your life by tuning into the natural rhythm of lunar ebbs and flows. Continuing our conversation with author Ezzie Spencer, PhD, we dive deeper into how we flourish by better understanding the cycles of the moon. Ezzie helps clarify if we need to work with same intention multiple times, or just one per lunar cycle. She also goes through the full 8-phase moon cycle as outlined in her book. Learn what you should (and shouldn’t) focus on in each of these 8 cycles. In a time in which we feel increasingly disconnected from nature, Ezzie’s Lunar Abundance practices offer a path to reconnection.   Dr Ezzie Spencer wants people to flourish. She is a published author, and creator of Lunar Abundance®. She is the host of an iTunes podcast, and the author of the book, LUNAR ABUNDANCE, CULTIVATING JOY, PEACE AND PURPOSE USING THE PHASES OF THE MOON. Ezzie started out as a lawyer and academic researcher. She holds a PhD in therapeutic jurisprudence and women's wellbeing. Together with tracking the moon cycle, this was her entry into the importance of the emotional realm, which she continues to explore through her work today. As the creator of Lunar Abundance® – a lunar-inspired, holistic self-care practice — Ezzie helps tens of thousands of women around the world cultivate self-worth, creativity and confidence in a playful way.   Special Guest: Ezzie Spencer PhD   www.LunarAbundance.com www.instagram.com/ezziespencer   Creator & Host: Brett Larkin http://www.brettlarkin.com/   Sound Engineer: Zach Cooper www.zmcmusic.tumblr.com   Producer: Benn Mendelson www.sivanaspirit.com www.sivanapodcast.com   Please consider leaving us a rating or review on iTunes! Not sure how? Follow the steps at www.sivanaspirit.com/review

Create peace, security and purpose in both your personal and professional life, guided by the phases of the moon. Ezzie Spencer PhD, author of “Lunar Abundance,” tell us how we can flourish by better understanding the lunar cycle. She speaks to us about scheduling: Does you current work and social calendar take into account the yang/yin patterns of the moon? We also discuss “intention setting.” What does setting an intention really mean? What rituals and actions surround this? What if your intention is to create LESS, instead of MORE of something? How do yoga and meditation play out within a lunar practice? Listen to find out!   Dr Ezzie Spencer wants people to flourish. She is a published author, and creator of Lunar Abundance®. She is the host of an iTunes podcast, and the author of the book, LUNAR ABUNDANCE, CULTIVATING JOY, PEACE AND PURPOSE USING THE PHASES OF THE MOON. Ezzie started out as a lawyer and academic researcher. She holds a PhD in therapeutic jurisprudence and women's wellbeing. Together with tracking the moon cycle, this was her entry into the importance of the emotional realm, which she continues to explore through her work today. As the creator of Lunar Abundance® – a lunar-inspired, holistic self-care practice — Ezzie helps tens of thousands of women around the world cultivate self-worth, creativity and confidence in a playful way.   Special Guest: Ezzie Spencer PhD   www.LunarAbundance.com www.instagram.com/ezziespencer   Creator & Host: Brett Larkin http://www.brettlarkin.com/   Sound Engineer: Zach Cooper www.zmcmusic.tumblr.com   Producer: Benn Mendelson www.sivanaspirit.com www.sivanapodcast.com   Please consider leaving us a rating or review on iTunes! Not sure how? Follow the steps at www.sivanaspirit.com/review

Continuing our conversation with author and Poet Laureate, Albert Flynn DeSilver, discover why poetry is the foundation all great writing (and why it couples so well with yoga and meditation). Albert opens up and tells us about his “failed” TedX talk, and why we should allow ourselves to write, even if we think it is “crap.” He shares several breakthrough tips about the editing process, as well as some of his own favorite journaling prompts. You won’t think about poetry, reading or writing the same way after this special interview. Albert Flynn DeSilver is an American poet, memoirist, novelist, speaker, and meditation teacher at the Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California. Albert teaches nationally at the Omega Institute, Shambhala Mountain Center, the Esalen Institute and at writing conferences nationally. Albert is also an internationally published poet and served as Marin County California’s very first Poet Laureate from 2008-2010. Albert has read and shared the stage with U.S Poet Laureate Kay Ryan, International bestselling authors Cheryl Strayed, Elizabeth Gilbert, Maxine Hong Kingston, and many others. His new book, “Writing as a Path to Awakening: A Year to Becoming an Excellent Writer and Living an Awakened Life,” based on his popular writing workshops by the same name, was released from Sounds True in September of 2017. He is also the author of several books of poems and the memoir “Beamish Boy,” (2012) which Kirkus Reviews called “a beautifully written memoir, poignant and inspirational.” He lives in Northern California.   Join Albert at an upcoming retreat such as his Weekend of Writing & Mindfulness in the Redwoods at 1440 Multiversity June 8-10 OR at the Omega Institute in NY July 8-13. Get a FREE sample meditation and excellent resources for mindfulness and creative writing at www.albertflynndesilver.com   Special Guest: Albert Flynn DeSilver www.albertflynndesilver.com   Creator & Host: Brett Larkin http://www.brettlarkin.com/   Sound Engineer: Zach Cooper www.zmcmusic.tumblr.com   Producer: Benn Mendelson www.sivanaspirit.com www.sivanapodcast.com   Please consider leaving us a rating or review on iTunes! Not sure how? Follow the steps at www.sivanaspirit.com/review

Today, author and Poet Laureate, Albert Flynn DeSilver, shares with us how writing and meditation can be a powerful pair. “To engage in both practices fully is to activate a more complete creative and spiritual self,” states Albert. In this episode, learn about the spiritual nature of language. Albert talks about how we can write ourselves into “radiant beings,” and why he doesn’t believe in writer’s block. Whether you’re interested in journaling as part of your introspective practice or interested in publishing your work, this episode is full of inspirational tips.   Albert Flynn DeSilver is an American poet, memoirist, novelist, speaker, and meditation teacher at the Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California. Albert teaches nationally at the Omega Institute, Shambhala Mountain Center, the Esalen Institute and at writing conferences nationally. Albert is also an internationally published poet and served as Marin County California’s very first Poet Laureate from 2008-2010. Albert has read and shared the stage with U.S Poet Laureate Kay Ryan, International bestselling authors Cheryl Strayed, Elizabeth Gilbert, Maxine Hong Kingston, and many others. His new book, “Writing as a Path to Awakening: A Year to Becoming an Excellent Writer and Living an Awakened Life,” based on his popular writing workshops by the same name, was released from Sounds True in September of 2017. He is also the author of several books of poems and the memoir “Beamish Boy,” (2012) which Kirkus Reviews called “a beautifully written memoir, poignant and inspirational.” He lives in Northern California.   Join Albert at an upcoming retreat such as his Weekend of Writing & Mindfulness in the Redwoods at 1440 Multiversity June 8-10 OR at the Omega Institute in NY July 8-13. Get a FREE sample meditation and excellent resources for mindfulness and creative writing at www.albertflynndesilver.com   Special Guest: Albert Flynn DeSilver www.albertflynndesilver.com   Creator & Host: Brett Larkin http://www.brettlarkin.com/   Sound Engineer: Zach Cooper www.zmcmusic.tumblr.com   Producer: Benn Mendelson www.sivanaspirit.com www.sivanapodcast.com   Please consider leaving us a rating or review on iTunes! Not sure how? Follow the steps at www.sivanaspirit.com/review

Today we continue our conversation with Beth Weissenberger, master coach to CEOs and professional NFL players. Building on Tuesday’s episode, we shift to tips about how to have “Hard Conversations.” Beth teaches us concrete tools to overcome our fear, ‘frame’ the conversation, own our part in the problem and make a concrete ask for a solution. Whether you need to have a big difficult conversation with a partner, family-member or friend or just need tools to effectively ask for help at home or in the office, you’ll walk away from this podcast empowered to clear the air with everyone around you.   Beth Weissenberger is the Co-Founder and President of Handel Group® Corporate and Sports Divisions. With nearly 20 years in the coaching industry, Beth has led personal development seminars for more than 50,000 people globally, has been a featured Executive Coach at Businessweek.com, and is a regular contributor to the Huffington Post. Beth’s ability to evolve corporate culture and bring about exponential financial growth has become her trademark. Learn more at handelgroup.com.   Special Guest: Beth Weissenberger www.handelgroup.com/hardconvo   Creator & Host: Brett Larkin http://www.brettlarkin.com/   Sound Engineer: Zach Cooper www.zmcmusic.tumblr.com   Producer: Benn Mendelson www.sivanaspirit.com www.sivanapodcast.com   Please consider leaving us a rating or review on iTunes!

Meditation teaches us that we are not our thoughts, yet controlling our never-ending inner dialogue is a massive challenge. Today, executive coach Beth Weissenberger describes how she helps CEOs and professional NFL players achieve their desired results by gaining awareness of their own inner dialogue. Beth provides a framework of how we can ‘name’ the voices inside our head for greater awareness and ultimately, elevate our consciousness. Before recording this podcast, Beth told me she wasn’t sure if her message would resonate with yogis. One of my favorite parts of this interview is that so much of what she shares is almost identical to what’s taught in a variety of yoga traditions. If you’re looking to achieve a greater sense of awareness over your thoughts and your life, this episode is for you!   Beth Weissenberger is the Co-Founder and President of Handel Group® Corporate and Sports Divisions. With nearly 20 years in the coaching industry, Beth has led personal development seminars for more than 50,000 people globally, has been a featured Executive Coach at Businessweek.com, and is a regular contributor to the Huffington Post. Beth’s ability to evolve corporate culture and bring about exponential financial growth has become her trademark. Learn more at handelgroup.com.   Special Guest: Beth Weissenberger www.handelgroup.com/hardconvo   Creator & Host: Brett Larkin http://www.brettlarkin.com/   Sound Engineer: Zach Cooper www.zmcmusic.tumblr.com   Producer: Benn Mendelson www.sivanaspirit.com www.sivanapodcast.com   Please consider leaving us a rating or review on iTunes!

Yoginis often feel a tremendous amount of pressure to go for a “natural” birth. Today, we’re joined Izzy Adair, a Certified Birth Doula and Postpartum Doula and 500 hr certified Yoga Instructor specializing in pre and post-natal yoga. Learn why we want to use the term “unmediated birth” instead of “natural.” Izzy walks us through how the best birth preparation involves tuning in to our own body awareness, with tips on how to do exactly that. She also covers challenges that can arise in birth (especially for woman who do yoga), and tips on how to navigate both birth and post-partum gracefully. Do not miss this episode if you’re pregnant or considering conceiving soon! Izzy Adair is a Certified Birth Doula and Postpartum Doula, 500 hr certified Yoga Instructor specializing in pre and post-natal yoga, Ayurvedic Wellness Counselor, and student of Women’s Anthropology   Special Guest: Izzy Adair www.holisticbirthandwellness.com Instagram @izzyadair   Creator & Host: Brett Larkin http://www.brettlarkin.com/   Sound Engineer: Zach Cooper www.zmcmusic.tumblr.com   Producer: Benn Mendelson www.sivanaspirit.com www.sivanapodcast.com   Please consider leaving us a rating or review on iTunes! https://blog.sivanaspirit.com/leave-podcast-review