YOGA YAY

Adell Bridges says: I'm obsessed with yoga, handstands, and optimal health. I geek out over anything that makes me a little bit happier, healthier, or more resilient than I was yesterday. And if you have an interest in becoming a better you, then we'll get along great. Because I love sharing my knowledge. I'm a yoga teacher, an author, a blogger, and an advocate for staying curious always. https://adellbridgesyoga.com/

Daniel Cirilli, a personal coach. Daniel explains: When I decided to embark on this path, I immediately wanted to aim for the best. This strong belief led me to move to Rishikesh, India, where I studied the practices that I now teach. For ten years I have been working on physical preparation, relaxation techniques, meditation (Yoga Nidra, Om Mantra, Candle Meditation, Transcending Meditation etc.) and prevention (Pranayama and Shat Kriya). I am a RYT 500-hours teacher (Yoga Alliance) in Italian and in English, and I teach Functional Training, Calisthenics, Yoga, and Personal Training. I have also trained international athletes. I believe as well that a good posture is crucial for a successful workout: for this reason, I collaborate with an osteopath, to ensure the best possible result for those who choose to train with me. Beyond techniques and work experience, what I like most is to establish a common path, a mutual and stimulating relationship of trust. I passionately believe that through an authentic human relationship, work can become more stimulating, creative, and effective.

With guest Dhyana. All about Ayurveda, being born in a yogi family. And how she implements the wisdom to her child

Angela: My main goal in life is to help adults get into the best shape of their life in body, mind and spirit. Life's not about yo-yo diets, burning fat, building muscle or practicing yoga everyday (although I do recommend it), life is about finding your passion, doing what fuels you and most importantly, being healthy and happy.    That looks like something different to everybody. One thing I've learned is that everybody is on their own journey, and in the end, it's a race against time, but it's only with ourselves so be kind. Rather than compare or compete, what if just supported one another to be the best that we can be, what if we all just aligned?

Ellie grew up in New Jersey and trained in classical ballet at the New Jersey School of Ballet and North Carolina School of the Arts. She danced with the New Jersey Ballet in high school and continued her training at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music with Violette Verdy. Upon graduation, after much reflection and several injuries, she stepped away from dancing and attended graduate school at IU in Early Childhood Education. She taught kindergarten and preschool for several years before feeling the itch to return to the world of physical movement. In 2009 Ellie completed a 600 hour comprehensive pilates certification course. The following year she embarked on her yoga teacher training, eventually teaching yoga full time at Vibe Yoga Studio in Bloomington, IN and receiving her E-RYT 500. For the next several years Ellie taught public and private classes, workshops and segments of yoga teacher training. In 2016 she and her husband relocated to Washington DC where Ellie continued to teach yoga at Faith Hunter's studio Embrace Yoga DC. She began taking open ballet classes for fun at Washington Ballet and almost immediately found herself immersed in paid projects including the first ever site specific performance at The Kennedy Center with Company E. She decided to pour herself fully back into the world of ballet and became a founding company and board member of Stuart Loungway's Terra Firma Dance, a contemporary ballet company based in DC. In July 2020, Ellie and her husband welcomed their first child, Hank, into the world. Currently Ellie is focusing on writing, dancing, and attempting to sleep as much as possible.

Sara Mandel, a yoga teacher who specialises in organising yoga retreats. She talks about her love for Vinyasa Ashtanga, her past mental health struggles, how her Instagram account got hacked, and so much more.

I have been teaching yoga for over 8 years and I can honestly say, it has done so much for me personally and professionally. But two unexpected benefits came in the form of helping me with my anxiety, ADD and OCD, and how it connected me further with my daughter, Sage. Like a lot of folks out there, I wanted to become a yoga teacher because I knew I wanted to be involved in health & wellness (and well, you know, lift my bum a bit), but I quickly found that every time I met myself on the mat, my anxiety, ADD, and OCD were deeply impacted in the best way possible. While I used to self-medicate with alcohol to cope with my neuroses, (which ended in disastrous results in my personal life), when I found yoga, it was like breaking to the surface and finding that first gulp of sweet, fresh air. And what a difference 8 years has made.

Kirbanu is an Australian voice trainer, self-expression coach and musician based between Germany and Bali. In the last 7 years she has given over 600 concerts and voice workshops across Europe and Australia. Also released 3 albums, 4 EPs and 14 singles and have performed at over 20 festivals and conferences. Kirbanu is a trainer for voice, bhakti and self-empowerment on specialist yoga teacher training programs as well as being a presentation and speech coach in the corporate sector. But the road to expressing herself freely and using her voice with confidence, power and impact wasn't straight. It took her 15 years to find the voice, overcome her inner critic, accept her unique sound and embrace both teaching and performing.  What she learned about herself and her voice through the journey she went on and the challenges she faced, lead her to develop the unique, powerful and proven tools she is teaching you now.

Callan Wolff: Connecting to nature – our nature and those around us. This has been an immense gift from my years of practicing and teaching yoga, meditation, and animal communication, which I now share with clients. ​ My father introduced me to Yoga at age 15 to help improve my soccer game. What started as physical exercise led me to discover much more - practical tools to help live a happier, healthier and more easeful life.  ​ Yoga, Meditation and Breathwork have remained integral to my life and helped me connect with true desires by getting my doubts, negative self-talk and guilt out of the way. Six years ago, I took the plunge to purchase and train my wise horse, Dolly (Dahlai lama). She's taught me a softer way of being and feeling. These experiences helped me transition from work in international business consulting to teaching yoga full-time, providing animal communication consultations and writing about the unique ways animals help us find love within ourselves and each other.   My schedule is currently split between the New York City and the Hudson Valley (Millbrook NY area) where I enjoy spending quality time with my Appaloosa horse, Icelandic Sheepdog (Oskar), and husband. I'm happy to meet at your location or mine. ​ I'm continually learning at teaching at The Bhakti Center in NYC where I completed Yoga Teacher Training in 2016 and offering Animal Communication sessions since finishing the Practitioner Course and Teacher's Path Certifications through Heart2Heart with Animals. 

Jen came to the mat as a way to maintain strength and flexibility but discovered there was so much more to yoga. She has been teaching yoga since 2008 and encourages her students to turn inward to discover what is going on physically, mentally, emotionally, and energetically. Jen has a Master of Science in Yoga Therapy from the Maryland University of Integrative Health. She teaches a variety of class styles from a lighthearted power vinyasa flow to a restorative/therapeutic class. In Jen's class, you will find a heightened awareness of yourself and enhance your state of well-being.

Concerned about environmental causes, Wilson wore a shirt with the homemade message "Stop MTM/VF" on The Dillinger Escape Plan's February 2, 2008 appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Wilson has been a big advocate for veganism and has appeared in several pro-vegan advertisements for PETA, although in recent years he has distanced himself from the organization and is more flexible about those beliefs because of his yoga, and transcendental meditation practices.

After years of suffering with chronic back pain due to spinal stenosis, a condition of the spine Cathy Madeo was born with, she went on a quest to heal herself. She learned everything she could about the core and how to strengthen it. She brings all of her knowledge into Activate Your Core, a method she designed to enhance your yoga practice, which she shares through several online series and in person workshops.

Karuna Gauranga Das has been practicing Bhakti-yoga since his childhood. After completing his Bachelor's Degree in Finance and Master's in Business Administration (MBA), he practiced monastic life in an ashram in India for 8 years. He has traveled to over 32 cities of sacred interest and various cultures in India and Nepal and learned the teachings and practices of the Gita, Mahabharat, Upanishads, and other texts from numerous teachers. He has been actively involved in cultural and spiritual outreach, mentoring & counseling, values education for children, and ashram development in New York and India. He is NLP certified Life Coach and Spiritual Mentor, and co-founder of UpRise Coaching. Karuna currently lives in New York with his wife and daughter.

Shana Meyerson holds certifications from Sri Dharma Mittra and Mark Blanchard. Her daily practice ensures that she is always learning, growing, and evolving in yoga. She is also the founder of mini yogis yoga for kids. she leads teacher trainings around the world.

Rhyanna: I learned about and participated in health and fitness from the beginning of life. I guess you could say I was born to love health and fitness with my genes and my upbringing. I started walking at 9 months and never stopped moving from there. No matter what you achieve somebody helps you, behind the creation we call our own are thoughts of others and the efforts of so many incredible souls. I want the movement to not be some awe-inspiring unattainable thing for others who aren't where I am. I want everyone to know they can.

Divya Alter is a certified nutritional consultant, educator, and chef in the Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda tradition. She is the co-founder of Bhagavat Life, the only Ayurvedic culinary school in Manhattan and North America's first Ayurvedic chef certification program. She and her husband Prentiss also own Divya's Kitchen, an Ayurvedic restaurant in Manhattan. Divya is the author of What to Eat for How You Feel: The New Ayurvedic Kitchen (Rizzoli, 2017) -- the book is now in its 7th print, along with a new German edition.

This episode's guest: Yogi Bryan is a yoga teacher, meditation teacher and Instagram's funniest yoga memer. He talks about not taking yoga too seriously, how he created his memes and inner focus and peace.

In this episode, Susan and Mans connect with artist Rukmini Poddar. A modern day yogini who was born in a yogi family. Learn how she personally grows and facilitates others to heal by drawing emotions.

Susan and Mans are super excited to introduce this new Yoga Podcast. Sharing knowledge about yoga and beyond with a new guest on every episode. Welcome to YOGA YAY!