Podcast appearances and mentions of karen rain

In this episode Dr Pierce Salguero sits down with Ruth Westoby a scholar, teacher, and practitioner of yoga. We discuss Ruth's work on the body in early hatha yoga texts. We talk about the broad diversity of approaches to the material body in these sources, including their ideas about gender, the cultivation of powers, and approaches to liberation. Along the way, we touch on yogic sex, practices to stop menstruating, and the courageous work that modern practitioners have been doing to expose abuse by yoga gurus. If you want to hear more from experts on Buddhism, Asian medicine, and embodied spirituality then subscribe to Blue Beryl and don't miss an episode! Resources mentioned in the episode: Preliminary published results from Ruth's research Mallinson and Szántó, The Amṛtasiddhi and Amṛtasiddhimūla (2021). Jason Birch, The Amaraugha and Amaraughaprabodha of Gorakṣanātha(2023). Elena Valussi, “The Physiology of Transcendence for Women” (2009) BBP episode with Dominic Steavu Hatha Yoga Project Articles on guru abuse by Pattabhi Jois: Anneke Lucas, Karen Rain, Amanda Lucia Inform Project Video footage of Ruth doing historical āsanas Ruth's website and email newsletter, Facebook page, Instagram Pierce Salguero is a transdisciplinary scholar of health humanities who is fascinated by historical and contemporary intersections between Buddhism, medicine, and crosscultural exchange. He has a Ph.D. in History of Medicine from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (2010), and teaches Asian history, medicine, and religion at Penn State University's Abington College, located near Philadelphia. www.piercesalguero.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In this episode Dr Pierce Salguero sits down with Ruth Westoby a scholar, teacher, and practitioner of yoga. We discuss Ruth's work on the body in early hatha yoga texts. We talk about the broad diversity of approaches to the material body in these sources, including their ideas about gender, the cultivation of powers, and approaches to liberation. Along the way, we touch on yogic sex, practices to stop menstruating, and the courageous work that modern practitioners have been doing to expose abuse by yoga gurus. If you want to hear more from experts on Buddhism, Asian medicine, and embodied spirituality then subscribe to Blue Beryl and don't miss an episode! Resources mentioned in the episode: Preliminary published results from Ruth's research Mallinson and Szántó, The Amṛtasiddhi and Amṛtasiddhimūla (2021). Jason Birch, The Amaraugha and Amaraughaprabodha of Gorakṣanātha(2023). Elena Valussi, “The Physiology of Transcendence for Women” (2009) BBP episode with Dominic Steavu Hatha Yoga Project Articles on guru abuse by Pattabhi Jois: Anneke Lucas, Karen Rain, Amanda Lucia Inform Project Video footage of Ruth doing historical āsanas Ruth's website and email newsletter, Facebook page, Instagram Pierce Salguero is a transdisciplinary scholar of health humanities who is fascinated by historical and contemporary intersections between Buddhism, medicine, and crosscultural exchange. He has a Ph.D. in History of Medicine from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (2010), and teaches Asian history, medicine, and religion at Penn State University's Abington College, located near Philadelphia. www.piercesalguero.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/buddhist-studies

In this episode Dr Pierce Salguero sits down with Ruth Westoby a scholar, teacher, and practitioner of yoga. We discuss Ruth's work on the body in early hatha yoga texts. We talk about the broad diversity of approaches to the material body in these sources, including their ideas about gender, the cultivation of powers, and approaches to liberation. Along the way, we touch on yogic sex, practices to stop menstruating, and the courageous work that modern practitioners have been doing to expose abuse by yoga gurus. If you want to hear more from experts on Buddhism, Asian medicine, and embodied spirituality then subscribe to Blue Beryl and don't miss an episode! Resources mentioned in the episode: Preliminary published results from Ruth's research Mallinson and Szántó, The Amṛtasiddhi and Amṛtasiddhimūla (2021). Jason Birch, The Amaraugha and Amaraughaprabodha of Gorakṣanātha(2023). Elena Valussi, “The Physiology of Transcendence for Women” (2009) BBP episode with Dominic Steavu Hatha Yoga Project Articles on guru abuse by Pattabhi Jois: Anneke Lucas, Karen Rain, Amanda Lucia Inform Project Video footage of Ruth doing historical āsanas Ruth's website and email newsletter, Facebook page, Instagram Pierce Salguero is a transdisciplinary scholar of health humanities who is fascinated by historical and contemporary intersections between Buddhism, medicine, and crosscultural exchange. He has a Ph.D. in History of Medicine from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (2010), and teaches Asian history, medicine, and religion at Penn State University's Abington College, located near Philadelphia. www.piercesalguero.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/south-asian-studies

In this episode Dr Pierce Salguero sits down with Ruth Westoby a scholar, teacher, and practitioner of yoga. We discuss Ruth's work on the body in early hatha yoga texts. We talk about the broad diversity of approaches to the material body in these sources, including their ideas about gender, the cultivation of powers, and approaches to liberation. Along the way, we touch on yogic sex, practices to stop menstruating, and the courageous work that modern practitioners have been doing to expose abuse by yoga gurus. If you want to hear more from experts on Buddhism, Asian medicine, and embodied spirituality then subscribe to Blue Beryl and don't miss an episode! Resources mentioned in the episode: Preliminary published results from Ruth's research Mallinson and Szántó, The Amṛtasiddhi and Amṛtasiddhimūla (2021). Jason Birch, The Amaraugha and Amaraughaprabodha of Gorakṣanātha(2023). Elena Valussi, “The Physiology of Transcendence for Women” (2009) BBP episode with Dominic Steavu Hatha Yoga Project Articles on guru abuse by Pattabhi Jois: Anneke Lucas, Karen Rain, Amanda Lucia Inform Project Video footage of Ruth doing historical āsanas Ruth's website and email newsletter, Facebook page, Instagram Pierce Salguero is a transdisciplinary scholar of health humanities who is fascinated by historical and contemporary intersections between Buddhism, medicine, and crosscultural exchange. He has a Ph.D. in History of Medicine from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (2010), and teaches Asian history, medicine, and religion at Penn State University's Abington College, located near Philadelphia. www.piercesalguero.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/indian-religions

In this episode Dr Pierce Salguero sits down with Ruth Westoby a scholar, teacher, and practitioner of yoga. We discuss Ruth's work on the body in early hatha yoga texts. We talk about the broad diversity of approaches to the material body in these sources, including their ideas about gender, the cultivation of powers, and approaches to liberation. Along the way, we touch on yogic sex, practices to stop menstruating, and the courageous work that modern practitioners have been doing to expose abuse by yoga gurus. If you want to hear more from experts on Buddhism, Asian medicine, and embodied spirituality then subscribe to Blue Beryl and don't miss an episode! Resources mentioned in the episode: Preliminary published results from Ruth's research Mallinson and Szántó, The Amṛtasiddhi and Amṛtasiddhimūla (2021). Jason Birch, The Amaraugha and Amaraughaprabodha of Gorakṣanātha(2023). Elena Valussi, “The Physiology of Transcendence for Women” (2009) BBP episode with Dominic Steavu Hatha Yoga Project Articles on guru abuse by Pattabhi Jois: Anneke Lucas, Karen Rain, Amanda Lucia Inform Project Video footage of Ruth doing historical āsanas Ruth's website and email newsletter, Facebook page, Instagram Pierce Salguero is a transdisciplinary scholar of health humanities who is fascinated by historical and contemporary intersections between Buddhism, medicine, and crosscultural exchange. He has a Ph.D. in History of Medicine from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (2010), and teaches Asian history, medicine, and religion at Penn State University's Abington College, located near Philadelphia. www.piercesalguero.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/religion

In this episode Dr Pierce Salguero sits down with Ruth Westoby a scholar, teacher, and practitioner of yoga. We discuss Ruth's work on the body in early hatha yoga texts. We talk about the broad diversity of approaches to the material body in these sources, including their ideas about gender, the cultivation of powers, and approaches to liberation. Along the way, we touch on yogic sex, practices to stop menstruating, and the courageous work that modern practitioners have been doing to expose abuse by yoga gurus. If you want to hear more from experts on Buddhism, Asian medicine, and embodied spirituality then subscribe to Blue Beryl and don't miss an episode! Resources mentioned in the episode: Preliminary published results from Ruth's research Mallinson and Szántó, The Amṛtasiddhi and Amṛtasiddhimūla (2021). Jason Birch, The Amaraugha and Amaraughaprabodha of Gorakṣanātha(2023). Elena Valussi, “The Physiology of Transcendence for Women” (2009) BBP episode with Dominic Steavu Hatha Yoga Project Articles on guru abuse by Pattabhi Jois: Anneke Lucas, Karen Rain, Amanda Lucia Inform Project Video footage of Ruth doing historical āsanas Ruth's website and email newsletter, Facebook page, Instagram Pierce Salguero is a transdisciplinary scholar of health humanities who is fascinated by historical and contemporary intersections between Buddhism, medicine, and crosscultural exchange. He has a Ph.D. in History of Medicine from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (2010), and teaches Asian history, medicine, and religion at Penn State University's Abington College, located near Philadelphia. www.piercesalguero.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/spiritual-practice-and-mindfulness

In this episode I sit down with Ruth Westoby a scholar, teacher, and practitioner of  yoga. We discuss Ruth's work on the body in early hatha yoga texts. We talk about the broad diversity of approaches to the material body in these sources, including their ideas about gender, the cultivation of powers, and approaches to liberation. Along the way, we touch on yogic sex, practices to stop menstruating, and the courageous work that modern practitioners have been doing to expose abuse by yoga gurus.If you want to hear more from experts on Buddhism, Asian medicine, and embodied spirituality then subscribe to Blue Beryl and don't miss an episode!Resources mentioned in this episode:Preliminary published results from Ruth's researchMallinson and Szántó, The Amṛtasiddhi and Amṛtasiddhimūla (2021).Jason Birch, The Amaraugha and Amaraughaprabodha of Gorakṣanātha (2023).Elena Valussi, “The Physiology of Transcendence for Women” (2009)BBP episode with Dominic SteavuHatha Yoga ProjectArticles on guru abuse by Pattabhi Jois: Anneke Lucas, Karen Rain, Amanda LuciaInform ProjectVideo footage of Ruth doing historical āsanas Ruth's website and email newsletter, Facebook page, Instagram

When should you start talking about porn (literacy)? How can you support a teen who has been sexting? How do you explain where babies come from to a 4-year-old? What is the first thing parents should teach kids about sex? What are some ethical porn sites for 18+-years-olds? Dr. Karen Rayne, author, educator, and executive director of UnHushed, joins us to answer your questions about sex education and how to talk to youth about sex & relationships. UNHUSHED curricula empower people, making it possible for individuals of all ages to make honest, ethical, and empathy-based decisions about their sexuality. Their resources provide the knowledge needed to make crucial decisions and the tools to communicate with current and potential partners. Their curricula and lessons plans are comprehensive (covering birth to adulthood), innovative, fun, inclusive & revised yearly to be on the cutting edge of the constantly evolving sexuality education field Check them out and be sure to check out our sponsors AdamAndEve.com — save 50% off almost any single item + get FREE gifts and free shipping with code DRJESS. If you have questions for the podcast, submit them here. And please be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode! You can find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music & Stitcher! Rough Transcript: This is a computer-generated rough transcript, so please excuse any typos. This podcast is an informational conversation and is not a substitute for medical, health, or other professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the services of an appropriate professional should you have individual questions or concerns. How To Talk To Youth About Sex, Porn & Sexting Participant #1: You're listening to the Sex with Dr. Jess podcast, sex and Relationship Advice you can use tonight. Hey, it's the sex with Dr. Jess Podcast. And today we're talking about the most important topic. In my opinion, this is the reason I got into the field. Most of you know that I was a high school teacher, that I saw the gaps in the system, and I went back and did my research around sexual health education. And of course, we talk about all sorts of things on this program. But we're getting back to me, really what the roots of my work in this field really are, and that is sexual health education. Today I am joined by Dr. Karen Rain, who has been working in education for 20 years with expertise in sexuality education. She has a PhD in Educational psychology from the University of Texas at Austin, where she focused on ethics education and the choices that adolescent mothers make. She is the executive director of UnHushed. This is sex ed done right resources and curriculum that I hope you will all check out. Dr. Karen Rain, thank you so much for being here. Thanks for having me. Jess it's a pleasure to be here. Tell us a little bit about anhushed this project that you have launched and you are leading, and I know you have an entire team alongside of you. I do, yeah. My formal education started in being a high school teacher as well, actually. And I don't know how many people know this, but I was going to teach English with chemistry as my secondary subject. And then I got into the schools and I was like, oh, I can't use these really fun, innovative methods that I've learned about in my college career. So I'm back to college and got a PhD in educational psychology, learned a whole bunch of new fun ways to talk with students in classrooms and ways to do education. I was kind of casting about for what to do with this PhD in educational psychology that I was walking away with and kind of fell into sex education because I had a friend who had a 14 year old who had a pregnancy scare. And so I was like, well, my friend was like, bemoaning the lack of comprehensive sex education in Austin. The kid's school didn't do anything and planned parents here to do things on contraception,

When should you start talking about porn (literacy)? How can you support a teen who has been sexting? How do you explain where babies come from to a 4-year-old? What is the first thing parents should teach kids about sex? What are some ethical porn sites for 18+-years-olds? Dr. Karen Rayne, author, educator, and executive director of UnHushed, joins us to answer your questions about sex education and how to talk to youth about sex & relationships. UNHUSHED curricula empower people, making it possible for individuals of all ages to make honest, ethical, and empathy-based decisions about their sexuality. Their resources provide the knowledge needed to make crucial decisions and the tools to communicate with current and potential partners. Their curricula and lessons plans are comprehensive (covering birth to adulthood), innovative, fun, inclusive & revised yearly to be on the cutting edge of the constantly evolving sexuality education field Check them out and be sure to check out our sponsors AdamAndEve.com — save 50% off almost any single item + get FREE gifts and free shipping with code DRJESS. If you have questions for the podcast, submit them here. And please be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode! You can find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music & Stitcher! Rough Transcript: This is a computer-generated rough transcript, so please excuse any typos. This podcast is an informational conversation and is not a substitute for medical, health, or other professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the services of an appropriate professional should you have individual questions or concerns. How To Talk To Youth About Sex, Porn & Sexting Participant #1: You're listening to the Sex with Dr. Jess podcast, sex and Relationship Advice you can use tonight. Hey, it's the sex with Dr. Jess Podcast. And today we're talking about the most important topic. In my opinion, this is the reason I got into the field. Most of you know that I was a high school teacher, that I saw the gaps in the system, and I went back and did my research around sexual health education. And of course, we talk about all sorts of things on this program. But we're getting back to me, really what the roots of my work in this field really are, and that is sexual health education. Today I am joined by Dr. Karen Rain, who has been working in education for 20 years with expertise in sexuality education. She has a PhD in Educational psychology from the University of Texas at Austin, where she focused on ethics education and the choices that adolescent mothers make. She is the executive director of UnHushed. This is sex ed done right resources and curriculum that I hope you will all check out. Dr. Karen Rain, thank you so much for being here. Thanks for having me. Jess it's a pleasure to be here. Tell us a little bit about anhushed this project that you have launched and you are leading, and I know you have an entire team alongside of you. I do, yeah. My formal education started in being a high school teacher as well, actually. And I don't know how many people know this, but I was going to teach English with chemistry as my secondary subject. And then I got into the schools and I was like, oh, I can't use these really fun, innovative methods that I've learned about in my college career. So I'm back to college and got a PhD in educational psychology, learned a whole bunch of new fun ways to talk with students in classrooms and ways to do education. I was kind of casting about for what to do with this PhD in educational psychology that I was walking away with and kind of fell into sex education because I had a friend who had a 14 year old who had a pregnancy scare. And so I was like, well, my friend was like, bemoaning the lack of comprehensive sex education in Austin. The kid's school didn't do anything and planned parents here to do things on contraception,

Scott talks to colleague and yoga teacher Petri Räisänen about his life as a yoga teacher and as one of the most respected names in Ashtanga yoga. Petri is deeply open and honest about his relationship to Mysore over the years and Petri and Scott talk about how we can move on from the abuses of Pattabhi Jois.  _______________ We'd like to invite you to join our growing Stillpoint Online Ashtanga Yoga and Mindfulness community. We live stream beginner classes, Ashtanga Yoga assisted self practice and guided classes with evening mindfulness sessions over 6 days with Scott Johnson and the Stillpoint teaching faculty. It's a beautiful way to navigate these times... _______________   In this podcast we talk about the sexual abuse commited by Pattabhi Jois on a number of his students over the years. While this conversation centres Petri's experience, it is not meant to detract from the victim’s experience. We acknowledge the sexual abuses and other abuses of power that have happened in the Ashtanga community and the ways in which community members can be trained not to see the abuses that happen in plain sight. This denial serves to hide the abuse and creates a culture that is unsafe for victims. It is our hope that this conversation will help those who are also in a process of reckoning with their relationship to yoga practice and community.  Below are links to the victims testimony and others of relevant interest: Karen Rain’s #metoo testimony Jubliee Cooke’s #metoo testimony Anneke Lucas’s testimony  Silenced Voices – A panel discussion involving Karen Rain, Jubilee Cooke and others on sexual abuse in the yoga community.  _______________   Petri Räisänen is an internationally renowned and highly respected Ashtanga yoga teacher. He began practising in 1989, and has studied with teachers such as Derek Ireland, Radha Warrel, and Eddie Stern. In 2001, he was authorised to teach Ashtanga yoga by Pattabhi and Sharath Jois.  Petri has been teaching since 1991. In 1997 he founded Ashtanga Yoga Helsinki with his friend and colleague, Juva Javanainen. He teaches in Finland and internationally alongside his wife, Wambui Njuguna-Räisänen. Petri’s teaching integrates healing therapy with yoga. He draws on his work as a traditional Finnish folk healer and naturopath, which he combines with his own experience of practising and teaching. He is known for his gentle, effective, and therapeutic - almost ‘magical’ - adjustments. He is the author of “Ashtanga Yoga – The Yoga Tradition of K. Pattabhi Jois” (2005), written in collaboration with Pattabhi and Sharath Jois; and “Nadi Sodhana” (2008), which includes interviews with Pattabhi and Sharath Jois. You can find out more about Petri’s teaching schedule here. _______________ Petri and Scott talk about his early experiences with yoga and spirituality, working with prana while  practising Finnish folk healing, practising with Derek Ireland and Radha Warrel in Finland and Crete, how he consciously changed his teaching style to a gentle approach, the injuries and sexual abuse inflicted by Pattabhi Jois and the conditions that allowed them to continue, the intergenerational abuse going back to Krishnamacarya and how Ashtanga might be able to heal moving forward, learning from and working with his wife Wambui, learning from the past to create a safer future. _______________   Petri Räisänen is one of the most respected names in Ashtanga yoga. His honesty in this conversation really moved me and helped me to start to see the intensity that surrounded the 90's era of Ashtanga yoga and how the abuses of Pattabhi Jois were missed by those who were there. I came away from this conversation deeply respectful of how Petri is trying to change himself by looking at the mistakes of the past and the way we can move the sharing Ashtanga Yoga forward... Scott Johnson - January 2021  If you enjoyed this podcast then you might also enjoy Scott’s conversations with…      Wambui Njuguna Räisänen, Greg Nardi, Ian Cheney

#017: Greg Nardi Scott talks to close friend and colleague Greg Nardi on his life as an Ashtanga yoga practitioner and teacher.  --- In this podcast we talk about the sexual abuse commited by Pattabhi Jois on a number of his students over the years. While this conversation centers Greg's experience, it is not meant to detract from the victim's experience. We acknowledge the sexual abuses and other abuses of power that have happened in the Ashtanga community and the ways in which community members can be trained not to see the abuses that happen in plain sight. This denial serves to hide the abuse and creates a culture that is unsafe for victims. It is our hope that this conversation will help those who are also in a process of reckoning with their relationship to yoga practice and community.  Below are links to the victims testimony and others of relevant interest: Karen Rain’s #metoo testimony Jubliee Cooke’s #metoo testimony Anneke Lucas’s testimony  Silenced Voices - A panel discussion involving Karen Rain, Jubilee Cooke and others on sexual abuse in the yoga community.  --- Greg Nardi believes in the healing power of yoga for all. His style of teaching empowers students to discover the approach to the practice that is most beneficial for them. He has been practicing yoga since 1996, and is a 500 hr E-RYT with Yoga Alliance. He is currently director of Ashtanga Yoga Worldwide where he teaches workshops in yoga practice and theory internationally, and is co-director of Grassroots Yoga where he teaches in his home of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. His work draws on his knowledge of the oral traditions of yoga, having studied Sanskrit chanting and yoga philosophy in Mysore, India. He also travelled to KPJAYI thirteen times, the first trip was in 1999. He was later authorised by Pattabhi Jois to teach Ashtanga yoga. He has studied extensively with teachers in North America and Europe, and he draws on his personal experience of practice, as well as his ongoing self-study of academic research in contemporary and traditional yoga. Greg resigned his authorization from KPJAYI in 2018. He now works with his colleagues at Amāyu yoga, developing an organization and learning pathway for Ashtanga teachers to help create safer spaces for yoga practitioners. Amāyu’s work is consent driven, practitioner centered, and based in practitioner empowerment. You can find out more about Greg’s teaching schedule here _____________ Empowerment through Ashtanga Yoga - Greg Nardi Scott and Greg have a deeply open and honest conversation on the evolution of yoga in Greg’s life. They have been close friends since 2013 and share in a moving conversation how the devotional aspect of yoga became a central part of Greg’s life and how Greg has shifted direction since he left KPJAYI. In this intimate conversation Greg shares: How he was drawn to the spiritual aspect of yoga from the very beginning. How he explored different yoga traditions, such as Jivamukti, before settling on Ashtanga yoga. The pull he felt to travel to Mysore, the home of Ashtanga yoga. His early misconception that ‘gurus’ have godlike aspects, and how until recently this formed a big part of his life and belief system. The immediate connection he felt when he first met K Pattabhi Jois. The romanticised image he had of Mysore during his first few trips there. How he witnessed K Pattabhi Jois’ abusive treatment of women, and his growing disillusionment with his teacher. The problems with his initial response to Karen Rain’s 2017 #metoo statement, and how he’s learned and evolved since then. How he had to let go of his conception of K Pattabhi Jois as his ‘guru’, and how as a response he changed his whole teaching process, rejecting the authoritarian model of the Ashtanga yoga teaching method. How the challenges of the last few years have shown him what yoga really means to him, and that things falling apart have helped him to feel more connected to himself. His belief that creating connection and personal agency for practitioners is key for developing Ashtanga yoga.   ‘This is such a rich conversation. It shows how one can use their personal agency in their own practice to see that the light can grow from there, not anywhere else. Greg is one of the most considerate and compassionate teachers I’ve met and I’m so proud to call him a friend. We’ve had many conversations over the years and I’m so pleased that his wisdom, intelligence and insights are now available. He has really found a way to navigate himself into a new way of being after the huge disappointment he felt from his teachers behaviour.’  Scott Johnson - August 2020    If you enjoyed this podcast then you might also enjoy Scott’s conversations with Ian Cheney, David Keil, and Mark Robberds.  

Scott talks to Wambui Njuguna-Räisänen on her life in yoga.  An up and coming wellness advocate, Wambui has a blend of formal Ashtanga yoga training, Chavutti Thirumal (massage by foot press) and life experience that gives her a unique ability to see and hear those around her in a way that is tender, gentle and real. Wambui started practicing Ashtanga yoga in 2008 and began assisting Petri Räisänen, who is also her husband, in 2010. She received her Chavutti Thirumal massage training in 2013 from Helen Noakes and Indian head massage training from Terry Thomas in 2019. Wambui combines various healing modalities into her treatments, such as Finnish jäsenkorjaus (bone setting), fascial release, breath work to create customised and highly individualised healing sessions for the client. She aspires to be as human as possible in her teachings and both works and lives from a place of compassion and authenticity. As such, she strives to create spaces in the wellness and spiritual culture where tough, tender conversations can be had with brave truth-telling and equanimity. Where topics such as racism and cultural appropriation can be addressed without resorting to spiritual bypass and denial.  It is her greatest aspiration that liberation and awakening can be embodied not only on the individual level but on the collective plane as well; so that we may work to furthering a world based on the tenets of justice, safety and love for all. You can find more about Wambui’s work here. Wambui also shares widely on her Instagram page here. _____________ Reclaiming Joy Through Heartbreak - Wambui Njuguna-Räisänen Scott and Wambui have a deeply open and honest conversation on diversity in the yoga world. Scott and Wambui met when Wambui emailed Scott about his work with Amāyu. Since then they have shared conversations on diversity and how the Ashtanga yoga world can become more open to wider voices. Wambui also shares her evolution from yoga practitioner to teacher to activist. In this intimate conversation Wambui shares: How yoga has always been a contemplative practice for her, right from the beginning, in a deeply embodied somatic way  Her background in dance, and the experience of taking her first Hatha yoga class while having a tough year training in modern dance at university  That yoga let her discover a deep intuitive knowing that she was enough, just as she is, and that the body is not something to be conquered Her experience of practicing yoga during her time at grad school in Chicago, and how she didn’t feel comfortable identifying herself as a yogi during that time as a result of the monocultural white yoga culture  How she found community with black and brown people through Capoeira, Samba, and Afro-Brazillian dancing, a culture that wasn’t present in yoga spaces.  Her experience of moving to the UAE as an English teacher, and hitting rock bottom while she was there.   How she had her first experience of Ashtanga yoga while working in Abu Dhabi, and how empowering she found her gradual immersion into the practice How in 2009 she studied Ashtanga intensively, travelling to Purple Valley in February to study with Nancy Gilgoff and her now-partnerPetri Räisänen, then to Mysore in July to study with Saraswati, and then practicing with Sharath in Helsinki in August.  Her experience moving to Helsinki in January 2010 Her calling to teach, which developed into teaching yoga with her partner Petri Her experience navigating yoga spaces as a multiracial black woman How yoga spaces operate on assumed white norms  How she had to silence parts of herself in the past, and how she will not be silent any more  How in 2015 her friend Rosalie  bought her This Bridge Called My Back (Rosario Moraleas) and Sister Outsider (Audre Lorde), which led her to really consider who is on her bookshelf, and make a conscious effort to seek out community with people of colour in Helsinki.  How the tools we develop in yoga practice can be valuable as self care when navigating difficult topics  The work that the Ashtanga world needs to do in terms of understanding and countering cultural appropriation, and the need for nuanced discussion with South Asian voices leading  Spiritual bypassing within the yoga community, when kindness becomes weaponised The fragmentary effect of Colonialism in separating people from themselves and their history, and how and why it is important for everyone to learn where they come from  Ahimsa as an ongoing process rather than a fixed goal How privilege doesn’t need to be something to be ashamed of, but does need to be leveraged effectively How she came to study Buddhism with black African teachers such as Lama Rod Owens Her resonance with Bodhisattva aspiration of collective liberation, and why the prevalent emphasis on samadhi as self-realisation is incomplete Karen Rain’s 2017 statement on decades of systemic abuse within the Ashtanga Yoga community, and how unprepared the community was to address it in a productive way due to dynamics of power and privilege The limits and dangers of the authority model of teaching and how it is healthier to think on collective level The need for a trauma informed approach to teaching yoga The importance of accountability  How yoga isn’t separate from the patriarchy and its harmful traits of  toxic masculinity, victim blaming and rape culture.  How an element of joy is important when undertaking the difficult work of decolonising one's own mind Her hope that that white people can begin to unpack things for themselves, because black people are exhausted  That for her, living a contemplative life means making space for her heart to break, making space for discomfort and pain without pushing it away or making it bigger, but being open to what it can teach about being a human in this here and now. The importance of friendship across lines of difference so that people can feel held, seen, cared for and trusted.    'In all the Stillpoints conversations I really love seeing our guests open up. But Wambui's honesty and vulnerability really inspired me. I loved this deeply profound and meaningful conversation and think it's an essential listening for everyone interested in equality in yoga.' Scott Johnson - June 2020  If you enjoyed this podcast then you might also enjoy Scott’s conversations with Deepika Mehtaand Jess Glenny.   

Author and sex education expert, Dr. Karen Rayne is a wealth of information and has developed specific and actionable strategies to help you talk to your kids and teens about sex and other difficult topics. In this episode, Karen and Jess discuss: How to talk to teens about breakups, sex, sexting, risk-taking The “one question” rule to revolutionize conversations about sex Specific “rules” for talking to teens 10 steps to break the “hush factor” when it comes to sex The benefits of considering yourself a “contractor” when it comes to your teen How to ensure that your child/teen feel supported and come to you during times of need, distress and crisis Sexting - essential rules, approaches and considerations How to stay cool when your teen is riling you up Considerations related to how much space and autonomy to give your teen As Dr. Karen referenced "The Hush Factor" in today's podcast, please see this explanatory graphic below. Follow Dr. Karen on Instagram. This podcast is brought to you by Desire Resorts. If you've got questions or topic suggestions for the podcast, submit them here. As well, you can now record your messages for us! Please record your message/question in a quiet room and use your phone's headphones with a built-in mic if possible. And be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music & Stitcher! Rough Transcript: This is a computer-generated rough transcript, so please excuse any typos. This podcast is an informational conversation and is not a substitute for medical, health or other professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the services of an appropriate professional should you have individual questions or concerns. Specific Strategies for Talking to Teens About Sex, Sexting & More 00:00:05 - 00:05:02 You're listening to the sacs with Dr Jasser podcast sacks and relationship advice you can use tonight Hey Jessica Riley here your friendly neighborhood sexologist. And today I am joined by Dr Karen Rain the Executive Director of on on hushed an author and educator. You do all the things in sex education with folks of all ages but with a focus on young people and parents. Yeah yeah I would say so. And part of the reason I don't focus a lot on adults is because they're really hard to reach and so I have plans in the works long-term plans. Do you think adults need more. Sex Education may be even more than teens. Do you think think we ended up in a place where we think because we're mature or because we have experienced. We don't need the formal education. Yeah or people think that. Oh like I got that when when I was a teenager as much as I needed and Not Recognizing that things change as you get older bodies change what you want out of a relationship. Changes is what you don't want on her relationship. Changes like everything evolves and continues to evolve are learning about sexuality and relationships needs to continue through as a life life-span learning process one pattern. I observe with parents is that oftentimes you didn't receive sex education. You needed when you were younger as we know In many cases it was entirely absent. And then your kid or your team comes to you with an issue or they don't come to you but you observe from the sideline the and then you have to do the learning in order to be the teacher in some ways and so I'm thinking of a couple of scenarios lately where some parents texted me and they're fourteen fifteen year old in in these cases daughters are either sexting and I know sexting abroad term means lots of different things but sending sexy messages suggestive tax even some sexy photos not not nudes in these cases. And they're freaking out. They're really concerned. They see it as a moral issue is an ethical issue. They see this as something that could potentially ruin their daughters lives. And as much as I you know we can understand that visceral reaction that yo...

Yoga and touch are heavily associated with each other - as yoga teachers, we are often given some training in how to use our hands, feet, and bodies to align, adjust and even comfort our students. As a student, chances are you’ve been touched by a yoga teacher in class. Many students have told me that the main reason they go to yoga is to be touched, and still countless others have told me they’ve been injured, or even abused by their yoga teachers using touch. As awareness finally grows in the yoga community about consent to touch being a non-negotiable necessity ( hello & thank you #metoo + the netflix Bikram doco + writings about somatic dominance + Karen Rain going public to name just a few! ) some teachers have become ( understandably ) hesitant and confused about touching their students. I get it. And I think we should be concerned, I think we should educate ourselves around consent, I think we should reevaluate the need to adjust anyone with the intention of taking him / her / them deeper into a pose. Touch can heal. And touch can harm. Can we as a yoga community relearn how we use touch to make it helpful rather than harmful?Ashley Brodeur thinks so. Ashley offers us a way to touch that is informed & supportive. It’s not designed to fix, or correct anything. Instead of taking a student deeper into his / her / their pose, Feelosophy uses informed touch to take the student deeper into their connection with themselves. FIND ASHLEYAshley’s InstagramThe Feelosophy WebsiteThe Feelosophy InstagramFIND CORACora's InstagramCora's NewsletterCora's WebsiteFor full show notes and links to resources mentioned in this episode head to www.corageroux.com/podcast/episode8

Yoga Talk Podcast: Karen Rain on Addressing and Preventing Sexual Violence in Yoga by Yoga International

This conversation covers topics like sexual abuse that might be sensitive to some listeners. Karen Rain was an advanced Ashtanga student who experienced almost daily sexual abuse while working with K. Pattabhi Jois. In this interview, she shares her opinions on cults, yoga, gurus and trauma-informed practice in a way that will stark critical thinking. She speaks about her experiences in India, why she decided not to return and the painful reasons as to why she quit the practice altogether. She also comments on the people who have supported her and the devoted students who participated in the covering up and silencing of stories like her own. Karen also speaks about her relationship with Matthew Remski and how his work is changing the yoga landscape for the better. This conversation ends with a really practical discussion of trauma, consent, and ways in which teachers can make their classes more accessible and effective. This is a powerful conversation and a really important topic, we are grateful to Karen for sharing her experiences with us and we believe there is a lot to be learned from her. Please visit kathrynbruniyoung.com to see the show notes which include a handful of Karen's articles, and other links that will help you to further understand this topic. Loving this podcast? Scroll down to the bottom on this page in Apple Podcasts and leave us a review! Did you know that the Mindful Strength Podcast made the Top 20 Biomechanics Blogs for 2019 list? Support from people like you makes this happen :) 

Karen Rain talks with J about the lack of consent culture in yoga, and ways that people can change what they are doing in their own spheres to create a safer and more just society. They discuss the abuse and deception that Pattabhi Jois committed on her and others, deflection and denial from those in the community, calling out rape culture, and educating ourselves about power imbalances. Karen also turns the tables on J and holds him to account for his own culpability in the past. This episode is brought to you by YogaAnatomy.net.  

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss the right’s obsession with George Soros conspiracy theories, the recent “grievance studies” hoax, and the rise of Bavarian folk dress as a form of hipsterism. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:  Financier and philanthropist George Soros is increasingly at the center of conspiracy theories on the political right. Niki referred to this New York Times article on anti-Semitism in the Trump era. The Wall Street Journal broke the news of the most recent academic hoax, perpetuated to expose the outsize influence of “social justice ideology” on certain subfields of the humanities. Natalia wrote about this in a roundtable at the Chronicle of Higher Education, and she referred to Yascha Mounk’s article in the Atlantic in defense of the hoaxsters. Lederhosen and dirndls are all the rage among Bavarian hipsters, reported the New York Times. Natalia referred to this 2001 article about Germans’ ongoing struggle with nationalism in the decades after the fall of the Third Reich.    In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History: Natalia shared recommended Karen Rain’s Medium article, “Yoga Guru Pattabhi Jois Assaulted Me for Years.” Neil reflected on the twentieth anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s death. Niki discussed Leah Groth’s Prevention article, “American Cheese is Melting Away, Thanks to Millennials.”