Podcasts about katonah yoga

Have you ever wondered how two yoga teachers with diverse backgrounds and experiences come together to create something magical? In this episode, I sit down with my friend and fellow yoga instructor, Tony Lupinacci, to explore our journeys in the yoga world and our upcoming retreat in Portugal. Tony and I dive deep into our personal stories, discussing how we found yoga and the transformative power it's had in our lives. We share vulnerable moments, from dealing with loss to overcoming self-doubt, and how these experiences have shaped our teaching styles.Tony has been practicing and teaching yoga for over a decade in an attempt to metabolize deep grief and to understand the human condition through his own. After countless hours of practice and self-study, he began to shed the protective layers of his personality. Eventually, he found himself thinking less and feeling more, coming to a simple yet profound truth: our true nature is to love and to move from a space of open-hearted compassion. Tony's classes weave Ashtanga, Kundalini, Gosh and Katonah Yoga together to create a rigorous inward exploration of the self. He also uses vedic meditation, mantra and kriya as tools to reach higher states of consciousness through the physical form. His goal is for practitioners to leave with a stronger connection to themselves and to all sentient beings. The Power of Community and RetreatsWe're both excited about our upcoming retreat at Cocoon in Portugal, a 250-acre forest farm that promises to be a magical experience. We talk about the special bond that forms during retreats and how they allow for deeper connections, personal growth and are also a fantastic way to make new friends! Join us this Summer in Portugal from July 31st - August 6th. Topics CoveredHow we navigate teaching and practicing for many years while staying authenticThe importance of blending different practices and respecting lineagesOur personal journeys with yoga and how it's transformed our livesThe power of saying "yes" to new opportunitiesWhy retreats are so special and transformative Guest Info:Tony's InstagramTony's Website Get in Touch:Benshen.co WebsiteBenshen MembershipBenshen.co InstagramRate, review, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.

In this week's episode,  I'm talking to mi hermana Dominicana, Tiffany Leonardo, a healthcare educator who pivoted from teaching healthcare to teaching self-care. Tiffany tells us all about her career in healthcare, what it was like growing up as a first-gen daughter who was a little different than everyone else, and how she found that her family was living a life of dis-ease after three family members were diagnosed with cancer. Tune into this episode as we laugh, vibe, and unpack everything from sound healing, medical astrology, and of course, being a first-gen Latina navigating it all on her own.  Tiffany's extensive time in the operating room has fueled her passion for teaching and deepened her understanding of stress and its detrimental impact on the body. Believing that blossoming as a teacher requires being a devoted student of life, Tiffany has completed various training modalities. Her studies include Katonah Yoga with Mary Dana Abbott, Art of Assisting from Baron Baptiste Yoga, and Anatomy & Asana immersion with Emilie Perz. She has also undergone Breathwork training with Marlize Joubert, intensive Yin Yoga training with Yoga Loft, Qigong with Mark Tanaka, Sound Healing with Susy Markoe Schieffelin, and an apprenticeship in Acupressure and Yoga integration with Hydra Yoga. In essence, Tiffany's dream is to inspire individuals to explore and discover their fullest selves through a deeper connection with their mind and body, no matter the environment. Keep up with Tiffany on their website and Instagram.  For all Hella Latin@ updates, follow @hellalatinopodcast on Instagram and connect on LinkedIn. More at odalysjasmine.com. To learn more about your ad choices visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST.

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In this episode, I'm joined by Krissy Jones, founder and teacher of SKY TING, a community-driven yoga and wellness center in New York City, as well as an online platform, SKY TING TV. With a mission to share inclusive, fun, and accessible wellness techniques with her growing community around the world, Krissy has cultivated a unique teaching style that blends different practices, most notably Katonah Yoga, Iyengar, and vinyasa.Drawing from her background in dance and kinesiology, Krissy's approach to yoga is deeply informed by a desire to foster connection, longevity, and joy. Her classes at SKY TING and online offerings on SKY TING TV emphasize not only physical alignment and strength but also mindfulness and self-awareness. This holistic approach has resonated with students of all levels, contributing to Sky Ting's reputation as a welcoming and inclusive space for exploration and growth.In addition to her work at SKY TING, Krissy is a sought-after teacher, leading workshops and retreats worldwide. Her influence extends beyond the yoga community, as she collaborates with renowned brands like Chanel and Nike, and is featured in publications such as Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and The New York Times. Through her commitment to authenticity and innovation, Krissy Jones continues to inspire individuals to embrace a holistic approach to well-being and self-discovery.“I'm super sensitive and I can read energy - I can feel what's right for me and what's not. I think that comes from having a practice. I try and operate from that place, of what's in my highest good, what light's me up and then how I can serve better and serve a community.”The new SKY TING Studio opens in Noho in NYC on May 1, 2024!Rate, review, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform. Topics Covered:Krissy's background and how she got into yogaThe story of how SKY TING was createdTaking a leap of faith on yourself and your visionRe-identifying the formula for success How being multifaceted is what makes you differentThe lessons and challenges of expanding a business Guest Info: SKY TING WebsiteSKY TING InstagramKrissy's InstagramGet in Touch:Benshen.co WebsiteBenshen MembershipBenshen.co Instagram

Yia Mas is founded by Greek American Kristina Maria Headrick. After witnessing the effects of Greece's devastating financial crisis on friends and family, Kristina felt compelled to share more about the country's culture and support Greece by bringing Greek wellness products to America. Yia Mas marries Kristina's Greek upbringing with her research on Greek philosophy, dance, design, and culture. Kristina's curiosity and appreciation for self-inquiry inspire her to share Greek folk remedies and ancient traditions and promote Greece beyond the usual diaspora narrative. Kristina holds a degree in history from the University of Virginia. She has extensive experience studying yoga and meditation (200-hour RYT, 100-hour meditation teacher training with Nalanda Institute of Contemplative Science, 75-hour training with Katonah Yoga, and the Mentorship program at Sky Ting Yoga in NYC). With a background in writing and digital marketing, her work attempts to bridge the gap between our increasingly digital realities and tactile experiences. She balances digital work with teaching movement and meditation, including in corporate and co-working space settings in New York City. Instagram:@yia.mas @kristinadelphiwww.yia-mas.comEpisode music: Manolis Kottoros

En Novembre 2022, j'ai traversé la phase de stress la plus intense de ma vie d'entrepreneur. Je n'avais jamais vécu quelque chose d'aussi dur en lien avec les émotions que mon activité professionnelle pouvait déclencher, et je me suis senti débordé et déboussollé. Pourtant, je sais que le stress affecte chaque jour des milliers d'entrepreneur-es et de freelances, certainement toi aussi. Dans cet épisode, j'ai donc voulu prendre du recul sur ce sujet, en invitant à mon micro une des personnes qui m'a le plus aidé pendant cette période de stress intense : Marie Le Troadec. Marie est naturopathe et professeur de Katonah Yoga, et dans cette conversation on explore ensemble l'importance d'apprendre à mieux gérer et transformer le stress qu'on peut ressentir dans nos business, pour qu'on se développe tout en prenant soin de nos corps et de nos esprits.  On y voit notamment comment la nourriture, les pratiques de respiration, la conscience de soi peuvent avoir un impact sur notre système nerveux et éviter les problèmes de santé liés au stress chronique. Cet épisode t'aidera à trouver des pistes pour répondre à cette question fondamentale : comment rester en bonne santé tout en jonglant avec les multiples tâches qu'un travail indépendant exige ? Si tu es du genre à ressentir du stress dans ton business, cet épisode est une pépite pour toi ! Tu peux retrouver Marie sur son compte Instagram pour continuer la discussion, et aussi sur son site internet. 

*UPDATED AUDIO* Oooof this was a spicy one! Full of raw, real embodied truths about women's cycles and what thriving health in a female body looks like with feminine practitioner & priestess Elana-Karen Leopold (and also my dear sister!).  This one contains some potentially triggering topics, so our invitation is to keep breathing deeply, returning to self & asking what the feelings arising are revealing. We love you.  Topics we cover:

If you live in Richmond, VA, you need to check out TAOU Studio in Carytown. TAOU stands for "The Art of Us" and has been birthed by Katie Bosch and Kat McCrory. In this podcast episode, you will hear about their inspiration for opening the studio, the type of yoga they practice and teach, opportunities to learn alongside them, and lots of fun stories about their lives that brought them to this place in time together. Here are three reasons why you should listen to this episode: Get to know Katie Bosch and Kat McCrory from TAOU Studio.  Learn how to pull ideas from the ether into 3D reality. Discover the importance of community on your self-discovery journey. Resources TAOU Studio in Carytown Upcoming trainings at TAOU in yin yoga and Katonah yoga. Sign up for Elise's Newsletter and receive a FREE PDF to start your self-compassion journey! Connect with Elise on Instagram: @elisekindya Episode Highlights [05:25] Inspiration for The Art of Us Katie and Kat came into the development of the studio not knowing each other very well.  The concept of TAOU came together in 24 hours!  Both Katie and Kat bring a lot of past experiences into the studio.  Kat's computer died the moment she emailed Katie the PDF of the proposal while at a training in Costa Rica. [08:30] Pulling A Concept from the Ether into 3D Reality Dabbling in a lot of modalities like art, body work and others to let yourself explore.  Kat sees the connection of Katonah Yoga in how to bring dreams to life.  Listen to this section to hear a story about Kat and Jimmy Fallon's lawyer.  Sometimes a hard experience makes way for powerful lessons and leads to a rebirth. [13:26] TAOU Is Offering A Series of Katonah Yoga Trainings Breaking the training into smaller bite sized chunks.  There is so much to learn about the connection of mind/body so focusing on smaller parts is important.   The magic square = the body is a home. Asking yourself questions for how to deepen your connection to your life. [16:22] Putting Yourself In The Center of Your Dream  Having patience to put everything in practice and give yourself time for things to materialize.  Not giving up on your own vision and dream.  Realizing you will still get tripped up. Putting theory into practice helps you see if your vision is really for you. Your practice is up to you, you get to decide what your practice teaches you and what is revealed to you. Katie says that every time she comes to the practice, the questions are the same but the answers are allowed to shift which feels free. [23:01] Kat and Katie Are Mirrors for Each Other  Spending more time together they found out small similarities they have. Helping each other take concepts and make them 3D. Katie and Kat play off each other and it feels easy and effortless. [24:46] TAOU As a Space For Freedom Kat tells a story about her dream of having a studio that encompasses art, movement and supporting other people. Kat wants to break yoga out of a box, it can be innovated from the root of the practice. There were obstacles in the way when Kat was trying to open other studios, before opening TAOU. People take things really seriously and make us feel small, which can limit our dreams. Sometimes curve balls prove our limiting beliefs to ourselves. Katonah helped Kat change her life. [27:29] If Katie Hadn't Shaved Her Head, TAOU Wouldn't Have Opened Katie and Kat went to a training last summer for Katonah Yoga.  2016 was a huge year for Katie, where she got her yoga teacher training as well as got inspired to become a massage therapist.  At Vitality Float Spa, Katie was inspired to massage. At the beginning of 2022, Katie shaved her head. If she hadn't shaved her head, TAOU wouldn't have opened. Katie needed to shake things up to try something new for her professsional life. She couldn't put herself in the center of her work. Kat texted Katie in the middle of her deeper shadow work of trying to figure out her next professional step. Katie had the courage to step away from Vitality, building her confidence and taking the first step. [31:29] Following The Bread Crumb Trail to Bigger Life Changes It's impactful to ask smaller questions to get to a bigger new direction. Options only matter if you trust yourself to make a new choice.  Last year was the year of stepping into something to take a risk, feel powerful and believing in ourselves. [34:44] The Woo-Woo Is Related to Observable Science  Katie and Kat sometimes feel skeptical and question everything.  Healthy skepticism is good for us.  The "right" way vs what feels good to the individual. Do you think yoga is for everyone? Katie and Kat don't think so. Everything is a practice: cooking, sex, tennis, yoga, and life. It's a tool to help you to discover yourself. What is the correct tool? [39:24] Imitate, Integrate, Innovate Make your practice work for you.  Eventually, you no longer need the teacher because you make your practice your own. Return home to yourself. Unlock doors and go somewhere different. Elise wants to also break out of the box that social work tries to put her in professionally. [42:37] The Importance of Community Getting to know each other is the point of gathering in classes.   Eye contact as an intimate practice. Making friends as an adult isn't as hard as we make it out to be sometimes. Leading by example to join people together and feel more comfortable practicing together. Embracing yourself leads to embracing other people. How to make TAOU a community space is a huge prirority for Kat and Katie. [47:02] Exciting Offerings on the Horizon  TAOU is going to Portugal in early March. Spots for this retreat are full but there will be more retreats to stay tuned about in the future.  Trainings are coming up in the studio: Yin, and 2 Katonah trainings this year. Anyone interested in deepening their yoga practice can come to the trainings. Use what you learn in yoga off the mat. [51:11] Where To Connect With TAOU  www.taoustudio.com  Instagram: @taou_studio   Wisdom comes from asking yourself questions to get the answer.  Enjoyed this Episode About The Art Of Us? If you enjoyed this podcast, please make sure to subscribe and share it! Leave an episode review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning in to this episode, don't forget to leave us a review. You can also share what you've learned today with your friends to help them embody their true, authentic selves. Anything is possible when you return home to yourself.  Have any questions or lightbulb moments? I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to hit me up on Instagram or send an email at elise@elisekindya.com.  Thank you so much for listening! For more episode updates, visit my website.

Nevine Michaan joins The Ode to Joy Podcast to talk about Yoga's place in processing grief and tuning our bodily instrument to come into greater Joy.Nevine and Elena discuss the following:the recipe for JOYOrganizing sensationsJoy in the midst of a hard winter"Ananda" and how to measure upAsana as OrigamiWu wei -- an effortless effortThe Magic Square -- as a menuMediating Polarity by placing yourself in the middle of the TrinityThe Breath of the SeasonsSiddhis - great magical powers Learning how to play well with the mind and bodyPlaying with Ritual to process griefAbout Nevine:"Born in Egypt in 1954, Nevine moved to New York at the age of three. In her early 20's, while studying history and comparative religion at Vassar College, she discovered meditation. She understood that there is a function, a formality and a fit to the universe and that yoga is a tool, a technique – a practice with repetition which gives us the opportunity to participate in life with intelligence and joy.  Nevine started a daily practice in NYC with renowned yoga instructor Allan Bateman in the 1970s and became fully immersed in what would become her life's work. She began teaching Yoga in 1980, and founded the Katonah Yoga Center in Katonah, New York in 1986."Learn with NevineKatonah Yoga The Magic SquareKatonah Yoga CalendarFind a local Kotonah TeacherFollow on IG @katonahyogacenterSupport the showBuy your copy of Elena's book "Grieve Outside the Box"Follow on IG @elenabox

Olivia Falcon joins us from Greenpoint, Brooklyn to talk about how we can navigate the use of Vices during a grieving process. Olivia is a yoga teacher and works closely with Katonah Yoga founder, Nevine Michaan.We discuss how we can balance nourishing ourselves, and partake in our comforting Vices while healing from heartbreak and grief. If you are struggling with substance abuse, this episode may not be for you, see notes below for resources to find support. Reminder -- I am not a mental health professional and am merely sharing my personal experience. Topics we cover:Breakups as a catalyst for griefSensuousness and indulgenceSoftening the edges of griefCreating Ritual around enjoying your VicesMarijuana as a master plant teacherCreating structure around indulging"Everything in moderation, including moderation"Vices as a tool to dive more deeply into emotionDaily tools to stay in balance while grievingFollow Olivia on IG at @oliviamfalcon Support Hotline Resources:https://addictionresource.com/addiction-and-rehab-hotlines/Drug and alcohol abuse helpline 1-888-506-0699The National Mental Health Association's number 1-800-969-6642 is available during business hours for questions about mental health issues.Support the showBuy your copy of Elena's book "Grieve Outside the Box"Follow on IG @elenabox

As spiritual beings, what essential tools do we need to travel with when life's uncharted territory presents itself to us? When we find ourselves in new places, either physically or emotionally, we need to remain grounded and centered.  How can we orient ourselves in the storm's calm eye?Eva Giorgi joins us from Upstate New York today to share the tools she's honed while living in the great outdoors. She created her own traveler's mythology with herbs, essential oils, maps, and the ritual of a hot cup of coffee on a brisk morning. Elena and Eva discuss:Living bare bones in National ForestsDeveloping your personal tools over timeCreating separate spaces/rooms in nature Digesting new experiencesBuffers to utilize experiencesAcquainting yourself with the land you're onMaps as a tool to center your experienceAstrology, Alamanac, Tarot Cards, Katonah Yoga (Magic Square) as MapsEva's top herbal allies for travelSelf-other-self, the fractal of self-discoveryTarot Cards, Essential Oils, Herbs, Maps, Food, Coffee, Chocolate, Incense, Candles, Sage, Palo Santo -- Traveling Shaman ToolkitEva Giorgi @evatwineOffers Tarot readings online and teaches Katonah Yoga at Viale Yoga in Bedford Hills, NY Evatwine.comJoin The Spiral women's circle led by Morgan Rose @morganrose.ritualsSupport the showBuy your copy of Elena's book "Grieve Outside the Box"Follow on IG @elenabox

I sat down with my wise and thoughtful friend Katie Ashley, another Charleston, SC local, to hear her takeaways from the seasons and cycles of the past few years as I know she is someone who embodies the #ItsAllMeMindset beautifully. Katie brings her lived wisdom to this conversation and shares it through her unique lens of her therapeutic yoga training and Chinese medicine, plus her personal experience with surfing. In this episode, we talk about: The cycles (or cyclones) of being a woman, mother or entrepreneur  How Katie keeps herself at the center of her life's experiences. #itsallmemindset Earth lessons, samskaras and giving ourselves grace to be in the process How we were both reluctant nature lovers

Felipe Gonzalez came to the practice 14 years ago when he first moved to New York City. After several years of practice, he took a leap of faith and completed his 200 hour teacher training at Laughing Lotus, NYC.  His devotion to music, movement, story telling, and spirituality are embedded in all of his classes. Using the techniques of mythology, mantra, yogic philosophy, asana, and Katonah Yoga® theory, he guides practitioners through an experience of breath, vibration, movement, and reflection.  Felipe is a 500 hour ERYT and Katonah Yoga® teacher based in Santa Monica, CA. He is a founding teacher at GaneshSpace, a community lead organization uplifting marginalized voices and experiences by offering resources and education at the intersections of mindfulness and social justice. He is also an Ambassador for lululemon Santa Monica Store. He is also the co-owner of the LA based Empowered Yoga Studio is open in Venice, CA. Felipe leads workshops, retreats, and trainings internationally. Drawn to the disciplines of Vinyasa, Bhakti Yoga and Katonah Yoga® theory,  he devotes his practice and teaching with an artist's soul and a healer's heart.  In This Episode: Felipe shares what brought him to the practice of yoga and how upon connecting with yoga as a complete practice, he was able to see the connection between personal and collective liberation. The intersections of Felipe's identity and how it led to him finding the practice of yoga.  Felipe shares some of the red flags he observed in the yoga community that was not aligned with the ethos of yoga. What can people do to support the culture without appropriation? How the yoga industry breeds spiritual narcissism. Felipe shares his experience in opening Empowered yoga studio without any Venture Capitalists and run entirely by teachers. How to build a healthy, safe and supportive yoga studio.  Why Felipe believes affinity groups are the way to unpack harmful experiences. Felipe's perspective on Guru culture in the yoga space. Full Show Notes: Felipe Gonzalez's Website Felipe Gonzalez's Instagram Empowered Yoga Instagram Empowered Yoga Website Laura Chung Instagram Brittany Simone Anderson Instagram The Werk Podcast Instagram The Werk Podcast Website YouTube Channel Connect with The Werk: If you enjoyed the podcast and you feel called, please share it, and tag us! Join our book club where we can learn in the community!! Visit us at https://www.thewerkpodcast.com/bookclub for details. Subscribe, rate, and review the show wherever you get your podcasts. Your rating and review help more people discover it! Follow on Instagram @thewerkpodcast Let us know your favorite guests, lessons, or any topic requests.

This week's episode is sure to encourage reflection and push you a little deeper into introspection. This was such an inspiring hour for us, so believe it when we say you won't want to miss this incredible conversation with Mary Dana Abbott. Tune in as we discuss all things Katonah Yoga and how it can apply to life beyond the mat. Our guest: MD's website MD's instagram References: Attached

The podcast we were ALL talking about when it first came out, is back for another release! I think we all could listen to this one multiple things and still learn from this incredible woman. Nevine Michaan is the founder and creator of Katonah Yoga. She truly possesses a gift for teaching the physical and esoteric aspects of yoga. Many consider her the Teacher's teacher (like Krissy mentioned), a philosopher, a poet and a SEER. Her teaching methods are articulated intelligently with meaning and metaphor, too. Nevine's practical approach intertwines the body, the breath AND the imagination. Her unique dialogue and insight is matched with her extraordinary ability to convey and communicate her keen acumen. Sooooo thrilled to re-release this episode.

Entering into the unknown can be scary. It can feel directionless and uneasy. But like today's guest, Josie Schweitzer, reminds us: "It's ok to be in the unknown. It's a good time to get out a map, and get a handle on where it is that you are. The practice is not about letting go [in the unknown], it's about developing the capacity to get over and through any terrain." Josie has spent her career embodying and curating different yoga styles, landing most recently on a transformative, eye-opening practice called Kotonah Yoga. This practice, and Josie's unique gifts, allow her to speak powerfully to how the philosophies and actions shared in the yoga studio beautifully reflect how we can move through life, no matter the circumstances, with happiness, strength and confidence. In this inspiring, wisdom-packed conversation, she helps us reflect on where we are and where we are going. She shares analogies that unlock not only body awareness but also reflections and ideas for any season of life. She reminds us of the tools we have in our own toolbox while also adding to that with her deep, direct insights. In this episode, Josie shares passionately about:How to be joyful, no matter the life circumstancesReleasing the idea of surrender and waking up fully to lifeStepping out of "doing" and into effortless movementBeing available to reflections and awareness that come through in life and on the matNavigating different seasons both in the body and in lifeHow to navigate feelings and emotions with structure, support and accurate measuresWe can't wait for you to dive in. Enjoy the episode and be sure to jump over to Josie's Instagram to join an upcoming class or get her regular words of wisdom. JOSIE'S BIOTeaching a blend of fluid movement, pranayama, kundalini, and meditation classes, Josie artfully crafts each teaching experience with intention and intelligence, providing a cohesive structure for an eye-opening, transformative journey. Present moment awareness is at the heart, a truth that permeates every movement, stillness and breath. Yoga with Josie transcends the concept of a workout.She is heavily influenced by her dear Teacher Nevine Michhan, the founder and creator of Katonah Yoga ®. Her time spent learning from Nevine and her teachers, continues to be a life changing experience.  Josie is a well rounded and multifaceted yoga teacher (Yoga Alliance, E-RYT 500 Hour Certified, Katonah Yoga® Teacher, Mat Pilates Certified through Equinox)  She has created and cultivated her own unique 200 and 300 hour teacher trainings.  You can find her Globally leading communal classes, therapeutic one on one sessions, workshops and teacher trainings.Connect with Josie and her work:https://www.instagram.com/josieschweitzer/https://www.thespacecolumbus.com/You can find out more about Owl & Key and the Strategic Planning for Life below:www.owlandkey.cowww.owlandkey.co/courselinktr.ee/owlandkeywww.instagram.com/owl_and_key/Get Started today!Get Started with Strategic Planning for Life todayBook your FREE call to learn more!

Mit Aylin Karadayi & Mirjam Haymann von Everyday Hero spreche ich heute über eine ganz besondere Art des Yoga. Im Katonah Yoga arbeiten sie mit Bildern, Mustern und Archetypen, und vergleichen somit den Körper beispielsweise mit einem Haus. Wie dieses aufgeteilt wird und warum es für Wachstum, Veränderung und blissful moments auch mal eine Krise geben darf, erfährst du in der heutigen Podcastfolge. ✌️

In this episode i'm joined by Kristina Headrick. Kristina is the founder of Yia Mas. Yia Mas is founded by Greek American Kristina Maria Headrick. Yia Mas synthesizes her Greek upbringing with a lifelong study of Greek philosophy, dance, design, and culture. Kristina's unbounded curiosity and and appreciation for self-inquiry led her to pursue alternative ways of presenting Greek folk remedies and ancient traditions in a way that modern audiences find engaging. She holds a degree in history from the University of Virginia. Yia Mas is heavily influenced by Kristina's ongoing studies and certifications. She has extensive experience studying yoga and meditation teacher, (200-hour RYT, 100-hour meditation teacher training with Nalanda Institute of Contemplative Science, 75-hour training with Katonah Yoga, Mentorship program at Sky Ting Yoga in NYC). With a background in writing and digital marketing, her work attempts to bridge the gap between our increasingly digital realities and tactile experiences. She balances digital work with teaching movement and meditation, including corporate and co-working space settings in New York City. I met Kristina in the fall of 2019, which I find fascinating, because as I am saying this, I am baffled that it was so recently. After connecting and becoming friends, she has taught me a whole lot about just about everything from mindfulness, wellness, Greek stuff, mastiha, and even Greek dancing. Thats not all, though!! In this episode we will also dive in to a very exciting collaboration between the two of us in hopes to solve a major problem going on in Greece. We don't expect to get rid of the problem entirely, but if the step we take can influence others to do their part, then I think we did our job quite well! Time will only tell!!

Lauren Buckles is a mom and certified yoga teacher for both children and adults who has been in the field for a decade.  Lauren shares how she creates a safe space in her classes through a trauma-informed lens, and how she wants to empower children not exert power. She also discusses Katonah Yoga and why she began her new online space Nestful. Lauren also generously shares what it was like to have her first baby two days before the pandemic was declared! A highly interesting and informative episode. Listen NOW.

The Unconditional Love of Reiki with Justin Randolph Episode #35 Justin Randolph is a seasoned Reiki Master, Yoga Teacher, and artist who owns Yoga Loft in Manhattan Beach, CA. Justin's soulful classes are inspired by over 1200 hours of training in various lineages and styles including: Katonah Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Taoism. Yoga Loft Website You'll learn: What is reiki, it's history, and how to utilize it. and pivoting your soul business in challenging times and the return of traditional yoga  

Today's guest is my dear friend Aylin Karadayi. Aylin and I talk about the energetics of numbers, their connection to the so-called magic square, and how we can adapt it into our daily life. Aylin explains the relationship between these two even deeper when Katonah Yoga comes into play. Aylin embodies a wealth of knowledge and resources as her path led her through cultural sciences studies, event management, music, Yoga, her former plant-based food business AYLA REAL FOOD, holistic health coachings, and eventually to AYLA REAL HEALTH. Aylin was born and educated in Zurich, Switzerland, but her oriental roots will always be a part of her life. Besides her job she loves practicing Yoga, studying, cooking, listening to music, spending time with her partner, family, her dog Aki and her friends. If you enjoyed this episode feel free to send it to your friends, family members, or whoever you think could benefit. And I would love you to consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes. ________________ More about Aylin: • Aylin's Website: https://www.aylarealhealth.com • Aylin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aylin_karadayi/ Links mentioned in the interview: Christine Bengel: https://www.christinebengel.ch • Magic Square: https://bit.ly/398g9No • Nevine Michaan – Founder and creator of Katonah Yoga: https://bit.ly/38hvKed Programs Aylin is offering: • Weave it in: https://www.aylarealhealth.com with Reni Bickel: https://www.renibickelyoga.com • Everyday Hero: https://www.everydayhero.yoga/ • Mirjam Hayman: https://www.mirjamhaymann.com • Ancient Knowledge Modern Essential: https://www.aylarealhealth.com with Sandro Varisco: https://www.sandrovarisco.ch Inspirations shared by Aylin: • Wild Geese by Mary Oliver: https://bit.ly/2JPjZT7 • Tao Te Ching - Chapter 2: https://bit.ly/3hLclFX • Erykah Badu - Didn't Cha Know (Spotify): https://spoti.fi/2XcmDFD • Erykah Badu - Didn't Cha Know (Lyrics): https://bit.ly/3nks1B8 Let's connect: • Website: www.andrinatisi.com • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrinatisi/ • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrinatisiLIFECURATION/ • Email: hello@andrinatisi.com

Alex Sharry is an incredible Katonah Yoga teacher at The Studio & SkytingTV Enjoy this conversations about all things katonah, teaching dynamics & integrating the practice into real life Check out all of her offerings: http://alexsharry.com http://www.thestudio.yoga/alex-sharry https://www.instagram.com/alexsharry/   Sign Up for the Blueprint  https://www.thespacecolumbus.com/trainings    

Mason and Tahnee (the dream team) join forces on the podcast today, to introduce us to Shen, the Third Treasure of the Daoist system. Mason and Tahnee reveal our new SuperFeast baby - the SHEN blend, journeying through the herbs present in the formula and the actions and virtues they afford us when we work in harmony with them. We're beyond thrilled to finally have our beloved SHEN blend launching ready for our SuperFeast community to explore, completing our propriety Treasure series, sharing the stage with our darling JING and QI blends. If you're new to the Three Treasures and want to learn more, check out our JING podcast here and QI podcast here. Mason has also written a brilliant article on the Three Treasure so you can read it here. Enjoy!  "Shen.. It's just you, without the bullshit"  - Mason & Tahnee   Mason and Tahnee discuss: The Three Treasures of the Daoist system. The treasure of Shen, what it is, how it is embodied. The East vs West approach to the mind, the Heart vs the brain. The importance of building strong foundations within the body in order to cultivate Shen. The healing profiles of the herbs in the new SuperFeast SHEN blend. When to use the SuperFeast SHEN blend and why. The difference between the Poria in our Masons Mushrooms and the Spirit Poria in our SHEN blend. Harvesting our Poria and why we source all our herbs Di Dao. The beautifying effects of the SHEN blend.   Who Are Mason Taylor and Tahnee McCrossin? Mason Taylor: Mason’s energy and intent for a long and happy life is infectious. A health educator at heart, he continues to pioneer the way for potent health and a robust personal practice. An avid sharer, connector, inspirer and philosophiser, Mason wakes up with a smile on his face, knowing that tonic herbs are changing lives. Mason is also the SuperFeast founder, daddy to Aiya and partner to Tahnee (General Manager at SuperFeast). Tahnee McCrossin: Tahnee is a self proclaimed nerd, with a love of the human body, it’s language and its stories. A cup of tonic tea and a human interaction with Tahnee is a gift! A beautiful Yin Yoga teacher and Chi Ne Tsang practitioner, Tahnee loves going head first into the realms of tradition, yogic philosophy, the organ systems, herbalism and hard-hitting research. Tahnee is the General Manager at SuperFeast, mumma to reishi-baby Aiya and partner to Mason (founder of SuperFeast).   Resources: The Video Of Mason Harvesting Poria In China   SuperFeast SHEN Blend Product Page Superfeast SHEN Blend Blog  Q: How Can I Support The SuperFeast Podcast?   A: Tell all your friends and family and share online! We’d also love it if you could subscribe and review this podcast on iTunes. Or  check us out on Stitcher, CastBox, iHeart RADIO:)! Plus  we're on Spotify!   Check Out The Transcript Here:   Mason: (00:01) Hey, everybody. Here with Tahns.   Tahnee: (00:02) Hi.   Mason: (00:03) So we're going to be talking about Shen today, Third Treasure.   Tahnee: (00:06) Mm-hmm (affirmative). Exciting time.   Mason: (00:08) Yeah. It's finally about the combination of the Three Treasures of blends in the superfoods range, so it's been awhile.   Tahnee: (00:15) Jing, Qi, and Shen.   Mason: (00:18) Very good, Tahns.   Tahnee: (00:18) I've been spending too much time with Aiya.   Mason: (00:21) Yeah, Daoism for kiddies.   Tahnee: (00:29) All right, boys and girls. Yeah, I think it's exciting because we really like this Daoist idea of Jing, Qi, Shen. It's such a great way to kind of view the body and our experience as a human on this earthly plane. The Jing holding our DNA and our kind of, I guess, connection to our ancestry and the strength of our constitution, our bones and our body and the Qi being the animation of that, the metabolism and the fire of our life and then Shen being that which is eliminated by those forces being in harmony, right?   Mason: (01:07) Yeah, exactly. I mean there's so many different ways. It's such a colourful conversation. I've been thinking about Jing, Qi, and Shen a lot lately and how to make them as something that doesn't seem theoretical like you have to remember, but something-   Tahnee: (01:21) Lived?   Mason: (01:22) Yeah, exactly. It's why metaphors are so good. It's why I've been enjoying talking about thinking if you take the human body and it's just a bunch of bones and DNA and hips and marrow. And you just lay it there and it's not moving and it's got all this potential, but in order for it to have potential, you need to put the batteries in and the batteries need to have charge. Batteries being the Kidneys, the Jing is so if you just take that human body and all its potential, it can't do anything yet, it's just pure physical potential, and then you plug the Jing in by putting the batteries in and they're charged batteries. They're not batteries that are Jing deficient, smashing coffees and absolutely flogging yourself. Put the batteries into the Kidneys and then all of the sudden, you have the rising of Qi.   Tahnee: (02:08) The lights go on.   Mason: (02:09) Exactly, the lights go on. Qi moves. That body can get up and animate and move around. Then to really drop into Shen and live and for me to be feeling Shen. Because I used to use analogies about the candle, which I still enjoy. Talking about it like this in the human body, then from there, if you just have potential in the physical body, the Jing, amazing. You've got life.   Tahnee: (02:31) Lights are on but nobody's home, right?   Mason: (02:34) Exactly. You're animating and you're moving, but where's the personality and the soul and the lessons and the enjoyment and all that? That's Shen, and that's why it's important, it's an important distinction that the spirit, because that's one spirit, your spirit can emerge from your heart, come through. Therefore, you have your soul present and you can become wiser and more virtuous. These are all things that are your Shen, and it's an important distinction that Daoism, Classical Chinese medicine before it was modernised and colonised in the 50s, to turn it into what's known as Traditional Chinese Medicine currently.   Mason: (03:11) The Spirit was cut away and definitely in the Western medicine, there's no Spirit that's present. It's just all... Literally a scalpel's gone and cut away the spiritual elements of medicine, but Shen, you can't really talk about health long term from a Daoist perspective or yogic perspective, any of these that will kind of have ancient roots, without acknowledging that the spirit and the spirit of organs and one's own soul and spirit, it's pivotal to understanding how we can become healthy long term.   Tahnee: (03:45) Mm-hmm (affirmative). It's funny you talk about analogies because I've been studying a bit with Nevine Michaan from Katonah Yoga, and she talks about the body as a house. And if you've got the architecture and the structure, which is your Jing effectively. And then you've got the lights on and you start to move in, that's the Qi. And then, if you make it a home, you make it a place where you want to be where it has a comforting essence of pleasure and joy and warmth, then that's the Shen.   Mason: (04:17) You weren't there on our last retreat at Tanya's when I used that exact analogy. I said, "Look at this room. This is the Jing. See how there's nice things and people. Put flowers over here and some incense on. It keeps it moving, the doors are open. That's the Qi. There's life moving through it. But then, only over years can laughter settle in, and oils settle in to the kitchen, that have actually been lived in."   Tahnee: (04:44) Yeah. And that's what makes something beautiful. And that's what the Daoists say. When someone's Shen is harmonised in their body, then they're lit up from within. And they're attractive, and they're expressed. They're just full of purpose and intention and presence, but it's not seeking or striving. It's just like a nice home where you go in and you're just... It's nice to be in their presence.   Tahnee: (05:12) I think that's such a beautiful way to think about it.   Mason: (05:15) You can't fake Shen. You definitely can't. You might be able to on Instagram, but not in real life.   Tahnee: (05:21) Well, I think when we look at what Shen even does, if you have a Shen disturbance manifesting as a symptom of anxiety, well that's the opposite of a comforting, safe environment. You don't feel safe. You feel unsettled and unhinged and stressed and out of alignment. Well that's a Shen disturbance. And so yeah, absolutely. We want to support this in ourselves and in others. And when we see it, when we recognise it in ourselves and in others, it's a nice thing to cultivate and build.   Tahnee: (05:56) And that's what all these practises are about. Meditation and even the Qi Gong and the cultivation exercises are about stabilising the Shen so that energy, that soul lives in the body and is expressed through this life. And then, we move on to whatever, higher points of consciousness, whatever you want to do. After that, it's up to you, guys. We're here for the Shen.   Mason: (06:17) Yeah, I've been talking about the fact that it comes when Shen is in harmony and able to consistently express itself. Obviously guys, at the end of this, you'll see Shen isn't something to be developed overnight. It's certainly not something you get. Everyone's just got their Shen, and it's highly correlated. It is literally like emerging from the Heart organ system, so the Heart Fire. So the Heart is the emperor organ. And all the other organs are essentially serving the emperor.   Mason: (06:51) When the Heart Fire Qi is flowing harmoniously... That's the idea behind the Shen herbs and all these practises, to ensure that we've got enough Blood so that the Shen can travel through the Blood. The Blood's Shen's home-away-from-home.   Tahnee: (07:07) Envoy.   Mason: (07:08) Heavy envoy.   Tahnee: (07:09) Take it around.   Mason: (07:10) To take it around to ensure that we're enlivening and bringing light and soulfulness and consciousness to every little area of our body. Tahns is just getting some water because water is needed to build Blood. These herbs and practises are also ensuring that we've got Qi tonics to support the movement of blood; therefore, the movement of Shen through the body because life requires movement. If the waters get stagnant, Blood gets stagnant, then we're not able to bring in life to ensure that there is a harmonious flow of the surrounding organs, which is all of them, but especially the Liver. We really want a smooth Liver flow, the Liver being the mother.   Mason: (07:51) The Liver-Wood, being the mother to the Heart Fire to ensure that... The Liver is ensuring that we've got strong strength through the capillaries and ensuring that we've got that uprightness so that Blood can move through and get through as well as Qi can get through and move through the body, as well as creating that suppleness, especially through those Blood vessels which means that we can bring curvature to the way that the Blood is moving, and therefore, cool the Blood down.   Mason: (08:19) And so, if you don't have those things, if you're stagnant, which is something I'm prone to, as you know, Tahns, if you're stagnant through your Liver Qi and especially if you lack that Yin and that suppleness through your Liver, Liver-Wood, then you're going to get a downstream effect where there's going to be a lot of Heat through the Blood, therefore, a lot of potential excess Fire.   Tahnee: (08:43) Yeah, when you think about friction, right? If you're rigid, so this is a thing. The Blood moves in spirals or vortexes. When you go and check out Gil Hedley's work, he talks about the heart not being a pump but being a valley where the vortex water layer... It's just spring water does in nature.   Mason: (09:00) Creating more of an implosion suction.   Tahnee: (09:03) Yeah. Exactly. More like your circulatory organ than a pumping organ. And if you think about rigidity, if you think about the vessels becoming really rigid and you think about a movement along that, rigidity creates this friction which creates Heat in the body. And so, that's not idea. That's going to burn up your Fluids. It's going to create all sorts of implications down the track.   Tahnee: (09:26) And yeah, the Hun as well. There's a spirit in the Liver called the Hun which can invade the Heart, can invade the Shen and cause mental disturbances and the psychological aspects of that. So when we're looking at a Shen, harmonised Shen in a human is like a person who's healthy mentally and not got a lot of psychological disturbances. But when we do have these imbalances, we can end up with the Liver invading the Heart. We can end up with all sorts of troubles.   Mason: (09:58) So the Hun is the part of our... It's more of our infinite Spirit guys, that travels after this lifetime, the Spirit that goes on.   Tahnee: (10:07) Yeah. Well I always think of the Shen as my universal consciousness, the part of me that came down to be, to animate the form. My Shen is that. My Hun is my astral self, so the part of me that can travel the realms. And it's one thing to take it to a really advanced, philosophical level. But the way it works in the body is why we're here. We want a clear path for consciousness, a clear channel for consciousness to come through. And it shines out of us. That's the idea.   Tahnee: (10:44) And then, this Hun is meant to keep connecting us to this astral self that can live beyond the physical realms, I suppose. So it's the creative. It's the vision. It's the future seeing. It's time doesn't exist because I live in all time.   Mason: (11:03) Yeah. Part of our intention here is to bring our higher consciousness, our Shen, and bring it through and crack it through into this reality that we're at now. What I was talking about, all the things that these practises and Shen herbs do in bringing a smooth flow of that hot Fire Qi, ensuring that we've got a smooth flow of the Liver cooling the Blood, so and so forth, stabilising the Heart.   Mason: (11:26) What happens then, the Heart as the emperor that all the other organs serve, that is when you get a smooth flow of Qi through that organ system, that's when the spirit of that organ system may express itself. So it's the same when we have a smooth flow of Qi through the Liver, then the Hun may express itself.   Mason: (11:47) If you have disturbance, if you have Heart Fire disturbance, what happens is it's like frustration that's going to get expressed from the Liver, but I just use that term. It's frustrating for the Qi. And then Shen's going to... The spirit of that organ system is not going to be able to express clearly. And therefore, we're going to see that expressed in anxiousness, mental disturbance, depression, insomnia. And then, going down the line, psychosis, so and so forth.   Mason: (12:23) As you know, you can see the Shen is the window... The eyes are the window to the Shen or to higher consciousness or to the soul, as we say. This is what our Daoist herbs are doing. This when you need to be working with someone clinically if you have this level of psychosis or mental disturbance. But you can see as someone moves down that line of having extreme anxiety, extreme depression, mental disturbance, and psychosis, you see the eyes starting to glaze over or to grey or to dull, and that's where Daoist would immediately go, right there's a direct Shen disturbance.   Mason: (13:06) And then, you'd need appropriate diagnosis at those points.   Tahnee: (13:10) Well that's when you lose your grip with reality. Right? And that's the Hun because the Liver's also the outward expression of... I would say they eyes are the outward expression of the Liver. I don't understand the psychology of TCM as well as I would like to, but from what I understand, the Hun... Because the Liver does invade and overtake the Shen, we sort of lose touch with reality. Because that sort of sense of schizophrenia and a lot of those... Because Chinese medicine doesn't talk about symptoms or diseases like we do in the West. It talks about patterns that would be Liver Heat or Liver invading Spleen or whatever.   Tahnee: (13:57) But what I understand is something like a schizophrenic episode would be literally a case of the Hun becoming more dominant. Or when you have poor Blood to anchor the Hun, you don't sleep well, and you have wild dreams where your Hun will wake you up, Liver will wake you up in the middle of the night at 1:00. That's a really common thing we hear here in customer service a lot of the time.   Tahnee: (14:20) It's like, "I wake up every night between 1:00 and 3:00."   Tahnee: (14:23) And it's like, "Oh well, that's a sign that you probably don't have enough Blood to anchor the Hun, so you're not getting a really good sleep. So when it starts to move, that Liver time, it wakes you up because it's such a burst of Yang energy through the body."   Tahnee: (14:38) So the psychological stuff's super interesting and definitely something I'm still learning a lot about. But just understanding these kind of energies that animate us and create our experience is really interesting. So we would not look at... Even when we go to talk about the herbs and what they do from a Daoist expertise, if you nourish the Fire, if you nourish the essence of the Heart, if you work with that energy, if your intention and your presence and your practise is about that, it's going to feed it.   Tahnee: (15:11) I know Tony Robbins hijacked it, but intention, Qi, Blood, those things all follow one another. I think it's where your energy intentionally goes, your energy follows.   Mason: (15:21) Where the mind goes, energy flows.   Tahnee: (15:25) Yes. That ability to focus your intention, your energy, your mind. And then, let your energy follow that. And then, your Blood will follow that because Blood follows Qi. That's how you do a Qi Gong practise. That's how you do even when you practise the medicine. You have to be so focused on so present because you're conducting the flow of Qi and the flow of Blood. You're giving Shen to that practise, whether it's your Qi Gong practise or your healing practise or your herbal practise.   Tahnee: (15:52) So intention is such an important part of what we do of Shen because it's bringing Shen into your life.   Mason: (15:59) And guys, when we're looking at Shen, the mind is put in there in terms of the definition, within the definition. And it's kind of like the mind is definitely a tool used in the personality. It's something that's used in order to express our personality, process what's going on in life so that we can gain more and more wisdom, when Tahns talking about being there and being a practitioner bringing Shen to the table.   Mason: (16:26) In order to offer a healing space for someone, people around you, be a good person, be less of an asshole, I think we'd all agree that continuing to cultivate our virtuous nature, which isn't an easy thing to do but it is considered a dividend of developing your Shen, that you cultivate those that are associated with strong Shen. Forgiveness, compassion, love, like deep love, deep gratitude, and the capacity to really have that virtuous nature be a part of yourself.   Mason: (17:07) And so, the mind and Shen have an interesting relationship. Because if you are extremely Shen deficient, and if you're shying away from that part of yourself which is more than just the physical, then you see the mind take over the show more and more. And therefore, you move into this place of the way that you get virtuous, you have less... You put a glass ceiling on yourself, I find, in terms of your capacity to really tap into your higher self. And over years and decades of work, have that higher consciousness emerge through your organ systems and be embodied so that forgiveness and that love and that gratitude is something that's just... You don't have to think about it. It's just there, and it's just dripping from you. And that's when you see that in 90 year-olds and 100 year-olds.   Mason: (18:02) They just come to work, and they're just legends. And they're just beautiful white lights to be around. And you see when you don't do that work or don't allow that more mystical aspect of yourself that the mind can't grasp, whether you really want to go into Daoist thought or be religious or spiritual or whatever it is, it doesn't matter. Just let go, just that little bit. Then the mind needs to go into morality.   Mason: (18:23) And so, you do the right thing and be forgiving. Whereas, Shen is where you start to dissolve any sense of right and wrong. And when you can move into that place and get to that, when you can get away from wrong and right, you really do have an opportunity to discover that part of yourself which is virtuous that's outside of the morality and the right and wrong of what you're current clique is telling you, how you should be and how you should be a good person.   Tahnee: (18:53) That reminds me of Rumi, "Out beyond the idea of right doing and wrong doing, there is a field, and I will meet you there." It's just like my teacher says the more spiritually aware you become, the less you'll subscribe to cancel culture and woke movements and all of this stuff because we start to see that everything, depending on your perspective, exists in shades of grey. There's no... I could say I'm right, but I could just as easily say you're right, really if I start to think about it.   Tahnee: (19:27) I think one thing I wanted to quickly make the distinction on too is the mind as in the brain, and the mind as in the Heart. Because in Daoist thought, the Heart is the mind, but it's not how we think about mind. So we think about the cognitive machine that whirls around in our heads which is more associated with the Kidneys. In Chinese medicine, it's called the Sea of Marrow. So it's literally an extension-   Mason: (19:54) The brain.   Tahnee: (19:55) Yes, so the brain is literally an extension of the marrow in your bones. It's kind of this blood-filled goopy thing floating around in your skull. And if you think about your skull as being a bone, it could really be the marrow because it's literally encased in bone on most sides. But yeah, the Heart is more the perceiving mind that is beyond that logical idea of things being rational. Because if you've ever had even a kind of heart-based experience, it's not a rational experience. It's sublime, and it's feeling-based. And it's intuitive, and it's everything that the mind is not.   Tahnee: (20:37) So there's this... I guess the best analogy I have is from yoga, but it's this idea that yeah, we have the functions of the mind which are useful and essential. We can't get through life without them, and great, but we don't want to live there and limit ourselves to that. We want to remember that there's this bigger self that is perceiving all of this and living all of this as well, and that can hold all of this even though the little mind might not think it can.   Tahnee: (21:05) And that to me, is sort of what Shen and the Heart hold in our... No matter how much weird shit goes on around us or what traumas we experience, there's this part of us that's bigger than all of that that can hold it. Like I said, the language I have for this is more out of yoga than out of Daoism, but I've seen this stuff in the Daoist texts as well. From working with Mantak Chia, I know that he also speaks about these things too. That's kind of the big, capital S, self. So that's what the Heart really projects, I suppose, and holds for us in this lifetime.   Tahnee: (21:40) So it takes us out of this small s, selfish self that has greed and wants to be pissed off at someone and wants to be right, and wants to be at war with the world in some ways. The best example of that I think of is a meta-meditation, like a Buddhist where you make all beings be happy. And then, make people that hate be happy, people that are evil be happy.   Tahnee: (22:04) It's this kind of practise where you practise being grateful and being compassionate to people you would normally not like to yourself, which is a massive thing for a lot of people. "can I truly be loved and be happy?" So I just wanted to distinguish between the mind and the brain which we would naturally link to as Westerners, having been raised in our culture and the mind to be the Heart, which from an Eastern perspective, is a little bit more out there and broad and big.   Mason: (22:34) Yeah. Well the taking of Shen herbs, I'm glad you brought that up. And just to keep it really simple, it is associated with the Shen herbs if you are feeling what we call that monkey mind, you'll find that through developing Shen and through taking Shen herbs and focusing on bringing your virtuous nature through. I find it to become evident, we all have this experience. But especially we can think about having a chip on our shoulder.   Mason: (23:05) In business, it's the best dojo, having resent towards competitors or someone that's wronged me. I'm not saying it takes... Forgiveness isn't something that just is done. The capacity needs to be developed. And over the years, I've experienced that nature of, "Do I really want to live with this resentment of someone because they're ripping this off, or they're not doing it the way that I think they should be doing it?"   Mason: (23:36) And it's the classic, spiritual one-on-one lesson that you're the one that needs to live with it. I don't need to live with it. But in order to calm yourself enough, just quiet that monkey mind. And as well, go through and do that deep work over decades and decades so that the monkey mind can be quiet to begin with. You see the pay off. You can see why the Daoists are like, "Yeah look, of course we need a strong body. We start with Jing, and we start with a strong body so that the Qi can move, and we want to cultivate lots of Qi and life."   Mason: (24:10) But what's the point if you don't develop your Shen and your virtuous nature? The reason we do that, the reason we want to be athletic and athletically apt is because you see a lot of people say, for example, a lot of people whose parent here. You'll see they'll get to 60, say 65 or 70, and there is just no way they've got the Jing and the Qi to get in there and do some deep psychological work and create forgiveness or get off the right or wrong. So just say politically, be able to get to the point where they can open up and take more of a broad view of life for their capacity to be happy, not have a monkey mind, not have resentfulness.   Mason: (24:54) And therefore, it kind of goes a little bit further with the dysfunction, if you don't develop your Shen. All of the sudden, you're stuck with your dysfunctions. You haven't developed a virtuous nature, and therefore, you become one that projects onto children, other family members, society, "This is what's wrong. This is why I'm right." Or you become extremely timid and don't have the capacity to stand for yourself and express your spirit. And it's an absolute, to be really blunt.   Mason: (25:24) I don't think it's right or wrong that people end up that way. But when you look at an objective level, if you have people who don't go into maturation, which is what Shen is, a lot of wisdom, then you become a burden. Right? And you become someone that projects, and it's not my job to be like, "That person's making me a victim."   Mason: (25:47) That's not what I'm saying. But if I'm saying from myself, if I got to the point where I'm 70 and I've got my anger issues that I haven't really worked on, "I don't like being judged," I know how much of a problem I'm going to be and a drain I'm going to be for Aiya. And that's really a harrowing feeling, and the Daoist and all these wise cultures saw that's the point. I don't care how big your muscles are, how much Qi you've got in your Spleen, if you can't really embody compassion, then what was it for?   Tahnee: (26:22) That's interesting because this phase of life... I think I'm right on this. I think earlier, when you're a little kid, you're in the Wood phase. And we're in the Fire phase now which is really about the soul learning through living and learning through trial and error and making mistakes. And it is kind of like a student-ship of the soul, ideally. And it's interesting given our culture how little people invest in their own spiritual development, I guess. I'm sure the people in these podcasts are slightly different, but in general, it's just not really a priority for people until they get a lot older. And like you said, the baggage is so heavy by then, yoga talks about every experience we have creating an impression. And if you dig the same line 100 times in the sand, it becomes a very deep line, and it's very hard to get rid of.   Tahnee: (27:12) And I think that's these kind of... You see people as they age becoming really stuck on certain ideas or certain things just loop and loop. It's because early on, when they had the opportunity, I think, to become conscious of that and to start to shift their perspective and their behaviour and their patterns, they've chosen not to do that. And the Bhagavad Gita talks about you want to put the reins on the horse and teach the horse. And then, learn to control the horse so it pulls the chariot in the right direction, not too fast, not too slow. And that's what I think this Shen stage of life is about.   Tahnee: (27:48) And then, we hit the declining... Oh sorry. I think we're always ascending. We hit the declining years, and then we hit the deep wisdom years in the 70's. And all of the things have to happen for us to end up there. And I think that's where-   Mason: (28:03) A lot of opportunity's lost.   Tahnee: (28:04) Yeah. If you've just hustled and made sure there's money and done your thing and whatever, you've not spent a lot of time on yourself and worked through your own stuff that you've brought through, which we all have. That's part of living. Then, you're going to end up in a bit of a shit fight later on, I think. And I think that's a lot of the people I talk to with menopause and when I spoke to Jane Hardwicke Collins about this. We talked about how women have that transition period in their late 40's, early 50's where suddenly their life catches up with them. And they realise all the places where they've bent over and not given to themselves first, and where they've been taken for granted or prioritised the things that weren't in service to them.   Tahnee: (28:53) That's the teaching of that time, and it's an invitation. The Blood has stopped. The Blood remains in the body, and that's when the Shen really rises in a woman if she's willing to meet it. But it means looking at all the things that are uncomfortable and all the things... Shen isn't all just sunshine and rainbows unfortunately. Sometimes for it to shine through, like you're saying, we have to do a bit of work. Peel away some of the layers.   Tahnee: (29:15) And that's why meditation is correlated with Shen building. It's being able to sit there. And again, I don't know the Daoist language for this, but in yoga, you've got the higher mind and the lower mind. And the lower mind is always there. It's not like you're calling it, the monkey mind. It's just monkeys are monkeys. No point trying to stop a monkey, but you don't want to live from that place. You want to live like you're watching the monkey and going, "What a funny monkey," and giving it a banana and being kind to it, but knowing that monkeys will do what monkeys will do.   Tahnee: (29:48) And living in this higher place that takes a bit of practise because A, it's not common in our culture. It's not really celebrated to not be easily reactive, and people love drama. How much do people love drama? Netflix is just drama to the enth degree, and it's fun.   Mason: (30:07) Drama's fun.   Tahnee: (30:07) It is fun. But it also catches us, and it spirals us through these emotional things. And it really can be damaging to our health.   Mason: (30:15) Well it's distracting. I think the biggest thing, if you start looking at the fact that you've got... You're saying we're in our 30's. We've got a good 10 years to dive in there and maybe do some therapy or do some... For me, it's do some integrating from a crazy amount of plant medicine I did in my late 20's and actually allow that to maturate into something. Consistently catch myself, consistently make decisions about where I dramatise. And just get in there and get really gritty. And you only have a certain amount of time.   Mason: (30:48) I'm not saying we're not allowed to do anything that's completely entertaining or total drama-dom.   Tahnee: (30:53) Well it's supposed to burn.   Mason: (30:54) Yeah, exactly.   Tahnee: (30:55) It's meant to be fun as well.   Mason: (30:55) Exactly. Oh, god to be meant to be fun. But in terms of just how distracted we let ourselves go, without going into morality, it's right or it's wrong kind of thing. But at some point, you go, "Shit, I better get on the horse here and develop myself a little bit."   Mason: (31:14) So the nature of meditation, the nature of why the Daoists saw Shen herbs... These are the herbs that tonify the organs associated with Shen, mainly the Heart, Heart Fire. But also, we're seeing the correlation between Shen tonics, Liver-Wood tonics. And then, you see some supporting herbs in there that are doing some work on the Spleen and Lung, and then, the Kidneys of course. Because you were talking about the lower mind and the upper mind, being the Kidney associated with that monkey mind.   Mason: (31:52) You can't really correlate the way the mind is seen the West with the way the Daoists see it.   Tahnee: (31:56) Oh yeah, where the brain is the Kidney.   Mason: (31:58) Exactly. So if the brain is the Kidney, and then the Heart is our higher thinking and our Shen, that's why there's herbs like polygala root that are in the SHEN blend that are actually running along the psychic vessel, the penetrating vessel from the Kidney to the Heart in order to connect those two styles of thought and bring sexual energy and bring a virtuous way of relating to our sexual energy, and merging that with the heart. It's also called our Will Strengthener, and it brings pure will power to our way of being.   Mason: (32:31) So you'll see herbs like polygala being some of the most potent Shen tonics because it brings a calming effect, not because it's a carminative, not because it down regulates the nervous system, but because you come integrated in a way. That without, you're not going to be able to spiritually develop yourself because you've got this drive and this sexual hunger and this power to create. Yet, that's not merging necessarily as smoothly as it could with this loving, forgiving, jovial, non-judgmental, non right and wrong, non shame-based way of living.   Mason: (33:06) And so it's really just calming. So these Shen herbs, you can see quite often, you start taking a herb like reishi, many people have felt it, but especially if you take SHEN blend with herbs like polygala. You can immediately feel, due to all the various actions, a calming effect. And that's good, but we're not taking this so you can be calm today. The idea of the SHEN blend and Shen herbs is we're going to be taking them either sporadically or over time. Maybe it's week on, week off, however. I don't know how you're going to take it.   Mason: (33:41) But in conjunction with meditation, doing your work, doing your practise, showing up with self, going to therapy, just being real. Taking that trajectory towards being someone who is, in their older age, able to have a laugh and a sense of humour. When life hits them, have water go off a duck's back. What happens if you lose a million dollars? Are you going to be able to let that go?   Tahnee: (34:06) Well that's the thing with the Heart because it's so much about... So the Heart has four... Normally in Chinese medicine, all the organ systems are in pairs. But the Heart is two pairs, four in total. And it's administrative role of the Triple Burner, the San Jiao, which is about regulating temperature and fluids across the three Dan Tien. So around your Heart-Lungs, around your digestive function, around your reproductive function. So that's one aspect of it.   Tahnee: (34:35) Then you've got the Small Intestine, which is about the ability to be discerning. So that's a really important function of the Heart, not judge but to just discern, to know the difference between what's true and what isn't true, it's own perception, which is assimilative and eliminative, getting rid of, a function of the Small Intestine. And then you've got this pericardium which is this protection around the Heart because the heart gets damaged by our interactions with humans.   Tahnee: (35:06) If we get heartbroken or even if we're just treated poorly in any way, every little cut starts to go deeper and deeper. And so, that's so much of the Fire years. Like I said, the human is also learning to relate and learning to forgive and not be hurt by our interactions with each other and to find the people or the types of people that are going to be the most suited to us, and this idea of remaining open-hearted throughout our lives.   Tahnee: (35:40) And that's something you see again in older people that have been hurt. They close off from love. They close off from receiving any goodness from anyone because they've been hurt once, or twice, or three times. So that's one of the offerings of working with the Heart energy and Fire energy, to stay in the space of open-hearted-ness and to remember that the Heart is protected. It has this whole meridian designed just to protect it from overheating, from being hurt, from being damaged.   Tahnee: (36:09) And when we do get broken-hearted, to honour that, and to let ourselves time to heal instead of rushing on. So I think that sometimes the Shen can get hidden when we've become so damaged that we won't let ourselves be seen.   Mason: (36:25) So heart-broken.   Tahnee: (36:26) Yeah. It's a classic thing, but this is just our relating and our ability. If you think about a saint, they're able to sit with anyone and not judge. The leper comes to Jesus, and he's like, "I love you. I love you like my child." The rich billionaire, fat person, the whatever, everyone comes, and they don't care. They sit there, and they love them. And there's no judgement , and there's no story.   Tahnee: (36:54) They accept things for what they are, and that's something that is an offering, I guess, of this Heart energy. So yeah, that's what I thought would be a useful thing to remember. As well, it's our relating and our inter-relating, and our joy in being social and being with others and being a part of a tribe. And again, it's what these years are about. Finding our tribe, finding the people that we want to be with, finding our place in the world, finding the people we want to share our lives with.   Mason: (37:27) And remember that there's no definition. We're not looking at important... I can feel Tahns is really honing in and giving you an example of what the pure energy of Shen is terms of a saint. That is within us, but integrated with all the other parts of our body. That's there and can be purely expressed while you're a smart ass, while you're just enjoying what's... You don't have to walk around being-   Tahnee: (37:51) Yeah. Whatever your personality is.   Mason: (37:52) Exactly.   Tahnee: (37:53) And most saints are very funny, give them half a chance. That's Buddha, you have a sense of humour. I think people forget that the cosmic joke is very funny.   Mason: (38:07) One of the virtuous things when you're high in Shen is extreme political incorrectness.   Tahnee: (38:13) I've never met a Daoist that wasn't funny, ever. They've all been f-ing hilarious.   Mason: (38:18) Uh-huh (affirmative). So Shen herbs, the way they're going to generally work is to bring a stability to the way that Fire rages. Remember, Tanz was talking about being comfortable within your body. It's like the fire in the hearth, the fire in our home, that is the Heart. And if it's raging too high or if it's erratic, it's going hot and cold. And when you think about it, you're sitting next to that fire. The flames are licking out. You're not going to be able to sit next to it.   Mason: (38:49) Now, that's your Shen. Your Shen is you, your Spirit, sitting next to the fire in that home. And if it's raging, it's going to be start and a bit fiery itself. And it's not going to be able to sit there and be calm. You're not going to be able to have calm emotions. You're going to have erratic emotions. You're going to have an erratic mindset. You're going to be cracked out.   Mason: (39:07) If it's too cold, how are you going to really... You're really cold long enough, you are not going to allow joy in your life. You're not going to be able to express it. And that's what Shen is about as well. So a lot of these Shen herbs are about bringing a stability to that Fire. And that stability, a lot of the time, is coming directly through the Heart, maybe moving the water Qi from under the heart in the case of spirit poria.   Mason: (39:33) Pearl, a great stabiliser, especially because it's a real cold herb for the Liver Yin. Therefore, it's going to ensure that we don't have this excess Fire, Yang, within the Liver-Wood, which is going to create these brittle branches that are then going to excessively feed the Fire very fast. We have suppleness and cooling within the Liver-Wood so that we don't have as much Fire. And Wood being fed into the Fire; therefore, we're more stable.   Mason: (40:01) And then the other way that they work, they're basically nourishing of the Shen. So the reishi mushroom, the asparagus root, the albizia flower, these are Shen nourishers. And so, that's literally about cultivating that Fire and going and building in a way that's going to be burning appropriately for the season. And this is why our practises, our spiritual practises, our meditation, the way that we're interacting with nature and our emotions, it needs to be seasonal. Because you remember, everything is really coming down to us developing Shen.   Mason: (40:40) And different seasons, you need your Fire to be doing different things that requires you acting in very different ways. Remember, all organs and practises are essentially serving the emperor of the Heart eventually. So just being aware of that and remembering Shen, developing your own Shen. Getting to know you and your Shen, you're going to keep on hitting brick walls in terms of being the way you think you should be, the way you think is virtuous. And you might have to go and do some... You might have to have some real dark nights of the soul as you go along. And they get easier as you go along to really learn, "Well, that's just not going to happen. This is the nature of who I am and how I act. I'm going to have to go and deal with it and express myself in a way that isn't the Disney version or the picture-perfect way."   Mason: (41:23) And if you can do that on the other side of it, there's this ease where all the crap, more and more... It's never perfect, I'm being idealistic. But more and more, all the crap falls off you like water off a duck's back. And there's some things with us, and now it's a funny time to bring up relationships since I just put that post up on Instagram about us quitting SuperFeast and being an official power couple.   Mason: (41:49) But one thing I've just noticed, like most relationships, it's always the amount of Shen you can develop in a relationship... And it's chalk and cheese if you look four years ago to something you'd say, and I'd take it personally and bring it up in a hostile way. Verse now, if you bring it up, a lot of the time it can just be, like I said, water off a duck's back.   Mason: (42:15) And the same with you. I can feel adjustments to the way that you say things, and I feel less and less when you bring them up. I don't feel them as injustices. Not all the time, but I can bring things up a little, with a little bit less charge and a little bit more forgiveness. And I tried doing it the right way for a couple of years and being a better man, and it just wasn't working. I had to go in and be like, "Far out, what's actually going on here?"   Mason: (42:42) And sure enough, after a while, as everyone's experienced with relationships and at work and with their children, things start smoothing out a little bit more. And since we've all had the experience of seeing ourselves develop and potentially becoming less erratic or less timid or something like that, you just go, "Wow, I've got the opportunity to take this and run with it, make this the main driver of my life to make sure I end up as an 80 or 90 year-old that's super functional and fun to be around, or at least carries a little bit of wisdom, has the energy and the capacity to share my wisdom and be a joy to be around."   Mason: (43:20) That's why the Shen herbs... That's why reishi was depicted in Heaven by the Daoists. It's why the Shen herbs were considered... They were the most revered. And it's why they were the ones that would eventually be consumed the most. You can just get yourself and your lifestyle set where you're developing your Jing, and you're not leaking a battery. Easy. You've just got your sleep practises, cool. Eventually, you don't have to think about that quite as much.   Mason: (43:50) And the same as Qi. You've got your practises. You've got your Qi Gong. You're allowing your emotions to move smoothly. You're eating an appropriate amount, appropriate for the body. You've got deep breathing going on. You're spending time in the sun. You're charging. You're developing that Qi. Then, you're free to just go in and actually just consistently work on your Shen. It's always where it ends up. It seems boring in the beginning of the journey. But at some point, you're like, "God, this is where it's at."   Tahnee: (44:26) Boring to whom? I think it's such a pleasant outcome, I suppose. When you start to feel like you've integrated and settled and grounded, and obviously a continuing process. But I remember the first time I took reishi. I think I took it to... It wouldn't have been vipassan. It must have been a non-vipassana, but it was a 10-day retreat. I think it was a tantric retreat in Thailand. But just the grace of the herb with the practises, it was just so beautiful and really connecting to yourself in that way, I think there's something really beautiful about when you start to experience your Shen. It's definitely not boring. I think there's an ideological thing, perhaps it's a little bit virtuous sounding. And a bit like, "Oh."   Mason: (45:27) It sounds wanky.   Tahnee: (45:28) Yeah. I get that.   Mason: (45:29) Me too.   Tahnee: (45:29) I definitely thought that as well sometimes. But I think the lived experience of it is really beautiful. And when you're living in that place, even if it's for periods of time as it becomes more integrated, you tend to sort of move in and out of your own evolution. I'm sure many of you can relate to that. But yeah, there's this real beauty and grace in sitting and resting in that kind of awareness of the Heart. You look at all the traditions from the Christian traditions, I may argue that they all came from the same place, possibly the Vedas. But they're pointing to this union of fire and water, this Heart, Kidneys, the Daoist example of this.   Tahnee: (46:17) And yeah, when we've nourished ourselves on this level, which many of you have working with Jing herbs, and working with changing lifestyles and building more functional ways of being, and you start with herbs. Herbs in the SHEN blend or just Shen herbs in general, it's a very quick and powerful transition, I suppose, into that more conscious state, without sounding like a total douche.   Mason: (46:48) But you're easy to be around.   Tahnee: (46:49) Yeah.   Mason: (46:50) Way easier to be around. And the whole factor, we talk about personality. Because we're not talking about an idealistic way of being or a spiritual way of being.   Tahnee: (47:00) It's just you.   Mason: (47:01) It's just you. That's the whole point of it.   Tahnee: (47:03) Without the bullshit.   Mason: (47:04) Without the bullshit. We can't reiterate that enough. And I think everyone has to go through their experience of trying to develop themselves towards an ideological way of being. To think, "I'm going to be accepted by this little cult here if I act in this way." And that doesn't just count towards spiritual hand-on-heart stuff, which for some people, that's-   Tahnee: (47:25) Their truest expression.   Mason: (47:28) Exactly. But it's in all manner of ways. The guy who's working on Wall Street and thinks that he's gotta be a hustler and work that way his entire life. It's same deal. Its just like, "Pop your head out of ideology a little bit. Maybe you have to stop being so Jing deficient to begin with. Get your lifestyle where I can see you can have some Qi. And all of sudden, you've got the energy to actually get some Shen coming, developing, and cracking through."   Mason: (47:50) And that's what the Shen character is, the written character. It's the sun, moon, and stars with a rope coming up to them. The two hands pulling down to signify the connecting of the supernatural and that part of ourselves that's way beyond this.   Tahnee: (48:09) Yeah, highest consciousness.   Mason: (48:11) Bringing it down here and merging it with us. So you're going to like this blend, guys. It tastes bloody delicious.   Tahnee: (48:19) Which is lucky because Shen herbs are bitter usually.   Mason: (48:22) Yeah. And of course, we've got reishi in there as a big one. It's the queen of the mushies. So you can already see, it's going to be working on the nervous system, immune system, Kidneys, Liver health. It's going to be doing a bunch of other things. But in terms of calming the monkey mind, bringing some calmness to yourself, less erraticness in the emotions, giving you the capacity to express a bit more happiness and develop that Shen and everything else that we've talked about. Go deeper in meditation. For some of you, it's going to be really, really good for sleep.   Mason: (48:53) We've had a couple of people who have just been atrocious with their sleep. And Shen's been able to come in quite immediately and help them go super deep with continued usage. For others, it's not a sleep blend. For some people, when you get your Shen expressing, perhaps too quick sometimes, the dreams can become quite out there. Some people love it.   Tahnee: (49:20) Especially if you're Blood deficient, I think.   Mason: (49:22) Yeah.   Tahnee: (49:23) Yeah. It's good to check up with a practitioner if you're not sure.   Mason: (49:28) Don't try and treat any kind of psychosis or extreme insomnia or depression or anything with this SHEN blend. And we're not just saying that as a disclosure.   Tahnee: (49:41) Disclaimer, yeah.   Mason: (49:42) I said disclosure. No, that's like a UFO podcast is next. Talk to your practitioner. But the Shen herbs can be used in conjunction with other treatments you're doing. But just go slow with it. But reishi's in there, so of course, that's just opening the heart wide open. I'm very excited that a bunch of you... Another major herb in the blend is the albizia flower. It comes from the tree of happiness.   Mason: (50:05) This flower is an absolute shining light. You just smile. I smile when I look at it. It's just a great mood elevator. And then we've got asparagus root as the third major herb in there.   Tahnee: (50:22) She's a legend.   Mason: (50:23) Yeah, shatavari's a legend. And so, there's a lot going on, integrate hormone regulator, integrate Jing tonic in itself. But asparagus root was used by the Daoists in order to allow us to fly. And so, with our meditations and in life, the idea is in life, if something happens and shit's hitting the fan, you're going to be able to fly up, rise above the situation. Look down, get a more of a bird's eye view so that you're not just reacting to it down on this animalistic level, this reptilian level.   Mason: (50:52) And it's the same in your meditations. You bring this buoyancy so you can fly through yourself with greater ease and just get a couple of, "Ah yeah, all right. I can see how I'm doing that and doing that." Such a great herb. But that's the one sometimes people... I don't think you like that at night.   Tahnee: (51:09) I was laughing because it makes me fly at night, only if I take large doses. I remember taking three teaspoons one night, and I was up till about 4:00 in the morning.   Mason: (51:19) Jesus.   Tahnee: (51:19) Do not do that at home.   Mason: (51:21) Oh I'm sorry. I wasn't Jesus in exclamation. I was just like, "I'm pretty sure that's what Jesus did when he went to India and studied his spiritual practises." But whatever.   Mason: (51:29) And then, we've got some more support, a secondary, bringing in spirit poria. So spirit poria, medicinal mushroom, bringing in that secondary medicinal mushroom magic.   Tahnee: (51:41) Not to be confused with regular poria.   Mason: (51:41) No, it's a much more precious, I guess I'd say. Poria's one of my favourite herbs by far. Spirit poria is the sclerotium that makes up about sometimes 10, 20% of the actual... You break off the fruiting body-   Tahnee: (52:03) Which is regular poria.   Mason: (52:04) Which is regular poria growing off the pine. The mushroom was inoculated into the pine, then put under dirt. But right there, normally you can't get access to the mycelium, the body, the inside. But with spirit poria, that is just that 10% or maybe 20% where it's emerging from the pine. And it's in that transformation. It's in that process of transforming the pine.   Mason: (52:31) And you can also get to access to the body, which you can't get in the wild of any other herb. And so, it's got this otherworldly quality. So it's got all the Qi, Spleen tonifying-   Tahnee: (52:43) Functions.   Mason: (52:44) Water metabolism functions and immunological functions. But it's just got this additional bringing of transformational light into the Heart.   Tahnee: (52:54) So just a quick fun fact, because chaga is also a sclerotium. So that means they aren't true mushrooms in terms of the actual expressed fruiting body, which is what you would normally get. So just for people that are interested. Because I think a lot of the time, we say chaga mushroom, we say spirit poria mushroom. And we say that because it's easier than saying chaga sclerotium and explaining that to someone. But this is what makes these particular herbs really special, chaga and spirit poria because you can't really cultivate sclerotium.   Tahnee: (53:33) Chaga's never been able to be cultivated. Spirit poria isn't cultivated in a lab or anything like that like you can get with most medicinal mushrooms. They can grow them in an artificial environment. You can't do that with these guys. So these are cultivated in an outdoor setting, like how they would grow in nature. So just a fun fact.   Mason: (53:52) We'll put a video of me-   Tahnee: (53:55) Harvesting.   Mason: (53:57) Yeah. At the poria farm. And I explain what spirit poria is, and you can actually see me pointing out. So go to the show notes for that.   Tahnee: (54:04) And they grow in tropical parts.   Mason: (54:06) Yeah. Yunnan.Yunnan provence. There was a hotter region, they were growing in the middle.   Tahnee: (54:13) In the grass. In the middle, yeah.   Mason: (54:14) In that middle belt of China, but it poria was becoming more popular. And the local government or the provincial government, wasn't regulating the harvesting of pine. And so, 95% of the herbal world doesn't give a shit about that, and they continue to do that there. But those doing Di Dao, who were doing true Di Dao, part of Di Dao is sustainability or leaving it intact. And so, it moved to secondary preference. And we moved to a secondary preference, which is Yunnan Province. It's still Di Dao. It's still said, "You go get your herbs from Yunnan Province in this micro-climate in the ancient text."   Mason: (54:56) But it's just not our first-   Tahnee: (54:58) Preference.   Mason: (54:58) Preference. Which is as always, guys, with the sourcing. We're going to prioritise the environment.   Tahnee: (55:03) Longevity of it. Yep.   Mason: (55:05) And so, yeah. So the farmers who I was meeting, they moved their whole operations and their whole family. And they moved to Yunnan. And there, the government's like crazy regulatory. And that's why there's a cap on how big your farm can be because you can only go and harvest so much wild pine. And they send helicopters over. You've got to prove and show that you've used all your tags. And they go through, and basically if they find that you've taken any other additional pine, then you're going to get some serious fines.   Tahnee: (55:36) Fine-age. And I think too, when you think about what sclerotium is, it does have this part of the tree still in it. That's where a lot of these medicines come from. Because if you look at pine and you look at birch were chaga grows, they're both very potent trees in their own rights. Spiritually, the pine is the Daoists' favourite bloody tree. I talked to Master Chia about the pine. He loves a pine. But incredibly medicinal trees as well.   Tahnee: (56:07) And then, even oak, which is what lion's mane is grown on.   Mason: (56:10) And reishi.   Tahnee: (56:11) Yeah, really medicinal trees. So for us, having that tree energy is really important.   Mason: (56:19) Tree Qi.   Tahnee: (56:19) Yeah. So we don't work with grain growing or anything like that which is, again, another thing that's commonly done in cultivated environments. So you've just got to think about what the energetics are going to be of these herbs when you consume them. So again, another fun fact.   Mason: (56:38) Yeah. Then we start getting to the assistant herbs. Pearl, I've talked about. That is a micro-ground pearl.   Tahnee: (56:50) Yeah. So it's not an extract. Sometimes people get confused, but it's literally ground up pearls.   Mason: (56:51) It's ground up pearls, very ancient medicine, very mineral rich, energetically Cold. Just a beautiful Shen tonic, so calming to the mind, and one of the most beautifying. It's a really beautifying blend as well for the skin. Between the asparagus root, the pearl, and all the Blood building herbs that we've got in there, plus no scrunching with anger. No crow's feet. That's what happens when you're a bit more happy, but pearl, and yes-   Tahnee: (57:22) Just smile lines.   Mason: (57:22) As always. Yeah, just smile lines. And pearl, as always, sustainably harvested, because we've had a few people ask where they're farmed. In the wild.   Tahnee: (57:28) In fresh water.   Mason: (57:29) Yeah, fresh water. Polygala, I talked about. It's one of my favourite herbs, the will strengthener, connecting the Kidney sexual energy, the Waters, as Tahns was saying before. The ideal behind this life is taking the Water, mixing it with the Fire, creating alchemy. And polygala is one of those herbs that is taking the Water of the Kidneys and connecting it with the Fire of the Heart. And of course, the Kidneys are the regulators, kind of like the grandma of the Heart. Just clipping it, we need Water in order to keep that Fire under control and keep it grounded and rooted.   Mason: (58:06) So I'm very excited that you're all going to be taking polygala when you take this blend. Got rehmania in there as a Blood builder. Beautiful Shen tonic in itself, but especially grounding in bringing that Yin Jing Water energy and that building of Blood so that we can get the Shen moving around.   Tahnee: (58:22) Love rehmania.   Mason: (58:22) Rehmania's amazing. And then, some aged citrus peel. That's in there as a Spleen-Lung tonic as an augmentor of the Spleen, Stomach, and Lung to ensure smooth integration of the other herbs. It's a beautiful assistant herb. And then, the other assistant which goes in, which is a pretty typical one traditionally in Shen with other Shen herbs, is longan. It's a beautiful Blood and Qi tonic. Heart and Spleen energy, so longan is used in smaller amounts. It's considered in its own right, the longan fruit, as a Shen tonic just to be taken on its own.   Mason: (59:03) In terms of when you put it in there as an assistant to other Shen tonics, you see this amplification of the nourishing of the Heart. It's palpable. I've tried it without the longan, and then with. And it's super palpable.   Tahnee: (59:22) So that's probably why it tastes good because longans are delicious.   Mason: (59:26) Longans are delicious. That's the dragon eye energy coming through, guys. So it's also a Qi tonic. So it supports the Blood moving through the channels because you can't just build the Blood. You need the Qi tonics there moving it around.   Tahnee: (59:43) It's a really good women's herb too. And it is kind of like a lychee if you've never seen a longan before.   Mason: (59:43) A little lychee.   Tahnee: (59:43) Yeah, like a little, round, brown lychee. But they grow around this area and in the tropics.   Mason: (59:51) You find them at Harris Farm when they're in season.   Tahnee: (59:56) There you go. Harris Farm.   Mason: (59:58) Yeah, I know.   Tahnee: (59:59) First time they've been mentioned on the SuperFeast.   Mason: (01:00:00) Yeah. I know because every time... My mum was at her old place, Harris Farm was up the road.   Tahnee: (01:00:07) Yep. I've been there.   Mason: (01:00:10) Yeah. You've been there.   Tahnee: (01:00:11) They have some good organic stuff actually.   Mason: (01:00:13) Boronia Park.   Tahnee: (01:00:14) Shout out Boronia Park.   Mason: (01:00:15) Yeah, shot out Harris Farm, Boronia Park yeiiiiiwwww! Down in Sidney there. Mom's moved on up the road to Putney since then. But guys, any questions let us know, in terms of taking the Shen. I personally like it in the morning. It sets me up for a really calm, it's not calm as in a floppiness. When you have your Shen tonics coming through, there's a calmness. But I feel really my value, I feel principled in that sense, just to give you that little bit of a sense of how I feel. It's not just calm and just like, "Yes. Sweet, man. My thoughts are slow."   Mason: (01:00:56) No, no, no. My thoughts are kind of like... My mind is calm. My thoughts are able to come through real clearly. I feel crispy, and I feel my principles. I feel virtuous in hopefully a non-egoic way.   Tahnee: (01:01:10) You're tuned in, like the radio channel's clear, it's coming through. You've got that connection. I think that's the feeling of being dialled in to yourself, which I think is not a... The calm is from the steadiness of the mind instead of the doubting mind, the kind of the mind that is not completely satisfied is a very agitated state to be in. And so when we're calm, when we're just clear and we're getting the frequency right for ourselves, it's a really beautiful feeling.   Mason: (01:01:45) Mm-hmm (affirmative).   Tahnee: (01:01:45) I think, and I agree. I personally like it in the morning, I've taken it at night while we're trialling it. I didn't have any issues with it, but I just feel like it's a really nice way to start the day.   Mason: (01:01:55) Yeah.   Tahnee: (01:01:57) Beautiful intention to set.   Mason: (01:01:59) And it's good. It's like smoothies. Adjusting hot water with a touch of milk and honey works that way. Goes in with any teas. You can do hot chocolates and coffees with it and smoothies with it. Same deal. If you're doing it at night... As I said, I've got to reiterate, for some people, they didn't love it in the morning. Some people were just like, "Nah, I didn't really need to be that... " They didn't need that Shen tonifying steadying.   Tahnee: (01:02:23) Stillness.   Mason: (01:02:23) But at night, was when they really benefited and really were able to go deep into a Yin state for them. So find, pick your time. Pick what's appropriate for you. Chamomile tea at night, beauty. You're laughing.   Mason: (01:02:37) Hit us up if you've got any questions.   Tahnee: (01:02:38) Yeah, really excited to hear your feedback your all, and experiences and all those things. So let us know. We love hearing from you guys, and-   Mason: (01:02:49) Shen on.   Tahnee: (01:02:49) Shen on. I also say [shu-yage 01:02:51], bon voyage.

This episode has connection issues but only of the internet variety! We connected genuinely with Noah’s mom Abbie. After success as a filmmaker and director with her twin sister, Carol (a clothing designer @ShoshNewYork), Abbie went on to found The Studio in New York City where she teaches the transformative practice of Katonah Yoga (@thestudio.yoga). Which we learned can shed light on your habits and offer fresh perspective and insight. Having a twin sister has made Abbie’s nieces and nephews more like siblings to her own children, and therefore a deeply connected family unit who not only supports but believes in and practices the family trade of self-awareness, enlightenment and expression. Abbie’s son Noah is currently playing  Dr. Asher Wolke on The Good Doctor (ABC) and previously starred as Evan Hansen in Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway as well as being the star of the ABC sitcom The Real O’Neals to name just a few of his artistic endeavors. Find him @noahegalvin

“I teach as a way to give voice to the truth of our experience and existence…” Teaching a blend of fluid movement, pranayama, kundalini, and meditation classes, Josie artfully crafts each teaching experience with intention and intelligence, providing a cohesive structure for an eye-opening, transformative journey. Present moment awareness is at the heart, a truth that permeates every movement, stillness and breath. Yoga with Josie transcends the concept of a workout. She is heavily influenced by her dear Teacher Nevine Michhan, the founder and creator of Katonah Yoga. Her time spent learning form Nevine and her teachers, continues to be a life changing experience. Josie is a well rounded and multifaceted yoga teacher (Yoga Alliance, E-RYT.) She has created and cultivated her own unique 200 and 300 hour teacher trainings. You can find her at her studio The Space in Columbus, OH leading communal classes, privates therapeutic private sessions, endless workshops and teacher trainings.

well honey it's not every day you are graced by the presence of a literal angel, but i'm here to tell you that today is that day. it's my absolute pleasure to present to you Alex Sharry, a Katonah Yoga® teacher and absolute icon. In this episode we discuss: how we use language in therapeutic relationships being a teachable teacher embodying what you teach going to therapy working with resistance codependency you're in for a real treat. thanks so much for coming to the show. ~ SHOW NOTES ~ On Alex's nightstand: Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi ~ CONTACT INFO ~ Alex: @alexsharry // alexsharry@gmail.com // www.alexsharry.com The Studio: @thestudio.yoga // thestudio.yoga Katonah Yoga Center: @katonahyogacenter // katonahyoga.com Moi: @bedside.manner // bedsidemanneruniverse.com sign up for the Dispatches from Bedside Manner Universe newsletter here, and please remember that the internet is an illusion and of course -- as always.... let me know if you need anything x

This week's guest is Tony Lupinacci! Tony is a phenomenal teacher and just an all around wonderful human. In this episode we talk about giving ourselves permission to fully feel. We also touch on the importance of a personal practice to help us navigate life. Tony Bio: "Tony is a New York City based yoga teacher who believes in the deep transformative power of a consistent yoga practice. He’s been teaching for a decade, having taught on trainings in NYC, Europe and Asia. Above all else, Tony has spent countless hours in self-study and practice, and considers himself a student first. Tony’s teaching style weaves in elements of Ashtanga, Bikram, Forrest, Dharma and Katonah Yoga. He uses pranayama, kriya and mantra to strengthen the connection to oneself." Connect with Tony Lupinacci Website:: https://www.tonylupinacci.com/ Insta: @tonylupinacci Training: https://www.thesacredfig.com/ Connect with CLARITY & CALM Clarity & Calm Website - www.claritycalm.com/ Insta:: @breevanzutphen Clarity & Calm Youtube - www.youtube.com/channel/UCejQH6b6…iew_as=subscriber Resources referenced in this episode: Tara Brach -https://www.tarabrach.com/ Glennon Doyle's book Untamed - https://untamedbook.com/ Amma- https://amma.org/

This Yoga Sesh sequence I have been wanting to record for you for a long time and when I got a request for stretching the IT Band it motivated me to get this class up and available on the podcast. There are poses and flows in this practice that I fell in love with about a year ago when I started teaching at a Katonah Yoga inspired studio. These poses and the "Water Salutations" involve weaving and crossing your legs which creates a beautiful balance challenge and activates both sides of your brain. (I first learned these salutations under the name "Waterfall Salutation" from Katonah Yoga and I updated my language for it because I resonate more with referring to the Element of Water itself and the deep knowing it invokes within us). In addition to IT band stretches expect hamstring openers and working with the outer hips. This practice does have a peak pose that you may want to look up and get a visual on before you hit play called Krounchasana or Heron Pose. We will do both Heron Pose and Revolved Heron :) Suggested props: 1-2 blocks Moves & poses to know: Some of the poses and flows in this sequence are modern, hybrid and on the frontier of yoga so they are not Google-able (crazy!). Look at my Instagram pose on October 8th, 2020 to get a glimpse of them. The most important poses to reference are Krounchasana (Heron Pose) and Parivrtta Krounchasana (Revolved Heron Pose). Visit www.caitlinrosekenney.com to learn about LIVE Virtual Classes, Yoga Teacher Training and more.

Kyle Miller is a yoga instructor has traveled all over the world learning and teaching many different styles of yoga. Along the way learning the ins & outs of each practice ultimately landing on Katonah Yoga as a way to be free in her personal practice.    Resources:  Kyle Miller: https://kylemilleryoga.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/kylemilleryoga/ Sign up for the Katonah Yoga mentorship program  https://www.katonahyoga.com/programs The Space  https://www.thespacecolumbus.com FSMW Shirts: https://bit.ly/2RrVdZt IG: https://www.instagram.com/thespacecolumbus/ https://www.instagram.com/josieschweitzer/    

Elian Zach received her formal training in sound therapy at The New York Open Center under the guidance of world-renowned sound researcher, practitioner and ethnomusicologist, Alexandre Tannous. An advanced, E-RYT yoga teacher, she completed her trainings and continuing education in New York with a variety of master teachers from different yogic disciplines, including Nevine Michaan of Katonah Yoga, Colleen Saidman and Rodney Yee of Yoga Shanti, Leslie Kaminoff, Ramanand Patel, Sam Chase and Kevin Gardiner. Elian is also a breathwork facilitator, trained in Breakthrough Breathwork, a modality which she frequently incorporates into her sound offerings. Early in her life’s journey, she was trained in classical and contemporary theatre at Circle in the Square Theatre School on Broadway, and has worked extensively on stage, film and television productions, as well as contributed her voice to various projects. Together with David Shemesh, she co-founded WOOM CENTER, New York's first of its kind multi-sensory yoga and meditation studio, based primarily on the therapeutic and psychedelic properties of sound vibration, where they both facilitate and host practitioners from all over the country and the world. Along with Alexandre Tannous, David and Elian host WOOM Sound School several times each year, a celebrated sound practitioner training program. WOOM has been featured in various publications such as Vogue, The New York Times, New York Magazine, and Well + Good, and has also been covered by BuzzFeed, NowThis and The Culture Trip. Elian has had the pleasure of sharing sound with both smaller private groups and on larger scale events such as MediClub, Flavorpill’s Quiet Mornings at The MoMA, and Burning Man. The team has taken their work all over the world and facilitated experiences in Costa Rica, Ibiza, Tel Aviv, Colombia and Hong Kong. Elian’s greatest joy is to meld all of her passions into one transformative practice that invites a holistic participation of the physical, emotional, intellectual, creative and spiritual bodies. http://www.woomcenter.com Natalie Brown: http://www.soundshealstudio.com http://www.facebook.com/soundshealstudio http://www.youtube.com/soundshealstudio http://www.instagram.com/nataliebrownsoundsheal Music by Natalie Brown, Hope & Heart https://youtu.be/hZPx6zJX6yA This episode is sponsored by The OM Shoppe & Spa. The OM Shoppe & Spa offers a vast array of Sound Healing and Vibrational Medicine tools for serious professionals and for those ready to make sound and vibration part of their ongoing lifestyle. More and more we are coming to understand that our individual wellness is a direct reflection of our personal vibration. How we care for ourselves, our physical bodies, our minds and our spirits. The OM Shoppe is ready to help you today in a variety of ways. They offer the countries largest showroom of Quartz Crystal Singing bowls, sound healing instruments and vibrational medicine tools. If you are ready to uplevel your sound healing practice The OM Shoppe is a great place to get guidance and direction. They are available to consult with you directly by phone or you can shop online. They really enjoy getting to know their clients and customers one on one to better help recommend the right sound healing tools in the right tones for you. Call them today or visit them at http://www.theomshoppe.com. If you are ever near Sarasota, Florida, do consider stopping in and visiting with them or enjoy a luxury spa treatment such as sound healing, energy work, massage, vibroacoustics or hypnotherapy. They truly offer a full holistic experience for practitioners and those seeking healing through natural means.

In this episode I sit down with Sarah Krzyanowksi a native New Yorker and 200 RYT. Sarah completed her teacher training at Laughing Lotus Yoga Center in NYC in 2015. Sarah came to the practice of yoga through the completion of her first marathon in 2010. She looked to yoga as part of her training schedule and after her first class realized it could become so much more. In this conversation we dive into the yoga teacher training programs that are being offered and what some of the gaps may be for continued teacher success. We discuss the ways in which teachers would benefit from business/ entrepreneur training and the willingness to have open and honest conversations around what it takes to be successful in the industry.We explore together the breakdown that is starting to occur with the Yoga Studio model and how teachers can work to adapt. Discussing different and creative ways to move forward on the yoga path that do not include owning a yoga studio. Sarah breaks down her definition of financial success and how she has been able to achieve this on her path as a Yoga Teacher. We discuss the power in dismantling society’s definition of success as a way for more people to have personal freedom. Sarah closes out this discussion highlighting the importance of being comfortable in your body. Learning to understand all pieces of yourself and the strength that exists when we can admit to not having all the answers. You can find Sarah at www.sarahkyoga.com or on instagram @Sarah.k.yogaShe is leading an upcoming Beginners Yoga Series at Common Roots Collective in Rye NH and has recently been studying and training in Katonah Yoga which weaves Taoist theory and the importance of embodiment of the poses.To connect with Amanda follow her on Instagram @astrojny or visit amandastrojny.com and schedule your free connection call today.

 J’ai adoré discuter avec Victoire. Elle a une façon différente d’appréhender le monde de la mienne et ça m’a complètement fasciné.  Dans cet épisode elle nous raconte la façon dont elle a éduqué son attention pour élargir sa conscience en particulier à travers le cinéma et la musique expérimentales. On parle beaucoup d’attention dans le Yoga, Victoire nous fait découvrir tout un panel de sensations auxquelles nous ne pensons pas forcément pour développer notre attention d’une autre manière.  Victoire nous parle aussi du coup de cœur qu’elle a eu pour une pratique méconnue en France, le Katonah Yoga. Métaphore, mesures, cartes mentales, j’ai découvert un univers foisonnant à travers le discours passionné de Victoire.  Nous avons aussi parlé de la façon dont le yoga peut faire évoluera société, notamment à travers un programme destiné aux école maternelles et primaires auquel elle participe.  Bonne écoute! // Références// Stan Brakhage https://www.mirz-yoga.com/ https://www.skyting.com/ Katonah Yoga Nevine Michaan Dages Juvelier Keates Alexandra Geyser L'école des émotions The kindeness curriculum : https://centerhealthyminds.org/join-the-movement/sign-up-to-receive-the-kindness-curriculum Richardson

This week we are bringing you a super special guest, our very good friend, Nikki Costa Lang. Nikki is the founder of The Ultra Dose, where she has an online membership program called the Digital Dose, and she is a yoga teacher who specializes in private therapeutic sessions. We both met Nikki through our yoga studio called The Space, right here in Columbus, Ohio. Although Nikki is located in the Cleveland/Akron area, she is a frequent visitor to the Columbus area. We loved this episode with Nikki so much as she talks about how her business has been shifting and evolving during these times of quarantine and lockdown. We discuss how she has been off of social media and how that has been allowing her to go deeper and get to the root of things that she may have otherwise been avoiding. We discuss current practices and rituals that allow us to stay centered during this uncertain time of the global pandemic. Nikki shares with us how finding Katonah Yoga has seeped into all areas of her life and allowed her to show up more consistently for herself and others. We adore Nikki so much and we are so thankful for this opportunity for her to share so much of her wisdom and her vulnerability with us! We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did!  If you'd like to support the podcast, the BEST way is to share it with a friend, leave a 5-star review and written review! If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know by tagging us on your social media!Where to find Staying Conscious with Meg & Aly:SubscribeInstagram: @stayingconsciouspodcastFacebook: @stayingconsciouspodcastWhere to find Nikki:Website: theultradose.comThe Digital DoseInstagram:@nikkicostalang@theultradoseTake online zoom class with Nikki Monday at Noon with The Space Nikki's May Mentorship ProgramMentionings:Ivy RayJosie SchweitzerThe Space Yoga Studio Katonah YogaUntamed by Glennon Doyle 

Josie [@josieschwitzer] is the owner of The Space in Columbus -- a *must check out* yoga studio. Josie shares her yoga journey that ultimately led her to Katonah Yoga, ++ so many incredible insights that Katonah Yoga offers. Check out if Katonah Yoga is in your city -- https://www.katonahyoga.com/directory.Notes:-- The Space, @thespacecolumbus-- Josie's YTT! -- Katonah Yoga, @katonahyogacenter-- Katonah Yoga Teachers: Nevine MichaanMatt Phippen, Mira Lowenstein, Dages Juvelier Keates-- Book Recs: Women Who Run With The Wolves, War of Art-- Greece Retreat

Noah Julian is back on the show and we are talking about meditation, daily practice and everything in between. Following a brief career as a concert violinist, cut short by a struggle with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Noah Julian began a lifelong wholistic approach to his personal health and wellness. His education and research over the past two decades has led down many areas of specialization including those related to optimal human movement. Noah’s teaching largely involves Calisthenics (body-weight strength training) coupled with the work and teaching of Nevine Michaan of Katonah Yoga®. Noah served as co-founder of Philadelphia’s Yoga and Movement Sanctuary (YMS), as well as co-leader of YMS’s 250 hour teacher training. Noah teaches a regular class schedule (for multiple levels) throughout the Philadelphia area and can periodically be found teaching workshops and trainings throughout the United States. Follow Noah on Instagram Follow me on Instagram Public workshops with me CLICK HERE Tuesday night LIVESTREAM Meditation - REGISTER HERE Photography Booking - CLICK HERE

For the first interview of Season 2, I sit down in-person with my dear friend, former client, and gorgeous soul, Lindsay Bilezikian. Lindsay and I met back in NYC shortly before we both hit the road on separate journeys in pursuit of our own uniquely aligned life. Lindsay takes us through her story, from leaving behind layers of her life that no longer served her to step into her true, HYEr self. She also expands upon her heart calling as a sound reader and healer, where Lindsay works with the energy of Crystal Tones Alchemy singing bowls to offer a modality of healing that is deeply personal, and allows the individual to experience and activate their energetic body through the vibrational power of sound. In addition to Sound Healing, Lindsay is a reiki master and holds a 200hr Katonah Yoga certification. Episode HYElights: Listening to your intuition + recognizing gut feelings Breaking away from what is breaking you How she came to find her Sound, and the journey it's taken her on Stepping into your own power and putting that into practice Finding beauty in chaos Recognizing your ego (because it's super sneaky!) Having resilience (and Lindsay's unexpected spirit “animal”) Becoming your own decision maker > // Follow Lindsay on IG @ltbdiary // Lindsay's website https://www.lindsaybilezikian.com/ // Follow me on IG @thehyelife // Email me at Meredith@feelthehye.com // Sign up for the bi-weekly HYElights Newsletter // Get my FREE StressLess Daily Checklist // Shift Your Self 12-Week Holistic Program --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-hye-life-podcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-hye-life-podcast/support

This episode features Pipi Sendowski, a New Yorker who works in real estate, teaches Katonah Yoga®, and also offers hypnotherapy sessions. Hypnotherapy can be used for many reasons, and is a great tool to support one's wellness. To learn more, or to schedule a session with Pipi, DM her on instagram @pipilata. To learn more about what we do at A.G.A.P.E. Wellness, visit www.agapewell.com. On our site you will find a variety of wellness resources, all for FREE! Follow us on Instagram: @a.g.a.p.e.wellness Follow us on Facebook: AGAPE Wellness You are loved and you are love! xo, M & H

Catie Macken is an international E-RYT 500 yoga and meditation teacher, mindfulness expert, public speaker, writer, mystic, personal business and spirituality coach, and lover of life based in the Boston area. She is the co-founder of The Essence of Yoga School (200 hour training) and the Intuitive Science podcast. She is the Chief Mindfulness Officer for Prezence, a digital wellness company. Catie is honored to be named the 2018 Boston's Best Fitness Guru by the Improper Bostonian.Forever a student, she seeks out new mentors and pulls inspiration from her own life, personal practice, nature, astrology, and tarot. In 2018, she began studying Katonah Yoga under Abbie Galvin and Nevine Michaan. She credits Katonah Yoga as revolutionizing her teaching and personal practice and significantly changing her life.Outside of the studio, you’ll find Catie reading with a warm cup of coffee, spending time in nature, traveling the world, laughing with friends, dabbling in mystical practices, writing, dancing anywhere/anytime and dreaming up her next big project.During the show, we discuss:The very short story of how Catie launched her entrepreneurial careerThe meaning behind CFM and her philosophy for trusting your inner selfCatie’s day to day self-care and mindfulness routineWhat the full moons are and what they representHow to believe in and utilize astrology, horoscopes, and tarot cards How yoga is so much more than a physical practiceWays to incorporate mindfulness principles into our social media useAll the ways travel has had a HUGE impact on Catie’s life and self-growthConnect with Catie:www.catiemacken.comLearn more about PrezenceDownload Prezence hereInstagram: @catiemackenConnect with Brie:www.brieshelly.comInstagram: @brieshellyUpcoming Events:Thursday, December 5th I’ll be doing a webinar on self-care during holiday travel with She’s Wanderful. Sign up hereThursday, December 5th live podcast recording with Georgie Morley on social media and mental health. Sign up hereTuesday, December 10th with Follain on implementing a self-care routine this winter. Sign up hereDM me for a special 15% off discount code on all products!Brie’s Blogs:Mental HealthTravel Tips & InspirationWork TogetherFall Three Session Package - Note Fall3 in your message!!

Nevine Michaan is the founder of Katonah Yoga®. When we met her a couple weeks ago, we were immediately blown away by her joyous and generous spirit. After spending a week at her studio, Katonah Yoga Center in Bedford Hills, NY, we had the privilege of sitting down with her at her lovely home to discuss the magic of her practice. This interview covers what Katonah Yoga is, Nevine's journey creating it, and what she hopes for it in the future. Thank you, Nevine, for taking so much of your time to share with us! To learn more, visit Nevine at her studio in Bedford Hills or visit her website.To learn more about what we do at A.G.A.P.E. Wellness, visit www.agapewell.com. On our site you will find a variety of wellness resources, all for FREE! Follow us on Instagram: @a.g.a.p.e.wellness Follow us on Facebook: AGAPE Wellness You are loved and you are love! xo, M & H

Tony Lupinacci recognized the deep cathartic powers of a consistent yoga practice when he started a decade ago and has since made the pursuit of his yogic path a priority. Tony has been teaching for 8 years, completed 7 teacher training courses, and spent countless hours in self-study and practice.  His teaching style weaves elements of Ashtanga, Bikram, Forrest, Dharma, and Katonah Yoga. He values breathwork, kriya meditation, and mantra practice and incorporates them into his teaching to help his students better understand themselves.   In this episode, you’ll hear from Tony on:  [09.16] The search for his truth and his desire to live it on a daily basis. Tony elaborates on his deep-seated yearning to connect with others, to listen and to share the adventure of life.     [16.08] The experience of practicing and working with a partner who is also a yoga teacher. How it’s vital to respect each other’s approach and take joy in practicing alongside someone who has a completely different style.   [19.56] The influence of different training methods and how Tony integrates them into his practice and teaching. He challenges established attitudes to alignment and discusses body mapping and Katonah Yoga.      [26.19] Tony explains his decision to leave behind a comfortable life in New York and travel the world as a yoga teacher. He notes the importance of allowing, rather than resisting, in learning to live life to its fullest potential.    [32.09] The spiritual aspect of Tony’s practice and how it gives him courage, strength, and guidance. Numerous opportunities arose after Tony learned to surrender, let go, and embrace change.    [38.55] Tony’s plans to create a yoga retreat in his ancestral homeland of Puglia, Italy. He shares his excitement about building a space and a community in a beautiful setting where people can come to host their programs and be fully supported and taken care of.   Announcements:  Reconnect to your divine Self this December. Join me and Veronica Lombo on an immersive retreat in Bali: henrywins.com/bali
 Join me for upcoming workshops in Texas and New York: henrywins.com/events
    Links from this episode:  Grab your copy of Tony’s recommended books:   Stretching Redefined by Jules Mitchell The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker Tony and Anton’s Morocco Retreat  The Sacred Fig Teacher Training in Bali Tony’s Weekend of Workshops in The Yoga Box, Valencia.  Tony’s retreat in Cocoon, Portugal.    Get in touch with Tony: www.tonylupinacci.com - Learn more about Tony’s upcoming events  Follow @tonylupinacci on Instagram     Support the Podcast: If you find this podcast valuable you can support it directly by visiting: henrywins.com/donate

Abbie is a student, a teacher and a true scholar. I don't want to give much away about this one's incredibly vast and fascinating past, but I will share with you some of Abbie's own words. "Everything I have accomplished, explored, loved, conquered, failed at, dipped into, and ran from in my life up until now compelled me to open The Studio. I did not plan to become a studio owner; but, the trajectory was an organic result of my urge to honor and teach this practice wherever it took me." Ready?

On ritualizing your practice, developing your interior world, and measuring up for joy, with Abbie Galvin, author of 'Home Practice' and founder of The Studio. Abbie Galvin is the owner of The Studio, a NYC based yoga studio, teaching Katonah Yoga. She has been honing this practice for the past 25 years and has a strong student-base from all around the world. Abbie's instruction is informed by her own creative process as a filmmaker and from her exploration of the therapeutic process as a psychoanalyst. She has learned over and over that truly participating in any formal process of self-exploration leads to transformation whether it be physical, psychological or intellectual. Her goal is to engage students of yoga in the dialogue between their conscious and their unconscious selves because it is through that effort that we potentiate ourselves. It is her intention as a teacher to cajole each student in that most rigorous effort to be grounded, to grow upwards, and to participate in the creation of their best self. Length: 45:44 Timecodes: 0:45 Home Practice Book. Ritualizing your home practice, gaining insight. 4:40 Abbie’s home practice and time management. 6:05 Longevity practice. As you get older, your interior life expands. 8:38 The interior shift of mind to the body’s intelligence. 9:08 Cocooning yourself in your own breath. Being kind to yourself and using ritual to elevate your experience. 10:02 Grounded being practice as an antidote to the doing culture. 11:20 Ties between the interior organs and the peripheral. 13:07 Kidneys as battery. 14:24 Practical details for setting up a home practice. 16:52 Creating a community of shared public space, with mats facing each other. 18:35 Why there is no Shavasana at the end of a Katonah class. 20:40 Middle of the practice. 23:15 Readings from the Home Practice book. 24:43 Time knows everything. It is through time that you become yourself. 27:45 What you’re doing in the silence of the postures to heal yourself. 30:31 Fluency practice. 31:45 Longevity practice. 33:27 Staying with yourself. 34:05 Magic Square on the palm of the hand. 37:10 Nature’s intelligence is seen through its’ patterns. There is a technique for joy. 38:34 What needs healing right now. 39:45 Favorite view. 42:50 Prayer as a capacity to be with yourself. Resources The Studio Come of age by Stephen Jenkinson Katonah Yoga Home Practice Book A home practice addresses the vision and virtue of personal health, wellbeing and long life. A home practice is a commitment to self-care, a ritualized modus operandi for one’s participation in a technical integration of mind, body and breath. Engaging in a home practice is a way of addressing the manner in which one personally organizes one’s self; developing a determined life, setting goals and following through. Our home practice book will guide you through developing your own home practice.

In this episode, we discuss: How the world and yoga are open sourced. Vocabulary and framework of Daoist vs Indian yoga. The yoga technique doesn’t matter. What matters is that it is well done, that you have the skills and get it all into integrity (mind, body, breath). Useful metaphors and maps to define, understand and explore the territory of our bodies. Mystical practices, such as yoga, are practical and pragmatic. Participate in the awe. Speak the language of the spirit, play with math; the universal language that transcends the cultural. Music is math. Yoga is music. Visit  https://www.katonahyoga.com/about for the resources referenced in this podcast. Nevine Michaan, Founder and creator of Katonah Yoga possesses a gift for teaching the physical and esoteric aspects of yoga. Many consider her a philosopher, a poet; a seer. Her teaching methods are articulated intelligently with meaning and metaphor. Nevine's practical approach entwines the body, the breath and the imagination. Her unique dialogue and insight are matched by her extraordinary ability to convey and communicate her keen acumen. Michaan, born in Egypt in 1954, moved to New York at the age of three. In her early 20’s while studying history and comparative religion at Vassar College she discovered meditation. Nevine understood that there is a function(s), a formality and a fit to the universe and that yoga is a tool, a technique–a practice with repetition which gives us the opportunity to participate in life intelligently and joyfully. Nevine started a daily practice in NYC with renowned yoga instructor Allan Bateman, in the 1970s. She became fully immersed in what would become her life’s work(s). She began teaching Yoga in 1980 and founded the Katonah Yoga Center in Katonah, New York in 1986. Nevine continues to teach in her studio in Bedford Hills, NY and to inspire those both near and far, of all ages and backgrounds.

Today we are so excited to bring you a very special guest, Josie Schweitzer. Josie is the owner of The Space, a yoga studio recently opened in Columbus, Ohio that teaches a blend of Vinyasa and Katonah yoga, along with breathing and meditation techniques. In this episode, Josie tells how she transitioned from her career in hair to her career in yoga after her first 200 hour teacher training in Costa Rica and how showing up and do the doing, (even when you don’t feel like it) played a key role in her transition. We discuss listening to your intuition, knowing when it’s time move on, grow, and expand, taking care of yourself, and setting boundaries. Josie also shares with us how being an empath and truly caring to hear others stories has been a huge part of her work and how it’s helped her to connect on the level she does with her community. She takes us through her journey of finding Katonah Yoga, and how this practice and the theories just make sense and feel right in her body. During this conversation you’ll come to find out that this episode is so special because I was actually in Josie’s 200 hour yoga teacher training at the time we recorded. It’s hard to explain in words how amazing this training was for me, but it was an incredibly transformational experience and I cannot recommend it enough. The exciting news is that she is starting another 200 hour teacher training in the Fall, starting in September! If you are interested click here to find out more and sign up! We end out the conversation with Josie telling us what she’s excited about for the future of The Space and it’s not just the physical practice, so make sure you listen all the way to the end! Where to find Josie and The Space: The Space @thespacecolumbus @josieschweitzer 200 Hour Teacher Training Summer Deal going on at The Space right now The Women Who Run with Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés Comune Restaurant H.E.R. - Best Part Tulum, Mexico

Nevine Michaan, Founder and creator of Katonah Yoga possesses a gift for teaching the physical and esoteric aspects of yoga. Many consider her the Teacher’s teacher, a philosopher, a poet; a seer. Her teaching methods are articulated intelligently with meaning and metaphor. Nevine's practical approach entwines the body, the breath and the imagination. Her unique dialogue and insight is matched by her extraordinary ability to convey and communicate her keen acumen. Get ready my friends, for the Savoir Vivre of Nevine Michaan.

“The political is personal. The personal is practical. The practical is related to embodied daily life” Dages and Matt sit down to discuss her evolving role as a yoga teacher, author and radical feminist. New York is where Dages found Katonah Yoga and her teacher Nevine Michaan, but she has taken what she learned across the pond to her new home in Paris, France and continues to plant seeds across Europe with her teacher trainings and intensives. For Dages, Katonah Yoga is an open source methodology that can be applied to any yoga practice and to life, a “Philosophical Milieu” of embodiment. Matt and Dages explore the importance of “learning to play your own instrument”, of recognizing and working with our “first and second natures”, so that we can play well with others. Yoga means union, or to yoke, and by knowing our own habits, tendencies, perspectives and biases, we are able to join the orchestra. “We have to listen to each other, we have to see each other, we have to touch eachother — otherwise there is no opportunity for the symphony to come together”. Keep up with what Dages is doing/where she is teaching: https://www.dagesjuvelierkeates.com Instagram: @dagesjuvelierkeates Pick up her first book: Radical Acts of Embodiment: https://www.katonahyoga.com/shop/radical-acts-of-embodiment-by-dages-juvelier-keates Dage’s Teacher, Nevine Michaan: https://www.katonahyoga.com/nevine-michaan Learn more about Katonah: https://www.katonahyoga.com

"Integrity matters. If you are in integrity, timing will be on your side." It was an honor to sit down with renowned author and yoga teacher Elena Brower in the latest Rising Women Leaders podcast episode. We spoke of her journey: discovering yoga, becoming a teacher, finding her voice and more recently letting go of addiction, stepping into her power as a wellness advocate and team leader for doTERRA and the beauty that comes when you step into your highest alignment.  We spoke of the power of when a woman steps into wealth and abundance, how to honor our grief and pain, and what to let go of to deepen our personal practices. There is in an elegance and grace with everything Elena creates. I hope you enjoy today's show... Be sure to check out her new journal, Practice You as well as her other offerings listed below. In this episode we discussed: Discovering the path of yoga  Finding your voice as a teacher Being a mom and how that relates to spiritual growth and practice  Elena's journey with addiction, sobriety and recovery Her thoughts on stepping into wealth"...how absolutely perfect it is to be financially independent as a woman, and how important it is to be that example for many many thousands if not millions of other women..." Her love of essential oils Elena's favorite morning rituals The rise of the feminine & awakening of our collective consciousness Her new journal, "Practice You" Healing from the loss of her mother and thoughts on moving through grief and pain  The importance of the early morning hours for personal practice Connect with Elena:  Elena's Website Elena on instagram Buy Her New Journal, Practice You The Yoga Collection made in collaboration with doTERRA Essential Oils  Self-Care for Women: Practices for Resilience & Grace -- Elena Brower is a renowned author, yoga teacher and speaker. Influenced by several yoga traditions including Parayoga and Katonah Yoga, she is recognized internationally for her expertise in combining physical alignment and the art of attention. Since 1998, Elena has been offering these practices as a vehicle for approaching our world with realistic reverence and gratitude. She is the author of Art of Attention, a yoga workbook that has been translated into six languages and the creator of Teach.yoga, a virtual home for yoga teachers worldwide. Her new book, Practice You, will be out in September 2017 from Sounds True. Elena is also an executive producer of On Meditation: Documenting the Inner Journey, a film that intimately explores meditation experiences, and has contributed to the Huffington Post, MindBodyGreen, and Yoga Journal. Experience Elena's filmed practices on YogaGl, and her Audio Meditations on elenabrower.com/meditation.   Podcast by Meredith Rom - Rising Women Leaders | Spirituality | Personal Growth | Yoga | Entrepreneurship -  Personal growth, intuition, stories, voice, women, yoga, feminine leadership, spirituality, online business, and meditation

Taoist Manimal Podcast Ep. 42 Johnathan Raiss Johnathan Raiss is the founder of Equilibrium movement. He is a Philadelphia based Yoga and movement teacher sharing techniques and skills for realization of potential on the physical and emotional planes of being, The student base he works with is exceptionally diverse and wide ranging; from dance professionals to corporate businessmen, from young athletes to elders seeking pain relief, and in general-most any human being interested in developing mobility, strength, flexibility, and fluidity. He has trained extensively with Nevine Michaan in Daoist philosophy and Katonah Yoga, has trained over a thousand hours in various flowing styles of Yoga, and has a stable base in martial arts such as Silat and Capoeira. He is currently a senior teacher at several studios in the Philadelphia area, and is a lecturer in the University of the Arts Dance Department. Find Johnathan Raiss: http://www.equilibriummovement.org Support the podcast at: www.patreon.com/noahmoves Find Me (Noah Julian): at www.NoahMoves.com Find (my studio) Yoga and Movement Sanctuary at www.YMSPhilly.com Music: Black Hole by: iNFiNiEN iNFiNiEN has recently released a new album "Light At The Endless Tunnel" https://infinien.bandcamp.com/album/infinien Please subscribe and download in your podcast app!

What do Indian Hatha yoga, Taoist principles, Chinese medicine, and sacred geometry have in common? They all make up the core of this insanely transformative style of yoga known as Katonah. And our guest in this paradigm- bending episode has been teaching and practicing this esoteric form of yoga in New York for twenty-five years. If you've practiced this style of yoga, you already get it. Just click play and listen to Abbie break it all down. If you've not yet experienced this form (or any form for that matter) of yoga, then keep reading about my recent personal experience that led to the recording of this episode. I discovered Katonah Yoga and Abbie Galvin on a recent podcast tour of New York City, at the recommendation of a Life Stylist listener that I happened to meet at a sound bath at The Woom Center, a few doors down from Abbie's studio on Bowery. I signed up for my first Katonah class online that night, then dropped into The Studio the next morning- and I haven't been the same since. Having been a practitioner of various styles of yoga for twenty years, I was expecting some version of a typical yoga flow class that day. What I experienced in Abbie's class was nothing less than incredible. It became quickly evident that this class was more of an intense, small-scale workshop than another teacher-led Hatha flow. This was spiritual science in the flesh. It was physical and emotional transformation, using a seemingly mystical amalgam of various teachings all at once. Using chairs, blocks, blankets, and various other props, Abbie led me and my body through postures and poses that I would have previously thought impossible. This practice had depth, and a seemingly endless potential for expansion. I was sold. So immediately following class I bum rushed Abbie for an interview, to which she graciously agreed. In this episode, Abbie does what only a great master teacher can do: Take nonlinear, universal principles of truth, and distill them down into practical terms in a relatable, simple vernacular. This interview is an exploration into not only the art and magic of Katonah yoga, but of life itself. Its a celebration of the ancient wisdom that has no attainable destination. That’s why it’s called a practice. No matter how hard you try, you never quite arrive. And that’s the true beauty of the journey. Enjoy the ride, Luke For more about this episode Topics Discussed on today's Episode: How and when did Abbie find Katonah yoga, and what is it about? Other forms of yoga she’s practiced, and the current state of affairs in the yoga scene at large The fact that the purpose of yoga was originally intended to prepare the body for meditation Her belief that most yogic movement is not inherently natural to humans  Why she believes the concept of origami folding is more powerful than simply stretching  The importance of strengthening the nervous system to deal with the day to day stresses of life  How the patterns in the body directly mimic patterns in nature  Why Katonah yoga mixes Taoist Chinese theory and indian hatha yoga, and how that actually happened in the first place How the Taoist principles of pattern, and Yin and Yang and nature play into the Katonah practice  The role that sacred geometry plays in Katonah Why are chairs used as the various props used in this practice, and why are they so crucial to its effectiveness? What sort of physical transformations Abbie has seen in all of her years as a teacher? The science behind joint function, and how they relate to the human skeleton and structure, and how Katonah yoga makes your bones stronger How the the body’s organ systems are effected by this practice?  Why community, and teacher/student support and interaction is so crucial to the practice  How Katonah yoga uses various props to create scaffolding to retrain the body’s structure throughout the postures The purpose of yogic breathwork, and its effect on the body How to live your life as a yoga practice, rather than leaving it on the mat, and why she believes yoga is not exercise  How does Katonah yoga effect people’s sexuality? Lifestyle recommendations   MY 90-DAY LIFESTYLE DESIGN COACHING PROGRAM Your opportunity to work with me one-on-one. Upgrade your life through my proven system of revolutionary mental, physical and emotional transformation. Only 5 spots available. Apply now for a 15-minute assessment call.    THIS SHOW IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY: ORGANIFI. 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You can watch testing videos with a voltmeter, showing the effect of the sandals in an EMF field. Also featuring a hemp footbed. Save 10% using coupon code "STOREY10" HELP SUPPORT THIS SHOW! Starting and growing a podcast requires a ton of time, energy, and money. Do you appreciate this information, and want to support my mission to deliver as much life enhancing information as possible to as many people as possible? The easiest, and most effective way you can help is to do this: 1. Go to Lukestorey.com/support and donate towards show production costs 2. Subscribe to the show by clicking “subscribe” in iTunes 3. Write us a review in iTunes 4. Share this show with 1 friend right now You’d be amazed how much these four simple steps do to help us grow! Here’s the magic link for reviews. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for listening, and joining me on this journey we call life.

Johnathan Raiss is the founder of Equilibrium movement. He is a Philadelphia based Yoga and movement teacher sharing techniques and skills for realization of potential on the physical and emotional planes of being, The student base he works with is exceptionally diverse and wide ranging; from dance professionals to corporate businessmen, from young athletes to elders seeking pain relief, and in general-most any human being interested in developing mobility, strength, flexibility, and fluidity. He has trained extensively with Nevine Michaan in Daoist philosophy and Katonah Yoga, has trained over a thousand hours in various flowing styles of Yoga, and has a stable base in martial arts such as Silat and Capoeira. He is currently a senior teacher at several studios in the Philadelphia area, and is a lecturer in the University of the Arts Dance Department. Find Johnathan Raiss: www.equilibriummovement.org Find Noah Julian: www.NoahMoves.com Find Yoga and Movement Sanctuary at www.YMSPhilly.com Music: Black Hole by: iNFiNiEN (PS. iNFiNiEN just released a new album “Light At The Endless Tunnel” and it is bada**!) https://infinien.bandcamp.com/album/infinien Please subscribe and download in your podcast app!

Winter Solstice Special: Nevine Michaan Pranayama with singing bowls by Leydin Kotapish. Nevine has been working on her yoga practice for over 35 years. It is through the practice that she has found the: “magic of organic, organized nature. Taoist study has deepened my sense of this inner directional intelligence of the body. “Manipulating the form of the body through asanas and refining the measure and meter of the breath through pranayamas, yoga has provided me with tools for my personal and communal growth. Yoga practice promotes the joys of integrity, of virtue, and of honing skills for developed well-being.” This recording was made in a recent pranayana (breathing) class taught by my teacher Nevine. My life, practices, relationships and general well-being have all made great improvements in large part due to the practices she has taught me. She is a treasure and I cherish everything she has taught me and continues to teach me. Great thanks to all the Gurus that surround us, the moms, dads, brothers, sisters, friends, teachers and lovers that hold up a mirror subtly drawing attention to the blemishes in the metaphorical glass. Allowing us to clean them through a process of intention and thus allowing to see the truth that lies beneath. Find Nevine at her home studio Katonah Yoga: www.katonahyogabh.com Find Noah Julian and links to social at www.NoahMoves.com Find Yoga and Movement Sanctuary (and links to social media) at www.YMSPhilly.com Music: Black Hole by: iNFiNiEN (PS. iNFiNiEN just released a new album "Light At The Endless Tunnel" and it is bada**!) https://infinien.bandcamp.com/album/infinien Please subscribe and download in your podcast app!

Elena Brower is the author of Art of Attention, a renowned yoga workbook, now translated into five languages. Studying and teaching since 1998, she's respected globally for her distinct blend of alignment and attention in her teaching of yoga and meditation. Her audio meditation coursework, Cultivating Spiritual Intelligence, is beloved for its accessibility and relevance, and her yoga teaching is influenced by several traditions including Katonah Yoga, Kundalini and ParaYoga. Elena is also the founder of Teach.yoga, a global website for teachers, and her second book, Practice You, will be published in 2018 by Sounds True. Practices with Elena can be found on YogaGlo.com.