Podcasts about Kleshas

Deepak Chopra unpacks the nature of reality: from consciousness, to making meaning, to what happens after death. He shares a blueprint for awakening through transcending the 5 Kleshas, overcoming limiting beliefs, and expanding your perception. Deepak also dives deep into the reality infinite multiverses, the divine lila, and how to create joy in your life. Drawing from his research on AI, he weighs the possible dangers & benefits to our ever-expanding technology.Try MUDWTR & Get Up to 43% off + a free frother:https://mudwtr.com/knowthyselfAndrés Book Recs: https://www.knowthyself.one/books___________0:00 Intro 1:23 Who You Are At Your Core3:47 The 5 Kleshas That Hold Us Back From Knowing Ourselves8:10 Going Beyond Our Limited Perception  17:05 Awakening to Your True Nature21:00 Is Commodifying Spirituality Wrong?23:18 The Mystical Side of Our Memories29:17 How His Perception on Consciousness Evolved34:28 The Fabric of Reality & Multiverses40:11 Ad: Mudwtr - Energy & focus without the jitters41:29 Transform Any Challenge Into an Opportunity 45:06 Practices to Bring Joy Into Your Life47:47 What Happens When We Die54:57 The Danger & Potential of AI1:02:58 Nature of Reality & the Divine Lila1:05:29 Cultivating our True Power1:09:42 Conclusion___________Episode Resources: https://www.deepakchopra.com/https://www.instagram.com/deepakchopra/https://www.youtube.com/@TheChopraWellhttps://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcasthttps://www.knowthyself.oneListen to the show:Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4bZMq9lApple: https://apple.co/4iATICX

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 387: The Five Kleshas with Michelle Cassandra Johnson   Description: What lies at the root of all human suffering? How can we relieve our suffering and that of others? According to the yoga sutras, our suffering comes from five root causes, the five kelshas, and there are practices we can do to alleviate suffering. Michelle Cassandra Johnson has studied this topic in-depth and shares her insights.   Michelle Cassandra Johnson is an author and activist. She has been a racial equity educator for 25 years and is also a yoga teacher, spiritual teacher, and practitioner. Michelle works with people 1:1 and in group settings to help them connect to their intuitive abilities and supports them within intuitive healing practices. Her latest book, Illuminating Our True Nature: Yogic Practices for Personal and Collective Healing, was released in July 2024 and focuses on the kleshas.   Michelle explains what the five kleshas are, and how we see them showing up in our lives with examples. She shares her reflections on our interconnectedness with each other, nature, and the earth as well as why we have become so disconnected. Michelle offers some practices to help us lessen suffering individually and collectively, and how we can avoid contributing to suffering through our actions.   Key Takeaways: [4:01] Shannon gives a shout-out to the sponsors, OfferingTree, and her own 20-hour Yoga for Pelvic Health Teacher Training. [4:01] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Michelle Cassandra Johnson. [7:12] What does Michelle do and who does she do it for? [10:54] How does Michelle define the kleshas? [13:41] Michelle introduces the five different kleshas. [18:11] Can all human suffering be distilled into the five kleshas? [23:50] Shannon and Michelle discuss how interconnected we are, not just to each other but to nature and the earth as well. [28:34] Shannon pops in to share about a workshop that Billie Smith is running, hosted by sponsor, OfferingTree. [30:38] Is avoiding suffering contributing to suffering? [37:52] Shannon and Michelle reflect on their connection to the earth and being in relationship with nature. [44:26] Some people are unable to see the disconnect in between different areas of their lives. How can we navigate that? [50:16] What are the ways that we can reduce or relieve suffering? [56:19] Which of the kleshas is the most challenging to address and what is a practice that can help?  [62:02] Learn more from Michelle via her website, where you can get access to her books, workshops, and other resources. [64:52] Shannon shares her biggest takeaways from this conversation with Michelle.   Links: Michelle Cassandra Johnson Illuminating Our True Nature, by Michelle Cassandra Johnson The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode BONUS: Anti-Racism & Yoga with Michelle Johnson OfferingTree Webinar: Queer Inclusive Teaching with Billie Smith and Shannon Crow The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 5 Koshas Series: Annamaya Kosha The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 073: 8 Limbs of Yoga [Part 1] with Shannon Crow The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 074: 8 Limbs of Yoga [Part 2] with Jennie Lee The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 385: When the Yoga Teacher Stumbles with Jivana Heyman Yoga for Pelvic Health  3-Hour On Demand Workshop with Shannon Crow The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Team Shannon Crow on Instagram   Gratitude to our Sponsors, OfferingTree, and Yoga for Pelvic Health 20-hr Online Training with Shannon Crow.   Quotes from this episode: "This is illuminating our true nature which speaks to the fact that we are nature and that so many of us have been conditioned to be divorced from nature as if it doesn't exist within us." - Michelle   " This path calls us to study the root causes of suffering so that we suffer less. And ultimately,... become liberated, but it's not just about my liberation, it's about everyone's liberation." - Michelle   "Am I also contributing to suffering by thinking, I'll just avoid this." - Shannon   "If we're going to take action, we need to do it from a steady and a grounded place." - Michelle   "The path of yoga in so many ways is about us shedding our conditioning and at a minimum, interrogating our conditioning and then shedding what is not aligned with nature." - Michelle   "We have to understand why we suffer and how we suffer. ... It's an ongoing practice and study and it's a muscle to build."

in dieser Episode teile ich eine sehr persönliche Geschichte und gehe darauf ein, wie wir uns oft unbewusst an alten Gewohnheiten und Denkmustern festhalten, die uns Sicherheit bieten, obwohl sie uns nicht mehr gut tun. Ich erkläre, wie wir diese Muster erkennen, annehmen und schließlich loslassen können, um neue Wege zu gehen. Du wirst konkrete Schritte erfahren, wie du hinderliche Muster durchbrechen und mehr Freiheit und Leichtigkeit in dein Leben bringen kannst. Wenn du dich schon einmal gefragt hast, warum du immer wieder in denselben Verhaltensmustern steckst, dann ist diese Folge genau für dich. Ich hoffe, sie inspiriert dich, bewusst Platz für Veränderung zu schaffen und mutig neue Wege zu gehen.

00:00:26 - Jon-Eric outlines the talk 00:04:16 - The Skandhas - a buddhist framework for the mind 00:11:41 - The Kleshas (also known as Mental afflictions) 00:17:01 - Hakomi 00:20:57 - Guided Meditation - 8 minutes 00:27:52 - Jon-Eric Invites Reflections

Os kleshas são como venenos que surgem agindo como uma obstrução no fluxo natural e positivo da mente.São emoções negativas, que se permitirmos, tomam proporções maiores afetando o nosso discernimento, fazendo com que tomemos atitudes precipitadas. Entenda neste episódio quais são os 5 Kleshas, os obstáculos da mente que nos impedem de viver em plenitude.Para saber mais sobre a Comunidade Yoga Lunares, acesse o nosso site: https://yogacomcarolina.my.canva.site/#home

Dans ce podcast, j'aborde le rapport émotions et yoga. A travers ce sujet, nous explorerons les vrttis et les kleshas, deux notions essentielles de la philosophie du yoga. Alors tu es intéressé par la philo du yoga ? Patanjali ? Cet épisode est pour toi. Tu veux comprendre pourquoi on accole souvent yoga et émotions ? Cet épisode est aussi pour toi ! Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Dharana is the sixth of the Eight Limbs of Yoga as described by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. It refers to the concentration of the mind where it becomes one-pointed, a fixed attention on an object. It is a holding or binding your attention to the object with the intention of reducing the rajasic movement that feeds, agitating the senses and mind or the tamasic boredom and apathetic state that gets the senses and mind stuck. We are looking for the middle sattvic path that cultivates mental stability and freedom from distraction. When he mind is distracted if feeds the Kleshas Avidya – Ignorance, Asmita – Egotism, Raga – Attachment, Dvesa – Aversion, Abinivesha -Fear. We use pratyahara and dharana in our asana and pranayama practice to weaken the power that the Kleshas have on us. Dharana is the doorway to meditation as it requires you to rest your attention on something for some time. This requires diligence and persistency like training a puppy. It requires effort, to be switched on, not off to train a mind puppy! The puppy likes to chase its tail, chew on a bone obsessively, take naps, hide, etc. We need to train the puppy, so it can be of serve and a good companion to us. So remembering that in practice Yoga Sutra 1.33 states we need to culitivate loving awareness, friendliness, joy and compassion. This keeps a trusting loving relationship with the mind puppy to practice being present. To be present, you just need two things Intention and Attention. An Intention to be present, with the effort and vigilance to turn your attention back to the presence. As the mind puppy will wandering if bore or entertaining judgements, stories, bias and act out. The Yogi needs to be receptive, sensitive and loving kind to reach the goal of practice, Nirodha, stillness to then awaken to the state of Yoga. So we practice Yoga!To read more and to practice with Zephyr Wildman, click here. To support Zephyr Yoga Podcast, donate here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The fifth limb of Patanjali's eightfold path of yoga, is Pratyahara. Pratyahara is an important bridge between the external focus of the previous limbs of yoga, such as asana (postures) and pranayama(breath exercises) to the more advanced practices of dharana(concentration) and dhyana (meditation). Pratyahara literally means withdrawing from the senses, to gain control over the senses to bring about calmness, peace and stillness. Prati meaning “against” or “withdraw”, and ahara meaning “food” or referring to anything we take in from the outside. Pratyahara also helps to provide an understanding of how much the mind is influenced by sensory input, imprisoned by the senses. Dictating our thoughts and feelings in ‘feeding' it leading it to be trapped in the Kleshas, mental/emotional afflictions that continue the wheel of suffering. Our practice is to stop feeding the mind the things that keep it ignorance of it's true nature, stuck in ignorance, attachment, aversion, egotism and fear. Encouraging the mind in a kind way to turn inwards and use the senses to be of service to the pursuit of practice, gaining mastery over external influences and allowing the practitioner to connect with their inner world, thereby creating optimal conditions for self-realisation. To read more and to practice with Zephyr Wildman, click here. To support Zephyr Yoga Podcast, donate here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Sam delves into some Yoga Philosophy called the Kleshas which is the five ways we cloud our own judgement and get stuck in life. https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/miraclemindsets/subscribe

In dieser Episode tauchen wir tief in die Welt der Hindernisse ein, die unseren persönlichen und spirituellen Fortschritt behindern können. Von körperlichen Beschwerden bis hin zu Zweifeln und falscher Wahrnehmung - wir werden die neun Hindernisse aus der Yogaphilosophie erkunden und erfahren, wie sie unser Leben beeinflussen. Ob du dich auf der Suche nach innerem Frieden befindest, deine spirituelle Praxis vertiefen möchtest oder einfach nur mehr Klarheit und Richtung in deinem Leben suchst, diese Episode bietet Inspiration und praktische Tipps für deinen Weg zur inneren Freiheit.

Following on from the previous session, here Nalanie discusses in more detail the obstacles (the 'Kleśas' - or 'Kleshas') to spiritual growth.  This edition includes advice on how to handle divorce, and a reading from The Upanishads describing the difference between the small 's' self (the ego) and the true Self with a capital 'S'!  Recorded at The George Harilela Yoga Centre, Spain on the 17th April, 2024.  

In dieser Folge tauchen wir tief in die Welt der Yogaphilosophie ein. Es mag überraschend sein, wie sehr dieses jahrtausendealte traditionelle Wissen mit unserem modernen Alltag verbunden ist. In Bezug auf das Thema Leid und persönliche Entwicklung werde ich auf die Ursachen für menschliches Leiden eingehen und darüber reflektieren, wie diese unsere individuelle Entwicklung beeinflussen können. Welche Ursachen für das Leiden gibt es? Wie sehr beeinträchtigen uns diese universellen Ursachen unser menschliches Dasein? Wieso hindern sie uns daran, unser volles Potenzial zu entfalten?

Aparigraha is Sanskrit for non-clinging, not-coveting or desiring after outward possessions. It is the concept of non-possessiveness, non-greediness and non-attachment. The opposite is Parigraha, which means “the focus on material gain.” So Aparigraha in Sanskrit breaks downs as – A means “non or against”; pari, means “on all sides”; and graha, means “to take,” “to grab” or “to seize.” It is a restraint, not just to refrain from taking things, but from coveting things too. This non-attachment is to material possessions as well as other less tangible things like energy, respect, attention or love. We see how trying to control, possess and hold onto people, places and things increases discontentment, pain and suffering and can hurt people as well as ourselves. The trouble of getting things and keeping them, involves endless drama of holding on to them and preventing those things from changing. The bottom line is EVERYTHING is subject to change. This unfolds into us suffering, Dukkha and when that happens our Kleshas start to get triggered and motivates actions. So letting go of the hankering, yearning, jealousy, and greediness of possessing people, places and things is all a part of learning the art of surrendering, letting go and letting be.To read more and to practice with Zephyr Wildman, click here. To support Zephyr Yoga Podcast, donate here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michelle Cassandra Johnson is an author, activist, spiritual teacher and practitioner, racial equity consultant and trainer, and intuitive healer. She approaches her life and work from a place of knowing we are, can, and must heal individually and collectively. Michelle teaches workshops and immersions and leads retreats and transformative experiences nationwide. As a dismantling racism educator, she has worked with large corporations, non-profits, and community groups. Michelle was a Tedx speaker at Wake Forest University in 2019 and has been interviewed on several podcasts in which she explores the premise and foundation of Skill in Action, along with embodied approaches to racial equity work, creating ritual in justice spaces, our divine connection with nature and Spirit, and how we as a culture can heal. Michelle published the first edition of Skill in Action: Radicalizing Your Yoga Practice to Create a Just World in 2017; and the 2nd edition of Skill in Action in November 2021, published by Shambhala Publications. Her second book, Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief, was published by Shambhala Publications in 2021. Her third book, We Heal Together: Rituals and Practice for Building Community and Connection, published by Shambhala Publications, explores the deep knowing and truth that we are interconnected; we belong to one another. We Heal Together offers rituals and practices meant to dream us into a new way of being to benefit the highest and fullest good. Her latest book, A Space For Us: A Guide For Leading Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Affinity Groups, was published by Beacon Press in August 2023. Michelle leads courageously from the heart with compassion and a commitment to address the heartbreak dominant culture causes for many because of the harm it creates. She inspires change that allows people to stand in their humanity and wholeness in a world that fragments most of us. In this conversation, Michelle and Anjali discuss: Kleshas as an inquiry: Michelle's new book on kleshas What does healing mean when the world is ablaze? Our collective nervous systems Michelle's writing as a practice of reclamation and re-connection Her go to rituals during the writing process Role of community care and collective How does she practice care as a space holder? Connect with Michelle on her website or on Instagram @skillinaction You can receive 30% off if you pre-order Illuminating Our True Nature from Shambhala Publications. Use TRUENATURE30 at checkout. Free Resources for Teachers We are grateful for the support of our podcast partner OfferingTree — an all-in-one, easy to use business platform for classes, courses, memberships and more. Check it out at www.offeringtree.com/accessibleyoga.

In this episode, Happy Jack and Hanna talk about another layer of their uncoupling process. We wonder if religion and spirituality have a placebo effect and we discuss the yogic concept called Prasanna, which suggests happiness is a birthright. We dive into one of the Kleshas, the impediments or obstacles to happiness. In particular we discuss Abhinivesha which is the fear of death and the will to live. If you want to be part of the production of this podcast, consider joining us live on Zoom on Tuesdays: https://www.happyjackyoga.com/podcast This is a listener-supported podcast.Get access to the Happy Jack Yoga Practice Library as a thank you for your generosity. We're grateful for you! https://www.patreon.com/happyjackyoga Wanna get mentored by Happy Jack? Check out Mentorship opportunities here: https://www.happyjackyoga.com/mentorship-details

Brahmacharya literally means ‘walking' or having ethical conduct like God. Brahma means one's own Self, ultimate unchanging reality, absolute consciousness, Divinity. Whatever is the God of your understanding. Charya – means walking, engaging, proceeding, behaving, conducting, moving or going after. So it roughly means “to stay true to one's Self or ones own Atman” or True Self/Soul. That you are walking the path of Brahma – God. However, it is mostly referred to as sexual chastity, abstinence, pure sexual conduct. Brahmacharya essentially was meant to suppress any sexual urge and of all activities leading to it. All the information I have read up upon this is directly talking to men, as Yoga was mainly practiced by men. Creating very clear boundaries of being a renunciant of sex was one of the vows which was taken to practice. It's not just abstaining from sexual acting but according to some Sages that a Yogi must refrain from the 8 forms of sexual indulgences:Thinking of sex talking about sexplaying or joking about sexlooking intensely at someone stimulating sexual urgessecret talking about sex touching with sexual intent determination or attempts of sexual actsexecution of having sexThe idea is for the Yogi to dissolve the Kleshas, cultivate Sattva Guna and reduce the Karma in this lifetime so to live a moral life as a way to end the cycle of human suffering and to reach enlightenment.To read more and to practice with Zephyr Wildman, click here. To support Zephyr Yoga Podcast, donate here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are working with understanding more about Satya – Truthfulness, the second Yama. This is the ability to be truthful, honest and transparent in words, thoughts and actions. Satya is a self-restraint in taking responsibility and accountability of our humanity and determining what is motivating how and what we communicate. Sometimes what is motivating us to share words with one another is the Kleshas, mental-emotional afflictions which corrupt our perception. Sometimes we may be ignorant of our dishonesty or not hold the full truth and share half truths – Avidya. This dishonesty might be because of our egoism of wanting to be right, seen, a part of or special – Asmita. There might be an attachment to the subject manner we want – Raga. Or we are avoiding something we don't want – Dvesa. Or are afraid of what the truth holds – Abinivesha. These are all the 5 Kleshas distorting the truth. So to practice Satya, I would suggest pausing when communicating, self-reflecting and discerning whether what you want to share is, to the best of your knowledge, the truth. It says that the truth will always serve a greater purpose if it is noble and honest.To read more and to practice with Zephyr Wildman, click here. To support Zephyr Yoga Podcast, donate here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 3/29/24 - Teisho during the March Fusatsu at ZMM during Spring Ango 2024 - In the context of our practice of the precepts, the 5th grave precept "Proceed Clearly", Shugen Roshi talks about the kleshas - mental states that cloud the mind- and how we can work with them. (We apologize; the first several minutes of this talk were not recorded.)

This practice is inspired by the first Yama, Ahimsa, Non-Violence. Over the past few sessions we have focused on clearing the Malas to know, see and act in this world knowing the truth of who and what we are, that there is impermanence to all life and finally being responsible for what is motivating us (Kleshas) which causes suffering. To live is to create Karma and that all activities creates Karma, choices and consequences whether positive or negative on ourselves and others. It is a fundamental desire to a Yogi's journey to know your personal Dharma – your purpose and devote to your life to fulfilling it, creating as little ‘bad' Karma as possible. However, it is hard to be perfect, it is impossible to exist without doing some harm to ourselves and others. By avoiding Karma, or action, it said, you still create Karma (sorry!). So the little secret to life is: You fulfil your Dharma and take care of your Karama and Karma will take care of you. One objective of practice is to refine the Buddhi – your intuitive guide, through daily practice of Yoga to see and know the best path for you to take creating the Karma that aligns to your Dharma. Yamas gives us moral and ethical guidelines to reduce as much ‘bad' Karma and prevents us wavering off our path. Ahimsa means non-violence, mentally, emotionally, verbally and physically towards all sentient beings. To read more and to practice with Zephyr Wildman, click here. To support Zephyr Yoga Podcast, donate here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“The simple act of kindness is by far more powerful than a thousand heads bowing in prayer” Mahatma GandhiI was inspired to teach about Maitri as a reaction to current events and the layers of what humanity face all over the world. Maitri's Bhavana is to cultivate, produce, develop the feeling is one of friendliness, benevolence, affection, kindness, good-will, it is this unconditional friendship, acceptance and love for oneself and others.When we strip off our cultural conditioning, bias, beliefs, impressions, habitual tendencies, in the Yogic perspective we all are an expression of the One, Grace, Divinity, Pure Consciousness, the light of Prana that flows within us all. When we say Namaste we are saying the Divine that flows within me, I recognise that same flow of Divine Life within you. That fundamentally we are the essence of a Divine that is in the form of your unique embodiment. And each one of us has a basic goodness, a decency, that love is at our core, our true nature. That we all have a desire to have more joy, happiness and fulfilment in our lives And not to suffer. However, just as the teachings express this is unavoidable because we love and exist we are subjected to the pain of change, illness and death. The ironic dilemma is that the more we love, the deeper we feel it the more it hurts when it changes, we loose it and have to grieve it. It's like how we enjoy the light and heat of the fire, however when we get to close it burns. We learn to keep ourselves safe by backing away from the fire, but over time we are so faraway from the flame, we can't benefit from its heat and light. Our work in Practice is to begin to make friends with ourselves, to stop looking for validation outside and turn our attention to feeling at home and relaxed within when we feel that fire burning. Our practice is to build that fire, we call this Tapas, physical fire, energetic fire and mental fire of concentration to create a positive change. As the saying goes “I survived because the fire inside me burned brighter than the fire around me” This is the real work of Practice – to have a relationship with our pain, difficulty and hardship.Yoga Sutras points out 5 Kleshas, mental emotional afflictions we all will struggle with; Avidya – Ignorance,Asmita – Egotism, Raga – Attachment, Dvesa – Avoidance, Abinivesha – Fear of loss, change and deathYoga Sutra 1:31 states the 4 symptoms of suffering observed in practice manifests asNegative thinkingEmotional distressInstability in the bodyDisturbances in the breath that mirror the mindThe solution is Yoga Sutra 1.29 says to move inwards and then Yoga Sutra 1.32 to focus on one thing at a time. Yoga Sutra 1.33 Cultivate Non-judgemental loving awareness – Upekshanam, Friendliness – Maitri, Joy – Mudito happiness – SukkaCompassion – KarunaLoving kindness and friendliness towards what arises in our practice, a compassion and equanimity in body, energy and mind as we observe life's events and not being drawn into judgement or contempt towards ourselves as well as others. To read more and to practice with Zephyr Wildman, click here. To support Zephyr Yoga Podcast, donate here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to 2024, Yoga Pros.Our first podcast of the year is with the delightful Michelle Cassandra Johnson, and I was lucky enough to get to ask her so many questions. We had a nuanced conversation regarding being of service to the world, how we hold space for grief, and the tension between the spiritual call to be quiet and the noise we experience in our lives. Take a listen to all her wisdom.KEY TAKEAWAYS:*Often in yoga and wellness we shy away from grief and other uncomfortable topics. In this space, we should do more to carve out the opportunity for folks to feel uncomfortable–because the reality is that we will one day all die and lose everything we have. It is important to remember this work is a main tenant of a yogic practice, and not shy away from it.*To quote Michelle: The spiritual crisis we are moving through at this moment is because we think that we are separate. Using the Kleshas can help us work through this suffering.*Are you feeling overwhelmed at the idea of shifting our work into experiencing both the collective and individual experience? As Michelle said, “I don't know if my practice is working, but it is what I have”. This has been true for me many times in my life, and perhaps for you too. Taking a moment to shift your mindset from “Is it working” to “Does it serve to support me” might help positively change your perspective.*Getting clear on where we can be of service and what our role is can help guide us forward as we shift to be of service more within the world. I got to ask Daniel Simpson, author of The Truth Of Yoga about this as well, and I think you will love what he says. *It sometimes takes a beat for anyone to figure out how to respond to heavy situations in the world, so if you feel called to respond, great. But if you don't, it is also okay to take a moment and pause, research, and figure out what you believe, and then respond if needed.*Take some time in this new year to pause and create an intention for 2024. I do this work for myself as I said in my intro, and so does Michelle. It is worth taking a moment to pause, reflect, and get excited for the upcoming year. RESOURCESWorking In Yoga WebsiteWorking In Yoga NewsletterMichelle Cassandra Johnson's WebsiteSPONSORSunlight Streams Blog

I have wanted to have a teacher on the podcast to talk to us about The Yoga Sutras for years, and I finally found the teacher we needed! Vikram Jeet Singh is here today to share an exploration of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras that is both accessible and deep. Vikram is a certified yoga teacher with over twelve years and 11,000 plus hours of teaching experience. Besides asana, Vikram also teaches courses and workshops on classical yogic texts such as Patanjali's Yoga Sutra, Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads. Additionally, he runs mentorship courses and workshops for teachers and practitioners to help bring yoga in every aspect of their lives. A strong advocate of diversity & inclusion, Vikram consults yoga teachers and studios on cultural appropriation, decolonization and inclusion in yoga and related spaces. Having moved from Toronto three years ago, Vikram and his family live in Goa.  In this episode you'll hear: what has shifted in Vikram's teaching as a result of his study of the Sutras the main differences between some of the popular commentaries and the ones he recommends what is most important for yoga teachers to know about Sutra 1.2 how the Sutras define practice the main differences between the first and second books a deep dive into the Kleshas how free will plays out in terms of Kleshas and Karma  

“The simple act of kindness is by far more powerful than a thousand heads bowing in prayer” Mahatma GandhiI was inspired to teach about Maitri as a reaction to current events and the layers of what humanity face all over the world. Maitri's Bhavana is to cultivate, produce, develop the feeling is one of friendliness, benevolence, affection, kindness, good-will, it is this unconditional friendship, acceptance and love for oneself and others.When we strip off our cultural conditioning, bias, beliefs, impressions, habitual tendencies, in the Yogic perspective we all are an expression of the One, Grace, Divinity, Pure Consciousness, the light of Prana that flows within us all. When we say Namaste we are saying the Divine that flows within me, I recognise that same flow of Divine Life within you. That fundamentally we are the essence of a Divine that is in the form of your unique embodiment. And each one of us has a basic goodness, a decency, that love is at our core, our true nature. That we all have a desire to have more joy, happiness and fulfilment in our lives And not to suffer. However, just as the teachings express this is unavoidable because we love and exist we are subjected to the pain of change, illness and death. The ironic dilemma is that the more we love, the deeper we feel it the more it hurts when it changes, we loose it and have to grieve it. It's like how we enjoy the light and heat of the fire, however when we get to close it burns. We learn to keep ourselves safe by backing away from the fire, but over time we are so faraway from the flame, we can't benefit from its heat and light. Our work in Practice is to begin to make friends with ourselves, to stop looking for validation outside and turn our attention to feeling at home and relaxed within when we feel that fire burning. Our practice is to build that fire, we call this Tapas, physical fire, energetic fire and mental fire of concentration to create a positive change. As the saying goes “I survived because the fire inside me burned brighter than the fire around me” This is the real work of Practice – to have a relationship with our pain, difficulty and hardship.Yoga Sutras points out 5 Kleshas, mental emotional afflictions we all will struggle with;Avidya – Ignorance,Asmita – Egotism,Raga – Attachment,Dvesa – Avoidance,Abinivesha – Fear of loss, change and deathYoga Sutra 1:31 states the 4 symptoms of suffering observed in practice manifests asNegative thinkingEmotional distressInstability in the bodyDisturbances in the breath that mirror the mindThe solution is Yoga Sutra 1.29 says to move inwards and then Yoga Sutra 1.32 to focus on one thing at a time.Yoga Sutra 1.33 CultivateNon-judgemental loving awareness – Upekshanam,Friendliness – Maitri,Joy – Mudito happiness – SukkaCompassion – KarunaTo read more and to practice with Zephyr Wildman, click here. To support Zephyr Yoga Podcast, donate here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I bet you thought the goal of yoga was to achieve samadhi or enlightenment, right? WRONG. More precisely, yoga is about dismantling the 5 kleshas (obstacles) which prevent us from realizing that samadhi (bliss) is our natural state. Deep dive with me into eleven critical epithets: Verses 2.1 to 2.11 of the Yoga Sutras, where I'll give the often overlooked kleshas - the obstacles and afflictions that cause suffering - the attention they deserve. Discover:

How can the practice of yoga transform your approach to one of life's most enduring challenges—parenting? Meet Sarah Ezrin, award-winning author of The Yoga of Parenting: Ten Yoga-Based Practices to Help You Stay Grounded, Connect with Your Kids, and Be Kind to Yourself. She's a mother, yoga teacher, and freelance writer. In this week's interview, with guest host Ivorie Jenkins, a Glo teacher, Sarah Ezrin opens up about her struggles with postpartum depression and anxiety, and how she successfully navigated these challenges using different modalities, including yoga, meditation, and medication. She shares her insights into the concept of Kleshas, the obstacles that life throws at us, and how changing our approach to obstacles can change our lives.Together, Ivorie and Sarah explore how parenting can be a yoga practice all by itself. They discuss the art of balancing your yoga practice with the challenges of raising children. Stick around till the end to find out about Sarah's East Coast author tour and also how you can connect with her. LinksSarah's WebsiteSarah on InstagramGLO classes:Ivorie Jenkins Classes on Glo 

Dive deep into the concept of ease and the profound liberation found in silence. Discover the five primary obstacles, or Kleshas, identified by the ancient sage Patanjali, that often hinder our journey to inner peace. Learn how the ancient teachings of Kriya Yoga can guide us in recognizing and transforming these afflictions. Embrace a new perspective on letting go and explore how the simple act of releasing can lead to a life of clarity and serenity.

The last of the Kleshas is Abinivesha, the fear of loss, change and death. The fear of change and death is a suffering deep within our instinctual subconscious, Fear is hardwired for self-preservation, reacting to avoid changing circumstances, being out of control, loosing something we are attached to and staying in denial of our unavoidable end at all cost. This deep-seated involvement with duality is imbedded within all of us, whether you are wise or naive. Step up to the cliff edge and we all will react the same to a gust of wind as we flinch, run away and avoid falling to our death. It is natural to want to stay alive, it is a part of the autonomic nervous system to notify us of any change or of harm that might occur. It is said that suffering arise when we live in ignorance of the only truth we know of, which is, to live is to die. Everything has a beginning, middle and end. This is the truth of impermanence. We will all be affected by it inevitably. So what is so bad with the concept of death, when it is a fact of life? Well…it's the Ego that gets in our own way. Why would the ego want to be evicted from this home? Where it has a mind, opinions, beliefs, views, things to play with, a personality, family and friends, adoration and not to mention students and social media followers! As long as we are ignorant (Avidya) of the impermanence of things, there will be an ego (Asmita) which is fuelled by attachment (Raga) and aversion (Dvesa) this will perpetuate the fear of changing anything in our lives, loosing what we have and of dying. Yoga asks of us to explore not just who we think we are but to experience what we are. Yoga suggests what we truly are is SAT CIT ANANDA, joyful existence of consciousness having a human experience that is you and the same consciousness is having the experience of me. Science proves we are a part of everything and everything is a part of us. It is just our egotism that keeps us separate and invested in the story of ME, MINE and I. ‘I think therefore I am' ‘I feel therefore I am' ‘I do therefore I am.' Are you your thoughts? Feelings? Actions? Or are you consciousness witnessing of having them? Without your them, your memories, life experiences, who are you? Who are you when you are not trying to be somebody? Yoga encourages you not to have blind faith, but experienced wisdom. That we awaken to what we truly are, what we have always been and will always be, that joyful existence of pure consciousness. We forget what we are and reduce ourselves to who we think we are. So contemplative practices that wake us up to experience not just what we are but to explore the inevitable transition into the next experience of what is after this. This is an interesting process to ponder.To read more and to practice with Zephyr Wildman, click here. To support Zephyr Yoga Podcast, donate here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two years ago, while in my 57th year, I began going out to dance parties again. To my surprise, reentering the gay dance party scene at 56 proved to be, and continues to be, a much more edifying experience than it was in my 20s. I give credit for this transformation to decades of seeking with my MFT therapists Karen, Jim, Winston, and Sharon, a Forum-like intensive called The Experience, MKP men's retreats, meditation retreats, yoga teacher training, coaching training, Tantra training, a personal meditation practice, and drugs. Of course, none of that would be possible if I did not have the willingness to look into my heart and unpack the results of the Idaho-Mormon-gay-AIDS trauma I'd internalized. Walking through all that trauma history with a wide array of teachers is why I am able to enjoy the cornucopia of pleasure, self-celebration, and connection I now enjoy everywhere, especially on the dance floor with my brothers. Everyone's life is different. Everyone's amount of trauma is different. My trauma required lots and lots of work. Some gays, like my husband, who've had relatively little trauma, have the ability to find contentment without all those programs.SubscribedNearly 30 years ago, when I was 28, I went to my first White Party in Palm Springs. It was a big deal back then.I had resisted going for several reasons. I'd only been sober for two years, it was still more expensive than I could afford, and most of all, and most pertinent to this post, I didn't think I could compete with all the hotties I saw in pages of Circut Noise Magazine, the magazine covering circuit events pre-internet. It contained pages of evidence that I needed to be something other than who I really was. Someone confident, excruciatingly beautiful, and ready for a photo op with ten equally beautiful men.You know, guys who were winning the party.  I'd need to reinvent myself to be one of them. I felt like I needed permission to be on the dance floor.“What if you got paid to go?” I was prodded by my workout partner, Adam, to join the scene. He had connections with the producers, custom design skills to create our Bad Bunny gear, and a body and cock that demanded attention. He made it possible for me to get paid to go, including a shared hotel room at Motel 6. All I needed to do was work a couple of doors and dance on a box at the military-themed nighttime pool party.Adam thrived on the scene. He was a huge fan of the spotlight. Any spotlight. He also ran with other spotlight seekers, so I was sure to be surrounded by the top tier of circuit party meat sacks who had also prepared for the dance floor with Olympic-style workouts. We'd have outfits made by Perry, a talented queen who later went on to work for Lady Gaga. How could we not win the party? At the military party, we climbed our separate camouflaged riggings and had our very own spotlights to shine on each other from across the sea of men and into the crowd itself, which garnered lots of attention. I had the body. I had the attention. I had the outfits. I had the validation of knowing I was on a towering box at what was then one of the biggest parties in existence. Guys who seldom gave me attention at Gold's in Hollywood were looking up at me, smiling. I'd met Boy George. I'd visited one VIP hangout after another at the various parties. But when Adam turned his spotlight on me, I felt something unexpected. Something other than joy. I certainly wasn't happy. I was confused, irritated, and empty.I felt betrayed by the feelings that came up. This was supposed to make me happy. Wasn't I dominating the party? Isn't that what makes a gay happy? Why wasn't I fucking happy? This continued to happen as I attempted to win the party at the Probe (later called Icon), at the Zoo Party in San Diego, and on the small stage on the edge of the dance floor at Fire House (which is now The Chaple at The Abbey). Time after time, I gave my power away to men and boys who were strangers. Attachment to their approval was my primary source of validation and dignity. The holy grail of permission granted by dancefloor domination left me empty.Nearly 30 years later, I learned in my yoga certification training what was causing the problem. It was one of the “5 Kleshas,” all 5 cause suffering. I was experiencing the suffering they predicted is caused by grasping.It's important to note that pain is not optional. Sorry.But the suffering is.This is how #3 of The Five Kleshas works.  Attachment/Grasping (Ragga)Grasping = Suffering When I get X, I'll have happiness. If I can get that hottie to dance with me, I'll be okay. If I can get 1M followers, I'll be content. If my body reaches X size, the world will love me. Yup. All sources of suffering, according to Patanjali, the Sage who wrote all this stuff down.Non-grasping = Contentment I find peace with the world as it is, with what and/or who is in front of me at this moment. I let the world flow around me and go with it. I recognize “no” and honor it, then make a course correction towards love. I hold my own boundaries and say “no” with love and dignity. My contentment is not reliant on the actions or reactions of others.On the dancefloor, in a sex club, and while navigating LA traffic, the pain of not getting what I want can pop up and last a moment and then be gone, or I can try to force it to be something different than what it is, grasp for something other than what life has put in front of me, and suffer indefinitely.When I feel that icky vibe, I say to it, “Thanks for sharing. I hear you. What's really going on?” And because that's my ego talking, not the real, perfect me the yoga sages wrote about, I then ask my real self, “Is there something I can let go of?There usually is.Now things are different.Like the wrapper of my favorite Dove dark chocolate candy says, “Your vibe attracts your tribe.” Since I no longer show up trying to dominate the party, I am no longer surrounded by narcists unable to connect with anything outside their own agenda.I no longer need permission to be on the dance floor. When I stopped grasping for that permission, I was able to own my 58-year-old, cis, white self and go where the love is.There is no longer a need to have a designer create outfits for me that will wow the other partygoers. I wear the same jock and booty shorts to nearly every party. My husband and I are often the only two men dancing in paratrooper boots. They are a nod to my kinky side, make me taller, and support my old ankles. More importantly, they are an extension of my authentic self.The party is big enough for all of us. When I'm at my best, I am not attached to a need to have the entire venue, the entire community, or the entire country give me permission to be who I am. That comes from inside.Somehow that makes me better able to celebrate the other guys on the dance floor who are doing what's authentic to them. The muscle guys bobbing up and down in their jeans with their stern faces, the sexy queens flashing smiles while twirling in skirts, and Asian guys in their sensible outfits huddled together for solidarity are all things to be celebrated.They are not competition. They are family. Get full access to The Sensitive Slut at mikegerle.substack.com/subscribe

This session we are focusing our practice on the 4th Klesha which is Dvesa: Avoidance of previously experienced pain and suffering experienced. Just like last session focusing on Raga, we saw that not all desire is bad; desire to quench your thirst, to feed your hunger, the desire to get our fundamental needs met to feel safe, to be loved, to belong and connected to as well as the desire for a more meaningful and purposeful life, to celebrate the pleasures that the world offers us; beauty, love, joy, creativity! It is also natural to avoid things that are scary that may cause harm. However this Klesha Dvesa, draws our attention to what we are resisting to experience and is usually linked to a past experience of discomfort, dis-ease, pain and suffering.Think of something you don't like to eat, smell, feel, listen to and see? These are not based in the present time, they are past conditionings or impressions that we have a fear base reaction to and not interested in experiencing them again. There is a slogan that says “if it is a hysterical reaction, it normally is a historical one.” This insight into how our brains and body save then store memories of fear based information. This is a useful design to keep us safe and protected for future experiences. As we mature though, some of these memories and our aversion to them, limit us in our lives and our relationships, it give us the illusion that we are free from that painful experience if we keep running away from it. There is another slogan, “what we resist, persists.” This resistance is felts as tension in the body and we contract reinforcing the other Kleshas to get involved; Raga, Asmita, Avidya. They form aversions, resentments, grudges, dislikes, hatred, hostility, harmful judgement and more negativity.The solution is to start looking at the stories we tell ourselves that keep us stuck in the core false beliefs and if we can start to investigate and to look at the story in a different way. This technique is called Pratipaksha Bhavana, YS 2.33, seeing the value of what we resist as a teacher and learning how to view our reaction of aversion as a useful opportunity to practice. This builds trust in ourselves to love and care for our past and present self, opening the possibility for healing, finding lasting fulfilment and freeing ourself from Dvesa.In this back bend practice, try to delay reacting in avoidance. Respond by leaning in with the tools of practice shared. Be open, intimate and honest with what we are resisting, why we react this way and how can we lean into it to deepen our learning. To read more and to practice with Zephyr Wildman, click here. To support Zephyr Yoga Podcast, donate here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A weird and wonderful paradox we have is the gift of a conscious mind that wants to escape itself and find itself at the same time. Yoga provides tools to skilfully manage the unmanageability of being human, yet guides us with more meaning, fulfilling a greater purpose of embodiment. In our practice of Yoga we come across obstacles that stir up negative thinking, emotional distress, instability and disturbances in the breath that mirror the mind – YS 1.31. These are the symptoms that the Kleshas are present.We have worked with the first Klesha Avidya-Ignorance and then the second Klesha Asmita-Egotism. Now we are focusing on the third Klesha which is Raga; the attachment to chasing, clinging, grasping, dwelling, yearning and holding on to previously experienced PLEASURES.Reflect on what pleasures you've experienced that you would like to enjoy again. Travel, gardening, going out to dinner, a drink at the pub, socialising, sex, laughing with friends, shopping, celebrating a success, being in the flow of creativity? What are some of the other worldly experiences you want to have again? It is a natural response to seek out what brings us pleasure. We all have desires. That is the blessing about being human. When born, we have the desire to feed, crawl, walk, learn, experience, grow, have sex, be in relationship, enjoy a well lived life. Bhoga is a term describing how we enjoy, indulge and consume the worldly delights or desires of life.As we practice Yoga are aim is to fulfil our Vedic goals of life, these are the Purusarthas; Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha. Dharma: Your duties, responsibilities, virtues and purposeArtha: Means and tools to support your purposeKama: Pleasure, worldly delights, relationships, creativity, ascetic beauty Moksha: Spiritual liberation, freedom, trust and faithTo read more and to practice with Zephyr Wildman, click here. To support Zephyr Yoga Podcast, donate here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kleshas are fear based, mental-emotional afflictions that cause persistent distress, pain and suffering. The first Klesha is Avidya, which is our blind spots, our lack of awareness or misapprehension in what we are seeing. Asmita is the second Klesha meaning egotism, the “I – AM – Ness” of the ego falsely identifying by its distorted sense of self seen through Avidya.It is said that the ego is at the centre of your personality. Without the sense of self, life would be unliveable. We need a healthy ego to live and function. It gives us perspective on experiences and coordinates many daily functions. “I” need to eat, sleep, work, etc. Ego mediates between the consciousness and unconsciousness relearning the internal and external worlds, and the personal and social relationships.The mental aspect of the ego, according to the Yoga Sutras is called the Ahamkara “I-maker.” I am Zephyr, I am a mother, I am a wife, I am a Yoga Teacher. I am the main character in my story. Now how I write the story depends on my core belief of myself. I am my name, I am the worst or best mother, wife, yoga teacher. Thinking more or less of who I think I am and misidentifying by my label. Asmita makes us think we are the limited self, reducing us to our bodies, life experiences, thoughts and emotions. We are what we look like, what we can or can't do, what we like or don't like. By our labels such as our name, status, reputation, occupation, accomplishments and failures. That is who we are. This breeds separateness of “myself and OTHERS” and “compare and despair” that grows seeds of self-doubt, insecurity, defensiveness, hypersensitivity, arrogance and intolerance. Reinforcing fear based core beliefs that we are NOT ENOUGH as we are, loveable, smart, capable, successful, flexible, strong, worthy, valuable…enough. Pulling one into a downward shame, guilt and fear spiral.This distorted unhealthy self then craves attention! It is its nectar. It places itself at the centre of the Universe, the main character in its own story and it loves attention, to win, to have fame and power anything to validate its self-importance. The unhealthy ego displaying behaviour that is ego-centric, self-centred, narcissistic in arrogance, pride, superiority and narrow view point to continue reinforcing the story of ME, MINE and I. A healthy ego feels content, not threatened by change, secure in fundamental needs being met, is open, curious, able to listen, to be considerate, compassionate and kind. The ego is very powerful and recognising what is motivating the ego is key to practice. To read more and to practice with Zephyr Wildman, click here. To support Zephyr Yoga Podcast, donate here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Georg Feuerstein “Yoga is an art and spiritual science of disciplining your body, mind and breath.”We practice Yoga to form an intimate relationship with the mind and body by shaping the breath. We open to sensation and cultivate the light of insight which in turn stills the mind and body to attain the state of Yoga. In the previous practice, we mapped out a simple practice for complicated people. The complication is that the mind wants to abandon the relationship all of the time. We find it chasing thoughts, avoiding emotions, fantasising about pleasure and entertaining fears. Our practice is to notice when the mind wanders and bring it back to practice. This waking up is highlighting the first Klesha which is Avidya, meaning a lack of awareness or understanding, one's ignorance, clouded perception or misapprehension. Our Yoga practice is designed to open the veil of ignorance that clouds our perception we see through our mind, energy and body into the truth of all nature and reality. There is a term for a Yoga student called the Adhikara. Pointing to the seeker's journey through the material, energetic and conscious realms. Being competent for deeper understanding, a respect of what is being studied and practicing it in all one's affairs. Competent studentship in the endeavours of practice in gaining self-knowledge in attaining self-realisation. YS 1.20 describes 5 Virtues, Attributes or Essential Ingredients to be the Adhikara – the competent Yogi.Shraddha – Faith, TrustVirya – Courage, Strength Smirti – That which is remembered, MemorySamadhi – Absorption, Collect, Concentrated Prajna – Illumination of Consciousness, Direct Insight, Light of KnowledgeTo read more and to practice with Zephyr Wildman, click here. To support Zephyr Yoga Podcast, donate here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joseph Goldstein explores the nature of Samsara, or endless wandering, and the three interdependent cycles of defilements, actions, and results that keep the wheel of Samsara rolling.“These three Kleshas in the mind – ignorance, craving, and grasping – they keep us moving around and around in this cycle of Samsara. There's no balance in our lives, there's no rest in our lives, as long as this cycle of Klesha is revolving.” – Joseph GoldsteinIn this episode, Joseph explores:The nature of Samsara and the profound questions it raises for us The first interdependent cycle that keeps the wheel of Samsara rolling, the cycle of defilements, or Kleshas The three root defilements that keep the cycle of defilements turning – ignorance, craving, and grasping The second interdependent cycle, the cycle of actions and karma The third interdependent cycle, the cycle of results How mindfulness can help us escape the wheel of SamsaraThis dharma talk from October 23, 1988, was originally published on Dharma Seed.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

https://youtu.be/XbVK3xWYbww

We tend to fight against fear, guilt, shame, anger, sorrow. We tend to resist what we perceive as negativity or things we don't like, situations that create a change we feel may cause dis-ease or an undesirable outcome. This consumes so much energy and brain space, ruling our lives from a place of fear base beliefs. There is a slogan that states what we resist, persists. Creating a tug-a-war with our aversion to pain we call in yoga Dvesa, one of the mental emotional afflictions called the Kleshas. Peace comes when we can accept we have no power over people, places, things and situations we cannot change or control.Serenity Prayer: God grant me the serenityto accept the thing I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.Acceptance opens the door to learning. To approach practice with a beginners mind, to be open to receive what needs to be seen, experienced and felt, then to deeply understand in a supportive practice allowing the loving space you create to assist your growth. Life is always changing, there is always some new situation, person that brings stuff up in ourselves which becomes an opportunity to practice self-awareness (dissolving Avidya), understanding (dissolving Asmita) and then to gift ourselves a tender space to feel those old and new roots that get triggers we find an ability to accept (dissolving Dvesa) empowering ourselves to make wiser decisions to best navigate our lives with Grace. This is the next stage of Yoga to take wise action in a disciplined practice shaping our Karma (choices, actions)To read more and to practice with Zephyr Wildman, click here. To support Zephyr Yoga Podcast, please donate here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Podcast May New Moon:  Aloha Beloveds! It's a NEW MOON in taurus and the first of my 40th orbit around the sun! This is JUST the BREATHING PRACTICE for you this New Moon. This practice will reset your nervous system and clear the clutter in the mind, so that you can return and reside in the divine essence of who you are in your natural being mode, rather than your doing or having mode.  In the FULL EPISODE for first part of the podcast I briefly explain and explore:  ~ Human Being vs. Human Doing ~ The Being mode vs. The Having mode: What the difference is, and why cannot meet our Being Needs through the Having Mode, and why it will lead to suffering ~ The Kleshas, or impurities that keep the mind from wakefulness and clear awareness.   Breath, movement, journaling, time in nature, quiet, ritual, meditation, all of these practices clear away the false self and return us to our natural state of Co-Creativity and Peace. You are creating your reality. The level of your consciousness is where you are creating from. If you are vibrating in the frequency of fear, judgment, shame, restlessness, hoarding or needy-ness, you will manifest things in your world that reflect this back to you. If you are creating from a space of I create because I CAN! And I Choose to, you align with the divine flow of the cosmos, with the Dharma.  I share on this podcast the practices that have transformed my life, upleveled my awareness, and aligned me with the creativity, pleasure and joy that is our birthright.  You deserve to, and you CAN, live in alignment with EASE, PURPOSE and JOY.  This 10 min Breathing Practice can change your life if you dedicate 10 min a day to this practice.  Another practice, that I speak about a lot, is writing.  Being a part of a writers circle TRANSFORMED my life. Through the sacred practice of writing and then being witnessed as I shared the full truth- I continue to liberate more of my authentic expression. Join Joy and I in The Creators Circle so you can Liberate your Authentic Voice, Tap into the Create Genius that wants to flow through you, and be healed and witnessed by heart-centered divine Sisters who are on the path.  We are offering a few first come-first serve SCHOLARSHIPS for 30% or 50% off the Creators Circle.  PLEASE click THIS link to fill out the short application: (All the way at the bottom of the page)  We begin June 8th! Space & Scholarships are limited, so claim your space in the circle this NEW MOON and set the intention to bring forth the writing, the book, the poems, the stories, the essays, the full expression that is within you.  HERE's the link to the Landing Page for the Creators Circle, for more information. If you are on Maui this summer, I am thrilled to announce I will be co-facilitating TANTRA & TEA: Sacred Sexuality Summer Workshop Series  All the info is on my Website Here: https://wildsacredcollective.com/registration/tantra Join Sage and Jeannette for a summer workshop series in Olinda. Our intention is to demystify Sacred Sexuality, Chakras, and Sex Magik, so you can remember and realize the pleasure, peace and radiance that is your birthright.  Through our sexuality and intimacy with life, we each have incredible power to connect with the divinity within and all around us. In connection with one another, held in a sacred loving circle, we can heal the pain, trauma, and stories that are held in the body and heal in communion with one another, nature and source energy.  Each workshop will be dedicated to clearing and balancing one Chakra. Starting with the Root, awakening Kundalini, and raising this potent healing energy through each Chakra. During each session, the group will be guided through practices in a safe and non-judgmental container.   --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/peacefulbynature/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/peacefulbynature/support

Podcast May New Moon:  Aloha Beloveds! It's a NEW MOON in taurus and the first of my 40th orbit around the sun! I have an energizing BREATHING PRACTICE for you this New Moon. This practice will reset your nervous system and clear the clutter in the mind, so that you can return and reside in the divine essence of who you are in your natural being mode, rather than your doing or having mode.  In the first part of the podcast I briefly explain and explore:  ~ Human Being vs. Human Doing ~ The Being mode vs. The Having mode: What the difference is, and why cannot meet our Being Needs through the Having Mode, and why it will lead to suffering ~ The Kleshas, or impurities that keep the mind from wakefulness and clear awareness.  The five Kleshas are Avidya (ignorance), Asmita (egoism or I-am-ness), Raga (attachment), Dvesha (repulsion and aversion), and Abhinivesha (fear of death and the will to live). Breath, movement, journaling, time in nature, quiet, ritual, meditation, all of these practices clear away the false self and return us to our natural state of Co-Creativity and Peace. You are creating your reality. The level of your consciousness is where you are creating from. If you are vibrating in the frequency of fear, judgment, shame, restlessness, hoarding or needy-ness, you will manifest things in your world that reflect this back to you. If you are creating from a space of I create because I CAN! And I Choose to, you align with the divine flow of the cosmos, with the Dharma.  I share on this podcast the practices that have transformed my life, upleveled my awareness, and aligned me with the creativity, pleasure and joy that is our birthright.  You deserve to, and you CAN, live in alignment with EASE, PURPOSE and JOY.  This 10 min Breathing Practice can change your life if you dedicate 10 min a day to this practice.  Another practice, that I speak about a lot, is writing.  Being a part of a writers circle TRANSFORMED my life. Through the sacred practice of writing and then being witnessed as I shared the full truth- I continue to liberate more of my authentic expression. Join Joy and I in The Creators Circle, so you can Liberate your Authentic Voice, Tap into the Create Genius that wants to flow through you, and be healed and witnessed by heart-centered divine Sisters who are on the path.  We are offering a few first come-first serve SCHOLARSHIPS for 30% or 50% off the Creators Circle.  PLEASE click THIS link to fill out the short application: (All the way at the bottom of the page)  We begin June 8th! Space & Scholarships are limited, so claim your space in the circle this NEW MOON and set the intention to bring forth the writing, the book, the poems, the stories, the essays, the full expression that is within you.  HERE's the link to the Landing Page for the Creators Circle, for more information. If you are on Maui this summer, I am thrilled to announce I will be co-facilitating TANTRA & TEA: Sacred Sexuality Summer Workshop Series in Olinda.  Our intention is to demystify Sacred Sexuality, Chakras, and Sex Magic, so you can remember and realize the pleasure, peace and radiance that is your birthright.  All the info is on my Website Here: https://wildsacredcollective.com/registration/tantra All my offerings are at wildsacredcollective.com email: wildsacredsage@gmail.com IG: @wildsacresdage Spotify: Helen Sage Howard Simpson (for all my Yoga Playlists) Thank you so much for being a part of this community- Have a beautiful new moon! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/peacefulbynature/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/peacefulbynature/support

El camino de la transformación consiste en crecer y dejar atrás todo lo que no vibra en nuestra misma frecuencia. Dejar ir es la mejor fórmula para darle la bienvenida a muchas flores y bendiciones. En vísperas de la temporada de eclipses, honremos lo que se fue con gratitud a nuestros maestros que nos protegen siempre.

Wendy Newton and I discuss the Kleshas, or "obstacles" that challenge our practice, but make our life what it is!Please support Peter's Podcast on Patreon.Take class, workshops or training with me (and Wendy!) at ISHTA Yoga, online or in person.Namaste.

Have you ever wondered how to rid yourself of all the ways you unconsciously react to life experiences?Before you do that you have to know what they are and how they came to be such a large part of how you perceive the world around you. One way to do that is to get an idea of how ignorance or obstacles  appear from within.Today we are looking at The Kleshas in part 3 of our Yogic Approach series. The Kleshas, when put simply, are precisely this breakdown.Give a listen and see for yourself if they come through in your daily life.

Kleshas: Overcoming the 5 Causes of Pain by David Garrigues

“We're all addicted to the way we process reality.” In this episode I'm talking to Nikki Myers, an accomplished speaker, teacher, practitioner and founder of Y12SR: The Yoga of 12 Step Recovery. More than all else, Nikki is passionate and committed to the deepest levels of health and healing for all. Today we touch on many wonderful points for practice and reflection in our journey to remembering our wholeness. Nikki's wisdom and accessible teachings can be of benefit to anyone, in recovery or not, on the yogic path or not. Here's what we discuss: ➖ Acceptance and Integration all parts of ourselves➖The work of finding the middle ➖How Avidya and the Kleshas keep us forgetful ➖Trustful surrender and the felt sense of living the principles ➖Compassionate or Co-dependent and the wisdom to know the difference Find Nikki at www.y12sr.com IG @Y12SR What a total joy this one was. Totally packed with oneness and delight! I'm still lit and inspired from sharing in this knowledge with Nikki. I promise you'll find something to take away for reflection, wherever you are in your journey. Enjoy! With love and oneness, Bobbi Thanks for listening, you beautiful soul!

That which haunts us will always find a way out. The wound will not heal unless given witness. The shadow that follows us is the way in. – RumiDeepak Chopra is a veritable one-man institution, with over ninety books to his credit, several of them making the New York Times bestsellers list. He is also fonder of The Chopra Foundation and Chopra Global. We at “Dawn of an Era of Well-Being: The PODCAST” are proud to count Dr. Chopra among the contributors to the book, Dawn of an Era of Wellbeing: New Paths to a Better World by Ervin Laszlo and Frederick Tsao (SelectBooks, ISBN 978-1-59079-515-6) for which he penned both the Foreword and the article, “Human Well-Being and the Pathless Path”. As you will hear, Dr. Laszlo and Dr. Chopra have a long history of collaboration, and similar aims of elevating human consciousness through the vectors of science and spirituality—as does our co-host, Frederick Tsao, from a markedly East-Asian point of view. Our discussion with Deepak will continue an overarching theme across this podcast, of harmonizing such supposed dichotomies—science and spirituality, East and West, etc.—and demonstrating how their very existence is more a matter of perception than of reality. And how a stronger awareness of the perception is part of the path to higher consciousness and the condition of Well-Being. To quote Dr. Chopra from his chapter in Dawn of an Era of Well-Being:  Morality and spirituality add meaning to human existence, and the one thing human beings cannot tolerate for long isn't poverty—but a meaningless life. If we cut to the quick, all models for achieving well-being are fatally flawed by using the reducing valve. When infinite possibilities are squeezed down into a few possibilities, advocated for our own good, the price is too high. Instinctively, children rebel when a parent says, “It's for your own good,” and the same is true when we are faced with formulas for well-being.Join us today for a very special episode of our podcast as Frederick Tsao, Ervin Laszlo, and our moderator, Alison Goldwyn take a close look at the human condition with the extraordinary Deepak Chopra. Deepak Chopra MD, FACP, founder of The Chopra Foundation, a non-profit entity for research on well-being and humanitarianism, and Chopra Global, a whole health company at the intersection of science and spirituality, is a world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation. Chopra is a Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of California, San Diego and serves as a senior scientist with Gallup Organization. He is the author of over 90 books translated into over forty-three languages, including numerous New York Times bestsellers. His 90th book and national bestseller, Metahuman: Unleashing Your Infinite Potential (Harmony Books), unlocks the secrets to moving beyond our present limitations to access a field of infinite possibilities. For the last thirty years, Chopra has been at the forefront of the meditation revolution and his latest book, Total Meditation (Harmony Books, September 22, 2020) will help to achieve new dimensions of stress-free living and joyful living. TIME magazine has described Dr. Chopra as “one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century.” www.deepakchopra.com

Join Tanya and Cat as they chat about the Kleshas (obstacles) as it relates to Yoga Philosophy both on the mat and off the mat. How to recognize them in yourself and try to manage them.

Today I touch on the pathways of Kriya Yog as a way to take action in your healing journey. Three very simple principles anyone can adopt at any point in your spiritual life as timelessly outlined by the sage Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. Here's what I go over: ➖ How habits develop naturally when you live a spiritual life➖3 pathways of Tapas/effort, Swadhyay/Self-Awareness & Ishavari Pranidhan/Surrender ➖5 Kleshas or pain points that make you suffer ➖Where to begin transforming your suffering ➖Sign up for my upcoming workshop - Yoga from the Inside Out Sign up HERE: www.bobbipaidel.com/yoga-schedule I promise if you begin to take the teeny tiny steps towards knowing yourself as Divine, your suffering will subside. I'm here with you. With love and oneness, Bobbi Thanks for listening, you beautiful soul!

In the third episode with Christopher Perkins, co-founder and lead teacher of the Yandara Yoga Institute, he and our host Yael Ginzburg unpack a topic that is an important pillar of the yogic philosophy and our way of finding clarity in order to live in peace- the Kleshas. The Kleshas are the different causes of suffering in the human experience. By becoming aware of these obstructions we are able to recognize the moments of misperception that arise and choose our response accordingly. They also speak about an integral part of the Yandara teacher training which is the Vision quest- There are a few different layers to learning. There is learning that comes from information that we are given from teachers, and there is learning that we receive from finding enough silence to allow the knowledge to arise from within. Here they present a practice that is meant to allow wisdom to arise. Check out the different experiences Yandara offers on our website https://yandara.com/ Yandara's Instagram @yandarayoga Christopher's Instagram @shanechristopherperkins Yael's Instagram @yaelginzburg

The Dramatic Journey of Jason Meno In today's podcast, we interview the amazing but humble Jason Meno, who has been doing incredible programming for the Feeling Good App for the past year. Like everyone on our app development team, Jason was driven to TEAM-CBT and the Feeling Good App by his own personal struggles, and also by his training in Buddhism and his commitment to doing something to help relieve the enormous suffering endured by so many people in the United States and around the world who are struggling with depression and anxiety. The podcast notes will focus first on how he recently came to join our app team, and then on Jason's amazing early years in his search for meaning and a solution to his personal suffering and tragedies. Jason's journey to the Feeling Good App Jason began the podcast by describing how he became familiar with David's work. Then he described his own personal journey and search for enlightenment. I'll summarize some of both in these show notes. He said: I was struggling with severe depression in 2020. I felt like my body was falling apart because I've been afflicted with type 1 diabetes since I was five years old. I didn't have the resources to work with a therapist and felt hopeless, so I searched the internet, looking for a way of overcoming depression on my own. I first turned to apps for help, but my experience was not great. I eventually found David's book, Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy. Through that book, I discovered that depression and anxiety are cons and that I was tricking myself. However, I didn't use the tools or do the written exercises in the book. I started listening to the Feeling Good Podcasts and waited for the new book, Feeling Great. Often, when listening to the podcasts I would start crying. I am not a crier, and this often happened in public, so it was pretty embarrassing! I was also practicing meditation every day, but that didn't provide much help. It does have its benefits and was a solace for me when I had nothing else, but after years of practicing, it still didn't give me the tools to combat the thoughts that trigger depression and suicidal urges. But then I had an “ah-ha” moment when David talked about resistance and the power of positive reframing. It was a tremendous relief to see that it was reasonable to feel the way I was feeling. I devoured the Feeling Great book but still wanted to die since I was still not doing the written exercises that David repeatedly urges the reader to do. Then, on one of the podcasts, someone said, “you can't challenge your negative thoughts in your head.” I resisted that message and told myself that I had no negative thoughts. Many of my negative thoughts are quiet since you learn to empty your mind when you meditate. But then I realized that negative thoughts are just the top layer of your consciousness and that the concept of “cognitions” not only includes thoughts like “I'm a loser,” but also your daydreams, beliefs, and perceptions. Then, once I sat down and wrote down my negative thoughts, identified their distortions, and challenged them with more realistic thoughts, I began to feel a lot better within five minutes! If you, the podcast listener, are feeling down, there's a step-by-step guide in Feeling Great that could be enormously helpful to you. I started following this guide, and then I really started to feel great. After using it a few times, I had the thought, “Wow, this could be a pretty amazing app!” One of the first questions you ask yourself, “do I really want to feel better?” had a massive impact on me and, of course, is one of the unique elements of TEAM-CBT. And although I made mistakes while using the tools on my own, they still helped more than anything else I've tried. Eventually, I saw a non-TEAM therapist who provided me with some great empathy and valuable perspectives while I used the TEAM-CBT process and daily mood log on my own. Then I suddenly realized that I had no more suicidal thoughts. TEAM-CBT is a way for you to rapidly train your mind and develop a new mindset that reduces suffering. This is an important ethical issue to me, given all the suffering that remains throughout the world, and it reminded me of my Buddhist vow to help others. So, I signed up to be a beta tester for David's Feeling Good App. However, I was disappointed in the early version I tested and created a 12-page document listing my complaints. Then I reached out to Jeremy Karmel, the CEO of the Feeling Good App, and he invited me to join the development team. I was so excited that I left my job as a data scientist working on an automated insulin device and joined the app development team. And although I was not familiar with the computer language Jeremy was using, I learned it quickly, and now I'm programming all kinds of cool things for the app! Jason's early years You may or may not be familiar with Herman Hesse's famous 1922 novel, “Siddhartha,” which traced the journey of the young Buddha as he was searching for personal enlightenment and unlocking the key to human suffering. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhartha_(novel)) I have not read many books, because I am a slow reader, but that one is short and has always been one of my favorites. Jason's intense and dramatic journey reminds me of Siddhartha's path. Jason's road to TEAM-CBT, his current passion, was not a direct one at all. Like myself (David), he was raised in a strict Christian home but found himself attracted to exciting and controversial topics when he was in high school, like astral traveling and “lucid dreaming,” which means becoming aware when you are dreaming so you can take charge of your dreams and do things in your dream world that you may not be permitted to do in real life. For example, Jason has been treated for type 1 diabetes since the age of 5 and has to monitor his blood glucose levels 24 hours a day. Things like fresh orange juice are dangerous because they cause a spike in blood sugar, but in a lucid dream you can drink all the orange juice you want! I can identify with Jason's yearning for fresh squeezed orange juice, because I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, and we had many orange trees in our yard, so the orange juice was plentiful and incredibly delicious! When Jason was a teenager, there was a magic / occult shop near his high school that he would joyfully and curiously explore after school, but his parents were dead set against it. They told him that he was exploring ideas promoted by the devil and threatened to kick him out of the house! I also identified with these memories, as I also used to hang out in magic stores in Phoenix when I was in high school. But these were more the kinds of shops that sold tricks of various kinds that magicians could use. Although Jason studied biomedical engineering in college, he continued to be fascinated by his more exciting “alternative” occult pursuits, and dropped out of college to join a cult in Sedona, Arizona. The cult members insisted that he could cure his diabetes simply by believing he could, so he obediently stopped taking his insulin and monitoring his blood sugar for one day and nearly died. Jason described that his mother struggled with emotional issues. After running away with him twice when he was 10, she lost custody and disappeared to Santiago, Chile. Jason had not heard from her since. But one day, out of the blue, his brother called him and said that their mom had suddenly returned home, and there was some talk of starting a family bakery. Jason was thrilled and purchased a plane ticket to fly from Indiana to Hanford, California, to surprise his mom after not seeing her for 10 years and offer to help with the bakery. But then right before leaving, his sister called and asked if he had heard the news. At first, he thought she was talking about the family bakery, but his sister said, “No, mom just committed suicide.” Jason was devastated and sadly flew home out for the funeral. Although his mother's body was not present at the funeral, he looked and suddenly thought he saw her standing in the church during the service. This jolted him, understandably, until it dawned on him that it was his mother's twin sister. His aunt offered him a new life, a car, and a beautiful home in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, but he was still obsessed with the cult, so he returned to the cult in Arizona. He spent all his savings of $3,000 for special training to become a cult leader and ended up living as a homeless person in Boulder, Colorado. However. he started running out of his diabetes medications and having panic attacks. He eventually found work in a Buddhist retreat center in the mountains of Colorado and started studying Buddhism, making friends with the monks, and began doing traditional mediation. He said that mediating intensified his negative feelings, and he became suicidal, and even tried a special “suicide meditation” that he'd learned from the cult in Arizona. They claimed that if you did this meditation, you would disappear and end up in a kind of different universe, but after trying it several times, he realized it was all bunk and gave it up, along with the other crazy cult things he'd been taught. However, he did make a sound connection with traditional Buddhism, and lived at the retreat center for about a year. He described a special meditation where you ask yourself, “what doesn't need to change?” The goal is to discover that the answer is “nothing” since everything is in constant flux, and this meditation is intended to lead to a kind of acceptance. But, he says, “at first I resisted.” He said he did experience feelings of pleasure and euphoria during some of his mediations, but that this was not a permanent cure for his depression. That's because the meditation was a distraction or escape from his negative thoughts, a kind of temporary trance-like state, but when you finish meditating, you are back to your normal life, so your negative thoughts and feelings return. Jason has become an enthusiastic advocate of TEAM-CBT, and described two ways of challenging negative thoughts based on David's Externalization of Voices Technique. One approach is highly rational, and it reduces your negative feelings but does not flood you with feelings of joy or enlightenment. The other approach reduces your negative feelings AND energizes you with feelings of joy. The second involves using David's Externalization of Voices Technique along with the three strategies for crushing negative thoughts: Acceptance Self-Defense The CAT, or Counter-Attack Technique. David asked Jason to discuss one of the traditional Buddhist definitions of enlightenment. You are “enlightened” if you are free of greed, ignorance, and delusions. However, he sent this delightful email following the podcast recording: Hi David and Rhonda, Thank you so much again for having me on the podcast! It was a blast! I wanted to clarify an important mistake I made: A commonly accepted Buddhist definition of enlightenment is to be completely free of the three root poisons of greed, hatred, and delusion. These are considered to be the source of suffering / negative thoughts / mind states (Buddhists refer to these as Kleshas). I can't remember exactly what I said in the podcast, but I think I may have incorrectly listed the three poisons as greed, delusion, and ignorance. Delusion and Ignorance are considered to be in the same category, so I think I forgot Hatred. Oops! Looks like I'll have to brush up on my studies again! Hopefully, we can help make this clear in the show notes as well. If you or anyone you know is at all interested in learning more about Buddhism, its philosophies, and history, I highly recommend the YouTube channel Doug's Dharma. Candidly, Jason I am very grateful for the creative and life-changing contributions that Jason is making in our Feeling Good App, and I feel tremendously lucky to know Jason on a personal and professional level. His quite humility speaks loudly and boldly about the kind of loving and genuine person he is, and if you decide to beta-test our app, you will have the chance to benefit from his personal journey and his professional genius! If you're interested, you can sign up to beta test the app at www.feelinggood.com/app. If you would like to contact Jason, you can reach him at asonmeno@feelinggoodapp.com. After reviewing the draft of the show notes, I got this link from Jason: Also, if you are interested in reading a little more of the story, I wrote this article a few years ago about some scary health challenges I had and how I ended up leaving the Buddhist retreat center and returning to school: Buddhist Enlightenment or Just Life with Diabetes? Thanks for listening today! Thanks! Rhonda, Jason, and David

David Nichtern and his ‘pod-kick' Michael Kammers return for a conversation about reactivity, how it is usually governed by the three Kleshas, and what it means to respond rather than react.Discover more from David at Dharma Moon – a website offering Workshops/Courses, Teacher Trainings, Mentoring & more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the last practice in our series on the kleshas (hindrances) Annie masterfully guides you through a contemplation of abhinivesha. Often translated as "fear of death," it can also mean "will to live." But it's the flavor of fear of abhinivesha, compounded by other kleshas such as raga (attachment) and dvesha (aversion), that abhinivesha creates so much suffering. In this gentle practice, you'll connect with the cyclical quality of the breath as a signifier of the give and take of life. For repeat listens the meditation starts at 4:01. If your player supports chapter markings, you can skip ahead. ~Skillful Means Podcast offers these guided practices to help you deepen into your yoga and mindfulness journey. We welcome your comments. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, send us a note at feedback@skillfulmeanspodcast.com, or leave us a voicemail at https://www.speakpipe.com/skillfulmeanspodcast. You can find  Annie at https://www.sunandmoonstudio.com where she teaches hybrid online/in-person classes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. 

This week's Dharma Talk is entitled Rediscovering Openness, Pt. 2: Transforming Our Kleshas by Lama Adam Berner. Lama Adam describes how our afflictive emotions can be transformed into the Five...