Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast

In today's episode, teacher and author Gregor Maehle discusses the corruption of authority in everything from religion to politics - and suggests that if yoga wants to help heal that problem, then it must become a vehicle for dismantling such hierarchical structures, including its own. Perhaps more than in any other podcast to date, this episode with Gregor really had us examining what we believe and why we believe it. Which may have been exactly the idea. In fact, I get the feeling Gregor is constantly doing the same, of himself. Though questioning is different than doubt. Because Gregor does not doubt Patanjali's yoga. Not at all. But instead, introduces the question - is it Patanjali's yoga that we are actually practicing? It's a question only we can answer for ourselves. The Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast is edited, hosted, and produced by Peg Mulqueen along Meghan Powell - a small but dedicated, mother/daughter team. But it would not be possible without friends like you who generously support. If you would

In this month's podcast episode, Dr. Monica Gauci discusses some of the more complex issues facing yoga students today - like how Ashtanga yoga is taught here in the west; the effects of age, injury, and life stages such as menopause; and the importance of listening and trusting our heart. The Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast is edited, hosted, and produced by Peg Mulqueen along Meghan Powell - a small but dedicated, mother/daughter team. But it would not be possible without friends like you who generously support. If you would like to make a donation, please visit ashtangadispatch.com Thank you. We appreciate your support.

If you want to feel better, healthier, be more resilient and clear, Eddie Stern, says the answer is quite simple: Yoga. In a world more and more divided, yoga may be one those rare and special subjects where we all agree – practicing yoga makes us feel good. And in today's episode as well as in his new book, One Simple Thing: A New Look at the Science of Yoga and How it Can Transform Your Life (due out March, 2019), Eddie combines his own experience with philosophy and science to explain why this one simple thing makes us all so happy.  But that's not all we talk about ... Eddie also gives a rather impassioned explanation how the word, method, is often misused as a substitution for practice. Or the word, modifications, for options. Turns out Eddie isn't just a yogi and science geek - he's also a bit of a wordsmith as well.  And finally, Eddie answers your questions about practicing as we get older - and as he's gotten older.  The Ashtanga Dispatch podcast is edited and hosted by me Peg Mulqueen along with

Can exploration in movement and other approaches to practice coexist within the Ashtanga yoga tradition? Teacher Mark Robberds, certainly hopes so. And in today's episode, Mark shares some really valuable information about movement - like how variety is critical for our physical development, and in Ashtanga in particular - a way to balance out some of the more extreme movements sometimes involved.  But Mark also shared his feelings on a few more serious topics within the yoga community. Like the sexual abuse that took place in the practice room with Pattabhi Jois - and the whole debacle when Mark was temporarily stripped of his teaching certification after it was reported he was exploring different approaches to the practice. (As I type this, I am SMH for real). I hope you enjoy this last podcast of 2018 with Mark Robberds. As always, thank you for listening - and for all your support! The Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast is edited and hosted by Peg Mulqueen along with Meghan Powell. We are an incredibly small bu

This is teacher, David Garrigues’ third time on as a guest on the podcast. David is someone who sees the yoga through the eyes of an artist - finding magic in the ordinary and painting the familiar into delightful new forms. Full of all the same passion, that same spark of enthusiasm that sets souls on fire - he also seemed different. Definitely more clear - and especially about his role in this world and as a teacher. In fact, when he says his whole life has been leading up to this point, I believe him. This is the process, he tells me. A process through practice. Thank you for your spending time, listening to the Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast. Our mission is to explore the yoga practice in mindful and insightful ways - far beyond the shapes we make on our mat. We are an incredibly small team - just my daughter Meghan and me - and we work hard to find inspiring individuals who make this practice come to life - and bring them to you. All without any third-party advertising or interruptions. So if you are

Mary Taylor is a woman who has been consistently practicing Ashtanga yoga for over 30 years - through pregnancy, injury, and more recently, a debilitating illness. What’s more, Mary didn’t enter the yoga room as the star student, but rather, as she says - the stiff student. Yet where her body was not as flexible, the yoga and her teacher, were. And in today’s episode, you’ll hear Mary explain her understanding of the Ashtanga yoga method and how it’s worked for her. Of course, that’s only the beginning of our conversation. From there, Mary talks about the body’s holding pattern, especially in terms of trauma not fully processed - sharing within this, her own experiences with sexual abuse and how this manifested within her own body and psyche. Which explains why Mary was perhaps the first senior teacher within the Ashtanga yoga community to publicly acknowledge Pattabhi Jois previous sexual misconduct - even as she continues to hold love and gratitude for a teacher who changed her life and the lives of many

Richard Freeman has been a student of yoga since 1968, beginning in the Buddhist Zen tradition and then later studying both the Iyengar and Ashtanga Vinyasa methods of yoga. Which may explain one of the reasons Richard can be notorious for dodging questions that beg for ONE answer. Because, as he says, “It’s sometimes more complex than that.” Though by sometimes, I believe he means ALL the time. You see, this knowing is a trap according to Richard. “All of a sudden, we understand something and at that point, we think we got it … but what we got or what we’re taking away is just this one little point of view of something. So look again. It’s much deeper.” Richard tells us to instead, be like the curious child, always asking, why? And then, look again. Or in the case of this podcast, listen again. Because no doubt, with so many fascinating nuggets and stories, layered throughout - this is one episode, you will want to come back to, again and again. This episode of the Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast was edited an

Ever wonder what Plato and Patanjali have in common? Yeah, me neither actually! But Ty Landrum finds the the intersection of the two fascinating and quite honestly, his enthusiasm was enough to get me a bit excited as well. You see, philosophy in academia tends to be more an exercise of the mind whereas yoga as philosophy is almost pure experiential. Or that's that way it has always felt to me. But Ty manages to put a spin on both in today's episode. The Ashtanga Dispatch podcast is edited and produced by Chris Lucas and hosted by Peg Mulqueen. Opening chant led, by Saraswathi Jois, is from a donation-based led primary series featuring teachers from around the world to benefit the children who have been separated from their families at the U.S. border. Find this and more at www.ashtangadispatch.com

The following episode of the Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast is a recording from Stillpoint Yoga's weekend Spring Gathering this past May. The annual event is the brainchild of Scott Johnson who has made it a bit of a personal mission to provide space and opportunity for students and teachers alike to come together in more than just practice - but in conversation also. That we may all learn from each other and grow together. This year's focus spanned the following topics: power, lineage, and how this method is currently shared. Many of the conversations had over the weekend were intense and deeply personal. For this reason, we chose to protect the intimacy of the group and the privacy of individuals by not broadcasting the entire weekend. However, the following excerpt is from Day 2's panel discussion, featuring Scott, Greg Nardi, and me as we fielded questions submitted through the Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast group on Facebook. Specifically, the role of social media, the importance of just one teacher, and the st

This episode of the Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast is a prerecorded panel discussion featuring Tim Feldmann, (Miami Life Center), Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor (Boulder, Colorado), Manju Jois (Encinitas, CA), Dena Kingsberg (Byron Bay, Australia), David Swenson (Austin, TX), and as moderator, Jessica Walden (San Diego, CA). The audio is courtesy of the Ashtanga Yoga Confluence, Inc. For more about the 2018 Ashtanga Yoga Confluence, visit Ashtanga Dispatch’s recap of this year’s event. https://www.ashtangadispatch.com/ashtanga-yoga-confluence-2018 The Ashtanga Dispatch podcast is edited and produced by Chris Lucas with host, Peg Mulqueen.

Jen Rene is a teacher I’ve wanted you to meet for a very long time - and mostly because I’m afraid you might never otherwise get the chance. You see, Jen is one of those no-nonsense, incredibly functional teachers who are much more focused on keeping practice real than dazzle you with fancy tricks. Of course, the irony is - this is Jen’s real magic. She’s practical. She’s honest. And she’s not afraid to get messy. I’ll warn you, Jen doesn’t have a filter. She’s pretty straightforward and quite frankly, I find this refreshing. Because Jen’s not in this for likes, sponors, and notoriety. Which can feel kind of rare these days. In fact, in today’s podcast, we spoke pretty frankly about the struggle to keep the yoga real - including the challenges we both face both online and in our own practice. If you want to learn more about Jen (and I believe you will!) visit her website at www.jenrene.com

During a weekend in New York just before Christmas, I had the amazing opportunity to catch up with renowned Ashtanga yoga teacher, Eddie Stern and practice at his shala, the Brooklyn Yoga Club. Lots to learn in this latest episode of our yoga podcast - which could certainly feel, at times, more like a science lesson than an interview. Listen as Eddie describes the vagus nerve, an information pathway for a lot of things that are really important for the yogis. Eddie explains that we are an entire biological mechanism of complementary systems, and so our practice isn’t based on striving and pushing - but in seeking a normal, every-day balance and harmony so we can live a healthier, happier life. And why the yoga, among other things - a true scientific method. The Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast is edited and produced by Chris Lucas and hosted by me, Peg Mulqueen. Opening chant is by Greg Nardi from Ashtanga Yoga Worldwide. Thanks to good friends who support this podcast over at Patreon who support this show through

Finding the spiritual side of a physical practice and discussing the gender bias that exists - even in yoga - are just a few of the topics covered in this episode of the Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast with today's guest, Harmony Slater. The Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast is produced and edited by Chris Lucas, and hosted by Peg Mulqueen.

Philippa Asher is a certified Ashtanga yoga teacher and one of the few female students who has completed the Advanced B series. As impressive as all that is, that’s not really the reason I asked her to come on the Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast. I had read a piece she wrote called Musings About an Ashtanga Asana Practice from 20-something to 40-something. And in there, Philippa talked quite pointedly about challenges and issues of her own - including her own recklessness  as well as fertility issues - and I just was struck by how brave and forthcoming she was with her experience. I can’t tell you how rare it is to chat with someone - especially for the first time - who is willing to be that open and therefore that vulnerable. As you will hear her say, It’s not been an easy ride. And that’s precisely why she does choose to put her self and her story out there - for others who also haven’t had an easy ride. The Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast is edited and produced by Chris Lucas - and hosted by Peg Mulqueen. If you lo

Kino MacGregor is one of the most celebrated Ashtanga yoga teachers in the world with over a million followers now on Instagram. And though it would be easy to chalk up her fame to a winning mixture of beauty, charm, and physical skill - you’d then be missing the REAL reason Kino is who she is and where she is. As the author of 4 books, including her most recent, The Yogi Assignment, a co-creater of Om Stars, an online channel for yogis, producer of six videos, and one of a select group of teachers certified to teach Ashtanga by Pattabhi Jois, Kino is like a true force of nature. Smart, driven, and incredibly disciplined, Kino’s success is by no accident. This isn’t the first time I’ve interviewed Kino, either. So I already know how smart and driven she is. And I’ll admit, she can also be somewhat guarded and perhaps with good reason. But not this time. In fact, in today’s episode of the Ashtanga Dispatch podcast, Kino opens up about her personal obstacles and struggles in both her practice and in her marri

Well, the irony for me is, the more I practice and the more I do these interviews, the more questions I end up having! And today’s episode with certified Ashtanga yoga teacher, Mark Darby - or Darby, as he tells me to call him - is no exception. Darby was first introduced to Ashtanga yoga with Pattabhi Jois - Guruji - in Mysore in 1979. You do the math - but lets just say Darby has been practicing and teaching for a very, very long time. Lucky for us, I got the chance to catch up with Darby for practice and this interview his very last week teaching morning Mysore in Montreal. If I had any questions prepared for our interview, they all went out the window. So if I sound a little tongue-tied at times, it’s only because I’m not sure I was able to form words around what I had just experienced in the practice room before the interview. He stops me in my very first sun salutation having me straighten my legs and fold over his fist. “Dantian” he tells me. Look for Dantian. But as I fold over Darby’s closed hand b

We’re in Mysore, India and waiting to be ushered into the shala for chanting class. It’s hot as hell standing outside that afternoon, That's when I first see her - Laruga Glaser. I’m a hot, sweaty mess - while she’s as stunning as every Instagram post I’ve seen of hers. And I’m in awe. Of course, not just she glows in a different way than I am at that moment … but also because it’s odd to see a teacher of her notoriety at chanting class. First of all, they are held in the heat of the afternoon but also, they’ve been there and done that a hundred times over. But there's Laruga, waiting in blazing hot sun for the door to open and class to start - just like all the rest of us. And that’s exactly why I love her. She’s real and relatable ad keeps the yoga the same way. Genuine and completely down-to-earth, I know then that Laruga Glaser would be just the kind of person you and I would enjoy getting to know better.

As much as I hate to admit it, pain has a lot to teach us. Maybe that's why my next guest, Tim Feldmann, is such a great teacher - because he's certainly had his fair share to deal with. You see, Tim began practicing yoga after a terrible accident many years ago, left him nearly unable to walk again. Injuries sustained such as those may heal, but they don't always go away and instead, tend to reappear in various forms and struggles. These days, Tim is dealing with his wrist and at the time we talked, was still forced to wear the soft cast he'd been wearing even since the last time I'd seen him, many months before. In any case, Tim will tell you, pain is inevitable. For all of us. The Ashtanga Dispatch podcast is edited and produced by Chris Lucas and hosted by Peg Mulqueen.

Sharath Jois. Grandson of the legendary Sri K. Pattabhi Jois ... son of Saraswathi Jois ... director of the KPJAY Institute ... and the current holder of our lineage. And yet, if there's one thing I have learned as his student it's this: Sharath would not want this podcast to be about him. It's about the yoga. For Sharath, it's always about the yoga. "Yoga is the superstar. Not me." But he is pretty special. And about as generous, wise, devoted, and kind as ever a teacher should be. Or rather, a Guru. Because Sharath is much, much more than just a teacher. He's truly a living example of what this yoga means. ****** Finally, a thank you to all of you who are supporting our show through Patreon. Remember, this podcast was recorded in India - amidst blaring horns, generators, barking dogs, and a whole cacophony of other sounds. Because of YOU, we were able to upgrade our editing software which made all the difference! So THANK YOU! If you want to support the show, go to http://patreon.com/ashtangadispatch a

Today is January 20, 2017 - Inauguration day. And while part of me is relieved to be out of the country at the moment, another part of me is disappointed not to be there with you. This election has been like no other I've ever been a part. We are a country divided and that's scary. And so to process some of this, I turned to Dr. Carol Horton, a former political science professor turned and yoga teacher. Carol has a strong voice and she’s not afraid to use it. But she also has a wise voice, a voice of compassion and reason. I began this conversation with Carol feeling hopeless - and I came away feeling inspired and hopeful. Give a listen and remember, we are all in this together. The Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast is edited and produced by Chris Lucas and hosted by me, Peg Mulqueen.