The Yoga Hour

Join Yogacharya O’Brian and special guest neuropsychologist Rick Hanson for a conversation about practical ways to cultivate contentment that result in hardwiring happiness in our brains. •    Learn about developments in neuroscience that show how repetitive thoughts and emotions create new brain structure. •    Build a new practice to cultivate contentment in a way that can change your brain. •    Discover a practical technique that will help you “take in the good.” When we develop a practice of “taking in the good,” the negativity bias of our brains can be overcome as we increase our contentment, calm, and self-confidence.  

One of the greatest tools of spiritual yoga is attitude—choosing the thoughts and beliefs that will support one’s highest consciousness and unshakable happiness. Yogacharya O’Brian and Nayaswami Gyandev McCord explore universal teachings from the ancient Yoga tradition about attitude. Learn tips and techniques for cultivating an attitude that can help you to: ·      Reap greater benefits from all aspects of your yoga practice. ·      Prepare for success in every endeavor. ·      Enjoy a greater sense of relaxation, expansion, and freedom. Choose an attitude in each moment that will open the door to experiencing the joy of your own divine essence of being.

When the brain is healed, the mind heals; when the mind heals, emotions heal, and when emotions heal, the body heals. Then the soul can express to it's full potential. Marty Wuttke, pioneer and expert in neurofeedback therapy, joins Yogacharya for an enlightening exploration of: ·      What modern science tells us about optimal brain functioning. ·      How spiritual practices work to heal the mind/body/emotions. ·      What becomes possible when we become fully present. Heal, enlighten, and change your brain for awakening to the Infinite Oneness expressing as all that is.

Max Strom joins Yogacharya O’Brian for a conversation about how we can live more fully, with greater appreciation and happiness. Discover practical guidelines to: •           Increase your self-awareness. •           Embrace a daily regime that heals and empowers you. •           Eliminate distractions from meaningful living. •           Experience a deeper level of well-being. When you take charge of your own healing and revitalization, you also contribute to the empowerment of others and the healing of our world. You already have all the apps you need—and they are inside of you!

Is the stuff piling up around you keeping you from what is important? Andrew Mellen, organizational expert and author of Unstuff Your Life, joins Yogacharya for a look at how we can learn to: ·      Think rationally about our material possessions ·      Live effectively with our stuff in ways that enhance our well-being ·      Break old habits that drain our energy ·      Do less and accomplish more Practicing discernment regarding material possessions and how we relate to them is part of spiritual growth. When we arrange conditions in our environment to invite our inner light to shine forth, we foster healing in our own life and in the lives of others.  

Join Yogacharya and guest Pravrajika Brahmaprana for a conversation about the light from yoga and Vedanta that brings healing from fear and inspires a life of courage. •              Let go of limiting worries, concerns, doubts, and fears that are based on the small ego-self.  •              Find out how to do your best and let go of the rest.  •              Discover the support that is available through Self-knowledge, skillful work, and the heart of devotion.   •              Cast off your burdens and step forward with Self-confidence.   Your divine Self can face any challenge and thrive fully in the present moment. This is the promise of yoga and Vedanta. 

Grief is like an ocean wave that sweeps over the ego, taking everything away with it. If we let go into it with awareness, without trying to resist or control life, it can take us into the depths of our being, where what remains, the true Self, is revealed. The time of transition from this earthly existence can give rise to enormous grief, and it can also be a source of great healing. Yogacharya O'Brian welcomes special guests Rev. Shanti McCartney and Rev. Ronda Macchello for a conversation about: * Spiritual teachings from the yoga tradition about the end of life  * The grieving process as a response to the experience of loss  * How grief can open a doorway to blessing, healing, and transformation  Tune in, receive inspiration and support for your journey through grief to healing.

There is a perceptible radiance we can see and experience when encountering someone who shines brightly with the light of Spirit. While this same light is within everyone, its radiance is only revealed as its vehicles of the body and mind are receptive to it. This special one-hour session with Yogacharya will explore how we can “lighten up”—both literally and figuratively. · Are you look for ways to relieve stress and experience greater peace and well-being? · Have you wondered if it is possible to live a balanced life in the fast pace of today’s world? Yogacharya will offer three key spiritual practices for letting go of stress, finding balance, and letting our inner light shine through the body and mind.  

There are many twists and turns on the mystical path of spiritual awakening. It’s great when we feel that we are making progress, but there can also be dark times when we despair how far we have yet to go. ·        What can we learn from St. John of the Cross, the sixteenth century Christian mystic about this dark night? Mirabai Starr’s translation of his spiritual classic, Dark Night of the Soul, makes that wisdom accessible, profoundly meaningful, and helpful for us today. ·        If you have ever felt the nearness of divine delight only to later find yourself in the desert of difficulty, seemingly without support, you’ll rejoice to discover the encouragement and insight that yoga practice provides.  Yogacharya O’Brian and Mirabai Starr explore what that dark night truly is and how we can find solace and support in the midst of it.  

If you think yoga therapy means twisting yourself into a pretzel, you will be surprised to learn that it is nothing like that! Listen to Yogacharya O’Brian and John Kepner, executive director of the International Association of Yoga Therapists, and learn: ·      What yoga therapy is ·      How your day-to-day activities are influenced by conditioning ·      What research is showing about the effectiveness of yoga therapy ·      How you can make lifestyle changes for increased wellness Take charge of your wellness now. Refine and improve how you feel every day!  

Spiritual healing begins with wholeness, realizing that we are not separate from Source. Yogacharya O’Brian and special guest Phil Bolsta, author of Through God’s Eyes, share inspiration from universal teachings that shine the light of Truth on the path of awakening to our own beauty and perfection. Let the healing begin!

From inspiration to persistence, there are eight keys for successfully fulfilling our purpose in life that we can learn and apply. Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda and world teacher of spiritual principles, joins Yogacharya O’Brian to share with us how it is possible to be successful in all aspects of our lives, especially when we remember the higher purposes for which we were born into this world.

Feeling overwhelmed by your “to-do” list? Whether you lead a business, a nonprofit, a class, or a family, the principles and practices of meditation and self-awareness can help you to pause, focus, and do what is most important to do in the moment. Yogacharya O’Brian and guest Janice Marturano, founder and executive director of the Institute for Mindful Leadership and the author of Finding the Space to Lead, discuss how you can be the inspired and effective leader you want to be!

Are you ready to evolve from smart to wise? Learn how to cultivate wise action for successful leadership by applying time-tested principles to your work today. Prasad Kaipa, Silicon Valley-based CEO, advisor, coach, and coauthor of From Smart to Wise, joins Yogacharya O’Brian to discuss spiritually-grounded principles for acting and leading with wisdom.  

Each one of us has an individual dharma to fulfill, our own true calling. What challenges do we face in discovering that purpose for our life, and how can we overcome those challenges in order to enjoy “lit up living”? Join Yogacharya O’Brian and special guest Stephen Cope, director of the Kripalu Institute for Extraordinary Living and author of The Great Work of Your Life, for answers gleaned from the Bhagavad Gita and the lives of people who have faced the challenges and embraced the opportunities of living their dharma.  

What difference can yoga and the presence and positive examples of caring adults make in the life of a young person? It can make all the difference. Tune in for an hour of inspiration as Mary Lynn Fitton, founder and program director of The Art of Yoga Project, shares with Yogacharya O’Brian a model for using the tools of yoga to turn around the lives of at-risk girls and help them prepare for a positive future. One of the first places we can, and must, consider offering the tools of leadership that yoga provides is with the young people in our midst.

Swami Bodhananda Saraswati, spiritual director of the Sambodh Society and author of The Gita and Management, joins Yogacharya O’Brian for an in-depth exploration of the keys to reaching our fullest potential as leaders. Whoever we are, whatever we do, wherever we are, we all have the same divine potential to serve, and through selfless service, to lead.

Effective leadership requires a fine-tuned ability to follow our own inner wisdom with clarity, ease, and flexibility. Megan McDonough, CEO of Wholebeing Institute, joins Yogacharya O’Brian for an inspiring conversation about life at its best with insights into how we discover our innate ability to thrive and be successful in all we do.

Rev. Lakshmi Barsel, Ph.D., teacher of Integral Yoga in the tradition of Sri Swami Satchidananda, joins Yogacharya O’Brian for this exploration of how the universal spiritual disciplines of the yamas—harmlessness, truthfulness, nonstealing, right use of vital force, and nonacquiring (or nonattachment)—provide an unshakable foundation for enlightened leadership. In this Centennial Year honoring Sri Swami Satchidananda, we will look at how his life and work exemplified the virtues of the yamas and contributed to his influence as a spiritual leader.

Ram Nidumolu, Ph.D., author of the new book Two Birds in a Tree: Timeless Indian Wisdom for Business Leaders, joins Yogacharya O’Brian for an insightful look at the possibility for business leaders to approach their work holistically—with  awareness of the interconnection of all life—and emerge to lead the way in this time of planetary transformation. Drawing from the riches of the Upanishads, this conversation invites us to look for a higher sense of self in the midst of our work environments and offers a road map for bringing awareness of the higher Self into leadership.