The Yoga Hour: Recent Episodes
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This hour of keen insight into spiritual principles touches upon the most practical aspects of our lives and speaks to our deepest yearnings for awakening. Find inspiration, insights, and time-tested practices from the ancient system of Kriya Yoga, a philosophy and practice for fulfilled living in today’s world.
Kirtan, or devotional chanting of the names of God, is a practice that opens the heart, uplifts our consciousness, and deepens our connection to the Divine. Join spiritual teacher Swami Nirvanananda as he leads songs of devotion that bring us into a sacred stillness.
Combining the timeless principles of Ayurveda with modern scientific insight, we can achieve true mind-body wellness. Join Ayurvedic healer Ulli Allmendinger as we discuss her book, The Power of Ayurveda: Science-Backed Wisdom for Wellness, Vitality, and Longevity, and discover how she integrates traditional wisdom into daily life with practical guidance for greater health.
Awaken to the One without a second—the sacred, luminous reality that is essentially what we are. Join Stephan Bodian, teacher, psychotherapist, and author of Infinite Awakening: A Guide to Nondual Wisdom and the Pathless Path, as he offers a roadmap to discovering our true identity.
Using Namaste, “I bow to the divine in you”, as a touchstone, Jeremy David Engels shows how recognizing the divine in ourselves and others is a powerful principle for building connection and community.
Can peace be found amidst chaos? Senior Kriya Yoga teacher Ann Hayes discusses the inner path of Kriya Yoga as a refuge of light, steadiness, and soul guidance. Return to the center where true clarity and strength reside.
See how ancient Vedic wisdom meets modern science. Explore with Dr. Stella Wuttke how sound vibration heals energy blockages, restores balance, and transforms the body, mind, and spirit through mantra practice, tuning forks, and the fascinating science of sound therapy.
Bring forth healing from the body’s own intelligence. Yoga Therapist Thomas Klepper shares yoga therapy tools to support healing in addiction recovery. Learn how nervous system dysregulation drives cravings—and practices to restore health, wellness and mind-body balance.
Join us as we discuss the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Book One, with author and ordained minister David McGrath based on his new commentary and exercises to integrate these teachings into your life.
Edwin Bryant, author of Bhakti Yoga: Tales and Teachings from the Bhagavata Purana, returns to discuss this classical path of yoga centered around love and devotion for the Divine. Through stories from the Bhagavata Purana, the practices of Bhakti yoga engage us and open our heart.
Erica Bassani takes us on a journey into the sacred through the voices of women across spiritual traditions. Through these intimate conversations we explore devotion, resilience, and the balance of strength and surrender in modern life.
Health and healing begin with a spiritual foundation. Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian explores how prayer, spiritual awareness, and divine intelligence guide the healing process, helping us move through challenges and discover the deeper wholeness already present within life.
Amy Landry, author of The Ocean of Yoga, shares how the teachings of Yoga are much more than sequences of postures. With insight and compassion, she honors the sacred, ancient philosophy while opening up the living wisdom of yoga.
The root of yoga is Oneness, that we are all manifestations of One Supreme Consciousness. How does this change how we live? Guest Deborah Adele explores the ethical principles of Yoga which reveal inner wisdom and help us live skillfully to build a fulfilling and peaceful life.
How did the young and privileged Francis from Assisi become one of the world's most revered saints and a heroic leader who is more relevant now than ever? Author and spiritual teacher Isha Das (Craig Bullock) shares how Francis’ heroic journey is also our heroic journey.
Catherine Duncan, spiritual teacher, ordained minister, and author of Everyday Awakening, shares five simple practices that can bring more peace, love, meaning, and embodied aliveness into our lives. We can live as the spiritually awakened beings that we are, every day.
Drawing from the earth-based wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine, yoga, and meditation, guest Jennifer Raye offers modern insights into using yoga postures, healing foods, herbal medicine, meditation, and other practices to balance the body and mind in an accessible and holistic way.
How can we empower food to work in favor of radiant living and soul nourishment? Nutritionist Sue Van Raes shares practices that can help us understand what satisfies our true hungers. We can learn to trust the wisdom of the body’s signals for self-care and building resiliency.
Professor Jeremy David Engels, scholar, longtime student of Thich Nhat Hanh and author of On Mindful Democracy, shares how mindfulness is not only a path to personal peace, but it also opens us to vital practices for renewing interconnection and democracy itself.
Explore how the spiritual principles of yoga offer hope for our ecological crisis. Dr. Christopher Chapple reveals ancient wisdom for healing ourselves and our planet—inner and outer—through Earth-awareness, mindful living, and inspiring eco-activism.
Ivan Granger is a poet and editor of The Longing In Between: An Anthology of Sacred Poetry from Around the World. He shares sacred poetry that can lift us up, inspire our days and take us to a deeper understanding of the Divine—a beautiful way to enter the holiday season.
Integrating cutting-edge science with the ancient wisdom tradition of Ayurveda, Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar and Dr. Sheila Patel, authors of Awakened Sleep, share how we can have a balanced, restorative sleep that can unlock our full human potential.
How can we live life fully, with presence and reverence? Author and teacher Elena Brower helps us explore the many aspects of ourselves to get to the heart of who we are. She invites us to come home to ourselves with love.
Psychologist and author Steve Taylor invites us into The Calm Center—a space of stillness and presence within. In this conversation with Dr. Trujillo, he shares reflections and meditations that can guide us toward spiritual awakening and peace amid life’s turbulence.
How can we transform our lives through our everyday actions? Acharya Shunya, esteemed Vedic teacher and scholar shares timeless teachings from the Bhagavad Gita revealing that, with intention, every act can be a sacred offering. Let your life be your prayer.
Do you yearn to deepen your connection to your true Self? Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati shares profound wisdom and tools that help us to rediscover the peace, joy, and clarity already within us.
Learn how every choice you make can plant seeds of peace, purpose, and joy—for yourself and the world. Philip Goldberg, author of Karmic Relief: Harnessing the Laws of Cause and Effect for a Joyful, Meaningful Life, shares how our karma is not our fate, it’s our freedom.
Mark Nepo, poet and spiritual teacher, invites us to embrace the mystery of aging. Drawing on the world’s wisdom traditions, he illuminates the gifts of growing older, turning anxiety about aging into the light of living fully.
In each moment we are faced with a choice about how to think, react, and live our lives. Billy Wynne provides a guide to helping each of us find ultimate fulfillment through the art of lessening and the embrace of emptiness.
Hope and healing are within reach. Fiona Agombar and psychotherapist Nadyne McKie are yoga therapists who share compassionate wisdom and gentle practices to support those with Long COVID, chronic fatigue, and other debilitating conditions on their path to recovery.
How can we meet today’s challenges with clarity and peace? Senior Kriya Yoga teacher Acharya Sundari Jensen discusses timeless practices for conscious living through the teachings and practices of Kriya Yoga. Discover how ancient wisdom meets modern life.
How does our diet affect our mental health? Join nutritional psychiatrist and professional chef Uma Naidoo, MD, to discuss how we can optimize our mental health and cognitive performance through changing the food we eat.
Enter the doorway of the heart and rest in love of the Divine through sacred chanting with Swami Nirvanananda, musician and spiritual teacher. Chanting is a form of Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of devotion, which brings us closer to God and into a time of sacred stillness.
Marty Wuttke is a long-time disciple of Roy Eugene Davis and the current spiritual director for Mr. Davis' organization, Center for Spiritual Awareness. He shares Mr. Davis’ impact of teaching Kriya Yoga, for over 60 years, to thousands of people across the world.
How can we deepen our relationships? Andrea Miller, editor of Right Here with You, discusses how mindfulness can help us open our hearts, strengthen communication, increase intimacy, and allow us to be more fully present with each other.
Integrating self-compassion practices into family life is a profound gift. Educators and co-authors Wendy O’Leary and Louise Shanagher share creative practices that create a culture of kindness and compassion in the family that will nourish children throughout their lives.
What does it mean to stay spiritually awake in turbulent times? Senior Kriya Yoga teacher Acharya Sundari Jensen discusses how Kriya Yoga supports presence, peace, and purposeful action. Explore how daily practice deepens inner awareness.
How can we embrace tenderness and self-compassion when we or those we love face serious illness? Susan Bauer-Wu, author of Leaves Falling Gently, shares how existential health challenges can be catalysts for growth, resilience, and becoming more human.
What spiritual lessons can bees teach us about being aware, present and seeing the One in all? Join us in conversation with Michelle Cassandra Johnson as she shares practices of contemplation for healing ourselves, all beings and our world.
Are you trying to incorporate more meatless meals into your cooking? Gena Hamshaw, author of A Grain, a Green, a Bean, shares her guidelines for delicious, simple, healthy meatless meals. We can all eat better, enjoy more, and tread more lightly on the earth.
How does the ancient healing science of Ayurveda help us to stay healthy, energetic, and balanced? Kate O’Donnell, author of The Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook explores how we can use Ayurvedic wisdom to stay healthy and vital in every season.
Prana is the aliveness of the universe, from the flow of a river to the movement of planets. Listen in to this conversation with senior Kriya Yoga teacher Acharya Sundari Jensen and explore how to increase your prana to boost your vitality, creativity, and resilience.
We can choose to walk the path of the mystic. The mundane will show up as miraculous, the boring becomes fascinating and our shortcomings become our greatest gifts. Join our guest Mirabai Starr as she shares that embracing mysticism in our lives is a way of being alive in the world.
Say "yes" to yoga as a vehicle for personal, social, and collective liberation with Susanna Barkataki, author of Ignite Your Yoga. Join us as she shares how to go beyond the physical practices of Yoga to discover how to bring all aspects of Yoga into your daily life.
We all need help in difficult times. Guest Phil Goldberg will discuss the importance of spiritual practice for equanimity and balance. Prayer, meditation, mindfulness, and other practices are necessities for challenging times that bring calm and composure to mind and body.
Who am I? The great yoga master Ramana Maharshi recommended self-inquiry as the path to Self-Realization, the realization of the Self of All. Teacher and author Dr. David Frawley discusses his new book Yoga Beyond Body and Mind, which focuses on the teachings of this great sage.
How can we expand our definition of wealth into something we embody? Elizabeth Husserl, author of The Power of Enough: Finding Joy in Your Relationship with Money, helps us to reframe the scarcity mindset, and allow money to become a trusted mentor that pushes us to expand our horizon.
Prana is the life force which flows through our bodies and gives us resiliency and vitality. Join author and esteemed teacher Dr. David Frawley to learn more about prana and how to balance the energy flows in our body resulting in health and the awakening of our consciousness.
How can we cultivate resilience, compassion, and a sense of purpose in a fractured world? Mindfulness teacher and activist Shelley Tygielski shares how radical self-care guides us in big and small ways, creating ripple effects leading to a profound impact of compassion for ourselves and our community.
How do thoughts and emotions impact our physical health as well as our mental and emotional well-being? Guest Reema Datta offers ancient yogic techniques that empower us to break free from the challenges of modern society so we can experience lasting inner peace and good health in all ways.
In honor of the 125th anniversary of Vivekanda’s visit to the Bay Area, Swami Prasannatmananda of the Vedanta Society Berkeley will discuss Vivekanda’s timeless message of love, unity and divinity of all, and how that message reverberates to this day.
How can we improve our relationship with food so that we can find pleasure and nourishment in what we eat? Nutritionist Sue Van Raes shares practices that can help us understand what fulfills us and satisfies our true hungers. We can learn to trust our hunger and organic intelligence.
Join Francis X. Clooney, Catholic priest, theologian, and professor at Harvard Divinity School, whose deep faith led to exploration of Hinduism and the development of a comparative theology. We will discuss his memoir: Hindu and Catholic, Priest and Scholar: A Love Story.
The Perennial Philosophy stresses that the experience of Oneness is available to all. Author and Professor Dana Sawyer shares how this philosophy supports our quest for Self-realization and our experience of the Unity that lies beneath the apparent diversity of the world.
In this time of divisiveness, recognition and celebration of our underlying unity is even more important. Paul John Roach discusses the unity of the world’s religions and how various spiritual traditions celebrate the return of the light at this time of year.
Stress has become a normal part of our lives. Join us for this conversation with Dr. Elissa Epel, author of the Stress Prescription, as she shares practical ways to navigate adversity to live a happier and healthier life. We can’t avoid stress but we can embrace it and transform it.
How can we attune ourselves to the subtle Divine energy that brings spiritual awakening, improves relationships and brings what we need for successful living? Shivani Lucki, internationally known Kriya Yoga meditation teacher and author of Healing with Life Force, shares Paramahansa Yogananda’s teachings for vitality, healing and Self-realization.
The soul bridges time and eternity. Yogacharya O’Brian discusses how, even in our busy lives, the practices of meditation, prayer, devotion, and contemplation, gather our attention and open space for the soul to stretch out.
Father Thomas Keating is one of great Christian mystics and contemplative giants of our time. Spiritual teacher Cynthia Bourgeault, a long time student and colleague of Fr. Keating, offers insight into this master’s journey from cloistered monk to world-renowned spiritual leader.
How does sacred music deepen our connection to the Divine? Swami Nirvanananda, musician and spiritual teacher, shares how sacred chants and music can quiet our minds, bringing us to a deeper connection with the Divine.
How do we respond to the urgency of climate change yet act effectively with hope? Join the conversation with our guest, author Susan Bauer-Wu as we discuss the challenges of this moment, to channel our inner awareness and wisdom, and to re-orient our thinking toward hopeful action.
How can we contribute to a lasting peace in the world? The ancient yogic scriptures tell us that the power to change the world begins with us. Renowned spiritual teacher and spiritual head of the Himalayan Institute, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait offers practical tools for self-transformation. We can all contribute to lasting peace.
Do you yearn for lasting happiness? Join yoga teachers and authors Mary Taylor and Richard Freeman as they explore the root causes of suffering and how to move toward awakening and integrating your physical body, heart, and mind. The shore of joy and happiness is waiting.
An important component of health is contentment of the soul and the mind. Anusha Sehgal BAMS M.D, a classically trained Ayurvedic physician, shares how the yogic principles of the Yamas and Niyamas can be cultivated to support our everyday life, bringing balance and stability as well as support to navigate life’s inevitable challenges.
How can we use the mind’s capacities to create for ourselves a healthier and happier reality? Shivani Lucki, internationally known Kriya Yoga meditation teacher and author of Healing with Life Force, shares Paramahansa Yogananda’s teachings for vitality, healing and Self-realization
Discover the positive qualities that mudras evoke in us! Join yoga therapist and author, Joseph Le Page, as he shares the ancient yogic science of mudra, yogic hand gestures for healing the physical body, balancing the mind and awakening spirit. If your body can’t do yoga, your hands can.
Ever notice the ways we can create suffering for ourselves and others? Author Michelle Cassandra Johnson shares tools to navigate the obstacles that create suffering. We can facilitate positive change not only within ourselves but also within our communities and the broader world.
Through our lives we experience physical and mental stressors that cause trauma to our bodies and minds. Author and yoga teacher Beth Spindler offers practices to help manage common conditions so that we can age with grace and ease. It is never too late to begin our healing journey.
Enlightenment in this lifetime may seem like a lofty and unattainable goal. Author and spiritual teacher Susan Kaiser Greenland finds enlightenment anytime in life’s highs and lows, offering insightful tools and strategies for awakening in this real everyday world.
How can the timeless wisdom of The Bhagavad Gita expand your yoga practice to be more spiritually fulfilling? Acharya Shunya, lineage holder, spiritual teacher, and author, presents the radical unity teachings of this text as a bridge between the ancient roots and modern practice of yoga.
How can we face the nitty-gritty of life while keeping a clear mind and making wise choices? Join nico and devon hase, authors of How Not to be a Hot Mess, as they offer humor and insight into surviving and thriving in modern life with ease and integrity.
Join us as we dive more deeply into yoga practice with Cindy Lusk, author of Align and Refine. We will explore the foundational principles of Yoga, the importance of meditation, and how to make these practices our own.
Do things seem too hectic to eat healthy vegan food regularly? Veganism has ecological, health, and spiritual benefits. Gena Hamshaw, certified nutritionist and author of The Vegan Week, discusses smart, practical, and delicious vegan meal planning for a simple way to embrace the joy of eating homemade, nutritious food every day.
Do you long for healthy happy relationships? Listen as Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian reveals how “Love Loves Love!” The discussion includes insights for living in divine Love beginning by acknowledging the One in all and lighting up your mind with divine remembrance.
How can we use Ayurveda’s ancient principles to recognize and correct imbalance in our bodies? Kate O’Donnell, author, and Ayurveda practitioner will share some insights on how to balance the body and mind for women of all ages based on her new book: Everyday Ayurveda for Women’s Health.
Our bodies have an amazing capacity to heal and thrive due to our life force, or prana. Shivani Lucki, internationally known Kriya Yoga meditation teacher and author of Healing with Life Force, shares Paramahansa Yogananda’s teachings for vitality, healing and Self-realization.
How can the ancient science of yoga help us to improve our overall well-being and especially our heart health? Author and teacher Susi Amendola shares how these practical and research-proven tools can improve our cardiovascular health and quality of life.
How can the deep philosophical teachings of yoga support addiction recovery? Join guest Bryan Hyman RYT, author of Recovery with Yoga, as he offers inspiration and practical tools to help cultivate a powerful and purposeful life in recovery and to create a new design for living.
Are you aligned with who you KNOW yourself to be? Tracee Stanley and Dr. Laurel Trujillo discuss the sacred path to transformation and Self-remembrance. They will share yoga-based practices, meditations, and self-inquiry questions to help guide the inward journey.
Are you ready to reconnect with the power of your life energy? Join Master Waysun Liao, T’ai Chi master and author of T’ai Chi Classics, as he shares how to feel, restore, and strengthen your inner power (c’hi) through the practice of T’ai Chi.
What is the relationship between consciousness, the brain and the teachings of Kriya Yoga? A.Martin Wuttke, neurotherapist, yogacharya and author of The Brain Sutras: Keys to the Revealed Consciousness, shares how understanding these connections can guide us to living a spiritually awakened, fulfilled life.
The spiritual teachings of yoga tell us that our ultimate goal in life, our dharma, is to awaken fully to our divine nature and to express it. Yogacharya O’Brian shares how these ancient teachings give us tools to live in a way that brings joy to our heart, peace to others and to the world.
What role does contemplative practice play in meeting a world in crisis? Oren Jay Sofer outlines practical ways that we can cultivate mindfulness, resolve, wonder, and empathy to build resilience, love, and strength that can transform our world.
How do we face life’s inevitable dance of falling down and getting up? Join Mark Nepo as he extends an invitation for listeners to view adversity from a new perspective - facing the challenges of life by choosing to embrace every experience as an opportunity for positive change.
How can Ayurveda help us to slow down the aging process? Ayurvedic scholar, clinician, and educator Dr. Jayarajan Kodikannath (Dr. J) shares Ayurvedic approaches to prevent premature aging, sustain health, and ensure longevity.
Beginning or returning to a regular meditation practice is one of the most powerful things you can do to transform your life. Host Dr. Laurel Trujillo discusses the benefits of meditation as well as the nuts and bolts of how to establish or re-establish a meditation practice.
We all have a near-constant interior dialogue but we can discover the quiet place of peace and joy that lies beyond. Join author Sarah Anderson as she shares how we can fan the flame of silence so that we can be transformed and inspired by its power.
What role do gratitude and generosity play in living a fulfilled life? Join Yogacharya O’Brian as she shares insights and practices we can use to find hope, resilience, and higher purpose in times of change or challenge.
How can we heal and find joy in times of isolation, grief, sadness, and fear? Michelle Cassandra Johnson shares spiritual teachings drawn from the Bhagavad Gita, mindfulness practices and rituals to show how to build community, summon support, connect with nature, and thrive.
LaUra Schmidt shares practical steps that allow us to build momentum for healing and action in this time of climate crisis. She shares how we can embrace ‘Good Grief’ and embody the necessary actions to cool the rising temperatures in our politics, in our families, and within ourselves.
How can we have a successful and enjoyable meditation experience? Yogacharya O'Brian shares what a successful practice is as well as easy and practical techniques to prepare our minds, our bodies and consciousness to create the conditions for meditation to occur.
What is the secret that connects the individual soul to spiritual Reality? Author, esteemed spiritual teacher and longtime translator of Rumi, Kabir Helminski, shares how the sacred poetry of Rumi can be viewed through a contemporary lens to illuminate universal truths.
What lessons can a modern seeker draw from Autobiography of a Yogi? Rizwan Virk discusses how universal principles such as karma, meditation, and yoga can be used to address issues and challenges of the present, such as the diversions of social media and the quick pace of contemporary life.
How can we remove filters--thoughts, feelings, and other reactions—that keep us weaving the same old patterns? Physicist and author Sky Nelson-Isaacs shares how we can open ourselves up to endless possibilities by aligning with life circumstances rather than fighting them.
How can we use Ayurveda’s ancient principles to stay resilient and healthy as we move from the heat of summer into fall and prepare for winter? Kate O’Donnell, author of The Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook, shares the importance of shifting our diet and routines with the seasons.
Swami Vivekananda was a key figure in the introduction of Vedanta and Yoga philosophies to the western world. Pravrajika Brahmaprana, editor of Swami Vivekenada’s writings Volume 9 shares how the impact of this great spiritual teacher contributes to the spiritual awakening of our world.
How does the wisdom of Yoga inform the unpredictable, sometimes chaotic life of a parent? Sarah Ezrin offers wise and practical strategies for understanding how the many challenges of parenting can be better managed with Yoga.
Kriya Yoga is an intentional, universal approach to Self-realization and spiritual enlightenment. This is accomplished by removing obstacles to the realization of our divine nature. Author and teacher Nayaswami Devarshi shares how Kriya Yoga can support us in reaching this ultimate goal.
Does science need to be separate from spirituality? Scientist and author Dr. Paul Mills shares stories from some of the world’s foremost scientists about mystical experiences that have transformed them and their work. Science, as a method, can be used to pursue spiritual goals.
Renowned poet, author, and spiritual teacher, Mark Nepo shares poetry from his book The Half Life of Angels that touches the soul and reminds us of what it means to be fully alive, to be surrounded by what is sacred.
How can we transform our inner voice to offer ourselves more self-compassion than criticism? Dr. Rachel Turow, author of The Self-Talk Workout shares scientifically based strategies that support us in building healthier habits of relating to ourselves.
Do you feel there is just not enough time in the day? Andrew Mellen, author of Calling BS on Busy, combines cutting-edge neuroscience with common sense to change the way we think and act about time, bringing us into the present moment with clear intention, gratitude and abundance.
Why has reading Paramahansa Yogananda’s book Autobiography of a Yogi changed so many lives? Join author Philip Goldberg as he discusses this important book, that he calls “An iconic memoir of an authentic yogi.”
Listening to and reading sacred poetry can lift us up, inspire our days and take us to a deeper understanding of the Divine. Ivan Granger is a poet and editor of The Longing In Between: An Anthology of Sacred Poetry from Around the World. Listen in and be inspired!
Discover simple, practical and gentle tools to truly heal from your life’s traumas and stressors. Lauren Walker, author of The Energy to Heal, provides step by step practices using yoga and energy work to help us access our body’s innate healing for a calmer, freer and fulfilled life.
How can friendship offer healing and transformation for ourselves and the world? Author and spiritual teacher Kate Johnson shares strategies, grounded in ancient teachings, to help us embody our deepest values and work toward the collective well-being in all our relationships.
The second limb of yoga consists of five ethical practices called the Niyamas. David McGrath, spiritual teacher and author, shares how the teachings of Kriya Yoga, specifically the practices of the Niyamas offer us a practical way to live a spiritually conscious life.
The first limb of yoga consists of five ethical principles called the Yamas. How do these Yamas offer us a practical way to live a life that is worthy of us? Author and Kriya Yoga teacher, David McGrath shares how these principles and practices guide us to live in the highest way, a yogic life.
How can we, as individuals, contribute to the repair of the world and ourselves in this polarized time? Pamela Ayo Yetunde, author of Casting Indra’s Net,shares how we can do the necessary inner work to live as spiritual kin, caring for each other amidst global crisis and suffering.
How can we foster healthy and fulfilling relationships of all kinds? Author and psychologist Rick Hanson offers simple but powerful ways to improve relationships with our family, friends, and with challenging people so that we can cultivate kindness and communicate more skillfully.
What is it like to live as a Kriya Yogi? Yogacharya O’Brian draws inspiration from the Bhagavad Gita to explore this question about how to live a spiritually conscious fulfilled life in today’s world.
How can we overcome the tendency to jeopardize our own spiritual journey? Swamini Svatmavidyananda offers lessons from the ancient, timeless teachings of the Upanishads that offer practical tools to overcome the most common barriers on the spiritual path.
Are you ready to begin meditating, or to recommit to a regular meditation practice? Swami Saradananda, meditation and yoga teacher and author of Sitting Comfortablydiscusses the benefits of a regular meditation practice and how to overcome obstacles to beginning and continuing one.
The realization that everything in the universe forms a single, integrated whole can be difficult to grasp. Author and Zen priest Brad Warner shares, in a light-hearted way, how a true understanding of Reality, the ultimate unity of all things, instills in us a sense of responsibility for the welfare of all life.
How can times of adversity be a time of personal transformation? Mark Nepo, esteemed poet and spiritual teacher, shares how we can traverse life's unavoidable storms by using the timeless teachings of the heart to deepen our roots and solidify our connection with Spirit.
The Vedas are considered the source texts of Yoga, which through study, practice, contemplation and understanding help with a more complete yogic development. Shantala Sriramaiah discusses how the study of the Vedas and how properly chanting the ancient mantras support us in deepening our spiritual growth.
Yoga principles guide us to build more equity and inclusion in our practice and in the world. Dr. Stacie Graham encourages yoga practitioners and professionals to take action, aligning their practice with the powerful work of social justice.
How can we find healing, transformation and spiritual growth through compassionate caregiving? John Baugher, PhD. is a teacher, author and end-of-life caregiver. He offers tools and practices that can support caregivers through difficult times.
How can we develop insight, vision, and creativity from the darkness of uncertainty, grief, and fear? Join author, spiritual teacher and ecologist Deborah Eden Tull as she shares how the exploration of darkness helps us navigate the uncertainty of our times.
Yogacharya O’Brian discusses how spiritual practices imbued with the symbols from the Christian tradition of Advent can be luminous tools to guide us through the dark days and nights of Winter.
How can understanding the philosophies of Samkhya and Yoga help bring us a more profound sense of meaning and focus for our spiritual practices? Our guest Acharya Sundari Jensen, an esteemed Kriya Yoga teacher, shares how this map of the human experience shows us the way from pain and suffering to peace and bliss.
Can difficulties in life actually help us to find our purpose and step forward as our best selves? Author and spiritual teacher Stephen Cope takes teachings from the Bhagavad Gita as well as stories from the lives of well-known ordinary people to offer examples for finding meaning and purpose in our lives.
How can the power of love, clarity about our divine purpose and gratitude transform our lives? Join Yogacharya O’Brian as she shares how we can connect to that power and set ourselves on the path of ultimate freedom.
How can we promote peace at home, at work and in the world through the language we use? Nonviolent speech is a spiritual practice. Join Judith Lasater as she offers a fresh formula for Nonviolent Communication based in yogic philosophy. She will share practical exercises to help improve and deepen all our relationships.
How do we ready ourselves to contribute to the great shift needed for social and ecological change? Join Dr. Chris Johnstone, co-author with Joanna Macy, of the book Active Hope as he shares how we can navigate these difficult times without fear or despair.
How can our later years be the most vital time of life? Yogacharya O’Brian shares how Yoga philosophy and practice light the path for healthy, vital, and purposeful living at every stage of life. Learn how these spiritual teachings can inspire your life journey and help you prepare for and navigate your later years.
Acharya Shunya is a renowned Vedic teacher and author of the book Roar Like a Goddess. Join us as she shares that by learning about the goddess qualities within, women can step into their innate divinity and lead powerful, abundant, and wise lives.
How does writing about life events bring magic and healing? Nancy Slonim Aronie, author of Memoir as Medicine, says that everyone has a story to tell. Join us as she shares how writing through where we have been provides a pathway to deep understanding, profound healing, and unexpected joy.
Acharya Shunya is a renowned Vedic teacher and the first female head of her family teaching lineage. Join us as she shares that by learning about the goddess qualities within, women can step into their innate divinity and lead powerful, abundant, and wise lives.
How do we find joy even in the impermanence of our lives? Join Susan Moon, Zen teacher and author of Alive Until You’re Dead, as she discusses death as part of living and the journey of aging. With humor and wisdom she encourages us to expect enlightening discoveries throughout our lifetime.
How can Yoga and Ayurveda empower recovery from addiction? Join Durga Leela, author of Yoga of Recovery, as she shares how tools from these ancient sciences enhance traditional recovery pathways and offer healing, hope, and transformation for those on the path of recovery.
What does it mean to live skillfully? Join Molly McManus, yoga therapist and Ayurvedic chef, as she discusses how the practices of yoga help us to live skillfully and bring more joy to our lives. Discover how yoga therapy can help to promote healing of mind, body, and spirit.
How can we create equanimity and awareness that will support us in riding the ebbs and flows of life? Join author and yoga teacher Nina Zolotow, as she offers ancient and modern yogic tools that return balance, calmness and contentment when we experience challenging times.
How can being still help us to build our inner resources in times of change? Octavia Raheem, yoga teacher and author of Pause, Rest, Be, shares how yoga can support us in gaining strength and courage through practicing stillness in an ever-changing world.
What is authentic Kriya Yoga? What does it involve? How do we find the path with the right teacher for us? Join Yogacharya O’Brian, author and Kriya Yoga teacher, as she addresses questions often asked about Kriya Yoga.
How can we transform our work lives and create the dream job? Join Bill Burnett, co-author of Designing Your New Work Life, as he offers real steps and a road map to transform our job and improve work experience, helping us reframe problems and move into action.
How can we make real change in the world toward a more just, humane and democratic future? Join Jivana Heyman as he shares how yoga is truly revolutionary — creating an inner revolution in our heart and mind, as well as an outer revolution in the form of service and social justice.
What is the unifying thread that runs through all of the world’s major religions? Rev. Paul John Roach, Unity minister, author, and host of the podcast World Spirituality discusses that beneath the surface of differences there is a golden thread of deeper mystical understanding that is common to all religions.
How do we discern when we are ready to make a change or not—to do the right thing? Dr. David Richo, psychotherapist, teacher and writer, discusses practices that support us in listening to and trusting our inner wisdom. We will then have the confidence to follow through with our decisions.
Join Dr. Rick Hanson, author of the books Neurodharma and Buddha’s Brain, as he shares how modern science and ancient wisdom show us how to cultivate inner peace and happiness in today’s increasingly complex world.
How can we use Ayurveda’s ancient principles to keep our immunity strong? Internationally renowned spiritual teacher and Vedic master, Acharya Shunya, discusses strategies to create a healthy lifestyle, ensure our immunity is at its best and keep our stress levels low.
Vedic wisdom declares: Take care of nature, and nature will take care of you. How do we take care of nature in a time of climate emergency? Yogacharya O’Brian outlines steps that begin to change the climate of our heart and our mind so yoga, consciousness, and climate change meet.
Can the literature we love convey the awakening we seek? Join Dean Sluyter, award-winning author and teacher, on a journey for discovering dharmic pathways in Western literature. Find out how inspiration and spiritual insight can be found anywhere, at any time, in any situation.
How can we heal from the individual and collective grief we experience from the suffering on this planet? Author and teacher Michelle Cassandra Johnson shares spiritual tools that support us in experiencing our grief. We can take action with an open heart in heartbreaking times.
How does science quantify yoga’s impact on human physiology? Eddie Stern, yoga practitioner and teacher, shares how Western science is beginning to explain how the practices of yoga can override habitual responses to the world to move us into deeper states of expanded awareness.
Is it possible to change your destiny? Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian, founder of The Yoga Hour, for the second part of this series as she explores the wisdom of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, revealing how the tools of yoga possess the key to transform your life trajectory.
Is it possible to change your destiny? Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian, spiritual leader, writer, and poet, as she explores the wisdom of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, revealing how the tools of yoga possess the keys to transform your life trajectory.
How are the ancient sciences of yoga and Ayurveda sparking a global spiritual evolution? Mas Vidal, author and teacher, discusses how these timeless wisdom practices provide a methodology for healing ourselves, healing the world, and inspiring a future we can all work towards.
How can we feel rejuvenated, energized, and more at ease in our day? Cate Stillman, teacher of yoga and Ayurveda, shares daily habits that can decrease stress, cultivate peace of mind, and bring radiant longevity to our lives.
How can poetry open up new ways of thinking, feeling, and being in the world? Author, teacher, and poet John Brehm shares how we can enter a poem, allowing its power to be a gateway to experience a deeper sense of wonder and mystery.
We live in landscapes, and landscapes live in us. Christopher Chapple, author and professor of Indic studies, shares how the classical teachings of the East reveal the interconnection between humans and nature and how we can participate in the healing of the earth.
How does sacred music deepen our connection to the Divine? David Rhodes, musician and songwriter, shares how sacred chants and music can quiet our minds, bringing us to a deeper connection with the Divine. David will be sharing music from his new CD, Door of My Heart.
What is a divine pilgrimage? Are you ready to make a pilgrimage to your divine self? On the 40th anniversary of the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment, Yogacharya O’Brian discusses the importance and role of spiritual pilgrimage using the examples from Autobiography of a Yogi.
Countless people have been inspired by Paramahansa Yogananda’s book Autobiography of a Yogi. Philip Goldberg, author of The Life of Yogananda, shares insights on the legacy of this great spiritual teacher as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the publishing this seminal book.
How does the use of mantra support spiritual awakening? Stella Wuttke, Ph.D., and Marty Wuttke, Kriya Yoga teachers, share how mantra is used to develop a more profound meditation practice and how its vibrational power supports healing of the mind and body and deepens spiritual awareness.
Are you ready to amplify the benefits of your hatha yoga practice? Lauren Walker, certified yoga teacher and energy medicine practitioner, shares practices that help you to access your underlying healing potential.
Are you ready to deepen and enliven your yoga practice beyond the mat? Pamela Seelig, yoga practitioner, teacher, and author of Threads of Yoga, shares how the profound spiritual philosophy and enriching practices of yoga can enhance our daily lives.
What is it to live this human life in a spiritual way? Zoketsu Norman Fischer, Zen teacher, author, and poet, shares stories and reflections that offer insights and teaching helping us to define what is really spiritual practice and what supports us in living our best life.
Paramahansa Yogananda recognized Sri Yukteswar as his guru the moment he saw him. Sri Yukteswar was humble, learned, and a tough but loving spiritual teacher. Yogacharya O’Brian shares how we can learn, even in modern times, from the wise teachings of this great Kriya Yoga master.
Yogacharya O’Brian returns to The Yoga Hour to celebrate the life and teachings of Lahiri Mahasaya who revealed where the practical and mystical aspects of our life meet in harmonious accord. Discover how where you are right now is most auspicious for spiritual awakening.
What do those Sanskrit words used in yoga class really mean? Author, Sanskrit teacher, and Ashtanga yoga teacher Zoë Slatoff examines the beauty of commonly used Sanskrit words and explains how understanding and using Sanskrit can deepen our yoga practice.
How do we find the inner courage to face ourselves, others, and the unknown? Poet and spiritual leader Mark Nepo, author of Finding Inner Courage, reflects on how the power of honest inquiry in times of loss and uncertainty can ignite deep reflection and motivate action.
In this time of increased awareness of racial disharmony, how does the study of yoga’s ancient roots invite us into greater empathy? Author and teacher Susanna Barkataki discusses how embracing yoga’s roots supports greater inclusivity and connection with each other and the world.
How can we find inner peace and lessen our anxiety even in times of chaos? Guest Hala Khouri, therapist and yoga teacher, discusses practical strategies to understand our body’s signals so we can release stress and find healing.
How can understanding our triggers help us find peace and lasting emotional well-being? Psychotherapist David Richo, Ph.D., author of Triggers, discusses how we can look deeply at the roots of what provokes us so we can develop the resources to stay calm under pressure and to heal.
What does it mean practically to live a life committed to Oneness? Jeremy David Engels, author of The Ethics of Oneness: Emerson, Whitman, and the Bhagavad Gita, explores this question as an antidote to our current climate of separation.
How can yoga practice address the specific physical and emotional needs of cancer patients and survivors? Tari Prinster, founder of yoga4cancer, discusses the science and benefits of yoga for cancer patients and survivors and the tools to create a safe home yoga practice.
Feeling out of sorts with life’s challenges? Paramahansa Yogananda taught that living with inner peace is the secret to a happy life. Join Nayaswamis Jyotish and Devi as they share Yogananda’s tools, stories, and right attitudes to help connect with your source of peace within.
How does our consciousness, identity, and prana differ in different states of consciousness? Dr. David Frawley discusses how observing and contemplating our daily movement from waking, dreaming, and deep sleep can lead to boundless wisdom and enduring bliss.
How does a heart of service respond to the difficulties of our times? How do we overcome fear and awaken the compassion that is innate within us? Nipun Mehta, founder of ServiceSpace.org, discusses how small acts of service can transform us and transform the world.
Medical science has increasingly illustrated the role chronic inflammation plays in the development of disease. Yoga therapist Baxter Bell, M.D., discusses how yogic practices, breath techniques, and meditation can curb inflammation and support us in living a healthier life.
How do the tools of yoga help us to move beyond trauma? Joanne Spence, certified yoga therapist and author of Trauma-Informed Yoga, discusses using the ancient wisdom of yoga along with modern neuroscience to reduce stress and calm the nervous system.
Discover how the practices of Kriya yoga awaken the heart and reveal innate divine qualities such as self-restraint, generosity, humility, and perseverance on the spiritual path. Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian as she discusses the key to living a joy-filled life.
How can the inherent wholeness and belonging of yoga help us to bounce back when we meet the challenges of life? Yoga therapist Amy Wheeler, Ph.D., discusses how through yoga, we can develop resiliency while having compassion for ourselves and for others.
How can the right questions redefine the trajectory of your life? Spiritual teacher and author of Spark Change: 108 Provocative Questions for Spiritual Evolution, Jennie Lee discusses how we can deepen awareness of our innermost needs, allowing us to initiate powerful shifts in our lives.
What role does our sitting posture play in the depth of our meditation? Will Johnson, teacher and author of The Posture of Meditation: A Practical Manual for Meditators of All Traditions, shares the importance of our body’s role in our path of spiritual transformation.
Join Dr. Laurel Trujillo and Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian as they explore Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra. Both practical and profound, yoga’s quintessential guide for the spiritual life shows us how to find peace and live with purpose.
How can we participate in breaking the cycle of America’s racial trauma? Larry Ward, Ph.D., student of Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh and author of America’s Racial Karma, discusses how we can bring clear intention and compassionate action to the path of racial healing.
Join Dr. Laurel Trujillo and Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian as they explore Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra. Both practical and profound, yoga’s quintessential guide for the spiritual life shows us how to find peace and live with purpose.
What is required to experience self-realization? Ryan Kurczak, author of The Essence of Complete Kriya Yoga Practice, discusses the impact and guidance of Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda and one of the great modern Kriya Yoga gurus.
Is it possible to be grateful in challenging times? Our well-being depends on it, but how do we achieve it? Kristi Nelson, author of Wake Up Grateful, shares how, through gratitude, we can live more fully and find well-being without having to wait for something to change.
How do the ancient teachings of the Vedas support us in claiming our birthright as powerful, spiritual beings? Vedic master Acharya Shunya, author of the book Sovereign Self, continues her discussion about how these teachings help us recognize our inner worth and wholeness.
How can stories from revered spiritual teachers nourish and guide us on our path to spiritual awakening? Sean Murphy, author of One Bird, One Stone, shares insights and stories from modern Zen teachers that will support the spiritual journey of anyone from any spiritual tradition.
How do the ancient teachings of the Vedas support us in claiming our birthright as powerful, spiritual beings? Dr. Laurel Trujillo and Vedic master Acharya Shunya, author of Sovereign Self, discuss how these teachings help us recognize our inner worth and wholeness.
How do fear, worry, and anxiety hold us back from living our best life? Beth Spindler, author of Yoga Therapy for Fear, joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss how simple yoga methods can result in relief from symptoms of fear, depression, anxiety, and rage.
Explore the spiritual riches of the Christmas season with Dr. Laurel Trujillo and Yogacharya O’Brian through contemplation and meditation on its inner meaning.
Awe-inspiring moments are all around us. Join Dr. Laurel Trujillo and her guest Jonah Paquette, Psy.D., as they discuss how we can tap into the powerful benefits of awe and bring wonder into our everyday lives.
Ayurveda teaches us how daily and seasonal rhythms affect our bodies, allowing us to stay resilient and healthy. Guest Kate O’Donnell, author of The Everyday Ayurveda Guide to Self-Care, teaches how to adjust our self-care routines in a caring and nurturing way.
How can the ancient teachings of the Bhagavad Gita be relevant in our modern, fast-paced world? Join Dr. Laurel Trujillo and authors Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor as they discuss how this sacred text provides deep insight to meet life’s inevitable challenges.
How can people of faith address the problems of global climate change? Join Yogacharya O’Brian and Kusumita Pedersen, Ph.D., member of the Climate Action Task Force of the Parliament of the World’s Religions, as they discuss the power of faith communities in this crisis.
Join Dr. Laurel Trujillo and The Yoga Hour founder Yogacharya O’Brian as they explore Kriya Yoga’s role in planetary evolution. How did this ancient science of self-realization inspire The Yoga Hour? What does it offer us for this time of change and challenge?
How do the spiritual teachings of yoga support our response to racial injustice in ourselves and in the world around us? Rev. Kamala Itzel Hayward and Dr. Laurel Trujillo discuss how we can retain our inner peace while being a presence for justice and compassion in the world.
How can we stay grounded, emotionally connected, and empowered in times of turmoil? Ralph De La Rosa, author of Don’t Tell Me to Relax, joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss tools that help us understand our emotions, deepen our resilience, and cope with contentious times.
Join Dr. Laurel Trujillo and Ron Lindahn—senior Kriya teacher, disciple of Roy Eugene Davis, and producer and director of the documentary Yogananda and the Kriya Yoga Masters—as they discuss the Indian culture and the teachers that guided and influenced Yogananda’s early years.
100 years after Paramahansa Yogananda arrived in the U.S., the teachings that he brought remain inspiring and uplifting. Join Yogacharya O’Brian and Nayaswamis Jyotish and Devi, spiritual directors of the Ananda communities, as they discuss the modern-day legacy of Yogananda.
This month is the 100th anniversary of Paramahansa Yogananda’s arrival in the U.S. Join Dr. Laurel Trujillo and Philip Goldberg, author of The Life of Yogananda, as they discuss the life and legacy of this great spiritual teacher.
In this time of heightened awareness about racism, what is our role? Join Rev. Priya Friday-Pabros, a Black woman and senior Kriya Yoga teacher, and Dr. Laurel Trujillo as they discuss how spiritual practice supports us in discerning what is ours to do.
What does the science of Ayurveda teach us about immunity and the current global health crisis? Join Cynthia Copple, director of Lotus Holistic Health Institute, and Dr. Laurel Trujillo as they discuss Ayurvedic wisdom on the nature of pandemics and how we can live a healthy life.
How can all of our life experiences, both good and difficult, connect us with our inherent wholeness? Guest Mark Nepo joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss how life’s challenges wear away the coverings of the soul and allow the light of who we are to pour forth into the world.
Why does it feel so good to be in nature? What benefits does it bring? Florence Williams, author of The Nature Fix, joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss why nature makes us happier, healthier, and more creative.
How can the wisdom of Yoga and Ayurveda help us to master our lives? Join Cate Stillman, author of Master of You, and host Dr. Laurel Trujillo as they discuss how the five elements can help us master our home, body, ambition, time, and integrity.
How can we skillfully navigate our lives in a world that is challenging? Join Yogacharya O’Brian and Philip Goldberg, author of Spiritual Practice for Crazy Times, as they discuss how we can increase our resiliency, wisdom, and courage during difficult times.
Is it necessary to have a spiritual teacher? Rev. Sundari Jensen, senior Kriya Yoga teacher at the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment, joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss the gifts our spiritual teachers bring to help us grow and reach our full potential.
What is it to have faith? Can it help in times of challenge and change? Join Yogacharya O’Brian and cohost Dr. Laurel Trujillo as they discuss how faith can support us in maintaining our equilibrium and bouncing back from difficulties.
How can we live a life of optimum health and lifelong healing? Join Yogacharya O’Brian and Rachel Abrams, M.D., integrative medicine physician and author of BodyWise, as they discuss how getting in touch with our body’s innate wisdom supports our physical and emotional well-being.
We can experience well-being, vitality, and abiding happiness. Join Yogacharya O’Brian and Acharya Shunya, a world-renowned Vedic scholar and Ayurvedic teacher, as they discuss how the practices of yoga and Ayurveda can support true health and an awakened consciousness.
An esteemed lineage of teachers made the transformative teachings of kriya yoga available to us today. Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian and Giovanni Formisano, a kriya yoga teacher from Italy, as they discuss the gifts these teachers brought to help us with today’s challenges.
The soul has profound strengths that we can draw upon, including love, courage, and creativity. Join Yogacharya O’Brian as she discusses the seven soul qualities that we can access to build our inner peace, fearlessness, and resilience.
What are the keys to living a more meaningful life? Join Dr. Laurel Trujillo and neurotherapist and yogacharya A. Martin Wuttke as they discuss how the connection of our mind, brain, and consciousness influence each other and how that understanding can change the way we live.
How can our imagination be a spiritual practice? Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian and author and Zen priest Norman Fischer as they discuss how the development of our creative imagination is a necessity for thriving in troubled times.
Yoga helps us build compassion and resilience, two important qualities for our rapidly changing times. Yogacharya O’Brian joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss yoga practices that allow us to draw deeply from our inner strengths to meet any challenge.
Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian and her guest, Anastasia Shevchenko, as they discuss how the practices of yoga, including meditation, pranayama, asana, and study, connect us to the Truth within and deepen our relationships with others and the world around us.
How can we deepen our connection to God and to the world even in difficult times? Join cohost Dr. Laurel Trujillo and Rev. Charles Taylor, senior minister at the Universal Truth Center in Miami Gardens, Florida, as they discuss how prayer and meditation can help us draw on our inner peace and strength.
How can we successfully change our behavior to fight the coronavirus? BJ Fogg, Ph.D., behavioral scientist and author of Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything, joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss how we can make the changes we need to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our community during this pandemic.
How can we break through the old patterns of stress, worry, and fear to find a new perception of our true self? Join cohost Dr. Laurel Trujillo and her guest, psychotherapist and yoga teacher, Rev. Connie L. Habash as they discuss how overcoming anxiety can allow us to flourish.
Join Carrie Demers, M.D., and cohost Laurel Trujillo, M.D., as they discuss facts and tips from modern research and the ancient wisdom of yoga and Ayurveda that support us in aging with vibrancy and grace.
How does yoga work? Join Yogacharya O’Brian and yoga teacher, lecturer, and author Eddie Stern as they discuss—from both a yogic and scientific perspective—how the practices of yoga can transform our brain function, our bodies, our emotions, and our experience of life.
Does the Divine have form, or is the Divine beyond all form? How do we realize the truth of God? Vedic scholar Swamini Svatmavidyananda joins Yogacharya O’Brian to explore the nature of our relationship with God and the role that ritual can play to uncover the deepest truth of our being.
Clinical psychologist Dr. Radhule Weininger joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss the healing power of self-compassion. Learn simple practices that allow us to respond skillfully to our own suffering and that of the world.
Teacher and author Gunilla Norris joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo as they explore how the daily practice of silence nurtures a deeper awareness of kindness as a path to self-realization.
Jivana Heyman, author of Accessible Yoga, joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss how yoga’s physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits really are for every body, mind, and spirit, regardless of age or physical ability.
At this busy time of year, how can mindfulness help us to reduce stress? Gina Biegel, author of Be Mindful and Stress Less, joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss simple actions we can take to cultivate ease, decrease anxiety, and improve our self-care.
How can the ancient teachings of yoga radically enlighten every aspect of our daily lives? Join Yogacharya O’Brian and teacher Stephen Cope, author of The Wisdom of Yoga, as they discuss how we can be fully human as well as spiritually mature in this modern world.
The spiritual path is rich with paradox. Take, for example, the assertion that we are already enlightened and the instruction that spiritual practice is necessary. Is it possible to contain seemingly contradictory viewpoints within a larger context? Join Yogacharya O’Brian and her guest Rick Archer, host of Buddha at the Gas Pump, as they discuss these and other spiritual questions.
How can we live a kinder, more loving life? Join Robyn Spizman, author of Loving Out Loud: The Power of a Kind Word, and cohost Dr. Laurel Trujillo as they discuss practical ways that we can be joyful, stay positive, and set a little love in motion.
We can all know why we are here, how to fulfill our divine destiny, and how to experience lasting happiness. Join Yogacharya O’Brian and cohost Dr. Laurel Trujillo as they discuss how we can awaken to our divine potential and live our lives in the highest way.
How can we live our lives in the highest way? Join Yogacharya O’Brian and her guest Yogi Cameron as they discuss the universal spiritual laws taught in the ancient wisdom of Yoga. Living by these principles, we can create lives of abundant wholeness, purpose, and wisdom.
How can self-nurturing help us to improve our diets and our health? Julie Simon, author of When Food Is Comfort, joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss the benefits of applying loving kindness to ourselves, improve our stress response, and bring more mindfulness to our eating.
Our spiritual intelligence is a part of Universal Intelligence, guiding and supporting our lives in all ways. Join Yogacharya O’Brian and Kabir Helminski as they discuss deepening our relationship with the Infinite, purifying our consciousness, and trusting in the unfolding of life.
Kay Lindahl, the author of The Sacred Art of Listening, joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss how practicing deep listening to ourselves, to our Source, and to each other can be the key to healthy relationships and spiritual transformation.
How do we prosper without losing our soul? Yogacharya O'Brian joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss how spirituality and earthly success can complement each other, leading to the realization of the higher self. We can then each become jewels of abundance.
A grateful heart is a magnet that draws to us what is harmonious and good. Join Yogacharya O’Brian and her guest May McCarthy, author of The Gratitude Formula, as they discuss how the practice of gratitude can support us in achieving success in all aspects of our life.
How do the ancient sciences of yoga and Ayurveda intersect? Join cohost Dr. Laurel Trujillo and her guest Mas Vidal, author and yoga and Ayurvedic teacher, as they discuss how these traditions can be integrated into our lives for balanced living and spiritual evolution.
Join Dr. Laurel Trujillo and her special guest Linda Graham, MFT, as they discuss tools and techniques that cultivate our essential skill of resilience, allowing us to bounce back from difficulties and even disaster in our lives.
How can we experience more balance in our busy lives? How can we live the life we desire? Join Dr. Laurel Trujillo and her guest Yvonne Talley, author of Breaking up with Busy, as they discuss tools and techniques to manage our busy lives in a more balanced way.
Increasing our embodied awareness builds our responsiveness and resiliency. Susan Bauer, author of The Embodied Teen, joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo for a conversation about how we can each enliven our sense of self and establish lifelong habits for well-being.
Join Yogacharya O’Brian and Rev. Neusom Holmes from Unity of the Triangle in Raleigh, North Carolina, as they explore how the practices of meditation and prayer complement one another and meet at the summit of divine presence.
How are the messy moments of being a parent grounds for spiritual awakening? Join cohost Dr. Laurel Trujillo and her special guest Anne Cushman, author of The Mama Sutra, as they discuss how the joys and sorrows of parenthood are not separate from the spiritual path, but are the path itself.
How can the practice of mindfulness help us to meet the challenges of our changing lives and world? Mark Coleman, author of From Suffering to Peace, joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss how deepening our ability to be mindfully present increases our resilience, clarity, and peace.
How can those who live with chronic pain find a pathway to health and well-being? Special guest Sarah Ann Shockley, author of The Pain Companion, discusses how pain sufferers can live with more ease and grace and, ultimately, relieve and release the pain.
Yoga helps us discern what we truly want and need at any given time in our life. Join hosts Dr. Laurel Trujillo and Yogacharya O’Brian as they discuss how we can create an atmosphere within and around us that encourages us to be awake, listen to our soul guidance, and prosper.
How can the chakras help us experience and express the oneness that is the goal of yoga? Nischala Joy Devi, author of The Namaste Effect, joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss the role of the chakras in opening our hearts to universal love and compassion.
Yoga decreases stress, which improves our health, increases our energy, and makes us more resilient. Laurie Hyland Robertson, editor of Yoga Therapy Today, joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss yoga’s proven power to reduce stress, decrease anxiety, and improve well-being.
Live a prosperous life of purpose and fulfillment. Join Dr. Laurel Trujillo and Rev. Charles Taylor, senior minister of the Universal Truth Center in Miami Gardens, Florida, as they discuss how everything we need to live a truly fulfilled life is already in our possession.
Social media opens new opportunities to serve others. Nipun Mehta, founder and chief inspiration officer of ServiceSpace, joins Laurel Trujillo to discuss how we can each perform small acts with great love to create positive ripples in the world.
Yoga keeps us healthy, promotes resilience, and increases the body’s natural healing ability. Yoga therapist and teacher Amy Wheeler, Ph.D., joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss how yoga practices balance the body and help us to heal from the inside out.
Yogacharya O’Brian reflects on the remarkable life of Roy Eugene Davis, her teacher for 40 years. We dedicate this program to Roy's memory with deep appreciation for his more than six decades of teaching Kriya yoga.
How do we live our lives from our deepest spiritual insight? Craig Bullock (Isha Das), founder and spiritual director of the Assisi Institute, joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss how meditation, prayer, and forgiveness are the keys to abundant living.
Spiritual teacher and author Roy Eugene Davis, one of the last living direct disciples of Paramahansa Yogananda, has been sharing the teachings of Kriya yoga for more than 65 years. Tune in as he shares stories and teachings of this great sage.
Spiritual teacher and author Roy Eugene Davis, one of the last living direct disciples of Paramahansa Yogananda, has been sharing the teachings of Kriya yoga for more than 65 years. Tune in as he shares stories and teachings of this great sage.
A spiritual friend, soul companion, counselor, guru, or spiritual director is an essential component of the spiritual path. Join Yogacharya O’Brian and Rev. Seifu Anil Singh-Molares, the executive director of Spiritual Directors International, as they talk about the role of the spiritual friend and its increasing relevance today.
Join Yogacharya O’Brian and Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar and Dr. Manisha Kshirsagar on Valentine’s Day for a look at what Ayurveda and yoga tell us about the vital connection between self-care and loving relationships.
We can all relate to pain—it’s the main reason people go to a doctor. Yoga offers us some simple and time-tested ways to help. Join Yogacharya O’Brian and Swami Sivashankariananda, director of the San Francisco Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, as they explore how we can teach the body a new response.
As “drops in the river of time,” can we find happiness and fulfillment in the midst of constant change? Listen as Rabbi Rami Shapiro, author of The Tao of Solomon, and Yogacharya O’Brian talk about what can’t be put into words! This discussion is sure to be enjoyable, challenging, and insightful.
In the life and legacy of Paramahansa Yogananda, we can see an inspired life that includes the four Vedic goals of life—to live with higher purpose, prosper, enjoy life, and realize liberation. What can we learn from Yogananda’s life about those goals and how to achieve them? Join spiritual friends Yogacharya O’Brian and Philip Goldberg, author of The Life of Yogananda, as they explore how to live fully and well.
We all want to be happy and for our happiness to last. Spiritual realization puts us in touch with the soul’s bliss. Yogacharya O’Brian discusses the innate joy that is part of our soul nature, how to experience it more often, and more fully. Tune in and wake up to joy!
Yoga is truly transformative—not just physically transforming our bodies—but touching all areas of our life. Special guest Anastasia Shevchenko, creator of the upcoming 2019 Berlin Yoga Conference in Germany, discusses how the practices of yoga transform us in body, mind, and spirit.
Can we imagine a world in which all people are spiritually awake? Is enlightenment possible for us, or only for saints and sages? Yogacharya O’Brian returns to discuss how we can restore our innate wholeness and work in the world but not leave our souls behind.
We each have a wealth of spiritual resources we can access to meet our needs. They are our sure antidote to despair or discouragement. Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian and Dr. Laurel Trujillo as they discuss how we can thrive even through times of adversity and despair.
What if you could reboot your health, tap in to your creative self, reclaim your wild nature, lead from your heart—and still feel well-rested? Join Dr. Laurel Trujillo and Karen Brody, author of Daring to Rest, as they discuss how yoga can help us rediscover the power of rest.
Discover the basic spiritual law of wealth and how our ability to thrive is connected to our awakening. Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian returns to discuss how we can understand prosperity as a spiritual goal, not for its own sake, but for the sake of the soul.
How can we be conscious partners in a world awakening to its highest potential? Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo for a discussion about how we can live a prosperous, abundant life without losing our souls along the way.
What happens when you fully commit yourself to love? Join Dr. Laurel Trujillo and Scott Stabile, author of Big Love: The Power of Living With a Wide-Open Heart, as they discuss living a heart-centered life during the good as well as the challenging times of our life.
In order to keep our meditation practice steady and strong we need to find ways to fall in love with it over and over again. Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss the many ways we can stay inspired and devoted.
Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian and her special guest Swami Prasannatmananda as they discuss the life and legacy of Swami Vivekananda, one of the first Indian gurus to make an impact in the West. His timeless message of religious harmony provides an antidote to religious intolerance.
What are the proven benefits of meditation? Shanti Rubenstone, M.D., joins cohost Laurel Trujillo, M.D., to discuss the scientific evidence suggesting meditation improves cardiac health, slows aging of the brain, and reduces pain.
Yogacharya O'Brian and Swami Nirvananda Saraswati, a monk whose music builds schools for children in need, talk about how to let your heart lead you into serving and making a difference.
Join host Dr. Laurel Trujillo and Frank Ostaseski, the author of The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully, for a conversation on how maintaining an ever-present consciousness of our mortality can bring us closer to our truest selves. How do we embrace the uncertainty of life and still live with joy, peace, and acceptance?
Ayurvedic specialist Dr. Vivek Shanbhag notes that natural cycles, such as the seasons and cycles of the moon, affect our health and consciousness. Shanbhag joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo for a discussion on how to improve our health and expand our consciousness by aligning with the cycles of nature.
Sarahjoy Marsh, author of Hunger, Hope, and Healing, joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss yogic practices that can transform our relationship with food from suffering to compassion and hopefulness. How can yoga help us to heal our relationship with food, eating, and body image?
Antonio Sausy, author of Yoga for Grief Relief, joins cohost Dr. Laurel Trujillo as they discuss how yoga practices support us in times of grief and loss, and provide an opportunity for self-transformation. Yoga can help us move through grief to rediscover our wholeness.
How do we recognize when we are out of balance and make corrections to restore optimal health? Yoga therapist and professor Amy Wheeler, Ph.D., joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss how we can use self-care practices to reclaim our balance and well-being.
Kriya yoga is described in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras as self-discipline, self-inquiry, and surrender to God. Join Dr. Laurel Trujillo and Paula Whang-Ramos as they discuss how these teachings can bring us back to wholeness—a life filled with peace, joy, and deep contentment.
How can we feel less stressed and stay calm and centered in the face of adversity? Join Dr. Laurel Trujillo and her special guest Dr. Rick Hanson, author of Resilient, as they explore clear, practical steps to get in touch with our inner strengths of grit, gratitude, and compassion.
How can we navigate life’s challenging times and find our way to peace? Dean Sluyter, author of Fear Less: Living Beyond Fear, Anxiety, Anger, and Addiction, joins cohost Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss simple meditative practices to ease body, mind, and soul.
To awaken our heart is to embody the divine love and joy that is part of our soul nature. Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian, director of The Yoga Hour, joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo to share poetry and practices that open our hearts and deepen our ability for love and compassion.
Life calls us to see more deeply, into the extraordinary that lies within the ordinary. Spiritual teacher, author, and poet Mark Nepo joins Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian for a conversation drawing on his recent book, Things That Join the Sea and the Sky.
Yoga states that we are all whole at our deepest level, despite conditions that make us seem to be incomplete. Yoga teacher, motivational speaker, and paraplegic Matthew Sanford joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss yoga's hopeful promise of wholeness.
Paramahansa Yogananda is described as a spiritual master for the ages, revered by millions of people all over the world. Philip Goldberg, author of the new biography The Life of Yogananda, joins Yogacharya O’Brian to discuss the fascinating life of this extraordinary leader.
How do we begin to dissolve wounds and secure lasting peace? Join regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo and James O’Dea, author of Soul Awakening Practice: Prayer Contemplation and Action, as they discuss how we can establish a consciousness of unity and connection. Tune in and be inspired by a new prayer for soul awakening.
What are some simple Ayurvedic practices that can enhance your body, mind, and spirit? How can we bring the wisdom of the world’s oldest healing system into our everyday lives? Ananta Ripa Ajmera, author of The Ayurveda Way, joins regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss simple steps for better sleep, less stress, optimal digestion, and more. Tune in and begin to transform your life!
Discover the benefits of setting a spiritual intention. Setting a resolution to express a particular soul quality such as love, peace, or compassion invites the support of divine grace into our lives and paves the way for transformation. Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian, spiritual teacher, author, and founder and director of The Yoga Hour, joins guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo to examine the power of setting a spiritual intention. Listen in to begin to bring this dynamic practice into your life.
How do we develop the courage and faith to welcome the unknown? Are there practices that can help us to face uncertainty with grace? Estelle Frankel, author of The Wisdom of Not Knowing: Discovering a Life of Wonder by Embracing Uncertainty, joins regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss how walking into the heart of mystery can be a starting point for adventure, creativity, and transformation. Tune in to begin transforming fear and resistance into curiosity and open-mindedness.
What is something that we do several times a day that affects our mental clarity, energy, and peace of mind? It’s eating! Ayurveda, one of the oldest systems in the world for maintaining and improving health, helps us understand the relationship between the qualities of the foods we eat and our physical and mental health. Kate O’Donnell, author of the new book Everyday Ayurveda Cooking for a Calm, Clear Mind, joins regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo to explore the impact that the food we eat has on our mental balance and peace of mind. Listen in to begin to use foods to manage your mood!
What does it mean to be spiritually enlightened? Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian and her spiritual teacher, Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda and internationally known spiritual teacher and author, as they discuss how to become spiritually enlightened in this lifetime. There are six practical things we can all do that support our intention to awaken fully. Tune in and learn about, or be reminded of, these essentials for self-realization.
How can changing your schedule change your life? Does when you eat matter as much as what you eat? Scientists have discovered that our bodies’ activities vary significantly between day and night, coordinated by the “clock genes” present in every cell. Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar, Ayurvedic physician and author of Change Your Schedule, Change Your Life, joins regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo for a conversation about how changing our schedule can help us to lose weight, get more benefits from exercise, and improve our sleep. Listen in, it’s the right time!
How does meditation support our health, well-being, and spiritual growth? How can we create a meditation routine that is easy and rewarding? Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian as she discusses, with guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo, the powerful, life-changing benefits of meditation. Whether you are an experienced meditator or are interested in beginning a meditation practice, tune in and find out how meditation can transform your relationships and your health. Learn about the most important benefit—self- and God-realization. Why not do it now?
How do we help our children recognize and grow into the rich spiritual life that is their birthright? Join Rev. Elena Kanti Fritchle and regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo as they explore the importance of nurturing our children’s spirituality.
How can yoga help us to age with strength and grace? Baxter Bell, M.D., coauthor of Yoga for Healthy Aging: A Guide to Lifelong Well-Being, joins regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo for a conversation about the power of yoga to benefit both young and old alike.
How can we create and nurture meaningful, mutually supportive, and conscious relationships? How can we communicate in a compassionate and genuine manner to broaden our humanity and transform our lives? Join Yoga Hour guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo and Michael J. Gelb, author of The Art of Connection, as they discuss simple but profound practices that cultivate deeper relationships and allow us and those around us to flourish in a deeper, more creative way.
How do our deepest relationships in life shape who we are? What is the nature and potential of our friendships? Stephen Cope, senior scholar in residence of the renowned Kripalu Center, psychotherapist, and author of many best-selling books, joins guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss how the magic connections of special relationships are powerful keys to who we have become and who we will become. Tune in and discover how these deep connections have transforming power for our lives.
What does it mean to live a dharmic life? How can we live by the soul’s radical inclination to fulfill its potential? This week, Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian shares with guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo how the teachings and practices of Kriya yoga support us in living our lives with purpose and meaning. Dharmic living is joyous learning by surrendered doing. There is no other way.
How can we access joy that lasts, independent of our life circumstances? What is true freedom, and how can we attain it? Pantajali’s Yoga Sutras has long been recognized as a guide to help us discover the eternal joy and ultimate freedom that is the birthright of every human being. The Sutras teach us how to create and live the life we dream of, and assure us that we are destined to discover our pure being and experience lasting joy. Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, author of a new translation and commentary The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada, joins guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss how to apply the living wisdom of the Yoga Sutra in our practice to achieve lasting fulfillment and ultimate freedom. Tune in and find out how!
How can we experience rapid, authentic spiritual growth? How can we keep our practice steady and strong? Whether we are new to the spiritual path or are rededicating ourselves to a practice of many years duration, Kriya yoga offers practical spiritual principles, lifestyle guidelines, and meditation techniques that allow us to live a life that is of value to ourselves, to others around us, to the environment, and to the world. Join guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo and Roy Eugene Davis, direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, as they discuss how energizing and deepening your spiritual practice allows you to live the life you were meant to live.
What is our higher purpose? Why are we really here? Living with higher purpose means living in harmony with the universal aim of spiritual realization. When we live mindfully, with awareness of our essential nature and connection to all of life, we are living in the highest way. Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian joins guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo for a discussion of Self-realization, which is our higher purpose, and the practices that help us to live a life of harmony and peace every day. We are here to awaken, so tune in and find out more!
How do we live a more spiritually conscious life? What practices can help us to kindle our inner fire? We all have a yearning to live in the highest way, yet we may have difficulty enacting a steady spiritual practice. Join guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo and Gunilla Norris, author of Match: Bringing Heart and Will Into Alignment, as they explore how to live more authentically, embody our truth, and experience wholeness. Tune in and learn how to create a practice that will support your kindling the fire of yoga within.
What goals are essential for spiritually conscious living? The Vedas say there are four: finding our life’s purpose; securing abundant resources to make our life’s work successful; enjoying the life we are given; and attaining freedom, or liberation. Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian joins guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo for a discussion of the importance of knowing these four goals of life, and the steps to achieving them. Tune in to illuminate your life journey!
What is that call to awaken to the fire of love within us? How do we respond to that call? Join guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo and Anne Hillman, author of Awakening the Energies of Love: Discovering Fire for the Second Time, as they discuss how following this calling is an exhilarating, daring journey of adventure—a journey that is our soul’s destiny to take.
How can we heal from trauma and free ourselves from fear? Integrative Restoration, or iRest, is a form of Yoga Nidra Meditation that has been proven effective in helping people overcome post-traumatic stress disorder; reduce anxiety, insomnia, and depression; and maintain a lasting emotional and mental balance. Richard Miller, Ph.D., author of The iRest Program for Healing PTSD, joins regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo for a conversation about the power of yoga meditation to help us heal from trauma and live a life of freedom. Tune in and find out how!
How can yoga help us manage our mood? What is the natural path to emotional well-being? The timeless mind-body teachings of yoga provide many practices that have been shown to improve our mood and emotions. On today's show, join Amy Weintraub, author of Yoga for Depression: A Compassionate Guide to Relieve Suffering Through Yoga, and regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo as they discuss how yoga puts us in the driver’s seat and shows us how to heal ourselves. Listen in and learn tools that support us in living a life that is free from the suffering of anxiety and depression.
How do the practices of Yoga and Ayurveda support our health and wellness? One answer can be found in scientific studies on inflammation. Inflammation plays a role in the development of many diseases, and studies show that Yoga and Ayurveda both have anti-inflammatory effects. Diana Lurie, Ph.D, Professor of Neuropharmacology at the University of Montana and editor in chief of The Ayurveda Journal of Health, joins regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss the healing mechanisms of Yoga and Ayurveda. Tune in and find out how these two ancient sciences can prevent and heal disease in our modern world.
How does music heal the wounds of our hearts? Listening to music can touch us at a deep level and reveal the peace within us. Join award-winning composer Gary Malkin and regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discover what music might bring to your contemplative practice. Tune in and learn how the power of sound can heal your heart’s weariness from the stresses of our world.
How do we bring the inner peace we find in meditation into the wider world? What actions can we take that make a difference? Join Philip Hellmich, director of peace at the Shift Network, and regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo, as they discuss the balance between cultivating our inner life and activating a path of service in the world. Tune in and be inspired to act for peace in your everyday life.
What are the truly essential aspects of living? How do we recognize and invest in them? How can we expand our self-definition to include both being and doing? Join Toinette Lippe, author of Caught in the Act: Reflections on Being, Knowing, and Doing, and regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo as they discuss the search for an authentic life. Tune in for a discussion of the humility and courage that allows us to live fully and not get “caught in the act”!
How can the wisdom of the Vedas help us bring greater consciousness, creativity, and happiness to our lives today? Yoga, Ayurveda, and Jyotish (Vedic astrology) are all sciences that arise from the Vedas. Vedic counseling brings together these approaches to help us live a life of health, happiness, and spiritual growth. Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar, Ayurvedic physician, author of The Hot Belly Diet, and coauthor of The Art and Science of Vedic Counseling, joins regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo for a conversation about discovering the universal truths within the Vedas. Tune in to find out how the wisdom of the Vedas can support us in our modern world.
How much impact does our environment have on our spiritual practice? Do you find it difficult to let go of the things that clutter your space, impede your efficiency, and bog down your joy? Find out how easy it can be to clear a space in your life for more peace, more love, and joy. Start by joining Yogacharya O’Brian and Andrew Mellen, organizational expert, public speaker, and No. 1 best-selling author of Unstuff Your Life! as they explore these questions and shine a light on a simple way to get and stay organized.
How can we enliven the transformational power within us to energize our life and help us progress on our spiritual path? Shakti, the energy of the Mother Goddess, is the force that manifests the universe and drives our spiritual awakening. Yogini Shambhavi, codirector of the American Institute of Vedic Sudies and author of two books on the Mother Goddess, joins Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian for a conversation about awakening the universal Shakti power within us. Tune in to kindle the grace of the Goddess within your own heart.
How do we find our way through life's challenges to discover our inner strength and deep resilience? What allows us to touch the heart of what really matters? Mark Nepo, New York Times best-selling author and poet, brings his healing story, insight, and presence to the Yoga Hour in a profound conversation with Yogacharya O'Brian about the way under the way—how to enter our experience in a way that is transformative.
How is humankind’s consciousness evolving toward global integration and interconnectedness? What evidence is there at the mystic heart of the world’s spiritual traditions that beneath the illusion of separateness humanity is one family? How can the practice of yoga in it’s broadest sense help us move toward the unifying power of love? Join regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo and Robert Atkinson, author of The Story of Our Time: From Duality to Interconnectedness to Oneness, as they discuss the story of the spiritual evolution of humankind, and the unity that is our ultimate destination. Tune in to hear more about humanity’s shift in consciousness that is already underway.
How can we experience optimal health? How can we be proactive about our health in a way that is in harmony with the rhythms of nature? Why are the teachings of yoga and Ayurveda called “sister sciences”? Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian and Acharya Shunya as they discuss how the lifestyle practices of Ayurveda—the knowledge of life—and the practices of Kriya Yoga work together to manifest a state of health and well-being that is vibrant with ease, energy, and flow. Find out how you can feel like a billion dollars!
The times we live in require us to develop a literacy of the heart—a deeper quality of listening, discerning, and connecting heart to heart and soul to soul. Literature itself, both poetry and prose, plays a timeless role in awakening our hearts to deeper truths we may otherwise miss. Khaled Hosseini, physician and author of the best-selling novels The Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns, and The Mountains Echoed, joins Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian for a conversation about how reading, writing, and listening can bring forth profound questions, surprising graces, and the palpable presence of radical hope.
How does interspiritual study and connection help us bring forth the harmony that is needed so badly today in our lives and in our world? What contribution might the practice of yoga make to this emerging interspiritual paradigm? Rami Shapiro, editor of the new World Wisdom Bible, joins regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo in a discussion about how the wisdom at the core of all faith traditions help us to recognize our essential oneness, and to move toward solutions that honor this truth. Tune in and be inspired!
Can writing support us in discovering the deep connection to our authentic self? Since self-realization is the revelation of our authentic self—that which we already are—how can we unburden ourselves of pointless baggage on this journey of spiritual awakening? Mark Matousek is an award-winning author, teacher, mentor, and speaker whose work is devoted to self-inquiry and the transformational power of writing. Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian and Mark Matousek as they reflect on the path of transformational writing as a tool for spiritual liberation. Tune in and find out how this powerful tool can work in your life.
Poetry speaks truth, and speaking truth heals. Whether we write poetry for ourselves or to share with others, the process of creating poetry allows us to examine and express our own unique life. We can see who we are more clearly and bring meaning to all of our experiences: our joy, our sorrow, our fears, and our hopes. John Fox, author of Poetic Medicine: The Healing Art of Poem-Making, joins Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian for an exploration of poetry writing as a way to heal body, mind, and spirit. Tune in and explore the power, beauty, and healing potential of poetry.
Is it possible to quicken our spiritual awakening? What practices can help us to progress along our spiritual path? Ever since human beings began to use mental abilities thousands of years ago, their innate urge to be spiritually awake impelled them to want to know their relationship with the Infinite. Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian and her guru Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda and internationally known spiritual teacher and author, as they discuss practices and actions that will support us in becoming spiritually awake more quickly. Tune in and find out how!
One of the ways to stay spiritually centered is to contemplate inspirational writing that connects us to what is true, what is most important, and uplifting. Throughout the ages, poetry and other forms of literature have offered insight, solace, and a challenge to live a spiritually conscious life. Join writers and poets Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian and Parthenia Hicks as they discuss how the study of spiritual writing helps us to connect to our highest goals and aspirations. Tune in and find out how!
In this time of upheaval and change in the world, how do the lives and writings of the mystics offer us a way for healing and unity? Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian and author and spiritual teacher Mirabai Starr as they share poetry, insights, and experiences that connect the contemplative life with a life of compassionate engagement. Learn what the mystics can teach us about being the light of love in the world.
How can we move from the everyday world to the timeless experience of divine union? Mystical poetry can build a bridge from ordinary life to the eternal presence of love at the heart of the universe, from our inner life to the realization of a life beyond our own. Regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo is joined by Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian, founder and host of the Yoga Hour, and author of a new book of poetry, The Moon Reminded Me, for a conversation about poetry, healing, and mysticism. Experience how poetry can open a portal that allows us to glimpse the face of the Beloved for which our hearts yearn.
We all have a deep, soul calling to live a life that has meaning and purpose. How do we discern that call and respond to it? How can we overcome fears and obstacles to realizing our purpose in life? Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian in a conversation with her special guest Rod Stryker, a longtime teacher of yoga philosophy and the author of The Four Desires: Creating a Life of Purpose, Happiness, Prosperity, and Freedom. Find out how, by connecting with our dharma, we can live by the power of the soul, in alignment with the power of the universe.
What does it mean to live in the highest way? How can the practices of yoga help us to live in harmony with our own self as well as others? Join Yogacharya O’Brian and her special guest Edwin Bryant, author of The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: A New Edition, Translation and Commentary as they discuss how insights and practices from the Yoga Sutras can help us live our higher purpose. It is not difficult to live a spiritually conscious, fulfilled life in today’s complex world. Tune in and find out how!
As we begin a new year, how can we bring our lives into harmony with our higher true self? What does yoga have to teach about living a balanced life and reaching our full potential? Authors and Vedic educators Dr. David Frawley (Pandit Vamadeva Shastri) and Yogini Shambhavi join regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss how Vedic wisdom can guide us in regaining optimal health, pursuing spiritual awakening, and living a life of balance and fulfillment. The conversation will draw from the book The Art and Science of Vedic Counseling, which was coauthored by Dr. Frawley and Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar. Tune in for practical tips to get the new year off to a great start!
As women’s and men’s roles are changing in our society and in our world, what can the Hindu goddesses teach us? How do they model divine qualities and support us in understanding our own dharma? The Hindu goddesses are representations of feminine psychology and spirituality, and can show us how to understand spiritual law and live with divine purpose. Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian and her special guest Dr. Rita Sherma, director of the Center for Dharma Studies at the Graduate Theological Union and coeditor of Woman and Goddess in Hinduism: Reinterpretations and Re-envisionings, as they discuss how the mythology of the Hindu goddesses can help us revitalize our own role in the world.
How do we find our true purpose—our path in the world that allows us to bring forth all our strengths? How do we discover and pursue the calling of our innermost self? Stephen Cope, author of The Great Work of Your Life, joins regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo to discuss how we find our svadharma, that true calling of our soul longing for expression. By drawing encouragement from the stories of others who have realized their life’s purpose, this conversation is sure to inspire you on your journey.
The goal of purposeful living is not new—every religious, spiritual, or even secular tradition has their version of it. With the influx of yoga philosophy and practice and Vedic wisdom in the West, along came “dharma,” a new way to look at how we live. Discover how dharma holds the key to right action and harmonious relationship with others in this timely conversation with Philip Goldberg, author of American Veda, and Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian.
What forms the common core at the center of all faith traditions? Why is discovering this common core so important today in our divided world? In yogic philosophy, divine love, joy, and bliss are our birthright. William Keepin, Ph.D., author of Belonging to God: Spirituality, Science, and a Universal Path of Divine Love, joins regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo to explore this divine love that is found within the mystical paths of all faiths, and its transformative potential. Tune in and be inspired!
How can we change politics so that it contributes to healing and to positive transformation in our society—in our world? How can we move beyond “left” and “right” thinking to a more “transpartisan” approach of social reform and national reconciliation? Join Stephen Dinan, author of “Sacred America-Sacred World: Fulfilling Our Mission in Service to All” and regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo as they discuss the possibilities for a revitalized America and the vision of a healed and peaceful world. Tune in and discover how you can contribute to this bold vision. It’s the perfect time!
How can I find happiness? Is it possible to quiet the mind? Whether we are just starting along the path of spiritual awakening or have been on the path for some time, we often have questions about our spiritual journey and about how spiritual teachings relate to issues in our lives. Imagine sitting down to listen to a conversation between two spiritual leaders who are longtime disciples in the spiritual tradition of Paramahansa Yogananda. You can! Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian from the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment and special guest Nayaswami Asha, spiritual director of Ananda Palo Alto and author of Ask Asha, as they discuss questions that arise on the path of self-realization.
Practicing yoga in all of its forms—hatha yoga, meditation, contemplation, or selfless service—turns up the inner light of awareness. We start to see a new way to live. Rolf Gates, author of Meditations From the Mat: Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga, joins Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian to discuss how the yamas and niyamas can help us to bring our spiritual practice off the mat and into every aspect of our lives. Tune in to discover how the practice of yoga encourages living a joyful, fulfilling life that leaves the world a better place.
Yoga and Vedanta offer us the keys to the kingdom—the way to realize our essential self and live in the highest way. Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian and Swamini Svatmavidyananda, an accomplished scholar of Vedanta, as they discuss:
Why does the yearning to spiritually awaken arise?
Where does it come from and how do we find our way?
Why is spiritual discipline necessary if we already are what we are searching for?
Discover how spiritual practice is the discipline of joy upon joy. Find out how we can live a life of disciplined, purposeful living through the practices of yoga and Vedanta.
How do we cultivate a calm, peaceful, and spiritually awake life? How do we access the wisdom that is within us? Dr. Edward Viljoen, senior minister of the Center for Spiritual Living in Santa Rosa, California, and author of The Power of Meditation, joins Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian to discuss how meditation can joyfully transform our lives and contribute to harmony in the world. Tune in and discover where stillness, power, and joy meet through the practice of meditation.
Would you like to access the same sense of well-being, clarity, inner freedom, and loving connection realized by the world's meditation masters? Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian as she talks with Loch Kelly, founder of the Open-Hearted Awareness Institute and author of Shift Into Freedom: The Science and Practice of Open-Hearted Awareness, as they discuss how we can tap in to this inner freedom. Tune in to learn how we can intentionally and immediately connect to peace of mind any time of our day.
How does the change of seasons affect our health and well-being? How can we incorporate simple, home-cooked meals into our lives so that we can start living a healthier, more nourishing lifestyle right away? Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian and special guest Kate O’Donnell, author of The Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook: A Seasonal Guide to Eating and Living Well, as they discuss:
How to make easy, scrumptious meals to nourish your body
Lifestyle advice to live consciously in each season
Self-care practices that help our bodies adapt as the seasons change
It is simple and it is possible!
What factors are essential for optimizing our health? What connections are there between our digestive health and other symptoms such as headache and fatigue? Dr. Trupti Gokani, an award-winning neurologist and author of the book The Mysterious Mind: How to Use Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science to Heal Your Headaches and Reclaim Your Health, joins regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo to explore how Ayurveda and conventional medicine can work together to help us discover and address the underlying causes of our “dis-ease” instead of just treating our symptoms. Tune in to learn how digestion holds the key to living a balanced, “at ease,” optimally healthy and vibrant life.
How can the practices of yoga help us to have radiant health? Arising from the inherently therapeutic practices of the ancient system of yoga, Yoga Therapy is now a field for active research and treatment. The blossoming field of Yoga Therapy uses yoga’s tools to help clients maintain wellness, prevent chronic disease, and improve the course of numerous illnesses. Larry Payne, author of Yoga Therapy and Integrative Medicine, joins regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo for a discussion of Yoga Therapy’s vast potential. Tune in and find out more about how yoga can help to heal body, mind, and spirit.
How can we remain vital and healthy as we grow older? The ancient system of Ayurveda, the sister science of yoga, has a deep understanding of our body’s natural aging process. We can utilize the medical science of Ayurveda to age naturally, remaining robust and vigorous throughout our entire life. Cynthia Copple, author of Know Your Blueprint: The Ayurvedic Secret to Restoring Your Vitality and Passion in 30 Days, joins guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo for a discussion about Ayurvedic practices that help us stay healthy, energetic, and passionate as we age. Tune in and find out how!
After we face physical or emotional trauma, how can we reconnect with the wholeness that is present at the soul level? How does yoga help us to heal? Yogic practices have been proven to alleviate both pain and suffering, and to allow us to find increased joy and serenity in our lives. Mary NurrieStearns, author of Yoga for Emotional Trauma, joins regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo for a conversation about how yoga can help us rediscover the healing and wholeness that is within us. Tune in and learn steps you can take to live more joyfully in the present moment.
How can yoga help us to heal our hearts and our bodies? What scientific evidence is there that yoga is an effective tool for the treatment of chronic disease? Stress contributes to the development of many of today’s chronic diseases, and yoga is a masterful system for healing the effects of chronic stress. Yoga expert Nischala Joy Devi, who helped develop the stress management portion of the Dr. Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease and cofounded the Commonweal Cancer Help Program, joins regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo in a conversation about how yoga can help restore our health and vitality. Tune in and find out more about yoga’s tools for rediscovering our wholeness.
What does it mean to be a conscious companion? Being with someone who is suffering a loss, is ill, or dying can be an intense, intimate experience. How does our relationship with our own body, mind, and spirit affect our ability to be present for others? How do we take care of ourselves so we can be that compassionate presence? Frank Ostaseski, founder of the Metta Institute and cofounder of Zen Hospice Project, joins regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo to explore how we can wholeheartedly accompany others on their journeys.
There is a power for good within each one of us. It is the same power that runs the universe. When we nurture awareness of that power and learn to cooperate with it, we can accomplish our worthy goals. Join regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo and Dr. James Doty, author of Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon’s Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart. A clinical professor of neurosurgery at Stanford and founder and director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, Dr. Doty brings a scientific viewpoint as well insights from his journey of awakening to discover what this power is, how we can access it for our own success, and for the good of the world.
Paramahansa Yogananda’s faith, devotion, and persistence to know God propelled him to be one of the leading spiritual teachers of all time. His travels throughout India and meetings with saints and sages continue to inspire seekers today. Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian and Ron Lindahn, both devoted students of Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, and hear stories of Ron's pilgrimage to places where Yogananda and his spiritual teachers walked. Learn little-known stories of Yogananda that will inspire your own inner pilgrimage of self-discovery.
What does it mean to live a life of yoga? Simply put: yoga offers us the opportunity to live fully—joyfully, consciously, and purposefully. Swami Sitaramananda, head of the Sivananda Centers on the West Coast of the United States and in Asia, and Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian will explore the joys and challenges of living a yoga life—offering gems of inspiration and practical wisdom from their decades of practice.
How does the practice of self-compassion transform our lives and positively affect our world? Can we learn to give ourselves the same caring support we would give to a friend? When we are critical of ourselves we may seek to blame others for our shortcomings or try to hide those aspects of our personalities that we don’t like. With self-compassion, we can open our hearts and look kindly on all aspects of our personality. This ability to see clearly and with kindness enables us to choose a different way that leads to a healthier, happier, and more fulfilling life, and more peaceful interactions in the world. Dr. Kristin Neff, author of Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself, joins Yogacharya O’Brian to explore how the practice of self-compassion can lead to healing for us and for our world.
In our modern fast-paced, fast-food culture, it’s easy to forget how to enjoy food in a healthy way that nourishes all aspects of our being. What can we learn from the yoga tradition about cooking and eating that will help us shift into a more satisfying relationship with food? Regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo is joined by Diksha McCord, author of The Healing Kitchen: Vegetarian Cooking With Higher Awareness, for a conversation about how healthy eating habits honor your body temple and help to expand your consciousness.
What happens when we move spirituality from the periphery to the center of our life? When our practice is not an isolated time of meditation, but part of everything that we do? Pravrajika Vrajaprana, author of Vedanta: A Simple Introduction, joins Yogacharya O’Brian for a conversation about how we can move from compartmentalized spiritual practice to living in divine awareness all the time, regardless of our activities. Tune in and learn what steps you can take to live your spirituality every day!
How can we live joyously, even in challenging times? Can we trust in the transformative potential of all of our experiences? Mark Nepo, teacher, poet, and author of the book Inside the Miracle: Enduring Suffering, Approaching Wholeness, joins Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian for a conversation about finding the light that is always present, even when we can’t see it. Listen in as they share poetry and inspiration that opens the heart and heals the spirit.
Would you like more happiness in your life? What tools does yoga offer that could help in this pursuit? Yogic practices illuminate the stillness within us that cannot be threatened by outer circumstance. When we nurture our connection with this inner stillness, we rediscover our innate joyfulness. Sam Chase, author of Yoga and the Pursuit of Happiness: A Guide to Finding Joy in Unexpected Places, joins regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo for a discussion of the opportunities yoga provides to realize more happiness in our lives. Tune in and find out how!
What is the role of pilgrimages in understanding ourselves and our lives more fully? These journeys can call us to travel far from our homes, or occur within, as we travel deeper into our own hearts. We return with a renewed appreciation of our true Self. Rev. Charles P. Gibbs, Episcopal priest and author of the book Light Reading: Poems From a Pilgrim Journey, joins Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian to share poetry and reflections of life as a pilgrimage of divine remembrance. Listen in and join the journey that celebrates the beauty of the human heart.
What does yoga offer those seeking freedom from debilitating habits and addictions? Is yoga philosophy and practice compatible with the 12-step program of recovery? Durga Leela, founder of Yoga of Recovery, joins Yogacharya O’Brian for a discussion about liberation—including both its practical and ultimate dimensions. We can all reach beyond our habits and limitations for a life brimming with health, vitality, and freedom. Tune in and find out how.
What is truly beautiful? How can we each enhance our beauty by being more true to who we really are? The beauty of all creation is a manifestation of the Divine. Ayurveda and yoga offer many practices that help us get in touch with our own inner beauty and enhance it on all levels. Tune in for a conversation between our regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo and Dr. Manisha Kshirsagar, an Ayurvedic physician, yoga teacher, and esthetician whose specialties include skin care and natural beauty treatments. Learn how yoga and Ayurveda can help us express more of our inner beauty to the outer world. We can all experience lasting beauty that is more than skin deep!
Yoga and Ayurveda, sister sciences arising from the Vedas, each offer an entire way of life. Their practices enhance health in a holistic fashion, affecting body, mind, and spirit. Tune in as Acharya Shunya Pratichi Mathur joins Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian for a discussion of the potential for radiant health and spiritual awakening offered by these ancient systems. Simple, profound, practical—three key words that describe what we can learn about how to live optimally with yoga and Ayurveda.
What was it like to study with the great yoga master Paramahansa Yogananda? Roy Eugene Davis, one of Paramahansa Yogananda’s last living direct disciples, joins Yogacharya O’Brian for an inspiring conversation about his years with his guru. Learn what Yogananda emphasized as essential for spiritual awakening, how he advised his disciples, and some of the ways he inspired others to live in the highest way. Discover why the Kriya Yoga taught by Yoganandaji is a path of Self- and God-realization especially relevant to truth seekers today.
Decades ago, Paramahansa Yogananda taught that the practice of meditation made positive changes in the brain as well as the mind. Now science can show what this meditation master knew from his own experience before there were instruments to measure such changes. Neuroscience research today has shown many differences in the brains of long-term meditators. How does meditation change our brain structure and function? What do these changes mean? Anyone who practices meditation is soon aware of the benefits of increased calm, peacefulness, and improved ability to focus. Tune in as Martin Wuttke, Neurofeedback practitioner and researcher, joins Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian and find out more about how these beneficial changes can change our life for good.
Jyotish, or Vedic astrology, helps us comprehend how the macrocosm of the universe impacts the microcosm of our individual lives. Jyotish gives us a map of our lives and allows us to understand the tools we have been given. How can we use this knowledge for personal growth and greater spiritual awareness? Tune in for a conversation between Vedic Astrologer Komilla Sutton and Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian. Discover how Jyotish can help you in your life today.
What do yoga and Vedanta have to teach us about honoring all spiritual traditions and the roles diverse religions can play in building peace in our world? Swami Vivekananda and Paramahansa Yogananda both modeled an interspiritual approach. How have the seeds they planted helped to build the Interspiritual movement that is growing today? What practices do yoga and Vedanta offer that allow us to find the common ground at the mystical core of all religions? Swami Mahayogananda, from the Vedanta Society of Southern California, joins Yogacharya O’Brian to explore the interspiritual imperative of yoga and Vedanta. Tune in to discover how yoga and Vedanta are building bridges that contribute to our awakening world.
Would you like to stay healthy during the busy winter holiday season? Are there tips to keep our inner light shining while we shop and travel? Both Ayurveda and yoga include practices that help us maintain our health and balance, despite seasonal changes and regardless of the activities we need to perform. Tune in for a conversation with Dr. Vivek Shanbhag, naturopathic physician and Ayurvedic practitioner, and Dr. Laurel Trujillo, regular guest host, about flourishing throughout the holiday season and into the new year. Learn to thrive with festivity!
What is it that makes us truly happy? How do we find happiness that lasts? The traditions of Taoism and yoga each describe life as a spiritual journey, full of meaning and undertaken with specific purpose. Along the way we discover peace, joy, well-being, and lasting happiness. Derek Lin, author of The Tao of Happiness: Stories From Chuang Tzu for Your Spiritual Journey, joins regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo for a conversation that draws from the insights and practices of yoga and Taoism to guide us on our journey. Tune in and explore how you can experience lasting happiness along the way.
Where did Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras come from? How are they being used today? What is their potential in the future? Students of yoga now encounter Patanjali's Yoga Sutras in a variety of contexts, including yoga teacher training programs, university classes, yoga studios, meditation centers, and bookshops. There are many translations of these sutras, as well as commentaries; some from long ago, and some written recently. How can we respect tradition while applying this ancient wisdom to our lives today? Edwin Bryant, Ph.D., professor of Hinduism at Rutgers University and author of a new translation and commentary on Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, joins Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian for a conversation about the sutras’ relevance in today’s world. Tune in to discover how this classic text can help you on your quest to meditate more skillfully and live a spiritually conscious life.
Have you ever wondered if some of the practices recommended for a yogic and Ayurvedic way of life make practical sense or agree with science? Should you have ice in your water or not? Does it really matter? What does science actually say about eating food that is frozen, microwaved, or processed with chemical additives? Diana Lurie, Ph.D., professor of neuropharmacology at the University of Montana, joins regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo for a conversation about scientific studies related to Ayurveda’s food guidelines. Tune in and discover the science behind healthy eating!
How can we get along better with other people? How should we treat ourselves? What practices will improve our relationship with all of creation? How can we cultivate attitudes that will ultimately lead to a more satisfying life? Join Yogacharya O’Brian and Tim Olmsted, president of the Pema Chodron Foundation, as they explore four sublime attitudes found in the wisdom traditions of Buddhism and yoga: friendliness, compassion, gladness, and equanimity. Learn how you can put these practices to work in your own life for more happiness and less suffering for all.
Superconscious meditation is meditation that frees us from suffering and allows us to experience the natural bliss of our own soul. The secret to success in superconscious meditation is found in the last three limbs of yoga’s eight-limbed path. Those interior limbs, concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana), and oneness (samadhi), help us to experience and realize the superconsciousness that is natural to us all. Tune in to the conversation between Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian and Stephen Sturgess, author of Raja and Kriya Yoga, and learn how you can enter into your own temple of bliss.
Sanskrit, the original language of yoga, is frequently encountered today by students of yoga philosophy, meditation, asana, and pranayama. Indira and Shanta Bulkin, founders of the East West Sanskrit Institute, join Yogacharya O’Brian in a conversation about the many benefits of studying Sanskrit.
· Learn about Sanskrit as the “science of vibration” · Find out how chanting Sanskrit can calm the mind and facilitate meditation · Discover how to pronounce commonly mispronounced Sanskrit words in yoga and Ayurveda
Tune in and find out what the study of Sanskrit can bring to your yoga and meditation practice!
What does yoga offer us through all of our life stages? Yoga’s highest goal is ageless: self-realization, realizing our essential spiritual nature. Regardless of our age, physical ability, or level of flexibility, yoga has so much to offer us! Tune in as Lilias Folan, pioneering yoga teacher and author of Lilias! Yoga: Your Guide to Enhancing Body, Mind, and Spirit in Midlife and Beyond, joins regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo for a conversation about how yoga gets better with age, and aging is better with yoga.
Is there a simple tool that can help us improve our health, strengthen our energy, and deepen our spiritual practice? The ancient science of mudra, including hand gestures, offers us a rich opportunity to bring our body, mind, and spirit into harmony. Based on the theory of five elements, the hands contain a map of the body and mind. Because the hands are a microcosm that reflect the macrocosm of creation and its Source, the practice of mudras can help us balance, harmonize, and heal. Tune in as Indu Arora, author of Mudra: The Sacred Secret, joins Dr. Laurel Trujillo, regular guest host of The Yoga Hour, for a conversation about mudra and what this ancient practice offers us today.
Meditating can be as natural as water flowing downhill or a leaf gently floating to the ground. Are you being held back from a regular meditation practice because you think meditation is too difficult or requires too much discipline? Tune in for a conversation between regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo and Dean Sluyter, author of Natural Meditation: A Guide to Effortless Meditative Practice, and learn how simple meditation can be.
• Find out how anyone can settle naturally into meditation, where there is no “trying,” just being • Explore several natural meditation techniques and see which ones suit you best • Discover practical tips for adapting meditation to your daily life • Learn how to access the peace that lies at the depth of your being, regardless or external circumstances
What makes a room or a building feel uplifting? Is there anything we can do to make our environment more supportive? The ancient science of Vastu Shastra shows us how to align our buildings with the forces of nature to reduce stress in our bodies, and increase our contentment and abundance. It’s yoga for your home and office! Tune in as Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian speaks with Robin and Michael Mastro, leaders in Vastu Shastra, the sacred Vedic science of architectural alignment. Learn economical tips you can put into place for a stress-free, prosperous life.
What is the greatest gift we can give ourselves and our children? What if there were a very simple process that would help kids have enhanced well-being, higher test scores, and reduced impulsivity? What are we waiting for? Let’s dive right in and explore the wonderful new field of mindful education with Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian and special guest Daniel Rechtschaffen, author of The Way of Mindful Education: Cultivating Well-Being in Teachers and Students.
• What are the qualities of a mindful teacher? • How can mindfulness be used to cultivate greater compassion? • How can we learn to focus our attention and relax at the same time?
Tune in for the answers to these questions and many more as we learn simple awareness practices for self-care for all ages.
Yoga means "union, coming together, connecting with the sacred nature of life." Each heartfelt conversation opens the door to experiencing and expressing our authentic self as we allow others the same opportunity to reveal their own truth. When we join together in sacred conversation, transformation becomes possible for individual lives, for our community, and for the world. Regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo is joined by special guest Cecile Andrews, community educator and author of Living Room Revolution, for a conversation about coming together to create a new culture of caring and collaboration. Learn practical tips and concrete strategies for creating a joyful community through the ancient art of conversation. Discover how conscious communication can help us to enrich our own lives at the same time as making the world a better place.
Swami Sri Yukteswar cautioned students that self-realization is not selfish realization. The awakened life naturally unfolds as selfless service. Through her own trauma-informed yoga workshops for service providers and the nonprofit organization Off the Mat, Into the World, Hala Khouri inspires and encourages others to be conscious leaders of change. If you have wondered how your yoga practice can support making a positive difference in the lives of others, tune in for a conversation between Hala Khouri and regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo, and be inspired to express your yoga as service in the world. Learn why, if you want to heal the world, you have to start with healing yourself.
Within each of us lies a vast inheritance: our connection to unlimited joy, unshakable peace, lasting happiness, and abundant creativity. The Eternal Way refers to a set of principles that can show us who we are and how to live a life in harmony with our essential spiritual nature in a sacred world. Through the tools of yoga we can go beyond studying our inner potential to experiencing it directly. Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian and regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo for a conversation about finding your true purpose and prospering in all areas of your life. Tune in and learn about the steps you can take to live well and awaken to your full potential.
What life skills does yoga help us develop that allow us to not only survive life’s challenging times, but to grow stronger and wiser? Mark Matousek’s book When You’re Falling, Dive: Lessons in the Art of Living presents many examples of how people use viriditas, the power of drawing passion, beauty, and wisdom from the unlikeliest places, to face difficult times. Mark will join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian for a conversation about how yoga and viriditas can help us to get back up when we fall and plumb adversity for its transformative potential.
Although yoga philosophy teaches that there is only one Supreme Consciousness as the source and substance of all that is, there are many different ways to realize this oneness. Classical yoga includes four major paths to suit the varied temperaments of students: Bhakti Yoga, the path of the heart, or devotion; Karma Yoga, the way of selflessly using our hands in service to the Divine in others; Jnana Yoga, which uses the mind to go beyond the mind; and Raja Yoga, which uses meditation and other techniques to directly experience the Divine. Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian and her special guest Swami Sitaramananda, Acharya of the U.S. West Coast Sivananda centers and of the Sivananda mission in Asia, for a conversation about the four paths of yoga, and find the path that is right for you!
In deep meditation we perceive peace and joy through allowing our attention and awareness to rest in the expanded consciousness of our essential nature. We feel connected to all of life. This change in our consciousness opens a space where wisdom develops. From this perspective we can create a new story that honors our essential wholeness. When we share this new story with others, we can reach a tipping point and change the current narrative about our world from a meaningless, material place to a world that works for everyone. Join Yogacharya O’Brian and her special guest Michael Nagler in a discussion about how the roots of daily spiritual practice can flower into improving our lives and the lives of others. Discover how you can live a life that is truly fulfilling by serving the sacred in all.
Compassionate living requires wisdom and courage. Kindness toward oneself, other people, and all of life is a natural way of having both at the same time. They must be cultivated as we heal old wounds and become more skillful at offering our help to bring about healing in the world. Yogacharya O’Brian is joined by Ven. Thubten Chodron, an American-born Buddhist nun, the founder and abbess of Sravasti Abbey and the coauthor of An Openhearted Life, for a conversation about the way of compassion. What is compassion? How do we become more skillful at expressing compassion? What are the benefits of embracing an openhearted life? Listen and be inspired to live with your heart wide open.
The guru-disciple relationship as a vehicle to pass on both the knowledge and spiritual consciousness of a lineage of awakened masters is revered in both the traditions of yoga and Vedanta. Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian and Pravrajika Brahmaprana, a nun of the Vedanta Society of Southern California and currently the resident minister of the Ramakrishna Vedanta Society of North Texas, in a conversation about discipleship. Who is the real Guru? What are the advantages of a lineage? Tune in and find out more about the way of discipleship.
Yoga offers exceptional tools for building resilience and healing from trauma. Scientific study has proven the effectiveness of yoga in engaging the relaxation response, sharpening the mind, improving recovery time, and promoting psychological well-being. Beryl Bender Birch has used the yogic tools of postures, breathing techniques, and meditation to help first responders and survivors of 9/11, as well as helping military servicemen and women to find their way as warriors, heal from injury, and adapt to a peaceful life at home. Join regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo and author and yoga teacher Beryl Bender Birch in a conversation about how we all can gain strength, resilience, and peace of mind though yoga.
Self-discovery lies at the heart of yoga practice. The Sanskrit word yoga means "oneness, union, or unity"—the bringing together of our attention and awareness with our essential spiritual nature, or returning to our original wholeness. Yoga’s central practices of self-study, self-discipline, and self-surrender all rest on continuous self-discovery. Yoga is a process of finding out more and more deeply who we are, and then living from that realization. Join regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo, with special guests Anil Surpur, president of Yoga Bharati and Ashwini Surpur, director of Yoga Education at Yoga Bharati, in a conversation exploring self-discovery through yoga at all levels of our being: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
The word yoga means union, oneness, or unity. The purpose of the many practices of yoga is to help us realize our true spiritual nature, to unite our attention and awareness with our own essence of being. Yoga therapy uses yogic techniques to improve health holistically, in body, mind, and spirit. How can yoga therapy remain true to the original purpose of yoga while meeting individuals where they are? When and how might yoga therapy be used? Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian and special guest John Kepner, executive director of the International Association of Yoga Therapists, in a conversation that draws from the roots of yoga and yoga therapy.
Heart health has many facets: physical, emotional, and spiritual. The practice of yoga is ideally suited to improve cardiac health on all levels: body, mind, and spirit. Many studies have documented improvements in heart disease and prevention through yoga. Retired vascular surgeon, Ayurvedic practitioner, and yoga therapy teacher, Dr. Dilip Sarkar’s journey in integrative medicine began with his own heart attack and bypass surgery in 2001. Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian in a conversation with Dr. Sarkar about the ways yoga can contribute to heart health and vitality.
As a complete path of self-realization, yoga offers a wide variety of practices that can be adapted to individual circumstances, including one’s body type and stage of life. Join Yogacharya O’Brian and Matra Raj, certified yoga therapist, and discover how practices from the yoga tradition can contribute to your vitality and enhance your ability to experience excellence in all aspects of your life.
• Learn how regular people with busy schedules can experience enhanced health and well-being through asana, the physical postures of yoga • Explore the benefits of non-asana practices, including mudra—powerful gestures rejuvenating the nervous system and restoring hormonal balance • Gain insight into the many benefits—physical, emotional, and spiritual—that come from a well-balanced yoga program • Let go of limiting beliefs about what yoga is—and about what is possible for you!
Breathing is essential to life, and unique in that breathing can either happen unconsciously or be controlled deliberately. Pranayama, or conscious breath regulation, is one of the eight limbs of yoga described in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the primary text of classical yoga. Amy Wheeler, Ph.D., professor of kinesiology at California State University at San Bernardino, yoga therapist, and yoga teacher-trainer, joins The Yoga Hour’s cohost, Dr. Laurel Trujillo, for a conversation about pranayama.
• Find out about the proven health benefits of pranayama • Learn how pranayama can help you adjust your moods • Explore the effects of pranayama to calm and steady the mind • Tune in and begin to breathe easier!
The practice of yoga frees us. Physical poses help release patterns of tension, while meditation and present-moment awareness help free us from the prison of our minds. These benefits apply to everyone, even those in the most trying circumstances. James Fox, author of Prison Yoga Project: A Path for Healing and Recovery, has been teaching yoga twice a week at San Quentin Prison for the past 13 years. James has also trained more than 800 yoga teachers, with many of these currently teaching in more than 75 jails, prisons, and/or recovery centers. James Fox joins the Yoga Hour’s cohost, Laurel Trujillo, M.D., in a conversation about the many ways yoga contributes to our freedom.
The ancient system of yoga is ideally designed to counteract the effects of stress in our fast-paced lives. While medical research has linked chronic stress to negative health consequences and even many diseases, research has also documented the improvements available through the use of yoga and meditation. These ancient approaches not only reduce tension, they can also help us adjust our emotions and attitudes so we experience more relaxation. Carrie Demers, M.D., director of the Himalayan Institute Total Health Center, joins Yoga Hour cohost, Dr. Laurel Trujillo, for a discussion of the many tools within yoga and meditation helping us reduce stress and live with more peace and joy.
Poetry has long had a spiritual aspect. It helps us to be more deeply aware right where we are, contemplate our experiences, and return to what matters most. It has the ability to touch our hearts and speak directly to our souls. Through words, poetry can move us beyond words and thoughts to the indescribable essence of being. In the vast reaches of yoga philosophy and practice, poetry is most often seen as a part of Bhakti Yoga—a devotional path, which uses our love for God as a means to realize our own divinity. However, it can also instigate the sudden awareness signifying Jnana Yoga, the way of wisdom. Poet, storyteller, and teacher Mark Nepo joins Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian for a poetry reading and conversation focusing on how poetry can move us from our heads to our hearts and allow us to access deeper truths about ourselves and life.
Change is a constant element in life. Learn about essential tools that allow us to live in peace, harmony, and joy despite the ever-changing world. In yoga, balance extends beyond the physical skill we build doing postures to our mind, emotions, and spiritual life. Through Ayurveda, diet and lifestyle practices help us to harmonize our innate constitution so we experience optimum well-being. Felicia Tomasko, editor in chief of LA Yoga Magazine, joins Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian for a conversation about the unique tools and perspectives yoga and Ayurveda provide to help balance our lives.
Each person longs to satisfy an inherent desire for happiness, both in the outer world and on the inner journey of self-knowledge and transformation. The ancient tradition of yoga provides a practical and comprehensive science for realizing life’s ultimate aims. Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian in a conversation with master yoga teacher Rod Stryker, author of The Four Desires: Creating a Life of Purpose, Happiness, Prosperity, and Freedom. Discover ways to live a fulfilled life with lasting happiness and inner healing, your best life imaginable.
Among the many benefits of Ayurveda and yoga is increased enjoyment of life. Expanding from our awareness that all of life is connected, we develop an increased appreciation of the bounty of life from moment to moment. Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian and Gwen Nagano, president of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association, for a conversation about what Ayurveda and yoga teach us about the importance of enjoying life. Discover the practical steps you can take right away to experience greater well-being and abundant joy every day.
Join guest cohost Laurel Trujillo and Devi Mueller of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association for a look at the role of community in yoga and Ayurveda. Even though yoga and Ayurveda offer inward-turning practices, they also recognize that the community has an important role to play in supporting our own health, healing, and well-being. As we experience our own wholeness, our communities grow stronger, more resilient, and better able to support others in expressing their own divine potential.
• Learn how Ayurveda views the power of the community in creating optimal health. • Explore the impact the yoga principles of Harmlessness and Nonstealing have when expanded into caring for our community and environment. • Be part of the excitement around the emerging Ayurveda and yoga communities!
The yoga tradition presents a remarkable system of spiritual and healing knowledge that can help us reach our highest potential in all aspects of our being. Whether it is practices of bodily postures, breath, mantra, or meditation—or a deep knowledge of the cosmos of energy, mind, or consciousness—the scope of yoga is as vast, detailed, and profound as the universe itself. Join guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo and special guests Pandit Vamadeva Shastri and Yogini Shambhavi Chopra, from the American Institute of Vedic Studies, to learn more about the yoga tradition and its ancient roots in the Vedas, the oldest scriptures in India. The conversation will draw inspiration from Vamadeva’s most recent book Vedic Yoga: The Path of the Rishi.
Discover how to enter the gateways of truth, love, and awareness—and find peace and freedom in your own awakened heart. When confronted with challenges, the conditioned mind tends to react with anger, self-judgment, and addictive behaviors—false refuges that do not provide lasting relief. We have another choice. At any moment we can come home to the true refuge of our own radiant awareness that is the presence of peace and love. Join guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo and special guest Tara Brach, author of True Refuge and founder of the Insight Meditation Community in Washington, D.C., for a look at some practical ways to find our inner sanctuary in the midst of life’s challenges.
Sustained spiritual practice builds our ability to live a life where the spiritual and the ordinary converge, bringing increased joy. Join Les Kaye, Abbot of the Kannon Do Zen Meditation Center in Mountain View, California, and author of Joyously Through the Days: Living the Journey of Spiritual Practice, in a conversation with The Yoga Hour’s regular guest host, Dr. Laurel Trujillo.
• Explore ways spiritual practice can help you overcome life obstacles such as anger and stagnation. • Hear about how spiritual practice enhances awareness, patience, and generosity. • Learn how meditation brings balance, clarity, and increased understanding to the complexities of life. • Understand how you can increase your ability to respond creatively to the uncertainties of life.
A successful life involves both planning and improvising. Patricia Ryan Madson, author of Improv Wisdom, joins guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo for a look at how the maxims of improvisation provide us with an antidote to the overly scripted, planned life. The wisdom of improv provides a natural way to live skillfully and soulfully—and it has nothing to do with wit, glibness, or comic ability! The way of improv is about being awake, not entirely self-focused, and moved by a desire to do something useful and give something back. Applied to your own life, the principles of improvisation can help you to:
• Experience life brimming with spontaneity, even in the context of a plan. • Meet real-life challenges more skillfully and with a sense of humor. • Shake loose rigid patterns of thinking and doing. • Have fun living in harmony with yourself and others.
The spiritual path contains some inescapable paradoxes. For example, one teaching says you are already enlightened; then we find there is still a long way to go. Discovering how to navigate paradoxes on the spiritual path is part of the journey. Listen in as Philip Goldberg joins Yogacharya O’Brian to discuss spiritual paradoxes and how to navigate them:
· Learn tips about how to access your intuition for guidance · Discover a balanced approach to using your intellect as a navigation tool · Explore the benefits of having a daily meditation practice · Find out the importance of living with nonattachment to end results
We all want to live life well, in a way that is deeply satisfying. How do we do that? In the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna, the seeking soul, asks for and receives the highest advice for living a healthy, happy life—advice that is completely relevant for us today. Join Yogacharya O’Brian and Swami Bodhananda Saraswati for an enlightening conversation about five principles for healthy living described in the Gita. Perhaps you wonder ...
How do I stop worrying?
What is the best way to deal with problems?
How can I avoid unnecessary suffering?
How can I tap in to the Self that is a reservoir of infinite energy?
Listen in to this Yoga Hour discussion—and start living in a healthy and practical way that supports your highest potential.
Yogacharya O’Brian and Acharya Shunya Pratichi Mathur, founder of Vedika Global, explore the nature of compassion, how yoga and Ayurveda support the evolution of compassion, and what compassion looks like in action. Learn how yoga and Ayurveda are inherently compassionate as they provide ways to alleviate suffering. Open your heart to being peace in our world as we consider these questions:
· What is compassion and why is it important? · What are some practical ways to show compassion for oneself? · What are healthy ways to cultivate compassion as a virtue? · How is compassion based on understanding Truth?
Poet, teacher, and storyteller Mark Nepo joins Yogacharya O’Brian for a conversation about how the soul works in the world, and how by engaging our soul in the world, we are shaped by the endless practice of becoming the person we were born to be. To bring who we are out, and to let the world in, is a brave and endless practice that clarifies and solidifies the gifts we are born with.
• Explore the paradoxical nature of spiritual practice • Consider practical ways to deal with feelings and fears • Embrace the endless practice of making friends with being alive
How good do you want to feel? How well do you want to be? Join Yogacharya O’Brian and Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar for an enlivening discussion about Ayurvedic principles for a healthy diet and clear mind. Learn how a spiritually conscious approach to eating can support radiant health and your ideal weight for the long run.
· Rekindle your metabolism and keep your digestive engine burning brightly · Feel lighter, more energetic, able to accomplish more throughout the day · Experience fewer cravings and improve your mood and overall attitude · Establish a new relationship, not only with food and eating, but also with yourself!
Intentional living supports our complete well-being and spiritual fulfillment. Find out why self-discipline, study of higher realities, and surrender of the illusional sense of self are essential for spiritual progress and realization. Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda and author of The Science of Self-Realization, a commentary on the Yoga Sutra, joins Yogacharya O’Brian for this second conversation in a two-part series on spiritual practice for enlightened living.
Learn about superconscious states—what they are, why they are important, the various ways they can be realized, and how to overcome obstacles that may impede your progress in meditation. Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda and author of The Science of Self-Realization, a commentary on the Yoga Sutra, joins Yogacharya O’Brian for a two-part series on spiritual practice for enlightened living.
Our stress response helps our bodies to respond to perceived threats. However, when stress becomes chronic, it can result in an imbalance in our bodies and affect our well-being. Join guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo in a conversation with Dr. Claudia Welch to discuss ways to regain balance in your life. Dr. Welch has training in both Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, and wrote the book Balance Your Hormones, Balance Your Life: Achieving Optimal Health and Wellness Through Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, and Western Science.
· Explore the importance of balance in getting and staying healthy · Learn practices that you can put into place now to rebuild your energy and health · Discover what foods you should and shouldn't eat when under stress · Find out the importance of meditation and spiritual practice for regaining balance
Yoga philosophy teaches that our essential nature is whole, and within us all is the healing potential needed to bring our body, mind, and spirit into balance, which reflects as total well-being. This holistic approach of yoga has scientifically proven beneficial effects, which are detailed in the book Yoga as Medicine: The Yogic Prescription for Health and Healing by Dr. Timothy McCall, a general internist and longtime yoga practitioner. Join guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo and Dr. McCall as they discuss yoga therapy:
• Find out how science says yoga can help you get and stay healthy. • Learn about yoga’s holistic approach to healing and living well. • Explore the relationship of stress on health and healing, and yoga’s proven benefits as a stress reliever. • Discover how yoga is being used therapeutically for common illnesses such as anxiety and hypertension.
Join us as we explore yoga’s many proven benefits and therapeutic uses.
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra is the primary text of classical yoga. Written more than 2,000 years ago, it offers timeless teachings of Truth—the truth of our inner divinity and innate luminosity. Yogacharya O’Brian is joined by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait for an enlightening conversation about the wisdom of the Yoga Sutra: how to be free here and now, and experience our everlasting self-luminous joy. This episode will focus on “Samadhi Pada,” the first chapter of the Sutra, which explains the goal of yoga and the essentials of spiritual practice.
What is the nature of the mind, and how can we use it wisely? How can we eliminate acquired and self-defeating tendencies? *How can we live life to our fullest potential?
Listen and learn how you can benefit from the time-honored answers contained in the Yoga Sutra.
Ayurveda and yoga are sister sciences with Vedic roots in ancient India. Yoga recognizes that our body/mind is our vehicle for awakening, and Ayurveda instructs us in the proper maintenance of that vehicle. When we live in harmony with nature, we thrive on all levels. Ayurvedic practitioner Vishnu Dass joins guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo for an exploration of how Ayurveda can support our complete well-being, paving the way for natural, radiant health and removing unnecessary obstacles from our own awakening process. What is the spiritual and holistic foundation of Ayurveda? What is the Ayurvedic approach to health? *How does an Ayurvedic lifestyle help to heal the world?
Join us as we explore these questions and dive deeply into Ayurveda as an art of daily living and a science of self-understanding.
Are you suffering from sensory overload? Do you yearn for more inner peace? Tune in and learn how pratyahara can help. Pratyahara, often translated as "withdrawal of the senses," is that and much more. Pandit Vamadeva Shastri and Yogini Shambhavi of the American Institute of Vedic Studies join Yogacharya O’Brian to share insights and practices from pratyahara, the fifth limb of Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga.
· Discover how you can use pratyahara to take better control of your life and open up to your own inner being. · Find out why some great yogis consider this neglected limb of yoga to be the most important limb of all. · Learn techniques for nourishing and protecting the mind, including mantra.
Less stress and more joy are ours as we make conscious choices to direct our mind and our senses in ways that support our peace, clarity, and complete well-being.
“Yoga is a wonderful tool for everybody: young or old; healthy or sick; man, woman, or child. Whether you begin with the aim of becoming spiritually enlightened or just stretching your legs is not important. The point is to begin and see where the journey takes you.” Tara Fraser, author of Total Yoga: A Step-by-Step Guide to Yoga at Home for Everybody, joins guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo for an exploration of how you can establish, expand, and deepen a consistent home-based yoga practice. If you are new to yoga, learn how to get started. If you are an experienced practitioner, discover how a home practice can deepen and extend your yoga sadhana. Encourage, inspire, and challenge yourself to enjoy your yoga practice. Your complete well-being awaits you!
There is an abiding sense of peace that only comes to us when are being who we know we came here to be. When we live in the moment from that deep inner knowing, we experience healing and wholeness in all aspects of our life. Join Yogacharya O’Brian and Dennis Merritt Jones for a discussion about the joy and freedom that come from using each moment as a portal to remember the truth of our own being. Discover ...
• challenges you face in becoming who you were born to be • practices that will support you in expressing who you truly are • benefits that come with a lifelong practice of Self-awareness
Learn to recognize your redefining moments—and use them as a springboard to live your authentic and satisfying life.
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.
Authenticity is the key to accessing our greatest power to lead fulfilling lives. To live, and lead, authentically requires us to break through limiting views of ourselves, others, and our relationship with the Infinite. Our innate sense that more is possible—more wisdom, more love, more peace, courage, or joy—arises from the power already within us. Yogacharya O’Brian welcomes Baron Baptiste, international yoga teacher and best-selling author, to explore the topic of personal development and life transformation.
Leadership, by its very nature, requires us to stretch beyond our perceived limits, to continually be willing to grow as we support the growth and development of others. Three core practices from the path of Kriya Yoga provide us with the tools we need to develop as effective and inspired leaders. In this Yoga Hour program, Yogacharya O’Brian offers insight and instruction for keeping your cool when situations heat up, staying inspired over time, and truly enjoying what you do.
Dr. Sanjiv Chopra, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and author of the book Leadership by Example: The 10 Key Principles of All Great Leaders, joins Yogacharya O’Brian for an exploration of 10 core principles for effective leadership. Having the willingness and courage to fulfill our potential sets us on the road to leadership and lifts up the potential of our unique contribution to make a difference in the world.
Sally Kempton, teacher of meditation and spiritual philosophy and author of the new book Awakening Shakti: The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga, joins Yogacharya O’Brian for an exploration of our relationship to the divine feminine, including some very practical insights and guidance for activating the currents of Shakti in every aspect of our lives.
Acharya Pratichi Mathur, founder and director of Vedika Global, joins Yogacharya O’Brian for an inspiring exploration of the timeless wisdom, lifestyle practices, and spiritual contemplations that are particularly supportive of women’s wellness. Ayurveda offers a comprehensive system for a woman’s well-being through all the seasons and stages of life. Additionally, it offers women Rasayanas, which are special rejuvenating elixirs. By partaking in certain divinely-charged Rasayanas, women of all ages can reclaim balance, beauty, and sexual power.
Pandit Vamadeva Shastri (David Frawley) brings his depth of knowledge in the fields of Ayurveda, Yoga, and the Vedas to this conversation with Yogacharya O’Brian about Soma—the power of rejuvenation and immortality. The secret of Soma holds profound implications for the body, mind, and spirit and our ability to transform our lives through spiritual awakening and rejuvenation.
Rick Hanson, Ph.D., neuropsychologist and author of Buddha's Brain, joins Yogacharya O’Brian for an uplifting and inspiring look at how the small steps we can take with a daily practice can change the brain, reduce stress, and bring greater resilience and happiness. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Yogashree N.V. Raghuram, Spiritual Founder and Chairman of Yoga Bharati, brings his wealth of experience and knowledge to this conversation with Yogacharya O’Brian about the dynamic meeting of yoga’s ancient wisdom with modern research for health, healing, and total well-being.
What is it we all really want? The sages who have explored this question offer the same answer: We want eternal happiness. Is it even possible? Swami Atmavidyananda Giri, vice president of the Kriya Yoga Institute, joins Yogacharya O'Brian for a look at the three universal practices of Kriya Yoga that can provide a pathway to the highest happiness.
Rod Stryker, author of The Four Desires: Creating a Life of Purpose, Happiness, Prosperity, and Freedom, joins Yogacharya O'Brian to explore how yoga can be about living the supreme life. For those who are willing to take yoga's promise to heart, open to their own divine potential, chart their course, and engage fully in the practice, life in this world is simply auspicious.
Yogacharya O'Brian welcomes Prem Prakash, Codirector of the Green Mountain School of Yoga in Vermont and author of The Yoga of Spiritual Devotion, for an engaging and important conversation about the role of devotion on the spiritual path. Be prepared to learn some surprising things about love as a path and a practice by exploring the wisdom found in the Bhakti Sutras of Narada.
Poet and Zen Buddhist priest Zoketsu Norman Fischer joins Yogacharya O’Brian for a practical and inspiring conversation on practices for training the mind—drawn from the Tibetan Buddhist teachings of Lojong, then viewed through the lenses of Zen and Yoga! Pithy and sage instruction such as, “This time, get it right!” can provide an opening for greater awareness and joy in the moment.
Poet and Zen Buddhist priest, Zoketsu Norman Fischer, joins Yogacharya O’Brian for an experiential exploration of the power of poetry to open our hearts and minds. As an art form, poetry can use words to take us where words cannot go. A conversation and some poems to reflect on writing as art, as encounter, as spiritual practice, as a way to connect, and a way to separate.
Yoga has been called the "art of living." Art and spiritual practice can both bring deeper attention, awareness, inspiration, and creative energy to our lives. The juncture where the two meet—spiritual practice and art—can provide a profound opening to greater insight. Artist, professor, and yoga practitioner Junco Sato Pollack, whose textile works are on permanent display at the Museum of Art and Design in New York, joins Yogacharya O’Brian for an exploration of the connection between art and spiritual practice.
Millions of people today are practicing some form of yoga. Along with the individual health and spiritual benefits from yoga practice, we are also seeing some new developments for applying the principles and practices of yoga on a global scale. Dr. Christopher Chapple is a leading voice today on yoga and ecology and the potential that exists for this ancient practice to inspire the practice of modern-day yogis to participate in planetary healing. Join Yogacharya O'Brian and Dr. Chapple to learn more about this inspiring development.
Teachers of the path of Kriya Yoga brought to the West by Paramahansa Yogananda proclaim that it is possible by wholesome living, development of intellectual and intuitive abilities, meditation practice, and divine grace to experience rapid spiritual growth that results in illumination of consciousness in a few years. Paramahansa Yogananda’s direct disciple, Roy Eugene Davis, joins Yogacharya O’Brian to share insights and practices from this path of intentional living for spiritual awakening.
Teachers of the path of Kriya Yoga brought to the West by Paramahansa Yogananda proclaim that it is possible by wholesome living, development of intellectual and intuitive abilities, meditation practice, and divine grace to experience rapid spiritual growth that results in illumination of consciousness in a few years. Paramahansa Yogananda’s direct disciple, Roy Eugene Davis, joins Yogacharya O’Brian to share insights and practices from this path of intentional living for spiritual awakening.
Kriya Yoga, brought to the West by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1920, has taken firm root in many countries around the world today. A universal path that welcomes people from all backgrounds who are interested in Self-realization, Kriya Yoga’s practical, nondenominational, and scientific approach to spiritual development account for its wide appeal. Yogacharya O’Brian is joined today by Harald and Marlies Reiske, the founders and directors of Kriya Yoga Center Germany who will share their experiences of living the practice of Kriya Yoga and teaching it to students in Germany.
Generally understood as a path to healing and wellness, Ayurveda, which means “life knowledge,” is actually a comprehensive approach to well-being that includes our spiritual development. Cynthia Ambika Copple, dean of Mt. Madonna Institute College of Ayurveda, joins Yogacharya O’Brian to share some of the essential principles and practices of Ayurveda that support spiritual growth. Learn what you can do that will quicken your spiritual awakening.
The arrival of Yoga in America, especially through the influence of Swami Vivekananda and Paramahansa Yogananda, profoundly impacted the way we experience religion and spirituality in the West. Once considered a mysterious and esoteric practice suitable to only a few, yoga and meditation are now embraced by millions every day for everything from stress relief to a path of enlightenment. Phil Goldberg, author of the book America Veda, which includes extensive research on this subject, joins Yogacharya O’Brian to take a fascinating look at how practices in the West are also influencing the way yoga is taught and experienced. Discover some fascinating and important questions about tradition that are arising as a result of these changes.
Swami Nirvanananda brings the path of bhakti yoga, the way of devotion, and karma yoga, the way of selfless service together. In this conversation with Yogacharya O’Brian, learn how universal love and oneness with Spirit can be the guiding principles for our lives today. This segment will include some original chant music with Swamiji.
On January 12, 2013, people all over the world will begin a yearlong celebration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Swami Prasannatmananda from the Vedanta Society in Berkeley will join Yogacharya O’Brian for an inspired glimpse into the person of Swami Vivekananda and the principles he taught. Swami Vivekananda’s speech and spiritual presence at the first World Parliament of Religions in 1893 is credited with opening the door to interreligious dialogue and interest in Vedanta in the West. Still today, his voice and spirit ring out around the world!
The spiritual path of Yoga has been described as simply a way of intentional living—to be awake in the world, live with purpose, skill, and meaning. Author and meditation teacher Phillip Moffitt joins Rev. O’Brian for an uplifting and informative look at how we can all live more skillfully and what that makes possible.
James O’Dea, former director of Amnesty International’s Washington, D.C., office and faculty member of the Institute of Noetic Sciences, joins Rev. O’Brian for a breakthrough conversation about the transformation of global consciousness that is changing hearts and minds and bringing the potential for real peace to our doorsteps. Discover how it all begins with choosing peace for yourself and for everyone else. O’Dea writes: "Choose peace as a compass for your inner life and for every relationship in the world, and you will get the biggest wake-up call of your life."
Swami Atmavidyananda from the Kriya Yoga Institute joins Rev. O’Brian for an in-depth exploration of the practice of Samadhi, or Superconscious Meditation. Samadhi is the culmination of Patanjali’s Eight Limbed Path and the beginning of a life of liberation and unconditional joy. It is for every person who would walk the path of enlightened living.
Meditation connects us with our inner power—it is a gateway to joy, peace and spiritual realization. Swami Bodhananda Sarasvati, spiritual director of the Sambodh Society, joins Rev. O'Brian for an inspiring and instructive conversation about this essential spiritual practice. Discover why it is so important and how you can begin, or enhance, your practice right away.
Dr. Kusumita Pedersen, professor of Religious Studies, returns to The Yoga Hour for an in-depth conversation with Rev. O’Brian about nonattachment, one of the essential practices of the spiritual life. Aparigraha, often translated as nonattachment, also means nonpossession, nongrasping and nondesiring. How is it possible to find such freedom in a culture that stimulates desire and greed at every turn? Discovering the answer to that question holds a key to our highest happiness.
Who doesn’t want more self-discipline or willpower? Kelly McGonigal, author of The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of Itshares research from her Stanford University course, “The Science of Willpower,” as she and Rev. O’Brian consider what factors are really involved with our ability to manage stress and make positive changes.
The yoga practice of asteya, or nonstealing, gets right to the heart of the clutter problem that is pervasive to many people in the developed world today. Andrew Mellen, professional organizer and author of the book Unstuff Your Life!: Kick the Clutter Habit and Completely Organize Your Life for Good, joins Rev. O’Brian for a look at how to bring order to our lives and free up our time and energy in practical ways—a quick course on how to avoid accumulating more than we need, use or appreciate.
Judith Lasater, Yoga teacher and author of many books on yoga and co-author of What We Say Matters: Practicing Nonviolent Communication, brings a wealth of insight and practical guidance to this conversation with Rev. O’Brian about the power of satya, or truthfulness. Truthfulness is practiced on many levels, from understanding our viewpoints as relative truth to developing the willingness to live in harmony with universal Truth.
A grateful heart and mind transforms everything in our lives. Angeles Arrien, Ph.D., distinguished cultural anthropologist, author and educator, joins Rev. O’Brian for a timely and inspiring exploration of how to make gratitude a foundation for our lives and what becomes possible when we do. Discover how this simple focus can bring profound benefits.
The inspiring legacies of Mahatma Gandhi, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Cesar Chavez have shown us the power of nonviolence to bring forth positive change. Michael Nagler and Stephanie Van Hook from the Metta Center for Nonviolence Education join Rev. O’Brian to explore how each of us can begin right away to harness this power for a better life and a peaceful world.
Rev. Dr. Bill Lesher, Emeritus Chair of the Parliament of the World’s Religions, joins The Yoga Hour to share his decades of experience working to build a culture of peace and nonviolence. From the early days of marching with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to his more recent global work with religious leaders, Dr. Lesher offers a wealth of insight and inspiration about the important role of our religious and spiritual traditions in creating a nonviolent future. Bob Weeks, a member of the board of directors of Carry the Vision, will also join the program to discuss how we can create communities of nonviolence that light up the world.
Balance in our lives—harmony within ourselves, with one another, and with our world—requires that we understand and honor both masculine and feminine qualities. Cynthia Brix and Will Keepin, authors of Divine Duality: The Power of Reconciliation Between Women and Men, join Rev. O’Brian for an important and inspiring conversation about our role in facilitating the essential harmony, balance, respect, and healing that is emerging in our world today.
The traditions of Taoism and Yoga both offer insights and practices for cultivating a joyful life. Join Taoist author and teacher Derek Lin and Rev. O’Brian as they explore practical ways to discover peace, joy, happiness and well-being in every moment.
Surrender of the illusion that we are separate from the Source of all, and that the ego is in control of our lives, is essential to the experience of real freedom. Surrender is a spiritual practice found in every mystical tradition and a cornerstone to 12-Step recovery programs as well. Rabbi Rami Shapiro and Rev. O’Brian explore the nature of surrender as a practice and offer some surprising insights needed to enter the way of surrender.
Dr. Marc Halpern, teacher of Ayurvedic medicine, joins Rev. O’Brian for a look at how to unlock our healing potential through self-awareness and conscious living. Discover how the sciences of Ayurveda and Yoga come together to provide a comprehensive map for optimal well-being—physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
Join Rev. O’Brian and Richard Rosen, yoga teacher and pranayama expert, for an insightful exploration of how yogic breathing practices can break up ineffective breathing patterns, return you to your authentic breath and open the door to expanded energy and awareness. Richard Rosen is the director of Piedmont Yoga Studio in Oakland, California, and the author of The Yoga of Breath: A Step-by-Step Guide to Pranayama, Pranayama Beyond the Fundamentals: An In-Depth Guide to Yogic Breathing With Instructional CD, and Original Yoga: Rediscovering Traditional Practices of Hatha Yoga.
Visionary and world-renowned neuroscientist Richard Davidson joins Rev. O’Brian for this fascinating and illuminating conversation about the mind, the brain and our emotional nature that will change the way you see yourself and inspire your ability to make positive changes. A pioneer in researching the effects of meditation, Dr. Davidson was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. He has co-authored a new book with Sharon Begley entitled, The Emotional Life of Your Brain: How Its Unique Patterns Affect the Way You Think, Feel, and Live—and How You Can Change Them.
Asana, the posture or seat that prepares us for meditation, is an intentional meeting place for the body, mind and essential Self. Meta Chaya Hirschl, author of Vital Yoga: A Sourcebook for Students and Teachers, joins Rev. O’Brian for a deep look at how yoga philosophy and practice can help us transcend fear and experience bliss.
Allan Lokos, founder of The Community Meditation Center in New York and author of the book Patience: The Art of Peaceful Living, joins Rev. O’Brian for an insightful conversation about the powerful role patience plays in our lives every day. Is it possible that many mistakes we have made, or unkind words we have spoken, could have been avoided if we had been more patient? What does being patient require of us? What does it make possible?
Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, offers spiritual insights and practical tools from the tradition of Kriya Yoga to facilitate spiritually conscious living every day. Rev. O’Brian welcomes her spiritual teacher back to The Yoga Hour with this conversation that explores the pure simplicity of spiritual enlightenment and its accessibility for spiritual seekers today.
Ashtanga Yoga, or the Eight-Limbed Path, offers eight essential steps for spiritual realization and fulfilled living. This path is identified in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, the classic text for meditation and spiritual practice. Author and Yoga Philosophy teacher Nicolai Bachman joins Rev. O’Brian for a profound and practical look at how living these steps each day can positively transform our lives. Discover how these steps work from the inside out and the outside in to purify our hearts, minds, bodies, and our relationships in order to awaken our deepest wisdom.
John Philip Newell, minister with the Church of Scotland and author of more than 15 books, brings his passion for peace among the religions to this conversation about the importance of harmony within us as well as between us. Join Rev. Newell and Rev. O’Brian to explore the meeting place of Yoga and Celtic spirituality, especially as these traditions honor the Earth and help us find healing in our lives today. Capture the vision of our essential oneness and be part of the new harmony coming into planetary awareness.
Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, the spiritual head of the Himalayan Institute, joins Rev. O’Brian for an inspired look at how the eternal powers of Spirit and Nature, Purusa and Prakriti, are both within us. An unprecedented level of fulfillment awaits our realization of our innate potential. Discover how a deeper understanding of yoga, ecology and the Divine Feminine can open the door to this fulfillment.
Dr. Laura Cornell , founder of the Green Yoga Association, joins Rev. O’Brian for an important conversation about how our spiritual practices can directly, and profoundly, enhance our ecological awareness. Discover how the traditional paths of yoga philosophy and practice provide vital elements for “green living” and explore some innovative, contemporary avenues that combine the ancient wisdom of yoga with today’s need for ecological living.
Conscious care for the earth is rooted in the profound spiritual awareness of our oneness with all creation. Dr. Barbara Fields, executive director of the Association for Global New Thought, joins Rev. O’Brian to explore how the spiritual roots of New Thought, yoga and deep ecology offer a foundation for environmental awareness, ethics and sustainable change. Learn about the Season for the Earth program and how communities around the world are bringing their philosophies and spiritual practices together with environmental action.
Often overlooked by those seeking enlightenment, our relationship with the earth is critical to our spiritual awakening, well-being and the well-being of all. How can our spiritual practice help us recognize our connection to the earth? Dr. Christopher Key Chapple, co-author of the new book In Praise of Mother Earth: The Prithivi Sukta of the Atharva Veda, joins Rev. O’Brian for a timely conversation about what the ancient Vedic teachings can offer us for healing ourselves and our world.
Sanskrit teacher Nicolai Bachman, author of the new guide to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, The Path of the Yoga Sutras: A Practical Guide to the Core of Yoga, joins Rev. O’Brian for this exploration of several key concepts of Yoga Philosophy and Practice that bring yoga’s deepest wisdom into our everyday lives. This conversation will illumine the Sanskrit terms for these essential ideas and yield a richer harvest of meaning than a simple English translation can provide.
Love and compassion are the natural endowments of the soul. When we are freed from the narrow confines of self-interest and discover our oneness with all that is, we find a source of happiness and satisfaction that previously escaped us. The Bhagavad Gita offers profound wisdom for living in love and infusing our action with compassion. Join Dr. Anantanand Rambachan, author of Gitamrtam: The Essential Teachings of the Bhagavadgita, and Rev. O’Brian for this insightful exploration of the true nature of the Self.
The Bhagavad Gita offers a guide to Kriya Yoga—the integrated path that brings together action, devotion and wisdom. Swami Atmavidyananda from the Kriya Yoga Institute joins Rev. O’Brian for an inspiring conversation about Self-realization—what it is and how we can attain it in this lifetime.
Ela Gandhi, granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, joins Rev. O’Brian for an inspiring glimpse of the Bhagavad Gita’s power to offer inspiration and support. Gandhiji said, “When disappointment stares me in the face and all alone, I see not one ray of light, I go back to the Bhagavad Gita. I find a verse here and there, and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming tragedies …” Discover how the Gita’s timeless wisdom can help us meet life’s challenges and discover its inherent joy.
Dr. Jay Kumar, professor of Hinduism, Yoga philosophy, Sanskrit language, and cognitive studies at Chapman University and at LMU, joins Rev. O’Brian for an inspiring conversation about the inherent divine order in the universe that supports us all in reaching our potential. Learn more about living in the highest way from the ancient wisdom found in the Bhagavad Gita that is especially appropriate for our time.
Have you ever asked, Why do I continue to do things that I know aren’t useful, as if compelled to do them? If, like most people, you have asked that question, you’ll find this soulful exploration of the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita with Michael Nagler, founder of the Metta Center for Nonviolence Education, and Rev. O’Brian to be a breath of fresh air. The dynamics of the inner battle to fully express our divine nature, so skillfully portrayed in the Bhagavad Gita, offer us the key to changing our minds, changing our behavior, changing our lives and our world.
Nothing is more practical than spiritual realization and nothing transforms our lives for the better in such a complete way. Br. Prabodh Chaitanya, resident Acharya of Chinmaya Mission in San Jose, joins Rev. O’Brian for a look at what the Bhagavad Gita can tell us about conscious, fulfilled living every day. When viewed as a manual for achieving success in life, we find that the Gita explains our nature, our purpose in life, and offers us the means for achieving our goals.
Is God transcendent or immanent, beyond or within the world? What is the key to spiritual realization—a focus on Absolute Reality or Manifest Divinity? Which is better: active works or silent meditation? Wisdom or devotion? Join Dr. Christopher Key Chapple and Rev. O’Brian to discover how the Bhagavad Gita advances, and holds, teachings that at times seem contradictory but point to a holistic worldview that is liberating by its very nature. Dr. Chapple is professor of Indic and Comparative Theology at Loyola Marymount University and the editor of the comprehensive Winthrop Sargeant translation of the Bhagavad Gita.
Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, returns to the Yoga Hour for an insightful conversation with Ellen Grace O'Brian about the timeless wisdom found in The Bhagavad Gita. When explored as an allegory, where characters and events symbolize every person’s spiritual journey of awakening from self-conscious involvement with physical and psychological circumstances to realization of our essential nature, the Gita becomes a treasured guidebook to authentic spiritual growth and fulfilled living.
Understanding how our brain functions and how to effectively use our mind helps us let go of thinking patterns and habitual behaviors that impede our ability to prosper and succeed. This knowledge supports our ability to implement the positive changes we desire. Martin Wuttke, founder and clinical director of Neurotherapy Centers International, joins Rev. O’Brian for this timely and inspiring look at our potential through the lens of mind and brain function.
Discover how we can work with our deepest intentions and use the power of resolve—sankalpa shakti—to meet challenges, overcome obstacles, and realize our potential. Rod Stryker, Yoga and meditation teacher, founder of Para Yoga and author of The Four Desires: Creating a Life of Purpose, Happiness, Prosperity, and Freedom, returns to The Yoga Hour for this inspiring conversation with Rev. O’Brian.
Tom Zender, president emeritus of Unity and author of God Goes to Work, joins Rev. O’Brian for an insightful exploration of spirituality in the workplace. If you have ever wondered how to fully shine the light of your spiritual practice at work, don’t miss this in-depth conversation about work, integrity and spiritual transformation.
Conscious speech holds the key to prosperous and fulfilled living. CSA minister Ron Lindahn joins Rev. O’Brian for an insightful look at how we can align our thoughts, speech and actions with the power that runs the universe. Delve into the spiritual principles and practices related to conscious speech and discover the promise of fulfilled living today.
Pat Cane, the founder and director of Capacitar, a worldwide service network of empowerment and solidarity, joins Rev. O’Brian for a profound conversation about what makes life truly meaningful, satisfying and inspired. These two longtime friends share the heart of what inspires them to serve and offer insights about how we can all find the energy to do what we are called to do.
Conscious living includes tuning into the changing of the seasons and learning how to cooperate with nature in ways that contribute to complete well-being. The ancient science of Ayurveda offers lifestyle routines for diet, exercise, rest and self-care appropriate to the seasons. Ayurvedic practitioner Vishnu Dass joins Rev. O’Brian for a timely conversation on how to thrive in winter.
Author and minister Dennis Merritt Jones joins Rev. O’Brian for insights into living with and in the great mystery of life. Discover how befriending uncertainty can enrich your experience every day and usher in a grace-filled ability to love, give and inspire others.
Shaikh Kabir Helminski and Camille Helminski, of the Sufi Mevlevi order, join Rev. O’Brian with inspiration from the poetry of Rumi as a way to explore the spiritual journey of winter—both literally and metaphorically. Discover how silence, patience, simplicity, surrender and devotion are pathways through the darkness to the inner Light.
Zoketsu Norman Fisher, senior dharma teacher, poet, and spiritual director of the Everyday Zen foundation, joins Rev. O’Brian for a look into the heart of the world through gratitude. Gratitude is our antidote for imagining we are on our own. Even a little practice of it changes our world.
The ability to surrender is an essential skill for joyful, fulfilled living. What is surrender, why should we practice it, and how can we really let go? Some confuse surrender with defeat; those who are awake know it is the sure way to win. Dr. Emmet Miller, medical doctor, author and pioneer in mind-body medicine joins Rev. O’Brian for an inspiring look at the power of letting go.
Study, in the spiritual tradition of yoga, is more than reading books or gathering information. Although the study of scripture is important, the key to study is the practice of self-inquiry, applying and testing out in our own experience what we are exploring. Religious Studies professor and longtime practitioner of yoga Dr. Kusumita Pedersen returns to The Yoga Hour with Rev. O’Brian for an in-depth look and some surprising insights about the role of study on our spiritual journey.
Self-discipline is the commitment we make and the actions we take to live a higher way by choosing that which pleases the soul and supports the expression of our innate divine qualities. The resident Acharya of Chinmaya Mission in San Jose, California, Br. Prabodh Chaitanya, joins Rev. O’Brian for an exploration of what self-discipline really is, how we can accomplish it, and how it will help us fulfill our divine destiny.
The mystic poet Rumi reminds us to “work at least as hard on the inside as we do on the outside.” In the Yoga tradition, the spiritual practice of Brahmacharya literally means “to walk with God.” Sometimes considered to be only about our sexuality, the greater context is how we use our vital force, or life energy, in ways that are consistent with our spiritual goals. The Rev. Dr. Harry Morgan Moses, director of SpiritWorks Center for Spiritual Living and author of It’s So Easy When You Know How, joins Rev. O’Brian for insights into the inner way.
Rev. Masayo Tsuruta from Seicho-No-Ie, Truth of Life Movement, joins Rev. O’Brian for an insightful look at our potential for unconditional happiness through the practices of contentment and gratitude. How is it possible to walk through the challenges and sorrows of life and still know real happiness? Spiritual practice provides the key.
Michael Nagler, author of The Search for a Nonviolent Future: A Promise of Peace for Ourselves, Our Families, and Our World and founder of the Metta Center for Nonviolence Education, joins Rev. O’Brian for an empowering look at how the principles and practices of ahimsa, or nonviolence, can positively transform our lives today and bring us hope for the future. Discover why this spiritual practice is a foundation for all the others.
The eight limbs of yoga outlined in the Yoga Sutra, the classic text by the sage Patanjali, offer profound insights that support spiritually conscious living in every area of our lives. Dr. Christopher Key Chapple, author of Yoga and the Luminous: Patanjali’s Spiritual Path to Freedom, joins Rev. O’Brian for an engaging exploration of spiritual realization in daily life. Discover how the inward journey of yoga practice can transform how we live.
While the goal of awakening is the same, the yoga tradition recognizes that spiritual seekers have different temperaments and thus require different approaches to spiritual realization. Br. Prabodh Chaitanya, resident of Acharya of Chinmaya Mission in San Jose, California, joins Rev. O’Brian for an exploration of how the traditions of Yoga and Vedanta go beyond a “one size fits all” approach and provide for the unique needs of seekers, while still maintaining a clear focus on the goal. Consider what your spiritual inclinations reveal about you and how your individual need for expression can be met on your path.
Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, joins Rev. O’Brian in an exploration of higher realities. Discover what we can know about our essence of being and our relationship with the Infinite that supports us to actualize our innate capacities and experience excellence in all areas of life.
Rev. O’Brian welcomes Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, who will share about the certain destiny of every person to awaken spiritually—how we can realize our true nature and live with purpose in harmony with the divine plan for our lives.
The science of yoga provides a philosophy and method for realizing our full potential, which includes achieving a life of meaning, prosperity, happiness and freedom. Recognizing our innate desire to prosper both materially and spiritually can help us find the balance, freedom and joy that conscious living brings. Join Rod Stryker, yoga and meditation teacher, and Rev. O’Brian for an insightful conversation about spiritual awakening and fulfilled living.
Nicolai Bachman, Sanskrit scholar and author of the book The Yoga Sutras: An Essential Guide to the Heart of Yoga Philosophy, joins Rev. O'Brian for a penetrating look into the nature of suffering and how it presents opportunities that orient us toward true freedom. Be prepared to embrace your highest good.
Mysticism is a connecting link between Yoga and New Thought that provides a doorway to understand how the great sages declare the presence of harmony at the core of all religions. In this hour with Rev. Paul John Roach and Rev. O’Brian, two mystic poets, discover the practices of mysticism that allow us to enter the heart of God.
While diet does not determine our degree of spiritual awareness, it plays a central role in our sadhana, or spiritual practice, by influencing our bodies, our minds and our relationship with life. Ven. Jian Hu, Abbot of the Chung Tai Zen Center in Sunnyvale, California, joins Rev. O’Brian for an inspiring look at how vegetarianism can make a profound difference, both individually and globally.
The Buddha is quoted as saying, “the mind thinks but the body knows.” Yoga honors the way that wisdom is revealed in the body as well as the mind. Discover the power of consciously embodying spiritual principles on all levels of your being, including the physical, and experience the profound support available to you right where you are. Rev. O'Brian will be joined by Hatha Yoga instructor Carol Parvati Knight.
Ojas is the physical counterpart to subtle energy. As the pure essence of our bodies’ tissues, it supports and maintains the immune system and enhances our strength and vitality. It is an essential part of our experience of bliss and shines forth as radiance. Join Rev. O’Brian and Cynthia Copple, Ayurvedic practitioner and director of Lotus Holistic Health Institute, to learn how to increase ojas.
Whether you are new to meditation or have been meditating for years, you’ll find this conversation with Rev. O’Brian and spiritual teacher and author Sally Kempton to be a breath of fresh air that will infuse your practice with energy and inspiration. Drawing from Sally Kempton’s new book, Meditation for the Love of It: Enjoying Your Own Deepest Experience, these two spiritual teachers will mine the heart of meditation practice for the jewels of spiritually conscious living.
As defined in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, Yoga is superconscious meditation. This higher state of consciousness naturally occurs when the mental field is purified. Join Rev. Samuel Sasu and Rev. O’Brian, two long-time practitioners of Kriya Yoga meditation, as they explore the various levels of mind that relate to meditation. Discover how meditation provides the key to unlock the potential of these levels of mind to enhance our lives.
The book American Veda: From Emerson and the Beatles to Yoga and Meditation: How Indian Spirituality Changed the West was named one of the top 10 religious books of 2010. Author Philip Goldberg returns to The Yoga Hour with Rev. O’Brian to take a look at the legacy of the 1960’s spiritual revolution—how the yogic teachings that arose in that period inspired a sea change in Western religious life. Don’t miss this insightful look at how yoga has not only inspired but transformed the way we experience religion and spirituality.
The Padmini Vidya is a little known yoga system for the creation of wealth, through understanding Shakti, the creative energy of consciousness. Join Rev. O’Brian and Dr. Sherri Silverman for some uplifting insights and practices you can engage in that will enhance your prosperity consciousness and help you cultivate a joyful experience of wealth.
Rev. Dr. Mary Tumpkin, president of the Universal Foundation for Better Living, joins Rev. O’Brian for a dynamic conversation exploring how the philosophies and practices of New Thought and yoga address prosperous living. Learn how thriving in all areas of life is part of your divine destiny.
Spiritually conscious living includes success in all areas of life. Meet Easan Katir, longtime practitioner of yoga and wealth management consultant, as he and Rev. O’Brian explore the life goal of Artha, or wealth—what it means and how to accomplish it.
Creative imagination is a law, like gravity, that does not require belief; it operates perfectly at all times whether we believe it or not. Learn how the philosophy of yoga views the mind as the key to prosperous living. Join Rev. O’Brian and Rev. Ron Lindahn to discover how you can use creative imagination to call forth your highest good.
The Book of Ecclesiastes offers profound insight for spiritually conscious living in the world, showing us how to embrace the seasons of life and live freely amid the pairs of opposites (birth-death, rich-poor, full-empty) without grasping or clinging. Join Rev. O'Brian and her guest, Rabbi Rami Shapiro, to hear more about Rabbi Rami's contemporary, enlightened translation and commentary on this classic Bible Scripture. His insightful and fresh translation makes you want to read this Scripture again for the first time.
Rabbi Rami Shapiro joins Rev. O’Brian for a new and surprising look at the Book of Ecclesiastes. Discover how its timeless teachings offer a way to live wisely and well in the midst of constant change and uncertainty. Rabbi Shapiro’s new translation brings the text to life in a fresh and deeply profound way.
Understanding the nature of the mind holds the key to successful meditation practice and conscious living. Join Dr. Christopher Key Chapple and Rev. O’Brian for this dynamic dialogue about how to use the mind to support our highest achievements, fulfill our life purpose and reach its ultimate goal.
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, the foundational text for yoga philosophy and practice, offers a model for living fully and freely in this world. Discover its timeless wisdom as host Rev. Ellen is joined by Dr. Christopher Key Chapple, Doshi Professor of Indic and Comparative Theology at Loyola Marymount University.
Enter the stream of Yoga’s ancient wisdom with this three-part series on the Yoga Sutra. This first segment, Gems of Wisdom, offers insights and practices for ethical and spiritually awakened living with Sanskrit scholar, yoga philosophy instructor, and author Nicolai Bachman and Rev. Ellen Grace O'Brian.
The science of Mantra Yoga takes us to the heart of matter through the creative energy of sound. Understanding and applying the power of the word through mantra is a yoga discipline that can bring healing, prosperity and spiritual transformation. Rev. O’Brian is joined by Dr. David Frawley (Pandit Vamadeva Shastri) and Yogini Shambhavi for this exploration of mantra as a key to awakening.
The mystical path takes us out of the world as a place of mundane existence and brings us back to it as holy ground. Camille Helminski and Shaikh Kabir Helminski of the Mevlevi Order of Sufis bring their recent translations of Rumi to this conversation with Rev. O’Brian about what really matters in life.
The spiritual philosophy and wellness practices of the Hatha Yoga system can be utilized by anyone interested in better health, clarity and balanced living. Hatha Yoga instructors Julianne Rice and Victor Dubin join Rev. O’Brian for a practical and inspiring conversation about how to incorporate this ancient practice into our lives to experience greater well-being.
A meditation retreat can deepen our meditation experience and open us to profound insight. Rev. O'Brian will be joined by the Venerable Jian Hu, Abbot of the Chung Tai Zen Center of Sunnyvale, California, for this inspiring conversation about why retreats are so important for truth seekers and how we can prepare ourselves for what a retreat can offer us.
Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of the great yoga master Paramahansa Yogananda, joins Rev. O'Brian to share his experiences with Paramahansaji documented in his book, Paramahansa Yogananda as I Knew Him. Intimate reflections on the transformations possible in the life of a devotee of God offer powerful insights and inspiration for the path of enlightenment.
Rabbi Rami Shapiro joins Rev. O'Brian in an exploration of the wisdom sayings of Solomon from the book of Proverbs. These sayings challenge, encourage and instruct us to live our deepest truth. Each essential teaching is a simple but profound guidepost that shines light upon the path of spiritually conscious living and reveals the way to live with purpose, insight and balance. Rabbi Shapiro's translation of Proverbs touches the heart of enlightened insight.
What is discipleship? How does it arise? What does it offer? What does it require? In this episode Rev. O'Brian is joined by Dr. Kusumita Pederson, professor of religious studies, in a profound conversation about the way of discipleship—the universal path of radical freedom walked by devotees, saints and mystics through the ages.
Devotional chanting clears the mind and opens the heart for a direct experience of our essential nature. The divine names and sacred mantras sung in Kirtan emanate from the primal sound, the universal mantra “Om.” Join Rev. O'Brian, singer/songwriter Rev. Priya Friday-Pabros and Sujantra McKeever, yoga teacher, author and founder of Pilgrimage of the Heart Yoga Studio, for insights into the practice of Kirtan and the creative healing power of “Om.”
Our minds are power tools. Spiritually conscious living requires understanding the dynamic function of mind and how to go beyond it to realize our essential true Self—the source of that power. On this episode Rev. O’Brian is joined by Swami Jaidev Bharati as two master teachers of meditation offer strategies and inspiration to support your practice.
The philosophy and practice of yoga provides a foundation for conscious living with profound insights for times of grief, loss and transition from the physical body. Dr. Ronda Macchello and Rev. Shanti Macartney join Rev. O'Brian for a profound conversation on the healing power of spiritual presence. Everybody must let go; it is one of life's inherent requirements. Find out how to do it consciously and to support others along the way.
Yoga and its sister science Ayurveda offer a wealth of wisdom for staying spiritually centered and physically healthy in winter. Join Rev. O’Brian and special guest Espe Guardiola, director of BodyMind Transformations, for insights on complete well-being. Learn more about optimum performance from a holistic viewpoint including the nervous system and healthy brain function, with insights from the new field of Neurotherapy as well as the ancient practices of Ayurveda.
The spiritual practice of yoga takes us out of the world to discover our essential Self and then brings us back into the world to serve the One in all. In this episode, discover the keys to Seva, or selfless service. Explore how to work with full integrity, free from the taint of attachment to results, with Rev. O’Brian and special guests Nipun Mehta, founder of Charity Focus, and Sriram Shamasunder, M.D.
Join Rev. O’Brian and special guest Phil Goldberg, author of the new release American Veda: From Emerson and the Beatles to Yoga and Meditation—How Indian Spirituality Changed the West, as they explore the important changes in culture and spirituality that have been fostered by the influence of yoga on the West.
The ancient Vedic tradition of Vastu offers spiritual insights and practical methods for creating beautiful, peaceful living spaces that nourish the soul life. Today Vastu sacred space design consultant Dr. Sherri Silverman joins Rev. O’Brian for an engaging conversation on the practical importance of beauty and how we can enhance our environment through awareness of the five elements. Sherri is also an artist and writer, studied with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, taught meditation and yoga for more than 30 years, and now works with Vastu clients nationally and internationally through her consulting business, Transcendence Design. (www.transcendencedesign.com)
Underlying yoga’s systematic way of divine remembrance is a vast cosmology. Join Rev. O’Brian and special guest Rev. Ron Lindahn for a fascinating look into the heart of the cosmic manifestation process and what it can tell us about spiritually conscious living every day. Since 1975 Ron has been writing, lecturing and offering seminars on creative living, meditation and Kriya Yoga, and today serves on the staff at the Center for Spiritual Awareness headquarters in Northeast Georgia.
Mystics of all traditions have long used poetry to speak of that which cannot be put into words, pointing us to the direct experience of the One in our midst. Today’s Yoga Hour welcomes Parthenia M. Hicks for a captivating program of poetry, mystical inspiration and insight. Parthenia M. Hicks is an award-winning poet, freelance writer and editor who has been published in a variety of literary journals and was recently selected as the first Poet Laureate of the town of Los Gatos, California.
Learn how the traditions of Yoga and Ayurveda work together for optimum health, spiritual knowledge and ultimate freedom. Ayurveda’s practical focus on healthy living shares the same philosophical underpinnings as Yoga’s system for spiritual realization.
The Yoga Hour’s special guest today, Dr. Ram Nidumolu, CEO of InnovaStrat, a consulting company providing sustainability and business strategy services, will join Rev. O'Brian in a revolutionary conversation about the source of abundance and innovation.
Ancient scriptures of yoga and the testimonies of self-realized masters describe higher states of consciousness and enhanced functionality that the new field of scientific study called Neurotheology is now able to examine, explain and quantify. Join Rev. O'Brian and A. Martin Wuttke, founder and director of Neurotherapy Centers International, for the latest scientific insights into the benefits of meditation practice for health, overall well-being and spiritual development.
Today we will take a look at the spiritual “technology of the heart” to meet the most pressing need of our time: peace.
Today two contemporary teachers, New Thought’s Rev. Dr. Mary Tumpkin and Kriya Yoga’s Rev. Ellen Grace O'Brian, share the powerful influence of spiritual friendship between the mystics from the East and West, and will talk about synergy and spirit.
On this auspicious birth anniversary of India’s “secret yogi,” Lahiri Mahasaya, fountainhead of Kriya Yoga, discover his unfailing formula for success in life.
We are all destined to awaken fully to our innate divine potential sooner or later. Why wait? Discover the four universal life-changing insights that support this awakening now.