Mahasoma Podcast: Recent Episodes

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In this episode Laura Poole speaks with her colleague and friend Joh Jarvis from The Light Inside - a not-for-profit foundation which takes meditation into prisons and jails across the United States. The Vedic perspective is that all change in life begins with a shift in consciousness. This is why meditation is the foundation for bringing us into right action. But those who really need meditation may not have access. This is why Joh and The Light Inside exist.

What we talk about.

• Joh’s journey of coming to teach Vedic meditation in prisons at age 54
• How did she get there? What is it like?
• What stories of transformation has she witnessed?
• What challenges has she faced?
• The living of dharma and seva (self-less service)
• How to live in alignment with your true Self
• Trust and surrender
• The huge shift that takes place when you let go and allow life to move through you

It’s not every day you end up teaching Vedic meditation at age 54 in prisons. We hope her story will resonate beyond the specifics into what’s possible at any age, the dharma and purpose we can find, and the joy that comes from being of service to our humanity.

Resources.

Follow Joh @thelightinsidemeditation

Subscribe to The Light Inside newsletters for stories of transformation

Donate to The Light Inside to support the teaching of Vedic meditation in prisons

Watch online

• The Project on Channel 10 interviewing Joh on The Light Inside's meditation program in the North Dakota State Penitentiary
• Joh named New Yorker of the Week March 2024 for The Light Inside's program in Rikers Island jail (camera work was very restricted in Rikers Island)
• Dhamma Bros - Meditation program in Donaldson prison, Alabama
• Doing Time, Doing Vipassana - Meditation program in New Delhi's Tihar prison
• The Work - Set in Folsom State Prison, incarcerated men and men from outside prison together undergo four days of intensive group therapy, revealing an intimate and powerful portrait of authentic human transformation that transcends what we think of as rehabilitation
• Unlocked: A Jail Experiment - A social experiment where incarcerated men are given increased autonomy in hopes of creating a community-driven atmosphere and deterring future criminal behaviour
• God Save Texas: Hometown prison - Richard Linklater documentary
• Step Inside the Circle - Those who experience the Compassion Trauma Circle and learn about Adverse Childhood Experiences and the symptoms of trauma, feel a sense of relief, self-forgiveness and community support

Read People Magazine Article - Only in New York: Australian Writer Becomes Dog Sitter for New York Inmate. Joh’s story of meeting her dog the first week she moved to New York.

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

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This content may be emotionally challenging and includes trauma, violence, and sexual abuse. If this doesn’t feel the right time for you to listen, we recommend circling back when you’re ready. We are not providing any professional advice, only sharing a personal story and perspective. Please seek professional help if you need support – we shared some services that you can access via our show notes.

For Melbourne based designer Yeojin Bae, fashion has always been her creative expression for women to enjoy the confidence that comes from wearing beautiful clothes. Back to her earliest memories as a child in Korea, Yeojin was always sketching the most beautiful dresses she could imagine. And with just under three decades working in fashion, she developed a cult following for her stylish silhouettes. Yeojin was living her life as a successful designer, just as she always imagined, when at the beginning of 2020, she walked away with no explanation at all.

For the first time, Yeojin is sharing with us her intimate story of leaving behind what she had spent her whole life becoming, to embark on a deeply transformative and much needed healing journey, supported by Vedic wisdom and practices. Statistically it takes on average 24 years to reveal child sexual abuse, and many never do.

Yeojin thought she was irreparably damaged and for a long time felt a dread that something terrible was about to happen. Yet even at her lowest, she never gave up, some days it was baby steps, and other times a leap, but through this process, Yeojin found a profound acceptance, joy, and trust in life. She hopes by sharing her story today, she can reach out to others who are afraid and help them make progress in their lives too. She admits she experienced a lot of stress release leading up to recording this episode, but it was exactly because of these feelings, she wants to challenge her belief to stay silent and unseen.

RESOURCES:
Learn Vedic meditation with Mahasoma
Rishi Training - advanced Vedic wisdom course
Siddha Training - advanced Vedic wisdom course

SUPPORT LINKS:
https://fullstop.org.au/get-help/our-services
https://www.1800respect.org.au
https://www.beyondblue.org.au
https://www.nasasv.org.au/support-directory
https://blueknot.org.au
https://www.nationalredress.gov.au

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

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This time of year can be very full, fast paced, and involve a lot of doing, we thought it would be timely to share this short podcast episode from our teacher Kathleen O'Brien. Our hope is that it softens the busyness this time of year can bring. In this episode you'll be reminded that life is a constant process of unfolding. We need reminding because when everything is rolling along smoothly it can be easy to see the big picture. But when life gets challenging or we’ve been ignoring change, life can get very overwhelming! It’s usually in these moments when the body starts to move into a state of fight or flight that we tend to forget the process is the solution.

When we’re experiencing something we find uncomfortable or we can’t see it in context (meaning we just want it to end and get back to the flow state), we tend to kick ourselves out of the present moment and move into future thinking/solution mode. In this state we can be so focused on a solution and wanting to change the current situation that we move out of the power of the present moment. We miss the opportunity for growth and learning. We resist life by resisting what is.

Life is not really about getting to a final destination. We never will say ‘ahh I’ve done it all! The to-do list of my life is complete! I never have to do anything else again!' We know that life continues and we must keep evolving. But when we’re in outcome mode we can forget life is a process. We miss the now and therefore we miss life! When what we really need is to find greater ease and grace in the process, knowing the process is the solution.

What we talk about in this episode

• Feminine leadership
• Collaboration and co-creation without goal orientation
• There's no final destination only the process of life
• Seeing growth and possibility rather than ‘problems’
• Nature as our greatest teacher
• How Vedic meditation teaches process orientation

Connect with Kathleen

• kathleen@mahasoma.com
• @kathleenobrien_

Learn Vedic meditation with Kathleen

• Castlemaine
• Melbourne
• Adelaide

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

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This podcast episode refers to suicide and its impact. Please seek professional help if you need support. A list of mental health and counselling resources can be found in the show notes.

In this episode Laura Poole joined by Melbourne-based artist and storyteller, and fellow Vedic meditator, Ryan Abramowitz to talk about an important subject that can be shrouded in shame and stigma – suicide. Ryan is the author and artist of ‘Elegy for an Elephant’, a picture book he has been working on these past few years, after the loss of his own father to suicide.

There is a severe shortage of suicide bereavement resources available for families and mental health workers to draw upon when supporting those in grief. You may think picture books are just for kids, but they are actually an accessible format for all ages to address this complex subject matter.

An elegy is a lament, a passionate expression that honours those who have passed. Elegy for an Elephant chronicles Ryan’s family’s experience in processing the complexity of post-suicide grief. It has been crafted as a therapeutic resource for readers (aged 7+) who have lost loved ones, and those communities and caretakers supporting them through their mourning. While it touches on suicide, it more universally addresses how we come to terms with bereavement and access shapes of healing following the loss of loved ones.

We asked Ryan to come on the podcast as we wanted to share the journey he has been on creating this book, his own healing that has turned into a gift of healing for the world, and to create a space for him to share the research, love, and divine energy that has gone into it. Elegy for an Elephant is being released on World Suicide Prevention Day - September 10, 2023, but is available for pre-purchase now. If you know of anyone mourning the loss of a loved one, or if you’re a clinician, parent, mental health worker, meditation teacher, or school teacher, may you consider getting this book, which Ryan says is a gentle and warm hug, when needed in tender times.

Show notes.

CONNECT WITH RYAN

www.narrativesofnature.com

@narrativesofnature_

RESOURCES

Pre-purchase Elegy for an Elephant

Mental Health Resources

LIFELINE - Available 24/7 for crisis support - Call 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14Please see our Mahasoma Journal post for full show notes and images.

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

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Laura Poole is again joined by Vedic astrologer Blaine Watson to talk all about Guru Purnima – the full moon night that occurs once a year where we honour the guru and all teachers in our lives. We go a beautiful journey exploring what a guru is (and is not), the relationship of guru to transcendence and love, stories from Blaine’s time with his guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and other great gurus and saints. We finish with how we can observe the Vedic celebration of Guru Purnima and gain the auspicious blessings of this full moon night.

What we talk about in this episode.

• Definition of Guru Purnima
• Difference between a teacher (acharya) and a Guru
• How Guru Purnima is celebrated
• Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and Guru Purnima
• The purpose of devotion and awakening the heart
• Lineage and tradition
• Transcendence and the Guru
• Love and the Guru
• Guru-shishya relationship
• When the Guru falls from the pedestal
• Is the age of the Guru dead?
• Is it possible to find a true Guru?
• The path of the Guru
• The day of the Guru – spiritual practice for this day
• How to observe Guru Purnima and gain the auspicious blessings

Show notes.

BOOKS

• The Ocean of Love: The Anurag Sagar of Kabir
• The Collected Works of Ramana Maharshi
• Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda KINDLE or PAPERBACK
• A Search In Secret India: The classic work on seeking a guru by Paul Brunton

OTHER

• Neem Karoli Baba
• Ananda Mayima
• Purnamadah Mantra

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

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This episode comes from a group meditation Q&A where a student asked about falling asleep in meditation and why it keeps on happening. We explore why meditation is a practice of two-fold revealing and the importance of allowing cosmic intelligence to take the drivers seat in life. If you’ve ever fallen asleep while meditating, we hope this gives you a new perspective to see everything is just as it should be.

We hope you enjoy!

What we talk about:

• Why meditation is a practice of two-fold revealing
• Surrender and letting cosmic intelligence take the drivers seat
• What the true purpose of Vedic meditation is
• Why we need to accept and allow all experiences in meditation

Show notes

Connect with Laura

• laura@mahasoma.com
• @laura_poole

Learn Vedic meditation with Laura

• Noosa
• Melbourne

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

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Something we’re passionate about in our community is women’s health, and in this episode Laura Poole is joined by Ayurveda practitioner and author Chasca Summerville who some of you may know from Instagram as Alchemy of Ayurveda.

Chasca’s real speciality is Ayurveda for women sharing holistic ways to rejuvenate and wisdom to empower women to be their own healers. In this episode we explore all of this, with a focus on one ritual – yoni steaming - which changed Chasca’s life and healed her from chronic endometriosis. We speak about what yoni steaming actually is, how, when, and why to do it, the deeper purpose and how we can use ritual to heal, embody, and empower ourselves as women. As we share in the podcast, we recommend connecting with a practitioner to begin your journey into the rituals we share. We acknowledge the history and traditional cultures that yoni steaming has come from, and we honour the women who have passed down the ritual in its wholeness for all women to benefit from today. We hope you enjoy this episode on Yoni steaming with Chasca Summerville!

What we talk about in this episode:

• Chasca’s journey into Ayurveda
• Menstrual cycle education (or lack thereof)
• Rituals for fertility
• What is a yoni?
• Yoni steaming – what is it all about?
• How to use yoni steaming in your menstrual cycle
• Healing from Endo, PCOS, infertility, hormonal imbalances and more with yoni steaming
• The deeper purpose of yoni steaming and healing
• Connection of vata imbalances and the womb space

Show notes.

Connect with Chasca

• Alchemy of Ayurveda website
• Ayurvedic Rituals – Chasca’s amazing book
• Book an Ayurveda consultation with Chasca
• Follow on Instagram @alchemyofayurveda

Yoni Steaming

• Neoflam Clay Casserole Dish / Yoni Pot
• Organic dried herb supplier
• Pre-mixed herbs
• Womb Medicine (book on yoni steaming)
• How to steam ~25min
• Steamy Chick on Instagram

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

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This is a new offering on our podcast of shorter wisdom sessions shared from our teachers. Of things we have been exploring in group meditations, mentoring sessions, and in our personal lives. This episode came from a question at group meditation: ‘How do I trust life? How can I surrender and have faith when things just don’t see to be going ‘my way’ or as I had hoped they would go?’

Kathleen explores a different take on trust, shifting our perspective from a life based in faith, trust, and belief, to a new paradigm of knowing. She shares how life is in-fact a very knowable experience, rather than something occurring externally.

Initially we may not have this relationship with life so we need to employ faith, trust, and belief. These can be functions of the mind that help us move forward. We can begin by telling ourselves, “It’s OK, I've got this, even though this feels big or scary, I’m going to put all of my fear aside and trust that it will be ok. I’m going to take the leap of faith.” But the next step we want to take is building a direct and unfiltered relationship with life. We want to know from within.

What we talk about in this episode.

• What is trust?
• How Vedic meditation is the tool to move from trusting to knowing
• Why we would prefer to know than trust
• The importance of direct experience
• The innocence of forgetting
• The necessity of compassion and playfulness when learning new skills

Show notes.
Connect with Kathleen

• kathleen@mahasoma.com
• @kathleenobrien_

Learn Vedic meditation with Kathleen

• Castlemaine
• Melbourne
• Adelaide

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

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This is a new offering on our podcast of shorter wisdom sessions shared from our teachers, of things we have been exploring in group meditations, mentoring sessions, and in our personal lives.

This episode is about the idea that meditation can cause you to avoid doing the ‘real work’ - the harder, emotional, deeper work of change. Laura Poole shares a perspective that helps us understand what’s really going on when people use meditation to spiritually by-pass what’s needed, and how we can empower ourselves to use our practice in the way it was intended.

What we talk about in this episode.

• What is spiritual by-passing
• Why meditation can be seen as avoiding doing the ‘real work’
• What meditation actually is
• The real purpose of a daily practice
• How to harness the full power of meditation as a tool for real, long-lasting, and integrated healing

Show notes.

• Connect with Laura
  • laura@mahasoma.com
  • @laura_poole
• Learn Vedic meditation with Laura
  • Noosa
  • Melbourne

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

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This is a special episode for everyone who knows and loves Pandit Baskaran AKA Panditji. Panditji is a Vedic meditation teacher, pandit, and man of bliss consciousness. You may have had the great blessing of being on retreat with him in India, experiencing the bliss and joy of being in his presence.

This episode is devoted to sharing Panditji’s life story and his beautiful wisdom of life. We hope you enjoy and get sore cheeks from smiling so much, just as we did.

What we talk about in this episode.

• Panditji’s life story
• Training as a meditation teacher with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
• Who is Shiva
• The deeper meaning and purpose of abishekam ceremony
• Tamil Nadu temples
• Living a life of bliss

Show notes.

• Connect with Pandit Baskaran
  • panditbaskaran.com
  • @panditbaskaran
• Rameshwarum Temple
• Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur
• Vedic meditation teacher training with Mahasoma and Pandit Baskaran

To see photos of all the places and experiences we talk about in the episode, head to our journal post for more.

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

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Welcome back podcast family!

This week we’re sharing an empowering and vulnerable conversation between two of the Mahasoma team, Laura Poole and Kathleen O’Brien.

Kathleen has a story that is both unique to her journey but also relatable for so many of you out there. Kathleen openly shares with us her experiences with health and challenges living with chronic conditions like eczema and allergies. We explore what to do when nothing is working, being your own healer, and healthy ways to relate to using practitioners to support your wellbeing. And, because it’s the Mahasoma podcast we can’t help but take deeper dive into Vedic wisdom around the two sides of surrender, the three types of karma, and we share a discourse by Swami Brahmananda Saraswati, our Guru Deva.

"This body hasn’t always been a comfortable home to inhabit. But it has also been my greatest teacher. It taught me to listen, to pay attention, to live well. Through years of fragility, sensitivity and discomfort I ended up finding strength. I have moved from from frustration to acceptance. Resistance to surrender. Weakness to resilience. I’ve learnt that discomfort is temporary and a gift of transformation - there’s no final end point here, simply a dynamic process of finding balance in each moment. " - Kathleen O’Brien
What we talk about in this episode.
* Being your own healer * Why meditation – the missing piece * The healthy way to relate to using practitioners to support your wellbeing * The two sides of surrender * The 3 x types of Karma * A discourse by Guru Deva – Swami Brahmananda Saraswati

**Show notes.

Connect with Kathleen.*
kathleen@mahasoma.com * More about Kathleen * @kathleenobrien_ * Learn to meditate with Kathleen - Castlemaine, Albury, Adelaide, Melbourne

Resources.
* Mahasoma wellbeing resources * ‘I know what it feels like to not feel strong in my body’ by Kathleen O’Brien * Dinacharya, Ayurvedic daily routine * Daily Abhyanga (self massage) to support the nervous system * Surya Namaskara to strengthen the body * Daily mantra practice for health, strength and vitality * Agnihotra for health, wellbeing and healing the land * Breathwork and embodiment practices * Panchakarma - Ayurvedic detox and rejuvenation program in India

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

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This episode was recorded while we were in the south of India, in Tamil Nadu, staying at the Sri Narayani Holistic Centre for Ayurveda and Siddha Medicine.

Our Vedic meditation teacher Laura Poole had the honour of speaking with the head doctor there – Dr Janani – all about Siddha Medicine for spiritual enlightenment and how you can experience this healing for yourself at the Sri Narayani Holistic Centre.

The centre is one of the many projects of Sri Sakthi Amma, who is an avatar, an incarnation of the goddess Sri Narayani. It sits within the town of Thirumalikodi, where Amma’s ashram and Sri Purum Golden Temple are. The centre opened in 2019 continuing Amma’s mission of alleviating those suffering from pain, disease, or imbalance in the body, mind, or soul.

Before Dr. Janani came to work with Amma at the centre, she worked as a personal Siddha physician for the president of India for 4 years. She has written 21 research articles on a variety of topics related to Siddha medicine, she is a mother, devotee of the Divine Mother, and a vibrant woman who loves to share her love of the ancient system of Siddha medicine. We hope you enjoy this episode and please check out the show notes for links to everything we speak about!

What we talk about in this episode.

• What is Siddha medicine and its true purpose
• How Dr Janani came to Siddha Medicine and to work at Sri Narayani Holistic Centre with Sri Sakthi Amma as her Guru
• Relationship of Sri Sakthi Amma and the Siddhas
• Connecting to the Divine for deep healing
• Panchakarma detox and rejuvenation at the Sri Narayani Holistic Centre
• Siddha Medicine nanoparticle formulas and how they differ from other medicines
• The purpose of puja (ceremony)
• Navapashanam – special Siddha formula
• Varma technique (vital energy points) in Siddha Medicine
• King Bodhi Dharma – the Siddha from Tamil Nadu that brought the wisdom of Siddha Medicine to China that developed into Chinese martial arts (Shao Lin), Chinese medicine etc.
• Maharishi Patanjali – one of the great Siddhas who brought yoga to the world

Show notes.
* Read more about Sri Sakthi Amma – the incarnation of Narayani * Stay at the Narayani Holistic Centre and receive Ayurveda and Siddha Medicine treatments (panchakarma) * Read more about Aayurveda and Siddha Medicine * Palani – Navapashanam Idol in south of India * Email hello@mahasoma.com for details on receiving Navapashanam water for healing (a Siddha medicine)

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

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In this episode we chat with water researcher, activist and educator Isabel Friend. Isabel’s expertise is bringing modern scientific understanding together with ancient ancestral wisdom. Isabel shares a vision with practical strategies that helps people transform their relationship to water, increasing physical, mental, emotional, and environmental health for all beings. If you don’t yet have a deep reciprocal relationship with water, if your health or the state of our world is important to you, and water is not part of the conversation, then this episode is for you.

For full show notes visit the Mahasoma Journal

What we talk about.

• What actually is water?
• How to communicate with water and understand her needs
• How we are currently abusing water, the impact of this individually and collectively
• What is a watershed?
• Quantum coherence of water
• Harvesting raw wild spring water
• The physical, emotional, and psychological benefits of being in relationship with water
• Water + energy + meditation
• Honouring and learning from our indigenous water protectors
• Being an ally, accomplice, and water activist
• Falling deeper in love with water

Connect with Isabel Friend.

• Water is Life - educational platform + online courses
• Email Isabel to have a personalised hydration session
• @jenisabelfriend
• 10% discount code for the Water Shop - use MAHASOMA

Resources.

• Learn more about Victor Schaurberger
• Watch The Secrets of Water, The Documentary of Viktor Schauberger- Comprehend and Copy Nature
• Read more about Theodore Schwenk through his book Sensitive Chaos
• Visit the Earth Law Centre website to know more about personhood and legal rights for water
• Learn more about the Blue Planet Project
• Read up on the work of the Lakota Law Project and their fight for justice
• Connect with the vision of International Rivers on their website and Instagram
• Read up on the decentralised system of law based on water via the World Water Law Project
• Visit the Oak Ridge National Laboratory website to learn about their work and discoveries
• If you’re in the USA find your local watershed by visiting the US Geological Society
• Find your local spring in your area using findaspring.com
• Explore your surrounding water sources using Gaia GPS
• Develop a relationship with your local water protectors. Reach out to your local elders to connect with the land/water you live on.
• Veda Austin - photographing water in its ‘state of creation’ - this is the ‘hydroglyphs’ that Isabel talks about.
• Read some of Dr. Masaru Emoto’s work on water consciousness

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This episode is a whole Mahasoma team effort as we come together to answer your questions. We get a lot of inquiry on social media, in our emails, and in our group meditation sessions, and we thought podcast episodes would be a great way to share more. We will be exploring your questions, sharing our real life experiences, and tapping into relevant themes/happenings we’re going through as a collective.

In this episode we hope to give you some insight into who we are, how we came to meditation, and how Vedic wisdom can be applied to your everyday life... right now.

What we talk about in this episode:

• How we came to meditation and what it has given us
• The concept of time - past, present and future – where do they exist?
• Who is telling your story?
• Upgrading our memories to experience immediate liberation

Mahasoma is currently a female led collective, made up of Laura Poole, Sarah O’Brien, Julia Turco and Kathleen O’Brien. We teach in-person courses in Melbourne, Castlemaine, Surf Coast, Noosa, Brisbane, Tasmania, Albury, and South Coast of NSW. Our purpose is to share this effortless practice and support you in making meditation an enjoyable part of your daily life.

For the full show notes of the episode head to the Mahasoma Journal
Learn to meditate with Mahasoma.

• Laura Poole teaches in Noosa, Melbourne, and Brisbane
• Sarah O’Brien teaches in Melbourne and South Coast of NSW
• Julia Turco teaches on the Surf Coast of VIC and in Melbourne
• Kathleen O’Brien teaches in Castlemaine, Melbourne, Albury, and Adelaide
• What is Vedic meditation?
• Free intro talks to Vedic meditation

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We have a very timely episode for you relating to the Vedic celebration that begins this weekend on the 2nd April, 2022 known as Navaratri – the nine nights of worshipping the goddess done at the two new moon equinoxes of the year. We wanted to share with you some of the deeper meanings and understandings of this celebration, and how you can tap into this flow of time to create greater health and vitality for yourself, your family and your community.

We asked the wonderful teacher Prashanti de Jager to share some of the wisdom he has gained over the last 32 years of engaging in, studying, teaching, and worshipping the Goddess through Navaratri. Prashanti has deeply studied the Vedic sciences including Ayurveda, Vedic Astrology, Yoga, Vedic Architecture, Advaita and Dhanurveda, and has sat at the feet of many great masters including Sri H.W.L. Poonja.

This is an episode for those interested in deeper Vedic wisdom and understanding the mythology of this wonderful time of the year known as Navaratri. If you’re keen to explore Prashanti’s Navaratri Restorative Cleanse that takes place twice a year, check out the show notes below after you listen for all the details of how to participate.

What we talk about in this episode:

• The yoga of time
• Who is Durga and Kali
• How to live in the goddess flow state
• Shiva + Shakti
• What Navaratri is actually about and how to engage with it
• Goddess Worship
• Vedic restorative cleanses
• The bi-monthly celebration of Ekadashi – what is it and how to gain its benefit
• The mantra of the goddess
• The 4 levels of truth
• The process of dharma
• The purpose of sangha
• The goddess known as Tulsi

Connect with Prashanti de Jager

• Explore the Veda Mandala to learn more about the Vedic sciences with Prashanti
• Follow @prashanti.veda.mandala
• Engage in the Navaratri Restorative Cleanse - taking place 2-10 April (Australia) or 1-9 April (USA) 2022, and again in October. This restorative cleanse happens twice every year!

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In this episode our Mahasoma teacher Laura Poole and the delightful repeat guest on our podcast, our Vedic astrologer Blaine Watson, talk all things transcendence. With both Laura and Blaine teaching a transcending meditation technique, we wanted to share the deeper understanding of transcendence, and help you recognise the profound nature of what you may already be experiencing every day.

What we talk about in this episode.

• What transcendence actually is
• What are thoughts
• What the purpose of transcendence is and how to access it through meditation
• The biggest misperception in the yogic world
• How to live transcendence 24/7
• What enlightenment actually is
• The work of self-enquiry
• Transcendence, trauma and disassociation
• Ways to enliven transcendence in daily life
• Shivaratri, Shiva and the transcendental field

Show notes.

Learn to meditate and transcend

• Mahasoma Meditation Courses

Connect with Blaine

• Sign up to Blaine’s daily inspirational email via blainepw@gmail.com. Please note: Blaine is currently booked for all Vedic astrology sessions for 12 months and isn’t taking any new clients right now.

Books

• Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the Bhagavad-Gita, A New Translation and Commentary, Chapters 1- 6 (try to find a pre-1969 version)
• Yoga Sutra by Patanjali
• The Manual for Self Realization: 112 Meditations of the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra by Swami Lakshmanjoo (112 ways to transcend)
• Śhiva Sūtras : The Supreme Awakening - by Swami Lakshmanjoo
• The Ramayana – translated by Ramesh Menon
• Anandamayi Ma - Mother of Bliss

Ways to enliven transcendence in daily life

• 8 Principal Upanishads
• Yoga Vasishta – The Supreme Yoga by Swami Venktesananda
• All books by Ramana Maharishi
• All books by Nisargadatta Maharaj
• All books by Rumi
• All books by Hafiz
• A.H. Almas – The Dimond Approach
• The Work as Meditation by Todd Smith
• The Work by Byron Katie
• Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu (Translated by Stephen Mitchell)
• All books by J Krishnamurti

Other

• Rudrabhishek - powerful chanting of 1,000 Maharishi Vedic Pandits
• Mayavakyas

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In this episode we chat with incredible permaculture teacher, psychologist, Ayurveda expert and barefoot yogi Ian Trew, exploring the physical, psychological and spiritual world that is permaculture.

Laura completed her permaculture PDC course with Ian at Noosa Forest Retreat in September, and fell in love with the way he spoke about ecology and nature, weaving in psychology, the Vedic worldview, indigenous wisdom, and personal development. It was an inspiring and very intense few weeks training, and we knew we had to share the inspiration with everyone.

What we talk about in this episode:

• Ian’s inspiring life story that took him from the country, to the military, to permaculture
• What permaculture actually is
• How we currently grow food and what needs to change
• Holistic habitat design – rethinking and redesigning how we live
• Cradle to grave design
• The psychological, emotional and sociological aspects of permaculture
• The differences between organic, biodynamic, agroforestry and syntropic farming
• The need for embodied ecological role models
• Accessing the flow state and becoming an everyday super hero
• The 1 thing you start doing right now to flow with Nature

Connect with Ian Trew at Noosa Forest Retreat:

• @permaculture_community_nfr
• Want to take Noosa Forest Retreat's next PDC (Permaculture Design Course)? Connect with Ian and use our affiliate code MAHASOMA to receive $50 off!

Books and articles:

• The Soil and Health by Albert Howard
• The Global Brain: The Awakening Earth (2008 updated) by Peter Russell
• The Global Brain Awakens: Our Next Evolutionary Leap (1995) by Peter Russell

Documentaries:

• Hare Krishna! The Mantra, the Movement, and the Swami who started it all
• Happen Films – Stories for a changing world

Other resources:

• NFR Permaculture online course
• Mushroom ‘Infinity Burial Suit’ by Coeio - creating life after death

Read the full journal post on our websiteLearn to meditate with Mahasoma

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In this episode we chat with Celeste Tesorerio - a name well known in luxury fashion industry both within Australia and abroad. As Sustainability Manager of Roland Mouret and a member of the British Fashion Council’s Positive Fashion Committee, Celeste has worked with brands including Vivienne Westwood, Stella McCartney, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga as well as big retailers such as Net-a-Porter, Matches and Selfridges. Celeste also spent five years directing her own namesake label with her direct experience in the industry as a designer giving her a wealth of first-hand knowledge about the nuances of sustainability and ethical production. She is now the founder of Sonzai Studios - a sustainable fashion consulting business where she helps brands better their environmental presence with a move toward a brighter future of fashion.

What we talk about in this episode:

• What sustainable fashion actually is and if it’s even possible
• The shocking unsustainable parts of the fashion industry
• The process of how a plain cotton t-shirt is made
• The true cost of fashion
• Is sustainable fashion a privilege?
• Celeste's top ways to become more sustainable in the way we shop
• Ways fashion brands can become more sustainable and take greater responsibility
• The 1 thing you can start doing right to empower yourself with knowledge to make better decisions when it comes to buying clothes

Connect with Celeste:

• Sonzai Studios
• @celestetesoriero
• @sonzaistudios
• celeste@sonzaistudios.com

Books and Articles:

• RIISE Climate Credentials
• Sonzai Studio’s Journal - articles on all things sustainable fashion
• Sustainable swimwear guide by Celeste Tesoriero
• Sustainability By Leslie Paul Thiele
• Zero Waste Fashion Design by Timo Rissanen and Holly McQuillan

Resources:

• Sonzai Studio’s Journal - articles on all things sustainable fashion
• Sustainable swimwear guide by Celeste Tesoriero
• RIISE.Shop - all sustainable brands curated by Celeste
• Vestiare Collective
• The Real Real - hiring clothing
• Depop - hiring clothing

Instagram accounts to follow:

• RIISE
• Sustainable Fashion Forum
• Stories behind things
• Climate council
• Re make our world

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This episode we have the enlightening Vedic astrologer Blaine Watson back for another juicy session sharing his deep wisdom and experience of the Vedic science and technology known as yajña. On the surface it looks like a fire ceremony, where Vedic pandits are sitting around the fire, offering ghee and other sweet-smelling items, alongside chanting specific Vedic mantras to connect with the desired deity. What may look like an esoteric, occult, or religious practice, is actually a precise Vedic technology that uses consciousness, intention and vibration to resolve our karma and therefore change our future.

What we talk about in this episode:

• What yajña actually is, diving into the Vedic wisdom, beginning with a powerful sloka or verse from Rig Veda
• A poignant Vedic analogy for understanding how the world is created
• Karma + yajña
• How to change the future by altering our DNA in the present
• How you can engage with yajña
• Yajña Q&A

Connect with Blaine and others:

• Blaine Watson - blainepw@gmail.com - book in for a Jyotish (Vedic astrology) session or if you need to find your exact birth time, or if you would like a yagya performed on your behalf with the Pandits in India.
• You can also email Blaine (above) to sign up for the ‘Auspicious Days’ of the Vedic calendar to be emailed to you monthly
• Join Sri Sakthi Amma for the 1000 day Sri Lalitha Yagam - email Beloved Narayani Foundation for details on when the yajña begins

Books:

• Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s Commentary on the Bhagavad Gita – Chapters 1-6 (chapter 3 – on yajña)
• Human Physiology: Expression of Veda and the Vedic Literature by Tony Nadar
• Devi Bhagavatam by Ramesh Menon – stories of Ma Durga (Navaratri)
• View some amazing old photos from LIFE Magazine in 1944, where Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s teacher, Swami Brahmananda Saraswati (Guru Deva), arranged and presided over a mahayagya (great yajña) to end WWII

Listen:

• Durga Sapta Shati – 700 Verses to Ma Durga
• Maharishi Veda App for mantra chanting and listening
• Vital Veda podcast episode with Dr Svoboda on connecting with our ancestors and how to perform shraddha

Verse from Rk Veda:
Richo akshare parame vyoman
Yasmin devaa adhi vishve nisheduh
Yas tan na veda kim richaa karishyati
Ya it tad vidus ta ime samaasate

The verses (richas) of the Veda exist in the collapse of fullness (the kshara of ‘A’) in the transcendental field, the Self, in which reside all the devas, the impulses of creative intelligence, the laws of nature responsible for the whole manifest universe. He whose awareness is not open to this field, what can the verses accomplish for him? Those who know this level of reality are established in evenness, wholeness of life.

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In this episode we speak with the divine Paige Hasaballah, otherwise known as Delta Venus. Delta is a visual communicator and intuitive conduit whose art and offerings are primarily about exploring consciousness. She works with her Egyptian lineage incorporating ancient spiritual practice into her creative expression. Her aim is to create space for the experience of oneness. Each artwork is designed to be lived with, meditated on, and experienced through. You can see her work by following @deltavenus on Instagram, we suggest having a look at Delta’s artwork as you listen to the episode to get a feel for her art.

What we talk about in this episode

• Delta’s Egyptian lineage and the Khemetic wisdom tradition she is part of
• Her process as an artist communicating these deep spiritual truths of life
• The science of imagery and its place in the ancient Egyptian culture
• Our favourite topic, LOVE!
• We finish with some questions from our community on love as Delta openly and honestly shares from her direct experience.

Connect with Delta Venus

• FollowPaige Hasaballah @deltavenus on Instagram
• Visit the Delta Venus print shop
• Explore Delta's Egyptian astrology prints
• Have your ‘energy portrait’ taken/created by Delta Venus
• Purchase Delta's Know Thyself 72-card deck of questions for self-enquiry

Books

• Serpent in the Sky by John Anthony West
• Temple of the Cosmos by Jeremy Naydler
• The Opening of the Way: A Practical Guide to the Wisdom by Isha Schwaller de Lubicz
• The Ringing Cedars book series by Vladmir Megre - the wisdom of the Russian Vedic tradition through Anastasia

Podcast

• A podcast with John Stuart Reid titled ‘The Startling Secrets of Sound’. John speaks about his experiences in the Pyramids with sound and hieroglyphics.

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In this episode, we hear from Caroline Wolfe - Mother, Vedic Meditation teacher and birthkeeper. She lives and works on Bundjalung country providing pregnancy, birth and postpartum care, using the foundations of Vedic meditation and Vedic philosophy to support families to experience and integrate birth. After a deep healing journey from her traumatic first birth, Caroline recently free birthed her 2nd child undisturbed at home and in this episode she shares with us her learnings and experience.

Read more about the episode on our journal with all the show notes.

* Trigger warning *In this episode we talk about birth and birth trauma. Please give yourself the time and space needed to listen and reach out for support if you need.

WHAT WE TALK ABOUT IN THIS EPISODE:

• The possibilities of birth + breaking down the myths
• Medicalised birthing vs. free birthing
• What free birthing actually is
• The importance of centring the mother and her experience
• The role of a midwife
• How to create an empowering birth experience
• The connection between meditation and birth
• Caroline’s direct experience using mantra, Vedic philosophy, breath and Vedic meditation in preparation for sacred birthing.

CONNECT WITH CAROLINE

• Visit Caroline’s website to learn more about her offerings and Vedic meditation courses in Byron Bay
• Follow Caroline on Instagram @caroline_wolfe_meditation
• Email carolinewolfemeditation@gmail.com

RESOURCES

Listen

• Podcasts:
  • Pregnancy Birth and Beyond
  • Vital Veda
• Narayani Moola Mantra by Edo and Jo
• Please email hello@mahasoma.com to connect with us and receive the special Vedic birthing mantra

Read

• Sacred Birthing: Birthing a New Humanity - Sunni Karll
• A Compassionate Guide to Being With Birth - Jenny Blyth
• Jane Hardwick Collins – HERstory

Instagram

• @ripsnorter
• @michellepalasia
• @wild.womb.witch
• @indigenous.doulas
• @_rosierick_
• @wild.pregnancy_free.birth
• @padmini_yoni
• @bushrat_
• @zoe_bosco

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We have a special episode for you today, the first in a series where Vedic meditation teacher Laura Poole will be chatting with each of our team members at Mahasoma. Our Mahasoma Meditation Collective came together out of a desire to do things differently and see what we could co-create, maintaining our unique individualities, while at the same time working collaboratively and within community. This new way of being and living together is something that is constantly growing and adapting, which is actually very lovely to have the space and creativity to allow Mahasoma to be whatever it needs to be for everyone who is part of it.

To give you some insight into who we are and what we do, first up is one of our Vedic meditation teachers, Sarah O’Brien. Sarah has a background in legal advocacy with a law degree specialising in human rights and administrative law. She is now a Vedic meditation teacher based in Melbourne and a founding member of our Mahasoma collective.

What we talk about

• How Sarah came to learn Vedic meditation herself
• What she learnt about making change, both in career and mindset
• Sarah's journey of transitioning from being a lawyer to a meditation teacher
• Her passion for creating change in the world which looks a little different to how she thought it would
• The three parts of evolutionary change through the Vedic lens (creation, maintenance and destruction)
• How to engage with each phase of evolution
• The purpose and necessity of compassion
• How true compassion often involves strong action but is ultimately a freeing experience
• The misinterpretation of wisdom that leads to spiritual bypassing
• The dismantling of this misinterpretation and how to correct our vision
• Why we shouldn’t get defensive when people point out to us where we need to change
• The need for us to collectively dream a better world together

**Check out our journal post for the full interview

Connect with Sarah**

• Learn more about Sarah
• Instagram - @sarahclaireobrien
• Email - sarah@mahasoma.com
• Listen to Sarah on the Spiritual Tradie Podcast

Books to read

• Read The Global Heart Awakens : Humanity's Rite of Passage from the Love of Power to the Power of Love by Anodea Judith
• Read Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the Bhagavad Gita: A New Translation and Commentary, Chapters 1-6

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In this episode Vedic meditation teacher Laura Poole speaks with Jyotish Vedic Astrologer Blaine Watson. Vedic Astrology, or Jyotish, as it is called in Sanskrit, has become an increasingly popular way of taking care of one’s future. Jyotish means the ‘best of lights’. It’s the Vedic science of bringing awareness to the evolutionary process life, predicting what’s coming, revealing that which is hidden from view, so we can adapt, adjust our behaviour, make better decisions and create greater coherent flow for ourselves as individuals and our society as a whole.

Blaine Watson is a Jyotishee, or Vedic astrologer, who has been studying astrology since childhood. On a trip to India in 1980 while spending time with his teacher and Guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, he became deeply interested in Vedic astrology and began studying in earnest. After several years of self-study in India, USA, Spain, Netherlands and Switzerland, Blaine was personally certified as an expert in Jyotish by the Dean of the Department of Sanskrit at Benares Hindu University in Varanasi, India in 1989. He has been a professional astrologer for over 30 years and has more than 30,000 clients in over 30 countries. People find him only via word of mouth as the Vedic tradition with which he is associated does not permit him to advertise.

What we talk about

• The true purpose of Jyotish – both on the individual level and the cosmic level
• The difference between Western Astrology and Jyotish
• What influences an individual’s chart
• Karma and past lives
• How to remedy afflictions in our charts
• The power of yagya to restructure our DNA
• Saturn returns and Sadi Sati
• The 12 zodiac signs personalities and traits
• Intuition vs. Jyotish
• Free will vs. determinism
• How to study Jyotish and become a Vedic astrologer

Check out our journal post for the full interview and a Sanskrit glossary of terms used in this episode.

Connect with Blaine and others

• Blaine Watson - Vedic astrology sessions + yagya ceremony - blainepw@gmail.com
• Dayna Norris - Vedic astrology sessions - daynanda@yahoo.com (recommended by Blaine if you can’t book in a session with him as early as you would like)
• The Raju Family - Panchakarma and Ayurvedic treatments

Resources

• Listen to Blaine on the Vital Veda Podcast
  • Ep 49 - Karmic Relationships, Why am I single? & Past Lives
  • Ep 41 - Celestial Organisation of Life with Vedic Astrology
• David Frawley's online courses for learning Jyotish
• Read Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Commentary on the Bhagavad Gita (we suggest trying to finder an earlier copy of the book, ideally from the 1960s-1970s)
• Read Light On Life by Hart Defouw
• Read The Greatness of Saturn by Robert Svoboda<

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Danielle Escobar and Sole De Riccio from Soma Shakti chat with Vedic meditation teacher Laura Poole about the wisdom of Ayurveda and how to create health, nourishment and vitality for newborn mothers and babies.

What we talk about

• What an Ayurveda postpartum doula is
• Why it is such important support to have
• The sacred window of the 40-days after birth
• Foods to eat and avoid
• Ayurvedic herbs to take
• Massage and belly wrapping
• The role of meditation as a newborn mother
• How as women we can support each other in this journey
• How to become an Ayurveda postpartum doula.

Check out our journal post for the full interview

Connect with Soma Shakti

• Postpartum care offerings from Soma Shakti
• Soma Shakti on Instagram
• Dani on Instagram
• Sol on Instagram
• Schedule a consult with Dani or Sol

Resources

• Discount code for Soma Shakti online store: MAHASOMA10
• Soma Shakti Recipe Book for newborn mothers – E-Book & Printed Version
• Ojas building hot milk recipe
• Ayurveda herbs for postpartum care:
  • Self-massage (abhayanga) oils for mother and baby
  • Breastfeeding Ayurveda protein shake
  • Post-natal Ayurveda tonics by Vital Veda
  • Ayurveda herb ‘Galakol’ for increasing ease and flow of lactation by Vital Veda
• Episode 5 - Ayurveda for menstruation, pre-conception and conscious conception & Episode 6 - Ayurveda for pregnancy, birth and postpartum care
• Mahasoma Resources – Conscious Conception, Pregnancy and Birth
• Ya Devi Mantra on Spotify
• Healing Mantras of the Divine Mother
• Find an Ayurveda postpartum doula:
  • Australian Birth Stories Directory
  • Home Births NSW
• Become an Ayurveda postpartum doula with Sacred Window Studies
• Conscious Postpartum Care
• The Ringing Cedars Book Series

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Up next on the Mahasoma Podcast we have author, speaker and relationship coach John Gray. He is the author of the most well-known and trusted relationship book of all time, Men Are from Mars, Women Are From Venus. It was the #1 best-selling book in the 90’s and one of the top 10 most influential books of the last quarter century. John joins us on the Mahasoma podcast to talk about the world of intimate relationships.

What we talk about

• Role-mate vs. soul-mate relationships
• Understanding hormones and behaviour differences in men and women
• Why so many women are unhappy in the modern world
• Why women attract needy men
• The intersection of meditation and relationship work
• Understanding the female menstrual cycle (both for women and men)
• How we can engage in certain behaviours at certain times of the menstrual cycle to increase hormonal balance, sexual intimacy and happiness

Check out our journal post for the full interview

Connect with John Gray

• Mars Venus website
• John Gray on Instagram
• John Gray on Facebook - video content and FB live
• Mars Venus online courses

Resources

• Listen to more of John on the Lifestylist podcast, then jump into another episode to hear more of his story
• Visit John’s blog to hear more of his insights into relationship dynamics. We love the following:
  • ‘What leave me alone actually means in a relationship’
  • ‘How to balance the burden in a relationship’
  • ‘Tired of dating? Here’s how to get excited again!’
  • And heaps of great posts on wellness, from tips for working through anxiety to helping create oestrogen and testosterone naturally.

Books

• Men Are from Mars, Women Are From Venus by John Gray
• Beyond Mars and Venus: New Relationship Skills For Our Complex Modern World by John Gray
• Complete list of John’s books

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Today we have a brilliant, thought-provoking, challenging and just all round awesome episode for you all! Vedic meditation teacher Laura Poole is in conversation with Meg Ulman of Artist as Family. Meg lives with her partner Patrick, their sons Woody and Zephyr and their dog Zero in Daylesford, Victoria on a ¼ acre permaculture plot. It’s home to their ‘School of Applied Neopeasantry’ at Tree Elbow University on Djaara peoples' country. They live a life of deep connection to Nature and community, teaching radical neo-peasant homemaking, community economy making and other accountable living skills.

What we talk about

• How to get started living a permaculture life
• Unlearning, growing up and up-skilling
• Unschooling our kids
• Teaching ecological literacy to the next generation
• The magic of compost
• Learning from our first peoples and their connection to country
• The importance of dismantling patriarchy
• Capitalism and neo-liberalism to reclaim community and connection
• The complexity of living on unceded land
• Divesting from capitalist systems
• The one thing you can do right now to begin the change

Check out our journal post for the full interview + all the resources mentioned

Connect with Meg + Artist is Family

• Artist as Family Instagram
• Artist as Family Blog
• Artist as Family YouTube
• Permaculture Living Course at the School of Neopeseantry
• Read ‘The Art of Free Travel’ inspired by their 400 day journey on bikes from Daylesford to Cape York and back
• Watch their episodes on Happen Films

Websites

• Retro Suburbia
• Holmgren Design
• Permaculture Principles
• Permaculture Australia
• Transition towns
• HRN – Hepburn Relocalisation Network
• Milkwood Permaculture
• Happen Films - @happenfilms
• Wim Hof

Documentaries

• The World According to Monsanto
• Bullshit – Vandana Shiva
• King Corn
• The Need to Grow
• Kiss the Earth

Books

• The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible – Charles Eisenstein
• Retro Suburbia – David Holmgren

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This episode, Vedic meditation teacher Laura Poole is in discussion with Simon Borg-Olivier on 'The Misconceptions of Modern Yoga'. Simon is a biologist, physiotherapist and yoga teacher based in Sydney, Australia. He has spent decades sharing his incredible knowledge of the human anatomy and physiology, and is a master at teaching the foundations of traditional yoga to a modern audience. Simon’s motto for life is “Tense less, stress less, breath less, think less, eat less.” We love this and hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did.

What we talk about

• Simon’s personal journey into the world of yoga and meditation
• What real yoga is
• The difference between modern and traditional practice - the good the bad and ugly!
• Static meditation vs. moving meditation
• How to live in your body in a relaxed way
• The signs to look for that are the expression of 'healthy exercise'
• Whether stretching is actually beneficial for us
• How get a cardio workout without stressing the heart

Check out our journal post for the full interview

Connect with Simon and learn more

• Connect with Simon Borg-Olivier on Instagram
• Learn more from Simon on his official Facebook Page

Resources

• Get a feel for Simon’s work with these FREE 4 practice video sequences and accompanying PDFs
• Find out more about Simon's 'Health Happiness and Longevity' monthly membership
• Join Simon for in-person or online for yoga (movement and breath work) classes at Yoga Synergy
• Subscribe to Simon’s newsletter via his website for more information on what’s coming up, or check out some practice videos on his website

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In this episode Vedic meditation teacher Laura Poole is in conversation with Craniosacral master therapist Etienne Peirsman, sharing with our community his life's work. Etienne has spent over 40 years developing and teaching Craniosacral, which is a profound technique that incorporates meditative depth into therapy.

What we talk about

• What craniosacral is - the therapy side and the ‘non-doing’ meditative side
• How Etienne’s near-death experience brought him to the practice
• How to heal our hearts and let love flow
• A new way of working with trauma
• The healing power of doing nothing
• How craniosacral has changed people’s lives
• How we can learn to give craniosacral to ourselves and others
• Teaching craniosacral to kids
• The importance of birthing our children in non-violent ways

Check out our journal post for the full interview

Connect with Etienne

• Connect with Etienne and find out more about learning Craniosacral with him
• Follow Etienne on Instagram

Resources

• Follow Craniosacral Masters on Facebook
• Listen to Etienne’s life story on the Craniosacral Podcast
• Experience a Heart Flow meditation with Mahasoma

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In this episode, Vedic meditation teacher Laura Poole is in conversation with Nicole Azzopardi - a journalist, writer, cook, gardener and devoted parent. Nicole has spent the past 15 years travelling backwards and forwards to her teacher's ashram in the south of India (Sri Sakthi Amma at Sri Purum) where she spends time learning meditation and the value of selfless service. She currently lives with her husband and two daughters in a small country town in Victoria's Surf Coast hinterland. Grab a cup of tea, and wherever you are, sit back and relax as we drink in this healing medicine of shared storytelling.

Check out our journal post for the full interview

What we talk about

• Nicole’s journey of going to India and meeting her life-long spiritual teacher
• The sacredness of being invited into the Vedic culture and practices
• The true purpose of our human births
• Using our privilege for good
• The spiritual practice of Seva – self-less service
• The challenges of motherhood
• When your child becomes your Guru
• The depths of surrender that are required in parenthood.

Connect with Nicole

• Connect with Nicole via Instagram or her website

Resources

• Read the July Green Shakti Newsletter here
• Read The Alchemy of Parenting feature article in this month’s Mindful Parenting Magazine
• Read Nicole’s writing onsustainability ideas - like making eco-conscious dolls and upcycled planter ideas
• Visit Sri Purum in India and meet Sri Sakthi Amma
• Donate towards a cow and calf to a family in need from Sri Purum
• See all the Seva projects that have been initiated by Sri Sakthi Amma
• Listen to 'Om Namo Narayani' mantra by our friends Edo & Jo
• Listen to our Mahasoma 'Divine Devotion' mantra playlist on Spotify

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This episode is a little more personal, recorded in 2018 with our dear friend and Ayurveda practitioner Dylan Smith from Vital Veda. Dylan wanted to chat to Vedic meditation teacher Laura Poole about pain, suffering, healing and consciousness, knowing that her journey over the years has been full of these things. As an Ayurveda practitioner, Dylan sees many patients with chronic illness, so called ‘incurable’ conditions, pains in the body & mind, and they are ask him for guidance, knowledge and solutions. In this episode we explore the multi-faceted realm of healing the body through consciousness, and that it may not be what we were expecting and yet, what we are truly desiring.

Check out our journal post for the full interview

Connect with Laura and Dylan

• Connect with Dylan and Laura on social media
• Learn Vedic meditation with Mahasoma. Or to find a Vedic meditation teacher near you email hello@mahasoma.com

Resources

• Find out more about Ayurveda and ways to align yourself with nature at the Vital Veda Journal
• Panchakarma Ayurvedic detox and rejuvenation programs - these programs are a powerful way to detox, release years of stress, replenish and move back into greater health and vitality. They are also the foundation for healing chronic illness in the body. In India, we go to the Raju Family for treatments. They have two places you can visit - the larger Raju Family Clinic just outside of Hyderabad city with Dr Krishna Raju and Dr Padma Raju, or the smaller clinic Raju’s Ayurveda right in Hyderabad city with J.R. Raju, Harsha Raju and Pavani Raju. If you need more information on panchakarma please get in contact with the Raju’s or with dylan@vitalveda.com.au
• Download the Curable App - the science behind pain and practices to dissolve it
• Explore Nicole Sachs' The Cure For Chronic Pain website for online courses and a podcast that explores the mind/body connection to pain
• Watch this free 4-part series with Nicole Sachs on healing chronic pain
• Download an easy yet powerful spinal yoga sequence by master teacher Simon-Borg Olivier that will change the way you think about and practice yoga, while liberating energy in the spine to help your body naturally heal itself
• Read Healing Back Pain by Dr John Sarno
• Read The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge
• Read The Body Keeps Score: Mind, Brain and Body in the Transformation of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk
• Read Waking The Tiger: Healing Trauma by Peter A. Levine

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In this heart-opening episode, Vedic meditation teacher Laura Poole is in conversation with entrepreneur, kindness advocate and woman of the heart, Sophie Weldon. Sophie is the Founder and Managing Director of Humankind Enterprises - a social enterprise which uses the ancient process of storytelling and the modern innovation of StoryTech and StoryData to help create a world that is more connected, inclusive and empathetic.

What we talk about

• The creation and participation in a new normal
• Sophie’s time in Bhutan learning about Gross National Happiness
• Core values as the foundation for change
• Healing our current systems
• What we could create as humans if we came to the process consciously
• Deep radical empathy.
• Vedic perspective on governance, politics
• Is it really possible to create a social system based on wellbeing, kindness and belonging?

Check out our journal post for the full interview

Connect with Sophie

• Humankind Enterprises website
• Sophie’s Instagram

Resources

• Visit the website of the Gross National Happiness Centre in Bhutan.
• If you’re curious to learn a bit more about the historical and philosophical underpinnings of Neoliberalism, you can read more in this article published by the Conversation.
• Iceland and New Zealand are two countries have have implemented frameworks concerned with wellbeing. You can read a bit more about how they’re doing this here.
• Learn more about how Finland solved their homelessness crisis.
• Read Australia Reimagined by Hugh Mackay.

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Welcome to Part 2 of our Ayurveda for conception, pregnancy, birth and postpartum care series. In this episode, Vedic meditation teacher Laura Poole speaks with Dylan Smith, Ayurvedic practitioner and educator from Vital Veda, sharing eye opening yet practical wisdom to understand the power of conscious conception and the journey of the 9 months of pregnancy. Make sure you give both episodes in this series a listen (Part 1 and Part 2) because this wisdom of the Veda and Ayurveda has the ability to bring us back to our innate nature of creative beings who know how to conceive, carry and birth with full health, grace and the authority of inner wisdom.

What we talk about

• Conscious conception
• The 9 months of pregnancy according to Ayurveda
• Month by month breakdown of what's happening and what you can do
• The ritual of birthing
• The huge importance of postpartum care
• How your meditation practice might change during this time
• Everything you need to stay vital and radiant as new parents

Check out our journal post for the full interview

Connect with Dylan

• Vital Veda Website
• Vital Veda Podcast
• Vital Veda Instagram account
• Book an Ayurvedic consult with Dylan online or in person

Resources

• Some cycle/period tracking apps that are used for conception and birth control - Natural Cycles, Daysy and Clue
• Read Vital Veda's Ayurveda guide to the 9 months of pregnancy
• Read Vital Veda's Ayurveda Post Natal Care Plan
• Take a She Births birthing course
• See a full list of products Dylan from Vital Veda recommends for a post-natal support
• Learn more about why you would want to do abhyanga, a warm-oil self massage you can do from your own home - you can then download a poster to learn how to do it yourself
• Podcast on EMF, 5G and building biology via Vital Veda
• Check out the Mahasoma Spotify account to listen to soothing mantra playlists
• Get the Ayurveda herbal formula that helps with morning sickness during pregnancy - MADIPHALA RASAYANA
• Get the special ghee for pregnancy and easy birth - SUKHA PRASAVA GHRITAM
• Get the herb that Dylan says is the most important herb for post-natal care - BALANT KADHA

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Welcome to Part 1 of our Ayurveda for conception, pregnancy, birth and postpartum care series. In this episode, Vedic meditation teacher Laura Poole speaks with Dylan Smith, Ayurvedic practitioner and educator from Vital Veda, on Ayurveda and the Vedic perspective on preparing yourself and your partner to conceive, which starts with understanding and honouring the menstrual cycle. These episodes were recorded live in the Himalayas with our team of Vedic meditation teachers. Laura and Dylan are both incredibly passionate about this topic as it as all about the co-creation of life itself. Make sure you give both episodes a listen (Part 1 and Part 2) because this wisdom of the Veda and Ayurveda it has the ability to bring us back to our innate nature of creative beings who know how to conceive, carry and birth with full health, grace and the authority of inner wisdom.

Check out our journal post for the full interview

Connect with Dylan

• Vital Veda website
• Vital Veda podcast
• Vital Veda Instagram account
• Book an Ayurvedic consult with Dylan online or in person

Resources

• Learn more about the Ayurveda doshas
• Listen to the Vital Veda podcast episode on the contraceptive pill
• Read more about the Ayurvedic perspective on contraception
• Read Hannah Rachel Bell’s book ‘Men’s Business, Women’s Business’
• Listen to the Vital Veda podcast episode on water and water quality
• Ayurveda recipes from Vital Veda
• Check out Dylan’s recipe for an ojas building drink to nourish the whole body and build reproductive tissue
• Learn more about the transference of generation trauma
• Panchakarma is an Ayurvedic detox and rejuvenation treatment that is available to anyone but is particular beneficial to those looking to conceive. Learn more about Dylan’s recommendation for where to do this treatment.
• Period underwear we recommend in Australia - ModiBodi

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In this episode Vedic meditation teacher Laura Poole speaks with Myra Lewin from Hale Pule on coming back to our nature through Ayurveda, Yoga and Vedic farming practices. Myra is a vibrant and radiating Ayurveda Practitioner, Ayurveda Yoga Therapist, healer and teacher, who over the last 30 years has spent more than 50,000 hours studying and teaching the art and science of Yoga and Ayurveda.

What we talk about

• Myra's journey regenerating land in Hawaii using Vedic farming practices
• Ayurveda and yoga as healing practices coming from our own inner nature
• Interdependency vs. co-dependency
• The importance of interacting with Mother Earth to understand ourselves
• How as we heal the environment, the environment actually ends up healing us in return
• Practices for getting to know who and what we are
• The power of Agnihotra
• The future of Ayurveda.

Check out our journal post **for the full interview

Connect with Myra**

• Hale Pule website
• Hale Pule Live Ayurveda and Yoga app for iPhones
• Train with Myra in Ayurveda online
• Hale Pule Events
• Hale Pule on Instagram

Resources

• Read about Yagya - ancient fire ceremonies that are performed to commune with nature's intelligence
• Follow Laura @devaloka_bushland
• What are the doshas? From the Ayurvedic perspective, everything on the planet (including us) is made up of different combinations of five elements: earth, water, fire, air and ethers. The three doshas – vata, pitta and kapha – each represent two elements and are responsible for various functions in the body and mind. To learn more about how to understand the doshas, have a read of this blog by Hale Pule.
• PRAKRITI is a Sanskrit word which means ‘first state or creation’. In this context we are talking about the state of health in which are all first born into
• TAMAS, along with RAJAS and SATTVA is one of the three qualities that are present in everything around us, including within our own bodies as well as the foods that we eat. Ayurveda teaches that we need all 3 of these qualities, also known as the MAHA GUNAS, in order to live but we should take care to balance these qualities. Read here for more on what each of these qualities represent and how to balance them.
• Listen to the MAHAMRITYUNJAYA MANTRA
• To follow up on Laura and Myra’s recommendations for how to learn more about Agnihotra (Vedic fire ceremon) take a look at the Hale Pule website. To purchase your own Agnihotra kit or supplies, and to get a timetable of sunrise and sunset times visit Homa Therapy Australia’s website.
• Check out the online 'introduction to permaculture' course with Australian-based Milkwood. They also have a fantastic blog with many helpful articles!
• Watch ‘The Biggest Little Farm’ documentary

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In Part 2 of this episode, recorded on the banks of the Ganga River in Shivanandi, Northern India, Vedic meditation teacher Laura Poole continues her conversation with Alice Miller, as she shares her personal story and the journey of how she came to be here, now.

Originally born in South Africa, Alice moved to Israel when she was a young child. She had a dream to be a fighter pilot in Israel because she loved the stars. All she wanted to do was be closer to them, to know their secrets and understand her place in the universe.

But she was told that women couldn’t be fighter pilots in Israel. Undeterred, Alice went on to study Aerospace Engineering and returned to South Africa to learn to fly. After being told by the President of Israel that ‘only when he could find a man to mend socks like a woman’ would he let women become fighter pilots, Alice decided that she would sue the Israeli Government. She could not understand why she was unable to fly, and as it turns out neither could the Supreme Court of Israel.

Since Alice won her case, 1268 Israel women have been admitted into the Airforce. Alice was a revolutionary for so many women, and her story is a testament to allowing yourself to dream big and create a reality that you wish to be a part of.

Alice is a rebel, driven by a love of life and deep drive to connect and belong. This is such an uplifting and deeply inspiring episode. Alice’s strength, determination and conviction is something we could stand to see more of in our collective.

Make sure you listen to Part 1 - Creating Community from India to Israel with Alice Miller
For more details head to our Mahasoma journal post

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In our inaugural 2-part podcast episode, Vedic meditation teacher and founder of Mahasoma, Laura Poole, is in discussion with Alice Miller – mother, traveler, community creator, rebel of the heart and the woman who ‘broke the wall of gender’ in the Israeli Air Force.

Recorded on the banks of the Ganga River in Shivanandi, Northern India, Alice shares with us her journey of creating community in India and Israel, and her unique life experiences as her and her family live between the two.

When in India, Alice dreams. She witnesses the Ganga River and allows herself to observe and be. When in Israel, all the lessons and the learnings she has taken in from India find an outlet, and she builds and creates within her community.

Alice teaches us that after searching for answers and asking where she was supposed to be in life, she discovered that it was all right here, right now. To Alice, everything feels like home whether she is on the banks of the Ganga River or in the desert with the Bedouin tribes of Israel.

Alice dives deep into why establishing a Kibbutz in Israel was a deeply transformative experience for her, and shares that the fundamental ingredient to community is the will to be together.

With what we are creating at Mahasoma, Alice’s insights inspired us further to keep building and shaping community based on unwavering support and the desire to listen to what was needed.

Please join us and share in this powerful, insightful discussion with the force of nature that is Alice Miller.

Make sure you listen to Part 2 - Rebel of the Heart with Alice Miller

For more details head to our Mahasoma journal post

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Welcome to our podcast! In this intro episode, we share with you the vision for our podcast, what it's all about, who we are at Mahasoma and what we will be sharing in upcoming episodes. If you'd like to find out more, read the show notes for each episode or simply connect with us then please head to mahasoma.com/podcast. Enjoy listening! Love the Mahasoma Team x