Graduate Yoga Studies Podcast: Recent Episodes
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University proudly presents the Graduate Yoga Studies Podcast.
From in-depth discussion with academics in the field of Yoga studies to meaningful conversations with leaders in the global community, our Graduate Students investigate yoga through history, texts, philosophy, sanskrit, embodied practice, and social engagement.
The vision for this podcast is to provide contemplative yoga education that directly applies to modern life and transforms your relationship with yoga itself. To our listeners, supporters, and future scholars, this is also a sneak peak of what you’ll learn and discuss as a student in the LMU Graduate Yoga Studies program.
Join Graduate Assistants Serenity Tedesco and Taina Rodriguez-Berardi for the inaugural season of the podcast where they challenge the popular understanding of yoga and the field of yoga studies with critical questions about authenticity, race, social justice, appropriation, colonialism, power dynamics, accessibility, and more.
Susanna and Judith examine the decolonization of Yoga, its cultural roots, and the need for greater representation and understanding of its practices, and explore the importance of liberation in practice, as well as the concept of allyship in the context of Yoga. They further discuss the evolution of Susanna's work towards making Yoga more accessible and inclusive.
Dr. Howard and Dr. Carlisle discuss the life and legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, focusing on his transformation from a lawyer to a spiritual leader and his efforts to overcome discriminatory laws and social injustices. They also delved into the significance of Yoga principles, including compassion, forgiveness, and nonviolence, and their potential to empower young people.
Dr. Miller and Dr. Carlisle explore the historical transformation of Yoga in the United States, examine how Yoga informs issues of social change, social justice, and oppression, and discuss the importance of humility, deep understanding, and intergenerational knowledge in teaching yoga.
What is the myth (or myths) of wellness? CTZNWELL founder, American Detox author, and wellness activist Kerri Kelly sheds light on how yoga can be a vehicle for social justice, why the personal is political, and how to work toward radical acceptance.
A community organizer, wellness activist and author of the book American Detox: The Myth of Wellness and How We Can Truly Heal, Kerri is recognized across communities for her work to bridge transformational practice with social justice. She’s been teaching yoga for over 20 years and is known for making waves in the wellness industry by challenging norms, disrupting systems and mobilizing people to act. Her leadership has inspired CTZNWELL, a movement to democratize wellbeing for all and is committed to creating the conditions where everyone can thrive.
*This episode was recorded in 2022 and published in 2024.
Dr. Jen Pastiloff is a self-help champion, writer, yoga practitioner and mom. In this conversation, we get into some topics from her latest book On Being Human. Join us for a deep conversation on yoga and how you can use it to wake up, live real, and listen hard.
Jen Pastiloff travels the world with her unique workshop “On Being Human,” a hybrid of yoga related movement, writing, sharing out loud, letting the snot fly, and the occasional dance party. Jen has been featured on Good Morning America, New York Magazine, Health Magazine, CBS News and more for her unique style of teaching. She is also the founder of the online magazine The Manifest-Station. When she is not traveling, she is based in Los Angeles. Her memoir On Being Human is available to purchase here.
*This episode was recorded in 2022 and published in 2024.
Is there an intersection between social justice and personal practice? Does yoga influence our ethical code beyond the practice? We tackle some of these questions and a few others in our deep dive with Dr. Judith Carlisle, a graduate of the M.A. Yoga Studies program and leader of the Yoga, Mindfulness, and Social Change Program at LMU.
Dr. Judith Carlisle is a graduate of the Yoga Studies M.A. Program at Loyola Marymount University, who came to LMU with over 20 years as a professor of information systems at institutions such as the Georgia Institute of Technology, Texas A&M University, and the University of Michigan-Flint. Originally, her work focused on applying natural language processing techniques to search engine development but broadened to include the philosophical and ethical considerations of computer-based information technologies. She now questions how computer, information, and yoga technologies can be combined to create a good life. In addition to teaching at other universities, Judith offers the Yoga, Mindfulness, and Social Change certificate through LMU’s Center for Religion and Spirituality.
*This episode was recorded in 2022 and published in 2024.
“Is this yoga?” In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Anya Foxen, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and Women's and Gender Studies at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Dr. Foxen authored several key texts from our History of Modern Yoga course, including Is This Yoga? Concepts, Histories, and the Complexities of Modern Practice. We got the chance to talk with her about collage spirituality, harmonialism, and the theosophical society. Tune in to learn more – you may even find out what her plan B is to professoring..
Anya Foxen is an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her research focuses on the intersection of South Asian yogic and tantric traditions with Western esotericism and metaphysical spiritualities. Her special areas of interest include gender and embodiment, as well as the interplay of religion and science. She is a “retired” yoga teacher and long-time practitioner. Her ever-abiding “Plan B” is to pursue a career as the reincarnation of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky.
*This episode was recorded in 2022 and published in 2024.
Activist. Yoga teacher and practitioner. Dancer. Poet. Comedian. Mayuri Bandari, a graduate of the M.A. Yoga Studies program, shares her take on yoga, its similarities to dance, how her practice informs her activism, the difference between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation, and so much more in this fiery conversation.
About Mayuri Bhandari
Mayuri Bhandari holds a Masters in Yoga Studies from Loyola Marymount University. Her focus as an instructor and practitioner lies in the application of yoga beyond the mat, as a way of life.
Mayuri is a professional actress, dancer, figure skater, and poet within both American and Indian film industries. She has a B.A. in Dance & South Asian Studies from UC Berkeley. Through her artivism, Mayuri creates works with a powerful social message. She voices an Ahimsic [non-violent] way of life (beyond diet), women's empowerment, and stories of Brown culture, experience, and identity.
Additionally, she was a volunteer of Prison Yoga + Meditation at the Twin Towers facility in DTLA, and engages with various communities in movement and dance therapy.
Mayuri also holds certifications in Yoga Social Change & Mindfulness (LMU) and Yoga Trauma & Addiction. She is a professor at LMU, and has instructed at LIFETIME Fitness and various studios in Los Angeles.
Follow her: https://www.instagram.com/mayuribhandariofficial/
*This episode was recorded in 2022 and published in 2024.
Podcast hosts Taina Rodriguez-Berardi & Serenity Tedesco sit down at LMU's 10th annual Yoga Day. Join them as they meet with panelistsTracy Tiemeier, Ph.D, Shyam Ranganathan, Ph.D, Marsha Banks-Harold & Giri Bhai, to talk about the state of Yoga and reflect on where we go from here.
Podcast hosts Taina Rodriguez-Berardi & Serenity Tedesco lead a panel discussion at LMU's 10th annual Yoga Day. Join them as they meet with panelists Tracy Tiemeier, Ph.D, Shyam Ranganathan, Ph.D, Marsha Banks-Harold & Giri Bhai, to talk about the state of Yoga and where we should go from here.
Marsha Banks-Harold is a true pioneer. She is an engineer. She is the first and only Black woman director of an accredited Yoga Therapy Training program and is the owner of PIES Fitness Yoga Studio based in Alexandria, VA. She is also a mother to us all through her compassionate social justice work. In this conversation, she invites our listeners to take action, stretch our empathy muscles, and work together for a more equitable, accessible, and loving community.
Why is yoga philosophy important? Our hosts, Taina and Serenity, passionately discuss the answer with Dr. Shyam Ranganathan of YogaPhilosophy.com. We also dive further into his keynote presentation from LMU Yoga Day 2020, where he focused on sovereignty, ethics, and the big questions underlying yogic theory. Tune in to learn how to critically approach everyday life as a yogi.
Zombies. Yoga. Goddess worship. Intersectional Feminism… these are all topics we dive into with Dr. Tracy Sayuki Tiemeier, Associate Professor of Theological Studies at LMU. Dr. Tiemeier is a dynamic professor who kicks off the yoga studies program with the Foundations of Yoga course which deconstructs and then reconstructs a new yogic reality for the budding scholar. We explore identity and its role in the spiritual journey—from socio-cultural belonging to its place in academia.
Dr. Christopher Jain Miller is the Bhagwan Mallinath Assistant Professor of Jain Studies in the Department of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University. He also teaches in the Yoga studies program with a focus on critical yoga studies and ethnographic research in a modern yoga setting. We discuss the history of yoga, yoga and politics, veganism, yoga philosophy, ahimsa (non-violence), and more. Join the conversation -- leave us a comment on @LMUYogaStudies.
Join LMU Graduate Yoga Studies students, Taina Rodriguez-Berardi and Serenity Tedesco, for this new podcast series. In this episode, they introduce themselves and the founder of the graduate Yoga Studies program, Dr. Christopher Chapple. Listen to learn about their yoga origin stories, the program, and spiritual insights from years of dedicated research and embodied practice. Subscribe now for updates.