Ashtanga Yoga: For the Seekers

Welcome back to Part 2 of Justin’s discussion about Dharma as it is presented in the Ramayana. Today, Justin gets introduces the character of Hanuman, the idea that the majority of what we experience is a creation of our own mind, and ways to keep that rather daunting thought simple and practical for our every day lives.*This was a live lecture originally held over zoom.IF YOU ENJOYED THIS INTERVIEW, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & DROP ME A RATING. Thank you!!!Find Justin on Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/justincyoga/ Find me on Instagram:⁠⁠ @marlasyoga⁠⁠Practice yoga with us on Sādhaka Studio:⁠⁠https://sadhakastudio.uscreen.io/catalog⁠⁠Come with me and Justin to Costa Rica:⁠⁠https://www.wetravel.com/trips/for-the-seekers-ashtanga-yoga-retreat-sadhaka-67726403Timestamps00:000:56 Ravana representing the acquisition of power12:38 The complexity of good and evil17:15 The Quest to Rescue Sita and introduction of Hanuman22:02 The most important passage in the entire book25:06 Adharma is the strong taking from the helpless25:53 Dharma will always become whole again28:40 Illusion: the majority of what we experience is a creation of our own mind29:42 Self-awareness is a major victory34:01 We always continue40:41 Keep it simple43:27 Important takeaways

Justin leads a discussion about Dharma as it is presented in the Ramayana. The concept of Dharma has taken on a modernized definition in most western yogic circles. And while this definition is not entirely divorced from its original idea, it is a small section of a much larger picture.Dharma is one of most important concepts in eastern spiritual traditions. In this discussion we will use the Ramayana, an Indian epic poem, to help us define what Dharma is in its ancient context.In Part 1, Justin (1) defines the concepts of Karma, Samsara, and Adharma, (2) introduces the story of the Ramayana is introduced, including Rama’s exile; and (3) talks about how we are currently in an age (referencing Kali Yuga) where dharma is in decline.*This was a live lecture originally held over zoom.IF YOU ENJOYED THIS INTERVIEW, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & DROP ME A RATING. Thank you!!!Find Justin on Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/justincyoga/ Find me on Instagram:⁠⁠ @marlasyoga⁠⁠Practice yoga with us on Sādhaka Studio:⁠⁠https://sadhakastudio.uscreen.io/catalog⁠⁠Come with me and Justin to Costa Rica:⁠⁠https://www.wetravel.com/trips/for-the-seekers-ashtanga-yoga-retreat-sadhaka-67726403Timestamps00:00 Intro00:56 Introduction to Eastern Philosophy and Hinduism03:51 The Concepts of Karma and Samsara 14:23 Yoga as alignment 16:35 Adharma 19:25 Super brief overview of the Ramayana23:45 Rama becomes banished to the forest32:03 “Every broken promise takes away a little dharma from the world”34:57 Metaphor of the forest as the dark recesses of our minds37:00 Digesting Hindu epics by seeing all of the characters as different aspects of your own personality38:53 The lined blurred between good and evil43:41 The inevitability of Dharma46:34 We are living in the age where dharma is declining

In this “The Body Keeps the Score”-esque conversation, Rebecca and I we explore how our nervous systems hold onto past experiences and how movement-based practices (cough like yoga) can help reprocess these patterns that are quite literally stuck in our brains.Rebecca explains the difference between big “T” and little “t” trauma, why we hold on to the familiar, top-down vs. bottom-up approaches to therapy, and how EMDR works.“When someone is drowning, it’s not the time to teach them how to swim.” Sometimes we need to feel safe before we can go into that deeper work. Once we start the deeper work, as overwhelming as it might seem, remember that even a 1% change can shift everything.Whether you're working through your own trauma or simply curious about the mind-body connection, this episode offers insight, personal reflection, and hopefully gives you a few tools for moving forward.Rebecca is a trauma and somatics therapist and fellow Ashtangi, and lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS INTERVIEW, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & DROP ME A RATING. Thank you!!!Rebecca’s website and teaching schedule: ⁠⁠https://www.malayogaco.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabUDxxQIUVU1GqOn_tglMU3RmHnlGEEdprQYQRtFbC6LKoJUxiIOyXSuQ4_aem_GYNezuFw8J9nwRtipvdHEA Find Rebecca on Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/rebeccagraceferguson/ Find me on Instagram:⁠⁠@marlasyoga⁠⁠Practice yoga with me on Sādhaka Studio:⁠⁠https://sadhakastudio.uscreen.io/catalog⁠⁠Come with me to Costa Rica:⁠⁠https://www.wetravel.com/trips/for-the-seekers-ashtanga-yoga-retreat-sadhaka-67726403Timestamps00:00 Intro05:40 Defining trauma: Big “t” trauma versus little “t” trauma14:13 How to begin to process stuck traumas16:12 Marla’s experience with talk therapy19:04 Top-down approaches vs. bottom-up approaches and getting to the root of trauma22:18 How EMDR reprocesses the stuck patterns26:20 It gets more familiar for us to stay stuck than it is to heal27:13 How to get to the “root” of the trauma31:28 How yoga can be another bottom-up approach to reprocessing trauma36:14 Self-study38:58 Having a teacher that believes you can do it when you don’t 43:27 How trauma can be inherited or passed down through generations 51:40 Asking myself why52:42 A 1% change is a change; it’s a different system56:35 The power of finding your thing

Bibi has a way of eloquently articulating the experiences that are, well, really, really hard to articulate. In this episode, we talk about how the practice of ashtanga yoga helps refine our ability to listen and discern what is true—and what is your mind projecting something on to the truth. We all have that deep intuitive voice within ourselves, it just takes a matter of getting quiet enough to hear it, and then faith and a structure that allows us to go forward with what we hear.We also talk about her chanting practice and how Bhakti and Vedic chanting are more subtle doorways to connecting with the divine.How can we remove ourselves enough to connect with what’s truly there? How can we embody the practice, not as a performance, but as a lived truth? Let’s dive in.IF YOU ENJOYED THIS INTERVIEW, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & DROP ME A RATING. Thank you!!!Bibi’s website and teaching schedule: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/Bibilorenzetti?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabpZUHvRemgc3uwqU2sEeCThdgMoQeSkPvI2naeTUoeycDbqI-q-9a7Z7c_aem_-GP_1P2eo4f0vi8iCkWldQ Find Bibi on Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/bibi.lorenzetti/Newburgh Yoga Shala: https://www.newburghyogashala.com/ Find me on Instagram:⁠⁠ @marlasyoga⁠⁠Practice yoga with me on Sādhaka Studio:⁠⁠https://sadhakastudio.uscreen.io/catalog⁠⁠Come with me to Costa Rica:⁠⁠https://www.wetravel.com/trips/for-the-seekers-ashtanga-yoga-retreat-sadhaka-67726403Timestamps00:00 Intro05:23 Bibi’s path to ashtanga yoga11:54 How the practice gave Bibi the tools to heal from anorexia 16:06 How to get quiet enough to hear the deep intuitive voice within18:42 The role of asana in spiritual growth19:42 The deep cleansing that needs to happen in order for everything to get quiet24:54 Chanting is another, subtler way to connect with the energy of these sages, poets, and seers26:06 The difference between bhakti and vedic chanting29:10 How to connect with the devotional aspect of the practice, especially when you are someone who needs things to be intellectual 33:13 The end goal is can you be with the difficulty of it all36:18 How willing to look at yourself you are and how much compassion can you offer yourself37:48 Being a walking example of the practice and offering your experience40:53 Teaching to the individual41:53 The importance of parampara and having a teacher

In this episode, Melissa and I talk about the process of breaking old patterns, feeling the things you used to avoid, and learning to regulate yourself in a way that doesn’t leave you exhausted.Melissa shares what it was like to grow up being the “nervous system regulator” for the family, to losing a lot of people close to her in a very short period of time, and ultimately, how she went from detaching from those feelings to being able to trust them. We also get into the role of emotional awareness, how generational patterns shape us, and why sometimes, if the thing you need doesn’t exist—you have to create it yourself.If you’ve ever felt like you’re slipping back into old patterns or like you’re carrying things that might not be yours—this one’s for you.IF YOU ENJOYED THIS INTERVIEW, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & DROP ME A RATING. Thank you!!!Melissa’s website and teaching schedule: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/melissamatt?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaaVne_FulU1L17x3D9MITb5lw_U7AI24_tUMLYdrzcIach7LbGfS-0RYTQ_aem_M0bmRDVByC6VQLLSCsobDA Find Melissa on Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/melissamattyoga/ Find me on Instagram:⁠⁠@marlasyoga⁠⁠Practice yoga with me on Sādhaka Studio:⁠⁠https://sadhakastudio.uscreen.io/catalog⁠⁠Come with me to Costa Rica:⁠⁠https://www.wetravel.com/trips/for-the-seekers-ashtanga-yoga-retreat-sadhaka-67726403Timestamps00:00 Intro06:28 Navigating postpartum challenges10:49 A really difficult five-year period and the role of emotional awareness12:28 Detaching from feeling things in the body to learning to trust the body17:17 Being the nervous system regulator for the family from a very young age22:57 Slowly taking back autonomy and responsibility for my own happiness26:28 Changing the patterns for the next generationthe next version you are becoming is going to require a whole new level of self-belief27:59 Not becoming exhausted by the tendency to slip back into your old patterns32:05 You have to create the thing that doesn’t exist34:58 How the practice strengthens compassion36:34 Why certainty is the lazy way out41:34 Why it’s important to focus on the details in your practice 45:14 Teaching to people’s aversions and the power of other people believing in you48:30 Our tendency to hyper-independence versus having a community50:19 Learning that you don’t have to do it alone53:25 Questions from our followers

In this episode, I get to ask Wade about how he balances his advanced ashtanga yoga practice with his (seemingly contradictory) advanced strength training routine. One actually supports the other—and, as it turns out, by concentrating more on the “physical” elsewhere, Wade has been able to find more of the “less physical” in his actual practice.Along the way, we talk about the benefits of doing the hard thing, his trips to Mysore, India, and cultivating the superpower of making space.“Few people can look at you on any given day and have dropped how you have been before… if you can do that, if you can leave that space for every body to practice as they are that day, then you’re patterning them to leave that space in themselves.” IF YOU ENJOYED THIS INTERVIEW, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & DROP ME A RATING. Thank you!!!Wade’s website and teaching schedule: ⁠⁠https://www.wadeoakley.com/ Find Wade on Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/wadeoakley/ Find me on Instagram:⁠⁠@marlasyoga⁠⁠Practice yoga with me on Sādhaka Studio:⁠⁠https://sadhakastudio.uscreen.io/catalog⁠⁠Come with me to Costa Rica:⁠⁠https://www.wetravel.com/trips/for-the-seekers-ashtanga-yoga-retreat-sadhaka-67726403Timestamps:00:00 Intro05:27 Wade’s start at UVA’s Contemplative Sciences Center09:11 The mental shifts after that early chunk of practice14:17 Wade’s approach to incorporating strength training18:56 How do I do this for a really long time21:07 This can be very gentle but you have to punch through a layer to get there22:11 By taking care of the physical, the more spiritual the actual practice has become32:51 By coupling the grasping with self reflection, we nudge ourselves towards quiet, naturally 36:18 Why is all of this worth it?49:13 Going to Mysore, India53:44 Sharath’s legacy1:00:21 The ability to teach people as they show up on any given day

Welcome back to Part 2.  In this Episode, Tiaga Prem and I will be diving deep into 1) exploring how Krishnamacharya’s influence shaped modern practice; 2) the subtle transfer of spiritual knowledge through teaching to the individual; and 3) the concept of devotion as love and the importance of doing those things that put you in that frequency.  IF YOU ENJOYED THIS INTERVIEW, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & DROP ME A RATING. Thank you!!!Where to find Tiaga Prem’s: ⁠https://dharmatemple.circle.so/feed⁠Practice with Tiaga Prem online: ⁠https://dharmatemple.circle.so/checkout/lod-ayc-membership⁠Find Tiaga Prem on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/lifeordeathashtangayogaclub/ Find me on Instagram:⁠@marlasyoga⁠Practice yoga with me on Sādhaka Studio:⁠https://sadhakastudio.uscreen.io/catalog⁠Come with me to Costa Rica:⁠https://www.wetravel.com/trips/for-the-seekers-ashtanga-yoga-retreat-sadhaka-67726403Timestamps00:00 Intro01:07 Hatha yoga practices are all the same02:44 Honoring the teacher in front of you04:51 Krishnamacharya’s influence on hatha yoga and hisvarious students10:05 Teaching to the individual 12:14 True spiritual knowledge is transferred psychically16:53 Why am I doing this, really?22:48 If you feel like there’s something here, pay attentionto that, because the form might change24:18 As a teacher, we want everyone to have an experiencethat they recognize that this thing can heal them, so that when shit getsheavy, you have something to lean into27:29 The implications of the idea that god or true self as all-knowingand everywhere30:02 Some part of you must already know, and the yoga isabout connecting with that32:03 The long game, simple things that make you feel alive 34:00 Create a fertile ground for those things34:58 Devotion as love37:16 Doing the things that put you in a frequency of love41:07 Really feel the frequency of who you are and then makethat a priority43:15 Pace yourself and pay attention to who you are45:38 Doubt as a necessary part of faith

“Just practice, and the rest will come.”In Part 1 of our talk, Tiaga Prem and I discuss 1) how the call to a spiritual discipline generally begins with the question, “who am I?” (and what that actually means); 2) how awareness and listening are the real goal of yoga; and 3) how to play the game without losing track of what we're doing and why.Stay tuned for Part 2--next week.IF YOU ENJOYED THIS INTERVIEW, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & DROP ME A RATING. Thank you!!!Where to find Tiaga Prem’s: https://dharmatemple.circle.so/feedPractice with Tiaga Prem online: https://dharmatemple.circle.so/checkout/lod-ayc-membershipFind Tiaga Prem on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/lifeordeathashtangayogaclub/ Find me on Instagram:⁠@marlasyoga⁠Practice yoga with me on Sādhaka Studio:⁠https://sadhakastudio.uscreen.io/catalog⁠Come with me to Costa Rica:⁠https://www.wetravel.com/trips/for-the-seekers-ashtanga-yoga-retreat-sadhaka-67726403Timestamps:00:00 Intro04:39 Tiaga Prem’s draw to yogathrough Bhagavan Das 10:52 What is yoga?11:54 Who am I?13:31 Storytime from our firsttime in Columbus together15:37 Awareness and listening asthe goal17:47 “Ending the mindfluctuations” gives a false hope19:47 What to do with the thoughtsthat are not in support of your best self21:41 How are you identifying withyour thoughts24:57 Tiaga Prem’s teachers asexamples28:08 Most of us have to play thegame29:29 Not losing track of what we’redoing and why

Today’s talk is a particularly powerful post-led conference that my teacher, Taylor Hunt, gave to us in July 2024—right after the Led Class that we filmed for Sādhaka Studio. After led classes, Taylor usually gives a conference—an opportunity for students to ask questions, talk about their practice, or, sometimes, Taylor has something he wants to share.I fully believe that everyone needs a teacher. No matter what you are doing—yoga or otherwise—you need a mentor or someone who has carved out a little bit of that path before you. I know why Taylor is mine, but I’m not sure I have ever adequately articulated it to all of you. He said a few things in this conference that made me go, “oh, that’s why.”If some of this resonates with you, too, then you’re in good company.IF YOU ENJOYED THIS INTERVIEW, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & DROP ME A RATING. Thank you!!!Taylor’s website and upcoming teaching schedule: https://taylorhuntyoga.com/Find Taylor on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorhuntyoga/ Find me on Instagram:⁠@marlasyoga⁠Practice yoga with me on Sādhaka Studio:⁠https://sadhakastudio.uscreen.io/catalog⁠Come with me to Costa Rica:⁠https://www.wetravel.com/trips/for-the-seekers-ashtanga-yoga-retreat-sadhaka-67726403Timestamps: 00:00 Intro1:57 The purpose of conferences4:02 Ashtanga gives us an opportunity to look past the stories we tell ourselves5:21 What we do has to be signed up for7:28 When your whole life has changed how can you go back to sleep 9:28 Figuring out your why10:58 If you want to do different things, you need systems, not just the goal13:26 Plateauing as a result of being stuck in your stories about why you can’t change14:00 Looking in the mirror, being okay with getting uncomfortable and failing16:12 Each yoga shala has a different deity quality17:18 What a Shiva studio feels like18:36 It feels like every day we lose a little bit of ourselves to gain something better

Justin and I talk about the difference between practical and mystical spirituality—why it matters, and perhaps why one starts to seek out a spiritual practice in the first place. We share our own individual pulls towards spirituality (and, I keep asking him questions about this whole nonattachment thing I’ve been experiencing—only to lose, and then experience again, and then lose again). One of my favorite things that he said was: What brings you to spirituality sometimes is this something you can't identify inside yourself; this hole inside yourself. And then maybe you have this mystical spiritual experience—it doesn’t have to be this direct revelation with the cosmos or this bigger energy or god. It can be something where you feel genuine contentment... And how crazy is that. That this thing that we wouldn't think is extra special: simply being content; sitting in this moment where everything feels right; and there’s not a need; there's not a scarcity and there's not a need. That in itself can be profoundly spiritual. And what happens when you experience that thing and you wake up the next day and it’s not there anymore? Watch or listen to this 60-minute talk as we sort through some of the potential "answers." IF YOU ENJOYED THIS INTERVIEW, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & DROP ME A RATING. Thank you!!! Find me on Instagram: @marlasyoga Find Justin on Instagram: @justincyoga Practice yoga with us on Sādhaka Studio: https://sadhakastudio.uscreen.io/catalog Come with us to Costa Rica: https://www.wetravel.com/trips/for-the-seekers-ashtanga-yoga-retreat-sadhaka-67726403 Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 03:47 Where to begin with understanding spiritual texts 07:03 How the role of suffering plays into our desire for spirituality 09:30 Justin's personal experience with being drawn towards spirituality 12:26 Marla's personal experience with being drawn towards spirituality 16:06 What is mystical spirituality versus practical spirituality and why it matters 23:36 How contentment can be a spiritual experience 24:40 What happens when that feeling of contentment or non-attachment goes away 27:46 Esoteric versus exoteric practices 30:54 Contradictions in spirituality (and in our own minds) 34:15 Transmuting the lessons we learn on a physical plane to mental and spiritual planes 36:11 Human suffering and the idea of reincarnation 38:47 How do we simplify this all 41:20 How building awareness in and of itself is a victory 42:48 Marla's experience of non-attachment 44:40 There's no getting off the path 45:52 What to do when you catch yourself grasping for something 48:14 Marla's cold-plunge story 51:00 The poison becomes the honey--hardships as opportunities for growth 53:46 It is not practical to be in a mystical state constantly--be grateful for the experience then put it back on the shelf