The Yoga Hour

Living From the Inside Out: The Way of Improvisation

A successful life involves both planning and improvising. Patricia Ryan Madson, author of Improv Wisdom, joins guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo for a look at how the maxims of improvisation provide us with an antidote to the overly scripted, planned life. The wisdom of improv provides a natural way to live skillfully and soulfully—and it has nothing to do with wit, glibness, or comic ability! The way of improv is about being awake, not entirely self-focused, and moved by a desire to do something useful and give something back. Applied to your own life, the principles of improvisation can help you to:
            • Experience life brimming with spontaneity, even in the context of a plan.
            • Meet real-life challenges more skillfully and with a sense of humor.
            • Shake loose rigid patterns of thinking and doing.
            • Have fun living in harmony with yourself and others.

Navigating Paradoxes on the Spiritual Path

The spiritual path contains some inescapable paradoxes. For example, one teaching says you are already enlightened; then we find there is still a long way to go. Discovering how to navigate paradoxes on the spiritual path is part of the journey. Listen in as Philip Goldberg joins Yogacharya O’Brian to discuss spiritual paradoxes and how to navigate them:
·      Learn tips about how to access your intuition for guidance
·      Discover a balanced approach to using your intellect as a navigation tool
·      Explore the benefits of having a daily meditation practice
·      Find out the importance of living with nonattachment to end results
 

Healthy Living Through the Bhagavad Gita

We all want to live life well, in a way that is deeply satisfying. How do we do that? In the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna, the seeking soul, asks for and receives the highest advice for living a healthy, happy life—advice that is completely relevant for us today. Join Yogacharya O’Brian and Swami Bodhananda Saraswati for an enlightening conversation about five principles for healthy living described in the Gita. Perhaps you wonder ... 
How do I stop worrying?
What is the best way to deal with problems?
How can I avoid unnecessary suffering?
How can I tap in to the Self that is a reservoir of infinite energy?
Listen in to this Yoga Hour discussion—and start living in a healthy and practical way that supports your highest potential.

Expanding the Circle of Caring: Compassion in Yoga and Ayurveda

Yogacharya O’Brian and Acharya Shunya Pratichi Mathur, founder of Vedika Global, explore the nature of compassion, how yoga and Ayurveda support the evolution of compassion, and what compassion looks like in action. Learn how yoga and Ayurveda are inherently compassionate as they provide ways to alleviate suffering. Open your heart to being peace in our world as we consider these questions:
·      What is compassion and why is it important?
·      What are some practical ways to show compassion for oneself?
·      What are healthy ways to cultivate compassion as a virtue?
·      How is compassion based on understanding Truth?
 

Becoming Who You Were Born to Be

Poet, teacher, and storyteller Mark Nepo joins Yogacharya O’Brian for a conversation about how the soul works in the world, and how by engaging our soul in the world, we are shaped by the endless practice of becoming the person we were born to be. To bring who we are out, and to let the world in, is a brave and endless practice that clarifies and solidifies the gifts we are born with.
                • Explore the paradoxical nature of spiritual practice
                • Consider practical ways to deal with feelings and fears
                • Embrace the endless practice of making friends with being alive
 

Rekindle Your Life: Stoke Your Digestive Fire

How good do you want to feel? How well do you want to be? Join Yogacharya O’Brian and Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar for an enlivening discussion about Ayurvedic principles for a healthy diet and clear mind. Learn how a spiritually conscious approach to eating can support radiant health and your ideal weight for the long run.
·      Rekindle your metabolism and keep your digestive engine burning brightly
·      Feel lighter, more energetic, able to accomplish more throughout the day
·      Experience fewer cravings and improve your mood and overall attitude
·      Establish a new relationship, not only with food and eating, but also with yourself!

Spiritual Practice in the Kriya Yoga Tradition: Insights From Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra (Part 2)

Intentional living supports our complete well-being and spiritual fulfillment. Find out why self-discipline, study of higher realities, and surrender of the illusional sense of self are essential for spiritual progress and realization. Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda and author of The Science of Self-Realization, a commentary on the Yoga Sutra, joins Yogacharya O’Brian for this second conversation in a two-part series on spiritual practice for enlightened living.

Spiritual Practice in the Kriya Yoga Tradition: Insights From Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra (Part 1)

Learn about superconscious states—what they are, why they are important, the various ways they can be realized, and how to overcome obstacles that may impede your progress in meditation. Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda and author of The Science of Self-Realization, a commentary on the Yoga Sutra, joins Yogacharya O’Brian for a two-part series on spiritual practice for enlightened living.
 

Regain Balance in Your Life by Overcoming Stress

Our stress response helps our bodies to respond to perceived threats. However, when stress becomes chronic, it can result in an imbalance in our bodies and affect our well-being. Join guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo in a conversation with Dr. Claudia Welch to discuss ways to regain balance in your life. Dr. Welch has training in both Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, and wrote the book Balance Your Hormones, Balance Your Life: Achieving Optimal Health and Wellness Through Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, and Western Science.
·      Explore the importance of balance in getting and staying healthy
·      Learn practices that you can put into place now to rebuild your energy and health
·      Discover what foods you should and shouldn't eat when under stress
·      Find out the importance of meditation and spiritual practice for regaining balance

Yoga Therapy: Yoga as Powerful Medicine for the Body, Mind, and Spirit

Yoga philosophy teaches that our essential nature is whole, and within us all is the healing potential needed to bring our body, mind, and spirit into balance, which reflects as total well-being. This holistic approach of yoga has scientifically proven beneficial effects, which are detailed in the book Yoga as Medicine: The Yogic Prescription for Health and Healing by Dr. Timothy McCall, a general internist and longtime yoga practitioner. Join guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo and Dr. McCall as they discuss yoga therapy:
            •          Find out how science says yoga can help you get and stay healthy.
            •          Learn about yoga’s holistic approach to healing and living well.
            •          Explore the relationship of stress on health and healing, and yoga’s proven benefits as a stress reliever.
            •          Discover how yoga is being used therapeutically for common illnesses such as anxiety and hypertension.
Join us as we explore yoga’s many proven benefits and therapeutic uses.