The Yoga Hour

The Core of Yoga: Essential Ideas for Spiritually Conscious Living From the Yoga Sutra, Part One

Sanskrit teacher Nicolai Bachman, author of the new guide to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, The Path of the Yoga Sutras: A Practical Guide to the Core of Yoga, joins Rev. O’Brian for this exploration of several key concepts of Yoga Philosophy and Practice that bring yoga’s deepest wisdom into our everyday lives. This conversation will illumine the Sanskrit terms for these essential ideas and yield a richer harvest of meaning than a simple English translation can provide.

Awaken Love and Compassion Through Discovering the Atman, the True Self

Love and compassion are the natural endowments of the soul. When we are freed from the narrow confines of self-interest and discover our oneness with all that is, we find a source of happiness and satisfaction that previously escaped us. The Bhagavad Gita offers profound wisdom for living in love and infusing our action with compassion. Join Dr. Anantanand Rambachan, author of Gitamrtam: The Essential Teachings of the Bhagavadgita, and Rev. O’Brian for this insightful exploration of the true nature of the Self. 

Selfless Action, Wisdom and Divine Love: Kriya Yoga and the Gita

The Bhagavad Gita offers a guide to Kriya Yoga—the integrated path that brings together action, devotion and wisdom. Swami Atmavidyananda from the Kriya Yoga Institute joins Rev. O’Brian for an inspiring conversation about Self-realization—what it is and how we can attain it in this lifetime.

Light Shining in the Darkness: Finding Solace and Enduring Support in the Bhagavad Gita

Ela Gandhi, granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, joins Rev. O’Brian for an inspiring glimpse of the Bhagavad Gita’s power to offer inspiration and support. Gandhiji said, “When disappointment stares me in the face and all alone, I see not one ray of light, I go back to the Bhagavad Gita. I find a verse here and there, and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming tragedies …”  Discover how the Gita’s timeless wisdom can help us meet life’s challenges and discover its inherent joy.

Let Your Light Shine: Encouraging Words for Living Your Divine Purpose

Dr. Jay Kumar, professor of Hinduism, Yoga philosophy, Sanskrit language, and cognitive studies at Chapman University and at LMU, joins Rev. O’Brian for an inspiring conversation about the inherent divine order in the universe that supports us all in reaching our potential. Learn more about living in the highest way from the ancient wisdom found in the Bhagavad Gita that is especially appropriate for our time.

Inside the Soul: The Battle We Must Fight Every Day and the Key to Victory

Have you ever asked, Why do I continue to do things that I know aren’t useful, as if compelled to do them? If, like most people, you have asked that question, you’ll find this soulful exploration of the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita with Michael Nagler, founder of the Metta Center for Nonviolence Education, and Rev. O’Brian to be a breath of fresh air. The dynamics of the inner battle to fully express our divine nature, so skillfully portrayed in the Bhagavad Gita, offer us the key to changing our minds, changing our behavior, changing our lives and our world.

Living the Divine Song: The Bhagavad Gita as a How-to-Live Handbook

Nothing is more practical than spiritual realization and nothing transforms our lives for the better in such a complete way. Br. Prabodh Chaitanya, resident Acharya of Chinmaya Mission in San Jose, joins Rev. O’Brian for a look at what the Bhagavad Gita can tell us about conscious, fulfilled living every day. When viewed as a manual for achieving success in life, we find that the Gita explains our nature, our purpose in life, and offers us the means for achieving our goals.

Both, And: The Inclusive Worldview of the Bhagavad Gita

Is God transcendent or immanent, beyond or within the world? What is the key to spiritual realization—a focus on Absolute Reality or Manifest Divinity? Which is better: active works or silent meditation? Wisdom or devotion? Join Dr. Christopher Key Chapple and Rev. O’Brian to discover how the Bhagavad Gita advances, and holds, teachings that at times seem contradictory but point to a holistic worldview that is liberating by its very nature. Dr. Chapple is professor of Indic and Comparative Theology at Loyola Marymount University and the editor of the comprehensive Winthrop Sargeant translation of the Bhagavad Gita.

The Inner Meaning of the Bhagavad Gita

Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, returns to the Yoga Hour for an insightful conversation with Ellen Grace O'Brian about the timeless wisdom found in The Bhagavad Gita. When explored as an allegory, where characters and events symbolize every person’s spiritual journey of awakening from self-conscious involvement with physical and psychological circumstances to realization of our essential nature, the Gita becomes a treasured guidebook to authentic spiritual growth and fulfilled living.

Brain, Mind and Breakthrough: How to Maximize Your Potential for Success

Understanding how our brain functions and how to effectively use our mind helps us let go of thinking patterns and habitual behaviors that impede our ability to prosper and succeed. This knowledge supports our ability to implement the positive changes we desire. Martin Wuttke, founder and clinical director of Neurotherapy Centers International, joins Rev. O’Brian for this timely and inspiring look at our potential through the lens of mind and brain function.