The Yoga Hour

Thrive in Winter: Principles and Practices for Complete Well-Being

Conscious living includes tuning into the changing of the seasons and learning how to cooperate with nature in ways that contribute to complete well-being. The ancient science of Ayurveda offers lifestyle routines for diet, exercise, rest and self-care appropriate to the seasons. Ayurvedic practitioner Vishnu Dass joins Rev. O’Brian for a timely conversation on how to thrive in winter.

Living the Questions: Befriending Uncertainty With an Open Heart

Author and minister Dennis Merritt Jones joins Rev. O’Brian for insights into living with and in the great mystery of life. Discover how befriending uncertainty can enrich your experience every day and usher in a grace-filled ability to love, give and inspire others.

Someone Digging in the Ground: The Unseen Work of the Soul

Shaikh Kabir Helminski and Camille Helminski, of the Sufi Mevlevi order, join Rev. O’Brian with inspiration from the poetry of Rumi as a way to explore the spiritual journey of winter—both literally and metaphorically. Discover how silence, patience, simplicity, surrender and devotion are pathways through the darkness to the inner Light.

With Gratitude, Join the One Heart of the World

Zoketsu Norman Fisher, senior dharma teacher, poet, and spiritual director of the Everyday Zen foundation, joins Rev. O’Brian for a look into the heart of the world through gratitude. Gratitude is our antidote for imagining we are on our own. Even a little practice of it changes our world.

Surrender: How to Let Go and Live Fully

The ability to surrender is an essential skill for joyful, fulfilled living. What is surrender, why should we practice it, and how can we really let go? Some confuse surrender with defeat; those who are awake know it is the sure way to win. Dr. Emmet Miller, medical doctor, author and pioneer in mind-body medicine joins Rev. O’Brian for an inspiring look at the power of letting go.

Svadhyaya: The Heart of Study

Study, in the spiritual tradition of yoga, is more than reading books or gathering information. Although the study of scripture is important, the key to study is the practice of self-inquiry, applying and testing out in our own experience what we are exploring. Religious Studies professor and longtime practitioner of yoga Dr. Kusumita Pedersen returns to The Yoga Hour with Rev. O’Brian for an in-depth look and some surprising insights about the role of study on our spiritual journey.

Self-Discipline: The Key to Abiding Joy

Self-discipline is the commitment we make and the actions we take to live a higher way by choosing that which pleases the soul and supports the expression of our innate divine qualities. The resident Acharya of Chinmaya Mission in San Jose, California, Br. Prabodh Chaitanya, joins Rev. O’Brian for an exploration of what self-discipline really is, how we can accomplish it, and how it will help us fulfill our divine destiny.

Right Use of Energy: It’s an Inside Job

The mystic poet Rumi reminds us to “work at least as hard on the inside as we do on the outside.” In the Yoga tradition, the spiritual practice of Brahmacharya literally means “to walk with God.” Sometimes considered to be only about our sexuality, the greater context is how we use our vital force, or life energy, in ways that are consistent with our spiritual goals. The Rev. Dr. Harry Morgan Moses, director of SpiritWorks Center for Spiritual Living and author of It’s So Easy When You Know How, joins Rev. O’Brian for insights into the inner way.

Contentment: The Key to Unconditional Happiness

Rev. Masayo Tsuruta from Seicho-No-Ie, Truth of Life Movement, joins Rev. O’Brian for an insightful look at our potential for unconditional happiness through the practices of contentment and gratitude. How is it possible to walk through the challenges and sorrows of life and still know real happiness? Spiritual practice provides the key.

Ahimsa: The Power of Nonviolence to Light the World

Michael Nagler, author of The Search for a Nonviolent Future: A Promise of Peace for Ourselves, Our Families, and Our World and founder of the Metta Center for Nonviolence Education, joins Rev. O’Brian for an empowering look at how the principles and practices of ahimsa, or nonviolence, can positively transform our lives today and bring us hope for the future. Discover why this spiritual practice is a foundation for all the others.