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16. Asana: The Body Communing with God · Lately with Lexi

0:00
SPEAKER_00: Hi friends, welcome back to Through the Veil.
0:03
SPEAKER_00: Over the past 10 episodes,
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SPEAKER_00: we've explored the yamas and niyamas,
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which are the ethical foundations and personal observances of
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the yogic path.
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And I'm really excited for today's episode because now we're
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moving into the third
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SPEAKER_00: limb of the eight limbs of yoga,
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SPEAKER_00: which is
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SPEAKER_00: asana, the practice of physical postures.
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It's kind of the first thing we think of when we think of yoga,
0:32
but it's so much more than that.
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And we're going to delve into how our asana practice or asana
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practice is the art
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SPEAKER_00: of finding stillness within the body so that we can experience God.
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SPEAKER_00: And if the capital G...
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SPEAKER_00: God word is a trigger for you.
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SPEAKER_00: You can replace that with universal consciousness,
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SPEAKER_00: spirit,
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SPEAKER_00: prana,
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SPEAKER_00: energy,
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SPEAKER_00: whatever you feel fits your own personal practice.
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SPEAKER_00: But for me personally, that's what my yoga practice is all about.
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It is using my body to create spaciousness so that I can be
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still and I can
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SPEAKER_00: meditate and I can connect to God.
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SPEAKER_00: So I
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SPEAKER_00: Asana is the limb that most people associate with yoga, right?
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SPEAKER_00: When you tell someone you practice yoga,
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they usually picture you on a yoga mat in downward dog or in a
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warrior pose.
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SPEAKER_00: And while that's true, that's certainly part of the physical practice.
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SPEAKER_00: There's so much more to Asana and really the intentionality behind it.
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SPEAKER_00: So in Sanskrit, Asana literally means a seat.
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And then in the yoga sutras,
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Patanjali gives us a really simple definition of asana.
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SPEAKER_00: He says that the posture should be steady and comfortable.
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SPEAKER_00: The seat should embody both alertness and ease.
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So that's really the intention we want to have anytime we meet
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ourselves at the yoga mat.
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So Patanjali is teaching us that asana or asana is about
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cultivating inner harmony,
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SPEAKER_00: a balance between effort and ease,
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SPEAKER_00: between stability and softness or engagement and relaxation.
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And in ancient times,
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the physical practice of yoga wasn't about fitness or even
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flexibility.
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SPEAKER_00: It was really about preparing the body and mind for meditation and
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SPEAKER_00: So the physical postures were designed to purify the body,
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SPEAKER_00: to build strength and stamina,
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SPEAKER_00: and most importantly,
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to create the stability and stillness within that's required to
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sit in meditation
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SPEAKER_00: for extended periods of time.
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A lot of people say that they're not good at meditating or that
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it's hard,
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or they just have a
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SPEAKER_00: Although there's so many different forms of meditation.
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I mean,
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our yoga practice is one way we can practice like a moving
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meditation.
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SPEAKER_00: Um,
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but that's really what the different poses are all about to
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bring us to that space
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SPEAKER_00: so that we can be still.
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SPEAKER_00: So think about it.
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If you've ever tried to meditate,
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you know how challenging it can be to sit still.
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SPEAKER_00: You know, your back hurts, your hips feel tight, your body fidgets.
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SPEAKER_00: You know,
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the practice of our asana trains our body to be comfortable in
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that stillness so
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SPEAKER_00: that our mind can eventually also become still.
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So if you are familiar with me and my yoga teaching,
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I love many different styles.
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SPEAKER_00: I'm trained in many,
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SPEAKER_00: many different styles of yoga from Ashtanga,
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SPEAKER_00: Hatha,
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SPEAKER_00: Yin,
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SPEAKER_00: Kundalini,
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SPEAKER_00: Vinyasa,
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SPEAKER_00: restorative.
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What I've learned through all of these different practices is
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that there's no like
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SPEAKER_00: right style of yoga.
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SPEAKER_00: And I feel the same way about meditation because
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SPEAKER_00: You know,
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SPEAKER_00: the right practice is the one that you're intuitively called to explore,
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SPEAKER_00: the one that feels best in your body and in the moment.
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SPEAKER_00: And that may change day to day, week to week.
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SPEAKER_00: It certainly does for me, especially as a woman with a cycle.
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SPEAKER_00: You know,
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I'm going to want to practice a different style of yoga based
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on how I'm feeling at
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SPEAKER_00: certain times throughout the month.
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SPEAKER_00: And guess what?
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SPEAKER_00: Your practice can change.
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SPEAKER_00: It should change if,
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SPEAKER_00: as I mentioned,
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SPEAKER_00: you're a woman,
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you might notice you're drawn to a stronger vinyasa flow during
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ovulation week when
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SPEAKER_00: your energy is high.
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And then maybe you crave more yin or restorative when you're on
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your cycle and
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SPEAKER_00: you're just craving more softness and rest.
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SPEAKER_00: So there's the gift of all these different styles of yoga.
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SPEAKER_00: We can honor the wisdom of our body and
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SPEAKER_00: And that's asana in its truest form.
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SPEAKER_00: It's listening, responding, and adapting.
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It's believed that there are over 84,000,
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if you can believe it,
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84,000 different yoga poses.
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SPEAKER_00: I mean, that's a lot.
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SPEAKER_00: And you don't need to master them all.
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SPEAKER_00: You just want to show up on your mat with presence,
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SPEAKER_00: with an open mind,
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SPEAKER_00: and allow your body to guide you into what is needed.
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SPEAKER_00: Okay.
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So our asana practice teaches us the body is not separate from
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the mind or spirit.
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SPEAKER_00: It's a sacred gateway to deeper awareness.
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SPEAKER_00: So when you start practicing yoga postures with this intentionality,
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SPEAKER_00: with awareness,
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SPEAKER_00: you're not just stretching muscles or improving flexibility.
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You're studying and exploring the physical realm of your own
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existence and
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SPEAKER_00: you're learning about this interplay between effort and surrender,
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SPEAKER_00: control and release,
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SPEAKER_00: and then that strength and softness as well.
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And Patanjali understood that asana involves more than just
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physical alignment.
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It requires increased awareness of the physical and
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psychological processes that
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SPEAKER_00: are also happening in the body.
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SPEAKER_00: And
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SPEAKER_00: The stretching,
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SPEAKER_00: the contraction,
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SPEAKER_00: the relaxation,
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SPEAKER_00: the coordination of muscles,
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SPEAKER_00: the balance of postures,
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SPEAKER_00: the breath.
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That's a really,
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really huge part of yoga that helps us drop into greater
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presence.
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SPEAKER_00: And next week, we're going to dive deeper about all things pranayama.
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So if you love breath work as much as I do,
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you're going to love next week's episode.
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but i want to say that at a deeper level asana becomes full
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expression of mind body
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integration you become consciously aware of the flow of life
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that prana that energy
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that moves through your body and also how to you know generate
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that energy and move
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it really consciously you know you'll notice where energy is
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stuck when it's
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SPEAKER_00: flowing freely
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where you're maybe holding tension or resistance,
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whether it's physical or emotional.
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And performing asana with awareness is practice for performing
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every action in life
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SPEAKER_00: with this newfound awareness and presence.
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SPEAKER_00: It's such a gift that you can give yourself,
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SPEAKER_00: those you love,
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SPEAKER_00: strangers,
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SPEAKER_00: people that you work with.
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SPEAKER_00: And when you're in,
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SPEAKER_00: let's say,
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SPEAKER_00: a challenging yoga pose,
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SPEAKER_00: and maybe you notice your breath is getting shallow,
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SPEAKER_00: You're clenching your jaw.
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SPEAKER_00: Your mind is telling you to give up.
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That's a mirror for how we sometimes show up in life when
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things are difficult.
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SPEAKER_00: What do we do?
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SPEAKER_00: Do we push through with force?
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SPEAKER_00: Do we give up too easily?
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SPEAKER_00: Do we have self-doubt?
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Maybe we find this sweet spot between effort and ease and give
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ourselves grace.
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SPEAKER_00: So our yoga mat becomes this laboratory for self-study.
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SPEAKER_00: Every posture is an opportunity to observe our patterns.
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SPEAKER_00: What are our habitual responses?
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What is our mind communicating on a subconscious level that we
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can start to tap
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SPEAKER_00: into and gain more,
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SPEAKER_00: I don't want to say control over,
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but gain more awareness of so that we can shift that narrative
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to be something
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SPEAKER_00: that's going to support us so much more.
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SPEAKER_00: Can we find that edge between comfort and growth?
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SPEAKER_00: So from a yogic perspective, our physical body is a temple.
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SPEAKER_00: It's a temple.
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SPEAKER_00: It's also a vessel to connect with God.
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And it's this vessel that ultimately carries our consciousness
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through this lifetime.
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SPEAKER_00: And asana is the practice of honoring that temple,
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SPEAKER_00: of purifying it,
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of strengthening it and preparing it to be this really clear
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channel for divine
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SPEAKER_00: energy.
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SPEAKER_00: So I think about my own journey when it comes to asana.
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SPEAKER_00: You know,
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SPEAKER_00: there've been times when my practice was really intense,
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SPEAKER_00: very disciplined,
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especially when I was first going through the first yoga
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teacher training back in
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SPEAKER_00: 2012,
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SPEAKER_00: if you can believe it or not,
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SPEAKER_00: where we studied ashtanga,
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SPEAKER_00: which is a very disciplined practice.
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SPEAKER_00: It's the same poses every practice, right?
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SPEAKER_00: It's the same breath patterns and technique.
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SPEAKER_00: You know, how...
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SPEAKER_00: deep could I go in these poses?
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SPEAKER_00: How long could I hold a posture and have that presence with my breath?
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SPEAKER_00: And then there's been other times when my practice has been really,
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SPEAKER_00: really soft and much more intuitive,
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especially when I started doing more kundalini and teaching
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kundalini yoga.
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And I went through my kundalini teacher training or when I
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studied yoga therapy,
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SPEAKER_00: when I started to realize that there's this opportunity to...
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SPEAKER_00: step into more of the feeling rather than doing.
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SPEAKER_00: And both are really valuable, right?
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SPEAKER_00: Both are asana.
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SPEAKER_00: So because the practice isn't about perfecting the external form,
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SPEAKER_00: it's about cultivating the internal experience of steadiness and ease and
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So Patanjali reminds us that the qualities of asana are
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alertness,
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but also relaxation.
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SPEAKER_00: We need both.
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SPEAKER_00: Too much effort without ease can lead to strain, burnout, injury.
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And I got into yoga in the first place because I had some crazy
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spinal injuries
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SPEAKER_00: back in,
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SPEAKER_00: gosh,
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SPEAKER_00: high school.
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SPEAKER_00: So
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SPEAKER_00: There's also this flip side where maybe there's like too much ease,
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SPEAKER_00: like a lot of kapha energy,
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SPEAKER_00: if you're familiar with Ayurveda,
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SPEAKER_00: too much ease without effort.
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SPEAKER_00: And that can lead to laziness or stagnation.
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So we want to just be aware of this pendulum that swings,
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that we all go through.
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SPEAKER_00: It's part of the human experience, right?
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So the practice,
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it's about finding our edge where we're engaged,
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but not gripping.
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SPEAKER_00: We're relaxed, but we're not checked out.
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SPEAKER_00: We're present, but we're not forcing.
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So as always,
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I'm going to share a couple reflective prompts that you can
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meditate on.
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SPEAKER_00: You can journal around this week and a couple integration tools as well.
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SPEAKER_00: So a couple of the prompts,
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check in when you are considering going to a yoga class or
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stepping on your yoga
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SPEAKER_00: mat and
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SPEAKER_00: tap into the thought of what does my body need today?
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SPEAKER_00: What is your relationship with your body like?
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Do you view it as a vehicle to be controlled or a sacred temple
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to be honored?
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SPEAKER_00: What is that intentionality when you go to,
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whether it's asana or working out or any other wellness
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technique that you do?
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SPEAKER_00: What is that relationship you have with your body when you're
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doing these things when you're practicing asana when you're in
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a challenging
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situation whether it's on the yoga mat and i don't know an arm
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balance of some
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sorts or just in your life do you tend to push forward do you
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do you push hard or
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maybe do you like give up too easily how can you find this
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balance between effort
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SPEAKER_00: and ease on the mat and off the mat and
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SPEAKER_00: How can your physical practice become this moving meditation, a prayer?
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SPEAKER_00: And my favorite part, a conversation with the divine.
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SPEAKER_00: So notice throughout your week, how do you move through your day?
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SPEAKER_00: How do you speak to your body?
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SPEAKER_00: Are you present in your body or are you living entirely in your head?
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SPEAKER_00: Are you honoring your body's need for rest,
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SPEAKER_00: for movement,
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SPEAKER_00: for nourishment,
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SPEAKER_00: or are you overriding its signals?
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SPEAKER_00: This is such a gift of yoga is to have more awareness of
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SPEAKER_00: of our body systems.
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So a couple practical ways that you can explore and deepen your
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asana practice this
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SPEAKER_00: week are first,
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I'm going to encourage you to book a couple different yoga
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classes with different
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SPEAKER_00: styles.
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SPEAKER_00: You know, a lot of studios have first class free or specials.
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SPEAKER_00: So take advantage of that,
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SPEAKER_00: you know,
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SPEAKER_00: go to a new studio,
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SPEAKER_00: go to a new teacher,
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SPEAKER_00: go to a different style of yoga,
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SPEAKER_00: even if you don't know what the heck it is,
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SPEAKER_00: or if it's something that like you normally wouldn't try.
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SPEAKER_00: Try it, right?
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SPEAKER_00: So whether it's in person or online,
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SPEAKER_00: maybe you choose three different styles or three different teachers.
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SPEAKER_00: Maybe you try vinyasa flow, a yin class, a restorative yoga practice.
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SPEAKER_00: Maybe you explore jivamukti, kundalini, bhakti, ashtanga yoga.
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SPEAKER_00: There's so many different schools of yoga.
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SPEAKER_00: And just remember the goal isn't to decide like which one is the best.
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SPEAKER_00: The goal is to explore what resonates with you,
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SPEAKER_00: what feels good in your body,
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SPEAKER_00: what meets you where you are right now.
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SPEAKER_00: And then pay attention to how each practice makes you feel,
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SPEAKER_00: not just physically,
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SPEAKER_00: but mentally,
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SPEAKER_00: emotionally,
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SPEAKER_00: energetically.
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Notice which style allows you to find that balance of
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steadiness and ease that
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SPEAKER_00: Patanjali talks about.
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SPEAKER_00: So remember, there's no like right or wrong style.
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The practice that's calling to you is the right practice for
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you in this moment.
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SPEAKER_00: Trust those intuitive pings.
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SPEAKER_00: And it might change tomorrow, next week, next month.
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SPEAKER_00: And that's really the beauty of it.
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You know,
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there was a time when I was like full-blown kundalini yogi,
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wearing my,
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you
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And that was a season of my life where I had a very disciplined
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kundalini practice
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SPEAKER_00: with our 4am sadhanas.
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SPEAKER_00: And that's shifted and that's okay.
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And if you want to explore these classes with me,
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I am hoping to share more online.
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I've been doing a lot in person here in Florida,
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which has been so nice because for
14:40
SPEAKER_00: about eight years,
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SPEAKER_00: I was primarily only teaching yoga on yoga retreats,
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SPEAKER_00: which,
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SPEAKER_00: you know,
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SPEAKER_00: isn't as many students as in like a yoga class.
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SPEAKER_00: So,
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SPEAKER_00: uh,
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SPEAKER_00: always,
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SPEAKER_00: you know,
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SPEAKER_00: check the show notes below if I have any,
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SPEAKER_00: you know,
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SPEAKER_00: upcoming events,
14:55
SPEAKER_00: workshops,
14:55
SPEAKER_00: classes,
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SPEAKER_00: I'm happy to share those if you are local.
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And then hopefully I'll have some online options for you guys
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soon as well.
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SPEAKER_00: So
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SPEAKER_00: In a world that often glorifies,
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SPEAKER_00: let's say,
15:08
SPEAKER_00: the mind,
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SPEAKER_00: the intellect,
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SPEAKER_00: the constant doing,
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SPEAKER_00: our asana practice invites us to drop into the body,
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SPEAKER_00: to feel,
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SPEAKER_00: to breathe,
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SPEAKER_00: to simply be present with what is.
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SPEAKER_00: And I feel like right now on social media,
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we're hearing so much about nervous system regulation and
15:24
somatic work and doing
15:27
all these different tools to connect with your breath and to
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connect to your body.
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SPEAKER_00: And I love all of those things,
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but there's also this like layer within yoga that incorporates
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all of that.
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SPEAKER_00: Right.
15:40
SPEAKER_00: So,
15:41
SPEAKER_00: you know,
15:41
SPEAKER_00: start to explore yoga as a holistic practice,
15:47
SPEAKER_00: you know,
15:47
SPEAKER_00: not just about the asana,
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SPEAKER_00: but all of these added layers that are going to really nourish your body,
15:53
SPEAKER_00: your mind.
15:54
SPEAKER_00: And then of course, that connection you have with God, with the divine.
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SPEAKER_00: And remember, your body is not an obstacle to your spiritual practice.
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SPEAKER_00: It's not something to transcend or to escape.
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SPEAKER_00: It's this sacred vessel through which we experience our life.
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SPEAKER_00: And my partner tells me all the time, I remember he told me this
16:16
SPEAKER_00: I don't know,
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SPEAKER_00: relatively soon after we first met four and a half years ago,
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SPEAKER_00: he shared that,
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SPEAKER_00: you know,
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SPEAKER_00: the first thing,
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SPEAKER_00: like if you're on the spiritual path,
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SPEAKER_00: we want to have a clean body because if we have that,
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SPEAKER_00: you know,
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SPEAKER_00: health and physical vitality,
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SPEAKER_00: we have that space and
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SPEAKER_00: to then go deeper into the mind.
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SPEAKER_00: So cleansing the body first, it's so typical.
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SPEAKER_00: Even think about so many different religions.
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SPEAKER_00: Talk about the benefits of fasting and for caring for the body,
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SPEAKER_00: treating it like a temple so that we can connect to God.
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SPEAKER_00: So that's really how I view asana and our yoga practice.
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SPEAKER_00: And when you practice asana with awareness,
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SPEAKER_00: when you cultivate this balance,
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SPEAKER_00: you're preparing yourself not just for meditation,
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SPEAKER_00: but for life,
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SPEAKER_00: right?
17:07
SPEAKER_00: And we all need that, like preparation for life.
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SPEAKER_00: We want to feel present.
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SPEAKER_00: We want to feel steady.
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SPEAKER_00: We want to have discernment.
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And our yoga asana practice is a way that we're learning to
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fully show up with
17:20
SPEAKER_00: presence,
17:21
with that strong discernment and integrity and peace of mind to
17:25
really meet
17:25
SPEAKER_00: somebody else where they are.
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SPEAKER_00: Also to meet challenges with strength and softness,
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SPEAKER_00: to honor our limits while we are expanding our edges,
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SPEAKER_00: to breathe through any discomfort we might be feeling.
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Also to rest when we need resting and to move when we need
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movement and to not
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SPEAKER_00: shame ourselves one way or the other.
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SPEAKER_00: So as you move through this week, remember what Patanjali teaches.
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SPEAKER_00: The posture should be steady and comfortable.
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SPEAKER_00: This isn't just about yoga poses on the mat.
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SPEAKER_00: This is about how you hold yourself in every moment of your life.
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SPEAKER_00: If I share again,
18:03
one of the very first yoga sutras that we learned and we talked
18:07
about is that the
18:11
SPEAKER_00: really intention of yoga is
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is to study the fluctuations of the mind we can practice this
18:17
in costco right so
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ask yourself you know can you be strong and soft what does that
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look like what does
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it look like when you are grounded and open both fully engaged
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and deeply at ease
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SPEAKER_00: that is the practice of asana this is the path of the yogi
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This is the sacred practice of coming home to our body so that
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we can connect
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SPEAKER_00: deeper to God,
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SPEAKER_00: to divine wisdom,
18:46
SPEAKER_00: to universal consciousness,
18:49
SPEAKER_00: so that we can create a shift collectively that is more healing.
18:53
SPEAKER_00: It is more loving,
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and it's going to just nurture and support not only ourselves
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and our family and
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SPEAKER_00: friends,
18:59
SPEAKER_00: but that's going to have a ripple.
19:01
SPEAKER_00: out into our community and the entire world.
19:05
SPEAKER_00: So I want to thank you for listening to Through the Veil.
19:09
Over the next couple episodes,
19:11
we're going to go through the remaining limbs of yoga.
19:14
SPEAKER_00: So what, this is three.
19:15
SPEAKER_00: We got a few more.
19:17
SPEAKER_00: There's eight total.
19:19
SPEAKER_00: And as we move deeper into the inner practices of the yogic path,
19:24
SPEAKER_00: Stay in touch.
19:25
SPEAKER_00: Let me know what came up for you in this episode.
19:28
You can always drop comments on Substack if you're listening
19:31
there or on Spotify,
19:33
SPEAKER_00: Apple Music.
19:34
SPEAKER_00: We're now in all of those places.
19:37
Make sure you do subscribe on Substack so that you get notified
19:39
when we released a
19:40
SPEAKER_00: new episode.
19:42
If you want to book an energy healing,
19:44
a consult,
19:45
or explore any workshops with me or retreats,
19:49
SPEAKER_00: All of those links will be in the show notes below.
19:52
SPEAKER_00: Have a beautiful week.
19:54
SPEAKER_00: Practice honoring your body as the sacred temple that it is.
19:59
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for listening.
20:00
SPEAKER_00: Om peace.
20:01
SPEAKER_00: Amen.