8/14/14 - Wisdom of the Yoga Sutra: Radiant Living Is Your Birthright! 
Pandit Rajmani Tigunait
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra is the primary text of classical yoga. Written over 2,000 years ago, it offers timeless teachings of Truth— the truth of our inner divinity and innate luminosity. Yogacharya O’Brian is joined by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, for an enlightening conversation about the wisdom of the Yoga Sutra: how to be free here & now, and experience our everlasting self-luminous joy. This episode will focus on “Samadhi Pada,” the first chapter of the Sutra, which explains the goal of Yoga and the essentials of spiritual practice.

• What is the nature of the mind and how can we use it wisely?
• How can we eliminate acquired & self-defeating tendencies?
• How can we live life to our fullest potential?
• Listen and learn how you can benefit from the time-honored answers contained in the Yoga Sutra. 

Spiritual head of the Himalayan Institute, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait is the successor of Swami Rama of the Himalayas and a regular contributor to Yoga International magazine. He has been lecturing and teaching worldwide for more than a quarter of a century and is the author of fourteen books, including his autobiography Touched by Fire and At the Eleventh Hour: The Biography of Swami Rama of the Himalayas. Pandit Tigunait holds two doctorates: one in Sanskrit from the University of Allahabad in India, and another in Oriental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. Family tradition gave Pandit Tigunait access to a vast range of spiritual wisdom preserved in both the written and oral traditions. In 1976, Swami Rama ordained Pandit Tigunait into the 5,000-year-old lineage of the Himalayan Masters.

8/21/14 - Yoga Therapy: Yoga as Powerful Medicine for the Body, Mind, and Spirit 
Timothy McCall

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 long-time 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. 

Dr. Timothy McCall is a board-certified physician specializing in internal medicine, the medical editor of Yoga Journal and the author of two books, Examining Your Doctor: A Patient’s Guide to Avoiding Harmful Medical Care and Yoga as Medicine: The Yogic Prescription for Health and Healing. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications, and he has been a guest on numerous national radio and television programs, including two appearances on The Today Show. Timothy has traveled in the US and India spending time with many of the world’s leading yoga therapists. He became Yoga Journal’s medical editor in 2002, has written feature articles as well as a regular column for the magazine, and has led workshops and given keynote addresses at many Yoga Journal conferences. Visit http://www.drmccall.com.

8/28/14 - Selfless Action, Wisdom and Divine Love: Kriya Yoga and the Gita 
Swami Atmavidyananda
Encore from 3/22/12

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 Yogacharya O’Brian for an inspiring conversation about Self-realization—what it is and how we can attain it in this lifetime. Learn more about what has been called the scientific way of spiritual awakening.

Swami Atmavidyananda, a senior monk in the lineage of Paramahamsa Hariharananda and Paramahamsa Prajnanananda, is currently Vice President of the Kriya Yoga Institute. He met Paramahamsa Hariharananda and, with his blessings, was initiated into Kriya Yoga in 1994. After completing his professional responsibilities, in 2002, he dedicated his life fulltime to the cause of spiritual practice and joined the Hariharananda Gurukulam, Balighai under the auspices of Paramahamsa Prajnanananda. Under the directions of his Master, Paramahamsa Prajnanananda, he travelled outside India in 2006 to teach Kriya Yoga in the west. Since then he has travelled extensively in North America, South America, Europe and Asia to guide seekers on the path of Kriya Yoga.

9/04/14 - Regain Balance in Your Life by Overcoming Stress 
Dr. Claudia Welch

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 

Dr. Claudia Welch is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, an Ayurvedic practitioner and educator, and the author of Balance Your Hormones, Balance Your Life: Achieving Optimal Health and Wellness Through Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine and Western Science. Dr. Welch lectures internationally on Oriental and Ayurvedic medicines and Women’s Health, bringing a depth of knowledge and a sense of joy to her presentations. She has served on the teaching faculty of The Ayurvedic Institute, Kripalu School of Ayurveda, Southwest Acupuncture College, and Acupractice Seminars. Visit drclaudiawelch.com

9/11/14 - Spiritual Practice in the Kriya Yoga Tradition: Insights from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra (Part 1) 
Roy Eugene Davis

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.

Roy Eugene Davis was born in 1931 in Ohio and grew up in a farming community. When he was 18 years of age, he read Paramahansa Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi and immediately sensed a spiritual connection with Yogananda and the kriya yoga tradition. In December 1949, he traveled to Los Angeles, California, to meet his guru (teacher) and was accepted for monastic discipleship training. Mr. Davis was ordained by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1951 and was appointed as the minister of the Phoenix, Arizona, Self-Realization Fellowship Center in March 1952. In late 1953, aware of a need to learn to live effectively in the secular world, he withdrew from the organization--but not from his relationship with the kriya yoga tradition or his commitment to serve. After 2 years in the U.S. Army Medical Corps at Fort Riley, Kansas, he began his mission as an independent teacher. Since then, he has taught in more than 100 cities in North America and in Japan, Brazil, Europe, West Africa, and India. Some of his books are published in 10 languages and in 11 countries. He is also the publisher of Truth Journal magazine and writes monthly lessons for CSA members around the world.

9/18/14 - Spiritual Practice in the Kriya Yoga Tradition: Insights from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra (Part 2) 
Roy Eugene Davis

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.

Roy Eugene Davis was born in 1931 in Ohio and grew up in a farming community. When he was 18 years of age, he read Paramahansa Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi and immediately sensed a spiritual connection with Yogananda and the kriya yoga tradition. In December 1949, he traveled to Los Angeles, California, to meet his guru (teacher) and was accepted for monastic discipleship training. Mr. Davis was ordained by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1951 and was appointed as the minister of the Phoenix, Arizona, Self-Realization Fellowship Center in March 1952. In late 1953, aware of a need to learn to live effectively in the secular world, he withdrew from the organization--but not from his relationship with the kriya yoga tradition or his commitment to serve. After 2 years in the U.S. Army Medical Corps at Fort Riley, Kansas, he began his mission as an independent teacher. Since then, he has taught in more than 100 cities in North America and in Japan, Brazil, Europe, West Africa, and India. Some of his books are published in 10 languages and in 11 countries. He is also the publisher of Truth Journal magazine and writes monthly lessons for CSA members around the world.

9/25/14 - Rekindle Your Life: Stoke Your Digestive Fire 
Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar

How good do you want to feel? How well do you want to be? Join Yogacharya O’Brian and by Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar for an enlivening discussion about Ayurvedic principles for a healthy diet and a 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 & 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!
  

10/02/14 - Becoming Who You Were Born to Be 
Mark Nepo

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

Mark Nepo moved and inspired readers and seekers all over the world with his number one New York Times best-seller The Book of Awakening. Beloved as a poet, teacher and storyteller, Mark has been called “one of the finest spiritual guides of our time.” His work is widely accessible and used by many, and his books have been translated into more than 20 languages. Mark has published 15 books and recorded nine audio projects. Recent work includes The Endless Practice, Reduced to Joy and Seven Thousand Ways to Listen, which won the 2012 Books for a Better Life Award. Mark has been a featured guest on the Emmy-award winning series “Super Soul Sunday” with Oprah Winfrey, and is also featured in the upcoming film The Power of the Heart. He devotes his writing and teaching to the journey of inner transformation. Mark offers readings, lectures and retreats around the country. Visit marknepo.com.

10/09/14 - Expanding the Circle of Caring: Compassion in Yoga & Ayurveda 
Acharya Shunya Pratichi Mathur

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? 

Acharya Shunya Pratichi Mathur is a tradition-based, classically trained scholar, healer, and teacher of Ayurveda and Vedic sciences. She is the Founder of Vedika Global, Inc., a California-based non-profit Vedic foundation that supports an awarded international School of Ayurveda and Vedic Studies, sponsors community welfare initiatives, and delivers charitable wellness through global projects. She is also the current President of the California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine (CAAM). Acharya Shunya is Advisor to internationally known Mind Body Soul Magazine, Tathaastu Magazine, and Yoga Bharati, and a host of other like-minded organizations that support Vedic sciences. Acharya Shunya’s work has been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle, Yoga Journal, and Tathaastu Magazine. She teaches year-round to medical students and lectures in classrooms, conferences, and seminars worldwide.

10/16/14 - The Yoga Sutra Part One: Gems of Wisdom 
Nicolai Bachman
Encore from 4/14/11.

Enter the stream of Yoga’s ancient wisdom with this three part series on the Yoga Sutra. The first segment, Part One: Gems of Wisdom, offers insights and practices for ethical and spiritually awakened living with Sanskrit scholar, yoga philosophy instructor and author, Nicolai Bachman and Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian.

Nicolai Bachman has been teaching Sanskrit, chanting, yoga philosophy, Ayurveda, and other related topics since 1994. Nicolai has authored several Sanskrit book/CD learning tools including 108 Sanskrit Flash Cards, The Language of Yoga (Sounds True 2005), The Language of Ayurveda, and The Yoga Sutras: An Essential Guide to the Heart of Yoga Philosophy (Sounds True 2010). 

10/23/14 - The Yoga Sutra Part Two: Living Liberation 
Dr. Christopher Key Chapple
Encore from 4/21/11.

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, the foundational text for yoga philosophy and practice, offers a model for living fully and freely in this world. Discover its timeless wisdom with Dr. Christopher Key Chapple, Doshi Professor of Indic and Comparative Theology at Loyola Marymount University and Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian on this week’s Yoga Hour.

Dr. Christopher Key Chapple is the Navin and Pratima Doshi Professor of Indic and Comparative Theology at Loyola Marymount University. He served as Assistant Director of the Institute for Advanced Studies of World Religions and taught Sanskrit, Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism for five years at the State University of New York at Stony Brook before joining the faculty at LMU. He has published several books, including Nonviolence to Animals, Earth, and Self in Asian Traditions (1993), Jainism and Ecology: Nonviolence in the Web of Life (2002) and Reconciling Yogas (2003). 

10/30/14 - The Yoga Sutra Part Three: The Clear Jewel 
Dr. Christopher Key Chapple
Encore from 4/28/11.

Understanding the nature of the mind holds the key to successful meditation practice and conscious living. Join Dr. Christopher Key Chapple and Yogacharya O’Brian for this dynamic dialog about how to use the mind to support our highest achievements, fulfill our life purpose and reach its ultimate goal. 

Dr. Christopher Key Chapple is the Navin and Pratima Doshi Professor of Indic and Comparative Theology at Loyola Marymount University. He served as Assistant Director of the Institute for Advanced Studies of World Religions and taught Sanskrit, Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism for five years at the State University of New York at Stony Brook before joining the faculty at LMU. He has published several books, including Nonviolence to Animals, Earth, and Self in Asian Traditions (1993), Jainism and Ecology: Nonviolence in the Web of Life (2002) and Reconciling Yogas (2003). 

11/06/14 - Healthy Living Through the Bhagavad Gita
Swami Bodhananda Saraswati

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 Ellen Grace O’Brian from the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment 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 into 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.

Swami Bodhananda Saraswati is an accomplished teacher of Vedanta and meditation. He was born in Kerala, 36 miles from the birthplace of Adi Sankaracharya. His birthplace, spiritual fervor and experiences as a youth, seemed to destine him for the life of a sannyasin.

At an early age he felt a spiritual calling, readily took to spiritual tapas, and, with a deep sense of compassion, vowed to help humanity. With this frame of mind, he completed his undergraduate degree in economics and political science at Christ College, Irinjalkuda, Kerala.

While he was doing his post-graduate degree courses, his true calling interrupted further academic pursuits. The young aspirant set out in search of divine understanding, wandering throughout the Himalayas for a number of years. Finally, he settled in Kerala where, as a brahmachari, he joined the Sarasvati order - one of the ten sannyasa orders established by Adi Shankaracharya, the renowned 8th century Indian philosopher and exponent of Advaita Vedanta.

11/13/14 - Navigating Paradoxes on the Spiritual Path      
Philip Goldberg   

The spiritual path contains some inescapable paradoxes. For example, one teaching says that you are already enlightened; then we find that 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 Ellen Grace O’Brian from the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment 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 living with nonattachment to end results

Philip Goldberg is a spiritual counselor, meditation teacher and ordained Interfaith Minister. The author or coauthor of 19 books, he lectures and leads workshops throughout the country. A novelist and screenwriter as well, he lives in Los Angeles, where he founded Spiritual Wellness and Healing Associates (SWAHA). He is Director of Outreach for SpiritualCitizens.net. and blogs regularly on the Huffington Post and Intent.com. Philip’s books include Roadsigns on the Spiritual Path: Living at the Heart of Paradox and American Veda: From Emerson and the Beatles to Yoga and Meditation: How Indian Spirituality Changed the West. Phlilp is also one of the featured commentators in the documentary Awake: The Life of Yogananda. 

11/20/14 - Living from the Inside Out: The Way of Improvisation
Patricia Ryan Madson

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

Patricia Ryan Madson is the author of IMPROV WISDOM: Don’t Prepare, Just Show Up and is professor Emerita at Stanford University where she served as the head of the Drama Department’s undergraduate acting division and developed the improvisation program. She founded and coached the Stanford Improvisors and taught courses in improvisation for undergraduates, as well as adults in Stanford's Continuing Studies Program.

Patricia received the Dinkelspiel Award for Outstanding Innovation in Undergraduate Education, and she founded the Creativity Initiative at Stanford, an interdisciplinary alliance of faculty who share the belief that creativity can be taught. Patricia is regularly on the faculty at the Esalen Institute, and has given workshops for many institutes of higher learning and corporate clients, including Google, Gap, The Lucille and David Packard Foundation, Hewlett Packard, Sun Microsystems Japan Division, and Apple Computers.

12/04/14 - Joyously Living the Journey of Spiritual Practice
Les Kaye

Sustained spiritual practice builds our ability to live a life where the spiritual and the ordinary converge bringing increased joy. Join Les Kaye, Abbot of the Kannon Do Zen Meditation Center in Mountain View, California and author of Joyously Through the Days: Living the Journey of Spiritual Practice in a conversation with Yoga Hour’s regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo.

• Explore ways that spiritual practice can help you overcome life obstacles such as anger and stagnation
• Hear about how spiritual practice enhances awareness, patience and generosity
• Learn how meditation brings balance, clarity, and increased understanding to the complexities of life
• Understand how you can increase your ability to respond creatively to the uncertainties of life

Les Kaye has been integrally involved in developing an American Zen practice both at Haiku Zendo and at Kannon Do. He was ordained as a Zen monk by Shunryu Suzuki in 1971, and was appointed spiritual leader of Kannon Do in 1982. In 1986, he was recognized as a Zen teacher and a successor in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki. Starting in 1958, Les worked for IBM in San Jose for over 30 years. His book Zen at Work includes stories of how his own meditation practice enhanced the quality of his life and work at IBM. His book Joyously Through the Days: The Continuous Journey of Spiritual Practice explores the various ways that spirituality and Zen practice can be expressed in everyday relationships and activities.

12/18/14 - Take Refuge in the Truth of Loving Awareness
Tara Brach

Discover how to enter the gateways of truth, love, and awareness -- and find peace and freedom in your own awakened heart. When confronted with challenges, the conditioned mind tends to react with anger, self-judgment, and addictive behaviors—false refuges that do not provide lasting relief. We have another choice. At any moment we can come home to the true refuge of our own radiant awareness that is the presence of peace and love. Join Yoga Hour’s regular guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo and guest Tara Brach, author of True Refuge and the founder of the Insight Meditation Community in Washington, D.C., for a look at some practical ways to find our inner sanctuary in the midst of life’s challenges.

Tara Brach holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and completed a five-year Buddhist teacher training program at the Spirit Rock Meditation Center, under the guidance of Jack Kornfield. Working as both a psychotherapist and a meditation teacher, she found herself naturally blending these two powerful traditions—introducing meditation to her therapy clients and sharing western psychological insights with meditation students.

In 1998, Tara founded the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, D.C. , which is now one of the largest and most dynamic non-residential meditation centers in the United States. Tara helped create the Washington Buddhist Peace Fellowship and has fostered efforts to bring principles and practices of mindfulness to issues of diversity, peace, and environmental sustainability, as well as to prisons and schools. In addition to numerous articles, videos, and recorded talks, Tara is the author of the book Radical Acceptance and True Refuge: Finding Peace & Freedom in Your Own Awakened Heart.