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Robbie Wood 4/23/26 Robbie Wood 4/23/26

Journey into the Heart of Bhakti Yoga

Edwin Bryant, author of Bhakti Yoga, returns to discuss this classical path of yoga centered around love and devotion for the Divine. Through stories from the Bhagavata Purana, the practices of Bhakti yoga engage us and open our heart.

Edwin Bryant received his Ph.D in Indic languages and Cultures from Columbia University, where his thesis culminated in his first book: The Quest for the Origins of Vedic Culture (Oxford University Press, 2001). He taught Hinduism at Harvard University for three years, and is presently the professor of Hinduism at Rutgers University where he teaches courses on Hindu philosophy and religion. He has published eight books, and authored a number of articles on the earliest origins of the Vedic culture, yoga philosophy, and the Krishna tradition.

📚 Find the book discussed in this episode: Bhakti Yoga: Tales and Teachings from the Bhagavata Purana

🔗 Edwin has a series of recorded classes and ongoing courses, all for free, on edwinbryant.org

DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: If you are someone who enjoys attending kirtan or chanting the names of God, this conversation with Edwin Bryant about his book Bhakti Yoga will help you deepen your understanding of this sacred yogic path of devotion to God. We discussed the many practices of bhakti yoga, including hearing (or reading) about God, kirtan as a communal practice, japa as an individual practice, serving God and surrendering to God. Listen in and allow your heart to open.

THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: This is an engaging conversation with Edwin Bryant on Bhakti yoga and I learned many new things to take into my practice. There are many "flavors" of bhakti as there are infinite forms for God or Bhagavan. Bhakti is service or seva that is aimed at developing love. Take the name of God, whatever that is for you and listen intently to know God above all other desires.

Robbie Wood 4/11/26 Robbie Wood 4/11/26

Welcome the Abundance of the Sacred Feminine

Erica Bassani takes us on a journey into the sacred through the voices of women across spiritual traditions. Through these intimate conversations we explore devotion, resilience, and the balance of strength and surrender in modern life.

Erica Bassani is a writer based in Italy. A graduate of the Academy of Storytelling in Turin, she spent a year living in a Theravadan Buddhist monastery at the age of 23. Since then, she has turned to female spiritual teachers from diverse traditions to help her navigate her inner journey. She created the Women Awakening Project—an initiative that highlights the wisdom of female spiritual role models and explores spiritual practice through the lens of women’s experiences—to share their wisdom and create a bridge between generations of seekers.

📚 Read the book discussed in this episode: Women in Love with the Divine

🔗 Learn more about Erica: https://www.womenawakeningproject.com/

✨ Discover Erica’s work on Facebook and Instagram

DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: This conversation with Erica Bassani about her book Women in Love with the Divine will enrich listeners understanding of the divine feminine and bring wisdom to all, regardless of gender. We discussed her interviews with women leaders from Tibetan Buddhism, Taoism, and Jewish traditions, illuminating the importance of balance between our masculine and feminine sides as illustrated by the Taoist symbol for the balance between yin and yang. We discussed that in Buddhism, wisdom is feminine, and that there can be real strength in softness. I found this conversation to be rich and thought provoking, and recommend it to listeners.

THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: This conversation really flowed well and allowed Dr. Trujillo and Erica Bassani to discuss a number of beliefs and practices related to the role of the feminine in spiritual wisdom and awakening. So many great takeaways for any gender.

Robbie Wood 4/3/26 Robbie Wood 4/3/26

Invite the Light: Healing, Wholeness, and Awakened Living

Health and healing begin with a spiritual foundation. Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian explores how prayer, spiritual awareness, and divine intelligence guide the healing process, helping us move through challenges and discover the deeper wholeness already present within life.

Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian is an acclaimed Kriya Yoga teacher, award-winning author, poet and minister who has served seekers of spiritual enlightenment from all walks of life and religions for over forty years. She has published several books and programs about meditation, mindfulness, and spiritual living. Her published works include the award-winning the Jewel of Abundance, Living the Eternal Way, and Living for the Sake of the Soul, as well as a volume of spiritual poetry The Moon Reminded Me. She is the founder of The Yoga Hour podcast and also hosts Kriya Yoga Today podcast. She is the founder and spiritual director of The Center for Spiritual Enlightenment, a Kriya Yoga meditation center with world headquarters in San Jose, California.

Learn more about Yogacharya O’Brian: ellengraceobrian.com

Listen to Yogacharya O’Brian’s Satsang series: “Health, Healing, and Awakened Living” (remaining dates are April 12th, May 3rd, and June 7th)

DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: My conversation with Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian about the spiritual basis of healing is wonderfully timely as there is so much need in this moment for healing ourselves, our communities, and our world. I appreciated Yogacharya’s framing that healing is returning ourselves to an awareness of our original wholeness which extends beyond the physical body to encompass mind, heart, and soul. We discussed three steps of healing: intending to heal, believing that it is possible to heal, and having a practice that quiets the mind and allows our inner light to shine. Also included is a 5 step prayer for healing that listeners will find useful for healing at all levels. I highly recommend this episode.

THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: I really enjoyed the discussion Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian had with Dr. Laurel Trujillo on how health and healing begin with a spiritual foundation. The key concept that resonated with me is that having a practice that quiets the mind allows connection to intuition/discernment. Look at how nature does it. The actual guidance comes from within. It was particularly powerful to view healing not as a cure, but as bringing us into our innate wholeness. This episode is powerful, giving actual steps to take toward the healing process of self, relationships, the world. A great thanks to Yogacharya O’Brian for sharing her insights to actualize the healing process through steady spiritual practice and the belief that healing is possible.

Robbie Wood 3/27/26 Robbie Wood 3/27/26

Discover the Vast Ocean of Yoga

Amy Landry, author of The Ocean of Yoga, shares how the teachings of Yoga are much more than sequences of postures. With insight and compassion, she honors the sacred, ancient philosophy while opening up the living wisdom of Yoga.

Amy Landry is a registered senior yoga teacher, ayurvedic practitioner, mentor, podcast host, and founder of Shruti School of Yoga. She is known for her sold-out international retreats and has contributed extensively to Australian Yoga Journal, OM Yoga & Lifestyle magazine, YOGA magazine UK, and Nature & Health magazine. Amy has presented across Australia at Wanderlust, Evolve Yoga festival, Byron Spirit Fest, and Ekam Yoga festival.

Learn more about Amy Landry at her website: amylandry.com

Follow Amy Landry on social media: Facebook and Instagram

Find the book discussed in this episode: The Ocean of Yoga

DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: My conversation with Amy Landry, author of the new book The Ocean of Yoga: A Complete Guide to Living the Teachings, Tradition, and Practice dove deeply into the ocean that is yoga. We discussed some history of yoga, the importance of prana, the five maya koshas, and how we can deepen our practice through our understanding of these more subtle aspects of ourselves. As Amy writes in her book: “Yoga can teach us to constantly experience an awe toward life, both the physical and subtle.” I particularly appreciated Amy’s advice to have patience, and to approach our practice lovingly. Listen in to this episode, and dive more deeply into your practice of yoga.

THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: This conversation with Amy Landry highlighted for me the depth of yoga that is more than the physical asana yoga practice. Yoga is so much more and the clarity about practices are helpful. The pancha koshas are discussed in detail, and for me, one of the helpful topics was on sadhana or daily spiritual practice. We can incorporate meditation, mantra, japa, puja and pranayama to daily practice while honoring the seasons of the year, the elements and the vedic calendar for festivities and worship. The encouragement to practice, whether you are new to yoga or a long time practitioner, will inspire.

Robbie Wood 3/20/26 Robbie Wood 3/20/26

Explore Yoga as Skillful Living

The root of yoga is Oneness, that we are all manifestations of One Supreme Consciousness. How does this change how we live? Guest Deborah Adele explores the ethical principles of Yoga which reveal inner wisdom and help us live skillfully to build a fulfilling and peaceful life.

Deborah Adele holds Masters degrees in both Liberal Studies and Theology & Religious Studies. She carries yoga certifications in Kundalini yoga, Hatha yoga, Yoga Therapy, and Meditation. She is also trained in Gestalt Theory and Somatic Education. She is the author of The Kleshas: Exploring the Elusiveness of Happiness as well as the one we are discussing today: The Yamas and Niyamas: Exploring Yoga’s Ethical Practice and its companion journal The Yamas and Niyamas Embodied.

You can learn more about Deborah Adele at her website: deborahadele.com

Find Deborah Adele on Facebook: @YamasAndNiyamas

DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: In this conversation, Deborah Adele and I explored the Yamas, the ethical principles of yoga philosophy that guide us in living skillfully in the world. I appreciated Deborah’s perspective that practicing harmlessness, or Ahimsa, requires courage, balance, love of self, and compassion for others. Courage, because often its our fear that has us act harmfully; balance because we more often struggle when we are not in balance ourselves; self-love as our understanding of harmlessness expands and we see the harm from our thoughts, words and actions more and more clearly and need to forgive ourselves; and compassion for others as key to practicing ahimsa. I really enjoyed this deep dive into the Yamas and how we can expand our practice of these essential ethical principles and hope you will too.

THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: Dr. Laurel Trujillo had a delightful and thought provoking conversation with Deborah Adele on the Yamas, a basic series of “right living” or ethical guidelines within Yoga philosophy. Although I have studied the Yamas and their complement, the Niyamas, for many years, this discussion brought out concepts I had not considered. One of the key ideas Adele brought up is that under the principal of non-harming (ahimsa) the first Yama, there is a responsibility to stay in balance so we can be there for others. If we aren’t compassionate to ourselves, we don’t have the capacity to be compassionate to others. This is a definitely a podccast for those new to Yoga as well as those that have been on the path for decades. Don’t miss it.

Deborah Adele

Robbie Wood 3/1/26 Robbie Wood 3/1/26

A Tribute to Roy Eugene Davis

“An enlivening power is nurturing the universe and we can learn to cooperate with it.”

— Roy Eugene Davis

Roy Eugene Davis (March 9, 1931 – March 27, 2019) was born in a farming community in northeastern Ohio. After reading Autobiography of a Yogi in 1949, he traveled to Los Angeles, where he met Paramahansa Yogananda and was accepted for discipleship training. In late 1951, his guru ordained him to teach and initiate others into the Kriya Yoga lifestyle and meditation practices.

For more than sixty years, he taught spiritual growth processes throughout North and South America, Europe, West Africa, and India. He was the founder and director of the Center for Spiritual Awareness. His books have been published in thirteen languages and distributed in eleven countries, and he served as Editor-Publisher of Truth Journal magazine.

Roy Eugene Davis is the guru of Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian, Founder and Spiritual Director of The Yoga Hour. March is a particularly auspicious time to honor Mr. Davis, as both his birth and his mahasamadhi occurred during this month. In gratitude for his life and teachings, we offer the many episodes with and about Mr. Davis below.

Conversations with 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.

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.

What was it like to study with the great yoga master Paramahansa Yogananda? Roy Eugene Davis, one of Paramahansa Yogananda’s last living direct disciples, joins Yogacharya O’Brian for an inspiring conversation about his years with his guru. Learn what Yogananda emphasized as essential for spiritual awakening, how he advised his disciples, and some of the ways he inspired others to live in the highest way. Discover why the Kriya Yoga taught by Yoganandaji is a path of Self- and God-realization especially relevant to truth seekers today.

Is it possible to quicken our spiritual awakening? What practices can help us to progress along our spiritual path? Ever since human beings began to use mental abilities thousands of years ago, their innate urge to be spiritually awake impelled them to want to know their relationship with the Infinite. Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian and her guru Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda and internationally known spiritual teacher and author, as they discuss practices and actions that will support us in becoming spiritually awake more quickly. Tune in and find out how!

How can we experience rapid, authentic spiritual growth? How can we keep our practice steady and strong? Whether we are new to the spiritual path or are rededicating ourselves to a practice of many years duration, Kriya yoga offers practical spiritual principles, lifestyle guidelines, and meditation techniques that allow us to live a life that is of value to ourselves, to others around us, to the environment, and to the world. Join guest host Dr. Laurel Trujillo and Roy Eugene Davis, direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, as they discuss how energizing and deepening your spiritual practice allows you to live the life you were meant to live.

What does it mean to be spiritually enlightened? Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian and her spiritual teacher, Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda and internationally known spiritual teacher and author, as they discuss how to become spiritually enlightened in this lifetime. There are six practical things we can all do that support our intention to awaken fully. Tune in and learn about, or be reminded of, these essentials for self-realization.

Spiritual teacher and author Roy Eugene Davis, one of the last living direct disciples of Paramahansa Yogananda, has been sharing the teachings of Kriya yoga for more than 65 years. Tune in as he shares stories and teachings of this great sage.

Honoring the Life and Legacy of Roy Eugene Davis

Paramahansa Yogananda’s faith, devotion, and persistence to know God propelled him to be one of the leading spiritual teachers of all time. His travels throughout India and meetings with saints and sages continue to inspire seekers today. Join Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian and Ron Lindahn, both devoted students of Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, and hear stories of Ron's pilgrimage to places where Yogananda and his spiritual teachers walked. Learn little-known stories of Yogananda that will inspire your own inner pilgrimage of self-discovery.

Yogacharya O’Brian reflects on the remarkable life of Roy Eugene Davis, her teacher for 40 years. We dedicate this program to Roy's memory with deep appreciation for his more than six decades of teaching Kriya yoga.

Marty Wuttke is a long-time disciple of Roy Eugene Davis and the current spiritual director for Mr. Davis' organization, Center for Spiritual Awareness. He shares Mr. Davis’ impact of teaching Kriya Yoga, for over 60 years, to thousands of people across the world.

Roy Eugene Davis (far right) with his guru, Paramahansa Yogananda (left, at podium)

Mr. Davis as minister of the Self-Realization Fellowship center in Phoenix, Arizona

Roy Eugene Davis with Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian at an International Kriya Yoga Congress

Mr. Davis teaching at Center for Spiritual Awareness in Lakemont, GA

Roy Eugene Davis (right) with Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian (left) at Center for Spiritual Enlightenment in San Jose, CA

Mr. Davis using technology to teach across the globe

Robbie Wood 2/19/26 Robbie Wood 2/19/26

Embrace The Hero’s Journey Through Francis of Assisi

How did the young and privileged Francis from Assisi become one of the world's most revered saints and a heroic leader who is more relevant now than ever? Author and spiritual teacher Isha Das (Craig Bullock) shares how Francis’ heroic journey is also our heroic journey.

Isha Das is an accomplished teacher, writer, lecturer, and psychotherapist who has authored books and recorded CDs on spirituality and meditation. The former Pastoral Administrator at St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s Church, Isha Das earned graduate degrees in Religious Studies from the University of Notre Dame and in Clinical Psychology from the University of Duquesne. His broad and diverse education includes extensive study in psychology, spirituality, mysticism, world religions, and yoga.

Isha Das is the spiritual director of The Assisi Institute in Rochester, New York

This episode discusses Isha Das’ book Merchant to Mystic, The Hero's Journey of St. Francis of Assisi

DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: I enjoyed discussing the interface between mystical Christianity and Kriya Yoga with Isha Das, author of the book Merchant to Mystic: The Hero’s Journey of Francis of Assisi. As he points out, we become the hero that we admire, so reflecting on our heroes and heroines, and understanding more about their journey is important. Francis’ journey is an inspiring one, from being born into a wealthy family and living a worldly life through hardships that wounded him, to his time spent in silence and contemplation leading to his mission to rebuild the church. Our discussion about the householder spiritual path, the importance of silence, and the similarity between the yoga practice of self-surrender and the Christian vow of poverty was illuminating.

THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: This conversation with Isha Das explores St. Franscis’ hero’s journey of self-surrender. The discussion brings into focus the essence of kriya yoga in Christianity. St. Francis’ mantra was “Who are you? And who am I?”. That is the heart of awakening. The listener can get the experience of how time in silence, listening to the still small voice within, brought St. Francis to follow his spiritual path in ever-new joy. That joy with self-surrender and Grace eventually grew into the Franciscan order. Don’t miss this heart-felt podcast.

Robbie Wood 2/12/26 Robbie Wood 2/12/26

Live Fully and Deeply From Your Soul Every Day

Catherine Duncan, author, spiritual teacher, and ordained minister, shares five simple practices that can bring more peace, love, meaning, and embodied aliveness into our lives. We can live as the spiritually awakened beings that we are, every day.

Catherine Duncan is an author, ordained minister, and integrative spiritual consultant. In her private practice, she companions individuals who are struggling with chronic illness, life transitions, grief and loss, and those searching for more meaning and purpose. Catherine is also a consultant for Minnesota Personalized Medicine, an integrative medical practice in Minneapolis.

This episode discusses Catherine’s book, Everyday Awakening: Five Practices for Living Fully, Feeling Deeply, and Coming Into Your Heart and Soul

WEBSITE: www.catherineduncan.org

DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: Catherine Duncan, author of the book Everyday Awakening, and I discussed awakening as a process of waking up and living more fully from our essence, our soul nature, every day. The five practices that Catherine sets forth include bringing ourselves fully present in this moment utilizing awareness of our body and our senses, and connecting with something greater than ourselves although we don’t have to call it God. We can grow our trust, embody love, and hold openness. These five practices are simple but not easy, and can bring us more fully awake and alive.

THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: I really enjoyed the conversation with Catherine Duncan today, focusing on her book Every Day Awakening: Five Practices for Living Fully, Feeling Deeply, and Coming Into Your Heart and Soul. Through her own personal experiences, her years of hospital chaplaincy as well as her experiences with spiritual direction clients Catherine has developed five practices that can support us in spiritually awakened living every day, in every moment. Dr. Trujillo also shared how Kriya Yoga and its practices are in alignment with Catherine's experiences. Ms. Duncan also offers simple exercises and techniques to easily bring these practices into our daily lives. I definitely recommend this program to all of those who want to live a spiritually deeper life every day.