Sanskrit: The Language of Yoga

What do those Sanskrit words used in yoga class really mean? Author, Sanskrit teacher, and Ashtanga yoga teacher Zoë Slatoff examines the beauty of commonly used Sanskrit words and explains how understanding and using Sanskrit can deepen our yoga practice.

Zoe Slatoff discovered yoga at the age of 15 and has been devoted to a daily practice ever since. After training with Pattabhi Jois and Sharath in Mysore, India, Zoe was certified to teach. She has a Master’s Degree in Asian Languages and Culture from Columbia University, and is the author of Yogavataranam, a Sanskrit textbook for yoga students which uses extracts from classical yoga texts to integrate traditional and academic methods for learning the language.

Book discussed in this episode: Yogavataranam available at Amazon

Website: www.ashtangayogaupperwestside.com

THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: For those of us on the yoga path, this program about Sanskrit, the language of yoga, was a very informative and important program, even if we don't really want to study the language deeply. We often hear these Sanskrit words and don't really understand their significance for our practice and our study. Zoe Slatoff's years of study of this language and of the practice of Hatha (pronounced “huta”) yoga and of Yoga philosophy is very supportive of our study. She addressed why it is useful to understand some of the Sanskrit we hear. She said some study helps us to pronounce the words properly and it helps us understand the deeper meaning of the words. Often the words have several different meanings. Zoe offered practical information about how to pronounce some common words that we hear in Hatha Yoga classes as well as words from the scriptures like The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. She also offered how beginners who are wanting to learn some basics to deepen their practice can learn.

COMMENTS FROM DR. TRUJILLO: I really enjoyed our conversation about Sanskrit: The Language of Yoga, and the our discussion of many Sanskrit words that are common in Hatha yoga class, as well as several from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. I was interested to read the list in herbook of the 78 definitions of the word yoga from V.S. Apte’s dictionary which include union, fitness, plan, zeal, opportunity, and wealth. This gave listeners an idea of the challenges of translating from Sanskrit into English. I appreciated her advice for those who want to deepen their study of yoga by learning more about Sanskrit, but aren’t ready to devote the time to reading Sanskrit themselves. You advised them to read multiple English translations of the same Sanskrit material from different translators, or to chant in Sanskrit. She has wonderful supportive audio files on her website for listeners to follow up with if desired.

Finding the Path to Inner Bravery

How do we find the inner courage to face ourselves, others, and the unknown? Poet and spiritual leader Mark Nepo, author of Finding Inner Courage, reflects on how the power of honest inquiry in times of loss and uncertainty can ignite deep reflection and motivate action.

Mark Nepo has moved and inspired readers and seekers all over the world with his #1 New York Timesbest seller The Book of Awakening. He has published 22 books including Drinking from the River of Light and has recorded 15 audio projects. In 2015, he was given a Life Achievement Award by AgeNation. In 2016, he was named by Watkins: Mind Body Spirit as one of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People, and he was also chosen as one of OWN’s SuperSoul 100, a group of inspired leaders using their gifts and voices to elevate humanity. In 2017 Mark became a regular columnist for Spirituality and Health magazine.  In this episode we are discussing Mark’s most recent book Finding Inner Courage.

Mark Nepo’s Websites are MarkNepo.com ThreeIntentions.com For more information and to sign up for Mark’s upcoming webinar, THE FIRE OF ALIVENESS: COMING BACK INTO THE WORLD go to live.marknepo.com

Mark Nepo’s books are available at Amazon.com

THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: Courage: to stand by one's core. This is definitely a powerful and timely discussion. There is so much to contemplate here. If we want to overcome violence of the world, we need to face what is ours to face - feel what is ours to feel. Rather than running from suffering, we must help each other through it. The heart breathes by feeling and receiving, then exhales by expressing and emptying. You don't want to miss this life changing and a heart opening conversation.

DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: Although Finding Inner Courage is one of is one of Mark’s older books, I thought the topic was so helpful and so relevant to the challenges we are facing today. I loved how he shared the meaning of the word courage as coming from the Latin word cor, which means heart. He further described that when we stand by our core, we stand by the core of all being, which as I mentioned is the essence of yoga. I also particularly liked his four learnings “to explore the art of feeling (inhaling our experience) and emptying (exhaling our experience), which when leaned into can help us live.” These were: letting what is lead the way; expressing what remains unexpressed; acknowledging and forgiving our unconscious participation in life; keeping our mind open. Such wonderful teachings to share with our listeners!

The Ancient Science of Yoga: Unity and Liberation for All

In this time of increased awareness of racial disharmony, how does the study of yoga’s ancient roots invite us into greater empathy? Author and teacher Susanna Barkataki discusses how embracing yoga’s roots supports greater inclusivity and connection with each other and the world. In this program we are discussing Susanna’s book Embrace Yoga’s Roots: Courageous Ways to Deepen Your Yoga Practice.

Susanna Barkataki, is a Certified Yoga Therapist, teacher, inclusivity promoter, and yoga culture advocate. As an Indian yoga practitioner in the Shankaracharya tradition, her passion is to help others bridge the gap between yoga as an exercise and yoga as a lifestyle.  She is founder of Ignite Yoga and Wellness Institute and runs 200/500 Yoga Teacher Training programs. Susanna has an honors degree in Philosophy from UC Berkeley and a Masters in Education from Cambridge College. She is also a certified diversity, accessibility, inclusivity, and equity educator.

websites: SusannaBarkataki.com Ignite Yoga and Wellness Institute

THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: Susanna shares that yoga is a very deep philosophy that has not been respected due to different reasons, but racism and disrespect for the culture from which it comes are important reasons. Susanna's book focuses on how yoga has been culturally appropriated in the west and the teachers often ignore, sterilize and dilute the actual deeper teachings of yoga without respect to the culture and history from which it comes, in order to make it more "palatable" for the white culture. She says that this violates several of the important teachings of yoga, ahimsa-harmlessness, satya-truthfulness and asteya-non stealing. She uses the example of how the greeting Namaste is misused and disrespected. The goal of the practice of yoga is liberation, liberation for ourselves and for all. She shares these four questions that she uses to guide her life: 1) Is this action causing separation? 2) Am I embracing yoga's roots and my own values? 3) Does this action create connection? 4) Does this action lead to unity and liberation for myself and for all. Does it contribute to human uplift? In this time of greater awareness of racial injustice for so many, I hope to be able to regularly incorporate these useful questions into a framework for my life.

DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: I particularly appreciated Susanna’s focus on defining yoga as that which unites, and non-yoga as that which divides. Her distinction between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation was quite helpful. The four questions she talked about for reflection before taking an action were very useful. (Does this action cause separation? Am I embracing both my and the culture of origin’s roots? Does this action create connection? Does it lead to unity and liberation?)

Healing from Anxiety

How can we find inner peace and lessen our anxiety even in times of chaos? Guest Hala Khouri, therapist and yoga teacher, discusses practical strategies to understand our body’s signals so we can release stress and find healing.

Hala Khouri, MA, has been teaching yoga and movement for over 25 years and has been doing clinical work and trainings for 15 years. Originally from Beirut, Lebanon, she has dedicated her life to the study of trauma and building resilience on a personal, interpersonal, and systemic level. Hala is a co-founder of Off the Mat, Into the World, a training organization that bridges yoga and activism within a social justice framework. She is a sought-after speaker and trainer on the subject of trauma, yoga, and social justice  and author of the book we are discussing today, Peace from Anxiety; Get Grounded, Build Resilience and Stay Connected Amidst the Chaos.

THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: A wonderfully encouraging conversation. I resonate with Hala Khouri’s emphasis on the need to go beyond our inner work in order to make peace with trauma and anxiety. She relates that the feeling of warmth and belonging which comes with developing a relationship ecosystem provides a necessary support for healing. "It helps you feel like you are held by something bigger than you." I also like Hala’s vision of changing our stress impulse from the fright-flight-freeze reaction to a tend and befriend response. She considers it a "radical act of social justice" to move our stress, anxiety and trauma response from a stance of strength and power to one of understanding and assisting. Particularly powerful is her concluding message of positivity: to find joy in the journey without letting trauma and anxiety get in the way.

DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: I enjoyed our conversation about healing from anxiety, and appreciated that Hala Khouri says that healing needs to go beyond the personal to the interpersonal and global levels. She says that one of the first ways to transform our trauma into personal growth is to look for support, and that this support can come from our networks of connections which can include our neighbors and work colleagues in addition to our core relationships with family and close friends. Hala shared an important practice, that of orienting ourselves: noticing what we notice when we look around our environment or when we look within ourselves, and how often we notice the negative ( for example; what needs to be cleaned, where in our bodies we are holding tension) rather than what is beautiful or working well. This orienting or noticing can be part of how we feel the support that we need when dealing with anxiety.

Stop Reacting and Reclaim Your Power

How can understanding our triggers help us find peace and lasting emotional well-being? Psychotherapist David Richo, Ph.D., author of Triggers, discusses how we can look deeply at the roots of what provokes us so we can develop the resources to stay calm under pressure and to heal.

David Richo, Ph.D, is a psychotherapist, writer, and workshop leader whose work emphasizes the benefits of mindfulness and loving kindness in personal growth and emotional well-being. He is the author of several books including How to Be an Adult in Relationships and The Five Things We Cannot Change. The book we are discussing in this episode is Triggers: How We Can Stop Reacting and Start Healing.

SHOW NOTES: Dr. Richo’s website is DaveRicho.com His books are available HERE

THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS:I found this conversation on triggers to be interesting and enlightening. Being triggered is common to most of us and it helps us to understand what the trigger is, discern where it comes from and then make choices to lessen or overcome it. Dr. Richo said a trigger moves you into a reaction that you don't choose. When you are able to choose that is freedom. Triggers come from our fight or flight system which is a necessary survival mechanism. Our thinking brain turns off when the fear center of our brain is triggered. Dr. Richo says that the good news is that we are not totally at the mercy of our triggers, if we can pause until our thinking mind comes back online, then we have a choice. Meditation is one way to train ourselves to be able to pause before we react. I appreciated his re-stated version of the Serenity Prayer. It supports us in accepting what cannot be changed. You find the inner resource that supports you and then you realize that that inner resource is God or however you perceive God to be. He shared that saying yes to what is, accepting what we cannot change, turns the triggers into opportunities for spiritual growth. I appreciated his simple examples of what some triggers could be and also his examples of some ways we can deal with these triggers.

DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: I enjoyed our conversation about triggers and the science behind them, as well as the work we can each do to be triggered into curiosity rather than reaction when they occur. I appreciated Dr. Richo’s rephrasing of the serenity prayer as “May I have the serenity to accept what can’t be changed, the courage to change what is ready to be changed, and the wisdom to know the difference”, as well as your daily affirmation of "May I say yes to all that happens to me today as an opportunity to love more and fear less.” I think our discussion of inner resources like courage, wisdom, serenity, and self-discipline will be helpful to our listeners as they explore the forest of their own triggers and reactions.

Live a Life of Oneness

What does it mean practically to live a life committed to Oneness? Jeremy David Engels, author of The Ethics of Oneness: Emerson, Whitman, and the Bhagavad Gita, explores this question as an antidote to our current climate of separation.

Jeremy David Engels, PhD, is an award-winning professor of Communication and Ethics at Penn State University as well as a yoga and meditation teacher and co-owner of Yoga Lab Studios in State College, PA. Dr. Engels is author of several books including the book discussed in this program, The Ethics of Oneness: Emerson, Whitman and the Bhagavad Gita. He considers himself to be an American Transcendentalist and writes that “the best scholarship is poetry, the best communication, yoga”.

SHOW NOTES: Dr. Engels’ website is JeremyDavidEngels.com Instagram: @jeremydavidengels
The book we discussed in this episode is The Ethics of Oneness: Emerson, Whitman and the Bhagavad Gita available on Amazon.

THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: I was very inspired by the conversation today with Jeremy Engels about living a life committed to Oneness as a yoga practice. The look into the history of Oneness practice was enlightening.
Bhagavad Gita: seeing Oneness as the secret truth, how we can see the divine in all beings
Emerson: the founder of American yoga, that is bringing awareness and respect to the teachings of the Gita; seeing Oneness as speaking to the soul; addressing the divine in all beings
Whitman: showing the best of ourselves; celebrating the divine; looking for the face of God in everything.
Dr. Engels ended with a call for a declaration of interdependence - recognizing a world of Oneness.

COMMENTS FROM DR. TRUJILLO: I loved how Dr. Engels described the three great crises of the breath that will require us to recognize and live our interconnectedness: the COVID pandemic, climate change, and racial justice. It was lovely to discuss the beginnings of yoga in America through the work of Emerson. I also found the idea of "communication as yoga" a powerful one that I hope will inspire our listeners.

Yoga for Cancer: Healing, Thriving, and Surviving

How can yoga practice address the specific physical and emotional needs of cancer patients and survivors? Tari Prinster, founder of yoga4cancer, discusses the science and benefits of yoga for cancer patients and survivors and the tools to create a safe home yoga practice.

Tari Prinster is a cancer survivor, master yoga teacher, author of the book Yoga for Cancer, and founder of Yoga For Cancer and of the Yoga for Cancer Foundation which bring Oncology Yoga to cancer survivors worldwide. Her organization has trained over 3000 yoga teachers in the US and abroad and and provided help to tens of thousands of cancer survivors.

SHOW NOTES: Yoga For Cancer’s website is y4c.com Tari Prinster’s book is Yoga For Cancer available on Amazon.

THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: Another very important and engaging program. The discussion of how the practices of yoga postures (asanas) and pranayama are shown in scientific studies as an important adjunct to cancer treatment confirms what many yoga practitioners have experienced for a long time. As a long time yoga practitioner and teacher, Tari Prinster has focused on the benefits of yoga for cancer in a way that makes a lot of sense and is easily accessible to all. Dr. Trujillo’s experience as a physician and yogi really enhanced the conversation.

COMMENTS FROM DR. TRUJILLO: This program has great information for our listeners as cancer touches so many lives and families today. I thought Tari’s two mantras of “Cancer steals your breath and yoga gives it back” and “Yoga is as scientific as it is spiritual” were both uplifting and inspiring.

Living in Peace: The Secret of a Happy Life

Feeling out of sorts with life’s challenges? Paramahansa Yogananda taught that living with inner peace is the secret to a happy life. Join Nayaswamis Jyotish and Devi as they share Yogananda’s tools, stories, and right attitudes to help connect with your source of peace within.

Nayaswamis Jyotish and Devi are dynamic emissaries of Paramhansa Yogananda, and Global Peace Ambassadors. Jyotish and Devi serve as Spiritual Directors of Ananda Sangha Worldwide, and in this capacity travel the world, sharing Yogananda’s teachings, and blessing people with the practical and heart-opening path of Kriya Yoga. Jyotish is the author of several books on meditation and related subjects, and the creator of Meditation Therapy(TM). Devi is the author of Faith is My Armor: The Life of Swami Kriyananda. They are co-authors to the book being discussed on this episode, A Touch of Light: Living the Teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda

SHOW NOTES: Nayaswamis Jyotish and Devi’s website is www.ananda.org. Their books can be purchased at CrystalClarity.com

YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: Thank you for this conversation with these two dedicated devotees of Paramahansa Yogananda. I love their story about the sea birds and how they survive in terrible storms. Instead of fighting the wind, they go with it until they find the calm center. This is a metaphor for how we can deal with "the storms" in our own lives.
Have faith that God is with us and whatever storms come to us we can find the inner resources in the calm, peaceful center of our being. Embrace the challenges that come to us, remember that they are important for our spiritual evolution and learn from them.
The Nayaswamis reminded us of Yogananda’s poem God, God, God. In one of the verses he says:
When boisterous storms of trials shriek
And worries howl at me,
I drown their noises, loudly chanting: God! God! God!

FROM OUR HOST, DR. TRUJILLO: I enjoyed our conversation about finding inner peace during challenging times, and especially enjoyed all the tips we gave our listeners about how to do so: having a regular meditation practice; using superconscious meditation to access our unconditional inner peace and joy and then sharing it with others; being more conscious of what we take in from the world and focusing on bringing in the positive and avoiding “doom scrolling”; finding joy through doing something that we love (“I enjoy”); and practicing gratitude (“I care”).