8 APR 2024 · Am I contributing to the cultural appropriation of yoga? As a white yoga student and teacher, how can I do better? These are questions that I’ve been wrestling with over the past two decades of practicing and teaching yoga, and so I’m delighted to be speaking to Susanna Barkataki about them in this podcast episode. Susanna (she/her) is a teacher, coach, inclusivity promoter, yoga culture advocate, the founder of the Ignite Yoga and Wellness Institute and the author of Embrace Yoga’s Roots. In our conversation Susanna and I talk about where yoga actually comes from, the colonisation of yoga, cultural appropriation and its antidote, how we can honour the roots or lineage of yoga in our practice and teaching, even when there has been abuse in our lineage, and if it is ever appropriate to use the word namaste when teaching and practicing yoga (hint: it’s not a simple answer!). It’s such a great episode, and one that I would love all yoga practitioners and teachers to listen to, so I’m glad that you’re here! Connect with Susanna Barkataki at https://www.susannabarkataki.com  Download the free Patañjali's Eight Limbs and Mental Health Aware Yoga ebook by Dr Lauren Tober at https://www.mentalhealthawareyoga.com/8limbs/ Visit the Yoga Psychology Institute at https://www.yogapsychologyinstitute.com/ Find the Yoga Psychology Institute on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/yogapsychologyinstitute/  Find the Yoga Psychology Institute on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/yogapsychologyinstitute  Find out more about our wonderful sponsor, Yoga Australia, at  https://yogaaustralia.org.au/  This podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice or training. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalised guidance or come and join one of our programs at the Yoga Psychology Institute for professional training.

17 MAR 2024 · What does it mean to truly make yoga accessible? Accessible yoga is more than simply using yoga props in your classes or reminding your students that Child’s Pose is always an option. In today’s podcast episode, I’m joined by yoga teacher Jivana Heyman (he/him) from Accessible Yoga and we talk about how we can truly make our yoga classes accessible. Listen in as we explore accessible yoga as seeing ourselves and our students as whole and not in need of fixing, as diversity and representation in yoga teachers and imagery online, as teaching in a trauma-sensitive and mental health aware way, and about continuing to engage in thoughtful discussions with peers on the ethics of being a human and a teacher, in the world.  Jivana also shares about the challenges that he faced as a young gay man in the midst of the AIDS epidemic, and the ways in which yoga was such a refuge for him during this time.  We also unpack the ways in which yoga is taught, both traditionally with the guru system and more recently in the west in drop-in yoga studios, and the pros and cons of both. This is an episode not to be missed! Connect with Jivana Heyman at http://www.jivanaheyman.com Join the online Mental Health Aware Yoga training starting 25th March 2024 at https://www.mentalhealthawareyoga.com/online/ Visit our Yoga Psychology Institute workshop and training calendar  https://www.yogapsychologyinstitute.com/calendar  Download the free Patañjali's Eight Limbs and Mental Health Aware Yoga ebook by Dr Lauren Tober at https://www.mentalhealthawareyoga.com/8limbs/ Find out more about our wonderful sponsor, Yoga Australia, at https://yogaaustralia.org.au/  This podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice or training. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalised guidance or come and join one of our programs at the Yoga Psychology Institute for professional training.

11 MAR 2024 · Want to meditate, but don’t have the time? This episode is for you! In today’s podcast episode, I sat down with Ann Swanson (she/her) to talk about all things meditation. Ann is a yoga therapist and the author of the internationally bestselling book the Science of Yoga and the brand new book Meditation for the Real World. Listen in to hear us talk about the science of meditation, how Ann’s own mental health struggles led her to the physical aspect of yoga, and then eventually to meditation, why long formal meditation practices aren’t necessarily better than frequent shorter meditations and how to practice meditation in accordance with the seasons of your life and your menstrual cycle.  As someone who has tried loads of different meditation styles, I love the way that Ann makes meditation so accessible, and really understands the science behind the why and the how of meditation. Connect with Ann Swanson at https://www.meditationfortherealworld.com Sign up to the free How to Teach Yoga for Nervous System Regulation workshop on the 15th March 2024 at https://www.mentalhealthawareyoga.com/workshop  Join the online Mental Health Aware Yoga training starting 25th March 2024 at https://www.mentalhealthawareyoga.com/online/ Visit our Yoga Psychology Institute workshop and training calendar  https://www.yogapsychologyinstitute.com/calendar  Find out more about our wonderful sponsor, Yoga Australia, at https://yogaaustralia.org.au/ This podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice or training. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalised guidance or come and join one of our programs at the Yoga Psychology Institute for professional training.

4 MAR 2024 · In today’s podcast episode, I had intended to ask J. Brown about topics that I know him for, like ‘gentle is the new advanced’ and ‘slower is stronger’. But in this interview we ended up talking about how as a 16 year old he grappled with his mother’s cancer diagnosis, the promise he made to her before she died, what it means to receive a message or a download that guides your life, and where that message actually comes from. We talk about God, Christianity, the abuse in both Christianity and in yoga communities, if it’s possible to separate the teachings from the teacher when there’s been abuse in our lineage, and how important it is to engage in a non-hierarchical way as a teacher and with your teacher. We ask a lot of questions, and don’t necessarily have all the answers, but it’s this asking and exploring that I find so important, and so interesting. Connect with J. Brown at https://www.jbrownyoga.com Listen to Dr Lauren Tober speak on J. Brown’s Yoga Talks podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dr-lauren-tober-the-frontline-of-mental-health-care/id1029751323?i=1000646835424 Sign up to the free How to Teach Yoga for Nervous System Regulation workshop on the 15th March 2024 at https://www.mentalhealthawareyoga.com/workshop Join the online Mental Health Aware Yoga training starting 25th March 2024 at https://www.mentalhealthawareyoga.com/online/ Visit our Yoga Psychology Institute workshop and training at https://www.yogapsychologyinstitute.com/calendar Find out more about our wonderful sponsor, Yoga Australia at https://yogaaustralia.org.au/ This podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice or training. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalised guidance or come and join one of our programs at the Yoga Psychology Institute for professional training.

19 FEB 2024 · Sixteen months ago, one of our beloved Mental Health Aware Yoga mentors, Sandra Palmer (she/her) was diagnosed with stage four cancer, and was told that it was likely that she had less than two years to live. In today’s episode, Sandra talks about what it was like when she was first given this diagnosis totally out of the blue, how she has navigated the landscape of grieving, treatment, the medical system, communicating to others about her diagnosis, learning to listen to her own needs, and how yoga has helped. Sandra told me that when she was first diagnosed she was seeking other people’s stories about living and thriving with cancer, and part of her reason for coming on the podcast was to share her own story to help others who are traversing similar terrain. As a psychologist and yoga teacher, Sandra also shares ways in which teachers and therapists can support their clients and students who are living with cancer through yoga. We are delighted that Sandra is feeling vibrant and well and has returned to mentoring with us for the online Mental Health Aware Yoga training, and currently supports our students in New Zealand, USA and Canada. Connect with Sandra Palmer at https://www.integrativetherapy.co.nz Sign up to the online Mental Health Aware Yoga training starting on March 25th 2024 at https://www.mentalhealthawareyoga.com/online/ Join our Mental Health Aware Yoga Facebook community at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mentalhealthawareyoga Visit the Yoga Psychology Institute at https://www.yogapsychologyinstitute.com/ Find the Yoga Psychology Institute on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/yogapsychologyinstitute/ Download the free Patañjali's Eight Limbs of Mental Health Aware Yoga ebook by Dr Lauren Tober at https://www.mentalhealthawareyoga.com/8limbs/ Find out more about our wonderful sponsor, Yoga Australia, at https://yogaaustralia.org.au/ This podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalised guidance.

6 FEB 2024 · Have you ever wondered why you tend to get sick after a busy or stressful period, and wished you could do something about it? I certainly do! If you joined me for the https://www.yogapsychologyinstitute.com/summit-2022-recordings/ that we held in 2022, you might have noticed towards the end of each of the week-long Summits that my voice was getting pretty scratchy. After each Summit I came down with a cold, and spent a few days in bed afterwards recovering. My guest today, Dr Kaitlin Harkess (she/her) researched yoga, stress and the immune system for her PhD thesis and is on the podcast today sharing about psychoneuroimmunology and yoga. Kaitlin is a Clinical Psychologist and Yoga Teacher and the host of the wonderful Wisdom for Wellbeing podcast. She loves to help people develop the psychological skills they need to overcome burnout and change their life for the better. If you are interested in stress, spirituality, science, movement, health and living a good life, you are going to love this episode! Connect with Dr Kaitlin Harkess at http://www.drkaitlin.com Sign up to the online Mental Health Aware Yoga training starting on March 25th 2024 at https://www.mentalhealthawareyoga.com/online/ Join our Mental Health Aware Yoga Facebook community at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mentalhealthawareyoga Visit the Yoga Psychology Institute at https://www.yogapsychologyinstitute.com/ Find the Yoga Psychology Institute on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/yogapsychologyinstitute/ Download the free Patañjali's Eight Limbs of Mental Health Aware Yoga ebook by Dr Lauren Tober at https://www.mentalhealthawareyoga.com/8limbs/ Find out more about our wonderful sponsor, Yoga Australia, at https://yogaaustralia.org.au/ This podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalised guidance.

23 JAN 2024 · How can yoga help us to dissolve our addictive patterns? Today I’m joined by Lissie Turner (she/her), CEO of the The Prana Project, to talk about addiction recovery and yoga. In this moving interview, Lissie shares her own journey with transforming what she describes as a 22-year drinking career during her time as a presenter on Triple J Radio, into a thirst for a profoundly calmer and more humble life. We also explore a yoga therapy perspective on overcoming addiction and what we can all do to move through our addictive patterns. Connect with Lissie Turner at https://www.lissieturner.com Connect with the Prana Project at https://www.thepranaproject.com Find out more and join the 2024 online Mental Health Aware Yoga training today at https://www.mentalhealthawareyoga.com/online/ Find out more about our wonderful sponsor, Yoga Australia, at https://yogaaustralia.org.au/ This podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice or training. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalised guidance or come and join one of our programs at the Yoga Psychology Institute for professional training.

17 JAN 2024 · Have you ever gone through a time that feels impossibly difficult? When you just can’t find a way out? I know I have. In today’s episode, I sit down with Anneke Sips, a psychiatric nurse and yoga therapist in the Netherlands, to talk about the dark night of the soul. In this episode Anneke guides us on how to prepare for a dark night of the soul, how to tell when you’re experiencing one, and some powerful ways to move through a dark night of the soul experience, when you’re right in the thick of it. Connect with Anneke Sips at https://annekesips.com Read my article on the Hero’s Journey at https://www.laurentober.com/blog/the-heros-journey/ Find out more about the online Mental Health Aware Yoga training and sign up today at http://www.mentalhealthawareyoga.com/online Visit our Mental Health Aware Yoga Teachers Directory at https://shala.laurentober.com/mhay-directory/ Find out more about our wonderful sponsor, Yoga Australia, at https://yogaaustralia.org.au/ This podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice or training. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalised guidance or come and join one of our programs at the Yoga Psychology Institute for professional training.

28 NOV 2023 · Join Dr Lauren Tober (she/her) and Anand Mehrotra (he/him) for this intimate conversation, recorded live in a yurt at the Sattva Sanctuary on Bundjalung country in Australia. Hear Anand speak about his journey in becoming a yoga teacher and spiritual leader, the role that he sees yoga playing in mental health and how we can live a life of meaning and purpose. If you listen right to the end of the interview, you will also hear Anand’s answer to Lauren’s question about cultural appropriation and his thoughts on non-Indian yoga teachers sharing the wisdom and practices of yoga. Just a few small topics! Anand Mehrotra is one of the youngest known spiritual masters in the world to develop and present the Himalayan yogic tradition in its pure and raw form. He has dedicated his entire life to bringing the original teachings of the Himalayan yogic tradition to the world and does so in a unique and powerful way. His Sattva Yoga teachings come from the Vedic tradition and merge with the pure Tantric roots as taught by the ancient Masters in the far reaches of the Himalayas. Anand was born and raised in Rishikesh, which is recognized as the yoga capital of the world. Rishikesh is one of the most sacred places in India. It calls thousands of pilgrims and spiritual seekers from around India and many countries of the world. Connect with Anand Mehrotra at https://anandmehrotra.in Find out more about the Sattva Academy at https://sattvayogaacademy.com Download the free Patañjali's Eight Limbs of Mental Health Aware Yoga ebook by Dr Lauren Tober at https://www.mentalhealthawareyoga.com/8limbs/ Find out more about our wonderful sponsor, Yoga Australia, at https://yogaaustralia.org.au/ Visit the Yoga Psychology Institute at https://www.yogapsychologyinstitute.com/ Find the Yoga Psychology Institute on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/yogapsychologyinstitute/ This podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalised guidance.

4 AUG 2023 · In this enlightening episode, I sit down with Fuyuko Sawamura-Toyota (she/her), a renowned expert in iRest Meditation, to explore the profound impact of yoga on mental health and delve into the transformative philosophy behind iRest. Fuyuko's vast knowledge and experience offer a unique perspective on how iRest can support healing and empower individuals from all walks of life. We begin by delving into Fuyuko's personal journey of how yoga has played a pivotal role in transforming her own mental health. With candid insights, she shares the ways yoga has nurtured her inner life to create peace and resilience, inspiring us to discover the potential yoga holds for our own lives. As the conversation flows, Fuyuko introduces us to iRest, an evidence-based meditation technique that has gained prominence over the years, and a practice that I personally love! Fuyuko guides us through its principles and practices, including the teachings that iRest is based upon, Sankhya, Patanjali, Advaita Vedanta and Kashmiri Shaivism, and she sheds light on how iRest has become a promising approach for overcoming trauma. As a recent graduate of the Mental Health Aware Yoga training, Fuyuko also shares valuable insights from the program, and how she has skillfully integrated the principles of Mental Health Aware Yoga into her own yoga teaching since taking the training. Join us on this insightful episode as we dive deep into the transformative pathways of iRest Meditation with Fuyuko Sawamura-Toyota. Discover the immense potential of yoga in enriching mental health, finding inner peace, and embracing a life of well-being and wisdom. Find out more about Fuyuko Sawamura-Toyota at https://premayoga.com.au/ Download the free Patañjali's Eight Limbs of Mental Health Aware Yoga ebook by Dr Lauren Tober at https://www.mentalhealthawareyoga.com/8limbs/ Find out more about the Mental Health Aware Yoga training at https://www.mentalhealthawareyoga.com Get started on the Meditation, Pure + Simple online course with Dr Lauren Tober at https://www.meditationpuresimple.com Visit the Yoga Psychology Institute at https://www.yogapsychologyinstitute.com/ Find out more about our wonderful sponsor, Yoga Australia, at https://yogaaustralia.org.au/ This podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalised guidance.