Escaping Samsara – Details, episodes & analysis

This is the first of two episodes expanding the previous topic of Sex, Semen Retention, and Brahmacharya as it may or may not apply to women.

Female practitioners of yoga don't show up in the old texts but there have been many female-specific physical practices through the ages. And who better to explain how to practice with these archaic information than Ruth Westoby.

Ruth Westoby is a yoga practitioner and academic researcher in yoga studies. Ruth Westoby holds a PhD from SOAS University of London on ‘The body in early haṭha yoga’, supervised by James Mallinson and Richard Williams. Ruth is working on two book projects from her doctoral thesis that passed without corrections. Ruth has published early research findings in the peer-reviewed Religions of South Asia and numerous public articles. Ruth is Visiting Lecturer in Indian Religions at Roehampton University, teaching postgraduate theory and method in the study of religion and undergraduate courses on asian religions, cultures and ethics, contemporary issues in global religions, being human and religion, ecology and politics. Ruth collaborated with the Haṭha Yoga Project’s ‘embodied philology’, interpreting postures from an 18th-century text teaching a precursor of modern yoga, the Haṭhābhyāsapaddhati, in 2016 and 2017. In 2010 she received an MA in Indian Religions from SOAS, University of London, with Distinction.

Ruth has practiced yoga for almost 30 years and in 2015 was authorized by Sharat Jois to teach Ashtanga level 2. Ruth has studied closely with and assisted Hamish Hendry and Richard Freeman. Ruth does not practice at studios that display images of Pattabhi Jois on altars in solidarity with those who were sexually abused by him. Ruth founded and chaired the successful environmental campaign for floodplain meadow restoration at Bartonsham Meadows, Hereford.

www.enigmatic.yoga ruthwestoby@gmail.com Instagram @ruthwestoby

This series has been quite popular. In our climactic (pun intended) episode, we speak to Richard Freeman about sex and Brahmacharya.

• The context of Brahmacharya within Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga system
• Specific yoga poses and mudras that move sexual energy
• The use of mula bandha in using sexual energy to reinvigorate your body and mind
• How yoga can be used in all stages and spaces of life

Welcome to the realm of real Hatha Yoga, where yogis use the body as a tool to transcend the body.

For this episode, we're honored to introduce Shandor Remete, also known as Sundernath, a master practitioner whose life has been steeped in yoga from his earliest days in Hungary.

An initiate of the revered Kanpatha Hatha Yogins, Shandor embodies the legacy of yoga luminaries Sri Gorakhnath and Sri Matsyendranath. Today, he stands as a custodian of Tantrik Hatha Yoga, imparting the wisdom that traces back to the earliest forms of yoga.

Join us as we unravel the layers of this transformative practice with a yogi who has dedicated his life to the pursuit of this knowledge.

We discuss:

• The proper use of asana
• Mudras and bandhas
• Samadhi
• Pranayama

https://shadowyoga.com/

Welcome to a special bookclub episode of Escaping Samsara, where we delve into the profound teachings of Chogyam Trungpa's classic, "Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism." In this episode, we're thrilled to host Ty Landrum, an esteemed yoga teacher known for his insightful and deeply rooted understanding of Eastern and Western philosophy.

We discuss the concept of spiritual materialism, the tendency to see spirituality as a means to enhance our ego rather than to dissolve it. And Ty discusses how to apply these teachings on the mat and in daily life, helping us to navigate our spiritual journey with more awareness and authenticity.

This episode isn't just for avid readers or seasoned practitioners. It's for anyone curious about the intersection of yoga, Buddhism, and the journey towards true self-awareness. Whether you're new to these concepts or a long-time follower of Trungpa's work, you'll find fresh perspectives and thoughtful discussions to inspire your practice.

https://www.tylandrum.com/

Lovers of technical yoga talk rejoice! In this extraordinarily geeky interview Gregor sheds light on nuances of pranayama and meditation practices described in great detail in his books. We also talk about his most recent book about the Map of Transformative States and get a glimpse into the upcoming work with a fascinating discussion on mudras. This is a great interview for everyone going deeper into the higher limbs of Ashtanga Yoga.

Show notes

• On Stanislav Grof and Aldous Huxley
• Chakras and brain circuits
• On Nadi Shodhana and types of visualisations
• Ista Devata visualisation in Kumbhaka
• Surya vs Chandra Bhedana
• On relationship with the spirit world
• On Basti kriya
• Kundalini rising techniques and Ego
• Mudras!
• Things to consider when sequencing different practices

To find out more about Gregor's teaching, learning materials, courses and in-depth blog article visit https://8limbs.com/

Check out new books by Gregor Maehle:

CHAKRAS, DRUGS AND EVOLUTION: A Map of Transformative States

"How To Find Your Life's Divine Purpose: Brain software for a new civilization"

It’s easy to get caught up in the intellectual debates of spirituality, or spending hours creating exalted states of consciousness, but the actual effects of all this practice are borne out in your everyday life and nowhere is that more apparent then in your intimate relationships. 

Marriage is an interesting thing from a spiritual perspective. It could be an excuse to end your practice and focus on “real life”. Or it could be something you use your practice to escape from. Both of these pitfalls deny the chance to use “relationship yoga” as a tool to bring about lasting changes, reduced suffering, and the embodiment of deep wisdom. 

To help us understand this, we speak to Mark Usher, a men’s coach, who has made marriage his main life practice. 

David Garrigues has been practicing Hatha Yoga, specializing in advanced Ashtanga Vinyasa for about 30 years. Few people understand the rigors and challenges of long-term asanas practices as deeply.

As a fellow vinyasa enthusiast, and keen meditator, I've long been fascinated by the overlap between the two and how much asana practice can be considered a meditation in and of itself -- and not just a preparation.

In our discussion, we look closely at the integration between medieval Hatha Yoga and its modern forms, how long-term practice challenges your faith, and the struggle between defining, and leaving things unsaid.

Check out David's new book: Ashtanga Yoga Vinyasa here

This is a companion episode to our "Ashtanga and Fatherhood" episode. We're talking about how yoga practice changes for women after pregnancy and in the years of child-rearing.

We talk about the challenges of physical recovery and the requirements of emotional labor. How time is the essential factor, and how we witness time can change everything.

Today, we sit down with Rich Ray, a seasoned practitioner of meditation and director of Ashtanga Yoga Portland Maine (and also creator of some dope Instagram visuals @richrayyoga)

With over 25 years of Zen and Ashtanga experience, Rich’s commitment to self-discovery and inner peace led him on a transformative path as a resident monk at a silent monastery four years. During this profound period of self-reflection, he cultivated profound insights that continue to influence his life and teachings. As well as founding his studio, Rich also taught yoga and meditation at state prisons in California and New Hampshire and started a meditation program at a women’s county jail in Boston, Massachusetts.

In our chat we discuss:

• The intersection of Zen and Ashtanga practice.
• How to make Ashtanga practice more meditative.
• Yoga and aging.
• And the secrets of the Advanced Ashtanga series.

In this episode, we try to find out if the yogis and the Buddhists are describing the same thing when they talk about Samadhi. Are the paths aiming at the same experience but using different language to talk about it? Or are there deeper differences?

To find out, we host a conversation between Gregor Maehle and Leigh Brasington who practice and teach deep Samadhi meditations from the yogic and Buddhist schools, respectively.