Life On Earth Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode of Life On Earth Podcast, Nathalie Croix is joined by Bryan Kest, a pioneer in the yoga world and founder of Power Yoga.

Bryan has been teaching yoga since 1985 and he shares his journey from practicing Ashtanga Yoga as a teenager with David Williams to developing a more intuitive and empowering approach to yoga.

We dive into the evolution of yoga in the West, the transformative impact of Vipassana meditation, and the importance of adapting yoga to meet individual needs.

Bryan’s wisdom and perspective offer inspiration for anyone seeking a deeper connection to their practice, both on and off the mat.

Key Insights on Yoga and Meditation

• • The importance of adapting yoga to meet individual needs rather than rigidly adhering to a system.
  • Vipassana meditation as a transformative practice that complements physical yoga.
  • Yoga as a mental and spiritual discipline, not just physical postures.
  • Power Yoga is described as bringing meditation into movement, empowering practitioners through mindfulness.

Evolution of Yoga

• • Reflections on how yoga has grown and evolved in the U.S., particularly the emphasis on physical practice.
  • Discussion on the benefits of online yoga, including flexibility, convenience, and accessibility.
  • Encouragement for students to explore various teachers and styles to find what resonates with them.

Bryan’s Offerings

• • Online classes, workshops, and motivational blogs available at PowerYoga.com.
  • In-person teacher trainings, international retreats, and specialized programs like weight loss and wellness.
  • A diverse library of classes featuring many teachers and various styles, from Yin to Tai Chi.

Here are some episode resources 

This episode is brought to you by Shanti Yoga Training School, offering comprehensive in-person and online yoga programs.

Discover more about our offerings at shantiyogatrainingschool.com

Stay Connected on Social

@NathalieCroix

@ShantiYogaTrainingSchool

For guided meditations, nature sounds, and relaxation techniques follow us on YouTube @RelaxationNation111

Peace,

Nathalie Croix & Life On Earth Podcast Team

In this episode, Nathalie welcomes Emily Mills, a 300-hour graduate of Shanti Yoga Training School, registered yoga teacher, and herbalist.

Together, they explore Emily’s unique journey in yoga, her teaching path, and her deep connection to herbalism.

Topics Covered:

• Emily’s introduction to yoga, starting with Kundalini Yoga in Spain.
• Her experience with multiple teacher trainings, including her 300-hour certification at Shanti Yoga Training School.
• The healing power of yoga and its impact on mental health, including Emily's personal journey with overcoming depression.
• The intersection of yoga and herbalism, and how they complement each other in holistic healing practices.
• Emily’s philosophy of teaching yoga as a therapeutic practice and how her personal practice has evolved over the years.
• Insights on the importance of community, personal growth, and patience in both yoga and life.
• The role of nature and plants in Emily’s life and work as an herbalist.

Connect with Emily Mills via IG @redearthwellness

This episode is brought to you by Shanti Yoga Training School, offering comprehensive in-person and online yoga programs.

Discover more about our offerings at shantiyogatrainingschool.com

Stay Connected on Social

@NathalieCroix

@ShantiYogaTrainingSchool

For guided meditations, nature sounds, and relaxation techniques follow us on YouTube @RelaxationNation111

Peace,

Nathalie Croix & Life On Earth Podcast Team

In episode 117 of Life on Earth Podcast, we delve into the ancient wisdom and healing science of Ayurveda with our esteemed guest, Donna Papania, a renowned Ayurveda practitioner and holistic wellness advocate.

Tune in as we explore the art of nurturing the body, mind, and spirit through this time-honored healthcare tradition.

Donna Papania is the former head of the Ayuryoga Department of the world Renowed Ayurvedic Institute.

She spent 10 years in the desert of New Mexico studying with and working for Dr. Vasant Lad, where she assisted Dr. Lad in the Pancha Karma (Cleansing) Department as his assistant consultant and therapist.

She taught Ayurvedic Diet and Lifestyle classes at The Ayurvedic Institute and most notably, served as the head of the Ayuryoga department. This experience of teaching the yoga program for Dr. Lad’s level 1 and level 2 students, of creating Ayuryoga classes and watching the powerful transformation for all of the students, year after year is at the heart of her teaching.

For more on Donna Papania check out her website ayuryogi.net

In this episode

• Understanding Doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha
• Ayurvedic seasonal eating
• Daily rituals and Self-Care practices: such as abhyanga 
• Tips for a balanced lifestyle

Recommended books

• • "The Complete Book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies" by Vasant Lad
  • "Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing" by Dr. Vasant Lad

Recommended documentary 

The Doctor from India  by Jeremy Frindel

This episode is brought to you by Shanti Yoga Training School.

A note from our sponsor: 

Whether you're looking to deepen your practice or become a certified yoga instructor, Shanti Yoga Training School has a variety of programs to suit your needs. Offering both online programs and in person.

From the 200 HR and 300 HR yoga programs to specialized certifications like Yoga Nidra, they provide the knowledge and guidance to support your yoga journey.

Visit ShantiYogaTrainingSchool.com for more information and to start your transformative yoga experience today.

Subscribe to our Youtube channel @RelaxationNation111

Social Media

@dpapania

@NathalieCroix

@ShantiYogaTrainingSchool

Thank you for joining us on this enlightening journey into the world of Ayurveda with Donna Papania.

Don't forget to follow Life on Earth Podcast for more insightful episodes.

Until next time!

Nathalie & The Team

Walking is so simple that we can easily forget just how beneficial it is! Avery Werther joins us today to remind you of the amazing benefits that walking provides and give some tips on how to walk for maximum benefit.

Walking can improve mood, reduce health risks, boost memory, and much more! With our busy lives, it may seem that we simply don’t have the time to walk, but it doesn’t take long. Also, the benefits of walking include being more productive, so you may actually end up with more time because you set aside 30 minutes to walk!

To get the most out of walking, Avery recommends power walking. She’ll explain what power walking is, how to do it, how fast you should power walk, the calories you can walk, and more.

What are you waiting for? Podcasts make great company for walking! Download this episode, get outdoors, and let’s get walking!

Links: 

https://www.instagram.com/averylane14/ 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audubon_Park,_New_Orleans 

Join me in retreat and nature in beautiful Oregon - GOLDEN SUNRISE - May 24-27th Check out the trip page: https://triptribe.com/retreat/nathaliecroix-2 and book today!

Contribute to Life On Earth Podcast:

https://www.patreon.com/NathalieCroix

Join FB Group Page:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/LIFEONEARTHPODCAST/

Joining Nathalie today is Patricia Karpas from Meditation Studio.

Meditation Studio is an award-winning app that makes meditation simple.

Patricia is also the host of the Podcast Untangle.

In this episode, we hear all about mediation, and the reasons to make time for meditation. Many of us may think we’re too busy for meditation, but often this means that we end up going through life anxious, or with some other unwanted effect. If we just took the time to meditate, we’d feel much better!

Whether it’s dealing with everyday stresses, anxiety, relationships, performance, sleep, or something else, there are many benefits to meditation, and Meditation Studio offers meditations for them all.

You’ll also learn about the importance of treating ourselves as good as we treat our friends and tips for everyday life, bringing yoga and meditation outside into your everyday interactions.

Links: 

@meditationstudioapp on Instagram

Meditation Studio on Facebook

https://www.meditationstudioapp.com 

Untangle Podcast on iTunes

Untangle Waylon Lewis Episode

I Host a Podcast About Meditation and I’m STILL a Mess (Sometimes…)

Contribute to Life On Earth Podcast:

https://www.patreon.com/NathalieCroix

Join FB Group Page:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/LIFEONEARTHPODCAST/

Angela Kukhahn joins Nathalie for a discussion all about yoga! Yoga lovers, especially teachers, will not want to miss this one. Nathalie and Angela talk about being a yoga teacher, tools and techniques developed along the way, and more.

As yogis and yoga teachers, we’re always growing and evolving. Our views on what was right at one point in time can easily change, and often do, over the years.

Angela shares what inspires her to inspire others while teaching and how to address the individual in a group setting.

We hear about the use of props like blocks, belts, and blankets. Props bring many benefits, although some people have concerns about their use. Is it right to want to stick with some yoga traditions from the past, or is it okay to evolve and accept the use of props?

Social media provides great opportunities to connect and share information. Angela tells us about the growth of her Instagram account to over 80,000 followers, the dedication involved with running such an account, and even how to deal with periodic negative comments.

Everybody is on their own spiritual journey, as yoga teachers, we can only share our own experiences and aim to create the best scenario possible for students to experience their own journey.

Links: 

Angela's Instagram: @angelakukhahnyoga

Angela's classes on Yogis Anonymous

Nathalie's Golden Sunrise Retreat in Oregon May 24-27:

https://triptribe.com/retreat/nathaliecroix-2 

check our @sunriverresort on Instagram 

Contribute to Life On Earth Podcast:

https://www.patreon.com/NathalieCroix 

Join FB Group Page:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/LIFEONEARTHPODCAST/

For most of our lives, we’re taught that we need something outside of ourselves in order to feel whole and complete. But, the thing is, in this moment, all of our needs are met.

Preston Smiles joins Nathalie to talk about this, and more advice for living happily. Learn how to break down the walls to being yourself. Nobody should be holding you back. Discover the truth of your being.

Preston also challenges the idea that we all have to find just one “thing” to do for our entire lives, discusses the reasons why he thinks men should show emotion rather than repressing, and we learn about the primal benefits of doing activities like dancing, yoga, or even just screaming. They all help to dissipate negative energy, something that many of us don’t even realize needs to be done!

In a culture where we are taught and many times programed that men don't cry or are allowed to express deep feelings and emotions - Preston challenges us to a new belief system and new paradimes - not from a place of him telling us who or what to be, but from encouraging us to be exactly who we are today. 

How do we do that? Tune in to this episode for many inspirational tools and live your most authentic life.

Links:

Preston Smiles Instagram: @prestonsmiles

Preston Smiles Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PrestonSmilesSpeaks/

Training: http://prestonsmiles.com/mancave

Big Boys Don't Cry video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ_Ic-WBacg

How to handle change:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IomAv8v7_lI

Learn To Be A Master Of Change:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL7CHb7KSXs

Book suggestion: Ask and It Is Given https://www.amazon.com/Ask-Given-Learning-Manifest-Desires/dp/1401904599

Book suggestion: Waking The Tiger https://www.amazon.com/Waking-Tiger-Healing-Peter-Levine/dp/1515960943

If you enjoyed the show, help us out by sharing this episode with your friends, subscribe on Itunes and leave us an awesome review. We appreciate you!

Contribute to Life On Earth Podcast : https://www.patreon.com/NathalieCroix  

Join FB Group Page : https://www.facebook.com/groups/LIFEONEARTHPODCAST/ 

“Nature is always speaking to us and tea helps us understand what she’s saying”

Get enlightened by this thoughtful conversation between Nathalie and WudDe Tea Master from Global Tea Hut.

Along with an in-depth discussion about tea's effects, brewing methods, and advice for beginners getting into tea, we hear a deep conversation about nature.

Are we losing our ability to communicate non-verbally in the present day?

Can tea help us change that and learn from the world around us? 

WuDe also shares information about courses taking place at Tea Sage Hut in Taiwan, what it's like being a part of Global Tea Hut, and how you can get involved.

Links: 

https://www.globalteahut.org

http://teasagehut.org/

https://www.facebook.com/GlobalTeaHut/ 

https://www.instagram.com/globalteahut/

Books :

The Way Of The Tea https://www.amazon.com/Way-Tea-Reflections-Life/dp/0804840326/ 

Tea Medicine https://www.amazon.com/Tea-Medicine-Aaron-Fisher/dp/1501039776/ 

Contribute to Life On Earth Podcast : https://www.patreon.com/NathalieCroix  

Join FB Group Page : https://www.facebook.com/groups/LIFEONEARTHPODCAST/ 

While Christmas is a joyous time for many, it can also be a sad time, particularly for those who have experienced loss. We’ve all experienced loss, some more recently than others, and Christmas can bring on memories and feelings of sadness.

This episode, Nathalie speaks with Brooke Baudot about life and death, advice for grieving, and dealing with loss. In the western world, we seem to have a much harder time dealing with the transition than in other cultures. We never know how much time we have left ourselves, or how much time we have with others. Although it may be difficult to understand why bad things happen, we all have a purpose on this planet, and you may understand one day.

Also in this show, you’ll hear a bit about Brooke’s journey opening her own yoga studio and air plant business, near-death experiences, dreams, and a question about animals being drawn to meditation.

Links:

Global Tea Hut

@BrookeBaudot Instagram

@just_grow_with_it Instagram

@soulfullyoga / www.soulfullyoganola.com

Aghora Crystals

Shanti Yoga Shala

The Way of Tea: Reflections On A Life with Tea by Aaron Fisher

7 Lessons from Heaven by Mary Neal

Donate on Patreon

Want to join us on some fun outings and community support ? Join our LIFE ON EARTH PODCAST Facebook Group Page 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/LIFEONEARTHPODCAST/

Nathalie wishes you a happy holiday season from New Orleans! This time of year means different things to different people. The holidays can be happy, sad, stressful, among many other things. In this episode, Nathalie will share some methods for staying grounded during the holidays and tending to your inner fire. Whether it’s walking meditation, bathing rituals, tea ceremonies, or listening to music, there are many things you can do for yourself.

With the winter solstice and new years approaching, we reflect on the past year and prepare to transition to the new year!

Links:

Winter Solstice Clearing Ritual: Let Go & Release at Shanti Yoga Shala http://bit.ly/2kEc7H2

https://www.instagram.com/nathaliecroix/

https://www.livingtea.net/