Mysore Yoga Traditions Podcast – Details, episodes &amp; analysis

Mysore Yoga Conference, Mysore India Jan. 19-28th 2026

Melkote Yoga Immersion, Melkote India Feb. 1 - 8th 2026

200Hr Ashtanga Yoga Online Training designed with the help of Mysore's Sanskrit community

This podcast is produced by Andrew Eppler. Andrew is a lifelong practitioner of Ashtanga Yoga, director and producer of Mysore Yoga Traditions Film and founder of Mysore Yoga Conference.

Contributors include Bryce Delbridge, Joey Paz and Santiago Pinto.

Academic collaboration with Samskriti Foundation, Mysore India.

Music composed by Petros Haffenrichter.

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Understanding Indian Thinking with Dr. M. A. Narasimhan

Episode 12

Tuesday, September 3, 2024 • Duration 01:15:51

Dr. M. A. Narasimhan in a renowned scholar in Mysore who together with his equally famous sister Dr. M. A. Jayashree has been teaching chanting and philosophy to yoga students from all around the world for decades in Mysore. This is an interesting exploration of very different world views which exist in Indian philosophy.

For more information about Jayashree and Narasimhan please watch this short video on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4aU7dhsIWg

If you enjoy our podcast you might like to check out our other projects too!

Mysore Yoga Traditions 200hr Ashtanga Immersion Jan. 12 - Feb.8 2026

Mysore Yoga Conference, Mysore India Jan. 19-28th 2026

Melkote Yoga Immersion, Melkote India Feb. 1 - 8th 2026

200Hr Ashtanga Yoga Online Training designed with the help of Mysore's Sanskrit community

This podcast is produced by Andrew Eppler. Andrew is a lifelong practitioner of Ashtanga Yoga, director and producer of Mysore Yoga Traditions Film and founder of Mysore Yoga Conference.

What does success in Yoga look like? A Talk with Dr. H. V. Nagaraj Rao

Episode 2

Tuesday, June 18, 2024 • Duration 01:21:38

Here are my notes from this lecture which I found to be very beautiful and inspiring.

Lesson 5 with Dr. H. V. Nagaraj Rao.

At the beginning of the second chapter, we explore the transformative experiences of yogis. The first mantra invokes Savita, the sun god, who awakens the mind and intelligence, initiating Buddhi. The brilliance of the sun illuminates the world, symbolizing auspiciousness and spiritual progress.

Towards perfection, we should strive, connecting our minds to a higher truth. The Shvetashvatara Upanishad teaches that everyone is a child of immortality, journeying to reconnect with the original source. This knowledge, it asserts, should be spread worldwide.

A philosophical metaphor in yoga is Arani, where the student is the bottom piece of wood and the teacher the top piece. When rubbed together vigorously, they create the heat to ignite the student, symbolizing the transfer of knowledge and enlightenment.

In Indian philosophy, the powers of nature are regarded as gods. Achieving harmony with these forces makes one's mind fit for yoga. The sun god, essential for life, feeds the plants that feed us. Respecting the sun is thus respecting the source of all things. Offerings to the divine are expressed through social service. Service to humanity, however small, brings great satisfaction and happiness, embodying karma yoga.

The journey of a yogi involves specific practices and experiences. Maintaining a straight line from the back through the neck and head is crucial. The senses, often distracted by external stimuli, must be drawn inward. The knowledge of yoga is likened to a boat navigating through the sea of memories, both pleasurable and painful.

In the 6th chapter of the Gita, similar practices are described. The meditative posture involves keeping the head, neck, and trunk straight, with eyes neither fully open nor closed, and attention focused between the eyebrows. This helps one escape the prison of thought. Pranayama, or breath control, is key. Inhaling through the right nostril and exhaling through the left is recommended.

The chariot metaphor illustrates the importance of controlling the senses, both inwardly and outwardly, to achieve total freedom. The place of meditation should be flat, clean, and pleasant, free from pests and disturbances. Historically, yogis sought caves for their practice.

The Story of how Mysore Yoga Traditions began

Episode 1

Friday, June 14, 2024 • Duration 34:15

Mysore Yoga Traditions is a tale to tell! Through a series of unlikely and very fortunate twists of fate we were able to get right into the heart of the Sanskrit community of Mysore India and ask the questions that had always been on our minds.

If you enjoy our podcast you might like to check out our other projects too!

Mysore Yoga Traditions 200hr Ashtanga Immersion Jan. 12 - Feb.8 2026

Mysore Yoga Conference, Mysore India Jan. 19-28th 2026

Melkote Yoga Immersion, Melkote India Feb. 1 - 8th 2026

200Hr Ashtanga Yoga Online Training designed with the help of Mysore's Sanskrit community

This podcast is produced by Andrew Eppler. Andrew is a lifelong practitioner of Ashtanga Yoga, director and producer of Mysore Yoga Traditions Film and founder of Mysore Yoga Conference.

Contributors include Bryce Delbridge, and .

Kings and Yogis Documentary Project

Episode 11

Tuesday, August 27, 2024 • Duration 41:05

Andrew Eppler and Santiago Pinto share their passion for a project they are very excited about! We are in the early stages of what we feel will be an extremely beautiful addition to our efforts to learn about and preserve the Yoga legacy of Mysore.

We will tell the history of modern yoga through the hearts and minds of Mysore’s Royal Family and Sanskrit community, including its foremost scholars, philosophers, and asana teachers. While our initial documentary, *Mysore Yoga Traditions*, dealt primarily with 19th-century yoga history, *Kings and Yogis* explores the thousand years before that and provides the international yoga community a glimpse of the rich and beautiful yoga tradition, or parampara, from which at least half of all modern postural yoga practices have originated.

Join us in exploring the roots of modern yoga and the timeless wisdom of Mysore, India! Together, let's shine a light on the cultural treasures of the yoga tradition of Mysore, which has directly influenced at least half of all asana practices in the world today, touching millions of lives through Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Viniyoga, and countless derivative forms of yoga.

WATCH KINGS AND YOGIS TRAILER

If you enjoy our podcast you might like to check out our other projects too!

Mysore Yoga Traditions 200hr Ashtanga Immersion Jan. 12 - Feb.8 2026

Mysore Yoga Conference, Mysore India Jan. 19-28th 2026

Human Emotions with T.R.S. Sharma

Episode 10

Tuesday, August 20, 2024 • Duration 01:38:12

Dr. T. R. S. Sharma hails from the heart of the Mysore Yoga Tradition. In fact, he was the boy upon whom Sri Krishnamacharya was standing in the famous picture of a yoga demonstration in the 1930s. At 94 years old, Dr. Sharma is among the few living individuals who can speak firsthand about studying asanas with Sri Krishnamacharya during his tenure at the Maharaja's Sanskrit College in Mysore.

Dr. Sharma was born in the ancient, holy village of Melkote, located about an hour away from Mysore. Melkote serves as a spiritual epicenter for Mysore. Dr. Sharma pursued education in America on a Fulbright scholarship, focusing on etymology and literature. With extensive study in both Western and Indian philosophy, he taught Shakespeare for 40 years and authored over a dozen books spanning various subjects, including Indian philosophy.

We have had the privilege of hosting Dr. Sharma for lectures at the Mysore Yoga Conference multiple times. His profound understanding and original ideas are remarkable. With a deep appreciation for both Eastern and Western cultures, he bridges these worlds eloquently. His articulate discourse on human emotions directly addresses a topic widely debated in yoga communities worldwide.

If you enjoy our podcast you might like to check out our other projects too!

Mysore Yoga Traditions 200hr Ashtanga Immersion Jan. 12 - Feb.8 2026

Mysore Yoga Conference, Mysore India Jan. 19-28th 2026

Interview with Swami Muktadananda

Episode 8

Tuesday, August 13, 2024 • Duration 47:21

Swami Muktadananda is a legendary scholar and saint in the Ramakrishna Order of monks. When Joey Paz, Dallos Paz, Bryce Delbridge and I got out of our crowded rickshaw we didn't have any idea what we were getting ready to experience. We were soon sitting in front of a profound mystic with wild eyes and an energetic field around him that is difficult to describe in words. This was such a beautiful talk that I wanted to share it with you all! Swami Muktadanande was absolutely brilliant and deeply inspiring.

If you enjoy our podcast you might like to check out our other projects too!

Mysore Yoga Traditions 200hr Ashtanga Immersion Jan. 12 - Feb.8 2026

Mysore Yoga Conference, Mysore India Jan. 19-28th 2026

Melkote Yoga Immersion, Melkote India Feb. 1 - 8th 2026

200Hr Ashtanga Yoga Online Training designed with the help of Mysore's Sanskrit community

This podcast is produced by Andrew Eppler. Andrew is a lifelong practitioner of Ashtanga Yoga, director and producer of Mysore Yoga Traditions Film and founder of Mysore Yoga Conference.

Behind the scenes at Mysore Yoga Conference

Episode 9

Tuesday, August 6, 2024 • Duration 53:10

This is a fun episode with my dear friends and brothers Bryce Delbridge and Joey Paz! From the beginning of Mysore Yoga Traditions Podcast the the intention was to share experiences with my close friends as well as inspiring lectures with Sanskrit scholars and yogis from Mysore. We finally had a chance to get together and do an episode and I am really happy to share it with everyone!

In this episode we share some of our foundational experiences and main takeaways from the Mysore Yoga Traditions experience as well as our plans and aspirations for our upcoming 7th Annual Mysore Yoga Conference which will be January 13-22 2025.

We have a whole adventure in India planned for you guys! We do it every year and this year we have a fantastic line up with three amazing events that will be well worth traveling to India for!

Bryce and Joey travel all over the world doing workshops and retreats. You can find out more about them here.

Bryce Delbridge https://brycedelbridge.com/

Joey Paz https://www.joeypazyoga.com/

As always we welcome your thoughts and questions! If you would like to get in touch please send an email to andrew@ashtangayogastudio.com.

If you enjoy our podcast you might like to check out our other projects too!

Interview with Sri Lakshmithathachar

Episode 6

Tuesday, July 30, 2024 • Duration 01:05:29

Sri Lakshmithathacharya Swami was a visionary, great spiritual leader and Acharya in the tradition that Sri Krishnamacharya came from. This interview touched upon the ancient yoga lineage Nathamuni Sampradaya known commonly as Mysore Yoga Parampara. Sri Lakshmithathachar shares stories from this tradition, talks about the theoretical foundations of yoga and how western yoga practitioners can connect with the ancient teachings of Ashtanga Yoga. To learn more about Mysore Yoga Parampara please visit our tribute page to Sri Lakshmithathacharya Swami who was our beloved teacher.

https://ashtangayogastudio.com/lakshmithathacharya-swami

As time passes and more and more of the senior Sanskrit scholars of Mysore pass away, we feel it is important to document their teachings and share them with the international yoga community.

If you enjoy our podcast you might like to check out our other projects too!

Mysore Yoga Traditions 200hr Ashtanga Immersion Jan. 12 - Feb.8 2026

Mysore Yoga Conference, Mysore India Jan. 19-28th 2026

Melkote Yoga Immersion, Melkote India Feb. 1 - 8th 2026

200Hr Ashtanga Yoga Online Training designed with the help of Mysore's Sanskrit community

What is Traditional Ashtanga Yoga?

Episode 5

Tuesday, July 23, 2024 • Duration 24:51

This talk is based on a thousand year old summary of the Bhagavad Gita written by one of the sages in Sri Krishnamacharya's lineage called Yamunacharya. We will explore just what it means to be a traditional yoga practitioner in relation to an ancient text from the Mysore Yoga Tradition.

If you enjoy our podcast you might like to check out our other projects too!

Mysore Yoga Traditions 200hr Ashtanga Immersion Jan. 12 - Feb.8 2026