#212 Understanding the Ashtanga Yoga Opening Invocation: Etymology, Meaning & Inner Alchemy
Release Date: 09/26/2025
#228 The Benefits of Traditional Ashtanga Yoga Practice: From Nectar Drop to Ocean with Tim Feldmann and Kino MacGregor
Yoga Inspiration
Recorded at Nøsen Yoga Retreat in Norway, Kino and Tim explore the deeper benefits of traditional Ashtanga Yoga practice. Together, they reflect on Yoga as both a drop of nectar and an ocean, drawing on the Yoga Sūtra, the Bhagavad Gītā, and the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā. From strength and vitality in the body, to balance in the nervous system, to the quiet of meditation, they share how tradition transforms practice into a path of peace, humility, and self-realization. If this conversation resonates, you can continue your practice inside Explore full-length classes, guided series, and...
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#227 Beyond Asana: The Complete Path of Yoga with Srivatsa Ramaswami
Yoga Inspiration
Srivatsa Ramaswami is one of the last direct students of the legendary yogi Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, often regarded as the father of modern yoga. He studied with Krishnamacharya for over three decades, receiving a deeply traditional education in āsana, prāṇāyāma, chanting, and classical yoga texts. He is widely respected as a teacher and scholar of yoga, known for preserving and sharing the Vinyāsakrama method. His work emphasizes thoughtful sequencing, breath-led movement, and adaptation for the individual practitioner. Through decades of teaching, writing, and lecturing around the...
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#226 Avidyā: Lifting the Veil of Ignorance in Yoga
Yoga Inspiration
Avidyā: Lifting the Veil of Ignorance in Yoga Ignorance is rarely felt as ignorance. In yoga, this root affliction is called avidyā, the veil that causes us to mistake impermanence for permanence, suffering for joy, and the non-self for the Self. In this episode, Kino MacGregor explores the meaning of avidyā through the Yoga Sūtras, the Upaniṣads, and Buddhist teachings. Rather than a simple lack of knowledge, avidyā is revealed as an active misperception, a distortion that shapes how we see ourselves and the world. Drawing on Patañjali’s teaching that ignorance is the field from...
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#225 Grief as a Teacher: Remembering SharathJi
Yoga Inspiration
Grief is a powerful teacher. It doesn’t ask for permission before it arrives—it simply comes, dismantling everything we thought we knew about love, faith, and permanence. It turns the familiar inside out, leaving us raw and exposed to the mystery of loss. In this heartfelt episode, Kino MacGregor, Tim Feldmann, Joseph Armstrong, Edgar Navarro, Frances Cole Jones, Heather Serna, and many others come together to share stories, memories, and reflections about SharathJi; their teacher, guide, and spiritual anchor. Together, they explore how grief becomes part of the path, how lineage...
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#224 Viveka-khyāti: Seeing Clearly in an Age of Confusion and Acting Without Losing the Heart amidst Conflict
Yoga Inspiration
Yoga has never been a path of withdrawal from the world. It is a path of learning how to stand within it without losing clarity. In this episode, we explore the yogic concept of viveka, the capacity to see clearly and discern what is essential from what is transient. Drawing from the Yoga Sūtra, the Bhagavad Gītā, and traditional teachings, we look at how viveka-khyāti, steady and luminous discernment, allows practitioners to act in the world without becoming overwhelmed by it. Through the stories of Arjuna and Virabhadra, this conversation explores how clarity is restored in moments of...
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#223 In Conversation with Dr Raj: The Stories Behind The Poses
Yoga Inspiration
Episode Description In this conversation, Kino sits down with Dr. Raj Balkaran to explore the deeper dimensions of yoga practice beyond physical postures. Together they discuss mythology, meaning, and the role of story in shaping how we understand and embody yoga. Dr. Balkaran shares the origins of and explains how myth functions as a living teaching tool rather than symbolic decoration. Through stories of Ganesha, Kurmasana, Hanumanasana, and the churning of the cosmic ocean, he reveals how yoga practice is fundamentally about removing ignorance, cultivating wisdom, and learning to meet...
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#222 Grief, Presence, and the Courage to Stay Human with J.S. Park
Yoga Inspiration
In this episode of The Yoga Inspiration Podcast, Kino MacGregor sits down with hospital chaplain, writer, and grief expert for a deeply grounding conversation about grief, presence, and what it means to live with an open heart in a world that can feel overwhelming. They explore why grief is not something to fix or overcome, but something to honor, carry, and let transform over time. Kino reflects on communal grief in the Ashtanga world after the loss of a spiritual teacher, and J.S. offers compassionate insight into why we reach for solutions, why closure can be a myth, and how grief changes...
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#221 In Conversation with Andrew Tanner of The American Yoga Council
Yoga Inspiration
In this episode of the Yoga Inspiration Podcast, Kino MacGregor is joined by Andrew Tanner, yoga teacher of over 20 years, founder of the American Yoga Council and the Berkshire Yoga Festival, and author of So You Want to Open a Yoga Studio. Together they explore what it truly means to be a yogipreneur and how to build a sustainable livelihood in yoga without losing the heart of the practice. Andrew shares why service is the foundation of meaningful work, why the yoga industry has shifted in recent years, and what many teachers and studio owners are navigating right now. A central focus of the...
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#220 The Astrology of 2026 - the Year Everything Changes with Gahl Sasson
Yoga Inspiration
In this episode of the Yoga Inspiration Podcast, I sit down with astrologer and teacher Gahl Sasson for a thoughtful conversation on cycles, change, and finding meaning during times of transition. Together we explore how astrology and yoga intersect as tools for self awareness, timing, and personal growth. Gahl shares insights into understanding cycles of challenge and opportunity, the importance of perspective during uncertain times, and how spiritual practices can help ground us when life feels overwhelming. This conversation offers practical wisdom for anyone navigating change, seeking...
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#219 Healing Through Grief: How Yoga, Practice, and Community Carry Us Forward When Everything Falls Apart
Yoga Inspiration
This episode is a reflection on a year marked by grief, loss, and profound inner reckoning. I share openly about the death of my teacher, the unraveling of relationships I once trusted, and the disorienting experience of being misunderstood, judged, and rejected in ways I did not expect. What began as a single loss rippled outward, touching every area of my life. Along the way, I was forced to confront painful truths about friendship, projection, and the limits of compassion when others are committed to misunderstanding you. Through it all, one thing remained steady: practice. Yoga has...
info_outline The yoga community is like one big family, not united by fancy poses but by a shared love for this ancient practice. It doesn’t matter what shapes your body can or can’t make; what matters is that you keep showing up and giving your best effort.
What binds us is presence, not perfection. The practice calls forth a quiet courage and insight within us and it weaves us into a community of fellow seekers.
One of yoga’s subtle gifts is clear seeing, not just of the body but of the mind and heart. Its promise is not mere physical skill, but an inner transformation that dissolves confusion and reveals freedom.
At the start of every Ashtanga practice, we chant an invocation. It’s not just ritual, it’s a reminder of why we practice and what we’re really here to transform.
Key Line:
Saṃsāra Halāhala Mohaśāntyai
“For the pacification of the delusion (Moha) that is the poison (Halāhala) of Saṃsāra.”
Quick Word-by-Word Meaning
Saṃsāra (संसार): From sam- (together) + √sṛ (to flow) - the endless cycle of birth and death. Literally “the continuous flowing together.”
Halāhala (हलाहल): Deadly poison - like the mythic poison Śiva contained in his blue throat. Symbolizes the toxic nature of worldly entanglement.
Moha (मोह): Delusion - the ignorance that clouds clear seeing.
Sāntyai (शान्त्यै): “For pacification” - calming the poison of confusion.
Why It Matters
This ancient line reminds us: the real work of yoga is inner alchemy. The Guru and the practice help neutralize the poison of confusion so we can see clearly and live freely.
When we chant, we remember: the obstacles aren’t just outside, they live inside us as fear, attachment, and illusion. The path of yoga transforms poison into nectar, chaos into calm, confusion into clarity.
Listen in as we explore more hidden meanings behind this beloved chant and how it can deepen your practice.
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