Yoga Inspiration

Join Kino MacGregor, one of the world’s master yoga teachers, as she shares her yoga life hacks to translate the wisdom of yoga into a happier, more peaceful, more loving life. Listen to authentic, raw conversations and talks from Kino on her own and with real students about what yoga is really all about. Ignite or rekindle your inner spark to get on your mat and keep practicing.

#204: Dharma Talk: The Grace of the Guru 06/06/2025

#204: Dharma Talk: The Grace of the Guru In the sacred journey of yoga, the figure of the guru—the teacher, the revealer—is not merely someone who instructs us in techniques. The guru is the light that removes darkness, the presence that dispels confusion, and the voice that calls us back to the Self. The Sanskrit word guru itself is formed from gu, meaning darkness, and ru, meaning remover. The guru is not the source of light—but the one who points us toward it, until we recognize it within. Grace, or kṛpā, is not a transaction. It’s not earned. It flows freely, when the heart becomes soft enough to receive it. The final verse of the Guru Stotram offers this reflection: dhyānamūlaṁ guror mūrtiḥ pūjāmūlaṁ guror padam mantramūlaṁ guror vākyam mokṣamūlaṁ guror kṛpā The root of meditation is the Guru’s form. The root of worship is the Guru’s feet. The root of mantra is the Guru’s words. And the root of mokṣa, liberation itself—is the Guru’s grace. This grace isn’t limited to moments of instruction or dramatic realization. It flows in silence. It is in the way the teacher holds space. It is in the presence that awakens something long forgotten. It is in the unspoken transmission of śakti—spiritual energy—that begins to shift the very axis of the student’s life. This is the dance of grace and effort. The student bows, asks, serves—and the guru, moved by love, offers the truth that sets us free. So what is our work as students, as seekers on this path? It is to recognize grace, to receive it with reverence, and to never forget that the true guru is not limited to any form. The ultimate guru-tattva lives in the heart of all beings—as śraddhā (faith), as viveka (discernment), as that subtle inner pull toward the light. In honoring the guru, we honor the light of wisdom itself—formless, eternal, and infinitely compassionate. Tasmai śrī gurave namaḥ — Salutations to that glorious Guru. Practice LIVE with me exclusively on Omstars! Start your journey today with a 7-day free trial at . Limited time Offer: Sign up for an Omstars+ membership and Get my FREE course: Ashtanga Mechanics. ! Stay connected with us on social @omstarsofficial and @kinoyoga Practice with me in person for workshops, classes, retreats, trainings and Mysore seasons. Find out more about where I’m teaching at and sign up for our Mysore season in Miami at www.miamilifecenter.com /episode/index/show/kinoyoga/id/36617565

#203: An Ocean of Grace, Saumanasya - The Cheerful Disposition of the Yogi's Mind 05/16/2025

#203: An Ocean of Grace, Saumanasya - The Cheerful Disposition of the Yogi's Mind Many of us come to yoga seeking relief. Relief from pain, from restlessness, from uncertainty. And sometimes we find it. But over time, what we discover is more lasting than relief. We discover presence. We discover steadiness. We discover a kind of joy that doesn’t have to shout. It only has to be. So we practice. Not to get rid of pain, but to know it. To meet it with clarity and care. And in that meeting, we find something remarkable: joy is still possible. It is a joy that knows sorrow. A happiness that is not threatened by difficulty. This is the depth of saumanasya. Saumanasya is defined by Patañjali as cheerfulness—it could also be translated as “mental clarity,” “gentle gladness,” or even “spiritual contentment.” But this is not about putting on a smile or chasing a feeling. It’s the natural radiance of a mind that has become unentangled. In Pāli, the same word appears as saumanassa, and it’s spoken of as a kind of mental vedanā—a feeling tone that arises not from external stimulation, but from deep, internal stillness. It’s not the kind of joy that explodes in celebration or depends on everything going our way. It’s the joy that arises when the striving quiets down. When the noise fades. When the heart is unburdened. And perhaps most beautifully, it’s a joy that does not replace suffering, but includes it. Practice LIVE with me exclusively on Omstars! Start your journey today with a 7-day free trial at . Limited time Offer: Sign up for an Omstars+ membership and Get my FREE course: Ashtanga Mechanics. ! Stay connected with us on social @omstarsofficial and @kinoyoga Practice with me in person for workshops, classes, retreats, trainings and Mysore seasons. Find out more about where I’m teaching at and sign up for our Mysore season in Miami at www.miamilifecenter.com /episode/index/show/kinoyoga/id/36538115

#202: How Yoga Grows a Heart of Unconditional Compassion 05/02/2025

#202: How Yoga Grows a Heart of Unconditional Compassion In the closing prayer of the Ashtanga practice, we chant: svasti prajābhyaḥ pari-pālayantāṁ, nyāyena mārgena mahīṁ mahīśāḥ, gobrāhmaṇebhyaḥ śubham astu nityaṁ, lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu. These ancient words are an offering — a prayer for all beings to be protected, for the rulers of the earth to walk the path of righteousness, for all sacred beings to be blessed, and for every living soul across all worlds to experience happiness and freedom. The final invocation, Oṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ, repeats the call for peace three times — for peace in the outer world, peace within ourselves, and peace in the unseen cosmic realms. This spirit of universal love is the very heart of yoga. In Sanskrit, the word for this love is prema — drawn from the root pri, meaning “to love” or “to gladden.” Prema is not an ordinary affection tied to desires; it is a pure, selfless love that flows naturally into service — seva. In the Bhakti Sūtras, it is said: sa tu prema-rūpā — “True devotion takes the form of pure love.” When we step onto our mats each morning, struggling and surrendering through the rhythm of breath and movement, we are invited into this deeper practice: not merely to perfect poses, but to offer every breath, every effort, as an act of prema — love — and seva — service — to all life. Thus, Ashtanga yoga becomes more than personal discipline; it becomes a ritual of the heart. Every vinyāsa is an offering. Every challenge faced with patience is a prayer. Every fall and every rise is an act of love made visible. Through this spirit, we fulfill the timeless prayer: lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu — “May all beings everywhere be happy and free.” Practice LIVE with me exclusively on Omstars! Start your journey today with a 7-day free trial at . Limited time Offer: Sign up for an Omstars+ membership and Get my FREE course: Ashtanga Mechanics. ! Stay connected with us on social @omstarsofficial and @kinoyoga Practice with me in person for workshops, classes, retreats, trainings and Mysore seasons. Find out more about where I’m teaching at and sign up for our Mysore season in Miami at www.miamilifecenter.com /episode/index/show/kinoyoga/id/36329390

#201: Tears of the Path: Saṁvega and the Ocean Within — A Reflection on Feeling Deeply, Seeing Clearly, and Walking the Path with Urgency 04/25/2025

#201: Tears of the Path: Saṁvega and the Ocean Within — A Reflection on Feeling Deeply, Seeing Clearly, and Walking the Path with Urgency As we go deeper on the spiritual path—whether through yoga, meditation, or self-inquiry—we often discover a paradox: We feel more peace… but we also feel more pain. The highs become transcendent. The lows, unbearable. We start to feel everything more intensely. This intensity is not a mistake. It is the heart of the path. The Buddha says: you have felt more grief than the ocean holds water. This isn’t just poetry. It’s a spiritual earthquake. This is not to depress us, but to awaken us—to stir our hearts. This stirring is known in Buddhism as saṁvega. This feeling—though unsettling—is a sacred catalyst. It’s what Prince Siddhartha felt when he saw old age, sickness, and death. It’s what every sincere practitioner eventually encounters: not just the suffering of the world, but the raw truth of our entanglement in it. You begin to see the pain in pleasure—how even joy is tinged with impermanence. You see the subtle violence of craving, the ache beneath distraction. Your old ways of coping no longer work. This is grace, not failure. Because only when we see duḥkha clearly, can we begin to walk a path beyond it. These are cracks in the illusion. And through those cracks, truth pours in. The practice is not to patch them up, but to stay open. Yoga gives us a container: Asana: to ground the body as emotion rises Prāṇāyāma: to stabilize the nervous system as old energy releases Meditation: to witness pain without collapsing into it Bhakti: to open the heart in devotion rather than despair And ultimately, viveka—discernment—so that we can feel the pain of the world without losing our place in it. Practice LIVE with me exclusively on Omstars! Start your journey today with a 7-day free trial at . Limited time Offer: Sign up for an Omstars+ membership and Get my FREE course: Ashtanga Mechanics. ! Stay connected with us on social @omstarsofficial and @kinoyoga Practice with me in person for workshops, classes, retreats, trainings and Mysore seasons. Find out more about where I’m teaching at and sign up for our Mysore season in Miami at www.miamilifecenter.com /episode/index/show/kinoyoga/id/36008685