The Soul Sutras Podcast

Jardana Peacock was mentored by the American Civil Rights activist and educator Anne Braden. She is also a long-time yogi. In July 2016, we had a phone conversation amidst news of the officer-involved shootings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, attacks on Dallas police officers, and the smashing of a racist stained glass window at Yale University. In the same week, charges were also dropped for the fourth officer involved in Freddie Gray’s alleged murder and cries of protest were heard around the country. Enter Jardana - whose work happens at the intersection of these political & social tensions. As a leadership consultant and coach, she asks us to call on our deep spirituality and radical imagination to ask how we can better show up & create the world we want to live in. Our talk weaves the sutras of Jardana's life with the legacies of activism, the Civil Rights movement, and participatory leadership. SHOW NOTES: We throw around some terminology [e.g. WHITE SUPREMACY, PRIVLEGE] that is familiar to folks involved with social justice work. If you're wanting some clarity on these terms, check out the YWCA's helpful list of definitions HERE: http://www.ywca.org/atf/cf/%7BAC4038C4-BCCA-4F24-B55C-F41063EDF6FE%7D/Racism%20-Definitions%20for%20Class%20.pdf Wondering how white supremacy hurts white people? Read this helpful article: http://afsc.org/blogs/acting-in-faith/10-ways-white-supremacy-wounds-white-people-tale-mutuality?utm_source=AFSCNow&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=JulyAFSCnow

Jesal Parikh is a yoga teacher in NYC who believes fully in the power of partnership. Her spiritual journey started with a not-so-great time at Hindu camp, to wanting to be a monk, to now being a modern day yogi and householder. In our conversation, she tells us how her identity as a young Hindu American shaped her understanding of spirituality vs. religion and how her life ultimately led her to finding the *yoga* amidst the every day challenges and joys of marriage.

Have you ever wished for something to happen, then felt overwhelmed when it did? This Yoga IRL Short Session speaks to this: what to do when you're freaked out by your own ability to make things happen & how to digest your life in the midst of transition. Topics include working with Samana Vayu to feel stable and grounded in your power.

How does one move from feeling safe in hiding to finding freedom & meaning in “coming out?" Listen along as Juliet Meggs, educator and activist for transgender related issues, describes how she's learned to live her life "off script" - evolving from a life of self abnegation to one sustained by honesty & truth.

In this months Housekeeping, Kaylee takes you into your symbolic house of relationships, to get you deeply in touch with where you're at and offer tools for you to be more wholistically present and own this space of your life! This episode features: > 14 min personal demo & insight gained > + 2 min tools for taking ownership over being fully present > +8 min of guided Housekeeping steps HOLD UP, SAY WHAT? Ok listen... yes this is a little weird. And weird is where the magic is. Look your intuitive heart just got a little excited. Alright? So, we all have different areas in life that comprise who we are: friends, family, health, work, spirituality, finances etc. etc. etc. Get outside of your left brain for a moment and imagine these aspects of your life each materializing into houses. They would have their own space, history, decor, vibes and more. Each month, in Kaylee's Soul Sutra Short: Housekeeping, she will walk you into one of these houses, to get you deeply in touch with where you are at and offer tools for you to be more wholistically present and own this space of your life! It's grand, for real, come along and strengthen your innate intuitive self with this metaphorical exercise. REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE: > https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2016/01/27/understanding-which-love-language-my-partner-speaks-changed-our-relationship/ > https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability?language=en MUSIC: > intro: Where Do You Belong by Cullah > intro: Proton Beat by Gangi > interlude: ^ + Nothing Left by Greatest Lakes > outro: Daddy’s Delight by Sacred Side Project

Body positive yogi Dianne Bondy is a self-proclaimed disrupter. In this episode, hear her thoughts on the diet industry and how to change the paradigm to make yoga a practice that celebrates bodies of all sizes, ethnicities and abilities.

In this month's Yoga IRL, Megan breaks down the ways yoga can teach us to love our bodies & learn to see them as an extension of our purpose. This episode features a 12 minute talk + 15 minute meditation. WORDS YOU'LL HEAR ON THIS EPISODE: Svastha ::: A Sanskrit word for "healthy." Literally translates to "established in self." Mind. blown. In the U.S. we have data, numbers, pinch tests, BMI calculators, and monitors to tell us whether we are healthy. But in this tradition, "healthy" means being established in who you are, what your purpose is, and living it every day. Boom. Kapha Dosha ::: Yoga's sister science, Ayurveda, acknowledges that all people are made up of different combinations of the elements. "Kapha" refers to the earth element. Ahimsa ::: Sanskrit word for "non-violence" or "non-harming" Psoas muscle ::: A deep core muscle originating around the low ribs on either side of the spine, and connecting to the femur bones of each leg. Described by some as the "muscle of the soul," the psoas muscle is intimately connected to the nervous system and, thus, deeply connected to our emotional, psychological and/or fear states. Give your psoas some love today by practicing a simple Legs Up The Wall Pose and see if you can feel this area of the body release & relax your mood. Learn about this pose here: http://life.gaiam.com/video/most-therapeutic-yoga-pose?utm_source=Linkshare&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=1&siteID=J84DHJLQkR4-F_6iaLLgCRypX5UXrrEHsg READ ABOUT THE YJ ARTICLE REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE: http://www.curvyyoga.com/love-curves-well-except-obviously/ MUSIC: intro: Where Do You Belong by Cullah intro: Proton Beat by Gangi outro: Daddy’s Delight by Sacred Side Project

The world is waking up. 50+ million people in the U.S. alone are learning that yoga & holistic health WORK. But how are we bridging the gap between collective wellbeing and the change that's happening on the mats and in the homes of individuals? In today's conversation with Kate Werning, national organizing director of CTZNWELL, we discuss the threads in her life that led her to explore this question.