Modern Mystics Podcast with Alanna Kaivalya, Ph.D.

Yoga originates in India, and today flourishes in the West. Questions of cultural appropriation often arise within the spiritual community, and there is a great responsibility on the part of yoga teachers to address this. Raj Patra, owner of Yoga for Life Portland, helps us navigate cultural appropriation in yoga with grace and integrity.

As we navigate racial justice issues as spiritual leaders, it is important to think about how we create wellness spaces that invite Black, BIPOC, and other communities into the fold. How do we communicate safety and inclusion? Eric Mosley, founder of Black Mat Yoga NYC, helps us to navigate this important conversation.

As spiritual leaders, we are here to usher people through all transitions in life...including death. This is a sacred privilege and one that we can hold with dignity and honor. Chaplain Andrew talks about the importance of holding the space for death and dying personally and professionally.

In this time of social justice, equality, and inclusion, it is important for us as spiritual leaders to practice good allyship and stand in solidarity with our LGBTQ+ community members. Fellow yoga teacher and social activist, Jase Cannon, gives us great insight and suggestions on how to build more inclusive classes and community.

During this time of social justice and civil upheaval, our ability to practice non-violence in its most fundamental way empowers us to be agents of positive change. Learn how this practice changes your life, as well as those around you and gives you the resilience to always make the best choices for yourself and the world at large.

In light of recent police violence against people of color, including the death of George Floyd, our country has reached a boiling point. This podcast features social activist, yoga teacher, and mindfulness practitioner, Shawn J. Moore, who provides us with thoughtful strategies to lean into this evolution as spiritual leaders so we can better support ourselves and our community to create positive change.

While many consider enlightenment to be the goal of yoga, it's not! That is just a practice that helps us to get better at the REAL goal of yoga: excellent decision making. Learn about the yoga sutra and how it supports viveka (discernment) as the goal of yoga...so you can say an enthusiastic, "Yes!" to your life!

The demand is HIGH for getting your spiritual business online pronto. It's an important step to serve your students now...and long into the future! In this podcast, learn the most essential (and easy!) steps to create a successful online business that allows you to make more impact, and income.

Feminine energy has long been repressed, dismissed, and even forgotten. Take some time to rediscover the power of the feminine and learn more about its place as an essential energy of the universe. Along with the masculine, the feminine influences our life, practice, relationship, culture, and existence. Get to the heart of human nature -- of your nature! -- by learning more about how to honor the feminine and find a sense of equality between these two polarities.

This week, three planets turn retrograde. This is a major astrological event! Alanna guides you through what each of these planetary retrogrades mean, how to utilize their energies for your highest good, and the best ways to bring their influence into your life and work as a modern mystic!

Yoga professional and visionary, Emily Stewart, talks to Alanna about her creation of a yoga union to help professionals earn better wages, secure insurance coverage and make a living in our tough industry. She recognized many of the struggles of the yoga teacher and has sought to solve those problems by bringing yogis together and protecting them in this old school, yet innovative way!

You may have noticed that your "yoga bliss" is gone during this time, and your practice isn't producing the same results. Times of high stress (like right now) may require we adjust our practice in order for it to be more effective. In this podcast, we talk about four different practices that may help move the body out of a trauma response and restore relaxation.

As a spiritual leader, you are on the front lines of the mental and emotional crisis happening right now. This podcast gives you the practical structure of yoga psychology as well as immediately implementable tools to help you (and your clients and community) de-stress, feel more connected, and increase resilience.

It is more important than ever to have an online presence as a yoga teacher and spiritual leader. With people at home and sheltering in place due to COVID-19, we must reach them where they are: at home! You have the tools of yoga which expressly help your audience mitigate stress and anxiety as a result of this crisis. It is critical that you provide them with offerings that give them the tools they need...by going online!

Abundance is such a buzz word! Does anyone know how to actually get it? The trick may surprise you, and run counter to what you've heard in new-agey circles. Discover the heart of abundance and how you can be a channel for more of it.