Om Som Yoga + Ayurveda Podcast

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IN THIS EPISODELast week we said mantra is the deity in sound. This week: what happens when that sound takes shape? The tradition makes a claim that sounds almost like physics — form is frozen vibration, and geometry is what sound looks like. A yantra is not a picture of the divine; it is the divine's architecture. We begin in Kāñcīpuram, where Ādi Śaṅkara met a Goddess too fierce to approach — and instead of appeasing her, he drew her: the Śrī Cakra that gave her fire a hearth.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN✦ What a yantra actually is: yam (to hold) + tra (instrument) — a machine for holding the divine, and equally the mind

✦ Sound becoming matter: nāda (vibration) → bindu (point) → kalā (form) — and its modern echo in cymatics, where sound arranges sand into geometry

✦ Geometry as the foundation of matter: what the bindu, triangle, circle, petals and square each encode

✦ The Śrī Yantra: four Śiva triangles interlocking with five Śakti triangles around a central point

✦ Yantra in tantra: the geometry as the deity's body — installed, bathed and worshipped

✦ Yantra in yoga: trāṭaka and dṛṣṭi — where the eye is bound, the mind follows

✦ Yantra for meditation: journeying from the outer square to the centre, layer by layer

✦ Yantra as numerology: 1, 3, 4, 5, 9, 43, 108 — philosophy written in number

TEXTUAL REFERENCES✦ Kulārṇava Tantra ch. 6: "yantraṁ mantramayaṁ proktam" — the yantra is declared to be made of mantra; deity, sound and form as one reality

✦ Saundaryalaharī v. 11: the Śrī Cakra described as pure geometry — the Goddess's dwelling

✦ Gheraṇḍa Saṁhitā 1.53–54 & Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā 2.31–32: trāṭaka, gazing until tears come — "the door to śāmbhavī mudrā"

✦ Yoga Sūtra 3.1: "deśa-bandhaś cittasya dhāraṇā" — concentration is binding the mind to one place

TRY THIS IN YOUR PRACTICE✦ Five minutes of trāṭaka on a candle flame or Śrī Yantra before meditation — outer gaze, then the inner after-image

✦ Journey a yantra from bhūpura to bindu as a complete meditation — enter the temple layer by layer

✦ Use one dṛṣṭi per posture in your next asana practice — the eye as anchor, the mind following

✦ Draw a simple yantra by hand — slowly; the drawing is the meditation

✦ Make your practice space a yantra: one focal point, symmetry, nothing else

✦ Screens are yantras too — machines that hold the mind.

Leave us a comment: what geometry is your attention resting in?

SHARE & CONNECTWebsite: https://omsom.yogaInstagram: @omsomyoga

If this episode landed, the best way to support the show is to share it with one person who might need it. We run a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs.

Wherever you are on your journey, we'd love to connect with you.

HARI OM

Mantra: The Sound That Protects the Mind

PRACTICE WITH US✦ Practice Online — Sadhana Sangha: 5 practices per month, asana workshops, subtle body techniques & Yoga Sūtra translation https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join✦ OmSom App (free) — Yoga philosophy, Sanskrit study & our online community. Search OmSom in the App Store✦ 100 Hr Yoga Teacher Training — Asana Sadhana Dharma bridging course https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto✦ 200 Hr YTT — Sri Lanka Immersion 2027 https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-sri-lanka✦ 300 Hr YTT — Online & India Immersion 2026/2027 https://omsom.yoga/300-hour-advanced-hatha-yoga-training✦ 50 Hr Yin YTT — Online https://practice.omsom.yoga/yin-yoga-and-prana-vayus-oto✦ Practice in Person — Classes, workshops & community in Berwick, Victoria https://omsom.yoga/book-a-class

IN THIS EPISODEMost of us think a mantra is a positive affirmation — something you say to feel better. The tradition says something stranger: a mantra isn't about anything. It's an instrument. A tool made of sound, used on the mind, to protect the mind: manas — mind, tra — instrument, protection. We open September with the first of tantra's three great instruments, beginning with the robber who couldn't pronounce the holy name, was given the word backwards, and repeated it until the sound turned itself around — and turned him into the sage Vālmīki.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN✦ What a mantra actually is: "mananāt trāyate iti mantraḥ" — that which protects through being held in the mind ✦ Why a mantra is not an affirmation: affirmations work on meaning, mantra works on vibration ✦ Why mantras are received, not invented — the ṛṣis as "seers" of sound ✦ The three levels of japa: aloud, whispered, silent ✦ Why yoga uses mantra: the mind can't be stopped by force, but it can be given one thing to hold ✦ The history of mantra: Vedic ritual → Upaniṣads → Patañjali → tantra → haṭha yoga's inner sound ✦ How to use mantra during asana: yoking repetition to breath, silent japa in held postures, So'haṁ ✦ The bīja mantras for the five elements: LAṀ (earth), VAṀ (water), RAṀ (fire), YAṀ (air), HAṀ (space) — and how to choose the seed your system is missing

TEXTUAL REFERENCES✦ Yoga Sūtra 1.27–29: repetition of Praṇava with contemplation of its meaning — inward-turning awareness, obstacles fall away ✦ Bhagavad Gītā 10.25: "among sacrifices I am the sacrifice of japa" ✦ Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad: the meditation on Aum (see our June episode) ✦ Ṣaṭcakranirūpaṇa: the five element bījas at the cakras ✦ Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā ch. 4: nāda, the inner sound ✦ The Vālmīki legend, Adhyātma Rāmāyaṇa tradition

TRY THIS IN YOUR PRACTICE✦ Choose one mantra for the season and stay with it — repetition is the method, novelty is the obstacle ✦ 108 repetitions on mālā beads: aloud → whispered → silent ✦ Yoke mantra to breath in slow practice: one repetition per inhale, one per exhale ✦ Try one bīja at its seat for the element your week is missing ✦ Notice what your mind already repeats — worry is japa without protection. What are you repeating, and what is it building? ✦ Leave us a comment: what mantra are you working with right now?

SHARE & CONNECTWebsite: https://omsom.yoga

OmSom App (free): search OmSom in the App StoreInstagram: @omsom.yogaIf this episode landed, the best way to support the show is to share it with one person who might need it. We run a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. Wherever you are on your journey, we'd love to connect with you.HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US

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IN THIS EPISODE

What if grace isn't something you earn? We've sat with three powers this month - the power of will (icchā), the power of knowing (jñāna), the power to act (kriyā). But the tradition reveres something beyond all three: Śrī - auspiciousness, radiance, grace, one of the oldest names for the Divine Feminine in the Vedic tradition. And here's the teaching that turns modern spirituality on its head: Śrī is not a power to be cultivated. She is a presence to be received. The texts describe no practice that produces her - only a way of living that welcomes her. In this closing episode of our month on Śakti, we explore what arrives when your wanting, your knowing, and your doing finally align - and why grace is not separate from daily life, but the quality of daily life when daily life is whole.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

✦ What Śrī means - auspiciousness, radiance, beauty, wealth as overflowing fullness, grace, and the Divine Feminine herself

✦ Why Śrī is not a fourth śakti - in the Trika system of Kashmir Śaivism she is the fullness that emerges when icchā, jñāna, and kriyā are held together in dynamic harmony

✦ Why the Śrī Sūkta's cattle, gold, horses and children aren't about wealth - they're the visible signs of a life lived in alignment: nourishment, stability, vitality, continuity

✦ Paige on the Āyurvedic mirror: Śrī as the visible expression of ojas - the subtle essence of vitality - including what builds ojas and what quietly depletes it

✦ How each doṣa invites śrī differently - grounding for Vāta, softening for Pitta, brightening for Kapha

✦ The daily śrī rituals: tending the threshold, offering a small flame at the turning of the day, speaking well of others in their absence, eating one slow meal at the table

TEXTUAL REFERENCES

✦ Śrī Sūkta (Ṛg Veda Khila 2.6) - the primary Vedic hymn to Śrī, fifteen verses still chanted daily across India, calling her hiraṇya-varṇām, the one of golden hue, and asking her to make her home with the singer

✦ Liṅga Purāṇa & Padma Purāṇa - the story of Lakṣmī and Alakṣmī (Jyeṣṭhā, the elder one), the two inseparable sisters who divide the houses between them

✦ Lalitā Sahasranāma (Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa) - the Thousand Names of the Goddess, many carrying Śrī as prefix or name: Śrī Vidyā, Śrī Mātā, Śrī Cakra-rājñī

✦ Saundaryalaharī (attributed to Śaṅkara) - verse 1: "Śiva, joined with Śakti, becomes capable of manifestation" (śivaḥ śaktyā yukto yadi bhavati śaktaḥ prabhavitum)

✦ Pratyabhijñā tradition - Kṣemarāja and Abhinavagupta on śrī as the integrating principle: the recognised luminosity that arises when the three śaktis are no longer experienced as separate

SHARE & CONNECT

Website: https://omsomyoga.com

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If this episode landed, the best way to support the show is to share it with one person who might need it.

We run a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. Wherever you are on your journey, we’d love to connect with you.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US

✦ Practice Online

Sadhana Sangha: 5 practices per month, asana workshops, subtle body techniques & Yoga Sūtra translation

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✦ OmSom App (free)

Yoga philosophy, Sanskrit study & our online community

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✦ 100 Hr Yoga Teacher Training

Already 200 Hr trained? This is our Asana Sadhana Dharma bridging course

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✦ 300 Hr Yoga Teacher Training

Online & India Immersion 2026/2027

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IN THIS EPISODE

If you watched the universe from the outside for even one moment, all you would see is motion, from stars forming, to cells dividing, the breath rising and falling. Tantra has a name for whatever is doing all of that: Kriyā Śakti, the divine power of action. And here's the teaching that changes how you practise, the force moving the cosmos is the same force moving your breath right now.

In the final part of our series on the three śaktis of the Trika system of Kashmir Shaivism, we explore how desire (icchā) and knowledge (jñāna) complete themselves in action, why prāṇāyāma is a way of consciously participating in the creation of reality, and the question this teaching is designed to dissolve: is the spanda inside you, or are you inside the spanda?

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

✦ What Kriyā Śakti is - the energy through which consciousness moves from intention into manifestation, the third of the three śaktis alongside Icchā (desire) and Jñāna (knowledge) 

✦ How the three śaktis map onto sankalpa work - the feeling, the words, and the practice that brings intention into form

✦ Why noticing your breath is noticing the universe expressing itself through you - from the cycles of the breath to sunrise and sunset, seasons 

✦ Kevala Kumbhaka - the spontaneous suspension of the breath as the maturity of prāṇāyāma practice, and how it offers a glimpse of the source of action 

✦ Why oxygen levels barely drop in the first minutes of a breath hold (1–2%) - it's the perception of no access to air that creates the stress 

✦ Vāta doṣa as the Kriyā Śakti of Āyurveda - the force governing all movement in body and mind 

TEXTUAL REFERENCES

✦ Spanda Kārikā - opening teaching: "We praise that Śakti who is the source of all manifestation, by whose vibration the universe arises, and into whom it dissolves" - spanda, the pulsation that is consciousness in motion (Spanda Kārikā 1.1, where the universe arises and dissolves "by the opening and closing of the eyes") 

✦ Pratyabhijñāhṛdayam, Sūtra 2 - "By her own will, she unfolds the universe upon her own canvas" (svecchayā svabhittau viśvam unmīlayati) 

✦ Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali 2.49–2.51 - when steadiness of posture is achieved, prāṇāyāma becomes the regulation of inhalation and exhalation; the fourth prāṇāyāma "transcends the domain of internal and external" - kevala kumbhaka 

✦ Vijñāna Bhairava Tantra (112 meditation techniques), Saundarya Laharī, and the Nārada Bhakti Sūtra - "when the lover and the beloved become one" 

TRY THIS IN YOUR PRACTICE

✦ Start where Āyurveda starts: align one daily rhythm with nature this week - wake with the sun, or eat your main meal at midday 

SHARE & CONNECT

Website: https://omsomyoga.com

OmSom App (free): search OmSom in the App Store

Instagram: @omsomyoga

If this episode landed, the best way to support the show is to share it with one person who might need it.

We run a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. Wherever you are on your journey, we’d love to connect with you.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US

✦ Practice Online

Sadhana Sangha: 5 practices per month, asana workshops, subtle body techniques & Yoga Sūtra translation

https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join

✦ OmSom App (free)

Yoga philosophy, Sanskrit study & our online community

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✦ 100 Hr Yoga Teacher Training

Already 200 Hr trained? This is our Asana Sadhana Dharma bridging course

https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto

✦ 200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training

Sri Lanka Immersion 2027

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✦ 300 Hr Yoga Teacher Training

Online & India Immersion 2026/2027

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✦ 50 Hr Online Yin Yoga Teacher Training

Online

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IN THIS EPISODE

Where does knowing actually live? Most of us would say the brain, the intellect, up here. Tantra disagrees. This week we explore jñāna śakti, the second of the three powers: the divine capacity to know. Not knowledge you collect from books or teachers, but the recognition of what was already true. Through the story of a woman tearing her house apart searching for a necklace she was wearing the whole time, we unpack pratyabhijñā, the Recognition doctrine of Kashmir Śaivism: liberation isn't something you achieve. It's something you remember. The practice is the mirror. The teacher is the friend who points you toward it. And the necklace is what you already are.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

✦ What jñāna śakti is: consciousness's capacity to recognise itself, one layer deeper than knowledge, the power of knowing itself✦ Pratyabhijñā, the doctrine of recognition: to re-cognise is to remember what was already present, that moment a feeling you've always carried finally finds its word✦ Jñāna vs vidyā vs pramāṇa: knowledge learned from another, knowledge verified against a source, and the capacity for knowing - do you know it as something you've learned, or as something you are?✦ How to actually pronounce jñāna (hint: it's not "gyana") - a mini bīja-sound lesson in where the sound lives in the mouth✦ Why the teacher's only job is to keep pointing you back toward the mirror, and why we always answer your question with "what do you think?"✦ The buddhi: the discerning, intuitive layer of mind where jñāna śakti is active✦ Samyoga & viyoga: the Ayurveda journaling exercise that proves you already know the answers to your own health✦ Why sattva matters: without clarity and balance, even the aha moments can be illusion

TEXTUAL REFERENCES

✦ Pratyabhijñāhṛdayam, sūtra 8: "tad bhūmikāḥ sarva-darśana-sthitayaḥ" - the positions of all philosophies are stages of this same recognition✦ Yoga Sūtra 1.7: "pratyakṣa-anumāna-āgamāḥ pramāṇāni" - right knowledge has three sources: direct perception, inference, and reliable testimony✦ Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad: the two kinds of knowing - parā vidyā, higher knowledge from the divine source, and aparā vidyā, lower knowledge from worldly sources✦ The Pratyabhijñā (Recognition) school of Kashmir Śaivism, 9th century

TRY THIS IN YOUR PRACTICE

✦ Journal your samyoga and viyoga: a few dot points on what you do (habits, rituals, actions, thoughts) that move you toward the state of yoga, and what moves you away from it. Then read the list back. You just gave yourself the advice

SHARE & CONNECT

Website: https://omsomyoga.com

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If this episode landed, the best way to support the show is to share it with one person who might need it.

We run a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. Wherever you are on your journey, we’d love to connect with you.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US

✦ Practice Online

Sadhana Sangha: 5 practices per month, asana workshops, subtle body techniques & Yoga Sūtra translation

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✦ OmSom App (free)

Yoga philosophy, Sanskrit study & our online community

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✦ 100 Hr Yoga Teacher Training

Already 200 Hr trained? This is our Asana Sadhana Dharma bridging course

https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto

✦ 200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training

Sri Lanka Immersion 2027

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✦ 300 Hr Yoga Teacher Training

Online & India Immersion 2026/2027

https://omsom.yoga/300-hour-advanced-hatha-yoga-training

✦ 50 Hr Online Yin Yoga Teacher Training

Online

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✦ Practice in Person

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IN THIS EPISODE

Most of us were taught somewhere along the way that wanting is the problem. Renounce desire, want less, be more content. Tantra says the opposite.

The texts say the universe itself begins with a wanting. Icchā Śakti, the first of the three powers, the divine impulse to manifest. Without icchā, nothing comes into being. The work isn't to silence wanting. It's to recognise the wanting itself as the divine moving through you.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

✦ What icchā śakti is: the first stirring in Śiva's stillness, consciousness desiring to know itself as another 

✦ The three powers of the Trika system: icchā (the wanting), jñāna (knowing what is wanted), kriyā (bringing it into form) 

✦ Where this sits: above the Sāṃkhya map rather than inside it, Kashmir Śaivism building layers on top of Puruṣa and Prakṛti 

✦ Not an ego desire: not the casual craving for hot chips, but the impulse moving through you 

✦ The same three powers that create the universe create your morning: the wanting to rise, the knowing of what you'll do, the body actually rising 

✦ Why you don't have to know what you want yet: icchā comes first, jñāna comes second 

✦ Paige on prajñāparādha: the crime against wisdom, and what it costs to suppress the body's natural urges 

TEXTUAL REFERENCES

✦ Pratyabhijñāhṛdayam, opening sūtra: consciousness, free and self-luminous, is the cause of the manifestation of the world 

✦ Mālinīvijayottaratantra: icchā śakti as the first stirring, the moment of self-awareness within luminous consciousness 

✦ Bhagavad Gītā 7.11: "I am the strength of the strong, free from passion and attachment, and in beings I am desire that does not conflict with dharma" 

✦ Yoga Sūtra 4.7: the yogi's karma is neither black nor white, and for others it is of three kinds (sañcita, prārabdha, kriyamāṇa) 

✦ Swami Rama, paraphrased: in our tradition we accept Patañjali's yoga as a preliminary step toward the deeper practices 

✦ The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield: the first insight, following the coincidences

TRY THIS IN YOUR PRACTICE

✦ On the mat, notice the small desires: to move or to be still, to do more or to do less. Then ask where that desire is coming from 

✦ Eat slowly, and wait for the first burp. It's often just a small passing of air, so you'll only catch it if you're listening 

✦ Stop overriding the body's natural urges. Hunger, thirst, tears, the need for the toilet. This is where listening begins 

✦ When someone arrives in your mind for no reason, call them 

✦ Ask: what does life want to experience through me? Where is that pull taking me? 

✦ Discern between the two. Is this the will of the ego, or the will of the divine? 

SHARE & CONNECT

Website: https://omsomyoga.com

OmSom App (free): search OmSom in the App Store

Instagram: @omsomyoga

If this episode landed, the best way to support the show is to share it with one person who might need it.

We run a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. Wherever you are on your journey, we’d love to connect with you.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US

✦ Practice Online

Sadhana Sangha: 5 practices per month, asana workshops, subtle body techniques & Yoga Sūtra translation

https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join

✦ OmSom App (free)

Yoga philosophy, Sanskrit study & our online community

Search OmSom in the App Store

✦ 100 Hr Yoga Teacher Training

Already 200 Hr trained? This is our Asana Sadhana Dharma bridging course

https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto

✦ 200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training

Sri Lanka Immersion 2027

https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-sri-lanka

✦ 300 Hr Yoga Teacher Training

Online & India Immersion 2026/2027

https://omsom.yoga/300-hour-advanced-hatha-yoga-training

✦ 50 Hr Online Yin Yoga Teacher Training

Online

https://practice.omsom.yoga/yin-yoga-and-prana-vayus-oto

✦ Practice in Person

Classes, workshops & community events in Berwick, Victoria

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IN THIS EPISODE

We explore Sankalpa, the heart-resolve that sits beneath every action you take. Across the month we have sat with karma (the act), kriyā (the process), and vikalpa (the mental construct). All of them are downstream of Sankalpa: the quiet sentence the heart has decided is true.

In the yoga nidra tradition, this is the seed planted at the deepest stage of relaxation. In daily life, it is the unspoken commitment that quietly shapes everything else. Aaron and Paige explore why Sankalpa is so often the missing piece in modern goal-setting, and what begins to shift when we work from the seed rather than the symptom.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

TEXTUAL REFERENCES

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

What is the sentence your life has been quietly repeating? And if you could plant one new sankalpa right now, knowing the body would carry it forward, what would it be?

We would love to hear your reflection. Share it with us, or carry it quietly into your next practice.

SHARE & CONNECT

Website: https://omsomyoga.com

OmSom App (free): search OmSom in the App Store

Instagram: @omsomyoga

If this episode landed, the best way to support the show is to share it with one person who might need it.

We run a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. Wherever you are on your journey, we’d love to connect with you.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US

✦ Practice Online

Sadhana Sangha: 5 practices per month, asana workshops, subtle body techniques & Yoga Sūtra translation

https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join

✦ OmSom App (free)

Yoga philosophy, Sanskrit study & our online community

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✦ 100 Hr Yoga Teacher Training

Already 200 Hr trained? This is our Asana Sadhana Dharma bridging course

https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto

✦ 200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training

Sri Lanka Immersion 2027

https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-sri-lanka

✦ 300 Hr Yoga Teacher Training

Online & India Immersion 2026/2027

https://omsom.yoga/300-hour-advanced-hatha-yoga-training

✦ 50 Hr Online Yin Yoga Teacher Training

Online

https://practice.omsom.yoga/yin-yoga-and-prana-vayus-oto

✦ Practice in Person

Classes, workshops & community events in Berwick, Victoria

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IN THIS EPISODE

Most of our suffering never actually happens. It happens in the mind, and the body responds to the imagined threat exactly as it would to a real one.

Patañjali named this: vikalpa, knowledge built from words alone, empty of any actual object. The practice of yoga isn't to stop thinking. It's to stop confusing the thinking with the truth.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

✦ What vikalpa is: a world built from words, then projected onto what's in front of you

✦ Vikalpa vs. viparyaya: viparyaya sees it wrong (the red lamp looks yellow). Vikalpa doesn't see it at all

✦ Where it sits in the pañca vṛttis: pramāṇa, viparyaya, vikalpa, nidrā, smṛti

✦ How it becomes anxiety: the story replays, and each replay it gets worse

✦ Why you hold onto it: Paige on vikalpa as protection, and why thanking it is how you release it

✦ The Ayurvedic cost: rumination as dissociation. Prāṇa stops flowing, the dhātus lose quality

✦ The story behind the habit: "I can't function without coffee" is pure imagination

✦ Meditation as release: dropping the word and the meaning until only the object remains, and why mantra is the thing rather than pointing to it

✦ The rope and the snake: and the layer underneath, where the rope isn't a rope either

TEXTUAL REFERENCES

✦ Yoga Sūtra 1.6: pramāṇa-viparyaya-vikalpa-nidrā-smṛtayaḥ, the five vṛttis

✦ Yoga Sūtra 1.9: śabda-jñāna-anupātī vastu-śūnyo vikalpaḥ, "knowledge that follows from words alone, empty of an actual object"

✦ Yoga Sūtra 1.42–1.43: savitarka and nirvitarka samādhi

✦ Yoga Vāsiṣṭha: the story of King Lavaṇa and the magician's peacock feather

✦ Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.3.28: asato mā sad gamaya, tamaso mā jyotir gamaya

✦ The rope and the snake (rajju-sarpa): the classic Advaita Vedānta analogy, associated with Śaṅkarācārya

TRY THIS IN YOUR PRACTICE

✦ Where in your life are you mistaking the rope for the snake? And when you do, how does it feel in your body?

✦ Label it. This is a story. That alone is the practice

✦ Then seek the truth. Have the uncomfortable conversation. Without pramāṇa, the vikalpa never resolves. It becomes suffering

✦ Ask: what belief do I hold about myself that keeps me acting this way?

✦ Thank it before you release it. This kept me safe. It isn't necessary anymore

✦ If there's a habit that isn't serving you, do it with complete presence. No phone, no distraction. Awareness does the work

✦ Get out of your head. Get into your body. Do your yoga practice, and allow it to liberate you.

SHARE & CONNECT

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IN THIS EPISODE

This July we're walking the path of mokṣa, liberation, and this week we arrive at kriyā: action done with intention. If karma is what plays out unconsciously, kriyā is the conscious, repeatable process that slowly shaves away everything that isn't you, revealing the truth of who you are.

We unpack the three faces of kriyā, the two Yoga Sūtra lines that define Kriyā Yoga, the Ṣaṭ Kriyā cleansing practices of Haṭha Yoga, and Ayurveda's Pañcakarma - five therapeutic actions for purifying the body from the inside out.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

✦ Why the syllable -ya turns karma (action) into kriyā (process) both grow from the same root kṛ

✦ The three meanings of kriyā:

1. cleansing techniques like Bhastrikā and Kapālabhāti

2. Patañjali's path of practice

3. the initiation lineage of Babaji → Lahiri Mahāsaya → Paramahaṃsa Yogānanda

✦ Patañjali's definition of Kriyā Yoga - tapas, svādhyāya, īśvara praṇidhāna - and how it can be applied to any practice, any belief, any life

✦ How Kriyā Yoga weakens the five kleśas (avidyā, asmitā, rāga, dveṣa, abhiniveśa) and moves us toward samādhi

✦ Why the Ṣaṭ Kriyā are cleansing pre-practices, not prāṇāyāma - one clears the tubes, the other expands the prāṇa (and why fast breathwork gives you a high then a crash)

✦ Ayurveda's Pañcakarma - the five actions (Vamana, Virecana, Basti, Nasya, Rakta Mokṣa) and how each is prescribed to your dosha imbalance

✦ The real teaching: liberation is a silent process. Let the practice reshape you until people simply notice you've changed.

TEXTUAL REFERENCES

✦ Yoga Sūtra 2.1 — tapaḥ svādhyāya īśvarapraṇidhānāni kriyāyogaḥ — "Discipline, self-study, and surrender to Īśvara constitute Kriyā Yoga."

✦ Yoga Sūtra 2.2 — samādhibhāvanārthaḥ kleśatanūkaraṇārthaśca — "The purpose of Kriyā Yoga is to cultivate samādhi and to weaken the kleśas."

✦ Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā - the Ṣaṭ Kriyā / Ṣaṭ Karma: Dhauti, Basti, Neti, Nauli, Trāṭaka, Kapālabhāti - to purify the body, give lightness, and prepare the practitioner for prāṇāyāma

✦ Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā - the cleansing actions settle the breath and make subtle practice possible

✦ Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahaṃsa Yogānanda - source of the Lahiri Mahāsaya story

✦ Ayurveda — Pañcakarma: Vamana (therapeutic emesis · kapha), Virecana (purgation · pitta), Basti (oil enema · vāta/colon), Nasya (nasal therapy · kapha/head), Rakta Mokṣa (bloodletting · pitta)

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

What's your daily kriyā — the small, intentional practice you return to no matter what? Come tell us over on Instagram @omsomyoga, or reply to this week's email. We read every message.

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If this episode landed, the best way to support the show is to share it with one person who might need it.

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HARI OM

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IN THIS EPISODE

This month the theme turns to Mokṣa: liberation. We begin where the tradition begins, with Karma. Karma means action and the simple, radical truth that everything you do (your breath, your cooking, your driving, your conversations, even your thoughts) is karma. And most of it is learned behaviour, ingrained by repetition, running on autopilot.

Drawing on the Bhagavad Gītā, we explore the moment Arjuna melts down on the battlefield and asks Kṛṣṇa: if wisdom is greater than action, why must I act? Kṛṣṇa's answer reframes everything - freedom is not the absence of action, but action without grasping for its fruit. That shift, from unconscious doing to intentional doing, is where karma becomes Karma Yoga.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

✦ Karma means action - from the root kṛ, "to do" or "to make." Your daily actions, words, and even your thoughts are all karma.

✦ Karma vs Karma Yoga - the moment you become conscious of what you're doing, why, and where it's leading, ordinary karma becomes yoga.

✦ The four paths - Jñāna (study), Bhakti (devotion), Rāja (meditation), and Karma (intentional action). You can bring yoga into brushing your teeth, if you intend it.

✦ The three types of karma (the bow and arrow) - Sañcita (the arrows in your quiver: infinite potential actions), Kriyamāṇa (the arrow you're shooting now: present-moment action), and Prārabdha (arrows already loosed: past actions you can't take back, still shaping your experience).

✦ The karmāśaya - the "storehouse" of karma. Seeds accumulate until a big experience arrives and offers you the chance to choose again — and uproot the karma so you don't have to play it out once more.

✦ Cause and effect - "the effect is hidden in the cause." Once you understand the qualities of nature (Sāṃkhya, the guṇas), you can see where an action will take you and take radical responsibility for your choices.

✦ The kleśas - Patañjali roots the reservoir of karma in the five afflictions: avidyā (ignorance), asmitā (ego / the story of "I"), rāga (attachment), dveṣa (aversion), and abhiniveśa (fear of death).

TEXTUAL REFERENCES

✦ Bhagavad Gītā - Arjuna's crisis on the battlefield; "No one can remain even for a moment without performing actions… everyone is helplessly driven to act by the forces of nature"

✦ Patañjali's Yoga Sūtra, Chapter 2 - the karmāśaya (reservoir of karma) is rooted in the kleśas and experienced in seen and unseen births; the five kleśas

✦ Patañjali's Yoga Sūtra - "The yogi's karma is neither black nor white; for others it is of three kinds" - bound by the three guṇas (sattva, rajas, tamas)

✦ Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad - "As is your desire, so is your resolve. As is your resolve, so is your action. As is the action, so is your destiny."

✦ Sāṃkhya philosophy - prakṛti and the guṇas underpinning the teaching on cause and effect.

SHARE & CONNECT

Website: https://omsomyoga.com

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If this episode landed, the best way to support the show is to share it with one person who might need it.

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US

✦ Sadhana Sangha - 5 practices per month, asana workshops, subtle body techniques, Yoga Sūtra translation

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IN THIS EPISODE

To close out Mantra June, Aaron and Paige sit with what Aaron calls "maybe the most confusing of all the mantras" - the Pūrṇa mantra. At its heart is one quiet, radical idea: wholeness cannot be subtracted from wholeness. Light a thousand lamps from a single flame and the original flame never shrinks. Give your time, your love, your attention and the source remains undiminished.

From there the conversation opens out in every direction: a word-by-word breakdown of the mantra, the non-dual Vedānta teaching of "everything is one" and how yoga holds it alongside Sāṃkhya's duality, a line from the Bhagavad Gītā that took Aaron years to sit with, what Ayurveda says about pūrṇatva through the three subtle essences, and how the whole teaching lands in something as ordinary as how we give our time, energy, and money.

The mantra:

Oṃ Pūrṇamadaḥ Pūrṇamidaṃ

Pūrṇāt Pūrṇamudacyate

Pūrṇasya Pūrṇamādāya

Pūrṇamevāvaśiṣyate

Oṃ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ

That is whole. This is whole.

From the whole, the whole arises.

Take the whole from the whole, and the whole alone remains.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

TEXTUAL REFERENCES

SHARE & CONNECT

Website: https://omsomyoga.com

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Instagram: @omsomyoga

If this episode landed, the best way to support the show is to share it with one person who might need it.

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

HARI OM

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IN THIS EPISODE

Mantra June continues. After Praṇava (Auṃ), Gāyatrī, and Mahā Mṛtyuñjaya, we arrive at one of the most beloved and most widely chanted prayers in the tradition - Asato Mā, also known as the Pavamāna Mantra.

Oṃ Asato mā sad gamaya Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya Mṛtyor mā amṛtaṃ gamaya Oṃ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ

Lead me from the unreal to the real. Lead me from darkness to light. Lead me from death to immortality.

We trace this prayer back to a fire ceremony in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, where the ṛṣis prepare a metaphorical offering of the entire cosmos to the fire of awareness. At the peak of the ritual, three sages speak three lines and what makes their prayer so radical is what they don't ask for. No superpower. No riches. No outcome. Only to be led, pointed in the right direction, and left to walk the path themselves.

This one is simple. We let it stay simple.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

TEXTUAL REFERENCES

TRY THIS IN YOUR PRACTICE

Use Asato Mā the way the tradition does, as an opening, not as japa. Before your next practice, chant it three times:

Oṃ Asato mā sad gamaya

Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya

Mṛtyor mā amṛtaṃ gamaya

Oṃ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ

Let it be an invocation: I'm doing this practice, I don't fully know where it leads - please, lead me there in time. Notice that the mantra never says "I will go." It says lead me. So this week, where life feels foggy, practise being led: trust the path, trust the tradition, and let "I don't know yet" be enough.

SHARE & CONNECT

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If this episode landed, the best way to support the show is to share it with one person who might need it.

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US

✦ Sadhana Sangha - 5 practices per month, asana workshops, subtle body techniques, Yoga Sūtra translation

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IN THIS EPISODE

Of all the mantras in the yoga tradition, the Mahā Mṛtyuñjaya is the one people reach for when something goes wrong - when someone is sick, dying, or afraid. But despite its name, it isn't a mantra against death. It's a prayer not to die before you're ready: to ripen fully into life, and to be loosened from the fear of dying the way ripe fruit falls freely from the vine.

We sit with one of the mantras closest to Aaron's heart. They unpack its meaning line by line, tell the story of the sage Mārkaṇḍeya who conquered death itself, and explore why a mantra so wrapped in taboo is actually one of the most nourishing and Ojas-building practices in the tradition.

Content note: this episode discusses death and dying.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

✦ Why this mantra, when everything else falls apart - the difference between asking for eternal life and asking for ripeness and fullness of life.

✦ The cucumber that isn't a cucumber - what the urvāruka fruit really is, and why it drops freely when ripe rather than needing to be cut from the vine.

✦ The story of Mārkaṇḍeya - Shiva's impossible choice, a sixteen-year-old's deepest samādhi, and the moment Yama, the god of death, was defeated.

✦ Śavāsana as a death ritual - how every time you lie down at the end of practice, you're rehearsing the art of letting go of the body.

✦ A line-by-line translation - Rudra the three-eyed one who howls with compassion, and what we're truly asking for when we chant.

✦ The Ojas connection - why the most "feared" mantra in the tradition is also the most nourishing, and how it supports each dosha.

✦ How and when to use it - readiness, chanting for the sick and dying, and weaving it into everyday life.

TEXTUAL REFERENCES

✦ Ṛg Veda - the origin of the mantra, found in a portion dedicated to Rudra and traditionally attributed to the sage Vasiṣṭha.

✦ Mahābhārata - the earliest source of the Mārkaṇḍeya story, told within Yudhiṣṭhira's conversation with the sage himself.

✦ Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa, Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Śiva Purāṇa, Skanda Purāṇa - the same story recurs across all of these texts.

✦ Bhagavad Gītā - Krishna's teaching that one who remembers him at the moment of death attains his state; the root teaching behind the Hare Krishna tradition's practice.

✦ Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali - abhiniveśa, the fear of death, named as a root of suffering.

THE MANTRA

Om Tryambakaṃ Yajāmahe

Sugandhiṃ Puṣṭi-vardhanam

Urvārukam-iva Bandhanān

Mṛtyor Mukṣīya Mā'mṛtāt

We worship the three-eyed one, fragrant, the increaser of nourishment. As the ripe fruit is freed from its binding to the vine, may I be freed from death, but not from immortality.

SHARE & CONNECT

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If this episode landed, the best way to support the show is to share it with one person who might need it.

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

HARI OM

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IN THIS EPISODE

If Om is the sound that holds everything together, the Gāyatrī is the prayer that lights up the mind. We explore the mantra the ancient ṛṣis understood as a request for clarity - may our intellect be illuminated. Through the story of Brahmā condensing the three Vedas down into a single syllable, the meaning of each word of the mantra, the goddess Gāyatrī Devī as the light of the morning sun, and how the mantra meets each dosha, this episode is an invitation into one of the most potent practices in the tradition — held with reverence for where it comes from.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

TEXTUAL REFERENCES

TRY THIS IN YOUR PRACTICE

Chant the Gāyatrī at sunrise, slowly and with reverence - not rushing toward a number, but letting each of the three lines (8–8–8) land. Notice the mantra as a request, not a demand: may the light of that sun illuminate my mind.

And take the closing teaching to heart: let this mantra be offered to you at the right time. The right teachings reveal themselves when you're ready.

SHARE & CONNECT

Website: https://omsomyoga.com

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Instagram: @omsomyoga

If this episode landed, the best way to support the show is to share it with one person who might need it.

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US

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IN THIS EPISODE

If you had to pick the most important syllable in the entire tradition of yoga (one sound that contains everything) what would it be? In this episode, Aaron and Paige open the June series on mantra and bhakti by exploring Auṃ, the syllable chanted at the beginning and end of every yoga class, painted on every mat, stuck to the back of every car, and yet very rarely understood for what it actually is.

We unpack why Patañjali never calls it Om in the Yoga Sūtra (and what he calls it instead), why the texts describe it as the sound of Īśvara, and why every other mantra in the tradition begins with this sound. We map the three syllables A–U–M to the three states of consciousness, sit with the fourth state  (turīya) that lives in the silence after the M, and then walk through the nine stages of that silence as taught in the Nāda Yoga and Kashmir Śaivite tradition.

What You'll Learn

✦ The meaning of bhakti and why mantra is inseparable from devotion

✦ The difference between a mantra and an affirmation (and why one points to something while the other is the thing itself)

✦ Why Patañjali codifies Om as Praṇava in the Yoga Sūtra and the aesthetic superstition behind the name change

✦ The three syllables of A–U–M and the three states of consciousness they express: jāgrat (waking), svapna (dreaming), suṣupti (deep sleep)

✦ The fourth state, turīya, that arises in the silence after M

✦ The Maṇḍūkya Upaniṣad teaching of the bow, the arrow, the string, and the target, and why the release is the part you can't practice

✦ The nine stages of silence after Om as taught in Nāda Yoga: bindu, ardha candra, nirodhinī, nāda, nādānta, śakti, vyāpinī, samanā, unmanā

✦ How the syllables of A–U–M map to the doṣas - and how to use mantra to work with the mahāguṇas (sattva, rajas, tamas)

✦ The distinction between japa (mantra you repeat) and ajapa (mantra that repeats itself)

✦ Why Om is described as the hum of the universe and how to actually hear it

Textual References

Patañjali's Yoga Sūtra (Samādhi Pāda)

✦ Tasya vācakaḥ praṇavaḥ - "The expression of Īśvara is the syllable Praṇava."

✦ Taj-japas tad-artha-bhāvanam - "Repeat that mantra while contemplating its meaning."

✦ The following sūtra: through this practice, the awareness turns inward and the obstacles to yoga fall away.

Maṇḍūkya Upaniṣad 

✦ All twelve verses of this short Upaniṣad are dedicated to the syllable Auṃ, mapping its sounds to the four states of consciousness. The bow-and-arrow analogy referenced in this episode is drawn from the Upaniṣadic teaching tradition.

Bhagavad Gītā

✦ Kṛṣṇa: "The one who utters the single syllable Om Brahman and remembers me departs from the body and reaches the supreme destination."

Kashmir Śaivism / Nāda Yoga tradition

✦ The nine progressive stages of the silence after Om (some traditions list seven, others twelve).

Ayurveda and the Mind by Dr. David Frawley

✦ Referenced for the application of mantra to the mahāguṇas.

SHARE & CONNECT

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If this episode landed, the best way to support the show is to share it with one person who might need it.

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US✦ Sadhana Sangha - 5 practices per month, asana workshops, subtle body techniques, Yoga Sūtra translationhttps://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join✦ OmSom App (free) - yoga philosophy, Sanskrit study + online communitySearch OmSom in the App Store✦ 100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharmahttps://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto✦ 200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training Sri Lanka 2026https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-sri-lanka✦ 50 Hr Online Yin Yoga Teacher Traininghttps://practice.omsom.yoga/yin-yoga-and-prana-vayus-otoIN THIS EPISODEWhat if there was a mantra you've been repeating your whole life without knowing it? One you didn't choose, one you didn't learn, one that lives inside every single breath.In this episode, we turn toward Ajapa Mantra, the mantra that doesn't need to be repeated, because it's already happening. So'haṃ on the inhale. Haṃsa on the exhale. The sound of breath itself.We unpack the mythology of the celestial swan, the meaning of I am That, and the practice of viveka, the discernment to take only the milk and let the water glide off.We upack:✦ Why So'haṃ and Haṃsa are called the Ajapa Mantra, the mantra that is not repeated✦ Mantra defined: man (mind) + tra (protecting) - protecting the mind from overthinking✦ The relationship between mantra, breath, and silence✦ Viveka - the yogic capacity for discernment✦ How to use So'haṃ Haṃsa in āsana, prāṇāyāma, and meditation✦ The Ayurvedic practice of "listening to the burp" - discernment applied to eating✦ Why mantra is an experience, not just wordsWHAT YOU'LL LEARN✦ The difference between So'haṃ and Haṃsa - and why one points to the vastness of being, while the other points to the capacity to move through the world untouched by it.✦ Why this mantra is called Ajapa - already present in every breath, not something you create but something you tune into.✦ The mythology of the swan and what it teaches about discernment, nourishment, and what we choose to let glide off.✦ How to apply viveka in daily life from your meditation cushion to your dinner plate.✦ A practical entry point into mantra practice, even if you don't yet understand or feel the depth of it.TEXTUAL REFERENCES✦ The mythology of Haṃsa, the celestial swan, drawn from the broader Purāṇic and Vedic tradition - the swan as the symbol of viveka (discernment) and the vehicle of Brahmā.✦ The Ajapa Mantra tradition, referenced across multiple yogic texts as the natural mantra of the breath (So'haṃ on inhale, Haṃsa on exhale).✦ Companion to last week's episode on Śūnya (the void) - Soham as I am That, the recognition of the vast emptiness explored in the previous conversation.SHARE & CONNECTWebsite: https://omsomyoga.comOmSom App (free): search OmSom in the App StoreInstagram: @omsomyogaIf this episode landed, the best way to support the show is to share it with one person who might need it.We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US✦ Sadhana Sangha - 5 practices per month, asana workshops, subtle body techniques, Yoga Sūtra translationhttps://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join✦ OmSom App (free) - yoga philosophy, Sanskrit study + online communitySearch OmSom in the App Store✦ 100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharmahttps://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto✦ 200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training Sri Lanka 2026https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-sri-lanka✦ 50 Hr Online Yin Yoga Teacher Traininghttps://practice.omsom.yoga/yin-yoga-and-prana-vayus-otoIN THIS EPISODEWe continue our exploration of the space element (ākāśa) by turning toward its deepest expression, śūnya, the void. This is pure potential. We unpack why the mind fears silence, where śūnya sits on the Sāṃkhya map, and how the Tao Te Ching's opening line ("the Tao that is named is not the eternal Tao") points to the same truth. We also celebrate 100,000 podcast downloads! Thank you for being here!What You'll Learn✦ The difference between quiet (external) and silence (internal) and why one doesn't guarantee the other✦ Why the mind grasps and labels and how that grasping is the very thing that obscures śūnya✦ How śūnya functions as both a philosophical concept and a practical tool for conserving prāṇic energy✦ The Sāṃkhya context: why the higher we move up the map, the less language can hold✦ The journey through the guṇas from Tamas → Rajas → Sattva → back to śūnya — and where Winnie-the-Pooh fits in (yes, really)✦ How antaḥ-mana (inner listening) becomes the medicine that draws the mind toward stillness✦ Three practical entry points: layered sound meditation, Kāya Sthiram, and Yoga Nidrā as the cognition of nothingness✦ How śūnya shows up off the mat as presence, and as the comfort of not needing to fill spaceTEXTUAL REFERENCES✦ Kena Upaniṣad: the story of Brahman appearing before Indra and the gods✦ Tao Te Ching: "The Tao that is named is not the eternal Tao"✦ Sāṃkhya Darśan: the map of consciousness descending into matter; where śūnya sits at the subtler end✦ The Triguṇa: Tamas, Rajas, Sattva, as the progression of mind-states✦ Kāya Sthiram & Yoga Nidrā: classical techniques pointing toward śūnyaSHARE & CONNECTWebsite: https://omsomyoga.comOmSom App (free): search OmSom in the App StoreInstagram: @omsomyogaIf this episode landed, the best way to support the show is to share it with one person who might need it.We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US

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IN THIS EPISODE

What happens in the space between your inhale and your exhale?

In this episode of the Om Som Yoga + Ayurveda Podcast, Aaron and Paige explore Kumbhaka, the yogic art of breath retention. Drawing from Patanjali's Yoga Sūtra and the Hatha Yoga Pradīpikā, this episode unpacks why the pause in the breath isn't just a gap, but a doorway into stillness, a direct experience of the quieter layers of the mind, and ultimately a path toward samādhi.

Whether you're new to pranayama or already working with breath retention in your practice, this episode will change how you relate to the space between your breaths.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE

✦ What Kumbhaka actually means - the Sanskrit root translates to pot or cup, and the ancient story of the potter that reveals why retention is the seal that holds prana in the body

✦ The two types of Kumbhaka - sahita (deliberate retention) and kevala (the spontaneous suspension that arises unbidden in deep meditation)

✦ What Patanjali's Yoga Sūtra says about the fourth pranayama - the one beyond deliberate practice that opens the door to samādhi

✦ The Hatha Yoga Pradīpikā teaching: when prana moves, the mind moves - when prana is still, the mind becomes still

✦ The science of CO2 tolerance - why the urge to breathe is not an emergency, and how building tolerance helps dissolve one of yoga's core obstacles: fear

✦ Why pranayama is about breathing less, not more - and how stillness in the breath creates the conditions for stillness in the mind

✦ Kumbhaka and the three doshas - how vāta, pitta, and kapha types should each approach breath retention for safe, nourishing practice

TEXTUAL REFERENCES

✦ Patanjali's Yoga Sūtra: pranayama as external, internal, and restrained movement - and the fourth kumbhaka, kevala, as the spontaneous pathway to samādhi

✦ Hatha Yoga Pradīpikā: "When prana moves, the mind moves. When prana is still, the mind becomes still."

TRY THIS IN YOUR PRACTICE

This week, rather than rushing through the turn between inhale and exhale, simply notice the pause. No counting, no control - just linger in that space for a moment. Feel the stillness that already exists between your breaths. That is Kumbhaka in its most natural form. Start there.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Do you tend to hold your breath in daily life without realising it? Or have you ever experienced that moment in meditation where the breath just suspends on its own? Share in the comments below - we read everything.

SHARE & CONNECT

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

Instagram: @OmSom.yoga

Website: OmSom.yoga

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs.

We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US

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IN THIS EPISODE

Aaron sits down with Simon Borg-Olivier, a man whose practice predates most of the modern yoga industry, for a conversation about coming home to natural movement and natural breath. Simon shares the unlikely path that led him from underwater swimming in Malta, to a Tibetan lama in his late teens, to weight training and gymnastics injuries, and finally to a stretch class where an Iyengar substitute teacher changed everything. From there, the conversation turns toward the principles he has spent four decades refining: moving where you don't bend easily, leaving alone the places that already are, and treating your practice as a work-in rather than a workout. Expect to have a few of your assumptions about flexibility, core engagement, breath retention, and even what "advanced" practice looks like gently turned upside down.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

✦ Why hypermobility is not flexibility and why bending where you already bend easily is one of the most common (and quietly damaging) habits in modern yoga

✦ The difference between a workout and a "work-in" and why one leaves you depleted while the other leaves you energised

✦ How Sthira Sukham Āsanam ("firm but calm") translates into the actual mechanics of the abdomen, the diaphragm, and the breath

✦ Why most people are unknowingly stuck in fight-or-flight through chronic abdominal tension and what that does to immunity, digestion, and reproduction

✦ The science (and tradition) of Jālandhara Bandha, head down, neck back, and why it matters for pranayama

✦ Why Simon teaches less stretch, less tension, less breathing, less thinking, less eating and what we gain on the other side of less

✦ The simple Five-Region Reset, fingers/shoulders, neck, pelvis, core, face, that you can drop into any practice, any time, anywhere

TEXTUAL & LINEAGE REFERENCES

✦ Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali — Sthira Sukham Āsanam (II.46), and Simon's note on the Siddhis appearing in the third chapter (Vibhūti Pāda) - a reminder that supernatural breathing is not the first step

✦ The 8 Limbs - Yama, Niyama, Āsana, Prāṇāyāma - and why most of us are still working at the foundation

✦ B.K.S. Iyengar - Simon's first formal yoga path in the early 1980s

✦ Yoga Synergy - co-founded by Simon and Bianca Machliss, one of Australia's oldest yoga schools

Cross-traditional influences - Tibetan teachings received in his late teens, Japanese Aikido, and Chinese Qigong and martial arts woven into his Five-Dimensional Flow framework

FIND SIMON

Website → https://simonborgolivier.com

Membership (free + paid tiers) → https://healthhappinesslongevity.co

SHARE & CONNECT

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

Instagram: @OmSom.yoga

Website: OmSom.yoga

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US

✦ Sadhana Sangha - 5 practices per month, asana workshops, subtle body techniques, Yoga Sūtra translationhttps://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join

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✦ 50 Hr Online Yin Yoga Teacher Traininghttps://practice.omsom.yoga/yin-yoga-and-prana-vayus-oto

IN THIS EPISODE

What does it really mean to live from the heart?

In this episode of the Om Som Yoga + Ayurveda Podcast, Aaron and Paige dive deep into Hridaya (hṛdayam) the spiritual heart at the centre of all yogic and Vedantic tradition.

Drawing from the Chandogya Upanishad, the Katha Upanishad, and Patanjali's Yoga Sūtras, this episode explores one of the most profound teachings in all of yoga philosophy, the idea that within the tiny cave of the heart lives the infinite self, equally as vast as the entire cosmos.If you've ever wondered what yoga teachers mean by "coming to the heart," or felt confused by the idea of heart-centered living, this episode is for you.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE

✦ The three layers of the heart - physical, emotional, and spiritual - and how yoga teaches us to move through all three

✦ The Sanskrit root meaning of hṛdayam: the give, receive, and circulate at the centre of all human experience

✦ The teaching of Daharākāsha from the Chandogya Upanishad, the doorway within the heart that is no larger than your thumb, yet contains the entire universe

✦ Why Anahata (the heart chakra) is not the same as Hridaya and why this distinction matters in your practice

✦ What Patanjali says happens when you meditate on the heart: knowledge of the mind (and why that's the ultimate siddhi for modern life)

✦ The Āyurvedic view of the heart: hṛd basti treatment, ojas, the 8 drops of vital force within the heart, and abhyanga over the heart marma

✦ How to stop seeking ease outside yourself, and begin to inhabit the cave of the heart as your true home

TEXTUAL REFERENCES

✦ Chandogya Upanishad: Dahara Vidyā (the knowledge of the inner space)

✦ Katha Upanishad: "Smaller than the smallest, greater than the greatest, the Self is hidden in the cave of the heart"

✦ Patanjali's Yoga Sūtra, Chapter III: the samyama of Hridaya and the arising of knowledge of the mind

TRY THIS IN YOUR PRACTICE

This week, instead of meditating in your head, consciously drop your awareness into the heart. Sit in the cave. Let your mantra or breath or visualisation arise from that place, not from the screen of the mind.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

What came up for you in this episode? Have you ever experienced that deep stillness at the heart, even for a moment? Share in the comments below. We read everything.

SHARE & CONNECT

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

Instagram: @OmSom.yoga

Website: OmSom.yoga

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha

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ON THIS WEEK'S EPISODE:

We unpack one of the most misunderstood teachings in yoga, "citta vritti nirodhah". Most people hear citta vritti nirodhah and think yoga is asking them to stop thinking. So they try to force the mind quiet. Then the mind gets louder.

This week, Aaron and Lina explore the second Yoga Sutra and what it actually means to settle the mind. This is not an episode about suppression. It's about space. The mind doesn't respond to force. It responds to stillness being allowed, not imposed.

DEFINITION & ETYMOLOGY:

Citta Vritti Nirodhah (चित्त वृत्ति निरोध)

Citta: the total field of the mind, including perception, memory, and cognition

Vritti: fluctuations, waves, or movements of the mind

Nirodhah: cessation, a natural settling

Together: the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.

The key word is natural. Nirodhah does not mean suppression. It points to stillness that arrives when agitation is removed, not forced out.

KEY CONCEPTS & INSIGHTS:

• Thoughts are not the problem. The agitation feeding them is. Sensory overload, stimulation, and constant doing all churn the surface of the mind.

• The mind is like Lake Manasarovar beneath Mount Kailash. When the winds blow, the moon's reflection scatters. You cannot smooth the lake with your hands. You wait for the wind to settle.

• Yoga Sutra 1.4, vritti sarupyam itaratra: at other times, we identify with the movements. When the mind is unsettled, we mistake the thoughts, the story, the role, for our actual self.

• The goal is not just stillness but recognition. When the mind clears, the seer (drastuh) abides in its own nature. We remember we are the one watching, not the one thinking.

TEXTUAL SOURCES:

The first four Yoga Sutras of Patanjali form a single sequence:

• 1.1 Atha yoganushasanam: now, the teaching of yoga. Yoga only happens now.

• 1.2 Yogas citta vritti nirodhah: yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.

• 1.3 Tada drashtuh svarupe vastanam: then the seer abides in its own true nature.

• 1.4 Vritti sarupyam itaratra: at other times, there is identification with the movements.

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION:

• Use the breath as your anchor. It is always internal, always present. Slow it down and let it draw you inward.

• Allow pauses to arise naturally in practice rather than forcing a hard stop. When stillness appears, stay with it.

• If your mind was busy in meditation, ask: who noticed? That noticing is the observer. You are already there.

• Consider what is agitating the mind before trying to calm it. Sometimes the first step is reducing external input, not increasing internal effort.

Reflection: What happens when you stop trying to quiet the mind and simply let it settle on its own?

SHARE & CONNECT

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast. Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OmSom.yoga⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OmSom.yoga⁠⁠

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We’d love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey. 

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha

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ON THIS WEEK'S EPISODE:

Some people breathe deeply but the breath gets stuck. The lungs fill, but there is no distribution. Prana arrives and goes nowhere.

This week, Aaron and Selenna explore Vyana Vayu, the prana of circulation, integration, and adaptability. Not about breathing bigger. About letting the breath spread. This episode covers what vyana is, why it holds all other pranas together, and how its presence or absence shows up in the body, the practice, and daily life.

DEFINITION & ETYMOLOGY:

Vyana Vayu (Sanskrit: व्यान वायु)

Root: vyah, to spread, pervade, or expand outwards in all directions

Vyana moves nourishment from the centre to the periphery

Non-directional, unlike prana vayu (inhale) or apana vayu (exhale). It is the fullness between the parts.

When depleted: cold extremities, pallor, fatigue, disconnection from the limbs.

KEY CONCEPTS & INSIGHTS:

• The Prashna Upanishad story: the five pranas argue over which is most important. Each leaves the body to test its necessity. When prana vayu departs, all the others follow. Vyana is the integrating force that knits them all together.

• Vyana is synergy. A movement in the hand travels through the wrist, elbow, and shoulder. A slow practice flows into quiet Savasana, into calm pranayama, into still meditation. Vyana makes practice holistic rather than fragmented.

• Prana can be received without being distributed. Building energy without vyana is like filling a pipe with no outlet. Stuck prana is useless.

• Vyana is adaptability. Ease moving between conversations, environments, and states. In practice, the capacity to meet yourself where you are.

• Stillness without vyana becomes stagnation. Vyana allows you to enter stillness when needed and move out when the time comes.

TEXTUAL & TRADITIONAL SOURCES:

• Hathayoga Pradipika: vyana vayu governs circulation, peripheral movement, and integration of bodily systems. Imbalance presents as fatigue, poor circulation, or disconnection from the limbs.

• Prashna Upanishad: without vyana, the other pranas cannot act in coordination.

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION:

• Practices that cultivate vyana: lateral bends, backbends, spinal rolls, Surya Namaskar, inhale retentions.

• Vyana Vayu Mudra: touch the thumb to the index and middle fingers at the fingertips, ring and pinky fingers extended. Use when feeling stuck, fragmented, or disconnected. Also supports circulation to the extremities in cold weather.

• In daily life: rigidity in social situations, difficulty transitioning between tasks, or feeling like different parts of life are disconnected are signs of depleted vyana.

Reflection: Where are you receiving nourishment but not letting it move?

SHARE & CONNECT

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

Instagram: @OmSom.yoga

Website: OmSom.yoga

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha

https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join

100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma

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200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training Sri Lanka 2026

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50 Hr Online Yin Yoga Teacher Training

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ON THIS WEEK'S EPISODE:

People work hard in yoga. There is strength, there is discipline. But still no ease. We assume ease means collapsing or giving up. When actually, sukham only appears when effort is organised correctly.

This week, Aaron and Milli explore the second word of one of yoga's most well-known sutras. Not the steadiness, not the seat, but the softness. The effortlessness. The quality that turns a posture into a practice and a practice into something sustainable for life.

DEFINITION & ETYMOLOGY:

Sukham (Sanskrit: सुखम्)

Literal meaning: pleasantness, ease, effortlessness, comfort

From the sutra: Sthiram Sukham Asanam (Yoga Sutra 2.46)

Sthiram: steadiness. Sukham: ease. Asanam: posture.

Sukham is not the absence of effort. It is ease within effort.

KEY CONCEPTS & INSIGHTS:

• The Zen bowl story: a student grips a bowl of water so tightly it trembles and spills. The teacher says trust the bowl. The moment he softens, the water stills. This is sukham.

• Effort evenly distributed becomes support. Once the body knows how to hold itself, it can begin to soften. That which was once effortful becomes graceful.

• The breath is the barometer. If the breath becomes labored in a posture, you have gone too far. Ease in the breath means you are working within your capacity.

• Yoga Sutra 2.47: Prayatna shaithilya anantha samapathibhyam. Mastery of asana comes through the relaxation of effort and absorption in the infinite. Patanjali's definition of mastery is not force. It is dissolution.

• Sukham is what makes yoga sustainable. Push past capacity and you deplete. Meet your edge daily and build slowly. That is the design of the practice.

TEXTUAL & TRADITIONAL SOURCES:

• Yoga Sutra 2.46: Sthiram sukham asanam. The posture should be steady and easeful.

• Yoga Sutra 2.47: Prayatna shaithilya anantha samapathibhyam. Through the relaxation of effort and absorption in the infinite, asana is mastered.

• Hathayoga Pradipika: asana gives steadiness, health, and lightness to the body. Both traditions hold the same position: firmness and softness always together.

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION:

• Hold poses for 5 to 10 breaths. Long enough to meet the uncomfortable edge. Then let go of the mental story around it. The mind gives up long before the body does.

U• se the breath as your guide. Nose breathing, composed, unhurried. The moment it becomes labored, back off and reset.

• Off the mat: notice where you are bracing for impact in daily life. In conversations, at work, in relationships. Sukham asks you to meet the world with less resistance, not less engagement.

Reflection: Where in your practice are you holding effort longer than necessary?

SHARE & CONNECT

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

Instagram: @OmSom.yoga

Website: OmSom.yoga

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha

https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join

100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma

https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto

200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training Sri Lanka 2026

https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-sri-lanka

50 Hr Online Yin Yoga Teacher Training

https://practice.omsom.yoga/yin-yoga-and-prana-vayus-oto

ON THIS WEEK’S EPISODE:

We often think self-study means fixing ourselves. But in yoga, Svādhyāya isn’t about becoming better. It’s about becoming honest.

In this episode, Aaron and Paige explore Svādhyāya as illumination. Not self-help. Not self-analysis. But observation for its own sake.

Through the story of Indra and Virochana, we unpack the difference between identifying with the body and inquiring into the witness behind it. One student stops at the reflection. The other keeps going.

Svādhyāya asks:

Who is observing the body?

Who is watching the mind?

Who is aware of the story?

And what happens when we stop trying to improve ourselves and simply see?

DEFINITION & ETYMOLOGY:

• Svā (स्व) - one’s own, the Self

• Adhyāya (अध्याय) - study, recitation, inquiry

Svādhyāya (स्वाध्याय) means study of the Self. Reflection upon the Self. A returning to what is deeper than identity.

In this episode we clarify the distinction between:

• Self-help - observation to create change

• Self-analysis - asking why

• Svādhyāya - observing without fixing

KEY CONCEPTS & INSIGHTS:

• Agni as illumination - fire does not only burn, it reveals

• The difference between ahamkāra (the constructed self) and the witness

• The “space between” experience and observer - where story and identity form

• Kriyā Yoga - Tapas reveals, Svādhyāya observes, Īśvara Praṇidhāna surrenders

• Communion with one’s iṣṭa-devatā through self-study

• The paradox of the Self - it cannot be known as an object

We also explore Yoga Sūtra 2.44:

“Svādhyāyād iṣṭa-devatā-saṃprayogaḥ”

Through self-study comes communion with the chosen form of the Divine.

And the riddle from the Kena Upaniṣad:

“It is not known by those who know it, and known by those who do not know it.”

The Self cannot be captured. Only revealed.

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION:

• Journalling without editing - observe thoughts in real time

• Five-layer reflection: physical, mental, emotional, energetic, spiritual

• Silent mantra repetition to quiet the mind

• Mirror work - observe without correcting

• Trāṭaka (candle gazing) - object, observer, space between

• Notice reactions in daily life without immediately creating a story

Ask yourself:

• What are you trying to change before you’ve truly seen it?

• Where are you satisfied with an answer that’s almost true?

• What becomes possible when understanding replaces the need to fix?

Svādhyāya is not something to master.

It is something to return to.

When the layers fall away, nothing new is gained.

Only remembered.

SHARE & CONNECT

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast. Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

Instagram: @OmSom.yoga

Website: OmSom.yoga

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We’d love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US:365 Sadhana Sanghahttps://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharmahttps://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training Sri Lanka 2026https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-sri-lanka50 Hr Online Yin Yoga Teacher Traininghttps://practice.omsom.yoga/yin-yoga-and-prana-vayus-otoON THIS WEEK’S EPISODEIn this conversation with Lina, we explore:• Tapas as “heat”: the friction that creates real change• Why resistance isn’t failur, it’s the doorway• How tapas applies to asana, pranayama, meditation, and daily life• The difference between “love and light” bypassing vs grounded transformation• Why the hard thing isn’t always the intense thing (sometimes it’s rest, gentleness, or silence)DEFINITION & ETYMOLOGYTAPAS (तपस्)• Root: TAP (तप्) - to heat, to burn, to glow• Tapas is the inner heat generated by sustained effort - especially when we meet discomfort consciously.• A simple felt-sense: rub your hands together - friction builds warmth. Tapas is that warming force that makes transformation possible.KEY CONCEPTS1) RESISTANCE IS PART OF THE PATHYou will meet resistance in practice and in life. The work is not to eliminate it - it’s to relate to it with presence.2) CONTAINED FIRE TRANSFORMSUncontained Agni burns everything. Contained Agni refines. Tapas is the art of containment: staying steady enough at the edge for the process to do its work.3) THE “HARD THING” CHANGES DEPENDING ON YOUSometimes the hard thing is intensity, strength, effort.Sometimes the hard thing is softness, silence, slowness, rest.Tapas is not performative struggle - it’s honest contact with what you avoid.4) IDENTITY IS WHAT GETS CHALLENGED FIRSTDiscipline doesn’t only test the body - it tests the story of who you think you are. Tapas is the willingness to live beyond the old pattern.TEXTUAL SOURCESPATAÑJALI - KRIYĀ YOGA (YS 2.1)tapaḥsvādhyāyeśvarapraṇidhānāni kriyāyogaḥTapas appears first - because without discipline, there’s no practice to sustain.PATAÑJALI - NIYAMA (YS 2.32)śauca santoṣa tapaḥsvādhyāyeśvarapraṇidhānāni niyamāḥTapas is placed among the core qualities we cultivate for a yogic life.BHAGAVAD GĪTĀ - “MENTAL TAPAS” (BG 17.16)manaḥ prasādaḥ saumyatvaṁ maunam ātma-vinigrahaḥ bhāva-saṁśuddhir ity etat tapo mānasamThis expands tapas beyond “hard effort” into the discipline of: serenity, gentleness, silence, and self-restraint.UPANIṢADIC TEACHING - KNOWING BRAHMAN THROUGH TAPASA widely-cited Upaniṣadic line: tapasā brahma vijijñāsasva (“By tapas, seek to know Brahman”).This frames discipline not as self-punishment, but as the means of deep knowing.PRACTICAL INTEGRATIONON THE MAT• Choose one posture you avoid and practise it with steadiness (not force).• Stay in ŚAVĀSANA longer than you usually would.• Sit for PRĀṆĀYĀMA for 20 minutes (steady, simple, sustainable).• Hold one āsana for 10 minutes, then rest.IN MEDITATION• Notice the urge to fidget, distract, or “escape.”• Practise staying present with the raw sensation of discomfort - without needing to like it.IN DAILY LIFE• Follow through on one commitment you’ve been postponing.• Tell someone your commitment so you’re held gently accountable.• Train presence: when the mind wanders mid-task, return (without self-judgement).REFLECTIVE TAKEAWAY• Where in your life are you avoiding discomfort?• What changes when you treat resistance as part of the practice not an obstacle?SHARE & CONNECTThank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast. Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OmSom.yoga⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OmSom.yoga⁠⁠We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We’d love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey. HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha

https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join

100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma

https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto

200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training Sri Lanka 2026

https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-sri-lanka

50 Hr Online Yin Yoga Teacher Training

https://practice.omsom.yoga/yin-yoga-and-prana-vayus-oto

ON THIS WEEK'S EPISODE:

We talk about slowing down, calming the nervous system, resting more. And it's necessary. Until it's not.

Sometimes people aren't anxious. They're stagnant. Flat, foggy, heavy. Apply calming practices there and things sink further. This week, Aaron and Selenna explore Brahmana, the final piece in their series on energetic technique. Not stimulation for its own sake, but nourishment through expansion. The right fuel, in the right amount, at the right time.

DEFINITION & ETYMOLOGY:

Brahmana (Sanskrit: ब्राह्मण)

Root: bruh, to grow, enlarge, or strengthen

In yoga: any practice that builds heat, increases prana, and creates upward or expanding energetic movement

The counterpart to Langhana (descending, calming) and complement to Samana (balancing)

KEY CONCEPTS & INSIGHTS:

• Brahmana is the coffee. Langhana is the whiskey. Samana is the water, good anytime. This three-part energetic framework makes practice intentional rather than random.

• The Katha Upanishad story of Nachiketa and Yama: the sacred fire must be built, fed, and tended with care. Too little fuel and it dies. The wrong fuel and it explodes. The right fuel, offered with awareness, sustains the light.

• Dosage is everything. Anything is a medicine. What makes it medicinal is the amount. Brahmana in excess becomes depleting.

• Ayurvedic lens: Kapha types (earth and water) tend toward stagnation and benefit most from Brahmana. Vata types need Langhana. Pitta types need Samana. No extremes for Pitta.

• The breath is the barometer. Stagnant mind: move the breath. Anxious mind: slow it. Hathayoga Pradipika, Chapter 2: when the breath moves, the mind moves.

TEXTUAL & TRADITIONAL SOURCES:

• Hathayoga Pradipika, Chapter 2: practice Bhastrika 10 times daily. Not 50. The text is precise. 10 inhales, hold, release. One round.

• Hathayoga Pradipika, Chapter 2: when the breath moves, the mind moves. When the breath is still, the mind becomes still.

• Gheranda Samhita: Kapalbhati destroys impurities and eliminates excess Kapha dosha. Brahmana practice and Ayurvedic dosha theory are inseparable.

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION:

• Bhastrika and Kapalbhati are the key Brahmana pranayamas. Fast, rhythmic, heating. Best in the morning or when energy is low. Not before sleep or when agitated.

• In asana: move through Surya Namaskar with more pace and add strength elements. Monitor for over-stimulation and ease back if needed.

• In daily life: Brahmana is reengagement. Rekindling enthusiasm after withdrawal. Finding what excites you and pursuing it.

Reflection: Where in your life are you sinking when what you actually need is more fuel?

SHARE & CONNECT

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

Instagram: @OmSom.yoga

Website: OmSom.yoga

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join

100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto

200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training Sri Lanka 2026 https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-sri-lanka

50 Hr Online Yin Yoga Teacher Training https://practice.omsom.yoga/yin-yoga-and-prana-vayus-oto

ON THIS WEEK'S EPISODE:

Bandha gets taught like it's just about gripping the core. Tighten, hold, brace. And then people wonder why their breath disappears.

This week, Aaron and Milli unpack one of the most misunderstood concepts in Hatha yoga. Bandha is not muscular force. It is intelligent containment. This episode covers both the physical and energetic dimensions of bandha, why the distinction matters, and how learning to hold without hardening changes your practice and your daily life.

DEFINITION & ETYMOLOGY:

Bandha (Sanskrit: बन्ध)

• Literal meaning: to tie, bind, restrain, or hold together

• The English word "bandage" shares the same root

• Too loose and it does nothing. Too tight and it cuts off circulation. The same principle applies in yoga.

KEY CONCEPTS & INSIGHTS:

• Physical bandha: co-activation of opposing muscle groups around a joint complex (attributed to Krishnamacharya). Creates joint stability, prevents injury, and keeps energy moving efficiently without leaking.

• Energetic bandha: the three subtle bandhas are Mula Bandha (pelvic floor), Udiana Bandha (navel center), and Jalandhara Bandha (throat center). Classified in the texts as mudras, not muscular contractions. Their purpose is to contain and direct prana.

• Together they are called Treta Bandha or Maha Bandha. According to the Hathayoga Pradipika (Chapter 3), when all three are combined, prana enters the Sushumna, the central channel.

• Mula Bandha works with apana vayu (downward force). Jalandhara Bandha with udana vayu (upward force). Udiana Bandha draws both to meet at the navel. This is the ha-ta union at the heart of Hatha yoga.

• The mythic archetype is Shiva containing the halahala poison at the throat using Jalandhara Bandha. Hence Nilakanta, the blue-throated one.

TEXTUAL & TRADITIONAL SOURCES:

• Hathayoga Pradipika, Chapter 3: when Mula, Udiana, and Jalandhara Bandha are combined, prana enters the Sushumna nadi.

• Gheranda Samhita: the three bandhas are great secrets within the discipline of yoga. No classical text describes bandha as muscular contraction.

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION:

• Instead of squeezing or clenching, try counter-activation cues. Can you bend and straighten the knee simultaneously? That meeting point of opposing forces is bandha.

• For hypermobile practitioners: co-activating muscles around joints creates stability that passive flexibility alone cannot.

• In daily life: awareness of where your energy is going makes boundaries less effortful. Containment is not force. It is awareness.

• Stay in Tadasana after each pose and feel the energetic effect.

Reflection: What changes when you allow strength to organise itself from within?

SHARE & CONNECT

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

Instagram: @OmSom.yoga

Website: OmSom.yoga

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH INDU IN MELBOURNE:

https://indu-arora.mykajabi.com/yoga-nidra-australia

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha

https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join

100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma

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200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training Sri Lanka 2026

https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-sri-lanka

50 Hr Online Yin Yoga Teacher Training

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ON THIS WEEK'S EPISODE:

Aaron sits down with Indu Arora, yoga and Ayurveda teacher, mentor, and author, for a wide-ranging conversation on what yoga actually is. They explore soma, the nectar of the mind, why we have settled for flexibility and muscular strength when yoga promises something far greater, and how samadhi is not a peak experience reserved for cave-dwelling monks but a natural state we are all already moving toward.

This is a conversation for anyone who has ever felt that yoga has more to offer than they have yet found.

ABOUT INDU ARORA:

Indu Arora is a yoga and Ayurveda teacher, mentor, and author based in the USA. She has been sharing yoga philosophy, yoga therapy, and Ayurveda for over two decades, teaching across Kriya Yoga, Himalayan Yoga, Kashmir Shaivism, and Sivananda lineages. She studied in the traditional Guru-shishya parampara setting and considers herself a student for a lifetime. Her core teaching is that yoga is a work-in, not a work-out.

She is the author of Mudra: The Sacred Secret, Yoga: Ancient Heritage Tomorrow's Vision, and Soma: 100 Heritage Recipes for Self-Care.

KEY CONCEPTS & INSIGHTS:

• Yoga as a work-in, not a work-out. When we define yoga by asana, we reduce it to a tug of war with the body. You can do yoga without moving a muscle.

• The purpose of yoga is yoga. Every health benefit, every physical improvement, is a side effect. As Indu's teacher says: buy one, get one free. Don't stop at the candy store.

• Soma (Sanskrit: सोम): the nectar of the mind. A calm, cohesive, lunar quality of awareness. It is not found outside. It drips down when the mind settles and is consumed by our inner fire when we live in depletion and constant doing.

• Samadhi is not a peak experience for the enlightened few. The word itself tells us: dhi means mind, sa means to gather. Samadhi is simply collecting the scattered pieces of the mind together. How simple is that?

TEXTUAL & TRADITIONAL SOURCES:

• The Rigveda references soma as the nectar of the sacred fire, offered to invoke immortality. In yoga, this external ritual is realised internally.

• The soma chakra, also called bindu or indu chakra, sits within the Sahasrara (crown) chakra. This is considered the seat of soma in the subtle body.

• Pratyahara, the fifth limb of Patanjali's eight-limbed path, describes this conscious introversion. It is not sleep. It is a U-turn of the senses toward the self.

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION:

• Three times a day, pause for 2 minutes. Breathe in for 4 counts, out for 4 counts. Make it an unbroken loop. This builds the nervous system's readiness for deeper practice and offers a daily taste of soma.

• Keep your forehead relaxed. While cooking, commuting, talking. Notice where micro-tension lives in the jaw, the shoulders, the fingers. Easing the body is the first step to easing the mind.

• Before entering an asana, feel first. Visualise. Hold the experience. Come down. Reflect. Let the body lead with its innate wisdom rather than the mind imposing a shape.

Reflection: What would your practice look like if you stopped doing yoga and started listening for it?

SHARE & CONNECT

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

Instagram: @OmSom.yoga

Website: OmSom.yoga

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha ⁠⁠⁠

https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join⁠⁠⁠

100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma ⁠⁠⁠

https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto

⁠⁠⁠200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training Sri Lanka 2026 ⁠⁠⁠

https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-sri-lanka⁠⁠⁠

50 Hr Online Yin Yoga Teacher Training ⁠⁠⁠

https://practice.omsom.yoga/yin-yoga-and-prana-vayus-oto⁠⁠

ON THIS WEEK’S EPISODE:
In this episode we explore Spanda, the subtle pulsation and rhythm of life that restores flow when stillness turns into stagnation. Through stories, classical Tantra, and lived practice, this conversation reframes meditation and yoga as a relationship with rhythm rather than control. We unpack how rigidity is not stillness, why forcing silence often backfires, and how tuning into Spanda allows the mind, breath, and body to move naturally again. This episode invites you to soften fixation, rediscover rhythm, and reconnect with the living pulse beneath all experience.

DEFINITION & ETYMOLOGY:
• Spanda (स्पन्द) - pulsation, vibration, rhythmic movement, throb• From the root spand - to vibrate, quiver, expand, pulse• In Tantric philosophy, Spanda refers to the subtle movement within apparent stillness• A key distinction explored in this episode:– Spanda as natural rhythm and pulsation– Rajas as erratic, out-of-time movement that lacks harmony

KEY CONCEPTS & INSIGHTS:
• Rigidity is not the absence of movement, but frozen movement• A busy mind can still be a stuck mind when thoughts loop without progression• Spanda restores flow by reintroducing rhythm rather than forcing silence• Stillness in yoga does not negate movement: breath, heart, and awareness continue to pulse• Rhythm is how life expresses itself, from the heartbeat to the breath to the cycles of nature• Music moves us because it mirrors our own inner rhythm and vitality• When the mind reconnects to rhythm, fixation softens and awareness naturally progresses• Plateaus in practice often arise from clinging rather than listening

TEXTUAL & TRADITIONAL SOURCES:
• Spanda Kārikā - a foundational Tantric text devoted entirely to the principle of Spanda• “Yatra yatra mano yāti tatra tatra samādhayaḥ” - wherever the mind goes, there is absorption• Teaching explored: when awareness absorbs into rhythm, identity loosens and presence deepens• Spanda as the bridge between consciousness and manifestation in Tantric cosmology

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION:
• Notice where your mind has become rigid, even if it feels busy• Return to rhythm through breath when fixation appears• In asana, allow movement within steadiness rather than gripping for control• Practise without a fixed sequence: sit, feel, move when it feels right, return, and notice the residue• In meditation, soften focus instead of forcing attention onto an object• When the mind wanders, reconnect with breath and rhythm rather than self-judgement• Reflect: where are you clinging to how things “should” be? What happens when you listen instead?

SHARE & CONNECT
Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast. Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.
Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OmSom.yoga⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OmSom.yoga⁠⁠
We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We’d love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha ⁠⁠

https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join⁠⁠⁠

100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma

⁠⁠⁠https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto⁠⁠⁠

200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training Sri Lanka 2026

⁠⁠⁠https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-sri-lanka⁠⁠⁠

50 Hr Online Yin Yoga Teacher Training ⁠⁠⁠

https://practice.omsom.yoga/yin-yoga-and-prana-vayus-oto⁠⁠

ON THIS WEEK’S EPISODE:
Have you ever noticed how some people aren’t actually exhausted they’re just scattered? In this episode we explore Samāna, the balancing, gathering, integrating principle that brings us back into the centre when life feels dispersed. This conversation reframes nourishment as equilibrium: when the system returns to homeostasis, every layer of life is fed. We unpack why more effort, more intensity, and more “input” doesn’t fix burnout and what’s missing is integration. You’ll learn how Samāna works through breath, body, digestion, and the mind, and how balance becomes the foundation that lets you move through life with clarity, buoyancy, and ease.

DEFINITION & ETYMOLOGY:
• Samāna / Samana - the equalising, gathering, integrating principle of prāṇa• Root sama (सम) - equal, together, whole, unified, complete• A key distinction explored in this episode:– samāna as a quality of balance and equilibrium– samāna as a vāyu (a specific action of prāṇa in the body), often linked with digestion and the navel centre

KEY CONCEPTS & INSIGHTS:
• Feeling “burnt out” is often dispersed energy, not a lack of energy• Adding more intensity (hard practice, heavy breathwork, more doing) can further deplete a scattered system• Samāna is the force that brings you back to centre physically, mentally, emotionally• Balance is not an extreme: yoga continually returns us to the middle ground• Water as nourishment = equilibrium, buoyancy, and the ability to stay afloat• When you know what imbalance feels like, you gain a reference point for what balance actually is

TEXTUAL & TRADITIONAL SOURCES:
• Charaka Saṃhitā (Chapter 12) - Samāna vāyu digests the nutritive essence of food• Charaka Saṃhitā - Samāna resides in the abdominal / belly region• Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdayam - Samāna assists Agni (digestive fire): it steadies the fire rather than being the fire itself

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION:
• Nāḍī Śodhana (alternate nostril breathing) to balance Iḍā and Piṅgalā• Sama Vṛtti (equal ratio / box breathing) e.g. 4 in / 4 hold / 4 out / 4 hold• Twisting postures to gather awareness into the belly and create an internalising, centring effect• Balancing postures (like tree pose) as a lived training of returning to centre• Reflect: where does your energy disperse (work, relationships, social media)? What brings you back?• Track the last 24 hours: what pulled you out, what restored you

SHARE & CONNECT

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast. Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OmSom.yoga⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OmSom.yoga⁠⁠

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We’d love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US:
365 Sadhana Sangha ⁠⁠https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join⁠⁠
100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma ⁠⁠https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto⁠⁠
200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training Sri Lanka 2026 ⁠⁠https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-sri-lanka⁠⁠
50 Hr Online Yin Yoga Teacher Training ⁠⁠https://practice.omsom.yoga/yin-yoga-and-prana-vayus-oto⁠⁠

ON THIS WEEK’S EPISODE:
In this episode, we are joined by yoga teacher and Pilates instructor Milli for an embodied exploration of Lahiri, the yogic principle of wave-like, adaptive movement. Together, they unpack a common pattern seen in modern practice: bodies that can hold strong poses but freeze the moment movement is required. Rather than chasing flexibility or forcing flow, this conversation reframes fluidity as something that arises naturally once the body feels supported and stable. Drawing from yoga philosophy, lived teaching experience, and practical movement education, this episode explores how true flow comes from adaptability, not looseness, and how movement becomes nourishing when it undulates rather than resists.

DEFINITION & ETYMOLOGY:
Lahiri (लहरी) means a wave or rhythmic ripple
Derived from the root lahar, meaning to oscillate or undulate
Lahiri describes continuous, predictable, wave-like movement
In yoga, Lahiri is movement that adapts and reorganises without collapsing

KEY CONCEPTS & INSIGHTS:
Strength without adaptability leads to gripping and rigidity
True flow only arises when the body feels safe and supported
Stability is the foundation from which movement becomes fluid
The spine functions best as a wave, not a rigid stick
Undulating movement improves coordination, awareness, and ease
Fluid movement mirrors nature - tides, rivers, spirals, and breath
Nourishment comes from movement itself, not effort or intensity

TEXTUAL & PHILOSOPHICAL REFERENCES:

Zen story of the river and the rock - adaptability over rigidity
Saundarya Lahiri - “the waves of beauty,” attributed to Ādi Śaṅkara
Classical Tantric insight: Śiva united with Śakti enables movement
Consciousness requires aliveness and embodiment to manifest

Nature moves in curves and spirals, not straight lines

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION:
Establish stability through the feet, legs, and pelvis before flowing
Practise spinal waves to articulate each segment of the spine
Initiate movement from the sacrum rather than forcing shape
Allow transitions to blend rather than move in rigid segments
Match breath to movement - inhale to rise, exhale to fold
Lengthen the breath to match the duration of the movement
Use gentle joint movements and Apāna kriyās to restore nourishment
Back off depth in poses to allow movement and adaptability
Notice how fluid movement creates ease both on and off the mat

SHARE & CONNECT

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast. Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OmSom.yoga⁠⁠
Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OmSom.yoga⁠⁠

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We’d love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha

⁠https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join⁠

100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma

⁠https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto⁠

200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training Sri Lanka 2026

⁠https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-sri-lanka⁠

50 Hr Online Yin Yoga Teacher Training

⁠https://practice.omsom.yoga/yin-yoga-and-prana-vayus-oto

ON THIS WEEK’S EPISODE:

In this special interview episode, Aaron is joined by Ayurvedic teacher and yogini Myra Lewin, founder of Hale Pule, for a grounded and nourishing conversation about the Earth element (Pṛthvī), the importance of embodiment, and how to stabilise Vata in the modern world.

Together, they explore what it truly means to be grounded, not just as a trendy concept, but as a deeply Ayurvedic principle tied to health, clarity, and spiritual connection. Myra shares insights from her 35+ years of practice, including the effects of food, overstimulation, irregularity, and disembodiment on our mental and physical well-being.

DEFINITION & ETYMOLOGY:
Pṛthvī (पृथ्वी) is the Sanskrit term for Earth, the densest and most stable of the Mahābhūtas (five great elements). It represents solidity, stability, support, and form.

To be “grounded” in Ayurveda means to be connected with the body, rooted in presence, and in right relationship with gravity, awareness, and nourishment.

KEY CONCEPTS & INSIGHTS:

Grounding is awareness in the body: Myra explains that being grounded means occupying your body fully with awareness in your feet, energy, and personal space.

Vata imbalance = ungroundedness: Common symptoms include dissociation, spaciness, bumping into things, fear-based decisions, irregularity, and overstimulation.

Modern contributors to Vata aggravation: Excessive travel, screen use, fasting, liquid meals, poor sleep, irregular routines, and overstimulation.

Stabilising Vata through food and routine: She shares examples of grounding (augmenting) foods like whole grains and sweet vegetables, and encourages a consistent schedule of meals and sleep.

The importance of sadhana: Myra shares her own daily routine of mantra, fire ceremony, Surya Namaskar, pranayama, meditation, and gratitude - simple practices that anchor presence and build resilience.

Awareness begins in Ajñā (the centre of seeing): Myra redefines grounding as not just dropping into the pelvis, but anchoring awareness from the Ajñā chakra, with clear seeing and conscious presence.

Ayurveda as holistic living: Rather than compartmentalising health, Myra reflects on how Ayurveda helped her life “make sense” and guided her toward true freedom, embodiment, and joy.

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION:

Start with one grounding practice and do it every day: regular meals, sleep, walks, or even a grounding cord visualisation.

Eat augmenting foods: whole grains, root vegetables, and nourishing sweet tastes that build tissue and bring you into your body.

Hold your awareness at the centre of your head (Ajñā) while sending energetic roots down - ground from within without dulling your clarity.

Be consistent, not extreme: Myra reminds us that Ayurveda is not about restriction, but about rhythm and presence.

Stay rooted in your own experience: Learn from others, but discern what supports your individual path.

ABOUT MYRA LEWIN:
Myra Lewin is an Ayurvedic practitioner, yogini, and founder of Hale Pule School of Ayurveda and Yoga. With over 200,000 hours of teaching experience, she’s mentored thousands of students worldwide. Learn more at ⁠halepule.com⁠.

SHARE & CONNECT

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OmSom.yoga⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OmSom.yoga⁠⁠

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha ⁠⁠https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join⁠⁠
100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma ⁠⁠https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto⁠⁠
200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training Sri Lanka 2026 ⁠⁠https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-sri-lanka⁠⁠
50 Hr Online Yin Yoga Teacher Training ⁠⁠https://practice.omsom.yoga/yin-yoga-and-prana-vayus-oto⁠⁠

ON THIS WEEK'S EPISODE:

In this episode, Aaron is joined by our Studio Manager here at Om Som and Senior Teacher Lina for a grounded exploration of Kaya Sthiram, the steadiness and stillness of the body as the foundation for meditation. Together, they unpack one of the most common frustrations people experience in practice: “I can’t meditate because my mind won’t stop.” Rather than approaching stillness through effort or mental control, this conversation reframes meditation as something that begins in the body. Drawing from classical yoga teachings, lived experience, and practical application, this episode explores why mental steadiness cannot arise until the body feels safe, settled, and unmoving, and why stillness has always been taught as a somatic experience before a mental one.

DEFINITION & ETYMOLOGY:

Kaya (काय) means body, field, or embodied formSthiram (स्थिर) means steady, stable, unmoving, able to hold
Kaya Sthiram refers to the steadiness of the body and the field of awareness inhabiting it. It is not rigidity, but a grounded stillness that allows awareness to settle.

KEY CONCEPTS & INSIGHTS:

A restless mind is often the result of an unsettled body
Stillness does not begin with thought, but with sensation
The nervous system must recognise safety before the mind can rest
Ancient yogic teachings observed that animals only rest once their bodies fully settle
Kaya Sthiram acts as a doorway into parasympathetic regulation
The body is the first anchor for awareness before breath or mantra
Modern overstimulation keeps the body vigilant, preventing mental stillness
Asana exists to prepare the body for meditation, not to bypass it

TEXTUAL SOURCES:

Yoga Sūtra 2.46

Sthira sukham āsanam, posture as steadiness and ease

Yoga Sūtra framework

Asana before pranayama, pranayama before meditation

Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā

Asana steadies the body and brings firmness
Classical teaching

When the body is steady, prana settles, and the mind follows

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION:

Do fewer asanas and hold them for longer periodsMinimise fidgeting, adjusting, and unnecessary movement in posesUse the body as the anchor for attention rather than the mind
Repeat a simple internal cue such as “I am here” or “Where are my feet?”
Pause between tasks in daily life and notice bodily sensations
Allow the body to fully settle before moving on to the next action
Meet basic needs first (thirst, hunger, rest) before asking the mind to be still
Practise small moments of stillness throughout the day as daily Kaya Sthiram

SHARE & CONNECT
Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast. Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.
Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OmSom.yoga⁠⁠
Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OmSom.yoga⁠⁠
We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We’d love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha

⁠⁠https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join⁠⁠

100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma

⁠⁠https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto⁠⁠

200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training Sri Lanka 2026

⁠⁠https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-sri-lanka⁠⁠

50 Hr Online Yin Yoga Teacher Training

⁠⁠https://practice.omsom.yoga/yin-yoga-and-prana-vayus-oto

ON THIS WEEK’S EPISODE:In this episode, Aaron is joined by long-time Om Som teacher and student of Chinese medicine, Selenna, for a grounded exploration of Langhana, the yogic principle of calming, descending, and settling the breath and nervous system. Together, we explore why so many people struggle to slow their breath, and how what we often label as anxiety or restlessness is actually excess energy with nowhere to land. Rather than breathing more, this conversation invites us to breathe less, allowing the system to settle through longer, slower exhalations. Drawing from yoga philosophy, Ayurveda, physiology, meditation, and lived practice, this episode reframes pranayama as an energetic practice rather than breath control, and offers Langhana as the foundational approach to calming the body, mind, and prana.

DEFINITION & ETYMOLOGY:• Langhana (लङ्घन) comes from the Sanskrit root lang, meaning to lighten, reduce, alleviate, or settle• In yogic and Ayurvedic traditions, Langhana refers to practices that calm excess and reduce overstimulation• Langhana describes an energetic effect, not a single technique• The result of Langhana is down-regulation, grounding, and nervous system settling

KEY CONCEPTS & INSIGHTS:• Anxiety and restlessness as excess energy rather than personal failure• The overfilled bowl metaphor and the need to empty before receiving• Why classical pranayama begins with the exhale before the inhale• Langhana as the first and foundational approach to breath and energy regulation• The difference between breath work and pranayama - prana rides the breath• How fast, forceful breathing can feel good while increasing agitation• Discomfort when slowing the breath as information, not failure

TEXTUAL SOURCES:• Yoga Sūtra 2.49 - pranayama as regulation of inhalation and exhalation• Yoga Sūtra 2.50 - exhalation, inhalation, and retention as the classical order• Yoga Sūtra 2.51 - dirgha-sukshma, the deep and subtle breath• Ayurvedic principle of Langhana as the primary response to excess and overstimulation

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION:• Practise slow, extended exhalations and build gradually over time• Use viṣama vṛtti, unequal ratios such as inhaling for 4 and exhaling for 6–8• Explore gentle belly breathing to support diaphragmatic movement• Use soft ujjayi on the exhale to naturally lengthen the breath• Pause between asanas rather than moving continuously• Do less, on and off the mat, to reduce excess stimulation• Notice natural sighs or spontaneous slowing of the breath as expressions of the body’s innate intelligence

SHARE & CONNECT

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast. Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OmSom.yoga⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OmSom.yoga⁠⁠

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha

⁠⁠https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join⁠⁠

100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma

⁠⁠https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto⁠⁠

200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training Sri Lanka 2026

⁠⁠https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-sri-lanka⁠⁠

50 Hr Online Yin Yoga Teacher Training

⁠⁠https://practice.omsom.yoga/yin-yoga-and-prana-vayus-oto

ON THIS WEEK’S EPISODE:
In the first episode of Season 3, Aaron is joined by yoga teacher and Pilates instructor Milly for a grounded, practical exploration of Sthiram Āsanam, steadiness in posture.

Together, we unpack why so many people feel busy, effortful, and inconsistent in their bodies, despite moving constantly. Rather than blaming motivation or discipline, this conversation reframes instability as a lack of support and explores how true steadiness begins with grounding, alignment, and relationship with the Earth.

Using classical yogic teachings, lived experience, and practical asana insights, this episode bridges philosophy and practice, showing how stability in the body becomes the foundation for steadiness in the mind, emotions, and life.

DEFINITION & ETYMOLOGY:
Sthiram (स्थिर) — steady, stable, firm, grounded, unmoving
Āsanam (आसनम्) — seat, posture, abiding place

Sthiram Āsanam refers to a posture that can be inhabited with stability and support, rather than endured through effort or force. In the yogic tradition, the body becomes the seat of awareness only when it feels safe, rooted, and held.

KEY CONCEPTS & INSIGHTS:

Stability before ease: The episode explores Patanjali’s teaching that steadiness comes before comfort and why ease cannot arise without support.

The body as Earth: Drawing from the Purāṇic story of Bhūmi Devī, the Earth Goddess, Aaron shares how even the Earth must be held correctly to sustain life, a powerful metaphor for asana and alignment.

Feet as foundation: True stability begins at the feet, not the spine. Spreading, yielding, and stacking the feet creates the surface area needed for steadiness.

Alignment over effort: Stability arises from stacking bones and joints, not muscular tension. When structure supports the body, effort can soften.

Slow transitions build steadiness: Moving slowly between postures trains stability through change, not just in static shapes.

Standing postures as training ground: Tādāsana, Warriors, Goddess, lunges, and balance poses are key practices for cultivating Sthiram.

Steadiness of body, steadiness of mind: Classical texts consistently link physical stability with mental clarity and emotional grounding.

TEXTUAL SOURCES:

Yoga Sūtra 2.46
sthira sukham āsanam
Posture is steady and easeful.

Yoga Sūtra 2.47
prayatna śaithilya ananta samāpattibhyām
By relaxing effort and meditating on the infinite, asana is mastered.

Haṭha Yoga PradīpikāAsana steadies the body, destroys disease, and gives lightness to the limbs.
Steadiness of the body leads to steadiness of the mind.

Gheraṇḍa SaṁhitāAsana gives firmness to the body, steadiness to the limbs, and lightness.

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION:

Begin with simplicity: Choose one to three standing postures and practice them consistently.

Start from the ground up: Establish the feet first, then stack ankles, knees, hips, and spine.

Slow down transitions: Maintain stability as you move between postures, not just when holding them.

Pause before moving: In practice and in life, steadiness comes from pausing before the next step.

SHARE & CONNECT

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OmSom.yoga⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OmSom.yoga⁠⁠

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We’d love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha
https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join

100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma
https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto

200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training Sri Lanka 2026
https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-sri-lanka

50 Hr Online Yin Yoga Teacher Training
https://practice.omsom.yoga/yin-yoga-and-prana-vayus-oto

ON THIS WEEK'S EPISODE

We complete our 4-part series on the functions of the mind (Antaḥkaraṇa) with a deep dive into Buddhi, the faculty of discernment. Often misunderstood or underdeveloped in modern life, Buddhi is the seat of clarity, intuition, and right action. Without it, our practice remains mechanical and our decisions reactive. This episode explores Buddhi not just as an idea, but as a spiritual function that bridges the mind to the Self.

DEFINITION AND ETYMOLOGY OF BUDDHI

Buddhi (बुद्धि) is derived from the Sanskrit root budh, meaning "to know" or "to awaken".

It refers to the discerning faculty of the mind — the one that decides, reasons, and realises.

Buddhi is the still, silent witness that sees without reacting. When activated, it leads us from compulsion to clarity.

KEY CONCEPTS COVERED

How Buddhi differs from Manas, Citta, and Ahaṃkāra

Buddhi as the internal guide, and how it's clouded by Rajas and Tamas

The role of Buddhi in yoga practice, ethics, and daily decision-making

Why Buddhi is essential for moving toward viveka (discrimination between real and unreal)

Christ Consciousness and Buddha nature as metaphors for awakened Buddhi

The transition from reactive mind to witnessing awareness

TEXTUAL SOURCES

Yoga Sūtra 1.20: śraddhā vīrya smṛti samādhi prajñā pūrvaka itareṣām — the path to awakening requires discernment (prajñā)

Bhagavad Gītā 2.50: yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam - Yoga is skill in action, guided by Buddhi

References to the Katha Upaniṣad’s chariot model, where Buddhi is the charioteer

Tantric model of viveka khyāti - developing clear seeing through sustained practice

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION

Practices to strengthen Buddhi

Svādhyāya (self-study) and scriptural reflection

Pratyāhāra and Dhyāna for non-reactive observation

Choosing sāttvic food, company, and habits to clear mental fog

Asking: “Is this reaction or response?” before making decisions

Meditating on the silence behind thoughts

Viewing spiritual maturity as the refinement of Buddhi — not just accumulation of knowledge

SHARE & CONNECT

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OmSom.yoga⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OmSom.yoga⁠⁠

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US:365 Sadhana Sangha
https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma
https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training Sri Lanka 2026
https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-sri-lanka50 Hr Online Yin Yoga Teacher Training
https://practice.omsom.yoga/yin-yoga-and-prana-vayus-oto

ON THIS WEEK’S EPISODEWe continue our exploration of the four functions of mind (antaḥkaraṇa) with Ahaṃkāra, the sense of “I” and the formation of identity. Often misunderstood as something to eliminate, Ahaṃkāra is in fact essential to navigating the world. In this episode, we look at how ego forms, how it binds us, and how Yoga offers a path to clarity, self-awareness and liberation, not through destruction, but integration.

DEFINITION AND ETYMOLOGY OF AHAṂKĀRAAhaṃkāra (अहंकार) is composed of aham (I) and kāra (maker), the “I-maker.” It is the function of mind that claims identity over thoughts, memories and actions, saying: I am this. While necessary for daily life, problems arise when Ahaṃkāra forgets its true source.

KEY CONCEPTS COVERED

The Upanishadic view of ego as the servant who believes himself the king

How Ahaṃkāra assigns “I” to the body, thoughts, emotions, and roles

The role of ego in waking, dreaming, and deep sleep

Turīya - the witness beyond ego

Healthy vs unhealthy ego: ownership vs identification

The difference between egoic collapse and spiritual refinement

Yoga’s path of recognition: you are not the ego, but awareness itself

TEXTUAL SOURCES

Katha Upaniṣad - the chariot metaphor: body as chariot, buddhi as charioteer, manas as reins, and Ahaṃkāra as the mistaken “self”

Yoga Sūtra 2.6: “Dṛg-darśana-śaktyor ekātmatā iva asmitā” - the confusion of the seer with the instruments of seeing

Bhagavad Gītā — ego as one of the threefold gates to hell (alongside desire and anger) when imbalanced, yet not rejected when purified

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION

Recognise: begin noticing when “I” is assigned - to body, thought, mood, or memory

Witness: through meditation and self-inquiry, create space between awareness and identity

Return: use breath, mantra, and āsana to return to the seat of the witness

Relate: soften the edges of “I” in relationship - offer, serve, listen

Refine: practice humility and right action through Karma Yoga and Vairāgya (dispassion)

SHARE & CONNECT

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OmSom.yoga⁠⁠
Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OmSom.yoga⁠⁠

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha 

https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join

100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma

https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto

200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training Sri Lanka

https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-sri-lanka

50 Hr Online Yin Yoga Teacher Training

https://practice.omsom.yoga/yin-yoga-and-prana-vayus-oto

ON THIS WEEK’S EPISODEThis episode explores Citta, the storehouse of memory, impressions, and latent tendencies within the mind. As the second part of our Antaḥkaraṇa series, we unpack how Citta governs the deeper layers of our mental activity and what it means for yoga practice and self-awareness.

DEFINITION AND ETYMOLOGY OF CITTADerived from the root cit, meaning “to perceive” or “to be conscious,” Citta is the memory aspect of mind, a vast internal field of impressions (saṃskāras) and mental patterns (vṛttis) that shape how we perceive and respond to the world.

KEY CONCEPTS COVERED

Citta as the substrate for vṛtti and its role in the Yoga Sutras (1.2)

How memories and conditioning form behavioural tendencies (vāsanās)

Mirror analogy from the Bhāgavata Purāṇa - how Citta reflects the world and the self

Distinguishing Citta from Manas, Ahaṃkāra, and Buddhi

Citta in the four states of consciousness: waking, dreaming, deep sleep, and Turīya

Cleansing the Citta through Sādhana and inner stillness

TEXTUAL SOURCES

Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali (especially 1.2: Yogaś citta vṛtti nirodhaḥ)

Bhāgavata Purāṇa - the analogy of the mirror covered with dust

Traditional Hatha and Vedantic references to the mental field (citta-bhūmi)

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION
We offer practices to refine and clarify Citta including:

Stillness in āsana to reveal subconscious patterns

Prānāyāma for emotional digestion

Meditation to observe and reduce vṛttis

Daily reflection and repetition to cultivate new saṃskāras

Living with awareness to interrupt automatic patterns

SHARE & CONNECT

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OmSom.yoga⁠⁠
Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OmSom.yoga⁠⁠

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha 

https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join

100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma

https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto

200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training Sri Lanka

https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-sri-lanka

50 Hr Online Yin Yoga Teacher Training

https://practice.omsom.yoga/yin-yoga-and-prana-vayus-oto

ON THIS WEEK'S EPISODE
We begin our final podcast series for the year: The Four Functions of the Mind (Antaḥkaraṇa). In this first part, we explore Manas, the aspect of mind responsible for sensory processing, attention, and coordination. Drawing from the Katha Upaniṣad and yogic psychology, we look at how Manas operates in different states of consciousness and how it can be trained through practice.

DEFINITION AND ETYMOLOGY OF MANAS
The Sanskrit word manas comes from the root “man”, to think or perceive. It refers to the lower mind, the part that organises incoming sensory data and initiates responses. It is different from Buddhi (intellect), Ahaṁkāra (ego), and Citta (memory storehouse).

KEY CONCEPTS COVERED

Manas as the driver of the chariot (Katha Upaniṣad analogy)

The role of Manas in sankalpa-vikalpa (considering options)

How Manas governs the senses (indriyas)

Drishti-Citta-Prāṇa connection in Hatha Yoga

The function of Manas in waking, dreaming, deep sleep, and Turīya

TEXTUAL SOURCES

Katha Upaniṣad - the metaphor of the chariot

Yoga Sūtra - distinction between states of mind (YS 1.1–1.6)

Hatha Yoga Pradīpikā - practices to steady the mind (HYP 4.34)

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION
You’ll learn ways to refine and stabilise Manas using tools from both Raja and Hatha Yoga traditions, including:

Drishti practices to anchor attention

Breath-gaze-mind coordination

Meditative observation of the changing mind

Cultivating presence across all four states of consciousness

SHARE & CONNECT

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OmSom.yoga⁠⁠
Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OmSom.yoga⁠⁠

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha 

https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join

100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma

https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto

200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training Sri Lanka

https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-sri-lanka

50 Hr Online Yin Yoga Teacher Training

https://practice.omsom.yoga/yin-yoga-and-prana-vayus-oto

ON THIS WEEK'S EPISODE

We’re closing out our series on the three Guṇas with Tamas - the guna of inertia, resistance, and concealment.

Far from being just the bad guy, Tamas is the force that allows for deep rest, stillness, and even death - the necessary pause for rebirth. In this conversation, we explore the textures of Tamas, how it shows up in our lives and practice, and how to work with it rather than fight against it.

DEFINITION & ETYMOLOGY OF TAMAS

Tamas comes from the Sanskrit root tam, meaning darkness or obscurity. It is the quality of concealment - what covers, hides, or veils the truth. It is associated with the downward pull of gravity, resistance, confusion, and apathy.

KEY CONCEPTS COVERED

The difference between heavy sleep and regenerative rest.

How Tamas can distort perception and suppress truth.

Why it's essential for endings, death, and withdrawal.

How to distinguish between grounding and numbing.

Practices that purify or uplift Tamas (without bypassing it).

The connection between food, energy, and tamasic states.

The importance of love and devotion in transforming Tamas

TEXTUAL SOURCES

We reference the Bhagavad Gita, which speaks of Tamas as the guna that binds the soul through confusion, delusion, and inertia but also as part of the essential fabric of creation. Tamas isn’t evil; it is necessary for dissolution, sleep, and stillness.

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION

Tamas is best met with gentleness. If you're experiencing deep Tamas, don’t immediately jump to action - begin by noticing, accepting, and gently bringing in light.

Practices include:

Prayer or bhakti-based meditation to bring warmth to dark spaces.

Getting out of bed and into the sun to shift inertia.

Sattvic meals to reduce heaviness and fog.

Slow movement and breathwork to invite prana without overwhelm.

Choosing one small act of connection - reaching out to someone, lighting a candle, taking a short walk.

When Tamas becomes chronic, these simple efforts help reintroduce momentum without shame.

SHARE & CONNECT

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.
Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OmSom.yoga⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OmSom.yoga

⁠⁠
We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha 

https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join

100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma

https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto

200 Hr Yoga Teacher Training Sri Lanka

https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-sri-lanka

50 Hr Online Yin Yoga Teacher Training

https://practice.omsom.yoga/yin-yoga-and-prana-vayus-oto

ON THIS WEEK’S EPISODE

In part two of our Mahāguṇa series, we explore Rajas - the force of movement, desire, and change. Rajas is what gets us out of bed, onto the mat, and into the world. But left unchecked, it’s also what drives restlessness, distraction, and burnout.

We unpack how to recognise Rajas in the mind and body, how to work with its energy wisely, and how to shape it toward Sattva through yoga, breath, meditation, and daily life.

DEFINITION AND ETYMOLOGY OF RAJAS

From the Sanskrit root rañj, meaning to colour or to stir.

Rajas is the guṇa of action, propulsion, stimulation, restlessness, and friction.

It is responsible for change, transformation, and intention but when excessive, it agitates the mind and disturbs stillness.

KEY CONCEPTS COVERED

Rajas as the upstirring factor behind all movement and motivation.

Its presence in Samkhya philosophy, Prakṛti, and the meaning of “Kriyā” (action).

The symptoms of rajasic imbalance: overstimulation, restlessness, fidgeting, racing breath, insomnia.

Rajasic Citta in the Yoga Sutra and its obstacles to meditation.

The fine line between Tejas (discernment) and Rajas (overdrive).

The “exit ramp” metaphor for slowly settling excessive Rajas.

When to pacify Rajas vs when to cultivate it (e.g. from lethargy or procrastination).

TEXTUAL SOURCES

Samkhya Kārikā: defines Rajas as “activity” and “impulse”.

Yoga Sutra references to rajasic citta, breath disturbances, and agitation as obstacles to steadiness.

Hatha Yoga Pradīpikā and traditional Prāṇāyāma frameworks for regulating energy.

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION

When Rajas is Excessive:

Asana:

Slow transitions, long holds, grounding poses (twists, forward folds, belly-down backbends).

Emphasise symmetry and rhythm over intensity.

Extend Savasana to allow full integration.

Prāṇāyāma:

Lengthen the exhale (e.g. 4:8 ratio).

Chandra Bhedana, Śītalī (cooling breath).

Avoid stimulating kriyas and aggressive techniques.

Meditation:

Use structured meditations like 61-point relaxation or kriya-based visualisations.

Build up from movement-based or guided practices.

Avoid jumping straight into stillness - build spaciousness gradually.

Lifestyle & Ayurveda:

Reduce stimulants (coffee, spicy foods, loud media, excessive screen time).

Focus on routine, rest, cooling foods and soothing sensory inputs.

Use unstructured time to unwind - slow mornings, no-schedule days.

When Rajas is Deficient:

Practice dynamic asana like Surya Namaskār, backbends, lateral extensions.

Use energising prāṇāyāma: Kapalabhāti, Bhastrikā, Sūrya Bhedana, Ujjāyī.

Short, purposeful meditation to set clear direction.

Cultivate intention, rhythm and forward momentum in daily life.

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Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.
Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.
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We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

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ON THIS WEEK'S EPISODE

This week we begin a new three-part series on the Mahāguṇas, the foundational qualities of the mind in Yogic and Sāṃkhya philosophy. In this first episode, we explore Sattva, the guna of clarity, lightness, harmony and inner truth.

We look at the origins of the guṇas in the Samkhya Kārikā, how Sattva expresses itself in the mind and body, how it can be cultivated through Yoga and Ayurveda, and the fine line between embodying Sattva and becoming bound by it.

DEFINITION AND ETYMOLOGY OF SATTVA

Sat means truth or pure being; -tva is the suffix for quality.

Sattva is the quality of truth, clarity, and purity in perception.

It is the guṇa most conducive to knowledge, meditation, right action, and spiritual insight.

Symmetrical asana sequencing

Balanced effort between strength and softness

Spacious transitions and intentional pauses

Steady Drishti and breath awareness

Prānāyāma:

Nāḍī Śodhana (alternate nostril) to balance solar and lunar currents

Sama Vṛtti (equal ratio breath)

Gentle use of Bhrāmarī and soft Ujjayi, avoiding aggressive techniques

Meditation:

Heart-based meditations (Yoga Sūtra 1.33)

Mantra repetition for single-pointedness

Cultivating presence and compassion over performance

Āyurveda & Lifestyle:

Seasonal, warm, home-cooked, soul-nourishing meals

Daily rhythm, early rising, time in nature, gentle routines

Sensory awareness and sattvic inputs (media, sound, space)

Most importantly - right intention behind actions and consumption

SHARE & CONNECT

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.
Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.
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We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

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This week we explore Ojas, the subtle essence of Kapha dosha and the deepest storehouse of vitality. Ojas is the foundation of our immunity, resilience and inner strength. It governs stability, love and our capacity to endure. Without it, we burn out. With it, we radiate presence.

DEFINITION AND ETYMOLOGY OF OJAS

Ojas comes from the Sanskrit root uj, meaning strength or vigour.

It is the refined essence of the dhātus (tissues), particularly formed from Śukra Dhātu.

Ojas is responsible for immunity, endurance, mental stability and spiritual glow.

KEY CONCEPTS COVERED

The role of Ojas as the subtle essence of Kapha

How Ojas is produced through proper digestion and dhātu formation

The difference between Para Ojas (original) and Apara Ojas (circulating)

Signs of Ojas depletion: fatigue, fear, dryness, burnout

Metaphors for Ojas: the beeswax of the flame, the glow of vitality

How Ojas supports mental clarity, emotional stability and spiritual depth

TEXTUAL SOURCES

Charaka Saṃhitā defines Ojas as the vital essence of life (Jīvita), seated in the heart

Other Ayurvedic texts emphasise its role in strength, nourishment and resistance to disease

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION

Nourish Ojas with wholesome, unctuous food, rest and loving relationships

Avoid excessive stimulation, fasting, or depletion from overwork

Practices like Yoga Nidra, meditation, slow asana, and prānāyāma build Ojas

Protect your Ojas by living in alignment with natural rhythms and values

Build consistency, compassion and containment in your daily rituals

SHARE & CONNECT

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

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Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OmSom.yoga⁠⁠

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

OM

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ON THIS WEEK’S EPISODE

This week we explore Tejas, the subtle essence of Pitta dosha. Tejas is the inner radiance that gives you vitality, clarity, courage and transformative insight. It’s the brilliance that burns away ignorance, the heat that powers your digestion and the glow behind your eyes when you're living with purpose.

DEFINITION AND ETYMOLOGY OF TEJAS

In Sanskrit, Tejas means “brilliance,” “radiance,” or “fire.”

It is the subtle, luminous counterpart of Pitta, associated with insight, vitality, digestion, discernment and spiritual luminosity.

Tejas is one of the three Upadhatus (subtle essences) alongside Ojas and Prāṇa. Together, they reflect the health and refinement of the gross elements.

KEY CONCEPTS COVERED

Tejas as the light of Buddhi (discriminative intelligence)

The role of Tejas in Agni, digestion and cellular metabolism

Balancing Tejas with Ojas and Prāṇa for sustainable vitality

The shadow side of excess Tejas: burnout, inflammation, intensity

Tejas as the fire of transformation in Yoga and Ayurveda

Spiritual dimensions: how Tejas illuminates the path to Self

TEXTUAL SOURCES

Charaka Saṃhitā and other classical Ayurvedic texts discuss Tejas in the context of subtle essences and Agni

Yogic texts such as the Hatha Yoga Pradīpikā point to Tejas as the radiant force cultivated through tapas (discipline) and practice

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION

To cultivate Tejas: Practice tapas, discipline, clear intention and mindful eating

To balance excess Tejas: Ground through Ojas-building foods and cooling practices

Incorporate time in nature, candle-gazing (tratak), or reflective meditation

Observe your inner fire - is it a steady flame or a wildfire?

Use breath and mantra to stabilise the light within

SHARE & CONNECT

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OmSom.yoga⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OmSom.yoga⁠⁠

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

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ON THIS WEEK’S EPISODE

This week,we explore the Dhātus, the seven bodily tissues that form the foundational architecture of the body and mind in Ayurveda. We trace how nourishment from food moves through each tissue and ultimately builds vitality (ojas).

You’ll learn how your digestion fuels not just energy, but structure, stability and even your capacity for love, strength and creativity.

DEFINITION AND ETYMOLOGY OF DHĀTU

The Sanskrit root dha means “to hold” or “to support.”

Dhātu refers to that which upholds and sustains the body, the structural and functional tissues.

There are seven classical Dhātus:

Rasa – Plasma, lymph

Rakta – Blood

Māṃsa – Muscle

Meda – Fat

Asthi – Bone

Majjā – Marrow, nerve tissue

Śukra – Reproductive tissue

KEY CONCEPTS COVERED

Dhātu Agni: The unique digestive fire of each tissue.

Supply vs Demand: Balancing nutrition with physical and energetic practices for optimal tissue health.

Nutritional links: What foods, minerals, and practices nourish each tissue best.

Impact of Digestion: Weak digestion can hinder tissue formation — leading to long-term imbalance.

TEXTUAL SOURCES

Classical Ayurveda texts such as the Charaka Saṃhitā and Ashtanga Hridayam outline the Saptadhātu system.

This teaching also underpins many Ayurvedic approaches to diagnosis, nutrition, and treatment.

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION

Eat for all 7 tissues — not just for energy but for structure, lubrication, clarity, and vitality.

Understand your symptoms not just as isolated problems, but as imbalances at the level of specific Dhātus.

Use a 40-day lens: the food you eat today affects your deepest tissues more than a month from now.

Embrace lifestyle rhythms like movement (for Rakta, Māṃsa), rest (for Majjā), and conscious intimacy or self-connection (for Śukra).

Revisit this episode alongside your Ayurvedic cooking journey or yoga practice to deepen your embodied understanding.

SHARE & CONNECT

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

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Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OmSom.yoga⁠

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

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ON THIS WEEK’S EPISODE

VIKṚTI — SPOTTING IMBALANCE & RETURNING TO CENTRE

In this week’s episode, we explore Vikṛti, the ever-changing reflection of imbalance across the body, mind, energy and emotions. Paige and Aaron guide you through how Vikṛti arises, how it differs from Prakṛti, and the deep intelligence it holds.

Understanding your Vikṛti isn’t about pathologising yourself. It’s about learning to read the signs of your system and realign with nature’s rhythm.

DEFINITION AND ETYMOLOGY OF VIKṚTI

Vikṛti (विकृति) comes from vi (apart or change) and kṛti (creation or action), meaning “distortion” or “alteration.”

In Ayurveda, it refers to your current state of imbalance, influenced by time, environment, food, emotions and habits.

Unlike Prakṛti (your nature), Vikṛti is mutable and can be improved with right living.

KEY CONCEPTS COVERED

The dynamic relationship between Prakṛti and Vikṛti

How the Doshas become disturbed and push us out of alignment

The six stages of disease (ṣaṭkriyākāla) in Ayurveda

Physical, mental and emotional signs of Vikṛti

The role of ahaṃkāra (ego) and prajñāparādha (error of intellect) in imbalance

Why Vikṛti shows up as a teacher, not a punishment

TEXTUAL SOURCES

Charaka Saṃhitā on the formation of Vikṛti through external and internal causes

The concept of ṣaṭkriyākāla - six stages of disease progression

Discussion on prajñāparādha from Ayurvedic classical texts

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION

Learn to observe signs of imbalance in your digestion, mood, energy and sleep

Reconnect with your Prakṛti through seasonal rhythms, mindful movement and rest

Use daily routines (dinacharya), food choices and breathwork as gentle corrections

Treat imbalance early - Ayurveda is preventative first

Instead of chasing perfection, return to presence

SHARE & CONNECT

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OmSom.yogaWebsite: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OmSom.yoga

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.
OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha 

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200 Hr Berwick

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ON THIS WEEK’S EPISODE

Prakrti - Your Nature is Your Strength

In this week’s episode, Paige and Aaron explore Prakṛti, the Ayurvedic concept of your innate constitution - the unique blend of Doṣas you are born with. More than a personality type or physical appearance, Prakṛti is the energetic blueprint that guides how you digest, rest, relate, and grow.

We dive into the purpose of understanding Prakṛti, the misconceptions around typing yourself, and why discovering your nature is only the beginning of living in alignment.

Prakṛti (प्रकृति) derives from pra (before) and kṛti (creation or action) — meaning “original nature” or “first creation.”

In Āyurveda, it refers to your natural constitution, the unique ratio of Vāta, Pitta, and Kapha present at the moment of conception.

Unlike Vikṛti (imbalance), Prakṛti is stable, reflecting your true nature.

The difference between Prakṛti (your constitution) and Vikṛti (your current state of imbalance)

Why knowing your Prakṛti matters and how it supports personalised diet, yoga, rest, and life rhythm

Common misconceptions (e.g. “I’m a Vāta,” “Pitta people are leaders”)

Exploring mixed constitutions (dual or tri-doṣic types)

The connection between Prakṛti and your dharma (purpose)

Charaka Saṃhitā on the formation of Prakṛti at conception

Classical references that highlight the stability of Prakṛti vs the fluidity of Vikṛti

Role of the Mahābhūtas (elements) in determining constitution

Reflect on your physical, mental, and emotional tendencies over your lifespan

Consider how your environment, upbringing, and habits may have veiled your Prakṛti

Use observation, journaling, and practitioner guidance to refine your understanding

Align your yoga practice, food choices, and sleep routine with your natural strengths

Instead of fixating on your “type,” explore how your body reveals truth through daily feedback

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Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

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Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OmSom.yoga⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

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ON THIS WEEK’S EPISODE

Vata Dosha - The Wind that Moves Everything

In this final episode of the dosha trilogy, we explore the dynamic, creative and ever-changing nature of Vāta Dosha. As the force behind movement, communication, inspiration and excretion, Vāta is as subtle and sacred as it is unpredictable.

Learn how to recognise signs of imbalance, understand the gifts of this energetic dosha and bring Vāta into balance through food, rhythm, yoga and Ayurvedic self-care.

Vāta (वात) comes from the root va, meaning “to blow or move.”

It is composed of ākāśa (space) and vāyu (air) elements.

It governs movement in the body, communication, breath, excretion and subtle energy (prāṇa).

Often called the "King of the Doṣas" because nothing functions without it.

Primary qualities (guṇas): dry, light, cold, rough, subtle, mobile

Five primary sites of Vāta (and their links to Prāṇa Vāyus):
1. Head/brain (Prāṇa Vāyu – inspiration, mental movement)
2. Throat/diaphragm (Udāna – expression and speech)
3. Small intestine/navel (Samāna – assimilation and peristalsis)
4. Colon/pelvis (Apāna – elimination and downward movement)
5. Heart/circulatory system (Vyāna – circulation of nutrients and prāṇa)

Signs of balanced Vāta: creativity, adaptability, lightness, vitality, spiritual sensitivity

Signs of imbalanced Vāta: anxiety, gas, constipation, dry skin, insomnia, cold extremities, overwhelm

Charaka Saṃhitā on the qualities of Vāta and its governing role over movement and prāṇa

Cross-reference with the Prāṇa Vāyu system in Yoga

Insights from the Bhāva Guṇas and elemental theory of Āyurveda

To bring Vāta into balance:

Food: favour warm, moist, oily, grounding meals with spices like ginger, cumin and cinnamon

Routine: create a consistent daily rhythm (same meals, practice, sleep times)

Yoga: slow, grounding, repetitive movement; avoid excessive flow or scattered practices

Breath: lengthen the exhale; practice Nāḍī Śodhana in a balanced rhythm

Lifestyle: stay warm, especially in wind and cold seasons; use oil massage (Abhyanga)

Rest: support deep, nourishing sleep with a consistent wind-down routine and silence

SHARE & CONNECT:

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

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We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

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ON THIS WEEK’S EPISODE:

Pitta Dosh - The Sacred Fire of Transformation

This episode explores the fire and water that fuel digestion, clarity and drive, and the burnout, inflammation and intensity that arise when that sacred flame burns too hot. We guide you through the nature of Pitta in body and mind, the Ayurvedic understanding of inflammation and how to balance this transformative force through food, practice and lifestyle.

Pitta (पित्त) means “that which digests”. It comes from the root tap, meaning “to heat, burn, shine.”

It is the doṣa of transformation, composed of Agni (fire) and Jala (water).

It governs digestion, metabolism, vision, discernment and the intellect (buddhi).

Primary qualities (guṇas): hot (uṣṇa), sharp (tīkṣṇa), light (laghu), flowing (sara), slightly oily (sneha) and liquid (drava).

Sites of Pitta: eyes, brain, small intestine, liver, skin.

Functions: digestion of food, light, thoughts and emotions. Clarity of perception. Production of bile and enzymes.

Mental tendencies: focused, driven, confident, discerning, but also prone to anger, impatience and perfectionism.

Signs of imbalance: skin issues, acid reflux, burning sensations, loose stools, irritability, inflammation and burnout.

From the Charaka Saṃhitā:

"Pitta is hot, sharp, liquid, light, slightly unctuous, flowing, and pungent in taste. It resides in the stomach, blood, sweat, eyes, and skin. It governs digestion, complexion and perception."

To balance Pitta Dosha:

Diet: Emphasise sweet, bitter, and astringent tastes. Use cooling herbs like coriander, fennel, and cardamom. Avoid spicy, oily and fried foods.

Lifestyle: Rest before exhaustion. Avoid overwork. Create space in your schedule and in your mind.

Environment: Seek cool, calm settings. Spend time near water. Walk under the moonlight.

Asana: Favour calming, non-competitive practices like Yin, Restorative or gentle lunar flows.

Pranayama: Use Śītalī (cooling breath) and Candra Bhedana (left-nostril breathing) to pacify excess heat.

Meditation: Focus on compassion (maitrī), contentment (santoṣa), and letting go of perfectionism.

SHARE & CONNECT:

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@OmSom.yoga⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠OmSom.yoga⁠⁠⁠

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

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ON THIS WEEK’S EPISODE
This week we’re exploring Kapha, the dosha most often associated with earth and water. In this episode we break down what Kapha truly represents, not just biologically, but emotionally, energetically and spiritually.

From the nurturing qualities of love and loyalty to the sticky patterns of attachment and inertia, this conversation will help you reframe your understanding of Kapha from both a yogic and Ayurvedic lens.

DEFINITION AND ETYMOLOGY OF KAPHA
The word Kapha is derived from the Sanskrit root ka (water) and pha (to flourish or increase).
It is formed by the elements earth (prithvī) and water (jala), which give Kapha its core qualities: heavy, slow, steady, cool, oily and smooth.

Kapha governs structure, stability, lubrication, immunity and emotional holding. It’s what gives the body cohesion and the heart its capacity to feel.

KEY CONCEPTS COVERED
What Kapha really is (and isn’t), beyond stereotypes
How Kapha supports growth, love, compassion, nourishment and memory
The shadow side: lethargy, possessiveness, over-attachment
Kapha in the body (mucus, lymph, fat tissue) and mind (sentimentality, resistance to change)
Seasonal considerations — Kapha’s dominance in late winter and spring
Signs of balance vs imbalance and how to spot them
The deeper medicine of movement, warmth, stimulation and lightness

TEXTUAL SOURCES
Insights from the Charaka Samhita on the function of doshas
Kapha as described in Ashtanga Hridayam, particularly its role in strength, lubrication, and stability
Ayurveda’s elemental model of Mahābhūtas (earth + water) as the basis of Kapha expression
Discussion of Kapha’s relationship to tamas guna and emotional inertia

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION
Movement is medicine: regular, dynamic exercise to counter stagnation
Embrace warm, light, dry and spicy foods
Clear clutter, both mentally and environmentally
Morning routines that spark motivation and prevent inertia
Reflect on where you may be “holding on” emotionally or physically
Ask: Where in your life could you invite more lightness or stimulation?

SHARE & CONNECT:

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@OmSom.yoga⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠OmSom.yoga⁠⁠

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha 

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Bali Retreat

https://omsom.yoga/bali-retreat-2025

200 Hr Berwick

https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-berwick-2025

ON THIS WEEK’S EPISODE:

This week we explore one of the most widely known, and often misunderstood, aspects of Ayurveda: the Doshas. Through conversation and lived experience, we unpack what Dosha really means, where this framework comes from and how to move beyond pop-Ayurveda stereotypes.

This is an episode for anyone curious about Ayurveda as a deeper system of health and for those ready to engage in real self-study beyond the memes and online quizzes.

DEFINITION AND ETYMOLOGY OF DOSHA

In Sanskrit, Dosha means “that which becomes imbalanced.”
It is derived from the root duṣ, meaning “to spoil” or “to go out of balance.” Rather than defining you, Dosha refers to the tendencies that lead to imbalance not fixed traits.

Dosha is not your personality or your identity, it's a tool for observation and self-regulation.

KEY CONCEPTS COVERED

The meaning and origin of the word Dosha.
Clarifying the difference between Prakriti (your original constitution) and Vikriti (your current state of imbalance).
How the Doshas relate to the Mahabhutas (five elements) and Gunas (qualities).
Vata (air & space), Pitta (fire & water) and Kapha (earth & water) as patterns of change.
How Dosha theory supports lifestyle choices, seasonal alignment and sadhana.
Why Dosha is not about boxing yourself in, but recognising how you go out of balance.

TEXTUAL SOURCES

Referencing the Charaka Samhita, one of Ayurveda’s foundational medical texts.
Dosha as part of Samkhya philosophy, emerging from elemental theory (Mahabhutas) and Triguna framework.
Mention of Ashtanga Hridayam for practical application of diet, daily routines (dinacharya) and seasonal practices (ritucharya).

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION

How to observe your current state rather than obsess over your fixed Dosha.
Why context and timing matter more than rigid labels.

Using food, movement and routine to balance the elements within.
Questions for reflection:
What qualities dominate in your body and mind today?
What are you drawn to in moments of stress or fatigue?
How can you restore opposite qualities through nature and lifestyle?

SHARE & CONNECT:

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.
Instagram: ⁠⁠@OmSom.yoga⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠OmSom.yoga⁠

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha 

https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join

100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma

https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto

Bali Retreat

https://omsom.yoga/bali-retreat-2025

200 Hr Berwick

https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-berwick-2025

ON THIS WEEK'S EPISODE
This is the final episode in our Panchamahabhuta (Five Elements) series — an exploration of Akasha, the space element. Aaron dives solo into the vast, subtle, and sacred qualities of this final tattva, and how it supports the deeper layers of your yogic and meditative journey.

DEFINITION AND ETYMOLOGY OF AKASHA
Akasha is most commonly translated as space or ether, though it also holds the qualities of vastness, subtlety, and limitlessness. In Sanskrit, Akasha is described as Sukshma (subtle), Ananta (infinite), Vyapaka (all-pervading), and Shunya (emptiness).

KEY CONCEPTS COVERED
The qualities and function of Akasha in the body, mind, and spirit.

Shiva as the deity of space and stillness.

The connection between space and intuition, sound, and consciousness.

Excess and deficiency of space in your doshic and emotional constitution.

The unique relationship between spaciousness and spiritual liberation.

TEXTUAL SOURCES
Dharana from the Gheranda Samhita: visualisation of a bright, clear, auspicious raincloud (Dharma Megha).

Traditional association of Akasha with the Vishuddhi Chakra, Ham bija mantra, and sound as a sense.

Commentary on subtle sound practices from yogic and tantric traditions.

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION
Asana suggestions: long pauses between postures, gentle inversions, openness through the throat.

Pranayama techniques: Bhramari (humming breath), So Hum meditation, and breath retentions (kumbhaka) to access silence.

Meditative practice: exploring silence between thoughts, subtle inner sounds, and Dharana on the Dharma Megha.

Lifestyle reflections: creating physical and mental space, reducing overstimulation, honouring stillness in everyday life.

SHARE & CONNECT:
Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast. Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

Instagram: ⁠⁠@OmSom.yoga⁠⁠
Website: ⁠⁠OmSom.yoga

⁠

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha 

https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join

100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma

https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto

Bali Retreat

https://omsom.yoga/bali-retreat-2025

300 Hr India & Berwick

https://omsom.yoga/300-hour-advanced-hatha-yoga-training-2025

200 Hr Berwick

https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-berwick-2025

ON THIS WEEK'S EPISODE: VAYU TATTVA (THE AIR ELEMENT)

This week we explore Vayu Tattva, the air element, and its role as the animating force that moves life itself. From the subtlety of breath to the invisible currents that shape our emotions and thoughts, Vayu is a reminder of how vital movement and space are to our wellbeing.

KEY CONCEPTS COVERED

The qualities (gunas) of the air element: light, mobile, dry, cool, subtle

Vayu Deva as the personification of the air element

Signs of excess and depletion of Vayu in the body and mind

The connection between breath, nervous system regulation, and prana vayus

Yoga practices to balance and embody the air element

TEXTUAL SOURCES

Insights from classical texts including the Gheranda Samhita and references to the heart chakra (Anahata) and the bija mantra YAM

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION

Discover how to integrate the air element into your daily life through breath awareness, backbending asanas, pranayama techniques like kumbhaka and bhramari, and embracing spontaneity to cultivate lightness and clarity.

SHARE & CONNECTThank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

Instagram: @OmSom.yoga
Website: OmSom.yoga

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha 

https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join

100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma

https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto

Bali Retreat

https://omsom.yoga/bali-retreat-2025

300 Hr India & Berwick

https://omsom.yoga/300-hour-advanced-hatha-yoga-training-2025

200 Hr Berwick

https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-berwick-2025

ON THIS WEEK’S EPISODE: AGNI – THE FIRE ELEMENT

In this episode, we explore Agni Tattva, the third of the five great elements (Pancha Mahābhūtas) and one of the most revered forces in the Vedic tradition. Agni is not only the fire that warms, digests, and transforms—it is also the divine mouth of the gods, the spark of tapas, and the igniting force of transformation in both body and mind.

KEY CONCEPTS COVERED

Agni (अग्नि) is the Sanskrit word for fire and refers to both the physical element and its divine embodiment as Agni Deva. Agni is seen as the bridge between the human and the divine, transforming offerings into subtle fragrance and intention into sacred action.

The symbolism of Agni Deva: riding a ram, body of flame, two faces for creation and destruction

Fire as messenger between humans and gods in Vedic ritual

Ayurvedic gunas of Agni: uṣṇa (hot), tīkṣṇa (sharp), laghu (light), rūkṣa (dry), and sūkṣma (subtle)

Fire as the basis of digestion (Jatharāgni), clarity, intuition, and transformation

Tapas as the friction required for growth

Signs of excess fire: inflammation, aggression, impatience, burnout

Signs of depleted fire: sluggish digestion, low confidence, lack of clarity or motivation

How to work with fire through asana (twists), pranayama (Kapalabhati, Bhastrikā, Ujjāyī), meditation, and lifestyle habits

The power of fire ceremonies, Agnihotra, and candle-gazing as practices of purification and presence

TEXTUAL SOURCES

Gheraṇḍa Saṁhitā 5.12 – “Visualise a red triangle that blazes like fire, radiating heat and flame. This is the subtle essence of the fire element.”

Chakra reference: Maṇipūra — the “City of Jewels” associated with fire and personal power

Elemental seed sound: Ram — the bija mantra to ignite transformation and willpower

INTEGRATING IN PRACTICE

Asana: Emphasise twists and core-strengthening poses to stimulate digestion and personal power

Pranayama: Try heating practices like Kapalabhati and Bhastrikā to energise; or use Ujjāyī for slow, steady heat

Meditation: Candle gazing (Trāṭaka) or meditating on the red triangle at the navel centre

DAILY LIFE:

Prioritise warm, well-spiced meals to tend digestive fire

Maintain a daily rhythm with built-in challenge (tapas)

Reconnect with the sun’s cycles and track your local sunrise/sunset

Use fire as a teacher: observe its qualities, sit by a fire, cook with flame, and engage with transformation mindfully

SHARE & CONNECT

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

Instagram: @OmSom.yoga

Website: OmSom.yoga

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha 

https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join

100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma

https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto

Bali Retreat

https://omsom.yoga/bali-retreat-2025

300 Hr India & Berwick

https://omsom.yoga/300-hour-advanced-hatha-yoga-training-2025

200 Hr Berwick

https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-berwick-2025

ON THIS WEEK'S EPISODE: JALA – THE WATER ELEMENT IN YOGA & AYURVEDA

Water is life. It nourishes, connects, and flows within and around us. In this episode, we explore Jala Tattva (the water element) as part of our series on the five great elements (Pancha Mahabhuta).

KEY CONCEPTS COVERED

The meaning and qualities of Jala – liquid, unctuous (snigdha), cool, soft, and flowing

The personification of water as Varuna Deva, the compassionate guardian and judge of the oceans

How imbalance in water shows up – from emotional overwhelm and fluid retention to dryness and disconnection

Yogic practices to cultivate balance in water: fluid asana, cooling pranayama (like Shitali), and meditation on the crescent moon

Ayurvedic tips for hydration, from drinking living water to self-oil massage (abhyanga)

This episode is both philosophical and deeply practical, helping you weave the nourishing qualities of water into your yoga practice and daily life.

TEXTUAL SOURCES REFERENCED

Gheranda Samhita (Chapter 3: Dharanas on the elements)

Yogic association of Jala with Svadhishthana Chakra

Ayurvedic concepts of Snigdha (unctuousness) and Kapha dosha

SHARE & CONNECTThank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.
Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.
Instagram: ⁠⁠@OmSom.yoga⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠OmSom.yoga⁠⁠

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha 

https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join

100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma

https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto

Bali Retreat

https://omsom.yoga/bali-retreat-2025

300 Hr India & Berwick

https://omsom.yoga/300-hour-advanced-hatha-yoga-training-2025

200 Hr Berwick

https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-berwick-2025

ON THIS WEEK’S EPISODE: PRITHVI – CULTIVATING STABILITY THROUGH THE EARTH ELEMENT

We begin a new series exploring the Pancha Mahābhūtas—the five great elements of the yogic and Ayurvedic tradition. Starting with Prithvi (Earth), Aaron and Paige unpack how this foundational element nourishes both body and mind, and why cultivating its qualities is essential for grounding, stability, and balance in our lives.

We explore the Sanskrit meaning of Prithvi and its connection to the goddess Bhūmi Devī, revered in the Vedic tradition as the great mother who sustains all life. Together, we’ll reflect on the tangible ways earth manifests within and around us—through the physical body, our emotions, and the structures of our lives.

KEY CONCEPTS WE EXPLORE

What is Prithvi? Sanskrit etymology and significance of the earth element.

Bhūmi Devī: Understanding the personification of Earth as a goddess of nourishment and abundance.

Qualities of Earth: Heavy, stable, hard, oily, and slow—how these guṇas show up in the body and mind.

Excess and Depletion: Signs of too much or too little earth in your constitution, and how this impacts your energy, mood, and routine.

Earth in Hatha Yoga: The connection between Prithvi and Mūlādhāra Chakra, including the bija mantra lam and the symbolic yellow square meditation from the Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Yoga Practice: Standing postures like Tadasana and balancing poses to develop grounding. Forward folds and low-to-the-earth asanas to build stability.

Breathwork: Slow, extended exhales and three-part breathing to calm and anchor the nervous system.

Meditation: Visualise a golden-yellow square or chant lam at the base of the spine to embody earth’s steady energy.

Lifestyle Tips: Earthing (barefoot walking), forest bathing, and establishing daily routines for a more grounded and consistent life.

FINAL REFLECTION

The earth element invites us to slow down, stabilise, and reconnect with our own inner and outer foundations. By cultivating Prithvi, we can nourish the parts of ourselves that crave security and steadiness while honouring the abundance that Bhūmi Devī offers unconditionally.

Where in your life could you bring in more stability and support? And what small practice might help you feel more grounded today?

SHARE & CONNECT

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.
Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.
Instagram: ⁠⁠@OmSom.yoga⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠OmSom.yoga⁠⁠

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha 

https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join

100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma

https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto

Bali Retreat

https://omsom.yoga/bali-retreat-2025

300 Hr India & Berwick

https://omsom.yoga/300-hour-advanced-hatha-yoga-training-2025

200 Hr Berwick

https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-berwick-2025

ON THIS WEEK'S EPISODE: SAMĀDHI – THE UNION BEYOND MIND

This final episode in our exploration of Rāja Yoga turns inward—deep into the heart of the practice. Samādhi is often romanticised or misunderstood as the "goal" of yoga, yet it is simply the natural flowering of sustained concentration (Dharana) and effortless meditation (Dhyāna). It is the stillness behind the waves, the silence at the centre of sound, the one who sees.

We reflect on how Samādhi isn’t something you “achieve,” but something that reveals itself when the inner noise settles. It’s not dramatic. It’s not even “blissful” in the way the mind imagines. It is the still presence that has always been there—before the mind, after the breath.

DEFINITION AND ETYMOLOGY OF SAMĀDHI

In Sanskrit, Samādhi is made up of three roots:

Sam – complete, fully, together

Ā – towards, near

Dhi – to hold, to place the mind

It refers to the complete absorption of the mind into the object of meditation—so fully that there is no longer a sense of separation between the observer and the observed. The mind becomes eka-tanata, one-pointed and steady, and eventually dissolves into pure awareness.

KEY CONCEPTS COVERED

The progressive refinement from Dharana → Dhyāna → Samādhi.

Samādhi is not a goal to strive for—it’s a natural state that arises when the conditions are right.

Misconceptions about Samādhi: it's not about escape, fireworks, or mystical detachment.

How the ego tries to grasp or replicate spiritual experience.

The danger of spiritual bypassing and mistaking sensory withdrawal for liberation.

Sahaja Samādhi — the integration of stillness into everyday life.

The value of humility and returning again and again to practice.

TEXTUAL SOURCES

Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali, Chapter 1: Samādhi Pāda — especially verses 1.17–1.20, which outline Sabīja (with seed) and Nirbīja (seedless) Samādhi.

Hatha Yoga Pradīpikā (4.1–4.6) — describes Samādhi as the cessation of duality and the merging of prāṇa and apāna in the central channel.

Shiva Samhitā and Gheranda Samhitā — reference Samādhi as the ultimate aim of mudrā, bandha, and prāṇāyāma practices.

PRACTICAL INTEGRATION

Aaron and Paige reflect on their own experiences of stillness—what helped and hindered the inner quiet from arising. We explore:

How to stay grounded while encountering altered states.

The value of discipline, devotion, and deep inner listening.

Creating an inner environment of ease, trust, and openness.

The importance of rest, play, and patience in a culture obsessed with productivity.

SHARE & CONNECT:
Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.
Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.
Instagram: ⁠@OmSom.yoga⁠Website: ⁠OmSom.yoga

⁠

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha 

https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join

100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma

https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto

Bali Retreat

https://omsom.yoga/bali-retreat-2025

300 Hr India & Berwick

https://omsom.yoga/300-hour-advanced-hatha-yoga-training-2025

200 Hr Berwick

https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-berwick-2025

ON THIS WEEK'S EPISODE: Dhyāna – Meditation as a Stream of Awareness

Meditation is not a technique. It is a state.

In this episode, we explore Dhyāna (meditative absorption) not as a separate practice from āsana and prāṇāyāma, but as a natural evolution of consistent sādhanā. We reflect on how meditation emerges when attention becomes steady, the senses withdraw, and the breath is refined. We also clarify the difference between concentration (Dharana), meditation (Dhyāna), and absorption (Samādhi) in the traditional yogic framework.

DEFINITION AND ETYMOLOGY OF DHYĀNA

Dhyāna (ध्यान) comes from the root dhī – to reflect, contemplate, or hold in mind.

It is the 7th limb of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga.

Patañjali defines it as the uninterrupted flow of concentration on one object (YS 3.2):

“tatra pratyaya ekatānatā dhyānam”
Meditation is the continuous focus on a single object.

KEY CONCEPTS

Dhyāna is not about silencing thoughts, but about sustaining one object of meditation without distraction.

The practice begins with Dharana (placing the mind) and matures into Dhyāna (sustained presence).

It is not a doing—but a being.

The breath becomes a bridge into this quiet state.

When Dhyāna deepens, it becomes Samādhi—the state where the distinction between meditator, object, and meditation dissolves.

TEXTUAL SOURCES

Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali – Chapters 3.1–3.3 on Dharana, Dhyāna, and Samādhi as the integrated process of Samyama.

Bhagavad Gītā (Chapter 6) – describing the seat, discipline, and mindset of a meditator.

Hatha Yoga Pradīpikā (Chapter 4) – linking prāṇāyāma and mudrā to the rise of natural meditation.

INTEGRATING DHYĀNA IN PRACTICE

Cultivate a stable āsana, refine prāṇāyāma, and allow the senses to turn inward (pratyāhāra).

Sit each day—even for a few minutes—in stillness.

Use the breath, mantra, or internal light (jyotir) as a support.

Trust that meditation will reveal itself through repetition, simplicity, and sincerity.

SHARE & CONNECT:
Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.
Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.
Instagram: @OmSom.yogaWebsite: OmSom.yoga

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha – https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join

100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma – https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto

Bali Retreat – https://omsom.yoga/bali-retreat-2025

300 Hr India & Berwick – https://omsom.yoga/300-hour-advanced-hatha-yoga-training-2025

200 Hr Berwick – https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-berwick-2025

On this week's episode: DHARANA – THE ART OF INNER STILLNESS

In this episode, we explore Dharana—the sixth limb of yoga—as the art and effort of concentration. Dharana is the capacity to hold the mind on one thing. It precedes meditation (Dhyana) and is essential for entering the deeper, subtler states of yoga.

DEFINITION AND ETYMOLOGY OF DHARANA

The word Dharana comes from the Sanskrit root dhṛ, meaning “to hold,” “to bear,” or “to support.” In practice, it refers to the act of fixing the awareness upon one object, sensation, or internal space. Dharana is not yet meditation—it is the threshold, the gathering of the mind from its scattered tendencies toward a single stream of awareness.

Unlike meditation as a passive state, Dharana is active, intentional, and often challenging. We speak about the energetic importance of stillness, and how Dharana prepares us to meet the contents of the mind without being swept away by them. It’s the beginning of pratyaya-ekatānata—the continuous, unbroken flow of attention.

TEXTUAL SOURCES

In Pātañjalayogaśāstra, Yoga Sutra 3.1 defines Dharana as:

“Deśa-bandhaś cittasya dhāraṇā” – “Dharana is the binding of the mind to one place, object or idea.”

We also reference Dharana practices in the Hatha Yoga Pradīpikā, where techniques like Trataka (gazing), breath retention, and internal visualisation are offered as means to steady the mind.

These teachings suggest that Dharana is not merely a mental exercise, but a deeply embodied and energetic experience that leads into Dhyana and eventually Samadhi.

Techniques discussed include breath awareness, chakra visualisation, mantra japa, and Trataka (fixed gaze). These are not about “emptying the mind” but about refining the mind’s ability to rest in a single place—be it the breath, a candle flame, or the heart.

We also speak about how Dharana can be integrated into daily life—from brushing your teeth to walking through the bush—as a form of sacred attention.

We close with reflections on the obstacles to Dharana—like restlessness, boredom, or frustration—and how to meet them with grace, not resistance.

SHARE & CONNECT:

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

Instagram: ⁠@OmSom.yoga⁠

Website: ⁠OmSom.yoga⁠

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha
https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join
100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma
https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-otoBali Retreat
https://omsom.yoga/bali-retreat-2025300 Hr India & Berwick
https://omsom.yoga/300-hour-advanced-hatha-yoga-training-2025200 Hr Berwick
https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-berwick-2025

ON THIS WEEK'S EPISODE:

Pratyāhāra – The Gateway Between Outer & Inner Practice

In this episode, we explore Pratyāhāra, the fifth limb of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga and the vital bridge between outer discipline and inner stillness.

Often overlooked, Pratyāhāra is the turning point—a moment when the senses are no longer scattered in the external world but drawn inward toward the source of awareness.

TEXTUAL SOURCES:

We unpack its etymology (prati = against or away, āhāra = food or intake), and the rich symbolism of withdrawing the senses not as suppression, but as conscious redirection.

This episode weaves together philosophy, scriptural sources, and personal reflection on how this practice can guide us from constant consumption toward deep inner nourishment.

WE TOUCH ON:

Pratyāhāra as the yoga of the senses

Why it’s essential before dhāraṇā (concentration) and dhyāna (meditation)

The common misunderstanding that Pratyāhāra is passive or escapist

The tortoise metaphor from the Bhagavad Gītā and other classical analogies

Daily life applications: how to consciously redirect the senses

The distinction between sensory withdrawal and suppression

Why Pratyāhāra isn’t about abandoning the world, but embracing it inwardly

How Pratyāhāra links the physical and mental limbs of yoga

Yogic texts that speak to this limb (Yoga Sūtra 2.54–2.55, Hatha Yoga Pradīpikā references)

SHARE & CONNECT:

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

Instagram: ⁠@OmSom.yoga⁠

Website: ⁠OmSom.yoga⁠

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

OM

PRACTICE WITH US:
365 Sadhana Sangha
https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join
100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma
https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto
Bali Retreat
https://omsom.yoga/bali-retreat-2025
300 Hr India & Berwick
https://omsom.yoga/300-hour-advanced-hatha-yoga-training-2025
200 Hr Berwick
https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-berwick-2025

ON THIS WEEK’S EPISODE: PRĀṆĀYĀMA — MASTERING THE BREATH

In this episode, we explore the fourth limb of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga—Prāṇāyāma, often described as the gateway between the physical practices of āsana and the inner limbs of meditation. Aaron and Paige guide us through a rich, grounded, and traditional understanding of what it means to master the breath—not just as a technique, but as a means of refining our awareness and expanding our life force. We discuss the etymology of prāṇa (life-force) and āyāma (expansion, restraint); how prāṇāyāma links body, breath, and mind; why traditional teachings always follow āsana with prāṇāyama—not the other way around; and the difference between breath control and energy mastery.

TEXTURAL SOURCES

Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā 2.1
atha āsane dṛḍhe yogī vaśī hita-mitāśanaḥ |

gurūpadiṣṭa-mārgeṇa prāṇāyāmān samabhyaset ||

“Established in steadiness of āsana, with mastery, moderate diet, and guided by the teacher’s path—the yogī should begin the practice of prāṇāyāma.”

Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā 5.1 describes prāṇāyāma as one of the seven limbs of Haṭha Yoga, along with ṣaṭkarma, āsana, mudrā, pratyāhāra, dhyāna, and samādhi. The eight classical kumbhakas (retentions) are listed and broken down: Sūrya Bhedana, Ujjāyī, Śītalī, Bhastrikā, Bhrāmarī, Mūrchā, Plāvinī, and Kevalī.

We explore how to begin prāṇāyāma safely: after establishing a stable āsana practice and with guidance from a teacher. The value of simple breath awareness (śvāsapraśvāsa) as a foundation. The role of retention (kumbhaka) in shifting mental states and preparing for pratyāhāra. Tips for integrating breathwork into daily life for clarity, steadiness, and energy regulation.

Prāṇāyāma is not about force or control—it’s about intimacy with the breath, trust in your system, and a commitment to deepening presence. It is a bridge, a purifier, and a catalyst for inner stillness.

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On this week's episode: Īśvara Praṇidhāna (Surrender to the Divine)

We close our Yamas & Niyamas series with a deep dive into Īśvara Praṇidhāna – the practice of surrendering to the divine, whatever that may mean to you. From the rowboat analogy to Ram Dass’s wisdom, this episode invites you to step back from personal control and tune into divine flow. We discuss how this final niyama is both a culmination and a doorway—an offering of your practice, your life, and your purpose to something higher.

Key Concepts:

Īśvara = the Divine; Praṇidhāna = to surrender or devote oneself

The distinction between giving up and trusting deeply

Why yoga asks for surrender as the final step on the path

Letting go of control and learning to flow with life

Seeing everyone (and yourself) as an embodiment of the divine

Devotion through practice, mantra, prayer, and selfless service (seva)

Using your life as an offering—not for personal gain, but for collective upliftment

Textual Sources:

Yoga Sūtra 2.45: “Samādhi siddhiḥ īśvara praṇidhānāt” — “Perfection in Samādhi comes through surrender to the Divine.”

Bhagavad Gītā 2.47: “You have the right to act, but not to the fruits of your actions.”

Integration in Thought, Word, and Action:

In thought: Let go of needing to control the outcome. Trust in the natural intelligence of life.

In word: Use mantra, prayer, or language that invokes the sacred. Speak as if speaking to God.

In action: Devote yourself to your highest calling. Let your practice, your seva, and your daily life become your offering.

Reflective Takeaway:

What would it look like if every breath, every word, every step became an offering? Īśvara Praṇidhāna reminds us that our life can be a vessel for the divine—not through control, but through surrender.

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

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OM

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On this week’s episode: Svādhyāya – The Study of the Self

In this episode, we explore the fourth niyama: Svādhyāya, commonly translated as “self-study.” But this isn’t just about introspection or journaling prompts—it’s about studying that which observes all things. Aaron and Paige unpack the twofold nature of Svādhyāya: the outer practice of studying sacred texts and the inner practice of contemplating the eternal witness within. Together, they explore how this practice moves us beyond self-help and into Self-knowledge—the kind that points not to personality, but to presence.

Key Concepts Discussed:

Svādhyāya defined:From sva (self) + adhyāya (study). Not just reflecting on your thoughts or behaviours, but remembering your deeper nature as witness consciousness—the sākṣin.

Twofold Practice:

1. Study of scripture, texts, teachings that reflect back our essence

2. Self-inquiry and observation—asking “Who am I?” as taught by sages like Ramana Maharshi.

Journaling as a doorway:

Tools like freewriting or stream-of-consciousness journaling can help expose subconscious thoughts and make space for witnessing mind from a distance.

Language & identity:

The importance of conscious speech—owning your experience without identifying with it (e.g., “I’m experiencing a migraine” vs “my migraine”). Recognising the gap between your stories and your Self.

Symbols & reminders:

How sacred images, deities, and rituals serve as mirrors of our own inner divinity. Even simple things—candles, altars, plants—can reflect Self-awareness.

Yoga Sutra 2.44 (svādhyāyāt iṣṭa-devatā-saṁprayogaḥ): Through Svādhyāya, we enter into union with our chosen deity or ideal—allowing our soul to resonate with divine qualities and awaken its true nature.

Practical Applications:

Daily Study: Choose one sacred text or verse to read each day—not for information, but for remembrance.

Self-Inquiry Prompts: Ask, “Who am I beyond this thought?” or “What am I believing right now?” to dissolve surface-level identity.

Watch Your Words: Practice speaking from your inner witness—acknowledge bias and ownership without fusing with it.

Create a Sacred Reminder: Keep a visual or ritual symbol nearby that returns you to presence each time you see it.

Join a Sangha: Practice alongside others on the path. Self-study doesn’t mean going it alone.

Final Reflection:

Svādhyāya isn’t about solving yourself—it’s about seeing yourself clearly. Every time you return to the seat of the witness, you are doing the deepest yoga. And it is from this place that clarity, contentment, and even devotion can arise.

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

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We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

OM

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On this week’s episode: Tapas – Igniting the Fire of Practice

In this episode, we explore the third niyama: Tapas, often translated as discipline, heat, or inner fire. Aaron and Paige reflect on how Tapas isn’t just about effort or intensity—it’s about showing up with sincerity, consistency, and discernment. From the ancient metaphor of the yogi bringing rain not through action but through inner harmony, to stories of students seeking accountability and the modern challenges of social media, this episode is a deep dive into the true essence of self-discipline in yoga.

Key Concepts:

Tapas (तपस्): From tap meaning "to burn"—a transformative inner heat that purifies.

Not just doing more, but showing up with clarity—even if what’s required is stillness, rest, or surrender.

The friction of beginning is part of the process—momentum comes with repetition.

Tapas in thought means returning to your centre, not fighting distractions.

Tapas in words means speaking your truth with compassion and courage.

Tapas in action is staying the course—refining your habits to align with your dharma.

Textual Sources:

Yoga Sūtra 2.43 — “Through Tapas, impurities are destroyed and the perfection of the body and senses is achieved.” (kāyendriya-siddhir aśuddhi-kṣayāt)

Yoga Sūtra 2.1 — Lists Tapas, Svādhyāya, and Īśvarapraṇidhāna as the path of Kriyā Yoga.

Also supported by teachings from the Bhagavad Gītā and Hatha Yoga Pradīpikā, which describe Tapas as a pathway to spiritual clarity and physical refinement.

Practical Integration:

Recognise where your discipline may actually mean letting go, not pushing harder.

Create frameworks and routines that support consistency (membership, mentorship, regular classes).

Honour your unique starting point—discipline doesn’t mean burnout.

Use community and teachers for accountability until self-reliance develops.

Speak truthfully, especially when it’s uncomfortable—but always with kindness.

Connect with us

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

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Website:OmSom.yoga

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

OM

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On this week's episode: Santosha

What does it mean to be content—even when things aren’t going your way? In this week’s episode, we explore Santosha, the second of the Niyamas, and its deeper meaning beyond gratitude or blind positivity. Contentment in yoga is about being undisturbed, about finding peace in what is, rather than striving for what isn’t. We reflect on the relationship between contentment and discomfort, and how Santosha can be practiced in thought, word, and action—on the mat and in daily life.

Definition & Etymology of Santosha

Santosha (सन्तोष) is often translated as contentment, but it stems from sam (complete, whole) and tosha(satisfaction, contentment).

Together, it implies a deep, total contentment—an acceptance of what is, free from craving or resistance.

Key Concepts Explored

The difference between gratitude and Santosha.

Contentment as non-striving, non-reactivity, and presence.

How to meet discomfort in practice with equanimity.

The problem with chasing happiness through external things.

Slowing down to find joy in simplicity.

Santosha as an attitude cultivated in the nervous system.

Santosha in Thought, Word & Action

Thought:
Cultivating acceptance, releasing judgment, and practicing present-moment awareness rather than comparison or craving.

Word:
Speaking words that express appreciation, wonder, and presence instead of complaint, gossip, or negativity.

Action:
Simplifying routines, choosing rituals that support presence (like mindful eating, slow tea-making, or watching the sunrise), and learning to sit with what is.

Textual Sources

Yoga Sūtra 2.42: santoṣāt anuttamaḥ sukha-lābhaḥ
“From contentment, the highest happiness is attained.”

Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā: Suggests Santosha brings joy to the yogi and is a prerequisite for higher states of clarity and stillness.

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

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We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

OM

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On this week's episode: Saucha

Saucha (शौच) is one of the five Niyamas in Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga.
It refers to purity, cleanliness, and clarity—in thought, speech, and action.

It’s not about moral superiority or rigid purification rituals.
It’s about creating the conditions for clarity to arise, for energy to flow, and for yoga to unfold.

Etymology of Saucha

Śuc (शुच्) – to be clean, bright, pure

Saucha (शौच) – cleanliness or purity, often referring to inner and outer purity

From the mind to the body to the physical environment, Saucha is a process of refinement, not rejection.

Saucha in Practice: Mind, Speech, Action Mind

Journaling, meditation, and affirmations help create space between thoughts.

Replace negative self-talk with clarity, compassion, and non-judgmental awareness.

Think of the mind like a mirror: we’re not trying to smash it, just to clean it so it reflects truth.

Speech

Speak slowly and intentionally. Choose words that are authentic, kind, and true.

As the yogis say: As you speak, so you create (abracadabra).

Notice when your language regurgitates others' beliefs instead of your own.

Action

Hygiene, home organisation, conscious consumption—all actions can be imbued with Saucha.

Asana spaces and rituals (like setting up a mat or folding props) become acts of inner purification.

Treat your body like a temple—not out of ego, but devotion.

Yoga Sutra 2.41
“Sattva śuddhi saumanasya aikāgrya indriyajaya ātmadarśana yogyatvāni ca”

“Through the practice of Saucha, one attains clarity, cheerfulness, one-pointedness of mind, mastery of the senses, and readiness for Self-realisation.”

Final Thoughts:

Saucha isn’t about obsessively chasing perfection. It’s about creating an environment—mental, physical, and energetic—where clarity can arise.
One drop of poison won’t pollute an ocean of purity. So pour in the clear water, every day.

Clean the mirror. Speak from truth. Live lightly. And let yoga happen.

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

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We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

OM

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On this week's episode: Aparigraha

What does it mean to live without clinging? In this episode, we explore the yogic principle of Aparigraha, often translated as non-possessiveness or non-attachment. We look at how this practice invites freedom, simplicity, and deeper joy—when we let go of what no longer serves us.

Definition of Aparigraha Aparigraha means more than just refraining from hoarding—it’s about consciously choosing to release grasping, consumption, and control. It teaches us to live in harmony with what we need, rather than being ruled by what we want.

Etymology of Aparigraha

A (non)

Pari (all around)

Graha (grasping, seizing)

Together: “non-grasping” or “not taking more than what is freely given.”

Aparigraha in Daily Life

In thought: Releasing attachments to outcomes and past experiences.

In speech: Speaking without exaggeration, manipulation, or seeking gain.

In action: Practicing generosity, reducing consumption, and simplifying daily life.

Practical Ways to Cultivate Aparigraha

1. Minimalism – Questioning excess and choosing simplicity.

2. Letting Go Practices – Releasing emotional baggage and clutter.

3. Gratitude and Contentment – Practicing Santosha to shift from wanting to appreciating.

4. Generosity and Service – Giving freely without attachment to outcome.

Textual Sources

Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (2.39)

“Aparigraha-sthairye janma-kathaṁtā-sambodhaḥ.”

Translation: When one is established in non-possessiveness, the knowledge of past and future lives arises.

– Swami Satchidananda Commentary

Hatha Yoga Pradipika (1.15)

“Atyāhāraḥ… ṣaḍbhiryogo vinaśyati.”

Translation: Yoga is destroyed by overindulgence, talking too much, excessive effort, bad company, and greed.

– Swami Muktibodhananda Commentary

Final Thoughts Aparigraha is not about deprivation—it’s about liberation. When we let go of what we’re holding too tightly, we make space for clarity, creativity, and connection.

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

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OM

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On this week's episode: Brahmacharya

What is Brahmacharya?

Often translated as moderation, right use of energy, or celibacy, Brahmacharya in yoga is about consciously directing your life energy towards spiritual growth and personal purpose.

It invites mindfulness in how we expend our physical, mental, and emotional energy.

Etymology of Brahmacharya

Brahma (ब्रह्म) – Universal consciousness or ultimate truth

Charya (चर्य) – Conduct, behaviour, or way of life

Brahmacharya (ब्रह्मचर्य) – Conduct that aligns you with higher consciousness

Brahmacharya is about using your energy intentionally and purposefully rather than dissipating it unconsciously.

Brahmacharya in Daily Life

Brahmacharya in Thought

Being mindful of how mental energy is spent—avoiding excessive worrying, fantasy, or rumination

Directing thoughts towards uplifting, meaningful, and constructive purposes

Brahmacharya in Words

Communicating purposefully and clearly, avoiding idle gossip and unnecessary talk

Using your words to inspire, uplift, and connect deeply with others

Brahmacharya in Action

Channeling energy into actions aligned with your values and long-term wellbeing

Avoiding overindulgence in food, entertainment, and distractions that drain vitality

Creating space for rest and rejuvenation, understanding that rest is as important as action

Practical Ways to Cultivate Brahmacharya

Mindful Energy Management

Regularly reflecting on where your energy is invested

Learning to say no to commitments that drain you unnecessarily

Balanced Lifestyle Choices

Choosing nourishing foods, activities, and relationships that replenish your energy

Recognizing and addressing addictive habits or behaviours

Conscious Relationships

Cultivating deeper intimacy and presence in personal relationships

Practicing honesty and clarity about boundaries and intentions

Meditation & Self-Reflection

Regular meditation to help focus and stabilize your energy

Reflecting on your life's purpose to ensure your energy aligns with your deeper values

Textual Sources for an Expanded Understanding of Brahmacharya

Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (2.38) "Brahmacharya-pratiṣṭhāyām vīrya-lābhaḥ."

Translation: "When firmly established in moderation, one gains great vitality and strength." Source: Swami Satchidananda Commentary

Hatha Yoga Pradipika (Chapter 1, Verse 57) "Brahmacharyeṇa tapasā deve mṛtyum upāghnata."

Translation: "Through Brahmacharya and disciplined practice, one conquers even death." Source: Swami Muktibodhananda Commentary

Final Thoughts

Brahmacharya isn’t about restriction—it’s about empowerment through mindful choice and intentional living.

Practicing Brahmacharya cultivates deep reserves of vitality, enabling you to live your dharma fully.

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

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OM

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On this week's episode: Asteya

What does it really mean to live without stealing?

Asteya, the third Yama from the Yoga Sutras, is often simplified as “non-stealing.” But in this episode, we explore how it actually asks us to look deeper—at our thoughts, our speech, and our actions—to see where we might be taking what hasn’t been freely given.

Whether it’s stealing time, energy, attention, credit, or even our own rest and peace, Asteya invites us to shift from a mindset of scarcity to one of abundance and generosity.

We unpack:

What Asteya truly means in yogic philosophy.

The subtle ways stealing shows up in modern life.

How to practice Asteya through boundaries, generosity, and mindful living.

And how Asteya supports us in creating more fulfilling relationships with self, others, and the world.

Textual Sources for Asteya

Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (2.37):
“Asteya-pratiṣṭhāyām sarva-ratnōpasthānam.”
Translation: “When one is firmly established in non-stealing, all treasures present themselves.”
Source: Swami Satchidananda Commentary

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 16, Verses 1–3:
Describes divine qualities such as non-covetousness and freedom from greed.
Source: Eknath Easwaran Translation

Final Thoughts

Asteya is a practice of trust—trusting that we are enough, that we have enough, and that the more we give, the more we grow. Through this lens, yoga becomes not just a path of self-improvement but of collective harmony and liberation.

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website:

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We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We’d love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

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On this week's episode: Satya

What is Satya?
Satya is often translated as truthfulness—but in the yogic tradition, it is about more than just honesty. It is about living in alignment with truth in thought, word, and action.
True Satya involves seeking clarity, authenticity, and integrity—not just avoiding lies.

Etymology of Satya
Sat (सत्): that which is real, unchanging, eternal
Ya (य): to be, to embody
Satya (सत्य): to be in truth, to embody reality

Satya invites us to perceive reality beyond illusions, projections, and conditioned beliefs.

Satya in Thought

Be honest with yourself about your emotions, fears, and desires.

Question conditioned beliefs to uncover what is truly real.

Satya in Words

Speak truthfully with compassion.

Before speaking, ask: Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?

Satya in Action

Align decisions and behaviours with your deepest values and inner wisdom.

Live in alignment with dharma rather than external validation.

Practical Ways to Cultivate Satya

Self-inquiry through journaling or meditation.

Observe when and why you might distort truth.

Speak with awareness, balancing honesty and ahimsa.

Act in integrity—even when it’s uncomfortable.

Practice discernment (viveka) to see beyond surface-level experience.

Textual Sources for an Expanded Understanding of Satya

Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (2.36):
"Satya-pratiṣṭhāyām kriyā-phalāśrayatvam"
Translation: "When one is firmly established in truthfulness, their words become so powerful that whatever they speak manifests."
Source: Swami Satchidananda

Bhagavad Gita (17.15):
"Anudvegakaram vākyam satyam priya-hitam ca yat"
Translation: "Words that do not agitate, that are truthful, kind, and beneficial—this is the speech of one in alignment with dharma."
Source: Eknath Easwaran

Final Thoughts
Satya is not about brutal honesty—it’s about conscious truthfulness.
When we pair truth with compassion, we create clarity, connection, and freedom.
Living in truth allows us to co-create reality in alignment with our deepest self.

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

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On this week's episode: Ahimsa

What is Ahimsa?
Ahimsa is often translated as non-violence or non-harming, but it extends far beyond physical harm. It is the practice of living in a way that minimises harm in thought, word, and action—toward ourselves, others, and the world around us.

Etymology of Ahimsa
A (अ) – Prefix meaning "not" or "absence of"
Himsa (हिंसा) – Harm, violence, or injury
Ahimsa (अहिंसा) – "The absence of harm" or "the practice of non-violence"

Ahimsa is not just about what we avoid, but what we cultivate—compassion, patience, and care.

Ahimsa in Thought

The way we speak to ourselves matters. Negative self-talk and judgment can be a form of violence.

Self-compassion is a powerful expression of non-harming.

Ahimsa in Words

Our speech holds power. Words can wound or heal.

Ask: Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?

Ahimsa in Action

How we treat others, animals, and the Earth reflects our commitment to Ahimsa.

Everyday decisions—what we eat, how we shop, how we show up in relationship—are opportunities to choose compassion.

Practical Ways to Cultivate Ahimsa

Self-compassion practices and forgiveness.

Mindful and kind speech.

Conscious, ethical consumption.

Setting boundaries without aggression.

Honouring your body and energy in daily choices.

Textual Sources

Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (2.35)
"Ahimsā pratisthāyām tat sannidhau vaira-tyāgah."
Translation: "When one is firmly established in non-violence, hostility ceases in their presence."
(Source: Swami Satchidananda Commentary)

Bhagavad Gita (16.2)
"Ahimsa satyam akrodhas tyāgah shāntir apaishunam."
Translation: "Non-violence, truth, absence of anger, renunciation, peace, and kindness."
(Source: Eknath Easwaran Translation)

Final Thoughts
Ahimsa is not passive—it’s active love.
It’s fierce compassion.
It’s choosing to return, again and again, to kindness.

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On this week's episode: Samyama

What is Samyama?

Samyama is the combined practice of Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (absorption). It represents the deeper stages of meditative practice, allowing practitioners to uncover profound insights and achieve self-realisation.

Etymology of Samyama:

Sam (सम्): together, complete, integrated

Yama (यम): control, restraint, discipline

Together, Samyama refers to the disciplined integration of mind and consciousness.

Where is Samyama mentioned?

The concept of Samyama is outlined in the third chapter (Vibhuti Pada) of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

Yoga Sutras (3.4–3.6):

"Trayam ekatra samyamah"

Translation: The three (Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi) together constitute Samyama.

"Tajjayat prajnalokah"

Translation: Through mastery of Samyama comes the light of higher knowledge.

Breaking Down the Three Stages of Samyama:

Dharana – Concentration From the root "dhri" meaning "to hold", Dharana is the act of fixing the mind on a single point of focus—such as a mantra, breath, or visual object.

Dhyana – Meditation From "dhyai", meaning "to contemplate", Dhyana is the uninterrupted flow of awareness. The practitioner and the object of focus begin to merge.

Samadhi – Absorption From "sam" (together) and "dha" (to hold), Samadhi is full absorption into the object of meditation. The sense of individual self dissolves, and unity consciousness arises.

How to Begin Practicing Samyama:

Start by choosing a focus point—whether a mantra, object, or concept.

Cultivate Dharana by bringing attention back again and again.

Allow awareness to flow into Dhyana as distractions fade.

Gently enter Samadhi as the sense of separation dissolves.

Benefits of Samyama:

Heightens inner stillness and clarity

Unlocks intuitive wisdom and insight

Facilitates deep self-awareness and spiritual growth

Textual Sources for Samyama:

Hatha Yoga Pradipika (4.6): "Chitta-vrittinirodhah samyamena"

Translation: The cessation of mental fluctuations is achieved through Samyama.

The Deeper Potential of Samyama:

The Yoga Sutras describe how Samyama can be applied to various objects or concepts to develop siddhis (extraordinary abilities) such as clairvoyance and telepathy. But Patanjali also reminds us not to get caught in these powers—they are signposts, not the destination. The goal is liberation (kaivalya), not distraction.

Final Thoughts:

Samyama teaches us the art of disciplined surrender—of focusing deeply, staying present, and dissolving into the infinite. Wherever you’re at on your journey, this practice can guide you toward inner stillness and expanded awareness.

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On this week's episode: Yin/Yang

What Is Yin/Yang?

The concept of Yin and Yang originates from Taoism, a philosophy rooted in ancient Chinese thought.

It is a representation of polarity, interconnectedness, and balance in the universe.

Etymology:

Yin (陰): Darkness, shade, receptivity, the moon, water, rest, and the feminine.

Yang (陽): Light, brightness, activity, the sun, fire, energy, and the masculine.

Symbolism of Yin/Yang

Represented in the Taijitu (yin-yang symbol):

The black and white halves demonstrate duality and unity.

The dots within each side show that each contains the seed of the other.

Symbolises the constant flow and transformation of energies.

Influence of Taoist Practices on Yoga Tradition

Wu Wei (Effortless Action)

Wu Wei, or effortless action, mirrors the principles of surrender and ease found in yoga, particularly in practices like Yin Yoga.

In Hatha Yoga, practitioners are encouraged to work with balance and awareness, finding effort without strain and release without collapse.

Yin/Yang and the Energetic Body

Polarity in Taoism and Yoga

Taoism’s Yin/Yang mirrors the dualities found in yogic philosophy:

Ida (feminine, cooling) and Pingala (masculine, energising) nadis.

Solar practices (Yang) versus Lunar practices (Yin) within Hatha Yoga.

Both systems emphasise finding harmony between opposites.

Elements and the Energy Flow

Taoism links Yin and Yang to the five elements (Earth, Water, Fire, Metal, Wood).

Yoga relates the energy centres (chakras) to elements, such as Muladhara to Earth and Manipura to Fire.

Practices like Yin Yoga use these elemental principles to balance energy and restore equilibrium.

Textual Sources for an Expanded Understanding of Yin/Yang

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu (circa 6th century BCE):"The Tao that can be named is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name."

Hatha Yoga Pradipika (Chapter 4, Verse 10):"Yatpingalā ca idā caiva susumnā madhyamāṅgamā."Translation: "Ida and Pingala merge into Sushumna, balancing all energies."

Zhuangzi JUANG TSU (Chapter 2):"To flow with the Tao is to move with the rhythms of the universe, neither pushing nor pulling, but aligning with its natural course."

Practical Applications

Integrating Yin/Yang Principles into Daily Practice

Yin Practices:

Yin Yoga: Long holds and surrender-based asanas (e.g., Butterfly, Dragon, Sphinx).

Restorative yoga for deeper grounding and receptivity.

Yang Practices:

Dynamic Hatha Yoga practices for energising and activating.

Sun salutations to build heat and vitality.

Balance Practices:

Alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhana) to harmonise Ida (Yin) and Pingala (Yang).

Finding a balance between active and passive practice

Final Thoughts

Taoist Yin/Yang philosophy and practices like Tai Chi and Qi Gong deeply enrich the yogic path, providing tools for balance and harmony.

Yin Yoga serves as a beautiful bridge between these traditions, blending Taoist principles with yogic techniques.

By exploring these practices, we can learn to move with the rhythms of the universe, finding peace and balance within ourselves.

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On this week's episode:Hatha Yoga

Discover the depth of Hatha Yoga beyond physical postures. Dive into its ancient roots, multicultural heritage, and practical wisdom.

What is Hatha Yoga?
Hatha (Sanskrit: हठ) means "force" or "effort," referring to physical and energetic practices.

It represents the union of opposing forces: Ha (ह), the sun—active and energising, and Tha (ठ), the moon—restorative and calming.

Hatha Yoga unites upward-moving prana and downward-moving apana within the central energy channel (Sushumna Nadi) to awaken kundalini (Hatha Yoga Pradipika 1.2).

Origins & Influences

Hatha Yoga is deeply influenced by both Hindu and Shramana (Jain and Buddhist) traditions.

Key Hindu texts like Hatha Yoga Pradipika (15th century), Gheranda Samhita (17th century), and Shiva Samhita (15th–17th century) outline practices such as asana (postures), pranayama (breathwork), shatkarmas (cleansing practices), mudras (gestures), and bandhas (locks) to facilitate spiritual awakening.

Shramana traditions have also significantly shaped Hatha Yoga, emphasising asceticism, discipline, and meditation.

Tibetan Buddhist practices like tummo (inner heat meditation) share similarities with Hatha techniques.

The Amṛtasiddhi (11th century) notably introduces practices like mahāmudrā and mahābandha, central to later Hatha traditions.

Key Hatha Yoga Concepts

Central to Hatha Yoga is the subtle body framework, focusing on awakening and directing prana (life force) through nadis (energy channels) and chakras (energy centres).

Practices include physical postures, breath control, cleansing methods, mudras, bandhas, and meditation, aiming at harmonising body, mind, and spirit.

Practical Applications

Balance solar (energising) and lunar (calming) practices.

Begin with simple asanas and pranayama daily to build awareness and resilience. Incorporate mudras, cleansing methods, and meditation to deepen your practice, finding harmony between effort and ease.

Integrate Hatha into Your Life

Start simply—daily asana and mindful breathing. Include subtle practices like mudras and cleansing techniques for a deeper energetic experience. Balance activity with rest to support overall wellbeing.

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What is Kundalini?

Kundalini is described as a dormant spiritual energy coiled like a serpent at the base of the spine (Muladhara Chakra).

This energy represents untapped potential and spiritual power, waiting to be awakened and rise through the Sushumna Nadi.

Etymology

Kund means fire pit, symbolising the coiled energy at the base of the spine.

Lini means dwelling, indicating the "one who dwells in the fire pit"

Kundalini vs Prana Shakti

How Kundalini Relates to the Nadis

Kundalini energy travels through Sushumna Nadi, the central channel of the subtle body.

For Kundalini to rise, the Ida Nadi (lunar, left, cooling) and Pingala Nadi (solar, right, heating) must be balanced.

Sushumna acts as the pathway for Kundalini’s ascent, merging the dual energies into unity.

The Layers of Sushumna Nadi

Sushumna Nadi – Represents tamasic tendencies when the nervous system isn’t ready, causing lethargy or instability.

Vajra Nadi – Represents rajasic tendencies, leading to agitation or overstimulation (kundalini syndrome).

Chitra Nadi – Represents sattvic qualities, but still influenced by the gunas.

Brahma Nadi – Represents the ultimate pathway, free from all limitations, where Kundalini fully awakens and flows to the Sahasrara Chakra.

Textual References on Kundalini

Śiva Saṁhitā (Chapter 5, Verses 227-228)
Kundalinyāstu sā śaktiḥ paramānandadāyinī।
Jāgrat-svapna-suṣuptiṣṭhu cittaṁ bhavayate sadā॥

Translation:

"Kundalini is that Shakti which bestows supreme bliss. It pervades the states of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep, always sustaining the mind."

Source: Śiva Saṁhitā (Translated by Rai Bahadur Srisa Chandra Vasu)

Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā (Chapter 3, Verse 1)
Mūlādhāre kuṇḍalinyā śaktiṁ cālayet sudhīḥ।
Tataḥ suṣumnābhimukhaṁ kuryāt prāṇaṁ ca yatnataḥ॥

Translation:
"The wise should awaken Kundalini at the base of the spine. Then, with effort, direct the prana into Sushumna."

Source:Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā (Commentary by Swami Muktibodhananda)

Ṣaṭ-Cakra-Nirūpaṇa (Verse 10)
Kuṇḍalinyāstu sā devī bhujagākāravartikā।
Suptā mūlādhāre tiṣṭhet prabodhaṁ kāṅkṣate sadā॥

Translation:
"Kundalini is the divine goddess, coiled like a serpent. She resides dormant in the Muladhara and always longs to awaken."

Source:Ṣaṭ-Cakra-Nirūpaṇa (Swami Purnananda, Translation by Arthur Avalon)

Applying Kundalini to Daily Life

Cultivate balance through breath awareness and chakra meditations.

Approach Kundalini awakening with patience (Kshani, Kshani) and within your capacity (Yata Shakti).

Focus on inner experience rather than external techniques.

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What are Nadis?

"Nadi" means channel or flow in Sanskrit.

Derived from the root "nad" meaning movement or vibration.

Nadis are the subtle energy channels through which prana flows in the body.

The Three Main Nadis

Ida Nadi: Represents the lunar, cooling, and parasympathetic energy.

Pingala Nadi: Represents the solar, warming, and sympathetic energy.

Sushumna Nadi: The central channel of balance and integration, associated with a harmonious nervous system.

Why are Nadis Important?

Understanding the Nadis

Ida Nadi originates on the left side of the body and governs cooling energy, rest, and creativity.

Practices to strengthen Ida include left nostril breathing, restorative yoga, and moon salutations.

Pingala Nadi originates on the right side and governs heating energy, activation, and logical thinking.

Practices to strengthen Pingala include right nostril breathing, dynamic asana, and sun salutations.

Sushumna Nadi runs along the spine, connecting the root chakra to the crown.

It governs spiritual awakening and harmony.

Practices to balance Sushumna include alternate nostril breathing, meditation on the central channel, and gentle spinal movements.

Textual Sources on Nadis

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika (Chapter 4)

describes Sushumna as the central channel between Ida and Pingala.

The Shiva Samhita (Chapter 2)

explains their role in balancing prana and awakening higher consciousness.

The Upanishads highlight the nadis as vital energy pathways connecting the individual self to the cosmic.

Personal Stories

Aaron shares how balancing Ida and Pingala through pranayama improved his mental clarity.

Paige reflects on how restorative practices helped activate her Ida Nadi during times of stress and burnout.

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On this weeks episode:

What is Prana?

"Pra" means primary, first, innate.

"Anu" means the tiniest, smallest, minute, indestructible unit of energy.

Prana is that which animates and propels; the great mover.

It is nature’s intelligence, the energy that enlivens all living beings. Developing pranic sensitivity leads to pranic mastery. Prana follows the mind: a scattered mind disperses prana, while a calm mind regulates prana and bodily functions.

Prana Vayus & Prana Vayu Kriya:

Apana Vayu: governs emotional letting go, forgiveness, surrender, and non-attachment. More apana is needed when the ability to let go is challenged.

Samana Vayu governs homeostasis, balance, and stillness. It allows the mind and body to centre themselves.

Prana Vayu internalises energy for regeneration, revitalisation, and drawing in what is needed for health and joy.

Udana Vayu represents self-power, resilience, and enthusiasm. It governs growth, curiosity, aspiration, and fluidity of expression.

Vyana Vayu integrates the other four vayus. It moves circulation to extremities and governs the aura.

Textual Sources:

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika (Chapter 3) discusses the role of prana in regulating bodily functions and its connection to the mind. "When prana moves, the mind moves. When prana is still, the mind is still."

The Prashna Upanishad (Chapter 2) explains prana as the essence of life and its relationship to the five vayus. "Prana divides itself into five, each serving a vital role in sustaining life."

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (Chapter 2, Sutra 49-52) highlights the importance of pranayama as a means of controlling prana to still the mind and prepare for meditation. "Pranayama is the cessation of the movement of inhalation and exhalation."

The Vijnana Bhairava Tantra provides meditative practices involving prana for expanding consciousness. "By focusing on the movement of prana, one may discover the space between breaths and attain stillness."

The Upanishads (particularly Taittiriya and Chandogya) explore prana as the fundamental energy connecting the individual self to the cosmic self. "The gods breathe in and follow prana, the breath of life."

Personal Stories

Aaron shares how understanding prana vayus deepened his yoga practice and provided tools for emotional balance and vitality.

Paige reflects on her experiences with prana vayu kriya and its transformative effects on mental clarity and resilience.

Prana in Daily Life

Developing pranic awareness enhances the ability to navigate life’s challenges with calm and focus. Pranayama practices help regulate energy, calm the mind, and improve overall well-being. Balancing the prana vayus supports emotional health, physical vitality, and spiritual growth.

Key Takeaways

Prana is the life force that animates all living beings, and mastering prana leads to greater balance and vitality. Understanding and working with prana vayus can deepen your yoga practice and enhance your life. Begin cultivating pranic sensitivity through breathwork and observe its effects on your mind, body, and energy.

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On today's episode: THE KOSHAS

"Pancha" (पञ्च) = five

"Maya" (मय) = that which consists of

"Kosha" (कोश) = layer or sheath

“Pañcakośā vivekena, śuddha tattvaṁ prapaśyati”
(Through discernment of the five koshas, one realises the pure essence.) — Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.4

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

TheKoshas provide a framework for understanding the layers of human existence—physical, energetic, mental, intuitive, and blissful.

Helps navigate challenges in health, energy, and clarity.

Bridges yoga practice with holistic well-being.

Encourages deep self-inquiry and spiritual growth.

“Annaṁ brahmeti vyajānāt”
(The physical body is food; it is Brahman itself.) — Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.2

THE FIVE KOSHAS

1. Annamaya Kosha (Physical Body)

The outermost layer, nourished by food (anna)

Cared for through asana, detox, relaxation

Strengthens the parasympathetic nervous system

“Annaṁ hi bhūtānām jyeṣṭham”
(Food is the eldest of all beings.) — Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.2

2. Pranamaya Kosha (Energy Body)

The body of prana (life force)

Supported by pranayama, kriya, and mudras

Regulates energy flow & mental stability

“Prāṇo hi bhūtānāṁ āyatanam”
(Prana is the dwelling place of all beings.) — Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.3

3. Manomaya Kosha (Mental Body)

The layer of thoughts, emotions, and memories

Supported by meditation & mindful awareness

Functions of the mind:

“Mana eva manuṣyāṇāṁ kāraṇaṁ bandha-mokṣayoḥ”
(The mind alone is the cause of bondage and liberation.) — Amṛtabindu Upaniṣad

4. Vijnanamaya Kosha (Wisdom Body)

The layer of intuition & higher knowledge

Helps in spiritual discernment & clarity

Functions as the inner teacher

“Vijñānaṁ yajñaṁ tanute, karmāṇi tanute'pi ca”
(Wisdom performs the sacrifice and directs all action.) — Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.5

5. Anandamaya Kosha (Bliss Body)

The deepest layer of joy & divine connection

Experienced through surrender & samadhi

Transcends duality & mental fluctuations

“Ānando brahmeti vyajānāt”
(Bliss itself is Brahman.) — Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.7

HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO YOUR PRACTICE?

Mindful eating (Annamaya)

Breathwork (Pranamaya)

Meditation (Manomaya)

Intuition & self-inquiry (Vijnanamaya)

Joy & surrender (Anandamaya)

Each kosha is an access point to deeper self-awareness.

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OM

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On this week's episode: Chakras

What is a Chakra?

Chakras are among the most widely discussed yet misunderstood concepts in modern spirituality. In this episode, we take a deep dive into their traditional roots, moving beyond the popularized “blocked or open” model and into their deeper function within the subtle body.

Debunking Modern Myths About Chakras

The Sat-Cakra-Nirupana is the foundational text describing chakras in the tantric tradition.

The concept of chakras being "blocked" or "closed" is a modern misinterpretation. Traditional texts describe them as dynamic energy centers, not binary states.

Chakras in the Traditional Texts

Hatha Yoga Pradipika (Ch. 4, V. 27):

"When the mind becomes steady and still, kundalini awakens, moving upward through the chakras to merge with the supreme self."

Gheranda Samhita (Ch. 5, V. 78):

"The yogi who masters the control of prana through the nadis will understand the chakras and attain liberation."

Sat-Cakra-Nirupana (V. 4):

"The muladhara is the root lotus, resplendent and radiant, where kundalini lies coiled, sleeping until awakened through sadhana."

Understanding the Chakra System

Chakras act as the portals for prana to enter the physical body through nadis and marmas.

Personal Experiences & Traditional Application

The analogy of the waterwheel—chakras are not “blocked,” but rather, our awareness may be blocked from perceiving them.

Instead of focusing outward on "fixing" chakras, yoga guides us inward toward awareness and direct experience.

Chakras are meditative objects that guide the practitioner through progressive states of self-awareness.

Traditional tantric texts describe chakra sadhana as an internal pilgrimage, much like traveling to a sacred temple within.

The seven-month chakra sadhana in Om Som's 300-Hour Advanced Training offers structured techniques for direct experience beyond intellectual understanding.

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On this week's episode: Tantra

What is Tantra?

Etymology: Tantra as Expansion

The word Tantra derives from the Sanskrit roots:

Tan (तन) = to expand, elaborate.

Tra (त्र) = protection, to save.

Translation: "Safe expansion of consciousness" or "expansion that protects us from suffering."

Much of what we share at Om Som is inspired by the Tantras.

Understanding Tantra

Classical Tantra:

Originated in India between the 5th and 12th centuries.

Thousands of texts called ‘Tantras’ detailed spiritual practices, written as dialogues between two lovers.

Aimed at elevating consciousness, exploring reality, and achieving liberation (moksha).

Each Tantra provided a specific and complete spiritual practice, traditionally taught by a guru.

Many texts (up to 75%) were lost due to invasions and historical events.

Tantra’s Influence on Spiritualism

In the 1900s, Sir John Woodruff (Arthur Avalon) translated surviving texts like Shat Chakra Nirupana.

His work, including The Serpent Power, became a foundation for understanding chakras and Tantra in the West, despite mistranslations.

Western thinkers like Carl Jung relied on these works, creating a century of misinformation about Tantra and chakras.

Modern chakra systems and practices often lack roots in classical Tantra and misrepresent traditional teachings.

Neo-Tantra

Emerged in the early 1900s in the West.

Focused on sacred sexuality and cultivating erotic energy.

Draws loosely on Eastern traditions but is not representative of classical Tantra.

The Relationship Between Yoga & Tantra

Key Differences:

Tantra: Encourages indulgence with awareness, making it suitable for householders.

Yoga: Often monastic, teaching suppression with awareness.

Tantra is the origin of Hatha Yoga and incorporates kriya, mantra, yantra, and mandala practices:

Mantra: Sound (chanting, meditating with sound).

Yantra: Light and geometry (e.g., cymatics).

Mandala: Manifestation and objects of worship.

Three Schools of Tantra

Kaula: External practices.

Mishra: Mixed internal and external practices.

Samaya: Internal practices focused on meditative techniques.

Practical Applications

Using sound, geometry, and other techniques to raise consciousness and become more energised, capable humans.

Emphasis on integrating spiritual practices into daily life for self-realisation.

Recognising how classical Tantra influences Hatha Yoga, chakra work, and meditation.

Distinguishing authentic Tantra from modern misrepresentations.

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Stay updated with our journey:

Instagram: @omsom.yoga | @aaronpetty | @paige.ayurveda

Website: omsom.yoga

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs.

We would love to connect with you, no matter where you are on your journey.

OM

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On this week's episode: AyurvedaThe term "Ayurveda" comes from the Sanskrit words:Ayur (आयुः): Life, longevity.Veda (वेद): Knowledge, wisdom.Translation: “The science of life” or “the knowledge of longevity.”Ayurveda integrates physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of life, recognising them as interconnected and essential for balance.

Textual Roots of Ayurveda

Charaka Samhita (circa 1000 BCE):

Romanised: “Ārogyaṁ mūlaṁ dharmārtha-kāmamokṣāṇām.”Translation: “Health is the foundation of virtue, wealth, enjoyment, and salvation.”Source: Charaka Samhita, (Chapter 1, Verse 15).

Sushruta Samhita (circa 600 BCE):

Romanised: “Doṣāṇām samatvam ārogyaṁ, vikṛti doṣa-samyogaḥ rogam.”Translation: “Health is balance in the doshas, while disease arises from their imbalance.”Source: Sushruta Samhita, (Chapter 1, Verse 12).

Ashtanga Hridaya (circa 7th century CE):

Romanised: “Samadoṣaḥ samāgniśca samadhātu malakriyāḥ / prasannātmendriya manāḥ svastha iti abhidhīyate.”

Translation: “One is considered healthy when the doshas, digestive fire, dhatus, and excretory systems are in balance, and the mind, senses, and soul are filled with bliss.”Source: Ashtanga Hridaya, (Chapter 1, Verse 9).

Why is Ayurveda Important?

Connection to Yoga

Ayurveda and yoga are complementary sciences:

Yoga connects us to the Self.

Ayurveda nourishes the body and mind to support this connection.

Ayurveda provides tools for:

Personalised nutrition and lifestyle choices based on one’s dosha.

Seasonal living to stay aligned with nature’s rhythms.

Holistic well-being that supports physical, emotional, and spiritual health.

Ayurveda’s principles are timeless, addressing both modern challenges like stress and traditional concerns like balancing the doshas.

It offers a framework for living a balanced life beyond the yoga mat.A Framework to Understand Ayurveda

The Three Doshas: Vata, Pitta, Kapha

Vata (Air and Ether): Governs movement, creativity, and communication. Imbalances may lead to anxiety or dryness.

Pitta (Fire and Water): Governs transformation, digestion, and metabolism. Imbalances may lead to anger or inflammation.

Kapha (Water and Earth): Governs structure, stability, and lubrication. Imbalances may lead to lethargy or congestion.

The Five Elements (Pancha Mahabhutas)

Ayurveda sees the universe as composed of five elements: Ether, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth.

These elements combine to form the doshas and influence physical and mental traits.

The Four Pillars of Health

Ahar (Nutrition): Eating according to one’s dosha and digestive capacity.

Vihar (Lifestyle): Harmonising daily routines with nature’s rhythms.

Nidra (Sleep): Prioritising restorative sleep to maintain balance.

Brahmacharya (Mindful Energy Use): Practicing moderation in all aspects of life.

How Does Ayurveda Relate to Your Life & Practice?

Small steps, such as eating warm, cooked foods in winter to balance Vata, can have profound effects on health and energy.

Using Ayurvedic principles like dinacharya (daily routine) to cultivate balance and consistency.

Thank you for listening to the Om Som Yoga & Ayurveda Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone it might support, and connect with us on social media or via our website.

Instagram: ⁠⁠@OmSom.yoga⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠OmSom.yoga⁠⁠

We operate a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. We'd love to connect with you wherever you are on your journey.

OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

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On this week's episode: What is Yoga?

"Yuj" means to yoke, connect, or unite.

Yoga is the union of Purusha (pure consciousness) and Prakriti (matter/nature).

It is the journey towards pure awareness and joy beyond the mind.

Yoga facilitates an inner experience of the self and consciousness.

Yoga encompasses various paths and practices aimed at achieving moksha (liberation):

Asana (physical postures).

Pranayama (breathwork).

Meditation (stilling the mind).

These practices harmonise body, mind, and spirit, paving the way for spiritual growth.

Traditional Roots: Originates from India, deeply embedded in the Vedic tradition.

Modern Evolution: Influenced by contemporary studio culture, global trends, and modern adaptations.

Yoga today reflects a blend of ancient wisdom and new-age practices.

A rich history shaped by philosophical schools and spiritual traditions.

Intersections with religion, political movements, and even scandals.

Understanding yoga requires acknowledging its multifaceted and evolving nature.

Yoga is often compared to a mountain:

Many paths lead to the summit, but the goal remains the same: union with the self.

Yoga is NOT the finger pointing at the moon, its the moon:

The practices of yoga point us towards the ultimate truth, but they are not the destination themselves.

How studying the philosophical underpinnings of yoga has influenced his personal practice and teaching.

Navigating the cultural and modern adaptations of yoga while honouring its traditional roots.

Stories of students discovering deeper levels of self-awareness through exploring different aspects of yoga.

Explore which style of yoga resonates with you.

Integrate yoga into daily life, beyond the mat, through mindfulness, compassion, and self-awareness.

Yoga offers tools for physical vitality, mental clarity, and spiritual connection.

Understanding its cultural roots deepens the practice and enhances its benefits.

Yoga is an evolving tradition that unites body, mind, and spirit.

It offers various approaches to achieve personal growth and spiritual liberation.

Understanding yoga’s cultural and historical context enriches its practice.

Begin your exploration by identifying the practices and philosophies that resonate most with you.

Stay updated with our journey:

Instagram: @omsom.yoga | @aaronpetty | @paige.ayurveda

Website: omsom.yoga

We run a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. No matter where you are on your journey, we would love to connect with you.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

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In this episode:

What is Svastha?
Yoga and Ayurveda are health practices deeply rooted in the philosophy of Svastha. This concept, foundational to both traditions, encompasses:

Sva: True health is being established in a sense of self. Astha: Firm establishment, to stand by or occupy with faith.

Why is Swastha Important?
Swastha represents true health and alignment with your unique self. Without it, physical illness can become an obstacle in yoga and life, underscoring the importance of cultivating health as a foundation for spiritual and personal growth.

The Four Pillars of Health in Ayurveda:

Ahar (Diet)

Vihar (Lifestyle)

Nidra (Sleep)

Brahmacharya (Energy management and mindful living)Aaron and Paige share their experiences with:

Adopting a slow and steady approach to health.

Balancing health with business demands.

The concept of Padam Padam (step by step), illustrating the incremental path to sustainable health.

How Does Swastha Relate to Yoga & Practice?

Physical illness is one of the primary obstacles to yoga practice.

Achieving and maintaining health is essential for a steady and effective yoga journey.

Connect with Us:

Stay updated with our journey:
Instagram: @omsom.yoga | @aaronpetty | @paigetaylah__
Website: omsom.yoga

We run a yoga studio in Berwick, Victoria, Australia, offering classes, workshops, and Yoga Teacher Training programs. No matter where you are on your journey, we would love to connect with you.

HARI OM

PRACTICE WITH US:

365 Sadhana Sangha 

https://practice.omsom.yoga/365-sadhana-sandha/join

100 Hr Asana Sadhana Dharma

https://practice.omsom.yoga/asana-sadhana-dharma-oto

Bali Retreat

https://omsom.yoga/bali-retreat-2025

300 Hr India & Berwick

https://omsom.yoga/300-hour-advanced-hatha-yoga-training-2025

200 Hr Berwick

https://omsom.yoga/200-hour-yoga-teacher-training-berwick-2025

In this episode:

What is Dharma?

The root of the word dharma is "dhr̥", which means "to support, hold, or bear".
Dharma is the flow of the universe and the foundation that holds everything in balance.

Without it, the universe would fall into chaos.