#176: Letting Go of False Promises And Embracing Impermanence

​​Meditation holds the promise of transformation, but its path is not always straightforward. For some, it is a retreat from the chaos of daily life–a space to recharge. For others, it is a crucible, challenging the mind and revealing its deepest patterns.  No matter what experience we affix onto the practice, meditation invites us to sit with ourselves, observe the mind's incessant chatter, and confront the impermanence of our thoughts and emotions. This practice is not about escaping discomfort but embracing it, learning to detach from fleeting emotions and reducing our suffering.  And what if with careful guidance, we could all find a sanctuary within ourselves amidst the chaos of life? The dualistic nature of meditation could be the answer we seek, so, let’s take a closer look.   Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST. Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more.   Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at [email protected]. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

Many come to the mat believing yoga will erase all suffering, bringing perpetual bliss and prosperity. Yet, the true essence of yoga offers something more profound and enduring. It's time to explore the ancient wisdom that yoga imparts, teaching us to embrace the inevitable changes and hardships with grace, wisdom, and compassion. Because it's not about achieving a flawless practice or a pain-free life but about cultivating an inner state of peace and acceptance. As we navigate the misconception that yoga will solve all our problems, we reflect on the real purpose of our practice. How do we remain content in the face of adversity? How do we let go of the ego-driven chase for external validation? Through the lens of spiritual abundance, we learn to find joy and contentment in the present moment, recognizing that true fulfilment comes from within. Join us as we unpack these teachings and discover how to apply them both on and off the mat, fostering resilience and a deeper understanding of our true selves. Whether you've been practising for a decade or just a day, this episode invites you to renew your contract with yoga, embracing its transformative power with humility and devotion.   Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST. Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at [email protected]. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.  

Sadhana allows the waters of spiritual practice to simmer within us, gradually revealing the light within. It teaches us the value of patience and perseverance, emphasizing that the journey of yoga is a lifelong pursuit.  Because truly, yoga is not something that can be mastered in a weekend, a month, or even a year. While a year of practice can establish a solid foundation, true understanding and transformation require a lifetime of dedication. Sadhana nurtures our physical, spiritual, psychological, and emotional well-being enough to unveil deeper layers of the self–ones that kindle growth and wisdom from our truth. And in daily life, through skilful, mindful action we learn to engage in tasks that free us from illusion and suffering. Because that might just be the hardest part. To step off the mat and encounter irritations and heartbreak? It is in these moments that our true work begins—translating the insights of sadhana into our everyday experiences, fostering resilience and a deeper understanding of this precious life.   Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST. Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at [email protected]. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

As we delve deeper into this yogic path, we appreciate the practice not just for physical prowess, but for emotional and spiritual resilience too. Whether we're striving to show up daily despite life's demands or digging deep to overcome generational trauma, commitment is key to our growth. But what about once we’re on the mat? How easily do our thoughts wander with our curious senses? By exploring the foundational principles of Ashtanga yoga, such as Tristana—the integration of breath, movement, and focus—we learn to navigate our practice with greater awareness and intention, no matter how painful it is to resist temptations. Soon enough, our awareness blooms and yoga begins to encourage our truth to unfurl. By understanding these deeper layers, we transform past discomforts into present strengths. Discipline is no longer just about the practice; it becomes a dedication to ascend in all areas of our lives. Let’s explore how to move beyond the discomfort of the mind, body, and senses, together.   Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST. Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at [email protected]. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

As life progresses—with its inevitable busyness, ageing, or delving into the role of teacher—finding time for personal practice becomes even more crucial. We must continually adapt, acknowledging that our physical abilities might change and accepting these shifts not as setbacks but as opportunities to deepen our understanding of yoga’s true essence. It's about evolving our practice to fit our changing lives, ensuring that it remains a steadfast source of support and reflection. This episode invites us to reflect on the constancy of change and the persistence required to sustain a yoga practice. We explore how to hold space for our personal growth on the mat, recognizing that the practice of yoga is less about achieving perfection and more about embracing life's journey with grace and resilience. We also explore the delicate dynamics within the yoga community, where competition and jealousy can sometimes overshadow mutual success. It's crucial to cultivate 'mudita' or sympathetic joy, celebrating the achievements of others as affirmations of possibility, rather than a path toward division. Join us as we discuss how the discipline of yoga can be a profound tool for life transformation, guiding us through personal introspection and community interactions with compassion and humility.  Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST. Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at [email protected]. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.  

The first time we step onto a yoga mat is the first step on an unexpected journey towards transformation. As we immerse ourselves deeper, repeating movements and dedicating our energy, we witness a shift in our lives but more notably, we encounter the humanness of frustration, shame and blame. Yet, it is in these moments where yoga reveals its subtler spiritual layers offering us tools not just to perform but to persevere and transform. These reflections, often sparked by realizing our teachers' humanity or our own limitations, might tempt us to stray from the path. Doubts can arise, shadows can appear more comforting, and the myth of perfection might seem like a shattered promise. However, embracing these human elements is not an admission of defeat but a deeper initiation into yoga's true purpose. We must remember that advancing through series or mastering more complex poses doesn’t necessarily equate to spiritual progress. True advancement comes from recognizing that perfection is not the goal of yoga—embracing our humanity is.    Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST. Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at [email protected]. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.  

Without a doubt, yoga is an invitation for introspection and growth. It holds a mirror to who we truly are and generously serves as our unwavering support throughout the trials of life. But as we move through this journey, how often do we consider our contribution to the yoga community? Much like the unwavering support of our own practices guiding us through arduous human experiences, community parallels as the backbone of yoga’s presence in society. It’s truly in the embrace of a supportive community that the true essence of yoga blossoms.  And in this moment, who do we consider responsible for togetherness in yoga? It's not solely the teacher's guidance or the student's perseverance that fosters connection, but the intersection of both that forms a sense of belonging, a sense of sangha.  So next time we dive into our asanas with devotion, let’s extend that outwards to the yogi on the mat next door, open up the space for deeper connection - for more togetherness - and consider community a loving duty for us all.   Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST. Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at [email protected]. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

Yoga does change your life if you tend to the practice every day. But is it compassionate enough to show up on the mat when your body is begging you for a break?  You get to choose: you could show up to your Ashtanga practice once a week giving your everything or you could show up every day with just 50% - even 10% - of what you’ve got. With this decision, you get the invitation to reflect upon what brought you to Ashtanga in the first place. Because if spiritual transformation is what you seek, you must release the shackles of perfectionism and validation. So let’s talk about this road to consistency and explore how samadhi greets you when you return every day with humility. After all, when we live in a world that’s conditioned us to want more, why not release the chase for applause for our impressive string of asanas? Why not allow Ashtanga to bring us back down to earth - not just from the busyness of modern life, but to settle the ego?   Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST. Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at [email protected]. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.  

The belief that one metaphorical door closing is the chance for another one to open couldn’t speak to Katy Scherer’s story more. When pregnancy placed a sudden limitation on her running career, a redirection emerged that she never expected; she traded laces for bare feet and the gravel beneath them for a yoga mat. But this isn’t a conversation about life’s surprises, this is in fact an exploration of Katy’s wisdom of the breath.  Her initiation into yoga offered incredible gifts of community and well-being, but it profoundly guided Katy towards a deeper connection to oneness and, ultimately, her journey of guiding others along the path of pranayama. Through candid discussions on body awareness and the recognition of bodily limitations, this conversation explores the profound potential for self-discovery that lies within the practice of pranayama and breathwork. So join us - but not before taking a nourishingly deep inhale-exhale.   Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST. Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at [email protected]. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.

From summer camp serendipity to university days solace, yoga can meet us in the most unsuspecting times. It plants tiny seeds of inspiration into our awareness so that our yogic journeys can fully bloom when the time is right. And it’s in these moments - where many of us find yoga’s healing qualities as a soothing balm to insomnia or back pain - that we meet the real essence of yoga. The deeper dimensions offer opportunities for self-compassion, introspection, and connection with the breath, with oneness. It’s the devotion to this essence of yoga that nurtures teachers with not just the connection to oneness but the vision of that nature too. Isn’t yoga for everyone? And do we really need to categorize our practices to achieve that? Tune in to this episode and immerse yourself in thoughts of diversity, ashtanga versus vinyasa and audience Q&A.   Start the journey now with your free 30-day membership on Omstars.com. Use code: PODCAST. Keep up with us online @omstarsofficial or follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga. Visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com to learn more. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at [email protected]. If you want to share what you’ve learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.