In a world where information is always within reach, it's tempting to believe we no longer need teachers. With a few clicks, we can access ancient texts, videos, and tutorials on nearly any aspect of yoga. But there's something that the internet cannot give you: transmission. Yoga is not simply learned; it is received. And it is only in relationship that this sacred transmission occurs.

Our role as yoga teachers is not to entertain or perform. We are not here to serve up a random collection of poses or stories. Our job is to teach yoga to you, to help you understand the significance of the method. Especially in Ashtanga Yoga, where lineage matters and precision holds meaning, we offer a comprehensive system, not a fragmented sampler. What we offer is not just technique; it is a way of being. And that way of being is passed down through a living thread.

To understand the teacher-student relationship in yoga, we must return to its roots, in the Sanskrit tradition, in the oral teachings of the Upaniṣads, and even in the deep etymology of the words we use in English.

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In this deeply honest and sometimes difficult conversation, Melissa Matt, Kino MacGregor, Peg Mulqueen, Sarah Nelson, and Greg Nardi take a courageous step into the heart of Ashtanga Yoga's ongoing reckoning. This episode asks some of the most pressing and uncomfortable questions facing our community today:

Who decides what practice looks like? How are poses given, and what happens when power, hierarchy, and silence intertwine?

Drawing from recent events and decades of shared experience, the teachers reflect on accountability, lineage, and the urgent need for new models of integrity. The dialogue is raw, vulnerable, and imperfect but necessary.

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Podcast notes

The Quiet Turning: Meditation, Yoga, and the Truth of Impermanence

One of the most frustrating instructions I ever received in a meditation class was deceptively simple: Close your eyes and quiet the mind. I remember thinking, if I could do that, I wouldn't be here learning how to meditate. Like so many others, I was searching for peace amidst the chaos of my own thoughts.

Fortunately, I stumbled upon an ancient method that didn't demand silence from the start. It welcomed me exactly as I was. And over the years, daily meditation has become a cornerstone of my spiritual path, a way not to escape my thoughts but to learn how to be with them, honestly and gently.

Many people believe they can't meditate because their minds are too restless. But that's precisely why meditation works. You don't need to be naturally calm to benefit from the practice, in fact, it's often those with the most inner turbulence who stand to gain the most. The very effort to sit, to observe, to try, even if imperfectly, is itself transformative. Every sincere attempt to concentrate, even for a moment, changes the texture of our awareness. Presence deepens. Stillness peeks through.

In this way, meditation becomes a necessary companion to the physical discipline of yoga āsana. While āsana strengthens and opens the body, meditation refines the mind. Both are limbs of the same eightfold path and thrive in relationship to each other. If you're immersed in a strong physical practice, I invite you to explore the quiet power of sitting. If you already sit, but haven't stepped onto a mat, consider how movement might deepen your awareness. It's in the meeting of stillness and motion, of breath and body, that yoga reveals its deepest gifts.

There is a turning that happens in every sincere moment of meditation: a turning inward, a turning away from distraction, and when we're ready, a turning toward truth.

Seeing the Dhamma in Impermanence

The Buddha's path is experiential, not theoretical. In the Saṃyutta Nikāya (SN 22.45), he says:

"Yo aniccaṃ passati, so dhammaṃ passati. Yo dhammaṃ passati, so aniccaṃ passati."

"One who sees impermanence sees the Dhamma. One who sees the Dhamma sees impermanence."

To walk the path is to see clearly—moment by moment—that all things arise and pass. This insight is not depressing, but liberating. It opens the heart to compassion, to presence, and to the letting go that leads to peace.

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What does it really mean to practice yoga not just once in a while, but again and again, across years, through resistance, joy, boredom, and transformation?

In this episode, Kino and Tim explore the deeper meaning of abhyāsa, the Sanskrit word often translated as "practice," but whose roots reveal something far more enduring: the committed, intentional act of returning. They weave this with the concept of bhāvanā, the inner cultivation of the heart and mind, drawn from early Buddhist teachings.

Through stories from the Ashtanga method and personal reflections on the power of repetition, Kino and Tim share how practice is not about performance or perfection, but about shaping who we become through presence.

This episode is an invitation to see practice not as a means to an end, but as the path itself. The pose is not the point. Returning is the point. Cultivating presence, breath by breath, day by day, becomes the living path of yoga. When we stop running and return to the moment, we remember, this is the place we never truly left.

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The yoga community is like one big family, not united by fancy poses but by a shared love for this ancient practice. It doesn't matter what shapes your body can or can't make; what matters is that you keep showing up and giving your best effort.

What binds us is presence, not perfection. The practice calls forth a quiet courage and insight within us and it weaves us into a community of fellow seekers.

One of yoga's subtle gifts is clear seeing, not just of the body but of the mind and heart. Its promise is not mere physical skill, but an inner transformation that dissolves confusion and reveals freedom.

At the start of every Ashtanga practice, we chant an invocation. It's not just ritual, it's a reminder of why we practice and what we're really here to transform.

Key Line:

Saṃsāra Halāhala Mohaśāntyai

"For the pacification of the delusion (Moha) that is the poison (Halāhala) of Saṃsāra."

Quick Word-by-Word Meaning

Saṃsāra (संसार): From sam- (together) + √sṛ (to flow) - the endless cycle of birth and death. Literally "the continuous flowing together."

Halāhala (हलाहल): Deadly poison - like the mythic poison Śiva contained in his blue throat. Symbolizes the toxic nature of worldly entanglement.

Moha (मोह): Delusion - the ignorance that clouds clear seeing.

Sāntyai (शान्त्यै): "For pacification" - calming the poison of confusion.

Why It Matters

This ancient line reminds us: the real work of yoga is inner alchemy. The Guru and the practice help neutralize the poison of confusion so we can see clearly and live freely.

When we chant, we remember: the obstacles aren't just outside, they live inside us as fear, attachment, and illusion. The path of yoga transforms poison into nectar, chaos into calm, confusion into clarity.

Listen in as we explore more hidden meanings behind this beloved chant and how it can deepen your practice.

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In this insightful episode of the Yoga Inspiration Podcast, Kino MacGregor sits down with longtime Ashtanga practitioner and teacher Wade Oakley to explore the intersection of traditional yoga practice and modern strength training.

Wade shares how an early shoulder injury led him to Ashtanga Yoga at the University of Virginia, and how his journey quickly took him to India to study with Sharath Jois. He reflects on practicing in Mysore, balancing academic research with daily sadhana, and what it means to approach yoga with both a beginner's heart and a scholar's mind.

The conversation dives into Wade's personal evolution, from golf and weightlifting to yoga, from serious injury and reconstructive surgery to rehabilitation and "prehab" strategies that sustain long term practice. Together, Kino and Wade discuss the sometimes controversial topic of cross training, highlighting how mobility, strength, and yoga can complement each other for healthier movement and more sustainable teaching.

Listeners will gain practical insights on the difference between flexibility and mobility, the physical demands of assisting in Mysore style classes, and how weight training can protect hypermobile bodies while deepening the yoga journey.

Whether you are an Ashtanga student, a yoga teacher navigating injuries, or a practitioner curious about integrating gym training with yoga, this episode offers inspiration and practical wisdom for building a supported practice.

Highlights from the episode

• Wade's first encounter with Ashtanga Yoga and his early teachers
  
  

• Stories from his first trips to Mysore and practicing with Sharath Jois
  
  

• Recovering from major knee surgery through physical therapy and yoga
  
  

• The difference between flexibility and mobility
  
  

• How gym training can support safe assists and prevent injury
  
  

• Strategies for bridging yoga, strength training, and long term practice
  
  

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Join Wade on Omstars for his upcoming Ashtanga Prehab Masterclass October 24th.

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In this rare and heartfelt conversation, Kino MacGregor sits down with Sri Shubha, daughter of the legendary T. Krishnamacharya, to share stories and insights from the man often called the father of modern yoga.

Sri Shubha offers a deeply personal glimpse into her upbringing in a household where yoga was not just a practice, but a way of life. She reflects on her father's presence, rituals, and teaching style, along with the subtle ways his guidance shifted between students. She also honors her mother's quiet but profound contributions to yoga, revealing how both parents shaped her own path as a teacher.

Together, they explore how yoga was introduced to her, why it remains an essential part of her life, and how she prepares for each class she teaches. Sri Shubha shares what she hopes students carry beyond the mat, what matters most when guiding a practitioner, and the balance between breath, alignment, and presence.

Listeners will also get a preview of her upcoming live sessions on Omstars, including the sacred text she will be covering and the wisdom students can expect to gain.

Whether you are a dedicated practitioner, a yoga teacher, or simply curious about Krishnamacharya's enduring influence, this episode offers an intimate and inspiring portrait of a living lineage.

Highlights from the Episode

• Early memories of Krishnamacharya at home and in practice

• The rituals and rhythms of the Krishnamacharya household

• How his teaching adapted to the needs of different students

• The influence of her mother's yoga practice and teachings

• What Sri Shubha considers before stepping into a classroom

• The qualities she values most in guiding students

• Insights into the sacred text she will teach in her Omstars live series

Links & Resources

Learn more about Sri Shubha's upcoming Omstars live sessions at: www.omstars.com