Walking Dharma

Speaking our truth is integral in healing ancestral trauma and allows us to cultivate the ability to express what we feel within our hearts and intuion. This episode explores how to effectively use your voice through the lense of yogic philosophy. We explore how to balance ahimsa, non-violence, and satya, truthfulness so we may speak our truth in a way that we are heard and feel empowered to be honest and in alignment with our integrity. We also explore how to balance viveka, discernment and vairagya, unattachment so we may say what we mean and mean what we say. Yoga Sutra 2:35 and 2:36 guide our inquiry: "In the presence of one established in non-violence all hostilities cease to exist." 2:35 & "To one established in truthfulness, actions and their results become subservient." 2:36 Kristen shares a personal account of what inspired this episode and we dive into how to speak up and have hard conversations. Music and podcast produced by Técnico (aka William Fayette). You can listen to more of Técnico's musi

This week's podcast is called,"Do It Anyway: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome." Imposter syndrome comes from trying to mold yourself after someone else's vision, ideals, standards and definitions of what you should do, act like, look like, express and create. It often arises when we put ourselves out there with our work, our creative energy and our self expression. Imposter syndrome is what holds many of us back from doing our work/expressing whole heartedly as we fear rejection and failure. To overcome it we must understand where it comes from, how to identify it when it is arising and then navigate the art of doing what we want to do anyways, regardless of our fear and deep seeded lack of self worth. This episode features philosophy from the Bhagavad Gita and Buddhism. We use sloka 2:47 and 2:48 from the Gita as guiding principles in unpacking how to overcome imposter syndrome: "To work alone you are entitled, never to it's fruit. Neither let your motive be the fruit of action, nor let your attachment be to n

This week's podcast is called,"Transmuting Anger into Insight." We dive into anger and how it manifests, how to work with it, how to clear it and how to use it as fuel for motivation. Several Buddhist mind training slogans are explored in relationship with how to utilize anger as a catalyst for change. "Whatever arises unexpectedly, join with meditation." "Don't be swayed by external circumstances." "Always meditate on that which provokes resentment." - Buddhist mind training slogans The original music at the end of the podcast is produced by @tecnicomusic (aka Karishtan) and can be listened to on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/album/2KxarC2rELTvT6MSufxnbk?highlight=spotify:track:0mWK6fBUfPS4hmnuGFxnOZ

This week's episode is called "How to (Actually) Surrender." We dive into the yogic principle of Isvara Pranidhana (surrender to God) through the lense of seeing God in all of life. Yoga Sutra 2:45 says,"By total surrender to God samahdi is attained." Surrender is often seen as resignation or giving up, but the truth is to surrender means to embrace unconditional acceptance for one's path, experiences and course of action. When we surrender to the Divine current in our lives we open our hearts to the oneness and equality that is the baseline of all existence. This perspective invites us to take a metaphoric deep bow to all circumstances, interactions and experiences as teachers guiding us towards the deepest essence of Self, the Supreme Self. Samahdi means 'absorption' and as the Sutra infers, by total complete surrender to the Higher Power our interconnectedness is realized. Our oneness becomes tangible and through this our compassion increases, our ability to stay connected with our own Highest Self beco

This week's episode is called,"Face Yourself," and it dives deep into the yogic philosophy of svadhyaya, self study. "By study of spiritual books comes communion with one's chosen deity." - Yoga Sutras 2:44 Translated literally, svadhyaya means spiritual study as well as self study. At first glance, spiritual study and self study may seem like two seperate endeavors, but upon a closer look we realize self study IS spiritual study. We realize that any deity we believe to dwell outside of ourselves (somewhere far far away) is actually already dwelling within the core of our being. We just have to access it. How do we access this indwelling divinity? There is no magic solution, but many paths to guide us towards our own divine nature. Yoga exists for this reason. Religion, initiation rites, ceremony, vision quests exist for this reason. Every moment of our day to day life exists for this reason. They allow us to access our Higher Self. All methods of awakening share one common element, and this is the elemen

This week's podcast is called,'You Deserve to Take Up Space.' It dives into what it really takes to be out in the world living our truth, pursuing our dreams and thinking big in a way that is alignment with our highest truths and authentic self. This episode is guided by several entries in the Bhagavad Gita including sloka 2:52 which states,'When your mind has crossed the slough of delusion, you will achieve indifference regarding things already heard and things yet to be heard.' Innately we are born sensitive beings so it only makes sense that we care about other's opinions. In truth, there is no issue with this if we are willing to cultivate equal parts unattachment and equal parts willingness to learn and integrate the mirror that others can oftentimes present to us. The issues with listening too much to other's opinions arise when we either care so much about what others think that we base all of our decisions on how to constantly people please or be invisible, or we affirm to the world that we don't c

Accepting Pain as Help for Purification. This podcast episode dives into the yogic niyama (ethical observance) of tapas. 'Tapas' translates as 'to burn,' or 'to heat,' and it is the concept of accepting pain/discomfort as help for purification. Yoga Sutra 2:43 says, "By austerity (tapas), impurities of body and senses are destroyed and occult powers gained." Tapas manifests as our willingness to embrace challenging experiences, practices and relationships as help for purification through our understanding that we can endure discomfort and come out on the other side of it more self aware and more spiritually awakened. It is the art of undergoing 'suffering' to purify the mind and body so we may see things as they are with more clarity and sensitivity. It is the deep work of moving towards our own discomfort to learn from it, rather than continually running away from it.... A few tangible examples of tapas are: Motivating yourself to get on your yoga mat and practice even when you would rather sleep in. Embr

You are Stronger Than You Think... This week's episode dives into the 'Five Strengths' as highlighted by Pema Chodron in her book The Places that Scare You. The Five Strengths are rooted in Buddhist philosophy and are powerful life changing concepts when we allow them to help guide our day to day lives. The five strengths are essentially heart instructions that when followed allow us adhere to our dharma (spiritual path) and remain steadfast on the journey of self-awakening and helping end suffering in the world. The Five Strengths are: Strong Determination, Familiarization with the enlightenment teachings, belief in the Seed of Goodness within all living beings, Reproach (Course Correction) and Aspiration. We explore how to embody each of the five strengths so that we remain determined on the path to integrate the spritual teachings in order to see the inherent goodness within all of life, correct our course when necessary and keep going onwards, no matter what. The outro music at the end of the podcast

Happiness is a Big Cosmic Joke (Contentment is where it's at). "By contentment Supreme joy is gained." - Yoga Sutra 2:42 Happiness is fleeting and can easily be 'taken away' by a small shift in our external circumstances. Contentment is based on a soul level understanding that there is beauty in every single moment we are alive and allows us to accept the experience we are having, however mundane, and find the joy within it. Happiness is based on needing satisfaction by essentially getting our way all the time. Contentment is based on the fact that we woke up today and can breathe...meaning it needs no justification or reason to be, it's just there with us at the foundation of our understanding of life. If we chase happiness, we run from misery and our unresolved issues and suffering follow us everywhere we go. The more we chase, the more we run away from something else. Even when all of our goals are achieved, all of our ambitions quenched, with a seemingly face value perfect life, we will not be able to

The Art of Purfication. This week's episode explores the concept of saucha (cleanliness; purification). Saucha is the first niyama (ethical observance) as highlighted by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. Purification and cleanliness are an essential component in day to day life. At face value, cleanliness is obvious- bathe regularily, keep your house clean, eat healthy food as much as possible, etc., but if we dig a little bit deeper we begin to see that we can also purify our mind, thoughts, speech and intentions to align with what we want to create within our lives. Our willingness to let go of self destructive habits and choose something better for ourselves (whatever that may be in the moment at hand) is our willingness to remain in clarity- clear about how we are feeling, clear about what will serve us and clear about what will not serve us as well. The more we purify the layers of our being the more attuned we become to ourselves and others. This attunement allows us to dwell and act from our hearts rathe

What is Intuition and What is Fear? This week's podcast examines two central concepts: how to differentiate between fear based thinking and intuitive guidance and the concept of pratipaksha bhavanam (do the opposite of the initial thought) as a means to help overcome fear based patterning that hinders our ability to move forward and trust life (and our intuition). "When disturbed by negative thoughts, opposite, positive ones should be thought of, this is pratipaksha bhavanam." - Yoga Sutras 2:33 Pratipaksha bhavanam (to do the opposite of the original reactive thought) is a yogic technique used to shift one's thoughts from a negative, detrimental state into a more positive, neutral state. Our thoughts/belief systems have a direct influence on our reality. If we believe the world is a scary place, it will be. Wheras if we believe the world is always conspiring in our favor and choose to trust the process of life, we will more often than not see this to be true in our manifest reality. What we think and beli

This week's podcast joins us on the road driving West to Los Angeles. It is raw and real and dives into the idea that we must rebel against the ready-made societal recipes for life and take a look at our deepest longings with an open mind and heart. From our heart prompts, we then create our own recipe for happiness and fulfillment. To do this we oftentimes must rebel against the ready-made recipe for life that we've been told brings fulfillment (go to college, get a good job, aquire material possessions, get married, have children, etc.). This rebellion comes in the form of questioning if the path we are following is actually in alignment with what our heart desires. The idea that rebellion is your birthright is the idea that we all deserve to live a life rooted in our own creative power. If we always are following the herd this creative faculty becomes stagnant and leads to a disconnect from our innate power to be autonomous and empowered within our own inner knowing. When we live life from our creativity

This week's podcast focuses on embracing the unknown by becoming deeply present with simply being as we are in every moment. "Sweet hearted one, meditate on knowing and not knowing, existing and not existing. Then leave both aside that you may be." - Vigyan Bhairav Tantra via The Book of Secrets by OSHO When we let go of control and surrender to not needing to know all of the answers we become free of all worry, free of all burdens, and deeply peaceful within ourselves. This episode uses real life experiences to teach the art of how to embrace whatever scenario life brings us and sit with the Great Mystery of existence whether we have control or not, it invites us to understand that no matter what, everything always works out. The outro music at the end of the podcast is called 'Call On' and is orginal music produced by DJ Karishtan. It is available for download via iTunes and Spotify.

This week's podcast explores what it takes to move from a reactive state to a response-able state of being. When we are reactive we are triggered and allow strong emotions to overtake our awareness. When strong emotions such as anger, guilt, sadness, or fear arise we are thrown off center and act from a place of past conditioning (we re-en-act a behavioral pattern that we have witnessed and been conditioned into). Reactivity is almost always rooted in keeping our awareness stuck in auto-pilot. We have been shown by others from a young age that certain things should produce certain emotional responses, which has conditioned us into the same belief systems and behavioral tendencies. When we react, we also project. Meaning, when a strong emotion is triggered, we project that strong emotion onto others, believing that the outer stimulus (person, event, or place) made us feel that way. The truth is, nothing can make us feel angry unless we choose that for ourselves (subconsciously). No one is guilty and nothing

This week's podcast explores what it takes to cultivate authentic self confidence. Authentic self confidence is something that arises when we learn to fully trust ourselves, our abilities, and our ability to learn and grow accordingly. When we live life from an ego-based construct, we will always be hyper-critical of ourselves. For when we function primarily from the egoic mind we will continually feel inadequate and with that feeling comes the almost neurotic focus on self improvement and ways in which we need to be 'better' before we can feel genuinely confident. When we choose to live life from our heart/love based construct our attitude becomes focused on gratitude for what we have and the life force that dwells within us. From that gratitude we find self worth which naturally translates as self confidence. Self confidence that is based in self love and a strong sense of self worth is the type of confidence that cannot be robbed from us. When we have self worth we realize that the opinions of others do

This week's podcast dives into the concept of unattachment. "Attachment is that which follows identification with pleasurable experiences." -Yoga Sutras "Aversion is that which follows identification with painful experiences." - Yoga Sutras Attachment and aversion are both rooted in fear of pain and a longing for pleasurable/pleasant experiences. When we are willing to understand that nothing in this life is permanent, not even feelings of discomfort, we become capable of practicing unattachment. Not even our bodies withstand the test of time. Unattachment (vairagya) is an invitation to embrace every experience with an open mind and open heart, devoid of clinging and fully present to what is unfolding. Practicing unattachment is a way to acknowledge the impermanent nature of existence and embrace change and let go. Rather than cling onto stories of how life should be and hold onto resentment and disappointment when things don't go our way, we can choose to graciously let go and open our hearts to the way th

This week's podcast dives into the concept of how to truly love everyone, even those we don't see eye to eye with. "He who sees the Supreme Lord abiding alike in all beings, and not perishing when they perish- verily he alone sees." - Bhagavad Gita 13:27 When we realize that the same Divine essence is contained within every living being's heart of hearts, we begin to recognize the interconnectedness of all of life. Even if on the surface we disagree with someone or have different belief systems or cultures, on the deepest level we are all comprised of the same Divine spark that animates us and gives us life. Yogis call it the Self, or the spirit incarnate (the soul). The Self carries on long after the body has passed away. When we get in the habit of seeing others as Divinity incarnate, we become capable of putting ourselves in their shoes simply through recognizing that on the deepest level of existence, we are one and the same. Our external actions and preferences may vary greatly as that is the nature o

This week's podcast dives into the yama (abstinence) of aparigraha (non-greed; non-covetousness). "When non-greed is confirmed, a thorough illumination of the how and why of one's birth comes."- Yoga Sutras 2:39 When we stop striving to achieve certain experiences, states of being, or material items, we become established in non-greed. Non-greed is essentially to have gratitude for all that IS here with us currently, without longing or hanging onto what isn't there. This can apply to material items, relationships and power struggles. The more we become capable of letting go of needing to have something, even answers about our purpose in life, the answers arrive on their own accord. Life takes it's natural course towards our spiritual destination. There is no need to rush the process or search for answers. Rather if we become patient and humble, the answers and our higher purpose become apparent. Basically, "illumination of how and why one's birth" refers to understanding why we are here on this Earth, Sel

This week's podcast dives into the yama (abstinence) of brahmacharya (continence). "To one established in brahmacharya, vigor is gained." Yoga Sutras 2:38 Brahma: Creation; God. Charya: To follow. Brahmacharya: To follow Creation; continence. Brahmacharya (continence) is the ability to remain moderate and balanced in all areas of our life. Traditionally translated as 'abstinence,' brahmacharya also is a concept used to convey middle path mentality. To live life from a middle path mentality is to willingly and consciously be moderate in our intake of all things, including: sexual contact, food, extreme emotional states (addictive emotional states), work, play, substance intake, physical exercise, etc. When we become open to and integrate the idea of living life from a balanced, moderate state, we become more directed, potent and efficient in all undertakings. The ability to know when to move forward and know when to rest and surrender things as they are temporarily to build up our energy allows us to buil

This week's podcast dives into the yama (abstinence) of asteya (non-stealing). "To one established in non-stealing, all wealth comes." Yoga Sutras 2:37 Non-stealing is the art of cultivating a gracious, generous, abundance-based attitude towards life and others. The opposite of stealing/taking is receiving/giving. Rather than stealing and taking with an attitude of entitlement, we can receive and give with an attitude of gratitude and an aim to elevate all through sharing our own gifts and fully receiving other's gifts as well. When we attune ourselves to an attitude of abundance we become capable of realizing we don't need to take from others on the physical or energetic level to achieve success and abundance. For when we take from others it only leads to destruction of relationships, our reputation, and eventually even our own dreams dissolve in the illusion of lack and seperation from others. What we would want or envy in others is actually a potential within ourselves that we are searching for externa