Graduate Yoga Studies Podcast
Loyola Marymount University proudly presents the Graduate Yoga Studies Podcast.
From in-depth discussion with academics in the field of Yoga studies to meaningful conversations with leaders in the global community, our Graduate Students investigate yoga through history, texts, philosophy, sanskrit, embodied practice, and social engagement.
The vision for this podcast is to provide contemplative yoga education that directly applies to modern life and transforms your relationship with yoga itself. To our listeners, supporters, and future scholars, this is also a sneak peak of what you’ll learn and discuss as a student in the LMU Graduate Yoga Studies program.
Welcome to Season 3 of BCLA Yoga Studies podcast, sponsored by the 2024 Women in Buddhism Grant from the Frederick P. Lenz Foundation. This season, join Dr. Judith Carlisle as she converses with preeminent scholars and practitioners in the field, offering a multifaceted investigation into the dharmic traditions as instruments of social change and techniques to advance social justice.
[SPECIAL EDITION] Susanna Barkataki
Season 3, Episode 3
Susanna and Judith examine the decolonization of Yoga, its cultural roots, and the need for greater representation and understanding of its practices, and explore the importance of liberation in practice, as well as the concept of allyship in the context of Yoga. They further discuss the evolution of Susanna's work towards making Yoga more accessible and inclusive.
Catch Susanna at our 13th annual Yoga Day on Saturday, November 2nd! She will be on the Yoga vs. Power panel at 9:30am and Solo YOLO roundtable at 3:30pm. Learn more and RSVP here.
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[SPECIAL EDITION] Dr. Veena Howard
Season 3, Episode 2
Dr. Howard and Dr. Carlisle discuss the life and legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, focusing on his transformation from a lawyer to a spiritual leader and his efforts to overcome discriminatory laws and social injustices. They also delved into the significance of Yoga principles, including compassion, forgiveness, and nonviolence, and their potential to empower young people.
Catch Veena Howard at our 13th annual Yoga Day on Saturday, November 2nd! She will be on the self, Self, and No-Self panel at 1pm and The Dharma of Climate Change roundtable at 3:30pm. Learn more and RSVP here.
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[SPECIAL EDITION] Dr. Amara Miller
Season 3, Episode 1
Dr. Miller and Dr. Carlisle explore the historical transformation of Yoga in the United States, examine how Yoga informs issues of social change, social justice, and oppression, and discuss the importance of humility, deep understanding, and intergenerational knowledge in teaching yoga.
Catch Amara Miller at our 13th annual Yoga Day on Saturday, November 2nd! She will be on the Yoga vs. Power panel at 10:30am. Learn more and RSVP here.
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"Is This Yoga?" with Dr. Anya Foxen
Episode 1, July 1, 2024
“Is this yoga?” In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Anya Foxen, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and Women's and Gender Studies at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Dr. Foxen authored several key texts from our History of Modern Yoga course, including Is This Yoga? Concepts, Histories, and the Complexities of Modern Practice. We got the chance to talk with her about collage spirituality, harmonialism, and the theosophical society. Tune in to learn more, in our first episode of season two!
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Cultural Appropriation vs Cultural Appreciation with Mayuri Bhandari
Episode 2, July 8, 2024
Activist. Yoga teacher and practitioner. Dancer. Poet. Comedian. Award-winning performer. Mayuri Bhandari, a graduate of the M.A. Yoga Studies program, shares her take on yoga, its similarities to dance, how her practice informs her activism, the difference between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation, and so much more.
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The Intersection of Yoga & Social Justice with Dr. Judith Carlisle
Episode 3, July 15, 2024
Is there an intersection between social justice and personal practice? Does yoga influence our ethical code beyond the practice? We tackle some of these questions and a few others in our deep dive with Dr. Judith Carlisle, a graduate of the M.A. Yoga Studies program and instructor at LMU.
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"On Being Human" with Dr. Jen Pastiloff
Episode 4, July 22, 2024
Dr. Jen Pastiloff is a self-help champion, writer, yoga practitioner and mom. In this conversation, we get into some topics from her latest book On Being Human. Join us for a deep conversation on yoga and how you can use it to wake up, live real, and listen hard.
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The Myths of Wellness with Kerri Kelly
Episode 5, July 29, 2024
What is the myth (or myths) of wellness? CTZNWELL founder, American Detox author, and wellness activist Kerri Kelly sheds light on how yoga can be a vehicle for social justice, why the personal is political, and how to work toward radical acceptance.
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Graduate Yoga Studies with Dr. Christopher Chapple
Episode 0, September 14, 2021
Join LMU Graduate Yoga Studies students, Taina Rodriguez-Berardi and Serenity Tedesco, for this new podcast series. In this episode, they introduce themselves and the founder of the graduate Yoga Studies program, Dr. Christopher Chapple. Tune in to learn more about the program, hear their yoga origin stories, and gain some spiritual insights from years of dedicated research and embodied practice. Subscribe now for updates.
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Critical Yoga Studies with Dr. Christopher Jain Miller
Episode 1, September 14, 2021
Dr. Christopher Jain Miller is the Bhagwan Mallinath Assistant Professor of Jain Studies in the Department of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University. He also teaches in the Yoga studies program with a focus on critical yoga studies and ethnographic research in a modern yoga setting. We discuss the history of yoga, yoga and politics, veganism, yoga philosophy, ahimsa (non-violence), and more.
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Identity & Foundations of Yoga with Dr. Tracy Sayuki Tiemeier
Episode 2, September 21, 2021
Zombies. Yoga. Goddess worship. Intersectional Feminism… these are all topics we dive into with Dr. Tracy Sayuki Tiemeier, Associate Professor of Theological Studies at LMU. Dr. Tiemeier is a dynamic professor who kicks off the yoga studies program with the Foundations of Yoga course which deconstructs and then reconstructs a new yogic reality for the budding scholar. We explore identity and its role in the spiritual journey—from socio-cultural belonging to its place in academia.
Yoga Philosophy with Dr. Shyam Ranganathan
Episode 3, September 28, 2021
Why is yoga philosophy important? Our hosts, Taina and Serenity, passionately discuss the answer with Dr. Shyam Ranganathan of YogaPhilosophy.com. We also dive further into his keynote presentation from LMU Yoga Day 2020, where he focused on sovereignty, ethics, and the big questions underlying yogic theory. Tune in to learn how to critically approach everyday life as a yogi.
Marsha Banks Harold: Compassionate Social Justice Action
Episode 4, October 12, 2021
Marsha Banks-Harold is a true pioneer. She is an engineer. She is the first and only Black woman director of an accredited Yoga Therapy Training program and is the owner of PIES Fitness Yoga Studio based in Alexandria, VA. She is also a mother to us all through her compassionate social justice work. In this conversation, she invites our listeners to take action, stretch our empathy muscles, and work together for a more equitable, accessible, and loving community.
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Graduate Yoga Studies with Cohort 7
Episode 5, November 9, 2021
Cohort 7 residential students reflect on their two-years of transformational experiences throughout the Graduate Yoga Studies program. Together they reminisce on their first meeting, the global health pandemic and zoom student-life, along with 2020's collective call for social justice after the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Get the inside scoop on the program directly from the students. From first leaps of faith, to the catharsis of a finished thesis, Cohort 7 covers it all.
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Bonus Episode: Yoga Day Panel
Bonus Episode, November 23, 2021
Podcast hosts Taina Rodriguez-Berardi & Serenity Tedesco lead a panel discussion at LMU's 10th annual Yoga Day. Join them as they meet with panelists Tracy Tiemeier, Ph.D, Shyam Ranganathan, Ph.D, Marsha Banks-Harold & Giri Bhai, to talk about the state of Yoga and where we should go from here.
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