Common Ground: On the Yoga Path

This week's episode briefly discusses the yoga sutras and our connections to these guidelines. Specifically, we tap into sutras 1.21 & 1.22 and how they correlate to Inspirit’s theme of the month commitment. What is commitment? Why do we need it? Who are we when we’re committed? Listen to find out! ----- Join Lianna, Meeraj, and Sydney to explore how most of (y)our yoga practice happens ou...

Let’s explore what it’s like to feel out of body, disconnected versus in your body, and connected. In today’s episode, we discuss how the world we live in fosters disconnection and how to reconnect despite it all. ----- Join Lianna, Meeraj, and Sydney to explore how most of (y)our yoga practice happens outside the four walls of a studio as we chat candidly about how our yoga lives unfold on and of...

In today's episode, Lianna and Sydney explore Inspirit’s monthly theme - expansion! We discuss how life is a constant dance between contraction and expansion, how the universe helps us, what it takes to be more “future” minded, a yogic view on the theme, and more! Poem mentioned, Disorientation by Katie Mack ----- Join Lianna, Meeraj, and Sydney to explore how most of (y)our yoga practice happ...

Today we are excited to sit down with Natalie Gentile! As a mother, medical doctor, and entrepreneur, Natalie is a true powerhouse and inspirational wellness leader. She is the owner of Rebel Wellness and also an innovative Direct Primary Care Practice, both based in Pittsburgh. We chat about her background, why the name “rebel” and how it applies to healthcare today, a new partnership, self-care,...

In today's episode, we explore our monthly theme - mystery! We discuss the concept of being a mystic in your yoga practice, which can be both intriguing and complex. We also explore maya, or illusions that can cloud our world, and how to lift the veil. We touch on the idea of how mysticism can be understood as “experiential knowledge of spiritual things” and more! Our takeaway is that the more...

In this episode, we explore what it feels like when you repress desire and how to reconnect to it for a more passionate, vital life. Once you’re reconnected, we learn to observe different types of desire. Does your wanting come from a past pattern of pain or from a higher place? We discuss the difference. Listen now and let us know if this made you think of desire in a new way. 💡 ---- Join Lianna...

In this episode, we explore the concept of desire, our monthly theme. We aim to understand what it means to desire, and we address the common misunderstandings, preconceptions, and contradictions that can arise with this word. We also discuss the idea of non-attachment and how it can be useful when our desires become overwhelming and stem from a place of neediness and without intention to Self. We...

We’re back! Happy New Year folks 😃 On today's episode, we talk about the concept of restoration. We understand that this may not be the typical topic for the beginning of the year, but we believe that it is worth discussing. Restoration refers to the process of returning to the original state after experiencing depletion or loss. We are often told that rest is the ultimate goal, but we believ...

Explore how to overcome the consumer mindset to find deeper connections during the holidays and beyond. We discuss consumption, how some buying patterns are not our fault, how to reclaim our humanness in an economy trying to call us consumers, how to find true fulfillment, gift-giving, how this is all tied to yoga, and more! Here is a link to the "List of Things Money Can't Buy" ment...

Today we're excited to talk with Mo Pirela, poet, advocate, and entrepreneur based in Charlotte, NC . She writes, performs, and has founded an advocacy-based brand called Solidarity&Co. She is originally from New Bern, NC, a small coastal city. She channels her humble beginnings into powerful poetry pieces that explore various social issues and life experiences. Mo even shares a special In...

In this week's episode, we're back together to talk about anger - the emotion that makes our hearts race and our fists clench. Who are you when anger takes over? Join us as we explore the art of befriending your anger and learn to embrace this emotion. (IT IS NOT EASY!) We explore how techniques like grounding and breathwork can help you alleviate the feelings that come along with anger, s...

Change happens. Today's episode delves into the journey of discovering one's spiritual path and how it may shift as the seasons of our lives shift. Along the way, we learn that there are numerous twists and turns to navigate through. It's natural to evolve and change directions, as long as we remain authentic to what truly resonates with our heart. The path is the practice and the prac...

In this episode, we welcome our very first Common Ground guest, Sherry Sidoti, yoga teacher and author. Join us as we hear insight about her newly released book, A Smoke and a Song: A Memoir. As well, we talk about #weirdnotweird moments, how yoga might look as an old friend, and what it means to “live in the layers and not in the litter.” We also embrace the best #weirdnotweird moment as Sherry r...

This episode asks us to reflect and to notice when reflection happens on and off of the yoga mat. Within the Eight Limbs of Yoga , we have the niyamas , or positive duties. While they are all observances, Tapas and Svadhyaya , two niyamas in particular, remind us that action, passion, or fire happens, and are followed by self-study. As we study ourselves and look lovingly on the way we are in the...

This episode explores the power of curiosity and how it can lead to new discoveries and opportunities. We talk about our experiences with curiosity, from childhood inquiries and boundaries to adulthood explorations and ego. We also discuss how curiosity can be used as a tool for personal growth and learning, and how we can cultivate a curious mindset in ourselves and those around us. Join us as we...

In today's episode, we discuss how to embrace all of our identities and different parts of ourselves that make us a whole integrated human. We explore how it's possible to be more than one thing or even hold space for two identities that oppose, such as being a skeptic and also a spiritual being. What happens when we throw away the list of labels and just BE? Lianna shares a touching story...

Enjoy 5-minute breath, meditation, and mantra practices in between the regular episodes. ----- This podcast explores how most of (y)our yoga practice happens outside of the four walls of a studio. Join four yoga teachers (and forever students) as we chat candidly about how our yoga lives unfold on and off the mat. We share from the heart about our experience of yoga philosophies and other traditio...

Every person personalizes and projects. Our work lies in being aware of these phenomena, and owning when they happen. In this episode, learn how personalizing and projecting can affect your life and how it is your responsibility to observe. This self-awareness can strengthen relationships with yourself and others in your life. We chat about how these ideas apply to yoga, how to own your truth, how...

"...Patanjali says that you must do your yoga practice, whatever that might be, with consistence, diligence, patience, and, most importantly,  without attachment to results . By not worrying about what will come from your efforts, you’ll set your mind free." Meeraj and Lianna discuss expectations. We learn that expectations are helpful, but that a frequent check-in is necessary in order...

Today we discuss how to recognize fear, use it as an information-gathering tool, and how to move forward courageously. Listen now! ----- Join Lianna, Meeraj, and Sydney to explore how most of (y)our yoga practice happens outside of the four walls of a studio. Join four yoga teachers (and forever students) as we chat candidly about how our yoga lives unfold on and off the mat. We share from the hea...

We can become fixated on the outcome when it comes to personal projects, work, and creative endeavors. We tend to seek external validation to prove the worth of our work.  How can we become captivated by the process, rather than the outcome? Because oftentimes "doing the thing", and not the result, is what fills our days.  In this episode, learn how mindfulness and yoga help us to be mor...

Have you ever been in a happy situation and a tinge of anxiety creeps in? If things have been going well and find yourself waiting for the shoe to drop - this episode is for you! In this candid discussion, we talk about self-sabotage. We remember that pleasure and joy are life-giving sources of energy. We explore how to "participate joyfully in the world's sorrows." We chat about vul...

Enjoy 5-minute breath, meditation, and mantra practices in between the regular episodes. ----- This podcast explores how most of (y)our yoga practice happens outside of the four walls of a studio. Join four yoga teachers (and forever students) as we chat candidly about how our yoga lives unfold on and off the mat. We share from the heart about our experience of yoga philosophies and other traditio...

In today's episode, we discuss Jnana yoga the final pathway of the four we've shared over the last few weeks. We can succeed on this pathway by putting our ego down and remaining curious and patient.  How do you show up for Self and practice discernment? Can you reach a wisdom that moves beyond the mind and into the heart? ----- Join Lianna, Janna, Meeraj, and Sydney to explore how most of...

In today's episode, we discuss Raja Yoga - the royal path of yoga.  On this path, we observe our minds and moral values. We understand that we can use our mental powers to allow our minds to become still and unobscured, allowing us to connect with the divine Self within us. In this discussion, big words come up, like "power," "quiet," and "authenticity". Listen no...