Escaping Samsara

Bhante Panya tried the forest monk thing. He wore the Theravada robes in America, followed the Vinaya rules, and watched potential practitioners flee because he looked too foreign, too untouchable, too "religious icon" instead of accessible teacher. So he made a move that freaked out his ego: took Mahayana ordination in Taiwan, moved to Vietnam, and started asking uncomfortable questions about wha...

In this episode, we sit down with Kat Ashtanga, an advanced practitioner, to explore: ✨ How practice evolves through the different series of poses ✨ Balancing lineage with personal practice ✨ Integrating pregnancy, postpartum, and motherhood ✨ The subtle benefits of long term asana practice ✨ How the universal energy of prana is conducted via these poses Whether you're deep in your own Ashtan...

In the fourth and final episode of our series on The Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind , Nathan sits down with renowned Dharma practitioner and ER physician Daniel Ingram to explore the most confronting and transformative contemplation: death. Drawing from his experience in emergency rooms and deep meditation, Daniel discusses how death can be a powerful catalyst for spiritual urgency, freedom, and...

This is episode three in the series on The Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind, contemplations that form the basis of the Buddhist path.  In this episode, Ven. Robina Courtin , a Tibetan Buddhist nun with nearly fifty years in the tradition, discusses "The Drawbacks of Samsara".  We dive into the nature of suffering in Samsara, the subtle role of attachment, and the practical meaning of the Four Nobl...

Episode 2/4 on The Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind, and this time we are talking about the "precious human rebirth" and pondering the unique opportunity that human beings have to practice the path to awakening. And to discuss this I am joined by Joe Evans, founder of the Rangdröl Foundation and teacher of Dzogchen under the name Jigme Rangdröl. The Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind, also known as...

In this episode of the Escaping Samsara Podcast , we begin a four-part journey into the Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind—a set of foundational Buddhist contemplations that help orient us toward Dharma. Our focus today is on karma. I'm joined by Ellen Johansson, a long-time Ashtanga teacher and committed Vajrayana practitioner, who brings deep insight into how karma works—not as punishment, but as...

In this short announcement episode, I introduce our new online home: the  Escaping Samsara Substack — a space where all our content will now live, including podcasts, written pieces, and weekly reflections. Here's what to expect: 🧘 Weekly Practice Notes Personal insights from my daily practice — exploring themes like working with moon phases in asana and mantra, or extending meditation into the e...

In this episode of Escaping Samsara , Nathan Thompson sits down with Susi Sweeney—a lifelong yoga practitioner, teacher, mother, and now grandmother. Her path runs deep through 30 years of practice and cuts across the raw terrain of anxiety, eating disorders, motherhood, and aging.  She trained with Pattabhi Jois. She now works through the sixth series. Every movement, she says, pulls something lo...

In this episode, Nathan sits down with Gregor Maehle to explore the deeper patterns that shape a lifetime of spiritual practice. Rather than focusing on technique or lineage, this conversation travels into the inner terrain—what changes as we mature in our practice, what stays hidden until we're ready to see it, and how we relate to disembodied knowledge and the teachers who carry it. Gregor speak...

What does it mean to walk a path across lifetimes, through lineages, and into the heart of divine practice? In this intimate and powerful episode, we sit down with Sat Inder Khalsa , a teacher of Ashtanga Yoga, student of Tantra, and dedicated seeker who has traveled many spiritual paths—including Wicca, Sikhism, Hinduism, and more—to uncover deeper layers of truth. Sat Inder shares his mission to...

Known simply as Darby, his story is one of movement, devotion, and surrender, which led him to India in 1979. There, in Mysore, he met Ashtanga guru Pattabhi Jois and embraced the transformative rigor of the practice. Darby's experiences reflect a deep commitment to both physical and spiritual growth.  Today, as a husband, father, and teacher, Darby shares how he balances family responsibilities w...

Kim Allen's journey into Buddhist practice began in 2003, sparked by a period of deep personal change and suffering. Guided by her primary teacher, Gil Fronsdal, she devoted herself to intensive retreat practice, sutta study, and a life aligned with the Eightfold Path. With over 1,000 days of silent retreat, including practice in Sri Lanka and Buddhist centers across Asia, Kim brings a depth of li...

In this episode we're once again joined by Richard Josephson for a Dharma discussion centred around family life as a vehicle for practicing Buddhist and general liberation teachings. With over 50 years of practice experience both as a monk and a family man, Richard Josephson is perfectly placed to give a wise perspective on how we can best practice, whatever our circumstances.  Listen for insights...

What does it mean to be truly happy? In this episode of Escaping Samsara , I sit down with teachers Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor to explore the deeper layers of practice beyond asana and into meditation and philosophy. Drawing from their decades of experience in spiritual practice, they discuss the subtle intersections of yoga, Buddhism, and embodiment —revealing how happiness is not just an em...

In the latest episode of Escaping Samsara , I sit down with Spiros Antonopoulos and Barry Silver in person on the banks of the Ganga River in Varanasi to explore their incredible project, Gently Down: Bathed, Beaten, and Blessed — a 20-year journey of artistic and spiritual collaboration rooted in the sacred energies of the Ganga and the Maha Kumbh Mela festival . Spiros and Barry first met as yog...

In this episode, we discuss the positives and drawbacks of different ways of practising Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. Tiaga covers thoughts and perspectives from his diverse backgrounds studying with Ramaswami, Dharma Mittra, and his experience teaching Mysore style for over 20 years. We also cover the core Tristana method, getting into the technique of breath and bandha, and how mudra exploration can en...

Ajahn Kovilo joins me from the Clear Mountain Podcast and Richard Josephson - a lay yogi living in a California temple. We discuss the intersection of yoga, Buddhism, and mysticism in general. We cover Emptiness, pranayama, and the different paths of the renunciate and the layperson and how they can both lead to awakening. This is a deep-dive discussion covering the transformative effects of sadha...

This is our 4th Escaping Samsara Bookclub and we are joined by author and teacher Daniel Simpson to discuss Gregor Meahle's "Chakras, Drugs, and Evolution: A Map of Transformative States." Daniel and I discuss our thoughts on Chakras and how they are used in new ways by modern practitioners, our drug experiences and how they affect the spiritual path, and how our subjective experience shapes our p...

This our final episode in our exploration of sex, bindu, rajas, and Brahmacharya and the second of two episodes looking at female practitioners especially. We are joined by Tova Olsson, a scholar of religion, author, and yoga teacher with over 20 years of experience in education. We discuss: The reproductive model of the yogic body vs Kundalini models How Tantra relates to methods of conserving vi...

This is the first of two episodes expanding the previous topic of Sex, Semen Retention, and Brahmacharya as it may or may not apply to women. Female practitioners of yoga don't show up in the old texts but there have been many female-specific physical practices through the ages. And who better to explain how to practice with these archaic information than Ruth Westoby. Ruth Westoby is a yoga pract...

This series has been quite popular. In our climactic (pun intended) episode, we speak to Richard Freeman about sex and Brahmacharya. The context of Brahmacharya within Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga system Specific yoga poses and mudras that move sexual energy The use of mula bandha in using sexual energy to reinvigorate your body and mind How yoga can be used in all stages and spaces of life

We are happy to welcome back to the podcast Simon Borg-Olivier who has been practicing semen retention for over 30 years. We discuss how semen retention, loving relationships, and mindful sex can enhance health and spiritual practice. From Simon's bio: "I have been studying traditional forms of posture, movement, breathing and mental control for more than 50 years. Over this time I have worked as...

This is the start of a three-episode exploration into one of yoga's least understood, but possibly most important topics: Brahmacharya or as we might term it, semen retention.  Through loss of semen (bindu), [his] lifespan is diminished and he becomes weak. .... Through constant retention of semen, a fine odour arises in the body of the yogin, (-) so the yogin should make every effort to preserve...

In this episode, we explore the intersection of yoga and Ayurveda with Amy Landry. Amy, a global yoga teacher, mentor, and Ayurvedic practitioner, has shared her wisdom through renowned publications and sold-out retreats. She has focused on integrating Indian wisdom traditions into her daily life and we find out how she manages this balancing act. Join us as we dive into her journey, her approach...

In today's episode, we dive into the transformative journey of renowned yoga teacher Eddie Stern. Over the last three years, Eddie has radically altered his approach to practicing asanas, moving away from the Ashtanga practice that defined his teaching to embrace a path of growth and exploration. He embarked on a journey of incorporating new asanas and adjusting sequences, eventually leaving behin...