Skillful Means Podcast

Text me your feedback. The word embodiment is becoming as ubiquitous as mindfulness these days. Wondering if the word is drifting in meaning, Annie and Jen look at what embodiment is through several lens including spirituality, philosophy and psychology. They also point out ways in which something may appear to be embodied but not.  And this is all a lead up to a series of upcoming explorations in...

Text me your feedback. In our fifth and final Short Yin Yoga Practice Snack, Jen shares offers some relief for the upper back, a common area of tension for a lot of people.  Throughout the practice, she'll also help you mindfully attend to your breath as a way of gathering and calming the mind.  Postures in this practice:  rolling panda x2 butterfly variation Props you might need: block yoga...

Text me your feedback. In this month's conversation, Annie and Jen are exploring the question: who's the real teacher in the yoga room? To put another way, how do we balance listening to our own inner guidance with that of the person standing at the front of the room?  The discussion spans a range or themes around agency, autonomy and what's the purpose of the teacher in spiritual l...

Text me your feedback. In our fourth Short Yin Yoga Practice Snack, Jen skillfully and tenderly guides you through a sequence of postures for the thighs and back. Because the thighs, in particular, can be a challenging target area, she also offers nervous system support with gentle breath work and visualization. Postures in this practice:  dragon x2 caterpillar Props you might need: block  bolster...

Text me your feedback. We're continuing our exploration of opposites in the way that yoga is practiced and taught with a look at the debate over form and function when it comes to asana. How do we stay safe in the yoga room? Should we focus on how the postures look and try to work towards alignment paradigms? Or should we focus on the why? We also dive into deeper questions around the overall...

Text me your feedback. In the third  Short Yin Yoga Practice Snack, Jen guides three postures for the upper chest and arms. This little practice is a nice antidote to desk posture.  She also shares encourages to become more familiar with the feelings that arise when we practice, holding whatever arises in a compassionate container.  Postures in this practice:  supported fish banana x2 Props you mi...

Text me your feedback. In this month's discussion, Annie and Jen unpack sutra 2.33 from "The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali." When negative thoughts arise, this sutra advises that we cultivate the opposite. Is Patanjali advocating for spiritual bypassing? Or is this an early form of cognitive behavior therapy? And how might more modern interpretations of this sutra be used to inadvertentl...

Text me your feedback. In this second  Short Yin Yoga Practice Snack, Jen shares three postures that target the inner and outer thighs to help promote gracefulness and mobility in areas that are often stiff.  Jen also sprinkles in a dash of mindfulness of body sensation while encouraging you to also notice the way your mind reacts to being in the postures.  Postures in this practice:  dragonfly re...

Text me your feedback. In the next few discussion episodes, Annie and Jen will explore some of the common opposites that show up in our practices spaces and in conversations among practitioners and teachers. They start things off with the friction between purusha (unbounded consciousness) and prakriti (form/matter), which are outlined in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras as the framework for understand...

Text me your feedback. This is the first practice in a series Jen is calling "Yin Shorts: Short Yin Yoga Practice Snacks with a Dash of Mindfulness." Kicking things off, Jen focuses on the low back with three poses that will hopefully help you feel a little more mobile and comfortable in the low back. She'll also guide you through a survey of the three centers of your inner world: b...

Text me your feedback. Following on Annie's series of contemplative practices on the kleshas , Jen and Annie discuss how uncovering the roots of our "mental poisons" might guide us in navigating current events that feel particularly fraught.  Resources Mentioned on the Show: G.R.A.C.E.: Training in Cultivating Compassion-based Interactions via Upaya Zen Center The Lightmaker's...

Text me your feedback. In the last practice in our series on the kleshas (hindrances) Annie masterfully guides you through a contemplation of abhinivesha . Often translated as "fear of death," it can also mean "will to live." But it's the flavor of fear of abhinivesha, compounded by other kleshas such as raga (attachment) and dvesha (aversion), that abhinivesha creates so...

Text me your feedback. This month, Annie and Jen discuss how consequential our language is, particularly when cultivating a culture of inclusivity in our yoga and spiritual spaces. We see yoga communities as microcosms of general society, and we believe that the grassroots work we do in our small spaces rolls up into the more nourishing and equitable world we'd like to see in the world. Teach...

Text me your feedback. Continuing our contemplations of the kleshas — t he causes of suffering — Annie guides us through a tender exploration of dvesha, or aversion. Noting that we tend to view our aversions as safety measures, Annie gently encourages us to widen our bandwidth of experience to include discomfort so that we don't waste precious energy that we could be directing towards growth...

Text me your feedback. Annie and Jen explore the nuances of Tapas (heat) and Santosha (contentment), two oft misunderstood concepts. Is tapas really about burning off impurities through vigorous practice? Is santosha a ticket to complicity? Have a listen and let us know what you think! ~ ~ ~ What We're Reading: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami The Expanse Series by James S. A. Co...

Text me your feedback. In this heart-filled third of five practices on the kleshas – the causes of suffering — Annie guides you through the difference between love and attachment (raga), beautifully bringing to light how the suffering of our conditioned experience snuffs out the luminous essence and unconditional presence of divine humanhood. For repeat listens the meditation starts at 2:57. If yo...

Text me your feedback. Jen and Annie excavate some themes and lessons from the hit TV show "Ted Lasso" including: the shadowy side of positivity culture, how much are we truly responsible for other people's wellbeing, the ways in which letting go of craving and aversion comprise the maturation process, and the sympathetic joy modeled in key characters' friendship.  They also sh...

Text me your feedback. In this second of five practices on the kleshas – the obstacles that hide our true self – Annie unpacks a beautiful contemplation of asmita, egoism. More than just holding a high opinion of one's self, asmita is all about mistaking the ever-changing features of our existence as permanent and definitive. When we are able to see through this veil of separation, we move fu...

Text me your feedback. Annie and Jen examine a problematic dynamic in yoga spaces where competition fuels predatory tactics that ultimately serve few people. They also discuss the commodification of yoga classes and how studios and independent yoga teachers can  come together in shared purpose and mutual support. ~ ~ ~ What We're Reading: Better to Have Gone: Love, Death, and the Quest for Ut...

Text me your feedback. The philosophical tradition of yoga suggests five root causes of suffering, known in Sanskrit as kleshas. While the  specific spins of our minds differ from person to person, these "hindrances" can be considered universal. In this contemplative practice with Annie Moyer, we’ll focus on the first of these culprits, avidya (ignorance ), which is a misunderstanding of...

Text me your feedback. This week, Jen welcomes her new cohost Annie Moyer to the show. They discuss Annie's unusual yoga beginnings,  her yoga guide stars,  her thoughts on what yoga students are seeking in a post-pandemic world, and Annie's work with Awakening Yoga Spaces, a non-profit coalition of yoga and wellness communities committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the yoga w...

Text me your feedback. So it happens that impermanence has found its way to Skillful Means Podcast. Jen teases some updates and says adieu to Sarah Jane who is stepping back (but not away) to expand her work in a number of exciting – and needed – areas. Find out more about Sarah Jane's upcoming programs at https://www.sarahjaneshangraw.com She will soon be offering a  Mindfulness for Yoga Tea...

Text me your feedback. Frequent bouts of stress and anxiety create physical tension in the body. When stress persists, we can "forget" how to relax, a common source of chronic pain. In this practice, Jen prompts you to alternate between tensing and relaxing different muscle groups to help you not only release chronic muscle tension, but also get more familiar with the difference between...

Text me your feedback. Of the many reasons to practice Yin Yoga, working with the energy body  is one of the most alluring. Yet, this ephemeral force can be elusive for many practitioners. In this guided practice, Jen takes you through a short series of gentle and accessible Yin Yoga poses while directing your attention through the physical realm and into the subtle body. The practice follows a br...

Text me your feedback. In the Second Foundation of Mindfulness, the Buddha outlines practices for working with feelings.  Not quite the same as emotions, feelings are the visceral, body-based responses to circumstances before the mind turns them into emotions.  In this guided practice, Jen helps you to establish a neutral anchor with the breath before exploring the preferential tones - also known...