Yoga Off The Mat

According to Ayurveda, summer is pitta season. If you've been pushing harder, running hotter, and arriving at the end of August exhausted, this episode is for you :)In this episode, you'll learn what summer actually asks of us according to Ayurvedic philosophy: why a hot yoga class might be working against you right now, which pranayama technique cools the body, what seasonal foods can do...

Most early yoga teachers share the same quiet belief: that going full time is the goal. That teaching as your sole livelihood is what makes the practice legitimate. This episode is a direct response to that and to the cultural script that keeps selling it. This episode covers karma yoga (the yoga of action in ordinary life), aparigraha (non-grasping), and svadhyaya (self-study), and makes the case...

What if your morning skincare routine, your clean apartment, the flowers on your coffee table — what if all of that was actually yoga? Not metaphorically. Philosophically. In this episode, Divya makes the case that beauty and ritual are not in tension with serious yoga practice but rather, they're an expression of it. Drawing on saucha (purity and creating nourishing conditions), santosha (con...

My first episode of 2025 was a message to help you all, especially in the states, prepare for major societal transition using yoga as your toolkit. Unfortunately, a year later the horrors have not let up but only intensified. Humanity has always undergone cycles of destruction and rebirth, suffering and renewal. That doesn't mean we can look away from what's happening not just in America b...

What a whirlwind 2025 has been. Whether you're reflecting on the past year or planning for the year ahead, it's always worth thinking about how much you have grown. 2025 taught me many things but I wouldn't have gotten through it without my yoga practice. Here are a few lessons I learned - maybe they'll resonate with you. Stay til the end for 3 reflection prompts :) Podcast & H...

Allow me to *re*introduce myself! A lot of you have been curious to get to know my journey with yoga, what my practice looks like, my thoughts on the industry, the business of yoga, how to decolonize yoga in the wild...and I got you. This is a short and sweet episode to help you get to know me a bit better, and there are some great tips sprinkled in as well. Timestamps: 01:03 My journey with yoga...

Ashton Hall and Mel Robbins may be trending right now for their...intense...morning routines. But your morning doesn't have to look like that for you to start your day on the best foot. This episode is the first in a seasonal series about how to use the principles of yoga philosophy and its sister science Ayurveda to customize your morning routine - both for your unique needs and for the seaso...

Whether or not we like it -- change is in the air. Socially, politically, spiritually. You may not realize it but yoga has prepared you with the mental resilience to face it head on. Here's how. In this episode, I share 5 simple yogic tactics to fortify yourself ahead of major change. Podcast & Host Links Website: www.divyabala.com Instagram: Host: @divyabala Podcast: @yogaoffthematpodcast...

Some people think it's unethical. Some people think it's essential. Either way, it's a massive industry that's only gaining more and more traction: The Yoga Teacher Training. In this episode, I share the origins of how yoga was passed down and taught, and how that has evolved with the birth of the yoga industry. You'll also get a framework of inquiry to understand your intentions and whether YTT i...

One of the questions I get asked most frequently is "How do I build a yoga practice from scratch?" In this episode, I offer a 5-step framework to help you build a yoga practice of your own - and you might be surprised at how simple it is! You'll incorporate elements from the 8-limbed path and integrate your practice into your life, both on and off the mat. Yoga doesn't have to be hard or scary - i...

Learn about an essential element of yoga, Prana - your vital life energy. We unpack what it is, how to sense it, practices that enhance or deplete it, and how to optimize it to improve your quality of life. The episode ends with a short pranayama practice so you can experience the sensation firsthand. In this episode we discuss: What is that indescribable feeling yoga gives us? Where does it come...

In this episode we discuss: The context of oppression and systemic violence The yogic definition of ahimsa versus himsa Modern interpretations of ahimsa Active versus non-active ahimsa Why Performative Activism doesnt work Ceasefire as ahimsa Reference Links A history of Al-Nakba https://remix.aljazeera.com/aje/PalestineRemix/al-nakba.html#/17 The Balfour Declaration https://www.britannica.com/eve...

In the second episode of this podcast, I give you an overview of the vast landscape of Yoga and go deeper into just one of those forms of yoga that has been taken the west by storm - the 8 limbed path of Ashtanga yoga. Topics discussed: - The four major categories of yoga - The 8 limbed path of ashtanga yoga - 3 Journal prompts to help you begin your exploration of self Journal Prompts: 1. What wa...

Welcome to Yoga Off The Mat, the podcast! I’m your host, Divya - an E-RYT 200 yoga teacher, content creator, activist, writer and speaker (among other things). Whether you’re brand new to yoga and seeking to build a foundation, or maybe you’re a seasoned practitioner who wants to deepen your knowledge, here you’ll learn how to apply yoga on and off the mat as a tool for personal growth and social...