The Yoga Podcast Episode 4 Matthew Sweeney

We can do all the sitting in meditation we want, but it means NOTHING unless both nostrils are working together... At the same time. Did you know that?

[Click here to listen in ITunes]

This is one of the thousands of secrets I've learned from Gregor Maehle,

He is an amazing teacher. One of the few practicing yogis living today that is willing to do all the research and write in plain English so we can all understand what yoga means.

On this episode 3, Gregor acts like a catalyst of understanding for all of us to really get it.

In this podcast:

You will hear within one hour, in a magical way,

how all branches of yoga come together to bring you

into the mystical sacredness of this very moment

There is plenty of meditation out there, but nobody talks about how it connects to yoga, specifically.

Schools don't teach it... even the large and famous one...

The focus is so heavily on asana (poses) that people like me end up looking elsewhere, not in yoga itself.

I met Gregor because of his books and I am glad I did because once I started reading I could not put them down.

In fact, I have reviewed all of them here on the blog, and even created a book club around the one on Pranayama because I was surprised that someone could make yoga knowledge so accessible, clear and down to earth.

Every time I read a book by Gregor I feel the "slap in the wrist", as I have come to call it, but it is a tough-love kind of slap, the one that says:

"Don't just settle for asana! There is more to go into... like pranayama and meditation, and the mysteries beyond.

Which brings me to this podcast.

GREGOR SHINES LIGHT

Gregor wrote his fourth book completely dedicated to meditation.

To how meditation fits within the yoga tradition, as one of the eight limbs.

His point is that because schools all over the world either focus on the poses or on the meditation, there are non that actually teach "meditation as per yoga".

This causes people like me to start dabbling into Vipassana (which is great and they offer free courses but they neglect the body completely) or Shambhaa or Insight Meditation or all other denominations.

Why?

Because nobody teaches yoga-meditation.

And by that I mean, how did the yogi researches who have sat and practiced for 3, 4, 5 thousand years approach it?

How have they done it? What can we learn from them?

What happens exactly after asana?

What is it that moves the practice forward when we are "established in a practice of poses"?

Enter Gregor...

WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE PODCAST

• Why Gregor has "semi-retired" to a "somewhat secluded forest" location to intensify his practice - Below is a photo of the view into the forest of where he lives now

• Where the confusion stems from: The actual yoga definition of "meditation" and how it differs from, say, Vipassana
• The fifth limb of yoga is withdrawing the senses... Is there a way to "DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT"?
• Gregor says yes there is something you can DO to effect the fifth limb of yoga, he describes what that is (including inversions)
• The fastest way to reach higher levels into the mystery suggested by Gregor, which point to uniting both the breathing techniques with focus on the chakras
• The reason why inversions have gotten negative publicity lately, and how to avoid troubles with it
• In all mystical traditions of humankind, it was always taught that true knowledge has a physical aspect. An insight from Gregor's latest visit to Japan
• Why it is important to "clear" your life, from emotional issues, to clarify money issues, sexual issues etc... Otherwise the "downward energy" will pull you down, and never let you uplift.
• The role of food and fasting, and how it needs to be done right if attempted at all, for example he goes: "whereas if you clean out the abdomen and you would fast for a while, you just would absolutely not care at all about any of those issues"
• How the above does NOT mean anyone should just go ahead and try fasting. EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE DONE WITH CARE. And slowly... There is no point in rushing just because we read a book
• Loved when he said: "The important thing is that you do have a spi...