May 15, 2025 • 40 mins
This episode is not about yoga. It's about the mind and it's delicious.
Reema Datta is the author of The Yogi’s Way: Transform Your Mind, Health, and Reality. Datta first learned yoga and Ayurveda from her mother and grandmothers as well as her grandfather, who wrote several books on Vedic philosophy. After receiving her master’s from the London School of Economics, Datta worked for the United Nations before leaving to study ancient yogic wisdom and practice. Since 2002, she has taught yoga and Ayurveda workshops, retreats, and trainings in twenty countries across five continents. Her students include Sting, Paul Simon, Edie Brickell, Zainab Salbi, Sujatha Baliga, and thousands of other practitioners globally.
Visit Reema Datta at http://www.ReemaYoga.com.
Want to join our Reader's Circle in the Seizing Happy® Hybrid Community? https://bit.ly/SeizingHappyTribe
Reema Datta is the author of The Yogi’s Way: Transform Your Mind, Health, and Reality. Datta first learned yoga and Ayurveda from her mother and grandmothers as well as her grandfather, who wrote several books on Vedic philosophy. After receiving her master’s from the London School of Economics, Datta worked for the United Nations before leaving to study ancient yogic wisdom and practice. Since 2002, she has taught yoga and Ayurveda workshops, retreats, and trainings in twenty countries across five continents. Her students include Sting, Paul Simon, Edie Brickell, Zainab Salbi, Sujatha Baliga, and thousands of other practitioners globally.
Visit Reema Datta at http://www.ReemaYoga.com.
Want to join our Reader's Circle in the Seizing Happy® Hybrid Community? https://bit.ly/SeizingHappyTribe
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You know that expanding is one of my favorite words.
I feel like, especially as entrepreneurs, we owe it to ourselves,
to our businesses, to our families, to our clients to
continue to expand as humans so that we can remain
the safe container and support of the people and things
(00:26):
who matter. When we choose the path of entrepreneurship, we're
taking on a lot more than if we were in corporate,
because in corporate you're given some of the responsibilities. You're
given the ideas, and they are heavy and they're important
and they matter. And entrepreneurship you are the creator of
the ideas and then you're also the one.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
That executes them.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Even if you have a team, you're still executing, you know,
and it requires so much more responsibility. In corporate, you're
told that five you're done for the most part, and
if you're like doing a nine to five for the
most part, you're done when it's done. But you know,
in entrepreneurship, it's a piece of your soul.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
It's a piece.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
It's like a tangible piece of your purpose exists by
way of your business. And so it's even if you
have the boundaries of well, I'm not going to be
on my computer after a certain time where I'm not
going to answer to my clients. After a certain time,
the connection remains and you get the idea and you're like, oh, man,
I just got this really great download for this program
(01:27):
and for this thing, and I'm just and you immediately
go to like pen and paper or like digital pen
and paper and want to put it down. And it's
just we're so connected to our businesses because so often
our businesses are a part of our purpose, are a
part of what we're meant to do in this lifetime,
how we're meant to leave a footprint an impact in
(01:51):
this lifetime. And so it requires us to continue to expand,
to continue learning, to continue being our most extra ordinary selves.
Right And for me, a way that I do that
is by reading. I love I like to read. Sometimes
I'll read like the physical books, and sometimes I will
listen to the audio books and still have the physical
(02:13):
book because then I'll come back and like make notes on.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
The physical book.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
I know I'm a nerd, but it's delicious for me
to expand and to grow. And a book that has
really given me an opportunity to do that is the
Yogi's way transform your mind health and reality. And I
picked this book because yoga and I have a strange relationship,
and I talk about it in the interview with the author,
(02:40):
Rima Datta. She is the author of this phenomenal book.
She first learned yoga and ayr Veda from her mother
and her grandmother's as well as her grandfather, who wrote
several books on vading philosophy. After receiving her masters from
the London School of Economics that that worked for the
(03:00):
United Nations before leaving to study ancient yogic wisdom and practice.
Since two thousand and two, she has taught yoga and
ariveta workshops, retreats and trainings in twenty countries across five continents.
Her students include Sting, Paul Simon, Eddie Briggle and many others.
(03:24):
Thousands of practitioners globally. We have the honor of talking
to her on this podcast today, and I say wee because,
as you know, if you're inside the Seizing Happy Hybrid community,
I tell you which books I'm reading, and I tell
you which authors I'm bringing on the show, and you
get to submit your questions and so you get to
(03:46):
in a way interview these phenomenal authors with me. If
you're not inside the Seizing Happy Hybrid community, you can
click the link in the show notes and learn more
about that. You also get to coach with me every week.
We do office hours and I get to support you
through your business growth and your personal expansions, and we
get to do a little bit together when I read
(04:08):
these phenomenal books and I share them with you, and
then we get to interview these amazing authors together. So
I want to get straight into this interview with Riema
because it was really phenomenal, especially because I'm not a
yogi and this book, even as somebody who's still trying
to figure out her relationship with yoga, was still phenomenally impactful.
(04:31):
So I can't wait to share this interview with you.
This is Chats with gg, a podcast for women who
are ready to step into their power, get unstuck, and
create more.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Freedom in all areas of life.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
I'm your host, Ggdaz, certified life and business coach, media
personality and multi passionate entrepreneur. I've helped hundreds of women
find the necessary clarity, confident, and courage to build their
dream life and achieve success with less stress. If you're
(05:06):
seeking weekly motivation, practical and spiritual advice, and tangible resources
to scale in life and in business.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Then you're in the right place. Are you ready? Here
we go.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
One of the things that I that I tell my
listeners all the time is like the advantage of having
a microphone and a platform like this is I also
get to be a little selfish, right, and also ask
my own questions and like get to pick the most
brilliant brains on the planet, right, including yours. And for
me personally, yoga has always been this thing that I
(05:44):
want to get into, that I want to fall in
love with, but we haven't figured out our dating pattern yet.
Like we keep going on these first yeah, like we
keep going on these first dates.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
That feel really good. But then like I never call back.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Oh no, And I don't know why I don't call
back because it does feel good, right, So let's talk
about that.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Let's talk about what is the process? What is where
does the love with yoga happen? Where does it get connected?
How does it connect to the body and the mind?
Speaker 4 (06:26):
Gosh, you know, it's different. It's like love. It's different
for each person. You know, some people it's like immedia
their first class. They feel this magic and they're just hooked.
And for some people it takes time. It's like you
need some you need some commitment, like, Okay, I'm going
to give this a try. I don't feel it quite
right like at this moment, but maybe once a week
(06:49):
I'll keep going and something builds and all of a sudden,
there's a spark, you know. So it really is different
for each person, but it's something that that like you
have to experience in your own being, you know, that
just comes from that willingness to go for it, to
try and try again and have this experience of the
(07:13):
heart opening and the connection of the mind with the
body and the body with the mind. And yeah, whether
that magic happens the first class or the tenth class,
it's like a known that it's something that just comes
with the practice itself, with the direct experience.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
And I think also with the intention of why are
you getting on the mat in the first place. And
I love your story about that because in the book
you share how your initial interest in yoga is more
based on like the physical benefits of yoga, but at
some point that changed. Can you tell me more about that.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
Yeah, it's quite a spiral because my initial interest was
actually the philosophy, but it was when I started teaching yoga,
which was mostly in the Western world, I kind of
noticed that I was going with that flow of like
the classes being more physical. So when I brought in
philosophy or mantra ayr Veda, was all of that was
(08:14):
just like on the side of the asana, which was
the physical was the focus. And yeah, that did shift
for me radically. Like ten years after teaching, I went
through a hard time in my own life. I went
through a separation with the father my daughter and she
was just three, and it was a really hard time
(08:36):
for me. And so I was struggling at that time
a lot in my mind and with different thoughts and
emotions like anger and shame and anxiety and fear. And
it just struck me that it's interesting for me to
observe myself and see what a hard time I was
having in my mind, because I'm like, Wow, I've been
(08:58):
teaching yoga for ten years. You know, I was brought
up with these practices and teachings, So what's what's missing
in my practice that I can't get a hold of
my mind right now? And these emotions like anger and
fear they're I could feel how they're stripping me and
my vitality, you know. And that's what they say in
(09:19):
the ancient text, that our our mind has that power
that it can it can really turn turn into a prison,
and it can drain our energy, like our thoughts and
emotions have that power. So I was experiencing that firsthand.
And we always hear about the mind being powerful and
the sense that it can like we can live to
(09:40):
our greatest potential and all of these things like that
that we hear a lot, But the mind is powerful
in the sense that it can destroy us. Like we
don't hear that so much, but it's so true. And
that's what I was experiencing, like I couldn't. I was
having a hard time dysfunctioning day to day. I was
feeling so down, and so that really inspired me to
(10:03):
dig deep into the yoga wisdom texts and really like
how do we actually navigate these emotions when they come up?
And so I read the wisdom text with that light,
like with that inquiry, and I found so many beautiful
teachings that help us that are actually like the roots
of yoga are in those teachings of how do we
(10:25):
face and navigate the mind. You know, the mind is
it's defined as the storehouse of thoughts and emotions, and
so how do we understand our minds and understand that
as human beings, we are going to experience the full
array of thoughts and emotions. So on one hand, it's
(10:46):
nice that it normalizes these these things like anger and
anxiety and fear, like we don't have to judge ourselves
for experiencing them, which is like relief in itself and
healing in itself, you know, So that layer gets we
can just let go of that layer of judgment and
then they're the wisdom techs are filled with beautiful practices
(11:09):
on how do we be with these emotions? How do
we approach them and let ourselves really experience them and
get to the roots of them and really understand where
they're coming from. Because it's from that kind of understanding
that we can eventually free ourselves of them, you know.
And that's different than what the mind does, especially maybe
(11:32):
in the world today, like we kind of push away
things that are uncomfortable or just like put them under
the under the rug or place like look at our
iPhones or do anything but face them. You know, like, really,
we have so many beautiful, like endless ways to distract
ourselves these days, you know, more than ever. So these
(11:53):
teachings on how to really just not judge them and
like let yourself be with them, we're really valuable to me.
So I started practicing like that became my yoga practice
is watching my mind and being letting myself be with
my emotions and understanding like different techniques like oh, today
(12:14):
anger has a hold in me, so I'm going to
do X, Y and Z, or today fear has a
clutch on me, so I'm going to do these set
of practices and kind of like I started to just
design yoga practices around emotions actually, and you know, if
we are feeling jealous one day or gripped by anxiety
(12:37):
one day, like there's these specific set of meditations and
visualizations and movements we can do to to move through them.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
Yeah, tell me more about that. About you talk a
little about the optimal breathing practice and the all day
yoga habit in your book.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Can we get into.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
That, sure? Yeah, The optimal breathing is we take just
like three to five minutes in the morning and just
sit with our breath and cultivate this optimal breathing, which
is breathing through the nose instead of the mouth, and
breathing into the belly instead of up in the chest.
(13:19):
So when we start to breathe through the nose, there's
like many benefits physical and mental, emotional benefits from just that.
And then also you know a lot of us well,
First of all, fifty percent of people in the Western
world are mouth breathers, So it might sound obvious to
breathe through the nose, but there are a lot of
people walking around breathing through the mouth all day. So
(13:42):
to just get aware of switching from the mouth to
the nose, not just when you're doing yoga or meditation,
but literally all day. And then many of us breathe
up into our chest. And then if we're having, like
if an emotion like anger or fear arises during the
day and we're breathing up in the chest, then those
(14:03):
emotions are going to get more intense. But if we
have the habit to breathe into the belly, which sends
the body an immediate signal to relax, if we're doing
that all day and we have this foundation of just
being relaxed throughout the day. Then when we get triggered
and anger rises, or fear or shame or anxiety, then
(14:25):
we at least can face those emotions with more grace
than if we're like breathing up here. So it actually
makes a big difference and helps us to navigate difficult
thoughts and emotions. When we just have that foundation of
breathing into the belly and through the nose throughout the day.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
It feels like.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
It feels like a really intentional connection with the self.
It feels like being as involved with ourself, with our body,
with are breathing with you know, where's our mind at
as we tend to get involved with our to do
list and what everybody else is asking of us, and
(15:08):
we're very present for those things. We're very present for
the notification on the phone and the email that needs
to be replied to and you know, like, oh, I
got to remember to call back my friend because she
told me that she's going through X, Y and Z,
and I just really want to be there for.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Her, right, And we're really present for all of that.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
And then we're not present about whether we're breathing into
our chest or our tummy, right, And so it feels
like such a delicious invitation. Hearing you say these things,
it's as an invitation to really just not necessarily let
go of these other things that are important, right, Like
we run our businesses through our phones, and the notifications
(15:44):
might be important, and we want to be there for
our friends, but how much better would we show up,
you know, if we were already in a calm state
to be able to come and bring that calm to
our friend, versus being in that space of all of
my own emotions are also triggering me and now I want.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
To come serve you.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
It doesn't work, We'll probably end up just triggering each
other more and just sitting there in the rage rant.
I don't know if that's ever happened to you, where
you go to your friend and you're both like it
all sucks.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Yeah, we're just going to rage here together.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
And I'm sure that's okay sometimes, but if you can't
find the space of calm somewhere in between that it.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
Can really take over. It can really take over.
Speaker 4 (16:31):
And especially people in the wellness industry, like we tend
to be givers and like you're saying, we're present for
our friends or for our clients, but oh my gosh,
are we taking care of ourselves? And you know, with
something like yoga, there's so many it's endless how advanced
the practices become. But one thing I've observed, maybe because
(16:54):
yoga has become such an industry, and I don't know
all the reasons, but but sometimes the foundational practices aren't
given enough attention, and people are doing advanced practices without
having a deep foundation, you know. And so it's also
just nice to acknowledge how how sometimes the simplest practices
(17:18):
can be incredibly powerful. And yeah, just the all day yoga,
just breathe through the nose into the belly throughout the
day and you're doing just know that you're doing one
of the most powerful practices of yoga, just through that.
And you know, in the book, I talk about the
lower mind and the higher mind, and a lot of
(17:39):
our yoga journey is shifting from the lower to the
higher mind. So for the listeners, you know, the lower
mind is the part of the mind that's like reactive,
and it kind of is just on autopilot. Like someone
yells at us, we yell right back, or someone's upset
and then we get upset. It's just this reactive condition mind,
(18:03):
and the higher mind is the part of the mind
that has a deeper awareness and understanding of the bigger
picture of why something may be happening. And so a
lot of yoga is how to shift from that lower
reactive mind to the higher mind that can actually pause
and breathe and respond mindfully, which is easy to say,
(18:28):
but it's actually a really hard practice, you know, to
really make that shift. But just doing this all day
yoga and having that foundation of a slow, deep breath
through the nose into the belly, it helps lay that
foundation for shifting from the lower to the higher mind.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
I really like what you mentioned about the practices and
I find and I spend time on social media.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
It's part of my work.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
It's part of my job, right, And I've found so
many things, especially as I was reading your book and
learning more about this practice and just kind of getting
a feel for what would be some of the topics
of interest that my listeners might want me to touch upon.
And I found so much online about like yoga in
(19:18):
in like the United States is different from yoga and
in India and in other places, and like the way
that it's approached, and it made me it reminded me.
This this conversation that I've seen online reminded me, or
I was reminded of it right now when you said
a lot of times we're going into these other more
difficult practices, right, and I feel like it becomes it
can become a challenge of the self in the wrong way, right,
(19:43):
in the way of like, well, I want to get
straight to the handstand, right, I want to get straight
to putting my nose on my knees, And it becomes.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
This almost like.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
I almost want to say, like a fight with your
own with your body, you know, whereas I don't think
yoga is meant to be that, I think yoga's meant
to be something entirely different. Can you talk to me
about those contrasts and how to approach yoga in a loving,
nurturing way when so much of it, as we find
(20:14):
it in studios and you know, gyms and places and courses,
is about how quickly can you get to the handstand
and how quickly can you put your nose on your
knees and can you hold this pose for twenty minutes?
And it's like I can't hold it for twenty seconds
and immediately you're like, I have failed at this practice,
you know, so can't you know, what can you tell
us about all that?
Speaker 2 (20:34):
Because that was a lot.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
The contrast is so huge. I mean, that's you know,
the reason I wrote this book. Really, it's it's I mean,
I feel so lucky because I feel like I've I've
lived in both worlds, you know, and I can I
can just like get the best of two very different
worlds and different as in like, I don't know how
(20:58):
they could be more different. Because like in the Western world,
yoga is almost equated with the physical practice. Like if
you google yoga, yoga postures will come up, or you
go to a yoga class, you do a series of
yoga postures, you know, it's almost synonymous with the physical practice.
Whereas in India, the roots of yoga are in the
(21:20):
mind and in consciousness. And so the mind again is
the storehouse of thoughts and emotions. So a lot of
the wisdom texts are about understanding the tendencies of the mind,
that the mind has these harmful tendencies, and the mind
also has these very nurturing, powerful tendencies. So as we understand,
(21:41):
like a lot of yoga is the study of yogas
to understand the mind and how do we cultivate a
mind through which we can actually really live to our
greatest potential. And then there's this element of consciousness, which
is like another word for consciousness is like our soul,
(22:01):
you know. So when we say I mean, I find
even the definition of yoga is kind of incorrect in
the in the Western world or what it's what's they
accepted definition throughout the world now is that union of mind, body,
and spirit. And the true definition of yoga's union with
consciousness or union with the soul. And the soul is
(22:24):
like the deepest part of ourselves, which is like a
quietness and a stillness actually and a vastness. And through
yoga we loosen the knots in our body, like the
blocks in our body, We loosen the blocks in our
mind so that we can connect with that that's that
quietness and the soul and that vastness, and that is
(22:46):
considered very powerful because if we can rest our minds
on that quietness and stillness and vastness, then it's like
all these incredible things start to happen, you know, Like
if we can really rest for not just a second
or a minute, before longer and longer amounts of time,
(23:07):
then very like dormant energies within us start to awaken,
and that's our creativity, you know, our creative energies are
healing energies. They start to awaken and things start to
come to us from the inside out, Like what is
my purpose? You know? What are my gifts that I
was meant to contribute to the world? And how do
(23:28):
I get that? Clarity? But it's not just clarity, it's
also energy because like in the yoga text, they say
consciousness is our source of energy, you know, So if
we disconnect from that quietness and stillness within ourselves and
we're just always in this frantic movements of the mind
and getting gripped by what the mind is doing, then
(23:52):
it seeps our energy, which is what I was saying.
I felt, you know, when I was in the grips
of difficult emotions. So the the original teachings are all
about the mind and consciousness. So like what a contrast,
you know, Like I personally didn't. I barely did us
and on until I was in my twenties and I
was living in New York City and I started to
(24:13):
go to yoga studios and I was kind of I mean,
I always like loved the experiences because I personally I
love movement and I've always loved dance, so that I
didn't really have a problem with the focus on the physical.
I just let myself enjoy it. But I also it
was so obvious that there was so much missing, you know.
(24:36):
And then when I went through a hard time in
my life and I went back to those teachings, I realized, like,
this can help so many people, because I'm not the
only one who struggles with anger and fear and these emotions.
So that's really why I wrote the book, was to
bridge that gap between what yoga has become and what
it has been in India.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
I hear you talk now about this connection to the
soul and this connection to our vastness, right, and that
really is that opportunity for maximum spiritual growth, I think,
is when we can lead our external lives based on
our intuitive compass which comes from within. And I talk
about this all the time in my coaching practice, about
(25:21):
having that inner voice be the thing that we start with,
and then you can find the systems on the outside
to support what your inner voice has already guided you
to do. Versus you look outward for all the direction, right,
because it's not going to be our best direction. Our
best direction is going to come from within. To me,
(25:44):
that is one of the definitions of spiritual growth is
being able to tap into that self, that inner voice,
that vastness, as you call it. What would you say
is the biggest obstacle that we face in that spiritual growth.
Speaker 4 (26:01):
That's such a great question because it was one of
the focuses of my book. But the biggest obstacle, and
this is identified in the ancient texts, and I totally
agree because I've experienced it, are clacias. Clacia is a
senscrit word that means a mind poison. Literuly translation is
a mind poison or a destructive emotion. And those are
(26:22):
such strong words, right, like poison, destructive. But that's again
these ancient texts are trying, are wanting us to recognize
that the mind has that destructive power, you know. So
the major clacias are attachment, anger, fear, isolation like feelings
(26:45):
of separation between self and other, jealousy, and so there
are very specific teachings of how to again not judge
because we as humans, we are going to experience those
states of mind. But how do we understand that the
mind does these things and that's normal, that's natural, But
how do we navigate them in a way that we
(27:07):
can learn and uplift ourselves and grow instead of just
like be drained.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
You know.
Speaker 4 (27:14):
So definitely claycias would be the biggest obstacle, and so
a lot of the original yoga practices were how to
accept and embrace our clachias and work through them so
we can eventually fear ourselves of them.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
Yeah, I think that one of the things I love
about reading your approach in this book is there's just
so much like love and light in your mind and
your mindset, and you know, your brain is so powerful.
And then I love the contrast that you bring to
the realness that our brain is powerful and that power
(27:53):
can work in two ways. It can work for good
and it could work for a negative impact or our destruction, right,
And I fear that when we focus only on the
love and light part of our mind, of our brain,
or our abilities of our spirituality and we ignore the
(28:15):
beautiful darkness that we all have, it doesn't work, you know.
And you said something so beautiful earlier where it's like
we just want to like put it away and focus
on this right, Like, I'm just gonna be positive today, Right,
I'm gonna get on the mat and I'm gonna sweat
and I'm gonna be sore tomorrow and that's going to
fix everything.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
And it's like, no, what would you say? What would
you recommend?
Speaker 1 (28:41):
For those that are listening to this conversation are starting
to understand that we need to face the destructive part
of our mind.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
Also and.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
Learn in a way almost to love it and to
be grateful for what it's trying to show us. But
they're afraid of facing that. What would you say to
that person?
Speaker 4 (29:06):
Oh gosh, you know, I would say, You're not the
only one. We're all afraid of facing it. But the
liberation that's on the other side is so sweet, and
it's like, no money or fancy practice can give ourselves
that freedom that really only comes from us being willing
(29:28):
to sit with our pain. And I don't honestly recommend
doing it alone, you know. Like the first chapter of
my book is called Matres, and Matres another Sanskrit word
and it means a friend, a friend on the path
and yoga it's such a deeply personal journey, you know,
(29:53):
like going into the roots of our wounds. Essentially, when
we look at these emotions, we're looking at our wounds,
and there can be true traumas and it's so deeply personal.
But it wasn't meant to be walked alone, Like we
weren't meant to face all this stuff alone. And so
you know, one of the things I encourage in the
(30:14):
book is because the book is a it's like a
twelve week journey, and it's filled with practices to do
just this, to look at our emotions and to be
with them and navigate them. But in the very first chapter,
I'm like, grab two friends. You know, three is a
powerful number. So I encourage three, but have like you
(30:34):
and two other people that you feel like a kinship
with and a closeness with, go through the journey together.
Like I hate to say it, but I recommend my
own book because that you know, my book. It took
me fifteen years to put these teachings together and to
weave them into a course, and just to weave in
(30:57):
the wisdom and the practices, and I honestly don't think
anything exists like it that really understands the Indian wisdom.
But it's written for the for today's mind, you know,
and today's realities and what we're going through. So I
would recommend grabbing two friends and going through the practices
(31:22):
and the book together and not journeying alone, because because
it wasn't meant for that, and you don't need to.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
I love that you mentioned you know that these it's
it's grabbing all these ancient wisdoms but presenting it in
a way that is digestible today, because I feel like
there's so much happening in the world right now that
is truly just a remembering. It's just remembering things we
(31:52):
already knew and there's proof of it, and all of
these ancient scripts, right, and all of these ancient knowledge
that we've had access too forever, right, but we almost
became disconnected from that knowledge. And now it's like resurfacing again,
and books like yours are necessary, right, and your practice
and your experience being you know, through these fifteen years
(32:15):
of learning how to thread it for us and how
to weave it into something that is that is tangible,
a book that I can that I can grab and
share with my two best friends and go through this
journey together right through your writing, and through that support
of the friend I think is so necessary in our
time right now, and I think it also opens the
(32:38):
door for my next question, which is about you know,
being able to receive, being able to receive that spiritual teaching,
because you can also weave this book for us and
thread it and put all of your love in it.
But if we're not ready to open up to it,
if we're not ready to receive it.
Speaker 2 (32:53):
And to receive just.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
The knowledge that remembering the gifts right that the vastness
within has for us, then it also doesn't work. And
so what would you say, talk to us about that
three step process that you talk about in the book
to be able to open up to that receiving of
a spiritual teaching.
Speaker 4 (33:11):
Yes, yeah, this is also one of those foundational teachings
which I feel are missing, like in the mainstream, you know,
yoga world, because I find like when I even when
I hear other yoga teachers speaking, I often hear people
say things like, well, I teach in a non dogmatic
(33:32):
way or you know, and and that tells me that
the ancient teachings aren't understood because the ancient teachings aren't dogmatic,
you know, and this three step process reveals that. So
the first step is listening. It's called mannan and it's
just it's just like acknowledging that again, the mind has
(33:57):
a tendency to get distracted. So the ancients knew that.
So they said, you know, as you prepare to receive
a spiritual teaching, just try to put all the distractions aside,
and whether they're physical or in the mind, and really
like take a moment to focus and just really open
your heart and mind to listen to really hear the
(34:18):
teachings without distraction. And then the next step in sensor
that's called shroven and that means like reflection. So after
you listen to the practices, take some time to see
you like, how is it resonating within your own heart
and within your own being? You know what is what
does the resonance you're feeling? And that's so important, right,
(34:43):
So it's like it's given a whole step like don't
just listen to the teachings, but feel how how it's
sitting in your own being. And then the third step
it's called nit pediasina and that means meditative practices. So
now it's like, Okay, you heard the teachings. You felt
how it feels in your being in this moment. But
(35:06):
now here's a set of practices like meditator practices, and
they could be breathing practices or movement or mantra, any
kind of meditator practice. Now engage in these practices, really
loosen any blocks in your mind, heart, body, and prepare
yourself for a direct experience of these teachings. And actually
(35:30):
the ancient texts like the openI Sheds, one of their
main messages is to believe nothing until you experience it
in your own being. So take those three steps and
prepare yourself to have your own direct experience and only
believe that. So the true teachings are non dogmatic. You know,
(35:52):
they're so empowering. And we don't even know the names
of the people who wrote the ancient texts, Like I
think they were just that umble and they were really
channeling just they called it eternal wisdom sanatana timas, So
they didn't even put their names on these texts because
they were just like, you know, this wisdom is for
(36:12):
all of us, and so remember it, enjoy it, and
I ultimately experience this wisdom in.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
Your own being.
Speaker 1 (36:22):
What do you hope that readers take away from the
Yogi's way.
Speaker 4 (36:27):
Well, you know, I feel like the media and all
these forces of the outer world really want to disempower us.
You know. It's like the government is doing this and
the leaders are doing this, and we're just like these slaves.
And I want the readers to remember how much power
we have. You know. It's that we can we can
(36:51):
feel disempowered and we can, which is totally understandable given
the messages we're getting from the from the mainstream. But
you know, one of the main teachings of yogas that
our thoughts are creating our reality, which is now we
hear that in like New Age stuff, but that's just
(37:12):
like a basic ancient teaching that our thoughts are that powerful.
And so if you do have harmful thoughts, like you
feel down on yourself or you know, depression, anxiety, all
of that one, you're not alone. I've experienced all of that,
and I think many of us have. But there's a
(37:33):
way out, Like we don't have to be a slave
to our minds and to those tendencies. And it takes
time and practice, but we can liberate ourselves from those
kinds of tendencies and we can we can really turn
our thoughts into ones that are very uplifting and even
when it feels impossible, like we can take those steps
(37:57):
to create our dream, you know. And I you know,
I share my grandmother's story in the book because I
find like, like, what's happening in our outer world is
so hard right now, And I share her story because
what was happening in her outer world was always difficult,
(38:18):
from the time she was a child to you know
the end of her life. Like there was always huge
challenges in her life, like living in India where there
was colonialism and like really heavy patriarchy, and she was
married at fourteen, and just like one huge challenge after another.
(38:38):
But she had a practice and she was in touch
with that stillness and fastness, and she created joy in
her day to day life, you know, through her daughters
and her community and celebrating the festivals and song and dance,
and like we can do that now, you know, Like
we have that capacity to fine joy our day to
(39:00):
day lives and to uncover our gifts and to experience
the joy of contributing, you know, the gifts we were
born to give. Like we can do all of that
right now, and it does. It's not easy that it's possible.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Remind I am so grateful for your time. I'm so
grateful for this book, for you taking the fifteen years
to bring it all together, for us to make an
impact on this present moment that is so needed. Thank
you for being a part of the movement of the change,
of the elevation of what's required for us right now
in this human experience. I'm very grateful for you.
Speaker 4 (39:42):
Thank you so much. Thank you for having me today.
Speaker 1 (39:47):
Thank you so much for listening to this episode of
the Chat with gg podcast. If you loved what you heard,
it would light me up inside. If you rate, review,
and share this episode with a business vestie who you
think will benefit from tuning in. Sharing this podcast is
the best way to help it grow and to continue
(40:09):
to grow our tribe as well. In the meantime, join
me on Instagram at ggdas Live, or check out our
latest courses and programs for personal and business growth at
Seizinghappy dot com.
You know that expanding is one of my favorite words.
I feel like, especially as entrepreneurs, we owe it to ourselves,
to our businesses, to our families, to our clients to
continue to expand as humans so that we can remain
the safe container and support of the people and things
(00:26):
who matter. When we choose the path of entrepreneurship, we're
taking on a lot more than if we were in corporate,
because in corporate you're given some of the responsibilities. You're
given the ideas, and they are heavy and they're important
and they matter. And entrepreneurship you are the creator of
the ideas and then you're also the one.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
That executes them.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Even if you have a team, you're still executing, you know,
and it requires so much more responsibility. In corporate, you're
told that five you're done for the most part, and
if you're like doing a nine to five for the
most part, you're done when it's done. But you know,
in entrepreneurship, it's a piece of your soul.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
It's a piece.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
It's like a tangible piece of your purpose exists by
way of your business. And so it's even if you
have the boundaries of well, I'm not going to be
on my computer after a certain time where I'm not
going to answer to my clients. After a certain time,
the connection remains and you get the idea and you're like, oh, man,
I just got this really great download for this program
(01:27):
and for this thing, and I'm just and you immediately
go to like pen and paper or like digital pen
and paper and want to put it down. And it's
just we're so connected to our businesses because so often
our businesses are a part of our purpose, are a
part of what we're meant to do in this lifetime,
how we're meant to leave a footprint an impact in
(01:51):
this lifetime. And so it requires us to continue to expand,
to continue learning, to continue being our most extra ordinary selves.
Right And for me, a way that I do that
is by reading. I love I like to read. Sometimes
I'll read like the physical books, and sometimes I will
listen to the audio books and still have the physical
(02:13):
book because then I'll come back and like make notes on.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
The physical book.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
I know I'm a nerd, but it's delicious for me
to expand and to grow. And a book that has
really given me an opportunity to do that is the
Yogi's way transform your mind health and reality. And I
picked this book because yoga and I have a strange relationship,
and I talk about it in the interview with the author,
(02:40):
Rima Datta. She is the author of this phenomenal book.
She first learned yoga and ayr Veda from her mother
and her grandmother's as well as her grandfather, who wrote
several books on vading philosophy. After receiving her masters from
the London School of Economics that that worked for the
(03:00):
United Nations before leaving to study ancient yogic wisdom and practice.
Since two thousand and two, she has taught yoga and
ariveta workshops, retreats and trainings in twenty countries across five continents.
Her students include Sting, Paul Simon, Eddie Briggle and many others.
(03:24):
Thousands of practitioners globally. We have the honor of talking
to her on this podcast today, and I say wee because,
as you know, if you're inside the Seizing Happy Hybrid community,
I tell you which books I'm reading, and I tell
you which authors I'm bringing on the show, and you
get to submit your questions and so you get to
(03:46):
in a way interview these phenomenal authors with me. If
you're not inside the Seizing Happy Hybrid community, you can
click the link in the show notes and learn more
about that. You also get to coach with me every week.
We do office hours and I get to support you
through your business growth and your personal expansions, and we
get to do a little bit together when I read
(04:08):
these phenomenal books and I share them with you, and
then we get to interview these amazing authors together. So
I want to get straight into this interview with Riema
because it was really phenomenal, especially because I'm not a
yogi and this book, even as somebody who's still trying
to figure out her relationship with yoga, was still phenomenally impactful.
(04:31):
So I can't wait to share this interview with you.
This is Chats with gg, a podcast for women who
are ready to step into their power, get unstuck, and
create more.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Freedom in all areas of life.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
I'm your host, Ggdaz, certified life and business coach, media
personality and multi passionate entrepreneur. I've helped hundreds of women
find the necessary clarity, confident, and courage to build their
dream life and achieve success with less stress. If you're
(05:06):
seeking weekly motivation, practical and spiritual advice, and tangible resources
to scale in life and in business.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Then you're in the right place. Are you ready? Here
we go.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
One of the things that I that I tell my
listeners all the time is like the advantage of having
a microphone and a platform like this is I also
get to be a little selfish, right, and also ask
my own questions and like get to pick the most
brilliant brains on the planet, right, including yours. And for
me personally, yoga has always been this thing that I
(05:44):
want to get into, that I want to fall in
love with, but we haven't figured out our dating pattern yet.
Like we keep going on these first yeah, like we
keep going on these first dates.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
That feel really good. But then like I never call back.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Oh no, And I don't know why I don't call
back because it does feel good, right, So let's talk
about that.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Let's talk about what is the process? What is where
does the love with yoga happen? Where does it get connected?
How does it connect to the body and the mind?
Speaker 4 (06:26):
Gosh, you know, it's different. It's like love. It's different
for each person. You know, some people it's like immedia
their first class. They feel this magic and they're just hooked.
And for some people it takes time. It's like you
need some you need some commitment, like, Okay, I'm going
to give this a try. I don't feel it quite
right like at this moment, but maybe once a week
(06:49):
I'll keep going and something builds and all of a sudden,
there's a spark, you know. So it really is different
for each person, but it's something that that like you
have to experience in your own being, you know, that
just comes from that willingness to go for it, to
try and try again and have this experience of the
(07:13):
heart opening and the connection of the mind with the
body and the body with the mind. And yeah, whether
that magic happens the first class or the tenth class,
it's like a known that it's something that just comes
with the practice itself, with the direct experience.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
And I think also with the intention of why are
you getting on the mat in the first place. And
I love your story about that because in the book
you share how your initial interest in yoga is more
based on like the physical benefits of yoga, but at
some point that changed. Can you tell me more about that.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
Yeah, it's quite a spiral because my initial interest was
actually the philosophy, but it was when I started teaching yoga,
which was mostly in the Western world, I kind of
noticed that I was going with that flow of like
the classes being more physical. So when I brought in
philosophy or mantra ayr Veda, was all of that was
(08:14):
just like on the side of the asana, which was
the physical was the focus. And yeah, that did shift
for me radically. Like ten years after teaching, I went
through a hard time in my own life. I went
through a separation with the father my daughter and she
was just three, and it was a really hard time
(08:36):
for me. And so I was struggling at that time
a lot in my mind and with different thoughts and
emotions like anger and shame and anxiety and fear. And
it just struck me that it's interesting for me to
observe myself and see what a hard time I was
having in my mind, because I'm like, Wow, I've been
(08:58):
teaching yoga for ten years. You know, I was brought
up with these practices and teachings, So what's what's missing
in my practice that I can't get a hold of
my mind right now? And these emotions like anger and
fear they're I could feel how they're stripping me and
my vitality, you know. And that's what they say in
(09:19):
the ancient text, that our our mind has that power
that it can it can really turn turn into a prison,
and it can drain our energy, like our thoughts and
emotions have that power. So I was experiencing that firsthand.
And we always hear about the mind being powerful and
the sense that it can like we can live to
(09:40):
our greatest potential and all of these things like that
that we hear a lot, But the mind is powerful
in the sense that it can destroy us. Like we
don't hear that so much, but it's so true. And
that's what I was experiencing, like I couldn't. I was
having a hard time dysfunctioning day to day. I was
feeling so down, and so that really inspired me to
(10:03):
dig deep into the yoga wisdom texts and really like
how do we actually navigate these emotions when they come up?
And so I read the wisdom text with that light,
like with that inquiry, and I found so many beautiful
teachings that help us that are actually like the roots
of yoga are in those teachings of how do we
(10:25):
face and navigate the mind. You know, the mind is
it's defined as the storehouse of thoughts and emotions, and
so how do we understand our minds and understand that
as human beings, we are going to experience the full
array of thoughts and emotions. So on one hand, it's
(10:46):
nice that it normalizes these these things like anger and
anxiety and fear, like we don't have to judge ourselves
for experiencing them, which is like relief in itself and
healing in itself, you know, So that layer gets we
can just let go of that layer of judgment and
then they're the wisdom techs are filled with beautiful practices
(11:09):
on how do we be with these emotions? How do
we approach them and let ourselves really experience them and
get to the roots of them and really understand where
they're coming from. Because it's from that kind of understanding
that we can eventually free ourselves of them, you know.
And that's different than what the mind does, especially maybe
(11:32):
in the world today, like we kind of push away
things that are uncomfortable or just like put them under
the under the rug or place like look at our
iPhones or do anything but face them. You know, like, really,
we have so many beautiful, like endless ways to distract
ourselves these days, you know, more than ever. So these
(11:53):
teachings on how to really just not judge them and
like let yourself be with them, we're really valuable to me.
So I started practicing like that became my yoga practice
is watching my mind and being letting myself be with
my emotions and understanding like different techniques like oh, today
(12:14):
anger has a hold in me, so I'm going to
do X, Y and Z, or today fear has a
clutch on me, so I'm going to do these set
of practices and kind of like I started to just
design yoga practices around emotions actually, and you know, if
we are feeling jealous one day or gripped by anxiety
(12:37):
one day, like there's these specific set of meditations and
visualizations and movements we can do to to move through them.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
Yeah, tell me more about that. About you talk a
little about the optimal breathing practice and the all day
yoga habit in your book.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Can we get into.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
That, sure? Yeah, The optimal breathing is we take just
like three to five minutes in the morning and just
sit with our breath and cultivate this optimal breathing, which
is breathing through the nose instead of the mouth, and
breathing into the belly instead of up in the chest.
(13:19):
So when we start to breathe through the nose, there's
like many benefits physical and mental, emotional benefits from just that.
And then also you know a lot of us well,
First of all, fifty percent of people in the Western
world are mouth breathers, So it might sound obvious to
breathe through the nose, but there are a lot of
people walking around breathing through the mouth all day. So
(13:42):
to just get aware of switching from the mouth to
the nose, not just when you're doing yoga or meditation,
but literally all day. And then many of us breathe
up into our chest. And then if we're having, like
if an emotion like anger or fear arises during the
day and we're breathing up in the chest, then those
(14:03):
emotions are going to get more intense. But if we
have the habit to breathe into the belly, which sends
the body an immediate signal to relax, if we're doing
that all day and we have this foundation of just
being relaxed throughout the day. Then when we get triggered
and anger rises, or fear or shame or anxiety, then
(14:25):
we at least can face those emotions with more grace
than if we're like breathing up here. So it actually
makes a big difference and helps us to navigate difficult
thoughts and emotions. When we just have that foundation of
breathing into the belly and through the nose throughout the day.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
It feels like.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
It feels like a really intentional connection with the self.
It feels like being as involved with ourself, with our body,
with are breathing with you know, where's our mind at
as we tend to get involved with our to do
list and what everybody else is asking of us, and
(15:08):
we're very present for those things. We're very present for
the notification on the phone and the email that needs
to be replied to and you know, like, oh, I
got to remember to call back my friend because she
told me that she's going through X, Y and Z,
and I just really want to be there for.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Her, right, And we're really present for all of that.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
And then we're not present about whether we're breathing into
our chest or our tummy, right, And so it feels
like such a delicious invitation. Hearing you say these things,
it's as an invitation to really just not necessarily let
go of these other things that are important, right, Like
we run our businesses through our phones, and the notifications
(15:44):
might be important, and we want to be there for
our friends, but how much better would we show up,
you know, if we were already in a calm state
to be able to come and bring that calm to
our friend, versus being in that space of all of
my own emotions are also triggering me and now I want.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
To come serve you.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
It doesn't work, We'll probably end up just triggering each
other more and just sitting there in the rage rant.
I don't know if that's ever happened to you, where
you go to your friend and you're both like it
all sucks.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Yeah, we're just going to rage here together.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
And I'm sure that's okay sometimes, but if you can't
find the space of calm somewhere in between that it.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
Can really take over. It can really take over.
Speaker 4 (16:31):
And especially people in the wellness industry, like we tend
to be givers and like you're saying, we're present for
our friends or for our clients, but oh my gosh,
are we taking care of ourselves? And you know, with
something like yoga, there's so many it's endless how advanced
the practices become. But one thing I've observed, maybe because
(16:54):
yoga has become such an industry, and I don't know
all the reasons, but but sometimes the foundational practices aren't
given enough attention, and people are doing advanced practices without
having a deep foundation, you know. And so it's also
just nice to acknowledge how how sometimes the simplest practices
(17:18):
can be incredibly powerful. And yeah, just the all day yoga,
just breathe through the nose into the belly throughout the
day and you're doing just know that you're doing one
of the most powerful practices of yoga, just through that.
And you know, in the book, I talk about the
lower mind and the higher mind, and a lot of
(17:39):
our yoga journey is shifting from the lower to the
higher mind. So for the listeners, you know, the lower
mind is the part of the mind that's like reactive,
and it kind of is just on autopilot. Like someone
yells at us, we yell right back, or someone's upset
and then we get upset. It's just this reactive condition mind,
(18:03):
and the higher mind is the part of the mind
that has a deeper awareness and understanding of the bigger
picture of why something may be happening. And so a
lot of yoga is how to shift from that lower
reactive mind to the higher mind that can actually pause
and breathe and respond mindfully, which is easy to say,
(18:28):
but it's actually a really hard practice, you know, to
really make that shift. But just doing this all day
yoga and having that foundation of a slow, deep breath
through the nose into the belly, it helps lay that
foundation for shifting from the lower to the higher mind.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
I really like what you mentioned about the practices and
I find and I spend time on social media.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
It's part of my work.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
It's part of my job, right, And I've found so
many things, especially as I was reading your book and
learning more about this practice and just kind of getting
a feel for what would be some of the topics
of interest that my listeners might want me to touch upon.
And I found so much online about like yoga in
(19:18):
in like the United States is different from yoga and
in India and in other places, and like the way
that it's approached, and it made me it reminded me.
This this conversation that I've seen online reminded me, or
I was reminded of it right now when you said
a lot of times we're going into these other more
difficult practices, right, and I feel like it becomes it
can become a challenge of the self in the wrong way, right,
(19:43):
in the way of like, well, I want to get
straight to the handstand, right, I want to get straight
to putting my nose on my knees, And it becomes.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
This almost like.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
I almost want to say, like a fight with your
own with your body, you know, whereas I don't think
yoga is meant to be that, I think yoga's meant
to be something entirely different. Can you talk to me
about those contrasts and how to approach yoga in a loving,
nurturing way when so much of it, as we find
(20:14):
it in studios and you know, gyms and places and courses,
is about how quickly can you get to the handstand
and how quickly can you put your nose on your
knees and can you hold this pose for twenty minutes?
And it's like I can't hold it for twenty seconds
and immediately you're like, I have failed at this practice,
you know, so can't you know, what can you tell
us about all that?
Speaker 2 (20:34):
Because that was a lot.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
The contrast is so huge. I mean, that's you know,
the reason I wrote this book. Really, it's it's I mean,
I feel so lucky because I feel like I've I've
lived in both worlds, you know, and I can I
can just like get the best of two very different
worlds and different as in like, I don't know how
(20:58):
they could be more different. Because like in the Western world,
yoga is almost equated with the physical practice. Like if
you google yoga, yoga postures will come up, or you
go to a yoga class, you do a series of
yoga postures, you know, it's almost synonymous with the physical practice.
Whereas in India, the roots of yoga are in the
(21:20):
mind and in consciousness. And so the mind again is
the storehouse of thoughts and emotions. So a lot of
the wisdom texts are about understanding the tendencies of the mind,
that the mind has these harmful tendencies, and the mind
also has these very nurturing, powerful tendencies. So as we understand,
(21:41):
like a lot of yoga is the study of yogas
to understand the mind and how do we cultivate a
mind through which we can actually really live to our
greatest potential. And then there's this element of consciousness, which
is like another word for consciousness is like our soul,
(22:01):
you know. So when we say I mean, I find
even the definition of yoga is kind of incorrect in
the in the Western world or what it's what's they
accepted definition throughout the world now is that union of mind, body,
and spirit. And the true definition of yoga's union with
consciousness or union with the soul. And the soul is
(22:24):
like the deepest part of ourselves, which is like a
quietness and a stillness actually and a vastness. And through
yoga we loosen the knots in our body, like the
blocks in our body, We loosen the blocks in our
mind so that we can connect with that that's that
quietness and the soul and that vastness, and that is
(22:46):
considered very powerful because if we can rest our minds
on that quietness and stillness and vastness, then it's like
all these incredible things start to happen, you know, Like
if we can really rest for not just a second
or a minute, before longer and longer amounts of time,
(23:07):
then very like dormant energies within us start to awaken,
and that's our creativity, you know, our creative energies are
healing energies. They start to awaken and things start to
come to us from the inside out, Like what is
my purpose? You know? What are my gifts that I
was meant to contribute to the world? And how do
(23:28):
I get that? Clarity? But it's not just clarity, it's
also energy because like in the yoga text, they say
consciousness is our source of energy, you know, So if
we disconnect from that quietness and stillness within ourselves and
we're just always in this frantic movements of the mind
and getting gripped by what the mind is doing, then
(23:52):
it seeps our energy, which is what I was saying.
I felt, you know, when I was in the grips
of difficult emotions. So the the original teachings are all
about the mind and consciousness. So like what a contrast,
you know, Like I personally didn't. I barely did us
and on until I was in my twenties and I
was living in New York City and I started to
(24:13):
go to yoga studios and I was kind of I mean,
I always like loved the experiences because I personally I
love movement and I've always loved dance, so that I
didn't really have a problem with the focus on the physical.
I just let myself enjoy it. But I also it
was so obvious that there was so much missing, you know.
(24:36):
And then when I went through a hard time in
my life and I went back to those teachings, I realized, like,
this can help so many people, because I'm not the
only one who struggles with anger and fear and these emotions.
So that's really why I wrote the book, was to
bridge that gap between what yoga has become and what
it has been in India.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
I hear you talk now about this connection to the
soul and this connection to our vastness, right, and that
really is that opportunity for maximum spiritual growth, I think,
is when we can lead our external lives based on
our intuitive compass which comes from within. And I talk
about this all the time in my coaching practice, about
(25:21):
having that inner voice be the thing that we start with,
and then you can find the systems on the outside
to support what your inner voice has already guided you
to do. Versus you look outward for all the direction, right,
because it's not going to be our best direction. Our
best direction is going to come from within. To me,
(25:44):
that is one of the definitions of spiritual growth is
being able to tap into that self, that inner voice,
that vastness, as you call it. What would you say
is the biggest obstacle that we face in that spiritual growth.
Speaker 4 (26:01):
That's such a great question because it was one of
the focuses of my book. But the biggest obstacle, and
this is identified in the ancient texts, and I totally
agree because I've experienced it, are clacias. Clacia is a
senscrit word that means a mind poison. Literuly translation is
a mind poison or a destructive emotion. And those are
(26:22):
such strong words, right, like poison, destructive. But that's again
these ancient texts are trying, are wanting us to recognize
that the mind has that destructive power, you know. So
the major clacias are attachment, anger, fear, isolation like feelings
(26:45):
of separation between self and other, jealousy, and so there
are very specific teachings of how to again not judge
because we as humans, we are going to experience those
states of mind. But how do we understand that the
mind does these things and that's normal, that's natural, But
how do we navigate them in a way that we
(27:07):
can learn and uplift ourselves and grow instead of just
like be drained.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
You know.
Speaker 4 (27:14):
So definitely claycias would be the biggest obstacle, and so
a lot of the original yoga practices were how to
accept and embrace our clachias and work through them so
we can eventually fear ourselves of them.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
Yeah, I think that one of the things I love
about reading your approach in this book is there's just
so much like love and light in your mind and
your mindset, and you know, your brain is so powerful.
And then I love the contrast that you bring to
the realness that our brain is powerful and that power
(27:53):
can work in two ways. It can work for good
and it could work for a negative impact or our destruction, right,
And I fear that when we focus only on the
love and light part of our mind, of our brain,
or our abilities of our spirituality and we ignore the
(28:15):
beautiful darkness that we all have, it doesn't work, you know.
And you said something so beautiful earlier where it's like
we just want to like put it away and focus
on this right, Like, I'm just gonna be positive today, Right,
I'm gonna get on the mat and I'm gonna sweat
and I'm gonna be sore tomorrow and that's going to
fix everything.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
And it's like, no, what would you say? What would
you recommend?
Speaker 1 (28:41):
For those that are listening to this conversation are starting
to understand that we need to face the destructive part
of our mind.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
Also and.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
Learn in a way almost to love it and to
be grateful for what it's trying to show us. But
they're afraid of facing that. What would you say to
that person?
Speaker 4 (29:06):
Oh gosh, you know, I would say, You're not the
only one. We're all afraid of facing it. But the
liberation that's on the other side is so sweet, and
it's like, no money or fancy practice can give ourselves
that freedom that really only comes from us being willing
(29:28):
to sit with our pain. And I don't honestly recommend
doing it alone, you know. Like the first chapter of
my book is called Matres, and Matres another Sanskrit word
and it means a friend, a friend on the path
and yoga it's such a deeply personal journey, you know,
(29:53):
like going into the roots of our wounds. Essentially, when
we look at these emotions, we're looking at our wounds,
and there can be true traumas and it's so deeply personal.
But it wasn't meant to be walked alone, Like we
weren't meant to face all this stuff alone. And so
you know, one of the things I encourage in the
(30:14):
book is because the book is a it's like a
twelve week journey, and it's filled with practices to do
just this, to look at our emotions and to be
with them and navigate them. But in the very first chapter,
I'm like, grab two friends. You know, three is a
powerful number. So I encourage three, but have like you
(30:34):
and two other people that you feel like a kinship
with and a closeness with, go through the journey together.
Like I hate to say it, but I recommend my
own book because that you know, my book. It took
me fifteen years to put these teachings together and to
weave them into a course, and just to weave in
(30:57):
the wisdom and the practices, and I honestly don't think
anything exists like it that really understands the Indian wisdom.
But it's written for the for today's mind, you know,
and today's realities and what we're going through. So I
would recommend grabbing two friends and going through the practices
(31:22):
and the book together and not journeying alone, because because
it wasn't meant for that, and you don't need to.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
I love that you mentioned you know that these it's
it's grabbing all these ancient wisdoms but presenting it in
a way that is digestible today, because I feel like
there's so much happening in the world right now that
is truly just a remembering. It's just remembering things we
(31:52):
already knew and there's proof of it, and all of
these ancient scripts, right, and all of these ancient knowledge
that we've had access too forever, right, but we almost
became disconnected from that knowledge. And now it's like resurfacing again,
and books like yours are necessary, right, and your practice
and your experience being you know, through these fifteen years
(32:15):
of learning how to thread it for us and how
to weave it into something that is that is tangible,
a book that I can that I can grab and
share with my two best friends and go through this
journey together right through your writing, and through that support
of the friend I think is so necessary in our
time right now, and I think it also opens the
(32:38):
door for my next question, which is about you know,
being able to receive, being able to receive that spiritual teaching,
because you can also weave this book for us and
thread it and put all of your love in it.
But if we're not ready to open up to it,
if we're not ready to receive it.
Speaker 2 (32:53):
And to receive just.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
The knowledge that remembering the gifts right that the vastness
within has for us, then it also doesn't work. And
so what would you say, talk to us about that
three step process that you talk about in the book
to be able to open up to that receiving of
a spiritual teaching.
Speaker 4 (33:11):
Yes, yeah, this is also one of those foundational teachings
which I feel are missing, like in the mainstream, you know,
yoga world, because I find like when I even when
I hear other yoga teachers speaking, I often hear people
say things like, well, I teach in a non dogmatic
(33:32):
way or you know, and and that tells me that
the ancient teachings aren't understood because the ancient teachings aren't dogmatic,
you know, and this three step process reveals that. So
the first step is listening. It's called mannan and it's
just it's just like acknowledging that again, the mind has
(33:57):
a tendency to get distracted. So the ancients knew that.
So they said, you know, as you prepare to receive
a spiritual teaching, just try to put all the distractions aside,
and whether they're physical or in the mind, and really
like take a moment to focus and just really open
your heart and mind to listen to really hear the
(34:18):
teachings without distraction. And then the next step in sensor
that's called shroven and that means like reflection. So after
you listen to the practices, take some time to see
you like, how is it resonating within your own heart
and within your own being? You know what is what
does the resonance you're feeling? And that's so important, right,
(34:43):
So it's like it's given a whole step like don't
just listen to the teachings, but feel how how it's
sitting in your own being. And then the third step
it's called nit pediasina and that means meditative practices. So
now it's like, Okay, you heard the teachings. You felt
how it feels in your being in this moment. But
(35:06):
now here's a set of practices like meditator practices, and
they could be breathing practices or movement or mantra, any
kind of meditator practice. Now engage in these practices, really
loosen any blocks in your mind, heart, body, and prepare
yourself for a direct experience of these teachings. And actually
(35:30):
the ancient texts like the openI Sheds, one of their
main messages is to believe nothing until you experience it
in your own being. So take those three steps and
prepare yourself to have your own direct experience and only
believe that. So the true teachings are non dogmatic. You know,
(35:52):
they're so empowering. And we don't even know the names
of the people who wrote the ancient texts, Like I
think they were just that umble and they were really
channeling just they called it eternal wisdom sanatana timas, So
they didn't even put their names on these texts because
they were just like, you know, this wisdom is for
(36:12):
all of us, and so remember it, enjoy it, and
I ultimately experience this wisdom in.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
Your own being.
Speaker 1 (36:22):
What do you hope that readers take away from the
Yogi's way.
Speaker 4 (36:27):
Well, you know, I feel like the media and all
these forces of the outer world really want to disempower us.
You know. It's like the government is doing this and
the leaders are doing this, and we're just like these slaves.
And I want the readers to remember how much power
we have. You know. It's that we can we can
(36:51):
feel disempowered and we can, which is totally understandable given
the messages we're getting from the from the mainstream. But
you know, one of the main teachings of yogas that
our thoughts are creating our reality, which is now we
hear that in like New Age stuff, but that's just
(37:12):
like a basic ancient teaching that our thoughts are that powerful.
And so if you do have harmful thoughts, like you
feel down on yourself or you know, depression, anxiety, all
of that one, you're not alone. I've experienced all of that,
and I think many of us have. But there's a
(37:33):
way out, Like we don't have to be a slave
to our minds and to those tendencies. And it takes
time and practice, but we can liberate ourselves from those
kinds of tendencies and we can we can really turn
our thoughts into ones that are very uplifting and even
when it feels impossible, like we can take those steps
(37:57):
to create our dream, you know. And I you know,
I share my grandmother's story in the book because I
find like, like, what's happening in our outer world is
so hard right now, And I share her story because
what was happening in her outer world was always difficult,
(38:18):
from the time she was a child to you know
the end of her life. Like there was always huge
challenges in her life, like living in India where there
was colonialism and like really heavy patriarchy, and she was
married at fourteen, and just like one huge challenge after another.
(38:38):
But she had a practice and she was in touch
with that stillness and fastness, and she created joy in
her day to day life, you know, through her daughters
and her community and celebrating the festivals and song and dance,
and like we can do that now, you know, Like
we have that capacity to fine joy our day to
(39:00):
day lives and to uncover our gifts and to experience
the joy of contributing, you know, the gifts we were
born to give. Like we can do all of that
right now, and it does. It's not easy that it's possible.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Remind I am so grateful for your time. I'm so
grateful for this book, for you taking the fifteen years
to bring it all together, for us to make an
impact on this present moment that is so needed. Thank
you for being a part of the movement of the change,
of the elevation of what's required for us right now
in this human experience. I'm very grateful for you.
Speaker 4 (39:42):
Thank you so much. Thank you for having me today.
Speaker 1 (39:47):
Thank you so much for listening to this episode of
the Chat with gg podcast. If you loved what you heard,
it would light me up inside. If you rate, review,
and share this episode with a business vestie who you
think will benefit from tuning in. Sharing this podcast is
the best way to help it grow and to continue
(40:09):
to grow our tribe as well. In the meantime, join
me on Instagram at ggdas Live, or check out our
latest courses and programs for personal and business growth at
Seizinghappy dot com.
Popular Podcasts
Fudd Around And Find Out
UConn basketball star Azzi Fudd brings her championship swag to iHeart Women’s Sports with Fudd Around and Find Out, a weekly podcast that takes fans along for the ride as Azzi spends her final year of college trying to reclaim the National Championship and prepare to be a first round WNBA draft pick. Ever wonder what it’s like to be a world-class athlete in the public spotlight while still managing schoolwork, friendships and family time? It’s time to Fudd Around and Find Out!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.