Let's Talk Yoga

What is prana beyond the breath? Aru welcomes yoga teacher and author Prasad Rangnekar back to Let’s Talk Yoga to explore his book, Prana: The Practice of Body, Mind, and Breath. They discuss prana as a lived experience rooted in Indian culture, the relationship between the individual and the cosmos, and how prana connects with the mind, sound, and everyday life. Prasad also explains Chitta Shuddhi, Prana Dharana, and the importance of cultivating aliveness before jumping into breathing techniques. Discover simple ways to connect with prana and bring a deeper, more experiential understanding to your yoga practice.
Episode Highlights:
Etic and Emic Approaches to Yoga
Prana as a Lived Cultural Tradition
Pinda Brahmanda Siddhanta and the Cosmos
The Indian Worldview of Space and Time
Connecting with Prana Beyond Breath
Developing a Relationship with Prana
Everyday Ways to Cultivate Prana
Sound, Chanting, and Pranic Energy
Chitta Shuddhi and Mental Purification
The Mind as a Mirror
Prana and Emotional Resolution
Pranayama and Cultivating Prana
Breath Communication Beyond Breathwork
Prana Dharana and Energy Flow
Prana, Apana, and Hatha Yoga
Aliveness as a Practice of Prana
Recognizing Energy Blocks Through Aliveness
Thriving in Prana Before Technique
Prana as a Sacred Relationship
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What makes a yoga pose truly restorative? Aru shares her journey from chasing challenging asanas to discovering the importance of deep rest. She explores the origins of restorative yoga, its roots in the Iyengar tradition, and the five qualities that make a pose restorative: support, stillness, warmth, silence, and darkness. Learn how these elements help the nervous system settle, why Mauna and sensory withdrawal matter, and how restorative yoga prepares us for unsupported Shavasana and a deeper experience of rest.
Episode Highlights:
Confessions of a Yogaholic
Movement and the Goal of Stillness
Understanding Restorative Yoga
Restorative Yoga’s Iyengar Roots
The Autonomic Nervous System
Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Responses
Support and Intelligent Prop Use
Stillness and Proprioception
Warmth and Nervous System Regulation
Mauna and the Practice of Silence
Pratyahara and Sensory Withdrawal
Darkness and the Oculocardiac Reflex
Restorative Yoga and the Five Koshas
The Goal of Unsupported Shavasana
From Doing Shavasana to Being in Shavasana
Restorative Yoga Teacher Training
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What exactly is a Sangha, and why does community matter so much in yoga? Aru explores the meaning and origins of Sangha, its relationship to Satsang, and the many traditional forms of community that have supported yoga over time. She also looks at what makes a genuine Sangha, what it is not, the shadow side of spiritual communities, and the importance of boundaries, agency, accountability, and sustained relationships in modern yoga.
Episode Highlights:
Defining Sangha and its origins
Sangha, Satsang, and yoga
Characteristics and purpose of Sangha
Recognizing genuine Sangha
Traditional forms of yoga community
Guru Shishya Parampara and living transmission
Kula, ashrams, and Gurukula
Bhakti communities and spiritual practice
Accountability, belonging, and collective knowledge
What Sangha is not
The shadow side of spiritual communities
Teacher and student responsibilities
Boundaries, agency, and discernment
The Three Jewels and modern yoga
Rebuilding meaningful community in yoga
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What actually changes during pregnancy, and how should yoga teachers adapt their teaching? Aru talks with Aparna Ramesh about prenatal yoga across all three trimesters, balancing effort and rest, modifications, props, pranayama, sound, visualization, and the tools that can support a healthy and empowering pregnancy practice.
Episode Highlights:
Prenatal yoga intensity and effort
Balancing effort and rest, and teaching beyond “listen to your body”
The prenatal talk test
Normalizing breaks in practice
First trimester yoga practice
Trimester changes and teaching considerations
Second trimester strengthening
Third trimester physical changes
Heat and hot yoga risks
First trimester practice focus
Second trimester practice focus
Third trimester practice focus
Prenatal yoga in mixed classes
Strengthening for pregnancy and motherhood
Pelvic floor education and practice
Third trimester modifications
Props and creative modifications
Lying on the back during pregnancy
Prana and pregnancy
Prenatal pranayama practices
Prenatal chanting and sound
Visualization during pregnancy and labor
Yoga Nidra and sankalpa
Teaching prenatal yoga with confidence
Functional and non-ego-driven practice
Building sustainable self-practice
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What exactly is Yin Yoga, and how is it different from restorative yoga? Aru gets nerdy with Vinay Jesta about sensation, stillness, connective tissue, the meridian system, emotional awareness, and finding the right balance between Yin and Yang. They also discuss common teaching mistakes, practicing Yin online, and what to look for in a good Yin Yoga training.
Episode Highlights:
What Yin Yoga is and its place in the yoga tradition
Yin Yoga vs. restorative yoga
Sensation, stillness, and finding the appropriate edge
Props, modifications, and working with different bodies
Yin practice length, sequencing, and connective tissue
Tension vs. compression and recognizing harmful sensations
The role of verbal guidance in Yin
The meridian system and Traditional Chinese Medicine
Meridians, nadis, emotions, and the psychological aspects of Yin
Stillness, self-observation, and meditation in Yin poses
Yin poses, gravity, and different ways to practice
Yin for injuries, pregnancy, and hypermobility
Balancing Yin with Yang-oriented practices
Common misconceptions and mistakes in teaching Yin
Music in Yin classes
Practicing Yin through online videos vs. with a teacher
What to look for in a Yin Yoga training
Balancing anatomy, skeletal variations, and energetic approaches in Yin
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Find all the resources mentioned in this episode
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