Let's Talk Yoga

What does authentic yoga actually look like? Aru shares her personal checklist for examining the depth, roots, and transmission of your yoga practice and teaching. From lineage and Hinduism to pranic experience, sadhana, primary sources, and knowing what you don’t know, this episode explores why sincerity alone isn’t enough—and how we can move closer to authenticity.
Episode Highlights:
Feeling authentic versus being authentic
Westernization and cultural drift
Authenticity beyond Indian identity
Hinduism and yoga literacy
Origin versus transmission
Social media as a red flag
Platform size versus teaching depth
Reach versus depth in yoga
The content creator economy
When content becomes teaching
Churn in yoga offerings
Social media versus real knowledge
Adhikara and authentic transmission
Knowing and tracing your lineage
Guru Shishya Parampara and transmission
Lineage versus compiled yoga
Hinduism as working yoga literacy
Sanatana Dharma and yoga roots
Yoga texts and traditions
Experiencing the pranic body
Prana versus nervous system knowledge
Pranayama and pranic understanding
The pranic body in Hatha Yoga
Deep study with teachers
Having primary yoga teachers
Sadhana beyond asana
Personal practice beyond physical yoga
Yoga practice versus transactional teaching
Marketing culture and yoga communities
Learning from primary sources
Long-form study and contemplation
Knowing the limits of knowledge
Honesty about what you know
Relationship with the sacred
Non-instrumental spiritual practice
Sincerity versus authenticity
Closing the gap through practice
Earning the right to transmit
Self-reflection and authentic yoga
Restorative Yoga Teacher Training Online
Prana & Presence: An Immersive Week of Yoga, Stillness & Soulful Study in Southern Italy
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A closer look at Lakshmi, Saraswati, Durga, Kali, and Parvati—and why these Hindu goddesses cannot be reduced to modern wellness trends, aesthetics, or manifestation tools. Aru explores cultural appropriation, Shakti, devotion, ritual, and what it means to engage with these traditions with greater depth and respect.
Episode Highlights:
The viral Lakshmi Maxxing trend
Cultural appropriation in modern yoga
Hindu goddesses and their symbolism
Female goddesses and divine identity
Understanding Shakti beyond feminine energy
The goddess as divine reality
Lakshmi beyond abundance and beauty
The eight forms of Lakshmi
Lakshmi and auspiciousness
Lakshmi’s relationship with prosperity
Prosperity within a dharmic framework
Using wealth responsibly and ethically
Saraswati and true knowledge
Knowledge, discernment, and Viveka
Durga and extraordinary divine power
Durga beyond warrior woman stereotypes
The power of feminine strength
Kali, destruction, and transformation
Kali and the dissolution of ego
Kali, impermanence, and liberation
Parvati and sustained devotion
Parvati as practitioner and ascetic
Living with Hindu goddesses
Devotion versus transactional worship
Offerings, gratitude, surrender, and ritual
Everyday Hindu practices and reverence
When sacred traditions become aesthetics
Understanding cultural appropriation with discernment
Learning from authentic sources
What Lakshmi teaches beyond accumulation
What Saraswati teaches about discernment
Finding courage through Durga
Transformation through Kali
Embodying Parvati’s qualities
The divine feminine beyond manifestation
Approaching Hindu traditions with respect
Restorative Yoga Teacher Training Online
Prana & Presence: An Immersive Week of Yoga, Stillness & Soulful Study in Southern Italy
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What exactly is a sankalpa, and how is it different from an affirmation, intention, or goal? Medha Bhaskar joins me to explore the deeper meaning of sankalpa, how to discover one that truly resonates, and how it can become a guiding direction for our lives.
Episode Highlights:
Sankalpa’s meaning and place in yoga
Sankalpa versus affirmations and intentions
Sankalpa versus manifestation and goals
Understanding SMART goals
Discovering a deeper sankalpa
Having one or multiple sankalpas
Sharing a sankalpa publicly
Sankalpa as a personal mantra
Cultivating the feeling of sankalpa
Different types of sankalpas
Personal versus universal sankalpas
Choosing the right sankalpa focus
Moving beyond selfish sankalpas
Measuring sankalpa progress
Working through disappointment
Using sankalpa with difficult intentions
Finding and taking a sankalpa
Using self-inquiry to discover sankalpa
Writing, repeating, and wording sankalpa
Choosing the right sankalpa language
Using positive sankalpa statements
Sankalpa as a healing practice
Spiritual versus personal sankalpas
Recognizing fear-driven sankalpas
Do’s and don’ts of sankalpa
Avoiding control and obsession
Using universally applicable sankalpas
Allowing sankalpa to evolve
Using a single-word sankalpa
Restorative Yoga Teacher Training Online
Prana & Presence: An Immersive Week of Yoga, Stillness & Soulful Study in Southern Italy
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What are the bandhas, and why do they play such an important role in Hatha Yoga? Sandra Anderson joins me to explore the physical, energetic, and meditative purpose of Mula Bandha, Uddiyana Bandha, Jalandhara Bandha, and Maha Bandha, along with practical guidance for yoga teachers.
Episode Highlights:
Meaning and purpose of bandhas
Bandhas in asana, pranayama, and meditation
Understanding Mula Bandha
Male and female differences in Mula Bandha
Contraindications for Mula Bandha
Understanding Uddiyana Bandha
Avoiding excessive muscular effort
Preparing the body for bandhas
Teaching bandhas without labels
Signs of effective bandha practice
Understanding Jalandhara Bandha
Jalandhara Bandha in pranayama
Understanding Maha Bandha
Yoga practice without bandhas
Presenting energetic practices responsibly
Teaching advice for yoga teachers
Sandra's courses and resources
Restorative Yoga Teacher Training Online
Prana & Presence: An Immersive Week of Yoga, Stillness & Soulful Study in Southern Italy
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Find all the resources mentioned in this episode
Follow Let's Talk Yoga on Instagram
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Why does Sanskrit place so much importance on sound and pronunciation? I’m joined by Dr. Varun Khanna to explore the stories, philosophy, and history behind Sanskrit, and discuss what modern yoga teachers really need to know about the language.
Episode Highlights:
Meaning of the word guru
Sound and vibration in Sanskrit
Origins of Devanagari script
Sanskrit's role in Indian philosophy
Sound, vibration, and the subtle body
Pronunciation and mantra accuracy
Sanskrit in modern yoga teaching
Sanskrit as a tool for learning yoga
Om as the ultimate vibration
Sanskrit beyond power and hierarchy
Practical takeaways for yoga teachers
Restorative Yoga Teacher Training Online
Prana & Presence: An Immersive Week of Yoga, Stillness & Soulful Study in Southern Italy
Join our mailing list
Find all the resources mentioned in this episode
Follow Let's Talk Yoga on Instagram
Connect with Aru on Instagram
Subscribe to Aham Yoga on YouTube
Let’s Talk Yoga Podcast on YouTube
Leave us a review and share this podcast with your friends!