Jivamukti Yoga With Jessica Stickler

This class starts with the story of Mastayendra, a very woke fish. The class focuses on twisting and the connection between yoga and navigating preference and prejudices in the world. We use a yoga belt in this practice for some of the twisting. Read the full Jivamukti FOM here: http://jivamuktiyoga.com/focus/ To Donate to the podcast: yogastickler.com

Live Music by Stephanie Carlin: http://www.avidyamusic.com/ Check out more live classes via: jivamuktiyogalive.com

Communication is nourishment. We have to choose what kind of food we nourish our relationships with. This is a challenging twisting sequence, and its helpful if you have a yoga belt to work with (though you can certainly improvise without!)

This class was recorded at Ananda Ashram in Monroe NY. Ananda is the spiritual home of Sharon Gannon and David Life's teacher, Shri Brahmananda Saraswati. The class is part workshop, part open class with a mix of some anatomy, some yoga asana, and some thoughts on freedom. I donated my pay from the retreat to Southern Poverty Law Center, and I encourage all to make a similar donation or donate to aclu.org.

The yogi seeks to uncover the truth, to see beneath the layers of reality -- we can look to the many depictions of the goddess to reveal to us the uncovering of truth to get to our nature and our connection with the universe. More: yogastickler.com

This podcast is about gratitude and humility, focus and perseverance..... and turtles!! Music by Bryan Hayslett: Support his music bryanhayslett.com This is a deep hip opening class, leading to kurmasana, tortoise

This podcast is recorded live at Jivamukti Yoga School in NYC. The music for this class is by Max ZT, check his band out at houseofwaters.com Also, check out this short companion video for the weird (perhaps incoherent) part of the sequence. https://youtu.be/7q33L4dhp2k Two blocks for this practice is very helpful.

The guru is the energy that leads to awakening, when we mistake the proximal guru for the ultimate truth, we can run into problems. Live Music by Lisa Apatini and Tiago Ribera. Sequence is very twisty, leading up to rotated bound triangle using a belt. Youtube video for visual instruction: https://youtu.be/fV_JeHluPN4

Why do we practice physical postures? There are so many forms of yoga, and the most common form in the west is the physical yoga.

This is the story of an Octopus, read from "The Soul of the Octopus." This story takes place in an aquarium, which ultimately I believe all animals should be free from their cages -- perhaps the more we know about these amazing animals the less we will be inclined to keep them in captivity. In the meantime, what about the eggs in the fridge and the scallop on the plate? What can this octopus story teach us about the other animals in our lives. Hip Opening focus with Kurmasana Music by: Lisa Apatini and Tiago Grade

Our creative development is interdependent and interconnected to all various factors in our lives and especially to our teachers. Music by Bryan Hayslett: bryanhayslett.com

Are we bound by our conditioning, or does the possibility of freedom, spontaneity, creativity exist? Where does true spontaneity come from and what is its relationship to practice?

We bring our own assumptions, viewpoints, prejudices, predispositions to each relationship and encounter with another. Yoga primes us to see the potential for more than just one viewpoint, and opens up the potential for limitless possibility and and expansion of sense of self through compassion for all beings.

A yogi cultivates relationships that are mutually beneficial, not only with other beings but with the earth itself. How are our preferences, our comforts, our habits adversely affecting our ability to relate with the earth and with all beings.

When we speak of the 'guru' in yoga class, we are speaking of that part of ourselves that we cultivate, an attitude of being humble and open to the possibility that we don't know everything, to the possibility that other people, other experiences, even animals, a piece of music.... these can all be teachers for us, they can all lead us to the possibility of being more compassionate, more loving, more understanding. Therefore the true guru (the sad guru) is the Self. Music by Essie Jain Music: http://www.essiejain.com/

The accumulation of all of our past experiences influences our thoughts, words, and actions in the present moment. Yoga practice helps us to become aware of these subtle causes and conditions which influence our behavior and reactions.

The practice of "nada yoga" or sound yoga tunes our bodies, hearts, and minds to the harmony of the universe. Live music by Kirsten McCord: http://kirstenmccord.com/

Understanding the nature of conflict, and the nature of our response to conflict or our perceived enemies (external or internal) is key to learning to stop the war. Watching our response to obstacles or hinderances during practice can give us insight as to how we are waging war with our inner demons. Music by Kevin Nathaniel: http://www.mbirasanctuary.com/

We are not the solidly material selves we imagine ourselves to be. Our bodies are energy and space, on a quantum level. We imagine that we are solid bodies, resting on other solid bodies. This is an illusion. What if we identified with the space and energy that comprise our bodies rather than the 'solid' matter?