Yoga Stories with Matt and Monica
Former Buddhist and yoga teacher Monica chats with Matt, ex-Mormon, about how they came to yoga, how it compares to their religious experiences and what yoga has taught them and continues to teach them. Their lighter style is easy for beginners who want to see what else there is to yoga apart from asana practice. As well as sharing their own continuing yoga story, Matt and Monica interview people with yoga stories that have something to teach us all. The guests range across cultures, religions and philosophies in an attempt to find the unity in yoga and with people of all faiths and none. The podcast is currently on an extended break - everything changes!
Episodes
29 episodes
Starting a Personal Practice
OK, so January is almost over, but that doesn't mean we cannot still develop some new habits and work on those resolutions we made at the beginning of the year! Monica tells us it only takes 21 days to develop a new habit - so why not use that ...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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1:01:12
Farewell to 21 (part 2)
How quickly and dramatically can things change? In a global pandemic, the answer is "VERY"! In the last episode Monica was looking forward to Christmas in Slovakia and her birthday (and New Year) in Sicily. However, Monica is now in splendid is...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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47:01
A Farewell to 21 (part 1)
We decided to celebrate the end of the year by listening back to the guests we had over the last year; to share the impressions we had, the lessons we learned, the beautiful stories shared. However, we were really only half way through wh...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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56:53
Yoga Stories: Michael
Born in the US Pacific Northwest, Michael was a bookish child, not so comfortable in his body. He grew up in a loving family, but one that had no specific religious or spiritual practice. Realising he was good at school work, he decided to be <...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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58:05
Yoga Stories: Shannon
Born in South Africa, Shannon had an idyllic childhood including time at a catholic boarding school. Sensing the world was bigger than what she saw of it in her home country, she moved to London and enjoyed all the big city can offer.Al...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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50:20
Yoga Stories: Tessa
Tessa is half-Belgian, half-American and is a teacher at Yyoga in Brussels. Monica and Matt chat to Tessa about when and how she discovered yoga - as a student in Florida. Tessa seems to have taken a very different course through life after her...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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47:55
Yoga Stories: Tara
This episode introduces us to Tara - who studied with Monica in Mysore. Tara is based in India but has also lived in Europe. She is a student and teacher of yoga, as well as an artist and mindful cook.Tara's introduction to yoga came fr...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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55:09
Yoga Stories: September catch up with Monica and Matt
Summer is almost over - but you wouldn’t know that from Monica’s regular comment on the weather! This summer has been one of growth for both Matt and Monica. With yoga studios in Belgium allowed to reopen, and with Matt having completed a teach...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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49:11
Yoga Stories: Klara and Sigrid
In a recording made during the heady days of summer, Monica and Matt talk to Klara and Sigrid, teacher and student at Reykjavik Yoga in Iceland. Why Iceland? We noticed that after Brussels, Reykjavik...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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1:05:46
Yoga Stories: Shilpi
Shilpi is originally from India but now lives in New Jersey, USA, with her husband, daughter, son and enormous dog (Cosmo). Shilpi was introduced to yoga by her Dad when she was a youngster. It was a very physical practice with very little theo...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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50:47
Kleshas - part 2
In this second episode on the Kleshas, we look at Asmita - ego, and Avidya, the mother and father of all Kleshas. We spend quite some time examining our own lives to see how much we have identified with different roles - professional, family, s...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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59:37
Kleshas: Part 1
In this episode we begin a discussion on the Kleshas - impediments, obstacles of inflictions that inhibit our spiritual growth. We decided to discuss them backwards - starting with abhiniveśāḥ, the fear of death. And after ob...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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54:13
Sanyama: Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi
We're back! In this week's episode, before talking about the last three limbs of yoga from Patanjali's sutras: Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. But before we get to concentration and meditation we have to confess that we're not going to be able to ...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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1:02:02
Yoga Stories Episode 12: Pratyahara
How do you talk about withdrawal of the senses? (Or indeed how do you present that in a photo?) That's how pratyahara is most often translated. The fifth limb of yoga is perhaps something that happens to you when you practice consistently, rath...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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54:06
Yoga Stories Episode 11: Pranayama
This week, after a week off, Matt has baked diabetic cookies for Monica. They turn out to be not so bad in the end... Our discussion focuses on Pranayama. More than breathing exercises, it's a way to expand and control Prana, the e...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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55:21
Yoga Stories: Daša
This week Monica and Matt chat with Daša Lakner, founder of agniyoga studios in Ljubljana, Slovenia and the teacher with whom Monica completed her first teacher training. Recently a mother for the second time, Daša manages to have an in-depth c...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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44:59
Yoga Stories Episode 10: Asanas
Monica and Matt examine the third limb of yoga: asanas. The discussion gets perhaps more serious than one would imagine for the topic... and Oréo can be heard begging for Monica's coconut cookies!There's not much to go on in Patanjali o...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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55:07
Yoga Stories Episode 9: the Niyamas - part 2
This week we continue our discussion of the Niyamas, the things yogis should be doing to bring their practice into every aspect of life. Tapas, a kind of self-discipline that helps build the fire inside that burns away impurities, is a concept ...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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59:08
Yoga Stories Episode 8: The Niyamas - part 1
In this episode Monica and Matt discuss the first two Niyamas - Saucha (or is it Shaucha?) and Santosha - purity and contentment. Saucha can also mean cleanliness and we discover that what comes out of people can be as "defiling" as what goes i...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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1:02:21
Yoga Stories: Ashoka
This week Monica and Matt speak with Ashoka Mody, an economics professor at Princeton. Born and raised in India, Ashoka's first asana practice began between graduating from High School and going to University. The Ashram providing the classes w...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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43:51
Yoga Stories Episode 7: The Yamas, part 2
In the second part of our chat on the Yamas, we open with an observation on body positivity and gender identity which leads us to Brachmacharya. Often translated as some kind of sexual restraint, it can also mean balance. We tackle this topic c...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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43:40
Episode 6: The Yamas, part 1
The Yamas are a limb of the eight limbs of yoga according to Patanjali in the Yoga sutras. We talk about the eight limbs before moving onto the Yamas. Ahimsa - non-violence - is interpreted in many ways, we look at non-violence on social media ...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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54:22
Yoga Stories Episode 5: Savasana, death and purity
Monica and Matt reflect on what they've learned from speaking to Colin and Robbie: yoga as a preparation for death and a lot of discussion about Savasana (including how to make it competitive, if that's your thing...). They discuss the commerci...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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57:39
