Podcast Summary

New Books Network: Amy Landry on "The Ocean of Yoga: A Complete Guide to Living the Teachings, Tradition, and Practice" (Shambhala, 2026)

Host: Dr. Raj Balkaran
Guest: Amy Landry
Date: March 2, 2026

Episode Overview

In this enriching episode of the New Books Network, Dr. Raj Balkaran interviews Amy Landry about her new book, "The Ocean of Yoga: A Complete Guide to Living the Teachings, Tradition, and Practice," published by Shambhala in 2026. The discussion explores the underlying reasons behind writing the book, the framework of yoga traditions, the importance of breadth and depth in learning, the challenges of modern yoga education, and the ways yoga's transformative potential can be shared, honored, and sustained both for practitioners and teachers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Backstory and Seed of the Book (00:34–03:43)

• Trigger for Writing:
  Amy describes a major familial and personal transition involving moving interstate with her husband and young children, leading to her "forced sabbatical" from teaching yoga.
  • Quote:
    “It was just a really big transitional point in time... I was forced to stop teaching... I wanted to find a way that I could stay in creativity and in service to the yoga community. And that’s when I started writing this book.” (00:49)
• She retrospectively recognizes this period as an Ashta Mashani, a phase of Saturn through the eighth house from the natal moon, characterized by transformation through challenge.
  • Quote:
    “This book is that gem or that jewel that has come out of that darkness of that time, that immense strain and stress... it sort of feels, in so many ways, completely divinely guided and aligned.” (02:53)

2. Yoga as Transformation (03:43–07:32)

• Amy discusses the subjective and multifaceted nature of yoga’s transformative potential, emphasizing both its limit and possibility in modern contexts.
  • Quote:
    “...in the way that yoga is experienced primarily across the world today, it is transformative, but it's still limited in that nature... that's because quite often it's not grounded in something that nourishes the spirit.” (04:39)
• Dr. Balkaran highlights the necessity of scaffolding and context to facilitate genuine, sustainable transformation for students.

3. Breadth and Depth: Navigating the Ocean (07:32–12:10)

• Amy’s Approach:
  Advocates the necessity of both a broad foundation and the capacity for focused depth.
  • Quote:
    “...it's very difficult to... go deep when you don't have a solid breadth of grounding of knowledge... So the book aims to kind of go wide in a sense, which I think is especially important for people that are born outside of... the cultural context or the cultural heritage of yoga...” (07:45)
• Recognizes the challenge for modern seekers to find their direction without cultural or historical grounding.

4. The Structure and Scope of "The Ocean of Yoga" (12:10–19:58)

Amy describes the book’s five-part structure, corresponding to elements from earth (grounding, history) to space (sound, silence, scripture):

• Part 1: Earth (Grounding)
  Contextualizes yoga within history, culture, and lineage.
• Part 2: Subtle Anatomy
  Moves into yogic concepts of anatomy and the integration of Ayurveda.
• Part 3: Paths and Traditions
  The “jewel” of the book—covers diverse yoga traditions and the challenges and value of the guru-disciple relationship, including attention to modern postural schools.
• Part 4: Practice & Technique
  Explores the inner landscape, unpacking the eight limbs and less common techniques like mudra and bandha, as well as philosophical concepts like samadhi, moksha, and more.
• Part 5: Sound & Scripture
  Focuses on Sanskrit, sound, silence, and less-studied scriptures (e.g., Yoga Vasishta).
  • Quote:
    “...my intent for this last part of the book was to... give space and voice to other texts... because I feel like they have a lot of potency. And maybe outside of lineage, outside of Sampradaya and outside of maybe academia, even these books don’t get a lot of attention.” (17:27)
• The structure is designed to offer clarity for both newcomers and teachers, mapping a broad “tour” of the yoga tradition.

5. The Knowledge Gap and the Contemporary Challenge (22:31–27:06)

• Issue Identified:
  The proliferation and “mainstreaming” of yoga has created a schism between surface practice and deeper traditions, as well as between accessible knowledge and lineage-based transmission.
• Student & Teacher Needs:
  Many enroll in teacher trainings seeking knowledge, not necessarily to teach, and often finish underwhelmed or overwhelmed by inadequate integration.
  • Quote:
    “...so many people... go and spend thousands of dollars on a teacher training simply to gain more knowledge, not because they have any desire to teach yoga... but it would also serve those that have spent thousands of dollars on a teacher training. And they've walked away feeling quite underwhelmed...” (24:26)
• Amy’s Aim:
  The book exists to help fill that void for both practitioners and teachers, providing an accessible pathway into breadth and integration.

6. On Lineage, Gurus, and Community (27:06–30:23)

• Host Reflection:
  Dr. Balkaran addresses the central role of relationship and human transmission (parampara) in knowledge, while acknowledging the current loss of trust due to high-profile abuses or limitations of visible gurus.
• Despite modern skepticism, authentic relationships and the context they provide remain invaluable but sometimes inaccessible; resources like this book help bridge the gap.
  • Quote:
    “If I wanted to be a great chef or a great whatever, I would need to at some point cultivate a relationship with some of that knowledge. Hopefully someone whom I trusted, who had the skill and integrity not to abuse the relationship.” (27:54)
  • Amy:
    "This book aims to provide a little bit of solace... to fill that void or tend to that longing... The book is not about me. It hasn't got any personal stories or anything... My goal is to always rise above that, to hold a blank space where people can come and receive yoga and deepen their knowledge..." (30:34, 32:07)

7. Neutrality, Accessibility, and the Role of the Guide (34:02–37:36)

• Amy is intentionally neutral and non-personal in tone to honor the interconnectedness of yoga’s cultural and philosophical roots and not add to current polarizations.
• The book provides a “tour guide” for those seeking an orientation in the vast, sometimes overwhelming “ocean” of yoga.
  • Host:
    “You’re giving them a bit of context, which is great. And then people can decide if they want to take that context as the platform for more knowledge expansion for spiritual evolution.” (35:51)
  • Amy:
    “That’s why so many people yearn to go to India... they have the same thing can happen again like it does in Yogaland outside of India... appropriate guidance... can very much steepen an experience that enriches their understanding and path of yoga.” (37:36)

8. The Duty of Stewardship and Lasting Impact (38:49–41:29)

• Amy closes by emphasizing the duty of teachers and practitioners to act as stewards of the tradition, balancing authenticity with the realities of modern practice and studio life.
  • Quote:
    “...we have to remember our duty in uplifting, again, the ocean of yoga and finding a way to be able to do that, even if it's just small, subtle ways and things you can weave into your community... because very slowly that will have a ripple effect outward and you just see it as planting seeds.” (39:33)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “This book is that gem or that jewel that has come out of that darkness of that time, that immense strain and stress.” – Amy Landry (02:53)
• “Yoga is this vast spectrum... its transformative nature is anchored when it nourishes the spirit—and that looks different for everyone.” – Amy Landry (06:04)
• “It is more powerful and potent to really focus or hone our attention... yet I feel that is very difficult to do when you don’t have a solid breadth of grounding of knowledge.” – Amy Landry (07:45)
• “No book can be complete on yoga, truly, but the intent is there anyway to serve in that way.” – Amy Landry (19:44)
• “There is a longing and there is a lacking, but we are not able to close that gap for that reason... that’s why I wrote this book, really, if I’m honest, it's the book I wish existed when I first started practicing.” – Amy Landry (24:29)
• “I really try in my work to remain as neutral as possible... my goal is to always... hold a blank space where people can come and receive yoga and deepen their knowledge.” – Amy Landry (32:07)
• “We have to remember our duty in uplifting, again, the ocean of yoga... even if it's just small, subtle ways... because very slowly that will have a ripple effect outward and you just see it as planting seeds.” – Amy Landry (39:33)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | | ------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:34–03:43 | Amy’s personal backstory & writing the book | | 03:43–07:32 | Yoga as transformation, subjective and shared | | 07:32–12:10 | The value of breadth before depth; addressing cultural context gaps | | 12:10–19:58 | Detailed breakdown of the book’s five-part, element-based structure | | 22:31–27:06 | The mainstreaming of yoga, knowledge gaps, and the challenge for teachers/students | | 27:06–30:23 | Lineage, the guru problem, and new modes of transmission | | 30:23–32:07 | Neutrality, inclusivity, and Amy’s approach to authorship | | 34:02–37:36 | The necessity of context and the “tour guide” metaphor | | 38:49–41:29 | On stewardship, ripple effect, and closing thoughts |

Conclusion

Amy Landry’s "The Ocean of Yoga" is positioned as a much-needed guide for both aspiring and established yoga practitioners and teachers, aiming to bridge gaps in historical, cultural, and philosophical understanding within modern yoga landscapes. The interview offers a panoramic view of both the book’s contents and its deeper intention: to serve as a broad, context-rich foundation that empowers seekers to find their own depth and authenticity within the vast, ongoing “ocean” of yoga.