In this expansive conversation, I got a chance to talk to yoga and Ayurveda teacher, mentor, and author Indu Aurora to explore what yoga truly is — and what it is not.

We started by unpacking one of Indu's powerful statements:

"The goal of yoga is yoga. Everything else is a side benefit."

This conversation invites teachers to look beyond flexibility, strength, and stress relief — and into yoga as a state of realization.

Indu draws from classical teachings and the commentary on the Yoga Sutras to clarify that yoga is not simply a practice — it is a state of samadhi, a realization of the unchanging self beneath the ever-changing body, mind, and emotions.

We take a deep dive into one of Indu's main areas of wisdom, Yoga Nidra and then finish the conversation with some salient pieces of wisdom for all yoga teachers.

In this episode you'll hear:

why modern practitioners and teachers get stuck focusing on the "fix"
why Yoga Nidra is both powerful and accessible
how to keep Yoga Nidra from becoming robotic

why you should make nature your guru
the power of unlearning
how to choose a teacher
why we both love confusion and doubt

Learn More From Indu

This episode is brought to you by OfferingTree, an easy-to-use, all-in-one online platform for yoga teachers that provides a personal website, booking, payment, blogging, and many other great features. If you sign up at www.offeringtree.com/mentor, you'll get 50% off your first three months (or 15% off any annual plan)! OfferingTree supports me with each sign-up. I'm proud to be supported by a public benefit company whose mission is to further wellness access and education for everyone.