Podcast
The Yoga Podcast
Hosted by Claudia Azula Altucher · EN
Hi, I'm Claudia Azula Altucher host of The Yoga Podcast. I've been a seeker of yoga for 15 years, and have traveled through India, Thailand and the Americas seeking truth and what works.
I am also a writer and author of three books, including "21 Things To Know Before Starting An Ashtanga Yoga Practice", the co-author of the Wall Street Journal Best Selling book "The Power Of No", and the recently released "Become An Idea Machine".
I've written for The New York Observer, Positively Positive, Mind Body Green, Yoga Mantra and Health and many other popular websites for the past five years.
The Yoga Podcast is a sacred space where I talk with long-term, dedicated practitioners about living yoga with all of its eight branches, practicing, making money through it, teaching it with integrity, learning it with audacity and above all, understanding that nobody needs to be put on a pedestal, because the path to our own truth is lonely and personal, and we must choose the teachings that resonate within.
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Episodes
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James Altucher Interviews Claudia Azula Altucher
Oct 3, 201500:58:58Tap to summarizeWelcome! Something unusual for the Yoga Podcast, this time James Altucher (my husband) is interviewing me (the Yoga Teacher) And he is not holding back, he asks about personal things (very personal), about yoga, about what brought me to it, what it did to me, what it can do for you and how it influences every moment of my life There was talk ranging the whole gamut from Patanjali to Professor Krishnamacharya and his teacher, to BKS Iyengar to Pattabhi Jois (founder of the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga System) to BKS Iyengar to Paul Dallaghan, Jessica, Kino... everybody! And he asked me about the Periscope LIVE yoga class I offer for 30" EVERY FRIDAY - Why Periscope? Why should you go into it? How would you benefit from it? Will you like it? Is it for you? And we even talked about relationships, specifically our relationships, and the challenges that we face when working, teaching, dealing with children or step-children and god-children, to cooking and travel, to who packs the clothes and who wins at chess, every time! WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT ME I don't want to sound arrogant, I prefer to keep it on the humble side, and even that sounds arrogant, I feel I can win. So, ok, what is special about me is I keep it real, I have spent tens of thousands of dollars circling the globe in search of true teachings, good teachers of asana, pranayama, and on lots of meditation retreats. I also write books and one of them became a WSJ best-seller... Mostly I am into the flow of life, into living each moment and appreciating the subtleties and nuances of how life is always different, with every breath we take. Yoga is fundamentally a BREATHING practice. And that is the most important part of the message for me. Hope you like it! Enjoy
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Michael Singer: The Surrender Experiment
Jul 17, 201501:04:55Tap to summarizeLet me tell you what happened to me when I read “The Surrender Experiment” by Michale Singer, which by the way, JUST hit the NY Times Best-Seller… Of course. The Surrender Experiment, highly recommended It was a big surprise! Mostly because I did NOT read it. Instead… I EXPERIENCED it! It went something like this, in every chapter, and in an endless loop… – Wait. What!” – Oh C’mon! Seriously!? – And he surrendered to THAT? <p style="mar...
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Jun 22, 201501:26:15Tap to summarize Paul Dallaghan has a yoga retreat that I can only describe as the Richard Branson's Isand for yoga... Any yoga "real thing" you'd like is there at his place in Ko Samui, Thailand (I've been to the place twice). For example: ayurvedic treatments, infrared saunas, pool, steaming showers, excellent food, exceptional yoga and pranayama instruction and amazingly beautiful accommodations by the ocean... And he is one of the most humble people I know. What We Talked About He drops a bomb on me. I get news about his life right off the start which I did not know. Paul does NOT get jet lag... and he gives tips on how to avoid it as much as possible His start in yoga in New York after business school Since he got clear that yoga was his thing, doubts melted away and he felt a surrendering come over him. Paul is one of ONLY two students of pranayama and yoga master Tiwariji (of the Kayvalyadhama Institute in India) we talk about it and Paul says it all happened very naturally... We talk about how he met him One thing to notice is that every time he started building the beautiful retreat centers, he had NO money. How the amazing yoga retreat he maintains in Ko Samui Thailand came to be in a very organic way The daily contemplation practice that Paul does in 4 steps, to prepare for the day and practice And how this practice continues to be very useful and helpful for him after more than decade of practice Paul says: This practice comes from a place where we acknowledge that: "I need help because I don't know anything... And then there is life... And dealing with it... And that is why we ask for help" The Gayatri Mantra and how it helps on clarity He proposes we could all meet together in 20 years and see how the practices helped each of us Paul notices as he sees students around the world a lot of tension in the upper part of the belly and why this is What took Paul a long time to understand... The beautiful yoga room at Samahita Retreat in Ko Samui Thailand About Paul About Paul's International Teaching Schedule Twitter Pinterest Facebook Tumblr Instagram Google Plus Transcript Claudia A. Altucher: Hello, everyone. Welcome to The Yoga Podcast. I am over the moon to have this guest with me because I've been looking for him for over, I'm gonna say, seven to eight months, and he's just so busy, but I have Paul Dallaghan. He is the co-founder with his wife, Jutima, of Yoga Thailand and Samahita Wellness – Paul Dallaghan: Ex-wife. Claudia A. Altucher: Excuse me? Paul Dallaghan: That's ex-wife. Claudia A. Altucher: Oh, I didn't know. I'm sorry to hear. Paul Dallaghan: [Laughs] Nothing to be sorry about, but yeah, go ahead. Claudia A. Altucher: Oh, okay. So that's news, I guess. Last December, CNN named them as one of the top ten wellness resorts in Asia. He has been trained personally in a one-on-one capacity with Sri O.P. Tiwari, a true yogi master, master of pranayama, and head of the Yoga Institute Kaivalyadhama in India. And amazingly enough, Paul was also trained in advanced asana practice with the great Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, who's the man himself, the founder of the Ashtanga Yoga Vinyasa system as we know it. Both centers – I had the opportunity to visit it twice in the beautiful island of Koh Samui, and he is also, at the moment, on top of all of this and having two children, he has been taken by the Emory University in Atlanta in the USA in the field of biological anthropology, and he's following a Ph.D. program, bringing the yogic practices and philosophy to the scientific field. Paul, welcome. So grateful to have you on the podcast. Paul Dallaghan: Yeah, thank you, Claudia. Claudia A. Altucher: So it is 3:38. I guess there have been major changes in your life. I know you just returned from a teacher training in Thailand for a full month. Are you still in Koh Samui time or are you in Atlanta time? Paul Dallaghan: I'm in Atlanta time. Claudia A. Altucher: Yeah? You've totally recovered from jetlag, no problem? Paul Dallaghan: Well, I'm in – I never – naturally, there's a certain amount of drag that goes with the flight, but I find that it's not that big of an issue, and especially, I suppose, when you just kinda regulate yourself or maybe some of the benefit of the breath practice, I think, helps a lot. I mean, I once asked my own teacher, Tiwari G., who had just flown back from Europe to India, I said, "How are things? Any jetlag?" ...
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Laruga Wakes Up at 2:45 AM For Yoga!
Jun 22, 201501:01:21Tap to summarizeLaruga Glaser couldn't help but being a yoga teacher... It kept calling her, even when she was kicked out of a yoga teacher training! What is Special About Laruga Even though she experienced hardships growing up, meaning abuse, which I can relate to, she learned through yoga to transcend and heal. I was taken by her presence and her pace. She exudes stillness, and she is very friendly. As a teacher she has a heavy international traveling schedule as well as a Mysore program she runs daily in Stockholm. I also appreciated how she helps us all give ourselves a break when she says (talking about the brutal winters in the Northern hemisphere)... I do feel it is important to be sensitive to the seasonal shifts and adjust the rhythm of one’s practice during these times of external extremes, instead of trying to force the same pacing month after month What we talked about How she grew up in the United States and stepped into yoga by "chance" How Ashtanga picked her curiosity at a very young age The role abuse played in her life as she developed into her own How teaching came to her How she met her boyfriend in Mysore exactly four months before I met James! Her daily routine (she wakes up at 2:45 AM people!) How she teaches and what her schedule is like How she manages her energy The one thing that took Laruga a LONG time to understand... About Laruga: Website Upcoming Traveling Workshops Daily Mysore Twitter Flickr Blog Youtube LinkedIn GooglePlus TRANSCRIPT: Claudia A. Altucher: Let me ask you something. It’s 4:00 PM in Stockholm, so I’m wondering: what did you do today? Laruga Glaser: Oh, okay. Well – [Laughter] Yeah, my usual schedule is – I’ll – first thing in the morning, I practice – I’ll do my practice, which is quite early. Claudia A. Altucher: What is “quite early”? Laruga Glaser: My alarm come – goes off at around 2:45 AM. Claudia A. Altucher: Oh, my goodness. Laruga Glaser: So – but that doesn’t mean that I necessarily get up right away. It depends on – sometimes I hit “snooze” a few times to be perfectly honest. Claudia A. Altucher: Well, you’re very allowed. Anyone who puts the clock at 2:45 AM is allowed to “snooze it” in my world. Laruga Glaser: Yeah, sometimes I need a little bit of a buffer. Sometimes I do pop out of bed right away, but sometimes I’ll – you know, it’s a good way for me to kind of segue myself out of bed. Claudia A. Altucher: So what time do you go to bed then? Laruga Glaser: In a perfect world: 8:00 PM. That doesn’t always happen. Usually, I really start winding down between 8:00 PM or 9:00 PM, but the best time for me to be in bed is before 8:30 PM, really. Claudia A. Altucher: Yeah, you need that. For me, too, only I don’t wake up that early. That’s very impressive to me. Laruga Glaser: Yeah, yeah, that’s important. [Laughter] So – <p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Rom...
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Yoga Podcast Episode #11 - I Had To Go!
Jun 8, 201500:37:40Tap to summarizeI had to go. Badly. But one of my three roommates was taking a luxury long shower in the only bathroom. What to do?! No oh no! The thought crossed my mind... Use the Indian bathroom? Me? None of the four of us sub-leasing that house in Mysore, South India circa 2008 had yet opened THAT door. None of us had dared step into the vortex of how two thirds of the world do their business. But I had to. What was the alternative? So I did. I opened the door.... Slowly. Would the walls be splashed? Would there be water in the pot next to it? Would it even be clean? Would I fall into an infinite tunnel of shit? No. Phew! Very clean. I went outside to refill the pot with clean water, grabbed some extra toilette paper, closed the door, and did what I had to do. Wait. What is this? Fascinating! Even though it was uncomfortable, everything was easy... It almost felt... Hm, what is the word? NATURAL, human, normal. DIFFERENT. Imagine my delight when I saw the episode of Shark Tank in which Bobby and Judy presented what they have come to call "Squatty-Potty" a company that created a stool so we can, IN THE WEST, squat easily... Here is the episode which is fun to watch Because I have this habit of calling anyone who helps me evacuate my intestines better I picked up the phone and gave Bobby and Judy a call and they agreed to go on the podcast that I do with lovely husband, "Ask Altucher". The four of us had a lot to talk about. Almost every illness out there starts in the intestines. Bobby shipped me two Squatty-Potties ahead of the podcast recording so I could try it myself, and I have to tell you, I noticed a few things right away... If you get put off by talk of how the body works, maybe skip these points... As a yogi, I am fascinated by this type of things 1) It works JUST like the Indian toilette, only it is EASIER because my muscles don't have to hold me in position, my legs simply raise to the occasion 2) It works. It is the right position in which to do "our business" 3) This is only for women... I know... But I noticed that I was able to empty my bladder to an extent I had never done before... I mean, it kept going and going... Like the pink bunny I will let you hear the episode and I hope you try it...
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Julie Piatt The Plant Power Way + Yoga = Raise Your Vibration
May 21, 201500:58:23Tap to summarizeJulie Piatt is my woman crush... She is the embodiment of a yoga teacher, mother, musician, artist, supportive mother and wife, healer, and song writer. Listen to her for a few minutes and you will feel elevated. She excudes calm confidence and centeredness. Ever since I spoke with her last week I have been doing the meditation she "downloaded" - I cried on the first try, it touched something very deep within me. Then I was able to just sing to the beautiful humming and mantras, and I plan on continuing for 40 days. Julie has just released THE PLANTPOWER WAY: Whole Food Plant-Based Recipes and Guidance for The Whole Family together with her Vegan Ultraman husband Rich Roll In this episode we talk about how what kept her going even when she was first married to Rich and he would eat so differently (he was a recovering alcoholic), what is like to UN-SCHOOL 4 children, why the plant power way is so powerful, how it healed her and how it can heal you and me too. Oh.... And I also ask her to marry me. The meditation she offers can be found here, at her husband's Rich Roll page It's the best 9 dollars I ever invested, and I don't say that lightly. Find more about Julie at SriMati.com Instagram Twitter Facebook And remember to subscribe to my newsletter so you can stay in touch! Claudia
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Yoga And Directing/Producing Movies
May 4, 201500:56:51Tap to summarizeJoy Marzec is a movie writer, producer, director, a music band member, an idea machine, a complete choose yourself case (she invested what she would have paid in film school into making her own films), OH AND... A yogi practicing the fourth series of Ashtanga Yoga (which in plain terms means something like winning an olympic gold medal three times, not that asana should EVER be on the olympics... But just to give you an idea) If you cannot see the episode photo with the big play button click here to listen, or play in I-Tunes or Stitcher For the full post and all info click here
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The Yoga Podcast Ep 8 Jessica Blanchard From Corporate World To Yoga Via Thailand And India
Apr 17, 201501:00:04Tap to summarizeWhat Is Special About Jessica It seems to me Yoga choose Jessica rather than the other way around. She had a great job in Paris in IT, she travelled all the time, and she was making money. But a workshop with David Swenson and meeting Pattabhi Jois in London between 2000 and 2002 changed everything. She could not believe how people would show up early in the morning to "sweat together", and practice this dynamic form of hatha yoga. And she liked it. So she started practicing and traveling to Mysore and meeting people and ... She joined Yoga Thailand in its early stages as a teacher and by invitation! and met Tiwari who is one of the most serious and advanced practitioners of pranayama in the world today. That, meeting Tiwari, is something I envy her for (in a good way of course) because she got to study under direct supervision from him... they still talk on the phone. What We talked About Jessica's life in the corporate world, working for IT and traveling most of the time How she started getting into yoga slowly Her workshop with David Swenson clarifies things for her Her visit to London to take Pattabhi Jois's tour classes India An Invitation to Teach and "take over for a few months" Yoga Thailand!!! I mean. Wow. Her yoga sabbatical, and did she fear running out of money? What is it like to learn directly from Pranayama World Authority Tiwari? Opening her own studio in 2008 in New Orleans Getting married and having a baby The delivery story - It was painful but not as crazy as some videos women get to watch... How the studio is doing today What took Jessica a long time to understand. Books Jessica Recommends on The Podcast Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution (Your Ayurvedic Constitution Revised Enlarged Second Edition) Paperback - by Dr. Robert Svoboda Prakriti It means "nature" in Sanskrit. Dr. Svoboda, says Jessica, is a great writer, very entertaining, very clear and practical. He is a teacher and a yogi. Ayurveda The Science Of Self Healing by Vasan Lad. Jessica says this one is for those of us interested in learning more about the pulse, and a good introduction. Ayurvedic Nutrition - By Atreya Smith, one of Jessica's teacher. This book is clear on diet and the benefits of it. ANOTHER BOOK WE MENTION IN THE PODCAST: The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like the World's Healthiest People by Dan Buettner (Here is the interview James did with Buettner on living to 100) About Jessica Her Studio in New Orleans Her book: Yoga Thailand's Healthy Lifestyle Cooking I've tried recipes from this book for the past five years, in between visits to Ko Samui, and they are delicious and packed with nutrition. A Meal Plan to eat healthy she is offering for free Twitter Facebook Instragram Youtube Samahita Retreat - or Yoga Thailand Transcript Claudia A. Altucher: Hello and welcome to the Yoga Podcast. Today I have for my guest Jessica Blanchard. She is the founder of Balance Yoga and Wellness in New Orleans. She is a trained yogi for years, authorized by Pattabhi Jois in the Ashtanga yoga tradition. She has also studied at Yoga Thailand under Paul and Jutima Dallaghan, and also Master Tiwari, one of the most authoritative authorities in Pranayama in the world. And Jessica has an interest in Ayurveda. She is a member of NAMA, the national organization which governs and protects Ayurveda here in the United States, and she studied at the European Institute of Vedic Studies and Ayurveda as well. She’s a co-author of Yoga Thailand’s Healthy Lifestyle cookbook, which is in Amazon, and Jessica had the life I think I wish I had when I was in the corporate world. Jessica, welcome to the Yoga Podcast. Jessica Blanchard: [Laughter] Thank you, Claudia. Claudia A. Altucher: It’s great to have you. So I want to ask you – I’m insanely curious. You started practicing around ’99, 2000 – is that so? Jessica Blanchard: That’s right, y...
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The Yoga Podcast Episode # 7 Kino MacGregor
Mar 22, 201501:02:44Tap to summarizeI had a chance to record this episode "live". And what a difference it makes! You can listen on Stitcher - I-Tunes - Lybsin or click here if you are not sure Kino is one of those teachers that barely needs introduction because she is super famous, he has a quarter million subscribers to her YouTube channel, 679,000 followers on Instagram, 43,000 followers on Twitter and another quarter million (almost) Facebook likes to her page. She has also been on the cover of Yoga Journal many times. She is one of those very rare teachers who has gone very deep down the asana route, currently learning the 5th series of Ashtanga Yoga which is the equivalent of performing an athletic feast worth of many gold medals in the olympics, and she is a pleasure to talk to. What is Special About Kino Reading her book "Sacred Fire" her story feels like a fairy tale. She caught the yoga bug very early on and started traveling to India in her early 20s. Her ability in asana and her power to communicate and teach make her a great combination, so much so that she attracts massive numbers of students wherever she travels. But it was not all fairy tale. She also had to take a lot of heat from the "yoga police" which as you know by now, does exist.... I know... I can barely believe it myself but there is such a thing. She has been bashed and criticized for her outreach and for trying to expand the circle of people she reaches with her passion, which is yoga. Today the Miami Life Center is a vibrant store front on 6th street in South Beach. It is always full of people and great energy and there are great instructors always present, with assistants. They also have great workshops going on all the time. And the best part about Kino is that she comes with Tim. Tim Feldman, who is also a very advanced and serious practitioner is her husband and together they created the center. I hope to have Tim on the podcast soon as well. What We Talked About - Her beginnings with yoga... Her first class - Kino meets Govinda, her first teacher of Ashtanga - Her first trip to Mysore - Meeting Tim and the love story - The hardships of a long distance relationship - Her first Vipassana Silent Meditation 10 day retreat, and her second - Discovering body image issues around the legs and hips - Opening the Miami Life Center - It was NOT easy - The "yoga police" and how she deals with haters - The stereotypes around women being more flexible and men stronger - Not necessarily true - What took Kino a very long time to understand Books and DVDs By Kino DVD Yoga For Beginners DVD Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series DVD Ashtanga Yoga Intermediate Series DVD Introduction to Ashtanga Yoga DVD Ashtanga Yoga Third Series The Power Of Ashtanga Yoga The Primary Series [Book] The Power Of Ashtanga Yoga II: The Intermedia Series [Book] Sacred Fire: My Journey Into Ashtanga Yoga [Book] Audio CD The Mantra Collection About Kino Website Miami Life Center Twitter Facebook <p style="font-size: 17px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Ari...
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The Yoga Podcast Episode 6 Saraswathi Jois -
Mar 14, 201500:49:41Tap to summarizeSaraswathi Jois is the legendary daughter of Sri K Pattabji Jois, who founded the Asthtanga Vinyasa Yoga System out of Mysore, India. She has been teaching yoga for over 50 years, and has taught hundreds of thousands of students all over the world. She is also a pioneer and a woman who lives by her own rules. When her husband was no good to her, even in India, in the 70s, she divorced him. She was also the first woman accepted to the Sanskrit College of Mysore, and a pioneer woman to teach yoga to both men and woman in India. She has had her own yoga institute for 40 years. For the full episode description read here For The transcript click here
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