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  • #225 Grief as a Teacher: Remembering SharathJi

    #225 Grief as a Teacher: Remembering SharathJi
    2026/03/20
    Grief is a powerful teacher. It doesn't ask for permission before it arrives—it simply comes, dismantling everything we thought we knew about love, faith, and permanence. It turns the familiar inside out, leaving us raw and exposed to the mystery of loss.

    In this heartfelt episode, Kino MacGregor, Tim Feldmann, Joseph Armstrong, Edgar Navarro, Frances Cole Jones, Heather Serna, and many others come together to share stories, memories, and reflections about SharathJi; their teacher, guide, and spiritual anchor. Together, they explore how grief becomes part of the path, how lineage continues through love and practice, and how the teachings live on even when the teacher is gone.

    As Elizabeth Kübler-Ross and David Kessler remind us, "The reality is that you will grieve forever. You will not 'get over' the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it. You will heal and you will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. You will be whole again, but you will never be the same. Nor should you be the same, nor would you want to."

    SharathJi's sudden departure left a void that words can't fill. When we lost our teacher, we also lost the reflection of who we were in his eyes. There was a certain refuge in being a student, the comfort of knowing that someone stood before us as a mirror, a guide, a guardian of our path. Now, that mirror asks us to see ourselves. The guidance turns inward.

    "SharathJi, there's so much left undone, so much left unfinished," Kino reflects. "So many questions we still wanted to ask, so many mornings we thought we'd share in the quiet rhythm of practice. We will have to walk on, sometimes and often along a lonely path, without you standing before us, but always with you in our hearts."

    Through shared stories and moments of remembrance, this episode is both a eulogy and an offering, a testament to the lasting presence of a teacher whose spirit continues to live through every breath, every bow, every act of devotion.
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    44 分
  • #224 Viveka-khyāti: Seeing Clearly in an Age of Confusion and Acting Without Losing the Heart amidst Conflict

    #224 Viveka-khyāti: Seeing Clearly in an Age of Confusion and Acting Without Losing the Heart amidst Conflict
    2026/03/06

    Yoga has never been a path of withdrawal from the world. It is a path of learning how to stand within it without losing clarity.

    In this episode, we explore the yogic concept of viveka, the capacity to see clearly and discern what is essential from what is transient. Drawing from the Yoga Sūtra, the Bhagavad Gītā, and traditional teachings, we look at how viveka-khyāti, steady and luminous discernment, allows practitioners to act in the world without becoming overwhelmed by it.

    Through the stories of Arjuna and Virabhadra, this conversation explores how clarity is restored in moments of confusion and how powerful action can arise without hatred, reactivity, or collapse. Yoga teaches that ethical action begins with perception. When the mind becomes steady through practice, discernment naturally emerges.

    In a world that rewards outrage and confusion, the cultivation of viveka-khyāti becomes a radical and necessary practice.

    If you want to go deeper into the study and practice of yoga, explore the full library of classes, philosophy, and courses available on Omstars, the practice platform created by Kino MacGregor. From daily yoga classes to in-depth workshops and trainings, Omstars is designed to support practitioners at every stage of the path. Share this episode with a teacher, studio owner, or mentor who would benefit from the conversation.

    Start your practice at Omstars.com.
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    51 分
  • #223 In Conversation with Dr Raj: The Stories Behind The Poses

    #223 In Conversation with Dr Raj: The Stories Behind The Poses
    2026/02/13

    Episode Description

    In this conversation, Kino sits down with Dr. Raj Balkaran to explore the deeper dimensions of yoga practice beyond physical postures. Together they discuss mythology, meaning, and the role of story in shaping how we understand and embody yoga.

    Dr. Balkaran shares the origins of The Stories Behind the Poses and explains how myth functions as a living teaching tool rather than symbolic decoration. Through stories of Ganesha, Kurmasana, Hanumanasana, and the churning of the cosmic ocean, he reveals how yoga practice is fundamentally about removing ignorance, cultivating wisdom, and learning to meet difficulty with clarity rather than force.

    The discussion moves through themes of inner transformation, the role of the teacher student relationship, the subtle and gross bodies, and why yoga continues to work on us even when we believe we are only practicing for physical reasons. This episode invites listeners to consider yoga as a lifelong inward journey, where practice becomes a way of refining perception, deepening responsibility, and remembering our connection to something much larger than ourselves.

    Topics Covered

    • Yoga as inner practice rather than performance

    • Mythology as a teaching tool in yoga

    • The story of Ganesha and the true meaning of obstacles

    • Poison, difficulty, and transformation in practice

    • Kurmasana and the still point within chaos

    • Physical and subtle dimensions of yoga

    • Teacher student relationships and authentic transmission

    • Yoga as a lifelong journey rather than a destination

    About the Guest

    Dr. Raj Balkaran is a scholar of Sanskrit narrative literature, Hindu mythology, and yogic philosophy. He is the author of The Stories Behind the Poses and teaches internationally through courses, lectures, and retreats, bridging academic scholarship with lived spiritual practice.

    Practice with Kino on Omstars

    Continue the conversation on the mat. Omstars is Kino's online yoga platform, offering thousands of classes, workshops, and in-depth courses designed to support a sustainable, lifelong practice. Members can explore teaching, philosophy, strength, mobility, and mindful movement from anywhere in the world. Share this episode with a teacher, studio owner, or mentor who would benefit from the conversation.
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    1 時間 27 分
  • #222 Grief, Presence, and the Courage to Stay Human with J.S. Park

    #222 Grief, Presence, and the Courage to Stay Human with J.S. Park
    2026/01/30

    In this episode of The Yoga Inspiration Podcast, Kino MacGregor sits down with hospital chaplain, writer, and grief expert J.S. Park for a deeply grounding conversation about grief, presence, and what it means to live with an open heart in a world that can feel overwhelming.

    They explore why grief is not something to fix or overcome, but something to honor, carry, and let transform over time. Kino reflects on communal grief in the Ashtanga world after the loss of a spiritual teacher, and J.S. offers compassionate insight into why we reach for solutions, why closure can be a myth, and how grief changes shape rather than disappearing.

    Together they talk about treasured objects and rituals as anchors when words fail, the ways spirituality and community can either support or collapse under real-world suffering, and how spiritual practice must include our shared humanity and collective responsibility. J.S. also shares his path from atheism toward faith through witnessing love in community, and they unpack the tension between the teachings of Jesus and the harm done in the name of religion.

    This episode is for anyone holding loss, navigating a crisis of faith, feeling exhausted by "move on" culture, or looking for a spiritual practice that helps you show up with tenderness and integrity.

    Guest:

    J.S. Park is a hospital chaplain, writer, and grief educator. He is the author of As Long As You Need: Permission to Grieve.

    Topics covered
    • Grief as something to honor, not solve
    • Why "closure" is not the goal and grief changes shape
    • Grieving the dream, not just the person
    • Treasured objects and ritual as grief anchors
    • When words fail and the role of art, music, and practice
    • Faith crises and spiritual seasons
    • From atheism to faith through love and community
    • Spiritual practice, justice, and resisting dehumanization
    • Boundaries, self care, and what actually sustains us
    • Mortality as an invitation to live more tenderly, now

    Resources
    As Long As You Need: Permission to Grieve by J.S. Park

    Practice with Kino on Omstars

    Continue the conversation on the mat. Omstars is Kino's online yoga platform, offering thousands of classes, workshops, and in-depth courses designed to support a sustainable, lifelong practice. Members can explore teaching, philosophy, strength, mobility, and mindful movement from anywhere in the world. Share this episode with a teacher, studio owner, or mentor who would benefit from the conversation.
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    1 時間 26 分
  • #221 In Conversation with Andrew Tanner of The American Yoga Council

    #221 In Conversation with Andrew Tanner of The American Yoga Council
    2026/01/16

    In this episode of the Yoga Inspiration Podcast, Kino MacGregor is joined by Andrew Tanner, yoga teacher of over 20 years, founder of the American Yoga Council and the Berkshire Yoga Festival, and author of So You Want to Open a Yoga Studio.

    Together they explore what it truly means to be a yogipreneur and how to build a sustainable livelihood in yoga without losing the heart of the practice. Andrew shares why service is the foundation of meaningful work, why the yoga industry has shifted in recent years, and what many teachers and studio owners are navigating right now.

    A central focus of the conversation is the vision behind the American Yoga Council, including competency-based standards, lineage-respecting accreditation, mentorship pathways, and accountability structures designed to better support teachers, schools, and the future of yoga.

    This episode is a thoughtful, honest discussion for anyone who teaches yoga, runs a studio, mentors students, or cares deeply about the integrity and evolution of the yoga community.

    In this episode, you'll hear about:

    • What "yogipreneur" really means in today's yoga landscape

    • Why service is the spark behind sustainable yoga businesses

    • How and why the yoga industry has changed since 2017

    • The limitations of traditional accreditation models

    • The vision and mission of the American Yoga Council

    • Competency-based standards and lineage transparency

    • Mentorship, accountability, and trust in yoga education

    • Supporting teachers and schools without forcing one-size-fits-all systems

    Practice with Kino on Omstars

    Continue the conversation on the mat. Omstars is Kino's online yoga platform, offering thousands of classes, workshops, and in-depth courses designed to support a sustainable, lifelong practice. Members can explore teaching, philosophy, strength, mobility, and mindful movement from anywhere in the world.

    About the Guest

    Andrew Tanner is a yoga teacher of over 20 years, founder of the American Yoga Council and the Berkshire Yoga Festival, and author of So You Want to Open a Yoga Studio. He has owned and sold multiple yoga studios and is dedicated to creating ethical, transparent systems that support yoga teachers, schools, and lineages.

    Listen, Reflect, and Share

    If this episode resonates with you, consider joining the Omstars community to deepen your practice with Kino and explore yoga as a path of study, movement, and self-inquiry. Share this episode with a teacher, studio owner, or mentor who would benefit from the conversation.
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    46 分
  • #220 The Astrology of 2026 - the Year Everything Changes with Gahl Sasson

    #220 The Astrology of 2026 - the Year Everything Changes with Gahl Sasson
    2026/01/02

    In this episode of the Yoga Inspiration Podcast, I sit down with astrologer and teacher Gahl Sasson for a thoughtful conversation on cycles, change, and finding meaning during times of transition.

    Together we explore how astrology and yoga intersect as tools for self awareness, timing, and personal growth. Gahl shares insights into understanding cycles of challenge and opportunity, the importance of perspective during uncertain times, and how spiritual practices can help ground us when life feels overwhelming.

    This conversation offers practical wisdom for anyone navigating change, seeking clarity, or wanting to deepen their relationship with practice as a source of stability and insight.

    What You'll Learn in This Episode

    • How astrology can be used as a tool for self reflection rather than prediction
    • Understanding life cycles and why periods of difficulty often precede growth
    • The relationship between yoga practice and navigating personal transitions
    • How awareness and timing can support wiser decision making
    • Finding meaning, resilience, and perspective during uncertain times
    • Using spiritual tools to stay grounded while embracing change

    As this conversation reminds us, timing matters. When we understand the cycles we are moving through, we can meet them with intention rather than force. If you're feeling called to begin the new year with greater awareness and consistency, the January 30 Day Flexibility Challenge on Omstars offers a supportive way to do just that. Through just 20 minutes a day of guided practice, you can align your body and mind with the rhythms of change and start the year grounded, steady, and connected.

    https://omstars.com/courses/30-day-flexibility-journey-with-kino-macgregor
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    1 時間 2 分
  • #219 Healing Through Grief: How Yoga, Practice, and Community Carry Us Forward When Everything Falls Apart

    #219 Healing Through Grief: How Yoga, Practice, and Community Carry Us Forward When Everything Falls Apart
    2025/12/24
    This year has been rough in ways I could not have imagined. The overarching theme has been one of grief, loss, and sorrow, a kind of ache that spread through every part of my life. The tragic death of my teacher did not remain a single event. It rippled outward until it touched everything. Other losses arrived in the wake of his passing. Some were directly connected to the vacuum of his absence. Others had nothing to do with him at all, yet they braided themselves into the same thread of heartbreak. In this same season, the illusion of friendship shattered before my eyes. People I once cared for looked at me without softness and told me they had never considered me a friend. They used words I would rather forget, and strangers echoed similar judgments. The very ground beneath my feet shifted. The principles and relationships I had held dear suddenly felt unstable and uncertain, as though the internal architecture of my world had been shaken loose. During this tumultuous year, a few things remained solid. My practice never wavered. Each morning I returned to my mat, not to achieve anything and not to perform anything. My practice is and has always been a spiritual act. It is the way I connect with God. It is the place where my ego dissolves and humility rises in its place. It is the steady thread that holds me when everything else feels broken. My effort becomes a quiet offering. My breath becomes a prayer. This is the ground that holds me upright when the world feels unsteady. Joy remained too. Even in sadness, meaning continued to appear. Sometimes it came as a small flicker in an ordinary moment. Sometimes it felt like a pulse of grace moving through the day. I have been criticized for smiling. I have been called fake for speaking about the luminosity that comes from spiritual connection. Still, I cannot hide that joy. It rises from a place beyond circumstance, beyond judgment, beyond the opinions that others hold. It does not erase the grief. It simply reminds me that sorrow and devotion can live side by side. Somewhere in the haze of disappointment, moments of clarity filtered in. I used to believe we could all find common ground and get along. I am not sure I believe that anymore. It feels like some people will dislike you simply because you are happy. Your joy unsettles something in them. Your smile irritates what remains unexamined in their own heart. No amount of calm conversation or compassionate outreach can shift their perspective once they have decided that your presence is somehow a problem. When someone needs you to dim your light so they can feel comfortable in their own shadow, there is nothing you can offer that will satisfy them. What you can do is release the need to win them over. Their reaction belongs to them. Your peace and your happiness belong to you. Instead of trying to bring out the goodness in people who are committed to hating you, it may be wiser to live and let live. When people show you who they are, we learn to believe them. Contrast can help us become clear about who we are and who we are not, while comparison only breeds jealousy or unworthiness. There are people who use words like knives, whose intention in speaking is to cut and tear down, perhaps in an effort to feel a momentary rush of power. Real power is not about harming others. Real power is about lifting others up. Hate and judgment are easy. The human mind lapses into divisive thinking, fueled by negativity bias and amplified by algorithms that reward outrage. Hate justifies anger, and the cycle continues. In some ways, hate is an act of cowardice. We turn someone we fear into an "other" so we do not have to sit with the discomfort they awaken in us. Separation and division may appear powerful, but sowing seeds of destruction for personal gain is a form of weakness. Compassion and kindness are often the more difficult choice. In the face of pain, forgiveness is an act of courage and strength. Hate has never healed anything, including injustice and harm. If justice becomes only an eye for an eye, we are trapped in an endless struggle to extract the next punishment. We are instead offered the possibility of ending the cycle by choosing togetherness and committing to build on the foundation of love. Each brick in the house of the heart is formed by our thoughts, actions, and behaviors, not only toward ourselves but toward others. When someone has decided to hate you, there is, unfortunately, nothing you can do to change their mind. Once you become the villain in someone's story, everything you do will be interpreted through that lens, regardless of the truth. We cannot change anyone's mind for them. Each of us is responsible for our own thoughts, beliefs, speech, and actions. The only thing we can truly tend is the garden of our own heart. The hardest thing to do is to love someone who hates us. At the very least, we can try not to hate them in return. That alone may be enough to break the cycle. They may ...
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    28 分
  • #218 Is Yoga Inherently Healing? Trauma, Activation & the Power of Presence with Terri Cooper and Kino MacGregor

    #218 Is Yoga Inherently Healing? Trauma, Activation & the Power of Presence with Terri Cooper and Kino MacGregor
    2025/12/19
    In this episode, Kino speaks with trauma-informed yoga educator and activist Terri Cooper to explore the deep connection between yoga and healing. What is trauma, really? Is yoga inherently trauma-sensitive? And how can teachers and students use yoga to navigate emotional activation and create space for true transformation?

    Terri shares her insights from years of work with Connection Coalition, a nonprofit bringing trauma-informed yoga to youth in underserved communities. You'll also learn accessible tools for emotional regulation, why healing is essential for anyone who teaches, and what society gets wrong about trauma. Listen in to discover how yoga can become a path of profound presence, self-inquiry, and collective healing. Resources & Links: The Connection Course on Omstars Connection Coalition

    Practice LIVE with me exclusively on Omstars! Start your journey today with a 7-day trial at omstars.com.

    Stay connected with us on social @omstarsofficial and @kinoyoga

    Practice with me in person for workshops, classes, retreats, trainings and Mysore seasons. Find out more about where I'm teaching at kinoyoga.com and sign up for our Mysore season in Miami at www.miamilifecenter.com.
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    1 時間 11 分