Why do so many of us feel so exhausted these days? What can we do to avoid burning out, or to help us recover? Anna Schaffner is a scholar-turned-coach, whose new book is Exhausted: An A-Z for the Weary. It offers timeless inspiration, noting “we still have much to learn from the ancients, and from other cultures.” We talk about crossovers with yoga philosophy and Buddhist ideas, and in the process consider (among other topics):* Why there’s so much social pressure to work too hard* What drives perfectionism, and why it’s not always “bad”* How keeping busy helps people to bury unwanted feelings* Ways to focus on what we control and accept what we can’t* The transformative power of enjoying a hobby, just for funIf you enjoy the conversation, and want to fuel more, please consider subscribing or buy me a coffee... All donations are greatly appreciated! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ancientfutures.substack.com/subscribe

What does it mean to make yoga accessible? Jivana Heyman first used the term when he started to train disabled teachers. But its significance is broader, pointing students towards something subtler – their own true nature beyond mind and body.As Jivana explains in his latest book, The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga, that’s a goal more aligned with traditional texts than performing contortions. But does it set the bar high to reveal the true self? And if it’s found in all beings, does it also teach us universal values? Along the way, our conversation explores (among other topics):* The importance of ethics and peer support networks* If “yoga has always been political”, as a headline once said* Potential limits to arguing “if it’s not accessible, it’s not yoga”* Whether “cultural appropriation” is a helpful framework* The pros and cons of self-publishing for yoga authorsIf you enjoy the conversation, and want to fuel more, please consider subscribing or buy me a coffee... All donations are greatly appreciated, as I explained in a recent article! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ancientfutures.substack.com/subscribe

What can we learn from an ancient text about war and peace, among the many other topics in the Mahābhārata? Or as a new adaptation puts it: “In times of division, how do we find wholeness? Are we destined to repeat the mistakes of our ancestors? And how can we build a new world when we have nearly destroyed this one?”The production’s co-author, Miriam Fernandes, also stars as a storyteller – a key role in the Mahābhārata’s own story. It’s been told and retold in many different forms over the centuries, and part of its appeal is that it leaves us with questions, inspiring us to think for ourselves what to do with its message.Among other topics, our conversation explores:* Why dharma – or doing the right thing – is “a slippery fish”* What this says about contemporary problems such as ecocide* How to end cycles of revenge in which both sides feel righteous* The extent to which fate and free will define human activity* Who gets edited out, and which themes are prioritisedLinks to resources discussed in the podcast are posted here. Meanwhile, stay tuned for a retreat based on the Mahābhārata – more news soon at danielsimpson.info.If you enjoy the conversation, and want to fuel more, please consider subscribing or buy me a coffee... All donations are greatly appreciated! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ancientfutures.substack.com/subscribe

How do we relate to the problem of suffering? Does the body rule the mind or does the mind rule the body (to quote Still Ill by The Smiths)? Are there ways to get more comfortably entangled, or is the answer to renounce all attachments?Ranju Roy and Dave Charlton have been practising yoga since the 1980s, and teaching together for 20 years. They’re also co-authors of a book titled Embodying the Yoga Sūtra, sharing practical insights on yoga philosophy. Our conversation explores what they’ve learned about life in the process.One recurring theme is how things are connected, and yet not necessarily “all one”. As Ranju and Dave put it in their book: “two things remain two things. They are united only in the sense of being linked and it is in their interaction and relationship that there is yoga, not in them merging together inseparably.”If you enjoy the conversation, and want to fuel more, please consider subscribing or buy me a coffee... All donations are greatly appreciated! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ancientfutures.substack.com/subscribe

What are the benefits of studying yoga academically? Is critical thinking a practical obstacle? Are the two ways of seeing complementary? Expanding on a recent essay, I talk about these questions – among many others – with Graham Burns.Graham has been teaching yoga for more than 20 years. He holds a PhD from SOAS, University of London, and wrote his thesis on the Vedic Upaniṣads. He also taught on the M.A. in Traditions of Yoga and Meditation, to which I contribute.As I explain in the introduction, I never imagined that I’d find myself doing that when Graham and I spoke at the start of this year. Back then, I didn’t have a proper podcast, so I’m sharing it now for those who missed it. Among other topics, we discuss what we’ve learned from intellectual engagement with yoga, as well as from practice – and how to strike a balance between both perspectives.If you enjoy the conversation, and would like to fuel more, please consider subscribing or buy me a coffee... All donations are greatly appreciated! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ancientfutures.substack.com/subscribe

What might yoga look like if it we weren't making shapes? As Mary Richards explains in Teach People, Not Poses, the purpose of practice is self-inquiry, so one way to start is by getting more familiar with physical form, instead of contorting to follow instructions.Mary’s approach is down-to-earth, yet shaped by decades of study. A self-described “anatomy nerd”, she’s also guided by philosophy, having first encountered yoga via the Bhagavad Gītā as a teenager. Among other topics, our conversation explores:* The extent to which everyone’s body is different* How a fixation on postural alignment causes injury* Why many modern classes teach unhelpful methods* Which specific āsanas might be worth abandoning* Whether one-to-one teaching makes most sense* How physical practice unwinds mental issues* What it means to be the “Sith Lord of Yoga”Mary’s book is published by Shambhala, and she’s offering a webinar via Yogacampus (on January 26) that shares some techniques for getting grounded in gravity...I like how Mary call herself a facilitator. I’m doing more facilitation too – in the form of a men’s group that starts on Sunday, and a philosophy immersion in February.If you enjoy the conversation, and would like to fuel more, please consider subscribing or buy me a coffee... All donations are greatly appreciated! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ancientfutures.substack.com/subscribe

Yogic traditions often highlight non-harming (ahiṃsā), but to what extent is harm an inevitable part of worldly life? Is it more realistic to try to reduce it, or is anything short of removing it part of the problem? There are few easy answers…Christopher Miller is a scholar and practitioner. He’s co-founder of the Arihanta Institute, which offers courses on Jain studies, and he’s the author of a book entitled Embodying Transnational Yoga: Eating, Singing, and Breathing in Transformation, which investigates practices other than postures.Among other topics, our conversation explores:* How Jains perfect the precept of non-harming, and influence yoga* If it’s better to promote being vegan, or to eat fewer animal products* Where harmoniums come from, and if the ukulele can raise kuṇḍalinī* Whether teaching prāṇāyāma in polluted environments is unhelpful* Ways in which critical thinking can complement yoga practiceChris is on Instagram @theyogaprofessor, and he’s based in Switzerland, where I’ll be teaching a retreat in July.If you enjoy the conversation, and would like to fuel more, please consider subscribing or buy me a coffee... All donations are greatly appreciated! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ancientfutures.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit ancientfutures.substack.comWhat might yoga philosophy look like if it was shaped by contemporary science? How compatible are cognitive therapies with traditional ideas about alleviating suffering?Isabel Dziobek is a professor of psychology at the Humboldt University of Berlin, and she’s also a yoga teacher. As we discuss, there are no easy answers to these sorts of questions. Yogic teachings define the self differently to modern researchers, while attributing suffering to karmic effects that drive cycles of birth.The original aim of renouncing the world isn’t most people’s goal when they go to a yoga class, so teachers often reframe texts such as the Yoga Sūtra to make them align with today’s priorities. Many fill in the gaps with New Age thinking. How might it work to start afresh, including ideas from psychology and neuroscience?Our conversation looks at ways to train teachers that highlight compassion. Although we draw a few tentative conclusions, we’re both keen to explore this further, so please comment below to share your thoughts! And if you’d like to study texts and traditions in more depth, you can join me for a course at truthofyoga.com.If you enjoy the conversation, and would like to fuel more, please consider subscribing or buy me a coffee... All donations are greatly appreciated!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit ancientfutures.substack.comWhat’s the purpose of yoga and where does it lead? 🤔In his forthcoming book, Ranju Roy compares the process of practice to going on a pilgrimage. The journey spirals inwards and outwards, from deep contemplation to communal gatherings, and goals are less important than walking the path.The book includes Ranju’s own sūtras – i.e. pithy expressions of practical pointers – interspersed with stories from decades of experience as a teacher and practitioner. Our conversation dives deep into both. Along the way, we hear about:* A minibus tour of Cotswolds tearooms with B.K.S. Iyengar* The pitfalls of “preparing to meditate” without ever doing so* Why Sāṃkhya provides a useful map to contemporary territory * What distinguishes Life from life – and whether that’s divine* How individual experience relates to something universal Ranju’s book is available in hardback – including your name if you order a copy by October 31. This exclusive edition, signed by the author and featuring his paintings, will help to cover production costs for a paperback version next year.In other impending deadlines, early bird rates for next year’s Swiss retreat expire on October 31. And from November 5, I’m running a men’s group called Power to Relate.If you enjoy the conversation, and would like to fuel more, please consider subscribing or buy me a coffee... All donations are greatly appreciated!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit ancientfutures.substack.comWhat does it mean to live a yogic life in the twenty-first century? Alex Medin runs Nøsen, a Norwegian retreat centre, which hosts an annual yoga festival, and is part of a programme that rehabilitates former prisoners and drug addicts.Alex doesn’t do things by halves. He’s studied yoga and Sanskrit academically, as well as exploring physical practice to advanced levels. He’s also lived in India for extended periods, where he was certified to teach Ashtanga by K. Pattabhi Jois. And before he found yoga, Alex was a boxer and breakdancer, who earlier dabbled in crime.Our conversation explores these topics, including asking awkward questions about the extent to which yoga can change us – and the values we need to prioritise if that’s to happen. It’s therefore a chat about worldly approaches, from ethical conduct to deeper relationships, with the development of love as the ultimate goal.I’ll also cover these themes with a men’s group in November (called Power to Relate), and I’ll be teaching in Nøsen next year – stay tuned for news via danielsimpson.info.If you enjoy the conversation, and would like to fuel more, please consider subscribing or buy me a coffee... All donations are greatly appreciated!