Best Rosalind Atkinson Podcasts (2025)

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Why Yoga? An Interview with Rosalind 27:50

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5d ago27:50

27:50

Today I speak about an insight that freed me from a deep presumption carried since childhood. I saw that I am allowed to enjoy life. That recognition lifted the sense of guilt I had lived with for simply being. Social expectations and spiritual ideals can push us to keep working on ourselves to be better, more vulnerable, or more mindful. Yet in Yo…

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You Are the Movement of Life, End of Story 43:07

13d ago43:07

43:07

What if life is already complete, already whole, already free? My dear friend Jana Wirth, a yogini and physiotherapist in Mainz, Germany, speaks about the moment she realized she was free to enjoy her life without guilt. That simple recognition lifted years of conditioning and opened space for ease and joy. Together we speak about her path through …

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Victory Over the Usual Life with Kalena Hynes 41:43

20d ago41:43

41:43

What happens when Yoga brings you to life? When the suffering and heaviness that seemed endless begin to wash away, and what is left is natural beauty and creativity? When I first met Kalena she was a solo mother, a frustrated artist caught in family strife and difficulty. Life felt miserable and heavy. Through daily Yoga practice, she found relief…

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The Yoga of Eating and Food 39:59

27d ago39:59

39:59

Food is something we all have to engage with, and yet it carries so much confusion, control, and even fear. We sit with this theme of the Yoga of eating, the Yoga of food, and look at how our relationship with food shows our relationship with life itself. We remembered Krishnamacharya’s words that most Yoga problems are food problems. We talked abo…

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Yogic Motherhood as the Nurturing Force of Reality with Vivian Clemens 49:12

1M ago49:12

49:12

Every mother is the first Guru, the one who transmits life to her children. My friend and Yogini Vivian Clemens shares how Yoga revealed to her that the nurturing force of reality was always within her. We speak of Yoga motherhood and the unity of existence. Vivian shares her own story of moving from fear and suffering into freedom through daily Yo…

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From the Archives: The Deep Place of The Guru Function 29:16

1M ago29:16

29:16

What happens when we understand the guru not as an identity but as the nurturing function of Mother Nature itself? The guru is the force of caring, the universal means of transmission that arises in real relationships. It is never a social status or a personal claim. It is no more than a friend and no less than a friend. This talk explores how the …

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Timeless Conversation: Living Yoga in the Lineage of Krishnamacharya with R. Sriram 2:06:29

2M ago2:06:29

2:06:29

What happens when someone born inside the culture of Yoga meets the modern world with eyes wide open? This timeless conversation with my Gurubhai, R. Sriram, originally recorded five years ago, is as alive and necessary now as it was then. Sriram grew up in South India, surrounded by music, temples, and traditional values. He also experienced Catho…

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What Becomes of the Broken Hearted 23:17

2M ago23:17

23:17

There are times when the pain for the Earth is so strong it feels like it might break you. You may have felt it in your chest after seeing a forest cut down or watching the ocean poisoned. Rosalind talks about her years as an environmental activist and how being in constant contact with destruction led to exhaustion, grief, and a feeling of being s…

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Yoga for Every Body: An Interview with Mark 37:21

2M ago37:21

37:21

What if real Yoga begins with feeling more alive, not just more flexible? Ari is a Yoga teacher from Korea on a mission to investigate the depth of the Yoga tradition. She discovered a passion to bring the teachings of Krishnamacharya to Korea, along with her dear friend Ray and friends from the Gabbi community. This is a community of young people …

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The Tables Turned: David Interviews Mark 1:05:39

2M ago1:05:39

1:05:39

In this episode, David turns the tables and interviews Mark. We dive into the roots of Mark’s life, growing up in New Zealand’s church and school systems, confronting injustice early on, and stumbling into my body through sport and the natural world. David grills Mark on the long journey that led him to the heart of Yoga with his teachers Krishnama…

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Stop Looking, Start Living with David Fardi 50:16

3M ago50:16

50:16

What if the life you’re seeking is already unfolding beneath your feet? David Fardi's path from spiritual confusion to grounded clarity is a powerful reminder that real Yoga begins when we stop chasing and start participating in what is. A Yoga teacher and founder of the men’s fashion brand Le Nirvana, David shares how he moved through disillusionm…

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Yoga Sutras Talk Recorded at Bali Teacher Untraining 55:55

3M ago55:55

55:55

What does it mean to begin Yoga now—right here, in your breath and body, with your life exactly as it is? This talk, recorded during our teacher untraining in Bali, is a direct experience of the first four Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Together, we chanted, laughed, and explored what it means to practice Yoga in a way that’s grounded, personal, and ali…

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Why Do We Gather in Bali? 30:43

3M ago30:43

30:43

What makes us leave home and come together in person to share Yoga? In this episode, Mark and Rosalind reflect on hosting Yoga gatherings in Bali. They speak about the deeper meaning of these meetings, the beauty of Balinese blessing culture, and what it really means to offer something useful in a spiritual tourist economy. Can travel be justified …

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Walt Whitman was a Yogi | Dylan Giles 51:37

3M ago51:37

51:37

Imagine words so sincere, that the author appears as a close friend, speaking directly through time to the deepest part of who we are? This week, Dylan Giles joins Rosalind to share how reading Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself” in a time of personal drift opened a direct experience of connection. Dylan describes nights spent under the Californian moo…

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Healing from the Need to Heal: Ayurveda, Orthorexia & Yoga with Konstanze Weiser 1:02:02

3M ago1:02:02

1:02:02

What happens when healing becomes another form of harm? When the search for purity, wellness, and relief becomes a maze of restriction, shame, and exhaustion? In this quietly radical conversation, Konstanze Weiser joins us to speak not as an expert, but as someone who lived it from childhood illness to orthorexia, Panchakarma to spiritual burnout. …

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Kali and the Marriage of Heaven and Hell 36:34

4M ago36:34

36:34

What if our anger is sacred? What if the rage we feel in our bodies, in our culture, in our Earth, is not something to suppress, but something to honor? This week, Mariana Garcia Flores and I sit again in the Garden of the Moon to invoke the presence of Kali, the fierce face of the Divine Feminine, and the part of us that says no more. We speak int…

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Shakti is Not a Concept - Rosalind Atkinson & Mariana Garcia Flores 45:12

4M ago45:12

45:12

What if everything you were taught to fear is actually sacred? In this intimate, resonant conversation, I sit down with Mariana, a dear friend and fellow teacher whose life story continues to unfold in powerful ways. Raised in a strict Catholic school environment in Mexico, Mariana shares how years of religious repression shaped her understanding o…

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Alive as Life: An Interview with Mariana Garcia Flores 47:30

4M ago47:30

47:30

What if you are already everything you're looking for? What if the power of the cosmos is not out there, but pulsing through your breath, your body, your life right now? In this conversation, I welcome Mariana Garcia Flores, a radiant presence from Mexico City, and a Woman of the Americas in her full power. Mariana shares her story of transformatio…

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Yoga for a Better World with Mark Whitwell and Jonathan Cassell 48:46

4M ago48:46

48:46

What if true activism doesn’t begin with protest signs or policy change, but with the way we breathe? In this episode, I sit down with Jonathan Cassell in the lush Fijian islands to explore the profound intersections between Yoga, ecology, and the urgent need for human change. We speak about our shared grief for a world in ecological crisis and ask…

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From the Archives: Mark Teaching in Saanen, Switzerland 1:43:59

5M ago1:43:59

1:43:59

This talk was recorded live at a workshop in the Swiss town of Saanen. A very interesting place for yoga and spiritual history and the transmission from East to West! Among the ‘himalayas of the north’, Mark is unravelling the core of modern spiritual systems and the search for enlightenment. Summarising the teachings of Krishnamacharya, Desikachar…

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The Source and the Seen: Reclaiming Intimacy, Yoga, and the Power of the Feminine 47:43

5M ago47:43

47:43

The Yoga Tantras that Krishnamacharya graciously brought forth teach us direct participation in Reality and the qualities or nature of Reality. They flush from the living body the restive patterning and traumas that culture and society has put in us. These Tantras disappeared in India & Tibet after the 14th century replaced by authoritarian power s…

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The Yogic Arts Series: Yantra & the Tantric Arts with Melissa Forbes 1:00:11

1y ago1:00:11

1:00:11

In this episode of "The Heart of Yoga " Rosalind kicks off the Yogic Arts Series with a deep and enlightening conversation with artist and Yogini Melissa Forbes. They explore the intersection of art and spirituality through the study of Yantra, numerology, and Jyotish (Vedic astrology). Melissa shares her personal journey into sacred geometry and h…

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The Lifesaving Power of Yoga with Raúl Petraglia 1:08:21

1y ago1:08:21

1:08:21

In this episode of the Heart of Yoga podcast, Raul Petraglia, a former high-flying corporate executive, shares his incredible journey from the high-stress world of luxury hospitality to finding profound peace through the practice of Yoga. Raul opens up about his past life of excess and stress, the physical and emotional toll it took on him, and how…

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From The Archives: Are You Born In The Wrong Body? 56:23

1y ago56:23

56:23

Teaching at Liliana Lakshmi's teaching training, this question arises.. hear the response. In this episode, Mark explores how Yoga can provide a sense of unity and belonging amidst conflict and division in the world. He emphasizes that Yoga is not about seeking or trying to get somewhere, but recognizing and participating in the beauty, power and e…

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Demystifying Tantra - A Conversation with Domagoj Orlić - Part 2 33:38

1y ago33:38

33:38

In this episode, Rosalind and Domagoj have an enlightening discussion demystifying Tantra. They explore how Tantra is a path to freedom that teaches you to fall in love with life. Tantra aims to help one realize everything is infinite and discover naturalness, spontaneity and openness to the mystery of life. Rituals in Tantra go hand in hand with m…

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Demystifying Tantra - A Conversation with Domagoj Orlić - Part 1 37:08

1y ago37:08

37:08

In part one of this two part episode, Rosalind is joined by Domagoj Orlić to demystify tantra, a profoundly misunderstood spiritual tradition. As both a scholar and practitioner of Tantra, Domagoj sheds light on what Tantra actually is, its key principles and aims, and how it differs from the "Neo-Tantra" appropriated in the West. They explore Tant…

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Discovering Wholeness and Beauty Amidst Suffering 51:57

1y ago51:57

51:57

This episode features Kathrin, a Yoga practitioner and mother of two living in Germany. She shares how she came to Yoga to relieve suffering during the pandemic, and through her daily practice discovered a profound intimacy with her own body and breath. Kathrin describes how Yoga helped her shift from feelings of "not being enough" to simply receiv…

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“Christians need Yoga“ The story of a Christian Yogi with Paul Hoffman 1:10:41

1y ago1:10:41

1:10:41

This episode features Paul Hoffman, a devoted Christian who discovered yoga and has found it deeply enriches his religious life and spiritual connection. He shares how yoga complements Christian teachings and practices, helping him integrate breath, movement and prayer. Paul recounts his journey to incorporating yoga into his church community and d…

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Already Free: The Life of Yogini Acharya Akia Merritt 42:36

1y ago42:36

42:36

This episode features yogini Akia Merritt who shares her life journey growing up in Miami and discovering her capital S Self through yoga sadhana. Akiya recounts the journey from aspiring fashion designer in New York City to becoming a capital-Y Yoga teacher, and the pitfalls of the industry along the way. Relatable to everyone whose journey has ta…

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Women, Life, Freedom ژن، ژیان، ئازادی 50:50

1+ y ago50:50

50:50

This episode features a powerful and insightful conversation between Mark and a Yogini living in Iran, who we refer to as Sarah for her safety. They discuss the ongoing revolution and protests in Iran, along with the government brutality and oppression people, especially women, face daily. Sarah shares her personal experiences surviving the turmoil…

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Yoga Education in Schools Y.E.S. with Andrew Raba 54:00

1+ y ago54:00

54:00

Rosalind and Andrew meet again to lay out the vision for the Heart of Yoga ‘YES’ programme: Yoga Education in Schools. Andrew shares the vision behind it: for every young person to leave school with a basic yoga education including the ability to practice connection with body and breath at home by themselves. We discuss how the project was born fro…

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From The Archive: Mark at The Omega Institute 52:36

1+ y ago52:36

52:36

This episode is a recording of a talk Mark Whitwell gave at the Omega Institute in New York in 2008. He speaks of Reality itself as an intelligent nurturing force, like a mother. Yoga is our direct participation in this nurturing reality, not an effort to achieve some future spiritual goal. This episode is a dharmic reset-reminder of yoga as partic…

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God And Sex: Part 3 54:23

1+ y ago54:23

54:23

Welcome back to “God and Sex” book club part 3. Mark and Rosalind argue about themes of the book around relationship, love and intimacy. Mark goes to the root of things as usual, connecting up the separate self to how relationship chaos plays out, and how yoga intervenes. We discuss the longing for a “soulmate” and whether this idea is useful, refl…

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Intimacy With The Natual World w/Henriette Geber 1:04:13

1+ y ago1:04:13

1:04:13

This episode explores rekindling our innate connection to nature through yoga and sensing practices. Rosalind has an insightful conversation with her friend Henriette Geber, a yogini with a deep love of the mountains, plants and animals. They discuss how yoga helps us become more sensitive, intuit nature's aliveness, and dissolve harmful ways of re…

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Andrew Raba: Keeping Safe with Psychics and Seers 52:16

1+ y ago52:16

52:16

In this week's episode of the Heart of Yoga Podcast, Mark and Andy Raba explore the world of psychics, seers, shamans and sages. As director of the Yoga Education in Schools Charitable Trust in New Zealand, Andy leads initiatives to bring yoga-based health programs to young people in NZ and abroad.With a Master's degree and over a decade of experie…

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No Such Thing as A Thoughtless State: Embracing Presence Over Ideals in Yoga with Eva Košćak 1:04:25

2y ago1:04:25

1:04:25

In this episode, Mark interviews Eva about her journey discovering Yoga and music. Eva shares how she was classically trained in cello as a child but hated the competitive pressure. She dropped music for 18 years until finding Yoga, which helped her rediscover enjoyment and presence. A few years into Yoga, Eva spontaneously picked up guitar and sta…

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From Recognition to Embodiment: A Yogi's Journey with Irina Esposito 47:55

2y ago47:55

47:55

In this episode of the Heart of Yoga podcast, Mark has an insightful conversation with his student Irina Esposito about her journey with Yoga. The cosmos and everything in the cosmos is obviously a pure intelligence, energy and an intrinsic harmony. In religious language of ancient India it is Shiva Shakti… or all that is, and there are no problems…

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Breathing, Unity, and Healing: On The Yoga Bus with Joseph Lauricella (#54) 1:03:37

2y ago1:03:37

1:03:37

In this episode, I'm joined by Joseph Lauricella. We dive into Joseph's journey on The Yoga Bus, making yoga accessible to everyone. It is truly inspiring. We talk about the power of yoga for newcomers and the limitations of the popular styles. Joseph shares his motivation behind his book, "Miracle of Body Wisdom," and his vision for authentic yoga…

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Kurtis Goodwolf x Mark Whitwell: A Voyage to India, Mark's First Steps (#53) 42:22

2y ago42:22

42:22

In this episode, we dive deep into Mark's transformative journey to India. Mark shares his personal experiences and first impressions upon arriving in this vibrant and diverse country. He discusses how The Beatles' presence in Rishikesh influenced his interest in Indian wisdom traditions, making it a global phenomenon. Mark reflects on the powerful…

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Yoga Adapted to Cultural Context: Japan with Minami Takashima (#52) 40:10

2+ y ago40:10

40:10

Our guest today is our wonderful collaborator in Japan, Minami Takashima. Minami is a yogini and heart of Yôga teacher, teaching in the traditions of the hathayoga non dual Tantra. She has written the introduction to the Japanese second edition of Mark Whitwell’s Yôga Heart and teaches throughout Japan and the world. Born in Sapporo, Japan, she fou…

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Clayton Joseph Scott Talks of Music, Addiction, Seeking and Surrender (#51) 1:39:24

2+ y ago1:39:24

1:39:24

Clayton Joseph Scott is a singer, songwriter and master Yoga Teacher. Born in Los Angeles, California, he attended Santa Monica High School. Clayton lived most of his life as a street hustling native of Venice Ca. He was raised in the culture of musicians and pioneers of the counter culture. Clayton speaks clearly about over coming addiction of eve…

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What is a Yogini? Liliana Lakshmi : From India to the Americas and Bali to Berlin (#50) 50:52

2+ y ago50:52

50:52

Liliana Lakshmi and her husband Satya are renowned yoga teachers, whose influence extends from India to the Americas, and from Berlin to Bali. Liliana, born into tribal culture of indigenous shamans of Colombia was quickly able to understand the shamanic cultures of ancient India, their yogas of participation and the profound realization of their a…

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A Yogini Amidst Unspeakable Love and Pain (#49) 51:32

2+ y ago51:32

51:32

Ernessa Bergman is a world-travelling Yogini, Mother and Biosynthesis / Somatic Body Psychotherapist who is currently living and working in Tel Aviv, Israel. She reflects on her long friendship with Mark at trainings around the world and her life as a mother and yoga teacher. In this episode you will hear... '' ...you torture yourself with the insa…

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The Yoga Confessions - Mark interviews Rosalind Atkinson (#48) 1:12:40

2+ y ago1:12:40

1:12:40

Mark Whitwell interviews Rosalind Atkinson about her life with yoga and realisations. In particular, Mark asks about her academic studies of english literature, especially the mystic poet William Blake, and the relevance of these studies to her life in yoga. This episode will be of interest to anyone with a mixed experience in academia or poetry, w…

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Anne-Tyler Harshbarger: From Prima Ballerina to Real Yoga for Real People (#47) 1:23:41

3y ago1:23:41

1:23:41

What is natural movement for a human being? In this episode we are graced with the presence of Anne-Tyler, yogini of the Americas and her profound story of evolving movement patterns from the strictures of ballet into the natural forms for a human body. Mark and Anne-Tyler discuss learning to dance from a young age in the UK and developing her skil…

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Patrick Ryan: In the World Not of the World (#46) 51:20

3y ago51:20

51:20

Mark and his dear friend Patrick collude at the beach in Australia to discuss Patrick's life of Yoga and insight. They unpack the lie of "trying to get there" through Yoga. Get where? We are already here! Patrick breaks down the regular Australian conditioning of beer and sport, and relates how one sentence from a partner inspired a quest for chang…

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How to be a Yoga Teacher with Maja Dakskobler and Mark Whitwell (#45) 1:02:35

3+ y ago1:02:35

1:02:35

This podcast tells the story of Maja’s transition from social activism to Yoga revelation. How Yoga becomes the means to enacting the change we want to see. As Gandhi said.. “be the change you want to see.” In this conversation we hear once again the process to become an actual Yoga teacher in real life and community. From Sloviana Maja’s backgroun…

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Finding Our Own Sadhana with Manisha (#44) 1:20:29

3+ y ago1:20:29

1:20:29

In this episode we are graced by world-friend & yogini without borders Manisha Lebel. Yoga Teacher, Naturopath, Herbalist & Wisdom Holder. Manisha and Rosalind discuss how Manisha's extensive yoga practice, teaching and academic research backgrounds resonated straightaway with the breath principles Mark was passing on. We talk about being an outsid…

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Becoming a Yoga Teacher "Capital Y" (#43) 1:04:23

3+ y ago1:04:23

1:04:23

How do we make the shift from practitioner to teacher? Who should become a teacher? How do we make sure we don't become "One more monkey" in the yoga industrial complex? How to keep the heart in yoga? Mark interviews Andrew about his experience of this process and emergence from the middle-class massage into a life of meaning, play, & subversive su…

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How to Find a Yoga Teacher (#42) 56:53

3+ y ago56:53

56:53

''How to find a good yoga teacher? How do you find a teacher that you trust, and can generate a connection with? Not only that, but find a teacher that does not see themselves in a position of power and does not have your monetary value as student in their ’business’ as a priority?" In this episode Mark and Rosalind talk about this most basic of qu…