Best Ava Ross Podcasts (2025)

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Stanley Plumly / David Baker 55:08

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2M ago55:08

55:08

Today on the show we have the poet David Baker—but he joins us to talk about another poet, the late Stanley Plumly, his good friend, and whose new Collected Poems he has coedited with Michael Collier. Stanley Plumly published twelve collections of poetry along with four books of prose, including Posthumous Keats: A Personal Biography and Elegy Land…

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Bonus Episode: Accountability, Integrity, and the Evolution of Ashtanga Yoga 2:07:30

2M ago2:07:30

2:07:30

An incredibly important conversation examining the roots of abuse, ways of accountability, and what it means to be both a teacher and student of the Ashtanga yoga method with Sarah Nelson, Greg Nardi, Kino Macgregor, and Peg Mulqueen -- moderated by Melissa Matt. The first of an ongoing series of discussions hosted by Omstars. We appreciate you lis…

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Ashtanga Yoga: A Feminine Perspective with Monica Gauci, Genny Wilkinson, Tara Mitra, + Katy Scherer 1:17:30

2M ago1:17:30

1:17:30

What does it mean to be a woman practicing Ashtanga yoga? Join Monica, Genny, Tara, Katy and me as we discuss what can seem like a very masculine practice, from a female perspective. And if you enjoy this episode, then I invite you to join me over on Substack for a new 12-part series exploring the femine archetypes. We begin this month with The Que…

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Natalie Shapero 44:18

2M ago44:18

44:18

Today on the show it's Natalie Shapero, and her new book, Stay Dead, her fourth full-length collection. Stay Dead was nominated for the longlist of the National Book Award in Poetry, I think even before it actually came out! And overseas, its British-published counterpart is a finalist for the equally impressive TS Eliot Prize. These are punchy poe…

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Ross White 1:03:55

5M ago1:03:55

1:03:55

It’s episode 20! And a special one in many ways. It’s my first live in-person podcast recording, and it’s with my great friend Ross White! White is the author of Charm Offensive and the chapbooks Valley of Want, How We Came Upon the Colony, and The Polite Society, and is teaching faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. White als…

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Matt Donovan & Jenny George 45:10

7M ago45:10

45:10

Something special today everyone! Double poet day! My guests are Matt Donovan and Jenny George, coauthors of the new chapbook, We Are Not Where We Are, published this week by Bull City Press. The book is an erasure of Henry David Thoreau’s Walden. It’s fascinating to hear the two of them, long-time friends, talk about how they worked together on th…

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Felicia Zamora 1:07:24

7M ago1:07:24

1:07:24

Today on the show we have Felicia Zamora with her new book Interstitial Archaeology, an Editor’s Pick for the Wisconsin Poetry Series. Like the title says, it’s a book that digs down into undiscovered spaces; but it’s also one that pushes out, makes those spaces have a place in the surface world. There’s such a breadth of artistic craft in this boo…

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Outside the Box with Maverick Teachers Harmony Slater, David Garrigues, and Ty Landrum 1:35:40

8M ago1:35:40

1:35:40

A maverick is someone who is unconventional and thinks for themselves and today's guests are certainly that. Harmony Slater, David Garrigues, and Ty Landrum are all part of the same Ashtanga yoga tradition, and yet, they look almost nothing alike. Each offer their own unique perspective and approach that is in ways, totally opposite. On one end the…

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Sandra Marchetti 47:03

8M ago47:03

47:03

Today on the show is Sandra Marchetti, author of the new poetry collection, Diorama. In addition to Diorama, Marchetti is the author of Aisle 228, the 2023 Winner of The Twin Bill Book Prize for Best Baseball Poetry Book of the Year, and Confluence. Her poetry and essays have appeared in Poet Lore, Blackbird, Ecotone, Southwest Review, The Rumpus, …

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Is Ashtanga Right for Everyone? With David Keil, Scott Johnson, and Jen René 58:01

8M ago58:01

58:01

In this episode of the Ashtanga Dispatch Podcast, David Keil, Jen René and Scott Johnson join me to explore the question of whether Ashtanga yoga is suitable for everyone, not just as teachers but as students, ourselves with our own challenges and needs. We talk about the importance of context, adaptation, and the need be critical thinkers. But lik…

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Traci Brimhall 49:30

9M ago49:30

49:30

On the show today is Kansas State Poet Laureate Traci Brimhall. Her new book of poems, Love Prodigal, is recently out from Copper Canyon. Brimhall's previous books of poetry include Come the Slumberless to the Land of Nod, Saudade, Our Lady of the Ruins, and Rookery. Brimhall’s work has appeared in The New Yorker, Orion, Poetry, The Nation, and The…

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The Tradition that Connects Us with Richard Freeman, Mary Taylor, Kino MacGregor, and Tim Feldmann 1:04:10

9M ago1:04:10

1:04:10

In this heartfelt conversation, Mary Taylor, Richard Freeman, Tim Feldmann, and Kino MacGregor join Peg Mulqueen and reflect on the profound sense of loss within the Ashtanga Yoga community after the sudden passing of Sharath Jois. They explore themes of grief, connection, and the importance of practice in navigating uncertainty. The discussion del…

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Lesley Wheeler 38:57

9M ago38:57

38:57

Today's show features poet Lesley Wheeler, and her wonderful new book of poems, Mycocosmic. It’s a fascinating book both in its individual poems and in its overall assembly. It takes us under the earth to the mycelia below, and under the skin to the heart inside. Lesley Wheeler’s previous poetry collections include The State She’s In, Radioland, Th…

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Christian Teresi 59:14

10M ago59:14

59:14

Today on the show we have poet Christian Teresi, talking about his new book, What Monsters You Make of Them, recently published by Red Hen Press. Teresi has published poems in AGNI, The American Poetry Review, Kenyon Review, Blackbird, and many other places. He has also translated Book 7 of Nonnus of Panopolis’s Dionysiaca, the longest surviving te…

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Ava Nathaniel Winter 38:36

11M ago38:36

38:36

On the show is poet Ava Nathaniel Winter, whose new book, her first full-length collection, is the National Poetry Series–winning Transgenesis. Winter has also published the chapbook, Safe House, and her work has appeared in The Baffler, Beloit Poetry Journal,Poetry International, TriQuarterly, and elsewhere. She served as a Stadler Fellow at Buckn…

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Sidebar: Richard Wilbur 8:03

12M ago8:03

8:03

I’ve always loved the poem "Year's End" by Richard Wilbur, and it is of course a great choice for the last day of the year, so here’s a short episode on this amazing poem. Wishing you all a wonderful New Year's Eve, and a great year to come! Richard Wilbur, twice-winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry, was the author of eleven collections of poetry…

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Abbie Kiefer 34:14

1y ago34:14

34:14

In time for your holiday travels, here is a new episode to cue up! Today, Abbie Kiefer talks about her new book, Certain Shelter, which focuses on the loss of her mother and the loss of her home, a Maine mill town. We also talk about the poet, E.A. Robinson. Happy Thanksgiving! Besides Certain Shelter, Kiefer is the author of the chapbook Brief His…

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Carl Phillips 42:32

1y ago42:32

42:32

Today on the show is Carl Phillips, whose new book, Scattered Snows, to the North, has recently been published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in the US and Carcanet in the UK, where it has been shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize. Phillips' previous book, Then the War and Selected Poems, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. In total, Phillips has published…

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Matthew Buckley Smith 58:01

1y ago58:01

58:01

Today's guest is Matthew Buckley Smith, whose new book, Midlife, won the 2021 Richard Wilbur Poetry Award, and is out from Measure Press. He is also the author of Dirge for an Imaginary World, which won the 2011 Able Muse Book Award. His poems and stories have appeared in AGNI, American Life in Poetry, Beloit Poetry Journal, Best American Poetry, C…

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Sidebar: Barbara Jordan 6:49

1y ago6:49

6:49

A new sidebar edition! This week I read and discuss Barbara Jordan's poem "The Discovery Room," from her book, Channel. Jordan only published two books of poems, and they are excellent. What happened to her, why she stopped writing, or publishing, is a bit of a mystery. Do you know Jordan's work? Do you have clues as to her whereabouts? I'd love to…

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Christian J. Collier 44:31

1+ y ago44:31

44:31

Today's show features poet Christian J. Collier, author of the new book of poems, Greater Ghost, hot off the press from Four Way Books. This is a book full of smart, tough, and beautiful poems. It was wonderful to be introduced to him and his work. Christian Collier is the author Greater Ghost and the chapbook, The Gleaming of the Blade, the 2021 E…

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Dan O'Brien 59:24

1+ y ago59:24

59:24

Today on the show is Dan O'Brien, discussing his new book, Flying on Easter and Other Poems. This pamphlet was published by Poetry London Editions in the UK, and is drawn from his recent full-length collection from Acre Books, Survivor's Notebook. O'Brien is the author of previous poetry collections, including Our Cancers, New Life, War Reporter, a…

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Callie Siskel 33:40

1+ y ago33:40

33:40

Today on the show is poet Callie Siskel, discussing her new book, Two Minds. It's a terrific book, one that is, in part, about her father, the late, wonderful film critic Gene Siskel. Two Minds is Siskel's first full-length book, after her Poetry Society of America chapbook, Arctic Revival, which was selected for publication by Elizabeth Alexander.…

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Kevin Prufer 34:40

1+ y ago34:40

34:40

On the show this week is Kevin Prufer, author of the new book of poems, The Fears, which just won the Rilke Prize, as well as the new novel, Sleepaway. Prufer is the author of several previous collections of poems, including The Art of Fiction, Churches, and National Anthem. With Wayne Miller and Martin Rock, Prufer directs the Unsung Masters Serie…

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Dr. Shyam Ranganathan: 'Going Against the Grain' of Western Colonialism 1:02:25

1+ y ago1:02:25

1:02:25

In today's episode, Dr. Shyam Ranganathan, a scholar and teacher of Yoga Philosophy, discusses how to preserve one's autonomy through the practice and philosophy of Yoga. Learn more about Dr. Ranganathan by visiting his website at www.yogaphilosophy.com and check out his new book, Yoga -- Anticolonial Philosophy: An Action-Focused Guide to Practice…

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Philip Metres 38:21

1+ y ago38:21

38:21

Today's show features poet Philip Metres discussing his new book, Fugitive/Refuge, published in April by Copper Canyon Press. Philip Metres is the author of twelve books, including Fugitive/Refuge, Shrapnel Maps, The Sound of Listening: Poetry as Refuge and Resistance, Sand Opera, and I Burned at the Feast: Selected Poems of Arseny Tarkovsky. His w…

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J.L. Conrad 33:34

1+ y ago33:34

33:34

Today on the show is poet J.L. Conrad, whose new book, A World in Which, was released in April by Terrapin Books. J.L. Conrad’s first full-length book is A Cartography of Birds (LSU Press), and she has published the chapbooks Recovery (2022 Robert Phillips Chapbook Prize) and Not If But When (Salt Hill’s 2015 Dead Lake Chapbook Contest). Her poems …

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Sidebar: Anthony Hecht 9:15

1+ y ago9:15

9:15

This week the show takes a twist: this is Drunk as a Poet on Payday: Sidebar Edition. Here I read and discuss Anthony Hecht's poem, "A Hill," from his Pulitzer Prize-winning book, The Hard Hours. We'll return in two weeks with our regularly scheduled shows, featuring poet J.L. Conrad. Say hi to us online: Website: http://drunkasapoet.com Instagram:…

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Making Your Way Through the World Today, with Ross Rayburn 50:00

1+ y ago50:00

50:00

Meet one of my favorite yoga teachers, fellow word nerd, and an extrovert who also loves introverting -- Ross Rayburn. In today's episode, we talk about Ross's new book, Turning Inward, an inclusive, practical, if not somewhat unconventional, guide to developing a contemplative practice. You can find Ross's book, Turning Inward, on Spotify or order…

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Lisa Ampleman 31:46

1+ y ago31:46

31:46

Episode 3 is an auspicious meeting of astronomical event and poetry book, as today we feature Lisa Ampleman and her book Mom in Space on the day of the total solar eclipse across much of North America. Lisa Ampleman is the author of three full-length poetry collections—Mom in Space, Romances, and Full Cry, winner of the Stevens Manuscript Competiti…

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Jesse Nathan 31:41

2y ago31:41

31:41

Episode 2 features Jesse Nathan, whose first book, Eggtooth, was released last fall from Unbound Edition Press. One poem in the book, “Dame's Rocket,” was selected for the Best American Poetry 2024. The collection won the 2024 New Writers Award in Poetry from the Great Lakes College Association. Nathan’s poetry has appeared in The New York Review o…

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The Descent of Inanna: A Journey into the Great Below 15:43

2y ago15:43

15:43

In today's episode, we take a little break from our usual interviews and conversations to bring you a story from Sumerian Mythology called The Descent of Inanna. It begins as, "From the Great Above, Inanna (goddess of light) opens her ear to the Great Below," and from there, journeys into the Underworld, into known and unknown terrors, to follow th…

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Patty Ivey: Suffering as Opportunity 37:27

2y ago37:27

37:27

Patty Ivey is the owner and founder of Down Dog Yoga, one of the hottest yoga studios in Washington, D.C. But after 20 years, she and her husband were ready to embrace the next phase of her life. It was then, at age 70, Patty was diagnosed with breast cancer. Which she now sees as somewhat of a gift -- opening her up to even greater potential. *Reg…

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Cynthia Marie Hoffman 36:09

2y ago36:09

36:09

In this premier episode, Jason Gray speaks with Cynthia Marie Hoffman, whose new book, Exploding Head, is a memoir-in-prose poems about her life as a young child and an adult with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which manifests in fearful obsessions and counting compulsions that impact her relationship to motherhood, religion, and the larger w…

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Yoga Podcast Ep 69 with Ava Taylor: Remembering Your Why 59:23

2y ago59:23

59:23

Today's guest is Ava Taylor, founder of Yama Talent and author of the new book Your Yoga Business. And trust me, today's talk is not just a must for yoga teachers, but anyone starting their own business in today's post-pandemic world. Because things have changed, if you haven't noticed. Some for the better, some not. In today's episode, Ava shares …

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Ashtanga Yoga Podcast Ep. 68: Dr. Jean Byrne || The Upside of Crisis 56:22

2y ago56:22

56:22

Dr. Jean Byrne, the co-founder of The Yoga Space www.yogaspace.com.au in Perth, Australia, talks with me about changes she's made personally and within her teaching after a momentous crisis of faith -- a turning point that would help liberate her own intuition, personal power, and truth. We hope this conversation inspires more just like this. Btw, …

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Yoga Podcast Ep. 67: Ty Landrum || Calling all Rule Breakers 1:00:18

3y ago1:00:18

1:00:18

"For spiritual expats and philosophical refugees, somatic explorers, soul hunters, star gazers, rule breakers and other mystical miscreants who have had enough of the ruses of religion, and want to set down dogma..."These were the words that Ty Landrum, our guest on today's Ashtanga Dispatch Yoga Podcast, used in describing his Into the Depths cour…

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Yoga Podcast Ep. 66: Prasad Rangnekar || Today's Yoga Teacher 1:02:33

3y ago1:02:33

1:02:33

If you’re a yoga student and on instagram, you might have come across our guest on today's episode, Prasad Rangnekar, where his posts are often widely re-shared by yoga seekers from all style's and lineage's. But what attracted us to Prasad's posts was how they inspired deeper inquiry and curiosity rather than giving us a "right or wrong" answer. M…

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Yoga Podcast Ep. 65: Lea Perfetti || Breaking the Code of Silence 44:23

3y ago44:23

44:23

Meet Lea Perfetti, an Ashtanga yoga teacher I discovered on Instagram after a series of posts that were so raw and real, I knew there had to be a pretty powerful story behind. Hers is not just one woman's story, but one that many of us have lived, but often too ashamed to tell. It's a story of vulnerability and courage, of breaking open and breakin…

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Yoga Podcast Ep. 64: Mark Bint || CODA: The Heart of Listening 45:17

3+ y ago45:17

45:17

Mark Bint grew up with two parents who cannot hear; Mark is known as a CODA, a child of deaf adults. And in today’s episode, Mark tells his story and how growing up in a non-hearing home taught him what it truly means to listen. Today’s transcript can be found on the website. Visit www.ashtangadispatch.comJoin Peg Mulqueen and Meghan Powell in Boze…

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Yoga Podcast Ep. 63: Wambui Njuguna-Räisänen || Go Get Your Peace. 45:11

4y ago45:11

45:11

Wambui Njuguna-Räisänen is an Ashtanga yoga teacher based in Finland. Born in Kenya and raised in the U.S., Wambui now lives in Helsinki with her husband, Petri who also teaches, and their two young sons. Wambui is passionate about providing wellness through yoga and meditation to those actively engaged in equity and social justice. For in the mids…

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Yoga Podcast Ep. 62: Eddie Stern || An Imperfect World 49:59

4y ago49:59

49:59

Though the message isn't necessarily new -- the need for a more malleable and adaptive approach to practice within Ashtanga Yoga -- it's the messenger that may actually surprise you. Today's episode with Eddie Stern is personal and incredibly honest. And one that may leave you with much to (re)consider. If you'd like to experience first hand a kind…

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Yoga Podcast Ep. 61 || Kino Macgregor || The Dawn of a New Day 52:26

4y ago52:26

52:26

The past few years has been like a story that’s unfolding. One that will be told for generations to come. And it is this personal retelling, a weaving together of stories, we will bring you this year through the podcast. Asking the question: How has the pandemic shifted our sense of identity, purpose, and vision as individuals and as a yoga communi…

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Yoga Podcast Ep. 60 || Kathy Cooper || The Yoga of YES! 1:09:26

4y ago1:09:26

1:09:26

It's the kind of wisdom that can only come from many years of personal practice that guest to the podcast, Kathy Cooper, brings in today's episode. As a female practitioner, now in her 70s, and as youthful and vibrant as ever - Kathy's shared experience is such a gift to the many of us women practicing out there.Speaking of which ... we are excited…

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Yoga Podcast Ep. 59 || Lara Land: Trauma Awareness Begins with Us 53:36

4y ago53:36

53:36

Lara Land is the founder of the non-profit, Three and a Half Acres Yoga, a partnership program that offers yoga, breathing and mindfulness practices to underserved communities. In addition, Lara trains yoga teachers in the area of trauma sensitivity -- a training that focuses primarily on a teacher's own self awareness.Starting December 2nd and las…

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Yoga Podcast Ep. 58 || Dr. Shyam Ranganathan: Yoga Philosophy + the Conundrum of Interpretation 1:22:16

4+ y ago1:22:16

1:22:16

In today's episode, Dr. Shyam Ranganathan explains the process of translating spiritual texts; how belief systems, both conscious and unconscious, can influence our interpretations; and why logic is better than experience in deciphering ethics. Dr. Ranganathan is a trained scholar and researcher of philosophy and is author, editor and translator of…

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Yoga Philosophy with David Garrigues and Peg Mulqueen || YS 3.17: Why Words Matter 1:01:06

4+ y ago1:01:06

1:01:06

Join David Garrigues and me as we discuss Yoga Sūtra 3.17:There is a natural confusion of words, meanings, and our own conceptual experience that arises when we superimpose one upon the other. But with perfect focus on distinguishing between the three, we learn the language of all beings. Basically - words matter. As does our experience, use, and i…

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Yoga Podcast Ep. 57: Deepika Mehta || The Power of Hope 56:47

4+ y ago56:47

56:47

In today's episode, listen to Deepika Mehta speak to the power of hope and how it plays such an essential role in times of despair. Especially as India suffers through a second wave of COVID. And why teachers from all over the world - including Deepika and us - are uniting this weekend (May 7th + 8th)to offer hope and help with a 24-hour online yog…

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On the Path -- with Ashtanga Dispatch 32:24

4+ y ago32:24

32:24

Welcome to On the Path – a new ‘talk as we walk’ podcast from Ashtanga Dispatch where we will take you outside on a new trail or with a new walking partner each month. If you enjoy, go over to apple podcasts and subscribe: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-path-with-ashtanga-dispatch/id1565083628?i=1000518924627Like to listen on Spotify?…

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Yoga Podcast Ep. 56: Dan Nevins || Living Life to Its Fullest 1:43:15

5y ago1:43:15

1:43:15

In 2004, after an explosion in Iraq, Dan Nevins would ultimate lose both his legs. And in today's pod, Dan will not only tell you this story - but also about his life, before and after. Including how he was introduced to yoga which, as he will tell you, saved him during a particularly dark time. (Though to say he was a reluctant participant is an u…