Yoga Matters Podcast
Join an experienced yoga teacher and her skeptical yet curious husband as they explore the fascinating world of yoga philosophy and principles. This lighthearted yet deeply insightful podcast bridges ancient wisdom with modern life, through playful banter, relatable stories, and thought-provoking discussions. Emma and Andy aim to tackle a wide range of life affecting topics as well as the deeper meaning behind yoga — all while keeping it fun, engaging, and accessible for everyone, skeptics included! Perfect for couples looking to connect, learn, and laugh together.
Episodes
91 episodes
089 Auyrvedic words of wisdom: Agni, Mala, Ama, and Ojas
In this week's podcast we get into four ancient Ayurvedic terms about digestion and vitality: Agni, Mala, Ama, and Ojas.We discuss: Agni — your digestive fire that breaks down food and "digests" experiences and emotions too; Mala — the n...
088 Buddha's story
In this week's episode we tell the story of the Buddha — not the statue, not the symbol, but his actual life: a sheltered prince, a series of decisions that changed his worldview, over indulgence and self-denial that didn't work, and the eventu...
087 Who's in your Satsang?
Do you wanna be in our Satsang? Do you have any idea what we're talking about? Andy didn't either, before this podcast!In this week's episode, we discuss what a Satsang actually is, how it relates to a Kula and a Sangha, and how being pa...
086 Is Yoga a Religion?
In this week's podcast we ask "Is yoga a religion?" Spoiler: it's not a simple yes or no — this is yoga philosophy, after all. Emma and Andy come at it from opposing corners, digging into yoga's roots in Vedantic, Hindu and other an...
085 Balancing Masculine and Feminine
In this week's podcast we discuss Balancing Masculine and Feminine — one of yoga's oldest ideas, going right back to Shiva and Shakti. Not "men vs women," but two energies everyone runs on: the masculine (drive, focus, structure, doing) and the...
084 Dharma
In this week's podcast we discuss Dharma — one of the most quoted, least understood words in yoga philosophy. If you've heard it thrown around in yoga classes as "follow your bliss" or "find your true calling," we're going to unpack why that's ...
083 Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
In this week's episode we discuss the saying "Om Shanti Shanti Shanti" - a phrase chanted by many yogis, often at the close of yoga practice, across thousands of years of tradition. But what does it actually mean, and why three times?...
WHO ARE YOU?!
Just a quick episode to ask about you... Where are you from? Why do you listen? We would love you to get in touch so we can understand our audience better. So please drop us a quick note, with anything you want to tell us at: info@learnlivegive...
082 Sankalpa (Setting an intention)
In this episode we explore Sankalpa - a Sanskrit word that doesn't translate neatly into English - Loosely, it means intention, resolve, or heartfelt wish. But unlike a goal — which lives in the future and measures success by outcome — a Sankal...
081 Mantra
In this week's episode we discuss mantra, one of the most ancient tools in the yogic tradition, and one of the most misunderstood. The word itself quite literally translates as "a tool for the mind". Not a magic spell, not a religious ritual - ...
080 Ganesh's Story
In this week’s episode, we explore the fascinating story of Ganesh, the beloved Hindu deity with the body of a man and the head of an elephant. We delve into the dramatic family incident that led to his unique appearance, uncover the reasons be...
079 the Yoga Sutras
In this episode, we discuss the Sutras - one of the most important texts in yoga philosophy. We introduce what the Sutras are, where they come from, and why they still matter. We look at how the text is structured across its four 'books', and w...
078 Four Seasons
This episode looks at the principle of the "four seasons" as a way of understanding every aspect of your life... A series of repeating cycles we move through in every aspect of our existence. Spring is where ideas take shape and seeds get plant...
077 Ojas (Ayervedic Vitality Immunity and Consciousness)
In this episode, we explore Ojas — the subtle essence of vitality in Ayurvedic practices, said to govern immunity, resilience, and clarity of mind. We look at what Ojas actually is, how it's said to be cultivated or depleted, and why it's consi...
076 Intro to the Ayurvedic Doshas
In this episode we take our first steps into the world of Ayurveda, one of the oldest systems of health and wellbeing on the planet... We discuss what are called the three doshas: kapha, pitta, and vata, which according to Ayurveda philosophy a...
075 Sleep Story - The Long Way Home
So this is a complete departure from our normal format... In this episode, Emma takes us on a gentle walking journey with a woman navigating the quiet chaos of a busy life — and what she discovers along the way about letting go, slowing down, a...
074 The Vayus (An introduction)
In this episode we discuss the five vayus, the directions of energy (or ‘winds’) that yogic philosophy says influence everything from your digestion to your sense of direction in life. We take a brief look at all five — prana, apana, samana, ud...
073 Abhinivesha (5 Kleshas)
In this episode, we tackle abhinivesha — the deepest and most primal of the five kleshas — and it might well be the one that hits hardest. This is the klesha of clinging to life (or the existence of something), the white-knuckle grip we have on...
072 Dvesha (5 Kleshas)
In this episode, we wade into the fourth of the five kleshas — dvesha - or aversion... From the emails you don't want to open to the people you silently avoid, you realise dvesha is everywhere once you start looking for it. We unpack what the y...
071 Raga (5 Kleshas)
This is the third of our five-part series on the kleshas — the afflictions Patanjali identified in the Yoga Sutras as the root causes of human suffering. Today we're looking at Raga — often translated as 'attachment', but also craving or graspi...
070 Asmita (5 Kleshas)
In this week's podcast we discuss Asmita, the second of the five Kleshas. Often translated as ego, and arguably the subtlest troublemaker of the bunch, it's the deeply human habit of confusing who we truly are with the roles, labels and stories...
069 Avidya (5 Kleshas)
This is the first of our five-part series on the kleshas — the afflictions that Patanjali identified in the Yoga Sutras as the root causes of human suffering. We're starting with avidya — often translated as ignorance, but more precisely: wrong...
068 Sattva (3 Gunas)
This is the final stop on our tour of the three Gunas, and we've saved the best until last... Sattva is the quality of clarity, lightness, and calm — think fresh air, a clear mind, and that rare feeling where everything just flows. But as with ...