Yoga Inspiration

Avidyā: Lifting the Veil of Ignorance in Yoga
Ignorance is rarely felt as ignorance. In yoga, this root affliction is called avidyā, the veil that causes us to mistake impermanence for permanence, suffering for joy, and the non-self for the Self.
In this episode, Kino MacGregor explores the meaning of avidyā through the Yoga Sūtras, the Upaniṣads, and Buddhist teachings. Rather than a simple lack of knowledge, avidyā is revealed as an active misperception, a distortion that shapes how we see ourselves and the world.
Drawing on Patañjali's teaching that ignorance is the field from which all other afflictions arise (YS II.4), this episode unpacks how subtle and pervasive avidyā can be. It appears not only as confusion, but also as false certainty, attachment to identity, and the clinging to ideas that have not yet ripened into direct experience.
Kino also reflects on the Buddhist understanding of avijjā, where ignorance is defined as not seeing the Four Noble Truths. This points to the idea that ignorance is not a lack of information, but a blindness to reality itself.
Through classical teachings and contemplative reflection, this episode invites you to consider how perception shapes experience. Like mistaking a rope for a snake, avidyā projects fear and misunderstanding onto what is already whole.
Yoga becomes the path of undoing this misperception. Through steady practice, breath, and stillness, moments of clear seeing begin to dissolve the veil of ignorance, revealing a deeper truth that has always been present.
In this episode you will explore:

What avidyā means in the Yoga Sūtras How ignorance functions as misperception rather than absence of knowledge The role of avidyā as the root of suffering Parallels between yoga philosophy and Buddhist teachings on avijjā The rope and snake analogy as a model of mistaken perception How practice gradually dissolves ignorance into wisdom
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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.

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.
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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.

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.