Shows
Awareness Offerings Podcast102: Actually...For the final Awareness Offering of 2023, a reflection on what gives me hope. We close with a guided meditation to help us listen for the conditions of hope within ourselves. // 3:03: yoga philosophy discussion, 23:31: guided meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/ and on the web: https://lauratara.com/
2023-10-2737 minAwareness Offerings Podcast101: Can You Not?A reflection on the ways in which the world, in its current violence, has held a mirror up to me and invited me to renegotiate my relationship to vengeance. We close with a practice and invitation for doing things differently than we have before and making a different choice, starting on the level of the breath. // Posts mentioned in this episode: Tangle News https://www.instagram.com/p/CyOyx4mt_sX/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Cindy Milstein https://www.instagram.com/p/CybcnAOucMI/ // 2:58: yoga philosophy discussion, 29:11: guided meditation
2023-10-2040 minAwareness Offerings Podcast100: Speed CheckOn this the 100th episode of the Awareness Offerings Podcast, a check-in. A moment to de-pressurize and make space for all that we feel, complete with a guided breath meditation for assisting us in settling into the feeling body. // 3:28: yoga philosophy discussion, 23:23: guided breath meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/ and on the web: https://lauratara.com/
2023-10-1337 minAwareness Offerings Podcast99: What Is Trust? (Baby, Don't Hurt Me)What is trust, really? This week, we're exploring that question through the lenses of yoga philosophy, therapy and more. Together, we practice a guided meditation for cultivating and reinforcing authentic trust within ourselves. // 3:19: yoga philosophy discussion, 28:05: guided meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/ and on the web: https://lauratara.com/
2023-10-0644 minAwareness Offerings Podcast98: The Grammar of GrowthA reflection on the way that any kind of growth often involves grief and gratitude walking together, side by side. Guided meditation for embracing this dance of expansion and contraction included. // 4:29: yoga philosophy discussion, 20:47: guided meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://instagram.com/laura__tara/ and on the web: https://lauratara.com/
2023-09-2933 minAwareness Offerings Podcast97: As Above, So BelowThis week, we're breaking down the oft-used spiritual phrase, "As above, so below." This ancient expression is typically used to mean, "What you think, you create," but what if it's simply meant to remind us that we're connected to the broader cycles of the world and universe around us? We discuss, then practice this cyclical connection through breath meditation. // 3:50: yoga philosophy discussion, 16:52: guided breath meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://instagram.com/laura__tara/ and on the web: https://lauratara.com/
2023-09-2232 min
Awareness Offerings Podcast96: I Am Not a Board GameWhen we talk about getting to the "next level" in our healing, transformation or spiritual growth, what are we really saying? What are we reinforcing? We explore together, then practice a meditation for relaxing into the wild, non-linear, present moment experience of authentic healing. // 4:41: yoga philosophy discussion, 22:09: guided meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://instagram.com/laura__tara/ and on the web: https://lauratara.com/
2023-09-1535 minAwareness Offerings Podcast95: It's Ok. Really.What happens when someone puts space between us and them? It's ok. This week, we're discussing the fact that it's ok for people to make that choice, we are still ok when they do, and it's ok if we don't tie our self-worth into knots trying to figure out why. We close with a guided meditation for allowing things to exist in their own way, including ourselves and others. // 3:48: yoga philosophy discussion, 27:29: guided meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://instagram.com/laura__tara/ and on the web: https://lauratara.com/
2023-08-3141 minAwareness Offerings Podcast94: Toxic SpiritualityYou've probably heard about toxic positivity; for those of us doing spiritual work, it's also important to consider toxic spirituality. Together, we explore the risks around this phenomenon; namely, the risk of shame. We practice meditation to center our empowerment, which can be the opposite of shame. // 3:09: yoga philosophy discussion, 29:41: guided meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://instagram.com/laura__tara/ and on the web: https://lauratara.com/
2023-08-2543 minAwareness Offerings Podcast93: Seeking GuidanceTogether, we're exploring the idea that seeking guidance to do a particular thing does not make our efforts less than. In fact, it's not about the amount of effort we put into something, but the experience we have. We close with a guided meditation for receiving a sense of support in the present moment. // 3:01: yoga philosophy discussion, 26:48: guided mediation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/ and on the web: https://lauratara.com/
2023-08-1739 minAwareness Offerings Podcast92: Body's LanguageA personal reflection on my current experience of being in my body, which includes having just gone to the doctor a been asked to step on a scale for an issue that, I believe, had nothing to do with my weight. Together, we explore a trauma-informed perspective on the ways our bodies change, and an invitation to soften around our softness. I offer a mini breath practice to explore this softening from an embodied place. // 3:48: discussion, 26:22: guided breath practice // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/ and the web: https://lauratara.com/
2023-08-1233 minAwareness Offerings Podcast91: Make Your DreamsThis week, I'm reflecting on the process of taking a podcast episode down, the friction that process entailed and how it ultimately rooted me more deeply into my values. The experience culminated in a lesson on "how we make our dreams," which we explore together. Then, we practice a guided breath meditation for expanding our capacity to be with friction in order to propel ourselves toward value-centered transformation. // 3:27 yoga philosophy discussion, 30:27: guided breath meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/ and on the web: https://lauratara.com/
2023-08-0444 minAwareness Offerings Podcast90: You Have Enough to Worry AboutThis week, I'm offering a perspective on the spiritual concept of past lives that is rooted in the teachings of my yoga lineage and centers presence, grace and trust. Guided meditation for breathing our way toward presence included! // 5:17: yoga philosophy discussion, 26:31: guided meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/ and on the web: https://lauratara.com/
2023-07-2238 minAwareness Offerings Podcast89: Freedom vs. ForceOn a week when themes of freedom are at the cultural forefront, we explore the dissonance between our social ideals of freedom and our societal reality in which rights and protections are consistently being taken away from marginalized groups. We discuss how yoga philosophy approaches this concept, the difference between power and authentic freedom, and practice a guided meditation to use our true power to ignite more love. // 4:21: yoga philosophy discussion, 30:23: guided meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/ and on the web: https://lauratara.com/
2023-07-0742 minAwareness Offerings Podcast88: To The Feeling BodyThere's been a lot going on, and a lot of need and inspiration to connect with the body. This week, we explore how grounding into our physical bodies, then our "feeling" bodies, can help us process the intense experiences of our times, complete with a guided, body scan meditation to put it into practice. // 4:20: yoga philosophy discussion, 27:23: guided body scan meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/ and on the web: https://lauratara.com/
2023-06-3041 minAwareness Offerings Podcast87: Saying the Hard Thing Out LoudI'm sharing a personal reflection on authenticity, on saying the hard or real thing out loud. We explore the way this can have impacts from creating compassion to affecting change in the world, complete with a guided, step-by-step meditation for acknowledging and working with hard emotions. // 4:40: yoga philosophy discussion, 30:29: guided meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/ and on the web: https://lauratara.com/
2023-06-2444 minAwareness Offerings Podcast86: Don't Bypass Spiritual BypassWe're exploring the concept of Spiritual Bypass; specifically, the ways that we often bypass what it really means for the collective in favor of an easier, individualistic lens. I offer reflections and, in leu of meditation, some self-inquiry and calls to action to reflect the way that this practice is a little more about the external than the internal . // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/ and on the web: https://lauratara.com/
2023-06-1533 minAwareness Offerings Podcast85: Queer-AffirmingIn honor of pride month, I explore what it means to be queer and queer-affirming, especially in my roles as caregiver. We reflect and meditate on the concept that queerness is reality and it expands our capacity to connect to the sacred. // 4:50: yoga philosophy discussion, 25:55: guided meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/ and on the web: https://lauratara.com/
2023-06-0939 minAwareness Offerings Podcast84: Non-InfluenceThis week, I'm taking a look at influencer culture, and the capitalism that produced it, through the lenses of yoga philosophy and my own experience as a yoga practitioner and teacher with a social media presence. // 3:28: yoga philosophy discussion, 32:59: guided meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://instagram.com/laura__tara/ and on the web: https://lauratara.com/
2023-05-2642 min
Awareness Offerings Podcast83: Feel ThroughAn exploration of the spiritual practice of "feeling through" our feelings and experiences, especially the intense and challenging ones, complete with a guided meditation to put it into embodied action. // 4:13: yoga philosophy discussion, 29:20: guided meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://instagram.com/laura__tara/ and on the web: https://lauratara.com/
2023-05-1845 minAwareness Offerings Podcast82: SafetyWe're reflecting on the reality that "safety is the most fundamental human need." We look at this concept from the lenses of psychology, spirituality, the intersections of the 2, and even personal stories. We sit with the lesson that trying to create safety is ultimately about being able to give ourselves grace, and we do guided, somatic practice with tools for doing just that. // 3:20: yoga philosophy discussion, 44:52: guided practice // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/ and on the web: https://lauratara.com/
2023-05-1253 minAwareness Offerings Podcast81: Fire DanceThis week, we're exploring the fire of anger as both a righteous reflection of our connection to the divine and something that must be tended to with compassion and care lest it become a fire of destruction. Together, we engage in contemplative practice for directing our inner fire toward transformation. // 3:13: yoga philosophy discussion, 42:17: guided meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/ and on the web: https://lauratara.com/ // Listen to "Savage Daughter" by Ekaterina Shelehova: https://youtu.be/tegev08KyHY
2023-05-0558 minAwareness Offerings Podcast80: Release the Effort, Receive the EffectsThis week, I'm sharing a teaching and reflection-style episode on a choice I make as a yoga teacher, one that pertains to rest and receiving. I share my process around why I do it, how I got here and how I believe it connects to our experience off the mat, closing with an invitation for you to try it in your own life. // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/ and on the web: https://lauratara.com/
2023-04-2840 minAwareness Offerings Podcast79: Alive and EnoughWhat if being alive is enough? Both as an invitation to presence and a reminder of the inherent worth of every human being. What if it allows us to experience true beauty and calls us to our responsibility to ensure that others are also free enough to experience full aliveness? This week, we explore and meditate on this concept together. // 3:13: yoga philosophy discussion, 23:23: guided meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/ and on the web: https://lauratara.com/
2023-04-2039 min
Awareness Offerings Podcast78: Why Ask?In my return to the pod after a brief hiatus, I'm exploring my curiosity and experience around the idea that we don't always have to know "why." We don't always need to know where our pain, trauma or nervous system dysregulation is coming from, what caused it. Instead, healing is available to us in the present, and in the body, no matter what. We put this curiosity into practice through guided meditation. || 4:36: yoga philosophy discussion, 27:04: guided meditation || Stay connected - on Instagram: https://instagram.com/laura__tara/ and on the web: lauratara.com
2023-04-1340 min
Awareness Offerings Podcast77: See The WorldAn exploration of the way that certain language can help us cultivate curiosity in the mind, be creative in how we relate to each other and our situations, and even envision a better world. Together, we do a meditative practice to build these skills in an embodied way. // 3:45: yoga philosophy discussion, 24:24: guided meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/
2023-03-2341 minAwareness Offerings Podcast76: 3 Years LaterThis week's episode is a ritual honoring of the 3rd anniversary of the start of the pandemic, with intentional reflection, resilience practice and awareness.
Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/
2023-03-1741 minAwareness Offerings Podcast75: Shift HappensAn exploration of how the simple, fundamental shift from external to internal awareness can plant the seeds for all the other kinds of transformation we might want or need, complete with a guided meditation to put it into practice. // 4:35: yoga philosophy discussion, 29:56: guided meditation
2023-03-0941 min
Awareness Offerings Podcast74: What's Here?Together, we explore the self-inquiry question "What's here?" as an access point for centering, compassion, curiosity and space. // 4:25: yoga philosophy discussion, 16:56: guided meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://instagram.com/laura__tara/
2023-02-2326 minAwareness Offerings Podcast73: So This Is LoveOn a week that has a heavy cultural association with love, and many complexities for that reason, I offer reflections on what it means to have a yogic relationship to love. We talk about the dance of attachment, aversion and awareness, what different spiritual traditions teach about these concepts and my own growth in these areas. Together, we practice a meditation for non-attachment and heart awareness. // 6:13: yoga philosophy discussion, 30:34: guided meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://instagram.com/laura__tara/
2023-02-1646 minAwareness Offerings Podcast72: Be HeldTogether, we explore the healing and therapeutic effects of being held, energetically and emotionally. We practice a breath technique for tending deeply to the nervous system and holding ourselves in kind presence. // 3:39: yoga philosophy discussion, 15:12: guided breath meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara
2023-02-0930 minAwareness Offerings Podcast71: Democratization vs. PathologizationThis week, we lean into some mental health talk, discussing the risks, benefits and effects of the ever-increasing mental health discourse on social media. Then, we go into contemplative practice together, one of the tools I offer clients in my role as a mental health professional. // 4:06: discussion, 41:46: guided meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/
2023-02-0350 minAwareness Offerings PodcastA Reminder: Have HeartA uniquely-formatted check-in episode to remind us all to take refuge in the heart. // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kashiatlanta/
2023-01-2722 minAwareness Offerings Podcast70: The Only Prediction I'll MakeWe're moving through a lot right now, based on what's happening with our seasons and our planets. I'm offering some validation and affirmation around this, as I've developed the skills to do through therapeutic training, then offering the only prediction I'll ever make: newness is coming. New cycles are on the way. I explain why, then we practice a guided meditation for settling in enough to receive the newness on the horizon. // 3:29: yoga philosophy discussion, 28:39: guided mediation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/
2023-01-1944 minAwareness Offerings Podcast69: Brahmacharya and BalanceTo celebrate episode 69 of the Awareness Offerings Podcast, we're talking about the ways that sexuality intersects with spirituality. We unpack what the yoga tradition tells us about sexual energy and get curious about ways to be on the spiritual path without shame, then practice a guided meditation for embodiment - the antidote to any shame that tells us our bodies are impure. // 3:46: yoga philosophy discussion, 49:08: guided embodiment mediation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/
2023-01-131h 00Awareness Offerings Podcast68: In Fullness and In EmptinessIt feels like we're in a season of emptiness with winter in full swing, but fullness, too, as we navigate the restart and renewal that our culture often pushes for in the month of January. In this first Awareness Offering of 2023, I explore my relationship to fullness and a remembrance that The Emptiness, spiritual spaciousness, is always contained there, too. Together, we practice a guided meditation for finding moments of refuge in The Emptiness. // 4:02: yoga philosophy discussion, 24:07: guided meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/
2023-01-0641 minAwareness Offerings Podcast67: Attitude About AdjustmentsIn my final Offering of 2022, I turn toward empowerment by detailing my process as a yoga teacher deciding that I do not, generally, want to give any kind of adjustments in my yoga classes. I talk about the foundations of this decision, from hands-on adjustments and bodily autonomy to verbal adjustments and affirming choice, then we practice a guided empowerment meditation to affirm choice for ourselves. // 6:35: yoga philosophy discussion, 39:00: guided empowerment meditation // stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/
2022-12-2952 min
Awareness Offerings Podcast66: Graduation: Naming My PositionThis week's episode is a personal reflection as I prepare to graduate with my Master's in Social Work. I name my intentions and vision, honor my own resilience through this process, then take some time to name the more complex layers of getting an MSW and entering the mental health field. It is its own practice of awareness. // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/
2022-12-0827 minAwareness Offerings Podcast65: Airing Out the LaundryI recently heard teacher Jessamyn Stanley give an incredible definition of yoga practice in which she reminded us that it's a space to "let that shit breathe." As in, to make room for the complexities mind rather than expecting it to be calm. This inspired an interesting and supportive visualization in my own meditation practice, and offered me a lot of helpful teachings around shifting my relationship to my mind and myself. This week, I'm sharing them with you, and we practice that visualization meditation together. // 5:46: yoga philosophy discussion, 22:30: guided visualization meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com...
2022-12-0137 minAwareness Offerings Podcast64: Digital ColonialismAs part of my recent work sharing "Spiritual Social Media," I've had some insights around the parallels between our current social media landscape and colonization. This week, we talk about it, and about how creativity is the antidote. We close with a mantra practice for sacred creativity. // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/
2022-11-1738 min
Awareness Offerings Podcast63: People in PowerAs a post-midterm election comedown, I'm reflecting on the concept of power through the lenses of yoga and spirituality. We talk about what authentic power means in these traditions, how that intersects with social and political movements, and we practice empowerment through breath and meditation. // 3:52: yoga philosophy discussion, 29:29: guided breath meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/
2022-11-1043 minAwareness Offerings Podcast62: Embodiment Over EntitlementContent Warning: This episode contains discussions of sexual violence. This week, I find myself reflecting on my experience of sexual violence, what they say about entitlement, and how they relate to historical structures and our current cultural landscape. Together, we explore embodiment as an antidote to entitlement and practice a guided embodiment meditation. // 3:07: discussion, 25:08: guided embodiment meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/
2022-11-0338 minAwareness Offerings Podcast61: The Joy DeficitThis week, my teacher said something affirming: "We are in a joy deficit." This helped put words to the sense of disconnection I've been feeling as we process the events of the last 2+ years. I continue to process in this episode, reflect on radical joy, and offer practices for reconnecting to joy. // 3:57: yoga philosophy discussion, 24:41: guided meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/
2022-10-2735 minAwareness Offerings Podcast60: Put Your Head On The GroundA sequence of events, starting with neck pain and leading me into rabbit pose and teaching several yoga classes about it, has brought me to this point. I am preaching, like it or not, about why we should all be putting our heads on the ground. This week, we talk about the physical, energetic and spiritual benefits, ways to do it, and practice grounding through the crown together. // 3:13: yoga philosophy discussion, 30:48: guided grounding meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/
2022-10-2038 minAwareness Offerings Podcast59: Good and GriefA conscious exploration of the ways good and grief are inherently intertwined throughout the experience of being alive, complete with a deep and spacious guided meditation for witnessing this truth from the compassionate heart. // 3:31: yoga philosophy discussion, 19:13: guided meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/
2022-10-1340 minAwareness Offerings Podcast58: Honoring LongingIn this Awareness Offering, we're exploring the concept of longing as a spiritual tool, an expression of connection to the sacred... and a way we give ourselves information. What if experiences like overwhelm, exhaustion and frustration are extreme manifestations of the parts of us that long for a deeper, more nourishing experience? We unpack together, then (rather than an in-the-moment, guided meditation), I offer a take-home spiritual practice for honoring longing. // Stay connected on Instagram: https://instagram.com/laura__tara/
2022-10-0624 minAwareness Offerings Podcast57: We Get ToThis week, I'm sitting with the reality that we get to practice. It is a privilege, and we have a responsibility to use our practice to orient us more toward liberation. In a world where revolution is afoot, especially in Iran, this feels more vital than ever. We ask for authentic liberation through a guided mantra meditation. // 4:01: yoga philosophy discussion , 29:02: guided mantra meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://instagram.com/laura__tara/
2022-09-2939 minAwareness Offerings PodcastEquinox BlessingsA programming note and blessings on the Autumnal Equinox.
2022-09-2303 minAwareness Offerings Podcast56: Practicing People-FirstThis week, we explore the concept of Person-First Language. Is the product of a grassroots movement, a therapeutic and mental health skill, a tool for living in the world more compassionately and a spiritual practice. We examine all of these facets together, then practice relating to ourselves with a person-first orientation through a guided meditation. 👁️ 3:51: discussion, 38:33: guided meditation 👁️ Stay Connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/
2022-09-1550 min
Awareness Offerings Podcast55: When the Love is Real with Kaci DianeThis week, for a very special Awareness Offering, I'm joined by writer, creative and my good friend Kaci Diane. We have a rich discussion on the creative process, how it intersects with spirituality, her new book, "When the Love is Real," love and relationships and more. She closes us out by offering a spiritual writing practice as a unique and impactful style of meditation. Keep up with Kaci's work at @kacidianewrite on social media, and at https://www.kacidiane.com/.
2022-09-0953 minAwareness Offerings Podcast54: Anti-Capitalist AhimsaThis week, we explore anti-capitalism as a practice of Ahimsa, the yogic principle of doing no harm. We take inspiration from everyone from the Kardashians and the Sounds Like a Cult podcast to Zen Buddhist Master Thich Nhat Hanh, and we put it into practice with a meditation for remembering our wholeness as the opposite of commodification. // 4:06: yoga philosophy discussion, 25:00: guided meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/
2022-09-0136 minAwareness Offerings Podcast53: The Opposite of Not EnoughNot-enoughness has recently been a very present pattern for me and the people I know and work with. One tool that's come up as we each grapple with this difficult internal narrative is this understanding: unconditional love is the opposite of not-enoughness. This week, we examine processes for working with this pattern, tools for calling on unconditional love, and try them out together in meditation practice. // 3:57: yoga philosophy discussion, 20:17: guided meditaiton // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/
2022-08-1833 minAwareness Offerings Podcast52: As Mystical as It SeemsWhat if everything is as mystical as it seems? In a discussion inspired by outer space, we talk about what this means in terms of yoga philosophy, our lives, and practice. We quiet our minds in order to sense the mysticism of the moment through guided meditation. // 3:29: yoga philosophy discussion, 24:18: guided meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/
2022-08-1136 minAwareness Offerings Podcast51: How I Got HereIn this special episode, I'm telling my story. You could call it my yoga story, because it begins with my introduction to yoga and yoga is the reason that most things in my life have unfolded the way they have. I'm laying out the mystical, wild and winding path that got me right here, to this moment, as yoga and meditation teacher, spiritual social media strategist and therapist in-in training sharing what I've learned with you. // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/
2022-08-041h 00Awareness Offerings Podcast50: ExpectationsHappy 50 episodes! In celebration of the 50th episode of the Awareness Offerings Podcast, I asked you to send in requests for this week's topic. The winning suggestion: letting go of expectations. We chat about what that means on the New Moon (the day I recorded this), what it doesn't mean, and where expectations come from. I share the tools that have empowered me to release expectations, and we use these tools in embodied meditation practice. // 7:19: yoga philosophy discussion, 35:23: guided meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/
2022-07-2847 minAwareness Offerings Podcast49: Compassion as the Only PathWhat if compassion is the only way to respond? This week, we explore this question by looking at the way compassion affects internal processes, interpersonal interactions and the world at large. Ultimately, we may not know what compassion will look like or impact in each moment, but that's the point: to be as soft and understanding as possible, no matter what. We put this into practice together with a guided mantra meditation. // 3:47: yoga philosophy discussion, 30:13: guided mantra meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/
2022-07-2243 minAwareness Offerings Podcast48: The Benefits of Letting GoIn our return to the pod after a brief hiatus, we discuss the template for letting go. We explore the idea that we can only stand to benefit from letting go, even when holding on feels more hopeful or comfortable, and how the practice of letting go relates to our experience of the world at large. We put in into embodied practice with a guided meditation. // 4:00: yoga philosophy discussion, 24:54: guided meditation // More information on the name of the James Webb Space Telescope: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasa-needs-to-rename-the-james-webb-space-telescope/ // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/
2022-07-1441 min
Awareness Offerings PodcastA Note: Modeling BreaksA short note to keep you up to date: I'm taking a break from recording full episodes of the podcast this week and next, and I hope to model the consciousness practice and resistance practice of taking breaks during this time. I hope you will take care, and I'll be back will full, weekly episodes the week of July 11th. Thank you for listening.
2022-06-3006 minAwareness Offerings Podcast47: Unconditionally Checking InThis week, I've had experiences where my perspective on myself "zooms out" and I'm able to check in with myself in a deeper way and see the areas where I've grown. These areas have included non-reactivity and unconditional love for myself. In processing them, I've come to understand that regardless of how loving we feel or how much we feel we are or are not growing, the most important part is unconditionally checking in. Unconditional presence with ourselves. Together, we discuss it, then put it into practice with a simple, guided check-in. // 3:35: yoga philosophy discussion, 19:03: guided check-in // Stay connected on...
2022-06-2325 minAwareness Offerings Podcast46: Something Is WrongI offer reflections on my process working with the narrative that "something is wrong." I'm realizing that I have internalized the difficulty of being in the world as an assumption that something is wrong with me, and as I work to release that narrative, I invite us all to do the same. If we exchange "something is wrong" for compassion, for ourselves and others, we help create the space for us and for all beings to experience qualities like love and bliss rather than continuous suffering. We put this into practice with a compassion meditation.
3:22: yoga philosophy discussion
17:30: guided compassion...
2022-06-1632 minAwareness Offerings Podcast45: Thunder TeachingsBorn from reflections on sitting through a thunder storm, we explore the ways that many cultures, from children to different faith traditions, spiritualize storms as a way of finding connection to something bigger than any one human. The uncontrollable nature of our experiences can be both wild and very freeing. After we discuss this together, we embody this connection to something greater than ourselves through breath meditation. // 3:45: yoga philosophy discussion, 18:48: guided breath meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/
2022-06-0931 minAwareness Offerings Podcast44: Creativity to Cut TensionThis week, I'm examining creativity as an antidote to the tension of our times. In my yoga lineage, creativity and stress are the opposite of one another. In a world and under systems that very much want to keep us stressed, creativity is a radical practice. We explore it in discussion then practice it in meditation together. // 4:00: yoga philosophy discussion, 17:54: guided meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/
2022-06-0237 minAwareness Offerings Podcast43: The Mental Health FallacyThis week, in the wake of the deadliest school shooting the US has seen in a decade, I shift the lens from traditionally spiritual to that of mental health. I use my mental health qualifications to unpack the 3 main reasons that making America's gun problem about mental health is a fallacy. Then, in meditation, we use our breaths to clear intentional and compassionate space for us to land in the midst of our heartbreak. // 6:58: discussion, 24:17: guided meditation // Stay connected on Instagram: https://instagram.com/laura__tara/
2022-05-2642 min
Awareness Offerings Podcast42: Unworthiness Work for the WorldOf the last 2 weeks that I spent on hiatus from this podcast, I spent one processing the painful events in the world and another in the paradise of Costa Rica working on myself; specifically, my unworthiness. This week, I explore how those two things are related-- how working on and tending to ourselves is connected to the violence and power imbalances we currently see in the world. Then, we go into mediation to take that embodied time and space to tend to ourselves. // 3:59: yoga philosophy discussion, 23:51: guided meditation // stay connected on Instagram: https://instagram.com/laura__tara/
2022-05-1936 minAwareness Offerings Podcast41: Not NowThis week's show is another exploration of the teachings I receive when I'm sorting through my thoughts while driving. This time, I realized that I was disconnecting myself from reality by staying caught in thoughts of the past and future, and that the work being asked of me was to let those thoughts go. I realized that, in the moments of our everyday lives, we have to be willing to release our thoughts like we do in meditation. Together, we discuss what this means and how we can put it into practice in a tangible way. // Stay connected on Instagram...
2022-04-2930 minAwareness Offerings Podcast40: Things Get BetterThis week, I saw someone online detailing their experience in a toxic situation and their hope that things would get better, which reminded me of my own experience in a similar dynamic. I've come to learn that things do get better, but we don't have to wait on someone or something outside of ourselves for that to happen. We explore this together, then practice a fiery, guided breath meditation to support our internal capacity to transform, to do things differently than we have before. This is the mechanism by which things get better. // 3:55: yoga philosophy discussion, 25:40: guided breath meditation // stay...
2022-04-2142 minAwareness Offerings Podcast39: Happy on the WayOne of the simple and powerful teachings from my guru (primary spiritual teacher), Ma Jaya, is, "You have to learn to be happy on the way to happiness." I've always understood this teaching in my mind, but I've recently had an opportunity to learn it in my heart, as I've realized I'm still treating my happiness as a destination. We explore this insight together and practice a guided meditation for being present to our internal wholeness (which I interchange with happiness) right where we are, regardless of what's on the way externally. // 3:41: yoga philosophy discussion, 22:03: guided meditation // Stay connected on...
2022-04-1437 minAwareness Offerings Podcast38: Wrap Your Mind Around ItAs we live through one of the most significant global conflicts in a century, it's common for people to say they "can't wrap their minds around" the violence we are witnessing. While this reaction is incredibly understandable, there is more wholeness (the meaning of yoga) in understanding that every human has the capacity to perpetuate harm. We explore this concept together and put it into practice with a guided self-inquiry meditation. // 4:12: yoga philosophy discussion, 30:44: guided self-inquiry meditation // stay connected on Instagram: https://instagram.com/laura__tara/
2022-04-0746 minAwareness Offerings Podcast37: Silent NonviolenceThis week our discussion is based largely around the guidance and wisdom of Black women, and we talk about the yogic principle of nonviolence. There was a version of me that believed nonviolence always involved speaking out or taking action against what I perceived as violence, but I'm learning differently now. Together, we explore what it means to practice silence as nonviolence, especially in situations where using our voices can cause harm. We put it into practice with a guided breath meditation. // 4:05: yoga philosophy discussion, 22:55: guided breath meditation // stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura__tara/
2022-03-3134 minAwareness Offerings Podcast36: Do NothingI did not know what I was going to talk about on this week's podcast, right up to the moment of recording it. I realized that this was an indication that I should "do nothing." Lee Lozowick, teacher to many of my teachers, talks about doing nothing. And Thich Nhat Hanh, my first-ever spiritual teacher, wrote a whole passage in one of his books about aimlessness, just being where we are with no particular goal in mind. This week gave me change to put aimlessness into practice, so we talk about it a little then put it into practice together...
2022-03-2431 minAwareness Offerings Podcast35: Digital, Spiritual ConsentWhen spiritual practitioners make social media posts giving us "readings," messages or other insights about our lives, this can be tricky. There's no way for the person making the post to know who is actually receiving the message, and we have no way to expect or give consent to what's being offered. This week, we discuss how this practice misaligns with healing principles of consent and spiritual principles of empowerment, then practice a guided breath meditation for personal empowerment and agency over our own energy. // 3:58: yoga philosophy discussion, 25:14: guided breath meditation // Stay connected on social media: https://instagram.com/laura...
2022-03-1737 minAwareness Offerings Podcast34: The Here and NowThis week, we diverge from our traditional discussion-then-meditation format to focus solely on our embodied, present moment experience. Based on the principle of "working in the here and now" as presented by psychologist Irv Yalom, we bring awareness to all layers of our experience as a practice of holding ourselves in wholeness.
2022-03-1122 minAwareness Offerings Podcast33: Praise PracticeThis week's episode is a story about how I ended up at an Ash Wednesday church service after teaching a yoga class, decided I wanted to do a 40-day sadhana (spiritual practice) during the 40 days of lent, and came to understand that gratitude is a practice of praising God / the sacred. Together, we partake in a guided gratitude meditation to practice gratitude as a tool for living all of life as praise.
4:27: yoga philosophy discussion
25:19: guided gratitude meditation
2022-03-0342 minAwareness Offerings Podcast32: Bringing the Romance BackRecently, I discovered that I miss the feeling of being in a romance with life. In our heavy and often sad or distressing circumstances, it's not as natural to feel wonder, sweetness, beauty, dreaminess. Once I named that to myself, life lined up in a way that has reminded me that it, life itself, is a romance. This week, I share about the ways I've rediscovered that and offer a guided visualization meditation for playfulness, curiosity, wonder... romance.
3:49: yoga philosophy discussion
20:34: guided visualization meditation
2022-02-1736 minAwareness Offerings Podcast31: Don't Figure It OutThere has been a lot to "figure out" in our collective human experience lately. Over the last few years in general, and for me, around the future of this podcast, recently. On this week's episode, I touch briefly on my decision to keep hosting Awareness Offerings on Spotify in addition to the 2 other platforms it lives on. Then, we talk about how, because there has been so much to "figure out," our minds can easily default to a state of overanalyzing and constant thinking. I share the teaching I've been working with to help me let go of figuring things...
2022-02-1038 minAwareness Offerings Podcast30: Freedom Through FearWe're living in a world that has tried to create a black-and-white binary between freedom and fear, as if they are opposites. The Hindu philosophy that has influenced yoga has a different story to tell. This week we explore how the mythology of the goddess Kali invites us to relate to our fear differently and live life from a place of wholeness. Together, we put it into practice with a guided mantra and visualization meditation.
3:26: yoga philosophy discussion
25:56: guided meditation
2022-01-2742 minAwareness Offerings Podcast29: Compassionate PracticeIn this week's briefer Awareness Offering, I share the lessons I've been learning about practice from being in acute physical pain over the last month. It comes down to the fact that when we cannot pick up the formal tools, what we have left is compassion. We put this into practice, in the present moment, together.
2022-01-2013 minAwareness Offerings Podcast28: A Sacred Music StoryThis week, I share about my relationship to sacred music and how it has coincided with my relationship to the sacred itself. I talk about my understanding of yogic singing and how finding this practice helped me reclaim a relationship to the sacred that I once thought had to turn away from. Then, for our shared spiritual practice, I sing some sacred Sanskrit mantra and invite you to join me. The words we sing are: Bajrangi Hanuman (3x) Mahavir Sri Rama Rama Ram Bajrangi Hanuman.
3:08: yoga philosophy discussion
23:34: mantra and meditation
2022-01-1339 minAwareness Offerings Podcast27: January 6th, Dale Cooper, Jung and YogaThis week, my podcast recording day has coincided with the anniversary of the January 6th attack on the US Capitol. We discuss how the philosophies of psychoanalyst Carl Jung, Twin Peaks character Dale Cooper, and the January 6th attack are related, and what this all means for the work and practice of yoga. Then, we embody this understanding with a simple wholeness meditation.
4:22: yoga philosophy discussion
35:00: guided wholeness meditation
2022-01-0647 minAwareness Offerings Podcast26: Lighting a CandleFor the last Awareness Offerings episode of 2021, I light a candle. I light it in honor and acknowledgement of the pain we've been through, to light the way forward toward goodness in the days ahead, and to help us metabolize all the experiences of this year. We discuss all of these symbolic meanings then light the flame from within through a guided breath meditation.
4:23: yoga philosophy discussion
15:49: guided breath meditation
2021-12-3037 minAwareness Offerings Podcast25: True Love Transformsbell hooks, revolutionary Black feminist and author who left her body the week of this recording, defined love as being about critical awakening and transformation. This week, we explore these powerful ideas through the lens of yoga philosophy and embody them through a simple, silent mantra meditation.
4:04 yoga philosophy discussion
27:05: silent mantra meditation
2021-12-1741 minAwareness Offerings Podcast24: Season's BeingWe typically don't judge our Mother Earth for her seasons and cycles, and I'm actively trying to reject the idea that we must judge ourselves for moving through those same cycles. As winter approaches, there is a natural turning inward and a downturn of energy. We use up more of our precious energy by judging ourselves for slowing down this time of year, and there is a lot of power in embracing the natural cycles and the lessons of "Being" that this season has to offer instead. We explore these lessons in discussion and embody them together in meditation.
4:04: yoga...
2021-12-0245 min
Awareness Offerings Podcast23: The Grace of DiscomfortWhen we make mistakes, get uncomfortable and respond with the desire to over-apologize, we're working with unworthiness and unwillingness. This week, we explore what happens when we allow the discomfort of our mistakes, complete with a breath meditation for embodying a willingness to be uncomfortable so we can show more grace.
4:10: yoga philosophy discussion
23:54: guided breath meditation
2021-11-1837 minAwareness Offerings Podcast22: Meditation is FeelingThis week, and in my life, I'm working with the question: what is meditation, really? When we uncomplicate the language and explore meditation at its essence, I think it is simply feeling what we feel. I share what I've learned and experienced to make the case for this definition, then we practice a breath meditation to facilitate the embodied experience of feeling what we feel.
8:28: yoga philosophy discussion
28:59: guided breath meditation
2021-11-1245 minAwareness Offerings PodcastHappy Diwali!This week, in honor of Diwali and spaciousness, I'm offering a short and loving Diwali blessing and mini meditation for embracing the light of true illumination... that which helps us to be lovingly present to reality, no matter how beautiful or uncomfortable. I'll be back with a full, regular-format episode next week! Happy Diwali!
2021-11-0415 minAwareness Offerings Podcast21: Line of SightThis week I examine a familiar pattern: trying to put myself in others' line of sight, especially if I have some attachment to them and don't feel that it's being reciprocated. We explore how this pattern relates to the path, practices and limbs of yoga, then sit with the question: what if we put ourselves in God's line of sight instead? What if we did sacred practice as a mechanism of deep trust? We then go into a guided breath meditation to do that very sacred practice together.
3:37: yoga philosophy discussion
24:41: guided breath meditation
2021-10-2838 minAwareness Offerings Podcast20: The MotherIn this week's episode, I explore my relationship to and understanding of The Mother, one name for God or the Sacred. Together, we examine the various qualities and iconography associated with The Mother, the ways she is accessible far beyond the gender binary, and different methods of connecting with Her. Then, we connect to Her through a guided mantra and meditation practice.
3:51: yoga philosophy discussion
26:30: guided mantra meditation
2021-10-2241 minAwareness Offerings Podcast19: The Yoga of Making LoveMy teacher says that love is the only material in the universe that we have more of when we give it away. This week, we're talking about how that applies to cultural conversations around marginalized people, how we can practice embodied love in our own lives, how that shifts our hearts and ultimately benefits the world. This week's meditation is based on the Buddhist "Metta" practice of offering the energy of love as a tool for feeling love, right in the moment and no matter what.
3:56 Yoga Philosophy Discussion
22:19 Guided Love Meditation
2021-10-1440 minAwareness Offerings Podcast18: More Than AwarenessThis week, I'm making the bold statement that awareness is not enough, bold because I've based my life, my work and my podcast on the concept of awareness. With real-world examples, I'm explaining why it's not enough to just be aware of our patterns, and how we can go beyond just awareness to embody transformation for ourselves, our relationships and our world. Then, we practice a guided meditation for looking inward and outward at the same time, cultivating awareness then taking it with us into action.
4:14: yoga philosophy discussion
32:26: guided meditation
2021-10-0747 minAwareness Offerings Podcast17: When I Don't Know, I ServeI did not know what I wanted to talk about on this week's podcast, but the intention that kept coming to my mind as I thought about it was, "I want to serve. I want to serve." I wanted to be helpful in some way. This reminded me of a quote from a sacred yogic text: "When I do not know who I am, I serve you. When I do know who I am, I am you." We talk about the implications of this teaching in a world where it's so easy to not know, about many things, then I...
2021-09-3039 minAwareness Offerings Podcast16: The Yoga of Feeling SafeSafety is a theme that continues to come up in many places right now: in my own life, for my counseling clients, and nationally and culturally. There is both psychological and spiritual basis for safety as one of the most important qualities to our lives and our journeys, on the spiritual path as well as in a general sense.
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Together, we explore these psychological and spiritual concepts, I share the lessons I've learned about myself and my gravitation toward unsafe relationships, and we look at how this relates to the case of Gabby Petito that has impacted many of us...
2021-09-2347 minAwareness Offerings PodcastAccessibility and Creativity: an Invitation to PracticeWe're changing up the structure of the podcast for this week's episode, and doing something different than we normally do is a yoga practice in itself! I'm sharing my process as I've navigated the intention I set to share as much digital practice as possible, and where that intention meets the reality of a full, changing and busy life.
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To honor that intention, instead of a guided meditation, this week I'm inviting you to join me on YouTube for a full-length chair yoga practice! Tune in here to learn more about my background with chair yoga and how the accessibility an...
2021-09-1719 minAwareness Offerings Podcast15: The Social Work StudentI'm currently studying to earn my Masters of Clinical Social Work, and I've been seeing counseling clients as part of my first clinical internship. Recently, one of my clients came to an insight about their life that made me feel both seen and called out in my own stuff, something that happens fairly often.
My clients are always teaching me. They hold the mirror up to my own patterns and they share insights that teach me about being human. This week, we discuss the value of showing up to the counseling space as a human, how to do that within th...
2021-09-0938 minAwareness Offerings Podcast14: No Wrong ChoicesI've recently discovered a new belief that I have: I believe that we don't make wrong choices. I've arrived here by moving through some big and real feelings regarding a relationship choice I made in the past, and by realizing that we can live more openly when we release shame and value judgement... while staying aware of how our choices affect other people, of course.
I describe the real-life situation that lead me here, we discuss the details of how "no wrong choices" really works, then we practice a clearing breath meditation to help us make contact with the present...
2021-09-0248 minAwareness Offerings Podcast13: For When You Can't Be a Machine AnymoreThere is much weighing heavy on all of us, including the crisis in Afghanistan (which we take a moment of silence to acknowledge), the pandemic and more. I recently had a moment when it all became too much, and I lost my shit for a moment. But as I've been processing that experience, I've received the wise guidance: "You are not a machine. You are an animal with a beating heart."
Together, we explore what this teaching means for the moments we're living in now and how it connects us to the deeper qualities of our hearts. Then, we practice...
2021-08-1939 min
Awareness Offerings Podcast12: Darling, I've Got Your BackIt can be incredibly impactful and transformative when someone acknowledges our reality and affirms that they are with us in it. My spiritual teacher did it this week when she acknowledged the difficulty of this time and said, "I've got your back." Another beloved teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, offers mantras like, "Darling, I'm here for you," for this purpose. Together, we explore the meaning and heart-opening impact of this kind of love and support, then practice a guided meditation to embody that source of support for ourselves.
3:25: yoga philosophy discussion
15:36: guided meditation
2021-08-1329 minAwareness Offerings Podcast11: Out of the House, Not the HeartMa Jaya, the Master Teacher of my yoga lineage, said, "I won't throw you out of my heart, but I can throw you out of my house." I was reminded of this teaching when I saw a post circulating on Instagram that said, "Hey vaxxed friends, I love you! Hey unvaxxed friends, I love you!"
My reflection has been that the point was never that we don't love people based on their vaccination status; of course we do! But we can also sit with the reality of these decisions, show up for hard conversations and set loving boundaries when needed...
2021-08-0536 minAwareness Offerings Podcast10: Practice to Keep PracticingYoga practice doesn't have an endgame, it is not a process of achievement. We practice to keep practicing. Similarly, we are being asked to keep moving through the complex and ever-changing layers of the Covid-19 pandemic.
And while it should certainly have an endgame, we are being asked to stay with our pandemic practices a little longer. This can be frustrating, disappointing and even painful, but it helps to frame this as another layer of practice.
We can use practice to tend to all the emotions and experiences of the past year and a half, supporting ourselves for this current...
2021-07-3039 minAwareness Offerings PodcastA Short Practice from the OceanI'm taking some space by the ocean this week, so in leu of a full episode, I'm sharing a short practice inspired by the waves, a reminder that we are not separate from the expansive ocean of consciousness. The show will return to its regular format next week!
2021-07-2309 minAwareness Offerings Podcast9: Swords and BalmsThe cause of our pain might also be the cause of our comfort sometimes, but it's not really going to be the cause of our deep healing. The instrument that wounds us is not usually going to be same thing as the balm that heals us.
This week, we discuss how this concept applies to interpersonal relationships, especially those that are toxic, and to societal systems that we cannot "go back" to as we emerge from the events of the last year and half. We explore the ways that these ideas relate to the Goddess Kali, the yogic essence of...
2021-07-1539 min