JivaChaiChat

JivaChaiChat
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  • SPIRITUALITY
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Chris is a Jivamukti Yoga Teacher and self-taught podcaster. He is passionate about yoga, chai, and felines. Bored by small talk, he loves learning how yoga practitioners translate ancient teachings into their modern lives. He hopes to provide conversations, practices, and stories to help others navigate this beautiful gift called life. He’s available to talk about Jivamukti Yoga to anyone throughout the United States and abroad.

  1. Duncan Wong (part 2): Making of a Mystic

    MAR 2

    Duncan Wong (part 2): Making of a Mystic

    Duncan shares with us tales from his transformational journey into becoming a modern mystic. He joins us at the Chai Cafe to describe nature's influence on his spirituality, the connection between yoga and martial arts, energy management as an empath, and the relationship between monogamy and tantra. Duncan Wong is one of a kind and not to be missed! Duncan teaches at Form Yoga Studio in Kyoto Duncan's flow in action Sensei Duncan on Instagram Study with Duncan online

    51 min
  2. Tim Rothman

    FEB 5

    Tim Rothman

    Tim. What can be said? He's obviously lived a life, and that life led him to yoga. He started his yogic pursuits in 2009 at Union Square Jivamukti Yoga...and from there, well, listen in to our conversation and find out what it means to be a householder yogi. The way he talks about his kids and mother will make you realize the fruits of a yoga journey. Tim's website Follow Tim on Instagram

    42 min
  3. Dawn Blezard

    JAN 8

    Dawn Blezard

    Dawn comes into the Chai Shop and has a nice chat outlining a path of self-discovery and internal inquiry since the age of 21. Dawn shares her journey from a troubled childhood marked by bullying and abuse to finding solace in yoga and philosophy, culminating in her participation in the Jiva Mukti training in Costa Rica.  Between sips of chai, Dawn talks about teaching yoga and philosophy to a community facing various challenges, emphasizing the importance of creating a safe space for personal growth and self-discovery. A true practitioner, she practices what she preaches and is open about the role of yoga in her life, both as a physical practice and as a philosophical framework that helps her overcome personal obstacles. Dawn also discusses her approach to teaching, which includes inviting students to test their practice in real-life situations, as well as her ongoing efforts to build a supportive community centered around Jivamukti Yoga.  Follow Dawn on Instagram Dawn on YouTube & Facebook Dawn on Substack

    44 min
  4. Durga Devi

    12/31/2025

    Durga Devi

    Durga Devi, the name given to Denise by her beloved teachers, Sharon Gannon and David Life, is a former dancer and competitive gymnast who grew up in New York City.  After high school, she studied fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology and hung out in Manhattan's East Village, soaking up the downtown music and art scene, which inspired her to take up guitar and become a singer/songwriter.  Several close friends introduced Durga to yoga in 1994.  Asana practice felt very natural to the former gymnast, but it was the chanting, the philosophy, and the ancient and holy teachings of yoga that really hit home. Durga has taught yoga internationally for over 20 years in the US, Europe and India and has been a guest teacher at Jivamukti centres in Berlin, Munich and New York. She taught at the New York Jivamukti Centre for over 3 years and moved to London in early 2005 for the opening of the London Jivamukti Yoga Centre with Manizeh Rimer.  ​ Durga also taught at London's leading yoga centre, Triyoga, for 10 years, and most recently was involved in the opening of Love Supreme Projects in Notting Hill. In addition to her Jivamukti teacher training and Jivamukti Yoga Advanced Certification, she completed teacher training at the Laughing Lotus Yoga Centre in New York City.  Durga is primarily inspired by Sharon Gannon and David Life, Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa (Kundalini yoga), Yogeswari (Estelle Eichenberger), and Joan Suval (direct disciple of Shri Brahmananda Saraswati).  Kirtan training with Jai Uttal inspires her chanting, a vital component of her teachings.  Bhagavan Das and Krishna Das also encourage her to open up the doors of Bhakti, uniting song and heart.  All of her teachers have brought many blessings to her life for which she is truly grateful, and she will continue to inspire and uplift the lives of all whom she teaches. Follow Durga on Instagram. Check out her website

    51 min
  5. Duncan Wong (part 1)

    12/21/2025

    Duncan Wong (part 1)

    This episode has been a long time coming, and it was worth the wait. Some people have stories...Duncan has EPICS! Seriously, one of the most fabulous guys around. In this episode, Sensei Wong opens up about his childhood, his early days in the San Francisco yoga scene, meeting Sharon and David, the importance of adjustments, meeting Shri Brahmananda, traveling to Mysore, how to annoy Madonna in the shala, and following your own path. Follow Duncan on Instagram In Japan, he teaches at Form Yoga Studio Kyoto More about Yogicarts Academy

    50 min
  6. Clare Nicholls

    11/24/2025

    Clare Nicholls

    Clare’s interest in yoga was ignited as a child when she was introduced to the Mahabharata; she fell in love with the stories and the philosophies woven throughout. Since 2001, Clare has practiced asana and views the physical practice as a way to undo the habits we hold in our bodies and release the past, creating space for the future. Clare began teaching in 2005 with a British Wheel of Yoga Diploma. In 2011, she qualified to teach Jivamukti Yoga and became advanced certified in 2017.  In 2014 and 2015, Clare travelled around India, experiencing many sites of pilgrimage and integrating an understanding of the philosophies into her life, practice, and teaching. In 2016-2017, she spent 10 months in Mysore chanting the yoga sutras under the guidance of the wonderful Dr M.A. Jayashree and appreciating the detail of their philosophical themes through studying with Professor Narasimhan. She has the blessing of her teachers, Dr Jayashree and Professor Narasimhan, to share her love of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and the philosophy they contain. Now she returns to Mysore twice a year to practice with the legend, Saraswathi Jois, and to connect with her beloved teacher, Dr Jayashree. thecolourandthechaos.com Clare on Instagram

    57 min
  7. Peter Rizzo

    11/11/2025

    Peter Rizzo

    Peter Rizzo is a yogi's yogi (a real one, as the kids would say.) Residing in Vermont, Peter’s teachings and lifestyle are deeply rooted in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and the vinyasa principles he learned from Sharon Gannon and David Life.He offers private lessons and small group classes, both in-person and online. Treat yourself to an "old school vinyasa class," as Peter likes to call them, by reaching out to schedule a session. Peter takes pride in making the wisdom of yoga both approachable and affordable for his students. Email: peterrizzo9@gmail.com

    40 min
  8. Mark Stevens

    10/18/2025

    Mark Stevens

    Mild technical issues during this interview. Please accept my apologies that I wasn't able to smooth out all the rough edges; however, the lessons that Mark gives are worth the minor inconveniences. Mark Stevens started practising Yoga at art school in 1986 after a career in motorcycle road racing, which left him with a body badly in need of rehabilitation! After leaving art school, he worked as an artist for many years, sustaining a regular yoga practice and studying in the Sivananda and Iyengar traditions. Gradually, the medium shifted from painting to yoga. Mark has an MA in Fine Art.​In 2003, he undertook Sivananda teacher training in Kerala, southern India, and met his teacher, Swami Govindananda; it was a life-changing experience, and on his return, he converted part of his home into a Yoga studio and has been teaching there ever since. Mark qualified in Yogic Meditation with Swami Saradananda in London in 2006.​Back to India for advanced teacher training with Swami Govindananda in the Himalayan Ashram on the banks of the Ganges in 2007.​By this time, Mark had also discovered Jivamukti Yoga and new inspiration in the form of modern-day Yoga masters David Life and Sharon Gannon. He undertook teacher training with them in New York in 2009, discovering a new Yoga family.​The teachings of Tirumali Krishnamacharya also inspired Mark, who undertook a short Vinyasa Krama Teacher Training andhis long- workshops with term student Srivatsa Ramaswami in 2014. The teaching and books of Gregor Maehle also inform Mark's practice and teaching, especially the systems of Pranayama and Yogic Kundalini Meditation that he has codified for us from the traditional scriptures. Mark offers love, gratitude, and all his efforts to the teachers and students who have guided him on the path of yoga, Swami Sivananda. Swami Vishnu Devananada. David Life. Sharon Gannon. Yogeshwari. Swami Govindananda. Ruth Lauer-Manenti. Prahlada. Swami Kailasananda. Swami Tattvarupananda. Swami Saradananda. Srivatsa Ramaswami and Gregor Maehle. Emergence of Yoga. T. K. Sribashyam. (English Edition) Nathamuni's Yoga Rahasya. T.K.V. Desikachar. Yoganjalisaram. T. Krishnamacharya. Yoga Yajnavalkya. A.G. Mohan & Ganesh Mohan S. Ramaswami. Samkhya Karika. https://www.yogastudioely.co.uk/ IG. Yoga Studio Ely FB. Yoga Studio Ely YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@yogastudioely1399

    1h 2m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Chris is a Jivamukti Yoga Teacher and self-taught podcaster. He is passionate about yoga, chai, and felines. Bored by small talk, he loves learning how yoga practitioners translate ancient teachings into their modern lives. He hopes to provide conversations, practices, and stories to help others navigate this beautiful gift called life. He’s available to talk about Jivamukti Yoga to anyone throughout the United States and abroad.

Information

  • Creator
    JivaChaiChat
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    54
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © JivaChaiChat
  • Show Website
    JivaChaiChat

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