Ashtanga Yoga: For the Seekers

Marla Tortorice
  • 5.0 (5)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

The Sādhaka Podcast. If asana is the “what” we do, then this podcast serves as the why the hell are we doing it? I will be interviewing experts in the field in an attempt to understand the lived experience of yoga philosophy, inner wisdom, creativity, flow, and inspiration. To understand the “spiritual side effects” of the practice. To glimpse the depth of yoga beyond the physical. So that on the days that you forget, you can remember why you started in the first place. Hosted by: Marla Tortorice - @marlasyoga. Discover the “how” of it all and practice yoga with me on Sādhaka Studio.

Episodes

  1. 04/10/2025

    Defining Dharma: A Discussion on the Ramayana with Justin Curnow, Part 2

    Welcome back to Part 2 of Justin’s discussion about Dharma as it is presented in the Ramayana. Today, Justin gets introduces the character of Hanuman, the idea that the majority of what we experience is a creation of our own mind, and ways to keep that rather daunting thought simple and practical for our every day lives. *This was a live lecture originally held over zoom. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS INTERVIEW, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & DROP ME A RATING. Thank you!!! Find Justin on Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/justincyoga/  Find me on Instagram:⁠⁠ @marlasyoga⁠⁠ Practice yoga with us on Sādhaka Studio: ⁠⁠https://sadhakastudio.uscreen.io/catalog⁠⁠ Come with me and Justin to Costa Rica: ⁠⁠https://www.wetravel.com/trips/for-the-seekers-ashtanga-yoga-retreat-sadhaka-67726403 Timestamps 00:00 0:56 Ravana representing the acquisition of power 12:38 The complexity of good and evil 17:15 The Quest to Rescue Sita and introduction of Hanuman 22:02 The most important passage in the entire book 25:06 Adharma is the strong taking from the helpless 25:53 Dharma will always become whole again 28:40 Illusion: the majority of what we experience is a creation of our own mind 29:42 Self-awareness is a major victory 34:01 We always continue 40:41 Keep it simple 43:27 Important takeaways

    48 min

  2. 04/03/2025

    Defining Dharma: A Discussion on the Ramayana with Justin Curnow, Part 1

    Justin leads a discussion about Dharma as it is presented in the Ramayana. The concept of Dharma has taken on a modernized definition in most western yogic circles. And while this definition is not entirely divorced from its original idea, it is a small section of a much larger picture. Dharma is one of most important concepts in eastern spiritual traditions. In this discussion we will use the Ramayana, an Indian epic poem, to help us define what Dharma is in its ancient context. In Part 1, Justin (1) defines the concepts of Karma, Samsara, and Adharma, (2) introduces the story of the Ramayana is introduced, including Rama’s exile; and (3) talks about how we are currently in an age (referencing Kali Yuga) where dharma is in decline. *This was a live lecture originally held over zoom. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS INTERVIEW, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & DROP ME A RATING. Thank you!!! Find Justin on Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/justincyoga/  Find me on Instagram:⁠⁠ @marlasyoga⁠⁠ Practice yoga with us on Sādhaka Studio: ⁠⁠https://sadhakastudio.uscreen.io/catalog⁠⁠ Come with me and Justin to Costa Rica: ⁠⁠https://www.wetravel.com/trips/for-the-seekers-ashtanga-yoga-retreat-sadhaka-67726403 Timestamps 00:00 Intro 00:56 Introduction to Eastern Philosophy and Hinduism 03:51 The Concepts of Karma and Samsara  14:23 Yoga as alignment  16:35 Adharma  19:25 Super brief overview of the Ramayana 23:45 Rama becomes banished to the forest 32:03 “Every broken promise takes away a little dharma from the world” 34:57 Metaphor of the forest as the dark recesses of our minds 37:00 Digesting Hindu epics by seeing all of the characters as different aspects of your own personality 38:53 The lined blurred between good and evil 43:41 The inevitability of Dharma 46:34 We are living in the age where dharma is declining

    52 min

  3. 03/27/2025

    Healing Through the Body: Trauma, Somatics, and Yoga with Rebecca Ferguson

    In this “The Body Keeps the Score”-esque conversation, Rebecca and I we explore how our nervous systems hold onto past experiences and how movement-based practices (cough like yoga) can help reprocess these patterns that are quite literally stuck in our brains. Rebecca explains the difference between big “T” and little “t” trauma, why we hold on to the familiar, top-down vs. bottom-up approaches to therapy, and how EMDR works. “When someone is drowning, it’s not the time to teach them how to swim.” Sometimes we need to feel safe before we can go into that deeper work. Once we start the deeper work, as overwhelming as it might seem, remember that even a 1% change can shift everything. Whether you're working through your own trauma or simply curious about the mind-body connection, this episode offers insight, personal reflection, and hopefully gives you a few tools for moving forward. Rebecca is a trauma and somatics therapist and fellow Ashtangi, and lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.  IF YOU ENJOYED THIS INTERVIEW, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & DROP ME A RATING. Thank you!!! Rebecca’s website and teaching schedule: ⁠⁠https://www.malayogaco.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabUDxxQIUVU1GqOn_tglMU3RmHnlGEEdprQYQRtFbC6LKoJUxiIOyXSuQ4_aem_GYNezuFw8J9nwRtipvdHEA  Find Rebecca on Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/rebeccagraceferguson/  Find me on Instagram:⁠⁠@marlasyoga⁠⁠ Practice yoga with me on Sādhaka Studio: ⁠⁠https://sadhakastudio.uscreen.io/catalog⁠⁠ Come with me to Costa Rica: ⁠⁠https://www.wetravel.com/trips/for-the-seekers-ashtanga-yoga-retreat-sadhaka-67726403 Timestamps 00:00 Intro 05:40 Defining trauma: Big “t” trauma versus little “t” trauma 14:13 How to begin to process stuck traumas 16:12 Marla’s experience with talk therapy 19:04 Top-down approaches vs. bottom-up approaches and getting to the root of trauma 22:18 How EMDR reprocesses the stuck patterns 26:20 It gets more familiar for us to stay stuck than it is to heal 27:13 How to get to the “root” of the trauma 31:28 How yoga can be another bottom-up approach to reprocessing trauma 36:14 Self-study 38:58 Having a teacher that believes you can do it when you don’t  43:27 How trauma can be inherited or passed down through generations  51:40 Asking myself why 52:42 A 1% change is a change; it’s a different system 56:35 The power of finding your thing

    1h 2m

  4. 03/20/2025

    Bibi Lorenzetti on Hearing Our Inner Truth

    Bibi has a way of eloquently articulating the experiences that are, well, really, really hard to articulate.  In this episode, we talk about how the practice of ashtanga yoga helps refine our ability to listen and discern what is true—and what is your mind projecting something on to the truth.  We all have that deep intuitive voice within ourselves, it just takes a matter of getting quiet enough to hear it, and then faith and a structure that allows us to go forward with what we hear. We also talk about her chanting practice and how Bhakti and Vedic chanting are more subtle doorways to connecting with the divine. How can we remove ourselves enough to connect with what’s truly there? How can we embody the practice, not as a performance, but as a lived truth? Let’s dive in. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS INTERVIEW, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & DROP ME A RATING. Thank you!!! Bibi’s website and teaching schedule: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/Bibilorenzetti?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabpZUHvRemgc3uwqU2sEeCThdgMoQeSkPvI2naeTUoeycDbqI-q-9a7Z7c_aem_-GP_1P2eo4f0vi8iCkWldQ  Find Bibi on Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/bibi.lorenzetti/ Newburgh Yoga Shala: https://www.newburghyogashala.com/  Find me on Instagram:⁠⁠ @marlasyoga⁠⁠ Practice yoga with me on Sādhaka Studio: ⁠⁠https://sadhakastudio.uscreen.io/catalog⁠⁠ Come with me to Costa Rica: ⁠⁠https://www.wetravel.com/trips/for-the-seekers-ashtanga-yoga-retreat-sadhaka-67726403 Timestamps 00:00 Intro 05:23 Bibi’s path to ashtanga yoga 11:54 How the practice gave Bibi the tools to heal from anorexia  16:06 How to get quiet enough to hear the deep intuitive voice within 18:42 The role of asana in spiritual growth 19:42 The deep cleansing that needs to happen in order for everything to get quiet 24:54 Chanting is another, subtler way to connect with the energy of these sages, poets, and seers 26:06 The difference between bhakti and vedic chanting 29:10 How to connect with the devotional aspect of the practice, especially when you are someone who needs things to be intellectual  33:13 The end goal is can you be with the difficulty of it all 36:18 How willing to look at yourself you are and how much compassion can you offer yourself 37:48 Being a walking example of the practice and offering your experience 40:53 Teaching to the individual 41:53 The importance of parampara and having a teacher

    1h 1m

  5. 03/13/2025

    Breaking Inherited Patterns with Melissa Matt

    In this episode, Melissa and I talk about the process of breaking old patterns, feeling the things you used to avoid, and learning to regulate yourself in a way that doesn’t leave you exhausted. Melissa shares what it was like to grow up being the “nervous system regulator” for the family, to losing a lot of people close to her in a very short period of time, and ultimately, how she went from detaching from those feelings to being able to trust them.  We also get into the role of emotional awareness, how generational patterns shape us, and why sometimes, if the thing you need doesn’t exist—you have to create it yourself. If you’ve ever felt like you’re slipping back into old patterns or like you’re carrying things that might not be yours—this one’s for you. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS INTERVIEW, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & DROP ME A RATING. Thank you!!! Melissa’s website and teaching schedule: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/melissamatt?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaaVne_FulU1L17x3D9MITb5lw_U7AI24_tUMLYdrzcIach7LbGfS-0RYTQ_aem_M0bmRDVByC6VQLLSCsobDA  Find Melissa on Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/melissamattyoga/  Find me on Instagram:⁠⁠@marlasyoga⁠⁠ Practice yoga with me on Sādhaka Studio: ⁠⁠https://sadhakastudio.uscreen.io/catalog⁠⁠ Come with me to Costa Rica: ⁠⁠https://www.wetravel.com/trips/for-the-seekers-ashtanga-yoga-retreat-sadhaka-67726403 Timestamps 00:00 Intro 06:28 Navigating postpartum challenges 10:49 A really difficult five-year period and the role of emotional awareness 12:28 Detaching from feeling things in the body to learning to trust the body 17:17 Being the nervous system regulator for the family from a very young age 22:57 Slowly taking back autonomy and responsibility for my own happiness 26:28 Changing the patterns for the next generation the next version you are becoming is going to require a whole new level of self-belief 27:59 Not becoming exhausted by the tendency to slip back into your old patterns 32:05 You have to create the thing that doesn’t exist 34:58 How the practice strengthens compassion 36:34 Why certainty is the lazy way out 41:34 Why it’s important to focus on the details in your practice  45:14 Teaching to people’s aversions and the power of other people believing in you 48:30 Our tendency to hyper-independence versus having a community 50:19 Learning that you don’t have to do it alone 53:25 Questions from our followers

    1h 2m

  6. 03/06/2025

    Wade Oakley on Practicing for Longevity

    In this episode, I get to ask Wade about how he balances his advanced ashtanga yoga practice with his (seemingly contradictory) advanced strength training routine. One actually supports the other—and, as it turns out, by concentrating more on the “physical” elsewhere, Wade has been able to find more of the “less physical” in his actual practice. Along the way, we talk about the benefits of doing the hard thing, his trips to Mysore, India, and cultivating the superpower of making space. “Few people can look at you on any given day and have dropped how you have been before… if you can do that, if you can leave that space for every body to practice as they are that day, then you’re patterning them to leave that space in themselves.”   IF YOU ENJOYED THIS INTERVIEW, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & DROP ME A RATING. Thank you!!! Wade’s website and teaching schedule: ⁠⁠https://www.wadeoakley.com/  Find Wade on Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/wadeoakley/  Find me on Instagram:⁠⁠@marlasyoga⁠⁠ Practice yoga with me on Sādhaka Studio: ⁠⁠https://sadhakastudio.uscreen.io/catalog⁠⁠ Come with me to Costa Rica: ⁠⁠https://www.wetravel.com/trips/for-the-seekers-ashtanga-yoga-retreat-sadhaka-67726403 Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 05:27 Wade’s start at UVA’s Contemplative Sciences Center 09:11 The mental shifts after that early chunk of practice 14:17 Wade’s approach to incorporating strength training 18:56 How do I do this for a really long time 21:07 This can be very gentle but you have to punch through a layer to get there 22:11 By taking care of the physical, the more spiritual the actual practice has become 32:51 By coupling the grasping with self reflection, we nudge ourselves towards quiet, naturally  36:18 Why is all of this worth it? 49:13 Going to Mysore, India 53:44 Sharath’s legacy 1:00:21 The ability to teach people as they show up on any given day

    1h 9m

  7. 02/27/2025

    Tiaga Prem on Yoga as Awareness, the Teacher in Front of You, and Being in a Frequency of Devotion, Part 2

    Welcome back to Part 2.   In this Episode, Tiaga Prem and I will be diving deep into 1) exploring how Krishnamacharya’s influence shaped modern practice; 2) the subtle transfer of spiritual knowledge through teaching to the individual; and 3) the concept of devotion as love and the importance of doing those things that put you in that frequency.   IF YOU ENJOYED THIS INTERVIEW, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & DROP ME A RATING. Thank you!!! Where to find Tiaga Prem’s: ⁠https://dharmatemple.circle.so/feed⁠ Practice with Tiaga Prem online: ⁠https://dharmatemple.circle.so/checkout/lod-ayc-membership⁠ Find Tiaga Prem on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/lifeordeathashtangayogaclub/  Find me on Instagram:⁠@marlasyoga⁠ Practice yoga with me on Sādhaka Studio: ⁠https://sadhakastudio.uscreen.io/catalog⁠ Come with me to Costa Rica: ⁠https://www.wetravel.com/trips/for-the-seekers-ashtanga-yoga-retreat-sadhaka-67726403 Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:07 Hatha yoga practices are all the same 02:44 Honoring the teacher in front of you 04:51 Krishnamacharya’s influence on hatha yoga and hisvarious students 10:05 Teaching to the individual 12:14 True spiritual knowledge is transferred psychically 16:53 Why am I doing this, really? 22:48 If you feel like there’s something here, pay attentionto that, because the form might change 24:18 As a teacher, we want everyone to have an experiencethat they recognize that this thing can heal them, so that when shit getsheavy, you have something to lean into 27:29 The implications of the idea that god or true self as all-knowingand everywhere 30:02 Some part of you must already know, and the yoga isabout connecting with that 32:03 The long game, simple things that make you feel alive 34:00 Create a fertile ground for those things 34:58 Devotion as love 37:16 Doing the things that put you in a frequency of love 41:07 Really feel the frequency of who you are and then makethat a priority 43:15 Pace yourself and pay attention to who you are 45:38 Doubt as a necessary part of faith

    51 min

  8. 02/20/2025

    Tiaga Prem on Yoga as Awareness, the Teacher in Front of You, and Being in a Frequency of Devotion, Part 1

    “Just practice, and the rest will come.” In Part 1 of our talk, Tiaga Prem and I discuss 1) how the call to a spiritual discipline generally begins with the question, “who am I?” (and what that actually means); 2) how awareness and listening are the real goal of yoga; and 3) how to play the game without losing track of what we're doing and why. Stay tuned for Part 2--next week. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS INTERVIEW, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & DROP ME A RATING. Thank you!!! Where to find Tiaga Prem’s: https://dharmatemple.circle.so/feed Practice with Tiaga Prem online: https://dharmatemple.circle.so/checkout/lod-ayc-membership Find Tiaga Prem on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/lifeordeathashtangayogaclub/  Find me on Instagram:⁠@marlasyoga⁠ Practice yoga with me on Sādhaka Studio: ⁠https://sadhakastudio.uscreen.io/catalog⁠ Come with me to Costa Rica: ⁠https://www.wetravel.com/trips/for-the-seekers-ashtanga-yoga-retreat-sadhaka-67726403 Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 04:39 Tiaga Prem’s draw to yogathrough Bhagavan Das 10:52 What is yoga? 11:54 Who am I? 13:31 Storytime from our firsttime in Columbus together 15:37 Awareness and listening asthe goal 17:47 “Ending the mindfluctuations” gives a false hope 19:47 What to do with the thoughtsthat are not in support of your best self 21:41 How are you identifying withyour thoughts 24:57 Tiaga Prem’s teachers asexamples 28:08 Most of us have to play thegame 29:29 Not losing track of what we’redoing and why

    32 min

  9. 02/13/2025

    Taylor Hunt on the Work that is Ashtanga Yoga

    Today’s talk is a particularly powerful post-led conference that my teacher, Taylor Hunt, gave to us in July 2024—right after the Led Class that we filmed for Sādhaka Studio.  After led classes, Taylor usually gives a conference—an opportunity for students to ask questions, talk about their practice, or, sometimes, Taylor has something he wants to share. I fully believe that everyone needs a teacher. No matter what you are doing—yoga or otherwise—you need a mentor or someone who has carved out a little bit of that path before you. I know why Taylor is mine, but I’m not sure I have ever adequately articulated it to all of you. He said a few things in this conference that made me go, “oh, that’s why.” If some of this resonates with you, too, then you’re in good company. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS INTERVIEW, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & DROP ME A RATING. Thank you!!! Taylor’s website and upcoming teaching schedule: https://taylorhuntyoga.com/ Find Taylor on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorhuntyoga/  Find me on Instagram:⁠@marlasyoga⁠ Practice yoga with me on Sādhaka Studio: ⁠https://sadhakastudio.uscreen.io/catalog⁠ Come with me to Costa Rica: ⁠https://www.wetravel.com/trips/for-the-seekers-ashtanga-yoga-retreat-sadhaka-67726403 Timestamps:  00:00 Intro 1:57 The purpose of conferences 4:02 Ashtanga gives us an opportunity to look past the stories we tell ourselves 5:21 What we do has to be signed up for 7:28 When your whole life has changed how can you go back to sleep  9:28 Figuring out your why 10:58 If you want to do different things, you need systems, not just the goal 13:26 Plateauing as a result of being stuck in your stories about why you can’t change 14:00 Looking in the mirror, being okay with getting uncomfortable and failing 16:12 Each yoga shala has a different deity quality 17:18 What a Shiva studio feels like 18:36 It feels like every day we lose a little bit of ourselves to gain something better

    22 min

  10. 02/06/2025

    Practical Spirituality with Justin Curnow

    Justin and I talk about the difference between practical and mystical spirituality—why it matters, and perhaps why one starts to seek out a spiritual practice in the first place. We share our own individual pulls towards spirituality (and, I keep asking him questions about this whole nonattachment thing I’ve been experiencing—only to lose, and then experience again, and then lose again). One of my favorite things that he said was: What brings you to spirituality sometimes is this something you can't identify inside yourself; this hole inside yourself. And then maybe you have this mystical spiritual experience—it doesn’t have to be this direct revelation with the cosmos or this bigger energy or god. It can be something where you feel genuine contentment... And how crazy is that. That this thing that we wouldn't think is extra special: simply being content; sitting in this moment where everything feels right; and there’s not a need; there's not a scarcity and there's not a need. That in itself can be profoundly spiritual. And what happens when you experience that thing and you wake up the next day and it’s not there anymore? Watch or listen to this 60-minute talk as we sort through some of the potential "answers." IF YOU ENJOYED THIS INTERVIEW, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & DROP ME A RATING. Thank you!!! Find me on Instagram: @marlasyoga Find Justin on Instagram: @justincyoga Practice yoga with us on Sādhaka Studio: https://sadhakastudio.uscreen.io/catalog Come with us to Costa Rica: https://www.wetravel.com/trips/for-the-seekers-ashtanga-yoga-retreat-sadhaka-67726403 Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 03:47 Where to begin with understanding spiritual texts 07:03 How the role of suffering plays into our desire for spirituality 09:30 Justin's personal experience with being drawn towards spirituality 12:26 Marla's personal experience with being drawn towards spirituality 16:06 What is mystical spirituality versus practical spirituality and why it matters 23:36 How contentment can be a spiritual experience 24:40 What happens when that feeling of contentment or non-attachment goes away 27:46 Esoteric versus exoteric practices 30:54 Contradictions in spirituality (and in our own minds) 34:15 Transmuting the lessons we learn on a physical plane to mental and spiritual planes 36:11 Human suffering and the idea of reincarnation 38:47 How do we simplify this all 41:20 How building awareness in and of itself is a victory 42:48 Marla's experience of non-attachment 44:40 There's no getting off the path 45:52 What to do when you catch yourself grasping for something 48:14 Marla's cold-plunge story 51:00 The poison becomes the honey--hardships as opportunities for growth 53:46 It is not practical to be in a mystical state constantly--be grateful for the experience then put it back on the shelf

    57 min
  • 10 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

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out of 5
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About

The Sādhaka Podcast. If asana is the “what” we do, then this podcast serves as the why the hell are we doing it? I will be interviewing experts in the field in an attempt to understand the lived experience of yoga philosophy, inner wisdom, creativity, flow, and inspiration. To understand the “spiritual side effects” of the practice. To glimpse the depth of yoga beyond the physical. So that on the days that you forget, you can remember why you started in the first place. Hosted by: Marla Tortorice - @marlasyoga. Discover the “how” of it all and practice yoga with me on Sādhaka Studio.

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