Light on Yoga and Meditation

Dr Swami Shankardev Saraswati & Jayne Stevenson
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Alternative Health

Big Shakti’s podcast covers all forms of higher yoga, including Indian philosophy, Samkhya, raja yoga, bhakti yoga, jnana yoga, yoga tantra, mantra and yantra, chakras and kundalini, Sri Vidya, Eastern and Western psychology, which includes yoga psychology and the analytical psychology of Carl Jung, dreams and imagination, karma, Indian astrology, Jyotish. Published by www.bigshakti.com

  1. May 15

    #25 - Dr Swami Shankardev The Yoga-Informed Therapist Interview

    Swami Shankardev was recently interviewed by Dr. Lauren Tober as part of The Yoga-Informed Therapist Interviews—a series that brought together therapists and yoga teachers who are integrating these two worlds with care, depth, and ethical rigor. The series covered the scope of practice, nervous system regulation, trauma sensitivity, and the training pathways that allow this kind of integration to be done responsibly. In this interview, Swami Shankardev traces a fifty-year journey that began with medical training at Sydney University in 1976 and ten years of immersive study at the Bihar School of Yoga in India — a dual formation that has shaped everything since. He describes how he integrates yoga not as an add-on to conventional care but as a complete parallel system: Sāmkhya philosophy as the theoretical foundation, pranayama, mantra therapy, chakra work, and Jungian depth psychology as the practical tools, all applied to the individual's specific constitution, temperament, and stage of development. Central to his approach is the principle that foundation comes before depth — a stable, resilient ego must be built before deeper meditative or kuṇḍalinī work is introduced — and that both yogic and Jungian frameworks insist on treating the person in front of you rather than applying a formula. He addresses the ethical dimensions of this integration directly: cultural integrity, scope of practice, and the amplified responsibility that comes with holding both the doctor-patient and teacher-student relationship simultaneously. His vision for the future is clear and unambiguous — yoga in healthcare needs to move well beyond stretching and stress reduction toward a genuine recognition of yoga psychology as a rigorous clinical science, with mantra and pranayama as legitimate therapeutic tools and the deep inner work of the tantric and Jungian traditions understood as fundamental to healing. This interview with Swami Shankardev Saraswati and Dr Lauren Tober was created by the Yoga Psychology Institute for the Yoga-informed Therapist series. 📩 Subscribe to our Newsletter 🎙️ Big Shakti Podcast 🎧 Big Shakti Meditations 🌿️ Big Shakti’s Yoga and Meditation Courses 🧘🏻‍♀️️Jayne Stevenson’s intuitive healing and dream therapy practice 🧘 Dr. Swami Shankardev’s medical and psychotherapy practice 📹 Big Shakti’s YouTube Channel

    54 min

  2. 05/31/2025

    #24 – What are Mantras?

    Mantras are far more than simple relaxation words—they are powerful sound vibrations and universal psychic forces accessible to anyone willing to study and practice them. Derived from Sanskrit roots meaning "mind" (man) and "liberation/protection" (tra), mantras serve to liberate energy, expand awareness, heal, and enlighten the mind while accessing our limitless creative potential. Beyond Words: The Science of Sound Unlike ordinary words, mantras consist of letters and syllables combined through complex esoteric mathematical systems passed down through millennia. These combinations create specific sound vibrations that induce elevated states of consciousness. Mantras work similarly to music, affecting our thoughts, emotions, and entire state of being through energetic vibrations that penetrate deep into our psyche. The mantra system operates through two complementary aspects: name (mantra) and form (yantra). The sound itself liberates energy trapped in limiting mental patterns, while the corresponding visual symbol or image concentrates awareness and awakens psychic power. This dual approach helps practitioners break free from conditioning and expand their understanding of reality. Psychological Applications From a psychological perspective, mantras function as sophisticated mind tools that break destructive thinking patterns. They work like gentle mental massages, spreading sound vibrations throughout the mind and enabling access to profound, joyful aspects of ourselves usually hidden beneath constant mental chatter. This process releases energy from neurotic patterns, redirecting it toward healing, creativity, and a higher level of consciousness. Mantras operate by balancing the three fundamental forces of nature (gunas): tamas (darkness/inertia), rajas (restless desire), and sattwa (luminous clarity). Being primarily sattwic in nature, mantras stimulate awareness of mental processes while expanding positive energy, balance, and inner joy. They can calm anxiety, energize depression, heal trauma, and influence entire personality patterns. Spiritual Practice and Development Within the yoga system, mantra yoga serves as an intermediary stage between physical preparation (Hatha yoga) and advanced consciousness practices (Laya and Raja yoga). Different personality types—active (karma), devotional (bhakti), intellectual (jnana), or mystical (raja)—approach mantras according to their temperament, using them either as religious tools or purely psychological instruments. Two primary meditation techniques exist: japa (repetitive chanting) and ajapa japa (mantras synchronized with the breath). The most powerful mantras include AUM (the fundamental cosmic sound) and HAMSA (the natural breath mantra). Through consistent practice, these sounds eventually repeat spontaneously, creating continuous inner vibration that stimulates bliss, self-knowledge, and spiritual awakening. Universal Wisdom While India's ancient sages developed mantra science to an extraordinary sophistication over thousands of years, mantras themselves are universal forces that exist in all cultures and psyches. They represent proto-thoughts and primal energies vibrating in our unconscious depths, which have been discovered by mystics during deep meditation and made accessible through the Sanskrit language. Mantras should be understood as pure sound vibrations rather than religious tools, though they can serve both scientific and spiritual purposes. They function as building blocks of consciousness itself, capable of transforming practitioners at personal levels (releasing trapped mental energy) and transcendent levels (awakening knowledge of the highest Self). This ancient science offers profound pathways for healing, psychological growth, and spiritual evolution, providing practical tools for anyone seeking to understand and transform the deeper dimensions of mind and consciousness. This episode on Mantras introduces the fourth workshop in our comprehensive Yoga of Mental Health Workshop Series, a four-part exploration that integrates ancient yogic wisdom with modern psychological insights. Each workshop includes teaching lectures, guided meditations, and interactive Q&A sessions and comes with a CPE certificate upon completion. All participants receive 24/7 online access to recordings and resources after each live event. Begin your journey from darkness to light, from unconsciousness to self-awareness, and discover the extraordinary healing potential that has always existed within you. 📩 Subscribe to our Newsletter 🎙️ Big Shakti Podcast 🎧 Big Shakti Meditations 🌿️ Big Shakti’s Yoga and Meditation Courses 🧘🏻‍♀️️Jayne Stevenson’s intuitive healing and dream therapy practice 🧘 Dr. Swami Shankardev’s medical and psychotherapy practice 📹 Big Shakti’s YouTube Channel

    26 min

  3. 04/30/2025

    #23 – Yoga Day Sydney 2025 Interview - Dr Swami Shankardev and Janie Larmour

    Welcome to this episode of Big Shakti’s podcast, an interview with Dr Swami Shankardev by Janie Larmour, the organizer of Yoga Day Sydney, which will be held at Sydney Boys' High on Sunday, June 22nd, 2025. Get 20% off your ticket price using the coupon code BIGSHAKTI20. https://www.tickettailor.com/events/yogaday/1413531 Janie states - "Swami Shankardev is this year’s featured teacher and headline speaker. He is a medical doctor, yoga acharya, psychotherapist, and all-around wisdom ninja. In his keynote, “The Principles of Yoga Therapy for Mental Wellness—Ancient Wisdom for Modern Minds,” he’ll unpack how Samkhya, Vedanta, Patanjali’s Yoga, and Tantra can team with modern psychology to develop mental strength and emotional resilience and illuminate the path to deeper Self-realisation." Yoga Day—Sydney is a full-on, feel-good yoga festival created to “teach, inspire, and unite” the community in one jam-packed day. There will be 30+ yoga, meditation, and wellness sessions running four at a time from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., a buzzing marketplace for healthy goodies, and plenty of space to meet kindred spirits of every bendy (or not-so-bendy) level. The doors swing open at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, 22 June 2025, at Sydney Boys High School in Moore Park, giving you a whole winter-solstice weekend reason to roll out the mat and warm up body, mind, and humor muscles. Yoga Day is a fantastic gateway for individuals to delve into various yoga styles and wellness practices that they might not typically encounter in their daily lives. By attending this immersive event, participants can learn new skills, broaden their perspectives, and embark on a journey of exploration and growth. Yoga Day 2024 was a huge success for all attendees, yoga teachers, and vendors. The founder behind Yoga Day is Janie Larmour. With a career spanning 30 years in health and wellness, she has been sharing her passion nationally at large expos and festivals for 16 years and most intensely, internationally for the past 9 years in the USA and UK. Her extensive global experience has exposed her to the transformative power of yoga events, witnessing firsthand the excitement and wonder they create in both beginners and experienced yogis. Janie was inspired to create Yoga Day, recognizing the need for a dynamic platform in Australia. The vision is to provide a remarkable opportunity for yoga teachers, studios, and wellness brands to showcase their offerings to a large and diverse audience. ​ 📩 Subscribe to our Newsletter 🎙️ Big Shakti Podcast 🎧 Big Shakti Meditations 🌿️ Big Shakti’s Yoga and Meditation Courses 🧘🏻‍♀️️Jayne Stevenson’s intuitive healing and dream therapy practice 🧘 Dr. Swami Shankardev’s medical and psychotherapy practice 📹 Big Shakti’s YouTube Channel

    17 min

  4. 03/31/2025

    #22 – Beyond Suffering - Eastern Wisdom Traditions as Maps to Mental Wellness

    Illuminating the Inner Landscape: Eastern Wisdom for Mental TransformationAre you struggling with feelings of being trapped in cycles of mental and emotional suffering without understanding why? Do you sense there's untapped potential within you, yet can't seem to access it? This illuminating lecture may hold the key to your transformation. In this podcast episode, we discuss how ancient Indian philosophical systems—Sāmkhya, Vedānta, Yoga, and Tantra—serve as powerful maps of consciousness, maps of wholeness, that can revolutionize your approach to mental health and personal growth. The episode describes why most people remain unconscious of their inner world and how this lack of self-awareness creates the greatest obstacle to healing. You will learn how these timeless wisdom traditions break down overwhelming mental challenges into manageable components and provide structured pathways to recognize your true nature beyond suffering. This lecture reveals why many people find it easier to identify with their limitations than their strengths, trapped in what Jung called the "dark shadow" while resisting their "golden shadow" of inherent wisdom, creativity, and resilience. Through the lens of Eastern philosophy, you'll understand how transformation occurs not by eliminating your darker aspects, but by reclaiming your disowned strengths. You'll gain insight into: How Sāmkhya provides the vertical structure of existence, revealing the organization of your mindWhy Vedānta's five koshas (sheaths) offer crucial depth perception for targeted healingThe practical wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita for everyday mental wellbeingHow Patanjali's Yoga creates a methodical path toward inner liberationTantra's powerful energetic techniques for tangible transformation This episode introduces our comprehensive Yoga of Mental Health Workshop Series, a four-part exploration integrating ancient yogic wisdom with modern psychological insights. Each workshop includes teaching lectures, guided meditations, and interactive Q&A sessions and comes with a CPE certificate upon completion. All participants receive 24/7 online access to recordings and resources after each live event. Begin your journey from darkness to light, from unconsciousness to self-awareness, and discover the extraordinary healing potential that has always existed within you. 📩 Subscribe to our Newsletter 🎙️ Big Shakti Podcast 🎧 Big Shakti Meditations 🌿️ Big Shakti’s Yoga and Meditation Courses 🧘🏻‍♀️️Jayne Stevenson’s intuitive healing and dream therapy practice 🧘 Dr. Swami Shankardev’s medical and psychotherapy practice 📹 Big Shakti’s YouTube Channel

    19 min

  5. 03/01/2025

    #21 - Understanding Mental health Through Samkhya Philosophy

    Welcome to this episode of Big Shakti’s podcast. I'm Dr. Swami Shankardev. Over my nearly 50 years as a medical doctor and yoga therapist, I've discovered that true healing requires us to look beyond symptoms to understand the deeper architecture of our minds and consciousness. In this podcast episode, I'll introduce you to an ancient map of consciousness called Samkhya that has revolutionized how I practice medicine and help people heal. This episode offers a glimpse into the framework we'll be exploring in depth through our upcoming workshop series at Big Shakti. Starting in March 2025, we'll be hosting monthly workshops that dive deep into this fascinating intersection of Eastern wisdom and Western medicine. Today's episode will give you a taste of how this 4,000-year-old wisdom surprisingly aligns with modern neuroscience and can be practically applied to challenges like anxiety and depression. The workshop will help you to understand how your mind really works - not just the surface thoughts and emotions but the deeper patterns that shape your experience. Whether you're struggling with mental health challenges, working as a healthcare professional, or simply curious about integrating ancient wisdom with modern medicine, you'll get a sense of the practical insights we'll be exploring in our workshop series. The monthly workshops at Big Shakti will build on these foundations, offering in-depth training in combining traditional practices like meditation and pranayama with modern medical understanding. We'll create a comprehensive framework for understanding mental health through both Eastern and Western lenses. Let's begin this journey of mapping the territory of consciousness and discovering practical tools for lasting change. If what you hear today resonates with you, I invite you to join us for the full workshop series, where we'll explore these concepts in much greater depth. 📩 Subscribe to our Newsletter 🎙️ Big Shakti Podcast 🎧 Big Shakti Meditations 🌿️ Big Shakti’s Yoga and Meditation Courses 🧘🏻‍♀️️Jayne Stevenson’s intuitive healing and dream therapy practice 🧘 Dr. Swami Shankardev’s medical and psychotherapy practice 📹 Big Shakti’s YouTube Channel

    29 min

  6. 01/31/2025

    #20 - Evoking Emotions in Yoga Nidra

    The practice of Yoga Nidra unfolds in stages: 1.        The first stage consists of moving awareness from part to part of the physical body, called body rotation.  2.        The next stage is usually based on breath awareness, which involves using our awareness to observe the breath, which is a subtler part of us.  3.        Then, we move to an even subtler level with meditations on sensations, feelings, and emotions, which begin to work directly with the mind. We are asked to feel warm, cold, heavy, light, pleasant, and unpleasant feelings. 4.        The last stage is often a form of visualization.  However, the order can be adjusted according to the purpose of the practice so that feeling meditations can come straight after body rotation when feeling is the main focus. This might occur when we really want to develop the skill of creating and destroying feelings so that we have more choices over which feelings we have.  Because emotional feelings have such a powerful impact on us, the ability to remain grounded, aware, and centered while facing challenging situations requires practice. It is best to start this process by meditating on contrasting sensations, both pleasant and unpleasant, and then moving on to pleasant and unpleasant emotions. The systematic exploration of contrasting physical sensations, such as hot and cold, heavy and light,  and contrasting emotions in Yoga Nidra serves several important purposes in promoting relaxation and emotional well-being.  We are learning to safely experience the full spectrum of feelings without being overwhelmed. 📩 Subscribe to our Newsletter 🎙️ Big Shakti Podcast 🎧 Big Shakti Meditations 🌿️ Big Shakti’s Yoga and Meditation Courses 🧘🏻‍♀️️Jayne Stevenson’s intuitive healing and dream therapy practice 🧘 Dr. Swami Shankardev’s medical and psychotherapy practice 📹 Big Shakti’s YouTube Channel

    10 min

  7. 01/01/2025

    #19 – How Stress Wrecks Your Brain and What to Do About It

    This podcast episode is divided into two parts. The first is about how chronic, unresolved stress wrecks your brain.The second is about how yoga and meditation repair the damage of chronic stress. We describe the four stages of repair, moving from basic repair of the damage to stabilizing normal function, then building a stronger neural architecture, and finally, the phase of mastery in which you optimize brain function. Stress is an unavoidable part of life. While acute, short-term stress helps you cope with challenging situations, chronic, long-term, unresolved stress is different. Long-term stress doesn’t just deplete your energy and affect your mood; it damages your ability to think clearly, process information, and handle emotions. Chronic stress wrecks your brain—it physically reshapes it, changing the size, structure, and function of parts of it. Over time, persistent stress alters neural structures, shrinks key regions involved in memory and decision-making, and overactivates the parts involved in emotional control. While these changes often develop slowly and are initially subtle, their effects can profoundly impact cognitive function, emotional well-being, and behavior patterns throughout life. The key takeawayChronic, unresolved stress creates an imbalance between the self-aware, rational, decision-making, and problem-solving parts of the brain (the pre-frontal cortex) and the emotion and memory-controlling parts of the brain (the amygdala and hippocampus). However, yoga and meditation can restore normal function, build stronger neural architecture, and optimize brain function in the final phase of mastery. Stage 1 - Relaxation techniques such as  Three Easy Steps to Deep Relaxation guided meditation series and Yoga Nidra. Stage 2 - Techniques such as Ajapa Japa and Meditations on the Third Eye of Intuition. Stage 3 - Advanced methods of Chakra and Ajapa Japa meditation. Stage 4 - Advanced Chakra and Kundalini Meditations. 📩 Subscribe to our Newsletter 🎙️ Big Shakti Podcast 🎧 Big Shakti Meditations 🌿️ Big Shakti’s Yoga and Meditation Courses 🧘🏻‍♀️️Jayne Stevenson’s intuitive healing and dream therapy practice 🧘 Dr. Swami Shankardev’s medical and psychotherapy practice 📹 Big Shakti’s YouTube Channel

    29 min

  8. 11/30/2024

    #18 - Core Strength, Calm Mind – Grounding, Alignment, Pulsation

    This episode is the talk from our Core Strength Clam Mind Guided Meditation Series, which is now also available in our Life Force Meditations Series. The Life Force Meditation Series has bundled three of our programs, Prana, Core Strength, and Chakras, into one mega program, which is divided into three phases. The first phase covers all you need to know about prana to generate and store prana. This talk introduces phase two of this mega program. Phase 2 focuses on developing core strength through grounding, alignment, and pulsation practices. These are the keys to self-regulation and building resilience in handling the stresses and challenges of daily life. You will learn powerful yogic techniques to cultivate a deep sense of inner stability, strength, and connection to your body-mind. You gain essential tools for establishing a solid foundation for your meditation practice and to remain grounded, centered, and stable in daily life. The meditations in this phase guide you in exploring how to ground yourself, align your physical and energetic bodies, and work with the natural pulsations of life force within you. To build energy and resilience, you will learn to manipulate two important internal muscles: the respiratory diaphragm and the pelvic floor. By the end of this phase, you will have developed practical skills for centering yourself, managing your energy, and maintaining a strong, relaxed presence even in challenging situations. You will better understand the subtle anatomy of the body-mind system and how to work with it for greater stability and awareness in meditation and in daily life. These practices lay the groundwork for more advanced chakra meditations and ajapa japa in phase 3 of the course. 📩 Subscribe to our Newsletter 🎙️ Big Shakti Podcast 🎧 Big Shakti Meditations 🌿️ Big Shakti’s Yoga and Meditation Courses 🧘🏻‍♀️️Jayne Stevenson’s intuitive healing and dream therapy practice 🧘 Dr. Swami Shankardev’s medical and psychotherapy practice 📹 Big Shakti’s YouTube Channel

    20 min
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5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Big Shakti’s podcast covers all forms of higher yoga, including Indian philosophy, Samkhya, raja yoga, bhakti yoga, jnana yoga, yoga tantra, mantra and yantra, chakras and kundalini, Sri Vidya, Eastern and Western psychology, which includes yoga psychology and the analytical psychology of Carl Jung, dreams and imagination, karma, Indian astrology, Jyotish. Published by www.bigshakti.com

Information

  • Creator
    Dr Swami Shankardev Saraswati & Jayne Stevenson
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Dr Swami Shankardev Saraswati & Jayne Stevenson
  • Show Website
    Light on Yoga and Meditation

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