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Mel's back! Season 2 guest Melanie C. Klein returns for our last full episode (at least for now!)--a fitting close to a successful podcast run. Melanie is an empowerment coach, thought leader, and influencer in the areas of body confidence, authentic empowerment, and visibility. She is also a successful writer, speaker, and professor of Sociology and Women’s Studies. Her areas of interest and specialty include media literacy education, body image, and the intersectional analysis of systems of power and privilege. We chat about bridging social justice and spiritual practice; how to include and uplift all voices in academia, activism, wellness, and more; and how to navigate adversity, loss, and grief, as both individuals and a collective. Listen, let us know your thoughts, and follow along with Melanie's work at: www.MelanieCKlein.com and @MelMelKlein on Instagram.Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/beyondasana)

Liz became friends with guest and yoga teacher Ceci Orozco in 2017 when Ceci moved to and opened a yoga studio in Gainesville, FL. Originally from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, and a former competitive athlete, Ceci has always been profoundly impacted by movement practices, as they facilitate her connection to her body and, as she puts it, help to “release any sticky feelings” she may be holding onto. As a bilingual--Spanish and English--yoga teacher, Ceci strives to create a safe and welcoming space for all, and invites students to let the movement, presence, and attention cultivated in their practice facilitate a sense of curiosity and support personal and collective growth. We chat about overcoming prejudice in the yoga classroom, how to create a more inviting yoga experience for non-English speakers, Ayurveda, mantra, and more. Follow along with Ceci's sweet and heartfelt journey at @CeceLeaOrozco on Instagram. Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/beyondasana)

Susanna Barkataki is a teacher, coach, inclusivity promoter and yoga culture advocate. She helps yoga teachers, studios, nonprofits and businesses become leaders in equity, diversity, and yogic values so they can embody thriving yoga leadership with integrity and confidence. More than probably any other yoga teacher and social media presence, Susanna broadened Liz's perspective about what it means to honor rather than appropriate and understand what it means to teach yoga with privilege and as a white woman in the modern world. We talk about all this and more, including Liz's plans for the future of Beyond Asana and how supporting others' healing process is essential for the wellbeing of all. Sign up for Susanna's transformative trainings and programs at SusannaBarkataki.com, and follow her for daily inspiration and truth-telling at @SusannaBarkataki. Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/beyondasana)

Madison Page and her team at Core to Coeur have been at the forefront of the online yoga teaching movement for the past couple years, but COVID-19 has taken their work to a whole new level. Madison is CEO and Co-Founder of Core to Coeur, a technology platform enabling movement, wellness, and fitness teachers to build their own online digital studios. What sets her platform apart from others? It’s inclusive, diverse, accessible, and based on a “trickle-up” method focused on democratizing yoga. Core to Coeur was born from the idea that teachers deserve to be paid their worth (hell yeah!), and their students deserve access to their classes in the privacy, comfort, and convenience of their own homes. Madison is fun, funny, and has a heart of gold. Our chat is a blast, but also touches on some socially, politically, and spiritually important topics. Sign up to take or teach class on CoreToCouer.com, and check out the company’s vibrant social media presence at @CoreToCouer.Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/beyondasana)

We laughed, cried, and even sweated while recording with two of Liz's closest friends and yoga students, Iman Zawahry and Mohammad Sherif. Liz and Iman first met in a Zumba® class years ago when Liz fell under the trance of Iman's famous body roll. Iman and Mo have been married for 18 years and practicing Yoga (with a big Y; listen  as we try to define what that means) for the past four. Iman is an award-winning filmmaker and faculty member at the University of Florida, while Mo is a rock-star attorney who now runs his own firm in Florida. We chat about why the two practice yoga with each other and their kids--including during the month of Ramadan--how yoga has helped Mohammad overcome PTSD, and why these practices can benefit all people, whether practicing yoga with a little y or big Y. Follow Iman’s film exploits at @ImanZawahry, and stay tuned for the release of her feature film Americanish. If you're in need of a good insurance attorney, Mo's your man.Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/beyondasana)

M(elanie) Camellia is a fat, queer, non-binary yoga teacher and accessibility advocate who creates inclusive spaces for self-inquiry by integrating spiritual teachings and accessible, trauma-informed practices with the spirit of social justice. M believes the goal of yoga, as of life, is collective liberation, and challenges contemporary yoga practitioners to dismantle oppressive systems and beliefs within themselves and society at large. They’ve been called a “tour-de-force of encouraging radical self-love” and listed among the “top thinkers and activists in the field of body positivity.” We chat about owning and using our privilege, capitalism and yoga, body neutrality, and what it means to “find space” in yoga. Follow M’s journey @FoundSpaceYoga on social media and sign up for an upcoming event at FoundSpaceYoga.com.Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/beyondasana)

In honor of this season of love, and inspired by our most recent episode with Tracee Stanley, this week Liz shares a guided metta, or loving kindness, meditation. Listen in a restful, comfortable seat or on a walk or drive (with eyes open, of course). Check out more of Liz's offerings on LizGetman.com or follow her on Instagram at @LizGetman. May all beings be happy, peaceful, and free from what no longer serves us. Enjoy!Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/beyondasana)

Tracee Stanley shares teachings that are sourced from more than 18 years of study in the tradition of the Himalayan Masters, Sri Vidya, and Tantra. The focus of her teachings--and our conversation--are yoga nidra, meditation, self-empowerment, intention, and self-inquiry. Tracee frequently travels and leads trainings and retreats, and earlier this year, offered yoga and meditation on the Oprah and Gayle’s Girls’ Getaway to the Bahamas. She is the creator of the Empowered Life tools, which include oracle cards and meditation, designed to motivate us to discover the truth of who we really are. She uses the unique practices she’s learned from her teachers and revelations from her own experiences to guide students towards the door of awakening to their true nature: one that is full of luminosity, truth, wisdom and bliss. Follow her at @Tracee_Stanley on social media for weekly inspiration, or sign up for one of her trainings at TraceeYoga.com.  Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/beyondasana)

Nick Utley's journey has taken him from Florida to California and back to Florida again; from substance abuse to recovery; to restorative justice and yoga in jail. Originally from Gainesville, FL, Nick graduated with degrees in Anthropology and Criminology from the University of Florida in 2003. From 2005-2009 he worked in direct service with at-risk inner city youth, and it was during that time that he first encountered the practice of yoga. Now RYT-500 certified, Nick has been studying yoga since 2006 and trained under master teachers across the globe. In addition to teaching regular classes, Nick coordinates a robust jail yoga program in Alachua County, Florida as part of the YogaLoka Project. We chat about the power of yoga to help heal addiction and further recovery and how we can make this practice more widely available to all, including and especially those without access to mainstream yoga and wellness programs. Pop into Nick's class for an alignment-based practice and a thought-provoking Dharma talk at Wildflowers Yoga.Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/beyondasana)

The 2018 Netflix documentary I Am Maris tells the story of today's guest, Maris Degener, along her path to healing from a crippling and life-threatening eating disorder. As Maris and those close to her describe, yoga played a key role in her recovery and dramatically changed the trajectory of her life. Shortly after finding the practice, she became a certified yoga teacher at just 16. Maris shares a message of hope and resilience while challenging her community to consider the intersection between yoga and issues related to mental dis-ease, race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and gender and sexual orientation. Our conversation takes us from identity, growing up in the public eye, social justice, and how to respond from a place of love in the world, even, and especially, when it's uncomfortable. Follow Maris at @YogaMaris on Instagram and YogaMaris.net. Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/beyondasana)

Anusha Wijeyakumar is a teacher, motivational speaker, author, business owner, and healthy shot of butt-kicking energy that reminds us to reclaim our power and take control of our lives. A lifelong student of Hinduism and Buddhism—and Hindu herself—Anusha has a vast knowledge of religion, meditation, pranayama, mantra, and the philosophy and mythology associated with yoga. She leads yoga and meditation workshops across the globe, is part of the teaching faculty for several yoga teacher trainings, and co-founder of Womxn of Color + Wellness. Our convo takes us from cultural appropriation, living purpose, and how to create a more equitable world for those who have been oppressed or marginalized throughout history. Expect a few tears and laughs along the way. Find Anusha’s inspiring teachings on Instagram at @ShantiWithin and @WocAndWellness. Visit ShantiWithin.com to learn more about her work.Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/beyondasana)

Hey, Beyond Asana fam! We're (almost) back! On Season 3 we chat with guests dismantling oppression in the yoga and wellness arenas, giving voice to the voiceless, and finding space, love, and acceptance through yoga. Stay tuned for a full episode release over the next month.Can't wait that long? Visit Patreon.com/BeyondAsana to sign up as a BA Patron and support our efforts to make our show available to all. Our goal this season: to raise enough funds to purchase an episode transcription service so those unable to hear our show can read the important info shared by our guests. Just a few dollars goes a long way. Plus: Bonus episodes with fan favorite guests are on the way, exclusively for Patreon members.Follow us at @BeyondAsanaPod on social media, and drop your suggestions for episode guests at lizgetman.com/contact.Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/beyondasana)

Leila She’s-Kind-Of-A-Big-Dylla is back! And Aaron takes his first yoga class! (Stay tuned for a replacement 60-second pitch segment in Season 3.) We fulfilled requests for more of Liz’s thoughts about yoga and spiritual practice and offered tangible steps to take our yoga practice off the mat during a day-long retreat in Florida. Forgive our very un-Producer Steve-like recording. He was present (and practiced with us!), but live recordings outside the studio don’t yield quite the same technical results. We share a few big mic drop moments in this Q&A style episode, including one or two re: Liz and Aaron’s relationship and how to support others who are on a different spiritual path. Interested in a Liz or Leila retreat? Learn more about Leila’s trainings and retreats at leiladylla.com and Liz’s offerings at lizgetman.com.Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/beyondasana)

Liz rides solo this week with international Bhakti music sensation Dhanya Rico. A powerful voice of the conscious music community, Dhanya was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela and is daughter of two-time Latin Grammy winning artist Ilan Chester. Her music combines the mystical, spiritual traditions of the East with a powerful blend of electronic, folk, pop, and soul. She shares about her life as a musician, artist, and marriage and family counselor and how our spiritual practices can help us face adversity on a personal and universal level. Jam out to her soulfully uplifting tunes on iTunes and Spotify, and visit her website to track down her next tour performance.Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/beyondasana)

We haven't conducted a formal study, but we're pretty sure at least 75% of yoga asana classes play Beautiful Chorus at least once per class. A meditative women’s chorus dedicated to rhythmic music, resonance therapy, and personal alignment, Beautiful Chorus has been offering their healing sound to people from all walks of life since 2011. Our guest, Alexandra Love, is director of the chorus, a spiritual guide, sound healing musician, writer, and artist. We chat about music’s ability to awaken our collective spirit, the power of finding and sharing our unique voice, and how to show up authentically and with love and compassion no matter where our journey takes us. The best way we can describe the music of Beautiful Chorus and this episode is a warm smile in the heart. Enjoy their magic on Spotify or iTunes.Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/beyondasana)

Surprise! Producer Steve fills in for Aaron who missed this week's episode with Melanie Klein. A coach, thought leader, author, and influencer in the areas of body confidence, authentic empowerment, and visibility, Melanie is shaking the foundation of yoga in the Western world by investigating power and privilege dynamics, body image, media literacy, and much, much more. Melanie is co-founder of both the Yoga and Body Image Coalition and The Joy Revolution, a leadership program that challenges us to consider how we can live with joy while participating in social justice and advocacy work. Without Aaron, we don't dive too far into academics or philosophy, but we do enjoy some deep conversation around showing up authentically to further both our individual liberation and collective liberation. As Melanie reminds, we're all in this together, folks.Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/beyondasana)

Dana A. Smith has been a pioneer of inclusive yoga in the West for the past 20 years. Founder and owner of Spiritual Essence Yoga, Dana is the creative visionary behind the international Yes! Yoga Has Curves movement. Her message is simple, yet profound: “Yoga is for EVERY body!” Through her various endeavors and teacher trainings, Dana has created space for all yoga practitioners to thrive and experience the benefits of practicing and teaching the various limbs of yoga. Dana shares how yoga helped transform her life as a Recovering Type A (like Liz) and member of a military family. We also discuss our mutual love of heart-opening cacao as a facilitator for spiritual growth and connection.Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/beyondasana)

Adam Whiting's path to yoga inspires students and teachers across the globe. With authenticity and humor, Adam shares how he's found stillness and steadiness despite living with anxiety and panic attacks, his journey from the States to Australia and back again, and the power of mantra and music to transform the yogic experience. Adam leads regular yoga teacher trainings in his current home of Charlotte, NC and has some of the best public Spotify playlists around. (Yoga teachers take note.) Sign up for his YTT (you just might see Liz there), and follow along with his poetic Instagram posts for weekly inspiration.Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/beyondasana)

Founder of the Alchemy of Trauma, Sanaz Yaghmai, Psy.D, teaches yoga and holds healing space in communities that have experienced the heights of trauma and isolation. With humility and heart, Sanaz speaks to how she turned her own traumatic experience in a prison into finding her purpose helping humanitarian agencies address the physical, psychological, and emotional needs of refugees across the globe. Through the Alchemy of Trauma and her NGO partnerships, including REFUGYM, Sanaz is helping countless individuals transform darkness into light, helplessness into agency, and suffering into liberation.Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/beyondasana)

Hala Khouri lights a fire within yoga communities and beyond to respond to injustice and support our collective liberation. Hala is one of the creators of Off the Mat, Into the World, a nonprofit dedicated to utilizing the tools of yoga and somatic practices within a justice framework to inspire people to be conscious leaders of change. Hala has been teaching the movement arts for more than 20 years and has a background in counseling, psychology, somatic experiencing, liberation studies, and, of course, yoga. On this episode, she shares her interdisciplinary approach to responding to suffering, showing up in social justice work, and avoiding harm through trauma-informed yoga practices.   Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/beyondasana)