Autoimmune diseases can feel isolating and unpredictable, but yoga offers both science and hope. I sit down with yoga therapist and researcher Renu Jain to explore how stress, the gut, and the immune system are connected; and how personalized yoga, pranayama, and mindfulness can support healing from the inside out.

Episode Highlights:

• Introduction to guest Renu Jain and her background at Kaivalyadhama.
• Understanding what autoimmune diseases are and how they affect the body.
• Exploring common shared patterns and root causes behind autoimmune conditions.
• Exploring the connection between stress, the gut, and immune function.
• Understanding the pranic system and how energetic imbalance mirrors physical symptoms.
• The role of yoga in managing autoimmune conditions holistically.
• Importance of personalization in yoga therapy: why no one-size-fits-all approach works.
• Go-to questions yoga teachers should ask students before planning a practice.
• Pranayama practices that support balance and calm for autoimmune health.
• Restorative yoga, relaxation, and mindfulness as healing tools.
• How meditation helps regulate the nervous system and supports emotional healing.
• The mindset and empathy yoga teachers need when working with these students.
• Why yoga philosophy and ethics should always guide therapeutic teaching.
• Final reflections on patience, compassion, and using yoga as a bridge between science and spirit.

Waitlist for the Online 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training (launching January)
Free upcoming workshop: “Queuing for Yoga Teachers – From Gross to Subtle” (November 14, 10 a.m. PT)
Join our mailing list
Find all the resources mentioned in this episode
Connect with us on Instagram

Yoga doesn’t just live on the mat; it’s how we show up in everyday life. I share 30 simple ways to live like a yogi, from practicing gratitude and silence to decluttering, serving others, and reconnecting with nature. Small daily acts that bring awareness, compassion, and joy into the ordinary.

Episode Highlights:

• Updates on the upcoming 300-hour teacher training and free cueing workshop
• Inspiration behind the episode: a personal 30-day mindfulness list
• The cultural meaning of the word yogi and why Aru uses it thoughtfully
• Reminder that yoga is awareness, not limited to the mat or a single class hour
• Encouragement to bring yoga into everyday life through small actions

30 Ways to Live Like a Yogi

1. Practice gratitude (Santosha)
2. Notice beauty (Pratyaksha)
3. Use your hands
4. Invite color
5. Wish well for others (Maitri Bhavana)
6. Exhale your worries
7. Ask what lights you up (Swadhyaya)
8. Light a candle or diya
9. Clap your hands or ring a bell
10. Drink water
11. Practice Abhyanga
12. Clean up and declutter (Aparigraha)
13. Notice negative thoughts
14. Remember someone who has passed (Shraddha)
15. Take a mindful walk
16. Notice other beings
17. Smile
18. Avoid gossip and negative news
19. Touch the soil
20. Detach from drama (Vairagya)
21. Reduce sensory input (Pratyahara)
22. Move your body
23. Explore a craft
24. Cleanse your space
25. Practice silence (Mauna)
26. Serve others (Seva)
27. Practice Yoga Nidra or body scan
28. Journal
29. Cleanse the body (Saucha)
30. Sit in silence

Waitlist for the Online 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training (launching January)
Free upcoming workshop: “Queuing for Yoga Teachers – From Gross to Subtle” (November 14, 10 a.m. PT)
Join our mailing list
Find all the resources mentioned in this episode
Connect with us on Instagram

When trust is broken in yoga spaces, the impact runs deep. I talk about sexual harassment, abuse of power, and misconduct in the yoga world—why silence protects harm, how to recognize red flags, and what we can do to rebuild safety and integrity in our communities.

Episode Highlights:

• Announcements about upcoming workshops and the 300-hour online training
• Reflection on recent misconduct cases in the yoga community and what they reveal
• Personal story of confronting harassment within Aru’s own dance studio
• Historical overview of sexual abuse and misconduct in yoga lineages
• Discussion of how reverence without accountability allowed abuse to thrive
• Breakdown of how abuse begins—through trust, power imbalance, and manipulation
• Explanation of spiritual gaslighting and why survivors often stay silent
• Common reasons victims don’t come forward: fear, loss of belonging, trauma response, and cultural conditioning
• Recognition of microaggressions and boundary violations in modern studios
• Red flags to watch for in teachers and studio environments (flirtatious behavior, vague boundaries, unwanted touch, secrecy)
• Aru’s personal story of ignoring red flags and learning to trust her instincts
• Practical suggestions for how to respond if someone confides in you about harassment
• Guidance for yoga teachers and studio owners:
  • Create written ethical policies
  • Teach ethics and boundaries in teacher trainings
  • Establish independent reporting systems
  • Model consent and clear communication
• Call to believe women first, foster open conversations, and stop idealizing teachers
• Reminder that ethics isn’t cultural; it’s universal and foundational to yoga
• Final reflections on accountability, community healing, and how true yoga shows up in how we treat one another

Waitlist for the Online 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training (launching January)
Free upcoming workshop: “Queuing for Yoga Teachers – From Gross to Subtle” (November 14, 10 a.m. PT)
Join our mailing list
Find all the resources mentioned in this episode
Connect with us on Instagram