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Hari-kirtana das

Hari-kirtana is an author, mentor, and yoga teacher who shares his knowledge and experience of how the yoga wisdom tradition can guide us toward meaningful and transformative spiritual experiences.

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Thank you for becoming a member of my online community. I hope I'll be able to be of service to you as we journey together down the path of transcendental knowledge. Click here to find out about upcoming group study opportunities with me. If you'd like to hear my conversations with a variety of podcast hosts about bhakti-yoga philosophy in theory and practice, the relationship between faith and knowledge, perspectives on cultural appropriation, tips for yoga teachers, and observations on...

Greetings Reader - One of the most challenging aspects of teaching yoga is integrating yoga philosophy into an asana class or workshop. Over the many years that I’ve been training yoga teachers, this skill is the one that I’m most often asked to help teachers develop. Many teachers want to offer their students some wisdom from the yoga tradition. And the people who come to classes want to feel a sense of connection when they take a live class, in-person or online. And yet, many teachers don't...

Greetings Reader - I have an ongoing game I play in my head for no particular reason. The game is called, “If I had two cats, I’d name them . . .” Jaya and Vijaya, Soochi and Moochi, Karma and Dharma, Rover and Fido, Wave and Particle, Doonakranitz and Frannakranitz, Hawkwind and Motorhead, . . . The rule (apparently) is that the names must have some kind of complementarity. And if they rhyme, I get extra credit (whatever that means). The complementarity of a doonakranitz and a frannakranitz...

Greetings Reader - The world is a pretty unstable place right now. As if you hadn't already noticed. I suppose I'm stating the obvious. Nevertheless, I speak the truth. We can blame economic disparity or political fragmentation or Saturn or whatever we want, but the bottom line is that there’s whole lotta shakin’ going on. A confluence of negative trends have taken us to a tipping point and it feels like things are going to fall apart no matter what we do. It’s just a question of what can we...

Hi Reader, Just a quick reminder that enrollment for my March Wisdom Workshop will close tonight: How to Connect Spiritual Ideas to Real Life Live via Zoom on Sunday, March 9th, 2025 @ 12:00 pm Eastern Time Tuition: $27 CLICK HERE TO ENROLL This workshop will be recorded and available for replay Yoga Teachers can get 1.5 hours of CE credit with Yoga Alliance I hope to see you there, - Hari-k

Greetings Reader - Our free monthly series, Community Conversations, continues next week. This month, we’re going to explore the relationship between yoga, spirituality, and the major ideological shifts that are shaking up the world. For many, yoga and spirituality are practices that help us to achieve liberation from fear; most notably, fear of change. But a big change is underway; we can see it in the news and feel it beneath our feet. And these changes are going to affect everyone and...

woman in gray scarf and red knit cap

Greetings Reader - Our free monthly series, Community Conversations, continues next week. This month, we’re going to explore the relationship between yoga, spirituality, and the major ideological shifts that are shaking up the world. For many, yoga and spirituality are practices that help us to achieve liberation from fear; most notably, fear of change. But a big change is underway; we can see it in the news and feel it beneath our feet. And these changes are going to affect everyone and...

Greetings Reader - One of the things that makes the Bhagavad-gita, yoga’s quintessential wisdom text, so compelling, is that Krishna, the speaker of the Gita, offers his friend, Arjuna, a clear and inspiring vision of a possible future. That future is one of equanimity, even in the midst of chaos, and freedom from the miseries of material life. Krishna speaks about how “those who” think in this way or see in that way or act according to this or that higher form of knowledge achieve these...

Greetings Reader - I can’t think of a time in my life when it’s been more important to know how to apply the ancient wisdom of yoga to our lives than right now. Traditional yoga wisdom sometimes feels out of reach—a mysterious collection esoteric ideas, rigorous practices, and lofty goals that seem disconnected from our everyday experiences. And when we feel a special sense of urgency about our everyday experiences, we might think that studying yoga philosophy is a luxury for when we have...

Greetings Reader - I trust my readers in other parts of the world will forgive me for directing our collective attention to the purposeful chaos being generated by our nation’s chief executive here in my adopted hometown of Washington, D.C. And, given its global consequences, I trust all of my readers will share my interest in looking at the chaos through the lens of yoga wisdom in order to understand and constructively respond to it. The inward-turning practices of yoga can provide shelter...

Hi Reader, I’m reaching out with a quick note about my upcoming small group mentorship program for yoga teachers. Speaking from personal experience, I know that mentorship offers a special opportunity for personal growth and professional development. It’s a great way to gain knowledge, develop skills, and build confidence. Mentorship is also a proven way to experience greater satisfaction in any field of work. if you're a yoga teacher, my upcoming small group mentorship program is designed to...