One thing that I took away from my conversation with Patty Townsend is a dead ringer for something I took away from my talk with Jillian Pransky. I almost named these two episodes part 1 and part 2 because of the intersection of a few things: that of giving and receiving both friendship in and wisdom—love, really—in the practice.
It was a delight hearing about Patty's early days with Ashtanga, and then Iyengar, and then Tantra, and her other influential teachers, but what struck me most was her relationship with Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, a movement artist interested in every type of healthy, holistic movement you can imagine.
Back to the friendship piece—Patty learned early on in her yoga career that there is no hierarchy in yoga, and no validity in the patriarchy to be sure. There is just co-creation, learning, and then more learning. Most of all, as she puts it: It’s not the mat, it’s the dishes and the children. I hope you enjoy this conversation with another maturing, great teacher who, in this case, has crisscrossed lineages to profound and inspiring effect.
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Terms:
1. Purusha: the divine Self which abides in all beings
2. Prakriti: the Nature
3. Sushumna: the main energy channel of the subtle body
4. Chakras: seven energy points running from the base of the spine to the crown of the head
5. Hatha Yoga: the physical aspect of Yoga practice, including postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama), seals (mudras), locks (bandhas), and cleansing practices (kriyas)
6. Shiva: God as auspiciousness
7. Shakti: power, energy or force
8. Samskaras: mental impressions
9. Koshas: the five layers (or sheaths) of the subtle body
10. Sarvangasana: shoulder stand
11. Sirsasana: headstand
12. Marichyasana 4: a twisting pose dedicated to the sage Marichi
13. Santosha: contentment; the second of the niyamas in the Eight Limbs of Yoga
14. Viveka: discrimination of the real from the unreal
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References:
3. Ganga White
4. Ana Forest
6. Patabhi Jois
7. BKS Iyengar
8. Kofi Busia
11. Angela Farmer
12. Richard Freeman
13. Beryl Bender
14. Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion, by Jia Tolentino
15. Veronique Vienne
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Episode credits:
Original music by Kim's band Governess.
Produced by Alyssa Yeroshefsky and Kim Weeks.
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