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Escaping Samsara

Nathan Thompson & Evgeny Dziatko

Escaping Saṃsāra - Yoga and Meditation Podcast about practices that liberate us. Interviews with spiritual teachers from the yoga world and beyond. We are a group of friends dedicated to exploring the deep teachings of yoga and other spiritual traditions to see what unites them in their search for Truth and how each practitioner has danced with the Mystery. We want to learn from today's elders about their paths and experiences. What has worked, what hasn't and what is downright weird. From California psychedelic culture to Tantric Tibet we span the globe finding out what has helped people on their spiritual journey. We hope that it will be of benefit to our fellow truth seekers. OM

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  • 20 episodes
  • Avg 1 hr 12 min
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  • Nov 3, 2025 · 1 hr 1 min

    Why I Ditched My Orange Robes (And What I Found in Vietnam) with Bante Panna

    Bhante Panya tried the forest monk thing. He wore the Theravada robes in America, followed the Vinaya rules, and watched potential practitioners flee because he looked too foreign, too untouchable, too "religious icon" instead of accessible teacher. So he made a move that freaked out his ego: took Mahayana ordination in Taiwan, moved to Vietnam, and started asking uncomfortable questions about what Buddhism actually needs to look like in the West. This conversation gets real fast. We're talking about: **The stuff nobody mentions:** - How your friend group is a mirror of everything you hate about yourself - The terror of taking the bodhisattva vow - What happens when you sit next to someone who's actually realized - Why Theravada meditation might be technically superior but Mahayana community outreach hits different - How to fight the dark spots in your mind when you can't run to a cave - The difference between controlling your mind and just not reacting to it - Why unhealed childhood trauma is probably running your whole spiritual path * Bhante's books: https://www.amazon.com/Thoughtless-love-cultivation-Bhante-Panna https://www.amazon.com/touching-enlightenment-parable-distance-attachments-ebook Donations for Bhante: https://venmo.com/u/bhante --- *Escaping Samsara is a weekly podcast exploring authentic Buddhist and yogic practice. Subscribe on Substack (escapingsamsara.substack.com) for free articles, teachings, and more episodes!

  • Sep 30, 2025 · 1 hr 17 min

    Kat Ashtanga: Advanced Practice, Motherhood & Spiritual Growth

    In this episode, we sit down with Kat Ashtanga, an advanced practitioner, to explore: ✨ How practice evolves through the different series of poses ✨ Balancing lineage with personal practice ✨ Integrating pregnancy, postpartum, and motherhood ✨ The subtle benefits of long term asana practice ✨ How the universal energy of prana is conducted via these poses Whether you're deep in your own Ashtanga journey or just beginning to explore, this conversation offers wisdom and inspiration for yogis at all levels. 🔗 Also listen on Spotify / Apple / Substack 👉 Don't miss exclusive writings, bonus episodes, and behind-the-scenes reflections. Subscribe on Substack today: https://escapingsamsara.substack.com Here's the only video of the old school Advanced A practice I'm aware of on YT: • Ashtanga Yoga - ORIGINAL 1974 ADVANCED A S... F ind out more about Kat: https://www.kathache.com/ If you enjoyed this episode, please like, comment, and share — it helps the podcast reach more practitioners around the world. #Ashtanga #YogaPodcast #EscapingSamsara #Meditation #Motherhood #Lineage

  • Sep 2, 2025 · 1 hr

    Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind 4/4 *Death* with Daniel Ingram

    In the fourth and final episode of our series on The Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind, Nathan sits down with renowned Dharma practitioner and ER physician Daniel Ingram to explore the most confronting and transformative contemplation: death. Drawing from his experience in emergency rooms and deep meditation, Daniel discusses how death can be a powerful catalyst for spiritual urgency, freedom, and insight. They reflect on childhood spirituality, near-death experiences, death rehearsal practices, and the delicate balance between striving and letting go on the path. If you've ever asked yourself what really happens when we die—and how contemplating death can make life more vivid and meaningful—this conversation is for you. 0:13 – Introduction 4:18 – Early spiritual experiences and childhood insights 7:05 – Daniel's Dharma path and balancing practice with life 13:30 – Contemplating death and its spiritual impact 19:57 – Near-death experiences and ontological humility 24:44 – Do you have a death plan? 32:28 – Death as suffering and transformation 43:06 – The urgency of practice: why not now? 51:48 – Balancing striving with surrender 58:56 – Daniel's current projects and final thoughts More about Daniel here: https://www.integrateddaniel.info/

  • Aug 14, 2025 · 1 hr

    The Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind: *Drawbacks of Samsara* with Robina Courtin

    This is episode three in the series on The Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind, contemplations that form the basis of the Buddhist path. In this episode, Ven. Robina Courtin, a Tibetan Buddhist nun with nearly fifty years in the tradition, discusses "The Drawbacks of Samsara". We dive into the nature of suffering in Samsara, the subtle role of attachment, and the practical meaning of the Four Noble Truths. Robina speaks to the balance between devotion and clear-eyed reasoning, showing how both can deepen and stabilize our practice. Our conversation explores the six realms of existence, the workings of karma, and how understanding the nature of Samsara inspires personal responsibility for our inner life. Throughout, she returns to one essential truth: the quality of our thoughts and intentions shapes the quality of our lives. Robina's website: https://robinacourtin.com/ Follow Escaping Samsara: https://escapingsamsara.substack.com/ Instagram: @escsamsara

  • Aug 1, 2025 · 1 hr 9 min

    Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind: *Precious Human Rebirth* with Joe Evans

    Episode 2/4 on The Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind, and this time we are talking about the "precious human rebirth" and pondering the unique opportunity that human beings have to practice the path to awakening. And to discuss this I am joined by Joe Evans, founder of the Rangdröl Foundation and teacher of Dzogchen under the name Jigme Rangdröl. The Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind, also known as the Four Reminders, are a set of Buddhist contemplations that encourage practitioners to turn their minds away from worldly distractions and towards spiritual practice. These thoughts are: 1) the preciousness of a human rebirth, 2) impermanence and death, 3) karma (cause and effect), and 4) the unsatisfactory nature of samsara (cyclic existence). The first episode of this series was on Karma (see our podcast feed for that one) but it's not necessary to listen to them all in order! To find out more about Joe Evans, visit: https://www.rangdrolfoundation.org/ Follow our substack for weekly posts, essays, and podcasts! Join our Telegram community

  • Jul 7, 2025 · 1 hr 13 min

    Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind: *Karma* (with Ellen Johannesen)

    In this episode of the Escaping Samsara Podcast, we begin a four-part journey into the Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind—a set of foundational Buddhist contemplations that help orient us toward Dharma. Our focus today is on karma. I'm joined by Ellen Johansson, a long-time Ashtanga teacher and committed Vajrayana practitioner, who brings deep insight into how karma works—not as punishment, but as a mirror of cause and effect, intention and outcome. We explore how karma is understood across Buddhist and yogic traditions, what it means to take responsibility for our actions, and how this recognition can become a force for transformation. We also touch on the differences in how Buddhism and yoga approach the idea of selfhood, and how both paths invite us into ethical living grounded in compassion. Ellen shares about her upcoming yoga teacher training rooted in philosophical inquiry, and we invite you to sit with these ideas—see how they land, and where they lead. More on Ellen: https://ashtanganepal.com/ And: https://www.instagram.com/ashtanganepal/ Escaping Samsara Substack: https://escapingsamsara.substack.com/

  • Jul 1, 2025 · 6 min

    Announcing the Escaping Samsara Substack

    In this short announcement episode, I introduce our new online home: the Escaping Samsara Substack — a space where all our content will now live, including podcasts, written pieces, and weekly reflections. Here's what to expect: 🧘 Weekly Practice Notes Personal insights from my daily practice — exploring themes like working with moon phases in asana and mantra, or extending meditation into the evening hours. It's an honest, ongoing look at what it's like to live a spiritual life in the modern world. 🌀 Longform Articles & Interviews Every week, either a new podcast episode or a deep-dive written piece. Topics might include: Dzogchen vs. Theravāda Psychedelics and spiritual distraction A new interview series on Ashtanga Yoga in the post-lineage era, reflecting on the legacy after the passing of Sharath Jois 📱 More Content Channels Podcasts are now also available on YouTube New YouTube Shorts and video content in development Light-hearted expansion onto TikTok Instagram remains the central social hub 💬 Community Join the growing Telegram group to chat with fellow practitioners, ask questions, and share your path. All links are in the show notes. This is a big step forward in professionalizing Escaping Samsara — and I'm thrilled to have you along for the journey. 👉 Subscribe now on Substack (it's free!) to stay connected and receive all the latest content direct to your inbox. 🧭 Links: 🔗 Escaping Samsara Substack 🗣️ Join our Telegram Group 📺 YouTube Channel 📸 Instagram: @escsamsara If you enjoy the show, please rate, review, and share. Your support helps us reach more people! 🙏

  • S2 · E30
    Jun 24, 2025 · 1 hr 4 min

    Susi Sweeney on Ashtanga's Sixth Series, Aging & Authenticity

    In this episode of Escaping Samsara, Nathan Thompson sits down with Susi Sweeney—a lifelong yoga practitioner, teacher, mother, and now grandmother. Her path runs deep through 30 years of practice and cuts across the raw terrain of anxiety, eating disorders, motherhood, and aging. She trained with Pattabhi Jois. She now works through the sixth series. Every movement, she says, pulls something loose—grief, joy, memory. Susie explains how she raised children while maintaining her practice, how her mat held steady through births and breakdowns. Now a grandmother, she reflects on change—not as decline, but as deeper awareness. We discuss how the mat can be altar, battlefield, and therapist's chair. Susie reminds us that yoga doesn't ask for perfection. Just honesty. And repetition.

  • S2 · E29
    Jun 2, 2025 · 1 hr 21 min

    Cycles Within Cycles: Gregor Meahle Returns

    In this episode, Nathan sits down with Gregor Maehle to explore the deeper patterns that shape a lifetime of spiritual practice. Rather than focusing on technique or lineage, this conversation travels into the inner terrain—what changes as we mature in our practice, what stays hidden until we're ready to see it, and how we relate to disembodied knowledge and the teachers who carry it. Gregor speaks candidly about moving through different phases of yoga—physical, philosophical, devotional—and the quiet shifts that signal growth. The conversation turns to the Yoga Sutras, not as a rulebook, but as a living inquiry: What is spiritual maturity? How do we move beyond surface-level understanding into direct experience? We also touch on: Why certain teachings only reveal themselves at the right time The role of intuition vs. tradition Disembodied teachers and mystical messaging The role of avidya (ignorance) in Yoga vs Buddhism Is someone "tending the light at the end of the tunnel"? This is one for listeners who are walking the long path—those in the middle of a cycle, or perhaps sensing the end of one.

  • S2 · E28
    Apr 20, 2025 · 1 hr 23 min

    Sat Inder Khalsa: Going Beyond Yoga Asana into the Depths of Hindu Tantra

    What does it mean to walk a path across lifetimes, through lineages, and into the heart of divine practice? In this intimate and powerful episode, we sit down with Sat Inder Khalsa, a teacher of Ashtanga Yoga, student of Tantra, and dedicated seeker who has traveled many spiritual paths—including Wicca, Sikhism, Hinduism, and more—to uncover deeper layers of truth. Sat Inder shares his mission to help others integrate yogic and tantric wisdom into everyday life—guiding students through Sanskrit, philosophy, temple life, and the very human challenges of spiritual growth. With warmth and honesty, he opens up about his life journey, the mentors who shaped him, and what it means to truly embody practice. ✨ Whether you're a curious beginner or a long-time practitioner, this conversation is a heartfelt transmission of lived experience and grounded wisdom. 📿 Follow Sat Inder: @in_her_lap

  • S2 · E27
    Apr 4, 2025 · 1 hr 19 min

    Mark Darby Discusses the Synergy of Ashtanga, Hatha, and Kriya Yoga

    Known simply as Darby, his story is one of movement, devotion, and surrender, which led him to India in 1979. There, in Mysore, he met Ashtanga guru Pattabhi Jois and embraced the transformative rigor of the practice. Darby's experiences reflect a deep commitment to both physical and spiritual growth. Today, as a husband, father, and teacher, Darby shares how he balances family responsibilities with his practice, emphasizing surrender as the key to fulfillment. Whether you're a seasoned practitioner or new to yoga, this episode offers wisdom on integrating Chinese Medicine, Hatha, and Kriya yoga into daily life while staying true to your spiritual core. We cover: Life in the original Mysore shala The original classical Ashtanga and the modern version Kriya yoga and integrating original hatha practices into modern practice Coming back to practice after parenthood What it really means to walk the yogic path

  • S2 · E26
    Mar 21, 2025 · 53 min

    Remembering the Buddha and Devotional Practice in Buddhism with Kim Allen

    Kim Allen's journey into Buddhist practice began in 2003, sparked by a period of deep personal change and suffering. Guided by her primary teacher, Gil Fronsdal, she devoted herself to intensive retreat practice, sutta study, and a life aligned with the Eightfold Path. With over 1,000 days of silent retreat, including practice in Sri Lanka and Buddhist centers across Asia, Kim brings a depth of lived experience to her teaching. She has studied with renowned teachers like Shaila Catherine, Bhikkhu Anālayo, and Bhikkhu Bodhi, and now offers teachings on classical texts, sutta study, and the integration of deep Dharma into daily life. In 2020, she took formal commitment as a Lay Contemplative, receiving the Dharma name Sumatimitta—a "wise friend" on the path. Kim's teaching is rooted in direct experience—the willingness to meet reality as it is, with clarity, compassion, and wisdom. Her approach blends the profound depth of early Buddhist wisdom with the simple beauty of the present moment—whether it's the sound of a hawk's call or the ripple of aspen leaves. I'm honored to welcome Kim to the podcast today as we discuss the Dharma, the power of retreat practice, and what it means to live a contemplative life in the modern world.

  • S2 · E25
    Mar 10, 2025 · 55 min

    Living the Dharma in Family Life: a Discussion with Former Monk and Father Richard Josephson

    In this episode we're once again joined by Richard Josephson for a Dharma discussion centred around family life as a vehicle for practicing Buddhist and general liberation teachings. With over 50 years of practice experience both as a monk and a family man, Richard Josephson is perfectly placed to give a wise perspective on how we can best practice, whatever our circumstances. Listen for insights on: Why you should or shouldn't become ordained The challanges of being a monk or nun How to find time in family life to practice well How to cultivate an attitude and find motivation to pursue the noble path How to find stillness and release from stress no matter what

  • S2 · E24
    Feb 28, 2025 · 1 hr 21 min

    Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor on Meditation, Happiness, and the Illusion of Self

    What does it mean to be truly happy? In this episode of Escaping Samsara, I sit down with teachers Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor to explore the deeper layers of practice beyond asana and into meditation and philosophy. Drawing from their decades of experience in spiritual practice, they discuss the subtle intersections of yoga, Buddhism, and embodiment—revealing how happiness is not just an emotion, but a fully integrated state of being. We dive into the challenges of modern yoga, the pitfalls of spiritual ego, and how to navigate tradition without becoming dogmatic. Richard shares candid insights on guru culture, the Westernization of yoga, and the fine line between devotion and delusion, while Mary offers grounded wisdom on cultivating joy through breath, presence, and compassionate awareness. Join us for an illuminating conversation on the art of practice, the paradox of happiness, and what it really means to escape Samsara. Check out Richard and Mary's new book: Feeling Happy: The Yoga of Body, Heart, and Mind Find more info about Richard and Mary here.

  • S2 · E23
    Feb 19, 2025 · 1 hr 16 min

    Live from Varanasi! The Gently Down Project on Talismans, Ritual Objects, and Ashtanga Yoga

    In the latest episode of Escaping Samsara, I sit down with Spiros Antonopoulos and Barry Silver in person on the banks of the Ganga River in Varanasi to explore their incredible project, Gently Down: Bathed, Beaten, and Blessed — a 20-year journey of artistic and spiritual collaboration rooted in the sacred energies of the Ganga and the Maha Kumbh Mela festival. Spiros and Barry first met as yoga students in New York City, unaware that their paths would intertwine for decades, leading them back—again and again—to the ancient flow of India's most sacred river. We discuss: 🔹 The power of consecration—how objects, spaces, and even moments can be transformed into sacred vessels 🔹 The ritual journey of Bathed, Beaten, and Blessed 3.0 at the Kumbh Mela festival 🔹 How purification, intention, and devotion anchor us in deeper realities 🔹 The intersection of yoga, esoteric traditions, and artistic expression

  • S3 · E1
    Jan 17, 2025 · 1 hr 5 min

    Ashtanga Vinyasa: Unorthodox Methods with Tiaga Prem

    In this episode, we discuss the positives and drawbacks of different ways of practising Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. Tiaga covers thoughts and perspectives from his diverse backgrounds studying with Ramaswami, Dharma Mittra, and his experience teaching Mysore style for over 20 years. We also cover the core Tristana method, getting into the technique of breath and bandha, and how mudra exploration can enhance a regular asana practice. So if you enjoy Ashtanga or any form of Vinyasa yoga and want a good geek-out with two long-term practitioners, prepare a cup of chai, sit back and listen in.

  • S2 · E21
    Nov 21, 2024 · 1 hr 23 min

    S2, Ep. 21 Emptiness, Mantra, and Yoga with Ajahn Kovilo and Richard Josephson

    Ajahn Kovilo joins me from the Clear Mountain Podcast and Richard Josephson - a lay yogi living in a California temple. We discuss the intersection of yoga, Buddhism, and mysticism in general. We cover Emptiness, pranayama, and the different paths of the renunciate and the layperson and how they can both lead to awakening. This is a deep-dive discussion covering the transformative effects of sadhana in the modern world. We wonder what Samsara is and if we escape from it.

  • S2 · E20
    Sep 14, 2024 · 2 hr 51 min

    S2, Ep. 20 Escaping Samsara Bookclub: 'Chakras, Drugs, And Evolution'

    This is our 4th Escaping Samsara Bookclub and we are joined by author and teacher Daniel Simpson to discuss Gregor Meahle's "Chakras, Drugs, and Evolution: A Map of Transformative States." Daniel and I discuss our thoughts on Chakras and how they are used in new ways by modern practitioners, our drug experiences and how they affect the spiritual path, and how our subjective experience shapes our practice. Daniel Simpson Daniel makes timeless insights accessible and relevant. He's the author of The Truth of Yoga, an engaging overview of history and philosophy. He also hosts the Ancient Futures podcast. His latest course is a year-long immersion, The Path of Knowledge – you can find out more and join us here. "In this ground-breaking book, Gregor Maehle shows how the chakras offer a blueprint for the natural evolution of life via single-cell organisms, reptiles, mammals and humans. He draws on his experiences with mind-altering plant agents and chemicals during the late 70's and early 80's, as well as extensive research, to objectively describe how drugs influence each chakra, including their potential but also spiritual setbacks and dangers. The author further explores whether psychoactive substances are a useful supplement, shortcut or accelerator of spiritual evolution. The book culminates in a complete map of transformative and mystical states, including their potential accessibility through psychedelics versus traditional yogic methods."

  • S2 · E19
    Sep 9, 2024 · 1 hr 13 min

    S2, Ep. 19 Sex, Rajas, and The Yogic Body as Applied to Women, with Tova Olsson (Episode 2/2)

    This our final episode in our exploration of sex, bindu, rajas, and Brahmacharya and the second of two episodes looking at female practitioners especially. We are joined by Tova Olsson, a scholar of religion, author, and yoga teacher with over 20 years of experience in education. We discuss: The reproductive model of the yogic body vs Kundalini models How Tantra relates to methods of conserving vital energies How female practitioners can understand sexual continence in spiritual practice. She holds a MA in Religious Studies and is currently working on her PhD, researching the construction of gender in contemporary tantra in Europe. She is the author of the book "Yoga and Tantra: history, philosophy and mythology" and runs the online school Saraswati-Studies, where she strives to combine an academic, critical understanding with the experience of a long-term practitioner, joining devotion and discernment. https://saraswati-studies.teachable.com

  • S2 · E18
    Aug 20, 2024 · 1 hr 4 min

    S2, Ep. 18 Sex, Bindu, and The Yogic Body as Applied to Women, with Ruth Westoby (Episode 1/2)

    This is the first of two episodes expanding the previous topic of Sex, Semen Retention, and Brahmacharya as it may or may not apply to women. Female practitioners of yoga don't show up in the old texts but there have been many female-specific physical practices through the ages. And who better to explain how to practice with these archaic information than Ruth Westoby. Ruth Westoby is a yoga practitioner and academic researcher in yoga studies. Ruth Westoby holds a PhD from SOAS University of London on 'The body in early haṭha yoga', supervised by James Mallinson and Richard Williams. Ruth is working on two book projects from her doctoral thesis that passed without corrections. Ruth has published early research findings in the peer-reviewed Religions of South Asia and numerous public articles. Ruth is Visiting Lecturer in Indian Religions at Roehampton University, teaching postgraduate theory and method in the study of religion and undergraduate courses on asian religions, cultures and ethics, contemporary issues in global religions, being human and religion, ecology and politics. Ruth collaborated with the Haṭha Yoga Project's 'embodied philology', interpreting postures from an 18th-century text teaching a precursor of modern yoga, the Haṭhābhyāsapaddhati, in 2016 and 2017. In 2010 she received an MA in Indian Religions from SOAS, University of London, with Distinction. Ruth has practiced yoga for almost 30 years and in 2015 was authorized by Sharat Jois to teach Ashtanga level 2. Ruth has studied closely with and assisted Hamish Hendry and Richard Freeman. Ruth does not practice at studios that display images of Pattabhi Jois on altars in solidarity with those who were sexually abused by him. Ruth founded and chaired the successful environmental campaign for floodplain meadow restoration at Bartonsham Meadows, Hereford. www.enigmatic.yoga ruthwestoby@gmail.com Instagram @ruthwestoby

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