Yoga Scussion: Yoga, Health, Mindfulness & Culture Podcast

Jill Lovato, managing owner of Blossom Yoga in Cheyenne, Wyoming, describes yoga as "a practice to become"—stripping away expectations, labels, and protective layers to step into who we truly are. In this Yogascussion Preview, Jill talks with Gina and Brendon about how her goal being to help others fly their own yoga planes. The full episode releases next Wednesday.

Topics: Becoming vs evolving, yoga philosophy, non-duality, presence and awareness, wholehearted practice, teaching philosophy, reading the room, Ayurvedic principles, gunas, nervous system regulation, accessibility in yoga, community building, running a yoga studio in Wyoming, empathic teaching, intuitive tea...

In this episode of Yoga Scussion, Dr. Meenakshi Vishwanath talks to hosts Gina and Brendon about how she grew up in India with yoga woven through her family—a grandfather who practiced headstands before court cases, a mother exploring holistic wellness decades early. Yet she describes herself as an "on-again, off-again" yogi, never quite appreciating what was always there. Training at Yoganjali Natyalayam in Pondicherry, surviving dental school's demands, navigating deep depression after moving to the U.S., and eventually meeting her husband Brendon in a yoga class she tried to avoid—Meena's journey reveals the difference between inheriting a pr...

In this preview of next week's Yoga Scussion, Meenakshi Vishwanath discusses how yoga can be different and similar in the United States and India. Tune in next Wednesday for the full episode.

About Yoga Scussion: Yoga Scussion is a dynamic podcast that goes far beyond the yoga mat. Each episode brings together passionate practitioners, teachers, experts, and thought leaders from various backgrounds to dive deep into the rich, nuanced world of yoga. Hosted by Brendon Orr and Gina Clingerman, the show explores yoga’s intersection with philosophy, wellness, culture, personal growth, and social issues. Expect authentic, thought-provoking dis...

In this episode of Yoga Scussion, we hear from Casey Karges who walked into yoga unable to touch his knees. A runner, golfer, and self-described "intense" person, he discovered something unexpected: the connection between breath, mind, and body that transforms both personal practice and professional life. As director of a mediation center handling high-conflict situations including domestic violence cases, Casey applies yoga principles daily—breathing techniques, presence, creating safe space. After years of Ashtanga practice, he's learned that yoga isn't about perfecting poses but finding peace within challenge. His three words for yoga: breath, mind, peace.

Topics: Ash...

In this Yoga Scussion Preview, Mediation Center Executive Director Casey Karges talks to Gina and Brendon how a yoga practice can help one value the wants, needs and interests of the other towards a process of peace finding and making. Full episode releases December 17th. 

Topics: Ashtanga yoga, mediation and yoga, conflict resolution, breath awareness, mind-body connection, yoga for athletes, yoga for runners, golf and yoga, flexibility journey, home practice, studio practice, nervous system regulation, presence, peacemaking, holding space, co-regulation, yoga for beginners, long-term practice, yoga and professional life, caregiver wellness, back health, hip flexibility

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October 10th, 2025. Brendon Orr walks his 16-year-old dog Amelia through a golden sunlit meadow. But Amelia stops—perhaps the first time in her life she clearly doesn't wish to walk. Three deer appear in the tall grass, watching peacefully. Brendon locks eyes with one deer. A profound moment of stillness. He looks down at Amelia looking up at him. Together they watch the deer slowly walk into the tree line, as if returning to where they came from. A tear pa...

You know those moments when enlightenment, insight, and wisdom find us? When the universe speaks to us during periods of adversity, joy, or stillness and we feel more aware, mindful, and present having listened to it? What if we took the time to record those moments and share them with others? This is the inspiration behind Podmasana’s sibling podcast, My Mindful Moment where you are invited to listen to the mindful moments of others from around the world and share your own. 

Share Your Mindful Moment

Send your recording via email to mymindfulmoment@podmasana.com...

In this episode of Yoga Scussion, airport executive Jeri Winkelmann came to yoga five years ago for the "wrong" reasons—wanting to look good in wedding photos. What she found was Ashtanga's challenging, repetitive practice that reminded her of ballet, a practice that's made her calmer, more focused, less anxious, and "a better human." Commuting an hour from Omaha to Lincoln even in winter, practicing with her schnauzer George, and being "the calming presence" in crisis situations at work, Jeri shares honest truths: down dog isn't rest, 10-minute practices count, and yoga is "life, connection, health."

Topics

Airport executive Jeri Winkelmann came to yoga five years ago for the "wrong" reasons—wanting to look good in wedding photos. What she found was Ashtanga's challenging, repetitive practice that reminded her of ballet, a practice that's made her calmer, more focused, less anxious, and "a better human." Commuting an hour from Omaha to Lincoln even in winter, practicing with her schnauzer George, and being "the calming presence" in crisis situations at work, Jeri shares honest truths: down dog isn't rest, 10-minute practices count, and yoga is "life, connection, health."

Topics: Ashtanga yoga, body image, airport industry, br...

Gina and Brendon participate in the first Yoga Scussion where they touch on how they met, what brought them to yoga, the role it has played in their lives, the evolution of their practices, the cultural appropriation of yoga, the role of yoga in spirituality, mental health, and the benefits of this ancient system from India.

Topics: Yoga practice, teaching philosophy, cultural appropriation, capitalism in yoga, mental health, depression, cancer caregiving, trauma-informed practice, spiritual evolution, authenticity, darkness and light

About Yogascussion: Yoga Scussion is a dynamic podcast that goes far beyond the yoga mat. Each e...

Gina asks Brendon if he thinks yoga is the best path to develop human consciousnes and Brendon asks Gina about how she came to yoga.

Brendon asks Gina if yoga has made her a better person or if she would be the same without her practice.

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