In this episode of That’s So Hindu, Mat McDermott speaks with nutritionist Neha Shah (Diaspora Nutrition). They discuss the impact of Western diets on Indian immigrants, traditional Indian dietary wisdom, and practical strategies for maintaining health through culturally rooted nutrition practices.

Learn more:

https://www.instagram.com/diasporanutrition/

https://diasporanutrition.com/

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Diaspora Nutrition

03:09 Understanding Cardio Metabolic Disease

06:11 Cultural Wisdom vs. Western Diets

09:01 The Role of Traditional Foods

11:54 Calorie Counting and Food Relationships

14:41 Modernizing Indian Meals

17:56 The Importance of Sourcing Ingredients

20:58 Healthy Swaps for Immigrants

23:57 Seasonality and Eating Patterns

26:40 Ayurveda and Traditional Wisdom

29:42 Integrating Traditional Grains

32:52 Final Thoughts and Resources

keywords

diaspora nutrition, Indian immigrants, traditional Indian diet, gut health, metabolic health, Ayurveda, food sourcing, seasonality, holistic health, cultural wisdom

key topics

Impact of Western diets on Indian immigrants

Traditional Indian dietary wisdom and practices

Gut health and metabolic disease in diaspora populations

Food sourcing, seasonality, and preparation methods

Ayurveda and holistic health principles

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In this episode of That’s So Hindu, Mat McDermott talks with yoga teacher Patrick Franco discusses the importance of asana within the broader context of yoga philosophy. He explores how movement, breath, and mindfulness can be integrated to achieve the true goals of yoga, addressing misconceptions and highlighting the significance of lineage and authentic practice.

Read Patrick’s article in Yoga Journal: https://www.yogajournal.com/teach/asana-yoga/

Practice with Patrick: https://yogarenew.com

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Yoga and Asana

06:06 The Importance of Asana in Yoga

10:31 Post-COVID Yoga Landscape

13:58 Asana as a Gateway to Community

29:56 Gender Dynamics in Yoga Practice

Keywords

Yoga, Asana, Yoga Philosophy, Movement, Breath, Lineage, Yoga Practice, Spirituality, Yoga Education

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In this episode of That’s So Hindu, Dr. Vijay Satnarine from Hindu American Foundation dives into the expansive world of yoga, revealing that there are actually 16 (possibly more) paths and practices that go far beyond the commonly known four. This discussion challenges simplified views of yoga and emphasizes its diverse and inclusive nature, grounded in spiritual traditions and practical applications.

The 16 types of yoga

1. The Disciplines of the Mind & Intellect

These techniques focus on refining the "instrument" of perception.

Abhyāsa-yoga (Yoga of Practice): The technique of repeatedly bringing the wandering mind back to a single point of focus.

Buddhi-yoga (Yoga of Discernment): Using the higher intellect to filter out sensory "noise" and make choices based on the fundamental reality of a situation.

Sāṅkhya-yoga (Yoga of Analysis): The intellectual discipline of "counting" or "categorizing" the difference between the eternal observer and the transient world.

Jñāna-Vijñāna-yoga (Yoga of Knowledge & Realization): The progression from theoretical understanding to direct, verifiable experience of reality.

2. The Disciplines of Action & Engagement

These techniques focus on how we interface with the world without creating further cycles of suffering.

Karma-yoga (Yoga of Action): Performing one's duty without attachment to personal gain.

Karma-phala-tyāga (Renunciation of Results): The psychological technique of surrendering the "fruit" of action to manage anxiety and ego.

Sannyāsa-yoga (Yoga of Renunciation): Not the abandonment of action, but the renunciation of the sense of doership (the ego’s claim on the action).

Yajña-yoga (Yoga of Sacrifice): Viewing every action—from eating to breathing to working—as an offering to the greater whole, rather than an act of personal consumption.

3. The Disciplines of Emotional & Biological Baseline

These provide the "steady ground" required for all other yogas.

Sthitaprajña-yoga (Yoga of Steady Wisdom): The practice of remaining unmoved by the "dualities" (pleasure/pain, win/loss) to maintain a clear view of reality.

Dhyāna-yoga / Ātma-saṃyama-yoga (Yoga of Meditation/Self-Restraint): The biological discipline of regulating sleep, food, and breath to keep the "instrument" of the body tuned.

Samatva-yoga (Yoga of Equanimity): The specific technique of viewing a lump of earth, a stone, and gold with the same steady eye—recognizing the same underlying Sat in all.

4. The Disciplines of Connection & Vision

These expand the individual's perspective from the local self to the universal.

Bhakti-yoga (Yoga of Devotion): Reorienting the emotional faculty toward the Divine, transforming personal desire into universal love.

Vibhūti-yoga (Yoga of Divine Manifestation): The technique of practicing "constant awareness" by seeing the "best of" every category (the sun among lights, the lion among beasts) as a portal to the Divine reality.

Viśvarūpa-darśana-yoga (Yoga of the Universal Vision): The radical expansion of consciousness to see the interconnectedness of all time, space, and being.

5. The Disciplines of the "Field" (Contextual Reality)

These focus on understanding the environment in which we act.

Kṣetra-Kṣetrajña-yoga (Yoga of the Field & Knower): Distinguishing between the "Field" (the body, the mind, the world) and the "Knower" (consciousness).

Guṇatraya-vibhāga-yoga (Yoga of the Three Modes): Analyzing the three qualities of nature—Sattva (clarity), Rajas (activity), and Tamas (inertia)—to understand what is driving our current behavior.

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