On and Off Your Mat

Dharma and the Bhagavad Gita

I'm Erika!

I have a passion for helping women in their personal growth, so they can feel that anything is possible in life. Blogging is one way I do that; another medium for me to share a more personal side of the whole journey. 

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For our 21st episode, I had the pleasure to sit down with Alison Smith. Alison is a San Francisco yoga teacher. I met her in one of her workshops. Her presence when she’s teaching is kinda hypnotic. She’s warm, passionate and super knowledgeable. As a student, she made me feel seen and I connected right away with her, I felt this deep trust. If you can’t tell, I really I look up to her as a teacher. She’s been offering some very special things outside of her classes, one of them is called a yoga club and that format inspired me to invite on the podcast to talk about it.

Listen to the episode here :

Thank you so much for listening and being part of our 21st episode! We have other great guests lined up for you so make sure to subscribe to the podcast where ever you listen!

As always, I really appreciate your support. So as you leave a review on iTunes or on your iPhone podcast app, you automatically enter a giveaway. Once more Athleta is supporting this podcast in their effort to ignite a community of strong women who lift each other up, and is giving out a 75$ shop card! If you’re not sure how to leave a review, check this article. The winner of our last giveaway is iTunes user SashaMirkin1982. Thank you for your comment. DM me on instagram or email me erika.belanger@gmail.com to get your shop card!

QUESTIONS SHE ANSWERED DURING THIS EPISODE :

  • Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your yoga journey?
  • Can you explain what is the Yoga Club and why you decided to offer this format to your students?
  • What’s the concept of Dharma?
  • According to the Bhagavad Gita, can we escape or change our Dharma?
  • Does it change over time? Can we have more than one dharma at a time?
  • In your opinion what’s the link between Dharma and success?
  • How about Dharma and Happiness?
  • Do you feel like you’re living your Dharma?
  • How do you know?
  • What can people look for if they want to reflect on that?
  • What are the telling signs?
  • Do you think we choose our Dharma or do we choose our path for a Dharma that’s chosen for us?
  • Or by us but unconsciously?
  • Why does the Bhagavad Gita teach us not to attach to the fruits of our efforts?
  • How does devotion and offering our efforts to the divine come into play?
  • If the divine is within us, what does it mean to offer to the divine?
  • How do we approach it and its concept if we don’t believe in God if we’re not religious?
  • How would that influence your relationship to dharma?
  • The Bhagavad Gita is a story but can still be challenging to read for a lot of Yogis. How do you support people through the book?
  • Which translation do you use? Why?

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Alison is known for her playful fire, inquisitive nature, and technical expertise. Her warmth and enthusiasm creates an engaging practice environment where students feel safe to learn, grow and transform.
With over a decade of teaching experience, Alison has a down-to-earth approach that makes the complexities of yoga easier to understand and relevant to your daily life.


Alison was initially certified in Anusara Yoga and has spent many years under the tutelage and mentorship of Noah Maze. She continues to draw inspiration from her Ashtanga practice, Shadow Yoga, the classical texts of the Yoga Tradition, and her study of Jyotish.


Learn more about Alison here :
AlisonSmithYoga.comTheSpaceSF.com

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CHOCOLATE OBSESSED, 
TRAVEL ENTHUSIAST, CHRONIC OVERACHIEVER & PLANT MAMA.

Hi, I'm Erika.
Your Yoga Teacher and Life Coach.

I have a passion for helping women in their personal growth, so they can feel that anything is possible in life. Blogging is one way I do that; another medium for me to share a more personal side of the whole journey. Self-Study, awareness, and inquiry are a big part of my path. Join me as I use my experiences as the base for the lessons I want to share. I write about what I know and what helps me, hoping that it will help you.

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