Which qualities might help us to thrive In a turbulent world? For Elizabeth Oldfield – who hosts a podcast called The Sacred – the key is to prioritise values that bring us together and strengthen relationships.

"I want to be growing into faith, hope and love – not out of them," she explains in this discussion about her new book, titled Fully Alive. Its framework for moulding one's character might sound surprising – the seven deadly sins. However, as Elizabeth clarifies, the point is to rethink "sins" as unhelpful tendencies blocking connection, which leads to a focus on developing their opposites.

Our conversation explores a number of overlaps with yoga philosophy, as well as other traditions of timeless wisdom. To consider these parallels in more depth, join me for an online course at truthofyoga.com.

🙏 To support Ancient Futures, please consider subscribing or buy me a coffee... All donations are greatly appreciated!

What was haṭha yoga before it meant postures?

As the scholar Jason Birch explains, medieval yogis used a three-part sequence of physical methods to raise vital energy and empty their minds (video here). Their ultimate goal was transcendence of death.

Our conversation discusses Jason’s book, The Amaraugha and Amaraughaprabodha of Gorakṣanātha: The Genesis of Haṭha and Rājayoga. We also explore other questions, including:

• What might practitioners learn from this system, and other recent findings?

• Is haṭha yoga needed for liberating insights? What does it mean to become immortal?

• Are the subtle components of yogic anatomy always involved? Do different approaches reach similar goals?

• Is academic work informed by practice, or are the two separate?

🔗 You can read Jason's publications at academia.edu, or via The Luminescent, which he co-founded with Jacqueline Hargreaves.

🎓 For more on the history of haṭha, as well as immersions in texts and traditions, join me for an online course at truthofyoga.com.

🤩 To support Ancient Futures, please consider subscribing or buy me a coffee... All donations are greatly appreciated!

What does it mean to “study” yoga, rather than “practise”? The two aren’t mutually exclusive, explains Amy Landry, who’s hosting a series of online discussions on how to combine them. The Study Yoga summit runs live from April 29 to May 3, with replays available. There are more than a dozen contributors – one of whom is me – and the interviews are shaped by Amy’s extensive experience as a teacher and practitioner of yoga and other Indian disciplines, including classical dance and Āyurveda.

Amy also hosts a podcast called Living in Alignment, which weaves together wisdom for everyday life based on yogic inquiry. We talk about this and her forthcoming book, as well as the transformative power of knowledge in various forms – from scholarly research to experiential insight. Join me to explore these themes in an online immersion in early Upaniṣads. It runs live from April 29 to May 26, with Q&As on Sundays.

To support Ancient Futures, please consider subscribing or buy me a coffee... All donations are greatly appreciated!

When John Donne wrote “no man is an island”, his alternative was to be “involved in mankind”. Francesca Ferrando has broader ideas. As a philosopher and “leading voice in the field of posthuman studies”, Francesca's aim is to get us to think in terms of life.

The Art of Being Posthuman – Francesca's new book – is a string of meditations about how to do this. Our conversation considers connections with Indian traditions, and in the process discusses (among other topics):

* Why life is diverse, non-hierarchical and interdependent

* Why humanity is more about relationships than individuals

* Why people can’t say what they want, or how much is enough

* How it helps to embrace the maxim: “my life is my work of art”

* Whether life is a game, and if so how to play it successfully

To explore some of the overlaps between "posthuman" thinking and yogic traditions, join me for a course at truthofyoga.com. An Upaniṣads immersion starts on April 29.

And if you'd like to support the podcast, please consider subscribing or buy me a coffee... All donations are greatly appreciated!

A different sort of podcast this week – the recording of a panel at the Oxford Literary Festival. The topic is "Religion and Animal Welfare", based on a book by the former chief executive in Compassion in World Farming, Joyce D’Silva.

I shared some yogic perspectives on non-harming, speaking between Amir Khan – a wildlife advocate, broadcaster and Muslim – and the former archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey of Clifton.

I’ve since become a signatory of the CIWF Vision for Fair Food and Farming, which I recommend reading. We also talked about the Charter for Compassion – see here for more details.

To explore how yogic traditions relate to modern life, and alleviate suffering, join me for a course at truthofyoga.com. And if you'd like to support the podcast, please consider subscribing or buy me a coffee... All donations are greatly appreciated!

Yoga philosophy deals with three kinds of pain. These relate to ourselves, to how we interact with others, and to powerful forces beyond our control. This podcast engages with all of them, and highlights communal approaches to healing.

Matthew Green works as an editor for DeSmog, an investigative website. He also writes Resonant World, a newsletter about collective trauma, and Toxic Workplace Survival Guy, which offers advice on how to navigate challenging office environments.

We talk about his transition from working in war zones to seeing how the world is a toxic environment, shaped by traumatised people and inhuman pressures. We also discuss a few remedies – including meditation and psychedelics, and other modalities used to treat trauma.

To explore how yogic traditions relate to modern life, and alleviate suffering, join me for a course at truthofyoga.com. And if you'd like to support the podcast, please consider subscribing or buy me a coffee... All donations are greatly appreciated!

What’s love got to do with a world in crisis? Everything, says Oren Jay Sofer in his new book, Your Heart Was Made for This. No matter how overwhelming things might seem, we can cultivate capacities that help us to respond with sensitivity and strength.

Oren teaches Buddhist meditation, mindfulness and communication (the subject of his last book, Say What You Mean – which I found very helpful when running a men's group). We touch on all these topics in a wide-ranging chat about ways to awaken in everyday life, while also working to transform the world.

Your Heart Was Made for This weaves personal stories with activist history to talk about techniques for relating more skilfully to one another, and to ourselves. In the process, it highlights 26 qualities from the Buddha’s teachings, including practical guidance on how to develop them, and reflections on their links to social change.

To explore some of the overlaps between Buddhism and yogic traditions, join me for a course at truthofyoga.com. And if you'd like to support the podcast, please consider subscribing or buy me a coffee... All donations are greatly appreciated!

Why do so many of us feel so exhausted these days? What can we do to avoid burning out, or to help us recover? Anna Schaffner is a scholar-turned-coach, whose new book is Exhausted: An A-Z for the Weary. It offers timeless inspiration, noting “we still have much to learn from the ancients, and from other cultures.” We talk about crossovers with yoga philosophy and Buddhist ideas, and in the process consider (among other topics):

* Why there’s so much social pressure to work too hard

* What drives perfectionism, and why it’s not always “bad”

* How keeping busy helps people to bury unwanted feelings

* Ways to focus on what we control and accept what we can’t

* The transformative power of enjoying a hobby, just for fun

If you enjoy the conversation, and want to fuel more, please consider subscribing or buy me a coffee... All donations are greatly appreciated!