In this episode of the Chai Sessions I’m talking to good friend and yoga philosophy maestro, James Boag. He’s a regular guest with me here on the podcast.

Because we’re chatting ahead of James’s next visit to MCY when he’ll be taking us on a deep dive into the Bhagavad Gita I wanted to talk more about the Gita and what it might have for us as we live today.

The Bhagavad Gita goes right back to the beginning of the time I’ve spent with James - the very first thing I wrote in my notebook from my first session with James in Mysore, South India references the Gita!

So I start by asking James, what is the Bhagavad Gita? And why does he believe it’s still so relevant for us as modern yoga teachers and practitioners? No small question!

He says: “And so why is the Gita relevant? Because it is set here and now in the reality of our experience.”

I never run out of things to talk to James about, and this time is no exception! I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.

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James will be here at Merchant City Yoga on Friday 28th to Sunday 30th March 2025! He’ll be taking us on a deep dive into the Bhagavad Gita and showing how it’s really about each of us, and gives us a manual for being human. Booking is open for our weekend with James now!

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In this episode of The Chai Sessions I’m talking to friend and fellow Ashtanga teacher Scott Johnson. This is our fourth conversation so I feel we can now say he’s a regular here on the podcast!

For many of you he needs no introduction, but for those of you who haven’t met Scott yet he’s been practising yoga since 1998, and teaching Ashtanga yoga since 2004. He’s been the director and senior teacher at Stillpoint Yoga London since it was founded in 2009.

Scott’s teaching integrates the practice of yoga and embodied mindfulness. He teaches this mindful approach to Ashtanga yoga nationally and internationally, and he’s been visiting us here at MCY since way back in 2018.

I start our conversation by asking Scott about a recent Instagram reel he posted that went off the charts in terms of response. It led with the bold words “This is how Ashtanga works”.

Scott says, “…this is how Ashtanga yoga works, for me at that moment was to say, it helps you over time to become still. And it's true. That's the heart of yoga, the heart of it all. Yoga wants us to be able to find something within us that's still, away from all the stuff that turns.”

I don’t think I needed to worry about running out of conversation with Scott! I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did.

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Scott and I spoke here ahead of his next visit to Merchant City Yoga, 7-9 March 2025. He’s sharing three mornings of Mysore style assisted self practice, workshops exploring mindful patterns in Ashtanga yoga on Saturday & Sunday afternoon and a very special workshop for teachers on the Friday - The Art of Mindful Yoga Adjustments: Empowering Teachers Through Safe & Effective Hands-on Assists.

You’ll find all the details and booking for Scott’s visit to MCY in March HERE

Would love to have you join us!

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This episode is the fifth and last (at least for now!) in my short series, Ashtanga Love Notes, where I talk with friends who like me still practise and teach Ashtanga. And still love it too!

My guest and I spoke for the first time on the Chai Sessions way back in the depths of lock down and I’m really excited to have persuaded her to join me again.

It is of course my good friend and fellow teacher Rose Ann McKean!

Rose Ann’s been practising Ashtanga yoga since 2005. As she talks about here, she first came to yoga through her original passion, teaching exercise to music, and that led her eventually to try yoga classes at the same gym. As her love for Ashtanga yoga grew she started travelling into Glasgow for morning Mysore Style classes with previous Love Note guest Cathy Moran. And that’s where I first met her!

We’ve both come a long way since then and in this conversation we talk about our yoga practice and experience over the years, and the things we’ve learned along the way.

There’s only one Rose Ann and here she is. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as we did.

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Rose Ann is dedicated to teaching Ashtanga yoga and loves sharing her knowledge and experience with anyone who wants to learn. Her classes offer a really approachable and down to earth setting with the emphasis very much on enjoying yoga while never losing the teachings passed down from teacher to student.

You’ll find her here supporting our MCY Ashtanga community every Wednesday morning and two Saturday mornings a month (usually the 1st and 3rd weekends). She also runs regular mysore intensives which offer the opportunity to dive deeper, and the next one runs week beginning 17 March. You’ll find all the dates and details HERE.

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