In this episode we discuss:
The spirit of Bhakti
Breath as a supreme principle, relating to the Divine through breath - a delivery system of love
The power of mantra
Bhakti as the fuel for practice and the importance of digging in one spot to reach a depth
Cultivating a relationship to deity 
The relationship between Bhakti and Tarka and the process of falling in love with awareness
Your own signature Bhakti

Mary Reilly Nichols is the Director of Nalanda Institute’s Yoga, Mind & Spirit and has been teaching yoga for over 30 years. She offers teachings through the lens of non-duality in the Upanishads, Advaita Vedanta, as well as in the Tantric methods of Kashmiri Shaivism and Kundalini Yoga. She holds a BA in anthropology from Harvard University, and completed five years of residency in the ashrams of Swami Muktananda both in India and in the US. In addition to workshops, weekly classes, corporate and teacher-trainings, Nichols teaches stress management in psychiatric settings and is involved in ongoing research on the mind/body benefits of yoga and meditation.

Dr. Kavitha Chinnaiyan is a Cardiologist and Professor of Medicine at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in Royal Oak, MI. She is an initiate in the Tāntrik lineages of Śrī Vidyā and Non-dual Śaiva Tantra (also known as Kashmir Śaivisim) and has studied Advaita Vedānta, Ayurveda, and Yoga with teachers across the globe. Her workshops, courses and writings on meditation, Yoga, Tantra, Ayurveda and non-duality strive to bring these time-honored traditions to modern living in practical ways. She is the author of The Heart of Wellness (Llewellyn Publications, January 2018), Shakti Rising (New Harbinger Publications, October 2017), which won the Nautilus Gold Award for Best Books of 2017 and Glorious Alchemy: Living the Lalitā Sahasranāma (New Sarum Press, UK, January 2020).

In this episode we discuss:
<ol data-stringify-type="ordered-list" data-indent="0">
<li>The spirit of Bhakti</li>
<li>Breath as a supreme principle, relating to the Divine through breath - a delivery system of love</li>
<li>The power of mantra</li>
<li>Bhakti as the fuel for practice and the importance of digging in one spot to reach a depth</li>
<li>Cultivating a relationship to deity&nbsp;</li>
<li>The relationship between Bhakti and Tarka and the process of falling in love with awareness</li>
<li>Your own signature Bhakti</li>
</ol>
Mary Reilly Nichols&nbsp;is the Director of Nalanda Institute&rsquo;s Yoga, Mind &amp; Spirit and has been teaching yoga for over 30 years. She offers teachings through the lens of non-duality in the Upanishads, Advaita Vedanta, as well as in the Tantric methods of Kashmiri Shaivism and Kundalini Yoga. She holds a BA in anthropology from Harvard University, and completed five years of residency in the ashrams of Swami Muktananda both in India and in the US. In addition to workshops, weekly classes, corporate and teacher-trainings, Nichols teaches stress management in psychiatric settings and is involved in ongoing research on the mind/body benefits of yoga and meditation.
Dr. Kavitha Chinnaiyan&nbsp;is a Cardiologist and Professor of Medicine at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in Royal Oak, MI. She is an initiate in the Tāntrik lineages of Śrī Vidyā and Non-dual Śaiva Tantra (also known as Kashmir Śaivisim) and has studied Advaita Vedānta, Ayurveda, and Yoga with teachers across the globe. Her workshops, courses and writings on meditation, Yoga, Tantra, Ayurveda and non-duality strive to bring these time-honored traditions to modern living in practical ways. She is the author of The Heart of Wellness (Llewellyn Publications, January 2018), Shakti Rising (New Harbinger Publications, October 2017), which won the Nautilus Gold Award for Best Books of 2017 and Glorious Alchemy: Living the Lalitā Sahasranāma (New Sarum Press, UK, January 2020).

Chitheads is a smorgasbord of contemplative education. Each episode is like a mini masterclass, exploring the diverse landscapes of spiritual practice, philosophy, and the transformative power of embodied knowledge. Each episode is crafted with the curious and open heart in mind, aiming to illuminate the path of self-inquiry and empowerment for yoga teachers, scholar-practitioners, meditators and other spiritual seekers and contemplative folks from around the world.

From the profound teachings of Yoga and Buddhism to the sometimes complex theories of contemplative psychology and the vibrant tapestry of indigenous wisdom, our guests share insights that awaken, challenge, and inspire.

With every episode, we dive into discussions that matter, exploring questions that guide us closer to our true selves and to a deeper understanding of the world around us. Our mission is to create a space where wisdom (and not fame, power, or money) is the center of gravity and what we are most concerned about cultivating in this lifetime. 

Join us on Chitheads as we explore the liminal spaces of consciousness, embrace the complexities of the human experience without dogma or self-righteousness, and discover the beauty again and again of the interconnectedness of all things.

Subscribe to Chitheads on YouTube and your favorite podcast platform, and please consider leaving us a positive review on one iTunes, or your favorite podcast player. Come dive into these in-depth conversations that illuminate our path of contemplative discovery. If you’ve felt like you’re the only one full of chit – full of consciousness or awareness ˀ– welcome home. This community of listeners, seekers, and scholar-practitioners is for you.

Chitheads is a smorgasbord of contemplative education. Each episode is like a mini masterclass, exploring the diverse landscapes of spiritual practice, philosophy, and the transformative power of embodied knowledge. Each episode is crafted with the curious and open heart in mind, aiming to illuminate the path of self-inquiry and empowerment for yoga teachers, scholar-practitioners, meditators and other spiritual seekers and contemplative folks from around the world.
From the profound teachings of Yoga and Buddhism to the sometimes complex theories of contemplative psychology and the vibrant tapestry of indigenous wisdom, our guests share insights that awaken, challenge, and inspire.
With every episode, we dive into discussions that matter, exploring questions that guide us closer to our true selves and to a deeper understanding of the world around us. Our mission is to create a space where wisdom (and not fame, power, or money) is the center of gravity and what we are most concerned about cultivating in this lifetime. 
Join us on Chitheads as we explore the liminal spaces of consciousness, embrace the complexities of the human experience without dogma or self-righteousness, and discover the beauty again and again of the interconnectedness of all things.
Subscribe to Chitheads on YouTube and your favorite podcast platform, and please consider leaving us a positive review on one iTunes, or your favorite podcast player. Come dive into these in-depth conversations that illuminate our path of contemplative discovery. If you’ve felt like you’re the only one full of chit – full of consciousness or awareness ˀ– welcome home. This community of listeners, seekers, and scholar-practitioners is for you.

Interviews with leaders, elders and teachers from the yoga and wider wisdom community on eastern philosophies, consciousness studies, social justice, and the human spiritual condition.

Advertisement