From the moment she joins the conversation Swami Nityananda’s warmth and joy shines through. I start at the beginning, requesting a better understanding of “Swami” and her names.

If, for even a second, you struggle to find your true self… or you define yourself by one of the roles you play in life, Swami will remind you of your strengths, and loveliness… again and again.

Connectedness is a bit of a theme throughout, but Swami also has thoughts on those people who live and connect only with themselves.

We have some discussion about gender and Swami explains that the divine is beyond gender, as is the light inside you / us but… we have social circumstances that also come into play.

My questions may have proven my lack of knowledge in this episode but Swami’s explanations really reflect her knowledge of, her belief in all facets of her practices.

So much inspiration and joy from Swami Nityananda in this episode.

Swami Nityananda is the spiritual teacher of the Awake Yoga Meditation community. She was consecrated by Swami Shankarananda as a Swami in 2014. Her teachings helps listeners and readers connect with the reality of love, wisdom, liberation, joy, harmony, and kindness. People who meditate with her find Swami Nityananda practices a selfless way of living in the world that asks, “How may I be of service?” and models through open-hearted, generous, and effervescent guidance, a path for us all to recognize our own inherent divine qualities, and to see the same in everyone.

As Juniper Ellis, she is Professor of English at Loyola University, where she teaches American Literature and World Literature Written in English. She earned her PhD at Vanderbilt University. She has held Fulbright grants in New Zealand and Germany, and other national awards including an Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship and an NEH grant. Her book Tattooing the World: Pacific Designs in Print and Skin was published by Columbia University Press. Her scholarly articles have appeared in respected journals in many English-speaking countries.

Visit Swami Nityananda’s Awake website

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Find Swami’s book:  Awake: The Yoga of Pure Awareness