In the US, the FDA has only banned or restricted 11 toxic chemicals from cosmetics. Meanwhile, EU law bans more than 1300 from things like makeup, toothpaste, and shampoo — that are linked to cancer, genetic mutation, reproductive harm, and birth defects. Because the United States government favors businesses over global health, it’s up to us to do our research about what goes on our skin—which is our largest organ—and into our bodies. That’s where Beth Walker comes in.
Beth is a highly respected makeup artist and Yoga Journal's resident artist for cover shoots. While attending holistic esthetician school and working at natural wellness boutique Pharmica, in 2014 Beth met some of the Yoga Journal staff who often shopped there. She’s worked on hundreds of faces including the revered Reverend Paula Stone Williams, author of the forthcoming book As a Woman: What I learned about power, sex, and the patriarchy after I transitioned.
We’re thrilled to welcome her to the show today. It’s a very special show, because it’s our last for a while — the Yoga Show is taking a hiatus. In the meantime, tune into our sister podcast, the Practice, and if you want to keep up with me and Aviv, follow our forthcoming podcast, @LyricsforLunch, on socials and at lyricsforlunch.com.
And don’t forget about Yoga Journal’s member exclusive experience, where you can find award-winning content from the world’s leading wellness experts. Learn more at yogajournal.com/activepass.
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51:42
A Gratitude Ceremony with Christine Olivia Hernandez
This week, host Lindsay Tucker heads out to Topanga California to try a sacred cacao ceremony as part of Christine Olivia Hernandez’s Maltyox Method, a gratitude celebration for clearing the mind, opening the heart, and strengthening the body and soul.
The cacao bean, which was discovered by the Olmecs around 1500 BC, has been used by the Mayan and Aztect cultures for centuries as a sacred and ritualistic plant medicine.
Christine is a yoga teacher and writer of the book A Child of Magic, opened her home to share her maltyox method and teach us about the healing and uplifting properties of cacao.
Follow Christine on instagram at @christineolivia_ and more on the Maltyox Method at maltyoxmethod.com
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38:29
The Matriarch Movement with Shayla Stonechild
Shayla Stonechild started the Matriarch Movement (matriarchmovement.ca) two years ago to turn the tide on the mainstream narrative regarding Indigenous women that objectifies their bodies and their culture. What started as a social media platform to amplify the voices of Native women and create a community for sharing stories of empowerment, prosperity, and resilience has in two short years become a full-fledged non-profit hosting wellness workshops and retreats specifically for Indigenous youth who don’t often see themselves reflected in the wellness space.
“I realized there was a lack of representation for Indigenous women in the state of resilience and excellence.” “We're always deemed as missing, murdered, and vulnerable, and we're always in a state of survival. And I thought, "The Matriarch Movement will be like a shift and a rise and a reclamation of who we are as Indigenous people, but specifically women."
Today, there are more than 4,000 documented unsolved cases of missing and murdered Native women and girls in the United States and Canada, according to a 2020 report by the Sovereign Bodies Institute, a research nonprofit tracking gender and sexual violence against Indigenous people. And experts say these estimates are low, thanks to underreporting, racial misclassification, poor record keeping, and institutional racism affecting law enforcement and the media.
For this crisis to even begin to be addressed, Shayla says, Indigenous women must be respected and valued and perhaps first and foremost, be seen.
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49:36
Decolonizing Yoga with Anusha Wijeyakumar
For decades, the practice of Yoga has been co-opted by white America. This has led to a commodification of the practice—of which the implications have been both harmful and far reaching. Yoga teacher and wellness consultant Anusha Wijeyakumar is one of the many voices calling to return the notion of yoga back to its roots and make the full practice accessible for anyone interested in learning the 8 limbs in a way that’s respectful and non-appropriative.
Her new book, Meditation with Intention, came out in January, and you can pre-register for her Intro to the Bhagavad Gita course as early as Friday February 26, at yogajournal.com/courses.
Follow Anusha @shantiwithin on Instagram
or visit www.shantiwithin.com/shop where you can order Anusha's book and find out about her meditation & coaching program
For an excerpt of Anusha's book, visit https://www.yogajournal.com/meditation/the-life-changing-daily-meditation-that-takes-just-5-minutes-a-day/
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50:28
Yoga, Dating, and Data Science with Comedian Ginny Hogan
This week we chatted with Ginny Hogan (@ginnyhogan_), a standup comedian and yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance who writes for outlets such as the New Yorker, The Atlantic, and Vulture. After leaving a data science job in Silicon Valley, Hogan started a blog comedically analyzing data from her own dating profiles and online dates. Once she found her voice in comedy, Hogan also started down the road to health and wellness by quitting drinking and getting her 200 hour YTT certification. We caught up with her to talk about dating and YTT in the time of COVID, and how to kick a smartphone addiction--or not.
The yoga world is full of passion, dedication, and entrepreneurial spirit. In this podcast Yoga Journal executive editor Lindsay Tucker interviews thought leaders, experts, teachers, and disruptors about the creative, practical, and spiritual issues flowing through the yoga community today. We’ll be releasing four-episode series around the themes of each issue of our magazine, including creativity, energy, healing, celebration, and more.
Ireland