49: The Science of Yoga with Eddie Stern

We’ve seen huge growth in the popularity of yoga in recent years, and people turn to yoga for many different reasons. Today’s show brings interesting insights and perspectives from a longtime expert in the field. Join us for this beautiful conversation.Eddie Stern is a yogi, author, and lecturer from NYC. He has studied yoga since 1987 and runs the Broome Street Ganesha Temple in Soho. His latest book, One Simple Thing: A New Look at the Science of Yoga and How It Can TransformYour Life, examines a decade’s worth of study on the correlations between the yogic and western views of the nervous system. The book gives an in-depth look at the underlying scientific mechanisms that make yoga work. This is an enlightening conversation about breath and its importance to yoga, the cool story of the founding of the Ganesha Temple, and Eddie’s surprising views about yoga in the US today. The beautiful Broome Street Ganesha Temple is the site of our interview, which unfortunately ended abruptly with technical difficulties. You’ll miss some of Eddie’s answers to my rapid-fire questions, especially about the books he’s reading, but we’ve included two of his recommendations in our Resources section. Show Highlights:Why the Broome Street Ganesha Temple is a labor of love that has taken several years to become “a beautiful sanctuary in the middle of the city”Eddie’s journey to yoga, which began around age 19-20 and became the most important part of his lifeWhy the science of yoga intrigues and fascinates EddieHow the science of breath ties into yoga and has become a prominent subject in recent yearsHow breathing and other autonomic functions help restore and maintain balance in our bodiesWhy the yogic tradition teaches that we should measure our lives in breathsWhy we should apply the idea of expansiveness to our sense of time and allow breathing to slow down the speed of our mindsWhy most yoga practices are only surface level, where people attempt to live more conscious livesHow yoga is greatly misrepresented in the westWhy Eddie wrote his book, One Simple ThingEddie’s thoughts about gurus, the guru tradition, and the correlation to yogaWhy the guru tradition probably won’t work in America because of our hedonistic attitudesThe connection between activism, social justice, and effecting change in yoga practiceHow Eddie views his relationship with social media and his advice about using social mediaWhat it means to Eddie to live in his purposeHear Eddie’s answers to rapid-fire questions about helpful advice, grounding habits, favorite hot beverage, last meal on earth, an inspiring person, and his morning routineResources:Connect with Eddie:  www.eddiestern.com, Broome Street Ganesh, and InstagramOne Simple Thing: A New Look at the Science of Yoga and How It Can Transform Your Life, by Eddie SternAlso mentioned in this episode:Autobiography of a Yogi, by Paramahansa YoganandaBe Here Now, by Ram DassConnect with me:Join me for